《City of Witches》


 Chapter 1: Slave of Witch City (1)

    ? slave of witch city (1) ?


    amidst the cold autumn rainfall.


    no matter how much time passed, the feeling of having cold, wet skin constantly brushing against the rough leather of the blue overalls, in the middle of autumn, was something impossible to get used to.


    ¡°fuck, it¡¯s filthy and heavy.¡±


    shin siwoo couldn¡¯t help but mutter curses while continuing to scoop up piles of mud from the clogged drainage pipes with his shovel.


    as someone who is neither brave nor strong enough to go against his superiors, this invisible act is only the way he could vent as a form of rebellion.


    a mildewy stench lingered on the rain-bearing raincoat, which heavily weighed on his back. it was a stench he was already familiar with from the ponchos he wore in his military service.


    the sight of the stagnant water finally being drained after removing the last clump of mud clogging the pipe gave shin siwoo a small sense of satisfaction.


    the trinity academy¡¯s magic library uses a sophisticated drainage system that harvested all the rainwater, which would then converge straight into one huge drainage channel, though nobody knew where the drainage, consisting of more than 20 meters long and straight path, would go from there. however, as long as it was effective, nobody cared where the waste ended up getting disposed of.


    at the end of the day, the end result was siwoo getting covered in filth and mud.


    after putting down his shovel, he then straightened out his back, producing a loud popping sound which was a testament to his long and arduous work.


    fortunately, that was the last chore he had to do this morning.


    once his morning chores were complete, siwoo had the chance to rest in his room until 2 pm, try chewing on a few pieces of dry bread, and then pass out for around two hours. for a man like him who had to work for more than 12 hours every day, having the ability to take a power nap was an extremely useful and necessary skill.


    shin siwoo desperately wanted to get out of this shithole as soon as possible.


    when he looked above him, the first thing he saw was a small pair of pretty-looking feet.


    ¡°hey, janitor, can¡¯t you clean any better than this?¡±


    janitor.


    whether it was the academy¡¯s assistants, the professors, or the researchers, they all referred to shin siwoo by the title of ¡®janitor¡¯. despite only being referred to by his title, instead of his surname or first name, in reality it was a surprisingly humane treatment, though it would seem otherwise at first glance.


    when it comes to slaves affiliated with the central city hall, having an actual title was nothing short of a blessing.


    usually, depending on where they were assigned, slaves would only have titles along the lines of ¡®you¡¯, ¡®hey¡¯, ¡®you there¡¯, or ¡®slave¡¯.


    ¡°yeah, yeah... sorry ¡®bout that.¡±


    focused more on climbing his way out of the waist-high drain than apologizing half-heartedly, once siwoo finished climbing, he immediately backed away from the woman¡¯s side.


    this kind of treatment wasn¡¯t anything special here.


    ¡°what do you want?¡±


    ¡°today, we will be having a lesson on the bodily fluids of human males and the relationship it has with magic. have your clothes changed by 12:00 and then wait at the entrance of the 2nd academy building.¡±


    after being enslaved for over 5 years, most would start to pick up on certain things.


    actually, siwoo had already started to feel uneasy once he had noticed that somebody like her, an associate professor, had personally come to a filthy place like this.


    his ominous premonition had come true once again, as always.


    ¡°about that... by the time i finish washing up and changing my clothes, it would already be past noon...¡±


    ¡°is there a problem...?¡±


    siwoo could clearly see that the associate professor was upset, judging from the expression on her pretty face. there was a contrast between her neatly tied back, lustrous blonde hair, and her alluring lips pursed into a disappointed frown.


    at a glance, she was obviously upset, but siwoo knew that behind the gleam in her mystical sapphire eyes lay an expression very different from the one she was willing to show...


    ¡°you don¡¯t have any complaints, do you?¡±


    as soon as hard labor was finished for the day, this associate professor, amelia marigold, would immediately drop her facade and reveal her true nature of being a witch who is obsessed with the man known as shin siwoo.


    however, one thing shouldn¡¯t be misunderstood.


    the reason behind amelia being called a ¡®witch¡¯ was not because of some cruel personality or sociopathic tendencies.


    rather, this beautiful young lady, who looks to be not a year over 20, was literally a ¡®witch¡¯. in other words, a genuine sorceress who had already inherited the witch¡¯s brand from her predecessor of the ¡®marigold¡¯ line of witches and has already been alive for countless decades.


    ¡°no, no, i¡¯ll get ready as soon as possible!¡±


    siwoo profusely apologized once more and hurriedly began bowing his head repeatedly. in this city, witches were considered to be above everyone else.


    nobody would ever bat an eye even if a lowly slave such as siwoo were to be killed simply because a witch disliked his choice of words.


    ¡°stop right there.¡±


    amelia¡¯s long eyelashes fluttered as she called out to siwoo.


    her alluring aura, perfect proportions, and peak beauty seemed as if they were meticulously crafted by god. if it were just based on her doll-like appearance alone, no one would ever think that she was a vicious witch at all. after a brief pause, amelia began to speak...


    ¡°are you finally ready to change your answer? i believe that 5 years is plenty of time to think over my proposal.¡±


    while her voice had the same businesslike tone as before, there was now a subtle hint of seduction hidden underneath.


    siwoo¡¯s mind went blank for a moment from the implications behind her words.


    suddenly, siwoo began to feel a small fragment of an emotion that he thought he had already lost years ago.


    no matter what manner of indecencies or humiliation that siwoo would be forced to experience, he would never lose his pride.


    ¡°i won¡¯t change my answer, no matter how many times you ask. anyways, it¡¯s about time for me to start getting ready, so i¡¯ll be leaving first.¡±


    siwoo then proceeded to turn around after pulling his shovel out of the pile of mud it was stuck in and head back to his ¡®home¡¯.


    while standing alone amidst the pouring rain, amelia¡¯s eyes began to narrow with a dangerous glint.


    2.


    ¡°that fucking bitch.¡±


    siwoo hadn¡¯t been this angry in a long time. most of the time, it would only be at the point where his heart thumps with spite whenever he complains to himself. for some reason, amelia would always find a way to get under his skin every time she opened her mouth.


    it was a known fact that all witches were an extremely privileged group of individuals.


    not only are they immortal, they have the ability to control the mysterious power of magic and would often relentlessly pursue revenge, even for the most trivial of insults to their pride.


    of course, siwoo despised witches. he especially hated amelia marigold the most!


    as he was feeling frustrated that he couldn¡¯t swear as much as he pleased because of the possibility that somebody might overhear, he got startled by the rough hand that suddenly grabbed his shoulder.


    from behind, he could hear the culprit¡¯s smug voice.


    ¡°¡®sup brother, why the long face?¡±


    ¡°just who the fuck are you calling brother, you bastard!?¡±


    ¡°whoa, looks like somebody¡¯s talkative today. did something bad happen? come on, you can tell me.¡±


    in this entire academy, there was only one person who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to hold on to siwoo¡¯s muddy shoulders. that person was takasho mimaya, a japanese man from hokkaido.


    ¡°just where the fuck have you been?¡±


    ¡°the majestic hokkaido pagoda does not distinguish between day or night.¡±


    takasho gave me a sly expression and wiggled his pinky. so basically, while siwoo had toiled away his entire morning in the chilly rain, takasho was having fun rolling around in the bed of some researcher or professor.


    despite appearances, siwoo and takasho shared quite a few similarities.


    they were both 28 years old, kidnapped from earth to the wretched city of witches, ¡®gehenna¡¯, and were forced to become slaves of the city hall.


    however, despite their similar circumstances, there was still one major difference between them.


    while siwoo took the honest route of miserable hard labor, takasho had whored himself to the witches in exchange for numerous conveniences.


    that thought made siwoo¡¯s blood boil again. all the anger he felt towards amelia a while ago had suddenly worsened once he saw takasho¡¯s smug face.


    ¡°are you really that fucking shameless!? those assholes are the reason why we¡¯re stuck in this trash heap to begin with! after all the suffering they¡¯ve put us through, now you¡¯re just gonna go ahead and sleep in the same bed as those fucking monsters!?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s always been my dream to be a pimp. besides, compared to the time when i had to cater to the old aunties back in the day, the women here are even prettier than the most beautiful girls in tokyo! if you could just stop being stubborn and throw away your pride, this place will become a paradise for you.¡±


    after he finished delivering his little speech, takasho gave siwoo a big, toothy grin.


    without fail, every single person from earth who were brought to gehenna, the city of witches, would always end up as slaves.


    only two types of slaves existed in gehenna. you either became a ¡®common slave¡¯, which collectively belongs to the city hall, or a ¡®private slave¡¯, who are owned by an individual.


    according to this system, the common slaves have to prove their worth in order to receive any kind of humane treatment.


    in other words, they either had to be good-looking like takasho or have the ability to work in public affairs like siwoo.


    well, even though that¡¯s what most believe, neither siwoo nor takasho knew the exact criteria behind being chosen.


    however, one thing was clear, and that was the fact that takasho was using his past experience of working at a host club to the fullest in order to live a comfortable lifestyle in this foreign city.


    ¡°that associate professor amelia is interested in you, right? this could be your chance. if you want, i could give you a couple pointers. as long as you follow my lead, even someone as stubborn as her would end up melting in your hands.¡±


    shoving takasho off of his shoulder, siwoo spat out, ¡°fuck that shit!¡±


    ¡°siwoo, i can definitely tell that you lived an honest life back in korea. however; even if your attitude is considered to be honest where you come from, in japan, it would be considered to be extremely arrogant.¡±


    ¡°i already said i won¡¯t go through with it! why are you being so damn persistent today?¡±


    ¡°oh, come on, bro, i was just trying to lighten the mood.¡±


    with his experience as a former host, takasho was easily able to notice that amelia had taken a particular interest in siwoo.


    on his first day working at the academy, siwoo had refused to attend to amelia that night.


    back then, siwoo was still a nai?ve young man who didn¡¯t know all that much about witch culture and got embarrassed, so he ended up refusing her invitation... he never would¡¯ve guessed that amelia would still be holding onto that grudge 5 years after the fact. however, even after learning more about witch culture, he decided not to change his answer.


    one could say that it was a matter of pride. there was conviction in not throwing away one¡¯s pride, even if one knew that the end result would be the same, regardless.


    ¡°anyway, i¡¯m busy right now. get out of my way.¡±


    ¡°again? but you just got back! sheesh, must be tough being a scholar.¡±


    despite his annoying sense of humor, takasho was still a good friend. takasho had helped siwoo a lot over the years by smuggling him some stuff he could get from his more affluent environment. besides that, he was also the only person siwoo could openly speak with.


    if serving military service for two years with somebody was enough to become best friends, being forced into slavery together must be enough to practically become brothers. anyone would become close friends after that.


    ¡°is the next job being the assistant again?¡±


    ¡°yeah, and it¡¯s being the assistant of that bitch too. god damn it.¡±


    while siwoo kept on fuming, takasho had an interesting look on his face.


    ¡°so then it would be... that class, huh?¡±


    ¡°yeah, that class.¡±


    takasho was confused when he saw siwoo¡¯s downcast expression.


    ¡°if that¡¯s the case, then why are you so depressed? shouldn¡¯t you be happy about something like this?¡±


    knowing the content of the class, any other guy would love to be in his place.


    ¡°looks like the comforting sight of newbie apprentice witches is something a guy like you could never understand.¡±


    ¡°whoa, look at this old pervert. you do know what happens to anyone who touches an apprentice witch, right?¡±


    if anyone tried to do something like that, their head would instantly go flying. such a taboo topic is better left alone unless you want to end up getting buried 6 feet under.


    seeing the solemn look on siwoo¡¯s face, takasho answered with a big smile.


    ¡°haven¡¯t you ever felt that sometimes, even just the act of looking at flowers can make you happy? anyways, if you really don¡¯t want to go... how about i take your place?¡±


    ¡°trust me, i would love that, but that¡¯s impossible. associate professor amelia summoned me personally.¡±


    ¡°tch, what a tough situation you found yourself in, huh?¡±


    takasho clicked his tongue in regret.


    from the point of view of a guy who loves women, this was like handing him a wrapped gift that he wasn¡¯t allowed to open.


    however, for someone like siwoo, who had an average libido, a job like this was tougher than any other labor.


    ¡°in that case, i¡¯ll be on my way as well. i also have some work to do right now, so i¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    takasho patted siwoo on the back in an attempt to cheer him up, and then disappeared at the end of the hallway. judging from that response, he probably had yet another ¡®patron¡¯ waiting for him.


    since siwoo was delayed by takasho earlier, he had to quickly wash himself and get changed in order to show up in time. an endless amount of complaints await him if he doesn¡¯t make it to associate professor amelia¡¯s appointed time.


    once siwoo finally finishes changing into his lab coat, he would then need to wait 5 minutes in advance at the meeting place.


    he heaved a deep sigh.


    ¡°this wretched city.¡±


    that was the only thing siwoo could utter. he had nothing else to say besides that.


    tl note: for new readers, this is one of the best adult novels and is critically acclaimed also for its plot. first chapters might be a bit hard to go through for some, but it will get a lot better!


    the real plot actually starts on 80+ so be sure to give it a chance till then. enjoy!

 Chapter 2: Slave of Witch City (2)

    ? slave of witch city (2) ?


    if there was anything that the academy lacked, it was modern conveniences such as a bathhouse.


    basically, the concepts of running water or indoor plumbing don¡¯t exist here.


    after peeling off his grimy work uniform, siwoo squatted down right by the nearby well and began to pour ice-cold groundwater all over his body.


    each time a dry lump of mud melted, his body would begin to shiver as more of his flesh was exposed to the chilly breeze.


    if only he wasn¡¯t on such a tight schedule, he would have at least taken the time to boil some hot water.


    once he realized that amelia was the one behind this suffering, siwoo clenched his teeth in fury.


    ¡°it¡¯s cold as fuck!¡±


    it¡¯s been 5 years since he was kidnapped to gehenna and became a slave.


    in order to fully explain how absurd this city was, first it was essential to describe what witches were.


    after reading about them from books he found in the library and living together with them for 5 years, siwoo already had a deep understanding of what kind of existences they were.


    witches were all arrogant, dangerous, selfish, and insane people.


    however, this was simply siwoo¡¯s impression that he got from spending 5 years with them and was far from the actual definition or concept of witches.


    personal feelings aside, a witch was anyone with a ¡®brand¡¯ engraved somewhere on their body and had the ability to cast magic.


    siwoo had first gotten this information from the slave trader who had kidnapped him and taken him to gehenna.


    that slave trader with a scar on his face had given siwoo some ¡®advice that couldn¡¯t really be considered advice¡¯.


    ¡®unless you¡¯re feeling suicidal, then you should never oppose a witch.¡¯


    now that he thought back on it, he got a bit pissed.


    siwoo was just living life normally when he suddenly got kidnapped. then after getting kidnapped, the guy who was going to sell him had the balls to give him such shitty advice?


    even then, the look of instinctual horror on that slave trader¡¯s face was still engraved in siwoo¡¯s memory.


    now, 5 years later after being sold to a city hall official at a slave auction and then being assigned as a janitor of trinity academy.


    siwoo finally understood the slave trader¡¯s advice back then, after listening in on amelia¡¯s lectures or reading the books kept in the library.


    the fear of witches did not just stem from their ability to wield magic.


    what was actually frightening was their purpose and how they went about achieving it.


    the purpose of all witches was to achieve the great magic used by the ¡®witch of creation¡¯.


    for witches who are always pursuing higher paths of witchhood, pushing the limits of ethics and morality were common.


    in fact, it was said that being a private slave was more dangerous than being a common slave. some private slaves even end up dying during secret human experiments.


    well, that explanation might be a bit hard to understand.


    so, in a nutshell, witches were crazy magic wielding bitches.


    the insane cravings of a middle-aged menopausal woman was nothing compared to a witch¡¯s obsession with magic.


    ¡°they¡¯re really crazy bitches...¡±


    what would have happened to him if somebody other than the city official had been the one to buy siwoo at the slave auction?


    every time he thought of that possibility, chills would run down his spine.


    anyways, he had to hurry before he ran out of time.


    after drying himself off with a hole-filled towel, he put on some loose white clothing, choosing to go without underwear.


    the white uniform was a stiff material without any synthetic fibers, and resembled a dress that barely covered the body.


    this garment, called a ¡®lab coat¡¯ within the trinity academy, was more worthy of being called a ¡®cleaning rag¡¯ than ¡®clothes¡¯.


    if you looked closely enough at the skirt-like hem, siwoo¡¯s national treasure would be revealed in its full glory.


    after finally putting on the lab coat that he would never get used to, despite the many times he had already worn them, siwoo headed straight towards the 2nd school building.


    2.


    trinity academy was located within a place known as lenomond town.


    this was a place where apprentice witches were trained, and fully fledged witches could perform their research.


    the academy¡¯s campus was built in the shape of a cross, perfectly aligned with the four cardinal directions: east, west, north, and south. all of the buildings were made of stone, in a mix of gehenna¡¯s unique architectural style and the 17th century baroque style.


    among them, the most recently renovated 2nd academy building in the north was reminiscent of the palace of versailles on earth. it could be because of how luxurious and lavishly decorated it appeared.


    although gehenna¡¯s class-based society, system, and origins left a bad taste in siwoo¡¯s mouth, even he couldn¡¯t help but admire how amazing the architecture was.


    as he entered the 2nd academy building through a corridor that was connected to all rooms; siwoo was greeted by the sight of crystal chandeliers, candles lit with a soothing light, and a ceiling painting portraying the wonders and beauty of magic.


    in front of him stood amelia marigold, who was looking down with a troubled expression on her face.


    sometimes she would get lost in her thoughts like this.


    she wore poulaines, those shoes with pointed tips witches always wore in fiction, a mermaid dress which accentuated her figure, and a cloak that wrapped around her shoulders.


    her overall color-scheme was themed around dark colors.


    seeing how it was a class for instructing apprentice witches, she had dressed formally.


    each piece of clothing that amelia inherited from her predecessor ¡®marigold¡¯ was a size larger than what would normally fit her.


    thanks to that, along with the fact that she was currently holding a book half her size, the frowning amelia appeared very small.


    ¡°......¡±


    siwoo¡¯s mind went blank for a moment as he stared at her side profile as if he were possessed.


    even he must admit, although he hated witches, they were indeed beautiful.


    her luscious blonde hair freely draped over her cloak, her red lips that were akin to the forbidden fruit, and her soft curves that showed through her clothes...


    she was so dazzling that her beauty could no longer be considered to be within the realm of humanity.


    amelia, who appeared to be perfectly sculpted like a statue, was able to easily blend into the scene of this gorgeous and luxurious hall.


    ¡°associate professor.¡±


    amelia slowly blinked at siwoo¡¯s call.


    less than 5 seconds later, she looked up at siwoo with a cold expression.


    she then pulled out a pocket watch from her cloak and checked the time.


    ¡°it¡¯s three minutes past noon. does it look like i have the time to idly stand by?¡±


    ¡°i had arrived on time, but i didn¡¯t want to disturb the associate professor. you seemed to be deeply contemplating something about the secrets of magic.¡±


    actually, he was spying on her side profile, but this was best left unsaid.


    ¡°wrong. you should have called out to me instead of just standing there. the confirmed arrival time of janitor is three minutes after the appointed time. meaning that you are late. unless i¡¯m aware of it, there¡¯s no way to tell if you¡¯re on time or not, correct?¡±


    ¡°i apologize.¡±


    siwoo was quick to apologize. it wasn¡¯t his first time being in such a situation.


    amelia always looked like she was about to chew him out, but she didn¡¯t scold him too much if he immediately apologized.


    she seemed to think that it was beneath her to let a mere slave criticize her.


    ¡°never mind. i would rather teach a lab rat magic than to expect wise judgment from you.¡±


    ¡°i deeply apologize.¡±


    but today, amelia¡¯s admonishments ended up being long winded.


    amelia¡¯s scolding session continued as siwoo kept his head bowed.


    ¡°i think i have pretty much overlooked janitor¡¯s mistakes so far. since you weren¡¯t properly punished, you¡¯re still repeating the same obvious mistakes.¡±


    siwoo suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.


    ¡°for the next week, after you finish your afternoon work, clean up my lab.¡±


    ¡°i beg your pardon?¡±


    this was outright harassment.


    if she used her magic, she could easily clean up her lab in 3 minutes. meanwhile, siwoo, who was not a witch, would need more than 3 hours to clean such a complex lab.


    siwoo was already working more than 12 hours a day, and amelia had just given him 3 hours of overtime just because he was three minutes ¡®late¡¯.


    ¡°are you not going to do it? you didn¡¯t arrive at the appointed time.¡±


    siwoo couldn¡¯t talk back.


    amelia ended the conversation by saying that she would not accept any objections or complaints.


    then she threw the large book towards siwoo¡¯s chest, before walking up the stairs.


    siwoo almost couldn¡¯t hold back the curses he was about to start spewing out of his mouth.


    he could see amelia¡¯s back as she climbed the stairs, and the long cloak that was dragging on the floor, which was too long for someone of her stature.


    siwoo really wanted to step on it and make her trip.


    however, he didn¡¯t have the confidence to deal with the consequences.


    in the end, feeling even more burdened than before, siwoo began to follow amelia.


    3.


    ¡°sit down.¡±


    amelia entered the classroom and began the lecture without any sort of greeting.


    the classroom, with colors which did not fade even in gloomy weather, exuded a certain type of elegance. it had a structure similar to a terrace with a desk centered behind a large blackboard.


    compared to common lecture halls which are built to accommodate a large number of people, this space could only fit 20 people.


    that wasn¡¯t a problem, however, as there were only two apprentice witches attending this class.


    the two girls were clinging to each other, as if they shared one body. they were grinning at siwoo from behind their desks.


    the atmosphere became a bit tense, probably because they had been chattering up until now.


    siwoo put the heavy book down on the table and stood next to amelia.


    once he turned around, he got startled by the two pairs of purple eyes staring at him.


    the girls were identical twins, to the point where it appeared as if they were clones of each other. they had been paying attention to siwoo from the moment he and amelia had entered the classroom.


    odette and odile.


    they were currently the only apprentice witches who had been taking classes at trinity academy since 2 years ago.


    their hair was dark and they had bright violet eyes.


    they were sitting there innocently, as if they didn¡¯t know anything about the world, but siwoo already knew.


    just because someone was innocent didn¡¯t mean they were good.


    as an example, think of a child stomping an ant to death with an innocent look on their face.


    it could be argued that the innocence of these twins was similar to that kind of ferocity.


    ¡°professor amelia! is today¡¯s class with assistant shin siwoo?¡±


    ¡°professor amelia! is today¡¯s class with the assistant?¡±


    they spoke at almost the same time. their voices were clear and high, akin to the chirping of a small bird.


    even their voices sounded similar. unless you looked closely at their mouths, it would be impossible to know which one was currently speaking.


    ¡°yes.¡±


    amelia secretly sighed, as if she was already tired. at the same time, odile and odette faced each other. it almost looked like there was a mirror between them, giving off some sort of uncanny feeling.


    ¡°¡°what kind of experiment are we doing today?¡±¡±


    amelia, the 15th witch of the marigold line, was an associate professor at trinity academy and had already achieved a high realm of 22 paths.


    she was a ¡®baroness¡¯, an extremely rare noble within the witch society.


    in other words, the twins, who were just apprentice witches, couldn¡¯t just talk to amelia however they wanted.


    not that amelia was sensitive enough to care too much about that kind of thing.


    ¡°men¡¯s bodily fluids and...¡±


    ¡°kyaa! it¡¯s so indecent.¡±


    ¡°kyaa! how can you be so obscene!¡±


    odile and odette had already begun to make a fuss before amelia could even finish speaking.


    seeing amelia biting her lips, siwoo felt extremely satisfied.


    it was almost only when she was dealing with the twins that amelia ever looked this frustrated.


    siwoo had no idea how odile and odette, who were only green apprentice witches, were able to get such a reaction out of amelia.


    but still, this rare sight of amelia finally gave siwoo some satisfaction for the troubles she had given him.


    ¡°...its relationship with magic.¡±


    ¡°is he going to strip?¡±


    ¡°he¡¯s going to strip, right?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s right.¡±


    but alas, he could only feel satisfied for so long.


    amelia might have been left frustrated by the twins but siwoo must be careful around them no matter what.


    else, he would be forcefully humiliated in front of the twins yesterday, today, and probably tomorrow as well.


    a fact that would never change until he could escape this wretched city.


    ¡°but before the actual experiment, we need to check how well ms. odette and ms. odile are following the class.¡±


    ¡°but theories aren¡¯t interesting.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. witch gemini said that magic theory without practice is meaningless.¡±


    however, amelia couldn¡¯t be toyed with by the twins forever.


    she had the dignity of an associate professor. once she sets a serious tone, the twins would be forced to follow suit.


    amelia slammed down onto the desk, now completely ignoring the twins¡¯ complaints.


    ¡°please submit the last assignment i gave you.¡±


    ¡°yes!¡±


    ¡°yes! professor.¡±


    the twins glanced at each other, suddenly turning into obedient children, and submitted their bundles of paper.


    they may be young and immature, but they were still apprentice witches.


    looking down at the papers, they seemed to be filled with complicated magic formulas.


    siwoo, who was interested and tried to peek at the contents of the assignment, suddenly became startled.


    he could feel that the eyes of the twins were fixated on him.

 Chapter 3: Slave of Witch City (3)

    ? slave of witch city (3) ?


    amelia began to go through the twins¡¯ assignments.


    was she even reading them? since her ruby-adorned red quill pen glided across the pages at an extremely fast pace.


    at that moment, the eyes of the twins also turned to amelia.


    in siwoo¡¯s opinion, the apprentice witches were prime examples of the witches¡¯ obsession and madness toward magic.


    the witch of creation was said to be able to conjure something out of nothing.


    every witch lived in hopes of reaching her level, a realm which was nothing short of being a god.


    just as one would expect after seeing amelia, who despite existing for over 150 years still possessed a young and beautiful appearance, witches had already gained eternal youth after receiving their ¡®brand¡¯.


    however, just because they had an infinite lifespan, did not mean that they were able to develop indefinitely as well.


    some witches would soon be forced to face an insurmountable wall in their progress, forever stuck in their own perpetual cycle.


    after failing countless times for hundreds of years, numerous witches, even the most stubborn ones had to eventually admit their defeat.


    they had to accept the fact that it was impossible for a single individual to be able to make any achievement that could ever rival the achievement made by the witch of creation.


    normally, most people who had some common sense would simply give up at this point. however, witches were a group of people who lacked that common sense to begin with.


    after realizing the inevitable truth, they had finally decided.


    if they were trying to achieve a feat that was impossible to try in just one life, they would just try again in their next life.


    they would start by looking for somebody who had a completely different mindset and talent from themselves. once they found themselves a suitable successor, then they would pass down their research, allowing the successor to continue the research in their predecessor¡¯s stead.


    inside every witch¡¯s brand carried several generation¡¯s worth of precious research their predecessor was working on.


    it was thanks to the apprentice witches, such as odile and odette, that the witches¡¯ brand was able to be accepted and the research of the predecessor would be able to be passed down to their disciple.


    it wasn¡¯t only the life of others that were disregarded by witches in the pursuit of magic.


    to people like them, even something like their own life would become nothing more than a tool necessary to complete their magic.


    amelia stacked the papers together after having finally checked every single one.


    ¡°now then, come here and take back your graded assignments.¡±


    amelia returned both assignments in less than 15 minutes.


    she didn¡¯t pay much attention to the exact score given to an assignment.


    according to amelia¡¯s theory, magic was not something that could ever be specifically graded.


    ¡°as i always say, the corrections that i have made are only one possibility. don¡¯t ever give up and just accept the solution as it is, but rather continue to constantly reflect on it and question that solution.¡±


    ¡°¡°we understand, professor!¡±¡±


    surprisingly, the strict amelia was actually pretty good at teaching.


    whenever she taught a class, the first thing she always did was acknowledge the possibility of an alternate path existing apart from her own.


    when you consider just how prideful witches got when it came to their magic, this attitude was extremely flexible.


    along with the sounds of paper rustling, the twins, who had already received their assignment back, started to quickly check through amelia¡¯s corrections as if they were competing with each other.


    looking at the speed at which they were reading through their assignments, they obviously weren¡¯t able to properly process the information.


    no matter how talented the two girls were, they were still too young to completely copy the advanced technique of amelia, a mature witch.


    ¡°my score¡¯s 71. odette, what did you get?¡±


    ¡°i got a 59. looks like it¡¯s my win today, sis!¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re lying! it¡¯s impossible for our scores to be that different!¡±


    odile was in disbelief as she checked the papers that odette had given her with a smug look on her face.


    ¡°the number isn¡¯t the only thing that matters! look, in mine only one line got corrected, but in yours there¡¯s an entire paragraph that got corrected. see?¡±


    ¡°yeah, but wasn¡¯t it clear that we bet on the number of corrections?¡±


    suddenly, amelia¡¯s fingers twitched.


    her exhausted expression made it look like she was in desperate need of a cigarette right now.


    however, now wasn¡¯t the time for amelia to start smoking.


    instead, she slammed her hands on her desk to silence the ongoing quarrel.


    ¡°be quiet!¡±


    ¡°uh- i¡¯m sorry. odette started it, though!¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry, professor... my sister is a bit immature.¡±


    amelia waited for the chaos to subside without a word.


    after everything had finally settled down, she then immediately started the class without bothering to mention anything about the assignment beforehand.


    ¡°there¡¯s something that i want to ask you before i begin. is it possible for a man to possess mana?¡±


    every class that amelia taught began with a question like this.


    confused, odile and odette began discussing among themselves.


    ¡°the answer is no, right? isn¡¯t that why it¡¯s only women that ever become witches?¡±


    ¡°that has to be it.¡±


    ¡°but even if men don¡¯t have any mana, why can¡¯t they just inherit a brand instead?¡±


    the moment the topic of men got introduced, the twins got excited as they began to immerse themselves within amelia¡¯s lecture.


    ¡°well, isn¡¯t the reason because they¡¯re stupid?¡±


    ¡°ah- no offense to assistant siwoo.¡±


    the lively pair of twins turned towards siwoo with wistful expressions on their faces.


    despite the distractions, amelia¡¯s lecture itself was still interesting to listen to.


    as a high-ranking witch, she was able to clearly point out the essence of the subject.


    ¡°as it is discussed in many myths, the mother who bore the world was the goddess. the mainstream symbols and systems are used as the basis for modern magic. modern magic is a set of conceptual symbol systems that contain mana.¡±


    ¡°and while men have the ability to create life, they are not able to harbor the life that they create.¡±


    ¡°similarly, unlike women, they can directly generate mana within their body. however, they are unable to handle the brand and its foreign mana.¡±


    odile and odette both nodded in understanding at the same time.


    ¡°however, that does not completely exclude men from the study of magic. if we witches were able to generate mana directly within our bodies like men, it would be an innovative discovery that would overturn our current standards of magic theory.¡±


    ¡°then, is this class going to be learning about the manifestation of mana?¡±


    ¡°correct. but in order to do that, we need to first check the correlation between a man¡¯s bodily fluid and mana. anything more than that would be too difficult at your current level.¡±


    siwoo felt that the time had finally come. then, amelia commanded him in an impassive tone.


    ¡°take off your clothes, assistant.¡±


    ¡°understood.¡±


    the moment that he had been dreading had finally arrived.


    the whole time he¡¯d been present in the classroom, siwoo was treated no differently than a simple training aid.


    a training aid that received several curious glances towards his genitals that he was being forced to reveal.


    after taking off the lab coat he wore, siwoo¡¯s completely bare form was revealed. the thin lap coat was already so skimpy, to the point that it took him less than five seconds to take off. well, that¡¯s why the coat was designed that way in the first place.


    ¡°woah....¡±


    ¡°five....¡±


    despite having seen it more than a few times already, the twins stared at siwoo¡¯s bare physique with twinkling eyes.


    it was a unique sex education lesson for this pair of twins who had been raised in a greenhouse-like environment, their paths already set to become witches from birth.


    siwoo had a body that could be described as an average adult male, being neither particularly fat nor muscular.


    on top of that, his little brother down there was large enough to stand out regardless of what position it was in.


    plus, he hasn¡¯t even gotten erect yet.


    fortunately enough, nobody had mentioned his size anyways.


    ¡°how is it always so shiny every time i see it?¡±


    currently, besides his head, not a single strand of hair existed on siwoo¡¯s body.


    this was because, while acting as a teaching aid, all hair must be removed from the body so that students are more able to clearly identify the ¡®subjects¡¯. the hair removal process was done by bathing oneself in a strange liquid.


    siwoo kept his head facing downwards and grudgingly cooperated with the experiment with his hands clasped behind his back.


    they weren¡¯t the type of people to listen, rather they would ask him to thank them for cleaning his hair off.


    ¡°stop getting distracted, focus.¡±


    maybe it was because of his earlier conversation with takasho??


    for some reason, siwoo felt like amelia, whom he had thought was entirely incapable of making any kind of facial expression, now seemed to have a tinge of redness on her cheeks.


    ¡°men have the ability to exert mana by their own will, but it is during ejaculation that the most violent mana generation occurs. it is so easy to spot that even beginners like you wouldn¡¯t even need a precision instrument.¡±


    amelia began lifting siwoo¡¯s sleeping brother with a long, slender stick.


    right now, she was quite literally treating a man¡¯s flaccid dick like a dried radish at the produce aisle.


    ¡°the generation of mana is closely related to the state of mental elevation. and the act of ¡®sowing seeds¡¯, which is engraved on a man¡¯s instinct, evokes an instinctive exaltation. today, we are going to observe it.¡±


    the way she explained made it sound more complicated than it really was.


    in simpler terms, his dick would be masturbated until he ejaculated. if the test subject was a pervert like takasho, they would definitely enjoy it, but siwoo wasn¡¯t that type of person.


    when siwoo got his semen collected for the first time in order to make a magic reagent, he felt so much shame that he couldn¡¯t sleep for a week straight.


    after ensuring that the twins were ready to begin, amelia began placing a silver pendulum and chalkboard on top of her desk.


    she began by drawing a magic circle using chalk on the black chalkboard.


    despite its seemingly ordinary appearance, however, the chalk she was using was not just an ordinary piece of chalk.


    it was a piece of magic chalk, commonly used as a material for drawing magic circles. it was made by mixing lime stone powder with gold powder as well as some special reagents that helped increase the conduction of mana.


    of course, it was an expensive item that a slave like siwoo couldn¡¯t even dream of buying, especially seeing how even that small piece being used right now had cost more than a year¡¯s worth of his salary.


    a few moments later, the previously blank space of the chalkboard had been instantly filled with runes, geometric shapes and lines.


    somehow, in that short amount of time amelia was able to draw all of those straight lines and curves perfectly by hand without using any kind of tool. she then placed the pendulum, that was hanging from a tripod, on the completed magic circle.


    ¡°this right here is a very simple magic circle that is able to detect the generation of mana. you can properly understand the structure, right?¡±


    ¡°yes, professor.¡±


    ¡°are you going to make him ejaculate now?¡±


    it definitely wasn¡¯t a very complicated magic circle, as even siwoo, a normal human, knew how it worked. as such, there was no way that the twins wouldn¡¯t be able to understand it.


    once the circle is activated, the pendulum would begin to swing back and forth once it detects mana being generated from an outside source.


    the width of the pendulum¡¯s swing would be determined by the magnitude of the generated mana it had detected.


    as expected, the twins only had to glance at the magic circle to completely understand how it worked.


    rather, they were much more eager to see my semen spurting out as soon as possible.


    trying to empty his thought as preparation, a certain calmness began to spread in siwoo¡¯s mind.


    he didn¡¯t even know if he could last even one round because of how exhausted he felt, but he will still try to hold on anyway.


    after he finished clearing his mind, he continued to wait for amelia¡¯s signal.


    once she sent the cue, siwoo had to start masturbating in front of these three women.


    ¡°yes, but we will proceed a bit differently from the experiments we have done so far.¡±


    ¡°alright!¡±


    after rolling up her sleeves, amelia¡¯s white hand suddenly stretched out and grabbed the hilt of siwoo¡¯s sword.


    she began silently fiddling with his soft member, ignoring the clear look of embarrassment on siwoo¡¯s face.


    ¡°until now, the ejaculation was self-induced by the janitor, no, assistant shin siwoo. but today, however, i will be the one to demonstrate how to induce ejaculation.¡±


    ¡°can we do it too?¡±


    ¡°i want to try too!¡±


    the twins started loudly exclaiming while sticking their upper bodies out over their desks, to the point where it almost looked as though they would die from excitement.


    this sudden development completely stunned siwoo, having expected to be doing it himself. additionally, as he continued to feel amelia¡¯s touch on his crotch, blood had already began to rush towards the lower part of his body.


    ¡°first, watch my demonstration.¡±


    ¡°hey, associate professor amelia...?¡±


    over the years of slavery, siwoo had learned the importance of remaining silent about any absurdity that occurred.


    however, even he felt that amelia¡¯s sudden action was way too much.


    siwoo¡¯s gaze suddenly met with her bright, blue eyes.


    her gaze was just as indifferent as it always was, however, siwoo once again could feel a subtle, unknown emotion hidden deep within.


    ¡°is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°umm, i can do it myself.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s a matter for me to decide.¡±


    after rejecting him instantly, amelia¡¯s hand slowly began to move once more.

 Chapter 4: Slave of Witch City (4)

    ? slave of witch city (4) ?


    after having induced ejaculation via stimulation of the male genital by hand, the next thing to do would be to observe whether or not mana was generated from the process.


    in fact, any witch who personally induces the ejaculation would end up getting the same result as a witch who simply sits back and observes the process.


    siwoo still had no clue what amelia was thinking, but the fact that this was the first time he had ever felt the icy touch of her hands on his crotch had ended up distracting him.


    ¡°remember, it¡¯s important to first make the shaft big enough to hold with your hands before starting the stimulation process.¡±


    before this class, siwoo would never have thought that amelia, a person who had always given him trouble ever since he became a slave, would someday be touching him like this.


    holding onto his shaft, amelia¡¯s fingers began dancing around the tip and then started to directly begin rubbing the head.


    ¡°gently caress the tip with your fingers and stimulate the glans by pushing on it with your thumb.¡±


    ¡°kkeuk!¡±


    as a matter of fact, siwoo didn¡¯t like amelia at all.


    of course, he doesn¡¯t enjoy being jerked off in front of an audience either.


    however, it was impossible to deny the fact that her hand was making him feel good.


    against siwoo¡¯s will, blood began to rush towards his lower region. his groin became more and more sensitive as his shaft gradually began to swell.


    ¡°woah!¡±


    ¡°the pendulum just moved! even though he hasn¡¯t even ejaculated yet!¡±


    as soon as siwoo¡¯s soldier had finished straightening up for war, the pendulum on the chalkboard started vibrating towards him.


    ¡°didn¡¯t i already explain what triggers the generation of mana? men can easily generate mana just from feeling a bit excited. in that case, however, the amount produced is insignificantly small.¡±


    while siwoo¡¯s dragon had already been awakened and was now showing off its true majesty, amelia suddenly expressed an opinion that was unusually rare, even for witches.


    ¡°to be able to get hard even in a situation such as this. men are such pitiful creatures.¡±


    amelia finally removed her hand from siwoo¡¯s erect thing for a moment.


    once a man¡¯s member is finally erect, it suddenly becomes much harder to cool down than before.


    obviously, siwoo¡¯s sword, which boasts a size larger than most of the asian population, was still able to stand upright and raging hard, even though amelia¡¯s hand was no longer touching it.


    ¡°assistant shin siwoo, are you aroused right now?¡±


    theirs was a relationship that had been forcibly dragged around for 5 years.


    it would not be a misunderstanding to say that a hint of teasing lingered in amelia¡¯s voice.


    basically, the point behind what she was asking him right now was...


    ¡®look at you getting so excited with just a bit of touching. don¡¯t you remember when you refused to serve me that night?¡¯


    how utterly humiliating.


    amelia wasn¡¯t doing this just for the simple reason of ¡®demonstrating¡¯ how to induce ejaculation.


    just as siwoo knew amelia well, she also knew siwoo quite well.


    she knew that he felt extreme shame whilst doing this and had deliberately led things along in order to create this type of situation.


    ¡°no comment.¡±


    amelia, who normally would have commented on his retort, had instead pressed siwoo in a completely different way.


    she began rubbing in a circle with her thumb and index finger, as she started moving her hand back and forth on his erect shaft.


    the sounds of dry skin rubbing against each other could be heard permeating the room.


    amelia used a delicate amount of strength as she smoothly rubbed siwoo¡¯s cock without applying any sort of lubrication.


    additionally, while watching siwoo¡¯s reaction, she began persistently stimulating any sensitive areas that she could find.


    ¡°kkeuk... kkeueuk...¡±


    while siwoo was trying to resist the pleasure by keeping a straight face, the twins had repeatedly expressed their admiration, as if they were watching some rare event take place.


    perhaps it was because of their awkward posture, but amelia suddenly put one hand onto siwoo¡¯s shoulder and quickly accelerated her speed.


    every time her bright blonde hair swayed alongside her movements, the pleasant scent of luxurious perfume and body odor mixed together and tickled the tip of siwoo¡¯s nose.


    the vibration of the pendulum, which was insignificant at first, had finally begun to gradually increase in intensity.


    amelia took a peek at siwoo¡¯s current distorted appearance.


    relishing in his suffering, amelia briefly rolled back her eyes and savored every moment of it.


    the sound of her breathing was also becoming harsher the faster her movements became.


    ¡°why aren¡¯t you answering? doesn¡¯t it feel good?¡±


    amelia mercilessly whispered into his ear once more in an unusually emotional voice.


    unfortunately for her, the emotion siwoo showed was a sense of superiority.


    despite already knowing how pointless it was, siwoo continued to persevere.


    he knew that if he were to give in at a time like this, he would just be falling straight into her trap.


    frustrated, amelia clicked her tongue when she noticed that siwoo was biting his tongue in order to keep himself from ejaculating.


    ¡°stop being stubborn and finish already. my arm is starting to get tired.¡±


    amelia quietly whispered directly into his ear. her voice was so quiet that even the twins wouldn¡¯t be able to notice, as she slowly began tightening her grip.


    as expected, her precise grip had brought with it an irresistible amount of pleasure.


    ¡°euk...!¡±


    even though only 15 minutes had passed since they began, as a result of not touching himself for two months, he was already finding it difficult to hold on.


    together with his frequent lack of relieving himself, the intense pleasure he felt had finally resulted in the volcano erupting white magma.


    ¡°woah! woah!¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s coming out!¡±


    ¡ªsplurt! splurt! splurt!


    siwoo couldn¡¯t stop himself from cumming as he felt wave after wave of intense pleasure assault all of his senses.


    however, making siwoo cum just once wasn¡¯t nearly enough for amelia.


    she wouldn¡¯t be satisfied until not even a drop of semen was left remaining within his body.


    after having intensely ejaculated to the point that even his tailbone started to hurt, siwoo fell into a deep depression. the embarrassment and shame that he felt alongside that were an added bonus.


    ¡°were each of you able to see that? the moment that he ejaculated, a large amount of mana had been generated as well.¡±


    ¡°yes, yes!¡±


    ¡°professor amelia, can we try it this time?¡±


    the relentless sight of a swaying pendulum was the only thing that siwoo could see just as he wanted to just crouch down and soothe all of the bitterness he was feeling.


    not caring of the torment that he felt, the twins were ready to jump out of their desks to start the second experiment right away.


    amelia took out her pocket watch as she wiped her fingers clean with a handkerchief.


    ¡°due to time constraints, we¡¯ll have to end the lesson here for today. the janitor may now return to work.¡±


    ¡°no way!¡±


    ¡°we want to try it too!¡±


    amelia, who had just finished collecting the rest of the semen that she had caught with her magic just before it could touch the ground, finally calmed down the twins and continued the rest of the lesson without sparing siwoo a single glance.


    after a few moments of standing around idly, siwoo threw away any feelings of disappointment and fled from the 2nd academy building with his lab coat still on.


    looking like he was half-asleep, siwoo was now on his way towards the library.


    while he expected to be forced to publicly masturbate under the guise of semen extraction, he never would have thought that he would be given a direct handjob from amelia and be forced to put on such a humiliating show.


    ¡°fuck my life... i feel so empty inside.¡±


    seeing how rainy it was today, he began to smoke a cigarette.


    though he seriously hated to admit it, the handjob did feel good. just as amelia said, there were parts of it that made siwoo feel excited.


    after all, how many times would one ever be given a handjob by a beauty whom they¡¯ve never even held hands with?


    even while knowing that, no matter how hard he tried to think otherwise, siwoo¡¯s face couldn¡¯t help but start burning when he thought about being jerked off and cumming into amelia¡¯s hand.


    at times like this, siwoo wished he could have takasho¡¯s thick skin and pervertedness.


    if it were him, takasho would have bragged about amelia, famous for her coldness, personally jerking him off.


    what was even more disturbing was the thought that this might just be the beginning of amelia¡¯s revenge.


    siwoo could only pray that amelia, whom at this point he had already rejected twice, was finally able to cool down with just this much.


    however, now was not the time to be worrying about trivial matters such as this.


    siwoo would have time to worry once he finished his task of organizing the library.


    the magic library, located at the south of trinity academy, had always boasted about being the largest facility within the entire academy building. it was said that on opening day, so many people had come that not a single book was left on the shelves.


    despite this fact, when it comes to the 21st century, very few witches ever bothered to visit this place.


    as time went on, the witches¡¯ continued to raise the rank of their ¡®realm¡¯ and no longer had any use for any of the basic magic books being kept inside.


    nowadays, it was only when a witch or apprentice witch ever came across a confusing formula that they would ever visit this lonely library.


    if not, it would never have been possible for one person to manage such a large facility by himself.


    ¡°haaaah....¡±


    after changing into his work clothes, siwoo ate a piece of hardened bread for a late lunch.


    usually, the only things that a slave¡¯s meal ever consisted of was either a piece of barley bread that had less taste than a sponge or a small bowl of some heavily diluted oat porridge.


    even so, siwoo had already passed the point of despair a long time ago.


    at this point, he just took meals as nothing more than nutritional supplements.


    ¡°alright, time to clean up.¡±


    after finishing off his meal in less than three minutes, siwoo started by organizing the books left on the table.


    no matter how rarely this library was visited, whenever a witch began rummaging through the books, at least dozens of them would end up being used. even today, at least 1,000 books were piled up on the table.


    despite that, cleaning the library was siwoo¡¯s favorite task to do.


    nobody was there to watch him or tell him what to do. plus, after he was finished cleaning up, he could even head over to a corner hidden in the library and close his eyes for a nap.


    above all....


    ¡°ah, so that¡¯s how you answer this problem.¡±


    hidden behind the bookshelf, siwoo grabbed the book he was in the middle of reading the day before and began turning the pages.


    the books kept within the library were all basic books that witches considered to be insignificant, but to a normal human like him, they were akin to deep oceans that hid all kinds of information within their depths.


    just by reading through these magic books in his spare time, he had already absorbed the thesis and basic magic knowledge that were left behind by witches that existed hundreds of years ago.


    meaning that just after three years of self-study, siwoo, who didn¡¯t even know that magic existed until he was kidnapped here, now had the ability to interpret and draw magic formulas, albeit clumsily.


    after a while, siwoo suddenly took a folded piece of paper out from his pocket and quickly began writing down notes, putting it back in the pocket once he was done.


    siwoo had been bothered by a problem for two weeks already, but thanks to this new formula he just learned, his head finally felt clear.


    if not for the joy that small learnings like this gave him, he would have left as soon as he finished cleaning.


    today¡¯s harvest was sufficient.


    so after finishing his remaining work as well as cleaning amelia¡¯s research laboratory, he would finally be able to return to his accommodation and try to use the new theory that he had just learned today in order to break through his mental block.


    ¡°well, there¡¯s no guarantee that life wouldn¡¯t just give out a surprise fuck you out of nowhere.¡±


    even then, nothing would get better if you just got depressed all on your own.


    siwoo only ever had one goal in his mind.


    escape this wretched city by drawing a magic circle that could communicate with modern society.


    it was for that purpose that he had been studying magic on his own for so long.


    just thinking about going back to korea and eating some chicken with a cold beer always made him feel even more depressed about his current situation.


    siwoo proceeded to collect all of the books that were cluttered on top of the table, placed them back inside their proper shelves, and then finished by wiping down the bookshelf with a damp cloth, to prevent dust from spreading as he cleaned.


    another part of siwoo¡¯s job was to inspect and replace the preservation formulas that were installed onto the witch stone as a part of the book¡¯s maintenance.


    by the time he finally finished, the sun had already begun to set.


    siwoo felt his back ache after he climbed down from the bookshelf ladder, having returned the books to their places and finished cleaning.


    siwoo¡¯s daily routine was to wake up at 6 in the morning, start the day by cleaning the garden, and then end at 6 in the evening.


    normally, after he was done he would then go back to his dorm, jot down magic formulas and fall asleep. today, however, he had to clean amelia¡¯s research laboratory.


    in the end, siwoo left his gloomy heart behind him and began walking towards the research laboratory.

 Chapter 5: Slave of Witch City (5)

    ? slave of witch city (5) ?


    1.


    located in the north-east section of the campus, lies associate professor amelia¡¯s research laboratory.


    the pathway that led to the building was unsheltered and siwoo¡¯s once dry clothes now clung to his skin, hair dripping of water as he was forced to walk amidst the rain to get to the building.


    amelia marigold.


    looking at the sheer size of the building, it was clear to see that something was off.


    a mere associate professor in the academy, yet strangely enough, the research building that she used could easily be used by 5 other people. that was a luxury only either full or head professors could afford.


    ¡°alright, let¡¯s get this over with...¡±


    the reason behind it was probably her nobility and therefore she was afforded with some of the benefits that other professors couldn¡¯t afford.


    either way, it didn¡¯t matter to siwoo.


    looking upon the sheer size of the research facility and the dirt that covered it, siwoo couldn¡¯t help but sigh in despair.


    he took off his raincoat and put it on the porch, then grabbed some cleaning tools from the warehouse.


    -creaaak!


    unlike the dazzling main building of the academy, the annex was a simple wooden building.


    the aged floorboards creaked and groaned in protest with every step he took.


    after going up the stairs to the second floor and entering the large door, siwoo entered amelia¡¯s 20 pyeong1[t/n: 20 pyeong = 66.1157 sqm] workshop.


    as soon as he walked in, he was greeted by the stench of lingering puff of a cigarette.


    filling such a large space were glass bottles with mysterious fluorescent liquids, magic books, parchment scrolls, shelves with sorted and tagged reagents. in the place of curtains, dreamcatchers lined across the windows, as well as candles that illuminated the dark areas of the laboratory.


    the place was like the mix of a medieval alchemist¡¯s laboratory and an occult cafe that was popular in the past.


    it was quite authentic. if this was in a place like hongdae, it would have been popular.


    amelia was sitting in the middle of the dark laboratory.


    with one hand resting on her chin and the other holding a cigarette, she was examining something with a troubled look in her eyes.


    amelia was so deeply immersed in her thoughts, that she didn¡¯t even notice that siwoo had entered.


    she looked beautiful.


    a flawless innocence adorned with defenseless, a look that siwoo didn¡¯t think she would show to anyone else.


    cleaning supplies in hand, siwoo walked up to amelia¡¯s desk.


    he was worried that if he just started cleaning without saying a word, amelia would get angry and he would get nagged at.


    on a side note, the cigarette that amelia was smoking was a modern-day product called lucky strike.


    as it was a long-established brand launched in 1847, it was a favorite among veteran smokers and witches.


    ¡°ah....¡±


    after siwoo came within 10 steps in front of her, amelia stared blankly at him and opened her mouth.


    a bright light flickered across amelia¡¯s eyes, which had been dimmed while she was blankly staring into space earlier.


    ¡°associate professor amelia, i¡¯m here to clean the research laboratory. where should i start?¡±


    siwoo became respectful, as much as he possibly could and asked.


    from the moment he entered the building, he gauged that it would take 3 to 12 hours to fully clean it.


    for now, it was best to sympathize with amelia and reduce the punishment as much as possible.


    ¡°when did you come?¡±


    ¡°i just arrived a little while ago.¡±


    amelia had a naturally scornful look on her face as she looked at siwoo.


    rolling up her sleeves so that ink doesn¡¯t get on her clothes, amelia moved her slender wrists and pointed with a quill.


    ¡°organize the magic books by category. don¡¯t just sweep the dust off of the shelves, wipe them down with a damp rag. sort the books with leather covers over there, and the thesis files, in order, on the bookshelf. do not touch anything on the table.¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°do it quietly and don¡¯t disturb me. alright, you can go...¡±


    amelia, who had given her instructions, waved her hand without looking at siwoo.


    siwoo held back his sigh, then started cleaning the corner of the building with a bucket and a broom.


    it seemed as though she had never cleaned the place at all. it was siwoo¡¯s first time seeing a place this dirty.


    almost as if someone had messed it up on purpose.


    for a while, only the scribbling coming from amelia¡¯s pen and the siwoo¡¯s cleaning sound reverberated throughout the place.


    this was so uncomfortable, but siwoo had to hold his breath in case he made noise...


    he was so depressed that he was on the verge of tears.


    2.


    about an hour later.


    just as the first bookshelf had been cleaned up, amelia opened her mouth.


    ¡°janitor.¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    what was she going to nitpick about today?


    siwoo looked back at amelia with a smiling face while holding back his frown.


    with a stoic look on her face, she gently opened her lips. siwoo could only guess what she would say.


    ¡°come here.¡±


    siwoo was stunned by the unexpected call, he pointed a finger at his chest and asked.


    ¡°yes? m-me?¡±


    siwoo¡¯s behavior was an eyesore to amelia, who preferred quick answers to her questions.


    amelia raised an eyebrow.


    for reference, this body language meant she had reached about 25% of her hysteric gauge. if it exceeds 50%, she would start scolding him. thus, siwoo hastily said.


    ¡°i¡¯m just going to clean this up and go.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s enough.¡±


    amelia stopped siwoo, who was reaching forward to dip the mop into the bucket.


    shaking her head, amelia snapped her fingers.


    -shudder!


    a palpable wave of magic swept through the room as siwoo felt the room shake.


    an array of items started floating.


    the items that were dancing in the air began to arrange themselves flawlessly into their respective shelves.


    amelia¡¯s proficiency with a basic spell such as telekinesis showcased her control and understanding over magic.


    while controlling hundreds of objects simultaneously with her mana, the objects never once bumped into one another.


    arising from the nooks and crannies of the room, dust particles rose into the air and were lumped together, before being thrown into a nearby bucket.


    the laboratory had been cleaned so thoroughly that if one used a microscope, one wouldn¡¯t be able to find a single speck of dust in the room that hadn¡¯t already been cleaned.


    siwoo couldn¡¯t believe his eyes as he watched this spectacle unfold.


    she wasn¡¯t a part of the witch¡¯s nobility for nothing.


    siwoo had only managed to steal a glimpse of what true magic entailed and now, his previous misconceptions of the utility of magic was completely blown away.


    siwoo stood in front of amelia.


    due to what happened in the morning, amelia¡¯s hands were always on siwoo¡¯s mind.


    no.


    if he were to get an erection at this moment, siwoo would simply become a slave of his desires.


    with that thought in mind, siwoo forcibly suppressed his libido from flaring up.


    ¡°sit down.¡±


    as amelia pointed with her chin, a spare chair slid out from a corner of the room and provided a seat for siwoo to sit upon.


    how whimsical...


    siwoo nervously sat on the chair provided, this was nothing like her usual self.


    amelia took out a cigarette from a pack.


    when she sucked in her breath, a small spark appeared, lighting the cigarette.


    ¡°huuu...¡±


    amelia turned her chair and faced siwoo.


    casually crossing her legs, amelia handed siwoo an opened pack of cigarettes.


    as she crossed her legs, siwoo who had caught a glimpse of the pair of milky white thighs in all their glory, hurriedly adverted his eyes.


    ¡°do you smoke?¡±


    cigarettes.


    in gehenna, cigarettes were a scarce commodity and were thus extremely valuable.


    at least, that was the case for siwoo, who was a slave.


    he couldn¡¯t stop smoking, even while being enslaved. it got so bad that he would sometimes share a stick of cigarette with takasho just to get by.


    siwoo could barely endure the withdrawal symptoms that constantly assaulted him.


    it was honestly kinda scary.


    he would¡¯ve traded anything for a pack of cigarettes. anything but amelia¡¯s kindness.


    he would rather be forced to drink an opened can of soda that someone had found on the benches than to accept a cigarette from amelia.


    ¡°i¡¯m fine. thank you.¡±


    ¡°well, that¡¯s a shame but alright.¡±


    amelia relented.


    siwoo gulped as amelia put the pack of cigarettes back onto the table and exhaled a puff of smoke.


    amelia¡¯s profile, reflected in the dark laboratory, showcased her breath-taking beauty. it looked as if she had walked straight out of a painting.


    she rubbed the remaining half of the cigarette into the ashtray and put it out.


    she had just wasted half of the precious cigarette right in front of siwoo.


    siwoo tried his best to inhale as much secondhand smoke into his lungs as he possibly could.


    he knew what he was doing was wrong.


    siwoo didn¡¯t know what kind of trick it was, but he knew only servility awaited him if he fell for the witch¡¯s scheme.


    wasn¡¯t there a famous saying?


    ¡°it is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied.¡±


    as if reading siwoo¡¯s thoughts amelia cleverly spoke with perfect timing.


    ¡°are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°no, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    a plate covered with a cloche flew onto the table and landed in front of siwoo, who was sitting at attention much like a disciplined soldier. 2[e/n: cloches are tableware covers that are often made in silver and resemble a ball (-¡ö_¡ö)]


    a plate of similar design landed in front of amelia.


    the dome cover that had been covering it was removed and a piece of cake was revealed.


    the cake, ¡®schwarzwaelder kirschtorte¡¯, otherwise known as ¡®black forest cake¡¯ was made with cherry brandy, whipped cream, and chocolate.


    fresh cream filled the layers of chocolate sponge, which covered a candied cherry filling with pulp texture, and finally, cherry brandy syrup was the main highlight as it was sweetly wrapped around the top of the cake.


    amelia took out a fork and cut out a piece of cake, placing it in her mouth.


    meanwhile, siwoo was stuck processing his emotions.


    if one was a military veteran, they could easily restrain themselves, but the thing that he had been cravingthe most while living in slavery were not meat, not cigarettes not anything but sweets.


    in gehenna, where both sugar and honey were traded at high prices. sweet food was not something a slave could get the opportunity to savour.


    as soon as his nose, which had become sensitive to the sweet smell, detected the scent of the cake, saliva began to drool out from the corner of his lips.


    ¡°go on, eat.¡±


    ¡°is it really alright?¡±


    at that moment, siwoo¡¯s desires overtook his sense of reason.


    he couldn¡¯t stand it any longer.


    with a fork, he sliced the cake like amelia did.


    the weight of the cake seemed to represent its sweetness and an audible gulp could be heard from siwoo as he took a bite.


    ¡°ah....¡±


    it tasted delectable.


    the shiver inducing scent of cherry was enough to make him dizzy.


    the moist fresh cream and sweet chocolate caressed the tip of his tongue, tickling his senses.


    siwoo could feel each of his taste buds, that had not experienced such a sensation in a long time, rise up in unison and scream in joy.


    ¡°haaa...!¡±


    siwoo even forgot that amelia was in front of him and ate the cake in a hurry.


    the cake the size of a palm disappeared within a minute leaving no crumbs.


    ¡°i-i apologize.¡±


    at that moment, he had let his mind wander and when siwoo snapped out of his trance, he could see amelia looking at him with a strange expression on her face.


    amelia licked the whipped cream off her lips and handed her plate over to siwoo.


    ¡°if it¡¯s not enough, you can have this too.¡±


    ¡°is that fine with you?¡±


    amelia nodded her head slightly.


    this was not amelia!


    something was wrong!


    alas, despite his inner consciousness cautioning for vigilance against the witch, siwoo¡¯s tongue and belly craved more of the sweet cake.


    siwoo, who ended up inhaling the extra cake, looked at amelia.


    he could feel a new sensation brew within him.


    it was because amelia was watching him. she was staring at him until he devoured the entirety of the cake.


    ¡°thank you very much.¡±


    but why was amelia acting like this all of a sudden?


    was it due to the lack of progress despite having consistently bullied siwoo for 5 years?


    well, if she thought that she could make up for all the sufferings with just a piece of cake, she couldn¡¯t have been more wrong.


    siwoo thought, ¡®evil witch bitch! i¡¯ll just eat this cake and bolt the fuck out of here.¡¯


    as siwoo recalled takasho¡¯s advice, he began to think sinisterly.


    amelia slowly opened her mouth.


    ¡°do you know how that cake was made?¡±


    she spoke in a tone similar to the one she often used when she was teaching the twins.


    at that moment, siwoo felt a cold ominous chill run down his spine.


    footnotes:


    1[t/n: 20 pyeong = 66.1157 sqm]2[e/n: cloches are tableware covers that are often made in silver and resemble a ball (-¡ö_¡ö)]

 Chapter 6: Slave of Witch City (6)

    ? slave of witch city (6) ?


    1.


    ¡°do you know how the cake was made?¡±


    amelia¡¯s long eyelashes flickered slowly.


    looking into her entrancing blue sapphire-like eyes, one could swear that they could see through her thoughts and feelings.


    ¡°is it poison?¡±


    judging from the look of sheer disbelief on her face, it seemed to be the wrong answer. it was almost as if she couldn¡¯t believe that one could arrive at such stupid conclusions.


    ¡°if i wanted to kill you, a mere janitor, don¡¯t you think that i would¡¯ve already done it?¡±


    ¡°th-that¡¯s true.¡±


    indeed, a witch, especially one of her caliber, wouldn¡¯t resort to using such dull methods like poison to kill siwoo.


    in fact, all it would¡¯ve taken was a flick of her wrist for siwoo to drop dead on the floor.


    but in that case, why did she bring it up?


    ¡°then why are you asking me that question all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°janitor shin siwoo, it¡¯s been almost 6 years, right?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°did you know that slaves that belong to city hall are assigned to different workplaces after six years of service at one institution?¡±


    the question greatly puzzled siwoo and he wondered where amelia would go with the question as this was knowledge both of them knew.


    ¡°the cake you just ate was created in tarot town by a bakery called ¡®kipushi¡¯.¡±


    she continued on without an explanation.


    ¡°since the creation of gehenna in 1338, the citizens have been making this exact cake for seven centuries, with the recipe that was being passed down from one generation to the next.¡±


    siwoo sympathized with them. neither the generations before nor after them will ever gain any semblance of freedom. they were just like him, forced to live in a cruel world with no chance to change their cruel fate.


    ¡°for sweeter chocolate, for more fluffy whipped cream. every waking moment, improving on their craft, simply living to fulfill the desires of us witches.¡±


    citizens who were not witches in gehenna were nothing more than machines that lived for the convenience of witches.


    ¡°that¡¯s what a witch is.¡±


    amelia ended her speech with her chin pointed toward the sky, seemingly proud of her lineage.


    witches are beings that are worshiped, and the citizens of gehenna are the worshippers.


    he frowned.


    it was a fact so common that no one really questioned it anymore.


    truly, an extremely authoritarian and aristocratic way of thinking.


    ¡°do you understand what i¡¯m trying to say?¡±


    amelia¡¯s fingertips lightly grazed past siwoo¡¯s scrunched-up forehead.


    ¡°understand?¡±


    siwoo knew what she was implying.


    it was one of the reasons why he hated this city and the witches that ruled over it.


    siwoo couldn¡¯t sit still and tolerate the blatant disrespect that amelia had dealt to him.


    ¡°understand? what do you want me to say? that you witches are a bunch of arrogant, self-righteous, selfish pricks? or that you are being oh-so generous by not being like the others.¡±


    his voice steadily rose.


    regardless of his status, siwoo simply could not agree with her way of thinking.


    his anger was palpable and as amelia stared at him, she spoke calmly. ¡°i don¡¯t think you understand the advice that i have given you.¡±


    ¡°you aren¡¯t taking my advice at all.¡±


    ¡°advice? do you witches call this advice?¡±


    ¡°of course, do you think i¡¯m saying this to brag or for the sake of something as petty as pride?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s what it sounds like to me.¡±


    in siwoo¡¯s opinion, she had essentially just said that a witch was an almighty god, so as a slave and someone beneath her, siwoo was forced to obey her orders. what else could she have meant?


    touching her forehead, amelia scrunched her eyes shut.


    a look of irritation clung to her face as she opened her eyes.


    ¡°imbecile...¡±


    amelia sighed. looking at siwoo, she couldn¡¯t help but click her tongue in annoyance.


    hesitating for a second, she reluctantly continued.


    ¡°contrary to your belief, i¡¯m not sure if you are even aware of how tolerant i have been with you.¡±


    ¡°...tolerant?¡±


    was that really tolerance? siwoo could not help but scoff at that statement.


    ¡°go home. i¡¯ll overlook your transgression for today. return to your normal duties from tomorrow onwards.¡±


    ¡°...got it.¡±


    siwoo turned his back towards amelia, cleaning tools in hand and was stopped before he could reach the door.


    ¡°janitor shin siwoo.¡±


    the calm tone stopped siwoo in his tracks.


    amelia¡¯s words were a whisper that siwoo could barely hear.


    ¡°if you continue acting the way you do in your next department...¡±


    the words that left her mouth were quiet but siwoo could still hear them clearly.


    ¡°you might die.¡±


    siwoo closed the door and walked away without a word.


    2.


    returning with a worn-out bucket in hand.


    siwoo couldn¡¯t stop thinking of the conversation between himself and amelia.


    as amelia mentioned, in a year, both he and takasho will be assigned to different workplaces.


    what surprised him was that amelia was aware of the department that he would be heading to, this was something far more difficult for even a noble to know.


    the advice she gave was anything but easy to accomplish.


    siwoo realized that he had let his emotions get the better of him inside the laboratory when he thought that amelia was either simply toying with him or trying to scare him into obeying her demands.


    however, siwoo could sense feelings of genuine concern for him coming from amelia¡¯s parting words as he walked to the door.


    perhaps it was just a figment of his imagination but siwoo couldn¡¯t help but feel like amelia wasn¡¯t being herself at that moment.


    ¡°i must be going insane.¡±


    perhaps due to takasho¡¯s statements about amelia, siwoo seemed to have become overly conscious of her words and her actions.


    there was no reason for amelia, a witch with a noble title, to be concerned over the well-being of a mere slave.


    if she was truly worried for him, she would¡¯ve already made him her exclusive slave and thus saved siwoo from the troubles he might face in his future workplace.


    after organizing his thoughts, siwoo cursed under his breath.


    ¡°as expected, a witch will always be a bitch.¡±


    the sky cleared up as he walked towards the dormitory.


    where he happened to meet takasho, his neck was covered with kiss marks and his face was wearing a shit-eating grin.


    ¡°bro, are you still working overtime?¡±


    ¡°i was three minutes late, so i was instructed to clean the research laboratory by that evil hag.¡±


    takasho¡¯s lazy figure perked up at the words ¡®research laboratory¡¯ which seemed to pique his interest.


    ¡°in the workshop? just the two of you?


    ¡°oh yeah! i want to ask you something regarding that.¡±


    ¡°did you?¡±


    siwoo smacked him on the back of his head.


    and then proceeded to tell takasho about the conversation that took place in the laboratory.


    ¡°ummm...¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s up with you? trying to be serious? it doesn¡¯t suit you.¡±


    ¡°no, that¡¯s not the case.¡±


    takasho¡¯s expression turned grim as soon as he heard the contents of the conversation.


    siwoo had hoped to learn something useful from takasho, who was a self-proclaimed expert on all matters pertaining to women.


    but he started to ponder if he should have said anything after seeing the state takasho was in, lost in his own world.


    ¡°from what i¡¯ve heard, i¡¯m 100% certain of it now.¡±


    ¡°certain about what?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m telling you, man. i¡¯m positively, absolutely certain that she¡¯s fallen in love with you, the janitor of the academy.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s nothing new coming from you.¡±


    takasho gripped siwoo¡¯s shoulder tightly.


    his grip strength reflected his frustrations toward siwoo.


    ¡°no, i was only half joking until now. how¡¯d you make a witch like amelia fall in love with a slave like yourself? tell me your tricks, you player. in any case, i¡¯m sure of it now, associate professor amelia has fallen head over heels for you.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re saying it as if it¡¯s someone else¡¯s business.¡±


    ¡°sigh... you still don¡¯t understand. listen to me.¡±


    takasho, who had already told siwoo of amelia¡¯s feelings, whispered in his ear.


    ¡°keep it to yourself, alright? is there any other witch that has taken a fancy to you? ¡°


    ¡°senior professor sophia?¡±


    ¡°yep, i recently heard from sophia that even if you¡¯re not as handsome or attractive as me, don¡¯t you still have an above average looking face?¡±


    siwoo had never once considered his facial features to be attractive.


    ¡°do you know how witches like to invite slaves that tickle their fancy into their chambers? why do you think none of the twelve trinity professors has ever invited you into their chambers?¡±


    ¡°what are you getting at?¡±


    ¡°it seems like the rumor that amelia, the associate professor, has been paying close attention to you has been spread among the professors.¡±


    when thinking back on his past experiences, siwoo realized that it really did seem like amelia was the only witch that ever spoke to him.


    he had initially thought that it was due to his status as the campus¡¯s janitor. but now he was beginning to second guess himself.


    was it truly not the case?


    ¡°that could mean anything right?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s definitely not the case. amelia only knows the both of us, but instead of approaching me, she invited you to her chambers.¡±


    ¡°so? what would that even mean?¡±


    ¡°what it means is that amelia¡¯s affection towards you was so obvious that other witches have noticed it and avoided making any moves on you.¡±


    siwoo, however, having experienced a great deal of pain at the hands of amelia, was unable to relate to takasho¡¯s excited delusion.


    siwoo thought that it was better to think of her being romantically interested in him as a dream rather than the reality of the situation which could be cruel at times.


    ¡°did you know? amelia has never allowed anyone into her chambers.¡±


    ¡°huh?¡±


    ¡°i secretly asked the professor about it just now. amelia is known to be a conservative witch who is only interested in magic and is an absolute klutz in other fields. i heard that she doesn¡¯t even frequent the velvet window at all and chooses to wash her body alone at the levana grand bath. even after all i¡¯ve told you, you still don¡¯t get it? are you kidding me?¡±


    takasho glanced at siwoo with envy.


    ¡°i¡¯ve been called to different chambers here and there, but i¡¯m just a rattle toy for the witches. or, at best, a pet. but you, you are unique. amelia is a deer-like pure, innocent maiden amongst a sea of carnivorous witches!¡±


    ¡°as you say, even if amelia was a deer, i think she¡¯d be a deer that enjoys nibbling on human flesh.¡±


    ¡°no! you¡¯re just biased towards her, give her a shot man! as the saying goes, people with pretty faces usually have pretty hearts.¡±


    takasho placed a hand on siwoo¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°shin siwoo, i¡¯m so envious of you... if things go really well, you might even get to say the infamous line, ¡®magic is first class, but the view is third class¡¯ while pounding amelia, pouring your seed into her in the mating press position.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re fucking sick man. are you sure you aren¡¯t fucked up in your head?¡±


    much to siwoo¡¯s annoyance, takasho imitated amelia¡¯s voice and acted out the scene he had just depicted in vivid detail.


    it wouldn¡¯t end with mere overtime work if someone overheard their conversation.


    ¡°if all goes well, could you please do me a favor? ¡°i don¡¯t want to go back to japan, so i¡¯m begging you please just promote me to a second-class citizen. i want to have a future here man!¡±


    takasho gave siwoo a pat on the back and left, acting as if his work was done here.


    ¡°...you really should just listen to what other people have to say.¡±


    siwoo truly believed that witches were incapable of love even more so if it was love towards a mere slave and that they were nerfed by god to only feel trace amounts of happiness.


    it wouldn¡¯t have made any logical sense if amelia was in love with siwoo. in fact, her actions and words towards him were the opposite of love and did not reflect feelings of love or affection.


    as the thought of amelia being in love with him flashed across his mind, another image of her towering over him whilst glaring at him scornfully overlapped.


    siwoo shuddered.


    it was rather scary to think about and sent shivers down his spine.


    takasho suddenly dashed back to siwoo and said.


    ¡°oh, i almost forgot. i¡¯m going to ¡®tarot town¡¯ tomorrow, you want to come with me?¡±


    thinking of it, siwoo realized that tomorrow happened to be a sunday.


    sundays were the only days that siwoo had half the day off when he was free to do whatever he liked.


    since the daily necessities were so cheap, purchasing them was a must.


    the academy is located in ¡®lenomond town¡¯, a well-developed town from which many high-ranking witches gather, so daily necessities were costly and luxurious.


    since a janitor¡¯s salary is not enough to cover the price, siwoo had no choice but to shop in tarot town, which is relatively cheap.


    the problem was that it would take siwoo half a day to walk from lenomond town to tarot town.


    if it hadn¡¯t been for takasho, he wouldn¡¯t have dreamt of going there to shop.


    ¡°yup, i¡¯ve gotta head down and buy some things. thanks for asking.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong with you? i¡¯ll buy you some peanuts if you tell me what you¡¯re up to.¡±


    with that, he was able to secure a carriage to tarot town thanks to the help of takasho, who was conveniently called to professor sophia¡¯s mansion every weekend for ¡®special activities¡¯.


    one of the reasons for heading into town was that siwoo required materials to continue practicing his magic and he couldn¡¯t tell takasho about it due to safety concerns.


    ¡°by the way, what are you going to tarot town to buy? are you actually going to a brothel?¡±


    ¡°but there are only men there.¡±


    ¡°what exactly are you on about? do you honestly believe that there are no witches who enjoy female company as well??¡±


    siwoo trusted takasho in keeping secrets, but regardless of their relationship, siwoo had to keep his ability to use magic a secret, the walls around them had eyes and ears.


    when he would escape, siwoo decided that he would definitely take his only buddy along with him.


    ...however, that was something for the future, for now, he¡¯ll have to keep it on the down.


    ¡°anyway, i¡¯m looking forward to our journey tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°alright. meet me at the fountain by 1:00 pm.¡±


    ¡°all right,¡±


    siwoo reassured him and went back to the dorm to lay his weary head and get his much-needed sleep.

 Chapter 7: Twin Witches (1)

    ? twin witches (1) ?


    1.


    as the door of his room came into view, siwoo found himself subconsciously relaxing his body as the effects of hours of hard labor accompanied by a lack of sleep assaulted him.


    pushing past the creaking door revealed the same dusty old room that he had gotten used to.


    it was surprisingly spacious; it was an old barn that used to house 20 horses before being modified into siwoo¡¯s room.


    inside the 10-meter-wide-room, a haystack, which worked as both a sofa and a bed, lay resting on the ground. the open ceiling was covered in dirt and unidentified spots could be seen littered throughout the paint.


    an open window showcased the beautiful night sky in all its glory.


    ¡°all this room and i don¡¯t even have to pay rent.¡±


    the only downsides to it were that because it had an open-roof design, the rainwater from rains would flow into his room, the snow on a cold winter day would numb his bones and the smell of dung that would emanate from the walls during the summer would get into his nose.


    nevertheless, humans have always found a way to adapt to uncomfortable situations.


    after 5 years of adapting, the barn had become a lot more comfortable as compared to when siwoo was first issued the place.


    ¡°fuck. everything¡¯s been soaked through.¡±


    the ditch that had been dug out by siwoo beforehand to catch the water had flooded and rainwater spilt out, soaking everything in the room leaving nothing dry.


    removing his work clothes, siwoo made his way over towards his bed, where he found a small glass bottle laying on the hay.


    it was a discarded bottle of perfume that amelia had used, it was intricately crafted and looked beautiful.


    ¡°the bottle¡¯s almost empty.¡±


    holding up the bottle, a whitish liquid glistened at the bottom of the bottle. siwoo had barely managed to get a hold of around one to two drops of leftover magical water whilst cleaning out the research laboratory¡¯s trash bin.


    the liquid, which glowed in a myriad of colors, was a type of magical water purification liquified using simple alchemy.


    all of the professors in the academy were wealthy.


    they would throw away used bottles of magical liquid that still held a minute amount of material, just as how the rich in our world wouldn¡¯t try to squeeze out toothpaste from the very vestiges of a used toothpaste tube.


    in fact, simply a drop of this fluid could get him several packs of cigarettes.


    ¡°if not for this, i would¡¯ve been completely out of luck.¡±


    it provided siwoo with the only chance for him to use magic.


    while cleaning up all sorts of research waste, he was able to collect a bit of residual mana.


    ¡°just a little bit of it will do...¡±


    tipping the bottle, siwoo dabbed half a drop of the liquid onto his fingertips.


    gender was a strict requirement when it came to the ability to wield magic.


    however, siwoo found that when placed the magical liquid on his body, its latent mana could be used for a short period of time before eventually becoming volatile.


    siwoo muttered a light chant.


    ¡°pin.¡±


    the chant activated as the mana within the droplet began to glow with a noticeable blue tinge.


    it would put siwoo in a really shitty situation if the others knew that he could use magic. thus, he avoided practicing magic and focused his efforts on studying it instead. if there ever came a time when his ability to use magic is exposed, his days of peacefully sleeping on his hay bed would cease.


    siwoo tried his best to recall amelia¡¯s movements earlier that day.


    lying behind her pearly blue eyes, laid the secrets to magic.


    magic is the power to create anything whilst telekinesis is the ability to convert mana into kinetic energy which in turn allows for the caster to move objects simply by willing it.


    today, amelia used that very same amount of mana to create hundreds of orbital rings out of nothing.


    these intergalactic chunks of rock were bound by the laws of the universe and yet amelia was able to control each of the planets and stars that she had created individually. it was a testament to her control over her magic.


    that level of control was something that siwoo was not able to achieve yet.


    although that level of control over objects was something that siwoo didn¡¯t possess, he could still lift lightweight objects with ease.


    closing his eyes, siwoo tried to recall every twitch of her fingertips and the chant she muttered during her casting process in an attempt to imitate her level of proficiency.


    upon slowly opening his eyes, swirls of flames could be seen dancing within his pupils.


    it was a natural phenomenon known as ¡®mana reflection¡¯ when one was casting magic.


    looking around him, thousands of water droplets seemed to surround him.


    the rainwater that had seeped into the ground after the rain had dug itself out of the mud and was now floating around him.


    each of the droplets glowed like incandescent pearls in the air, reflecting the moonlight.


    the act of casting magic required its caster to visualize a mental image of the phenomenon that they wanted to paint onto reality. of course, this was only one of the many requirements that the caster would need to fulfill to be able to cast their desired magic.


    the image that siwoo was visualizing was the scene of amelia using magic to gather the dust that had laid in the laboratory.


    it proved to be quite effective as the water droplets started congregating, forming one big water droplet.


    at that moment...


    ¡°sigh...¡±


    siwoo let out a brief sigh.


    for a brief moment, he had lost his concentration and the image he had in mind wavered.


    siwoo needed to consider a total of 3 paths: malleability, change, and range in order to successfully imitate telekinesis.


    he had unintentionally allowed the mana that governed malleability and range to clash against each other, rendering the magic spell useless.


    the magic spell was overloaded when he tried to combine all of the water droplets together, it grew to an amount that he had not anticipated resulting in the large ball of water exploding in front of him, and falling back onto the floor.


    fortunately for him, the ball of water had collected itself above the ditch, leaving his room unscathed.


    ¡°i failed to continue calculating because the conversion factor seems to have been overloaded.¡±


    it was nigh impossible for him to imitate an unfamiliar spell.


    siwoo then made the decision to take the day off and laid down on the hay bed, its rough surface stinging his skin.


    solely visualizing the magical phenomenon was difficult enough as it is, and to add another layer of complication by improvising the magic circle made it an insurmountable task.


    still, it was a huge improvement when compared to the past.


    he used to feel like his skull would explode just by lighting a candle. in the past, every time siwoo tried to cast a simple spell like lighting a candle, his head felt like it would explode.


    at the rate he was going, it wouldn¡¯t take long for him to open a ¡®portal¡¯ in order to get out of the city.


    ¡°if i just use three more of these transition mediums and connect the range module to the transition module... it could theoretically dampen the shock caused by the deployment.¡±


    i can¡¯t. i¡¯m so tired today.


    siwoo closed his eyes, as he quickly entered the land of dreams.


    after cleaning up his room, siwoo wolfed down a sandwich before meeting up with takasho. together, they headed down into tarot town.


    the horse they rode was sophia¡¯s, a witch whose magic revolved around beasts and as a result, they were able to travel into tarot town at breakneck speeds.


    half an hour later, they arrived on the streets of tarot town.


    ¡°just like before, i will come to the fountain by 10 pm!¡±


    running to sophia¡¯s residence, takasho waved siwoo goodbye.


    ¡°phew...¡±


    catching his breath, siwoo placed a hand on the fountain while taking in his surroundings.


    if one had to describe tarot town, it would be that it looked like what the renaissance would look like with sci-fi elements strewn around the place.


    the houses that looked like cottages encompassed the street that was paved with concrete. the hustle and bustle of the city were reminiscent of the streets of shibuya in tokyo.


    this was the result of gehenna being cut off from the outside world for over 600 years.


    it wasn¡¯t surprising to see the level of prosperity that the city had achieved, especially factoring in the 600 years of magical history that allowed them to avoid any wars or epidemics that could have occurred.


    unlike in ¡®ars magna town¡¯ and ¡®lenomond town¡¯, where the elite lived, the people that lived in tarot town were mostly second-class citizens.


    it was also a place where various artisans and professionals chose to settle down and live their lives in servitude under the witches.


    ¡°apples! apples! freshly picked apples! only for 5 pennies each!¡±


    ¡°head down over to the beluga tavern! we¡¯ve got exciting performances, lively music, and cold beer for all to enjoy! you won¡¯t regret visiting the beluga tavern!¡±


    ¡°welcome one! welcome, all! come on over! our dresses are something that are popular even among witches!¡±


    unique sights dotted the streets as coachmen desperately tried to calm their horses down, newspaper boys darted around the alleyways, solicitors advertise their wares in front of their stores, from merchants smoking a cigar whilst bargaining to the artists that stood under the fountain playing their flutes.


    the central square had always been like that, bustling, noisy, and so filled with life.


    taking in the sight that beheld his eyes, siwoo got off the road and proceeded to walk to his destination.


    west of the square, siwoo could be seen entering an alleyway.


    loose tiles littered the alleyway and mud could be seen splattered all over the pavement. it seemed like it had been neglected for quite some time.


    the white whale bar that siwoo passed by seemed to be overflowing with customers, most likely due to it being a holiday. crossing a bridge, siwoo spotted a stone building hidden under the shade.


    in the cellar of the building was a magic shop that siwoo decided was worth it for him to spend his precious holiday in.


    ¡°hello.¡±


    the door that led to the stairs to the shop was stupidly short. ducking his head, siwoo went down a flight of stairs.


    it was a small shop measuring only 10 pyeong and had a faint stench of sulphur.


    by siwoo standards, the shop didn¡¯t feel small, but the furniture and the goods that they sold made the shop feel cramped.


    the shelves were packed with items that contained a myriad of colors, there were even withered dead animals that hung from the ceilings.


    ¡°oh, you¡¯re here. it¡¯s been quite some time, eh? i was starting to become worried.¡±


    the store owner, a man wearing round glasses, greeted siwoo with a smile on his face.


    folding up his newspaper, the store owner stood up.


    ¡°so... what do you need this time?¡±


    ¡°anything new come in lately?¡±


    ¡°let¡¯s see...¡±


    he glanced over at a list which seemed to be where he recorded his goods and took out a bundle of rope-bound papers.


    ¡°these are the only things new around here. you want one?¡±


    ¡°sure, how much are they?¡±


    siwoo pulled out the pouch he had hidden in his chest.


    coins, the size of thumbs could be seen glistening within the pouch.


    siwoo had saved for three months, scrounging his way around the campus. he hadn¡¯t spent a single penny from his weekly wage of five pennies.


    pennies were usually made of copper and silver, 12 of which would make a single silver coin. siwoo had accumulated a total of five silver coins.


    he had enough money to buy the items, but his heart still bled when he went to pay for it.


    ¡°that¡¯ll be a silver coin for three of these items.¡±


    ¡°huh? what do you mean by one silver? last time i came here, i only used a silver coin to buy two items.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re my only customer nowadays. i¡¯ll give it to you at a cheap price, so just take it.¡±


    ¡°ah, thank you!¡±


    jackpot!


    he was originally going to enjoy a meal with the penny that he would¡¯ve been left with.


    but now, things are different.


    siwoo emptied his wallet and handed over the silver coins to the store owner.


    ¡°what would a slave need magical paper for anyways? i mean it¡¯s not like you can use it.¡±


    ¡°i have different circumstances. you understand.¡±


    ¡°well, it¡¯s none of my business anyways. my shop is always open... come again next time.¡±


    siwoo turned around, evidently proud of the purchase he had just made.


    ¡°hello, mr. assistant.¡±


    behind siwoo was a witch with purple eyes. siwoo instantly recognized her as odile, the older sister of the twins who were studying under professor amelia, she tilted her head to one side and said,


    ¡°hey, what kind of magic artifacts do you even sell in such a shabby place? whoa! what is this? it¡¯s like a mummy!¡±


    odile fiddled with the strange bones, which in this case were dried japanese peppers, that hung from the ceiling. the store owner remained silent, not daring to speak a word.


    she wore a dress that was decorated with colorful laces, a half bonnet hung around her chin and the luxurious shoes that she wore made her look all the more beautiful.


    it could be seen from the way odile dressed that she was confident in both her natural beauty and the aura of nobility that seeped out of her.


    no one would dare scold her, a powerful witch, for touching the artifacts on display.


    siwoo felt a chill run down his back. what was odile doing here? in this out-of-the-way, dingy basement? did she follow him?


    he had to keep his ability to use magic a secret. it was his only ticket to escape from slavery.


    ¡°but why would the assistant, a slave, have any business in tarot town? what more? in a magic artifact shop?¡±


    chuckling, odile circled around siwoo.


    siwoo tried to hide the paper he bought, but it was a futile attempt at best.


    ¡°you can¡¯t reply, can you?¡±


    this was the worst possible scenario that could¡¯ve happened.


    ¡°something interesting is going on.¡±


    unlike in the academy, odile, who was dressed in an eye-catching outdoor dress, said so with a grin hanging from her lips.

 Chapter 8: Twin Witches (2)

    ? twin witches (2) ?


    1.


    ¡°something interesting is going on.¡±


    siwoo felt a chill run down his spine.


    odile¡¯s doll-like face revealed a sinister grin.


    from a glance, anyone would assume that the girl standing in front of siwoo was an innocent nai?ve girl. but hidden behind that beautiful exterior laid a witch.


    both she and her sister, odette, often referred to siwoo as either the ¡®assistant¡¯ or ¡®mr. assistant¡¯, not once did they drop their honorifics.


    that wasn¡¯t to say that they respected siwoo or even acknowledged him as a member of the human race.


    but instead, they only respected him because amelia had introduced him to them as her assistant, someone who would help out during lessons.


    therefore, siwoo was only considered as an assistant during class hours and as nothing more than a mere slave outside the academy grounds.


    odile¡¯s tone and demeanor perfectly reflected that principle.


    having unintentionally caught siwoo in a compromising position, she could potentially pose a threat to siwoo¡¯s well-being if she caught wind of the reason behind his visit.


    ¡°what did you get there, mr. assistant?¡±


    the assistant, a slave, purchasing magical items in a magic artifact store, now that was interesting.


    no matter how dense she was, odile would still feel the tiniest sliver of suspicion towards siwoo.


    how would she react if she found out that siwoo possessed the ability to use magic?


    if the magical documents that he had researched were found and confiscated, siwoo could be in a world of trouble.


    if discovered, siwoo might be released from city¡¯s hall custody and once the witches around the world find out that a slave, of all people, could use magic. siwoo would almost certainly be forced to become a witch¡¯s exclusive plaything.


    of course, this was merely speculation on siwoo¡¯s part.


    siwoo handed over the bundle of papers, desperately hoping that odile wouldn¡¯t notice his quivering hands. he felt the illusionary executioner¡¯s blade hang above his head.


    ¡°is this magic paper?¡±


    odile flipped through the bundle of paper as if she was counting through a stack of notes.


    at that moment, siwoo was desperately thinking of ways to get himself out of the situation he had found himself in.


    siwoo wondered if it would be better if he told odile that he was doing an errand for amelia just to get her off his back? or would it be preferable for him to lie and feign ignorance of the magic paper he bought.


    ¡°isn¡¯t that a little too expensive, mister owner?¡±


    odile turned to speak to the store owner, inspecting the magic paper as she talked.


    siwoo also turned his attention to him.


    upon hearing odile¡¯s words, the store owner, who had been staring at the ground whilst fidgeting with his glasses, quickly looked up.


    ¡°wh-what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°so you choose to feign ignorance huh?¡±


    fanning the magical papers that she had taken from siwoo, she turned to look at him and asked.


    ¡°how much did you pay for this, mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°well... the store owner gave me a discount, so i bought 3 of them for a single silver coin. in total, i¡¯ve spent about 2 silvers here.¡±


    odile looked at siwoo with a cheeky grin.


    her pearly white teeth were practically shining under the light of the oil lamp.


    ¡°three of these papers? for a silver coin?¡±


    ¡°yes?¡±


    ¡°oh come on now. i know he¡¯s a slave but you can¡¯t just mug him of his cash like that.¡±


    siwoo turned towards the store owner in shock.


    that was when it hit him.


    he would¡¯ve been used to seeing witches around his store as they were his main customers.


    so it was weird for him to be acting so nervously just because a witch visited his store.


    ¡°you¡¯re way too naive for this world aren¡¯t you, mr. assistant? don¡¯t you know that you should always check the quality of the product as well as the current market price before paying money?¡±


    ¡°uhh... miss witch, i- i- i think you¡¯ve been mistaken.... here, i even have the warranty i got from ¡®zemernai¡¯...¡±


    ¡°no, i don¡¯t even need to look at it.¡±


    odile took out one of the magic papers and rubbed it with her thumb and index finger.


    it split open to reveal the three different layers that made up the magic paper.


    inside, a thin foil could be seen reflecting the two layers of cracked paper that sandwiched it.


    the foil wasn¡¯t made conventionally with aluminum. but instead created using alchemy by melting a piece of silver into a thin sheet.


    ¡°look at that! what kind of craftsmanship is this? the foil¡¯s so messed up that instead of reducing noise, it increases the amount of noise that it creates and the energy that helps create the magic circles gets wasted on creating stabilization lines to prevent the device from rattling around.¡±


    she crumpled the sheet of paper in her hands and muttered.


    ¡°i can¡¯t believe that this piece of junk was sold for three pieces of silver! you know, it isn¡¯t good to sell such poor-quality products as a salesman. it just isn¡¯t good for business. what kind of person are you to be hiding behind such a kind face?¡±


    siwoo looked at the store owner. he couldn¡¯t believe that he had been deceived by him.


    he had thought that despite being a slave, there were still people who would be willing to trade fairly with him.


    he didn¡¯t expect to have been stabbed in the back.


    ¡±is that quality certificate real? if you¡¯re allowed to sell this garbage, we should really fire the managers at our paper mill.¡±


    ¡°our paper mill...?¡±


    the store owner¡¯s eyes widened as he gasped in shock.


    ¡°no way...¡±


    ¡°yes, i¡¯m from gemini.¡±


    the ¡®gemini corporation¡¯ was a magical artifact company which was owned by the count, and only had 7 employees across gehenna.


    in other words, the witch in front of him would eventually be a part of gehenna¡¯s top executive body, ¡°the tree of sephiroth.¡±


    to be precise, that meant that she was the count¡¯s apprentice witch.


    ¡°regardless of how stupid your buyer is, you should have taken more precautions to avoid getting caught.¡±


    ¡±i... i¡¯ve committed a sin worthy of death.¡±


    odile played with her fingernails while ignoring the kneeling man on the floor. begging for mercy, the shopkeeper tried to explain himself.


    ¡°i was blinded by greed and in the spur of the moment, i made a big mistake...!¡±


    ¡°where did you get the magic papers from?¡±


    ¡°i got it from my friend called dick. he works at the branch office, i just asked him to take the stuff you guys normally throw out. i won¡¯t ever do it again, i swear!¡±


    the owner, who had tried to shift the blame over to his friend, became a sobbing mess in an instant, causing quite a commotion.


    that¡¯s right.


    this was all for the sake of self-preservation.


    ¡°please, please spare me...!¡±


    with a grimace at the unsightly sight that beheld her eyes, odile muttered out a spell.


    ¡±???§Ú?¦Ï????¡±


    a ripple could be felt surging through the store as a pleasant voice filled the room.


    an apprentice witch was still considered to be a witch even if she had only inherited 10% of her powers.


    odile¡¯s fluffy hair floated in the air as mana erupted from her toes to the top of her head.


    it was magic.


    ¡°while being aware of the rules, you still decided to sell magic artifacts to a slave without permission. besides, you stole the defective product and forged the warranty, didn¡¯t you? what you¡¯ve done has greatly damaged the reputation of our company. do you think that i, ¡®odile gemini¡¯ will actually forgive you for that?¡±


    ¡°hav- kuek... mercy.¡±


    all of a sudden, the store owner collapsed onto his knees and clutched at his neck.


    his jaws were clenched tight, his mouth foaming, and he struggled about the floor with an anguished look on his face.


    reflexively, siwoo measured the flow of mana and observed the laws of magic within the store.


    the spell that odile had used consisted of a mix of alchemy and barrier techniques that sported traces of the five elements.


    the runic-based barriers which controlled space were dispersed in such a way that they were invisible.


    the store owner writhed in agony on the wood floor, which had been covered by a barrier created by odile.


    odile had managed to enchant the interior space, encasing the store in layers of barriers.


    therefore, no matter how hard he tried to breathe, the store owner would gradually suffocate.


    ¡°ms. odile!¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t interfere.¡±


    noticing that the situation had gotten out of hand, siwoo tried to stop odile.


    but the response he received in return was that of an icy, arrogant witch.


    odile¡¯s anger couldn¡¯t be subdued by a slave¡¯s words.


    ¡°do you think we¡¯ll leave a fraudster alone? someone who sold defective products with our brand names attached to them? whose consumers are about to lose their trust in our products!?¡±


    it was only a matter of time before the store owner would die.


    someone was dying right in front of his eyes.


    siwoo tried to calm down by breathing slowly and closing his eyes.


    well, siwoo had no reason to intervene.


    the store owner had taken advantage of siwoo¡¯s situation and scammed him of his hard-earned money.


    he reaped what he sowed.


    but was it really the right thing to do, was it right to kill someone over such a matter?


    ¡°...it can¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°what are you doing?¡±


    odile noticed that siwoo had gripped a bottle of magic water on a shelf.


    ¡°pin!¡±


    pouring the magic onto his palm, siwoo immediately started to circulate the latent mana in the magic water and released a spell towards odile.


    -whooosh....!


    the mana that had erupted explosively from within his body began swirling rapidly.


    siwoo manipulated the mana that surged within his body into numerous thin strokes, each sporting different lengths and thicknesses.


    each had a slightly different length and thickness, and he only had one purpose in mind.


    the goal of the spell was to cast an interference that would disrupt the magic spell¡¯s mana, stopping the magical phenomenon in its tracks.


    the spell was called ¡®dispel pin¡¯.


    ¡°you don¡¯t really believe that will stop me, do you?¡±


    odile¡¯s expression remained stoic even after seeing siwoo cast ¡®dispel pin¡¯.


    it was unusual to see a slave do magic, but it didn¡¯t matter whether he cast it or not.


    nothing about the spell was shocking.


    in fact, dispel was a spell so simple that it belonged in the first chapter of every basic magic book.


    it was categorized as simple magic, and did not require any complicated calculations or formulas.


    however, it was a different matter altogether when it came to the ¡®pin¡¯ that chanted along with dispel.


    in order to truly dispel the spell, one would need to understand and observe all aspects of the magic circle, including all of the strokes, characters and definitions behind the runes that littered its magic circle.


    and that was before needing to calculate the potential positions and sequence of the pins he would have to place.


    he had never actually tried dispelling another witch¡¯s spell before. thankfully, odile¡¯s magic formula wasn¡¯t too difficult for siwoo to understand.


    he inserted the first two pins into the triangle¡¯s right side, which disrupted a part of the mechanism for the magic circle.


    odile¡¯s invisible attribute was the first thing to become undone as the barrier¡¯s outline revealed itself.


    ¡°huh...?¡±


    odile¡¯s surprised face didn¡¯t stop siwoo from dispelling her magic.


    the next target siwoo chose was a triangle inscribed within the magic circle that had a balancer located at each of its corners.


    it functioned as a kind of firewall that normalized barriers whenever outside magic interfered.


    if he had interfered with the barrier without removing it, the pin would disappear immediately due to the rune¡¯s influence.


    ¡°gasp!¡±


    siwoo felt as if his head was on the verge of splitting apart, yet he maintained the pin in its position, gesturing with his hands like a conductor in front of an orchestra.


    the enormous circle surrounding the barrier cracked like glass as the pins were inserted one after the other.


    and the pillars, which made up the core of the spell and supported the barrier covering the ceiling, were his final target.


    the spell was finally dispelled as soon as the last of the 12 pins were engraved into the pillars that supported the upper surface.


    ¡°done!¡±


    the spell that odile had cast was successfully lifted before she had the chance to activate her magic again.


    ¡°gasp! thank... uff... thank you... thank you...¡±


    the store owner, finally free of the spell, crawled towards odile¡¯s feet and started kissing her shoes as he regained his breath.


    odile ignored him and focused his attention on the person in front of her.


    odile was looking at siwoo with astonishment.


    at that moment, siwoo was thrilled. knowing that the effort he had put into his magical studies hadn¡¯t gone to waste.


    he was able to hold his own facing odile, an apprentice of a high-ranking witch.


    a sense of accomplishment filled his body as adrenaline surged through his veins. he could feel his heart palpitating wildly almost as if his heart had become a drum that threatened to burst out from his chest.


    ¡°whoa...¡±


    his excitement deflated the moment he felt odile¡¯s gaze on him.


    her gaze was so intense, it felt as if it could pierce his heart.


    he had no idea what was going to happen next.


    siwoo had a premonition that his interference had caused odile¡¯s wrath, which had been poured out onto the shopkeeper, to transfer to him instead. thus, mimicking the shopkeeper, he knelt on his knees and begged for forgiveness.


    ¡°i apologize for daring to interfere with the magic of the great witch! but i couldn¡¯t stand by and watch as my favorite magic caster got blood on her hands!¡±


    in order to avoid being punished, siwoo rambled out an excuse he had thought of off the top of his head.


    odile watched him as she spoke.


    ¡°mr. assistant, i think you¡¯re mistaken about something. i never had the intention of killing him.¡±


    ¡°huh?¡±


    ¡°all i was trying to do was teach him a lesson. a lesson that would teach him not to mess with witches, otherwise he might lose his head.¡±


    if so, did he simply get in her way?


    no. that was not the case.


    how could siwoo remain silent when someone was dying in front of him?


    odile was a witch apprentice with a hunger for knowledge and thus tried to figure out what siwoo had purchased the magic papers for.


    ¡°i thought you were just a handsome slave, but you¡¯re more than that.¡±


    siwoo was startled when odile glided towards him.


    siwoo looked at odile with a puzzled expression.


    ¡±interesting... how¡¯d you dismantle the structure of my unique barrier spell just from a glance?¡±


    that was the only logical explanation as to why the spell would be dispelled so quickly.


    ¡°i really do apologize for that...¡±


    ¡°no, you don¡¯t have to apologize. i just received a huge favor from you but more importantly i¡¯ve developed a keen interest in mr. assistant.¡±


    when odile tapped her fingertips on the table, a run surfaced from above the table. she had carved something into the wood.


    68.29.121, a serial number.


    the numbers were serial numbers for a vault that doubled as a bank account in gehenna.


    ¡°mr. store owner, i hope you put all the silver coins that you have robbed from mr. assistant in his account.¡±


    ¡°yes... yes. i understand. i will never try to swindle money from him ever again.¡±


    ¡°i expect there to be a generous amount of consolation money as well as a formal apology. do so, and i won¡¯t have to report this to city hall. i hope you don¡¯t disappoint me.


    ¡°yes! thank you! thank you very much!¡±


    a sense of relief filled the store owner¡¯s face. he had, after all, managed to avoid having the city hall inspect his store and narrowly escaped death.


    siwoo left the building along with odile, leaving the store owner back in his store. the shopkeeper had managed to bend his back to the point where his head was inches away from the ground.


    odile looked back at siwoo and asked.


    ¡°are you free, mr. assistant?¡±


    siwoo felt uncomfortable in odile¡¯s presence.


    he disliked her purple eyes, he felt bare under her gaze and a faint trace of viciousness seemed to linger behind those eyes of hers.


    ¡°well, i¡¯m a little busy today.¡±


    ¡°really? then i have no choice but to tell professor amelia the good news. the news that her assistant was actually a wizard with tremendous talent.¡±


    ¡°...i have plenty of time.¡±


    ¡°you should.¡±


    realizing that her threat had been effective, odile grinned like a cat.


    her threatening demeanor was one of the reasons why siwoo felt a strong sense of hate towards the apprentice witch.

 Chapter 9: Twin Witches (3)

    ? twin witches (3) ?


    1.


    walking by her side, siwoo glanced at odile¡¯s face.


    siwoo stood two heads taller than her. but thanks to her small head, from a distance, one wouldn¡¯t be able to tell that she looked short.


    siwoo could tell that she had been washing her hair in a perfumed shampoo every day from the tinge of sweetness that could be smelt from it. her amethyst coloured eyes held a charm to them that seemed to be able to attract others¡¯ attention.


    she had moderately thick lips, a healthy peachy blush on her face, and a remarkable elegance that could be felt even when she was simply walking.


    she resembled a princess emerging straight out of a rococo painting.1[t/n: art style from 18th century]


    in the modern world, siwoo would have been overjoyed having the privilege to walk alongside a beauty like odile.


    if only she wasn¡¯t a witch.


    ¡°ms. odile.¡±


    ¡°are there any problems? assistant shin siwoo.¡±


    ¡°thank you very much for helping me back there. thanks to you, i¡¯ve learned a valuable lesson and will take care so as to not fall for a fraudster again.¡±


    odile, who seemed amused to see the citizen¡¯s everyday, mundane lifestyle in tarot town, slowed to a halt and turned to him...


    siwoo hurriedly glanced away from her.


    aside from her frightening nature, she was truly a stunning beauty and was in that sense, similar to amelia.


    he felt awkward just making eye contact with her.


    ¡°don¡¯t be concerned! instead, i¡¯ve got a fantastic escort.¡±


    ¡°ha... haha¡±


    odile seemed to be in a good mood.


    siwoo believed that people were more willing to accommodate requests when they were in a good mood.


    wasn¡¯t this the perfect chance for him to get away from her?


    if he came up with a reasonable excuse, there would be a possibility, however slim, of her letting him go.


    ¡°about that... i¡¯d like to ask you something to help me escort you better... is that alright?


    ¡°yep, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s just that i don¡¯t know a lot about tarot town¡¯s geography. i humbly believe that selecting a more capable individual would be more beneficial to ms. odile.¡±


    instead of saying ¡°i¡¯ll let you go¡±, she paused and that brief pause was what forced him to swallow his remaining words.


    he quickly bowed his head, trying not to offend her in any way.


    ¡°err... so...,¡±


    the cheerful expression that clung to her face when they had been conversing earlier disappeared.


    he could feel his heart sink at her reaction.


    did she notice his attempt to leave this place in a hurry?


    ¡°alright, uh... well... what do you think about going to a local bar instead? i do like to explore, but don¡¯t you think it¡¯d be a good idea to stop by a quiet bar? especially for a novice guide like yourself. ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!¡±


    fortunately for him, she was trying to reduce the awkwardness in the air.


    it would prove unwise for siwoo to leave without getting her approval, for only a fool would want to anger a witch of her caliber in magic.


    he couldn¡¯t show her his displeasure so tried to speak cheerfully.


    ¡°you say a bar, oh yeah. i know of a nice bar! allow me to take you there right away!¡±


    odile, on the other hand, jumped in delight and rejoiced.


    siwoo guided her to the white whale bar he had passed by earlier.


    2.


    the white whale bar.


    it was the biggest bar in tarot town and was the one he and takasho had visited a couple of times before.


    ¡°another round!!¡±


    ¡°sorry, i¡¯m a little busy cleaning up these plates.¡±


    ¡°yes, yes, go ahead!¡±


    ¡°master, bring two more beers!¡±


    there was a skilled accordionist performing his music.


    a hairy old man was drinking beer while gambling on the side.


    in the corner, a group of, obviously drunk, people played cards and blew on their pipes.


    a young waitress could be seen busily carrying food from table to table.


    on another table were also several bulky youngsters who appeared to be arm wrestling against each other.


    the atmosphere in the room was lively, a clear indication of the fun everyone was engaged in. when all of a sudden...


    the tavern, where thirty to forty people were conversing, became silent the instant that odile and siwoo stepped in.


    being an apprentice witch, odile¡¯s presence in a run-down bar stuck out like a sore thumb.


    as though in a theatrical play, the bar owner removed his hat and stood in front of her in a hurry, while everyone else in the bar remained motionless.


    ¡°oh erm... ms. witch, what brings you to this rundown place? for your information, our bar does comply with the latest hygiene standards and we regularly pay our taxes on time.¡±


    the bar owner had immediately recognized that odile was a witch.


    it would¡¯ve been strange if a girl, who was wearing luxurious clothing along with jewelry that could probably pay for a mansion of her own, wasn¡¯t a witch.


    ¡°ah! you don¡¯t have to worry about a thing. i didn¡¯t come here to kick up a fuss or cause a disturbance.¡±


    ¡°huh? then why...¡±


    staying silent, odile reached her hand into her sleeve.


    she took out three golden coins, the coins laid on her adorable palm as they gleamed with a pristine shine.


    the bar owner¡¯s jaw gaped wide open at the captivating sight of the dazzling gold in front of him.


    ¡°here, take them.¡±


    ¡°pardon? suddenly, what on earth...¡±


    ¡°i want to rent the bar for an hour, so get everyone out of here in five minutes.¡±


    12 pennies made up a shilling. a gold coin was worth 20 shillings, or 240 pennies.


    in other words, for siwoo to be able to afford the rental fee paid by odile, he would¡¯ve needed to save up for more than three years.


    ¡°thank you!¡±


    the bar owner didn¡¯t hesitate upon seeing the gold and quickly complied with the witch¡¯s request, kicking his customers out by their asses and chasing them away.


    even though the customers were visibly upset, they left without a fuss.


    it was better than offending a witch.


    ¡±come on, get on out of here. come back later in the evening, i¡¯ll treat you to something aye?¡±


    the remaining customers could only relent and leave the tavern with a bitter smile.


    it benefited both sides of the trade. the tavern owner got to receive a sizeable amount of money whilst the regulars that frequented his store would be able to enjoy free drinks while waiting.


    ¡°peace and quiet at last...¡±


    odile looked quite satisfied with her actions as she plopped her butt in the seat she liked best.


    was this how rich people operate?


    siwoo, who had suffered through poverty after being kidnapped into this world, couldn¡¯t believe that odile would use three gold coins just for some quiet time.


    ¡°i¡¯ll serve you the best dish we have. please, take your time and enjoy yourself.¡±


    rubbing his hands, the bar owner put down two mugs of beer and disappeared into the kitchen.


    the store¡¯s only alcohol was beer, which had been cooled using magic. coincidentally, it was also one of the best beers that siwoo had ever tasted.


    it was natural as they were forced into only producing that one type of alcohol after all.


    for generations, the majority of gehenna¡¯s people had worked in the same business.


    due to the lack of holidays and a distinct lack of recreational activities for citizens to participate in, the majority of the citizens in this world simply honed their skills in their respective crafts as best they could.


    that single glass of beer had the blood, sweat and tears of 600 years of history accumulated into it.


    ¡°interesting... i¡¯ve been curious to try what the regular citizens have been drinking.


    odile gracefully lifted the mug that was bigger than her face and gulped its contents down.


    placing her glass down on the table, revealing a beard made of fresh foam that clung to her upper lip region.


    being none the wiser, odile started to gag and examine the flavor of the beer.


    ¡°it¡¯s bittersweet. although it does have a robust flavor, it¡¯s simply still not qualified to satisfy my high-class taste.¡±


    odile¡¯s body shook with a wheezing sound.


    it was clear from her response that she didn¡¯t enjoy the flavor.


    ¡°what are you doing? drink up.¡±


    ¡°before that, ms.... there¡¯s some foam on your face.¡±


    in her attempt to appear mature, odile hadn¡¯t realized that she was wearing a froth beard.


    in a typical drinking event, one would naturally be aware of such matters and they would¡¯ve already cleaned off anything that remained around their mouths before partying on.


    wanting to maintain her mature image, odile firmly wiped off the foam with her hand.


    ¡°of course, i was aware of it. i was just imitating how i saw a drunk drink the beer in this manner. you won¡¯t know if it tastes good unless you try downing it, right?¡±


    odile spat out her excuse to cover up her folly in a rapid fashion, clearly not wanting siwoo to notice her mistake.


    ¡°yup, that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°yes! of course, it does.¡±


    odile looked triumphantly at siwoo, who like odile coughed when he tried to chug the mug in one gulp.


    despite being an apprentice witch, she was clearly a child.


    his head went numb from how chilly it was.


    the combination of both the pleasant aroma of wheat and the carbonic acid that made his tongue tingle pervaded his dry mouth.


    siwoo closed his eyes and jerked his body.


    it was too sweet.


    ¡±is it that good? you¡¯d faint if you ever got the chance to drink the wine from our mansion. the grapes we use are from mendel hill and are exposed to sunlight all year round.¡±


    ¡°if i have a chance, i¡¯d love to taste it.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll be sure to bring it later.¡±


    siwoo suddenly felt strange.


    in fact, he had been feeling pretty strange since a while ago, but soon it became clear after they exchanged a few words with each other.


    ¡°excuse me, ms. odile.¡±


    ¡°yes, i¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°is this your first time in tarot town?¡±


    ¡°yes!¡±


    she nodded frankly.


    that explains why she had been curiously looking around.


    ¡°my teacher is a strict person. she doesn¡¯t allow me to go to tarot town, do you know what she said when i asked her to let me out?


    ¡®until you inherit the brand, don¡¯t get distracted by other things and focus solely on building a foundation.¡¯ so i¡¯ve never been outside of ars magna town and lenomond town.¡±


    odile¡¯s appearance left its viewers mesmerized and it was hard for anyone to be able to pinpoint her actual age.


    still, if forced to make a rough estimate, siwoo would place her around 20 years old due to her youthful looks.


    ¡°so what about today?¡±


    ¡°heh, i sneaked out today. although my teacher is lovely, she has an annoying side to her that i just hate! do you have any idea how boring having to study magic every day is?¡±


    he could understand how odile might feel at such a young age, being so young and filled with curiosity, to be stuck in a cramped cage for most of her life.


    seeing her get excited by simply drinking beer, siwoo felt like they should¡¯ve let her go out to play for a while.


    ¡°anyway, i know mr. assistant is worried. you want me to keep it a secret that you can use magic, right?¡±


    ¡°oh, yes. please.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not going to share this information with anyone else. i¡¯m not as vicious as you think.¡±


    odile replied with a smile.


    she¡¯s an angel, an angel!


    despite being a witch she had surprisingly good communication skills, and what¡¯s more, it was her first time having an authentic human-to-human interaction outside of the classroom.


    perhaps she was still young, conversing with her was simpler than talking with amelia, a professor at trinity academy.


    ¡°here¡¯s your dish.¡±


    ¡°oh! put it here!¡±


    the bar owner placed the dishes in such a way that even if the table was to shake, nothing would be spilt.


    oily ham, pickled figs, wheat bread with raisins and ginger, salt and pepper, and even figs sprinkled with olive oil.


    odile began tasting each of the side dishes one by one, her eyes twinkling in excitement.


    ¡°hummm~ hummm~ humm~¡±


    she appeared to have enjoyed the food that had been provided based on the way she was humming and how she was constantly ordering more.


    she slid a thick slice of ham onto siwoo¡¯s plate.


    ¡°hum! you should eat, too!¡±


    ¡°thank you.¡±


    it was a whole roasted ham.


    the taste of the yellow ham that entered siwoo¡¯s mouth caused his saliva glands to erupt upon being greeted for the first time in months.


    as he was wolfing down the ham, odile suddenly asked.


    ¡°if you could use magic, then why didn¡¯t you show it before?¡±


    ¡°if i claimed i could use magic, i thought that i¡¯d get into a lot of trouble as slaves weren¡¯t allowed to use magic.¡±


    ¡±really? i think it¡¯s fine. even though the spell i used wasn¡¯t really complex, you did manage to destroy it. isn¡¯t that something to be proud of? i can¡¯t believe you understood so much magical knowledge as a slave!¡±


    she accepted the idea that a mere slave would be able to use magic to destroy her magic and it showed her naivety from a young which contradicted the ideals of a common witch.


    ¡±no way, if it was another witch and not ms. odile, she wouldn¡¯t be as kind as you. in fact, it wouldn¡¯t even be surprising if she blew my head off with a stronger spell as soon as i destroyed the barrier.¡±


    ¡°yes, that¡¯s right, i¡¯m quite understanding. however, is there any other reason than that? be honest with me.¡±


    ¡°yes! in fact, i was working on a space magic to escape from this bloody gehenna. magic capable of opening the gate of border town.¡±


    ¡±whoa! is that even possible? not just anyone can open the gates!¡±


    ¡°i can¡¯t do it right now. but i think i can do it in two, no, about a year. i¡¯ve already read a number of books and developed a theory of around 70%.¡±


    ¡°books?¡±


    ¡±yes! i¡¯ve been working in the library and there is a basic book tha- huh?¡±


    siwoo, who was eating the ham, suddenly felt that something was off about the situation.


    placing the utensils down silently, siwoo turned towards odile.


    ¡°what was i talking about just now?¡±


    secrets that he would never have considered to be exposed came out naturally almost as if a truth serum had been applied to his food.


    ¡±what? huh? how is this possible? i didn¡¯t feel anything... wait... did you cast a self-essence spell on me?¡±


    ¡°yes, i did. mr. assistant.¡±


    the initially friendly look on odile¡¯s face changed in an instant.


    a girl who didn¡¯t know the world? his thought proved just how naive he was for harboring such thoughts towards her.


    he regretted ever feeling sorry for her even for a moment.


    odile slouched down to stroke siwoo¡¯s head. his head was in turmoil as he had trouble organizing his thoughts.


    ¡°oh~ so, mr. assistant has been planning something like that?.¡±


    ¡°shit, i¡¯m fucked!¡±


    ¡°hmm. you are indeed quite fucked, mr. assistant.¡±


    looking at his helpless expression, odile grinned broadly.


    footnotes:


    1[t/n: art style from 18th century]

 Chapter 10: Twin Witches (4)

    ? twin witches (4) ?


    1.


    the owner of the tavern served dish after dish of unknown delicacies.


    unfortunately, siwoo simply didn¡¯t have the appetite to take another bite.


    odile left most of the food alone after taking one or two bites from each plate, thus leaving large amounts of food piled up on the table after the meal.


    ¡°shall we get going now, mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°...yes.¡±


    there was obviously no way for siwoo to refuse.


    not while odile had his weakness in her grasp.


    according to odile, if siwoo was simply capable of using magic and merely concealed it, it wouldn¡¯t have been a big deal. the issue with the situation was that he had intended to escape from his slavery.


    the magic that had been discreetly placed onto siwoo, was the root of all his problems.


    it caused him to be unable to shut his mouth, even after spilling all his secrets to her.


    ¡°wait! does that mean that if i think of anything right now, i¡¯ll just say it out loud? fuck! what the fuck? it really does that!?¡±


    ¡°you fucking bitch of a fucking witch! 5 years of effort, gone! just like that? i was so close to escaping so fucking close. fuck!¡±


    ¡°why are all the fucking witches like this? first amelia, now her. for fuck¡¯s sake.¡±


    no matter how hard siwoo tried to keep his mouth shut, in the end, it was all futile.


    odile laughed for 15 minutes while siwoo kept spitting out his inner thoughts. she had laughed so hard in fact, that her face had turned into a shade of red.


    he pondered if he was lucky for odile overlooking the constant barrage of curses that spewed from his mouth.


    ¡°ms. odile.¡±


    when odile didn¡¯t respond, he called again.


    ¡°ms. odile.¡±


    ¡°huh? oh, my apologies. did you call me? if i recall correctly didn¡¯t you just mention that i and my sister were two rude twin bitches who hid behind our cute faces right?¡±


    the blood drained from siwoo¡¯s face as odile smiled softly.


    he hadn¡¯t expected how dangerous having his thoughts broadcast to the surroundings could get.


    siwoo couldn¡¯t believe that there was actually magic that could even influence human behavior.


    ¡°isn¡¯t that because of what ms. odile cast on me? mind control or something...¡±


    ¡°i believe that you mentioned something like why your inner thoughts came out when you were blabbering on earlier?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s, then...¡±


    siwoo sighed in defeat and surrendered to his circumstances.


    ¡°ah, fuck it. i don¡¯t give a shit anymore. fuck it. hell if i care if you roast me or boil me.¡±


    ¡±really? mr. assistant, which would you prefer medium rare or well done?¡±


    odile began to burst out in laughter at her own joke.


    ¡°oh yea, you were curious about the type of magic i used, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    siwoo wasn¡¯t able to feel any waves of mana that the spell might¡¯ve caused.


    although he had some elementary knowledge of magic, siwoo never had any formal magic training and thus was unable to detect the properties of the spell odile had cast.


    he would¡¯ve naturally been curious to find out more about a type of magic he had never come across before.


    ¡°? ? ~¡±


    odile opened her mouth and began chanting.


    the song sounded more like a melody from a string instrument as opposed to a human¡¯s voice.


    siwoo was about to fully immerse himself in the music when he noticed a small tendril of magic wriggle about. siwoo would¡¯ve missed it if he hadn¡¯t been focusing on her voice.


    ¡°did you manage to get a feel of it?¡±


    ¡°no way...¡±


    siwoo thought back to the time when he first got charmed.


    only then did he realize that odile had been humming throughout the meal.


    what if she wasn¡¯t singing out of joy? what if...


    ¡°that¡¯s the answer, the gemini witch¡¯s self-essence magic. pitch, beat, passion, and breathing are all a part of the spell.. it is also known by the name the ¡®poem of confession¡¯.


    i couldn¡¯t sing it perfectly because odette isn¡¯t here, but it wasn¡¯t bad to hear, right?¡±


    ¡°...you tricked me¡±


    ¡°well, yes.¡±


    odile wandered through the complex alleyways of tarot town.


    judging by her steps, it didn¡¯t feel like she was unfamiliar with the alleyways, and instead, it felt like she was moving with a destination in mind.


    that means...


    ¡°you also lied about being in tarot town for the first time.¡±


    ¡°yup! although it is true that my teacher is strict, i sneak out about once a week to get some fresh air.¡±


    siwoo felt a deep sense of betrayal.


    he regretted thinking that odile was a small bird trapped in a cage and also for feeling a smidge of pity for the twins.


    ¡°so, what are you trying to get out of me? i¡¯m just a slave; at best, all i can do is entertain you like a clown.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯ll spoil the surprise if i gave it away so easily. you don¡¯t expect a lady such as myself to give away all her secrets now do you?¡±


    siwoo inwardly thought she acted more like a bitch than a lady.


    after a long period of time, odile finally slowed her steps to a halt.


    amidst the shabby buildings, stood a five-story mansion that looked brand new, almost as if it had just been built.


    the high-rise building looked out of place, being constructed in a poor hillside village.


    odile grinned as she opened the door.


    ¡°come on in, i¡¯ll explain everything to you here. this villa belongs to both of me and odette. it¡¯s meant to be an output for us to learn about the world.¡±


    ¡°huh, as if it wasn¡¯t blatantly obvious...¡±


    siwoo shut the door behind him as he followed odile into the building.


    2.


    it seemed as if the mansion had no maids or butlers to welcome guests upon their arrival.


    large chandeliers covered in beautiful golden leaves lit up as odile and siwoo entered the mansion.


    the exterior of the building did not match the run-down alleyway that led to its entrance.


    looking at the interior of the place, siwoo noticed that floating wine glasses were used to decorate the space.


    siwoo hesitated to step onto the marble floors that were so shiny that even his reflection was visible.


    ¡°odette!¡±


    her shout seemed to summon odette as siwoo could hear the sounds of footsteps scurrying their way toward them.


    it wasn¡¯t long before odette¡¯s head could be seen propped up on the second-floor stair¡¯s railing.


    the twins could be seen with different accessories, hairstyles, and clothing, completely contrasting their image in the academy.


    ¡°do you not play the swapping games with each other at home?¡±


    ¡°eh?¡±


    ¡±huh? don¡¯t you swap places with each other sometimes to mess with amelia?¡±


    odile pursed her lips.


    her expression resembled a criminal that had been caught red-handed after committing what they thought was a perfect crime.


    ¡°wait, how did you know that? we have the exact same mana signature.¡±


    ¡°everyone¡¯s noticed it... hell! i think even professor amelia noticed it but she just chose to not bring it up.¡±


    odette came rushing down the stairs as odile stiffened at siwoo¡¯s sulky response.


    ¡°hello, assistant siwoo! it¡¯s so nice to meet you outside the academy!¡±


    odette came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, giving siwoo a curtsy and greeted him politely.


    odette was a little less tomboy than her sister, odile.


    she had a cheerful personality and always gave respect to everyone, including slaves.


    that thought disappeared in a flash the moment siwoo heard the next words that left her mouth.


    ¡°how did you capture him? you really managed to drag him here, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    was it accurate to use ¡°capture¡± for humans?


    odette¡¯s eyes sparkled as she circled around siwoo, she was like a researcher who had just found a long-extinct species.


    ¡°what did i say? didn¡¯t i tell you that if you trust this sister of yours, everything will go as planned. that¡¯s all you needed, right? with his weakness in my grasp, he¡¯ll definitely cooperate with our experiments.¡±


    ¡°weakness?¡±


    ¡°actually...¡±


    ¨C psst, psst.


    the twins began whispering among themselves.


    siwoo could hardly believe his ears when he heard the word experiment.


    meanwhile, odette¡¯s eyes started glowing, as odile continued recounting the things that had happened.


    ¡°as a slave, you not only broke my sister¡¯s barrier but you¡¯re even studying the magic required to open the gate?¡±


    ¡°yeah, it¡¯s amazing and all but it doesn¡¯t really have anything to do with us, does it?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s true.¡±


    odette nodded meekly.


    ¡°anyways, follow me. you know what¡¯ll happen if you don¡¯t, right?¡±


    ¡°my apologies, mr. assistant. but i was so curious that i couldn¡¯t help but ask some questions.¡±


    ¡°wait a minute.¡±


    he wasn¡¯t paying attention to the other things that were mentioned in the conversation but there was a question that scratched the back of his mind.


    ¡°what in the fuck will i do in the experiment... will i even be able to survive the things you do to me?¡±


    the twins responded to him between their giggles as siwoo became increasingly upset at the situation.


    the mere thought of placing his body in harm¡¯s way scared him.


    ¡°will we harm mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°we don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to hurt mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°oh thank god...¡±


    ¡°we would never do that!¡±


    ¡°we would never do that!¡±


    ¡°but only if you promise to cooperate with us!¡±


    ¡°but only if you promise to cooperate with us!¡±


    odile and odette were wonderfully synchronized.


    they spoke in unison and siwoo¡¯s worries were strangely relieved by their response, up till the last sentence. where they hinted at the possibility of bringing harm to siwoo if he chose not to cooperate.


    ¡°then what about the fact that i¡¯m going to use magic and escape...¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll keep it a secret!¡±


    ¡°fine... i¡¯ll trust you.¡±


    he felt a little relieved.


    he thought that it was a small price to pay for the twins to keep their silence.


    guided by the twins, they arrived at a comfortable-looking bedroom.


    a large bed with two pillows appeared in view and was probably where the twins would often sleep together.


    this caused siwoo to become flustered.


    he had been expecting to enter a workshop full of magical ingredients but what he didn¡¯t expect was to be led into a bedroom with two girls.


    an ominous chill ran down his spine as he looked around.


    1[left is odette, right is odile]


    ¡°take it off.¡±


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°you said you¡¯d help with the experiment so take it off.¡±


    siwoo had a hunch regarding what was to come.


    the twins displayed an amazing amount of concentration when they were asked for comments regarding the creation of mana through ejaculation during their lessons.


    what was clear to siwoo was that they weren¡¯t just interested in studying magic.


    the twins probably used up 90% of that concentration, examining and questioning the male body.


    ¡°this is the reference book for the experiment that siwoo will help us with today.¡±


    odette brought out a thin book, her face had turned into a shade of red.


    the book was titled ¡°a first night guide for ladies¡±.


    ¡°we snatched it from the maids when we saw them gathered to read it. that must mean that it really is a book that every true lady has to read.¡±


    odette smiled brightly.


    ¡°come on! take it off quickly!¡±


    ¡°ho-hold on a second!¡±


    ¡°if you don¡¯t take it off now, i¡¯ll expose your secrets to professor amelia.¡±


    ¡°you promised to cooperate, right? we¡¯ll take good care of you.¡±


    the twins, who were protruding from both sides, grabbed siwoo¡¯s collar and hung down. the twins flanked siwoo, grabbed him by his collar and began trying to undress him.


    realizing the severity of the situation, siwoo desperately clung on to his clothes.


    ¡°no! wait! please stop!¡±


    of course, it wasn¡¯t because siwoo had magically turned into a eunuch.


    being able to enjoy two ladies, who both possess a level of beauty greater than any other models on earth, would naturally seem alluring to any man.


    but no! siwoo was able to restrain the lust that slowly brewed within him, his pride wouldn¡¯t allow him to have sex with a witch, what more two apprentice witches such as odile and odette.


    the lower abdomen, where the uterus was located, was where the witch¡¯s brand was engraved.


    the mark marked where mana was stored in a woman¡¯s womb.


    it was also the reason why males couldn¡¯t become wizards.


    if an apprentice witch, whose body had not fully matured yet, was to receive the mana created by a man¡¯s sperm, she would never be able to bear the brand of a witch.


    for an apprentice witch, who had been carefully raised in a glasshouse environment, to be unable to bear the brand of a witch because of a stray dog?


    how would their master react?


    if gemini, the twin¡¯s master, was to hear about the time they had spent in the bedroom, siwoo would probably be burned at the stake.


    ¡°no! i can¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°all right, sister.¡±


    the twins began chanting in sync with one another.


    even with only 10% of the brand being inherited by each of the twins, they were capable of casting a spell so complex that it exceeded siwoo¡¯s understanding and rendered him unable to resist.


    ¡°hey! come on! i¡¯m not the only one who will get fucked by this, you¡¯ll be fucked as well! stop!¡±


    ¡±don¡¯t you think we know that too?¡±


    siwoo was unable to control his limbs and plopped onto the bed as his clothes started sliding off him. the absurdly powerful spell had left him naked with the only article of clothing left on his body being his shorts.


    ¡°i¡¯m a little curious... should i just shut you up?¡±


    ¡°¡ª-! ¡ª¨C!¡±


    an unknown spell was cast on siwoo, rendering him mute.


    ¡°come up, odette.¡±


    ¡°...huh? yeah, sister.¡±


    a strong body that was trained through hard work and forced diet control lay on the bed.


    odette, who had often been forced to examine his body during amelia¡¯s lessons, crawled onto the bed silently as she stared at siwoo¡¯s body.


    ¡°let¡¯s begin with the first chapter.¡±


    siwoo watched on, terrified as odile licked her lips.


    footnotes:


    1[left is odette, right is odile] prev next

 Chapter 11: Twin Witches (5)

    ? twin witches (5) ?


    1.


    odette had gotten the naughty book from the maids about two weeks ago.


    when she tried asking the maids about what the book was about, they blushed, but refused to tell her.


    when the confused odette handed it over to her sister for the first time, odil had shut the book in a hurry after reading only a few chapters.


    ¡°why¡¯d you close it? what happened?¡± what¡¯s it about? is it a forbidden book? or maybe a satanic book?¡±


    ¡°odette, you shouldn¡¯t be reading things like this at home. it¡¯s also not the kind of book that you should be casually reading with a cup of tea.


    ¡°huh? what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a book about the bodily relationships between men and women.¡±


    odette gasped in response to odil¡¯s solemn face.


    ¡°then maybe it¡¯s...?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve only had the chance to see it a few times... maybe this is a guide for ¡®that¡¯.¡±


    ¡°what does it say? i also want to know! tell me!¡±


    ¡°pictures of male genitals. naked women as well.¡±


    ¡°no way...¡±


    odette¡¯s lovely lips lifted a bit as if she was thinking deeply about something.


    ¡°could this be coitus¨C?¡±


    odil quickly covered her sister¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°you can¡¯t just say something vulgar like that! don¡¯t you remember that time you got scolded by master? besides, i haven¡¯t even fully confirmed it yet.¡±


    she hugged odette close and muttered underneath her breath as if she was worried that someone might overhear.


    ¡°before we get caught, let¡¯s hurry up and hide the book somewhere. we can just go back and check it out later.¡±


    odette and odil carefully sneaked back to their room with the book still held within their arms.


    was it how those smugglers from the ¡®border town¡¯ felt?


    it felt so thrilling and fun to them that it reminded them of that night when they had snuck into tarot town for the first time.


    once they got back to their room, the twins placed the book on their desks when they sat down facing each other.


    when odette noticed that odil stopped paying attention to her while lost in thought, she quietly began stretching her hand out towards the book.


    ¡°hey, sis. i-i also want to look at the book for a bit.¡±


    ¡°no!¡±


    ¡°ow, it hurts! you didn¡¯t need to hit me like that! didn¡¯t big sis already take a peek!?¡±


    before odette could reach the book, odil had smacked her hand away in order to stop her from opening it. afterwards, she attempted to convince the fuming odette to calm down and wait for their chance.


    ¡°odette, do you remember?¡±


    ¡°what?¡±


    her poor, teary-eyed little sister still felt wronged as she caressed her hand.


    ¡°that time when i snuck cookies from our teacher¡¯s cupboard the other day.¡±


    ¡°yes, you had stolen the whole thing and pinned the blame on me when you got caught!¡±


    ¡°no, no, not that part!¡±


    odil barely managed to calm odette down again, who had already began screaming.


    the reason why she brought it up wasn¡¯t to make her angry again.


    ¡°when we stole the cookies, did we eat them on the spot?¡±


    ¡°no?¡±


    ¡°then when did we eat them?¡±


    ¡°at night.¡±


    ¡°do you remember why we ate the cookies at night?¡±


    ¡°sis said it tastes better with warm milk... huh?¡±


    it was an excellent teaching style, similar to how professor amelia taught them in her lectures by asking repeated questions in order to receive the correct answer.


    in order to prevent such a wonderful toy from going to waste odil had used a roundabout method like this to convince her younger sister.


    ¡°then...¡±


    ¡°yes, not only is this book about sex... but it also describes the male body in detail.¡±


    ¡°so if this book is a cookie, then what¡¯s the milk?¡±


    ¡°of course, the milk is a man.¡±


    after hearing the word ¡®man¡¯, odette¡¯s flushed face darkened even further.


    ¡°but how? usually just the mere sight of us makes guys run away.¡±


    ¡°i already have a plan, you idiot.¡±


    ¡°what! don¡¯t leave me out of it!¡±


    ¡°then come closer and listen.¡±


    odil pulled odette¡¯s close as she pressed the book down.


    that was the entire course of events that led to what siwoo now has to go through.


    2.


    unexpectedly, siwoo had become some sort of teaching aid for sexual education.


    odil, standing close by, started to speak.


    ¡°alright, odette. open up the book.¡±


    odette swallowed her saliva in suspense.


    she had been restraining herself from opening and reading it for the past two weeks for this moment.


    ¡°i hereby write this book for all of the innocent daughters of gehenna to have a happy first night.¡±


    odette began with the book¡¯s first page, reading the contents out loud..


    ¡°table of contents...¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t need to read the table of contents. it starts with chapter 1.¡±


    ¡°hmm, sis. the first step to making love.¡±


    the essence of the book was just as anyone would have expected.


    not much was different between life in gehenna and living in the renaissance era.


    since there wasn¡¯t any form of free public education, ordinary citizens had no way to learn about sexual education other than books like this.


    in other words, that book served as a manual for men and women who wish to spend their first night together without any mistakes.


    while others who had used this book were usually young couples, siwoo was being used as some kind of human dildo for sex education.


    fortunately enough, the book itself was very thin and likely wouldn¡¯t have much information due to the illustrations scattered throughout, not counting the excessively large font size.


    ¡°unlike what you thought, the love between a man and a woman isn¡¯t about just giving each other flowers, watching a play together, and taking a moonlit stroll... something else that a man and woman must do is to go beyond whatever they had promised to each other and spend an ambitious night together..¡±


    ¡°wait, odette, you¡¯re taking way too long. can¡¯t you just get to the point already?¡±


    like odil, odette also seemed disappointed by how boring the book turned out to be.


    but before she could even turn to the third page, she began to let out a hiss while her eyes opened wide.


    ¡°what happened?¡±


    ¡°i-i can¡¯t read this, sis.¡±


    ¡°give it to me.¡±


    odil quickly snatched the book from her hands as if she couldn¡¯t wait another second to read it.


    she cleared her throat once more and began to read the book out loud.


    ¡°a man¡¯s genitalia is made up of unique muscles that expand when he senses sexual excitement. this process is known as an erection, and it is something required for a man and a woman to be able to completely connect.¡±


    ¡°but what even is sexual arousal? how should we do it?¡±


    odil furrowed her eyebrows together, looking as if she had just been asked a very difficult question.


    ¡°yes, what are we supposed to do?¡±


    even after odette and odil put their heads together and thought for what felt like an eternity, they still weren¡¯t able to come up with an answer.


    in the end, the conclusion odil had come to was...


    ¡°let¡¯s just ask mr. assistant.¡±


    ¡°i also thought of that just now!¡±


    siwoo felt like screaming when he heard the conclusion the twins had come to.


    he had no clue what kind of sin he had committed in his past life, and he couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine just why he had to endure so much humiliation, such as being forced to jerk off in public or even getting a handjob in front of an audience.


    ¡°well, you¡¯ve already seen enough of me at the academy, so let¡¯s just stop here, okay?¡±


    ¡°do you think you¡¯re in a position where you can talk back to me?¡±


    ¡°well, not really, but ...¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ve known each other two years already, and since i¡¯m such a pure and kind witch, i don¡¯t want to be forced to punish mr. assistant so severely..¡±


    odil began shedding crocodile tears.


    despite her mischievous personality, while at the academy she gave off the impression of a respectable noble girl. but when he saw her outside of the academy, he realised just how much of a tyrant she truly was.


    ¡°come on, tell us already.¡±


    he had never been married, much less ever had a daughter, so he wasn¡¯t experienced in this type of situation, and in that type of situation, it was as if one day his daughter came up to him with an innocent look and asked, ¡°how do you make a baby, daddy?¡±


    ¡°oh, that¡¯s, uh. sexual, hum, arousal is, um...¡±


    odette shouted out of the blue as siwoo struggled to open his mouth.


    ¡°oh, sis! here¡¯s the rest!¡±


    ¡°really?¡±


    like a starving rodent who found a hidden piece of cheese, odil clung tightly to the porn magazine.


    reading a book that had already gained widespread recognition was much more trustworthy than listening to someone else¡¯s opinion in their eyes.


    siwoo wrinkled his nose after being neglected.


    ¡°first and foremost, this is manhood before arousal.


    ¡°shall we compare?¡±


    when odil gestured in his direction, siwoo¡¯s underwear fell off in an instant and went down to his ankles.


    he could feel the twins¡¯ intense attention on his dick, which gave him a stinging sensation.


    odette put the book right next to siwoo¡¯s limp dick and began to compare.


    ¡°is it really similar to the picture?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a pity that it looks limp.¡±


    odil and odette exchanged giggles.


    ¡°so, this sexual arousal or something like that is what makes it bigger? but the other day, professor amelia made it big by caressing it with her hands.¡±


    ¡°let¡¯s knead it this time!¡±


    in an instant, the twins took off their gloves and began fiddling with siwoo¡¯s flaccid dick.


    they were able to see it in class but never had the chance to touch it.


    at the same time, siwoo had gotten startled by the unexpected touch he felt in his sensitive lower half.


    ¡°it feels kind of soft.¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    it was different from amelia¡¯s hand technique.


    all they did was knead it as if they were a pair of children playing with clay.


    after all, what was there to expect when they didn¡¯t even know what sexual excitement was?


    that¡¯s why his dick was still limp.


    the twin¡¯s hands continued to roam lazily here and there as if they were annoyed upon seeing the limp dick.


    siwoo sighed in relief.


    ¡°why isn¡¯t it getting bigger?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll answer that question for you; men, too, have different kinds of problems, so when they¡¯re not in the mood, they lack vigor; and that¡¯s all for today¡¯s sex education...¡±


    odil and odette, who had initially seemed to be paying attention to siwoo, eventually lost interest and resumed reading the book after realising all he was trying to tell them was to stop.


    ¡°oh! sis! look here!¡±


    ¡°where? on the first night, men can get extremely excited and nervous. in that case, the male member may not get hard. so, first, help them relax with a hot kiss.¡±


    ¡°a kiss?¡±


    they tilted their heads in the same direction at the same time.


    ¡°what does it have to do with it? kissing is done with the mouth, and the manhood is located down there.¡±


    ¡°let¡¯s do it for now.¡±


    with frantic breathing, the twins turned to siwoo at the same time.


    siwoo preferred to close his eyes quietly.


    if he had sex at this rate, he¡¯ll surely die.


    he must never, under any circumstances, let his dick become erect.


    they wouldn¡¯t be able to have sex unless he got an erection.


    ¡°i¡¯ll try it first.¡±


    ¡°kissing is something done between lovers, ms. odil.¡±


    she didn¡¯t take his words seriously.


    ¡°well, then, let¡¯s love each other from now on.¡±


    odil plopped onto siwoo¡¯s belly.


    she untied the ribbon that was looped around her chin, removed her bonnet, and slowly moved closer to his face.


    a lofty nose and large eyes that were open even while kissing.


    the smell of odil¡¯s sweet breath tickled the tip of his nose as her thick lips approached him.


    even when he looked up at the face from that angle, he couldn¡¯t find any flaw at all.


    he would have enjoyed their kissing, if it wasn¡¯t forced and he wasn¡¯t tied to the bed with his dick hanging out.


    odil and siwoo¡¯s lips overlapped.


    it was softer than marshmallows and wetter than dewy petals.


    her eyelashes could be counted from a distance as her eyes twinkled like jewels with an inquisitive energy.


    sadly, the lips that had been together for three seconds soon parted.


    ¡°sis, you have to put your tongue inside while kissing.¡±


    ¡°tongue? that¡¯s nasty.¡±


    ¡°but it says here that the side receiving the tongue should be softly sucked in and twirled around, as if melting a candy.¡±


    ¡°alright.¡±


    odil, who received quick feedback, kissed him again boldly.


    but later it was different; her sharp tongue poked through siwoo¡¯s tightly shut lips.


    odil¡¯s round eyes were twinkling right in front of him.


    the awkward tongue movements stimulated not only the top and bottom of the tongue but also the lips and every corner of the oral mucosa.


    odil¡¯s saliva tasted like a fresh orange for dessert.

 Chapter 12: Twin Witches (6)

    ? twin witches (6) ?


    1.


    in the face of a predetermined form of fate, human power might fall short, even going as far as to seem utterly weak and helpless.


    as a human himself, siwoo also couldn¡¯t help but agree with that remark. he had once thought that his path forward had been carved out for him by the almighty themself. alas! at this moment, that thought could only make him repeatedly lament the cruel irony of fate at its fullest.


    before he was brought here, to the city of witches known as gehenna, siwoo was hailed as a promising mathematical talent.


    he had graduated early from a high school with a science background. the school was a prestigious and far-reaching institution that allowed most of the students, who graduated with grace, to directly enter a prestigious university or even a prestigious overseas university if they wished so.


    taking advantage of his talent and the benefits his school granted him, he entered the massachusetts institute of technology, the one situated in america, after being recommended by a professor at the university of mit, who had noticed siwoo¡¯s talent from an early age.


    an interview request came in, requesting him to attend and present himself to obtain the opportunity to enroll in mit. the news had been so awe-inspiring and widespread that it was even published in the newspaper that he was a, once in a century, mathematical genius born in korea.


    he participated in the daily university activities while also winning multiple international math contests alongside his academics. he even went on to write a thesis on the essential singularity that was published in an academic journal, amassing him great fame.


    in fact, his thesis got so much recognition that he received his master¡¯s degree early and then went on to serve in the military as a sergeant from the age of 21 to 23. after finishing his time in the military he set his mind on preparing himself for his doctorate.


    relieved from his arduous military duties, he boarded the plane back home with the pleasant and joyous thoughts of being able to return to his mathematical research without any cliques to distract him from his calling in life. sadly, the plane just had to land in the middle of the pacific ocean, crashing mid-flight.


    when he finally woke up from his state of unconsciousness, he found out that he was now in gehenna, the city of witches, kidnapped and held captive until further notice. ultimately, this led him into becoming sold as a slave of the city hall.


    for the next five years, like an insignificant cog in the wheel that had to work nonstop to keep said wheel functioning, he carried out all the duties thrown at him whether he liked it or not.


    the way his life was moving, he was sure that he would drop dead one of these days around. he had to do something, anything to keep himself alive, to break himself free from that cruel fate. thus, for the next three years, he indulged himself in the study of magical arts in his spare time, after being done every day with the soul-crushing period of work, banking on the slightest chance that this would let him escape gehenna, from the clutches of these preposterous witches.


    to his surprise and joy, magic had a lot of similarities with math and geometry. he could only attribute this to being extremely lucky.


    if he had to give an example of the similarities then, the first thing that came to mind was the application of linear integrals in the formula for the calculation of the law of mana conservation. and even some prominent infinite series such as the taylor series and the fourier series were also used in the study of magical arts. these formulas were used to calculate, and then in turn regulate, the variables that hindered the generation and application of mana.


    fortunately, the complex mathematical analysis path that siwoo majored in had a lot in common with the major magic formulas of this world, so he was able to complete the metaphorical ark toward his long-cherished escape, from this fucked up place, at a remarkable speed.


    if he held on and pushed his research into the magical arts for another year or so, he was certain that he would have engineered a way out of this damn place...


    but now...


    ¡°umm...¡±


    he just couldn¡¯t believe that he was about to face a death crisis, that too when he was so close to his goal, due to being discovered by these wicked twin witches, well apprentice witches to be exact.


    siwoo recited the dull national anthem of his motherland over and over again in his head as he watched, and most certainly felt, odil clinging to his torso while twirling her small and soft tongue around his, trying her best to arouse him.


    sometimes he couldn¡¯t help but admit, human patience was truly an amazing thing.


    he couldn¡¯t believe, for the life of him, that he was restraining himself, restraining his urges and his arousal, while being kissed by such a pretty girl.


    ¡°what do you think, odette? did it get bigger?¡±


    ¡°nope, not even a bit. it¡¯s still the same.¡±


    odette, who was constantly glaring at siwoo¡¯s manhood, with sparkling eyes of curiosity, shook her head disappointingly at odil¡¯s inquiry, finally coming down from his belly the next instance.


    ¡°we caressed it and even kissed him as illustrated in the book, but his...thing is the same as before. it¡¯s not growing no matter what we do. ¡°


    ¡°didn¡¯t i already say that there are days like this? when it just won¡¯t stand up no matter what you do? if you¡¯re done then, i would like to wear my pants now, so please untie these bindings already.¡±


    this situation just took the perfect turn for siwoo.


    he would be immensely grateful if the two dastardly bitches lost their interest in this subject, and by extension ¡®him¡¯.


    odette, who was still reading the instruction manual at the time, suddenly tapped odil on the shoulder. her eyes were still glued to the manual.


    ¡°sis... take a look at this.¡±


    even odil, who was far more playful than odette in comparison, completely halted on her tracks when she finally witnessed the contents of the page that odette had just pointed out.


    there was a rather naked and astonishing scene illustrated in that particular page of the book.


    on the page, there lay a man, completely naked and placed in a standing position with a woman kneeling right under him; her face near his crotch.


    it was the illustration of a woman opening her mouth and sucking the male organ with said mouth. in layman¡¯s terms, she was giving the man a blowjob.


    ¡°.......¡±


    ¡°.......¡±


    ¡°.......¡±


    there was a sudden bout of awkward silence stretching between the twins and siwoo.


    odil, odette, and siwoo the three of them chose to keep their lips shut for the time being, not willing to utter a single word.


    getting head right after barely enduring a kiss with all his perseverance?


    how in hell was he supposed to stand that?


    undoubtedly, his cock would become erect at breakneck speed, he was sure of it. in his mind, he could already imagine the fierce reaction of his little brother piquing the interest of the dastardly twins.


    besides, all things considered, that book was just an intro manual for teaching about sex to naughty virgins.


    there was not even a single iota of guarantee that the immature twins would not give into the mood and not follow through with the instructions of the manual.


    ¡°ms. odette, you know that piss leaks out from the male genitalia, right? thus, it should be clear that this organ of mine is extremely filthy and infested with various kinds of germs.¡±


    ¡°really?¡±


    it was hard to convince odil.


    so he had to target odette.


    ¡°yes, i think that guideline is following an outdated trend, things simply don¡¯t happen that way anymore. believe me when i say this, i am deeply concerned that miss odette, who will be the backbone of gehenna in the near future, will fall ill because of me.¡±


    noting the serious tone of siwoo¡¯s voice, the naive odil listened to his bullshit with rapt attention.


    his treachery wasn¡¯t able to be effective, however, as odil suddenty came up with a brilliant idea.


    ¡°odette! why don¡¯t we try this then?¡±


    and that great idea of hers turned out to become siwoo¡¯s bane as all his hopes for escaping were thoroughly crushed.


    2.


    the hole where the piss leaked out from was called the urethra.


    simply put, not putting the glans part directly into the mouth should keep them safe from any harm.


    meanwhile, the outside layer of the genital could be disinfected well by using magic that kills germs.


    even if they were to fall ill, on the off chance, chanting a healing spell would guarantee a full recovery for them.


    based on these above four reasons, the decision odil reached was quite simple.


    if she just licked around the shaft, avoiding the glans, with her tongue then there would be no risk factors in this act.


    ¡°you¡¯re really gonna believe the content of this book? i¡¯m warning you guys! you¡¯ll come to regret it!¡±


    ¡°be quiet, mr. assistant.¡±


    ¡°yes, yes, please be quiet, mr. assistant¡±


    no matter how desperately siwoo tried to convince the dastardly duo, the twins, already determined to see things through, had no heart to listen to any of his words.


    after all, amelia wouldn¡¯t have had a constant headache plaguing her, in dealing with the witch duo, if the twins were servile enough to obey the orders of a mere slave.


    the end result was that two girls were now staring heatedly at his dangling manhood as the mischievous twins used siwoo¡¯s thighs like cushions to rest their hands on.


    he felt a stinging gaze, almost burning holes through his dick with its intensity, while a tickling breath brushed past his hanging balls.


    ¡°odette, let¡¯s do it at the same time.¡±


    ¡°unn, sis.¡±


    after exchanging glances, the two girls took deep breaths and extended their tongues slowly in simultaneous and fully synchronized motion.


    it was worth mentioning that siwoo had to keep his balls and manhood well shaved and clean, as he had to be naked for most of the biological experiments that he had to take part in as amelia¡¯s assistant. that same smooth and hairless buddy of his was now being enveloped in a warm and soft texture, not unlike that of a slowly crawling slugs.


    ¡°ugh!¡±


    siwoo took in a shuddering breath.


    at first, it merely tickled. but that feeling didn¡¯t last for long....


    soon, he felt as though someone was scraping the libido right out of him with a poker. a tingling sensation ran along, starting from his lower half and slowly traveling up to his underbelly, belly, and other parts.


    his poor member, which was finally calming down from all the accumulated stress forced on it by all the stimuli, flinched immediately the moment the twins¡¯ tongues landed along its shaft.


    ¡°ha?¡±


    ¡°it moved! it moved!¡±


    odil and odette were both taken aback at the same time by the sudden movement. but, they were delighted all the same due to finally attaining the reaction they sought from siwoo¡¯s schlong.


    ¡°it¡¯s written here that it would be better if you suck the scrotum from time to time as if you were softly kissing it with your lips.¡±


    odil, who already had the kissing experience, was the first to go for his balls.


    she opened her crimson-hued lips and held the balls captive inside her luscious mouth as she kept twisting her tongue around; steadily tightening her hold around the balls.


    odette, being a live witness to her sister¡¯s skillful demonstration, went for the other side while keeping her nose shut tight.


    that was how the twins¡¯ double fellatio started.


    the very fact that a noble witch was caressing his balls like a harlot aroused him further.


    an immoral feeling rose inside of him as the two sisters, who looked like carbon copies of each other, ministered his cock at the same time.


    the warmth of their mouths made him shiver with absolute delight.


    siwoo¡¯s endurance crumbled instantly from the relentless sucking of the duo.


    his lower half was probably going to melt and turn to mush at this rate.


    throbbing in stimulation, his dick began growing as siwoo felt that all the blood in his body was rushing to his cock...


    the twins were so in sync that when they started speaking simultaneously, no one would be able to distinguish their voices apart. the same happened now as both of them moved their lips to speak.


    ¡°it¡¯s working!¡±


    ¡°it got bigger!¡±


    the treacherous rod, who cared not for its master¡¯s wishes and thoughts, throbbed excitedly as if asking for more and more stimuli.


    siwoo closed his eyes in defeat and acceptance.


    he didn¡¯t give a damn anymore.


    he decided that it would be better if he might as well just enjoy the ride while he can.


    honestly, how many times had he been harassed and abused in this wretched city? he had lost count by now.


    he would just consider this to be a wonderful and refreshing experience and leave it at that.


    he just stopped giving a damn? so, what if he got caught? at most, he would just die. simple.


    ¡°i don¡¯t give a damn anymore.¡±


    settling with that resolution, he felt himself being more at ease..


    the hellish reality, where he had to endure erections under various forms of stimulation with shame and utter agony, was simply turned into a heaven of stimulating and pleasant feelings that he never thought he¡¯d be able to receive or even afford to receive in this damned world.


    this reminded him of the incident eponymously known as grand master wonhyo¡¯s ¡°skull and tomb¡± incident.1


    [t/n: wonhyo¡¯s philosophy if one has been brought up to fear skulls and tombs, stumbling into a tomb and finding a skull will be interpreted as a bad experience; but this is only interpretation, not reality.]


    ¡°next, slurp. what¡¯s written next? sluuurp...!¡±


    odil read the book again while odette kept on ministering siwoo as she thoroughly licked the hot and hard pole to keep the dastardly thing from getting limp. she was doing her level best to avoid that outcome.


    ¡°when a man¡¯s pleasure reaches a certain level or surpasses it, semen is discharged from the male body... this is the fluid that enters the female body and makes babies, right?¡±


    ¡°sluurp.... but we are unable to conceive anyways, so just read ahead and tell me what¡¯s next!¡±


    odil, who was explaining the contents of the book, which was pretty much common knowledge to him, started speaking again but there was something different to it this time around.


    the oh-so-noble odil, who he thought to be the height of elegance and nobility, started spouting profanities as she read the next part of the damned book.


    ¡°just what the fuck is this crazy shit? what?¡±


    ¡°why? what happened, sister?¡±


    odette, gazing happily, a smile etched on her small face, at the desperate-looking siwoo, couldn¡¯t help but glance at the book when she heard the foul words coming out of her sister¡¯s mouth. her expression of pure shock mirrored her sister¡¯s the following moment.


    on the page, there was a full-fledged discussion written in elegant words about the sexual intercourse methods between men and women. accompanying the writing was an enlarged sketch of a man and woman¡¯s sexual union displayed in detail. even the overlapping and union of two bodies were drawn in full detail.


    the first shock that came to them was the fact that a woman had to take off her clothes and reveal all the shameful bits to their partner. the shock that followed came from the knowledge that the female had to put that long and hard thing inside the gap between their legs.


    they often wondered, just why was there a crack between their legs, along their pelvis... surely, they now understood the reasoning behind it...


    ¡°...this is a bit...¡±


    ¡°...sis, i¡¯m feeling nauseous.¡±


    odil¡¯s complexion turned into a dark shade of blue. odette, sitting next to her, didn¡¯t feel any better as a sense of nausea filled her mind and body.


    of course, they had no intention of having coitus with him.


    even so, they still wanted to learn all the know-hows related to this subject. unfortunately, the truth they chanced upon was simply too shocking.


    ¡°after inserting the erect male penis into the female vagina secreted and lubed by love fluids, the male begins pistoning in and out of the female genitalia. at the end of the session, the fluid ejaculated from the male body, also known as sperm, mainly carries the equivalent of baby seeds. when this baby seed is planted on the uterus and meets the female egg in the ovary, the egg is thus fertilized and goes through the growth process. approximately 36 weeks later, a baby is thus born.


    siwoo, who was about to let go of the string of reason, barely caught those wavering strings of his mind when the stimulation stopped all of a sudden.


    ¡°now you know, right? the process of making love is very lewd and raunchy. that¡¯s why you have to do it with your loved ones only. not a mere slave like me.¡±


    apparently, they understood how ejaculation worked, but they didn¡¯t know anything about mating.


    seeing odil and odette in great shock, he thought that they could be coaxed into letting him escape from this situation.


    ¡°may i go now? it¡¯s getting colder and i don¡¯t want to catch a cold by being naked like this.¡±


    they held an emergency meeting in front of his eyes, whispering to one another about their next steps.


    ¡°what should we do, sis? we can¡¯t show our naked bodies to mr. assistant. it¡¯s just too embarrassing.¡±


    ¡°........¡±


    they have learned from their master that a woman¡¯s naked body was a very important part of themselves and should never be shown to men.


    even if the target was shin siwoo, who was merely a slave, that knowledge still held true.


    ¡°we can¡¯t help it then.¡±


    odil sighed deeply, feeling the dejection settle within herself as she spoke the next words.


    ¡°let¡¯s just end this for today.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a wise decision, madam!¡±


    siwoo, who was released from his bondage, was delighted to finally get out of this situation and hurriedly tried to wear his underwear that had been hanging over the bend of his ankles.


    the twins¡¯ saliva was still glistening around his wet balls, making him feel uncomfortable. but considering their beauty, the feeling of discomfort was reduced by a lot with that single thought.


    ¡°wait!¡±


    just before siwoo could pull his shabby underwear up, odil stopped him to a halt.


    ¡°it¡¯s a pity that it has to end like this. but still, i really wanted to see you shooting out your semen.¡±


    ¡°i agree too.¡±


    ¡°you always flinch every time you cum, but i¡¯ve always wondered what it feels like to make you cum like that..¡±


    he never had direct penetration sex, but he would die anyway if it became known that they used a man, which unfortunately had to be him, to have sex lessons in this mansion.


    the conclusion he reached was that...it would be better to receive a handjob, from the twins, and let his dick cool down rather than to try and go out with a raging erection in his pants. that would just diminish his chances of survival.


    maybe they could even do it with their mouths as they did it just before.


    with a very takasho-like thought, siwoo quickly lowered his underwear again.


    ¡°that¡¯s a good idea!¡±


    odil closed the book and approached siwoo.


    ¡°all right, then i take it that you have no objection...¡±


    ¡°ms. odil, how about this? there¡¯s a way to watch a man¡¯s moment of ejaculation very closely and clearly. would you like to know about it?¡±


    ¡°hoo? why are you suddenly being so active about this?¡±


    ¡°the sooner all of this is over, the sooner i can return to my accommodation. i just want to get this over with.¡±


    siwoo looked up and lied shamelessly.


    if he was going to be taken advantage of and had to die no matter what he did or whichever path he chose, then it would be far more beneficial for him to just savor the moment for as long as he could.


    with that dastardly thought in mind, siwoo stuck his cock out freely without letting any shame hold him back anymore.


    footnotes:


    1[t/n: wonhyo¡¯s philosophy if one has been brought up to fear skulls and tombs, stumbling into a tomb and finding a skull will be interpreted as a bad experience; but this is only interpretation, not reality.]

 Chapter 13: Twin Witches (7)

    ? twin witches (7) ?


    1.


    having spoken, siwoo himself was startled by what he uttered out loud, wondering just how he was able to gather the courage to speak those words.


    all throughout his life, he had firmly believed that he was someone who would not let his sexual drive affect his judgment, and he strictly adhered to that rule...


    but now... something was different for him to let his urges take control over him.


    he wasn¡¯t sure if it had something to do with his pent-up emotions manifesting as sexual desire or perhaps it was the unruly recklessness that bubbled up from within after giving up everything.


    ¡°like this?¡±


    the posture that siwoo suggested was nothing special.


    odette would lick and kiss around his cock from below, while odil would lick and tend to his balls.


    it was a great position that fully took advantage of the traits of the apprentice sisters.


    ¡°yes, in this posture, ms. odette can see the twitching movements of the testicles as the sperm pours out through the urethra, and ms. odil can see and feel the pulsations of my veiny cock from up close.¡±


    ¡°hoo, it¡¯s plausible. good thinking there, mr. assistant!¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t deserve your compliments madame.¡±


    in a way, it was simply impossible.


    he felt a slight pang in his conscience for duping the twins, as they had no idea about sex.


    but then, he wondered... just, why in hell should he be the one to feel guilty here? he did nothing wrong so why should he feel bad. in the first place, they were the ones who started all of this farce...


    ¡°ms. odette, are you ready?¡±


    ¡°hmm!¡±


    odette pursed her lips around siwoo¡¯s balls, holding one of the testicles between her plump lips, and nodded her head like a drooping puppy waiting for its master¡¯s orders.


    ¡°i¡¯m going to show you a trick, that is proven to easily make a man cum, that wasn¡¯t covered in that manual.¡±


    ¡°such a thing really exists? well, i guess i shouldn¡¯t be surprised. you¡¯re a man after all, mr. assistant, you should have more knowledge about this than a mere book.¡±


    ¡°now, first things first, ms. odette, please lick my balls as slowly as you did earlier.¡±


    ¡°alright! slurp...¡±


    a chilling pleasure ran down his spine as odette started ministering his balls according to his instructions.


    above all, odette¡¯s face, as she carefully licked and sucked around his balls, which came into view as siwoo looked down from above was a truly erotic sight to him.


    his erect manhood covered half of her face with its girthy shape as she kept on licking and sucking his schlong with more and more vigor.


    furthermore, while the younger of the twins was carefully licking along his scrotum, the older sister was sitting next to her, learning how to please a man with rapt attention. the sight of her sister pleasuring a man made her womb tremble and quiver with a strange feeling she had never felt before.


    ¡°first of all, form your hand in this shape.¡±


    ¡°is this how i do it?¡±


    odil made an ¡®ok¡¯ sign with her thumb and index finger then placed the rest of her fingers below them.


    ¡°no, that¡¯s not it. ms. odil has small hands, so please make a ring with your thumb and middle finger, it¡¯ll make more room for the shaft to fit in.¡±


    ¡°alright.¡±


    odil nodded as she obediently carried out siwoo¡¯s directions to the letter.


    her dainty hands drew a round circle, now prepared to stimulate siwoo¡¯s cock at any time.


    ¡°after that, use your spit as lubricant.¡±


    ¡°spit?¡±


    ¡°yes, you need to use a lubricant and saliva is one of the options. using a lubricant is usually preferable than doing it dry. it greatly smoothens the whole process and prevents rashes from developing along the shaft area.


    ¡°but wouldn¡¯t my hand be covered in saliva if i did as you said?¡±


    looking at odil, with utmost confidence, siwoo replied back. no hesitation could be detected in his voice. .


    ¡°you might not be aware of it, but it¡¯s common sense that women¡¯s saliva is the best lubricant there is, miss.¡±


    ¡°what, really? that makes sense, i guess. but i really need to ask... why did you suddenly become so willing with the whole matter? you were struggling relentlessly not so long ago... why the sudden change? ¡°


    siwoo remained silent, not willing to divulge his inner thoughts to her. right now, at this very moment, siwoo felt utterly no shame in manipulating these ignorant apprentice witches as he pleased.


    odil spat on her palms, using the saliva as a lubricant, as she had been instructed by siwoo.


    even her spitting figure, something that would seem vulgar in most cases, had a note of elegance to it. this was the inherent beauty and charisma of the witch¡¯s bloodline coming into full play here.


    ¡°now, please try putting my cock in the middle of the ring shape you formed with your hand. from there, grasp the shaft and move your hand up and down along it and continue that motion. ¡°


    ¡°yes, yes! i know from this part onwards. i already saw professor amelia¡¯s demonstration back in the classes. you do it like this, right?¡±


    having heard siwoo¡¯s instructions, odil took his erect and throbbing cock in her pale hands, feeling the rod up with her fingers.


    ¡°haaa, it¡¯s so hard and hot.¡±


    ¡°thank you, miss.¡±


    ¡°huh? why the sudden, thank you? i don¡¯t remember praising you...¡±


    her palms, where even blue veins were visible on the back of it, began to move up and down.


    odil made a cute frown, concentrating hard on the throbbing shaft placed in her palms.


    he had already noticed it in the previous class already, but seeing it now he had become sure of the fact that odil had a habit of drawing her brows together in a frown when she particularly focused on a certain something.


    ¡ªslurp ¡ªsqueak


    the younger sister was licking his balls below.


    while the older one was playing with his shaft from above.


    it was more like a mini shimaidon rather than a full blown shimaidon. 1[ t/n: (shimaidon- sister rice bowl) japan and korea refers to the act of a man having sexual intercourse with his older sister and younger sister, either separately or in groups of three. mini shimaidon ¨C he might have said it because of their body size. ]


    odil¡¯s palms were even warmer than siwoo¡¯s heated shaft which made way for a pleasant warmth that only added to his euphoria.


    he felt as though he had dipped his bottom half straight into a bathtub packed full of pleasure when she added more and more saliva to her palms.


    at that moment, odette, who was obediently licking his balls with enthusiasm, turned her face towards her big sister, intently watching her movements.


    from her reactions, it seemed that her big sister was having fun playing with his cock, ministering it in different ways and movements with her soft palms. this made odette rather curious about how it would feel to play with the hard shaft too...


    ¡°sluurp... sis! let me try doing it too!¡±


    ¡°no, you don¡¯t need to. you just do your part and take care of his jewels with your mouth.¡±


    ¡°but, that¡¯s not fair!¡±


    ¡°if you¡¯re feeling dissatisfied about your part, then you should have just told me before you started doing the deed, now be quiet and do your work while i do mine.¡±


    the twins both grabbed his cock and began fighting over their positions and role in handling his manhood.


    siwoo stiffened at the sudden pressure that he felt due to their mishandling of his manhood, wondering if it might just break if they were to go on like this.


    ¡°young mistresses, please stop fighting. why don¡¯t we do it like this? just hear me out.¡±


    the twins perked up at siwoo¡¯s words of intrusion, keenly waiting for his next words. since his words had been sensible till now, they chose to believe in him and wait for his next instructions.


    ¡°after one of you is done rubbing it 30 times, you can switch positions with the other. this way both of you can get the full experience.¡±


    ¡°tch.. annoying...¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re right! that seems fair. let¡¯s go with that.¡±


    odette showed her willingness to comply with his suggestion, but odil rejected the idea. clearly, siwoo¡¯s suggestion seemed unfavorable to her, at a glance, so she acted as if she wasn¡¯t interested in following along this time around.


    briefly, they quarreled over this disagreement between them. however, it didn¡¯t last for long as they soon reached a resolution.


    ¡°fine. i accept the suggestion, mr. assistant. we¡¯ll both do it alternatively, and i¡¯ll be going first.¡±


    a fun activity like this shouldn¡¯t be limited to just a single time.


    that was the conclusion the twins reached.


    odil and odette remained as formative as ever.


    with nothing left to worry about between them, they returned to what they were doing before.


    ¡°am i doing it right? should i simulate the upper part only?¡±


    ¡°yes, you generally don¡¯t have to move all the way to the bottom. men¡¯s erogenous zones are concentrated in the glans area rather than the shaft and the root, so only stimulating the head and its surroundings is good enough.¡±


    ¡°aha? so it was like that...?¡±


    odil and odette might appear immature and ignorant in the sexual arts department, but they were not stupid!


    in the first place, a fool could never become an apprentice witch, they needed to have the brains for carrying out the role of an expert witch.


    furthermore, if the count, who was already renowned for being an extraordinary witch, chose someone as her successor, the successor in question would almost certainly be a top level genius.


    that¡¯s why odil quickly learned what she was instructed and applied it with enthusiasm.


    he felt a sense of unparalleled ecstasy that simply couldn¡¯t be compared to when he used to masturbate alone with his hand as his only company.


    ¡°there is clear water like substance on the tip. is this semen?¡±


    odil asked, her arms never stopping its movements while her gaze remained fixed on the tip of the glans.


    ¡°no, this is called cowper¡¯s fluid. it¡¯s kinda like a cleaning fluid that cleans the urethra before the ejaculation ensues.¡±


    siwoo spoke with plain logic, while odil merely nodded her head, glad that she had earned a new piece of knowledge.


    he was feeling it for a while already, but wasn¡¯t it too easy to scam these twins to do his bidding?


    naivety, which was distinct from intelligence. the twins had this trait in spades. it might help him take advantage of them in the future.


    as he was thinking up those manipulative plans, a sudden feeling of release filled up his mind, pushing those thoughts to the very back of his mind.


    in fact, he couldn¡¯t believe that he was able to last this long against the stimulations provided by this absolutely gorgeous pair of women. it was an incredible feat, to say the least.


    ¡°ms. odil.¡±


    ¡°what, does it hurt anywhere? why are you making that frowning face?¡±


    ...was what she said, but i was sure that she had already guessed why i made that face.


    certainly, odil had seen him make such a face just before he was feeling the pressure build-up to the brink before he cummed. in fact, she had witnessed it several times already, so there was no way that she didn¡¯t know what was coming next.


    but calling odil out or telling her about his soon-ensuing release wasn¡¯t his main intention.


    he wanted to know just how far he was able to go against odil. before she would inevitably draw the line of reason between them; and he was sure the next step would determine that for him.


    ¡°miss, haven¡¯t you already watched the ejaculation scene countless times already?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s right. i indeed have.¡±


    ¡°then how about doing it differently this time around?¡±


    ¡°how? just what are you trying to mean here?¡±


    he took a deep breath to hide his nervousness, before speaking out the bold thoughts churning in his mind.


    ¡°this time, how about you receive the semen in your mouth?¡±


    the movements stimulating his penis from above and below came to a complete stop simultaneously after he voiced his proposal to odil.


    they were probably wondering why he had made such an absurd proposal.


    ¡°since protein makes up the majority of the semen, i think it shouldn¡¯t be harmful to the body. isn¡¯t the taste and the smell of the obtained result also a part of the observation process?¡±


    ¡°as expected, ms. odil, your wisdom knows no bounds.¡±


    ¡°however, mr. assistant, siwoo, you warned us that sucking the male genitals with our mouths could transmit germs that would be harmful to his body!¡±


    after slowly lapping across the area across his balls and licking the balls, odette¡¯s nose had now become drenched in saliva.


    the answer to that question was already ready in his mind. so he spouted out a response without taking a single pause.


    ¡°since the cowper¡¯s fluid has already been released, the sterilization process is already complete. there won¡¯t be any more problems even if you put it in your mouth now, miss.


    he wasn¡¯t sure if the pre-cum actually had a disinfecting factor to it, but he was bullshitting everything anyways, so it didn¡¯t really matter to him. furthermore, the twins¡¯ curiosity was now at an all-time high, so they would surely not give much importance to his talks.


    ¡°not a bad suggestion there, mr, assistant. alright, how should i go about it?¡±


    ¡°just keep up your hand movements as it is, while slowly sucking the glans with your mouth.¡±


    ¡°alright. eww, it¡¯s a bit salty!¡±


    ¡°relax, this is just the cowper¡¯s fluid.¡±


    at long last, siwoo¡¯s shaft that had been wriggling painfully in odil¡¯s hand entered her little mouth.


    the feeling he received inside her small mouth was more or less the same as the one he enjoyed with his balls, just amped up in intensity.


    as she spoke, with his manhood inside her mouth, her tongue moved around and caressed the head providing euphoria to her mind.


    ¡°li...ke thwis?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s right. you can move your tongue slowly in that position to stimulate the glans.¡±


    odil moved her hand diligently while keeping the bulbous head inside her mouth, sucking it.


    her tongue was circling his glans as if she were licking the finest piece of candy.


    the city of witches, gehenna.


    he was glad to be caught and kidnapped to this world.


    briefly, he entertained those thoughts.


    unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have much time to savor the warmth of her small mouth full of a gentle layer of moistness as he was finally on the verge of cumming.


    ¡°all you have to do is be still, okay?¡±


    siwoo¡¯s cock began to throb violently inside odil¡¯s mouth..


    as if it had sprung up from the depths of his stomach, a thick torrent of semen was shot into odil¡¯s mouth with a massive wave of pleasure overloading his whole body as he was finally able to reach the sweet release he was dying for.


    ¡ªcough ¡ªcough ¡ªcough


    ¡°whoa...?!?¡±


    maybe odil wasn¡¯t really expecting to be assaulted by such a vigorous ejaculation. her eyes widened into saucers, as she was definitely taken aback by the sporadic shots of thick cum grazing the very back of her throat.


    her hands immediately came to a halt the moment siwoo started cumming.


    ¡°huh?¡±


    she couldn¡¯t help but gasp aloud in astonishment.


    although she wasn¡¯t sucking the glans, nor did she move her head anymore, she was still moving her tongue back and forth which stimulated his dick to shoot out more and more thick fluids inside her. he was sure that this was the best release he had ever felt throughout the entirety of his life.


    siwoo trembled violently as he finally shot the last stream of his thick cum right into her mouth.


    odil puffed up her cheeks with her lips kept close, semen filled up the entirety of her small mouth.


    a drop of semen that she couldn¡¯t contain in her mouth was sticking out near the edge of her lips.


    odil frowned visibly, clearly enraged. she pulled out a handkerchief and immediately spat out all the semen on it.


    ¡°what the hell are you doing?¡±


    odil¡¯s eyes were filled with anguish.


    she never imagined that semen would taste like shit.


    it was white and sticky, so she was expecting it to taste like condensed milk.


    but the taste was so far off her expectations that it made the experience much much worse for her.


    ¡°how is it? sis, what does it taste like?¡±


    odette, witnessing the balls contracting and relaxing repeatedly, urged her older sister to describe the taste of the sperm she had tasted for the first time in her life. she was extremely curious about its taste.


    odil, on the other hand, had an irritated look etched on her face. clearly, she wasn¡¯t sharing her sister¡¯s enthusiasm at the moment..


    ¡°i wouldn¡¯t have asked to taste it if i had known that semen would taste so horrible! why did you suggest it!?¡±


    siwoo, however, calmly persuaded odil without flinching the slightest bit at her enraged remarks.


    ¡°i merely suggested it to provide ms. odil with the best observational experience possible. moreover, as a man, it¡¯s obvious that i wouldn¡¯t be able to know how it tastes. so, it wasn¡¯t the least bit intentional on my part, ms. odil.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s right...¡±


    fortunately, odil wasn¡¯t a petty witch. she was a reasonable woman who would never become unreasonably angry just because she was offended.


    ¡°yup! but it¡¯s something that i don¡¯t want to taste ever again.¡±


    odil furiously placed her hand on her waist without noticing that semen was still stuck on the corner of her lips.


    ¡°me too! i want to try it too!¡±


    odette, who came up in a rush, took the glans that still had some left-out semen attached to it in her hands.


    when the sensitive glans entered odette¡¯s mouth immediately after ejaculation, siwoo couldn¡¯t help but grunt as she squeezed out the remaining semen from the urethra by sucking it with her mouth.


    ¡°yuckk...¡±


    odette¡¯s face formed a frown not dissimilar to odil¡¯s after she had a taste of semen for the first time.


    though he had never tasted semen, he imagined it to taste horribly unpleasant.


    ¡°then this time it¡¯s ms. odette¡¯s turn.¡±


    ¡°what? um... i¡¯m fine.¡±


    odette, who had already tasted the sperm, had a lukewarm reaction to siwoo¡¯s urging. it was evident that she didn¡¯t wish to experience that horrible taste ever again.


    ¡°that¡¯s a pity. i believe that ms. odette and ms. odil should have similar experiences. now, isn¡¯t it only ms. odil who is broadening her horizons with new knowledge if this is to be the case?¡±


    odette noticed the hidden meaning behind siwoo¡¯s words.


    only your sister knows the feeling while you don¡¯t. do you really want that?


    it was like she was losing out to her sister. something that she could never allow to happen.


    ¡°mr. assistant, i¡¯ll try it out. i¡¯m still a bit curious about the taste.¡±


    ¡°odette, you¡¯ll regret it. quit already!¡±


    ¡°no! you¡¯re always trying to do the fun stuff by yourself. i won¡¯t back out this time.¡±


    seeing the twins¡¯ quarreling, siwoo couldn¡¯t help but mock odette¡¯s mindset. her drive to compete with her sister by following her every action unconditionally only seemed foolish to him.


    for two years, he had been observing the twin witches from the sidelines.


    it was now a piece of cake for him to deal with the twins who were mentally naive.


    ¡°yes, then there¡¯s nothing i can do about it, i guess. be my guest.¡±


    odil, not intending to let the last vestiges of semen dry, licked siwoo¡¯s egg sac, which her sister had licked and sucked earlier.


    ¡°whoa! as expected, it¡¯s completely tasteless!¡±


    odette¡¯s mouth had become equally packed with siwoo¡¯s semen, just like her sister¡¯s.


    today¡¯s sex education session finally came to a close with odette donning a teary face, stamping her feet from the indignation she felt.


    e/n: revenge is best served salty...


    footnotes:


    1[ t/n: (shimaidon- sister rice bowl) japan and korea refers to the act of a man having sexual intercourse with his older sister and younger sister, either separately or in groups of three. mini shimaidon ¨C he might have said it because of their body size. ]

 Chapter 14: Genius (1)

    ? genius (1) ?


    siwoo was under the post-nut-clarity state for a long period of time, too long in fact.


    even though it had been two days since his departure from tarot town, he still couldn¡¯t help but grasp his head with frustration and self-loath whenever he remembered the events that transpired in that trip.


    ¡°fuck... why the fuck did i even go out of my way to do all that?¡±


    of course, it wasn¡¯t him who started all this. odil and odette, the twin witch apprentices, were to be blamed for starting this farce, in the first place.


    however, siwoo also shared some of the blame for playing along with the whims of the dastardly twins.


    if he were to say that he felt bad for tricking the twins and enjoying the whole process, then the only response to that statement would be that he was lying his ass off.


    of course, he felt immense joy in taking advantage of those damn bitches! replying with anything else would be a straight-out lie on his part.


    however, the sense of immorality wasn¡¯t siwoo¡¯s concern at the present moment. there were much more pressing matters that contributed to his anxiety.


    halfway through the act, siwoo started manipulating the twins for his own whims and even actively took part in the whole farce.


    in hindsight, that was a really risky thing to do on his part.


    if this incident was to be ever revealed in the future, there would be a significant difference between defending with words along the lines of, ¡°i was merely tied up and beaten!¡± and saying the ugly truth that, ¡°i wanted to feel the warmth inside of their mouth, so i made them suck my dick.¡±


    the former, even though extremely tough, still had the most minuscule chances of his survival. however, the latter would only result in a straight-out death penalty for him. there was not a single doubt in his mind about that being the only outcome.


    even if, in some miraculous way, siwoo was revealed to be a wizard with high prospects, even if siwoo was a wizard, they would never spare the unscrupulous man who messed with an apprentice witch ¡ª or in this case, witches ¡ª who was the equivalent of a child at most.


    ¡°yet, it felt so good.¡±


    abruptly, a fleeting memory of the events that transpired that day played in his mind.


    the twins¡¯ soft tongue and hot mouth, followed by the dizzying sense of ejaculation and intense unforgettable euphoria.


    the sensations frequently resurfaced in his psyche like phantom pain.


    just thinking about those lewd events was enough to make his dick start hardening with vigor. he had no choice but to hit his little brother a few times to calm it down before getting on with his work of sweeping the living quarters with his trusty broom.


    as there were no lessons today and amelia didn¡¯t assign him to do any of her petty tasks, which were simply acts of bullying in disguise, all his work had been completed before the advent of dusk.


    the living quarters had been a place of solace for him, so he had been diligent in keeping it as clean as he possibly could. from the moment he had chanced upon this barn almost five years ago, he had never neglected at maintaining the hygiene of this place.


    ¡°why are you in such a good mood?¡±


    ¡°argh!¡±


    ¡°my, my! how noisy!.¡±


    the unexpected squeaky sound of a feminine chuckle greatly startled siwoo...


    ¡°hello? how have you been doing, mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°hello¡±


    the unexpected visitors, in this makeshift home of his, were none other than odil and odette.


    since that fateful day, two days had already passed. he wasn¡¯t called to attend the class as an assistant, in the meantime, so it had been two days since he had met the twins.


    whenever he saw amelia and the twins, he realized that beautiful people had the innate power that could influence the atmosphere around them.


    with the appearance of the twins, he couldn¡¯t help but mistake the run-down stable for a ballroom. that was just the kind of presence the twins held.


    both the twins were so identical, that it was mind-boggling. the same appearance, the same hairstyle done up in a bun, the same jewelry, the same attire.


    the two gorgeous girls with mischievous smiles had such similar figures, he felt a weird sense of awkwardness whenever he saw them together like this.


    he tried his best, even today, to deceive amelia and not let her get any inkling of his connection with the twins.


    however, nobody knew if his arduous efforts would succeed or fail, in the end.


    ¡°so, what brings you here, honorable madams?¡±


    cautiously, siwoo tilted his broom and asked them a simple question.


    he honestly didn¡¯t know how to cope with their presence. a sense of guilt was washing over him as he saw them right now which made it hard for him to keep eye contact with them.


    ¡°why did you come here? this is an employee¡¯s quarter! what if someone suspects something? we¡¯ll both be in trouble if that were to be the case.¡±


    in 9 out of 10 cases, someone would definitely become suspicious if the twins, who had never been personally involved with siwoo before, suddenly went out of their way to visit the barn he called his home.


    that line of thought was more than enough to fright siwoo out of his wits.


    ¡°suspect something? i don¡¯t remember doing anything that would make us suspicious though...


    ¡°you call this shabby place home...? my sincere condolences, mr. assistant...¡±


    while odil replied accordingly, odette, on the other hand, was much more concerned about his living conditions rather than the pressing matter at hand. it was evident from her reply that she couldn¡¯t help but be shocked by the fact that someone could live in a place that could only be called an animal cage at best.


    siwoo honestly felt perplexed.


    siwoo wanted the sisters gone from his residence, that too as soon as humanly possible. he didn¡¯t have the mind to give a shit about their contradicting reactions.


    the pair of apprentice witches were fundamentally more flexible than amelia, a full-fledged witch. however, they were still witches, at the end of the day. they simply had no regard for other people¡¯s problems or circumstances.


    ¡°how rude of you!!. we actually came to this rundown place to give you a gift, you know?¡±


    ¡°gift?¡±


    ignoring the gaze of vigilance that siwoo was directing towards them, odette, with utmost elegance, handed a luxurious wooden box over to siwoo.


    the box was so luxurious that...any ordinary person would use it as a jewel box without a second thought. however, for someone of odil¡¯s stature, it was hardly anything more than a simple wooden box.


    ¡°what is this?¡±


    ¡°this is the compensation that mr. assistant was supposed to receive it from the shop owner the other day. he asked me to hand it over to you.¡±


    ¡°oh¡±


    hearing the charming witch¡¯s explanation, he was reminded of the incident that happened on that fateful day, just before his naughty time with the pair of aspiring witches.


    soon after, siwoo opened the box.


    the box¡¯s items consisted of a small leather pouch full of silver coins, a bundle of high quality magic paper, which appeared expensive at a glance, and a small bottle full of unknown liquid.


    there was a small note placed under the contents of the box.


    ¡ºdear mr. siwoo, i apologize for the incident which transpired the other day. i¡¯m so ashamed, i don¡¯t think i have it in me to raise my face before you ever again. i forgot about the most vital characteristic of a merchant: trust. so, i implore you to let me have a go at it again. will you come to the store again if you don¡¯t mind? i¡¯d like to treat you to a meal, my savior.¡»


    it was a short letter, barely containing any words. however, oddly enough, that characteristic made it seem oddly genuine and heartfelt to siwoo.


    he didn¡¯t realize it at first because he didn¡¯t have enough time, but eventually the realization of what he actually did dawned upon him.


    siwoo risked his life to confront a witch for a dying scammer.


    ¡°he must have been ashamed due to his conduct. he also wrote a letter to me, but i guess i must have ignored it. i removed it from the box too, so you don¡¯t need to look for it there.¡±


    he was thrilled to be the protagonist of a fairy tale for a change.


    ¡°this is mana water?¡±


    ¡°well, it is, but it¡¯s a bit more special. it¡¯s a product of the emerald tablet society¡¯s communal workshop. it is quite hard to get if i say so myself.¡±


    odette gave a more detailed explanation of the product to siwoo.


    tucking it between the bundle of magic paper, preventing it from any chances of breaking, siwoo carefully lifted the bottle up and examined it with his eyes.


    a wax seal was placed on the label of the bottle to prove its authenticity and its sealed state.


    the liquid inside the bottle was extremely clear, enough for him to see through the other side, and gave off a bright blue color.


    clearly, it was a high-purity magic potion used by the witches for research.


    suppressing the rising smirk that was about to form on siwoo¡¯s lips, he asked her a pressing question...


    ¡°can i have all of them?¡±


    odil waved her hand indifferently, signaling her consent to him.


    ¡°fine by me. well, to me, these things are unimportant. besides, why not just fix this ugly house with that money while you¡¯re at it?¡±


    ¡°thank you very much.¡±


    siwoo bowed his head in gratitude.


    this was an astronomical gain for a slave like him.


    not only had he acquired a magic potion for enhancement purposes, but it also turned out to be a high quality potion that was manufactured by the esteemed emerald tablet alchemy society.


    but, even though it was such a high-quality potion, there was no way for him to retrieve its contents after using it to complete his magic circle.


    still, he found solace in the fact that... the amount of mana concentrated in the potion was enough to activate siwoo¡¯s magic.


    ¡°i want to treat you to something, but...as you can see, this is merely a rundown barn. but i promise that i¡¯ll do my best to repay your kindness somehow. then, i¡¯ll be seeing you off now.¡±


    ¡°wait a minute.¡±


    thinking about his massive harvest, siwoo was beaming with delight. however, as he was about to lead the twins out of his residence, their sudden refusal made him stiffen on the spot.


    wild delusional thoughts began spiraling in his mind. maybe this time around, they were attempting to practice sex education a little differently than the normal method.


    siwoo resolved himself. no matter what they asked of him, he would surely refuse and drive them away from his residence, by hook or crook.


    ¡°the magic of opening the gate to your homeland that you said you were creating. i can take a look at it for you. ¡°


    ¡°pardon? i¡¯m grateful for your offer, but i don¡¯t feel that to be necessary.


    what was this all about again?


    it would undoubtedly be of huge help to him if odil, the count¡¯s apprentice witch, could aid him in adding or modifying the theory he created through his arduous research.


    however, this sudden show of kindness from a witch was so uncharacteristic of them that siwoo couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback by this gesture.


    besides, since it was the goodwill of odil in question, siwoo was hesitant as she could be up to something... something that only spelled trouble for him...


    ¡°didn¡¯t you actively collaborate with us as well? so, we¡¯ll assist you in your escape. i have discussed it with odil and she agrees too. ¡°


    ¡°what do i have to do then?¡±


    siwoo cut straight to the heart of the situation, boldly asking her what they wanted in exchange for the help they would provide to him. there was no hesitation in his voice as he demanded their terms.


    a bold and knowing smile framed odil¡¯s enchanting face. her subtle expression made clear that she knew that siwoo would be able to catch the subtlety in her speech and also agree to this matter,


    ¡°yes, just as planned. from now on, come to tarot town¡¯s hideout every weekend without exception.¡±


    that was great.


    all he had to do was to keep his mouth shut and accept their offer.


    but that didn¡¯t mean it was a loss for him.


    moreover, if odil had already decided on the matter then there was no way that siwoo could reject her anyways.


    even if she just pretended to negotiate with him, it was a thing to be appreciated.


    ¡°alright.¡±


    he pulled up the straw with his hand and revealed the box hidden underneath.


    it was a magic theory book with 228 sheets of paper, all of them being the size of an a4 sheet.


    the formulas and calculations that siwoo had made for the creation of the magic circle, the blueprint for drawing up the mana formation, as well as the expected values and thoughts related to it that were determined through deep experimentation were all inside the theory book.


    ¡°here you go.¡±


    odil looked astonished for a moment as she took the paper with letters and formulas written on both sides.


    2.


    making a magic circle with a certain amount of complexity was not dissimilar to composing a symphony.


    a magnificent symphony of strings, percussion, woodwinds, brass, keyboards, and so on and so forth.


    similar to how numerous melodies were blended to form a beautiful harmony, diverse magic formulas, letters, and magic must be combined to create a beautiful harmony of magical creation. it was a form of art so to speak.


    could a gifted composer even create a symphony with his eyes closed?


    no, it was impossible.


    even a witch with a keen intellect couldn¡¯t create all of the magic circles above a certain size and complexity using mental arithmetic alone.


    they calculated and completed the detailed form of the magic circle through painstaking efforts and research, memorized it, and then casted it.


    in this sense, activating magic was similar to making a composition.


    witches, like musicians, needed appropriate directions and corrections in order to be successful with their magic.


    anyway, siwoo had spent three years painstakingly writing down the draft of the magic circle that would open the door leading to his home.


    the draft contained all of the calculations, split experiments, and conceptions; he was about to complete the massive magical circle by connecting the entire map to create a cohesive whole, the formation that would allow him to get out of this hell.


    odil and odette sat side by side, intently studying siwoo¡¯s draft of the magical circle.


    it had been about 3 minutes since they started skimming through his theory book.


    were they properly reading it? odil¡¯s hand, which was turning the pages at an inexplicable speed, stopped as soon as he had that thought.


    ¡°¡±unbelievable....!¡±¡±


    odil and odette both yelled at the same time.


    lowering his face, siwoo fixed his gaze on the page the twins were reading currently. seeing their incredulous reaction, he was worried that the magic formula that he had developed through painstaking research might be flawed.


    since he didn¡¯t have the ¡®brand¡¯ of the witches, siwoo had integrated a different method into his formula to activate the magic formation. calculating the raw mana required to trigger the formation, he developed a formula to use the magic potion to compensate for the mana provided by a witch.


    ¡°is there something wrong with the formula?¡±


    to his question, odette spoke out instead of odil. in response i closed my mouth and frowned.


    ¡°did mr. assistant really write all this?¡±


    ¡°yes?¡±


    ¡°without any assistance or corrections made by anyone? are you sure?¡±


    ¡°yes. i¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ve never been taught magic, right? so, you acquired the knowledge all on your own, right? ¡°


    ¡°something like that... yes.¡±


    after the sudden questionnaire session ended, odette couldn¡¯t help but leak out an astonished sigh.


    hearing siwoo¡¯s remarks, the twins couldn¡¯t help but be astonished once again, both now lost in a plethora of thoughts. meanwhile, siwoo remained ignorant of the situation. he couldn¡¯t figure out just what in hell happened for the twins to react like that...


    ¡°did i mess up something?¡±


    siwoo felt anxious that he might have made a blister.


    the magic circle, which unlocks the ¡°gate¡± finally developed by siwoo, was a variable magic method consisting of six ductility, n changes (flexible changes depending on variables), and one development.


    to ensure the greatest amount of stability and flexible adaptation to any circumstances, siwoo implemented a formula with 540 runes of 34 types as the magical composition of the formation. moreover, a composition of approximately 258 ¡®branches¡¯ were used between the comprising magic circles.


    as it was simply impossible for someone like him, with no ¡®brand¡¯ to utilize mana, to test such a large magical formation, he decided to divide the formation in 88 individual sections. then he tried to check them for any errors, write down the results on paper, then activate all of them separately and again measure them for any errors and judge their functionality.


    his experiments produced fruitful results back then... however...


    could there have been some issues after they were combined to form the formation?


    his heart was pounding hard from the worry he felt. he just couldn¡¯t accept the fact that his three years of hard work may all have gone down the drain. he was anxious and scared of the results.


    ¡°i don¡¯t get it. how can this formula be even derived? i think probably only three calculations were overlooked...¡±


    ¡°hey...if both of you don¡¯t mind, could you explain to me what the problem is in the formula?¡±


    to his question, odil couldn¡¯t help but direct a look packed with absurdity toward siwoo...


    ¡°problem?¡±


    siwoo gulped when she heard him reply. this was it... the moment of truth that would determine his fate.


    ¡°do you mean, mr. assistant is a man who can wield self essence magic without a brand?¡±


    ¡°yes?¡±


    why is she talking about self essence magic suddenly?


    ¡°it¡¯s a one-of-a-kind and new derivative magic formula that you created here. it is a method that deviates from the existing model, creating something completely unique. i¡¯ll be honest with you, mr. assistant... i¡¯m not sure if i understood even half of it. i believe odette is the same.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not true! i understand about 55% of the formula.¡±


    odette¡¯s ranting simply went unheard as odil totally ignored her.


    ¡°it¡¯s structurally perfect. the layout of the runes is also correct. yeah, you asked me what¡¯s wrong, right? the biggest problem is that there is no way to calculate and verify this formation. as this is a self essence magic unique to you, only you may be able to employ this magic.¡±


    odil had an odd mix of confusion and bewilderment plastered on her face. she just couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing with her own two eyes.


    ¡°¡±you are a genius, mr. assistant. and that too of unparalleled proportions.¡±¡±


    ¡°well, maybe not as much as us though...¡±


    odette quietly added to the mix, but her voice was ignored once again. she herself didn¡¯t believe that after all.

 Chapter 15: Genius (2)

    ? genius (2) ?


    1.


    ¡°hmm...¡±


    facing each other, siwoo and the twins laid out the draft for the magic circle onto a box.


    odil and odette had only intended to humor siwoo.


    the twins regarded siwoo¡¯s claims of 70% completion of the magic circle as mere delusions from a nai?ve fledgling in the ways of magic. siwoo himself had confessed that his magic circle would require one more year before being able to open a new ¡®gate¡¯.


    after seeing the mess which was siwoo¡¯s magic, they would simply give him some appropriate advice to acquire a favor from him and utilize it to have him bring them out into tarot town and do a myriad of things.


    ¡°mr.assistant, what¡¯s this weird-looking drawing for?¡±


    ¡°oh, that? it¡¯s used to calculate the effective range for the mana to travel when moving from the deployment stage into the transition stage.¡±


    ¡°how?¡±


    ¡°you can¡¯t think of it as a linear equation in one-dimensional plane, it is after all a real-world application. instead of overloading the equation with mana, which would be illogical. you should consider the fact that we are working in a three-dimensional plane, where the rotational angle of an object can affect the deployment speed of a spell.¡±


    ¡°aha~¡±


    siwoo whipped out a pen and started to sketch a simple design onto the paper.


    odil¡¯s mind wandered as she absentmindedly watched as siwoo explained his theories and calculations to odette.


    he had cleverly utilized ¡®dispel pin¡¯ to dispel odil¡¯s barrier.


    though, it¡¯d only work within the confines of the pins that siwoo had to have placed down beforehand.


    with all that being said, it still defied logic that a slave of all people, one who had never gone through any formal education in the ways of magic, would be able to create this monstrosity of a magic circle based off his calculations.


    ¡°why are these runes placed in this order? wouldn¡¯t placing them in the bridge form be more efficient for noise reduction?¡±


    ¡°using that method would reduce the mana output in half. to strengthen the stability in this area of the circle, you must maximize your mana efficiency. it¡¯s the same principle as how when designing a paper plane, one needs to maximize the amount of air molecules that can act on its wings by increasing its surface area thereby ensuring a smooth glide path.¡±


    the twins would often get a quick response whenever they brought up a question.


    that, too, with reasonable logic.


    ¡°that bit there looks a little out of place. the magical resistance in that part of the circle is wrong, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°oh! you can just ignore part, it was purposely made with a lower resistance for the mana to be able to flow to ground in the event of a backflow, minimizing the damage to the circle.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s how it works?¡±


    siwoo wasn¡¯t casting magic conventionally and had followed a path of magic that no one had ever seen or tried before.


    the way his magic worked was truly absurd and was akin to a building built by kids, created by utilizing cutting-edge modern technology.


    ¡°but that doesn¡¯t mean that this circle you¡¯ve drawn up doesn¡¯t have its problems. the trickiest issue in this is the ever-changing variable. because it¡¯s independent from the rest of the circle, it may become too volatile.¡±


    ¡°the issue would be that there is a possibility that mr.assistant siwoo will not be able to control the circle unless its variable has been determined beforehand.¡±


    ¡°is that so?¡±


    nevertheless, they were still apprentice witches.


    the twins, who were learning magic since they could even read, were able to easily see the flaws in siwoo¡¯s magic circle.


    ¡°come here and look at this part. you expected the magic load to be 11.26, right? if you did that, the magic output would only convert to 0.33...¡±


    it was not until when the sun came down from the sky did the three of them finish their discussion.


    2.


    from then on, siwoo¡¯s daily life didn¡¯t experience much change.


    fortunately, the twins continued to be friendly towards siwoo.


    they didn¡¯t appear to be planning to snitch on siwoo and used neither coercion nor accusations to keep him in check.


    on the contrary, they showed up the next day to assist siwoo with his problems.


    ¡°and... that¡¯s the last of it!¡±


    placing the last book, which had been strewn across the library, onto the shelf, siwoo descended from the ladder.


    he had to visit tarot town again tomorrow to return his ¡®favor¡¯ with the twins.


    he figured that as long as he set his mind on it, he¡¯d be able to enjoy himself in the moment.


    although promiscuous activities were off limits, it was nothing to siwoo. it wasn¡¯t every day that he¡¯d get to sleep with women of their caliber after all.


    who knew how far they would go this time? they might even show him their boobs this time around!


    he felt a little uneasy at that thought.


    ¨C click clack


    loud clicking noises alerted siwoo of a presence approaching the room. siwoo quickly tidied himself up, he wouldn¡¯t want to be nagged at for being too dirty after all.


    just as how herbivores can sense the presence of a predator, siwoo instinctively knew the identity of the person advancing toward the room.


    ¡°janitor.¡±


    it was amelia, a mix of a devil and man-eating deer in flesh.


    sweeping her disheveled hair aside, amelia approached siwoo.


    siwoo could smell a pleasant aroma emanating from amelia, smelling both sweet and salty at the same time.


    a beautiful blue dress clung from her body, showing off her perfectly rounded shoulders that paired well with her chiseled collarbones.


    siwoo didn¡¯t know where to look as his eyes were drawn to amelia¡¯s collarbones, which were perfectly accentuated by her dress.


    ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    siwoo bowed his head politely.


    he felt all the more uncomfortable as he remembered amelia¡¯s request.


    ¡°i¡¯ll need a companion when i head to ¡®border town¡¯ tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°do you mean to say that you want me to help you carry your bags?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    amelia did like him, right?


    looking into amelia¡¯s cold eyes, siwoo couldn¡¯t help but doubt takasho¡¯s words.


    if she did legitimately have feelings for siwoo, wouldn¡¯t she at least smile at him with warmth, just as odette does?


    ¡°i¡¯ll be leaving early in the morning. be at my research building by 9 o¡¯clock, got it?¡±


    ¡°all right.¡±


    siwoo suddenly felt the urge to check up on his suspicions.


    as takasho mentioned, if amelia truly had feelings for him. wouldn¡¯t she overlook his transgression?


    ¡°by the way, miss amelia.¡±


    amelia raised her eyebrow, creasing her forehead in the process.


    for reference, she would only do that when she was curious about something.


    ¡°did you come this far just to talk to me about this?¡±


    there was quite a distance between the research building and the library.


    it questioned her actions and poked at the fact that she wouldn¡¯t have been able to ignore taking the time to travel to a location where it would be unusual for two people to meet in private.


    ¡°if you have any business with me, just send someone over and i¡¯ll meet you on my own. is it really necessary for an associate professor like yourself to travel all the way here?¡±


    siwoo intended for the statement to reflect his respect for amelia and show her that he could be relied upon.


    ¡°i¡¯ll handle my own issues, you handle yours.¡±


    amelia responded flatly.


    siwoo realized that there was nothing for him to be worried about.


    amelia seemed to collect herself before continuing.


    ¡°oh, by the way. there¡¯s something i would like to warn you about.¡±


    ¡°yeah? go ahead.¡±


    ¡°have you recently had a private chat with any of the apprentice witches?¡±


    caught off guard by the question, siwoo shook his head to conceal his surprise.


    the twins had visited his quarters recently and had shared a brief conversation with him in the hallway.


    ¡°what do you mean by ¡®private chat¡¯?¡±


    ¡°i mean, have you done things that went beyond the boundaries of a slave-witch relationship?¡±


    more conversations than necessary were already being exchanged.


    hell, they had even discussed the intricacies of the magic circle and locked their lips together in the past four days.


    did i get caught?


    where did she see us chatting with each other?


    was the academy too big of a risk factor to continue his studies?


    ¡°no.¡±


    he denied the accusations for the time being.


    siwoo had no idea how much amelia knew about his involvement with the twins, siwoo¡¯s life would be over in an instant as soon as she catches wind of what they¡¯d done.


    amelia turned to face siwoo.


    siwoo was at a loss.


    he could feel her stare bore into him as if she could read the depths of his soul and uncover the secrets that lay in his mind.


    ¡°janitor....¡±


    amelia paused.


    ¡°don¡¯t you hate witches?¡±


    amelia, who was often referred to as an ¡®ice goddess¡¯, remained stoic. her face revealed neither her thoughts nor her emotions.


    only siwoo would have noticed that she was slightly rattled.


    she had taken a moment before questioning him.


    ¡°that¡¯s... i don¡¯t.¡±


    of course, he hated them.


    who wouldn¡¯t dislike a bunch of crazy fucking bitches, who¡¯s only obsession was magic?


    ¡°is that so?¡±


    ¡°yup.¡±


    ¡°......¡±


    ¡°......¡±


    an awkward silence lingered.


    there was no way for siwoo to know the reason behind her questions and how she managed to discover the relationship between the three.


    ¡°if you¡¯re satisfied with your questions, would it be okay for me to finish organizing the rest of the room?¡±


    it was unusual for amelia, a witch who only ever spoke about business, to stand before him silently.


    ¡°wait.¡±


    amelia stopped siwoo, who was desperately trying to escape from her gaze, in his tracks.


    ¡°yes?¡±


    ¡°.....uhh.....¡±


    siwoo doubted his ears, was the very witch that was headstrong and sharp-witted struggling to get her words out?


    the term ¡®gallows humor¡¯ crossed siwoo¡¯s mind as he wondered if amelia had been diagnosed with a life-threatening disease for the sudden personality shift.


    ¡°uh...?¡±


    amelia¡¯s lips twitched as she struggled to get the words out.


    her hesitant figure caused the impatient man¡¯s mental health to suffer under a lot of pressure.


    ¡°huff... you know what? it¡¯s nothing. don¡¯t be late, unless you want to clean the research building all over again.¡±


    amelia¡¯s figure disappeared into a gust of wind. almost as if she hadn¡¯t been standing in front of siwoo for the past few minutes.


    ¡±is there even anything left to clean?¡±


    siwoo could only stare at the closed frame of the door in a daze.


    3.


    walking through a corridor, amelia was quickly stopped.


    ¡°amelia! so... how was it? did you manage to convince him to go on a date with you?¡±


    ¡°avenega, i¡¯ve told you this before... it isn¡¯t a date.¡±


    colorful and bright purple hair coupled with a pair of black eyes.


    contrasting amelia¡¯s young appearance, avenega emanated the aura of a mature lady.


    sophia avenega, trinity academy¡¯s chief professor, was amelia¡¯s only friend


    despite the relationship being one-sided.


    ¡°if i may, amelia, whenever you are in an irritable mood, you seem to call me by my witch¡¯s title.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s a false statement.¡±


    ¡°it especially happens whenever i correctly predict your actions.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ve never accurately predicted any of my actions, professor sophia.¡±


    amelia brushed off sophia¡¯s words, clearly annoyed by her interactions.


    ¡°what did you invite him to this time? don¡¯t tell me you repeated what you did the last time and personally call him into your lab?¡±


    amelia gave sophia a tired look and said, ¡®honestly, that¡¯s too much.¡¯


    ¡°honestly, you¡¯re too much... i wouldn¡¯t call that a date. heck, it wasn¡¯t even flirting. i simply taught him basic manners. did that answer your question?¡±


    ¡°alright~ professor.¡±


    amelia tried to quicken her pace to shake off the clingy witch. sadly, there was a large disparity in the lengths of their strides.


    sophia, being much bigger as compared to amelia, was able to quickly catch up to her in a few steps.


    ¡°come on... how long are you going to ignore me? have you guys even had a proper conversation with each other?¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s a ¡®conversation¡¯ between a slave and a witch? that just sounds like something a vulgar witch would say. does one lose their dignity after sleeping around with slaves every night?¡±


    although she was known for being harsh, sophia never minded it.


    in the first place, if sophia truly minded the way she spoke, she would¡¯ve never wanted to become friends with amelia in the first place.


    ¡°you know, for a witch, 5 years might not be a long time, but it¡¯s quite the opposite for a slave. it¡¯s because of that sharp tongue of yours and the fact that you constantly torment him that siwoo hates you.¡±


    ¡°didn¡¯t he say that he didn¡¯t?¡±


    sophia raised her hands in surrender upon hearing amelia¡¯s raised voice.


    after over 60 years of friendship, the answer to why she still acted like a child remained a mystery.


    amelia¡¯s biggest flaw was her lack of honesty.


    ¡°i¡¯ll swoop in and steal him away if you keep sabotaging yourself.¡±


    ¡°do as you please.¡±


    ¡°oh yes! if you¡¯re headed to border town, do you need me to lend you, my villa?¡±


    ¡±i won¡¯t be needing it.¡±


    ¡°do you own any sexy lingerie, amelia? you must know that every lady has to own at least a pair of black laced underwear.¡±


    ¡±quit saying such vulgar stuff.¡±


    sophia trailed amelia as she attempted to outwalk sophia.


    the conversation carried on for a long time.


    siwoo had no idea that the greatest annoyance to amelia was none other than sophia.

 Chapter 16: Border Town (1)

    ? border town (1) ?


    1.


    it is considered a good habit to engage in some light stretching soon after waking up, no matter the time.


    especially, if someone had trouble sleeping due to the bed or some other environmental constraints, then it was a must to properly stretch your body and do some warm-up to relax the stiff muscle groups. failure to follow through would result in adverse effects that would last throughout the entirety of the day.


    a firm believer in that ideology, siwoo followed through with the stretching and warming up routine to relax his body. the light exercise lasted approximately 15 minutes, leaving him refreshed and ready for the day¡¯s ordeals.


    due to professor amelia¡¯s sermons, he was able to sleep longer than usual. it was a boon that he was immensely grateful for. on the flip side, however, just the thought of being alone with the great witch, amelia, accompanying her on her shopping trip, was enough to frighten him out of his wits.


    ¡°oh right.¡±


    still in the process of his light morning workout, an abrupt thought dawned upon siwoo, inadvertently forcing him to put a stop to his morning session.


    perhaps, due to amelia¡¯s bizarre behavior, the previous day, siwoo had completely forgotten about a very important appointment that was scheduled for today.


    ¡°i must go to tarot town today.¡±


    he had made an arrangement with amelia the day before. he had to go shopping with her in accordance with the arrangement.


    consequently, however, it would be impossible for him to meet the twins and fulfill his promise. moreover, there was no way for him to inform the duo apprentice witches of his circumstances.


    oblivious to his duties, the pair of apprentice witches would eagerly wait for his arrival in their mansion located in tarot town. they were bound to be disappointed and enraged when he didn¡¯t show up, in the end.


    ¡°i¡¯m totally fucked, aren¡¯t i?¡±


    dealing with the eager witches, who would be enraged beyond recognition due to his inability to go through with his promise, would be one gigantic pain in the ass. he was positive about that.


    he wished to rush to tarot town and explain his inconveniences to them, apologizing for not being able to uphold his promise to them. he doubted that amelia would let him drop by tarot town no matter what excuse he would make to her, so he didn¡¯t even try to go down that route.


    ¡°well, if i explain my troubles to them, i think they¡¯ll understand...maybe.¡±


    considering his circumstances, he had no choice but to overlook the matter with the twins while consoling himself with that line of thought.


    fortunately, over the span of the past few days, he was able to get up close and intimate with odil, the eldest of the twins.


    unlike odette, who seemed friendly but oddly distant in her interactions with him, odil treated siwoo more as the person he was rather than the slave he was forced to become after landing in gehenna.


    he didn¡¯t know where this change stemmed from. whether because of their sudden interest in him or because of the respect they may have felt for being able to attain some level of success in the realm of magic, while being someone who shouldn¡¯t be able to use magic in the first place, he could only speculate. nobody other than them could be certain about their reasonings.


    even their constant verbal threats were now a distant memory.


    with innumerable such thoughts in mind, siwoo got dressed and went out of the barn. on his way to uphold his appointment with the great witch, amelia.


    2.


    to give a detailed explanation about the place called ¡°border town¡±, there was a prerequisite of having a deeper understanding of all of gehenna, the city and de facto sanctuary of the witches.


    as the world evolved with the rapid progression of science and technology, the areas where witches could hide from the general populace kept dwindling over the ages.


    it¡¯s common knowledge that with the progress of science and technology the unveiling of mysteries and new discoveries is further accelerated.


    in the past, witches, who were integrated into society at the time with various miscellaneous and unconventional occupations such as prophets, fortune tellers, wizards, priests, shamans, alchemists, and even pharmacists felt their positions weakening due to the better alternatives and new values that were created with technological progress.


    the fear of the unknown has always been the greatest horror for humans. and with the progress of knowledge and technology, this fear slowly morphed into an obsession to either acquire or destroy said unknown. mysteries and wonders that were out of the logic spectrum were one of such unknown factors with ¡®witchcraft¡¯ being the foremost example of such mysteries.


    when the persecution of all forms of mysteries and superstitions reached its peak in the early 14th century, the greatest witches of that time gathered their forces and conjured the entirety of their knowledge acquired through uncountable years to build cities fit for housing and hiding all the witches of the world.


    a remote area that was completely out of reach of modern society out for their blood.


    gathering the towns and remnants of the forgotten landscapes that even history books seldom mentioned, they erected a wide-scale barrier and completely obscured them from the prying eyes of the world. making these remnants disappear from the face of the modern earth.


    the colossal gathering of many remnants into one unified land made way for a city that was like no other. it was a paradoxical existence that defied reality itself. existence and non-existence, visibility and invisibility, and many such oxymoronic concepts merged to form the city of witches.


    ¡®gehenna¡¯ was its name and thus was the story of its origins, a place like no other, a place obscured from reality¡ª ¡°the world within the modern world¡±.


    ¡°i hope that i¡¯m not too late, this time around.¡±


    in front of him was a fountain of incomparable beauty.


    and before such a fountain stood amelia, looking like a model back in his hometown. the glistening droplets emitted from the picturesque fountain, fluttering in the air only backed up amelia¡¯s everlasting ethereal beauty.


    his nose was immediately drawn to the distinct scent of her perfume. it was a fragrance that he had never come across before today. was it a new perfume she wore just for today?


    the strong scent perfectly matched amelia¡¯s own, creating a strong sense of harmony and attraction.


    like a princess straight out of a distant fantasy¡ª such was the impression drawn in the minds of those who saw amelia in her current dress-up.


    she was an absolutely gorgeous woman that portrayed the very definition of beauty in whatever she wore. however, the magnitude of her beauty had jumped to another level today.


    because the clothing she was wearing was embellished with gems, and those gems weren¡¯t diamonds but rather something beautiful.


    it was the perfect party dress to wear that would draw the eyes of the whole crowd if she were to just step on the dance floor; she was practically ready for it.


    siwoo couldn¡¯t help but wonder if such an extravagant getup was really needed to go to the border down...


    however, before those thoughts could crawl their way into his lips, he immediately swallowed them down, lest he might draw the ire of the associate professor.


    he decided to give her some lip service instead.


    ¡°you look wonderful today, madam.¡±


    ¡°oh, do i now? hmm...¡±


    according to the dastardly pimp, going by the name of takasho who also happened to be his only friend in this accursed town, women, in general, adored being complimented for their beauty. there was not a single exception to this rule.


    awkwardly, siwoo started his small campaign of trying to compliment amelia on her looks. clearly, he was no veteran on this field and was just spouting out whatever first came out of his mouth.


    amelia, seemingly unimpressed, kept blankly staring at him without uttering a single word. but that was already a good sign in siwoo¡¯s books.


    on any other day, she would have just uttered things along the lines of, ¡°do i need your approval to look great?¡± or some other vain profanities that would flounder his mood. her keeping quiet was already a godsend, so he decided to add some more praises.


    ¡°of course, madam. moreover, now that you aren¡¯t adorning those gothic clothes, your beauty has become more pronounced than ever.¡±


    those words were spoken with the most refreshing smile he was able to muster, but they seemed to have an adverse effect on the peacefully standing amelia.


    unexpectedly, a slight frown was drawn on the immaculate face of amelia.


    years of being with the woman had given him enough insight into her mood and expressions. that insight dictated that amelia¡¯s facial expression when she was unhappy held an index point of 75. the same insight screamed at him that...she was making that same exact face right now., according to siwoo¡¯s scout, was 75.


    to get a displeasure score of 75 all at once, and that too with a single line of praise.


    it was an all-new record for siwoo. he was thoroughly fucked...


    ¡°my apologies if i may have offended you, madam. however, the truth of the matter is that...you look rather stuffy in those baggy and oversized robes.¡±


    ah! fucking shit, i completely messed up. fucckkkk!


    distracted by his own enthusiasm, he had ended up spitting out some truths along with the compliments he was throwing at her. it had now become a recipe for his disaster, or so he thought in his mind.


    before siwoo could enter full-blown panic mode, and say even more gibberish to save his skin, amelia seized the slight pause in his speech and delivered her response in a cold tone.


    ¡°i didn¡¯t dress up to impress you, janitor. so, i have no need for your compliments. never, and i mean never have such thoughts again, understood!!?¡±


    without even waiting for his reply, she turned on her heels, elegantly sashaying towards the west academy building. her gait signified that she wasn¡¯t in the mood for any further interaction unless absolutely necessary.


    her finely braided blonde hair fluttered in the air, swaying side to side along her rapid departing gait.


    it was not without reason that it was mentioned that people should avoid doing things that didn¡¯t suit them.


    quietly, siwoo followed amelia, inwardly cursing himself for his stupidity.


    gehenna was quite a large city. since the dawn of its inception, the city had added multitudes of land nonstop and kept expanding its borders even up to this day.


    although he was unsure of the exact size, it was reportedly around the size of jeju island in korea. maybe, even more...


    it would take nearly a full day, traveling by a horse-drawn carriage to reach border town, situated at the very outskirts of the city, from trinity academy which was located in the very heart of the gehenna.


    to eradicate such inconveniences, witches deployed innumerable portals all across gehenna that would allow back-and-forth travel from each destination. these portals were collectively referred to as gates.


    the ¡®gate¡¯ situated in border town was thus activated by a magical device for traveling convenience.


    ¡°hello. ms. associate professor amelia. how may i be of service?¡±


    ¡°two tickets to border town.¡±


    the receptionist adorning a set of black-rimmed glasses, gently nodded, standing up on the next moment to fulfill amelia¡¯s needs.


    the woman was fairly young among the witches. she was currently working as a researcher and an operator in the portal services.


    the term ¡°young¡± was usually referred to a witch who inherited a newly created brand and thus became a witch in recent times, not having much experience and knowledge in the field of witchcraft.


    thus, it made way for a scene where her very demeanor resembled that of a commoner being in the presence of a princess of a prominent kingdom. this revealed that there were clear hierarchies drawn even among the witches, a story better left for other times.


    greeting siwoo, realizing his identity, she couldn¡¯t help but direct a confounding look toward him.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but are you traveling with the madam?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    in fact, it was a rather unusual scene indeed.


    witches hailing from the upper towns rarely traveled directly to the border town using gates.


    consequently, only commoners and slaves like siwoo were the ones to use the gates and travel by paying the fare on their own.


    a great witch like amelia, who spent the majority of her time diligently working in the research building, was suddenly accompanying a slave like him. it would be weird if such a question was not asked by the receptionist. siwoo understood where she was coming from. .


    ¡°is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°ah...! no, of course not! the fare is 2 pounds per person, madam.¡±


    as expected of amelia, siwoo thought inwardly.


    the sight of a bonafide witch, trembling incessantly in front of amelia¡¯s presence felt rather dissonant in his eyes. however, recalling amelia¡¯s position and the power she wielded made everything fall into place no matter how incredulous they may seem.


    reaching out, four pieces of gold coins were handed to the receptionist by amelia.


    ¡°please, go down by the fourth stairway.¡±


    bowing to the receptionist, siwoo tottered behind amelia who hadn¡¯t looked back for even a second after handing over the traveling fare.


    capable of connecting two points of great distance, the portals were mechanisms of great intrigue in siwoo¡¯s eyes.


    the stairway consisted of stone steps that had the appearance of the steps of an atypical wine cellar. the steps led to the basement of the building where the main mechanism was placed. halfway down the stairs, the image of flowing water entered the eyes of the traveling duo.


    of course, it was not just any run-of-the-mill water. thinly diluted traces of mana were mixed into the water to make it act similar to a mana potion. due to the properties of mana, the water glowed with a faint, luminescent hue, akin to the glow emitted by a dimly-lit fluorescent tube light.


    the liquid was quite mysterious, to say the least. neither did submerging inside obstruct the water flow nor did it wet the clothes, acting completely opposite to any liquid that siwoo had come across during his lifetime.


    slowly, he walked down the stairs, his gaze affixed to amelia¡¯s lithe back. her head was already submerged underneath the mana-infused water.


    descending down the v-shaped stairway, they came across another set of stairs that ascended upwards. apparently, this set of stairs led to border town. the stairway itself was actually the portal that connected the two points. the whole process was very fascinating to someone like siwoo.


    soon, siwoo arrived in border town feeling slightly dizzy in the head¡ª the trademark repercussion of using the portal.


    3.


    amelia¡¯s gaze landed on siwoo, pitifully dry heaving as he felt rather nauseous¡ª telltale signs of motion sickness due to traveling using the teleportation portal.


    having ridden it merely two times before today, his body was not yet used to the feeling of dissonance that accompanied the relocation of mass amounts of distance. .


    ¡°janitor, i advise that you find a corner and just vomit. it will help relieve the sickness you¡¯re feeling.¡±


    ¡°oh, pardon...madam. i¡¯m fine now.¡±


    hearing his response, amelia decided to move on, not paying him any heed. brushing off the faint trickles of the mana-infused water sticking to her clothes, she climbed up the stairs to reach the platform.


    compared to the academy¡¯s platform, which had a large array and refurbished halls, border town¡¯s platform looked shabby in comparison.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    siwoo was taken aback by the sight, greeting his enamored gaze as soon as he left the platform that resembled a half-collapsed temple.


    border town¡ª a town with a canyon carved into an assortment of cascading paths, facing the harbor.


    huge layers of moss-covered cliffs provided ample space for people to live and support their accommodations.


    a dreary atmosphere covered the entirety of border town due to its ever-cloudy weather. the smog and the sea fog clearly had a hand in the creation of such a weather that blocked the sun 24/7.


    the dastardly raincoat that angered siwoo to no end was a daily necessity of this place.


    located at the highest point of the border town, the platform provided a wide-angle view of the entirety of the town for siwoo to witness.


    the cliffs surrounding the port, arranged in the shape of a horseshoe, were a picturesque scene. the grandiose buildings mounting the cliffs were a mesmerizing sight to behold, clearly, the people constructing them were simply amazing in their crafts. among this assortment of wonderful sights what truly amazed siwoo was the massive, 2km long, floating circle above the sea.


    it had another name, ¡®gate¡¯. the portal that connected this world with the modern world. the name was very befitting as it was the gate to the world within the world.


    from that circle, ships of large and small sizes filled to the brim with smugglers that transported goods from the outside world inside the city of gehenna.


    among the melange of ships, some would carry items imported from the world outside while others would carry slaves, just like him, that were freshly captured from the modern world.


    there were even ships carrying food supplies that will be used as stock distributed to the denizens of gehenna.


    the supplies were a must-have as the crops grown in gehenna cannot be self-sufficient.


    that¡¯s right. all of this only indicated one thing.


    the ¡°border¡± in border town, the meaning behind it was pretty self-explanatory...


    it was the town that linked the modern world to gehenna, the world hidden within.


    ¡°by the way, ms. associate professor, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, what are you going to buy today?¡±


    siwoo asked, his eyes still affixed on observing the residents of the distant harbor, scampering about the town like ants crawling on the ground.


    ¡°cigarettes, and perfumes.¡±


    as expected, there was nothing special that she needed to buy.


    if it was only that, there was no need for her to personally come to this place. it would have sufficed if she simply sent him to procure the items for her.


    without a doubt, she had an ulterior motive in coming here, but what was it? he didn¡¯t believe even for a second that she had come to this distant place to spend some quality time with him. the thought of them being on a date never crossed the janitor¡¯s mind.


    ¡°follow me to the blue snake junction.¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    as soon as amelia started walking, siwoo covered her head with the large umbrella he had brought along with him for this very purpose.


    of course, in no way could this scene relate to a cute couple sharing an umbrella under a light drizzle, emanating an aura of youth and romance.


    siwoo had to keep amelia dry while he was getting drenched. it was the perfect portrait of a servant carrying the umbrella for his master. nothing more, nothing less.


    ¡°come to think of it, ms. associate professor...¡±


    there was no need for her to traverse the path around the cliff like him.


    it was completely plausible for a witch like her to use her magical arts to jump off the click and gently land in the middle of the harbor.


    alternatively, she could also use flight magic and levitate herself to the town below.


    ¡°if you go ahead, i¡¯ll run and catch up to you soon. i won¡¯t leave you hanging, i promise.¡±


    siwoo¡¯s suggestion didn¡¯t stem from his concern for amelia. in fact, it was a proposal made with the explicit purpose of keeping this girl as far away from him as possible for even a second longer.


    even though his reasonings were concise and straight to the point, the blank look etched on the great witch¡¯s face dictated that she was lost in thought due to his very speech.


    he hurriedly added, doubting that maybe he had made another error with this stupid mouth of his that didn¡¯t know how to restrain itself.


    ¡°don¡¯t you think the rain will ruin your pretty dress? this way, you don¡¯t need to stress about it getting dirty, madam.¡±


    ¡°........¡±


    he had made another reasonable appeal, but only a vague expression colored the witch¡¯s face as she kept her silence.


    it had been more than five years since he became acquainted with the troublesome witch called amelia, but not once, not even for a single moment did he see her making any expression close to what she was donning on her face right now.


    amelia sighed briefly for the second time, meanwhile, a ghastly expression painted siwoo¡¯s face as cold sweat ran down his back like a broken dam. he was getting scared out of his wits right now.


    ¡°sigh....¡±


    ¡°my apologies for any misconduct i have committed, madam.¡±


    he had no idea just what kind of mistake he had made just now.


    but he chose to apologize nonetheless. it was better this way, siwoo thought as he waited for her response. fear was taking over all of his senses with each trickle in the sands of time.


    ¡°stop whining. it¡¯s annoying.¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    siwoo walked after amelia, closing his mouth shut, and putting the umbrella over her again. he firmly promised to keep this bothersome mouth of his shut till it was necessary for him to talk again.


    there weren¡¯t many people in the highlands, but with their gradual descent, more and more people entered their vision. by the time they reached the middle of the staircase, there were quite a few individuals around, drastically more if compared to the highlands.


    a grumpy muscular man who was dressed in rags rather than a raincoat.


    a skinny young man with an impression that even pirates would have no choice but to be suspicious of him for possessing an ak47 rifle.


    a gloomy-looking granny.


    .


    perhaps due to the lack of sunlight, an aura of gloom and insidiousness emanated from each and every person they encountered.


    in fact, walking around this eerie town that fit the very description of a dystopian remnant, while being a slave was rather intimidating.


    hence, whenever siwoo had business in this town on his lonesome, he ran back home as soon as he was finished with his work.


    he didn¡¯t even bother looking around. the only thing on his mind was to get the hell out of this dump..


    this time around, however, there was no need for him to adopt such vigilant thoughts. at least, as long as he was with amelia.


    wherever they went, everyone bowed their heads and turned heels the moment they saw the sight of amelia. it was like a deer being confronted with its natural enemy, the only option for it was to run for its life. siwoo was sure that there was no bodyguard in the entirety of border town that was more dependable than the witch beside him.


    ¡°janitor.¡±


    the sudden voice, tinged with the flavor of a malevolent bleakness, surprised siwoo out of his thoughts.


    while he had been immersed in his own thoughts, droplets streaming down the ends of the umbrella had found their way on top of amelia¡¯s head, drenching it in the process. the sight was enough to almost make his soul leave his body in fright.


    anxiety surged through every nerve of his body, as siwoo couldn¡¯t help but wonder just what kind of scolding he would be receiving from the devilish woman this time around.


    ¡°hold the umbrella straight.¡±


    surprisingly, amelia was unusually generous today. letting him off with just a single warning.


    evaporating the water droplets with her magic, she soon walked ahead, forcing siwoo to run after her with an umbrella in hand, taking care to not allow any more rain to drench even a part of her skin.

 Chapter 17: Border Town (2)

    ? border town (2) ?


    1.


    all that siwoo could see in front of him was the back of amelia¡¯s head as they walked along the zigzagged cliffside path.


    the sweet scent of perfume mixed with her feminine scent that lingered within the inside of their umbrella made his heart flutter with embarrassment.


    compared to gehenna, which had a distinct medieval aesthetic due to the traditional preferences of witches, border town felt quite a bit different due to being disconnected from other cities and the many commodities which were brought from modern times by the smugglers being poured into the area.


    as the pair walked through the streets, they could see some sights that would be out-of-place in gehenna, such as the dock laborers dressed in overalls carrying several shipment boxes and the blue panels on the roof of a chicken skewer-selling street vendor that could typically be found in modern factories.


    speaking of chicken skewers...


    chicken skewers used to be one of siwoo¡¯s favorite things to eat, back when he lived in korea.


    he especially enjoyed eating the japanese style of chicken skewers, yakitori, which are typically grilled over charcoal along with some green onions.


    despite his intense craving for the chicken skewers, siwoo was forced to be content with only the smell since he couldn¡¯t just go out and buy it while he was taking care of amelia.


    noticing the look of longing on his face, amelia called out to siwoo.


    ¡°janitor.¡±


    ¡°yes, ma¡¯m?¡±


    ¡°go and get two.¡±


    ¡°wait, really??¡±


    ¡°hmm.¡±


    he wondered to himself whether it was okay or not to still be getting this excited over food at his age, but he couldn¡¯t help but get emotional.


    even the noblest person to ever live would begin crying tears of joy at the opportunity to eat some meat after having lived a life of only being able to eat stuff that could barely be considered food every day.


    he grabbed the penny she offered to him and made a beeline straight to the street vendor.


    ¡°give me two skewers, please.¡±


    ¡°yes~¡±


    the lady gave him a soft impression as she placed the skewers on the charcoal-heated gravel.


    with the sound of water boiling in the background, the chicken started turning into a golden brown color, giving off a delicious smell in the surroundings.


    ¡°i¡¯ve never seen your face around here before. where did you come from?¡±


    ¡°pardon?¡±


    after all, he was an asian which could be considered to be hard to find in gehenna.


    his mind was so focused on the chicken skewers that he didn¡¯t notice that the lady cooking them appeared to be a korean, like him.


    ¡°ah, i¡¯m from korea.¡±


    ¡°oh, really? i thought so. are you a slave?¡±


    ¡°for now.¡±


    the lady¡¯s eyes shone with joy at meeting a fellow korean.


    ¡°are you serving the witch behind you?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s similar, but i¡¯m not serving her directly. i¡¯m actually working under city hall.¡±


    ¡°so that¡¯s it~ sure enough, it¡¯s good to belong to the city hall. slaves that get transferred to the workhouse always end up suffering greatly.¡±


    ¡°hahaha...¡±


    ¡°it feels good to have met someone from my hometown. i¡¯ll give you another one on the house.¡±


    ¡°thank you so much!¡±


    siwoo finally returned to amelia after having a very wholesome conversation with the vendor, listening to the aunt telling him to take care of his health as he went back.


    ¡°thank you, miss associate professor.¡±


    ¡°why did you get three?¡±


    meanwhile, amelia, who had been using the umbrella alone, took the chicken skewers from his grasp.


    ¡°ah, she gave me an extra since we both came from the same hometown.¡±


    ¡°......we can¡¯t just start eating in the middle of the street, so let¡¯s go eat over there.¡±


    she extended her hand and pointed towards a structure with a long overhang that would be able provide shelter from the rain as they ate.


    when they arrived, he folded their umbrella and they began eating side by side, leaning against the wall.


    siwoo noticed amelia already biting into the chicken skewer and thus bit into the tender meat as well, which was dripping with seasoning.


    the fragrant scent of charcoal overlapped with the gravy, oil, and the sweet and salty soy sauce-like dressing deeply soaked underneath the chicken skin.


    the food was enticing for siwoo, who hadn¡¯t eaten anything since breakfast this morning.


    ¡°janitor.¡±


    ¡°yes?¡±


    ¡°do you miss your hometown?¡±


    amelia, who had been quietly munching and eating meat the whole time, suddenly opened her mouth.


    he felt like he was getting asked a lot of silly questions lately.


    has she changed her mind in keeping him as her slave?


    or maybe, as takasho said, this could be amelia¡¯s approach in love.


    ¡°i would be lying if i denied it.¡±


    siwoo replied while stuffing a ripe green onion into his mouth.


    gehenna was a city created for the purpose of exploiting non-witches for the benefit of witches.


    although there wasn¡¯t any visible oppressions, other than slavery, it was clear enough that it threatened many personal freedoms.


    ¡°i see.¡±


    it was certainly strange that she¡¯s talking to him all of a sudden, but since the time he met her she was always the one to start and end the conversation.


    conversation is supposed to be something to be enjoyed, but amelia only ever said a few words at a time and then remained silent afterwards.


    ¡°........¡±


    ¡°...crunch.¡±


    even though it was quite a large serving, in the end it was still just chicken skewers.


    even if siwoo eats two of them, they would barely be able to fill his stomach.


    ¡°there...¡±


    -ruuumble!


    the moment siwoo finished the chicken skewer and amelia was about to open her mouth again, a loud noise suddenly rang out.


    could it have been because of the heavy rain?


    the roof that had been sheltering the two of them from the rain suddenly collapsed.


    in an instant which was too quick to react, amelia¡¯s shocked expression could be seen in slow motion with her mouth and eyes wide open.


    siwoo instinctively reached out and covered amelia¡¯s head with his body to shield her from the oncoming debris..


    several pieces of wood repeatedly struck his back, head, and arms as he continued to shield her.


    if she asked why he protected her, should he reply by saying that his body reacted before he could even think?


    siwoo covered amelia as soon as he sensed something dangerous.


    the clothes he had on had gotten wet because of the water on the roof spilled onto him.


    his bruises made it look like a piece of rotten wood had fallen onto his head.


    the intense pain he felt made siwoo feel so sick and dizzy that tears began to well up.


    ¡°...ah.¡±


    when the pain had finally subsided enough for him to crack open his eyes a bit, he could see the adorable sight of amelia¡¯s shocked expression.


    now that he had overcome his dizziness and came back to his senses, siwoo finally recognized the awkward position they were currently in.


    siwoo had both his arms stretched against the wall on both sides of amelia¡¯s head, tucking her into his shadow.


    perhaps it was because he had subconsciously remembered not to touch witches carelessly, but when he thought about how he somehow never touched amelia directly throughout the entire ordeal he made a bitter smile.


    ¡°...uh.¡±


    ¡°........¡±


    speaking of, the distance between their faces had narrowed as a result of their current position.


    they were so close that if siwoo were to stretch his tongue out as far as he could, he would easily be able to lick her round forehead with some room to spare.


    the only thing he could see were amelia¡¯s wide-open eyes, her eyelashes fluttering as if she was about to tear up even though her mouth was shut.


    his eyes were then drawn to her lips, clearly able to see them quivering even as she exhaled adorably.


    siwoo never would have imagined he would ever end up in this kind of love-comedy scenario with amelia of all people.


    as they continued to stare at eachother like statues, amelia was the first to open her mouth.


    ¡°janitor, you¡¯re too close to me right now.¡±


    ¡°ah, i apologize. i had no intention of doing anything unusual to you. this just happened without my knowledge, somehow.¡±


    siwoo began spouting gibberish as he leaned back away from her and swallowed his spit once more what he saw next.


    while he was able to stop the falling pieces of wood with his broad back, it was impossible to prevent all of the rainwater that had piled up from soaking the both of them.


    as a result, amelia¡¯s fancy clothing was soaked as if it had a whole bucket poured onto it.


    ¡°um...¡±


    to make matters worse, the dress amelia chose to wear today was very thin and pale.


    so when rainwater got poured onto it, the fabric began to tightly cling onto the body and turn translucent, revealing not only her subtle curves, but even the black bra narrowly wrapped around her modest breasts, which were just big enough to be held with one hand..


    ¡°......?¡±


    amelia averted her gaze from siwoo, confused from his strange stare, then to herself, slowly.


    after seeing the current state of her outfit, she suddenly froze like computer inflicted with lag.


    ¡°janitor.¡±


    hearing her call out his title as he was making a half-baked attempt of looking away, siwoo quickly turned around to face her.


    indeed, it was definitely amelia standing right before him.


    even when driven to this point, he couldn¡¯t so much as blink from her intense stare.


    siwoo believed that it had to be but a momentary hallucination that caused him to think she, a witch, was worried about him.


    however, when he looked closer, he could see her lips trembling, along with her usually pale cheeks being extremely flushed.


    ¡°did you get hurt anywhere??¡±


    amelia gently raised her arms in order to cover her exposed body and inquired about siwoo¡¯s condition.


    he couldn¡¯t believe that amelia, who was usually so cruel to him, was actually concerned about the condition of a mere slave.


    slavery had been so deeply ingrained into his body that even common sense behavior like concern was able to make him extremely happy.


    ¡°oh, yes, i¡¯m fine, thank you for asking.¡±


    ¡°well, that¡¯s enough. i¡¯ll overlook today¡¯s mistake.¡±


    if this were a love comedy, they would go straight to the motel with the excuse of drying clothes and washing rainwater, usually resulting in something else.


    unfortunately for him, this was gehenna, the city of witches, so although this situation reminded him of some sort of love comedy it was impossible for something like that to actually happen..


    ¡ªflick!


    all of the rainwater that covered their bodies evaporated just as amelia flicked her fingertips.


    amelia¡¯s dress, which had become embarrassing to look at when standing right in front of her, had also softened and dried, as if she had just gotten it out of the dryer.


    the smell of soil from the stagnant rainwater that used to surround them faded, and instead, the subtle scent of mint lingered around his nose.


    ¡°let¡¯s hurry up and go now.¡±


    finished cleaning them off, amelia gracefully began walking as if nothing had happened moments prior.


    she took each step elegantly and precisely as if she were walking on a ramp with her heels on.


    ¡°excuse me, miss associate professor.¡±


    ¡°you only caught a glimpse of me through my clothes because i was wet from the rain. it is nothing to concern myself over..¡±


    amelia¡¯s unusually hasty tone indicated that she was feeling embarrassed.


    however, that was beside the point.


    ¡°yes, i am very grateful for that. but...¡±


    ¡°then what could be the problem?¡±


    ¡°the blue snake junction is in the opposite direction...¡±


    ¡°.......¡±


    as usual, amelia raised her chin proudly and arrogantly.


    she responded with a calm tone as if she already knew everything.


    ¡°my name is amelia marigold. do you think i would ever be ignorant of such a basic fact? i just wanted to see more of the dock.¡±


    he tried to deal with it as calmly as he could, but amelia still appeared to be rather embarrassed.


    it was quite refreshing for him to be able to see her flustered expression for the first time and most importantly...


    she looked cute.


    he had never imagined he¡¯d ever feel this way for somebody like amelia, who he had always despised.


    afterall, it was definitely a worthwhile endeavor to throw himself over her to shield her from the falling wreckage.


    ¡°i deeply apologize for saying something wrong. i¡¯ll make sure to be careful next time. ¡°


    siwoo then opened his umbrella back up and stood side by side with amelia.


    the earlier scene then suddenly came to their minds as the awkward silence continued to pass.


    he felt pretty surprised..


    he never thought of amelia as the type to wear such a sexy pair of underwear like that.


    for quite a while longer, he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the bra, which was so thin that it was barely able to cover even half of her chest.


    2.


    the junction was a wholesale and retail store that sold goods airlifted from the modern outside world by smugglers.


    some shops in the junction only deal with selling slaves that they kidnapped like siwoo, while others deal only with selling grain.


    among them, the blue snake junction is expected to be a target for witches, seeing how expensive the items they sold were.


    additionally, the manager was also a very charismatic and sexy older-sister type.


    ¡°welcome.¡±


    a narrow hallway with a boxful of goods.


    the high-quality fur and stuffed items used for decoration were the first to catch his eye, and various pieces of furniture were wrapped in covers and displayed.


    these appeared to be too expensive for an old, rusted oil lamp to illuminate.


    ¡°it¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve been here.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t come here very often. yet you still claim to remember me.¡±


    ¡°i never forget a cute guy.¡±


    the manager, who was sitting on the stand smoking an e-cigarette, winked at siwoo.


    luckily there was a pair of adidas sweatpants.


    he felt glad because it was something he often wore back in the outside world.


    the manager spoke to amelia only after exchanging greetings with siwoo.


    ¡°how did a noble witch end up in this humble establishment?¡±


    she was one of two people who could speak so calmly despite the fact that the person in front of her was a witch.


    either she was a fool or she had nerves of steel.


    perhaps this sister belonged to the latter.


    meanwhile, amelia, who seemed uneasy for some reason, took a peek at siwoo and the hostess.


    ¡°this is in exchange for what happened earlier, janitor. pick what you want.¡±


    ¡°thank you!¡±


    it would be pointless to ask if she were serious or not.


    because it was some kind of reward for the good job he had been doing, it was important to take the chance before amelia changed her mind.


    that was the beginning of amelia and siwoo¡¯s shopping trip.

 Chapter 18: Border Town (3)

    ? border town (3) ?


    1.


    amelia roamed the shop as siwoo was temporarily free, signaling the beginning of his shopping spree.


    she was an aristocrat, who also happened to be a witch.


    thus, it made sense that she wouldn¡¯t have the same concept of money as compared to the everyday citizen.


    her declaration of ¡°pick what you want¡± would still hold true even if siwoo purchased the most exorbitant priced item in the store.


    hell, she would even pay it in full without breaking a sweat.


    however, that didn¡¯t mean that siwoo could simply pick the costliest item in the store.


    he considered what would cause him the least number of troubles. if he bought the costliest item in the store, others might mistake his actions as him utilizing an opportunity to take advantage of amelia¡¯s kindness.


    on the other hand, if he chose to buy the cheaper items in the store, it could be misconstrued by others as him looking down on the nobility, which would inadvertently cause amelia to be implicated.


    siwoo felt burdened by the choices laid out before him.


    ¡°hmm...¡±


    his thoughts cleared as out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a pair of calvin klein underwear sitting on the shelf in front of him.


    it was sold in packs of 5 and there wasn¡¯t a price tag that would¡¯ve indicated its price.


    it was exactly what he had been looking for.


    the city hall only distributed 3 pairs of underwear every year, and even then, they were made of a roughly textured material that often chafed his skin.


    siwoo was deep in thought and hadn¡¯t realized that someone had snuck up upon him.


    ¡°oo... that¡¯s a good choice.¡±


    the voice seemed to belong to the manager of the blue snake junction.


    she looked to be in her 30s and the makeup around her eye drew the attention of everyone that looked in her direction.


    but what was glaringly obvious to siwoo was her midsection, her sweatshirt holding onto dear life.


    smoke floated around her, and her resplendent beauty seemed like it had left several guys with broken hearts.


    her chest almost grazed past siwoo¡¯s hand due to the close proximity of their bodies.


    ¡°is that so?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s one of our best-sellers.¡±


    ¡°by the way, where¡¯d you bring amelia to?¡±


    it would¡¯ve been more profitable for the store if its manager was the one guiding the wealthy witch around.


    thus, it didn¡¯t make sense for her to appear beside him at that moment.


    ¡°she already finished her shopping and is now sitting in the reception. i really wasn¡¯t expecting her to be a smoker. she doesn¡¯t look the type after all.¡±


    ¡°you didn¡¯t say anything strange, did you?¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t worry.¡±


    the manager smiled as she patted siwoo¡¯s shoulders, almost as if she was brushing the dust off his shoulders.


    siwoo¡¯s heart fluttered a little and if one were to look closely into his heart, one would find at least three to four cupid arrows embedded deep into its tissue.


    ¡°can i ask you something?¡±


    ¡°go ahead, i¡¯ll answer the best i can...¡±


    ¡°are you a paramour?¡±


    paramour.


    in the dictionary, it was a word that often meant male concubines.


    it was a word foreign to siwoo and he did not understand it until after he arrived at gehenna.


    the term ¡®lover¡¯ was more appropriate than paramour because, of course, no witch had ever been married. but still, in gehenna, a witch¡¯s lover would typically be referred to as paramour.


    even to siwoo, the phrase ¡®paramour¡¯ is a little more humiliating as compared to the phrase ¡®ching-chong-chang¡¯, a racist expression one might say when coming across an asian.


    ¡°i¡¯m not.¡±


    he decided to ignore it as the manager didn¡¯t seem to harbor any malice towards him but although he had only been called ¡®paramour¡¯ twice, he still felt humiliated by it.


    ¡°really?¡±


    the manager leaned closer.


    her chest which had previously lingered above his arm was now fully pressed into it.


    it felt like siwoo had sunk his hands into a soft pillow, the warmth enveloping him.


    siwoo looked at the manager, perplexed.


    ¡°you¡¯re a slave, right? what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°erm... excuse me, but what are you going to do if someone sees us like this?¡±


    the obvious attempts to flirt made siwoo uncomfortable, as he slowly pulled away from the manager.


    siwoo, who had been conditioned by the twins, and amelia had developed a habit of being wary around beautiful women.


    ¡°what do you mean? i¡¯m simply asking for your name. would it be politer for me to tell you mine first? i¡¯m larissa, the branch manager of blue snake junction.¡±


    ¡°...i¡¯m shin siwoo, a slave managed by city hall.¡±


    brown flowing hair along with pale blue eyes.


    paired with her long limbs, and a set of voluptuous breasts that didn¡¯t suit her slim figure.


    it finally clicked for siwoo upon hearing her name.


    the reason behind her massive ¡®assets¡¯ was probably due to her russian lineage.


    larissa stretched a hand out for a handshake, which siwoo shook without a moment of hesitation.


    larissa¡¯s slightly bent fingers stroked across siwoo¡¯s palm.


    her fingers felt ticklish, and more importantly, was quite a flirtatious act.


    siwoo hurriedly let go of her hand and tried to get rid of the sensation by repeatedly opening and closing his hands.


    larissa looked at his actions, her lips slightly raised.


    ¡°you truly know nothing, do you? how long have you been in gehena?¡±


    her smile seemed to grow more mysterious as she heard of siwoo¡¯s five-year tenure.


    it looked like the smile of a predator eyeing their prey.


    ¡°would you like to shake my hand again?¡±


    as they did so, she repeated the action, where she would bend her fingers inward to scratch the palm of siwoo¡¯s hand.


    ¡°when someone scratches your palm when they shake your hand...¡±


    siwoo was suddenly pushed up against a shelf as larissa slowly whispered into his ear.


    ¡°it means, ¡®i got wet just from the thought of fucking you.¡¯¡±


    siwoo was caught off guard by the unexpected sexual remark along with the sensations that assaulted his hand.


    larissa nibbled on siwoo¡¯s ear before increasing the distance between them.


    ¡°ah? how did this escalate so quickly?¡±


    siwoo couldn¡¯t understand the situation that he had been placed in.


    he had come to the store before to purchase cigarettes for amelia the other day, and all she did was give him an odd look. it hadn¡¯t seemed like she had been sexually attracted to him.


    they didn¡¯t even know his name!


    ¡±it must be true that you don¡¯t have a typical relationship with that witch. it doesn¡¯t make sense how one of those arrogant witches would buy a present for a slave?¡±


    larissa proceeds to unzip her sweatshirt, revealing a white sleeveless top that covered her upper body, wrapping around her round chest.


    siwoo was entranced by the swaying motions of her bosom, fully exposed in all their glory. her bosom and those alluring pointed nipples were like a magnet softly inviting siwoo¡¯s hands.


    ¡±by the look of things, you¡¯re not a witch, are you? you¡¯re more like... a high-ranking official. i do often wonder how it would taste if i made love with a man that managed to catch a witch¡¯s eye.¡±


    to summarize, larissa is a promiscuous woman and siwoo piqued her interest since she believed a witch like amelia was eyeing him.


    a man¡¯s worth seems to increase in this world if they are loved by a witch.


    let alone amelia, siwoo had no idea what goes through the thought processes of women and the things they hide in their hearts.


    he who had been consistently attracting ladies was quite perplexed by the situation.


    ¡°it won¡¯t matter even if we take our sweet time. i distracted her with a bunch of cookies and a hot cup of tea. it wouldn¡¯t hurt to fool around for half an hour, would it?¡±


    larissa¡¯s hand sneaked under siwoo¡¯s coat.


    her long delicate fingers wormed their way toward siwoo¡¯s nipples where she started rubbing circles around them.


    ¡°let¡¯s give the noble witch some time alone with her tea, while we adults have some fun.¡±


    siwoo was at a loss for words.


    words could not begin to describe the insanity of the situation.


    no matter how siwoo tried to deny it, he still understood what larissa meant by having some adult fun.


    larissa amped up her assault on siwoo¡¯s body in response to the muffled response from siwoo.


    ¡±do you even care about that witch, really? despite the fact that i am of lesser social standing than she is. i¡¯m convinced that i¡¯m one step ahead of her when it comes to... other departments.¡±


    the melons dangled within her white shirt as she reached a hand onto her breasts and began slightly shaking it.


    -flinch¨C


    siwoo¡¯s member that had been calm and unresponsive, suddenly flinched.


    as she had claimed, her g cup breasts were truly ginormous, easily dwarfing the size of amelia¡¯s.


    larissa pulled her sweatshirt over her head without a word.


    her tits were so large, in fact, that siwoo wondered if it would even fit in his palm.


    it held an irresistible charm that no man could overcome.


    siwoo eventually succumbed to the urge and began exploring every nook and cranny of her chest with his mouth wide open.


    milky white skin coupled with those delicate pink mountains.


    it reminded him of the tits on a russian white model he had seen on media.


    indeed, the holy scriptures did not lie.


    ¡°i touched yours, so it¡¯s only fair for you to touch mine.¡±¡±


    interestingly, although it was larissa offering up her bosom to be touched, siwoo was the one who started blushing.


    in situations like this, siwoo was supposed to be assertive. however, he had no idea how to act in front of such a bold proposal.


    however, the mystical power that the swaying boobs contained was beyond imagination.


    almost as if a switch was flicked, siwoo¡¯s hands reached out and started fondling her breasts without hesitation.


    siwoo¡¯s fingers sank deeply into her flesh as he squeezed, the suppleness of the tits pushing his fingers out with an equal force.


    the massive melons possessed a considerable amount of weight behind them.


    there was a suppleness to her erected mountain peaks that was pleasant to the touch.


    ¡°it¡¯s quite awkward, holding them at this angle. do you mind if i use both of my hands?¡±


    larissa giggled as if it were tickling when siwoo¡¯s hand squeezed her tits.


    he was unable to resist the urge.


    honestly, it felt awesome.


    almost as if she was used to it, larissa¡¯s hand snaked down siwoo¡¯s pants as he absent-mindedly played with her chest.


    ¡°ugh!¡±


    ¡°ooo... you¡¯re bigger than i thought! you¡¯d think someone as cute as you would have a cute package to go along with it as well.¡±


    larissa¡¯s lips parted as she used her tongue to moisten her luscious red lips as she began stroking siwoo¡¯s rod.


    although there was little space for movement in his underwear, it received far more pleasure than he had ever experienced before.


    ¡°come here.¡±


    ¡°wait a minute...!¡±


    larissa pulled siwoo towards her as she leaned onto a shelf. in a single tug, siwoo¡¯s pants fell to the ground. she then proceeded to part her lips, swallowing his manhood in its entirety.


    he had come to the store without properly showering, and after having walked around, it had accumulated a faint sweat odor. yet larissa didn¡¯t seem to pay it any mind as she unhesitantly began going down on him.


    -huk, hurlock, holock


    sloppy, wet sounds started emanating from her mouth.


    siwoo made a futile attempt to stop her, but all resistance was for naught, as his resistance collapsed the moment his cock entered the deep caverns of her mouth.


    his legs felt like jelly, forcing him to lean onto a nearby wall for support.


    ¡°holok... holok...!¡±


    larissa possessed a surprising amount of skill in sucking dick. she knew of the perfect pressure and intensity, utilizing her soft hot tongue to caress his member.


    siwoo truly believed that he wouldn¡¯t be able to last longer than 10 seconds under these conditions.


    still, he was a proud male in his element and it would hurt his pride if he showed any sign of weakness.


    he barely held himself together as he began to enjoy the experience larissa¡¯s tongue brought.


    2.


    ¡°sis, what time do you think it is now?¡±


    ¡°do you have any idea how many times you¡¯ve repeated that question?¡±


    ¡±of course! it¡¯s the 55th time i¡¯m asking this.¡±


    odil and odette were waiting for siwoo at a hidden mansion in tarot town.


    they had arranged to meet together at 3 pm. however, it was already 5 pm.


    odil and odette sat side by side, their shoulders touching. they were sitting on a bed and sullen looks hung from their faces.


    they had spent their time wandering around tarot town, exploring the place.


    the twins had been waiting on siwoo for the past four hours ever since they reached the mansion at 1 pm.


    ¡°is he not coming?¡±


    ¡°although the assistant can be clumsy, he isn¡¯t one to lie.¡±


    ¡°come on, don¡¯t you think we should go outside and have a little fun? hm?¡±


    ¡°if you want to have fun, go out by yourself. i¡¯ll be here waiting by myself.¡±


    odette pouted her lips as she slumped onto the bed.


    it was the long awaited break from their boring magic classes and odette was irritated by the fact that she had wasted half a day waiting for siwoo.


    ¡°by the way, sis? what would we do if our master found out about our little prank?¡±


    ¡°what do you mean what will we do?¡±


    ¡±well... assistant siwoo is both a man and a slave... i¡¯d bet master will get really angry at us...¡±


    odil thought for a moment.


    in the beginning, she wouldn¡¯t have cared if a slave died.


    but assistant siwoo was the exception to the rule.


    they had formed a close relationship after several private talks and over their heated discussion in magic.


    that was only odil¡¯s opinion though.


    ¡°we just have to help him then. i¡¯m sure our teacher would be pleased to hear that a slave managed to discover how to utilize mana. it¡¯d be an interesting sight for sure.¡±


    ¡°but wouldn¡¯t it be better for us if we blamed everything on the assistant- ouch!¡±


    odil gently smacked her sister¡¯s forehead


    ¡°we are witches and noble aristocrats of society and as such, we have our obligations to follow! are you going to simply snitch on the assistant because you¡¯re afraid of our teacher¡¯s scolding?¡±


    odette silently sobbed as she wrapped her arms around her head.


    it seemed that odette was still a little too immature.


    ¡±hng... i understand... but why¡¯d you have to get so aggressive?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s because you¡¯re too naive for your age.¡±


    as the saying went, we have to take responsibility for our actions.


    and since siwoo had broken his promise today...


    ¡°he must be held accountable for that too.¡±


    3.


    siwoo felt a chill run down his spine as he received the best blowjob of his life.

 Chapter 19: Border Town (4)

    ? border town (4) ?


    1.


    according to the ramblings of takasho, no matter how unattractive a man was.


    there will come, at least once in their life, a phase of their life where there will be plenty of ladies chasing after him.


    siwoo had laughed it off, thinking that takasho was simply spouting shit from his mouth without any real credibility, but nowadays, he began to wonder if he was the fool and if what takasho mentioned was accurate.


    it started out with the twins, then amelia, then larissa, someone whom he had never before met in in life until now.


    he¡¯d been suffering in servitude for the past 5 years and only now did women start to flock around him.


    ¡°you can moan if you want. either way, she¡¯s too far to hear them.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s enough from you.¡±


    larissa knelt at siwoo¡¯s feet, looking up on siwoo. her messy hair tucked behind her ears.


    she had merely teased his cock with her tongue and yet the pleasure that he had experienced was on a whole another level.


    the symbol of femininity hung from her chest, gravity pulling it down, it swayed in hypnotic motions as she bobbed her head, his member in her mouth.


    ¡°let¡¯s try something new... how¡¯s this? does it feel better?¡±


    his manhood glistened in the light as larissa held it in her hands. pulling back his foreskin, a rosebud-like member revealed itself in all its glory.


    larissa¡¯s tongue poked out and inserted itself between the gaps of his foreskin and his raw member.


    ¨C slurp, sluurp, sluuurp, slurp!


    siwoo was forced to increase the pressure in his legs as they threatened to give way.


    it was a different technique as compared to odil and odette¡¯s sloppy fellatio.


    ¡±why¡¯s your nether regions so hairless and smooth?¡±


    larissa asked as she devoured his sacks, running her hot tongue around siwoo¡¯s rod.


    she seemed indifferent to the fact that his cock was covered in saliva.


    siwoo felt like he was watching an av actress perform her craft in real life, each and every action she took was natural and performed without an ounce of hesitation.


    ¨C squeak squeak


    siwoo felt like he was about to cum. his cock, glistening in saliva and filled with pre-cum, anxiously twitched in her hands


    the urethra of his cock continued to ooze clear liquid.


    he hurriedly opened his mouth in an attempt to formulate an excuse.


    ¡±i- i don¡¯t usually finish that fast...¡±


    ¡°huh. you know what, it¡¯s truly fascinating seeing you¡¯re so hairless, it¡¯s almost as smooth as a baby¡¯s bottom.¡±


    ¡±not to mention the size of this thing,¡± larissa snorted.


    an overwhelming urge to splatter his baby batter all over her face overcame siwoo as larissa licked her lips. the red tongue rubbing over her red, luscious lips.


    no one could deny that she was an extremely desirable young woman. one who was capable of stimulating a man¡¯s deepest desires.


    ¡°come on... we don¡¯t have much time, do we? i can¡¯t wait to get a taste of your homemade mayo.¡±


    smirking, larissa twirled the head of his penis around her nipple.


    siwoo attempted to shut larissa up but faltered after experiencing the intense stimulation building up in his nether regions.


    ¡°phew... let¡¯s wrap this up. we don¡¯t have much time left.¡±


    she boldly stood up; her naked body exposed to the elements for all to see and bent over a nearby shelf.


    her garments were left around her heels, revealing her plump butt cheeks in all their glory.


    ¡°haa....¡±


    siwoo was lost for words. his gaze was drawn to her cheeks, so perfectly round and plump that they hid her other hole behind the mound of flesh.


    ¡°what are you waiting for? you want this, don¡¯t you?¡±


    larissa parted her butt, exposing her femininity in all its glory, glistening from the stimulation.


    siwoo felt the urge to succumb to his temptations, but managed to barely wrestle control from his inner thoughts.


    amelia stood fewer than 50 steps away from their location.


    siwoo was aware that amelia held a soft spot for him and realized that it wouldn¡¯t be wise to be caught in the act if her subtle actions were a hint of her romantic interest in him.


    he had no idea what the consequences of his actions might entail if she had found out that he had refused to yield to her even after 5 years of constant torture, and yet he would casually fuck another woman he had met not more than once before.


    ¡°why the hesitation?¡±


    larissa began grinding herself onto siwoo¡¯s erect cock, coating it in layers of her love juice.


    the combination of both her bush as well as her sweltering flesh clung to his cock, creating a symphony of unique sounds.


    as if molten lava was being poured out, the warmth emanating from her entrance teased his sensitive shaft, one that had become warmer and stickier than any other part of a female body.


    ¡°do you like witches?¡±


    ¡°no way.¡±


    siwoo, whose thoughts were a mess, snarled angrily at the thought of liking a witch.


    it was undeniable that amelia held a charm to her, but that didn¡¯t mean that siwoo harbored any romantic feelings towards the witch.


    the only emotions that siwoo held toward her were a mix between respect, fear, and resentment.


    ¡°do you truly believe that a witch is capable of loving a slave?¡±


    ¡°no.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m asking because you look so foolish and nai?ve.¡±


    larissa muttered whilst licking her lips.


    ¡°your head must be in the clouds if you truly believe that a witch can love you. from my experience, as a woman that has been born and raised here in gehenna, the power they hold is terrifying. humans can only play with humans just like how witches should only play with witches.¡±


    siwoo couldn¡¯t decide whether larissa was saying this out of genuine concern or simply to put him in the mood for some quick sex.


    larissa, however, wore a solemn look on her face.


    ¡°the higher rank a witch is, the worse the danger. you do know what they do to a paramour after they¡¯re finished with them, don¡¯t you?¡±


    her words held the truth of the world. something only those that have come into contact with the dark reality of the world would understand.


    ¡°dead.¡±


    a single word that frightened siwoo so much that his lust was temporarily stifled.


    ¡°why?¡±


    ¡°you ask why? well, it¡¯s because even among witches, the aristocrats are special.¡±


    ¡°how¡¯d you even find out she¡¯s a noble?¡±


    ¡°you learn to recognize the signs. plenty of witches frequent my store every day.¡±


    larissa stopped to catch her breath.


    ¡°compared to normal witches, aristocrats are far more arrogant and demanding. do you believe that a noble will keep a man, hell anyone for that matter, alive if they knew of their sexual preference or embarrassing sides? who knows what he¡¯d say when he¡¯s let loose into the real world.¡±


    ¡°but... amelia isn¡¯t the type of person to do that...¡±


    siwoo had unknowingly come to the defense of amelia.


    although some witches do act the way larissa characterizes witches, amelia was different.


    yes, she did have a childish, petty personality and even a cranky personality but siwoo didn¡¯t believe that amelia was as bad as larissa made her out to be.


    larissa smirked at the way siwoo¡¯s personality abruptly changed.


    ¡°it¡¯s funny.¡±


    she muttered under her breath as she organized herself and put her clothes back on.


    larissa was plenty aware that siwoo no longer had the motivation to continue.


    ¡°being aware of their situation, whilst being aware is just sympathy covered in distractions. how tragic.¡±


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m talking about the paramour. a century ago, the relationship between witches and ¡°exiles¡± was a perfect example of that, but these days they say that things are different.¡±


    ¡°are you implying that everything was a lie?¡±


    larissa held up the underwear that siwoo was searching for and placed it in his hands.


    ¡°maybe? either way, you won¡¯t be able to do anything you desire if you¡¯re always afraid of her. will you look at that?¡±


    larissa grabbed a hold of siwoo¡¯s rigid rod, squeezing it before continuing.


    ¡°if you have the time later, stop by whenever you¡¯re free. i¡¯ll let you experience heaven with my tits.¡±


    larissa squeezed her breasts together, jiggling them in a seductive manner.


    siwoo pondered if they should¡¯ve just fucked and slightly regretted his decision.


    tidying themselves up, the both of them stepped between the shelves and returned to the counter.


    a little dining table had been set up close to the shelves, there amelia sat sipping on a cup of tea.


    it was way closer than siwoo imagined.


    fortunately there was a distance between her and the shelf. had they had been a little louder, amelia would¡¯ve heard the commotion.


    ¡°did you find something?¡±


    ¡°yeah, i will take this.¡±


    despite not doing anything immoral. it was still hard for siwoo to look at amelia. perhaps it was due to the shame he felt.


    siwoo brought out the pair of calvin klein underwear from a paper bag.


    amelia replied without batting an eye.


    ¡°pack it.¡±


    ¡°yes, ma¡¯am. i¡¯ll make sure to pack it with the utmost care. it¡¯s a part of the service experience of purchasing a high-end item after all.¡±


    larissa bowed her head as her eyes darted towards the area of siwoo¡¯s manhood.


    ¡°......?¡±


    amelia was confused by the exchange, whilst siwoo struggled to remain calm.


    the shopping trip finally concluded with the trip being paid for by amelia.


    2.


    amelia and siwoo stood side by side as they retraced their steps on the familiar path they took before.


    the rain had stopped when they left the store and so there was no need for an umbrella between them.


    their shoulders never met as siwoo was lagging a step behind her.


    ¡°ms. assistant professor, i know i¡¯m late in saying this, but thank you so much for this gift.¡±


    amelia remained quiet, irritating siwoo, who took the opportunity to start a conversation.


    he had noticed that amelia wanted to chat from the way her eyes occasionally shifted in his direction from time to time.


    even if she wasn¡¯t aware of what she was doing at the moment, it was obvious to any third party looking in.


    she seemed eager to feign her serenity.


    amelia took her time to respond to siwoo. taking approximately 3 seconds for her to turn and look at siwoo.


    amelia replied, sounding quite pleased.


    ¡°it appears that the gift i gave you was not for naught.¡±


    it seemed to reference siwoo¡¯s behavior, which had become less hostile.


    although he felt a little burdened by something, siwoo had no intention of telling her about it.


    ¡°i was foolish in the past. as i mentioned before, i was blind to your kindness and your magnanimity resulting in my recklessness.¡±


    siwoo believed that he would receive another gift if he buttered her up.


    it seemed like saving amelia from the collapsing tent today was a good decision.


    would it be possible for the future to continue being so comfortable?


    amelia continued her walk, not bothering to provide a proper response.


    it seemed as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders as amelia took lighter steps.


    in any case, siwoo felt a soreness in his nether regions that had been aching ever since what happened in the store.


    his balls felt swollen from being unable to properly expel his load after getting hard.


    amelia¡¯s seductive butt swayed in the air in front of him.


    her calves were slick and did not appear to possess any fats. her thin dress pressed up against her body and a subtle outline of her panties could be seen through the fabric.


    the scene in front of him overlapped with the situation with larissa.


    the issue at hand was that siwoo could still feel his manhood continue to throb in his pants.


    silently gripping his nether regions in an attempt to relieve the pressure, he followed behind amelia.


    arriving at the platform, siwoo¡¯s fantasy of going home and jacking off after a long time abruptly came to an end when a piece of information struck him.


    ¡°huh? you mean... we can¡¯t use the portal today?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a routine maintenance check, something you¡¯d know if you opened your ears and listened. tsk, tsk, tsk.¡±


    what it meant was that the portal would be unavailable for the next 12 hours due to maintenance and inspections.


    siwoo, who had been waved off by the receptionist, returned with the bag of gold coins.


    ¡°ms. assistant professor, it appears that the portal is closed for maintenance for the next 12 hours. we won¡¯t be able to use the portal today.¡±


    it was a funny sight, siwoo looked like a lover who had planned an elaborate date only to have missed the last train back home and who was forced to report the bad news to his counterpart.


    ¡°hm... shall we arrange a carriage then?¡±


    amelia appeared unfazed by the situation.


    ¡°never mind, lenormand town is too far of a destination for a carriage anyways.¡±


    after all, it wouldn¡¯t matter even if they booked a carriage. the portal would¡¯ve been opened by then.


    siwoo felt absolutely stumped.


    he couldn¡¯t stay here for 12 hours.


    ¡°what should we do?¡±


    ¡°i know a friend who owns a villa nearby.¡±


    siwoo was surprised in more ways than one.


    the first of which was that amelia had a friend despite her horrendous communication skills.


    second of all, there would be a villa owned by a witch in a small time village like this one.


    and last, of all, the fact that amelia, who was known for her fussiness, decided to stay in border town without having to ponder it for a moment.


    she had the capability to arrive back at the academy in about an hour or so if she relied on her magic and yet she made the decision to remain in this dingy village.


    siwoo tailed behind amelia as he scratched his head in confusion.


    despite the unique situation, amelia seemed to still be in a good mood. her steps held the same weight as before.

 Chapter 20: Border Town (5)

    ? border town (5) ?


    1.


    there was a slight issue, however.


    the villa belonging to amelia¡¯s friend, the one she lent to her to stay on during this trip...


    they had next to no idea where the villa was located inside border town. the address given was unfamiliar to both of them.


    amelia, born into nobility, was understandably unfamiliar with the geology of border town. thus it fell to siwoo to figure out the location of the villa. with no clues nor maps at hand, he inevitably resorted to asking the passersby about the location, thinking that the residents may be able to kindly point them to their destination. however, the only response he received were tilted heads and eyes brimming with confusion and doubt.


    thus with no one to help, they wandered the road for almost an hour with siwoo trying his utmost to figure out the directions to the damn villa. however, his inability to find out the location had resulted in an increasingly worse expression settling on amelia¡¯s face and subsequently her mind, making siwoo almost faint from the blistering sense of anxiety he felt.


    ¡°please, could you kindly point me in the direction of cloud mushroom village 1-12?¡±


    ¡°oh, finding it can be quite difficult for a newcomer. listen, closely young man, lest you might miss it. it¡¯s in quite the enclosed area after all.¡±


    roaming the streets for a while more, siwoo decided to ask the reliable lady selling the chicken skewers from earlier. and she didn¡¯t disappoint.


    along with giving him precise and meticulous directions leading to the village, the good-natured lady also informed him of different events regarding the village. events that he couldn¡¯t really find it in himself to give a damn about right now.


    ¡°thank you so much, really. you¡¯ve saved my skin.¡±


    ¡°why are you thanking me? we¡¯re both from the east, aren¡¯t we? easterners should live by sticking out for each other, especially in a place like this.¡±


    if what he heard from the lady was true, then they might¡¯ve been lost all along.


    according to the rumors, the villa that they were searching for was located in the village that was formerly the primary living place for the witches of the town.


    however, the place had been abandoned for 10 years, already.


    the exact location of this cloud mushroom village was to the north of border town, straight in the center of a forest extending a considerable area.


    the original village had been overridden by this forest. reportedly, a witch during one of her experiments royally fucked up and caused the widespread growth of thousands of oak trees, destroying the village in the process.


    allegedly, the witch was said to have been expelled from gehenna due to this incident which also accosted her with a huge amount of debt. from that moment on, this incident was termed as the ¡°sprout rebellion¡± by the locales.


    siwoo shared all of his acquired information with amelia.


    ¡°....what if ms. associate professor¡¯s friend made a mistake with the address?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t think so. from what i¡¯ve heard, it was only built three years ago. so, it shouldn¡¯t have been destroyed due to the incident.¡±


    ¡°i see.¡±


    well, he believed that the meticulous witch, that was amelia, would never make a blunder like this. she should¡¯ve double-checked the authenticity of the info already.¡±


    so, the only way left was to traverse the dock and locate the exact place of the villa by themselves.


    ships carrying goods collected from the other side, the modern world, frequented the docks even at the tardive hours of the night.


    floodlights, typically used in construction sites during the dead hours of the night, illuminated the night harbor with their incandescent glow. meanwhile, slaves transferring the piles of goods from the ships could be seen as far as the eyes could perceive, being whipped every now and then to hasten their steps,


    in a corner, a large bidding war was held for a gigantic shark; pulled out from an inconspicuous fishing boat.


    and on another corner, one could witness the smugglers busily counting the cash notes and exchanging them for gold bars.


    rather than the distinct smell of the ocean, a musty stench of sweat, mixed in with the smoggy scents of opium and cigarettes filled the entirety of the harbor area.


    had siwoo not been lucky enough to land a position as a slave in the city hall, his fate would most definitely not have been better than those slaves, carrying goods while not even having the leisure to tend to the wounds and bruises inflicted.


    his body shivered instinctively merely imagining that horrifying scene.


    amelia, however, didn¡¯t even give a cursory glance at the dreadful scene surrounding her, as though everything was inconsequential to her.


    she didn¡¯t even feel the slightest bit of guilt, fully knowing that this absurd system was the making of witches like her.


    that was the sort of person amelia was. he was well aware of that truth.


    however, more than the feelings of displeasure or contempt, siwoo felt a bleak sense of disappointment settle in him at her actions.


    ¡°i, i can¡¯t...! i can¡¯t do it...!¡±


    suddenly, a slave began to rebel in one of the loading docks.


    the slave, that looked to be in his 30s, threw away all the goods he was carrying and collapsed on the floor. no clothes could be seen on his upper torso and merely pants of even worse quality than siwoo¡¯s were the last line of clothes protecting his dignity.


    despite the fact that he was half naked in this chilly weather of the night, the hem of his pants was stained with the salt stains of his sticky dried sweat.


    ¡°is this bastard for real? you won¡¯t get up right away, will you?¡±


    rushing over in his direction was a burly-looking slave manager equipped with a serrated whip.


    the surrounding clamor caught amelia¡¯s attention, and thus they stopped moving as they witnessed the harrowing scene ahead.


    ¡°kill me! just fucking kill me already! what kind of person can work for 16 hours a day?¡±


    the middle-aged man, with bloodshot eyes that emanated a maddening ferocity, started screaming fiercely and resisted against the manager even after being mercilessly whipped.


    busy thrashing the slave for his transgression, the manager belatedly realized amelia¡¯s presence and got visibly flustered.


    he felt thoroughly humiliated. a slave under him was rioting while being in the presence of a noble witch; this was a testament to his incompetence. what else could he feel other than shame?


    such was the mentality of gehenna¡¯s citizens, deeply entrenched in feudalism.


    ¡ªshcwing


    reaching the limits of his shame and the subsequent anger, the manager unsheathed the curved sword from his waist.


    ¡°even though you were as slow as a pig, i tolerated your incompetence it and let you go, but i won¡¯t stand it any longer!¡±


    the moment, the slave manager attempted to behead the slave, something unexpected occurred...


    amelia stepped forward.


    ¡°stop.¡±


    ¡°ms. witch! bastards like these need to be punished to serve as an example!¡±


    the slave seemed to have gone mad already as he had not stopped shrieking even once from the beginning to the end.


    once the slave had spotted amelia, however, he started yelling at her. vulgar words poured out of the ungrateful slave¡¯s mouth. he had really gone mad from rage, it seemed.


    ¡°is that good-looking lady over there a witch, mate? damn, they do look sexy, these rotten bitches.¡±


    ¡°you fucking imbecile!¡±


    the dastardly slave, having made the horrifying transgression of crudely mocking amelia, got swiftly kicked in the head by the manager.


    sparks may be lit against the manager if the slave¡¯s comments were deemed to be disrespectful.


    the manager had enough of the foul slave. as he tried to trample on the half-fainted slave, amelia intervened, stopping him from stomping the slave to death.


    ¡°i told you to stop. did you not hear me speak?¡±


    ¡°yes, i understand, madam!.¡±


    the manager reluctantly withdrew his foot. he was dissatisfied but he could not disrespect amelia so he chose to remain silent.


    as he was familiar with the customs and the taboos of gehenna, he sensibly refrained from challenging the great witch¡¯s orders.


    the middle-aged slave, finally awake from his half-fainted state, immediately burst into an uncontrollable fit of grief and sorrow.


    ¡°why? just why!!? why did you have to bring someone just trying to lead an honest life into this hell? tell...me...why!!!?¡±


    crawling on the ground, the old man glared daggers toward amelia, eyes blaring with untold fury.


    ¡°do you believe you¡¯re great? merciful? benevolent? do you think your oh-so-great beauty gives you the right to trample on our lives? just fucking kill me already, you whore! kill me now!!!¡±


    seeing amelia¡¯s brows twitch in displeasure, siwoo knew it was time for him to step in. so, he did step in...


    he was already aware of amelia¡¯s nasty personality. he knew that she may lose it if things drag on. and...he sincerely didn¡¯t wish to see her murder someone on a fit of rage.


    ¡°hey, uncle, uncle! please, calm down!¡±


    ¡°who are you?¡±


    siwoo could feel all the gazes of the still surroundings, all work coming to a halt due to the commotion, nailing him down.


    shoving the manager aside, ripping off a piece of his jacket in the process, he came down to the middle-aged slave and wiped the mud off his weary face.


    ¡°you¡¯re going to get yourself killed at this rate. so, please, let¡¯s be rational from now on, alright?¡±


    the manager was shocked by siwoo¡¯s outrageous act, but he was unable to stop him.


    how could he? the witch, amelia was standing still, watching the spectacle in silence.


    abruptly, the slave stood on his feet and pushed siwoo on the chest without warning.


    ¡°you¡¯re a fucking paramour, aren¡¯t you? i can see that from how you¡¯re clinging with that witch. i hate bastards like you the most. do you know who did this to us? who snatched our freedoms and turned us into this? those bitches! like her! what¡¯s the difference between you and the pro-japanese?¡±¡±


    a punch thus landed on siwoo, forcing him to retreat from the crazed man.


    watching that scene, amelia¡¯s eyebrows shot up, making her move from her position.


    a faint aroma of lilac lingered in the air. it was an artificial scent as there was nothing apart from the dried seaweed latched on the shore. not even a faint trace of a flower could be found in the harbor.


    soon the scent became so strong that it gave one the illusion of having stepped into a garden of flowers. the sweet scent of lilac spread far and wide, masking all the nasty smells that emanated from the harbor. be it the horrid smell of dried fish, the salty scent of the sea, or the musky aroma of the exploited slaves, everything was shadowed by the scent of fresh lilacs.


    this alluring scent, one that someone could only hope to encounter in the sweetest dreams, could never be natural.


    this was the great witch amelia¡¯s self-essence magic.


    through this magic, amelia marigold was enshrined with the title of the ¡®witch of fragrance¡¯.


    as soon as the people caught a whiff of the oddities they fled without a second of doubt.


    even the angry manager threw his sword and fled for his life, showing the severity of this situation.


    ¡°very well. i shall grant your wish if that¡¯s what your heart desires.¡±


    leisurely, amelia¡¯s hand lifted in the air, pointing toward the lunatic slave. but before she could obliterate the man...


    her wrist was firmly gripped by a hand, it was siwoo¡¯s.


    ¡°....what?¡±


    her azure-blue eyes, faintly glowing with the reflection of mana trembled at the sudden intrusion.


    the transgression of touching a witch¡¯s body without permission; that too by a mere slave.


    it was a major offense that warranted extreme measures.


    surprisingly, siwoo wasn¡¯t obliterated on the spot. even the sign of slight surprise vanished from amelia¡¯s face as her face slowly returned to her usual expressionless state. turning her head she questioned siwoo in a cold tone.


    ¡°what do you think you are doing, janitor?¡±


    ¡°do you believe this is the right thing to do, madam?¡±


    ¡°a slave humiliated me in public, janitor. he seems to wish for death, and i¡¯m only doing him the favor of granting him that wish. i see nothing wrong here.¡±


    wrong.


    that was not a word existing in the dictionary of a pure-blooded witch like amelia.


    she was not going to listen, even if he endlessly preached to her about how ridiculous this system was.


    ¡°yeah, you¡¯re probably right. but, ms. associate professor amelia...¡±


    siwoo gave strength to the hand holding amelia¡¯s wrist in a tight grip, preventing her from extending her hand any further.


    even though he knew that he could get fucked for this blasphemous act, he still didn¡¯t wish to witness amelia killing someone.


    ¡°if the ms. associate professor kills that slave, i don¡¯t think i can ever forgive you.¡±


    it was an absurd statement, bordering lunacy. it was a nonsensical statement to bet someone¡¯s life on.


    in what sane world could a slave ever threaten a witch as he did?


    siwoo was aware of the contradiction in his words. but he was still willing to bet on it.


    ¡°.......¡±


    siwoo faced amelia without averting his eyes from her. the witch silently nailed him with her gaze.


    after a while, however, amelia¡¯s eyes sparkling in the power of mana, slowly lost their glow.


    she retracted her mana, deciding to listen to siwoo. .


    the dreamlike fragrance of lilac emanating throughout was soon replaced with the original smell of border town.


    only then could siwoo afford to look at his surroundings.


    everyone who had been screaming and fleeing everywhere halted on their steps...together.


    their movements were so in sync that it felt like they were doing a group performance.


    slowly, the halted populace started moving again.


    ¡°what... just what was that?¡±


    ¡°what happened?¡±


    ¡°i felt like i caught a whiff of a lovely scent of flowers and then i was suddenly here.¡±


    people buzzed about. words indicated that they had lost a part of their memories.


    unbothered by their clamor, amelia walked past siwoo and approached the manager who was holding the sword that had tumbled on the ground during his escape.


    ¡°who¡¯s in charge here?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m jack, the 3rd anchorage¡¯s logistics officer, madam!¡±


    the officer introduced himself in a deafening tone.


    ¡°please investigate the slave¡¯s origin and send him to the appropriate location. if you leave him here, well, he will most likely drop dead in a few days anyways. might as well get rid of the extra baggage.¡±


    ¡°yes! understood, madam!¡±


    the officer responded with the same disciplined voice of a new recruit filled with vigor.


    it was a starkly different response compared to the rudely behaving slave.


    moments later, the middle-aged slave, seemingly still mad with rage, yelled at the departing back of a slowly retreating amelia. his words are still harsh and full of contempt.


    ¡°why? i told you to kill me! can¡¯t do it, huh?¡±


    amelia didn¡¯t look back, opting to not respond to his taunts.


    siwoo stood next to amelia the entire time, watching silently as the middle-aged man¡¯s echoing voice gradually died down. the officer covering the lunatic¡¯s lips with his hand played a huge part in finally ending this farce.


    ¡°thank you, ms. associate professor.¡±


    siwoo was feeling ecstatic.


    he couldn¡¯t really pinpoint the exact reason behind his happiness...


    though, what he could say for sure was that... he was glad to know that amelia wasn¡¯t a witch who was rotten to her very core.


    ¡°don¡¯t get me wrong. nothing in the janitor¡¯s speech caused me to change my decision.¡±


    amelia¡¯s voice was still as cold as always.


    yes, siwoo could more or less understand why she did it.


    even though amelia was a cold and ruthless witch, she didn¡¯t wish to soil her hands in a fit of anger.


    just when they were about to step foot into the path leading to the oak forest, clearly visible even from a great distance...


    amelia¡¯s voice echoed beside siwoo. it was a distant voice as though she were reciting a poem.


    ¡°live like a noble while adhering to the path of a witch.¡±


    ¡°pardon?¡±


    ¡°that was the final teaching my master imparted to me. she used to say that to me on a regular basis during her last days, you see...


    siwoo was so startled by her statement that he thought he might pass out any minute.


    five years. five long years he spent with her and this was the first time he heard her speak about herself. it was a great shock to siwoo.


    ¡°i know what it means to live like a witch. walking on this path. i think it¡¯s good to just live as i do now.


    siwoo glanced at amelia¡¯s side profile. he had to admit, amelia was the perfect definition of a witch to siwoo. there was none like her.


    however, in that lofty face of hers that shone with arrogance and stoicism, he felt that he might¡¯ve caught a brief glimpse of a shadow. a shadow of grief plaguing her for a long time. he felt as if he had just glimpsed the shadow of grief in her haughty, cold face.


    ¡°however, i could never really understand what it meant to live like a noble.¡±


    amelia, who had previously appeared like a pretty doll (due to a dreadful curse), now appeared a little more human.


    listening to her, siwoo voiced his thoughts.


    ¡°a while ago, ms. amelia looked far more noble than anybody i have ever witnessed.¡±


    amelia¡¯s expression, which had looked vulnerable for a brief moment, went back to its previous expressionless state.


    the sudden shift in appearance seemed forceful, almost stubborn. it was like she was obliged to maintain that appearance at all times.


    ¡°the janitor needs to stop sounding like a smartass.¡±


    amelia snapped back at him.


    siwoo only smiled merrily in response to her angry retort.

 Chapter 21: Border Town (6)

    ? border town (6) ?


    1.


    although they had only ventured a little further into the forest than they intended to, the night sky made it neigh impossible for the both of them to see their hands in front of their face.


    with the clouds blotting out the moonlight and without a light source from harbor lights, the atmosphere around them felt considerably worse than when they were in border town.


    the forest seemed to be enveloped in darkness as neither light nor moonlight could penetrate its impervious canopy.


    the witch had cast a simple spell that created fire, one that simply provided light without endangering the surrounding objects around it. it allowed amelia and siwoo to navigate their way through the forest and to the villa where they would be resting for the night.


    upon the duo¡¯s arrival at cloud mushroom village, the place where the villa was located, it was apparent that a bizarre situation had taken place.


    looking at the scene in front of him, siwoo couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the scene was what earth would look like 200 years after its destruction.


    it was just as the lady had mentioned before. scenes of trees growing in weird places could be seen all over the village. a tree had managed to sprout in the middle of a mansion and smashed its way through the roof, another had managed to sprout in the middle of a street, whilst another was towering over the wreckage of a demolished house.


    oak trees that had managed to grow past the height of 50 meters dotted the residential district as their canopies loomed above them.


    on their way to the villa, they chanced upon the sights of the devastated village and eventually arrived on a street where the cobblestone had been covered with acorns.


    they arrived before a villa, a building that stood out amidst the residential district. it was the only building that still retained its lights.


    after navigating the twists and turns of the ruined street, the duo¡¯s face was filled with bewilderment as they gazed upon the structure.


    the ¡®villa¡¯ they were searching for just so happened to be suspended in the air, dangling in the middle of a 20-meter-long tree.


    the disaster that had struck the village had occurred over 10 years ago and yet the villa had been built 3 years ago. leading one to the conclusion that it was built that way on purpose.


    would it be better to describe it as an unusual hotel instead of a villa?


    there were undoubtedly many hotels on earth that looked to emulate such a design after all. for example, a motel built in the middle of a desert, a bed that is perched atop a hill to provide the best alps view, or even a room that was built 20 meters underwater.


    the villa was probably built with the same thought process in mind.


    ¡°are you sure you got the right place?¡±


    ¡°although it looks small on the outside, the interior has spatial magic cast on it expanding its space.¡±


    looking at the small villa in front of them, siwoo struggled to believe amelia¡¯s words. surprise could be seen in the duo¡¯s eyes as they stared at the floating structure in front of them.


    the villa seemed to dwarf the duo from their point of view.


    amelia lightly kicked off the ground, looking like an angel soaring up to meet the heavens. as siwoo clambered up the ladder that had been conveniently lowered from the entrance of the villa.


    a sense of dread crept into siwoo¡¯s heart as he made his way up the ladder. he had never seen a ladder possess such height in his life as the one in front of him after all.


    meanwhile,


    after a brief struggle, siwoo managed to reach the top of the ladder where he was confronted by none other than amelia. it looked as if she had seen into the eyes of cthulhu himself as her eyes were laser-focused on the open door of the villa. 1[e/n: the author didn¡¯t use cthulhu but it was the best analogy i could find (?¡¯?-¡®?)? come at me]


    ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡±


    siwoo, who had rushed to her side, stood shell-shocked as he looked at the peculiar situation that had developed in front of him.


    ¡°........¡±


    ¡°........¡±


    instead of the wide-open interior of the villa that they had come to expect, the space in the villa was exactly as they saw from the outside. no spatial magic had been used to artificially increase the space within it.


    in fact, if one of them wanted to know the whereabouts of the other person, all it would take was a simple glance to identify their position.


    the shabby exterior of the villa did not reflect its modern interior. the tree house was built with state-of-the-art equipment and made to resemble modern flats, commonly found in america.


    not a speck of dust could be found as the duo peered in. unlike the traditional style of gehenna, the villa¡¯s interior looked akin to modern hotels.


    however, it was not without it¡¯s flaws.


    a pink candle stick illuminated the room with a seductive atmosphere, and a large bed could be seen occupying a space in the villa.


    hanging over the bed was a mirror, which allowed anyone lying down on the bed to have a bird¡¯s eye view of anything that might happen.


    and that wasn¡¯t the worst of it..


    the only thing that separated the bathroom and the bedroom was a transparent glass wall.


    could it be any more obvious that this was a love hotel?


    siwoo was lost for words as amelia remained silent, her thoughts unknown.


    ¡°not a word, janitor.¡±


    ¡°but i haven¡¯t even said anything yet.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t even think about it.¡±


    amelia had a faint suspicion of the identity of the perpetrator behind this event. her friend was the only suspect in the equation after all. heaving a sigh, she raised a hand to rub her forehead, she could feel a headache start to set in.


    her first piority was to explain the situation to siwoo so as to avoid any suspicion. pausing for a moment, amelia turned to look at siwoo.


    ¡°just so you know, this is the first time i¡¯ve been to this villa.¡±


    ¡°i know.¡±


    amelia¡¯s surprise wouldn¡¯t have been this exaggerated if it wasn¡¯t her first time visiting the villa.


    in fact, she was even twirling her hair as she spoke!


    ¡°this was neither prepared by nor requested by me. i¡¯m as surprised as you.¡±


    ¡°i hear you loud and clear, associate professor.¡±


    the flustered expression that hung from amelia¡¯s face made the experience all the more worthwhile.


    ¡°that¡¯s good to hear¡±


    removing his shoes, siwoo entered the villa and slipped into a pair of slippers that had been placed at its entrance.


    2.


    shutting the doors, a tingling sensation could be felt through siwoo¡¯s body.


    the realization finally dawned upon him that he was in a love hotel with amelia.


    he pondered on whether this was a sign from amelia, a green light if you would.


    after all, they did intentionally venture into border town today. without any other company, almost... like a date. she had even worn sexy lingerie and had treated him quite well the entire trip. the portal was conveniently broken, and she conveniently had a friend¡¯s villa, which had quite the romantic atmosphere, to stay in.


    she was a witch after all and possessed the dignity that came along with it. amelia¡¯s pride wouldn¡¯t have been able to handle it had she been the one to make the first move.


    he wondered if this was her way of seducing him.


    siwoo shook his head while his fuzzy mind was running wild. shaking his head, siwoo tried to clear his mind of the thoughts without any success.


    ¡°fuck... that can¡¯t be true.¡±


    siwoo wasn¡¯t sure if there was a third party pulling the strings, but he knew for a fact that amelia had no reason to pull off a stunt like this.


    she wouldn¡¯t have needed to create such an elaborate plan to drag him under the sheets to play the devil¡¯s tango with him.


    ¨C whooosh


    siwoo was incredibly cautious, his eyes focused on a blind spot on the wall. he didn¡¯t want to risk offending amelia with a peek at her figure. using bodyweight exercises or going to that happy place in his head, siwoo tried to distract himself. he was doing well until the sounds of water hitting the toilet floor tiles reached his ears.


    it was the sound of running water sliding off amelia¡¯s body.


    after becoming a witch, one would gain freedom from a multitude of things.


    a branded witch would acquire a ¡®spiritual body¡¯ which transcends their mortal bodies and free themselves from the shackles known as the law of nature.


    the spiritual body would free them from aging, sickness, and hunger. it¡¯ll remove the need for consumption to survive, sleep, and even the need to remove any digestive byproducts.


    the only flaw was that the body was unable to regulate its owner¡¯s temperature by will. unsurprisingly, that had been solved by magic.


    despite all that, witches continue to enjoy mouth-watering delicacies, sleep in soft comfortable beds, and clean themselves in the most luxurious bathtubs they could find.


    their greed as humans would still remain even after becoming witches.


    the same could be seen with amelia, who had entered the bathroom and bathed herself.


    the sound of running water slowly came to a stop as siwoo noticed splashing sounds coming from the bathroom.


    unable to keep his eyes away for any longer, siwoo shifted his head in the direction of the toilet slowly.


    looking into the translucent wall that separated the two rooms, he could see amelia¡¯s silhouette with her hair tied up sitting in the bathtub.


    ¡°janitor.¡±


    ¡°y-yes!¡±


    siwoo shrieked in response, because of amelia¡¯s tone, siwoo had thought that he had been caught red-handed.


    fortunately, it didn¡¯t seem to be the case.


    ¡°bring me some of the wine in the cellar and a stick of those cigarettes i bought today.¡±


    there was a cellar in this cramped space? siwoo turned to take a look and noticed the entrance of the cellar hidden in a small corner in the room.


    amelia was able to see and understand siwoo¡¯s busy silhouette through the glass as he went about his task.


    although she hadn¡¯t told him to, siwoo took great care to get the ash tray ready.


    he set them down on the glass door of the bathroom while making every effort to avoid looking at amelia. siwoo carefully laid the ashtray in front of the glass door, careful to not catch a glimpse of amelia¡¯s naked body.


    ¡°it¡¯s ready.¡±


    ¡°bring it in, please.¡±


    it didn¡¯t end there, however.


    amelia had proceeded to order him to enter the bathroom where her naked body lay.


    ¡°what? i- i can¡¯t do that!¡±


    siwoo struggled to keep his composure.


    he was sure that this was just one of amelia¡¯s traps.


    if he truly did enter the bathroom, choosing to follow her orders. a terrible punishment would surely befall him.


    it wouldn¡¯t be strange for her to say ¡®a filthy slave like you. dares to cast his gaze upon a witch¡¯s body? i believe castration is in order.¡¯


    ¡°i¡¯m not going to repeat myself. get in here.¡±


    amelia fell silent after issuing the order.


    taking a deep breath in, siwoo planned out his next actions.


    it was simple really. all he had to do was go into the room, focus his gaze on the floors, and hand the bottle of wine to the bathing witch.


    ¡°then, if you¡¯d excuse me.¡±


    siwoo entered the bathroom with his head bowed.


    the bathroom was filled with steam, largely caused by the candles whose flames were fluttering in the turbulent air.


    a rosy fragrance lingered in the atmosphere.


    the first thing that siwoo noticed was that amelia had placed her clothes and underwear into a basket on the bathroom floor.


    they were all neatly folded up and at the very top lay her very mature lingerie, having only small amounts of fabric to cover her modesty.


    ¡°you don¡¯t have to look away from me. the bubbles help to cover everything after all.¡±


    hearing those words, siwoo gathered his courage and looked up.


    as she had mentioned, the bathtub was so filled with bubbles that it was hard to see the bottom of it.


    the only thing that siwoo managed to catch a glimpse of was her shoulder line.


    amelia¡¯s slender neck, which was usually hidden by her hair, caught siwoo¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°give me a stick of cigarette first.¡±


    snapping out of his momentary stupor, siwoo shook out a cigarette from the pack and placed it in between her lips.


    siwoo recalled that amelia never smelt of cigarettes and wondered if it was magicked away by a spell.


    ¡°wine.¡±


    hearing her order, siwoo carefully poured the bottle of wine into amelia¡¯s glass.


    inhaling the smoke from the cigarette, amelia sipped on the wine and closed her eyes.


    although the bubbles did cover much of her naked body, amelia was still quite exposed.


    her bosom, milky white arms, and silky armpits came into siwoo¡¯s view.


    ¡°janitor.¡±


    ¡°yes, i¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°have one for yourself as well.¡±


    ¡°alright.¡±


    siwoo hurriedly placed a cigarette into his mouth.


    it seemed as though the cigarette was quite the effective method in tamping down the persistent sexual desire that distracted him.


    ¡°you won¡¯t reject it this time, will you?¡±


    ¡°heh... no. i¡¯ll listen to you this time because you also listened to my request, associate professor.


    she could¡¯ve quickly stemmed the root of her annoyance on the dock had she killed the middle-aged man that had humiliated her and yet she had accepted siwoo¡¯s plea to not extinguish the man¡¯s insignificant life.


    ¡°i heard that you were a pretty good mathematician before you came here. is that true?¡±


    ¡±that¡¯s right.¡±


    if they actually went into the details of the matter, they would find that he was only ever a promising mathematician.


    more than that, it was truly surprising for amelia to be aware of the background of a measly slave.


    it didn¡¯t take him long before siwoo realized what this conversation was leading up to.


    ¡°i¡¯m in need of an assistant who can both organize and manage my research materials.¡±


    ¡°excuse me?¡±


    ¡°as i¡¯ve mentioned 5 years ago, i¡¯d like you to be my exclusive slave.¡±


    ¡±huh?¡±


    siwoo¡¯s jaw dropped.


    in an instant, it felt like a bolt of electricity ran through his brain as he regained his senses.


    five years ago? wasn¡¯t that when amelia asked him to serve her at night?


    siwoo began to question his interpretation of what amelia had said that day.


    ¡°associate professor, i apologize if this sounds rude, but may i enquire about something?¡±


    ¡±only if it¡¯s not too rude.¡±


    siwoo¡¯s adam apple bobbed up and down as he gulped.


    ¡°didn¡¯t you approach me 5 years ago to serve you during the night?¡±


    thinking back on the event, amelia had approached him after his work was over and gave him the offer.


    the siwoo back then had been but a mere mathematician on earth before being thrown into gehenna and had been told the many horror stories of witches from the slave traders and therefore refused the offer. terrified of what was to come if he did accept.


    following that rejection, he was hounded by amelia and tortured for every waking day as punishment.


    at least that was what siwoo thought she had done.


    ¡°well, that¡¯s a rude question.¡±


    furrowing her brows in displeasure, amelia took a sip from her wine glass.


    ¡°i merely told you to come to my room after work that day. never did i mention anything about you serving me at night.¡±


    ¡°why would you ask me to come to your room in the first place?¡±


    ¡°i had to evaluate your usefulness after all, and my room was closer compared to the research building. so... janitor... you actually think of me as a slut who¡¯d allow any man under her sheets?¡±


    the question carried a chilly tone.


    her reply hadn¡¯t actually answered his question and was kind of vague, but siwoo didn¡¯t have the guts to contend against her.


    ¡°i sincerely apologize for my transgression.¡±


    as he said so, siwoo bowed his head in apology.


    he still believed that his assumptions was natural.


    and yet what amelia had said did make sense.


    he had never seen amelia drag any man into her rooms for any sort of nightly activities before.


    she focused solely on her magic and was a conservative through and through.


    would amelia, of all people, try to bring a slave she had just met into her bed?


    was it possible that she fell in love with siwoo on first sight?


    this could only mean one thing. that he was the one living in delusion from the very beginning. 2[t/n : ax disease ¨C it¡¯s a disease(???, figuratively) where the patient believes everybody has a crush on him/her. it¡¯s a play on words ????? which means to swing an ax(=????) on woods and also to have a crush on sb in slang. ???????- it has another meaning ¡°delusion¡±. so we are going to localize it as ¡°delusion¡± ]


    there were times when takasho had added fuel to his assumptions but clearly it was a mistake on his part.


    ¡°i deeply apologize!¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t wish to hear an apology from you about this matter. after all, that¡¯s how all the males i¡¯ve come across think.¡±


    amelia¡¯s fury swept through the room like a chilly gust of wind in a snowstorm as siwoo kept his head bowed at a 90-degree angle, clearly repenting his misunderstanding.


    the nervousness from before had faded and what was left were only the thoughts of calming her down and improving her quickly souring mood.


    footnotes:


    1[e/n: the author didn¡¯t use cthulhu but it was the best analogy i could find (?¡¯?-¡®?)? come at me]2[t/n : ax disease ¨C it¡¯s a disease(???, figuratively) where the patient believes everybody has a crush on him/her. it¡¯s a play on words ????? which means to swing an ax(=????) on woods and also to have a crush on sb in slang. ???????- it has another meaning ¡°delusion¡±. so we are going to localize it as ¡°delusion¡± ]

 Chapter 22: Amelia Merigold (1)

    ?? amelia merigold (1) ?


    1.


    the situation ended when siwoo rushed out of the bathroom with his head bowed, afraid to annoy her any more than he had already done, after receiving a stern warning from amelia.


    amelia sighed softly as she watched his silhouette fading through the transparent glass wall.


    she was relieved to see that the excuses she had roughly put together ended up working.


    she had felt a pang of shame pierce her heart earlier when she realized that she had lied to protect her ego.


    looking back 5 years ago, on that boring and uneventful winter day.


    amelia submerged herself under the sea of bubbles.


    2.


    ¡°aren¡¯t you bored, amelia?¡±


    ¡°what are you doing here at this time, avenega?¡±


    ¡°oh... i¡¯m just here to kill time.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re really annoying, you know that?¡±


    sophia¡¯s crow that amelia was responding to, had been visiting the research building non-stop lately.


    its wingspan was so large that it could cover the length of an entire monitor screen.


    the crow, after being swatted away like a fly, flapped its wings and perched itself atop a stand.


    sophia had been sending her crow to the research building recently and it was beginning to disrupt amelia¡¯s research.


    ¡°what¡¯s the point in studying for 20 hours every single day when you¡¯re already two paths ahead of your predecessors.¡±


    ¡°the reason she died was due to my accomplishments, i can¡¯t let her death be in vain.¡±


    ¡°kyaa- so evil¡±.


    upon hearing the remarks, the crow¡¯s eye blinked as it shook its head from side to side.


    amelia¡¯s thoughts did not accurately reflect the thoughts of the general witch populace.


    in fact, most of them believed the complete opposite. they believed that the act of inheriting a brand from another witch took priority over the life of a single witch.


    yes, amelia¡¯s predecessor may have died after passing off the brand to her. but that didn¡¯t necessarily mean that amelia was responsible for her death.


    obviously, it was a topic that sophia avoided talking to amelia about.


    she knew how much amelia¡¯s predecessor meant to amelia.


    there have already been many cases where the bond between teacher and student slowly matures into a bond between parent and child.


    ¡°if you continue to overwork yourself like this, won¡¯t you need to impart your brand to someone else sooner than you think?¡±


    ¡°the only way you can go when you reach rock bottom is up.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s more, you haven¡¯t even taken in an apprentice yet.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m way too busy working to get one.¡±


    ¡°do you have to put in some much effort? whenever i see you, all i see is an old, retired witch, long past her prime, on her way to impart a brand onto her apprentice.¡±


    sighing, amelia put her pen down. she observed as the crow, perched on its stand, cawed.


    it seemed like sophia had no plans to leave quietly today.


    ¡°what are you going to bother me with today, sophia?¡±


    ¡°did you know? new slaves have arrived at the academy.¡±


    ¡°so?¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s only two of them and they just so happen to be male~¡±


    amelia couldn¡¯t care less about the slaves and the expression on her face communicated that perfectly.


    the crow understood what the expression meant and seemed to speak with much more care.


    the panicked look on the crow¡¯s face was amusing to say the least.


    ¡°i have some advice that has been passed down from my predecessor, avenegena. wanna hear it?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re still going to do it even if i don¡¯t consent, aren¡¯t you? go ahead.¡±


    to say that the relationship between sophia and amelia was tense was an understatement.


    talking to sophia was like talking to a brick wall. she was resistant to amelia¡¯s sharp tongue, which usually helped amelia get away from annoying situations.


    therefore, amelia was left with no other choice than to listen to whatever sophia had in store for her.


    ¡°she said that creativity is intrinsically linked to the environment you put yourself into. be it if you cage yourself in a narrow mindset or a cramped environment, you will never be able to generate creative solutions to your problems. how long have you been trying to solve this part?¡±


    ¡°......¡±


    after numerous visits, sophia noticed that there was something wrong with amelia¡¯s research.


    she had been trying to create a magical circle for months now, and yet no progress had been made.


    she had been missing an essential factor in the building process.


    it was clear to see that amelia spent all her time focusing on creating the magic circle and forgot to alter a single variable, leading to her suffering.


    ¡°see? it¡¯s because you¡¯ve been stuck in your room for so long, working on the same problem over and over again. you have to realize that the connection between the ¡®input¡¯ and ¡®output¡¯ will always be equal. just like in the case of your research. so wouldn¡¯t it be okay to occasionally adjust your mood?¡±


    ¡±so, the reason you¡¯re here every day is to change my mood?¡±


    sophia ignored amelia¡¯s remarks and continued.


    ¡°¡®i don¡¯t follow trends~ i won¡¯t go to salons unless there are magic items to buy~ i only like to take baths in the large public baths~ i go to work every day at the research building.¡¯ and you actually think you can come up with new ideas like that? what you need is new stimulation and fresh ideas! not clinging to some old problem, you can¡¯t solve.¡±


    sophia¡¯s clever little technique succeeded in piquing amelia¡¯s interest.


    if she had instead said, ¡°why not? it¡¯ll be fun to fool around,¡± would amelia, the biggest nerd on gehenna, someone who spends their time in the corner of their room studying magic, listen to what she has to say?


    amelia¡¯s research habits would have long caused her to pass out from exhaustion had it not been for her spiritual body.


    sophia had intentionally misinterpreted the advice and claimed that it was all for the sake of magic when in reality, she simply wanted amelia to take some time off studying and relax a little.


    although it seemed like amelia wasn¡¯t listening, the fact that she hadn¡¯t chased away sophia¡¯s crow spoke volumes.


    ¡°get to the point.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll be embarking on a harrowing journey today, ascending up the stairs of adulthood.¡±


    ¡±sexual activity is not a key factor in experiencing new things, is it?¡±


    this wouldn¡¯t be the first time amelia had received such an offer.


    unlike amelia, who was conservative in nature, sophia was pretty liberal in her actions.


    it was one of the reasons why amelia was initially irked by her. she had a nasty habit of sleeping with people whom she found sexually attractive regardless of their gender.


    from the rumors circulating around her, she didn¡¯t seem to be a bad person. however, her persistent attempts for amelia to join her in her hobby annoyed amelia to no end.


    ¡±now, now... you¡¯ve got it all wrong. wouldn¡¯t it be accurate to say that the act of coitus is an act of ¡®creation¡¯? we witches are unable to create any children of our own. but, the act itself has been a noble tradition passed down from generation to generation. it is the foundation of our existence and has created billions of lives ever since time immemorial and will continue doing so long after we are gone.¡±


    amelia started to get increasingly upset as she was forced to listen to the horse shit that was spewing from the witch¡¯s mouth.


    she had looked away from the crow, struggling to suppress the rage that threatened to boil over within her.


    ¡±i¡¯ve finished listening to everything you have to say, it¡¯s time for you to leave.¡±


    ¡°ah... ah...¡±


    she took up her pen, ignoring the caws emanating from the bird.


    it was obvious that amelia would start to ignore the ramblings from sophia and instead, continue to work on the pointless calculations laid out in front of her.


    sophia realized that continuing with her current strategy would prove futile and instead she chose to change gears and attack from a different angle.


    the first strategy was to utilize amelia¡¯s love for magic.


    if that failed, the backup plan would be to go for her pride.


    ¡±oh... come on. i couldn¡¯t help myself. i mean just look at yourself. you could use a little more confidence in yourself.¡±


    ¡°........¡±


    ¡±you¡¯re both gorgeous and beautiful. it¡¯s just that, you won¡¯t ever be as feminine as me, but there should still be men out there that don¡¯t care about that right?¡±


    ¡°.........¡±


    ¡±i know how awkward and scary talking to the other gender can be. you¡¯ve never had any real experience talking to men after all, much less any experience in falling in love before. i understand that learning new things can be challenging in the beginning. so don¡¯t give up just yet.¡±


    ¡°........¡±


    sophia continued talking to no one in particular and began her attacks on amelia¡¯s ego.


    the hidden connotation behind her words meant that the reason amelia couldn¡¯t meet a man was due to her lack of confidence in her appearance and also because she doesn¡¯t have the guts to approach anyone she found sexually attracted to.


    as expected it all worked out in the end.


    amelia¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly as she struggled to contain her composure under the onslaught of sharp remarks.


    sophia avoided going overboard with her remarks and intentionally made the remarks with amelia¡¯s bottom line in mind.


    in order to avoid bruising her ego, as someone who was as stubborn as the previous marigold, it would be more effective if sophia slowly stimulated her drive to win.


    ¡±men will still flock to you because of your childlike appearance. and i have to say, you are really cute, even from a woman¡¯s point of view.¡±


    all it took was for sophia to mention the word ¡®childlike¡¯; just like that, amelia was caught hook, line, and sinker.


    it was as easy as stealing candy from a child.


    amelia¡¯s eyes fluttered open as she hurled the pen back onto her desk.


    she was trying to seem threatening but all it did was make her look all the more adorable.


    ¡±did you just imply that i¡¯m a child?¡±


    ¡±ah! i do apologize if i happened to offend you.¡±


    ¡±i learned more than just magic from my predecessor. she taught me the etiquette and mannerisms befitting a lady and a member of the aristocracy, unlike your predecessor, avenega. knowledge that a quasi-noble such as yourself can never hope to comprehend.¡±


    amelia declared back at her stoically.


    descending from its stand, the crow rubbed its head along the back of amelia¡¯s hand in apology.


    ¡±you know i¡¯m not doing this out of hate, my friend, i want to see you grow, mature, and come of age.¡±


    ¡±haa...¡±


    amelia sighed and got up from her seat.


    sophia¡¯s crow squealed in delight as it circled around amelia¡¯s head.


    ¡±don¡¯t trouble me again, i¡¯ll show you just how wrong you were.¡±


    ¡°huh? what do you mean?¡±


    sophia pretended to have misunderstood amelia as she listened to her rant.


    ¡±i¡¯m not as dense as to fall for the same trick twice. or rather, in this case, thrice. you¡¯re making it plenty obvious that you¡¯re trying to enrage me.¡±


    it seemed like amelia had gotten quite upset over sophia¡¯s actions.


    ¡±your statement about the vulgar act of seeking sexual pleasure as an inspiration for magic is utterly preposterous. it is not something i intend to follow and the only reason i stood up was to prove to you how wrong you are about me.¡±


    ¡°what did i say about you?¡±


    ¡±you claimed that i¡¯m not confident enough to talk to the opposite gender. that¡¯s false. i simply choose not to do it because i feel no need to.¡±


    men were simply low-level mortals who couldn¡¯t even utilize a drop of mana.


    ¡±show me where the slaves are being kept.¡±


    untying her hair, amelia walked out of her room with a confident gait.


    3.


    ¡±do we need to even succumb to such cruel methods as seducing slaves? they can¡¯t even refuse a witch¡¯s command so what added benefit would it give us to do so?¡±


    ¡±oh, it¡¯s simply done to motivate them to do as they¡¯re told.¡±


    amelia walked along the well-lit corridor with the crow as her guide.


    she had been informed of the location of the slaves two days prior.


    a slave could be seen bent over cleaning the shelves in the library as amelia entered the room.


    that specific slave would be leased out by the city hall to trinity academy for the ensuing six years to work under their supervision.


    amelia had planned to occasionally use him as a teacher¡¯s assistant.


    she observed as he clumsily cleaned the shelves, it was clear to see that the long working hours weren¡¯t enough for him to adapt to his situation.


    amelia wondered if it was because he was kind of a nerdy guy who wasn¡¯t used to manual labor.


    ¡°janitor shin siwoo.¡±


    ¡°yes! lady witch!¡±


    ¨C crash


    the abrupt noise, which was amelia calling out for him, had startled the slave as he fell from the ladder with a loud crash.


    he hurriedly dusted himself off, arriving before amelia with a stiff expression on his face.


    amelia believed that if she showed her capability to seduce a man with naught but a single word, sophia, who was perched on her shoulder, would admit her defeat and get off her back.


    in which case, amelia would be able to go back to her research and remain undisturbed for a while.


    in fact, just from a glimpse of his face. amelia could tell that he had been smitten by her, and she wondered if further proof of her capabilities were still needed.


    ¡°meet me in my bedroom after work.¡±


    wasn¡¯t it obvious enough that he had already fallen for her?


    amelia was, after all, fairly confident in her looks.


    her soft blond hair appeared to have been handcrafted by the gods along with her blue eyes that seemed to hold the blue ocean had earned her numerous compliments from her predecessor


    and that¡¯s not all, both etiquette and grace had been ingrained into her very being through her long years of formal education. she had even been taught the charm a witch should possess in her arsenal.


    she was confident that her charm could beat even the likes of an ignorant witch like sophia.


    ¡°it¡¯s exactly as i predicted.¡±


    the nerdy slave would arrive at her room with all kinds of fantasies in mind, but upon arrival, he would simply have to leave disappointed.


    she thought herself smart enough to not associate with a man whom she had never met before. the interaction in itself would be proof enough for sophia to get off her back.


    ¡°i apologize!¡±


    which was why the following words that came out of the man¡¯s mouth became all the more surprising to her.


    he apologized profusely, his head bent at a right angle.


    ¡°cack cack cack cack!¡±


    the crow that had been quietly perching on amelia¡¯s shoulder fluttered its wings, unable to contain its laughter at the sudden turn of events.


    amelia could feel a heat rise through her face.


    her mind went blank at the sudden realization that she had just been rejected by a mere slave.


    e/n: [insert giga chad]?????????????

 Chapter 23: Amelia Merigold (2)

    ? amelia merigold (2) ?


    1.


    having received the unexpected rejection from a slave, a grim aura surrounded the witch as amelia made her way back to her room.


    since they left the library til the moment they arrived at amelia¡¯s room, sophia, who was speaking through the crow, had been cawing nonstop.


    usually, the crow would¡¯ve been silenced instantly using magic by amelia and yet the series of events that had just occurred had left her distracted and she couldn¡¯t be bothered to do so this time.


    why?


    why?


    what would compel him to do that?


    the 3 questions were the only thoughts that circled within her head. it was like an indescribable itch at the back of her mind that wouldn¡¯t go away.


    entering the bathroom, amelia turned on the magically enchanted shower. the water was at a perfect temperature, allowing amelia to cool down her overheating brain and come to her senses.


    the crow had somehow managed to use its beak to turn the sink tap on, filling it to the brim. it then proceeded to flap about in the bath of its own creation, seemingly pleased with itself.


    ¡±are you still angry, amelia?¡±


    amelia hadn¡¯t interacted with any members of the opposing sex before this.


    she had never thought about having sex before.


    to begin with, she hadn¡¯t even understood what the concept of sexual desire was or felt like.


    she hadn¡¯t intended on doing anything funny to the slave that she had invited.


    she had just intended to extend an invitation to her room, make him a cup of tea, and give him instructions for the duties he would be performing going forward.


    which was why amelia felt stunned when her invitation was rejected.


    according to the social hierarchy of this world, amelia was a witch whilst the other party was a slave.


    the rejection came as a shock as amelia¡¯s status wasn¡¯t enough to coerce the slave despite the difference in social standing.


    ¡°there¡¯s no way i¡¯d be angry.¡±


    ¡°well, you certainly look quite angry.¡±


    ¡°sophia, how many times must i tell you? i¡¯m not angry. anyways, isn¡¯t it high time you get out of here?¡±


    ¡°fine, fine... i¡¯ll leave after washing myself. don¡¯t you know that crows like to be clean?¡±


    the sight of the crow enjoying itself in the water irked amelia to no end.


    she felt even worse when she remembered that sophia was a witness to the humiliation she had faced earlier.


    sophia uttered nonsensical words in an attempt to comfort the distraught amelia. sophia said whatever came to mind


    ¡°maybe... he got tongue tied because of your beauty?¡±


    ¡°just shut your mouth. i don¡¯t want to hear a word out of your lips. you can do that can¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    amelia¡¯s anger flared as she spotted sophia, who had reluctantly shut her mouth.


    she wouldn¡¯t have had to go through the humiliation had it not been for sophia¡¯s appearance in the lab and her constant nagging that eventually persuaded amelia to prove her wrong.


    just thinking about it made amelia clench her fist in anger.


    amelia felt a strong urge to grab the crow by its neck and suffocate it, snapping its throat in the process, but the minuscule amount of sanity along with what remained of her humanity held her back.


    ¡°why...¡±


    biting her lip, amelia pondered on the possible reasons behind the rejection.


    after a period of time flapping about in the water, the crow turned its head to face the troubled figure of amelia.


    sophia had become a witch 20 years earlier than amelia.


    looking back, their predecessors, avenega and marigold, had always held a close relationship with one another, so it wasn¡¯t out of the ordinary that the responsibility to teach amelia about the different kinds of spells and magic fell onto sophia as soon as she received the witch¡¯s brand.


    sophia acted like an older sister to amelia, who seemed to attract trouble no matter the timing or location.


    on the flip side, amelia didn¡¯t really appreciate being treated as such and always felt irked whenever she was treated as such.


    magic was amelia¡¯s obsession, every waking moment of her life was dedicated to gaining more knowledge about magic, and nothing else mattered.


    sophia would occasionally invite amelia out on these activities in hopes of providing amelia with other interests besides magic.


    ¡°ugh...¡±


    judging from the amount of strength amelia was pulling her hair with, she seemed to be in a foul mood.


    she hadn¡¯t anticipated amelia¡¯s proposal to be rejected by the slave nor did she know what thoughts compelled him to do such a thing.


    the one thing she did know however, was that amelia was devastated by the rejection.


    ¡°amelia.¡±


    ¡±what!¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t be too upset.¡±


    if it wasn¡¯t for sophia egging her on, amelia would never have had to suffer such a humiliation.


    ¡±you¡¯re the reason this happened!¡±


    amelia¡¯s rage reached its tipping point and bubbled over as she pointed towards sophia whilst complaining as if she were a child.


    it was the first time amelia had such an emotional outburst ever since she became a witch.


    ¡°why did you have to egg me on to do something like that...¡±


    from sophia¡¯s point of view, amelia was like a flower that had been grown with great care within a greenhouse, someone that hadn¡¯t come into contact with the real world yet and did not possess the life experience of a woman her age. her current state of being was more like a girl who hadn¡¯t experienced puberty.


    amelia tried to emulate her teacher, someone who was quiet, graceful, and polite. but on the contrary deep inside, she was still an immature young girl.


    she wasn¡¯t originally like this.


    she had initially inherited the brand after the death of her predecessor marigold.


    and after that, sophia who was like a parental figure for her also left her in order to broaden her horizons and explore the world.


    it was a long journey where amelia was left to her own devices.


    sophia had managed to escape from the cage, gehenna, and gain numerous life and death experiences. the journey allowed her to witness the flow of history from an outsider¡¯s point of view, and eventually led to the defeat of a ¡®homunculus¡¯ created by the witch of creation.


    although her mastery over magic hadn¡¯t drastically increased, the journey provided her with fond memories that she could look back on.


    140 years later, the first thing sophia did upon her return was visit amelia.


    ¡°it¡¯s been a long time, avenega.¡±


    when she finally met with amelia after all these years, it was evident that she had changed. it would be rare to see amelia smile and her expression had gotten much stiffer as compared to before.


    at the time, amelia¡¯s appearance worried sophia.


    her actions and demeanor resembled a doll.


    the both of them reunited in the house where amelia and her predecessor, marigold, used to stay.


    the house was largely the same as it was in the past, and it reflected her deep sense of longing for her predecessor.


    amelia could be usually found in the house studying magic.


    now that wasn¡¯t to say that a witch studying magic was anything out of the ordinary.


    but it was her obsession with magic, her drive to acquire more and more knowledge that worried sophia.


    she never left the house and thus never got the opportunity to forge new relationships and interact with people in the outside world.


    she had sacrificed a century of her life, locked up in a small, cramped room, purely focused on her pursuit of magic.


    the more sophia observed amelia, the more she realized that her passion for magic exceeded ordinary curiosity.


    to begin with, amelia didn¡¯t get along with other people.


    her teacher, who was like a mother to her, had suddenly disappeared from her life. even sophia, the one person that understood her the most, left her behind to expand her horizons.


    amelia channeled energy into the pursuit of magic in the hopes that she could distract herself from the loneliness and suffering she was experiencing.


    as an apprentice witch, amelia hadn¡¯t been very confident in her magical abilities


    thus, it made it all the more difficult for amelia to understand the concepts of magic. she worked herself to the bone and at times, one would mistaken her studies for self harm.


    amelia, who was once thought to possess no magical talent, had put in a lot of effort into her magical studies and over the years she successfully increased her realm by 2 levels in the span of just 140 years.


    how lonely must she have felt during that period of time?


    how much pain did she have to experience?


    ¡°why are you crying?¡±


    in an attempt to hold back her tears, amelia ducked under a pile of paper. although she tried to not show it, sophia understood that amelia was relieved to finally meet a familiar face after so long.


    rushing forward, she attempted to hug amelia but was pushed away by her, who acted as though she was disgusted by the physical touch, but despite that, amelia still held onto sophia and didn¡¯t let go.


    looking at the scene that had just unfolded, sophia wondered if she should have taken amelia with her out into the modern world.


    would the situation have been better had she returned from her trip at least once to visit amelia instead of getting distracted by the wonders of the modern world?


    sophia lamented in her heart, regretting her decisions.


    ¡±come with me to the academy, you don¡¯t have to do your research in this room alone.¡±


    ¡°but why? i like it here.¡±


    when she was rejected, sophia forced herself to swallow her guilt and spoke.


    sophia was the one who recommended amelia to be an associate professor for the academy and was also the one who pulled amelia out of the dark and dingy room.


    ¡°you might get a fresh new perspective on magic there.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not interested.¡±


    of course, amelia had initially refused her offer.


    it would be too hard a task for amelia to leave the nest where she had spent the majority of her life in. it was also the place where most of her memories of her late predecessor were made.


    ¡°amelia! try this cake i bought from one of the pastry shops.¡±


    ¡°this dress was tailored by flora¡¯s dressmaker. isn¡¯t it stunning? it¡¯s perfect for you, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°this is what¡¯s called a cigarette. it¡¯s good to smoke it whenever you get a headache.¡±


    sophia attempted to lure her, someone who was stuck within the nameless forest of gehenna, with all sorts of exotic goods.


    commodities such as sweet desserts, pretty clothes and even cigarettes were used.


    amelia did not, of course, follow sophia out of snobbery, but as a result of sophia¡¯s convincing, which bordered on courtship, she begrudgingly agreed to take a job as an associate professor at the academy.


    ¡±would you like to accompany me to the abundance festival, amelia?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not interested.¡±


    ¡±don¡¯t you want to explore the modern world? who knows you might be surprised.¡±


    ¡°my teacher spent her entire life here in gehenna, i¡¯m sure there¡¯s nothing that would benefit me out there.¡±


    she had spent her entire life devoted to magic, thus it would be difficult for her to change her habits immediately.


    ¡±leave me alone, i¡¯m busy.¡±


    even after leaving the house where she and her teacher had lived, amelia continued to devote all her time and energy into magic.


    if it wasn¡¯t for sophia, dragging her out of the house, she would¡¯ve repeated the cycle over and over again until it was time for her to pass down her brand.


    five years had passed since then.


    lost in her own world of regret and suffering, five years was too little of a time for her to fully mature.


    she tried to imitate her esteemed predecessor and act like an elegant witch, but all efforts to do so proved to be for naught.


    amelia sulked easily, was as stubborn as a child, and would get flustered in unexpected situations.


    ¡°how dare he... just a mere slave...¡±


    in sophia¡¯s opinion, amelia¡¯s current mood was a huge improvement as compared to the person she was before.


    as compared to the amelia from before, lifeless, and dull almost like a paper doll, she was much better at expressing her emotions now.


    people mature through their life experiences. be it through sorrow, love, or anger.


    sophia herself had already learned these life lessons from the time she traveled around the modern world.


    ¡°i will never forget this disgrace...¡±


    grining slightly, sophia regained her composure upon hearing amelia¡¯s dramatic monologue.


    although it was a rather refreshing sight to behold as amelia, who rarely expressed her emotions, talked to herself like that.


    it would be wise to calm her down now.


    sophia slowly made up her mind to calm her down.


    ¡°you¡¯re just a slave, a slave, a slave, a slave...¡±


    ¡°amelia?¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s no way this is swearing.¡±¡±there¡¯s no way... this is blasphemy...¡±


    ¡±huh? but it isn¡¯t?¡±


    a faint ominous aura was emanating from amelia as she muttered curses under her breath, clearly being consumed by the need for revenge.


    it showed the lack of maturity within amelia¡¯s mind.


    she didn¡¯t understand the complex emotions that brewed in her mind and wasn¡¯t able to find ways to deal with it.


    thus, she tried to imagine how a noble of gehenna would react in such a situation as a way to cope with the rejection.


    the result of that line of thought resulted in a terrifying conclusion.


    ¡±let¡¯s put the slave in his place and punish him thoroughly¡±


    despite the fact that birds don¡¯t normally have sweat glands, sophia saw that the crow¡¯s body, which was serving as her replacement body, started to secrete sweat.


    she could foresee the long road of misery the slave would have to go through.


    sophia pitied the slave, despite being kidnapped and made a slave, he still had to go through the upcoming trials and tribulations.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry.¡±


    walking out, sophia left without another word.


    she knew that amelia wasn¡¯t a harsh person by nature and would never intentionally harm the slave, thus she didn¡¯t try to calm amelia down.


    the bathroom closed as amelia angrily muttered under her breath.


    ¡°i¡¯ll make an example out of you!¡±

 Chapter 24: Inn (1)

    ? inn (1) ?


    amelia was taking a particularly long bath this time.


    and siwoo, who had been kicked out of the treehouse, was puffing on the cigar that had been offered to him earlier.


    ¡°sigh, that was tough...¡±


    all of the events that occurred today with amelia were somewhat surprising to him in many ways.


    up till now, she had consistently been harassing siwoo but had abruptly changed her attitude toward him.


    if he had remembered back to the conversation from the night he had first met her five years ago, there was enough room for him to misunderstand what she meant.


    that day, she told him to come to her chambers after he had finished his work in the evening.


    the way she had told him to visit her late at night without providing him the reason behind the invitation, no man would assume that she was trying to make him her assistant.


    takasho, who was always by his side and egged him on about everything, also played a major role in his misunderstanding of the circumstances.


    telling him things like, amelia, a blonde who appeared to be an adolescent girl, had fallen in love with siwoo at first sight.


    maybe siwoo himself really wanted to believe that she had really fallen for him.


    along with the clear sound of rain, an embarrassing image flashed through his mind.


    when he had asked amelia, ¡°didn¡¯t you approach me 5 years ago to serve you during the night?¡± he had no idea how dumbfounded she must have been.


    they were meant to spend the day at this villa after amelia had taken her shower, but just thinking about it made him anxious.


    siwoo debated whether or not to enter the villa after hearing the bathroom door close.


    he was unable to picture spending the night with her and even if he fell off the balcony while nodding off, he really wanted to just crouch on the balcony.


    after the bathroom incident, he found it hard to look her in the eye.


    gulping his saliva, siwoo opened the door.


    after all, she should have left the bathroom fully clothed, and slaves must accompany the witch after her baths.


    siwoo knew that amelia would not accept any cheeky excuses for him leaving the treehouse to get some fresh air.


    ¡°.......¡±


    as he opened the door, he caught sight of amelia paying close attention to something that was lying on the bed.


    her cheeks were peach-colored, possibly because of the bath from before.


    moreover, looking at her starlight-like eyes, it was clear that she was troubled by something.


    siwoo caught sight of the thing amelia was staring at when he followed her gaze.


    what he saw was a piece of babydoll nightie.


    amelia did not realize that siwoo had returned, so when she picked up the nightie, he was able to observe the design in more detail.


    well.


    what should he say?


    it was a see-through nightie.


    it wasn¡¯t one of the cheap products sold in erotic costumes at adult goods stores, instead, it was made with expensive fabric and would reveal her skin below as soon as she put it on.


    amelia cocked her head as she carefully looked at it.


    siwoo immediately recognized that it was ¡°a nightie to please a man,¡± but amelia saw it differently.


    because by amelia¡¯s standards, ¡®a piece of clothing that showed her skin whenever she wore it, was useless and not an outfit.¡¯


    since it was designed like a piece of clothing, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder what it was for.


    however, amelia, who guessed that all of this was sophia¡¯s trick, soon figured out the purpose of the cloth.


    ¨C squeak!


    the baby doll nightgown, rumored to incite lust in males, let out dying throes as amelia tore it apart, despite never having been worn.


    ¡°it¡¯s a useless thing...¡±


    amelia shook her head as if she were perplexed, but before she realized it, siwoo was standing next to her.


    her body stiffened, holding the two tattered pieces of the nightie in her hands, as soon as she saw him.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    a pink flame rose from amelia¡¯s hand and burned unceasingly.


    ¡°please, wait a minute!


    siwoo instinctively crouched down thinking that she was about to shoot the flame at him.


    contrary to his expectations, it was the torn pieces of nightie in her hand that burnt in the flames containing temperatures of thousands of degrees.


    the nightie was burned so thoroughly that, by the time it was done, there was not even a trace of ash to be found, making it appear as though it had disappeared into thin air.


    amelia then pretended that nothing had happened.


    ¡°the room is cold.¡±


    siwoo, who had been watching everything since the beginning, realized that she didn¡¯t want to talk about it and feigned ignorance.


    this villa belonged to amelia¡¯s friend and she was probably a witch who was very fond of men.


    that¡¯s why the villa was decorated like a love hotel and contained those kinds of nightgowns.


    ¡°really? i¡¯ll light a fire in the fireplace right away.¡±


    this small design villa was complete with all the facilities one would need.


    when siwoo walked to the fireplace.


    he could sense that something wasn¡¯t quite right.


    black smoke billowed through the windows created by the ventilation above the fireplace.


    ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡±


    siwoo opened the window and climbed over the fireplace and looked down.


    he found the root of the black smoke.


    the pink flame that had previously burned the baby doll nightie swayed at the base of the enormous oak tree that was carrying the tree house.


    ¡°there, ms. amelia.¡±


    it was not an ordinary fire.


    the prominent flames created by her mana were soaring up the wooden poles with unbelievable momentum in search of anything to burn greedily.


    ¡°it looks like we¡¯re in big trouble.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°we have to get out of here quickly.¡±


    ¡°where are we going to go at this hour...¡±


    flashing!


    the magnificent tree house had been consumed by the magical flames within 15 seconds of amelia¡¯s question being answered.


    the magic to create flames was very easy.


    fire, wind, earth, and water were four elements that the caster could easily express with a single pass. she didn¡¯t have to go through a complicated character transformation to create flames with her mana since it was one of the four elements.


    not being able to notice that the flame wasn¡¯t diminishing and that it was on its way to engulfing the villa meant that amelia, who had reached the 22nd level within the hierarchy of witchcraft, made a mistake in trying to control the simple magic correctly.


    when amelia flicked her fingertips, the flame that had been pushed into the villa with intensity, as though a flame radiator had been used to ignite it, vanished as if it had never been there.


    however, the villa that had already been burned by fire had been reduced to nothing more than ruins.


    as siwoo landed next to amelia with the help of her magic...


    ¨C crash boom!


    the tree, which had become charcoal all the way to the core, collapsed sideways.


    the villa was left in a miserable state after being destroyed, resembling the aftermath of a bird¡¯s nest after a typhoon.


    ¡°ms. associate professor,¡±


    ¡°.......¡±


    ¡°what shall we do now?¡±


    ¡°.......¡±


    amelia and siwoo stood in the pouring rain for a long time, staring at the shattered tree and the remains of the treehouse. they resembled displaced people caught in the aftermath of a natural disaster.


    ¡°we can¡¯t spend a day in a crude house like this.¡±


    ¡°is that why you burned down the house?¡±


    ¡°be quiet.¡±


    amelia appeared to be trying to cover up the earlier magical error.


    siwoo remained silent, not wanting to say anything that would aggravate the situation. they were both left in an uncomfortable silence.


    ¨C caw! caw! caw!


    in the middle of the silence, a crow¡¯s screech could be heard.


    2.


    siwoo didn¡¯t care, but amelia was a noble and the circumstances they were in at the time weren¡¯t suitable for her.


    it had been pouring all night and there would most likely be dew and drizzle the next morning, so there was no way to spend the night in such a situation.


    after a considerable amount of walking, the two eventually made their way off the forest path and returned to the dock in border town.


    they¡¯d been gone for three hours, and it was past midnight when they returned, yet the dock was still packed with slaves carrying luggage.


    it was open 24/7 because it was the port responsible for delivering all of gehenna¡¯s supplies.


    ¡°let¡¯s look for an inn nearby.¡±


    ensuring that amelia didn¡¯t get wet, siwoo held an umbrella over her head as he hurried from place to place looking for accommodations.


    there were no lodging facilities in inland cities like tarot town and lenomond town.


    this was because the citizens of gehenna were practically nothing more than serfs, and weren¡¯t allowed to travel freely.


    even if they had to stop by other towns or villages for business purposes, it was common for them to have to pay a certain amount of rent to a tavern to stay there in an empty room.


    but things were different in border town.


    sailors and captains traveled regularly between the modern world and gehenna, and many witches who lived in the modern world also visited gehenna for extended periods of time. as a result, there was a high demand for large accommodations in the city.


    the problem was that many of those accommodations were often packed with other guests.


    while it was occasionally possible to get a room, getting two rooms for two people was far more difficult.


    after searching all kinds of inns, the last inn siwoo visited had the sign of a ¡®coiled up snake.¡¯


    it was a three-story wooden building, and like any other inn, the first floor served as a bar, with rooms on the second and third floors to welcome guests.


    ¡°cheers!¡±


    by the way, the bar was packed with people.


    there were individuals there with tanned skin and bulging physiques.


    men who were dressed as sailors were conversing in loud voices.


    ¡°everyone pay attention! next is our captain¡¯s toast!¡±


    ¡°gulp! just drink!¡±


    siwoo, who squeezed through the pouring laughter and jeering, asked the innkeeper standing at the bar counter if there were any vacant rooms.


    ¡°do you happen to have any spare rooms?¡±


    he was a tough-looking guy and didn¡¯t look like an innkeeper.


    the innkeeper, while cleaning a beer glass and taking a puff from his cigar, looked at siwoo¡¯s face and responded.


    ¡°i have a room left, but i can¡¯t accept guests.¡±


    ¡°if it¡¯s because i¡¯m a slave...¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not that, the inn¡¯s been rented out by the naga crew today.¡±


    that wasn¡¯t good news.


    this was the last inn in town.


    just as he realized the trouble he was in, an unexpected face popped up next to the bar counter.


    ¡°innkeeper, aren¡¯t you being too hard on him?¡±


    the person that had appeared was larissa, the woman who had given him a blowjob in the store earlier today.


    she seemed to be in a good mood from drinking, and her face was inexplicably red.


    ¡°what are you talking about? didn¡¯t you say you were going to have fun?¡±


    ¡°but i can lend a bed to a person who seems to be in trouble and has nowhere to go.¡±


    ¡°well, then. i don¡¯t mind.¡±


    the innkeeper shrugged, putting down the glass he was cleaning diligently.


    ¡°a day¡¯s stay in a double room, including breakfast, costs 1 shilling per person. there are still plenty of rooms available, so take your pick.¡±


    ¡°thank you!¡±


    siwoo, who had successfully found a place for the night, also gave a nod of appreciation toward larissa.


    ¡°thanks to you, i was able to find a place to sleep.¡±


    larissa smiled and exposed her pearly teeth in response to his greeting.


    it was a smile that somehow gave the impression that she was amusingly watching a shivering puppy.


    ¡°did you really miss me that badly? you couldn¡¯t wait to slip it between my breasts, couldn¡¯t you?¡±


    larissa grinned as she gathered her breasts to reveal her seductive cleavage.


    the sight made siwoo envious of the necklace hanging down between the plump cleavage.


    ¡°that¡¯s not true. i didn¡¯t even know ms. larissa was here.¡±


    ¡°oh my goodness, how could anyone not know that i¡¯m the only woman in the naga crew? the ship that supplies cargo to the blue snake has left the dock after all.¡±


    when he heard it, he apparently realized why she would have misunderstood the cause of his arrival at the inn.


    she probably thought that siwoo, who remembered the tantalizing suggestion she had offered earlier, couldn¡¯t hold himself back even for a day and ran to the inn where she was staying.


    ¡°but it¡¯s really not. the witch is still waiting outside.¡±


    ¡°the witch? the one from before?¡±


    for a split second, siwoo noticed a subtle shift in larissa¡¯s eyes.


    pausing for a moment, she flashed a bewitching smile before returning to her usual expression.


    ¡°in any case, the witch is here to sleep, right? if you have time at night, feel free to come to my room.¡±


    it would be troublesome if he kept amelia waiting this long outside.


    siwoo looked around the room in a panic, clearly uncomfortable with the way larissa was touching him when he noticed a savior.


    ¡°larissa, you¡¯re trying to seduce another man? you don¡¯t have to lower your standards by that much. come here. what could you possibly see in someone as pathetic as that kid?¡±


    the husky voice belonged to a behemoth of a man; it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to describe his body as a ¡®mountain of muscles¡¯.


    to an outsider¡¯s perspective, it seemed like if he ever had to fight a gorilla in hand-to-hand combat, he would be evenly matched with it.


    ¡°you look like a moron, fyodor. it¡¯s nauseating to look at. does using your strength in bed make you horny?¡±


    ¡±no matter how much a bitch whines in the beginning, in the end, they all start moaning as soon as i shove my dick in them.¡±


    ¡±i¡¯d bet you¡¯d cry in embarrassment like a little girl after finishing in 3 minutes.¡±


    fyodor smiled, loving the way larissa had responded to his taunt without a shred of hesitation.


    fyodor grabbed onto siwoo¡¯s shoulders. he had attempted to sneak out as their conversation quickly turned from rated r19 to r29.


    ¡°hey, kiddo. don¡¯t think of any nonsense and go to sleep. unless you want to break your back and turn into a half-wit.¡±


    ¡°shut up, you moron! why are you scaring him?¡±


    ¡±it¡¯s a joke! just a joke.¡±


    the impact of his tap on siwoo¡¯s shoulder was enough to make his head ring.


    siwoo tried to ignore the gorilla and politely excuse himself.


    ¡°anyway, thank you for your help, ms. larissa.¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s nothing to be thankful for. let¡¯s have a drink later.¡±


    ¡±i¡¯ll take you up on that offer whenever i have the time.¡±


    the sight of larissa¡¯s waving silhouette slowly faded into the crowd as siwoo headed for the exit to pick amelia up

 Chapter 25: Inn (2)

    ? inn (2) ?


    1.


    when siwoo went back outside to pick amelia up, it was obvious from her expression that she was tired of waiting and even looked ready to burn down the inn itself if he had come out just a bit later.


    however, he was afraid of what kind of punishment he would get if he were to tell her that, so he kept his mouth shut.


    ¡°what took you so long?¡±


    ¡°my apologies. i had to persuade them to book a room for us, so it took a bit more time than expected.¡±


    amelia felt a tinge of guilt when she recalled how it was her fault they had to stay at an inn rather than a villa in the first place.


    despite always being able to think rationally without letting her emotions get involved, amelia was frustrated at the fact that she was always unable to express her true feelings and end up lashing out as a result.


    ¡°...what are you all staring at? don¡¯t mind me and carry on with your business.¡±


    ¡°hahaha!¡±


    ¡°nah, i just got a bit surprised for a moment there.¡±


    siwoo, having already stopped by the bar with odil the other day, anticipated how people would react when amelia entered the inn.


    the loud chatter would come to a halt as every patron can¡¯t help but admire amelia¡¯s bewitching beauty.


    however, siwoo¡¯s prediction had partially missed the mark.


    their attitude was a lot bolder than he expected. not so much as a glance was spared towards amelia, despite her being both a witch and an aristocrat.


    although the majority of the sailors did give amelia¡¯s attractive figure a passing glance, they quickly avoided eye contact soon after as if they were reluctant to draw her attention or make her upset.


    even then, however, there were a handful of brave individuals still willing to secretly peek at her alluring face and figure.


    ¡°our room is this way.¡±


    siwoo attempted to lead amelia towards the stairs, but amelia ignored him and instead settled down at an empty table in a secluded corner of the bar.


    ¡°first, let us have a quick meal.¡±


    the innkeeper, who had been diligently wiping a random cup behind the counter until just now, made his way over in a hurry to her table the moment amelia took her seat.


    to siwoo¡¯s surprise, however, the innkeeper spoke to her in a manner that was considerably less than polite.


    ¡°i¡¯m so terribly sorry, but it looks like this is much too noisy of a place for such a noble witch such as yourself to stay. sailors are well-known for being as stubborn as they are loud, so there¡¯s not much point in trying to keep them silent. i will personally deliver the food you order, so please do me a favor and wait in your room until then, okay?¡±


    not only were his words heavily laced with sarcasm, but he had even gone so far as to tell her to leave in order to not ruin the mood, albeit in a very roundabout manner.


    siwoo was surprised to see someone behaving so arrogantly in the presence of a witch in gehenna, as he had never encountered such behavior before.


    ¡°i don¡¯t enjoy the smell of food on my bed. please serve me the food here, i promise that i¡¯ll pay you fairly.¡±


    amelia¡¯s fiery personality made it difficult for her to give in.


    she pulled out four shiny gold coins and looked up at the innkeeper, who appeared to be twice her size.


    seemingly troubled, the innkeeper scratched the back of his gradually balding head.


    he quickly picked up on the fact that amelia was a stubborn person.


    ¡°with this amount, i¡¯ll still have change left over even if i gather every ingredient in the warehouse. just one will suffice. hey, chef! one special course! put your back into it! it needs to be worth a gold piece!¡±


    the innkeeper only took a gold coin from her and ordered the chef in a loud voice into the kitchen.


    he had mentioned that they would be served a special course, something that siwoo wasn¡¯t expecting to hear from a bar in gehenna, somewhere most bars wouldn¡¯t even have a decent menu.


    siwoo believed that their inspiration for these dishes must have come from contemporary ideas in the modern world, given their proximity to it.


    a short while later, the chef¡¯s special course was prepared and placed on the round table.


    the most eye-catching dish that was served was the huge steak, which was already dripping with blood and gravy before it was sliced.


    however, that was the end of the meat dishes, and instead, a variety of seafood foods not commonly found in tarot town were served.


    among them was a dish called gambas, prepared using king prawns mixed with scallops and cooked with a spicy sauce.


    [t/n ¨C ¡°???????¡±/ gambas, is a spanish dish with shrimp and garlic as the main ingredients. the name means ¡°shrimp (gambas) and garlic (ajillo)¡± in spanish. it is a name with only two main ingredient names attached. perhaps because the name is rather long, it is often just called ¡®gambas¡¯ in korea.]


    alongside the gambas was a sizable lobster that had been cooked whole, along with a grilled fish head.


    that wasn¡¯t the end of things, the remaining space left on the table was entirely covered with around 13 different kinds of dishes.


    ¡°enjoy your meal.¡±


    the chef, who had personally delivered the food directly onto their desk, retreated back into the kitchen as siwoo struggled to wallow his droll after seeing the wide range of delicacies laid out before him for the first time in his 5 years of slavery.


    ¡°thank you for your kindness! i am truly grateful for your generosity, ms. associate professor.¡±


    since they were in a bar, siwoo had to raise his voice in an attempt for amelia to hear him over the noisy background of the busy bar.


    just as they began to dig into their meal, a loud commotion broke out outside the inn.


    ¡°pay attention, everyone! the crew members whose names are called out are to get ready for departure immediately!¡±


    in order to get everyone¡¯s attention, a man in a nice suit rang a bell as he entered the inn from the outside.


    he began to call out the names of the selected crew members one by one from a piece of paper.


    ¡°what the hell? why are we suddenly departing the port?¡±


    ¡°i have no idea. didn¡¯t the captain say he had to leave right away to take care of something?¡±


    ¡°max, ben, timmy. hey, wake that guy up and come with me.¡±


    ¡°why me?! take the other guy!¡±


    ¡°have you gone crazy? how am i supposed to navigate a ship without a helmsman this late at night?¡±


    ¡°shit, it¡¯s been a month since i last set foot on land, and now i¡¯m returning to the sea. such bad luck.¡±


    the sailors, who were sitting around a table and having fun, hurriedly grabbed their things and made their way to the exit.


    despite all the grumbling and nasty swearing that had been going on since the captain¡¯s instructions, the sailors left in an orderly manner.


    the sounds of creaking floorboards and swinging doors resounded throughout the inn as the crew members left the premise and despite the large number of them leaving there were still over a dozen people inside the inn.


    as siwoo looked around the room in a daze, amelia continued to eat without a care in the world.


    by the time the sailors had finally left, amelia had also finished her meal.


    given the fact that she only ate a small amount of food, it was only natural that she would finish much faster than siwoo.


    the bar quickly fell into silence as the majority of the remaining guests slowly left.


    the bar that was supposed to be filled with drunken chatter was instead filled with an uncomfortable silence, creating a tense atmosphere in the bar.


    ¡°oh, ms. witch, it¡¯s good to see you again¡±.


    in that moment, larissa walked to the side of their table, her heels clicking as she walked.


    amelia straightened her back and looked up at larissa, dabbing the corners of her mouth with a napkin she¡¯d stashed somewhere.


    ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡±oh... nothing in particular, i¡¯m not here for anything.¡±


    ¡°can¡¯t you see that i¡¯m having a meal?¡±


    larissa, who was politely speaking, was at a loss for words.


    in fact, it was how people usually reacted after hearing amelia¡¯s way of speaking.


    she wasn¡¯t really friendly after all.


    ¡°...i actually brought some good wine for the after-party, but with the sailors leaving for their voyage, there aren¡¯t enough people left to share it with..¡±


    larissa took out two clean wine glasses and placed them on the table.


    she deftly poured the wine into the glasses after uncorking the wine bottle.


    ¡°this is an expensive wine imported from the modern world, well suited to the tastes of lady witch.¡±


    amelia kept an eye on larissa¡¯s behavior as if to gauge her true motives.


    given that larissa ran a store targeting the nobility and amelia belonged to that class, it was understandable for amelia to have doubts regarding the reasoning behind her actions.


    it was definitely not an act done out of impulse.


    ¡°i apologize, but there is nothing i can do to help you in this matter.¡±


    ¡°i know, just take it as a token of sincerity.¡±


    ¨C glug


    she started to delicately pour the red wine into the glass.


    the lingering aroma of food couldn¡¯t compete with the fruity aroma of grapes wafting over their nostrils.


    larissa not only filled the wine glass for amelia but also for siwoo as well.


    ¡± i hope you have a nice time.¡±


    as if she was done with her business, larissa took the bottle and poured out the remaining liquid for the sailors around her.


    people were behaving normally around amelia, and somehow she didn¡¯t seem to mind the situation she was in.


    witches were objects of awe and terror, they often tried to posture themselves in front of others, seemingly superior to other beings, whilst amelia was the polar opposite of such a mindset, which was why behavior like this didn¡¯t bother her.


    amelia took a sip of red wine and frowned.


    noticing her change of expression, siwoo took a sip from his glass and instantly understood why.


    it was a very dry wine.


    [t/n ¨C the reason a glass of wine is called ¡°dry¡± is due to it having no residual sugar.]


    amelia, someone who enjoyed sweet tastes, did not like how it tasted.


    ¡±i¡¯ll go to our room first, come up after you¡¯ve finished eating.¡±


    although the flavor of the wine wasn¡¯t to her liking, amelia finished her glass without hesitation and stood up from her chair.


    ¡±oh, i¡¯m almost done eating, please wait a little longer.¡±


    ¡±there¡¯s no need for you to be so uptight when eating. treat this as your reward for your hard work today.¡±


    today¡¯s hectic schedule of racing about without a break was worthwhile in light of the reward he received.


    ¡°and i don¡¯t think i¡¯ve heard your answer yet. what do you think about being assigned as my assistant?¡±


    it turned out that she had not forgotten her offer for him to work as her assistant.


    .


    siwoo, who thought he had lost all opportunities as a result of his earlier slip, was given an unexpected second chance.


    ¡°i¡¯m willing to guarantee you the convenience you have now.¡±


    she assumed he was reluctant to accept her offer because he was concerned that becoming her assistant would further restrict his already limited freedom. as a result, she made certain to reassure him about giving conveniences.


    siwoo was able to feel his tensed mind unwind as he came to the realization.


    five years ago, amelia wanted siwoo, who was a mathematician in modern times, to be her assistant.


    siwoo had mistaken the offer for a proposal to serve her in bed at night.


    he had been conditioned by slave dealers to believe that witches were insane and dangerous, so he rejected the offer as he felt like it was unsafe.


    since being rejected by a slave, amelia had consistently tormented siwoo.


    her abrupt improvement in her treatment of him was due to her desire to make another offer for him to work as her assistant.


    her plan was thoughtfully laid out.


    siwoo replied without much hesitation.


    ¡°all right,¡±


    after all, he just had to put up with it for just one more year.


    if he became amelia¡¯s exclusive assistant, he might have fewer tasks to do compared to now, even if he wasn¡¯t sure exactly what he would do.


    this would give him more time to study magic, and he might be able to complete the magic to get out of gehenna faster.


    he had nothing to lose by accepting the proposal.


    upon hearing siwoo¡¯s answer, amelia nodded slowly, as if she was satisfied.


    she didn¡¯t show any emotion, but for some reason, siwoo was able to sense her mood.


    ¡°good decision. l¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    amelia went upstairs to the guest room.


    perhaps it was her generosity that allowed him to eat to the end.


    due to his status as a slave, he hardly ever got the chance to eat such delicacies. on top of that, it was a difficult process to get seafood inland.


    ¡°but i am grateful for that.¡±


    after noticing that amelia had gone upstairs, siwoo began to focus his attention on the delicacies laid out in front of him.


    ¡°hey, kiddo,¡±


    just as he was about to crack open a lobster shell with his fork, a figure sat down in front of him with a thud.


    it was fyodor, the muscle-bound man who had caused a commotion earlier, who sat down loudly in front of the table.


    ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    gulping down the glass of wine, siwoo smiled at fyodor, his teeth showing.


    ¡°you¡¯re a paramour, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    paramour, that damned title!


    siwoo had no idea why he was being constantly named a paramour, especially since he had never held hands with amelia before, let alone sex.


    ¡°no, i¡¯m not.¡±


    siwoo said curtly before picking up a lobster and eating it.


    there was something unsettling about him. siwoo decided to eat quickly and head upstairs to avoid the man


    but he soon regretted the choice.


    when the un-evolved gorilla man had sat down on his table, siwoo had immediately considered leaving the table.


    ¡°what do you mean by no? you¡¯re being unreasonable. i envy you. while some were clapping whores¡¯ arses at the brothel, others were watching the witch¡¯s naked bath.¡±


    he had heard that there were a lot of rough and foolish sailors, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be to this extent.


    nevertheless, siwoo, who was regarded as an elite in the outside world, was aware that this rude individual belonged to a race he had never met.


    if the gorilla punched siwoo¡¯s face with his fist the size of his head, his face would be instantly disfigured, but siwoo was not one to back down, even after gaining more patience through his military and slave life.


    ¡°then why don¡¯t you go bang a whore¡¯s arse. you don¡¯t have to sit in front of someone else¡¯s table and drool all over their food, do you?¡±


    there was a big difference between their physiques.


    fyodor¡¯s face went blank for a moment as if he hadn¡¯t expected to be rebutted in such a manner.


    it was only for a moment, though.


    the man, who had been condescending towards siwoo, began to engage in more vulgar banter while mocking him as if he knew everything.


    ¡°i¡¯ve come to hear stories about a paramour who clings to a witch and who often gets pampered by her.¡±


    fyodor dragged his chair and tapped siwoo on his shoulder.


    ¡°hey, kiddo, talk to me. how¡¯d you do it? there¡¯s no need to keep secrets from brothers is there? what¡¯s it like to fuck a witch? you look young, have you even gotten pubes yet?¡±


    ¡°are you fucking crazy?¡±


    siwoo was speechless.


    amelia was a witch.


    if siwoo was actually a paramour, he could report whatever the muscle mountain had said.


    he was confused as to why the man would be so rude and arrogant towards a witch.


    was he drunk?


    ¡°what¡¯s the color of her nipple huh? come on, why are you staying silent? don¡¯t you know that you get to know someone by telling them something interesting about yourself?¡±


    the sight of this man, who spoke of all kinds of insidious sexual harassment against amelia, made him feel sick and caused him to lose his appetite.


    not wanting to aggravate the situation further, siwoo pushed fyodo¡¯s arm away as he finished his meal.


    ¡°be careful what you say. do you even know who she is?¡±


    ¡°hahaha!¡±


    ¨C boom!


    for a split second, all siwon could see was white.


    regaining his bearings, he discovered that his head had been buried under a plate of lobster.


    it turned out that fyodor had used his rugged arm to knock his head onto the table.


    ¡±hey, what does it matter to you, kid? you fucking punk.¡±


    the words rang in his ears as lobster skin plastered over his cheek. he could feel a spicy sensation spread from his nose as if the sauce had entered his nostril.


    a disgusting voice rose amid the chaos of the situation.


    ¡°sorry about that. it seems like i accidentally smacked you in the heat of the moment, ah well i had no other choice but to calm my anger.¡±


    however, his voice didn¡¯t seem to be sorry; rather, it was a hateful voice that did not care to hide its laughter.


    ¡°i don¡¯t think you¡¯ll ever get the chance to see that witch again.¡±

 Chapter 26: Inn (3)

    ? inn (3) ?


    1.


    siwoo felt a throbbing pain in his head as he was pressed against the plate.


    the giant, who was a head taller than siwoo, showed off his gorilla-like strength.


    siwoo couldn¡¯t move his head no matter how hard he tried.


    ¡°hahahaha...¡±


    ¡°kuu...¡±


    ¡°what a fucking idiot.¡±


    fyodor said mockingly as he saw siwoo struggling to move,


    siwoo ignored fyodor¡¯s remark and instead focused on figuring out how and why the situation had escalated this way.


    the answer to his question would become clear if he could just reorganize his thoughts and find the previously laid out clues.


    why did this happen in the first place?


    the following were the most obvious clues to help him better grasp his situation:


    the first clue, fyodor had mockingly called siwoo a paramour.


    since the majority of the citizens were required for the convenience of witches, gehenna¡¯s city law guaranteed ordinary citizens¡¯ rights to life and property.


    the witch¡¯s only victims would be the slaves, since as long as the citizens never broke any laws, they were never punished. therefore, the citizens¡¯ feelings towards witches could only be described as awe, fear, and respect.


    gehenna¡¯s citizens were like peasants in the manner in which they treated the aristocracy and royal family, but fyodor wasn¡¯t like other citizens. not only did his tone show contempt for siwoo, but for witches as well.


    the second clue was that fyodor was both a nagaho sailor and smuggler.


    unlike citizens who had spent their entire lives in gehenna, fyodor, a smuggler, traveled back and forth between the modern world and gehenna.


    who despised humans more: a bird who had lived in a cage without ever seeing the grand blue sky, or a bird who had tasted freedom, but was always forced back into his cage?


    it went without saying that the ordinary citizens of gehenna and the slaves that were brought in had experienced great oppression for years and had every right to harbor deep resentment towards witches.


    based on his previous actions thus far, his resentment towards witches would be similar to that of a slave.


    but there was one more question that had, yet to be answered


    what led to this situation?


    as mentioned earlier, fyodor looked down on siwoo by calling him a paramour, but displaying contempt and expressing it with violence were two completely different matters.


    if someone tried to hit a witch¡¯s favorite paramour out of malice, he would have to deal with the consequences.


    fyodor¡¯s remarks after slamming siwoo¡¯s head against the plate was the crucial piece of information he needed to finally figure out the cause of this issue, ¡°sorry, but i had no choice.¡± along with ¡°you¡¯ll never see that witch again.¡±


    those were the exact words he had uttered.


    ¡°why don¡¯t you whine like you did before?¡±


    ¨C slam! slam! slam!


    ¨C crack crack crack


    fyodor grabbed siwoo by the back of his hair and repeatedly bashed his forehead against the table, the stacked tableware and dishes fell causing them to spill all over the floor with a loud crash.


    the skin on his forehead had been torn by the repeated slams and his vision was dyed red.


    if this continued, he surely would die.


    even if the giant man had no intention of killing him, his body wouldn¡¯t be able to handle fyodor¡¯s gorilla-like strength much longer.


    when siwoo realized this, his hand moved at lightning speed.


    it was a situation where he couldn¡¯t use the mana he had worked so hard to polish.


    unfortunately for siwoo, he lacked both mana and a method to activate it at the moment.


    with little room for options, siwoo took a fork from the table and plunged it into fyodor¡¯s meaty thigh with as much strength as he could possibly muster.


    it was an improvised reaction to a survival situation.


    ¡°shit!¡±


    the sharp fork pierced the fabric of the thick jeans and with little to no effort penetrated the soft flesh and muscle underneath.


    the effect was great considering fyodor loosened his grip on siwoo¡¯s hair because of the sudden pain.


    siwoo widened the distance between them, attempting to get over his dizzy state.


    ¡°look at this sly cunt.¡±


    fyodor trembling with rage pulled the fork out of his thigh all at once.


    siwoo had used all of his might to pierce it, yet the wound appeared to be shallower than he expected.


    siwoo reached over to the other table and grabbed a meat-cutting knife.


    the bar served a pretty thick steak whole, so it wasn¡¯t the kind of dinner knife you¡¯d see in a family restaurant.


    the knife was cruder than a regular dinner knife, which meant that if used skillfully it could even kill people.


    fyodor, aware of this, didn¡¯t rush forward recklessly.


    ¡°what are you going to do with it? you¡¯re going to stab me in the stomach?¡±


    the knife bought siwoo some time to think, thus he needed to make the most of the time given and attempt to seek out more information.


    ¡°amelia!!!!!¡±


    the scream was so loud that fyodor frowned.


    then three seconds later the first floor of the bar was filled with laughter.


    ¡°hahaha!¡±


    ¡°look at the kid looking for his master.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a spectacular sight, indeed, kekeke.¡±


    siwoo ignoring their sarcastic remarks slowly widened the distance between himself and fyodor.


    it would take some more time to accurately judge the situation.


    ¡°hey, come here, motherfucker. i¡¯ll gouge your eyes out with a fork.¡±


    ¡°.......¡±


    10 seconds passed, then 15, 20, and eventually 30, yet there was no response from upstairs.


    amelia didn¡¯t show up.


    this was the final nail in the coffin for him to figure out what was going on.


    ¡°you guys are really crazy!¡±


    siwoo now knew the reason why they said he would never see amelia again.


    these sailors all conspired together to target amelia.


    these sailors had all conspired against amelia and it appears that they have already succeeded whether partially or completely.


    as long as they could deal with any future hindrances, a witch¡¯s favorite slave could easily be eliminated.


    siwoo didn¡¯t know why they did it, or even how they managed to pull it off.


    amelia was a witch.


    she was baroness marigold and held the 22nd rank in the hierarchy of witch aristocracy.


    she was a powerful witch, capable enough to outwit even the most advanced and cutting-edge strategic weapons, meanwhile, siwoo was incapable of confronting such a large group of people.


    but now she didn¡¯t even respond to siwoo¡¯s screams meaning they had succeeded in overpowering amelia.


    the most likely way to accomplish such a feat would be the wine larissa had brought them.


    ¡°that¡¯s enough, fyodor. what are you doing with a kid?¡±


    when fyodor approached siwoo quietly, a character who could solidify siwoo¡¯s assumption appeared on stage.


    the owner of the blue snake junction and a member of naga lake, larissa had appeared.


    ¡°don¡¯t interrupt me and get out of here, this fucker put a hole in my thigh.¡±


    ¡°go on ahead and get the sail ready. i don¡¯t have the time to play around.¡±


    ¡°larissa, you¡¯ve been covering that kid for a while now....¡±


    ¨C clink


    fyodor¡¯s complexion hardened as he felt the barrel of a gun touching in between his hip bones.


    ¡°you¡¯re kidding, right?


    larissa was holding tokarev, a pistol that nowadays could only be seen in spy movies.1[t/n ¨C the tt-30, commonly known simply as the tokarev, is an out-of-production soviet semi-automatic pistol.]


    she was pointing it between fyodor¡¯s buttocks, his family jewels to be precise.


    ¡°do you want to play marbles with me here? or do you want to shut up and start preparing to set sail? you know that the tokarev lacks a safety feature, right? if i pull the trigger like this, boom! you¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°hey, hey, i got it! you bitch! i just can¡¯t stand the sight of such a good-looking fellow.¡±


    ¡°think of my position only rolling among burly guys like you. it¡¯s been a while since i¡¯ve seen a cute guy, and you know you shouldn¡¯t kill him.¡±


    ¡°who was going to kill whom? i was just teaching him a lesson about obedience the hard way.¡±


    ¡°you just talked back, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°i didn¡¯t! i didn¡¯t! put that thing away!¡±


    fyodor threw the fork away with a fed-up expression and led the rest of the crew to set sail.


    ¡°hey! you should get moving, too!¡±


    soon, only larissa and siwoo remained on the first floor of the bar.


    this time, larissa, who had observed the previous scene, pointed her pistol at siwoo¡¯s chest.


    when she pointed the end of a small pistol at him like a scene from a movie, he wondered why he couldn¡¯t move.


    it was simply the suffocating pressure from the little hole facing toward him that inhibited his movement.


    ¡°is it shin siwoo?¡±


    ¡°i won¡¯t thank you for saving me.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s all right to pay lip service for what i did earlier for you.¡±


    ¡°you are a much scary sister than i thought.¡±


    larissa just grinned at siwoo¡¯s resentful words.


    ¡°there¡¯s still something i need you to help me with. don¡¯t you want to know why this happened?¡±


    ¡°what happened to lady amelia?¡±


    ¡°if you¡¯re curious, go to the guest room. stand in front of me, and don¡¯t ever look behind you. oh, but before that, put down that lovely knife.¡±


    siwoo did as he was told and dropped the knife.


    he wasn¡¯t a former member of the special forces or a retired intelligence agent.


    he had no intention of facing a gun with a crude knife.


    by the way, in border town, they carried pistols for self-defense.


    his thoughts may have been a little crazy due to the excessive adrenaline coursing through his system but he wasn¡¯t that crazy.


    slowly while creating a semicircle around siwoo with her gun still pointed at him, larissa ushered him towards the stairs leading to the guest room.


    ¡°i¡¯m curious about how much you¡¯ve figured out, can¡¯t you tell me? it would save me the trouble of explaining everything.¡±


    siwoo answered as he climbed the stairs.


    ¡°the people involved in this incident include you as well as the sailors who weren¡¯t called up earlier. lady amelia is most likely unconscious, therefore some kind of drug or substance that makes people fall unconscious was put in the wine you gave us earlier.¡±


    ¡°is that all?¡±


    ¡°...the conspirator may be a witch outside gehenna.¡±


    larissa, who was listening to everything siwoo had said so far, replied in an amazed tone.


    ¡°that¡¯s right! you¡¯re like sherlock holmes! i didn¡¯t expect you to notice a witch was involved.¡±


    it wasn¡¯t difficult to figure out once he contemplated the previous circumstances for a moment.


    everyone, including siwoo and larissa, had drank that wine together, yet amelia was the only one who ended up unconscious.


    it was possible for larissa to be given a poison that only worked when mana was present in the body.


    if a trap caught amelia without her realizing it, the only explanation would be that the conspirator was a witch high in the hierarchy.


    furthermore, if she wasn¡¯t an idiot she should be aware that she wouldn¡¯t be safe after causing such a fuss against the witch, she would obviously have had countermeasures or a backup plan.


    ¡°is it ¡®an outcast¡¯ ?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s correct, too.¡±


    larissa responded by clapping her hands.


    not all witches lived in gehenna.


    surprisingly, the proportion of witches who lived inside gehenna, like amelia or the twins, was at most half of the total amount.


    the remaining half settled in modern times, but even this half was defined by two types.


    one of these types were the witches who chose to stay in modern times simply due to its comfortability or for more personal reasons and business opportunity.


    the other type of witches were the ¡®outcast.¡¯ an outcast was a witch who had their citizenship revoked and couldn¡¯t enter genenna due to breaking an unwritten law.


    the detailed reasons may vary, but some of them have committed the following crimes:


    the one who had hurt another witch¡¯s apprentice witch.


    the one who had caused too many casualties while experimenting with magic


    or.


    ¡°you¡¯re going to steal the brand, aren¡¯t you?


    the one who killed another witch and robbed them of her brand in order to elevate their magical rank.


    ¡°right answer! i thought you were just a good-looking guy and not much else, but you are surprisingly intelligent and quick-witted. go ahead and open the third door on the right.¡±


    siwoo opened the door of the guest room and went in.


    amelia was lying on the floor as if she were on a bed.


    forgetting the fact that larissa was aiming a gun behind him, he hurriedly rushed over to her to see her condition.


    ¡°stop! if you put your hands on her body, i¡¯ll shoot you.¡±


    larissa stopped siwoo with a sharp voice.


    ¡°at least let me check her condition!¡±


    ¡°fine, but do it without touching her.¡±


    siwoo glared at larissa and put his finger under amelia¡¯s nose.


    even though he hated amelia so much, he was still worried when he saw her lying on the floor like that.


    ¡°kooh...¡±


    he sighed softly in relief.


    even if he shook her, siwoo doubted she would wake up.


    her breathing was weak and slow, as if she were in a coma.


    ¡°hey, don¡¯t act rashly. i almost jumped and shot you, i don¡¯t want to kill you, so please be careful from now on.¡±


    as she calmed down and reorganized the situation it was clear to siwoo that there was little to no reason not to shoot him in this situation.


    it would be preferable to kill and silence siwoo, the only witness, than to be pursued after they had stepped out of border town¡¯s gates.


    ¡°why don¡¯t you shoot me?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re even complaining about that?¡±


    larissa shrugged her shoulders as she noticed siwoo¡¯s eyes staring at her in wonder, then she continued speaking.


    ¡°the witch will suffer the same fate as you who was captured and dragged here against your will, losing not only your freedom but your human rights. everything is as you said it was, some of the crew, including fyodor, and i signed a contract with a witch outside of gehenna. i was offered a place to live in the modern world if i kidnapped a suitable witch.¡±


    larissa put her pistol down.


    naturally, she kept a safe distance from siwoo so that she could fire whenever she felt threatened.


    ¡°i¡¯ve been waiting for a chance like this for a long time you know, luckily enough i was able to reap a great harvest tonight. while we were renting the shop, a noble witch happened to appear with nothing but a single slave.¡±


    no wonder their movements were so organized.


    amelia was like a butterfly that entered the open-mouth of a carnivorous plant.


    ¡°actually, life here isn¡¯t that bad, i¡¯m pretty rich, and i¡¯m good enough to get most of the things i want in border town.¡±


    siwoo asked larissa.


    ¡°then why attempt to pull off such a dangerous stunt?¡±


    the act of kidnapping a witch was not without risk.


    if she failed or got caught halfway, those participating in the operation would surely be executed.


    larissa¡¯s reply was both sad and lonely in some ways.


    ¡°even if you have a thousand pounds of gold in gehenna, you still can¡¯t buy freedom.¡±


    footnotes:


    1[t/n ¨C the tt-30, commonly known simply as the tokarev, is an out-of-production soviet semi-automatic pistol.]

 Chapter 27: Inn (4)

    ? inn (4) ?


    1.


    ¡°there¡¯s not much i really desire. all i want is to be free from having to live in such a narrow world, as a slave, don¡¯t you know it too?¡±


    larissa said so while still cautiously pointing the pistol at siwoo


    siwoo could sympathize with larissa¡¯s desire for freedom since he was a slave.


    didn¡¯t siwoo, who yearned to regain his freedom, study magic every day to escape from this place?


    ¡°i have a suggestion that might interest you, all you have to do is carry the witch into our ship, the nagaho. we¡¯ve gotten a pass from enquiry city hall, so no one would even bat an eye at us setting sail. once the mission is finished we can live under the protection of the witch who helped us, you get what i mean, right?¡±


    to make her offer even more appealing, larissa smiled gleefully.


    ¡°you can be free as well, and return to the modern world.¡±


    at first glance, the offer looked very appealing to him.


    it was only after remembering a bit of information he read in a book about witches that siwoo realized why larissa hadn¡¯t shot him yet, and instead had made such an offer.


    ¡°it¡¯s because of autonomous defense.¡±


    ¡°yes,¡±


    larissa shrugged her shoulders as if she had nothing to hide.


    autonomous defense.


    it was one of the traits that would naturally manifest when the witch¡¯s brand reached rank 15 or higher in the witchcraft hierarchy.


    the effect of this trait was exactly what it sounded like.


    the autonomous defense magic circle that would respond to unexpected attacks.


    when the amount of shock and damage reached a certain threshold, the autonomous defense would automatically activate, even without the use of magic.


    it was a type of magic that prevented witches from being unexpectedly attacked and killed without passing on their brand.


    because it was used for this reason, the effect of autonomous defense was especially strong while the victim was either asleep or unconscious.


    amelia was now sound asleep due to an unknown drug, meaning the autonomous defense magic was at its most dangerous.


    ¡°it is said that you should never touch a sleeping witch, in addition to shocks, autonomous defense magic detects human malice. it can cast a spell if someone with hostility lightly touches a sleeping witch¡¯s body. it¡¯s really troubling that i can¡¯t even use my hands, despite carefully putting her to sleep.¡±


    only siwoo was able to properly touch amelia since he had no malicious feelings toward her, which prevented larissa from shooting him or fyodor from killing him right away.


    the thought of getting killed made his hair stand on end.


    ¡°you have good feelings for this witch, so her autonomous defense won¡¯t activate, so please, just carry her to the ship.¡±


    siwoo crouched and looked down at amelia, who had fallen asleep.


    she curled up and fell asleep like a baby, her eyes twitching as though she were having a nightmare.


    while looking down at the associate professor sleeping helplessly on the floor, siwoo couldn¡¯t help but recall the days he had to endure such hellish torture under amelia and her awful attitude towards him.


    he was forced to clean the bathroom in the middle of the night and then without rest he was told to cut off a moose¡¯s antlers, or if he was lucky he would just get more overtime added to his already long hours, but even after all those trials and tribulation, he had worked as hard as he could over the past five years.


    one couldn¡¯t be sure amelia didn¡¯t hold animosity toward him due to the way she tormented him for so long. if she didn¡¯t like him, touching her right now may cause him to be hurt by the autonomous defensive magic.


    ¡°um, there seems to be a misunderstanding. i hate this witch. if i touch her, the autonomous defense will be activated.¡±


    ¡°it didn¡¯t respond when you checked on her condition, so i¡¯m certain that you are lying. even after being so close to her, nothing is happening and the autonomous defense magic is showing no reaction to your approach. when i tried to get close to her earlier the magic began to squirm, no matter what approach i took. the autonomous defense detected my malicious thoughts for the witch, but you don¡¯t seem to harbor such feelings.¡±


    ¡°eh?¡±


    siwoo was bewildered when he realized he hadn¡¯t been attacked by the autonomous defense magic and his assumption that amelia disliked him had been proven wrong yet again.


    siwoo was sitting right next to amelia and not long ago, he checked amelia¡¯s breathing by placing his finger under her nose meaning the distance between them was quite close.


    ¡°if you still doubt what i said, just confirm it.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s good to be cautious, but don¡¯t think about pulling any tricks. i insisted on making this offer to give you a way out of here. that didn¡¯t mean we couldn¡¯t get her to the ship without you. there will be some delay, but we can capture any random citizen from the outside and have them carry her to the ship.¡±


    ¨C clink


    ¡°hurry up, and come on.¡±


    ¡°........¡±


    as she urged siwoo, she pointed the gun¡¯s muzzle directly at his head.


    siwoo had no choice but to gently place his hand on amelia¡¯s shoulder.


    siwoo¡¯s breathing was ragged and his heart was racing so much so that his anxiousness was increasing as his hand touched amelia¡¯s shoulder, he assumed that the autonomous defense magic would react and as he was waiting for the worst, surprisingly nothing happened. siwoo¡¯s racing heart eventually stopped and his breathing stabilized.


    siwoo was relieved when he realized nothing had happened.


    amelia was surprisingly soft to the touch, and despite her small stature she always walked with a proud gait that made it feel as if she were out of reach like a dazzling star in the night sky, yet at this moment siwoo was able to touch her slender shoulder with his rugged hands.


    siwoo could feel amelia¡¯s warmth as well as her delicate and soft skin all over his palms.


    ¡°see nothing happened, right?¡±


    ¡°isn¡¯t it a little too easy for you to judge, one wrong move, and i¡¯m dead.¡±


    larissa simply grinned without a care for the world.


    ¡°just by looking into your eyes, i can tell you¡¯re a good and kind boy, which makes me wonder how someone so kind could possibly abandon the witch he serves? it simply isn¡¯t feasible.¡±


    as she watched siwoo contemplate what she had said, her confident smile showed she truly believed in her assumption that siwoo did not harbor any hatred toward the witch.


    ¡°it¡¯s a good contract, isn¡¯t it? you hand the witch over to us, and we free you from your servitude, it¡¯s a win-win situation for everyone involved. now lift her up.¡±


    at larissa¡¯s urging, siwoo put his hands under amelia¡¯s knees and back and carefully lifted her up.


    she looked incredibly relaxed, despite being unaware of the events taking place around her or the reason behind her slumber.


    siwoo¡¯s long-awaited escape seemed to be within arms reach but his morals prevented him from accepting larissa¡¯s offer. he didn¡¯t want to be free if it meant dirtying his hands by killing amelia, even if she had a nasty attitude and treated him like a pet, he would surely live to regret it.


    all he had to do was carry her to their ship but he was still skeptical about whether or not they could guarantee her safety.


    ¡°nobody¡¯s going to lose anything, right?¡±


    he couldn¡¯t help but confirm the fate of amelia as he was worried about her safety.


    ¡°what about amelia?¡±


    ¡°the witch who acted so arrogantly will atone for her sins by being offered as a sacrifice.¡±


    ¡°you know that a witch whose brand is taken away will die, don¡¯t you?¡±


    larissa frowned and wondered why he was asking such a question in such an accusatory tone.


    ¡°so this is wrong? if anything is wrong, it¡¯s the existence of this damned city itself. isn¡¯t that something you should know by now? you¡¯ve been made a slave, and deprived of your freedom! i¡¯m just trying to help you get it back!¡±


    she was still aiming the pistol at siwoo.


    siwoo was unsure of how larissa would react if he ignored her orders from this point forward and didn¡¯t want things to escalate out of control; there was, however, still a method in which he could easily escape this dire situation.


    all he had to do was agree to larissa¡¯s proposal.


    he would once again experience the freedom that he so deserved all he had to do was hand amelia over to them and then fully erase her existence from his mind.


    ¡°.........¡±


    it was an undeniable fact that siwoo hated amelia, but his feelings for her were a bit more complicated than that. it was hard to put into words, but you shouldn¡¯t misunderstand, he hated amelia but he never hated her so much as to kill her.


    even after all the pain he had endured by her hands, he still didn¡¯t feel she was wicked enough to deserve death.


    ¡°...don¡¯t do this.¡±


    larissa¡¯s expression distorted as she saw siwoo, who was determined to persuade her to spare amelia.


    ¡°enough already, even if you insist, what is left for you?¡±


    he had nothing to gain but if he had to say anything, it would be ¡®adaptation.¡¯


    it would be nice to put it that way.


    he could have enjoyed slave life with a bit more freedom if he had been as submissive as takasho from the start and attempted to adjust to the situation.


    if he had adapted to amelia¡¯s childish resentment, he wouldn¡¯t have gotten so involved with her but if he got too comfortable with his way of life in gehenna he may have never learned magic and instead spent his days serving witches or working hellish hours.


    now that amelia¡¯s life was in danger, the only thing left to do was persuade larissa.


    ¡°gaining freedom by selling other people¡¯s lives is wrong, i¡¯m sorry, but i can¡¯t join you.¡±


    larissa¡¯s lips trembled as she bit down on them.


    it wasn¡¯t something as simple as feeling humiliated for having her goodwill rejected, but an internal struggle where one side was urging her to go through with the kidnapping no matter the cost, and the other side begging her to stop before she regrets her decision.


    a truly evil individual wouldn¡¯t feel so conflicted about committing a crime but larissa was different. she wasn¡¯t an evil individual and understood that what she was doing was wrong, thus an inking of uncertainty remained.


    as siwoo read her hesitant expression he suddenly remembered a remark that larissa had made that bothered him so he questioned her about his concern.


    ¡°isn¡¯t this too dangerous, the witch who promised to release you guys rather than abandon you is an outcast.¡±


    furthermore, if the witch wanted to take away amelia¡¯s brand, she would be one of the most demented among the outcasts.


    was there any assurance that such a vile witch would keep her word?


    ¡°this is a risky deal not only for me but also for my sister and the crew...¡±


    ¡°i figured out that much, how about other matters?¡±


    after conversing with siwoo, larissa realized that he was smart enough to figure out situations quickly if given enough information, so it wasn¡¯t anything surprising to her.


    ¡°i don¡¯t want to shoot you, so hurry up and move. if you¡¯re so afraid of the exiled witch, we¡¯ll just go out by ourselves.¡±


    there was a ruckus on the side of the stairs as the confrontation between them continued.


    following fyodor, three crew members who had previously left the bar to go get ready to set sail entered the room.


    ¡°hey, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°........¡±


    larissa shook her head in dismay as she watched those four morons strolling into the room.


    fyodor¡¯s thick lips twisted into a sneer.


    ¡°why bother doing something so troublesome when we can just have a citizen handle it? hey timmy, go get someone!¡±


    fyodor ordered one of the crew members to bring a citizen and walked over to siwoo as the crew member dashed down the stairs once again.


    ¡°you mean you can¡¯t sell off the witch you serve, right? how touching; it makes me want to cry.¡±


    siwoo cautiously moved back while embracing amelia as fyofor approached, unfortunately for him the guest rooms in the tavern were small, thus he had little room to move back.


    his back met the wall before he could even take a few steps back, trapping him with no way to escape the approaching gorilla-like man.


    the lantern on the wall flickered near siwoo¡¯s head as he stood with his body pressed against the wall.


    ¡°how shall i crush you?¡±


    larissa intervened before fyodor, who had a wicked look on his face could begin.


    ¡°join me when you¡¯ve tied him up, it would be pointless to torture him.¡±


    ¡°what type of bullshit are you spouting now? i know what that asshole is up to behind the scenes. before we get there, let¡¯s have some fun.¡±


    siwoo could smell fyodor¡¯s terrible breath as he talked, despite siwoo himself being an arm¡¯s reach away from him.


    fyodor¡¯s bloodshot eyes roamed all over amelia¡¯s body, all kinds of perversion could be seen within them.


    ¡°hey, kiddo, take off her clothes. i can¡¯t fuck her, but i have to see what a witch¡¯s cunt looks like.¡±


    fyodor couldn¡¯t put a finger on amelia¡¯s body due to the autonomous defense, but siwoo could so he attempted to threaten siwoo into stripping amelia.


    siwoo quickly cast a sidelong glance at the lamp next to his head.


    it was a stroke of luck for him as he discovered a glimmer of hope to escape from his hopeless situation.


    ¡°do you know the difference between an oil lamp and a mana lamp?¡±


    ¡°what are you talking about all of a sudden?¡±


    siwoo held unconscious amelia firmly in one hand.


    he then moved his hand closer to the lamp¡¯s hem that was attached to the wall right next to his head.


    ¡°¡®decorative fire¡¯ is the lighting magic used throughout gehenna. this is a first-tier elemental magic, which reduces the heat of sparks and increases the brightness of light.¡±


    the lamp that contained the fire used for illumination was generally made of glass.


    one would expect the fire inside the land to heat up the glass enclosing it if it were made by burning oil, but when siwoo touched it there was no heat.


    ¡°it looks like the lamp is not producing heat like an oil lamp. that means a decorative flame is inside of it.¡±


    ¡°did he go crazy realizing he was about to die?¡±


    siwoo opened the lamp with a twist and slipped his hand inside while they were still unable to grasp what he was saying.


    the fire in the mana lamp looked exactly like an oil lamp, but the properties of the fuel were completely different.


    ¡°the fuel for the mana lamp is a mixture of a little bit of mana water and alchemy.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s up with that?¡±


    although the mana water was too impure and wild to be used for magic experiments, it was enough for him to control and reshape the mana that had been used to form a flame.


    ¡°bloom.¡±


    siwoo forcibly activated the mana water mixed in with the fuel.


    the ¡°decorative flame¡± he held in the palm of his hand started to quiver violently when the mana was unleashed.


    craaaaackle!


    in order to more precisely control the fire, siwoo was now examining its chemical composition.


    the overclocked flames gathered and rolled on the palms of his hand after the stabilizer was removed.


    the flame adopted the form of a pyrokinetic serpent. it wrapped around siwoo while blazing ferociously with its tongue protruding, siwoo could control the flame serpent with the palm of his hand.


    he had no trouble keeping it under control.


    it was just magic of the first tier after all.


    ¡°wh-what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°how can a slave cast a spell....!¡±


    larissa, fyodor, and an unnamed sailor were all in awe as they saw a slave pull off a feat that was thought to be impossible.


    the flames, which seemed to dance in sync with his hand motion, were flaring once again.


    it could be seen at a glance that the form of these flames were anything but ordinary.


    the decorative fire, which had been interfered with by mana, wriggled like a living creature and became a wall that separated siwoo and the crew.


    ¡°get back!¡±


    even so, not all of the problems had been solved.


    that fuel in the lamp had too little mana in it.


    if he had used it to just light the room, he could have used it for over a month, but if he wanted to ignite such a ferocious flame, the mana could only be used for a maximum of 30 seconds.


    therefore, in order to destroy the opponent¡¯s fighting spirit and obstruct their field of vision, he first built a wall of fire that was visually realistic and afterward transformed the flame into a pyrokinetic snake.


    the temperature of the fire was only about 70 degrees celsius at that moment.


    the flame wall was so thin that they could easily cross it if they wanted, meaning, siwoo was just bluffing.


    ¡°larissa, what are you waiting for?! shoot!!¡±


    to those who were unaware that he had utilized these flames as bluffs, the magnificence of the flames that blazed like hellfire was breathtaking.


    ¡°i- i don¡¯t know!¡±


    one of the crew members had already bolted from the room after being terrified of the magnificent flames, but fyodor and larissa were different.


    they knew what kind of future would unfold if they couldn¡¯t capture the witch and let the slave escape.


    ¡°so what will you do if i miss the shot and kill the witch?¡±


    ¡°if you let them escape like this, we¡¯re all dead, you crazy bitch!¡±


    as fyodor was attempting to take the pistol away from larissa, who managed to stop him, siwoo discovered the solution to his problem. he would need to create another spell while his bluff was still in effect.


    he found that amelia¡¯s lessons were helpful in situations like these.


    men, unlike women, couldn¡¯t store mana.


    however, unlike women, they could generate weak mana.


    even though it was just a tiny amount, the mana generated was far greater than the minuscule amount of mana found in the lamp.


    siwoo had created new spells before, thus he should be able to do it once again.


    with that thought, siwoo lowered his gaze.


    there, he could see amelia¡¯s little chest moving gently up and down in sync with her breath.


    without hesitation, siwoo immediately rolled up amelia¡¯s dress.

 Chapter 28: Inn (5)

    small warning: the chapter has a little lewd surprise i made so don¡¯t read it in public. enjoy ^^


    ? inn (5) ?


    1.


    the current situation could only be described as chaotic.


    the towering flames created from the fuel of the lamp acted as a barrier, shielding both siwoo and amelia from their enemies. beyond the wall of flames were larissa, who was aiming her gun at siwoo, and her crew members which included fyodor, who was trying to subdue and kidnap the currently unconscious amelia.


    siwoo, however, wasn¡¯t panicking at all; his ability to concentrate had always been unparalleled, even as a child.


    once he set his mind on something, he was able to focus without being distracted by anything going on around him.


    as siwoo concentrated on the entire scenario, he felt as if he was drowning in the ocean that was his consciousness, the great ocean of consciousness engulfed him more and more until he was fully submerged in its embrace. the more he concentrated the more the deafening sound of water muffled his agitation and nervousness, this quiet and somber atmosphere allowed siwoo to carefully consider his next move.


    siwoo quickly calculated that the mana generated by relieving his lust was insufficient to maintain the barrier and make a safe escape from the scene.


    he would, therefore, need to arouse himself sexually using amelia¡¯s body as a medium in order to generate mana.


    this was because the amount of mana generated by an erection directly correlates with the level of sexual excitement. it would take longer and provide less mana if he merely masturbated while not feeling very sexually stimulated. therefore, using her to boost his arousal was a wise move.


    amelia¡¯s beauty was a bonus since it made her a desirable person.


    her hair was so thick and lustrous that the spring wind would be unable to sway it like it did curtains.


    the blue hue of her eyes appeared to be taken from the autumn sky itself and her lips were moist as if the summer¡¯s heavy rain had washed them away leaving only the winter snow to take the form of her white and smooth skin.


    even if you visited the best painters in gehenna, you would not find one who could accurately capture amelia¡¯s beauty. no matter how skilled they were, their depiction would inevitably fall short of her divinely bestowed attractiveness. their talents would be evident in their sketches, but it would be clear that they were not sufficient to fully capture her beauty.


    just looking at amelia¡¯s bare body was enough to excite siwoo.


    as the barrier of fire hid the sight from onlookers, he began to scan amelia¡¯s body at the speed of light before moving on to the next stage.


    he felt bad about doing this to an unconscious amelia, but it was the only option for both of them to survive and escape from the current situation together.


    ¡°haa...¡±


    siwoo grabbed the hem of her dress and lifted it upward, exposing amelia¡¯s semi-naked figure to his eyes.


    he began by scanning her lower body first.


    he began to scan her lower body, he could spot a pink tattoo etched into amelia¡¯s lower abdomen, which was whiter than a field of snow.


    the tattoo was proof that a witch¡¯s brand had been passed down to amelia.


    as he slightly lowered his gaze, he noticed amelia was wearing a sexy thong that barely covered her pussy.


    the witch¡¯s brand, which was in the shape of a heart, was clearly visible on amelia¡¯s womb since the underwear was unable to cover it.


    1illustration was made via ai


    unfortunately, he did not have time to pull off her thong in this emergency situation despite his desire to peek at her pussy.


    since he was embracing her with one arm anything beyond this would either be too difficult or take too long.


    siwoo continued to explore amelia as his gaze rose to her soft tummy.


    his eyes arrived at amelia¡¯s upper body after glancing at her cute navel which was located in the center of her slim waist.


    siwoo couldn¡¯t help but be mesmerized by amelia¡¯s petite chest moving in sync with her breath, highlighting not only its great shape but the sensual black underwear gently wrapped around it.


    he could easily cover her soft and tiny chest with only one of his palms if he really wanted to.


    a sense of triumph engulfed siwoo at the realization that he was the first man to ever lay his eyes on amelia¡¯s exposed body.


    ¡°!¡±


    he instinctively glanced at her left breast after noticing something.


    did the position of her bra change, when she collapsed after the drug took effect?


    first of all, amelia¡¯s bra didn¡¯t have enough fabric to conceal her areolas, and as one side of the bra fell down, it revealed her left nipple.


    the way her soft nipple gently rested on the brassiere cup made the sight undeniably alluring.


    moreover, the fact that the owner of the nipple was amelia only served to heighten siwoo¡¯s excitement.


    perched on top of amelia¡¯s plump bosom was a nipple that was a slightly deeper shade of pink than the areola underneath whose hue was akin to that of a weaved cherry blossom.


    as his sexual excitement grew, he wondered if the mana generated was enough.


    unfortunately, when he measured the amount of mana generated, he found that it was considerably short of the desired amount.


    first of all, he hadn¡¯t yet masturbated, and erections were the least efficient way to generate mana.


    increasing mana generation should be his top priority at the moment and so with this in mind, he needed to increase his arousal as much as humanly possible.


    he was burying his nose in her soft chest while sucking her nipple.


    as siwoo rolled his tongue over the nipple he was amazed that a person¡¯s skin could be so soft.


    in contrast to her usual appearance, the amelia in his arm appeared even more seductive and lewd as her nipple twitched and was slowly getting erected with each touch of his tongue.


    epidemics, wars, and natural disasters.


    the only thing that had pushed the future of humans in whatever circumstance was their instinct to overcome these frightening circumstances.


    if humans were driven by the instinct called ¡®fear¡¯.


    what was the name of the instinct that drove someone to sow seeds in attractive women?


    it was ¡®libido¡¯.


    siwoo¡¯s body responded to the call of this old instinct, and as if it had been lying in wait for this very moment it propelled his sexual arousal as high as humanly possible.


    like a ferocious tsunami, the blood in his body rushed to his shaft causing it to not only become harder but hotter as well.


    his breathing became rapid and ragged like that of a hungry beast, and his blood pressure began to increase as a result of his arousal, making his entire body hotter than a raging fire.


    his boner was so hard it even began to hurt.


    suddenly, siwoo felt more mana surging within his body than ever before.


    ¡°bloom!¡±


    even though he wanted to remain in the embrace of amelia¡¯s soft bosom, siwoo forced his mouth off her chest and stretched his hand open towards the sky.


    ¨C ping!


    through his hand, the mana that had surged into his body burst and shot forth with a powerful wave toward the sky.


    he quickly returned amelia¡¯s dress to its original state and put out the mana-made wall of flames that had been protecting them both.


    an eerie silence swiftly followed.


    he heard the footsteps of people coming up the stairs.


    perhaps the crew members that fyodor sent down earlier brought an innocent citizen of gehenna who would take amelia to the ship in siwoo¡¯s stead.


    ¡°khahahaha, the slave kid is done with his magic.¡±


    fyodor regained his confidence when the wall of flames, which appeared as if it would devour him if he approached recklessly, suddenly disappeared. now with nothing to stop him, he tried to attack siwoo once more.


    ¡°this bastard is of no use anymore.¡±


    ¡°wait a minute!¡±


    finally, fyodor snatched the pistol from larissa, who was panicking next to him, and pointed it at siwoo¡¯s head before pulling the trigger.


    ¨C bang!


    with a deafening roar, the bullet flew faster than the speed and sound and collided with siwoo¡¯s forehead.


    siwoo, who wasn¡¯t prepared for such a development, felt a heavy blow to the forehead.


    the wounded siwoo slowly fell back onto the floor as blood splattered on the spot where he was shot.


    he had never before encountered death, but after being shot, he felt as though he could understand what death truly was.


    did other people experience such a phenomenon? the only thing he could compare it to was how people always said that before death a person¡¯s entire life would flash before their eyes.


    instinctively, siwoo embraced amelia in his arms as he collapsed on the ground ready to accept death... something was off.


    ¡°huh?¡±


    siwoo was alive and even his forehead was perfectly fine.


    ¡°what, what happened?¡±


    fyodor was more puzzled than siwoo about what had happened.


    it¡¯s not easy to miss from this range, even if he was using a pistol.


    he thought it was unbelievable that siwoo was still blinking his eyes even after receiving a headshot.


    ¡°what a naughty boy.¡±


    a carefree voice rang out alarming everyone of the presence of a newcomer who sat across the bed as if she had always been there. the newcomer was a witch that siwoo was familiar with because of his friend taksho.


    sophia avenega, a senior professor at trinity academy.


    siwoo used the mana he generated from sucking amelia¡¯s breast to cast the spell ¡®skyboard,¡¯ which allowed him to write words in the sky.


    that spell was a primitive method used by witches to communicate with each other over long distances.


    due to it being a primitive spell, however, it had obvious limitations such as its poor mana efficiency and some safety concerns, but the effect was clear.


    he was able to quickly ask a witch for assistance by casting it and she urgently rushed to save them.


    ¡°fuck! fuck! fuck!¡±


    ¨C bang! bang! bang!


    fyodor pulled the trigger one after another at the witches who suddenly appeared.


    he knew he wouldn¡¯t make it out of here alive now that a witch had interfered with their mission, but he couldn¡¯t let himself die without putting up some form of resistance.


    siwoo realized how he had survived when he observed sophia being shot by fyodor while remaining unharmed.


    as soon as the lead bullet was fired from the pistol, it slowed to the point where it was visible to the naked eye.


    the slow bullets transformed into snowflakes by the time they touched sophia¡¯s clear white skin and this wasn¡¯t a metaphor at all, they literally turned into real snowflakes.


    ¡°you¡¯ve done everything you can, janitor siwoo. thanks to you, i found the location right away.¡±


    it was clear that the title of witch wasn¡¯t only for show as even after being indiscriminately shot by a pistol, she remained unharmed without feeling the slightest bit of danger.


    ¡°i sincerely appreciate it, senior professor avanega.¡±


    ¡°by the way, your idea of using ¡®rune¡¯ there was really good.¡±


    unfortunately, due to the poor mana efficiency of the ¡®skyboard¡¯ spell, only one letter could be drawn in the sky with the mana generated by siwoo.


    it was a situation where he could neither write ¡®help me¡¯ nor ¡°help.¡± he couldn¡¯t even use ¡°sos,¡± which was the universal morse code for seeking help in an emergency.


    as a result, siwoo chose to write the runic letter ¡®(?).¡¯


    it was a character that was essential to any magic circle no matter the simplicity of its design.


    it served as an emergency shut-off mechanism that stopped mana¡¯s effects from short-circuiting in an unwanted direction.


    ¡®the situation is twisted and it¡¯s an emergency, so please help me.¡¯


    since witches were familiar with that rune, he shortened its writings to a single runic letter, like emergency morse code. then he cast the spell so that the witches in the area could see it.


    ¡± fuck! aaaargh!¡±


    when fyodor realized shooting her randomly with a pistol wasn¡¯t enough to harm her, he desperately charged at sophia with a knife while screaming at the top of his lungs.


    sophia¡¯s reaction to his actions was plain.


    ¡°how cute,¡±


    she only chanted a single spell while extending her hand forward, turning fyodor into a fish.


    incidentally, the species of fish he turned into was mackerel.


    ¨C flap flap flap flap


    fyodor, who was turned into a mackerel without any distinguishing characteristics, flapped on the floor.


    he hit the ground with his tail, but it didn¡¯t make much of a difference how hard he hit it.


    ¡°how dare you harm our amelia! now suffocate to death.¡±


    sophia, who turned a man into a fish in a second, stretched her arms at larissa without even looking at fyodor, who was bouncing around on the floor.


    larissa was certain that she would meet a similar or even worse fate after seeing fyodor turn into a fish. she accepted her demise by sitting on the ground and tightly closed her eyes, awaiting the judgment of the grim reaper that was the witch.


    if sophia used her magic would larissa turn into a fish like fyodor?


    ¡°senior professor!¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong, sweetheart?¡±


    siwoo held sophia¡¯s hand reflexively.


    sophia stopped what she was doing and turned to face siwoo, her bright purple hair fluttering in the wind.


    as expected, all witches were stunning.


    amelia had the elegant and regal beauty of an empress from a faraway land, while sophia had a deep, warm beauty that one could feel emanating from a goddess.


    ¡°i have a favor to ask of you.¡±


    ¡°favor?¡±


    ¡°yes, i know how deeply the senior professor cares for amelia.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°i demand compensation for that.¡±


    ¡°you want to be praised for saving amelia? got it, you don¡¯t have to worry about it. i¡¯ll do as much as you want.¡±


    sophia puffed up her chest and assured him that there was nothing to be worried about.


    ¡°let¡¯s get this over with...¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d like to be rewarded right now.¡±


    siwoo cut her off, and sophia stared at him with a puzzled look.


    at the time, sophia assured him that she would give him his reward later, which was mostly like what she usually did with other slaves.


    and if she remembered correctly, shin siwoo was once offered by amelia to serve her at night, if siwoo was a simple snob, he wouldn¡¯t have declined amelia¡¯s offer.


    he wanted to take his reward right away, and taking into account the timing of it all...


    ¡°no way, do you want me to spare her?¡±


    siwoo replied without avoiding sophia¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°yes.¡±


    larissa¡¯s eyes expanded in shock when she heard siwoo¡¯s declaration since she had already mentally prepared herself for death.


    he knew that he was doing something outrageous and he himself couldn¡¯t believe he was begging a witch to spare the person who threatened his life.


    however, what he did was not on the same level as forgiving the fraud that was the magic tool store owner, since he could empathize and even somewhat understand the reasons behind larissa¡¯s actions.


    even if she had been fighting for freedom in the wrong way, siwoo didn¡¯t blame her and instead blamed the witch who built this city in the first place.


    by killing larissa in this situation, sophia would only be reinforcing the corrupt laws of the city, and besides, didn¡¯t larissa try to save siwoo in the end?


    but contrary to his expectations, sophia nodded obediently.


    additionally, she was grinning broadly as though she had seen all the things that the world had to offer.


    her expression was akin to a mother¡¯s warmth.


    ¡°well, if there¡¯s anything else you want, tell me in detail.¡±


    siwoo didn¡¯t hold back and said all the things he wanted.


    ¡°considering the severity of the crime she had committed, she deserves punishment, but i don¡¯t want you to take her life.¡±


    ¡°i accept this request, but as a baroness, i simply can¡¯t overlook what she did so i¡¯ll leave the judgment up to city hall.¡±


    ¡°what will happen if she is taken to the city hall?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll make sure she isn¡¯t sentenced to death since you want her to live, right? they¡¯ll confiscate her property and she will be reduced to a slave, however, she is also pretty so she will most likely be sold to a brothel.


    ¡°i see.¡±


    being a slave wouldn¡¯t be a good thing, but isn¡¯t it better than dying?


    ¡°you really are a unique child. is there anything else you want?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll let you know when the situation is settled.¡±


    ¡°well, it¡¯s a little chaotic¡±


    sophia reached out to grab the mackerel, which was gasping for air and choking on its gills.


    ¡°do you want me to spare him too?¡±


    no matter how hard it was for siwoo, he couldn¡¯t let the guy off.


    ¡°no, leave him where he was.¡±


    sophia grabbed the mackerel by the tail and lifted it up.


    ¡°when i get home, i¡¯ll give the cat a snack.¡±


    it was a frightening remark, but siwoo forced himself to ignore it.


    footnotes:


    1illustration was made via ai

 Chapter 29: Mommy Sophia (1)

    ? mommy sophia (1) ?


    1.


    the sailors had put amelia and siwoo in a vulnerable state where neither of them would be able to leave the situation alive; however, when the witch baroness avenega interfered, the issue was soon resolved.


    due to siwoo¡¯s magic spell, everyone was made aware that such an incident had occurred. even though it was late at night, the guards were able to close the sea route leading toward the gate to the modern world in less than ten minutes, preventing the criminals from fleeing to the modern world.


    all of the naga crew members, who had been organized for the mission, were dragged by the coast guards when they arrived on the scene.


    larissa tried to say something to him while she was being dragged away, but the chaotic situation made it impossible for him to understand her.


    despite his exhaustion, siwoo knew he had to give sophia a clear account of the events that had just transpired, even though not much time had passed since the incident took place.


    he had to mention using amelia as a tool at one point in the explanation when he was describing how he generated mana. there was no getting away from the fact that he had sucked amelia¡¯s breast, even if it was inevitable.


    even though sophia had forgiven him, siwoo still felt that his actions were shameful.


    the consequences would be dire if amelia ever found out about this.


    ¡°well... i see.¡±


    they moved into a different guest room as the one they were in before was messed up due to the earlier ruckus.


    sophia, who was sitting next to the bed where amelia was sleeping, gently nodded her head after hearing siwoo¡¯s report.


    ¡°the janitor¡¯s course of action is truly peculiar. in a situation like this, the first thing anyone would think of is running away.¡±


    ¡°no, my lady. i would never do that.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s a compliment. you really should be happy for your bravery.¡±


    it was hard for siwoo to accept the compliment freely and after much consideration, he decided to ask sophia a question regarding the situation.


    ¡°well, it¡¯s a bit late, but don¡¯t you need to directly interrogate the crew members about who was the mastermind behind this incident?¡±


    the mastermind behind this work was an outcast witch, one who had been banished from the city.


    in reality, it meant that all the naga crew members, including larissa, who were captured were pawns used by the witch.


    ¡°i heard amelia fell asleep right after a drink. obviously, among the outcasts, there¡¯s the ¡°witch of aquarius,¡± who is proficient enough to put amelia to sleep using her alchemy. well, either way, it¡¯s not anything you should be concerned about.¡±


    he couldn¡¯t even leave gehenna if he wanted to let alone intervene in disputes between witches in this realm. siwoo simply lacked any power to do so.


    ¡°oh and regarding amelia, there¡¯s nothing to be worried about. she¡¯ll have a headache in the morning when she wakes up for sure. in fact, if it was poisonous enough to cause an issue in the first place, the autonomous defense spell would have taken care of it.¡±


    ¡°i see.¡±


    fortunately, she was in better shape than he had anticipated.


    despite his dislike for amelia, the thought of her being in danger caused a pain in his heart.


    ¡°anyway, i¡¯ll have to finish what i was talking about. i cherish and love amelia like a little sister. therefore, i want to reward you for risking your life to protect amelia.¡±


    sophia stretched out her arm and patted siwoo gently on the head.


    when she stretched her arm, he unintentionally caught sight of her swaying, partially exposed symbol of motherhood, which was as large as a pair of melons.


    ¡°what do you want as a reward?¡±


    in an alluring voice, she asked him.


    even though her tone was soft, siwoo could detect a seductive tone in her voice that made him feel a bit uncomfortable.


    ¡°...can you get me out of here?¡±


    ¡°i apologize for declaring so boldly that you can request a reward from me. but the request you¡¯ve made is quite difficult.¡±


    he had made the request on the spur of the moment, and got rejected.


    sending siwoo outside of gehenna would have been a simple task for either sophia or amelia.


    ¡°it¡¯s natural for you to ask for your freedom, but i want you to stay with amelia a little longer.¡±


    he may have been able to flee gehenna if he had a better understanding of the city¡¯s legal system. he wasn¡¯t quite sure of the city¡¯s legislation, so he believed that the procedure would be a little complicated. sophia had wanted to repay him for saving amelia. as a result, he intended to seek sophia¡¯s aid in fleeing this place. this was easier than going through a complicated process and meddling with gehenna¡¯s authority.


    however, sophia was unable to accept such a request, so he had to come up with another.


    ¡°then can you pretend that nothing happened today?¡±


    sophia¡¯s reaction to his new request was hilarious.


    she stared at him with her mouth agape,her eyes wide open; she was more shocked now than she had been when siwoo had requested her not to kill clarissa.


    ¡°janitor, are you certain? you saved the life of a witch. your good deed is enough to grant you citizenship in gehenna.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d appreciate it if you¡¯d let the matter go without asking me any further questions.¡±


    witches were familiar with how magic operated and the amount of mana needed to cast certain spells.


    he could be assured about his secret because sophia didn¡¯t care enough to go into details about how he generated mana. but if someone other than her wanted to dig up information about the incident, they would learn that the mana capacity in the magic lamp was insufficient to cast the ¡®skyboard¡¯ spell.


    they would naturally be suspicious as to how a mere slave had managed to gather enough mana to cast such a spell.


    it was difficult to predict how much information could be dug up if more thorough examinations were done in this manner.


    in this case, the best thing to do was just to bury the information about this incident.


    in any case, if he accepted amelia¡¯s previous offer to become her assistant, and had access to better quality magical materials, he could complete the magic circle he was creating to escape from gehenna more quickly.


    however, it would only be possible if sophia agreed with his request and covered up the incident.


    ¡°well, do you want me to hide the kidnapping thing and the fact that you can use magic?¡±


    ¡°yes,¡±


    ¡±i understand that there may be a valid reason for your request, but does it also mean that i should not ask for an explanation?¡±


    ¡°of course, i beg you.¡±


    despite his absurd request, sophia smiled and nodded.


    her agreeing to the majority of his requests surprised him. sophia seemed to have given him more than he had anticipated in terms of compensation for saving amelia¡¯s life.


    ¡°if so, i¡¯ll have to make up an excuse for why i imprisoned the sailors. all right, i¡¯ll do it for you.¡±


    ¡°i really appreciate it.¡±


    after thanking her, siwoo put his palm on his chest and breathed a sigh of relief.


    it was an eventful day.


    he could feel the fatigue set in as soon as the case was settled.


    siwoo felt that it would¡¯ve been better had he not witnessed the sight of sophia turning fyodor. the experience left him tense and uneasy.


    he still couldn¡¯t let his guard down around her and pondered when she would leave.


    ¡°?¡±


    siwoo stared back at sophia, who cocked her head and seemed to be confused. she appeared as though she wasn¡¯t even considering getting up from the bed¡¯s side.


    ¡°do you have anything to say?¡±


    ¡°sorry, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    he wanted to ask, ¡°why are you staring at me like that?¡± but he swallowed back his words.


    slaves weren¡¯t supposed to ask witches for anything in the beginning. but he kept forgetting that since he spent time with reasonable witches like amelia and the twins, who were likely to heed his request should he make one.


    ¡°i am allowing you because of your great personality and good looks.¡±


    sophia looked at siwoo while licking her lips.


    it seemed that takasho had been recently asked by sophia to spend every holiday at her home.


    she was a witch who relished in having sexual interactions with handsome slaves. given that she was admiring his appearance and demeanor, it seemed likely that she had been thinking of inviting him in a similar manner to how she invited takasho.


    ¡°could i also ask a favor of you?¡±


    ¡°please give me whatever commands you have.¡±


    siwoo politely bowed his head.


    he was about to kneel on the ground, but he refrained from doing so, lest it was deemed inappropriate.


    ¡°take care of amelia. she may appear grumpy on the surface, but she is a lovely girl.¡±


    ¡°pardon?¡±


    however, the words that came from sophia¡¯s mouth was something that siwoo would never have expected.


    he had thought that she would ask him to serve her at night.


    ¡°how could i, as a slave...¡±


    ¡°isn¡¯t it because you despise her since she¡¯s a terrible witch who delights in torturing?¡±


    ¡°no, i never thought like that.¡±


    ¡°what a hassle for you it must have been. you have my sincere gratitude for not hating amelia.¡±


    siwoo bowed his head, subtly agreeing to carry out the favor


    he didn¡¯t want to give the impression that he hated amelia by denying her request.


    it wasn¡¯t impossible for sophia to be using a psychological trick and subtly influence siwoo¡¯s answers to get the answer she wants to hear from him.


    ¡°she¡¯s lonely, despondent, and foolish. it¡¯s all because she lacks experience. it¡¯s not because she hates you.¡±


    ¡°who... are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°amelia.¡±


    no way.


    despite the fact that he didn¡¯t say the words, it appeared as though his expression of disbelief conveyed it to her.


    sophia smiled slightly while covering her mouth.


    ¡°just take a look at the state she¡¯s in today. at the inn, she drank the wrong drink and passed out. she appears to be stern, but she is actually quite clumsy and doesn¡¯t know how to handle people.¡±


    sophia was bringing up all of amelia¡¯s inadequacies in an effort to get siwoo to agree to take care of the clumsy witch. he had assumed that sophia¡¯s reasoning to support amelia would continue, but she abruptly stopped.


    ¡°but if i say too much, it won¡¯t be fun. i¡¯ll let it go for the fun in the future.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but i don¡¯t quite understand what you¡¯re saying. but i¡¯ll try my best to take good care of lady amelia.¡±


    siwoo, responding to sophia¡¯s question, reassured her that he would take good care of her daughter, just as a devoted son-in-law would. he then attempted to leave the room.


    ¡°janitor shin siwoo.¡±


    sophia called out to siwoo once more as he reached for the doorknob to leave and enter another room where he planned to take a quick nap.


    ¡°your decision today was a wise choice.¡±


    ¡°i just did what i was supposed to do.¡±


    ¡°no, not that, but the rest.¡±


    there was something ominous about sophia¡¯s amber eyes as they flickered in the dimly lighted room like the glow of a candle.


    because it seemed to demonstrate unequivocally that she was not human.


    ¡°if you had handed amelia to them and gone over to the modern world, you would have died.¡±


    sophia¡¯s usually calm voice now held a menacing tone, causing a shiver to run down siwoo¡¯s core.


    ¡°the witch of aquarius is famous for grinding humans into experimental materials. perhaps if they gave amelia to her, she would use them as well in certain... experiments.¡±


    ironically, siwoo¡¯s earlier action also saved the crew members of the ship.


    ¡°even if that wasn¡¯t the case, i don¡¯t think i would¡¯ve forgiven you for betraying amelia.¡±


    sophia smiled subtly at siwoo, whose body tensed in nervousness after realizing he had unknowingly passed two death flags.


    ¡°anyway, go rest now. i¡¯ve taken up too much of your time.¡±


    2.


    siwoo said goodnight and entered the neighboring room, all the while feeling a sense of unease.


    as the sailors of the naga, who were supposed to stay in the rooms today, were captured, the rooms were all empty, so he could choose to rest anywhere in the inn.


    was it around 4 o¡¯clock?


    it was uncertain when amelia would wake up, but it was clear that siwoo would not be able to sleep much.


    however, no matter how hard he tried, siwoo was unable to fall asleep.


    when he was in a dangerous situation, his heart might occasionally race, but that was a fairly minor issue in comparison to another thing that had been occupying his mind for quite a while.


    the question of why didn¡¯t amelia¡¯s autonomous-defense spell activate for siwoo.


    the autonomous defense was an extremely high degree of magic, as was evident from the fact that it wouldn¡¯t appear in a witch¡¯s body until she reached 15 tiers or above.


    a significant amount of poison had been detoxified as soon as it entered the body thanks to the magic¡¯s effectiveness, and even if she were to trod on a mine, the hem of her clothing would be left unscathed.


    that wasn¡¯t the only thing.


    the adaptability of the triggering conditions was what made autonomous defense unique.


    unlike physical shocks, it was activated by detecting ¡®malice,¡¯ a type of emotion, and occasionally its activation was stopped by concluding that the individuals who were present had no malice.


    siwoo both hated and disliked amelia.


    although he thought she was attractive, she was also dull, arrogant, and stuffy.


    didn¡¯t that make him someone who harbored ill will against her?


    why was he unable to trigger her autonomous defense?


    the questions didn¡¯t stop there.


    thinking back, siwoo had obviously undressed amelia, who was sleeping.


    it was a necessary course of action in order to stimulate his libido.


    heck, he had even sucked on her nipple.


    however, even after committing such vile acts, the autonomous defense did not activate.


    ¡°why?¡±


    that confused siwoo the most.


    it was not just the opponents¡¯ feelings that determined how responsive autonomous defense was.


    depending on how the party who owned the brand was feeling, the circumstances under which the autonomous defense may be invoked were changed.


    no matter how innocent the opponent looked, the autonomous defense would still function if the parties desired so.


    there was a saying, ¡®don¡¯t wake the sleeping witch.¡¯


    ¡°that means...¡±


    did that imply that amelia didn¡¯t feel anything awkward or weird when siwoo sucked her breasts?


    that was impossible.


    he couldn¡¯t comprehend the concept of it since it wasn¡¯t the expected reaction to his behavior.


    while siwoo was tossing and turning, the door creaked and opened.


    siwoo got up in a panic.


    he looked to be suffering from mental instability after a day in which he came dangerously close to dying.


    the person who entered his room was none other than sophia who was holding a lamp in one hand.


    ¡°ms. professor, what brings you here?¡±


    he quickly got out of bed.


    sophia entered the room with a gentle smile.


    ¡°come to think of it, i don¡¯t think you¡¯ve been rewarded enough yet.¡±


    ¡°no, i really am grateful to you for covering this matter quietly.¡±


    ¡°it is, but this is a personal gift that i want to give you.¡±


    like a crow, sophia used her long, slender fingers to release the strings of the black robe.


    she then loosened her collar just a little to reveal her breasts.


    what was vividly seen in the light of the faint mana lamp was a symbol of maternal love that only existed in women.


    in other words, it was her breasts.


    ¡°with amelia, you did this and that. wouldn¡¯t it be hard for a man to go to bed right away?¡±


    siwoo opened his mouth wide and looked at her breasts without saying a word, and it took a moment for the meaning of sophia¡¯s words to sink in.


    wait a minute.


    what did she mean when she said that he had done this and that to amelia?


    ¡°i¡¯ll make you feel comfortable.¡±


    sophia knew about it.


    the ¡°skyboard¡± spell, infamous for wasting mana, couldn¡¯t be cast with just the mana in the lamp.


    ¡°take your little friend out and sleep comfortably.¡±


    sophia licked her lips habitually.


    e/n: ¡°i don¡¯t think you¡¯ve been rewarded enough yet¡±, just say you want a taste of my boy siwoo..

 Chapter 30: Mommy Sophia (2)

    ? mommy sophia (2) ?


    1.


    it was often difficult to decide which course to take when reason and instinct clashed against each other.


    for example, siwoo¡¯s mind was racing through instances when he knew that he should¡¯ve averted his eyes. and yet, he was unable to bring himself to turn his eyes away from the sight in front of him.


    it was late at night and only the light from the glowing mana lamp that sophia had brought illuminated the dark room.


    moreover, it kept the room bright enough for him to enjoy the genuinely erotic scene that had unfolded before his eyes.


    sophia, who had unfastened her robe, was proudly jutting out her chest as if to show off her alluring breasts.


    her face was devoid of any signs of embarrassment, and there wasn¡¯t an ounce of shame present on her face when making such a daring gesture.


    she took her time, savoring siwoo¡¯s gaze on her body¡ªmost likely her busty chest¡ªwhile making obscene motions and a sultry face.


    and, given how she was making such motions, she could only do so if she was proud of her appearance and had complete confidence in her ability to stimulate any man¡¯s desire.


    would it be more appropriate to say that she had tits that were on the verge of bursting out of her dress to better convey how large they were?


    if he had to be more precise, her tits were large enough to be compared to a melon that had been sliced in half and glued to her chest.


    witches were endowed with attractive figures. sophia had lovely pink nipples and perfectly proportioned breasts which didn¡¯t sag, and he could see that she too was a witch¡¯s descendant.


    ¡°what do you think about them?¡±


    ¡°oh, they¡¯re quite large.¡±


    ¡°anything else?¡±


    ¡°they¡¯re also beautiful.¡±


    in fact, ¡°#big breasts¡± wasn¡¯t listed in siwoo¡¯s category of interests.


    even though he had seen actresses in porn sway their massive tits about, he still couldn¡¯t fully indulge in his fantasies about having sex with big-breasted women because of the two thoughts which shackled his sanity in place.


    ¡®will i ever come across someone with such large breasts?¡¯


    the first and most realistic of the two was the issue of finding a well-endowed woman.


    if he were to describe his second issue with large breasts, it would be a physical one since large breasts would droop a little and look unattractive when not covered up.


    however, the thing in front of him checked all the right boxes in his pursuit of the ideal busty woman.


    ¡°are you sure they¡¯re beautiful?¡±


    sophia gazed at him with an alluring smile, a coy grin forming on her lips as she walked straight in his direction.


    she had been standing a few paces ahead of siwoo, showing off her lascivious body whilst facing him directly earlier.


    her eyes were focused on him the entire time as she walked forward.


    sophia¡¯s stride exuded confidence as she approached siwoo as if she was taking a normal stroll down the park. swaying her hips left and right, her light purple hair which reached her hips, fluttered in the wind as she moved slowly and seductively toward him.


    meanwhile, her ample bosom was creating waves as it jiggled up and down with her every step.


    siwoo was mesmerized by her coquettish figure¡¯s beguiling movement and couldn¡¯t help but be drawn to her.


    temptress.


    men were drawn to sophia because of her seductive charm and flirty personality.


    she exuded the characteristics of a temptress, and therefore, it was accurate to describe her as such.


    sophia came to a halt right in front of him and then inched her hand around her back.


    he was close enough to her body that he felt the urge to take a closer look at her breasts, but he resisted the urge and quickly shut his eyes.


    ¡°why did you close your eyes?¡±


    ¡°...i¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re feeling shy, aren¡¯t you? it¡¯s been a long time since i saw a man with no experience.¡±


    sophia spoke in a hushed, faint voice, whispering seductively in his ear as if he were listening to some naughty asmr.


    she was leaning so close to him that he could smell the sweet, creamy fragrance wafting from her body.


    his dick had been tortured to the point of cramping due to the actions of larissa and amelia. now, it throbbed for a third time due to sophia¡¯s seduction.


    ¡°come here,¡±


    sophia took hold of siwoo¡¯s wrist and pulled him closer.


    they sat side by side on the bed, as they had earlier in amelia¡¯s room during their conversation.


    if there was anything different about the way they had sat before, it was that their thighs were fairly close and seemed to be sticking to one another.


    he would be able to see her white, enormous, and exposed chest even if he just slightly side-shifted his eyes.


    ¡°would you refuse me if i asked you to serve me at night?¡±


    sophia leaned very close to siwoo¡¯s ear and whispered softly as her chin rested on his shoulder.


    she had already placed her lovely, slender hands on his thighs.


    ¡°no, ma¡¯am. i won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°why?¡±


    ¡°because it¡¯s an order from lady sophia.¡±


    ¡°are you serious? really?¡±


    sophia¡¯s hand slowly moved up from where it had been resting on his thigh.


    she placed her hands directly on his inner thighs.


    the distance between her hand and his dick was so close that all it would¡¯ve took was her moving her hand by a centimeter to graze it.


    ¡°to be honest, i have a debt to pay you back. i¡¯ll forgive you, even if you treat me roughly, but just for tonight.¡±


    ¡°what do you mean by roughly?¡±


    ¡°well, you can blindfold me,spank my ass. alternatively, you can pinch my nipples and smear me for being a lecherous witch.¡±


    ¡°ugh.¡±


    a vivid image flashed through siwoo¡¯s mind in response to sophia¡¯s words.


    sophia, a witch, was allowing him to treat her like a maid and to rub her big breasts to his heart¡¯s content.


    ¡°today, siwoo will be my master and i, his slave. that¡¯s how you can view it today.¡±


    before he knew what was happening, she was calling his name with affection and a hint of embarrassment, but he must¡¯ve been mistaken.


    in this instance, sophia had been taking the initiative whilst siwoo was on the verge of embarrassment.


    ¡°are you really not turning me down to serve at night because it¡¯s an order?¡±


    ¡°...no.¡±


    ¡°then why?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s because lady sophia is beautiful.¡±


    men were instinctively attracted to and in love with beautiful women.


    it made no difference whether he was a slave or not.


    ¡°then why did you turn down amelia¡¯s proposal five years ago? didn¡¯t amelia look beautiful?¡±


    he pondered why she was even bringing that up in this situation.


    siwoo turned to face sophia, who was clinging to him and who was wearing a curious expression.


    her face was positioned just above his shoulder, causing their lips to nearly touch.


    ¡°regarding the event from five years ago, there was a misunderstanding. amelia was trying to recruit me as an assistant, not to serve her at night...¡±


    ¡°well, i know that. but even though you were aware that it was about serving her at night, you still declined. i¡¯ve always been curious about the cause of your rejection.¡±


    siwoo wasn¡¯t a eunuch.


    he liked pretty girls and wanted to have regular sex.


    the reason he refused to attend to amelia at night was from the scary stories that had been told to him by the slave trader before he was even assigned to the academy.


    when the slave traders had apprehended siwoo, they bound him and placed him on a ship traveling for gehenna with the other abducted slaves. for some reason, the slave traders were bored on the route. and they began to tell the frightening stories of the witches to siwoo, who was sitting there absentmindedly wearing shackles.


    as a result, from the moment he was sold to the city hall, his fear of witches reached the max, which resulted in his rejection of amelia¡¯s offer.


    when amelia had approached him and made the offer, he was in a rush and had no idea of the implications of the offer.his gut told him not to go, so he unconsciously declined in the spur of the moment.


    naturally, he forgot all about the offer she had made to him after that.


    after hearing siwoo¡¯s explanation, with a pfft sophia laughed out loud, her spit splattering all over his cheek.


    ¡°haha! oh, i¡¯m sorry...that¡¯s a very, very unexpected answer.¡±


    siwoo, didn¡¯t understand why she was overreacting in such a way, and continued to watch as sophia, who had been laughing for a long time, carefully wiped the spit away from his face.


    ¡°you¡¯re such a coward and an idiot. now i finally understand. you¡¯re just like amelia.¡±


    every time she said something, sophia would attempt to have him get along with amelia.


    she kept the same smile on her face as she stared at him.


    ¡°you now know that amelia isn¡¯t such a bad witch. would you serve her at night if she told you?¡±


    after sophia questioned him, siwoo thought back to the previous event with amelia.


    siwoo¡¯s resentment for amelia had been at its peak until a few days ago.


    he had expected her to be more reasonable, but she was unexpectedly petty, which was why she was so harsh with him.


    but amelia changed little by little.


    he could tell just by observing her recent behaviors.


    she recently tried to converse with him in an odd way. after arriving in the border town, she treated him to chicken skewers for no obvious reason and spared the slave at the dock at siwoo¡¯s request.


    it was also true that amelia wasn¡¯t as cruel as she once was and that his expectations were broken when a person he anticipated to be cruel and uncaring turned out to be nice and friendly.


    however, thinking back on the situation from the past few years, siwoo couldn¡¯t say for certain if he would be able to forgive her yet.


    siwoo still felt strands of lingering hatred toward amelia.


    ¡°........¡±


    sophia opened her mouth as she noticed siwoo¡¯s face becoming gravely worried.


    ¡°i apologize; i came here to give you a present, but i¡¯ve instead rambled on about unrelated things.¡±


    ¡°no, i had a good time, too.¡±


    ¡°why are you acting as if we¡¯re done? we haven¡¯t moved to the main part yet. you promised to serve me at night, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t think siwoo can speak frankly about such matters because he¡¯s a virgin. fufufu... but there¡¯s nothing to worry about, i¡¯ll help you a little. so, would you like to close your eyes?¡±


    why did she suddenly tell him to close his eyes?


    that thought ran through siwoo¡¯s mind as he gently closed his eyes. as soon as he did, however, a soft sensation enveloped his lips.


    it was sophia¡¯s tongue that had deftly slithered into his mouth and wrapped its way around his tongue.


    her lips were considerably thicker and chewier than odil¡¯s, and they were delightfully pressed against his as a flow of sweet yet sticky saliva entered his mouth.


    ¡°oops!¡±


    the kiss was short.


    sophia¡¯s body backed away as the atmosphere reached its breaking point.


    ¡°how do you feel?¡±


    ¡°i-i feel... good. well, yes...¡±


    it was impossible to resist kissing such a beautiful woman.


    three seconds later, however, it would seem like sophia wasn¡¯t asking about kissing.


    siwoo felt a dizzy sensation and his head turned woozy almost as if he had just downed a shot of soju.


    all of a sudden, his heart started beating faster, and it felt as if the blood was rushing to his lower body.


    ¡°it feels good, doesn¡¯t it? my saliva contains an aphrodisiac essence in it.¡±


    ¡°what does that mean... cough...!¡±


    his already hardened member was becoming painfully stiff, and it began to hurt as soon as the drug kicked in.


    ¡°i¡¯m the ¡®witch of the beast¡¯. it¡¯s one of the self-essence magics i¡¯ve created to make it simple for the causal individuals to mate with each other.¡±


    despite feeling dizzy, siwoo¡¯s eyes were fixed closely on sophia¡¯s, and almost as if his vision had been sharpened, he could see every inch of her body.


    it would seem like sophia¡¯s aphrodisiac essence had improved his eyesight as he could now clearly see, even in the dark.


    ¡°come on, stop being so stubborn. why don¡¯t you try touching them first?¡±


    sophia sat on siwoo¡¯s lap, her mouth pouting in a way that made her look adorable.


    she then gathered her breasts with her arms and gently shook them, like a seductress.


    her nipples protruded upward, and her breasts formed a stunning cleavage resembling well-aged bread dough.


    ¡°you really wanted to touch it, didn¡¯t you?


    that was sophia¡¯s well-kept trick for exposing people¡¯s true desires.


    she grabbed siwoo¡¯s hand and placed it on her breast.


    touching amelia¡¯s natural breasts was also pleasant, but they paled in comparison to sophia¡¯s.


    in contrast to amelia¡¯s suppleness, sophia¡¯s breasts were overwhelmingly soft.


    even though he had merely lifted it, the weight of sophia¡¯s chest crushed even the likes of larissa¡¯s which he had touched earlier.


    ¡°well done, you¡¯re a good boy, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    sophia was enjoying the feeling of her hand stroking siwoo¡¯s head; it was almost like she was soothing a baby.


    she was petting in a way that gave the impression that she was playing with a cute puppy rather than a man.


    ¡°it tickles~ you can squeeze it a little harder...¡±


    siwoo tightened the pressure on sophia¡¯s chest as he started to feel parched.


    the sensation was out of this world.


    with this emotion, he would have obeyed sophia for the rest of his life for a mere touch of her breasts.


    he was unaware whether the thoughts that were coming to his mind were due to the aphrodisiac.


    ¡°now, do you want to suck the nipples?¡±


    sophia raised her breast and placed her nipple directly into siwoo¡¯s mouth.


    the effect of the aphrodisiac was excellent.


    ¡°ah!¡±


    sophia let out a soft moan.


    siwoo rubbed his cheeks against her plump breast as he sucked on the nipple without a shred of hesitation.


    ¡°not like that, you have to relax and suck it in slowly. try rolling your tongue over it.¡±


    he instinctively obeyed her instructions.


    siwoo tried to be calmer with his actions as he slowly licked her nipples with his tongue.


    ¡°huh, yes, like that... that¡¯s what you have to do to make a woman feel good. do you get it?¡±


    ¡°alright...¡±


    siwoo replied in a drowsy tone.


    ¡°come on, get up. take off your pants.¡±


    sophia got up from siwoo¡¯s lap and stripped siwoo, who was now standing absentmindedly, of his pants.


    as soon as she took off his pants, a big dick that was pointing up to the heavens and dripping with pre-cum that sprang like spring bounced off.siwoo¡¯s dick sprung up and pointed to the sky as soon as it was free of its constraints. pre-cum dripped from his tip as it bobbed up and down like a spring.


    ¡°ooh... it¡¯s big!¡±


    sophia nodded meaningfully.


    ¡°the more of this you have, the better you have to prepare a lady for sex. it will be painful for her to take it without prior preparation. got it? you must begin by lightly caressing her chest, like you learned before. keep in mind.¡±


    ¡°yes, ms. sophia,¡±


    having no idea why sophia was saying what she was saying, siwoo nodded.


    the aphrodisiac that sophia had used was incredibly potent.


    ¡°well, let¡¯s call it a day. i¡¯ll give you a present.¡±


    sophia dropped to siwoo¡¯s feet as the words left her lips.

 Chapter 31: Mommy Sophia (3)

    ? mommy sophia (3) ?


    warning! the chapter contains an nsfw illustration please do not read in public ????


    a witch, belonging to gehenna¡¯s ruling class and one who possessed numerous magical abilities, was now kneeling before a slave.


    in truth, the perception of modern people may not regard such a scenario as a major concern, but it seemed a little different for siwoo¡ª someone who had lived in gehenna¡¯s feudal system for the past five years.


    a witch kneeling before a slave was unimaginable and even considered blasphemous in the eyes of the everyday day gehenna inhabitant.


    as the situation had become so dire, his head, dizzy from the effects of the aphrodisiac, began clearing up to some extent when he was able to realize just what sophia was doing right now.


    ¡°lady sophia... you shouldn¡¯t be doing something like this.¡±


    ignoring siwoo¡¯s words, sophia placed her hands onto his lap and gently raised her head to look at him.


    she slightly raised her fox-shaped eyebrows and continued to stare at him, pretending to not understand what he was trying to say.


    ¡°what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m a slave and you¡¯re...¡±


    ¡°didn¡¯t i already tell you that today siwoo is my master? don¡¯t you want me to serve you? just spread your legs and enjoy the experience.¡±


    opening siwoo¡¯s tightly clasped knees, sophia swiftly slipped in between the gap.


    she then carefully observed siwoo¡¯s erect dick as her tits were now resting on his thighs.


    ¡°fumu, of course, i don¡¯t think it has been affected by any stds either. the size is good too, so this one¡¯s definitely a pass.¡±


    ¡°what do you mean... pass?¡±


    ¡°hmm? oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    sophia moved her breasts closer to siwoo¡¯s groin and wrapped his rod in between their pillowy softness.


    ¡°kuh!¡±


    immediately, siwoo¡¯s hips trembled and his dick twitched frantically as though he was about to ejaculate into her soft, warm, and cushiony breasts that gently wrapped around his dick.


    he had never imagined that a pleasure of this caliber could exist in this world. the fact that something like this existed ignited his desire to explore this sensation further.


    ¡°it¡¯s been a long time since i¡¯ve seen a dick that couldn¡¯t be completely covered by my breasts like this. give me a minute.¡±


    as sophia uttered a short spell, the dry skin of siwoo¡¯s dick, wrapped between her delightful breasts, suddenly began to moisten.


    sophia had used mana to draw the moisture from the air and condense it into water which she then instantly transformed into scented oil with the use of alchemy.


    his penis became slippery, allowing it to move back and forth between the smooth and delicate skin of her breasts like a loach.


    using her hands, she tightly squeezed her voluminous breasts, increasing the friction of his slick dick between her breasts.


    ¡°for now, this should be enough. is it okay if i move now?¡±


    ¡°oh, fuck!¡±


    sophia used her hands to apply more pressure to her breasts, which were tightly enveloping his dick and smothering it inside its pillowy embrace, and proceeded to titfuck him by rubbing his dick up and down.


    the glans of his throbbing shaft repeatedly appeared and disappeared between the white valley of her massive lumps of fat.


    as sophia clasped her breasts with her hands, her nipples became clearly visible through the gap of her fingers.


    the oval-shaped boobs bounced rhythmically, as though their sole purpose of existence were to squeeze all of the semen out from siwoo¡¯s balls.


    ¡°do you like it? it feels good, right?¡±


    seeing the sight of siwoo receiving such an intense feeling of pressure from her titfuck. sophia felt an incredible amount of arousal and excitement.


    1ai made


    squelch¡ª squelch¡ª squelch¡ª squelch¡ª


    sophia¡¯s breasts were smacking against his thighs, creating a thumping noise whenever they collided. as she boldly shook her melons with more and more force, the banging sounds also grew louder and louder.


    squeeze! squeeze! squeeze!


    the clapping sounds were closely accompanied by the sticky noises of his oily dick being rubbed by her delicate breasts.


    ¡°you can cum if you can¡¯t hold back the urge, you know... where would you like to cum?¡±


    ¡°ah...anywhere... i think i¡¯m gonna shoot right now!¡±


    siwoo felt his mind going completely blank from the tremendous amount of pleasure he received from sophia¡¯s skill, which was at least 10 times more pleasurable than masturbating alone.


    ¡°oh my god!¡±


    he couldn¡¯t hold himself back any longer, and his seed gushed out of his urethra in torrents of viscous white fluid.


    the seed came out so vigorously that he could literally feel his testicles throbbing because of how strong the momentum was.


    he had been holding back from ejaculating during the whole day for various reasons, and suddenly the stimulation she provided him was so intense that it was nigh impossible for him to resist the outflow of the semen that had made its way forcibly through the urethra.


    sophia buried the glans in between her breasts as siwoo kept on ejaculating.


    the semen, however, began flowing out from the crevice between sophia¡¯s cleavage and started spilling all over her chest, forming a literal valley of viscous white fluid.


    it even went as far as to reach below the neck and even her collarbones due to the pressure of his ejaculation.


    ¡°haa...haa...haa...¡± (breathing heavily)


    ¡°good boy~¡±


    he was receiving a fantastic post-ejaculation service from sophia.


    after a lengthier ejaculation than usual, siwoo indulged in the afterglow as sophia gently caressed the semen-drenched dick with her breast.


    every time his sensitive glans were stimulated by her voluptuous breasts, his entire body felt a momentary bout of intense pleasure wash over it.


    his erect dick flinched once more, and the remaining semen was forced out of his urethra by the intense squeezing of her breasts, not leaving a drop of it inside..


    ¡°you were planning to sleep with that much spunk piled up in your balls??¡±


    sophia was slowly rubbing siwoo¡¯s slick, semen-covered dick while he savored the post-nut-clarity state while looking up at the ceiling with an exhausted face.


    his waist started to reflexively jolt as he continued to feel pleasure from the stimulation applied to his dick immediately after the ejaculation.


    siwoo eventually regained some of his sanity after a while.


    ¡°thank you. could you please go on?¡±


    siwoo had already coated half of her plump and voluptuous chest with his semen by the time he had regained his sanity. for the time being, siwoo could only convey his gratitude for the mind-blowing titfuck that he received from her.


    eventually, the odor of semen, which was almost identical to the strong smell of chestnut blossoms, began to spread throughout the room.


    ¡°did it really feel that good?¡±


    but sophia¡¯s service was not over yet.


    she applied even more pressure as she stroked the shaft¡¯s tip with her voluminous peaks, squeezing so hard that her titties appeared to be completely glued to his shaft.


    it would have been better if he had just told her how horny he was and how much he wanted to cum.


    he wanted to feel the sensation of semen rushing through the urethra once more, pouring all his jizz upon sophia¡¯s white skin and staining it with his cloudy seed.


    he wanted to experience that pleasant feeling all over again.


    ¡°well, if amelia hadn¡¯t been slobbering for you, i would have eaten you already.¡±


    he was so caught up in his own thoughts that he was unable to clearly hear what sophia was muttering to herself in a rather sad tone.


    ¡°clean!¡±


    with sophia¡¯s chant, the semen that had been messily scattered all over her chest vanished in the blink of an eye. the oil that she had used to lather siwoo¡¯s dick was also nowhere to be seen.


    he felt a little more at ease as the skin of his half-withered dick pressed on her cow-like breasts dried up after being soaked with semen and oil.


    siwoo¡¯s cock was finally freed when sophia loosened her hand from around her enormous breasts, which she had been squeezing tightly to keep siwoo¡¯s schlong between them.


    he breathed a sigh of relief as she finally freed his dick from the constant influx of stimulation. but the regret he felt over not being able to experience such pleasure again made him want to cry out in anguish.


    watching the scene of siwoo sighing was quite a bit amusing for sophia. she then teasingly spoke out to him.


    ¡°you haven¡¯t gotten any smaller, have you? i think i need to play with it a bit more.¡±


    what sophia spoke was exactly what he desired but as the virgin that he was, he lacked the confidence to voice it outwardly.


    sophia looked so cute and mesmerizing in his eyes that he couldn¡¯t help but fall for her.


    ¡°well, then, lie down on the bed.¡±


    following her instructions, siwoo promptly laid down on the bed. seeing his actions, it seemed as though he was under her hypnotic control as he obeyed all of her instructions to a t.


    after the lengthy ejaculation, his eyelids continued to droop from exhaustion and sluggishness, yet there was still excitement flickering deep within for what was about to happen next.


    ¡°fufu...¡±


    she abruptly raised his head and laid it on something.


    he felt a soft sensation transmitting from the back of his head where she had placed his head, but he was sure that it wasn¡¯t a pillow.


    ¡°what do you think?¡±


    sophia¡¯s face was only partially visible to him because of the symbol of motherhood covering her features, making it so that only the top of her nose was the only thing he could see.


    she leaned over siwoo¡¯s face and let her hair hang down like a stream falling from a waterfall over him.


    the soft sensation he felt was coming from sophia¡¯s thighs. she was giving him a lap pillow.


    ¡°if you make such a cute expression, it makes me want to do more for you.¡±


    sophia took one of her breasts and put it in front of siwoo¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°say aah~ take it!¡±


    ¡°oh, oh, oh....¡±


    sophia then placed her breast into siwoo¡¯s wide-open mouth.


    ¡°relax yourself and lie down comfortably. there you go.¡±


    she was also steadily wrapping her slender fingers around his dick.


    despite the fact that no milk was produced in her breasts, the positioning and method of breastfeeding were simply perfect.


    whether it was because of the aphrodisiac¡¯s lingering effects or the fact that he had a breast in his mouth that felt like the softest thing in the world, his heart was suddenly filled with soothing warmth.


    the more he thought about it, the more he began to understand why takasho was so overjoyed at being able to go to sophia¡¯s place.


    he would be willing to do something like this every day.


    ¡°are you gonna suck it up this time?¡±


    ¡°hmm,¡±


    nodding his head, siwoo, bit the nipple dangling in front of him with his lips and slowly stimulated the tip of her nipple with the tip of his tongue, as sophia had instructed him before.


    he was loving the sensation of sophia¡¯s hand, which was wrapped around his penis like an octopus and had already started to move smoothly along his length.


    ¡°you¡¯re like a baby. you¡¯re so cute.¡±


    despite being a man already, he made cute noises like a child as he was being called cute and receiving affection from sophia..


    siwoo felt a warmth that was the complete opposite of sexual desire in response to a lady calling an adult ¡°cute¡± while being in a situation that may be considered embarrassing to most.


    he had been trying to get the picture of himself acting in such a way out of his mind ever since he was brought to this city, but it appeared that he had finally done it.


    ¡°do you want some milk, too?¡±


    ¡°????¡±


    ¡°well, there you go. give it a try.¡±


    even though sophia was a witch, she craved the experience of motherhood. so, she was pretending to be one.


    siwoo sucked her nipple while he was still unsure in his mind, and he suddenly tasted thick milk filling his mouth.


    with every suction, a stream of fresh breast milk was hitting his tongue.


    sophia started to lactate as if she were a real cow.


    siwoo gulped the breast milk because of its warm, sweet flavor¡ª it tasted like half-boiled milk.


    ¡°is it good?¡±


    ¡°hmm!¡±


    ¡°only good kids get this gift.¡±


    after pausing for a moment to grin, sophia continued to play with his dick with her dainty hand.


    even though siwoo was a virgin, his dick had already gotten affection from five different young ladies, including sophia.


    although most of them were witches, he was beginning to notice that each one had a unique method of giving a handjob.


    amelia¡¯s hands had a touch that resembled a pianist¡¯s in the carefulness and elegance with which they handled his penis.


    siwoo felt that, during the lessons, amelia always tried to discover his pleasure points by observing his reaction as she stroked his penis with her hands.


    the gemini twins gave off the impression that they were doing it clumsily and without any knowledge of the proper way to handle a penis.


    well, aside from that,


    in the case of larissa, he felt that she was so lewd that she could instantly elicit a man¡¯s lust.


    and sophia had a special and distinctive way of dealing with men that no one else had.


    she was giving him a handjob, but there was no feeling that she was urging him to ejaculate or forcing him to feel pleasure.


    her hand did not even touch the shaft and gently swept the sensitive glans, which she was slowly and softly caressing, as though she were clutching a delicate cloud.


    he had the impression that she wasn¡¯t stroking his dick particularly vigorously or lightly; rather, it was somewhere in the midst, where the small sensations were slowly building up and intensifying with each passing moment. she was handling the stimulation in such a way that felt like she was guiding his excitement toward a vectorial change from comfortable to pleasurable.


    siwoo was having a so-called loving handjob.


    furthermore, the texture of sophia¡¯s thighs supporting his head, the sensation of the soft


    breast brushing against his nose, and the flavor of breast milk made him feel like he was receiving the best massage ever.


    ¡°when you think you¡¯re going to come, let me know. you don¡¯t need to be reserved about it.¡±


    ¡°well...!¡±


    siwoo nodded while still sucking sophia¡¯s nipple.


    her face, reflected in the dim lighting, was a little pinker than before.


    siwoo, who had been enjoying himself in a dream-like state for a long time, suddenly felt uncomfortable and opened his eyes.


    he felt discomfort in his lower abdomen.


    a sudden feeling of ejaculation?


    he wondered why he was suddenly feeling a burning sensation in his bladder.


    no. that wasn¡¯t the case!


    he felt different than usual, as if he had just stepped into a new world for the very first time.


    before he even realized it, his hips were unconsciously shaking and his dick, which was rock-hard, had already begun to turn limp.


    ¡°why? you don¡¯t like it?¡±


    ¡°oh, no... what¡¯s going on here?


    with an unusually sly expression, sophia rubbed the glans of his penis repeatedly with the palm of her hand.


    she was doing it continuously at a slow and rhythmic pace.


    ¡°why did you stop sucking my breast? are you full already? do you want to stop drinking milk?


    ¡°well, that sounds good,¡±


    it was amazing that she could turn breast milk on and off like a faucet.


    rather, the new sensation he was feeling now was more perplexing to him than the unusuality of her breast milk.


    males often had to wait a bit longer to reach the point where they were ready to discharge their semen. however, if a man could estimate when sexual pleasure was at its peak on a scale of 1 to 100, it would only take a few seconds to go from 90 to 100. and 100 was usually the number where they ejaculate, indicating that he was at the peak of his sexual excitement.


    he was glad because of the situation he was in, knowing that the gap between 90 and 100 would close soon, and his scale of pleasure was about to reach its peak.


    siwoo still felt like he was prepared to ejaculate any moment, but he also had the tiniest inkling that he wouldn¡¯t in the end..


    to put it simply, he felt like he had been stuck at 95 for prolonged periods of time. a little more stimulation was all he needed to bust a powerful nut.


    ¡°gasp!¡±


    suddenly, a tingling sensation ran throughout the entirety of his glans and stimulated the insides of his stomach.


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°my body is in a strange condition... isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s normal, don¡¯t worry, leave everything to me.¡±


    as sophia¡¯s soft voice soothed siwoo, he relaxed once again.


    the tingling and itching feeling grew stronger over time.


    furthermore, the water in the glass had a limit, so adding more water might occasionally make it spill over; the same was true for siwoo, who was getting overstimulated by sophia and possibly had something that was about to pour out through his urethra.


    ¡°oh my god!¡±


    he had an even stronger erection all of a sudden from the previous semi-erect state.


    ¡°here we go,¡±


    siwoo started to struggle but quickly realized that he couldn¡¯t move.


    he could feel the invisible force gently pressing on his body.


    ¡°come on, it¡¯s about time...!¡±


    without giving siwoo a chance to reply, clear liquid began gushing out from his dick, giving the impression that he was urinating.


    the liquid was distinct from the semen and felt quite different as it started to coolly disperse into the bed.


    if he had to put it in words, then it was very different from normal ejaculation.


    he had the feeling that he was literally peeing semen.


    ¡°it¡¯s fine, don¡¯t be afraid. it¡¯s not scary~ don¡¯t be afraid and just cum.¡±


    ¨C splurt! splurt! splurt!


    sophia¡¯s hand, which had been holding his dick until now, began to sweep his glans firmly, and semen erupted like a fountain bursting from the tip of his urethra.


    ¡°gasp!¡±


    the bliss that siwoo was experiencing right now appeared to last for almost 20 seconds.


    siwoo, whose head was dizzy from another lengthy ejaculation, foolishly opened his mouth with a gasp as sophia used a spell to clean up the mess.


    ¡°you were happy, right?¡±


    ¡°haa... haaa... haaaa¡± (gasping)


    sophia grinned as she looked at siwoo¡¯s blank look and straightened her clothes.


    ¡°i¡¯ll teach you something even better when you get to know amelia a bit better the next time around. you¡¯ll be able to lead your first experience more skillfully if you play around with me. well, it¡¯s a story for the future anyways.¡±


    sophia left the room after saying good night to siwoo, who just blankly nodded at her.


    footnotes:


    1ai made

 Chapter 32: Ars Magna Town (1)

    ? ars magna town (1) ?


    1.


    siwoo was exhausted from the massive ejaculation he just had and when sophia saw siwoo falling asleep on her lap, she had the urge to devour him, but she quickly abandoned the idea and left the room.


    siwoo was the first man amelia, who had never met a man before, expressed interest in after leaving that cramped hut, despite the fact that she constantly denied having feelings for him.


    on the other hand, sophia, who was aware of amelia¡¯s unspoken emotions, would never act in a way that would prevent her precious friend from experiencing love.


    ¡°i can¡¯t possibly do that.¡±


    in the first place, sophia could already predict how the first night of siwoo, who had no experience with women, and amelia, who had no experience with men would go.


    especially if it was amelia, she would undoubtedly be lying on the bed stiff like a piece of wood, while siwoo would be in a panic.


    how disappointing would it be if that was their first experience?


    since ancient times, women have always preferred to be led in bed a little bit because it makes them feel more comfortable and desirable.


    along with the reward, sophia decided to teach siwoo about the basics of how to treat a woman in bed ahead of time in order to prevent them from facing an awkward situation during their first experience.


    ¡°ugh...¡±


    sophia stretched after getting up from the bed and then put on her robe and hat.


    in truth, shin siwoo¡¯s suffering over the past few years was sophia¡¯s fault.


    if she hadn¡¯t instigated amelia in the first place, amelia would never have been rejected by siwoo, and he wouldn¡¯t have been tormented.


    in addition, if such an event had never occurred, rumors that amelia was interested in siwoo wouldn¡¯t have spread in trinity academy and amelia would have been loved and respected by witches because of her noble appearance.


    of course, sophia herself did not agree with the manner in which gehenna treated slaves. but that was simply the way things were.


    ¡°the elites are always picky, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    the night had grown old and the day was rapidly approaching.


    witches did not require sleep because of their spiritual bodies, so sophia, a witch with a brand who also had a spiritual body, could stay awake and do the task siwoo had requested of her.


    sophia had to leave it up to the guards to decide what to do with the captives, and she also had to prevent criminals from revealing that siwoo could use magic.


    ¡°it¡¯s best to stay awake at times like these.¡±


    sophia, who had been wearing a robe, leaped over the window frame and transformed into a big crow with feathers sprouting all over her body. she then flew away into the moonlit sky.


    2.


    there were no special vacations for slaves in gehenna.


    even during the holidays, which was only one day a week, siwoo had to work until lunchtime.


    but something unusual happened. siwoo didn¡¯t have to work today and was now lying comfortably on a bed of straw while swinging his arms and legs.


    through the windows, the sun could already be seen rising in the middle of the sky.


    siwoo was sluggish due to oversleeping.


    siwoo, who was always up at or before dawn, found oversleeping to be a tearful luxury.


    ¡°how long has it been since i¡¯ve been this lazy?¡±


    he had never known that being able to sleep in without doing anything was such a wonderful sensation.


    it was the first holiday he had ever taken in his life as a slave.


    just the other day.


    amelia, who had slept the rest of the night and woke up late in the afternoon, hired siwoo as her assistant and gave him a day off as a reward for his hard work, walking around border town until late at night to find an inn.


    it was really hard to believe.


    siwoo had received a day off from amelia, who usually assigned him as many tasks as possible to prevent him from getting any rest. therefore, it was hard for him to accept it.


    the sudden changes in her demeanor perplexed him, but siwoo was fortunate that she seemed to have at least somewhat changed her bad attitude toward him.


    ¡°what brings her here?¡±


    siwoo, who was lying in his bed at the time, couldn¡¯t help but murmur as he noticed someone walking along the grassy path from a distance.


    after the incident in border town, he avoided amelia to the point of being able to tell who was approaching based on the person¡¯s gait.


    it was associate professor amelia.


    ¡°why is she here?¡±


    siwoo, who usually slept half-naked in the barn, hurriedly put on his clothes.


    ¡°ugh, if she had given me the day off, she should have let me rest as well. why bother me so much when i¡¯m resting?¡±


    despite his grumbling, it was improper to greet her in such a shabby manner.


    he also thought the underwear amelia had given him as a reward the other day was wonderful.


    he was pleased with himself every time he put on his new underwear. he didn¡¯t need to wear those ragged underwear he had received from the city hall anymore.


    when siwoo saw his new underwear, his displeasure with amelia, who had shown up unexpectedly, also slightly subsided.


    ¡°is this how a slave behaves?¡±


    siwoo opened the door of the barn and went out to meet amelia.


    there was no reason for amelia to enter the barn since there was only a large meadow filled with horse fodder where his lodging was located.


    actually, in the past 5 years, she hadn¡¯t visited this place even once.


    amelia was holding a parasol as she stood outside the barn in the midst of the dazzling sunlight.


    she waited while wearing her typical haughty expression as siwoo came running to her.


    ¡°what¡¯s the matter? ms. associate professor.¡±


    amelia was bathing in sunlight as it streamed through her blonde hair, causing it to glisten.


    he tried to avoid recalling the image of amelia¡¯s naked body at the inn after that day, but he couldn¡¯t help but remember the scene that made his dick twitch when he saw her.


    men are such pitiful creatures.


    siwoo tried to think of something else in an effort to get his mind off the memory of that night, and prevent his thing from getting hard.


    amelia patiently waited for him to catch his breath before opening her mouth.


    ¡°you¡¯ll be given to me as my exclusive slave tomorrow. you¡¯ll begin training for your role as an assistant so i came here today because you have to move your accommodation to a nearby location. it won¡¯t take long, so follow me.¡±


    indeed, it took more than 30 minutes to get from siwoo¡¯s barn to the research building.


    he would need to move closer in order to properly serve as the associate professor¡¯s exclusive slave.


    ¡°you lived in a much nicer place than other slaves.¡±


    amelia said as she looked at the barn perched atop the blue hill.


    ¡®nice place, huh? what about the rooms of the other slaves?¡¯


    amelia, who hadn¡¯t been inside the barn yet, might have thought siwoo was living comfortably in comparison to other slaves in a building that appeared to be quite decent from the outside.


    however, siwoo, who had been living there ever since being brought to gehenna, knew it wasn¡¯t a place built for human settlement.


    ¡°yeah, well, this place is fine.¡±


    amelia slightly tilted her head at siwoo¡¯s ambiguous response.


    ¡°then i¡¯ll guide you. where should i go?¡±


    ¡°you should go to your lodging if you want to take your luggage.¡±


    amelia glanced at siwoo as though he were asking an obvious question, then walked past him and began to climb the hill.


    ¡°let me take you there.¡±


    the draft of the magic circle, mana water, and magic paper were all in the barn, but he didn¡¯t need to worry too much about those things.


    after all, he¡¯d hidden them in a box underneath a pile of straw, and amelia had no reason to look inside it.


    however, there was a possibility that amelia would ask about the box if he were to take it out. he, therefore, planned to return to the barn at night and bring the box to his new lodging.


    while siwoo was thinking about various things, he opened the barn door and let amelia inside.


    ¡°it¡¯s a bit embarrassing letting the associate professor into such a shabby place.¡±


    in contrast to what she had anticipated, amelia couldn¡¯t help but widen her normally expressionless eyes in shock as she looked behind the barn door and saw the decrepit interior of the building.


    ¡°i¡¯ll pack my belongings as soon as possible, so please bear with me.¡±


    a slave could only afford the essentials to maintain a standard of living, despite their desires. therefore, siwoo didn¡¯t have much to pack anyway.


    siwoo went to the pile of straw and covered the box well with straw while taking out clothes and underwear from the closet, which was almost half rotten.


    ¡°........¡±


    amelia was looking around while standing like a stone statue in front of the door, she was still dumbfounded from the realisation that siwoo had been living in such an environment.


    she appeared slightly bewildered, as though she was unaware of siwoo¡¯s living situation.


    ¡°ms. amelia, i¡¯ve packed everything.¡±


    amelia, who had been dazed, came to her senses at siwoo¡¯s call.


    she hesitated for a bit before opening her mouth but compared to how she usually spoke, her voice was a little softer.


    ¡°is it okay to live in a place like this? have you actually been living here?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°for 5 years?¡±


    ¡°i originally had a different lodging, but after about a week, my lodging was moved here. they told me they would rebuild the barn to make a place for me.¡±


    ¡°........¡±


    amelia remained silent, even after siwoo¡¯s brief explanation.


    she simply continued to blink her long eyelashes while remaining silent.


    the awkward silence was occurring again.


    there were numerous occasions when siwoo and amelia would cut off their conversation without further elaboration.


    ¡°i hope the lodging i¡¯m going to live in would be a little better this time.¡±


    amelia lowered her head when siwoo cracked a light joke to lighten the sudden awkward atmosphere.


    siwoo wondered why amelia would be shocked by a slave like him living in a place like this.


    in fact, siwoo initially had a difficult time accepting the fact that he would be living in a barn, a place that was worse than the quarters for slaves.


    an elegant young lady like amelia, who had grown up in such a well-off environment, would surely have culture shock from seeing how different the lifestyles of a slave and aristocrat were.


    when siwoo tried to go towards the door while having such thoughts, amelia suddenly grabbed his sleeve.


    ¡°excuse me...¡±


    siwoo, who was facing the opposite direction, could feel the hem of his sleeve being pulled by her small hands.


    there was a scent coming from her that swept all the foul smells from the area.


    ¡°janitor, there¡¯s something i would like to tell you.¡±


    ¡°yes, go ahead. i¡¯m listening.¡±


    amelia looked up at siwoo¡¯s face as if she had made up her mind.


    amelia opened her mouth, but the words she wanted to say seemed to be stuck in her throat as she gasped for air.


    ¡°ms. associate professor?¡±


    amelia released the hem of siwoo¡¯s sleeve, appearing to have lost her composure. she remained silent for a while before speaking.


    ¡°from now on, shin siwoo, the janitor, is my exclusive slave, therefore, i can¡¯t let you wear such undignified clothing.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a clean outfit...¡±


    ¡°you will change into something else later, but you¡¯ll follow me for the time being.¡±


    amelia crept out of the barn and continued walking without saying anything else.


    siwoo had no idea what had happened to her all of a sudden.


    still, there was no reason to refuse if she decided to give him clothes.


    he had been running out of clothes lately.


    siwoo threw the package of clothing onto a pile of straw before chasing after amelia.


    (amelia¡¯s pov)


    amelia was feeling uncomfortable.


    she felt as if she had a stomach ache after eating spoiled cheese a very, very long time ago.


    all of this had happened to her since she saw shin siwoo¡¯s lodging.


    amelia involuntarily shut her eyelids as she recalled the events of the day siwoo had rejected her.


    it was the event that happened after siwoo¡¯s blatantly refused to serve her at night in front of sophia.


    amelia, who had been insulted by a newcomer slave, rushed to the academy¡¯s administrative office the following day.


    despite her fury, amelia spoke calmly when giving the staff orders.


    she gave the order to give that lowly slave the worst lodging available as the first phase of his torment.


    despite his status as a mere slave, siwoo had shown the audacity to defy the order of a witch.


    amelia¡¯s anger was at a boiling point when she thought about how he had insulted her in such a blatant manner.


    although she did not immediately make it obvious on the spot, amelia¡¯s face was red all night long from anger, and she was so distracted by the incident that she couldn¡¯t even concentrate on solving a single magic formula for the rest of the night.


    there had been no doubt as to whether this was a fitting punishment until that point.


    after receiving a rejection from a slave, amelia experienced a sense of shame so strong and unabashed that it seemed to consume her for the very first time in her life. such things had never been done to her before.


    amelia, who knew how unpleasant it is to sleep in a bed that was hard and uncomfortable, took the best revenge that she could think of at the time.


    it made sense as to why amelia had just suddenly remembered something she had completely forgotten.


    that was because she needed to tell siwoo that he needed to move his dormitory closer to the research building since he had become her exclusive slave.


    also, gehenna had a yearly cycle of twelve months.


    the lawn that had been mana-modified never withered.


    the lodging for siwoo was located at the top of the mountain, where the long grass was rippled by the gusts of wind.


    the scenery of the academy, which had a great deal of sunlight and, above all, a view of the academy below the hill was excellent.


    amelia doubted her memory of the order she gave at the administrative office when she saw siwoo¡¯s lodging from a distance.


    she was sure that she had ordered them to arrange the worst living space for siwoo, but the place he was relocated to was a huge wooden building in such a good location.


    she wasn¡¯t particularly upset about it, but it had gotten to the point where she had some doubts about how the academy handled its business.


    when amelia was heading toward the barn where siwoo lived with a parasol to inform him of his transfer to a new lodging, the door in the distance opened and he came out running.


    ¡°what¡¯s the matter? ms. associate professor.¡±


    amelia went ahead to check on his place after explaining the situation to him, who sprinted out of the room panting.


    amelia ventured to this distant place because she hoped to find out what kind of place siwoo had come to live in, and how her revenge was carried out.


    it was a new feeling.


    ¡°it¡¯s a bit embarrassing letting the associate professor into such a shabby place.¡±


    amelia doubted her eyes when the door opened under his awkward escort.


    the floor of the barn was soggy and smelled strange.


    the ceiling was all rotten and broken, leaving the sky visible in several places, and wooden boxes and straws, which were used as furniture, were wet and lying around.


    she had instructed the administrative office to transfer him to a subpar lodging.


    however, amelia intended for him to be transferred to a home in tarot town when she ordered the ¡°worst lodging available¡±.


    the academy¡¯s facilities were all colorful and beautiful, so even if it was the worst, she didn¡¯t expect such a large gap to exist.


    and for that reason, siwoo¡¯s accommodation was not a place for humans to live.


    amelia frowned at the sudden throbbing in her chest.


    her heart seemed to be pounding so hard that it started to become painful.


    that feeling was strange.


    ¡°is it okay to live in a place like this? have you actually been living here?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°for 5 years?¡±


    ¡°i originally had a different lodging, but after about a week, my lodging was moved here. they told me they would rebuild the barn to make a place for me.¡±


    ¡°........¡±


    she simply checked to see if he was suffering as she desired, and it turned out that he actually was.


    the feelings she was having at the time weren¡¯t as pleasant as she had imagined it would be.


    siwoo was making jokes with her, despite having no idea what amelia was currently experiencing.


    ¡°i hope the inn i¡¯m going to live in would be a little better this time.¡±


    siwoo, who appeared to be the first to leave the barn, laughed as if his situation was irrelevant and paid no attention to amelia.


    amelia couldn¡¯t help but pull siwoo¡¯s sleeve from behind.


    she realized it was time to tell him how he ended up living in such a shitty place.


    she gradually felt more inclined to tell the truth to him.


    ¡°excuse me...¡±


    siwoo was a slave, and amelia was a woman of noble birth, but despite their social standings she genuinely wanted to apologize to him.


    however, he would find her apology ridiculous from his point of view.


    amelia wasn¡¯t sure if she could persuade siwoo that her order was the reason he ended up in the worst possible location, even if that wasn¡¯t her intention.


    ¡°janitor, there¡¯s something i would like to tell you.¡±


    ¡°yes, go ahead. i¡¯m listening.¡±


    amelia somehow managed to open her mouth.


    however, as soon as she tried to apologize to him, she found herself suffocating.


    she didn¡¯t know what to say.


    she had no idea where to even begin.


    she had never apologized before and was unsure of the appropriate breathing, expression, and tone to use.


    it wasn¡¯t like she was casting a particularly difficult spell.


    even though she knew a simple apology would suffice, she found that her mind became white and obstructed, as if the words had become stuck.


    ¡°ms. associate professor?¡±


    when amelia felt his questionable look, she was confused and spat out whatever came into her mind.


    it seemed as though she¡¯d blurted out the words without really thinking them through.


    ¡°from now on, shin siwoo, the janitor, is my exclusive slave, therefore, i can¡¯t let you wear such undignified clothing.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a clean outfit...¡±


    ¡°you will change into something else later, but you¡¯ll follow me for the time being.¡±


    that wasn¡¯t exactly what she wanted to say.


    amelia bit her lips in frustration and stomped out of the barn before siwoo.


    now that it had come to this, she was going to buy some clothing for him.


    the sense of guilt that had been vaguely present when she failed to apologize to him was wiped away.


    all she had to do was treat him better and be kind to him.


    that was the decision amelia reached after making up her mind.

 Chapter 33: Ars Magna Town (2)

    ? ars magna town (2) ?


    1.


    amelia and siwoo got into the carriage.


    it was a two-seat carriage given the fact that it only had two seats and was decorated in such a way that the travelers would have to sit facing one another. surprisingly, it lacked a coachman, but siwoo was sure that the horses could guide it to its destination since the carriage belonged to sophia.


    when amelia said she would give him new clothes, siwoo thought she would throw him some from the academy¡¯s supply room. but instead of going there, he was unexpectedly going out of the academy at that moment.


    the carriage rattled through the main gate of the academy.


    ¡°where are we going?¡±


    ¡°a tailor¡¯s shop.¡±


    ¡°i see.¡±


    siwoo was confused because a tailor shop was typically a place that made clothing for women.


    amelia said she was going to give him clothes, but he didn¡¯t expect her to give him a custom dress.


    siwoo, who seriously believed that it might be a new form of harassment, quickly abandoned his delusion that amelia would get him a custom-made dress.


    ¡°......¡±


    ¡°......¡±


    meanwhile, siwoo felt the carriage¡¯s interior to be suffocating.


    he wasn¡¯t sure if it was the fact that there were only two people in this cramped space or that they had to sit facing each other due to the interior¡¯s design.


    siwoo had been awkward around amelia ever since the previous incident at the inn.


    siwoo¡¯s awkwardness around amelia wasn¡¯t caused by a like or dislike for her; rather, it was caused by the ambiguity of his feelings toward her.


    of course, he felt bad for touching amelia¡¯s chest without her consent, but he was more concerned about something else.


    the main cause of confusion was why amelia¡¯s autonomous defense didn¡¯t activate when siwoo approached her.


    let¡¯s assume that siwoo¡¯s hatred for amelia did not reach the level required to trigger autonomous defense.


    however, didn¡¯t the fact that amelia¡¯s autonomous defense didn¡¯t activate, even after he performed lewd acts on her indicate that her conscience has permitted siwoo¡¯s presence near her because he had no ill intent towards her? therefore, he was right to assume that they didn¡¯t have malicious feelings for one another.


    but what about amelia, the epitome of the aristocratic witch? did she have feelings for a slave? siwoo¡¯s mind became foggy when he thought about such things.


    siwoo wouldn¡¯t know unless he spoke to her directly about it. but it was unclear how amelia would respond and how dangerous that response would be when the whole truth was revealed. therefore, it was ultimately useless.


    siwoo had a difficult time understanding amelia.


    sophia, who understood her best, said that amelia was like a child, but he couldn¡¯t understand anything from that statement.


    at the end of the day, time was the only thing that could solve his problems so he had no choice but to be patient.


    either he had to complete the magical circle that opened the gate to modern times and escape, or he had to live the rest of his life here and wait to know the truth.


    amelia, who had been watching the passing scenery outside the window silently, cleared her throat.


    seeing amelia clear her throat, siwoo broke away from his thoughts as she asked.


    ¡°what happened..?¡±


    ¡°is there anything uncomfortable?¡±


    ¡°janitor, do you have any health problems?¡±


    when she asked that question, siwoo wasn¡¯t sure if she was trying to make it obvious that she was worried for him now that he was her exclusive slave.


    what about everything he had been through over the last few years? was she unaware of his suffering, or was she going to pretend it didn¡¯t happen?


    siwoo found it quite difficult to keep up with her abrupt change of attitude toward him.


    ¡°if you have any skin conditions or infectious diseases, kindly let me know ahead of time.¡±


    ¡°there isn¡¯t any.¡±


    siwoo was aware that some people could be a little unclean, but he couldn¡¯t believe that she was saying that to his face.


    it seemed the scene inside siwoo¡¯s ¡°sweet home¡± had greatly shocked amelia.


    despite his environment, siwoo always made sure to take a proper shower with cold water.


    fortunately, his body had never felt itchy or anything like that.


    ¡°i see.¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°........¡±


    ¡°........¡±


    the two fell silent once again.


    siwoo had gotten tired of this awkward conversation pattern over the past few days.


    even though he hadn¡¯t eaten anything, he felt like he was going to have an upset stomach from this situation.


    regardless of the awkward atmosphere, the carriage continued to move.


    the scenery caught siwoo¡¯s attention.


    ¡°whoa!¡±


    the sight of a large citadel lined with white and tall buildings was what first caught his eyes.


    the walls stood proudly, as if they were carved from ivory, and looked extraordinary, even though they were still a considerable distance away.


    there was just one town in gehenna that was fortified on all sides.


    it was neither lenomond town nor tarot town.


    then, the place they were heading to...


    ¡°ms. associate professor, is the carriage going to ars magna town?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    siwoo opened his mouth wide in disbelief.


    the carriage, which crossed the bridge stretched over the moat, soon entered the gate.


    2.


    ars magna town.


    the name of the town was eight syllables long and was a mouthful. as a result, people frequently abbreviated ¡°ars magna town¡± to ¡°white town¡± because it was easier to say.


    that was because the white citadel walls that surrounded the town had all been treated with special alchemy, making them shine with a subtle milky color when it is exposed to light.


    the most wealthy village, the most beautiful and important town, and the most central city of gehenna could all be used to describe the characteristics of ars magna town.


    only noble-titled witches seemed to live in ars magna town.


    in other words, white town was inhabited by 3 dukes, 7 earls, and 32 barons.


    however, ars magna town was the most important place in gehenna due to its central location as well as the existence of various important facilities that played important roles in governing gehenna.


    first of all, the ¡°central city hall,¡± which was gehenna¡¯s main authority over minor public affairs, was located here. also next to it was the ¡°tree of sephiroth,¡± an executive body that actually moved gehenna.


    except for the safe bank in lenomond town, these were gehenna¡¯s only administrative organizations, so there was nothing else to mention.


    however, the reason why any wealthy witch would come to white town was due to the fact that all of the best luxurious facilities could be found there.


    there was a social club in white town called ¡°the first salon of the red roof,¡± which was an exclusive club open to witches who were rank 15 or above in the witch hierarchy.


    additionally, the levanah grand bath run by count yesod was a popular attraction for witches.


    a model business that set trends in gehenna was the flora tailor shop, which was also in white town.


    in this town, there were all of the luxurious and high-class facilities that witches were crazy about. one such facility was the ¡°gemini magic ward main store,¡± where only the best magic ward products were sold.


    ordinary citizens couldn¡¯t come and go without permission, even if they were witches, it was a town where witches in the middle of the hierarchy could only feel oppressive feelings and couldn¡¯t make a sound from the moment they stepped inside, so siwoo, a slave, couldn¡¯t have been here.


    siwoo gasped in amazement as he watched the scenery passing by outside the carriage.


    he had never before seen so many witches all at the same time.


    it was a small group compared to the large fortress gate, which could fit eight wagons at once, but based on a quick count, it appeared that there were well over 50 witches there.


    ¡°woah...¡±


    siwoo was so preoccupied with his surroundings that he completely forgot that amelia was sitting right in front of him.


    only one word could be used to describe the beautiful surroundings of the city of ars magna: mythical.


    the town¡¯s structures date from a time when steel and concrete were not commonly used in construction and were thus made using a variety of methods and materials, including gothic, baroque, and rococo styles.


    if someone wanted to construct buildings as high up as possible, while being large and orderly, the buildings would roughly resemble the appearance of this town.


    as he watched, siwoo couldn¡¯t believe that such a beautiful city could be built without using any modern building materials.


    ¡°it¡¯s so beautiful.¡±


    siwoo thought the scenery in lenomond town was beautiful when he first visited it, but ars magna town was on a whole other level.


    if the buildings in lenomond town qualified as a level of world cultural heritage, then white town¡¯s buildings would rank among the most mysterious and intriguing constructions in the world.


    without magic, the people of modern times could never even dream of constructing such a building.


    ¡°is that so?¡±


    in addition to the study of magic, being able to see such a beautiful city was one of gehenna¡¯s unique advantages.


    however, siwoo was more excited about taking a trip for the first time in a while.


    ¡°ms. associate professor, is your mansion in this town?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    living in a place like this would be just as good as living in hannam¡¯s hill, but all of a sudden he became curious about amelia¡¯s mansion.


    ¡°i¡¯d like to go there.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve never been there.¡±


    he got an unexpected answer.


    upon reflection, siwoo came to the realization that he didn¡¯t really know much about amelia.


    although he was aware of crucial survival factors such as what she despised, the timing of her anger, her facial expressions when she was being rude, and how to properly gauge her anger levels, he didn¡¯t really know anything about amelia¡¯s favorite things, her happy moments, her past, etc.


    he suddenly became curious and asked.


    it had been a while since they had a conversation without interruption, so siwoo felt a little happy.


    perhaps it was because he saw something so beautiful and new that he felt a little more relaxed, and the conversation flowed smoothly.


    ¡°why?¡±


    ¡°because before i became a witch, my teacher and i lived in a hut in the forest.¡±


    ¡°forest? what city was it in?¡±


    ¡°it wasn¡¯t in any town, it was just a beautiful forest filled with tall fir trees.¡±


    not all places in gehenna were cities where people lived.


    among them were agricultural land, pasture land, or forests that had not yet been developed.


    one of the places where amelia lived was probably one of them.


    ¡°now, it¡¯s not as beautiful as it used to be.¡±


    siwoo couldn¡¯t help but notice a tinge of loneliness in her demeanor as she said that.


    when siwoo was about to say something, amelia took the lead.


    ¡°we have reached our destination, please get off.¡±


    the carriage with no coachman came to a stop in front of an impressive structure.


    the name written on the signboard was ¡®flora tailor shop¡¯.


    the building resembled a five-story church.


    covered with both excitement and anxiety about having to get new clothes from a tailor shop, siwoo moved toward the building.


    3.


    when amelia knocked on the door a couple of times with a door hook, the iron door, which was 5 meters tall, opened by itself.


    the tailor shop siwoo thought was a five-story building from the outside was actually a single-story building.


    it just had a very high ceiling, like a gothic chapel.


    additionally, there was a cabinet with colorful clothes affixed on it that extended from one side of the wall, all the way up to the high ceiling.


    a red carpet laid all over the floor.


    after looking around, siwoo then turned his gaze to the interior structure of the tailor¡¯s shop.


    even though it resembled a hotel lobby, he didn¡¯t think it was an easy place for making tailored dresses.


    then a woman walked out of a corner.


    she was wearing a dress with one leg boldly exposed and a long smoking pipe between her lips. her hair was swept over one eye to cover it, which only added to her already alluring appearance.


    she was puffing out her pipe instead of being frightened when she saw amelia, perhaps this woman was a witch, as well.


    ¡°that¡¯s a dress i made 10 years ago, at the time, snowflakes were the source of inspiration for making that dress. i think the one who bought it was sophia...you¡¯re the marigold, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    the intent of her words weren¡¯t clear, but one thing for certain was that she had no intentions of making friends with amelia. her manner didn¡¯t seem to be consistent with how she would treat clients.


    ¡°true beauty is something that doesn¡¯t change over time. it¡¯s been a while since i made that dress, but it didn¡¯t get rustic at all, did it?¡±


    flora¡¯s demeanor left siwoo at a loss for words, even amelia was baffled by it.


    siwoo was meeting with another witch who smoked.


    flora didn¡¯t wait for an answer to her earlier question, probably because she didn¡¯t even expect one, and instead started to introduce herself to them.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry for being late in introducing myself. i¡¯m sure you already knew, but i¡¯ll say it anyway, i am flora arabesque, the witch of the threads. by the way, the cloth you are wearing is also something i made.¡±


    ¡°i came here to place an order for a custom suit.¡±


    ¡°suit? where are you going to wear it? in modern times? gehenna?¡±


    ¡°oh, it¡¯s here.¡±


    as if she had just remembered it, flora cut the conversation short in the middle.


    ¡°all right, so the turkish mohair wool has just so happened to arrive. for you, i¡¯ll knit some gorgeous clothes that i want to make.¡±


    siwoo had previously had a suit tailored for him.


    it was necessary for siwoo to have a suit in order to attend places such as academic conferences when he lived in modern times.


    but at that time, they spent nearly two hours asking siwoo what he wanted, and the production alone took more than 15 days.


    but the witch in front of him didn¡¯t even measure anything.


    amelia used her fingertips to point at siwoo, who was perplexed by flora¡¯s superior skill and speed.


    ¡°not for me, the suit you¡¯ll make is for this man.¡±


    flora frowned as she turned to look at siwoo as amelia pointed her finger at him.

 Chapter 34: Ars Magna Town (3)

    ? ars magna town (3) ?


    1.


    flora had a strange look on her face when she heard amelia ask her to make a suit for a man.


    ¡°you know where you are, right? this is a place where we make beautiful dresses for witches.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve heard that when it comes to tailoring clothes, this place in gehenna is second to none.¡±


    flora took a puff from her pipe as she wondered why amelia had brought a male slave despite the fact that she seemed to be aware that this place was used by witches to make beautiful dresses.


    from siwoo¡¯s perspective, she had an expression a shop owner of a fruit store would have if they were asked for salted mackerel.


    ¡°i appreciate the compliment, but i¡¯m not too keen on making a suit for a man, i do however, like the idea of making a beautiful dress for a woman.¡±


    flora didn¡¯t outright reject amelia¡¯s request, probably due to the fact that the latter was a baroness.


    siwoo became uneasy as he noticed her lack of desire to make a suit for a slave.


    ¡°i¡¯ll pay for the suit.¡±


    ¡°money is not the issue. i won¡¯t make a suit if i¡¯m not motivated.¡±


    upon hearing flora¡¯s words, amelia pulled out a tiny bottle of perfume from her sleeve.


    the tiny, 15-ml bottle was filled with an enchanting purple liquid. given the size of the bottle, it was more appropriate to refer to it as an ¡°ampoule¡± rather than a perfume bottle.


    flora, who had folded her arms with an unwilling expression on her face, turned her gaze to the perfume amelia took out and held it in her hand.


    ¡°is it the ¡°perfume of fatigue¡±?


    ¡°yes, i¡¯ll give you two of these perfumes in exchange for making a suit.¡±


    ¡°two of them?¡±


    flora¡¯s lukewarm attitude took a 180 as she took the bottle from amelia¡¯s hand with a wide smile on her face.


    just like how flora¡¯s tailored dresses were a sensation among witches, amelia¡¯s perfume was as well.


    since amelia had no interest in making money, the amount of perfume she produced was extremely small in comparison to the demand, which increased its value even further.


    therefore, it was said that the perfume she made was so popular that it quickly sold out at the red roof salon despite being a very expensive item.


    siwoo recalled hearing from his friend takasho that sophia was the one who received and distributed amelia¡¯s perfume.


    siwoo saw flora ecstatically accept amelia¡¯s perfume, so perhaps takasho was right about its popularity.


    ¡°well, this is enough to motivate me to make a suit for him. since i need to measure the size first, why don¡¯t you come over here?¡±


    looking at how delighted flora was, it seemed as if she wanted to get to work immediately.


    then, a man walked out, lifting the flag-embedded curtain of the tailor shop that was hanging on the corner.


    ¡°oh, is he a customer?¡±


    a tall, handsome blond man walked out, he appeared to have the same charisma a captain of a high school football team would have.


    ¡°jake, i told you to wait inside.¡±


    ¡°i was sleeping, but when i woke up i was shocked to see that my loved one wasn¡¯t by my side, wouldn¡¯t you have reacted in a similar way?


    ¡°you¡¯re so cute.¡±


    the man¡¯s voice was deep, and it appeared that he was speaking with a hint of narcissism. he came over to flora, still only in jeans, and casually put his arms around her waist.


    surprisingly, he stayed in that posture as he introduced himself.


    ¡°hello, i¡¯m jake robert.¡±


    after bowing his head to greet amelia, he began kissing flora.


    flora gladly accepted his tongue.


    a man and a witch began kissing passionately in an american style in front of both amelia and siwoo.


    ¡°splash...splop.¡±


    ¡°slurp, slurp, slurp.¡±


    siwoo was stunned by the sudden change of atmosphere.


    siwoo felt embarrassed and wondered whether it was appropriate for them to act in such a way right in front of customers.


    however, that wasn¡¯t the most surprising thing.


    flora¡¯s relationship with jake seemed very natural.


    siwoo had this thought because, judging by how close they were, flora and jake¡¯s relationship was not similar to that of a witch and her slave.


    in addition to them being able to talk comfortably, flora had a relaxed attitude about how jake was treating her.


    they were a couple who blatantly flaunted their love for each other.


    in other words, despite the fact that one was a slave and the other was his master, they had an equal relationship.


    that¡¯s how it looked.


    siwoo felt embarrassed for some reason, so he glanced at amelia to see her reaction.


    ¡°......!¡±


    when amelia saw what was happening in front of her, the shape of her eyebrows indicated that she was about 75% astonished.


    her eyes were wide with shock, and her straight eyelashes were quivering.


    it seemed like she was about to open her mouth.


    flora wrapped her tongue around jake¡¯s as their lips overlapped.


    as they parted their lips and slowly backed away, one long thread of salvia connected the tips of their tongues.


    ¡°phew, isn¡¯t it too hot? wait for me inside quietly.¡±


    ¡°what a lovely lady you are... fine, then come quickly, honey.¡±


    flora slapped jake on the buttocks after the kiss, and jake threw a greasy line before leaving.


    amelia rubbed her eyes to check if something was wrong with her eyes.


    but when amelia saw jake returning to the room in the distance, behind the flag-embedded curtain, she was certain that what she had witnessed was reality.


    ¡°he¡¯s handsome, right? i won¡¯t give it to you even if you stare at him like that.¡±


    flora smiled slightly as she noticed amelia staring at jake.


    amelia¡¯s curiosity got the better of her as she asked a question that was against her better judgment.


    ¡°is that man a slave?¡±


    ¡°although he¡¯s a slave, he¡¯s also my boyfriend.¡±


    her boyfriend? however, wasn¡¯t he just a slave?


    amelia was utterly bewildered.


    despite having witnessed it with her own eyes, she was still unable to comprehend the relationship between this witch and her slave.


    how could a witch be in a romantic relationship with a slave?


    ¡°isn¡¯t he cute? i picked him up from an orphanage when he was seven and raised him. even though he¡¯s grown up so well, he¡¯s still a child in my eyes.¡±


    amelia was aware that some witches had physical relationships with their slaves, but even so, amelia despised it because she found it to be extremely not suitable for a witch.


    she believed that a witch was predestined to follow the path of sorcery. relationships with men would only impede a witch¡¯s path to mastering her witchcraft.


    amelia felt it was a waste of time to hang out with men and stand idly by without doing any magic research.


    furthermore, flora and jake appeared to be a real couple by being upfront about their relationship...


    ¡°this is kind of weird.¡±


    ¡°in that case, it won¡¯t be easy on your side either. you came all the way to the tailor¡¯s to dress your beloved slave in fine clothes.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not like that.¡±


    amelia retaliated angrily when flora mistook her for being in a relationship with siwoo, but flora didn¡¯t seem to care.


    ¡°anyway, darling is waiting for us, so let¡¯s not waste any more time.¡±


    ¡°i already said it¡¯s not like that.¡±


    ¡°fine, why are you getting so angry?¡±


    flora walked with grace and confidence as she led siwoo while wearing heels that were as sharp as blades.


    2.


    siwoo entered the tailor¡¯s room.


    amelia chose to remain in the lobby with a sullen look on her face.


    in contrast to the neat and orderly organized lobby, the cutting room was cluttered with various decorations, jewels, and mannequins, giving it an unkempt appearance.


    ¡°could you stand with your arms outstretched on that stool over there? i have to take your measurements.¡±


    ¡°alright.¡±


    siwoo was standing there in a daze when flora spoke to him and pointed at the footrest.


    flora took out a measuring tape and began measuring siwoo¡¯s waist.


    flora was taking measurements of the length of siwoo¡¯s chest, waist, and arm with her skillful hand movements.


    possibly out of boredom, flora began speaking to siwoo, breaking the silence.


    ¡°well, aren¡¯t you serving a lovely witch? her predecessor marigold, was a little more mature.¡±


    ¡°well, um...¡±


    ¡°feel free to talk to me casually. you¡¯re a customer now, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    flora was a witch with a comfortable atmosphere. siwoo had already noticed it from her interactions with her slave.


    siwoo saw that flora proudly admitted to being in a relationship with a slave, and he didn¡¯t feel as if she was looking down on him compared to other witches. perhaps it was appropriate to feel at ease around her.


    siwoo was also able to relax a little because it felt like he was being treated like a human being.


    ¡°then may i ask what kind of perfume you have received from ms. amelia?¡±


    ¡°oh, the perfume of fatigue?¡±


    flora took out the perfume she had just received.


    ¡°when you smell this perfume, you will feel extremely tired. your body stiffens as if you¡¯ve been overworked, your eyelids become heavy, and if you try to stay awake, you¡¯ll get a headache.¡±


    ¡°i see.¡±


    ¡°strange, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    this did seem strange to siwoo.


    it wasn¡¯t a drug to relieve fatigue; rather, it was a drug that caused fatigue. siwoo, who had been experiencing sleep deprivation for a while, didn¡¯t need it.


    ¡°witches don¡¯t need sleep, do they? perhaps that is the reason why it is so difficult to get a good night¡¯s sleep. a witch will never again feel that refreshing sensation after a hard day¡¯s work. can you take a breath? a big one.¡±


    ¨C huff


    she continued talking while measuring siwoo¡¯s chest again after he had breathed in.


    ¡°but just smelling this perfume takes me back to those days. should i call it a nostalgic perfume?¡±


    ¡°can¡¯t you use sleeping pills or other magic?¡±


    ¡°i can sleep, but it¡¯s artificial. the important thing is for it to be natural.¡±


    ¡°i see.¡±


    although siwoo didn¡¯t fully understand what it felt like to be a witch like flora, there were many things that the witches didn¡¯t understand but still managed to accomplish.


    ¡°i¡¯ve taken all the measurements i need. you wouldn¡¯t mind if i embellish your suit as i please, right?¡±


    ¡°of course, do as you see fit.¡±


    seeing as how siwoo didn¡¯t know much about suits, he decided it was best to leave it in the hands of the professional in a situation like this.


    ¡°you have a beautifully thin waistline, i think an italian style would look good on you. take off patterns here, add wrinkles at the end of the shoulders, use a labarca pocket style, and button in a strafatto style. it seems like shoulder pads are unnecessary...wouldn¡¯t it be better to keep it casual by not having a belt? making the lapel a little wider will make your legs look longer. i prefer it without cuffs, great!¡±


    flora was talking to herself about how to style the suit and such, but siwoo had no idea what she was talking about.


    all of a sudden, the fabric that flora brought started floating in the air, and dozens of needles, scissors, and threads started quilting the fabric in all directions.


    flora skillfully made the suit even quicker than some factories, which used efficient methods as well as shortcuts to speed up production.


    the synchronization was so impeccable that it was impossible for siwoo to keep up.


    ¡°that¡¯s great, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    flora chuckled when siwoo, who was blankly observing the suit-making procedure, exclaimed how skillfully she was using her skills to complete the suit.


    ¡°if you¡¯ve been making clothes for over 400 years, you should at the very least be able to do this much.¡±


    ¡°400 years?!¡±


    although a witch¡¯s lifespan was infinite, the brand was usually passed down to a successor after about 100 years, or 200 at the very latest.


    they were unable to use their skills to advance their research because they became stuck at a certain point, then they eventually lose all motivation to carry out magical research to advance their rank as witches.


    ¡°i¡¯m a little old, aren¡¯t i? i enjoy making clothes more than magic. i apologize to my predecessor, but what should i do? it was her mistake to select a selfish witch as an apprentice.¡±


    flora completed the suit in less than a minute while sarcastically giggling.


    even if the suit was made at a factory, it would still take longer than flora¡¯s tailoring.


    ¡°try putting the suit on.¡±


    the suit was completed on an empty mannequin in the blink of an eye.


    siwoo put on the suit and checked himself in front of the mirror, he was taken aback by his new appearance.


    siwoo¡¯s body was perfectly suited to the suit, which was made out of a dark navy fabric by gehenna¡¯s best tailor.


    it was obvious that flora made it by only measuring his size, yet there was no discomfort or inconvenience as he moved or bent his body.


    but more than anything else was the suit¡¯s appearance.


    the suit was the epitome of perfection in every aspect possible, even if siwoo went out into the world wearing it, it would leave everyone questioning if it was tailored to fit so flawlessly.


    siwoo only wore shabby work clothes every day, so when he did put on such a fine suit, he appeared strangely different and charming in the mirror.


    ¡°that¡¯s why clothes are called wings.¡±


    ¡°it came out well, right?¡±


    flora laughed wholeheartedly as if she already knew siwoo, who looked pleased as he checked himself in the mirror, would like the suit.


    ¡°have you worn a lot of suits?¡±


    ¡°no, and it¡¯s been a while since i last did...¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re not supposed to lock the button below. also your tie, come over here.¡±


    flora unfastened the necktie that siwoo had tied awkwardly and re-tied it nicely.


    at the same time, flora once again looked closely at siwoo¡¯s body line.


    ¡°that¡¯s not bad, since you and jake have the same shoe size, i¡¯ll give you a pair of jake¡¯s shoes.¡±


    ¡°ah, i am much obliged.¡±


    ¡°if you¡¯re grateful, you should express it to the witch outside.¡±


    flora covered her mouth with a smile.


    siwoo couldn¡¯t help but think that having flora as his master would not only have made his life much easier, but happier as well.


    he wasn¡¯t happy over the fact that he had to become amelia¡¯s exclusive slave.


    despite not being entirely sincere, the gratitude siwoo felt towards amelia, who dressed him in such a fantastic outfit, cannot be denied.


    she had tormented him for five years, so receiving such a gift made him feel uneasy.


    ¡°what a mess, let¡¯s tidy up your hair and beard a little bit.¡±


    siwoo¡¯s face was cleaned, and pomade oil was applied to his head as flora chanted the magic spell.


    siwoo stood perfectly dressed in front of the mirror.


    although the style may have appeared a little excessive, his hair¡¯s fade and pomade were so neat and clean, they gave off the impression of being done at a barbershop, and they went perfectly with siwoo¡¯s new outfit.


    with this appearance, siwoo would be instantly disqualified from any small or medium-sized business interview.


    it would give the interviewer the impression that siwoo was ¡®a punk with a golden spoon in his mouth, so it would be difficult for him to adjust to a social life¡¯.


    ¡°these shoes look fantastic on you. like a rich man, now it¡¯s time to show off.¡±


    flora pushed siwoo¡¯s back as he walked through the curtain and went into the lobby where amelia was patiently waiting.

 Chapter 35: Ars Magna Town (4)

    ? ars magna town (4) ?


    a lobby so opulent that it could easily compete with the magnificent reception room of a royal palace.


    sitting upright on the comfortable couch of such a lobby of flora¡¯s shop, amelia was lost in her own thoughts.


    never forget your duty.


    you will proudly carry the great name of marigold as my successor.


    maintain your posture even if you¡¯re in a place where people can¡¯t see you.


    never slack off when walking the path of magic; always give it your all.


    live your life like a noble and a proud witch.


    amelia remembered the first time her teacher spoke to her in a stern tone as she was hiding inside the warehouse because she didn¡¯t want to study magic.


    but if she were to have an apprentice witch right now, and if said witch was someone who enjoyed playing and being lazy, then amelia would probably reprimand her as severely as her master had done to her.


    in any case, amelia¡¯s heart had been deeply impacted by the lessons she had learned from her predecessor.


    in her alone time, amelia constantly found herself thinking up about her teacher and the teachings she imparted to her, constantly cherishing and reminiscing their interactions and the memories they built together.


    ¡°that¡¯s not right.¡±


    she whispered as she touched the rim of the cup of black tea she hadn¡¯t even taken a sip from.


    amelia replayed the scene she had witnessed earlier in her mind.


    jake and flora.


    they both introduced themselves as lovers...


    it was a peculiar relationship that was different from your typical relations that constituted


    simply put, flora treated jake equally as her lover and a fellow human being.


    she didn¡¯t reprimand jake for walking around the store with his jacket off and didn¡¯t mind kissing him in front of her customers.


    but, how could witches and slaves ever be even thought of as being equal?


    in contrast to what amelia had learned about how to treat a slave, what she had witnessed earlier could be considered to be blasphemous. her mind was complicated as she was not able to understand the divergence between what she had learned and what she had witnessed just earlier


    she felt as if she were in a theater where she ought to stand up in awe and applaud for witnessing such a brilliant performance.


    what if siwoo were to treat amelia like that? just like jake as she treated flora who he seemed to be madly in love with.


    ¡°ugh!¡±


    amelia shuddered with an inexplicable sense of discomfort at the thought.


    she felt goosebumps trail all over her body.


    ¡®blasphemous!¡¯


    she would not tolerate such an occurrence under any circumstances.


    but for a brief moment, she couldn¡¯t help but picture herself kissing siwoo as jake did to flora.


    ¡°well...¡±


    in amelia¡¯s imagination, she and siwoo were engaged in a passionate display of affection, their tongues entwined and exchanging saliva as if they were two slugs mating with reckless abandon. their tongues caressed each other¡¯s tongue in a passionate kiss full of the longing and affection they felt for each other.


    ¡°ugh...¡±


    this time, a deeper sense of discomfort swept through amelia¡¯s body.


    she found such an act to be utterly strange.


    she couldn¡¯t understand why anyone would use such an indecent act as a token of love and affection.


    in an effort to clear her mind, amelia sighed out loud and took a sip of the black tea that she had not touched all the while.


    the black tea had already cooled down.


    and then...


    ¡°ms. associate professor, i¡¯ve changed my clothes.¡±


    the person amelia had been waiting for had finally walked into the lobby.


    the work had finished faster than amelia had presumed. she was already getting quite bored sitting in the lobby like that all alone.


    ¡°since i paid for it in advance....¡±


    amelia eventually fixed her gaze on the person who was standing in front of her and tilted her head in confusion.


    ¡®just who is this person?¡¯


    ¡®he looks both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.¡¯


    a well-combed hairstyle; a formal suit that fit him perfectly; and completing the slick look was a polished pair of black leather shoes


    a man walked out, seeming awkward as he adjusted his sleeves.


    amelia, who was about to get up from the sofa, was so startled that she had to sit back down.


    so much was her shock that... it didn¡¯t even occur to her that she had acted in a disgraceful manner.


    she was having a hard time believing that the neat gentleman in front of her was none other than her newly recruited assistant, shin siwoo.


    ¡°i sincerely offer my gratitude. i really liked this suit.¡±


    ¡°.......¡±


    she was really finding it hard to admit, but she knew deep down that the suit was the perfect fit for siwoo.


    amelia suddenly noticed that her heart was racing and her breathing was becoming hurried.


    she was having difficulty breathing in and out.


    she had the feeling that her body wasn¡¯t really her own at this moment.


    she had a difficult time understanding the ambiguous emotions she was experiencing at the time.


    she pondered what changes in human emotions were required for the body to react in this way.


    unfortunately, there were no words in her dictionary that could define such a feeling.


    she sprang to her feet in the next moment.


    ¡°sigh... it¡¯s much better now.¡±


    ¡°i suppose so. it fits so well that it¡¯s very easy to move around.¡±


    waving his arms, siwoo was showing off his clothes to amelia.


    flora may have lacked manners and had an illicit relationship with her slave, but she was a skilled tailor, nonetheless.


    even when he moved in that manner, siwoo¡¯s suit didn¡¯t feel unkempt or wrinkled, and he didn¡¯t appear to be troubled by the suit¡¯s tight fit.


    he had always worn ragged clothes till now, but after wearing a formal suit and neat shoes, he looked like an entirely different person altogether.


    amelia quickly averted her gaze from siwoo as she appeared to have been mesmerized by his attractive appearance without even realizing it.


    ¡°ms. associate professor.¡±


    siwoo walked up to amelia.


    amelia was startled by his sudden approach, and clutched at the hem of her skirt for no apparent reason.


    ¡®there¡¯s something wrong with me...¡¯


    ¡°thank you very much.¡±


    siwoo expressed his sincere gratitude to amelia by bowing his head deeply.


    amelia had never received such genuine appreciation from him before.


    even though he had shown his gratitude to her before, it was quite easy to notice that it was nothing more than lip service. however, his current show of gratitude was different, more intense and sincere.


    ¡®was it okay to receive such gratitude? do i really deserve it?¡¯


    and before long, she came to a conclusion.


    of course, it was.


    why wouldn¡¯t she? she had paid two bottles of ¡°perfume of fatigue¡± for his suit.


    however, when she considered the reason for which she had given him these clothes, she felt confused once more. in some ways, this could be seen as nothing more than compensation.


    as usual, she kept her cool and gave the best response despite the confusion that was plaguing her mind.


    ¡°no need, i just didn¡¯t like it when you walked around in those ugly clothes of yours.¡±


    amelia¡¯s cool demeanor made it seem as though she was reproaching siwoo as she spoke to him.


    siwoo¡¯s expression, which had been beaming with happiness, started to fade after hearing her harsh words.


    he was still a man who expressed his emotions through his facial expressions, after all.


    amelia immediately regretted what she had said after observing siwoo¡¯s gradually declining reaction.


    in order to make up for it, amelia added more words to her previous statement.


    ¡°please continue to dress like this. it suits you.¡±


    ¡°understood.¡±


    siwoo breathed a sigh to control his rising temper.


    amelia also took an inaudible deep breath and ignored the feeling of frustration that she was feeling for her actions.


    2.


    siwoo drove back to trinity academy by carriage, still wearing the nice suit amelia had bought for him.


    it was not that he didn¡¯t want to look around ars magna town more, but it was crowded with witches, which was a little intimidating to a slave like him.


    so, siwoo felt it would be for the best if he finished his work here and returned as soon as possible.


    amelia didn¡¯t even look at siwoo the entire way back to the academy, opting to tilt her head and observe the scenery outside the carriage window.


    as a result, the conversation between the two was completely cut off.


    they returned without exchanging any words with one another.


    the carriage drove directly to the barn where siwoo lived till now and once there... he swiftly packed all his belongings to move to his new residence.


    despite its worn out appearance, the barn gave siwoo a sense of belonging in the strange city of witches. it wasn¡¯t much, but it was a comforting presence that reminded him of home. he said his farewells to the barn after grabbing his belongings.


    it was obvious that he needed to move his luggage tonight because he was about to move to a new lodging.


    ¡°are we heading to my lodging now?¡±


    wrapping all of his belongings in a sizable towel, siwoo asked amelia as he got into the carriage.


    ¡°yes.¡±


    and with that out of the way, the wagon began moving once more.


    they arrived at an annex which was located near the center of the academy.


    the building was actually a large mansion with a garden and a fountain in front, and it could easily pass for a five-star hotel.


    it was an impressive building with a blue roof and pristine white walls.


    ¡°ms. associate professor,¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°i think the carriage had brought us to the wrong place. this is ms. associate professor¡¯s lodging.¡±


    indeed. the place was amelia¡¯s lodging.


    the term ¡°lodging¡± seemed woefully inadequate to describe such a magnificent building and didn¡¯t quite fit the description.


    ¡°i know.¡±


    siwoo was shocked to learn that the carriage had taken them to amelia¡¯s mansion, most likely at her command.


    without a moment for siwoo to ask back, amelia left the carriage and opened the door of the mansion.


    ¡°come in.¡±


    siwoo blinked his eyes and followed amelia inside.


    he closely followed her steps despite the unease he was feeling inside.


    amelia quickly made her way up the grand staircase and flitted through the spacious mansion.


    he didn¡¯t see a single person, even in such a large mansion.


    despite the lack of inhabitants, the building managed by magic was impeccably maintained and clean. the chandeliers hanging high above did not have a single particle of dust in them.


    as she reached the second floor, amelia guided siwoo to the far end of the hallway.


    though he tried to remain stoic, siwoo couldn¡¯t help but start to take notice of the situation that was taking place right now.


    ¡°this way,¡±


    ¡°well, i¡¯m saying this just in case but... is this where i¡¯ll be staying from now on?¡±


    ¡°you are my exclusive slave. isn¡¯t it obvious already?¡±


    ¡®i was going to stay with amelia?¡¯


    he felt as though his world was being turned upside down as that thought dawned on her,


    siwoo had trouble accepting the reality of the current situation.


    ¡°but how dare i, a slave of ms. assistant professor, live in the same building as your esteemed self?¡±


    ¡°there are many rooms in my mansion, and this place is needlessly big anyways. so, i have no problem giving one of the rooms to you.¡±


    siwoo felt like he would have thought much more highly of amelia if she had just shown such kindness to him on a more regular basis.


    but who was this generosity really meant for? siwoo pondered if it was because he was now amelia¡¯s assistant or if she was now pitying him because he was subjected to her daily torment.


    ¡°ms. associate professor, it¡¯s because i¡¯m too lowly to live in your place.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s not true. you are my assistant now, so you should live a life worthy of that position.¡±


    siwoo concluded that there were two great problems with living in the same mansion as amelia.


    first and foremost, it was painfully obvious why she was keeping siwoo so close to her.


    ¡®she is going to overwork me to death, isn¡¯t she?¡¯


    as they would be under the same roof in that scenario, she didn¡¯t even need to go look for him or even call him whenever she required his presence.


    if it were just simply about the labor, it would not be a problem at all for him. but the problem lay in the fact that siwoo and amelia would be in the same place 24/7,


    being around her was already awkward and uncomfortable to begin with, and now he would even be forced to see her face wherever he went. compared to an assistant who only helped to organize documents and assist in their superior¡¯s work, this was a completely different situation altogether.


    the second problem was quite troubling for him as it meant that he would be unable to conduct his research.


    the barn where siwoo originally lived was located on top of a secluded hill of the academy.


    the amount of mana siwoo used for research was so minimal that it was unlikely to be detected.


    however, things were different in amelia¡¯s mansion.


    amelia¡¯s senses would pick it up right away.


    before starting any experiments, he would have to go toward the deserted barn late at night in order to avoid her gaze and senses. which implied that his research speed would be delayed considerably.


    he might have been able to handle other inconveniences, but a delayed escape was not something he could stand.


    ¡°ms. associate professor, no matter how i think about it, this place doesn¡¯t suit me. i will return to the place where i used to live.


    meanwhile, amalia couldn¡¯t understand why siwoo was trying so hard to escape from her mansion.


    originally, she planned to provide him with a comfortable place to stay near the research building. a place where the facilities were neither too good or bad..


    however, seeing how her petty vendettas had accumulated and obstructed siwoo¡¯s life in such a major way, amelia felt compelled to make amends for them.


    so, on a random whim, amelia decided to give him the room that was usually used as the guest room. but she had no idea why he was being so stubborn in refusing her consideration for him.


    ¡°leave your things behind.¡±


    and thus, with no way to counter her orders, siwoo was forced to check out his future home.


    siwoo, as he gazed at the prospect of running away from this mansion, was utterly stunned when he saw the room of his accommodation.


    no matter how fancy a mansion was, lodgings for servants were always shabby. however, the room that was assigned to siwoo looked in no way suitable for a mere servant. in fact, it was obvious even at a glance that this was a room to accommodate honored guests.


    even though it was lower than the barn, the ceiling was so high that even if michael jordan were to jump with all his might, he wouldn¡¯t be able to reach it.


    the furniture, such as the sofa, cabinet, and wardrobe, were all so expensive that if siwoo were to leave a single scratch on them, he would have to spend his entire life serving as a slave to pay for the damages.


    moreover, the floor was covered in such expensive carpet that siwoo unconsciously avoided stepping on it.


    ¡°this is the living room and this is the bedroom.¡±


    not to mention, there were even two rooms that were attached to each other in his accommodation.


    as soon as siwoo entered the room, he was greeted by a spacious living area, and as he ventured further in, he found a bedroom with a bed and a desk already installed.


    in contrast to the living room furniture, the bed and the mattress placed on top didn¡¯t seem to be of the same high quality.


    ¡°may i look around?¡±¡±


    ¡°now that it¡¯s the janitor¡¯s room, do as you please.¡±


    as soon as siwoo was given permission, he checked the last remaining room.


    next to the bedroom was a large bathtub. as he turned on the water in the bathtub, which was almost identical to modern facilities, warm water immediately gushed out.


    the days of freezing showers were over, and he could now bid farewell to the soul-chilling sensations of taking a cold shower.


    siwoo couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of bewilderment wash over him as he stared at the room dazedly.


    ¡°is this really my room?¡±


    ¡°yes, you have a day off today, so take a good rest and come to the research building from tomorrow morning.¡±


    amelia uttered those words before shutting the door behind her, leaving the premise.


    siwoo took a brief moment to look around the room and take in his surroundings.


    along with exploring his new room, siwoo tried to understand the reason for amelia¡¯s sudden bout of kindness.

 Chapter 36: Cohabitation Without Attraction

    ? cohabitation without attraction (1) ?


    1.


    it has long been believed that every human heart contains an emptiness, a void that never truly goes away.


    however, this void is neither vast nor an endless abyss.


    the crevice would typically be small, the kind that one might unintentionally stumble upon and mutter, ¡®oh, it was here all along.¡¯


    during moments of contemplation, the void, which is typically hidden deep within the heart and filled with painful memories, would abruptly reappear.


    it¡¯s an existence that was undeniable and would keep coming back, despite one¡¯s best efforts to deny it.


    despite her attempts to forget the ever-present loneliness in her heart by using the perfume of fatigue, the feeling lingered and surfaced, even during a relaxing bath and after she had thrown herself onto the bed.


    even though she didn¡¯t feel hungry, she would remember it whenever she put a sweet dessert in her mouth.


    that thought would occupy her mind even as she smoked a cigarette or struggled with an unsolved magic formula.


    despite all her efforts to bury it deep and ignore it, it sneaked up persistently like a haunting reminder saying, ¡°don¡¯t forget me¡±.


    amelia marigold too had such a void in her heart.


    that void had always been filled by her mentor, who was graceful, dignified, elegant, and sophisticated.


    every time amelia¡¯s condition worsened, her teacher would give her medicine, and she would feel her teacher¡¯s gentle touch as she brushed her forehead.


    her teacher was always the first to arrive before anyone else after she had hurt her leg from falling from a tree,


    she would sit next to amelia, keeping an eye on her whilst holding a glass of warm milk whenever she tossed and turned from her nightmares,


    she would tell her old tales while braiding a scarf for her while sitting by the fireplace,


    and when amelia was struggling with her studies and was about to give up, her teacher would gently remind her, ¡°amelia, you are a special child.¡±


    teacher.


    teacher.


    her beloved teacher.


    amelia remembered the day.


    she had never imagined that the day would come when she would have to bid her teacher farewell.


    and her teacher, too, said nothing about this.


    ¡°teacher! why, why didn¡¯t you say anything...! i....i thought...that if i became a witch, i could be with you forever...¡±


    ¡°with every greeting comes a time to bid farewell. oh dear, is this phrase too cliche to leave behind as my last words?¡±


    amelia¡¯s teacher never informed her that they¡¯d only be together until amelia inherited the brand. the reality of the situation was that passing down a witch¡¯s brand would mean the death of the preceding witch.


    amelia was well aware of the reason behind her teacher¡¯s decision.


    as a child, she was a lazy student who was indifferent and lacked the motivation to study..


    moreover, she loved her teacher too much.


    if amelia had known this truth, she would never have inherited the brand.


    she would never have stepped up to inherit her teacher¡¯s research or to be recognized by her if she knew that she¡¯d lose the opportunity to spend more time together with her teacher.


    which would have resulted in amelia passing away at a young age due to the illness that had plagued her since birth.


    that was the reason her teacher hadn¡¯t told her about the consequences of passing down the mark.


    in her case, amelia¡¯s teacher wouldn¡¯t have wanted her beloved apprentice to die either.


    ¡°you¡¯re being a coward... i can¡¯t admit it! there¡¯s no such thing as this...being a coward...don¡¯t go...don¡¯t go...!¡¯


    ¡°amelia, my beloved apprentice, my daughter, my mirror. i am truly happy to be able to pass on the name of marigold to you.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t need a name like that! why won¡¯t you pay attention to what i have to say?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re such a kind-hearted child.¡±


    ¡°no! no...! i don¡¯t want this brand. take it back. without my teacher... i¡¯m nothing.....!¡±


    regardless of how much amelia cried, clutched her head, screamed, hung her head, and prayed.


    the cruel hands of time that inched her teacher¡¯s departure did not stop.


    ¡®live like a witch, like a nobleman. and...¡¯


    her teacher was gone.


    that was the day amelia inherited the brand.


    amelia marigold took the blame for her teacher¡¯s passing before a final testament could be made.


    she was burdened with feelings of guilt, betrayal, resentment, anger, love, and longingness.


    a wide variety of emotions that couldn¡¯t be expressed in a single word.


    amelia tightly repressed her emotions and buried them deep within the emptiness of her heart.


    despite understanding that one day these thoughts would resurface, she kept them locked away.


    the relentless pain of loss, like a scorching ember within, steadily ate away at the bottom of her heart.


    after the end of the solemn funeral,


    amelia cried until she passed out, repeating the cycle of waking and crying over and over again.


    she no longer had any tears to shed.


    she had come to realize that unfairness is a harsh reality from which one cannot escape, no matter how hard one tries to deny it.


    from then on, amelia¡¯s eyes were filled with determination.


    a resolve that she had conjured reluctantly.


    one that she had never wished for, yet was unable to cast aside.


    ¡°if that¡¯s what my teacher wanted...¡¯


    a witch¡¯s pride


    she would put forth her best efforts to unlock her potential and reach the heights of the witch¡¯s hierarchy just like the witch of creation.


    ¡°...i¡¯ll walk down that path.¡±¡®


    the memories of her teacher felt overwhelmingly warm and yet hurt her heart ever so painfully as well.


    the unexpected memories burnt like a branding iron, heating her chest and bringing tears of longingness to her eyes.


    as such, the void in her heart was only for her beloved teacher.


    for a very long time, that is, until the day a daring and hateful man appeared before amelia¡¯s eyes.


    2.


    siwoo took out a cigarette.


    this was naturally taken from the pack that amelia had purchased on her way back from border town.


    the pack held a total of twenty sticks of cigarettes!


    back in the day, siwoo would not have smoked one of those tasteless cigarettes even if someone had given it to him. in fact, he was so particular that he even had preferences for whether his meals were hot or cold.


    despite that, siwoo was currently in a situation where he had to make the right choice and eat it even if it meant eating rice laced with cyanide.


    by smoking only one cigarette a day, and on rare occasions two, a person can avoid becoming a slave to nicotine addiction for a full two weeks.


    siwoo didn¡¯t want to be a slave to nicotine because one life as a slave was already difficult enough for him.


    sitting on the windowsill, siwoo lit the candle on top of the crackling fireplace.


    a person wearing a super hot suit could be seen reflected on the window glass.


    he didn¡¯t know the correct price of the suit because amelia tried to negotiate with the perfume, but it was obvious at a glance that the materials and the design were expensive.


    ¡°this guy is very handsome.¡±


    after dressing up nicely and neatly combing his hair for the first time in a while, he looked in the mirror and started to get a little narcissistic.


    perhaps amelia had fallen in love with him after seeing his new look.


    it was a momentary delusion.


    siwoo realized the truth when he met his gaze in the window glass.


    based on amelia¡¯s reaction after he changed into his new suit, it didn¡¯t seem like the kind of thing that would happen.


    siwoo smiled wryly and flicked the cigarette, removing the ash from its tip.


    amelia had changed slightly over the last few days.


    in the past, she used to be just a beautiful but destructive force that brought disaster, but these days it seemed like she was acting a little strange.


    in fact, after their trip to bordertown together, he had begun to notice significant changes in her.


    he was confused about whether she had grown tired of tormenting him up to this point.


    or if she simply felt grateful for siwoo when he shielded her from falling roof debris.


    did she really start taking care of him because he was her exclusive slave?


    surely she must have noticed that he had been protecting her till the very end at the inn.


    ¡°oh, come on,¡±


    siwoo couldn¡¯t help but shiver as he felt a chill run down his spine.


    that wasn¡¯t the last of his assumptions.


    no matter how much he pondered, he would¡¯ve never been able to live in peace like this if it were discovered that he had sucked on amelia¡¯s breasts.


    sophia seemed to have properly kept her mouth shut.


    anyway, she had bought him underwear, desserts, cigarettes, and even the stylish suit he was currently wearing.


    siwoo did feel like it was a bit strange.


    he had felt something like this before.


    it was like the time when the bully who had been tormenting him for two years, suddenly apologized to him for his actions, albeit insincerely, after he had been released from the military.


    while siwoo said ¡°thank you¡± for the bully¡¯s apology, it was ambiguous and did not necessarily imply that he would refuse to forgive him if asked to do so immediately. after all, siwoo was not the type of person to hold grudges.


    in the first place, he was not a person who would be harsh on others.


    siwoo¡¯s past experience of being tormented by amelia made it difficult for him to establish a clear emotional stance towards her and understand the distance between them.


    even though he felt happy to receive something from her, he felt a sense of unease. it was difficult for him to fully accept them because they reminded him of the suffering he had experienced as a result of her past actions.


    ¡°i don¡¯t know anymore.¡±


    siwoo had already planned to leave.


    you never know. even the most difficult situations improve over time.


    of all the shitty days in gehenna, the only memory he could recall was the day when he had a fight with amelia.


    everything would eventually pass because it was already in the past.


    instead of creating discord with amelia for no reason, siwoo wanted to appease her in moderation and attempt to make their relationship as convenient as possible so he could leave this place as soon as he could.


    it was relatively simple to refresh his mind, perhaps due to the fact that amelia was less violent than she had been.


    ¡°ugh, even if half of her newly acquired personality had followed, it would have been enough.¡±


    then siwoo would have walked around with his tail wagging like takasho.


    it was then that he realized just how important one¡¯s appearance truly was.


    possibly because of amelia¡¯s stunning beauty, siwoo didn¡¯t despise her despite her tormenting him. siwoo most likely would have really hated her had she been a little less beautiful than she was right now.


    however, there was nothing he could do.


    the dna present in her body was also said to be one of the reasons why amelia was beautiful.


    siwoo casually placed the cigarette with the filter onto the ashtray (which appeared to be very fancy and expensive) before closing the window.


    that was when a sudden crash echoed as the door was slammed open.


    siwoo sighed and realized that this was the beginning of his life as an exclusive slave.


    since moving to this new location, the no privacy zone had been activated for him.


    the situation had progressed to the point where he had to be on guard even when he was in the bathroom.


    siwoo slightly adjusted his suit before leaving for the living room.


    the only positive aspect was that the living room and bedroom in the accommodation were separated, allowing siwoo to detect amelia¡¯s intrusion early on.


    ¡°ms. associate professor...¡±


    he was about to ask what was going on but wasn¡¯t able to continue.


    it was because amelia had abruptly interrupted his sentence.


    ¡°amelia.¡±


    ¡°yes?¡±


    ¡°my name is amelia marigold.¡±


    ¡°yes, i¡¯m shin siwoo.¡±


    even though he knew her name, he couldn¡¯t understand what she was trying to say by telling him that.


    amelia¡¯s eyebrows rose momentarily as siwoo stared blankly at her in confusion.


    this was only a fraction, indicating 25% of her surprise, that siwoo would sometimes see in amelia¡¯s reaction when he acted impulsively without thinking twice.


    siwoo wondered what he did wrong this time.


    ¡°shin siwoo.¡±


    ¡°yes....?¡±


    there were always two ways to know when amelia called siwoo.


    she either called him ¡®janitor shin siwoo¡¯ or simply ¡®janitor¡¯.


    except for times when she was extremely angry, amelia mostly called siwoo the latter.


    he pondered why amelia would call him by his full name.


    the ptsd that had been building up inside siwoo for five years had started to manifest itself, showing its ugly head and contorting his mind.


    he unconsciously shrugged his shoulders.


    was it because he had smoked in the room?


    ¡°yes, it¡¯s shin siwoo. not a janitor.¡±


    amelia looked intently at his face while nodding as if she had come to a realization on her own.


    siwoo found her intense gaze bothersome.


    ¡°yes, that¡¯s right. i¡¯m no longer the janitor of the academy, but ms. associate professor¡¯s exclusive possession.¡±


    in an attempt to suppress his embarrassment, siwoo bit down on his tongue.


    amelia¡¯s delicate, thin eyebrows appeared to be troubled for some reason.


    this typically meant that her frustration meter was at 50% capacity.


    ¡°call me by my name. siwoo.¡±


    ¡°umm, don¡¯t you want me to call you by your title of ms. associate professor?


    ¡°yes. i told you. my name is not associate professor.¡±


    he had no idea what kind of surprise this was.


    but since he was now amelia¡¯s exclusive slave, he had no choice but to comply with and carry out her orders.


    ¡°understood. ms. amelia.¡±


    ¡°siwoo.¡±


    amelia¡¯s face held a look of satisfaction.


    at first glance, she appeared emotionless, but when he took a closer look at her face, her nostrils were slightly flared, making it look hella cute.


    a thought appeared in his mind as he wondered if amelia¡¯s nose hairs were blonde as well.


    ¡°well done,¡±


    snapping out of his stupor caused by the sudden ambush from amelia, siwoo discovered that amelia was holding a plate in her hand.


    a cherry cake was laid on the plate. it was one which he had eaten before and was extremely delicious


    the name of it, in fact, slipped his mind.


    she left the plate on a table with a confident and composed posture.


    ¡°eat.¡±


    ¡°yes? thank you. ms. amelia, don¡¯t you want to eat?¡±


    he asked, seeing as there was a piece of cake and a fork on the plate. but amelia shook her head.


    ¡°i don¡¯t need it. after eating, please go to the kitchen on the first floor and wash the dishes.¡±


    ¡°alright, thank you for the meal.¡±


    amelia disappeared in a flash, just as she did when she appeared.


    it seemed like she had come all the way to siwoo¡¯s room just to deliver the cake.


    first and foremost, he hadn¡¯t been able to eat a single meal that day, and was craving sweet food, and thus ate the cake.


    ¡°well...¡±


    siwoo felt like he was being treated as if he was a dog but shrugged it off as a misunderstanding.

 Chapter 37: Cohabitation Without Attraction (2)

    ? cohabitation without attraction (2) ?


    1.


    siwoo got out of his bed.


    without the help of an alarm clock, siwoo¡¯s eyes naturally opened as 6 am rolled over.


    he felt refreshed when he awoke from the blanket¡¯s soft embrace, unlike when he used to sleep on a hard bed made of straw that he had placed in a box.


    he hurried off to take a shower in the bathroom.


    ¡°what a pleasant morning.¡±


    speaking of showers, it had been a while since siwoo had taken a shower indoors with hot water instead of an outdoor one.


    he no longer whined about wanting to take a warm shower once a week, even if he was to be sent to prison.


    if siwoo¡¯s room was at the eastern end of the sprawling mansion, then amelia¡¯s room could be said to be at the western end.


    getting out of his comfy bed, he took a warm shower, got dressed, and proceeded to head over to meet with amelia as she had instructed him to do so the day before.


    siwoo finished organizing his outfit for the last time in front of the mirror hanging in the hallway, then opened the door and went into amelia¡¯s room.


    ¡°ms. amelia, i¡¯m coming in.¡±


    ¡°come on in.¡±


    her voice could be heard from the other side of the door as siwoo requested to enter the room.


    siwoo anticipated going into a girl¡¯s room to be a dull, uninteresting experience, but when he did so, he quickly realized that this was not the case, and his initial impression quickly disappeared.


    if he was forced to explain the layout of amelia¡¯s room, it wasn¡¯t all that much different from his own.


    odil and odette¡¯s room had been more luxurious, but amelia¡¯s room exuded a sense of modesty and simplicity.


    aside from the high-quality furniture, the room did not appear to have been decorated with much care.


    however, it was crammed with all kinds of magic-related books, papers, and experimental materials.


    nevertheless, the room felt more cluttered than the research building, perhaps because of its smaller size.


    amelia appeared to have brought numerous research-related items into her house.


    as he entered the room, siwoo was about to say good morning to her when he realized that those words held no significance.


    ¡°did you sleep well?¡±


    amarlia asked while still holding a pen in her hand while sitting at the desk.


    ¡°i haven¡¯t slept today.¡±


    she had been scribbling something down on the paper placed on her desk.


    she must have been staying up all night.


    a large stack of paper, recently written on with ink, was laid out in front of her and was starting to dry.


    ¡°wait a moment, please.¡±


    after finishing her sentence, amelia focused on her work again.


    her brows furrowed, displaying her focus on her work.


    though she did not display much facial or emotional expression, her thin and straight brows were remarkedly exceptional.


    her eyebrow expression significantly influenced siwoo¡¯s ability to anticipate almost 90% of her feelings in advance.


    after finishing her final work, amelia finally looked at siwoo.


    ¡±take a look at your upcoming tasks.¡±


    it seemed to be the reason behind her calling him to her office.


    amelia rummaged through her desk drawer and handed siwoo a bundle of 30 to 40 pages of paper.


    as an exclusive slave, this guide summarizes what you are required to do based on the day and time of the week. please take the time to read it and become familiar with the material.¡±


    ¡°got it.¡±


    amelia got up from her seat and walked around the table.


    this time, she was wearing a more comfortable-looking robe, which she may have changed into from her previous attire.


    ¡°see item 15 on page 3.¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    it appeared to be some sort of work manual.


    whilst flipping through the pages, siwoo suddenly realized that the handwriting in this manual was familiar.


    this was something that amelia had carefully written letter by letter.


    page three detailed the tasks he had to accomplish when he woke up in the morning.


    he would have to wake amelia up if she was sleeping. on the other hand, if she wasn¡¯t asleep, he was instructed to greet her.


    following that, he would have to organize her bedding and prepare her breakfast.


    it was decided that siwoo wouldn¡¯t prepare breakfast on his own but would simply pick it up from the kitchen in the school¡¯s building.


    ¡°yes, i have confirmed it.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll be waiting for you at the cafeteria, so please come over.¡±


    assuming it would take a considerable amount of time to fully comprehend the details, given how thick the manual was,


    siwoo watched amelia walk over to the washroom and then make his way to the academy kitchen.


    2.


    on his way to the kitchen, siwoo encountered a familiar face.


    takasho was yawning while cleaning the hallway,


    but he began jumping with excitement upon seeing siwoo¡¯s new outfit.


    ¡°whoa~ who are you? i¡¯m going to freak out at how slick you¡¯re looking.¡±


    ¡°hey, calm down. it¡¯s not a big deal, is it?¡±


    ¡°of course, it¡¯s a big deal! my friend has finally made his debut!¡±


    siwoo actually had a lot to say to takasho, but he wasn¡¯t sure he would have time to say it all.


    he simply summarized and informed him of the events that had occurred so far.


    ¡°hey, what did i tell you? didn¡¯t i say that amelia likes you?


    takasho¡¯s eyes shone with pride as he patted siwoo on the shoulder as if congratulating a friend who had finally passed a difficult civil service exam after many sleepless nights of preparation.


    what kind of nonsense are you talking about? have you been listening to me? what have you heard that would make you think that amelia likes me?


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡±i just told you, she didn¡¯t call me to the inn that night to serve her, but instead to be her assistant.¡±


    takasho¡¯s proud expression faltered and became ambiguous at siwoo¡¯s words.


    takasho had the impression that he was staring at a lottery winner who would never go to the bank again in their entire life to claim their prize.


    ¡°hey, how should i describe this? every time i see her, she seems to be in love, so it really amazes me that you don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°because of you, i almost got into trouble. do you know how amelia looked at me back then?¡±


    takasho gave siwoo a look that was almost like he was looking at a bug as soon as he mentioned the story of that night.


    siwoo¡¯s face would turn red in embarrassment whenever he thought about that night.


    ¡°hey, idiot... have you ever had a girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°no, i haven¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°....right, i thought so.¡±


    takasho had abandoned the idea of reprimanding siwoo and paused, considering where to start before vocalizing each of his thoughts.


    ¡°take a look, shin siwoo. amelia bought you underwear, didn¡¯t she? she gave you a cigarette, right? didn¡¯t she also give you a cake? she even bought you a suit. why is she being so kind to a slave who doesn¡¯t give a damn?¡±


    ¡°how would i know? she may be feeling a little sorry for me because she has been tormenting me.¡±


    ¡°oh, dear,¡±


    ¡°you won¡¯t know until you spend a day with amelia. as you said before, she¡¯s an orthodox witch and doesn¡¯t seem to be interested in men.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s the typical story, and isn¡¯t it something special that amelia is interested in you?¡±


    takasho came to the conclusion that siwoo would not understand no matter how many words he used to explain.


    ¡°hey, would you look at that?¡±


    ¡°hey, keep your hands to yourself! it¡¯s disgusting.¡±


    ¡°this is mohair, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°what¡¯s that?¡±


    takasho slowly touched siwoo¡¯s arm, almost as if he were inspecting his suit, and started to speak.


    ¡°i used to get a lot of suits as gifts when i worked. have you heard of cashmere?¡±


    ¡°cashmere coat?¡±


    ¡°mohair is a material that is as good or even better than that. would you just give such a good piece of clothing to a mere slave if you didn¡¯t have any feelings toward them? besides, amelia never had any slaves before.¡±


    siwoo made a sullen expression as he thought that since the suit was tailored at a tailoring shop in ars magna town, it ought to be good enough.


    ¡°i can see that this is being openly favored, but you say that i¡¯m mistaken. can¡¯t you see what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m afraid you¡¯re mistaken, but i don¡¯t have any interest in amelia.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re crazy.¡±


    takasho opened his mouth in disbelief.


    even though the situation was murky, this was what takasho said after taking siwoo¡¯s situation and circumstances into account.


    ¡°well, i admit that you¡¯ve suffered a lot because of amelia. but aren¡¯t you partly to blame because of what you did as well?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s not my fault. anyway, i don¡¯t believe you anymore.¡±


    ¡°please, shin siwoo, you have to believe me. sometimes when i see you, i feel like you¡¯re acting like a silly goldfish, swimming around in circles. what you¡¯re missing is a golden opportunity! how long do you think a noble, rich, and beautiful witch will stay interested in you?¡±


    ¡°so what¡¯s your point? i have to go soon.¡±


    after pausing to think, takasho finally spoke.


    ¡°let me know your experience if you ever get to have sex with her. i¡¯ll buy you a drink.¡±


    after giving takasho a smack on the back of his head for getting overly excited, he went to the kitchen to collect the food.


    3.


    siwoo had no idea how the future would play out, but he was certain that he would always have food to eat.


    he took the tray from the kitchen after receiving the breakfast meal.


    it was an english breakfast.


    the breakfast spread included a perfectly executed bagel with bacon with just the right amount of seasoning and a boiled egg that was cooked to perfection ¨C with the yolk bursting forth when tapped. the salmon salad was delectable, and a warm cup of coffee rounded out the meal.


    siwoo bid farewell to the meal he had been served before he became amelia¡¯s assistant. the meal consisted of bread scraps that were so hard they could be used as a charcoal eraser, and a thin soup that was not enough to satisfy his hunger.


    the meal had been terrible the entire time, and he didn¡¯t want to lay eyes on it ever again.


    siwoo sat at the same table as amelia and savored each bite of breakfast slowly. after finishing their meal, they headed to the research room together.


    the cycle that had been ingrained in his body for the past five years had finally broken, leaving siwoo with an odd feeling.


    he was urged to head to the academy immediately and start working.


    siwoo was absorbed in reading the manual in the far corner of the research building, contemplating new concepts.


    meanwhile, as soon as amelia entered the research room, she lit a cigarette and focused on the magic research without saying a word.


    siwoo continued to carefully read through the handover manual, acting as though his keen intuition was taking in all the details entirely.


    taking a quick glance through the content, he found a list of tasks that he had to accomplish.


    what to do in the morning.


    what to do during lunchtime.


    what to do from dinner to bedtime.


    things to do during weekdays


    things to do during weekends.


    things to do inside the mansion.


    matters to be observed when accompanying to the research room.


    instructions for organizing documents and papers.


    cleaning and laundry methods


    how to order various desserts.


    things to do in the event of any issues that may appear.


    there were various detailed items written.


    all of which wouldn¡¯t pose much of a problem if siwoo were to read through it carefully.


    ¡°hmm...¡±


    incidentally, he needed to move things from the barn, but it seemed he wouldn¡¯t have time for a while.


    to begin with, according to the manual¡¯s contents, siwoo would have to follow amelia around for almost the entire day. it would usually take about an hour to get from either the research building or the accommodation to the barn.


    he considered taking a day off and sneaking out at night.


    however, it wasn¡¯t an urgent matter for now.


    it was a place that no one would ever visit anyway.


    ¨C caw caw!


    at that moment, he heard a crow¡¯s cawing from outside the window.


    amelia had suddenly called him at the exact moment he was about to look out the window to see the source of the sound.


    ¡°siwoo.¡±


    ¡°yes, ms. amelia.¡±


    ¡°come back here in three hours.¡±


    ¡°understood, is there anything you need me to do before that?¡±


    ¡°no, just focus on reading the manual for now.¡±


    ¡°alright.¡±


    siwoo nodded obediently and left the research building.


    4.


    a warm and comforting glow of sunshine.


    the weather was very warm and cozy during late autumn.


    outside the research room, siwoo stretched his arms wide open and basked in the peaceful and tranquil atmosphere.


    ¡°ah, this is life.¡±


    usually, by this time, siwoo would have been climbing a ladder and shaking branches to remove dead leaves or sweeping the dust-free hallways.


    it was amazing that he had some peaceful time to relax after a delicious breakfast in the morning.


    ¡°it¡¯s moments like this that i wish could last forever.¡±


    siwoo was concerned about what to do with the items he had left behind in the barn, but it turned out that the timing was perfect.


    he intended to transfer the magical items from the barn to his new home, and once that was done, he returned to the research room and acted as if nothing had happened, thereby resolving the situation.


    he planned to take an hour¡¯s nap after finishing the task and thus hurried off to the barn.


    siwoo found himself humming with delight as everything started to go smoothly after all his hard work.


    siwoo entered the rose garden with a light step, knowing that crossing it was the quickest way to reach the barn.


    the magically enchanted roses, which seemed to have disregarded the seasons, blooming in a variety of colors, they pleased the eyes and noses with their vivid hues and their sweet fragrances.


    however,


    something didn¡¯t feel quite right to siwoo.


    ¡°what?¡±


    he was certain the fountain he was looking at was the same one he had seen earlier.


    a little angel blew a trumpet, and a witch sprinkled blessings onto a pile of witches¡¯ children covered by a blanket.


    siwoo turned to look straight ahead again.


    he could see the exit.


    keeping his eye fixed on the exit, he slowly walked towards it.


    his mind fully focused on the exit and, just as he thought he was about leave the garden, he suddenly found himself back in front of the fountain again.


    ¡°it¡¯s rather unexpected.¡±


    siwoo turned around, feeling a sense of foreboding.


    a massive carriage that was three times the size of sophia¡¯s was parked there.


    perched on the hinges of the carriage door was a pair of black and white birds with their wings spread open, they had the ability to sing songs that could cast spells.


    they combined to form a single entity, a witch.


    one that symbolized the countess of the gemini family.

 Chapter 38: Love Potion (1)

    ? love potion (1) ?


    1.


    siwoo hoped to see rays of hope after all his hard work, but he felt he had developed dementia as a result of the hardships he had endured.


    fortunately, it didn¡¯t seem to be the case.


    siwoo believed that he had been fortunate enough to have been able to maintain his sanity up until this point.


    with a hesitant gait, siwoo approached the carriage that seemed to be waiting calmly as if beckoning for him to come closer.


    he hadn¡¯t forgotten about his promise to the twins.


    he was supposed to meet the twins over the weekend but had to change his plans due to an unexpected call.


    he was unsure of the twins¡¯ reaction if he told them amelia had called him that day.


    he didn¡¯t see it as a major issue because he believed they would understand the situation and move on.


    nonetheless, he was still afraid of opening the carriage door.


    since the windows were obscured by white and black curtains and the interior was not visible from the outside, siwoo swallowed his saliva and cautiously stepped inside the carriage.


    ¡°excuse me,¡±


    his eyes widened in surprise upon entering the carriage.


    the carriage¡¯s interior was significantly larger than it appeared from the outside.


    the floor was completely covered with a red carpet, and the ceiling was so high, making it unbelievable that it was inside a carriage.


    it might as well be called a movable villa at this rate.


    after all, they had used spatial distortion magic on the inside of the carriage.


    there was nothing surprising about it; in gehenna, space distortion was one of the most commonly used magical spells.


    however, the majority of the spells utilize the mana that circulates through ley lines and meridians.


    the cost to maintain a moving carriage with such features was something that would cost a substantial amount of money.


    and it was no wonder that count gemini, someone who was well-known for his wealth, could accomplish such a feat.


    the dark interior of the carriage began to light up as the candles, which had been flickering weakly, flared up and became fully lit.


    at the same time, siwoo caught a glimpse of odil and odette sitting next to each other on the couch and staring at the carriage door.


    the twins folded their arms and lifted their chins, casting a proud and dignified gaze upon siwoo.


    they could certainly do that, and it made sense.it was something that they would certainly do and made sense.


    after all, siwoo, who was a mere slave, had arbitrarily broken his promise.


    ¡°there seems to be a misunderstanding. i¡¯ll explain everything that happened....¡±


    ¡°close the door and come in.¡±


    ¡°understood.¡±


    in spite of their inexperience as apprentices, he realized after watching them that they were still witches.


    he had only seen their cheerful and honest demeanor up until now, but the sight of their angry faces and the pressure that emanated from them made him realize that their rage was no laughing matter.


    he closed the door cautiously and approached the twins.


    ¡°it¡¯s nice living as a slave because we treat you well as our teachers¡¯ assistant, isn¡¯t it, mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°no, it¡¯s not,¡±


    ¡°really? then why would you break your promise?¡±


    odil¡¯s cold voice pierced through like a serrated blade.


    ¡°i apologize. but there were circumstances beyond my control.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll listen to your excuse and decide what to do with you, mr. assistant.¡±


    he felt nervous, wondering if the matter was more severe than he had anticipated when he heard odette¡¯s grumbling voice.


    ¡°sis, my eyes hurt. how long do i have to stay like this?¡±


    ¡°odette, be quiet.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m sure mr. assistant had his reasons, too.¡±


    odette cheerfully gave siwoo a shoulder bump and chatted with him. she appeared happy to see him after a long time.


    ¡°by the way, mr. assistant. our magic was amazing, wasn¡¯t it? it was a song called ¡°fairy¡¯s mischief,¡± which made you wander around in circles.¡±


    ¡°y-yes, it was amazing.¡±


    ¡°right?¡±


    siwoo ignored odette, who had a boastful look on her face and a proud smile, and continued to describe the events of the previous day in a slow and precise manner.


    he believed it was unnecessary to go into great detail about the events that had occurred and mentioned that amelia had called him up and told him to accompany her to border town.


    however, since the events that occurred were unplanned, he couldn¡¯t go to tarot town to inform them.


    he concluded by informing the twins that he would no longer be a janitor of the academy but instead work as an exclusive slave under amelia.


    ¡°...that¡¯s what happened.¡±


    ¡°you see, i don¡¯t think mr. assistant did it on purpose.¡±


    ¡°hmph, i still can¡¯t forgive him.¡±


    the twins appeared to have been convinced, just as he had expected.


    although, odil still had a disgruntled expression on her face.


    ¡°so, did ms. professor give you that outfit too?¡±


    ¡°yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±


    ¡°it looks good on you.¡±


    ¡°thank you for your compliment.¡±


    after folding her arms, odil also gave him a compliment, having apparently found his outfit stylish.


    ¡°oh, right! mr. assistant, can i tell you something funny?¡±


    ¡°odette! you said you wouldn¡¯t talk about it!¡±


    odil started to fidget as odette opened her mouth to speak, the tension in the air disappearing in an instant.


    despite odil¡¯s attempt to silence her by covering her mouth, odette couldn¡¯t hold back her laughter as she continued speaking.


    ¡°you know, when you weren¡¯t here, my sister got angry and was kicking the bed with her foot.¡±


    ¡°stop it! we were finally getting into the mood!¡±


    ¡°she then accidentally hit her shin on the bed and started to roll around the floor, crying.¡±


    ¡°i didn¡¯t cry!¡±


    it was clear that she did roll around crying despite her attempts to deny it.


    odil blushed, giving odette a stern look before speaking to siwoo.


    ¡°how about i tell you a funny story too? do you know what i once found in a note of odette¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°sis, why bring up that story!¡±


    at this time, the situation had reversed.


    odil was clearly having fun as she continued talking, and odette charged with grit to face whatever shame was coming her way.


    ¡°do you know why she wrote that note?¡±


    ¡°sis, if you do that, i¡¯ll eat all the snacks you hid in your room!¡±


    ¡°she thought she had caught a deadly disease when she first had her menstruation.¡±


    ¡°sis!!!¡±


    ¡°she cried so hard back then... i had no idea why it was happening, but i cried along with her too.¡±


    ¡°you die, die!¡±


    ¡°ah! ouch! you said it, too! i told you not to tell him!¡±


    ¡°is that the same thing as this?¡±


    ¡°listen up, mr. assistant! let me tell you another story about my sis!¡±


    ¡°no, mr. assistant! don¡¯t listen to that. listen to me instead! my stories are even funnier!¡±


    the twins started chirping like baby birds begging for food.


    ¡°don¡¯t listen to her!¡±


    ¡°please don¡¯t listen!¡±


    ¡°odette¡¯s story is not interesting at all!¡±


    ¡°my sis¡¯s story isn¡¯t interesting either!¡±


    after pouring out their dark past to each other for a while, odil and odette made a truce in the presence of siwoo and sat down at the table.


    siwoo couldn¡¯t help but let out a big sigh as the situation that had unfolded left him perplexed.


    2.


    ¡°...poo-ha...¡±


    ¡°...phew...¡±


    the twins appeared to be recovering from a traumatic experience as they slouched on the sofa in a lethargic state.


    their cheeks, still flushed with excitement, were crimson, and their clothes and hair were disheveled as they gasped for breath.


    ¡°odette...¡±


    ¡°sis...¡±


    the twin siblings looked at each other for a while before warmly hugging each other.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°no, i¡¯m the one who was more wrong,¡±


    ¡°i guess we finally realized too late that all this fighting will lead to nothing.¡±


    ¡°i apologize for the preemptive attack that violated the agreement.¡±


    ¡°of course, isn¡¯t it better for the both of us to get along like this?¡±


    siwoo had known them both for a long time, and even though they had been fighting for a while, he assumed they would stick together because both sisters got along so well.


    siwoo looked at the twins with a heartwarming feeling.


    actually, siwoo thought this situation where both sisters embarrassed themselves was cute.


    ¡°i¡¯ll never lose my pre-emptive right from now on, odette.¡±


    ¡°from now on, i have to attack fiercely enough that sis can¡¯t counterattack.¡±


    ¡°um, well...¡±


    they appeared to be quite mature, but when he observed what they were doing, it was clear that they were children.


    he wondered if all witches were like that.


    ¡°by the way, may i leave now?¡±


    siwoo thought it was time to go to the barn and tidy up the luggage now that the serious situation seemed to have been resolved, and he had made a proper apology.


    of course, they hadn¡¯t given him permission to do so.


    ¡°where are you going? sit down.¡±


    the twins, who were going at each other¡¯s throats, soon straightened their hair and sat back down on the sofa.


    ¡°mr. assistant, we understand you were placed in a difficult situation. furthermore, to insist on something you are unable to control is unfair.¡±


    ¡°thank you for your understanding.¡±


    ¡°but we¡¯re also a little upset. it was supposed to be our day of escape from our confinement, but instead, we wasted the entire day waiting for you, mr. assistant.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s... i apologize once again for that.¡±


    odette rushed to a corner of the carriage and retrieved a thick book from a corner of a bookshelf on the side.


    ¡°anyway, while we were waiting, we came up with a good idea, didn¡¯t we?¡±


    odette, who was flipping through the book in her hand, cheerfully spread out a section of it and showed it to siwoo.


    her excitement was palpable as she tiptoed to siwoo to show him the book.


    ¡°we¡¯re going to make this today.¡±


    ¡°what is this?¡±


    ¡°in fact, i¡¯ve already made it. it¡¯s called the eros¡¯ potion.¡±


    the reply came from odil.


    in her arms, there was an ampoule containing a pink liquid that seemed to be saying, ¡®i¡¯m a suspicious mana potion.¡¯


    ¡°actually, when i looked at the instructions for the first night for a lady, the word love kept coming out.¡±


    ¡°but no matter how much i thought about it, i didn¡¯t know how to properly understand it.¡±


    ¡°but there¡¯s nothing impossible with magic! so we prepared this potion.¡±


    the twins explained back and forth seamlessly, like well-coordinated show hosts.


    ¡°the effect is very straightforward. any woman who drinks this will fall deeply in love for exactly an hour.¡±


    ¡°so you¡¯re going to try it on me?¡±


    ¡°of course,¡±


    ¡°of course!¡±


    it seemed to be the reason why they held him tight and didn¡¯t want him to leave.


    ¡°yes, but there¡¯s something additional we need that you could help with.¡±


    ¡°one additional ingredient is needed for this potion... but we can¡¯t seem to find it.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s semen, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°you¡¯re catching on quickly.¡±


    hearing odil¡¯s additional explanation, it seemed like it would be difficult to use the semen of just any man.


    ¡°because in order to fall in love with mr. assistant through this potion, we need mr. assistant¡¯s semen. it can only be done with freshly squeezed semen.¡±


    the twins had created a potion containing siwoo¡¯s semen with a specific and challenging hypnosis condition ¨C a woman must drink it and then make visual contact with siwoo within 10 seconds to fall deeply in love with him. other men¡¯s sperm did not have the same effect, making the process even more complex and challenging.


    he was frustrated and wanted to say why they had to make such a trashy potion.


    however, he had to swallow those words back down his throat because he was in a vulnerable position and had to cooperate with them.


    there was no other way for him.


    ¡°anyway, i think i explained enough.¡±


    ¡°then, please take off your pants and provide it to me.¡±


    siwoo, who hesitated for a moment, obediently took off his pants, handing them over to odette.


    the twin¡¯s gaze instantly focused on siwoo¡¯s lower body.


    despite the fact that his dick was still receiving a lot of attention, it shrank back in embarrassment as the weight of the gazes directed at it grew heavier and heavier.


    ¡°can you do it quickly? i want to complete the potion quickly.¡±


    ¡°well, i feel uncomfortable if someone is watching, it¡¯s too much of a burden, and it takes a lot longer. give me a bottle or something, and i¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t have to do that. we¡¯re going to help take it out.¡±


    siwoo attempted to put up a weak resistance but ultimately knew it would be shot down.


    siwoo¡¯s mind was in a mess.


    of course, he didn¡¯t dislike the sensation that could be experienced as a result of this outcome.


    in fact, if he left it to the twins as it was, he would feel much more relaxed.


    however, he also felt like he was becoming a criminal who did all sorts of things to innocent people who seemed like children.


    in particular, there was a worry about the future that this matter might be heard by the patriarch of the gemini family.


    ¡°my sister and i studied very hard. we¡¯ll do well now.¡±


    ¡°¡±would you like to sit on this sofa?¡±¡±


    ¡°well, ms. odil, ms. odette, if lady gemini finds out about this, she would be very angry. why don¡¯t we stop doing this? at least until after you became a formal witch...¡±


    siwoo, who was led by odil¡¯s hand, sat on the sofa, all the while trying to argue his way out of the situation, but it was all for naught.


    odette didn¡¯t even listen to his pleas and asked with a loud voice,


    ¡°well...shall we begin?¡±

 Chapter 39: Love Potion (2)

    ? love potion (2) ?


    1.


    ¡°hmm... shall we begin?¡±


    in any case, siwoo knew that no matter how hard he tried, the twins would take him seriously.


    their persistence and exploratory spirit were so strong that even siwoo would have struggled to keep them in check with both hands and feet.


    siwoo, on the other hand, had never expected odette to begin sucking on his glans immediately and to do so without hesitation.


    odette took in the glans all at once, her warm tongue caressing the underside of his shaft as it rolled around.


    ¡°haaa!¡±


    ¡°num..ahm, ahm...¡±


    siwoo began to take gasp for air as he came face to face with odette¡¯s cheerful and innocent gaze, an inexplicable feeling of guilt welling up inside him.


    at the same time, the sense of immorality, which triumphed over his sense of guilt, did nothing to satiate his growing libido.


    his cock instantly started to rise quickly after that.


    odette appeared confident while giving him fellatio, despite her lack of experience using her tongue to stimulate.


    ¡°ha-ah....chu-ah...puhah! how is it? better than last time, right?¡±


    ¡°yes, it is...¡±


    she only lightly touched the glans with her tongue the first time, but she was much more proficient this time around.


    odile, who was standing next to siwoo and was observing the scene with her arms folded, spoke.


    ¡°odette was totally fixated on the manual. she fussed about doing this and that on her own.¡±


    ¡°why are you only talking about me? my sis also practiced with me!


    ¡°i did it out of curiosity because you were working so hard. but i didn¡¯t work as hard as you, did i?¡±


    as odette complained, the vibrations generated from her mouth stimulated siwoo¡¯s member.


    in response to the subtle stimulation, it broke free from odette¡¯s grasp and struck her chin.


    ¡°oh my god!¡±


    odette got slightly startled.


    a slave had thrown an uppercut at an apprentice witch with his dick.


    it was a complicated situation.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°no, mr. assistant. i learned that men often move like this when they¡¯re feeling good. shouldn¡¯t i be pleased? it¡¯s proof that my efforts are paying off.¡±


    odette continued to perform the fellatio while beaming, having forgotten about her argument with her sister.


    siwoo¡¯s face appeared to be melting, whether he was aware of it or not, and odile, who was witnessing this reaction, continued to display a look of dissatisfaction.


    ¡°mr. assistant, do you like it that much? you look like a kitten who just sniffed a bag of catnip.¡±


    ¡°ms. odette has become quite skilled.¡±


    ¡°hmm, is that so?¡±


    in the meantime, odile suddenly unbuttoned siwoo¡¯s suit.


    she turned the necktie to the side and started to undo the shirt buttons.


    siwoo wondered what was going on and glanced at odile, who gave a witty response.


    ¡°i¡¯m just as good as odette. i am confident in my ability to learn new things.¡±


    siwoo¡¯s chest was exposed entirely whilst odile clung to his side.


    she pressed her lips against siwoo¡¯s nape like a sucker fish cleaning a fish tank.


    ¡°how does it feel to be kissed on the back of your neck like this? does it turn you on?¡±


    odile wrapped a hand around siwoo¡¯s waist, drawing him close, and with her other hand, undid his clothes as she kissed siwoo¡¯s neck.


    ¡°how does it feel?¡±


    ¡°ticklish and.... it feels good.¡±


    it was an emotion that was completely distinct from simple pleasure.


    it was a feeling that was close to a shiver of thrill and, at the same time, close to an itch.


    ¡°sis! it¡¯s my turn. don¡¯t interrupt me.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re acting as if mr. assistant belongs to you, isn¡¯t that right? you started first without even asking for permission.¡±


    siwoo felt like he was experiencing a calamity brought upon by women.


    he never imagined that there would be a day when he would have to use that phrase in his entire life.


    he believed it to be the appropriate term in this circumstance.


    he found it hard to believe that the day had finally come when the beautiful twins would fight over his body.


    ¡°but surely, mr. assistant will enjoy my mouth better, right?¡±


    ¡°oh, odette, that won¡¯t do. according to the manual, pleasure from the mood is more important than physical pleasure. how can you learn so differently when we both read the same book?¡±


    siwoo felt odile¡¯s pointed tongue caress his neck.


    her soft saliva-soaked tongue snaked past the nape of siwoo¡¯s neck, collarbone, and chest on its way to his nipples.


    ¡°haa!¡±


    odile squeezed her eyes shut as she started sucking siwoo¡¯s nipples like a baby while nibbling his nipple with the tip of her tongue.


    he had never had his nipple sucked by anyone, so he never thought this feeling would be so intense.


    the sensation was beyond his imagination.


    in particular, odile¡¯s side profile from that angle was very charming.


    the dick in odette¡¯s mouth became stiffer and jerked vigorously.


    ¡°did you see that? mr. assistant lifted his waist off the sofa, right?¡±


    ¡°puha...! he must have felt good because of me!¡±


    naturally, siwoo was left with the task of rendering a verdict on this pointless conflict.


    ¡°mr. assistant! whose mouth is more pleasant?


    ¡°mr. assistant! whose mouth makes you feel better?¡±


    the situation was akin to how shrimps might feel in the middle of a whale fight.


    of course, there were risks.


    siwoo was sweating profusely and couldn¡¯t easily open his mouth.


    in fact, it is hard to say which one is better.


    ¡°each of your mouths felt good in its own way, so it¡¯s difficult to say which side is better.¡±


    ¡°i can¡¯t accept that kind of answer.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s right! as a man, you should make a bold decision!¡±


    that was a troublesome request for siwoo.


    obviously, if he picked a side, the other party would be upset.


    ¡°i¡¯d like to tell you an old story.¡±


    ¡°suddenly?¡±


    ¡°are you changing the subject?¡±


    ¡°no, please just listen.¡±


    so the fairy tale that siwoo suddenly started was the famous story of a black cow and a white cow.


    a scholar approached a farmer plowing a field with two cows and asked which cow was better at work. the farmer replied in hushed tones that the black cow was the better of the two.


    the curious scholar asked why he had said that in hushed tones. the farmer responded to the scholar by saying that even if they were animals, if he praised one side, the other side would be unhappy. the farmer¡¯s wisdom had impressed the scholar.


    odile had stopped caressing siwoo¡¯s body and was watching him clumsily tell the story whilst odette was listening to the story with his dick still in her mouth.


    he found it a little funny as he watched them quietly listening to the story.


    ¡°i¡¯m afraid that if i make this decision hastily, the relationship between ms. odile and ms.odette will be jeopardized.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t agree.¡±


    ¡°neither do i. after all, odile and i are already rivals.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s why i will personally inform each of you as a result. let me start by telling ms. odile.


    odile pricked up her ears.


    siwoo whispered in a very hushed tone so that odette couldn¡¯t listen to what he was saying.


    ¡°ms. odile, i must admit, you made me feel better. but wouldn¡¯t ms. odette be upset upon hearing this? i was taught that the winner must show grace to the loser. so, i humbly request that you show a kind heart by not flaunting your victory too much and offer ms. odette a compliment.¡±


    next up was odette¡¯s turn.


    it went without saying that siwoo told odette the exact opposite of what he told odile.


    he wondered if this would work, despite the fact that they were twins and sometimes simple-minded.


    ¡°oh, odette, the hard work you put in has truly paid off. you are truly my sibling.¡±


    ¡°sis, the fact that you delved into areas i never thought of is truly wonderful.¡±


    it had worked out well.


    odette and odile exchanged words of compliments as they tried to hold back their lips from rising.


    siwoo was surprised by how absurd it was that everything worked out so easily.


    2.


    after a brief moment of relaxation, a shift in position took place.


    odilel was on the bottom, while odette was on top this time.


    ¡°excuse me, *chu*,¡±


    odette began to caress siwoo¡¯s chest with the tip of her tongue whilst odile concentrated on sucking his dick.


    that alone was a thrilling pleasure.


    ¡°ha-am, jjuup... slurp...!¡±


    odile sucked his dick harder than her sister did, it was intense that dimples started to appear on her red cheeks.


    there was a distinct difference between this and sophia¡¯s fellatio from the other day.


    compared to sophia, who was a mature witch, odile was innocent and clumsy.


    however, odile did not lose her desire to compete with her younger sister in an attempt to make siwoo feel better.


    she made a valiant effort to tease his cock with her clumsy tongue movements, partially satiating his sexual desire.


    siwoo credited her for just having that mindset.


    ¡°hmm... gleurg...slurp, slurp...¡±


    ¨C pop!


    odile removed the dick from her mouth, which she had been sucking until now, as she closely observed siwoo¡¯s changing expressions.


    ¡°do you think it¡¯s about to come out?¡±


    ¡°yes, it should be about time...!¡±


    odile started giving siwoo a handjob while holding his dick over a small glass bottle.


    ¡°it¡¯s certainly a lot faster than last time.¡±


    her face beamed with a big smile.


    siwoo felt an indescribable emotion as he noticed the proud look on their faces, which seemed to come from their improved techniques.


    ¡°you remember me telling you to make a ring like this and mainly stimulate the glans, right?¡±


    ¡°wow! i can feel mr. assistant¡¯s pulse racing!¡±


    odette continued to play with his chest, twisting her tongue strangely as if she were trying to speed up his eventual release..


    ¨C twitch! twitch! twitch!


    odile could feel siwoo¡¯s cock twitch in her tiny hands, his semen threatening to shoot out from the overwhelming sensations.


    the white semen shot out of his urethra with such a strong force, akin to the flow of a stream of piss.


    the twins¡¯ eyes fell on the glass bottle.


    ¡°wow, wow, wow, wow,¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s been a long time,¡±


    odette couldn¡¯t help but cry out in awe as the tiny glass bottle was filled to the brim with semen as odile was left feeling mesmerized by the sheer duration of siwoo¡¯s climax.


    ejaculating while experiencing the constant stimulation on his chest gave siwoo a sense of satisfaction that was beyond compare.


    it was almost as if he had another erogenous zone located at his nipple that was ejaculating as well.


    siwoo¡¯s mind was still filled with lustful demons despite the fact that he was being partially forced into submission in a situation that he didn¡¯t really ask for.


    as siwoo perceived the bottle to be the twin sisters¡¯ uterus,


    he pondered whether he would be able to taste a real shimaidon by placing the two of them side by side one day after they had inherited the gemini brand.


    he was reminded of the sorrow that he suffered in gehenna.


    he wouldn¡¯t have any regrets if he could release his semen into the slits of the twin witches, whose beauty had mesmerized him.


    ¡°huh!¡±


    it appeared that siwoo was so closely associated with takasho that he was becoming tainted by takasho¡¯s personality.


    while siwoo was picking up and putting on his clothes, odile and odette looked around at the semen flowing inside the bottle.


    siwoo sighed as he watched the twin start preparing the potion without waiting for him to put on his clothes.


    ¡°is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°no, there¡¯s no particular problem. now we just need to mix it, and it¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°mr. assistant, it looks like you came twice as much as last time.¡±


    odile poured the semen into the eros¡¯s potion that she had previously prepared.


    siwoo wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of the semen¡¯s concentrated mana or the properties of eros¡¯ potion, but they melted and blended together without needing to be stirred.


    ¡°this is the final touch.¡±


    odile and odette looked at the potion bottle, which was now shining more brightly than before, with a zeal that seemed appropriate for the title mad scientist.


    ¡°sister, i don¡¯t think this is going to taste good.¡±


    odette, remembering the bitter taste of the semen, wrinkled her nose.


    odile also made a disgusted face.


    ¡°but if you drink it, you¡¯ll understand love on a deeper level.¡±


    ¡°i seem to love the scones i eat at tea time...why don¡¯t we try them first?¡±


    ¡°ms. odette, if you don¡¯t feel like it, you don¡¯t have to drink it.¡±


    naturally, siwoo¡¯s futile efforts to stop her were ignored.


    ¡°listen up, odette! for accurate experimental results, we need cross-validation with at least three people!¡±


    ¡°ugh...¡±


    odile took out a small whiskey glass from the minibar and divided the potion in half.


    ¡°20ml for each person. odette, you must drink it all without leaving any.¡±


    ¡°ugh...¡±


    ¡°for the pursuit of love!¡±

 Chapter 40: Love Potion (3)

    ? love potion (3) ?


    1.


    ¨C gulp


    ¨C gulp


    ¨C gulp


    there was an unsettling tension in the air.


    siwoo heard the repeated sound of something being consumed three times; it felt much like the calm before the storm, with the sound shattering the night¡¯s tranquillity.


    it was the sound of the twins simultaneously consuming the potion, and siwoo, who was taking a deep breath in preparation for what was to come.


    20ml was such a small amount that it was not even a mouthful.


    although he felt like the sensation lasted an eternity, the time it took for the twins to pick up and place down their glasses was mere moments.


    ¡°it doesn¡¯t taste as bad as i thought it would.¡±


    ¡°ugh, why is it so sweet?¡±


    the twins, who had been expressing their appreciation for the taste for a while, turned their heads simultaneously to look at siwoo.


    it was all for the sake of meeting the conditions of the love potion.


    siwoo waited with bated breath as he awaited what was to come.


    eros¡¯s potion was simply a love potion.


    siwoo wasn¡¯t sure if the potion could influence human emotions the same way that magic does, and was curious to see how a young witch apprentice would look like should they fall in love.


    ¡°hm...¡±


    ¡°uh...?¡±


    a minute passed by, and yet there was no change.


    the anticipation and curiosity that had been visible in the twin¡¯s eyes were beginning to slowly fade away.


    ¡°odette, are you sure you didn¡¯t bring the wrong mushrooms?¡±


    ¡°no way! i took them exactly as listed in the encyclopedia from the magical mushroom cultivation area. you messed up the ingredient mixing didn¡¯t you, sis??¡±


    ¡°hmph, you probably picked some strange mushrooms because you were confused again.¡±


    ¡°you just can¡¯t be trusted, sis.¡±


    as the twins started to bicker and argue with one another, the potion appeared to have had no effect on them.


    eventually, the pointless argument died down, and yet, even after 10 minutes of silence, there was still no noticeable change.


    ¡°ms. odile and ms. odette. now that your curiosity seems to have been satisfied, may i leave now?¡±


    the twins made a pouting face.


    it was as if they were disappointed children who were unable to go to the amusement park on their long-awaited birthday due to poor weather.


    ¡°it can¡¯t be helped. let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°very well then, this may be a bold request, but please keep this a secret. if the powerful witch, lady gemini, were to find out, i fear that my life would be in danger.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t worry, mr. assistant. our master is a very kind person.¡±


    ¡°even the kindest of masters would surely be furious if they saw an apprentice witch, who is no different from their own daughter, engaging in an affair with a scoundrel.¡±


    saying those words didn¡¯t make any sense.


    ¡°don¡¯t worry. anyway, you did a great job.¡±


    whatever the case, siwoo craved an escape from the unsettling and uncomfortable situation he was in.


    siwoo, who inwardly felt relieved, was about to bid farewell and leave when suddenly odette called out.


    ¡°wait a minute!


    ¡°oh! you scared me! why did you have to yell in my ear?¡±


    passion, and perhaps even joy, could¡¯ve been heard in her voice.


    siwoo could feel that something was off as he suspiciously looked back in her direction.


    odette¡¯s eyes were moist, and she had been standing there for a while without saying a word.


    the drooping corners of the eyes held a clinging affection akin to honey, and within them resided a feeling of love and desire reminiscent of a forbidden fruit.


    her flushed cheeks and ragged breaths made it obvious to him at a glance that something unpleasant was going on.


    ¡°i- if not now, i don¡¯t think i can tell mr. assistant...¡±


    ¡°yes, my lady... go ahead.¡±


    odile felt an unusual power that was different from normal, and only then did she seem to understand why odette was acting in this manner.


    it was because the eros potion was taking effect.


    odette approached siwoo with light steps and stood in front of him.


    ¡°please sit here and listen.¡±


    as siwoo was about to leave, odette grabbed his wrist with an eager look that suggested she wanted to embrace him, and pulled him down onto the sofa.


    odette¡¯s tiny hands, which had become feverish, were hotter than the mouth she had been using to suck his penis earlier.


    odile observed siwoo and odette sitting on the couch with great interest.


    odette abruptly untied the waist ribbon on her dress in front of siwoo.


    ¡°huh?¡±


    the ribbon of the dress, intricately tied with skillful hand movements, suddenly came undone and the dress, which had been stripped off, fell to the floor in a heap.


    she wore underwear that didn¡¯t expose as much skin as amelia¡¯s did.


    siwoo could see her thigh-length underdress, which appeared to be boxers she had worn in place of underwear.


    given the thickness of the fabric, it was obvious that it wasn¡¯t meant to be underwear.


    odile and siwoo both simultaneously gaped in shock.


    ¡°you see... at the end of this manual, there¡¯s information on how women can pleasure themselves.¡±


    odette¡¯s hand, which had been hesitantly moving toward her waist, glided into her boxers.


    siwoo was shocked for the second time.


    ¡°according to that book... on a woman¡¯s body, there¡¯s this... this tiny sprout-like thing in the gap down below. if you press on it with your finger and turn it around like this... like this... it apparently feels good...¡±


    odette suddenly started masturbating.


    the squirming hand gestures inside the thin boxers were clearly visible.


    ¡°for some reason, i was too embarrassed... i did it quietly when sis was asleep... actually... i had also been thinking of mr. assistant at the time...¡±


    ¡°ah... ¡°


    siwoo was simply gaping at the breathtaking sight.


    they claimed that it was a potion for falling in love.


    but it was clear to see that it was an aphrodisiac.


    ¡°mr. assistant gave me...in the embarrassing hole...i imagined you putting something hard in it...i felt... it felt really good...¡±


    ¡°uh...¡±


    odette unexpectedly declared it.


    she had masturbated for the first time not long ago, using siwoo¡¯s penis as an imaginary dildo.


    what would come to mind if one were to hear such lines in person?


    in such a situation, it was obvious that any man¡¯s mind would go blank.


    ¨C thud..!


    odette¡¯s touching movement on her womanhood was then slightly changed and the change in movement reflected on the boxers.


    she appeared to be slowly sweeping her hand across her delicate petals.


    ¡°and then it happened... you know... a little bit of water began to leak from here...i was feeling dizzy in my head. i felt like sneezing and my throat was itchy. and...and... my waist and hips were wiggling... oh...¡±


    odette¡¯s shoulders trembled as siwoo wondered if she was remembering that sensation or if she was currently experiencing said pleasure at that very moment.


    ¡°¡°after a while... just, my body just started shaking......that¡¯s how good i felt...¡±


    her charming tone of voice, tinged with guilt, drew siwoo in.


    ¡°mr. assistant, is odette a bad girl?¡±


    although he couldn¡¯t say that the twins were upright and sincere students...


    he didn¡¯t feel like it was appropriate to say anything in that moment.


    ¡°at the time, i didn¡¯t know why i acted like that. i thought it was because the only man i knew was mr. assistant...but now i think i understand...¡±


    odette pulled her hand out of her boxers.


    her fingertips were glistening with a sticky liquid.


    she put her finger into siwoo¡¯s open mouth.


    it was almost like she was telling him that he was the reason she had become like this.


    ¡°...i am in love with mr. assistant.¡±


    the fluid on her fingertips had a lewd taste.


    it tasted salty, bitter, and sweet all at the same time.


    siwoo hurriedly called out to odile as odette¡¯s transparent love juice rolled off her finger and onto his tongue.


    ¡°ms. odile! ms. odile! please stop your sister! it¡¯s an emergency!¡±


    however, odile was nowhere to be found and did not respond to siwoo¡¯s calls.


    siwoo wasn¡¯t able to see odile as odette had blocked his view of her.


    ¡°where are you looking at? the one in front of mr. assistant is not my sister... it¡¯s me, odette...¡±


    siwoo was tightly held by odette, she used her other hand to stop him from turning his head.


    he couldn¡¯t believe how such a powerful force could originate from such a tiny body.


    ¡°ms. odile! please don¡¯t just stand there watching!¡±


    ¡°am i not good enough? as expected, my sis, who is cooler than me...is more attractive, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    the rapidly changing situation felt worse than a bad drama, and he feared that his mind would go insane.


    ¡°no, ms. odette, you are certainly attractive as well. i really mean it.¡±


    odette¡¯s eyes were filled with tears that reflected a hint of sorrow.


    ¡°as i expected, mr. assistant is a kind person. but i also know... that i¡¯m not as good as my sister, on top of that i¡¯m dumb.¡±


    odette¡¯s tears dripped down her cheeks.


    the tears kept streaming down her face as she hung her head low.


    her sad tears dropped onto siwoo¡¯s pants.


    ¡°ms. odette, it seems that you have taken some strange medicine that has affected your mind. please don¡¯t create any future embarrassing situations and try to relax....¡±


    siwoo attempted to comfort odette, who was crying in front of him, by gently patting her shoulder and calming her down.


    the moment siwoo¡¯s hand touched odette¡¯s shoulder, she stopped her sobbing.


    it was as if she had stopped breathing and every movement in her body ceased, frozen still.


    a smile formed on her face.


    odette suddenly lifted her head and locked her eyes with siwoo¡¯s.


    a chill could be felt running down siwoo¡¯s spine.


    ¡°i have a good idea,¡±


    odette said with a cheerful smile that broke through her previous sadness.


    ¡°i¡¯m going to have a baby with mr. assistant.¡±


    ¡°huh?¡±


    a baby?


    ¡°i¡¯m still an apprentice witch, but that doesn¡¯t mean i can¡¯t have a baby. i¡¯ve already reached the age of maturity and if i receive mr. assistant¡¯s seed, i¡¯ll be able to conceive a baby.¡±


    siwoo felt his body suddenly constrained by an invisible force.


    it wasn¡¯t something that could be overcome with brute force or mana generated by siwoo.


    ¨C thud.


    odette lowered her boxers in front of siwoo slowly, as if performing a strip show.


    her thin, slender thighs were exposed as she slid down her pure white boxers adorned with frills and ribbons.


    the only thing drawn on odette¡¯s exposed pubic region was the ¡°symbol¡± that proved her ability to inherit the witch¡¯s brand.


    siwoo could see her fluffy vulva as he lowered his gaze a little further.


    the area where it touched the drawers was covered in sticky strands of mucus like a spider web in the early morning.


    odette¡¯s secret garden was perfectly mowed, and not a single strand of body hair was visible.


    ¡°mr. assistant wouldn¡¯t leave me if i have his baby, right? he¡¯s such a kind person after all.¡±


    her words were tinged with a twisted, possessive desire.


    the smile that formed on her face, burning with pleasure, looked extremely dangerous.


    ¡°i can have a baby with mr. assistant... why does this make me so happy?¡±


    ¡°ode....ah..!¡±


    siwoo attempted to scream, but a powerful unseen force tightly sealed his lips, rendering him unable to make a sound no matter how hard he tried.


    he realized that this was no ordinary occurrence and believed that the potion, which was supposed to make people feel love, would have such an effect.


    siwoo predicted that the potion¡¯s effect would be similar to the fluttering of the heart when one falls in love with someone, causing them to blush just by looking at them.


    he had assumed that odile and odette had a fair idea about the potion¡¯s effects, as they didn¡¯t take any special precautions while consuming both potions together.


    but it suddenly dawned on him that this was not a love potion but just a damn animalistic aphrodisiac!


    an apprentice witch could never become a full-fledged witch if she lost her virginity.


    the worst part was that a witch, that had been taught and trained for at least 15 years wouldn¡¯t be able to become a witch.


    siwoo would surely die if the matter was exposed.


    he couldn¡¯t understand why odile was waiting there passively watching the situation unfold.


    the problem not only affects siwoo but also has an impact on her younger sister odette¡¯s future.


    odette reached her hand into siwoo¡¯s pants and pulled out his member.


    she shuddered at the grandeur sight of his manhood.


    ¡°i¡¯m so happy! did you get so hard after seeing my body?¡±


    odette stepped forward, lifting her legs gracefully, and settled down on siwoo¡¯s engorged member.


    for a split second, the image of the pink flesh poking out from between her chubby bumps seared into siwoo¡¯s eyes.


    fortunately, for now, she didn¡¯t immediately insert his tool.


    it had simply rested into the soft gap where the slimy, sticky secretion, much like the texture from a snail¡¯s slime, was flowing out.


    he felt like his dick was a hot dog nestled in between a warm bun.


    ¡°the most shameful part of mr. assistant¡¯s body... touched the two most embarrassing parts of odette¡¯s... hehe?¡±


    ¡°aah..!¡±


    despite his member being fully erect, he could practically see his future demise unfold before his eyes.


    the situation had escalated too far.


    furthermore, siwoo was bound by magic that could not be broken, even with the mana power generated by his arousal...


    the entrance to odette¡¯s sheath was simply too close for comfort for siwoo¡¯s shaft.


    it was possible for odette¡¯s ¡®symbol¡¯ to be damaged in that way.


    ¡°don¡¯t look elsewhere, mr. assistant... mr. assistant is now solely odette¡¯s. i¡¯m not going to give him to anyone else...¡±


    odette slowly started to move her waist.


    to be precise, she was rubbing her clit against his shaft.


    ¡°ah... haaa...it¡¯s too hot. compared to when i touch it alone...i feel so good that the sensations from before can¡¯t even compare to what i¡¯m feeling now...¡±


    odette¡¯s petal meat sandwich had crept up to the base of his phallus and had almost reached the bottom of his glans.


    ¡°i have dreamed of becoming a witch... but if i get mr. assistant, i don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s destroyed.¡±


    his shaft was directly aimed at her tunnel.


    she only had to hold his member upright and insert it as it was and odette would lose her virginity which inadvertently would lead to his death.


    in the heat of the moment, odette whispered while blowing hot air into siwoo¡¯s ear.


    ¡°i see...this is... this feeling that i can burn everything for the sake of mr. assistant....it¡¯s love...!¡±


    odette¡¯s hips moved.


    from siwoo¡¯s point of view, it appeared as if he was on the chopping block with the executioner¡¯s blade rising.


    ¡°from now on, it¡¯s mr. assistant¡¯s turn. spray baby seeds inside odette and make me pregnant?¡±


    following those words, odette lowered her waist, aiming for siwoo¡¯s member at the entrance of her love tunnel.

 Chapter 41: Love Potion (4)

    ? love potion (4) ?


    1.


    ¡°from now on, it¡¯s mr. assistant¡¯s turn. spray baby seeds inside odette and make me pregnant?¡±


    following those words, odette lowered her waist, aiming for siwoo¡¯s member at the entrance of her love tunnel.


    siwoo¡¯s vision darkened.


    ¨C slish!


    ¡°what?¡±


    siwoo wasn¡¯t sure if the love juices overflowing from odette¡¯s entrance caused his member to slip outside of odette¡¯s hole, or if odette¡¯s entrance was simply too narrow.


    odette¡¯s first attempt at insertion failed as his shaft brushed past her petals.


    she made a second attempt despite appearing unconcerned with her first failure.


    although she was dealing with such minor issues, she was smiling.


    ¡°they say it¡¯s not easy to get pregnant at once. maybe it¡¯s because it¡¯s my first time, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¨C slipped!


    ¡°ahhhh...!¡±


    she missed it again.


    the deflected glans seemed to have touched odette¡¯s delicate clit, causing her pelvis to shudder as she looked up at the ceiling.


    the insertion would be relatively simple if odette used her hands, but her hands were occupied with siwoo¡¯s neck.


    ¡°let¡¯s do this, together, until mr. assistant¡¯s seed reaches odette¡¯s precious womb. again, again, again... you will stick it into the entrance of my womb and shoot your seed inside me. whoo-hoo ?¡±


    ¡°eu... um...¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t worry, mr. assistant. i¡¯m also scared, it¡¯s my first time... but together, we can overcome this. i¡¯ll persuade my master.¡±


    odette¡¯s eyes were clouded with love and sparkling with hope, making her expression even more bewitching.


    with a quick lick of her lips, odette firmly grabbed his member and pressed it against the entrance of her hole.


    siwoo could feel the love juices wriggle through the tip of his shaft as if it were begging for siwoo¡¯s member to be pushed inside.


    ¡°haan... i think i did it right... now if i just lower my waist... done... ahh!¡±


    as odette began to lower her waist, her body flew off and landed on the opposite side of the couch.


    odette tumbled along as the sofa fell.


    once odette, the caster of the spell that bound siwoo¡¯s movement was gone, his body was free to move as it pleased.


    ¡°i was about to be fucked.¡±


    siwoo placed his hand over his pounding heart as sweat poured down his face.


    it was true that sex was something to look forward to and enjoy.


    but he would rather not if it meant risking his life for it.


    he quickly pushed his erect cock back behind his zipper.


    siwoo couldn¡¯t have used magic in that situation, so it was probably odile who threw odette away from him.


    she was still standing in the same spot, her eyebrows scowling, and her face displaying a perplexed expression.


    rage was boiling inside siwoo.


    he was furious and wondered what kept her so busy that she was only helping now.


    if she was slightly late, both odette and he would¡¯ve fallen into ruin.


    such thoughts inevitably turned into rage and directed themselves at odile.


    ¡± ms. odile, why are you only lending a hand now?¡±


    ¡°mr. assistant shut your mouth.¡±


    odile¡¯s sharp words, which cut off siwoo¡¯s resentful words as if they were intrusive, silenced his mouth as well.


    siwoo was baffled as to why odile was so irate despite the fact she delayed her helping hand.


    odile approached siwoo with haughty steps and grabbed his necktie.


    ¡°mr. assistant, i know. the way i feel right now is because of eros¡¯ potion.¡±


    ¡°what are you saying all of a sudden? you seem perfectly fine.¡±


    odile shook her head.


    ¡°for about 10 minutes, i felt as if i had gone crazy. i had to watch odette and you cling to each other while my consciousness was trapped inside of my body. i suppose the effects differ from person to person.¡±


    odile pursed her lips tightly as if she were angry and spoke.


    ¡°odette is my precious younger sister. i can¡¯t let something like this ruin her life. besides, if odette can¡¯t become a witch, i won¡¯t be able to either. we need to do this together, you understand, right?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m grateful that you came to your senses and stopped her, but please, let¡¯s not do this anymore. i really thought i was going to die.¡±


    odile shut her eyes and rubbed her temples in response to siwoo¡¯s outburst.


    ¡°i know, i know. is this the effect of the potion? is this how love feels... it¡¯s unbearably painful. to love someone but be powerless to do anything about it.¡±


    siwoo had the feeling that this conversation was going nowhere.


    odette seemed fine at first glance, making it look as though she was immune to the potion¡¯s effects.


    however, the reality was completely different.


    she was now fighting desperately with herself, who was enchanted due to the effects of the potion.


    ¡°if you¡¯re finding it difficult to endure, i¡¯ll leave right now. it¡¯s better if i go before things get any worse. is that what you want?


    rage was boiling within siwoo.


    while he was fortunate and appreciative of her help, the realization that odile and odette were the ones putting him in danger made it difficult for him to express his gratitude.


    ¡°please don¡¯t be angry. it¡¯s strange to see mr. assistant get so angry... it makes my heart ache.¡±


    siwoo couldn¡¯t believe that odile, despite being arrogant, presumptuous, and having a tendency to be self-important, would care about his outburst enough to squint her eyes in pain.


    siwoo finally realized that it was an effect of eros¡¯s potion.


    ¡°very well, i¡¯ll leave.¡±


    just as siwoo turned to leave, the pressure around his neck tightened.


    in fact, odile was pulling his necktie, which was being strung tightly around his neck like a noose.


    ¡°wait.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll be honest with you, ms. odile, right now i feel like stomping everything to pieces. i¡¯ll inform lady gemini of the situation despite our agreement and everything. could you, if you still have any conscience left, keep the fact that i use magic a secret for me?¡±


    siwoo naturally got chills at the thought of how much longer they had to put up with this awkward relationship.


    even if it meant getting punished for his actions in the past, he had given serious thought to whether ending this secret relationship was the right thing to do.


    odile¡¯s hand crept up siwoo¡¯s neck, pulling his head down.


    she tugged on his necktie, crept up on tiptoe, and leaned close to his lips.


    when he thought about it, odile was the first person siwoo had ever kissed.


    odile kissed siwoo ferociously as if trying to devour him.


    she pushed her tongue into his mouth, parted his lips, pulled his tongue along with her, and then sucked it firmly.


    ¡°puhah...¡±


    ¡°what the hell is this all of a sudden...¡±


    ¡°mr. assistant said that kissing is meant for lovers, right? despite the fact that i was under the influence of the potion, i love mr. assistant. no, i had already fallen in love with mr. assistant when you had created your own formula for creating a new magic circle.¡±


    ¡°no, ms. odile you¡¯re not in your right state of mind right now.¡±


    siwoo gently pushed odile away, trying to keep as calm as possible.


    fortunately, odile appeared to have no intention of continuing and took a couple of steps back.


    ¡°sorry for getting you involved. i didn¡¯t expect this to happen, mr. assistant.¡±


    odile bowed her head.


    she remained in that posture for a long time.


    odile, who had a habit of uttering disgusting notions about social standing, bowed to a slave.


    ¡°no, well.... it¡¯s fine. is ms. odette alright?¡±


    ¡°i put her to sleep for a while.¡±


    ¡°i see, then...¡±


    siwoo was left with a bitter taste in his mouth, however, it was certain that he received an apology from her.


    siwoo approached the carriage door with caution, keeping his gaze fixed on odile as if he were facing a vicious dog.


    odile¡¯s suspicious-looking gaze remained fixed on siwoo and continued to follow his actions.


    ¡°i¡¯m leaving.¡±


    ¨C clink!


    siwoo placed his hand on the doorknob and twisted it.


    the door was locked.


    no, it wasn¡¯t locked.


    siwoo was sure that he had heard the sound of a lock just before he twisted the door knob.


    ¡°mr. assistant...¡±


    odile looked at siwoo with sad eyes.


    ¡°leaving here means the end of our relationship, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°you said you¡¯d tell my master everything...mr. assistant is a good person, i know you won¡¯t say anything regarding this matter...¡±


    siwoo did say that but he hadn¡¯t decided yet whether to inform lady gemini about everything.


    ¡°but, but then we won¡¯t have the opportunity to see each other again, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°it doesn¡¯t seem fair to place the blame solely on me.¡±


    odile held in her tears just like odette had done.


    siwoo wasn¡¯t sure if this was a common trait among twins or if the potion not only intensified feelings of love but tears as well.


    ¡°i¡¯m not... not blaming you, mr. assistant... why don¡¯t you understand...?¡±


    when siwoo realized odile¡¯s words were laced with scorching passion.


    he knew that he was already screwed.


    this situation was taking the same route as odette¡¯s.


    he assumed odile was at least maintaining her composure and responding accordingly, but that impression was only an illusion.


    siwoo pushed his body against the carriage door with all his might, determined to escape, even if he had to break the carriage door.


    ¨C bang!


    if this were a movie, the wooden door would have broken, but the reality was different.


    unexpectedly, the door¡¯s frame was so solid that he almost dislocated his shoulder from the way his body twisted.


    he felt like it was some kind of fort gate.


    ¡°it¡¯s no use. this carriage is even sturdier than a fort.¡±


    ¡°please stop! let me go! isn¡¯t this enough!¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s the matter? i¡¯m just sad that i won¡¯t be with mr. assistant again.¡±


    with each step odile took, he felt himself suffocating more and more.


    he didn¡¯t feel threatened by odile or like his body was being deprived of its freedom the way it had been during odette¡¯s turn.


    ¡°you know what? if we¡¯re going to break up anyway... no, actually, i don¡¯t want to break up... i just want to keep seeing each other.¡±


    ¡°i assure you, that won¡¯t be necessary. i was foolish and took things too lightly. this relationship was never meant to be in the first place. when you wake up from your daze, you¡¯ll realize that too. or maybe, you¡¯ll both just avoid me completely.¡±


    odile looked at siwoo with eyes filled with sadness.


    she had a look of regret on her face, almost as though siwoo had wronged her.


    ¡°is it because i¡¯ve been acting too mean?¡±


    ¡°no, that¡¯s not it.¡±


    odile didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of letting siwoo go.


    although he had no interest in engaging in sexual activity with the twins, he felt like he was stuck in a repetitive q&a session with her, which was akin to running on a hamster wheel.


    ¡°what can we do to keep seeing each other? if i¡¯m nicer to you in the future, would that work?¡±


    ¡°whoo... ms. odile.¡±


    ¡°i know! the effects of the potion are to blame.... however, it irritates me! odette was on the verge of insertion... it annoys me so much that i, the older sister, am powerless to do anything about it.¡±


    siwoo obviously noticed the clumsy lie that she told in order to catch him.


    odile¡¯s expression now appeared to be more angry than sad.


    ¡°ah, let¡¯s do it this way.¡±


    odile confidently untied her dress, much like odette.


    then took off her drawers in the same way.


    just like odette, odile revealed her hairless vulva.


    ¡°can¡¯t me and mr. assistant just become one, just this once?¡±


    ¡°ms. odile. i thought the whole reason you stopped ms. odette was because she wasn¡¯t allowed to have sex no matter what. if you become one with me, you will ruin the life of your beloved sister.¡±


    ¡°i understand.¡±


    he didn¡¯t know that odile was so immature.


    siwoo sighed deeply.


    when siwoo read that juliet committed suicide 5 days after meeting romeo, he had been curious about what kind of situation led her to do so, but he was now aware of how helpless she felt at the time and that there was nowhere else for her to go.


    that was the exact situation that was currently happening to odile and odette.


    ¡°you¡¯re so selfish.¡±


    ¡°no, there¡¯s a way,¡±


    odile quickly turned around.


    he observed odile¡¯s white, round, and smooth buttocks, which he couldn¡¯t see from odette, it filled his vision and appeared to be made from freshly steamed rice cakes.


    he felt the urge to slap her ass hard, but it didn¡¯t seem appropriate given the circumstances.


    ¡°you know why apprentice witches shouldn¡¯t have sex... right?¡±


    ¡°because when the mana from the male organ or semen seeps into the uterus, the ¡°symbol¡± that¡¯s meant to be branded will be stained.¡±


    ¡°as expected, mr. assistant, you know very well.¡±


    odile¡¯s back, standing with her hips sticking out, was certainly mesmerizing.


    the smoothness of her thighs, the gracefulness of her calves that resembled a deer¡¯s, and even the red blush on her sensual body were all endearing features.


    ¡°actually... i asked the maids more questions without telling odette. i found out that those instructions were just for beginners, weren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°so what?¡±


    ¡°there are so many adult games in the world that we don¡¯t know about. did mr. assistant know? what we were doing was merely child¡¯s play.¡±


    he wasn¡¯t sure if there was anything like that but what he had witnessed till now was already quite stimulating.


    suddenly, odil e bent her waist as if she was showing off her buttocks to siwoo.


    at the same time, she clasped her plump buttocks with both hands and slightly spread them apart.


    the shape of her vulva, which siwoo had glimpsed earlier, was now fully exposed.


    it looked smooth, soft, and even sweet, resembling the shape of plump lips.


    however, that wasn¡¯t where odile wanted siwoo¡¯s attention to be.


    her vulva was like a deep pink chrysanthemum flower that was tightly closed.


    her anus was normally hidden by the flesh of her buttocks.


    ¡°this is the entrance that could allow a man and a woman to become one.¡±


    even though it was odile who suggested it, she couldn¡¯t help but lower her head in embarrassment.

 Chapter 42: Love Potion (5)

    ? love potion (5) ?


    1.


    siwoo couldn¡¯t help but wonder why god always sends such trials his way.


    odile wasn¡¯t just a stunning woman, she was the kind of woman you¡¯d stop and stare at on the street.


    that odile was sticking out her butt and gently swaying her hips at siwoo.


    ¡°it¡¯s okay, of course you need to be considerate of the woman¡¯s body when doing it from behind... and you also need to be mindful of hygiene, however...¡±


    siwoo was a man with a normal libido.


    if she weren¡¯t an apprentice witch, he would not have hesitated to have sex with her on the spot.


    he could have been gripping her hips right about now.


    ¡°however, there is nothing to worry about! despite being a witch apprentice, i have a semi-spirit body. although growth and aging cannot be stopped, my body is much stronger than a human¡¯s and i don¡¯t even need to use the bathroom! there won¡¯t be any issues with hygiene or safety...¡±


    siwoo just blankly stared at odile¡¯s ass.


    the noble witch¡¯s bare vagina and lovely folds remain tightly closed despite her hands spreading them.


    she didn¡¯t need to use the bathroom, so there was no need for an enema for hygiene.


    since her womb and his manhood wouldn¡¯t come into direct contact, there was no need to be concerned about harm to the ¡°symbol¡± that would hold the brand.


    odile herself also wanted to be penetrated.


    all siwoo needed to do was shove it in.


    by doing so, he could take away the haughty odile¡¯s first experience of anal sex, and at the same time, he would be able to see her moan.


    the problem may have appeared straightforward on a one-dimensional level, but it wasn¡¯t really that simple.


    odile was not in a normal state of mind at the moment.


    the potion impaired her ability to make accurate situational judgments.


    he couldn¡¯t even being to imagine what would happen when the effects would wear off.


    he wondered if odile would ever forgive him for thrusting his cock inside her ass while she was in a state of heat due to the potion¡¯s effect.


    siwoo wondered whether it was better to be bound by odette and be rendered powerless to protest than to be in this current predicament.


    he managed to maintain a level of safety until now, but the future was unpredictable, and he couldn¡¯t be sure of anything beyond that.


    ¡°i don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to work. ms. odile.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s right... you¡¯re not even agreeing to do that with me even if i go this far.¡±


    siwoo replied while shaking his head.


    perhaps siwoo¡¯s adamant refusal caused odile¡¯s shyness to reawaken, she stood up straight and turned her buttocks.


    however, it was clear that she had no intention of giving up as odile¡¯s pupils glistened with a magical purple glow.


    ¡°i didn¡¯t want to cast a spell on you. but you left me with no choice.¡±


    there was no way that odile, who was so stubborn, would give up on her desires just because of siwoo¡¯s refusal.


    odile decided to forcefully bind siwoo and satisfy her own desires.


    ¡°ms. odile, you¡¯ll regret this. i¡¯m not just saying this for my sake, i¡¯m genuinely concerned for you.¡±


    as soon as he felt his body being tightly bound by an invisible force, siwoo gave up.


    it was far more sophisticated and powerful than odette¡¯s.


    he could do nothing but blink and breathe.


    it felt like hundreds of strings were restraining his body.


    siwoo began to walk forward.


    or more accurately, it was odile manipulating him to walk towards her.


    as soon as siwoo settled down on the couch, odile quickly stripped off his pants.


    his member which had been erected, rose with terrifying momentum as soon as his underwear came down along with his pants.


    ¡°wow... yours used to be just fascinating, but now i really want to put it in my mouth and suck on it...¡±


    odile¡¯s purple eyes focused on one side of his shaft.


    odile, who had been swallowing her saliva like a critic admiring a brilliant work of art, slowly began to suck on the manhood in front of her.


    ¡°chewp... chewp... even mr. assistant... will change his mind when he feels good...¡±


    ¡°sigh...¡±


    he didn¡¯t know what to do.


    siwoo gave up.


    there was nothing he could do in this situation anyway, he might as well just let it happen.


    odile would later regret how carelessly she had behaved.


    siwoo had tried to persuade odile and even tried to escape.


    ¡°do you feel good? i hope mr. assistant is feeling good...¡±


    odile was caressing his member with great care.


    right now, she wasn¡¯t giving him a blowjob with the sole purpose of showing her honed skills.


    she was giving him a loving and affectionate blowjob, the one where she wanted to make her loved one feel as good as possible.


    ¡°why don¡¯t you answer me?¡±


    she didn¡¯t care about her cheeks rubbing against his phallus covered in saliva.


    ¡°what answer do you want at this part?¡±


    ¡°isn¡¯t it ¡®i love you¡¯?¡±


    ¡°i think the emotion you¡¯re feeling, ms. odile, is closer to lust than love.¡±


    ¡°no, mr. assistant, there¡¯s no way this burning passion can¡¯t be love.¡±


    after having anal sex with odile, it would be even more difficult to confess and seek forgiveness from lady gemini for everything that had happened.


    he was perplexed about the best way to end this situation in a good way.


    odile was giving siwoo a blowjob with her swift and tremendous skill while he was thinking things over.


    ¡°now... i suppose it¡¯s wet enough to put it in, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    odile hopped up onto the sofa,


    she pulled siwoo¡¯s erect penis with one hand and pushed it into her rear hole with the other.


    as the glans came into contact with her rear end, its sensitivity increased, he could clearly feel the wrinkles there, which gave him the sensation of having been licked by a tongue.


    odile hotly gasped as if that action alone made her short of breath.


    ¡°it¡¯s alright, mr. assistant. it¡¯s my first time, so it¡¯ll feel a little awkward, but i¡¯ll give it a try.¡±


    siwoo could feel his phallus, which were moistened with odile¡¯s saliva, pressed against her rear hole.


    right in front of his eyes, he saw odile¡¯s expression melting from pleasure as she rubbed his member in her rear hole.


    odile¡¯s sheath was on full display, and it was wet and glistening with love juice.


    the mere sight of it was enough to satisfy any visual desire.


    he wasn¡¯t sure what to do as she insisted on putting his member inside on her own.


    ¡°ugh...ugh...¡±


    as someone inexperienced with anal sex, it wasn¡¯t easy for odile to insert it by herself right away.


    at first, he felt a soft, mushy something being pushed against the glans of his member.


    then, as the glans dug in until they couldn¡¯t be pushed any further, her rear hole, which had been tightly closed like a flower bud, slowly revealed its entrance.


    ¡°ah... it hurts...!


    ¡°ms. odile, if it hurts, let¡¯s stop...¡±


    but odile muffled siwoo¡¯s words with a passionate kiss.


    she knew that love could make the pain go away, kissing him while gradually lowering her hips.


    ¡°ugh... ugh... ahh...¡±


    odile¡¯s tightly shut eyes suddenly opened wide as she let out a moan.


    in the first place, siwoo¡¯s manhood was massive,


    furthermore, anal sex was such a difficult act that it had to be performed after both training and tender care.


    siwoo couldn¡¯t believe odile, who had never had an experience with such anal sex, was trying to ride his phallus.


    it was a dangerous situation and seeing blood would not have been unusual if she had been a human woman.


    ¡°it¡¯s... in...¡±


    however, her tenacity was extraordinary.


    odile let her hips drop, her rear hole began to open as it swallowed siwoo¡¯s glans while she ignored the pain that came with it.


    ¡°oh my....!¡±


    he received a rush of pressure in the glans as soon as his shaft began to drill into her ass.


    in a moment of glory, siwoo felt as though his penis was about to be severed by the intense pressure while achieving the nearly impossible feat of penetrating the notoriously tight and stubborn odil¡¯s anus.


    the disparity in their body sizes, combined with odile¡¯s inexperience, created an unbelievably powerful clenching pressure that tightly gnawed at his shaft.


    ¡°more... i¡¯m going to put more....!¡±


    odile clenched her teeth and lowered her hips even further.


    siwoo¡¯s glans seemed to be swallowed up and pulled inside like a vacuum as the thickest part started to slide into odil¡¯s opening sphincter.


    ¡°hyeeuk...!¡±


    odile groaned as saliva dripped from her opened mouth.


    anal sex was always a difficult process, especially during the initial penetration.


    however, after the largest part of his shaft passed through the narrowest parts of odile¡¯s anus, the resistance stopped.


    odile deliberately lowered her hips slowly and swallowed siwoo¡¯s shaft down to the midpoint.


    the soft flesh seemed to wrap and squeeze every crevice of his member like it had been tightly wound by rubber bands.


    the exhilarating first experience made siwoo feel like he was about to lose his mind.


    the warmth inside odile was intense.


    passing through her sphincter was so painful that siwoo thought his member would get fractured, but what came after that ordeal was a tingly sensation that was akin to arriving at paradise.


    there was a sense of unity as if her sticky walls were melting and merging with siwoo¡¯s shaft.


    whenever odile gasped in agony, her rear hole loosened and tightened as if it was breathing, repeatedly stimulating his member.


    ¡°ah... ha... it¡¯s done, right... mr. assistant...?¡±


    odile caressed siwoo¡¯s cheek and spoke in a loving tone without putting an end to her struggle between pain and pleasure.


    ¡°mr. assistant and i have become one... you¡¯re happy too, right?¡±


    she was hunched over, appearing unable to speak due to her shaking voice.


    perhaps due to the satisfaction of embracing siwoo, odile¡¯s inner mucous membranes rippled, stimulating siwoo¡¯s member.


    he was certain that he was about to pull out a moment ago.


    considering that he might ejaculate right away.


    and then siwoo noticed the expression on odile¡¯s face when a shaft was shoved up her ass.


    it was a stimulating sight to behold.


    although she appeared to be on the verge of crying, the corners of her mouth trembled with joy and delight.


    her eyes were seductively moist, much like the eyes of lustful demons.


    her each and every detail was stimulating his libido.


    and then.


    ¡°what should i do, mr. assistant...?¡±


    odile looked at siwoo with embarrassment.


    ¡°i can¡¯t move now. it feels like my body has been skewered...¡±


    odile stiffened, hugging siwoo¡¯s neck tightly.


    it was too burdensome for a girl who didn¡¯t know anything about men yet.


    odile wiggled her toes as if she had a cramp and then clung to siwoo.


    ¡°mr. assistant i think i should move...you don¡¯t like it, right? because i forced you even though you told me not to do it. you hate me... don¡¯t you?¡±


    siwoo couldn¡¯t come up with any response.


    since they had already become one, it might be best to stop now.


    ¡°ah... sis?¡±


    then, from the corner of the room, they heard odette¡¯s voice, which they hadn¡¯t heard in a while.


    she seemed much more normal. she seemed to have regained her senses.


    ¡°oh my goodness! wait... you were trying to have a baby with mr. assistant...?¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t worry, odette. i wouldn¡¯t do something so foolish. i did it properly and in a safe way.¡±


    ¡°a safe... way?¡±


    odette slowly walked over to the couch covering her mouth with her hand where siwoo and odile were intertwined.


    when she saw that siwoo¡¯s massive member was inside odile¡¯s rear hole, her eyes widened in shock.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    it seemed to have been too much for odette to handle.


    odette put her hand on her forehead and collapsed like a scarecrow.


    she fainted.


    reasoning, which had disappeared from odile¡¯s eyes, returned while she looked down at odette speechlessly.


    odile shook her head repeatedly as if she had just gotten off a wild roller coaster ride.


    ¡°wha-what?¡±


    it couldn¡¯t have been more than an hour yet, right?


    siwoo absentmindedly looked at the watch.


    no.


    a tumultuous event had occurred, and siwoo couldn¡¯t properly gauge the amount of time that had passed, and realized that an hour and thirty minutes had gone by already.


    odile, who awoke from a trance-like state and regained consciousness, assessed her surroundings.


    her lower half was limp, her arms were wrapped tightly around siwoo.


    and the vivid pressure she felt from her rear hole.


    odile looked down


    she saw siwoo¡¯s thick member buried in her rear hole.


    ¡°did... did i do this?¡±


    ¡°ms. odile, if you¡¯ve regained your senses, would you please come down...? i¡¯m getting a little tired.¡±


    odile looked at siwoo in astonishment.


    her wide eyes seemed unable to accept that she had committed such an act.


    ¡°this... what¡¯s this...!¡±


    all of the muscles in the human body were closely related to emotions.


    odile was both surprised and confused, causing her soft flesh to stimulate siwoo¡¯s phallus, pushing him to the limit of his patience.


    ¡°kuh...! wai.... wait a minute!¡±


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¨C squish!


    odilefelt siwoo¡¯s member throb inside of her followed by something warm beginning to fill her insides.


    ¨C squish! squish! squish!


    it was undoubtedly siwoo¡¯s semen outpouring.


    ¡°he... heu... ha...¡±


    odile¡¯s moaning matched the rhythm of siwoo¡¯s ejaculation.


    he felt something just by slightly moving his member inside of her.


    in response, odile¡¯s rear hole tightened its grip on his shaft, seemingly demanding more semen from him.


    she opened her mouth again only after the climax was complete and the throbbing of his manhood had subsided.


    ¡°oh, this is unbelievable...¡±


    siwoo¡¯s first experience was with odile¡¯s rear hole.

 Chapter 43: We Cant be the Only Ones (1)

    ? we can¡¯t be the only ones (1) ?


    1.


    odile¡¯s face turned bright red from embarrassment as if it was going to burst.


    although it was not the first time siwoo had seen the twins blush, the intensity of their redness was noticeably stronger this time.


    odile¡¯s face turned beet red, and her original pale complexion was nowhere in sight.


    groaning and in an attempt to use siwoo¡¯s shoulder to get up on her own, odile, with a face like a boiled octopus, asked softly, as if her words were crawling out.


    ¡°excuse me, m-m-mr. assistant... i can¡¯t get up... help me.¡±


    ¡°pardon?¡±


    ¡°i can¡¯t put strength in my legs... i can¡¯t get up... please help me!¡±


    siwoo, who was basking in the afterglow of his climax, finally came to his senses.


    ¡°oh, sure.¡±


    as siwoo moved, the thing that went in her rear hole naturally rubbed inside her, eliciting a small gasp from him.


    even a movement such as that felt good.


    odile, who had his dick inside of her, was also startled by its sudden movement.


    ¡°ew...! stop moving your dick like that! it¡¯s making me feel weird!¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry. i¡¯m not trying to move it.¡±


    siwoo¡¯s dick remained as stiff as ever after the euphoric ejaculation that made his mind go blank.


    and each time odile¡¯s rear hole twitched, his dick intermittently moved inside her, seemingly asking if she wanted to continue.


    in any case, any movement that occurred was entirely due to the pleasure that odile¡¯s other hole gave him.


    ¡°hurry up...! i¡¯ve untied you!¡±


    odile released the bind she had put on siwoo, allowing him to grab onto her plump buttocks.


    as he touched her butt, his hand sank into her malleable flesh, which felt so incredibly soft that siwoo wondered if it was human skin.


    in all honesty, siwoo had to fight the urge to continue kneading odile¡¯s soft cheeks, but resisted the growing temptation and slowly drew her away from his cock.


    ¡°ah...ahhh...¡±


    odile tried to stifle her moans by biting her lip, but it was a futile effort as the pleasure felt from anal intercourse was typically more vivid and intense when pulling out as compared to inserting it.


    she eventually trembled and made strange noises.


    ¡°assistant, slow down a little bit...¡±


    ¡°ha, i¡¯m already going slowly.¡±


    ¡°slower!¡±


    siwoo finally managed to pull out from odile¡¯s flesh folds, the natural lubricant from her anus clinging to his dick like glue.


    plop!


    after being freed from odile¡¯s anus, siwoo¡¯s dick made a slight sound before throbbing vigorously as if begging to be let back in.


    and odile¡¯s anus, which had been stretched to accept his dick, quickly returned to its original shape as if nothing had happened.


    the fact that not a drop of semen leaked out was evidence of how tight her anal muscles were.


    odile, who was atop siwoo, looked unsteady and heaved a sigh that sounded like it could be her last breath.


    ¡°ms. odile...¡±


    ¡°i know! don¡¯t say anything!¡±


    odile, ignoring siwoo¡¯s presence, quickly picked up her fallen boxers from the ground.


    from an outsider¡¯s perspective, a bystander might have mistakenly thought that siwoo took advantage of odile.


    but in reality, it was quite the opposite.


    ¡°i won¡¯t say anything. i won¡¯t blame mr. assistant either, okay? now, get out of here.¡±


    ¡°i was already planning on leaving. but would it be okay for me to neglect ms. odette and leave her in her current state?¡±


    ¡°i said i¡¯ll take care of it myself!¡±


    thankfully, odile regained her composure and avoided unleashing a magical attack due to the embarrassment she was experiencing, putting a stop to the event.


    if it had been the naive odette instead of odile, the outcome might have been different.


    siwoo was finally able to escape from the terrifying space.


    after closing the carriage door behind him, siwoo took a deep breath of fresh air and finally felt his legs relax.


    ¡°oh... i¡¯m exhausted.¡±


    it felt like he had just experienced a dream.


    siwoo had spent 23 years solely focused on his studies, and for the last 5 years, he had to struggle to survive as a slave.


    despite his lack of experience with women, he suddenly found himself losing his virginity without warning.


    furthermore, it was with a stunningly beautiful apprentice. what¡¯s more, he had done it through her tight rear hole.


    ¡°wait, did i really just lose my virginity?¡±


    although siwoo had never expected to have his first sexual experience this way.


    he felt good about it.


    in his mind, he could still see odile¡¯s blushing pink face, and the sensations of odile¡¯s tight rear hole that lingered vividly on his dick.


    siwoo decided to change his mind and returned to his room instead of immediately heading out to the garden.


    he was unable to get rid of his erection.


    it would pose a big problem for him if he wasn¡¯t able to get it down after a cold shower.


    2.


    ¡°........¡±


    ¡°........¡±


    the twins rode in a carriage and returned to their mansion in ars magna town.


    they returned to their room after receiving greetings from the maids at the front gate, with expressions that seemed to show that they were still lost in their own thoughts.


    ¡°it¡¯s because of you.¡±


    ¡°no, it¡¯s because of you.¡±


    after spending a considerable amount of time sitting on the bed and staring blankly in the same direction, the twins finally broke the silence by speaking at the same time.


    this sudden break in silence was like igniting a spark on a fuse, causing the twins to glare at each other.


    ¡°if you hadn¡¯t insisted on finding out what love is, none of this would have happened!¡±


    ¡°you agreed as well, didn¡¯t you? even after my warning not to add excessive amounts of pink moss to the potion, you insisted on doing so and said, ¡®tsk, scaredy-cat odette, the pink moss is just a catalyst for alchemy. it won¡¯t matter if we don¡¯t measure it.''¡±


    ¡°ugh!¡±


    this time, odette emerged victorious in the argument by a slight difference.


    she had indeed added all the pink moss they had brought from gemini spirit mountain in order to enhance the potion¡¯s effects, just as odette had said.


    ¡°why did i do it? i don¡¯t know! you¡¯re the one who ended up doing such shameful things to mr. assistant!¡±


    the memory of that incident came to mind naturally when they brought it up during their argument.


    the twins¡¯ faces turned bright red at the same time, as they recalled the effect of eros¡¯ potion.


    they found it to be truly vicious and wished they could completely erase the memory of themselves clinging to siwoo like prostitutes at velvet brothel, something that replayed vividly in their minds.


    ¡°what do we do now...? how am i going to face mr. assistant in the next class? i must be crazy... exposing my naked body... exposing myself completely... and on top of that... confessing that i touched myself while thinking about mr. assistant ... kyaaaaaaah!¡±


    as odette screamed and clutched her hair, odile hung her head in shame more deeply.


    ¡°and i even spouted nonsense about wanting a baby! oh my god! kill me now, sis! ahhh...!¡±


    when her younger sister tried to have a sexual encounter with siwoo, it was unsuccessful, and what was left of it was more like her black history being exposed. however, odil herself had inserted his dick inside her and made caused him to ejaculate.


    in addition, she had put that thing in her rear hole! something that a proper lady would never even consider touching, much less using for sexual intercourse.


    furthermore, despite the fact that the other party was a teaching assistant, he was still a slave!


    ¡°odette...¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t talk to me! from now on, i¡¯ll be the one who¡¯s your big sis! stupid odile! call me sister odette! you foolish imbecile!¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m serious.¡±


    odette, who was pouting her lips, stopped throwing a tantrum at odile¡¯s serious tone.


    however, her sharp tone still conveyed her frustration and annoyance.


    ¡°what? i¡¯m serious too! it would be strange not to write a will right now!¡±


    ¡°i became one with mr. assistant.¡±


    she had felt his dick¡¯s hard throb within her body.


    she had also received his warm semen.


    odette covered her gaping mouth, recalling the shocking scene that had caused her to faint.


    it seemed to have been deeply imprinted in her mind as a result of the overwhelming trauma it had caused.


    ¡°...right, you did, didn¡¯t you...?


    ¡°it felt like we became one. is that really love...?¡±


    ¡°doesn¡¯t it hurt using your backdoor? are you okay...?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m alright now.¡±


    ¡°did it hurt earlier? how did you feel? where did you even learn such a messed-up thing that¡¯s not even written in the books?¡±


    ¡°if i tell you, you¡¯ll do it, too, right?¡±


    ¡°well,¡±


    ¡°we need to explore love, that¡¯s why we¡¯re doing it.¡±


    ¡°okay, no teasing each other about this! we¡¯re cool, right?¡±


    odette extended her pinky finger and odile held onto it.


    ¡°i promise.¡±


    ¡°i promise, too.¡±


    odile began to recount the memories from earlier, which were as complex and scalding as flowing lava.


    ¡°i don¡¯t know, i can¡¯t remember it well. but i felt like i was in a really good mood. it was hot, and it felt like the beating of mr. assistant¡¯s heart was resonating throughout my body...¡±


    odile¡¯s knees were tightly clasped together.


    just thinking about it made her lower abdomen feel ticklish.


    odette vigorously nodded her head.


    the twins, who had become like kids secretly watching porn together, shared their experiences.


    ¡°i also... touched mr. assistant¡¯s hot thing... it felt like it was hot as if it was burning. and i wanted to keep slamming it inside me, making him ejaculate inside.¡±


    the feeling itself was amazing.


    it was a tremendous stimulus for the twins, who didn¡¯t even know the concept of sexual pleasure existed.


    ¡°i wanted to stay like that and have mr. assistant¡¯s baby. why did i feel that way?¡±


    ¡°you said it was because you didn¡¯t want me to steal him from you.¡±


    ¡°whenever there¡¯s something i like, you always take it away. i just didn¡¯t want it to be taken away from me.¡±


    odette grumbled.


    talking about it like this and sharing their feelings with each other actually made them feel a little less embarrassed.


    after all, they had prepared the eros¡¯ potion to gain new knowledge about love, even though it was a bit twisted from the beginning.


    ¡°i agree with you on that part too. when i thought that mr. assistant wouldn¡¯t play with us again, i felt like he was going to be taken away by someone else. that¡¯s why i didn¡¯t want to let him go.¡±


    ¡°so... how did it feel when it was inside through your rear hole? was it like going to the bathroom? i haven¡¯t been to the bathroom for so long that i don¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°well... it was totally different. it hurt a lot because it was so big. but after a while, it felt like my body was floating.¡±


    ¡°i... actually felt that way too.¡±


    after a few more exchanges of opinions, the twins suddenly fell silent.


    they felt a strange familiarity in each other¡¯s words.


    ¡°sis.¡±


    ¡°hmm?¡±


    ¡°our reactions were quite similar, weren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°i was just thinking that too.¡±


    they were both marked with the same brand symbol as if they had each inherited half of it.


    moreover, they were identical twins with identical mana patterns.


    although their ways of thinking and their thought structures were slightly different, there was a high possibility that the potion would have a similar effect on them.


    ¡°let¡¯s try it one more time. how much of the potion is left?¡±


    ¡°are you crazy? you want to do that embarrassing act again?¡±


    ¡°no! i¡¯ll never do that!¡±


    odette crossed her arms in an x, showing her disapproval.


    odile pulled out the remaining bottle and examined it.


    ¡°there¡¯s still about three doses left.¡±


    ¡°sis, i have an interesting idea... how about we feed some of it to professor amelia?¡±


    ¡°what?!!!¡±


    odette shushed odile to calm her down as her voice reverberated throughout the room.


    ¡°aside from the fact that there are still three doses left, it would be a waste to just throw it away. plus, since ms. professor often comes to class with mr. assistant, it would be easy to meet the conditions for the potion of looking at him within 10 seconds.¡±


    ¡°no way! that¡¯s on a completely different level than when we switch places to trick ms. professor into letting one of us escape.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s the difference? honestly, you¡¯re curious too, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    while odile was screaming that it couldn¡¯t be done, her mind was already envisioning amelia in such a situation.


    associate professor amelia was known for her cold and aloof demeanor, always standing with her arms folded like an ice statue, and hurling monstrous homework bombs.


    it¡¯s intriguing to imagine what would happen if someone like her were to fall in love.


    would she rush toward him and embrace him as they did?


    it seemed that the effects of the love potion varied from person to person, and it was uncertain what kind of impact it would have.


    the intensity of their forbidden curiosity increased.


    ¡±won¡¯t we get caught and blocked from doing so by the autonomous defense spell?¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t worry, sis. this is a ¡®buff magic potion¡¯.¡±


    according to the classification, the eros potion made by odile and odette was a kind of buff potion.


    it was similar to an awakening agent that amplified the positive emotion of love while removing hesitation.


    it would probably be unlikely to be classified as a toxic substance and trigger autonomous defense.


    odile began to devise a plan in her mind, justifying that she wasn¡¯t doing anything particularly wrong as long as the autonomous defense system permitted it.


    ¡°odette, what will you do if we get caught?¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll be scolded. just like we always have been.¡±


    the idea of professor amelia, who was known for her cold and merciless demeanor, being truly angry was scary.


    the mere thought of it sent shivers down odile¡¯s spine.


    despite the fear, her curiosity only intensified.

 Chapter 44: We Cant be the Only Ones (2)

    ? we can¡¯t be the only ones (2) ?


    1.


    the twins, who shared the same bed, started their morning at 6 o¡¯clock.


    the sounds of birds chirping could be heard from outside the window.


    upon waking up, they were greeted by the scent of burning cypress firewood emanating from the fireplace, which had been ablaze throughout the night, and was now reduced to crackling ashes.


    ¡°good morning, odette.¡±


    ¡°good morning, sis.¡±


    odile and odette sat up in their spacious bed, stretching their bodies like two flexible cats basking in the early-morning sunlight that poured through the skylight.


    apprentice witches were unable to halt the aging process of their physical bodies, unlike witches who had inherited the brand. therefore, growth, aging progression, and sleep were crucial for them.


    because of that, apprentice witches like odile and odette always made sure to get enough sleep, sticking to a strict schedule of going to bed at 11 pm and waking up at 6 am.


    odile, who had been slowly stretching, cast a glance at odette.


    ¡°did you sleep well?¡±


    ¡°no, i couldn¡¯t sleep at all. and you, sis?¡±


    ¡°i feel the same way. i only managed to fall asleep by the time the moon had passed the second window.¡±


    this was extremely uncommon for the twins because they typically fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow.


    despite their exhaustion, the twins couldn¡¯t bring themselves to relax and sleep comfortably, as they had an important task looming ahead of them.


    ¡°you know that, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°what, today?¡±


    the twins exchanged glances before slowly nodding their heads in agreement.


    ¨C crack!


    ¡°good morning, ms. odile. did you sleep well, ms. odette?¡±


    ¡°good morning, head maid galina.¡±


    ¡°good morning. head maid galina.¡±


    as soon as the door opened, a middle-aged woman with thick glasses walked in.


    it was galina, who had been serving the gemini family for a long time, even before the twins were born.


    galina was an elderly maid who had acted as the twin¡¯s caretaker ever since they were infants and despite her gentle features, the twins always found galina to be scary due to her sharp demeanor.


    ¡°you seem to be energetic from the moment you wake up.¡±


    ¡°i had a good dream yesterday!¡±


    ¡°me, too!¡±


    galina led the way as four maids followed behind, exchanging small morning greetings.


    one of them opened the curtains for the 18 windows, while another collected the sheets from the bed where odile and odette¡¯s bed where they had been tossing and turning the night before.


    the other two placed slippers onto the twins¡¯ feet, which were hanging off the bed, and combed through their messed-up hair from their tossing and turning the night before.


    despite having to brush their hair after their shower, the count gemini family¡¯s witches always had to maintain their dignity, even while passing through the hallway


    although they had been taught to uphold this standard since childhood., they still found it to be a bothersome task.


    ¡°did anything noteworthy happen last night, or is there anything special going on today that¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    galina asked, puzzled by the twins¡¯ lively mood today.


    odette and odile made eye contact with each other and odile stepped forward.


    when it came to such matters, odile was the one who acted bravely as compared to the timid odette.


    ¡°head maid! i have a favor to ask of you.¡±


    ¡°what is it, odil? just to let you know in advance, i cannot accept requests like riding a horse without a saddle on mendel hill or going for a picnic to the dreaded fammel swamp.


    also, requests to visit border town are not acceptable either. you have a class today at the academy at 4:00pm.you haven¡¯t forgotten, have you?¡±


    ¡°of course not.¡±


    odile fiddled with the hem of her clothes and then opened her mouth.


    ¡°in fact, i¡¯d like to invite professor amelia for tea today as a treat.¡±


    ¡°really?¡±


    galina¡¯s wrinkled eyes lit up behind her thick glasses.


    odette flinched and recoiled, feeling a sudden pang.


    odette took over and explained.


    ¡°well, um... ms. professor has had a hard time teaching us, so we thought we¡¯d treat her to some tea to soothe her throat during lectures.¡±


    ¡°ahh!¡±


    galina extended her arms towards the sky like a dramatic actress, then rushed over to hug odile and odette tightly.


    ¡°odile, odette! when did you two grow up to be such responsible students? seeing the two of you this grown-up makes me so happy i can hardly stand it.¡±


    ¡°uh, well...that¡¯s just how it is, i guess.¡±


    ¡°yes, of course. it¡¯s only natural.¡±


    galina was filled with joy as she stroked the backs of odile and odette¡¯s heads, unaware of their dark intentions.


    despite the twins¡¯ previously talkative nature, gelina noticed their newfound maturity and felt as if she were watching her own children grow up.


    ¡°then i¡¯ll go make some tea. should i put it in a thermos for you?¡±


    ¡°yes, i¡¯d like that.¡±


    ¡°well, then, you two go and take a bath.¡±


    the twins were then led by the maids to the bathroom.


    2.


    in fact, the twin¡¯s daily routine had not changed much.


    first, they were led to the separate bathroom as soon as they woke from the bed.


    they were then given a bath by four maids, two for each of them.


    the gemini family, who were nobles among the witches, had a total of more than 50 servants.


    odile and odette didn¡¯t have to lift a finger while taking showers or changing clothes.


    everything was done for them by the people around them.


    odile was seated in an amethyst bath chair while warm perfumed oil was poured over her head.


    pecha, one of her personal maids, then applied perfumed oil to her body and hair, carefully combing it with a wide-toothed comb.


    meanwhile, another personal maid, lena, sprinkled water on odile¡¯s feet and asked,


    ¡°ms. odile, is the water temperature alright for you? let me know if it¡¯s too cold or too hot.¡±


    ¡°fumu, it¡¯s warm.¡±


    pecha, who was brushing her hair vigorously, ruffled odile¡¯s hair with her hand.


    ¡°oh my~ adorable ms. odile, how can your hair be so pretty?¡±


    ¡°pecha, please refrain from saying that i am adorable now. i have to behave like a proper lady.¡±


    ¡°but you¡¯re so cute? right, lena?¡±


    ¡°yes, it¡¯s quite impolite of me to say, but every time i take care of ms. odile, i want to stuff her into my bag and take her home. my family would adore her.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m sure they¡¯ll all be surprised that you brought a huge doll, right?¡±


    ¡°no way! everyone will surely tremble in awe in the presence of ms. odile¡¯s dignity and charisma.¡±


    the two maids giggled as they continued to show their love and affection toward odile.


    at first, the maids were all afraid of odile and odette.


    however, after realizing that the twins, despite appearing to be tough, were just innocent masters, the maids started to show affection as though they were caring for puppies.


    especially when there was nobody around, like, in the bathroom, pecha and lena would play pranks on odile.


    if caught doing such things, the head maid galina, who is known for being strict, would certainly reprimand them.


    this was the same with odette.


    in the eyes of the maids, if odile represented the role of the tough but adorable younger sister, then odette represented the position of the sweet and innocent younger sister that they all wished to protect.


    ¡°martha, i have something i want to ask.¡±


    ¡°yes, ms. odette, go ahead and ask me anything.¡±


    marsha reached her hand behind odette¡¯s neck, giving her a massage while smiling.


    ¡°ah...hmm...¡±


    odette who had fallen back onto the tub trembled with a pleasant refreshing feeling.


    ¡°you know the book i took with me before.¡±


    ¡°oh, the first night instruction manual?¡±


    ¡°is there something... more...more...more...¡±


    ¡°more, more, more?¡±


    odette inquired, her voice trailing off as she felt embarrassed.


    ¡°i was wondering if you had any more information...¡±


    she knew it was an awkward thing to ask.


    marsha giggled, observing odette¡¯s hesitant posture, and nudged vera, her colleague, with her elbow whilst whispering.


    ¡°did you see that? did you see that? ms. odette¡¯s asking about that kind of thing. she¡¯s acting like a cute puppy, what should i do!¡±


    ¡°martha, it¡¯s time for ms. odette to be interested in that sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not like that!¡±


    ¡°ms. odette, your face is redder than a strawberry. i just want to pinch your cheeks.¡±


    ¡°ugh... please don¡¯t.¡±


    martha gently stroked odette¡¯s hair as she whispered in her ear.


    ¡°actually, i recently got an erotic novel from tarot town.¡±


    ¡°hey, martha! it¡¯s too early to tell ms. odette about these things!¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s the big deal? vera, we¡¯ve already passed it around several times. ms. odette should be aware of it as well. we can¡¯t keep being overprotective of her.¡±


    despite odette¡¯s confused expression, martha and vera continued their discussion.


    ¡°what is it about?¡±


    ¡°the story centers around a witch who develops an interest in love and comes across a romantic encounter with a handsome milkman. do you want to read it, ms. odette?¡±


    ¡°i can¡¯t understand the novel from just that.¡±


    up until that point, vera, who had been dutifully attending to odette, shifted her attention towards the fun conversation that seemed to be occurring and she began to whisper as if wanting to join in.


    to her, idle chatter of this sort was even more entertaining than gossip.


    life could get quite boring in a world with few outlets for entertainment and a lack of modern conveniences.


    lewd conversations always piqued the interest of young and innocent maidens.


    ¡°is that so...¡±


    ¡°a milk delivery man and... what happened after that?¡±


    ¨C whisper.


    ¡°yes, and also with his younger brother...¡±


    ¡°with his brother...? on the same bed...? so two men and one woman...?¡±


    ¨C whisper, whisper.


    ¡°yes, yes! and then the witch became the milkman¡¯s maid... smacking her bottom, piack-piack!¡±


    ¡°how disgraceful!¡±


    odette¡¯s bath ended as she was left speechless by the unbelievable storyline.


    odile stared at her unusually flushed cheeks with a puzzled expression.


    3.


    after finishing their bath, the twins proceeded to the dressing room where they sat in front of the vanity.


    the maids used magic to carefully comb their hair, making it smooth and silky.


    they then heated a metal rod to the appropriate temperature and rolled the wet hair on the side of their heads around it to give their front hair a graceful volume and complete their elegant hair styling.


    with their hair neatly arranged, it was time for the twins to put on their dresses.


    however, before they could do so, galina, the intimidating maid-in-charge, entered the dressing room, which was decorated as beautifully as a dollhouse.


    the maids, who had been laughing and chatting, suddenly fell silent and clammed up.


    this was not surprising, as they were more afraid of galina, who was as fierce as a tiger than they were of the apprentice witches.


    ¡°as our lady gemini is away today, we will skip the greetings.¡±


    ¡°where did she go?¡±


    ¡°i haven¡¯t heard much about it, but it seems that there is some sort of mana involved with the ¡®spirit mountain¡¯ so she went to investigate it herself.¡±


    ¡°is she in spirit mountain?¡±


    ¡°well, anyway...!¡±


    galina clapped her hands and cleared the tension in the air.


    while the twins were chattering and jumping around, she realized that if she indulged in their conversation, she would be late for the task she had come to do.


    ¡°earlier, i mentioned that mr. kelvin¡¯s piano lesson would take place from 8 to 10 o¡¯clock today, followed by a potion-making workshop featuring an invited aurelian witch from emerald tablet from half past ten to 1 o¡¯clock.


    after lunch, a reading session with ms. hathaway is scheduled from 2 to 3 o¡¯clock during which tea is served.


    then from 4 to 7 o¡¯clock, you will attend your regular classes at the academy.


    since time is running out and breakfast awaits, you¡¯d better to hurry up.¡±


    ¡°galina, can we skip the reading session? i haven¡¯t read any of the books, and ms. hathaway¡¯s book reading session are always frustrating.¡±


    ¡°ugh, i hate studying so much...¡±


    as soon as odette heard about her overwhelming schedule, she collapsed onto the floor, but marsha and vera quickly caught her, and supported her to prevent her from falling.


    ¡°no! you should be more knowledgeable than any apprentice witch if you wish to carry on the gemini name.¡±


    ¡°but we have classes for over 8 hours every day except weekends. and do you know how many assignments professor amalia gives us?¡±


    ¡°i agree, galina. this is mental child abuse.¡±


    ¡°ugh!¡±


    galina¡¯s eyes widened as soon as she heard the complaints, silencing the twins.


    inviting experts in various fields to the mansion for lectures was the twin¡¯s daily routine.


    they were eagerly looking forward to giving professor amelia a hard time when they woke up in the morning.


    however, upon hearing about their suffocating schedule, their mood became sullen.


    ¡°since when did odile and odette start acting like children? you are noble young ladies. hurry up and move to the dining room. and, pecha!¡±


    ¡°yes!¡±


    ¡°having private conversations can make things difficult. while it¡¯s good for ms. odil to maintain a close relationship with the maids, it¡¯s important to behave appropriately given your status.¡±


    ¡°yes....¡±


    it seemed like the day ahead would be full of tedious tasks for the twins to complete before they left for the academy.

 Chapter 45: We Cant be the Only Ones (3)

    ? we can¡¯t be the only ones (3) ?


    1.


    the twin grew tired of their piano lessons, which were followed by alchemy classes.


    and their classes in the mansion only ended after a book reading session which they had to go through.


    odile and odette then used the portal installed in their mansion to reach the academy.


    an enormous sum of gold coins was actually required to maintain and repair a portal.


    however, the gemini family¡¯s wealth, the most prominent and wealthy of the count families, was more than sufficient to handle it.


    the twins passed through the teacher¡¯s room and headed toward their usual classroom, where a tense atmosphere awaited them.


    they pulled out a thermos, which they had prepared ahead of time, with the seriousness of terrorists before a suicide attack.


    ¡°are you ready, odette?¡±


    ¡°yes, sis.¡±


    then, they accurately measured eros¡¯ potion and carefully poured in two doses of the potion into the thermos, knowing full well that amelia wouldn¡¯t be able to drink all of the tea.


    a small sip of the potion was enough to produce a powerful effect due to the generous amount of pink moss, a component that enhanced its effects.


    when the red tea and pink eros¡¯ potion were mixed together, there was no noticeable difference


    ¨C tik tok, tik tok


    if they had been any slower, they would have been caught.


    the sound of amelia¡¯s high heels echoed in the hallway.


    odile hurriedly concealed the potion bottle, while odette vigorously shook the thermos with the lid firmly sealed.


    ¡°be quiet.¡±


    as a customary greeting, amelia would stride into the classroom and hush the twins, for they had a tendency to chatter before the class commenced.


    however, she tilted her head in confusion upon entering the strangely quiet atmosphere.


    as she did so, siwoo waddled into the room sporting an awkward expression on his face.


    odette avoided siwoo¡¯s gaze, and odile couldn¡¯t bring herself to look at him directly either.


    it had been their first meeting since the hot rendezvous in the carriage.


    seeing him again brought back memories of that day, causing their faces to flush with embarrassment.


    the twins who had been glancing at his lower half with interest could tell why siwoo entered the classroom with such discomfort.


    clutching eight thick textbooks in his arms, it seemed almost absurd and overwhelming. nevertheless, they had no other option but to accept it, as it was undoubtedly a week¡¯s worth of assignments he held in his hands.


    the twins were consumed with guilt at the thought of offering amelia tea mixed with eros potion, but her cruelty towards them showed no regard for their grievances and somewhat alleviated their guilt.


    ¡°hello, ms. professor!¡±


    ¡°hello, mr. assistant, how are you?¡±


    odette greeted siwoo with a wave of her hand before quickly turning her head away.


    ¡°.....?¡±


    the twins usually haphazardly greeted siwoo, but this time their reactions were awkward, attracting her attention.


    she looked back and forth between the twins and siwoo, blinking in confusion.


    despite this, amelia remained a diligent professor who never wasted a single minute of her three-hour class.


    ¡°please submit your essay.¡±


    ¡°yes!¡±


    ¡°yes, ms. professor!¡±


    the twins were pondering the right timing to offer the tea while they submitted their week-long assignment.


    in reality, this assignment was more of a reflection on and application of the lessons learned in class than a thesis that adhered to rigid academic formatting guidelines.


    nevertheless, amalia¡¯s red pen danced mercilessly over the twin¡¯s submitted task.


    ¡°excuse me, professor amelia.¡±


    ¡°yes, miss odette,¡±


    ¡°i get the impression that my sister and i are a bit challenging for you to teach, considering our many shortcomings,¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m aware of that. but i don¡¯t remember having been taught this particular topic. what are you referring to?¡±


    ¡°um...¡±


    timidly, odette stepped forward to speak first. however, amelia¡¯s response was filled with dissatisfaction as she presented odette¡¯s assignment which had been heavily covered in red ink.


    ¡°the calculation of mana distribution is the alpha and omega of magic. you¡¯ve skipped the calculation formula, and the result is riddled with errors.¡±


    ¡°i-i¡¯m sorry.¡±


    amelia¡¯s stern demeanor today struck fear in odette, who immediately tucked her hands between her knees and bowed her head.


    it was understandable since amelia¡¯s assignments were always quite difficult, since they were quite long and complex.


    meanwhile, the twins, more focused on success, only put forth half their usual efforts into completing the week¡¯s assignment.


    odette¡¯s attentiveness to amelia¡¯s mood allowed odile to patiently stay silent while she waited for amelia to finish grading without interruption.


    ¡°take it with you.¡±


    odile and odette took their assignments with trembling hands as amelia tapped her fingernails on the table, her mood seemingly soured.


    amelia would have accepted the poor answers from the twins if she had seen even a hint of effort put into their homework. however, she firmly believed that there was no excuse for students who didn¡¯t try.


    that was amellia¡¯s teaching philosophy.


    perhaps that was why amelia seemed to exude a frosty demeanor today.


    ¡°i¡¯m extremely disappointed.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry...¡±


    the twins simultaneously bowed their heads in shame.


    odette¡¯s shoulders slumped with disappointment and fear, while odile remained composed..


    odile wondered if now would be the best time to test the effects of eros¡¯ potion, as amelia was clearly enraged, her anger palpable in the room.


    odile yearned to see a change in amelia¡¯s demeanor, who had been previously angry but now showed deep affection towards mr. assistant.


    the mere thought of it made her curiosity boil.


    ¡°ms. professor,¡±


    ¡°yes,¡±


    ¡°i have something to tell you. is that okay?¡±


    ¡°keep it brief. i¡¯m thinking about where to start teaching again.¡±


    startled, odette grabbed odile¡¯s skirt under the desk, trying to stop her.


    ¡°sis!¡±


    but odile had already made up her mind.


    ¡°i brought this tea to give to ms. professor, it¡¯s made from the first leaves of the tea tree in our tea garden and brewed as cold tea.¡±


    cold tea is tea made by stacking ice and placing tea leaves in between to cool it with cool water.


    ¡°especially during the stage of blending tea leaves, by adding raspberry flavor, you can enjoy its unique aroma when drinking it cold.¡±


    odile explained as she poured the tea into a separate cup and handed it to amelia, who seemed slightly taken aback.


    given everything that the twins had done up til that point, it was a truly admirable act from such students.


    ¡°thank you.¡±


    however, at that moment, siwoo noticed something and interjected.


    no matter how much he looked at it, it didn¡¯t seem like the twins were serving the tea out of the kindness of their hearts.


    the excited twinkle in odile¡¯s eyes gave off warning bells in siwoo¡¯s head. it reminded him of the time where she had first seen his cock.


    ¡°um, ms. amelia,¡±


    siwoo quickly interrupted amelia, who was holding her teacup with what appeared to be the proper etiquette which she had learned directly from the manuals on the art of making ceremonial tea.


    ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°well, um...¡±


    but he didn¡¯t know what he should say.


    should he reveal that the twins had mixed something strange into the tea?


    if he did, he¡¯d have to confess to what had happened last time.


    but if he said nothing, who knew what amelia, who had unknowingly drank the potion, would do.


    ¡°oh, it¡¯s nothing,¡±


    siwoo eventually gave up.


    he couldn¡¯t be certain that the twins had put eros¡¯s potion in the tea, and even if they had, it would have nothing to do with him.


    the twins would surely face severe punishment if they were caught.


    ¡°thank you for the drink.¡±


    amelia said, sipping the cold tea from her cup.


    odile and odette were completely focused on amellia.


    in the case of odette, she had wanted to strip siwoo and ride him, hoping that she¡¯d get pregnant.


    odile, on the other hand, had her rear hole splattered with baby batter.


    they pondered what would happen in amelia¡¯s case.


    ¡°unique,¡±


    shiwoo retreated carefully so as not to be seen by amelia.


    if the condition to see the man from whom the semen was collected within 10 seconds was removed, the situation would become less unpredictable.


    the twins¡¯ palms started to sweat from nervousness, as they waited to see what would happen next.


    ten seconds.


    nine seconds.


    eight seconds.


    seven seconds.


    ¡°assistant siwoo.¡±


    only seven seconds had passed, and amelia turned back to siwoo, causing him to nervously swallow his saliva.


    he knew that if the twins had actually added the potion to the tea, the effects would have already started by now.


    however, there was nothing he could do to avoid it.


    ¡°how long am i going to hold the books?¡±


    ¡°ah, yes.¡±


    siwoo grabbed the textbooks from amelia, who had been holding them throughout the grading process, and then piled them up onto the desk.


    his gaze lingered on amelia.


    ¡°i¡¯ll start the lesson now,¡±


    and so,


    ten minutes went by, then twenty.


    despite his anxiety, amelia did not experience any changes throughout the entire class, which lasted for around three hours.


    she taught as usual and assigned twice the amount of homework as punishment for the twins¡¯ poor performance before checking out for the day.


    2.


    ¡°why?¡±


    ¡°why is that?¡±


    the twins returned to the gemini mansion through the portal.


    after dinner, the end of their daily routine, they had about five hours to spend on personal activities before bedtime.


    this usually consisted of them reading books in the study, reviewing amelia¡¯s classes and taking notes, or even taking a bath in the bathroom.


    however, tonight was different.


    they went straight to their bedroom and sat down on the bed, wondering why amelia didn¡¯t show any signs of being affected by the potion during class..


    ¡°why?¡±


    ¡°why is that...?


    both odile and odette had been closely observing amelia throughout the entire class, but amelia finished calmly without changing her expression, then left after giving out a mountain of assignments.


    ¡°maybe she endured it with her superhuman patience?¡±


    ¡°odette, i¡¯m sure there¡¯s no woman who can endure that.¡±


    ¡°could it be that the medicine¡¯s effect has worn off?¡±


    ¡°rather, wouldn¡¯t it be more plausible that her autonomous defense system simply neutralized it?¡±


    ¡°if that¡¯s the case, ms. professor wouldn¡¯t have just ignored it. but there really was nothing wrong.¡±


    the twins sighed heavily, feeling disappointed by the lack of reaction from professor amelia to their prank.


    despite their initial fears, they had hoped for a response similar to a newborn fawn wobbling on its feet in a feverish haze.


    ¡°odette, bring me the book,¡±


    ¡°yes, sis.¡±


    wanting to understand why the potion did not work, they retrieved the ¡°forbidden potion formula¡± from under the bed.


    this rare book had a once impressive black cover that had turned rusty brown over time and was one of only two copies in the world.


    after locating the page about eros¡¯ potion, where they had found it previously, they studied the preparation method, precautions, and expected effects described in the book.


    ¡°hmm, it looks like it¡¯s here. the effect of the potion greatly varies from person to person, and it depends on the individual¡¯s underlying sexual attraction.¡±


    ¡°additionally, instances in which the potion is ineffective are documented below.¡±


    ¡°for example, they include experimental subjects who have not experienced menstruation, those who are pregnant, and those who have no aptitude for menstrual sensitivity....¡±


    the twins, who had spread the book out and huddled their heads together, suddenly came across a particular passage that left them speechless.


    ¡°furthermore, the potion¡¯s effects do not apply to an experimental subject who is already in love with the subject providing the sperm.¡±


    ¡°?????????¡±


    the twins at the same tilted their heads to one side like dolls with drained batteries.


    ¡°wait, hold on. let¡¯s sort this out,¡±


    feeling perplexed, odile fanned herself with her hands.


    ¡°professor amelia must have already had her period, right?¡±


    ¡°of course! can¡¯t you tell?¡±


    ¡°could she be pregnant?¡±


    ¡°she¡¯s a witch, for heaven¡¯s sake!¡±


    ¡°she probably doesn¡¯t have an aptitude for mana sensitivity...no, it couldn¡¯t be... but if that¡¯s not the case...¡±


    ¡°let¡¯s try to put it together once more. we gave professor amelia, the experiment subject, the potion we made using the semen we obtained from mr. assistant. so does that mean... that professor amelia likes mr. assistant?¡±


    the twins panicked as they reached an unexpected conclusion.


    ¡°no way!


    ¡°that¡¯s impossible!¡±


    but soon, they fell silent as they reached a clear conclusion but also felt a sense of relief as they realized the reason behind their failure


    ¡°aha!¡±


    ¡°this book is rubbish.¡±


    ¡°yeah, let¡¯s toss it in the fireplace later, sis.¡±


    ¡°no, let¡¯s do it now.¡±


    odile stood up, feeling light and carefree, as if all their worries had been resolved, and tossed the book into the fireplace before heading to the bathroom.


    ¡°i almost got myself into trouble by blindly following that weird thing.¡±


    ¡°yeah, you can¡¯t trust old books like that.¡±


    ¡°let¡¯s go take a bath together, sis.¡±


    the loving sisters walked out briskly, leaving the book burning lamentably in the fireplace.


    as the book burned, its pages flipped over, revealing a side note that the twin had not managed to see.


    ...in the case of the last example, since the effects and duration of action have not been sufficiently verified, caution is required when conducting experiments.

 Chapter 46: Late Night Tutoring (1)

    ? late night tutoring (1) ?


    1.


    odile tossed and turned all night long.


    while tossing and turning, she glanced to the side at odette, who was sleeping like a log.


    ¡°phew...¡±


    she poked odette¡¯s cheek to make sure, but all she could hear was the sound of her breathing. odette remained fast asleep without even stirring.


    odile quietly sat up and leaned back against the headboard of the bed.


    odile had been exactly like odette not too long ago.


    she could fall asleep within a minute of laying her head down on a soft feather pillow and sleep soundly for hours undisturbed.


    however, things she had previously taken for granted had changed over the past few days.


    now, even with her head resting on a fluffy feather pillow, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep.


    instead, her mind was plagued with all sorts of thoughts and worries that had disappeared during the day but returned at night to keep her awake.


    ¡°how could she be so nonchalant?¡±


    it was after the day when she had tested the effects of the eros¡¯ potion on her own body.


    after she had kidnapped siwoo from the garden, they had a hot and passionate time in the carriage.


    she had hugged him, flirted with him, and done things she shouldn¡¯t have under the influence of the potion.


    including outrageous things like inserting his cock into her rear hole and receiving his seed.


    though odile had been thoroughly intoxicated by the potion, she could still vividly recall the sensations from that day.


    her heart fluttered simply from being close to him.


    the pleasure she had experienced becoming one with him even amidst the pain.


    and the warm sensation that had gradually spread throughout her body.


    however, memories of that time didn¡¯t leave her mind even though she wished she completely forgot about it.


    ¡°hmm...¡±


    when she returned to the mansion after the tryst, she went to the bathroom for the first time in a while.


    she had never experienced such feelings before, and she kept thinkings about how embarrassing it was that he ejaculated into her rear hole.


    odile quietly slipped out of bed and cautiously made her way outside like a cat stalking down a dark alley.


    the maids were still around at this time.


    odile rarely wandered around at such a late hour, so it was best to avoid running into anyone.


    she knew of many quiet places in the mansion that no one would visit such as the old library filled with stacks of various old books.


    odile, who was walking silently down the moonlit hallway, scanned her surroundings before slipping into the library.


    the library was a playground that lady gemini had given to the curious twins.


    there were lots of old books of low scholarly value or about previous magic research, but there were also a lot of interesting books.


    odile ran to the window and closed the blackout curtains before lighting the lantern.


    this way, the light wouldn¡¯t leak out of the library.


    she then pulled out a heavily worn book from a tightly packed bookshelf.


    ¡°alright,¡±


    odile cleared a sofa, scattering the books and lantern onto the floor, then laid down on the sofa with a determined expression.


    odile was about to read the book she had kept hidden from odette and secretly read behind her back.


    it was an erotic novel that happened to be among the various books their master gave them as gifts.


    the title was ¡°the devilish delivery man¡±


    the story was about a witch who, overcome by boredom, dragged a milk deliveryman into her home to study love and perform various ¡®activities¡¯.


    it was twelve chapters long, and the content was out of the ordinary from the very first chapter.


    if the timid odette had seen it, she would have been overwhelmed and fainted right away.


    odile looked around once more then pulled her drawers down to her thighs.


    she leaned her back against the armrest and held the book open with one hand.


    her heart was pounding even though she hadn¡¯t done anything yet.


    since she had already read the first chapter, she skipped it.


    chapter two, ¡°offering the hole of immorality.¡±


    it was a shocking chapter that taught odile, who was ignorant of sex, that men and women could become one using the rear hole.


    it was also the culprit responsible for giving odile and unforgettable first experience.


    odile put a finger in her mouth and wet it with her saliva.


    then she slowly began to rub her clitoris with her wet finger.


    ¡°ah...haa....¡±


    odile, with her exceptional concentration, quickly immersed herself in the book¡¯s contents.


    as she massaged her dainty clitoris with her fingertips, it gradually began to protrude from the clitoral hood. the pleasure increased with every passing moment, her quiet breaths quickening from excitement.


    the silhouette of odile lying on her back appeared to be dancing along to the fluttering light of the lantern.


    as she had expected, it felt good.


    the carnal delight she was experiencing was sweeter and more satisfying than the chocolate cake she had recently discovered.


    odile¡¯s eyes raced through the pages of the erotic novel.


    ¡¸the hard and rigid shaft penetrated the witch¡¯s impure hole. the witch¡¯s body was flushed from arousal, offering an immoral pleasure from corrupting and staining her noble body with the colors of hedonism. her hair danced in the air as she was thrust forward and pulled back, a sigh of ecstasy escaping her lips as she clutched the sheets.¡¹


    the delivery man, who was initially swept up in the witch¡¯s seduction, quickly realized that the witch was not as wise and clever as she presented herself, but rather an innocent and naive woman who knew nothing about the ways of the world.


    after realizing this, the delivery man began to slowly taint the witch with his own color.


    the part odile was currently reading described how the witch, who had fallen for the delivery man¡¯s deception, surrendered her rear hole and was indulging in a new pleasure.


    odile stroked her swollen pussy lips which were dripping with nectar like sticky honey.


    ¡°haah...¡±


    a commoner was conquering a witch in bed.


    such a book was nothing more than a trashy novel, but odile couldn¡¯t bring herself to burn the book because her curiosity kept growing and growing.


    coincidentally, in the story, the delivery man grabbed the witch by the waist and inserted his dick into her rear hole.


    with her fingers slick with sticky nectar, odile swallowed her saliva and lifted her buttocks slightly.


    she then carefully inserted her finger into the hole that hadn¡¯t been used in more than ten years. even though she didn¡¯t need to use the restroom ever since she developed a semi-spiritual body, her rear still felt like a filthy hole.


    ¡°ouch!¡±


    she felt discomfort.


    odile felt entirely different today than she did when siwoo put his thing inside her previously.


    perhaps she got hurt because it was her first time trying by herself.


    when she inserted mr. assistant¡¯s dick, it also hurt a lot in the beginning.


    with that in mind, odile diligently moved her finger back and forth.


    her heart pounded as she felt ashamed and embarrassed of what she was doing.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    but eventually, odile closed the book and pulled out her finger.


    ¡°that¡¯s strange...¡±


    she didn¡¯t feel pleasure at all.


    there were none of the feelings that she experienced before when she performed the same act with siwoo, so she was left feeling strange and uncomfortable.


    she wondered if it was because there was a lack of love.


    odile had felt intense love for siwoo when she had anal sex with him.


    she considered the possibility that she was feeling nothing because she didn¡¯t have that love right now.


    however, the witch in the book did not love the delivery man.


    despite this, it was written that she cried out like a beast and writhed like a whore.


    odile put on her clothes.


    in just a few days, her curiosity had grown significantly, and it greatly motivated her to satisfy her curiosity.


    she quickly left to go see siwoo right away.


    2.


    siwoo has been assigned amelia¡¯s exclusive slave since about a week after becoming a city hall slave.


    his daily life has also changed greatly.


    first of all, he was free from the backbreaking labor, but he hasn¡¯t found anything worthwhile to do.


    things like cleaning the hallway, unclogging a suddenly blocked drain, or chopping down a tree branch that had been broken by a storm were no longer his responsibility.


    he no longer had to do the tedious work which made him wonder why he was stuck here and doing it in the first place.


    there were also slight changes in the working hours and conditions.


    when he was a janitor, he was given free time once his roughly 12-hour shift was over. now, even though it was late, his work as an assistant seemed to never end.


    also, since he had his meals at the same table as amelia, the quality of his meals had significantly improved.


    his greatest happiness, however, was that he could sleep and shower in a single room comparable to a hotel room.


    this was his greatest happiness.


    however, his workload did not increase.


    on the contrary, his workload had significantly decreased, and siwoo could enjoy about an hour of free time here and there, so he was generally satisfied.


    ¡°hmm...¡±


    after finishing work for the day, siwoo sat on the windowsill and smoked a cigarette which was a luxury he could not even imagine during his caretaker days.


    ¡°but what am i supposed to do about this?¡±


    however, the biggest problem remained.


    he simply didn¡¯t have time to research magic.


    he couldn¡¯t even bring the draft of the magic circle and the mana water was still left in the barn.


    he didn¡¯t have enough time to go back and forth during work hours, and even cutting into his sleep and going out at night was not feasible.


    from siwoo¡¯s observations, amelia was like someone addicted to magic research and rarely slept. even when she did sleep, it was only after 4 am that she would finally lay down in bed.


    he was currently contemplating the best time to go out at night, as he didn¡¯t want to get caught and get in trouble.


    perhaps tomorrow would be a good time.


    it would be his first holiday, and the manual specified that the assistant was not required to work on holidays, so there should be nothing he needed to do.


    he was getting ready to shower and go to bed.


    as he was about to close the window, he suddenly heard a voice.


    ¡°hello, mr. assistant?¡±


    startled, he dropped his cigarette as he turned to see who was speaking.


    at first, he thought he was imagining things as it was already 1 o¡¯clock and he was on the second floor of amelia¡¯s mansion, but when he saw odile floating outside the window, he couldn¡¯t help but react.


    ¡°did i surprise you? it was a surprise visit, after all, so it was a success!¡±


    suddenly, a flurry of words came to his mind.


    in the midst of complicated thoughts, worries, and confusion, siwoo struggled to choose his words carefully.


    ¡°may i ask why you¡¯ve come here?¡±


    ¡°i ran away from home.¡±


    ¡°so you ran away from home. when the day breaks, lady gemini and ms. odette will worry about you, so please go back home. ms. odette isn¡¯t here, right? then, if there¡¯s nothing else...¡±


    when siwoo tried to close the window, odile¡¯s slender hand held onto the frame.


    ¡°wait, wait!¡±


    ¡°please be quiet...! ms. amelia is still awake!¡±


    ¡°okay, i¡¯ll be quiet, just let me in for now.¡±


    odile attempted to enter the room despite siwoo¡¯s best efforts to remain as quiet as possible and uninvolved in the current incident.


    it was clear which side had the advantage.


    siwoo had no choice but to open the window, and odile landed softly inside the room like an angel.


    he felt dizzy with confusion.


    siwoo couldn¡¯t grasp why she had come here in the first place, or how precarious his current situation was.


    if he got caught, everyone would assume that a slave brought an apprentice witch into his room at night.


    furthermore, odile was only wearing white underwear underneath her cloak.


    she was wearing nothing beneath but drawers and a luxuriously-laced white nightgown.


    he couldn¡¯t imagine what amelia would think if she found out.


    ¡°don¡¯t worry, mr. assistant. i came singing the ¡®song of silence.¡¯ she won¡¯t be able to detect any disturbance i cause.¡±


    after achieving her goal of entering the room, odile offered assurance as if foreseeing siwoo¡¯s worries beforehand.


    siwoo unconsciously reached for another cigarette.


    ¡°please, ms. odile, go back now. didn¡¯t i tell you there won¡¯t be any more secret meetings from now on?¡±


    ¡°i know, i know, i didn¡¯t come here for that.¡±


    odile managed to calm siwoo, who appeared very agitated.


    ¡°i¡¯m just here to ask you something.¡±


    given her late-night visit, it was obvious to siwoo that odile would not simply turn around and leave like that.

 Chapter 47: Late Night Tutoring (2)

    ? late night tutoring (2) ?


    1.


    siwoo settled down on the chair with a complex expression on his face.


    odile, who lay comfortably on the bed as if it were her own, looked around curiously.


    ¡°it¡¯s my first time coming to a guy¡¯s room, but you¡¯ve kept it neat.¡±


    ¡°.......¡±


    smoke billowed out of the window in clusters, carrying with it the pungent aroma of the burning cigarette.


    siwoo had only one thing on his mind.


    he was worried about how he could send odile home safely without any danger.


    he pondered whether it would have been better to take the risk and tell lady gemini the whole truth.


    it didn¡¯t seem like a good idea to be dragged around by the hair in this manner with no good outcome.


    he felt like he was watching a ticking time bomb that might explode at any moment.


    ¡°mr. assistant, are you angry or upset?¡±


    ¡°please tell me your business first, ms. odile. i want to send you back as soon as possible.¡±


    he was aware that this cheeky twin sister wouldn¡¯t pay attention even if he became irate, annoyed, or threatened.


    it would be a bigger problem if he got caught up in a useless argument and it reached amalia.


    first of all, siwoo was relieved that amalia had never entered this room after 12 o¡¯clock.


    and that the ¡°song of silence¡± was activated.


    perhaps the spell had the ability to roughly reduce noise, but he wasn¡¯t certain about its effectiveness.


    odile suddenly jumped up and sat facing siwoo.


    her glittering purple eyes sparkled like stars.


    ¡°mr. assistant, has anything changed with professor amelia lately?¡±


    ¡°not at all,¡±


    ¡°hmm...is that so?¡±


    ¡°did you come all the way here because you were curious about that?¡±


    even if count gemini¡¯s mansion had a private portal that took her to the academy in 10 seconds, it would take her another 10 seconds to get to amelia¡¯s mansion from the academy portal.


    given the amount of time spent traveling from here to there, it must be quite a burden.


    ¡°no, i have something else i want to ask.¡±


    odile pulled out the book from her cloak.


    siwoo was genuinely surprised by odile¡¯s audaciousness.


    ¡°ms. odile, may i ask you something as well?¡±


    ¡°no problem. although i was also impolite, mr. assistant was magnanimous enough to overlook it.¡±


    siwoo was unsure whether or not her behavior were considered rude.


    ¡°um... ms. odile, are you really okay?¡±


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°didn¡¯t a lot of things happen that day?¡±


    indeed, a lot of things happened the other night.


    siwoo not only enjoyed odile¡¯s lower naked body, but he also inserted his dick into her rear hole and came inside her.


    after regaining her senses, odile was overwhelmed with shame, to the point where she felt as if she might faint.


    however, the odile sitting in front of him now gave off the impression that she didn¡¯t give a damn about it.


    ¡°oh, that one? are you still worried about it?¡±


    ¡°but how can you just brush it off like that?¡±


    ¡°all that happened was that the potion¡¯s effect was wrong at the time.¡±


    ¡°but it was still an unpleasant incident.¡±


    ¡°when you explore the world, accidents happen all the time. how can you become a good witch if you¡¯re afraid of failure and shame?¡±


    upon hearing siwoo¡¯s words, odile shrugged nonchalantly as if nothing had happened.


    the reason why siwoo knew that she was putting on a nonchalant front in this situation was because her cheek had a slight blush that was illuminated by the pale moonlight.


    ¡°you¡¯re a role model for witches.¡±


    ¡°indeed, indeed.¡±


    in response to siwoo¡¯s somewhat perplexing compliment, odile smiled bashfully and nodded her head.


    her innocent pupils and double eyelids were so alluring that they could draw people in.


    he recalled how those clear eyes had suddenly become clouded in lust.


    ¡°anyway, it turned out to be better. i used to feel a little embarrassed when dealing with mr. assistant.¡±


    ¡°really? i didn¡¯t feel anything...¡±


    ¡°but now that we¡¯ve already experienced such a drastic event, there¡¯s no need to hesitate anymore, right?¡±


    oddly enough, odile¡¯s face was getting redder and redder.


    ¡°anyway, that¡¯s what i wanted to ask!¡±


    ¡°......?¡±


    ¡°to be honest, i pleasured myself tonight. but something didn¡¯t feel right, so i came to confirm it. after all, mr. assistant is older than me.¡±


    it was because odile¡¯s tone was so nonchalant when telling about what she did tonight that it took siwoo some time to perceive anything peculiar in her words.


    ¡°while reading an erotic novel, i touched myself like odette did in there. i felt good as soon as i touched it.¡±


    ¡°oh, i see...¡±


    this was a strange situation.


    siwoo found the whole situation strange because an apprentice witch visited his room in the middle of the night, talking openly about her masturbation.


    ¡°so, i also tried putting my finger in my anus. but it didn¡¯t feel good at all. in fact, it hurt. i¡¯m really curious why.¡±


    siwoo immediately thought of sending her away when he noticed where the conversation was flowing.


    having been tangled up with the twins several times, siwoo could already tell that this flow of conversation was not going to lead to anything good.


    he knew that if he talked to odile in this way, he would eventually get caught up in pointless arguments or awkward situations brought on by excuses.


    ¡°i¡¯ll answer your question, but you have to leave now. the rear hole isn¡¯t a place for pleasure. even if you masturbate, there¡¯s no way it can feel good.¡±


    ¡°but i felt... good... before, huh?¡±


    suddenly, odile pulled siwoo¡¯s blanket and covered her face while mumbling.


    odile had a blanket covering her up to her nose, and her white iris gave the impression that she was a dog scanning her surroundings.


    ¡°what...?


    ¡°after taking eros¡¯s potion and doing it with mr. siwoo, i felt good. what do you think? it¡¯s weird, right?¡±


    siwoo was convinced.


    although odile was trying to suppress her embarrassment on the surface and saying that she didn¡¯t really care, the reality was different.


    odile was extremely shy, but she persisted because she was curious about sexual matters


    ¡°so, the conclusion i¡¯ve reached is that it felt good because we did it together.¡±


    well, that was obvious.


    siwoo felt much better after receiving a handjob than when masturbating alone.


    ¡°since you¡¯ve come to a conclusion, do you have any questions left for me?¡±


    in front of him, an apprentice witch said something like, ¡°i didn¡¯t really like anal masturbation alone, but anal sex with you was amazing!¡¯


    siwoo was just at a loss for what to do in this awkward situation.


    ¡°the truth is, i already finished asking my questions, but i have a request.¡±


    ¡°no, i can¡¯t do it, please leave.¡±


    he abruptly ended her speech like cutting it off with a knife.


    then odile threw the blanket onto the bed and placed her hand on her waist.


    ¡°are you refusing to follow my, odile gemeni¡¯s command, when you¡¯re still a slave?¡±


    odile widened her eyes to appear more intimidating.


    now that siwoo knew the twins¡¯ personalities, he wasn¡¯t particularly scared anymore.


    ¡°yes, i¡¯m going to refuse.¡±


    ¡°well,¡±


    odile pouted her lips and her previously raised shoulders dropped in disappointment.


    honestly, she thought that forcing him any further would be too much to ask.


    after all, siwoo seemed to be considering going to visit their master in person.


    the punishment that would befall the twins when their strict master found out about their misbehavior was frightening just to think about.


    however, she didn¡¯t feel like threatening siwoo either.


    it was alright when she teased him half-jokingly about his weaknesses, but now he¡¯s stubbornly refusing, and if she threatened him by saying she¡¯d expose his ongoing research on escape magic, that would completely ruin their relationship.


    and then she could do whatever she wanted with siwoo, but it wouldn¡¯t be the same fun relationship they had now.


    ¡°well then, let¡¯s do it like this.¡±


    odile said, raising one finger.


    it was as if she was imitating amalia.


    ¡°please put your finger in there. i need to check my theory,¡±


    put his finger in odile¡¯s rear hole, which seemed to be throbbing.


    siwoo was firm in his decision, despite being surprised by her remark that any man would find it difficult to refuse.


    he kept his mouth shut firmly and shook his head.


    odile folded her arms in frustration.


    ¡°fine, then let¡¯s do this,


    ¡°i won¡¯t do it, no matter what you do. please, ms. odile, return to your mansion.¡±


    ¡°no, listen to me. this will definitely catch mr. assistant¡¯s attention.¡±


    odile reached into her cloak that she had taken off earlier and pulled out something, then fiddled with it in her hand.


    in truth, odile had expected siwoo to reject her fiercely.


    there was no chance that she could convince siwoo to listen to her using sweet-talking tactics.


    ¡°if you accept my two proposals, i¡¯ll give you this.¡±


    she had a palm-sized music box in her hand.


    a delicate and small mechanical device made of brass was carefully covered with a glass lid.


    ¡°what is this?¡±


    siwoo had been a slave in this city of witches for five years.


    as the things here weren¡¯t usually ordinary, he sensed something ominous about the music box, which looked like a child¡¯s toy at first glance.


    ¡°mr. assistant, you said you have a plan to escape the witch¡¯s city, right?¡±


    ¡°yes, i did.¡±


    siwoo responded worriedly.


    he was concerned that she might be using that as a form of blackmail.


    ¡°you didn¡¯t think that everything would go smoothly if you just escaped, did you?


    ¡°i¡¯m also researching magic circles to evade pursuit.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure how effective it is, but it¡¯ll be difficult to escape with just that. if someone is determined to pursue you, you¡¯ll be caught in no time.¡±


    as odile had pointed out, just escaping from gehenna wouldn¡¯t necessarily mean complete freedom for siwoo.


    after all, siwoo had been captured once before in the modern world.


    it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if it happened again, even two or three times.


    therefore, siwoo had been researching ways to evade pursuit in advance.


    although his focus had been on escaping magic circles, for now.


    ¡°it¡¯s the material i¡¯ve prepared to make a deal with mr. assistant.¡±


    odile said, shaking the music box in front of siwoo.


    upon closer inspection, siwoo noticed that the pins on the music box were spinning very slowly.


    ¡°this is the music box that plays the ¡®song of silence¡¯ for a long time. would you like to see it?¡±


    odile then cleared her throat, opened her mouth wide, and yelled.


    ¡°i, odile gemini, am the greatest witch in gehenna!!!¡±


    it was unquestionably a loud sound.


    it was loud enough to reverberate not only in amelia¡¯s room but throughout the entire mansion.


    feeling a chill run down his spine, siwoo hastily covered odile¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°what are you doing all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°oops, ugh...¡±


    odile, who was wriggling in siwoo¡¯s arms, barely managed to break free from his palm.


    ¡°well, wait a minute,¡±


    ten seconds passed, then 20 seconds, and 30 seconds, but nothing changed.


    amelia showed no signs of noticing anything, and the birds dozing on the tree outside the window remained silent. the environment was quiet and still, devoid of any noise.


    ¡°how do odette and i manage to escape to tarot town every time? it¡¯s all thanks to this music box,¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s an artifact, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°yeah, a top-quality one imbued with self-essence magic. this mansion probably looks pitiful in comparison to it, i think.¡±


    it was an artifact that was imbued with magic that could be used to cast magic as well.


    artifacts were magical objects that differed from disposable items like amelia¡¯s perfume due to their lasting nature. these artifacts were highly valued for their rarity and usefulness.


    with a single-minded determination to seduce siwoo, odile began enthusiastically explaining about the music box.


    ¡°if i talk about this music box, it¡¯s a very expensive artifact designed for infiltration and concealment.


    to begin with, simply holding this artifact prevents the user¡¯s voice from being heard beyond a distance of 5 meters.


    it completely removed all traces of mana and removed it from the perception of those around it.


    and on top of that, it doesn¡¯t even leave footprints. if someone were to use this for theft, they could become the world¡¯s greatest villain, wouldn¡¯t they?¡±


    siwoo could tell from odile¡¯s further explanation that it was an extremely high-performance artifact that at first glance seemed almost unbelievable.


    it also erased one¡¯s own appearance from records such as cameras, audio recorders, and surveillance cameras.


    it was equipped with a small self-generating mana source, so as long as he turned the clockwork mechanism, it would operate 24/7 all year round.


    moreover, adjusting the gear on the side enables one to finely tune settings such as the operating range and duration of the effect. with this capability, it appears that the device would provide a complete solution for the post-escape plan.


    ¡°in other words, just having this makes it possible to live your life in complete seclusion after escape.¡±


    at this point, there was nothing to lose.


    siwoo gulped.


    ¡°is it really fine to put such a precious thing up for sale?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s fine. my master gave me one, and one to odette. i didn¡¯t really need two, i¡¯d say i would have sold one for some pocket money.¡±


    as siwoo seemed to be very pleased, odile was finally able to smile confidently.


    ¡°are you willing to make the deal?¡±


    ¡°yes, i am.¡±

 Chapter 48: Late Night Tutoring (3)

    ? late night tutoring (3) ?


    1.


    despite the favorable conditions, it wasn¡¯t a simple decision to make as it would be unwise to sign a contract before hearing its contents.


    siwoo asked odile, who was sitting on the bed and swinging her legs.


    ¡°so what should i do?¡±


    ¡°there are three conditions for fulfilling the contract.¡±


    ¡°didn¡¯t you just say there were two?¡±


    odile hummed a tune with an adorable smile before responding.


    ¡°well, i thought i could ask for one more since it seemed like mr. assistant enjoys the music box quite a fair bit.¡±


    siwoo touched his face as he wondered if his expression had betrayed his thoughts.


    noticing siwoo¡¯s action, odile chuckled softly.


    ¡°i haven¡¯t agreed to anything yet. tell me the details first before i make my decision.¡±


    despite having to take risks, acquiring the music box was worthwhile because of its benefits.


    owning the music box would alleviate any worries he had about being caught again after finally managing to escape.


    furthermore, having the music box meant he could devote all his time to researching the dimensional magic circle, making the offer of this artifact all the more appealing.


    ¡°okay, then here¡¯s the first condition.¡±


    odile said, raising her finger.


    ¡°please join us for a picnic tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°a picnic?¡±


    ¡°yes. tomorrow is mr. assistant¡¯s day off, and we were planning to visit spirit mountain where magical crops are cultivated. we thought it would be boring to go alone, so we wanted to invite mr. assistant to come with us,¡±


    siwoo seemed interested in the proposal.


    ¡°wait, is this the spirit mountain that i know?¡±


    ¡°exactly! will you come?¡±


    spirit mountain, a joint property owned by both duke keter and count gemini.


    it was a large-scale production area responsible for supplying 95% of the magical crops in gehenna.


    siwoo became interested in the spirit mountain due to rumors of its beautiful and mysterious natural scenery.


    his interest only grew stronger after hearing stories from takasho, who had seen it from a distance and described it as a fairy forest.


    even takasho, who had no particular interest in things other than women, was impressed by the mountain¡¯s beauty, which intrigued siwoo.


    ¡°well, that sounds great. i¡¯ve been wanting to go there too.¡±


    ¡°really? i knew that you¡¯d like it too.¡±


    siwoo watched as odile bounced up and down the bed in excitement and couldn¡¯t help but appreciate the view.


    ¡°alright, then for the second condition. prove to me that my theory is correct.¡±


    compared to the first condition, this one was a bit more demanding.


    perhaps the way to prove odile¡¯s theory was by putting his finger up her butthole which would only end when odile was either satisfied or done with the experience.


    that said, the task wasn¡¯t impossible for him to do as the risk involved in the action wasn¡¯t all that great.


    siwoo might have felt inclined to beg her if the circumstances had been different, even if it meant humbling himself to make a request. nevertheless, he decided to accept the request for the time being.


    after all, siwoo had already used odile¡¯s backdoor before.


    it wouldn¡¯t be such a big deal if he just simply inserted a finger into it.


    upon siwoo¡¯s nod of approval, odile posed her final condition.


    ¡°and finally...¡±


    odile exuded an innocence that shone more brilliantly than the moon.


    she brushed away a strand of hair that was clinging to her cheek and asked.


    ¡°tell me about love.¡±


    the scene was like something out of a romantic movie, the sunlight streaming in, and the sight of odile delivering the line was reminiscent of a beautiful actress.


    ¡°i don¡¯t really know what it is myself. when i drank that potion, i thought it might¡¯ve been love, but i realized it was something else,¡±


    ¡°i believe it acted more like an aphrodisiac to me.¡±


    odile continued as she twiddled her fingers nervously.


    ¡°that¡¯s why i want to try to experience it in a more ordinary way. i asked pecha, my maid, and she told me that... love isn¡¯t something that can be easily felt.¡±


    odile got up from the bed and slowly approached siwoo, who was smoking his third cigarette by the window.


    she then grasped one of his fingers and said,


    ¡°love is something that you can only discover by holding hands, stroking cheeks, going on dates, kissing, and getting to know each other.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s quite common.¡±


    siwoo, of course, was unable to describe that feeling to her since he had never experienced it himself.


    ¡°so that¡¯s why i want to try it. going to the spirit mountain together is also a date, and is an extension of my third request.¡±


    ¡°what should i do then? i can¡¯t guarantee that i can make you fall in love no matter how much i try.¡±


    love wasn¡¯t something that could be easily obtained or controlled like a part of something, and real life wasn¡¯t like an rpg game where one could easily impress others.


    ¡°well, it¡¯s simple. just promise me that you¡¯ll keep playing with me in the future and won¡¯t avoid me.¡±


    ¡°with me? is this matter unrelated to ms. odette?¡±


    siwoo unexpectedly spurted out, sensing something amiss from her words..


    odile had always referred to herself and her sister as a package deal, so it was unusual for her to omit odette¡¯s name.


    if she had been her usual self, she would have asked him to hang out with them more often.


    siwoo¡¯s remark seemed to come as a shock for odile as well.


    her eyes shot wide open, and it took her a moment for odile to realize her mistake before correcting herself.


    ¡°oh dear, i seemed to have made a mistake. that¡¯s unlike me. anyways, just make sure to hang out with us often.¡±


    ¡°may i take a moment to think about it?¡±


    ¡°sure, i¡¯ll be expecting a wise response.¡±


    siwoo would reluctantly follow any orders from odile, even if they were intentional.


    he couldn¡¯t predict how amelia and the other witches would respond if they knew that he had the formula for the escape spell.


    however, he couldn¡¯t understand why odile insisted on using him as a bargaining chip for the artifact.


    ¡°are you done with finding blackmail to use against me?¡±


    ¡°wouldn¡¯t it be fun for mr. assistant if you were to find out weaknesses? if we¡¯re having fun, then mr. assistant should be able to as well.¡±


    siwoo was surprised by her delicate consideration and felt touched.


    although odile seemed harsh, she respected siwoo¡¯s wishes in her own way while still being very selfish.


    ¡°if you shake my hand on your own accord, it would mean that we have a deal.¡±


    odile said, extending her hand.


    ¡°i understand.¡±


    siwoo nodded, taking odile¡¯s hand and giving it a light shake.


    they both smiled, pleased with the mutually beneficial agreement they had just sealed.


    2.


    although their plans to visit spirit mountain and entertain the twins were still in the future, there were immediate contract conditions that needed to be settled, namely, satisfying odile¡¯s curious whims.


    as soon as they both acknowledged this, an awkward mood descended upon them.


    odile and siwoo stood side by side, gazing at the bed for a long time, unsure of what to do next.


    ¡°um...so,¡±


    ¡°what should i do?¡±


    odile hesitated, fidgeting with her clothes, while siwoo scratched the back of his head, unable to offer any suggestions.


    ¡°i¡¯m curious to know if it would feel better when i use another person¡¯s hand.¡±


    ¡°yes, i understand that. but now... i¡¯d hoped that you would give me some details on how you¡¯d like things to be done.¡±


    ¡°hey, we¡¯re in a symbiotic relationship now, right? do i have to make all the decisions? don¡¯t just try to get a free ride, mr. assistant should come up with some ideas as well.¡±


    siwoo was puzzled by odile¡¯s request to ¡°come up with some ideas¡± but didn¡¯t have much time to hesitate since they needed to finish up quickly before amelia arrived.


    ¡°well, um, would you mind taking off your underwear?¡±


    ¡°what? how could i possibly do something like that without being under the potion¡¯s effect?


    siwoo was taken aback by her behavior, after all, odile was the one who had asked him to stick his finger up her ass. but now, here she was embarrassed to show her butt.


    ¡°then shall we do it in a standing position?¡±


    siwoo asked, to which odile nodded her head in agreement.


    ¡°i¡¯ll grab the bed like this... and stand there.¡±


    odile stood tall with both her hands on the waist-high bed and stuck her butt out ever so slightly.


    odile stood up on her toes, much like how a ballet dancer would do.


    ¡°would it be easier for you to do it in this position?¡±


    ¡°alright, i understand.¡±


    ¡°oh, and i heard that doing it from the back is different from doing it from the front and can even cause pain if done without any lubricant. check the inner pocket of that robe over there.¡±


    odile appeared to have diligently prepared everything that was needed, like a conscientious student.


    when siwoo removed the stopper, a fragrant flower scent wafted up from the luxurious-looking porcelain bottle.


    judging by the scent, which was similar to the fragrance that emanated from odile¡¯s body, it seemed to be an essential oil that was used during baths.


    ¡°apply it to your fingers and then just insert it.¡±


    siwoo swallowed nervously, tilting the bottle of oil onto his finger.


    ¡°well, excuse me,¡±


    as he pulled down the elastic band of odile¡¯s boxers, her plump buttocks came into view.


    the sight aroused a painful erection from siwoo.


    after creating enough space to ensure that neither her clothes nor skin would become soiled with the lubricant, he proceeded to insert his fingers into her rear hole.


    ¡°hick!¡±


    a high-pitched gasp escaped from odile¡¯s lips as siwoo¡¯s hand came into contact with her butt cheeks.


    ¡°do you feel uncomfortable?¡±


    ¡°no, no. i was just surprised by how cold your hands are. but please keep going.¡±


    the perfect mix of soft, plump flesh of her buttocks could be felt through siwoo¡¯s palm as he came to the conclusion that they could be comfortably cupped in between his hands.


    siwoo¡¯s hands slowly glided down the ravine between odile¡¯s buttcheeks.


    the tension was so solemn that the sound of his swallowing saliva seemed especially loud.


    ¡°okay, i¡¯m going to put it in.¡±


    ¡°wait, wait! that¡¯s the different hole!¡±


    siwoo carefully regained his composure.


    it wasn¡¯t until he passed by her soft, plump vagina and inserted a finger into the front hole that he had noticed that he had been so mesmerized by the smoothness of her ass that he failed to pay any attention to where his finger was going.


    thankfully, he had only inserted a small portion of his finger, about half a node.


    odile was so startled that she began to squeal much like how a chick, who just got vaccinated, would.


    ¡°you shouldn¡¯t have put it there! i didn¡¯t see you that way, mr. assistant, but you really are an insidious person!¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry.¡±


    siwoo pondered who was more insidious between himself and odile as he quickly withdrew his finger and searched for odile¡¯s other hole.


    ¡°ha...¡±


    as they continued, siwoo began to notice that odile¡¯s ears were growing increasingly red.


    he had even caught a glimpse of her flushed cheeks when she briefly turned her head to scold him, resembling the skin of a ripe persimmon.


    siwoo couldn¡¯t understand why odile would subject herself to such humiliation just to prove her theory, especially when she seemed visibly embarrassed by the situation.


    despite his confusion, he tried to ask for clarification,


    ¡°is this the right place?¡±


    ¡°well, why are you asking me... you¡¯ll figure it out if you look closely.¡±


    all siwoo could feel in this awkward situation was the warmth of odile¡¯s soft buttocks in her boxers as his fingertips glided along the wrinkled texture of her rectum folds.


    as he did so, siwoo gradually began stroking along the folds as if he were mesmerized by them.


    the fragrance oil added to the ever-increasing arousal present in the room..


    ¡°i¡¯ll really put it in this time.¡±


    siwoo began to carefully push his oil-coated ring finger within little by little.


    at the same time, his fingers felt an incredible resistance.


    odile¡¯s flower bud was tightly shut, making any progress impossible.


    ¡°ms. odile, if you push that hard... i won¡¯t be able to put it in, will i?¡±


    as siwoo said that, he began to focus on the task at hand.


    what kind of man would he be if he backed down from such a challenge?


    it was his duty to fulfill a request from a pretty lady such as odile, who had approached him and asked him to pleasure her by fingering her ass.


    ¡°wait, it worked before... why isn¡¯t it working now?¡±


    ¡°try to take a deep breath.¡±


    ¡°a deep breath? okay. huh... ha... huh... hiyang...!¡±


    siwoo pushed his finger in smoothly, timing it perfectly with her exhale.


    at the same time, odile stiffened and let out a cute moan.


    ¡°you, you surprised me!¡±


    ¡°well thankfully it worked.¡±


    his finger had slipped in easily, going in about one joint deep.


    he could feel odile¡¯s inner wall twitch intermittently against his finger, the inside of her body feeling much hotter than her warm skin.


    honestly, siwoo found it hard to resist.


    the dangerous urge to push down the helpless odile on the bed and ram his dick into her as he had done before pulsed through his body as he reminded himself to maintain his rationality and focus on the task at hand.


    ¡°i¡¯m going to start moving now.¡±


    ¡°got it... do it slowly, very slowly, got it?


    as siwoo began to make his way deeper into her, odile, on her tiptoes, resisted the urge to look back as she gripped the bedsheets.

 Chapter 49: Late Night Tutoring (4)

    ? late night tutoring (4) ?


    1.


    the room was drenched in utter silence.


    amidst such tense silence, a strange tension akin to taut spiderwebs hanging in the air, the faint echoes of odile¡¯s irregular breaths and siwoo¡¯s finger movements were the only things breaking the tranquility of the room.


    ¡°hmm... well...¡±


    his fingers slid inside odile¡¯s tightened folds more easily than he had expected them to.


    he reasoned that the cause of this phenomenon might be because he was using the ring finger which was relatively thinner than all the fingers of a hand.


    one finger joint after another went in and out through her rear hole without much difficulty.


    he was feeling a hot pressure clench his digit inside her hole which had become quite slippery due to the usage of the aromatic oil.


    he watched, touched, and felt every inch of odile¡¯s body, which he couldn¡¯t fully appreciate before.


    ¡°are you... okay?¡±


    the atmosphere surrounding them had become tinged with eroticism.


    perhaps because he was feeling a bit too nervous right now, his voice cracked and sounded like a metallic clang.


    odile¡¯s anus was so alluring that it was almost like a magical hole that constantly drew his attention.


    he couldn¡¯t believe just how he had managed to shove his entire dick into this tight hole when it had become so full with the insertion of just one of his fingers.


    ¡°uh... yeah... nothing special, yet.¡±


    odile replied without looking back at him.


    ¡®is it just me or did her voice sound a bit excited there?¡¯


    swallowing the dry saliva in his mouth, siwoo changed the angle of insertion of his fingers.


    he supported the entirety of her derriere with one of his hands while he inserted his fingers deeper inside her puckering tight canal.


    he used the rest of his fingers to spread her buttock wide, allowing for deeper insertion with his fingers.


    ¡°ha... uh....¡±


    immediately, she responded to siwoo¡¯s actions.


    her slender back drew a graceful curve, and her buttocks abruptly tightened as if trying to grab his fingers with their tightness.


    odile was seductive enough as is, but her body was on a whole another level.


    unconsciously, siwoo began to insert and pull his fingers out of her tight hole in a rhythmic fashion; as though he was trying to gauge her reactions.


    it was surreal to him that... with just the use of one of his fingers, siwoo was now able to control the shameless and unruly odil.


    every time he stuck his finger inside her hole, she would stand on her tiptoe, trying to avoid the sensation of his finger penetrating her depths. meanwhile, when he pulled out his finger, her body would quiver and her mouth would leak out hot and heavy sighs.


    each and every one of those erotic reactions was seemingly made to tempt siwoo.


    ¨C thud!


    ¡°ah!¡±


    with a throaty moan coming out of odile¡¯s lips, the ring finger completely slipped out of her hole.


    due to the inflexibility of the ring finger, it was difficult to insert more than two fingers inside.


    ¡°why, why did you take it out?¡±


    ¡°my finger is a little uncomfortable. please bear with it for a bit.¡±


    siwoo, therefore, decided to insert his middle finger, which was the longest and most flexible among all the fingers.


    a sufficient amount of lubricant had already been applied to the inside of odile¡¯s puckering depths, so he rubbed his fingertips along the creases of her canal and then gently pushed his finger inside.


    ¡°ha-u, he-u, ho-u...¡±


    odile was breathing heavily, the breaths coming out in strange gasps.


    her breathing grew louder and louder, gasping each time his rough finger joints were progressively swallowed up inside her hot and slippery folds.


    siwoo was beginning to lose his self-control as he heard her seductive and sensual response to his actions.


    the male instinct to make a female feel pleasure was stirring within him.


    he was experiencing the feeling of triumph that came from being able to control a noble apprentice witch with just one of his fingers.


    more than just the experiment itself, siwoo¡¯s own desires began to mix into the act.


    it was a primal desire to make odile feel more and more pleasure; to look at her messy and disheveled appearance during the act.


    ¨C poke, poke, poke, poke


    ¡°hmm... hmm... hmm...¡±


    using his long and flexible middle finger, possessing the greatest strength among the fingers, he was able to intensify his caresses to her insides.


    the sounds of the finger moving back and forth inside her quivering hole were getting louder and louder.


    akin to the ripples of a lake in midst of a rainstorm, odile¡¯s reaction also underwent drastic changes,


    siwoo supported odile¡¯s flexible waist with one of his hands.


    as he reached into her boxers, the nightgown lifted slightly, creating an opening through which he could feel the softness of her sides and pelvis.


    he found it comfortable to grip her love handles, which were soft and plump but had little to no fat.


    ¡°ah... uh.... uh...¡±


    siwoo already knew.


    that odile was already feeling pleasure from her anal hole.


    she expressed her desire to see if she could feel more pleasure if siwoo assisted her in anal masturbating now that she appeared to be feeling pleasure, implying that he didn¡¯t need to use other caressing techniques any further.


    nevertheless, he didn¡¯t stop.


    without saying anything to odile, he continued with what he was doing.


    it felt like the brakes holding him back had been released.


    ¡°uh... uh... ooh.... huh...¡±


    before he could even notice, odile, who had been standing with her waist slightly arched forward, had collapsed on the bed.


    her arms, which had been clutching the bed, sunk down to her elbows and her upper body slumped forward, causing her buttocks to arch up as a result.


    perhaps due to the intense movement of his hands, her boxer had fallen halfway down, exposing odile¡¯s pristine white arse in full.


    ¡°whew...¡±


    siwoo began moving his hands vigorously; his eyes bloodshot.


    there were no special techniques used in his movements.


    just the speed of his movements was a bit faster.


    ¡°heuheue.... ung... heeut...¡±


    odile¡¯s legs started to tremble violently with just that simple change.


    her highly tense leg muscles were twitching and trembling intermittently, and the intensity was enough that siwoo was able to literally witness it with his eyes.


    ¡®is it even possible for her to go back in this state?¡¯


    honestly, siwoo couldn¡¯t quite grasp how odile must be feeling at the moment.


    still, he wanted to experience the thrill of bringing odile to the brink of pleasure with his own hands for once, at least.


    ¨C gasp, gasp, gasp


    ¡°ugh... ugh... hngh...¡±


    odile¡¯s soft moans became increasingly ragged.


    her lustful moans grew louder with each passing second.


    odile probably thought that burying her face in the blankets would be enough to suppress her moans. however, the room was so quiet that he could easily hear her sweet moans with full clarity.


    and soon, she reached her climax.


    ¡°aahh...!¡±


    each time siwoo¡¯s fingers moved, odile¡¯s waist, which had been floating in mid-air, lowered momentarily.


    perhaps because of the sudden movement of her body, as if she received an electric shock, siwoo¡¯s finger, which had been stimulating odile¡¯s rear hole, slipped out.


    startled by the sudden movement, siwoo took a step back.


    and with that, he quickly caught sight of odile¡¯s alluring back figure.


    ¡°hmm... hm... hm...


    odile¡¯s exposed buttocks, peering over the slightly ajar boxer, repeatedly clenched and loosened, despite siwoo not even laying a finger on them.


    odile¡¯s legs, which barely supported her weight, wobbled like a newborn giraffe, while her hips gyrated up and down in a rhythmic motion, as if they were dancing to a tune only she could hear.


    ¡°oohh...¡±


    as siwoo observed odile¡¯s erotic backside, he became surprised when he noticed something there.


    the boxer that had been in direct contact with odile¡¯s quivering love tunnel.


    the white colored boxer had a damp gray hued stain along the crotch area.


    since witches didn¡¯t need to use the bathroom, it was clear what the meaning behind that liquid stain was.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    as if the earthquake wreaking her body had stopped, odile¡¯s trembling also subsided.


    a hot sigh marked the end of this lewd experiment.


    there was nothing left to say.


    siwoo shaft throbbed, as odile¡¯s undergarment was soaked in her love juices.


    odile, who had buried her head in the bed till then, cautiously turned around.


    her pupils were burning with intense desire.


    ¡°what, what are you doing? mr. assistant.¡±


    ¡°yes?¡±


    ¡°experiment... you said you¡¯d help me with it.¡±


    siwoo was taken aback by odile¡¯s words that were oozed in excitement and sensuality.


    he found it difficult to comprehend what she was saying as he was already helping her with the experiment.


    ¡°didn¡¯t i just help you?¡±


    ¡°i told you... i wanted to know if i could feel better with mr. assistant¡¯s touch.¡±


    siwoo was puzzled by her words.


    ¡®didn¡¯t i help her just now?¡¯


    he was surprised by odile¡¯s intense physical response to his touch.


    moreover, with the boxer being so wet, he was sure that odile must have had an orgasm already.


    ¡°it¡¯s not finished yet. i haven¡¯t felt anything yet. it¡¯s no different from doing it alone... so...¡±


    after glancing at siwoo for a moment, odile averted her gaze when their eyes met and started whining.


    ¡°what are you doing, mr. assistant? experiment... we have to continue the experiment.¡±


    ¡®did she go mad?¡¯


    no matter how insensitive siwoo was, he knew very well why odile was acting like that.


    from the moment he had inserted his finger inside her anal crevice, he was sure that the apprentice witch had started trembling due to the pleasure she was feeling from that act.


    moreover, his continued fingering eventually led to her reaching an orgasm.


    he was perplexed as to why she was lying and pretending like an ostrich that thought it wouldn¡¯t be found out if it just buried its head in the sand?


    ¡®is it because she wants to feel more pleasure?¡¯


    ¡°weren¡¯t you already feeling good?¡±


    with his libido at an all-time high, siwoo tried to confirm odile¡¯s true intentions with the last bit of conscience he could muster in himself.


    ¡°what are you talking about? i wasn¡¯t feeling anything.¡±


    odile shamelessly replied, avoiding siwoo¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°then let¡¯s try a bit more.¡±


    normally, siwoo would have simply let it go, saying something along the lines of ¡®if you don¡¯t feel anything even after doing this much, it seems like ms. odile¡¯s theory is probably wrong.¡¯


    however, a man who opted to remain silent despite witnessing such a playful side of an enchanting woman was a eunuch, not a man.


    without a shadow of a doubt, if they were men, they would have made the same choice as siwoo.


    ¡°wait a minute, mr. assistant,¡±


    ¡®did she finally have a change of mind?¡¯


    odile grabbed siwoo¡¯s hand before he could reach out and grab her boxers.


    siwoo stopped, feeling a mixture of relief and disappointment intertwine in his mind.


    ¡°yes, ms. odile.¡±


    ¡°well, you know... i¡¯ve thought about it, and maybe it¡¯s not enough with just your fingers.¡±


    ¡°what do you mean...?¡±


    ¡°well, you know... when i think about when i felt good, i realized that it wasn¡¯t your finger... what you put in, in my anus, it was mr. assistant¡¯s dick...¡±


    siwoo gulped audibly at her words.


    he patiently awaited for odile to complete her sentence.


    odile cast a quick glance over her shoulder and looked at siwoo. when their eyes met, she became startled and shifted her gaze back to the front.


    ¡°of course, i know that doing it from behind like this is a bit embarrassing. and it¡¯s also a little shameful that a slave like mr. assistant and an apprentice witch like myself... well, it¡¯s a bit inappropriate for us to be connected like this, you know?¡±


    ¡°yes,¡±


    odile began to beat around the bush.


    perhaps she hoped in her heart that siwoo would speak up first.


    after remaining quiet for a while, odile reluctantly opened her mouth when there was no response coming from him.


    ¡°but it¡¯s not really the first time, is it? anything is difficult the first time around, but it¡¯s said to be easier from then on... so, um... well, that¡¯s why i¡¯m saying... like what we did before... that...¡±


    siwoo gulped once again.


    ¡°just insert the tip... would you like to try?¡±


    ¡®just the tip?¡¯


    siwoo wasn¡¯t sure if he would be able to control his burning lust.


    ¡°are you sure it¡¯s okay?¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t have strange thoughts... it¡¯s just an extension of our experiment...¡±


    siwoo lowered his gaze to his erect dick; the throbbing organ seemed ready to burst out of his pants for quite some time already.


    he then looked at odile¡¯s luscious hips, swaying seductively in front of his eyes.


    unlike last time, when he was tied to the sofa and could only watch her insert his penis in her back hole, he was now able to hold onto her hips and move inside her however he wanted.


    he would be able to fully satisfy his lust this way.


    ¡°come on, mr. assistant! are you going to do it or not?¡±


    odile grew more irritated as her embarrassment grew with siwoo¡¯s prolonged inaction.


    given her usual personality, the idea of proposing to bend over as though she was receiving an injection must have made her extremely uncomfortable. it was probably to the point that she was getting increasingly angry with the passage of time.


    however, her desire to obtain even greater pleasure was enough to outweigh the embarrassment she was feeling right now.


    ¡®it¡¯s something we¡¯ve already done once anyways.¡¯


    ¡®let¡¯s make it count this time around.¡¯


    siwoo hooked his fingers through odile¡¯s boxers.


    since he had to strip her down in order to proceed with the act.


    ¡°wait, don¡¯t take it all off... just lower it a little.¡±


    ¡°like this?¡±


    ¡°yeah... just like that.¡±


    siwoo pulled the rubber band and lowered the boxer as per her orders.


    due to the close proximity of the female genitalia to the anus, odile¡¯s glistening mounds, already damp with her sweet nectar, formed an impressive sight around the perineum.


    the glistening aromatic oil accentuated the wrinkles of her sphincter, making them more prominent, and the plump petals beneath her rear hole were also a mesmerizing sight.


    it was now possible for him to put his dick inside her anal hole.


    ¡°you know, you have to put only the tip in, right?¡±


    ¡°yes, i understand.¡±


    siwoo answered noncommittally and pulled his rock-hard cock out of his pants, aiming it at odile¡¯s puckered hole.

 Chapter 50: Late Night Tutoring (5)

    ? late night tutoring (5) ?


    1.


    odile nervously waited for siwoo¡¯s touch.


    her face flushed with embarrassment, and her head felt dizzy from the heat.


    it was a sensation she had never felt before while she was pleasuring herself all alone.


    in truth, odile was already convinced that her theory was correct.


    she had felt a shiver run down her spine when his fingers, soaked in aromatic oil, teased her filthy hole.


    every time siwoo¡¯s fingers slid back and forth inside her impure canal, her body shuddered violently, just like she had imagined it to react from the erotic novel of the delivery man.


    it was the strange sensation of a foreign body penetrating her own.


    what was more bizarre was the searing heat she was feeling from her lower abdomen that triumphed the feeling of something foreign entering her body.


    if they had wanted to stop, they could have quit within 10 seconds of starting this act, and at one point even odile was considering stopping this shameful act in the middle.


    ¡®but that unfamiliar sensation i felt just then.¡¯


    that very sensation prevented odile from deciding to end the experiment.


    even though there was no potion affecting her head and dizzying her mind this time around, her breathing gradually became faster and faster with time.


    as he touched her body, she felt a hot rush of pleasure run through her whole body, causing her legs to tremble.


    odile didn¡¯t hate such a feeling in the slightest.


    on the contrary, she felt curious and wanted to keep feeling it more and more.


    odile¡¯s condition was comparable to that of a puppy in heat for the very first time; a puppy who was rubbing its genitals against a blanket, trying to feel more pleasure.


    because of those emotions, she was feeling, she stifled her moans and surrendered her body to his hands.


    ¡®don¡¯t stop. please don¡¯t stop.¡¯


    if she was feeling so much pleasure with just this, she couldn¡¯t wait to feel the intense pleasure awaiting her further down the road.


    and then, for the first time, she felt it.


    as the layers of pleasure that had been building up inside her body finally collapsed with siwoo¡¯s passionate caresses, she felt a bright light flashing in her mind¡ª a light she had never witnessed before.


    the sensation was similar to a burst of light as if odile¡¯s entire body was enveloped in a euphoric and warm light.


    ¡°haah... haah...¡±


    as she clenched the blanket she was holding tightly between her teeth to cover her mouth and muffle her embarrassed voice, she suddenly remembered a time when she felt something like this before.


    it was akin to the first time she had tasted a sweet dessert.


    her perception of the world of taste, which previously seemed limited, was expanded by the melting sponge cake and the sweet whipped cream she tasted at the time.


    since then, odile used all of her pocket money to take odette to every pastry shop in gehenna.


    with the unwavering determination to conquer all the desserts in the city of witches.


    despite both of them getting a lot of cavities and their allowances being cut in half after getting caught, they still enjoyed the consumption of sweets albeit under strict supervision.


    ¡®anyways.¡¯


    long story short, this situation was similar to the sensation she had felt when tasting the sweet dessert for the very first time.


    a new sense of sweetness.


    she¡¯d come to experience something new and exciting once again.


    odile had a strong urge to keep discovering and having new experiences, just as she had developed an obsession with endlessly trying out new desserts.


    she felt wave after wave of euphoria even when siwoo merely used his fingers.


    ¡®how would it feel if he used his dick instead?¡¯


    ¡®wouldn¡¯t i feel much more pleasure than what i was feeling now?¡¯


    even if it meant that she had to lie, even if it meant that she had to put her shame aside... it didn¡¯t matter to her as long as she was able to satiate her curiosity.


    and when odile became curious about something,


    ¡®i must find out the truth at any and all costs to appease my mind.¡¯


    2.


    siwoo grasped his stiff and erect dick with his hand.


    gently, almost teasingly, he rubbed the pre-cum soaked glans in between odile¡¯s buttocks.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    ¡®i¡¯ve noticed it before but how can a body be so soft and elastic like hers?¡¯


    he was sure that just rubbing like this was enough for him to ejaculate with enough time.


    ¡°i¡¯ll really put it in.¡±


    ¡°uh... yeah! you know, you only need to put in the tip, right?¡±


    siwoo didn¡¯t know if it would work out as she said, however, for now, he grabbed odile¡¯s hips and pushed his glans firmly into her butthole.


    her glittering, delicious-looking rear hole was covered in aromatic oil.


    odile had already mentioned that it was a hole she didn¡¯t need to use, but it was still an excretory organ, so it was understandable for one to feel repulsive. however, that thought never crossed his mind.


    actually, siwoo has developed a strange sense of immorality as a result of having kinky sex rather than the traditional way of making love.


    ¨C twitch


    was it because he had loosened her anus by stimulating it with his fingers beforehand or was it perhaps due to odile being much more comfortable with the act as it was their second time? he was unsure of the reason behind it.


    but, the fact here was that... siwoo¡¯s dick penetrated her rear hole much much more smoothly than the first time.


    ¡°ah, it hurts...! go slower...! ahh...!¡±


    odile¡¯s body began to tremble in agony as soon as the bulbous tip dipped into her hole just the slightest bit.


    whines and shouts of pain echoed out of her lips.


    in fact, the difference in their body size was quite significant.


    siwoo was tall for a korean man, with a larger dick than your average person, whereas odile¡¯s physique was noticeably smaller than his own.


    needless to say, the narrow rear hole was where the difference between their sizes stood out the most.


    from odile¡¯s point of view, even the insertion of only the tip of siwoo¡¯s dick was pushing her to her very limits.


    but there was no chance of turning back left for her now.


    siwoo lowered his knees.


    braced his legs.


    clenched his fist.


    opened his eyes wide.


    gritted his teeth.


    grabbed his dick tightly, and took a large step forward.


    despite the vigorous resistance coming from odile¡¯s anus, siwoo continued to push his dick inside without giving in for even a moment.


    ¡°haaa!¡±


    as soon as he inserted beyond a certain depth, odile¡¯s puckering canal began to suck in siwoo¡¯s member into its depths.


    odile hopped up and tiptoed on her feet as his glans slipped in her hole completely.


    her torso that had been lying down suddenly sprung up, like a spring, creating a sleek curve in her upper body; akin to the keel of a sailboat.


    ¡°fuck...¡±


    siwoo couldn¡¯t help but curse under his breath.


    the overwhelming ecstasy he felt from her extremely tight hole forced him to curse.


    fortunately, odile was too lost in her own pleasure at the moment to hear his vulgar speech. all she could do was let her body tremble unceasingly in the throes of pain and pleasure.


    ¡°did it... go all the way in?¡±


    ¡°yes, it¡¯s inside.¡±


    the dick being gently wrapped by the soft insides of her rear hole was likely the reason behind the extreme pleasure he experienced.


    however, after inserting his shaft like this once, he felt like he needed to resist the urge to push it inside her even more.


    after all, what odile had requested of siwoo was to simply insert the tip of his dick inside her rear hole, and siwoo was ready to pull his member out at any moment.


    the urge he felt to push his whole dick inside her soft insides was also expected as odile was seductively swaying her hips without any sense of shame.


    ¡°mr. assistant... would you like to try moving once now? you¡¯re curious, aren¡¯t you....?¡±


    odile spoke slowly.


    she said in a timid voice, which was unlike her usual confident self.


    siwoo wondered if she was even aware of how shy she sounded right now as he placed his hands on the area he had wanted to touch for some time now.


    it was the place where someone would hold their partner¡¯s waist before fucking her in the doggy-style position.


    the place to hold before fucking one¡¯s partner in the doggy style position is commonly known as the ¡°love handle,¡± where the waist meets the hip bones.


    siwoo was startled when he grabbed odile¡¯s love handles that were exposed as the nightgown rose up her waist.


    even though it was visibly thin and small, he could feel it more distinctly as he held it with both of his hands.


    women with petite bodies like odile had a graceful curve to them that was difficult to describe in words.


    it was completely different from the stocky waist of a man.


    as he held her love handles with both of his hands, he felt like he was riding a pony.


    ¡°is it okay to move now?¡±


    simultaneously, a sense of danger emerged in his mind.


    his manhood was inserted forcibly into such a small hole.


    no matter how much odile¡¯s body was half-spiritual, he couldn¡¯t help but think that something terrible might happen if he moved back and forth inside her.


    ¡°for now... ah... since it doesn¡¯t hurt, it should be okay, right...?¡±


    odile¡¯s rear hole twitched and tightened around his cock, giving siwoo immense pleasure even without doing any movements inside her rear hole.


    ¡®how will it feel if her soft insides clench around my cock as i move back and forth inside of her?¡¯


    it was natural for him to become curious about this.


    ¡°well, try putting a little more in for now.¡±


    ¡°uh... yeah, i was trying to put only the tip in, but i guess it can¡¯t be helped...¡±


    moreover, it seemed like odile¡¯s curiosity was also piqued.


    even though she had clearly told him to only put the tip in, odile was now acquiescing to siwoo¡¯s actions without any signs of resistance.


    while siwoo was engrossed in exploring the unknown sensation he had never experienced before, all of a sudden he felt a chill run down his spine.


    siwoo instinctively felt a sense of danger at that moment.


    ¨C thud!


    behind him, he could hear the sounds of a door closing in the distance.


    akin to a herbivore sensing the presence of an apex predator, siwoo was also able to detect the danger that was swiftly approaching his way.


    it was the sound of amelia opening the door and leaving her room.


    ¡°mr. assistant...? why are you just standing there?¡±


    ¡°shh, shh, shh.¡±


    siwoo, who was quietly trying to hear amelia¡¯s movement, leaned in and urgently whispered into odile¡¯s ears.


    ¡°ms. odile, i think ms. amelia is coming to my room right now.¡±


    ¡°what? hiik!¡±


    odile hurriedly rose from her sprawled state.


    then, siwoo¡¯s member that had been inside of her slipped out with a squelching sound.


    it seemed that even odile knew that it was not good to show such an appearance to amelia.


    ¡°what do i do? what do i do!?¡±


    ¡°the music box! use the music box!¡±


    ¡°that won¡¯t work in front of a witch as powerful as ms. professor. it won¡¯t fool her if she¡¯s right in front of us!¡±


    in a panic, odile hurriedly put on her boxer and her cloak in her body.


    her eyes darted around, searching for a place to hide.


    there wasn¡¯t much time for siwoo to waste.


    he quickly pointed under the bed and spoke.


    ¡°hide here for now.¡±


    siwoo was unable to predict how amelia would react to finding an exclusive slave with the apprentice witch alone in the room together in the middle of the night in this manner.


    he could not guarantee any answer as to how things would pan out in that scenario.


    they could try to make up an excuse, but there was a chance that amelia would find their explanation suspicious and report them to lady gemini directly.


    siwoo was uncomfortable with his current circumstances and had a bad feeling about how things would turn out.


    while odile wiggled and crawled under the bed,


    siwoo quickly dressed in a worn-out work uniform that he was using as a substitute for pajamas and opened the door.


    ¡°huh!¡±


    as soon as he opened the door, he was greeted with the sight of amelia standing in front.


    she was dressed in a white nightgown and held a lamp in one hand to illuminate the dark surroundings.


    siwoo hadn¡¯t heard the door open as she entered his room.


    given how close they were to each other, amelia might have thought there was no need for her to knock before opening his bedroom door.


    siwoo felt cold sweat pouring down like a waterfall behind his back but tried to appear calm and composed as he greeted amelia respectfully.


    ¡°ms. amelia, what brings you here at such a late hour?¡±


    siwoo blocked the door with his body; as if fearing that she might see odile hiding under the bed.


    amelia tilted her head slightly and looked at siwoo, who was drenched in sweat right now.


    ¡°siwoo, what were you doing in your room? you¡¯re sweating so much...¡±


    ¡°hehe... i was just exercising. i haven¡¯t been using my body much lately, so i have plenty of stamina left.¡±


    ¡®to be exact, i was about to do back exercises before you barged in.¡¯


    he planned to talk to amelia in a way that wouldn¡¯t reveal that anything was amiss with him or his room, but he wasn¡¯t certain if she would be fooled by his acting.


    ¡°i came to talk to you about something.¡±


    ¡°the room is a bit messy. let¡¯s go to the living room.¡±


    siwoo tried to close the door naturally, but amelia didn¡¯t budge from her spot.


    without pushing her aside, it was impossible to leave the room and close the door, making the situation incredibly awkward for him.


    ¡°are you hiding anything?¡±


    siwoo¡¯s heart sank at amelia¡¯s unusual behavior.


    she even leaned over to peer inside the room and get a better view.


    considering siwoo¡¯s careful posture and straight gait, his current appearance seemed a bit suspicious to amelia.


    ¡°hiding something... what do you mean? that¡¯s ridiculous!¡±


    siwoo opened the door wide instead; as though she was inviting her to look inside. of hiding.


    he had already provided enough time for odile to hide.


    amelia wouldn¡¯t be aware of her presence unless odile happened to sneeze at the wrong time.


    ¡°hmm...¡±


    amelia looked back and forth between the messy room and siwoo¡¯s face before stepping back.


    siwoo closed the door and entered the living room as if he had been waiting for her to do just that.


    ¡°so, what brings you here?¡±


    ¡°i came to give you this.¡±


    siwoo finally paid attention to the object in amelia¡¯s hand.


    it was a pile of clothes.


    she gave him something once again.


    lately, amelia felt like a mob from an rpg event to him.


    whenever they met or she visited him, she always handed him some snacks or cigarettes.


    ¡°you can¡¯t live in those shabby clothes, your room will get dirty, won¡¯t it? change into these at night.¡±


    amelia¡¯s latest drop item was a pajama set made of wool that would put him to sleep just by putting it on.


    ¡°thank you, my sleeping situation has been quite uncomfortable lately, so this is the perfect attire for that.¡±


    siwoo expressed his appreciation to amelia and bowed his head deeply.


    after being shown gratitude, amelia nodded her head as if acknowledging that she was deserving of such gratitude, and proceeded to take a seat at the table in the living room.


    ¡®why isn¡¯t she going back?¡¯


    he stood beside her with a sense of hesitation.


    even standing close to her made him feel uneasy.


    in the midst of siwoo¡¯s tense and nervous state, amelia opened her mouth.


    ¡°i¡¯m planning on going to border town tomorrow. please, accompany me.¡±


    she suddenly put forth an unexpected offer to go out together.

 Chapter 51: Late Night Tutoring (6)

    ? late night tutoring (6) ?


    1.


    siwoo wondered why amelia wanted to visit border town all of a sudden.


    in fact, he didn¡¯t have any fond memories of that place.


    siwoo¡¯s impression of border town had already been set in stone as a town filled with drugs and all sorts of dangers.


    honestly, he didn¡¯t even want to set foot in there again.


    furthermore, tomorrow was supposed to be his day off according to the manual.


    he felt as though he was looking at his supervising professor, who had been waiting for his long-awaited holiday to suggest that they go camping together.


    although he was likely to turn down her offer, he would have probably still received woolen pajamas.


    siwoo spoke in a manner that wouldn¡¯t offend amelia.


    ¡°i apologize, but it appears that tomorrow might pose some difficulties.¡±


    one of amelia¡¯s eyebrows arched up.


    his remark seemed to come as a shock to her.


    ¡°why?¡±


    ¡°well, i have a prior engagement.¡±


    on this eagerly anticipated day off, his beautiful boss proposed a date with her in border town. any normal person was not going to let this opportunity pass.


    if it had been a commitment with takasho, siwoo would have canceled his plans and accompanied amelia instead.


    tomorrow, however, he had made the decision to accompany the twins to spirit mountain, a place he had been interested in visiting.


    he also wanted the music box that he would receive if he accompanied them there..


    .


    ¡°what engagement?¡±


    predictably, amelia¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t very positive.


    siwoo glanced at her for a moment before he told her the truth.


    in any case, he had to ask amelia for permission early the following morning.


    seeing as how he, her exclusive slave, would be going on a picnic with another witch.


    ¡°with an apprentice witch? to spirit mountain? to accompany her on a picnic?''¡±


    amelia looked quite dumbfounded.


    she appeared to be upset at first, but now she seemed genuinely confused as to what events had led to such an outcome.


    it made sense when one considered the fact that siwoo and the twins had barely interacted in the past two years.


    ¡°yes, i was going to ask ms. amelia for permission tomorrow morning since it is already too late today.¡±


    amelia leaned back on the couch and crossed her arms.


    then tapped her wrist with her fingertips.


    ¡°well, i guess it can¡¯t be helped. i was going to buy some things that i might need tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°oh, i sincerely apologize.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s fine.¡±


    amelia quickly got up and strode out of the room.


    siwoo had been aware of the potential risk of odile¡¯s presence being exposed until the very end, but he breathed a sigh of relief when the greater threat, amelia, disappeared.


    2.


    suddenly, there was a loud ¡°thump!¡°


    even though she had walked out on her own, it still felt like she had been kicked out.


    amelia cast a quick glare towards the door of siwoo¡¯s room, which had been shut with a loud thud.


    -thump.


    something suspicious was going on.


    the emotion she currently felt was similar to the one she had whenever she met siwoo after he had rejected her invitation on the day they first met.


    it was irritation.


    amelia strode back to her room in a wild manner.


    ¡°.......¡±


    before her last trip to border town with siwoo.


    amelia had a conversation with sophia.


    sophia was not someone that she typically sought out for a conversation, but she felt compelled to ask her about something inexplicable that was going on.


    as she walked down the second-floor teacher¡¯s hallway after class, amelia saw it.


    she saw shin siwoo, the janitor, and the twin apprentice witches, who amelia was in charge of overseeing at count gemini¡¯s request, engaged in a pleasant conversation in the corridor.


    due to the distance between them, she couldn¡¯t hear what they were talking about, but she could tell that the twins looked very happy.


    shin siwoo didn¡¯t shy away from the twins and even welcomed their conversation.


    it was a huge shock to amelia, who firmly believed that he despised witches.


    after a bit of hesitation, amelia turned her steps towards sophia¡¯s research room.


    ¡®so, you have something to ask me? are you serious?¡¯


    sophia, who spun around in her chair while in the research room, was taken aback by amelia¡¯s visit.


    ¡°there are things i don¡¯t understand about human relationships.¡±


    furthermore, sophia was shocked for the second time when she realized that amelia¡¯s question wasn¡¯t magic related.


    amelia asked her question in a tactful manner, as she was mindful not to exhibit behavior that would make her appear as a witch who freaked out over her slave¡¯s every move.


    ¡°oh, so it¡¯s challenging for you to develop a close relationship with janitor, siwoo?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not sure why you interpreted it that way.¡±¡®


    despite amelia¡¯s complaints, sophia responded with a smile of understanding and said,


    ¡®first and foremost, it is important to be around the person often in order to build intimacy.¡¯


    ¡®i don¡¯t want to get too close to him, but i¡¯ll listen.¡¯


    and thus, sophia¡¯s advice consisted of three major points.


    first.


    ¡®first of all, just being together doesn¡¯t necessarily build intimacy. if you want to be close, it¡¯s important to share positive experiences together.¡¯


    ¡®positive experience?¡¯


    ¡®yes, like things you enjoy. oh, except for magic research. eating delicious food together, shopping together, or even just going for a stroll would be nice.¡¯


    second.


    ¡®what¡¯s next? gifts would be nice. after all, amelia likes me because i¡¯ve given her various gifts.¡¯


    ¡®i don¡¯t like you, avenega.¡¯


    ¡®anyway, you were happy when you received gifts, weren¡¯t you?¡¯


    ¡°....yes.¡±


    third.


    ¡®be gentle with him. don¡¯t just get annoyed or scold him.¡¯


    ¡®........¡¯


    ¡®your behavior is what other people on the outside can see, not what¡¯s going on inside your mind. if you were a little gentler, wouldn¡¯t siwoo fall for your charm?


    ¡®why do you keep mentioning the janitor? i¡¯m sure i said it had nothing to do with him.¡¯


    amelia was a little annoyed at the fact that sophia kept bringing up the janitor, but she still considered the advice to be quite helpful.


    actually, he had accepted her proposal to be her exclusive slave, and these days, he didn¡¯t flee even when he saw amelie from a distance.


    ¡°why am i like this...¡±


    her thoughts were jumbled.


    amelia sighed as she took out a cigarette.


    a slight sense of shame surfaced as she struggled to understand the emotions she felt towards him.


    he was nothing more than a slave.


    amelia didn¡¯t really need to pay so much attention to him.


    he was only a fleeting existence that, if she chose to ignore him, would disappear in 10, 20, or 30 years.


    a piece of machinery that would scatter like dust after finishing the second life that it had received in gehenna.


    that should be all there is to it.


    she wondered why she approached him at this time.


    the possibility crossed her mind that she might have developed an affection towards him, as previously mentioned by sophia.


    ¡°no way,¡±


    amelia shook her head.


    she hadn¡¯t suggested going shopping together because she genuinely wanted to win his favor.


    her intention was to merely showcase the benevolence of a noble to a newly acquired exclusive slave.


    firmly believing that fact without the slightest hint of doubt, she finally laid in bed after a long time.


    she wouldn¡¯t be able to show off her benevolence tomorrow, but there would be plenty of opportunities to do so in the future.


    siwoo was now her exclusive slave after all.


    3.


    after amelia had left.


    siwoo heard the sound of of door closing and quickly grabbed his pajamas and made his way to his bedroom.


    ¡°ms. odile, it¡¯s okay now.¡±


    he heard a small answer from under the bed.


    ¡°really?¡±


    ¡°yes, she went back to her room.¡±


    odile crawled out from under the bed like a puppy emerging from its den.


    fortunately, odile managed to fit under the bed thanks to her petite size, but if siwoo had been the one who needed to hide, he would have been unable to do so.


    -clang!


    ¡°ouch!¡±


    before she could fully emerge from under the bed, odile banged her head against the bed frame despite her petite size.


    it was a common misconception that the area under the beds were dusty, the cleanliness of this room was better than siwoo had anticipated.


    odile¡¯s white nightgown and underwear were still clean, though they were still a little dusty.


    ¡°ah...i was so surprised. does she always barge in like that?¡±


    ¡°no, this is the first time she has come at this time... it¡¯s a relief that we weren¡¯t caught.¡±


    odile replied, as she brushed the dust from her hair and sat on the bed.


    ¡°hah... i saw my teacher¡¯s angry face for a moment. i¡¯m alive.¡±


    ¡°but it¡¯s good that we got through it peacefully.¡±


    it took about 30 seconds for them to comfort each other and then express their relief at not getting caught.


    then suddenly, he noticed odile had sat on his bed.


    more precisely, he could clearly see the curves on her lower body because her underwear clunged to her and was soaked with her love juices.


    he had seen an uncensored image of a body wearing tightly fitted clothing before. he felt a completely different and more intense level of sensuality in this situation due to the way the clothing clung to her body.


    he knew that he had to look away and tell her to adjust her attire, but he was left speechless and unable to utter a single sound.


    ¡°mr. assistant, why are you staring so much? huh?¡±


    odile seemed to have noticed her own state as well.


    it was because the white and thin fabric of her underwear showed off odile¡¯s plump labia and skin tone.


    ¡°why didn¡¯t you say anything!?¡±


    odile quickly closed her legs and muttered a small incantation.


    at that time, the dust that had clung to her clothes instantly disappeared.


    it was a simple and convenient magic that kept her body and clothes clean.


    ¡°no, i was going to tell you, but i was struggling with how to say it.¡±


    ¡°you should have just said it straight!¡±


    odile grumbled with a frown, but soon after, she covered her mouth and giggled like a young lady.


    siwoo was puzzled because he couldn¡¯t figure out what was so funny.


    ¡°come to think of it, it¡¯s funny to get angry over something like this. we¡¯ve pretty much already seen each other¡¯s entire bodies.¡±


    ¡°y-yes.¡±


    the conversation had been going well up until that point, but all of a sudden the atmosphere shifted.


    it was an atmosphere similar to the one they had when they were about the enjoy passionate anal sex until amelia interrupted.


    now, neither odile nor siwoo was excited enough to bring it up again.


    ¡°um... anyway, mr. assistant. i think my curiosity has been satisfied.¡±


    ¡°is that so?¡±


    ¡°when we do it together, it is unquestionably more enjoyable. curiosity answered.¡±


    ¡°...i see.¡±


    there was a moment of silence.


    as the heat that had spread rapidly like a forest fire dissipated, all that remained was a sense of awkwardness, similar to the faint odor of burnt ash.


    odile leaped out of her seat and put on her cloak.


    ¡°um... mr. assistant, don¡¯t forget about our appointment tomorrow. i¡¯ll come to pick you up by 7 o¡¯clock.¡±


    ¡°yes, i understand.¡±


    ready to leave, odile opened the window.


    it seemed like she was planning to escape in the same way she had come in, through the window.


    however, odile, who had shown signs of jumping out at any moment, stood there silently for a longer time than siwoo had expected.


    ¡°mr. assistant,¡±


    ¡°yes?¡±


    ¡°what happened today is a secret from odette.¡±


    ¡°hasn¡¯t she already figured it out?¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s no way she would. you could even draw on her face while she¡¯s asleep and she wouldn¡¯t notice.¡±


    ¡°...have you tried it?¡±


    ¡°around thirty times?¡±


    it was a pointless conversation that didn¡¯t seem necessary.


    siwoo had already prepared his farewell message considering that odile was ready to leave. however, to his surprise, she was still holding onto the window and had not left yet.


    ¡°excuse me, mr. assistant.¡±


    ¡°yes, ms. odile,¡±


    ¡°should i leave?¡±


    ¡°didn¡¯t you say you were leaving?¡±


    ¡°who said that? i¡¯m really leaving.¡±


    odile¡¯s face suddenly turned bright red, and she jumped out the window with a thud.


    siwoo stuck his head out the window when he realized odile wasn¡¯t in good shape. he watched her smoothly land and then began to energetically hop up and down while she waved her hand at him. she soon disappeared as she leaped further and further away.


    the spell she used was called ¡®water lizard¡¯s stride¡¯, which was a spell used for maneuvering that allows the user to create a magical foothold immediately when stepped on, which resulted in a high-speed running capability due to the utilization of magical power.


    siwoo scratched his head as he watched odile disappear across the hill and enter the academy.


    he then closed the window.


    he couldn¡¯t finally heave a sigh of relief now that she had left.


    ¡°whew....¡±


    although their meeting went by without a hitch, it was a dangerous situation.


    as siwoo thought back to what had happened earlier, a memory suddenly came to mind.


    odile¡¯s youthful and cute appearance and her tight hole.


    the mere thought of it caused siwoo¡¯s miserable dick, which didn¡¯t even get to ejaculate, to become erect once again.


    even if he were to die, it was unlikely that he would forget this memory.


    siwoo quietly went into the bathroom and closed the door.


    he decided to spend the rest of the night reminiscing about odile.

 Chapter 52: Latifundium (1)

    ? latifundium1latifundium is latin for ¡® vast land ¡® and refers to the ancient roman system of land ownership. (1) ?


    1.


    it was a particularly refreshing morning.


    despite staying up late and being exhausted from his little alone time in the bathroom, siwoo opened his eyes as soon as it was time to wake up.


    perhaps it was thanks to the soft, fluffy pajamas he was currently wearing.


    he had selected casual clothes that were suitable for hiking as his work attire for the day.


    after picking up breakfast from the academy¡¯s cafeteria, he delivered it to amelia¡¯s room, siwoo then rushed out into the garden while munching on his sandwich.


    spirit mountain!


    he couldn¡¯t help but do a little shoulder dance at the thought of finally being able visitt one of gehenna¡¯s tourist hotspots, which he had been dying to see for so long


    parked at the entrance to his lodging was the magnificent gemini carriage that had previously kidnapped him.


    however, he hesitated when it came time to climb inside.


    he was embarrassed at the thought of having to face odile, who he had used as fap material the day before, and he was also anxious about being with odette, with whom he had not conversed with since that day.


    ¡°it¡¯ll all work out in due time.¡±


    odette was a surprisingly easygoing person, so she wouldn¡¯t dwell on it for too long, and odile wouldn¡¯t mention it either given the fact that she had gone to see him last night.


    with that in mind, siwoo confidently opened the carriage door.


    once again, siwoo was greeted by the spacious and luxurious interior of the carriage.


    ¡°wow, you sure are punctual, mr. assistant.¡±


    ¡°oh, hello there...¡±


    ¡°thank you for coming to pick me up.¡±


    ¡°we invited you, what do you mean?¡±


    odile said as she smiled and clapped her hands and odette, who still clung to odile¡¯s arm, while she hid her face.


    he found characters who made gestures like this in dramas and comics to be so absurd, but he thought he would see it in real life.


    moreover, siwoo felt awkward in this situation as he and odile were getting along without any issues, despite what had happened between them.


    unlike odile, who greeted him comfortably, siwoo found it difficult to converse with odette.


    ¡°odette! don¡¯t mope around, say hello! we have to move together all day today!¡±


    ¡°big sis! but how can you be so indifferent?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m an adult, after all, every adult should know to bury the affairs of the past night on the same night.¡±


    odette, who was fidgeting and blushing, eventually hid in the room inside the carriage.


    siwoo asked with concern after he saw odette¡¯s behavior.


    ¡°are you okay?¡±


    ¡°leave me alone mr. assistant, i¡¯ll talk to you like that.¡±


    the memory of odette, after she had, drank the potion also made siwoo¡¯s face burn with embarrassment.


    he remembered things like her saying she masturbated while thinking of mr. assistant, wanting to have a baby, or even receiving mr. assistant¡¯s baby seed in her womb over and over again.


    he could never have imagined the timid odile saying such bold statements.


    the person who heard those words wouldn¡¯t be okay, let alone the person who made such statements.


    in fact, he was amazed by how abnormally high odile¡¯s recovery ability was.


    as he looked at her, it appeared that no unbelievable 19+ adult activity had happened the night before.


    he felt that she was able to interact with him normally perhaps due to her curiosity trumping her sense of shame.


    at least in this aspect, odile seemed more mature than siwoo.


    ¡°it will take about an hour to get to spirit mountain. would you like to drink something in the meantime?¡±


    ¡°yes, thank you. is it moving now?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s been moving for a while.¡±


    ¡°i didn¡¯t feel any vibrations at all¡±


    ¡°we had to pay a high price for it but it¡¯s worth it.¡±


    siwoo, who had become quite comfortable with the twins, naturally followed odile to the minibar.


    by the way, this carriage was no different from a private jet.


    the carriage was equipped with a variety of amenities, and even the slightest vibration could not be felt from the inside.


    odile stooped inside the minibar and pulled out a large basket as she grunted.


    ¡°galina insisted on giving us this basket when she heard we were going on a picnic.¡±


    the basket looked like your typical picnic basket.


    it appeared to be packed with club sandwiches and thermos bottles filled with tea.


    ¡°let¡¯s get some orange juice out of here beforehand.¡±


    ¡°very well,¡±


    ¡°odette! aren¡¯t you going to drink any?¡±


    although odile shouted loudly, there was no reply from odette¡¯s room.


    odile clicked her tongue.


    her manner of uttering that sound was awkward and her current behavior seemed to be an imitation of someone else.


    ¡°this isn¡¯t going to work. mr. assistant, you should go and soothe her. it¡¯s fine. she¡¯ll get over it soon enough, it¡¯s not a big deal, right?¡±


    ¡°please give me a cup of juice. i¡¯ll go talk to her.¡±


    odile asked siwoo to go alone. she stated that if she accompanied him then odette¡¯s stubbornness might worsen and cause the situation to get out of hand.


    siwoo was a little surprised at her mature way of handling the situation.


    ¨C knock, knock, knock.


    ¡°i¡¯m coming in.¡±


    after siwoo knocked, he turned the doorknob and heard a thumping and rustling sound as i opened the door.


    ¡°hmm...¡±


    even though the room was quite dark and only lit by a single candle, he easily found odette due to the room¡¯s modest size.


    ¡°ms. odette.¡±


    odile had her face buried in her hands due to her embarrassment.


    he wondered if this was a trait shared by twins.


    she was huddled in between a pair of large couches, with her back turned towards him.


    she was desperately rejecting siwoo¡¯s very existence.


    ¡°mr. as-assistant... please leave me alone... i want to be by myself¡±


    ¡°i brought you orange juice. i just tried it, and it¡¯s quite refreshing.¡±


    siwoo calmly tapped odette on the shoulder as he offered the juice.


    ¡°it¡¯s alright, ms. odette. as ms. odile said, let¡¯s not dwell on the past. you weren¡¯t in your right mind back then, were you?¡±


    a wave of uncertainty about leaving behind the memories of that night spread through her petite frame.


    a muffled voice flowed out from between the sofas.


    ¡°but... it¡¯s just too embarrassing... besides, i know that i could have caused a lot of trouble for mr. assistant if things went wrong...¡±


    ¡°you really don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±


    he gave her a gentle smile, though she probably couldn¡¯t see it


    to be honest, siwoo¡¯s only concern about that night had been odette¡¯s aggressive attempt at sex, which had nearly cost him his life. but he had no ill will towards her for her actions.


    in fact, aside from the danger she had put him in, it had almost been a reward in its own way.


    odette carefully turned her head.


    when he saw her face in the darkness, he mistook her for odile for a brief moment due to their uncanny resemblance.


    however, only odette was able to show such a sad expression on her face with tears welling up in her large pupils.


    ¡°really?¡±


    ¡°well, if you don¡¯t make that mistake again, everything will be fine.¡±


    ¡°i was imagining mr. assistant.. while doing it alone.... will you forgive me for that?¡±


    siwoo was momentarily speechless.


    sometimes, both odette and odile could be very illogical.


    there was no need to bring up the embarrassment of that day.


    ¡°of course! i knew it! how could i face mr. assistant after doing something like that!¡±


    it seemed that siwoo¡¯s hesitation was written all over his face.


    odette continued to sob and bury herself in between the couch.


    he felt awkward.


    there was nothing wrong with it.


    he couldn¡¯t even say that he fapped while imagining her sister yesterday.


    ¡°do you think i¡¯m a vulgar and indecent person?¡±


    he was perplexed as to how to respond when someone who had played with another person¡¯s dick said something like that.


    siwoo had no idea that she would be so ashamed of her action.


    he heard that there was a distinction between two types of curiosity: one driven by a desire to explore and another driven by sexual interest.


    it caused him to ponder whether odette had her own personal standard for such things.


    ¡°no way. we¡¯re going on a picnic, right? we should enjoy it together.¡±


    odette slowly made her way out of the sofa at siwoo¡¯s gentle and soothing tone.


    he felt the situation was interesting.


    ¡°here you go.¡±


    ¡°thank you.¡±


    odette, who had finally left the sofa, wiped away the tears that shined like jewels with her sleeve and accepted the juice that siwoo offered.


    ¡°do you mind if i talk to you about something else here?¡±


    odette asked as she held the juice in front of her chest.


    siwoo readily nodded.


    ¡°of course not.¡±


    after a moment of hesitation, odette opened her mouth.


    ¡°well, the truth is... it wasn¡¯t just one time,¡±


    ¡°what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°while thinking of mr. assistant... i did it twice more after that day.¡±


    siwoo was momentarily stunned by odette¡¯s words.


    he couldn¡¯t understand what she was talking about


    masturbation?


    ¡°um... ms. odette, i don¡¯t really mind, so you don¡¯t have to tell me about these things.¡±


    actually, he didn¡¯t understand why she felt the need to confess it in the first place.


    however, odette¡¯s thoughts were different from siwoo¡¯s.


    like a catholic penitent at her final confession, she began to pour out everything truthfully.


    ¡°the truth is... i felt guilty. no matter how good it made me feel, even though mr. assistant is a slave, i still did it without asking for your permission... thinking of mr. assistant... i did it alone.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s okay, i understand. you don¡¯t have to mention it,¡±


    siwoo assured her after he realized that odette probably felt guilty about more than just that day¡¯s events.


    in truth, siwoo couldn¡¯t care less about that sort of thing. his only desire was to quickly end this embarrassing conversation and move on.


    ¡°really?¡±


    ¡°yes,¡±


    ¡°really, really, really?¡±


    ¡°yes, i believe it¡¯s perfectly natural.¡±


    ¡°then, mr. assistant, after that day... have you ever touched yourself while thinking of me?¡±


    ¡°.......¡±


    as the conversation turned more and more troublesome, his thoughts became disorienting.


    odette, without hesitation, quickly came to the conclusion about what the best response would be in this situation.


    ¡°of course not... because odette is a naughty and strange girl, that¡¯s why...¡±


    odette became sullen and choked up.


    he believed that if she felt guilty about something, she should simply refrain from doing it.


    or perhaps she shouldn¡¯t have talked about it at all and should have kept it to herself.


    the accident was too difficult for her to handle as the lady¡¯s scatterbrained nature surpassed even that of her sister.


    it felt like he was looking at an innocent princess in a fairytale.


    ¡°ms. odette, don¡¯t worry about it too much. as long as i¡¯m okay with it, there should be no problem, right? after all, there were no victims.¡±


    ¡°........¡±


    ¡°maybe if i found out about masturbation for the first time, i might have done it too. besides, there are no men around you except me, and it¡¯s not like you had any bad intentions toward me, isn¡¯t that right, ms. odette?¡±


    he wondered what gemini, the twins¡¯ master, who was supposed to be teaching them these things, was up to and how he had ended up in charge of their sex education.


    it was understandable to be overprotective of a child-like apprentice witch, but it would be good to educate them on some basic common sense for the future.


    though he lacked the guts to say those words to her face.


    ¡°don¡¯t be too hard on yourself. it¡¯s natural to be curious about sex and relationships. there¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of.¡±


    ¡°but isn¡¯t it a shameful thing to do?¡±


    ¡°someday, when you find someone you love, you¡¯ll naturally come to understand. so for now, let¡¯s leave it at that.¡±


    odette meekly nodded her head like a well-behaved hamster.


    her healthy cheeks, which had a reddish flush, had dimples of relief carved into them.


    ¡°um, mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°yes, ms. odette,¡±


    ¡°is it okay if i still think of you from time to time in the future?¡±


    at first, it seemed romantic, but the implication was that ¡®i will continue to use you as a side dish¡¯


    as he looked at the immature odette, siwoo¡¯s face, which had been smiling, froze in place.


    ¡°well, of course,¡±


    ¡°you forgave me for what i did to you, and you¡¯re allowing me to think of you in the future, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    odette neatly summarized the situation by folding her fingers one by one.


    in some ways, odette was a much more challenging opponent than amellia.


    ¡°instead, you don¡¯t have to speak to me about it anymore. since i¡¯ve already given you permission once, it¡¯s okay anytime.¡±


    anyway, the situation was resolved.


    one conversation was enough for this awkward exchange.


    siwoo, who succeeded in calming odette, walked out of the room with her. odile picked a fight with her as soon as she saw her.


    she probably overheard the entire conversation.


    odette blushed with embarrassment, and odile continued to tease her as she fled from her.


    the carriage was full of cheerful commotion that didn¡¯t seem to die down until they reached the entrance to the valley on spirit mountain.


    footnotes:


    1latifundium is latin for ¡® vast land ¡® and refers to the ancient roman system of land ownership.

 Chapter 53: Latifundium (2)

    ? latifundium (2) ?


    1.


    spirit mountain.


    as previously stated, it was a magic crop cultivation plant, a shared possession of count gemini and duke keter.


    to be more exact, the magical crops weren¡¯t grown on the spirit mountain itself. rather, they were cultivated in ¡®latifundium,¡¯ inside a valley formed by the convergence of the u-shaped hillsides of the mountain.


    to grow the magical crops, magical water that had been turned into mist must be used. the previously mentioned valley had the best shape to contain the mist for this purpose.


    that was the reason why the latifundium was located in the spirit mountain.


    ¡°wow...¡±


    siwoo couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in admiration.


    he had been hearing about how magnificent the view would be, but he never expected that even the entrance to the place was this magnificent.


    whenever one was thinking about a valley, they would think of a place filled with rock, but the sight in front of him wasn¡¯t like that at all.


    the entrance of the valley, which appeared to be 100 meters wide, was densely packed with impressive looking trees.


    ¡°amazing, isn¡¯t it? it¡¯s the off-season, so other administrators aren¡¯t here. this is the only time we can look around the place leisurely like this.¡±


    odile had a proud expression on her face, as if she was showing off her golden calf at home.


    one couldn¡¯t fault her for having such a smug look, though.


    ¡°you¡¯ll be even more amazed when you take a look around inside.¡±


    as the road became uneven and bumpy, the three of them parked the carriage and began to walk together.


    as they entered the woods, it became more difficult to see the top of the trees surrounding them, even when they tried to tilt their heads upward.


    each of the towering trees that filled the latifundium had existed for hundreds of years.


    there were even several world trees mixed among them.


    ¡°what do you mean by off-season?¡±


    ¡°although the spirit mountain is located in an area rich with magical energy, cultivating too many magical crops can deplete them quickly. after 6 years of cultivation, we have to leave the soil alone for a year. we can¡¯t use chemical fertilizers on it during this period.¡±


    despite the time being midday, the valley was as dark as night. they walked through the darkness, accompanied by odette¡¯s kind explanation.


    the reason for the darkness was because of the combination of the steep cliffs surrounding both sides of the valley and the trees¡¯ thick branches. both of them formed a dense canopy that completely blocked the sunlight.


    odette and odile quickly made three to four decorative lights, as they were seemingly pretty familiar with this situation, and eagerly led the way.


    siwoo, who was looking around, followed them while carrying a lunch basket.


    he felt like he was visiting a big cave due to how dark and damp the atmosphere around him was. it reminded him of the time in the past when he had gone to a cave on a school trip.


    then, about 30 meters ahead of them.


    siwoo and his companions were greeted by a curtain of vines that hung from a high point down to the ground.


    it was obvious that the plan was artificially created.


    the vines were stretched out in a straight line, covering the valley like a theater curtain.


    ¡°what¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°beyond here is the main cultivation area. this is the curtain we put up to contain the mist we used to water the magic crops.¡±


    ¡°mr. assistant, stick close to us. i only have one pass.¡±


    ¡°okay.¡±


    siwoo clung to odette¡¯s side as she led him by the hand. she seemed to have become noticeably happier than before.


    odile rolled up her sleeves, revealing a wooden rosary.


    the faint light from the rosary shone on the vines and the layers of vines lifted like dominoes, allowing them to pass through.


    the faint light from the rosary shone on the vines, and the layers upon layers of vines lifted like dominoes, allowing them to enter.


    as siwoo walked through the forest, he could immediately understand why spirit mountain was praised to high heavens for its beauty.


    to summarize, it was like a fairy forest.


    the dreamlike scenery and atmosphere gave one the illusion that fairies lived there.


    a narrow stream flowed through the large forest path.


    the forest, its air filled with misty haze, produced an environment that invigorates one¡¯s breathing. gigantic trees stood erect everywhere like sturdy pillars that supported the latifundium.


    ¡°mr. asisstant, i can fit my fist into your mouth.¡±


    ¡°when we first came here, we were as stunned as you are now.¡±


    the twin sisters¡¯ laughter was barely audible to siwoo.


    he was too captivated by the scenery around him.


    there were large glass jars, containing various colored light-emitting liquids, hung from the branches like fruits.


    the colorful lights on the branch were akin to a scene from a lantern festival that had been photographed and preserved exactly as it was.


    thanks to the lights, even though they were walking in the middle of the valley, they could see their surroundings with ease.


    ¡°what¡¯s that?¡±


    if one were to look at it closely, there was a hose, extending from each of the glass jars, stretching toward the roots of the tree like a tentacle.


    ¡°it¡¯s a kind of nutritional supplement. we injected various reagents into the tree to create a suitable environment to cultivate the magical crops. those reagents also serve as lamps since they emit bright lights.¡±


    ¡°then, what about that?¡±


    siwoo pointed at sparks that resembled fireflies, they rose from the ground and quickly vanished into the air.


    they resembled will-o¡¯-the-wisp in a way, except that they moved at a sluggish pace.


    ¡°the mana concentration in this location is remarkably high. that leads to the natural occurrences of mana reflections.¡±


    ¡°wow. it¡¯s amazing.¡±


    it was the kind of landscape that would never tire the eyes.


    although it was unlikely that anyone would purposely design the place with aesthetic beauty in mind, one could still feel reverence toward both nature and magic in this place.


    ¡°i¡¯m glad that i decided to follow you. it was the first time i¡¯ve ever been in such an amazing place.¡±


    ¡°is that so?¡±


    ¡°mr. assistant, if there¡¯s anything you want to know, feel free to ask.¡±


    odette was spinning around siwoo cheerfully, along with odile who wore a proud face.


    as they appeared less distant than before, siwoo felt a sense of closeness to them.


    ¡°we can¡¯t rest here, so let¡¯s move to the production management building. follow me and watch your step. it¡¯s damp all year around, so the ground is slippery.¡±


    odile leaped off the tree roots where she was standing before.


    the magnificence of the towering trees was reflected in their exposed roots that covered the ground. they were almost as large as a truck, which surprised siwoo a little.


    they walked along a path beside the river, surrounded by trees.


    the mist seemed to be created by the magical water from the river. regardless of which part of it was touched by the lights, its surface glimmered.


    the temperature itself was quite chilly.


    meanwhile the humidity was so high to the point that one could easily mistake the place as a tropical rainforest if they were to judge based on that.


    ¡°mr. assistant, do you know anything about magical crops?¡±


    ¡°no, i¡¯m afraid not. i¡¯m mostly ignorant about alchemy in general as i didn¡¯t have enough time to study it.¡±


    ¡°so, you¡¯ve only been studying about spell-casting and magic circles? those are boring though...¡±


    ¡°well, i had to focus on making choices and concentrating on them.¡±


    ¡°in that case, i¡¯d appreciate it if you could explain it to me.¡±


    and so, odile began unraveling her worldview on how to cultivate magical crops.


    ¡°plants that can be cultivated through magical mutation are quite limited.¡±


    ¡°normally, we grow a large number of moss or mushrooms. they are easy to develop and nurture.¡±


    as siwoo looked around, he noticed that most of the things attached to the trees and rocks were either moss or mushrooms.


    their shapes were so peculiar that it caught his eyes.


    there was a variant of moss with a subtle pinkish tint on them and mushrooms that emitted bright light, reminding him of a fluorescent stand.


    ¡°is that a button mushroom?¡±


    siwoo asked, pointing to one particularly tasty-looking mushroom.


    on the tree trunk, mushrooms that looked just like button mushrooms often found in a grilled pork belly restaurant were clustered together.


    ¡°want to try eating it? eek!¡±


    odile promptly slapped odette¡¯s bum with all her might.


    ¡°you¡¯ll get us into big trouble!¡±


    ¡°c-c¡¯mon, i was kidding!¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t ever eat those. most magical crops are harmful to eat raw. if you want to use them as ingredients, you¡¯d need to detoxify them for at least a few days. sometimes you even need a few years.¡±


    ¡°i-i see...¡±


    the scenery around him, as well as the various crops that were grown there intrigued siwoo.


    seeing things that he had only ever seen in books, depicted in text and illustrations with his own eyes gave him the impression that he was in a completely different world.


    ¡°what¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s called ¡®red root moss.¡¯ it has strong nullification properties and is often used as a neutralizer.¡±


    ¡°what about that one?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s a ¡®white cap mushroom.¡¯ one of the few mushrooms that can be eaten raw. it¡¯s beneficial for the cerebral cortex and could accelerate the speed of your thinking and calculation.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s similar to overclocking.¡±


    ¡°yes. but lady gemini warned us not to touch that mushroom. while it can enhance our ability, ultimately the effect is only temporary.¡±


    ¡°moreover, the higher rank you are, the less effective it becomes.¡±


    odile and odette gave siwoo a lesson about the various crops without taking a break.


    he felt like being with two beautiful guides in a botanical garden.


    as they went deeper into the forest, the river gradually narrowed and the mist¡¯s thickness decreased to the point where it resembled steam more than anything.


    ¡°let¡¯s go!¡±


    odile and odette bounced over the stepping stones as they led the way. meanwhile, siwoo carefully crossed over to the other side while carrying a basket.


    as they climbed up a steep mossy hill, a fairly wide plain appeared.


    the saps that had been dangling from the branches were now plugged into the earth alongside their bottles.


    lavender, lime green, and light pink.


    something like a swarm of light-colored mist was wafting up in an undulating motion.


    ¡°this is where we grow root crops. have you heard of mandrake?¡±


    ¡°the one that screams when you pull it out?¡±


    odette laughed brightly at siwoo¡¯s silly reaction.


    ¡°there used to be a lot of thieves who would steal it, so the witches put hallucination spells all over the field. it was a popular plant for making hallucinogens and aphrodisiacs.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s screwed up.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯re almost there. let¡¯s rest for a bit.¡±


    the place was supposed to be a fallow land, but siwoo didn¡¯t see anyone around.


    it made him feel like he monopolized this beautiful scenery.


    feeling like he had an entire amusement park to himself, siwoo¡¯s heart was racing in excitement.


    ¡°over here!¡±


    finally, they arrived at a giant oak tree that looked just like the other trees around it.


    the only distinguishing part of the tree was a treehouse hanging in the middle of the tree, just like the one he had seen in border town before.


    except that this treehouse was placed much higher than the one in border town.


    ¡°this is the production management building.¡±


    they climbed the spiral staircase that surrounded the tree and entered the management building.


    the height of the stairs appeared more perilous than what siwoo had seen from below, making him feel dizzy.


    it made him wonder if witches had a particular fondness for heights as treehouses were just as popular in gehenna.


    ¡°so, what will we do here?¡±


    ¡°just enjoying the pretty scenery outside while sipping tea and chatting.¡±


    siwoo¡¯s legs were shaking as they arrived at the treehouse.


    compared to its size, the place was quite barren.


    like amelia¡¯s research lab, it was filled with papers and documents. the only place available for them to sit on was a lone sofa in the center of the room.


    however, the view outside the window was spectacular.


    when he was ascending the stairs, he wondered why they had built this treehouse so high up.


    but as soon as he looked outside, he understood.


    one could see the entirety of the latifundium from this place.


    ¡°beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    odile slipped in beside siwoo as he sat idly, lost in thought.


    a mysterious feeling of relief gnawed at his heart.


    it was silly of him to think of it like this, but he felt like he was sitting with his beautiful partner in a fancy hotel room while admiring the nighttime scenery.


    ¡°i¡¯m glad you like it, mr. assistant. i was worried that my sister dragged you here against your will, you know?¡±


    not wanting to be outdone by her sister, odette slipped into the opposite side.


    siwoo gave out a wry smile and backed down a little.


    to him, odile and odette were both difficult to handle.


    especially when they were together like this.


    ¡°shall we open the basket?¡±


    ¡°i was just thinking about eating something.¡±


    ¡°sure!¡±


    ¡°wait a second. i prepared something special for today.¡±


    while they opened the basket on the table in front of the sofa, odile rummaged through the cabinet in the corner of the room and returned with a large bottle.


    the bottle she held was almost half of her height.


    when siwoo saw odile¡¯s mischievous expression, he could tell that it was a wine bottle.


    ¡°when did you hide that, sis?¡±


    ¡°last time, i told mr. assistant that i would let him try mendel hill¡¯s red wine.¡±


    ¡°you remembered that from a long time ago?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not the type to forget my promise.¡±


    wine?


    despite feeling somewhat uneasy, siwoo found himself unable to resist the temptation.


    the idea of drinking while admiring such a beautiful landscape felt appealing to him.


    ¡°huh?¡±


    odette, who was mischievously drinking the secretly stashed wine at that time, suddenly looked up with surprise.


    her gaze was fixed on a corner outside the window.


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°you didn¡¯t see that thing that just passed by the trees outside, sis?¡±


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°it was black and big. it just skimmed through the gap between the branches...¡±


    siwoo and odile leaned closer to the window, trying to see the place odette was pointing at, but...


    there was nothing there.


    only the glimmering magic droplets, hanging from the thickly wooded branches could be seen.


    ¡°are you sure there¡¯s something there?¡±


    ¡°stop playing around and eat your sandwiches.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not playing around!¡±


    ¡°who else could be here aside from us?¡±


    ¡°fair point, but...i wasn¡¯t lying when i said i saw something...¡±


    ¡°maybe you were just seeing things. you didn¡¯t sleep well last night, didn¡¯t you? that¡¯s probably the cause. anyway, forget about it and eat.¡±


    odile managed to convince odette who continuously peeked outside the window.


    with that, the real picnic began.

 Chapter 54: Latifundium (3)

    ? latifundium (3) ?


    1.


    it was exactly as odile had bragged about to him.


    the majority of the gehenna¡¯s food consumed by the witches didn¡¯t have high-class flavor, but the wine that odile had secretly stashed away was a genuinely good wine.


    while traveling by the carriage, they had all drank orange juice, however, as they forgot to bring along the cups they had used, they decided to take turns in passing the bottle around and sipping the wine straight from the wine bottle.


    ¨C gulp, gulp, gulp -gulp gulp gulp


    odile sipped the wine in a few gulps.


    as soon as she set the bottle down, odile¡¯s cheeks flushed from drinking could be seen and her exhaling breaths reeked of alcohol.


    ¡°ugh...¡±


    even though siwoo knew that the wine had a wonderful aroma and flavor, it was still too sweet for his taste.


    in fact, when he had taken the first sip, he couldn¡¯t help but mistake the drink for grape juice.


    ¡°ms. odile, why don¡¯t you stop drinking now?¡±


    ¡°mou~ don¡¯t be silly. on a day like this, we should drink lots and lots!¡±


    watching odile become drunker and drunker with time, siwoo directed a worried look at her; greatly concerned about the quantity of wine she had consumed.


    ¡°ms. odette, is it okay if you don¡¯t stop your sister?¡±


    ¡°she does this sometimes, so it¡¯s fine. she¡¯ll soon be fast asleep anyways, so no need to bother. hey, sis! don¡¯t hog all the wine by yourself and give me some too!¡±


    while odile swayed back and forth in her seat, still intoxicated from the lingering effects of the alcohol, odette snatched the bottle from her and took a few sips herself.


    she took up a sandwich and bit into it while passing the bottle onto siwoo this time.


    despite the fact that they were twins and had probably drunk about the same quantity of wine, their reactions were drastically different from one another.


    odette sat up straight, her cheeks presumably flushing slightly due to the alcohol, but otherwise, no signs of intoxication could be seen on her. on the other hand, odile could hardly control her body anymore and she was finding it difficult to even sit straight.


    ¡°you¡¯re a heavy drinker.¡±


    ¡°yes, actually, i¡¯ve never been drunk before. here, mr. assistant, please have some too.¡±


    ¡°thank you,¡±


    initially, he drank from the bottle with his mouth entirely covering the opening and pondered whether this action could be deemed an indirect kiss.


    after experiencing so many different things with the twins, however, it seemed strange to be aware of things like indirect kisses, so he disregarded such thoughts and started gulping down the drink comfortably while sitting in the middle of the twin witches.


    ¡°um... it¡¯s very sweet.¡±


    ¡°to be honest, the red wine that our master drinks is too bitter. why does she drink something like that?¡±


    ¡®in the end, they¡¯re still kids.¡¯


    ¡®they must have had it easy in life.¡¯


    ¡°hmmph...¡±


    ¨C thud!


    suddenly, odile fell off the couch with a loud crashing noise.


    despite falling off the couch and hitting her forehead on the floor with a sound akin to shattering rocks, she merely wriggled on the floor and showed no intention of getting up from that spot.


    ¡®did she die?¡¯


    ¡°ms. odile!¡±


    siwoo panicked and rushed over to her.


    he lifted odile up, who seemed to be glued to the floor as though she was having a passionate encounter with the ground.


    even though she looked like a limp, soggy piece of cotton right now, she was still very light.


    ¡°ugh... the floor is wobbly...¡±


    ¡°well, you should have drank in moderation,¡±


    trying to lift odile off the ground by placing his hands under her arms, in the most unobtrusive way possible, siwoo became surprised.


    as odile fell down, her cloak opened up in the front, and siwoo accidentally touched her bare armpits when he roughly tried to lift her up by putting his hands under his arms.


    ¡°hey...! wh... what...! don¡¯t tickle me...¡±


    odile squirmed because she felt ticklish due to the direct touch, making it difficult for siwoo to pull his hands out of her armpits.


    no wonder she seemed dressed up like this today.


    it seemed like she was wearing a sleeveless dress under the cloak.


    the temperature in her armpit felt oddly warmer than her other body parts, and her smooth and soft flesh was clinging tightly to his hands.


    siwoo tried not to be conscious of the mesmerizing sensation of odile¡¯s armpits and barely managed to lift her limp body up.


    ¡°ugh...¡±


    ¡°ha... how much did you consume to get this drunk?¡±


    ¡°i hate this couch... it¡¯s too hard...¡±


    however, when siwoo tried to lay odile down on the sofa, she grabbed him by the collar and clung to him like a koala, unwilling to let him go.


    siwoo felt like dealing with someone who was more childish than a typical five-year-old.


    ¡°ms. odette, does ms. odile always have such a drinking habit?¡±


    ¡°yes, that¡¯s correct. may i help you? huh?!¡±


    odette, who was about to approach to help siwoo out, stopped in her tracks and covered her mouth.


    it was a similar situation to last time.


    odile suddenly pulled siwoo by the neck and kissed him on the lips.


    as it was a somewhat forceful kiss, her front teeth collided with his lips, making them tear and resulting in siwoo tasting blood.


    ¡°hmm... smooch... muwah...¡±


    odile held onto siwoo¡¯s face for a long time, leaving traces of her sticky kiss all over, until she eventually slumped onto the couch, completely exhausted as if she had used up all of her remaining energy.


    ¡°zzzz.......¡±


    soon, with the sounds of snoring, she began to sleep peacefully.


    well, since she had returned home late the previous night and had to prepare for the picnic earlier than siwoo had even woken up, it was natural for her to be exhausted.


    wiping off the drool leaking out of odile¡¯s lips, with his sleeves, he directed an awkward glance toward odette.


    eyes wide open, odette looked at siwoo and odile, who had now collapsed on the sofa, with a shocked gaze.


    ¡°well, ms. odile has a terrible drinking habit it seems.¡±


    she kept blinking without saying anything.


    she gazed at siwoo, her body completely still and without even a hint of breathing leaking out of her.


    siwoo was uneasy because he couldn¡¯t determine what she was thinking right now.


    ¡°mr. assistant.¡±


    odette, who had been thinking silently for a while, called siwoo.


    as he looked at her determined gaze, he couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious about what might happen next.


    ¡°yes, ms. odette,¡±


    ¡°did my sister visit mr. assistant¡¯s living quarters last night?¡±


    ¡°w.. well...¡±


    ¡°i heard that mr. assistant will be joining us despite not being previously informed about the outing nor being invited to it. i also vaguely remember that my sister disappeared for a while in the middle of the night.¡±


    siwoo wasn¡¯t sure just how much information about the events of the previous night he could actually share with odette, but if she already knew that much, it was clear that he had to share at least some bits of it with her.


    ¡°yes, ms. odile did come to see me the previous night.¡±


    odette, who was fiddling with the hem of her cloak, walked carefully toward him and asked in a low voice.


    ¡°by any chance... did something happen between you and my sister yesterday?¡±


    siwoo found it even more embarrassing to respond to her question this time.


    truth be told, he was unsure and uneasy about the reaction odette may show him if he spilled out everything that happened the previous night. moreover, he was sure that there was a reason odile had chosen not to inform her sister about this piece of information.


    siwoo felt like it would be best to keep this a secret, even if just for the sake of odile¡¯s honor.


    ¡°we just talked about this and that.¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re lying.¡±


    ¡°pardon?¡±


    ¡°isn¡¯t that a lie?¡±


    even though the twins were very friendly to siwoo, the social disparity between them in gehenna was akin to the difference between heaven and earth.


    if odette were to make a fuss or become stubborn, the situation could become complicated for siwoo, with no scope for any excuses on his side, even though the probability of that happening was very slim.


    ¡°.......¡±


    perhaps that was why siwoo couldn¡¯t readily tell a lie to odette.


    ¡°i, i don¡¯t know much about the relationships between men and women, but... i know my sister better than anyone else.¡±


    ¡°.......¡±


    ¡°today, the way she treated mr. assistant was different from usual. there surely must have been something that happened last night.¡±


    siwoo only realized at that moment how odile, who was innocent and naive, had been behaving differently now.


    no matter how carefree odile was behaving with siwoo till now, there was no way for things to remain the same between them after the occurrence of such an incident.


    siwoo realized that odette had detected change in odile, that he himself had not noticed, which led to her feeling uncomfortable with the whole situation.


    ¡°i didn¡¯t hide anything from mr. assistant... but mr. assistant lied to me...¡±


    siwoo opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, unable to find any words to reply to her with.


    ¡°we¡¯ve promised each other to have a future together. lying to each other is definitely wrong in such a relationship, don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    ¡°sorry, could you repeat that? i didn¡¯t hear you clearly.¡±


    ¡°what promised future is she speaking of?¡¯


    he couldn¡¯t recall ever having made such a promise to her before.


    ¡°well, ms. odette, i think you might be mistaken about something.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not a mistake! i¡¯ve been thinking about it alone for a long time since that day.¡±


    odette¡¯s voice was sincere; as though she was revealing the most significant decision of her life to him.


    there was no trace of laughter or playfulness evident on her face, which made all of this even more uncanny then it was already.


    it was a sign that something was seriously wrong with their current circumstance.


    ¡°i showed my naked body to mr. assistant... and not only that, moreover, the most embarrassing parts touched each other... and i always thought about mr. assistant while touching myself.¡±


    her face was burning up so much that it couldn¡¯t even be compared to the flush caused by alcohol that was coloring her face till now.


    her face was as flushed as odile, who was completely drunk and sprawled out on the sofa.


    ¡°ms. odette, you seem quite drunk right now.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not drunk! although it¡¯s a pity that mr. assistant is just a slave and that i am going to inherit the title of count gemini, but anyway, i showed you my naked body... and now it can¡¯t be undone.¡±


    only then did siwoo was able to get an inkling of odette¡¯s current thought process.


    it wasn¡¯t that complicated or extreme.


    it was actually so simple and straightforward that it became hard for him to even picture it in his mind.


    she was having a childish thought.


    it was akin to the childish thought of a girl who had kissed a boy she dated in elementary school, and the act of kissing that boy automatically meant that they would end up getting married one day.


    as one grows older and gains more knowledge about relationships, it becomes a small and trivial incident that one can naturally brush off with a remark like, ¡°i used to think that way back then, huh...?¡±


    he was wondering if the reason she mentioned the promise about their future suddenly was because she had always harbored such thoughts.


    that had to be the reason she believed there shouldn¡¯t be anything to hide between two people who had promised to have a future together.


    siwoo was slightly skeptical about why she was telling him all this, but now he felt like he understood her motives.


    instead of revealing what lie he might have told, siwoo chose to correct odette¡¯s misconceptions about any promised future she might have.


    ¡°it seems like you¡¯re mistaken, ms. odette. it¡¯s true that showing your naked body to a man who is not your spouse is a shameful act, but it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that you have to get married to him.


    ¡°is this another lie? don¡¯t try to fool me!¡±


    siwoo had expected such a reaction from the apprentice witch.


    he continued with the second session of his sex education class calmly.


    but he was relieved the subject had changed to something lighter.


    ¡°what about ms. odile? didn¡¯t she show me her naked body too?¡±


    ¡°are you not satisfied with just me and trying to go after my sister too...?¡±


    however, siwoo didn¡¯t expect this kind of response coming from odette.


    ¡°no, it¡¯s not like that...¡±


    ¡°or are you saying that i¡¯m not good enough?¡±


    odette started to whine with a sullen voice.


    ¡°everyone lied to me and my sister went to see mr. assistant without telling me anything. just be honest with me, mr. assistant. i¡¯m aware of everything that¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡®that¡¯s a bit difficult.¡¯


    ¡®yesterday, we experimented to see if your sister could feel pleasure from her back hole by inserting my dick inside...¡¯


    ¡®can i really say something like that to her?¡¯


    siwoo found odile¡¯s actions driven by unplanned, reckless curiosity to be burdensome, and now he also found it challenging to handle odette¡¯s recklessness that stemmed from her innocence.


    ¡°ms. odette, it¡¯s not as complicated as you may think...¡±


    odette opened her mouth before siwoo could speak further.


    ¡± ? ~? ¡°


    and a song of melancholy began flowing out of her lips.


    it was exactly the same melody as the ¡°poem of confession,¡± one of the self-essence magic spells that was used by odile not long ago.


    siwoo had a clear recollection of the magic because it gave him such a shocking experience back then.


    ¡°now, tell me. what happened between you and my sister yesterday?¡±


    the dangerous effects of the magic spell were felt soon after.


    siwoo desperately tried to cover his mouth with his hands.


    nonetheless, his mouth was involuntary opening, defying his intentions and thoughts.


    the direction of his palms involuntarily changed as he attempted to fully cover his mouth using them.


    siwoo¡¯s inner thoughts, drawn out by the effects of the spell, were thus transmitted to odette.


    ¡°i put my fingers inside ms. odile¡¯s anus.¡±


    ¡°eek!¡±


    odette covered her mouth with both of her hands in utter shock.


    ¡°as expected, i knew it, i knew it... you did that with my sister again... tell me everything! what else did you do?¡±


    ¡°mmm.. cough... i also inserted my dick.¡±


    ¡°like back then...¡±


    ¡°yes, but i didn¡¯t ejaculate inside of her.¡±


    despite her belief that she was too weak to handle the situation, odette was amazed that she didn¡¯t faint just by listening to him.


    ¡°why? why did you do such a thing?¡±


    siwoo also gave up on trying to cover his mouth any longer.


    ¡®i feel a little bad for odile.¡¯


    ¡°ms. odile came to me realizing that she couldn¡¯t feel pleasure while masturbating alone. she said that even though she couldn¡¯t feel anything alone, she surmised that she would be able to feel pleasure if i did it with her and wanted to verify it.¡±


    odette¡¯s face turned red as she glared at odile.


    ¡°you¡¯re so selfish, doing it all alone...¡±


    ¡°she was worried about you, ms. odette.¡±


    ¡°¡±enough! so, did my sis enjoy it?¡±


    odette was contemplating whether her intense emotions were due to resentment or just confusion.


    ¡°yes, she didn¡¯t show it, but she was completely soaked in her own juices.¡±


    ¡°completely soaked in her own juices...?¡±


    odette collapsed on the sofa, feeling dizzy at his words.


    glaring at odile, who was sprawled out on the sofa, for a while, she directed a sharp gaze toward siwoo.


    ¡°please do the same to me.¡±

 Chapter 55: Latifundium (4)

    ? latifundium (4) ?


    1.


    when he first saw them, siwoo had a hard time telling the twin witches apart.


    they were completely identical; from their sparkling purple eyes to the length of their shiny black hair.


    even their slightly upturned lips and the dimples that formed when they smiled were identical without a hint of difference.


    but was that all?


    the twins didn¡¯t even have the tiniest distinguishable feature that could be used to tell them apart.


    they were dressed identically, from their outerwear down to their ribbons and accessories, as if they purposefully wanted to confuse anyone who looked at them.


    recently, however, by virtue of being able to interact with them more intimately, siwoo was able to discover some distinguishable characteristics between them.


    and those characteristics were clear enough that just about anyone could spot them at a glance.


    the simplest method he discovered was to note whether they used honorifics to address him or not.


    odile addressed him as ¡®mr. assistant,¡¯ but she typically spoke to him in a friendly, casual tone using informal speech.


    on the other hand, even though she didn¡¯t use extremely formal honorifics to address him, odette still spoke to him in a more polite tone using formal language.


    then there was also the difference in their dispositions.


    odile was proactive and had a strong initiative.


    curiosity was an innate trait that both the twins possessed, but it was odile who usually took the initiative to act on that curiosity.


    on the contrary, odette was slightly introverted and timid.


    she always followed her sister¡¯s lead and moved according to her guidance and actions.


    siwoo still remembered the time when the twins took hold of his weakness and he had to participate in their sex education fiasco. during that incident, he was able to fully notice that slight difference in the twins¡¯ traits.


    while odette waited quietly inside the villa, odile personally devised a trap for him.


    while there were several other differences, he was convinced of one stark difference between the two.


    the fact that odette was a coward.


    ¡°please do the same to me.¡±


    just to satisfy her curiosity, odile came to his room and even went as far as to suggest having anal sex with her.


    even though she felt extremely embarrassed, siwoo didn¡¯t find any sense of fear in her even though she was about to step into the realm of the unknown.


    however, odette was the exact opposite.


    despite the fact that siwoo and odette were both fully dressed and hadn¡¯t done anything, she was already whimpering. it was as though she would burst into tears if he touched her.


    seeing her like that made it hard to believe that she was able to make such a bold and intimidating request.


    ¡°ms. odette, you don¡¯t have to force yourself.¡±


    every word siwoo uttered was spoken from the bottom of his heart as the poem of confession was still in effect.


    unless one was someone who took pleasure in committing rape, it was simply abnormal that they would get aroused after seeing a girl, trembling like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered in front of them. at least, that was what siwoo thought.


    ¡°i¡¯m not making such a request on a whim.¡±


    odette¡¯s strong determination, however, had not wavered in the slightest despite siwoo¡¯s attempt to dissuade her.


    ¡°my older sister has always been like this. she learns magic faster than me and whenever something happened, she¡¯d always take the initiative to act on it and she¡¯d never make any concessions whatsoever...¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not like ms. odile set her eyes on me. she wouldn¡¯t have cared about a mere slave like me.


    ¡°actually, isn¡¯t ms. odette only asking me to do this just out of your curiosity? this magic is so damn frustrating, but at least it feels good to be able to speak my mind freely.¡±


    due to the effects of the poem of confession, siwoo¡¯s tone became more casual and his words had lost all of their pretenses. this sudden change startled odette.


    ¡°no, my sister always takes away whatever i like from me...


    ¡°wait! i don¡¯t mean to say that i like mr. assistant! it¡¯s more of an interest rather than like... no! that¡¯s not it either. i¡¯m not interested in mr. assistant at all!


    ¡°anyway, my sister is always one step ahead of me and she just steals everything from me!¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s normal for siblings to fight like cats and dogs while growing up. if anything, i think ms. odile and ms. odette get along really well.¡±


    in reality, even though they frequently fought, odile¡¯s true nature of constantly acting with her sister, odette¡¯s, best interests in mind was visible to everyone.


    on multiple occasions, she acted with the maturity and responsibility expected of an older sister.


    ¡°that¡¯s not important. what¡¯s important is that i always fall behind my sister.¡±


    siwoo took a moment to think.


    odette didn¡¯t actually hate odile. he could tell how much the sisters loved and cared for one another just by looking at them, after all.


    so, what was the reason she became this upset?


    ¡°i think ms. odette is just being restless.¡±


    he attempted to persuade odette


    to make her think that she was only being restless.


    odette was already charming enough and someday she would become a wonderful lady who had a different charm and personality from her sister.


    ¡°yes, i¡¯m being restless. i want the same thing as my sister.¡±


    her words made her sound self-centered.


    ¡°hey, look at you... saying everything you want to say despite your timidity. oh, i¡¯m sorry... this is because of the poem of confession, right? actually, never mind, i¡¯m not sorry.¡±


    in his haste to get out of this situation somehow, siwoo started blurting out a bunch of nonsense.


    he was desperately trying to filter the thoughts in his head.


    ¡®i¡¯m screwed.¡¯


    he could see odette¡¯s pupils trembling as she listened to his true intentions.


    ¡°can¡¯t we just finish this quickly?¡±


    ¡°well, it¡¯s okay. everyone has various thoughts in their minds... there¡¯s nothing you can do about it.¡±


    odette cleared her throat and said.


    ¡°anyway, i know i¡¯m inadequate and lacking compared to my sister. that¡¯s why i don¡¯t want to fall behind even more... in things like fighting for snacks, magic.... and various other things...¡±


    ¡°please stop, ms. odette... i¡¯ve never thought of you in a romantic way. to be honest, what you¡¯re doing is too childish. it feels like i¡¯m watching my little sister throwing a tantrum.¡±


    ¨C thud


    siwoo felt he could see a landslide crumbling behind odette as she stood there, rooted to the ground.


    his words were like an incantation that accidentally hurt odette¡¯s feelings. however, at the same time, it caused her to be able to swiftly overcome her timidity.


    ¡°i-is it because you¡¯ve done all the lewd things secretly with my sister? is that why you don¡¯t have any interest in me?¡±


    ¡®your sister came to see me against my will too. there was really nothing i could do about it.¡¯


    siwoo had expected to respond naturally in that way but he suddenly found that his mouth was tightly shut for some reason.


    odette¡¯s poem of confession was undone in a much shorter time than odile¡¯s.


    ¡°no...! i wasn¡¯t even interested in ms. odile. didn¡¯t i explain it just now? i didn¡¯t do it with her because i wanted to!¡±


    ¡°lies, i know that the poem of confession spell i casted on you has just been released! are you going to start lying as soon as it¡¯s released?¡±


    ¡°please believe me! i¡¯m just stating the truth here!¡±


    ¡°enough!¡±


    odette was on the verge of tears as she threw off her cloak in frustration.


    as she shrugged off her cloak, her boots and snow-white sleeveless dress were now revealed to his eyes, fluttering with the wind.


    ¡°i don¡¯t want to lose to my sister! i don¡¯t want to fall behind her!¡±


    siwoo became quite a bit frustrated when he realized just how complicated the situation had gotten at this point.


    ¡°follow me.¡±


    odette gritted her teeth and glared at siwoo with a fiery gaze.


    without giving siwoo a chance to react, odette seized hold of his arm with an enraged expression on her face.


    soon, they ended up at a corner of the treehouse.


    the place seemed like a small attic that was probably used as a storage room.


    even though odette was filled with determination to see this to the end, it must have been burdensome for her to do lewd things in front of her sleeping sister.


    however, that didn¡¯t mean that she was going to give up.


    ¡°i¡¯ll do exactly what my sister did. and you, mr. assistant, will have to help me.¡±


    ¡°...ms. odette.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t even try to refuse. if you do, i swear i won¡¯t just stand by and do nothing.¡±


    odette seemed extremely frustrated.


    clinging dangerously close to siwoo, she started carefully taking off his pants.


    while she was doing the deed, her tiny head wiggled back and forth in front of siwoo¡¯s eyes.


    siwoo wasn¡¯t sure if he should stop her or let her continue at this point.


    he surmised that the moment he started acting a little aggressively with her, she would probably feel terrified and give up on going through with this act.


    despite his attempts to stop her from doing anything, she appeared resolute in achieving her goal by any means necessary.


    ¡°hmm...¡±


    pulling down his pants in one go, taking out the dick in the process, odette firmly grabbed hold of his meat stick.


    her warm hand started caressing his wiener along its length.


    odette¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment as she stroked his rod up and down. hesitating for a few moments, she ended up glancing up at siwoo¡¯s face.


    he noticed that her head was also quite small when he saw her up close and like this. it was a feeling that was uncannily similar to odile, her sister¡¯s.


    it was possible for ordinary people to modify their physical appearance. plastic surgery, for example, something that actors often did. nevertheless, innate traits such as the size of the head and the proportions of the body could not be changed no matter what you did.


    whether it was odile or odette, their bodily proportions were so stunning that they could be mistaken for animated dolls.


    ¡°you¡¯ll do it, won¡¯t you? i heard that men get excited when they are being touched like this.¡±


    siwoo was suddenly puzzled by odette¡¯s behavior of taking off his pants and touching himself like that, but he thought that it was probably because she was trying to make sure that he wouldn¡¯t refuse her anymore.


    siwoo felt hesitant to turn her down as she looked up at him with desperate eyes, making him feel like it would be awful of him to refuse her.


    on the other hand, complying with her by taking advantage of her innocence, using her as a tool for pleasure and penetrating her rear hole didn¡¯t sit well with his conscience.


    ¡°aren¡¯t you going to answer me?¡±


    seeing that siwoo was still hesitant, odette bit her lips and spoke impatiently in a genuinely frustrated tone.


    ¡°listen carefully, mr. assistant. if you don¡¯t listen to me here, i will tell ms. professor everything. and i¡¯ll even tell ms. professor that mr. assistant is actually studying magic to escape this place,¡±


    finally, the reason behind siwoo¡¯s reluctance to strongly oppose odette¡¯s actions was revealed.


    the twins had a hold on siwoo¡¯s weakness.


    despite the fact that odile agreed to some sort of compromise with him, siwoo would be helpless if odette suddenly refused to comply with that agreement; talking to her was similar to talking to a brick wall, after all.


    odette¡¯s actions were unexpected as she appeared to be more concerned about siwoo¡¯s situation than odile¡¯s, which suggested that she may have had her own hidden motives for acting that way.


    siwoo let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°yes i will, but if ms. odette feels uncomfortable, please inform me without hesitation.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll do better than my sister.¡±


    odette looked at siwoo¡¯s dick, which had become stiffened by the repeated stimulations. she nodded, as if thinking that this much would be enough and slowly rolled up the hem of her dress.


    as she lowered her underwear slowly, her knees, thighs, and pelvis came into view, and the symbol on her lower abdomen was also revealed to siwoo¡¯s eyes.


    a mound that was pretty and plump akin to a camel¡¯s hoof, similar to odile¡¯s.


    even though he had seen it several times before, he couldn¡¯t help but think that it was pretty every single time.


    ¡°uh, how should i do this?¡±


    siwoo came up with a new plan while reflecting on some minor thoughts.


    ¡°first of all, i¡¯ll follow ms. odette¡¯s instructions. i¡¯ll say it again, if it becomes too difficult for you, please tell me and i will stop.


    ¡°so, can you just hold onto that for a moment?¡±


    what siwoo was pointing at was a cluttered desk with miscellaneous objects piled up on top of it.


    odette nodded with a stern expression on her face and placed her hand on the desk.


    either because her briefs were stripped or not worn properly, the hem of her dress was lifted ever so slightly, revealing the perfect round shape of her buttocks.


    if he lifted that up just a little bit, he would be able to see her lower body as there was nothing left to obstruct the view.


    ¡°can you roll up the hem of your dress a little?¡±


    siwoo¡¯s strategy was not to persuade odette anymore.


    it was to wait for her to become so embarrassed that she would stop this act by herself in shame.


    based on her reactions, it didn¡¯t seem like it would take very long to achieve that.


    odette nodded and slowly pulled the hem of her dress down with stiff movements.


    as the curtain-like dress rose, her voluptuous rear was now fully exposed for him to witness.


    ¡°done...¡±


    ¡°i need some lubricant. can you make some?¡±


    ¡°ah, of course.¡±


    as odette recited an incantation and soon, moisture from the air gathered in her palm.


    the gathered moisture thickened and became as smooth as aloe vera gel.


    being able to use such magic without the need for any alchemical catalyst proved that odette¡¯s magical ability was not lacking in the least.


    siwoo evenly spread the gel on his hands and stood behind her.


    he could see that her shoulders were trembling slightly,


    it was obvious that she was pushing herself to go through with this act.


    odette glanced back at him for a moment.


    ¡°hurry up, do it already.¡±

 Chapter 56: Latifundium (5)

    ? latifundium (5) ?


    1.


    ¡°hurry up, do it already.¡±


    if possible, siwoo wanted to resolve the situation calmly.


    he gently reached out to odette¡¯s buttocks.


    ¡°eep...!¡±


    as siwoo¡¯s hand, damp and cold from the gel-like water touched her hips, odette shuddered and trembled.


    goosebumps crept up her snow-white buttocks.


    ¡°are you sure about this, ms. odette? you aren¡¯t going to change your mind?¡±


    honestly, if siwoo just inserted his dick inside her and gave her the pleasure she wanted, everything would be over.


    conquering the rear holes of the twin witches despite him being a slave could be an accomplishment in itself.


    however, he wasn¡¯t really in the mood for it.


    when he did it with odile, the lust within him was invoked, but that wasn¡¯t the case with odette.


    in odile¡¯s case, she had already overcome her shame, embarrassment and fear regarding the unknown for the sake of satisfying her curiosity.


    but, odette was different.


    siwoo couldn¡¯t bring himself to do something as cruel to someone who was trembling like that, especially when she was only blindly following her sister without understanding her situation.


    he carefully spread odette¡¯s buttocks.


    ¡°can you spread your legs a little?¡±


    ¡°y-yes...¡±


    look at this.


    up until now, she had been intimidating him with her might and authority, but as soon as he touched her, she couldn¡¯t even move a finger.


    as she spread her legs, shoulder-width apart, odette slightly trembled.


    ¡°could you pull your waist a bit further back? your hips too.¡±


    odette pushed out her buttocks, her body bent into an awkward curved shape.


    whether the reddened butt cheeks in front of him were due to drunkenness or embarrassment, siwoo couldn¡¯t tell. what he could tell was their color resembled a fully ripe peach.


    ¡°hmm...¡±


    after thinking for a bit, he remembered that he once learned the fact that the wrinkles¡¯ pattern around the anus were genetically inherited.


    that explained why the twin sister¡¯s wrinkles looked identical.


    if gehenna had a butthole recognition door lock, they could easily use each other¡¯s butt to unlock each other¡¯s doors.


    odette turned around quickly.


    she sensed that siwoo was hesitating and doing nothing, she couldn¡¯t stand it any longer.


    ¡°la~ la la lala~¡±


    she opened her mouth.


    what came out of it was a mysterious melody that sounded similar to the poem of confession.


    the melody sounded captivating and somewhat had a sensual quality in it that evoked the image of the siren¡¯s song in siwoo¡¯s mind.


    ¡°w-what is that?¡±


    siwoo felt a strange premonition.


    his mind started to blur as soon as he heard the song. it was as if he was being hypnotized.


    like being injected by a shot of adrenaline, his heartbeat accelerated.


    his pupil dilated, allowing him to see clearly in the dimly lit warehouse.


    ¡°...i won¡¯t tell you.¡±


    odette said as she continued to stand facing forward.


    siwoo didn¡¯t have enough lenience to feel the danger in odette¡¯s ambiguous response.


    ¡°ugh...!¡±


    right before his eyes were her bare buttocks.


    unconsciously, his gaze was drawn to her lower lips, which were tightly shut.


    the scene undoubtedly captivated him.


    in front of him was an innocent virgin who had yet to taste a man.


    the narrow opening between her plump thighs looked alluring despite its tightness. if he were to insert a finger in it, it felt like it would grip tightly around it.


    ¡°w-what kind of magic did you just cast?¡±


    siwoo was taken aback by the unusual reaction in his lower body.


    it was completely normal to be aroused by such a lewd scene, but this was the first time his dick had become so hard that it actually hurt him.


    his lust grew stronger, gradually corroding his sense of reason.


    ¡°...¡±


    yet, odette still hadn¡¯t said a single word.


    from the beginning, time wasn¡¯t in siwoo¡¯s favor.


    his growing lust had engulfed his rationality.


    ¡®violate the woman in front of you, impregnate her, come inside her, sow your seed.¡¯


    it felt like someone was whispering those words in his ears.


    immediately, siwoo tried to leave the storage room.


    he couldn¡¯t keep his senses under control anymore.


    this was the first time he had ever experienced such a strong and intense lust.


    the arrow of this lust would perhaps aim straight towards odette, who was standing in front of him with her naked buttocks spread.


    he felt the urge to escape.


    as he turned his gaze toward the door, his attention was once again drawn into odette¡¯s buttocks.


    siwoo looked down at his lower body.


    a gruesome sight; a dick standing erect with blood vessels bulging out to an obscene degree.


    and beneath it, there were two holes that would bring his dick an immense amount of pleasure if he were to stick it into any of them.


    siwoo wondered. should he really leave this place?


    slowly, he reached out his hand toward his dick.


    ¡°haah... haah...¡±


    he smeared the gel-like water all over his dick with his palm.


    all was done unconsciously as he followed his instinct instead of reason.


    ¡°ms. odette, you started all this, okay?¡±


    realizing how easily he had allowed himself to be pushed around by such a tiny, insignificant child, made him feel silly.


    he spread her buttocks, which were quivering like pudding.


    ¡°bend down more.¡±


    siwoo¡¯s growling voice startled odette and she turned her head briefly like a child that was caught cheating on an exam. despite that, she obediently listened to him.


    she bent her upper body down and pushed her buttocks further back.


    ¡°ha-ah...!¡±


    siwoo grabbed his dick and rubbed it against the creases of odette¡¯s buttocks.


    due to how focused he was on doing his things, odette¡¯s feeble moan didn¡¯t enter siwoo¡¯s ears.


    he felt disappointed that he couldn¡¯t pierce through odette¡¯s virgin membrane, but her anus should be enough for the time being.


    consideration, concession and concern.


    siwoo wondered why he bothered with these troublesome things up until now.


    he literally had an onahole offering to satisfy his lust right in front of him.


    ¡°kyaak...! huk..! huk...!¡±


    similar to what he had done with odile, he gently thrusted his dick into odette¡¯s elastic, yet tight anus.


    the most important part of the action was inserting the glans in.


    since the glance was the thickest part of the dick, once it was in, he didn¡¯t need to spend much effort to get the rest inside as well.


    ¡°ah... ah... haah...¡±


    unlike with odile, siwoo didn¡¯t bother giving any caresses to odette¡¯s anus with his hands to loosen it up.


    if it wasn¡¯t for her semi-spiritual body, this act could carry long term consequences due to how risky it was.


    however, odette¡¯s body was outstanding.


    despite the painful penetration process she had to endure, she still took siwoo¡¯s dick effortlessly.


    at the same time, a pleasant sensation spread throughout siwoo¡¯s lower body.


    he could feel odette¡¯s anus wrapped around his dick tightly, just like he had expected from odile¡¯s younger sister.


    except that her anus felt tighter than odile¡¯s, perhaps because she was better in controlling the muscles in her anus.


    -flick!


    odette flicked the finger she barely managed to lift up.


    at the same time, siwoo felt as though a fog had been lifted from his mind. his thoughts cleared up.


    ¡°huh!¡±


    ¡°this is... harder than i thought...¡±


    after catching her breath for a moment, odette finally managed to speak.


    it was only then that siwoo grasped his situation.


    he had already inserted half of his dick into odette¡¯s anus.


    her small buttocks, somehow managed to receive such a large dick, were now tightly clenched, possibly due to either pain or stimulation, taking the shape of half an apple.


    ¡°did you use some kind of magic again?¡±


    siwoo was really annoyed by her self-essence magic.


    that magic was unfair, he was barely able to tolerate it.


    ¡°i-if i didn¡¯t use it, you wouldn¡¯t have done anything...haa...¡±


    it was clear that odette had reached her limit.


    her stiff muscles and clenched buttocks spoke volumes.


    nevertheless, she didn¡¯t tell him to take out his dick.


    ¡°uh...a little...more... it¡¯s okay...put it in more...¡±


    she slowly moved her hips backward and began to swallow siwoo¡¯s dick with her rear hole.


    he could feel her anus¡¯ contracting muscles. they resembled a ring, firmly stimulating his dick as they slowly moved down from the middle.


    the intense sensation had him taken aback as he instinctively grabbed into odette¡¯s hips.


    ¡°haah...haah...it feels...strange...¡±


    as she took siwoo¡¯s dick, odette let out a strange voice that could be mistaken as either a moan or a sigh.


    the deeper siwoo pushed his dick in, the hotter he felt.


    he never went this deep with odile.


    ¡°haa...!¡±


    ¡°ngh!¡±


    odette¡¯s hips finally pressed against siwoo¡¯s pelvis bone.


    her tender hole, fully stretched to its limits, greedily enveloped every inch of his dick.


    odette panted heavily as sweat dripped down her face.


    despite that, a satisfied grin plastered on her lips as she looked toward siwoo.


    ¡°how...is it? have you ever went this deep with my big sis, mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°no, never.¡±


    ¡°how does it feel? is it better than my big sis?¡±


    after saying those words, odette bit her lip and started to move her hips slowly.


    like a slave, she used her all to serve her master.


    despite its elasticity, odette¡¯s tight anus provided intense stimulation to siwoo¡¯s dick, just like odile¡¯s


    ¡°my sister...ah...haa...couldn¡¯t do it like me, right? haah...haah...¡±


    it was clear that she hadn¡¯t felt the pleasure from her actions yet.


    but she never stopped moving.


    ¡°how to please a man...i also...studied it...hng...! everything is written in that book...if i swing my waist this way...it will bring you pleasure...¡±


    with siwoo¡¯s dick still inside her, odette began to move her hips in a circular motion.


    he felt an intense pleasure to the point he rolled his eyes back.


    odette¡¯s elastic muscles began to squeeze and pull his dick along as she rotated her hips.


    ¡°aaah...!¡±


    siwoo wasn¡¯t the only one who felt the pleasure from that move.


    finally, odette¡¯s abnormally sturdy semi-spiritual body found pleasure from her first anal penetration.


    ¡°oh...this feeling... ahh...! so this is what it¡¯s like...!¡±


    it was a pleasure that only her older sister knew.


    the pleasure of becoming one with a man.


    for the first time in her life, she experienced this kind of pleasure. it dissipated the pain that came from the first time siwoo inserted his dick into her rear. the pleasure was much more enjoyable than what was written in the book. words simply couldn¡¯t describe it.


    ¡°how are you feeling...mr. assistant...?¡±


    ¡°i-i¡¯m enjoying it.¡±


    siwoo saw no reason to deny the pleasure he was experiencing.


    it was the first time he ever moved his hips with such a vigorous motion. it felt better than he could have ever imagined.


    compared to simply inserting and pulling out his dick into odile¡¯s anus, this pleasure was on a whole different level.


    odette¡¯s lewd hole seemed to expand with each of his thrusts.


    the ecstatic sensation he experienced from her anal ring roughly stroking up and down his dick surpassed the pleasure of masturbation by more than a hundredfold.


    ¡°haah... hng... this feeling...is weird... i feel like i¡¯m going to pee...!¡±


    odette¡¯s back stiffened in the same way her elder sister did. she exhaled a deep sweet breath while savoring the pleasure that she felt.


    ¡°n-now...mr. assistant...grab my waist firmly and...move like this... haah... ugh...¡±


    odette¡¯s voice that he was hearing overlapped with someone else¡¯s in his memory.


    it was the same voice that urged siwoo to impregnate her after she drank that potion.


    odette let out an ecstatic moan that sounded more like a hum.


    an irresistible temptation emanated from odette, who seemed to be fully engrossed in the act and had overcome her shyness.


    ¡°hold my waist tight... like this...¡±


    odette¡¯s slender hand led siwoo to her waist.


    unknowingly, siwoo grabbed the boundary between her hips and waist.


    ¡°yes, i understand.¡±


    and then he began to move slowly.


    with each movement of his waist, siwoo felt an unfamiliar sensation of pleasure.


    siwoo began to rock his dick back and forth inside odette¡¯s tiny anus. the intensity made him afraid that he might just break it.


    ¡°haah...haah... strange...this feels shameful...somewhat... it¡¯s strange...¡±


    odette¡¯s reaction was arousing enough to invoke siwoo¡¯s lust, despite himself being a virgin.


    with each thrust, her body quivered and she rose up on her toes. when he pulled out, she arched her back to push her buttocks toward his dick.


    this tempted siwoo to keep on thrusting.


    he wanted to tease the mischievous odette even more.


    siwoo craved for a more intense pleasure, similar to the one he experienced when he was under the influence of the strange magic earlier.


    the bond of camaraderie between the two, as partners trying to learn new things, made them able to synchronize their rhythm.


    ¡°i¡¯ve never felt this way since i was born... i-it¡¯s just...so good... it¡¯s weird...that only big sis experienced it until now... haah...haah...¡±


    ¨Cclap clap


    as he gripped odette¡¯s hips, siwoo¡¯s thrust became even more vigorous.


    despite the increasing speed, odette¡¯s hole was still as tight as before.


    despite him withdrawing almost the entirety of his dick with each thrust, the tightness of her anus still made him feel dizzy from the pleasure.


    if there was an onahole that could give him this much pleasure, he¡¯d buy it even if it cost him all his money.


    ¡°mr. assistant...haah...ahh... s-should i...say something naughty...?¡±


    amidst the overwhelming pleasure she had never felt before, a line from the novel, ¡®the devilish delivery man,¡¯ came to her mind.


    seeing siwoo shaking his waist while enjoying the action, odette felt proud. she was even more determined to make him feel even better than this.


    and so, she whispered the vulgar line to him. the line that she would never be able to utter in normal circumstances, a line that would make her dizzy just by reading them.


    never did she expect that her dirty line would prompt siwoo to ejaculate immediately.

 Chapter 57: Latifundium (6)

    ? latifundium (6) ?


    1.


    odette let out a deep breath.


    the pleasure she was experiencing was different from the one she felt when she masturbated by herself.


    when she masturbated alone, her heart pounded faster as her hips jerked up, causing her to gasp for breath. but if she were to compare that to what happened right now, it felt like a mere fleeting pleasure more than anything.


    every time odette turned around, she¡¯d notice siwoo swaying his hips, showing her an expression she had never seen before.


    somehow, it stimulated odette¡¯s desire.


    the desire to make him experience an even greater pleasure.


    so, odette chose a line from the novel, ¡®the devilish delivery man,¡¯ the novel that had opened up a whole new world for her.


    it was a line spoken by the witch in the novel, the witch who had experienced pure pleasure for the first time and was following the milk delivery man¡¯s instructions in her semi-dazed state.


    in the novel, the witch¡¯s line greatly aroused and pleased the delivery man, making him ejaculate into her rear hole.


    odette let out a series of increasingly loud gaps.


    a tingling sensation rushed through her from her head to toe every time siwoo thrusted his hips back and forth.


    ¡®is it okay to say such a lewd and embarrassing line?¡¯


    such doubts had disappeared from her mind as she was drowned in pleasure.


    ¡°haah...! odette¡¯s anus exists...only for receiving mr. assistant¡¯s semen...!¡±


    ¡°sorry?¡±


    her remarks sounded so provocative that even siwoo was momentarily stunned.


    who was odette?


    despite her naive look, she was still an apprentice witch.


    moreover, she was the apprentice witch of count gemini.


    the disparity of status between him and her was like that between a grain of sand and a gold nugget.


    ¡°deeper... please, give me your seed, mr. assistant! ...every last drop...please, pour all your thick semen into me until the last drop! ahh...haah... i¡¯ll squeeze everything out from you...without fail... ahhh...!¡±


    and the so-called noble apprentice witch declared that her existence was only to receive siwoo¡¯s semen before begging him to ejaculate inside her.


    it was hard to imagine that the lewd noises she made as she shivered in delight whenever siwoo thrusted his dick into her came from the innocent looking odette.


    she was the one who created this situation.


    odette felt triumphant.


    at that moment, she could sense that her body was building up to an orgasm.


    siwoo tightened his grip on her waist.


    his fingers effortlessly sank into the soft flesh due to the strength of his grip.


    as siwoo increased his pace, odette started reciting another line in excitement.


    she even added a bit of personal touch in it.


    ¡°m-mr. assistant... odette is...a perverted girl who enjoys being fucked by the ass...! every night i think of you and...ahh...h-heuk... i-i masturbated like the perverted girl i am...!¡±


    ¡°heuk! heuk!¡±


    odette wasn¡¯t sure if the pleasure solely came from her reciting those lewd words.


    maybe it came from siwoo¡¯s movement growing more intense?


    her anus began to twitch and tighten intermittently.


    the already tight hole became even tighter with the additional pressure she put in, making siwoo have some troubles moving his waist around. the pleasure he received became even more intense in exchange.


    ¡°please punish me with your dick... harder... harder...! heuuk...!¡±


    with that, odette¡¯s back moved, creating an arch.


    her body was wrapped in ecstasy, an overwhelming sense of release, like a carriage descending from a hill in full gallop.


    ¡°i-i... i¡¯m going to... t-this... t-this is an orgasm, right...? aaahh... ?¡±


    finally, she experienced an orgasm.


    at that moment, siwoo felt pressure similar to when he gripped his dick tightly in his hand.


    he fulfilled odette¡¯s request, thrusting his dick deeply inside her while pressing her buttocks tightly to the point that they almost touched his balls before ejaculating deep inside her.


    ¡°haah...! haah...!¡±


    his breathing became ragged.


    his dick twitched.


    -splurt! splurt!


    his semen spurted out fiercely as it coated odette¡¯s insides like paint.


    odette¡¯s delicate shoulders shuddered as she savored the pleasure she experienced.


    ¡°haah... hng... ahh... your seed...entered...my stomach...¡±


    the situation made siwoo feel dizzy.


    it felt like he was hearing nails on a chalkboard.


    as he ejaculated, he felt the tight grip of odette¡¯s anus reacting to the throbbing of his dick. it tried to squeeze every last drop of his semen.


    this was the most ecstatic ejaculation he had ever experienced.


    odette¡¯s anus was still gripping his dick tightly as it twitched from time to time.


    the movement was extremely bad for his currently sensitive dick.


    ¡°ugh...¡±


    -plop!


    siwoo carefully held odette¡¯s butt, which had slumped onto the desk and pulled his dick out.


    her anus was still gripping his dick tightly until he pulled out completely. it seemed like she was trying to squeeze the leftover semen in his urethra out.


    ¡°haah...¡±


    was it because he treated her roughly from the beginning?


    odette¡¯s anus was still wide open as it faced the ceiling, even though siwoo had already pulled his dick out.


    he could see the thick droplets of his semen coming out of her hole.


    ¡°haah... ohh...¡±


    a drop of semen dripped between her legs.


    when siwoo started to grow worried about her gaping hole, it quickly returned to its original state.


    ¡°phew...¡±


    siwoo wiped away the sweat on his forehead with his sleeve and looked at the scenery he inadvertently caused with a sense of unease.


    odette, laying sprawled on the desk, unmoving as she exposed the closed garden that should have always been kept hidden.


    the wrinkles around her anus were slightly swollen, probably caused by his vigorous thrusting.


    her tightly shut anus trembled from the afterglow of pleasure.


    beneath it, the plump flesh that was filled with flowing drops of honey continued to arouse siwoo¡¯s lust.


    he had already ejaculated once, but the sight tempted him to do it again.


    ¡°ms. odette.¡±


    he expected some kind of reaction coming from her.


    however, the reaction didn¡¯t come as odette continued to sprawl on the desk.


    siwoo cautiously approached her and shook her shoulder.


    ¡®is she dead?¡¯


    he suspected as such, but she was breathing properly and he could feel her pounding heart.


    she was still lively up to a moment ago, but she was probably pretending to be asleep to cover her embarrassment.


    -creak!


    as siwoo was examining odette¡¯s condition, he heard the sound of the door opening behind him.


    when he turned around in a panic, he saw odile, standing there while grabbing her head with a pained expression on her face.


    ¡°what are you doing in the dark, mr. assistant? ugh, my head hurts. did i bump into something?¡±


    her forehead was slightly reddened from the impact of their earlier fall.


    she recovered much faster than he expected.


    the situation just turned for the worse.


    ¡°where did odette go? h-huh...w-what?¡±


    odile¡¯s gaze finally fell on siwoo¡¯s bottom half.


    his pants were still off and his large dick was still bouncing up and down in its erected state.


    it was covered in sticky white semen.


    odile made a gesture and the storage room turned bright.


    odette¡¯s naked figure, which was hidden in the darkness, became clearly visible.


    her dress rolled up to her hips as she fainted on the desk.


    the white, translucent fluid coming out of her anus was an obvious indication that she was involved in a sexual activity.


    ¡°did you two do it while i was out cold?¡±


    odile was astonished.


    ¡°u-um...y-you see...¡±


    odile swiftly brushed past siwoo, who was standing there, panicking, and hurriedly went to check on her younger sister¡¯s condition.


    she was looking carefully around odette¡¯s crotch, probably worried that siwoo might have crossed that line.


    ¡°...¡±


    then, she quietly cleaned up odette¡¯s anus without uttering a single word.


    she removed the semen on odette¡¯s buttocks and covered her lower body with her dress.


    putting aside her inner turmoil, odile opened her mouth to speak while siwoo was trying to come out with an excuse.


    ¡°tell me everything.¡±


    2.


    siwoo laid out everything that had happened in great detail.


    odile, who had brought odette from the storage room and laid her on the bed, listened to siwoo¡¯s explanation with a solemn look.


    it felt like he was in some kind of public hearing, so his nerves were on edge.


    he was frightened of what might happen next.


    ¡°...that¡¯s what happened.¡±


    odette made the first move as she seduced siwoo.


    siwoo tried to refuse, but odette threatened him.


    even after that, he still tried to reject her, but odette put him under a spell.


    up until this point, siwoo could speak with a clear conscience, however...


    ¡°after the spell was lifted...because i lack self-control...i continued the act...¡±


    his face turned bright red as he spoke this part.


    if odile had been a man, she¡¯d probably be able to empathize with his situation, but she was a woman.


    ¡°so, you fucked that clueless girl, no, that heavily drunk, clueless girl until she passed out?¡±


    odile¡¯s response was surprisingly stern.


    her voice was filled with anger, seemingly in disbelief of what she had just heard.


    in desperation, siwoo replied to her.


    ¡°she wasn¡¯t drunk! ms. odette was completely fine!¡±


    ¡°ugh... did odette tell you that she¡¯s never been drunk in her entire life?¡±


    ¡°how did you know?¡±


    odile let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°she might seem fine, but she has no tolerance toward alcohol. she won¡¯t remember anything once she wakes up.¡±


    ¡°and how am i supposed to know that?¡±


    ¡°you got a point, sorry.¡±


    odile¡¯s anger subsided a little, but her face still had a lingering look of worry.


    waiting for her verdict, siwoo felt as though he was sitting on a cushion of thorns.


    ¡°that girl won¡¯t stop trying to imitate everything that i did. it¡¯s annoying.¡±


    fortunately, nothing serious happened.


    ¡°it seems ms. odette thinks of ms. odile as her role model.¡±


    ¡°what? that¡¯s not true. she¡¯s just imitating me, nothing more.¡±


    ¡°anyway, i apologize about what happened.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s okay, there¡¯s nothing for you to apologize for, mr. assistant. though, there¡¯s something that i don¡¯t like...¡±


    odile folded her arms and glanced between siwoo¡¯s legs.


    ¡°mr. assistant, how did you do it with odette?¡±


    ¡°...is that important?¡±


    ¡°no, but i¡¯m curious. i mean you didn¡¯t insert the tip of your dick inside of her like you did with me, did you?¡±


    no way.


    is she announcing the start of phase 2?


    an uncomfortable silence hung in the air for a while.


    siwoo swallowed nervously, trying to hide his anxiety.


    ¡°mister.¡±


    odile suddenly stood up from her seat and walked over to siwoo.


    ¡°can we do it again?¡±


    ¡°pardon?¡±


    ¡°well, you know, last night we stopped before we could get into it... i¡¯m actually curious about what would happen afterwards...¡±


    ¡°um...¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll forget about what happened with odette today, in exchange, do it with me.¡±


    her little sister had just finished doing an anal sex with him, yet she casually asked him to do the same thing to her.


    siwoo thought that the current situation would make him unable to get an erection for a month, but to his dismay, something started to bulge inside his pants.


    while awkwardly twirling her finger around siwoo¡¯s hair, odile spoke awkwardly.


    ¡°odette won¡¯t be getting up for a while...so let¡¯s move to another room. you won¡¯t mind, right, mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t mind, but...is this the right thing to do?¡±


    after all, their relationship wasn¡¯t built based on genuine love or emotional commitment. rather, it was driven by odile¡¯s desire to try something new.


    siwoo didn¡¯t feel any about fucking both of them.


    ¡°i don¡¯t mean to brag, but i learn faster than odette. perhaps it¡¯ll feel better to do it with me than with her.¡±


    perhaps today was the day he would be rewarded for going through all the suffering he had felt.


    the thought that the same dick that had been vigorously thrusting into the younger twin¡¯s anus would also be inserted into the older sister¡¯s anus fueled him.


    his heart was racing with a peculiar sense of immorality.


    suddenly.


    ¡°huh?¡±


    siwoo looked outside the window.


    it wasn¡¯t a conscious movement.


    he felt a piercing gaze from the direction, it was as if his whole being was pricked by thorns.


    outside the window was the beautiful scenery of latifundium, that part didn¡¯t change.


    but there was something else out there.


    a black thing, glued to the branch of a large tree.


    it was staring intently through the window of the administrative building.

 Chapter 58: Play Ball (1)

    ? play ball (1) ?


    1.


    seeing siwoo¡¯s lack of reaction to her sudden proposal, odile tilted her head in confusion.


    siwoo¡¯s confused voice echoed around the room.


    ¡°ms. odile, we¡¯re the only ones here, right?¡±


    ¡°here? what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°in this latifundium.¡±


    ¡°yes, there¡¯s no one else here. as i¡¯ve mentioned earlier, everyone¡¯s on break today, so we rented the entire place to ourselves.¡±


    ¡°then, what is that black thing?¡±


    a black figure could be seen outside the window, staring inside the administration building.


    there was one reason why siwoo described the thing as such.


    its color was the only distinct characteristic it had.


    the black silhouette crouched on a branch, as if it was glued to it.


    one could feel an ominous feeling when they laid their eyes on it.


    this wasn¡¯t a metaphor.


    ¡®shadow¡¯ covered its body like a cloak.


    ¡°what?¡±


    odile slowly turned her head in the direction siwoo was looking.


    at the same time, the unidentified being started to move.


    -creak.


    what appeared to be its neck bent in an abnormal way, as if its joint was corroded with rust.


    the dark shadow around it dispersed like mist and siwoo was finally able to identify its form.


    the head of a giant black cat.


    it was difficult to imagine that such a massive body belonged to an ordinary beast.


    its tail coiled and wiggled, a massive sickle was attached to its tip as it swayed in the chilly wind.


    ¡°that¡¯s...¡±


    odile¡¯s face stiffened in horror.


    -creak creak!


    with a chilling sound, akin to chalk scratching on a blackboard.


    it opened its eyes.


    darker than the abyss.


    from its head, which lacked even more depths than the flickering shadow.


    three crimson eyes, like flowers blooming in hell.


    as it turned its gaze toward their direction, it appeared to be filled with joy.


    the amassing shadow began to take shape around the mysterious monster.


    when the monster¡¯s shadow became more clear and distinct, odile immediately started to sing.


    ¡°cum sanctis tuis in aeternum! quia pius es!¡±


    her song was quick and precise.


    despite her humming and skipping parts of the spell, she delivered her flawless chant, completing every aspect of her incantation with precision.


    at the same time.


    -creak!


    a black spear collided against a transparent barrier that surrounded the entire administrative building, creating a noise similar to an operating steel grinder.


    -boom!


    -rattle!


    -bang!


    at that moment, siwoo, who had been observing the monster, saw something.


    the transparent barrier that odile created was struck by three spears that were made by the shadow that were charging into the administrative building.


    he couldn¡¯t understand why this thing happened so suddenly.


    all he knew was the monster had casted a spell to attack them and odile managed to repel it.


    ¡°i almost got fucked!¡±


    odile said with a rough tone.


    siwoo blinked and asked.


    ¡°maybe it¡¯s lady gemini?¡±


    ¡°no way that would be the case!¡±


    his question was reasonable, but odile denied it.


    it was fortunate that lady gemini seemed to be unaware of the scoundrel who was manipulating and toying with her apprentice witches, therefore she hadn¡¯t been taking any actions to eliminate him.


    no, actually, siwoo wasn¡¯t sure if it was fortunate or not.


    ¡°then, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    before odile could answer him, the room trembled violently.


    unlike before, they felt the vibration more clearly than they heard its loud noise.


    as a result of that powerful vibration, the air around them grew heavier.


    the shadow¡¯s spear once again clashed against odile¡¯s barrier.


    odile stared at the window, her eyes were shimmering with purple magic reflections.


    ¡°it seems like a homunculus. but, according to my master, there are no more homunculus left in gehenna...¡±


    ¡°are you referring to the witch of creation¡¯s homunculus?¡±


    ¡°can¡¯t you tell by looking at it?!¡±


    the situation was way more serious than siwoo had expected.


    homunculus.


    an intellectual life form created by the witch of creation.


    they were created as ¡®guardians¡¯ to protect her legacy.


    one might find them sleeping, huddled up in some corner of the world or wandering around silently.


    the magic obsessed witches would eagerly rush toward any homunculi they came across with their eyes shining brightly in excitement.


    after all, killing those homunculi meant obtaining the legacy left by the witch of creation, including the artifacts she possessed, her research materials, elixirs and magic circle manuals.


    to describe it in a way that modern people could understand, they were event mobs.


    the legacy of the witch of creation was so valuable that it could elevate any witch¡¯s accomplishments.


    ¡°this is bad. mr. assistant, take care of odette.¡±


    with a composed look, odile observed the shadow spears shooting at them from the outside.


    her soft cheeks now looked so stiff.


    upon further reflection, siwoo realized that the term ¡®event mob¡¯ was an overly optimistic description and it didn¡¯t accurately reflect the true nature of the homunculus.


    it was too dangerous to be called an event mob.


    homunculi were monsters created by the witch of creation herself.


    in terms of their danger level, it was more fitting to call them ¡®raid bosses¡¯ due to the diversity of the self-essence magic they had and the high resistance of their bodies due to their duties to protect the treasure within them.


    they were dangerous enough that they managed to get into second place in ¡®reasons for unexpected disappearances of witches.¡¯


    siwoo embraced odette, who was still out cold despite being in the middle of the ruckus and moved further away from the window.


    ¡°what should we do?¡±


    ¡°i-i don¡¯t know! i¡¯m thinking about it! can you wake odette up first?¡±


    siwoo could see how bad the situation was by simply looking at odile¡¯s face.


    odile, who generally laughed off every little incident casually, had a face as pale as a sheet of paper.


    according to the witches specialized in hunting the homunculi, witches below the 15th rank shouldn¡¯t even attempt to hunt any homunculi.


    and so, came the question, what rank were the twins?


    ¡°ms. odile, we can¡¯t calculate it precisely since you haven¡¯t been branded yet, but can you tell me what level of magic you can cast, approximately?¡±


    odile¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as she observed siwoo¡¯s calm demeanor. he was calmer than she expected.


    ¡°i¡¯m glad you¡¯re not trembling in fear. with odette¡¯s help and self-essence magic, we can cast an 8th level spell at best.¡±


    ¡°that means our priority right now is to seek help from the outside.¡±


    ¡°agree.¡±


    the minimum rank required to hunt was 15.


    but the two of them combined could only perform an 8th level spell.


    that was far from enough.


    there were numerous cases where a witch would invest their entire life on it, but they couldn¡¯t advance even a single rank.


    -bang!


    siwoo gazed outside the window carefully.


    the spherical barrier created by odile enveloped the entire research facility


    every time the homunculus fired a spear that struck the barrier and scattered, odile and siwoo¡¯s vision became more limited.


    the reason was because their surroundings were tainted by the shadow that spread like paint being dispersed in water.


    due to this, the homunculus¡¯ figure gradually became more blurry.


    as a result, their anxiety grew because they were unable to track their enemy¡¯s movements.


    suddenly, another loud sound echoed and a burst of flames made of mana flashed outside the window.


    due to that sound and siwoo vigorously shaking her shoulders, odette jolted up in surprise.


    ¡°kya! ...h-huh? what¡¯s going on?¡±


    groggily, odette glanced around her surroundings while siwoo briefly summarized the situation to her.


    ¡°then, what should we do?¡±


    however, odette¡¯s reaction was no different from odile¡¯s.


    the twins had no experience in combat in the first place. even if they did, hunting the homunculus while being in the 8th rank was impossible.


    what they should do was to flee and look for help from the outside.


    ¡°how many more attacks can your barrier repel, ms. odile?¡±


    ¡°its attacks are weaker than i thought, it should hold on for about ten minutes since it only launched 3-4 attacks per minute.¡±


    luckily, they had plenty of time.


    ¡°ms. odette, is there any way for us to seek help from lady gemini or any other witches?¡±


    previously, siwoo used a magic called skyboard to ask for sophia¡¯s help back at the inn.


    perhaps the twins would know a much better and more efficient way to seek help.


    ¡°well, there¡¯s a way, but it¡¯s impossible to use it right now. the spell ¡®song of rest¡¯ that my sister is using right now blocks magic from inside too, not only from outside.¡±


    ¡°so, we need to go outside, then?¡±


    currently, this building was like an air-raid shelter.


    leaving this place at this moment was equivalent to leaving an air-raid shelter during an attack.


    ¡°music box! i have a music box with me! we should be able to hide from that thing for a while!¡±


    odette took out a music box from her cloak.


    then...


    -creak! creak!


    ¡°m-mr. assistant...¡±


    odile¡¯s words were interrupted by an unpleasant noise from outside the window. it sounded like metal being torn apart.


    siwoo involuntarily held his breath.


    a giant cat, draped in shadows, was clawing and tearing apart odile¡¯s barrier.


    its sharp, sickle-like tail slammed against the transparent barrier, thrashing it violently.


    ¡°kiik...kiik...kaaak!¡±


    the homunculus opened its mouth wide, flashing its three crimson eyes.


    sticky oozes of shadows, similar to tar, appeared from within its opened mouth.


    despite seeing it for the first time, siwoo was able to comprehend the monster¡¯s emotions.


    it was laughing.


    that thing felt delight over the fact that there were three toys for him to play with.


    ¡°odette!¡±


    ¡°yes, sister!¡±


    the twins exchanged signals.


    both of them fully understood each other¡¯s thoughts, there was no need for them to discuss things beforehand.


    odette started chanting with her arms extending toward the window as odile removed her protective barrier.


    ¡°requiem aeternam dona eis!¡±


    ¡®give them an eternal rest.¡¯


    odette¡¯s chant was a requiem that she offered to her enemies¡¯ tombstone.


    -bang!


    as odette chanted the spell, a hazy glow emanated from her arm and in the blink of an eye, it struck the homunculus¡¯ face.


    the light emitted such intense heat that it raised the room¡¯s temperature by ten degrees even though it only appeared for a moment.


    from a brief contact with that spell, the glass turned red, melting away like a sugar being boiled.


    ¡°¡°no way...!¡±¡±


    the twins muttered in unison.


    that spell held tremendous power.


    they had expected that it could deal some amount of damage considering that it hit the monster dead in the face, however...


    ¡°kiiik?¡±


    it tilted its head, clearly unharmed after receiving that spell.


    siwoo could feel a shiver running down his spine.


    ¡°watch out!¡±


    reflexively, siwoo embraced the twins and lowered their heads together with his.


    less than 0.2 seconds afterwards, something passed over their backs.


    -boom!


    -crackle!


    it felt like a small storm had swept through the room.


    the homunculus swung its tail like a whip horizontally, messing up the interior of the building.


    that swing caused the wall to collapse and shattered the furniture inside.


    it created a thick cloud of dust that obscured their vision.


    ¡°run...let¡¯s run away!¡±


    what would have happened to them if they had stood still?


    siwoo turned his body while holding onto odile and odette necks, trembling at the sight of the broken wooden pillars.


    ¡°kiii!¡±


    a sound of something being pulled tightly, similar to someone loading an iron crossbow, reached their ears.


    when the monster hurled a shadow spear toward the building, it made a grating noise that set their nerves on edge.


    there was only one place they could run to.


    ¡°let¡¯s jump!¡±


    ¡°kyaa!¡±


    siwoo embraced the twins tightly and jumped off the tall treehouse.


    at the same time, two shadow spears flew past them, narrowly missing their backs.


    -thud!


    before their eyes, a towering tree with dozens of meters of height that once held up the latifundium proudly, crashed down like a shattered styrofoam.


    ¡°aaaa!¡±


    the twin effortlessly cast a levitation spell as it wasn¡¯t even classified as a flight type spell.


    even so, falling from 30 meters of height without any life saving tools was still an extremely terrifying experience.


    as he rapidly approached the ground with his clothes fluttering in the wind, siwoo let out a scream.


    the twins managed to land gracefully without any problems, but siwoo fell directly into the ground.


    ¡°mr. assistant! are you alright?¡±


    odile casted a glance toward the homunculus they left behind as odette rushed toward siwoo.


    the giant cat moved with brisk strides, its tail swaying as it looked down below.


    it marked the beginning of its hunt.


    ¡°mr. assistant, run away with odette, i¡¯ll try to hold it off here.¡±


    odile stood up straight on the ground. her eyes were locked to the three glowing crimson pupils.

 Chapter 59: Play Ball (2)

    ? play ball (2) ?


    1.


    ¡°mr. assistant, run away with odette, i¡¯ll try to hold it off here.¡±


    odile stepped forward, covering for siwoo and odette.


    she wasn¡¯t being arrogant or trying to brag.


    after all, she was far more aware about the danger the homunculus posed than siwoo ever was.


    the giant cat descended leisurely from the tree.


    the sight of the monster riding a wooden pole in a relaxed manner while blinking its three large eyes felt otherworldly as it clearly transcended the laws of physics.


    the sight of it landing on the ground in a weightless motion felt incredibly surreal. it completely erased all sense of reality from siwoo.


    ¡°why are you dawdling here? i told you to run!¡±


    even under the intense pressure of odile¡¯s anxious yell, siwoo remained calm as he tried to assess the situation.


    not only that, he even gave odette some instructions.


    ¡°ms. odette, is your music box working?¡±


    ¡°ah! y-yes!¡±


    odette, who had been fidgeting nervously while gripping the hem of her skirt quickly showed him her music box.


    immediately after that, while casting a worried glance in his direction, odette spoke.


    ¡°mr. assistant...you should run away. i can¡¯t leave my sister behind!¡±


    ¡°no! odette, you need to call for help while i¡¯m holding this thing off!¡±


    ¡°i-i¡¯ll do it right now!¡±


    as expected, odette was slower than odile in assessing the current situation.


    either it was because she had just woken up or because she wasn¡¯t as courageous. nevertheless, she followed odile¡¯s instruction and began chanting a spell.


    if there was one fortunate thing in this situation, it was the fact that the homunculus wasn¡¯t attacking them. instead, it stayed still while observing them.


    with curious eyes, it scanned its surroundings, observing the three with great attention.


    under its vigilant gaze, odette¡¯s magic came into full bloom.


    a massive string of symbols shot up into the sky.


    it was a spell one level higher than skyboard, the spell that siwoo once used.


    the spell pierced through the dense foliage of the latifundium as it lit up the sky, sending out an urgent rescue signal.


    ¡°it¡¯s done, sis!¡±


    ¡°great! let¡¯s go! ...ugh!¡±


    the monstrous cat started to move as soon as odette casted the spell, probably in response to the sudden surge of magic.


    its tail swung through the air like a sickle.


    the movement was so quick that it couldn¡¯t be seen with the naked eyes.


    it was as if all its previous swings were a joke.


    -bang!


    the protective barrier that odile had previously set up was torn apart like a piece of paper.


    her ¡®song of rest¡¯ was easily crushed just like that.


    odile¡¯s eyes widened in shock as she gazed at the scattered debris caused by the shattering magic circle.


    ¡°i-it destroyed the barrier in one swing?!¡±


    the sight of her barrier that was capable of withstanding tank rounds with ease being torn apart so effortlessly made odile left speechless.


    meanwhile, siwoo had been looking at the sky.


    it was because there was something in there.


    odette¡¯s rescue signal.


    the strings of symbols, gradually becoming larger as they rose into the sky, collided with a dense black shadow that covered the latifundium.


    -bang!


    then.


    siwoo heard the sound of shattering glass.


    the moment the purple clad string of characters made contact with the shadow, the magic was disrupted by the black shadow that acted as if it was suddenly sprung to life.


    those characters shattered into thousand pieces, falling down on siwoo¡¯s heads.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    odette watched in despair as her last hope was shattered.


    the rescue signal had failed.


    meanwhile, odile¡¯s barrier was sliced through by the monster¡¯s tail.


    none of their attacks seemed to work against the enemy.


    their previously calm daily life had been abruptly disrupted as it took on a new direction.


    it was late, but the three of them felt a sense of impending catastrophe.


    death.


    as the word passed through their minds, they felt like it was some kind of cruel joke.


    at that moment, siwoo¡¯s attention was drawn to the mana river stream behind the homunculus, the latifundium¡¯s mana supply.


    ¡°ms. odette, please protect ms. odile. i¡¯m going to create a smokescreen.¡±


    while everyone else was trembling in fear, siwoo took action.


    he found it strange.


    despite the imminent threat of death, his mind was clear, allowing him to think and react quickly.


    a surge of adrenaline coursed through his veins, bolstering the very legs that should have trembled in terror.


    then, he ran.


    he began to dash toward the monster like an arrow shot from a bow.


    ¡°m-mr. assistant!¡±


    he brushed off odette¡¯s urgent calling.


    ¡°what are you doing?!¡±


    he even went past odile, who was keeping the homunculus occupied and ran toward the monster.


    ¡°kyu?¡±


    seeing one of its prey leaping toward itself caught the homunculus off guard. it turned his head abruptly at an angle.


    even in this situation, in the middle of his sprint, siwoo was still analyzing the homunculus.


    he had seen its attack pattern up to this point.


    first, the shadow spear that it used to attack the research facility.


    it took around five seconds for the monster to gather the shadow before it shot it.


    the maximum number of spears that it could shoot at once was three.


    but, the intervals between each attack was quite long.


    however, it was clear from the monster¡¯s leisurely attitude that this wasn¡¯t the extent of its strength.


    the speed of the shadow spears was so quick, it was impossible to track them with naked eyes. not to mention that it was powerful enough to break gigantic trees with dozens of meters circumferences.


    it was clear that there was no way siwoo could handle it even if he were to use all the mana he had.


    second, its tail.


    it was impossible to gauge its attack range due to the sickle at the end of its tail since it used the sickle as if it was a chained sickle.


    at first, its power didn¡¯t seem to be that powerful, but the fact that it quickly shattered odile¡¯s barrier demonstrated that if the tail were to hit someone¡¯s bare body, it would undoubtedly shatter it to pieces.


    finally, the unidentified black shadow.


    it was clear that it wasn¡¯t something like a hardened shadow.


    at one point, the shadow covered the air like smog and disrupted odette¡¯s spell.


    because of its existence, he assumed that they were cut off from the outside world.


    the latifundium had become a hunting ground for the monster.


    as siwoo continued to charge forward, the distance between him and the homunculus had shrunk to less than 20 meters.


    then, overshadowing siwoo¡¯s vigor, it started to move.


    ¡°kiiik!¡±


    its tail writhed in the air with a grotesque cry as it began to move like a snake targeting its prey.


    siwoo calmly calculated the time and extended his arm into the air.


    the mana in latifundium was richer than anywhere else in gehenna.


    for that reason, a certain special move became possible to use here.


    but it could only be used once.


    that was why the timing to use it was important.


    ¡°bloom!¡±


    its tail, aiming at siwoo, was swung with a ferocious sound.


    at that moment, siwoo leapt his body diagonally, like a spring that was bent to its limit.


    -boom!


    the tail, which had barely missed siwoo¡¯s toes, appeared to move very slowly as it scraped the surface of the ground.


    siwoo jumped over the over three meters tall monster. he was able to do this not because he somehow gained a superhuman strength at the death¡¯s door.


    ¡®water lizard¡¯s stride,¡¯ the technique that odile showed him the day before they left.


    it was a technique that boosted the user¡¯s mobility by focusing magic power on the soles of their feet. after gathering mana to its limit, the user could make a single leap upwards.


    ¡°haa...!¡±


    siwoo leapt three meters high using his bare body.


    the wind brushed past his ears.


    eventually, the fear of having nothing under his feet gave birth to a greater sense of anxiety.


    next, the fear of falling took over.


    as he watched the ground getting closer in real time, siwoo braced himself for the upcoming impact.


    ¡°keuak!¡±


    he managed to jump more than 20 meters forward in one breath and landed at the riverbank of the mana river.


    because everything transpired quickly, siwoo was unable to use any mana to soften his landing. as a result, he bounced off the ground like a cork. he felt a sharp pain in his ankles. it felt like they were about to break.


    by descending in an arc, he managed to escape death by a hair¡¯s breadth. if he had fallen straight down, he would either die from the fall, or be rendered unconscious before the monster¡¯s claw fell upon him.


    the monster¡¯s sluggish and frightening gaze, soon discovered its vanished prey.,


    -whoosh!


    with shadows converging around it to form spears of shadow, the cat sought to punish the elusive prey who managed to leap over its head.


    while suppressing his pain, siwoo stretched his arms out toward the river in front of his eyes.


    he ignored the throbbing pain in his limbs.


    with his body staggering, siwoo ran over the water while dipping his hand before shouting.


    ¡°bloom!¡±


    this was why he risked his life to reach the river.


    the mana that he absorbed into his fingertips was comparable to the high-level mana water that he previously used in his magic research.


    one development.


    one change.


    and one continuity.


    just before the shadow spear could pierce through siwoo to turn him into a skewered kebab.


    the river swelled up.


    -woong!


    ¡°kiyiyi?¡±


    the mana that had been flowing down the river suddenly convulsed, morphing into a dense fog that made it impossible to see more than one step ahead.


    a perfect smokescreen.


    unable to comprehend what was happening, the homunculus fired another three spears toward the riverbank where siwoo was standing.


    something exploded. mound of dirt soared up to the sky and fell into the river.


    ¡°eek?¡±


    time passed. the fog dissipated in the wind and the monster regained its vision back. but siwoo and the twins had disappeared without a trace.


    2.


    ¡°mr. assistant, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°ugh...¡±


    since it was an impromptu decision, siwoo¡¯s and the twin¡¯s reunion felt like a stroke of luck.


    if it hadn¡¯t been for the twins who had rushed to find him in the nick of time, they would have probably been separated and scattered around the place.


    after they found him, they immediately used their water lizard¡¯s stride to distance themselves from the homunculus.


    currently, they were hiding in a crevice in the trunk of a tree that was split in two.


    in that place, a cluster of oyster mushrooms-like mushrooms grew.


    ¡°let me look at it...!¡±


    odette rolled up siwoo¡¯s pants to inspect his wound.


    his ankle was completely wrecked.


    it was swollen to one and a half times its normal size. siwoo felt that his bones might have been cracked.


    ¡°why did you do something so reckless!¡±


    in tears, odile chided siwoo.


    ¡°if we had continued to confront it directly, we would end up dying...¡±


    siwoo¡¯s assessment of the situation was accurate.


    odette¡¯s rescue signal couldn¡¯t work properly and the twins¡¯ attack had failed.


    even if they could hold the monster off for some time with their barrier, in the end, they would only be prolonging the inevitable.


    the moment their magic was depleted, they would have become prey to the homunculus.


    ¡°i figured we could escape from it if we were to block its sight since we can conceal our presence with the music box.¡±


    ¡°it was still too risky of a plan! my heart almost jumped out of my chest, you know?!¡±


    ¡°she¡¯s right! i thought you went insane, mr. assistant!¡±


    odile grabbed siwoo by the collar and shook him while scolding him rapidly. meanwhile, odette also chided him from the side.


    the twins, who had watched him running from behind, understood what kind of situation he was in.


    jumping to avoid the tail that the monster swung at him at the perfect timing..


    it was a life-and-death situation. if there was even a tiny delay in his jump, or he ended up jumping a second too early, he would be dead right there and then.


    to put it simply, it was like a life-and-death rhythm game.


    ¡°but, i managed to buy us time.¡±


    ¡°stay still, i¡¯ll treat your injuries.¡±


    a warm light poured over siwoo¡¯s swollen ankle.


    ¡°you can walk, but don¡¯t run like before. honestly, this is the first time i¡¯ve used magic to heal someone¡¯s injury, so i don¡¯t know how potent it is.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    even if the twins were to berate him for being a troublemaker, siwoo wouldn¡¯t mind.


    about using magic to heal, how it worked was it stimulated the cells to divide itself quicker. as a result, the target¡¯s self-healing would increase.


    ¡°what should we do next? should we just hide like this until everything is over?¡±


    as soon as odile finished treating siwoo, odette said that while trembling anxiously.


    suddenly.


    -crack! bang!


    a thunderous sound, which didn¡¯t sound like it came from too far away, shook the ground.


    the vibration, which was caused by a huge tree falling, was transmitted directly to their buttocks.


    it seemed like after it lost its plaything, the homunculus indiscriminately attacked the surrounding area to find them.


    ¡°we have two options.¡±


    siwoo picked up a branch that was rolling around inside the crevice.


    the ground inside the crevice was soft because they used it as a place to cultivate mushrooms. due to that, it could be used as a makeshift blackboard.


    ¡°option one, wait quietly and pray while waiting for another witch who noticed this anomaly to come and find us.¡±


    as long as they had the music box, the homunculus wouldn¡¯t be able to identify them with only its bare eyes.


    taking advantage of the plan, they could just drag out the inevitable while playing hide and seek.


    in other words, this was the so-called prayer meta.


    however, with this option, there was a possibility that we¡¯d get hit by the homunculus¡¯ rampage


    the drawback of prayer meta was simple, ¡®if your luck was bad, then you were screwed.¡¯


    odile wore a serious expression, seemingly aware of that.


    ¡°what about the other option?¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll hunt that guy.¡±

 Chapter 60: Play Ball (3)

    ? play ball (3) ?


    1.


    ¡°we¡¯ll hunt him.¡±


    hearing siwoo¡¯s calm words, odette shuddered with fear.


    standing in front of the homunculus who had just threatened their lives?


    she didn¡¯t even dare to imagine it.


    ¡°c-can¡¯t we just keep hiding like this?¡±


    siwoo knew she would react like this.


    he didn¡¯t blame her.


    they almost lost their lives, it was only natural that she¡¯d react this way.


    ¡°you got a good idea?¡±


    ¡°n-not you too, sis! how are we supposed to deal with something like that?¡±


    ¡°odette, calm down. let¡¯s hear what he has to say first. it¡¯s better than just sitting here while trembling in fear.¡±


    odile hugged the frightened odette and looked straight at siwoo.


    ¡°yes.¡±


    siwoo nodded and used the twig he picked up earlier to draw a magic circle on the ground.


    ¡°as we fled through the mist, i used the last of my mana to get a sample of the black shadow.¡±


    three spears were randomly shot into the thick fog, barely missing siwoo¡¯s body by a hair¡¯s breadth.


    despite the frightening situation, siwoo managed to analyze the remains of the black shadow the spears left behind in their trajectory.


    ¡°that shadow is probably the monster¡¯s self-essence magic. when odette¡¯s attack magic and rescue signal magic came into contact with the shadow, their formation was disrupted and scattered by it.¡±


    ¡°and then?¡±


    siwoo explained while showing an analytical formula that depicted the shadow¡¯s structure.


    ¡°a single magic circle didn¡¯t make that shadow.


    it was made of numerous small magic circles.


    if i have to explain how it looks, it¡¯s like a sphere with spikes jutting out from it, each of them has a hook at its tip and each hook is grabbing into other hooks that the other magic circles have.¡±


    siwoo had only observed it for a short moment, so he couldn¡¯t figure everything in great detail. nevertheless, he continued his explanation.


    ¡°if a complex enough magic came into contact with the shadow, it¡¯ll start eroding it in reverse.


    it¡¯ll randomly get into the magic circle and mess up its composition. when this happens, the magic circle will get short circuited.


    now, if the magic circle receives this kind of error numerous times all at once, any kind of feedback becomes useless. that leads to the spell breaking down.¡±


    -boom!


    they could hear another tree fall down.


    this time, it was closer than before.


    odile and odette, who were listening to his explanation, widened their eyes as if they had realized something.


    ¡°but, mr. assistant, even if you know that the shadow consists of numerous magic circles, how did you figure out the shape?¡±


    ¡°my question exactly! no matter how much of the shadow you sampled, there¡¯s no way you¡¯re able to see its shape...¡±


    ¡°i did it by recalling the shape and order of interference that odette¡¯s signal magic received when it broke down, then, i reverse calculated it. unless it¡¯s shaped like this, it won¡¯t be able to break the circle simultaneously.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    despite siwoo¡¯s confidence, the twins found it difficult to believe.


    inferring the spell¡¯s structure through reverse calculation by observing the order of interference?


    it was even more unrealistic than figuring out the precise spot of bombs in a building by observing the shape of the rubbles.


    after pondering while pressing her temples for a moment, odile opened her eyes wide.


    ¡°alright, so, what¡¯s the plan? since you¡¯re asking us to choose between the two options, i¡¯m guessing that we need to do some preparations beforehand?¡±


    if they could hunt the homunculus without any preparations, he wouldn¡¯t be offering them any options to choose from.


    ¡°sis, it¡¯s too dangerous!¡±


    ¡°we don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll have to wait before help arrives. chances are we¡¯ll get torn into pieces first. doing this is better than just sitting idly while waiting for our deaths, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°we can just run away! leave the latifundium!¡±


    hearing odette¡¯s words, odile shook her head.


    ¡°this is the edge of latifundium. what if we¡¯re caught while trying to go past that monster?¡±


    it was clear that siwoo¡¯s proposed hunting method required thorough preparation.


    whether they decided to escape or follow through with the second option, they couldn¡¯t keep on hiding.


    ¡°getting caught while trying to escape is a worse option than staying hidden. our fate will be completely sealed when that happens.¡±


    ¡°t-then, we¡¯re really going to hunt it...? that scary monster...?¡±


    siwoo clasped odette¡¯s trembling hands.


    this was the time when they needed to cooperate.


    if they were able to work together, that would increase their chance of success.


    ¡°i understand your desire to run away, ms. odette, i really do.¡±


    ¡°i-i¡¯m scared... how can everyone else be so calm? if we stay hidden, maybe we can find another way out...¡±


    ¡°please trust me just this once. if the plan goes awry, i¡¯ll be the bait so ms. odette and ms. odile can run away.¡±


    siwoo held onto odette¡¯s hand tightly with a firm grip.


    her previously cold hand now felt a little warmer.


    ¡°u-uu...¡±


    with tears running down her face, odette slowly nodded.


    siwoo wanted to comfort her more, but they simply didn¡¯t have the time.


    so, he began to tell them his strategy while scrawling a new magic circle on the ground.


    2.


    the black cat wandered around, shooting shadow spears in all directions.


    its three glowing eyes scanned every nook and cranny of the gorge without missing a beat.


    like a normal animal, it lacked clear intelligence.


    its use of self-essence magic wasn¡¯t driven by rationality, but rather by tapping into the ¡®inheritance¡¯ that resided within its own body.


    the beast had just woken up from its slumber and it didn¡¯t possess the necessary intelligence to skillfully wield its power.


    but the beast came across a rare toy.


    after its boring and lengthy sleep, the time for it to play had finally come, thus triggering its instinct for hunting.


    for the monster, taking out a witch¡¯s fresh guts and eating it was the most pleasurable activity.


    it would increase its strength, giving him the ability to scour through the world with greater freedom.


    no one taught the beast about it, but it instinctively felt that way.


    ¡°kekekeke!¡±


    eager for its very first game of hide and seek, the homunculus boldly strolled through the gorge, looking for a place where its prey was hiding.


    and then.


    ¡°ne perenni cremer igne~¡± ¡°inter oves locum praesta~¡±


    a beautiful melody began to echo in the distance.


    the magical song began to flow through the gorge where no signs of life were felt until now.


    while it was unlikely for the beast to possess any kind of aesthetic sense, it was such a beautiful melody that it pricked its ears as it listened to it.


    the monster that had been excavating through the roots of the trees raised its head and moved toward the direction of the sound.


    with majestic strides, it dashed off swiftly, like a black shadow draped in a cloak.


    ¡°?~ ?¡±


    as it predicted, the source of the song was the two young witches.


    they were in the center of a tiny clearing, surrounded by trees.


    the young witches were clasping their hands together as they sang in a beautiful voice with their eyes closed.


    a spherical barrier resembling a snow globe encircled them as they floated midair.


    without any interference from the surroundings, perfection was the only thing that remained.


    the harmony, resembling more of a musical instrument than a human¡¯s voice, echoed through the space as it spread softly like a music box.


    it was a beautiful melody.


    the melody by itself didn¡¯t serve any problem whatsoever.


    however...


    -clang!


    the homunculus gazed at them with interest for a moment before vigorously swinging its tail.


    it was the tail that it always had since its birth.


    the beast used the same strike that easily tore apart the strange and thin membrane a while ago, but this time, it bounced off helplessly.


    it expected some kind of reaction from the two sisters, but they kept reciting the melody without any sign of wavering, as if they were completely engrossed in their own world.


    ¡°kyu?¡±


    the beast, seemingly perplexed, observed the twins¡¯ reactions by circling them while swaying its tail gently before striking them again.


    -clang!


    this time, there was a reaction.


    one of the twins seemed slightly shocked as she opened her eyes and gave the monster a quick glance.


    after a moment, she closed her eyes tightly.


    fascinated by the interesting toy, the monster couldn¡¯t take its eyes off it.


    and that was the opening siwoo had been waiting for.


    3.


    from around 50m away, siwoo was preparing to intercept the homunculus.


    he needed a quite-high concentration of mana.


    and an improvised spell to release that mana


    after hearing the required amount of mana calculated on the spot by siwoo, odile frowned and asked,


    ¡®so, where can you get that highly concentrated mana? just so you know, odette and i have already used too much of ours. at best, we can only use two or three more spells.¡¯


    ¡®mr. assistant, we haven¡¯t been branded yet, we can¡¯t store that much mana.¡¯


    in response to their worries, siwoo raised his hand, pointing to something.


    the mana river stream wasn¡¯t enough.


    they needed something that was thicker and more refined.


    for example,


    something like a potion that could emit an intense light on its own.


    ¡°phew...¡±


    on his back, there was a bundle of needles that had been used to inject potions into tree roots.


    he had already removed all the needles around him and directly connected them to his body through various acupuncture points.


    there were twelve needles inserted into his body in total.


    this was the most painful shot he had ever received ever since his birth.


    and this was also part of the preparation.


    after all, it was impossible to flee from the homunculus with that many needles in his body.


    ¡®what¡¯s next? after raising the mana concentration, what are you going to do?¡¯


    ¡®firstly, i need ms. odile and ms. odette to draw the monster¡¯s attention for about thirty¨C no, fifteen seconds.¡¯


    ¡®and then?¡¯


    there were two music boxes operating at siwoo¡¯s feet.


    they were concealment tools to hide his presence during the time the spell was activated.


    because the spell he was about to use was far more erratic and destructive than any other spells so far.


    ¡®as i previously explained, the homunculus¡¯ black shadow interferes directly with the magic circle and completely collapses it. if the magic circle is around the intermediate level, then it can interfere with it...¡¯


    for boss mobs that used complex patterns and abnormal status effects in a game, there was one special method that was highly effective against them.


    ¡®we just need to make it so that it can¡¯t afford to interfere with the magic circle.¡¯


    by cheesing them.


    instead of using a precisely designed spell that the monster could disrupt at any time, he could just shoot a burst of pure mana instead.


    all he needed to do was to brute force it.


    siwoo quietly took a deep breath.


    ¡°bloom.¡±


    he built this magic circle to open the gate to escape from gehenna, a large-scale circle that could be activated without wasting a single drop of mana water.


    siwoo couldn¡¯t store any mana.


    that was why the most important part of his research was figuring out how to draw in and use external mana.


    in other words, this was something that siwoo, who wasn¡¯t a certified wizard, could do.


    as soon as he began his chant, a powerful surge of magical energy started flowing into his body.


    this entire process was dangerous.


    he had to directly absorb and refine twelve different types of magic of different colors into his body.


    ¡°ugh!¡±


    the massive amount of mana coursed through his body like a wildly galloping horse. the more mana he took, the more pain that he felt.


    siwoo felt his blood vessels bulging roughly throughout his body due to the tremendous overload.


    he felt an immense pressure bearing down on his body, making it hard for him to take even a single step.


    the sense of danger that a small miscalculation could cost him his life slowly crept up on him.


    this was the first time that he had dealt with this amount of highly concentrated mana.


    if it was his usual self, siwoo wouldn¡¯t be able to perform this kind of calculation quickly.


    but right now he wasn¡¯t his usual self.


    ¡®this is a white cap mushroom. one of the few mushrooms that can be eaten raw. it¡¯s beneficial for the cerebral cortex and it could accelerate your thought process and calculation.¡¯


    as odile explained, the doping of the white cap mushroom was very effective.


    it felt like his thought process had been tripled.


    his senses were sharply awakened as he felt as if several hectares of blackboards appeared in his mind.


    siwoo calculated the necessary calculations for the spell activation purely by his own improvised mental arithmetic.


    his heart raced in excitement, as if he was experiencing arrhythmia. it was because he gained the confidence that he could attempt to fire the spell now.


    -wooong!


    the spell was so pure that one could judge it for its simplicity.


    the colorless, pure white mana, wriggled like a tentacle all over siwoo¡¯s body.


    due to him heavily suppressing the flow of mana, the compressed mana was constrained to the point where it could burst out if he were just a little bit careless.


    the image of a spear came to his mind.


    his concentrating state emanated an overwhelming force.


    siwoo¡¯s eyes flashed with pure white radiance and he turned them toward the homunculus.


    he kept absorbing more mana, causing it to burn fiercely throughout his body.


    and as the timing that he had set approached, the music boxes finished playing their songs.


    a wave of powerful magic emanated from siwoo toward the homunculus.


    ¡°kiik?¡±


    he heard a distant cry as three crimson eyes belatedly turned towards his direction.


    seeing the homunculus¡¯ bewildered reaction, siwoo released all his mana.


    the monster then tried to protect its crimson eyes using the shadows as its shield.


    and siwoo decided that it was its weak spot, the thing that he had to target using his spear.


    ¡°you¡¯re finally looking this way, huh? motherfucker.¡±


    the magic was condensed to its limit.


    then, it transformed into a huge spear as soon as siwoo gave his command.


    with the determination to pierce through the enemy, the spear was shot, cutting through the air.


    deafening noise shook the surroundings.


    a blinding flash tore through the darkness.


    and then.


    there was an explosion.

 Chapter 61: Play Ball (4)

    ? play ball (4) ?


    1.


    a massive spear.


    siwoo managed to compress and accelerate the mana flow to its limit, creating a sublime line that shone brilliantly.


    the light was so bright that it could blind the sight of anyone who looked at it as it cut through the air.


    everything happened quickly.


    the homunculus stupidly extended both its arms and shadow.


    it didn¡¯t seem to be taking any defensive measures.


    like a cat chasing lasers out of curiosity. its arms that it extended, disintegrated into powerful torrent of mana-like dust


    by its nature, mana didn¡¯t have any attacking capabilities. but when one condensed such a high concentration of mana up to this level, it became comparable to a huge weapon.


    the monster¡¯s fingers disintegrated from their tips, deteriorating at a rapid pace.


    like dawn breaking through the darkness of the night, the beam of light chased away the shadows.


    the mana torrent enveloped the three curious red eyes.


    then, it reached the shadow, the body of the monster down to its end, turning everything into ashes.


    2.


    meanwhile, siwoo watched the homunculus as it was swallowed by the soundless explosion of light and evaporated without leaving any traces.


    -thud!


    he fell on his knees into the grass like someone who had just finished a marathon.


    ¡°haah...haah...¡±


    as soon as the tension that barely maintained his physical and emotional stability was cut off, siwoo immediately experienced a resurgence of nausea and regurgitation.


    although he had done many crazy things today, his plan on defeating the homunculus was by far the craziest of them all.


    not only did he absorb a high amount of high concentration mana, he also provided a clear ¡®path¡¯ for the mana to flow in his body.


    if he made even the slightest miscalculation, his body would explode from a mana overload, leaving him to be a cripple for life.


    even though his plan mostly succeeded, he still felt like this was merely the beginning of his uphill struggle.


    ¡°i¡¯m going to die.¡±


    siwoo turned over and lay down to prevent himself from vomiting.


    he felt his entire blood vessels swelling and contracting alongside his heartbeat.


    this was a result of several factors; excessive usage of explosive mana, intense consumption of mushroom doping leading to a strained brain and the overwhelming amount of mana stored in his body that caused it to strain and creak.


    ¡°haha...hahaha...¡±


    despite all that, siwoo felt like he had gone back to become a middle schooler after a long time and let out a hearty laugh.


    how could he not feel that way?


    he had been researching magic diligently on his own for a while now, but there was no way to prove his ability until now.


    beating the homunculus could be seen as a notable achievement for him.


    throughout his life, he had been doubting his skills as a player as he felt like he had only been playing against bots. after triumphantly carrying this game, he was filled with a sense of victory.


    he managed to defeat a homunculus, a being that was deemed to be too dangerous to hunt unless one was a rank 15 witch with an autonomous defense.


    it was a terrifying monster that even the twins could barely hold back.


    the voices of the twins grew closer from a distance.


    ¡°mr. assistant!¡±


    ¡°mr assistant! mr assistant! mr assistant!¡±


    after he struggled to sit up, siwoo caught sight of the twins running up towards him.


    almost sliding to a stop, odile rushed over and embraced siwoo.


    while she caressed his cheek with her palm, she asked him in a panic,


    ¡°are you okay? do you feel anything strange?¡±


    ¡°mr. assistant, are you alright? tell me, how many fingers do you see?¡±


    using one arm to support her body, odette shook three fingers in front of siwoo¡¯s face.


    he responded with a wry smile before assuring them that he was okay.


    as they let out a sigh in relief, the twins began to jump up and down with joy.


    they seemed to be even more thrilled than siwoo himself as they blushed in excitement.


    ¡°when i first heard the plan, i thought you¡¯re crazy, turns out you¡¯re just as impressive as you¡¯re crazy!¡±


    ¡°you beat it, mr. assistant! you beat that homunculus!¡±


    odette was so excited that she kept stomping on the ground beneath her, while odile was patting siwoo¡¯s head.


    ¡°good job, mr. assistant, good job.¡±


    ¡°i knew i could count on you!¡±


    thanks to the twins¡¯ enthusiasm, siwoo, who was brimming with pride at his achievement, managed to calm down a little.


    it was because the twins had already celebrated it on his behalf.


    after the celebration continued for a while, siwoo stood up after receiving support from both of them.


    ¡°i thought we were done for! thanks to mr. assistant, we were saved!¡±


    ¡°if it weren¡¯t for mr. assistant, we¡¯d be in big trouble!¡±


    ¡°i only managed to do it because ms. odile and ms. odette drew its attention.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°we might¡¯ve become the bait, but you were still impressive!¡±


    siwoo tried to be humble to avoid looking conceited, but he couldn¡¯t help but to curl his lips upwards into a smile.


    the three of them walked towards the spot where the homunculus disintegrated while celebrating. it didn¡¯t seem that their celebration would end soon.


    like it was being hit by a cannonball, the ground was caved in. that was how intense the force of the mana blast was.


    of course the reason why they came back here was to check the item the beast dropped.


    siwoo had put in a lot of effort in the raid battle, he deserved to be rewarded.


    the three of them jumped into the pit.


    inside, they found a single egg glowing with a faint black light.


    its size was around the size of a chicken egg.


    well, the size and shape was similar to an egg, but it looked more like a cat¡¯s eye.


    shifting black shadows could be seen through the egg¡¯s shell, which was as translucent and thin as glass.


    ¡°is this the inheritance of the witch of creation?¡±


    ¡°yes, the ¡®egg of gnosis.¡¯¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s that?¡±


    the three of them sat closely together around the egg, fascinated by the mysterious appearance of the dropped item for a long time.


    ¡°there are numerous types of inheritances that can be obtained by hunting homunculi. they can be artifacts like my music box, potions with magical properties like ms. amelia¡¯s perfume or even scraps of paper with magical circles scrawled on them.¡±


    ¡°what about the egg of gnosis?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a kind of memory storage device, similar to the branding system.¡±


    ¡°i heard it¡¯s a mean to directly transfer knowledge and enlightenment about a new magic.¡±


    only then did siwoo understand why some witches became obsessed with hunting the homunculi, even if that meant putting their lives in danger.


    based on their explanation, didn¡¯t it mean that this small egg was some kind of skill book?


    odile reached out her arm and lifted the egg.


    the twins made eye contact with each other before nodding their heads.


    ¡°here, it¡¯s yours, mr. assistant.¡±


    ¡°are you sure?¡±


    siwoo didn¡¯t have any expectations of receiving any rewards at all. he assumed that even if he received some, they wouldn¡¯t be worth much.


    as apprentice witches, the egg would be more beneficial for them since they were more inclined towards exploring new forms of magic.


    moreover, even though it was siwoo who devised and carried out the plan, it was the twins who risked their lives to attract the homunculus¡¯ attention.


    he didn¡¯t expect them to hand the egg over so willingly like this.


    ¡°i feel tempted to keep it for myself, but i think you deserve this, mr. assistant.¡±


    ¡°i think the same way. if it weren¡¯t for mr. assistant, i would still be trembling in fear.¡±


    ¡°thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°why are you thanking us? it is us who should be thanking you.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s right! you were so cool, mr. assistant!¡±


    with an affectionate look in her eyes odette flicked her thumb and handed the egg of gnosis over to siwoo¡¯s arm.


    the egg almost felt weightless as it rolled in his arm. like a galaxy in the universe, the shadow that filled the egg whirled around calmly.


    ¡°how can i use this?¡±


    ¡°they said that you just need a strong desire to accept the ¡®gnosis¡¯ to activate it.¡±


    a scholar¡¯s inherent desire was to seek out new knowledge.


    siwoo had given up on becoming a mathematician because he was abducted midway through his journey. nonetheless, he still had his passion and he put it into this new field, magic.


    he felt regret over the fact that he wouldn¡¯t be able to learn higher-level magic once he escaped from gehenna.


    that was why this was an opportunity for him.


    he gulped as he tightly clenched the egg.


    at the same time, it felt as if his body was being swallowed into the darkness.


    he closed his eyes tightly, feeling as though his consciousness was being sucked into a space where even the ground didn¡¯t exist.


    ¡°w-what is...¡±


    when he opened his eyes again, there was an endless black and empty space in front of him.


    his body was floating in the middle of that space.


    -wooong!


    startled by the loud noise coming from behind, siwoo turned his body and looked towards the source of the noise.


    he thought that he couldn¡¯t do anything but float, but when he thought about moving his body, it immediately made a turn and moved in a certain direction.


    ¡°wow...¡±


    what existed there was the golden light of wisdom that dispelled the darkness of ignorance.


    the identity of the structure that stood tall as it revealed its presence in a space where people¡¯s perspective became drastically thin was...


    a magical circle composed of all kinds of runic characters, straight lines, curved lines, dots and shapes.


    each component of the intricately interlocked magic circles rotated slowly while emitting a loud noise like a complex mechanical device.


    even though it was a sight he had never seen before, siwoo felt a strong sense of de?ja? vu.


    he immediately recognized the large structure, despite its size robbing him of his sense of distance.


    it was the large-scale magic circle that siwoo had been researching and building for the last three years.


    this space was the manifestation of the accumulated magical knowledge and wisdom that siwoo had been studying and exploring.


    perhaps, because he had not yet completed it, the magic circle wasn¡¯t in its complete form.


    the ends of the circle that reached out to the darkness were blurry and there were gears that weren¡¯t spinning and didn¡¯t seem to be working properly.


    he was excited.


    siwoo never imagined that the magic he was researching could evoke such a sense of reverence.


    he felt enlightened.


    it felt like he was flying up in the sky white seeing the landscape from a higher perspective, as what he previously did was like being trapped in the forest while he could only look at the trees. it gave him the inspiration that he needed.


    now, he could identify what he lacked and which part of the magic circle was wrong.


    he became more assured that he could advance to a higher level.


    but it didn¡¯t end there.


    suddenly, a large egg, about a quarter of the size of his magic circle, appeared out of nowhere.


    though its size was different, its shape and appearance were identical to the egg of gnosis.


    the faint shadow that had been swirling inside it had become distinctly visible even in the darkness as it started to rise beyond the glass-like membrane.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    it was strange.


    he felt like he rediscovered something he had forgotten about for a long time.


    new knowledge began to pour into his head without any kind of resistance.


    as the undulating shadows in the void built a new structure.


    siwoo felt his mental capacity grew.


    his thoughts deepened.


    he gained a new perspective toward the world, the knowledge that might have taken him years to comprehend on his own.


    comprehension.


    order.


    law.


    the truth pierced through the depth of his mind.


    he was looking at a world that could only be perceived through a witch¡¯s eyes.


    as the egg of gnosis passed on its knowledge to siwoo, he was invited into a world that he couldn¡¯t step into without a brand.


    suddenly, the shadow that had been building another structure in siwoo¡¯s world dissolved into the darkness, as if it had fulfilled its duty.


    how did the shadow that the homunculus wield managed to nullify spells?


    what was the method of maintaining such numerous magic circles individually without much mana?


    what rule allowed those small magic circles to flow like water without interfering with each other¡¯s composition?


    he understood everything.


    before the shadow¡¯s structure could take on its perfect form.


    siwoo felt his consciousness being sucked out again.


    ¡°hah!¡±


    not much time passed after he entered that space.


    a blink of an eye, that was all it took.


    his consciousness returned to reality.


    he felt resistance from gravity compared to the freedom he previously felt when he was floating in that space. his thoughts that were endlessly expanding, opened up and accepted the impurities from his surroundings.


    the twins, who had been staring at him with sparkling eyes, appeared before him.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡®a new power emerged.¡¯


    ¡®new knowledge appeared.¡¯


    siwoo looked at his hand and thought to himself.


    ¡°pretty, isn¡¯t it? the place that mr. assistant saw is called ¡®ain (???),¡¯ part of the three realms that is couldn¡¯t be seen nor judged by ordinary human¡¯s perspective. the realm of ¡®zero.¡¯¡±


    the twin seemed so ecstatic over the fact that they shared the same world as siwoo.


    they had the same expression as they had back when they were guiding him through the latifundium.


    ¡°you can¡¯t perceive it, but that doesn¡¯t mean it doesn¡¯t exist. ain lies dormant in the consciousness of everyone who practises magic.


    ¡°it¡¯s such a waste that you were born a man, mr. assistant. if you were born as a witch¡¯s descendant and inherited her brand, you could have made quite a name for yourself.¡±


    only then did siwoo understand why the twins had passed up this golden opportunity.


    they wanted to show him another world that he had never known.


    ¡°we didn¡¯t pass the opportunity to you, but anyway, welcome to the real world of magic.¡±


    the twins grinned widely, expressing their sincere congratulations without any traces of envy.

 Chapter 62: Bitterness and Joy (1)

    ? bitterness and joy (1) ?


    1.


    ¡°since you¡¯ve learnt something new, you should try it out, mr. assistant.¡±


    odile urged siwoo, who kept staring half-dazedly at his palm.


    she seemed to be curious about his new skill.


    in fact, siwoo wanted to immediately try out this new shadow magic that he learnt.


    he believed that if he could apply his knowledge of magic into it, he could cast more advanced spells than what the homunculus had used earlier.


    however,


    ¡°i can¡¯t do it.¡±


    siwoo let out a bitter smile.


    ¡°the magic circuit in my body is tattered, i can¡¯t use them even if i want to.¡±


    externally, he barely had any wounds, just the 12 holes from the needles he injected himself with and a swollen ankle. however, internally, his condition was considerably worse.


    he still felt intermittent pain due to his magic circuit overheating from all the mana he took.


    ¡°aww, well let¡¯s just return to the mansion for now.¡±


    ¡°alright! i¡¯ll ask master to heal you! her treatment should make you feel better quickly and getting her help is more effective than just letting it be!¡±


    was that really okay?


    letting her heal siwoo¡¯s body meant that he¡¯d be revealing the fact that he had used magic.


    so far, there were already three people who knew that he could use magic, sophia and the twins.


    after pondering about it briefly, siwoo stated his refusal.


    ¡°don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    while it was true that he had saved her precious apprentice witches, the fact that he engaged in a physical relationship with them remained.


    he pondered about the possibility of them getting out of trouble if they could just keep their mouths shut, nevertheless, he was still worried about it.


    after all, a witch who had lived for more than a hundred years should have accumulated enough experience to find out whether something was suspicious or not.


    ¡°are you afraid that someone will find out that you can use magic?¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t need to worry about that, we¡¯ll cover for you! you might even get an amazing reward!¡±


    the twins¡¯ excitement to bring him to their master made siwoo wonder whether they had considered the repercussions of that action or not.


    after once again refusing their offer, siwoo began to sort out the situation.


    in fact, when he thought about how to cover up this situation smoothly, his head started to spin.


    nearly half of the latifundium trees were destroyed and there were clear traces of battle in the area. he wondered how they could cover this situation up?


    ¡°hmm... what should we do? how could we return our favor to mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°but, even if we were to tell master that we¡¯ve subdued the homunculus, she might not believe us, especially considering that mr. assistant took the egg of gnosis.¡±


    ¡°is there no magic that can restore this place to its original state?¡±


    ¡°this kind of mess is impossible to clean up.¡±


    to be honest, siwoo didn¡¯t hold much hope for a positive response when he asked that question.


    as the three of them stepped outside the spirit mountain, they discussed various plots to deal with this incident, but they realized it was too big for them to handle by themselves.


    it was obvious that the gemini household would take notice of siwoo in one way or another.


    ¡°...i can¡¯t come up with anything. let me think about it a little bit more.¡±


    despite them saying that it was okay even if their master found out about this, the twins still looked nervous.


    seeing it made siwoo feel anxious.


    however, their worries immediately became irrelevant.


    it was because of the people who appeared in front of them after they left the spirit mountain.


    ¡°¡°oh! master!¡±¡±


    ¡°¡°hey, you little troublemakers!¡±¡±


    two women approached with quick strides at the same time. they lightly bonked the heads of the twins.


    what else was there to say?


    they were the masters of the twins and the current count of gemini.


    albireo1tl/n: albireo is the name of a star system in the constellation of cygnus. the system consists of a binary star, albireo a and albireo b, which appear as a single point of light to the naked eye but can be resolved as two stars through a telescope. gemini.


    and deneb2tl/n: deneb is a name of arabic origin that refers to the brightest star in the constellation cygnus. it means ¡°tail¡± or ¡°tail of a hen¡± in arabic. gemini.


    2.


    since this was an unexpected encounter for him, siwoo could only observe the two geminis, albireo and deneb after boarding the carriage.


    to be more specific, he could only observe their appearances as they severely scolded the twins.


    ¡°master, it isn¡¯t like what you think...!¡±


    ¡°who told you two to enter the spirit mountain on your own?!¡±


    ¡°didn¡¯t sister repeatedly tell you two that place was dangerous because she sensed a disturbance in the mana flow?!¡±


    ¡°w-we were in the wrong...¡±


    at first, siwoo wasn¡¯t sure what to say.


    the situation was quite unexpected for him.


    because he had only seen the mischievous twins, he thought that count gemini would be just as lively and energetic as them.


    however, now that he saw them in person, he found out that they were dignified ladies.


    ¡°so, a homunculus appeared!¡±


    ¡°while we were distracting it, mr. assistant suddenly went ¡®bang!¡¯ and eradicated it with magic!¡±


    ¡°look at these little brats! getting excited as if they¡¯ve done something great!¡±


    ¡°oww! it hurts! it hurts!¡±


    despite her scolding the twins, the master was still a mother-like figure who cherished them like a kid and prioritized them above all else.


    ¡°go over there, stand up with both your hands up.¡±


    ¡°hng.¡±


    ¡°yes...¡±


    after a noisy thirty minutes, filled with explanation and scolding, the carriage quieted down a bit as the twins stood side by side with their hands up.


    ¡°phew... deneb, prepare some tea please.¡±


    albireo, who seemed furious, tucked a strand of her dishevelled black hair behind her ear and approached siwoo who was sitting frozen like a statue.


    ¡°i heard you saved our two troublemakers, is that correct?¡±


    she brought up the topic first.


    apart from her black hair and purple eyes, which were remarkably similar to odile¡¯s, their appearance was completely different.


    her hair, neatly tied in a bun and her missy dress3ed/n: it looks like this, more or less that revealed every curve of her body made her look mature.


    either that or it was her ample breasts, which were as lavish as sophia¡¯s that gave off that impression.


    at first, she showed suspicion toward siwoo, but as the twins¡¯ explanation went on, the look in her eye changed.


    they were filled with nothing but goodwill, perhaps due to the twins¡¯ fervent attempt to defend him, as they uttered chants of praises upon him.


    ¡°ah, i only did what i had to do.¡±


    ¡°oh my, how humble of you.¡±


    as siwoo respectfully bowed his head, responding to albireo¡¯s words, deneb poured tea into his cup.


    the latter seemed to be the younger sister among the two.


    what surprised siwoo the most after seeing the two counts was deneb¡¯s appearance.


    despite them being twins with identical appearances and builds, like odile and odette, there was a noticeable difference that was visible between the two.


    the snow white hair that distinguished deneb¡¯s appearance from albireo.


    likewise, her eyebrows and eyelashes were also in the same color, giving her a mysterious, almost divine-like aura.


    this was probably the reason why they were known as the black and white twin.


    siwoo nodded inwardly.


    ¡°you¡¯re a slave from the modern world, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t even have a brand, yet you were able to cast a spell of this caliber. aren¡¯t you an impressive one?¡±


    tea time started as if it was a matter of course.


    siwoo felt an inexplicable tension from the two.


    two pairs of nearly identical eyes were staring intently at him.


    ¡°thank you for your kind words...¡±


    ¡°hold on, before we continue...¡±


    deneb reached out both her hands to his cheeks.


    as her fingertips, which emitted a pleasant scent, gently touched siwoo¡¯s cheeks, he felt the lingering pain in his body completely disappeared.


    ¡°your body was in a very bad condition, so i treated you.¡±


    ¡°how do you feel?¡±


    ¡°t-thank you very much. i feel a lot better now.¡±


    the result of her action amazed siwoo.


    in less than a second, all the pain that he had been feeling disappeared.


    his messy, tattered magic circuit, his swollen ankle, both were healed in an instant.


    gemini, the family that was bestowed the noble title of a count.


    they were well-known for their magical tools, but their proficiency in magic was relatively unknown.


    ¡°i appreciate your courage to save our troublemakers, but please refrain from using such reckless magic in the future.¡±


    ¡°yes, i¡¯ll keep your words in mind.¡±


    ¡°still, it¡¯s impressive that you were able to use your wits to take down an homunculus. i¡¯m genuinely impressed.¡±


    ¡°it wasn¡¯t much, really...¡±


    siwoo bowed his head deeply once again.


    for the same reason as before, he found himself in another uncomfortable situation.


    right now, they were treating him as a benefactor.


    after all, he was basically a hero who saved their beloved daughter that they raised with utmost care.


    however, if they were to discover what he had done to the twins¡¯ rear hole, would they still treat him the same way?


    ¡°since i owe you a debt of gratitude, it¡¯s my obligation to repay it.¡±


    ¡°if there¡¯s anything you desire, please do not hesitate to ask.¡±


    despite their unusual way of speaking, siwoo was able to digest their words and meaning clearly. their words were concise and precise, leaving no room for any misinterpretation.


    it was as if they were sharing each other¡¯s thoughts.


    regardless, siwoo had already decided on a response if they were to inquire about what he wanted.


    ¡°could you perhaps, allow me to leave gehenna?¡±


    he couldn¡¯t take back the words he had already spoken, but he still felt dejected.


    after hearing his requests, the two people in front of him fixed their gazes on him.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    even though his request wasn¡¯t particularly a difficult one, the count remained silent for a long time.


    feeling increasingly anxious, siwoo spoke up.


    ¡°is it impossible?¡±


    ¡°no, it isn¡¯t. on the contrary, i can grant it to you easily. your request is just a little unexpected.¡±


    unexpected?


    was there anything surprising about someone getting tired of living as a slave in this place?


    as siwoo tilted his head in confusion, deneb continued her explanation.


    ¡°i thought that someone like you, who managed to bring down a homunculus in such a difficult circumstance would have more affection and enthusiasm toward magic.¡±


    ¡°and since there¡¯s no better place than gehenna to learn magic, i thought you would stay here.¡±


    their words were correct.


    when siwoo first started studying magic, all he wanted was to get out of gehenna.


    but as time went by, his thoughts changed.


    originally, magic was merely a means to an end for siwoo. but, as he delved deeper into it, he gained a new sense of achievement and curiosity.


    not to mention that the sight of ain that he witnessed today had a lasting impact on him, leaving him with a sense of shock that caused his heart to race in excitement.


    ¡°but, i want to go home.¡±


    even so.


    he still wanted to go home.


    siwoo missed everything back in his homeland. from coke, to fried chicken, pizza, loud noise of cars, the smog-filled urban landscape and porn in full hd.


    ¡°is that really everything that you want?¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t forget that what you received is the grace of the gemini household. we can even give you citizenship and hire you as an assistant to aid us in our magic research.¡±


    the geminis couldn¡¯t understand siwoo¡¯s modest wish.


    however, their interest in the matter faded away quickly.


    to siwoo, escaping from gehenna was a lifelong wish and this table was the place for him to negotiate and achieve that freedom.


    meanwhile, to the geminis, returning one slave to the modern world was merely an errand.


    it was an easy request that wouldn¡¯t leave them with any repercussions.


    ¡°alright, i¡¯ll take care of all the formalities right away.¡±


    ¡°who owns you? if you¡¯re from the academy, then it must be the city hall, correct?¡±


    ¡°ah...¡±


    at that moment, something that he had overlooked came to mind.


    ¡°well, actually, i¡¯m ms. amelia¡¯s exclusive slave. would that become a problem?¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re an exclusive slave?¡±


    siwoo noticed a momentary look of embarrassment on the geminis¡¯ faces, though they managed to brush it off quickly, perhaps to maintain their dignity.


    that change in expression made siwoo feel an ominous feeling.


    ¡°uh...¡±


    ¡°what to do about this...?¡±


    they let out a light sigh.


    and siwoo¡¯s foreboding turned into reality.


    ¡°in gehenna, an exclusive slave means that particular slave is considered as a private property. if you were owned by the city hall, then i could just pay you to set you free, but in your case, i¡¯d need baron marigold¡¯s permission first.¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t need to worry much though. as long as i offer adequate compensation to her, i doubt that she¡¯ll keep you against your will.¡±


    had he foreseen this outcome, he would have refrained from becoming amelia¡¯s exclusive slave even if he had to endure more hardship.


    as siwoo¡¯s expression darkened, regretting the decision he made back then, albireo opened her mouth to speak.


    ¡°don¡¯t worry too much about it.¡±


    ¡°i will prepare a fitting enough compensation for her.¡±


    ¡°thank you.¡±


    was that all?


    the witches sipped their tea and didn¡¯t say anything else.


    ¡°so, when will i be able to go home?¡±


    ¡°i have to attend to my duties as a count and i need to gather the materials needed to negotiate with the baron.¡±


    ¡°everything should be done in about a week?¡±


    just a week?


    he had been waiting for five years for this opportunity.


    waiting for another week was practically nothing.


    siwoo, who managed to obtain his free coupon to freedom, concealed his desire to do a somersault right there and then.


    still, it felt like his three years of researching magic had been for naught.


    then again, without it, he wouldn¡¯t have gained this opportunity in the first place.


    ¡°thank you very much!¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t mention it.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m just repaying my debt.¡±


    he wasn¡¯t sure how amelia would react to this, but surely nothing unexpected would happen, right?


    after all, the count of gemini was known for their wealth.


    even amelia would be delighted with the wealth they offered as a compensation to repay their favor to siwoo.


    ¡°alright, let¡¯s go check on the spirit mountain¡¯s condition first. troublemakers~¡±


    ¡°yes!¡±


    ¡°yes, master!¡±


    odile and odette, who were still standing in the corner with their hands raised, rushed towards the table with frightening speed as soon as the conversation ended.


    ¡°have you two expressed your gratitudes properly?¡±


    ¡°of course!¡±


    ¡°remember that if you¡¯ve received a favor, regardless of status, it¡¯s only appropriate to express your gratitude toward that person.¡±


    ¡°it isn¡¯t just about repaying it with things of value, but also about showing your sincerity by bowing your head.¡±


    albireo and deneb took the initiative and bowed respectfully to siwoo.


    ¡°you¡¯ve really done me a difficult favor to repay.¡±


    ¡°please let me express my thanks once again.¡±


    ¡°p-please lift your heads, t-this is too much.¡±


    siwoo was surprised beyond words.


    even though he had saved the twins, siwoo was still a slave, meanwhile the geminis were count.


    they were one of the seven counts in this world.


    ¡°showing appropriate manners to others is a virtue that nobles must uphold.¡±


    ¡°may the blessings of mana be with you on your way.¡±


    one by one, the geminis kissed the back of siwoo¡¯s hands, who was unsure on how to respond, before pushing the twins¡¯ backs.


    ¡°¡°thank you so much for saving us, mr. assistant!¡±¡±


    the twins politely bowed, hiding their smiles as they tried to hide their awkwardness.


    footnotes:


    1tl/n: albireo is the name of a star system in the constellation of cygnus. the system consists of a binary star, albireo a and albireo b, which appear as a single point of light to the naked eye but can be resolved as two stars through a telescope.2tl/n: deneb is a name of arabic origin that refers to the brightest star in the constellation cygnus. it means ¡°tail¡± or ¡°tail of a hen¡± in arabic.3ed/n: it looks like this, more or less

 Chapter 63: Bitterness and Joy (2)

    ? bitterness and joy (2) ?


    1.


    ¡°oh my.¡±


    ¡°this is quite a big problem.¡±


    upon their arrival at the foot of the latifundium, the gorge of the spirit mountain, the only thing they could see were the remains of the devastated trees and plants that had been thoroughly demolished by a powerful destructive force.


    nearly half of the old and majestic trees were either broken or damaged beyond any repair.


    just by looking at it was enough to make one give up on calculating the extent of the damage.


    though the crops itself hadn¡¯t suffered greatly due to the incident happening during the holiday, the trees that were supposed to be used for cultivating mushrooms were in this state...


    ¡°we¡¯ll have to uproot the trees that have already lost their production capability and bring new ones from the spirit mountain.¡±


    ¡°will duchess keter make a fuss about this?¡±


    ¡°who knows. would that noblewoman care about such a small matter?¡±


    despite witnessing the devastating state of the place, albireo and deneb remained calm.


    although the magic tool company, the foundation of the gemini corporation, would suffer some losses from this, compared to the total wealth of the gemini household, the loss was pretty much negligible as they could recuperate from it in just a week.


    that was why, there was no way the two witches would ever come over here to risk their lives to save a single gold coin.


    they didn¡¯t come here to check the extent of the damage.


    ¡°how is it? do you feel any mana distortion?¡±


    ¡°nothing yet. i¡¯ll keep on looking.¡±


    instead, they came to investigate the cause of the recent mana distortion phenomenon that they found in the spirit mountain.


    mana distortion, a phenomenon that disrupted the mana flow in the surrounding environment, causing a variety of anomalies, was typically caused by two factors.


    the first cause was nature itself, similar to how tornadoes would appear out there in the ocean.


    and the other cause was when a spatial interference spell had been casted or the space itself was distorted.


    ¡°this place reeks, yet there isn¡¯t a single ¡®kernel1?????, literally meant kernel, as in the kernel inside of an operating system of a computer¡¯ to be seen.¡±


    deneb, who didn¡¯t even bat an eye at the sight of the devastated farm, scrunched up her nose.


    the barrier that separated gehenna from the otherworld was nearly perfect.


    it was the pinnacle of a fully autonomous barrier formation, capable of adjusting and evolving in response to any kind of external variables.


    the enormous barrier was designed and overseen by duchess keter herself, not just by any regular witch.


    in the 600-years history of gehenna, there had never been a single breach caused by an error in the barrier itself.


    so, what could be the reason for a breach to appear now?


    ¡°i don¡¯t have the time to deal with this, it¡¯s bothersome. this is why i hate these exiles.¡±


    the reason was the ¡®exiles,¡¯ those who had their citizenship revoked and tried to illegally enter into gehenna by tunneling through the ¡®kernel.¡¯


    gehenne guaranteed all kinds of freedom and rights to its witches, but there was always an exception. that was the case with the so-called ¡®exiles.¡¯


    in order to raise their ranks in the hierarchy, those ¡®exiles¡¯ would go as far as killing three-digit numbers of humans in their experiments or stealing the stigma possessed by other witches. and for those acts, under the gehenna¡¯s laws of citizenship, they were barred from entering or leaving the city.


    as a result, those exiles would intentionally utilize the homunculi, which had the ability to traverse to the otherworld, to tunnel a hole through the barrier.


    and so, one of the homunculi they used almost ended up killing odile and odette.


    facing this situation, even the calmest of the counts wouldn¡¯t be able to restrain their anger.


    ¡°we should catch them and kill them.¡±


    ¡°good idea.¡±


    not only did they dare to cause trouble in count gemini¡¯s territory, they also threatened their apprentice witches¡¯ lives.


    there was simply no way that the count would forgive them so easily.


    but before that, they had to repair the kernel before more exiles or possibly lost civilians crossed over the barrier. the idea to punish the ones responsible for this would be postponed for the time being.


    anyway, once the kernel was closed, any exiles who had crossed the barrier would be like mice trapped in a jar.


    ¡°is the breach located in the spirit mountain instead of the latifundium?¡±


    ¡°how could they keep it hidden so well?¡±


    albireo grumpily said to deneb as she extended her magical senses in all directions.


    ¡°anyway, deneb, what are we going to do about our cuties? i told you that we should have gotten things under control much earlier.¡±


    ¡°you think they¡¯d listen to us?¡±


    ¡°still, it was a close call this time. if that heroic slave wasn¡¯t there, we might have suffered through a terrible fate by now.¡±


    ¡°hmm... true. we can¡¯t keep raising them like greenhouse plants forever. they need to experience more danger to gain more experience. that¡¯s the reason why you turned a blind eye when they secretly went to tarot town, no?¡±


    ¡°yeah, i think we should give them some useful combat artifacts as a gift.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    as the conversation about the twins passed, siwoo¡¯s issue came up naturally.


    ¡°what are you going to do about his reward?¡±


    ¡°he doesn¡¯t know about it, does he?¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s no way a slave would know about it.¡±


    although the twins were immature and didn¡¯t know much about the world, albireo and deneb were proud to have raised them to be more upright than anybody else.


    hence, the fact that the twins were following him obediently made it obvious that he was unlikely to be a bad person.


    that was why, despite his status as a slave, there was a big chance that he was a ¡®missing person.¡¯


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...what a predicament.¡±


    albireo fell silent at deneb¡¯s words.


    ¡°what if we propose a different form of reward for him instead? if he doesn¡¯t like the idea of being a slave, we could take him in as a family chef or something.¡±


    ¡°certainly. if he misses the modern world so much, it should be okay to make him accompany our little cuties as a guide when they go out to play in that world later.¡±


    ¡°still, his opinion is the most important thing.¡±


    even if they were to send him back to the modern world, there was a chance that he wouldn¡¯t be able to return to the life he missed so much. but, it wasn¡¯t like they could force him to stay if he didn¡¯t want to stay.


    ¡°let¡¯s ask him about it again.¡±


    ¡°regardless, we still need to prepare some materials to persuade baron marigold. if he still insists on going back to the modern world even after we explain the situation to him, we could at least help him to settle down there in the future.¡±


    ¡°sounds great. we need to do at least that much to keep up our appearance. i wonder if ten million dollars is enough?¡±


    while exchanging various words, albiero and deneb continued to fly, covering a wide area to look for the kernel.


    2.


    freedom.


    how sweet of a word was it?


    siwoo, who got off the twins¡¯ carriage and returned home, could hardly contain his excitement.


    he only needed to wait for a little longer to enjoy the rights that he should have as a man living in modern times, not as a slave.


    ¡°fuck gehenna! fuck witches! a city for the witches? all bullshit!¡±


    siwoo hummed a rap he made on the spot.


    but, in the midst of his excitement, he suddenly felt a sense of emptiness.


    for five years, living in slavery, he had only thought of escaping this place and nothing else.


    however, after finding himself in this situation...


    he felt like the exhausting, difficult military life that he¡¯d thought would go on longer had suddenly been shortened as he was discharged overnight by the new superior who had just taken his office.


    it felt as though he had lost his way.


    while freedom brought joy, it also brought the emptiness that existed alongside it.


    siwoo researched magic, something that he had never encountered before. sitting up late at night, copying magic formulas on paper while being enthralled by the beauty and the mystery that only magic could bring.


    he could already start to beautify all his suffering in this place.


    ¡°what the fuck, i¡¯m already feeling nostalgic.¡±


    this was a serious predicament for him.


    if he kept this up, later he might end up thinking things like, ¡®although amelia is grumpy like an old man, she still has a cute side.¡¯


    ¡°but, will amelia let go of me?¡±


    being seized by that sudden anxiety, siwoo shook his head.


    he realized that he had been overly self-conscious.


    amelia was a witch who had lived for 150 years while he was just a lowly slave.


    besides, it had already been confirmed that she bore no feelings for him.


    since count gemini was personally involved in the negotiation, amelia would probably give them her approval under certain conditions.


    as he looked up at the sky, he noticed that the sun had already starting to fade into the distance.


    the first person he went to find was takasho, who was loitering near the caretaker¡¯s quarter, smoking.


    ¡°oh, you¡¯re back in one piece it seems.¡±


    as soon as takasho saw siwoo, he put his hands together, bent his waist and ran over.


    seeing his funny appearance, siwoo let out a chuckle.


    ¡°let¡¯s have a drink, takasho. it¡¯s been a while since we had one/¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s the occasion? finally hooked up with someone?¡±


    siwoo then brought takasho, who showed the reaction that he expected, into his lodgings.


    3.


    ¡°...anyway, that¡¯s how it turned out.¡±


    with cheap alcohol and some dried fish.


    while sitting on the floor, sharing a cup of alcohol, siwoo spent about an hour explaining everything that had happened until now.


    from his pursuit of escape, delving into the world of magic.


    to his incident with the twins. he told him everything, though he left out the 19+ details.


    and lastly, he mentioned that he had received a guarantee that he¡¯d be sent back to the modern world from count gemini.


    takasho, who had been listening attentively to his words with folded arms, suddenly jumped up and put him in a headlock.


    ¡°ow, ow! what the hell are you doing?!¡±


    ¡°you fucker, you hid so much things from me and yet you called yourself my friend?¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s why i¡¯m telling you everything right now! let me go! how the fuck are you this damn strong?!¡±


    surprisingly, takasho was a man of great strength.


    he released siwoo, who was almost about to pass out from the pressure on the side of his neck.


    siwoo rubbed his neck and glared at him.


    takasho then down another cup of wine in one gulp before letting out a satisfied sigh.


    ¡°so...you¡¯ll be going?¡±


    ¡°it isn¡¯t like i can back down now. i can ask them for a favor for you, by the way. as you¡¯ve heard, i made quite a big achievement, so it¡¯s possible. unlike me, you aren¡¯t under any kind of exclusive contract, you belong to the city hall, so your case shouldn¡¯t be more complicated than mine.¡±


    ¡°really?¡±


    after hearing that, takasho looked a little sad.


    siwoo wasn¡¯t exactly feeling cheerful either.


    after all, they were close friends for the whole five years of their lives as slaves.


    they probably wouldn¡¯t see each other ever again.


    ¡°thanks for the offer, but i¡¯ll stay here.¡±


    ¡°really? you won¡¯t come with me?¡±


    ¡°stop talking nonsense, you haven¡¯t even brought up the idea to the count yet.¡±


    takasho chuckled before plopping down on the bed.


    in truth, takasho preferred his life here more than back in the modern world.


    the reason why siwoo didn¡¯t bother to mention him in the first place was because he knew that takasho wouldn¡¯t choose to go back.


    ¡°who¡¯ll i go to the bar with on weekends when you¡¯re gone? damn it.¡±


    ¡°just go with the witch that you like.¡±


    the news must be quite shocking for takasho.


    he must have thought that they¡¯d stay together as friends for the rest of their lives, but suddenly siwoo told him that he¡¯d be going back to the modern world by himself.


    despite his anxiety about being left alone in gehenna though, takasho sincerely congratulated siwoo.


    with tears streaming down his face, he hugged siwoo tightly and patted his back.


    ¡°still, everything turned out well for you. that¡¯s great. you¡¯re smarter than me, you¡¯ll do well even when you get out of this place.


    despite expecting this kind of reaction from him, siwoo still felt a tingling sensation in his nose.


    ¡°hey man, i know i used to call you ¡®cloven-footed2????????, it¡¯s a korean derogatory term for japanese¡¯ all the time, but i didn¡¯t really mean it. the truth is that i¡¯m grateful for your presence all this time. without you, i would¡¯ve been caught from trying to escape since a long time ago and would¡¯ve already been dragged to the dock.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m just grateful that i have someone to talk to.¡±


    as the passionate embrace between the two men came to an end, with his face still filled with tears, takasho held back his tears and put on a brave face, though it ended up in his face looking particularly distorted.


    ¡°oi, are you crying?¡±


    ¡°siwoo.¡±


    after takasho downed another cup of alcohol and caught his breath, he spoke.


    ¡°if someone were to cast a spell on me, turning me into a cute girl and if i were able to become a witch and be able to freely come and go...¡±


    he smiled brightly.


    the tears in his eyes glistened.


    ¡°i¡¯ll find you and i¡¯ll suck your dick.¡±


    shivers ran down siwoo¡¯s spine after hearing takasho¡¯s joke.


    at this moment, he was undoubtedly scarier than the homunculus from before.


    ¡°stop talking nonsense and drink.¡±


    ¡°okay, cheers!¡±


    they needed a lot of alcohol today so that they could share a bunch of stories they¡¯d never be able to share in the future.


    suddenly, takasho spoke up.


    ¡°ah, something just came to my mind. what if amelia doesn¡¯t let you go?¡±


    ¡°then, i¡¯d just have to continue my research.¡±


    ¡°that sounds dangerous.¡±


    ¡°it isn¡¯t a big deal, i¡¯ve been doing it all this time, i¡¯d only need to continue it for a little bit longer.¡±


    the bond between the two men deepened as they watched the sunset together.


    footnotes:


    1?????, literally meant kernel, as in the kernel inside of an operating system of a computer2????????, it¡¯s a korean derogatory term for japanese

 Chapter 64: Bitterness and Joy (3)

    ? bitterness and joy (3) ?


    1.


    around 10 o¡¯clock.


    siwoo didn¡¯t have a particularly strong tolerance for alcohol to begin with.


    he tried to match takasho¡¯s pace, despite him being a skilled host who was used to alcohol, and ended up vomiting all the alcohol he consumed.


    still feeling giddy, he stumbled his way toward amelia¡¯s lodgings.


    until the moment he saw the building, he had been thinking of turning in early because of his headache, but after he saw it, his nervousness took over.


    the reason why he felt that way was because earlier, he rejected amelia¡¯s offer and went on a picnic with the twins instead.


    now, if amelia were to see a drunken slave crawling in late at night, what would she think?


    siwoo didn¡¯t feel down for too long though, as he somehow regained his confidence quickly.


    he realized that this miserable life as a slave would be over in about a week.


    the fearful life of worrying about the possibility of him displeasing amelia would come to an end soon.


    though, he¡¯d still have to be careful with his words and behavior, at least until the count had fully wrapped up their negotiations with amelia.


    siwoo swiftly opened the door and entered the building, holding his breath quietly so amelia wouldn¡¯t notice.


    what he saw inside startled him.


    from the outside, it appeared that all the lights were off, so it was reasonable for him to think that amelia was either out or was sleeping in her room.


    never did he expect that she would be reading a book in a corner of the lobby, with a lit candle beside her.


    ¡°...¡±


    amelia¡¯s sky blue eyes, which didn¡¯t lose their luster even in the dim light, glanced briefly at siwoo.


    it seemed unlikely that she was waiting for him, but siwoo still couldn¡¯t help but flinch a little when he noticed her.


    he had never seen her doing something like this around this time before.


    no, it was rare for him to see amelia outside of her research room or her room in the first place.


    siwoo wondered if he should greet her or not.


    ¡°i¡¯m back.¡±


    in the end, he decided to greet her politely and carefully.


    ¡°...¡±


    amelia gently closed the book and turned to look in his direction without saying a word.


    seeing her reaction, he suspected that count gemini had already spoken to her.


    if that was the case, then it would be reasonable to think that she was waiting for him.


    siwoo could feel his hands getting sweaty.


    ¡°since i have to start working early tomorrow, can i go to sleep now?¡±


    only then did amelia open her mouth.


    ¡°cake.¡±


    then, the room fell into complete silence once again.


    why did she mention cake out of the blue?


    her action confused siwoo for a moment. amelia slightly lowered her gaze and asked him.


    ¡°do you want to eat some cake?¡±


    ¡°uh...um...sure.¡±


    siwoo walked unsteadily towards the sofa where amelia leaned her body down.


    on the desk, there was a plate covered with a silver cloche.


    he couldn¡¯t understand what was going on.


    ¡°there¡¯s some left.¡±


    ¡°thank you.¡±


    siwoo sat down cautiously, feeling a little self-conscious as if he was being closely watched.


    he even took care to breathe quietly, out of concern that amelia would be displeased at the smell of alcohol.


    then he realized that he was too used to this submissive mentality because of his years as a slave.


    he kept looking at amelia¡¯s face.


    maybe, the reason why she was sitting here was because she wanted to give the cake to him.


    as soon as he began to eat the cake, she opened her book again and continued to read.


    and that was all she did, she didn¡¯t start a conversation with him, nor did she actually have any business with him. the situation made him feel perplexed.


    ¡°excuse me.¡±


    siwoo devoured the cake without paying much attention to whether the cake went through his mouth or nose.


    though, it seemed like the cake would still be tasty even if he were to eat it through his nose.


    when siwoo was about to finish eating the cake, amelia, who appeared to be engrossed with her book, suddenly offered something to him.


    a cigarette.


    not just one, but a whole pack of them.


    it felt like she was trying to be kind to him.


    no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t help but think that this situation was caused by something that count gemini had suggested.


    otherwise, there was no reason amelia would suddenly act like this.


    she probably was contemplating how to convince him to stay as her assistant by treating him better than the way she used to so that she could have a reason to turn down their offer.


    ¡°t-thank you.¡±


    siwoo couldn¡¯t get rid of the uneasy feeling and eventually gathered his courage to ask her subtly.


    ¡°have you heard something from count gemini?¡±


    ¡°count gemini?¡±


    it seemed like his guess was off the mark.


    amelia merely tilted her head in surprise after hearing him mentioning the count¡¯s name.


    seeing the movement of her usually straight brows, which were now arched out of confusion, he figured out that she wasn¡¯t feigning ignorance about the matter.


    recently, her demeanor had a peculiar change.


    he heard once that a sudden change in someone¡¯s demeanor could possibly a sign of suicidal tendencies.


    maybe after living for roughly 150 years, her research had come to a dead end and she was starting to prepare for passing on her brand to an apprentice witch.


    such thoughts crossed over his mind.


    but, he couldn¡¯t keep entertaining those kinds of thoughts.


    his head was too influenced by alcohol, he couldn¡¯t organize his thoughts properly.


    at that moment, amelia murmured hastily.


    ¡°i will be going to border town tomorrow.¡±


    her words were categorized as murmurs because of how quiet and quick she spoke it.


    siwoo glanced at amelia, wondering whether he had misheard her or not. but, he could only see her nonchalantly flipping through her book.


    ¡°are you asking me to accompany you to border town?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°okay, i¡¯ll make the necessary preparations. thank you for the cake and the cigarettes.¡±


    siwoo entered his room without letting his guard down in case amelia called him and said something like ¡®do you really think you can run away from me? ha!¡¯


    ¡°that was a surprise...¡±


    amelia¡¯s eccentricity was getting more intense as days went by.


    he would have preferred to endure a clear torment rather than receiving exuberant gifts that came out of nowhere. all the gifts he received only added to his discomfort more than anything.


    -knock knock.


    siwoo, who was about to take a shower before going to bed, was startled by the sudden sound of knocking on the door.


    he had a reason to be startled by this.


    ¡°yes! coming!¡±


    until yesterday, amelia used to barge in and open the door as if it was the door to her own room, but this time, she actually knocked it.


    she knocked the room of a mere slave!


    he quickly put on his clothes and opened the door.


    in front of the door, amelia was holding a book, looking up at siwoo.


    then, she explained the reason why she came here.


    ¡°since it¡¯s been a while since you last went out, i thought you might be tired. you can rest until tomorrow afternoon.¡±


    siwoo blinked, unable to respond to her words immediately.


    ¡®did i hear that correctly?¡¯


    ¡°that¡¯s all. good night.¡±


    ¡®what? good night, she said?¡¯


    ¡®did she say that to me?¡¯


    without looking at siwoo, who froze in surprise, amelia walked back to her room with graceful steps.


    siwoo couldn¡¯t understand the reason behind her actions.


    2.


    after showering, siwoo sat on the windowsill, smoking the cigarette that amelia had given him.


    he was pondering the inexplicable change in her demeanor.


    it didn¡¯t seem like she had heard anything from the geminis.


    after he became her assistant, she gave him a lot of things, starting from exquisite lodging, tailored suits, pajamas, even cigarettes and cakes.


    of course, the amount of money she spent for him was nothing much for her.


    but, the amount of money she spent wasn¡¯t important.


    her attitude toward him was.


    for the longest time, she acted as if she could eat him anytime she wanted. that was why when she suddenly acted all friendly like this, he was more terrified than anything.


    there were two possible reasons for this change.


    one, she genuinely had a change of heart and was trying to make up for all the trouble she had put him through.


    two, while she didn¡¯t show it, she might have considered him as her own person and tried to take better care of him as his superior.


    he couldn¡¯t help but wonder what brought this change to her, though he wasn¡¯t seriously concerned about it.


    after all, this dilemma he was facing would soon become irrelevant.


    for now, he got to feast his eyes on amelia while waiting for the promised time to come.


    after all, there was no guarantee that he¡¯d ever get a chance to converse with such a beautiful woman when he returned to the modern world.


    siwoo gradually collected his thoughts.


    originally, he planned to stay silent until the negotiation between the geminis and amelia was completed, however he decided that it would be better if he were to say a few words to her.


    since he would be leaving gehenna soon.


    it would be difficult for him to continue being her exclusive slave.


    along with requesting her permission to leave, he also intended to display the minimum courtesy to her.


    ¡°it isn¡¯t hard for me to do it anyway.¡±


    he had gone through a lot of painful things because of her, yet a few days of her kindness could make his heart feel at ease, it was astonishing.


    it was getting late.


    as he was about to close the window and go to bed, he noticed something hanging on the window above.


    several strands of black thread, fluttering in the wind like a dreamcatcher1native american craft to catch bad dreams, allow good dreams, symbolizing protection and positive dreams..


    no, those weren¡¯t black thread.


    those were strands of black hair.


    ¡°come out.¡±


    in response to his call, the flowing strands of hair descended gracefully.


    round forehead, mischievous purple eyes peeked through with playfulness.


    ¡°you¡¯re quite slow to notice, mr. assistant. i¡¯ve been there for the past five minutes.¡±


    it was unthinkable that someone would go out of their way to come to his room to play this kind of prank on him.


    but, there she was, odile was hanging in the air like a bat, with her body wrapped in a cloak.


    if this was their first meeting, siwoo would probably get so terrified to the point that he¡¯d get a heart attack, but this wasn¡¯t their first meeting, so he was able to maintain his composure.


    ¡°can¡¯t you just come in here normally?¡±


    ¡°should i go through the front gate right now? i¡¯ll greet the professor while i¡¯m at it.¡±


    ¡°ugh, just come in.¡±


    as siwoo flung the window wide open, odile swiftly glided into the room.


    ¡°ta-da! i¡¯m here too!¡±


    following her from behind, odette popped out from the window and landed inside siwoo¡¯s room.


    the twins invaded his room before he could move to restrain them.


    then again, even if he had time to react, he most likely wouldn¡¯t stop them from enteirng in the first place.


    ¡°before you tell me why you two are here, i assume you two are using the music box right now, right?¡±


    ¡°yes, both of our music boxes in fact.¡±


    odile said as she flicked her two fingers open and close.


    it was an adorable gesture that could only be appreciated due to her cute appearance.


    ¡°so...¡±


    ¡°wait, let us speak first!¡±


    the headache that siwoo felt from before came back.


    no, actually, his head was hurting even more since the twins were here.


    though, he was actually delighted to see them.


    maybe it was because of the bond they had forged today. the sense of camaraderie from crossing the line of life and death together.


    ¡°we couldn¡¯t have a proper conversation on our way back since we fell asleep in the carriage.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s right! we have so many things we want to talk about with you, mr. assistant!¡±


    despite the somewhat austere atmosphere of the room due to how old fashioned it looked, it became more vibrant the moment the energetic twins entered.


    ¡°you aren¡¯t going to send us back just like that, right?¡±


    ¡°on a day like today, we have to spend the entire night chatting!¡±


    ¡°i get it, but can you two consider my situation a little? if ms. amelia found out, this would become a huge problem.¡±


    the twins glanced at each other briefly before pointing to the window together.


    ¡°well, we brought our carriage with us, so you don¡¯t need to worry.¡±


    ¡°as long as we get inside the carriage, we can get as noisy as we want as we chat.¡±


    ¡°also, we have a gift for you.¡±


    that didn¡¯t sound bad to siwoo.


    besides, amelia let him sleep until afternoon and judging by her recent attitude, she probably wouldn¡¯t scold him even if he were to wake up even later.


    he felt a little bit tired because of the alcohol though.


    ¡°fine.¡±


    ¡°yay! great!¡±


    ¡°come, hold my hand.¡±


    odette jumped up and down excitedly while odile reached out her hand as she opened the window.


    the twins were really carefree.


    he regretted not trying to get closer to them earlier.


    such thoughts crossed his mind.


    the three of them escaped through the window using levitation magic, then went over the mansion¡¯s wall before heading toward the rose garden.


    ¡°when did you bring the carriage here?¡±


    ¡°when we brought you here, we just left it here and went back home through the portal.¡±


    ¡°i see.¡±


    that meant they planned to visit him again from the start.


    ¡°our masters seem to be busy today and since there aren¡¯t many days left to come and visit you like this in the future, we can¡¯t just sit still.¡±


    ¡°actually, we hope that mr. assistant can stay here with us.¡±


    ¡°odette! i told you to not bring that up!¡±


    ¡°but, we¡¯ve become so close... i don¡¯t want us to part ways yet...¡±


    normally, the twins would keep their distance and walk a few steps apart from him, but now they were sticking closely to siwoo¡¯s sides while bickering.


    it wasn¡¯t about how long they spent their time together, but rather the quality of the time they had shared.


    after they trusted each other as they put their lives on the line, their relationship had developed significantly.


    case on point was odette, who had never been so affectionate before, but now, she was clinging to siwoo¡¯s arm.


    flowers in both arms.


    a cliche?d scene flashed through his mind.


    siwoo opened the carriage door, smelling the fresh and pleasant scent emanating from the top of the twins¡¯ head.


    footnotes:


    1native american craft to catch bad dreams, allow good dreams, symbolizing protection and positive dreams.

 Chapter 65: Bitterness and Joy (4)

    ? bitterness and joy (4) ?


    1.


    ¡°...that¡¯s why! i really thought everything would end there! even now, i¡¯m still trembling in fear! if i got attacked once or twice more, i¡¯d sure be done for!¡±


    as soon as they got into the carriage and sat down on the couch, the group began to chat noisily.


    the topic was obviously the homunculus hunt in the latifundium earlier today.


    at first, he was concerned that they might have some kind of trauma from getting into a life-or-death situation.


    turned out he severely underestimated the twins¡¯ optimistic nature.


    odette made various gestures as she recounted the event. her face was flushed red in excitement.


    using various onomatopoeia such as ¡®thwack!¡¯ and ¡®whoosh!¡¯ she vividly described the life-or-death situation.


    ¡°and then! the crucial moment came! mr. assistant with his ultimate move, ¡®ard¡¯s spear1?????????? ???, literally meant spear of ard¡¯ appeared! with a masterful strike, the wicked homunculus was shattered into pieces.


    ¡°by the way, i was the one who came up with that name. doesn¡¯t it sound cool?¡±


    ¡°it does.¡±


    siwoo chuckled and leaned back on the sofa.


    although he already knew everything, it still felt fun to listen to them.


    around 90% of the story was about siwoo¡¯s own achievement.


    now that he had a chance to reflect on the situation, what he had done was so reckless that the only plausible explanation he could think of if someone were to ask him why he had done that was because he was out of his mind.


    nevertheless, he felt happy about his achievement.


    eventually, odette¡¯s storytelling performance came to an end.


    as the exuberant atmosphere settled down like a deflating bubble, odette spoke up quietly.


    ¡°mr. assistant, are you really going to leave soon?¡±


    ¡°yes. honestly, i¡¯m tired of this place.¡±


    ¡°still, it¡¯s a shame. wouldn¡¯t it be nice if we were able to spend more time together? is it too much to ask if i invite you to be one of our servants?¡±


    after siwoo responded with an ambiguous smile, odile clicked her tongue in disappointment.


    ¡°you are also trying to stop him! why did you scold me when i tried doing the same?¡±


    ¡°so what if i am? anyway, bring me the present, odette.¡±


    ¡°sure, but you¡¯re going to give him the present already?¡±


    ¡°present?¡±


    odette went toward the minibar and came back holding a wooden basket in her hands, the same one she brought to store their sandwiches.


    ¡°you¡¯re our savior, mr. assistant.¡±


    ¡°so we prepared things that mr. assistant would like.¡±


    ¡°ms. odile... ms. odette...¡±


    considering how eventful the day had been, it wouldn¡¯t have been surprising for them to fall asleep as soon as they returned home. but instead of that, they prepared a present for him instead amidst all the chaos. it was an incredibly touching gesture of affection.


    ¡°whether mr. assistant is a wizard or not, whether you¡¯ll face any adversity or hardship.¡±


    ¡°we swear to be shin siwoo¡¯s eternal friends.¡±


    odile and odette, who uttered words that reminded siwoo of a ceremonial gesture, exchanged small handshakes with him in succession.


    ¡°don¡¯t be too sad. it doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯ll be separated forever!¡±


    ¡°yeah, when we properly inherit our brands and officially become the members of the geminis, we can visit you from time to time.¡±


    ¡°ah, come to think of it, that¡¯s possible, huh?¡±


    ¡°well, it might take some time for that to happen though, hehe~¡±


    upon further reflection, it became evident that the clear distinction between gehenna and the modern only applied to slaves like siwoo.


    if the twins became the count of gemini, they could come over to the modern world and they could have some fun together.


    ¡°the opening act is taking too long. let¡¯s give him the present first.¡±


    ¡°ah, right. can i expect something good?¡±


    ¡°please do. our presents will be better than your expectations, mr. assistant.¡±


    first, odile handed him an artifact from the basket, an exquisite music box.


    it was originally intended to be exchanged for telling odile the meaning of love and the agreement was that they¡¯d only give it to him if he managed to fulfill that ambiguous condition.


    ¡°honestly, the contract hasn¡¯t been fulfilled yet, i still don¡¯t understand what love is.¡±


    as odile said that, she placed the music box on siwoo¡¯s palm.


    then she said,


    ¡°if you go through the proper procedure to leave this place, this thing might not be necessary to you regardless, i¡¯ll give it to you. i want you to think of us every time you look at it.¡±


    ¡°thank you. i promise i¡¯ll always remember you two.¡±


    ¡°if it seems like mr. assistant has forgotten about us when we meet again, we¡¯ll drag you back here.¡±


    ¡°haha...ha...¡±


    how could he possibly forget?


    even though they didn¡¯t do it like normal, they were still siwoo¡¯s first sex partners.


    and they were cute enough if siwoo were to show someone a picture of them together while saying that he fucked their rear holes, they¡¯d be calling him delusional.


    of course, he had no intention to brag like that to other people.


    ¡°and these are more presents that i¡¯ve prepared.¡±


    ¡°ta-da!¡±


    what odette took out was a jewellery box.


    it was made of lustrous black wood with two birds carved out of gold on it.


    ¡°since mr. assistant can¡¯t store mana, i prepared a sufficient amount of mana water, who knows you might think of using magic when you¡¯re outside.¡±


    ¡°there are ten bottles of concentrated mana water inside. all made by our company.¡±


    the box was filled with pretty looking bottles that emitted extraordinary light.


    ¡°the mana quality in each bottle might not be the best, but there¡¯s a lot of mana inside.¡±


    ¡°if you dilute it and use it little by little, it should be enough until the time we can visit you.¡±


    if their previous gesture was touching to siwoo, this time he was getting emotional.


    the gift wasn¡¯t merely to show off their riches, but it was a thoughtful gift that took consideration of what he needed.


    in addition to that, they also gave him other things that he also needed.


    ¡°this is a chalkboard. well, you¡¯ve seen it a lot during practice, so i don¡¯t need to explain what it could do, right? just soak a chalk in the concentrated mana water that was mixed with saltwater and you¡¯re good to go.¡±


    even without a magic paper, one could implement a simple magic circle using a chalkboard and mana chalk.


    ¡°this gold is the first thing i¡¯ve ever created using alchemy. i¡¯m giving it to you as a souvenir.¡±


    a gold bar of the same size as his fist.


    ¡°this one is a cloak enchanted with defensive spells. wearing it will help you defend against most attacks once. moreover, with its exquisite design, you can become a trend starter in the fashion world just by wearing it around!¡±


    a cloak with protective runes inscribed inside.


    ¡°this is a quill pen made from a kingfisher¡¯s feather. it doesn¡¯t have any special functions, but it¡¯s pretty!¡±


    a pretty quill pen and so on.


    while there were some items that seemed out of place due to their lack of knowledge of the modern world, the effort they put into choosing them was clear.


    under the shower of gifts, siwoo¡¯s hands quickly filled up like those shopaholic middle aged women hunting discounted goods at a department store.


    ¡°i will treasure and make good use of these gifts. when you two visit me in the modern world, i promise i¡¯ll show you around.¡±


    ¡°yay! oh, by the way, whenever you¡¯re trying to use magic, you have to activate the music box first! otherwise, the witches or outcasts outside might take notice of you.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll keep that in mind. thank you.¡±


    he had never imagined that the day when he¡¯d have to hold his tears after receiving gifts from these brats would come.


    when they saw his eyes reddened after receiving their gifts, the twins sniffled. swiftly, they wiped their noses.


    ¡°oh jeez, why are you crying?¡±


    ¡°why, mr. assistant? why? we¡¯re going to cry too now...¡±


    siwoo reminisced about the short time he spent with them.


    the time when they watched him as he masturbated...


    using magic practice as a pretext, he became their sex education tutor and as a result, he received a handjob and fellatio from them...


    the incident of them abducting him and becoming a test subject for the eros¡¯ potion...


    that one time when odile barged into his room for an anal sex and they were almost caught by amelia...


    the incident when odette got drunk and they ended up playfully engaging in anal sex...


    ¡®wait, what the fuck, why am i only remembering those kinds of memories?¡¯


    siwoo shook both his head and all his thoughts off.


    ¡°anyway, can i go back now?¡±


    it was getting late.


    since the conversation was nearing its conclusion, siwoo started to wrap things up from his side.


    ¡°you¡¯re done already?¡±


    odette slipped between the carriage door and siwoo, trying to block his way.


    ¡°there¡¯s still one last present left.¡±


    odile backed her up perfectly, standing beside her to block his path.


    ¡°there¡¯s something else besides all these?¡±


    ¡°well~ we haven¡¯t given you the most important one of them all~¡±


    ¡°this one is the most important!¡±


    by simply selling what they had given him, he could already make a great fortune for a lifetime.


    but there was an even more amazing present that they prepared?


    the rewards for this quest turned out to be incredibly delightful.


    ¡°so, what do you think? do you want the present?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve already received more than enough, but if you insist...¡±


    normally, he¡¯d have declined them, but this time, he readily nodded. he thought that he deserved to get something sweet as a reward for his five years of suffering.


    when he received the last present from the twins, his eyes widened.


    the twins simultaneously untied the straps on their shoulders, making the cloak that wrapped off their bodies slipped off smoothly.


    their cloak, clad in elegant black and velvet, slid down their bodies.


    then the cloak fell onto the floor with a soft ¡®thud.¡¯


    no wonder they were still wrapped tightly in their cloak when they entered the carriage.


    under the black cloak were the twins¡¯ fair naked bodies.


    with a pose akin to models, they faced each other, proudly displaying their bare bodies.


    ¡°were you surprised?¡±


    ¡°come to think of it, we¡¯ve seen mr. assistant¡¯s naked body many times, but he has never seen ours.¡±


    odette shyly smiled and subtly twisted her body as if she was feeling embarrassed facing siwoo¡¯s piercing gaze.


    but, she made no effort to cover her chest with her hands.


    on the contrary, she made it easier for siwoo to appreciate her body by relaxing her shoulders and chest.


    their pure white skin shimmered brightly in the soft dim light.


    the noble bodies of the twin, meticulously cared for by the maids every day, emitted a subtle radiance whenever the flame flickered on the candlesticks that were adorned with scattered jewel dust.


    perhaps this surreal sight affected siwoo¡¯s mind like a drug.


    he stepped on the carpet as his feet fumbled.


    as he moved past their slender calves and healthy-looking thighs, he knew that two pairs of plump, bouncy cheeks were waiting to greet him.


    above those cheeks were their perfectly sculpted waistline, it was as if god had put in a significant amount of effort on creating them.


    as he traced those graceful lines, his gaze was captivated by two pairs of prominent peaks.


    in truth, he had already observed the outline of their breasts through their clothes, but he dismissed them as they seemed to lack the maturity that he craved for.


    however, contrary to his expectations, their peaks were overflowing with elasticity.


    the conical-shaped breasts protruded with a firm, rounded tip without any sign of sagging.


    up until now, thanks to all the porn that he watched, he had believed that breasts were the most attractive when they were perfectly round and shaped like water droplets. however, after facing the twin, a whole new world opened up to him.


    ¡°you can take a closer look.¡±


    odile, who had been feeling self-conscious as she constantly placed her hands over her chest and waist to cover herself, was now standing tall and upright like odette. it seemed like she had finally overcome her inner turmoil.


    at the end of their plump breasts, a pinkish half-circle spreaded out as a cute fruit stood erect with pride at its center.


    the deep shade of pink contrasted with their skin tone.


    it was an alluring color.


    if there were lipsticks with such beautiful shade, they would undoubtedly sell like hotcakes.


    not to mention that there wasn¡¯t just a pair of breasts, but two of them.


    that made for four nipples in total.


    whether it was due to the effects of the alcohol, or because he had lowered his guard down against the twins significantly,


    well, there was also the possibility that he felt this way because of his carelessness since he assumed that he would be leaving soon anyway,


    nevertheless, he had the urge to hold one in each of his hands and relentlessly suck on them.


    ¡°if mr. assistant leaves, we won¡¯t be able to have fun for a while.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s right. it isn¡¯t like we can just show our naked bodies to anyone.¡±


    the twin approached siwoo, alternating their words like a surround sound speaker as they slowly closed their distance.


    ¡°since our relationship with you is far from ordinary, mr. assistant, we want to make it special for you.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s right. mr. assistant, you¡¯re probably the first and the last slave who can do something like this with two apprentice witches at the same time.¡±


    before they knew it, the twins had moved very closely to siwoo.


    it was odette who adorned the finale of the last present as she lightly skimmed her toes over the carpet, shyly expressing herself.


    ¡°that¡¯s why...tonight...let¡¯s have fun...all three of us...all night long...¡±


    footnotes:


    1?????????? ???, literally meant spear of ard

 Chapter 66: Shimaidon (1)

    ? shimaidon1basically having sex with two sisters at once (1) ?


    1.


    they said that there were various methods to obtain pleasure in this world.


    alcohol, cigarettes, food, drugs, sex and many more.


    as one could see, if they were to list each of them one by one, there would be countless crossroads spread out before them.


    if siwoo had to choose the most dangerous road among those, he would undoubtedly choose sex driven by lust.


    the reason for this was because siwoo was experiencing it firsthand on how uncontrollable and dangerous lust could be.


    he was aware that there could be serious consequences he had to pay if he were to make a single mistake, yet he still felt aroused.


    him being drunk was partly responsible for this.


    nevertheless, his raging lower body part didn¡¯t show any signs of calming down.


    ¡°you don¡¯t dislike this, right?¡±


    ¡°of course he doesn¡¯t. didn¡¯t you see how happy he was when he played with us?¡±


    siwoo remained frozen as the twins quietly approached him, reaching out their arms and latching onto his sides.


    from their gestures, they seemed to want him to be more assertive here.


    honestly, it was difficult to say that they gave him this present solely for his sake.


    if anything, it felt like there was a hidden motive behind the twins¡¯ actions.


    despite their innocent appearances, siwoo knew them well enough to be aware of how mischievous they were and how eager they were to engage in erotic acts with him.


    however, the soft sensation that he felt through the fabric of his clothes relieved him of his sense of crisis.


    the twins¡¯ round and plump breasts along with their nipples brushed against his clothes, as if appealing him to make his move.


    loud giggling noises came from both of his sides.


    siwoo could tell that he was making an incredibly foolish expression even without looking in the mirror.


    ¡°sit here, mr. assistant.¡±


    ¡°i shoulda prepared a bed or something.¡±


    they didn¡¯t even ask about siwoo¡¯s opinion.


    even if he were to reject them, they¡¯d do their best to convince him under the pretense that this was their present to him.


    ¡°can we dim the lights a little? it¡¯s embarrassing.¡±


    ¡°but we decided to show our naked bodies for mr. assistant to see clearly, didn¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°this should be enough. look, he¡¯s completely out of it.¡±


    the twins playfully teased siwoo, who was staring at them absent-mindedly.


    he was completely captivated by the alluring sight of their swaying breasts and nipples.


    then again, no one could blame him. no man could really avert their eyes from a situation like this.


    ¡°why haven¡¯t you made a move on us, mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°is it because you¡¯re worried?¡±


    the twins¡¯ faces entered siwoo¡¯s field of vision and immediately became the focus of his attention.


    just a little while ago, the twins looked somewhat shy, but it seemed like siwoo¡¯s reaction gave them the courage they needed.


    ¡°mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°phew!¡±


    odile waved her hands in front of siwoo¡¯s face to snap him out of his daze.


    as if he had just woken up from a trance, siwoo gasped for breath.


    apparently, he had been holding his breath without realizing it.


    ¡°what¡¯s with that reaction?¡±


    odile, revealing her white teeth, reached her hand out as she gently caressed siwoo¡¯s cheek.


    for some reason, every time he exposed his naked body to them and saw her making this gesture, it would intensify his embarrassment.


    perhaps it was because of his unmanly nature.


    ¡°if you¡¯re worried that our bowl2bowl as in the witches¡¯ mana container. might get damaged, you don¡¯t need to, mr. assistant!¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ve prepared something for it! even if our master finds out, she won¡¯t scold us too much! besides, you¡¯re our savior, what could go wrong?¡±


    their words were true, this current situation was way safer compared to the time when he had to fear for his life as he went along with the twins¡¯ pranks.


    moreover, from his interaction with count gemini, they didn¡¯t seem to be temperamentals.


    ¡°odette, show mr. assistant what we are up to.¡±


    ¡°what? why me? why don¡¯t you show him, sis?!¡±


    ¡°he¡¯ll see everything in a moment anyway.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s still embarrassing for me...¡±


    siwoo, who had gradually returned to reality, realized that the twins¡¯ conversation sounded a little absurd.


    they seemed to be wanting to show him something, but why were they beating around the bush?


    odette hesitantly approached him and suddenly sat down with one of her butt cheeks on one of siwoo¡¯s thighs.


    she brought her face closer, as if trying to kiss him, but she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°may i borrow your ear for a moment, mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°you sure are taking your time, aren¡¯t you, odette?¡±


    completely ignoring odile¡¯s nagging, odette leaned in closer to siwoo¡¯s ear.


    her hushed whispers, mixed with her soft breathing, tickled his earlobe.


    ¡°mr. assistant, i remember everything that happened between us earlier today...¡±


    ¡°ah...i see...¡±


    because of a bigger incident that occurred right after that particular event, it slipped completely off his mind. the thing that happened between them, the time when they did anal sex.


    then again, it wasn¡¯t exactly strange that she remembered it. siwoo didn¡¯t extract the semen that he squirted inside her anus. odette didn¡¯t need to be a genius to guess what had happened.


    but why?


    why did she mention it now? siwoo couldn¡¯t understand that.


    ignoring his confusion, odette pressed her body against him and discreetly moved her hand toward the bulge in his pants.


    ¡°i don¡¯t remember everything that happened, but... i can tell that you enjoyed it a lot, mr. assistant...¡±


    now he understood.


    the same method as earlier today.


    back when siwoo attempted to reject her and run away from her, she did this exact same thing.


    from that, she clearly could tell the effectiveness of this method.


    ¡°i know what mr. assistant is worried about and that¡¯s why i¡¯m doing this.¡±


    honestly, her attempt to seduce him was unnecessary.


    as soon as he saw the twins¡¯ naked bodies, the word ¡®shimaidon¡¯ was swirling in his mind.


    then there was also his desire to make up for the unjust days he had spent in gehenna.


    after pressing her lips tightly against siwoo¡¯s earlobe and sucked on it, odette slowly got up.


    she stood up from the couch with one of her feet resting next to siwoo¡¯s thighs.


    then, she presented her pussy directly to siwoo¡¯s eyes, as if she was showing it off to him.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    there was a sticker attached to it.


    no. in this case, calling it a ¡®seal¡¯ would probably be more appropriate.


    in place of panties, a thin piece of paper delicately clung to her tight pussy.


    the paper was so thin that it revealed not only the shape of her plump mound, but also the outline of her protruding clitoris.


    engraved on it were runic characters that prevented the flow of magic.


    ¡°w-with this, there won¡¯t be any risk of mr. assistant¡¯s magic flowing in and damaging my bowl...¡±


    ¡°i doubt that there¡¯s any risk involved with the act, but we prepared it anyway because you seemed to be concerned about it, mr. assistant.¡±


    they were completely prepared for this.


    so, there was no need for him to hold back anymore.


    as odette said, he could play as much as he wanted with the twins all night long.


    a full course meal, a suitable main dish for his graduation party from gehenna.


    ¡°ah...! m-mr. assistant!¡±


    he pulled odette¡¯s waist, who was showing off the seal on her pussy while half-squatting.


    ¡®i¡¯m not a man if i refuse them after they go this far.¡¯


    ¡°jeez, you don¡¯t need to do this just to prevent me from running away...¡±


    after placing odette on his lap, siwoo stared at her chest lustfully as they had been capturing his attention since earlier.


    ¡°are you going to...? with your mouth¨C?! ngh!¡±


    without any hesitation, he covered her adorable nipple with his lips.


    immediately after that, a moan escaped her lips.


    he could feel the softness of her breast as it was pressed against his nose.


    there was a refreshing scent emanating from it.


    compared to her chest that felt as smooth as porcelain, the area around her nipple felt slightly bumpier.


    siwoo quickly skimmed around the area with his tongue.


    ¡°haah...!¡±


    odette, who was shaking uncontrollably, embraced siwoo¡¯s head.


    then, siwoo began to stimulate her sensitive nipple, focusing on the soft mound that had been rolling around in his mouth.


    ¡°ahh... ahh... haah...¡±


    aside from feeling ticklish, odette also felt pleasure from the act.


    it was the first time in her life that she ever experienced this kind of sensation, it made her involuntarily widened her eyes and twitched her shoulders in excitement.


    ¡°it feels good... mr. assistant...¡±


    after a while, the delicate bud that quivered as it followed siwoo¡¯s tongue¡¯s movement gradually stiffened as he continued stimulating it.


    it felt like the bud was about to blossom.


    from his prior experience, he could tell that odette was sensitive.


    the slightest touch from him would make her react with a pleasant shudder.


    and unlike odile, she didn¡¯t even bother concealing the fact that she enjoyed his touches.


    he only sucked her breasts a little, but she had already trembled as if she was about to pee.


    ¡°how long are you going to keep me waiting?!¡±


    at first, siwoo wanted to enjoy the moment leisurely as he attempted to use the techniques he had learned from all the porn that he watched.


    but odile interrupted him.


    ¡°s-sister... d-don¡¯t scream so suddenly like that! you scared me!¡±


    as her hazy eyes cleared, odette, who was being drawn into the world of pleasure, suddenly regained her senses and started to quarrel with odile.


    ¡°you were supposed to explain our plan to him, not start playing with him on your own! besides, you already had your fun with him this morning!¡±


    odile pulled odette away despite the latter desperately clinging to siwoo.


    ¡°why do you keep acting as if i¡¯m doing something wrong? do you think i don¡¯t know about you playing around with him sneakily?¡±


    ¡°w-what?¡±


    hearing that, odile¡¯s face turned bright red.


    siwoo revealed everything when odette used the poem of confession on him. a fact that odile wasn¡¯t aware of.


    ¡°you tried to monopolize mr. assistant while keeping me in the dark!¡±


    ¡°b-but, i only got him to insert the tip!¡±


    ¡°really? that¡¯s on you then. why would you get a head start without even making any progress? meanwhile, mr. assistant pounded me from behind without holding anything back!¡±


    her tone filled with arrogance, odette teased her sister.


    in response to that, odile could only pout.


    the twins had always competed against each other without any particular reason.


    odile, with her fists clenched out of anger, walked up to siwoo and abruptly pushed her chest in front of his face.


    ¡°do it with me too. mr. assistant.¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong with you? it¡¯s my turn now!¡±


    ¡°odette! i¡¯m older so my turn comes first!¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re only older by an hour!¡±


    not wanting to fall behind, odette followed suit.


    as the sisters grabbed one of their breasts and pressed them against siwoo¡¯s face, his dick grew even bigger.


    the fact that the shape of their chests hardly changed even after they squeezed them with their hands proved their elasticity.


    like a cherry that jumped slightly into the sky, their small nipples dangled brilliantly in front of his face, completely capturing his attention.


    ¡°¡°mr. assistant!¡±¡±


    as if they had planned it, they looked at siwoo¡¯s eyes at the exact same time with eyes that were willed with a strong desire to win.


    if siwoo were to pick between one of them, the one he picked would be happy, but the other one would definitely feel sad.


    despite this being a pleasant situation for him, it was also an awkward one.


    ¡°why don¡¯t you use rock paper scissors to decide...?¡±


    ¡°are you serious?¡±


    ¡°how can we leave such an important matter up to chance?¡±


    naturally, they rejected his proposal.


    ¡®oh well, it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯


    siwoo lifted himself off the couch and pulled their waists toward him.


    ¡°then, how about doing it like this? come closer.¡±


    ¡°w-what?¡±


    ¡°too close, too close!¡±


    using his strength, he pressed the twins¡¯ chest against each other.


    they had the same height, breast shape, waist size, hairstyle, hair color and buttocks.


    their nipples barely brushed against each other.


    it felt like they were mirror images to themselves when he pressed them together like this.


    and the sense of immorality that he felt when looking at them was off the chart.


    after all, he could taste both of them at the same time.


    to put it into perspective, he was one man, facing off against two women.


    moreover, the two women were twins who were close and affectionate toward each other.


    he could observe their naked body closer than anyone else in the world.


    he would be able to compare the reactions and the sounds that the older one made while he affectionately caressed the younger one. there were bound to be some differences in their reaction despite them being nearly identical down to the position of their moles.


    and he could also have sex with the older one before doing it with the younger one to compare the tightness of their holes.


    how many people in the world have experienced such a luxurious and thrilling experience?


    considering that the twins¡¯ appearance was second to none compared to anyone in the modern world, siwoo was probably the first person who got to experience this.


    as his excitement peaked, his rationality left him as his instincts took over.


    ¡°if i can¡¯t decide on one, why can¡¯t i do both of you at the same time?¡±


    he licked his lips with anticipation and poked his tongue out through the space where the twins¡¯ nipples met,


    footnotes:


    1basically having sex with two sisters at once2bowl as in the witches¡¯ mana container.

 Chapter 67: Shimaidon (2)

    ? shimaidon (2) ?


    1.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    ¡°ngh...!¡±


    like rolling two pieces of candies in his mouth.


    siwo played with the twins¡¯ nipples.


    in truth, the act of sucking nipples didn¡¯t give any pleasure to men.


    however, the sensation the nipples gave out made them feel an inexplicable urge to keep on sucking them.


    ¡°our nipples keep touching, sis... it feels weird...¡±


    ¡°the tongue... it¡¯s so slippery...¡±


    ten minutes passed just like that.


    the initially restless and chatty twins fell silent.


    their once soft nipples had become firm enough that one could tie a string on them. their playful laughters that sounded so pleasant in siwoo¡¯s ears had turned into nervous breathing.


    ¡°haah...¡±


    ¡°ahh...¡±


    no matter how inexperienced siwoo was, he at least knew the reason why this change happened.


    he felt increasing pressure in the arms that were wrapped around the twins¡¯ waists. it was clear that their legs were gradually losing their strength.


    ¡°ahh... ah...¡±


    ¡°n-ngh...¡±


    every time their nipples grazed against his tongue or pressed against each others, their moans of pleasure grew louder.


    if siwoo were to use odette¡¯s wording, the ¡®play¡¯ started lightheartedly but after a while, it got more intense.


    odile, who was watching siwoo sucking her breast with her moist eyes, spoke out at that moment.


    unlike usual, her voice sounded unusually weak.


    ¡°mr. assistant...¡±


    ¡°yes, ms. odile?¡±


    ¡°s-should we also use our mouths like you?¡±


    ¡°right... it¡¯s us who are supposed to gift you something, so it wouldn¡¯t be fair if you end up doing everything...¡±


    even odette chimed in agreement.


    considering how erect he got, it was hard to refuse their suggestion.


    however, this time, he wanted to control everything from start to finish.


    he didn¡¯t want the mischievous girls to have their way with him like before.


    ¡°it¡¯s okay. i find this enjoyable.¡±


    ¡°i-i see, okay then...¡±


    ¡°if that¡¯s what you want, mr. assistant...¡±


    though they tried to hide it, the twins looked very disappointed.


    in fact, it was hard to feel a great deal of pleasure from the act of being licked by their nipples.


    if anything, they felt more ticklish than pleasure.


    however, couples didn¡¯t move from kissing to playing around with each other¡¯s chest for no reason.


    nipples acted as a switch for arousal regardless of genders.


    but still, fiddling around with the switch without accomplishing anything felt exhausting to the twins.


    that was why they made an excuse to siwoo, to encourage him to move on to the next stage under the guise of it being their present.


    but, that backfired on him since now they had to go along with what siwoo wanted.


    2.


    ¡°mr. assistant... how long are we going to keep on doing this...?¡±


    ¡°a-ahh... haah...¡±


    more time passed.


    siwoo continued to suck on the twins¡¯ breasts.


    he didn¡¯t understand why it felt good to suck on them. he even felt like he could suck on them all day long.


    -slurp, slurp.


    as siwoo buried his head in odile¡¯s chest, the sound of him sucking the tiny flesh, mixed with the wet sound of his saliva, created a slurping noise.


    ¡°d-do it gently! s-stop biting¨C ahh!¡±


    over time, he didn¡¯t just lick the twins¡¯ nipples.


    he enjoyed licking them, but there were also plenty of other ways for him to enjoy himself with them.


    such as biting and sucking them as if he was drinking their milk.


    ¡°ngh...h-haah...¡±


    odile furrowed her delicate eyebrows.


    he could see the glimmer of anxiety beyond her lovely eyelashes as her entire body trembled within his arms.


    ¡°ahh! i told you stop biting¨C¡±


    ¡°sis, you¡¯re overreacting again.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not! ...i-it hurts, you know?¡±


    ¡°it doesn¡¯t hurt, i endured it just fine. it doesn¡¯t like he bite it hard enough that it¡¯d leave a mark.¡±


    siwoo delicately grabbed her nipples between his teeth as he sucked on them until their breasts extended into a conical shape.


    and then he stayed still for a brief while.


    the reason why he kept doing it despite odile¡¯s rejection was because of her reaction.


    unlike odette, her reaction aroused him more.


    he dug his teeth into the soft bump.


    ¡°eugh...! h-haah...¡±


    her voice became strange and indescribable as her legs began to shake even more furiously.


    furthermore, her hands moved, trying to grasp on something as she settled on siwoo¡¯s shoulders and clutched them closely, arousing him even more.


    he managed to arouse odile.


    her libido was in his hands now.


    -swish...


    ¡°a-ahh...¡±


    siwoo finally let go of her chest.


    realizing this, odile let out a relieved sigh as she let go of the piece of clothing she had been gripping.


    for a brief while, she appreciated the fruit of his work.


    the once soft and adorable nipples turned rather seductive.


    they stood erect without a trace of shame and the rush of blood made them seem even more alluring.


    even the enlarged areola, covered with saliva, looked seductive to him.


    ¡°uu... what if you leave bite marks on them? what are you gonna do about it?¡±


    feeling embarrassed, odile adjusted her bangs as she fidgeted.


    in fact, siwoo used the same force as he did with odette, it was just odile got a better reaction than the former.


    maybe she felt something else other than the slight pain he inflicted.


    ¡°ms. odile.¡±


    ¡°yes?¡±


    ¡°you seem to like it whenever i nibble on your nipple.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    odile¡¯s face instantly reddened.


    it was as if someone had pointed at a sore spot.


    she awkwardly hit siwoo¡¯s shoulder, trying to hide her embarrassment.


    ¡°i-i don¡¯t like it! it hurts so much that i almost cried!¡±


    ¡°ah, mr. assistant! since she hits you like this, that means you hit the bullseye!¡±


    ¡°no!¡±


    ¡°kyaah! my older sister is such a pervert~¡±


    odette started teasing odile with a mischievous smile.


    and thus, a sudden game of tag began.


    as soon as odette started teasing odile, the former swiftly leapt over the sofa and started running away. meanwhile the latter pursued her with unsteady steps.


    ¡®how delightful.¡¯


    their beautiful and youthful bodies, coupled with their liveliness, exhibited a breathtaking scene that siwoo had never seen before.


    their swaying buttocks, modestly bouncing breasts and the smooth armpits that they revealed as they ran and made sharp turns¡ª those were sights that he could only see when they stripped off their clothes completely.


    ¡°ow! stop, please! i¡¯m sorry! sis! ...hehehe!¡±


    no matter how wide the area had been expanded by the spatial refraction, this was still indoor.


    odette tried to escape from her sister, but he was caught before long and found herself writhing on the floor.


    ¡°it¡¯s only natural for you to be punished after committing a crime!¡±


    ¡°mr. assistant! aaah! s-save me!¡±


    it was like watching two mischievous kittens playing with each other.


    to punish her little sister who leaked confidential information, odile firmly pressed her body against the floor and tickled her sides and armpits fiercely.


    odette, who was laughing so hard that it was hard for her to breathe, reached out to siwoo and asked for his help.


    however, siwoo wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind to respond to her request.


    the sight of odile¡¯s buttocks raised toward the sky captivated him and made it difficult for him to look away.


    the neatly folded anus wrinkles looked incredibly clean and pretty. it was hard to believe that they were created for excretion.


    furthermore...


    ¡°ah.¡±


    ¡°mr. assistant... don¡¯t just stand there and watch... haha! sis! i¡¯m sorry!¡±


    the seal that functioned to prevent the leakage of mana was wet.


    it was all wet and damp.


    though it wasn¡¯t torn, its dampness revealed the shape of odile¡¯s pussy.


    he heard somewhere that it would be more arousing to see someone that was almost naked than being naked completely and it seemed that those words were true.


    ¡°ms. odile, i¡¯m sure ms. odette has reflected on her actions.¡±


    ¡°h-he¡¯s right, sis! i-i surrender! i¡¯ve reflected on my actions!¡±


    siwoo intervened, barely escaping the temptation.


    odile, blushing with embarrassment, and odette, feeling exhausted after all the tickling, got up from the floor while whimpering.


    he wondered if he were to tell odile that her seal was soaking wet, how would she react?


    ¡°i¡¯ll forgive you as long as i get to put it in first.¡±


    ¡°yes... sorry, sis...¡±


    the situation calmed down.


    they tidied their disheveled hair.


    then, siwoo led the reconciled sisters toward the couch.


    ¡°come here and get down, side by side.¡±


    ¡°...he can see everything, can he? now i feel a little embarrassed.¡±


    ¡°i-if it¡¯s mr. assistant, i don¡¯t mind if he were to see everything!¡±


    the twins knelt on the couch, supporting themselves with their hands on the backrest.


    two white and well-shaped buttocks appeared in front of siwoo.


    this scene made him sigh in awe toward the universe¡¯s grandeur.


    how many times had it happened today? he lost count of it.


    ¡°mr. assistant, if you look in that basket, you¡¯ll find the fragrance oil we prepared.¡±


    ¡°yes, i saw it earlier.¡±


    siwoo took out the fragrance oil and applied it to his hands.


    the twins arched their buttocks like cats in heat, preparing to receive siwoo¡¯s rod.


    both of them kept their mouths shut, either because they were anticipating something or because they were embarrassed since they were revealing their intimate parts to him.


    ¡°if i insert it in directly, it might hurt you two, so i¡¯ll loosen you two up a bit first.¡±


    ¡°yes, but you don¡¯t need to worry too much about me! unlike my sister over here, i¡¯m already experienced! though, you can pay more attention to her if you like¨C ow!¡±


    odette boasted her achievement with a giggle.


    and odile retaliated with a gentle smack.


    meanwhile siwoo stood closely by them as they continued their playful banter.


    now, it was time for the performance to start.


    symphony of lust in g-string by the twin sisters who were writhing in pleasure!


    siwoo, the conductor of the day, checked the condition of the instruments before starting the performance.


    first, the buttocks texture, he wanted it to have a good sound when he slapped it¡ª checked.


    then, the fold of flesh, making sure that they were shyly closed¡ª checked.


    the graceful curve of their spines, they had to resemble a sailboat¡¯s keel¡ª checked.


    lastly, the translucent seal that had been moistened from love juices¡ª checked.


    while it might seem trivial, it was really tough to tell the twins apart from this angle.


    after all, even the position of the mole right next to their anus was the same.


    ¡®is this the horror genetics could bring?¡¯


    siwoo dabbed the gel on his middle fingers, placing them between the twins¡¯ buttocks.


    in his left, odile and in his right, odette.


    truly, both his hands held a flower.


    when his fingers touched their sensitive and delicate part, the flower flinched before shriveling slightly after a brief pause.


    ¡®next time, if there¡¯s a next time, i¡¯ll thoroughly lick them with my tongue.¡¯


    their holes were clean to the point that siwoo was willing to put his tongue inside and lick them greedily.


    but he didn¡¯t have the time to do that now.


    ¡°let¡¯s begin.¡±


    as he pressed gently on the wrinkles, his finger gradually started to sink in with a soft and bumpy sensation, as if stroking a smooth and lumpy texture.


    ¡°gasp...¡±


    ¡°ngh...¡±


    like he expected, the twins let out their moans simultaneously.


    even with lubricant, it took a considerable amount of time for him to penetrate their anus.


    he slowly pushed his finger inside without any hint of impatience.


    then, he felt pressure surrounding his fingers.


    it was this feeling that made his dick feel so good if he were to put it in.


    the twins¡¯ anus squeezed his fingertips tightly like multiple layers of rubber bands, making him wonder how he could manage to slide his dick in there.


    -squelch, squelch.


    ¡°ahh... hng...¡±


    ¡°huff... haah...¡±


    as siwoo moved his hand slowly, the instruments began to produce sounds earnestly.


    although they sounded to be in pain, siwoo knew that before long, their uncomfortable groans would turn into a jubilant cry of ecstasy.


    as siwoo witnessed the toes that were presented to him wriggling conspicuously, he intensified his performance with a newfound vigor.

 Chapter 68: Shimaidon (3)

    ? shimaidon (3) ?


    1.


    in a quaint interior.


    on the couch, covered with quilt, a fervor of passion gently flowed.


    -squelch! swoosh!


    ¡°haaah... ahh... mmph...¡±


    ¡°gasp... ngh...¡±


    alongside a pair of fingers moving in a constant rhythm like a metronome, the twins took turns singing in a seductive voice.


    they no longer joked around with each other or talked to siwoo.


    burying their heads quietly in the couch¡¯s backrest, they shook their butts, trying to indulge every drop of pleasure that was given to them.


    odile kept her mouth shut.


    meanwhile odette bit into the quilt covering the couch.


    the thin seals wriggled and twisted so delicately that it would be embarrassing to say that it served its purpose as a substitute for panties.


    on the back of that thin paper lied pink membranes, eager to squeeze everything that entered them.


    ¡°ohh... mmh...¡±


    despite them being twins, their timing of experiencing pleasure wasn¡¯t exactly the same.


    they squeezed his fingers at different moments, giving both of them different stimulations at different times.


    ¡°i¡¯ll speed it up a little.¡±


    siwoo had been waiting for them to open their mouths as he slowly stimulated them with his fingers, but at this rate, it would take a long time to reach the result he was hoping for.


    ¡°g-go on... hyah!¡±


    ¡°d-do it¨C ahh...!¡±


    since he wasn¡¯t waiting for their response, he quickly increased his speed.


    disregarding the resistance coming from the membrane that squeezed his fingers tightly as he moved them around, he frantically thrusted at their holes at about triple the speed that he had previously used.


    as he moved his fingers back and forth, he felt less pressure than before, indicating that their holes had loosened up quite a bit.


    ¡°y-you¡¯re going...too fast!¡±


    ¡°h-haah... mmph!¡±


    ¡°both of you seem to be enduring it well.¡±


    whether it was odile, who spoke with a high-pitched and quivering voice or odette, who cutely covered her mouth, both of them looked adorable to him.


    odette, in particular, looked especially adorable as she jerked her smooth back several times.


    compared to odile, who had sensitive breasts, odette seemed to be more sensitive in her rear hole.


    this was the secret that no one else knew about.


    every time siwoo acquired embarrassing and lewd information about them, he felt a thrilling excitement about it.


    to the point that he thought that it would be fine to stay and live in gehenna.


    -slap! slap! slap!


    ¡°m-mr. assistant, wait a moment! c-can you¡ª give me a moment...to rest...?¡±


    amidst the vulgar sound of wet skin ramming against each other, odette¡¯s pleading voice quietly echoed.


    suppressing her moans to the limit, she blushed with embarrassment.


    ¡°a-aren¡¯t your hands tired... m-mr. assistant¡ª hngh!¡±


    odile also shot a glance over her shoulder, trying to tell him her agreement to her little sister¡¯s words.


    but, would siwoo stop after seeing such a reaction from them?


    the answer was an obvious no.


    it didn¡¯t take a genius to tell that they were slowly reaching their limits and that was why they made such a request in the first place.


    ¡°okay, i¡¯ll increase the speed a little bit more.¡±


    knowing this, instead of slowing down, siwoo increased his speed.


    he exerted all his strength to move his arms.


    his movement was so quick to the point that he opened the eighth gate halfway.


    ¡°w-wait, wait wait! d-didn¡¯t you hear what i just said?!¡±


    ¡°gasp... heuk... haah...¡±


    siwoo moved his fingers frantically, as if determined to tear their buttholes open, causing both of them to clench their buttocks tightly.


    the pressure he received grew stronger and their intermittent spasms occurred more frequently. too bad for them, his fingers had already found themselves in.


    no matter how hard they tried to resist, they couldn¡¯t push his fingers out.


    in the end, all they could do was to lower their waist and bear the torrent of pleasure that poured down like a waterfall.


    ¡°haa... ahh... mr. assistant¡ª mmph...¡±


    odile bit her lips as she couldn¡¯t hold back her moans when he tried to say something.


    ¡°ahng! i like it... i love it when you do it from the back... hauh... fingers... inside... it feels good...!¡±


    meanwhile odette actively displayed her pleasure while appealing to siwoo flirtatiously, as if a hidden switch in her had been flipped.


    feeling that their climax wasn¡¯t far off, the twins began to move their waists following siwoo¡¯s movements.


    ¡°mm... ngh... ang... ahh... ?¡±


    ¡°it feels strange... something weird is coming¡ª ?¡±


    then their movements stiffened at once.


    their waists that had been moving around as if trying to escape from siwoo¡¯s fingers were now gracefully arched like a bowstring, forming a smooth curve.


    ¡°hiyaaah...! ?¡±


    ¡°haaeung... ?¡±


    an otherworldly symphony burst forth from both of them.


    siwoo¡¯s ears felt an immense amount of delight after hearing the unimaginably obscene voices from them.


    ¡°oh, whoops...¡±


    at the peak of their climax, as siwoo inserted his fingers all the way in, the pressure he felt made it feel like his fingers were being cut off.


    the twins kept trembling their buttocks and didn¡¯t let go of his fingers until the very end.


    ¡°hoo... hoo...¡±


    ¡°phew...¡±


    watching the twins wriggling their pelvis while savoring the aftermath of the pleasure they felt, siwoo pulled his fingers out with satisfaction.


    2.


    after the enjoyable symphony ended, the twins crouched down, trying to minimze the exposure of their naked body after noticing siwoo¡¯s gaze.


    such action seemed inconsequential to him though, as they had willingly shown their butt to him.


    ¡°a-anyway, are you going to put it in now, mr. assistant...?¡±


    however, if they were to stop here, they wouldn¡¯t have started the whole thing.


    odile fanned her flushed face as she quietly called out to siwoo.


    the long awaited shimaidon had finally arrived.


    siwoo took off his clothes and threw them away.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    ¡°wow...¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s the biggest i¡¯ve ever seen...¡±


    the twins covered their mouths in surprise after seeing his erect dick, standing tall as soon as he undressed himself.


    they seemed genuinely concerned about whether it could fit inside their bodies or not.


    ¡°should we go as planned? ms. odile comes first?¡±


    ¡°w-was that really the plan?¡±


    siwoo had anticipated odile¡¯s reaction.


    pretending not to know, care and pretending that everything wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    unlike odette, who stopped caring about anything once her switch was flipped, odile still tried to maintain her dignity until the very end.


    despite her throwing a tantrum like a child to go first, she still acted as if she had forgotten everything.


    while this act was natural for her, as someone who was pretty much a stranger to her and someone who was much older than her, siwoo found the current situation incredibly awkward.


    ¡°h-honestly, the order isn¡¯t really important, but if such an agreement had been made and you don¡¯t mind doing it with me first, mr. assistant, i don¡¯t have any reason to reject this proposal...¡±


    it took her 10 seconds to say her very long winded and convoluted speech.


    then, she crossed her arms and quickly averted her gaze.


    her reaction seemed cartoonish, making siwoo think that she might just be acting to hide her embarrassment.


    ¡°i¡¯ve already done it before, so i¡¯ll yield this one for you, sis!¡±


    ¡°shut it, odette.¡±


    odette took the chance to stick out her tongue at odile after hearing her words.


    ¡°anyway, it seems that it¡¯s decided that i¡¯ll go first.¡±


    ¡°then, could you lie down for me?¡±


    ¡°sure... huh? lie down?¡±


    odile habitually thrusted her ass backwards and turned her body around, but after hearing siwoo¡¯s words, she raised her head in surprise.


    contrary to her expectations, siwoo had his own plan.


    looking back, he had always been doing them from behind whenever he spent his time playing with the twins.


    of course, there was nothing wrong with watching the twins¡¯ backs trembling and twitching like young birds trying to flap their wings, but...


    both of them had taken off their clothes completely.


    he wanted to do it while looking at odile¡¯s face as he inserted his dick into her anus, seeing her breasts bobbing up and down as he thrusted.


    there was no mirror here, it was impossible to see her expression if he were to do her from behind.


    ¡°o-okay, i-is there anything else that i should do?¡±


    odile seemed to have no objections to his demands.


    however, when siwoo personally guided her body onto the couch, she showed a certain reaction.


    her eyes blinked in disbelief as she examined the position she had assumed.


    ¡°are you sure this is the right position...?¡±


    doing it on a couch was different from doing it on a bed.


    since the anus was in a lower position than the pussy, if you were to do anal in the missionary position, it was inevitable for the girl to lift her lower body higher and spread her legs wide.


    that was why the position odile assumed was actually closer to the mating press rather than missionary.


    normally, doing it on the sofa would be quite challenging, especially if the girl¡¯s body was stiff, but odile¡¯s body was remarkably flexible, so she had no particular problem in following siwoo¡¯s instructions.


    it was just, in her eyes, this position was too vulgar.


    to her, only whores in velvet brothels would willingly assume this position.


    first, she rested her neck under the couch¡¯s armrest.


    then, she spread her legs wide in a v-shape, drew her heels together and hugged her knees close to her chest.


    her ankles drew in close to her ears.


    thanks to this position, her dripping wet pussy, that was covered with the seal, proudly faced the sky while her butthole was completely exposed.


    ¡°...t-this is a little...¡±


    ¡°are you embarrassed?¡±


    ¡°this feels somewhat humiliating...¡±


    it felt like having him examine the most embarrassing parts of her body.


    in a way, odile wasn¡¯t far off.


    the curves in her body became more pronounced with a level of detail that was notably different from what siwoo could capture from a glance.


    if he had a smartphone in his hand, he would undoubtedly take a picture of her and use it as a wallpaper.


    ¡°don¡¯t worry about that. you look stunningly pretty.¡±


    he uttered the words that you¡¯d only hear in dramas.


    as he did that, he approached odile slowly.


    ¡°pretty, she looks like a toilet. see? her legs is the toilet seat and¡ª¡±


    ¡°odette! just keep quiet and watch...¡±


    ¡°but, i¡¯m just telling the truth.¡±


    this time, she glared at odette with a rather serious expression, but odette just grinned in response.


    ¡°ms. odette is just teaching you, there¡¯s nothing strange about you at all, ms. odile.¡±


    ¡°a-are you sure?¡±


    ¡°of course.¡±


    there was nothing strange to feel about. besides, this was no time to hesitate.


    if she kept feeling embarrassed and wanting to change positions, it would delay everything. that was why, siwoo closed in and cut off her concerns.


    after letting out a cough, odile opened her mouth reluctantly.


    ¡°w-when will you put it in...?¡±


    siwoo held the glans of his cock and swiftly applied fragrance oil on it,


    he slowly teased the glans against the entrance to her hole, which was proudly announcing its presence to him.


    ¡°right now.¡±


    ¡°d-do it gently first, okay? g-gently¡ª ah!¡±


    despite the change in position, the tightness of her hole remained the same.


    even though he was pushing it in very slowly and odile relaxing her body to ease the penetration, his dick still wouldn¡¯t go in easily.


    her forehead wrinkled deeply, showing the signs of pain.


    it seemed that she could only feel the pain at the moment.


    seeing her contorted expression up close, siwoo felt a strange feeling, it was as if he was raping her.


    that was how intense her expression was when he inserted his cock to her anus.


    normally, he thought of her as an innocent younger sister, but now, he looked different.


    ¡°ah... ugg...!¡±


    he suspected that the source of the primitive pleasure that he felt came from sin and the feeling of immorality.


    despite her grimaces of discomfort, odile bravely held onto her legs and maintained her position for siwoo. this gave him an overwhelming sense of dominance.


    the scent of sweat emanated from her crouched body.


    it was the pheromones that aroused siwoo.


    with each thrust he made, her eyes and mouth widened.


    if odile hadn¡¯t turned into a ¡®woman¡¯ at this moment, then what else would she be?


    ¡°aaah!¡±


    hearing odile¡¯s scream that sounded as if she had seen the end of the world, siwoo finally managed to push his cock all the way into the deepest part of her hole.

 Chapter 69: Shimaidon (4)

    ? shimaidon (4) ?


    1.


    it had only been a day, but siwoo had reunited with odile¡¯s anus.


    even though each crease was drenched in lubricant that he applied by using his fingers, the pressure that he felt didn¡¯t seem to dissipate.


    one could say that odile¡¯s performance was excellent.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    siwoo was taken aback by odile¡¯s reaction as she trembled while opening her mouth wide while revealing the whites of her eyes.


    he forcefully thrusted his cock inside her, nearly crushing the fiercely resisting woman under him.


    her pale lips proved that the pain she felt wasn¡¯t an ordinary one.


    ¡°ah... mr. assistant... it hurts...!¡±


    odile, whose body had been stiff like a statue, gasped for breath and complained to siwoo.


    her cunning eyes were slanted upwards and their edges were moist from her tears.


    although her body was considerably sturdy, it didn¡¯t ease the pain that she felt.


    ¡°y-you thrusted too deeply too quickly... i can¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°s-sorry...¡±


    he didn¡¯t do anything different than back when he did it to odette. that was why he didn¡¯t expect that she would be in so much pain.


    perhaps the difference in positions affected her experience.


    while pondering about that, siwoo tried to pull his dick out.


    ¡°ngh! stop! d-don¡¯t move...!¡±


    however, he couldn¡¯t pull it out.


    ¡®is this what they called vaginismus1an involuntary tensing of the vagina. people experience it at the start of sex, while inserting a tampon or while getting a pelvic exam....? no, anal convulsion?¡¯


    siwoo was left stunned as saw odile huddled before him like a trembling puppy under the winter chill. she gripped his arms tightly while sealing her mouth shut.


    seeing that delicate and lovely appearance, his dick reacted reflexively.


    ¡°don¡¯t move! j-just stay like this for a moment...¡±


    the way she shook her head in panic seemed unfamiliar to him.


    but, her attempt to resist only further stimulated his cock.


    while wondering where she got the courage to order him around from, siwoo pressed his palm firmly against her thigh.


    like a hedgehog trying to play dead, her body instantly became limp, unable to resist siwoo¡¯s strength.


    ignoring odile¡¯s command, siwoo pushed his dick back inside.


    ¡°ah... aa...¡±


    covering her small body, he forcefully pressed down on her by using his body weight to push his dick to the deepest part that he could reach.


    feeling her body stiffening, he sealed her lips with his own.


    he swallowed her soft, whimpering lips as she bit and sucked on his tongue.


    while pressing down her legs and thrusting into her rear hole, siwoo kissed her on the lips.


    originally, it would be quite an ordeal to get into this pose, but due to the difference in physique between both of them as well as odile¡¯s flexible hip joints, they managed to achieve it more easily than expected.


    ¡°mmph... mmh...?¡±


    odile¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    she stared at siwoo, who was moving his waist slowly, with a bewildered expression.


    as their tongues slowly intertwined, siwoo began to move his waist back and forth.


    -squelch! squelch!


    ¡°mmf... mmph...¡±


    the sound of rustling silk.


    and the sound of something trying to forcefully widen a small opening as it rubbed against a wet membrane.


    siwoo let his tongue run loose inside odile¡¯s mouth, savoring every nook and cranny while pushing his dick deeper and deeper.


    ¡°mmph... mmh...¡±


    as they engaged in a deep kiss like lovers would during sex, odile felt warmth spreading throughout her abdomen.


    the actions they had been engaging in were something that she did out of curiosity, but now, there was something different involved.


    a large, foreign object filled her body then slipped away after a moment.


    in her mouth, a large and thick muscle flicked against each of her teeth while stirring everything else inside.


    everything was on a completely different level from the things that they had done before.


    ¡°phew... haa...¡±


    then, their kiss came to an end.


    a strand of silvery thread stretched between their tongues.


    after that kiss, she looked like a completely different person than before.


    she let out a hot breath, as if her body was filled with steam. her eyes were moist, like a meadow after a spring rain.


    her jewel-like eyes trembled in various directions, showing how flustered she was by the situation.


    ¡°sorry for thrusting in so suddenly. are you okay now?¡±


    ¡°i-i¡¯m okay now... d-don¡¯t worry...¡±


    she nodded her head slowly as her body jerked like a broken doll.


    since he received her okay, siwoo decided that there was no need to hesitate anymore.


    ¡°i¡¯ll start moving.¡±


    ¡°yeah... mm...¡±


    before odile could finish her words, siwoo started moving his waist.


    he forced her tight backdoor open as he relentlessly penetrated her hole down to the base of his dick.


    ¡°uhng... ngh... aaahh...!¡±


    odile¡¯s body shook vigorously.


    from her stretched ankles to her captivating breasts, they swayed like water in a glass.


    the sensuality of her movements captivated siwoo.


    -plap! plap! plap!


    her inside felt stiff.


    if he let his guard down for a moment, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising that he found himself suffering from a penile fracture.


    however, it was worth the risk to move his waist around.


    as odette had shown him, the twins¡¯ ability to squeeze down his dick with their holes was unparalleled.


    ¡°ang... hng... mmm...!¡±


    following siwoo¡¯s movements, which intensified by the seconds, odile began to let out sweet moans.


    perhaps she was embarrassed by the voice, she tightly covered her mouth with both hands.


    odile never anticipated this.


    the shameful feeling she felt as she had sex with their faces so close to each other.


    her embarrassment as she fully exposed her blushing face that turned her into an unattractive mess.


    she hadn¡¯t anticipated any of those at all.


    but, that reaction from her was the ultimate reward for siwoo.


    the mischievous girl who couldn¡¯t keep her mouth shut for her own good now couldn¡¯t even move a muscle as she felt his dick penetrating her ass.


    ¡°ms. odile.¡±


    ¡°ah... ahh... w-why... are you... calling... mmph...¡±


    as she struggled to respond to siwoo¡¯s call, odile quickly realized that she was about to make those strange sounds again and promptly covered her mouth.


    she had been suppressing her moans with her expressions and hand gestures.


    siwoo continued to thrust his cock into her rear hole, as he grabbed her wrists.


    now, without the gag to cover her mouth, odile bit down on her lips tightly instead, desperately trying to hold back her moans.


    ¡°what... are you¡ª?!¡±


    ¡°let me hear your voice, please.¡±


    she became unsure of what to do, so she bit her fingertips, covered her mouth and tightly closed her eyes as her face turned into a deep shade of red.


    seeing her like this, a wicked thought crossed siwoo¡¯s mind.


    it wasn¡¯t really a wicked one though, as he just wanted to mess around with her.


    ¡°m-my voice... sounds strange... ngh... i-i don¡¯t want to¡ª hyah!¡±


    odile, who was trying to respond, suddenly cried out due to siwoo suddenly pulling his dick.


    her embarrassment grew to a whole different level as her face turned into the deepest shade of red known to men.


    ¡°d-don¡¯t... please... stop... let my hand... go...¡±


    she managed to utter those words, albeit struggling.


    no one else would hear her sound like that.


    long gone was the mischievous apprentice witch, replaced by a woman in heat.


    ¡°i want to hear it. when i was in your position, i fulfilled every request you made, didn¡¯t i, ms. odile?¡±


    ¡°n-no... i don¡¯t want to...!¡±


    despite how they acted, there was quite a disparity in what they could do to each other. odile still had her magic and she could easily send siwoo flying if she wanted to.


    the fact that she hadn¡¯t done it meant that she was enjoying this act.


    that was why siwoo decided to press the matter further.


    -plap! plap! plap!


    ¡°you¡¯re still trying to resist, huh?¡±


    he increased his thrusting speed.


    of course it wasn¡¯t an easy task to thrust such a tight ass.


    the pressure her ass gave him made him feel like he could ejaculate at any moment.


    ¡°h-huu... d-don¡¯t... i-i said... stop... aahh...!¡±


    finally, odile¡¯s futile resistance came to an end.


    odette, who had been quietly observing this vulgar side from the side, shrunk back in surprise.


    odile let out a loud moan.


    ¡°haah... ahh... mr. assistant... seriously! i-i told you not to...!¡±


    she seemed to have given up on the idea of keeping silent as she began to moan loudly while covering her face with both hands.


    each and every movement she made felt like she was trying to seduce him.


    ¡°huu... ahh... ah... seriously... why are you... so mean...! i tried to resist... b-but i... can¡¯t...!¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s because you¡¯re cute, ms. odile.¡±


    his words were sincere.


    odile had never looked this cute and charming before.


    she looked way more adorable than back when she clung to him after taking the love potion or back when she secretly sneaked into his room.


    ¡°haah... huff...¡±


    as soon as she heard the word ¡®cute,¡¯ odile gasped in surprise and held her breath.


    her violet eyes, filled with carnal desire, stared fixedly at siwoo through the gaps between her fingers.


    ¡°mr... assistant...¡±


    she quietly called out to siwoo.


    at the same time, her anal muscles clenched tightly around the middle of his cock.


    siwoo remained still as he sensed that odile was about to say something important.


    then, odile spoke in a very soft voice.


    ¡°i think... i understand a little about love...¡±


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°when i heard you calling me cute... my heart started to race... it¡¯s love, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    after saying those words, she covered her face completely with her hands.


    she was simply stunning.


    and siwoo couldn¡¯t hold back anymore.


    he resumed the thrusting that he momentarily stopped.


    ¡°hah... hng... ahh...¡±


    a soft voice seeped through the gaps between odile¡¯s fingers.


    her cute breasts were visible between her elbows.


    the light-colored folds tightly gripped the bulging veins of his cock.


    and lastly, her embarrassment and the gesture that clearly showed her innocence were added to the mix.


    all those things made siwoo feel a desire to dominate her.


    he couldn¡¯t hold himself back any longer.


    with his teeth clenched, he began to pour his seed deep inside odile¡¯s anus that clung tightly to his throbbing cock.


    ¡°ah... haah...!¡±


    the semen he poured flowed inside odile.


    after a violent throbbing, the hot fluids poured forth, triggering the climax that had been building up inside her body.


    ¡°m-mr. assistant...! haaahh...! ?¡±


    siwoo tightly squeezed her thighs that she tried to straighten out, preventing her from running away.


    he felt a satisfying climax as the tight grip of her anus felt like it was preventing his ejaculation by squeezing his urethra.


    ¡°ah... it feels amazing... mr. assistant...¡±


    ¡°phew...¡±


    odile called out to him with a trembling voice, like a string instrument producing high-pitched notes, soaked in the lingering feeling of pleasure.


    with a strong reach of her arm, she pulled siwoo down by the neck and initiated a kiss with him.


    sensing their actions resembled that of lovers made siwoo felt a little embarrassed.


    his goal on doing all these was mostly because he just wanted the physical pleasure, but his heart was beating faster than usual.


    he finally understood what the word ¡®lust¡¯ meant.


    ¡°haah... haah... so this is how it feels...?¡±


    odile murmured something to herself.


    siwoo carefully pulled out the object that he planted deeply inside her.


    as he did that, odile¡¯s rear hole bid its farewell to his cock with a strong grip until he finally managed to get everything out.


    -squelch!


    a delightful sound echoed, followed by a stream of semen flowing out from odile¡¯s rear hole.


    it was siwoo¡¯s semen.


    seeing his semen flowed out of her made everything look surprisingly erotic.


    while he watched this scene, trying to revive his lifeless body, odile suddenly pushed his chest and wrapped her legs around him.


    ¡°w-why are you staring so intently?¡±


    ¡°why do you keep overreacting to something so trivial? we¡¯ve seen each others¡¯ embarrassing parts already.¡±


    ¡°this and that are different things!¡±


    although odile was a little more sensitive in certain parts, she still had the innocence of a young girl.


    she probably thought that the sight of semen flowing from her rear hole resembled the sight of excretion.


    siwoo let out a chuckle before cleaning up her rear using the towel that odette handed to him.


    footnotes:


    1an involuntary tensing of the vagina. people experience it at the start of sex, while inserting a tampon or while getting a pelvic exam.

 Chapter 70: Shimaidon (5)

    ? shimaidon (5) ?


    1.


    after odile, odette¡¯s turn came next.


    unlike when she was drunk, she acted a little shyly this time.


    compared to back then, she didn¡¯t say any lewd remarks like wanting to squeeze his semen dry or anything similar to that.


    maybe she felt embarrassed because her sister was here.


    ¡°a-ahh... ngh... a-as expected... i like it, ms. assistant...¡±


    odile¡¯s complaints of odette imitating even the smallest thing about her felt real now.


    odette took the exact same position as her sister as she accepted siwoo¡¯s cock.


    ¡°ngg... hngg... ahh... s-so thick... t-too thick... i-it hurts... mr. assistant.¡±


    next to them, odile, who was wrapped in a blanket, was looking at her younger sister with an uneasy look as she shivered in pleasure.


    even though it had been twenty minutes since her turn was done, her cheeks were still flushed. it was probably because she could still feel the sensation from earlier because odette was taking the exact same position as her.


    meanwhile, siwoo was satisfied with the situation.


    after all, this was something that he¡¯d never experience again in the modern world.


    shimaidon.


    to put it into perspective, he was railing the buttholes of the prettiest pair of sisters in town while using the same couch and in the same position.


    recalling that perspective alone was enough to trigger his hormones to keep on producing sperm so that he wouldn¡¯t run out of them midway through the action.


    back to reality, they had already passed the ¡®midway¡¯ mark a while ago. siwoo didn¡¯t really feel much difference from doing it with both sisters, save for the fact that he had already filled the older one¡¯s anus with his semen.


    it was probably because railing both of their buttholes felt great to him.


    ¡°keuk...!¡±


    siwoo climaxed for the second time as his sweat dripped onto odette¡¯s body.


    despite it being the second time, he felt that the amount of semen he released was as much as the first time.


    ¡°ah... haeu...uu...¡±


    odette trembled before letting out a hot breath.


    like her older sister, after a large amount of semen was being released inside her, she sprawled on the couch with an euphoric expression.


    the sight of foamy semen dripping from her rear hole was particularly eye-catching.


    after nearly an hour of intense hip exercise, siwoo¡¯s body was drenched in sweat.


    that was when the exhaustion crept in.


    despite feeling an immense amount of pleasure, he didn¡¯t feel like doing anything else except to go to sleep right away.


    ¡°haah... playing all night long might be a little too much...¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong, mr. assistant? are you giving up already?¡±


    ¡°i thought we agreed to play... all night long?¡±


    as he was lying on the couch, gasping for breath, odile, who was still wrapped in a blanket, teased him.


    even odette, who was still sprawling out, chipped in to support her sister.


    but, what else could he do in such a situation?


    each time he ejaculated, it felt like his soul was leaving his body.


    ¡°it will be difficult for us to spend our time together like today in the future.¡±


    ¡°i know.¡±


    ¡°it will be a shame if we end it just like this.¡±


    odette wiped her rear hole with the damp towel that odile previously used.


    then, she snuggled up to siwoo, shivered as she felt the cold night touching her bare skin.


    although both of them had participated for a round each, they were still as lively as ever.


    ¡°shall i use my mouth if moving around is too exhausting for you?¡±


    odette asked as she poked siwoo¡¯s semi-erect penis with her fingers.


    she wrapped a towel around his dick, which was glistening with semen, vaginal fluid and perfumed oil, and wiped it clean.


    despite it being covered in various bodily fluids that could easily be considered as ¡®dirty,¡¯ odette still wiped it carefully.


    it was as if she was trying to take care of his cock.


    ¡°well, actually there is something i had prepared just in case mr. assistant got tired.¡±


    ¡°i won¡¯t take any strange potions again.¡±


    ¡°not that, trust me. where did i put it again...?¡±


    odile walked briskly somewhere, searching for something.


    meanwhile, odette had finished cleaning up siwoo¡¯s cock.


    she looked at siwoo with expectant eyes and asked,


    ¡°mr. assistant¡¯s thing is clean now. i did well, didn¡¯t i?¡±


    odette linked her arms with siwoo¡¯s as she continued to look at his face without blinking.


    her gaze was filled with interest.


    unlike usual, her gaze felt passionate. it had the right amount of passion in it, neither excessive nor lacking.


    perhaps his feat of defeating the homunculus was that big of a positive factor.


    maybe, despite her ignorance of the subject, odette had chosen to give her heart and body to him because of the physical relationship they had just made.


    ¡°you did well...¡±


    odette giggled as she covered her mouth at siwoo¡¯s flustered response.


    then she reached out and grasped siwoo¡¯s cock.


    amelia was right, men were truly pitiful creatures.


    just a few minutes ago, he thought that his lifespan would shorten if he were to continue to exert himself and go for another round here. but, as soon as he felt odette¡¯s touch again, he was all ready to go for it.


    ¡°so something this big went inside my rear hole? and not just once but twice?¡±


    ¡°uh, i didn¡¯t know how it fit either, but from both experiences, it went in pretty smoothly.¡±


    she leaned her cheek against siwoo¡¯s shoulder, smiling happily as if she was enjoying something she truly loved.


    like a girlfriend trying to appeal to her lover.


    the sudden progress in their relationship was so unexpected that her gesture made siwoo feel embarrassed.


    ¡°why are you so handsome, mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°sorry?¡±


    ¡°when i look at other men, they don¡¯t leave any particular impression on me. but, when i look at your face, i understand that the word ¡®handsome¡¯ is made for someone like you.¡±


    ¡®is she trying to flirt with me?¡¯


    he couldn¡¯t grasp her intention for saying those words.


    seeing her rubbing his cock with such care, there was a possibility that she was only doing it because she didn¡¯t want to end everything yet.


    ¡°that¡¯s the first time i¡¯ve ever heard something like that.¡±


    siwoo scratched the back of his head, feeling awkward because of this situation.


    just as odette was about to say something else, odile returned.


    ¡°why are you two huddling together like that? go away, odette! it¡¯s my turn!¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s cold here. you have a blanket while i don¡¯t, sis. i¡¯m just trying to warm myself up by using mr. assistant¡¯s body warmth~¡±


    ¡°then, take the blanket and buzz off.¡±


    ¡°no~!¡±


    odette tightened her grip as she snuggled into siwoo¡¯s side with an intimate gesture.


    seeing this, odile threw her blanket away and pressed herself against siwoo, trying to imitate odette.


    ¡°what? you should have just told me that you want to do this too.¡±


    ¡°no, i am not. the blanket is too damp, i don¡¯t want to wear it anymore.¡±


    so siwoo found himself sandwiched between the twins.


    with their soft skin and breasts rubbing against him from both sides, his slightly softened penis grew bigger again.


    ¡°anyway, odette! let go of your hand!¡±


    ¡°why? it¡¯s sticking out, that means mr. assistant is feeling cold around here.¡±


    odile seemed to dislike the sight of odette playing with siwoo¡¯s cock by herself.


    in response to odette¡¯s nonchalant reply, odile grabbed siwoo¡¯s cock and continued to talk.


    ¡°well, that aside, this is what i was talking about.¡±


    odile showed siwoo a glass bottle containing a brown liquid. she rummaged through the carriage for this.


    seeing it, siwoo instinctively became wary as he stared at odile with a suspicious gaze.


    ¡°what is this? i told you i don¡¯t want any more strange potions.¡±


    ¡°this is something i made with odette a while ago.¡±


    ¡°oh, right! we made that, huh?¡±


    ¡°okay, so what is it?¡±


    with its thick brown hue, the potion looked repulsive, even more so than eros¡¯ potion.


    it looked more suspicious too as it looked as thick and viscous as nasal mucus


    ¡°it¡¯s a mixture of ingredients that were advertised as being good for men. giant sea eel¡¯s spine, bear bile and brazilian nut, blended with a bit of magical mushroom. it gives you tremendous energy and vitality.¡±


    ¡°basically, it¡¯s an aphrodisiac.¡±


    he had a rough idea of what it was after hearing the word ¡®eel.¡¯


    ¡°we didn¡¯t have anyone to use it on, so we didn¡¯t do anything with it, but since you look so tired, mr. assistant...¡±


    ¡°there are still three hours left until morning, mr. assistant.¡±


    both of them seemed eager to continue.


    in truth, siwoo shared the same desire as them.


    but, he wasn¡¯t certain if his body could endure it or not.


    if it was any other man who was in his position, they would definitely be wasted in no time if they were to comply with the twins¡¯ anal combo rush.


    ¡°so, what precisely are the potion¡¯s effects?¡±


    ¡°something like, ¡®giving you enough stamina to last all night long.¡¯¡±


    ¡°give it to me.¡±


    ¡°a wise choice.¡±


    with a mischievous grin, odile squeezed a little of the sticky substance onto her finger.


    ¡°it¡¯s 15 grams per dose, this should be about the right amount...¡±


    ¡°are you sure that measurement is precise?¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t worry! my sister can measure up to three digit decimals just by intuition!¡±


    ¡°oh, just like a master sushi chef...¡±


    a scene from a certain documentary that he had seen before came to mind. a master sushi chef held grains of rice in his hand and each one of them had a consistent weight.


    given the necessity for highly accurate ingredient measurements in alchemy, it wasn¡¯t difficult to imagine that odile¡¯s talent in this regard was well-suited for the task.


    ¡°ah~ open wide~¡±


    odile inserted her finger that was coated with the potion into siwoo¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°swallow everything. each of these ingredients cost a fortune.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s right.¡±


    at that moment, the distinct aroma of medicinal herbs that he had only smelled in herbal medicine shops entered his nose.


    the potion was disgusting and tasteless.


    by the way, the twins spent their money extravagantly, yet they said this thing was expensive. siwoo wondered just exactly how expensive it was.


    ¡°urp...¡±


    ¡°how does it feel?¡±


    ¡°what does it taste like?¡±


    ¡°will a change occur so soon?¡±


    he felt it.


    the sensation of energy flowing through his whole body.


    although the twins¡¯ touch made his cock grow bigger again, it hadn¡¯t reached its peak state. but, now, it stood tall like a pillar.


    ¡°wow...¡±


    ¡°d-did it just get bigger?¡±


    its size and length increased to the point where the change was noticeable at a glance.


    followed by this change, an overwhelming wave of lust began to surge from within him.


    siwoo started to have an impulsive desire to quickly get the twins down on their knees and voraciously devour their buttholes.


    ¡°mr. assistant, your breathing became really rough.¡±


    siwoo jumped from his seat in a swift motion and gestured odile to lie face down on the couch without saying a word.


    he had trouble controlling his sexual desire, just like when odette casted her spell on her earlier today.


    it was hard for him to think about anything other than thrusting his dick deep into their assholes.


    ¡°alright, fine. you don¡¯t need to rush me like that.¡±


    finding siwoo¡¯s reaction amusing, odile playfully thrusted her buttocks in his direction.


    ¡°you come here too, odette.¡±


    ¡°what? is it my turn already?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll do both of you together this time.¡±


    ¡°huh?¡±


    it wouldn¡¯t be shimaidon if he didn¡¯t taste both of them together at the same time.


    ¡°you¡¯re by yourself, mr. assistant and there are two of us. how could you do both of us at the same time?¡±


    ¡°by taking turns. didn¡¯t they say that sharing is caring? if i do you one by one, then one of you will be left alone bored. we don¡¯t want that, do we?¡±


    siwoo looked at odile with a cool and rational gaze.


    ¡°i-i guess so?¡±


    to siwoo¡¯s unusual assertiveness, odile could only nod her head.


    meanwhile odette welcomed his suggestion with open arms since that meant she didn¡¯t need to wait for her turn to come.


    she rushed over and offered her buttocks to him as she lied down beside her older sister.


    ¡°let¡¯s stop resisting and do as he says, sis. we have plenty of time, don¡¯t we?¡±


    after contemplating for a while, odile nodded slowly.


    but, she didn¡¯t forget to set a condition before they started.


    ¡°however, i¡¯ll take the first turn.¡±


    seemingly understanding her wish, odette obediently nodded his head.


    meanwhile, siwoo took out the scented oil that he used as a lubricant just a while ago and carefully smeared his cock with it.


    by touching his own cock, he could tell that it was much larger and harder than before.


    if this potion were sold on the market, every middle aged man going through andropause1refers to a natural decline in testosterone levels that typically occurs in middle-aged and older men. would kill to buy it.


    now, it was time to do a real time tasting comparison.


    so far, the pleasure he felt from railing both of the twins¡¯ anus felt almost identical.


    from the tight and narrow hole to the temperature of their mucosa felt similar.


    though, there was one difference.


    with odette, the pushing force was stronger.


    he felt easier to pull out than thrusting it in.


    on the other hand, with odile, the pulling force was stronger.


    when he tried to pull out, her hole tightly gripped his dick, as if it refused to let him go.


    their faces looked the same, but the sensation of railing their buttholes felt different.


    with that immoral thought in mind.


    siwoo firmly grabbed odile¡¯s hips and penetrated her inside vigorously.


    footnotes:


    1refers to a natural decline in testosterone levels that typically occurs in middle-aged and older men.

 Chapter 71: Shimaidon (6)

    ? shimaidon (6) ?


    1.


    she couldn¡¯t fall asleep at all.


    in the first place, amelia didn¡¯t particularly like to sleep, but to clear her mind, this time, she laid on her bed.


    ¡°haah...¡±


    amelia let out a deep sigh and slowly raised the eyelids that she had been closing tightly.


    her tangled thoughts, akin to knotted threads that gripped her ankles, seemed impossible to shake off even when with the perfume of fatigue.


    after tossing and turning for a while, she straightened her disheveled nightgown and tidied her hair before she went to stand by the window.


    the intense brilliance of the moonlight seeped through the room.


    within that baptism of pale light, amelia absentmindedly gazed at her reflection in the window.


    ¡°haah...¡±


    then, she let out another sigh.


    for some reason, her heart felt uneasy.


    it felt like something wasn¡¯t being resolved properly.


    as she reflected on the events that transpired today, the image of her devoted exclusive slave flashed in her head.


    ¡°not again...¡±


    she shook her head slightly as her words faded into a murmur.


    however, traces of his presence lingered in her mind. it wasn¡¯t easy to shake them away.


    this had been going on for a while.


    amelia wasn¡¯t the kind of person who¡¯d randomly remember or think about someone like this.


    to a witch who pursued accomplishments in magic, human relationships were meaningless.


    apart from her occasionally thinking about her master, no one else had ever made their way to amelia¡¯s heart.


    in that sense, shin siwoo was an outlier.


    even though he was merely a slave, he was shameless enough to humiliate amelia, a witch. in return, she had tormented him more times than she could count.


    her hatred for him came from back when she refused her offer (disguised as an invitation) to serve her during the night.


    that was the first time she had ever felt such an intense anger in her life.


    and so, she tormented him.


    she gave him pointless assignments, made him live in a shabby accommodation and nagged him every time they met.


    that was when everything started.


    siwoo began to pop into her head, a place where no one else had entered except for her master.


    although the emotions she held for both of them were completely opposite; love for her master and hatred for siwoo.


    but, if everything ended there, amelia wouldn¡¯t even care about him.


    eventually, time would pass and she would end up forgetting about him.


    however, he was a little bit special.


    he was different from what she had expected.


    at first, she tried not to pay any attention to him by treating him as an incompetent man who couldn¡¯t do his job properly.


    but, his performance always exceeded her expectations.


    he always completed his tasks without saying a word.


    if she told him to clean the hallway until it was sparkling clean, he¡¯d actually do it.


    when she asked him to tidy up a large bookshelf all by himself, he diligently spent his time doing it.


    one day, she sent him to catch a deer with his bare hands out of spite because he kept doing his job perfectly, but he ended up doing it perfectly too.


    at this point, she wondered if he¡¯d ever rebel against her.


    but, seeing him covered in wounds with tied up deer in his hands, she couldn¡¯t do much except reluctantly acknowledge him.


    he was sincere.


    it was that sincerity that caught her attention.


    amelia put on her outerwear.


    she didn¡¯t try to dress extravagantly.


    wearing only a black cape over her nightgown, she closed the door to her room and went out.


    since she couldn¡¯t go to sleep anymore, she decided to take a walk.


    as she descended the central staircase leading down to the lounge on the first floor.


    she caught sight of siwoo¡¯s room, which was located on the opposite side of the hallway.


    ¡°...¡±


    suddenly, sophia¡¯s words came to her mind.


    ¡®if you want to get along with someone, you¡¯d have to share positivity with them.¡¯


    ¡®treat them kindly, don¡¯t get annoyed at every single thing they do and scold them.¡¯


    then, an idea came to her mind; what if she asked him to take a night stroll together?


    strolling the night under the night dew was one of amelia¡¯s few hobbies.


    if sophia¡¯s words were true, surely that experience would bring them closer.


    he seemed to be overly uncomfortable with his current lifestyle.


    and amelia made a guess that it was because the lifestyle itself made him feel that way.


    she ruled herself out as the cause because she had been treating him well lately.


    since that was the case, the closer they got to each other, the more comfortable he¡¯d get too.


    a huge change in her feelings toward siwoo came when she personally saw the fruit of her work, the accommodation where he had been staying in for five years.


    she couldn¡¯t forget the shock she received back then.


    it was a stretch to call that shabby barn an accommodation.


    this was the result of her revenge, the torment that she had been giving siwoo all these years.


    but, this wasn¡¯t her intention. she made him do various annoying tasks, but she never intended to go this far.


    this was too cruel, way too cruel.


    immediately after that, she made him her exclusive slave and accommodated him as much as possible.


    as a payment for the mistake she made.


    though, she didn¡¯t call it atonement since it would sound ridiculous.


    still, the undeniable fact remained.


    amelia had no feelings toward shin siwoo, not rationally, not emotionally.


    he was just someone that she¡¯d spend a long time with in the future, someone she¡¯d entrust with various tasks. that was why she wanted to get a little closer to him.


    as she tried to convince herself with that, she found herself standing in front of the door to siwoo¡¯s room.


    -knock knock.


    before knocking on the door, she hesitated.


    he might have fallen asleep already. if he were that tired, then she could let him rest a little more tomorrow.


    ¡°shin siwoo.¡±


    -knock knock.


    she knocked on the door again, but no reply came from inside.


    so, she thought of opening it.


    ¡®maybe he really is asleep.¡¯


    ¡®then, wouldn¡¯t it be best to not wake him up?¡¯


    amelia stared at the tightly closed door.


    ¡°no.¡±


    ¡®why am i acting like this?¡¯


    ¡®he is a slave, my exclusive slave.¡¯


    ¡®why should i mind his feelings? it isn¡¯t a witch-like thing to do at all.¡¯


    amelia straightened her chest and confidently strode forward, as if she were going to break down the door in front of her.


    ¡°...¡±


    however, she quickly changed her mind and quietly opened the door instead.


    ¡®come to think of it, he went to a picnic with the twins today, didn¡¯t he?¡¯


    now that she thought about it, back when she was an apprentice witch, she despised it whenever someone disturbed her sleep.


    ¡®should i just walk by myself tonight?¡¯


    but, she had come all the way here, so she thought that she should at least check up on him to see if he slept comfortably or not.


    -creak!


    ¡°...shin siwooo?¡±


    after seeing the empty bed, amelia looked around.


    she waited to see if he was in the bathroom, but he didn¡¯t show up after a while.


    there was no one else inside the room, she was only accompanied by the loud sound of the wind that came through the open window.


    ¡®i didn¡¯t hear the sound of the front door opening. did he go out through the window?¡¯


    ¡°and i let him rest because i thought that he might be tired...¡±


    she was annoyed.


    as his master, she even permitted him to leave her to go out with the twin apprentice witches to the spirit mountain.


    and that wasn¡¯t the only thing she did for him.


    she even waited for him to come back and welcomed him with a cake and a cigarette.


    but when she needed him, he disappeared without saying a word.


    ¡®but, where did he go?¡¯


    amelia stepped out of the front door and set foot in the mansion¡¯s garden.


    however, there wasn¡¯t any sign of him in the vicinity.


    ¡°it isn¡¯t like i can do something about it.¡±


    ¡®just because he isn¡¯t here doesn¡¯t mean that i can¡¯t take a stroll on my own. who knows, maybe we¡¯ll run into each other.¡¯


    with a slight disappointment, amelia¡¯s night stroll began.


    2.


    ¡°ahh... hng... a-ahh...!¡±


    ¡°wow, your moaning is so loud, sis.¡±


    ¡°s-shut up, odette... hyah!¡±


    the carriage was heated up.


    odile¡¯s moans echoed inside.


    she stuck her buttocks out while leaning against the wall.


    since there was a difference in their heights, a book was placed beneath odile¡¯s feet as siwoo wanted to rail her while standing.


    meanwhile, odette was crouching down right next to them.


    she had been closely observing the sight of siwoo¡¯s dick stretching odile¡¯s anus out.


    ¡°h-haah... aaahhh...¡±


    this time he could move his cock around easier.


    he moved his hips back and forth inside odile¡¯s small rear hole using the same dick that previously penetrated her younger sister¡¯s anus.


    it had been two hours since the shimaidon started.


    aside from the first time, he lost count of how many doses of semen he had shot inside each sister, including the one he had just shot inside odile¡¯s anus.


    as a result of that, odile¡¯s buttocks and creases were covered in a creamy layer of semen.


    the sight looked incredibly lewd.


    ¡°ahh... haah...!¡±


    siwoo firmly gripped odile¡¯s hips as he vigorously thrusted his cock, ignoring his body that was covered in sweat.


    being out of breath, he had no choice but to pause his movement momentarily.


    ¡°how many times have we done it?¡±


    ¡°i-i... don¡¯t know... ngh... i lost track...¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s my turn now, right, mr. assistant?¡±


    @how to enjoy shimaidon.


    1) prepare the twins.


    2) insert your cock into one of their anus and thrust it back and forth around 100 times.


    3) after doing 100 thrusts, switch between the sisters.


    4) return to step 2.


    5) ejaculate whenever you desire regardless of the order.


    following the recipe, siwoo was enjoying the shimaidon to the point that he felt his stomach would burst.


    ¡°alright, i¡¯m going to change our positions now.¡±


    ¡°h-haah...!¡±


    odile trembled and let out a sweet voice as siwoo slowly pulled his dick out from the depth of his anus.


    there was something that he learned through anal sex.


    no matter how tight the anus may be initially, it would gradually loosen up if you kept thrusting into it.


    it was somehow disappointing that the tight sensation disappeared, but it still had a unique feeling to it.


    the feeling of his cock being sucked in deeper into the hole.


    ¡°aren¡¯t we going to change our positions, mr. assistant?¡±


    odile asked with a puzzled look on her face.


    honestly, he had already exhausted the energy he gained from using the aphrodisiac.


    even though it had only been two or three hours and he had only done four rounds with the twins. in its core, sex was still a strenuous activity.


    after that long of a time had passed, his body was filled with sweat, his stamina was pretty much depleted and he started to get hungry.


    no matter how good it felt down there, his limit was approaching soon.


    ¡°i think... we¡¯re done for the day...¡±


    ¡°what?! that isn¡¯t fair! it¡¯s my turn now! besides, the one who did it first was big sis, so the last round should be mine!¡±


    odette jumped up and down, clearly dissatisfied.


    her throat was hoarse from all the screaming and moaning, yet she still had so much energy left. her youthfulness made siwoo envious.


    ¡°why don¡¯t we do it again when we have another chance like this?¡±


    ¡°and when will it be? why can¡¯t you just go on a little longer, mr. assistant? if you¡¯re tired, i will be the one who¡¯s doing all the work!¡±


    odette approached siwoo, who was standing still and took hold of his cock, slowly rubbing it against her rear hole.


    ¡°you just need to stand still, mr. assistant!¡±


    ¡®i should be able to last if i stand still.¡¯


    accepting siwoo¡¯s silence as consent, odette quickly began to move her hips and rubbed his cock on her rear hole, lest he change his mind.


    both sisters seemed to have developed a trick of their own.


    in odette¡¯s case, she didn¡¯t need to use her hand. she only needed to open her hole slightly before pushing his dick inside her.


    ¡°oohh...¡±


    ¡°haaah... what if... i really can¡¯t do this anymore...?¡±


    odette¡¯s rear hole tightened around siwoo¡¯s cock.


    just when he thought that he was done with the action, odette offered a way out to make him feel more comfortable.


    ¡°t-then i-i¡¯ll... hng... move... for you, mr. assistant...¡±


    odette¡¯s tone changed when she inserted his dick into her rear hole.


    unlike odile, who¡¯d show a little resistance, odette became submissive like an obedient lamb, which made her more adorable.


    she moved her lower body, as if pushing against the wall and moved her hips back and forth in a grinding motion.


    siwoo¡¯s cock freely slided in and out of her anus.


    suddenly, he felt a shiver run down his spine and his body trembled.


    confused by this sudden occurrence, odette asked,


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong...?¡±


    ¡°nothing, it¡¯s just... i got goosebumps...¡±


    ¡°huh?¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t mind it, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    he concluded that he probably had expended too much energy for the action, despite the fact that he had taken an aphrodisiac.


    ignoring his trembling body, siwoo closed his eyes and savored odette¡¯s intense service.

 Chapter 72: Change (1)

    ? change (1) ?


    1.


    amelia walked through the quiet academy by herself.


    the trinity academy was a quiet place even during the day, but at night, it was even quieter than that.


    if the weather had been a little warmer, she might have heard the sound of the grasshoppers.


    that was the only thing that she found disappointing during her current stroll.


    ¡°why does this keep happening...?¡±


    the reason why she took a stroll in the first place was to make her mood better.


    yet, she found herself biting her lip over the thought of a certain man that kept surfacing in her mind.


    this wasn¡¯t the first time it happened.


    their unique encounters were enough to make her think of him from time to time.


    whenever she was in a rut, he would come to her mind as she took a brief smoke break. he would also appear in her mind when she had to organize the materials she needed for her lecture.


    on those occasions, she¡¯d visit him and give him assignments for no particular reason.


    this was mostly because she didn¡¯t know how to start a conversation with him outside of work.


    looking back, she really just wanted to talk to him.


    but why?


    why was that the case?


    because he was a diligent person? was that why she wanted to talk with him more?


    even when she asked sophia a subtle question about her feelings, the witch only gave out an ambiguous laugh.


    whatever came out of her mouth next was nothing of importance.


    ¡°pathetic.¡±


    her small figure looked pitiful and insignificant.


    if magic was involved, she would be able to solve anything that was thrown at her. however, she was completely clueless about interpersonal relationships.


    amelia wondered whether there was a predetermined answer for her problem.


    she walked aimlessly.


    the source of the problem that ailed her mind was shin siwoo. as she reminisced about him, she found herself walking wherever her feet decided to take her. before she knew it, traveled quite a distance away.


    it was a relatively familiar meadow, but this time the landscape was painted by the moonlight instead of sunlight.


    this was the barn where siwoo used to live.


    the place he lived in for five years.


    ¡°...¡±


    suddenly, she felt bitter.


    what if he were to find out that the reason why he lived here was because of her?


    he would probably get really angry at her.


    amelia walked along the path through the meadow toward the barn itself.


    -creak!


    when she opened the old wooden door, a spacious yet worn-out barn revealed itself.


    ¡°ugh...!¡±


    suddenly, she felt a tug in her heart.


    as if someone poked it with a blunt needle.


    her regrets.


    various thoughts emerged, intertwining with each other.


    ¡°maybe, there¡¯s more...?¡±


    this was the extent of his suffering that she could see with her eyes.


    her assignments that she casually threw at him out of frustration were probably even more cruel than this.


    she had probably caused him far more suffering than she intended.


    that thought made her afraid.


    but it also made her understand.


    the reason why he had kept his distance from her.


    why he only showed ambiguous reactions whenever she gave him gifts and showed him her considerations.


    and the reason why he had been close to the twins while secretly avoiding her.


    she had been taking everything too lightly.


    all this time, she had only thought of herself as she selfishly threw her tantrums at him.


    and that wasn¡¯t okay.


    since that wasn¡¯t okay, she¡¯d have to correct it right away.


    as she wandered around while reflecting on her past mistakes, something caught her eye.


    next to the ditch that crossed the center of the barn was a pile of straw, something that was used as an alternative to a bed.


    to her though, it looked like horse feed more than anything.


    ¡°he¡¯s been living here... for five years...¡±


    amelia bent down slowly and sat on top of the pile of straw.


    she couldn¡¯t imagine how uncomfortable it was to lay down on that pile by just looking at it


    ¡°...!¡±


    and as soon as she sat down, she was startled.


    its appearance looked soft and fluffy, but she could feel sharp pieces of straws pricking her buttocks through the gaps in her clothing.


    while amelia was sleeping in a soft bed, he had been tossing and turning his body on this thing.


    lying on the pile of straws, amelia looked up at the ceiling.


    the poorly stitched traces all over the ceiling showed how badly damaged it was.


    her back felt like she was leaning against a hard wooden box.


    she felt the prickly sensation from the hays when she sat down, but it became even more pronounced after she laid down.


    amelia was at a loss of words.


    this was too much for her.


    the bed was so uncomfortable that the idea of sleeping on it felt outlandish to her.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡®i need to apologize.¡¯


    ¡®i need to tell him everything and apologize.¡¯


    as a witch, to apologize to a slave like siwoo was simply an absurd thought.


    that was the reason why amelia had kept her mouth shut all this time.


    she was taught to think that way.


    her understanding dictated her to live that way.


    it was just, she had never expected that things would come to this.


    and she couldn¡¯t bring herself to admit that she was wrong.


    she thought that if she were to stay quiet and make up for it in other ways, the issue would be resolved without any problem.


    like back when she buried her longing for her master.


    but now she realized that would never be the case.


    her delusional sense of authority managed to convince her conscience that it was wrong.


    and since it was wrong, she had to correct it and give him the compensation he deserved.


    with a melancholic heart, amelia turned her body around.


    and then.


    -clack!


    ¡°ow...!¡±


    when she flipped her body to get up from the stack, she felt a sharp sensation piercing her tailbone, causing her body to tremble in surprise.


    there seemed to be a box beneath the pile of straws.


    she then rummaged through the pile to see for herself what exactly it was.


    ¡°this is...¡±


    it was an elegant looking wooden box.


    the box didn¡¯t look particularly expensive for her.


    but it was a luxurious item for a slave to keep around.


    the weight that the box had implied that there was something inside of it.


    amelia knew that prying into someone else¡¯s belongings without their permission wasn¡¯t something that a noble should do.


    however, her curiosity got the better of her as she wanted to know what exactly was the thing that he treasured so much.


    ¡®did he accidentally leave this box behind?¡¯


    ¡®i wonder what¡¯s inside?¡¯


    she gently shook the box and jingly sounds of coins came from inside.


    aside from that, there were also the sounds of clanking bottles and rustling papers.


    ¡®i should probably return this to him.¡¯


    with the box in her arms, amelia left the barn.


    suddenly, a thought crossed her mind.


    ¡°i need to give him a present as an apology... but what should i give him?¡±


    amelia glanced around as she spoke to herself even though there was no one around to hear her.


    ¡°let¡¯s treat this as a part of my investigation to find out what kind of gift suits him.¡±


    she swiftly justified herself and opened the wooden box quietly.


    the content inside the box made her freeze on the spot.


    aside from gold coins inside a leather pouch.


    there was a bunch of magic paper inside.


    the surprise didn¡¯t stop as there was a top-grade bottle of mana water, sealed with an emerald tablet-certified sealing wax.


    and lastly, there were hundreds of pages containing siwoo¡¯s magic circle designs.


    amelia put all the items down.


    her mind was completely blank.


    it had been a while since she was overwhelmed by confusion.


    to describe the extent of her confusion, it was similar to back when she first learned about sex.


    the matter with the gold coins, she could understand it.


    if siwoo had been diligently saving up his wages, it wouldn¡¯t be unthinkable that he had at least this much gold.


    besides, knowing him, it was unlikely that he had stolen the gold from somewhere.


    she could also understand the matter with mana water and magic paper.


    recently, he had been getting closer to the twins, though she didn¡¯t know how or why.


    as the apprentice witches of the prestigious gemini family, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising for them to gift him those items as a sign of their goodwill.


    the magic circle designs however, were a different story.


    those weren¡¯t some fancy magic to use in everyday life, but designs for large-scale magic.


    since she recently entrusted him with copying and creating indexes for work-related assignments, amelia was familiar with siwoo¡¯s handwriting.


    a bold and vigorous handwriting, befit of the man himself.


    and that handwriting was the thing that decorated the 200 sheets of paper she had just seen.


    ¡°how...?¡±


    that was the first word she uttered after she skimmed through the sheet of paper and stared at it for a long time.


    magic circles were a highly complex and demanding field of study.


    being proficient in one thing wouldn¡¯t be enough to master it.


    one had to have talents in various fields for it.


    it used a whole different language with 128 runic characters, so one would have to be talented in linguistics.


    the formulas used to calculate the mana that flowed through the circuits demanded one to be talented in mathematics.


    since one also needed to express their idea using geometric symbols, one had to be talented in arts.


    and to harmonize everything together, applying each of the elements in creative ways, evoking inspiration that no one had ever thought of, one needed to have the natural talent for it.


    that was the basics of magic.


    apprentice witches who inherited the ¡®witch¡¯s lineage¡¯ naturally possessed the innate talent for it, but they typically still needed at least ten years to master everything.


    ¡°what on earth...¡±


    but, it had only been five years since siwoo came to gehenna.


    if he had only been proficient in the basics, amelia could have understood and accepted what she was seeing.


    she could accept his claim as a mathematician in the modern world and he was so good at it that if he were to become a regular citizen, he¡¯d have the potential to be the greatest mathematician in the world. she could brush everything off with that excuse.


    but, what was drawn on the paper wasn¡¯t something that could be considered as basic.


    it was a carefully made construct that amelia had never seen before, drawn in a great consistency as it formed a single rule within it.


    this was a unique method and formula that she had never seen before.


    she felt like an english monolinguist reading a poem written in latin.


    while she could decipher how certain formulas worked in certain places, she couldn¡¯t understand the overall meaning, nuances or the purpose of why those formulas were created.


    if siwoo were beside her, explaining to her what was going on with the circle, then things would be different, but even for the talented amelia, someone who ranked 22nd in the witch¡¯s hierarchy, understanding the content of the paper at first glance was impossible.


    this felt like a self-essence magic.


    the state of mastering all the basics and pioneered one¡¯s own ¡®ain1ain here refers to an individual witch¡¯s unique magical abilities..¡¯


    who would believe that a mere slave who didn¡¯t inherit a single brand could achieve all this?


    the world truly was wide.


    siwoo¡¯s accomplishment was far greater than what the twins¡¯ could comprehend.


    amelia invoked her ability2author didn¡¯t specify, but part of her ability is that she¡¯s able to visualize certain things in her mind..


    from the first page to the yet incomplete 228th page.


    she connected everything like completing a puzzle and a faint vision of a magic circle appeared.


    this way, she could easily guess the function of the magic circle.


    though, it was only a faint guess as she couldn¡¯t see the details within the circle itself.


    ¡°absorbing external mana like magnets... controlling input variables... this is...¡±


    ¡®a gate...¡¯


    within it seemed to be an attempt to interfere with the space itself.


    the true nature of siwoo¡¯s self-essence magic was the dimensional magic, something that no one had ever delved into since its creation by the hand of duchess keter.


    knowing this much, amelia could guess what it was that siwoo wanted.


    ¡®he¡¯s trying to run away from gehenna.¡¯


    -whoosh!


    the unfolded paper gathered back together, returning to its stack.


    amelia pushed the stack back into the box where it belonged.


    she felt dizzy.


    and lightheaded.


    but, exhaustion wasn¡¯t the cause of it.


    ¡®he¡¯s trying to run away...¡¯


    that wasn¡¯t an uncommon wish.


    slaves that were captured by gehenna without knowing the reason behind it would naturally look for freedom.


    but, if he were to run away to the modern world...


    amelia lowered her head.


    she couldn¡¯t explain the logic behind her feelings or why she was experiencing this kind of feelings in the first place. but, the one thing that she knew was that she was afraid.


    and so, she decided to look for him.


    mana gathered beneath her feet.


    her body bounced like a ball as she started crossing through the academy.


    footnotes:


    1ain here refers to an individual witch¡¯s unique magical abilities.2author didn¡¯t specify, but part of her ability is that she¡¯s able to visualize certain things in her mind.

 Chapter 73: Change (2)

    ? change (2) ?


    1.


    ¡°phew...¡±


    siwoo couldn¡¯t hide his admiration as he looked down at the piece of art he had created.


    the twins were lying on their stomachs just beside the couch with their buttocks raised.


    their upper bodies touched the floor in the same position as when they were having sex. they also assumed a cat-like posture.


    ¡°a-ah...¡±


    ¡°haa... haeu...¡±


    one could see the difference in the width of their buttholes compared to the first round. this showed how hard they had been going.


    their lewd holes were intermittently twitching. semen spurted out of them, as if they were volcanic craters.


    siwoo could feel the intensity of their action as the heat still lingered in the air.


    he had heartily enjoyed the shimaidon.


    again and again, he came inside them.


    they continued engaging in the action as he kept on ejaculating.


    as their buttocks were throbbing with pleasure, he¡¯d grabbed them and poured his semen inside.


    he had ejaculated ten times in total.


    a round with the twins consisted of 100 thrusts each.


    they would get on top of each other, creating a peculiar sight that could be called ¡®butt tower¡¯ as siwoo alternately thrusted his dick between their two holes.


    at one point, the twins compared their orgasmic expression while they were lying in the missionary position.


    though they didn¡¯t do anything else besides having an anal sex, the experience left them intoxicated with pleasure.


    siwoo¡¯s legs were trembling.


    if it weren¡¯t for odile¡¯s aphrodisiac, or rather, potion, he might have started spurting out blood instead of semen a while ago.


    ¡°it was so good, mr. assistant...¡±


    ¡°haah... i also had a wonderful time...¡±


    the twins spoke without even trying to control their twitching holes.


    they probably wouldn¡¯t mind if siwoo were to write ¡®mission accomplished¡¯ on their buttocks.


    ¡°my back...feels like it¡¯s going to give out... ngh... mr. assistant, can you help me?¡±


    ¡°hauu... i think i passed out for a second there...¡±


    seeing this sight, siwoo suddenly felt that he could go for another round. but, since it was already this late, he thought that he should go to bed soon.


    he soaked a towel in water and began wiping the twins¡¯ bodies.


    sweat and every other kind of bodily fluid ranging from saliva and semen were all over their bodies. he would need a separate towel for each of them.


    ¡°please clean my face too, mr. assistant.¡±


    they could clean their body with magic in an instant, but after such an intimate experience with them, siwoo felt like cleaning their body with his own hands.


    odette, who was smiling bashfully as she enjoyed siwoo¡¯s touch, suddenly leaned her face forward.


    ¡°oh sorry. did i make you feel uncomfortable?¡±


    ¡°no, you didn¡¯t. i just wanted to do this. you see, when i do this, your strong scent will fill the air around us, mr. assistant.¡±


    her cute face was covered with his sticky semen.


    from her sharp nose to her long and lovely eyelashes, up to the voluminous curls that covered her foreheads.


    all of them were covered by a whitish hue, as if she had applied a facial mask all over her face.


    ¡°mm... mph...¡±


    siwoo unfolded the towel in his hand and carefully wiped odette¡¯s face.


    the act of spraying semen on a woman¡¯s face.


    he saw it often in porn, so he thought that this was a normal thing to do, but when he actually did it itself, he felt a sense of triumph alongside a sense of guilt that he had never imagined before.


    this was why he put in the effort to clean her body up.


    ¡°you guys sure are taking your time.¡±


    ¡°c¡¯mon sis, don¡¯t be like that! besides, you don¡¯t have anything on your face! you should wait quietly! let mr. assistant enjoy himself!¡±


    ¡°sorry, ms. odette comes first.¡±


    ¡°really, mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°why don¡¯t you use your magic or something if you don¡¯t want to wait?¡±


    feeling neglected, odile looked at siwoo, who was wiping odette¡¯s body, with crossed arms to show her dissatisfaction.


    ¡°ms. odette¡¯s care will take a little longer, so can you wait for a bit, ms. odile?¡±


    in response to his words, odile reluctantly opened her mouth.


    ¡°in that case, do it to me too.¡±


    ¡°sorry?¡±


    ¡°do the same thing with my face, but you have to wipe it afterwards.¡±


    odile raised her finger and pointed it at her own face.


    she had an elated look on her face, as if she was bestowing him with a great favor.


    seeing her telling someone else to smear semen on her face with that kind of expression...


    siwoo couldn¡¯t help feeling weirded out a little.


    ¡°...but, my member is already closed for business.¡±


    he ignored odile and continued to wipe odette¡¯s face instead.


    ¡®is this why people say you can strengthen your bond with sex?¡¯


    he didn¡¯t feel awkward anymore when dealing with odile.


    and the twins didn¡¯t seem to have any issues with his new attitude either,


    ¡°did you hear him? he must have been exhausted. you should wipe your own body, sis.¡±


    from what he had been observing, odette was the one who¡¯d start the quarrels between the twins.


    however, odile was partly responsible for this.


    it was because she made such a good reaction when teased. if she was siwoo¡¯s own older sister, he¡¯d most likely do the same.


    ¡°how dare you...¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re so immature, sis~ look at mr. assistant! he¡¯s sweating so much! what a poor soul, he must be having a hard time~¡±


    ¡°grr...¡±


    seeing the sweat on his body convinced odile, so she decided to back down.


    ¡°if you can wait for a while, ms. odile, i can clean you up too.¡±


    so, siwoo came forward to comfort her while putting a towel on odette¡¯s buttocks and wiping it all the way to her rear hole.


    ¡°ahh... i can clean that part by myself... ngh...¡±


    when the soft fabric touched her sensitive rear hole, odette let out a sweet moan.


    ¡°oh, sorry, i¡¯ll let you do it yourself then.¡±


    ¡°no, you can do it, mr. assistant. but before that, i¡¯m going to take this off...¡±


    she leaned her head against siwoo¡¯s arm before reaching toward her crotch and peeling off the damp seal.


    it was so wet that it was stuck to her skin, but it was still easy to peel off.


    and then,


    -spurt, spurt!


    ¡°ah!¡±


    as she exposed her vagina, the love juice inside flowed out like a flood.


    the amount that came out surprised siwoo.


    ¡°this part is also dirty. can you wipe it, mr. assistant...?¡±


    odette said with a red face. she seemed to be embarrassed to show off her vagina on top of exposing the content of her wide open rear hole.


    at that moment, odile suddenly grabbed siwoo¡¯s cock.


    ¡°hey!¡±


    it happened so suddenly, she reached out her hand out of nowhere.


    thanks to that, they ended up in a rather risky angle.


    ¡°take a look at this, mr. assistant.¡±


    ¡°what are you talking about? no, why don¡¯t you let go of that first before you¨C¡±


    ¡°haa...¡±


    without a second delay, odile swiftly bent her body and immediately put his half-erect cock into her mouth.


    the same cock that had been sliding in and out of her rear hole which was soaked in their bodily fluid.


    ¡°wow...¡±


    ¡°mmf... mm...¡±


    odile¡¯s tongue and lips passionately wrapped around his erect cock, skillfully exploring every part of it.


    the hot movement of her lips didn¡¯t leave any part of it untouched.


    she licked all the way from under the glands up to the tip and even cleaned up the semen left there.


    despite siwoo thinking that he wouldn¡¯t be able to get his cock up for a while due to his exhaustion, it grew up a size bigger in no time.


    ¡°mrrg... mmp... hamm...¡±


    siwoo had actually wanted to receive blowjobs from the twins as well.


    but, after seeing their reactions when they first tasted his semen, he felt doubtful that they¡¯d do it to him.


    not to mention that this was the same cock that just went inside their rear hole.


    due to that, he thought that it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to ask for a blowjob, that was why he had been staying quiet.


    never did he expect that odile would take the initiative and began cleaning his cock with her mouth.


    her forehead was slightly wrinkled, maybe because of the bitter smell of semen, but siwoo was too busy immersing himself in the pleasure to notice.


    but of course, odette wouldn¡¯t just stay quiet after seeing odile¡¯s interfering with her moment.


    ¡°what are you doing so suddenly, sis?!¡±


    to respond to odette¡¯s protest, odile released siwoo¡¯s cock from her mouth.


    then she swallowed the mixed solution of her saliva and siwoo¡¯s semen in her mouth with a gulp.


    she shivered due to its nasty taste before calmly opening her mouth.


    or rather, she was trying so hard to look calm.


    ¡°what do you mean? didn¡¯t you say so yourself, mr. assistant had worked so hard for us.¡±


    ¡°grr...¡±


    ¡°and yet what are you doing? you¡¯re asking more from him. what an immature kid. you should learn from a mature young lady like me. i clean his dick up as a way of showing my appreciation toward his effort.¡±


    ¡°i can do it too!¡±


    ¡°too late, i¡¯ve cleaned it all up.¡±


    odile shook siwoo¡¯s cook, which was glistening with her own saliva instead of his own semen, like a pole.


    ¡°anyway, since i cleaned you up with my mouth, do you mind cleaning my body now, mr. assistant?¡±


    odile asked while licking his member down to his testicles.


    his cock began to tremble violently.


    odile¡¯s tongue traveled to the tip.


    unconsciously, siwoo jerked his head in response to the pleasure he felt.


    ¡°move aside, i wanna do it too!¡±


    ¡°oh my, sly, sly odette. are you really trying to add some spoonfuls of filth to the cock that i¡¯ve cleaned up?¡±


    odile sneered at odette before gobbling up siwoo¡¯s cock again.


    ¡°mm... mm... haahmm...¡±


    she continued on moving her head, her long black hair swayed, following her head¡¯s movements.


    it seemed like she had developed some kind of skill as she sucked his cock eagerly without letting her hair touch his cock.


    ¡°woah...¡±


    the pleasure siwoo felt from this was comparable to bathing in a hot spring.


    this pleasure was comparable to back when he had to push his cock through her tight anus.


    -slurp! slurp...


    odette stomped her feet in annoyance.


    but what could she do? she couldn¡¯t stop her sister in time.


    siwoo¡¯s cock, which was currently being cleaned by the older twins¡¯ mouth, was the same cock that had just penetrated her anus not too long ago.


    that mental image made him feel like ejaculating again.


    now, it was clearly evident how potent the aphrodisiac was.


    odile played around with siwoo¡¯s cock in her mouth.


    at one point, she¡¯d push it until her cheek bulged like a hamster¡¯s, then she¡¯d move her tongue in a rapid pace to stimulate the area beneath the glans.


    meanwhile, her hands busily caressed both his testicles and the base of his cock.


    ¡°m-ms. odile...¡±


    ¡°fwah... are you about to cum?¡±


    after she let go of his cock, she gripped it tightly with both hands and shook it.


    she didn¡¯t seem to mind her hands getting smeared with saliva.


    it was hard to believe how skillful she had become.


    ¡°i will especially allow you to sprinkle your seeds onto my noble face.¡±


    she let out a playful chuckle without stopping her hands¡¯ movements.


    then, she brought his cock closer to her face and adjusted it so he could let out his semen easier.


    ¡°ugh...!¡±


    with a groan, he poured out another dose of semen.


    despite achieving an unprecedented record of 11 ejaculations, the volume of semen he spurted out didn¡¯t seem to be diminishing.


    on the contrary, this time it seemed to be thicker and more viscous than before.


    ¡°ah... mm...!¡±


    surprised, odile closed her eyes tightly and huddled her body. she didn¡¯t expect the semen to pour out fiercely like that.


    -spurt, spurt!


    her face was too small to receive everything. every part of her face from eyelids, nose, lips and chins were smeared in his semen.


    so, his cock moved on from her face to her collarbone and her kneeling thighs.


    ¡°ah... euh... so much...¡±


    his scent emanated from odile¡¯s entire face.


    to the point that she felt dizzy from the smell.


    then, he dropped the final bit of semen to her forehead as a way of thanking her for her effort and to give himself a sense of accomplishment.


    ¡°phew...¡±


    he felt that it was the time to finish everything.


    feeling his cock go limp, siwoo took a glance at odette.


    ¡°do whatever, i don¡¯t care.¡±


    he apologized to the pouting odette before wiping away the semen on odile¡¯s face with a new towel.


    -creak!


    at that moment, a voice echoed through the carriage.


    the voice of someone closing the door in a hurry.

 Chapter 74: Change (3)

    ? change (3) ?


    1.


    with a single step, dozens of meters passed.


    amelia dashed up the hill. her cape, along with her nightgown, fluttered in the air.


    if anyone from the academy were to see her in her current state, they¡¯d bound to be surprised.


    the elegant and noble amelia sprinted under the moonlight.


    it was something so surreal that people would gossip about it. maybe it would even make it to gehenna¡¯s list of scandalous occurrences created by the idle witches.


    however, amelia didn¡¯t have the time to worry about such trivial matters.


    she was too occupied over the fact that siwoo was able to use magic.


    and it wasn¡¯t any ordinary magic, but an advanced self-essence magic that amelia couldn¡¯t immediately understand.


    moreover, he intended to use that magic to escape from gehenna.


    in essence, this wasn¡¯t such a big deal, he was merely a slave who was trying to escape from slavery.


    there was no need for her to make such a fuss about it, it was a completely normal behavior. but, despite her brain understanding this fact, her heart couldn¡¯t accept it.


    because of this, her mind was in a state of chaos.


    and so, she decided to ask him about this directly. maybe after that, she could learn something significant.


    until then, every attempt of her trying to come up with an answer with her own would end up with her going in circles.


    ¡°...¡±


    she took a shortcut from the barn directly to the mansion.


    as she leapt over the rose garden, she suddenly stopped moving.


    she had caught onto something. the witch hadn¡¯t noticed it previously because not only had she taken a different route earlier, the thing that she found was also quite hard to notice.


    amelia released her water lizard¡¯s stride and landed on the ground.


    in the garden, next to the fountain, a carriage was parked there.


    she could immediately tell who the owner of the carriage was.


    a beautifully carved family emblem, depicting two twin birds.


    ¡°count gemini...¡±


    under normal circumstances, she would have just passed by without paying much attention.


    amelia was indifferent to most things around her. a count¡¯s carriage wouldn¡¯t even leave an impression on her mind.


    that was probably the reason why she passed through it once.


    however, siwoo¡¯s words earlier flashed through her mind.


    ¡®did you hear anything from count gemini?¡¯


    after he returned to her lodging, siwoo mentioned count gemini while he was eating his cake.


    at that time, amelia dismissed it thoughtlessly.


    ¡®but, there¡¯s something unsettling about his remark.¡¯


    he mentioned the count of nowhere, disappeared through the window in the middle of the night and then she found the count¡¯s carriage parked near her mansion.


    she knew siwoo had been on good terms with the twins lately.


    ¡°...¡±


    her intuition was screaming at her.


    warning her that something might have happened.


    she calmed her pounding heart down.


    ¡®it shouldn¡¯t be anything serious.¡¯


    amelia failed to understand the reason why she felt anxious so suddenly.


    in any case, she brushed the feelings aside, took a deep breath and held the handle to the carriage¡¯s door.


    she decided to go inside and take a look.


    if the count was there, she could come up with a suitable excuse and start a conversation with her. if it was the brats who were there, she could scold them and give them additional tasks.


    ¡®there¡¯s no reason to be afraid.¡¯


    ¡®there¡¯s nothing to be anxious about.¡¯


    -creak..!


    amelia opened the door as quietly as possible.


    the carriage¡¯s interior seemed much more spacious than its appearance due to the space magic applied to it. but there was a curve placed in the entrance, she couldn¡¯t see the insides immediately thanks to it.


    gradually, she felt a lukewarm air flowing out from inside.


    the air felt damp and moist, contrasting the rather chilly weather outside.


    she unintentionally furrowed her brows.


    there was a strong scent of chestnuts, sweat and a dense, unfamiliar odor that she wasn¡¯t familiar with.


    amelia opened the door a little more while making sure that she wouldn¡¯t make any noise that would reveal her presence.


    then, she could hear the sound leaking from within as the soundproofing barrier that surrounded the carriage was disrupted.


    ¡°slurp... mm...¡±


    ¡°haa...¡±


    but, the sound that she heard was unfamiliar to her. like the air that she felt, it felt damp and moist.


    it sounded like...


    ¡®something being vigorously sucked? and those smacking sounds... they¡¯re smacking their lips?¡¯


    ¡®what on earth are they doing?¡¯


    amelia frowned and tilted her head in confusion. suddenly, someone¡¯s voice reached her ear.


    ¡°phew... mr. assistant... do you... like...¡±


    odile¡¯s voice. she couldn¡¯t catch everything she said due to the distance though.


    ¡®mr. assistant?¡¯


    at that moment, amelia felt a chill running down her spine.


    her intuition told her that something was wrong, so wrong that she couldn¡¯t understand it even if she tried.


    despite that, she leaned closer so she could hear their conversation properly.


    ignoring her heart that was beating even faster than before.


    ¡°after coming so much, you still got this hard? do you really want to smear my face with your cum that badly?¡±


    ¡°honestly... it¡¯s a little hard...¡±


    ¡®coming so much? wanting to cum on her face?¡¯


    a series of incomprehensible dialogue entered her ear.


    the man who replied to odile¡¯s words was siwoo, as expected.


    it couldn¡¯t be anyone else, amelia recognized his voice way too well.


    apparently he was spending his time in the carriage with the twins at this late hour.


    amelia clenched the edge of her cape tightly.


    she couldn¡¯t find him anywhere earlier, who could have guessed that he was here, having fun with other witches while leaving his own master behind.


    her intention of apologizing to him quickly faded away, replaced by an inexplicable rage that surged from the bottom of her stomach.


    this too, was an emotion she had never felt before.


    ¡°slurp... mr. assistant, you look so happy. i love it.¡±


    yet, somehow, she didn¡¯t feel that it would be right for her to barge in.


    ¡®what can i do if i get in anyway?¡¯ that thought made her feet stop in their tracks.


    moreover, if she were to come in while showing her anger, wouldn¡¯t it imply that she was running around the neighborhood trying to find her missing slave all night long?


    despite all these thoughts lingering in her mind, her curiosity won her over.


    ¡®what¡¯s going on inside exactly?¡¯


    she realized that this would be a foolish action, but she unleashed her magic anyway.


    ¡®sensory perception magic.¡¯


    it was magic that created additional sensory organs outside the body.


    amela¡¯s magic formed tiny and delicate ¡®color receptors¡¯ using the powder of her perfumes.


    in an instant, she created some blue particles.


    with these finely crafted particles, she could observe something beyond what her naked eyes could see.


    she then linked these particles to her optic nerves.


    then, she continued on creating more of those receptors while taking all the necessary precautions.


    this time, red particles emerged from her hand.


    the two different colors scattered in the air, fused and became completely transparent.


    these red particles were used to erase any traces of mana.


    as the 22nd ranked witch in the hierarchy, amelia had precise control over these particles.


    because of that, only high-ranked witches could ever hope to detect her magic.


    fooling the eyes of apprentice witches like the twins wasn¡¯t something worth nothing for amelia.


    ¡°fuuh...¡±


    amelia softly blew air through her lips and pushed those particles inside.


    when enough particles got inside, it became possible for her to see every nook and cranny as if she was looking through surveillance cameras.


    ¡°...!¡±


    and then she saw them.


    she tightly covered her mouth to prevent herself from making any sounds.


    like she expected, there were three people inside.


    shin siwoo, odile and odette.


    all three of them had one thing in common.


    they were buck naked, there wasn¡¯t a single strand of clothing on them.


    but, that wasn¡¯t the thing that surprised her.


    if they were politely sipping tea and having a naked banquet, she could squeeze enough brainpower and understand the meaning of their actions.


    but...


    she found out the source of the slurping sound she had been hearing.


    and she almost let out a screen when she did.


    odile was sucking siwoo¡¯s thing, his cock, with her mouth.


    she wasn¡¯t doing it carelessly.


    instead, she vigorously shook her head back and forth while using her tongue and lips to passionately suck on his cock.


    said cock was standing stiff with bulging veins all over it.


    honestly, this wasn¡¯t the first time amelia had ever seen siwoo¡¯s private parts.


    she had used siwoo as a study material before, she had seen his cock ten times before this occasion.


    not only that, she had also used her own hand to make him ejaculate.


    however, there was something different about it this time.


    it was way larger and redder than she remembered, making it seem more disgusting to look at.


    the sight made amelia feel like she was watching a lion devouring a deer¡¯s intestines.


    she could feel her stomach squirming and she shuddered involuntarily.


    ¡°it feels good, right?¡±


    odile asked as she looked up at siwoo.


    ¡®i see.¡¯


    ¡®that¡¯s oral sex.¡¯


    amelia finally recognized the grotesque act unfolding before her eyes.


    it was the act where a woman tried to bring pleasure to a man with her mouth.


    she remembered seeing it in a manual she had read a long time ago. it was hidden inside a small room in a hut where she used to seclude herself.


    that same manual was used as firewood as she lost interest in it pretty quickly after briefly skimming through it.


    to her surprise, the act that she judged as frivolous and nonsensical was playing out right in front of her.


    odile, an apprentice witch of the gemini household and her own student, was kneeling before a mere slave while giving him an intimate service.


    ¡°ugh... ms. odile...¡±


    amelia had been trying to distract herself from the reality that was happening in front of her, but siwoo¡¯s voice dragged her back.


    ¡°fwah... are you about to cum?¡±


    odile, who had just held his cock between her lips while sucking and licking it, whispered those vulgars words, as if enticing him to ejaculate.


    ¡°i will especially allow you to sprinkle your seeds onto my noble face.¡±


    once again, amelia was a little too late to comprehend the words she had just heard.


    ¡®sprinkle the seeds on her noble face.¡¯


    as she recounted the words odile just said, she finally understood what they intended to do.


    at that moment.


    like a downpour, siwoo¡¯s semen splattered all over odile¡¯s face.


    odile didn¡¯t try to avoid those impure fluids, neither did she show any sign of disgust toward it. she just accepted everything obediently.


    it was as if she had yearned for it.


    amelia withdrew her receptors.


    though, she didn¡¯t do it consciously. the scene that she saw caused her concentration to break off and because of that, the receptors vanished into thin air.


    she stood there in a daze as the subsequent conversations between the people inside passed through her ears.


    but, she couldn¡¯t comprehend a single word they said.


    there were a lot of things that she wanted to say to siwoo.


    firstly, she wanted to ask him about the matter of him learning magic in secret.


    secondly, she wanted to apologize for the harsh treatment she had subjected him to.


    however, the moment she saw what was happening inside the carriage, her mind turned blank.


    her hand loosened its grip on the carriage¡¯s door, causing it to slam itself shut.


    at that moment, she regained her senses and immediately left the spot, as if running away.


    2.


    the crazy night was over and they were done with the cleanup.


    siwoo escorted the twins to the portal.


    odile was riding on siwoo¡¯s back while giggling like a baby.


    meanwhile, odette walked by herself with siwoo¡¯s pile of gifts in her hands with a pouty face. she lost a rock-paper-scissors game, so she was subjected to this treatment.


    ¡°ms. odile.¡±


    ¡°yeah?¡±


    ¡°did you really not hear anything back then?¡±


    ¡°when?¡±


    ¡°you know, back when your face...¡±


    ¡°what about my face?¡±


    with a mischievous smile, odile teased siwoo.


    ¡°when i ejaculated on your face... i think i heard the carriage door being slammed shut.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t be silly. who would be loitering around there in this late hour?¡±


    ¡°i thought so too, but...¡±


    nevertheless, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he really heard that sound.


    he found himself unconsciously glancing in the direction of ameila¡¯s lodgings.


    ¡®nah, no way.¡¯


    ¡®it¡¯s her we¡¯re talking about.¡¯


    ¡°haah... what should i do now that i¡¯ve discovered something that feels so good? mr. assistant, why don¡¯t you just stay here? when we finally become witches, we¡¯ll take you back to your world.¡±


    ¡°really?¡±


    ¡°yeah, if you don¡¯t mind waiting for about 20¨C no, 15 years should be enough.¡±


    ¡°...i¡¯m good.¡±


    ¡®it was an alluring proposal, but there¡¯s no way i¡¯d wait for 15 years.¡¯


    ¡°by then, both of you will have already matured.¡±


    ¡°indeed. the growth of apprentice witches is slightly slower than humans. though, by then our breasts should have grown bigger.¡±


    ¡®i think i heard something i shouldn¡¯t have.¡¯


    siwoo decided to deliberately ignore the last part of her sentence.


    ¡°we¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°thank you.¡±


    he escorted the twins to the entrance of the portal management office.


    odile then hopped off siwoo¡¯s back with a slight jump.


    the dreamy night had passed.


    as soon as odile¡¯s feet landed onto the ground, the twins started their bickering again.


    just by looking at them, he once again realized that they were the daughters of a noble family.


    the same pair that he fucked at the same time. he did both of their rear holes and smeared their faces with his own semen. thinking back, everything was like a dream.


    he would probably remain single for the rest of his life.


    after living in gehenna, his standards for women became higher.


    ¡°i had fun today.¡±


    ¡°me too.¡±


    ¡°mr. assistant worked the hardest though.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll come over and play again if we have the time!¡±


    siwoo couldn¡¯t help but feel that they would somehow manage to find the time to come and visit him again. it was the twins, after all.


    his heart became swell in anticipation.


    ¡°mr. assistant!¡±


    ¡°yes?¡±


    the twins walked toward the portals while waving their hands.


    just when they were about to part ways, odette suddenly called out to siwoo.


    then, she came over, gave him a peck on his cheek as she stared at him with an affectionate gaze.


    ¡°thank you for your time and hard work today.¡±


    ¡°y-yes...¡±


    he dazedly stroked his cheek.


    odette then ran towards odile, who was watching the scene with a displeased expression, while waving her arms energetically at him.


    just like that, another day had passed.

 Chapter 75: Change (4)

    ? change (4) ?


    1.


    since she became a witch, amelia had never felt this confused.


    even when a certain impudent slave refused her invitation to serve her during the night, she only felt flustered and embarrassed. her mind didn¡¯t turn chaotic.


    the chaos was like sailing alone on a small sailboat in the stormy sea.


    there were so many issues that needed to be addressed, but she didn¡¯t even know which one she should prioritize.


    ¡°haaah...¡±


    she returned to her room in a hurry.


    inside, she couldn¡¯t sit or lie down, only restlessly pacing back and forth.


    there was the fact that her own reckless mistake had brought siwoo the suffering he didn¡¯t deserve.


    then, there was the matter of him studying magic on his own.


    not to mention that the purpose of him doing so was to escape from gehenna.


    all three of them were important, but the one that left the strongest impression in her mind was something else entirely.


    it was the thing that happened between the twins and siwoo inside that carriage.


    ¡°how could they engage in such a filthy activity...¡±


    she saw it clearly using her sensory perception magic, but she still couldn¡¯t believe her own sight.


    unlike the witches and their apprentices, siwoo didn¡¯t have a spiritual body.


    in other words, the place that odile eagerly sucked was a filthy part of his body that was used for the purpose of letting out urine from his body.


    oral sex.


    she still couldn¡¯t believe such a preposterous act even existed.


    not only that, odile even kneeled before him, despite him being a slave, and accepted his semen on her face.


    amelia gulped down the water on the table.


    as her shock gradually faded, pieces of the puzzle that had been jumbled in her thoughts started to fit together.


    she had always believed that siwoo hated witches.


    even considering what she had done to him, it was difficult to see his attitude as anything but unfriendly.


    he also never engaged in conversation with any other witches except for herself.


    it was as if he had created a wall that separated him from his colleague, another janitor who engaged in illicit relationships with multiple witches, while he remained committed to his moral code.


    but recently, he became close with the twins.


    amelia had always wondered, how exactly did that happen?


    and today, she managed to witness with her own eyes, the cause behind it all.


    they were engaged in a physical relationship between the opposite sexes.


    the three of them were involved in such an affair.


    performing such a dirty and disgusting act without hesitation.


    showing each others¡¯ naked body without any concern.


    amelia sat at her desk, nibbling on her lips anxiously like a troubled child.


    the top of her desk was filled to the brim with various documents, leaving no empty space.


    holding a leather pen, she dipped it into the ink as she got ready to conduct her magical research.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡®let¡¯s start working.¡¯


    ¡®maybe i can resolve the part i¡¯m currently stumped at.¡¯


    this wasn¡¯t something out of the ordinary.


    sometimes, when she found her mind in a chaotic state, or whenever she found it difficult to process her emotions, she¡¯d sit down and think about magic.


    in a way, those intense emotions she felt had helped her immensely during her research.


    -clack!


    but, before ten seconds had passed, amelia slammed down her pen to the table.


    ¡°when they went on the picnic together...¡±


    that fact popped into her mind.


    siwoo turned down her invitation and went on a picnic to spirit mountain with the twins.


    ¡®what could have happened there?¡¯


    the answer to that question should have been obvious.


    she imagined the scene of the three of them buck naked while staring at each others¡¯ naked bodies. the twins got down to lick and suck on his cock...


    amelia¡¯s delicate fingers were clenched into a fist. rage surged from the bottom of her stomach.


    ¡®why?¡¯


    ¡®why am i so angry?¡¯


    suddenly, she found herself yet again confused by her own feelings.


    it was like being trapped inside a vortex with no exit in sight.


    ¡°wait...?¡±


    she suddenly realized something. her confusion had been enveloping her that she forgot about a certain fact.


    apprentice witches couldn¡¯t engage in sexual intercourse with a man.


    if a man¡¯s mana entered their wombs, their bowl would become distorted, causing them to be unable to bear their soon to be inherited brands.


    despite this being such an obvious fact, she had forgotten about it completely. that was how much shock she received after witnessing the previous scene.


    ¡°if that¡¯s the case...¡±


    they probably hadn¡¯t engaged in direct sexual intercourse with him.


    no matter how naive the twins might be, there was no way that they¡¯d sacrifice their future of being a witch to have a sexual relationship with siwoo.


    as she recalled this fact, the impatience in her heart started to subside.


    amelia then took out a cigarette and lit it. the atmosphere she exuded had become noticeably calmer.


    her composure gradually returned as she felt the hot smoke seeped into her lungs.


    the twins had been particularly interested in the classes that siwoo attended as her assistant.


    dense as she was, even amelia managed to sense that their curiosity wasn¡¯t directed toward the pursuit of magic, but rather toward his body.


    ¡®maybe he was being forced by the twins?¡¯


    ¡°no.¡±


    amelia realized that she was being overly optimistic.


    when he ejaculated, it was clear that he was also enjoying the act.


    moreover, judging from their conversation, it was difficult to judge that they had done it because siwoo was coerced to.


    to summarize.


    the three of them were involved in a physical relationship.


    but, they didn¡¯t go as far as doing a full intercourse.


    nevertheless, it was because of this that they had grown closer.


    as amelia organized her thoughts up until this point, she noticed that her cigarette had burned down to its filter, making her fingertips tingle.


    -creak!


    at that moment, she heard the sound of the door opening.


    though the sound was quiet, to amelia, who was in a state of alert, it was as loud as a clap of thunder.


    siwoo had returned.


    like a herbivorous animal trying to play dead, her body froze. but, she cautiously sensed movements from outside.


    his presence gradually moved from the central stairs and the hallway. it suddenly vanished as amelia heard the sound of his room¡¯s door closing.


    ¡°haah...¡±


    she released the breath she had been holding.


    while it was unlikely to happen, she was ready to escape the moment he opened the door and entered this room.


    with her emotion still in the state of chaos, she still wasn¡¯t sure on how to act in front of him.


    she turned her gaze outside the window.


    and realized that she couldn¡¯t continue on being like this.


    she needed help.


    2.


    with the morning star rising on her back, amelia arrived at sophia¡¯s lodgings.


    it was located next to the deer forest within trinity academy. a quaint and charming mansion that reminded amelia of the cabin she used to live in.


    -knock, knock, knock.


    shortly after she tapped on the wooden door latch, it opened.


    ¡°it¡¯s still early... who is it...?¡±


    wearing her nightgown with a cute cat design, sophia appeared with a drowsy voice.


    she opened the door while yawning, but her expression quickly turned to surprise when she found out who her visitor was.


    the reason why amelia visited sophia so early was because there were only so many people that she could trust.


    ¡°oh my goodness, amelia? what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    seeing amelia¡¯s dishevelled state doubled sophia¡¯s surprise.


    gone was her elegant look as her clothes and her hair were in complete mess.


    she seemed to come in a hurry.


    just by looking at her stern expression, it was clear that the matter this time wasn¡¯t an ordinary one.


    ¡°since you know i have a regular sleeping pattern... you know what, it isn¡¯t the time for that. come in first.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    amelia slipped into sophia¡¯s house without saying a word in response.


    there were several cats sleeping in the cozy corners of the room where the fireplace was located.


    the arrival of a visitor didn¡¯t disturb their sleep. some of them were snoozing on top of the dressers, while some of them were under the tables.


    which was a fortunate occurrence for amelia, since she was spared from them crowding around her, but sadly, she had no lenience to feel glad about such matters.


    ¡°what would you like? coffee? tea? maybe cocoa?¡±


    after making amelia sit on the sofa beside the fireplace, sophia asked her that question while rummaging through her cupboard.


    ¡°this is an urgent matter, avenega.¡±


    ¡°look at you, waking someone up this early in the morning, but you are still giving her the cold shoulder.¡±


    sophia sat on the opposite side of amelia with a smile, not before she covered the latter with a lap blanket.


    in truth, she was curious about the reason why amelia looked so desperate.


    ¡°...¡±


    however, despite calling it an urgent matter, amelia kept her mouth shut.


    she seemed to be struggling with how to say it.


    ¡°can i take a guess? this is regarding shin siwoo, your assistant. am i correct?¡±


    hearing that, amelia opened her eyes wide.


    then, she confirmed sophia¡¯s guess with a slight nod of her head.


    to sophia, it was surprising to see amelia, who¡¯d normally make a ton of excuses while flailing around, admitting to it so meekly.


    and, to make the ever-composed sophia surprised wasn¡¯t an easy feat.


    ¡°could it be... did he attack you? or was it you who¨C¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t be ridiculous. it¡¯s nothing like that.¡±


    amelia glared at sophia with a sharp, dissatisfied gaze. after hesitating several times, she then told sophia everything she had seen.


    ¡°so, you¡¯re saying that your assistant managed to create a self-essence magic to escape from gehenna? he also engaged in a physical relationship with an apprentice witch?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    amelia added another thing to sophia¡¯s conclusion.


    ¡°since they are still apprentices, the girls seem to be doing it without any kind of penetration involved.¡±


    sophia didn¡¯t reply to her speculation.


    the genitals weren¡¯t the only hole that a man could penetrate, so they couldn¡¯t be certain about that.


    of course, she wasn¡¯t so tactless to say it out loud.


    ¡°did i say something strange?¡±


    ¡°no, no, i was distracted by something else. anyway...¡±


    so, sophia quickly tried to change the subject, thinking that it was too early to tell amelia about that fact.


    ¡°what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°you wouldn¡¯t be rushing over to me at this hour without a reason. ¡°


    ¡°i didn¡¯t rush over to you.¡±


    ¡°forget about that, answer me.¡±


    sophia waited for a while, but amelia didn¡¯t say anything.


    to be precise, she couldn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°...i don¡¯t know.¡±


    because she didn¡¯t know what to do, what she wanted to do.


    that was why she sought out sophia in the first place.


    her meticulous advice often annoyed her, but they would always turn out to be helpful in ways that she never expected.


    ¡°after seeing what happened, did you get angry?¡±


    amelia hesitated for a second, but she nodded her head in response.


    her brilliant golden hair swayed slightly, following the movement of her head.


    ¡°and why was that?¡±


    ¡°because shin siwoo is my exclusive assistant.¡±


    unlike before, her response was clear and she sounded unwavering.


    sophia had planned to patiently teach her about these things, as she was still inexperienced in the matter.


    getting her to be more honest with herself would be the first step.


    ¡°so, the thought of your belonging, shin siwoo, playing around with another woman while trying to escape from under your control didn¡¯t sit well with you?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°it hasn¡¯t been long since he became your exclusive assistant. if the same thing happened before he became yours, do you think you¡¯d be as upset with him?¡±


    ¡°of course...¡±


    not.


    even if she had witnessed such an incident before shin siwoo became her exclusive assistant, amelia would still feel just as confused. her thoughts would turn as messy and her rage would also soar as fiercely.


    her pupils started to tremble greatly.


    she discovered a contradiction in her own thinking.


    seeing this reaction, sophia let out a slight smile.


    ¡°human heart is so strange, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°according to your words just now, there shouldn¡¯t be any reason for you to be angry, but look at you now.¡±


    ¡°...even before he became my exclusive assistant, i would also be angry. i had been keeping my eyes on him for so long to be my exclusive assistant.¡±


    under sophia¡¯s warm gaze, amelia clumsily found an excuse for herself.


    ¡®why do i feel that my own words sound like excuses?¡¯


    ¡°you had been keeping an eye on him? why?¡±


    ¡°why are you curious about that?¡±


    sophia didn¡¯t retract her warm gaze.


    the gaze that somehow reminded amelia of her master¡¯s. this made her unconsciously avoid her gaze.


    ¡°because it¡¯s important. if it¡¯s just feeling your own emotions, even animals can do it. for example, my cat knows that they love me. but, being able to analyze the reason behind those emotions was a privilege exclusive to humans.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m a witch.¡±


    ¡°but you were once a human.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    seeing amelia lost in thought, sophia stood up from her seat.


    ¡°i¡¯ll bring you some tea. our conversation might go on for a while.¡±

 Chapter 76: Self-Contradiction (1)

    ? self-contradiction (1) ?


    1.


    ¡°let¡¯s call it off for today. we don¡¯t need to figure everything out today anyway, do we?¡±


    ¡°...fine.¡±


    amelia refused to acknowledge the reason why she had this feelings toward siwoo.


    for example, when sophia asked her, ¡®why don¡¯t you want to let shin siwoo go?¡¯ amelia would only give her childish answers such as ¡®because he is mine.¡¯ even when sophia tried different approaches, her answers didn¡¯t change.


    no words of fondness, goodwill or love came out of her mouth.


    it seemed that her naive, prideful ego as a witch couldn¡¯t accept the idea of her having special feelings towards a slave.


    no, actually, she probably didn¡¯t even know what exactly those special feelings were.


    ¡°can i conclude your answers as you don¡¯t want him to leave his post as your assistant?¡±


    ¡°yes, i can admit that much.¡±


    ¡°he had been preparing for his escape for a long time, that means his desire to escape is strong. so, what do you think we should do?¡±


    after pondering over it, amelia spoke up.


    ¡°we can seize his research materials and mana water. then we keep him under close surveillance to prevent him from doing anything reckless.¡±


    ¡°amelia, do you really think that¡¯s the right approach to this matter?¡±


    sophia¡¯s expression turned sour.


    ¡°he might be able to use magic, but at the end of the day, he¡¯s still a slave...¡±


    ¡°yes, but what¡¯s the point of doing that? let¡¯s say that we do what you just said to him. while it¡¯s true that will make him unable to leave your side, won¡¯t that make him resent you? i thought you wanted to get along with him?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    midway through their conversation, sophia noticed something.


    no matter how young and inexperienced amelia was, there was no way that she was unaware of such obvious facts.


    that meant, she was throwing tantrums over all sophia¡¯s questions and purposely gave out irrational answers like this.


    sophia concluded that any further conversation would be meaningless.


    she also noticed that she might have been too hasty in her approach.


    ¡°alright, this is the last piece of advice i can give you.¡±


    ¡°what is it?¡±


    ¡°do things that he likes. show him that you¡¯re reflecting and regretting your past mistakes. show him that you genuinely want to get along with him.¡±


    ¡°...do you think that would work?¡±


    among those who had lived in solitary for a long time, a distinct characteristic of them was their immensely strong pride.


    that was why sophia never expected that amelia would readily accept all her advice.


    but, that didn¡¯t mean sophia shouldn¡¯t give her the push she needed to move forward.


    ¡°of course. but, the choice is still yours.¡±


    the consultation that went out much longer than expected finally ended.


    standing by the small window, sophia watched amelia¡¯s back as she steadily left the perimeter.


    it was clear that she was frustrated just by seeing her footsteps.


    when she stepped out of the door, amelia also didn¡¯t bother to conceal her frustration.


    witches were unable to bear children, but sophia felt like a mother trying to deal with her daughter who had just entered her rebellious phase.


    amelia was emotionally immature.


    years of living in solitude made her like this.


    let alone forming proper relationships with other people, she couldn¡¯t even understand how her own emotions worked.


    not to mention that she was dealing with love, one of the most complicated emotions for humans to understand.


    there was no way that amelia could understand its complexities all at once.


    and there was no one who could teach her that either.


    no one told her how love would sometimes keep you awake at night with excitement, inflict immeasurable pain to your heart or throw your mind into confusion out of nowhere. she had to learn all those things on her own.


    that was why sophia could only give her obvious advice.


    if she were to reveal all the answers to her, when similar problems arise, amelia would keep seeking her for answers.


    ¡°well, i told her everything she needs to know, i could only hope things will work out well.¡±


    what she could provide wasn¡¯t the correct answer.


    but rather a guidance toward a direction amelia could take.


    whether the witch would follow her guidance or not was entirely up to her.


    doing it like this, it was inevitable that mistakes would happen along the way.


    unexpected accidents might occur and the situations might develop differently than what she intended.


    ¡°i¡¯m still anxious, but...¡±


    ¡®what else can i do?¡¯


    ¡°such is love.¡±


    2.


    amelia thought that meeting sophia would improve her mood a little.


    although she had a higher rank than sophia in terms of magic, the other witch was wiser than she was, having traveled through the world and gained a lot of experience from it.


    however, after the consultation, amelia¡¯s mind turned even more complicated.


    it felt like she was shouldering an extra burden than she never considered before.


    as she returned to her mansion, she climbed the central staircase that was illuminated by the morning sun.


    to her left was her own room.


    and to the right was siwoo¡¯s room.


    standing at the crossroad, sophia¡¯s advice came to her mind.


    maybe it was because her gaze happened to fall upon his door without her realizing it.


    ¡®do the things that he likes.¡¯


    something that he liked.


    what played in amelia¡¯s mind was the image of siwoo enjoying himself while receiving a blowjob from odile.


    ¡®can i do that to him?¡¯


    she replaced odile¡¯s image in her mind to her own image.


    unpleasant.


    amelia approached her room with a furrowed brow.


    ¡°no way i¡¯m going to do something like that.¡±


    she huffed after muttering to no one else in particular.


    the act she enacted in her mind was a vulgar act.


    kneeling in front of a man and sucking on his dirty part just for pleasing him.


    ¡°...¡±


    but siwoo seemed to be enjoying that act.


    that was probably the reason why siwoo, who had never even attempted to get close to a witch, suddenly became closer to one.


    amelia was caught in a dilemma.


    she wouldn¡¯t suck on his dick even if the sky was split open, that much was certain.


    the witch averted her glance.


    ¡°...hm.¡±


    what caught her eyes was a glass bottle in the shape of a blunt cylinder. it was sitting inside her cupboard, filled to the brim with a certain liquid.


    an ingredient she needed to create her perfumes. it was an oil that was directly extracted from various plants.


    amelia took it out of the cupboard.


    it¡¯s round shape, thickness and length.


    though it didn¡¯t resemble a turtle¡¯s head, the object looked similar enough to siwoo¡¯s member.


    last night wasn¡¯t the first time she had seen his erect penis. during their lessons, she had multiple chances to observe it closely.


    ¡®do the things that he likes.¡¯


    ¡®do the things that he likes.¡¯


    ¡®do the things that he likes.¡¯


    ¡®do the things that he likes.¡¯


    sophia¡¯s advice echoed in her head.


    neither cigarettes, clothes nor cakes could bring her closer to him.


    ¡®what about this then?¡¯


    ¡®maybe sophia was right. i¡¯m just being stubborn for no reason.¡¯


    amelia gulped before opening her mouth slightly.


    this wasn¡¯t a practice.


    as a witch and a baroness, there was no way that she¡¯d kneel down to do such a vulgar act for him.


    this was just a way to satiate her curiosity.


    with that thought in mind, amelia extended her tongue and licked the bottom of the bottle containing the oil.


    her soft tongue glided over the glass¡¯ smooth surface.


    but, she didn¡¯t feel anything from doing it.


    so, she increased the intensity of her own action slightly.


    using odile¡¯s actions as a reference, she began to move.


    she held the bottle with both hands before carefully pushing it into her mouth.


    it was hard.


    she had to open her mouth wide enough to the point that her jaw ached. since there was less space in her mouth for air to come in and out, she could only breathe through her nose while doing it.


    ¡°mmf... mm...¡±


    ¡®is this the right way to do it?¡¯


    amelia tilted her head slightly while keeping a firm grip on the bottle.


    if she were to ignore the unpleasant sensations from the glass brushing against her mouth, the movement itself wasn¡¯t difficult to perform.


    -slurp... slurp...


    speaking in terms of difficulty, the action wasn¡¯t particularly hard.


    after thoroughly licking the whole thing, all she needed to do was pretend that this glass was his member and start to suck on it.


    his hard, large and strangely erotic member. she could still remember its sensation from the time when she held it in her own hands...


    suddenly, she felt a strange feeling.


    a feeling she had never experienced in her life.


    a tingle, as if a horde of insects were crawling through her veins.


    the tip of her fingers tingled as she felt a strange twisting sensation in her lower abdomen.


    ¡°...mm...¡±


    with the glass bottle still in her mouth, she pondered.


    then she began shaking her head back and forth vigorously.


    -sluurp! smack! slurp!


    sounds similar to when odile sucked on siwoo¡¯s member began to emerge.


    due to the discomfort caused by the glass touching her teeth, she was forced to keep her mouth wide open while moving her head.


    with each movement, the strange sensation that she felt grew stronger.


    amelia used her imagination to perfectly recreate last night¡¯s intimate encounter, a feat that a first-rate witch like her could effortlessly do.


    as odile moved her head back and forth like this, siwoo¡¯s face would contort in delight.


    if she were to keep stimulating him, he would scatter his seeds soon enough.


    perhaps it was because she had been moving while holding something in her mouth.


    her breath started to become ragged.


    it felt as if the air only entered half of her chest.


    she wasn¡¯t aware of this, but she had assumed a somewhat unsteady posture as her thighs clenched tightly together.


    her hand instinctively reached toward the area between her legs.


    for some reason, she felt a sudden itch coming from that area.


    scratching such a place wasn¡¯t something considered dignified for sure, but she had a feeling that she would feel pleased if she were to do so.


    just as she was about to reach her hand over the thin fabric of her nightgown...


    a sudden voice came from behind her.


    ¡°ms. amelia.¡±


    ¡°eek!¡±


    then, suddenly she was dragged back into reality.


    amelia hastily removed the glass bottle from her mouth and turned around.


    there stood siwoo, too startled to finish what he was about to say.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    how distracted had she been?


    she hadn¡¯t closed the door after entering the room.


    not only that, she also failed to hear his footsteps as he walked down the hallway.


    -crash!


    her grip on the bottle weakened, making it slip from her hand and shattered to the ground.


    it should still be fine.


    her back was facing the door where siwoo was standing.


    chances were he didn¡¯t see what she was doing when he entered the room.


    ¡°i¡¯ll clean it up.¡±


    seeing the shattered bottle, he rushed over in a flustered manner.


    ¡°a-ah, d-don¡¯t! i-it¡¯s fine!¡±


    ¡°sorry?¡±


    embarrassed, amelia raised her voice to stop him.


    siwoo was taken aback by her unusually jumpy reaction and stopped in his tracks.


    since the bottle was completely shattered, there wouldn¡¯t be any evidence remaining of what she had done.


    but, she had coated it thoroughly with her saliva and there was a chance that he might discover that fact if he were to clean up the glass shards.


    if that were to happen, even if he hadn¡¯t seen what exactly had transpired, he could make a guess from that.


    ¡°i¡¯ll clean it up myself.¡±


    amelia casted her spell and the scattered shards and oil puddle on the floor were transported into the trash bin.


    she let out a sigh of relief inwardly.


    ¡°what happened?¡±


    amelia tried to maintain a composed expression as she crossed her legs and sat down.


    unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t a chair that she sat on, but a small table. and in the part of the table she was sitting at, there happened to be a lamp.


    -crash!


    the poor lamp was pushed by her buttocks and fell to the floor like the shattered bottle.


    unluckily for it, the floor it fell into was part of the floor that wasn¡¯t covered by a carpet.


    ¡°...¡±


    after letting out a sigh, amelia once again used her magic to tidy up the mess she caused.


    then, she casually crossed her arms again before looking at siwoo.


    siwoo had been hesitating since earlier, but after a while, he decided to speak up.


    ¡°i have something to tell you, but, since you seem busy, i don¡¯t think this is the appropriate time for it... sorry, i¡¯ll tell you about it later...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll take my leave for now. please excuse me.¡±


    -thud!


    he closed the door.


    seeing siwoo¡¯s awkward behavior made amelia think of a possibility.


    the possibility that he actually knew what she was doing.


    ¡°ugh...¡±


    she was thrown into the worst possible situation.


    amelia felt the urge to cry as she stared at the floor with a deeply flushed face.

 Chapter 77: Self-Contradiction (2)

    ? self-contradiction (2) ?


    *note: we decided to change some of the character noble titles to the female equivalents. e.g. count -> countess and so on. it¡¯s more fitting to the context.


    1.


    after escorting the twins to the portal, siwoo immediately fell into a deep, long slumber on his bed.


    or not.


    ¡®i think i slept for about 4 hours?¡¯


    thanks to his regular habit that he maintained for five years and the morning sunlight pouring through the window, he woke up from his sleep earlier than he¡¯d like to.


    -creak.


    he heard the sound of the door opening and closing.


    aside from siwoo, there was only one person who was living in this unnecessarily huge mansion, amelia.


    his drowsy eyes quickly opened.


    he remembered the plan he had been thinking about since yesterday.


    the plan to inform amelia about the truth.


    ¡®countess gemini told me that as long as i hide my ability to use magic, they would allow me to go back to the modern era.¡¯


    ¡®as long as ms. amelia gives her consent, i should be able to go back.¡¯


    ¡®while i¡¯m grateful for everything that she has done to me for the past few days, my desire to go back home is still stronger.¡¯


    since there was something scandalous involved, he felt that it would be better for him to talk with amelia first before the countess gave out their proposal.


    it would also help her to save her face, not to mention that it would make it easier for him to smooth things out so that she could agree to their proposal.


    though it might not happen the way he wished it to be.


    in normal circumstances, amelia would definitely let him go, but there was a possibility that she wouldn¡¯t because her exclusive slave made a deal with countess gemini without her knowing about it beforehand.


    ¡°actually, it¡¯s more than possible...¡±


    even though amelia had become quite gentle and docile lately, siwoo had known her long enough to know about that side of her.


    that was why he wanted to reduce any potential variables.


    he could use his magic as a last resort if amelia were to reject the countess¡¯ proposal, but there was no guarantee that his research would be successful.


    there was also the possibility that someone might have found out about his research and they ended up stopping all his research.


    even if that wasn¡¯t the case, if amelia were to reject the proposal, his escape would be delayed for at least a whole year.


    that was why, he¡¯d rather come clean now than having to deal with a year delay.


    ¡°haah...¡±


    siwoo rushed to the bathroom, splashed water on his face and tidied his hair.


    ¡®don¡¯t get too worked up and just speak properly.¡¯


    in the past, siwoo might have felt a little uneasy about his current situation.


    according to takasho, if amelia were to have any kind of affection for him, she wouldn¡¯t let him go that easily.


    but, to siwoo, there was no way that was true.


    siwoo had misinterpreted things about amelia¡¯s offer to let her serve her at night when they first met, so he wouldn¡¯t let that happen again.


    since he couldn¡¯t just go meet her in his pajamas, siwoo dressed up in a stylish suit before heading towards her room.


    this time, her door was wide open, unlike usual.


    like his room, her room was symmetrically structured.


    he expected her to find her sitting at the table, but instead, she was standing by the side of the room in an awkward pose.


    her back was turned against the room and she seemed to be doing something strange.


    she tilted her head upwards and swayed it back and forth gently.


    at first, he thought that she was drinking water.


    then he heard the strange noises she made.


    -sluurp! smack! slurp!


    his pupils narrowed in surprise.


    what had just passed his mind was an act that had no connection whatsoever with her.


    but, before amelia could show him an even more unsightly scene, siwoo instinctively called out her name.


    ¡°ms. amelia.¡±


    as one might expect, chaos transpired afterwards.


    2.


    the plan for him to go to border town with amelia was canceled.


    when siwoo was tossing and turning on his bed with a troubled mind, a folded letter flew toward him.


    it contained a note saying that all of their plans today were canceled.


    thanks to that, siwoo got another day off that he could use to spend his time lazily on his bed.


    but, he couldn¡¯t stay calm at all.


    ¡°what was it?¡±


    he spent the day recalling the incident he accidentally witnessed.


    ¡®why was she doing something like that?¡¯


    back then, he was unable to see it clearly, but it seemed like she was sucking on a glass bottle.


    and when he called out to her, she seemed to be extremely flustered.


    to the point that she accidentally broke the bottle and an unrelated lamp.


    the scene of the back of her head moving back and forth was still vivid in his mind.


    it was like...


    ¡°huh?¡±


    then, a particular memory resurfaced in his mind.


    back when he was cooling down after the intense night with the twins, he remembered hearing the sound off the door closing in a hurry.


    it seemed that he was the only one who heard that sound, so he dismissed it at the time.


    but after recalling the sight of the back of amelia¡¯s head...


    ¡°her posture made it seem like she¡¯s giving a blowjob.¡±


    siwoo finally recognized the source of the deja vu he had just experienced.


    he let out a chuckle.


    ¡°i guess i¡¯m finally going insane.¡±


    perhaps the excitement about the newfound freedom he would soon experience caused him to lose half of his sanity.


    ¡®i need to stop deluding myself.¡¯


    there were more than a few things that didn¡¯t add up to his previous speculation.


    ¡®say that she really witnessed me and the twins doing all that, then why did she just let it be and went to sleep?¡¯


    ¡®she¡¯s their professor, is she not?¡¯


    ¡®the issue doesn¡¯t only concern the fact that we were engaging in an immoral activity, it also concerns the twins¡¯ future as witches.¡¯


    ¡®there¡¯s no way that she would stay silent after witnessing that scene.¡¯


    ¡®the thought of her trying to imitate a blowjob while sucking on a glass bottle feels even more ridiculous.¡¯


    ¡°come on.¡±


    siwoo burst into laughter.


    it would be more realistic for takasho to become a girl, turn into a witch and come to suck his dick.


    ¡°if that¡¯s the case, then...¡±


    her action must be related to some kind of magical ritual that was related to her research.


    if it wasn¡¯t that, then it was probably some kind of strange habit she developed.


    ¡®i recall someone told me that children who couldn¡¯t suck on breast milk when they were young would yearn for motherly love as adults... maybe her case is similar to that?¡¯


    truth to be told, it was hard to imagine that either case was the truth either.


    that was why, it would be better to keep his mouth shut so that he wouldn¡¯t unintentionally set off a landmine.


    after all, when he caught her in that state, she displayed the most flustered expression he had ever seen in his life.


    it was like an expression that someone would make when they found out that they weren¡¯t alone inside the lift they were in after letting out a big nice fart.


    ¡°i¡¯ll just pretend that i didn¡¯t see anything.¡±


    ¡®there¡¯s no need to make a fuss and create unnecessary tension before the big event.¡¯


    with that thought, siwoo suppressed his sense of curiosity.


    it seemed too early to talk to her right now.


    she was probably too embarrassed to talk with him after being caught in such an awkward situation.


    so, siwoo decided to take a nap and wait for the right time to talk to her.


    3.


    amelia spent the whole day cooped up in her room.


    she couldn¡¯t figure out how to face him after that incident.


    remembering the vulgar action she had done, her face was burning with embarrassment. there was no way that she could face him in this state.


    the scene of her sucking on a glass bottle.


    what came to his mind when he saw her in such a foolish state?


    whatever it was, her dignity as a noble witch had been completely shattered.


    ¡°ugh... uh...¡±


    trying to forget all the shame, she sprayed the perfume of fatigue on herself and laid down on her bed.


    she decided to take a nap.


    with sleep, she could momentarily forget everything.


    but even under the perfume¡¯s effect, she couldn¡¯t fall asleep. instead, she found herself tearing the clean bed sheet in frustration.


    a lot of things had fallen apart in just a few days.


    everything that she had believed in and taken for granted.


    and amidst the chaos, she found herself creating a dark history.


    her mind was in a disarray. her mood was akin to a shake that was being trapped inside a blender.


    ¡°this can¡¯t go on.¡±


    amelia abruptly sat up from the bed.


    one thing was clear; if she left things as they were, she would forever be branded as a weirdo in siwoo¡¯s mind.


    that was the least of her worry, he might even think of her as a pervert or a mentally ill person.


    ¡®i can¡¯t let that happen...! i need to give him a proper explanation...!¡¯ as she pondered such, a thought suddenly popped out in her mind.


    ¡°huh...?¡±


    why?


    why was she so concerned about how shin siwoo perceived her?


    when it came to rumors that were circulating in the witches¡¯ social circles, or whatever gossip that was being talked about by the witches behind her back, amelia never gave them much of a thought.


    to her, someone who wavered under other people¡¯s judgments wasn¡¯t fit to be a noble.


    she didn¡¯t need others¡¯ acknowledgment, just herself.


    in her eyes, someone who didn¡¯t have confidence in themselves was merely a coward and nothing more.


    that was why her current thinking was strange.


    after all, what transpired was merely him catching her acting a little weirdly.


    regardless of what he might think of her, it didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°...¡±


    as she was lost in thought and immersing herself in self-reflection and anguish...


    -knock, knock.


    the sound of her door being knocked echoed through the room.


    for someone like amelia, who had no friends other than sophia, this was an incredibly rare occurrence.


    the reason why she knew that the person outside the door wasn¡¯t sophia was because sophia would never knock on her door. instead, she¡¯d transform into a crow and tap on her window.


    ¡°well, this is a good thing.¡±


    though she might not know who it was, she needed a distraction because her mind was so tangled up that she couldn¡¯t know how to describe it.


    -snap!


    with a flick of her finger, the perfume of fatigue lost its effect.


    amelia then walked to the lounge leisurely to greet her guest.


    ¡°it¡¯s a nice day today.¡±


    ¡°i hope you don¡¯t mind we¡¯re coming here without an appointment.¡±


    standing in front of the door were two witches wearing small, veiled hats.


    though, strictly speaking they were counted as one, the gemini, albireo and deneb gemini.


    ¡°i don¡¯t mind. please come in.¡±


    amelia froze at the unexpected appearance of her visitors.


    she had assumed that her visitors would be either one of the professors or the assistants from the academy. in any case, she guided the countess to the reception room with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°it¡¯s been five years since we¡¯ve met personally like this. back then, it was to entrust our babies to you, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°have you been well since then?¡±


    ¡°...what brings you here?¡±


    although it would have been appropriate to call siwoo and make him serve the guest, amelia didn¡¯t want to show him to the countess.


    she had an intuition that there was some kind of connection between them judging from their past interactions.


    so, she didn¡¯t even try to hide her suspicious gaze.


    there were multiple suspicions that she could bring out from her mind.


    their gazes met. realizing that amelia displayed a more hostile attitude than they expected, the countess spoke up.


    they knew that amelia wasn¡¯t exactly the sociable type, so they went straight to the main point.


    ¡°have you heard anything from shin siwoo?¡±


    ¡°no, i haven¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°let me cut to the chase then. i want to obtain the ownership of miss marigold¡¯s exclusive slave, shin siwoo.¡±


    hearing that, amelia¡¯s eyes widened.


    she wondered why they suddenly visited her, never did she expect that they wanted to seize the ownership over siwoo.


    ¡°but, why?¡±


    she responded with a sharp tone without her realizing it.


    the countess ignored that and continued their words.


    ¡°during their previous picnic trip, shin siwoo saved odile and odette from a homunculus attack.¡±


    ¡°so, as a reward, we offered to grant one of his wishes and he expressed his wish to return to the modern world. it¡¯s an unprecedented situation, but we can handle it on our end...¡±


    ¡°not only that, we also plan to provide sufficient support for his reintegration to the modern world. however, as he is your exclusive slave, miss marigold, we can¡¯t just arbitrarily decide that. that¡¯s why we¡¯ve come here, to seek your consent.¡±


    she had no idea that such an incident occurred during the time they went on a picnic.


    amelia already knew that siwoo wanted to leave gehenna so badly to the point that he conducted a whole research about it.


    but she never expected things would progress to this extent without her knowing.


    ¡°we are aware that you assigned him as an exclusive slave because you want to keep him around as your assistant.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s why we¡¯ve prepared adequate compensation. we don¡¯t have any ulterior motives, we simply want to grant his wish.¡±


    the countess placed a jewelry box that they had prepared in advance on the table.


    ¡°you may check it if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

 Chapter 78: Self-Contradiction (3)

    ? self-contradiction (3) ?


    1.


    -clink!


    deneb took out a very small wooden box from her bosom and placed it on the table.


    amelia could tell the shabby-looking wooden box wasn¡¯t something ordinary.


    there were three layers of enhancements for shock absorption, another three for theft prevention, four for sealing and seven for internal preservation.


    in total, there were seventeen layers of protective enhancements surrounding the wooden box.


    such a sophisticated security mechanism was installed on it.


    she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the small box had the ability to freeze the flow of time of its content.


    if someone were foolish enough to steal it and tried to take a peek inside, their body would probably rot away from countless curses.


    there was a tiny key in albireo¡¯s hand.


    when she touched the box with the key, a specific pattern appeared and the flow of mana of the box was temporarily frozen.


    the box made a sound that was similar to that of rattling chains. then, the barrier surrounding it was lifted.


    as the box was opened, they were greeted by the dazzling sight of a diamond with a vivid pink glow. it even outshone the rich crimson color that surrounded it. its size was unusually large for its kind.


    ¡°steinmetz pink diamond. its weight is 62.2 carats.¡±


    ¡°the other name for it is the queen of diamonds. it¡¯s an extremely rare item that is no longer being produced.¡±


    their decision to give this jewel to amelia wasn¡¯t solely motivated by the idea that she could use it as a pretty accessory.


    gemstones were used in both alchemy and magic.


    diamonds specifically were crucial for various things such as crafting wands, artifacts and even as a medium for large scale enhancements. needless to say, every witch could find various ways to use large and high quality diamonds.


    if the diamonds looked pretty on top of that, it would be a plus.


    based on the size and the rarity of the pink diamond, it wasn¡¯t a far-stretch to call it priceless.


    it was simply incomparable to the price of a single slave.


    sad it may sound, but even if one were to combine the value of all the slaves in gehenna, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to compare to the price of this pink diamond.


    in other words, the countess was telling the truth. they were really trying to accommodate siwoo¡¯s wish to repay their favors.


    ¡°...¡±


    the countess were confident in their choices as they briefly explained about the gem to amelia, but after seeing her blank stare, they realized that they may have made a mistake.


    ¡°if the item doesn¡¯t please you, we can offer artifacts or magical items with similar prices.¡±


    ¡°alternatively, we can also offer enough gold coins for you.¡±


    ¡°maybe you prefer art pieces? we possess works by renowned artists that haven¡¯t been known to the public, such as van gogh¡¯s paintings.¡±


    they spoke as deneb closed the jewelry box.


    however, there wasn¡¯t a single trace of greed or hesitation in amelia¡¯s eyes.


    normally, one might naturally feel greed after facing such a precious item, but amelia remained unaffected.


    ¡°does shin siwoo know?¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ve already finalized our agreement with¨C¡±


    ¡°that isn¡¯t what i meant.¡±


    amelia no longer paid any attention to the box.


    ¡°does he know what kind of reality awaits him once he leaves gehenna?¡±


    ¡°that part...¡±


    ¡°we haven¡¯t explained it to him. but, we intended to provide enough funds for him to survive.¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s no need.¡±


    countess gemini had negotiated with numerous conglomerates, ceos of multinational companies and high ranking businesses. based on their experience, they were aware...


    from amelia¡¯s words...


    that she had no intention of letting siwoo go.


    even if they were to present several more diamonds similar to what they have, she would react the same way as she did.


    they were mistaken.


    amelia¡¯s relationship with shin siwoo wasn¡¯t just a simple relationship between a private slave and a witch.


    a stronger emotion was involved in that.


    but, judging from siwoo¡¯s desire to leave gehenna as soon as possible, it was clear that amelia¡¯s feelings toward him were one-sided.


    ¡°i apologize for wasting your precious time.¡±


    sure enough, amelia attempted to end their conversation right then.


    ¡°what a pity. we wanted to try and satisfy your demands as much as possible, but it seems like it isn¡¯t enough.¡±


    ¡°in exchange, could you arrange a private conversation with him for us?.¡±


    given the circumstances, they needed to propose an alternative compensation to him.


    of course there was no way to know if he would accept it willingly.


    ¡®what to do now?¡¯


    ¡°you don¡¯t need to. i¡¯ll explain everything to him.¡±


    amelia¡¯s behavior was something that could be considered as rude in most cases.


    she completely disregarded the countess¡¯ position as a noble.


    however, the countess understood what was going on.


    sometimes, emotion took priority over losses and gains.


    even a child could see that the jewel they offered was far more valuable than the price of siwoo¡¯s ownership.


    but, to amelia, the countess¡¯ actions of offering the jewel to her could be considered as rude.


    ¡°then, we¡¯ll take our leave.¡±


    amelia didn¡¯t even see the countess off. instead, she sat by herself in the reception room while drinking her tea,


    2.


    ¡°it should be that, right?¡±


    ¡°most likely.¡±


    albireo and deneb, who were driven out of amelia¡¯s mansion, strolled through the garden.


    upon hearing the rumors that amelia marigold, someone who was notorious for her limited social interactions, had acquired a personal slave on her own, they became suspicious.


    that meant, this particular slave either had a high value or possessed exceptional qualities as an assistant.


    it was the reason why they chose such a grand and luxurious item as an exchange.


    ¡°oh, my.¡±


    ¡°she must be falling over heels for him.¡±


    but, they didn¡¯t anticipate this outcome.


    who would have thought that a witch would fall in love with her own private slave?


    not to mention that she wasn¡¯t any ordinary witch.


    the witch who managed to increase her level by two in the short span of 150 years. her rank in the hierarchy was 22nd, surpassing even the countess themselves.


    although they couldn¡¯t confirm their assumption yet, the circumstantial evidence was too strong to ignore.


    and so, they found themselves in a difficult situation.


    ¡°are we going back just like this?¡±


    ¡°what else can we do? baroness marigold is known to be stubborn.¡±


    ¡°still, we should at least let him know that things aren¡¯t going well for us. maybe we should arrange for him to receive a different form of compensation.¡±


    ¡°if we were to directly gift him with something, the baroness might feel offended. it would be better for us to send it through her instead.¡±


    however, the matter wasn¡¯t of that much importance that the countess would ponder over it for more than ten minutes.


    after all, it was common sense to not carelessly meddle in matters between a man and a woman since ancient times.


    ¡°she should be able to handle it on her own.¡±


    ¡°i feel bad for her now.¡±


    after their idle chatters ended when they got into their carriage, they brought up a new topic.


    it was about the witch who recently sneaked into gehenna.


    ¡°by the way, have you caught her tail?¡±


    in response to albireo¡¯s question, deneb shook her head.


    ¡°no luck in that regard. i¡¯ve even dispatched our spies and hired several witches to track her but there¡¯s no news yet.¡±


    ¡°is there a chance that she has already returned to the modern world?¡±


    ¡°unlikely. she hadn¡¯t seemed to make any moves yet.¡±


    if an exile was spotted in gehenna, they would be eradicated without exception.


    since they still insisted on coming despite such risks, it meant they had a goal in mind.


    but, no disturbance happened in gehenna so far.


    indicating that the exile was still laying low somewhere in the blind spot of their surveillance network.


    ¡°i¡¯ll contact countess adonai to investigate gehenna¡¯s financial flow. we might find her records of purchase.¡±


    ¡°alright, i¡¯ll send three people to go to the red roof salon.¡±


    the thoughts about siwoo and amelia quickly faded from their minds.


    with so many matters occupying their minds, the countess were having an incredibly busy day.


    3.


    even after working diligently as a slave for five years, siwoo still couldn¡¯t overcome the rules of nature.


    after doing lewd things with the twins and cumming 11 times in succession.


    he only managed to get about 2-3 hours of sleep.


    it was only natural that when he found himself lying in bed with nothing to do, he¡¯d fall asleep and wake up in the evening.


    ¡°my daily routine is a mess.¡±


    when he opened his eyes, the sun was already starting to set.


    the crimson sunset was painting the drifting clouds with a pastel colored palette as it rolled above the grassy hill.


    somehow he had a feeling that tomorrow would be a long day.


    ¡°ugh...¡±


    siwoo stretched his body.


    he felt like royalty because hadn¡¯t felt such luxury in a long time.


    -rustle!


    at that moment, he heard the sound of rustling paper.


    it came from his own bed, so he quickly sat up.


    ¡°what is it?¡±


    siwoo looked at this bed.


    there was something familiar placed on it.


    so, he picked it up.


    ¡°...¡±


    those were sketches for the magic circles that he had been painstakingly researching.


    around 200 sheets of paper were scattered all over his bed.


    instantly, his mind woke up.


    there was no way that those rough sketches could crawl out on their own to find their way to their creator.


    that possibility was already a horror in itself, but the more realistic possibility was even more terrifying than that.


    siwoo looked at the rough sketches with trembling eyes.


    since he felt all his senses were working properly, this obviously wasn¡¯t a dream.


    ¡®then, who brought it here?¡¯


    ¡®no, rather than saying that they brought it here, it seemed more like they had thrown it here.¡¯


    he gathered all the rough sketches and neatly organized them before shoving them into his drawer.


    ¡°phew...¡±


    cold sweat trickled down his forehead.


    the magic circle was his only insurance.


    even if someone were to discover the fact that he knew how to use mana, they must never discover his plan to use that magic circle to escape from gehenna.


    that was why the barn was the safest place to store the sketches.


    no one had come there for the past five years and even if a witch happened to visit it, they wouldn¡¯t go out of their way to dig through that stack of straws to get it, especially not with the nauseating smell coming from that stack.


    ¡®who could have done this...?¡¯


    -clank!


    siwoo¡¯s head turned towards the door connecting his bedroom and the living room.


    it was a faint sound, like a teaspoon gently tapping on a teacup.


    that meant someone was in the living room.


    chances were the person who threw the sketches was the one who was in the living room.


    sweat began pouring on his face.


    his heart started to pound like crazy.


    he cautiously put his hand on the doorknob and twisted it open.


    in his line of sight, there was amelia, sitting on the couch, crossing her legs as she leisurely sipped her tea.


    the sunset light spilled through the balcony.


    amidst the world tinted in fiery orange.


    a chillingly beautiful pair of blue eyes stared at siwoo, sending shivers down his spine.


    ¡°take a seat.¡±


    amelia said to siwoo, who was frozen stiff like a log.


    it was the worst situation possible.


    if it were amelia who found those sketches, she would have interpreted to some extent what the magic circle was created for.


    siwoo felt his mind going blank.


    the plans he had meticulously drawn up until now crumpled before him.


    ¡®i should have concealed it more thoroughly.¡¯


    ¡®but, it has been five years.¡¯


    ¡®no one had ever found out about it in these five years.¡¯


    ¡®maybe she already knew from the start?¡¯


    ¡®watching me acting like a lab rat trying to escape to satisfy her voyeurism tendencies?¡¯


    there was a kipushi¡¯s cherry cake on the table, but he didn¡¯t even glance at it.


    next to the cake was a stack of paper and a pen.


    amelia flipped the paper over.


    there were densely written magic formulas on it.


    she selected one among them and handed the paper to him.


    ¡°try to solve it.¡±


    ¡°ms. associate professor...¡±


    ¡°do it.¡±


    her voice was firm, refusing to humor him with any kind of conversation.


    after hesitating for a while, siwoo reluctantly picked up the pen.

 Chapter 79: Self-Contradiction (4)

    ? self-contradiction (4) ?


    1.


    siwoo¡¯s thoughts went awry.


    amelia knew everything.


    even his last resort to run away from slavery.


    ¡®but, why is she asking me to solve a magic problem in such a situation?¡¯


    ¡°...i understand.¡±


    however, he knew that amelia hated repeating herself.


    before he tried to figure out what was going on inside her head, it was more important to prevent her from getting mad.


    that was why he glanced over the problem in front of him.


    it was a picture of a magic circle, but amelia hadn¡¯t told him what was needed to be solved.


    countless straight lines, curves and arrangements of twelve runic characters messily covered the white paper.


    he carefully visualized the magic circle in his mind by redrawing it through meticulous calculation.


    if there was one remarkable ability siwoo possessed, it was his ability to concentrate, regardless of the situation.


    his previously pounding heart gradually turned tranquil as he concentrated even deeper.


    as he had seen in the ain, the principles and manifestation of a magic circle occurred on a three-dimensional level.


    magic circles were merely a medium for the witches to inscribe or record the three-dimensional magic into two-dimensional form.


    it was similar to how humans turned the abstract phenomenon known as ¡®sound¡¯ into what was known as ¡®musical sheet.¡¯


    and so, siwoo¡¯s mind brought the magic circle drawn on paper into a three-dimensional form.


    what he imagined wasn¡¯t a magic circle drawn on a flat piece of paper.


    but a three-dimensional structure, an intricate mechanical device that slowly rotated in the air. a dodecahedron1it¡¯s a polyhedron with twelve faces. if you don¡¯t know what polyhedron is, it¡¯s a three-dimensional shape with several flat faces, like cubes or prisms for example. with external tangents touching all of its edges.


    once he successfully discerned the magic circle¡¯s form, he continued on the next step, to find out its purpose.


    based on the flow of mana and runic characters, he inferred how this particular magic circle would interact with reality.


    ¡°it¡¯s a formula for mana transmission. the maximum transmission capacity is the volume of the internal connector.¡±


    siwoo said in a calm voice while looking at amelia.


    he was trying his hardest to not let his guard down.


    after all, he still didn¡¯t know what amelia wanted yet.


    ¡°is that all?¡±


    no it wasn¡¯t.


    the formula she gave him wasn¡¯t perfect.


    there was a part of it missing.


    ¡°at its current state, there will be too much mana leakage during transmission. whether the leakage is 50m or 30m, the formula won¡¯t fulfil its intended purpose if we let it be.¡±


    he picked up a pen and wrote some runic characters in three different places.


    ¡°this way we can transmit at least up to 100m without any transmission leaks.¡±


    amelia glanced at the equation that siwoo solved.


    she didn¡¯t give out a big reaction before handing him another problem.


    ¡°try this one too.¡±


    2.


    the magic test came out of nowhere.


    amelia threw problem after problem at siwoo.


    she pretended to be calm as she observed the situation, but inwardly, she couldn¡¯t help but feel amazed.


    in terms of difficulty, the problems she threw at him weren¡¯t the ones that could be considered challenging.


    even the twins could solve them all within a day.


    however, siwoo¡¯s pace on solving each problem was extraordinarily fast.


    after skimming through the problem just a few times, he¡¯d grab his pen and write down his answer.


    in magic, there was no definitive answer.


    even if one was working on the same spell, there could be thousands or even millions of possible answers.


    that was why, the aspects that needed to be judged from the answer were how effective and logical the answer was.


    however, even under amelia¡¯s strict standards, siwoo¡¯s answers were accurate and logical.


    if amelia were the one who was solving the problem under the same amount of time, she would probably write similar answers to his.


    this made her certain.


    it wasn¡¯t a coincidence that siwoo completed his self-essence magic. she also knew that he hadn¡¯t received anyone¡¯s help.


    he was just that skilled.


    finally, all the problems that amelia had prepared were solved.


    all of them were finished in a little more than three hours.


    ¡°...¡±


    amelia checked his answer to the last problem.


    the problem revolved around attempting to gauge the complete structure of a barrier formula using a partial observation.


    the difficulty level of the problem increased as they went further, so this problem was at a level that even the twins would find it hard to solve.


    however, siwoo managed to find an answer to the problem in fifteen minutes.


    the moment siwoo handed his last answer to amelia, he felt a burning thirst.


    his stomach felt like it had swallowed hot coals.


    even the soft couch felt like a bed of thorns to him.


    ¡®why is she acting like this?¡¯


    ¡®if she found my magic circle sketches, she could just order me to stop my research.¡¯


    ¡®she could also confiscate the sketches and send me to the labor camp.¡¯


    ¡®i can¡¯t think of anything, there¡¯s too little information.¡¯


    siwoo couldn¡¯t understand why amelia was doing this.


    when he snapped out of his thoughts, her beautiful eyes were staring at him.


    her gaze was so intimidating that it was hard to believe that she was the same person who he caught doing something stupid this morning.


    ¡°ms. amelia.¡±


    ¡°speak.¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s something i haven¡¯t told you yet. it¡¯s related to countess gemini...¡±


    amelia averted her gaze, either because she was trying to say that she didn¡¯t want to hear his words any further or because she was distracted by something.


    ¡°i rejected their offer.¡±


    ¡°sorry?¡±


    she then turned her gaze toward siwoo again as she gave out her reply.


    her gaze was strong and daring. its intensity matched the phrase ¡®staring daggers¡¯ well.


    ¡°this morning, countess gemini came to visit me and offered me the proposal to transfer your ownership to them, assistant siwoo.¡±


    ¡°and you refused their offer...?¡±


    ¡°correct.¡±


    countess gemini said that they would prepare a gift that amelia would accept as a compensation.


    considering the gesture of courtesy they had shown to siwoo, it was unlikely that they were telling him an empty promise.


    that meant amelia had refused their gift. but, why? for what reason?


    ¡°...may i ask why?¡±


    this time, it was amelia¡¯s thoughts that were in turmoil.


    she already formulated her answer while he was still asleep, but now that she was facing him, her tongue turned weak as she hesitated to answer his question.


    ¡°because you¡¯re still useful as an assistant.¡±


    amelia said dismissively, like a child trying to come up with a reasonable excuse to protect something that they didn¡¯t want to be taken away.


    that line was the only thing she could come up with.


    ¡®a useful assistant?¡¯


    if she refused the countess¡¯ offer for such a reason, that meant she had already discovered the sketches before their meeting this morning.


    siwoo¡¯s expression stiffened.


    seeing his expression, amelia hastily added an excuse to emphasize her point.


    it wasn¡¯t like amelia was unaware of his desire to leave gehenna.


    she could tell from his research how much he wanted to leave. not to mention that when he was in the perfect opportunity to get whatever it was that he desired, he still chose to leave gehenna.


    that was why amelia quickly made up an excuse.


    to persuade him to follow her decision.


    ¡°of course, i know what it is that you want, assistant siwoo.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°but i can¡¯t grant that request for you. your talent in magic is exceptional. a slave achieving such a level of magic proficiency entirely through self-study is unprecedented. letting that kind of talent to rot as a slave would be a huge waste.¡±


    amelia took a deep breath.


    then she slowly recited the words she had prepared and memorized in advance.


    ¡°so from now on, i¡¯ll personally guide you in your studies of magic. you will no longer be a slave. i¡¯ll welcome you as a member of the marigold family.¡±


    siwoo felt a sudden surge of anger.


    ¡®is she telling me to give up and forget about my goal just because she wants to teach a lowly slave like me magic? she thought bestowing me with a noble status would be enough?¡¯


    amelia continued her words with a gentle tone, focusing only on what she wanted to say, as if she hadn¡¯t noticed siwoo¡¯s state.


    ¡°shin siwoo, you belong to me.¡±


    siwoo bowed his head deeply after hearing her words.


    ¡°i can¡¯t tolerate you leaving my jurisdiction without permission. therefore, i will take appropriate measures regarding your unauthorized escape plan.¡±


    that meant, not only siwoo was unable to run to the modern world by using the countess¡¯ favor, he was also unable to leave using his magic circle because amelia had discovered its purpose.


    furthermore, she also declared that she wouldn¡¯t let him make another plan to escape in the future.


    it was as if the whole world had collapsed.


    siwoo felt that everything didn¡¯t matter anymore.


    ¡°...¡±


    amelia glanced at siwoo, who remained silent.


    she felt nervous.


    it was obvious that his condition didn¡¯t look very good.


    though he didn¡¯t say anything.


    his eyes were empty and devoid of emotion.


    he didn¡¯t react in any meaningful ways.


    ¡°from now on, you¡¯ll live in a favorable environment. you can request any materials that you like from the academy by using my name, the same goes with any experimental tools that you need. meals, desserts, cigarettes, clothes, anything you desire, just ask me for it, you don¡¯t need to hold back, i will provide them all for you.¡±


    amelia believed those conditions would be enough to convince him.


    exquisite meals.


    sweet desserts.


    freedom from slavery.


    cigarettes and clothes he liked.


    furthermore, though he was a man, he had the chance to walk the path of magic with dignity. there was no reason for him to miss out on the golden opportunity to directly receive guidance from the ¡®baroness.¡¯


    he only needed to sacrifice a little bit of his freedom.


    after hearing his response, amelia also planned to discuss other matters.


    she wanted to make a proper apology for the pain he had to endure due to her pettiness and compensate him appropriately.


    the disparity in perception regarding social status.


    differences in living conditions.


    and amelia¡¯s immature interpersonal skills.


    those three things were already causing fatal discordance between them.


    but amelia hadn¡¯t noticed it yet.


    she was running with all her might, believing the frozen lake beneath her was solid ground.


    ¡°haha...¡±


    siwoo let out a bitter laugh.


    it was an impolite action that clearly expressed his discomfort and disbelief.


    seeing this, amelia raised her brow in confusion.


    ¡°shin siwoo?¡±


    siwoo continued to laugh.


    he couldn¡¯t suppress it anymore.


    she thought that she could act all high and mighty to him just because she had treated him well for a few days. as if all the years she had been torturing him was a lie. that was how ridiculous amelia¡¯s words were to siwoo.


    ¡°seriously, i tried to endure everything and let it all go, but i can¡¯t.¡±


    his five years of longing turned into ashes.


    he felt a burning flame in his chest as he was given something that he didn¡¯t even want. it was given to him like an act of kindness despite the other party being someone he resented.


    an unbearable sorrow and resentment overwhelmed him.


    ¡°you¡¯re a bitch down to the core, huh?¡±


    ¡®bitch?¡¯


    amelia realized that the crude remark was directed at her and promptly froze in place.


    ¡°have i ever asked you to do anything for me? did i tell you to pay me with minimum wage to make up for all the delayed wages all these years? do you really think that you¡¯re granting my wish right now?¡±


    ¡°w-what are you talking about...?¡±


    ¡°i never wanted to do all this, but i got dragged along under your feet like a dog for five years. i have things i want to do, things i need to do... i want to see my parents...! damn it! even those bastards in the military let their lowly dogs go on vacation to visit their families, but you... you damn bitch!¡±


    amelia abruptly stood up from her seat, her face turned pale.


    she never imagined such words would come out of his mouth.


    ¡°w-what are you saying...? are you out of your mind?¡±


    her head grew dizzy as she stumbled to find the words to say.


    she slowly realized the unbearable amount of humiliation she received and her anger built up for a moment.


    but then, she saw it.


    the sight of siwoo shedding his tears sorrowfully.


    his eyes burned with hatred so intense that she could see clearly.


    ¡°are you relieved now that you¡¯ve crushed even my last hope? well, if your goal is to make me suffer then, congratulations.¡±


    he didn¡¯t scream.


    he didn¡¯t even raise his voice.


    however, the resentment in his voice was so deep that it intimidated her.


    ¡°what the hell do you want from me, really? assistant? there are plenty of other witches who can fulfil that role. you¡¯re a capable witch, there should be a lot of them who would beg you to guide them. and yet you ignored them and chose to torment me instead...¡±


    ¡°shin siwoo, i understand that you¡¯re upset right now, but...¡±


    ¡°answer me. what is it that you want from me that you chose to torment me like this?¡±


    siwoo got up from his seat and walked toward amelia as if he was about to pounce on her.


    he was just a normal human, someone she could easily blow away with a single spell.


    however, it was the first time that amelia witnessed such intense anger and fury.


    the disdain and contempt in his scornful gaze turned amelia into a helpless girl, unable to do anything.


    she couldn¡¯t even think of a spell to cast, only taking a step back to run away from him.


    ¡°if it¡¯s about me hurting your pathetic pride five years ago, then i¡¯m sorry. but, if you¡¯re going to keep tormenting me with nonsensical excuses like this, i¡¯d rather you kill me right now instead.¡±


    before she realized it, amelia¡¯s back had touched the door and she couldn¡¯t take another step backward.


    there was fear, confusion and bewilderment in her face as she was unable to process what was happening right now.


    her body was trapped under siwoo¡¯s shadow.


    ¡°answer me!¡±


    ¡°eek...!¡±


    finally, siwoo¡¯s screaming voice entered her ears. she opened the door with desperation and ran away without looking back.


    footnotes:


    1it¡¯s a polyhedron with twelve faces. if you don¡¯t know what polyhedron is, it¡¯s a three-dimensional shape with several flat faces, like cubes or prisms for example.

 Chapter 80: Uninvited Guest (1)

    ? uninvited guest (1) ?


    1.


    ¡°haah...! haah...!¡±


    a breeze bruised past amelia¡¯s ear.


    her rushing footsteps, without any particular destination in mind, eventually stumbled upon a rock.


    in that moment, her autonomous defense magic kicked in, shattered the rock and turned it into dust. but, because she was running at high speed, she fell down.


    amelia¡¯s body rolled down the steep path.


    she wasn¡¯t injured, but her whole body became covered in dirt.


    from her elegant and silky hair to the delicate hem of her dress.


    she lifted herself up from the ground.


    siwoo¡¯s terrifying expression still lingered inside her mind like a ghost.


    ¡®are you relieved now that you¡¯ve crushed even my last hope? well, if your goal is to make me suffer then, congratulations.¡¯


    ¡®what the hell do you want from me?¡¯


    ¡®if it¡¯s about me hurting your pathetic pride five years ago, then i¡¯m sorry. but, if you¡¯re going to keep tormenting me with nonsensical excuses like this, i¡¯d rather you kill me right now instead.¡¯


    he expressed his anger without holding anything back.


    in an expression she had never seen before, in a tone and voice she had never heard before.


    his gaze was filled with resentment and hatred.


    amelia was so overwhelmed by it and ended up fleeing the scene.


    ¡°ugh...¡±


    she felt a sharp pain in her chest.


    before she realized it, her hand was clutching her clothes tightly.


    it was like a heavy weight had fallen upon her.


    no words came out of her mouth. her thoughts filled with her desire to escape and hide.


    siwoo¡¯s actions were a clear act of disrespect.


    not only did he raise his voice in front of the witch, he also swore and showed signs of violence.


    it was absolutely unforgivable behavior.


    ¡°how dare... a mere slave...¡±


    if only by spitting out such words she could untie the tangled emotions at the bottom of her heart.


    she quickly realized the truth after pondering the meaning of the words she just uttered with such difficulty.


    those words were meaningless.


    despite how much she wanted to snap back at him, venting her frustration over his rudeness...


    she couldn¡¯t bear to do it.


    each time, his gaze came to her mind.


    his eyes, filled with anger and moistened with tears.


    he was crying.


    even amelia could understand that his tears were born from his anger, resentment and sorrow.


    normally, she wouldn¡¯t be bothered much even if someone were to show her their resentment.


    she wasn¡¯t one to care about what others think about her.


    but, siwoo was different.


    ¡®were you that angry at me?¡¯


    ¡®did you really hate me that much?¡¯


    it was too difficult for her to accept the fact that she herself was the cause of his anger and the target of his deep resentment.


    ¡°master...¡±


    amelia brushed off the dirt from her clothes as she stood up.


    white particles began to swirl around her and enveloped her surroundings.


    she missed her master.


    she wanted to leave everything behind and run.


    then, her body disappeared in an instant, leaving behind the autumn wind.


    2.


    ¡°hey, i¡¯m not done talking yet!¡±


    when amelia started to run away, siwoo chased after her.


    however, her mana enhanced footsteps were so fast that she disappeared from his sight in less than 10 seconds.


    with his final flicker of hope extinguished, siwoo¡¯s eyes were filled with despair as he entered amelia¡¯s room.


    ¡°fuck! i endured everything for five years, but the moment i spoke a little about my grudge, she threw a fucking fit!¡±


    in her room was a display of expensive-looking whiskey bottles.


    he took one of them and poured the content into his mouth as he tried to release his frustration.


    this was no different than him ransacking a witch¡¯s belongings, but he was already at the point of no return.


    since he had already lashed out at her, the possibility of amelia forgiving him was infinitely slim.


    there was no way someone as prideful as amelia would forgive a slave who insulted her right to her face.


    the probability of it happening was lower than takasho turning into a girl to suck his dick.


    nevertheless, he felt somewhat relieved.


    ¡®if there¡¯s one thing that i regret, it¡¯s that i couldn¡¯t curse at her more before she ran away.¡¯


    after all the torments he had to go through because of her, she had the audacity to run away as soon as she heard him insulting her. such cowardice was something that siwoo couldn¡¯t appreciate.


    nevertheless, she¡¯d return eventually.


    ¡®maybe i¡¯ll be demoted to a slave under the city hall again to pay the price for my rudeness to her.¡¯


    ¡®then, i¡¯ll end up being sold to a wicked witch and die.¡¯


    ¡°fucking bitch.¡±


    siwoo poured almost half of the whiskey down his throat, but not before he gagged twice or thrice.


    the alcohol was strong.


    his anger fused with the alcohol that entered his system, making it practically impossible for him to return to sobriety.


    as he pondered how to give amelia a taste of her own medicine since he was going to die anyway, he found some of her research materials on her table.


    ¡®it isn¡¯t much compared to what she had done, but she¡¯ll definitely be pissed off if i were to throw those papers away, won¡¯t she?¡¯


    ¡°fuck off, you bitch, let me bless your precious research materials with my glorious urine.¡±


    siwoo, who was pulling down his pants so that he could pee on the stack of papers, barely managed to stop himself with his dick still sticking out.


    ¡°...let¡¯s just stop.¡±


    still, as a scholar himself, there was a moral code that he didn¡¯t want to cross.


    after all that happened, that wicked witch amelia still refrained from confiscating siwoo¡¯s research paper.


    if she had planned to do so, she would have disposed it white siwoo was still sleeping.


    there was no need for her to spread the paper around his bed.


    however, that didn¡¯t mean he would forgive her.


    he made an oath to god.


    when amelia returned, he would smash her head with the whiskey bottle, no matter what the consequences were.


    ¡°amelia, you fucking bitch... stupid blonde-haired cunt...! i bet even the hair on your pussy is as thorny as your heart is!¡±


    siwoo plopped down on the table as he unleashed a torrent of curses at amelia.


    even after he downed half a bottle of whiskey, somehow his mind was still clear.


    it was then that he realized his anger had overcome the effect of the alcohol.


    ¡°fuck, i don¡¯t need that kind of realization...¡±


    as siwoo let out a deep sigh, his attention was caught by a piece of paper.


    it wasn¡¯t a part of amelia¡¯s research material.


    the paper was filled with dense lines of texts, its corner was peeking out from under the pile of other papers.


    ¡°...¡±


    he pulled on that corner to see its contents.


    on it, there were various traces of words being erased and changed.


    some parts of the words were crossed out with two lines while others were so scribbled that it was impossible to read them.


    ¡°she did the same damn thing again...¡±


    at the end of his venomous words, there was a hint of shock in his voice.


    the reason was because of the words written on the paper.


    although it seemed to be hastily written, their purpose was clear.


    it was to rehearse the words that she wanted to say to siwoo.


    everything was written in great detail from her plan to compensate him to her plan for the future. she even wrote down some responses if he were to reject her offer.


    the responses she wrote were based on his possible reactions.


    moreover, there were several sentences at the top of the paper that were crossed with a big x.


    ¡®i sincerely apologize for all the torment i¡¯ve put you through.¡¯


    along with several strokes crossing out the other lines, underneath those words were...


    ¡®it was an administrative mistake that arranged you to live at the barn. i didn¡¯t mean to make you live there. i¡¯m truly sorry for that as well. i¡¯ll compensate you...¡¯


    more strokes crossed out the words next to that line...


    after numerous revisions, a single sentence was firmly written on the paper.


    ¡®i deeply apologize.¡¯


    this time, there were no strokes or cross marks on the sentence.


    siwoo put the paper back to its original place, as if he hadn¡¯t seen anything.


    ¡°fuck, i hate this kind of thing.¡±


    his mind suddenly became complicated.


    it felt like he was watching a superhero movie that tried too hard to include adults as its target.


    after the hero defeated the villain, it turned out that the villain wasn¡¯t a bad guy, he was just forced to be one because of the circumstances...


    exactly the kind of movie that pissed off viewers because they forcibly inserted those inexplicable reasons.


    of course, that didn¡¯t mean his anger toward her had subsided.


    he was just surprised.


    in his mind, amelia was like a knife, sharp and edgy.


    to others, they always thought that she was a perfect being.


    to siwoo, she was cold-blooded, shameless and above all, she seemed like someone who wouldn¡¯t flinch even if you stabbed her with a needle.


    ¡®looking at the note, she seems like an extremely introverted girl who wrote down all the things she wanted to say before going outside to talk to other people. she even wrote down specific instructions on how to handle certain situations during her talk.¡¯


    however, that alone didn¡¯t mean that all amelia¡¯s sins were absolved.


    the torment she inflicted on siwoo was deliberate and a piece of paper wasn¡¯t enough to make him forgive her.


    and, even if she genuinely regretted her actions, it didn¡¯t matter in the end.


    after all, siwoo still ended up suffering as the victim in this case.


    ¡°if that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t it make sense for her to apologize first?¡±


    ¡®it would have been easier for her if she were to apologize first instead of spouting nonsense about taking me on as her disciple.¡¯


    after some contemplation, siwoo realized something.


    since amelia couldn¡¯t be stupid enough to not understand that.


    ¡®it means there¡¯s another issue, that damn pathetic pride of hers.¡¯


    unable to overcome her own pride, she hesitated and tried to beat around the bush until siwoo ended up exploding in anger.


    ¡°that means it isn¡¯t my fault.¡±


    even saying those words left him a bitter taste.


    siwoo tidied up amelia¡¯s table, which he had previously messed up, and walked out of the room.


    he decided to meet up with takasho first.


    ¡®i don¡¯t know what will happen next, but i should at least bid my only friend goodbye first.¡¯


    since he didn¡¯t want to come empty-handed, he twisted open another bottle of whiskey from amelia¡¯s stash and walked down to the dimly lit hallway.


    the hallway felt eerie for some reason.


    suddenly, he noticed a small table tucked away in a corner.


    it was the place where amelia offered him cakes and cigarettes out of nowhere.


    even until now, he didn¡¯t understand why she did that.


    ¡®maybe she wanted to apologize to me?¡¯


    ¡°no way.¡±


    amelia really was someone whose actions were unpredictable to him.


    -knock, knock, knock.


    suddenly there was a knocking sound.


    it wasn¡¯t a sound of someone twisting the doorknob, but someone lightly tapping on the door with their hand.


    ¡®who?¡¯


    confused, siwoo contemplated whether he should open the door or not.


    since the person came to look for amelia at this hour, they should be most likely either a witch or one of her guests.


    after everything that happened, siwoo¡¯s position became ambiguous. he didn¡¯t even know whether it was okay or not for him to receive her guests.


    but, he didn¡¯t have to contemplate for long.


    the door wasn¡¯t locked in the first place, so the person who knocked had opened it without waiting for permission.


    moonlight seeped through the gap in the now-open door.


    as expected, the person who stepped into the mansion under the dazzling light was a woman.


    ¡°hello.¡±


    the slender, short-haired woman took off her gloves and greeted him with an elegant and noble gesture.


    her black hair was neatly styled.


    the slit in her blood red eyes made them look like a pair of cat eyes.


    despite that, it didn¡¯t blemish their beauty. it glimmered like a ruby, albeit a cursed ruby would be a more appropriate expression.


    a curse that would bring destruction to the unlucky person who held it in their hands.


    siwoo felt a shiver running down his spine.


    he didn¡¯t know why.


    but, his instincts were screaming at him that the person in front of him was dangerous.


    ¡°is baroness marigold home?¡±


    the witch¡¯s voice, accompanied with a soft giggle, echoed through the hallway.

 Chapter 81: Uninvited Guest (2)

    ? uninvited guest (2) ?


    1.


    just like all the witches siwoo had seen.


    the appearance of the uninvited guest before him was as beautiful as a painting.


    her dress, made from pitch-black fabric, clung gracefully to her body, as if it was created exclusively for her.


    it was hard to believe that her crimson eyes were that of a human¡¯s. her lips exuded a seductive aura.


    her hair, falling just below her shoulders, evoked the image of a deathly flower, perhaps due to her slender body line.


    ¡®it¡¯s just like...¡¯


    ¡®the higanbana...¡¯


    the flower that bloomed at the bank of the river that ran through the underworld.


    siwoo felt a shiver run down his spine.


    what was reflected in her eyes when she calmly interacted with him wasn¡¯t a form of respect one would show toward another human being.


    it was an indifferent gaze, as if she was looking at a worm incapable of communication. though, she probably hadn¡¯t realized it herself.


    even her excessively sweet tone felt incredibly nauseating.


    no witch he had encountered so far had this kind of gaze toward another human.


    what he felt from her was an instinctual fear that one could feel from facing a natural predator.


    that fear overcame the effects of the alcohol he just consumed. the sense of crisis he felt dragged his consciousness to sobriety.


    though he still didn¡¯t know the reason why he felt this unsettled, he lowered his head anyway, before carefully asking.


    ¡°my name is shin siwoo, an exclusive slave of the baroness. have you made an appointment in advance? would it be okay for me to inquire what kind of relationship you two have?¡±


    ¡°unfortunately, i made no such appointment. and as for what kind of relationship we have... let¡¯s just say that we¡¯re friends.¡±


    the atmosphere she exuded and the way she answered his question made siwoo heightened his guard.


    ¡®with that shitty personality of hers, amelia only has sophia as a friend.¡¯


    ¡®since that¡¯s the case, why is this witch referring to herself as amelia¡¯s friend? what¡¯s her purpose for coming here anyway?¡¯


    siwoo let out a slight smile.


    ¡°ms. amelia is currently out for a moment, but she should return soon. shall i escort you to the reception room first?¡±


    in any case, he had to buy time for himself first and foremost.


    that was what his instinct told him to do.


    after all, he couldn¡¯t exactly ignore the chill that he had been feeling.


    ¡°is that so?¡±


    in response to siwoo¡¯s words, the witch replied with an elegant smile and followed behind him with her heels clicking rhythmically.


    siwoo caught sight of the expression on her face through a glass door.


    if a male-devouring monster existed in this world, then they would look exactly like this woman.


    the mole under her left eye exuded such seductiveness that made him want to undress to see what might lie beneath her black dress.


    ¡®beautiful¡¯ wasn¡¯t enough to describe her.


    ¡®but, what¡¯s with this uncomfortable feeling?¡¯


    ¡®something just feels terribly wrong...¡¯


    there was something about the heavy air this witch exuded.


    it clung to his lung and made it difficult for him to breathe. it was as if he was breathing on a humid summer day.


    because it was a place to receive guests, the reception room was the most decorated part of the mansion.


    after guiding her to a table covered in a white cloth, siwoo pulled out a chair for her to sit on.


    ¡°please wait for a moment. i will prepare tea for you to drink.¡±


    he would use that chance to escape.


    back in his room, there was a music box under his bed.


    if he were to activate it, he could block her senses before escaping through the window.


    his relationship with amelia had already been ruined beyond repair anyway.


    there was no need for him to wait for amelia to come back while stupidly entertaining her guest. not to mention that said guest was a potentially dangerous individual.


    ¡°it¡¯d be too lonely if i were to wait here by myself, don¡¯t you think? why don¡¯t you have a seat with me?¡±


    as siwoo pondered on how to respond so that he could deceive her and make a smooth escape, the witch sent him a whisper.


    with an overly seductive and sweet tone.


    ¡°please, for me?¡±


    ¡°excuse me.¡±


    left with no other choice, siwoo pulled out the chair beside her and sat down.


    he tried to control his expression to the best he could, trying to make things less awkward between them.


    ¡°it¡¯s an honor to be able to accompany you.¡±


    ¡°do you know who i am?¡±


    ¡°i apologize, i¡¯m but a humble slave and my knowledge is limited. would it be acceptable for me to inquire about your identity?¡±


    ¡°ea sadalmelik1sadalmelik, or alpha aquarii, is one of the stars located in the aquarius constellation..¡±


    ¡°a beautiful name, befits of a noble like you.¡±


    ea covered her mouth with a playful gesture as she chuckled at siwoo¡¯s attempt to flatter her.


    ¡°what about you? what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°my name is shin siwoo.¡±


    feeling that the atmosphere wasn¡¯t turning unpleasant, siwoo let out a sigh of relief.


    in truth, he was worried that he might have overdone it a little when he talked to her.


    however, judging by the flow of the conversation, it seemed like he had handled it well.


    ¡°it seems like the baroness won¡¯t be returning any time soon.¡±


    ¡°indeed...¡±


    considering how she rushed off so hastily.


    it didn¡¯t seem like amelia would come back soon.


    even after contemplating it, siwoo couldn¡¯t understand the reason why she had fled.


    if he was in her shoes, he would have definitely disposed of himself right there and then without any hesitation.


    with an intrigued expression on her face, ea scrutinized every inch of siwoo¡¯s face.


    she licked her lips before opening her mouth to speak.


    ¡°i hate waiting in boredom... why don¡¯t we have some fun to kill time?¡±


    a thick and dense scent permeated through the air.


    it was as if the wind had intentionally shifted direction to fill siwoo¡¯s nose with her subtle, yet distinct feminine fragrance.


    ¡°can i know what do you mean by ¡®having fun?¡¯¡±


    ¡°i have a very bad habit. it¡¯s an embarrassing habit, a flaw that i can¡¯t speak of confidently in front of others because it¡¯s so improper and shameful.¡±


    ¡®huh, seriously?¡¯


    siwoo¡¯s poker face faltered a little.


    from her tone, it sounded like she was flirting with him.


    it was subtle enough that she still looked elegant while doing so, though.


    showing her an ambiguous smile, siwoo quietly listened to her words.


    ea, who had been resting her chin on her hand, extended her delicate hand and gently took siwoo¡¯s.


    ¡°um...¡±


    guided by her soft and slender fingers, she brought one of his fingers near her lips as she playfully nibbled on it.


    ¡°whenever i indulge in a secret affair, i have to expose that flaw to the other person. it¡¯s honestly quite an embarrassing thing to do.¡±


    siwoo hesitated. unsure whether to withdraw his hand or not.


    he hadn¡¯t paid it much attention until now, but this woman exuded such an alluring atmosphere that he inadvertently swallowed his saliva.


    ¡°can you guess what my bad habit is?¡±


    ¡°no, i can¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°is that so?¡±


    this time, ea slightly parted her lips before gently touching siwoo¡¯s fingertip with her tongue.


    it wrapped around his fingertip surprisingly quickly.


    up until today, siwoo had never known that someone¡¯s tongue could move so delicately yet so quickly like this.


    ¡°u-uhh...!¡±


    when he tried to resist this terrifying witch, she stuffed his fingers into her mouth.


    ¡®she doesn¡¯t show any shame even after doing all this...¡¯


    with a playful smile, she started sucking on two of her fingers with her lips while licking them intensely with her tongue.


    it was as if she was sucking on his dick.


    however, despite this arousing situation, his cock didn¡¯t even move.


    rather than getting aroused, siwoo was just scared to death.


    ¡°my bad habit is... i keep wanting to steal another woman¡¯s man. oh, i feel so embarrassed now...¡±


    ¡®what the hell is this nutcase saying?¡¯


    ea let out a smirk as she cupped both her cheeks with her hands. a blissful smile as if she was melting from pleasure spread across her face not soon after.


    siwoo¡¯s statistical assessment was correct. witches like ea were likely to be either a nutcase or batshit crazy.


    even if siwoo¡¯s status was nothing more than a slave, what ea was trying to do was considered a taboo.


    it was like a man trying to spend a night with an emperor¡¯s cherished concubine.


    proposing such nonsense when amelia might return at any given moment was a clear proof of her insanity.


    ¡®wait, is she even a proper guest to begin with?¡¯


    first, she lied about being friends with the clearly friendless amelia, then she openly declared that she was into ntr...


    not to mention the suffocating atmosphere he had been feeling for a while.


    her sweet scent reminded him of a carnivorous plant that exuded its fragrance to ensnare the insects around it.


    ¡°don¡¯t you like me? are you maybe thinking about your master?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m just feeling lost at this undeserved attention being directed at me.¡±


    ¡°c¡¯mon, tell me. are you thinking about marigold right now?¡±


    ea seemed to be extremely excited for some reason.


    she leaned in closer to siwoo, half of her buttocks were already off the chair as she positioned her face just a few inches closer from his.


    siwoo¡¯s dilated pupils were reflected in ea¡¯s blood-red eyes.


    ¡°honestly, i can¡¯t blame you for thinking about her.¡±


    ¡®is it even something you can blame me for?¡¯


    her words confused him, but he just obediently nodded his head.


    though, he wasn¡¯t sure that he could get away with lying right to her face when their eyes were locked to each other like this.


    ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°what part of her are you thinking about? her voice? face? or possibly, her naked body?¡±


    ea started speaking rapidly, clearly excited, while siwoo was startled by her change.


    he really couldn¡¯t understand where all her excitement came from.


    however, it wasn¡¯t like he could just tell her that all he could think about amelia was his hatred toward her.


    ¡°i think you misunderstood something... the relationship between ms. marigold and i are merely that of an associate professor and her exclusive slave.¡±


    ¡°oh, is that so?¡±


    hearing that answer, ea¡¯s excitement waned and she leaned back against the backrest of her chair.


    she had no intention to hide her loss of interest to him.


    ¡°what a shame. it would have been better if there¡¯s something deeper going on between you and her.¡±


    ¡°i apologize for not meeting your expectations.¡±


    in any case, he wanted to gradually distance himself from her.


    he felt like there might be sparks flying for no reason just by being next to her. if possible, he didn¡¯t want to be by her side at all.


    his instincts were telling him.


    that this witch was dangerous.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    at that moment, siwoo happened to notice something and stopped in his tracks.


    on the edge of her dress, there were intricate black laces made by twisting fabric. it formed a certain pattern.


    at first, he thought it was either something like flowers or vines.


    but after seeing it closely, the pattern resembled a water jug.


    it depicted water pouring out of the jug. the fact that he couldn¡¯t tell such an unnatural pattern showed exactly how skilled the weaving techniques used for the dress was.


    at that moment, two words came to his mind.


    ¡®an exile.¡¯


    in truth, he considered this possibility because of her distinctive aura.


    however, it was hard for him to imagine that an exile would boldly visit amelia¡¯s house, so he buried that possibility deep into his thoughts.


    siwoo remembered what sophia had said on the night when amelia was almost kidnapped.


    back then, she referred to the mastermind behind that incident as the ¡®witch of aquarius.¡¯


    and right before him stood a woman exuding an ominous aura while wearing a dress adorned with lace patterns resembling a water jug.


    this couldn¡¯t be a mere coincidence.


    siwoo had been planning to run away from her and now his desire to run away became stronger.


    he had to run quickly.


    sure, he might have put his life on line when he confronted amelia just a moment ago, but he wasn¡¯t inclined to sit still in a life-threatening situation like this.


    moreover, he still had more swear words to say to amelia, so he couldn¡¯t afford to die yet.


    without changing his expression, siwoo leisurely stood up from his seat.


    ¡°the baroness might take a while longer to be back, so let me bring out some fine whiskey for you. please don¡¯t let me embarrass myself by not being able to serve an esteemed guest like you.¡±


    the witch of aquarius, who was wearing a faint smile, gently places her chin on top of her clasped hands without uttering a single word.


    siwoo glanced at her calmly and started to make his way out of the reception room.


    -woong!


    then, he felt a dull vibration from behind.


    siwoo was familiar with that sensation, he could immediately tell what it was.


    a unique phenomenon that emerged when someone moved the mana around them.


    ¡°you sensed it, huh?¡±


    in an instant, magical waves flowed from the witch¡¯s cat-like pupils.


    behind her back were several layers of fluttering black ribbons-like objects.


    siwoo could sense an overwhelmingly high concentration of mana, it felt like it could take a chunk of a mountain just by grazing it.


    his thoughts moved quickly.


    if a witch bothered to go out of her way to confront someone who was ranked 22nd in the hierarchy, that meant she was confident that she was at least a match for the latter.


    siwoo could tell that she didn¡¯t bring out those black ribbons out of good intentions.


    ¡°fuck.¡±


    run.


    it was time to escape.


    footnotes:


    1sadalmelik, or alpha aquarii, is one of the stars located in the aquarius constellation.

 Chapter 82: Uninvited Guest (3)

    ? uninvited guest (3) ?


    1.


    a black ribbon swayed in the wind.


    like its sinister color, it maliciously wrapped itself around siwoo.


    as if it was a net capturing a fleeing bird.


    instinctively, siwoo tried to decipher the rule behind it as he looked at the part of the ribbon that was blocking the door out of the reception room.


    magic was an intricate field of study.


    regardless of the purpose of the spell, there were certain rules and principles that needed to be followed.


    what siwoo sensed upon casting his eyes on it was the waves of radiating mana.


    the sequential waves descended from top to bottom, signified that this ribbon would be blocking the door from above to below.


    ¡°fuck!¡±


    siwoo¡¯s body slid down as if he was attempting a baseball slide.


    it was a close call.


    but his attempt at making a dramatic escape succeeded. he watched the ribbon pass over his head.


    he hastily got back on his feet before looking behind him, to see that the ribbon had completely covered the door he just passed.


    if he had hesitated even slightly, he would have been captured without any chance of escaping.


    a crazy witch obsessed with magic.


    infamous for her heartlessness and lack of emotion, an exile.


    the moment he got caught by her, it was clear what kind of fate would befall him.


    siwoo sprinted through the central staircase and dashed into his room without a second thought.


    it was impossible to escape from a witch without revealing his magic.


    on his bed, there was a high-grade bottle of mana water and ten vials of concentrated mana that was given to him by the twins.


    it might be difficult to outrun that wicked witch even if he were to use ¡®water lizard strides¡¯, but it was still better than trying to do it by foot.


    besides, that exile wouldn¡¯t even imagine that a mere slave like him could use magic.


    ¡®if i can take advantage of that carelessness, get to the music box and successfully activate it, i should be able to get enough time to ask help from the surroundings.¡¯


    ¡°why now of all times...!¡±


    there was no way that the exile would come to seek amelia for a decent reason.


    not to mention that she was already involved in amelia¡¯s kidnapping incident.


    if only amelia met her by accident on her way out, he could enjoy an epic magic battle while clapping his hands on the side.


    after all, no matter how strong ea was, amelia herself was a highly experienced witch.


    ¡°i¡¯m screwed... fuck!¡±


    panting heavily, siwoo rummaged beneath his bed.


    he could hear footsteps gradually getting closer.


    as he expected, she didn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry.


    like a cat toying with its prey, she spent her hunting time leisurely.


    he nearly overturned the bed as he retrieved the items he needed.


    the twins gave him a lot of things, so he couldn¡¯t just take everything with him. so, he only took the cloak with powerful enhancement on it, the music box and the mana water.


    at that moment, the curtains swayed like skirt being blown up by the wind.


    ¡®did i leave the window open?¡¯


    but there was no time to dwell on that trivial doubt.


    ¡°ta-da!¡±


    ¡°we came to visit you secretly again tonight, mr. assistant!¡±


    if there were people who¡¯d jump through his window in the middle of the night.


    they would be the twins who thought that they could enjoy a secret rendezvous with him tonight as well.


    siwoo felt his head becoming dizzy.


    it felt like a fire broke out in the apartment while he was sleeping, but when he was running away from the fire, he suddenly remembered that he had left his cat behind.


    ¡®why do they have to come tonight?¡¯


    while the twins probably just wanted to enjoy their time hanging out with siwoo, unfortunately for them, this was the worst time possible to visit him.


    ¡°ms. odile, ms. odette, listen to me. we¡¯re fucked. originally, it was just me who was fucked, but now you two are also fucked. c¡¯mon, let¡¯s run away quickly!¡±


    ¡°w-what? did ms. professor find out about everything?¡±


    ¡°i thought i turned on the music box properly!¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not about that...!¡±


    in hindsight, it would be better if it was amelia who was chasing him right now.


    it wasn¡¯t unusual for an exile to kill an apprentice witch and take their ¡®bowl¡¯ away.


    ¡®at this rate, the twins will get caught in this...¡¯


    siwoo¡¯s reaction left the twins bewildered.


    his gesture and manner of speaking gave off the feeling as if he was getting chased by a ferocious tiger.


    ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s no time to explain! we need to run away now!¡±


    because of their momentary hesitation, ea managed to catch up to them.


    the ribbons on her back still fluttered like wings.


    ¡°do you really need to run away? i just wanted to talk... now i feel heartbroken.¡±


    ea entered the room while humming a tune. her pupils narrowed slightly.


    her eyes caught the sight of two apprentice witches who clearly had a ¡®youthful¡¯ atmosphere surrounding them.


    the corners of her mouth formed a crescent-moon shape in response to her unexpected stroke of luck.


    she licked her lips like someone discovering delicious sweets at a buy 1 get 2 free promotion event.


    ¡°i¡¯ve been a good girl lately it seems. i was supposed to taste just a single slave, but now i got to taste two apprentice witches too.¡±


    siwoo¡¯s pale face.


    a witch they had never seen before.


    the magic behind her, that seemed to brim with malice.


    not to mention that she was talking about killing, a taboo act in gehenna.


    at that moment, the twins finally realized the gravity of the situation.


    ¡°c-could it be...? a-an exile?¡±


    ¡°correct~¡±


    there was no precedent to its movement.


    a single strand of black ribbon that had been twisting and turning in the air suddenly surged forward.


    they didn¡¯t have time to observe its movement, let alone react to it.


    luckily, siwoo was lifting his cloak to shield them, not because he managed to read the ribbon¡¯s movements, but because he sensed danger coming from her.


    -bang!


    a deafening sound echoed through the room.


    on the other side of the cloak, a defensive barrier was spread out.


    but, even that tightly woven, three-layered magic formation was shattered into pieces after receiving a single strike from that ribbon.


    the cloak tore into pieces, turning into mere scraps.


    amidst the scattered remains of the defensive barrier that resembled glass shards, siwoo could see ea¡¯s disappointed face.


    ¡°you thought that scrap could protect you? that was why you ran away to this place?¡±


    dozens of ribbons vibrated in response to ea¡¯s laughter, as she mocked her prey¡¯s cute effort to escape.


    ¡°i¡¯ll stop her! mr. assistant, you¡ª ahh!¡±


    ¡°to hell with that! just run!¡±


    he boldly grabbed odile, who was trying to block ea¡¯s attack, and the trembling odette¡¯s waist before jumping outside the window.


    in this desperate moment, he felt like an otherworldly power surged from within him, making it possible for him to do such a feat.


    despite their awkward position, the twins still managed to cast levitation magic so that they could land safely on the ground.


    ¡°w-what are you doing? we should do the same thing as last time! divide our roles! i¡¯ll buy us some time!¡±


    ¡°how are we supposed to beat that monster?! escaping together is our best option right now!¡±


    after he calmed odile down, siwoo grabbed a bottle of mana water and drank it as it was before looking up at the window.


    there, ea calmly observed the three fleeing figures without any sense of urgency.


    ¡°your name is shin siwoo, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    despite the considerable distance between them, siwoo could hear ea¡¯s gentle voice as if she was speaking right next to him.


    she probably directed the sound directly to his ear, giving him the impression that only he could hear it.


    ¡°stop your futile resistance and give me the apprentice witches. in exchange, i¡¯ll grant you the ultimate pleasure. it isn¡¯t like you¡¯ll be able to escape.¡±


    at that moment, siwoo noticed something.


    he couldn¡¯t see it from inside the mansion, but a thin translucent barrier had enveloped the entire area.


    it resembled a water bottle as it encompassed the entirety of the mansion.


    ¡°i¡¯ll consider it after i escape.¡±


    siwoo hugged the twins against his side, just like before.


    mana flowed through his entire body.


    since his body couldn¡¯t contain the mana for too long, he directed the rapidly depleting mana into his legs.


    ¡°oh my?¡±


    seeing the sight of siwoo using magic made ea widen her eyes.


    but siwoo didn¡¯t have the time to care about that.


    in an instant, his body exploded with all of his mana, disappearing from ea¡¯s sight at a speed akin to the wind.


    2.


    ¡°mr. assistant...! you can put us down now!¡±


    ¡°we can run on our own!¡±


    siwoo distanced himself as much as possible from the mansion and hid in the garden.


    he hoped that the maze of vine-covered flowers that reached up to his height might momentarily divert ea¡¯s attention.


    of course it was merely a fleeting hope and he knew that it wouldn¡¯t happen.


    drenched in sweat, he gently put the twins down.


    he stopped here instead of hiding deeper because this spot was where he came into contact with the translucent barrier¡¯s boundary.


    ¡°what was that all about? is she an exile?¡±


    ¡°yes. we¡¯re stuck in a situation similar back when we were in the latifundium. do you have a way to contact someone outside?¡±


    siwoo asked odile while picking up a twig nearby and touching the barrier with it.


    he didn¡¯t do this for no reason.


    this was so that he could confirm what kind of effect it had.


    -psss...


    immediately, the twig started to melt away.


    it was as if an unidentified liquid flowed steadily from the tip of the twig, like metal making contact with a highly corrosive acid.


    ¡®what would happen if i had rushed forward and collided with this barrier without knowing this?¡¯


    siwoo could feel his blood run cold.


    ¡°as expected... we can¡¯t get out...¡±


    ¡°are we being trapped again?¡±


    this whole situation was reminiscent of when they were chased by a homunculus in the latifundium.


    the only difference was that, this time, their pursuer was an even more dangerous being than the homunculus.


    ¡°yes, so can you contact¡ª¡±


    ¡°i gave you ten seconds, yet you could only make it this far?¡±


    siwoo¡¯s stiff neck turned toward the source of the voice.


    like walking on top of a sturdy brick wall, ea¡¯s figure gracefully perched on a thin vine with ease.


    from where he stood, he could see her panties beneath her fluttering dress.


    ¡°you filthy traitor! do you know who our master is?¡±


    ¡°i know, of course. you¡¯re the cheeky offspring of the arrogant gemini who¡¯s always been a thorn in my side.¡±


    ea descended with a cold face, stepping on the ribbons that she laid out like steps of stairs in the air.


    seeing her draw near, the three of them found themselves completely powerless.


    they could see the malice exuded in her breath as if it was a tangible thing.


    her mocking smile and her exceptionally casual tone emitted an immense sense of terror that made them feel deep despair.


    ¡°do you know? the witches that you called ¡®exiles¡¯ are especially skilled in barrier magic, as it¡¯s something that severs one¡¯s connection to the outside world.¡±


    exiles.


    among them were the witches who harmed other witches or apprentice witches. they were considered as ¡®public enemies¡¯ and were the main targets of witch hunts.


    ea was notorious for her wickedness and she was able to traverse through the modern world with ease due to her proficiency in barrier magic. she was able to produce a barrier that rivaled even the music box.


    ¡°you¡¯re already inside my bottle, you¡¯re basically inside my mouth already, ready to be chewed. if you find my words hard to believe, you can raise your voice and call your master¡¯s name. might as well do it while crying to make it more entertaining.¡±


    the normally lively and spirited odile became meek the moment ea turned her sharp gaze toward her. she grabbed siwoo¡¯s sleeve while holding her breath.


    she could tell that the exile¡¯s words weren¡¯t empty boasts.


    such a large-scale barrier was set up, but there was no sign of other witches nearby.


    it meant the barrier didn¡¯t only act as an unbreakable wall, but also as a cradle that kept the outside world from peering inside.


    this was the reason why the wicked witch dared to commit such atrocities in the middle of gehenna.


    ¡°which one of you is the older sister? and which one is the younger one?¡±


    odile faltered at the unexpected question.


    however, she quickly steadied her breathing and answered that question with a trembling voice.


    ¡°i-i am the older sister.¡±


    odile¡¯s decision was a calculated one.


    she could only tell ea¡¯s magic level faintly, but she was aware that the wicked witch wasn¡¯t someone that could be beaten with small tricks.


    after all, this was the same witch who had shattered a coat ridden with the highest-grade protective enhancements in one effortless strike.


    and she was wielding dozens of ribbons that could produce such an attack.


    ¡°let¡¯s make a deal. i am way more talented than this disappointing little sister of mine. so, if you need a bowl to take, take mine and let her go.¡±


    ¡°sis?! what are you talking about?!¡±


    since the other party opened up a room for conversation, someone could sacrifice themselves so the rest could escape. odile thought that she should take on that role.


    ea showed a hint of interest in odile¡¯s words as she licked her smiling lips before opening her mouth to speak.


    ¡°that¡¯s a good idea. trying to catch energetic little brats like you all is a little bothersome. it¡¯s hard to capture a group of ants without killing them, after all.¡±


    then, she tilted her head gently before showing them a cruel smile.


    ¡°since that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you all consider my proposal as well?¡±

 Chapter 83: Uninvited Guest (4)

    ? uninvited guest (4) ?


    1.


    ¡°since that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you all consider my proposal as well?¡±


    ea readily responded to odile¡¯s suggestion. the tone of her voice made it sound like she was singing.


    the fortunate part about their ordeal was that their opponent was someone who wasn¡¯t completely unresponsive when they were trying to talk to her.


    the wicked witch frowned, as if lost in thought for a moment, before opening her mouth.


    ¡°i really, really hate those gemini bitches. can you believe it? they destroyed my mana plant, the main source of my income, 5 years ago.¡±


    like thick mud being severed, her voice rippled with viscous malice.


    her accumulated resentment was so deep to the point she broke her pretentious facade, revealing a twisted expression on her face.


    ¡°what¡¯s your name?¡±


    as if she was performing a play, ea took a deep breath and changed her expression.


    odile, trying to not let her guard down, straightened her shoulders and spoke,


    ¡°odile, odile gemini.¡±


    ¡°alright, if odile here sacrifices herself and obediently follows me, i¡¯m willing to let the rest of you go.¡±


    ¡°what about your proposal? what is it about?¡±


    a suspicious smirk appeared on ea¡¯s lips.


    ¡°firstly, i need to verify that the courage you¡¯re showing me is genuine.¡±


    ¡°no need. i¡¯m not afraid of death.¡±


    ¡°calm down first and listen to me. these are the things that you¡¯ll experience from now on. sometimes courage is bred by ignorance, so who knows whether your courage will persist or not after hearing what i have to say.¡±


    ea, who had been absentmindedly tapping her fingers, calmly began to lay out her words.


    words that were filled with a cruel, brutal scenario breed by vengeance.


    ¡°first, i¡¯ll extract your uterus alive, oh, i won¡¯t apply any anesthesia on you if that isn¡¯t obvious already. an apprentice witch¡¯s womb isn¡¯t that useful as a brand, but it¡¯s still a precious research material, so you don¡¯t need to worry about me wasting my effort on this. this is not my first run, okay? by the way, you won¡¯t die. no matter how much pain you suffer, you won¡¯t die. i¡¯m looking forward to the lovely screams that you¡¯ll make~¡±


    her words were just words, but her threatening tone carried a tangible bloodlust as she scanned over odile¡¯s lower abdomen.


    having to face that penetrating gaze, odile¡¯s body trembled uncontrollably.


    ¡°after that, you¡¯ll be left with a small scar and an attractive body. now, if i were your usual exile, i would have disposed of you immediately, but as i mentioned before, i have quite a bit of personal grudge against the name gemini. with my nature as a thrifty person, i will make use of all of your beings cautiously and frugally.¡±


    she licked her lips.


    the wicked witch writhed her body, it was as if she was experiencing multiple cathartic orgasms from her imagination alone.


    ¡°you see, my hobby is to travel all over the world. getting traveler funds is always tricky, but this is where you come into play, odile! i can put you to work, using your beautiful appearance, you should be able to sell your body to the locals and earn me money this way! what a great idea, right?¡±


    generally, witches possessed substantial wealth.


    the moment they inherited their brand from their predecessors, they automatically inherited their assets as well.


    even if she was an exile, there was no way a powerful witch like her would lack expenses for traveling.


    in other words, her actions were solely driven by her own sadistic tendencies and her desire to gain entertainment in such cruel ways.


    ¡°since there are 24 hours in a day and you still need to sleep because you¡¯re an apprentice witch, 20 people per day should be a reasonable enough workload for you, right?¡±


    ea proceeded with her monologue at her own pace, as if she had already received odile¡¯s approval.


    ¡°oh, i¡¯m so excited! my heart is pounding! ah, right! every time you fail to meet your quota, you have to receive a punishment from me, okay? a toe every time you fail. when your feet have lost all their toes, i¡¯ll move on to your fingers, arms, legs, eyes, tongue... little by little, i¡¯ll break your body apart~¡±


    her flushed cheeks weren¡¯t caused solely by her active imagination.


    there was her sexual arousal mixed in there as well.


    inhumane ecstasy and sadism that was incomprehensible to siwoo and the twins, bloomed like poisonous mushrooms in the midst of her words.


    odile¡¯s legs were trembling, as if they could collapse at any moment, meanwhile odette was whimpering with her eyes already leaking with tears.


    ¡°so, what do you think of my proposal? as cold as they are, wouldn¡¯t the geminis be surprised if they find out that their apprentice witch became a traveling whore?¡±


    ¡°you crazy bitch...¡±


    ¡°blergh...¡±


    siwoo unintentionally cursed under his breath.


    meanwhile, odile couldn¡¯t bear the thick malice she exuded and ended up vomiting on the ground.


    as for odette, she slumped to the ground as if strength had left her legs.


    ea somewhat regained her senses as her delusion passed and clapped her hands enthusiastically.


    it was as if she was signaling the end of a trivial joke.


    ¡°...upon further consideration, let me take back my proposal. instead of only taking odile, i¡¯ll take both of you instead. two walking wallets are better than one, right? if one of them fails to meet my expectations, i can just punish the other! it will be more entertaining that way! i really want to see that touching scene, filled with tear-jerking sisterly love~¡±


    listening to the woman who backtracked on her proposal as easily as flipping her palm before offering an even more terrifying idea, siwoo became convinced.


    this woman was out of her mind and there was no way out here except to fight her.


    ea¡¯s crimson eyes, with her chin held high, turned sharply toward siwoo.


    at this point, his previous thought that described her eyes as a pair of cursed gems didn¡¯t even cross his mind.


    all he could feel was a nauseating repulse toward her, as if his internal organs were being scooped out and clumped together.


    siwoo twisted open another bottle of mana water.


    he swallowed every drop of it from that bottle.


    in his mind, his life was as good as gone anyway.


    there was no need to plead for mercy anymore.


    this wicked witch wasn¡¯t someone that he could negotiate with.


    ¡®i¡¯ll fight.¡¯


    ¡®even if my efforts end in futility, like trying to crack a rock with an egg...¡¯


    ¡®i¡¯ll fight while clinging to this tiny shred of hope.¡¯


    ¡°bloom.¡±


    siwoo found himself frozen in the chilling terror where even the air itself turned cold.


    he lifted the spear, knowing that his resistance was futile.


    but it was the same spear that he honed and polished to escape this absurd life he had for the past three years.


    and he aimed the spear at the enemy, the evil that stood in his sight.


    2.


    amelia crouched down.


    it was a nameless beech forest in gehenna.


    there, was a small cabin where she left her memories of her master buried.


    with her limbs curled up on the rocking chair, where her master would sit while reading her books,


    she clung desperately like a baby digging into her mother¡¯s embrace. her nose was buried in the blanket she always covered herself with.


    ¡°master...¡±


    no matter how troubled she felt, the moment she came here, all her troubles melted away, replaced by the transient warmth.


    this was the place where she could escape in the dreams of her past, where she basked in both joy and sorrow.


    no matter how much time had passed, the memories of her master¡¯s kind touches never faded. in fact, she could feel as if her master was stroking her head right now.


    ¡°i¡¯m back, master...¡±


    ¡®i don¡¯t need anything.¡¯


    ¡®whether is a pile of sweets that could make my eyes spin due to how numerous they are, the fragrant smoke of the cigarettes i always tasted or the splendid garments everyone else yearns for.¡¯


    ¡®i need none of them.¡¯


    ¡®even relationships with other people. it only brings me more pain.¡¯


    her heart felt as if it were about to tear apart, so she clutched them while reminding herself that this was the place where she should be.


    ¡°i won¡¯t go anywhere, ever again...¡±


    crouching and pressing her cheek against the blanket, amelia closed her eyes tightly.


    at that moment...


    ¡°haah... i knew you would do something like this.¡±


    the moment she felt that she could be happy again,


    a resolute voice suddenly dragged her back to reality.


    she swiftly turned her head to look at her back.


    there stood sophia with her arms crossed. a hint of pity was mixed in her expression.


    ¡°w-who let you come here? no, more importantly, how did you know i¡¯m here?¡±


    ¡°just a guess. if your work went well, you won¡¯t be here, so i can just go back to my mansion in that case, but if it doesn¡¯t, with your personality, you won¡¯t come to visit me, so i figured that i¡¯d just come here.¡±


    in fact, if amelia had followed sophia¡¯s words closely, her reconciliation with siwoo would happen without much trouble.


    however, sophia knew how bad amelia was in conveying her emotions.


    that was why she transformed into a crow and flew here, just in case things went awry.


    the fact that she was already inside meant things were even more disastrous than she predicted.


    ¡°i want to be by myself. leave, please.¡±


    sophia noticed the tears in amelia¡¯s puffy eyes.


    she took a deep breath before approaching the blonde witch.


    ¡°tell me what happened.¡±


    ¡°w-why should i tell you?¡±


    ¡°because we¡¯re friends.¡±


    amelia¡¯s miserable look was something sophia hadn¡¯t seen ever since she returned to gehenna.


    after all, she was always emotionally defunct like a wax doll, as a friend, seeing her drowning in her emotion like this was a good thing to see.


    ¡®however, it isn¡¯t like i can stand idly after seeing her clutching onto her old master¡¯s blanket while sobbing pitifully.¡¯


    ¡°tell me. i¡¯ll listen properly. i won¡¯t laugh at you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°well, if there¡¯s something i need to criticize, i assure you, i¡¯ll point it out to you. but, i promise you, hearing my harsh words will be much more comfortable than bottling your feelings away.¡±


    sophia sat down on the floor, matching her eye level with amelia, who had laid down her head to the armchair for comfort.


    amelia¡¯s lips, that trembled so much that it was heartbreaking to see, slowly parted.


    ¡°a mere slave... how dare he... used such foul words... to speak to me... he cursed me even though i offered him gifts... and proposals that he might like...¡±


    with a fragile voice, amelia spoke out while stumbling over her words.


    it felt like she could burst to tears at any moment.


    ¡°he cursed at you?¡±


    sophia¡¯s mouth fell open in astonishment.


    he was a slave who was close to amelia, having spent considerable time observing him, sophia knew about him.


    based on her judgment, he wasn¡¯t a resolute or an extraordinary individual. he wasn¡¯t even close to being a revolutionary or a sage, let alone a hero.


    besides his intelligence, he was merely an ordinary individual who could feel fear, cautious and with the right amount of kindness that she could find anywhere.


    with that in mind, it was hard to imagine how he could swear right in front of amelia¡¯s face.


    ¡®how did things get so messy to reach that point?¡¯


    ¡°i won¡¯t forgive him... no, i¡¯ll stop caring... apologies or whatnot... i don¡¯t care, i hate everything... i¡¯ll stop... i won¡¯t listen to your words again...¡±


    ¡°have you apologized properly to him?¡±


    ¡°...i was going to... i wrote my apology on paper... practiced it... but...¡±


    amelia poured out the full story of what had happened to sophia as if she was emptying her heart.


    roughly speaking, she offered her compensation to siwoo with a near dismissive tone.


    not only that, she also put off on her apology and instead focused on endlessly expressing her own thoughts.


    ¡°urgh...¡±


    with his only chance of returning to the modern world gone, she offered compensation to him to show him her goodwill, but he reacted aggressively to her.


    ¡°...i couldn¡¯t get angry at him... i wanted to be, but i couldn¡¯t... he was crying... because of me... i made him cry, didn¡¯t i...?¡±


    finally, the teardrop that had been clinging to the corner of amelia¡¯s eyes trickled down her cheeks.


    ¡®poor girl.¡¯


    sophia extended her hand and pulled amelia into her embrace.


    ¡°amelia, dear... i really should have explained it to you more...¡±


    ¡°...sniff...¡±


    under normal circumstances, amelia would have pushed sophia away because of her pride, but this time, she quietly nestled into her arms without resisting.


    sophia gently stroked amelia¡¯s small head.


    ¡°now i don¡¯t know how to look at him anymore... even though i hate him... when i remember his crying face... i feel strange... my heart throbs so hard that it hurts me... my mind became a mess and i can¡¯t think about anything...¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s okay. everyone makes mistakes, but the important thing is to learn from those mistakes.¡±


    ¡°i can¡¯t do that... i don¡¯t want to try anymore...¡±


    from sophia¡¯s perspective, it was a futile attempt and she could always try again, but for amelia, she had put on her everything for that attempt.


    seeing amelia, who usually carried a haughty demeanor reduced to such a pitiful state, sophia¡¯s heart became filled with sadness.


    however, despite the sadness in her heart, there were still words that she needed to convey.


    ¡°amelia.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s something that i want to tell you.¡±


    she hesitated whether or not to share the story she had in mind because it felt like it would be cruel to amelia. it would add to her burden if she were to tell her.


    ¡°it¡¯s about the day you went on a date with assistant siwoo to the border town.¡±

 Chapter 84: Uninvited Guest (5)

    ? uninvited guest (5) ?


    1.


    ¡°back then, he never sold you out.¡±


    for around ten minutes, sophia explained the event that transpired at the border town inn.


    back when the witch of aquarius devised a scheme to kidnap amelia.


    despite the whole crew colluding with the witch, siwoo stood firm as he made a rescue request that ultimately allowed sophia to save the day.


    he even made sure to handle any sensitive matter that could potentially affect amelia in any way.


    even when there were no other options available to him, he still concluded that it was unnecessary to add to the confusion back then.


    to him, the term ¡®inevitability¡¯ and ¡®extenuating circumstances¡¯ did not serve different purposes.


    ¡°...¡±


    upon hearing sophia¡¯s words, amelia froze in place.


    she barely managed to bring up a question to ask sophia.


    ¡°if that¡¯s true, then why did you keep it a secret from me...?¡±


    ¡°at the time, i didn¡¯t know all the details. maybe he did it because he was worried that you might catch onto his escape plans. still, don¡¯t take it the wrong way. back then, he could have just chosen to betray you and run away on his own, but he didn¡¯t.¡±


    in fact, amelia wasn¡¯t afraid of death.


    her sole reason for living was to carry on her master¡¯s legacy.


    even if she were to suddenly pass away because of an unfortunate accident, the most she would do would be lamenting the circumstances briefly. perhaps, she¡¯d also feel a little pissed because her inheritance would fall into the hands of other people. but, she wouldn¡¯t feel fear at the prospect of death.


    after her master¡¯s departure, she was empty.


    and she couldn¡¯t bear that emptiness, so she ended up imposing the obligation to delve into magic research for herself.


    it was akin to climbing a steep path.


    but siwoo was different.


    ¡®wasn¡¯t the reason why he had studied magic was because of his desperation to survive and escape?¡¯


    yet, he still confronted death to protect amelia, disregarding the fact that he was merely a human.


    not to mention that he was doing this for a witch he disliked, all while sacrificing his chance to escape this place.


    this put amelia in a tremendous debt to him.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°he had shown his courage for your sake, yet here you are, trying to run away from him. even though you still haven¡¯t told him everything you wanted to tell him.¡±


    ¡°why did he... to such an extent...?¡±


    ¡°wouldn¡¯t it be better to ask him instead of me? that way, you¡¯ll get a direct answer from him.¡±


    amelia stopped crying.


    this wasn¡¯t the time to cry.


    the compass within her heart, which had been spinning aimlessly, was now pointing in one direction.


    urging her to go back to where he was.


    so she could tell him that she was both sorry and thankful to him.


    his face, which had seemed so frightening just a few moments ago, appeared in her mind.


    ¡®i miss him.¡¯


    ¡°ha...haha...¡±


    a sudden burst of joy surged forth from her chest like pollen.


    she thought that would only receive resentment from him.


    rejection was the only thing that she would get.


    however, a new notion, an audacious one that made her think that shin shiwoo valued her enough to not hand her over to the group of people with bad intentions kept the corners of her mouth raised.


    at the same time, this newfound joy made her feel embarrassed.


    in contrast to his actions, her selfish and narrow-minded words resembled those of a child throwing a tantrum.


    ¡°...i want to apologize to him...¡±


    ¡°yes, that¡¯s a good decision.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll follow him to the modern world...¡±


    ¡°...sorry?¡±


    sophia was taken aback.


    this was the first time amelia had ever expressed her desire to come to the modern world.


    those who had been confining themselves in their own world for a long time tended to hesitate to step out of their comfort zone.


    be it exploring new emotions or trying out different experiences.


    for amelia, the modern world should be an unfamiliar and scary place.


    prior to this, sophia had proposed the idea of going there for fun to her, but she had always rejected those proposals without hesitation.


    amelia had always claimed that she didn¡¯t want to waste her research time on something like that, but to sophia, amelia was just afraid of the unknown experience that was the modern world.


    ¡°i, too, want to do what he wants to do.¡±


    amelia, who used to be scared, shrinks away and hesitant...


    ¡®how could i not smile after witnessing her taking her first steps like this?¡¯


    sophia wore a proud smile.


    ¡°thank you, sophia.¡±


    as if responding to sophia¡¯s smile, amelia wiped away a droplet of her tear from her cheeks with her sleeve.


    throughout their relationship, it was the first time that sophia had ever heard her expressing her gratitude properly.


    however, this wasn¡¯t the time to cuddle and pinch her cheeks, no matter how cute she currently looked.


    ¡°go.¡±


    sophia gently pushed amelia¡¯s back.


    amelia nodded and swung open the door to the alcove wide.


    then, she took a step forward to the new world she had yet to discover.


    2.


    ¡°what are you doing?¡±


    ea tilted her head as she observed siwoo absorbing the mana water.


    having already witnessed him using the ¡®water lizard stride¡¯, his action didn¡¯t surprise her this time.


    however, siwoo¡¯s consciousness had already erased the terrifying exile¡¯s existence from his awareness.


    it delved into the depths of his subconscious mind as if it was being sucked in by a vortex.


    the empty black space once again revealed itself before his eyes.


    his newly acquired magic from the gnosis egg he obtained through hunting the homunculus.


    the ¡®law of shadows¡¯ that corroded and interfered with magical circles on its path, eventually collapsing them from within.


    as if welcoming siwoo¡¯s arrival, the newly formed architectural structure spun vigorously, creating a magnificent shape that reminded him of the grand nebula.


    with just a single step, siwoo closed the distance between him and the new structure.


    this place was ¡®ain,¡¯ the realm of consciousness and concepts.


    in this realm of freedom, there were no limitations of physics.


    -wooong!


    a low humming sound echoed from the ¡®law of shadows¡¯ that stood before his eyes.


    like a reproachful voice questioning him, ¡®why did it take so long for you to come?¡¯ prompting siwoo to let out a wry chuckle.


    ¡°if only i had the time.¡±


    if he had known that something like this would happen, he would have split the nonexistent time that he had to build up his skills.


    ¡°lend me a hand for a moment.¡±


    the shadow began to coil itself around siwoo¡¯s outstretched hand, as if it was shaking his hand.


    siwoo then took control of the shadow by utilizing the magic circle.


    though, the term ¡®take over¡¯ wasn¡¯t exactly accurate.


    it was supposed to follow siwoo¡¯s commands obediently in the first place.


    nevertheless, it had come under his full control now.


    the shadow that enveloped his entire body began to flow like a snake.


    moving freely and effortlessly like his new limb, it moved perfectly according to his will.


    however...


    this alone wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    after all, his opponent was an exile who boasted the power that rivaled amelia¡¯s.


    if he wanted to buy some time against her, he¡¯d need a more thorough preparation.


    what first came to his mind were an armor and a spear.


    he molded the shadow like kneading dough, covered his body with it alongside creating a pair of spears.


    at the same time, siwoo¡¯s mind returned to reality once again.


    ¡°oh my?¡±


    though it seemed like several minutes had passed in ain, only around a second had gone by in reality.


    ea¡¯s eyes widened as she covered her mouth in surprise.


    suddenly, a shadow emerged from his body and transformed into a suit of armor.


    there were no glittering lights or intricate patterns that one would find in fantasy games.


    just an armor so dark it felt like it was absorbing the moonlight, accompanied by a pair of long spears that he held with the gauntlets that enveloped his hands.


    ¡°phew...¡±


    as siwoo took a deep breath, the shadow extending behind him wrapped itself around his head to form a sleek-looking helmet.


    its movement felt natural, as if he had been doing this for a long time. he even felt a sense of familiarity from it.


    this was the result of the miracle that allowed him to use a completely new magic without any prerequisite.


    the power of the gnosis egg, a construct that forcibly expanded human cognition.


    ¡°you must have liked rpgs, huh?¡±


    ¡°yes, though it was a dead game already the last time i played it. now that i hadn¡¯t touched it for five years, it must have been deader than dead already.¡±


    although ea didn¡¯t show any kind of surprised gesture, inwardly, it was the complete opposite.


    she was so surprised that she didn¡¯t even pay attention to siwoo¡¯s blunt response.


    while it wasn¡¯t completely impossible for a slave to use magic,


    the shadows that rippled like fine powder over the armor that covered his body wasn¡¯t a mere manifestation of magic.


    each tiny particle it had was a tiny spell in itself.


    despite her being an exile, essentially, she was still a witch. she couldn¡¯t help but feel intrigued by this new form of magic she witnessed for the first time.


    ¡°originally, i was only interested in your body, but now i¡¯m interested in you as a whole. i¡¯ll take you with me and use you as a subject of my research.¡±


    looking at the ribbons fluttering in the sky, resembling underwater seaweeds, siwoo called out to the twins.


    ¡°jump backwards, now.¡±


    ¡°what?¡±


    then, he immediately threw one of the two spears at ea while the other one towards the barrier behind him.


    -shing!


    he didn¡¯t use his arm strength to throw it.


    instead, he used his mana and imparted kinetic energy into the shadows themselves through motion energy conversion.


    as a result, the spear accelerated swiftly without any forewarning.


    one spear flew a short distance, contacting the barrier that resembled a water bottle, creating a shockwave that spread through its surface in an instant.


    as contaminated shadows spread like paint melting into the delicate barrier, the entire water bottle swayed greatly.


    -crackle!


    in the meantime, ea looked at the other spear that flew toward her with an indifferent gaze.


    ¡°how foolish.¡±


    the ribbon writhed like a tentacle, surged forward aggressively from behind her as if trying to guard her.


    it was her autonomous defense mechanism that would activate to intercept any magic that would threaten its owner.


    without her having to give it any commands, the extended ribbon swiftly coiled around the shadow spear.


    -rip!


    after blocking the spear, the ribbon became torn, like leaves that were eaten by a swarm of locusts.


    however, ea remained unfazed.


    after observing the shadow¡¯s waveform of mana, she easily surmised that this was a type of magic that directly interfered with magic circles.


    the more delicate the magic it faced, the easier for it to make the magic circles short-circuited.


    ¡°your effort is commendable, nevertheless, it¡¯s still pathetic.¡±


    as it tore through the layer of ribbons, the spear¡¯s speed faltered and eventually, its reckless charge towards ea was halted.


    then, it lost its composition and dispersed on the spot.


    ¡°what did you try to achieve with such a meager amount of mana?¡±


    although the law of shadows held the upper hand against most forms of magic, it only applied in a relatively normal situation.


    it was because it had a simple weakness.


    which was; it couldn¡¯t stand facing an overwhelming amount of mana, something that siwoo did to crush it in the first place.


    being a high-ranking witch herself, there was no way that ea failed to notice such a simple answer.


    ¡°mr. assistant...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    siwoo looked at ea, who had successfully repelled his attacks without spending much effort.


    as he casted his gaze over his shoulder, he could see the barrier was still in perfect condition.


    when the spear pierced it, there was a slight ripple, like a water droplet falling on the surface of a lake. then, a gap just big enough to fit a finger appeared momentarily. though the barrier quickly restored itself.


    the time that it took for the barrier to restore itself was much faster than the speed of the shadow breaking the barrier.


    his expectations weren¡¯t particularly high to begin with.


    he had a rough understanding about the situation they were in.


    still, he had hoped to at least buy some time so that the twins could escape.


    as if sensing siwoo¡¯s intention, ea offered another proposal.


    ¡°still, it has been a while since i had this much fun, so i¡¯ll give you a chance.¡±


    a golden opportunity to gain some time.


    ¡°don¡¯t give up, mr. assistant, we¡¯ll help you.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s right, as long as we¡¯re together, we can win this!¡±


    ¡°just stay still for a moment.¡±


    siwoo stepped forward and stopped the twins from trying to recite their chants. he realized that they wouldn¡¯t be able to solve anything by acting recklessly.


    ¡°since you offered so, i¡¯ll gladly take your offer.¡±


    judging by her confident demeanor, ea sadalmelik was undoubtedly a formidable opponent.


    every action of hers was based on the premise that she could overpower amelia head-on.


    even if it was only her delusional thinking, there was no doubt that siwoo and the twins were nowhere near her level to confront her directly.


    ¡°since we still have time, i figured we could do this. let¡¯s see how many of your limbs would remain by the time marigold returns.¡±


    ¡®a chance.¡¯


    ¡®i must use her complacency to its utmost advantage¡¯


    ¡°then i¡¯ll take you on instead!¡±


    odile grabbed siwoo¡¯s arm and stepped forward.


    in response to this sight, ea let out a disdainful sneer.


    ¡°i have no interest in watching a gemini¡¯s boring magic. besides, this won¡¯t be something more than a flashy show by a worthless pair of twins. what i¡¯m interested in is the slave¡¯s magic, not yours.¡±


    while odile was unable to retort her words, siwoo held onto her shoulder and tried to persuade her.


    although he appreciated her intentions, he couldn¡¯t overlook the fact that they had to count on ea¡¯s own whim for this opportunity.


    ¡°ms. odile, no is not the time.¡±


    ¡°but, mr. assistant, you did this before too...! this time, i¡¯ll be the one who¡¯ll protect you...!¡±


    ¡°we have to follow her demands, that¡¯s our only chance.¡±


    ¡°mr. assistant...¡±


    with tears streaming down her face, odile tightly embraced siwoo¡¯s waist.


    he gently stroked her head.


    ¡°let¡¯s make sure we survive this time too.¡±


    ¡°...if we survive, i¡¯ll let you smear your cum on my face again.¡±


    siwoo pushed odile, who made that joking remark with a serious face, behind him before stepping onto ea¡¯s experimental platform.


    ¡°are you done with this boring drama?¡±


    siwoo nodded.


    with a determined gaze under his helmet, he stared at the wicked witch.


    ¡°alright, shall we?¡±


    ea¡¯s hand drew a horizontal line.


    in response to her gesture, a ribbon twisted and turned in the air.


    having accumulated elasticity to its limit, the ribbon struck siwoo like a venomous snake as it drew a spiral trajectory.

 Chapter 85: Uninvited Guest (6)

    ? uninvited guest (6) ?


    1.


    the moment ea moved her fingertips, siwoo had prepared himself to receive her attack.


    he deployed the shadows that leaked out from his armor in front of him.


    the armor itself was his last line of defense against the impact.


    that meant he needed a more proactive way to respond to her attack.


    a shield to deflect it.


    with this particular shield, he didn¡¯t need to directly hold it up to block her attacks.


    he only needed to make it float mid-air and used it as a cover.


    the shield of shadow took a broad conical shape with radial pattern on its surface to disperse the impact it would receive.


    with the shield¡¯s inclined surface, siwoo planned to redirect the ribbon¡¯s attack.


    he lowered his body, opened his mouth, and then...


    the anticipated impact came.


    -bang!


    ¡°ugh!¡±


    the clash between his shield and the ribbon resulted in a fierce collision of mana, causing a tremendous shockwave. the impact reverberated back to his body.


    he felt an intense pain that caused his internal organ to contract and gastric acid surged up his throat with a gurgling sound.


    even though he clearly had defended against it, it still felt like he was engulfed in a bomb blast.


    ¡°mr. assistant!¡±


    ¡°...don¡¯t!¡±


    he instinctively stopped the twins, who were approaching him, with his hands.


    the reason why the twins¡¯ weren¡¯t in particular danger at the moment was because of this unfair confrontation between him and ea.


    but, even this moment of respite could go away in a heartbeat at ea¡¯s whim.


    ¡®i should consider currying favor with her while preparing an alternative strategy.¡¯


    ¡°can you block this?¡±


    ea¡¯s nonchalant voice pierced through his heavy heart.


    everything went according to plan.


    the shield¡¯s tilted surface effectively dissipated most of the impact and the remaining force was dispersed as the shield of shadow shattered like a pizza.


    however, siwoo hadn¡¯t anticipated the extent of ea¡¯s cruelty and ruthlessness.


    if siwoo hadn¡¯t improved his mastery over the ¡®law of shadows¡¯, she would have torn off one of his limbs by now and he¡¯d end up writhing on the ground.


    she was definitely holding back on him.


    but only so that she wouldn¡¯t end up killing him.


    other than that, she had little interest in the damage his body would receive from her actions.


    ¡°alright, let¡¯s start another round.¡±


    -twang!


    once again, the ribbon twisted and spiraled through the air.


    a sound of taut bowstring being drawn to its limit resonated through the air, causing it to tremble.


    but this time, it wasn¡¯t only one ribbon that moved.


    not two either.


    but three.


    a total of three ribbons were aimed at siwoo and the twins.


    ¡°this bitch.¡±


    siwoo gritted his teeth and consumed his second bottle of concentrated mana water.


    ¡°bloom!¡±


    shadows erupted from his palm, weaving through the air like an octopus¡¯ ink.


    its form was different than before this time.


    instead of having radial patterns, it took the more intricate and compact shape of honeycombs.


    moreover, he deployed three sequential layers to add to its defensive capability.


    considering the impact he just felt, anything more would be unnecessary.


    besides, this much was his limit as he needed to have extra mana and mental strength to recover from the damage he would receive.


    ¡°i can¡¯t afford to die here, can i?¡±


    he was done calculating everything.


    the only thing he needed to do was take on the gamble.


    siwoo tapped his knee with his finger as he waited for the right timing.


    there was no need for the shield to maintain a consistent level of toughness.


    because it would be a waste of mana.


    he just needed to concentrate his strength at a brief instance: the moment of collision. this way, he¡¯d be able to defend against her attack with much higher mana efficiency.


    however, if he were to time it wrong even slightly, the shield would be torn apart like flimsy scraps.


    following that, the shield owner¡¯s flesh and blood would dance through the air.


    -bang!


    a loud sound like a piece of metal being striked by a hammer echoed.


    without a second¡¯s delay, the ribbons struck the shield relentlessly, but they ultimately failed to reach siwoo¡¯s heart.


    an even stronger shockwave reverberated through his body.


    the pain he felt was excruciating, as if his whole body was being struck by a baseball bat.


    nevertheless, his gamble was successful.


    with a precarious momentum, the ribbons grazed his cheek, but after that, they lost their ominous force and returned to their original fluttery form.


    ¡°cough...!¡±


    ¡°you managed to block this too? too bad you seem to be spent after just two strikes.¡±


    despite merely being struck by the shockwaves, the garden had turned desolate, as if an air bombardment had swept through it.


    as the dust, which was thick enough to obscure one¡¯s view, flew away with the wind, siwoo¡¯s body could be seen, kneeling on one knee.


    he calmly assessed his condition.


    warm blood trickled from his left ear canal.


    it was as if his left eardrum had burst out, he couldn¡¯t hear anything from that side anymore.


    he could feel a sharp pain on one of his eyelids as it was grazed by the impact of the clash just now.


    a single trickle of blood was flowing out from his mouth and lastly, his clear vision became blurred, as if he was looking through a stack of lenses.


    ¡®i¡¯ll try to endure another strike.¡¯


    with a determined resolve, siwoo grasped his thigh and rose to his feet.


    ¡°honestly, i¡¯m surprised. how could you cast such a spell when you¡¯re just a mere slave? well, its efficiency seems poor...¡±


    ¡°phew...¡±


    siwoo ignored ea¡¯s words.


    he had no time to pay attention to her at the moment.


    instead, he needed to calculate the mana and mental strength he¡¯d allocate to endure her next attack.


    ¡°alright, there are thirteen of them this time. an unlucky and a very tragic number.¡±


    as ea clenched her fist, a total of 13 ribbons clustered in the air were directed towards siwoo.


    ¡®she started with one, three and suddenly thirteen?¡¯


    siwoo felt a surge of anger toward the bitch for increasing the difficulty as she pleased despite the fact that he hadn¡¯t even struck her yet


    he desperately pondered about the structure of his next shield when ea let out a mischievous smile and offered him a suggestion.


    ¡°i¡¯ll give you a way out.¡±


    she stretched her arms out like a theater actress as she revealed a bright smile.


    her eyes flickered with a feverish radiance, as if she was unable to contain her excitement for the game she was playing. it was to the point that anyone could find her gesture unsettling.


    ¡°you should¡¯ve figured it out already. you¡¯ll lose an arm or a leg from this attack.¡±


    ¡°...yes.¡±


    as much as he wanted to deny it, her words were right.


    there was no other way around it.


    if he wanted to block her next attack perfectly, he had to sacrifice something.


    ¡°look at those twins over there. don¡¯t they annoy you? while you¡¯re out here fighting with all your might, they¡¯re just trembling while sucking on their fingers.¡±


    ¡°i can¡¯t blame them, if they made a move, you won¡¯t stay still.¡±


    ¡°alright, let¡¯s focus on other thing, then.¡±


    he didn¡¯t have enough time to begin with, he wouldn¡¯t be wasting more time to nitpick about what other people were doing.


    then again, since she was going to keep spewing this crazy psychopath-like nonsense, it would be better for him to just play along to some extent.


    ¡°among those twins, which one is the younger? the older sister said she¡¯d sacrifice herself and fight in her place, but the younger one just stood there sobbing without saying a word, didn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°ah...¡±


    as soon as odette caught sight of ea¡¯s gaze, she shrank back.


    even though odile was embracing her shoulders, her trembling didn¡¯t subside.


    ¡°kid, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t answer her!¡±


    ¡°if you know what¡¯s good for you, you¡¯d answer me.¡±


    ea spoke as she blew the nails that she was caressing.


    odette then carefully opened her mouth.


    her voice trembled like bamboo facing against the win, half-moistened by her tears.


    ¡°o-odette...¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t have anything to say? your sister confidently said she¡¯d sacrifice herself and the poor slave over here is playing a game with me to save you. but, what about you?¡±


    hearing ea¡¯s relentless criticism, odette averted her gaze.


    she was a fragile girl, it was hard for her to endure ea¡¯s gaze.


    but, the thing that struck her the most was that ea¡¯s words weren¡¯t empty accusations.


    her mind turned blank, rendering her unable to step forward to do something.


    just the fact that ea directed her attention at herself terrified her, making her want to run away while trembling.


    ¡°don¡¯t listen to her, odette. she just wants to toy with our minds!¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m just trying to teach basic morals to miss odette here as she seems to lack it. does it really hurt you to accept my kindness?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m fine, sis...¡±


    odette barely managed to meet ea¡¯s gaze.


    the latter¡¯s crazed cat-like pupils scanned up and down her body.


    ¡°kneel down and beg for your life. i¡¯ll make things easier for you on this round.¡±


    although odette was immature and timid, she wasn¡¯t shameless.


    she still had the pride of being the successor of the countess gemini.


    she was aware of how disgraceful and demeaning an act of kneeling and begging for her life was.


    ¡°you won¡¯t do even this?¡±


    however, it wasn¡¯t like she had any choices.


    after bargaining and rationalizing the thought in her head, she came to a decision.


    her legs slowly bent.


    but, just before her knees touched the ground...


    ¡°just stop it already, auntie.¡±


    siwoo¡¯s disdainful tone froze the air.


    ea¡¯s gaze, who had been filled with interest as she stared at odette, shifted to siwoo, whose appearance had become disheveled.


    ¡°auntie?¡±


    ¡°i can¡¯t stand it anymore. don¡¯t you think you¡¯re too old to do something like this?¡±


    ea smirked.


    it was a knowing smirk.


    ¡°i understand what you¡¯re trying to do. but, are you sure this is the right thing to do?¡±


    ¡°who knows.¡±


    shadows flowed loosely from siwoo¡¯s arms.


    while ea briefly focused on odette, siwoo drank the high-quality mana water certified by the emerald tablet.


    thanks to ea¡¯s generosity, he managed to finish his calculations.


    a vast amount of mana overflowed from his body.


    absorbing, storing and using different types of mana.


    that was siwoo¡¯s specialized field that he found out during the event in the latifundium.


    the only thing left was to utilize the absorbed mana to implement his own self-essence magic that he had been researching all this time.


    ¡°ms. odette.¡±


    ¡°y-yes, mr. assistant...¡±


    odette finally burst into tears as she responded to siwoo with a quivering voice.


    ¡°when you finally inherit the gemini¡¯s name, make sure to give this fucking bitch a hard time.¡±


    ¡°h-heuk...¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ve shown enough courage, ms. odette.¡±


    siwoo¡¯s hand drew a half-circle.


    ea tilted her head and gazed at siwoo with an intrigued expression, as he performed a movement resembling the tai chi martial arts form.


    ¡°what are you doing?¡±


    a silver circle began to form around the twins.


    the light reflected in siwoo¡¯s eyes blazed like flames.


    his spell for opening the ¡®gate¡¯ was still incomplete.


    the magical formula that he constructed could only absorb and amplify mana at best.


    as for the part of the spell that could create an opening between the modern world and gehenna, he had only completed 10% of it.


    however...


    while he was defending against ea¡¯s attack, siwoo managed to complete the missing pieces.


    though it was impossible to create a formula that allowed a perfect transdimensional travel in such a short moment, he could still make it so that he could transport objects or other people to a random coordinate as long as it was still within the same world.


    siwoo discreetly rearranged the formula for that emergency escape while parrying ea¡¯s attacks.


    the name of the formula was, ¡®dimension shift.¡¯


    it was a magic formula that he had completed hastily by extracting a part of the magic he had been researching.


    ¡°ugh...!¡±


    his head heated up due to the overload.


    the surge of mana wildly traversed his body through the unused mana pathways, wreaking havoc within him.


    -drip, drip.


    droplets of blood trickled down his nose.


    his eyeballs were burning as if subjected to pressure. blood tears overflowed from his bursting blood vessels, creating a bloody stream on his cheeks.


    ¡°mr. assistant...?¡±


    ¡°stay still!¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s going on...? could it be...?¡±


    he nearly finished the formula.


    through his one functioning ear, an auditory hallucination that reminded him of a heavy machinery echoed.


    ¡°get away from here! get someone, amelia, the countess, anyone...! in the meantime, i¡¯ll keep this crazy bitch busy!¡±


    not all three of them could escape.


    the consumption of mana and the complexity of the calculations were proportional to the mass of the object he¡¯d transport.


    furthermore, someone needed to defend against ea¡¯s attacks during the time when the magic circle was activated.


    -whoooong!


    ¡°no... no way, mr. assistant!¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s futile. no one can escape from this water bottle...¡±


    ea¡¯s lack of response to him trying to get the twins to escape was because of her trust in her water bottle.


    she knew that the space inside it was isolated from the outside, rendering anyone¡¯s attempt to escape futile.


    -splash...!


    but, her unwavering belief crumbled in an instant.


    suddenly, the entire barrier rippled heavily.


    a small crevice appeared in a part she hadn¡¯t paid much attention to.


    it was just large enough for a person to barely squeeze through.


    ¡°this can¡¯t be happening!¡±


    to her, this was an unexpected turn of events.


    she gasped while looking up at the ceiling of the bottle.


    with that, she found out that the culprit for what had just happened was the shadows that siwoo extracted to block her ribbons.


    the shadows that she thought had dissipated because of the impact the ribbon gave them, were now sticking to the upper part of the water bottle.


    in that brief moment siwoo activated his teleportation magic, he managed to create a tiny crevice by sticking the shadows onto the water bottle.


    ¡°mr. assist¡ª!¡±


    the twins¡¯ desperate cry disappeared into thin air.


    they managed to teleport away safely.


    along with that, the narrow crevice was sealed shut once again.


    by using as little mana as possible to defend against ea¡¯s attack, he managed to deceive her and lull her into complacency.


    he stealthily withdrew his shadows to widen the crevice in the water bottle.


    at the same time, he reconfigured his self-essence magic to teleport the twins away, adjusting the variables to match their current conditions.


    siwoo knelt on the ground, collapsing into a sitting position.


    he had no strength left.


    when his unsteady body was about to fall down.


    he summoned every last ounce of strength, gripping his trembling legs and forcing himself to stand.


    he still didn¡¯t know where the twins got teleported to.


    despite the random coordinates that were used, they should still be inside gehenna.


    there was a possibility that they didn¡¯t get teleported too far away from here.


    and so, to prevent ea from pursuing them, he needed to buy some time, at least until they were able to activate their music box.


    ¡°how does it feel? getting fooled by a mere slave?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    it was refreshing.


    seeing ea¡¯s mouth agape, he could ignore his miserable state and felt a sense of satisfaction from it.


    ea¡¯s twisted lips parted.


    ¡°you arrogant thing... i tried to treat you kindly because you looked half-decent and yet you... i swear, i¡¯ll tear you to shreds and feed your body to those twins.¡±


    siwoo staggered as he lifted his upper body to consume one more bottle of mana water.


    he spent all his mana to activate the previous magic circle.


    the pulsating waves of mana filled every circuit in his body once again.


    ¡°phew.¡±


    he swept back the sweat-soaked hair from his forehead.


    then he raised his middle finger gracefully while wearing a triumphant smile on his face.


    ¡°fuck you.¡±


    from now on, there was no turning back for him.

 Chapter 86: Uninvited Guest (7)

    warning! this chapter contains depiction of gore and violence!


    ? uninvited guest (7) ?


    1.


    after he cursed ea, a chilly silence filled the air.


    the situation would be less terrifying if she had erupted in anger and ran around in a frenzy.


    not long after, her cold anger subsided, but it lingered in her pupils as she sent siwoo an intense gaze.


    it felt like a venomous snake crawling over his bare skin.


    however, there was no time for him to be afraid.


    from now on, he couldn¡¯t afford to just defend himself.


    the twins slipped from right under her nose and on top of that, he flipped her off, she would definitely focus on her fury at him.


    now was the time for him to stake his life and struggle for his final stand.


    he raised his spear.


    ¡°bloom!¡±


    from his outstretched arm, a jet-black shadow rose, forming a lance over five meters long.


    it was a cavalry lance designed solely to pierce through his enemies.


    he didn¡¯t need the extra mental strength to manipulate the shadow or to establish the teleportation formula anymore.


    with the lance aimed at ea, using the ¡®water lizard stride,¡¯ siwoo lowered his body and charged at her.


    his spear, created by a dense structure of shadow, achieved the highest level of hardness.


    shadows ejected from his back and spread out like wings, accelerating his body.


    as a result of this acceleration, his range of vision became narrowed.


    he rode the wind.


    resulting in him narrowing the considerable distance between him and ea in a split second.


    ¡°i¡¯m tired of this now.¡±


    among the dozens of fluttering ribbons.


    only one of them slashed through the air.


    and clashed with the spear.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    siwoo came to a halt in his tracks.


    three more steps.


    he only needed to take three more steps forward for his lance to reach ea.


    however...


    ¡°i had only been playing around with you. did you expect a different outcome?¡±


    his lance shattered.


    the lance with the highest level of hardness, created by utilizing a grid structure, shattered like a bamboo being split as soon as it came into contact with the ribbon.


    even his gauntlets were blown away by the shockwaves. his hand was destroyed to the point that its original shape was hardly recognizable.


    if it weren¡¯t for his armor and gauntlets, his arms would have been ripped apart the moment his lance collided with the ribbon.


    ¡°gg...guh...¡±


    a rush of hot blood gushed out from behind his throat.


    the pungent scent of iron stung his nose and his already blurred vision was painted with the hue of blood.


    blankly, siwoo looked down at his hands.


    ¡®my nails are gone.¡¯


    his fingers, bent, broken and looked so twisted that it seemed he could tie them into knots.


    ¡®pain?¡¯


    ¡®is this painful?¡¯


    ¡®i¡¯m just surprised that a human hand could deform into this.¡¯


    his determination to squeeze out everything that he had was shattered by a mere ribbon.


    from the beginning, all of her strikes that he had barely managed to defend against was nothing more than a child¡¯s play.


    this overwhelming difference in strength had existed from the start, she had just decided to show him that harsh reality.


    ¡®she knew it all along.¡¯


    ¡®in the end, i would never reach her.¡¯


    ¡°cough! cough! cough...!¡±


    blood burst out from his mouth.


    it was the backlash he had to pay as he lost control of his own magic as it forcibly collapsed.


    his body trembled as he spat blood onto the ground.


    in the pool of blood that formed a puddle the size of a small cushion, there were pieces of flesh that one would be terrified to identify mixed in.


    the black armor that had enveloped his body disappeared.


    his mana was completely depleted.


    his legs were bent and stiffened like a log and they refused to budge an inch.


    one of his ears had lost its hearing capability.


    his eyes were glued shut by the congealed blood.


    his fingers transformed into something grotesque, resembling sculptures crafted out of flesh.


    with every beat of his heart, the pulse echoed like a pounding drum that felt like it would split his head apart.


    ¡®well.¡¯


    ¡®i did well enough.¡¯


    ¡®has any slave ever given such a hard time to an exile like her?¡¯


    ea walked steadily towards siwoo.


    she looked down at him, who was unable to move, with a cold gaze.


    ¡°where did the twins go?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t know...¡±


    before he could finish his reply, ea¡¯s shoe struck his nape as he struggled to raise himself up.


    but, not even a scream escaped his lips.


    it wasn¡¯t a blow propelled by mana, but it was still a strike that dug into his vital point. with his disheveled state, he ended up losing his consciousness.


    ¡°ugh, seriously, this is so annoying...¡±


    a sound of slap echoed as her hand fell onto the back of his hunched head.


    ¡°i finally got an opportunity for revenge, but because of you, everything is ruined...¡±


    her slender fingers seized his hair as she forcibly tilted his head up.


    ¡°what are you going to do now? how are you going to compensate me? i¡¯m so irritated, i feel like i¡¯m going crazy!¡±


    her hand caressed his cheek.


    then her pointed thumbnail slowly dug into his left eye.


    the adrenaline that had momentarily eased his pain became meaningless in the face of the excruciating torment of her digging through his eyeballs.


    bizarre groans escaped from his gaping mouth.


    ¡°you... guh... damn... bitch...¡±


    ¡°sure, sure, why don¡¯t you make more cute sounds?¡±


    ¡°fucking... bitch...¡±


    his venomous glare, filled with the anticipation of death, locked onto ea.


    ¡°honestly, i don¡¯t feel comfortable letting you go so easily like this. after all, your master seems to be returning soon.¡±


    ea withdrew her hand from his eye socket.


    a mix of vitreous and blood dripped from her fingertips.


    then a single strand of ribbon slowly drifted towards siwoo¡¯s empty eye socket.


    ¡°wait a minute.¡±


    as siwoo sensed the impending death.


    the barrier rippled as someone entered it.


    from her disheveled hair and clothing, it was clear that she rushed to come here.


    for a brief moment, he couldn¡¯t help but think that it was so out of character of amelia to do something like this.


    ¡°siwoo...!¡±


    amelia¡¯s face turned pale as she spotted siwoo and ea amidst the turmoil surrounding the mansion.


    ¡°goodbye.¡±


    as amelia called out siwoo¡¯s name, ea transformed her ribbon into a sharp point and plunged it directly into his head, as if she had been waiting for this moment.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    blood dripped from siwoo¡¯s eye sockets, nose and mouth.


    within the torrent of blood that poured out like an open tap, there was a slick, transparent liquid mixed in.


    in siwoo¡¯s dazed mind, thoughts emerged like fleeting whispers.


    ¡®shin siwoo, the twins who crossed the barrier, sadalmelik, who was at the edge of the fountain. i¡¯ll make you cum on my face. i want to drink cola. how does human thirst get quenched? there¡¯s always a full moon in gehenna. the beauty of creation, the value of intricate circles ¨C pi: 3.14159165355820...3025... what came next? ah... did i memorize up to 152674450? finally i reach the first 999999, feynman¡¯s point. i open my eyes, whispering and if i rewind my memories, i¡¯m free, singing. shadows, be reborn within the world of zeros, consume this body for eternity.¡¯


    then, his consciousness was engulfed in total darkness.


    ¡°nice to meet you, baroness marigold.¡±


    ea¡¯ pierced through siwoo¡¯s eyes all the way to his brain before flinging his body aside like a ragdoll. then she spread her arms wide to welcome the prey that she had been waiting for.


    2.


    amelia kept on running without stopping.


    hundreds of particles enveloped her body.


    she shot forth with speed dozens of times faster than when she used the ¡®water lizard¡¯s stride.¡¯


    something urged her to hurry as she continued running.


    the urge intensified as a single determination arose strongly within her mind.


    ¡°siwoo... siwoo... siwoo!¡±


    the name she kept uttering on her lips.


    she wanted to convey her newfound emotion to him.


    gratitude, apology, and...


    she was no longer scared.


    her anxiety and unease were quelled by the warm light that swelled up from within her chest, leaving only her overflowing confidence.


    with each step, countless particles of light converged and exploded.


    like a bird, she soared through the sky.


    the mansion was in her sight.


    the same mansion where she had been living with shin siwoo for a brief period of time.


    ¡®is he still here?¡¯


    ¡®maybe he ran away already?¡¯


    amelia quickened her pace.


    then, something caught her eyes.


    -ripple!


    a barrier in the shape of a water bottle surrounded the mansion.


    it briefly became translucent before returning to its originally transparent state.


    ¡°huh...?¡±


    without slowing down, amelia sprinted across the field.


    it wasn¡¯t hard to recognize the identity of the transparent barrier.


    an interdimensional barrier.


    within it, embedded a unique magic formula that separated everything that was inside the barrier from the outside world.


    considering that she hadn¡¯t detected any feeling of discomfort until the barrier was hit with some kind of interference, it seemed like a high-level barrier with a well-crafted formula.


    ¡°...¡±


    anxiety surged from within her.


    interdimensional barriers were something that was mainly used by the witches in the modern world to avoid getting into trouble.


    it was also used to hide the fact that one was a witch to avoid catching the eyes of an exile or to minimize the damages to the modern worlds when one was hunting for homunculus.


    however, this was gehenna, there was no need to do any of those.


    then, why would a barrier suddenly appear around her mansion?


    because someone wanted to conceal the fact that they were using magic.


    ¡°siwoo...!¡±


    but, who in gehenna would want to hide their magic?


    they would be the exiles.


    the wicked witches whose hearts were filled with malice.


    amelia felt like she was falling into a world of darkness.


    regardless, her body raced through the air at a much faster pace than usual.


    the appearance of the mansion was the same as usual.


    however, she knew that it was a disguise so that one couldn¡¯t tell any abnormal situations happening from the outside.


    as amelia reached out her hand, countless clusters of particles emanated from her fingertips and tore the barrier apart.


    what greeted her inside the barrier was a garden that seemed like it was hit by a typhoon.


    various plants in the garden were yanked out by their roots, the grassy lawn was turned upside down, revealing the soil underneath.


    in the middle of that, an unknown witch was holding shin siwoo captive.


    ¡®miserable¡¯ wasn¡¯t enough to describe his appearance.


    there wasn¡¯t a single spot on his body that wasn¡¯t touched by blood.


    ¡°siwoo...!¡±


    amelia extended her hand to cast her magic.


    the mana contained within her womb surged all at once and formed droplets on her hand.


    she couldn¡¯t think of anything but to get him away from that witch¡¯s grasp.


    as she burst in, siwoo looked at her with his remaining eye.


    ¡°goodbye.¡±


    siwoo parted his lips to say something, but before a word could come out of his mouth, the ribbon that had been aimed at him struck his head deeply.


    it pierced through his face effortlessly like a fork skewering a steak.


    there wasn¡¯t enough time to stop her.


    things were happening too quickly, amelia couldn¡¯t protect him with her magic.


    as the witch stood up, siwoo¡¯s body dangled at the ribbon¡¯s end.


    his wrecked body was discarded by her and flew towards amelia.


    amelia instinctively extended her arms and caught it.


    ¡°nice to meet you, baroness marigold.¡±


    in amelia¡¯s arms was a body drenched in blood, sweat and an unknown viscous substance.


    it convulsed like a dying insect.


    blood foam oozed from his mouth while crushed vitreous, nerves and blood vessels tangled in his empty pupil.


    ¡°ah... ah... aaahh...¡±


    it was like a scene out of a dreadful nightmare.


    ¡®why is this happening?¡¯


    ¡®i haven¡¯t apologized to him yet.¡¯


    ¡®i haven¡¯t thanked him yet.¡¯


    ¡®i haven¡¯t told him that i want to go to the modern world with him and stay together with him in the future.¡¯


    ¡°p-please wait... i-i¡¯ll heal...you...¡±


    white particles emanated from amelia¡¯s body toward siwoo¡¯s body.


    amelia wasn¡¯t skilled in healing magic.


    no, even if a more proficient witch was placed in this situation, it would be impossible to heal such injuries without proper equipment.


    the unknown substance mixed with his blood that flowed out from his nose and mouth was the cerebrospinal fluid.


    the blow from the exile had pierced through his brain.


    as she held onto him, his life force continued to drain away.


    ¡°ah... w-why now... w-when i finally have...something...that i want to say...¡±


    all she could do was to embrace him.


    her ethereal dress was drenched in blood.


    ¡°my name is ea sadalmelik, i¡¯m here to take your brand away. i hit a roadblock in my research and i acquired your perfume by chance, so i figured that your brand will be useful for me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°i see you seem to hold that slave quite dearly. that¡¯s great. until the moment of his death, he cried, ¡®ms. marigold! please save me! it hurts so much!¡¯, he kept on crying your name while moaning pitifully. i should have shown you that scene, shouldn¡¯t i?¡±


    siwoo¡¯s body stopped convulsing.


    while ea continued to chatter away, amelia gently caressed siwoo¡¯s cheek.


    his once rosy complexion had turned terrifyingly cold.


    it felt like she was touching a plaster statue, not a human¡¯s skin.


    her chest felt suffocated by her anguish.


    the suffocation didn¡¯t even allow her to think about her agony.


    ¡®it ended up like this again...¡¯


    ¡®am i being left alone again...?¡¯


    she hugged siwoo¡¯s body dearly in her arms.


    the familiar feeling of solitude and loneliness blossomed into a single black rose within her heart.


    within that rose, the venom of anger became crystallized like dewdrops.


    ¡°aaaaahhh!¡±


    her eyes began to emit a sky-blue light, accompanied by her chants.


    indeed.


    to amelia marigold,


    magic was always a poem of tears, written to mourn those who had departed.

 Chapter 87: Uninvited Guest (8)

    ? uninvited guest (8) ?


    1.


    ea sadalmelik, the witch of aquarius.


    her cruel demeanor and danger level were notorious even among the exiles.


    whether it was indulging in brutal torture in matters unrelated to magic or killing innocent people, she had no qualms about it.


    one would think that she survived for a century after killing the apprentice witch of ¡®duchess tiphereth1tiphereth/tiferet or ?????????? in hebrews. the sixth sefirot in the kabbalah¡¯s tree of life, oftenly associated with beauty, compassion and miracles.¡¯ only because she was a witch of a high rank in the hierarchy, but that assumption was wrong.


    ea sadalmelik was a meticulous hunter.


    her method to drive her prey into a corner was thorough and relentless. not to mention that if she ever sensed the slightest hint of being caught, she would flee without hesitation.


    after her successful escape, she¡¯d wait for another opportunity to begin her next hunt.


    like a leopard stalking its prey after a blood-spattered escape.


    ¡°shall i find out how good the ¡®witch of perfumes¡¯ is?¡±


    the ribbons in ea¡¯s back began to multiply.


    from one ribbon, splitting into two, to four and to eight.


    in less than three seconds, dozens of ribbons multiplied into thousands.


    each and every ribbon was imbued with enough strength to destroy an entire building and more.


    this was the combat prowess of a high-ranking witch, it rivaled even natural disasters.


    according to research, amelia marigold held the 22nd rank in the hierarchy.


    on the other hand, ea held the 21st rank.


    numerical wise, there didn¡¯t seem to be much difference between the two.


    however, what if one were to consider how much effort and talent were needed to raise a single rank?


    using a crude analogy, it would require as much effort as someone doing a whole research and building up a rocket to launch a satellite without anyone¡¯s help.


    that was how immense the gap between each rank in the hierarchy.


    however, ea knew better than anyone else. her three-rank advancement, from the 18th to the 21st, was achieved solely by seizing other witches¡¯ brands.


    among those witches, there were witches with higher rank than her.


    for over three hundred years, she had hunted down more than ten witches.


    meanwhile, amelia marigold only confined herself in a small room, never experiencing even a homunculus hunt.


    ea developed her magic for combat and she had the experience and confidence to close the gap between a single rank.


    but, even in this situation, she didn¡¯t have the full confidence that she¡¯d triumph.


    variables always existed and reducing those variables was her strategy whenever she was hunting other witches.


    magic was an intricate and sophisticated field of study.


    drawing out the same performance as usual while witnessing the tragedy of someone dear to you being murdered before your very eyes was nearly impossible.


    especially when that person died a brutal death, narrowly missing a chance to survive.


    amelia sat on the floor, holding siwoo tightly in her arms without showing any hostility.


    though the glimmer in her eyes suggested that she was in the middle of invoking her magic, there was no visible indication of any impending attack.


    at that moment, ea saw it.


    countless particles emanating from amelia¡¯s body, enveloping siwoo¡¯s lifeless body.


    the other witch just sat there without resisting, all to save a human who had already become a corpse.


    ¡°could it be that you¡¯re trying to bring him back?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    with tears streaming down her face, amelia stared at ea without saying anything.


    seeing the despair in her empty and hollow eyes, ea let out a bitter laugh.


    ¡°i had hoped it would be somewhat of an interesting fight.¡±


    thousands of ribbons intertwined like guillotines descending to sever the neck of a condemned convict.


    the taut tension that seemed to tune thousands of strings simultaneously resonated through the air.


    -drip.


    it began with a single drop.


    ea raised her head after feeling the moist sensation that fell on her cheek.


    the moonlit late autumn sky was crying.


    -drip, drip, drip.


    from the glistening black sky, the autumn rain descended.


    it fell to the fallen leaves and trampled grass.


    gently caressing the witch who had lost her precious person and another witch who took the life of that same person.


    as she was standing still while receiving the falling raindrops on her body, ea suddenly felt a chilling sensation.


    her intuition that she honed through traversing this world was screaming at her.


    telling her to escape this place.


    however, her prey was right in front of her.


    the prey had already given up her resistance and was presenting its neck to her.


    this disparity between reality and the danger she sensed shook her resolve.


    in a brief moment of carelessness, she thought, ¡®wouldn¡¯t it be better to finish her off first?¡¯


    ¡°ah...?¡±


    ¡®just one direct shot.¡¯


    as long as her brand and womb remained, it should be sufficient.


    whether the rest of body turned into dust or not, ea couldn¡¯t care less. so, like a magnificent peacock, she spread out her ribbons and commanded them to attack.


    however...


    the ribbon didn¡¯t respond to her.


    due to the rain, ¡®the maiden¡¯s loom,¡¯ that had always been following her instructions faithfully became unresponsive.


    even when she tried to issue her commands to a different section, it felt like her mana was being drained away from somewhere.


    around her, sprouts emerged.


    in the places touched by the autumn rain, vibrant green life bloomed without a whisper of protest.


    on patches of overturned earth, in the fountain, on the roof and the remnants of the buildings.


    anywhere the rain touched, a new life began to sprout.


    ¡°melt away!¡±


    the serene scene ironically triggered fear within her.


    her confidence vanished, replaced by the unease she hadn¡¯t felt in centuries. she recited a spell to activate her self-essence magic to disintegrate her targets.


    in fact, her water bottle barrier wasn¡¯t used solely for concealment.


    it also functioned like her own digestive system, to break down anything inside it.


    if everything went according to her plan, the barrier would create an acid that could dissolve everything inside it except for ea herself.


    ¡°what is this...¡±


    but, just like her ribbons, the barrier didn¡¯t respond to her.


    and so, she decided to escape to the modern world.


    earlier she had secured an escape route that she could go through.


    she tried to move away from the place where she was standing as she became more and more terrified, but her feet refused to budge.


    from her shoes, green sprouts that resembled embroidered stitches emerged.


    they hadn¡¯t exactly grown from her shoes.


    rather, they grew from her own flesh, extended outward and creating holes in her shoes.


    not only that, they also grew from her revealed neckline and her slender arms.


    seeing this, she felt a sense of fear.


    even the ribbons that had elegantly spread wide behind her were covered in lush emerald leaves.


    the raindrops falling from the sky weren¡¯t just whimsical showers, they held a purpose.


    those newly sprouting beings weren¡¯t your typical plants either.


    as soon as they rooted in something, they absorbed all of its mana, growing like tumors with rapid growth.


    ¡°wait! wait!¡±


    ¡®is this what it means to possess the 22nd rank in the hierarchy?¡¯


    ¡®but, she doesn¡¯t even have any significant combat experience!¡¯


    ¡®there¡¯s no way this could be happening!¡¯


    she had already attempted to take control of the mana away from those plants.


    but all of her attempts were futile.


    the more mana she released, the faster those sprouts grew.


    ea had experienced this sensation prior to this.


    back when she was clashing against tiphereth, the duchess with the 23rd rank in the hierarchy.


    despair, the feeling of helplessness when all her attempts of resisting ended in vain. back then she barely escaped with her life, leaving behind everything that she had built.


    meanwhile, amelia had broken through the limit that held her back for decades.


    resulting in her creating a considerable gap of power between herself and ea.


    the difference between what happened back when ea barely escaped with her life was the fact that she couldn¡¯t escape at all this time.


    amelia¡¯s magic had deeply corroded her body.


    ¡°p-please wait! i¡¯m sorry, i admit i made a mistake!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll give you a proper compensation and apology! i¡¯ll give you all the slaves that i own!¡±


    as ea screamed in terror and begged for forgiveness, amelia stood while holding siwoo¡¯s body, not paying any more attention to the wicked witch.


    ¡°wait! i told you to wait!¡±


    the spot where amelia was sitting was now adorned with blooming flowers, like a decoration one would find on a queen¡¯s throne.


    various small flowers with different colors swayed and danced with the wind.


    amelia turned her back to ea and began to walk.


    with each gentle step she took, the sprouts she passed by bloomed into wildflowers.


    from her footsteps, the wave of new lives began.


    like raindrops falling onto a still surface of water, they marked the beginning of life. sprouted wildflowers grew rapidly upwards.


    ¡°please... spare me...¡±


    flowers bloomed in every place where sprouts had emerged.


    the mansion and the area around it, even ea¡¯s body, from her arms, legs, stomach, chest, eyes and nose; no part of her body were spared.


    each of the fragrant flowers condemned her ruthlessness without giving her the time to utter her final words.


    eventually, under that heap of flowers, only silence remained.


    2.


    the rain had stopped.


    odile and odette, having successfully escaped with siwoo¡¯s dramatic intervention, returned to amelia¡¯s mansion with the geminis.


    meanwhile, sophia transformed into a crow and flew from the cabin after sensing amelia¡¯s intense mana presence.


    what appeared before them and a few curious onlookers was the sight resembled the heavenly garden.


    various colorful wildflowers bloomed closely, leaving no gap between them. suddenly, the structures that spread out in a fan shape fell apart, creating a beautiful rain of sparkling petals.


    in the midst of that picturesque landscape, amelia was embracing siwoo while crying out in anguish.


    after spotting siwoo, the twins rushed forward.


    realizing his condition, odile stood frozen like a statue as tears streamed down her face. meanwhile, odette fell on her knees and sobbed uncontrollably.


    even countess gemini couldn¡¯t suppress their sorrowful sigh and sophia tried to hold amelia, but her arms were shoved aside by the latter.


    ***


    year 1886.


    since the war with the exiles, it was the first time that an exile infiltrated gehenna and caused such a significant incident.


    given its magnitude, the witch of aquarius¡¯ attack garnered heated attention, enough for the citizens of tarot town, from the ¡®first red roof salon¡¯ to ¡®levana public bathhouse,¡¯ to become aware of it.


    ¡®i heard the fearsome exile had targeted countess gemini¡¯s apprentice witches.¡¯


    ¡®the furious baroness marigold, angered by the exile¡¯s actions, managed to subdue her in a matter of days.¡¯


    ¡®thankfully, the casualties were limited to just a single slave due to her actions.¡¯


    ¡®i heard the slave bravely protected the twins and managed to help them escape.¡¯


    ¡®in honor of this, countess gemini intended to bestow the honorary witch title upon the slave.¡¯


    ¡®to prevent a similar incident from happening, a meeting at the ¡®tree of sephiroth¡¯ was convened.¡¯


    ¡®ten baroness, two countesses and one duchess attended. while duchess keter of the ivory palace remained indifferent.¡¯


    but even such fervent rumors wouldn¡¯t circulate forever.


    after all, the masses would prefer to talk about newer rumors.


    and so, the ¡®aquarius raid incident¡¯ that had stirred gehenna for a while, gradually faded with the passage of time.


    footnotes:


    1tiphereth/tiferet or ?????????? in hebrews. the sixth sefirot in the kabbalah¡¯s tree of life, oftenly associated with beauty, compassion and miracles.

 Chapter 88: Silence (1)

    ? silence (1) ?


    1.


    autumn had passed, replaced by winter.


    it seemed like a lot of snow would decorate this year¡¯s winter, accommodating amelia¡¯s fondness for quietness.


    the garden had been covered in thick snow, almost reaching one¡¯s thighs, yet one could still see snowflakes fluttering down through the half-covered glass window.


    perhaps the snow would heavily fall throughout the night.


    ¡°sigh...¡±


    a sigh escaped amelia¡¯s lips.


    even though she was indoors, her breath was visible.


    she gazed at her misty breath for a moment before adjusting the shawl draped over her shoulder.


    -knock, knock.


    out of habit, she knocked on siwoo¡¯s door, but just as she expected, no response came out.


    she twisted the cold doorknob and stepped into the room.


    inside, it was densely adorned with magic circles, stretching from the ceiling to the floor.


    the purpose of these magic circles was to sustain one¡¯s life.


    each day, numerous vials of high-grade mana water were being consumed to maintain them.


    on the shelf, piles of cigarettes, amelia¡¯s presents for him, were stacked. in the center of the room, siwoo¡¯s body, looking disheveled, was laid down on the bed, covered by a thin blanket.


    as if he was frozen in time during the eighty-nine cycles of the sunrise and sunset, his appearance remained unchanged.


    ea¡¯s ribbon that penetrated his eye socket, damaged his frontal lobe.


    though he luckily escaped instant death as his brainstem remained intact, the fact remained that the wounds he bore were irreparable.


    and so, he slipped into a deep slumber.


    in his comatose state, he could only breathe, unresponsive to any external stimuli.


    even so, he could only achieve this because of amelia¡¯s emergency treatment.


    the moment she held him in her embrace, she commanded the particles around her to ¡®halt¡¯ all the activities occurring within his body.


    however, completely stopping a human¡¯s biological activities was a nearly impossible task.


    though the magic circles that enveloped his body and the ones placed all over the room were drawn to delay his death, he was still inching closer to death, ever so slowly.


    like a living corpse.


    a pain akin to being pierced by a searing awl gnawed at amelia¡¯s heart.


    today alone, she came to see his face more than a hundred times.


    everytime, countless regrets spread across her heart like stains on a white cloth.


    that night.


    she recalled the tragic autumn evening when everything took place.


    ¡®what if i hadn¡¯t made him my exclusive slave?¡¯


    ¡®what if i had agreed to hand him over to the countess when they came to me with their proposal?¡¯


    ¡®what if i had given him a genuine apology from the very start?¡¯


    ¡®what if i hadn¡¯t run away when he approached me and faced him properly instead?¡¯


    ¡®what if i hadn¡¯t run to my master¡¯s cabin?¡¯


    ¡®what if i had calmed down my heart a little sooner and returned to the mansion a little earlier?¡¯


    ¡®what if i had put all my strength when i was running to meet him?¡¯


    ¡®what if i had prepared for battle the moment i saw that barrier so i could protect him?¡¯


    countless ¡®what ifs¡¯ came to her mind.


    the tragedy wouldn¡¯t have occurred had amelia done just a single one of them.


    despite knowing that what had been done was irreversible, she clung and gripped onto the past, unable to let it go.


    she pulled a chair beside the bed and sat down.


    ¡°how are you feeling?¡±


    it almost felt like she was talking to herself.


    he was unconscious and due to her magic, their times flew at a different pace.


    even by some miracle her voice were to reach his ears, he would only hear obscure noises as if she had been talking in slow motion.


    ¡°my day went on just like any other day.¡±


    amelia had aimlessly wandered between the library and the salon1¡®salon¡¯ here refers to a professional gathering or meeting where experts in a particular field come together to exchange ideas and information..


    for the sake of researching ways to restore his body and to look for any witches who could fix him.


    after her awakening, she reached the 23rd rank, but the field of recovery magic was an entirely different field of magic compared to the one she studied.


    it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that her recovery magic was only comparable to the 10th rank of the hierarchy.


    however, no matter how many hundreds of years it would take, amelia was determined to bring him back to life.


    because there were words she hadn¡¯t yet conveyed to him.


    ¡°today, i had the same dream again. a dream where you woke up and poured all your resentment on me.¡±


    ¡®this is all because of you.¡¯


    ¡®if it weren¡¯t for you, something like this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡¯


    merging with the last image she saw of him, he lashed out on her.


    but, in that dream, she didn¡¯t back away.


    instead, she approached him, shedding her tears while apologizing and begging for forgiveness. she embraced him as she admitted her mistakes.


    ¡°it was a sad dream, but it was a good dream. because i could hear your voice again.¡±


    she carefully brushed aside his disheveled bangs.


    ¡°i¡¯ll look over you for a while longer.¡±


    she gently pressed her lips to his cheek before retreating to continue her research.


    throughout the day, she visited him frequently and told him about various things, but there were many more things she wanted to say.


    she spoke to the point she couldn¡¯t bring herself to speak any longer because of her heartbroken state.


    her heart urged her to burst into tears and to throw everything away.


    because she knew.


    in reality, she was nothing but a mere sinner before siwoo.


    when tracing the causes of all these events, it all ultimately led down to one thing: her karma.


    it also became apparent that she had only been putting on effort for her own self-satisfaction, not for him.


    transparent tears flowed down her cheeks.


    god knows how many times she had wiped her tears with her handkerchief today.


    but, the world went on as the snowflakes peacefully accumulated on the pure white garden.


    2.


    after their classes ended, odile and odette visited amelia¡¯s mansion.


    it was part of their new routine.


    due to his condition, siwoo could only receive visitors once a week and today was the day when they could visit him.


    they went to the mansion together with amelia, who went straight to the research building for her research. meanwhile, the twins went straight to siwoo¡¯s room with a bouquet of flowers in their hands.


    half of the cost to maintain the magic circles in his room was provided by countess gemini.


    ¡°heya, mr. assistant!¡±


    ¡°hello, mr. assistant!¡±


    odile entered the door energetically, followed by odette.


    naturally, siwoo didn¡¯t respond.


    miracles didn¡¯t occur that easily, after all.


    ¡°we brought you blue hydrangeas today. according to the flower language, they represent arrogance, coldness and pride, but honestly, i bought them because they¡¯re pretty.¡±


    ¡°yeah, who cares about the flower language anyway?¡±


    odette took out the withered flowers inside the vase sitting on the table and replaced them with fresh ones.


    the twins grabbed the chairs and sat on his sides, snuggly pressing their buttocks against him.


    they gazed at his sleeping face for quite some time.


    that night, he risked his own life to save them.


    even when they were on the verge of giving up everything and were about to kneel down to the wicked witch, he encouraged them and confronted that witch until the very end.


    they couldn¡¯t forget his broad back as he boldly taunted the formidable witch.


    but, when they had called their master and returned, his appearance became utterly miserable.


    his injuries looked so painful to look at, each of them looked so severe that he could die just from those wounds.


    he knew that this outcome was inevitable, yet he still decided to protect them.


    though he had the option to run away by himself, he didn¡¯t even consider it.


    ¡°thanks to you, mr. assistant, i was able to study hard today too.¡±


    with her tears welling up uncontrollably, odette tightly grasped his hand.


    it felt rough.


    though all the fractures that barely held his bones together were fully healed, crooked scars still remained.


    ¡°let me tell you what happened this week, mr. assistant. you might be bored from lying around all day, after all.¡±


    the twins had taken turns sitting in amelia¡¯s residence, weeping and wailing, but as time passed, they were able to come to terms with this reality.


    their powerlessness and inability to do anything back then. they could only sit around waiting for their lives to be saved by him.


    that same feeling became a driving force for them.


    after all, they couldn¡¯t just sink into sadness forever.


    that was why they started to study magic more diligently than ever.


    so that when he woke up, if another incident like this were to happen, they¡¯d be able to protect him instead.


    the twins started to recount everything that happened in the past week to siwoo.


    ¡°something that will make you proud happened this week, mr. assistant!¡±


    ¡°yes. we received compliments from ms. professor today!¡±


    ¡°it was the first time we received less than ten corrections in our assignments!¡±


    they had been studying magic passionately recently.


    ¡°somewhat disappointing incident also happened, though. pecha caught a squirrel on wednesday...¡±


    ¡°when odette opened the cage to feed it, it ended up running away.¡±


    ¡°yeah, but it was partly your fault that it ran away, sis! your fawning over how cute it was startled the poor thing! that¡¯s why it ran in fear!¡±


    ¡°oh, really? but, when i touched it, it was pretty well-behaved. are you sure it didn¡¯t run away because your aura was too hostile?¡±


    from casual everyday talk to their usual bickering.


    however, since there was no one listening, their bickering quickly died down.


    siwoo, who was supposed to intervene between them with a bitter smile, remained silent, making the mood around them quickly grew gloomy.


    in an attempt to clear that sullen mood, odile spoke up.


    ¡°why don¡¯t we tell him a slightly more intriguing story?¡±


    ¡°an intriguing story?¡±


    ¡°you know what i mean.¡±


    odile lowered her upper body then extended her arm beside siwoo¡¯s pillow.


    she climbed up onto the spacious bed, gently placed her hand on his chest before whispering her words softly.


    ¡°mr. assistant, i told you that if we meet again, i¡¯ll let you cum on my face, right?¡±


    sadness was mixed in her sweet, cutesy voice.


    ¡°i changed my mind, i¡¯ll let you cum not just on my face, but anywhere you want. actually, we¡¯ve been practicing lately.¡±


    seeing odile¡¯s proactive approach, odette also stuck closely to siwoo with the same posture.


    their hearts raced with anticipation.


    odette glanced towards the direction of the door from time to time.


    because if amelia were to see them in this rather intimate position, she¡¯d give them a bunch of assignments on their next lecture.


    ¡°yeah! so, what we¡¯ve been practicing is...¡±


    just like odile, odette leaned in close to siwoo¡¯s ear.


    ¡°...a spell to create a thin barrier to prevent mana from seeping into the womb.¡±


    it was a magic to block the release of mana from a male¡¯s genitalia by spreading a thin wavelength of mana like what a tokamak2a tokamak is a device which uses a powerful magnetic field to confine plasma in the shape of a torus. was for plasma confinement.


    the twins were diligently researching this magic, which was something that nobody had ever created due to the risk it carried and how useless it was.


    they intended to give it to him as a present as it was something that might like when he woke up.


    ¡°after you wake up... our other hole will be ready to take your thing...¡±


    ¡°exactly. the book says that one should offer their chastity to someone really precious to them. since you¡¯re our savior, mr. assistant... i¡¯ll give mine to you wholeheartedly.¡±


    ¡°me too! i¡¯ll offer my first time to you too, mr. assistant!¡±


    the twins secretly observed his reaction while holding their breath.


    ¡®what if countess gemini found out? she¡¯ll cut me to pieces either way, it¡¯s too dangerous.¡¯


    they anticipated that answer to come out of his mouth.


    but, siwoo¡¯s condition was that of one where his heart would only beat once every three minutes. they couldn¡¯t even hear the sound of his breathing.


    ¡®will he ever open those eyes again?¡¯


    ¡®will our promises stay as promises forever?¡¯


    none of the twins voiced the anxiety that came to their mind.


    ¡°anyway, wake up soon, mr. assistant! we¡¯ve even got a nice eye-patch for you.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll come back again later, so stay well until then, okay?¡±


    the twins got off the bed, packed their things and left the room.


    they pretended to close the door, but quickly opened it wide again.


    there was no dramatic moment where siwoo opened his eyes upon them closing the door.


    ¡°...let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°...yes, sister.¡±


    exchanging their words in a somber manner, the twins held back their tears.


    after all, they had promised not to show their tears to their dear assistant anymore.


    damn those ninjas cutting onions..


    footnotes:


    1¡®salon¡¯ here refers to a professional gathering or meeting where experts in a particular field come together to exchange ideas and information.2a tokamak is a device which uses a powerful magnetic field to confine plasma in the shape of a torus.

 Chapter 89: Silence (2)

    ? silence (2) ?


    *note: previously, there¡¯s a mistranslation regarding duchess keter¡¯s noble title. she¡¯s a duchess, not a countess.


    1.


    amelia¡¯s day began with her going to siwoo¡¯s room.


    lifting the blanket covering his body and wiped his arms and legs with a lukewarm towel.


    replacing the gauze covering his still-open eye sockets and using magic to maintain his overall hygiene.


    in truth, all of that wasn¡¯t necessary.


    his body was almost frozen in time, it didn¡¯t produce any bodily secretions due to his metabolic processes being halted.


    in the end, her act of atonement proved to be merely symbolic and futile.


    for about 15 minutes, she muttered to herself by his bedside, where he lay sleeping as if he was dead.


    it wasn¡¯t anything special.


    like usual, it was just her empty ramblings.


    afterwards, she headed to her lab to begin her magic research.


    in fact, recovery magic wasn¡¯t a particularly developed topic of research.


    both witches and apprentice witches all possessed spiritual bodies.


    compared to the intricate mechanism of the human body, their bodies, which were composed of mana and consciousness that centered around their brand, were considerably easier to restore.


    even if their arm was severed, an organ was to be ripped out, as long as there was sufficient mana, they could restore them.


    issues that were caused by something like virus or tumor weren¡¯t even worth mentioning.


    in such circumstances, who would go out of their way to develop a magic that would only benefit humans?


    the highest recovery magic in the hierarchy was only in the 10th tier.


    that level was sufficient for the witches.


    but there was a part that even a witch¡¯s spirit body couldn¡¯t easily heal; the brain.


    the place where someone¡¯s senses, reasons, thoughts, concepts and ideas were accumulated.


    humanity had broadened the horizons of science to the extent of being able to travel back and forth to the moon, but they still hadn¡¯t fully understood that particular organ yet.


    electrical signals and chemical reactions taking place between billions of neurons were beyond the scope of the 10th tier recovery magic. receiving damage to their brain meant death, even for witches.


    moreover, considering the fragility of the human body...


    it was uncertain how high the tier needed to awaken siwoo from his slumber.


    as she faced countless walls obstructing her progress, amelia felt helpless.


    even so, she never considered giving up.


    ¡°...¡±


    even though she felt helpless and there was nothing that she could do.


    compared to the day when her master left her side, this level of despair was nothing.


    unlike when she had to helplessly accept her fate, this time, she had a means to resist it.


    there was still a way for her to make amends.


    regardless of how painful and tough the journey could be, that wouldn¡¯t make her give up.


    -creak!


    ¡°amelia!¡±


    when she heard the sound of approaching footsteps, the door to her research room swung open.


    with her flowing purple hair swaying in each step, sophia appeared.


    she was amelia¡¯s longtime friend and someone she could confide in.


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°i found it!¡±


    sophia couldn¡¯t hide her excitement as she bounced around energetically.


    although she had a somewhat frivolous air compared to an average witch, this was the first time amelia had seen her lose control of her emotions.


    amelia¡¯s pupils trembled.


    ¡°what did you mean? what did you find?¡±


    ¡°i found a witch who might be able to cure assistant siwoo¡¯s condition!¡±


    ¡°r-really?¡±


    amelia grabbed her chest in response to the sudden surge of hope that made her heart flutter.


    however, it was too early to celebrate.


    sophia pulled out two stacks of crumpled paper from her embrace in a hurry.


    ¡°while searching through the discarded archives, i found a thesis written by a witch about brain regeneration.¡±


    among the stacked papers was a thesis.


    amelia quickly took them from sophia¡¯s hand and read the title.


    ¡®brain regeneration through human transmutation: multi-world psychology interpretation and entropy recovery.¡¯


    while amelia couldn¡¯t fully comprehend the depth of the thesis, a brief glance through the contents was enough to indicate that this was exactly what siwoo needed at the moment.


    ¡°the author of this thesis is ¡®smyrna1smyrna, ¡®¦Ò¦Ì¦Ô?¦Ñv¦Á¡¯ in greek. the mother of adonis, the mortal lover of both aphrodite and persephone. due to her incestuous relationship with adonis¡¯ father, she was turned into the myrrh tree and gave birth to adonis while being a tree.,¡¯ a 19th ranked witch specialized in human transmutation. however, there¡¯s a bit of a problem...¡±


    ¡°i know.¡±


    as soon as amelia heard sophia¡¯s words, she understood everything.


    the fact that this thesis was found in the discarded archives meant that the author of this thesis had been exiled.


    ¡°what was the reason for her exile?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve never met her in person, but... apparently during her research, she involved about ten citizens. but, this happened so long ago that there aren¡¯t any accurate records left.¡±


    amelia, who had been overwhelmed by joy, clenched her clothing tightly in a calm manner.


    originally, she held no ill will towards the exiles.


    after all, she never had any contacts with them to begin with.


    however, the recent clash with ea sadalmelik still lingered in her mind.


    witnessing the wicked witch¡¯s cruelty made amelia associate the word ¡®exile¡¯ not only with disgust but also unease.


    sophia was aware of this fact, so she spoke out to her.


    ¡°don¡¯t worry. not all exiles are as malevolent as the public believes. the ¡®witch of aquarius¡¯ was notorious even among the exiles for her psychopathic tendencies.¡±


    ¡°do you know her whereabouts?¡±


    ¡°i casted ¡®clairvoyance¡¯ to migratory birds around the world and found a hideout in the northeast greenland national park.¡±


    the feeling of excitement that had swelled up within amelia¡¯s heart began to die down.


    she cautiously inquired.


    ¡°still, wouldn¡¯t it be too risky?¡±


    she couldn¡¯t hide her concerns.


    after all, this wasn¡¯t just for anyone, this was for siwoo.


    she had to entrust another witch to restore his brain.


    considering that witch was an exile, it wasn¡¯t a wonder that she couldn¡¯t make up her mind.


    ¡°amelia, i understand that you¡¯ve been putting your effort into this, but there¡¯s a possibility that you won¡¯t make it in the end... you know that his condition is gradually worsening, right? even if you somehow are able to cure his wounds someday, it might be too late...¡±


    sophia¡¯s words were right.


    what amelia was trying to do was akin to an astrophysicist suddenly enrolling in a medical school to study until they became skilled enough to perform the most complex brain surgery in the world.


    there was no guarantee that her patient would still be alive by the time she was done studying everything.


    ¡°what about duchess keter? you still can¡¯t reach her? if it¡¯s her she should be able to help us...¡±


    ¡°you already know it, amelia... no one has seen her for 82 years.¡±


    duchess keter had secluded herself in the ivory tower.


    she was the highest-ranking (and the oldest) witch who managed to reach the 30th rank in the hierarchy all on her own without ever inheriting or passing down a brand.


    someone who was revered by all the witches.


    if there was anyone that could change this current reality and restore siwoo to his original state, it would be her.


    in fact, after the incident, amelia immediately visited the duchess¡¯ ivory tower.


    however, the duchess was known for her indifference to worldly affairs.


    throughout the month, without skipping a single day, she diligently sought her out. but the only person she encountered was only a two-digit ranked witch who loitered in front of ivory tower, eagerly awaiting the slightest morsel of advice from the duchess.


    since the metaphysical barrier laid out at the tower rejected anyone who wasn¡¯t invited, amelia could only go back without any results.


    afterwards, she still sent her messages every day, but she didn¡¯t receive any replies.


    ¡°we need to make a decision. the longer we delay his treatment, the lower the possibility of him recovering.¡±


    sophia wasn¡¯t unaware of amelia¡¯s concerns.


    she knew that amelia¡¯s hesitation came from her traumatic experience of losing an important person to herself.


    having to place another important person¡¯s life in another witch¡¯s hands was an obviously difficult decision for her.


    however, being excessively cautious didn¡¯t always lead to the best choice.


    amelia needed to make a decision now.


    so that she wouldn¡¯t be left with regrets.


    considering all possibilities carefully, amelia pondered.


    and finally, with difficulty, she opened her mouth to speak,


    ¡°have you...tried to contact her?¡±


    ¡°i received her reply this morning. i inquired about getting her a temporary permit with countess gemini as well and they said that they¡¯ll give us their active cooperation... actually, in the last two hours, they¡¯ve been pushing it so she could restore her citizenship status.¡±


    they needed the witch named smyrna to be brought directly into gehenna.


    the current siwoo wasn¡¯t in any condition to go to the modern world through a portal.


    in the first place, the act of letting an exile legally set foot in gehenna was unprecedented.


    countess gemini aided them in this matter because they owed siwoo for risking his life for their apprentice witches twice.


    they were even arranging a rather radical compensation for the exile, offering her citizenship for treating siwoo.


    ¡°for now, let¡¯s just confirm her credentials. to do that, i need to confirm her abilities with my own eyes.¡±


    ¡°yes, that¡¯s the way to go. but, what¡¯s your plan?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll summon her immediately.¡±


    2.


    between the modern world and gehenna, there was a ¡®gate¡¯ connecting them.


    to travel through it, three things were required.


    unpolluted, clean rivers or oceans.


    gehenna¡¯s citizenship.


    a powerful shockwave.


    with those three requirements fulfilled, one could enter gehenna through the ¡®gate¡¯ from anywhere in the world and conversely, move to any place in the world through it.


    in the vip lounge of the immigration control office, amelia stood with her hand clasped, waiting for the person who¡¯d come through the gate.


    three hours had passed since the appointed time, but ¡®smyrna¡¯ was nowhere to be seen.


    sophia had constructed an image with her ¡®clairvoyance,¡¯ so amelia had an idea what the exile looked like.


    though, the quality of the image was poor due to sophia borrowing the vision of a migratory bird.


    ¡°...¡±


    however, even as several witches passed through, her figure was still nowhere to be seen.


    ¡®maybe she felt suspicious due to the sudden invitation? and she decided to hide herself?¡¯


    even in her spiritual form, amelia felt her throat growing dry.


    unable to hide her impatience, she nibbled on her lower lip.


    ¡®would it have been better if i were to go to find her myself?¡¯


    ¡®did i ruin things again with my hasty judgment?¡¯


    amidst her growing mold of unease, the door to the immigration control lounge was opened.


    ¡°phew...¡±


    she let out an involuntary sigh of relief.


    the person she had been waiting for had finally entered the lounge, albeit timidly.


    as she had previously seen in the image, the exile was of asian descent, though the racial classification of ¡®yellow-skinned¡¯ seemed irrelevant due to her snow-white skin.


    her jet-black hair was tied into a chignon bun, fully exposing her nape. her dark, shimmering eyes didn¡¯t conceal her unease as they wandered around.


    she wore a checkered rustic skirt, a furry coat with floral patterns and white boots. on her back was a backpack that was larger than her own upper body that seemed to be filled with various things.


    regardless of who wore them, her fashion sense seemed so out of place.


    ¡®is that... the fashion sense of the modern world...?¡¯


    amidst amelia¡¯s bewilderment to her sense of fashion, the exile, yebin, called out to her.


    ¡°excuse me, this my first time in gehenna... are you baroness amelia marigold?¡±


    ¡°yes, i am. nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°ah, i see...! my name is yebin smyrna. this is the first time i¡¯m seeing a witch other than my master... do i have to shake your hand?¡±


    after awkwardly wiping her palm on her clothes, yebin extended her hand with an equally awkward smile.


    amelia took hold of her hand, awkwardly shook her hand.


    ¡°thank you for inviting me. i heard that you have a patient for me... where should i go?¡±


    ¡°we need to take the portal first.¡±


    ¡°o-okay! is it this way? or this way?¡±


    ¡°this way.¡±


    amelia grabbed yebin¡¯s arm, who seemed to be unable to get her act together and brought her back to her mansion.


    footnotes:


    1smyrna, ¡®¦Ò¦Ì¦Ô?¦Ñv¦Á¡¯ in greek. the mother of adonis, the mortal lover of both aphrodite and persephone. due to her incestuous relationship with adonis¡¯ father, she was turned into the myrrh tree and gave birth to adonis while being a tree.

 Chapter 90: Silence (3)

    ? silence (3) ?


    1.


    outside gehenna, or the modern world, to be precise, there were numerous mentally unstable witches targeting the young witches.


    after she received her brand, yebin chose to hide in a place where no one would find her due to her limited combat skills.


    she threw away the benefits and luxuries of modern civilization that she had enjoyed thus far.


    for the next ten years, she engrossed herself in her mentor¡¯s teachings. how tedious it had been for her!


    at one moment, when she was absentmindedly fiddling with her smartphone, which couldn¡¯t receive any internet connection in the desolate frozen land, something she didn¡¯t expect occurred.


    a single bird, speaking in human language, came to find her, conveying a peculiar proposal.


    apparently, there was a patient that needed her help in gehenna and yebin was asked to conduct a medical examination and to provide treatment to said patient.


    in return, they offered to issue a temporary permit for her to enter gehenna and promised substantial reward and citizenship based on the results.


    yebin received this once-in-a-lifetime news with open arms.


    she wouldn¡¯t have to constantly keep on guard against malicious witches threatening her life in gehenna. not to mention she could find abundant materials and resources she could use for her research.


    and most importantly, it was a chance for her to escape from this boring place.


    with high hopes, she traveled to gehenna.


    the first person she encountered was an incredibly beautiful blonde woman.


    she deduced that this was the baroness marigold, amelia marigold.


    the aura the other witch exuded made her look like a haughty princess and yebin couldn¡¯t help but feel that her existence was small compared to her.


    perhaps this was what they meant by being a noble born.


    she felt uncomfortable after seeing amelia just standing there without uttering a single word. so, she attempted to start various conversations to ease the atmosphere.


    ¡°my attire is a little peculiar, isn¡¯t it? actually, back when i was still in korea, it wasn¡¯t hard to get some clothes, but where i live now, proper clothes are scarce... haha...¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°seeing how you dressed up so nicely, i really should have visited the city at least once... but, that doesn¡¯t mean i didn¡¯t do my best to dress up.¡±


    ¡°no, really, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    however, amelia¡¯s mind was filled with complex thoughts, so she couldn¡¯t digest yebin¡¯s words properly.


    amelia simply brushed off all her questions and avoided any meaningful conversations with her. feeling that her efforts were in vain, yebin gazed around gehenna with a slightly disappointed expression.


    after using the ¡®gate¡¯ to teleport, it still took them around thirty minutes to get to amelia¡¯s mansion from border town.


    as yebin looked at amelia¡¯s accommodations, her eyes went wide.


    it was a magnificent and elegant-looking mansion, a sight rarely seen even in korea, let alone in the greenland national park.


    its refined and vintage architecture was visible the moment the door was opened. it was like a work of art in itself, making it hard to suppress one¡¯s admiration toward it.


    ¡°wow, is this really a house?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s a place to sleep.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve only seen something like this on nexlix. amazing...¡±


    ¡°nexlix?¡±


    ¡°yes. do you not watch nexlix, baroness? oh, maybe there¡¯s no internet here? well, my place also doesn¡¯t have internet, so i had to go to a gas station to download something i could watch back at home.¡±


    ¡°internet? gas station? download...?¡±


    after hearing a barrage of unfamiliar words pouring out, amelia, who could only blink in response, finally spoke out the suspicion that she had been harboring since she first saw her.


    yebin smyrna mentioned that this was the first time she came to gehenna.


    but, being an exile meant that one was banished from gehenna and was stripped off their citizenship. this punishment would extend to the exiles¡¯ descendants.


    since that was the case...


    ¡°how long has it been since you received your brand?¡±


    the girl in front of her must be smyrna¡¯s successor.


    yebin, who was entranced by the dazzling flowerpot, hurriedly responded to amelia¡¯s question.


    ¡°it¡¯s been about ten years.¡±


    a realization struck amelia.


    because everyone was desperate in trying to save siwoo, they rashly invited yebin without confirming first that she was the exact person they wanted.


    in the first place, they had no intention to ask a young witch, who had only received her brand ten years ago, for help. what they wanted was smyrna herself, not her successor. with this revelation, things had turned a little troublesome.


    inheriting the knowledge a brand possessed would take about ten years on average. this situation was akin to inviting a doctor whose ink on their medical license hasn¡¯t dried yet.


    ¡°before receiving the brand from my master, i was studying medicine in korea. after receiving it ten years ago, i hid in a vacant workshop at the national park to avoid the eyes of other witches.¡±


    seeing amelia¡¯s vague response, yebin thought that her explanation was inadequate so she added more to it.


    ¡°i see...¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve heard a lot about gehenna from my mentor, so i really want to visit at least once. thanks to you, i got the chance to come here. but, more importantly, i¡¯d like to check on the patient¡¯s condition now. which way should i go?¡±


    to summarize, back when she was an apprentice witch, yebin studied medicine(?) in korea and later hid in a remote place to avoid confrontations with malicious exiles.


    exiles were known to often engage in conflicts among themselves, making them dangerous to each other as well.


    in truth, amelia was disappointed.


    even if she was an exile, amelia would have preferred the predecessor to come here instead because she would have had accumulated a vast amount of experience and that would add to her credibility.


    after all, a skilled doctor with a shitty attitude was still better than an incompetent doctor.


    ¡°follow me.¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    nevertheless, even if it was her predecessor who came here, they¡¯d still need to conduct a preliminary examination before anything else.


    and so, amelia, suppressing her dejection, led yebin to the room where siwoo was sleeping


    as yebin quietly entered the room, amelia heightened her senses.


    the possibility was low, but she still needed to be prepared just in case yebin attempted to harm siwoo.


    this was the proof of how much amelia distrusted exiles.


    ¡°is this the patient?¡±


    ¡°yes. as you can see, he¡¯s a human.¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±


    on the bed was a man with his eyes bandaged.


    though he looked pale and weak, he had a fairly handsome face and to yebin¡¯s surprise, the man was an asian.


    ¡°is he korean by any chance?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    yebin was taken aback.


    she had to come all the way to gehenna within just a day, naturally she assumed that the patient she needed to tend to was a witch.


    after all, her temporary permit was stamped with the seals of countess gemini, baroness marigold and baroness avenega.


    in the first place, issuing a temporary permit to an exile was an unprecedented situation. not to mention that three noble witches were putting in their efforts to save someone, she wasn¡¯t wrong to assume that this particular patient was someone extraordinary.


    however, reality couldn¡¯t be any more different.


    the patient was korean. not only that, he was a man. unlike her assumption, he wasn¡¯t a witch.


    though, seeing someone from her home country for the first time in ten years stimulated a nostalgic feeling within her, even though he was in a coma.


    still, this wasn¡¯t the time to feel happy about this encounter.


    after all, if she were able to completely heal this patient, she¡¯d finally be able to leave greenland and live in gehenna.


    ¡°you should¡¯ve heard about the situation already. he suffered a severe brain injury through his left eye. there are traces of magical damage remaining, so it¡¯s impossible to regenerate his eyeball. we¡¯ve slowed down his biological clock to the limit, barely stabilizing his condition so it wouldn¡¯t deteriorate any further.¡±


    ¡°can i check on him myself?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    amelia nodded her head with difficulty in response to yebin¡¯s question.


    the latter took off her floral coat, revealing the light clothing underneath it.


    she then casted a purification spell, completely killing all germs and pathogens around her.


    ¡°i¡¯ll take a look then.¡±


    ¡°please be careful.¡±


    amelia nervously clasped both of her hands.


    though yebin only learned about romantic relationships through k-dramas, she had a rough idea of what it might feel like just from seeing amelia¡¯s current state.


    this man was likely a lover that baroness marigold held great affection for.


    there were enough telltale signs that strengthened this assumption.


    after getting rid of such distracting thoughts, yebin removed the gauze off siwoo¡¯s eyes and revealed the scarred eye socket underneath.


    even at a glance, it was an unsettling sight.


    no wonder such an esteemed witch from gehenna went out of her way to invite an exile.


    yebin was confident in her abilities.


    despite the gruesome wound, she didn¡¯t even blink an eye as she heightened her senses onto her fingertips.


    as she reached forward, a tendril of magic squirmed into siwoo¡¯s eye sockets.


    this allowed her to examine the wound with minimal adverse impact on her patient¡¯s body, boasting more precision than any modern device.


    ¡°...¡±


    seeing yebin¡¯s serious and focused look that was rare to see in a witch as young as her, amelia felt surprised.


    in contrast to her unreliable first impression, when she started her work, she practically turned into a different person.


    the examination itself didn¡¯t take a long time.


    she only spent around thirty minutes thoroughly assessing the man¡¯s overall condition, focusing on his frontal lobe. carefully, she retracted her heightened senses.


    ¡°how¡¯s his condition?¡±


    amelia was eager to ask a barrage of questions immediately, but she suppressed the urge.


    yebin¡¯s expression after she completed her examination worried her.


    ¡°could you give me some space? this is the first time i performed an examination while someone else was present...¡±


    ¡®did she tell me to leave the room?¡¯


    ¡®in a situation where i don¡¯t know what she¡¯ll do to siwoo?¡¯


    amelia was taken aback. she couldn¡¯t just leave the room while a complete stranger was assessing his condition.


    she urgently asked yebin to tell her about his condition.


    ¡°how¡¯s his condition?¡±


    ¡°since, i haven¡¯t finished examining him properly, i can¡¯t give you my full assessment, but his condition is serious... his frontal lobe is damaged way beyond what ¡®recovery magic¡¯ can address. the magic circuits all over his body are malfunctioning, the neural structure also severely damaged...¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m aware of all that already. can you give me a more detailed diagnosis?¡±


    although she didn¡¯t burst to tears, amelia looked unstable, as if she could crumble at the slightest touch.


    yebin avoided her gaze, finding it was difficult to face her.


    ¡°using the restorative potion that my master researched might help somehow... but i need to give him a closer examination to get a clearer picture...¡±


    amelia steeled her heart when she saw yebin¡¯s burdened expression.


    the young witch had just arrived here, after all.


    she had waited for three months already, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to wait just a little longer, would it?


    amelia decided to trust her for now.


    her proficiency in handling her magical senses was on par, if not better, than most witches she knew.


    she took a step back.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°sorry for rushing you. would it be alright for me to wait outside the room?¡±


    ¡°yes, i¡¯d appreciate that.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    still, leaving siwoo alone with an exile left her worried.


    wasn¡¯t it because of her running away on that fateful night that made his condition like this?


    she knew this line of questioning was baseless, but the memories of that night haunted her mind.


    ¡°please take care of him.¡±


    amelia clasped her hands together respectfully and bowed down towards yebin.


    this trivial thing was the only thing she could do for siwoo at the moment.


    ¡°please... save him...¡±


    ¡°p-please don¡¯t do this to me, baroness.¡±


    amelia¡¯s 90-degree bow startled yebin.


    prior to this, she had heard her master cursing the noble witches¡¯ lofty attitudes.


    although she knew that part of her master¡¯s rant was likely filled with her envy and inferiority complex, her own opinion of noble witches wasn¡¯t all that positive.


    in fact, she felt the same way toward the class system back in korea, the place where she was born and raised. she felt that it was vexing and unjust.


    but, never did she expect that a baroness would bow her head down for the sake of a mere slave.


    suddenly, the weight of responsibility she felt became twice as heavy.


    leaving yebin with her gradually increasing burden, amelia left the room and leaned against the door.


    then, her legs gave out and a stream of tears flowed like a bursting dam.


    she had thought that she had come to terms with it over time.


    maybe it was because of the faint glimmer of hope that she had seen in the midst of the darkness.


    or the sense of foreboding she felt from yebin¡¯s stern expression.


    nevertheless, she felt like her heart had been wrenched, the same feeling as back on the day when she almost lost him.


    if this sliver of hope completely vanished.


    if siwoo were to disappear and never return again like her master.


    could she endure the agony of such a loss again?


    especially when it was the result of her own actions?


    amelia held her mouth with both hands as she swallowed her tears, worrying that the sound might bother the examination that was going on next door.


    she shook her head wildly. she didn¡¯t need to feel the sadness now.


    what she needed to do was to think positively, focus on joyful and happy thoughts.


    like what they¡¯d do together when he woke up.


    first, she¡¯d explain about the pain she had caused him and apologize to him.


    he¡¯d probably be angry at her.


    like in her dreams, he might even scream at her.


    but, it would be alright.


    even if he ended up never forgiving her, it would be alright.


    compared to his well being, everything else was irrelevant.


    but, if the slight chance of him forgiving her actually happened, what would they do?


    maybe travel to the modern world together?


    while holding each other¡¯s hands, they¡¯d travel to the homeland that he desperately wanted to go back to.


    then, she¡¯d tell him...


    ¡°please... stay with me from now on...¡±


    she leaned against the wall with tears streaming down her face. for over five hours, she waited for yebin¡¯s examination to finish.

 Chapter 91: Treatment (1)

    ? treatment (1) ?


    1.


    ¡°how is he?¡±


    yebin was beyond astonished.


    due to how hard she concentrated, she wasn¡¯t certain on how long it had been since she started the examination.


    but, the reason why she was so surprised was because by the time she finished, baroness marigold was still outside, waiting for news to come out.


    yebin thought to herself that the baroness must have cared a lot about the patient to be in this state.


    at the same time, she felt burdenful and suffocated.


    after all, she had to be the harbinger of the bad news, telling the baroness outright that the patient she cared so much about was in a critical state.


    ¡°before anything... i¡¯ll tell you that it¡¯s possible for him to recover...¡±


    ¡°ah...¡±


    amelia¡¯s legs lost their strength.


    if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that she met yebin for the first time today, she would¡¯ve collapsed on the floor already.


    ¡°but, his whole body is a complete mess. his vital organs are injured badly, his mana circuit is in an even worse state. if he didn¡¯t receive any first-aid back then, it would¡¯ve been impossible for him to recover... thankfully, it wasn¡¯t the case.¡±


    ¡°what exactly did you mean when you said that he has a possibility of recovering?¡±


    ¡°can i write the details down first? i¡¯ll present it to you after i¡¯m done organizing everything.¡±


    ¡°yes, you can. thank you for your hard work.¡±


    the long examination had tired her and she still had to write down a detailed explanation of its result.


    because of that, their conversation would only continue after they were done eating their dinner.


    at the restaurant, yebin showed amelia a stack of charts detailing the results of her examination.


    ¡°this chart is a very brief summary of all his organs that need to be healed... i believe that we need to heal the injuries that riddle all over his body before we could move on to his brain.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    on the chart with the human anatomical system on it, lines were traced, displaying each of his organs and the drawn circles that represented his injuries.


    it was easier to look for a spot that hadn¡¯t been circled.


    from his head to his toe, there wasn¡¯t a place that was uninjured.


    though she was aware of how severe his condition was, amelia¡¯s mind still went blank when she saw exactly how bad it looked on a chart like this.


    ¡°our priority should be to rebuild his body so that recovery magic could work on it... and... the next part is a little hard to say...¡±


    ¡°please just tell me everything honestly. i need to understand his condition in detail.¡±


    ¡°then, i¡¯ll move on to the state of his brain.¡±


    yebin hesitated.


    but, amelia¡¯s determined expression seemed to urge her to continue.


    seeing this, she pulled out a second chart.


    a four page diagram of the brain structure.


    ¡°as you can see, his meninges1three layers of membranes that protects the brain and spinal cords. are damaged. then, as seen in sections ba57, 54 and 44, his lateral ventricles2paired c-shaped structures which produces the cerebrospinal fluid, which is a fluid that provides the brain with protection and nourishment, also functions as a waste removal. that were connected to his prefrontal cortex3the front part of the frontal lobe, also known as the ¡®personality center.¡¯ it¡¯s the place where we process real-time input for our surroundings, compare that to our past experiences and give out a reaction based on the result of the comparison. are also severely damaged. his orbitofrontal cortex4the front part of the prefrontal cortex. it¡¯s involved in someone¡¯s decision-making process. is almost completely gone, probably because he received the damage through his left eye... it¡¯s safe to say that his brain is in critical condition.¡±


    yebin paused in the middle of her explanation because amelia was gazing at her as if the sky had collapsed.


    it seemed like it would¡¯ve been better if she were to present the result of her examination before dinner.


    the rare feast that she had just eaten was twisting her stomach, making her feel constipated.


    but, of course witches wouldn¡¯t get constipated.


    ¡°then, what¡¯s going to happen...?¡±


    ¡°after the surgery, there may be various changes.¡±


    ¡°what kind of changes?¡±


    ¡°firstly, the orbitofrontal cortex... it¡¯s part of the brain that¡¯s connected to numerous different sensory organs, such as receptors and pathways for taste, vision, smell and synesthesia. i can¡¯t give you a definite answer on whether they will be functional after his resuscitation.¡±


    ¡°and?¡±


    yebin steeled her heart.


    she was here as a doctor, not a witch.


    and it was a doctor¡¯s duty to objectively convey her patient¡¯s condition.


    ¡°additionally it¡¯s also related to the limbic system, it also indirectly manages both desires and motivations. to be more specific, it develops a reward system5a natural process during which the brain associates diverent stimuli (substances, situations, events, or activities) with a positive or desirable outcome based on one¡¯s desire and motivation, which is a huge part in the development of one¡¯s social behavior. because of this, learning disabilities might occur... and since it¡¯s related to one¡¯s desire, there might be a handicap in his sexual desire... is it okay if i continue? if you¡¯re having a difficult time, we can take a brief break.¡±


    amelia, who had been desperately holding back her tears, couldn¡¯t hide them in the end.


    even as droplets trickled onto the back of her hand, she shook her head firmly.


    yebin let out a deep sigh as she continued.


    ¡°...in the case of the prefrontal cortex, it¡¯s mostly responsible for ¡®execution,¡¯ as in decision making, situational behavior coordination, verbal expression and critical thinking. i¡¯ve read some papers on patients with injuries to their prefrontal damage and after their recovery, they were ailed with high emotional dysfunction and they became more impulsive...¡±


    amelia looked so sorrowful that yebin couldn¡¯t add a comparison to her explanation. to put it shortly, there was a possibility that siwoo could turn into a robot.


    but not just any robot, but an immensely violent robot that would only adhere to its impulses.


    ¡°will he turn out like that after his treatment?¡±


    ¡°may i use this plate for a moment?¡±


    as amelia briefly nodded, yebin broke one of the dessert plates into pieces with her telekinesis.


    then she attempted to fit the dozens of pieces together as if she was solving a puzzle.


    ¡°this is what reassembling torn skins and bones look like. the cells are responsible for maintaining its structure and function, the pieces that need to be assembled are large in size too, so it won¡¯t be too difficult. even on the off-chance that the pieces are misaligned, the process can be restarted.¡±


    although the strength of her ¡®surgical telekinesis¡¯ was far weaker than the original, its delicate nature allowed it to easily piece the plate together without mistakes.


    the plate that was once shattered had turned to its original form while being kept seemingly intact.


    ¡°however, it¡¯s a different case for the brain.¡±


    -crack!


    the plate broke into thousands of much smaller pieces.


    ¡°the brain¡¯s ¡®structure¡¯ is closely related to its ¡®function.¡¯ it¡¯s also by far the most delicate and sensitive organ in the human body. no matter how much time and effort i put in, it¡¯s impossible to make it exactly the same as it was. this is the best i can do.¡±


    although the plate was restored as closely as possible to its original state, there was a spider web-like crack spread through its surface.


    one could see empty gaps here and there at a glance as well.


    ¡°are you sure you¡¯ll be fine even if the patient¡ª¡±


    ¡°his name is shin siwoo.¡±


    ¡°...even if mr. shin siwoo wakes up and becomes a different person than before?¡±


    this was something that yebin had to say.


    her job wasn¡¯t only to tell amelia that she¡¯d save him.


    she also had to, at the very least, respect the patient¡¯s guardian¡¯s will since it wasn¡¯t like she could ask the comatose patient for his consent.


    ¡°i can assure you, even if someone other than me was here, they wouldn¡¯t tell you anything different than what i¡¯ve said.¡±


    amelia took out her handkerchief and wiped her tears. her gesture looked elegant.


    ¡°i don¡¯t care. this is something i have to shoulder on my own.¡±


    she had hardened her resolve.


    since that was the case, the only thing yebin needed to do was to treat siwoo to the best of her ability.


    ¡°then, i¡¯ll explain my future plans to you.¡±


    yebin unfolded a paper containing the details of her plan for surgery in front of amelia.¡±


    ¡°first, to restore the body before regenerating the brain, i¡¯d have to restore some of its functions first. the brain has an attribute called neuroplasticity. it changes the placement of the neural circuits if they¡¯re injured and pass the unsupervised role to the other parts of the brain. by inciting this attribute, we can activate the functions required for recovery. it¡¯ll take around a month to get to this point. in addition, during this period, a ¡®mapping¡¯ of which part of the brain is responsible for which functions will happen.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll provide you with the necessary resources.¡±


    yebin nodded and finished the rest of her explanation.


    ¡°after that, we can start to regenerate his ruined brain. i¡¯ll focus on securing his original memory and functions as much as possible. when this process is over, the rearranged neural circuits will be placed back to its previous roles. however, no matter how perfect the recovery is, keep in mind that compared to his previous capabilities, there will be clear differences in performances in some of the restored functions.¡±


    ¡°okay, when can you start?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll write you down everything that i need, so can you please get them for me? i¡¯ll start right away.¡±


    yerin was burning with enthusiasm.


    but, it wasn¡¯t because she was about to perform a surgery on a human, that was only secondary.


    she was looking forward to relieving the baroness¡¯ anxiety, who was still shedding her tears in front of her.


    once again, she realized how precious a life was and how important her job was.


    ¡°i understand.¡±


    with amelia¡¯s full cooperation, siwoo¡¯s treatment began.


    2.


    yebin devoted sixteen hours a day to heal siwoo.


    inside the room, the magic circles that slowed his biological clock were deployed.


    while they served their purpose brilliantly for first-aid, they became hindrance when it came to the actual recovery of his body.


    her goal was to rebuild his body so that he wouldn¡¯t die even if his biological clock was returned to its original state.


    it took an immense amount of magic and stamina to restore just the recovery capabilities of his deteriorated cells.


    what she was doing was essentially sewing his cells one by one by using both surgical touch and telekinesis.


    ¡°phew...¡±


    still wearing a mask, yebin sighed heavily as she blinked her blurry eyes.


    it took her nearly three days to restore his ragged cardiopulmonary system.


    ¡®should i take a breather before continuing?¡¯


    when yebin opened the door while holding her throbbing head, she was suddenly facing a certain pair of twin sisters.


    they were so beautiful and looked similar to each other as if they were mirror reflections of each other.


    ¡°how is mr. assistant¡¯s condition?¡±


    ¡°is he okay...?¡±


    the twins held each other¡¯s hands while rolling their feet as they asked in desperation.


    yebin easily guessed their identities.


    the apprentice witches of the gemini household who managed to escape their demise thanks to shin siwoo¡¯s magic.


    ¡°ah, hello. my name is yebin smyrna.¡±


    ¡°ah, i¡¯m odile gemini.¡±


    ¡°my name is odette gemini.¡±


    the twins were in such a hurry that they forgot their manners. only now did they curtsy as they greeted yebin.


    seeing their neat and precise movements, yebin thought that they were amazing.


    ¡°i just finished restoring his cardiopulmonary system.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s a good thing, right?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s supposed to be relieving news, right?¡±


    after seeing yebin¡¯s nod, odile jumped up and down to express her gratitude.


    yebin only needed a glance to tell that they were extremely worried about him, she felt an unexplainably novel sensation as she witnessed this sight.


    she could already tell that a lot of people held great affection for siwoo, as seen from baroness avenega, who came to visit not too long ago and the owner of this mansion, amelia. but these twins seemed to hold a greater fondness of him than the aforementioned two.


    ¡°is it okay for us to go in now?¡±


    ¡°i want to see mr. assistant¡¯s face...¡±


    ¡°no. he needs to rest for the time being... i don¡¯t think you two can see him anytime soon...¡±


    seeing their shoulders droop made yebin feel a sense of pity toward these poor girls.


    although she didn¡¯t know what kind of person siwoo was, seeing as he had accumulated so much trust, she could tell that he was an exceptional person.


    ¡°are you having difficulties?¡±


    ¡°is there anything we can help you with?¡±


    ¡°oh, no... i don¡¯t really need anything...¡±


    since amelia had already provided all the necessary resources for her, yebin was able to focus solely on the treatment.


    nevertheless, the twins grabbed her by the wrists.


    ¡°don¡¯t say that. come to our carriage for a moment.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ve prepared something that you might like, mr. smyrna.¡±


    ¡°h-huh?¡±


    yebin, who was half-forced into the carriage, received a huge pile of gifts, from pretty clothes to magic tools that looked incredibly rare, along with a request to take care of siwoo from the twins.


    as a bonus, she also had to continuously listen to his tear-jerking heroic stories for an hour.


    ¡°while mr. assistant is a slave and a man, he can use magic.¡±


    ¡°he even fought courageously against the wicked 21st ranked exile just to save us...¡±


    ¡°r-really?¡±


    ¡°he had a chance to escape, but he made us evacuate first.¡±


    ¡°he¡¯s our hero.¡±


    the twins surrounded her, making her feel dizzy because they kept speaking in turn.


    their last request was no different from amelia¡¯s.


    ¡°please take care of mr. assistant.¡±


    ¡°the gemini corporation won¡¯t forget this favor even in the far future.¡±


    after their conversation was over, yebin returned to the mansion with an increased burden on her back.


    ¡°...¡±


    in fact, she already knew that he had used magic to confront the exile, but this was the first time she ever heard the story in such detail.


    despite knowing his fate, he risked his life to protect the twins anyway.


    as the twins had said, the word ¡®hero¡¯ fitted him perfectly considering his unshakeable will and valiant actions.


    suddenly she felt like she was treating one of those amazing people she¡¯d only hear from the newspapers.


    ¡°i wonder what kind of person he is...?¡±


    when the treatment concluded, he probably wouldn¡¯t be the same person as before, but yebin wanted to have the opportunity to get to know him.


    footnotes:


    1three layers of membranes that protects the brain and spinal cords.2paired c-shaped structures which produces the cerebrospinal fluid, which is a fluid that provides the brain with protection and nourishment, also functions as a waste removal.3the front part of the frontal lobe, also known as the ¡®personality center.¡¯ it¡¯s the place where we process real-time input for our surroundings, compare that to our past experiences and give out a reaction based on the result of the comparison.4the front part of the prefrontal cortex. it¡¯s involved in someone¡¯s decision-making process.5a natural process during which the brain associates diverent stimuli (substances, situations, events, or activities) with a positive or desirable outcome

 Chapter 92: Treatment (2)

    ? treatment (2) ?


    1.


    like usual, amelia¡¯s day began with a visit to siwoo¡¯s room.


    it had been a month since yebin started her intensive treatment. most of his organs, except for his brain, had been healed.


    consequently, the intricate magic circles that had once enveloped him were removed.


    yebin smyrna¡¯s skills were clearly exceptional beyond doubt.


    after all, she restored siwoo¡¯s ruined body, which was on the death door if left alone, to its original state in a matter of days.


    just as promised, she managed to do what other witches wouldn¡¯t be able to do, restoring a badly damaged human body to this extent.


    now, even without delaying his biological clock, siwoo was able to breathe and maintain his heartbeat on his own.


    all his physiological functions, including cardiopulmonary performance had been reinstated.


    amelia could finally let herself feel a glimmer of hope that he might survive.


    when she saw color returning to his skin for the first time, she grasped his hand to feel his pulse for a long while.


    but, yebin¡¯s suspicions regarding how he might turn out to be different than before weighed heavily on her chest.


    nevertheless, she repeatedly muttered to herself, ¡®just him being alive is enough...¡¯ as she carefully counted the calluses that permeated his fingers one by one.


    ¡°oh, i apologize... i didn¡¯t realize you were here.¡±


    ¡°no, it¡¯s fine. please come in.¡±


    the door swung open as yebin entered the room.


    compared to the strange attire she wore the first time they met, she looked more like the impressive witch that she was.


    amelia quietly and gently released her grip on siwoo¡¯s hand.


    yebin¡¯s effort and dedication had been so remarkable that amelia, who had been watching from the sidelines, had nothing to nag or be concerned about.


    not only did she devote twelve hours a day on his treatment alone, she also dedicated another eight hours immersing herself to research on ¡®magnetism magic¡¯ for the sole purpose of recovering his brain.


    she only had four hours allocated for rest, practically committing her entire day to siwoo¡¯s treatment.


    amelia was well aware of this, that was why she refrained from constantly asking yebin for details on his condition.


    however, in moments such as these, her desperation for answers couldn¡¯t be contained.


    ¡°how is his condition?¡±


    ¡°well, everything except for his left eye, which i intentionally didn¡¯t heal to make room for the brain surgery, has returned to normal. his condition has stabilized too.¡±


    turning him from a half-dead, brain-dead state to his current condition was nothing short of a miracle.


    it was an achievement that even modern medicine would have deemed implausible, if not straight-up impossible.


    ¡°now, all the preparations have concluded. we will proceed with the reconstruction of his magic circuit as well as regenerating his brain in three days.¡±


    amelia rose from her seat, approached yebin and enveloped her in a deep embrace.


    ¡°thank you so much, truly...¡±


    ¡°y-you don¡¯t need to go this far. baroness, your support was, oh¡ª!¡±


    ¡°thank you, thank you...¡±


    yebin barely managed to escape her tight embrace that pretty much suffocated her.


    if she said she didn¡¯t feel a sense of accomplishment, she would be lying. nevertheless, there was still something that she had to convey to amelia.


    ¡°you can spend more time with mr. siwoo. i¡¯m only here for a brief check-up. i¡¯ll take my leave now...¡±


    ¡°okay...¡±


    yebin sighed as she closed the door and returned to her room.


    a large table, brought from the dining room, was swamped in a hill of brain models and thousands of sheets of paper.


    if shin siwoo had been one of many irrelevant animals, she wouldn¡¯t need to do this much preparation.


    she already restored the necessary functions for his survival, as well as inciting the neuroplasticity.


    all she needed to do would be to wake him up from his coma.


    but, it was her duty to restore him as closely as possible to his original state.


    to maintain his thoughts, memories, ideas and behavioral patterns.


    additionally, her plan, which had been cruising smoothly like a sail in a tailwind, had come to a halt.


    despite receiving her master¡¯s papers and meticulously reviewing the knowledge passed down to her through her brand, she could only come to one conclusion.


    she decided on a three-day buffer period so she could explore other options, but realistically speaking, the probability of finding an alternative to her original plan was dreadfully low.


    ¡°but how am i supposed to convey this to the baroness...?¡±


    yebin slumped onto the table.


    the medical procedure itself was complicated and her shyness made it difficult for her to articulate the problem.


    above all, she didn¡¯t know how to bring this solution to the baroness. this was her biggest concern, something she worried the most about.


    it would have been easier if she hadn¡¯t witnessed the baroness¡¯ affection and treatment towards siwoo.


    she recalled amelia, who spent hours each day just holding his hand by his side.


    ¡°he means so much to her. how could i possibly suggest that...?¡±


    whether she¡¯d accept this surgery method as inevitably due to necessity remained to be seen.


    ¡°but seriously, what am i supposed to tell her...?¡±


    yebin¡¯s dilemma deepened even further.


    2.


    in a pitch black space.


    siwoo¡¯s consciousness sluggishly swam aimlessly, drifting without anything to grasp or hold onto.


    below it were two, no, they had merged into one whole structure by now.


    it was everything that siwoo had built up in his life. but it had crumbled into mere wreckage, as if they had been struck by bombardment missiles.


    however, these wreckages still shone so brilliantly even though their functions should¡¯ve ceased.


    ¡°...¡±


    siwoo closely examined this sight.


    after scrutinizing it, he understood it, however, his train of thoughts was interrupted.


    to bridge the gap of his severed throughs, he could only rely on unrefined reasoning and instincts.


    his eyes unwavering, undisturbed by anything, fixing themselves on the pile of debris that was once a magic circle.


    he raised his arm.


    without any intent nor contemplation.


    nevertheless, like how it had always obeyed his will, the magic circle started to stir.


    -rumble!


    the world transformed as the black abyss trembled.


    gears, lines, points, characters and shadows, out of a golden light, they all emerged at once.


    without any guidance given, they traced elegant trajectories like stars in a galaxy, following reason and instinct as they finally settled in their rightful places, each emitting a faint glow.


    creation emerging from destruction, a philosophy as old as time itself.


    out of ashes of such destruction, the legacy of tens of thousands of fragments created a completely different form of ¡®rule¡¯.


    in his pupils, a beautifully shining golden orb materialized.


    like an egg bearing infinite truths, new rules birthed within the midst of shadows.


    ¡°...¡±


    treating as if everything was meaningless, he waved his hand as everything collapsed once again.


    new ¡®rules¡¯ were formed, unrestricted by any existing ones.


    such a contradiction disintegrated into the abyss.


    the shattered debris spread beneath him, just like before, awaiting for the command of their master.


    within the space, resembling a boundless sea of a dark abyss, siwoo raised his hands, creating and destroying laws with every wave of his hands.


    i.


    freedom.


    what was ¡®i¡¯?


    what was ¡®freedom¡¯?


    a crease formed on his brow as the two words suddenly grazed the fringes of his consciousness.


    despite eons of contemplation, nothing materialized from the depths of his abyss.


    once again, he raised his hands.


    like a deity blindly rolling dice until he achieved his desired outcome, he continued his symphony.


    just like how he was the creator of worlds, he was also the destroyer of worlds.


    time was on his side.


    after all, this abyss was his world.


    3.


    amelia laid on her bed, lost in thought.


    her research on siwoo¡¯s condition had come to a standstill for a long while now.


    since yebin was already here, her research became pretty much meaningless anyway.


    but, even her usual magic research came to a standstill too, so her days had devolved into a monotonous cycle of tending to siwoo and lying aimlessly on her bed.


    ¡°may i come in, amelia?¡±


    ¡°you may.¡±


    at that moment, sophia¡¯s voice, accompanied by a soft knock on the door, entered her ears.


    although sophia had always intruded on her privacy and relentlessly bothered her, her visits had become more frequent lately.


    amelia understood that sophia was trying to comfort her grieving friend, so she felt grateful for her gesture.


    as sophia entered the room, she noticed amelia lying listlessly on her bed, something the latter had been doing for a while now. seeing this, she let out a sigh inwardly.


    she knew that amelia was having a hard time due to the tragedy that befell siwoo, but she didn¡¯t expect that her friend would be having it this badly.


    it felt like the tear stains on her pillow had become a permanent decoration.


    nevertheless, she didn¡¯t judge her friend, nor did she think that her friend was making a fuss out of nothing.


    after all, amelia had already endured the shock of losing her master and once closed herself off emotionally.


    she understood that amelia was a delicate child, immersing herself in her own world while remaining cautious of opening her heart to others.


    for such an amelia to finally gather the courage to open her heart once again, only to experience another traumatic incident, sophia couldn¡¯t take her condition lightly.


    ¡°can i talk to you for a moment?¡±


    ¡°sorry, i¡¯m not really up for it right now.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s important.¡±


    seeing sophia¡¯s serious demeanor, amelia reluctantly sat up from her bed.


    her golden hair cascaded gracefully, carrying a pleasant fragrance.


    ¡°is this about siwoo?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    sophia settled onto the bed naturally, reaching out to hold amelia¡¯s hand.


    ¡°what i¡¯m about to say might sound uncomfortable and complicated to you.¡±


    ¡°w-what is this about? is there something wrong with¡ª?!¡±


    ¡°calm down. i phrased my words poorly. this is mostly about you. it¡¯s related to him as well, but...¡±


    sophia¡¯s words raised a sense of concern in amelia and she began to worry if something had gone wrong with siwoo¡¯s condition.


    seeing this, sophia calmly stroked her hair to comfort her as her face turned pale.


    ¡°how do you feel about him?¡±


    amelia¡¯s eyes betrayed her confusion, wondering why sophia was being so cryptic. because of this, she couldn¡¯t formulate an immediate response.


    ¡°i... like him...¡±


    after a long pause, she finally managed to speak.


    sophia tightened her hold on amelia¡¯s hand as she asked another question.


    ¡°what about me?¡±


    ¡°i like you too.¡±


    ¡°why?¡±


    ¡°...do i have to tell you?¡±


    amelia avoided eye contact as she turned embarrassed.


    seeing this, the other witch let out a sigh before nodding her head.


    after seeing her friend¡¯s strange and curious reaction, amelia finally spoke in a gentle tone.


    ¡°because you¡¯re always helping me... always there for me... also, because we¡¯re friends...¡±


    ¡°then, what about siwoo? do you like him as a friend? or do you like him as a man?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    as expected, amelia couldn¡¯t provide a clear answer.


    in truth, sophia had noticed something quite peculiar.


    certainly, amelia¡¯s opening up to someone and becoming aware of her emotions was a positive development for her.


    part of the reason why sophia was trying to pair her with siwoo was to assist her emotional growth.


    however, she failed to factor in how complicated amelia¡¯s current state was.


    were her feelings for siwoo simply a gesture of goodwill? or was it love?


    if the answer was neither of those, then perhaps she had misunderstood her feelings.


    nevertheless, sophia couldn¡¯t be sure about it.


    it wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t think siwoo could become amelia¡¯s partner.


    a kind and respectable man like him wasn¡¯t easy to come by.


    moreover, though she cherished amelia, she wouldn¡¯t go out of her way to interfere with the latter¡¯s romantic life.


    ¡°can you please answer me?¡±


    after a long hesitation, amelia finally spoke up.


    ¡°i think... i love him... romantically...¡±


    ¡°what if you misunderstood that feeling?¡±


    ¡°sophia!¡±


    a sharp voice, like a shattered glass, cut through the air.


    it was an immediate reaction.


    amelia¡¯s furious eyes were fixed on sophia.


    even if they were friends, she still couldn¡¯t forgive sophia for denying her feelings.


    the glint on her eyes filled with such anger.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but i have to tell you about this. this is something you¡¯re completely clueless about.¡±


    ¡°i might not know everything but i can at least tell that it¡¯s love.¡±


    ¡°amelia, calm down for a moment...¡±


    ¡°just by looking at him lying there, just by thinking he might leave my side makes my heart ache! if this emotion isn¡¯t love, then what is?!¡±


    amelia¡¯s outburst of frustration was a confirmation for sophia.


    that she wasn¡¯t in love with siwoo.


    rather, she felt indebted to him and she felt fear that she¡¯d lose him.


    both of them weren¡¯t love.


    then, what was love?


    what was guilt?


    what was responsibility?


    what was relationship?


    what was affection?


    what was kindness?


    what was friendship?


    amelia wouldn¡¯t know the answer to any of these.


    after all, she had just barely opened her eyes to the world and emotions.


    like a baby duckling that recognized the first creature it saw as its mother and followed it around.


    if she had mistaken an emotion that she didn¡¯t actually have, what would happen?


    what if sophia¡¯s excessive interference had created an unnatural flow of emotions?


    in the first place, what if the influence of ¡®magic¡¯ had changed their relationship to something else when it was merely a feeling of ¡®goodwill¡¯ toward each other?


    could that kind of feeling be classified as ¡®love¡¯?


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry for making you angry, but there¡¯s something i want you to hear.¡±


    sophia gestured and the door opened.


    from behind the door, the twins stood with tear-filled eyes.


    ¡°professor amelia...¡±


    ¡°we have something to tell you.¡±


    they stood there, bowing their heads as if they were about to confess a grave sin.

 Chapter 93: Treatment (3)

    ? treatment (3) ?


    1.


    three days had passed and the promised date had come.


    yebin was staring at amelia blankly as they were having their regular one-on-one discussion regarding siwoo¡¯s state.


    all this time she had been agonizing, trying to find an alternative way to treat him, but ultimately, she failed to do so.


    delaying siwoo¡¯s surgery any further would prove to be difficult and she desperately needed amelia¡¯s permission as siwoo¡¯s guardian and lover (according to her speculation, at least).


    ¡°...his condition is mostly stable.¡±


    before revealing the big news, yebin recited siwoo¡¯s recent test results.


    however, amelia¡¯s vacant pupils seemed to pierce right through her.


    to be more precise, she seemed to be staring blankly into space.


    ¡°baroness...?¡±


    ¡°ah, i¡¯m sorry, what did you just say?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll say it again.¡±


    she flawlessly repeated her words like a parrot, but she couldn¡¯t hide her confusion.


    usually, when it came to siwoo, amelia would attentively listen even to the slightest details.


    she never asked yebin incessantly because she didn¡¯t want the latter to feel burdened, but if the slightest opening where she could ask appeared, she¡¯d immediately pounce on it.


    yebin felt presumptuous for thinking about this, but she found this part of amelia cute.


    despite that, amelia seemed to be lost in thought during today¡¯s report.


    ¡®did something happen?¡¯


    yebin caught herself tilting her head unintentionally in confusion.


    nevertheless, she couldn¡¯t just pry into her concerns. besides, she didn¡¯t have the leniency due to how important the words she was about to convey were.


    ¡°indeed. you¡¯ve been working hard all this time, smyrna. i won¡¯t forget this and i¡¯ll definitely compensate you fairly.¡±


    ¡°y-yes! t-to me, it feels rewarding to save others¡¯ lives! b-but, um... t-there¡¯s something i need to talk to you about regarding mr. siwoo¡¯s final surgery...¡±


    yebin shot a quick glance at amelia, trying to read her expression.


    the latter¡¯s sky-blue eyes seemed to urge her to hurry and speak up.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll listen to you properly this time.¡±


    ¡°a-ah, y-yes... u-um...¡±


    though amelia didn¡¯t show any impatience, yebin found herself stumbling on her words.


    finally, she squeezed her eyes shut before continuing her explanation concisely.


    ¡°for a complete recovery, other than regenerating his brain, he needs to undergo a separate treatment.¡±


    ¡°yes, you already told me about it prior to this.¡±


    amelia questioned why she brought this up again, making yebin start to stutter.


    ¡°w-what we¡¯re trying to do is basically a form of reverse entropy, y-you see? i-it¡¯s like restoring burnt paper to its original state, but, u-um... i-in our case, we need at least an initial hint of his consciousness...¡±


    ¡°what kind of consciousness?¡±


    ¡°w-well, i¡¯ve never attempted restoration at this level of severity, b-but based on my research... a-anyway, what i¡¯m trying to say is!¡±


    ¡°calm down. you don¡¯t need to hold back, tell me everything.¡±


    it was hard for yebin to calm herself down because of the content of what she was about to say.


    amelia could only maintain such a serene attitude because she didn¡¯t know what was it that about to hit her.


    ¡°f-for the restoration, we need an ¡®indicator¡¯...¡±


    ¡°and, what you¡¯re trying to say is...?¡±


    just like how the edges were necessary components to complete a complex and intricate puzzle, yebin needed information about siwoo¡¯s original state.


    ¡°w-what i¡¯m trying to say is... the methods for collecting that indicator. there are two of them, one of them is... to awaken his consciousness in his current state and use a spell called ¡®memory regression.¡¯ basically i¡¯ll merge with his psyche, observing his life experiences and memories and reconstructing everything based on that... h-however, this method involves peeking into his memories without leaving a single one unobserved, so there¡¯s a possibility that i¡¯d be invading his privacy...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    letting someone read all of his memories without his consent felt so wrong for amelia.


    ¡°but, there¡¯s an issue with this method.¡±


    ¡°what is it?¡±


    ¡°it blurs the boundary between the caster¡¯s and subject¡¯s consciousness. during the process, the subject¡¯s magic circuits will become a significant hindrance... that¡¯s why, before starting the spell, we have to remove all of his magic circuits...¡±


    ¡°that means...¡±


    siwoo would no longer be able to use magic.


    hearing this the first thought that came to amelia¡¯s mind was...


    ¡®won¡¯t this prevent him from using dimensional magic to escape whenever he wants?¡¯


    a ridiculously selfish thought.


    ¡°ha...¡±


    realizing her own wicked thoughts, amelia sighed and shook her head.


    she felt embarrassed for thinking like that.


    ¡°no, that can¡¯t happen.¡±


    amelia firmly rejected the idea.


    though, her rejection wasn¡¯t some incredible accomplishment as it was a basic human decency to not proceed with something like that without siwoo¡¯s consent.


    ¡°what about the second method?¡±


    amelia hesitated before she asked. this time, yebin stuttered even more.


    she cautiously drew out her words after repeatedly glancing at amelia¡¯s expression.


    in truth, yebin wasn¡¯t convinced that this was the right method.


    not to mention that this method was heavily related to ethics before anything.


    ¡°...s-sexual intercourse...¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    ¡°t-to stimulate one of the most instinctive physiological functions, sexual desire, sexual intercourse is needed. this will in turn activate his dormant limbic system. if it proceeds smoothly, it¡¯s likely that it¡¯ll greatly alleviate the expected aftereffect of his whole treatment, the emotional numbness...¡±


    yebin rambled on and on.


    just seeing amelia¡¯s expression terrified her.


    even if this was inevitable, she was still talking about having sex with amelia¡¯s man.


    she didn¡¯t want her to think that she was some slut who¡¯d steal someone else¡¯s paramour, so she clarified her purity and innocence first.


    ¡°h-however, i-i... actually don¡¯t have any experience...¡±


    ¡°...me neither.¡±


    ¡°a-ah, i-i see...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡®huh, they hadn¡¯t engaged in a physical relationship yet?¡¯


    the situation was even more complicated than yebin initially thought, which led her to an even deeper despair. but, amelia regained her composure rather quickly and proceeded to take the lead in resolving the tension.


    ¡°i¡¯ll give you my full cooperation in that aspect.¡±


    amelia had been studying about sexual relationships between men and women, how it was conducted and what mindset and emotions were necessary throughout the process.


    basically, she only knew it by the book.


    after hearing what the twins had to say, she became unsure about her feelings for siwoo, but she was determined enough to do what she needed to do.


    ¡°a-ah, n-no, i-i haven¡¯t finished speaking yet... a-about the intercourse... i-i¡¯m the one who has to do it...¡±


    ¡°what...?¡±


    ¡°b-because i-i need to provide healing while having an... i-intercourse... w-with mr. siwoo... y-you see, during erection and orgasm, there are fragments of information embedded in the waves of magic that both processes let out... a-and during the process of the emotional and instinctive connection as the male and female genitalia came together, i have to use the moment to trace and reconstruct his neural circuitry system into one suitable for his mental state...¡±


    yebin continued her explanation, which sounded like excuses more than anything, for another ten minutes. but, amelia was half-listening to her words at that point.


    to allow him to mix his flesh with another woman for the sake of saving his life.


    according to amelia¡¯s usual conventional wisdom, this wouldn¡¯t be too much of an issue.


    in the first place, she had never thought of him as a potential subject for sexual attraction and she was even skeptical about linking emotional and physical love.


    after all, the latter was no more than a bodily connection for reproduction purposes.


    but, for some reason yebin¡¯s proposal shocked her and roused a sense of rejection from within her even though she clearly knew it was for the purpose of saving his life.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry...¡±


    feeling guilty, yebin bowed her head and apologized.


    ¡°there¡¯s nothing else we can do... i suppose...¡±


    why did she feel this way? was this really her own emotion?


    amidst her doubt, amelia asked another question.


    ¡°how many times do you need to do it...?¡±


    ¡°a-at least three times... i think...¡±


    amelia nodded as she felt that she lost her footing.


    ¡°then, please proceed with that method.¡±


    ¡°y-yes... i-i have to prepare something, so i¡¯ll proceed right after dinner.¡±


    ¡°okay.¡±


    yebin left amelia, who was standing stiffly, and hurried to her own room.


    2.


    ¡°haah... i said it...¡±


    yebin felt like her body went limp.


    it came from the sense of relief she felt after mulling over how to deliver this news to amelia for three days.


    ¡®was she angry at me?¡¯


    unlike her passionate demeanor during their first encounter, the baroness only had subtle changes in her expression, so she couldn¡¯t tell her reaction clearly.


    it wasn¡¯t that yebin was afraid of the aftermath.


    she already figured that amelia wasn¡¯t a bad person.


    despite what her master had taught her about the malicious nature of the noble witches in gehenna, amelia had always treated yebin well.


    ¡°but, is this really the right thing to do...?¡±


    yebin sprawled on her bed while fiddling with her hair.


    even if it was for treatment, she still had to have an intercourse with a man. moreover, this man belonged to another woman.


    ¡°this feels like a k-drama...¡±


    memories of the weekend soap operas she had avidly watched back when she was still a student came to mind.


    all sorts of absurd situations were displayed in such shows.


    step-siblings affairs, kimchi bitchslaps, female leads with incurable illness, contract wives...


    she watched those kinds of shows in glee while giving out unrestrained reactions at various points.


    but now that she had to face a similar situation in reality, she became utterly bewildered.


    the saying ¡®life is tragedy when seen close-up, but comedy in long-shot¡¯ must have a semblance of truth in it.


    ¡°ugh...¡±


    she kept telling herself that this was a medical procedure, an act to save a life.


    but, yebin had spent more years living as a regular human than a witch.


    she masturbated more than a few times and she also had fantasies about a romantic and exciting first intercourse.


    in her imagination, someday she¡¯d meet a man she liked, then they¡¯d flirt, go on dates and eventually become a couple after a grand confession. after around 300 days of going out, they¡¯d share a passionate night in a fancy hotel.


    though, she hadn¡¯t imagined the fine details because she had been practically stuck in the middle of nowhere without any suitable candidates to be found for years.


    up until now, she had gathered bits and pieces of information from her surroundings and concluded that shin siwoo wasn¡¯t a bad person and he also had a fairly handsome face. but, they still hadn¡¯t conversed directly yet, so it was unthinkable that she had to have sex with him.


    in truth, she had thought that it was unnecessary to go to such length for this treatment,


    ¡°ugh, i¡¯m a real piece of shit.¡±


    yebin scolded herself.


    her master, the previous smyrna, was said to have killed twelve citizens in total for her research.


    she always repeated the same thing: progression in medicine always involved sacrifices.


    even modern pharmaceutical companies had legally conducted experiments involving tens of times more living beings than she ever did (albeit with lower efficiency).


    but in turn, they had saved tens or hundreds of times the number they sacrificed through their developed products.


    in fact, her master had traversed southern africa, a region that was suffering from civil wars, saving thousands of lives.


    of course it wasn¡¯t an act of kindness, it was just part of her research.


    still, even if one had good intentions, ignoring someone¡¯s will and staining their dignity was a morally incorrect act.


    and the result of her master¡¯s radical ideas existed within yebin¡¯s inherited brand.


    thanks to that she carried a sense of burden.


    as such, she had pledged to save and help as many people as possible.


    but, here she was, trying to avoid this situation by whining about trivial things such as her first experience and such. she couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed in herself.


    ¡°pull yourself together.¡±


    yebin organized her thoughts once again, even though she should have already come to terms with everything over the past few days.


    ¡°that aside, i need to get ready...¡±


    she muttered to herself while looking around the room for no apparent reason.


    living by herself could be quite boring.


    hours of masturbating was her main pastime.


    she even downloaded videos from poxnhub using the nearby gas station¡¯s wi-fi and saved them as materials for the future.


    as such, she didn¡¯t have fear concerning the act of sex itself.


    it wasn¡¯t like she was going to die, nor was there any risk of pregnancy, not to mention that the process was supposed to be enjoyable for her.


    however, she had never tried to masturbate by penetration. that was why she needed some preparation before she could actually do the deed with siwoo.


    she couldn¡¯t let the pain from the initial penetration disrupt her focus after all.


    yebin looked down at her two long and slender fingers.


    ¡°will these work...?¡¯


    then, she quickly opened the door to the bathroom and went inside.

 Chapter 94: Treatment (4)

    ? treatment (4) ?


    1.


    amelia couldn¡¯t hide her complicated feelings.


    she already had a throbbing headache to begin with because of shin siwoo, but the twins¡¯ revelation just made her headache worse.


    ¡®professor, we... secretly gave you the eros¡¯ potion once.¡¯


    the twins lowered their heads, to the point that they almost touched the ground, as they confessed their sin to amelia.


    it was a quite straightforward situation.


    amelia consumed a love potion made from siwoo¡¯s semen.


    at the time, the twins believed that the potion was ineffective and inconsequential, so they dismissed it as a flawed concoction.


    ¡®back then, we didn¡¯t know what might happen if the potion were mixed with tea... when we tested it afterwards, we found that the effect varied based on the individuals, so we concluded that you just hadn¡¯t experienced the full effects of the potion, professor.¡¯


    ¡®we¡¯re telling you this because we think that you deserve to know this, professor.¡¯


    ¡®sorry, professor... we¡¯ll accept any kind of punishment you¡¯ll give us...¡¯


    for months, the twins had been observing amelia while discreetly moving around the mansion.


    they quickly noticed that her emotions were far too intense for what was supposed to be guilt over what happened to siwoo.


    this made them feel guilty enough to consult sophia and ultimately decided to come clean.


    the effects of the potions varied from person to person.


    unlike drugs, one couldn¡¯t verify its result chemically, so it was nearly impossible to discern it completely.


    if it had been a poison, amelia¡¯s autonomous defense system would have filtered it out already.


    but, elixirs like the eros¡¯ potion acted as a form of ¡®emotional buff.¡¯ it couldn¡¯t be detected, yet alone taken care of by her autonomous defense system.


    this stunning truth made amelia¡¯s body feel weak.


    it meant her feelings had been nothing more than an illusion.


    the discomfort she felt when watching siwoo talking with the twins.


    the helpless feeling she felt when directly facing his wrath.


    the sense of liberation she felt when she realized her feelings for him.


    the sadness she felt when she thought that she had lost him.


    the fear she felt when she heard that he might become a different person.


    the apprehension she felt upon hearing that he needed to have an intercourse with yebin for his treatment.


    they were all merely illusions caused by a potion she took without knowing.


    ¡®but your feelings aren¡¯t necessarily all lies... the potion¡¯s description stated that its effects wouldn¡¯t manifest on someone who already had feelings for the other person.¡¯


    odette quickly added that explanation at the end.


    ¡®the effect wouldn¡¯t manifest if the one who consumed it already had feelings for the other person, was it...?¡¯


    ¡®does that mean i already loved him when i consumed the potion?¡¯


    amelia raised her head, trying to recall the time when she briefly became interested in the audacious slave who dared to refuse a witch¡¯s night invitation.


    she noticed his diligence in fulfilling her orders, him undertaking them with sincerity instead of trickery.


    though she occasionally would complain by saying things like: ¡®impudent slave!¡¯ she didn¡¯t actually find him infuriating.


    and the more time passed, the more often his face came to her mind.


    however, that was how far her feelings went.


    she never felt such an intense emotion like what she was currently experiencing.


    ¡®leave me alone.¡¯


    shaken by the revelation, amelia couldn¡¯t even muster any anger and simply urged sophia and the twins out.


    her heart became a mess thanks to the confusion she felt.


    maybe it was just as the twins had said, she was feeling this way toward siwoo because of the portion.


    maybe it was just as sophia had said, she was feeling this way because it was the first time she had ever experienced this kind of emotion.


    maybe she was just a fool, someone who kept on being deceived by her own lies.


    ¡°...¡±


    understanding the exact effects of the potion was difficult.


    but, once she managed to identify them, dispelling them wouldn¡¯t be difficult.


    just like how she dispelled the effects of her own ¡®perfume of fatigue,¡¯ she could dispel the potion with a flick of her finger.


    amelia interlocked her fingers.


    she just needed to do one single gesture and everything would go back to how it was before.


    the heavy feelings in her heart.


    the guilt of not being able to protect him and being the source of his suffering.


    the pressure that kept her awake despite her using the ¡®perfume of fatigue¡¯ on herself in a huge dose.


    the anxiety she felt about the uncertain future.


    and...


    the warmth she felt when she held his hand.


    the excitement she felt when she smelled his scent.


    the longing she felt to hear his angry voice again.


    the love she felt when he came to her mind, knowing that she was no longer alone...


    yes. the word ¡®love¡¯ expressed so many of her emotions.


    she imagined that everything would disappear, like dandelion seeds being blown away by the wind.


    siwoo would go back to being a mere slave and amelia would only become his master and superior.


    she lowered her raised hand and rested it to her chest.


    ¡°i don¡¯t want to lose any of it...¡±


    even if this feeling started from a lie.


    even if she suffered because of it.


    ¡°i don¡¯t want to forget any of it...¡±


    this feeling still belonged to her, to amelia marigold.


    no one was allowed to take it away without her consent.


    especially when she couldn¡¯t even do it with her own hands.


    -tap, tap tap.


    at that moment, she could hear footsteps coming from outside.


    it came from the central staircase, the guest room on the first floor. meaning that the owner of the footsteps was none other than yebin.


    without realizing it, amelia had stuck her ear to the door, listening to the footsteps carefully.


    tonight, at midnight, yebin would perform the surgery as planned.


    amelia slightly opened the door, catching the sight of yebin¡¯s back as the latter stepped into siwoo¡¯s room.


    ¡°...¡±


    yebin wore a thin white gown that shimmered under the moonlight.


    amelia had only superficially understood it so far, but after seeing this scene, it finally clicked in her heart.


    the fact that yebin would mix her flesh with siwoo.


    she¡¯d allow siwoo to mingle with the deepest parts of her body, performing an exchange of their bodily fluids.


    -thud!


    the door to siwoo¡¯s room was closed.


    after biting her lips in hesitation several times, amelia left her room quietly.


    2.


    as she entered siwoo¡¯s room, yebin let out a deep sigh.


    she spent over ten hours a day in this room for his treatment, yet it felt strangely unfamiliar to her today.


    maybe it was because today was the day she¡¯d finally become an adult¨C no, she came here as a doctor about to perform a surgery.


    ¡°ah, what a troublesome situation...¡±


    yebin muttered to herself as she looked down shyly at her attire.


    since she didn¡¯t consider this as a real sexual intercourse, she picked the most comfortable outfit provided. after all, she had no intention of going fully nude during the act.


    however, her current attire completely exposed her healthy thighs.


    not only that, it was also a sleeveless outfit with loose shoulder straps, making it seemed like it could fall off at any moment.


    on the bright side though, it was easy to do the deed wearing the nightgown as she only needed to remove her panties.


    ¡°should i have at least worn something over this?¡±


    the air was a bit chilly.


    even though she had firmly resolved herself, compared to usual, her thoughts were in a complete mess. probably because she kept telling herself, ¡®this is how my first experience is going to be...¡¯


    nevertheless, it wasn¡¯t like she could go back at this point even if she was having second thoughts.


    she had already removed her hymen in advance for the efficiency of the surgery.


    when she remembered herself sitting in the bath while shoving her fingers into her crotch...


    ¡°it was pathetic...¡±


    she suddenly felt a little depressed.


    hymen¡¯s structure varied from woman to woman. in yebin¡¯s case, her hymen barely let out any blood after it was penetrated.


    also, she didn¡¯t feel any pain when she tore up her hymen.


    after that, she showered without using magic for the first time in a while and tied up her long hair into a ponytail.


    ¡°are you nervous, mr. shin siwoo? because i am...¡±


    she¡¯d be lying if she said that she wasn¡¯t nervous.


    moreover, the thought of her lewdly shaking her hips on top of a lifeless man made her shudder in embarrassment.


    that was why she decided to talk to reduce the awkwardness of the situation.


    since she had been living on her own, she had already become accustomed to talking to herself.


    ¡°i¡¯m going to take off your pants now, okay?¡±


    yebin began to lower the patient¡¯s loose pants. when his lower garment came down, it briefly got hindered by something before his entire lower body was revealed for yebin to see.


    ¡°wow...¡±


    she had already examined and observed his body several times prior to this, so she knew the exact size of his genitalia.


    but back then, let alone blushing, she didn¡¯t even have any strange thoughts.


    after all, someone¡¯s life was on the line. it was absurd to be concerned about his penis in that kind of situation.


    however, today¡¯s case was different.


    the object that she had always dismissively thought of as ¡®male genitalia¡¯ looked much more novel than before.


    yebin stretched out her hands to measure the size of his rod.


    ¡°i already knew, but yours is really big, mr. siwoo... ah, does it count as sexual harassment to say such a thing?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°do you have a girlfriend, mr. siwoo?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°or do you at least have experience?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°dear my prince charming, you¡¯re sleeping so deeply, leaving me yearning for your touch. would you really leave someone as attractive as me hanging?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    it went without saying that siwoo gave her no reply.


    not that yebin expected him to in the first place. she took out a bottle that she had packed in advance.


    it was a bottle of lubricant, the gel that she used for the ultrasonic testing, it allowed her to probe and accept the waves of his thoughts and his magic without error.


    also, since it was slippery, it was suitable to use as lube for sexual intercourse.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but please don¡¯t think of me too badly. i¡¯m also losing in this situation, you know?¡±


    since she was going to have her way with him without asking his consent, she figured that she¡¯d at least give out a small apology before starting.


    first, she covered the entirety of his rod with the gel, ensuring that it was well lubricated.


    it was to the point that his flaccid penis could roll around her hand without any difficulty.


    she felt like she was looking at a western pornstar¡¯s dick as there wasn¡¯t a single pubic hair on siwoo¡¯s crotch.


    ¡°first, i should do... this?¡±


    yebin took a hold of his drooping penis.


    she kept applying more gel on it to the point that she was barely able to hold it.


    ¡°now, go up and down...¡±


    -plap, plap, plap!


    every time the bottom of her hand met his lower belly, an embarrassing sound echoed through the room.


    yebin moved her arm up and down slowly while carefully observing siwoo¡¯s reaction.


    she was ready to stop this procedure the moment he showed signs of excessive excitement or any kind of conscious reaction.


    however, siwoo continued to gaze listlessly at the sky.


    instead, his dick that she held firmly began to grow and throb with vigor.


    ¡°w-woah...¡±


    with each movement she made, it grew larger, hotter and harder.


    it had only been three minutes since she started rocking his dick, but it had become hard and erect within that short time.


    ¡°huh? isn¡¯t it too big...?¡±


    before it became erect, yebin had already thought that his rod was too big, but now that it grew so fervently, she became intimidated by it.


    to exaggerate a little, its head had grown to the size of a baby¡¯s fist. even with its slight curve, its length was monstrous.


    unlike before, she couldn¡¯t even hold the whole thing with her hand anymore.


    ¡°um...¡±


    yebin gently released his cock from her hand.


    she blinked for a moment before looking down at her own abdomen, placing her hand on her stomach to measure on how deep inside her it would go.


    ¡°around here...?¡±


    just from the length, it reached beyond her navel.


    the thought of it entering her body made her feel a little scared.


    ¡°...hm...¡±


    she furrowed her eyebrows, contemplating deeply.


    soon after, she seemed to have made up her mind as she climbed onto the bed.


    yebin concluded that she didn¡¯t need to think about it deeply. this wasn¡¯t even sex between lovers. also, she had made him erect already, so all she needed to do was to put it in and make the connection necessary for the synchronization.


    if she could endure the process until the climax, it would be perfect.


    ¡°ah, right.¡±


    she inserted her fingers into her pussy, slowly rubbing her inner walls with the remnants of the gels.


    even though siwoo¡¯s dick had been lubricated enough, this was still yebin¡¯s first time.


    if she wanted to avoid feeling any pain, she needed to lubricate her own pussy as well.


    ¡°then, excuse me...¡±


    she lifted the hem of her thin dress, revealing her curvaceous bottom.


    her healthy thighs led up to a subtle tuft of hair.


    among the slightly most pubic hair, an unsoiled vagina was waiting to be penetrated.


    ¡°is this the right position...?¡±


    she reached behind her butt, aiming to put siwoo¡¯s dick between her legs.


    his hot head teased her petals, causing her heart to tremble.


    after making a pose as if she was about to pee, she straddled siwoo and began lowering her hips slowly and carefully as she tried to recall on how to proceed.

 Chapter 95: Treatment (5)

    ? treatment (5) ?


    1.


    ¡°ahh...!¡±


    as yebin slowly lowered her hips to swallow siwoo¡¯s whole rod, it struck her that she had probably taken this way too lightly.


    doing this was akin to forcing a slab of meat through a tight stem of a flower.


    her hole was ripped apart as his glans penetrated her pussy before she could even let out a gasp.


    she inadvertently curled up her feet.


    the inner wall of her vagina clenched his glans tightly like a vise.


    her healthy thighs stiffened and started to tremble.


    the tight sensation alone made her struggle to breathe.


    ¡°it...hurts...¡±


    yebin hurriedly placed her hands on siwoo¡¯s chest to stabilize herself as she stopped all her movements.


    his dick tore apart her lower mouth, but her other mouth was the one that opened up widely.


    she felt goosebumps all over her skin, caused by the foreign sensation that she felt for the first time in her life.


    ¡°euhh...¡±


    it felt unbelievably tight.


    she applied more than enough lube, so that part wasn¡¯t the issue.


    the issue was that her hole, which had never allowed anything inside prior to this, was unprepared to take on something as thick and hard as his meat.


    for anyone else, this was an obvious outcome.


    even if she had played with herself enough for her pussy to be dripping wet in her own cum and sweat, she¡¯d still feel the pain because this was her first experience.


    after all, for her inner wall to grasp onto siwoo¡¯s penis and gain even an ounce of pleasure, she still had to use muscles she had never used before.


    just using a handful of gel as a preparation to take on siwoo¡¯s thick rod was a gross overestimation of her own capabilities.


    ¡°i-i¡¯m...screwed...¡±


    because of this, she was stuck in an awkward situation.


    she felt that if she were to push further, she¡¯d start getting vaginal cramps.


    but, due to her awkward sitting position, her legs started to feel numb.


    as she started to break out in sweat due to her effort of maintaining such a position, she left with no choice but to lay her upper body on top of siwoo to gain some reprieve.


    ¡°haah... haah...¡±


    she could feel every cell of siwoo¡¯s hard skin, which has significantly less subcutaneous fat compared to a woman¡¯s skin, as her hands ran along his rigid muscles.


    this feeling made her realize once again how different a man¡¯s body was to a woman¡¯s.


    ¡°let me...borrow your chest for a moment, mr. siwoo...¡±


    she hadn¡¯t thought much about this process because she believed that all she needed was to let his dick penetrate her.


    however, when pretty much her whole upper body was plastered all over his, she felt a weird yet not unwelcome feeling rising inside her.


    it almost felt like she was settling in his embrace.


    ¡°i have to...focus...¡±


    yebin repeatedly told herself to calm down as she started pushing down her buttocks.


    it was as if her pussy was trying to get a piggyback from his penis, it slowly sucked in his glans before going further little by little.


    even though she couldn¡¯t see it with her own eyes, she could imagine the scene quite vividly in her mind.


    siwoo¡¯s huge member slowly made its way inside her.


    ¡°haah...!¡±


    as she slowly rode down his rod, yebin squirmed on top of his body.


    it felt as if her body was ripped apart by the cock that was slowly making its way inside.


    ¡°ahh...haa... t-this is too big...mr. siwoo...¡±


    she had often heard that the bigger ones brought more pleasure.


    once upon time, she even thought that it would be nice if her future boyfriend had a large enough penis to mess her insides up.


    however, after actually experiencing one in reality, she started to rethink her fantasies.


    everything in moderation was always better.


    ¡°it isn¡¯t like...you¡¯re a horse...or something...eugh...¡±


    as she kept squirming on top of siwoo¡¯s chest, one of her shoulder straps came loose and fell.


    her breasts that were too big to fit in one hand slid out from the top of her outfit.


    when her nipple rubbed against his bare skin, it perked up, giving a jolt to yebin¡¯s body as if lightning was running down her spine.


    ¡°ah, are you kidding meee...¡±


    even though no one was looking, yebin tucked in her tits and fixed her shoulder straps as she swallowed his cock at a snail¡¯s pace.


    ¡°heut...!¡±


    then, the upward curve of his dick brushed past a particularly sensitive area inside her pussy.


    at the same time, her thighs stiffened because of the sensation.


    since yebin wasn¡¯t completely clueless about sex, she instantly knew what this feeling was.


    excitement caused by an intensifying sexual pleasure.


    but, it felt subtly different compared to when she was playing by herself.


    ¡°hnn...¡±


    maybe because it was her first time.


    yebin recalled the scene when she first masturbated to compare it to her current situation.


    it was one day after class, earlier that day, she found that rubbing her crotch against a corner of the desk made her feel a brief spurt of ecstasy.


    after all the students had left, she remained alone in her classroom, trying to make love with a desk.


    ¡°ugh...¡±


    she unintentionally dug up her own dark past as she tried to remember what made her feel so good during that first time.


    in any case, this process of familiarizing herself to a new sensation reminded her of what she had done before.


    for a while, yebin continued to groan and shake her body as she tried to fit siwoo¡¯s entire shaft inside her.


    as she moved her butt back and forth, it seemed like his huge penis was gradually getting swallowed by her vagina.


    except that there was a slight problem.


    ¡°euhh...haaa...ahhh... are you kidding me...?!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    this was supposed to be a surgery, she shouldn¡¯t have been affected in any way.


    but, every time she moved her body to take him in deeper, his rod kept scratching an itch within her pussy that made her lower belly start to burn with pleasure.


    not long ago, the tightness was the only thing bothering her.


    but now, every little movement she made caused waves of terrifying pleasure to sweep through her body, making her scared of losing control.


    she clenched her lips so hard that it started to turn white.


    desperately, she tried to keep her rationality and concentration.


    ¡°i¡¯m not doing this to pleasure myself... inner peace, inner peace... get yourself together...¡±


    however, just because she was doing something like that, didn¡¯t mean the pleasure would suddenly go away.


    if she were to continue to rub herself onto him, this important surgery would turn into a mess.


    about half of his rod was already inside her.


    since her insides had become considerably looser, she should be able to lift herself up for the moment.


    ¡°haah...¡±


    she pushed herself with both arms off his chest. after squatting down, she reached to the end of her ribcage, over her belly to grasp both sides of her waist.


    yebin still couldn¡¯t believe that a man¡¯s cock was trapped between her legs as it was something she had only seen in porn.


    even after seeing siwoo lying down right in front of her, she still found the situation hard for her to accept.


    ¡°here...goes...¡±


    she then started to push his dick in, going far deeper than when she was lying down on top of him.


    her once shutted tight folds had gradually given way to his glans.


    even though her pussy had only been penetrated by the tip and a little more, it already drooled with her cum, giving an extra amount of lube to smoothen the process of the penetration.


    ¡°crazy... it actually went in...¡±


    after squatting in a position as if she was about to pee, yebin started pressing on her stomach with an expression of disbelief.


    every time she did, instead of her soft belly, she felt something hard poking out.


    needless to say, siwoo¡¯s rod had forced its way inside her.


    yebin gulped.


    his dick could only go this deep if she were to keep her squatting position like this.


    if she wanted to swallow it whole, she had to get herself seated on top of him.


    since it didn¡¯t hurt that much anymore, she thought that it would be okay to suck in the rest in one go.


    but, after she proceeded to take on the rest of his shaft, she quickly understood that she overestimated herself yet again.


    ¡°heung...!¡±


    her eyes rolled to the back of her head as her mouth started gaping like a fish.


    as his glans slammed deep within her insides, it felt like her womb received a critical hit.


    her entire body started to tremble because of the pain and it felt as if her life flashed before her eyes.


    ¡°ah...shit...that fucking hurts...¡±


    she never expected that it would be possible for humans to receive such pain, let alone personally experienced it.


    thankfully, she removed her hymen beforehand, because if she hadn¡¯t, she would have jumped off from the pain and ran away.


    her brows furrowed as she felt the pressure of his shaft on her cervix.


    the pain made her struggle to even lift herself up.


    ¡°l-let¡¯s just stay like this for a while...¡±


    regardless of the pain she felt, she needed his rod to penetrate her as deep as possible along with him climaxing so that her ¡®magnetism magic¡¯ could work optimally.


    she took short breaths to ease her pain.


    every time his dick slightly moved, it felt like her pussy¡¯s grip on it becoming tighter, as if refusing to let go.


    as a result, she ended up unwelcoming the sensation when his penis shifted inside her. it felt like her body forcing her to feel pleasure from the act.


    ¡°...okay, should i move a little?¡±


    at this point, most women would have burst into tears and stiffened their bodies because it hadn¡¯t been long since they felt the intense discomfort of their first penetration.


    but, that wasn¡¯t the case for yebin, probably because her body was built differently than normal women.


    yebin continued to sway while holding her breasts that were forcing their way out of her clothes with an arm.


    finally, she began to move her hips back and forth.


    ¡°euh... ugh...¡±


    all she needed to do was to copy the porn videos that she watched.


    like riding a horse, not pacing herself quickly, rather, shaking her butt slowly while gently following the length of his cock.


    ¡°ha...ah... h-heut...!¡±


    as the glans of siwoo¡¯s dick rubbed furiously against her g-spot, she felt an intense pleasure that she had never experienced in her life.


    the sensation felt surreal for her.


    ¡°what...is this...¡±


    yebin stopped her hip movements for a moment as she gulped.


    ¡®what am i doing? i¡¯m supposed to give him his treatment, not enjoying this act!¡¯


    the reason why she gave away her virginity to a man she had never spoken to was to save his life.


    ¡°haa...haa...¡±


    however, she started to lose her concentration because of the new wave of pleasure that she experienced.


    if she were to continue the surgery in this condition, the result would be subpar compared to expectations.


    ¡®since that¡¯s the case, should i try to get more used to sex before going all out with my magic?¡¯


    ¡°yeah... i should do that...¡±


    -plap plap plap!


    yebin¡¯s soft inner thighs rubbed against siwoo¡¯s hard thighs as she started to moan aggressively.


    ¡°haa...ah! right there...ahh!¡±


    she squeezed her eyes shut as she started to familiarize herself with siwoo¡¯s cock.


    2.


    amelia quietly opened the door and sneaked out. her gaze was focused on yebin¡¯s back.


    despite having no business on the first floor, she went down anyway, taking out some rum from the kitchen and started smoking instead of munching on some snacks.


    her heart was still pounding.


    just a while ago, she was questioning whether her love for siwoo was genuine or not.


    however, as soon as she saw yebin going into siwoo¡¯s room half naked for his treatment, all her previous thoughts were completely disregarded.


    the sight bothered her so much.


    since some time had passed, they must have started their sexual intercourse by now.


    ¡°...¡±


    amelia gazed at her empty glass.


    she didn¡¯t get drunk.


    her face didn¡¯t turn red like when she took some strange medicine, nor did she feel a slight sense of excitement or sluggishness.


    ¡°sigh...¡±


    amelia let out a long sigh as she placed the glass back to its original place.


    once again, she went up the central staircase and eventually reached the crossroad.


    one side was her own room and the other was siwoo¡¯s, the room where yebin had entered.


    amelia knew that this was an inconsiderate act.


    not only that, by doing this, she¡¯d be hugely disrespecting yebin, who was doing her best to save siwoo.


    however, before she realized it, amelia was sneaking around like a thief.


    she couldn¡¯t contain her temptation to confirm what was going on behind that closed door, disregarding how irrational she was being.


    ¡°...¡±


    she gulped.


    if she were to use her ¡®particle magic¡¯ here, she¡¯d be able to easily see what was going on inside. but, she didn¡¯t have the courage to do so.


    instead, she brought her ear close to the wooden door that acted like a tall barrier.


    perhaps yebin had placed a soundproofing barrier, since she was unable to hear anything from outside.


    however, amelia was a 23rd rank witch, there was no way she would be unable to break through yebin¡¯s barrier, who was only in the 19th rank.


    so, she discreetly tore and mended a part of the barrier without leaving any traces.


    with this, she was able to hear what was going on inside.


    ¡®haa...aang...haah...eut..ngg... keuk...!¡¯


    the sweet, wet sound gradually became more intense. it was undoubtedly yebin¡¯s ecstatic moans.


    unlike her usual modest appearance, the voice that leaked out from her mouth was surprisingly high-pitched and lewd.


    other than yebin¡¯s voice, amelia could also hear the sound of rustling bed sheets and colliding flesh.


    at that moment, a feeling of anger and powerlessness squeezed her heart.


    on top of that, another intense emotion surged within her.


    jealousy.


    back when she saw siwoo getting along with the twins.


    back when she saw odile giving him head in the carriage.


    and when yebin proposed sex with him as a method of treatment.


    in every single one of those situations, she felt this emotion.


    however, she had never felt it burning as intense as she was currently feeling. the sensation numbed her entire body.


    ¡®ah...ahh...! it feels so good...mr.siwoo...¡¯


    ¡°...huh?¡±


    when yebin called siwoo¡¯s name, amelia barely managed to stop herself from barging into the room.


    though the purpose of the intercourse was for treatment, amelia knew that it was natural for someone to let out such a moan when their erogenous zone was stimulated.


    besides, even if she were to interrupt them, what was she going to do afterwards?


    ¡®haah...ahng...ahhh...¡¯


    amelia bit her lip tightly and lowered her hand from the door knob.


    as she turned her back with slumped shoulders, yebin¡¯s moans echoed behind her like an auditory hallucination.

 Chapter 96: Treatment (6)

    ? treatment (6) ?


    1.


    was this how it felt when walking through a garden filled with opium smoke?


    yebin felt an intoxicating sense of soothing comfort that made her forget the weariness and hardships of the world.


    ¡°ah...haa...ng...¡±


    she looked up at the sky with her mouth half-open, trying to catch her breath.


    her pink tongue wiggled inside her mouth, moistened by the sticky saliva that had thickened due to the ecstasy.


    the pleasure that started at her hips had reached her hands and feet as they tingled in pure bliss.


    ¡°crazy... w-what is this... i-insane...haa¨C heut...!¡±


    her smooth hips, connected to her shapely buttocks and her waist that resembled an hourglass bent backwards.


    she had been riding siwoo¡¯s dick delicately for fifteen minutes now.


    gradually, she built up the pleasure and reached a light climax.


    everytime the glans of his cock teased her cervix, her uterus trembled.


    even as a witch, someone who couldn¡¯t bear a child, she felt an obscene sensation that made her feel like she¡¯d ovulate at any moment.


    ¡°h-haa... t-there¡¯s no way i¡¯ll actually get pregnant, right...?¡±


    she started mumbling words that deviated from common sense, as if she had lost her mind.


    with each of her heavy breaths, she could feel her cervix relentlessly clenching his manhood, refusing to let go until he climaxed deep into her womb.


    as if responding to the tight grip, siwoo¡¯s cock started to twitch inside her.


    with a flushed face, yebin ran her tongue over her lips, creating a sensual scene.


    the insides of her mouth felt hot and her lips were parched and dry.


    this was an unfamiliar feeling to her, incomparable to back when she was masturbating alone.


    back in greenland, her accommodation was far from luxurious. in fact, it was more like a workshop than a house.


    a four-person caravan filled with pillows. the walls were covered by animal skins for insulation purposes.


    in that desolate place where she didn¡¯t have anyone to talk to, she developed the hobbies of watching nexflix and touching her own clitoris while watching porn.


    since the temperature outside could reach -20 degrees celsius on average, it comforted her to put her hand inside her panties and play with herself.


    whether it was during meals, cleaning, reading, researching, when she was about to sleep or during her break, she¡¯d slip her hand into her panties whenever she got the chance to.


    at this point, she was already aware that she had developed some kind of addiction, but she kept telling herself: ¡®it doesn¡¯t matter, it isn¡¯t like anyone would see me,¡¯ and continued without care.


    in fact, even while staying at baroness marigold¡¯s residence, yebin always spent an hour a day to pleasure herself.


    this was because she had lived alone for ten years in a small workshop and developed this habit as a way to relieve stress.


    ¡°heung...¡±


    however, one thing was certain.


    even if she were to do a hundred rounds of masturbation, she wouldn¡¯t be able to replicate the sensation she currently felt.


    the pleasure of having her abdomen getting penetrated and the sensation she felt as her genitals was connected to siwoo¡¯s.


    though she had lost her reproductive capability, her instinctive desire to take on his seeds remained.


    ¡°heu..ng...aah...¡±


    up until now, yebin had only moved back and forth, but she decided to change her pattern a bit.


    she started to lift her buttocks and waist before plunging back down as if pounding a millstone.


    ¡°eut...euuk...heuk...¡±


    as she continued to ride him up and down, his manhood struck her cervix relentlessly.


    every time it reached the deepest part of her, she could feel a tingling, yet shocking sensation running from the top of her head all the way to her crotch.


    she also gained an immense amount of pleasure from the sensation of her bouncing breasts that were rubbing against the soft fabric of her dress.


    ¡°haa..ah...eut...huh? huh...?¡±


    suddenly, a small change occurred.


    siwoo¡¯s dick swelled.


    then, with a seemingly fierce determination, it began to pour its content deep into her vagina.


    it seemed as if his penis had already reached its limit.


    -spurt! spurt!


    every time his shaft twitched, hot and sticky semen filled yebin¡¯s womb like a flood.


    the motion, temperature and the feeling felt so unfamiliar to yebin that she involuntarily trembled.


    she could feel her cervix moved to devour his sperm, as the folds of her vagina stroked his manhood, as if trying to squeeze out more of his hot, sticky liquid.


    ¡°haa...ah...ng...¡±


    ejaculated within the vagina.


    creampied.


    cummed inside.


    poured his semen into the womb.


    indiscriminate baby bombardment.


    all of such phrases could describe what was currently being done to yebin.


    for around ten seconds, yebin¡¯s pussy was flooded with his fiery semen until his climax came to a close.


    she gazed down at her belly with a slightly dazed expression.


    from her now glittery crotch, some of the semen that her womb was unable to hold leaked out slightly.


    ¡°eut...heung...¡±


    even after that, every time his dick twitched, yebin¡¯s hips would quiver.


    the ecstasy she felt was indescribable.


    it was incomparable to watching the aurora dance across the sky in mid-april while eating kimchi stew.


    heating up frozen fried chicken in the microwave and enjoying it with canned beer while watching a movie couldn¡¯t beat the pleasure either.


    even nestling between a pile of pillows and stripping her pants down to play with her clit wasn¡¯t enough to compare with the pleasure she felt.


    getting pounded by a thick rod before eventually receiving a creampie...


    now, that was the real deal.


    as she rubbed the goosebumps appearing on her upper arms, she slowly raised her butt.


    ¡°euhh...¡±


    since witches couldn¡¯t ovulate, they didn¡¯t menstruate either.


    as such, she hadn¡¯t experienced this sensation of peeing out a hot oyster in a long time.


    was that the correct analogy? who knows.


    in any case, siwoo¡¯s cum, which had been staying in his balls for 3 months, was particularly thick and it continued to flow out of her pussy and drip down her thighs.


    ¡°ah! ah...!¡±


    yebin hastily blocked her crotch with her hand.


    even though she could easily clean the sheets with magic, her first reaction was the concern that ¡®it should never stain the blanket.¡¯


    she still had the common sense of a human despite already being a witch.


    for a period of time, she kept kneeling while scooping up more of his semen into her hands.


    ¡°...so this is semen.¡±


    seeing it in person was vastly different from what she had seen in porn.


    it felt much more slippery than she imagined and despite her nose being a considerable distance away, she could smell a pungent and strange smell from it.


    ¡°now i know why they always use the phrase, ¡®a night flower scent¡¯...¡±


    the amount of his semen was enormous.


    it was enough to fill the entirety of her cupped hands that were shaped like a bowl.


    similar to viscous jelly, its texture was slimy and thick.


    yebin glanced around her surroundings before bringing her hands toward her lips.


    in porn, she often saw porn actresses sucking and swallowing it, as if it was some kind of delicacy.


    it made her wonder what it actually tasted like.


    ¡°urp...¡±


    when she licked the semen with the tip of her tongue, she started shuddering in disgust.


    it was unpalatable, far more bitter and stinky than she could have ever imagined.


    she managed to swallow a little of it, but it was enough to give her throat a stinging sensation.


    yebin used a wet towel she had prepared in advance to meticulously clean her palm, his dick and balls, and the slit between her crotch.


    it was shameful, but she had completely forgotten about the treatment she was supposed to be doing until just a moment ago.


    but, now that she had adapted to the pleasure, she could finally begin the treatment in earnest.


    once again, she took out the gel and generously applied it on his rod with her hand until it glistened.


    despite having ejaculated once already, it hadn¡¯t shrunk at all. its veins proudly pulses as if trying to appeal to her.


    ¡°haa...¡±


    she unintentionally let out a hot sigh before flinching in shock.


    when she touched his hard shaft, she recalled the intense pleasure she had just felt.


    ¡°why am i like this? i must be going crazy...¡±


    she shook her head and like before, proceeded to cautiously straddle him.


    ¡°aheung...!¡±


    due to her lust, her vaginal walls became more swollen than before.


    however, because it was softened and drenched by the slimy mixture of various fluids, she felt an even greater pleasure than before as she devoured siwoo¡¯s whole shaft all over again.


    ¡°n-now...let¡¯s start the...treatment...¡±


    she thought that one round was enough to make her used to the sensation.


    yebin slapped down her hips as she started to release her magic.


    as siwoo¡¯s glans started to tease her cervix once again, her back also stiffened just like before.


    ¡°haa...mr. siwoo...¡±


    accompanied by her own tender voice, yebin¡¯s first night would go on even longer.


    2.


    ¡°i¡¯m fucked...¡±


    after waking up in the warm sunshine for the first time in a while, yebin recalled yesterday¡¯s event as she grasped her cheeks.


    ¡°i didn¡¯t do his treatment at all...¡±


    to be exact, she hadn¡¯t achieved a tenth of her original goal.


    the source wasn¡¯t because of any external factors or internal problems.


    siwoo¡¯s body was in an optimal condition, both for the surgery and the sexual intercourse. yebin thought it¡¯d be difficult to feel pleasure from the act, but the truth couldn¡¯t be any more wrong.


    ¡°crazy... moon yebin, you fucking crazy bitch...¡±


    she was literally drowning in pleasure when she did the deed.


    yebin recalled her actions from last night.


    ¡®haang...! ahh...ngg...! h-how do you like it, mr. siwoo...? i-it¡¯s my first time...feeling something like this...! hng...! i love it...!¡¯


    the image of her shaking her ass on top of him as she begged for not one, not two, but three creampies like a slut was etched in her mind.


    she did it three fucking times.


    literally using siwoo like a sex toy while indulging in a one-sided pleasure.


    at first, she told herself that she had done it to get familiar with the act of sex itself so that she could stay focused on the treatment.


    but, along the way, she got reminded of the first time she ever tried to masturbate and ended up bouncing her hips against siwoo¡¯s for the entire night.


    she was about to start her treatment on the fourth round, but her time was up, the sun had already risen.


    the baroness would always check on siwoo when morning came, so if yebin were to continue the act, amelia would end up witnessing them having sex.


    even if the baroness let her off with siwoo¡¯s treatment as an excuse, she still didn¡¯t want to show a full-on sex scene of her with the baroness¡¯ man.


    ¡°so shameful... i bet my stack1gamer lingo. as in the stacks you need to collect before using skills. of shame has been filled up by now...¡±


    yebin laid face down on the bed, violently grabbing her hair.


    she started the deed for the sake of treatment, yet she ended up fucking a man she had never even talked to before for several hours.


    during the three times he ejaculated inside of her, she had done no treatment whatsoever, instead, she just desperately tried to get herself off again and again.


    ¡°i¡¯m so screwed...¡±


    yebin crawled to the edge of the bed and proceeded to bang her head against the wall in despair.


    she made a resolve that tonight she absolutely had to focus on the treatment.


    in the first place, she had already told the baroness that three times would be enough. she had no intentions of going back on her words.


    so, she had to complete yesterday¡¯s portion of the treatment as well as today¡¯s, no matter what would happen.


    but, she probably needed to take around twelve hours to achieve that.


    yebin leaned her head against the wall with her butt sticking up as she sank into a deep contemplation.


    ¡®twelve hours...¡¯


    ¡®really? twelve hours...?¡¯


    ¡®twelve hours of sex...?¡¯


    ¡®i have to do what i did last night for twelve whole hours...?¡¯


    her hand somehow found its way slipping under her panties, rubbing her round pearl before she realized it.


    the heat from the passionate night seemed to linger. her crotch had become drenched before long.


    ¡°ahh...mm...¡±


    she buried her face in the pillow and firmly bit down on its sheets.


    her two fingers that were meandering around her petals had slipped into her wet slit.


    ¡°eum...mmh...¡±


    she recalled the sensation when his shaft grazed the surface of her slit, making her moan and gasp in pleasure as shivers ran down her spine.


    and just like that, ten minutes passed with her losing her way inside her own fantasy.


    ¡°ms. smyrna.¡±


    suddenly, she felt goosebumps all over her skin, coupled with a sense of danger.


    the owner of the voice wasn¡¯t someone who was supposed to be in this room.


    like a broken puppet, she creaked her neck as she turned it around.


    due to how flustered she was, her fingers were still stuffed inside her pussy.


    behind her, stood amelia with her arms crossed, wearing an expression colder than dry ice.


    footnotes:


    1gamer lingo. as in the stacks you need to collect before using skills.

 Chapter 97: Treatment (7)

    ? treatment (7) ?


    1.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡®what was the spell for suicide again?¡¯


    that was the first thing that came to yebin¡¯s mind after being ambushed by amelia.


    ¡®since i¡¯m not a virgin anymore, i shouldn¡¯t have any regrets even if i were to die now, right?¡¯


    in the cold silence that cut through the air like a dagger, yebin quietly withdrew her fingers from her pussy.


    a noticeably large amount of juices dripped down, prompting her to hurriedly wipe them with her clothes before straightening her posture.


    normally, in such a situation, the other person wouldn¡¯t enter the room in the first place or even if they did by accident, they¡¯d prompt to leave immediately. however, amelia remained firmly in her place with her arms closed, observing yebin clumsily fixing her panties.


    of course yebin wasn¡¯t sane enough to criticize her attitude, she was too busy trying to compose herself.


    ¡°i-i apologize...¡±


    she didn¡¯t know what she was apologizing for, but she did it anyway.


    ¡°...¡±


    even with that apology, amelia¡¯s stern face remained unchanged.


    the latter had been feeling restless all night long, so she sought yebin out as soon as the sun started to rise.


    she wanted to inquire about the progression of siwoo¡¯s recovery; whether it was going smoothly or not and if there was any way to reduce the number of the intercourse needed for the treatment.


    -knock, knock, knock.


    however, even when she knocked on the door to her room multiple times, yebin didn¡¯t respond.


    but, she could sense some kind of movement coming from inside.


    prompted by her impatience, she opened the door and entered the room.


    if yesterday night¡¯s event didn¡¯t happen, she wouldn¡¯t have made such an extremely rude action.


    she would have probably just passed what yebin was doing as a way of her attending to her personal matters and returned later.


    however, amelia¡¯s frustration for yebin had already reached its maximum.


    though she understood the logic behind it, her heart just couldn¡¯t accept it.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°eum...mmh...¡±


    as soon as she opened the door, the first thing that appeared in her sight was an extremely large pair of buttocks.


    while swaying her obscene bottom, yebin smyrna hammered her fingers into her crotch while squirming.


    her face was buried deep into the pillow and her hips were raised high above, a rather comical pose all things considered. but, amelia could only feel a burning rage when she saw it.


    ¡®that¡¯s the hole that received siwoo¡¯s manhood and semen, right?¡¯


    ¡®she moaned out his name without knowing her place while drowning in pleasure last night.¡¯


    ¡®and after all that, she has the audacity to come back to her room to masturbate?¡¯


    amelia understood the importance of privacy, especially when it came to private matters such as masturbating.


    however, she couldn¡¯t stand this situation.


    the only reason why she brought yebin here was to save siwoo.


    she definitely didn¡¯t summon her so that she could turn siwoo into an object to satisfy her sexual needs.


    of course, unless she were to use a powerful ¡®confession magic,¡¯ she wouldn¡¯t be able to accurately tell yebin¡¯s true intentions.


    then again, she hadn¡¯t planned to go that far.


    yebin was the guest that she brought and the one person who held siwoo¡¯s lifeline. not to mention that she had practically brought him back from the brink of death.


    she acknowledged yebin¡¯s efforts, that was the only reason why she could still keep her fury and annoyance at bay.


    even so, seeing the other witch in such a pitiful state made her unleash a little bit of her pent-up emotion.


    meanwhile, yebin could only clasp her hands between her legs while pressing her loose dress down with a face as red as a boiled octopus.


    ¡°how disgraceful, you can¡¯t even keep your modesty. are all exiles like this?¡±


    amelia¡¯s pent-up emotion turned into curses that she hurled toward yebin.


    the latter flinched, as if she had been stabbed on the butt with a tack, before lowering her head even further.


    she couldn¡¯t bring herself to look amelia in the eye.


    strictly speaking, the one who was at fault here was amelia. after all, she was the one who had barged into yebin¡¯s room in the first place, but...


    yebin understood amelia¡¯s feelings.


    after wasting twenty years of her life watching women fight over men while hurling curses at each other in dramas, yebin became an expert in this type of situation.


    she didn¡¯t need anyone to explain to her what was going on just by seeing amelia¡¯s cold look.


    ¡°i-i apologize... b-baroness...¡±


    seeing yebin repeatedly lowering her head and apologizing, amelia seemed to have cooled down a bit.


    after letting out a deep sigh, amelia spoke to yebin.


    ¡°i know very well how hard you¡¯ve been working, ms. smyrna. for that, i¡¯m truly grateful to you.¡±


    ¡°y-yes...!¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m not questioning or suspecting your true intentions. however, starting from the next treatment, i¡¯ll be accompanying you.¡±


    ¡°yes...! ...sorry?¡±


    hearing the thing that came out of amelia¡¯s mouth, yebin looked at her face for the first time in ten minutes.


    ¡®what did she just say?¡¯


    ¡®who¡¯s going to accompany who?¡¯


    even now, amelia¡¯s cold and piercing glare showed hints of her residual anger.


    due to the pressure she was emitting, yebin lowered her head once again.


    ¡°you may speak out if you have any objections.¡±


    ¡°n-no... i-i don¡¯t have any...¡±


    ¡°then, before today¡¯s treatment starts, come to my room and inform me.¡±


    with that, amelia slammed the door shut without listening to yebin¡¯s reply.


    yebin remained in her place, staring at the door as a strange sound leaked out from her mouth.


    ¡°ueeehh...¡±


    she collapsed onto her bed awkwardly as all the strength left her body.


    ¡®i didn¡¯t hear it wrong, right?¡¯


    ¡®she¡¯ll be accompanying me for the treatment?¡¯


    ¡°i¡¯m not just fucked... i¡¯m beyond fucked...¡±


    she had tried to be as cautious as possible when she proposed this method of treatment because she didn¡¯t want amelia to misunderstand her.


    then, she caught her masturbating to herself.


    the original situation was already enough to raise amelia¡¯s suspicion to 25%, but because of this mishap, her suspicion had risen straight to 99%.


    and it happened the day after she had sex with siwoo.


    the chain of events ultimately led to her having to have sex with the baroness¡¯ lover (or so yebin suspected) in front of the baroness¡¯ face herself.


    this meant that the baroness would be watching over yebin so that she wouldn¡¯t make any actions that were out of the ordinary.


    the thing was, just yesterday, she had indeed done those very actions as she selfishly went out of her way to pleasure herself using siwoo¡¯s body instead of actually treating him.


    theoretically speaking, she could claim that the baroness was going too far, but she had no right whatsoever to do so.


    ¡°what kind of crazy bitch engages in voyeurism on her second sex experience...¡±


    it was beyond absurd.


    but, this was her reality.


    of course, yebin wasn¡¯t completely blameless, but she still needed to fuck the baroness¡¯ boyfriend right in front of the baroness herself.


    ¡°is this the right thing to do...?¡±


    for reference, yebin was a 19th rank witch. with that high of a rank, she was a fairly respectable witch and she could live her life without any fear of discomfort.


    however, her opponent was a great witch who was 4 ranks above her, the baroness marigold herself.


    ¡°ugh... what do i do...?¡±


    yebin laid on her bed, pounding on the mattress as if she was practicing some abnormal swimming style.


    she couldn¡¯t even willingly reject amelia¡¯s orders, why did she even cause this debacle because she felt a little horny?


    this shameful feeling made her want to kill herself from thirty minutes ago.


    2.


    time flowed like a river.


    no matter how desperate yebin yearned for it to stop, it marched on steadily, dragging the sun below the horizon.


    yebin, who had been meditating after finishing her meal, trudged out of her room with a lifeless expression.


    her meditation ended up in vain.


    if anything, it made her feel nauseous, something she hadn¡¯t felt ever since she became a witch.


    the stress and pressure she felt, threatened to crush her to a pancake at any second.


    before she had the chance to knock, amelia¡¯s door swung open.


    the latter must have heard her footsteps coming up the stairs.


    ¡°...um...¡±


    ¡°let¡¯s go.¡±


    amelia brushed past the bewildered yebin as she walked towards siwoo¡¯s room.


    she felt like a cow being led to the slaughterhouse.


    reluctantly, she followed amelia with slumped shoulders.


    as soon as amelia entered the room, she stopped and looked at siwoo¡¯s face with a complicated expression.


    an expression that yebin could understand. after all, she¡¯d have to witness her and siwoo having sexual intercourse with her own eyes.


    yebin cautiously closed the door and tiptoed towards amelia, trying to not make any sound that could potentially tip off amelia even more.


    ¡°let me know when you¡¯ve finished your preparations.


    amelia brought a chair next to the bed and opened a large book with the size of her torso.


    then, she started to read.


    in truth, yebin had expected she¡¯d talk to her or even curse at her, but seeing her doing neither of those made her feel relieved.


    however, that didn¡¯t mean the pressure she felt went away.


    yebin had a vanilla taste when it came to sex. after all, she had only been watching female-oriented heterosexual one-to-one porn.


    undressing herself in front of someone else was burdenful enough for her, but she was expected to have sex in front of someone else...


    ¡°um, baroness marigold, are you sure you¡¯ll be okay...?¡±


    ¡°okay with what?¡±


    ¡°maybe... i could create a chart and give it to you later...¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m good.¡±


    she wanted to say ¡®can you please vacate the room?¡¯ but amelia cut her off before she got the chance to.


    yebin was forced to hold back her urge to scream and cry as she reached her trembling hands out to siwoo¡¯s pants.


    ¡°um... baroness marigold, is it okay for me to take off his pants?¡±


    one of amelia¡¯s eyebrows flinched.


    even so, it was amazing that her tone and expression remained unchanged.


    ¡°you don¡¯t need to ask for my permission for every little thing. just do what you did yesterday.¡±nove-lb/in


    the reason why yebin was so hesitant was precisely because she couldn¡¯t do what she did yesterday.


    no matter how merciful, tolerant and saintly of a woman amelia was (clearly she wasn¡¯t all of that), it was obvious that yebin would get her hair ripped out and beaten to death if she reenacted yesterday¡¯s scene.


    ¡°yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    yebin gulped as she slowly pulled siwoo¡¯s pants down.


    his weapon of mass destruction swung out for her to see.


    then, she generously applied the lube onto her hands.


    unfortunately for yebin, tonight¡¯s moon was so bright that one could clearly see what was going on inside the room even when the lights weren¡¯t on.


    yebin concluded that the heavens itself were screwing herself over today.


    -squelch, squelch.


    she grasped siwoo¡¯s shaft, smearing it with the gel just like what she did yesterday.


    it didn¡¯t take long for his lifeless rod to come back to live even with the awkward movements she used to jerk it off.


    at this point, she took a glance towards amelia¡¯s direction, which prompted the latter to quickly turn her gaze back to her book.


    that was when she realized that the baroness would really be watching every one of her actions.


    ¡®i¡¯m going to throw up...¡¯


    yebin nibbled on her lips to ease a little of her stress as she carefully took off her clothes.


    the thin short dress similar to what she wore yesterday was uncovered. then, she lifted the hem of the dress and took off her panties.


    shame and embarrassment crashed into her as she asked herself, ¡®am i really going to do this...?¡¯


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°i-i¡¯m going on top of him now.¡±


    yebin climbed up the bed and used the remaining gel on her hand to evenly spread the lube within her pussy.


    she knew that if she didn¡¯t amply prepare herself, it would hurt her like hell.


    since earlier, she felt a cold glare coming from behind her back.


    it went without saying that she was more than aware who was responsible for such a glare.


    but, if she didn¡¯t properly show her the treatment, the baroness would come to hate her even more.


    what she needed to do was to desperately convey the image of a doctor sincerely treating her patient.


    and so, she displayed the most professional attitude possible as she started rubbing siwoo¡¯s dick on her lower lips, trying to find the opening.


    she only did this once yesterday, but she didn¡¯t have any trouble reenacting it.


    even though their genitals were only brushing against each other, her heart started beating faster as her breaths turned hot.


    the pleasure she felt started to threaten to take over from her professionalism, something that she had to prevent at all cost.


    yebin tried to concentrate as she plunged siwoo¡¯s rod into herself.


    maybe because it had broken her pussy for the whole night yesterday, it slipped in way too easily.


    ¡°eup...!¡±


    her anxiety and embarrassment made her body stiffened.


    this caused a momentary lapse in her concentration, but that was enough to upset the balance of her unsteady lower body, causing it to fall.


    ¡°...uh?¡±


    if she were to fall to the side or backwards, it would cause an instant penile fracture to siwoo.


    and so, she was left with only a single choice if she wanted to protect siwoo¡¯s dick. which was to give up on squatting on her toes and receive the entirety of his rod as she fell down.


    -slap!


    but, she made a miscalculation.


    she thought that if she were determined enough, she could suppress her moan, ignoring the pleasure she might have felt.


    in reality, when his whole shaft entered her hole, its head pressed against her cervix, stimulating it and...


    ¡°haanng...?¡±


    a loud moan resounded within the room.


    even to her own ears, she found her moans extremely lewd and shamefully loud.

 Chapter 98: Love Is an Illusion (1)

    ? love is an illusion (1) ?


    1.


    ¡°haanng...?¡±


    yebin¡¯s ecstatic man echoed through the room as she covered her mouth hurriedly.


    however, her action was a little too late as she couldn¡¯t just pull back the voice she just let out.


    amelia furrowed her eyes and glared at the two people who had mingled into one.


    because she often jerked him off using the pretense of experiments and teaching, she knew that siwoo¡¯s shaft was exceptionally big.


    she could hold it in her hand no problem, but the idea of putting that thick rod into the tiny hole between her crotch was simply inconceivable for amelia.


    however, the fact that it was currently happening to yebin made it as if her beliefs were a lie.


    except the tiny portion; the base of his dick, every single inch of it was inside her.


    ¡°i-i¡¯m sorry...eup...!¡±


    yebin glanced toward amelia and apologized with an embarrassed expression.


    however, to amelia, her apology didn¡¯t sound sincere at all because of the lewd gasps mixed in her voice.


    she felt the blood rushing out of her head.


    it was at that moment that the realization hit her like a truck.


    those two were having sex.


    siwoo¡¯s massive dick really went inside yebin¡¯s drenched hole and they¡¯d continue this activity until they climaxed.


    ¡°haaah...aanng...ngg...¡±


    yebin tried to maintain her balance with her trembling thighs.


    however, it was evident that she couldn¡¯t block her moans from coming out, so she used one of her hands to block her mouth.


    she sent a glance at amelia before turning her gaze forward.


    finally, she spoke out to amelia.


    ¡°i will...start moving...¡±


    amelia couldn¡¯t bring herself to reply.


    in truth, after hearing yebin¡¯s moan, her body became frozen stiff like a statue.nove(lb/in


    yebin¡¯s hips moved in a lewd way as she started to move her ass up and down.


    -plap, plap!


    obscene voices came from the place where the two of them were connected.


    the sticky gel yebin applied rubbed against the most sensitive parts of their skin.


    ¡°heup...mmm...mmf...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    amelia watched as they were having sex right in front of her eyes.


    it felt like yebin was mocking her as she shook her ass while doing an act that should only be done to prove a couple¡¯s love for each other.


    she felt her heart broken apart.


    did she really need to feel these emotions?


    was it because she loved him that she felt this way?


    it felt like the most precious person in her heart was being taken by someone else before very eyes.


    the sensation was strange.


    everything about it felt strange.


    ¡°haa...mmph...haa...ang...¡±


    in the end, despite her attempt to block it, her moan leaked through the gaps of her fingers.


    goosebumps rose on her white thighs.


    her previously lifeless eyes turned into a half-dazed one that was filled with love and desire.


    ¡°eung...k-keuk...ahh...!¡±


    it was at this moment that she began to find her rhythm.


    she desperately wanted to end this awkward situation as soon as she could.


    however, she was unable to separate the combination of this uncomfortable voyeuristic play, the treatment she had to do and the pleasure she got from siwoo¡¯s dick. this resulted in her unable to control herself even when she wanted to.


    ¡°heugh...heut...!¡±


    being penetrated by siwoo felt good as always.


    no, she felt even better than yesterday.


    apparently, the more she used to the sensation the greater the pleasure was for her.


    it was as if his rod was solely made to fit inside her and she had only become comfortable enough to accept it.


    if that was truly the case, one could conclude that yebin¡¯s speed in adapting to that was absurdly quick. by now she was starting to rub her clit into his body, fucking him desperately.


    even when she knew that amelia was staring at her and her going into the act without any foreplay, her pussy, which was originally wet, became even wetter when she started to shake her ass into his hips.


    every movement she made gave her a small orgasm, making her feel as if her body was being trained to become siwoo¡¯s personal onahole.


    ¡°ah...haa...mmph..¡±.


    despite her covering her mouth with her hand, the seductive moans kept leaking out.


    she started to think that it would be better to use soundproofing magic instead of wasting her concentration on restraining those moans.


    in that situation, yebin let out her mana.


    smyrna¡¯s self-essence magic: ¡®panacea¡¯. to use it, one had to stick their mana onto someone¡¯s body.


    the magic would give the caster the ability to read information about the target and analyze it in-depth.


    it was an incredibly subtle magic that was incomparable to normal magical sense.


    additionally, the closer the analyzed body part was to her brand, the more accurate the information and the analysis would be.


    this was why shoving siwoo¡¯s dick into her was the most efficient and accurate way to use this magic.


    although she didn¡¯t look the part, yebin was a well-rounded and capable witch.


    as soon as she stopped blocking out her moans, she started to focus on analyzing siwoo. her concentration was so deep that she couldn¡¯t even hear her own voice anymore.


    she analyzed the intricate waves of magic energy that surged from siwoo while also connecting with him on a spiritual level.


    amidst the complex flow of information, she extracted useful fragments to piece together the clues needed to regenerate his brain.


    the concentration that she put onto suppressing her moans had entirely shifted towards the treatment, yielding quite the predictable result.


    ¡°haa...aang! ahhh!¡±


    her throat started to unleash the sweet cries of pleasure.


    obviously, her previously emotionless face couldn¡¯t be controlled any longer as it was flooded with pleasure.


    regardless of the actual circumstances, all amelia could see was the sex.


    she noticed the pale green magical reflection flowed from the corner of yebin¡¯s eyes, but her mouth, which was drooling from the ecstasy, was too eye-catching.


    her already lewd movements became even more obscene. she practically slammed her ass down on siwoo, as if trying to squeeze out every last drop of his semen.


    seeing yebin completely letting loose, with her moans growing louder as she thoroughly devoured siwoo¡¯s dick, amelia was frozen stiff.


    whenever siwoo¡¯s hot rod penetrated yebin, her swollen, drenched pussy let out its juices that were trickling down his rod.


    as amelia watched this stimulating scene, her heart tingled with a prickly sensation.


    ¡°...¡±


    she shut her eyes tightly at the figure of yebin bouncing on top of siwoo while screaming like an animal.


    then, she closed the book on her knees and quietly got up from her seat.


    yebin didn¡¯t even glance at her as she continued to push her body onto siwoo, as if telling amelia that this place was their stage and this was her moment.


    amelia already knew.


    the reason why yebin acted like this was because she was focused on the treatment.


    but, no matter how much she tried to tell herself this, it couldn¡¯t chase away the pitiful sense of defeat in her heart,


    amelia closed the door and left.


    after returning to her own room, she stood there blankly before moving to light a cigarette.


    she was tired.


    at this point, she was prepared to let go of the feelings she purposely held on to because she was afraid of losing them.


    it was the correct decision to break free from this fleeting dream and return to how she used to.


    she wouldn¡¯t need to care anymore whether her personal slave fucked another woman or not.


    giving up on everything would be better than suffering miserably like this.


    prompted by her impulsive thought, she overlapped her finger.


    unlike before, she didn¡¯t have a lot of doubts anymore.


    her head, still heavy because of the shock, could only think ¡®i don¡¯t want to be in pain anymore.¡¯


    -snap!


    a clear and crisp sound resonated throughout the room.


    she activated her brand, purifying all the abnormal ailments interfering with her magic circuits.


    whatever remained of the love potion would completely disappear by now.


    the feeling of love that had practically been a joke would be over.


    as soon as she realized this, a fierce wave of nausea flooded over her.


    ¡®what have i done?¡¯ even if it was too painful to endure, did she do the right thing by making that irreversible decision?


    ¡°...ah.¡±


    she felt an unsettling anxiety, as if she was adrift in a vast sea without a compass.


    overwhelmed by this fear, amelia desperately tried to stop the brand¡¯s purification process.


    however, before she could do it, the brand had already finished cleaning up all the impurities within her circuit.


    it was too late.


    her eyes went dark with regret as she sank to the floor.


    the intense feeling of love she had experienced for the first time in her long life had come to an end.


    ¡°...¡±


    now, she wouldn¡¯t need to care about what yebin did with siwoo.


    even if siwoo didn¡¯t wake up, she would probably just regret the fact for a while before moving on with her life.


    and so, amelia marigold became alone again.


    her heart was so broken, it felt like the edges of her heart were slowly being chipped away.


    a minute passed, then two.


    ¡°...?¡±


    she blinked her eyes while looking around.


    then she continued on doing this until she realized something.


    she jumped from her seat, clenched her teeth and threw the flower vase on the table against the wall.


    -crash!


    shattered pieces of glass scattered everywhere.


    as those fragments rained down, she clenched her fists while gritting her teeth.


    odile! odette! sophia! she screamed those three names, as if she was trying to rip them apart.


    ¡°nothing... changed!¡±


    if she were under the influence of a potion, no matter what kind it was, the effect should have been purified by now.


    yet, she felt that there was no change in both her emotions and thoughts.


    she still wanted to touch his face and feel the warmth of his fingers.


    and she still felt the burning jealousy at the thought of yebin passionately embracing siwoo.


    in other words, she wasn¡¯t under the effect of the potion in the first place.


    to think that she seriously contemplated something like ¡®what if this love isn¡¯t real?¡¯ and ¡®i don¡¯t want to suffer anymore, i¡¯ll let these feelings go...¡¯


    all by herself...


    all by herself!


    feeling both shameful and embarrassed, amelia tackled the goose-feather pillow on her bed.


    after that clean tackle, she mounted it before beating the shit out of the poor pillow, her brows furrowed in frustration.


    -thud! thud! thud!


    ¡®i agonized over this so seriously!¡¯


    ¡®i¡¯m so upset! i thought that i lost everything!¡¯


    ¡®turns out everything is just a stupid misunderstanding!¡¯


    -thud! thud! thud!


    her aggressive punches could probably kill an ordinary person. the poor pillow¡¯s feathers floated around in her surroundings.


    -thud... thud...


    gradually, her relentless pounding slowed down as her strength waned.


    at this point, she was only tapping the pillow gently.


    ¡°ugh...euk...heheuk...¡±


    little droplets of tears streamed down her face.


    just like how she had only truly realized how precious her master was after she disappeared, she understood how precious siwoo was after she almost lost him.


    the moment she tried to let go of her feeling of love, she understood.


    her feelings for him were an unexplainably precious emotion for her.


    she was overjoyed by the fact that she didn¡¯t lose it.


    and so, she held the now half-sized pillow close to her heart while wiping away her tears with both hands.

 Chapter 99: Love Is an Illusion (2)

    ? love is and illusion (2) ?


    1.


    yebin¡¯s consciousness delved deeper into siwoo¡¯s subconscious.


    a person had the maximum brain capacity of 1 petabyte11024 terabyte.


    while the brain¡¯s computational capability couldn¡¯t process all this information in an instant, it was said that it had the ability to store roughly 4.7 billion books if one were only considering its size.


    though it was called subconscious, it was nearly impossible for other people to fully identify and classify such a vast wave of information.


    however, that rule wouldn¡¯t apply to yebin.


    by utilizing her self-essence magic, ¡®palace of the subconscious,¡¯ she could transform vast amounts of data, even if they were merely electrical and chemical signals, into tangible sensations.


    she was currently walking through a dimly lit space.


    a bizarre one, filled with countless stars and numerous doors placed all around.


    here, the laws of physics that encompassed three-dimensional space didn¡¯t hold.


    some doors were hanging upside down from the ceiling. the stairs leading up to those doors were perfectly vertical.


    amidst those ever changing structures of stairs and doors, she steadily made her way to a particular location.


    it was impossible even for her to open all the doors.


    to do that she would have to continue fucking him until he died. even then, it wasn¡¯t a guarantee that she¡¯d have enough time to explore them all.


    that was why she was looking for a door with a high ¡®importance.¡¯


    that door would be crucial for siwoo¡¯s recovery and she could tell how ¡®important¡¯ the door was by looking at its color and shape.


    ¡®aaaaaaang.... haaaaaang....! it¡¯s sooooo goooood...! i looooveeee iiiiit....!¡¯


    ¡°ugh...¡±


    yebin dashed up the stairs leading to a black door. when she heard her own moans echoing through her ¡®palace of subconscious,¡¯ her body started to shudder.


    this was probably how it sounded if she recorded her voice, listened to it inside a large cave using a speaker and blasted it at 0.1x speed. it was a horrifying experience.


    siwoo must have heard those sounds as well since they spread throughout his mental world like some abhorrent bgm.


    by now, amelia was probably seeing her pounding on siwoo while letting out those cries of pleasure.


    yebin felt embarrassed by this, but she didn¡¯t have the lenience to care about that.


    her head was already hurting from the mental overload.


    she was pressured to finish this quickly.


    yebin slammed open the black door and stepped inside.


    ever since she began this procedure, she had been sensing powerful waves of consciousness coming from this location.


    there was a great chance that she¡¯d be able to uncover important clues here.


    ¡°huh...?¡±


    seeing the vast space in front of her made her yelp in surprise.


    since she was a witch, she quickly recognized this space.


    it was siwoo¡¯s ain.


    yebin knew that despite him being a male, his proficiency in magic was deep enough to achieve his own self-essence magic.


    that was why, if she had only witnessed his ain, she wouldn¡¯t be as surprised as this, but...


    -wooong! wooong!


    a tremendous vibration resonated throughout the space.


    in the center of the darkness, an unidentified golden object floated.


    the architectural structures constructed with magical knowledge were rapidly transforming their appearances by the seconds.


    from a sphere, to quadrilaterals, elongating themselves into bands, sometimes they¡¯d even turn into a sword.


    magic was both a law and a formula.


    as such, it could be modified based on a witch¡¯s abilities. even so, its fundamental principles had to remain intact, this was the universal truth that couldn¡¯t be broken.


    for example, the common sense stated ¡®the earth is round¡¯ or ¡®the most delicious ice cream is mint chocolate.¡¯ those were unchanging truths.


    but before her very eyes, siwoo¡¯s ain displayed a phenomenon that utterly shattered such common sense.


    the quality and quantity wasn¡¯t particularly large, but even when yebin took that into consideration, his magic was too flexible in regard to changing its shape and its fundamental principles. it was almost to an astonishing degree.


    yebin felt a shiver running down her spine.


    she was witnessing all this, but she couldn¡¯t comprehend anything from it.


    it prompted her to move and examine it more closely.


    as she maneuvered through the space with a chaotic movement, the distance between her and the structure steadily decreased.


    in that brief moment, the structure had been destroyed and created from scratch twice. its current appearance was completely different from what it had been just a short while ago.


    ¡°what...is that...?¡±


    at that moment, there was a distortion in this peculiar space that caught yebin¡¯s eye.


    it was located underneath the structure.


    perhaps she could describe it as a very thin funnel.


    it was the same black space as the area around it, but that particular space seemed to be slightly concave.


    almost resembling the gravitational field of a black hole.


    however, no matter how much she tried to scrutinize it, she couldn¡¯t understand its identity.


    it was as if her brain was rejecting the existence of this phenomenon.


    perhaps the space appeared to be distorted because of her lack of information about it.


    she shifted her gaze again, looking towards siwoo¡¯s direction.


    he looked similar to his sleeping state outside.


    to describe his face, he leaned toward the ¡®pretty¡¯ side rather than ¡®handsome¡¯.


    he wore an emotionless face as he extended his hand towards the structure. his fingers were twitching.


    ¡°um...¡±


    ¡®so, this is the guy i¡¯m having a sex with, huh?¡¯


    yebin suddenly felt embarrassed by this newfound realization.


    at that moment, siwoo turned his head.


    what gazed in yebin¡¯s direction wasn¡¯t his eye, but something that lurked in his empty left eye socket.


    a golden shimmering sphere, taking the place of his eye.


    ¡®how many times am i going to be surprised today?¡¯


    yebin pointed a finger at her chest as she asked him a question.


    ¡°c-can you see me...?¡±


    his eyes were clearly focused on yebin.


    but, they weren¡¯t supposed to do that.


    yebin was merely a spectator in this place.


    while at first glance it might seem like she had actually entered siwoo¡¯s subconscious, but in reality, she had only collected and materialized the information she was able to take from his mind.


    it was as if one was observing someone from the cctv and that person suddenly stared at the observer¡¯s eyes.


    siwoo gave out no response.


    he only stared at her for a while with a blank gaze.


    then, he resumed what he had been doing, as if he had no interest in her anymore.


    that was when yebin suddenly heard a loud noise.


    it was due to a disturbance caused by changes in the external environment.


    her consciousness got instantly ejected from the ¡®palace of subconscious¡¯ as it returned to reality.


    ¡°haa...haa..aah...¡±


    soon after, she started feeling tingly.


    her whole body shivered, as if she was struck by hypothermia. then, it convulsed in a muscle spasm.


    ¡°haaang...aaaahh...!¡±


    she came.


    because of the overwhelming sexual pleasure she experienced, her focus broke, rendering her magic unstable.


    still, she managed to finish 30% of her goal, which was a massive improvement from yesterday.


    ¡®how much time had passed...?¡¯


    she let out short breaths as she glanced to the side.


    baroness marigold¡¯s chair was empty and she could feel her stomach bursting with semen.


    she looked down on her crotch and opened her mouth in surprise.


    it looked so battered from the intense sex and her cum was practically stuck onto her lower belly.


    the leaked semen was foaming, it covered her entire body and the bed was a complete mess.


    ¡°uah...¡±


    like a broken dam, the pleasure that she hadn¡¯t felt until now crashed onto her.


    she relished the afterglow of the orgasm as she tried to catch her breath.


    ¡°i¡¯m gonna get addicted at this point, aren¡¯t i...?¡±


    she only had enough energy to mutter that sentence.


    as she pulled out siwoo¡¯s cock from her pussy, their combined cum gushed out. yebin ended up collapsing into siwoo¡¯s wide chest.


    ¡°h-ha...what is this...?¡±


    just a few months ago, she thought that she¡¯d continue to live her boring life.


    never did she expect that something like this would happen instead.


    -splurt!


    ¡°ah...!¡±


    the air in her belly flew out of her pussy accompanied by siwoo¡¯s semen and a loud noise.


    since she was spreading her legs while lying down, this was an obvious result.


    however, it didn¡¯t change the fact that the noise sounded so obscene that her face turned red in embarrassment.


    ¡°shit... if mr. siwoo was awake, i wouldn¡¯t have the will to continue on living anymore...¡±


    she slowly lifted her body and moved her legs to the side. that was when her eyes met siwoo¡¯s.


    ¡°eh...?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    his right eye was staring right at her.


    he slowly blinked his drowsy eyes as he observed his surroundings.


    ¡®did he just wake up?¡¯


    the man looked dazed, but it seemed that he had regained his consciousness.


    ¡°huh? wait, what...? no way...¡±


    he wasn¡¯t supposed to wake up at this point, she still had to do the same treatment producing the exact same result for another two times first.


    -grab!


    siwoo reached out his hand to grab yebin¡¯s wrist.


    the latter was so shocked that she didn¡¯t even react to that.


    she could feel his rough palm on her wrist. it was unmistakably the palm of a man.nove)lb)in


    since something that was akin to a miracle happened during the treatment, she had to prioritize observing each and every one of his actions.


    ¡°uh...¡±


    suddenly, siwoo grabbed yebin¡¯s breasts and started kneading them through her clothes.


    a strong pressure emitted through his movements as he continued to squeeze and play with them.


    during siwoo¡¯s body recovery process, yebin had ceaselessly cycled his blood and sent electrical signals toward his nerves to maintain his physical capabilities.


    additionally, she also massaged his ligaments every three days.


    thanks to this, even after he laid down for almost a hundred days, his movements didn¡¯t feel stiff at all.


    ¡°mr. siwoo, are you awake...?¡±


    it was an embarrassing situation for yebin; an unfamiliar man started rubbing her breasts as soon as he woke up. not to mention that it was the same man who gave her creampies multiple times.


    however, checking on his condition was yebin¡¯s top priority.


    yebin was certain that a semblance of his intellect had returned.


    but, his movements were a little awkward.


    the fact that he had been keeping his mouth shut while playing with her breasts proved that his condition couldn¡¯t be concluded as normal yet.


    he was probably moved out of instincts because of the external stimulation that he had received.


    yebin¡¯s voluptuous tits continued to stretch as siwoo squeezed it with his hands.


    so, what did this action imply?


    the lack of motherly love during his childhood?


    or maybe he just wanted to touch the first thing he saw out of curiosity?


    whatever it was, it was clear that he hadn¡¯t made a complete recovery. his action also couldn¡¯t be considered as abnormal due to the severity of his injuries.


    ¡°mr. siwoo, if you can hear me, can you please say¡ª aahh...!¡±


    at that moment, siwoo¡¯s fingertips pinched yebin¡¯s stiff and erect nipples.


    she was hurting from it, but the sensation made her all tingly as it reached her lower belly, making her twist her hips in pleasure.


    from that moment onwards, siwoo relentlessly played with her nipples, squeezing them like a newfound toy.


    ¡°m-mr. siwoo? c-can you please let go of my¡ª ahheut...!¡±


    suddenly, the hand that had been gripping her wrist moved toward her buttocks as he began to massage it.


    feeling him groping her body, her heart somehow started to beat faster.


    in her moment of panic, unable to decide what to do, she felt siwoo rubbing his shaft against her lower lips.


    ¡®n-no way...?¡±


    just as she was thinking that, siwoo thrusted his hips upwards.


    ¡°haang...!¡±


    her pussy, that was drenched in juices because of earlier sex, welcomed his rod wholeheartedly.


    yebin¡¯s gaping slit was split apart once again in an instant and the tip of his shaft slammed straight into her cervix.


    her sensitive pussy was practically drowned in pleasure. she started to whimper through her nose.


    ¡°e-excuse me...?¡±


    after lifting up his torso, siwoo sat up.


    because he had been lying down all this time, yebin failed to realize that siwoo had an actually well-built body.


    just the action of him getting up made her feel like she would fit into his embrace perfectly.


    he moved both his hands toward her ass and started to fondle it.


    ¡®i was supposed to let baroness marigold know that he had woken up... no, he isn¡¯t supposed to be awake in the first place!¡¯


    ¡°eung...!¡±


    after grasping her butt, siwoo moved his hands with purely his instinct.


    yebin¡¯s lower body had turned into his personal onahole. she bounced up and down and with each movement, siwoo¡¯s rod would pierce deeper into her belly.


    ¡°haa...ahh...¡±


    then, siwoo suddenly pinned her down.


    ¡°eut...!¡±


    now pinned to the bed, yebin looked up with trembling eyes at siwoo¡¯s face.


    she couldn¡¯t get a read of his expressionless face.


    before, when siwoo was lying down, unable to move, yebin thought that she was only using him as a dildo instead of having real sex.


    but now...


    it felt like as if she was being raped by someone without any emotions.


    ¡°d-don¡¯t do this, please...¡±


    she shoved his chest, but that did nothing to him.


    in the first place, a woman couldn¡¯t beat a man just by using physical strength.


    ¡°heut...!¡±


    when siwoo changed his positions, his dick, which was about to fall out, did the reverse and penetrated her even deeper instead.


    once again, pressure was applied to her womb.


    she felt her strength that she mustered with such difficulties began to leave her body.


    against the impalement of his dick, she was completely powerless.


    while she tried to push siwoo away from her, the latter suddenly grabbed both of her wrists and placed them above her head.


    in an instant, yebin lost the freedom to control both her arms, making her vulnerable to siwoo who continued to press his body onto her.


    ¡°eut...!¡±


    this position made her feel like he could see every part of her.


    siwoo kept on following his instincts as he started to slowly thrusting his hips.


    ¡°eut...! eut...! euung...!¡±


    yebin, with her legs spread apart, wriggled for a moment before giving up on resisting.


    ¡°m-mr. siwoo...haang...¡±


    in truth, she could have easily pushed him away if she were to use her magic, but...


    ¡°w-we¡¯re not supposed to do this... ?¡°


    she chose not to.


    after all, she was enjoying this situation too.


    footnotes:


    11024 terabyte

 Chapter 100: Love Is an Illusion (3)

    ? love is an illusion (3) ?


    1.


    siwoo laid yebin on top of the bed.


    he forced her two arms up, restraining both her wrists to pin them above her head.


    his lower body was stuffed in between her legs, rendering her unable to escape, while his other hand was kneading on both her breasts at the same time.


    ¡°ah...euh...haaa....¡±


    even after numerous climaxes, his rod didn¡¯t turn any weaker, rather, it felt more robust than ever.


    with his bloated cock, he stirred up yebin¡¯s sensitive pussy while thrusting his hips even harder.


    ¡°heuk...euk...!¡±


    he didn¡¯t seem to think much.


    then again, he wasn¡¯t capable of doing that in the first place.


    his treatment wasn¡¯t even halfway done yet.


    that was why this phenomenon was something that could be classified as an unnatural one.


    all he could think about was; there was someone beneath him, her face was pretty, her tits were big, she seemed to be an asian, his hips were moving, his knees felt soft and he felt good from all that.


    he could only recognize sequences that were made from short-length information each, unable to process those information into a meaningful piece of context.


    even so, his instincts kept telling him to do one thing.


    to thrust his hips into this girl.


    fill her womb with his sticky semen and impregnate her.


    the former was so that he could gain pleasure from the act.


    meanwhile the latter was to satisfy his primal reproductive instincts.


    this instinct was the one who commanded the series of movements that his body made.


    ¡°ah...haa...ang....eung...! ahh..aht!¡±


    -rip!


    his hand tore yebin¡¯s dress apart.


    since it was originally a thin dress, it didn¡¯t take much effort for siwoo to rip it.


    as yebin leaked out a shriek, her alluring body became visible through her disheveled and torn clothes.


    her breasts bounced everytime siwoo moved.


    still, for such a petite and short girl like her, the volume of her breasts was beyond comprehension.


    swollen blue veins and the ripples on her chest was a phenomenon one could rarely see in breasts of average size.


    though she was lying down, the center of her chest swayed without sagging to the side. in the middle of each of her tits, there was a perfectly shaped pink area.


    her areolas.


    their size was around the size of a fingertip, which was quite large, but there were no imperfections on its color whatsoever.


    they actually contrasted perfectly with her innocent looking face, thus adding to her seductive allure.


    ¡°ah....hooo...eut...!¡±


    siwoo pounded her pussy with a constant rhythm as he fondled one of her breasts.


    then, one of her erect nipples, standing proudly among the exquisite balance of elasticity and softness, captured his gaze.


    compared to her areolas, her nipples had a slightly darker hue.


    beneath it was a banquet of her fair and smooth skin.


    neither too thin nor too voluptuous. her body was pleasing to the eye, the perfect body for rearing a child.


    unlike a man¡¯s body, there was a high proportion of fat that made her abdomen soft and plump.


    when siwoo pressed on it, he felt like his fingers would sink right in. among this softness, a shimmering green tattoo was engraved there.


    to be more precise, it wasn¡¯t a tattoo, but her ¡®smyrna¡¯s brand.¡¯


    siwoo released the hand kneading her breasts and gently stroked the brand.


    it was a brand composed of 19 strokes, almost looking like an abstract painting of the womb.


    entranced by his strength and the pleasure that she felt from his touch, yebin quickly became a quivering mess as her thighs continued to flinch.


    ¡°w-what are you do¡ª haaaang...! ah, fuck...he won¡¯t understand me anyway...¡±


    siwoo was clearly caressing her brand, but she couldn¡¯t tell it from her angle.


    she imagined that he was looking at her tight pussy opening wide to welcome his bulging cock, making her flush in embarrassment.


    at this point, she considered escaping from this situation.


    as long as she could free her wrists, she would be able to get away from him. but...


    ¡°eunng...! heung....haaa...aang.¡±


    she hesitated.


    instead of moving on top of him by herself, letting him fucking her gave her new sensations.


    just like how sex and masturbation felt different, and how climaxing in porn and an actual orgasm was different.


    to be more precise, she couldn¡¯t have imagined that it would feel this embarrassing.


    her taut legs were spread wide open, begging for his dick to fill her up. her shameful hole was completely exposed to her vision.


    additionally, her breasts kept on shaking, which was only adding to her embarrassment.


    she couldn¡¯t even bear to look at him in the face.


    the fact that her both hands were raised like this made her feel like she was being forced into submission.


    it was like she was letting him devour her entire body.


    and that sensation made her body feel a degree hotter.


    ¡°ooh...eut...eung...aaaaag...!¡±


    as she lifted her shaking hips, her back formed a beautiful arch.


    her lower lips started spasming, as if it was trying to squeeze siwoo¡¯s semen out of his dick as she joined him in his climax.


    ¡°uahh...aht...heut... heuk, ooo...eung...¡±


    her head was on cloud nine.


    she could see stars in her eyes as rough gasps came out of her lungs.


    her body left out of her control completely for around 30 seconds.


    ¡°t-that should be enough, right...?¡±


    yebin quickly turned her head to the side and shut her eyes tightly.


    she was still drowning in pleasure, but she began to regain some of her senses.


    ¡®what am i doing?¡¯


    ¡®i¡¯m already on a tight schedule for his treatment, how could i waste more time enjoying myself with him...?¡¯


    as a proper doctor, she knew that she¡¯d have to report his situation to his guardian and that she needed to stop exploring through his body.


    ¡°p-please...pull...it out...!¡±


    however, like a sand castle washed away by the waves, her determination completely disappeared after siwoo moved his hips again.


    the previous climax already made her body sensitive, so when he shoved his cock in again, the sensation only intensified.


    his movements became even faster and more accurate than before.


    ¡°euk... w-wait...! mr. siwoo...!¡±nove-lb/in


    siwoo leaned forward and as a result, it pushed yebin¡¯s ass further upwards.


    her waist was almost completely folded and she could witness siwoo¡¯s hard rod going in and out of her own pussy.


    additionally, he drove his shaft in so hard that she felt he was going to impregnate her every time he touched her wombs.


    obviously, that was neither scientifically nor magically correct, but that was how she felt.


    ¡°n-no, we really can¡¯t¡ª!¡±


    siwoo didn¡¯t listen to any of yebin¡¯s cries.


    instead, he let go of her wrists and grabbed her ass firmly before fucking her more earnestly with his new pose.


    of course, yebin could escape by now, but she didn¡¯t want to.


    she shouldn¡¯t be doing this, but she wanted to do this.


    -plap! plap! plap!


    every time he drove his hips into her, droplets of liquid, yebin¡¯s own cum, splashed all over her face.


    ¡°euk... t-that place...feels so good...¡±


    in the end, yebin chose to surrender and become his personal onahole.


    ¡®whatever, i don¡¯t care anymore! this feels way too good! why should i resist this?¡¯


    that was the thought that came into her head.


    ¡°aht...ahhh....heuuuuuh....¡±


    siwoo¡¯s hips movements made her legs sway back and forth.


    then, came the sensation when she felt that she was about to cum again.


    ¡°heuuuuung....!¡±


    she felt each fold of her pussy rippled as his cock became larger.


    it was already as hard as a rock, but it hardened like steel.


    as if he was about to have an orgasm, it swelled up.


    and so...


    ¡°haa...aat... haaaahh...!¡±


    yebin¡¯s waist trembled from the sensation and at the same time, her cum dripped out in waves as she started writhing in her climax.


    her breasts trembled, her lower mouth was pointed towards the sky, twitching as it received more and more of his semen. even her backdoor was flinching with every shot of his cum.


    ¡°haa...ngg... ahh...¡±


    while yebin was relishing in her climax and trying to extend its aftermath, a sudden change occurred.


    ¡°h-huh...?¡±


    -whoosh!


    from her brand, a tremendous amount of mana started to burst out.


    the cause was siwoo¡¯s shaft, which was still inside her.


    she felt goosebumps rise all over her skin.


    when showcasing large-scale magic, she occasionally felt the mana leaking away from her, but that was only because she had let it happen.


    this time however, her mana was being absorbed by someone else in an unprecedented manner.


    ¡°p-please stop...!¡±


    sensing something amiss, she urgently tried to push siwoo away.


    however, she couldn¡¯t move even a single muscle.


    even when she attempted to use magic she ended up failing to cast it due to the fierce surge of mana that was beyond her control.


    when she tried to regain control, it felt like she was playing tug-of-war with an elephant, the difference in power was too big.


    what more was, the mana that was being absorbed came from her brand, the ¡®processed¡¯ mana she had accumulated for a long time.


    with trembling eyes, she looked at his face.


    his right eye wore an empty, emotionless gaze.


    meanwhile in his left eye, lies a golden magic reflection, just like what she had seen inside his ain.


    -crackle!


    black sparks erupted like severed high-tension wires from siwoo¡¯s back.


    yebin¡¯s body was trembling, unable to move because of the various impossible phenomena that happened in front of her.


    eventually, siwoo stopped absorbing her mana.


    to be more precise, it stopped after all the ,ama that was saved in her brand was completely drained.


    ¡°huh...?¡±


    shortly after, it began to discharge in reverse.


    this happened through the connection between yebin and siwoo¡¯s cock.


    ¡°uhhhh...?¡±


    pure white mana began to flow into her womb, filling up her previously empty brand to the brim.


    needless to say, this process also went against her common sense.


    to charge up a witch¡¯s mana, they¡¯d need to go over three major steps.


    absorption.


    conversion.


    preservation.


    women couldn¡¯t generate mana on her own, so they needed to either draw in mana from their surroundings or borrow it through concentrated mana sources.


    this was the absorption process.


    then, they¡¯d convert that mana over time to a form that was the easiest to use.


    this was the conversion process.


    the converted mana would be stored in their brand, this would make them able to use that mana effectively without leaking anything.


    this was the preservation process.


    ¡°h-how can this happen...?¡±


    the conversion process usually took a long time.


    even the purest kind of magic would contain impurities, as such, refining it was still a challenging task.


    to 19th ranked witches like her, who had a large total mana capacity, it would take a month just to absorb and convert the mana they needed to refill their brand.


    however, the mana that flowed out of siwoo was completely different.


    even after it went through his own body, its purity was especially remarkable.


    in fact, it was the first time yebin ever saw mana with this degree of purity.


    if one were to compare this to the highest-grade magic water from the emerald tablet, the latter would feel like dirt water.


    it felt as if she could use this mana instantly for casting spells even if she hadn¡¯t converted it first.


    not to mention the high quantity of the mana she received.


    yebin thought that he was just giving back what he had taken, but what he gave out was way more than that.


    but, the more perplexing thing was that she could feel an immense amount of mana remaining in his body.


    to put it in simple calculation, yebin gave him ten units of mana and he gave her twenty in return, but there were still thirty units inside his body.


    that meant, siwoo didn¡¯t simply refine and return her mana.


    he absorbed it, amplified it then purified it before returning it back to her.


    considering that normally, the purity of the mana usually decreased significantly after amplification, it was hard to comprehend how siwoo could have done this.


    ¡°w-what on earth is this...?¡±


    as yebin stared wide-eyed in astonishment, siwoo suddenly twisted his head like a patient with a neck spasm.


    trembling, his body fell backwards onto the bed.


    ¡°what¡¯s happening?¡±


    the aftermath of the sex was suddenly interrupted by the presence of magic and resolved by amelia, who rushed out of her lab because she was startled by the magical aura.

 Chapter 101: Love Is an Illusion (4)

    ? love is an illusion (4) ?


    1.


    as usual, amelia went to her lab to calm her mind and grabbed a quill in her hand.


    then, she felt a sudden surge of mana, and hurriedly returned to her mansion.


    she thought that something must have happened to siwoo.


    upon entering siwoo¡¯s room, she saw yebin¡¯s naked body with white liquid dripping out from her crotch.


    meanwhile, siwoo was in a kneeling position with his waist bent back over his knees.


    when amelia first saw yebin, she was overwhelmed with rage, but as soon as she saw siwoo, a fleeting thought crossed her mind.


    his posture changed.


    it was a position one could never take unless they moved their body themselves.


    ¡°a-ahh...¡±


    amelia collapsed onto the floor as if strength had left her.


    meanwhile, yebin realized that her dress was torn when she tried to put it on, so she quickly wrapped herself in a blanket and rushed toward amelia.


    ¡°is he awake...?¡±


    ¡°um, well... i¡¯m not sure how to explain this...¡±


    with hesitance, yebin began to recount the events that occurred earlier.


    siwoo suddenly got up during sex, moving of his own volition.


    then, he somehow absorbed her mana and amplified it before returning it.


    those were the two core issues that she brought up.


    ¡°does that mean his recovery isn¡¯t complete?¡±


    ¡°yes! but, the fact that he could move his body is good news. there¡¯s no strange aspect to his movements, so we can assume that his recovery is progressing smoothly.¡±


    after yebin finished her explanation, amelia managed to calm herself and sat down, before she proceeded to organize her thoughts.


    but even if her mind had calmed down, it didn¡¯t mean everything was sorted out.


    ¡°um... i think i actually met him inside the ¡®palace of subconscious.¡¯ he seemed to be doing something there... probably modifying his self-essence magic circle.¡±


    ¡°modifying?¡±


    ¡°yes, he¡¯d form his magic circle before collapsing it, then repeating the process over and over, each time producing different results.¡±


    an unbelievable phenomenon.


    but, such a thing had indeed happened.


    otherwise, she couldn¡¯t explain how he managed to amplify the mana with such high purity.


    he had created another ¡®self-essence magic¡¯, something that was unprecedented.


    ¡°how¡¯s his condition?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll check right away.¡±


    yebin hurriedly approached siwo, who was lying in a strange posture.


    after glancing at amelia to check her complexion, she pressed her body closely to siwoo before releasing her senses upon his body.


    she conducted a brief diagnosis of whether each part of his body was intact, if there was any damage to his organs, and if his mana circuits were functioning normally. the result; no abnormalities were found.


    then she moved on to his brain through the golden glint of mana in his left eye.


    ¡°huh...?¡±


    yebin pondered for a long time to decide whether the information her senses picked up was true or not.


    amelia tilted her head in confusion at her.


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°uh...¡±


    she checked again, twice, thrice, but the result remained the same.


    every neural circuit system that yebin had temporarily stabilized was functioning normally.


    in other words, his previously damaged brain had completely regenerated.


    ¡®brain isn¡¯t made of clay, how could it regenerate so easily?¡¯


    moreover, the shape closely resembled the neural arrangement that yebin sketched out.


    it wasn¡¯t piled up randomly as it followed a certain pattern. this meant, around 70% of yebin¡¯s goal, where she aimed for his full recovery following a set of rules, were complete.


    when yebin was looking down at siwoo with trembling eyes, unable to comprehend this inexplicable phenomenon, he suddenly opened his eyes.


    as soon as amelia saw his hand twitching, she quickly got up and stood right next to the bed.


    while analyzing siwoo¡¯s magical achievement and anomalies was important, the fact that he woke up was even more important.


    ¡°may i have a moment alone with him, smyrna? i¡¯ll hear more about this later.¡±


    ¡°ah, yes, baroness... however, please keep in mind that he hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet. you need to handle him with care.¡±


    yebin expressed her concerns and stepped aside.


    amelia gave siwoo a long glance.


    his eyes were cloudy and unfocused.


    it seemed like his ability to recognize and respond to his surroundings were in decline. his eyes seemed to lack a clear sense of rationality.


    even by glancing at him, she could tell that he wasn¡¯t in his normal state.


    but, she couldn¡¯t care less, he moved.


    he opened his eyes, looking at something, it was clear that he was alive and responsive.


    after lying like a doll, unable to open his eyes for a hundred days, he was moving again.


    amelia felt her eyes swelling with tears.


    she leaned in, gently touching his cheek. in response, he turned his gaze toward her hand.


    ¡®so warm.¡¯


    ¡®if i were to convey this feeling of relief and my remorse, will it reach him?¡¯


    amelia lowered her head.


    then, she gave him a light kiss on his cheek as she whispered softly.


    ¡°i¡¯m glad... you¡¯re finally awake... huh?¡±


    suddenly, her voice, which was trembling emotionally, was replaced by confusion.


    -squish, squish.


    before she knew it, siwoo had extended his hand toward her chest.


    fondling her breasts with greedy hand movements.


    ¡°ah...?¡±


    her pupils trembled, sluggishly catching onto what was happening to her.


    his firm hand nonchalantly traced over her well-shaped bosom through her clothes.


    ¡®he¡¯s touching my breast?¡¯


    she made a startled sound and instinctively moved away. her eyes fixated on something that moved in the corner of her vision.


    without even considering the option of pushing his hand away, she turned her head toward that direction like a broken puppet.


    it was the direction she had been averting her gaze from.


    his rod, which he had been caressing along with her breasts, slowly swelled and began to stand erect.


    it was undoubtedly coated with both his own semen and yebin¡¯s love juices.


    he slowly rose to his feet.


    with his hand still fondling her breasts.


    feeling dazed as if a lightning had struck her, amelia could only watch him with her mouth half-opened.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    siwoo¡¯s other hand reached out and wrapped around the back of amelia¡¯s neck.


    her lustrous golden hair fell with a rustling sound.


    caught by the neck, amelia felt her upper body leaned against his bare chest.


    ¡®what is happening right now...?¡¯


    siwoo completely ignored amelia¡¯s bewildered reaction.


    then, he drew his face closer to her side.


    ¡°sniff, sniff.¡±


    he buried his nose in her hair, which always carried the fragrant scent of flowers from the perfume-laden comb, and began to take in her fragrance.


    while he was doing this, amelia couldn¡¯t move a muscle. it was as if her entire body was bound by a spider¡¯s web.


    the fact that his face was right there as he smelled her hair.


    it was enough to make her heart race to the point that she felt it might explode soon.


    ¡°w-why are you doing this?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    amelia gulped, her voice trembled at the end of her sentence.


    for some reason, her breath inexplicably quickened.


    there was a subtle emotion as if she was being appraised by him, but she didn¡¯t hate that.


    she involuntarily closed her thighs for some reason.


    then, she stretched out her hand, but because she wasn¡¯t sure on where to place her hand on, she only awkwardly grabbed the air while waiting for siwoo¡¯s next move.


    ¡®maybe, i¡¯m actually looking forward to this?¡¯


    ¡°ah...¡±


    his face, which he had buried in her hair, gradually descended.


    part of his lips brushed against her earlobe, sending a shiver down her spine with a single breath as he moved it to brush her cheek.nove)lb)in


    then, he opened his mouth and bit down on amelia¡¯s nape.


    ¡°ah...!¡±


    amelia¡¯s hair stood on their end like a startled cat.


    she could feel his hot tongue lightly tracing her sensitive skin.


    her hands trembled as she made a peculiar voice that sounded in between a giggle and a snort.


    ¡®what is this?¡¯


    ¡®he isn¡¯t back to his senses yet, but why is he doing this?¡¯


    amelia cautiously folded her arms that were stiffly extended forward.


    ¡°s-siwoo... i-it feels ticklish...¡±


    even though she hadn¡¯t granted him permission to suck on her nape and caress her breasts, she forgave him.


    originally, she thought that if they ended up becoming a couple, they¡¯d spend around three years getting to know each other before they could become this close...


    ¡®i thought i¡¯d need a hundred days at least before we could start kissing...¡¯


    ¡®is this normal?¡¯


    if he were to push her in this state, she¡¯d be left defenseless.


    she tried to hug him by the back of his head, but suddenly the hand that had been caressing her chest ceased its movement.


    her stiff and tense shoulders became relaxed to some extent.


    at that moment, his hand slid inside her dress like a snake.


    as for how he managed to do it, he lifted the hem of her dress and slipped his hand inside.


    since she was wearing a loose-fitting dress, it wasn¡¯t hard for him to reach for her chest and grab it.


    before amelia could react, his hand had already slipped in under her bra.


    with a firm grip, he massaged her heaving chest and attempted to pinch her erect nipples.


    ¡°eek...!:


    before she realized it, she pushed siwoo away.


    she couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed at his sudden action.


    her face was filled with frustration, she readjusted the twisted strap of her bra and glanced at siwoo. then, a sudden realization came to her.


    ¡°a-are you okay?¡±


    under normal circumstances, amelia would immediately voice her dissatisfaction, but siwoo was a patient at the moment.


    not to mention it was part of her fault for allowing him to go that far.


    siwoo, who had fallen on his back, slowly rose to his feet.


    amelia felt perplexed by the complex emotions swirling within her.


    siwoo got up from the bed and stood on his own two feet.


    this was a sign that his recovery was going smoothly. but, all amelia could take from his movement was his proudly erect cock.


    ¡°no matter how you look at it, that was a bit too much...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    his face was twisted in dissatisfaction.


    nevertheless, amelia had no intention of changing her decision.


    when siwoo approached, she took a step back.


    this sequence of action reminded her of the day when he burst out in anger and she ended up running away in fear.


    his lips quivered.


    after a long silence, he spoke in a hoarse, weak voice.


    and yet, his words were clear to amelia.


    ¡°...you, damn bitch.¡±


    from siwoo¡¯s perspective, it wasn¡¯t something he had carefully thought before saying it out loud.


    it was merely a combined result of his frustration because he failed to achieve what he wanted and his less-than-favorable memories of amelia.


    amelia felt her heart sink.


    ¡°...¡±


    she had waited for a hundred days.


    ridden with anxiety and fear, she waited while accepting the fact that he was having an intercourse with another woman.


    but, what came out of his mouth was a cold remark.


    nevertheless, amelia didn¡¯t run away this time.


    instead, she looked at siwoo with a determined gaze that was tinged with a hint of sadness.


    ¡°i know.¡±


    that was the only thing she could say.


    ¡°i know you hate me.¡±


    there was no way that siwoo would know what she had endured.


    he had just woken up from his long sleep.


    even though she knew and understood his circumstances, it still hurt her heart.


    she felt as if a lump got struck in her throat, like she had just swallowed something hot.


    ¡°i won¡¯t give up... until you can forgive me...¡±


    but siwoo seemed to have already lost his interest in amelia.


    he swiftly turned his body, gazing at the empty space.


    ¡°i¡¯ll be waiting... until that time comes...¡±


    amelia quietly closed the door while watching him in that state.

 Chapter 102: The Price of a Loss (1)

    ? the price of a loss (1) ?


    1.


    two days had passed since siwoo regained consciousness.


    given the sudden change of events, it became necessary for yebin to calmly observe his state before proceeding further with the treatment.


    that was why she stayed in the same room as him while observing his actions.


    initially, he just spent his day sitting quietly on the bed.


    but, at times, an idea seemed to come into his mind as he¡¯d abruptly stand up, gaze into the air while making various gestures with his hands.


    it seemed like he was writing something on the air, but yebin couldn¡¯t understand what he was writing.


    she heard from amelia that he had voluntarily attempted to converse with amelia, but within her presence, he never uttered a single word.


    it was like he was trapped in his own world, as if he was someone with autism.


    he barely interacted with his surroundings.


    the only times he¡¯d do so would be when he occasionally caught yebin figures with his eyes.


    typically, he¡¯d just let things pass by without paying much attention, but he¡¯d approach her every three hours.


    out of curiosity toward his behavior, yebin would remain still, letting him smell her hair or fondle her breasts.


    if she were to push him away, he¡¯d quietly retreat as though nothing had happened.


    at one point, she started to compare his behavior to that of an npc back when artificial intelligence wasn¡¯t as advanced as the current era.


    as time passed by though, one thing was certain; the fact that his movements became more natural.


    the intermittent pauses in between his actions had disappeared.


    that was why her agenda for today would be determining how far his recovery had progressed and decide how she should start treating him.


    ¡®anyway.¡¯


    ¡®if there¡¯s no major issues, today will be the last day of his treatment.¡¯


    yebin took a deep breath and put down the chart she had been diligently writing on.


    ¡°mr. siwoo.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    when she called out his name, siwoo, who had been staring at the ceiling, turned his gaze towards yebin.


    this was also one of the turning points.


    he managed to recognize his own name and turned his head to find out why he was called.


    this meant his brain was working properly.


    ¡°please come here.¡±


    thinking that this would be her last time having sex with him made her feel somewhat uneasy.


    despite everything, he was still her first experience, so her feelings were quite normal.


    she exposed her breasts to siwoo.


    since she was going to undress anyway, she didn¡¯t bother to wear her underwear.


    seeing her voluptuous breasts sway like ripe fruits in the wind, siwoo walked towards her with steady steps.


    this situation might feel embarrassing for yebin, but it wasn¡¯t like she had any other choice as this was the most natural way to start his treatment.


    back when he was still lying down, she only needed to mount him, but now, she had to stimulate his sexual desires first.


    ¡°ahn...!¡±


    siwoo walked towards her in confident strides and grabbed her chest without hesitation.


    there was no gentleness in his touch, making an intense blush appear in yebin¡¯s face.


    she understood it clearly.


    this was his touch, a man¡¯s touch.


    after playing with her breasts for a while, his hand headed towards her nipple.


    he slowly twirled them around in circles, hardening her soft nipples.


    it seemed like siwoo was fascinated by the sensation.


    ¡°mmm...¡±


    ¡®after this is over, i¡¯ll get my rewards.¡¯


    last night, amelia talked to yebin to discuss her rewards.


    fortunately, the conversation proceeded fairly calmly. despite amelia feeling both jealous and angry, she didn¡¯t take any actions against yebin.


    anyway, yebin decided to stay in gehenna.


    besides the fact that she hated fighting, she also had no reason to stay in the modern world, where dangerous witches might be lurking around.


    also, she didn¡¯t want to go back to her old life in greenland. the gloomy life of her cooping up in her lair and spending her days playing with herself.


    ¡°ahh...ngg...¡±


    siwoo, who had been playing with her breasts absentmindedly, suddenly placed his hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°y-yes? do you need something?¡±


    then, he pressed her down firmly.


    with his weight being pushed down on her, she ended up sitting in an awkward position.


    siwoo had already taken off both his pants and underwear.


    when yebin saw his erect cock standing proudly in front of her, memories of the past came back to her.


    they were fascinating, yet bizarre experiences.


    after evoking those memories, her body obediently responded to the source of all pleasure, his meat rod.


    although he had only been touching her breasts so far, her whole body felt like it was burning.


    ¡®he has such a big thing, good looking face and according to others, good personality. was it so easy to meet a man like him?¡¯


    she thought she had no special feelings for him, but surprisingly, she felt a tinge of regret.


    ¡°w-what?!¡±


    but that feeling of regret quickly faded away.


    after she was seated down properly, siwoo placed his hand on her head before pulling it closer toward his crotch.


    this startled yebin. she quickly turned her head, making her cheek accidentally brushed against his erect cock.


    judging by the way he positioned himself, she managed to figure out his intention.


    but the feeling of regret quickly faded away.


    ¡®fellatio.¡¯


    it was such a common sexual act that she¡¯d feel disappointed if it didn¡¯t appear in the porn videos she watched. there was even a dedicated tag for it.


    siwoo was trying to do just that and he was being a bit forceful about it.


    ¡®but, could you count this action as instinctual?¡¯


    since he didn¡¯t have an ounce of hesitation in his movement, she guessed that he probably had done this before.


    ¡°w-wait for a moment, mr. siwoo!¡±


    siwoo continued to poke her face with his erect cock.


    in all honesty, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for yebin to give him heads.


    she had watched plenty of it in porn, she was even curious about how it would feel.


    however, the reason why the two of them were engaging in sexual relationship was solely for siwoo¡¯s treatment.


    fellatio might be an essential element in sex, but it wasn¡¯t the case when it came to his treatment.


    yebin wanted to focus on the latter.


    the boundary between actual sex and the treatment would be blurred if she kept on indulging in siwoo¡¯s advances, besides she¡¯d definitely lose control of herself.


    despite what she was thinking, siwoo kept on trying to shove his rod into her mouth.


    ¡°um, mr. siwoo... you shouldn¡¯t poke other people¡¯s faces with your penis.¡±


    and so, yebin gently grasped his rod and applied some gel on it.


    during this process, siwoo seemed to be satisfied as he quieted down.


    yebin then stood up from the bed, removed her skirt and leaned over the bed while sticking her buttocks out.


    ¡°why don¡¯t you put it here instead of my mouth, mr. siwoo?¡±


    she moved her hips back to make it easier for him to put his dick in.


    siwoo quickly approached her and grabbed her hips.


    after his hot rod touched her pussy, the penetration process began smoothly.


    as expected, during the first penetration, yebin¡¯s body turned a little stiff.


    however, she adapted to his erect dick quickly as her body started to tremble.


    ¡°ah...!¡±


    this time, she immediately began to cast her spell.


    from now on, siwoo would eagerly grab her and start thrusting his hips vigorously.


    before her concentration was disrupted, she had to enter his ¡®palace of subconsciousness.¡¯


    ¡°ah...ngg...ahh...!¡±


    as a part of her consciousness opened the doors to the palace, her moans grew louder and louder.


    2.


    it was a space filled with stairs and doors.


    this was yebin¡¯s way to visually organize the information she received from siwoo.


    ¡°uh...¡±


    as soon as she tried to open the black door, yebin was met with a completely unexpected sight.


    everything was the same as before up until this point.


    except the fact that the door was tightly locked.


    it wasn¡¯t just the black door that was like this.


    every door was bound with thick black iron chains.


    it was as if they were denying her entry, refusing to share any information with her.


    ¡°is this even possible?¡±


    yebin reached out and grabbed the iron chains.


    strictly speaking, those iron chains didn¡¯t exist physically.


    they were merely a visualization of an element whose purpose was to disrupt yebin¡¯s analysis of the information and waves emitted by siwoo.


    she touched the chains, trying to read up its information.


    then she let out a frown.


    the information that was originally accessible by simply opening the doors had become randomized.


    useless mana fluctuations were added, creating meaningless value of information.


    if this was the case of her misinterpreting the information she received, it wouldn¡¯t generate random elements like this.


    in other words, this was something that was done intentionally by siwoo.


    it functioned like autonomous defense, responding to any unwanted intrusion into his subconscious.


    he locked the doors to prevent yebin from freely entering his subconsciousness


    -crash!


    as soon as it detected her intrusion, the vast world began to collapse.


    the stairs crumbled, all the chained doors began to sink into the abyss down below.


    without even a chance to scream, even yebin was swallowed into the darkness and her consciousness went back to reality.


    ¡°haah...!¡±


    outside, siwoo was gripping her pelvis, rendering her unable to escape.


    a dizzying sensation struck her.


    at this moment, siwoo was supposed to forcefully thrust his rod into her, but he wasn¡¯t doing that at all.


    ¡°...¡±


    his cock was still pressed tightly against her cervix, but he only stood silently.


    it seemed as if she was observing her reaction,


    under this strange pressure, yebin hesitated and turned her gaze over her shoulder.


    in his left eye, just as she had seen before, a golden aura of mana flowed.


    his right eye showed no emotion.


    yet, yebin couldn¡¯t help but feel as if she was being interrogated by him.


    ¡®how about it? you can¡¯t just come in as you please this time.¡¯ it seemed like he was saying those words to her.


    ¡°no...way...¡±


    she had one possible explanation.


    previously, she had encountered siwoo inside his palace of subconsciousness.


    but this time, siwoo had encrypted it in a way that yebin couldn¡¯t decipher.


    considering its complexity, it wasn¡¯t something that she could just break through in a short moment.


    all this time, he wasn¡¯t just staring into space or sitting idly.


    he had been preparing and waiting for yebin¡¯s next attempt to intrude on his subconsciousness.


    as if confirming her suspicions, siwoo let out a voice that was devoid of any emotions or hints of triumph.


    ¡°so, i won?¡±


    his tone resembled that of a machine.


    yebin felt a shiver run down her spine.


    siwoo had challenged her to a fight and he won it.


    if one were to think about it logically, it was an impossible feat.


    even if amelia was the one who was facing off against her, there was no way that she¡¯d be able to beat yebin¡¯s dominance over her own ¡®panacea.¡¯


    it was like if a quantum physic started a debate against a surgeon on the topic of risks of surgery, it was obvious who¡¯d emerge victorious.


    self-essence magic possessed unique properties that only its caster could comprehend.


    but, looking back, there was a time when siwoo absorbed her mana, amplified it and returned it.


    by that time, he should have already grasped some understanding of her self-essence magic¡¯s nature.


    he started the battle by doing the most crucial thing, interpreting yebin¡¯s personal mana.


    considering that, she concluded that his feat wasn¡¯t something that was entirely impossible.


    now, there was only one thing left for her to ponder.


    was it possible to encrypt such a vast amount of information?


    ¡®can it be done strictly with only a normal human¡¯s mental arithmetic?¡¯


    to that question, yebin could provide an immediate answer.


    ¡®it¡¯s impossible.¡¯


    ¡®but he accomplished it?¡¯


    ¡®how?¡¯


    yebin could only think of one possibility.


    savant syndrome.


    a syndrome seen in a very small subset of individuals which suffered from either autism or a brain damage.


    these individuals could perfectly replicate a picture that was shown to them briefly.nove(lb/in


    similarly, they could count and remember the positions of hundreds of dots that were shown in an instant.


    in some cases, they could also display genius-level talent in composing music.


    they could also produce timeless aesthetically pleasing art pieces with ease.


    it was a syndrome that happened to individuals with genius talent in specific fields.


    this meant, siwoo¡¯s current status couldn¡¯t be classified as ¡®degeneration in intelligence.¡¯


    like what yebin had seen inside his ain, he had discovered his own ¡®laws¡¯ that could overturn the existing magic framework, a monstrous talent if one could say so.


    ¡°a-ahh...!¡±


    as she opened her mouth in utter disbelief.


    siwoo seized her by the nape of her neck.


    he pressed her down on the bed, using his weight to assert his dominance and to claim his spoils of victory.


    then, he proceeded to continue the momentary pause in his hips movements, trying to conquer yebin¡¯s body.


    -plap!


    ¡°haa...ahh...¡±


    after receiving such shock, yebin¡¯s mental state became fragile for a moment, making her powerless to resist his advances.


    unable to find a way out of this situation, she became a prey for his sexual desires.


    ¡°heuk...ahhh...!¡±


    at that moment, the intercourse wasn¡¯t done for the purpose of siwoo¡¯s treatment,


    yebin ceased to be a surgeon, instead she became a mere loser that was being devoured by the winner.


    this situation ignited her perverse nature.


    ¡°aang...aah...!¡±


    on that day, yebin received his seed four times in the doggy-style position.


    her delicate petals swelled, covered by a mixture of semen and love juices. her throat became so hoarse that she couldn¡¯t even make a sound anymore.


    she became siwoo¡¯s personal onahole.


    by the time everything was over, her originally pale buttocks were covered in handprints.


    and from her steaming-hot clit, creamy white semen dripped down steadily.

 Chapter 103: The Price of a Loss (2)

    ? the price of a loss (2) ?


    1.


    a carriage abruptly came to a halt just before crashing into the fountain located in amelia¡¯s mansion¡¯s garden.


    its door, engraved with the crest of two birds, was swung open.


    ¡°odette! quickly, get off!¡±


    ¡°wait a moment! my shoe just came off!¡±


    no one would have imagined that those two girls, who were chattering away like a pair of birds, were the apprentices that¡¯ll one day inherit countess gemini¡¯s noble title.


    ¡°hurry! quickly!¡±


    ¡°ah, slow down, sis!¡±


    odile rushed out of the carriage and tapped her foot impatiently, urging odette to hurry up.


    the latter jumped out, with one finger tucked behind her shoe while bouncing on her toes.


    ¡°stop rushing me! don¡¯t you realize your impatience always causes problems?¡±


    ¡°what? have you forgotten that you made us half an hour late for the violin lesson?¡±


    ¡°e-ehh, b-but that¡¯s because you told me to stop practicing and go to sleep last night!¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s why you should have practiced on the weekend like i did!¡±


    the two of them hurriedly walked while chattering non-stop.


    if head maid galina had seen them rushing like this, she would have been furious.


    during today¡¯s lunchtime.


    they heard news from their masters, whom they hadn¡¯t seen for a while.


    assistant siwoo had woken up two days ago.


    from the moment they heard those words up until this moment, all they could do was to go to amelia¡¯s mansion to visit him.


    the man they had been visiting for sixteen weeks had woken up, of course they¡¯d be in such a hurry.


    not to mention that he had saved their lives twice, sacrificing himself in the process.


    the debt they owed him wasn¡¯t something they could pay in their lifetime.


    ¡°how do i look, sis?¡±


    ¡°how do i look, odette?¡±


    before opening the mansion¡¯s doors, the hesitant twins turned to each other and spoke simultaneously.


    prior to their arrival, their maids had adorned them with flowers.


    even pecha looked excited when she did their makeup.


    ¡°your bonnet is crooked.¡±


    ¡°your brooch is about to fall off.¡±


    the twins, in their friendly haste, tidied up their disheveled clothes, the result of them frantically running


    their hearts were pounding quicker than usual.


    with resolute expression, they nodded toward each other and walked slowly towards amelia¡¯s room.


    they had a burning desire to rush to siwoo¡¯s side, but they couldn¡¯t just not greet amelia first.


    though their relationship with amelia had become slightly awkward due to the love potion incident, ultimately, there was no change in their relationship.


    amelia still stood up at the podium, giving them her lessons with the same expression as she usually wore.


    they understood that she had no desire to pursue that matter any further.


    as for amelia herself, she didn¡¯t want to enact revenge toward them or anything like that. she had just received harsh words from siwoo and she had been treating it like her as her punishment. she didn¡¯t have the leniency to think about anything else.


    -knock, knock.


    when they knocked on the door, it opened by itself after a moment.


    ¡°hello, ms. professor.¡±


    ¡°we heard that assistant siwoo woke up, so we came to see him.¡±


    inside, siwoo¡¯s doctor, yebin, and amelia were having a conversation.


    based on their sour look, it seemed like they were discussing something serious.


    ¡°...what happened? ...is something wrong?¡±


    amelia put down the glass she was sipping, pondered for a while before opening her mouth.


    since the twins would find out eventually, she didn¡¯t answer them, instead she asked them a request.


    ¡°he hasn¡¯t fully recovered yet, please be careful.¡±


    ¡°yes, ms. professor.¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll go see him now, ms. professor.¡±


    when amelia gestured for them to go, they quietly closed the door and dashed away in an instant.


    she gazed at the closed door with mixed feelings before taking out a cigarette.


    ¡°haa...¡±


    amelia furrowed her brow as she let out a deep breath, unleashing the hazy smoke from her mouth.


    yebin, who had been bowing her head like a sinner in front of her, drank from her glass with trembling hands.


    ¡°so, it¡¯s impossible to progress beyond this point?¡±


    ¡°yes... in fact, i tried treating him again, twice... i really did my best, but...¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not your fault.¡±


    yebin lowered her head in shame.


    seeing how the way she trembled, as if she had committed a grave sin, amelia couldn¡¯t bring herself to reprimand her.


    besides, even if she vented her frustration at yebin, it wouldn¡¯t change the current situation at all.


    after the previous attempt, yebin made two more attempts to enter siwoo¡¯s palace of subconscious.


    both attempts ended in failure.


    on the second attempt, she couldn¡¯t even set foot on the palace anymore.


    this meant, there was no way that siwoo would be able to completely recover.


    yebin only managed to reach 70% of her goal.


    ¡°is there any possibility of him recovering by himself? he absorbed some of your self-essence magic, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t think that possibility exists... i assume he probably doesn¡¯t feel the need to do it...¡±


    from a purely magical standpoint, siwoo had made a perfect recovery.


    his current situation was similar to autism.


    he cut off his communication with the outside world, engrossing himself in his own world, free from any distracting thoughts.


    with his own power, he exhibited an astonishing level of concentration and calculations that even yebin couldn¡¯t comprehend.


    moreover, he seemed to be satisfied with his current state.


    this was the reason why he kept on refusing to accept yebin¡¯s treatment.


    while the previous siwoo would think differently, the current siwoo was the one in charge now.


    if the treatment were to be completed, he wouldn¡¯t be in this state anymore and regressed into an ¡®imperfect¡¯ being by magical standpoint.


    the current siwoo wouldn¡¯t want that since he thought that his current state was the ideal state.


    he gave up his emotion, humanity and any kind of interaction with the outside world for a monstrous talent in magic, completely giving up on living a normal life.


    this was the conclusion that yebin managed to reach.


    amelia closed her eyes before extinguishing her cigarette.


    ¡°you¡¯ve worked hard. if you visit baroness avenega, she¡¯ll give you the appropriate compensation. also, here.¡±


    amelia handed yebin a silvery ticket that had been inserted into a book.


    its form looked simple but it wasn¡¯t a simple object.


    this was a ¡®gnosis egg¡¯ created by duchess keter.


    it served as a proof of citizenship and a travel pass for gehenna.


    ¡°i¡¯m truly sorry, baroness... if only i had been a little more capable...¡±


    amelia shook her head.


    there was no need for her to apologize.


    she truly had done her best and they were only stuck in the current situation because of siwoo¡¯s strange and unpredictable talent.


    ¡°if there¡¯s any change in his condition, i¡¯ll seek your help once more.¡±


    ¡°i understand...¡±


    amelia managed to muster her crumbling resolve as she barely managed to see yebin off.


    she grabbed her dizzy head and sat back down at her seat.


    despite all the effort she put in, everything had come to an end.


    now, she really had no choice but to leave everything up to fate.


    ¡°siwoo...¡±


    if it had been any other witch, they might have been jumping in joy.


    in fact, if this was a normal circumstance, amelia would have been rejoicing to find out that she had obtained such a curious slave.


    however, her heart felt empty.


    because the slave was none other than siwoo.


    the only man she had ever opened her heart to, the man that she loved.


    from his innocent demeanor.


    unexpected act of kindness.


    even his moments of anger.


    it hit her that she would never see any of them ever again.


    she pulled out a stack of documents from the top of the drawer.


    it was her research on recovery magic before she invited yebin to treat siwoo.


    even if she were to start it again, she wouldn¡¯t be able to complete it in time.


    maybe, by the time she managed to prove her monstrous talent and reached the level where she could heal him, he would have long passed away.


    unlike an immortal witch like herself, he was a mere mortal.


    but, she took out these documents anyway because she couldn¡¯t bear the feeling of helplessness of being unable to do anything.


    -scribble.


    the pen scraping across the paper lacked its usual vigor today.


    2.


    ¡°should we enter through the window, sis?¡±


    ¡°we just need to enter normally. why do you keep coming up with those mischievous ideas?¡±


    ¡°because it¡¯d be more fun that way!¡±


    the twins finished their brief conversation in front of siwoo¡¯s room. their hearts were pounding with excitement.


    with an elegant bouquet of flowers in hand, they planned to make a grand entrance.


    they skillfully kicked the door with a confident swing, before jumping and landing gracefully inside.


    ¡°ta-da!¡±


    ¡°congratulations on your recovery, mr. assistant!¡±


    they stood side by side, leaning their backs against each other, spreading their arms in different directions. despite their movements, their pretty dresses remained unruffled.


    as they stood there, they noticed something odd.


    ¡°we are here, mr. assistant...¡±


    ¡°mr. assistant...?¡±


    since their voices were loud, there was no way that he didn¡¯t hear them.


    but, for some reason, he didn¡¯t turn to face them. instead, he used his fingertips to draw something on the wallpaper.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    it was a fractal pattern resembling a tree.


    starting from its roots, branches were added to form a large tree.


    thinking that he was focusing deeply, the twins quietly approached him.


    they felt disappointed that no emotional reunion happened, they felt glad nevertheless..


    it felt like it was just the day before yesterday that they saw his near-dying appearance.


    and now, he seemed to be perfectly healthy.


    -scribble!


    ¡°...¡±


    without any hesitation, his mana-infused fingertips carved through the wall.


    ¡°what are you drawing...?¡±


    ¡°shh, just watch quietly, odette.¡±


    odette was the first to notice something strange about the drawing.


    it wasn¡¯t simply a geometrically beautiful pattern.


    every extending branch and hanging leaves were imbued with a certain meaning.


    but, with the twins¡¯ knowledge, that was as far as they could comprehend.


    when they tried to visualize or alter the drawing in their heads, they realized that they could understand nothing.


    this drawing seemed to be something that only siwoo knew, as it didn¡¯t align with any forms of magic formulas that the twins were aware of.


    well, assuming if the drawing was a magic formula to begin with.


    with a flick of his finger, siwoo finished his drawing by carving the final leaf.


    ¡°we are here, mr. assistant.¡±


    unable to contain herself any longer, odette tugged at one of his sleeves to announce her presence.


    in response to that, siwoo turned around.


    when they saw his face, the twins, who had intended to rush at him and cling to his neck, halted in their tracks.


    ¡°...¡±


    except for the black eyepatch covering his left eye, he seemed to be perfectly fine.


    but, there was no expression of joy, happiness, confusion or even surprise on his face.n)-o--v-)e).l-/b..1-(n


    his face was devoid of any emotion.


    they couldn¡¯t help but feel an unsettling premonition.


    ¡°w-why are you like this...? aren¡¯t you happy to see us?¡±


    ¡°we even prepared this bouquet for you, mr. assistant...¡±


    odile was taken aback by the unexpected response, while odile thrusted the bouquet of baby¡¯s breath flowers1https://thefelicityflorals.com/cdn/shop/products/img_2025_e4c38008-8f25-4385-b260-8e2f101521b1_400x.jpg of various colors toward him.


    however, siwoo paid no attention to it and simply alternated his gaze between the twins.


    finally, he extended his hand and slowly caressed odile¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°what are you doing all of a sudden?! you know i don¡¯t like this kind of thing, right?!¡±


    odile let out a complaint and pouted, but she didn¡¯t push his hand away.


    ¡°what about me, mr. assistant?¡±


    noticing that siwoo only displayed his interest in her sister, odette playfully tugged at siwoo¡¯s hand, trying to draw his attention.


    ¡°sniff.¡±


    ¡°is this... a new way of greeting someone?¡±


    siwoo leaned closer to odile and sniffed her forehead.


    this situation made her freeze in surprise, meanwhile odette was looking at siwoo with a displeased expression.


    ¡°sniff.¡±


    ¡°what do you think? my hair smells good, right, mr. assistant?¡±


    this time, he moved over to smell odette.


    after thinking that it was an expression of affection for a while, odette¡¯s cheerful expression quickly hardened and became rigid within a short time.


    siwoo swiftly turned his body around after sniffing the twins¡¯ scent for a while.


    then, he immersed himself in the fractal tree drawing the twins thought that he had finished earlier.


    the twins attempted to initiate a conversation with him several times afterwards, but he never spared them even a glance.


    footnotes:


    1https://thefelicityflorals.com/cdn/shop/products/img_2025_e4c38008-8f25-4385-b260-8e2f101521b1_400x.jpg

 Chapter 104: The Price of a Loss (3)

    ? the price of a loss (3) ?


    1.


    the twins were in deep sorrow.


    startled by siwoo¡¯s abnormal condition, they rushed to amelia.


    in a corner of their hearts, they hoped that amelia, the capable associate professor, would be able to do something about it.


    little did they know that even amelia had given up.


    she could only respond to the tearful twins with a weak voice.


    ¡®we can¡¯t treat him any further. it¡¯s the limit of what we can do.¡¯


    she told them that he couldn¡¯t recover any further.


    that the final result of the treatment was that siwoo became a puppet devoid of any emotions, whose only purpose was for magic.


    the twins, who had been full of happiness when they arrived, trudge back to their carriage in a disheartened state.


    upon hearing the news of siwoo¡¯s awakening, they rushed here, expecting to see him in good health, but instead they were met with this cruel reality.


    ¡°...sob... sis...¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t cry, odette.¡±


    as soon as odette entered the carriage, she slumped down in her seat.


    despite trying to hold back her tears, they came out of her beautiful purple eyes anyway.


    odile wasn¡¯t in any better state.


    she also tried to hold back while clenching her fists, but her eyes had turned bright red.


    ¡°but, it¡¯s all my fault... if only i had listened to the exile¡¯s words back then...¡±


    ¡°no! why would this be your fault?!¡±


    ¡°b-but, if i had quickly kneeled and begged to spare mr. assistant¡¯s life back then, maybe things would have gone on differently!¡±


    odette started blaming herself.


    seeing the weight of her self-blame, odile¡¯s heart turned heavy.


    after all, the reason why siwoo confronted the exile wasn¡¯t solely to protect odette, he was also protecting her.


    ¡°what do we do... what do we do about mr. assistant...? huaaah...!¡±


    ¡°odette, get up.¡±


    despite what she was feeling, odile firmly held onto odette¡¯s wrist, all while trying to hold back her own tears.


    odette stood up, staggering like a drunkard. she embraced her sister while sobbing, as if seeking comfort from her.


    despite that, odile firmly held onto odette¡¯s wrist, all while trying to hold back her tears.


    ¡°let¡¯s go back and... try talking to him again? or, why don¡¯t we tell him about what we had prepared for him? maybe he¡¯ll come back to his senses! and he¡¯ll tell us that he...likes...it...¡±


    despite all the effort odette had put into her makeup, it had turned into a mess due to her tears. but, she continued to cry, ignoring everything.


    ¡°stop crying!¡±


    ¡°why? why shouldn¡¯t i cry? this is...too heartbreaking...¡±


    while she prided herself on being more mature than her younger sister, even odile¡¯s shoulders began to tremble as she reprimanded odette.


    ¡°because, when you cry... i feel like crying too...¡±


    odile might be more mature out of the two, but her tender heart wasn¡¯t so much different than her younger sister.


    in the end, she started sobbing uncontrollably before giving odette a tight hug and crying her heart out.


    2.


    latifundium, the place responsible for supplying most of gehenna¡¯s magical crop.


    after it was reduced to ruins by a stray homunculus a while back, a dozen witches managed to restore it to its previous state in just a month.


    throughout the recovery period, they tirelessly provided the place with mana water, illuminating the darkness that was caused by the branches and leaves of the towering trees.


    however there was a place that even this light couldn¡¯t illuminate. a pit entangled by tree roots and large rocks.


    in that hidden, secluded space where no footsteps or gaze could reach, one could sense a presence lurking.


    there were translucent membranes filled with visible blood vessels and muscles stretched above them.


    due to the sticky mucus dripping from it, mud stuck onto it, making it look like a gigantic sleeping bag made of flesh.


    the translucent membrane suddenly was burst open, releasing sticky amniotic fluid from within.


    a sticky looking arm, covered in oozing moisture groped its way out through the torn membrane.


    it was a pale and slender arm.


    like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, it struggled for a moment before finally breaking through the membrane.


    ¡°u-ugh... bleh...¡±


    the person, a woman, who barely managed to get out, wriggled for a while before collapsing on the ground while vomiting a large amount of sticky liquid from her mouth.nove(lb/in


    it was the same kind of liquid that covered her body.


    ¡°damn it...¡±


    disheveled black hair fell from her shoulders.


    between her eyelids that were smeared with mucus, a sinister gleam shone from her bloodshot red irises.


    her naked skin was white without any blemishes, the curves on her body were of the perfect, golden ratio and her limbs were long and seductive.


    the woman, ea sadalmelik, the witch of aquarius, shuddered at the dreadful sensation of the amniotic fluid clinging to her entire body.


    ¡°damn it...!¡±


    she glanced around with venomous eyes. realizing there was no one there, she casted a spell, purification magic, which cleaned her body off the amniotic fluid.


    however, even after using that spell, the foul smell clung to her hair hadn¡¯t disappeared.


    at the same time, she felt a piercing headache.


    it wasn¡¯t caused by an internal problem within her body.


    rather, it was caused by her fear. she could remember it vividly as if it was yesterday. the moment where flowers started blooming on her body and turned her into their nourishment. that was the thing that came to her mind as soon as she regained her senses.


    -drip!


    blood gushed from her tightly clenched lower lip.


    the sensation of her own body becoming fertilizer, the arrogant gaze of baroness marigold as she looked down on her, the overwhelming difference in power that left no room for her to resist and the pitiful state where she had to beg for her life in her final moments.


    as her body regenerated, the memories and traumas of her past that had been tightly coiled within her, dragged her into a swamp of bitter humiliation.


    ¡°someday, i¡¯ll make you pay... a thousand times over... you damned bitch... i swear, i¡¯ll kill you...¡±


    ea pushed away her fear that kept on coming back like a trauma by recalling the detestable image of amelia in her mind.


    still, she had survived.


    because she survived, she could always wait for the next opportunity.


    ea was the kind of witch who¡¯d willingly follow in her impulses.


    however, that didn¡¯t mean she was reckless and foolish.


    if that had been the case, she¡¯d be long dead now, due to her status as a public enemy.


    ever since she started hunting for witches in gehenna, she had prepared two safety measures.


    one of them was an emergency escape route, a backdoor.


    that was the artifact she had just extricated her body from, the ¡®cocoon of rebirth.¡¯


    it was an item that allowed its owner to be reborn once, in exchange for absorbing a part of the owner¡¯s brand.


    to be more precise, it took on the engraved marks on their brand. taking them away ultimately resulted in the decrease of the owner¡¯s ranks in the hierarchy.


    ¡°how many are left?¡±


    ea traced the brand engraved on her lower abdomen.


    the space that had been filled previously was now empty and hollow.


    with each empty space she managed to find, her anger and hatred grew stronger.


    in total, there were only fifteen strokes left on her brand.


    she lost six ranks in total. that meant, she was at the level that she could barely maintain her autonomous defense.


    -thunk!


    ea kicked the cradle where she had been crouching in for a hundred days.


    it rolled and tumbled, spewing amniotic fluid from inside, making a sound that was similar to a wet rag being thrown away.


    ¡°shit, shit...! this piece of shit...!¡±


    while it was good that she managed to survive with her life, losing six entire ranks was an immense price to pay.


    she had no idea how long she¡¯d have to spend to recover them in the future.


    with this, she couldn¡¯t even dream of enacting her revenge.


    ea wiped away the blood that had been flowing from her lips with the back of her hand with a violent movement.


    some of the blood trickled down onto her white chest, creating an extremely seductive scene.


    still, amidst the boiling hatred inside her, she knew exactly what she needed to do.


    first, to confirm whether the second countermeasure she had prepared was still intact.


    a ribbon sprouted from her back. it had already familiarized itself with its surroundings.


    fortunately for her, her main weapon, the ¡®maiden¡¯s loom¡¯, was working fine.


    the ¡®water bottle¡¯ also seemed to be unscathed.


    she used the ribbon to lift a large rock into the air.


    ea was a hunter who had hunted down many witches and homunculi, it wasn¡¯t a surprise that she possessed many kinds of artifacts.


    among them was something called the ¡®barrier separator,¡¯ an artifact that could tear apart even gehenna¡¯s barrier to create a pathway she could use to enter and exit the place.


    ¡°...¡±


    in the gap created by the lifted rock, there was a rift the size of a palm.


    it was held open like a dissected abdominal wall during surgery.


    around it was a concealment barrier in the form of a small water bottle that she had previously installed.


    it was the same barrier she used during the raid on the marigold mansion, the barrier that would prevent any phenomenon inside it from being revealed to the outside world.


    the assumption of her getting inside gehenna by using the homunculus as a key was part of her deception.


    if she didn¡¯t make them think that way, they¡¯d ceaselessly look for the gap in the barrier, sealing off all the escape routes she could use.


    and if that were to happen, ea would turn into a rat trapped inside a venomous pit.


    ¡°done.¡±


    normally, a hunter wouldn¡¯t bother with smaller dens once they¡¯ve seen the large dens.


    being a hunter herself, ea was well aware of this fact.


    that was part of the reason why this small escape route she had prepared remained undiscovered.


    she was lucky that she could still escape from gehenna.


    but that didn¡¯t make her relaxed at all.


    the world outside was teemed with all sorts of homunculi and dangerous witches. with her rank being reduced to 15th, it would be hard for her to survive there.


    not to mention that she didn¡¯t exactly have the best reputation among other witches.


    once they had realized that she had lost her power, all the witches who were holding a grudge on her, would definitely chase after her to capture her.


    duchess tiphereth, a big name who roamed the modern world to capture her, wasn¡¯t her only problem.


    there were also wretched beings that she previously ignored and deemed as insignificant. those beings now had the capabilities to threaten her life.


    however, she didn¡¯t fall into despair.


    after all, she could just steal more witches¡¯ wombs and hunt more homunculi.


    she could always reverse this misfortune as long as she persevered.


    like, she could always wait until marigold finally took up an apprentice witch.


    when she was busy giving her guidance to that apprentice, weakening her own power, she could approach her again and strike.


    -wooong!


    ea stretched out her hand and activated the barrier separator inside the water bottle.


    it trembled a little before it began to expand the space around it.


    since she kept the rift¡¯s size as small as possible, it would take thirty minutes before it could expand to the size where she could afford to pass through.


    ea glanced over her exposed naked body and clicked her tongue.


    once she returned to the modern world, she had to figure out what to do about her clothes.


    at that moment...


    -rustle.


    she detected an unexpected sign of presence.


    startled, she turned around.


    while it was still lunchtime, the time when the latifundium was practically empty, this place was pretty much isolated from the rest of the latifundium.


    that was why she chose this place to install the barrier separator to begin with.


    ¡°who¡¯s there?!¡±


    without replying, a man emerged, breaking the deafening silence by stepping on a branch.


    he was wearing loose-fitting clothes, something that a patient would wear.


    his face was familiar and there was no way that she¡¯d ever forget it.


    this man was the same man whose eyeball was gouged out and whose brain was pierced through by her.


    she was perfectly sure that she had finished him off properly, but apparently, he managed to survive that.


    that meant, compared to herself, who lost everything, marigold didn¡¯t lose anything.


    even when she was feeling vexed because of this situation, ea still didn¡¯t let her guard down.


    she deployed ten ribbons in total.


    this was her limit in her current state.


    ¡°oh my, it¡¯s been a while. are you lost?¡±


    while she tried to sound casual on the surface, in reality, she was completely on guard.


    there was no way that he had come all the way here by himself.


    it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if baroness marigold, or any other witches were to expose themselves after confirming that ea was an easy prey to them.


    ¡°...¡±


    however, even after a minute had passed, the man didn¡¯t give her any response.


    there was no sign of anyone showing up either.


    ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡±


    not long after, she realized that something was off with siwoo.


    other than his eyepatch, the result of her piercing through his left eye, he didn¡¯t seem to exude any kind of vitality. it was like he had just been resurrected from the dead.


    moreover, even though she, his enemy, was in his presence, he didn¡¯t even take a glance at her.


    instead, he was observing the rift created by the barrier separator.


    it was as if he couldn¡¯t fully perceive ea¡¯s existence.


    she didn¡¯t know the reason why he did this or what his intentions were...


    nevertheless, her body was trembling in excitement.


    ¡®if i rip this guy apart and scatter his flesh around here, i¡¯d be able to get back at marigold, no?¡¯


    ¡°this is great.¡±


    ea let out a smirk.


    the ribbons behind her unfolded with a rustling sound.


    ¡°just when i felt like i was going insane from anger, you came here.¡±


    ea stared at siwoo.


    at that moment, siwoo returned her stare.


    it was only now that he seemed to recognize her existence.


    he twisted his lips.


    a fierce expression appeared in his previously emotionless face.


    ea knew of the hatred in his face.


    ¡°bloom.¡±

 Chapter 105: The Price of a Loss (4)

    ? the price of a loss (4) ?


    1.


    siwoo stood motionlessly in his room, staring at the tree he had drawn.


    the tree was his own interpretation of gehenna¡¯s barrier magic, the same barrier that they used to interfere with dimension and boundaries.


    ¡°...¡±


    he was immersed in his thoughts, endlessly calculating about magic.


    no, that expression didn¡¯t fit him well.


    after all, he had always been thinking about magic and he never entertained anything else when he was conscious.


    he placed his hand on the trunk of the tree.


    mana manifested in his palm and began to seep into the stem of the tree.


    generally, males couldn¡¯t preserve mana, siwoo wasn¡¯t any different.


    but, for the current siwoo, that wasn¡¯t a problem.


    he only needed a little bit of mana.


    that little bit of mana that was forcibly held onto by his magic circuit then was amplified by him.


    then, he did it again.


    and again.


    this technique was called ¡®recurrent mana amplification.¡¯


    it was one of the known methods to maximize mana efficiency when drawing magical circles.


    but, if this method were perfect, high-grade mana water wouldn¡¯t be offered for sale at such an exorbitant price.


    this method had two limitations.


    firstly, when the mana was amplified, while its quantity would increase, its purity would decrease in return.


    secondly, those impure mana could become highly volatile and disappear before it could affect the circuits.


    typically, just two rounds of amplifications already greatly reduced the mana effectiveness, this technique was rarely used except in specific situations.


    however, this wasn¡¯t the case with siwoo.


    his ability to ¡®absorb¡¯ mana from the outside and ¡®refine¡¯ it to make it his own, had always set himself apart from the other witches.


    now that 99% of his brain function had been redesigned solely for magic, the results were beyond words.


    the amplified mana he produced maintained a nearly constant purity.


    now, the same mana was seeping into the tree, continuously trying to look for something.


    this tree drawing was connected to duchess keter¡¯s concealment barrier that surrounded the entire gehenna.


    what was siwoo trying to look for was a hole that had pierced through the barrier.


    a tiny hole that had been bothering him for quite a while now.


    he didn¡¯t have any special reason for doing it.


    when he was observing the barrier to improve his abilities, that tiny hole gave him a sense of discomfort.


    as long as that hole remained, the duchess barrier couldn¡¯t be considered as ¡®perfect.¡¯


    and such ¡®imperfection¡¯ was intolerable to him.


    for a barrier that should have been perfect, it somehow harbored a flaw in it.


    and so, the reason why he had been persistently searching for that hole was nothing more than a physiological aversion, just like how a proper human being wouldn¡¯t go to sleep with their shoes on.


    then, it happened.


    he managed to identify the location of the flaw in the barrier.


    after that, he didn¡¯t hesitate to make his move.


    he retrieved all the amplified mana and opened himself a ¡®gate.¡¯


    a golden circle began to slowly form under his feet.


    in the undulating and surging waves of mana, he quickly traversed a long distance in an instant.


    and there, he found the flaw that he had been searching for so desperately.


    something was forcefully tearing the barrier apart.


    since it was the first time he had seen this kind of magic, he stood still to observe it for a while.


    ¡®can i interpret it?¡¯


    ¡®can i replicate it?¡¯


    ¡®will it be a help for my advancement?¡¯


    ¡°just when i felt like i was going insane from anger, you came here.¡±


    then, suddenly, he detected fluctuations of mana that disrupted his focus.


    for the first time, siwoo registered the presence of a figure in front of him.


    a woman, a naked one.


    this woman was casting a hostile magic against him.


    only then did he notice her face.


    he couldn¡¯t precisely identify who she was.


    from his eyeball to the optic nerves that connected to it, up to the brain that processed all the information coming from those nerves, they had been repurposed solely for magic.


    with his eye, he could read the flow of mana, see through its laws, interpret through everything magically with just a glance. but, as a price for that ability, his ability to perceive other objects had regressed.


    in his eye, ea¡¯s face looked twisted and distorted like kneaded clay, and even that was blurred by the remnants of numerous formulas and geometric patterns.


    as he contemplated deeply, he realized something.


    the other person¡¯s magic pattern, which was a unique pattern akin to a fingerprint, was incredibly familiar to him.


    his left eye, covered by an eyepatch, throbbed.


    a crimson flame burst within his chest.


    discomfort, anger, annoyance.


    all sorts of negative emotions, which had nothing to do with magic, filled his heart.


    then, he realized.


    his priority above all else was to remove the entity in front of him.


    2.


    ea didn¡¯t waste any time.


    the current situation was different from back when she toyed with the mischievous twins and the magic-wielding slave.


    this time, she was angry and a suitable target for venting her anger was right in front of her eyes.


    ¡°bloom.¡±


    as siwoo chanted his spell, shadows cloaked his body.


    at this point, ea furrowed her brows.


    during their last confrontation, siwoo had to consume expensive mana water, forcing him to use inefficient methods to fight.


    given the nature of him, someone without a brand, it was pretty much an unavoidable situation, but the sight of him doing that was quite comical.


    but this time, he relied solely on his mana.


    the shadows coiled around his body like serpents.


    forming an armor with a dark hue.


    unlike before, it lacked its luster.


    but, ea could still discern the differences.


    compared to before, this armor bore a refined elegance.


    if the previous armor was a mere crude imitation, this one was the real deal.


    the shadow formed a plated armor in such a perfect way that even if one were to take a look at it closely, they wouldn¡¯t notice that it was created by shadows.


    seeing this, ea stopped hesitating.


    she didn¡¯t know where he had learned such skills, but in the end, he was still just a man.


    ea had confidence that she could overpower him with ease, just like before.


    ¡°rapid fire.¡±


    -clang, clang!


    she decided to ignore whatever move siwoo would make and aimed to tear off his limbs first.


    ¡®i¡¯ll torture him until he feels regret being born for thirty minutes first.¡¯


    ten ribbons twisting their bodies in the air before shooting toward siwoo simultaneously.


    -thwack!


    in the blink of an eye, the ribbons rushed towards him and sent his body flying far away.


    with a thunderous crash, he soared like a projectile and slammed into the rocky crevice, marking the end of his unexpected flight.


    ¡°what?!¡±


    but, ea was the one who was surprised by this outcome.


    seeing his enhanced armor, she had responded by immediately unleashing all her might on him.


    of course, compared to her peak, the power she just unleashed couldn¡¯t even reach the tip of her toe. but still, she wanted to see how he¡¯d try to block and retaliate against her. instead, he just took the blow head-on with his body.


    she didn¡¯t want him to be knocked out in a single blow like this, as she wanted to watch him struggle.


    while she stomped her feet with a worried expression, siwoo, who had been sent flying and crashed onto the rocks, was staring at his body in a daze.


    ¡°...¡±


    her attack was too fast for him to identify.


    he could feel his body trembling because of the impact it received.


    blood trickled down from the corner of his mouth.


    however, the armor he wore remained unscathed even after receiving that heavy blow.


    he tried to move his limbs, all of them moved without any problems.


    his bones, tendons, muscles and magic circuits were all in perfect condition.


    then, he got to his feet,


    the pile of rubbles, along with the dust sticking on top of his armor slid down, revealing the armor that looked as if it was brand new armor.


    his gaze was fixed to ea, who was standing a hundred meters away from him.


    -woosh!


    wings of shadows spread out and he rushed at ea at a faster speed than her previous attack.


    ¡°good! don¡¯t die so easily, okay?¡±


    ea muttered incomprehensible words to siwoo as she unfolded her ribbon.


    as the ribbons twisted and coiled, trying to accumulate elasticity, indicating that she was preparing another attack just like the previous one.


    a shield appeared in siwoo¡¯s hand.


    with the shield held up to cover half of his body, he made a resolute charge forward.


    the ribbons flew towards him.


    ¡°what...?¡±


    seeing how he blocked ten ribbons at once made ea widen her eyes in surprise.


    right before the collision, a radiant golden fractal light shimmered on his shield.


    if this was just some kind of powerful magic he had prepared to take revenge on her, ea wouldn¡¯t be as surprised.


    -clang!


    -boom!


    a thunderous noise, resembling that of an explosion, assaulted her ears.


    all of her ribbons missed siwoo completely. instead, it hit random trees, rocks and some of them were even stuck into the ground.


    this was when she realized that she wasn¡¯t mistaken about what she witnessed.


    the moment her ribbons touched his shield, she lost control over them.


    those ribbons were supposed to pierce through his shield, but they bounced off without delivering a single effective blow.


    ¡°jamming...?¡±


    what astonished her was that it wasn¡¯t because of the shield deflecting her blow physically.


    in the brief moment when the ribbons flew at supersonic speed and collided with his shield.


    there was an interference from his spell, it made her lose control over her magic. this was a phenomenon called jamming.


    looking at siwoo¡¯s charge, ea casted her astonishment aside.


    she couldn¡¯t let out such an exaggerated reaction mid-combat.


    the execution of his jamming was astonishingly fast. it was at a speed beyond human¡¯s capabilities.


    but, that could be explained by him successfully analyzing the structure of her ¡®maiden¡¯s loom¡¯ during their previous clash and preparing a countermeasure spell prior to this fight.


    ¡°you came all the way here believing in just that?¡±


    ¡®ridiculous. and naive.¡¯


    ea¡¯s ¡®maiden¡¯s loom¡¯ was an artifact specialized in physical attacks and it was relatively easy to counter.


    ¡®however, did he really think that i haven¡¯t encountered something like this throughout the countless bloody battles i fought in?¡¯


    ea spun her ribbons again.


    she intertwined their threads of mana to create an entirely different structure and magical form.n-/0velbin


    while physically, they might look the same, magically they were completely different.


    it was like rock-paper-scissors. since ea had known that siwoo was preparing a ¡®paper¡¯ against her ¡®rock¡¯, she just needed to throw a ¡®scissors.¡¯


    she was confident in her skills for interpreting magic and fighting compatibility mid-battle.


    ¡°such tricks won¡¯t work on me!¡±


    the distance between them was only thirty meters.


    her newly woven ribbons locked onto siwoo.


    even if he were to try to escape, the ribbons would follow him as long as he didn¡¯t traverse beyond a kilometer in a blink of an eye.


    ¡°you made me a little surprised, but that¡¯s it. i¡¯ll show you the difference between our experiences!¡±


    siwoo glanced at the ribbon and threw aside his shield, which was practically his only means of defense, without hesitation.


    then, he lowered his head and crouched down.


    a helmet manifested from behind the neck part of his armor, covering his head.


    with arms clad in gauntlets, he raised them and changed his stance to a boxing stance before charging forward.


    he didn¡¯t choose to flee.


    nor did he look for a way to go around her attack and expose his back.


    hot air brushed past both his cheeks.


    golden magic circle emerged on the black armor that seemed to devour all of the lights surrounding it.


    -clang!


    the same phenomenon occurred again.


    ea expected that he¡¯d try the same thing again.


    and so, she shaped her ribbon into scissors, sealing off his escape route.


    -bang!


    and just like before, siwoo managed to deflect her attacks once again. ea could only look at the ribbons that had lost their way and went in the wrong direction with a bewildered gaze.


    ¡°did you...? predicted it...?¡±


    ¡®did he predict that i¡¯d change my weaving pattern and attacking method? then he prepared a new countermeasure for it? in that short period of time?¡¯


    theoretically, it wasn¡¯t impossible.


    even if she were to change her weaving pattern, essentially, it was the same ¡®maiden¡¯s loom.¡¯


    also, if he had a perfect understanding of her self-essence magic, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible for him to do this.


    but, still, even if it was theoretically possible, it didn¡¯t mean ea would just accept this outcome.


    ¡°are you kidding me?! this is bullshit!¡±


    despite everything, she still took the wrong course of action.


    in the first place, what she should have done shouldn¡¯t be to look for the reason why her attack didn¡¯t go through, but to distance herself from siwoo and stop relying on her autonomous defense¡¯s protective capabilities.


    though, the events unfolding in front of her were so unbelievable that even though he was an expert in reversing situations in battle, she still couldn¡¯t accept this kind of outcome. even if she knew that she made the wrong decision, she still couldn¡¯t help it.


    siwoo¡¯s gauntlet struck her soft abdomen with a resounding impact as she let out a gasp of surprise at the bewildering sight.


    it pierced through her autonomous defense and sent her body flying.


    ¡°kyaa!¡±


    with a scream, her naked body rolled several times on the moss-covered ground before stopping.

 Chapter 106: The Price of a Loss (5)

    ? the price of a loss (5) ?


    1.


    ea¡¯s situation was far from normal.


    it wasn¡¯t merely a matter of her rank going down as a price for her rebirth.


    her mana, which should have filled her brand to the brim, was depleted to only 30%. thanks to this, she couldn¡¯t manipulate her mana as effortlessly as before.


    considering how bad her state was, it came as a shocking blow to her.


    after all, her opponent was merely a slave.


    a brandless slave.


    all things considered, a 15th ranked witch like herself had the capability to single-handedly wipe out an entire military base.


    but even while possessing such power, the mere slave still managed to effortlessly break through her autonomous defense system while dodging all of her attacks.


    ¡°guh... cough... kuh...¡±


    overwhelmed by the pain she hadn¡¯t experienced in a long while, ea groaned while holding her abdomen.


    her naked body, which had been rolling on the ground for a while, was sparsely covered in moss and patches of dirt.


    -clank!


    as she lowered her head in pain, a pair of sleek boots came into her view.


    she looked upward with a faltering gaze.


    there stood siwoo, clad in a black armor, looking down on her with an expressionless face.


    his eye was devoid of any emotions, making ea doubt whether he was the same person she previously encountered or not.


    ¡®how could he have changed so drastically in just a few months?¡¯


    ea couldn¡¯t understand it at all.


    however, she had no intention of meekly submitting to him like a bitch.


    summoning her last reserves of mana, she launched her final strike.


    ¡°die...!¡±


    -wooosh!


    her previously wobbling ribbon flew towards siwoo to coil around his neck.


    having taken a direct hit on her womb, the part of her body that was responsible for mana manipulation, while already losing a significant amount of mana, her attack this time lacked the menacing force it should have possessed.


    however, the ribbon was still able to exert a force equivalent to heavy artillery.


    if siwoo had been an ordinary human, getting his neck wrapped by the ribbon would have been enough to make blood come out of his eyes, nose and mouth, and make him collapse in agony.


    but siwoo wasn¡¯t an ordinary human. facing this fearsome attack, his reaction was a simple one.


    he wrapped his hand around the ribbon.


    then, he tore it away from him effortlessly.


    ¡°huh?¡±


    ea¡¯s final strike that she had meticulously planned, was easily taken down.


    her mouth fell open at this absurd scene.nove-lb/in


    ¡°huh? huh?¡±


    but siwoo didn¡¯t stop there.


    he extended his hand towards the remaining ribbons in his surroundings and began to pluck them out one by one.


    -snatch!


    as soon as they came into contact with his gauntlet, shadows enveloped them.


    it was similar to what it looked like in their previous encounter, back when the ribbon made contact with his spear of shadows.


    the ribbons were consumed by the encroaching shadows before disintegrating as if it was being devoured by those shadows.


    they scattered into the surroundings without giving any resistance.


    those ribbons, woven from the maiden¡¯s loom, were directly connected to the intricate network of nerves extending from ea¡¯s final cord.


    this connection allowed her to exert more precise control over the ribbons.


    despite having such a connection, ea wouldn¡¯t feel pain even if something were to happen to the ribbons.


    but, even if she didn¡¯t feel any pain from losing the ribbons, she still felt the extremely uncomfortable feeling of losing one¡¯s limbs.


    ¡°what...?¡±


    in just a few seconds, any semblance of resistance was mercilessly swept away.


    her core was stripped away and she barely had any mana left, only enough to barely flicker a few decorative flames.


    the witch¡¯s pale lips turned blue as she opened her mouth.


    ¡°who...the hell are you...?¡±


    when duchess tiphereth and baroness marigold bested her, she felt as if she had faced a thick, massive and towering wall that felt insurmountable to her.


    but against this man, she felt a whole different thing.


    while she had her rank reduced, she still couldn¡¯t measure the gap between her and the man.


    it was the equivalent of her trying to measure the depth of the abyss.


    the gap she felt was on a whole different level than the ones she felt from other witches.


    ¡°...¡±


    siwoo remained silent and his expression remained cold as he looked down at ea.


    the latter¡¯s breath became shallow.


    she recalled what she had done to him and she could only imagine what he¡¯d do to her as a retribution.


    for a moment, she pondered.


    after she was done weighing her pride against the weight of her life, she swiftly took action.


    she had an idea.


    back then, he was willing to risk his life to save the twins.


    this meant that he was a man as soft and pliable as a ripe peach.


    while magical accomplishment could transform someone¡¯s demeanor overnight, it still wouldn¡¯t be easy for someone¡¯s nature to change.


    she assumed that there was no way someone as soft as him wouldn¡¯t show any mercy to a defenseless witch begging for her life.


    ¡°keuk...!¡±


    ea clenched her teeth, trying not to show any weakness.


    ¡®to think that i have to beg for my life to a man i once looked down upon without wearing a single piece of clothing...¡¯


    she pressed her pale knees against the moss as she knelt before siwoo.


    ¡°i-it¡¯s my loss... i-i¡¯m...sorry...¡±


    her trembling voice wasn¡¯t part of her act.


    it was the expression of her disgrace, humiliation and shame.


    those emotions mixed together and were now relentlessly crushing her pride.


    ¡°you are so much stronger than me now, i can¡¯t even compare myself to you... can you teach me how you achieve this in such a short time? i-i truly respect you now...!¡±


    she knelt down, delicately placing both hands on her plump and smooth thighs.


    her breasts, which looked even more alluring with the pink area on each of their centers, were nestled between her arms.


    they adhered close to each other, as if she was about to give a breastjob. her small nipples also almost touched each other.


    ea believed that this pose would be enough to seduce any man.


    ¡°...¡±


    however, siwoo remained silent.


    he showed no sign of wavering.


    seeing his lack of response made her desperation grow.


    ¡°in all honesty... i deeply regret my actions... i¡¯m sorry, i¡¯ll do anything that you ask of me, just please...please spare me...¡±


    ¡®he still wouldn¡¯t show his mercy after this much?¡¯


    her trembling shoulders weren¡¯t solely due to fear.


    it was also caused by the humiliation she felt.


    while forcing herself to move her rigid neck and waist, she pressed her forehead against the ground.


    her hands, positioned diagonally beside her head, were laid neatly in place.


    the kneeling pose she made was perfect.


    after she prostrated herself on the ground, her already alluring buttocks became more emphasized.


    ¡°...¡±


    yet, there was still no response from siwoo.


    it was at this moment that ea realized something was amiss.


    from beginning up until now, there had been no proper communication between them.


    puzzled by this situation, she lifted her head, only to find out that siwoo had brought his face dangerously close to hers.


    ¡°ugh?!¡±


    then, he gripped a handful of a hair before sniffing it.


    his behavior reminded her of a beast, sniffing the scent of their opposite sex before mating.


    ¡°sniff, sniff.¡±


    once he finished checking her out, his armor vanished.


    but, before it completely vanished, it removed his clothes from his body.


    his behavior only made her even more puzzled.


    ¡®did he get brain damage?¡¯


    it was an expected reaction as ea knew nothing about what he had gone through.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    a shadow cast itself over her face.


    it came from an object so grand that she couldn¡¯t have imagined it coming from someone with a delicate face like him.


    siwoo thrusted his fully erect rod in front of ea¡¯s face.


    using the hand that was gripping her hair, he pulled her face closer toward his cock.


    ¡°g-got it... i¡¯ll do it with my mouth... you¡¯ll spare me if i do, right¡ª mmph!¡±


    before she could finish her sentence, siwoo already pushed his cock into her mouth.


    ¡°agh... cough... urgg...¡±


    despite her notorious cruelty, ea had no experience with men.


    she was a radically conservative witch, the thought of mixing her bodily fluids with men disgusted her.


    even when she found men she thought to be appealing, the only sexual interaction she had with them wouldn¡¯t escalate more than her having fun torturing their balls.


    but now, her noble mouth was being mercilessly defiled by siwoo¡¯s rigid lump of flesh.


    ¡°agg...mmph...¡±


    siwoo moved his waist violently, as if he was trying to exact revenge for what she had done to him.


    his large rod barely fit her mouth, but he kept on shoving it down her throat.


    ea never expected that he¡¯d treat her this cruelly.


    ¡®should i bite off his cock?¡¯


    ¡®no, i shouldn¡¯t¡¯


    since the ¡®barrier separator¡¯ wasn¡¯t functioning perfectly at the moment, if ea were to do that, he¡¯d definitely unleash his rage upon her.


    she already exhausted her mana, she had no way to defend herself from a single spell of his.


    and so, she decided to keep her mouth open to make sure that her teeth would never touch his cock, all while desperately trying to push his thighs away.


    ¡°urrg... cough! cough!¡±


    however, his relentless thrusting only became more unbearable as time went on.


    not only did she feel an overwhelming urge to vomit, she also struggled to catch her breath.


    after a brief scuffle, she barely managed to take his shaft off her mouth. her sticky saliva that covered his large rod dripped down slowly.


    ¡°wait...just...a moment...¡±


    tears welled up in her eyes as she forcefully controlled her expression, trying to suppress the urge to show him her hostility.


    her eyelids seemed to tremble with slight spasms.


    but, even when she displayed such a pitiful sight, siwoo still hadn¡¯t spared her any of his empathy.


    instead, he approached her and pushed her upper body down onto the mossy ground.


    ¡°ugh!¡±


    to describe ea¡¯s body in a few words, it would be, it looked like a well-shaped water bottle.


    her hips weren¡¯t overly large, but her thighs, legs and waist were beautifully defined, giving her a distinct feminine figure.


    siwoo grabbed her ankles and opened them wide, revealing what was hidden between her legs to him.


    unlike her mature and dignified appearance that exuded the aura of a mature noblewoman, her sparse pubic hair gave off the impression that she was a girl who had just entered her adolescence.


    when he spread her legs, the flesh inside her lower mouth became fully exposed.


    seeing this, she willingly followed his whims and spread her legs even wider.


    then, she put one hand under her buttocks, holding the lips of her lower mouth, spreading it open with her fingers.


    this was the posture of submission that only a female could show.


    ¡°i-i surrender...¡±


    like a defeated slut, she flipped her belly over as she offered herself to the man in front of her.


    this was a position that she had abhorred in the past, but this wasn¡¯t the time for her to succumb to her pride.


    after all, as long as she could survive this encounter, she could eventually take up her revenge.


    she could always pay this humiliation back several-folds in the future.


    ¡°i¡¯m already going this far... you won¡¯t kill me, right...? you¡¯ll let me go, right...?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°aaah...!¡±


    without any hesitation, siwoo forcefully thrusted his cock deep into her pussy.


    naturally, he hadn¡¯t even bothered to caress her or enact a foreplay first.


    in other words, they were having an intercourse without anything other than siwoo¡¯s own precum as a lubricant.


    the only thing ea could do in this situation was to open her pussy wide in hope that it would make the penetration go smoother while swallowing her screams.


    ¡°nggh...! urrg...!¡±


    siwoo began thrusting his hips vigorously while holding ea¡¯s waist firmly.


    his cock couldn¡¯t go in too deeply at first, but with each movement, it delved deeper inside her.


    at this point, ea¡¯s elegant face had turned into a mess.


    ¡®this son of a bitch!¡¯


    she tried to glare at him while gritting her teeth, but after she saw his emotionless eye, she quickly averted her gaze.


    for some reason, she had a premonition that he¡¯d kill her without blinking an eye if she were to show the slightest hint of resistance.


    enduring this humiliation, begging for his mercy and letting him raping her body, all were part of her plan for the future.


    she tried to convince herself like that as she endured.


    however, she began to develop a genuine fear toward siwoo and she was deeply ashamed by this.


    ¡°mmmh...! ahh...! keuk...!¡±


    slowly, some lubricants were added to her previously stiff vaginal walls.


    as his glans, which had been poking the entrance of her cervix, gradually began to enter it.


    ea let out a sweet and alluring voice.

 Chapter 107: The Price of a Loss (6)

    ? the price of a loss (6) ?


    1.


    humans were incredibly wicked and worthless beings.


    there was a time when a devastating famine plagued more than a half of a certain village.


    the ditches were littered with the bodies of those who had exhausted themselves digging for roots to eat. people captured the crows that descended to feast on the corpses to eat them.


    even the wild beasts had to seek penance from the gods and resorted to gnawing on the flesh and bones of their own kins to survive.


    and there was a young girl, being dragged into a half-filled potato sack by a kidnapper, forcing her to understand the world¡¯s cruelty at a tender age.


    when she had to wear a collar around her neck and was forced to stand before the aristocrats who wore ¡®nobility¡¯ as a facade, she cursed the world.


    she wished for everything to burn into ashes.


    from her parents, the people who pushed her into this agony, the slave merchant, to the twisted world as a whole.


    she prayed, not to the gods, but to the devils.


    however, the one who came before her when she was on the verge of being violated by an elderly man wasn¡¯t a devil.


    sadalmelik, her future predecessor, came forward and introduced herself as a witch.


    with a mere flick of her hand, she transformed the elderly man into a pool of blood.


    her overwhelming power was more than enough to captivate the girl, who was tired of being helpless.


    after she started to learn magic while observing the world alongside her master, the girl, ea, realized something.


    ¡®i am the chosen one.¡¯


    she realized that she was a ruler, who, unlike the petty humans, would come to live eternally and rule over their heads.


    to her, those humans were no different than insects or any other lowly creatures.


    particularly male humans.


    the group of people who¡¯d cast sinister and lecherous gazes at her whenever she passed them by. with a mere eye contact, those lowly creatures would be drowning in their lust and obediently follow her to a hotel.


    luring unsuspecting men into her bed, taking pleasure in hearing their screams as they met their unexpected demise had become one of her hobbies.


    however...


    -clap! clap!nove-lb/in


    ¡°oh god...! ahh...! y-yes...!¡±


    at the moment, she was on all fours like a bitch as she took in siwoo¡¯s thick rod.


    her once fiercely glowing red pupils were now clouded with pleasure. her breasts, hanging down, swayed back and forth to the rhythm of his thrusts. even her partially exposed crimson tongue danced gracefully over her lips as her breath matched the pace siwoo was going.


    the man ravaged her body vigorously.


    in his forceful thrusts, he aggressively shoved his cock up to her belly button. she could feel his intense determination to sow seeds inside her womb.


    ¡°ahh...haaa...aang...!¡±


    ¡®who is making such raunchy noise?¡¯


    as the incoherent voice escaped from her tightly pursed lips, ea, who became aware of her own voice, once again sealed her lips shut.


    ¡°mmh...ngh...!¡±


    at first, she could only feel pain.


    as the hot rod penetrated the hole in between her legs, the pain she felt was as if her body was being split in two.


    in the midst of such agony, she endured.


    she reminded herself that one day, she¡¯d repay this pain and humiliation. that she had to endure even if she had to shed tears of blood and clench her teeth because of the pain.


    ¡°enough...! stop...! just...for a moment...please...! let me rest...!¡±


    her submissive act had vanished at this point, revealing her true nature.


    that was how desperately she wanted to catch her breath.


    his shaft pierced deep into the folds behind her cervix.


    that, too, caused her immense pain.


    the repeated assault on such a sensitive area made her feel nauseous.


    however, after thirty minutes had passed, siwoo hadn¡¯t rested even for a moment. instead, he rammed his rod into her with a stronger force. the intense pleasure that she felt became even more poignant with each of his thrusts.


    to the extent that she cried out in a pitiful, animalistic voice.


    ¡°i...am still a woman...! why can¡¯t you...treat me with...a little more care...!¡±


    regardless of whether she had the right to say such a thing or not, those words were something that the original ea would never have said.


    ultimately, she was a witch, a being that everyone, regardless of gender, should regard with reverence.


    ¡®how dare a mere human, dare to press this body down!¡¯


    ¡®a mere human, to dare to attempt to defile my sacred womb with his filthy fluids!¡¯


    ¡®forcing me to let out such vulgar sounds!¡¯


    ea tried to shoot him a resentful glare as she grinded her teeth, but...


    ¡°mmph! ahhh...yes...!¡±


    his thrusts grew more intense, causing her inner walls to contract tightly and her cervix to convulse, squeezing his shaft with all their might.


    a stream of love juice mixed with cum flowed from her once tightly closed lower mouth that had turned into a soggy mess, it clung to her erect clitoris before dripping down.


    siwoo kept on vigorously thrusting his massive rod, ripping open the hole that had never been touched for 300 years, forcibly bringing out the dormant femininity within ea.


    she felt good.


    undeniably so.


    the pleasure overwhelmed her to the point it turned her mind blank, making her unable suppress her body¡¯s convulsion due to ecstasy.


    that ignited a fierce conflict against her pride.


    ¡°huh...?¡±


    at that moment, she felt something like a spark spreading within her womb.


    it was tiny, but it possessed an abundant and pure essence of mana.


    the quality it possessed was pristine, even a witch like her, who had absorbed mana from various brands, had never found such mana.


    it extended from siwoo¡¯s rod, passing through her narrow cervix without any hindrance.


    spreading all the way through her fallopian tubes to her ovaries, giving her an indescribably refreshing sensation.


    it was as if cold crystals were flowing through her veins.


    ¡°ahh...please stop for a moment...! are you...listening...?¡±


    if the pleasure she felt from the sexual intercourse was hot and intense, this one felt cool and refreshing.


    like ocean currents of different temperatures colliding, overwhelming her senses and flipped her mind upside down.


    something was coming.


    she had such a hunch.


    the sensation would give her pleasure she¡¯d never felt before.


    and it would turn her into an insatiable bitch.


    ¡°stop...! please...stop! haaang...haah...!¡±


    siwoo paid no heed to her pleas, completely disregarding her desperate cries.


    it was as if she was treating her like an object.


    with a steady rhythm, he relentlessly pounded the back of her cervix, causing her hands, which were already resting on the ground, to clench and tear at the moss beneath them.


    her entire body convulsed.


    ¡°mmh! aahh...! ?¡±


    the moment the pleasure she felt surpassed a certain threshold, ea arched her back.


    her inner walls enveloped siwoo¡¯s rod, greedily trying to squeeze it dry off its semen.


    she writhed in the depths of ecstasy while letting out vulgar moans.


    ¡°ahh...haah...¡±


    as siwoo¡¯s hard shaft contracted, hot liquid began to rush into ea¡¯s womb.


    the latter knew that it was the filthy seed of a man, but she lacked the means to resist it.


    ¡°ngh...keuk...¡±


    her arms that were barely able to support her upper body, finally gave out.


    she collapsed onto the dirt-covered ground, pressing her cheek against the exposed moss as she gasped for breath.


    ¡°ah...haah...¡±


    because of how narrow her vagina was, a tiny crevice formed where siwoo¡¯s member met her delicate membranes, allowing streams of milky semen to trickle out.


    she felt a sense of humiliation that made her body tremble, but there was nothing she could do about it.


    ¡°you are done now...right...?¡±


    nevertheless, she managed to satisfy the predator.


    she cautiously looked over her shoulder.


    ¡°huh...?¡±


    at that moment, she felt something slipping out through her reproductive organs.


    taking advantage of the languid afterglow she felt after the sexual intercourse, that something was rolled around as it moved out.


    the non-existent mana that she had was being sucked out through siwoo¡¯s rod.


    at the same time, she could feel something else.


    the object that had been roaming greedily within her uterus was being pulled out.


    realizing its true nature, she hastily focused her mind.


    she closed her eyes, concentrating on a single point and made contact with her ain.


    the realm of her consciousness where various structures were mixed in disharmony.


    perhaps because of the cocoon of rebirth, over half of the original structures had disappeared.


    while she was already aware of this happening in her mind, she still felt flabbergasted after seeing it with her own eyes.


    ¡°guh...!¡±


    trying to ignore her shock, she frantically tried to grasp on the situation.


    ¡°what is this...?¡±


    then, she saw it.


    a colossal structure in the form of a loom.


    an abnormal phenomenon had occurred in the space where the ¡®maiden¡¯s loom¡¯ was placed.


    a distortion.


    like quicksand that sucked everything in, a distortion shaped like a sunken concave dish was slowly sucking the loom.


    ¡°stop!¡±


    she hurriedly ran towards the maiden¡¯s loom.


    her magical asset, something that was as precious as her life, was disappearing somewhere.


    like a building collapsing into a sinkhole, the massive loom shattered into pieces.


    the funnel-shaped loom sucked it in until it vanished.


    if she didn¡¯t see it with her own eyes, she would have thought that this would be impossible.


    ¡°aahh! m-my loom...!¡±


    she had done similar acts before.


    stealing someone else¡¯s magical assets.


    however, back then, she¡¯d extract them straight from their wombs or use other forceful methods.


    she had never witnessed or heard of a phenomenon where one could extract a specific asset without taking the user¡¯s life and without having any effect on other assets.


    as if she was snapped out of her daze, she returned to reality.


    ¡°no, it can¡¯t be...!¡±


    when she regained her senses, siwoo once again started to thrust his hips.


    she couldn¡¯t determine the exact cause why her loom disappeared.


    but, her instinct knew the cause.


    everything started from the intercourse she had with him and if she didn¡¯t stop him now, he¡¯d take even more of her assets.


    -squelch, squelch!


    the semen that filled her lower mouth spurt out with foamy bubbles each time siwoo moved his hips.


    her body, which was in a sensitive state to begin with, made her erogenous zones fervently respond to every small movement that he made.


    ¡°no...no...! stop...!¡±


    she tried to crawl away from him.


    but, almost immediately, her limbs were bound by ribbons made of pitch-black shadows.


    her previously loyal subordinates, which once faithfully served her like appendages, were now stripping her of her freedom.


    ¡°no, please...! stop...!¡±


    the magic that made her special, that allowed her to become a ¡®chosen one¡¯ was being taken away.


    there was no greater terror to her than this.


    she looked at the ribbons with a pale face.


    ¡°stop, please...! i beg you...!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    with a dissatisfied expression, siwoo added more ribbons to wrap around her body.


    it was because he couldn¡¯t properly shove his rod in thanks to her constant squirming.


    her limbs were spread open, hung in the air by the ribbons.


    looking satisfied, he rubbed the head of his rod against her entrance, where semen was dripping out of it before thrusting it inside.


    ea¡¯s pale and horrified face alternated between looking at siwoo¡¯s expressionless face and the thick shaft penetrating her body.


    ¡°isn¡¯t this enough? can we stop now? ahh... i¡¯m sorry...! i-i¡¯ll reflect¡ª ahh...!¡±


    now penetrating her deeper parts in a much easier way, his rod forcefully made its way into her cervix.


    the wave of pleasure made her feel faint.


    she compared this pleasure to poison.


    a poison that would take everything from her.


    -slap, slap, slap!


    ¡°s-stop, please...! s-stop!¡±


    while savoring the pleasure from scouring through ea¡¯s inner walls, siwoo also acquired new magic abilities.


    since the magic abilities were practically worth everything for him, he didn¡¯t stop.


    not to mention that they belonged to the witch he hated, so he could just take them away without any remorse.


    ¡°f-fine...! i¡¯ll give you all my possessions! y-you know i¡¯m rich, right?! h-haah! s-so, please, stop!¡±


    despite her words, siwoo didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry! i was wrong! i acted arrogantly¡ª-!¡±


    since he hated the noises she made, he wrapped the ribbon around her mouth.


    ¡°mmph...! mmmh...!¡±


    ea shook her head in protest, but siwoo disregarded it and began pouring his pure mana into her womb.


    ¡°ngggh....!¡±


    experiencing waves of pleasure one after another, ea opened her eyes wide as her body experienced multiple orgasms in succession.


    this continued for two hours. siwoo ended up pushing his thick semen inside her three times in total.

 Chapter 108: Regression (1)

    ? regression (1) ?


    1.


    ¡°ugh...¡±


    ea struggled to get up.


    after being mercilessly rolled around the ground, raped while being pressed down, her body became battered, filled with marks of handprints, dirt smudges and dried moss.


    as she staggered, trying to stand up, semen dripped down from her crotch.


    after being violated for two hours, everytime her butt twitched, the white seed dripped down as if it was being pumped out.


    siwoo had repeatedly stolen her magic.


    but, unlike when he stole her ¡®maiden¡¯s loom¡¯, the force he used was considerably weaker, so it took him more effort to steal anything else from her.


    though, that didn¡¯t mean he failed to steal anything, he managed to take one more magic formula off of her.


    the ¡®brand¡¯ that she had obtained from duchess tipereth¡¯s apprentice witch.


    ¡°hoaahm...¡±


    siwoo let out a tired yawn, fixing his gaze on ea as he settled himself on a rock.


    his hand moved through the air, inspecting the spoils he had gained.


    those loots were incredibly opulent, leaving him no room to focus on anything else.


    ¡°another rank...¡±


    meanwhile ea¡¯s rank had fallen into the 13th rank.


    her previously dense brand became empty.


    in mere two hours, she lost a century of desperate hunt worth of progress.


    she became a half-baked witch without any autonomous self-defense capabilities.


    ea clenched her fists, glaring at siwoo, who was scribbling something in the air with his fingers.


    ¡°i¡¯m going to kill you.¡±


    this place was filled with mana.


    there wasn¡¯t enough time to fully convert the mana if she were to absorb them, but as long as she was willing to take the risk and damage her magic circuit, she could start a second round of fight with him.


    though, she set down her glare, which was filled with simmering anger, and swiftly turned her back.


    she had already learned from her previous emotional outburst and it hadn¡¯t been long since she tasted defeat.


    from her instinct, intuition and battle experience she accumulated, all of them were telling her one thing.


    no matter what she did, she¡¯d definitely lose this fight.


    ¡°agh...! i swear i¡¯ll repay this humiliation a hundred¨C no, a thousand¡ª no! a billionfold! just you wait!¡±


    she shouted at siwoo, who didn¡¯t bother to spare a glance at the loser.


    though, due to her noisy outburst, he briefly casted his gaze towards him.


    ¡°keuk...!¡±


    with just a fleeting glance, a bone-deep fear spread through her being.


    she remembered his demeanor that had dominated her in combat without a hint of him losing his breath.


    his ruthlessness when he mercilessly raped her and stole her precious magic away.


    all things considered, she was the ea sadalmelik.


    but, even the ea sadalmelik was trembling in fear in the presence of this male human in front of her.


    this fact humiliated her even more than the fact that he had violated her.


    ¡°j-just you wait and see...!¡±


    without taking her eyes off siwoo, she staggered and disappeared through the rift created by the barrier separator.


    and soon, the narrowed rift illuminated the calm landscape of the latifundium, as if a mysterious phenomenon had occurred.


    leaving siwoo behind, sitting on a rock while lost in his thoughts.


    2.


    amelia was in the middle of her research after bringing her belongings to the research building. suddenly, she felt a heavy lump in one corner of her chest.


    despite trying to distract herself while smoking a cigarette, regrets and sadness continued to swirl in her mind.


    she knew that these feelings would eventually fade away.


    just like before, time would erase the traces of loss as if they were lies.


    she¡¯d eventually forget and someday, she¡¯d even forget the fact that she had forgotten.


    yet, despite knowing that, her mind continued to replay a single scene over and over again.


    ¡®you...damn...bitch...¡¯


    the harsh words siwoo had thrown at her the moment he woke up.


    at that time, siwoo was in no condition to properly identify anything.


    his mind functioned solely for magic, as there was no room for other emotions to linger.


    ¡®how much does he hate me?¡¯


    ¡®how much hatred and disgust does he have toward me for him to curse me while in that state?¡¯


    every time such thoughts crossed her mind, she felt her heart ache.


    it was as if her heart was stretching thin, ready to snap into countless threads.


    ¡°...¡±


    back then, she told him,


    ¡®i won¡¯t give up until you can forgive me.¡¯


    ¡®until then, i¡¯ll wait...¡¯


    but, even she wasn¡¯t sure if that was the right thing to do.


    was it right for her to cling to siwoo, who hated her so much, and begged for his forgiveness while shoving her love towards him when he finally came to his senses?


    in truth, amelia knew.


    siwoo was a good person.


    he was also diligent and kind.


    that man wasn¡¯t the kind of heartless person who¡¯d spew harsh remarks in front of someone who was seeking his forgiveness in tears.


    maybe she said those words to him after considering what kind of person he was.


    ¡®could it be that i just wanted to rely on his kindness and affection to alleviate my own sense of guilt?¡¯


    if so, she thought that it was selfish and cowardly of her.


    that meant she¡¯d be imposing things that he didn¡¯t want upon him again.


    it was her own wish that she wanted him to forgive her.


    her wanting to go to the modern world with him was also her own wish.


    so was her longing to convey her feelings for him.


    none of them were something that siwoo wanted.


    maybe, she¡¯d be starting a cycle of remorse, imposing her wishes upon him, crying after getting rejected then repeating the same thing over and over.


    ¡°disgusting...¡±


    she knew that everything was just a vain delusion.


    siwoo was stuck in an uncertain state, only god knows if he could recover or not.


    but, her repeated self-mockery had taken its toll on her and left her feeling depressed.


    just as she was about to let out a sigh out of habit, the door swung open.n)-o--v-)e).l-/b..1-(n


    amelia furrowed her eyebrows.


    prior to this, she already made it clear that she wouldn¡¯t be receiving any visitors for the time being.


    ¡°p-professor!¡±


    the person who burst into her room was catherine, a researcher responsible for the administration of the trinity academy.


    ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    under normal circumstances, amelia wouldn¡¯t hold back her displeasure, but right now, she couldn¡¯t even muster such feelings.


    after responding with a melancholic voice, she looked at catherine and sensed that something unusual had occurred.


    catherine was a witch famous for idolizing and imitating baroness marigold.


    even in dire circumstances, she¡¯d dress herself similar to how amelia would dress herself while using perfume that was similar to hers.


    she¡¯d put on a cold and aloof demeanor along with a tinge of awkwardness, trying to mimic amelia completely.


    but, such catherine had come running in such a frantic manner, completely tearing away her facade. that meant this wasn¡¯t a small matter.


    ¡°r-r-r-r-reply...¡±


    ¡°please calm down and explain it slowly.¡±


    in response to amelia¡¯s growing impatience, catherine placed a pristine white envelope in her hands.


    a clean envelope the size of amelia¡¯s palm.


    it was sealed with sealing wax to prevent others from opening it. on the envelope was a stamp.


    a stamp with a crown pattern on it.


    catherine, who had been gasping for breath like an asthma patient having a seizure reported in a barely audible voice.


    ¡°we¡¯ve received a reply from the ivory tower!¡±


    the sender of this letter was the duchess keter herself.


    3.


    if one were to ask the witches, which was the second most beautiful building in gehenna, their opinions tend to differ.


    some would say it was the trinity academy, the bastion of knowledge, reminiscent of the palace of versailles.


    others would say the levana public bathhouse, the refined rendition of rome¡¯s communal baths.


    there were also some who¡¯d say first red roof salon, the place where one could enjoy blooming flowers in all four seasons.


    and there were those who¡¯d mention duchess tipereth¡¯s hanging garden, as the duchess herself was renowned for her exceptional aesthetic sense.


    each witch would name various places according to their tastes.


    however, if they were asked to choose which was the prettiest of them all, they¡¯d unanimously mention the ivory tower, the tower standing tall in the middle of ars magna town.


    it was rumored that the tower was created by duchess keter herself, from its design to its construction. the tower was made entirely by specially crafted marble and stained glass created through alchemical processes.


    even describing how it looked with words was a challenge, because there were no words that could truly capture its essence.


    the ivory tower didn¡¯t follow the architectural style of any era.


    its design was unprecedented and unique, constructed with precise calculations based on the perfect golden ratio, resulting in a flawless construction.


    it wasn¡¯t something that existed for someone to evaluate or compare it to other things, but for someone to admire and worship.


    that sentiment also applied to its owner, the person who resided in this beautiful tower all by herself, duchess keter.


    she was a being that every witch looked up to with awe.


    they called her the unparalleled witch, the only person who¡¯s reached the 30th rank by herself, without inheriting her brand from anyone. she was the highest-ranked and the oldest witch.


    it had been eighty two years since she secluded herself in the tower, yet there were still witches who were lurking around the tower, seeking for her teachings.


    not only that, it was also said that 20% of gehenna¡¯s letters were addressed to her.


    despite that, amelia had never heard of the news of the duchess actually replied to one of those letters.


    as for amelia herself, she had visited her in person and sent over 70 letters to her, but the duchess never responded.


    catherine couldn¡¯t hide her curiosity over this matter, but amelia firmly sent her away.


    there was no reason for amelia to indulge in the witch¡¯s curiosity.


    she carefully took out a silver letter opener and delicately removed the seal.


    as she unfolded the letter inside, she was greeted by a white piece of paper.


    a blank paper without anything written on it.


    letters in gehenna weren¡¯t always written properly.


    case in point was this letter, a ¡®remote letter¡¯, a magical correspondence using two interconnected sheets of paper, acting more like a fax than anything. if one were to write on one side, the writing would appear on the other side as well.


    despite her enigmatic and mystical appearance that was shrouded behind many mysteries, duchess keter¡¯s method of answering amelia¡¯s letter was quite plain and basic.


    as amelia waited while holding a pen with a nervous expression, letters began to appear on the piece of paper.


    have you been well?


    it was written casually and naturally, as if they had known each other for a long time.


    her handwriting looked incredibly smooth and elegant, resembling that of a professional calligrapher¡¯s.


    there¡¯s no need for formalities. we¡¯ve read through your letters one by one, so we know your sincerity runs deep.


    amelia, who had been pondering over what to say, quickly wrote a response upon reading the duchess¡¯ words.


    are you going to grant my request? to put it shortly, yes. with our talent, it is more than sufficient to heal him.


    amelia felt her heart skip a beat.


    after wandering in the darkness for so long, she finally felt like she had found the light.


    however, that joy was overshadowed by a single suspicion that arose in her heart.


    ¡®is this really something that he desires?¡¯


    amelia might think that his condition was abnormal, but there was a chance that he actually liked being in this state.


    after all, no one would want others to take away the power they had just acquired.


    she wanted to respect his choice.


    while she was hesitating like this, new words appeared on the paper.


    today at noon, we checked on his condition when he entered your garden. it would only be natural for any witch to feel regret at the loss of such talent.


    ¡®she personally checked on his condition?¡¯


    as amelia began to wonder, a sentence appeared that solidified her decision.


    however, if things continue as they are, he will definitely die. his excessive talent will overwork his physical body, leading to his certain doom.


    seeing this, amelia didn¡¯t hesitate any longer and asked,


    what do i need to do?


    duchess keter, someone who received hundreds of letters a day and ignored them, couldn¡¯t have helped her out of pity. after all, they had never met before.


    the reason why she did this was to offer amelia a proposal.


    it seems that you¡¯ve caught on.


    seeing that phrase, amelia was certain that the duchess was smiling behind this piece of paper.

 Chapter 109: Regression (2)

    ? regression (2) ?


    1.


    siwoo was deeply engrossed in thought as he made a certain posture that tied deeply with philosophy.


    the newly acquired knowledge and power occupied his mind.


    to the current him, the process of dissecting and reinterpreting those knowledge was more captivating than any kind of entertainment.


    it was enough to make him forget about the throbbing headache and the stinging pain on his left eye.


    -swirl!


    suddenly, he looked up.


    he felt a disorienting sensation as the space around him trembled.


    when he looked around the area, the massive old trees of the latifundium were nowhere to be seen.


    the mana-reflected light, a phenomenon that occurred due to the rich mana in the atmosphere covering the moss on the ground like carpet, had also disappeared.


    instead, he seemed to be inside a room that resembled a grand cathedral. its wall was made of polished marble, radiating a solemn light through the stainless glass.


    the rock he was sitting on was gone, replaced by a soft sofa.


    -clack, clack!


    accompanied by the sound of shoe heels, someone approached him.


    he slowly raised his gaze and looked at that person.


    she was a woman. her face was blurred, making it difficult for him to see clearly.


    colors seemed to scatter around her like light passing through a prism, creating a vibrant view.


    despite this strange phenomenon, siwoo felt a strange familiarity towards her.


    she reminded him of the fractal tree he previously touched and examined.


    he stood up from his seat.


    with firm steps, he approached the witch and stood in front of her.


    he reached out his hand, grabbed a lock of her hair and began to sniff it.


    ¡°sniff, sniff.¡±


    ¡°interesting.¡±


    with a light chuckle, the witch extended her pale hand and gently lifted his chin.


    it was as if she was handling a puppy.


    intoxicated by the smooth scent of her hand, siwoo lightly nibbled on her fingertips.


    ¡®how good will it feel if i were to embrace this woman¡¯s body right now?¡¯


    ¡®what kind of interesting knowledge does this woman possess?¡¯


    his instincts were shouting those questions at him.


    the magic he had consumed before was utterly inadequate compared to what belonged to this witch.


    his eyes were bloodshot with excitement he had never felt before.


    he grabbed her wrist and pulled her body towards him, as if he were about to devour her.


    ¡°are you going to violate our body too?¡±


    as she had sensed earlier, looking at him was akin to looking at a beast in heat.


    keter had witnessed everything that transpired today.


    from siwoo engaging in battle with an exile to him violating that same exile and stealing her magic away.


    it was an interesting spectacle that managed to distract her from the monotonous life that was brought by her long years.


    if she were to say that she wasn¡¯t interested in seeing this new way of utilizing magic that even herself hadn¡¯t seen before, then she¡¯d be lying.


    however, the method that he used would end up destroying his own body eventually.


    his talent was something excessive, something that was too much for a normal human to bear.


    he¡¯d keep on overclocking his feeble brain to its limit in ignorance.


    if he remained like this, he wouldn¡¯t live for more than three years.


    just before siwoo could wrap his hand around her waist, she poked his forehead.


    at that moment, his body stiffened.


    it was as if time had come to a standstill.


    every creature in the world would return to dust eventually.


    there was no reason for her to feel sympathy for a man whom she hadn¡¯t had any connection with.


    the reason why she harbored goodwill towards both him and baroness marigold was that she found them useful somehow. though, truthfully, most of the reason was because she found them amusing.


    in a world where history and events kept repeating itself to the point that it bore her, ¡®encountering something for the first time¡¯ like this was an incredibly valuable occurrence for her.


    ¡°will your existence serve as a precursor to another tediously repetitive event or will it become the beginning of something new? we¡¯ll look forward to it.¡±


    a magic circle began to spread out beneath her feet.


    a massive tree began to sprout behind her, as if growing from her shadow. it resembled the fractal tree siwoo had been drawing on his wall.


    as the swaying tree enveloped siwoo¡¯s body, it soon began to radiate a brilliant light.


    2.


    duchess keter added an appropriate explanation regarding siwoo¡¯s current condition.


    his transcendent ability, which was awakened through this accident, ultimately came at the cost of his lifespan.


    it would cause an overwhelming burden on his brain that will eventually snatch away his life.


    the moment she heard those words, amelia no longer considered respecting his wishes.


    i agree.


    the duchess¡¯ handwriting glided smoothly across the paper, as if she had anticipated the answer.


    since that¡¯s the case...


    she continued without giving amelia a chance to reply.


    what we desire from you is to grant us a simple favor in the future.


    amelia knew that there was no way a favor that came from someone like her could be considered simple, but she had no intention to nitpick the person who was holding her only lifeline.


    the most important thing here would be to find a way to restore siwoo to his original state.


    things like misunderstandings and how their relationship went astray, she could work on that later.


    but, if he were to die...


    she knew more than anyone that people wouldn¡¯t come back from death.


    i want to know what kind of method you¡¯ll use for his treatment. regression.


    her answer stunned amelia.


    regression, or turning back time.


    a magic she had never even heard of.


    did that mean the duchess was able to defy the natural order?


    rather than saying it was ¡®magic¡¯, something like turning back time was already bordering the realm of ¡®miracles.¡¯


    it won¡¯t be perfect, it will only return him to a state before he suffered his irreversible wounds. for a period of time, he won¡¯t regain some of his memories. there will be confusion within him and taking care of him will require a lot of effort. can you explain in more detail...?


    there were still a lot of questions she wanted to ask, but the duchess abruptly cut off the conversation, as if the matter between them had already been settled.


    it will be quicker if you were to see and confirm the details with your own eyes. one thing is certain. his humanity will be intact. he might suffer for a while, but it won¡¯t take long. also, you might fancy his new appearance.


    with that cryptic final remark, the letter disintegrated and turned to fragments.


    she gave no further explanation about how the healing process would unfold.


    if anything, she had only given her a notification rather than an explanation.


    the torn fragments of the letter formed a distinct pattern on her desk.


    in amelia¡¯s eyes, those patterns were devoid of any magic spell. but, they suddenly let out a light and vanished before being replaced by a small glass bottle.


    inside the bottle was a milky white liquid and a tag was attached to its lid.


    ¡®feed him five drops a day.¡¯ was written on that crude tag.


    she only stared at the bottle in a daze.


    driven by a desperate hope, she wrote a letter to duchess keter, fully aware that it was a feeble attempt with little expectation of receiving a response from her.


    yet, not only did the duchess reply to her, she also assured her of his recovery.


    ¡®maybe my anxiety overwhelmed me to the point that i¡¯m starting to experience hallucinations?¡¯


    ironically, such thoughts felt more realistic to her.


    ¡®should i be happy? or should i be sad?¡¯


    amelia only stood there blankly, not even knowing what emotions she should feel.


    she lowered her gaze, fixating on the glass bottle that served as proof that all of this wasn¡¯t a dream.


    -flip.


    suddenly, the tag was flipped over, revealing the writing on its back.


    go to his room.


    seeing that, amelia decided that she didn¡¯t need to contemplate anymore.


    she began running at the fastest speed she had ever reached in her life.


    her figure resembled that of a cheetah.


    3.


    she stormed through the mansion¡¯s doors and ascended the stairs.


    no one could accurately measure the limits of duchess keter¡¯s power.


    however, amelia believed that she was the witch closest to the realm of the ¡®witch of creation,¡¯ someone who was capable of effortlessly performing inexplicable miracles.


    ¡®could it be that she had completed the healing process in such a short time?¡¯


    ¡®i can talk to him like we used to?¡¯


    she was about to burst into siwoo¡¯s room, but as soon as she touched his doorknob, she froze.


    her fear crept in.


    as her desire to see him grew, her fear also grew.


    amelia hadn¡¯t received any definitive answers about what siwoo would say or how their relationship would progress after he regained his senses; this was why she felt so uncertain.


    the sudden progression of the situation gave her a sense of urgency that she couldn¡¯t keep up with.


    ¡°haah...¡±


    amelia took a deep breath.


    she tidied up her disheveled hair and clothes before quietly twisted the doorknob open.n)-o--v-)e).l-/b..1-(n


    what came to her sight was a wall with magic formula inscribed on it.


    a bed that was positioned in a way that would make checking up on him easier.


    and on that bed, siwoo was there, his body covered up with a blanket.


    aelia stood by the bedside with a pounding heart.


    then, she felt a hint of unease.


    ¡®was his body always this small?¡¯ she asked in her mind as she noticed the size of the figure under the blanket.


    her hands started to tremble with anxiety. she slowly pulled the blanket away and what she saw was...


    ¡°huh...?¡±


    a charmingly adorable young boy.


    she watched in astonishment as her mouth became slightly agape.


    the siwoo he knew was a healthy twenty years old young man.


    however, the person who was lying sideways while sleeping soundly on the bed was a ten years old boy.


    but, they didn¡¯t spend five years together for nothing.


    whether it was the bridge of his nose, the shape of his intact eye or the corners of his mouth.


    it was clear that this boy was siwoo.


    but, this was clearly a younger siwoo, not the siwoo she had always known.


    when she heard the word ¡®regression¡¯ from the duchess, she thought that she¡¯d bring him back to the time before he received his wounds.


    ¡®she went too far back...¡¯


    ¡°uhm...¡±


    the young siwoo tossed and turned in front of the dumbfounded amelia.


    he frowned in dissatisfaction, probably because amelia had taken his blanket away from him.


    the boy then opened his eyes and looked around, revealing the pajamas with sky blue polka dot pattern that he wore.


    when he saw amelia, his body stiffened.


    his expression showed not only fear but also a sense of distance.


    he was undoubtedly a spitting image of the siwoo that amelia knew.


    a bright gleam of rationality filled his eyes that had always been gazing into empty spaces as of late.


    his previously expressionless face displayed a hue of emotions.


    amelia felt her chest tightened.


    he had returned.


    siwoo had returned.


    it didn¡¯t matter what form he was in, he had finally returned.


    ¡°siwoo...¡±


    amelia unconsciously reached out and gently stroked his cheek.


    his soft and pliable skin exuded warmth.


    ¡°you¡¯re awake.¡±


    ¡°yes...¡±


    his voice sounded more youthful.


    it was as if he hadn¡¯t gone through puberty as his voice had become so delicate that it was almost indistinguishable from a girl¡¯s.


    ¡°do you recognize who i am?¡±


    siwoo shifted his gaze between amelia¡¯s hand, which was gently touching his cheek, and her face, which was uncomfortably close to his. he stammered for a while before finally speaking.


    ¡°you are... amelia...¡±


    tears welled up in amelia¡¯s eyes and streamed down her cheeks.


    she shouldn¡¯t have done this.


    what she should have done was to confess her past mistakes and seek his forgiveness in a melodramatic manner.


    however, instead of doing that, she hugged him.


    there were so many things she wanted to say to him.


    she promised herself that she wouldn¡¯t be making any mistakes, and she had rehearsed and organized her words countless times but there were still words that she couldn¡¯t express properly.


    it was as if all the words and phrases she came up with were stuck in her throat.


    but, she at least managed to utter a single word of apology.


    ¡°i-i¡¯m so sorry...¡±


    tears blurred her vision.


    she held him in a tight embrace, in fear that he might disappear and leave her again.


    her confirmation of his existence brought forth a torrent of tears as she could do nothing but weep.


    ¡°i¡¯m so...sorry...¡±


    a smile formed on her face.


    even though she was supposed to feel sadness and guilt.


    despite the tears streaming down her face, a smile graced her lips.


    ¡°thank you...for coming back...thank you so much...¡±


    after a while, siwoo, who had been tightly embraced by amelia, cautiously spoke up.


    his words left a dark thread in amelia¡¯s heart, though the reason for that was different than the last time.


    ¡°amelia, d-did i do something wrong...?¡±


    siwoo asked with an innocent and timid voice.


    a hint of fear was evident in his voice.

 Chapter 110: Regression (3)

    ? regression (3) ?


    1.


    it was the long-awaited dinner time.


    ever since siwoo was in coma, amelia hadn¡¯t consumed anything except for alcohol and cigarettes.


    she had neither the luxury nor the mood for it.


    the long table in the restaurant was filled with a lavish feast that could easily feed ten people.


    various dishes were beautifully prepared with the main course being a crispy roasted piglet.


    while sharing a meal with siwoo brought her joy and a sense of reunion, she still felt uneasy.


    it was due to his reaction back when he first woke up.


    the subtle sense of distance and fear he had.


    even though his memory hadn¡¯t fully recovered, amelia could tell that she occupied an unfavorable position in his subconscious, which led him instinctively harbored negative emotions towards her.


    this fact pricked her heart.


    other than that, she also had the responsibility to tell him the whole truth.


    ¡°if i understand correctly, ms. amelia, you¡¯re saying that i was originally a twenty-eight-years-old man and i suddenly became younger as an aftereffect of the recovery process i received, is that correct?¡±


    seated on a chair with several extra cushions placed on it due to the height difference, siwoo looked at amelia, trying to gauge her reaction.


    a napkin was wrapped around his neck, one that amelia had personally tied.


    judging from his skeptical expression, he didn¡¯t seem to believe her words at all.


    in truth, even amelia wasn¡¯t sure where to begin to explain all this.


    ¡°i see...¡±


    however, siwoo didn¡¯t hastily show her his suspicions despite the doubt he harbored.


    amelia didn¡¯t know if this was because of the instinctive fear he felt towards her.


    ¡°then, could you please tell me what should i do? i apologize, but my memories are... well... they are a little...¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t need to do anything specific. just stay with me until your body fully recovers.¡±


    ¡°but, am i not your slave, ms. amelia? is that really okay?¡±


    amelia avoided his gaze and pretended to chug down a glass of water, hiding a heavily downtrodden expression.


    she couldn¡¯t face him properly, not when he looked at her with such a face. he didn¡¯t know anything and amelia was beating over herself for this fact.


    ¡°a slave...no...¡±


    ¡°pardon?¡±


    ¡°i destroyed your slave certificate when you were still unconscious.¡±


    amelia had pondered over every word he had uttered in anger on the day he lashed out at her.n)-o--v-)e).l-/b..1-(n


    what he had vehemently desired was one thing and one thing only.


    freedom.


    so, she went through the formalities at the city hall a month after he went into a coma and destroyed his slave certificate.


    ¡°i see. thank you.¡±


    siwoo seemed bewildered after hearing her words.


    something came to amelia¡¯s mind as she observed his reaction.


    she had felt it long before, but he was remarkably mature for his age.


    his body had returned to his childhood self, but his ability to analyze his circumstances and read his surroundings wasn¡¯t something that a child would possess.


    back when she was around his age, amelia was nothing more than a naive kid.


    -clatter, clatter.


    after that, they hadn¡¯t exchanged any significant words.


    they made clashing noises as they utilized their utensils to eat their dinner, but those were the only noises they made.


    amelia decided that she shouldn¡¯t apologize to siwoo unless his memories had fully returned.


    after all, he currently wasn¡¯t in a state where he could make rational judgments.


    ¡°it was delicious.¡±


    as soon as amelia set down her utensils, siwoo, who had been slowly slicing the roasted pig, put down his knife.


    upon seeing his actions, amelia spoke out.


    ¡°if you want more, feel free to ask.¡±


    ¡°no, this is enough.¡±


    judging from his reaction, it seemed like he had only been pretending to eat until amelia finished her own meal.


    in the past, she¡¯d take such behavior for granted.


    but, now, seeing him constantly throw her cautious looks made her heart ache.


    after the meal, they got up from their seats and headed to the second floor together.


    his head used to be much higher whenever they walked side by side.


    amelia felt the awkwardness as she turned her head to see the cute and small siwoo.


    ¡°well, have a good rest. if there¡¯s something you¡¯re uncomfortable with, feel free to call me.¡±


    ¡°yes, ms. amelia. please have a good rest as well.¡±


    at that moment, when they were standing at the intersection of the central staircase, as they were about to go to their respective rooms.


    siwoo suddenly grabbed amelia.


    ¡°um, ms. amelia?¡±


    not expecting him to initiate a conversation with her, amelia was slightly taken aback.


    ¡°what is it?¡±


    siwoo hesitated for a moment.


    ¡°i don¡¯t know what happened exactly, but... i just wanted to tell you that it¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°what do you mean...?¡±


    ¡°as soon as i woke up, you apologized to me immediately... i¡¯m not sure what you were apologizing for, but i think... i¡¯ll forgive you for whatever it was...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    amelia nodded slightly, feeling as if she had been struck in the head.


    ¡°a-alright...¡±


    ¡°ah...¡±


    however, amelia only gave siwoo an ambiguous response.


    seeing this, he fell into contemplation before hastily apologizing.


    ¡°s-sorry! i shouldn¡¯t have said such things when i don¡¯t even know what i¡¯m talking about¡ª¡±


    ¡°no, don¡¯t be! it isn¡¯t what you think!¡±


    amelia rushed to comfort siwoo in panic.


    she repeatedly reassured him that it was okay until he calmed down. then, she watched him as he opened the door to his room and entered it. with a complicated heart, she stepped into her own room.


    ¡®he¡¯s going to forgive me?¡¯


    she never expected he would say something like that.


    however, amelia knew.


    if duchess keter¡¯s words were true, his body would soon return to its original state and his memories would gradually recover.


    the forgiveness that she received from the current siwoo was like an empty shell.


    after all, it came from a young boy who had forgotten everything that she had done to him. he was terrified of her, sure, but he didn¡¯t despise her like he used to. she couldn¡¯t just accept his forgiveness like that.


    ¡°...forgiveness...¡±


    nevertheless, amelia still felt an overwhelming sense of liberation, causing her to stand still in a daze for a while.


    it felt like her tears were about to pour down like rain.


    she took out a bottle of rum from her shelf and plopped down on her couch.


    just as she was about to light a cigarette and brought it to her lips, siwoo¡¯s current form came to her mind.


    vaguely, she remembered that it would be bad for a young boy to become a passive smoker.


    while smoking wouldn¡¯t affect her body as she was a witch, siwoo was a normal human.


    not to mention that he was nothing more than a fragile child at the moment.


    she quietly put away her cigarette and poured her drink into a glass with ice cubes.


    it seemed like tonight would be another night she had to spend while pondering deeply.


    2.


    it was deep into the night, but amelia couldn¡¯t fall asleep.


    opening and closing her books, restlessly getting up and sitting back down, lying on the bed and rolling around, she repeated those actions until she could no longer bear it.


    siwoo¡¯s room was just a few meters away.


    he still seemed uncomfortable around her, so it would be best for her to not go see him if she were to consider his feelings.


    at least until he regained his memory and proper judgment.


    ¡°...but, i need to make sure he¡¯s sleeping well.¡±


    ¡®he just recovered, didn¡¯t he?¡¯


    his recovery happened so suddenly.


    it was important for her to continue watching over him because who knows what would happen to him.


    that was the excuse amelia came up with to convince herself before making her way to siwoo¡¯s room. even though she was more than aware that duchess keter wouldn¡¯t make such a fundamental mistake.


    the truth was, she just thought that if she were to look at his sleeping face, she might feel a little bit better.


    she entered the room stealthily while holding her breath, also making sure that the sound of the door opening wouldn¡¯t wake him up.


    ¡°...!¡±


    but, her consideration seemed to have turned into a futile effort.


    as soon as she entered the room, she saw siwoo, who had been flipping the blanket over his head, flinching.


    his movements were too exaggerated to be just him tossing and turning in his sleep.


    amelia checked the clock on the other end of the room.


    its hands showed that it was 2 am. the boy hadn¡¯t slept yet even though it was already this late.


    she made her way to the side of the bed.


    as she sat down on the chair and held his hand, the boy carefully lowered his blanket.


    ¡°m-ms. amelia, i¡¯m sorry... i-i know i should sleep early... t-that¡¯s what you want me to do, right, ms. amelia...?¡±


    he tried to avoid eye contact and rambled on, as if he had done something wrong.


    even though it was amelia who should be feeling guilty.


    ¡°it¡¯s okay. you don¡¯t need to mind your sleeping time. it¡¯s fine if you want to wake up late too.¡±


    ¡°...i-i¡¯m sorry...¡±


    amelia waited for a moment, trying to calm the boy down, speaking in the most gentle voice she could muster so that she wouldn¡¯t scare him.


    ¡°is there something bothering you that¡¯s keeping you from sleeping?¡±


    ¡°w-well, no, but...¡±


    ¡°do you want me to bring you some milk?¡±


    ¡°ah, n-no, it¡¯s just...¡±


    after a moment of hesitation, siwoo cautiously spoke up.


    he seemed quite embarrassed.


    ¡°i-i¡¯m a little...scared...¡±


    ¡°ah.¡±


    ¡®i see.¡¯


    amelia realized.


    the fact that she had been so absorbed in the thought that this person in front of was the siwoo she knew, all just because he looked incredibly mature for his age.


    she forgot that he was just a young boy.


    back when she was his age, she was just like him, easily frightened even by the mere shadows of swaying trees in the wind, making her having trouble sleeping.


    if there was an open wardrobe door, she¡¯d always close it tightly before sleeping. she¡¯d also stuff the space under her bed with random objects so scary monsters wouldn¡¯t be able to hide there.


    on stormy days with howling wind and thunderstorms, she¡¯d run to her master¡¯s room.


    during those times, her master would read her fairy tales, sing her lullaby or just chat with her until she was exhausted and fell asleep.


    siwoo being a young boy meant that he¡¯d need that kind of care.


    that was the moment when amelia understood the meaning of duchess keter¡¯s words, that taking care of him would require a lot of effort.


    ¡°do you want to sleep together?¡±


    while reminiscing about her memories with her master, a phrase she hadn¡¯t intended to say slipped out of her mouth.


    it wasn¡¯t like her to let her true feelings burst out like that, but after pondering a little about it, she realized that it seemed like a reasonable thing to say.


    ¡°ah, no, it¡¯s okay!¡±


    in response, siwoo quickly declined.


    considering how uncomfortable and afraid he was, it was unlikely that he would suddenly accept her suggestion.


    nevertheless, amelia still felt disappointed by his answer.


    but, siwoo spoke up again.


    ¡°um, ms. amelia...?¡±


    ¡°yes, what is it?¡±


    ¡°w-would it be okay if i ask for your company? ...just for tonight?¡±


    the sight of him widening his eyes and shyly making the request was so cute to amelia.


    she felt like she finally understood why her master had poured so much love and care onto her, despite her naivety and stubbornness.


    this sight awakened her maternal instinct.


    ¡°do you feel comfortable sleeping here? or do you prefer to come to my room?¡±


    gently.


    in order not to frighten him, she gently brushed her hand against his forehead.


    at first, he seemed surprised since he didn¡¯t expect that she¡¯d treat him this kindly, but then he expressed his thoughts for the first time.


    ¡°that picture over there feels so eerie. i want to move to another room.¡±


    he pointed to the tree-shaped magic formula he had drawn.


    indeed, it did give off an unsettling vibe in this dimly lit place.


    ¡°alright.¡±


    as amelia nodded her head, siwoo swiftly removed his blanket and put on his slippers.


    he stood up with a somewhat awkward posture, looking unsure on how to approach her.


    ¡°ah.¡±


    meanwhile, amelia reached out to fix his eyepatch that became loose because of his previous tossing and turning. that was when she realized something.


    ¡°is it okay if i take off your eyepatch for a moment?¡±


    ¡°ah, yes, ms. amelia.¡±


    when she removed his eyepatch, his left eye became visible to her.


    but, it didn¡¯t move. when she inspected it closely, there was no sign of vitality coming from it.


    which meant that the eye was a prosthetic one.


    even though duchess keter had rewinded time for him, the wound to his left eye remained unhealed.


    as amelia held the eyepatch in her hand, siwoo hesitantly reached out to touch his own face.


    ¡°i-is something wrong?¡±


    even if she were to explain it, he wouldn¡¯t understand anything right away.


    so, amelia gently shook her head and put his eyepatch on again.


    ¡°it¡¯s nothing. let¡¯s go.¡±


    she concluded that she¡¯d need to hear the duchess¡¯ explanation regarding this issue.


    amelia then led siwoo to her room.

 Chapter 111: Foolery (1)

    ? foolery (1) ?


    1.


    ¡°come, you can lay down here.¡±


    amelia tidied up the disheveled bed she had been rolling around in and gestured for siwoo to join her.


    the boy looked at her with a look of disbelief, as if he hadn¡¯t expected this.


    ¡°m-ms. amelia... a-are going to sleep together...?¡±


    he had only thought that they¡¯d be sharing the same room, not the same bed.


    this new revelation made him flustered.


    his eye was filled with embarrassment and discomfort and amelia couldn¡¯t bear to look at it for long.


    ¡°don¡¯t worry, just lie down.¡±


    she gently pushed his back and helped him sit on the bed.


    then, she took off his slippers and carefully tucked his legs under the covers.


    ¡°you don¡¯t have to do this! i can just sleep on the couch¡ª¡±


    ¡°if you dislike it, i can just sleep on the couch.¡±


    ¡°no, that¡¯s...¡±


    siwoo sat there with his feet all fidgety, unable to settle on any particular posture.


    amelia lowered her upper body and covered his body up to his chest with a blanket.


    ¡°if it makes you uncomfortable, i can just stay by your side until you fall asleep.¡±


    ¡°it doesn¡¯t... it¡¯s just... i¡¯m sorry...¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t be.¡±


    amelia reached out her hand and firmly held his.


    his hand had become smaller than hers.


    she intertwined their fingers, making siwoo look at her with wide eyes, an expression that reminded amelia of a startled rabbit.


    ¡°just relax. you¡¯re both a patient and a child. it¡¯s only natural for children to receive care and protection.¡±


    after hearing amelia saying those words earnestly, siwoo couldn¡¯t bring himself to turn her down anymore.


    gazing at their tightly held hands for a while, he then comfortably rested his head on the pillow.


    ¡°thank you.¡±


    amelia couldn¡¯t help but stare intently at his face, captivated by his shy and soft murmurs.


    she knew that it wasn¡¯t the time for such idle thoughts.


    this was merely a momentary tranquility, she knew that fact more than anyone, yet she couldn¡¯t help but be captivated.


    ¡®he¡¯s so cute.¡¯


    even though she disliked children, his childlike appearance was so endearing that it melted her heart.


    after observing amelia for a while, siwoo shifted his body and lifted the blanket.


    then, he tapped on the empty space next to him.


    ¡°please lie down here too, ms. amelia.¡±


    ¡°i know you feel uncomfortable around me, siwoo. there¡¯s no need for you to be considerate of me.¡±


    as soon as he came to his mind, siwoo displayed fear and maintained a sense of distance toward her.


    that was why amelia suspected that his offer wasn¡¯t sincere.


    ¡°but, this bed is quite spacious, isn¡¯t it? even if two people lie down here, there will still be plenty of room.¡±


    however, just by mentioning the size of the bed, siwoo effortlessly erased the sense of distance he had shown earlier.


    ¡°if ms. amelia had to sleep somewhere else because of me, it would make me uncomfortable and unable to sleep well.¡±


    that was the reason why he made such a suggestion.nove/lb-in


    finding his demeanor both noble and somehow admirable, amelia decided to climb on the bed.


    ¡°well then, i¡¯ll sleep by your side tonight.¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    as they both settled into the bed and covered themselves with the blanket, siwoo finally let out a faint smile.


    amelia savored that smile as if it were a work of art, before she realized something that made her mind go blank.


    in the past, it was her impulsive actions that had driven him out from a comfortable accommodation.


    of course, it wasn¡¯t her intention to send him to live in a harsh environment like that old barn, but in the end, she was the entire reason why he ended up living like that.


    on the contrary, siwoo was willing to endure his own discomfort for her sake.


    his innocent and selfless kindness contrasted sharply with her shameful actions, causing her face to flush with guilt.


    she started blaming herself for doing something that even a ten-year-old wouldn¡¯t do and as a result, the guilt she felt overwhelmed her.


    ¡°ugh...!¡±


    while still lying down, she hugged siwoo tightly.


    as the latter was much smaller compared to her, his body fit perfectly into her embrace.


    amidst the floral fragrance composed of dozens of scents, including sandalwood, vanilla and jasmine.


    her soft breasts, only covered by her nightgown, rubbed against siwoo¡¯s face.


    not knowing the reason behind her actions, siwoo stiffened like a log, unsure on where to put his hands.


    ¡°u-um, excuse me...? m-ms. amelia?¡±


    even though he was just a young boy, he had a general understanding of certain things.


    one of them was the fact that a woman¡¯s chest wasn¡¯t something he should carelessly touch.


    his cheek was pressed against her slightly protruding soft chest behind that soft and thin fabric.


    in the center of her chest, something poked his cheek with an unexpectedly sharp jab.


    the moment he realized what it was, he experienced an intense impulse unlike anything he had ever felt before.


    it was an urge to grope, touch and feel her chest in his hands.


    then, he felt a strange itchiness and discomfort in his lower abdomen.


    but, he desperately suppressed that urge.


    instead, he twisted his body and freed himself of her embrace.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry, do you dislike it?¡±


    amelia realized that her sudden actions might have burdened him.


    ¡°a-ah, n-no... i-it¡¯s not that i dislike it, but... i was a little embarrassed...¡±


    due to her position, leaning sideways towards him, his eyes were drawn to her prominently visible white cleavage.


    he knew that it was wrong to have such thoughts, but he couldn¡¯t help but want to reach out and massage it.


    ¡°you don¡¯t need to feel embarrassed. even i used to sleep in my master¡¯s arms back when i was your age.¡±


    ¡°really?¡±


    he asked in surprise.


    from his perspective, it was hard to imagine amelia, someone who always seemed mature and somewhat intimidating to have such a childlike side in the past.


    ¡°yes. my master used to hold me in her arms and sing me lullabies until i fell asleep.¡±


    amelia told him that even herself, who always had trouble sleeping, would fall asleep within ten minutes while nestled in her master¡¯s embrace. she¡¯d listen to her master singing a lullaby while gently fondling her breasts.


    of course she didn¡¯t tell him that last part. as she recalled the tender and warm memories of those days, the corners of her mouth loosened.


    ¡°...¡±


    the sternness that made others steer away from her disappeared, replaced by a relaxed face that could break into a smile at any moment.


    she lingered in her memories for a while before returning to her usual self.


    meanwhile, siwoo was stunned after seeing her charming appearance.


    ¡°it¡¯s okay to be a little spoiled.¡±


    amelia slightly opened her arms, creating a welcoming space for siwoo to nestle in.


    siwoo, who had been hesitant up to that point, wiggled and entered her embrace once again.


    and then...


    his hand moved towards her chest almost instinctively.


    it wasn¡¯t an intentional act, even siwoo himself was surprised that he had done this.


    ¡°...ah!¡±


    startled by the sudden touch, amelia¡¯s body trembled.


    the sensation of her chest touching someone else¡¯s body and her chest being held by someone else¡¯s hand were distinctly different.


    at the same time, siwoo, who was captivated and fell into contemplation, came to his senses.


    ¡°i-i¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s okay.¡±


    although she was surprised for a moment there, her demeanor quickly softened.


    after all, she herself was aware of the cozyness that someone¡¯s chest provided.


    she also knew that it was natural for a child of his age to seek maternal affection.


    ¡°do you want to touch it?¡±


    ¡°n-no! m-my hands just... without me realizing it...¡±


    besides, it wasn¡¯t like the one who did it was the adult siwoo.


    ¡®maybe this is how a young child who¡¯s scared to be alone usually acts?¡¯


    it would be vulgar of her if she were to have strange thoughts in this situation.


    she gently pulled siwoo¡¯s wrist and placed it on her own chest.


    then, with a soft voice, she said.


    ¡°go ahead, if you want to.¡±


    her soft and plump breasts were held in siwoo¡¯s small hands.


    the sensation he felt was incomparable to when his cheek was brushed against them.


    overwhelmed by this captivating sensation that made him feel like he could rub them all day long, siwoo once again forgot to seek her permission as he absentmindedly grabbed her breasts.


    ¡°wow...¡±


    he felt the soft sensation in his hands.


    behind the thin nightgown, he could distinctly feel the beating of her heart.


    though he knew that this wasn¡¯t an appropriate thing to do, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to stop.


    ¡°does it calm your heart a little?¡±


    ¡°yes...¡±


    amelia gently brushed siwoo¡¯s hair with one hand.


    his eyes lit up as if he had discovered a treasure, making him look incredibly adorable.


    -squish, squish.


    his fingers would sink in as he touched them. whenever he eased up the force he used, her elastic breasts would return to their original shape.


    the alluring way her cleavage changed its shape captivated his eyes.


    ¡®how long has it been?¡¯


    suddenly, amelia felt a shiver run through her body.


    if she were to make a comparison...


    this was the similar feeling she felt back when she saw odile sucking siwoo¡¯s dick with her mouth.


    it was a strange feeling, as if her body was falling down then bounced back up by a trampoline.


    her chest grew hot.


    she suddenly felt a tingling sensation between her legs.


    then, suddenly, she became aware of the sensation of siwoo¡¯s palm touching the tip of her breasts.


    ¡°ngh...!¡±


    siwoo, completely engrossed in what he was doing, continued his actions even though he noticed amelia¡¯s body tensing up.


    initially, he had been kneading her chest gently, but over time he started to squeeze it.


    thoughts like whether it was appropriate or not to touch his master¡¯s chest blatantly like this didn¡¯t even cross his mind.


    he was too bewildered by this unfamiliar and peculiar sensation.


    however, the most important thing here was...


    amelia didn¡¯t seem to hate what he was doing.


    her breath became shallow and her heart grew restless, but amelia felt a contradictory feeling of calmness and comfort.


    she was engrossed in those feelings to the point that she couldn¡¯t tell him to stop.


    ¡°hyah...!¡±


    amelia let out a small cry, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.


    siwoo, who had been caressing her chest, inadvertently brushed his fingertips against the erect nipple that had been swelling slightly.


    it happened in an instant, the sensation of tingling electricity running from her chest to her abdomen made it impossible for her to stay still.


    the sound she made was quite loud, even siwoo was taken aback by it.


    ¡°i-i¡¯m sorry...¡±


    siwoo apologized to amelia in a frightened voice.


    when his palm gently roamed through her chest, he twisted the resilient bump by accident, not knowing the effect that action had on amelia.


    ¡°i-it¡¯s okay...¡±


    amelia fixed her disheveled collar and reassured siwoo with a pat.


    never in her wildest dreams that she expected this would happen.


    this was an embarrassing situation for both of them.


    ¡°siwoo, it¡¯s okay to touch my chest, but that area is off-limits. do you understand?¡±


    ¡°y-yes, i-i¡¯m sorry...¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s fine. you didn¡¯t know.¡±


    in truth, amelia didn¡¯t know that she¡¯d react like that either.


    she cleared her throat, trying to brush it off, before straightening her shoulders, offering her breasts again for siwoo.


    seeing how much he enjoyed it, she felt an even stronger desire to indulge him.


    his sparkling eyes as he caressed her chest were incredibly adorable.


    after that, siwoo gently cupped her chest from underneath without touching her nipple, massaging them from below.


    this continued for fifteen minutes, in which he fell asleep with a peaceful expression on his face.


    ¡°...zzz...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    amelia confirmed that siwoo had indeed fallen asleep.


    ¡®had his continuous touching really generated such heat?¡¯


    for some reason, her chest felt hot and tingling.


    she didn¡¯t show it when siwoo was awake, but her breathing had become slightly erratic.


    it was a strange sensation for her.


    especially when he lightly pinched the tip of her breasts, she was so surprised that she ended up letting out a weird noise.


    she instinctively raised her hand and lightly touched her own nipple, as if trying to compare the sensation.


    ¡°...¡±


    the sensation she felt was completely different than when he touched it.


    when she did it on her own, she just felt ticklish.


    she then put her hand down in embarrassment and soon fell asleep with her head leaning against siwoo.

 Chapter 112: Foolery (2)

    ? foolery (2) ?


    1.


    boisterous voices wafted through the serene garden of amelia¡¯s mansion.


    the twins, who had come from the academy through the portal, were running through the garden with ¡®water lizard strides.¡¯


    ¡°run faster, odette! why are you so slow?!¡±


    ¡°w-wait for me, sis!¡±


    similar thing happened last time.


    back when they heard that siwoo had woken up, they rushed over in a frenzy, only to find him sitting still like a puppet.


    after that, as soon as they returned to the mansion, they grabbed their master, countess gemini, begging to be taught recovery magic by them.


    sensing the twins¡¯ emotions, the countess had no choice but to open the mansion¡¯s study room and let the twins be engrossed in their studies inside.


    as they pored over those incomprehensible scholarly books, they didn¡¯t even notice how much time had passed.


    if the head maid, galina, didn¡¯t tell them about how duchess keter went out of her way to heal siwoo personally, they wouldn¡¯t know about it.


    upon hearing that, they pushed aside their books and rushed to find siwoo.


    because it was duchess keter herself who made a move, they were confident that siwoo had finally recovered this time.


    as soon as they opened the front door to amelia¡¯s mansion, the twins hurriedly made their way to the second floor, towards amelia¡¯s room and knocked on the door.


    ¡°associate professor! associate professor!¡±


    ¡°may we come in?¡±


    the door creaked open.


    amelia came out with a rather bright expression, an expression they hadn¡¯t seen in a long time.


    actually, it wasn¡¯t like she displayed her emotions through her facial expression, it was just that it was easy to tell what her mood was by the air she exuded.


    until recently, it was as if a dark cloud was hanging over her head, but now it felt as if there was a radiant sun and a rainbow instead.


    ¡°is it okay if we meet mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°we heard that mr. assistant has recovered!¡±


    ¡°we want to go out and have fun together!¡±


    amelia hesitated for a moment at the twins¡¯ words.


    ¡°you no longer need my permission. assistant shin siwoo is no longer a slave.¡±


    ¡°sorry?¡±


    ¡°go and see for yourself.¡±


    the twins quietly left after seeing her dismissive gesture.


    ¡®he isn¡¯t a slave anymore? what does she mean?¡±


    ¡°what happened?¡±


    however, the twins wanted to see his face so badly, so they decided to not ponder over it too much.


    ¡®does that mean we can freely play with him? we don¡¯t need to ask for permission anymore?¡¯


    ¡°i don¡¯t know what happened. but does it really matter?¡±


    ¡°no... i mean, isn¡¯t that actually a good thing?¡±


    like baby rabbits hopping around in excitement, the twins eagerly swung open the door to siwoo¡¯s room.


    ¡°¡°mr. assistant, we¡¯re here!¡±¡±


    the warm spring sunlight poured inside the room today.


    siwoo, who had been diligently writing something on the table, looked up in surprise at the suddenly opened door.


    his figure came to the twins¡¯ sight.


    instead of their sturdy-looking young assistant, it was a little child.


    ¡°huh?¡±


    ¡°what...?¡±


    the room descended into silence.


    siwoo finished organizing the papers he had been scribbling on and got up from his chair to greet the twins.


    ¡°hello.¡±


    the child looked identical to siwoo, with his black eyes and black hair.


    not to mention that he wore an eyepatch over his left eye.


    noticing the uncanny resemblance, the twins tilted their heads in curiosity and asked.


    ¡°do you know where assistant shin siwoo is?¡±


    ¡°ah, i¡¯m shin siwoo... but...¡±


    ¡°¡°?¡±¡±


    they stared at each other¡¯s faces, looking clearly confused.


    before the confusion could escalate though, siwoo began to explain.


    he couldn¡¯t provide the exact explanation, but he told them that he had gone through some sort of incident that left his body in its current state.


    his memories were fragmented and obscured.


    nevertheless, he assured them that he¡¯d completely recover soon enough.


    the twins, who had been listening to him attentively, nodded their heads in unison.


    ¡°ah, so that means you¡¯ve turned into a little kid, mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°y-yes...¡±


    ¡°do you remember who i am?¡±


    siwoo pondered for a while.


    it was as if he was trying to recall a math formula he had memorized a long time ago.


    as he concentrated intensely, faint glimpses of memories started to surface.


    ¡°you¡¯re ms. odette... right?¡±


    ¡°yes, you¡¯re correct!¡±


    ¡°what about me?¡±


    odile also indicated herself by placing a finger on her chest.


    once again, siwoo responded with his soft and timid voice.


    ¡°you¡¯re ms. odile...¡±


    ¡°you haven¡¯t forgotten who i am, hm~?¡±


    odile nodded with a satisfied expression.


    after a brief confirmation and assessment, the twins quietly observed siwoo¡¯s current state.


    as the initial confusion of their encounter faded away thanks to his explanation, they began to grasp his current condition more clearly.


    the twins walked gracefully and stood in front of him.


    this evaluation session lasted for a while.


    ¡°you¡¯ve gotten smaller than me!¡±


    starting from his small height; barely reaching odile¡¯s chin.


    ¡°look at his skin, sis! it¡¯s smooth like a baby¡¯s!¡±


    due to him reverting back to his childhood, his skin became flawless, without a single scar.


    ¡°your pajamas look great on you, mr. assistant!¡±


    he was wearing sky blue dotted pajamas.


    it fit him perfectly.


    the twins found it unbelievable that this little child was the same person as the handsome assistant siwoo they used to know.


    that was why they gave him a thorough examination.


    they grabbed his arm, twirled him around and even poked his cheeks.


    siwoo was left dumbfounded by the twins¡¯ antics.


    after a while, odile regained her composure. she cleared her throat and began to speak.


    ¡°mr. assistant.¡±


    ¡°yes, ms. odile.¡±


    she had just thought of something she wanted to ask him to do.


    with an excited and determined expression, she opened her mouth.


    ¡°call me big sis odile.¡±


    ¡°huh? wait, me too! call me big sis odette!¡±


    ¡°stay quiet, odette, i asked first, so he should call me that first!¡±


    ¡°rock-paper-scissors! we¡¯ll settle it with rock-paper-scissors so it¡¯ll be fair!¡±


    ¡°what are you on about? i came up with the idea first, you barging in is what makes it unfair for me!¡±


    before siwoo could even respond, the twins already started a heated argument. he could only awkwardly chuckle as he watched them.


    his response was exactly like what siwoo would respond, making the twins think that his current appearance must be how he looked when he was younger.


    ¡°big sis odile, big sis odette... like this?¡±


    to prevent unnecessary squabbles between them, siwoo quickly spoke.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    the twins, who had been noisily talking about who should be called ¡®big sis¡¯ first, suddenly fell silent.


    they stared at his face intently.


    feeling like something was wrong, siwoo rearranged his words and spoke out again.


    ¡°big sis odette, big sis odile, you don¡¯t need to fight...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    even after he did that, the twins just stood there with their mouths slightly open as they stared at him.


    although they were apprentice witches, at their cores, they were still girls who loved cute and sweet things.


    the little siwoo¡¯s charm lies in his extraordinary cuteness that was able to melt the twins¡¯ hearts apart even though they were in the middle of a conflict just a few moments ago.


    ¡°kyaa! little assistant siwoo is so cute! look at these squishy cheeks!¡±


    ¡°so cute! assistant siwoo is adorable!¡±


    odile pressed herself against siwoo and playfully pinched his soft and squishy cheeks while rubbing her own against his.


    after showering him with affectionate gestures and the word ¡®cute¡¯ for about 200 times per person, the twins embraced him gently.


    their hearts couldn¡¯t help but melt when they nuzzled him.


    ¡°when i hold him, my heart feels at peace...¡±


    ¡°sis, can¡¯t we just take him home and raise him?¡±


    ¡°good point. wouldn¡¯t it be nice if we could sleep together while hugging each other?¡±


    ¡°mm...¡±


    in their minds, they were already dead set on taking him to their mansion.


    on the other hand, being sandwiched between the twins, siwoo¡¯s face was turning red from embarrassment.


    ¡°by the way, mr. assistant, you said you don¡¯t remember much, right? how much do you remember?¡±


    ¡°do you remember about the time you played with us?¡±


    ¡°well, i remember your names and the fact that you are apprentice witches... but, could you please release my head...?¡±


    ¡°oh, sorry, sorry!¡±


    it was only after seeing his frustrated expression that the twins finally released him.


    ¡°you saved our lives twice, mr. assistant.¡±


    ¡°back when you were an adult, you were really cool! but, the way you are right now is good too~¡±


    feeling overwhelmed by the twins¡¯ flirts, siwoo became flustered and averted his gaze.


    they pulled his sleeves and urged him.


    ¡°anyway, that¡¯s not important!¡±nove)lb(in


    ¡°that¡¯s right! do you want to come and play with us, mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°play...?¡±


    ¡°yeah! let¡¯s go shopping for clothes and go to the grand bath together!¡±


    ¡°good idea, sis! mr. assistant, do you know how beautiful the grand bath is? we go there once a week! we should go together now!¡±


    ¡°but...¡±


    in truth, the twins were practically strangers to siwoo.


    all the memories they had built together had been sealed away.


    however, due to the strange sense of intimacy they exuded and the fact that they treated him so well, he didn¡¯t feel the same resistance he felt when he first met amelia.


    ¡°yes, i want to go.¡±


    ¡°yay!¡±


    ¡°you made a good decision, mr. assistant! who¡¯s the cutie~?¡±


    odile showered him with head pats, even though he had only given them a simple answer.


    with the twins enthusiastically shouting about how cute he was, it made siwoo feel good for himself.


    then again, there were no children his age that wouldn¡¯t feel giddy after being praised so many times.


    ¡°but before that, i need to get permission from ms. amelia.¡±


    ¡°what? but you¡¯re no longer a slave, mr. assistant...¡±


    ¡°be quiet, odette. this is how it should be.¡±


    ¡°fine.¡±


    since the only clothes that fit him were the pajamas given by duchess keter, he left his room in pajamas.


    ¡°sis, why does he need to ask for permission?¡±


    ¡°first of all, there¡¯s this thing called manners.¡±


    siwoo listened to their chatter through the closing gap of the door as he made his way down the corridor.


    -knock, knock.


    he knocked on the door and it swung open smoothly.


    inside, amelia was sitting at the table, engrossed in her research that had been piling up.


    in fact, she had gained a lot by breaking through the barrier of the 23nd rank.


    now that siwoo¡¯s condition had improved to some extent, she was gradually organizing and catching up on her work.


    ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    amelia asked, tilting her head after seeing siwoo entered alone despite the twins¡¯ plan to play with him.


    ¡°ms. amelia, may i go and play with the apprentice witches?¡±


    compared to yesterday, amelia could sense that siwoo¡¯s attitude toward her seemed to be more relaxed.


    the reason was because she had taken care of him with genuine affection, almost like a mother, leaving a favorable impression on him.


    moreover...


    he could still remember the sight of the breasts he fondled last night.


    looking back, he realized how shameful of an act that was. he couldn¡¯t understand what the hell he was thinking back then.


    the sensation lingered in his mind, making it hard for him to meet her eyes.


    yet, amelia seemed to be completely indifferent.


    ¡°you may. go and have fun.¡±


    ¡°thank you.¡±


    after siwoo gave a respectful bow, amelia added.


    ¡°and siwoo, you don¡¯t need to ask for my permission anymore. you¡¯re no longer my slave or anything like that.¡±


    ¡°but you¡¯re the one who takes care of me. i thought it¡¯s just proper to inform you about something like this.¡±


    taken aback by the unexpected response, amelia nodded slightly.


    ¡°in that case, just let me know the destination when you¡¯re going somewhere. otherwise, it might cause problems.¡±


    ¡°okay... then...¡±


    ¡°also, siwoo...¡±


    ¡°yes?¡±


    amelia called siwoo over.


    something suddenly passed through her mind.


    it was about his past, where he engaged in a physical relationship with the twins.


    after hesitating for a long time, unsure on how to approach the subject, amelia took a deep breath and spoke up in a loud and clear voice.


    ¡°...don¡¯t do bad things with them.¡±


    siwoo tilted his head in confusion.


    he didn¡¯t seem to understand her words. in his mind, he wondered if there was something that prompted her remark.


    ¡°yes, understood. i¡¯ll be back, ms. amelia.¡±


    siwoo replied, bidding his farewell with a slight bow before leaving the room.


    amelia stood up and walked over to the window.


    as she looked out at the garden, it didn¡¯t take long before she spotted siwoo being led by the twins, running towards the direction of the academy.


    watching him, she couldn¡¯t help but feel as if she had become her predecessor.


    everything she was doing for him reminded her of what she had received from her own master.


    she had no intention of seeking his forgiveness through these actions.


    ¡®yet, i always found myself wanting to do something for him.¡¯


    her gaze followed the three figures as they gradually moved further away.

 Chapter 113: Foolery (3)

    ? foolery (3) ?


    1.


    the first place the twins and siwoo headed to was the flora tailor shop in ars magna town.


    since they found his new appearance cute, they thought it was time to get his clothes tailored.


    ¡°can you tailor some clothes for a young boy?¡±


    ¡°you just need to name your price!¡±


    fiora, who was wearing her usual languid expression, looked at the mischievous twins fussing around with a wry smile.


    she had heard from the countess that the twins were troublemakers.


    seeing that they wouldn¡¯t move an inch unless she moved to make the clothes they wanted, fiora decided to grant their wish.


    ¡°there¡¯s nothing impossible for me.¡±


    well, part of the reason why she easily agreed to their request was because of how incredibly cute the customer they brought.


    she took his measurements and made some tiny suits that looked appropriate for his age.


    a cute looking suit with pants, a white shirt, a blue tie and a vest.


    lastly, she applied some oil to his hair and neatly combed it back.


    when siwoo came out of the fitting room the twins screamed in excitement. it was to the point that they almost fainted.


    ¡°mr. assistant, you¡¯re so cute!¡±


    ¡°sis... i feel faint...¡±


    the twins spun around siwoo.


    fiora, too, wore a rare satisfied expression as she watched the spectacle.


    it was natural for a creator to feel elated when she received a positive reaction to her creation


    ¡°the eyepatch is part of the service. please send my regards to the countess.¡±


    ¡°yes! thank you!¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re so pretty, ms. arabesque!¡±


    the twins each held one of siwoo¡¯s hands.


    ¡°no time to dawdle, mr. assistant!¡±


    ¡°we have to show off your cuteness around the town!¡±


    ¡°p-please don¡¯t do this...¡±


    ¡°even the way you say ¡®please don¡¯t do this¡¯ is so cute!¡±nove.lb.1n


    the twins were causing all sorts of commotion and mischief while siwoo was struggling to keep up with their pace.


    although he finally had nice clothes and felt happy about all the compliments, this was a bit too much for him.


    besides, siwoo was still a boy. he preferred to be called cool than cute.


    ¡°ngg...! i want to hug him until he bursts!¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s my turn to hug him, sis!¡±


    the twins took turns hugging him as they walked along the sidewalk.


    ¡°by the way, where are we going?¡±


    ¡°didn¡¯t we tell you? the grand bath.¡±


    ¡°a-a bathhouse?¡±


    ¡°yes, the levana grand bath! the witches considered it to be the best bathhouse around!¡±


    ¡°d-does that mean we¡¯re going to the bathhouse together...?¡±


    ¡°of course!¡±


    it was only now that siwoo realized the meaning behind their words. he fell into contemplation.


    no matter how much they adored him, he felt that they were going too far.


    however, he decided to not say anything.


    while carrying a growing sense of unease, he silently followed them.


    when they arrived at the entrance of an immensely large building, siwoo asked in his mind after seeing it, ¡®is this really the entrance to a bathhouse?¡¯


    2.


    levana grand bath.


    the most luxurious bathing facility in gehenna, built by countess yesod in the 1800s.


    unlike your run-in-the-mill bathhouse, it wasn¡¯t a place anyone could visit as it operated in a strict membership system. judging by its location; in the middle of ars magna town, it could be inferred that people with average wealth couldn¡¯t afford to enter it.


    on top of that, it also provided amenities that made its hefty price justified. it was to the point that the saying, ¡®if you don¡¯t have a membership to the levana grand bath, you could only enjoy half of what gehenna has to offer,¡¯ popped out.


    it wasn¡¯t just the bathhouse, the place was basically a haven for the witches. there were church-like halls that served as social hubs, a hall that functioned as a meeting place, a casino, a library housing a rich collection of books, a restaurant where one could enjoy variety of dishes, a bar where witches from around the world gathered, a theater that hosted plays, operas and orchestral performances. it was a paradise of entertainment facilities.


    additionally, within its spacious ground, there were mansions built so that the witches could reside, serving as both accommodations and lodging business.


    as most witches without titles couldn¡¯t reside in ars magna town, this lodging facility was enough to accommodate their housing needs. siwoo, who thought that he would be going to a modest bathhouse, naturally gawked at this view in surprise.


    ¡°how is it?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s beautiful...¡±


    ¡°isn¡¯t it? wait until you see the interior!¡±


    ¡°mr. assistant with his mouth open is cute too...¡±


    odette, who was still captivated by siwoo, kept hugging him while odile confidently took the lead.


    siwoo¡¯s eyes wandered around dazedly, feeling as if he had entered a museum.


    ¡°is this really a public bathhouse?¡±


    ¡°yes. now, let¡¯s change our clothes. follow me.¡±


    ¡°pardon?¡±


    odile pulled the perplexed siwoo¡¯s arm and headed towards a room.


    as they opened the door and entered, a neatly dressed woman came forward to greet them.


    ¡°thank you for visiting levana grand bath, ms. odile gemini, ms. odette gemini.¡±


    the polite woman bowed her waist in hospitality. when she saw siwoo, she showed her surprised face.


    it was the first time the twins had ever brought someone to the bathhouse, catching her off guard.


    ¡°hello?¡±


    ¡°will this person enter with you? or is he going straight to the private bath?¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll show him the central bath first.¡±


    ¡°in that case, please wear this.¡±


    whether she was actually a hostess or a guide, the woman handed odile a thin cloth belt. the latter accepted it as if she already knew what it was for.


    ¡°we will take care of your valuables at our bathhouse. may you have a wonderful day at levana grand bath.¡±


    after another slight bow, the woman disappeared.


    as soon as she left, the twins began to remove their dresses.


    ¡°wait!¡±


    siwoo panicked and frantically waved his hands, clearly flustered.


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong? this is the dressing room.¡±


    ¡°what? the dressing room?¡±


    ¡°we paid a lot of money to them, so we have a private dressing room here. oh, we also have a private bath.¡±


    ¡®are they some kind of vips?¡¯


    but, the reason why siwoo was flustered wasn¡¯t because of them being in the dressing room or not.


    it was because he didn¡¯t expect that they would be changing their clothes together.


    he didn¡¯t even consider the fact that the dressing room looked better than most hotel rooms, so he was taken aback by them suddenly stripping in front of him.


    ¡°i-i don¡¯t think i should go in...¡±


    ¡°why? don¡¯t worry too much! i mean, we already¡ª¡±


    as odette was about to say something, odile quickly interrupted her.


    ¡°shh, don¡¯t say it. let¡¯s just watch his reaction! it¡¯s cute!¡±


    ¡°i guess so, huh~?¡±


    siwoo covered his eyes with his hands, only hearing the sound of dress straps being undone and clothes falling to the floor.


    he was too embarrassed to even move.


    ¡°are you embarrassed, mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°the shy mr. assistant is also cute...¡±


    they touched his clothes while letting out a soft voice.


    he was taken aback by their actions.


    ¡°just keep your eyes closed.¡±


    ¡°we are as naked as back when we were born, so you can¡¯t open your eyes, mr. assistant~ you aren¡¯t a pervert, right?¡±


    ¡°i-i¡¯m not!¡±


    whether it was intentional or not, the way they whispered their words into his ears made his face turn red.


    odile carefully pulled his hand down with a hint of laughter.


    she removed his eyepatch and wrapped a black cloth around his eyes.


    ¡°you can open your eyes now.¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s okay, i put a blindfold on you. you won¡¯t see anything.¡±


    unable to resist their insistence, he cautiously raised his head and opened his eyes.


    ¡°ah!¡±


    however, the cloth around his eyes was too thin to completely block his vision.


    he could faintly see the twins¡¯ silhouette, standing side by side, seemingly naked. immediately, he tried to lower his head again, as the twins let out a squeal of joy when they saw it.


    ¡°are you embarrassed, mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s fine, you can take a look!¡±


    ¡°really?¡±


    ¡°yes!¡±


    feeling that they might be deceiving him, he raised his head once again.


    in truth, it would be a lie to say that siwoo didn¡¯t want to see the attractive and charming naked body of the friendly twins.


    he was at the age where his sexual curiosity was at its peak, after all.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    finally, he was able to see.


    he caught a glimpse of their naked bodies through the blindfolds.


    however, he still couldn¡¯t see clearly.


    he could identify their other body parts, but their crotch and breasts were obscured, as if covered by some kind of mosaic censorship.


    ¡°it¡¯s a magical blindfold. amazing, isn¡¯t it? men have to wear one of those when they enter.¡±


    ¡°the flustered mr. assistant is cute too...¡±


    odile chuckled as she found siwoo¡¯s reaction amusing. meanwhile odette¡¯s body swayed, as if she was about to faint.


    ¡°you can get undressed now, mr. assistant. tie this around your waist.¡±


    odile handed him a large towel.


    siwoo hesitated and glanced around before speaking.


    ¡°is it okay if i change by myself and come back?¡±


    ¡°hm, if that¡¯s more convenient for you, go ahead!¡±


    after getting the twins¡¯ permission, he cautiously looked around and went to a corner of the dressing room.


    he quickly undressed and wrapped the towel around his waist as instructed.


    though it felt as if he was wearing a skirt as the towel swayed around, he found solace over the fact that he didn¡¯t need to go completely naked.


    ¡°so, shall we go inside?¡±


    ¡°d-do i really have to go in?¡±


    ¡°yes, of course!¡±


    the twins responded firmly, each holding one of his hands as they made their way towards the central bathhouse.


    3.


    ¡°woah...¡±


    as siwoo stepped into the hallway connecting the dressing area to the central bathhouse, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a gasp of admiration.


    the bathhouse was incredibly spacious, tall and well-lit.


    its floor was as spacious as a soccer field, covered with marbles imported from egypt. its high-domed roof was adorned with octagonal decorative glass panels that transformed sunlight into a dazzling array of colorful lights.


    the ceiling and walls were adorned with elaborate fresco murals, adding to the luxurious atmosphere. sculptures and fountains were placed around the hot tubs, where hot spring water gushed and bubbled.


    misty steam filled the bathhouse, carrying the pleasant scent of water and fragrant herbs, creating a serene ambiance.


    ¡°his reaction is similar.¡±


    ¡°yes! he looked exactly like back when we went to the spirit mountain to play!¡±


    no matter what the twins said or did, siwoo couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the bathhouse.


    despite it being a large-scale facility that could easily accommodate two thousands people, there were only a few individuals present.


    perhaps there were only a dozen or so people here.


    ¡°can i go around for a bit?¡±


    ¡°as long as you don¡¯t gawk at other witches, it¡¯s fine~¡±


    ¡°okay!¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll be enjoying our vin chaud here!¡±


    leaving the twins behind, who were happily sipping their drinks through straws, siwoo walked on the smooth floor while looking around.


    the witches in the bathhouse were dressed in various attires, each enjoying the place in their own way.


    some were wearing dresses, lying leisurely on sunbeds while reading books, others were completely naked, lounging in rose-filled bathtubs while drinking alcohol.


    there was a maid holding a brush made of herbs, dipping it in scented oil and applying it to the witches¡¯ body. there were also a few witches who were engaging in friendly conversations.


    peace, opulence and an overwhelming sense of luxury permeated every nook and cranny of the place.


    as siwoo wandered around, a witch approached him.


    she had striking red hair and a voluptuous body.


    despite the blindfold obscuring his vision, he could still perceive the prominent curves of her body.


    ¡°are you lost, little one?¡±


    she bent her waist down to his eye level, gently brushing her hair beneath her ear.


    for some reason, she licked her lips, which was in the same alluring color of her hair, in a seductive manner.


    ¡°a-ah, no... i was just admiring the surroundings...¡±


    ¡°i see. just admiring, hm? it¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°y-yes. it¡¯s stunning...¡±


    ¡°what do you like the most about it?¡±


    ¡°i think the murals are...¡±


    the red-haired witch squatted down on the spot, starting a conversation with him.


    ¡°by the way, if this sister is in trouble, would you be willing to help?¡±


    ¡°is there something i can help you with?¡±


    ¡°i need someone to apply some fragrant oil on my body. on every part of my body. e~ve~ry~ part~¡±


    ¡°w-what?¡±


    as siwoo stuttered in confusion, several other witches gathered around him, trying to satiate their curiosity.


    ¡°hm, who is this child?¡±


    ¡°he said he¡¯s here to sightsee. i was teasing him because he¡¯s cute.¡±


    ¡°what do you mean teasing him? you¡¯re going to take him home and raise him, don¡¯t you? well, he does have a rather pretty face...¡±


    ¡°right?¡±


    the surrounding witches began stroking his hair. their fingertips gently grazed his shoulders.


    their touches carried an unmistakable sensuality.


    ¡°where is your master, little one?¡±


    ¡°o-over there.¡±


    the witches followed his fingertips with their eyes. as soon as they saw where he pointed to, they became startled and immediately dispersed.


    reason being; the twins were striding towards them with an angry expression.


    while the twins were merely apprentice witches, they were the apprentice witches of countess gemini. those witches didn¡¯t have the power to contest against someone of the countess¡¯ stature.


    ¡°what¡¯s going on, mr. assistant? i swear, i looked away for a second...¡±


    because he was on the verge of getting caught in mischief by unfamiliar witches, siwoo happily ran towards odile, like a lost child who had found his mother.


    ¡°did they do something bad to you?¡±


    odette asked worriedly as soon as siwoo reached their side.


    ¡°n-no, i was just a little surprised.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i should have stayed close to you, mr. assistant...¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s okay, they were just trying to talk to me.¡±


    ¡°come here, it¡¯s alright.¡±


    odile said, pulling him into her embrace.


    as siwoo unexpectedly came into contact with her bare skin, his body stiffened.


    ¡°this place is too dangerous, we can¡¯t stay here. let¡¯s go to the private bath.¡±


    ¡°yes, let¡¯s have a bath together there, mr. assistant!¡±


    ¡°i-is that really okay?¡±


    siwoo asked in bewilderment as the twins took his wrist and led him towards the private bath rented by the gemini household.

 Chapter 114: Foolery (4)

    ? foolery (4) ?


    1.


    from the central bathhouse to the private one that the twins mentioned, they had to go through a total of five doors.


    siwoo followed a pair of jiggling cheeks in front of him with widened eyes.


    although he couldn¡¯t see the detailed shape due to the blindfold, the sight of a pair of women¡¯s naked bodies flickering in front of him was already a stimulating experience for him.


    ¡°quiet places are nice, huh?¡±


    ¡°come in quickly, mr. assistant!¡±


    though smaller than the central bathhouse, the private bath the twins led him to was anything but ¡®simple.¡¯


    it had a grand total of five spacious baths, the smallest of them could accommodate up to ten people. one seemed to be able to hold a whole swimming competition on the largest one.


    ¡°like they said, witches are all greedy. i mean, mr. assistant almost got kidnapped right under our noses.¡±


    ¡°they were just trying to do it because you¡¯re cute, mr. assistant! don¡¯t worry too much!¡±


    adding little consolation in their words, the twins, taking the lead, lifted their feet and headed towards a large basin to wash their bodies before the bath. they poured water over their heads.


    -splash!


    as they cleaned their bodies, odile subtly grabbed siwoo¡¯s arm, as he seemed to be hesitating.


    ¡°come over here, mr. assistant! let¡¯s wash our bodies together!¡±


    ¡°why are you still standing there?¡±


    the twins¡¯ voices were already boisterous. now that they entered this large room, their voices echoed through it as if they were talking to a microphone.


    before siwoo could tell them that he didn¡¯t think he should take a bath with them even though he was blindfolded...


    ¡°ta-da!¡±


    ¡°huh?¡±


    odette swiftly removed his blindfold.


    the dim world turned bright immediately.


    right before his eyes, he saw odette¡¯s naked side as she splashed water on her body.


    in other words...


    he could see her elegantly stretched limbs, perky mounds, cherry-like nipples and plump buttocks.


    ¡°waaah! what were you doing?!¡±


    he covered his eyes and sat down on the spot.


    since he was looking at a naked body without a mosaic filter for the first time in his life, it wasn¡¯t strange that he¡¯d react this way.


    unbeknownst to him, odette playfully giggled as she observed his reaction while continuing to wash herself.


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong? you¡¯re just seeing a glimpse of our bodies. wait, could it be? are you having some strange thoughts about us, mr. assistant?¡±


    odile asked with a mischievous smile on her lips as she noticed him tightly closing his eyes and covered them with his hands.


    he had always been a little bashful, but his current reaction was on another level entirely.


    ¡®seeing the once cool and composed mr. assistant turned into such an adorable child, it¡¯s hard to resist the temptation to tease him~¡¯


    ¡°we¡¯re practically siblings who treat each other well, right? i would¡¯ve never imagined anything strange about my younger brother~¡±


    ¡°i-i didn¡¯t imagine anything strange...¡±


    odette held back her laughter as she saw siwoo, whose skin had reddened all the way to his forearms.


    then, she spoke with an exaggerated tone, as if she was performing in a play.


    ¡°we just wanted to spend some time together with you, mr. assistant... i never expected that you¡¯d have strange thoughts like that...¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not like that...¡±


    ¡°if it¡¯s not like that, then why do you keep averting your eyes? if you¡¯re not thinking anything strange, there¡¯s no need to do that, you can just see us without being embarrassed.¡±


    ¡°b-but, i¡¯m a man... and ms. odile and ms. odette are women...¡±


    ¡°so, you¡¯re saying that you see us as women?¡±


    siwoo struggled to find the right words to say, so he kept his lips tightly sealed.


    his face was burning with embarrassment.


    it was only when he was on the brink of tears that the twins stopped their teasing.


    ¡°sorry, did we go too far?¡±


    ¡°sorry~ but, you¡¯re so cute mr. assistant~ we can¡¯t help it~¡±


    they hugged him, who was crouching down.


    too bad for siwoo, their hugs didn¡¯t calm him down whatsoever.


    not when he had to directly feel their soft breasts and wet bodies pressing against him.


    ¡°we don¡¯t really care about that, really.¡±


    ¡°yeah. if anything, being embarrassed about it make you seem more like a child~¡±


    bright smiles graced their faces as they tried to comfort him.


    it seemed like they really wanted to wrap him up tightly and keep him at their home.


    ¡°do you want us to do something for you?¡±


    ¡°...can you turn away and put my blindfold on again?¡±


    ¡°no can do. why don¡¯t you sit over there? also, you¡¯ll feel stuffy if you keep wearing that blindfold.¡±


    odile left siwoo sitting on a nearby sunbed and finished washing herself. as for odette, she disappeared for a moment before returning with a cold fizzy drink in her hand. she placed it next to the sunbed.


    ¡°we¡¯ll go and play for a bit, but we¡¯ll be back. if you change your mind, you can join us, mr. assistant!¡±


    ¡°okay...¡±


    seeing siwoo still tightly closing his eyes as he answered, odette bit her lips. she almost burst into tears for suppressing her pounding heart. eventually, she went away and joined odile.


    ¡°let¡¯s have a match, like usual, odette!¡±


    ¡°sure! as long as you don¡¯t use magic secretly this time, sis!¡±


    the sound of splashing water and the joyful voices of the twins resonated through the walls.


    after a long while, siwoo cautiously opened his eyes.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    he saw them.


    the twins¡¯ graceful forms as they swam in the bathtub, just like a pair of fairies playing in the middle of a lake.


    this sight made his lower abdomen feel strangely ticklish.


    it was the same sensation that she felt back when he fondled amelia¡¯s breasts last night.


    as time went by, accompanied by this peculiar restlessness, he started to feel a tinge of boredom.


    even the beautiful scene surrounding him couldn¡¯t distract him enough from the twins.


    ¡°let¡¯s make a bet on who can hold their breath underwater the longest!¡±


    ¡°okay!¡±


    ¡°after that, let¡¯s see who can stop more water droplets from falling with our telekinesis!¡±


    ¡°okay!¡±


    when he saw the twins having fun playing in the distance, he felt somewhat left out.


    compared to them, who were enjoying themselves with various games, siwoo was only sitting there in his lonesome while sipping on his carbonated drink.


    ¡°ugh, that¡¯s lame...¡±


    ¡°you can¡¯t last longer than me underwater, sis~¡±


    ¡°why are you only good at these strange things?¡±


    in the end, odile came out as a loser, with a score of 2 to 5. she walked to the chair where siwoow as sitting.


    he glanced discreetly and noticed that her usually voluminous curly hair was clinging damply to her skin, giving her a rather alluring appearance.


    ¡°do you want to play too, mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°...no, i¡¯m fine by myself here.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t say that! let¡¯s play together!¡±


    ¡°if you don¡¯t want to play, you can go into that bathtub over there.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    despite them having fun among themselves, they seemed to be worried about siwoo.


    in the first place, the reason why they came here was to play with him.


    although he didn¡¯t respond positively to their invitation, they knew for sure that he wanted to join in the fun.


    the current siwoo wasn¡¯t the cool and composed assistant they knew, but a younger, immature and cute one.


    that was when they realized that as the older party here, they should take the lead.


    ¡°alright, come with us. we¡¯ll wash your body.¡±


    ¡°...huh?¡±


    being dragged by the twins, siwoo was led back to the spot where they had been bathing earlier.


    ¡°please have a seat, customer!¡±


    odette firmly settled him onto a wooden bath chair while odile poured warm water on his back.


    even though the place was already filled with warm steam, the addition of hot spring water made it feel like his body was melting away.


    ¡°it feels nice, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°yes...¡±


    the last traces of his cautiousness had melted away like sugar.


    although he had to keep his head lowered, that was the only thing bothering him. he felt everything was else enjoyable.


    ¡°i¡¯ll wash your hair too. you can¡¯t go in like this, so wait a little more.¡±


    ¡°sis, where did you put your hairbrush?¡±


    ¡°it should be over there.¡±


    ¡°okay! i¡¯ll go get it!¡±


    odette scurried off somewhere.


    meanwhile, odile remained there and gently poured water over siwoo¡¯s oil-slicked hair.


    ¡°how does it feel, mr. assistant? is it warm?¡±


    ¡°yes, it¡¯s warm...¡±


    ¡°hehehe...¡±


    odile made a peculiar noise as she ran her fingers through his hair, ensuring that the water was evenly distributed.


    she poured the fragrant oil onto his hair and combed it with a fine-toothed comb that odette brought along, ensuring it would permeate every strand of his hair.


    ¡°this is a mixture of cedarwood flower essence, patchouli and various other things. it¡¯s what we always use.¡±


    ¡°now your hair will have the same scent as us, mr. assistant!¡±


    ¡°do i have to keep my eyes closed? will it sting if it gets into my eyes?¡±


    ¡°well, you already have your eyes closed...¡±


    when they saw him with his eyes closed and his head tilted toward the back, they could see why their maids were so happy whenever they washed them.


    they felt like they were adorning a delicate doll. it was delightful.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    as odile massaged siwoo¡¯s scalp with the comb, her refreshing touch caused siwoo to instinctively parted his lips and leaned further back. but, he managed to keep his balance.


    his lips became relaxed because of the sensation, it felt like they were showering him with tender care.


    then, a drowsy feeling started to creep in, accompanied by a pleasant tingling sensation.


    ¡°are you feeling comfortable?¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ll wash your body too!¡±


    ¡°yes...¡±


    with his guard completely down, siwoo readily accepted the twins¡¯ offer without hesitation.


    while odile attended to his hair, odette lathered a sponge with abundant soap bubbles.


    then, she began to diligently scrub his body, starting from his arms and legs.


    as siwoo¡¯s body experienced the twins¡¯ imperial treatment and absorbed the tranquil atmosphere, the tension in his body gradually dissipated.


    odile poured water onto his wet hair, brushing away the scented oil.


    ¡°your hair seems fine... time to do your back!¡±


    at first, he felt burdened by the twins¡¯ kindness, but as time passed, he became used to it.


    since his waist was properly wrapped in a towel and his eyes were tightly closed, he thought that there wouldn¡¯t be any issues if he were to let them do whatever they wanted.


    but, when he felt the soothing and gentle sensation on his back...


    ¡°ugh...!¡±


    he felt someone¡¯s moist skin pressing smoothly against his back, gliding from his lower back to his neck.


    perhaps due to the soapy bubbles, he also felt the softness and squishiness.


    the sensation of two mounds being pressed down and rubbed against each other felt vivid on his back.


    ¡°d-do i really need to¡ª?¡±


    he didn¡¯t even have the chance to inquire about what was happening as the same sensation washed over him again.


    that was when he understood what was happening.


    ¡°since you can¡¯t touch your back, i have to wash it thoroughly~¡±


    odile¡¯s voice carried a trace of playfulness.


    she was rubbing his back using her breasts as a substitute for a sponge.nove(lb-1n


    not only that, she was using her bare breasts.


    ¡°m-ms. odile...?¡±


    ¡°yes? is something wrong?¡±


    odile interjected, interrupting siwoo¡¯s words.


    with the air of nonchalance, she pressed her breasts firmly against his back once again casually.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    facing her despondent reaction, siwoo hesitated to ask the question that was on his mind; ¡®are you washing my back with your chest?¡¯


    he didn¡¯t want to become the subject of mockery in the slim chance that it wasn¡¯t the case.


    after all, this was the city of witches, it wouldn¡¯t be strange to have sponges that would give out a similar sensation if one were to use them.


    and more importantly, he didn¡¯t hate this sensation.


    he could feel his genitals being stimulated and a pleasant tingling sensation on his lower abdomen.


    ¡°i want to do that too, sis!¡±


    ¡°why are you butting in again? find something else to do.¡±


    observing odile washing siwoo¡¯s body with her own body, odette pouted, clutching the sponge in her hand.


    ¡°ugh... sis, why can¡¯t you just once¡ª huh?¡±


    there was no way that odette would give up so easily.


    especially when she thought that her sister was having fun.


    but this time, odile didn¡¯t insist on blocking her from doing what she wanted to do.


    ¡°fine, let¡¯s switch places.¡±


    she moved away and traded positions with her sister.


    now it was her who was holding the sponge and sat in front of siwoo¡¯s calves, washing the spaces between his toes with the sponge. meanwhile, odette clung to siwoo and rubbed his back with her breasts.


    ¡°h-hah...¡±


    ¡°do you enjoy it, mr. assistant?¡±


    unlike her sister, odette had no intention to hide the fact that she was rubbing her breasts into his back.


    she leaned over and eagerly rubbed her upper body while whispering sweetly into his ears.


    as the two prominent protrusions on her chest became firmer from the action, odette¡¯s breath grew to become even hotter than the hot springs.


    ¡°haah... a-as for me, i¡¯m enjoying it~¡±


    that was when siwoo noticed that things were taking an unusual turn.


    odile, who had been watching his toes moving amusedly, also realized what her sister was up to.


    ¡°your back is so small and cute, mr. assistant... haah...¡±


    ¡°hey, odette!¡±


    ¡°what? he likes it too! right, mr. assistant?¡±


    siwoo nodded his head impulsively.


    ¡®do you think i¡¯d stay quiet after seeing you doing something like that?¡¯


    odile felt a sense of frustration after witnessing her sister¡¯s sudden move.


    that was when she caught sight of the bulge beneath siwoo¡¯s towel.


    with a sly grin, her hand crept beneath the towel, digging into his inner thighs.


    ¡°i¡¯ll make sure to clean this area too, mr. assistant~¡±

 Chapter 115: Foolery (5)

    ? foolery (5) ?


    1.


    in truth, when the twins decided to go to the public bathhouse with siwoo, they didn¡¯t have any particular plans.


    they learned about sexual pleasure for the first time from him, but after he went into a coma, they couldn¡¯t indulge in that sort of act with him anymore. though, they never felt any dissatisfaction about it.


    if siwoo had woken up in his normal state, they would definitely have indulged in such acts without hesitation.


    but, the young siwoo didn¡¯t have the ¡®masculinity¡¯ that they had fallen for.


    rather, their feelings towards him was more of an adoration towards a puppy than anything.


    yet, when they found themselves together with him in this private bath, the atmosphere took on a strangely alluring vibe, arousing the curiosity within them.


    ¡°mr. assistant, let me clean this area too.¡±


    odile¡¯s hand slipped beneath the towel, firmly gripping siwoo¡¯s erect shaft.


    ¡°ah!¡±


    his eyes widened in surprise, as if he had been jolted by electricity.


    he could see her naked body crawling between his legs, but that wasn¡¯t important.


    the important thing was the fact that her hand was holding his genitals.


    ¡°huh?¡±


    meanwhile, odile was also caught off guard.


    she had assumed that his rod would be significantly smaller due to his smaller stature.


    though, after seeing the bulge, she reckoned that she shoulda expected otherwise.


    it wasn¡¯t small at all.


    compared to the monstrous rod she was used to, his current one was cuter, but it was still above average in size.


    that was when she found out that he had been well endowed since he was a child.


    ¡°m-ms. odile, that...¡±


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong? is there a problem?¡±


    -squish, squish.


    odile began to meticulously wash his rod with the sponge in her hand.


    well, the term ¡®wash¡¯ didn¡¯t really fit the situation.


    she was moving her hand up and down, just like when she gave him a handjob in the past.


    every time, his shaft throbbed, as if enjoying the sensation transmitted by her hand.


    ¡°ah...ah...¡±


    siwoo was embarrassed.


    not only had odile discovered his erect rod, she was also washing it with her own hand.


    he thought that he should stop her.


    ¡°you need to wash your body thoroughly before entering the bath, you know?¡±


    but, the sensation he felt was too irresistible.


    with each stroke, his body quivered with delight.


    it was an ecstatic feeling he had never experienced before.


    ¡°mr. assistant, even your twitchings are cute~¡±


    meanwhile, odette pressed her chest tightly against his back, embracing him from behind.


    this position allowed him to lean back comfortably as if he was reclining in a chair while fully enjoying odile¡¯s soapy handjob.


    ¡°let¡¯s clean it thoroughly~¡±


    odile added another hand.


    with her right hand, she formed a ring and stroked his rod while with her left hand, she gently cradled and fondled his testicles.


    when she looked up, she saw siwoo trembling and squirming, not knowing how to respond to the overwhelming sensation coursing through his body.


    at that moment, the long-forgotten sensation surged back, engulfing him completely.


    he remembered the day when he first experienced this sensation. when he consumed the love potion, the day when the twins sneaked into his room to have fun and the day they indulged in sex inside the carriage.


    as if he was catching a fever, heat surged in his body.


    ¡°mm...¡±


    he let out a muffled moan.


    odile had untied the towel tying his waist.


    revealing the smooth-looking rod, without a single hair on it.


    perhaps because his body had become smaller, even that slightly grotesque sight of his rod became cute.


    ¡°do you dislike what we¡¯re doing, mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    odile asked for his opinion.


    however, instead of answering, he remained silent while blushing.


    it was a sight that was harmful to her heart.


    ¡°then, it¡¯s okay to continue, right?¡±


    taking his silence as an affirmative, odile chuckled and poured water over his soap-covered body, thoroughly washing him with care.


    ¡°if we stay like this, we might catch a cold. let¡¯s take a bath together.¡±


    odette made that suggestion to siwoo, who awkwardly covered his erect rod with his hand, in a gentle voice.


    her voice carried a seductive tone, probably caused by the fact that she lightly brushed her nipples against his back.


    ¡°she¡¯s right. let¡¯s go inside.¡±


    ¡°okay...¡±


    now that odile also urged him, siwoo ended up choosing one of the baths and entered it together with the twins.


    as soon as he submerged his body in the warm water, a warm and comforting sensation enveloped him.


    however, he could feel the heat intensifying on his already flushed face and head.


    he sat with his back leaning against the edge of the bath.


    meanwhile, the twins were squeezing his body from both sides.


    the slightest turn of his gaze would make him see their naked body, leaving him with no option but to maintain a straight posture while looking straight ahead.


    being naked together with them made him feel uneasy and he hesitantly voiced it.


    ¡°d-do we really have to stay like this, ms. odile, ms. odette?¡±


    ¡°of course!¡±


    ¡°do you hate to snuggle up close with us, mr. assistant?¡±


    what he was concerned about the most though, was the fact that they were holding his rod in their hands.


    although they hadn¡¯t moved their hands, the mere fact that they were holding it made him feel self-conscious.


    ¡°i-i¡¯m not talking about that... c-could you let go...?¡±


    ¡°why? do you hate it?¡±


    ¡°i heard that if this part of a man¡¯s body gets bigger, that means he¡¯s enjoying it. i just want to make you feel good, mr. assistant.¡±


    having expressed his thoughts, siwoo had nothing more to add.


    then something suddenly crossed his mind.


    amelia¡¯s words when she saw him off earlier today.


    ¡°ms. amelia told me not to do something bad...¡±


    ¡°are we doing something bad right now?¡±


    ¡°i-i don¡¯t know, but it feels that way...¡±


    ¡°well, it can¡¯t be helped then.¡±


    as siwoo expressed his reluctance, the twins quietly released their hold on his rod.


    to his surprise, they obediently withdrew, leaving him with a mix of relief and disappointment.


    nevertheless, that made him calm down a little.


    ¡°up we go!¡±


    odile suddenly stood up.


    water flowed down her body, revealing her alluring figure.


    siwoo reflexively averted his gaze.


    meanwhile, odile just stood there, unaffected by his reaction.


    ¡°so, is there anything you want to do, mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°we can do anything you want! as i mentioned before, you saved our lives twice!¡±


    ¡®something i want to do...¡¯


    if anything he wanted to run away from here.


    though, when he looked past his embarrassment, he felt a desire to closely observe odile¡¯s body.


    ¡°hm? do you really not want to do anything?¡±


    odile bent her waist, resting her hands on her knees and locked eyes with siwoo.


    because her upper body was lowered, her glistening nipples came to his view.


    he unconsciously stared dazedly at them.


    ¡°...i-i have the feelings that you¡¯re just teasing me.¡±


    but in the end, he averted his eyes again.


    noticing that their plan was working, the twins¡¯ voices grew louder.


    ¡°no, we aren¡¯t! you can be honest with us, really!¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s right! you don¡¯t need to hold back! it isn¡¯t something to be embarrassed about!¡±


    after thinking for a while, he shook his head.


    he couldn¡¯t shake off the sense of guilt if he were to indulge them even after thinking.


    ¡°i just want to finish bathing and leave.¡±


    ¡°aww...¡±


    odette expressed her disappointment.


    ¡°well, that¡¯s that.¡±


    odile also seemed to be dejected.


    however, since siwoo was younger than them, they had no intention of forcing him if he found the situation uncomfortable.


    they hadn¡¯t come here to do anything strange to begin with, so they decided that they wouldn¡¯t cling to any lingering regrets.


    besides, he had pretty much recovered already.


    as soon as he returned to his normal state, they could enjoy their time with him as much as they liked.


    ¡°then, let¡¯s have some fun instead! are you good at swimming, mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°no...¡±


    ¡°then, let me teach you! i¡¯m a better swimmer than my sister!¡±


    ¡°okay!¡±


    the tension faded, replaced by a lively atmosphere. the three of them played together until they were exhausted.


    2.


    inside a street cafe that also served as an antique shop in ars magna town.


    amelia was drinking while wearing a complicated expression.


    ¡°...¡±


    she had sent three letters to duchess keter.


    however, the latter hadn¡¯t responded to her, so she personally visited ivory tower this morning.


    her goal was to inquire about siwoo¡¯s condition.


    though his body had been restored, his left eyes hadn¡¯t healed, so she wanted to know the exact progress of his recovery. additionally, she wanted to ask her about the favor the duchess would be asking for her.


    however, the duchess didn¡¯t show up at all.


    she was known to be indifferent towards worldly matters.


    even concerning important matters such as the homunculi or the exiles who had been gathering influences.


    while it was good that she had healed siwoo, amelia was still wary about owing her a favor because her intentions remained unknown.


    ¡°sigh...¡±


    as she lit her cigarette, her gaze landed on the familiar trio before her.


    two girls dressed in glamorous dresses with a little boy holding their hands between them.


    weaning a neat-looking tailored suit, his expression radiating pure joy.


    their constant chatter indicated that their relationship had grown quite positively.


    well, their relationship had been good since the beginning.


    the sight of the three of them going naked in the carriage with odile sucking siwoo¡¯s rod remained etched in amelia¡¯s mind.


    and to make matters worse, she even tried to reenact that scene by sucking on a glass bottle, only to be caught by siwoo.


    ¡°ugh!¡±


    amelia vigorously shook her head, attempting to rid herself of the unnecessary memories that followed.


    if she were to bring up the most embarrassing memory of her life, that moment would be it, so she had no desire to dwell on it.


    the trio, who were walking in the distance, seemed to have noticed amelia¡¯s presence.


    with bright smiles, they ran towards her, seemingly delighted to meet her by chance.


    ¡°it¡¯s nice to see you again, ms. professor!¡±


    ¡°the weather is really nice today!¡±


    ¡°nice to see you too...¡±


    amelia nodded slightly in response as she returned their greetings.n..0velb1n


    trying to satisfy her curiosity, she asked them.


    ¡°did you have a good time?¡±


    ¡°yes!¡±


    ¡°where did you go?¡±


    ¡°ah, um...¡±


    although her questions sounded casual, devoid of any intent to pry, the twins exchanged awkward glances.


    while the twins didn¡¯t possess detailed knowledge about romantic relationships between a man and a woman, they were aware of amelia¡¯s fondness for siwoo.


    that was why they hesitated to reveal that they brought him to a public bathhouse.


    seeing their evasive response, amelia tilted her head in both confusion and perplexion.


    ¡°w-we were just playing around!¡±


    ¡°y-yeah! we weren¡¯t doing anything strange!¡±


    their responses only added to her suspicion.


    however, she had no intention to dig deeper into the matter.


    ¡°in any case, it¡¯s good that we bumped into each other. let¡¯s go back, siwoo.¡±


    ¡°yes?¡±


    ¡°b-but, we were planning to have him stay at our house...¡±


    the twins, who had anticipated a night of playfully doting on him as they lay in bed after the bath, became disheartened.


    nevertheless, they didn¡¯t put up significant resistance.


    even though siwoo was no longer a slave, the impression that amelia was his guardian remained deeply ingrained in their hearts.


    ¡°no. shin siwoo is still young and immature, both physically and emotionally. i can¡¯t allow him to spend the night outside.¡±


    ¡°okay...¡±


    ¡°i understand, ms. professor...¡±


    their faces filled with sadness, the twins said their goodbyes to siwoo.


    ¡°we¡¯ll be going now, mr. assistant...¡±


    ¡°we had a great time today, didn¡¯t we? let¡¯s go out and have fun together again next time!¡±


    ¡°yes. thank you for taking such good care of me today.¡±


    they hugged him tightly from both sides before returning him to amelia.


    together with siwoo, amelia boarded the gate and returned to the mansion.

 Chapter 116: A Happy Daily Life (1)

    ? a happy daily life (1)?


    1.


    a week had passed.


    amelia and the young siwoo enjoyed a peaceful daily life.


    the former never forgot to give the latter five drops of the potion given to her by duchess keter every day.


    she took care of him just like her master had done for her/


    amelia didn¡¯t do this with the intention to seek for his forgiveness when he regained his memories.


    instead, she acted out of her affectionate feelings towards him and her desire to pass on the love she had once received to another person.


    the fact that she could do something for him, along with the fact that he trusted and relied on her, filled her with overwhelming happiness.


    her efforts might have played a role in this positive outcome.


    initially, he used to feel scared whenever he saw her, but gradually, he became more used to her presence.


    ¡°ms. amelia.¡±


    ¡°have some cake, siwoo.¡±


    siwoo, who was diligently scribbling something on his desk in his room, jumped up from his chair and greeted amelia as soon as he saw her.


    day by day, his body was undergoing an astonishing growth spurt.


    while it was common for children to grow rapidly, his case was an abnormal one.


    apparently, he was gaining around one centimeter of height everyday. not only that, his memories were also gradually returned.


    in particular, his recollection of magic, which was recovering at a rapid pace.


    ¡°thank you.¡±


    ¡°if you need more, just tell me. i¡¯ll bring it to you.¡±


    ¡°no, this should be enough for me. what about you, ms. amelia? would you like some?¡±


    ¡°no.¡±


    amelia placed the cake on his table and casted a quick glance at the paper he had been scribbling on.


    he seemed to have organized his fundamental knowledge of magic in his own unique way.


    ¡°how are your studies going?¡±


    ¡°everything feels strange. it¡¯s as if i¡¯ve already known all these things about magic...¡±


    ¡°...probably because your memories are gradually coming back.¡±


    ¡°i have a question, ms. amelia. why does this formula appear in this manner? i tried to come up with an answer by myself, but it¡¯s a little hard...¡±


    ¡°let me take a look.¡±


    amelia carefully examined siwoo¡¯s answer, which covered the entire paper without leaving any empty space.


    what he was working on was advanced level magic.


    specifically, it was the first law of the ¡®yesod magic field law,¡¯ a law known as the essence of force field engineering, created by countess yesod.


    even considering that his memories were gradually returning, this was a particularly complex and complicated formula. back when amelia was his age, she wasn¡¯t even qualified to touch it, let alone trying to prove its authenticity.


    ¡°...¡±


    so far, whenever siwoo asked her questions, she had always provided him with highly appropriate answers.


    instead of giving him all the answers, she¡¯d examine how far he got on his own and give him clues to help him come up with an answer by himself.


    this time though, amelia didn¡¯t even know how to start.


    this was a well-known magical equation, even amelia herself had solved and documented her answers countless times.


    however, when she tried to analyze siwoo¡¯s answer halfway, he presented a completely different interpretation than her own approach.


    she felt a sense of familiarity from it.


    it resembled the sensation she experienced when she first laid her eyes on the magic circle sketches that he had created in the past.


    only siwoo herself could understand the theory behind it. amelia could only understand the faint outline of it.


    although his answer this time wasn¡¯t as distinctive as it was back then, it was clear that it was rooted from the same source.


    ¡°ms. amelia?¡±


    siwoo¡¯s innocent eyes looked at her with a perplexed expression.


    she stared back at him, slightly confused.


    ¡°why did you write it like this?¡±


    ¡°i simply wrote down whatever came to mind, just like what i¡¯ve been doing. oh yeah, this approach suddenly came to my mind when i was gazing at that tree over there.¡±


    siwoo pointed his pen towards the fractal tree he had intricately carved.


    the magic circle had strayed so far from the norm that amelia struggled to comprehend it.


    if there was one thing that she understood...


    it was the fact that his memories were returning quicker than she thought.


    ¡°did i do something wrong?¡±


    ¡°would you like to take a short break, siwoo?¡±


    ¡°what? why? i was enjoying it because i happened to come across something i didn¡¯t know...¡±


    amelia calmly comforted siwoo, who was expressing his dissatisfaction.


    ¡°if you focus too much on just one thing, it may actually decrease your efficiency.


    ¡°okay...¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll lay out a mat in the garden. let¡¯s enjoy some tea together. i¡¯ll also bring some cakes.¡±


    ¡°okay!¡±


    amelia stepped out of the room first to calm her confused mind.


    she had to prepare the mat and the black tea for him to enjoy with the cake she had just mentioned.


    as she rummaged through the cupboard and readied the teapot, she let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°phew...¡±


    it felt as though she had awoken from a sweet dream.


    the reality she had momentarily forgotten weighed heavily on her chest.


    if she were asked to choose her happiest recent memories, she¡¯d undoubtedly choose these past few days since it was the moment when she felt truly happy.


    observing siwoo¡¯s rapid progress in mastering magic, witnessing his height increasing day by day and feeling their relationship growing closer with each passing moment. she found solace in overcoming some of the loneliness and isolation she had felt in the past.


    strolling through the garden while having various conversations, sharing meals together, relishing their favorite kipushi¡¯s cake, falling asleep side by side... every moment she spent with him brought her a small, yet precious joy.


    siwoo placed his trust in amelia and followed her lead.


    his face would light up with a smile whenever he caught the sight of her.n/-o(/v..e--l-.b).1((n


    when they slept together, he¡¯d hold her body tightly.


    and most importantly...


    he didn¡¯t hate her.


    amelia understood that everything was merely a fleeting moment brought by magic.


    because the past hadn¡¯t faded away. the reality she feared still lingered, waiting for the right moment to jump at her.


    the warmth of those days compelled her to forcibly forget the harsh reality, but when she saw what siwoo was doing earlier, the illusion she was burying herself in was completely shattered.


    five years had passed since their first meeting.


    siwoo¡¯s deep-seated resentment had persisted for a long time.


    and she was responsible for that.


    she wasn¡¯t delusional enough to think that these past few days of them living a happy life together would suddenly change their relationship.


    it was just, she wanted to savor those moments.


    this moment where she experienced the warmth of the family for the first time since her master¡¯s passing. the coziness of the peaceful days she was living and the sheer joy over the fact that she wasn¡¯t alone anymore.


    but those would soon come to an end.


    she reached into her pocket and took out the potion that duchess keter gave her.


    about a fifth of its content had already been consumed by siwoo.


    this potion acted like an hourglass, determining the duration of this illusion she found herself in.


    but, at the same time, she had the power to disregard it completely.


    ¡®what if i don¡¯t give him the potion?¡¯


    ¡®won¡¯t that prevent his memories from returning?¡¯


    ¡®will that prolong the happy moments we share together?¡¯


    such selfish, despicable and repulsive thoughts appeared in her mind.


    a surge of impulse born from her twisted desires.


    ¡°ms. amelia!¡±


    as amelia made her way to the garden, she heard siwoo¡¯s voice calling out to her.


    it seemed that she had taken longer to prepare than she expected.


    his bright and friendly voice momentarily dissipated the dark thoughts that clouded her heart.


    she briefly glanced at the bottle in her hand before carefully placing it back into her pocket.


    it wasn¡¯t the right course of action.


    she realized that her current hesitation stemmed from her impulsive desire to escape.


    something that she had always been doing.


    she decided that she wouldn¡¯t fall in the same hole twice.


    after all, siwoo had taught her that she couldn¡¯t keep running away.


    ¡°i¡¯ll be there in a moment!¡±


    2.


    the day came to an end.


    amelia looked up at the stars hanging on the edge of the horizon and took out a neglected violin from its place in the corner of the room.


    it had been meticulously stored in a case with a preservation spell.


    magic was a field of study that was worthy of being called a fusion of knowledge.


    due to the nature of the witches who were required to have artistic knowledge, amelia had once diligently practiced the violin.


    while her master played the piano, she played the violin.


    mozart, saint-sae?ns, bach, kreisler¡¯s chausson poem.


    she didn¡¯t care about the piece¡¯s composer. as long as her master collected the sheets of the pieces, she¡¯d play them.


    this was also one of the happiest moments of young amelia¡¯s life, as she used to despise magic.


    ¡°...¡±


    she rested her chin on the chinrest and grasped the neck of the violin.


    it had been so long since she played it, the sensation she felt was unfamiliar.


    although preservation magic was casted on it, it only prevented visible decay. the violin was out of tune.


    she adjusted the position of the bridge, adjusting the tightness of the strings, finding the correct pitches as she progressed.


    -zing!


    the violin, untouched ever since she became a witch, cried out as if showing its resentment towards its owner, who had been neglecting it for so long.


    her fingers that had once moved freely to play it became stiff. even her posture became awkward.


    yet, as she plucked the strings a few times, an old memory stirred within her. her body still remembered how to play.


    her quivering fingertips resonated through the strings.


    a beautiful melody echoed in her ears.


    things that she had forgotten resurfaced.


    she didn¡¯t know why she suddenly found the courage to play the violin again.


    nevertheless, she surrendered herself to the memories and continued playing for a long time with closed eyes.


    ¡°wow...¡±


    when she heard that sudden noise, her eyes involuntarily opened. she saw siwoo peeking his head next to the door.


    he apologized with a disappointed expression on his face as amelia cut off her performance.


    ¡°oh, ms. amelia... i¡¯m sorry... i didn¡¯t mean to disturb you...¡±


    ¡°no, it¡¯s okay. the sound i made felt off anyway. i was thinking about stopping.¡±


    siwoo entered her room in a more casual manner than before.


    he didn¡¯t even bother to ask for her permission.


    amelia felt a little proud as she felt their relationship had grown closer.


    however, a tinge of sadness crept into her heart.


    ¡°are you feeling tired?¡±


    ¡°yes. i was too immersed in my magic study...¡±


    it was getting late.


    just by looking at siwoo¡¯s half-closed eyes and the pajamas he was wearing, amelia could tell that it was close to midnight.


    ¡°i¡¯ll tidy up. do you want to wait in bed first?¡±


    siwoo had been going to bed with amelia.


    usually, the latter was struggling to shut her eyes, but when siwoo was with her, she fell asleep with ease as if it was the most natural thing to happen.


    ¡°but, before that...¡±


    siwoo paused, contemplating for a moment before settling down on the couch in front of amelia.


    ¡°i¡¯d love to hear more of your plays, ms. amelia. it was so beautiful.¡±


    ¡°you think so?¡±


    the simple conversation between the two of them felt both unfamiliar and nostalgic to amelia.


    it helped to fill the void in her heart that had been created by the fragments of what she had lost.


    she drew closer to siwoo, gently caressing his head.


    ¡°is there a song you want to hear?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯d be happy with any piece. i don¡¯t know much about music...¡±


    seeing him sitting upright, ready to listen to her, amelia gracefully moved the bow again.


    but this time, the melody she let out failed to reach her ears.


    ¡®if only this moment could last a little longer.¡¯


    this moment would linger in her thoughts, reminding her of a gentle breeze.


    but, by that point, she would only be able to reminisce about it. over and over again.

 Chapter 117: A Happy Daily Life (2)

    ? a happy daily life (2) ?


    1.


    after she finished playing, amelia put her violin back in its case and changed her attire.


    she took off the heavy, extravagant dress and put on a light nightgown instead.


    thanks to siwoo, she found herself wearing nightwear quite frequently. prior to this she used to wear it once a week at most.


    she made her way to the spacious bed where siwoo was already waiting.


    then, she rested her head upon one of the neatly arranged pillows.


    siwoo, who had dozed off midway, stirred awake at the rustling sound.


    ¡°sorry, did i wake you up?¡±


    ¡°no, i just closed my eyes while waiting.¡±


    she gently stroked his head before turning to face him.


    even in this dimly lit room, only illuminated by the fading daylight, they could clearly see each other¡¯s eyes.


    being in such close proximity to him no longer made her feel awkward.


    on the contrary, she even felt somewhat comfortable.


    ¡°ms. amelia, can i ask you something?¡±


    ¡°yes, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°do you remember when you apologized to me? when i first woke up?¡±


    indeed, she had done that.


    back then, amelia felt glad, knowing that siwoo had come to his senses.


    she felt relieved, knowing that she wouldn¡¯t have to lose him.


    despite that, she still shed her tears, for the irreversible sin that she had done for him.


    ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°so... why did you apologize to me, ms. amelia?¡±


    siwoo asked as his gaze was fixed on amelia.


    it wasn¡¯t a reproachful look, but a curious one, a gaze that was filled with a genuine desire to know.


    a mixture of warm affection and trust could also be seen within that gaze.


    ¡°in my eyes, you¡¯re an amazing and an incredibly kind person, ms. amelia...¡±


    she was the one who sang lullabies to him, who was afraid of sleeping alone.


    the one who¡¯d bring him snacks when he was studying and teach him about the things he didn¡¯t know.


    she¡¯d also accompany him on walks and picnics so that he wouldn¡¯t be bored.


    that was the amelia that the current siwoo knew.


    amelia felt her heart sink.


    this was something she wouldn¡¯t want to reveal, or at least, try to conceal as long as possible. it felt like her secret, which she had wanted to keep hidden, was exposed to the whole world.


    ¡°b-back then, i assured you that everything is fine, so me asking about it now doesn¡¯t mean i¡¯m going to go back on my words or anything like that... i¡¯m just... curious...¡±


    ¡°i know. i understand.¡±


    just like back when he was an adult, the young siwoo was kind.


    he was also diligent, sincere and had a good heart.


    compared to amelia, who was a genuine troublemaker when she was his age, he was like an angel.


    but, this was the thing that made her speechless.


    if she were to tell her everything, he might really have forgiven her.


    after all, he had no memories of being mistreated by her.


    there was also a chance that this would serve as a cushion to make him forgive her easier when his memories finally returned.


    however, that outcome wasn¡¯t something that amelia wanted.


    no matter how scared she was, she wanted to face the consequences of her own actions properly.


    ¡°not now.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ll let you know when you¡¯re older.¡±


    ¡°okay, ms. amelia.¡±


    siwoo obediently nodded without complaining or showing any doubt.


    he genuinely believed that there was a valid reason behind amelia¡¯s decision.


    but, even his obedient attitude bothered amelia.


    ¡°good night. thank you for taking care of so many things for me today.¡±


    siwoo bid her a good night politely before turning around to get ready to sleep.


    ¡°siwoo.¡±


    at that moment, amelia called out to him.


    siwoo turned around to glance at her, as if he had been waiting for this.


    they had developed a certain routine in the past few days. they¡¯d engage in this act until they fell asleep together.


    ¡°aren¡¯t we going to do it tonight?¡±


    although siwoo never spoke first, amelia always granted his request when he showed her his desires.


    it was because she was happy to see him acting like a child.


    ¡°are you okay with it, ms. amelia?¡±


    ¡°like i¡¯ve said, if you want to do it, you can.¡±


    ¡°but, it¡¯s embarrassing...¡±


    amelia subtly shifted her arm, making it easier for him to touch her breasts.


    initially, amelia let him touch her breasts because she wanted to imitate her teacher. but lately, she felt a tinge of disappointment if they didn¡¯t do it before going to sleep.


    it wasn¡¯t just because she wanted to fulfill his desires.


    the act of offering her precious body parts somehow made her lower abdomen tingle.


    also, whenever he massaged her breasts, she always felt drowsy.


    it was as if she had received a very comfortable massage.


    as long as she could endure the slight embarrassment, it was a win-win situation for her.


    ¡°...excuse me.¡±


    siwoo gulped and stretched out his arms toward amelia¡¯s chest.


    her nightgown was essentially a sleeveless dress that exposed her cleavage.


    moreover, due to the way she had positioned her body, the volume of her chest became emphasized. when he touched it over the clothes, the scene became even more alluring.


    ¡°ngh...¡±


    amelia let out a soft moan as siwoo was absorbed in the texture of her breasts in his hand.


    he was well aware that this was wrong.


    as a man, he had been taught that he should never touch a woman¡¯s body carelessly, especially her sensitive parts like her breasts.


    in fact, he was confused as to why amelia allowed him to do this without making any fuss.


    he only did this to satisfy his desires and because he enjoyed it.


    this was the moment he was looking forward to the most ever since he started sleeping together with her for the past few days.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    amelia¡¯s closed eyelashes quivered.


    every time siwoo¡¯s hand touched her chest, she let out a gasp while pretending to not care about the sensation she was feeling.


    siwoo had a distinct feeling about what was going on from her breath.


    it reminded him of the time when he went to the bathhouse with the twins the other day.


    the voice and gasp that he made was similar to the one that odette made back when she rubbed her bare chest against his back.


    that enigmatic and enticing sound which made his rod went hard.


    of course, his current rod was softer than back then and it would be hard for amelia to notice if she didn¡¯t go out of her way to look.


    as he focused on the sensation on his palm, he could feel the soft thing at the center of her breasts hardened.


    it was naturally her nipple.


    ¡°hmm...¡±


    ¡®what¡¯s behind that thin fabric?¡¯


    ¡®did her nipples go hard just like the twins?¡¯


    ¡®if i take off her clothes, what will her breasts look like?¡¯


    feeling her breath that was brushed against his hand, siwoo¡¯s curiosity was fueled even further.


    there was a bulge between his legs, eliciting a surge of guilt within him.


    regardless of their past, amelia had been a kind master to him.


    he felt guilt for feeling such impure thoughts towards her.


    but, even that feeling of guilt couldn¡¯t overcome his impulsive curiosity.


    siwoo could feel that guilt slowly fading away.


    he deliberately pretended to accidentally twist his fingertip against the part that she had warned him to not touch, her nipple.


    ¡°ahh...¡±


    amelia¡¯s delicate eyebrows furrowed.


    her breaths became even more heated as it wafted through the air, carrying sweet aroma with it.


    siwoo halted his movements and held his breath while intently observing her reaction.


    he was afraid that she might open her eyes and reprimanded him. instinctively, he hunched his shoulders. but, contrary to his expectations, she only laid there quietly as if nothing had happened.


    the boy could feel his heart pounding.


    he could no longer control his instinct.


    although he knew deep down that what he was doing was wrong, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to stop.


    ¡°mmh... haah...¡±


    siwoo began to move in earnest.


    he pushed aside the guilt and surrendered to the sudden impulse that had emerged.


    as he gently lifted the lower part of her breasts, his index finger grazed against the alluring nipple that had started to reveal its shape through the fabric.


    each time, amelia¡¯s body trembled.


    her hot breaths accompanied by her sensuous moan were like an added bonus to him.


    during their first night, even the slightest touch had startled her, prompting her to resist his touch. yet now, she remained silent despite him going even further than back then.


    her breathing became more irregular as she kept her eyelids shut.


    siwoo couldn¡¯t help but interpret her reaction as a subtle form of approval.


    ¡®maybe ms. amelia wants me to do this?¡¯ a sense of guilt crept into his thoughts.


    he gulped once again as his actions grew bolder; he began to earnestly touch her nipples.


    ¡°haa...ahh...¡±


    every time he twisted her nipples with his fingertips, her straight eyebrows furrowed in response.


    her body quivered and stopped intermittently as it went through a repetitive cycle.


    at that moment, she ceased to be the gentle and composed master he had always known.


    instead, she became a mere puppet that was manipulated by his fingertips.


    a strange sense of domination surged within him, tearing every kind of moral restraint.


    however, that didn¡¯t last long.n-(o--v--e/.l..b-(1.-n


    after approximately thirty minutes of listening to her gasps and feeling the softness of her chest in his hands, drowsiness began to envelop him.


    his initial enthusiasm waned as he drifted off to sleep while holding amelia¡¯s chest.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    as his hand movements stopped and the room was filled only with the sound of her soft breaths, amelia slowly opened her eyes.


    they glistened with sensuality, unusually moist like dew on leaves at dawn.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    when siwoo, who was fondling her breasts as usual, moved his hand towards a more sensitive area of her chest, she didn¡¯t resist him.


    this left her feeling a little confused.


    ¡®why did i do that?¡¯


    that was a bold and audacious act.


    an action she wouldn¡¯t have allowed under normal circumstances.


    ¡®maybe it was a spur of the moment thing?¡¯


    ¡®maybe i was trying to indulge him?¡¯


    ¡®has my sense of duty towards him distorted to a willingness to fulfill all of his whims?¡¯


    ¡®or maybe, i was pretending to resist when deep down i actually wanted to let him do it?¡¯


    amelia belatedly sensed a burning sensation on her face.


    it wasn¡¯t just because of the fact that she allowed him to caress her breasts without any reservation.


    rather, it was because his caress had ignited an undeniable pleasure within her.


    a euphoric sensation that resonated from her chest to her womb.


    an unfamiliar tingling sensation and a dizzying feeling that she had never felt before.


    the reason why she initially tolerated his action was uncertain, but she knew the reason why she continued to accept his touches.


    because she also went along with it.


    this realization made her feel so embarrassed that it was almost too much for her to bear.


    ¡°ah...!¡±


    amelia, who was quietly clutching the pillow to endure the unbearable embarrassment, felt a damp sensation between her thighs as she tossed and turned.


    feeling confused, she slipped her hand beneath her nightgown.


    her panties were so damp that she could feel its moisture from outside.


    she widened her eyes before slipping her hand into her panties, cautiously.


    it was incredibly wet.


    as if dozens of snails had passed through.


    she pulled out her hand and observed it with trembling eyes.


    a thick, sticky fluid stretched between her fingers.


    she knew what it was, a lubricating secretion produced by the vagina during sexual arousal.


    her own vaginal fluid.


    ¡°...¡±


    she forgot to blame herself for her action and instead was completely consumed by self-loathing.


    although she had knowledge about sexual activities, she had never even tried masturbating before. seeing this much vaginal fluid coming from her own body was a first.


    and the reason for this was because siwoo, the younger one, not the adult one, was playing with her nipples.


    she bit her lips tightly and quietly left the bed so that she wouldn¡¯t wake siwoo up by accident.


    it was time to change her panties.


    ¡°ugh...¡±


    after returning to the bed, she laid down once again, but the strange state of arousal kept her tossing and turning throughout the night.

 Chapter 118: A Happy Daily Life (3)

    ? a happy daily life (3) ?


    1.


    when siwoo woke up, he found amelia busy packing her belongings.


    three large travel trunks sat before her..


    each of them contained supplies that could last for a week, meaning all of the trunks were enough to sustain them for three weeks outside.


    siwoo rubbed his sleepy eyes and asked her.


    ¡°what¡¯s all this?¡±


    ¡°i want to go somewhere with you. do you want to pack our things together?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    not knowing what was going on, siwoo took the small travel bag handed to him by amelia and went to his room.


    he packed a few sets of clothes (amelia bought them for him), pajamas, paper and a pen.


    when he went down the stairs to the second floor, he found amelia waiting in the lobby while holding a bag.


    ¡°have you packed everything? including your toothbrushes?¡±


    ¡°i have.¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t need towels or anything of the sort. i¡¯ve packed them for you.¡±


    ¡°okay.¡±


    siwoo hurried down the stairs and stood by amelia¡¯s side.


    based on his prior experience, he knew that gehenna was incredibly beautiful.


    at times, he¡¯d take leisurely strolls with amelia, exploring places like lenomond town or ars magna town.


    each time, the scenery around him never failed to captivate him.


    that was why when amelia proposed that they¡¯d go on a trip, he became excited.


    ¡®wherever we¡¯re headed, the scenery must be nice!¡¯


    ¡°where are we going?¡±


    ¡°the cabin i used to live in.¡±


    ¡°are we going camping?¡±


    ¡°you could say that.¡±


    amelia gently stroked siwoo¡¯s head and he accepted her touch without hesitation.


    the latter had never witnessed her smile prior to this.


    however, he knew that beneath her cold demeanor, she was a kind-hearted person. that was why he didn¡¯t resist her touch.


    ¡°let¡¯s go.¡±


    the two of them placed their luggage behind the waiting carriage in the garden and boarded it together.


    when amelia waved her hand in the carriage, which inside was adorned with plush cushions and beautiful decorations, it began to sway.


    ¡°it feels like i¡¯m boarding a plane. except i have my luggage with me.¡±


    siwoo smiled as he said those words to amelia.


    ¡°plane? ...ah, you meant an airplane.¡±


    amelia tilted her head at the unfamiliar word, but she soon nodded.


    airplane, the thing that was said to be the fastest means of transportation in the modern world.


    she often heard it being referred to as a piece of metal flying in the sky.


    ¡°have you rode it?¡±


    ¡°yes. i was incredibly scared when i first rode it. i think i was seventeen at that time... huh?¡±


    siwoo paused, his voice trailing off as he delved into his memories.


    in his current look, it was hard to not think of him as a child.


    he reminisced about the time when he was seventeen, but he possessed the appearance of a prepubescent child.


    amelia¡¯s expression momentarily darkened.


    whenever siwoo dropped hints of regaining his memories, amelia couldn¡¯t help but think that all this happiness she experienced were nothing but lies.


    she forced her tightly sealed lips to part and gently consoled siwoo.


    ¡°maybe you remembered it wrong.¡±


    ¡°maybe. my head hurts a little...¡±


    ¡°do you want to lie down for a while?¡±


    ¡°yes, that would be nice...¡±


    this carriage was something amelia received from sophia and it didn¡¯t have any space manipulation magic applied to it.


    such things were luxuries, reserved for those who were filthy rich like the countess gemini.


    nevertheless, there was sufficient space for siwoo to stretch his body out and rest.


    that was when amelia stood up from her seat and approached siwoo.


    ¡°yes?¡±


    ¡°rest your head here.¡±


    after tidying the fringed hem of her blue dress, amelia lightly tapped her thighs.


    seeing this, siwoo became flustered.


    ¡°ah, no! it¡¯s okay! i¡¯ll stay like this!¡±


    ¡°this will make your head feel more comfortable.¡±


    ¡°but, i¡¯ll be troubling you, ms. amelia...¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t worry, i¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    after some scuffles, siwoo eventually followed amelia¡¯s suggestion.


    in truth, he found her soft thighs more appealing than the creaking chair.


    ¡°thank you, but it feels like i¡¯m troubling you somehow...¡±


    ¡°no need to feel that way.¡±


    he could feel her soft and elastic thighs against the back of his head.


    as his gaze moved upward, even from below her chin, he couldn¡¯t help but notice her undiminished beauty.


    he even caught a glimpse of her perky bosom from this angle.


    ¡°since this might take a while, you can close your eyes.¡±


    amelia calmly ran her fingers through siwoo¡¯s hair.


    the gentle shaking, the comfortable thighs pillow and the touch of her fingers were more effective than any sleeping pills.


    before he knew it, siwoo had fallen asleep as the carriage raced along the secluded bath through a green barley field.


    2.


    despite them leaving early in the morning, by the time they reached the oyster tree forest, lunchtime had already passed.


    amelia gently tapped siwoo¡¯s shoulder, rousing him from his undisturbed slumber before she took her belongings and set foot on the forest path.


    ¡°wow... it¡¯s so beautiful...¡±


    the natural preservation in gehenna was remarkable since there was no haphazard development taking place.


    furthermore, this forest was an uninhibited zone, located between the lenomond and tarot town, but belonged to neither.


    since no one had ever touched the trees, all of them had grown tall and majestic.


    ¡°isn¡¯t it?¡±


    amelia responded to siwoo¡¯s amazed expression, acknowledging his praise while making her way amidst the brownish tree trunks.


    the pointy and round leaves danced in the mountain breeze, appearing as if they were breathing.


    as they strolled around the narrow mountain path, they stumbled upon an open space.


    the oyster trees had thick leaves, making it hard for sunlight to go through it. this space in particular though, was a special case.


    sunlight shone through it, giving birth to beautiful wildflowers that adorned the grassy ground.


    within the clusters of nameless wildflowers, amidst the picturesque and enchanting scenery, there stood a small wooden cabin.


    bathed in the refreshing sunlight, it was a cozy looking cabin with a small detached cottage standing by its side.


    amelia¡¯s happiness was her life within this little cabin.


    considering the limited time left with him, she had been yearning to spend that time together with him in this place.


    ¡°let¡¯s unpack.¡±


    ¡°okay!¡±


    in truth, compared to her splendid mansion or the buildings that siwoo had visited so far, it felt wrong and disrespectful to call this unremarkable place as a ¡®lodging.¡¯


    however, the wooden cabin still possessed an allure that ignited a young boy¡¯s romantic imagination.


    that was why he entered the cabin with excitement.


    just like what it looked from the outside, its interior was cozy.


    the place was small enough that if the two of them were to live here, they¡¯d always be within each others¡¯ sights.


    ¡°what do you think?¡±


    ¡°i love it!¡±


    siwoo explored the cabin, wandering from one corner to another.


    in front of the fireplace, there was a small cupboard and a rocking chair.


    despite showing signs that this place was unoccupied for a long time, it was remarkably clean and tidy.


    ¡°there are bedrooms on the second floor. do you want to take a look?¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s a second floor?¡±


    ¡°follow me.¡±


    seeing siwoo¡¯s happy expression made amelia feel delighted.


    after all, he seemed to like the place she held dear.


    she took his hand and climbed the stairs.


    due to the nature of the wooden cabin, it was a challenging errand to build it to be large and spacious.


    that was why there were only two extremely small rooms on the second floor.


    ¡°this room was my master¡¯s. this one was mine.¡±


    amelia stepped into the room she once stayed in during her days as an apprentice witch.


    the ceiling slanted upwards due to the fact that the room was placed right below the roof.


    a small window adorned the room, offering a picturesque view of a charming forest of oyster trees. below the window, there was a small bed that seemed barely big enough for someone to sleep on.


    there was also a small desk and chair in the corner of the room. other miscellaneous objects were also there, neatly packed inside several small boxes under the bed.


    ¡°you can use this room, siwoo. it¡¯s a little narrow, but it¡¯s clean.¡±


    ¡°did you come here to clean it regularly?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    siwoo eagerly unpacked their belongings with excitement resembling that of a young child who had discovered a secret base.


    he hung his clothes in the closet and placed papers and books on the table.


    ¡°my room is just across here. do you want to help me unpack?¡±


    ¡°yes! i¡¯d love to!¡±


    siwoo responded enthusiastically before following amelia downstairs to help pick up her suitcase.


    amelia¡¯s current room, which was used to be her predecessor¡¯s room, was slightly more spacious than her old room. it also had a larger bed.


    siwoo and amelia opened the latter¡¯s suitcase and started unpacking the items inside one by one.


    though this was a mere trivial task, amelia found her mind at peace.


    however, this peaceful time didn¡¯t last long as she found her underwear in siwoo¡¯s hands.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    ¡°um...¡±


    there was an unfortunate truth about amelia.


    at one point, she started following sophia¡¯s advice.


    according to her, true adults should wear mature-looking underwear.


    this led to her possessing mostly provocative underwear. some of her bras revealed half of her breasts, some of her panties exposed her buttocks and so on.


    because she was too caught up in joy and excitement, she had momentarily forgotten about this.


    siwoo¡¯s eyes were filled with unease as amelia watched his moves attentively.


    his gaze moved from her chest, lower body and underwear, making her feel an unusual sense of embarrassment.


    her face flushed.


    nevertheless, she knew that she had to remain composed.


    if she showed any signs of embarrassment, they¡¯d end up in a more awkward situation than they already were.


    besides, there was no reason for her to feel that way since siwoo was still looking like a young boy.


    she also convinced herself that if other witches were to see her underwear, she wouldn¡¯t feel bothered at all.


    and so, she managed to keep her composure.


    ¡°i-i¡¯ll pack that out separately¡ª¡±


    ...or so she thought until she managed to accidentally bite her tongue.


    the way she was fidgeting, it seemed like she was more nervous than she thought.


    ¡°o-okay...¡±


    siwoo quietly handed her underwear over with a red face.


    -rustle, rustle


    an awkward atmosphere lingered between them for a while.


    3.


    after finishing their lunch, they walked together to the front yard of the cabin.


    siwoo, who had noticed the wildflowers blooming around him, came forward with a suggestion.


    ¡°my mom taught me this a long time ago. if we gather some clovers like this, we can make a crown.¡±


    amelia sat on top of the clover bed while watching siwoo¡¯s hands moving to create something.


    he gathered the long stems of the clover and tied them into knots.


    as he skillfully weaved the stems, they formed a round crown with a thickness similar to that of a little finger. he then inserted small flowers he picked up in between the stems.


    ¡°when you adorn it with flowers like this, it turns into a beautiful crown! isn¡¯t it pretty?¡±


    pink, green, purple, orange, navy blue and red.


    a charming-looking crown, adorned with an array of colorful flowers among the white clovers was completed.


    ¡°i could have made it a little larger... it¡¯s been a while since i¡¯ve done this, so it didn¡¯t turn out quite right... there weren¡¯t many long stems around here too...¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s beautiful, siwoo. you have a talent for this.¡±


    in truth, it was difficult to say that the crown was perfectly made.


    there was a slight crook on it and the knots were tied way too tightly, causing some broken stems to protrude here and there.


    if amelia, who had observed from the side and managed to learn how to craft it, were to try to do it on her own, she¡¯d do a way better job than him.


    nevertheless, she gave him praise.


    because she found it cute.


    siwoo hesitated for a moment before offering the crown to her.


    ¡°it¡¯s for you, ms. amelia.¡±


    ¡°for me?¡±


    amelia¡¯s eyes were brimming with surprise, like that of a startled rabbit.


    this was the first time she had ever received something from him.


    with a hint of embarrassment, siwoo spoke, while avoiding to meet her gaze.


    ¡°i want to thank you for always taking care of me and treating me well. i always wanted to give you something like this.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    amelia felt tears welling up in her eyes.


    ¡®why am i feeling this way?¡¯


    the emotions she felt were too complex to be summed up in a single word or sentence.


    she decided to postpone looking for the answer to that question.


    ¡°siwoo... will you put it on me?¡±


    ¡°yes!¡±


    she slightly lowered her head.


    when she felt the weight of the crown residing on her head, she raised her head.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    what was reflected in siwoo¡¯s eyes was,


    amelia, wearing a crown on her head with tears streaming down her face.


    on her lips was a smile brighter than any blossoming flower.


    ¡°thank you, siwoo.¡±


    the expression on her face was the smile she had regained for the first time since her master had passed away.n-)o-.v.-e)/l/-b()i/(n

 Chapter 119: A Happy Daily Life (4)

    ? a happy daily life (4) ?


    1.


    the cabin had no dining room.


    there wasn¡¯t even enough space for a kitchen, let alone for placing a separate dining table. it was also impossible to place it in the garden because there was another building that was built there.


    ¡°shall we have our baths together?¡±


    ¡°pfft!¡±


    siwoo, who was sitting at the desk in front of the fireplace while having his dinner, spewed out the prune juice that he was drinking in a comical manner.


    ¡°cough! cough!¡±


    thanks to amelia¡¯s telekinesis and wonderful reflexes, not a single drop of the juice was spilled out. instead, she directed it toward an empty bowl.


    siwoo¡¯s reaction was natural.


    ¡®what did she mean? she wants us to take a bath together so suddenly?¡¯


    ¡°sorry...?¡±


    ¡°when i used to stay here, i often took a bath together with my master. i want to do the same thing with you.¡±


    amelia said in a calm voice.


    if his body continued to grow and he regained more of his memories, proposing this idea would create an awkward situation for both of them. that was why amelia chose this exact moment to propose the idea.


    what she wanted to do was to spend happy moments with him before it was too late.


    hearing her words, siwoo became flustered.


    while he had prior experience with the twins before, when he went to the public bathhouse together with them, it was still hard for him to welcome the idea of him taking a bath with a member of the opposite sex.


    after observing his reaction, amelia continued.


    ¡°of course, i¡¯ll be wearing my underwear. you¡¯ll wear yours too, siwoo.¡±


    the crown that siwoo made for her earlier was still resting above her head.


    water trickled from the broken flower stem and soaked her blonde hair, but she ignored it and chose to not remove it from her head.


    ¡°i¡¯m fine with that...¡±


    upon hearing that they¡¯d be wearing their underwear, siwoo became relieved.


    amelia responded with a soft smile and a nod.


    ¡°okay, i¡¯ll heat up the water. get ready and come out after you¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°okay.¡±


    she then stepped outside and made her way towards the annex.


    from inside that small structure that resembled a warehouse, she retrieved a large wooden barrel and lit a fire to warm water inside it.


    if there were people around her, she wouldn¡¯t even think of doing this.


    however, the tall oyster trees surrounded the area like a protective screen and this wasn¡¯t the kind of place that people would stumble into.


    she then pulled the wooden barrel, now filled with warm water, to the front yard. siwoo, who was wearing a robe to ward off the breeze, followed her closely behind.


    ¡°will we be taking our baths here?¡±


    ¡°yes. do you want to go in first?¡±


    siwoo took off his robe and gave it to amelia.


    since she didn¡¯t see much difference between wearing a swimsuit and underwear, amelia didn¡¯t feel overly self-conscious about this.


    siwoo stepped onto the wooden barrel and went inside.


    although it was still spring, the night was quite chilly. but, as soon as he immersed himself in the warm water, a comforting warmth and drowsiness washed over him.¡±


    ¡°wait a moment.¡±


    amelia neatly folded his robe and placed it on the grassy lawn before starting to take off hers.


    seeing this, siwoo¡¯s face started to redden as he forcefully averted his gaze.


    amelia untied the ribbon around her waist and swiftly changed into her underwear.


    she was wearing a white lingerie, the least revealing underwear among the ones that she had.


    amelia walked casually into the wooden barrel and plopped inside.


    -splash!


    the sound of splashing water echoed through the quiet forest.


    due to the wooden barrel¡¯s small size, the two of them would have no choice but to have their skin touched if they were to enter it together.


    siwoo¡¯s attention was drawn to amelia¡¯s upper body, which was laid bare for him to see as the water only covered her body up to her waist.


    a white bra was the only piece of fabric that enveloped her supple and well-rounded breasts. her exposed collarbone exuded the air of elegance.


    with her hair tied up, her alluring neckline became prominent.


    her waist was perfect, like a masterpiece that was crafted by a master sculptor.


    ¡°try not to sit in such an uncomfortable position. just relax and sit comfortably.¡±


    noticing how he was hunching over, amelia said that to him in a soothing tone.


    ¡°but then, my body will touch yours, ms. amelia...¡±


    ¡°we¡¯ve been doing that every night. our bodies were practically glued to each other when we were sleeping.¡±


    amelia held the urge to say something in the lines of, ¡®the difference is that we wore our clothes.¡¯


    after hearing her words, siwoo straightened his posture.


    he could feel their smooth skin touching each other.


    once he adjusted his posture to be more comfortable, amelia finally pressed her buttocks against the bottom of the barrel.


    compared to siwoo, who had his body submerged up to his chin, amelia had hers up to her chest.


    ¡°do you mind closing your eyes for a moment?¡±


    ¡°sorry? okay.¡±


    hearing her request, siwoo obediently closed his eyes.n(.ovelbin


    -snap!


    like performing a magic trick, amelia snapped her fingers before speaking to siwoo.


    ¡°you can open your eyes now.¡±


    at first siwoo tried to slowly open his eyes, but he instantly widened it in surprise.


    ¡°wow...!¡±


    the soft, ambient light that was emanating from the cabin disappeared.


    in the middle of the serene forest, far from the bustling city, the cabin was the only thing that provided light in this place. but now that its light had faded, the surroundings had turned pitch black.


    however...


    ¡°i-it¡¯s so pretty, ms. amelia...¡±


    the warm scarlet glow of the cabin was replaced by a shimmering silver radiance that surrounded the barrel.


    encircled by the majestic oyster trees, decorated by the sky that was filled with blue stars.


    siwoo tilted his head back, captivated by the stars that appeared to endlessly cascade.


    ¡°it feels like there are too many to count...¡±


    the cloudless night sky resembled a polished obsidian as it emanated a soft glow.


    ¡°i really wanted to show this to you.¡±


    it wasn¡¯t a flashy nor extravagant desire, she merely wanted to experience this scene together with siwoo.


    at that moment, siwoo¡¯s outstretched foot unintentionally pressed against amelia¡¯s inner thigh.


    because of the cramped space, the slightest movements they made cause their body to touch.


    ¡°s-sorry.¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s fine. i¡¯ll make some space for you.¡±


    after saying those words, amelia, who had her body submerged up to her neck at this point, leaned her upper body slightly backward.


    as a consequence, when her upper body resurfaced, ripples formed in the water.


    ¡°...¡±


    the sight made siwoo forget about the stars he had just seen. instead, he stared at amelia, with his mouth slightly agape.


    sensing his intense stare, amelia glanced down and realized that he was gawking at her cleavage.


    there was something that amelia had been mistaken about.


    the fact that underwear and swimsuits were two different kinds of outfits.


    swimsuits generally were quite thick, therefore they wouldn¡¯t change even when soaked in the water. underwear on the other hand, was made of material that would easily absorb water. thanks to this, her bra clung to her chest tightly, revealing her fair complexion and white skin.


    and there was another reason why siwoo¡¯s pupils became dilated as he stared at her chest.


    from her nipples down to her areolas, he could faintly see them through the white fabric.


    ¡°i-i¡¯m sorry.¡±


    he quickly averted his gaze.


    amelia wasn¡¯t offended by him, instead she found his reaction cute.


    she previously thought that if she were in an official relationship with him, she¡¯d probably feel a little discomfort by his gaze.


    but, in reality, she felt calm.


    she knew that she was practically showing her bare upper body to him, but she didn¡¯t feel a speck of embarrassment.


    her heart was pounding fast, but she didn¡¯t feel the need to cover her body up or forcing him to avert his gaze.


    it was a strange feeling for her.


    ¡®is it because of his childish appearance?¡¯


    ¡®or maybe there¡¯s something that has changed in my heart?¡¯


    ¡°come closer, i¡¯ll wash your body.¡±


    amelia gently scooped the water with her hand and gently wiped siwoo¡¯s face, who had his eyes tightly closed.


    then, she carefully wrapped his head with a small towel she had prepared beforehand.


    she could have done all this in an instant with magic.


    but, the realization that these slow and inefficient actions could hold a previous value made her refrain from using it.


    the two of them then washed their bodies together until the lukewarm water turned cold.


    2.


    ¡°...phew.¡±


    siwoo tried to soothe his flushed face by taking sips of the cold milk amelia brought.


    because he had spent quite a long time in the water, his fingertips had become wrinkled.


    he was too careless in thinking that bathing together with amelia in their underwear would be fine.


    the vague outline that her underwear showed managed to stimulate his imagination, resulting in him having to endure taking a bath with his legs crossed.


    ¡®thank you, siwoo.¡¯


    as he put down the empty milk bottle and wiped his hair with a towel, he suddenly remembered the events that had taken place this morning.


    amelia¡¯s smile, glowing like a radiant golden flower, momentarily entranced him.


    surprisingly, it made his heart skip a beat.


    his lips became twitched, as if he were about to burst into laughter.


    ¡°come to your senses.¡±


    he slapped his cheeks with his hands.


    but, her bright face still lingered in his mind.


    in addition, seeing her chest, which he had only known through the sensation that his hands felt, added more details to his recollection.


    -knock knock


    suddenly, he heard a knocking sound.


    amelia¡¯s voice came from the other side of the door.


    ¡°do you want to sleep together today too, siwoo?¡±


    ¡°yes. i¡¯ll join you shortly after i change my clothes.¡±


    ¡°alright.¡±


    their exchange was brief, yet he felt an inexplicable sensation in his body.


    whenever he slept with her, she¡¯d let him touch her breasts to his heart¡¯s content.


    as the notion of spending the night together crossed his mind, he also recalled her expression from yesterday.


    to a young man who had just developed an interest in the opposite sex, these kinds of things were a little too provocative.


    the sight of amelia, who had always given him the kind and innocent atmosphere, trembling every time he teased her nipple stirred a peculiar sense of feeling in him.


    ¡®will she let me do that again tonight?¡¯


    siwoo felt a tingling sensation in his lower body, not due to his pent-up sexual desire, but due to his intense curiosity.


    after changing into a beige pajamas that amelia bought for him, siwoo knocked on her door with a pounding heart.


    ¡°come in.¡±


    as he opened the creaky wooden door, he discovered a triangular window, aligned with the shape of the roof.


    amelia was nestled in a blanket, leaning her back against a pillow. the arrangement of the bed made it seem like the previously stated window served as its headboard.


    siwoo could see her delicate hair glistened underneath the moonlight.


    ¡°are you still afraid of sleeping by yourself, siwoo?¡±


    ¡°n-no, it¡¯s nothing like that...¡±


    facing this kind of situation, there was no way that siwoo would act like a moron and say, ¡®i enjoy sleeping with you, ms. amelia,¡¯ out loud.


    seeing his hesitation, amelia flashed a smile at him.


    ¡°siwoo.¡±


    ¡°yes?¡±


    ¡°why did you look at my breasts earlier?¡±


    ¡°sorry...?¡±


    ¡°you know, when we were taking a bath together?¡±


    amelia¡¯s direct question left him in deep thought.


    regardless of their relationship it was still impolite for him to gawk at her body like that.


    that was why he had been trying to suppress his desire to gaze towards her chest. but, it seemed like amelia had noticed it all along.


    ¡°u-um, that¡¯s...¡±


    this left siwoo uncertain about what to do.


    seeing this, amelia shook her head before reassuring him, who seemed to be afraid to face her wrath.


    ¡°i¡¯m not angry.¡±


    ¡°sorry...¡±


    standing beside amelia, siwoo clasped his hands together and lowered his head, trying to hide his face.


    the fact that she had noticed his gaze left him feeling embarrassed.


    ¡°can you be honest with me?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    after another moment of hesitation and a realization that amelia wasn¡¯t angry at him, he cautiously spoke.


    ¡°i-i wanted to look... i-it wasn¡¯t intentional... m-my eyes were drawn to it without me realizing it...¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s okay. like i said, i¡¯m not upset. you can raise your head, siwoo.¡±


    her gentle and understanding tone seemed to calm his flustered state. siwoo mustered the courage to slowly raise his head.


    amelia was still sitting with her back against the pillow. the gaze that she casted towards him was warm.


    ¡°thank you for giving me such a beautiful flower crown.¡±


    ¡°y-yes. i-i¡¯ll make another one for you next time.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    seeing the anticipation in her gaze made him feel embarrassed and scratched his head.


    their conversation died down at that, resulting in a slightly awkward atmosphere.


    amelia cleared her throat and gazed directly at siwoo¡¯s eyes before opening her mouth.


    ¡°i know this isn¡¯t something that should happen.¡±


    -rustle


    siwoo heard the sound of a blanket being lifted.


    amelia raised the blanket that had been covering her body, allowing it to fall down while still maintaining her seated position.


    at the same time, her bare upper body was revealed.


    unlike before when siwoo could only see a glimpse of her chest through her wet underwear, he could see everything now.


    her breasts were exposed without a single fabric hindering siwoo¡¯s sight.


    as amelia shyly covered her mouth, the peach-shaped breasts swayed subtly.


    ¡°still, i want to fulfill your desire.¡±

 Chapter 120: A Happy Daily Life (5)

    ? a happy daily life (5) ?


    1.


    like usual, siwoo laid down beside amelia.


    both of them stared at each other¡¯s eyes as they faced each other.


    unlike usual, there was a noticeable difference in one of them; amelia had taken off her clothes.


    because they were lying sideways, her already plump breasts became more pronounced as they bared themselves in front of siwoo¡¯s face.


    ¡°c-can i touch them...?¡±


    ¡°of course.¡±


    this was the second time siwoo was seeing a woman¡¯s bare chest up close.


    he could clearly see the cherry colored nipples in the center, encircled by the delicate, pink areolas.


    siwoo carefully stretched out his hand and cupped amelia¡¯s chest.


    ¡°ahn...¡±


    ¡°ah...¡±


    both of them let out an exclamation. both in their own unique ways, each carrying a different meaning.


    for siwoo, it was an unexpectedly blissful sensation as he felt the elasticity of amelia¡¯s chest with his hand.


    meanwhile, for amelia, it was her excitement stemming from the anticipation of having her chest being firmly held by him.


    as siwoo moved his hand, amelia¡¯s breasts swayed. with each gentle squeeze he made, their shapes changed.


    he raised his gaze and looked at amelia.


    she looked at him back with her blue-colored eyes. her face was flushed with a rosy hue.


    ¡°do you like it?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    siwoo nodded repeatedly in response to amelia¡¯s question.


    her breasts were so warm and soft that he didn¡¯t want to let go of them.


    as he closely observed the changing shape of her breasts while gently kneading them, amelia quietly closed her eyes.


    ¡®is this the right thing to do?¡¯


    ¡®is this really okay?¡¯


    amelia thought so, but those thoughts gradually faded away.


    ¡®i¡¯ll think about it later.¡¯


    at this moment, her only concern was to let him do whatever he wanted.


    siwoo, who had been playing with her breasts freely under the gentle starlight that seeped through the window, paused briefly.


    then, using the tip of his finger, he gently pinched her nipple.


    the soft, jelly-like bud twisted at his touch.


    ¡°ahh...!¡±


    at that very moment, amelia¡¯s lips parted as she released a satisfied sigh.


    the sound she made wasn¡¯t loud.


    it was as loud as a soft whimper of a drowsy cat.


    however, she still reacted more sensitively than usual.


    she felt a significantly different sensation when her chest was being touched directly compared to when she was still dressed in her nightgown.


    ¡°ngh...!¡±


    amelia unconsciously raised her arm and bit down her wrist.


    she had a feeling that strange sounds would leak out of her mouth if she didn¡¯t do this.


    her heart was pounding.


    ¡°mmh...mmf...:


    meanwhile, siwoo continued to play with her nipples.


    at times, he¡¯d gently trace circles around them, drawing a perfect loop. other times, he¡¯d twist them between his fingers while observing her reaction.


    amelia tossed and turned restlessly.


    siwoo surmised that she wasn¡¯t doing it consciously.


    his gentle and caring master closed her eyes tightly while letting out her moans. even so, her movements still bear elegance and grace, resembling that of a princess from a fairy tale.


    ¡°hng¨C!¡±


    as he lightly pinched her nipple with the top of his finger nail, amelia opened her eyes while making a loud moan.


    her serene eyes, which had always filled with affection, were now clouded with confusion.


    she avoided making eye contact with him as her gaze wandered.


    it wasn¡¯t the first time he had heard her moan before, but it was the first time that she let out a moan this loud. this caused him to worry and ask her a question.


    ¡°does it hurt?¡±


    amelia took a breath before responding.


    but her breathing sounded rather heavy, it was as if she had just climbed a set of long stairs.


    ¡°no... i¡¯m fine...¡±


    when siwoo dug his nails into her nipples, she felt pain.


    the sensation reminded her of being pricked by a sharp needle.


    however, she made that loud sound not only because of the pain she felt.


    it was also because of the tingling sensation that followed the numbing pain.


    the stimulation it gave aroused her.


    she found the sensation quite peculiar.


    her legs moved uncontrollably and her entire body heated up, as if she had caught a fever.


    this was the first time she had ever felt this kind of feeling.


    amelia swallowed her saliva, which had turned sticky, and spoke.


    ¡°it¡¯s alright... you can continue...¡±


    her body, which had become tense before she knew it, relaxed after she said that.


    she surrendered herself to siwoo¡¯s whims and closed her eyes due to embarrassment.


    in her mind, she couldn¡¯t bear to meet his gaze while wearing such an expression on her face.


    the tone she used when she gave siwoo permission might sound the same as usual, but there was a subtle hint of plea in it.


    ¡®does ms. amelia feel pleasure from this as well?¡¯


    normally, he¡¯d start to get sleepy around this time, but it was different today.


    he wanted to see more of her reactions.


    siwoo then delved a little closer into the vulnerable amelia¡¯s embrace.


    he didn¡¯t know if his action was rooted from his courage, mischievousness or curiosity.


    nevertheless, he opened his mouth and bit down her trembling nipple.


    after taking it in his mouth, he flicked his tongue against it.


    ¡°hngg¡ª!!¡±


    the reaction she gave out was the most intense one so far.


    she let out a louder sound than before while pushing siwoo¡¯s shoulders away in surprise.


    being defenseless, siwoo¡¯s body was shoved back.


    this sequence of events made both of them stare at each other in surprise.


    amelia then covered her chest in embarrassment while siwoo belatedly realized what he had done.


    ¡°a-ah... um...¡±


    ¡°s-sorry, did i startle you? come here.¡±


    amelia moved closer to siwoo, who was frozen stiff and hugged him tightly.


    she had no intention of pushing him away in that manner at all.


    after all, she had openly expressed her willingness to fulfill his desire just a while ago.


    the reason why she shoved him away was because of her surprise after feeling that unfamiliar sensation, not because she was repulsed by the action he made.


    still, this was an unusual situation.


    a member of the opposite sex had sucked on her breasts without asking for permission, yet she didn¡¯t feel any resentment towards him.


    ¡°t-that wasn¡¯t my intention, ms. amelia...¡±


    ¡°no, it¡¯s fine. it¡¯s not your fault it¡¯s okay... i was just... a little surprised...¡±


    ¡°still... i-i¡¯m sorry...¡±


    amelia wondered, what exactly could she say to him, who seemed to be at a loss as he apologized desperately to her?


    she held him tightly in her arms for a long time.


    ¡°i didn¡¯t know that you¡¯d hate it that much, ms. amelia...¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s fine, i don¡¯t hate it.¡±


    ¡°i-i¡¯m sorry... i won¡¯t do it again...¡±


    no matter how many times she tried to comfort him, she still couldn¡¯t erase his surprise.


    it left her confused, unable to do or say anything to him.


    then, when she was stroking him gently, she realized that she needed a different approach to resolve the situation.


    ¡°look up here, siwoo, lift your head and look at me.¡±


    seeing him on the brink of tears while apologizing earnestly, amelia felt her heart sink.


    she raised her upper body and spoke to him.


    ¡°...ms. amelia...¡±


    ¡°i wouldn¡¯t hate you, siwoo. ever. now, lay down your head here.¡±


    amelia knelt down and lightly tapped her thighs.


    she lifted his head, offering her thigh as a cushion in place of a pillow.


    it reminded siwoo of the thigh pillow he had received in the carriage.


    however, there was a difference from back then; the fact that there weren¡¯t any clothes covering her breasts and her thighs.


    ¡°i was just surprised. everything is fine. you can do whatever you want, siwoo.¡±


    amelia took hold of her own breast with one hand and pressed it against his lips.


    she placed her erect nipple in front of his mouth, as if trying to breastfeed him.


    ¡°really?¡±


    ¡°yes. trust me. if you want to do it with your mouth, feel free to do it. it¡¯ll be more comfortable to do it in this position.¡±


    amelia then lowered her upper body to make it easier for him to suck on her breasts.


    he hesitated briefly before taking her nipple in his mouth.


    ¡°ngh¡ª!¡±


    despite her determination to hold back any oncoming moans, a shiver ran down her body as siwoo¡¯s tongue made contact with her nipple.


    while observing her response closely, siwoo cautiously sucked on her nipple while exploring it gently with his tongue.


    ¡°ahh...!¡±


    amelia hastily covered her mouth with her hand.


    she was about to let out a vulgar moan.


    noticing her reaction, siwoo stopped moving as he gazed at her anxiously.


    in response, amelia mustered a smile and tried to reassure him.


    ¡°see? i-it¡¯s nothing... i was simply taken by surprise.¡±


    her thighs became stiff and her voice trembled slightly. this side of amelia was unfamiliar to siwoo.


    however, he decided to place his trust in her, accepting her lies and proceeding without making any more fuss.


    ¡°you can use more pressure on it...¡±


    with a gentle stroke to siwoo¡¯s head and a slight tilt of her waist, amelia positioned herself lower.


    her warm breasts were pressed against siwoo¡¯s cheek as his mouth was filled with her erect bud.


    at this point, siwoo was thinking about stopping, but an inexplicable force urged him to continue.


    it was as if a switch had been flipped in his mind.


    before long, even those kinds of thoughts dissipated due to the intensity of their intimate acts.


    ¡°slurp...¡±


    ¡°haa...ngg...¡±


    amelia quivered and covered her mouth as she offered her breasts to siwoo.


    she could feel her body growing hotter by the moment.


    due to her knees being pressed together, she keenly felt the wetness between her tightly closed thighs.


    a ticklish feeling was accumulating in her lower abdomen.


    she couldn¡¯t explain what kind of feeling it was, but she didn¡¯t find it detestable or anything.


    instead, she felt bewildered after experiencing this sensation for the first time in her life.


    siwoo, who was initially filled with energy thanks to his unique sense of arousal, became relaxed as his craving for maternal affection had been fulfilled.


    however, amelia was too busy to notice this due to her trying so hard to straighten her body and suppress the noises that came out of her lips.


    when she had finally come to her senses, siwoo was already sleeping peacefully.


    ¡°haah...¡±


    only then was amelia able to catch her breath.


    observing his innocent face as he slumbered, she soothed the turmoil within her heart.


    amidst that, a faint whisper reached her ears.


    within it was a hint of disappointment.nove.lb)1n


    ¡®if only it went on for a little longer.¡¯


    her body shuddered at the thought of her surrendering to such desires.


    ¡®am i just satisfying my own desires? am i not supposed to fulfill his wishes?¡¯


    a pang of shame washed over her.


    she gently placed siwoo¡¯s head onto a pillow and covered him with a blanket.


    to amelia, who was familiar with sexual pleasure, she treated it as something irreverent.


    yet, it was the exact thing that she was yearning for at the moment.


    she gently caressed her nipples, which were still standing erect and glistening with siwoo¡¯s saliva.


    it was a rather explicit way to clean them.


    then, she began to pinch them with her fingers, just like what siwoo had done.


    ¡°ahh! ahh!¡±


    initially, it was a mere attempt to ease her lingering dissatisfaction.


    however, with each touch of her fingertips, she felt a fulfilling sensation.


    as she tenderly caressed her own chest, she experienced a pleasure that was devoid of any guilt.


    ¡°ahh...ngg...¡±


    fearing that her moans might wake siwoo up, she suppressed them. her waist began to tremble uncontrollably as she continued to touch her breasts.


    she could feel the pleasure steadily building up, nearly reaching its limit.


    its intensity threatened to overflow that limit at any moment.


    at this, she felt fear but at the same time, she felt a sense of excitement.


    ¡®what is this feeling?¡¯


    ¡®what is going to happen to my body?¡¯


    despite facing the fear of the unknown, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to stop.


    suddenly...


    ¡°haah...! nggh...! ahhh!¡±


    as her head became dizzy and her vision turned white.


    her waist started writhing uncontrollably.


    a copious amount of love juice burst out of her vagina, drenching the panties she was wearing. for a while, it twitched without her touching it, pouring even more liquid out.


    amidst the waves of climax that lasted for nearly a minute, her body quivered intermittently.


    ¡°what...is...this...?¡±


    ¡®is this an orgasm?¡¯


    after experiencing her first climax, amelia gazed at her own body with a blank look.


    her bodily fluids permeated her panties, trickling down her thighs and dampening the bed sheets.


    the undeniable evidence of her arousal was there.


    in that instance, her face turned red.


    she felt terribly ashamed after realizing that she climaxed through nipple teasing that she had done to herself, without engaging in a normal sexual intercourse.


    hurriedly, she cleaned herself up using magic before getting dressed.


    she returned to the bed where siwoo was sleeping and laid her body down.


    though a considerable amount of time had passed, she still felt dizzy.


    having experienced such pleasure for the first time, she yearned for more.


    but at the same time, she felt ashamed over the fact that she attained it through a nipple stimulation.


    tormented by distress and anguish, she found it difficult to fall asleep that night.

 Chapter 121: Entanglement (1)

    ? entanglement (1) ?


    1.


    ¡®why do moments of happiness always seem to pass by so quickly?¡¯


    time slipped through their fingers like grains of sand, leaving them no opportunity to cling on it.


    every morning, they¡¯d wake up and have their breakfast together.


    amelia¡¯s cooking skills were nothing extraordinary and she was aware of it.


    that was why she only focused on creating dishes that highlighted the natural flavors of the ingredients rather than showcasing her culinary skills.


    their usual breakfast consisted of fried eggs with bacon, sausages and bread.


    after eating their breakfast, they¡¯d prepare their lunch and go somewhere until lunch time came.


    they had decided to do something different each day.


    on one day, they¡¯d bring an easel, canvas and pencils, sitting on a crooked hillside to sketch together.


    on another day, amelia would play the violin and hold a private concert for siwoo.


    occasionally, they¡¯d go fishing or swimming in a nearby lake.


    sometimes, they¡¯d climb the rooftop and lie side by side, gazing at the stars.


    on some days, they¡¯d enthusiastically wash their bed sheets with their feet by stomping on them in a bathtub filled with bubbles.


    and from time to time, they¡¯d buy some ingredients and bake some apple pies together.


    amelia shared all the warm and precious experiences she had with her master with siwoo.


    each day, they lived in pure bliss.


    ¡°ms. amelia.¡±


    ¡°yes?¡±


    ¡°you seem absentminded.¡±


    ¡°i was just lost in thought for a moment.¡±


    amelia shook her head and turned her gaze towards siwoo.


    she was sitting at the table, sorting out magic formulas that had become much more complex than before.


    these days, she couldn¡¯t understand the formula he wrote without him providing some explanations first.


    it would have been easier if she only had to analyze another witch¡¯s self-essence magic, but the magic he was researching had a distinct and powerful essence.


    furthermore, after the incident where he had lost his emotions, that essence seemed to become even deeper than before.


    ¡°you can handle things on your own now, it¡¯s fine if i don¡¯t watch your research anymore.¡±


    ¡°no, there are still moments when i get stuck.¡±


    siwoo¡¯s voice had become deeper than before.


    more than half of the potion bottle that the duchess gave amelia had been emptied. his appearance had changed to that of a young man who had already passed adolescence.


    there was still a hint of youthfulness in him, but with each passing day, he became more similar to the siwoo that she was familiar with.


    ¡°if you¡¯re tired, you can go to sleep first.¡±


    ¡°no, i¡¯m a witch. i don¡¯t get tired easily.¡±


    ¡°but these days, you¡¯ve been falling asleep regularly...¡±


    ¡°i guess it somehow became a habit. in any case, it doesn¡¯t make a difference whether i go to sleep or not.¡±


    even amelia, who used to go without sleep for a week or even months, had somehow developed a regular sleeping pattern.


    ¡°do you feel lonely without me?¡±


    it had been quite some time since both of them stopped sharing a bed.


    as siwoo grew rapidly each day, he felt a sense of awkwardness to sleep in the same bed as her and opted to sleep separately.


    he tried to appear nonchalant, but his words vaguely revealed his embarrassment.


    it seemed he regretted bringing up the topic.


    ¡°do you really think so?¡±


    ¡°ah.¡±


    amelia¡¯s remark only fueled his embarrassment even further.


    words spilled out of their mouths, unimpeded by their thoughts.


    siwoo sat there, his mouth slightly agape, while amelia fixed her gaze upon his face.


    describing his appearance as ¡®childlike¡¯ felt awkward to her now.


    the young boy had undergone a sudden transformation as he grew up rapidly.


    despite only being together for a month, it felt as if they had spent a significant amount of time together. maybe it was because she had witnessed his growth from his childhood to the present.


    in the midst of such blissful moments, it would have been unsurprising for each passing year to feel as fleeting as a single day.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry, that was a joke.¡±


    ¡°did you feel that way? i was joking too.¡±


    amelia leaned her head on the desk, smiling sheepishly while siwoo absentmindedly touched his chin with his hand before averting his gaze.


    he let out a dry cough.


    perhaps due to the intense reconstruction of his memories, every day seemed as lengthy as a year to him.


    in just a blink of an eye, whenever he woke up, every aspect of him, from body, mind and memory, had changed.


    to him, the sense of intimacy and affection he held towards amelia hadn¡¯t only been going for a month.nove.lb-in


    she assumed various roles for him, from a caregiver who nurtured his younger self, a motherly figure, an older sister, a teacher and at times...


    ¡°siwoo.¡±


    suddenly, amelia interrupted his line of thoughts as she raised her head.


    her figure, now shorter than him, was holding the half-emptied potion bottle in her hands.


    every night, she¡¯d give him this potion.


    she hoped that their daily life would continue forever.


    naturally, she felt the urge to run away and stop doing this.


    however, she understood that this was her duty, her responsibility.


    as she witnessed siwoo¡¯s gradual recovery, conflicting emotions would wash over her, a mixture of relief and lingering sadness.


    stuck in her melancholy, she didn¡¯t notice siwoo nonchalantly took a hold of the spoon filled with the potion.


    ¡°i can do this by myself.¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m only doing this because i want to.¡±


    siwoo obediently brought the spoon she offered him to his lips and swallowed the potion.


    for some reason, amelia watched with sorrowful eyes.


    ¡°don¡¯t push yourself too hard and stay up late. i¡¯m going back to my room.¡±


    ¡°yes, ms. amelia.¡±


    amelia, who was about to leave, stopped in her tracks. she felt that she¡¯d burst into tears if she looked at his face any longer.


    seeing him growing up healthy revived the lingering affection that she thought she had given up on.


    she knew it deep inside.


    that she should never express her feelings out loud.


    because that would be cowardly, despicable and vile.


    yet, the restlessness and desperation she accumulated as she spent her days in pure bliss betrayed her, compelling her to bite her lip before calling out to him.


    ¡°siwoo, there¡¯s something i need to tell you.¡±


    ¡°yes?¡±


    she stood by the desk where siwoo was studying, leaning her body slightly.


    ¡®did he notice that my tone was different than usual?¡¯


    siwoo looked at her with a nervous look.


    her sorrowful gaze felt like it pierced through his heart.


    that was how deep her sadness looked to him.


    as he observed her somber face, his own heart stirred in response.


    he believed that such an expression didn¡¯t suit her as a smiling face suited her better.


    ¡°i¡¯m listening.¡±


    his words sounded gentle and considerate for amelia, who remained silent for a long time.


    meanwhile, amelia¡¯s beautiful eyes were already filled with tears.


    ¡°later...¡±


    she held back her tears and spoke to him.


    the words she had vowed never to speak,


    selfish words seeking temporary solace.


    ¡°when you regain your memories later... w-will you forgive me...?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    siwoo reached out his arm, gently wiping her tears with his sleeve. she looked pitiful and weak, unlike her usual self.


    ¡°ms. amelia...¡±


    amelia felt the urge to run into his open arms and let him embrace her.


    she wanted to confess all her wrongdoings and expressed her deep remorse.


    to plead to him.


    conveying how sorry she was, how she would never abandon him, crying out those words with all her might.


    she wanted to plead, beg and seek for his forgiveness.


    however, she managed to suppress that impulsive urge.


    at that moment, she could sense siwoo¡¯s thick hands gently patting her back.


    ¡°i don¡¯t know what did you to to ask for my forgiveness, ms. amelia, so i don¡¯t think i can make any promises.¡±


    when his gentle voice resonated in her ears, tears began to burst forth.


    ¡°ahh...hic...¡±


    her shoulders trembled as she rested her head on siwoo¡¯s shoulders. in response to this, siwoo gently stroked her hair.


    ¡°but, i¡¯m sure i¡¯ll forgive you, even if i don¡¯t do it immediately, i¡¯ll try to forgive you. because to me, you¡¯re more precious than anyone else, ms. amelia.¡±


    he patiently waited until amelia calmed down.


    when she did, he held her shoulders, gently pulling his own body back so he could see her face.


    her previously composed face had turned disheveled, covered in tears.


    though they had grown up in different environments, had different ways of thinking and held different positions, both of them shared the same desire in this moment.


    the desire to kiss each other.


    both of them didn¡¯t say anything as their lips intertwined.


    siwoo embraced amelia¡¯s waist and nape, drawing her closer.


    the latter¡¯s hand, still trembling in uncertainty, reached out and grasped his shirt with a desperate grip.


    as if she was unwilling to let him go, yearning for him to embrace her for eternity.


    when his tongue slipped between her lips, a jolt coursed through her body, causing it to tremble.


    sensing her intention to escape, siwoo firmly held onto her slender waist, preventing her from doing so.


    the kiss made amelia enter a dream-like state, as if she was walking through a haze.


    his lips¡¯ movements felt rough, yet soft at the same time. it felt tender, yet also sticky.


    her master once told her...


    that a kiss served as a signal between two people.


    a signal that conveyed ¡®trust.¡¯


    and at the same time, it conveyed their ¡®yearning.¡¯


    shin siwoo trusted amelia.


    and amelia yearned for him.


    she couldn¡¯t comprehend much aside from these, but she clearly understood that much.


    amelia pressed herself against siwoo, their lips locked together as they exchanged their breath and saliva.


    their heavy breathing soon filled the small room.


    there was a sense of bittersweet yearning in amelia¡¯s hand, which she used to cling to siwoo¡¯s collar.


    meanwhile, siwoo¡¯s own hand, which was holding onto her waist previously, had moved onto her buttocks.


    his other hand, previously settling at the nape of her neck, moved to lift up her nightgown and grabbed her soft chest.


    siwoo lacked knowledge on how to properly treat a woman.


    his actions toward her were driven solely by instinct.


    amelia herself didn¡¯t offer any resistance to siwoo¡¯s movements.


    she eagerly sucked on his tongue, letting out her hot breath passionately, as if she was surrendering her own body to him.


    the two naturally walked towards the bed without interrupting their passionate kiss.


    amelia¡¯s stumbling legs eventually met the edge of the bed causing her to fall onto it with a gentle thud.


    ¡°haah...haah...¡±


    ¡°haah...¡±


    at that moment, their lips parted. siwoo looked down at her, his hand moved to soothe her quivering chest.


    her hair messily fell down on the bed, shimmering like strands of golden silk. meanwhile, her cheeks reddened.


    the nightgown that was pushed up by siwoo¡¯s hand revealed her smooth, white belly and one of her breasts.


    despite this, she made no attempt to cover herself.


    she didn¡¯t even bother fixing her dress.


    instead, she eagerly anticipated his advances through their kisses while gasping for breath.


    seeing this, siwoo gulped.


    from his perspective, the woman in front of him was a benefactor, someone who had cared for him and showered him with affection for nearly ten years.


    he was aware that it was a morally questionable act, but if he said that he had never viewed her in a romantic way, he¡¯d be lying.


    the truth was, he had been contemplating, trying to get a closer relationship with her, and yearning for a deeper bond beyond their current ambiguous one.


    he had been thinking about this a lot.


    and due to his inexperience, he thought that this kind of progression was a natural course.


    this was the flow that would bring them together, the one that would deepen their bonds.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    as for amelia, she had always believed even if they formally started dating, their relationship would remain as it was for another three years.


    because that was the demeanor that fit a refined and cultured lady.


    however, when his tongue ventured between her parted lips...


    when his firm hands squeezed her chest and supported her buttocks...


    as she lay exposed on his bed, being enveloped by his intense gaze...


    she began to yearn for him to open the door to a world she had never experienced before.


    siwoo gulped and lowered his upper body to cover hers.


    amelia tightly closed her eyes and turned her head away.


    then, seemingly determined, she gently pushed his cheek with the palm of her hand as he tried to bite her neck.


    ¡°no... siwoo... we can¡¯t do this...¡±


    ¡°ah...¡±


    caught up in the atmosphere, siwoo, who was about to lose control, snapped back to reality as if waking up from a dream.


    amelia quickly got to her feet and smoothed out her disheveled dress. the atmosphere cooled rapidly as if it was doused with cold water.


    then, in a hushed voice, she said.


    ¡°i also yearn for what you desire...¡±


    she hurriedly passed by him, grasping the doorknob as if escaping.


    her retreating figure made her appear incredibly small and fragile.


    ¡°but... i don¡¯t deserve it... i¡¯m not worthy of it...¡±


    ¡°what are you¡ª¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry.¡±


    with those words of apology, as if trying to treat everything like it had never happened, she returned to her own room.

 Chapter 122: Entanglement (2)

    ? entanglement (2) ?


    1.


    as soon as amelia returned to her room, she collapsed, as if her legs had lost all their strength.


    the intense excitement that resembled the scorching heat of the desert gradually faded, replaced by a sense of self-loathing.


    she held herself responsible for succumbing to the temptation she should have resisted.


    intertwining her body with him at that moment was something that she should have never done.


    after all, his memory hadn¡¯t fully returned yet.


    she hated herself for seducing siwoo with her body when he knew nothing about their full circumstances. not to mention that she did it to fulfill her own selfish desires.


    not only that, she also should have not uttered those apologies.


    there was also her audacity that expected him to forgive her once his memories returned.


    ¡°hic...¡±


    fear overwhelmed her.


    of the gaze he would cast upon her.


    she dreaded the possibility of him harboring hatred in his heart after remembering everything.


    just a while ago, she believed she could endure any harsh words as long as he was safe.


    but, as she spent the joyous days with him, her heart began to change.


    it became more feeble.


    she felt that she could no longer bear to see his quick growth.


    ¡°master... what should i do...?¡±


    no matter how hard she pleaded, no one gave her an answer.


    her chest tightened, suffocating her. the sensation was akin to drowning.


    -thud!


    suddenly, a certain potion bottle rolled around her feet. at this point, she was trying to suppress her cries, afraid that they might reach siwoo¡¯s ears.


    she picked it up absentmindedly.


    ¡°if only i didn¡¯t have this...¡±


    she thought that if this unidentified potion given by duchess keter didn¡¯t exist, she could continue on living this life forever.


    spending her days with siwoo in this cabin, where their happy memories continued to build up, receiving his affectionate gaze.


    in this domain of forgotten truths and comforting falsehoods, they could share words of love, delve into magical research, paint various paintings, play the violin, bake pies and take leisurely strolls.


    ¡°happy...forever...¡±


    when she murmured those words, magic particles floated in her hand.


    these miniscule particles possessed the power to instantly evaporate the bottle down to its content through an intense heat.


    ¡®if only i could be a little more cunning.¡¯


    ¡®if only i could compromise just a little.¡¯


    ¡®this would be my last attempt to run away.¡¯


    she was aware that this was an action that she shouldn¡¯t take.


    it was an action that would trample his free will.


    ¡®but, wasn¡¯t he also happy living his life with me?¡¯


    during this month they had spent together, amelia had seen more of his smiles compared to the five years of his life as her slave.


    besides...


    she could always make it up by giving him a happier life in the future.


    as long as she could give him back the happiness that she took from him, for as long as his lifetime, until the day he grew old and left this world.


    if she were to multiply that happiness she stole, then...


    as she drew the flame closer to the tag attached to the bottle, something caught her attention.


    the floral crown siwoo had made for her.


    she used a preservation spell on its wreath and hung it by the window like a dreamcatcher.


    this was the gift that siwoo had given to her back when he was still in the form of a young boy.


    the moment her eyes fell upon it, the mana in her hand was dissolved into nothingness.n.(ovelbin


    her frenzy vanished in an instant, as if it was wiped away by an unknown force.


    ¡°i can¡¯t...do it...¡±


    she couldn¡¯t do such a thing.


    it was something that she should never do.


    amelia slowly hunched her body.


    her soundless sobs continued until late into the night.


    2.


    as he tidied up his blanket, siwoo touched his lips.


    to him, amelia was the one who took care of him from back when he was unable to function as a person.


    everything felt enjoyable as long as he was with her.


    even the mundane and tiresome chores turned into a joyful moment whenever she was there.


    she was his benefactor, reliable mentor and his first love.


    ¡°i¡¯m going insane...¡±


    siwoo grabbed his head and plopped down on the bed.


    his lips and tongue still tingled with heat.


    from the hot kiss they shared.


    the moment when he passionately intertwined his tongue with hers, he felt the thread holding on to his rationality snapped.


    even though he believed that they weren¡¯t in that kind of relationship, he touched her chest confidently and pushed her down on the bed.


    in truth, he remembered that he previously saw her breasts, touched them and even sucked on them.


    however, for him, who had regained ten years¡¯ worth of memories in just a month, that memory felt hazy and distant, as if it had happened ages ago back when he was still a young boy.


    he was aware that the action he had taken back then, when he was both physically and emotionally immature, and now, when he had a resolute mind and mature body, held different meanings.


    ¡®what would she think about this matter?¡¯


    ¡°this is so fucking confusing.¡±


    siwoo pulled his hair in frustration.


    yes, he knew that amelia held some level of affection for him.


    there was no way to confirm whether it was the affection shown by a guardian toward someone she was responsible for, or the affection held between a man and a woman. however, she accepted his kisses willingly earlier.


    she didn¡¯t resist when he made a move to explore her body.


    ¡®so, why did she resist at the last moment?¡¯


    siwoo couldn¡¯t comprehend it.


    ¡®i also yearn for what you desire...¡¯


    ¡®but... i don¡¯t deserve it... i¡¯m not worthy of it...¡¯


    after saying those words, she left the room.


    ¡°she yearns for what i desire...¡±


    ¡®did she really know what i wanted? for her to speak of it with that certainty...¡¯


    ¡°but she isn¡¯t worthy of it...¡±


    ¡®what did she mean by not being worthy?¡¯


    he couldn¡¯t understand anything.


    although he couldn¡¯t fully grasp the details, he vaguely recalled a similar situation.


    once upon a time, he had a friend.


    this friend was in the phase of a subtle relationship with girl a, a fellow student at his school.


    he told siwoo that when ms. a made the first move and asked him out on a date, he responded by taking a picture of his erect dick and sending it to her. the girl was so shocked that she reported it to the school and he ended up getting expelled.


    ¡°that crazy bastard.¡±


    remembering that absurd anecdote, he let out a chuckle.


    when he first heard that story, he remembered that he thought, ¡®you¡¯re lucky that you could be a host now.¡¯


    in any case, the current situation resembled that one.


    of course, his case wasn¡¯t as extreme as takasho¡¯s. but, he couldn¡¯t help but feel remorse, thinking that he acted as impulsive as him¡ª


    lost in his thoughts, siwoo suddenly felt a sense of unease.


    ¡°takasho?¡±


    ¡®who?¡¯


    at that moment, memories passed by like a fleeting panorama.


    two men¡¯s smiling faces as they conversed in a shabby room.


    the other person¡¯s face remained obscure, as if a veil had draped over it, impossible to discern clearly.


    at the same time, his head started to ache.


    ¡°ahh, not again...¡±


    shortly after consuming the potion given by amelia, his memories would become tangled.


    various images and voices swarmed his mind, as if he was watching multiple tvs simultaneously.


    he felt an intense throbbing pain in his left eye, as well as momentary nausea.


    ¡°ack!¡±


    he experienced an excruciating pain comparable to being pierced by a sharp needle, rendering him unable to even let out a scream.


    siwoo remained still on the bed, trying to endure the hellish pain for a while.


    after around ten minutes, the pain suddenly vanished, as if it had never existed.


    however, his entire body was drenched in sweat from the intense pain he had endured.


    ¡°w-what was that...?¡±


    in haste, he attempted to find amelia.


    all things considered, this was all caused by the potion amelia had given him.


    he had to inform her about his abnormal state.


    as he struggled to stand and walk, a sense of unease washed over him.


    darkness engulfed his left eye.


    this was a situation that he had anticipated.


    according to amelia, he had lost his left eye during a battle.


    his originally empty eye socket was filled with a prosthetic eye and covered with an eyepatch.


    however, he could feel that this darkness was different.


    it wasn¡¯t caused by the lack of eyeball that resided in its original place. instead, it felt as if something was obstructing his vision.


    siwoo untied the strap encircling the back of his head and removed the eyepatch.


    in that instant light poured in, as if trying to burn his left eye.


    it felt as though someone who had been trapped in complete darkness for a long time suddenly had their vision flooded with light, overwhelming their unused optic nerves.


    ¡°argh...!¡±


    however, that momentary discomfort quickly subsided as his eyes quickly adjusted to the light.


    ¡®what the hell is going on?¡¯


    siwoo covered his left eye and made his way towards the dressing table unsteadily.


    ¡°why is this happening?¡±


    the once prosthetic eye now seemed to be able to move as he desired, as if it was a natural part of his body.


    through his left eye, he could distinctly perceive objects and see his reflection in the mirror.


    his vision had recovered.


    however, there was a notable difference in his left eye compared to his right one.


    a brilliant golden hue shimmered on it.


    not only that, intricate mathematical formulas repeatedly appearing and fading away like tattoos on the white part of his eye.


    but, the strange phenomenon didn¡¯t end there.


    ¡°huh?!¡±


    a haze of light emanated from his surroundings, startling him and prompted him to turn around.


    something was floating in front of him.


    lines in various shapes and colors came into view.


    those faint, delicate lines floating like currents, drifting not only within the room but also throughout different locations.


    at first, he disregarded it as hallucination, something that was caused by his optic nerves after encountering light for the first time in a long time.


    however, his instinct recognized what it actually was.


    the flow of mana.


    with every flick of his fingers, it would fluctuate like catching a thread floating on the surface of water and then returning to its original state.


    ¡°that¡¯s...amazing...¡±


    it was a mesmerizing sight that defied his comprehension of magic.


    the suspended flow of mana in the air, generally speaking, was very very small.


    trying to visually observe those pristine strands of mana was impossible as they¡¯d instantly disperse upon a closer examination.


    using magic to do it would only disrupt the flow itself.


    siwoo¡¯s heart nearly skipped a beat as he inadvertently turned his gaze to look at the desk.


    as he looked at the magic formulas he had scribbled down while trying to recall his memories, some of the characters leaped out, as if he were watching a 3d movie.


    he widened his eyes, fixated on the sight.


    in ain, magical circles existed in three or even higher dimensions.


    magic formulas were merely one of the means to transfer those higher dimensional circles onto a media that could hold two-dimensional forms.


    however, by simply gazing at those formulas, it was as if he began to perceive the essence of magic, as if he was inside the ain itself.


    like reading sheet music and vividly hearing an orchestra playing the same note in his mind.


    an incredibly peculiar and bewildering experience.


    siwoo raised his hand and covered his left eye.


    in an instant, the three dimensional model disappeared.


    when he lowered his hand, the three dimensional model appeared.


    ¡°interesting.¡±


    for siwoo, who had been passionately immersing himself in magical research to the point that he neglected his mathematical research, it was an incredibly thrilling experience.


    before informing amelia of this strange phenomenon, he had something he wanted to test out.


    in truth, he felt embarrassed to face her immediately after the shameful incident just a moment ago.


    he took out a magical formula that he had transcribed in his mind.


    despite not comprehending any of it, his mind retained all the complex equations spanning over two hundred pages.


    he deduced that this must be one of his most important memories.


    as he flipped through the stack of papers, he felt a jolt in his head.


    with a sensation of his body tumbling backward, he descended further and further into the abyss of endless darkness.


    when he regained his consciousness, he found himself in a certain realm of darkness.


    it was ¡®ain¡¯, the realm that resembled the vast expense of the universe, surrounded by the endless darkness.


    this was the realm of conceptualization that only witches that were well-versed in their self-essence magic could access.


    and he had been granted entry into this space that he had only ever heard about.


    at the center of the dimly illuminated ain, stood a colossal structure.


    its form was circular, like a ring. it resembled a gathering of black shadow and at the same time, it resembled a massive loom. and it also resembled something he failed to recognize.


    despite him seeing it clearly with his own eyes, he experienced a sense of cognitive dissonance as he was unable to fully recognize its shape.


    it was as if he was looking at being of a higher dimension, an existence beyond the realm that he knew.


    ¡°...¡±


    what stood before him was shin siwoo.


    a slightly older shin siwoo than he currently was.


    when he reached his late 20s, he¡¯d probably look like that.


    the other siwoo expressionlessly sat on a throne of shadow as he intently gazed at the structure before him.


    ¡°did they say that something like this is possible?¡±


    he had heard of ain prior to this, but the notion of another presence existing within that space, even if it resembled his own, was unfathomable to him.


    the other siwoo turned his head.


    their eyes met.


    at that moment, black chain coiled around siwoo¡¯s entire body.


    before he could say anything, he was thrown out of ain.


    everything happened in an instant.


    he could only stand there in bewilderment. as he was about to wipe the cold sweat trickling down his forehead...


    memories surged into his mind, filling his head with knowledge of magic.


    like a dam being burst open, a huge amount of information penetrated his brain.


    while absorbing it all, he stood dazedly for a long while.


    something within him started to change.

 Chapter 123: Entanglement (3)

    ? entanglement (3) ?


    1.


    ¡®it is my duty to regain what has been lost.¡¯


    2.


    siwoo opened his eyes.


    ¡°what is this...?¡±


    he guessed that he must have drifted off to sleep after tossing and turning in his bed for a while, but then he realized that he was standing in a dark space, similar to ain.


    there were staircases sprawled out like a maze, defying the laws of physics.


    at the end of each staircase, there were doors of various shapes and colors.


    then he realized that he was in a lucid dream, a phenomenon when you were conscious inside your own dream.


    despite the unfamiliarity of the place, it carried an uncanny sense of familiarity. it was as if he had been here before.


    siwoo walked around curiously.


    until his attention was shifted into something he found peculiar.


    around 80% of the doors were opened, but 20% of them were bound by black ribbons.


    ¡°what is this...?¡±n(-0velb1n


    he picked one of the doors wrapped in a ribbon and tried to turn the handle.


    at that moment, all the ribbons began to unravel simultaneously.


    one after another, familiar sensations enveloped his body.


    this was the same feeling he experienced when he consumed amelia¡¯s potion, a sudden surge of memories rushing back in a rapid pace.


    amidst the dizziness and nauseating feeling, the locked doors suddenly were swung open with a loud noise.


    images and sounds started to burst forth, not giving him any time to be surprised.


    janitor, can¡¯t you clean any better than this? you don¡¯t have any complaints, do you? i want you to leave useless tasks like drain ditching. i believe that 5 years is plenty of time to change your mind. for the next week, clean my research building after finishing your afternoon work. that¡¯s what a witch is. if you act like you did at trinity academy in your next department, you might die. even making threats is bullshit. is this what you like? takasho, you fucking sick man.


    as siwoo crouched at the stairs while clutching his head, light burst out from his left eye.


    amidst the radiant glow, numerous scattered puzzle pieces began to reunite.


    do you miss your hometown, janitor? yes, of course i do. isn¡¯t being a slave to ms. professor better than being a slave in this damn city? how the hell do you sleep in this wretched place? even when i had a pet hamster, i think i provided it with a better home than this. live like a witch and live like a noble. those were the parting words my master left me. she always said those words as a habit. i still don¡¯t quite grasp the meaning of living like a noble.


    he rejected his recovery through other people¡¯s assistance, forging ahead solely with his own strength.


    although amelia could be a bitch at times, she didn¡¯t deserve to be captured and killed. moreover, trust in the promises of an exile to go outside? frankly, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it. janitor, are you in good health? are there any problems like an infectious disease or a skin disease? if so, please inform me beforehand. it¡¯s really frustrating to hear such comments while i shower daily. by the way, she got me a suit tailored and i achieved some success in the world. no, but i have to live in the same house as amelia? what kind of bullshit is this?


    i turned down the offer. what? because i thought you could be a useful assistant. you rejected that offer for just that reason? i¡¯ve been putting up with it for 5 years just to escape this fucking place. shin siwoo, you belong to me. i can¡¯t tolerate you wandering freely without permission. therefore, appropriate steps will be taken to address your unauthorized escape plan. what kind of steps? who brought you here against your will? it was you, amelia, tormenting the person who was captured and brought here. really, i tried to endure it all and get over it, but i couldn¡¯t. you are a real bitch. what the hell do you want from me? i asked you to tell me! what do you want from me, why are you torturing me like this? i¡¯m sorry for hurting your fragile pride 5 years ago, but if you¡¯re going to subject me to this torment by doing this damn thing, wouldn¡¯t it be better to just kill me? answer me!


    ...


    unfortunately, there was no prior appointment. and as for our relationship...let¡¯s just say we¡¯re friends. where¡¯s amelia, my friend? you bitch. as expected, you¡¯re thoroughly a vicious bitch. at this rate, it feels like i¡¯m going to die. even the twins were captured and treated as slaves. nonetheless, studying magic all this time has proven to be helpful in this situation. bloom, bloom, bloom, bloom, bloom. even if i struggle, there seems to be an insurmountable barrier. yes, yes, it¡¯s beautiful. cry even more cutely. how the fuck is it possible to dig into a person¡¯s eyes without anesthetizing them? hold on, wait. rest well.


    it felt like his brain was soaked in soda instead of cerebral fluid.


    thoughts resurfaced in his shaken mind like a melody.


    shin siwoo, the one who offered himself as a sacrifice, sadalmelik, who was at the edge of the fountain. i¡¯ll make you cum on my face. i want to drink cola. how does human thirst get quenched? there¡¯s always a full moon in gehenna. the beauty of creation, the value of intricate circles ¨C pi: 3.14159165355820...3025... what came next? ah... did i memorize up to 152674450? finally i reach the first 999999, feynman¡¯s point. i open my eyes, whispering and if i rewind my memories, i¡¯m free, singing. shadows, be reborn within the world of zeros, consume this body for eternity.


    ...


    i¡¯m sorry, i¡¯m sorry. thank you. thank you so much for coming back. ms. amelia, did i do something wrong? while siwoo was lying down, i nullified the slave contract. shall we sleep together? it¡¯s alright, no need to apologize. it¡¯s weird. i¡¯ll lay out a mat in the garden. let¡¯s have tea together. i also brought cake. is there a song you¡¯d like to listen to? siwoo, there¡¯s a place i want to go with you. i¡¯ll pack our bags. you are truly beautiful, siwoo. you possess remarkable talent. it¡¯s strange. siwoo! don¡¯t delve too deeply. it¡¯s dangerous. the tide is high. let¡¯s have this for dinner today. step on it firmly to create foam. it¡¯s easy, right? siwoo, take off your shoes and come inside. if you feel too cold, let me know. looking at the stars is nice, but you shouldn¡¯t catch a cold. the apple has become too mushy. i think i¡¯m screwed. thank you, siwoo. it¡¯s strange. even if you regain your memories later on, w-will you be able to forgive me? it¡¯s strange. i also hope for what siwoo wants. but i don¡¯t have the right to it. i don¡¯t deserve it. it¡¯s strange.


    ¡®i¡¯m sorry.¡¯


    ¡®strange.¡¯


    3.


    the time was dawn, before the birds woke up and the sun rose up.


    siwoo cast aside his blanket and sat down on the bed.


    ¡°...¡±


    his blank face slowly became distorted.


    even as he covered his face with both hands, his turbulent feelings raged on like an erupting volcano.


    ¡°fuck...¡±


    before he realized it, he spat out a curse in frustration.


    everything he had believed in felt like a web of lies.


    unless he did something, he felt like he couldn¡¯t bear his feelings.


    he wanted to lash out, hitting whatever was in his way with his fists.


    ¡°fuck, damn it...¡±


    all the memories that had come flooding back were messily tangled.


    he felt like he became a character in the truman¡¯s show.


    amelia, who knew everything, was the audience, meanwhile he was truman.


    she deceived him, who didn¡¯t know anything, and he completely fell for it.


    two different memories flowed through his mind.


    one of them was the memories of being captured and subjected to being a slave in gehenna back when he was twenty three. his years of slavery while enduring amelia¡¯s torment.


    the other one was the memories of his blissful days, living in the cabin with amelia since he was eleven.


    while in reality, the latter only spanned for one month, but due to the reconstructing process of both his mind and body, he felt that it was longer.


    each day for him, equated to a whole year.


    the density of the time he experienced in one day couldn¡¯t be described by mere words. it was to the point that he was unable to recall what dinner he had the previous day when he woke up in the morning.


    ¡°ugh...¡±


    he felt nauseous.


    the things he knew and felt were entangled in a chaotic mess, resulting in a terrible headache.


    then, he covered his face with both hands.


    before he realized it, tears streamed down his cheeks.


    4.


    amelia, who had been drowning in her agony and sorrow all night long, slowly rose from her bed.


    from the sun¡¯s position, deviated from its usual spot, she realized that she had overslept.


    her head felt heavy.


    while her sadness and regret that had been tormenting her could be set aside while she was sleeping, they didn¡¯t disappear completely.


    they lurked like a shadow, ready to pounce on her whenever she let down her guard.


    nevertheless, this momentary peace was incredibly precious to her.


    ¡°...ah.¡±


    a passing thought brushed her mind.


    the fact that siwoo must have been waiting for her.


    these days, he often woke up earlier than her, even prepared her breakfast. it made her wonder, maybe this time, he had finished his breakfast already.


    amelia swiftly changed her clothes and walked briskly down the stairs to the first floor of the cabin.


    ¡°huh?¡±


    but siwoo was nowhere to be found.


    contrary to her expectation, he hadn¡¯t prepared anything for her.


    looking at the furniture and the rugs, seemingly untouched from yesterday, it seemed like he hadn¡¯t even come downstairs.


    ¡°siwoo?¡±


    ¡®did yesterday¡¯s event weigh down on him so much to the point that he overslept?¡¯


    when she glanced through the window, he was nowhere to be seen. even when she walked around the small cabin from corner to corner, she couldn¡¯t catch a glimpse of his shadow.


    ¡°siwoo?¡±


    so she went up the stairs again, to his room.


    yet, no reply came from inside.


    ¡®is he still sleeping?¡¯


    -knock, knock


    while knocking on the door, she called his name again.


    ¡°siwoo, can i come in?¡±


    faint rustling noises came from inside.


    then, the door was slowly opened.


    in truth, she felt embarrassed to see his face after what happened yesterday.


    but, she didn¡¯t want to waste the limited time they had left because of it.


    today, they had planned to visit the barley field together and complete their unfinished painting.


    like before, she had prepared a large canvas and an easel for them to use.


    ¡°...¡±


    when siwoo emerged from his room, amelia was taken aback.


    ¡°siwoo? what happened to your face?¡±


    his face looked so pale, no, ¡®lifeless¡¯ was a better description for it.


    amelia reached out and gently caressed his cheek.


    ¡°are you okay? did you catch a cold?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    in the middle of that ominous silence.


    her thoughts became entangled.


    ¡®has he regained all of his memories?¡¯


    her expression became uneasy. then, her gaze met with siwoo¡¯s, who had a faint smile on his face.


    his smile looked strained and filled with complex emotions.


    ¡°i¡¯m okay. did you sleep well, amelia?¡±


    ¡°i did... but, are you sure you¡¯re okay? you didn¡¯t caught a fever or any¡ª¡±


    as amelia rose on her tiptoes and was about to place her hand on his forehead...


    he abruptly twisted his body and brushed her hand away.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    ¡°no, i¡¯m fine. i just have a slight headache.¡±


    he still bore an air of awkwardness, which explained his reaction.


    amelia felt a tinge of remorse for her lack of consideration. she wrapped her arms around herself and asked.


    ¡°would you like to go painting together today? i¡¯ll prepare our lunch.¡±


    siwoo hesitated for a moment before nodding.


    ¡°yes. i¡¯ll get ready.¡±


    that was when amelia noticed a clear sense of distance from siwoo¡¯s retreating figure when he was about to close the door.


    and so, she halted him in his tracks.


    ¡°siwoo.¡±


    unlike before, it felt like he set up a clear boundary.


    but, this was too excessive of a reaction towards the event that had transpired last night.


    ¡°yes?¡±


    yet, amelia lacked the courage to find out the truth.


    she slightly shook her head.


    ¡°it¡¯s nothing. i¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    ¡°okay.¡±


    the door was closed with a creaking sound, leaving amelia standing there in silence.

 Chapter 124: Entanglement (4)

    ? entanglement (4) ?


    1.


    they left the cabin and ventured past the grove of the oyster trees, treading on a path that led them eastward to a meadow.


    after walking for approximately thirty minutes, they arrived at a low hill.


    this particular hill was comfortable to sit on, allowing them to catch their breaths. it was also adorned with dense clusters of vibrant blue wild barley that had survived the previous winter.


    as they were untouched by human hands, they spread out in every direction, proudly displaying their lively emerald leaves that danced in the wind.


    amelia and siwoo set up their easels, leaning them against a tree in the middle of the hill.


    to prevent the mountain breeze from blowing away their canvases, they fastened them to the wooden boards in front of their easels before they began painting.


    amelia drew her lines in silence, skillfully capturing the scenery before her on the canvas.


    although there were numerous picturesque spots near the cabin that would make excellent subjects for her paintings, this place was her favorite place.


    however, even though this was supposed to be a fun picnic with siwoo, she found herself putting down and picking up her pencil restlessly.


    the reason for this was siwoo, who, not only was unusually silent, he also had only been staring at the canvas blankly.


    ¡°siwoo.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°siwoo.¡±


    ¡°...yes, ms. amelia?¡±


    even when she called out to him, he avoided making eye contact with her.


    he only absentmindedly stroked his pencil across the white canvas, creating meaningless lines.


    of course, amelia wasn¡¯t stupid.


    she had a clear understanding of his condition and the present circumstances.


    ¡°are you hungry? you didn¡¯t have breakfast, did you?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯m fine.¡±


    when she uttered those words...


    she couldn¡¯t shake the overwhelming sense of anxiety she felt when speaking to him. something was telling her that this beautiful dream would shatter into pieces without as much as a warning.


    ¡°i added plenty of salmon for today¡¯s lunch. you like them, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°like i said, i¡¯m fine. i don¡¯t have much of an appetite.¡±


    amelia bit her lower lip.


    her anxiety and restlessness intertwined, prompting her heart to beat faster.


    she tried her best to maintain her usual tone, the same one she had always used whenever she was talking with him in their daily lives.


    ¡°i¡¯ve told you before, siwoo. when you hold the pencil, use your finger¡ª ah!¡±


    when she was about to guide siwoo¡¯s hand to hold the pencil correctly, her arm was violently thrown away by his intense resistance.


    taken aback by his forceful reaction, she could only stand there, stunned.


    she couldn¡¯t make sense of what had just transpired.


    ¡°i-i¡¯m sorry. did i get you angry again? are you still angry because of what happened yesterday?¡±


    siwoo¡¯s hand, which was holding the pencil, trembled slightly.


    amelia once again brought up various topics of conversation, as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°you must be very upset... i also think i was too reckless...i¡¯m genuinely reflecting on it... sorry... you can vent your anger at me...¡±nove-lb-1n


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°or maybe you feel something uncomfortable about your body? do you want to go back and rest?¡±


    she thought that by doing this, she¡¯d be able to act as if nothing happened.


    as if the dreaded day she had desperately tried to postpone would never arrive.


    at this moment, siwoo turned his gaze towards amelia for the first time.


    in response, she shut her eyes, pretending not to notice.


    because his gaze was cold, like ice water.


    in her mind, while he might appear calm, the slightest provocation might result in an outcome she would never want to see.


    amelia bit her lip, suppressing the urge to cry before she continued to speak.


    she forced a wistful smile to appear on her face.


    ¡°when we get home, let¡¯s have tea together... do you want some milk tea with scones? oh, i also bought some butter from tarot town the day before yesterday.¡±


    the more she spoke, the more she realized that her hope had dissipated like bubbles.


    ¡°after that, let¡¯s read books until dinner. we can study magic together. you love that, don¡¯t you? after dinner, what do you think about watching the stars together? you used to like that, didn¡¯t you? lying on the roof...¡±


    she kept talking about the happy day that would probably never come.


    ¡°it¡¯s been a while since we slept together. now that you¡¯ve grown up, the bed may be a bit cramped, but i will make room for you. and then...and then...¡±


    ¡®and then...what...?¡¯


    ¡®what happens next...?¡¯


    -drip


    despite the tears flowing out of amelia¡¯s yes, siwoo¡¯s expression remained unchanged.


    ¡°i know... i already know...¡±


    siwoo, who used to come running to her with a look of worry whenever he found her slightly distressed, the boy who¡¯d gently console her when she was crying, was no longer there.


    ¡°you¡¯ve remembered everything...¡±


    ¡°yes, associate professor amelia marigold.¡±


    and so, her selfish dream had come to an end.


    2.


    amelia slumped down on the spot while siwoo was looking down at her.


    he felt as if his heart was being torn apart.


    amelia was someone who was more precious to him than anyone else, and she was crying because of his cold behavior.


    this made his chest tightened.


    he wanted to lower himself, hold her and comfort her.


    embrace her small body in his arms, stroke her head and reassure her that everything was okay.


    because that was what she had done for him.


    she had always pampered his young self, showing him a simple world, yet it was filled with beauty and happiness. always brought a smile to his face and stir his heart.


    and that was why...


    he couldn¡¯t forgive her.


    amidst of his tangled memory of her.


    her smiles and her laughs.


    within the murky blend of emotions, he...


    loved her...


    and at the same time, hated her...


    ¡°why did you do that?¡±


    ¡°hic...¡±


    amelia was about to say something, but she could only utter pathetic sobs.


    siwoo tried to grab for his cigarettes out of habit.


    but he couldn¡¯t find them.


    and so, he only nervously tugged at his own collar.


    with a forced, slightly higher pitched voice, he confessed.


    ¡°you were right, ms. associate professor. i have recovered all my memories. everything came flooding back the moment i woke up this morning.¡±


    he pulled her arm.


    like a limp puppet with its strings cut, amelia rose unsteadily at his urging, guided by his hand.


    ¡°i¡¯ve been struggling to come to a decision. imagine, someone you¡¯ve loved and respected all your life, suddenly became someone you detested the most overnight.¡±


    if only...


    he hadn¡¯t lost his memory...


    if only...


    amelia hadn¡¯t been so kind to him...


    if only...


    she had remained as the hateful amelia he had always known...


    if only...


    he hadn¡¯t developed any feelings towards her...


    at the very least, he wouldn¡¯t have been consumed by this overwhelming sense of betrayal.


    if only he hadn¡¯t experienced the heart-rending ache that seemed to melt his very soul, when he witnessed amelia¡¯s anguished expression...


    perhaps, his hatred towards her wouldn¡¯t be this deep...


    ¡°i¡¯ve thought about it... can¡¯t we just move on? can¡¯t we just forget everything that happened in the past? if not... this damn feeling... this confusion that¡¯s making me feel like throwing up... this feeling of betrayal... i¡¯d be pressed to repay it... hundreds...thousands of folds...¡±


    he couldn¡¯t understand amelia¡¯s intentions.


    why did she suddenly show her kindness to siwoo, who had lost his memories and reverted to being a child?


    he couldn¡¯t grasp the purpose behind her actions.


    what he wanted to do was to repay her...


    and ease the quivering pain of betrayal that made him grit his teeth.


    to extinguish the feeling of loss he felt, over the fact that the person he trusted more than anyone else became the one he loathed the most.


    he wished for her to feel the pain and the hollowness that consumed him.


    ¡°but that isn¡¯t possible. i can¡¯t go that far...¡±


    however, he was unable to do it.


    he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it.


    in his right eye, where an icy coldness resided, there were bloodshot veins that added to the eeriness of his gaze.


    as he held on to the feeble figure of amelia, who was barely able to stand as she stumbled...


    ¡°that¡¯s why, convince me... why... why did it have to be me who had to suffer through this shit?! why did you suddenly pretend to be nice? why did you mess with my emotions?! why did you make me confused like this?!¡±


    ¡°siwoo¡ª¡±


    ¡°let go of me!¡±


    amelia¡¯s pitifully outstretched hand weakly fell away from his arm.


    she could only freeze in a daze, not because of the pain, but out of fear. because of his fierce gaze, filled with intense resentment and hatred.


    ¡°do you still think i don¡¯t remember anything?¡±


    ¡°s-siwoo, please, i-i¡¯ll explain everything... please, don¡¯t be angry...¡±


    for some reason, her trembling and fearful appearance disgusted him.


    after all, this was the first time he had ever seen her like this.


    she had always looked at him with a cold expression, with an icy gaze that held no mercy while relentlessly pushed him into troublesome situations.


    that was why he felt like her current attitude was a facade.


    regardless of what the truth may be, even if she was somehow changed because she nearly lost a valuable assistant...


    he couldn¡¯t simply accept it.


    the two different sides of amelia he had seen refused to merge within his mind.


    he knew that a slave should have never acted rudely toward a witch.


    engaging in an emotional clash with amelia, a 22nd ranked witch in the hierarchy, while showing her such disrespect was the equivalent of walking on eggshells.


    however, he didn¡¯t care.


    compared to the anger and betrayal he felt, the weight of his life was as light as a feather.


    amelia stumbled forward and embraced him.


    she forcefully dug her elbows into his tightly closed arms, desperately pulling him closer to her body.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry, siwoo... i was wrong... it was all my fault for tormenting you all this time... for taking out my anger on you... for making you work tirelessly... for making you live in a shabby barn for five years... everything was my fault... please, forgive me.. i-i¡¯ll do anything to earn your forgiveness, so please...¡±


    her apology was mixed with sobs, making it barely audible.


    nevertheless, her words pierced his ears like a thorn.


    but, his heart didn¡¯t waver in the slightest.


    rather, it just made him realize that the reason why she had suddenly acted kindly towards him was to atone for her sins.


    ¡°tell me why you did it. all you have to do is tell me why you put me through that kind of torment. that¡¯s what i want to hear.¡±


    amelia directed her gaze at him.


    in response, siwoo returned her gaze.


    ¡°because... i love you...¡±


    finally, she uttered the words she had longed to say.


    the words she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say continued to pour out of her mouth.


    ¡°i was only able to acknowledge my feelings... after i nearly lost you... i-i¡¯m sorry...¡±


    her answer lightened siwoo¡¯s chest.


    but it wasn¡¯t because he found out that her reason wasn¡¯t as great as he initially thought.


    instead, it was so trivial and shallow.


    and it overwhelmed him. the thought that even the way she had sincerely taken care of his younger self was because of nothing but her own greed.


    ultimately, it was all rooted from her selfishness.


    from the beginning to the end, amelia was always a selfish person.


    ¡°if you hate me that much... i can live in the barn from now on... you can even treat me like a slave... torment me until you feel better... so please, please forgive me...¡±


    ¡°ms. amelia.¡±


    siwoo¡¯s voice softened slightly. this made amelia hold onto a glimmer of hope as she cautiously looked at him.


    and in that moment, as they eyes met, she realized that said hope never existed in the first place.


    ¡°you asked, whether i could forgive you or not if i ever gave my memory back?¡±


    that was a cowardly question.


    if she had even the slightest inkling of the emotions that would stir within him once he regained his memories, the depths of despair he¡¯d be plunged into...


    she wouldn¡¯t have asked him that question.


    as that was a terribly offensive question for him.


    ¡°please, stop now, i forgive you.¡±


    amelia could tell it in his gaze.


    there was a deep sense of resignation and disillusionment.


    ¡°please, don¡¯t do this, don¡¯t say those words.¡±


    she sensed each and every bond between them was being torn apart.


    ¡°what¡¯s the matter? i¡¯ve forgiven you. just as you desired.¡±


    amelia took a step back before finally collapsing to the floor.


    ¡°because the slave certificate was pretty much nullified, i won¡¯t be your exclusive slave anymore. but, you¡¯re still a baroness all things considered, so i¡¯ll treat you with the utmost courtesy.¡±


    his final words severed all remaining connections between them.


    ¡°the siwoo that you loved was dead, ms. amelia. actually, he never existed in the first place.¡±


    her eyes blurred and she couldn¡¯t bring herself to shed more tears. yet, she stayed still, awaiting for her final judgment.


    ¡°similarly, the siwoo who loved you is also dead, ms. amelia.¡±


    with a bitter sneer, he folded the canvas in front of him and retrieved the easel.


    then, he walked away before amelia could grasp onto him.


    ¡°oh right, i forgot to say something.¡±


    suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.


    before amelia could hope for something else, his last words fell out.


    ¡°not only you¡¯re selfish. you¡¯re also terribly disgusting.¡±

 Chapter 125: Solace (1)

    ? solace (1) ?


    1.


    despite amelia¡¯s repeated attempts to hold onto him, siwoo still pushed her aside. he went back to the cabin, gathered his belongings as soon as he got inside, and returned to the academy.


    although there was quite a distance between the cabin and the academy, he arrived in less than a minute by using the teleportation magic formula stored in his mind.


    everything in the world seemed unfamiliar to him.


    that was what he felt when he stepped into amelia¡¯s mansion.


    this was the same mansion he had known when he was still a slave and where he spent his childhood with amelia.


    despite that, the place still felt unfamiliar.


    his mind felt murky just like muddy water.


    ¡°...¡±


    he packed up the rest of his belongings wordlessly.


    since he had exhausted all his mana water during the battle with ea, he only needed to pack up the suits that amelia gave him and the trinkets and the music box the twins had given him as gifts.


    he carelessly tossed everything onto the bedsheet and wrapped them together like a bundle.


    at that moment, the image of amelia, sitting on the floor, unable to hold onto him, flashed in his mind.


    in response, he shook his head.


    ¡°fuck, why won¡¯t this knot tighten properly!¡±


    as he had been trying to tie the knot of the bundle tightly and failed, he let out a curse.


    his chest felt heavy.


    although all the blame lies on amelia, for some reason, he felt guilty.


    it made him wonder whether it¡¯d be better if he were to vent his anger and go ballistic to release his pent-up frustration. or maybe, he could go back and try to slap her.


    despite his best efforts to maintain his composure, his heart refused to calm down.


    his priority was to escape from this mansion before she could catch up to him.


    but, the mere thought of her caused a lump to form in his throat, making his heart become even more tangled in complex emotions. he really wished that he¡¯d never have to see her ever again.


    he hastily packed his belongings before removing his eyepatch and started concentrating.


    ¡°bloom.¡±


    his spell, ¡®dimension shift¡¯, the result of his previous research of dimensional transportation, had already been completed during his confrontation with ea.


    and unlike before, he no longer needed to rely on external sources to replenish his mana.


    his left eye, which he had already covered with his eyepatch again by the time he let out his chant, emitted a radiant glow as it absorbed the surrounding mana with an immense force.


    he could see the flow of mana and saw a mesmerizing sight of vibrant threads swirling as they were being drawn into a vortex.


    naturally, even with that kind of absorption, it didn¡¯t change the fact that the amount of mana in the air was negligible.


    however, that wasn¡¯t a problem for the current siwoo.


    since all he needed to do was to amplify the mana he absorbed.


    the skill required to do this came naturally to him, like back when he first learned to manipulate shadows through the ¡®egg of gnosis.¡¯


    now that he had regained his memory, he could use the ¡®recurrent amplification¡¯ by instinct.


    the mana that had been amplified three times was more than sufficient for siwoo to execute a spatial teleportation.


    he could feel the amplified mana being stored in his left eye, as if they were being sealed within a brand.


    ¡°phew...¡±


    as soon as he managed to clear his mind, a complex web of thoughts began to form.


    this intricate web took the form of spatial coordinates.


    they extended to every place he had ever set his foot on.


    from various locations within the academy to the distant grove of oyster trees, tarot town, border town and even ars magna town.


    as he carefully traced through the strands, he pinpointed the coordinates of a specific location.


    the place where he could untangle his complicated emotions.


    once he decided on the coordinates, he had to complete his calculations.


    he needed to calculate not only the distance to the coordinates from where he was, but also the weight, volume and shape of the objects he needed to bring with him.


    perhaps, due to his prior experience, he did the calculation effortlessly.


    a radiant golden circle materialized beneath his feet.


    soon, he was engulfed by a surge of golden mana.


    and just like that, he vanished from where he was standing.


    2.


    no matter how familiar a city was toward magic, the sight of a man using it would still attract people¡¯s attention.


    that was why siwoo teleported to a dimly lit alleyway in tarot town, a place where prying eyes wouldn¡¯t reach.


    emerging on a round, floating golden magic circle, siwoo carried his belongings and headed towards a bar.


    the white whale bar.


    it was the first bar that came to his mind.


    ¡°ah, today¡¯s a holiday.¡±


    when he approached the bar, he noticed that the streets were more crowded than usual. that was when he realized that today was a holiday.


    even though it was still daytime, the bar was brimming with people. the noise from inside spilled out onto the streets.


    as he opened the door and entered, he was greeted by the familiar sight of various people enjoying their drinks in their own ways.


    fortunately for him, there was an unoccupied seat by the window, so he put down his belongings and approached the seemingly busy owner.


    ¡°i¡¯d like to place an order.¡±


    ¡°welcome! go ahead!¡±


    the owner, who was wearing a headband, letting out sweat profusely, put aside the beer mug he had been wiping with a towel and welcomed siwoo with a hospitable smile.


    if there was one way to overcome the turmoil and confusion in his mind, it would be this.


    ¡°please give me a bottle of the strongest alcohol you have.¡±nove)lb/in


    ¡°sorry?¡±


    ¡°for snacks, give me the most expensive ones. fill the table with them.¡±


    the owner, who had been smiling, changed his expression subtly.


    while siwoo was wearing clothes that were personally made by amelia, the clothes didn¡¯t look particularly fancy.


    furthermore, in gehenna, all asians were regarded as slaves captured from the modern world.


    siwoo didn¡¯t have the energy to start an argument, so he just put down two gold coins on the table.


    ¡°i will serve you the finest dish!¡±


    ¡°give me the drink first.¡±


    ¡°got it!¡±


    the owner glanced at the gold coin and responded with a bright smile.


    after all, what did it matter to the owner whether a slave carried around such a large sum of money or not?


    once siwoo settled into his seat, it didn¡¯t take long for the owner to appear with a large bottle in hand while looking at him with a warm look.


    right before siwoo¡¯s eyes, the owner personally uncorked the bottle and poured some ice from a bucket into a glass.


    he also handed him a piece of chocolate wrapped in paper.


    ¡°this is our distillery¡¯s whiskey. like beer, it¡¯s made with barley, so i¡¯m sure you¡¯ll enjoy it, haha! alright, i¡¯ll serve you the food right away!¡±


    then he returned to the counter while rubbing his palm.


    being treated like a king even though the other party thought that he was a slave made siwoo think that the owner was similar to someone from a modern world.


    however, that was the only impression he had about him.


    at this point, his head felt numb and he wanted to numb it even more.


    he swiftly filled his glass with alcohol and downed the whiskey in one gulp.


    all to make himself drunk quickly.


    to prevent himself from thinking about anything.


    like a man who was working overseas getting caught off guard by an unexpected divorce notice, siwoo drowned his sorrows in alcohol.


    by the time the owner served him the first dish, he had already finished an entire bottle of the whiskey.


    seeing this scene, the owner was startled.


    ¡°y-young master, i don¡¯t know what happened to you, but if you drink like that, you¡¯ll end up dying!¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    but siwoo didn¡¯t have the lenience to listen to his words.


    he was already drunk at this point, then he took another gold coin from his pocket and handed it to the owner.


    ¡°please give me another bottle.¡±


    the owner clicked his tongue as he looked at siwoo¡¯s eyes, which were filled with drunkenness.


    he could sense what might have caused this.


    there were only two reasons why a young man like him would consume strong alcohol in broad daylight and spend his money recklessly.


    either he was dumped by his beautiful lover or he got rejected and heartbroken.


    whatever the reason was, the owner brought him another bottle of whiskey.


    he had received more than enough payment. it was his duty as the bar owner to serve a paying customer.


    ¡°young master, if you feel like vomiting, please use the ice bucket. please don¡¯t inconvenience other customers, okay?¡±


    ¡°yes, yes, i understand...¡±


    siwoo sloppily waved his hand and filled the ice glass with the newly arrived whiskey.


    with each fiery sip of the alcohol coursing down his throat, it felt as though his insides were burning.


    he felt like he might throw up.


    at this point, his mind became increasingly foggy.


    both his complex and useless thoughts faded away, sinking into the waves of alcohol.


    ¡°fuck...it all...¡±


    he dropped his head heavily and the tears he had been holding back for so long streamed down his face.


    3.


    ¡°sis, i¡¯m bored.¡±


    inside a villa in tarot town.


    specifically, in a certain outpost, a place where the twins tried to unravel various mysteries. they had been spending the seemingly meaningless holiday lazily. after hearing odette¡¯s complaint, odile spoke up.


    ¡°me too.¡±


    both of them were lying in a sprawled manner, occupying a corner of the bed.


    if the head maid galina had seen them, she¡¯d have scolded them severely due to them whimpering in a posture devoid of any sense of discipline.


    but, it wasn¡¯t like they could be blamed for it.


    after all, they were truly bored.


    ¡°we came out here because it¡¯s a holiday, but there¡¯s nothing to do...¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s not fun without mr. assistant...¡±


    although going to this outpost on holidays had become a pretty much obligatory thing for them to do, at the moment, they felt bored to death.


    in the past, just strolling around tarot town had been entertaining enough for them.


    they¡¯d spend hours watching a man playing flute at the fountain. there were also times when they aimlessly explored every nook and cranny of the town just for the sake of stepping on every street in it.


    watching street performances while munching on a red apple they had bought from the market, or simply observing people passing by outside the window had been enjoyable for them...


    but nowadays, without siwoo by their side, everything felt boring to them.


    after stretching out on the bed, odette clasped her hands together and asked,


    ¡°when will mr. assistant return?¡±


    ¡°i don¡¯t know... he¡¯s with the associate professor for his treatment...¡±


    ¡°nevertheless! even though she¡¯s the associate professor, this is still an abuse of power! i also have the right to play with the cute assistant!¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re right!¡±


    odile nodded her head enthusiastically after hearing her sister¡¯s words.


    ¡°mr. assistant was really cute back then.¡±


    ¡°i really wanted to rub his chubby cheeks.¡±


    ¡°it was really fun when we went to the public bath together...¡±


    as they reminisced about the not-too-distant memories, they took a glance at the clock, only to realize that it was already past seven.


    while they had only spent their day lazily on the bed after a short stroll, it didn¡¯t change the fact that they had to go back home.


    odile swiftly sat up and tapped odette¡¯s thigh lightly.


    ¡°come on! get up, odette! we need to go!¡±


    ¡°ugh, i don¡¯t wanna...¡±


    wasting such a precious holiday truly felt disheartening.


    odile proceeded to comfort odette, who was sitting with slumped shoulders and went to get dressed.


    the twins stood in front of the mirror, checking for any wrinkles in their dresses or disheveled hair before trudging down the stairs.


    but, when they reached the base of the stairs, odette suddenly halted in her tracks.


    seeing this, odile casted an irritated look at her sister and pushed her back.


    ¡°stop dawdling and move, odette!¡±


    ¡°um... sis...?¡±


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°see that...¡±


    in a trembling voice, odette pointed to the first floor of the living room where the lights were off.


    there was someone there.


    someone lying sprawled on the couch with their limbs twisted in an unsettling manner.


    this started odile, resulting in her holding breath.


    ¡°h-hii!¡±


    ¡°d-did you see it too, sis? is it a ghost?¡±


    ¡°l-let me go! don¡¯t cling to me so tightly!¡±


    odette clung tightly to odile and shivered uncontrollably.


    ¡°wait here, there¡¯s no way a ghost is lurking around here.¡±


    ¡°b-but, i didn¡¯t hear the sound of the door opening...¡±


    from odette¡¯s perspective, it was difficult to believe that the shadow was actually a human.


    she tensed up as she waved her hand. at that moment, all the decorative lights in the living room suddenly lit up.


    ¡°who¡¯s there? reveal yourself!¡±


    with caution, odile gathered her mana and approached the sofa.


    she was ready to attack if it was necessary.


    however, after confirming the intruder¡¯s identity, odile immediately withdrew her mana.


    ¡°huh?¡±


    ¡°zzzz...zz...¡±


    on the couch, twisting his body skillfully like a yoga master, was siwoo, peacefully sleeping.


    and this wasn¡¯t the young siwoo, but the adult siwoo.


    ¡°mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°huh? is that really mr. assistant?¡±


    odette, who had been standing frozen on the stairs, suddenly lit up with joy and made her way to the living room.


    they heard that he was with associate professor amelia for his treatment, so it was a delightful surprise for them to see him here.


    ¡°mr. assistant!¡±


    odette, who was running towards siwoo, abruptly stopped in the same place as odile.


    the reason was the overwhelming smell wafting through the air.


    ¡°did he swim in a pool of alcohol or something?¡±


    ¡°could be?¡±


    the identity of the smell was undoubtedly alcohol.


    it was strong enough to make the twins feel tipsy.


    ¡°mr. assistant, please wake up! if you sleep here, your mouth will become dry!¡±


    ¡°mr. assistant! mr. assistant!¡±


    despite their cautious approach and attempts to shake him, he remained motionless as he slept deeply.


    this made the twins feel lost.


    ¡°what should we do?¡±


    ¡°we can¡¯t just leave him here like this. let¡¯s move him to the bed.¡±


    ¡°but, should we just leave him here and go home?¡±


    it was time for them to go home.


    but, right in front of them was the assistant whom they hadn¡¯t seen in a month.


    if they were to go home without at least greeting him, they¡¯d undoubtedly feel regretful later.


    ¡°what should we do...?¡±


    ¡°let¡¯s just move him to the bed first. we can figure it out after.¡±


    ¡°okay, sis.¡±


    with her telekinesis, odile gently lifted siwoo, who looked so disheveled because he was drunk, and carried him to the bedroom.

 Chapter 126: Solace (2)

    ? solace (2) ?


    1.


    ¡°zzz...¡±


    as soon as the twins laid siwoo on the bed, he twisted his body while making peculiar noises.


    every time he tossed and turned, the overpowering smell of alcohol swiftly permeated the room.


    ¡°ugh...¡±


    ¡°we should open the window.¡±


    ¡°right.¡±


    feeling the need for a breath of fresh air instead of savoring the alcohol¡¯s stench, the twin unlatched the window, allowing a gentle breeze to enter the room.


    ¡°mr. assistant, wake up.¡±


    ¡°ugh...¡±


    ¡°please, mr. assistant! wake up!¡±


    ¡°uuugh...!¡±


    despite their repeated attempts to wake him up, siwoo remained unfazed.


    he only let out strange groans while twisting his body in response.


    this was enough to make them give up.


    ¡°alright, let¡¯s just figure out what to do first.¡±


    ¡°what could have happened to him?¡±


    ¡°maybe he celebrated his recovery by drinking?¡±


    ¡°if so, where¡¯s the associate professor?¡±


    ¡°hm...¡±


    the twins discussed various possibilities as to why their dear mr. assistant ended up sprawling like a fallen statue on the first floor of their outpost.


    but, with the person who knew everything, siwoo, sleeping like a log, it was ultimately a futile effort.


    ¡°for now, we have two choices in front of us.¡±


    ¡°one is leaving things as it is, right?¡±


    ¡°yes. the other one is for one of us to stay with him.¡±


    ¡°but, we¡¯ll never get permission to stay overnight...¡±


    they were sneaking out to get to tarot town in the first place.


    while it might be a holiday, if they were to mention that they¡¯d be staying overnight, both the strict head maid galina and their usually gentle masters would undoubtedly get angry at them.


    ¡°that¡¯s why we shouldn¡¯t ask for permission. of course, we should send them a pigeon to prevent them from worrying.¡±


    ¡°so, we¡¯ll notify them and that¡¯s it...?¡±


    odette was taken aback by odile¡¯s audacious suggestion.


    her occasional idea always gave the timid odette a great shock.


    and this time was no different.


    ¡°um, sis, can¡¯t we just go home first and sneak out at night? i don¡¯t want to get scolded.¡±


    ¡°no, i want to stay here.¡±


    ¡°what if i do it alone...?¡±


    ¡°no!¡±


    if odette were to go home by herself, galina would undoubtedly ask about odile¡¯s whereabouts. after a good scolding, it was obvious that odette would blurt out the whole truth.


    now, if that were to happen, her passionate night with mr. assistant would be ruined.


    ¡°do we really need to stay here...?¡±


    ¡°odette, just think about it. even though he¡¯s dead drunk, he still came to see us. do you understand what that means? mr. assistant missed us that much!¡±


    ¡°r-really...?¡±


    ¡°just imagine how devastated he would be if he were to wake up and find himself all alone!¡±


    ¡°u-um...¡±


    ¡°i can¡¯t bring myself to let him experience a cruel thing like that! i¡¯d rather get scolded later! that¡¯s why, i¡¯ll be by his side!¡±


    ¡°i guess you¡¯re right...¡±


    it didn¡¯t take much effort to convince odette.


    especially since the conversation had progressed in a direction where they had already ignored the option to leave things as it was,


    despite her grumbling, odette still followed her sister obediently.


    ¡°anyway, let¡¯s commence the plan! i¡¯ll send the pigeon!¡±


    ¡°i-i¡¯m scared...¡±


    ¡°odette, we¡¯ve spent this holiday so meaninglessly, but since mr. assistant is here, we can turn that around! try to see things in a positive light!¡±


    ¡°okay, i understand, sis...¡±


    as odile was about to go to the rooftop to release the carrier pigeon to countess gemini¡¯s mansion...


    odette, who had been gazing at siwoo¡¯s face, called out to her,


    ¡°wait, sis, come here for a moment.¡±


    ¡°what? i thought we¡¯ve decided what to do already.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s not it... did you notice that there¡¯s something different about mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°what do you mean?¡±


    odile carefully observed siwoo¡¯s outstretched body. that was when she noticed something.


    ¡°it¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°true...¡±


    ¡®how should i express it? um... firstly, he seems much younger than before...¡¯


    ¡®he looks like he¡¯s in his early twenties...¡¯


    but, that wasn¡¯t the only thing she noticed.


    ¡°don¡¯t you think he has become more handsome?¡±


    ¡°right?¡±


    she hadn¡¯t noticed it until now because of his flushed face, disheveled hair and unusual expression.


    but, the current siwoo looked different from his previous self.


    first and foremost, all the acne scars that were once scattered here and there on his face had disappeared, leaving his skin resembling that of a newborn baby.


    he was already a good-looking man in the first place, but his skeletal structure seemed to have shifted a little, making him even more good-looking than before.


    of course, this change was so subtle, one had to look at him very closely before one could notice it.


    ¡°maybe his younger self was this handsome?¡±


    ¡°who knows. anyway, i¡¯m going to send the pigeon now.¡±


    ¡°okay.¡±


    2.


    suddenly, the room fell into silence.


    siwoo, still lying on the bed, opened his eyes and gently touched his throbbing forehead.


    ¡°am i...dying...?¡±


    as soon he opened his eyes and made a small movement, he let out a voice that resembled the gasp of someone on the brink of death.


    his hangover felt more painful than when ea pierced through his brain.


    he could feel his parching throat and headache that throbbed like a large bell ringing in his head.


    ¡°where...am...i...?¡±


    the last thing he remembered was when he ordered the second bottle of whiskey at the white whale bar and the owner popped out the cork.


    after that, it was all blank. it was completely unknown what happened afterwards and how did he end up here.


    siwoo squinted his eyes and looked around the dimly lit room.


    from the bed and the familiar layout of the room, he inferred that this place was the twins¡¯ villa in tarot town.


    when he attempted to raise his body, he sensed a weight on both of his arms.


    to his left was odile and to his right was odette.


    ¡°...zz...¡±


    ¡°...hmnya...¡±


    the twins, dressed in pajamas, were using his arms as makeshift pillows, sleeping in a curled position.


    well, they weren¡¯t exactly wearing pajamas. rather, those were loose-fitting one-piece dresses known as drawers.


    to be more exact, those were the underwear they had always worn underneath their clothes.


    ¡°huh?¡±


    ¡®did i fucked up?¡¯


    feeling a slight panic, he cautiously surveyed his surroundings. even when he made that slight movement, his head began to throb violently.


    after a further observation, he noticed that the twins¡¯ clothes didn¡¯t seem as disheveled as he expected. they were only a little ruffled from the movements they made in their sleep.


    ¡®imagine if i actually fucked up, spending a passionate night with them before passing out and lost all memory of it... well, it isn¡¯t like i haven¡¯t done something like that before...¡¯


    ¡°phew...¡±


    the surprise he got after just waking up made him somewhat confused.


    then, he felt a tinge of pain in his heart.


    ¡®what is amelia doing right now?¡¯ that thought crossed his mind.


    he forcefully ignored it, before withdrawing his arms carefully so that his movements wouldn¡¯t disturb the sleeping twins.


    before everything else, he needed to get some water.


    otherwise, he felt like he was going to throw up.


    siwoo awkwardly opened the door and went down the dark stairs.


    at this moment, his stomach churned uncomfortably, perhaps because of the sudden jolt of movement that he made.


    ¡°u-ugh... uegh...!¡±


    he gripped the railing tightly as he retched.


    thoughts like how he shouldn¡¯t throw up here couldn¡¯t even cross his mind due to how sudden everything was.


    then, when he felt like he had vomited everything out...


    ¡°huh...?¡±


    ¡®ah, fuck.¡¯ he silently cursed.


    to his surprise, only a few droplets of saliva and stomach acid were scattered on the floor.


    he didn¡¯t know how long he had been lying down, but it couldn¡¯t have been more than a few hours for his stomach to finish digesting what he had been eating.


    ¡°ugh...¡±


    then, he roughly wiped off the saliva hanging from the corner of his mouth.


    under normal circumstances, this wouldn¡¯t bother him much, but at this moment, it was different.


    his head felt heated but the night air clung to his skin, chilling him down to his bone.


    siwoo made his way to the kitchen with unsteady steps, grabbed a water bottle containing three lemon slices and gulped the water down.


    the relaxing sensation made him feel like the water had washed away the lingering scent of alcohol as it flowed through his stomach.


    water dripped down his chin, dampening his clothes, but he paid no attention to it and drank almost half of the bottle in one go.


    ¡°ugh... finally, i can breathe...¡±


    he stood there while holding the water bottle for a while, his mind was cloudy.


    there were so many things he had to think about, but he didn¡¯t know where to start.


    the only sensation he could feel at the moment was his chest felt tight, as if something had blocked it from pumping out blood.


    in the end, he decided to not think about anything and just let things be as they were.


    ¡°uh...¡±


    something trickled down from his eyes.


    he didn¡¯t know why he suddenly felt sad or why his tears suddenly streamed down his face.


    or why he felt as if his heart had shattered to pieces.


    ¡°mr. assistant?¡±


    right when he was about to put down the water bottle...


    a drowsy voice echoed from behind.


    he glanced back and saw odile rubbing her eyes while suppressing a yawn.


    ¡°you scared me, why did you suddenly disappear...hoaahm...*¡±


    but, her effort turned out to be futile as she let out a yawn anyway. she instinctively brought her hand to her mouth, subtly lifting the one-piece dress she was wearing, momentarily showing her tiny belly button.


    ¡°ms. odile...¡±


    ¡°your memory has fully returned, it seems?¡±


    ¡°...yes.¡±


    in contrast to the twins who were overjoyed to see him, his response was severely lacking in enthusiasm.


    but, it wasn¡¯t like odile could do anything about it.


    ¡®he probably hasn¡¯t sobered up yet. or maybe he¡¯s still feeling sleepy.¡¯


    odile stood near the window in the living room, bathed in the moonlight, while siwoo stood inside the dimly lit dining room. as a result, odile couldn¡¯t see his face.


    ¡°can you get me some water? i¡¯m thirsty.¡±


    odile approached siwoo while dragging her slippers. when she reached out her arms, she became startled.


    the reason for this was because of the tears that were streaming down his eyes.


    she looked at him with concerned eyes.


    ¡°w-what¡¯s wrong? are you in pain?¡±


    siwoo swiftly wiped his eyes with his sleeve.


    he didn¡¯t want to show her his unsightly appearance.


    ¡°no, i¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°are you sure?¡±


    ¡°did i come here on my own? i didn¡¯t do anything rude, did i?¡±


    he deliberately attempted to change the topic of the conversation.


    still wearing a worried expression, odile nodded gently.


    ¡°aside from you suddenly barging in and lying down in a weird position, you didn¡¯t do anything rude.¡±


    ¡°i see. sorry.¡±


    ¡°what are you apologizing for? did you forget already? you¡¯re the benefactor who saved our lives twice, mr. assistant. as long as you don¡¯t set this place on fire¡ª no, i still won¡¯t mind even if you do that.¡±n(-o/.v/-e--l.)b..i).n


    odile gently tapped his arm while comforting him with the most soothing tone she could let out.


    ¡°i won¡¯t do something like that.¡±


    siwoo let out a weak chuckle.


    perhaps it was due to odile¡¯s playful nature, but he felt much better than when he had been standing alone in a daze.


    ¡°anyway, you said you want some water?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    siwoo poured some water into a cup placed next to the shelf and handed it to odile.


    she took the glass and downed its content in one gulp.


    ¡°ah! so refreshing!¡±


    while a witch like her didn¡¯t really need to drink water, her throat felt unnaturally dry, perhaps due to the strong scent of alcohol coming from siwoo. not to mention that she had used his arm as a makeshift pillow and drifted off to sleep not too long ago.


    after placing the glass down, odile called out to siwoo, who was still in a daze.


    ¡°um, mr. assistant?¡±


    her call made siwoo turn his gaze on her.


    just a while ago, his gaze seemed so distant, even though she was right in front of her.


    but at the moment, odile could sense that he was giving his utmost attention to her.


    ¡°yes?¡±


    odile, standing slanted in the dim moonlight, was holding the hem of her dress tightly while stroking her hair.


    after a brief period of hesitation, she pursed her lips.


    ¡°i won¡¯t pry. but, if you¡¯re having a hard time, you can ask for my help.¡±


    she briefly glanced at him before averting her gaze and continuing her words.


    ¡°i¡¯m on your side, mr. assistant.¡±


    the moment he heard those tender words, he felt as if the crutch he had been relying on for support had crumbled.


    like a cork had been released from his mind.


    a surge of emotion overwhelmed him.


    without realizing it, he pulled odile, who was standing in front of him and hugged her tightly.


    her petite and soft body was being held tightly in his arms.


    ¡°eek!¡±


    in response, odile let out a startled sound.


    ¡°m-mr. assistant...! you surprised me!¡±


    at first, she only felt surprised when siwoo suddenly did that, but soon she realized that his shoulders were trembling.


    he was crying.


    the warmth emanating from his body brought forth a sense of loss that was vividly painted by the waves of emotions.


    at that moment, all siwoo wanted was someone to cling to.


    before long, odile¡¯s shoulders were wet with tears.


    seeing this, she gently caressed siwoo¡¯s trembling head.


    ¡°it¡¯s okay... i won¡¯t go anywhere... i¡¯m right here with you, mr. assistant...¡±


    she patted his back while hugging his head.


    the girl could feel her nose and eyes getting wet, but she didn¡¯t release siwoo from her embrace until he finally calmed down.

 Chapter 127: Solace (3)

    ? solace (3) ?


    1.


    siwoo felt warmth enveloping his back.


    though much smaller than him, odile¡¯s embrace was akin to a soft cushion that enveloped him.


    the chaotic thoughts that had been bouncing around like a stray ball in his mind began to calm down.


    before long, his mind had found a semblance of order.


    ¡°are you feeling better now?¡±


    with a gentle movement, he distanced himself from odile.


    in turn, the latter also let his shoulders go with the same gentle motion.


    siwoo knew more than anyone that this was merely a temporary solace.


    as time passed, memories of amelia¡¯s contrasting presence would undoubtedly torment him.


    nevertheless, he wiped away the last traces of moisture in his eyes and smiled.


    ¡°it feels like it¡¯s been so long since we last saw each other, ms. odile.¡±


    ¡°finally you paid me a greeting.¡±


    odile let out a laugh, followed by siwoo¡¯s small chuckle.


    for some reason, the tip of her nose reddened.


    as if she could burst into tears at any moment.


    she let out a sniffle before grasping siwoo¡¯s wrist and pulled him down onto the sofa.


    ¡°come, sit here.¡±


    ¡°shouldn¡¯t you be going to bed? it¡¯s late.¡±


    the clock next to the fireplace pointed to 3 am.


    a late hour when even the plants were asleep. despite that, odile appeared full of energy.


    it was at this moment that siwoo finally realized something that he hadn¡¯t been considering.


    ¡°wait, aren¡¯t we in your villa right now?¡±


    ¡°yes.¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t you need to return to your mansion?¡±


    ¡°i got permission to stay overnight, so you don¡¯t have to worry, mr. assistant.¡±


    hearing that, siwoo let out a sigh of relief.


    if they stayed here without permission because of him sneaking in at a short notice, things would become messy.


    odile sent him an intense gaze.


    ¡°i thought i¡¯d have so much to say when we finally meet again, but now that i see you, it feels like i just saw you yesterday. it¡¯s strange.¡±


    ¡°really? i swear it feels like it¡¯s been a while since i last saw you.¡±


    ¡°how far do you remember? do you remember when we used to visit you in your sickbed every week? what about you going to the public bathhouse with us?¡±


    as soon as the word ¡®public bathhouse¡¯ came out of her mouth, siwoo¡¯s whole body froze.


    ¡®come to think of it, when i was younger, i remembered following the twins all the way to a public bathhouse...¡¯


    perhaps because it was such a vivid and impressive experience, it left a lasting impression in his mind.


    especially when odile tried to thoroughly wash his rod...


    ¡°i remember some things when i was young, but i don¡¯t remember the time when i was bedridden. thank you for coming to see me every week.¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t need to mention it! it¡¯s obvious that we¡¯d visit you since you were hurt back then!¡±


    odile spoke while gently swinging her legs.


    there was a slight trace of guilt in her expression that siwoo noticed, so he tenderly stroked her head.


    he didn¡¯t have any ulterior motive in doing so.


    something inside him urged him to do it, so he did.


    ¡°...¡±


    odile, who had been showing a subtle excitement, calmed down as soon as siwoo began patting her head.


    she obediently placed her hands on her knees as a peculiar expression appeared in her face.


    only after he withdrew his hand that she finally opened her mouth again.


    ¡°this is the only time i¡¯m letting you pat my head without my permission.¡±


    ¡°i know.¡±


    he found her adorable.


    she exuded an innate positive energy that managed to momentarily push aside his gloomy thoughts.


    ¡°anyway, mr. assistant, is your eye not healed yet? you¡¯re still wearing that eyepatch.¡±


    ¡°ah. this...¡±


    her question made siwoo hesitate whether to tell her the situation or not.


    for some reason, his left eye was acting like a witch¡¯s ¡®brand,¡¯ but he didn¡¯t know how it happened and why.


    it could absorb the surrounding mana, conversed it and contained his self-essence magic.


    to compare to himself in the past, if he wanted to use magic, he had to meticulously count from one to a hundred first back then. but now, he could jump to fifty or seventy if he wanted to.


    this was because of the nature of the brand that stored a portion of the formation and deployment, which were two of the three fundamentals of magic, with the other one being transformation.


    he only needed to make slight adjustments to the variables in the transformation phase and after that, his magic would manifest.


    not only that, he could also decide on which path he could take, making him unmatched in terms of speed when it came to using magic.


    the only problem here was the fact that this case, where a male somehow possessed a brand, was unprecedented.


    when he delved into historical records, he occasionally came across cases where witches would develop their own brands, but there were no males being mentioned among those cases.


    this meant that the concept of a male possessing a brand would undoubtedly spark great interest among most witches. they¡¯d chase after him to turn him into their research material.


    ¡°sorry, if i asked something unnecessary...¡±


    ¡°no, it¡¯s fine...¡±


    as he contemplated whether to tell odile about this or not, she ended up apologizing to him first.


    maybe, she thought that his eye couldn¡¯t be healed anymore.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    odile was the first one to break the momentary silence.


    ¡°do you want to go upstairs and rest, mr. assistant? it¡¯s getting late.¡±


    she got up from the couch and patted her butt.


    but, at that moment, her movements halted in hesitation. instead of going upstairs first like she initially suggested, she fidgeted beside siwoo instead.


    ¡®what is she doing...?¡¯


    this made him tilt his head in confusion.


    ¡°do you want to?¡±


    ¡°no, i¡¯m fine, but aren¡¯t you tired, mr. assistant...?¡±


    it seemed like odile had suddenly changed her mind.


    in truth, siwoo didn¡¯t feel particularly tired.


    maybe because he had fallen asleep earlier because of the alcohol, he felt wide awake at the moment.


    ¡°no, i¡¯m not tired...¡±


    ¡°if that¡¯s the case, do you want to go for a night walk with me?¡±


    ¡°a night walk...?¡±


    ¡°i¡¯ve never been to the town at this hour, so i¡¯m curious...¡±


    ¡®a walk, huh?¡¯


    it was obvious that if he went to bed now, he¡¯d be tossing and turning in a bad mood.


    since that was the case, it didn¡¯t seem like a bad idea for him to wander around with her. walking around under the fresh night air while enjoying each other¡¯s company.


    ¡°sure, i¡¯d love to.¡±


    ¡°great! i¡¯ll go get ready then!¡±


    ¡°ah, what about ms. odette?¡±


    ¡°she¡¯s sleeping, so let¡¯s not disturb her.¡±


    odile flashed a wide grin and ran off somewhere in a flash.


    not long after, she returned, wearing a large hooded cloak over her clothes, holding beer bottles in both hands.


    ¡°ta-da! i prepared a box of these to toast with you when you wake up!¡±n/(0velbin


    ¡°t-this is...?¡±


    siwoo¡¯s hands trembled when he held the chilled bottle.


    the bottle was all too familiar to him. from its brown color, its logo font, even the aluminum bottle cap.


    kass1a reference to cass, a common brand of alcohol in korea..


    ¡°it¡¯s the most famous beer from your hometown, mr. assistant, so i figured i took some. there¡¯s more in the carriage, so you can tell me if you want more.¡±


    ¡°ms. odile...¡±


    ¡°you don¡¯t need to thank me.¡±


    siwoo thought that he had already shed enough tears, but he found himself overwhelmed with them again.


    odile, who had thought he¡¯d hug her tightly this time as well, was subtly avoiding him.


    but, she had a pleased expression on her face as she saw his reaction to the gift she had prepared.


    ¡°thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°really, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    siwoo trailed behind odile, who was moving gracefully with a proud stance like a cat and left the villa behind.


    2.


    it was the first time siwoo had taken a walk at such a late hour.


    in contrast to its usual bustling energy, underneath the night¡¯s dew, the town was deathly quiet.


    all the buildings lined up around the road had their lights turned off. their presence was defined only by their shadows.


    everything was so quiet to the point that it felt like everything would crumble if odile were to shout her heart out.


    ¡°it feels like we¡¯ve stepped into a different world~¡±


    odile strode briskly while clutching a bottle of beer in one hand.


    siwoo followed leisurely behind, growing increasingly excited over the cheap beer.


    in comparison to the draft beer served at the white whale bar, this one had an unpleasant taste that was comparable to piss, but that was the charm.


    after all, it was a flavor that he had missed so much.


    ¡°is it really that delicious, mr. assistant? honestly, i don¡¯t like it, so you can take mine.¡±


    odile, bathed in moonlight while walking, as if on a stage, observed siwoo savoring the beer as if it were holy water. the amusing sight made her giggle.


    considering her preference for exclusively drinking high quality handmade beer, obviously the factory-made with a lot of additives wouldn¡¯t suit her taste.


    ¡°yes. it¡¯s great because i missed this taste. now, if we have chicken here, it would be perfect!¡±


    ¡°chicken? you mean that bird?¡±


    ¡°try soaking the chicken in salt, coating it with batter and frying it in oil. in the modern world, people in various countries eat it.¡±


    ¡°is that so?¡±


    in that quiet atmosphere, both of them shared stories in whispers.


    before they knew it, they had arrived at the fountain square.


    there were no stalls, street performers or hawkers trying to attract customers.


    nor were there loud noises of horse hooves and cart wheels as they walked on the bumpy road.


    the only thing that was moving in that quiet street was the large fountain at the center of the square, spraying its water.


    ¡°it¡¯s pretty.¡±


    ¡°agree.¡±


    the two of them stood before it, fixating their gazes on the gushing water.


    its gentle sound brought a soothing sensation to their hearts.


    do you want to get closer? we might get splashed, though.¡±


    ¡°sure.¡±


    odile took siwoo¡¯s hand and guided him closer to the fountain.


    they could see the coins shining brightly on the bottom of the fountain.


    ¡°did you know? the coins tossed into the fountain are collected by the city hall to cover the fountain¡¯s maintenance expenses.¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s the first time i¡¯ve heard it.¡±


    ¡°huh? wait, is that a gold coin?¡±


    ¡°a gold coin?¡±


    according to siwoo¡¯s calculation, a single gold coin would be worth around 800,000 won.


    this was after considering the living cost in gehenna, where essential times were significantly cheaper than luxury goods. in other words, it was a large sum of money.


    ¡®and there¡¯s a guy crazy enough to throw it into the fountain?¡¯


    ¡®maybe this is a tradition in gehenna? i mean, there were a lot of merchants around during the day...¡¯


    while pondering over these thoughts, siwoo leaned forward to look at the fountain. suddenly, odile pushed him from behind.


    it seemed like this was the reason why she called out to him.


    ¡°!¡±


    ¡°aah!¡±


    caught off guard, he instinctively grabbed onto odile¡¯s cloak, causing both of them to tumble into the fountain together.


    -splash!


    the sound of splashing water filled the air.


    since the water only reached their waists, there was no risk of them drowning. nevertheless, they were completely drenched because they fell into the water in a rather dramatic manner.


    instead of getting angry, siwoo just burst into laughter.


    he never thought that she¡¯d just push him into the fountain like that.


    ¡°what are you doing all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°why are your reflexes so impressive, mr. assistant?! i never thought you¡¯d choose to double suicide with me!¡±


    ¡°i just grabbed you because i was scared.¡±


    ¡°anyway!¡±


    odile, who looked like a wet squirrel, wasn¡¯t hiding her frustration as she shook her head like a puppy.


    then, that annoyed expression turned into a smile.


    ¡°i¡¯ve always wanted to take a dip every time i see this fountain. an opportunity like this when there¡¯s nobody around is rare!¡±


    ¡°and why did you push me?¡±


    ¡°because you looked gloomy! i figured i¡¯d take you with me!¡±


    however, there was something that odile had miscalculated.


    since this fountain took its water from underground, its temperature was unexpectedly cold.


    to make matters worse, the air was cold tonight despite it being spring.


    ¡°why is it so cold? i¡¯m freezing!¡±


    ¡°come on up, i¡¯ll give you a hand. don¡¯t let go of my hand.¡±


    since there was no ladder or anything, it seemed difficult for odile to climb up alone.


    well, it was natural since the fountain wasn¡¯t designed for people to swim inside.


    ¡°before that, wait a moment.¡±


    stopping siwoo, who was trying to help her get out, odile approached him.


    ¡°do you remember our agreement, mr. assistant?¡±


    ¡°agreement?¡±


    ¡°yes. you know, the thing we did when we handed you the music box over?¡±


    ¡°ah.¡±


    because he had just recovered all his memories not too long ago, he was able to remember it clearly despite a significant amount of time passed.


    it was the moment when odile barged into his room and made an agreement with him:


    one, to go to the spirit mountain together.


    two, to prove if she could feel pleasure if he were to touch her anus.


    and third...


    ¡°you agreed to teach me about love.¡±


    ¡®love.¡¯


    for siwoo, who had experienced a lot of things today, hearing those words made him feel disgusted.


    he cried out in his heart, ¡®if this is love, then i don¡¯t need it!¡¯ sometimes, he even entertained the idea of remaining single for the rest of his life.


    odile drew her face closer.


    the distance between them was so close that he could clearly see her large irises and the vibrant purple shade of her eyes.


    ¡°after you went into a coma, i read some books and found that people who fall in love tend to do stupid things. so, i thought, maybe if i were to imitate them, i would understand what love is.¡±


    ¡°stupid things?¡±


    ¡°yes. for example, something like this.¡±


    odile slowly approached him, pulling him by the collar and locked her lips with him.


    a moment before their lips touched, siwoo thought that he should resist her advances.


    after all, his emotions hadn¡¯t fully settled yet.


    however, the moment her tongue slipped between his lips...


    a certain feeling surged from inside him...


    the perplexing whirlwind of emotions gave way to a soothing warmth, causing him to embrace odile tightly and passionately intertwine their tongues.


    ¡°phew!¡±


    the kiss itself didn¡¯t last long.


    because odile pulled away quickly after feeling his enthusiastic response.


    she gazed at him with quivering eyes and a gentle smile formed at the corner of her lips.


    eventually, she shyly covered her mouth while letting out a soft chuckle.


    at that moment, siwoo felt that her image overlapped with amelia. a guilty feeling rose due to him knowing how disrespectful it was to odile for thinking about another woman in this situation.


    unaware of his feeling of guilt, odile just smile brightly and said,


    ¡°falling in the fountain, then sharing a kiss while we both are wet. isn¡¯t this stupid enough?¡±


    hearing those words, the lingering image of amelia faded.


    replaced by odile¡¯s bright smile.


    only then did siwoo manage to return her smile.


    ¡°yes. it¡¯s stupid alright.¡±


    footnotes:


    1a reference to cass, a common brand of alcohol in korea.

 Chapter 128: Solace (4)

    ? solace (4) ?


    1.


    odile and siwoo kept on walking even after they left tarot town.


    they didn¡¯t have a specific destination in mind, just going wherever their feet took them. before they realized it, they had traversed quite a far distance.


    then again, that was how a stroll was supposed to be.


    ¡°ms. odile.¡±


    ¡°achoo! ah, sorry... *sniff*...¡±


    as soon as they got out of the fountain, odile used her magic to evaporate the water from both their clothes. but, it seemed like that brief moment when they were exposed to the cold air had affected her somehow.


    she clutched her cloak, which had been loosened up considerably, as she let out another sneeze.


    it made siwoo think of the possibility of her catching a cold if they weren¡¯t careful.


    ¡°*sniff* what is it?¡±


    ¡°can i meet the countess?¡±


    ¡°huh?¡±


    hearing his words, odile tilted her head.


    but, soon after, she nodded as it wasn¡¯t exactly a difficult request.


    ¡°sure, but why?¡±


    ¡°as planned, i want to leave gehenna. that¡¯s why i want to ask the countess for permission.¡±


    ¡°...so soon?¡±


    ¡°yes. i want to leave as soon as possible.¡±


    to siwoo, gehenna was like a swamp that he wanted to escape from.


    it was already a place he didn¡¯t particularly like and the various encounters he experienced just strengthened his wish to leave the place.


    now that he wasn¡¯t amelia¡¯s personal slave anymore, he only needed countess gemini to handle the necessary procedures to leave.


    ¡°i see... that¡¯s right, huh? we had agreed on this, huh?¡±


    ¡°sorry...?¡±


    for some reason, odile began to mumble words that siwoo couldn¡¯t understand.


    he suddenly felt uneasy.


    ¡®did something happen when i was unconscious?¡¯


    but, odile¡¯s next words made him feel somewhat relieved.


    ¡°well, our master is currently on a business trip to the modern world for... a week? no, maybe a month? in any case, you probably won¡¯t get an answer anytime soon.¡±


    she turned her gaze towards a direction opposite of siwoo¡¯s as she spoke.


    ¡°i see...¡±


    while siwoo wanted to leave this place as soon as possible, it wasn¡¯t like there was something he could do if that was the case.


    there was no other high-ranking witch he could ask for assistance and odile had no reason to deceive him.


    as they continued their stroll, the landscape around them changed. a vast plain, where the night sky met the horizon and a large reservoir appeared before them.


    there were dozens of windmills around the vicinity.


    even though he had been living in gehenna for five years, siwoo never knew that a place like this existed.


    ¡°that is where tarot town gets their water from. if you were to cross to the other side of that reservoir, you¡¯ll find the mendel hills; they also use the water from that place. after all, solely relying on groundwater won¡¯t be enough.¡±


    the windmills, lined along the embankment, spun slowly and rhythmically, made siwoo feel like he was in europe.


    now, if there were tulips growing on the ground, it¡¯d be a perfect replica of the netherlands.


    a sense of tranquility washed over him.


    being a curious person by nature, odile wouldn¡¯t just let them stay around in place.


    she pointed towards the windmills with her thumb.


    ¡°do you want to go there?¡±


    ¡°can we?¡±


    ¡°why can¡¯t we? we¡¯ll just take a quick look anyway.¡±


    ¡°if you say so...¡±


    in truth, siwoo was curious about what the interior of the windmill looked like.


    while those windmills looked the same from the outside, there was a chance that it¡¯d look different inside. odile carefully chose one of the windmills and unlocked the door with her magic.


    she effortlessly opened the door as it made a clanking sound. from how it looked, it was clear that she had done this more than once.


    the windmill was approximately two and a half stories tall.


    its inside was empty with the exception of the large gears, spinning to utilize the power that was generated by the wind.


    there was only a small gap in the ceiling where the moonlight barely entered, making the interior incredibly dark.


    due to the noise generated by the spinning gears and the rhythmic sounds of the mill picking up water, the pair had to slightly raise their voice to carry on with their conversation.


    ¡°it¡¯s darker than i thought.¡±


    ¡°there are stairs over there.¡±


    ¡°shall we go up?¡±


    ¡°sure.¡±


    as siwoo had pointed out, there was a staircase on the left side of the room that looked like it would lead to the second floor.


    from the look of it, they installed it there for the purpose of the windmill¡¯s crankshaft maintenance.


    they carefully climbed the old wooden stairs. eventually, a new floor, made of wooden planks revealed itself before them.


    while the area looked cleaner than they expected, it also looked more fragile.


    it felt like it could collapse if the two of them were to jump around in this place.


    ¡°hmm...¡±


    now that they had climbed up here, there wasn¡¯t anything else they could do.


    since this place wasn¡¯t an observation deck, the gap where the moonlight could seep from was too high to see from their position. the whole place also looked rather desolate.


    even odile, who had been eager to explore the surroundings, quickly lost her interest.


    ¡°shall we go down now?¡±


    ¡°mr. assistant.¡±


    ¡°yes?¡±


    ¡°there¡¯s one more thing that i¡¯ve promised you. do you remember?¡±


    ¡°promise?¡±


    ¡®was there really?¡¯


    siwoo pondered for a moment, but nothing came to mind.


    then, odile glanced up at siwoo while tapping her face.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    only then did he remember what she had promised him about.


    he recalled the words she had uttered during their confrontation with ea.


    ¡°i said i¡¯ll let you cum all over my face if we were to survive.¡±


    ¡°y-you did say that, yeah...¡±


    ¡°so, are you up to it now?¡±


    siwoo involuntarily gulped.


    ¡®is this because of our kiss at the fountain just now?¡¯


    despite her trying to feign nonchalance, the sight of her blushing while shyly averting her gaze charmed siwoo.


    the sight made him feel a tingling sensation he had never experienced before, causing the tip of his tongue to stiffen.


    ¡°now? here?¡±


    ¡°we¡¯re the only ones here anyway. besides, i brought you here because of that.¡±


    ¡°um...¡±


    seeing his hesitation, odile firmly grabbed siwoo¡¯s collar.


    only her fingertips touched his skin, but he felt a particularly distinctive feeling.


    ¡°while it¡¯s true that i want to do this to repay what you¡¯ve done for me... i also want to do it... because you are you, mr. assistant...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°so...?¡±


    odile clung to siwoo like a cat showing her affection. then, she closed her eyes and stuck her lips out.


    it was a pose that seemed to ask for a kiss.


    just like before, it felt like there was something about her that drew him to kiss her.


    siwoo felt like the latch in his heart was being rattled.


    once again, amelia¡¯s face resurfaced in his thoughts.


    except this time it was the image of her crying desperately while holding on to him.


    ¡®will this instability go away if i were to do it with ms. odile?¡¯


    even though he knew that this was a disrespectful and improper thought to have, he savored the taste of her lips anyway.


    ¡°mm...mm...¡±


    odile¡¯s eyelashes fluttered as she raised the arms that were holding to siwoo¡¯s sleeves and wrapped it around his neck.


    both kiss that he had with her...


    while they were undoubtedly the same act, there was a considerable difference in the atmosphere around them.


    compared to before, this time, the atmosphere was way more intense.


    ¡°mm...¡±


    as if trying to divert his attention elsewhere.


    siwoo deftly untied the knot around odile¡¯s neck and removed her cloak.


    the thick cloak fell down, revealing a one-piece dress that barely covered her thighs.


    ¡°uhm...mm...¡±


    at this point, siwoo¡¯s kiss grew even more passionate.


    he pushed odile backward, causing her back to hit the wall.


    without breaking the kiss, he slipped his knee between her thighs.


    ¡°phew!¡±


    ¡°haah...haah...¡±


    though they had just finished their kiss, odile¡¯s eyes had already turned half-closed like she was intoxicated.


    their heartbeat raced quicker than usual.


    ¡°y-you¡¯re more energetic than usual, mr. assistant...¡±


    she uttered those words unconsciously.


    meanwhile, siwoo was confused. he didn¡¯t know if his actions stemmed from genuine feelings he had for her or merely something he did to immerse himself in the atmosphere.


    ¡°ms. odile, you look so hot today.¡±


    hearing his provocative words, odile¡¯s eyes widened like a startled rabbit,


    her body froze, as if she had turned into a statue. then, she suddenly jerked her head up.


    ¡°w-well, of course i am.¡±


    without hesitation, siwoo leaned in and began to kiss her once again.


    as their kiss grew more intense, he could feel the lower part of his body stiffening.


    his sexual desire surged, his excited mind urged him to strip her naked and devour her youthful body.


    he used his fingertips to tug the shoulder strap of her inner dress.


    that strap slid down her shoulder, causing her dress to slip off and fully expose her bare chest.


    the feeling of her clothing being removed made odile flinch, but before she could process everything, siwoo had already grasped her breasts in his hands.


    truthfully, ¡®grasping¡¯ wasn¡¯t the correct word to use.


    after all, her breasts weren¡¯t particularly large.


    however, they were still firm and perky with the stiff nipples that only added to their allure.


    siwoo lightly twisted one of her nipples with his finger.


    this prompted odile to push his hands away from her chest.


    ¡°mr. assistant, wait!¡±


    ¡°is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°no, but i¡¯m supposed to be the one who¡¯s doing something for you! stand here and lean against the wall!¡±


    under odile¡¯s guidance, they swapped their positions.


    this time, it was siwoo who leaned his back against the wall. meanwhile, odile crouched down in front of him.


    she spread her fallen cloak on the grown and knelt on top of it.


    with a deliberate motion, she lowered siwoo¡¯s pants and underwear.


    ¡°wow...¡±


    what greeted her was his erect and large rod.


    she hadn¡¯t even touched it but its size had already grown this big just from the kisses they made.


    considering the time he spent in a coma, it had been over a hundred days since he last ejaculated at all. a thick droplet of pre-cum slowly emerged from the tip of his cock.


    ¡°it¡¯s been a while since i¡¯ve seen it... it¡¯s as big as always... wait, you got some hair down here~!¡±


    odile playfully pointed at a certain place with her fingertip.


    although he had less hair since he had turned young, thanks to his maturing body, his pubic hair seemed to have grown again.


    ¡°you don¡¯t need to use your mouth¡ª¡±


    ¡°hmmh!¡±


    just as siwoo was about to stop her, odile widened her mouth and took his glans in.


    then, she gently slid her tongue into his urethral, trying to clean up all of his pre-cum.


    overwhelmed by the sensation, siwoo put more of his weight against the wall behind him.


    odile licked his glans with a tantalizing motion, as if she was savoring a piece of candy before pulling away with a mischievous smirk.


    ¡°so, how does it feel?¡±


    once again, she swallowed his throbbing rod before bobbing her head up and down.


    between her partially removed dress, siwoo could see glimpses of her bouncing chest.


    her frown, her raised eyebrows, her dilated violet irises all fueled siwoo¡¯s arousal.


    while he didn¡¯t really need to do anything other than savoring the feeling of fellatio, seeing odile¡¯s face aroused him even further. not to mention that she had such a fascinating beauty,


    ¡°mmh... *slurp*... haah...!¡±n/(0velbin


    ¡°urk...¡±


    feeling his lower half being sucked into odile¡¯s mouth, siwoo let out a moan unconsciously.


    hearing his moan, odile¡¯s eyes filled with a triumphant gleam.


    she gripped his rod and glanced upwards with a mischievous look.


    her look and the noises her mouth made created an enticing scene for siwoo.


    ¡°hehe, does it feel good?¡±


    ¡®not good!¡¯


    all of this led him to unleash his pent-up feelings, as he felt the urge to climax.


    ¡°mr. assistant, if you feel like you¡¯re going to cum, can you do it on my face like we¡¯ve promised?¡±


    after saying that, odile continued to vigorously sucking on his cock while bobbing her head up and down.


    she messed up occasionally at first, her teeth grazing the girth of his rod a few times, but soon enough, her movements became more skillful.


    unable to endure her assault, siwoo grasped her small head.


    ¡°wait, please...¡±


    ¡°mmh! what¡¯s wrong? does it hurt?¡±


    what he wanted was to rest for a few minutes.


    because men had their pride.


    while odile wouldn¡¯t think that it was a big deal if he were to cum a minute after the fellatio started, it would bother siwoo immensely.


    ¡°there¡¯s something i want to do for you, ms. odile.¡±


    ¡°can¡¯t you do it after you cum on my face?¡±


    she made that suggestion while covering her innocent-looking face with his rod, making it twitch once again.


    this reminded him of back when he tasted the shimaidon. he wondered if this was what immorality truly felt like.


    ¡°first, listen to what i have to say.¡±


    in any case, siwoo proposed a suggestion to odile, both to calm his cock down and to delay his ejaculation.

 Chapter 129: Solace (5)

    ? solace (5) ?


    ¡°mr. assistant.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°mr. assistant!¡±


    ¡°yes? what is it?¡±


    ¡°do i really have to do this? i-it¡¯s embarrassing...!¡±


    ¡°yes. it would be nice if you were to do it, i think.¡±


    inside the dimly lit windmill, siwoo swiftly stripped odile of her clothes.


    he took the initiative to drape a cloak over her shoulders, considering that she might feel cold, however...


    since she was completely naked underneath that cloak, it created a slightly provocative atmosphere. it reminded him of the surprise event the twins had prepared in the past.


    ¡°y-you have a lustful look, mr. assistant...¡±


    leaning against the wall with the cloak draped on her, odile removed her wobbling hands that were covering her crotch.


    since she had originally pushed her hips and waist slightly forward and spread her legs open, her bare pussy became visible just from that small movement.


    from those plump lips and tender mound of flesh, her cute little clit was peeking halfway from the surface.


    there wasn¡¯t a single strand of hair on her lower mouth. one could easily use the word ¡®beautiful¡¯ to describe it.


    siwoo squatted down in front of her crotch, carefully observing that alluring slit.


    as a bonus, he could even see her face heating up with embarrassment.


    and as for what they were talking about, siwoo had proposed to give her cunnilingus.


    the act where a man pleasured a woman¡¯s genitals with his mouth.


    since siwoo was sick of being on the receiving end of a fellatio, he expressed his desire to do something different and odile had easily granted that.


    at this moment, odile covered her legs with a swift motion.


    ¡°after thinking it over again, i don¡¯t think i can do it. no way, no way. i¡¯d rather do it the other way around!¡±


    ¡°don¡¯t give up so easily. please endure a little longer.¡±


    ¡°no way! b-besides, it¡¯s dirty...¡±


    ¡°it isn¡¯t like you¡¯re going to pee on me or something...¡±


    ¡°but, don¡¯t you feel uncomfortable at all...?¡±


    ¡°no, not at all.¡±


    rather than that, he wanted to give those lips a passionate and deep kiss. the thought of it being dirty never even crossed his mind.


    he gently pushed her hand aside and playfully licked her slit.


    as she felt his touch, her lower mouth became wetter.


    her body trembled as it emanated a musky and enticing scent.


    ¡°ah... this feels really strange...¡±


    ¡°do you mind if we continue a little longer?¡±


    ¡°ngh¡ª yes...¡±


    since it was his first time giving anyone cunnilingus, he wasn¡¯t sure of his performance. nevertheless, he could tell where her weakness was.


    he stuck out his tongue and playfully teased her small bud.


    ¡°haang¡ª!¡±


    when he sucked and licked her entire pussy, she didn¡¯t give out much of a reaction.


    but, when he focused his movements on the clit, she let out a moan as she lifted her heels with a gasp.


    he never imagined that her reaction would be this intense.


    though, he decided to ignore it and gave her clit a passionate kiss while thrusting his tongue deeper into her slit.


    compared to her nipple, which was a size larger, it was harder to put more pressure onto her tiny bud.


    ¡°haah! mr. assistant...do it...gently...! haa...ng...¡±


    ¡°sorry.¡±


    ¡°no, i-i mean, the feeling... it¡¯s good... haa... i feel like melting...¡±


    however, within less than a minute, she began to give out responses.


    her clit steadily grew erect as it peeked out of her slit.


    in proportion to that, it seemed that its sensitivity had increased as well. her hips started to tremble more frequently.


    -slurp, slurp


    ¡°mmh...haaa...aahh...¡±


    her muffled moans that were previously masked by the noise made by the windmill, gradually grew louder.


    when he pushed his tongue inside and licked the base of her clit, she gave him the strongest reaction yet.


    ¡°ngh! ahh...it feels...strange...!¡±


    odile tightly gripped siwoo¡¯s hair with both hands.


    not only because she wanted him to go on, it was also because her legs trembled so much that she needed something to hold onto for support.


    siwoo slightly adjusted the position of his thumb, which he had been using to spread her plump labia apart.


    as he gently pushed the base of her clit upwards, it became even more erect. the saliva smeared on it made it glisten, adding to its charm.


    ¡°nggaah...!¡±


    when siwoo upped his intensity a notch, her grip on his hair tightened.


    a tingling heat surged from just below his chins, accompanied by a series of loud moans.


    the scent she exuded became noticeably stronger.


    while for siwoo, even though he hadn¡¯t done anything except licking her, his erection didn¡¯t subside.


    that was because of her pitiful screams, rough breaths and sweet moans that continued to fuel his arousal.


    ¡°ngh¡ª ahh...there! mr. assistant¡ª there! a little...more...!¡±


    the previously moaning odile shouted her words to siwoo.


    meanwhile, siwoo carefully moved his mouth so that it wouldn¡¯t leave her trembling lower body, all while continuing to lick her small and erect bud.


    ¡°ah...i-i¡¯m going to cum! m-mr. assistant! ahhh!¡±


    and finally, she reached the climax.


    her pelvis brushed against siwoo¡¯s nose with a considerable force. the impact caused her body to jerk away, but siwoo quickly gripped her bouncy buttocks to prevent that from happening.


    ¡°stop! don¡¯t move...anymore! ahh!¡±


    she wildly thrashed her hips, even tore out a few strands of siwoo¡¯s hair as she arched her back in a flashy manner.


    meanwhile, siwoo sucked on her pulsating clit as he continued to stimulate her relentlessly despite knowing that she already climaxed once.n-/0velb1n


    the buttocks that he tightly held contracted and relaxed repeatedly, akin to the rhythmic contraction that a man experienced during his ejaculation.


    except that this phenomenon lasted longer than that.


    ¡°ngh...hh..a...¡±


    when odile was about to slide down, siwoo quickly picked her up.


    though his mouth was covered in saliva now, after witnessing her getting lost in ecstasy due to his efforts, evoked a sense of pride in siwoo.


    ¡°ahhh...aa...¡±


    after she was finished savoring the lingering pleasure, she covered her face with both palms as she vented her frustration.


    ¡°this is why i told you to stop!¡±


    though, despite her fuming with anger, she couldn¡¯t meet siwoo¡¯s gaze.


    it was because she felt a deep sense of embarrassment as she realized that she had been indulging in the pleasure he had given her.


    ¡°but, you look so cute. also, i wanted to return the favor at least once.¡±


    ¡°ugh... you¡¯re such a bully.¡±


    odile buried her face in his chest as she muttered such words, probably because she was embarrassed to show her face.


    at that moment, a sudden thought crossed siwoo¡¯s mind.


    ¡®is she always this cute?¡¯


    it reminded him of the time when he witnessed her appearance right after he drank her love potion.


    ¡®...of course, she was less perverted back then, but still...¡¯


    in any case, as they clung tightly to each other, their bare skin was pressed together. there was an indescribable sense of relief that washed over them.


    ¡®i thought holding hands is the peak level of physical contact in a typical relationship.¡¯


    by intimately pressing their exposed skin, it felt as though they had grown incredibly close.


    as siwoo was lost in thought for a moment.


    odile gently grasped his erect rod that had been poking against her abdomen with her hands.


    ¡°you¡¯re quite horny too, aren¡¯t you, mr. assistant?¡±


    with one hand holding his large shaft, odile spread the palm of her other hand and playfully coated the glans with the precum oozing from his urethra.


    the cunnilingus was a mind-blowing experience for odile.


    perhaps, feeling a tinge of embarrassment at how much she had enjoyed it by herself, she swiftly attempted to regain control of the situation.


    usually, siwoo would let her do whatever she wanted but this time, for some reason, he didn¡¯t want to let her win.


    ¡°you were acting quite wildly today, ms. odile.¡±


    ¡°i wasn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°you were.¡±


    ¡°i wasn¡¯t! seriously, i wasn¡¯t!¡±


    odile, who acted stubborn in a strange way, was smoothly giving him a handjob in the middle of their petty argument.


    at the same time, she gave a mischievous smile, meeting his gaze directly from within his embrace.


    ¡°you made this little man grow this big just by licking me down there. are you sure you aren¡¯t a pervert? you just want to put it inside me that badly, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°uhh...¡±


    siwoo admitted defeat without resisting.


    in his defense, if one still possessed the mental capacity to assert their dominance after witnessing such an enticing sight, then, they must be a great casanova.


    ¡°i guess you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°am i?¡±


    odile burst into a gleeful laughter, finding this conversation oddly delightful.


    she pulled away from him slightly before removing her cloak once again.


    the real game was about to begin.


    for siwoo, his rod was so hard that even a slight touch would make him shoot an unimaginable amount of semen.


    since that was the case, taking a step back before going further didn¡¯t seem like a bad idea.


    after all, if odile were to relentlessly attack him, he¡¯d have no chance of resisting her.


    ¡°ms. odile.¡±


    ¡°yes, mr. assistant?¡±


    having experienced an orgasm already, odile seemed to be overflowing with energy.


    she had been in a good mood since earlier, but she became even more lively than before.


    ¡°do you want me to come before starting? if i may be honest, it has been building up...¡±


    ¡°huh? no, that would be disappointing... i didn¡¯t bring any aphrodisiacs today...¡±


    ¡°but, ending it right after we start can be a little anticlimactic...¡±


    odile, who was looking at siwoo¡¯s face, brushed her hair aside and quickly knelt down at his feet.


    ¡°well, whatever! i brought you here so that you can smear my face with your semen anyway!¡±


    she firmly grasped siwoo¡¯s rod.


    ¡°but this time, can i do as i please?¡±


    ¡°hm?¡±


    ¡°i want to try something i read in a book.¡±


    ¡°sure.¡±


    siwoo nodded obediently. although he had no idea what kind of book she were talking about and what kind of twisted act that would come out of it, he trusted her enough that she wouldn¡¯t do anything too extreme, so he willingly went along with it.


    ¡°i want to try it like this.¡±


    odile held the tip of his rod with her hand and aimed it directly at her pointed nipple.


    he could see the slight prickliness and softness of her breasts as they pressed against his sensitive glans.


    the elasticity and softness he felt...


    perhaps, no matter which part of her body he touched, none of them would ever beat this sensation.


    ¡°here we go.¡±


    with a serious expression, odile pressed siwoo¡¯s glans against her breasts and began rotating her nipple around.


    strictly speaking, these delicate movements were her pressing his rod against her breasts.


    ¡°ah...¡±


    ¡°it doesn¡¯t feel as stimulating as i thought. the book said it would feel amazing though...¡±


    in contrast to odile¡¯s puzzlement, the pleasure siwoo received was immense.


    seeing her nipple, standing as erect as her nose, glistening thanks to his precum, and witnessing her dedication to this erotic act while carefully studying the act, made his heart tremble.


    -plap, plap


    the semen that was about to come out began to stir.


    although this was a dry breastjob, her tender touch and the way her nipple moved in response to his cock¡¯s movements filled him with an overwhelming pleasure. in less than five minutes, he was already about to climax.


    ¡°ms. odile, i¡¯m gonna¡ª¡±


    ¡°ah! wait! right here!¡±


    odile continued what she was doing except this time she brought her face closer to his erect shaft.


    at this moment, she closed her eyes tightly, probably to prevent his semen from entering her eyes.


    ¡®can that tiny face receive everything?¡¯


    the sensation that was building up became overwhelming.


    ¡°keuk!¡±


    before he could even do anything, he already started ejaculating.


    -spurt!


    to his surprise, the first shot of his semen was fired like a water gun, hitting odile right between her eyebrows.


    it was very watery and the color was closer to gray, making him wonder if it was actually a piss.


    then, an immense pleasure struck his spine.


    -spurt, spurt!


    at that moment, the thick globs of his viscous cum started flying over odile¡¯s face.


    his body jerked not once, twice, nor thrice, but seven times in total.


    meanwhile, odile stopped her movements and just sat obediently with a startled expression. she seemed to be shocked by the amount of semen that came out.


    ¡°mmh?!¡±


    ¡°haa...¡±


    siwoo felt an exhilarating sensation.


    as for odile, her face was completely covered in semen. it was so densely smeared to the point that it would be easier to find a spot on her face that hadn¡¯t been smeared already.


    from her soft lips, prominent nose, long eyelashes and round forehead, down to her kneeling thighs and slender collarbone, even up to her silky black hair, everything was fully covered in his semen.


    the liquid was so thick that it didn¡¯t flow down easily from those places.


    seeing her face turned into such a mess, siwoo felt both triumphant and remorseful.


    especially when he saw the droplets of his semen dripping down from her chin.


    ¡°t-thank you, ms. odile. thanks to you, i feel¡ª!¡±


    ¡°haaam...!¡±


    however, this wasn¡¯t the end of odile¡¯s mischief.


    her rosy lips, which had been tightly sealed, parted before greedily taking his rod.


    ¡°*slurp* hngg...¡±


    she proceeded to clean it up with great care, even down to the last remaining droplet in his urethra.


    all while her face was covered in his semen.


    ¡°phew... as expected... it¡¯s bitter...¡±


    odile picked up the corner of her cloak while gently wiping away the cum around her eyes before opening it.


    then, she showed him her cum-covered face, as if she was using his semen as makeup.


    ¡°how is it, mr. assistant? this is your masterpiece, so do you like it~? you went through all this trouble, so you¡¯d be upset if i were to immediately wipe it off, right~?¡±


    mixed in her words were both innocence and vulgarity.


    in the midst of that, siwoo felt his lust begin to surge as he laid her gently on the top of her cloak.


    it was the time for them to indulge in pleasure together.

 Chapter 130: Solace (6)

    ? Solace (6) ?


    1.


    Siwoo felt a dangerous level of excitement coursing through him.


    The vague sorrow that had been weighing on his chest completely changed into a raw and intense sexual desire.


    And now he needed a place to release it.


    He gazed at Odile¡¯s delicate, pale pink folds.


    The glans of his rod was pressed against those creases. Despite being an excretory organ, it was unexpectedly clean.


    As Siwoo¡¯s hot rod made contact with her sensitive backdoor, Odile let out a gasp.


    Her face was still completely covered in his semen.


    It was as if multiple people had ejaculated on her face rather than the result of a single person¡¯s climax. This was the sight that you¡¯d find in a Japanese AV cover with ¡®Face Covered in White~ Bukkake Special,¡¯ plastered on it.


    ¡°Um, Mr. Assistant... Should we clean this up first before continuing?¡±


    ¡°No, I want to stay like this for now.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re fine with it... Sure...¡±


    Siwoo set everything aside, from the sense of guilt that stemmed from him covering Odile¡¯s face with his sticky fluid, to her embarrassed plea to wipe the liquid away from her face.


    He had no desire to fulfill that plea.


    Faced in a situation like this, even though he had always thought that he didn¡¯t have any strange fetishes, it still made him want to make his way with her as it was.


    ¡°Ah...!¡±


    He pushed Odile¡¯s thighs to adjust the angle of her anal.


    Her pussy, which faced the sky, was wet enough to be seen in that dimly lit place.


    Whether because of her embarrassment or confusion, her pussy twitched, causing a sprout to tremble.


    With only Odile¡¯s saliva acting as a lubricant, he figured that penetrating her backdoor would be difficult.


    This was proven by Odile¡¯s pained face as he stuck his glans inside.


    ¡°Wait, Mr. Assistant¨C! It¡¯s been a while, so¡ª I-It hurts!¡±


    Although her semi-spiritual body was sturdy enough to not be damaged by anal sex, Siwoo¡¯s rod was still too big compared to her tight hole.


    It had to stretch itself to its limits just to accommodate his thick rod.


    ¡°Can you bear with it a little longer?¡±


    If things had gone as they usually did, Siwoo would have stopped right there.


    He¡¯d allow her to rest for a while, letting her to loosen up her muscles.


    However, the overwhelming sense of lust left no room for such leisure.


    That feeling was only further strengthened after he saw her alluring pained expression.


    ¡°Huh? Haah! Ahh!¡±


    Odile instinctively reached out her hand and gripped Siwoo¡¯s arm.


    With trembling hands, she held onto his wrist, but she made no move to push him away or stop him.


    Instead, she just let out rushed gasps while doing her best to loosen her rear hole.


    Slowly, Siwoo began to push his rod forward, stretching out Odile¡¯s anus even further.


    The pressure he felt was the strongest that he had ever experienced.


    It was as if several rubber bands had been wrapped around his rod.


    ¡°Ngh¨C!¡±


    With the help of Odile¡¯s saliva and the love juice that flowed down from her pussy, he barely managed to push his glans inside. At that moment, he paused to observe her reaction.


    Surprisingly, even after ejaculating, his erection showed no signs of weakening.


    As a result, Odile trembled, struggling to catch her breath.


    ¡°Mr. Assistant...you¡¯re a little...forceful...today...are you in a hurry?¡±


    Odile called out to Siwoo, barely managing to smile.


    It was unclear whether she didn¡¯t want to spoil the mood or she was genuinely able to endure the pain.


    At that moment, Siwoo regained his senses.


    He realized that his actions were indeed a little forceful as he completely disregarded Odile¡¯s condition.


    ¡°S-Sorry.¡±


    When he quickly tried to pull his cock out, Odile wrapped her legs around his waist.N??v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    Then, she shook her head from side to side.


    ¡°No! Y-You went through all that trouble to...get it inside... It¡¯s fine, Mr. Assistant, I¡¯m okay! You¡¯ve done a lot for us, I want to repay you...at least in this way...¡±


    Tears welled up in her eyes, making it hard to tell if she was really okay.


    She felt an immense debt towards Siwoo.


    After all, she had directly witnessed him coughing up blood while facing Ea Sadalmelik to protect her and her sister.


    Furthermore, he even prioritized their safety over his own while fully aware of the potential danger to his own life.


    But that wasn¡¯t all.


    Even after that, he had to pay a cruel price.


    And she had witnessed what he had to pay. From his brutally shattered fingers to his empty eye socket.


    But back then, there was nothing she could do for him.


    All she could do was to hold his hand and speak to him, even though she didn¡¯t know when he¡¯d wake up from his deep slumber.


    ¡°Y-You can do more...! S-Say more dirty things¡ª Ahhh!¡±


    Siwoo pulled out his rod and roughly rolled Odile¡¯s body over.


    Since she claimed to be a bitch, then he had the right position that reflected her status.


    Seemingly understanding what he desired, Odile arched his hips, imitating a bitch waiting for her mating partner.


    ¡°Q-Quickly, put it in...¡±


    Siwoo firmly grasped the swaying hips that had been eagerly trying to receive his cock and spread her legs wide.


    This was a more comfortable angle compared to before.


    ¡°Unnnghh¡ª!¡±


    Under the intense thrusts of his cock, Odile¡¯s waist swayed.


    With each forceful thrusts, her body quivered.


    The pleasure spread throughout her body, sending shivers down her spine.


    -Slap, slap


    ¡°Ms. Odile.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes...? W-What¡ª ahhh...haan...gg...¡±


    ¡°Can you cry out louder? Like a bitch you are?¡±


    ¡°A-Ah... L-Louder? L-Like a...bitch....? Aaahh...¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Her arms, barely supporting her upper body, gave way, making her torso sink down and traced a graceful curve.


    She casted her gaze shyly over her shoulders in that position as she timidly asked.


    ¡°A-Arf... Arf... L-Like this...?¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Somehow, she managed to imitate the sound of a dog barking.


    Though, rather than a grown dog, her high-pitched voice resembled a whimpering puppy more.


    The thought of her readily performing such an act just to please him fueled Siwoo¡¯s excitement.


    ¡°Mmh¡ª!¡±


    Odile swallowed another moan as she felt Siwoo¡¯s rod getting bigger inside her.


    From her past experiences, she was aware of this phenomenon.


    This meant that he was about to ejaculate.


    Trying to speed that up, Odile began to do what Siwoo had requested again.


    ¡°Arf arf! M-Mr. Assistant¡ª haa...ahh...c-come inside...c-come inside my ass...¡±


    Although the situation might have seemed awkward and ridiculous, Odile¡¯s allure made such things trivial.


    ¡°B-Because I am¡ª Y-Your bitch¨C Arf...hhaaa! I-I can¡¯t hold back...my voice anymore...hnggghh!¡±


    Odile¡¯s buttocks began to tighten.


    Feeling the tight grip of her hole, Siwoo quickly rammed the entirety of his rod inside.


    ¡°Kyaaahhh!¡±


    Odile¡¯s lower body suddenly sprung up as a response to the climax.


    At the same time, the inner wall of her rear hole began to squeeze his throbbing rod.


    That was the final straw, Siwoo poured up his semen inside that hole.


    -Spurt, spurt!


    ¡°Ahh...haaa! Nghh...¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s ejaculation was over, but Odile¡¯s continued for a while.


    This allowed him to inject every last drop of his semen into her trembling body.


    -Spuurt!


    As Siwoo slowly pulled his waist back, Odile¡¯s rear hole, which had turned red due to the stimulation, came into view.


    Perhaps due to the intense pounding, even after he had pulled his cock out, her hole remained wide open. He could see his mushy cum inside that hole.


    ¡°Ha... It¡¯s exhausting...¡±


    At that moment, that hole sealed shut as a single stream of thick white liquid oozed out.


    As he observed her rear hole that had returned to its beautiful bud-like shape, Siwoo couldn¡¯t help but realize the extraordinary nature of the semi-spiritual body.


    This made him gulp in excitement.


    ¡°Ms. Odile.¡±


    ¡°Yes...?¡±


    ¡°Can we do it one more time?¡±


    ¡°W-What? Ahh¡ª!¡±


    Without giving her a chance to react, Siwoo thrusted his rod into her body.


    Since it was already considerably loosened, the hole accepted his cock with an even smoother grip.


    ¡°F-Fine...b-but¡ª Ahh...p-please...let me rest...¡±


    ¡°Ms. Odile, didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d be my bitch for today?¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s...b-but¡ª Ahhh!¡±


    Siwoo slammed his cock on Odile, who was letting out an even louder moan than before. This continued until he finally blasted his second load into her rear hole.

 Chapter 131: Tying Up Loose Ends (1)

    ? Tying Up Loose Ends (1) ?


    1.


    ¡°Mmh...mm... *slurp*¡±


    After climaxing thrice in a row, Siwoo was completely exhausted.


    He was sitting on the cloak with his legs wide apart while receiving Odile¡¯s thorough cleaning.


    From the sound that echoed, it was clear that the ¡®cleaning¡¯ process involved Odile using her tongue and lips to clean off all the fluids that clung to his cock.


    The latter nestled her head between Siwoo¡¯s legs, curling up while proceeding to suck the rod that had been going in and out of her rear hole until it was completely wet with her saliva.


    ¡°Mmh...¡±


    She briefly lifted her head to catch Siwoo¡¯s satisfied moan while swallowing everything that stored out in her mouth in a single gulp.


    Then, as if showing off, she opened her mouth wide, showing her glistening pink tongue and empty mouth.


    ¡°Mr. Assistant, look at this~ Aah~ I swallowed it all~¡±


    At this point, she had already wiped away the cum that had been covering her face and hair with her magic. But, she didn¡¯t do the same to Siwoo¡¯s rod as she opted to clean it manually.


    She did it properly despite her strong hate towards the taste of his semen.


    Realizing this, Siwoo couldn¡¯t help but feel touched by her selflessness.


    ¡®One must live a kind life to be able to enjoy this kind of privilege.¡¯ He mused to himself.


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Ms. Odile.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it~ Anyway, did it feel good?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it felt amazing.¡±


    ¡°Hehe~¡±


    In truth, it was Odile who suggested cleaning it this way.


    He assumed that she was probably inspired by one of her erotic novels.


    Seeing her engulf herself in his flaccid rod made him feel a mix of guilt and desire. But, since they had gone this far already, he decided that he might as well enjoy it.


    At first, he thought that he couldn¡¯t get his member hard again, but the pleasure he felt from Odile¡¯s mouth was so immense that it became erect again.


    Seeing this, Odile tapped his rod with her fingertips teasingly and asked.


    ¡°Want to do it again?¡±


    In response to this stimulation, his cock twitched.


    Then he recalled her lovely appearance when she imitated a puppy, tempting him to do it again...


    However, time was not on their side.


    ¡°If we had more time, we could do it as much as we want...¡±


    ¡°I understand your feelings. Odette will probably wake up soon...¡±


    Odile pouted and crawled closer to him before resting her cheek on his chest.


    She could hear his heartbeat, thumping like a lullaby, prompting her to close her eyes.


    Considering that she had spent the entire night awake, it wasn¡¯t a wonder that she became tired.


    ¡°I can feel your semen sloshing in my belly, Mr. Assistant...¡±N??v€l-B1n was the first platform to present this chapter.


    ¡°Well, I came inside you twice.¡±


    ¡°You pushed it all the way in before squeezing everything out. It must have gone really deep.¡±


    Siwoo still couldn¡¯t fully determine whether her seemingly innocent behavior where she spoke out provocative words that could arouse him stemmed from her naivety or not.


    ¡°Do you not need to clean up, Ms. Odile? I mean... You still have some inside...¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll do it later... It¡¯ll be embarrassing to do it in front of you, Mr. Assistant...¡±


    Even if her orifice was perfectly clean, it was still a place for excretion.


    There was no way she would willingly sit in front of him and squeeze out his semen from her rear hole like that. It wasn¡¯t the matter of them getting along better or not, she was simply too embarrassed to do it.


    ¡°Do you think I care about such things?¡±


    ¡°You might not, but I do!¡±


    Siwoo began to imagine Odile¡¯s blushing face as she squeezed out his semen from her anus...


    It surely would be a sight to behold, but Odile seemed adamant to not do it in front of him, so he ended up giving up.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s clean up everything before we leave.¡±


    A faint purple light flickered in Odile¡¯s eyes.


    In an instant, the surrounding mana moved to remove all impurities in their skins. From bodily fluids to specks of dust.


    Siwoo couldn¡¯t help but once again marvel at the wonders of magic.


    To him, among all the spells that he knew, the cleaning spell was undoubtedly the most convenient spell.


    After they put on their clothes, they closed the door of the windmill. Leaving the lingering heat of their passionate night inside, they stepped outside.


    2.


    After finishing his steamy affair with Odile and stepping outside the windmill together, they were greeted by the beautiful view of dawn breaking at the far end of the eastern plain.


    Seeing the morning star showing off its dazzle, the pair hastened their pace.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I couldn¡¯t help it. You were so cute, Ms. Odile.¡±


    Not only cute, she was also alluring.


    In fact, even now he could still see her naked body below that cloak flashing before his eyes.


    Despite her not having a particularly curvaceous body, she had a peculiar allure that would be able to captivate men around her with ease.


    ¡°For someone with such innocent eyes, you¡¯re a quite mischievous person, you know that?¡±


    Odile promptly caught his gaze and staged her counterattack. However, due to her naivety, she didn¡¯t prepare for a complicated act. Instead, she just brute forced it as soon as she made up her mind. Thus making her prone to Siwoo¡¯s counterattack instead.


    ¡°You got me. Now that you know, I might as well go all out. Come here, let me take off that cloak of yours.¡±


    ¡°No! We¡¯re in the middle of the street!¡±


    As soon as Siwoo pulled the end of her cloak, seemingly ready to undress her, she quickly grabbed the edge of her cloak and yanked it off his grip.


    That was when she realized that she fell for his prank again.


    ¡°It¡¯s a joke~¡±


    ¡°Ugh, can you stop playing around, Mr. Assistant?!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, sorry~ Don¡¯t get mad, I¡¯ll give you a foot massage when we get home, okay?¡±


    While teasing the visibly upset Odile, Siwoo walked alongside her into the Tarot Town.


    Perhaps because some time had passed, there were already people walking around.


    Young girls coming out to fetch water, horse carriages tracing the streets with a rattle and newspaper vendors tidying up their stalls.


    It was as if all those people just woke up from their hibernation. They began to wander busily from place to place. As she watched them, Odile felt a tinge of regret.


    ¡°Just a while ago, it was only you and me here, Mr. Assistant... I feel a little sad...¡±


    ¡°We can do it again next time.¡±


    ¡°And when is it exactly?¡±


    Afraid that her underwear might be visible between the folds of her cloak, Odile wrapped her cloak tightly before pushing her head forward.


    ¡°Since I don¡¯t have a place to stay until I make an appointment with the Countess, can I stay at the villa?¡±


    ¡°The villa? You mean our villa?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hearing that, Odile vigorously nodded.


    Deep down, she wanted to bring him directly to the Gemini mansion, but if rumors about Countess Gemini apprentice suddenly bring back a man were to spread, it would lead to unpleasant situations.


    While it wasn¡¯t really a major issue, such a scandal could potentially affect her master, something that she wanted to avoid.


    That was why, him staying at her villa was an ideal situation for Odile. In fact, she¡¯d bring up the matter herself if he didn¡¯t ask her about it first.


    She wanted to see him as much as possible. After all, when he finally left Gehenna, they wouldn¡¯t be able to meet each other again until she became a real witch.


    ¡°Of course you can! That¡¯ll be great!¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Finally I have a place to stay.¡±


    Siwoo said while stroking Odile¡¯s head. Though, he had quite the difficulty in doing so as she kept happily jumping up and down.


    If she had a tail, it would probably be wagging vigorously from side to side.


    That was how happy she looked.


    As they walked through the plaza and entered a narrow alley, a villa that looked so out of place compared to the alley entered their vision.


    Before they opened the door and entered the place, Odile gave out a warning.


    ¡°We have to not let Odette know, so we need to be careful! She¡¯ll get jealous if she finds out that we went out and had fun with just the two of us!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    ¡°Also, everything that we did today is a secret okay?!¡±


    ¡°Okay, I get it.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Odile nodded her head before cautiously opening the door, making sure that she didn¡¯t make any noises.


    After entering the foyer and changing to their slippers, the two of them walked towards the staircase directly in front of them.


    Just before they ascended the stairs, Siwoo took a glance at the living room to his left. At that moment, his heart sank.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Noticing him suddenly stopping, Odile glanced at the direction he was looking at. Like him, she ended up frozen in place.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    In the living room, there were two people sitting on the sofa while elegantly sipping their drinks.


    They were the twins¡¯ masters.


    Countess Albireo and Deneb Gemini.


    They were sitting while staring intently at Siwoo, as if they had been waiting for him.

 Chapter 132: Tying Up Loose Ends (2)

    ? Tying Up Loose Ends (2) ?


    1.


    ¡®Why is the Countess here?¡¯


    Odile had clearly said that the Countess wouldn¡¯t be able to contact him for about a month since they weren¡¯t in Gehenna.


    ¡®Isn¡¯t this like when your girlfriend invites you over because her parents are on vacation, but when you¡¯re having fun with her, they suddenly come back home?¡¯


    Of course such a dreadful situation was merely a metaphor for Siwoo as he had never actually encountered that situation in his life.


    As for Odile, she didn¡¯t have the opportunity to ask them anything.


    ¡°Come over here, Odile.¡±


    The Countess¡¯ gaze turned to Odile.


    Her voice was gentle, but it carried a different weight than usual.


    There was a sense of reprimand and scolding in her tone. It was so obvious that even Siwoo could feel it.N??v€l-B1n was the first platform to present this chapter.


    ¡°M-Master, I-I¡¯ll explain¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hear that later. First of all, come inside, Odile.¡±


    Odile casted an apologetic look at Siwoo before entering the living room hesitantly.


    Before he realized it, Siwoo followed behind her. The sense of pressure he felt was immense.


    The white haired Deneb lightly took hold of Odile¡¯s wrist.


    While doing so, she seemed to be examining something as she stared at her silently for a while before finally letting out a sigh of relief.


    She was confirming if there was any harm to her apprentice¡¯s ¡®bowl.¡¯ It was a natural course of action, after all, the girl suddenly informed her to stay overnight, went out late at night with a man and only returned when dawn was about to arrive.


    Fortunately, everything was fine. Once Deneb confirmed this, she lightly smacked Odile in the head.


    ¡°Ow!¡±


    ¡°Who gave you permission to stay overnight? Do you know how long we were searching for you guys?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry... B-But, Mr. Assistant had woken up! I-I didn¡¯t want to leave just like that...¡±


    ¡°Listen carefully, Odile. We won¡¯t take this incident lightly, but since it¡¯s late, go upstairs and sleep. We¡¯ll discuss this after you¡¯re awake.¡±


    ¡®Huh? Are the Countess actually in Gehenna? Was it a mistake to completely believe in Odile¡¯s words?¡¯


    Siwoo stood around, feeling perplexed. As he was drowning in his emotion, Albireo called out to him.


    ¡°Shin Siwoo, please stay here with us.¡±


    ¡°Master, please let me explain! Mr. Assistant is not at fault! I was the one who persuaded him to go for a stroll! I was also the one who told him to sleep here!¡±


    But, Deneb swiftly dismissed Odile¡¯s words.


    ¡°We¡¯ll ask you about it later, Odile, so go up for now.¡±


    ¡°B-But...¡±


    ¡°Go up.¡±


    Unable to break through Deneb¡¯s stern demeanor, Odile reluctantly complied.


    To Siwoo, this was like him seeing his lawyer getting kicked out of the courtroom before she could bring up his case to defend him.


    ¡®What is this shitshow?¡¯ That thought looped endlessly like a broken record in his mind.


    ¡°Odile, I hope you won¡¯t do anything else to make me even angrier than I currently am.¡±


    Upon hearing Albireo¡¯s cold voice, Odile couldn¡¯t maintain her stubbornness anymore.


    After all, it was the first time she had seen her master get this angry.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going upstairs, but please, Master, please promise me one thing.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you have the right to ask for that?¡±


    ¡°No, but I have to ask!¡±


    Odile shouted her words with determination, to ensure the ultimate safety measure for Siwoo.


    ¡°If you were to hurt him, I¡¯ll never see your face again, Master! Never!¡±


    ¡°This brat!¡±


    Deneb, who was already fed up with her audacity, was about to smack her on the head again.


    However, Albirero, who was seated in her chair while sipping her alcohol, interjected before it could happen.


    ¡°Deneb, enough.¡±


    ¡°But Sister! Look at the audacious way this brat speaks! Who does she think is at fault here? And what¡¯s with that outfit? Seriously? Going outside with just a cloak and her underwear?!¡±


    ¡°Deneb, I said, enough.¡±


    Albireo waved her hand dismissively and made eye contact with Odile.


    The latter widened her eyes, trying not to avoid her gaze.


    She acknowledged her own mistake, but Siwoo¡¯s well-being was a more urgent matter than her receiving a severe scolding from her strict master.


    ¡°I swear that I will not bring harm to Shin Siwoo. Are you satisfied, Odile?¡±


    Odile pressed her lips tightly before nodding slowly.


    ¡°It¡¯s late, so go upstairs and sleep. We have other matters to discuss.¡±


    ¡°Yes... Sorry for acting out on my own...¡±


    As soon as she managed to assure Siwoo¡¯s safety, Odile humbly apologized, as if all her stubbornness just now was a lie. Then, she mouthed, ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Assistant,¡¯ before going upstairs.


    ¡®Well, that¡¯s that.¡¯


    Odile¡¯s matters were resolved for now, but for Siwoo, it had only just started.


    ¡°Now, why don¡¯t you have a seat? Let¡¯s talk, shall we?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    As soon as the name Marigold was mentioned, Siwoo¡¯s face stiffened.


    In his current state, Siwoo was unable to maintain his composure upon hearing that name.


    The confusion he had barely managed to set aside with Odile¡¯s assistance resurfaced.


    ¡°Baroness Marigold made tremendous efforts to save you, Mr. Siwoo. She even summoned a witch specialized in healing. Even I, as a spectator who only observed from the sidelines was amazed¡ª¡±


    As Deneb knew that Amelia had a crush on Siwoo, she mentioned part of the things that Amelia had done for him.


    ¡®It was Amelia¡¯s desperate struggle that saved his life,¡¯ she implied as she casually made her remark. There was also a hidden intention of her to probe whether there was some progress between the two.


    However, she quickly realized that something was wrong when she saw Siwoo¡¯s uncomfortable expression, prompting her to stop speaking.


    Siwoo regained his composure rather quickly, but by then, an awkward atmosphere had already settled in.


    Luckily, Albireo managed to smoothly change the subject.


    ¡°...In any case, let¡¯s talk about your compensation. A reward that you think might be sufficient for you, Mr. Siwoo.¡±


    Siwoo felt his stomach churn as he briefly closed his eyes.


    ¡®Amelia, Amelia, Amelia...¡¯


    ¡®I should stop thinking about her for now...¡¯


    ¡®Let¡¯s assess the situation carefully first before taking up on their offer.¡¯


    ¡®They¡¯re the only ones who can get me out of Gehenna, after all.¡¯


    ¡®But, I need to hide my desperation from them.¡¯


    ¡°I still haven¡¯t changed my mind since then. My wish is to return to the modern world.¡±


    ¡®My goal is to leave this place.¡¯


    ¡®And when I go back to my peaceful life, I will eventually forget all these troublesome things.¡¯


    In the first place, there was no reason for him to change his request, especially considering that he had been longing to leave this place for five years already.


    Returning to the modern world was his only goal in life. Compared to being confused over the person that he both used to love and hate, he judged that it would be better for him to focus on this goal instead.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to pry, but... Have you heard from the Baroness about the things that might happen if you were to leave this world?¡±


    ¡°...Pardon?¡±


    ¡®What will happen if I leave this world?¡¯


    ¡®Since I¡¯m a man who knows how to use magic, does that mean the witches would take an interest in me?¡¯


    The situation was even more urgent if that was the case. He had acquired a ¡®brand¡¯ on his own, so he had to be more cautious with his actions.


    But, it wasn¡¯t a problem that he couldn¡¯t handle.


    Not only did he have the music box he received from Odile, the number of people who knew about his brand was also very small. As long as he could hide it well and tread carefully, everything would be fine.


    ¡°We have no intention of changing your mind, or preventing you from going back to the modern world.¡±


    ¡°While you are an oddity that would make witches drool to obtain you, repaying our debt to you is more important.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for saying that...¡±


    ¡°However, we still need to clarify some things if you truly insist on returning to the modern world. If you still have the same thought even after we¡¯ve explained everything to you, then we have no choice but to respect your decision.¡±


    Suddenly, a serious atmosphere enveloped the room.


    Siwoo was bewildered.


    He thought that everything would be over once he left, but it seemed like that was merely a naive thought of his.


    ¡°Please take off your eyepatch.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Albireo pointed to his left eye as he stared back at her in confusion.


    ¡°There¡¯s something that we need to clarify.¡±


    ¡®Is showing them my left eye here really the right choice?¡¯


    Siwoo trusted the twins.


    While they were naive and at times, stubborn, he had unwavering confidence that they would never betray him.


    But, the Countess were different.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if he could fully put his trust in them despite their connection to the twins as their masters.


    ¡°We will never disclose or reveal the matter. We are willing to stake our name as the Countess Gemini.¡±


    Siwoo hesitated for a moment before removing the eyepatch that concealed his eye.


    As he opened his previously closed eyes, his radiant golden irises came into view.


    Just by seeing it, Albireo managed to recognize what it was.


    ¡°As expected, it¡¯s a brand.¡±


    ¡°Incredible...¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s physical appearance had returned to back when he hadn¡¯t received his heavy injury.


    However, despite that, he still wore his eyepatch even though the tiniest imperfections that were left in his body should have been flawlessly fixed. This was the fact that made Albireo suspicious.


    Unable to comprehend the situation, Deneb instinctively covered her mouth with her hand.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a brand. Will this become a problem?¡±


    ¡°Not at the moment, no, but there¡¯s a possibility that things might turn complicated.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    In front of Siwoo, who was leaning in attentively to discuss his plans for the future, the Countess continued her explanation.

 Chapter 133: Tying Up Loose Ends (3)

    ? Tying Up Loose Ends (3) ?


    1.


    ¡°I¡¯ll categorize the experiences that you¡¯ll encounter in the modern world into three main categories.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡®There are three categories?¡¯


    Siwoo expressed a slight concern in his heart as he attentively listened to the Countess¡¯ words.


    ¡°Firstly, if anyone discovers the fact that a male managed to develop a brand, it will pique the curiosity of witches in general. Considering it¡¯s an unprecedented case, there¡¯s a potential that by using you as a research subject, there will be an unprecedented leap in magical research progress.¡±


    ¡°The fact that you could use magic without it was already something that would throw you into that exact situation. Now that you¡¯ve developed a brand yourself, you¡¯ll naturally gain more attention and it¡¯ll be more than you could ever imagine.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be enough to simply hide the fact that I possess the brand?¡±


    ¡®You don¡¯t really need to explain all this to me.¡¯


    ¡®I already knew that much at least, I¡¯m not stupid.¡¯


    ¡°The fact that you treat this matter with such a nonchalant mindset is problematic.¡±


    ¡°Currently, as a result of the abolition of your slave contracts, you¡¯ve become a citizen of Gehenna. Even if words about your ability to use magic were to spread, they can¡¯t just try to mess with you without paying the price. Both our Gemini household and Baroness Marigold herself will impose severe sanctions by confiscating the citizenship and assets of any witches who¡¯d dare to touch you.¡±


    ¡°At most, you¡¯ll only gain their attention. It might get tiring, but your life won¡¯t be in danger.¡±


    Albireo paused to catch her breath before continuing.


    ¡°That would be the case for normal witches, but when it comes to Exiles, it¡¯s a whole different story. You¡¯ve personally met one yourself, haven¡¯t you? That one cruel witch, Ea Sadalmelik.¡±


    ¡°We are aware of this matter, of course and we¡¯ve arranged something for you.¡±


    Deneb¡¯s tone carried that of a mother trying to prevent her kid from crawling into a well.


    Nevertheless, her words weren¡¯t enough to suppress his desire to go home.


    After all, he still had Odile¡¯s music box. As long as he was careful, there wouldn¡¯t be any issues.


    ¡°While there are only a small number of Exiles that could truly be categorized as wicked, you still need to be cautious. Exiles aren¡¯t the citizens of Gehenna, they aren¡¯t bound by its rules and they could cause harm to you if they wish so.¡±


    Siwoo understood what the Countess was saying.


    In short, he was like an alluring beauty who¡¯d capture the eyes of every man he met. And what he was going to do was basically throw himself into a world where CCTV and police didn¡¯t exist.


    Anyone could cause him harm if he wasn¡¯t careful.


    ¡°This is the extent of what we can do to help you in this matter.¡±


    Albiero rummaged through her pocket, took out a ring and placed it on the table.


    ¡°By wearing this ring, you¡¯ll be treated as the guest of our family. To touch a guest of our family means to challenge us, and there will be consequences for doing so.¡±


    Seeing this, Siwoo understood their intentions.


    The Geminis didn¡¯t want to prevent him from returning to the modern world.


    On the contrary, they even provided him with conveniences and a safety net.


    At that moment, his previous worries about whether those two women were having hidden agendas about him disappeared and he felt dumb for thinking about it in the first place.


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°As for how effective the ring¡¯s influence is in the modern world... Honestly, I can¡¯t guarantee it will help you a hundred percent of the time. You still need to be cautious at all times.¡±


    ¡°I will keep that in mind... What about the next thing?¡±


    Siwoo felt like he had received enough cautionary advice and urged them to move on to the next topic.


    ¡°The second one involves the Homunculi.¡±


    Their response momentarily caught him off guard.


    ¡®Homunculi? What does that have to do with me?¡¯


    ¡°The number of active Homunculi has significantly increased compared to a hundred years ago. It¡¯s estimated to be ten times greater than back then.¡±


    ¡°But, what does it have to do with me?¡±


    ¡°Targeting someone bearing a brand is in their nature. That means, you¡¯ll become their target as well.¡±


    ¡°Of course, as long as you carry the music box around while keeping your guard up, there shouldn¡¯t be any major issues. We¡¯re just telling you this as a precaution.¡±


    ¡°...So you knew about the music box...¡±


    ¡°Obviously. We are their guardians.¡±


    Apparently, the Countess had noticed that Odile had given Siwoo the music box.


    ¡®I wonder what would happen if they were suspicious of me? They could treat me as someone who had deceived their naive daughters and stolen their valuable artifacts...¡¯


    However, the situation didn¡¯t seem to be as such, to his relief.l--B1n.


    ¡°The last one is the most important issue of them all.¡±


    Albireo took a sip of her wine.


    ¡°Do you know how Gehenna imports their slaves?¡±


    ¡°...No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I figured as much. Very few witches are aware of it and those who are aware felt no need to inform the slaves.¡±


    ¡°The humans that were brought to Gehenna from the modern world could be categorized into two.¡±


    Deneb held up two fingers.


    She folded one of them before continuing.


    ¡°First, death row inmates.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    He complained inwardly that if they were to keep talking in cryptic ways like that, there would be no one who could understand their explanations.


    Such thoughts ran rampant in his mind, the thoughts that urged him to escape from reality.


    His fingertips started to tingle.


    ¡°But that isn¡¯t all.¡±


    ¡°Can you please wait for a moment?¡±


    ¡°It would be better if you were to listen to our words until the end before thinking about it...¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but it really won¡¯t take long.¡±


    Feeling empty and defeated, Siwoo could only sit there, prompting Albireo to hand him a bottle of alcohol.


    He tilted his head back, pouring the alcohol down his burning throat without even expressing his gratitude.


    His eyes were blank,


    He was totally unsure what kind of emotion he should be having.


    ¡°...I¡¯m fine now.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? We can still wait if you¡¯re really struggling.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll listen to everything you have to say now.¡±


    If what the Countess said was true, that meant his body had escaped the fate of death.


    ¡®Thinking back, if I had died in that plane crash, wouldn¡¯t I be spared from this life filled with misery?¡¯


    ¡®Whatever, that¡¯s irrelevant, the important thing here is the fact that I¡¯m still alive.¡¯


    Seeing him wearing a determined expression, Deneb broke through her hesitation and started to speak.


    ¡°...Currently, there¡¯s no way to restore the fate that has been severed... After all, cutting off fate and rewriting it are completely different matters. Their difficulties differed greatly also.¡±


    ¡°Can you explain what that means?¡±


    ¡°It means, even if you were to return to the modern world, ¡®reset¡¯ would occur over a period of time. At the longest, a week, at the shortest, three to four days.¡±


    ¡°Please explain it in a more simple term.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you do in the present would turn ¡®non-existent.¡¯ It¡¯s because you have no more connection to that world. Your fate only exists in this hidden world of Gehenna.¡±


    ¡®Let¡¯s try to comprehend what they are saying...¡¯


    ¡®...No good, I don¡¯t understand.¡¯


    In the end, he could only use his instinct to understand.


    ¡°Basically, I¡¯ll turn into a ghost.¡±


    A being that was unable to leave any traces or memories in others¡¯ minds.


    Something that could only wander and float around the world.


    Hearing his summary that directly touched the core of the matter, the Countess remained silent.


    Then, Deneb broke the silence with a regretful tone.


    ¡°Our Gemini Household¡¯s power is extended to the modern world. We can give you sufficient support. If you were to do things using your own name, Mr. Siwoo, everything would turn pointless. That¡¯s why we¡¯ll provide you with a residence and a means of transportation under our name. Additionally, we planned to compensate you with ten billion won every five years. And if you ever choose to remain in Gehenna, we will welcome you as our honored guest.¡±


    Siwoo remained silent, but his troubled expression clearly showed how he was lost in thoughts.


    His desire to return to the modern world was practically his life goal.


    And now, when he almost grasped that goal, after exhausting his body and soul, he realized that it was nothing but a mirage.


    ¡°...Does Ms. Amelia know about this too?¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re talking about the Baroness, she most likely knows.¡±


    ¡®Then, why didn¡¯t she tell me about it?¡¯


    ¡®Could it be that her pitiful social skill hindered her from explaining this to me?¡¯


    ¡®She thought that I¡¯d be devastated after finding out this cold truth? That¡¯s why she tried to stop me from leaving instead?¡¯


    At that moment, he realized that he was interpreting her actions in a stupidly positive way and shook his head.


    ¡®What¡¯s the point in asking that now?¡¯


    ¡®Whatever her reason may be, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you enough time to think about this matter carefully.¡±


    ¡°Deneb.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Can you go back first? I still have something to say to him.¡±


    Deneb looked at Albireo with bewildered eyes before nodding.


    ¡°Fine, tell me about it later.¡±


    Then, she left the room, leaving her sister alone with Siwoo.


    Albireo waited for a moment before raising her head to meet Siwoo¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°This might be confusing, but I have something else to say to you.¡±


    ¡°What is it...?¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s shoulders were slumped and it was easy to tell that he was exhausted.


    But, Albireo had work to do, she also couldn¡¯t leave her research for too long. To put it simply, she didn¡¯t have enough time to wait.


    ¡°I want you to return to the modern world.¡±


    That was why.


    She went straight to the point without beating around the bush.

 Chapter 134: Tying Up Loose Ends (4)

    ? Tying Up Loose Ends (4) ?


    1.


    ¡°I want you to return to the modern world.¡±


    Siwoo was left alone to talk with Albireo.


    As soon as Deneb left the room, she declared as such with a resolute voice.


    ¡°Allow me to explain further. Please understand that the option proposed by Deneb, for you to become a guest and remain in the Gemini Household, is not a viable option for you.¡±


    ¡®Has the warmth she had shown previously cooled down because of the mood change?¡¯


    Siwoo looked at her face, trying to process her change of attitude.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    The entire conversation between him and the Countess had only lasted for thirty minutes, but his face already looked weary.


    Albireo began to speak.


    At the same time, Siwoo¡¯s left eye noticed that the mana around them was stirred.


    ¡°When you went out with Odile tonight, what did you do?¡±


    The world came to a standstill.


    His left eye allowed him to perceive everything that happened in the surrounding in a slowed down motion.


    As Albireo opened her mouth, the mana around her responded.


    Her voice, breath, tone, pronunciation and pitch, assembled an incantation.


    The air that she let out from her mouth harmonized with the surrounding mana, turning it into tiny black feathers.


    Then, those feathers moved toward Siwoo.


    At that moment, his left eye gleamed.


    He instinctively raised his hand and swatted those feathers away.


    There was a faint, almost invisible mana in his hand. It helped him effortlessly brush the feathers aside.


    He had an instinctive understanding of the magic Albiero had employed, that was why he was able to dispel it pretty quickly.


    Siwoo knew that there was only one self-essence magic that she would cast in that moment.


    Poem of Confession.


    He couldn¡¯t let her know about everything that he had done with the twins.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    That was the first time Siwoo had heard such bewilderment in Albireo¡¯s voice.


    She watched as the Poem of Confession she casted scattered into nothingness with wide eyes.


    Though she witnessed it happen with her own eyes, she still found it hard to believe.


    Her mastery of the spell surpassed the twins¡¯ by a large margin.


    It was supposed to be discreet and almost impossible to be dispelled.


    Even if one were to close their ears and block all the incoming sound, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to defend themselves from it.


    However, not only did Siwoo manage to sense the discreet spell, he also skillfully dispersed its structure efficiently.


    ¡°How did you do that?¡±


    ¡°Um, I don¡¯t know... I just...did...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you again. How did you do that?¡±


    What he had done was nullifying self-essence magic, not any other form of magic.


    As someone walking in the path of magic, it was natural for her to be curious, as she hadn¡¯t even considered that it was possible to attempt such a thing.


    ¡°I just swept away the magic formula I saw.¡±


    ¡°...You always amaze me. Are you telling me you can see my self-essence magic?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Since I recovered... I can see the flow of mana...¡±


    Albireo fell into deep thought for a moment.


    ¡®He could see the flow of mana?¡¯


    ¡®By observing the flow of mana, it could allow someone to dispel even self-essence magic?¡¯


    ¡®No, that isn¡¯t possible.¡¯


    She concluded that he had misunderstood the nature of his own left eye.


    But, she knew that he¡¯d come to realize the truth soon.


    At that moment, Albireo¡¯s curiosity rose up, twisting and turning like an impulsive force.


    For witches, curiosity was an innate and strong desire. It was the equivalent of a human¡¯s desire to eat, sleep or sex.


    However, she forcefully suppressed that impulse.


    She knew that this wasn¡¯t the time to have such thoughts.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for using magic so suddenly. I just had a feeling that you hid something from me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Next to him were piles of empty bottles of alcohol scattered around.


    He originally went down to the underground storage to drink the beer Odile had given him, but he ended up taking out various expensive-looking liquors with him. Currently, he was trying to compare their flavors one by one.


    But, he found that all of them tasted disgustingly unpleasant and bitter.


    For some reason, they went down his throat rather easily, though.


    ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because my heart feels hollow.¡¯


    He struggled to rise from the sofa.


    ¡®Anyway, if I were to continue drinking here, mold would grow inside my heart.¡¯


    Thinking so, he decided to meet with a certain someone. He went to the gate and headed towards the academy.


    Since he possessed a substantial amount of gold coins that could only be used within Gehenna, and the Geminis promised him generous support upon his return to the modern world, he felt like this expenditure wasn¡¯t a waste of money.


    As he traversed the hallways of the Trinity Academy, a place he hadn¡¯t set foot in for a long time, he made his ways towards the teacher¡¯s area to the east. There, he spotted a familiar face.


    It was Takasho, who was swaggering around like an NPC.


    ¡°Ohh... OOOOHHHH!¡±


    ¡°Dude, you¡¯re too loud.¡±


    As soon as he found Siwoo, Takasho threw his broom aside and ran towards him while screaming before pulling him into a tight embrace.


    The tremendous force he felt made Siwoo almost vomit out everything in his stomach.


    ¡°You fucker! You¡¯re alive! You¡¯re alive!¡±


    ¡°Oi, back off. You¡¯re creeping me out.¡±


    Takasho continued to welcome Siwoo with tears streaming down his face for a long while.


    Since they couldn¡¯t exactly chat in the hallway, they moved to a nearby bench and sat side by side.


    ¡°When you suddenly disappeared, I was worried. I thought something happened to you.¡±


    ¡°I heard that you often came to visit me. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you, of course I¡¯d come! You¡¯re my friend and you were about to die! Though, I thought if I visited you too often, you¡¯d get sick of seeing me. Anyway, what¡¯s with the eyepatch? Are you trying to be Kakashi?¡±


    ¡°I have my reasons.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, the witch who treated you was a real beauty. Do you keep contact with her?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t even know who she is. I really should visit and thank her at least.¡±


    Takasho, who was initially talking cheerfully, noticed a subtle change in Siwoo¡¯s behavior.


    Since his body was fully healed, he figured that his dear friend should have been acting excited, but for some reason he was unusually gloomy.


    Then, he noticed a strong scent of alcohol coming from Siwoo.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°You know...¡±


    Siwoo told him everything.


    From his experience with Amelia and the complicated emotions it brought.


    To his conversation with Countess Gemini about what would happen if he were to return to the modern world.


    This went on for almost an hour.


    The funny thing was that he didn¡¯t even shed a single tear during the conversation.


    ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t even know what to say, Man... That¡¯s really rough...¡±


    Takasho tapped his back lightly.


    ¡°So, at this point, is there even a reason you want to go back? I didn¡¯t say anything because I didn¡¯t want to sound like I¡¯m holding you back for my own selfish reasons, but can¡¯t we just stay here in this world together?¡±


    ¡°Well, I should at least see my parents¡¯ faces once. They must have been worried.¡±


    His answer made Takasho, who was about to dissuade him from coming back, to be unable to do it.


    ¡°Anyway, what are you going to do about... Um... Professor Amelia...?¡±


    ¡°I just have to forget about it and live on. But, she still saved me and ran around everywhere because of it... Should I thank her for that? ...Fuck, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Just a simple thank you wouldn¡¯t hurt. Besides, if what you said is true, you won¡¯t be seeing each other anymore after this.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that... Honestly, I...¡±


    In truth, Siwoo wanted to meet her and have a long talk with her.


    He wanted to ask her the reason behind her actions and what was in her mind when she was doing all that.


    The image of Amelia, sitting and crying in front of him, still remained ingrained in his mind.


    But at the same time, he didn¡¯t want to see her face.


    The warm memories he had spent with her sharply contrasted with the cold expression she used to show him.


    He couldn¡¯t help but think that the smile she showed him was nothing but a lie.


    Besides, the five years he suffered under her torment wasn¡¯t the only problem that he had.


    Everything about Gehenna was the cause of his confusion and the reason why he felt mentally tortured.


    Siwoo lowered his head and exhaled the thick smoke from the cigarette Takasho gave him.


    And just like before, there was no trace of tears flowing from his eyes as he mulled over his troubles.

 Chapter 135: Tying Up Loose Ends (5)

    ? Tying Up Loose Ends (5) ?


    1.


    Time passed in the blink of an eye.


    Siwoo quietly completed his preparations to leave Gehenna.


    In truth, he didn¡¯t have much to do.


    He didn¡¯t have anything to pack and the only person he needed to bid farewell to was Takasho.


    As for Amelia, she wasn¡¯t even worth mentioning and for the twins, they were unable to meet him because of the Countess.


    ¡°Odette will be furious.¡±


    While Odile managed to create good memories with him during their night stroll, Odette hadn¡¯t even had the opportunity to talk with him.


    It would be a lie if Siwoo were to say that he wasn¡¯t disappointed. After all, he considered her as his friend too.


    ¡®She won¡¯t fight with Odile over this, right?¡¯


    Suddenly, he felt a little concerned.


    Nevertheless, in his current circumstances, nothing big happened in his daily life.


    He just mostly drank by himself. Sometimes, he¡¯d drop by the Academy to chat with Takasho after the latter was finished with his work.


    Occasionally, he¡¯d go to Tarot Town for a beer and some snacks, or just aimlessly wandering around the streets.


    Ever since he received his brand, food and sleep had become secondary concerns to him. But, due to habit, he still ate three meals a day and slept on time every night.


    Though, he could blame the latter on the fact that he spent his waking hours in drunken stupor.


    To him, every moment felt like a hazy dream.


    The more time passed, the closer he got to his goal; to return to the modern world. Yet, he found himself acting indifferent towards this fact.


    There was no sense of excitement, anticipation or longing. It was as if his sense of reality had been numbed.


    ¡°Two days left.¡±Witness the debut of this chapter, unveiled through N?o?v€l--B1n.


    Before he realized it, there were merely two days remaining until the due date when the Countess was scheduled to visit him again.


    On his way back from the market in Tarot Town. He carried a ham tied with a string in one hand.


    ¡°...Excuse me?¡±


    He suddenly heard a voice, but it sounded so soft, he didn¡¯t even realize that the owner of the voice was timidly calling out to him.


    Naturally, he ignored it and continued walking, but that was when someone poked his back, prompting him to turn around.


    There was a woman there, someone he had never seen before.


    She had loosely tied up hair, wearing a comfortable-looking dress.


    On top of her dress, she wore a brown cardigan.


    The woman had an ample bosom, curvaceous hips and gentle-looking eyes with large irises.


    Anyone with functioning eyes could tell that she was a stunning beauty.


    ¡°Are you calling for me?¡±


    Siwoo pointed at himself while giving her a puzzled look.


    The woman, who had been looking at his face for quite some time, suddenly let out a happy smile.


    ¡°Shin Siwoo, right...? Have you completely recovered?¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    At that moment, Siwoo remembered Takasho¡¯s words about how there was a witch who had healed his body from its battered state.


    He said the witch was a Korean woman.


    Although this woman in front of him had fair skin, it was clear that she was of Asian descent.


    That was why...


    ¡°Are you perhaps, the witch, Smyrna?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes! You¡¯re correct!¡±


    ¡°Hello. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you. You went through a lot because of me, right? Thank you for everything you¡¯ve done to me.¡±


    ¡°N-No, I-I didn¡¯t go through a lot at all... B-Besides, I was unable to fulfill my duties as a doctor until the very end...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just not true.¡±


    To Smyrna, what she had done was turning the lifeless Siwoo into a mindless machine who could only think about magic.


    After that incident, he completely blocked all of her attempts to heal him, rendering her unable to do anything else.


    Nevertheless, she was glad to see the patient she had once taken care of walking around in good health.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Not only had she watched over Siwoo for nearly a hundred days, but he was also the first patient that she had properly treated. And he was also her first partner whom she had her first sexual experience with. Too bad, Siwoo had no recollection of that time.


    The only thing he was aware of was her effort to save his life. Besides that, she was a completely unfamiliar person to him.


    This ambiguous gap in emotions created an awkward atmosphere between the two.


    ¡°U-Um, maybe this is what we call fate? W-Would you like to come to my place and have some tea?¡±


    ¡°Ah... Sure, why not?¡±


    In the end, it was Yebin who initiated the conversation.


    Considering the efforts she had put in to heal him, Siwoo didn¡¯t feel like it was proper to refuse her invitation, so he accepted it, albeit a little awkwardly.


    ¡°Then, this way...¡±


    ¡°Okay...¡±


    Carrying the stifling awkwardness with them, those two headed towards the square in Tarot Town together.


    ¡°Well, I still have my conscience. How could I just let you do everything?¡±


    ¡°Okay... Um, there¡¯s a utility room over there, so you can leave it there.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Perhaps due to their distance suddenly being shortened, he could smell a soft and pleasant fragrance from her.


    It was a sweet, powdery scent, similar to milk.


    She didn¡¯t seem to wear any perfume, yet that enticing and sweet aroma brushed against his nose.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    And that smell was enough to get his rod hard.


    It was as if he had taken some kind of aphrodisiac.


    ¡®Why the fuck is this happening all of a sudden?¡¯


    He crossed his legs out of desperation, trying to suppress the raging hot rod that was trying to burst through his pants. With a strained smile, he asked.


    ¡°Ah, yes, I¡¯m fine. Where should I put this again?¡±


    What he was wearing were comfy cotton pants that closely resembled slacks.


    His cock was positioned in an unfortunate angle.


    Thanks to that, it erected up his pants to the point that the bulge was obvious for anyone to see.


    The moment he moved away from the table, Yebin would probably realize what was going on.


    But, it wasn¡¯t like he could just back down since he was the one who offered to lend her a hand.


    ¡®Technically, an erection is a natural occurrence and it can still happen even when one isn¡¯t thinking about anything, but it¡¯s still better to avoid any unnecessary suspicions.¡¯


    While Siwoo was contemplating about it for a moment, he noticed an escape route.


    He picked up a conveniently placed napkin from under the table.


    ¡°While I¡¯m at it, I¡¯ll tidy up the napkin too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you do. It was on the back of my mind when we were talking earlier. Still, I didn¡¯t expect you to be such a meticulous person.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just how I am.¡±


    Yebin didn¡¯t seem to feel uncomfortable, so all he had to do was to spread the napkin under the plate, hide his raging boner and leave.


    He still wore the air of nonchalance as he passed Yebin by and went to the utility room to set down the dishes.


    ¡°...Phew.¡±


    Meanwhile, Yebin glanced at the direction where Siwoo had disappeared to and let out the breath she had been holding.


    ¡®It was that, right?¡¯


    ¡®I wasn¡¯t seeing it wrong, right?¡¯


    In truth, when she happened to see him, she hesitated on whether to approach him or not.


    First of all, the fact that she had a sex with him without asking for his permission bothered her. While she understood that it was for the sake of his treatment, she couldn¡¯t help but feel that way.


    But, he was still the first patient she had ever treated. She wanted to talk to him at least once, so she invited him to her home.


    After that lengthy conversation, it was clear that he had no memories of their sexual activities.


    ¡®But, what does that mean?¡¯


    She actually noticed the bulging rod that was visible through his pants.


    The identity of that...large object, she had an idea of what it was.


    ¡®Maybe he actually remembered everything, but pretending not to?¡¯


    ¡°No, that isn¡¯t the case.¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t think he¡¯s such a scheming person.¡¯


    Nevertheless, this reminded her of the time when she stayed at the Marigold Mansion to treat him.


    The time when she sat on top of him naked and the time when he was grabbing her hair while roughing her up from behind.


    Those memories kept her curling up on the bed every night while squirming.


    Back then, she convinced herself that she had only done it because she had to. Eventually, she¡¯d be able to forget about those memories and move on.


    But now, as she faced him again, her thoughts inexplicably drifted to a peculiar direction.


    His smiling face whenever he talked, his movements whenever he adjusted his sleeves, his graceful Adam¡¯s apple that moved around whenever he sipped his tea and finally his thing that bulged out of his pants.


    Each time she recalled his overwhelming masculinity, anxiety dug its claws into her.


    ¡°...I¡¯m going crazy.¡±


    Yebin gently touched her flushed face.


    She was aware that she had a perverted side, but she had never acted like this in front of a real person before.


    At that moment, Siwoo came back.


    ¡°Thank you for the tea. It was nice. But, I think I have to go back now.¡±


    Yebin tried to maintain her politeness, but her gaze was fixed between his legs.


    The bulge between his legs had completely gone.


    ¡®That means what I saw earlier wasn¡¯t a mistake.¡¯


    ¡®What should I do?¡¯


    ¡®Should I just let him go like this?¡¯


    When she pondered as such, her eyes caught something on the table. It was a package of ham.


    While pointing at it with her hand, she made a suggestion.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be good as a side dish for drinks?¡±


    ¡°...Sorry?¡±

 Chapter 136: Tying Up Loose Ends (6)

    ? Tying Up Loose Ends (6) ?


    1.


    After slicing the ham thinly, Siwoo placed it on a plate before grabbing three bottles of alcohol from the kitchen shelves. Then, he entered Yebin¡¯s room.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯


    He was confused.


    Their conversation had gone well, to the point that Yebin suggested having another round of drinks.


    ¡®But, why did she invite me to her room?¡¯


    ¡®It isn¡¯t even a special room for drinking, it¡¯s her own bedroom.¡¯


    ¡°Um...¡±


    ¡°The room is a little messy, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    With a hint of embarrassment, Yebin placed the alcohol on the table while sticking out her tongue, giving him a playful impression.


    To be exact, her room wasn¡¯t messy. Rather, it was filled with a bunch of cushions to the point that he couldn¡¯t see her bedsheet.


    ¡°Ah, right, I like to bury between those while sleeping...¡±


    ¡°I see. But, do we really have to drink here?¡±


    ¡°Well, um... Downstairs is colder...¡±


    ¡®So she said, but since spring is about to end, the temperature is actually starting to feel warmer. Maybe she¡¯s more sensitive to cold than other people?¡¯


    Such thoughts appeared in his mind as he nonchalantly lifted the glass of alcohol Yebin had poured for him before offering a light toast.


    ¡°Cheers.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Please be more at ease. You¡¯ve been quite tense. Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you¡¯re still a witch all things considered...¡±


    ¡°Is that such a big deal?¡±


    Siwoo realized the nature of the comfortable atmosphere he felt during his conversation with Yebin.


    Even with the twins¡¯ gentle dispositions, they still had a totally different mindset compared to the average ¡®human.¡¯


    He couldn¡¯t help but notice it whenever he conversed with them.


    This was the reason why they, despite being younger than him, didn¡¯t feel any discomfort when acting disrespectful towards him.


    He had no intention of pointing it out though. After all, it was natural for them to have a different mindset than him due to their backgrounds and upbringing.


    ¡°It feels strange hearing a witch saying such things.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t really like witches.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a unique kind of a witch, then.¡±


    But, Yebin was different.


    It felt like he was talking with an ordinary Korean college student.


    For example, she¡¯d laugh when Siwoo threw in jokes that he¡¯d never bring up under normal circumstances.


    The two of them spent some time sipping their drinks while engaging in various light-hearted conversations.


    Even after hours of uninterrupted chatter, they seemed to have no sign of stopping anytime soon.


    They always managed to find something to talk about.


    Whenever Siwoo would think about changing the topic, Yebin would come up with a new one and vice versa.


    Songs that were popular before they came here, interesting dramas they watched back in the day, good restaurants they visited, their life back when they were in school and so on.


    More time passed and they slowly became more drunk.


    Siwoo leaned back comfortably on the sofa while crossing his legs.


    Although he appeared comfortable on the surface, in truth, he was far from that.


    Every time he caught a whiff of her scent, every time he saw her laughing and noticed her subtly trembling chest, his cock throbbed painfully.


    If he didn¡¯t cross his legs, his fully erect rod would stand out.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time...¡±


    ¡°Ah... But, I still want to talk a little bit more... Are you sure you want to leave already...?¡±


    After emptying three bottles in one sitting, Yebin¡¯s face had a vibrant and healthy flush.


    In the midst of the heat she felt, she had unbuttoned her shirt, revealing a glimpse of her cleavage through the undone buttons.


    Despite her innocent looking face, her body just begged to be impregnated.


    This was the kind of gap that would drive any men wild.


    And before anything bad could happen, Siwoo figured that he should leave first.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late after all.¡±


    ¡°But, it isn¡¯t though...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already two...¡±


    ¡°Huh? Eh? When did that happen?¡±


    Saying those words, Siwoo prepared to leave her house.


    Although Yebin managed to keep him from leaving several times by bringing up new topics of conversation, it seemed like she couldn¡¯t keep on doing the same thing.


    Then again, she didn¡¯t even know why she was trying so hard to prevent him from leaving.


    ¡®What am I even doing...?¡¯


    ¡®Still, if I were to be a little honest with myself...¡¯


    ¡®Shouldn¡¯t there be some progress as long as I brought him to my room?¡¯


    ¡®Like, our hands accidentally touch while we¡¯re trying to grab our snacks or maybe exchanging some romantic words while we¡¯re talking...¡¯


    Contrary to her expectations, Siwoo just kept talking without any intention of making a move.


    ¡°C-Can we keep talking a little longer?¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no reason why we can¡¯t. It¡¯s just, I thought it¡¯d be rude to keep bothering you until this late...¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t rude at all!¡±


    ¡°If you say so...¡±


    Siwoo hesitantly took a seat, feeling puzzled by Yebin¡¯s desperate attempts to prolong their conversation.


    But, because she had held him back without a clear plan, the poor woman couldn¡¯t immediately come up with a topic of conversation.


    At this point, they had talked about everything they wanted to talk. As they ran out of words to convey, the atmosphere turned awkward.


    ¡°U-Um... Actually, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve talked to a fellow countryman... T-That¡¯s why I don¡¯t feel like parting ways with you...¡±


    ¡°Right, since I¡¯ll probably leave Gehenna the day after tomorrow, what about we meet again tomorrow?¡±


    Siwoo gave her an intense kiss, almost swallowing her whole lips.


    As he embraced her body, he slipped his hand inside her shirt.


    He felt the bouncy sensation of her breasts.


    What truly astonished him wasn¡¯t just the surprising sight of Yebin clinging to him intensely. It was also the incredibly enticing sensation he felt in his hand as he touched her voluptuous breasts.


    ¡°Mmh... Ahh... T-There¡¯s a hook in the front... Mm...¡±


    ¡°Mm...¡±


    Even though he managed to follow her words and caught the hook she mentioned in his hand, there was no way he could undo her bra with just one hand, not to mention that he wasn¡¯t even looking at it.


    His fumbling eventually frustrated Yebin. She moved to unbutton her shirt and threw off her bra.


    And this made Siwoo certain.


    Yebin couldn¡¯t forget the ecstatic night of pleasure she felt.


    It was the first time she had met him, yet she still brought him home.


    From that, it was safe to assume that the unforgettable and passionate night was something she couldn¡¯t replicate through masturbation alone.


    Thus, she wanted to feel it again.


    And that desire was so strong that even when she was snapped out of her stupor, she didn¡¯t seem to be particularly embarrassed.


    Even though this was supposed to be her first time exposing her bare chest while kissing a conscious man.


    There was still a possibility that this was all caused by the alcohol she consumed, though.


    ¡°Haah... You can touch it now...¡±


    ¡°Okay¡ª Mmh!¡±


    Suddenly, Yebin pulled his neck closer and kissed him.


    With the bra out of the way, Siwoo firmly cupped her slightly sagging breasts from below.


    But, he was having a little trouble doing so.


    ¡®Fuck.¡¯


    ¡®They¡¯re so heavy.¡¯


    Both the weight and the unwordly softness put pressure on his fingers.


    The sight of her, who had appeared so innocent, clinging to him like a bitch in heat and the pleasure he felt from touching her, melted any remaining caution from Siwoo¡¯s mind.


    While he was playing with her breasts, Yebin¡¯s hand was also grabbing his erect rod.


    Although her rough and inexperienced touch caused him some discomfort, it still intensified his arousal.


    Unable to resist any further, he laid her down on the bed.


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    Her chest rose and fell, following the rhythm of her breath, which had turned rough from the previous kiss.


    The areolas surrounding her erect nipples were large enough to fit the size of her breasts, but they possessed an alluring appeal.


    Their pale shades only provoked his impulses to suck on them.


    ¡°Ms. Yebin, is this really okay?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes! D-Don¡¯t hold back... J-Just put it in...¡±


    Yebin skillfully stripped her skirt, revealing lower body, covered in stockings and panties.


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    Her coffee-colored stockings and gray panties were visibly damp.


    It seemed like juices came through her panties as they overflowed and stained her stockings.


    She then proceeded to roll her stockings down, revealing a pair of thighs that were devoid of any fat, contrasting the voluptuous figure of her upper body.


    They still looked plump, but they weren¡¯t that plump.


    Yebin continued to pull down her panties. After hesitating for a moment, she spread her legs to make way for Siwoo to thrust his rod in.


    From the angle he was at, Siwoo could see her plump hole wriggling with excitement while spouting more juices.


    The amount was probably comparable to half a bottle of lubricant.


    How lewd the reaction of her lower body was, exceeded his expectations.


    Siwoo lowered his body, pressing the tip of her rod against the entrance of that plump hole.


    Slowly, he rubbed it against her swollen clit, rubbing it in every direction.


    At that moment, a scorching heat rose from the gaping hole beneath it. It opened and closed itself repeatedly, as if begging for him for more.


    ¡°Ah...aang...! Put it in, please...!¡±


    Yebin pleaded as her whole body trembled every time Siwoo¡¯s rod brushed against the entrance of her lower mouth.


    The fact that she had transformed to this extent from just a touch on her breasts surprised him.


    Even the twins didn¡¯t react this way after they took the love potion.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll put it in.¡±


    ¡°H-Hurry... S-Stop teasing me...¡±


    Still, this was an important moment.


    The moment for Siwoo to take his first step to real sex. Thrusting his cock into someone¡¯s pussy while he was wide awake.


    Plus, the other person was a witch who got her pussy dripping wet right in front of him.


    It was hard for him to not relish this moment.


    Carefully, he inserted his glans.


    As he pressed his thighs down, he realized that her insides were tighter than he had expected.


    ¡°Aahhh...!¡±


    Then, he felt as if the remaining half of his cock was sucked into her pussy.


    That wasn¡¯t an exaggeration or a metaphor.


    Her pussy really swallowed his rod whole.


    This caused a sudden change in temperature.


    He felt as if thousands of rough bumps were rubbing against his rod.


    Then, it clung tightly to it.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m going to cum¡ª¡±


    That tightness proceeded to surround his cock from all directions.


    ¡°Aahh! Hng¡ª! Ahhhh!¡±


    He could feel her pussy tightening as her body convulsed due to her climaxing just from the first penetration.


    All of this happened before he could even move his hips.

 Chapter 137: Tying Up Loose Ends (7)

    ? Tying Up Loose Ends (7) ?


    1.


    Siwoo only had one memory of sex.


    And that was the anal sex he had with the twins.


    Despite that, he vividly recalled that sensation, perhaps due to them having done it multiple times.N??v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    By comparing that experience to his current experience, as he rammed through Yebin¡¯s hole, who had her legs spread widely as she moaned, he managed to distinguish the difference between anal sex and normal sex.


    ¡°Haah...aaa...ngg...¡±


    First, the sensation he felt the first time he inserted his rod.


    With anal sex, he was greeted by a strong force right at the entrance, followed by a clingy mucous membrane. It was as if his cock was squeezed by a rubber band.


    On the other hand, he didn¡¯t feel much difficulty when he inserted his cock into Yebin¡¯s pussy.


    With her specifically, it felt like the head of his cock was sucked inside.


    Then, inside, he was greeted by wet and sticky juices that covered the rough bumps around his cock.


    Next was the movement.


    Compared to the challenging back-and-forth motion of anal sex, he had an easier time thrusting. It had less stimulation, but it felt more cozy.


    If he used fellatio as a comparison, anal sex would be like when someone gives him a vigorous one, whereas regular sex is like getting one in a hot spring. At least, that was how he felt,


    Then again, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure.


    He realized that it wasn¡¯t easy to come up with metaphors.


    Lastly, with anal sex, it felt like he could shove his rod as deep as he could, while there was a limit with regular sex, which was when the tip of his rod bumped with the soft and squishy cervix.


    And whenever that happened, Yebin would twist her body in pleasure.


    ¡°M-Mr. Siwoo! M-More...! Haaa! I-I love¡ª I love it...!¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    However, he didn¡¯t only find the differences.


    He also found similarities between them too.


    And that was the feeling when his partner tightened her body in pleasure, intermittently gripping his rod even tighter.


    ¡°I-It feels¡ª I-I¡¯m going to cum¡ª Mr. Siwoo! Ahhh...!¡±


    With a trembling voice, Yebin arched her back.


    Thick juice oozed out between the narrow folds where Siwoo shoved his rod in.


    At the same time, Siwoo felt an intense pressure enveloped his entire shaft.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    This made him stop his movements as he waited for Yebin¡¯s climax to subside.


    While he had experienced similar things while doing anal sex with the twins, it was harder for him to resist those feelings this time. Yebin¡¯s inner walls would cling to him even tighter than the twins¡¯ every time she reached climax.


    He had a feeling that if he kept on going like this, his rod would be crushed inside her.


    ¡°Haa...fuck...¡±


    Even after her orgasm subsided, Yebin¡¯s pussy was still twitching, trying to tease and stimulate the cock inside it.


    Siwoo involuntarily spat out a curse in the midst of the intense pleasure.


    He took a moment to rest while looking at Yebin, who was lying on her back in the bed.


    Her ample bosom spread out with each breast gently slid to the side.


    Whenever he moved his hips, they would either move up and down or collide with each other, creating a nice and crisp sound.


    It sounded like clapping hands.


    And that sound seemed to awaken Siwoo¡¯s primal instincts, giving more vigor to his already erect cock.


    ¡®It¡¯s still unbelievable to see her huge racks. How could she carry those with that slender waist and flat stomach? Speaking of, her belly button looks cute.¡¯


    Siwoo¡¯s eyes crawled all over her body, as if he was licking her up.


    ¡°Ahhh... Mr. Siwoo...¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Realizing that he might have made her feel uncomfortable with his stare, Siwoo quickly turned his gaze away.


    ¡°Ah...ha.... C-Can you...talk dirty again...? C-Can you curse at me...?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡®What is this out of a sudden?¡¯


    At this moment, he remembered his conversation with Takasho.


    It was probably around the third year they had known each other.


    ¡®Yo, ain¡¯t there a shitload of chicks who are into some masochistic things?¡¯


    ¡®What? Stop bullshitting. Those girls were most likely pretending because they were desperate.¡¯


    ¡®Nah, I¡¯m not bullshitting. You know, whenever it¡¯s time for the main event, those girls would get all excited. At first, they¡¯d mix up a bit of role-play without feeling embarrassed. Then, they¡¯d start going, curse at me, spank my ass, choke me and so on. Seriously, things¡¯ll get crazy before you know it.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m not a man if I don¡¯t oblige now, aren¡¯t I?¡¯


    Siwoo firmly grasped her wide hips.


    While Yebin¡¯s movements brought him pleasure, a perfect sensation to feel on his first sex experience...


    He still wanted to experience the moment to the fullest while taking the lead.


    ¡°What kind of words do you want to hear?¡±


    ¡°A-Any¡ª Ahh! Anything! A-As long as you...degrade me...¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes... Ahh!¡±


    After hearing her request, Siwoo forcefully plunged his rod before gripping her hips and the area where her side waist met.


    Simultaneously, Yebin collapsed in ecstasy.


    Her trembling legs showed just how much she enjoyed it.


    ¡°Ms. Yebin, do you know that your pussy is so cheap?¡±


    ¡°S-Sorry...?¡±


    ¡°I mean, look at it. As soon as I shoved my dick, it went in without me having to move.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes! M-My pussy...is cheap! I-It¡¯s pathetic...! T-Truly...!¡±


    Siwoo, who initially felt a little awkward for doing so, gained a boost of courage after hearing her enthusiastic response.


    He then thrusted his hips forcefully before smacking her butt cheeks.


    The pleasure he felt before he started the act was incomparable to the current sensation he felt.


    ¡°Look at you squirting like a sprinkler. Fucking bitch!¡±


    ¡°Haang! Y-Yes! I-I gush out juices like a sprinkler!¡±


    ¡°Look at this loose pussy. You sure you haven¡¯t just given birth to a triplet before this?¡±


    ¡°Nggh...! N-No! W-Witches can¡¯t get pregnant¡ª! I-I can¡¯t¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll make you pregnant.¡±


    ¡°P-Please do! M-Mr. Siwoo, I-I¡¯ll bear your baby¡ª!¡±


    After he unleashed all the vulgar words that came to his mind onto Yebin, he gradually felt that he was about to climax.


    And at the same time...


    -Wooong!


    A strange, vibrating sound, accompanied by vibrations that would never occur in a normal sexual intercourse caused Yebin¡¯s branded womb to tremble.


    ¡°H-Haah! S-Stop! I-It¡¯s too much¡ª!¡±


    Siwoo barely even moved, yet Yebin had screamed and moaned on her own.


    Her eyes were half-covered due to pleasure. She desperately pleaded for him to stop, but all the mana in her womb began to be absorbed into his cock.


    Beneath his eyepatch, his left eye gleamed with a golden hue. At the same time, Yebin felt all her mana was sucked into his rod that came into direct contact with her cervix.


    ¡°S-So good...! M-My mind! M-My mind is breaking¡ª!¡±


    Right before the climax, the concentrated mana surged through Yebin¡¯s pussy, electrifying all the erogenous zones inside it like an electric shock.


    This was the sensation that she could never replicate through masturbation.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Siwoo poured his hot load of cum inside Yebin¡¯s pussy, which was still trembling up until that moment.


    -Splurt! Splurt!


    ¡°Ohh...! Haaanng...!¡±


    In response to that, her pussy started twitching, sucking in even the remaining semen in his urethra with all its might.


    This time, transparent mana began to surge into her womb from within Siwoo¡¯s body.


    Passing through the narrow cervical passage, power filled her womb, flooding through the fallopian tubes to her ovaries.


    ¡°Haa...ahhh...¡±


    Feeling a haze clouding her mind, Yebin collapsed in that very state.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo was caught completely off guard by the unexpected outcome. He could only touch his left eye in a bewildered manner.


    ¡°W-What is this?¡±


    At the moment of climax, the mana that escaped from Yebin¡¯s uterus was being absorbed seamlessly by him.


    Then, his brand amplified it before returning it to her.


    As a result of that, his brand was now brimming with an overwhelming amount of mana.


    Likewise, Yebin¡¯s brand was also in the same state.


    ¡°Uhh...¡±


    Before Siwoo, the witch lay sprawled in a pathetic and helpless posture.


    Her swollen, reddened pussy convulsed, expelling thick and sticky semen from inside it.

 Chapter 138: Homecoming (1)

    ? Homecoming (1) ?


    1.


    ¡°Ms. Odile, Ms. Odette, it¡¯s time for your meal.¡±


    Once again, Galina, the head maid of the Gemini Household, knocked on the door to the twins¡¯ room.


    Lines of worry decorated her forehead as she held a tray filled with various dishes in her hands..


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Despite her repeated knocking throughout the morning, she received no response from behind that tightly locked door.


    ¡°...Ms. Odile, Ms. Odette...¡±


    After the incident where they stayed overnight without permission, the twins went back home looking really depressed before shutting themselves inside their room, refusing to eat or drink.


    Though there was no reason for them to eat their meals since their bodies had already turned into a half-spirit, that didn¡¯t mean Galina would just stop worrying about them.


    After all, the twins were so upset that they locked themselves away, ignoring the temptation of the sweet desserts that would always make their eyes sparkle and entice them to come out of their room.


    ¡°Galina.¡±


    Hearing the voice coming from behind, Galina, who had placed her hand on her waist before letting out a heavy sigh, quickly turned her head around.


    The owner of the voice was Countess Albireo, the owner of this mansion.


    ¡°Countess...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. Leave them to me, I¡¯ll go in and check on them.¡±


    Albireo affectionately patted Galina¡¯s shoulder before opening the magically locked door effortlessly and stepped inside.


    The twins¡¯ bedroom was dimly lit.


    With blackout curtains drawn and the lights turned off, the room was pitch dark even in the broad daylight.


    There was a large bed placed in the middle of the room.


    On top of it, there was a bulging blanket.


    It seemed like the twins deeply buried themselves under the covers.


    After fulfilling her promise with Siwoo, the Countess brought them home and gave them a strict order.


    They were forbidden from meeting Siwoo again.


    And the outcome of that was clear as day.


    The twins refused to eat and drink. They also kept a rebellious attitude toward the Countess.


    Though, as stated before, they didn¡¯t need to eat food anymore due to their constitution as apprentice witches.


    Which meant, their hunger strike failed to appeal to anyone, so they resorted to a sleep strike instead.


    ¡®If we can¡¯t see Mr. Assistant, then we won¡¯t sleep anymore!¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯ll be Master¡¯s fault if we die from lack of sleep!¡¯


    They kept on saying those things.


    Of course, in the end, they were unable to endure it for even two days. The Countess discovered them sleeping while huddling on the couch, so she moved them to the bed and covered them with a blanket.


    However, they¡¯ve remained in this state ever since.


    After turning off the lights in the room, they barred everyone from entering.


    They even stopped themselves from receiving any form of education, as they refused to let private tutors in.


    Although the twins were mischievous in their nature, they used to obediently follow their Masters¡¯ instructions whenever the latter spoke to them with a slightly stern tone.


    But this time, it seemed like they were dead set on becoming rebellious.


    ¡°Odile, Odette.¡±


    Albireo tried to remove the blanket that covered the twins¡¯ whole body, but since they were holding onto it and wouldn¡¯t let go, all her efforts failed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk for a moment.¡±


    ¡°¡°...Don¡¯t wanna.¡±¡±


    Weak, tearful voices responded from inside.


    This was the first time Albireo had heard them sounding so depressed.


    It made her uneasy, made her think that she was the one in the wrong.


    ¡°You two know that today is the day Shin Siwoo leaves, right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    They didn¡¯t reply, but they did lower the blanket silently.


    Their faces, side by side, appeared in the darkness.


    At that moment, Albireo used her telekinesis to open the curtains wide.


    That allowed the light to flood in and illuminate their faces.


    The twins had naturally curly hair that required careful maintenance.


    But, due to their strike, said maintenance couldn¡¯t happen, resulting in their hair becoming all disheveled and tangled. Not only that, their cheeks were swollen and their eyes were puffy.


    It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that they had been crying the whole time they covered themselves below their blanket.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we see him anymore...¡±


    ¡°We just need to be more careful...¡±


    In truth, the Countess was feeling a little embarrassed about this whole matter.


    A while ago, after Siwoo beat the Homunculus, she made a promise to send him back to the modern world.


    Of course, the twins also knew about this matter back then, but unlike now, they didn¡¯t make this much of a fuss.


    ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because he risked his life for them again? Because he almost got himself killed and managed to recover from that?¡¯


    In any case, their attachments to him had grown stronger.


    That was the reason why they had been struggling, chasing after the Countess¡¯ tail just to throw their tantrums at her for two days, even though they knew it was futile.


    ¡°This is for your own good. What if something goes wrong with you two little cuties in the future?¡±


    ¡°But, that won¡¯t happen...¡±


    Although he was a little tempted to indulge in another sex session, he quickly dismissed those thoughts.


    There just wasn¡¯t much time left and he had to prepare for his departure.


    Siwoo stopped by the twins¡¯ villa to pack his belongings and tidy the place up.


    As he stepped into the gate leading to the Border Town, he noticed three people waiting for him on the other side.


    The twins, wearing fancier dresses than usual, along with their trademark half-hats.


    And Albireo, who was standing with her hands crossed.


    ¡°Hello...¡±


    ¡°¡°Mr. Assistant!¡±¡±


    ¡°Ow!¡±


    With loud squeals the twins rushed toward him, throwing themselves at him at the same time.


    He barely managed to avoid getting his back broken and hugged them.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine here, so please be careful out there, Mr. Assistant.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about us, okay? Oh, yeah, you don¡¯t forget about our gifts right? Right?¡±


    ¡°If anything happens, just show them that ring to scare people off!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Most Exiles would run away after hearing the name of the Countess Gemini, after all!¡±


    They greeted Siwoo like a pair of excited puppies welcoming their owner home.


    He could only let out a bitter smile and received their wholehearted reception.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I won¡¯t forget. Ms. Odile, Ms. Odette, you both need to take care of yourselves too.¡±


    ¡°Of course... I¡¯ll definitely become an outstanding witch so I can go out there to have fun!¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s you, Ms. Odile, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll achieve that easily.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Assistant, when I go out, I want to visit a dessert shop in the modern world! I¡¯ve gone there once before and their sweets were so tasty!¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll look it up in advance for you.¡±


    The twins let out a bright smile with tears in their eyes. They considered themselves fortunate to be able to bid farewell in this way.


    Seeing this scene warmed Siwoo¡¯s heart.


    When he thought about the various connections he made in these five years, it made him feel like he hadn¡¯t spent all those years wastefully.


    At that moment, Albireo, who had been watching their farewell from the sideline, approached them.


    ¡°Here are the documents I¡¯ve prepared, Mr. Siwoo.¡±


    She took out a thick envelope, a passport and an ID.


    ¡°This is a fake passport and a fake ID. If you were to make them under your name, it¡¯ll disappear in a matter of days. Also, if you want to travel overseas, please use the airline ticket tucked between the pages of the passport.¡±


    ¡°So you can bypass it like that, huh?¡±


    Since everything that connected to Siwoo had already been severed, he could only use a fake identity like this.


    ¡°Here are the addresses for the residences you can stay in. We¡¯ve prepared up to ten houses all across Korea, so feel free to choose the one you like.¡±


    ¡°Ah, okay...¡±


    ¡°And this is a black card issued by our family-owned credit card company. It¡¯s linked to the aforementioned fake identity, so you can use it as you please. Also, you can check out the various benefits it provides in the catalog.¡±


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    He had already been told that the Geminis would provide him with accommodations and a fake identity, but he never expected them to go to such lengths.


    Suddenly, he felt the sense of burden on his shoulder increased.


    ¡°Uh, excuse me? Um, how do I check the credit limit on this card?¡±


    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t suddenly buy a private jet or something similar, you don¡¯t need to mind the limit. Feel free to use it.¡±


    ¡°Y-You really don¡¯t need to go this far...¡±


    ¡°Just treat it as a token of my sincerity.¡±


    Those gifts were too extravagant.


    It basically allowed him to eat and mess around for a lifetime without having to work. Realizing this left him speechless.


    After handing over the items, Albireo stepped back and gave the twins their spaces.


    It was the twins who wanted to talk with Siwoo in the first place. Besides, he was aware that Albireo wouldn¡¯t feel comfortable around him.


    Of course, she didn¡¯t leave them on their own. She still needed to make sure that they wouldn¡¯t do anything foolish, after all.


    ¡°Wait for us, okay, Mr. Assistant? We¡¯ll come visit you soon!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll only take three years! We promise!¡±


    With a light kiss on his lips, the twins finished their farewells.


    At that moment, a part of the portal shimmered like a giant mirror.


    If Siwoo were to take a few steps forward, he¡¯d return to the modern world.


    The twins held back their tears as they watched him.


    Siwoo hesitated for a bit before taking out something from his pocket.


    ¡°Lady Countess.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Could you please pass this on to Ms. Amelia?¡±


    Siwoo handed over a folded piece of paper.


    Albireo accepted it and tucked it away in her pocket.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll pass it on to her.¡±


    Her answer made him feel a sense of relief. He then gently caressed the twins¡¯ heads before walking towards the gate.


    ¡°Take care, Ms. Odile, Ms. Odette.¡±


    ¡°Please stay healthy, Ms. Assistant!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s have fun together again someday!¡±


    With the twins¡¯ tearful cries, marking their goodbyes.


    Siwoo¡¯s vision turned upside down.

 Chapter 139: Homecoming (2)

    ? Homecoming (2) ?


    1.


    Siwoo¡¯s sight swayed slightly.


    This magic, ¡®Gate¡¯, was a magic created by Duchess Keter and something that was closely related to him.


    Perhaps that was why he could feel familiarity towards the flow of mana enveloping his body.N??v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    Before he could concentrate, wondering if there was anything he could analyze, the world around him had already changed.


    His sight turned bright, as if someone just set off a flashbang in front of him.


    Accompanied by an intense rumble, he saw a clear bright sky.


    Then he saw towering skyscrapers, encased in glass from the top to bottom, stretched out as far as he could see.


    -Booong!


    The sound of car horns and engines echoed against the building walls. It was so loud to the point that he wondered, ¡®Was it always this noisy here?¡¯


    Compared to the mostly quiet and peaceful atmosphere of Gehenna, the bustling city street was so overwhelming that the average Gehenna citizen could mistook it as the middle of a battlefield. Just the ringing sound of horns was enough to make them crazy.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Siwoo, who had been standing there in daze for a while, took a deep breath.


    ¡®Take a deep breath... Deeper.... Deeper...¡¯


    He continued what he was doing until his lungs felt as though they might burst.


    A tingly, harsh sensation seeped into his lungs.


    The smog he inhaled pricked his throat, leaving a stinging sensation in his nostrils.


    He looked around.


    A certain river1Referring to the Han River that divided the two famed districts2Referring to Gangnam and Gangbuk District came into his sight.


    There was a wide bridge, bustling with cars trying to get across, that cut the river into two.


    The set of buildings that once held the title of Korea¡¯s tallest structure3Referring to the Samsung Tower Palace, the vast expanse of the Han River stretching into the distance and the nearby pedestrian paths, all of those unfolded before his eyes.


    Streetlights that looked familiar to him, buildings with exaggerated heights, asphalt so black that it¡¯d change the color of the raindrops that hit it.


    This was the scene that he could only see in his dreams lately. But, at the moment, the scene was undoubtedly real.


    ¡°I¡¯m home...¡±


    He was home.


    In his modern world. In Korea. In Seoul. In Han River Park. In a place he never thought he¡¯d step on ever again.


    He was truly home.


    ¡°I¡¯m home... I¡¯m home...¡±


    He felt all his strength left his body.


    Then he dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face as he sobbed.


    ¡®Is this a dream? It isn¡¯t, right?¡¯


    ¡®I have to make sure.¡¯


    Siwoo wanted a strong assurance.


    He randomly reached out his hands, gathering the weeds and dirt around him before shoving it into his mouth like a madman.


    The gritty sand and roots of the weeds scratched his mouth, giving him the taste of rich soil and fresh grass.


    A nostalgic taste.


    This was the taste of Korean soil he had longed for.


    ¡°Mom, look! That man is eating dirt!¡±


    ¡°Shh! Don¡¯t look at him!¡±


    ¡°What the hell is that?¡±


    He caught sight of people zooming around on a strange-looking electric scooter.


    It wasn¡¯t just one of two people doing that, but dozens of them. All the electric scooters looked the same, as if all those people rented them as a group.


    This made him remember the time when he first arrived in Gehenna. When he marveled at the wonder of magic.


    As he gazed at the towering buildings, stacked high with dozens of floors, observed the cars that were emitting smoke as they slowly passed by, he found that those things were even more captivating than magic.


    Sights like this reminded him of the saying, ¡®science is no different than magic.¡¯


    Siwoo flicked his cigarette and stepped out of the smoking area.


    ¡®Yeah.¡¯


    ¡®This is what I wanted.¡¯


    The ordinary daily life and the familiar scenery.


    No one here judged him because he had different skin colors. He could go to a nearby store to grab a cola or whatever else he wanted. There was no ruling class that could torment him with strange magic. Just the ordinary and nostalgic scene that he had longed for.


    The paradise he had yearned for.


    His homesickness, that once caused his heart to ache, had seemed to heal in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°I should go see my parents.¡±


    Siwoo adjusted his crooked eyepatch and climbed up the slope by the riverside to catch a cab.


    ¡®I have some money now anyway.¡¯


    He jumped into a decent-looking taxi.


    ¡°Where do you want me to take you?¡±


    After informing the driver, who had a friendly smile like a model taxi driver, his destination, Siwoo closed his eyes as he rested his head on the seat.


    3.


    It had been a while since Siwoo last visited his parents.


    Since he didn¡¯t want to go empty-handed, he bought a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of soju with him.


    For reference, the former was for his mom and the latter was for his dad.


    Compared to Gehenna¡¯s elegant and luxurious buildings, modern buildings had a cheap, yet noticeably refined and welcoming feeling to them.


    After he opened the revolving door in front of him, he stepped inside and made his way to the second floor to sign the visitor¡¯s log.


    ¡°Mom, Dad... I¡¯m home.¡±


    No matter how busy he was, he¡¯d always visit them once every six months. At the very least, once a year. This was the first time that he had gone without visiting them for a long time.


    ¡°Did you miss me? Are you surprised that I suddenly showed up without saying a word? This is your favorite baby¡¯s breath bouquet, Mom. And this red soju is for you, Dad.¡±


    He plopped down in his seat.


    Now, his gaze finally met with his parents.


    To be exact, the picture of his parents, beaming with a wide smile, wearing cheap hiking clothes while standing shoulder to shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare complain about me not visiting you more often. It¡¯s been five¡ª no, almost six years. I¡¯ve been putting in a lot of effort to see your face, Mom.¡±


    He stared intently at the picture.


    Even the faces of his long-missed parents seemed a bit faded.


    Perhaps because they¡¯ve been exposed to too much sunlight.


    ¡°You want to know what happened? It¡¯s not even funny. Honestly, even if I tell you, you probably won¡¯t believe it. You see, I was kidnapped to a fantasy world and became a witch.¡±


    Siwoo covered his face, letting out a wry smile as if he found himself utterly ridiculous.


    A witch. A fantasy world.


    He used those words naturally, but the mere fact that he was currently in the modern world made him feel out of place.


    ¡°There, I ended up meeting with a crazy chick. She tried to bully me and failed... Well, later on, I realized that she wasn¡¯t all bad... I also had some fun with a pair of cute twins¡ª Oh yeah, Dad, there were good people among the Japanese. I got to make some Japanese friends, you know? Of course, I also taught them that Dokdo4 Referring to Dokdo Island, the disputed island located between Japan and South Korea. Japan, North Korea and South Korea, all claimed to be owning the island. The dispute is still unresolved to this day. is a Korean territory. What do you think? I did a good job, right?¡±


    Siwoo

 Chapter 140: Homecoming (3)

    ? Homecoming (3) ?


    1.


    Inside the thick envelope Albireo gave Siwoo, there was a piece of paper with his current address written on it.


    Although he wasn¡¯t sure why, she provided him with ten such houses in Korea. Three of them were located in Seoul and the rest of them were scattered in big cities across other provinces.


    Looking at it like this, he felt like he had become an agent for the National Intelligence Service and those houses were his safe houses.


    He took a taxi to a newly built two-room officetel located near the Ewha Womans University Station in Sinchon.


    The reason why he knew exactly where to go was because the Geminis had given him a briefing about the places. Along with the address, they also included photos and detailed explanations about each house.


    For reference, this particular house¡¯s monthly rent, including its maintenance fees, amounted to 140 million won1Around 1.1k USD.


    During the ride, he looked out of the taxi, gazing at the passing scenery, the sight of the changed world.


    He hadn¡¯t visited Sinchon much back in the day. The only times he did was when he had vacations to meet up with his friends. Even so, he noticed the noticeable differences in the scenery.


    Then again, it was a place renowned for its youthful atmosphere and its tendency to follow trends, so any changes within the place were quite noticeable.


    Compared to back then, he could see more singers busking on the streets. People also seemed to be wearing wireless earphones instead of wired ones with cords.


    Before he got into the taxi, he actually got himself a new smartphone and the design had changed a lot from what he used to.


    His current phone was four generations ahead of his old one.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Samsung phone...¡±


    While engrossed in his thoughts as he fiddled with his phone, Siwoo nostalgically gazed at the familiar urban landscape. Before he realized it, he had already arrived at his destination.


    His apartment was located on the top floor of the mixed-use officetel.


    Although it wasn¡¯t as extravagant as a penthouse, the newly constructed apartment had a clean and well-organized layout that made it comfortable for him to live in.


    He was pleasantly surprised to see various furniture and kitchen utensils inside.N??v€l-B1n was the first platform to present this chapter.


    ¡°Oh, they even stocked up on beers.¡±


    Siwoo took out two cans of beers from the refrigerator.


    Then, he moved to the window in the living room, taking a moment to look at the city below him.


    The apartment was located close to the Gyeongui Line and the Line 2 Subway, making it convenient for him to travel around.


    However, the view outside appeared rather desolate. It was as if it had exchanged its previous beauty and convenience for a barren landscape.


    Still, for Siwoo, who had just returned to his hometown, he didn¡¯t mind it much. It was because his heart swelled just by looking at the cars spinning around in the roundabout.


    While casually enjoying the scenery, he tossed his bag onto the couch and took out the new smartphone he got today.


    ¡°Home is the best place to be.¡±


    Although Siwoo had registered it using a false identity, he still wasn¡¯t sure if the phone would be affected by the ¡®reset¡¯ or not.


    But, he didn¡¯t pay much attention to it.


    After all, he could just register it again if he needed to.


    ¡°Who cares? It isn¡¯t my money anyway.¡±


    ¡®In any case, it was the Countess who said not to mind it.¡¯


    ¡®As long as I don¡¯t buy a private jet or some shit like that.¡¯


    Siwoo hadn¡¯t kept up with the news enough to find out what had changed from back in the day.


    Feeling like a newly released prisoner, he indulged himself, searching for things he was curious about while enjoying his beer.


    ¡°This game is fucked now.¡±


    He found out that the game he used to enjoy had turned into a dead game.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see my name anywhere.¡±


    The various articles that used to proudly show his achievement as a math prodigy had all disappeared without a trace.


    Not only that, he also couldn¡¯t find out anything about the plane crash that led him to be stuck in Gehenna.


    A plane crash was a big incident, so it was bound to be known everywhere, even in the foreign countries, but there seemed to be no record of that particular plane crash. It was as if the incident had been completely erased from existence.


    ¡°Damn, I should have bought some of this before leaving.¡±


    The virtual currency that he had only heard about back in the day suddenly skyrocketed hundreds of times in price, as if a virtual gold rush happened.


    ¡®If I invested five hundred thousand won back then, how much would I have now?¡¯


    As he stared at the screen, digging through all sorts of things, he lost track of time.


    Chilling on the couch while sipping beer and watching the news.


    These simple things were enough to make him happy.


    There were a lot of things that he could do.


    ¡°S-Siwoo... Ahh...¡±


    Her other hand caressed her own breasts while teasing her own nipples. From the simulations she brought onto herself, her body began to tremble slowly.


    Due to the light and airy nightgown she was wearing, her smooth legs were revealed under the moonlight. They trembled, as if enduring something. Her tightly pressed knees were twitching, repeatedly.


    Each time she made a move, the nightgown made a gentle rustling sound.


    ¡°Ah¡ª Hng¡ª!¡±


    She forcefully covered her mouth with Siwoo¡¯s shirt, trying to stifle her moans.


    The pleasure made her head and womb throb. It was as if something was being released from her nipples, it washed over her body like a huge wave.


    ¡°Haah... Ugh...¡±


    Then, her eyelids, which had been tightly closed, suddenly fluttered open, revealing her hazy sky-colored irises.


    Even without any physical touch, thick liquid trickled from her crotch.


    As a result, the sheets that were supporting her buttocks turned damp. But, she didn¡¯t have the strength to care about it at the moment.


    On the bedside table, one of her unique perfumes was placed, the ¡®Perfume of Dream.¡¯


    Its effect was to blur the boundary between imagination and reality, inducing a trance-like state upon the user.


    Thanks to it, Amelia could feel as though Siwoo was embracing her just by imagining it.


    Even Amelia, who usually got lost in the depths of her magical research, would use the perfume whenever the dim night was decorated by the moonlight.


    It was those sparse moments that helped her to put aside all her sufferings and pain.


    ¡°...¡±


    As her intense flames of arousal gradually faded away, a deep and overwhelming abyss of hopelessness and helplessness engulfed her being. This was a familiar sensation that often followed said arousal.


    After Siwoo left, Amelia found herself confined to the cabin once again.


    Just like back when she lost her master, she found solace by hunching over in the small cabin while immersing herself in magic research.


    The only thing that had changed compared to back then was the moments when she¡¯d occasionally play around with her breasts like what she just did.


    Other than that, her daily routine hadn¡¯t changed at all.


    Or at least, that was what she felt.


    ¡®I¡¯ve been doing this for more than a century now, haven¡¯t I?¡¯


    Using magic to cleanse herself, she plopped down on the bed, all curled up.


    Right in her line of sight, on the cabinet where she usually kept her teacups, there was a neatly folded piece of white paper.


    Sophia, who visited the cabin a week ago, was the one who gave it to her, telling her that it was a letter left behind by Siwoo.


    However, Amelia couldn¡¯t bring herself to open it, much like she couldn¡¯t bring herself to read her master¡¯s last will.


    She felt like everything would be decided the moment she read his letter.


    It would leave no room for imagination or lingering hope. Everything would be set in stone.


    Though, she did wonder what kind of letter did Siwoo, who left her with that much resentment in his eyes, left behind.


    She spent the whole day with that thought swirling in her mind, but the underlying anxiety and the fear of closure paralyzed her mind like a toxic substance.


    If she were to be honest with herself, she didn¡¯t believe that he¡¯d ever forgive her.


    That was why she couldn¡¯t cling onto her final, desperate hope. She didn¡¯t want to see the announcement that would spell the end of their relationship.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m...such a coward...¡±


    She understood that Siwoo¡¯s anger was completely justified.


    What she had done was akin to finding out that her beloved master, someone that she loved more than anyone, turned out to be someone who had been tormenting her relentlessly over the years.


    That sense of betrayal and loss was something she could completely understand.


    She was well aware that she had no right to package the horrible things she had done with fancy labels such as clumsy love. Because that would mean she¡¯d be running away from the truth again.


    Amelia reached out her arm and grabbed the perfume bottle once again.


    Then, she smeared a few drops of it on her wrist and behind her neck and ears before laying her back on the bed.


    She closed her eyes as she rested her back against the pillow. At that moment, she could see Siwoo¡¯s face again.


    His hands possessively caressed her exposed body as he sent out a tender kiss on her lips.


    ¡°Siwoo...¡±


    Her torment and agony deepened with the night.


    Not long after, the sound of her poignant breath, filled with an intense emotion, quietly echoed alongside the serene chirps of grasshoppers.


    Footnotes:


    1Around 1.1k USD

 Chapter 141: The City Life (1)

    ? The City Life (1) ?


    1.


    Several weeks had passed since Siwoo went back to the modern world.


    His life during that time period could be summarized into a single sentence.


    Like the emperor of China, he kept on ordering a bunch of food, to the point that his table legs were about to break down.


    On average, he ate five meals a day.


    Given that he no longer needed to sleep and possessed a body that could digest and consume food without any health concerns, he¡¯d order meals whenever he felt a slight pang of hunger.


    If he were a normal human, his toilet would¡¯ve been clogged up more times than he could count.


    ¡°Today¡¯s menu is the usual.¡±


    After struggling a little because of his overeating, he sluggishly got up and made his way to his bedroom, which also served as his study.


    For this room, he hired an interior designer to set it up. One side of the wall was covered in corkboard, while the other side in whiteboard. Parts of the wall that didn¡¯t get decorated as such had a built-in shelf for storing all his documents.


    The place resembled the lab he used to frequent often back in the day.


    He faced the whiteboard while holding a water-based marker.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s have some fun today.¡±


    What he was preparing so diligently for was magic research.


    In truth, the reason why he started all this wasn¡¯t solely because of that.


    He was trying to review the essence of singularities, the subject he majored in and conducted research on back in the day. In particular, the essential singularities that earned him his master¡¯s degree at a young age.


    Since his diligently written thesis disappeared into thin air, he thought that this would be a good thing to do to pass time.


    But, to his surprise, he found himself at a loss.


    He couldn¡¯t think about anything.


    When he tried to get the meaning behind the symbols, the directional nature of a series of equations, and the identification of crucial formulas, he was able to get rough outlines of them. However, he couldn¡¯t get the most important aspect of them all; the ¡®flow.¡¯


    This wasn¡¯t caused by a slump or a decline in talent because of his five year hiatus.


    It was clearly a strange phenomenon, as if his brain adamantly refused to think in that particular direction.


    Then, he thought of a possibility.


    He remembered that he had suffered a severe brain injury.


    Even though he was pretty much fully recovered already, it wasn¡¯t surprising that something like this happened to his brain as an aftereffect.


    However, he didn¡¯t get discouraged by it and instead he found another way to pass time.


    Perhaps because of all the things he had been through, he became able to control his emotions better and prevented himself from panicking.


    He then pondered, trying to look for the extent of the damage he suffered from the aftereffects. Then he recalled that he didn¡¯t find any issues when he applied math to use magic.


    Indeed, it really was a strange phenomenon.


    ¡®Maybe my brain got reconstructed solely for the sake of researching magic?¡¯


    ¡°Hmm... Does this go here? No, that¡¯s too simple...¡±


    With his hand on his chin, he let out a mutter as he filled the whiteboard with his scribbles.


    On it, a massive magic circle had already been drawn. What Siwoo had been doing was writing the symbols and equations to feel the circuits, creating new formulas like solving a fill-in-the-blank quiz.


    He retrieved the re-established magic from his mind and organized it into an easy-to-read format.


    ¡°How many elements got mixed up in this?¡±


    Siwoo took off his eyepatch, squinted his left eye and looked at the magic circle he had been roughly designing over the course of a week.


    By merely glancing at it with his newly acquired left eye, the magic circle transformed into a three-dimensional structure, like what he had seen in Ain.


    His left eye was able to discern even the subtle flow of unwanted mana. That was part of the reason why he covered it most of the time as using it for a long period of time would only tire him out quickly.


    In any case, as he had roughly guessed, his brand consisted of five different magic that were intertwined as one.


    The first one was the fruit of his research, his own self-essence magic, the Dimension Shift.


    Then, there was also the Law of Shadows, the magic he obtained from the Egg of Gnosis he got after killing the Homunculus.


    ¡°I understand what¡¯s going on up to this point, but...¡±


    That left the three whole magic that he couldn¡¯t figure out at all.


    Those magic would come to his mind without him needing to consciously recall them, as if he had known them for a long time.


    But, he didn¡¯t know when did he get them, which made him feel frustrated more than anything.


    ¡°...Let¡¯s just try it out then.¡±


    He knew that there was a limit to what one can do without a practical experiment.


    After all, even genius composers would still need to play what they had composed to create a masterpiece.


    Taking into account the time it took to prepare the food, he started to schedule everything to fulfill that promise.


    He used so much of his brain power for it to the point that it felt like his head was on fire.


    After that was done, he decided to take a stroll outside and take a breather.


    He put on a windbreaker, ordered a bunch of delivery orders and set off into the streets.


    There were all kinds of restaurants nearby, perhaps because of the university and various dormitories near his house.


    Still, not all of those restaurants were good.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head to that famed street today.¡±


    The famed street he referred to was a certain street across his apartment. A street filled with a hub of entertainment and restaurants.


    As he went down the stairs, he rummaged through his clothes to grab his cigarettes, but all he could find was an empty pack.


    ¡°Guess I have to buy some on the way.¡±


    This was one of the benefits of living in a residential officetel.


    On the second floor of the officetel, they provided various facilities, including cafes. There was also a convenience store on the first floor, so he didn¡¯t need to go far away to buy what he needed.


    ¡°An afri-cola please. Oh, and a lighter, please.¡±


    He went straight to the counter and caught a glimpse of the part-time worker.


    Siwoo wasn¡¯t someone who¡¯d gawk at women openly like Takasho, but it was for him to resist when the other party was someone so charming that she¡¯d be able to bewitch both genders.


    Maybe because it was Sinchon, but even the part-timers were dressed stylishly.


    She had long hair without bangs.


    It had a dark khaki color and slightly dark mint color highlight.


    She wore a unisex clothes that fit her naturally. It was as if the clothes were specifically tailored for her.


    Though, if her charm was only up to this point, Siwoo wouldn¡¯t have trouble to think that she was probably just a college student that had a heavy interest in fashion and forgot about her afterwards.


    But, the part-timer¡¯s beauty wasn¡¯t all that.


    She was objectively stunning, not because she was his type or anything.


    Her emerald green eyes shone beneath her dark double eyelids. She had a well-defined nose and voluptuous breasts that protruded out of her work vest.


    Coupled with that and the strangely familiar atmosphere she exuded, she could easily hold her own against the witches in Gehenna.


    If she were to say that she wanted to become a model, various agencies would line up to take her under them. That was why Siwoo couldn¡¯t understand why she was working at a place like this.


    ¡°That will be five thousand won.¡±


    But not everything was perfect, her attitude was quite haughty despite her pretty appearance.


    She wasn¡¯t exactly passionate about her job either.


    Her phone didn¡¯t leave her hand and she never even took a glance at the customers. All she did was fiddling with her phone with one hand while processing the customer¡¯s payment with her free hand.


    ¡°Well, with that kind of face, she won¡¯t be getting fired anytime soon.¡±


    As he lit a cigarette, the part-timer had already stopped lingering in his mind.


    For today, he had already mapped out which restaurant he wanted to visit while taking his stroll.


    The street he was in was like a steep mountain range. Once he got to the top, his destination came into view.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    At that moment, he furrowed his brow.


    Initially, he wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him because he was only using one of them.


    But, the dark, unclear thing that was hanging and crawling on the department store billboard in the distance looked way too real for him.


    It was too far away from where he was, so he couldn¡¯t tell what exactly it was. But the fact that he could see it from there meant that the thing was exceptionally huge.


    Siwoo quickened his pace.


    He wanted to see what exactly it was.


    When he reached the department store and looked at the billboard again...


    He found nothing out of ordinary there.


    The people on the street also went on with their lives as if nothing had happened.


    Siwoo narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°...I wasn¡¯t just seeing things, though.¡±


    After all, he saw it way too clearly.


    Suddenly, he felt a shiver run down his spine.


    He quickly took out the music box from his pocket, turning up the concealment barrier to its maximum level before putting it back in.


    In the end, he decided to stop wandering around due to the unsettling feeling he got. After he bought thirty packages of crabs, he made his way back home.

 Chapter 142: The City Life (2)

    ? The City Life (2) ?


    1.


    Summer in Gehenna was close to that of the Mediterranean countries.


    Of course, not every place in Gehenna was like that, it was composed of different kinds of regions from various parts of the world, after all, but it was especially the case for the Lonomond Town, the place Siwoo used to live in.


    In other words, after a summer filled with plenty of sunshine, there would be a period of hot and dry weather, better known as the ¡®dry season.¡¯


    And that fact made Siwoo forget about a certain thing in particular.


    How miserable summer in Korea was. Not only did he have to suffer through the excruciating heat, he also had to go through the suffocatingly high humidity.


    ¡°Afri-cola, please.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be 4500 won.¡±


    Just like any other day, Siwoo bought his cigarettes and smoked in the dimly lit alleyway in front of the convenience store.


    The heat rising from the asphalt beneath his feet made him feel like his spine was being burned. It was as if he was directly absorbing all the sun¡¯s heat.


    It even made the heat coming from the cigarette butt he was holding unbearable.


    ¡°So hot.¡±


    ¡®Fuck, it¡¯s so hot.¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s way too hot.¡¯


    ¡®Since my spiritual body can keep me from having to shit and piss, why can¡¯t it keep me from sweating as well?¡¯


    While muttering his discontent under his breath, he flicked the cigarette butt into its case and trudged his way back to his home, a place blessed by the grace of AC.


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    The sudden drop in temperature instantly relieved him of the stifling heat, sending him shivers down his spine.


    But even the scientific blessing that could spare him from the torture of the summer nights couldn¡¯t solve all his problems.


    It had been about three months since he returned to Korea.


    During this time, while he diligently completing the tasks he had previously left undone, he had immersed himself in magic research without slacking even a little.


    At first, he found everything incredibly fun.


    Sorting his self-essence magic, which had grown by leaps and bounds when he was unconscious, turning the parts he only knew by intuition into magic circles and so on. Those series of tasks filled him with a deep sense of accomplishment.


    Not to mention that he could practice using magic while he was at it.


    But lately, in the past month or so...


    Things didn¡¯t feel so pleasant anymore.


    In Gehenna, there was the Trinity Academy, the treasure trove of magic knowledge.


    Just stepping into the library allowed him to read countless books that could fill him with both inspiration and magical knowledge.


    Whenever he faced a challenge or he was having a doubt about something, he could always turn to either Amelia or the twins for help.


    But, he was in the modern world right now.


    Magical books were just either something related to occultism nonsense or something fictional. There was also no one that was capable of offering him the guidance that he sought.


    He understood that advancement in any field required a solid foundation of knowledge.


    Even though he was building his own unique magical system, he still couldn¡¯t create something out of thin air.


    Without the required knowledge, he¡¯d only end up circling around useless matters instead of making an advancement.


    Ironically, it was through his extraordinary intuition in magic that made him realize he couldn¡¯t tackle this problem by himself.


    In any case, after he managed to identify that problem, he stopped all of his magic research.


    Instead, he began to indulge himself in more frivolous activities, wasting both his time and money.


    Inside that dimly lit room, he took out a can of beer while laying down on the couch. He planned to continue watching the movie he had started earlier.


    The living room was a mess. It was filled with all sorts of junk from all of his online shopping.


    ¡°...¡±


    While he was immersing himself in the movie.


    He began pondering on how to overcome the current situation he found himself in.


    While taking a brief break from his research to look for inspiration was a good idea...


    He doubted that he could come up with something by doing this.


    There were a total of twenty five formulas and arrangements that he couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡®Can I even continue my research without knowing about those formulas?¡¯


    Siwoo kept on pondering, but in the end, all his thinking only further convinced him that his situation was hopeless. Realizing this, he let out a deep sigh.


    2.


    His fate had been severed.


    Which meant, he had become a ghost.


    An existence that didn¡¯t belong in this world.


    The more time went by, the more he felt the truth in those sentences.


    Luckily for him, the phone that was registered under a fake name was still functional.


    However, the points he had accumulated on the delivery apps he used vanished in a mere week.


    He thought he could cool off his head by playing a game, so he ordered a computer to try out the newly released games. Nothing happened when he played the offline games, but when it came to online games, all of his accounts just disappeared shortly after he started playing.


    This phenomenon created a void in his heart that he was unable to ignore. There was a lingering sense of emptiness that he could feel clearly.


    ¡®Huh? So suddenly?¡¯


    Her question puzzled him, but he still gave her an answer.


    ¡°It¡¯s been three months, I think.¡±


    ¡°I see! I had no idea! Strange, huh? Anyway, I live next door, apartment number four. On the same floor!¡±


    After muttering to herself in a soft voice, the woman suddenly revealed her address.


    Not sure what she was getting at, Siwoo once again got caught off guard when she threw another random question at him.


    ¡°Is that like an accessory or something? It looks cool!¡±


    ¡°This? Ah, yes, it is.¡±


    She asked, while pointing at Siwoo¡¯s eyepatch.


    Thanks to the cool eyepatch, she was distracted from asking about her previous concern any further.


    The eyepatch he was wearing was a classic black eyepatch made of luxurious weather. It wasn¡¯t some cheap junk one could get from a hospital for an eye disease. Naturally, the expensive looking eyepatch would gather a lot of attention.


    ¡°Anyway, thanks for keeping the noise down...¡±


    ¡°Oh no, you don¡¯t need to. Rather, I should apologize since this all happened because of my carelessness.¡±


    Just as he was about to finally close the door, the woman hurriedly raised another question.


    ¡°Do you happen to go to the university nearby?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m unemployed.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see... Well, next time we meet in the elevator, let¡¯s greet each other often, okay?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then... Goodbye.¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡±


    When she first came to his doorstep, she looked so angry to the point that he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she were to rip his door out of its hinges. But when she was about to leave, she somehow turned docile. She even bid him goodbye politely like a cute little lamb.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡®And I thought I¡¯ve seen all sorts of strange women.¡¯


    He closed the door, turned on the music box and cranked his speaker volume up again.


    All while pondering over the previous encounter.


    ¡®Greeting each other if we happen to meet in the elevator, huh...?¡¯


    ¡®Well, it¡¯s not like she¡¯ll remember about this encounter.¡¯


    ¡°Anyway, I wonder what the twins are up to.¡±


    Before he realized it, his mind wandered to the people closest to him, the Gemini Household¡¯s apprentice witches, Odile and Odette.


    The witches from Gehenna rarely sent their apprentice witches to the mortal realm. Siwoo reckoned that they were probably studying hard so that they could come and visit him as soon as possible.


    Assuming that it wouldn¡¯t happen for at least five more years, it meant he had to continue living like this for around that long.


    ¡°Hmm... I should probably go on a trip somewhere...¡±


    He remembered that alongside the counterfeit passports Albireo gave him, there was a business card tucked in.


    She said that it was a way for him to contact the VIP service of the airline that the Geminis owned.


    Apparently, he could rent a private plane if he were to contact that number. Not only that, they¡¯ll also make a reservation at a hotel for him.


    He was basically living a life of luxury and indulgence with someone else¡¯s money.


    Back when he was still a slave, this was the kind of luxurious life he couldn¡¯t dare to dream of. Yet, he still felt uncertain about this whole matter.


    ¡®You know, maybe I should go on a world tour? That doesn¡¯t sound too bad.¡¯


    He muttered under his breath as he looked down at the card.


    ¡°Anyway, how rich are those guys exactly?¡±


    From an airline to a whole credit card company.


    Siwoo had only enjoyed the benefits that those two companies provided, but it seemed like the Geminis owned more companies than those two.


    When he looked up the related parent company, he found out that they also involved themselves in other profitable industries such as steel, petroleum, insurance, finance and a bunch of other things.


    They even branched into aerospace, automaton and chemicals.


    When he found out that their net worth was as high as 505 trillion won, ranked 12th in the whole world, his jaw fell into the floor.


    He thought that their wealth was only limited to Gehenna, but it turned out that they were also extremely wealthy in the modern world as well.


    While he was aware that they shouldn¡¯t be the only one owning that massive company, this discovery still shocked him.


    ¡°Anyway...¡±


    In any case, he no longer had to struggle.


    No matter how hard he tried to study math (which for some reason, didn¡¯t seem to work out), he wouldn¡¯t get any recognition. Working was also pointless because his money wasn¡¯t lacking.


    While he could try to continue his magic research, he knew more than anyone that it wouldn¡¯t get anywhere.


    He felt like he was just sucking honey out of the Geminis¡¯ nipples without exerting any effort.


    ¡®Well, it isn¡¯t like I don¡¯t like this kind of life, but it¡¯s just... How do I say it...?¡¯


    ¡®...Boring, I guess?¡¯


    ¡°You know what, I should eat and cool my head down.¡±


    He shook his head.


    ¡®Eating something tasty might help ease my worries.¡¯


    That day, he went to a nearby restaurant and ordered a whole live fish to turn into sashimi.

 Chapter 143: The City Life (3)

    ? The City Life (3) ?


    1.


    Though Siwoo wasn¡¯t sure who exactly came up with the term ¡®tropical night,¡¯ he just knew that they must have been someone who was really good with words.


    One would definitely picture something cool when they combined the two words ¡®tropical¡¯ and ¡®night.¡¯


    He went to buy cigarettes at two in the morning since he had nothing better to do than sucking on his fingers. After that, he went outside.


    There wasn¡¯t any particular reason for him to do so, he just wanted to take a stroll.


    Nowadays, he could freely go out at night just to relax or for a change of mood. This was something he couldn¡¯t do back when he was a slave since he¡¯d be suffering in exhaustion at night.


    Since he wore an eyepatch, people couldn¡¯t tell that he possessed a brand in his eye just by looking at him. Coupled that with the fact that not many people knew that he was able to use magic, as long as he didn¡¯t cause any troubles outside, even if he were to run into an Exile by accident, it wouldn¡¯t cause any issues.


    He went down the street in a more carefree mood than back when he first arrived in the modern world, partly because he didn¡¯t have much going on in his life at the moment.N??v€l-B1n was the first platform to present this chapter.


    The bustling district where his apartment was located buzzed with the cries of cicadas under the lively illuminations of the night. But, as soon as he ventured away from that area, his surroundings became eerily silent.


    There, he saw things that weren¡¯t commonly seen in a newly developed part of the city; tall poles holding up power lines and sodium lamps that lit up the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s so hot...¡±


    In the middle of his search for a vending machine beneath the streetlight, he muttered those words begrudgingly as he adjusted the collar of his shirt.


    To make his strolls more enjoyable, he developed a regular routine.


    Like everyone knew, a plot of land in Seoul was extraordinarily expensive.


    Since that was the case, to make use of the expensive, yet narrow land, they had to be creative. That was why they carved out the hills and built those tiny apartments there. You could make a whole village out of those studio apartments.


    As he climbed one of the hills, he found a park at the top of it.


    This park, or rather, the old vending machine at its entrance, served as his regular checkpoint.


    Whenever he reached this point, he¡¯d buy a cola and drink it while smoking his cigar. Afterwards, he¡¯d try to come up with a direction where he should drag his feet to.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my cola?¡±


    Without any hesitation, he grabbed a can of cola from the vending machine and lit his cigarette.


    Since his body felt slightly dehydrated at this point, the bubbly and refreshing carbonated drink helped him catch his breath a little.


    ¡°Ah, this is so uncomfortable!¡±


    While he climbed the steep path, parts of his body naturally let out sweat, including the area underneath his eyepatch.


    ¡°Fuck, can¡¯t I just place it in my balls instead? Witches got theirs in their womb, why am I the only one who has it in the open like this?¡±


    Truth to be told, it was quite inconvenient for him to live his daily life while having one of his eyes closed.


    Of course, just because he was using a single eye most of the time wouldn¡¯t make his eyesight worse, he had a spirit body, after all. However, using only one eye did make judging distances more difficult.


    He had no intention of removing his eyepatch in his daily life. His shining golden eyes would definitely attract unwanted attention, not to mention that it had magic formulas written on it.


    While he didn¡¯t care if regular people were to see it, an Exile was a different story. Well, it was easy to imagine how things would develop if that were to happen.


    As he chugged his cola, he noticed something.


    If he had taken off his eyepatch and looked around, he¡¯d probably noticed it a little sooner.


    The disturbance in the surroundings.


    It was akin to treads, or rather, a whole fine cotton, floating on water.


    To put it simply, the mana in the vicinity had come to a standstill.


    In its nature, mana was like an invisible ¡®flow,¡¯ it lacked physical substance.


    However, that didn¡¯t mean it was completely unaffected by external influences. Under normal circumstances, it would flow gracefully through the atmosphere like a calm river.


    But at the moment, it wasn¡¯t the case.


    It was in a state similar to when one mixed several liquids with different-temperature in one cup.


    ¡°...¡±


    Siwoo tucked his eyepatch into his pocket and immediately stood up, flicking away the cigarette butt while he was at it.


    It might already be too late, but he moved to raise the range and intensity of his music box to its maximum capabilities.


    His heart was beating quickly.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time he experienced this kind of phenomenon.


    Ea Sadalmelik¡¯s water bottle, the ¡®Interdimensional Barrier.¡¯


    The barrier spell that separated part of the world from the rest of it.


    In Gehenna, since the place was already separated from the rest of the world by Duchess Keter, the barrier only served to reduce the presence of mana. But in the modern world, it worked in a different way.


    It completely isolated everything that happened inside the barrier from the rest of the world. Basically, the space inside the barrier had turned into a different world.


    To elaborate, imagine there was a space called A. The Interdimensional Barrier was able to separate a part of space A and create a whole new space called B.


    That was roughly how it worked.


    In any case, the details of how it worked wasn¡¯t important to Siwoo at the moment. How to handle the situation was.


    ¡°Bloom.¡±


    Coupled that with the fact that an Interdimensional Barrier appeared in the area, Siwoo was even more certain...


    That the thing in front of him was a Homunculus.


    He crouched down and carefully observed it.


    The thing covering its skin didn¡¯t seem to be fur.


    It glistened like a melted tar on thick rubber.


    Between his eyebrows, there was a red glowing eye.


    Thanks to its dark-colored body, he couldn¡¯t really see the details of its shape.


    ¡°...¡±


    Siwoo held his breath, trying to stay quiet.


    Only witches of the 15th rank or higher were recommended to hunt the Homunculi. Mainly because at this point, they already gained autonomous defense.


    Since Siwoo officially didn¡¯t possess any brand, he had no way to accurately measure his rank. He also didn¡¯t have autonomous defense.


    But based on the knowledge he gathered by comparing himself to other witches, he estimated that his own level was roughly around the 14th to 15th rank.


    It was a precarious level where he could barely manage to hunt a Homunculus but at the same time he could also become a prey to one.


    At the moment, it still hadn¡¯t noticed his presence.


    If he were to quietly leave, he should be able to go back home without problems.


    He had hunted a Homunculus before in Gehenna, but he knew that it only happened due to luck.


    Firstly, the twins were there, acting as a bait to buy some time for him. Then, there was also the fact that the Homunculus was especially weak to a highly compressed mana due to its usage of Law of Shadows. Lastly, there was mana water around him back then, so he could replenish his mana whenever he needed it.


    But what about now?


    At the moment, he was all alone.


    While he was way better at handling magic than back then, it wasn¡¯t a certainty that the Homunculus in front of him was any weaker than the one he previously faced.


    If he were to charge in and fight without a plan, there was a good chance that he¡¯d end up getting his ass handed to him.


    So, he decided to run away.


    At least until he could figure out what the scary monster was doing, that was the plan he decided to follow.


    -Crunch crunch crunch


    Siwoo furrowed his brow.


    He hadn¡¯t confirmed what exactly that sound was, but he found it creepy.


    It was as if something was tearing through chunks of meat.


    A strong feeling of disgust and unease appeared in his heart, prompting him to look back.


    -Crunch crunch crunch


    At that moment, he saw it.


    The trees around the place where the monster was sitting were painted in a creepy dark red color.


    What he thought were scattered ropes turned out to be intestines.


    That was when he realized what was going on.


    The monster was eating a ¡®person.¡¯


    His mind went blank.


    While he literally had become half a corpse himself, he had never seen an actual corpse before.


    When he regained his senses, he realized that he was already standing up.


    Thanks to that, his vision became even clearer.


    That person was most likely someone who went outside to work out.


    His cheap clothes were all torn up, shredded to pieces.


    Behind the monster, there was a nearly hollowed-out abdomen, stretched out like a tattered curtain.


    The scene made the feelings that Siwoo had been suppressing suddenly ignited like sparks flying off a stone.


    Not only was he filled with fear and terror at seeing a fellow human being torn apart by the beast, but he was also filled with a nauseating sense of disgust and anger.


    ¡°You...son of a bitch...¡±


    ¡°Grr...¡±


    The beast, which had been happily eating its meal just a moment ago, turned its head around in a weird way.


    Its neck movement wasn¡¯t something that a living being should be able to do; turning its head 180 degrees to look at him.


    Within its growl, there were two different emotions that it expressed.


    One was annoyance, his meal was interrupted by Siwoo, after all.


    And the other one was joy, since a new prey had appeared in its sight.


    ¡°Bloom.¡±


    Siwoo clenched the spear in his hand tightly.

 Chapter 144: The City Life (4)

    ? The City Life (4) ?


    1.


    Siwoo¡¯s gut churned with a sickening disgust.


    The person being eaten was just a random guy.


    Just a stranger he happened to come across in the park.


    If it wasn¡¯t for this messed up situation, they would¡¯ve gone about their own business, not even knowing that the other person existed.


    But then this Homunculus appeared, his jaw stained bright red from the man¡¯s blood.


    Siwoo felt a strong killing intent emanating from it.


    This was a common occurrence in the wild.


    Every living thing would eat one another to survive.


    But because of modern civilization, we often failed to realize this fact since the place where we got our food was separate from where the animals were butchered.


    And so, this inhumane sight was a big shock to him.


    This place was a small park.


    Maybe, that person being eaten was someone who came here for the sake of his health, trying to make his body stay fit.


    Or, one of his family members forced him to go outside to lose some fat.


    And those people were probably worrying about him by now, because it was late and he still hadn¡¯t come back home.


    That person was alive.


    He held a story of his life.


    And that person¡¯s story ended by becoming this thing¡¯s meal.


    ¡°Haaap!¡±


    The shadow spear slipped from his hand and flew at a faster speed than he expected.


    It left a dark trail in the air, as if someone had drawn a black line with a brush.


    But the Homunculus¡¯ reaction was just as quick.N??v€l-B1n was the first platform to present this chapter.


    It swiftly twisted its body to dodge the spear.


    A surprisingly smooth movement coming out from it despite having such a huge body.


    After seeing that strike, it seemed like the Homunculus recognized Siwoo as its enemy. It kicked the ground with its hindlegs and quickly closed the distance in a blink of an eye.


    -Bang!


    ¡°Tsk!¡±


    They collided with a loud crash.


    Siwoo held his shield forward to defend himself, stumbling backward in the process.


    Before the clash, he had created an armor and shield out of his shadow.


    Unlike the ordinary armor and shield made of plates, the ones he created worked differently.


    They could react to external impacts, actively disperse and deflect the force they received. Not only that, they could also nullify magic.


    But, despite all that, the body slam from the Homunculus still made him fly backwards, as if he had been hit by a truck.


    This reminded him once again that right now he was facing a Homunculus.


    Although it only looked like a huge ass dog, it was still a weapon created by the Witch of Creation herself.


    He quickly got up and readjusted his shield.


    There was a tingling pain in his spine.


    ¡®If I didn¡¯t wear the armor, my spine would¡¯ve probably snapped in two.¡¯


    ¡°Grr...¡±


    On the opposite side, the Homunculus seemed surprised by his resistance.


    Now, instead of attacking like it did before, it lowered its body and growled, all while keeping an eye on him.


    Perhaps it was because he had been living a mostly boring life for a while.


    Siwoo could hear his pounding heart to the point that it made his head hurt.


    He lifted his shield, positioning it so it could protect his chest and vital organs. Then, he adjusted the shape of his spear.


    The spear he currently wield could only be used for stabbing and poking someone with its pointy end.


    That clearly wouldn¡¯t work on a monster who bounced around like a rubber ball, all while launching quick attacks.


    He reckoned that he needed a weapon with a wider reach and the ability to ¡®cut¡¯ to fight against this monster.


    And the weapon that he came up with was a sword.


    A long blade extending over a meter in length appeared in his hand.


    Its hilt was embedded with a crossguard to prevent his hand from slipping and to help him firmly grasp the blade.


    He had no experience in Western-styled swordsmanship and he had never even held a real sword before.


    But, he wasn¡¯t concerned about that.


    After all, shadows had no weight.


    As long as he could reach his opponent and slash it with its sharp end, it was enough for him.


    At that moment...


    The Homunculus, which had been crouching its body, started its attack once again.


    It didn¡¯t only run on the ground, it also freely jumped around diagonally, skillfully doing various maneuvers in the darkness.


    And its speed was terrifyingly fast.


    It was as if it was a motorcycle that could defy gravity, twisting and turning everywhere while going full throttle.


    -Whooosh!


    Meanwhile, Siwoo calmly watched its every step. The moment it was about to launch an attack from above, he swung his shield towards it.


    And that was the extent of what he knew about those guys.


    The books he had read barely contained any more information than that.


    ¡®But, what did I see today?¡¯


    The Homunculus he saw was eating someone.


    But that wasn¡¯t even more surprising than the fact that the person¡¯s body completely disappeared when he looked away for a moment.


    ¡°Hahaha...¡±


    He let out an empty laugh.


    According to Countess Gemini, the number of Homunculi in the modern world was increasing rapidly.


    She also warned him that he had to be more careful since he possessed a brand.


    But, for some reason, that particular Homunculus was hunting humans instead of witches.


    It was something that was unfathomable to him.


    And, since they were out there, hunting regular people, that meant similar things were happening in different parts of Korea and the world.


    So, why hadn¡¯t anyone noticed it until now?


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious why.¡±


    Using all the information he knew, he easily found a clear answer.


    What happened to them was something that happened to him as well.


    The moment they were devoured by the Homunculus, their ties to the world were severed. That was the reason why that person¡¯s body completely vanished.


    Anyone who became a Homunculus¡¯ victim was reduced to nothing more than a prey, they lost the right to be mourned by the world.


    After turning the shower, Siwoo dried himself and came out of the bathroom.


    He plopped down on the couch and grabbed a can of beer.


    It was the first time he ever saw someone die.


    Since he only saw it from a distance, the event didn¡¯t seem to leave any big impact on him.


    ...Or no, actually, he wasn¡¯t sure about that one.


    His mind went blank, all he could think of was the sound of the Homunculus chewing and ripping out the poor guy¡¯s internal organs.


    Suddenly, he remembered something.


    The dark figure he saw hanging on the department store billboard back when he had just come back to the modern world.


    Back then, when he rushed over to see what it was, it was already gone from that place.


    ¡°Was that also a Homunculus?¡±


    ¡®If that so, how many of those guys are left in this world?¡¯


    ¡®Does that mean a lot of people are dying because of this?¡¯


    ¡®Is there anything I can do about it?¡¯


    ¡°...¡±


    This was a matter that he in the past wouldn¡¯t have known about.


    And even if he were to know, it wouldn¡¯t change anything.


    But now, the situation was different.


    He had the ability to see them and the power to confront them.


    The various skills and abilities he possessed urged him to do something about them.


    So now, it was time for him to act.


    ¡°No, no way. Why would I? Someone else could take care of them.¡±


    Except that he didn¡¯t want to fall prey to a random Homunculus on the street.


    He had enough strength to resist and he could avoid them to some extent.


    There were literally no drawbacks if he were to choose not to hunt them.


    Also, there was a matter of him trying to keep a low profile in this world.


    If he were to actually hunt those Homunculi, and other witches were to find out about it, things definitely wouldn¡¯t be pretty.


    Siwoo looked at the ring on his index finger.


    A ring made from intertwining black and white silver.


    This ring symbolized his status as the guest of Countess Gemini.


    He should be able to solve most troubles that came his way with it, but...


    ¡°No, let¡¯s give up...¡±


    Siwoo shook off his wet hair.


    He might need to sleep a little for tonight.


    The information he possessed was limited and he had a way to avoid troubles. Besides, only heroes in stories would actually take actions in that kind of situation.


    And Siwoo didn¡¯t think of himself as someone of that caliber.


    He returned to his room and laid down on the bed.


    ¡°...¡±


    All he needed to do was to think that those people were caught up in some kind of natural disaster.


    In other words, they got bad luck.


    While he was saddened by what happened with the guy he¡¯d seen earlier, it was inevitable.


    Someone else might¡¯ve seen this as him making up excuses not to fight, but that was only because they weren¡¯t in his shoes. After all, this matter greatly concerned his life and death.


    3.


    ¡°Shit, there must be something wrong with my head.¡±


    In the end, he couldn¡¯t stand the urge to take action any longer. While swearing under his breath, he headed towards the park where he just hunted that Homunculus from earlier.

 Chapter 145: The City Life (5)

    ? The City Life (5) ?


    1.


    Siwoo, who had been aimlessly wandering through the dark streets up until recently, suddenly found a purpose for doing so.


    To track down all the Homunculi he could find.


    He knew it was a risky thing to do.


    There was no way he¡¯d be able to kill every Homunculus out there, especially not those who managed to kill a lot of witches on their own.


    But, this was way better than sitting around and doing nothing.


    Just thinking about the matter pessimistically wouldn¡¯t improve the situation, after all.


    ¡°I gotta be optimistic.¡±


    There was a certain chance that a Homunculus might drop a new magical knowledge.


    Since he couldn¡¯t proceed in his magical research by himself, the new magical knowledge he might acquire could turn out to be a big help for him.


    With that thought in mind, he adjusted his sunglasses.


    It might appear strange to walk around at night wearing sunglasses, but he needed to use his eye to sense the flow of mana and locate nearby Homunculi.


    Going around with his left eye bare would be the equivalent of him announcing to the world that he possessed a brand. And so, he opted to wear sunglasses to cover it instead.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to see anything with these on...¡±


    ¡®Those celebrities probably have to deal with this kind of hassle every time they go outside their houses, huh?¡¯


    He put aside that useless thought and started moving wherever his feet took him.


    So far, he couldn¡¯t find anything significant.


    Though he spent two whole hours every day, exploring every nook and cranny, the only thing he could discover in the busy neighborhoods were hidden spaces and less crowded places.


    From dark alleys with studio apartments in it and parks with barely any people frequenting it, to abandoned underground parking lots and tall buildings.


    In total, he found three large buildings at the intersection in front of the university that had been under legal hold for a while. There was also a commercial building that had all of its stores closed down, ready for demolition.


    ¡°This should do for today.¡±


    He meticulously searched through the entirety of Sinchon and Hongdae, as if he was a member of the crime prevention team, but he couldn¡¯t even find anything that seemed remotely suspicious.


    This result made him feel a rather complex emotion; a mix of relief and uneasiness.


    His relief came from knowing that he didn¡¯t have to risk his own life to fight for a complete stranger.


    While his unease came from the suspicion about the method he had been using; He didn¡¯t know whether it was the right method or not.


    As he felt those two feelings mixed together and getting stronger by the second.


    He found a bench nearby and sat down.


    His mind drifted back when he first returned to the modern world. Thanks to him living in Gehenna for a while, he developed an illness that made him feel like he would die if he didn¡¯t drink cola. As a result, he started chugging five liters of cola every day instead of water.


    Using his hand, he flicked the collar of his shirt, which had become heavy with sweat and placed a cigarette in his mouth.


    In front of him lay the vibrant and lively scenery of the modern world¡¯s nightlife.


    There were office workers who had just finished their overtime as they rushed into the last train, as well as college girls who had just finished their studies for the upcoming exams heading towards their apartments.


    ¡°I wonder how the twins are doing?¡±


    He felt a little disappointed over the fact that he couldn¡¯t spend enough time with them due to the Countess¡¯ restrictions.


    Having been living in this world for about four months, if he wanted to meet with them again, he had to spend more than four years living like this.


    His first impression of them was that they were unruly troublemakers, but he had grown fond of them.


    They had a nice demeanor in general, but what stood out the most for him was their cheekiness.


    In any case, those two were among the handful of people he became close to.


    He had already prepared a long list of great restaurants to take them to once they officially inherited their brands and left Gehenna to have some fun.


    Plenty of the restaurants in that list were dessert shops that those two would definitely come to love.


    While thinking as such, he found his current situation ironic.


    In the past, he used to imagine himself in this current situation, sitting while gazing at Seoul¡¯s cityscape. But now that he was here, he longed for the connections he made in Gehenna.


    ¡°Again...¡±


    Many thoughts came to his mind when he tried to recall his life in Gehenna.


    First, there was Yebin, the woman he had a fiery and intense sexual interaction with. Before he returned to the modern world, she was the one who served him with her seductive body.


    Now that he thought about it, she was a wonderful woman.


    Her dream of establishing a clinic for the citizens of Gehenna was quite something.


    ¡®It really isn¡¯t something you¡¯d expect from a witch.¡¯


    He always had a feeling there might be a Homunculus lurking there, that was why he had gone there a few times prior to this.


    And that suspicion seemed to be proven right as he spotted a sinister black shadow climbing the building¡¯s outer wall, as if trying to go towards the rooftop.


    Without delay, he jumped up from where he was standing.


    ¡®I found you!¡¯


    With many onlookers nearby, he opted not to use magic and sprinted as fast as possible toward the old building instead.


    He went through the gaps between the containers set up at the entrance and made his way through the emergency staircase.


    From there onwards, he didn¡¯t need to concern himself with onlookers anymore.


    Using the Water Lizard Stride, he jumped up to the rooftop.


    As he got closer, he noticed a semi-transparent barrier and entered it. Inside, the bustling city noise that came through the open staircase windows had disappeared.


    The barrier was the Interdimensional Barrier that was naturally created by a Homunculus.


    ¡°Bloom.¡±


    When he chanted his spell, an armor made of shadow began to form from his back, enveloping his entire body like a snake coiling around.


    This time, the process felt much smoother compared to his previous tries.


    Using his gauntlet, he gripped the rooftop handle.


    The door appeared to be locked, but it wasn¡¯t a concern to him since it was easy for him to rip it open.


    As long as he borrowed some power from the armor, he could tear it apart like cardboard.


    Though, there was one thing that he needed to consider before storming to where the Homunculus was.


    Whether it had enough power to fight him and cause him harm or not.


    While he decided to take on the role of a guardian to protect the innocent... He still didn¡¯t know what he would do if his life were actually threatened...


    -Clank!


    ¡°Whatever, if things get dangerous I can always escape.¡±


    In the end, he decided to open the locked door.


    Accompanied by the sound of lock breaking, the door was opened.


    What greeted him was the average rooftop you could see all over the city.


    Save for one thing; A circular barrier surrounding it.


    The source of the barrier was none other than a Homunculus, which was causing quite a ruckus on the rooftop.


    ¡°Grr...¡±


    It was growling while licking its body like a puppy holding an urge to shit. Siwoo¡¯s impression when seeing it for the first time was; He found its appearance familiar.


    Yes, he had seen it before. It looked the same to the one he encountered during his night stroll.


    A monster that looked like an enormous hunting dog.


    Covering its body was something akin to tar.


    ¡®I killed it last time, right?¡¯


    He had seen it die and disappear with his own eyes, leaving only a crystal.


    What he knew was that each Homunculus had a unique appearance, but maybe that wasn¡¯t the case at all.


    Despite his confusion, he still gripped his weapon tightly.


    Like last time, he was donned in the same full-body armor, helmet, shield and longsword.


    Since the opponent seemed to be similar to the one he encountered before, he didn¡¯t feel the need to run away.


    That meant, he¡¯d face it properly.


    Slowly and carefully, he approached the Homunculus.


    But even after a while, it wasn¡¯t charging at him. Instead, it ignored him and kept on licking its own body.


    When they were about five meters about, he finally noticed something.


    On its side, there was a big cut.


    Through that cut, tar-like liquid was flowing out, making the ground sticky.


    Even when Siwoo got closer to it, it only growled without doing anything else, as if it was already half-dead.


    Of course, seeing this didn¡¯t invoke any sympathy from him whatsoever.


    Instead, he grew worried, wondering if this was some kind of trap.


    At that moment, a loud voice came from behind.


    ¡°Hey! I don¡¯t know where the hell did you come from, but that thing is mine!¡±


    It was a high-pitched, annoyed-sounding female voice.

 Chapter 146: Debt-Ridden Witch (1)

    ? Debt-Ridden Witch (1) ?


    1.


    ¡°Hey! I don¡¯t know where the hell did you come from, but that thing is mine!¡±


    Siwoo was standing in confusion watching the dying Homunculus he barely even touched when a high-pitched, annoyed-sounding voice came from behind his back.


    He turned around to see the owner of the voice.


    The place was still enclosed by the Interdimensional Barrier.


    Since that was the case, it was safe to assume that the voice belonged to a witch.


    When he turned his head, he saw a woman standing there, dressed exactly like he had imagined.


    On the rooftop, fences were installed on its edges to prevent people from attempting to off themselves. The aforementioned woman was standing on that very fence, carefully balancing herself so that she wouldn¡¯t fall to the beautiful city behind her.


    Seeing raindrops falling on her pointed hat, coupled with how she dressed exactly like how a witch in Europe would dress, made the spectacle look quite impressive.N??v€l-B1n was the first platform to present this chapter.


    At the end of her wand, decorated with flowers, there was a shining green sapphire glowing with mana.


    She also draped a robe over her shoulders and wore a black skirt that covered some parts of her thighs.


    Overall, the outfit she wore wouldn¡¯t look out of place in Gehenna, except for her boots, those pairs were different from what Siwoo used to see.


    Either it was because she wanted a better mobility or she wanted to add a touch of style to her outfit, she wore knee-high boots instead of heels.


    It felt slightly out of place, but it suited her quite well as it gave her an air of confidence.


    But still, encountering a witch on top of a building near Sinchon Station...


    If this was Gehenna, seeing someone dressed like this wouldn¡¯t be a big deal, but here, it felt like he was stumbling at a cosplay photoshoot or something similar to that.


    Then again, he didn¡¯t really have any right to say anything about that, considering he was still dressed in full-body armor...


    ¡°Whoops!¡±


    Suddenly, the witch jumped off the fence and stepped in a puddle. At that moment, she furrowed her brows.


    It seemed like some water had gotten into her boots.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see the scar on its side? Do you think it came out of nowhere? Now, will you kindly fuck off or stay here and fight me?¡±


    The witch, with a voice filled with hostility, pointed her wand at Siwoo and sneered.


    He had been unable to see her face clearly due to the shadow cast by her hat, but when he was able to, he was taken by surprise.


    For some reason, she looked strangely familiar to him.


    Her hair was a mix of deep green and teal.


    Just by seeing that, he could already make a guess who she actually was.


    The beautiful part-timers who worked at the cash register at the convenience store on the first floor of the officetel he lived in.


    ¡®It really is a small world.¡¯


    Thinking back on how carefree he was when he was in her presence, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little scared.


    But, who could blame him? No one would expect this kind of development.


    Who would have thought that a witch would work as a part-timer in a random ass convenience store?


    If she were the owner of the store, now that would make a lot more sense.


    ¡°What? Move out of the way!¡±


    The witch waved her wand at him, who was still frozen in shock, as if she was shooing away a pesky bug.


    So, he quickly took a step back.


    But, he was still holding on to his weapons.


    After all, this was the first time he met a witch in the modern world.


    He had heard more than enough times about how bad it would be if a witch found out that a ¡®male¡¯ like him was able to wield magic.


    She could suddenly attack him without warning, claiming that she was doing it for the sake of research.


    ¡°Please... Something good, please...¡±


    But, contrary to his expectations, the witch was acting rather oddly. She walked right past him and squatted down as if she was a punk from the neighborhood, which was a little inappropriate considering the dress she wore. Then, she delivered the last blow to the Homunculus and dug through its body.


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    ¡®Wait... Her reaction is... Normal... Kind of?¡¯


    Even the twins and Sophia were surprised when they saw him using his magic for the first time.


    But, this witch didn¡¯t seem to care about these things.


    ¡®Oh, wait...¡¯


    ¡°So, there¡¯s this thing called blockchain¡ª huh?¡±


    The witch, who had been talking all this time, suddenly stopped in her tracks.


    In front of Siwoo¡¯s partially covered eyes, he saw a pair of trembling mint-colored eyes.


    This was the first time he had ever seen that kind of eye color.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the guy who comes to buy cigarettes every day? But this... is magic, no? What? But, you¡¯re a male...?¡±


    The confused witch took a step back and Siwoo did the exact same thing as her.


    His main main priorities were ensuring his safety through conversation, finding a way to escape and getting ready to fight if needed.


    To achieve all that, first he took off his shadow gauntlet to show off the ring that was given to him by Countess Gemini.


    Given by Albireo, the ring ensured his status as a guest of the Gemini Household.


    ¡°I come from the Gemini¡ª¡±


    ¡°W-Wait!¡±


    And the following development went as he had anticipated.


    The moment she saw the ring, her face turned pale.


    ¡°I-I can get the money soon... I-I wasn¡¯t trying to deceive you! I-If you can just wait for one... N-No, two weeks¡ª!¡±


    Her confidence from moments ago vanished, and she became flustered and desperate.


    ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯


    He looked at the witch with a bewildered expression.


    For some reason, the witch, who had appeared elegant until now, looked rather pitiful.


    2.


    ¡°So you didn¡¯t come here to collect money. I really thought that you were another servant sent by the Countess to do just that...¡±


    ¡°Ah no, that isn¡¯t the case.¡±


    ¡°Phew... I was so scared...¡±


    The witch introduced herself as Sharon Evergreen.


    She had changed from her wet witch dress to a casual outfit of jeans and short-sleeved shirt. They were having a quick chat at the last train stop.


    To summarize, Sharon wasn¡¯t a ¡®Dangerous Exile¡¯ like Siwoo had initially thought.


    In fact, she was a witch Siwoo had heard of before.


    There was an incident called the ¡®Sprout Rebellion¡¯ back in Gehenna, a major incident that transformed Cloud Mushroom Village, a village in Border Town, into an oak tree forest.


    It was caused by an experiment going out of control, causing acorns lying on the ground to grow rapidly, leading to the destruction of nearby workshops and homes.


    When he first heard about that incident, he even thought, ¡®Such a clumsy witch like that exists...?¡¯


    Even so, he never could have imagined that he¡¯d actually meet with the person responsible for the incident.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re trying to get your citizenship back by paying off your debt?¡±


    And this was why he concluded that Sharon wasn¡¯t a dangerous witch.


    To the witches in Gehenna, citizenship was pretty much their IDs.


    Those witches wouldn¡¯t overstep certain limits to avoid getting exiled from the city. Since Sharon was working to get hers back, Siwoo was certain that this was the case with her as well.


    Not to mention that he had another layer of security, the Countess Gemini, whose influence extended to the Tree of Sephiroth itself.


    ¡°Yes...¡±


    There was also the fact that the reason for her exile wasn¡¯t because she was doing forbidden magical experiments or killing civilians.


    ¡°How much are we talking about?¡±


    ¡°...In Korean won, it should be around... 58 billion 88.42 million won...¡±


    ¡®The fuck? That many?!¡¯


    ¡°Wait, are you telling me destroying a few houses got you that much debt?¡±


    It would be one thing if it was Tarot Town, but the incident happened in Border Town, where the value of the properties weren¡¯t particularly high.


    ¡®Yes, she destroyed an entire block, but there¡¯s no way it cost that much.¡¯


    ¡®Maybe she got scammed?¡¯


    ¡°Most of it came from the witches suing me for destroying their research materials... You know what? Let¡¯s just stop talking about this... It¡¯s just making me depressed...¡±


    Her shoulders slumped as she spoke, as if she was shouldering the weight of the world.


    At this point, the heavy rain that had covered the night sky had finally stopped.


    In front of them, the night sky glistened with pure clarity.

 Chapter 147: Debt-Ridden Witch (2)

    ? Debt-Ridden Witch (2) ?


    1.


    Even in the normally lively center of Sinchon, the streets would grow deserted after 2 a.m. on a weekday night.


    Thanks to the short rain shower, puddles decorated the cold night street.


    As he walked on that very same street, Siwoo hopped over, trying to avoid the puddle in front of him.


    ¡°Tell me your story too.¡±


    His and the witch¡¯s conversation began with them telling each other about their stories. With just a brief mention of how Siwoo ended up in Gehenna, and how he was able to use magic, their conversation naturally expanded.


    He began his story when his life in the modern world was suddenly turned upside down after he was brought to Gehenna.


    Forced to be a slave, he tried to research how to use magic so he could escape.


    At one point, he managed to rescue the Gemini¡¯s apprentice witches.


    But, as a result, he got injured. He recovered after a long time, though, and managed to gain a brand.


    Eventually, he returned to the modern world and started to live here again, thanks to the hospitality of Countess Gemini.


    While he was sharing his experience, he made sure to emphasize how grateful the Countess was to him and how close he was to their apprentice witches.


    He believed that mentioning those two points would make her more reluctant to do him harm, and also elevate his social status a little.


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s how it happened.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    However, Sharon¡¯s reaction was almost dismissive.


    He wasn¡¯t expecting exaggerated reactions like, ¡®Wow, you were a slave, but you researched self-essence magic?!¡¯ or ¡®You¡¯re a crazy genius!¡¯ or ¡®A man with a brand? You¡¯ll be a high valued research subject!¡¯ to come out of her mouth.


    Especially the last one, which he¡¯d rather not hear from anyone.


    But, her reaction was the equivalent of someone hearing news about the shipping disruption in the Suez Canal, a big event that resulted in a logistical halt around the Mediterranean, yet they brushed it off as if it was a random occurrence.


    It made Siwoo wonder if he had been overly conscious about this matter due to his limited knowledge of the modern world.


    ¡°You¡¯re not as surprised as I expected.¡±N??v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    ¡°Surprised?¡±


    Sharon turned her head toward Siwoo, her eyes widened.


    At that moment, her beautiful hair fluttered, releasing a fresh fragrance.


    Once again he realized how beautiful witches were.


    With the neon lights of the 24-hour sticker photo booth illuminating her from behind, she looked like a magazine model.


    ¡°You know, I expected a stronger reaction...¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s surprising, but do you want to hear something even more surprising? I paid back 1.3 billion won over ten years, but the principal was reduced by 120 million won!¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    ¡°But do you know what is even more surprising than that? At this rate, it would take me more than three millennia to pay back the entire debt along with the interests! What do you think? Mind blowing, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Now, he understood where she came from.


    The pursuit of magic, dreams and passions was only feasible when one was able to enjoy a life of comfort and luxury.


    Sharon didn¡¯t mention 580 billion won randomly. She was truly desperate to repay that debt, and he was literally just another guy in her life.


    He was too accustomed to the witches he knew in Gehenna; The wealthy ones who never had to worry about money, thus skewing his perspective about witches in general, thinking that all of them didn¡¯t care about money.


    Now, he realized that he was generalizing them too much.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that...¡±


    ¡°Why are you¡ª Well, if you¡¯re truly sorry, treat me to a meal, then.¡±


    ¡°A meal?¡±


    ¡°That, or buy me something to drink.¡±


    That was something he could do, at least.


    It felt like it had been a long time since he last engaged in such a lengthy conversation with someone.


    Who would have thought that he, someone who escaped Gehenna to the modern world because he hated the place, would end up forming a connection with a witch who desperately wanted to go back to Gehenna.


    A good old irony.


    There was a 24-hour McDonald¡¯s in the neighborhood, so he bought one of each plum and pear chiller from the place.


    The witch didn¡¯t seem like a bad person and because it was a rare opportunity for him to talk with someone, he decided to prolong her conversation with her.


    And while he was at it, he might try to ask her for some tips about the modern world. If possible, he also planned to ask for her advice to get him out of his rut. Either way, he had to treat her well.


    ¡°Thank you for the drink.¡±


    Sharon, who received the chiller from him, let out a grin.


    He still found it fascinating how his impression on someone could change after seeing them changing their expression.


    Who would have thought that Sharon, who always appeared tired on clock, would have such a personality?


    She was way way more courageous and spirited than he had ever expected.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll pay for it. As an exchange, could you tell me more about how things work here?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s daily consumption of crustaceans averaged about three king crabs per day.


    Considering how he had eaten thirty of them at once yesterday, it was no surprise that the store owner recognized him.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Oh my! You came today too, Kid!¡±


    When the store owner saw him enter through the door, he ditched the TV they¡¯d been watching and hurried over to his side.


    ¡°How many should I pack for you today?¡±


    ¡°Ten of the largest ones. Can I eat here?¡±


    ¡°Now, I don¡¯t know about that... We don¡¯t usually let the customers eat here after midnight...¡±


    ¡°...My place!¡±


    As soon as the owner¡¯s disapproving words came out, Sharon shouted loudly, trying to join the conversation.


    ¡°You can pack them... And we can eat them at my place...¡±


    Her cheeks turned as red as cherries, probably out of embarrassment due to her sudden outburst.


    The owner and Siwoo exchanged glances with each other.


    ¡°Oho~ I thought your girlfriend is a foreigner, but it turns out she speaks Korean well. Got it! Just wait for a bit, I¡¯ll pack them up for you in a jiffy!¡±


    ¡°Huh? O-Okay...¡±


    The bald man, thinking that he grasped the situation, gave Siwoo a thumbs up and whispered a few words to Siwoo before heading straight to fetch the crabs from the tank. All were done without Sharon able to notice it.


    ¡°Good luck, Kid!¡±


    Hearing his words, Siwoo realized that the man had misunderstood something.


    But, he decided that he didn¡¯t need to correct it, so he kept his mouth shut.


    Before long, he found himself holding bags filled with King Crabs in both hands.


    With each step he took, the bag swayed, releasing the fragrant aroma of the crabs.


    Beside him, Sharon was walking at a surprisingly fast pace.


    Just a while ago, she was still walking normally, but at the moment, it was as if she was participating in a race.


    Her long hair, extending down to her hips, swayed like a dog¡¯s tail.


    It seemed like she really loved those crabs.


    ¡®But, how long do we have to walk?¡¯


    They had been walking for more than twenty minutes, but it didn¡¯t seem that she¡¯d be stopping anytime soon.


    The village of studio apartments in Sinchon was divided into three areas. First, the fancy area near the station where Siwoo lived.


    Second, the steep clusters of studio apartments that were located on the hills between Myeongmul Street and Ewha Womans University.


    And the third, the downtown studio apartment complex, the place where the two of them were currently strolling through.


    After walking for a while, Sharon finally stopped at a place; A residential-commercial building, where a pub called ¡®?? Food Cart¡¯ was located on its first floor.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little far, but we¡¯re here.¡±


    After climbing up the first, second, third, fourth and fifth floor, they finally reached the rooftop. A room was installed there.


    ¡°Welcome! Please come in.¡±


    ¡°...Then, please excuse me.¡±


    Even on the first floor, the building looked old and weathered, so Siwoo didn¡¯t have any expectations that she¡¯d be living in a great place.


    But, as he entered her place, he realized that he was still underestimating how bad it was. The place was far from the ideal rooftop room one might hope for. Hell, any hope one might have would be crushed the moment they saw this place.


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s a little messy here.¡±


    The ¡®messiness¡¯ she mentioned wasn¡¯t even a problem.


    Rather, the room itself was one. A huge one, to be exact.


    To begin with, the room was small, even for a rooftop room; only about 6 pyeong1Around 19.83 square meter..


    Not only that, there was a pillar right in the middle of the room, further reducing the already limited living space.


    The bed was covered with clothes that were thrown haphazardly, as if she had been using it as a wardrobe. All over the walls were faded, yellowed old wallpapers that seemed to have been plastered there for a decade.


    Not only that, there was also a sink and a gas stove sticking out from one of the walls...


    Siwoo had heard about her substantial debt, but witnessing the state of her room made him truly understand the gravity of her situation...


    At that moment, all his worries and doubts about her disappeared.


    As he stood there in shock, he heard a gulping sound coming from behind him.


    ¡°Hey, when are we going to eat the crabs? I already set up the table.¡±


    When he turned around, he saw Sharon, already setting up the table with plates, acting as if she had been waiting for them to dig in.


    Footnotes:


    1Around 19.83 square meter.

 Chapter 148: Debt-Ridden Witch (3)

    ? Debt-Ridden Witch (3) ?


    1.


    The small desk was crammed full just by placing two King Crabs on it.


    Their rich and savory aroma, with their shells and carapace cut for easy meat picking, was enough to fill up the cramped room.


    ¡°T-This taste! A-Amazing¡ª!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t eat your share, you can take your time.¡±


    ¡°Mmm!¡±


    With a fork in one hand and a crab leg in the other, Sharon enthusiastically scraped the crab meat.


    Despite her trying to maintain a composed appearance, her eating pace betrayed herself spectacularly. She looked so eager to eat, as if trying to gulp everything down in one bite.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had something like this in ages...¡±


    Bits of the crab meat were still dangling on her lips, but that didn¡¯t bother her.


    Siwoo didn¡¯t have the heart to point it out either. Seeing her like this reminded him of the time when he first returned to Gehenna, after all.


    Her puffy cheeks, sparkling eyes and curling lips made her look cute though.


    ¡°What do you usually eat?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Just leftovers, usually.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Her answer was a little surprising.


    Many witches considered sleeping unnecessary, so they wouldn¡¯t go out of their way to sleep.


    But, he had never seen any of them who¡¯d willingly skip meals. Though, they wouldn¡¯t go as far as eating scraps just so that they could eat.


    Eating was considered as one of the witches¡¯ greatest pleasures, despite them not needing the nutrition they could get from their food.


    Yet the witch in front of him casually admitted that she ate scraps just to get by...


    At that moment, he realized that she didn¡¯t even own a fridge.


    ¡®How difficult must her life have been?¡¯


    ¡°I set a special day when I could eat normal food, but I often skip it.¡±


    As she kept on eating, savoring every bite that entered her mouth, her face beamed. She even started to share things with Siwoo without being asked.


    And so, he found out that she had a monthly food budget of less than 200,000 won. The rest of her money was used to pay off her debts.


    ¡°Do you know the store near the history museum? The nuggets they sell are really good! I¡¯ll treat you there as a thank you next time, okay?¡±


    Siwoo was no stranger to nuggets as he had literally indulged in them during his previous visits to various restaurants.


    What she was referring to was a well-known chicken nugget store that was even featured on TV. The prices ranged from 3,000 won for small portions, 6,000 won for medium ones and 10,000 won for large servings.


    They also held a weekly special for less than 10,000 won...N??v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    Feeling disheartened after all the shocking reveals, Siwoo quietly set down the crab leg he was holding.


    ¡®Should I treat her to a bunch of food?¡¯


    That question suddenly popped into mind.


    He remembered that she mentioned something similar during their first encounter on the rooftop.


    ¡°By the way, do you make money by hunting those Homunculi?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Ah, yes.¡±


    ¡°How? Does it have something to do with the Witch Point thing that you mentioned before?¡±


    Siwoo still couldn¡¯t wrap his head around it.


    He knew that Homunculus could drop part of the Witch of Creation¡¯s legacies.


    However, she didn¡¯t seem to find anything through the last one¡¯s corpse except for a single crystal.


    In his eyes, that crystal was no different from a glass bead.


    ¡°Oh, right. You did say that you don¡¯t know anything about it, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Sharon put down the crab she was eating and wiped her mouth with a tissue.


    Then, she started to explain.


    ¡°There are two main ways to make money by hunting the Homunculi. You probably have already guessed one of them. Getting and selling the valuables left by the Witch of Creation. It¡¯s an easy and fast way to make a lot of money and I¡¯m also aiming for that.¡±


    ¡°Yes. What about the other way?¡±


    ¡°The other way is... Just hand these crystals over to the Witch Point.¡±


    Sharon took out the crystal she had kept in her pocket and showed it to Siwoo.


    ¡°You could tell the Homunculus¡¯ strength by the amount of mana it had while it was alive. This crystal is its core, its heart, the thing that gives it life and allows it to move.¡±


    ¡°This S?ari?ra1A little bit hard to explain. In Buddhism, this is a relic. Generally, it¡¯s in the form of jewels or crystals that are left behind by a person after a cremation.-like thing?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s similar to those, isn¡¯t it? Anyway, the Witch Point branch in Gwanghwamun weighs it and charges 10,000 won for every 0.1g of it. This one in particular would probably sell at around 1.3 million won.¡±


    ¡°Do they have magical properties or something?¡±


    When he examined the bead-like thing, he couldn¡¯t see through anything. Hell, he couldn¡¯t even tell what material it was made of.


    Not only that it looked plain and without a charm, it also didn¡¯t seem capable of storing mana.


    ¡°It does have some, but it¡¯s mostly useless. There are more affordable and better materials than it, such as glass, quartz of actual crystals.¡±


    In this way, those two groups, who originally had no business with each other, managed to form a peculiar symbiotic relationship in the modern world.


    ¡°Then, why do you even work as a part-timer? Why can¡¯t you just focus on hunting those Homunculi?¡±


    She could earn around 1.3 million won for a single Homunculus. That was roughly equal to 144 hours of payment if he were to compare it to the minimum wage.


    ¡°You idiot, I need to replenish my mana at some point! Also, it isn¡¯t like those guys would just show up everywhere like a random encounter in RPGs! I still need a steady income!¡±


    ¡°Makes sense...¡±


    Even the reason for that was pitiable,


    ¡°Anyway, we had a really good meal today! Since your place and my workplace are close, if you ever have any questions, feel free to come and ask! You can come and hang out if you¡¯re bored too!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡±


    Since it was getting late, he slowly got up to leave.


    Sharon had also finished cleaning up and stood up.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to see me off.¡±


    ¡°No, I also have things to do outside.¡±


    Saying that, she opened her wardrobe and took out a thick stack of flyers.


    Siwoo¡¯s mouth was agape for a moment, unable to express his complex emotions.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing that too?¡±


    ¡°I mean, witches don¡¯t need sleep anyway, right? Besides, they said that if I carefully pasted them everywhere, I could earn 100 won for each of them. It¡¯s another way to make some pocket money.¡±


    Siwoo set off into the night with Sharon again, this time, she was wearing a snapback cap and sneakers.


    Once again, he realized how amazing of a person she was.


    Normal people would get discouraged and end up giving up on everything if they were riddled with that much debt.


    Her state was so dire to the point that Siwoo wouldn¡¯t dare to criticize her if she were to use magic to earn more money.


    But, she didn¡¯t do that. She was so determined to earn money without resorting to dirty methods.


    Seeing the determined and hardworking female matriarch, Siwoo couldn¡¯t help but feel a jitter in his heart.


    ¡°While I¡¯m posting these flyers, I can also look for the Homunculi and hunt them if I actually find them. It¡¯s practically killing two birds with one stone!¡±


    ¡°You are so optimistic.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told that many times.¡±


    Sharon grinned as she tore off the tape in her hand and stuck one of the flyers on the wall.


    Siwoo knew what he was about to say was rude, but he couldn¡¯t stop himself from saying it anymore.


    He had felt the urge ever since he went out to smoke.


    ¡°Can I help you with something?¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to, this is something I need to do on my own.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about the flyers... Can I help you repay your debt?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any good ideas to make more money?¡±


    She perked up her ears in curiosity, ready to listen to what he was about to say.


    If Siwoo were to bother looking it up, he should be able to find various ways to make money, but the same couldn¡¯t be said for Sharon.


    The thing was that he didn¡¯t need to do that as he had received a large amount of money from Countess Gemini.


    In truth, he was still unsure if it was morally right for him to give that money to Sharon. After all, unlike her, he didn¡¯t get his money through hard work.


    ¡°No, but... I do have plenty of spare money... I can help you pay off the interest¡ª¡±


    He quickly realized that his offer was inappropriate.


    Sharon¡¯s happy face suddenly stiffened.


    She clutched the bundle of flyers and gave him a very unpleasant look.


    Her lips trembled, but she ultimately didn¡¯t say anything.


    Siwoo immediately regretted saying such thoughtless words.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to make you angry...¡±


    ¡°Yes. I am angry. Very much so. Don¡¯t you ever ask something like that again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry...¡±


    From his perspective, he was doing something good; He just wanted to help her, after all. But, he didn¡¯t take the other person¡¯s perspective into consideration.


    To her, it probably felt like he was pitying her, thus hurting her pride and making her angry.


    This was completely his fault for making such a hasty proposal.


    However, Sharon didn¡¯t give him the tongue-lashing he expected.


    Instead, she patted his shoulders and spoke calmly to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, everyone makes mistakes. Anyway, I have to go now, see you next time.¡±


    She easily forgave his rudeness as she waved her hand and disappeared into the alley to put up more flyers.


    ¡°Haa...¡±


    As he watched her receding figure, a pang of regret appeared in his heart.


    Footnotes:


    1A little bit hard to explain. In Buddhism, this is a relic. Generally, it¡¯s in the form of jewels or crystals that are left behind by a person after a cremation.

 Chapter 149: Debt-Ridden Witch (4)

    ? Debt-Ridden Witch (4) ?


    1.


    Sharon vividly remembered the last day she spent peacefully in Gehenna.


    Evergreen¡¯s self-essence magic was a unique type of magic that encompassed the five elements of Tattva1According to the tradition of yoga, the whole creation consists of and is governed by five elements ¨C earth (prithvi), water (apas), fire (agni), air (vayu) ¦Ê¦Á¦É aether (akasha). Each element is the manifestation of primal cosmic energy (Shakti)..


    On that particular day, she was doing research involving a magical formula using elemental magic circles to accelerate the growth of her imperfect brand.


    It was important research for her as the brand she inherited was incomplete. This was the last task she needed to undergo to prove herself and reach the 20th rank like her master.


    ¡°Phew... That should be enough.¡±


    Over the course of several days, she had been sprinkling salt and purified water on the ground, attempting to firm it up.


    This process continued until five minutes before midnight, when the mana in the air reached its peak.


    After months of meticulous effort, the offerings she had collected were now perfect.


    With a tense expression, Sharon tightly held onto her wand, looking down at the magic circle she had set up.


    Its shape resembled a diamond with its corners pointing in four directions. To draw it, she used a mixture of her own blood and saliva.


    At each corner, circular altars were formed to hold the aforementioned offerings.


    While magic was fundamentally a study of computations and formulas, symbols and rituals were also part of it.


    It was especially the case for the Evergreen¡¯s elemental magic, as it placed a significant emphasis on rituals and sacrifices due to its old-fashioned nature. The importance of offerings specifically, was very high.


    The outcome of the rituals she would be holding depended not only on the precise calculations of the magic formula but also on the offerings she presented.


    And so, she made a final inspection on the offerings she had arranged on the altar.


    At a glance, they might seem randomly placed, but each of them were placed in the most optimal location which, at the same time, carried the deepest symbolic meaning.


    ¡°Alright, shall we have a look?¡±


    On the eastern altar of the diamond-shaped magic circle was Apas (water).


    This element decided the ritual¡¯s flow and order.


    She placed a precious lapis lazuli that she purchased at an expensive price from the Red Roof Salon and high quality clean corals as offerings.


    On the western altar of the diamond-shaped magic circle was Agni (fire).


    This element served as a bridge to connect the different parts of the ritual and to carry mana from one place to another.


    She placed topaz, otherwise known as the stone of fire, and black gunpowder made of charcoal and sulfur as offerings.


    On the southern altar was Prithvi (earth).


    It served as the balance and foundation for the ritual.


    Here, she served a handful of soil mixed with wheat grains, as well as small jade stones in the size of rice as offerings.


    And on the northern altar, there was Vayu (wind).


    It brought changes and helped her manifest the desired outcomes during the ritual.


    On this altar, there was a white mane from a young female horse that had never mated before, as well as a crystal that had been exposed to moonlight and wind for a long time.


    With those altars and offerings set up, the preparation for the ritual was completed.


    Sharon couldn¡¯t imagine a more perfect magic circle than the one she had set up.


    ¡°It¡¯ll all be okay... Stay calm... I can do this...¡±


    As she glanced at the clock, she saw there were only two minutes left until midnight.


    The ritual was scheduled to begin when midnight had arrived.


    Part of her mind, the rational part, to be exact, acknowledged that she needed to study more before attempting it.


    But, another part of her mind couldn¡¯t accept the fact that she couldn¡¯t fully manifest the brand she had inherited from her predecessor.


    And in order to correct that imperfection, she believed that she had to take certain risks.


    For the central altar of the diamond-shaped magic circle, the element Akasha (space), would be placed there.


    It was the space where all the rituals and manifestations would occur.


    Sharon stepped into the altar.


    The offering for this particular altar was herself. It would allow her to ultimately be reborn.


    She didn¡¯t believe in God.


    But, under the calm night sky, where there wasn¡¯t even any trace of the wind...


    Sharon offered a prayer for the first time in her life. But even she herself didn¡¯t know who she was praying to.


    ¡°Once this is over... I will...¡±


    She was determined to prove herself, so that the words ¡®premature baby¡¯ wouldn¡¯t be thrown at her anymore.


    So that she wouldn¡¯t hear any mocking remarks anymore.


    After this, she¡¯d be reborn as a complete witch, someone who had perfectly inherited her brand.


    ¡®Finally, it¡¯s time.¡¯


    ¡°My fried chicken... My tteokbokki... My kimbap... Sundae... Give them back...¡±


    The dream of the delicious food she wanted to enjoy became blurry before completely disappearing into the sky.


    As she sighed at the empty cash register, she realized that it was almost time for her shift to be over.


    ¡°Guess he won¡¯t be buying any cigarettes today...¡±


    The person she was thinking about was Siwoo.


    Her shift went from 6 pm to midnight.


    Perhaps it was a coincidence or a play of fate, but he always came to the store when she was on the clock.


    They had only found out about each other yesterday, but she had been aware of him for a while.


    His good looks aside, it was hard to forget a remarkable customer who wore an eyepatch and came to buy cigarettes and cola every single day.


    Based on their conversation yesterday, she surmised that he was just as unlucky as herself.


    The fact that he turned out to be a witch had actually shocked her, but what caught her off guard even more was the fact that he was able to hunt the Homunculi with his magic.


    Not to mention that he didn¡¯t do it solely because of his self-interest, but he was also doing it to help others.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know him that well, but he bought me King Crabs, so he must be a good guy~¡¯


    However, his words during their parting, where he offered to take care of her debts...


    They were too far.


    While she was in a huge debt, she still took pride in her identity as a witch, and she still had a sense of dignity.


    She didn¡¯t want to be in a one-sided relationship where she¡¯d receive his help without giving him anything in return.


    ¡°I told him he shouldn¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    But, she knew that he didn¡¯t say it with any ill intentions. He also immediately apologized afterwards, so she didn¡¯t hold it against him.


    Also, he didn¡¯t seem to be the type to meddle in other people¡¯s affairs.


    She had to admit that she felt a little perplexed by his somber demeanor and kind-heartedness though, as it contradicted her expectations a little.


    ¡°Did I overreact yesterday?¡±


    After ending her shift and passing it over to her colleague, she stepped out of the convenience store. There, she noticed a familiar face, smoking in the nearby alley.


    With a smile on her face, she quickly made her way toward him.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    She lightly tapped his shoulder, calling out to him, which surprised him.


    Seeing how awkward he was even compared to their first meeting, she realized that he was still bothered by what had happened yesterday.


    ¡°Ms. Sharon...¡±


    ¡°Just call me Sharon. Don¡¯t be so stiff with me~¡±


    ¡°Um...¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, are we not partners walking the path of magic together? Loosen up~¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡±


    ¡°Oh, are you being polite because I¡¯m older than you?¡±


    ¡°N-No, it¡¯s not that...¡±


    Seeing him all flustered like this after she teased him a little, she found him to be quite cute.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, just loosen up then~¡±


    ¡°...Fine.¡±


    Sharon let out a smirk as she watched him scratching his head, sensing that he still felt a little awkward even after seeing her acting like usual.


    ¡®He¡¯s either shy or a little submissive.¡¯


    ¡®Either way, it¡¯s cute.¡¯


    ¡°Anyway, I want to apologize for my thoughtless remark yesterday.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, I already said that it¡¯s okay!¡±


    ¡°Still... I feel like I should apologize... Sorry...¡±


    ¡°Jeez, what did I just say to you?¡±


    Despite her messing around, Siwoo didn¡¯t smile, and instead bowed his head to apologize, which surprised her even more.


    Since there was no need to make a big deal out of the small issue, she quickly urged him to lift his head up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think this will make up for it, but can I help you distribute the flyers today? We can also look for the Homunculi while we¡¯re at it...¡±


    Hearing his suggestion, Sharon let out a bright smile and readily nodded her head.


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Footnotes:


    1According to the tradition of yoga, the whole creation consists of and is governed by five elements ¨C earth (prithvi), water (apas), fire (agni), air (vayu) ¦Ê¦Á¦É aether (akasha). Each element is the manifestation of primal cosmic energy (Shakti).

 Chapter 150: Debt-Ridden Witch (5)

    ? Debt-Ridden Witch (5) ?


    1.


    Sharon and Siwoo strolled through the streets together at night.


    They stopped by at the witch¡¯s rooftop apartment to get a stack of flyers.


    Together, they distributed them in every corner of the alleyways.


    ¡°This spot looks good.¡±


    That was when Siwoo realized that her claim of being an expert regarding the matter of flyers distribution was correct. She carefully selected places to stick them in, leaving no spot untouched.


    And, his decision to help her went beyond a mere apology.


    While he did want to apologize and assist her, he also realized that her presence was important to him.


    Both of them were on a mission to hunt down the Homunculi; clear threats to humans.


    Those monsters didn¡¯t only cause harm, they also hunted, devoured humans and whimsically caused natural disasters.


    He didn¡¯t think of himself as a hero who could save everyone.


    But, since he was capable of saving innocent lives, he believed that he should do it


    However, as Sharon had pointed out, in their pursuit of the Homunculi, it was an inevitability that they¡¯d encounter other witches as well.


    While Sharon easily accepted Siwoo after seeing the Gemini Household¡¯s ring, not every witch would do the same.


    Therefore, having her by his side during the hunt would help in ensuring his safety.


    Additionally, since she was an official witch, she could give him advice on his magic research.


    After all, Siwoo was only good at certain parts of magic while his general magic knowledge was severely lacking.


    While it was important to be creative and inspired when one was doing magic research, it was even more important to know the basics of everything first.


    It was like building lego, one needed to have the blocks ready before creating something out of it.


    And, the final reason why her presence was important was because she was the only person whom he could consider a true friend. He had lost all of his meaningful connections in this world and he couldn¡¯t form new ones due to his fate and this world being severed.


    Before he met her, he experienced extreme loneliness and boredom due to him having no one to confide in.


    Now that he knew she would always be by his side and that she wouldn¡¯t forget him even as time passed, Siwoo felt a sense of comfort.


    That was why he wanted to genuinely help her, without any hidden motives, even putting his calculative nature aside while doing so.


    ¡°...Hmm, so you want to team up with me to hunt the Homunculi while learning magic along the way?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m kinda in a rut, you see? I can¡¯t solve it on my own...¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Sharon took a moment to consider.


    ¡°Well, I understand your feelings, but hunting the Homunculi isn¡¯t a joking matter. It¡¯s a dangerous one and you could die from it from a moment of carelessness.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you give me a chance?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know... What if I give you a chance and you end up getting hurt instead? I don¡¯t want that... But, you did say that you hunted a three-eyed one once...¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    That made her seem hesitant again, as she gently touched her lips while thinking about the situation.


    If she had intended to use him for her own gain, she wouldn¡¯t need to think so seriously about the matter.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do it. Under one condition. If I say it¡¯s dangerous, you¡¯ll have to immediately back off, okay?¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°And, in exchange for helping you study magic, I¡¯ll take all the profits from the crystals.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Siwoo had no intention of forcing his way to subdue the Homunculi that he couldn¡¯t handle.


    He also didn¡¯t want to owe anything to her, so the conditions she set up were fair and acceptable for him.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No need to thank me. It¡¯s a win-win for both of us, no?¡±


    ¡®No.¡¯


    Strictly speaking, while it seemed like a perfectly reasonable contractual relationship, upon closer inspection, one would realize that Sharon didn¡¯t gain much from it.


    She had been hunting by herself until now.


    While he could use magic, it was uncertain how much help he would be, due to his status as a beginner. She didn¡¯t inquire about his skills either.


    On top of that, she said she¡¯d take the money he earned from hunting in exchange for teaching him magic.


    Taking away her time to help him out essentially didn¡¯t give her any benefits.


    But, she still chose to be kind and considerate, using the contract as an excuse to help him adapt to the modern world.


    And so, he decided that he¡¯d express his gratitude in his own way too.


    ¡°I have a condition too. Won¡¯t it be unfair if you¡¯re the only one who has them?¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure, what is it?¡±


    ¡°After each day, I¡¯ll buy you a late-night snack.¡±


    ¡°L-Late night snack?¡±


    Sharon, who was casually putting up the flyers on a lamppost, quickly turned her head when she heard Siwoo¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°Right. Now that you said that, my heart hurts less.¡±


    Such a meaningless conversation.


    Having someone who¡¯d never forget his existence.


    Both things made him happy, to the point that he curled his lips up.


    He realized how badly he missed someone else¡¯s presence in his life.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Before he realized it, Sharon brought her face closer to his.


    But, she didn¡¯t bring it close enough to completely obstruct his vision.


    Her wide eyes were filled with curiosity.


    His impulsive thought told him to kiss her right there and then.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Her sudden action surprised him, making him unsure how to react.


    But, she ignored his reaction as she playfully poked his eyepatch.


    ¡°Can I take a look at your eyes? Just once?¡±


    ¡°...Just that?¡±


    Siwoo had no problem with that since it was a simple request.


    He then revealed his golden pupil to her.


    Prior to this, he had closely observed his left eye in the mirror, so he knew that it had a rather unique appearance.


    While the cornea and pupil didn¡¯t have any noteworthy features...


    The iris had a golden pattern that resembled extending tree branches.


    While the pattern served as his brand, unlike official witches¡¯ brand that could be used to tell their ranks, its shape was too peculiar to serve that purpose.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Sharon leaned in so close that their noses almost touched. She stared intently into his eyes.


    In curiosity, she puckered her lips and blinked her eyes.


    Siwoo saw a reflection of his slightly embarrassed expression in her eyes.


    ¡°Amazing. This is my first time seeing this kind of brand. How did it turn out like this?¡±


    Siwoo wasn¡¯t really worried about her curiosity.


    Rather, there was no time for him to worry.


    She didn¡¯t seem to be aware of it, but their faces were way too close to each other. At least, that was what Siwoo thought.


    Since they were that close, Siwoo could naturally smell her body scent just by breathing normally.


    One thing about witches that he found out was the fact that each of them emitted unique fragrances from their bodies.


    And Sharon, despite her living in such a shabby rooftop room, was no exception.


    ¡®This scent... What kind is it...?¡¯


    ¡®A mixture of tangerine and vanilla benzoin...? It¡¯s sweet...¡¯


    In any case, her scent was so good that he wanted to keep smelling it.


    Except, there was a problem.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Am I bothering you?¡±


    ¡°No... Are you finished?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve seen enough.¡±


    After smelling the scent for a few seconds, he felt a rush of both excitement and arousal.


    His pants became uncomfortably tight, even though he wasn¡¯t feeling an intense desire for sex.


    If he hadn¡¯t been wearing jeans... He might have revealed something embarrassing...


    ¡°Anyway, thanks for showing me. Let¡¯s put up the rest of these flyers!¡±


    ¡°O-Okay...¡±


    As he tried to adjust his eyepatch and returned Sharon¡¯s compass, his body froze.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°The needle... It¡¯s pointing in one direction...¡±


    The needle that had been spinning around was now pointing in a specific direction.


    As soon as she saw this, Sharon waved her arm. In the next second, her body briefly shone, similar to what happened when a magical girl was transforming.


    When the light faded, she was dressed up in her witch outfit.


    Pointed hat, wand, robe, short-hemmed dress adorned with layered frills and thigh-high boots.


    She swapped her casual clothes for them in an instant.


    Now, rather than calling her cosplaying a magical girl, she looked even more real than a magical girl.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. As your senior, I¡¯ll show you what hunting Homunculus is all about!¡±


    After saying that, both of them ran toward the direction the compass was pointing to.

 Chapter 151: Debt-Ridden Witch (6)

    ? Debt-Ridden Witch (6) ?


    1.


    ¡°Balance!¡±


    As soon as Sharon figured out the location of the Homunculus, she tightly held her wand and chanted her spell.


    The large green emerald adorning the wand¡¯s tip emitted a radiant light, sending out ripples throughout the surroundings.


    Those ripples moved, as if it was melting, replicating their surroundings before engulfing them and formed a barrier.


    Seeing a witch employing a secret barrier for the first time, Siwoo was surprised.


    Meanwhile, Sharon glanced at the compass again, quickly deciding which direction they would go.


    Then, without saying anything, she started to jump, leaping off walls and buildings like a nimble cat as she aimed for the rooftops.


    ¡°What are you standing around for? We need to hurry!¡±


    ¡®...Let¡¯s see...¡¯


    Watching her bouncing around agilely made Siwoo think, ¡®Can¡¯t I do something like that?¡¯


    But, he knew he shouldn¡¯t do strange things as he couldn¡¯t make her wait any longer.


    Almost immediately, he encased his entire body in armor. Then, he gathered mana at the tip of his toes before jumping up with all his might, landing next to the witch.


    Sharon looked at the compass before opening her mouth.


    ¡°It should be near that parking tower.¡±


    ¡°Do you really need to change your clothes like that?¡±


    Siwoo asked.


    His shadow armor provided both protection and physical ability enhancement, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case with Sharon¡¯s attire.


    ¡°Evergreen¡¯s self-essence magic is an elemental magic that manifests through rituals. Clothing is an integral part of it, so, yes, I have to change my clothes.¡±


    ¡®This is the essence of professionalism.¡¯


    Beneath her wide-brimmed witch hat, Sharon¡¯s face gleamed with grace. There was no sign of the broke beggar crying over a penny¡¯s worth of food anymore.


    Instead, she showcased the wisdom of a mature witch who had braved countless challenges of the modern world.


    In short, it made her look reliable.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the lead, so keep your guard up and follow me.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Sharon kicked her feet and used Water Lizard Stride (maybe), hopping from rooftops to utility poles in the direction of the parking tower.


    While she used her mana to enhance her physique, she had an exceptional sense of balance.


    At the same time when she was doing this, a subtle tension hung in the air.


    Siwoo wasn¡¯t quite used to battles or hunts yet.


    It wasn¡¯t anything strange. He had only been involved in a few incidents, it was a given that his experience regarding that was extremely limited.


    And so, it also wasn¡¯t strange that he became somewhat fearful and uncertain about the dangers posed by the upcoming encounter with the Homunculus.


    ¡°...I am doing this because I want to.¡±


    No one forced him to hunt those Homunculi.


    He reassured himself that it was his own decision to take action and prevent more casualties.


    ¡®I can¡¯t get cold feet and change my mind at this point, can I?¡¯


    -Swoosh!


    Suddenly, a large pair of wings, made of shadow, emerged from behind him.


    He swiftly moved through the night streets like an arrow, following Sharon behind.


    The breeze brushed against his ears. Feeling the freedom from the shackles of gravity made him feel exhilarated, like a bird slicing through the night air.


    But, that feeling was short-lived.


    Since the compass could detect spatial distortions within a 150 meter range, it meant they were about to cross paths with a Homunculus soon.


    Their destination, the parking tower, was an elevator-type one, constructed in the crowded downtown to make use of the limited parking space around the area.


    The Homunculus¡¯ appearance matched Sharon¡¯s previous description; It was suspended from the parking tower¡¯s intricate steel frames, like something typically seen in a jungle gym.


    Siwoo expected that she¡¯d start the hunt immediately.


    But, contrary to his expectations, she came to a stop and began assessing the situation instead.


    Apparently, there was something strange going on.


    ¡°What is that...?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Over there.¡±


    Siwoo shifted his gaze to the direction Sharon was pointing at.


    In that direction, stood a single Homunculus, growling while glaring their way.


    It looked exactly the same as the monster he had encountered in the city park and on the rooftop of the old building near the station.


    2.


    The spectacle Siwoo saw after the Interdimensional Barrier was lifted left him with awe.


    Sharon¡¯s strike didn¡¯t just cut through the Homunculi and the asphalt beneath them.


    It also sliced the parking tower and streetlights that stood in that direction.


    But, the cut was so clean that they managed to maintain their shape for a while.


    While the structures remained intact, if one were to give them enough weight and pressure, they¡¯d inevitably collapse, and that was what exactly happened in the next second.


    Though, with the barrier being lifted, those destroyed parts of the city were restored to its original state, giving an awe-inspiring sight as if time was being rewound.


    ¡®It¡¯s comparable to Duchess Keter¡¯s spell...¡¯


    After collecting the crystals from the Homunculi¡¯s bodies, the pair changed back into their casual clothes and headed to a nearby pub.


    ¡°...¡±


    Inside, Siwoo ordered two cold beers and some chicken.


    Meanwhile, Sharon wrested her chin on her hand while wearing a serious look. She seemed to be lost in thought, ignoring the beer on her table.


    ¡°What are you worrying about?¡±


    When Siwoo offered to come here, she didn¡¯t react as if she had won the lottery just like what she did before the hunt.


    Noticing that and her current expression, Siwoo decided to ask her.


    ¡°Huh? Ah, sorry. I was spacing out, wasn¡¯t I...?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, you said that the Homunculus you faced before we met looked exactly the same as the ones we fought earlier, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Is something the matter?¡±


    Sharon cheerfully drank half of her cool beer and tapped the table a couple of times.


    ¡°Normally, each Homunculus has a different appearance... But, I¡¯ve hunted six of these similar-looking bastards so far. Including the ones we just hunted and the ones you personally hunted, that means there are at least ten of those fuckers roaming around.¡±


    ¡°Is that a problem?¡±


    To Siwoo, who had just started his hunting journey, this didn¡¯t seem like a big deal.


    ¡®Is it really that unusual to have Homunculi with the same appearance?¡¯


    ¡°Not really... Or at least, I can¡¯t say it¡¯s a problem, at least for now. I mean, I could be overreacting, you know? Well, I¡¯ll go to the Witch Point and gather some information about it tomorrow.¡±


    ¡®Witch Point, huh...?¡¯


    ¡®I wonder what kind of place it is...?¡¯


    Naturally, Siwoo was curious about the place, but he was hesitant to visit it in person.


    ¡®But, why would I go into a place where Exiles are freely lurking around?¡¯


    ¡°Here¡¯s your fried, seasoned, soy garlic chicken combo.¡±


    As they were talking, the chicken they had been waiting for had arrived.


    Sharon, who had been putting some deep thoughts about the matter, suddenly perked up when the scent of the fried food entered her nose.


    She looked at the chicken with shiny eyes, as if her serious look just now was a lie.


    The intense and loving gaze she directed toward the chicken would be enough to spark Siwoo¡¯s jealousy if he was her boyfriend.


    He picked up a chicken leg and placed it on her plate.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just stop worrying about it and eat.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Despite the hot temperature of the fried chicken, Sharon dove right in, completely disregarding it.


    Looking at her unexpected behavior made Siwoo chuckle.


    The majestic gait she showcased when she slaughtered those Homunculi earlier was gone.


    ¡°W-Woah... So this is what chicken tastes like! All those things I ate at the convenience store are fakes! Fakes, I tell you!¡±


    Having only eaten low quality chicken so far, the taste of the real Korean chicken seemed to shock her.


    Those chickens she had been buying at the convenience store weren¡¯t even crispy and they had a strong chicken smell that she hated.


    But the one she was currently eating was on a whole different level. The beer enhanced its taste perfectly. She could totally understand why Koreans would go crazy for chicken and beer.


    Together, their taste was world-shaking!


    The juicy chicken leg that oozed with flavor gave it a golden taste, just like El Dorado, while the ice cold beer gave a refreshing taste that sent a chill down your spine, like a refueling station for one¡¯s weary soul.


    ¡°Eat it slowly.¡±


    ¡°Thank you...! Thank you for treating me to something so delicious!¡±


    While Sharon was busy devouring her meal and expressing her gratitude, Siwoo quietly collected all the chicken legs and put them on her plate.


    In that moment of bliss, the witch temporarily forgot about the matter involving the Homunculi and her debts.


    After that, Siwoo ordered two more chickens for her and they spent the night eating, talking and enjoying each other¡¯s company.


    But, Sharon didn¡¯t notice it at all.


    This rare moment of happiness had blinded her.


    From the cruel tragedy that awaited her tomorrow. From the merciless world that would trample the weak without batting an eye.

 Chapter 152: Debt-Ridden Witch (7)

    ? Debt-Ridden Witch (7) ?


    1.


    Sharon stayed up late into the night, drinking with Siwoo. After a while, she finally went to bed.


    In the past few days, she managed to catch four Homunculi in total, which helped her cover the payment for this quarter.


    Not only that, she also indulged herself in a satisfying meal of fried chicken and beer, a meal that she could only hear about, and made a friend for the first time ever in her lonely life in this foreign world.


    As a result, when she laid down on her bed, she felt at ease. She finally could close her eyes properly for the first time in months.


    Back in the day, she used to have a regular sleeping pattern.


    But, since she had to juggle between her part-time job, her hunt and the various minor errands to pay off for her debt, she hadn¡¯t been able to sleep comfortably.


    And so, instead of sleeping, she used that time to research magic.


    After all, she couldn¡¯t just spend her whole life trying to pay her debt.


    She was still a witch, and it was her duty to study and do magic research.


    Moreover, her current rank, 17th, was three levels lower than her predecessor.


    This happened because she had inherited an incomplete brand. It was a very rare phenomenon that could occur during the process of brand inheritance.


    While she believed that the magical knowledge in her brand wouldn¡¯t be lost entirely and one day, she¡¯d be able to recover them all, she still couldn¡¯t slack on her research. That would be disrespectful to her predecessor, after all.


    Despite everything, she still managed to spare time for a brief nap every day.


    Not today, though, as something unexpected woke her up before she could even fall asleep.


    -Bang bang bang!


    ¡°I¡¯m from the Seodaemun District Office! Is anyone home?¡±


    That voice came from a strict man whose duty was to enforce the established rules and regulations without compromise.


    2.


    Sharon stood still, holding a suitcase with a blank face.


    It was the suitcase she placed stood up against the wall, a makeshift for her wardrobe since she didn¡¯t have one.


    At first, she thought that due to its small size, small enough for her to crouch into, it wouldn¡¯t pack a lot of things inside. But, apparently she possessed more things than expected, though it mostly was the possessions that she brought from Gehenna.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Gradually, she began to grasp the reality of her situation.


    The rooftop room was her long-awaited sanctuary in this cruel world. Only after five years of searching was she able to find it.


    After she was exiled from Gehenna, she spent her first year being homeless, wandering the streets while working in 24-hour cafes and fast food restaurants.


    Occasionally, she slept inside her suitcase in quiet places she found.


    In the second to the fifth year, she lived in a basement-like studio.


    The monthly rent she had to pay, with maintenance fee and without a deposit, was 380,000 won.


    It had a strong mushy smell that made her lungs feel like they¡¯d be filled with mold just from breathing the air. Not only that, she also had to share a bathroom with other residents.


    While living there, she saved some extra money to find the rooftop room, where she eventually moved into and stayed at during her sixth year until now.


    From her perspective, it was an acceptable place for a living, considering that she had to pay 500,000 won monthly, including the maintenance fee and a deposit of 2 million won.


    The landlord even offered a 30,000 won cut if she didn¡¯t report her move-in, which was a quite generous offer.


    Unlike other witches, she couldn¡¯t afford to buy a fake identity. Even her phone and bank account were registered under someone else¡¯s name.


    Because of that, she would receive no protection if the local government were to regulate illegal buildings. The landlord had all the right to kick her out without her being able to retaliate.


    From the local government¡¯s point of view, she was an illegal resident without a doubt.


    People had tried to comfort her, telling her that she should have sought help from the local government to look for a new place to live, and how she should have taken a look at the building¡¯s register first before living there, but she didn¡¯t feel comforted by those words at all.


    Some might mock that shabby house of hers, but to her, it was a warm and comfortable place to live, with running water and a functioning shower.


    But, no matter what her opinion was, the building was still an illegal building.


    ¡°Someone is living inside... What does it matter if it¡¯s illegal or not...?¡±


    She kicked away a can lying on the ground.


    The can made a loud clattering noise before it was flung away to the distance.


    Biting her lip, she sat down in frustration.


    In her hand, there was a crumpled and wrinkled white envelope.


    Earlier today, the landlord came to her to apologize and returned her deposit, 200,000 won in total.


    She wanted to throw it away in a fit of anger, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do so.


    With a justification that the money was blameless, so she shouldn¡¯t unleash her anger at it, she restrained herself.


    ¡®Everything is going badly.¡¯


    ¡®I can¡¯t even do things that I wish to do.¡¯


    ¡°I... Want to cry...¡±


    Tears began to well up in her eyes.


    Once again, she was faced with the harsh reality of poverty that wouldn¡¯t allow her to mourn even for a moment.


    Finding a suitable studio apartment as an illegal immigrant was like catching a star from the sky.


    Inside, she saw some employees making phone calls, and some handling documents while using various office-related equipment like shredders.


    There was one thing that stood out in this scene, though. The fact that some of the women in the office possessed extraordinary beauties.


    But, it wasn¡¯t something out of the ordinary, as they were undoubtedly witches.


    Ignoring them all, Sharon went straight to the currency exchange office.


    ¡°Please give me cash for these crystals.¡±


    She placed the five crystals she owned on the counter. The well-dressed employee, who looked like a bank teller, took them to verify their authenticity.


    The exchanging process didn¡¯t take long.


    They only needed to make sure that the crystals were real and weighed them using a special scale. After that was done, they gave Sharon the money equal to the crystals¡¯ value.


    After a week of hard work and hunting, she earned a total of 5.12 million won.


    Just a while ago, she felt dejected, as if her whole world had crumbled down, but this unexpectedly big profit brought her some relief.


    Afterward, she visited the administrative support office on a lower floor to pay the quarterly fee of 6.5 million won.


    Lastly, she looked for public archives about Homunculus, but she found no report about ¡®perfectly identical Homunculi.¡¯


    She let out a sigh, contemplating whether to report her findings to her superiors or not.


    ¡°Ugh... I¡¯ll do it later. My shift starts soon...¡±


    That, and she wasn¡¯t feeling particularly motivated today.


    When she was about to turn off the computer and leave, a certain someone who further worsened her already foul mood entered her line of sight.


    ¡°Ah... Fuck...¡±


    Involuntarily, she let out a curse.


    Though, she believed that she wasn¡¯t doing anything wrong.


    After all, the other witch¡¯s existence to her was like a cockroach to a normal person. Who wouldn¡¯t swear when they saw one of those critters crawling around inside their closet?


    The witch in red, Della Redcliffe, was a nuisance to her. Someone who¡¯d do every little thing to make her life miserable.


    ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s a pathetic display. Have you been wiping that mouth with a dirty rag?¡±


    Della said while lifting her chin, maintaining an elegant manner.


    With a red visage, reminiscent of red tulips, perfectly worthy of the name ¡®Witch of Ashfire.¡¯


    From her short, curly reddish-blonde hair, her sharp eyes that reminded Sharon of a fierce rooster to her mocking gaze.


    Everything about her exuded a fiery redness.


    ¡°Sorry, I was startled. I didn¡¯t mean to swear at you.¡±


    Obviously, that was just lip-service. Nevertheless, Sharon didn¡¯t want to interact with her any more than necessary.


    Because, the moment they engaged in a conversation...


    ¡°Judging by your appearance, you¡¯re still living a pathetic life just like the rat you are, it seems. So, how many flyers did you put up yesterday? Wait, don¡¯t answer that, let me guess.¡±


    ...The fucker would openly pick a fight with her.


    Sharon bit her lip and glared at Della.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s ten? Or twenty? Oh, could it be a hundred?¡±


    Ever since they had a dispute over their hunting grounds, Della had made it her life mission to agitate Sharon whenever they crossed paths.


    Despite her elegant and noble appearance, she knew everything there was to know about how to get under other people¡¯s skin.


    If she was as talented in magic as she was in shit talking, she had probably overthrown Duchess Keter by now.


    ¡°From the look of your face, my last guess is the correct one! Amazing! Congratulations! You must have earned an extra ten thousand won overnight!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving, get out of my way.¡±


    Sharon said, trying to push past Della, who was clapping her hand while mocking her.


    She knew she couldn¡¯t defeat Della.


    After all, if she could, she wouldn¡¯t have endured this kind of humiliation for ten years.


    The one time when she challenged the insufferable witch to a duel, she suffered a crushing defeat.


    It wasn¡¯t a surprising outcome considering that she was only on the 17th rank, while Della was sitting on the 20th. There was a huge gap between their strength to begin with.


    To Sharon¡¯s effort, Della didn¡¯t move away.


    Instead, she came and brought her face closer to Sharon¡¯s.


    Della was already half a head taller than her, and the fact that she was wearing heels added to their difference in height.


    They engaged in a staring contest for a while afterwards, but Sharon¡¯s pupils started to tremble slightly, revealing a weakness that Della could pounce on easily.


    From the very start, she was already losing the mental battle.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop that? Didn¡¯t I tell you that I can make it easier for you to earn more money?¡±


    Della¡¯s hand crawled up like a snake, caressing the tip of Sharon¡¯s chin.


    Goosebumps started appearing all over Sharon¡¯s body. Without any hesitation, she slapped the other witch¡¯s hand away and rushed to the elevator.


    ¡°Fuck! Crazy bitch!¡±


    She let out more curses as she desperately tried to run away.


    Seeing her reaction, the tips of Della¡¯s lips curled up.

 Chapter 153: Cohabitation (1)

    ? Cohabitation (1) ?


    1.


    For Siwoo, returning to the modern world was a pleasant experience. But, that feeling didn¡¯t last long.


    Humans were adaptable creatures. He experienced this first hand after realizing how quickly he got bored over his unchanging routine.


    His life became monotonous and uninteresting, with the only variation being his meals¡¯ menu.


    However, meeting Sharon brought him a newfound sense of happiness.


    It had only been a few days since then, but it felt as if he had found a new purpose in his monotonous life.


    He no longer had to endure the loneliness of having no one to confide in.


    ¡°Should I leave early?¡±


    Time passed swiftly as he idly read through the book in his hand. At that moment, he realized that it was already time for Sharon to finish her shift,


    A whole week had passed since their last encounter with the three Homunculi. Since then, they had been distributing flyers while searching for more Homunculi in town.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t seen a single one since then, though.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t exactly a surprising outcome. If Homunculi were abundant in number, Sharon would have already paid off more of her debt just by hunting them.


    It was great that no more innocent people were being harmed, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of emptiness after spending a week without anything happening. Especially when he had steeled his resolve to protect those defenseless civilians.


    Siwoo grabbed his coat and stepped outside.


    ¡°Someone as kind-hearted as her deserves more happiness.¡±


    Even though he had a strong desire to help her, he decided to find a middle ground so that his help didn¡¯t come off as excessive. And that middle ground was to go around to good restaurants together.


    Since he also enjoyed indulging in good food himself, the arrangement was pretty much perfect.


    Every midnight, after Sharon finished her shift, they¡¯d always meet up in front of the building where Siwoo¡¯s room was located.


    Tonight, the air felt strangely humid as a light drizzle began to fall.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    But the air wasn¡¯t the only strange thing.


    When he stepped out of the elevator, he found Sharon hunching over at the bottom.


    ¡°Heya, I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±


    Her complexion was a little pale, seemingly tired. She was resting her chin between her knees, but when she heard Siwoo¡¯s voice, she immediately stood up while patting her butt.


    Witches¡¯ spiritual bodies were way more resilient compared to normal humans, so they rarely got tired.


    But, that didn¡¯t apply to Sharon as she always appeared to be tired.


    Tonight, in particular, she looked even more worn out than usual.


    ¡°It¡¯s raining. Guess we can¡¯t put up any flyers tonight?¡±


    ¡°Yeah... Phew...¡±


    One didn¡¯t need to be a genius to figure out that it was impossible to put up flyers under such a weather.


    Sharon sighed with a hint of disappointment before walking over to Siwoo. She seemed to be a little down.


    ¡°What happened? Were you crying?¡±


    ¡°N-No! Not at all!¡±


    When he saw her face as she came out of the shadow, Siwoo was surprised.


    Her eyes were red and swollen.


    Despite how she tried to hide it, it was clear that she was going through something difficult.


    Even her vibrant green hair that used to exude vitality, appeared like wilted weeds.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, really. Anyway, with this kind of weather... I guess I¡¯ll go home and rest...¡±


    Sharon replied, trying to brush off the situation, putting on a forced smile.


    Siwoo wasn¡¯t a particularly perceptive person, but even he could tell that there was sadness in her smile. She clearly was trying to hide the hardship she was going through.


    ¡°Are you sure there¡¯s nothing?¡±


    They hadn¡¯t known each other for long.


    But it was the first time she had ever shown him such a vulnerable state, so he asked her in a serious tone.


    She had been a helpful friend to him.


    If the situation was so bad to the point she refused to talk about it, at least he wanted to do his best to help her.


    ¡°...¡±


    Sharon¡¯s pupils trembled.


    She bit her lip and looked at Siwoo.


    Soon enough, her eyes were filled with tears.


    ¡°Huh? ...A...aa...¡±


    They welled up before trickling down her cheeks.


    Flustered, she tried to wipe them away.


    ¡°Ah... S-Strange... There¡¯s nothing to be sad about, though...¡±


    But, no matter how hard she tried to wipe them away, more of them came pouring out like a bursted dam.


    At one point, she even began whimpering, as if something was stuck in her throat.


    ¡°Sob... Ah... What... Why is this happening...¡±


    And so, he suggested cohabitation as a compromise.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t for free, of course. You can help me with my research as a payment. You said you¡¯d teach me last time, but you never had the time to do it. It¡¯s a win-win situation, just like you mentioned. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°...Are you really okay with that?¡±


    Sharon lifted her head as she looked up at Siwoo.


    Her eyes reminded him of a hungry puppy that was looking at a full course meal.


    They sparkled to the point that it illuminated the dimly lit staircase.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°R-Really? A-Are you really sure...?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Having you around as a bodyguard when I got attacked by other witches or Homunculi would help too, honestly.¡±


    Siwoo continued to explain the advantages of their cohabitation to Sharon, who was still reluctant to accept the proposal.


    He explained that she could save her money as she could just teach him magic as a method to pay for her rent.


    Not only that, he also explained in detail that both of them only have benefits if she were to stay there; They could easily prepare themselves in case of them getting assaulted by a third party, and there¡¯s also the fact that she could get to her work quickly.


    And, he told her that if she were still concerned about paying the rent, she could always pay it later.


    ¡°Also, I¡¯ll buy you delicious food every day. It gets boring eating by myself, you know?¡±


    ¡°F-Food...?¡±


    Due to his effort, he managed to pull Sharon out of her dilemma.


    As soon as she heard the word food, her mint-colored eyes became clouded and dazed, as if she was hypnotized.


    After thinking it over for a bit more, she nodded, albeit with a little reluctance, agreeing to Siwoo¡¯s offer.


    ¡°Okay, I got it. Can I bring my luggage right away?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°I left them at the convenience store, so wait a little bit for me, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    And that was how they successfully sealed their agreement to live together from then on.


    3.


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Sharon entered Siwoo¡¯s house with her luggage.


    Since the building was newly constructed, his room¡¯s layout was clean, as one would expect.


    Even though it only had two rooms, it looked way better than the street, basement studio and rooftop room Sharon had lived in previously.


    ¡°Please excuse me...¡±


    She placed her suitcase in the shoe cabinet and cautiously walked into the living room.


    As she looked around, her tense shoulders gradually relaxed.


    There was a balcony with a view of bustling streets and a living room furnished with a large TV and a comfortable sofa.


    Although the place wasn¡¯t meticulously organized, it still looked much neater than her rooftop room.


    Siwoo then guided her to her designated room.


    ¡°You could stay here. It¡¯s a little smaller than my room, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have much problem living here. I don¡¯t have a separate bed though, so you can sleep in my room for today. We¡¯ll take care of your bed tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh, then I can just not sleep tonight!¡±


    ¡°That so? Well, I actually am not feeling sleepy either.¡±


    Sharon trailed closely behind Siwoo, carefully inspecting every corner of his house. At one point, she had bitten her own lips.


    She felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude to him.


    ¡°Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Thank you... So much...¡±


    She held his hand tightly as she gently caressed it.


    The teardrops that welled up in her eyes perfectly conveyed the depths of her emotions.


    Noticing her happiness, Siwoo¡¯s mood instantly brightened.


    ¡°What are you on about? Don¡¯t think about it and just rest. You¡¯ve been walking all night for days, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes... But still, I won¡¯t forget this favor. One day, I¡¯ll definitely repay it! ...By the way, is it okay if I were to take a shower?¡±


    ¡°Right now?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve only been using magic to clean myself for years!¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    After receiving his permission, she hurriedly went into the shower room, undressed and turned on the shower.


    -Shhh!


    ¡°Ah... Sob..¡±


    The sound of the hot water filled the small bathroom. Sharon couldn¡¯t help but sobbed as she hunched over in the corner of the shower booth.


    This kindness was something she hadn¡¯t experienced in ten years.


    She couldn¡¯t decide whether this overwhelming emotion she felt was that of gratitude or something else entirely. Nevertheless, her tears didn¡¯t stop flowing.


    Sharon continued to cry, quietly, masking her own sobs with the sound of water.


    Yet, even with tears streaming down her face, a faint smile appeared as the warm water cascaded over her.

 Chapter 154: Cohabitation (2)

    ? Cohabitation (2) ?


    1.


    Not expecting that it would receive any guests soon, the living room was left messy, with miscellaneous objects haphazardly placed.


    But, despite its state, the room didn¡¯t appear dirty, thanks to its owner¡¯s effort to frequently vacuum it.


    After he was done tidying things up a little, Siwoo settled on the sofa, enjoying a can of beer.


    -Shhh!


    ¡°Huh...¡±


    Perhaps because the room was mostly covered in silence, he could clearly hear the sound Sharon made while taking a shower.


    He felt a strange uneasiness in the air.


    Although he didn¡¯t have any ulterior motives when inviting her in, as a man, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a slight excitement as he imagined various scenarios that might happen to both of them.


    -Clank!


    At that point, the bathroom door, located right next to the entrance, opened, and Sharon¡¯s figure quietly emerged.


    Siwoo was initially concerned about her attire, but seeing her heading straight to the living room dispelled his worries completely.


    ¡°Hey... Thank you...¡±


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t mention it.¡±


    One of the basic skills a witch had was using magic to make her hair soft and smooth after they were done showering.


    It was a useful training method recommended for apprentice witches, since at that level, they could control mana to the molecular level.


    This was the reason why her hair looked so dry, as if she hadn¡¯t taken a shower just now.


    Though, her magic didn¡¯t hide the peachy flush on her cheeks and neck.


    She rested her hand on her cheek, thanking Siwoo before motioning the empty seat beside him with her finger.


    ¡°Can I sit there?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Do you want some beer?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Looking a little worn out, Sharon took a seat next to Siwoo.


    The latter¡¯s nose tingled, smelling the mixture between Sharon¡¯s own scent and the shampoo that she applied to her slightly disheveled hair.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I could enjoy a beer after a shower...¡±


    Receiving the beer from Siwoo, she casted a spell to make it even cooler and more refreshing.


    Without any hesitation, she took a big gulp of it.


    ¡°Kuh...! It¡¯s good!¡±


    ¡®Isn¡¯t she a little too close...?¡¯


    The sofa they were sitting on had enough space for four people.


    It was a fancy model that even had a footrest, perfect for relaxing and watching TV comfortably.


    But, for some reason, Sharon was sitting so close to him; In a distance within an arm¡¯s length, completely ignoring the rest of the free space.


    Her action made him wonder if there was a special meaning behind it.


    ¡°What are you thinking so deeply about?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Are you planning to keep wearing those clothes?¡±


    ¡°Ah, right... Wait a second, I¡¯m going to change! I brought my nightwear with me.¡±


    Sharon tried to get up, but she ended up plopping back down on the sofa, as if her muscles had turned into jelly.


    Her face was filled with annoyance.


    ¡°But... I really don¡¯t feel like moving...¡±


    Then, that expression was replaced by a radiant smile, as if she had washed away all her worries with hot water.


    Being a witch, she possessed beauty that was comparable to Amelia. It was hard for Siwoo to gaze at her face for too long.


    When she noticed that Siwoo didn¡¯t respond to her, she shifted her gaze to him.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Sensing his racing heartbeat, Siwoo was baffled.


    ¡®Is this the scent of a budding romance, or am I just horny...?¡¯


    ¡°Ah, well, I¡¯m ordering a late-night snack, sorry. What do you want to eat?¡±


    ¡°Late-night snack?¡±


    With a sudden movement, Sharon turned her whole body in his direction.


    Whenever the topic of him treating her to a meal came up, she always reacted as if she had won the lottery.


    This adorable reaction always prompted Siwoo an urge to smile, which he desperately tried to suppress.


    ¡°So, what is it?¡±


    ¡°W-Well... I-I¡¯m fine with whatever you¡¯re going to order...¡±


    Although it was clear that she was happy to be treated, she still seemed a little uncomfortable receiving favors from him.


    However, the fact that she didn¡¯t outright refuse his offer spoke to him louder than her reluctance.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this. You pick the kind of food you want to eat, Korean, Japanese, Western or Chinese, I¡¯ll pick the food from the restaurants I know.¡±


    As soon as she heard the four options, she furrowed her eyebrows thoughtfully, getting lost in deep thinking.


    ¡®No, wait, maybe she already knows and is doing this on purpose?¡¯


    3.


    Having enjoyed her first taste of malatang, Sharon happily finished off a total of eight servings of it.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo had to go through agony as he made his best effort to avert his gaze from her seductive pair of peaks that swayed every time she took a bite.


    Having eaten their fill, they decided to lie down on the couch side by side while watching a movie, as per Siwoo¡¯s suggestion.


    After they finished their preparations; Turning off the lights while hanging the blackout curtains in the living room..


    With popcorn fresh out of the microwave in their hands, they leaned their backs comfortably on the sofa.


    It was pretty much a full-blown movie theater experience, with his TV donning a massive 146-inch screen accompanied by booming surround sound speakers.


    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m watching a movie.¡±


    Once again, Sharon sat unusually close to Siwoo. Before the movie even began, her butt had wiggled a few times.


    Every time she moved, a pleasant scent wafted through the air.


    Now, rather than finding her movements cute, Siwoo just felt a sense of pity towards her.


    ¡°All those years living in this world, you¡¯ve only been trying to make money?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. I needed to hunt those Homunculi quickly, so I could sell the legacies they left behind. I couldn¡¯t just pass easy money like that.¡±


    ¡°How much are those things worth, on average?¡±


    ¡°If I were to put it up on an auction at the Witch Point, those witches in Gehenna would have the first chance to bid their prices. And those guys pay a lot of money. Depending on the type of the legacies, the price varies. Research journals can range from 10 million to 1 billion won, artifacts can easily double or triple those amounts. As for Egg of Gnosis... It is worth even more than those two combined.¡±


    Now Siwoo understood why she wasn¡¯t enthusiastic about her part-time job.


    She made most of her money from hunting, after all.


    ¡°Until now, I¡¯ve only found useless scraps. If I were to find an Egg of Gnosis, maybe I can pay off all of my debts at once...¡±


    Despite saying that, her tone was still lacking in confidence.


    Once again, Siwoo realized the immense value of the Law of Shadows the twins had casually handed over to him.


    Back to the movie, they were planning to watch a movie that he saved on his laptop.


    It was a famous movie that could make even the toughest men cry.


    The story was about a man who really loved his wife. He shared their long, tough love story to help his elderly wife, who was suffering from dementia, trying to remind her of their past together.


    But, Siwoo didn¡¯t find the movie as enjoyable as Sharon¡¯s reactions.


    ¡®I guess what they said that people would show a lot of reactions whenever they try out something new was true.¡¯


    ¡°Why is she acting like that...?¡±


    ¡°Are they in love? But why...?¡±


    ¡°Ugh... What does that even...?¡±


    ¡°No, she shouldn¡¯t have left!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so frustrating! You¡¯re engaged and now she¡¯s behaving like this? Leave the main character alone, you bitch!¡±


    Like a middle-aged woman, Sharon munched on her popcorn, venting her frustration until the middle part of the movie came around.


    However, after the movie reached its climax, she stopped all of her hands¡¯ movements.


    Tears flowed from the corner of her eyes as she stared at the screen.


    Her eyes were red as she watched the movie intently without missing a single scene.


    Finally, as the protagonist faced his impending death alongside his beloved wife, the love story between the man and the woman came to an end.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Ahem.¡±


    After that, Siwoo turned on the lights with the remote control.


    However, Sharon still seemed lost in the emotions left by the movie as she stared at the screen while crying.


    Siwoo noticed that she was still grabbing her popcorn in her hand.


    And she stayed like this for a whole thirty minutes after that.


    It was as if she had turned into a statue.


    Seeing her like this affected him a little.


    ¡®I probably should have picked a Hollywood or an action movie...¡¯


    It made him wonder if he only made her even sadder by picking this movie, even though the reason why he picked it was because she thought she¡¯d enjoy it since girls normally enjoy romance movies like this one.


    ¡°Haah...¡±


    Sharon ate the popcorn she was holding and used her arm to wipe her tears.


    ¡°It¡¯s... Really fun... But at the same time... It¡¯s sad... Humans are amazing... A movie really can make us feel these different emotions in just two hours...¡±


    Sharon murmured in awe.


    ¡°Sorry, it was a mistake to pick this movie up. I¡¯ll pick a more enjoyable one next time.¡±


    ¡°Huh? No, no, I really enjoyed it. I think it¡¯s really a touching movie. Maybe I should rewatch it again next time... Anyway, can we watch another one today? I think I might like those romance movies...¡±


    ¡°Uh... In that case...¡±


    When people were having fun, hours could fly by without them realizing it.


    That night, both of them ended up watching a total of three romance movies until the break of dawn.


    Footnotes:


    1Malatang is a type of hot pot. However, there are some major differences between traditional hot pot and malatang. For example, hot pot is served at a table to be shared by a group of people, whereas Sichuan hot pot is street food. Spicy hot pot is also served in a communal pot

 Chapter 155: Cohabitation (3)

    ? Cohabitation (3) ?


    1.


    After the movie watching session, Sharon¡¯s eyes became swollen from all the crying.


    She practically used a whole tissue box to wipe her tears and runny nose during the film.


    Despite that though, she didn¡¯t look unsightly at all, perhaps due to her naturally stunning beauty.


    As he laid out a blanket on the sofa, Siwoo noticed that she was still deeply engulfed by her emotions.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna take a quick nap. How about you?¡±


    ¡°A nap? Haven¡¯t had a good one in a while.¡±


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t sleep?¡±


    ¡°I never had the time to. But I do love sleeping. Today¡¯s a good day, I think I¡¯ll catch some...¡±


    Sleep was pretty much a luxury for the witches, but very few of them would actually skip on it.


    At the end of the day, they were still people.


    They couldn¡¯t part from the benefits that sleep brought; A break from their constant thoughts and worries.


    For young witches who had just become full-fledged witches especially, they LOVED sleep.


    In Siwoo¡¯s case, he slept for three to four hours every day.


    Noticing the daylight seeping out through the gap in the blackout curtains, he closed said gap.


    The sofa in his living room was actually more spacious and comfier than most beds in general. Add a cozy blanket and a pillow, he¡¯d be able to have a good night sleep there.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sleeping in the living room today. You can sleep in my room.¡±


    ¡°Huh? No way! I¡¯ll sleep in the living room!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll let a guest sleep on the sofa.¡±


    ¡°Why? I¡¯m the one who¡¯s staying over. It¡¯s only natural for me to sleep there!¡±


    Siwoo had already ordered a bed frame and a mattress for her.


    He most likely only needed to sleep in the living room for a day or two, so it wasn¡¯t a big deal for him, but Sharon didn¡¯t seem willing to back down.


    Without hesitation, Sharon darted in, snuggling into the blanket Siwoo had set out, clutching the pillow tightly, as if calling dibs on the place.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep here!¡±


    ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t sleep tonight. I¡¯ll only sleep if you take the bed.¡±


    ¡°No! It¡¯s unfair for you to not sleep just because of me! Well, two can play that game! I won¡¯t sleep either!¡±


    ¡°Seriously, it¡¯s really okay. The sofa is as cozy and comfortable as a bed.¡±


    ¡°Then, all the more reason for me to sleep here!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t comprehend why she was so insistent on sleeping there. As the owner of the house, there was no way Siwoo could let a guest sleep on the sofa, not to mention that the guest was a woman like her.


    ¡®At this rate, both of us might end up staying awake all night.¡¯


    At that moment, Sharon made an expression that implied an idea had come to her mind.


    ¡°How about we sleep together on the bed? Your bed is spacious enough, no?¡±


    Siwoo rejected that suggestion without any hesitation.


    ¡°No, that won¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    Sharon inquired, leaving Siwoo momentarily speechless.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s weird...¡±


    ¡°But why? People in the movies sleep together.¡±


    In the romance movies they watched today, there were many scenes where men and women slept and woke up together on the same bed.


    There were also subtle sex scenes mixed in some of them, although they didn¡¯t explicitly show them.


    This was the reason why he felt embarrassed watching the movies together with her.


    ¡°Uh... That¡¯s because they¡¯re a couple... You know, they love each other and stuff...¡±


    ¡°So, if we¡¯re not a couple, we can¡¯t sleep together in the same bed? I know that in those movies they even have sex while sleeping together, but I know you¡¯re not thinking about that and I¡¯m not doing it either. So, there should be no issues there.¡±


    Siwoo had no ulterior motives when he proposed that she should live together with him.


    But, that didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t find her attractive.


    The reason why he didn¡¯t want to share the same bed with her was because he didn¡¯t want any awkward scenes to occur between the two of them.


    ¡°In any case, we can¡¯t sleep in the same bed. Period.¡±


    ¡°Well, then I won¡¯t sleep.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t sleep either.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sharon looked at Siwoo with a face that implied she couldn¡¯t understand his way of thinking, while Siwoo was keeping his mouth shut in embarrassment.


    At that moment, their eyes met. In the next second, they both burst into laughter, as if they collectively found what they were doing was ridiculous.


    The one who stopped her laugh and apologized first was Sharon.


    ¡°Sorry, I know I was being too stubborn, but can I sleep on the sofa tonight? It feels awkward if I sleep on your bed, you know? Besides, my bed will come in a few days anyway, right?¡±


    ¡°Fine, if you say so. I want to make you feel comfortable anyway.¡±


    ¡°As you said, the sofa is really comfy so you don¡¯t need to worry. Anyway, I¡¯ve set the alarm, so, let¡¯s meet in three hours, okay?¡±


    After taking a closer look into his research, Sharon had to admit that Siwoo¡¯s achievements were incredibly impressive.


    The content of his research was so detailed and complex to the point that she almost didn¡¯t believe him when he told her that he had only been doing this for a few years.


    He had built a path to his own success using a method that nobody had ever thought of at a breathtaking speed.


    But, of course, it wasn¡¯t perfect. His self-essence magic was especially so.


    While he managed to achieve this astonishing result by utilizing the minimum resources he had, his basics were clearly lacking in Sharon¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Your self-essence magic combines two major branches, that¡¯s for sure.


    ¡°Although I¡¯m not entirely sure, you mentioned a Dimension Shift Spell or something, right? Unfortunately, I can¡¯t assist you with that. You¡¯d have to delve into an independent research on the Barrier Magic for that.


    ¡°However, what I can help you with is the Law of Shadows. It falls under the Elemental Magic after all.¡±


    As Sharon waved her hand, her body started glowing brightly.


    She started the magical girl transformation sequence again.


    Fully dressed in a witch¡¯s attire, she spoke while holding her staff in one hand.


    ¡°My self-essence magic is based on the application of Tattva¡¯s five elements, which is a well-known elemental system. How far is your knowledge about elements?¡±


    ¡°Not that far. I mostly only studied magic related to spaces. My Law of Shadows came from the knowledge I got from an Egg of Gnosis.¡±


    ¡°Then, from today onwards, I¡¯ll teach you everything I know.¡±


    Sharon extended her hand towards Siwoo.


    The gesture puzzled him, he was unsure how to respond to it.


    ¡°What are you doing? Just take it.¡±


    ¡°Your hand?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m about to show you the world as I see it. I need physical touch to share my senses with you.¡±


    Reluctantly, he took her hand.


    As both of them had no idea on how to hold hands properly, their grips on each other¡¯s hands were a little awkward.


    ¡°Not like that, hold it properly.¡±


    The awkwardness didn¡¯t last long though, as Sharon took the initiative to correct the position by intertwining her hand firmly with his.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    ¡°Woah...¡±


    They let out a sigh filled with surprise at the same time.


    Siwoo was amazed by her delicate and tender fingers, while Sharon was surprised by the unexpectedly robust and thick palm of Siwoo.


    Once again, Sharon broke the awkward silence, albeit, she was wearing a rather bashful smile.


    ¡°I really just wanted to teach you magic, but this feels strange... Guess this is the result of me watching too many romance movies...¡±


    ¡°We should watch a war movie next time.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, can you get a little closer?¡±


    ¡°Like this?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Perfect.¡±


    Standing face to face, their hands clasped together, resembling dance partners in a waltz.


    With a subtle smile aimed at the slightly embarrassed Siwoo, Sharon closed her eyes.


    ¡°Now close your eyes and focus your senses on the touch of my hand.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t answer me. Just relax your thoughts and imagine... That we¡¯re completely connected...¡±


    Sharon held Siwoo¡¯s hand firmly.


    He felt the mana emanating from her hand as it intertwined with his skin.


    It was an odd sensation, something that couldn¡¯t be felt by just holding hands normally.


    Siwoo felt as if their senses were connected. He could hear her heartbeat, feel her breath as if it was his own.


    Just as Siwoo began to immerse himself in the sensation, Sharon abruptly broke the connection.


    It was really an abrupt move from her, made him feel like she just yanked him out of the water.


    Then, with a puzzled expression, Sharon spoke.


    ¡°Ah, sorry... I was surprised because your heart was pounding so fast. Do you feel uncomfortable with something?¡±


    Hearing that, Siwoo placed his hand on his chest.


    That was when he realized that her words were correct; his heart was indeed beating at a rapid pace.


    At that moment, he also realized that she felt the same things that he did when they were connected.


    This realization made him feel a little embarrassed.


    ¡°N-No, it¡¯s just...¡±


    Looking at him being all flustered, a mischievous smile appeared on Sharon¡¯s lips.


    It was a smile that implied she had figured him out completely.


    ¡°You really were nervous, huh? It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s not that scary. Come on, take a deep breath.¡±


    ¡°Haah...¡±


    ¡°Good. Okay, let¡¯s give it another shot.¡±


    It took nearly thirty minutes for Siwoo to finally be able to see the world that Sharon wanted to let him see.


    That day, he continued to learn about Elemental Magic until Sharon¡¯s shift at the convenience store started.

 Chapter 156: Cohabitation (4)

    ? Cohabitation (4) ?


    1.


    For fifteen days, Sharon and Siwoo had been living happily together, enjoying each other¡¯s company.


    To summarize, their typical day usually went as such:


    From 2pm to 6pm...


    Was their free time; They could do whatever they wanted without any fixed plans.


    Usually, they spent their time doing the things that they enjoy.


    From 6pm to 12am...


    Would be Sharon¡¯s time to go to her part-time work, while Siwoo would focus on studying magic.


    Then, from midnight to 3am...


    Sharon would be back from her part-time job, and it would be her time to put up flyers everywhere.


    Or, rather, it was time for her to hunt for the Homunculi, as putting up flyers was only something she did on the side.


    She hadn¡¯t found any so far, though.


    From 3am to 6am...


    Was the time for them to watch some movies while having late-night snacks.


    Originally, the time slot was reserved for a short snack break, but because of Sharon¡¯s love for movies, it turned into their time for a movie marathon.


    Deciding on what movie they should watch while doing their daily task became an enjoyable part of their routine.


    After that, from 6am to 10am...


    The brief time was reserved for napping.


    With Sharon¡¯s bed arriving, they no longer had any arguments about sleeping arrangements.


    And lastly, between 10am to 2pm.


    Under the guise of covering for her food and rent, Sharon held her elemental magic class for Siwoo.


    During these past weeks, she had been passing on various magical knowledge to him.


    And now was that very same lecture time.


    ¡°Okay, today we¡¯re diving into the second major element, ¡®Water.¡¯ You¡¯re really picking this up quickly.¡±


    ¡°All thanks to your insightful guidance, Master.¡±


    ¡°Hm, do you mean that~?¡±


    They became so close that they could playfully joke around.


    To lighten the mood, Sharon tapped the whiteboard with a marker.


    As they became closer friends, they started joking around and teasing each other a lot, but, when it was time for their lessons, they became incredibly serious.


    ¡°Previously, we learned that the element Earth is the foundation that helps things mix together and stabilize them. As for Water, it controls the flow, movement and change. To put it simply, it¡¯s the second most important element. And...¡±


    In fact, what Sharon was teaching Siwoo, wasn¡¯t something at a very advanced level.


    Rather, it was the most basic of the basics that were taught to apprentice witches.


    To begin with, he already had a deep understanding in a certain field, as he already mastered his self-essence magic. Coupled that with his knack for learning things quickly, he absorbed the knowledge like a sponge.


    It was to the point that Sharon was amazed at his aptitude.


    The speed of him understanding what she taught him made it as if he was only reviewing the things that he already knew beforehand.


    ¡°...Just like how the element Earth was crucial in understanding all the elemental magic, the element Water serves as the basics for you to comprehend the other elements. After all, just as 70% of the human body is made up of water, it¡¯s also the most important element that connects the external world where magic takes place with the internal world where magic is performed. Do you understand so far?¡±N??v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    ¡°Yeah, sort of.¡±


    If his memory was the only part of him that stood out, Sharon wouldn¡¯t be as amazed.


    Indeed, his memory was superior to that of an average person, but compared to the prodigies among the apprentice witches, it was at most at an ordinary level.


    But, magic wasn¡¯t just about memorization.


    If everything could be solved through calculations and memorization, then a computer would easily become the world¡¯s strongest witch.


    After all, no matter how exceptional a witch¡¯s thinking and procession abilities were, it still couldn¡¯t match a computer.


    Really, what made Sharon amazed was his ability to find connections between things and his creativity to look at things in different ways instead of sticking to the traditional ways.


    Whenever she taught him something, he didn¡¯t only absorb the knowledge, he also expanded it, and came up with new ideas that even Sharon herself had never considered before.


    ¡°I have a question.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    He only needed a few hours to learn the theories that took Sharon a long time to learn back when she was an apprentice witch.


    She didn¡¯t need to explain everything thoroughly to him.


    Instead, she only gave him some clues and that was enough for him to figure out the rest.


    ¡°Today¡¯s lesson is a little complicated...¡±


    Sharon had only planned to explain the properties of different elements, but by the end of her lecture, Siwoo had already started thinking about how the two elements of Earth and Water interacted with each other and came up with his own ideas about it.


    Yet, despite this incredible progress, he didn¡¯t seem to be satisfied.


    It seemed like he didn¡¯t realize how great his achievements were.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Hearing his calm words, Sharon quickly left the room.


    Sharon knew that when he spouted such sharp words like that, it meant that he had gained a significant enlightenment.


    Observing him sitting at the table with closed eyes, she quietly exited the room to avoid disrupting him.


    ¡°I¡¯m so jealous...¡±


    Then, she let out a quiet sigh.


    Unlike Sharon, who failed to make any progress, under her tutelage, Siwoo made significant progress every single day.


    ¡®If he had been born a girl and inherited a brand officially, I wonder what kind of monster he¡¯d become?¡¯


    His talent was so blinding, enough to make her, his own tutor, feel pathetic.


    Sometimes, that feeling turned into jealousy.


    ¡°I feel like he should be the one teaching me instead.¡±


    Although they had just begun with the basics, she believed that her lessons weren¡¯t useless.


    In fact, the questions Siwoo had brought up gave her small insights on numerous occasions.


    ¡°Wait, this isn¡¯t the right time for this.¡±


    As today¡¯s lesson ended a little earlier, it gave her some extra time.


    She took another quick glance at the closed door before delving herself into her own research.


    2.


    Like every other day, it came to an end eventually.


    Both Siwoo and Sharon had snuggled into their respective beds, but Sharon¡¯s eyes were still wide open.


    A heavy feeling weighing on her mind.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been having too much fun lately...¡±


    Indeed.


    Because she was too used to live a demanding life, she felt like she had been way too carefree lately.


    For a while, she forgot about her money problems. All she had been doing was watching movies and having fun deciding what she should eat.


    Thanks to Siwoo¡¯s generosity, her living conditions rapidly improved and she no longer had to pay rent.


    But that didn¡¯t mean her debt had magically disappeared.


    With almost three weeks of failure to find any Homunculi and the loss of her crypto business, she was concerned about gathering enough money for the payment deadline in two months.


    ¡°Haah...¡±


    She let out a deep sigh and abruptly sat up.


    Sleepless nights weren¡¯t something that she was a stranger to as she used to spend all her time making money. But, ever since she started living with Siwoo, it had become natural for her to sleep...


    The sudden change in her life; The comfy bed, abundant meals, and enjoyable hobby had somehow detached her from reality.


    At that moment, a specific memory flashed in her mind.


    Siwoo¡¯s proposition when they first met.


    ¡®I do have plenty of spare money... I can help you pay off the interest¡ª¡¯


    Of course, she rejected it without any hesitation.


    If anything, his offer only pissed her off and made her feel uncomfortable.


    Despite her current debt-ridden life, she still held her pride high as a witch.


    And that pride of hers was also the only thing preventing her from risking everything and using her magic to make money.


    ¡°Ugh.,..¡±


    But, that was back then, now the situation was a little different.


    Back then, she knew nothing about Siwoo and his meager sympathy made her feel uncomfortable, but after living with him, she realized that his kindness was genuine.


    They grew so close that even when she accepted his help, it didn¡¯t make her feel emotionally distant.


    It made her wonder that she had been taking advantage of his kindness without realizing it all this while.


    Not only that, she also thought that she probably felt less desperate because she believed Siwoo would help her even if things went really badly for her.


    With these thoughts in her mind, Sharon changed her clothes.


    Clutching her robe and wand, she prepared to cast her spell.


    ¡°...I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    Siwoo was a good friend to her.


    She knew that if she found herself truly in distress, he¡¯d readily lend her a helping hand.


    That was why she didn¡¯t feel inclined to rely on him any further than this.


    She wanted their relationship to be equal.


    If she accepted material help from him, she believed that it would disrupt this equilibrium.


    Even if he didn¡¯t care about it at all, she believed that she wouldn¡¯t be able to erase the feeling of her owing him something.


    With this in mind, Sharon opened the door to the balcony and jumped out.


    Her goal? It was to hunt for the Homunculi.

 Chapter 157: Redcliffe (1)

    ? Redcliffe (1) ?


    1.


    Everything went well until Sharon boldly stepped outside again.


    It was only a few hours ago that she had finished her regular hunt with Siwoo.


    Then again, if things could go smoothly by her thinking that ¡®As long as I work hard, I can make money!¡¯ she would definitely not be going through this kind of hardship.


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    On the rooftop of a certain university hospital. The place was eerie and empty, a stark contrast to the lively streets of Sinchon.


    Sitting on top of a water tank, Sharon looked at the compass with a gloomy expression on her face.


    ¡°Why is it at moments like this I can¡¯t seem to find any? It¡¯s annoying.¡±


    The morning air that initially felt fresh had long heated up by the scorching sun.


    In contrast, her fervent dream cooled down.


    Even after a thorough two-hours search, she found nothing.


    The time for her to teach Siwoo magic was approaching, but the compass needle continued to spin, completely disregarding her emotional state.


    ¡°What am I going to do...?¡±


    ¡®Is this because I¡¯ve been too relaxed lately?¡¯


    The pressure she hadn¡¯t felt in a while was weighing heavily on her chest.


    What if she couldn¡¯t find a way to earn the money to pay her debts after two months?


    While the Gemini Household wouldn¡¯t personally come to collect payment from her if she were late for a day or two, due to their crazy amount of wealth...


    It still didn¡¯t mean that she wouldn¡¯t feel any pressure at all.


    ¡°Well, if they came in person, at least I would have a chance to explain the situation...¡±


    Based on her experience, if the payment for the quarter was a little delayed, she had to pay a fine.


    And the amount of fine would be nearly three times the original amount of the current quarter and she had to pay it by the next.


    It was a harsh contract, but back then she was completely penniless, so she had no choice but to agree to this kind of unfavorable debt agreement to borrow the amount of money she needed.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen.¡±


    She ended her short break and continued on her way, stepping lightly on the trees to hunt for the Homunculi.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    At that moment...


    ¡®Has my prayer came true?¡¯


    The aimlessly spinning needle suddenly began pointing in a certain direction.


    She hurriedly followed it, bouncing along as she went.


    ¡®Finally! I found one after a long time!¡¯


    ¡®My 1 million won, I¡¯m coming!¡¯


    ¡®Is this what winning the third place in the lottery feels like?¡¯


    She soon found herself entering the interdimensional barrier created by the Homunculus.


    ¡°You cute little creatures, stay quiet and pave a way for me to pay for my debts!¡±


    The place was a dark and desolate tunnel with subway tracks above it.


    It was an old tunnel. Due to the new tunnel built to the east, it had turned into a desolate place with no traffic or people.


    With a wide smile, Sharon greeted the Homunculus that she finally encountered.


    But, when she confirmed its identity, she tilted her head in confusion.


    -Creak...creak...


    ¡°Again...?¡±


    It was the black dog-shaped homunculus that she was familiar with.


    But this time, there were five of them.


    She had seen a few before and had expected to encounter more of them in the future.


    But after seeing this spectacle, she wouldn¡¯t be surprised to find out that someone was cloning these Homunculi for one reason or another.


    ¡°Anyway, nice to meet you guys.¡±


    Originally, she was eager to learn about their behavior and characteristics, everything about them.


    But, as things became tough for her, she was too caught up in dealing with her main problem and completely forgot about her eagerness from before.


    Then again, even if dozens of them attacked her, she was confident enough to handle them all. To her, the five Homunculi in front of her were nothing but walking money.


    ¡°Balance!¡±


    Sharon swung her wand, offering the water from a bottle she had kept with her as a sacrifice.


    2.


    The long-awaited hunt ended without much difficulty.


    Della was certainly among one of the wealthy witches.


    There were no rumors whatsoever about her hunting down such low-leveled Homunculi, so it was clear that she didn¡¯t need them.


    But, instead of letting her go for hunting down a few of them, she interfered and accused her of stealing instead.


    This kind of her twisted personality was something that Sharon couldn¡¯t comprehend at all, though not that she wanted to in the first place.


    ¡°So, what do you expect me to do? Like you said, I¡¯m poor, I don¡¯t have a single penny to spare you, so leave me alone.¡±


    She felt irritated by the whole situation.


    As she tried to huff past Della, the other witch just sneered.


    ¡°Well, with you having piles of debts and getting kicked out of you own home, I¡¯m not cruel enough to take money from such a poor beggar like you~¡±


    Sharon tried to ignore her eerie taunts and continued her way, but something in her words made her feet stop.


    ¡®Kicked out of home?¡¯


    Suddenly, everything clicked in her mind, like pieces of a puzzle falling into place.


    Suspicion filled her narrowed eyes.


    ¡°...How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°How do I know what?¡±


    ¡°That I got kicked out of my home.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s always a way to know, especially when I¡¯ve been keeping a close eye on you. Do you not know how worried I was about you, Sharon? You¡¯ve been doing something illegal, after all.¡±


    Della¡¯s dismissive shrug and smirk turned Sharon¡¯s suspicion into certainty.


    Her eviction from her old house was undeniably linked to the other witch in one way or another.


    ¡°Do you want me to show you the evidence?¡±


    Sharon sent her a threatening gaze, but she replied with a nonchalant one.


    They had fought before and it ended in Sharon¡¯s loss, so more than anyone, she knew that this was a losing battle.


    She knew that resistance was futile as she couldn¡¯t even touch a single thread of Della¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°Get lost.¡±


    ¡°No. I want to show you how much I care about you and how much I want to help you.¡±


    Della skillfully flicked the shattered crystal away with the pointed tip of her shoe.


    It rolled until it stopped at Sharon¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take that little bit of money? It¡¯s just a chump change to me, I can spend it on a single drink, but it means much more to you, no?¡±


    At this disrespect, Sharon felt her heart seethe with anger. She clenched her jaw tightly, struggling to contain her fury.


    She just couldn¡¯t understand why Della was tormenting her so relentlessly. What kind of grudge did she have against her to make her do something like this?


    ¡®This fucking bitch...¡¯


    Sharon muttered under her breath, her anger refused to subside.


    ¡°Still not picking it up? You can make some decent cash with it, you know? Just bend down and pick it up. It still worths more than thousands of flyers.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sharon clenched her jaw and swiftly turned away.


    She refused to deal with the piece of shit anymore.


    ¡®That piece of shit wasn¡¯t worth her time and energy,¡¯ she tried to convince herself.


    As for Della, she seemed adamant to make her stay, so she didn¡¯t loosen up her provocation at all.


    ¡°Hehe, you still care about your pride even though you¡¯re in this kind of pathetic state. This is why you¡¯re struggling this badly to pay off your debts, you know?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°If only you accepted the job I was gonna give you, you wouldn¡¯t be living this miserable life. Poor woman, your cluelessness and ignorance has got the better of you.¡±


    Ignoring Della¡¯s words, Sharon repeated to herself that she should just take her words as the muttering of a crazy bitch, and she didn¡¯t need to pay any attention to her.


    But her words kept flying toward her like sharp blades cutting through her emotions.


    ¡°Your predecessor must have been disappointed. After all the effort she put into finding a successor, she ended up finding an immature child who couldn¡¯t even live up to the brand¡¯s legacy. And on top of that, she¡¯s struggling to manage her debts out of all things...¡±


    At that moment, Sharon¡¯s footsteps came to an abrupt halt.


    She had endured a lot.


    But, one person could only endure so much.


    ¡°Alright, I give. What do you want? Tell me.¡±


    A chilling voice reverberated through the tunnel.


    Within that voice, an insurmountable rage and fervor seeped through.


    ¡°What do I want? I don¡¯t want anything, though.¡±


    Facing that, Della let out a chuckle.


    ¡°You fucking bitch. Fine, let¡¯s go for another round.¡±


    Sharon withdrew a long smoking pipe from beneath her cloak and bit it with her teeth.

 Chapter 158: Redcliffe (2)

    ? Redcliffe (2) ?


    1.


    From a young age, Della Redcliffe, the Witch of Ashfire, had a deep fascination with shiny and luxurious objects.


    She had always adored rings with sparkly gemstones, artworks made of glass and brooches with fancy decorations.


    Especially for luxurious items that shimmered and showcased their beauty when bathed in a soft glow, she adored those.


    There wasn¡¯t any specific reason behind it.


    Like a crow collecting shiny objects to decorate its nest, Della had been hoarding various items since her days as an apprentice witch.


    Whenever something caught her eye, she¡¯d always make sure to get her hands on it.


    One of the things she wanted was the brand that her predecessor possessed.


    The accumulated self-essence magic of the Redcliffe lineage and the title of Baroness that came with it.


    And so, she studied, researched, and wholeheartedly dedicated herself to attain it.


    One would expect her to struggle for at least twenty years, but she managed to proudly inherit the brand by the tenth year.


    Once she became a witch, Della¡¯s interest expanded, from only going after jewelry to various artifacts and decorations that she could find in Gehenna.


    Her method didn¡¯t change; She still tried to gather them by any means necessary.


    If the other person refused to sell what she wanted, she¡¯d offer two or three times the actual price to buy it.


    When she failed to get them from that person, even after all that, she¡¯d pressure said person, both internally and externally, making them stuck in a position where they could only sell the item to her.


    Soon after she became an official witch, everything fell into her hands effortlessly.


    From a mansion, considered as the grandest and the most splendid mansion in Ars Magna Town.


    A rare and ancient grimoire, a unique grimoire which didn¡¯t have any copies even if one were to scour the whole world.


    To a cursed diamond from an auction that took place at the Red Roof Salon.


    Among her collection, there was an outstanding mijiu1rice wine, capable of inducing a breathtaking ecstasy with just a single drop.


    Even the untouched, youthful body of an adorable and charming witch didn¡¯t elude her grasp.


    Whatever she desired, it didn¡¯t take long for her to acquire it.


    After all, she was Della Redcliffe. She wasn¡¯t just your average witch; She was a chosen Baroness, someone who sat at the 20th rank of the hierarchy.


    ¡®But, it gets dull.¡¯


    However, the moment those items came into her possession, their value quickly diminished.


    The lust, addiction, fulfillment and longing feelings she experienced when she first got said item, were quickly replaced by layers of dusty boredom.


    That initial rush of adrenaline, passion, delight and a sense of accomplishment, vanished quickly into the distance.


    This was how she measured the loss in those items¡¯ value.


    To her, if something failed to evoke any excitement from within her, then that item couldn¡¯t be considered as precious at all.


    And so, she shifted her focus to the modern world.


    Since she found most things in Gehenna dull and boring, she figured that she could find mundane pleasures and distractions in the wider world.


    She thought that going there could easily quench her thirst.


    And she was correct, her earlier years of visit to the modern world were indeed, enjoyable to her.


    She reveled in asserting her dominance over the Exiles, hunted down their exploits and crushed all the Homunculi she could find.


    At times, she¡¯d find herself aboard a massive cruiser, sailing the vast ocean or indulging in the pleasures of a desert city filled with casinos.


    The triumphs of an unheard-of civilization filled her hungry soul with satisfaction.


    A temporary satisfaction, that was.


    ¡®This is getting boring.¡¯


    Before she knew it, she was back into square one.


    Within just ten years, her thirst and hunger for something more, woke up once again.


    At this point, she had given up.


    She had come to terms with boredom, as she believed that it was a part of her that she couldn¡¯t change.


    And endless void that could never be filled.


    That was until she encountered a witch at a divided Eastern Country she didn¡¯t even realize its existence.


    ¡®This place is my hunting ground!¡¯


    ¡®So what? It¡¯s mine now.¡¯


    ¡®What...? Are you crazy? You think you can get away with this just because you¡¯re a Baroness?¡¯


    ¡®Stop yapping. Witches should use their magic instead of words.¡¯


    She used her strength to subdue the impertinent witch¡¯s aggressive attack.


    And it wasn¡¯t hard for her to handle them.


    Despite her aggressiveness, in the end, she was only a 17th rank witch.


    Still, Della couldn¡¯t deny the allure that she felt from her.


    The witch had a slender, pitiable face, yet at the same time, she possessed an unwavering spirit that never faltered even in moments of defeat.


    Her hair was a mix of vibrant emerald and bright teal strands.


    Above all, her eyes, something that drew Della in.


    They tinged with jade, appeared even more alluring than any gems she had ever owned in her life.


    Della sensed that her impulsive desires were directed towards the witch.


    Without hesitation, she immediately investigated her.


    Sharon Evergreen.


    ¡°Nonsense... Just... Leave...¡±


    Anger and determination rekindled in Sharon¡¯s eyes that were turning vacant.


    But that wasn¡¯t enough to rejuvenate her exhausted body.


    Della crouched down, bringing her face closer to Sharon¡¯s.


    ¡°Why? Because if things continue like this, you won¡¯t have a place to earn money anymore? And if that¡¯s the case, you will never be able to regain your citizenship?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sharon remained silent as Della, ever so gently, caressed her cheek with her outstretched hand.


    Her slightly roughened skin tickled the back of Della¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we do this? Since you have nowhere to live, I can let you stay in the room I¡¯m currently staying in. And, I¡¯m going to offer you a job. Each time you¡¯re doing something cute, I¡¯ll give you money. Look here.¡±


    Della held her finger right in front of Sharon¡¯s mouth.


    Between her fingers were two big checks that she took from her wallet.


    On each of them, ¡®10 million won¡¯ was written.


    ¡°Suck my finger, pretend that you¡¯re a baby trying to drink milk. If you do that, I¡¯ll give you these. And by doing that, it means that you accept my offer and from then on, you¡¯ll follow my instructions to work hard and earn your money.¡±


    At this point, Sharon no longer had a home.


    Her hunting ground was also taken away from her.


    Considering that she still had the enormous 58 million won debt, the easiest way she could do to pay for everything was to discard her pride accept Della¡¯s offer.


    ¡°...¡±


    Sharon slowly parted her lips.


    Seeing it, Della put her hand in her mouth, making it easier for Sharon to suck on her finger.


    ¡°Good. What a good child.¡±


    Della¡¯s face was plastered with a smile filled with satisfaction.


    ¡®In the end, no matter how strong her pride is, she¡¯s still a debt slave.¡¯


    Having cornered Sharon down to this point, Della planned to gradually take control of her life, starting with small things before slowly asserting her dominance.


    Her main objective was to gain control over Sharon by taking over her debt, treating her as a plaything and making her completely dependent on her.


    Della believed that this was the first step toward attaining that immense pleasure.


    -Crunch!


    However, it didn¡¯t take long for Della¡¯s satisfied expression to turn into a frown.


    Sharon fiercely bit her fingertips with all her remaining strength.


    From the other witch¡¯s perspective, it was as if she was trying to bite Della¡¯s finger off, but the red witch didn¡¯t feel any pain, let alone receiving an injury from it.


    But, the pain wasn¡¯t the main issue here.


    It was Sharon¡¯s insistence to not give in to her.


    Her bright blue eyes stared daggers at Della.


    And Della didn¡¯t like that at all.


    ¡°...¡±


    An indescribable sense of humiliation pricked at her chest as she felt the limiter in her mind released with a click.


    Since Sharon refused to give in even after she went this far, she had only one more option left: force.


    ¡°Sharon, my dear, it seems you¡¯ve been hurt quite a bit.¡±


    Della¡¯s voice quivered from her frustration.


    The fact that a lower rank witch like Sharon continued to resist, even after she had gone out of her way to show her kindness and consideration, infuriated her.


    She surmised that it would be easier to just drag the weakened witch to her hotel.


    After all, even if she did something to her, Sharon wouldn¡¯t be able to lift a finger as she didn¡¯t even have enough mana to activate her autonomous defense.


    Della¡¯s plan was to force her into submission and enjoy watching her struggle.


    As for what she¡¯d do after that, she decided that she could save that for later.


    With that in mind, Della opened her mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of your wound. Come with me to my room.¡±


    ¡°Let... Go...¡±


    Even after using all her might, Sharon still couldn¡¯t resist Della¡¯s attempt to lift her by the collar.


    Towards this futile resistance, the latter raised her with a cold, merciless glare.


    ¡°Stop it. Your resistance is becoming more and more annoying.¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    ¡®This is getting irritating. Should I just knock her out?¡¯


    Della pushed a surge of mana into Sharon¡¯s body, creating a shockwave that caused her insides to tremble.


    Unable to resist, Sharon¡¯s body slumped weakly.


    -Swooosh!


    Suddenly, Della felt something wrapped around her wrist.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    She shifted her gaze towards it.


    Before she knew it, a black ribbon was wrapped around her wrist, that was exposed from her torn bright red dress.


    Footnotes:


    1rice wine

 Chapter 159: Redcliffe (3)

    ? Redcliffe (3) ?


    1.


    Just like any other day, Siwoo woke up from his peaceful slumber.


    He understood the importance of sleep for both humans and spirits like himself; It enhanced the quality of life.


    With drowsy eyes, he stepped into the living, expecting to see Sharon there.


    ¡°Sharon?¡±


    He called out.


    Usually, at this time, she¡¯d be already sitting on the sofa, browsing through delivery apps to pick their breakfast.


    But, for some reason, he didn¡¯t receive any response this time. Concerned, he checked her room, only to find no one there.


    ¡°Where did she go?¡±


    He saw that her phone was still on the table, so he assumed that she probably went outside to get some air.


    Then, he went to the bathroom, washed his face and changed his clothes.


    ¡°...It feels like we¡¯re a couple or something.¡±


    As he sat back down on the sofa, the thoughts of Sharon¡¯s whereabouts occupied his mind; The sense of longing and curiosity.


    It baffled him that he just casually tried to search for his housemate as soon as he woke up, as if it was the most natural thing to do in the world.


    Not to mention that said housemate was a strikingly beautiful woman of mixed heritage.


    Then, he reprimanded himself for having a wild imagination, like that of a teenage boy going through puberty.


    Well, despite them living together, they didn¡¯t share any romantic relationship at all. No suggestive incidents1basically lucky sukebe, things that you¡¯d see in animes or mangas, like how the MC accidentally open up a door to see a girl¡¯s naked and stuff happened either.


    ¡°No, wait, now that I think about it... There are quite a few...¡±


    As he pondered more carefully, he was reminded that those moments exist.


    For instance, because of Sharon¡¯s carefree nature, she¡¯d roam around the apartment without wearing a bra before going to sleep or after waking up. This made him unsure of where to direct his gaze.


    There was also the time when he found her underwear when he was taking out the laundry from the washing machine and using the dryer at the nearby laundromat. Both instances made him inexplicably flustered (Also, the first time this happened, he discovered that her bra size was E-cup).


    And there were also various moments where he could hear her humming while showering. Her voice was carried over from the bathroom all the way to the living room.


    The more he tried to dig through his memories, the more he remembered similar things.l--B1n.


    Though, he really couldn¡¯t classify those events as ¡®suggestive incidents¡¯ because of one crucial factor; Sharon didn¡¯t see him as a man.


    ¡°It¡¯s dumb of me to even think about it that way...¡±


    After taking a sip of water, Siwoo decided to clean the room thoroughly for once.


    Interestingly enough though, this served as a form of practice for him.


    Among his belongings, Ea Sadalmelik¡¯s ribbon, the Maiden¡¯s Loom was mixed in there.


    He could try to control while cleaning as a form of practice.


    With the concealment effect of the music box, he spread out the four strands of ribbon from his back and began tidying up the room.


    Although having the four strands of ribbon that could be used like hands like this almost seemed like one could do two people worth of work, the progress was incredibly slow.


    He could handle one no problem, it was as if he had an extra arm. But when he increased the number to more than two, they¡¯d start to tangle up, just like when one was juggling and their arms somehow got twisted.


    This became a remainder to him of just how powerful Ea exactly was. After all, she managed to handle dozens of those ribbons with ease, as if they were part of her body.


    After spending a long time cleaning, the time for his magic class was approaching, but Sharon hadn¡¯t returned.


    ¡°Did she go to the Witch Point?¡±


    But, he knew more than anyone that Sharon was always punctual and never missed the class starting time.


    ¡®She¡¯ll probably be back within thirty minutes... No way she¡¯s coming back late.¡¯


    While waiting, he thought about buying her bubble tea as a treat for Sharon.


    It seemed like she had been obsessed with it lately, and he thought that it¡¯d be a nice gesture.


    ¡°Should I go for a walk and grab some?¡±


    Sharon wasn¡¯t the type to offer him tips in her lessons, as she preferred to keep her expertise a secret. But, he thought that maybe she¡¯d crack with a treat.


    With his hands in his pocket, Siwoo casually stepped outside.


    In truth Siwoo wasn¡¯t a fan of bubble tea.


    His taste had been moulded by his previous life as a slave, where he had to suffer through bland soups and hard bread that could have been used as a weapon. Though he managed to adapt to eating practically anything, he still couldn¡¯t appreciate the texture of bubble tea.


    They felt squishy like frog eggs, and it simply didn¡¯t sit well with him.


    This made him wonder, how the hell did those people who¡¯d be grossed out by actual frog eggs enjoyed those bubble tea.


    Placing a cup of bubble tea in the cup holder, he sipped on his iced Americano as he strolled down the street.


    ¡°Man, it¡¯s hot out here...¡±


    ¡®I should¡¯ve just ordered delivery instead.¡¯


    ¡®If I walk around this place, I swear the ice in this bubble tea will melt...¡¯


    -Boom!


    As he walked on the steaming hot pavement, he sensed an unusual, abrupt tremor.


    Only when he got within the twenty meters range did he notice it.


    A witch, dressed in red, forcibly dragged Sharon with her.


    He knew that it was dangerous to face that witch.


    Especially when she was seemingly able to defeat Sharon.


    There was a huge chance that she was a notorious witch even among the Exiles.


    And, if she were able to overpower Sharon, whose rank was even higher than himself, that meant the witch wasn¡¯t someone that he could handle.


    ¡°Bloom!¡±


    Facing this scene, Siwoo didn¡¯t waste a single moment of thought.


    Sharon was in an obviously bad state.


    Her autonomous defense seemed to be barely working, so she still hadn¡¯t lost her life yet, but she was only a moment away from being abducted.


    Siwoo wasn¡¯t great at planning things in this kind of urgent situation.


    Trying to figure out how to rescue Sharon while considering her condition was the extent of what Siwoo could think of.


    He couldn¡¯t throw a shadow spear since Sharon could get caught in it. But, he also couldn¡¯t rush in directly to grab her, since there was a good chance that the witch in red would take her hostage instead.


    Considering that the music box was still operating, he could launch a surprise attack.


    Thus, came the question, what was his best method to concentrate his attacks only on his enemy, all while having the adaptability to change his course when necessary?


    He created a ribbon from the Maiden¡¯s Loom, mixing it with his shadow particles.


    In an instant, the elongated ribbon wrapped around the red witch¡¯s wrist.


    He then swiftly pushed the witch in the opposite direction of Sharon.


    That was a simple and small movement, but the outcome surprised Siwoo.


    -Boooom!


    The witch¡¯s body flew through the air and crashed into the fiery red wall as sparks fell down like a shower.


    It made a loud crashing sound that echoed multiple times within the narrow tunnel, making his ears ring.


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s that powerful?¡¯


    He didn¡¯t even infuse the ribbon with a lot of mana.


    If he were to describe it, it felt like he was swinging his arm with just the right amount of force.


    However, with that mere level of strength, the witch seemed to vanish at an incredible speed, as if she was swatted away by a heavy machinery.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Siwoo quickly went to Sharon, who collapsed weakly on the floor, to check her breathing.


    After a strenuous effort to open her eyes, Sharon stared at him with a tired look.


    ¡°Run... Away...¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you on about? Come here.¡±


    Without even trying to get more details of the situation, Siwoo immediately began to cast Dimensional Shift.


    Performing the teleportation magic wasn¡¯t easy.


    To successfully get away from this place and go to the place he desired, he needed time for at least ten seconds.


    That was why, this was the best time to make a swift escape, as the witch was still trying to recover from his previous blow


    -Wooosh!


    But his plan was thwarted by flames that suddenly burst out of the road where he had inscribed the Dimensional Shift Formula.


    ¡°You¡¯re so cheeky. So damn cheeky.¡±


    The red witch walked calmly from inside the tunnel.


    From the previous blow, her collision with the tunnel made a loud noise, despite her having a spiritual body.


    But, there wasn¡¯t a single crease on her clothes, let alone an injury.


    There was only one thing that caused this.


    Autonomous defense. A system that naturally manifested when a witch reached the 15th rank in hierarchy, the stage where they became able to manifest their own thoughts and magic harmoniously.


    At its strongest, it could even withstand cannons from battleship, let alone mere collision with a wall. This was something that even Siwoo knew about.


    ¡°Who the hell are you? This is the first time I¡¯ve ever seen magic like this.¡±


    The red witch looked down at him with her crimson eyes.


    ¡®Fuck.¡¯


    Meanwhile, Siwoo was experiencing a deja vu, feeling as if he had been in a similar situation before.


    It reminded him of the time when he confronted Ea Sadalmelik to protect the twins.


    Praying fervently, he amplified his mana, hoping to avoid history repeating itself.


    Footnotes:


    1basically lucky sukebe, things that you¡¯d see in animes or mangas, like how the MC accidentally open up a door to see a girl¡¯s naked and stuff

 Chapter 160: Redcliffe (4)

    ? Redcliffe (4) ?N??v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    1.


    Della felt genuinely irritated.


    Her strong desire had abruptly vanished like a campfire doused with cold water.


    She had planned to take Sharon to her room and have fun with her, but an annoying fly interrupted her.


    Thankfully, her autonomous defense kicked in before she could realize the danger of the ribbon, preventing any actual harm.


    No matter what the perpetrator¡¯s intentions behind their action were, the act of tossing her noble body into the air was still a heavy sin.


    And so, she was hell-bent on holding them responsible for it.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    A brief standoff between them occurred, as they silently examined each other.


    She noticed that the intruder didn¡¯t fit the typical image of a witch.


    Maybe it was because of the armor, but the intruder was towering over 180 centimeters tall.


    Apart from that, their whole body was completely covered with seemingly non-magical armor, from their head to toe.


    A black knight, that was the impression they gave out.


    ¡®A witch wouldn¡¯t choose such a plain and unattractive look while wandering around.¡¯


    Given their eye-catching and unique presence, rumors about them were bound to spread around, but for some reason, she never heard anything about this witch, which meant there was something fishy going on beneath the surface.


    That judgment boosted Della¡¯s confidence.


    ¡°I am Della Redcliffe, there¡¯s a justifiable reason behind this duel and based on the result, I have the authority to decide Sharon Evergreen¡¯s fate. So, if anyone dares to interfere, I will consider it as an act of hostility and I won¡¯t hesitate to utilize force against them.¡±


    -Whooosh!


    As soon as she finished talking, a tiny flame ignited in her left hand.


    It was so faint and subtle that one could easily miss it.


    However, the heat it generated far exceeded its weak glow.


    If Della were to aim it at something, it wouldn¡¯t die out until its target was reduced to ashes.


    ¡°...¡±


    Siwoo chose not to respond to her and kept his mouth shut.


    After all, if he were to respond, she¡¯d easily be able to identify his gender through his voice.


    Though he might be able to outwit her and escape, the matter of his true gender coming to light might lead to future troubles.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you at least introduce yourself? And...¡±


    But, that didn¡¯t last long.


    Della swung her arm sharply through the air.


    Something ominous was coming at him.


    -Clang!


    Just as he was about to defend himself, a wave of heat and a delayed burst of pain struck his forehead.


    His neck bent backward as his helmet flew off, revealing his scorched bangs.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    That was when he realized that there was something wrong with his assumption.


    This witch was incredibly powerful. She was capable of defeating Sharon without sustaining any injuries.


    Against her, there was no way that he could easily decide between whether he should fight or flee.


    ¡°It¡¯s only polite to show your face to someone you¡¯re meeting for the first time, isn¡¯t it...?¡±


    Her fiery hair, eyes, and the contrasting cold demeanor sent shivers down his spine.


    He attempted to conjure another helmet made of shadow as a desperate effort, but judging by his opponent¡¯s reaction, he realized that it was way too late.


    ¡°A man...?¡±


    ¡°Fuck... She saw me...¡±


    ¡°A man is using magic...?¡±


    Based on the intensity of their mana, Della had initially thought that this intruder was a 14th or maybe 15th ranked witch, but never did she expect that they were actually a man.


    She was baffled, her eyes were wide open as she tilted her head in confusion.


    ¡°Since I showed you something amazing, can¡¯t you let this slide?¡±


    Hearing those words, Della¡¯s demeanor turned serious.


    Siwoo¡¯s presence challenged the common sense she was familiar with.


    But, the reason why her expression changed wasn¡¯t because of that, it stemmed from another matter entirely.


    The fact that a man suddenly appeared to rescue Sharon.


    It wasn¡¯t hard for her to guess what this implied.


    Someone had seized what she intended to acquire.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. While you¡¯re fussing about settling your debts, you somehow picked up a boy toy... Your crotch is quite loose, it seems...¡±


    Her sarcasm wasn¡¯t directed at Siwoo, but at Sharon, who lay defeated on the ground, completely drained of energy.


    ¡°...What?¡±


    The black ribbon on his back started to maneuver through the magic circle.


    In general, the exact moment before its activation was the moment when a magic circle was the most vulnerable.


    Using his left eye, Siwoo spotted the ¡®core¡¯ of each magic circle visible to him and promptly dismantled them using his ribbons.


    Like a serpent rising through the air, the ribbon obliterated half of the magic circle before Della could respond.


    The way he did it was by mixing his ¡®Shadow Particles¡¯ into the magic formula, rendering it ineffective. This was miles better than using ¡®Dispel Pin¡¯, which could only disrupt magical flow by using an interference the size of a needle.


    -Wooong!


    Even so, he still couldn¡¯t destroy all of the magic circles.


    There were still too many of them for him to deal with.


    As such, after he was done dispelling half of them, he covered his heart and head with his shadow shield.


    -Clang! Bang! Booom!


    Just before the shield blocked his vision entirely, Siwoo saw a breathtaking scene of vivid bursts of colors and lights, like dazzling fireworks combined with the rapid bursts of shotguns.


    The intense flames made of mana clashed with his shadow armor and shield, scattering brilliant sparks with every collision.


    -Clang!


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    However, even the shield couldn¡¯t deflect every impact it received.


    The blazing sparks, searing at a temperature surpassing hundreds of degrees, burned through his skin, penetrating his armor.


    ¡®Fuck, it¡¯s hot!¡¯


    He became concerned as he became fearful of his armor heating up. It reminded him of the brazen bull torture of old.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite something.¡±


    After the ten seconds that felt more like an hour had passed, Della¡¯s voice echoed in his ears.


    In it mixed in a rare mixture of genuine admiration and surprise.


    ¡°Figuring out and getting rid of my repeaters so quickly... Who are you? Are you perhaps a secret weapon created by the Gemini Household?¡±


    Della possessed a unique skill in her manipulation of elemental magic; A method known as ¡®Spatial Manipulation.¡¯


    Unlike most witches who relied on their internal mana to cast their spells, she used a different approach; Using magic circles as ¡®repeaters1Imagine Minecraft¡¯s Redstone Repeater, yeah that¡¯s the repeaters the author is referring to.¡¯ to channel mana from the air and unleash her magic.


    While channeling through these repeaters hampered her accuracy to some extent, it provided her with an impressive enough advantage that made up for it; A significant increase in her mana efficiency. This was why she was able to cast a series of powerful spells multiple times after she gained control of the space around her.


    ¡°But still, how did you do that? I thought I hid them all well.¡±


    But because she was using that method, she had to conceal the transmission process at all cost, especially since the foundation of her magic relied on it.


    And so, when she installed those repeaters, she used her surroundings to mask their presence.


    The heat haze surrounding her was one of her ways to disguise them; It was a way to disrupt her opponent¡¯s attempt to identify those repeaters and eliminate any clues to their whereabouts.


    However, Siwoo managed to see through that and somehow managed to dispel the repeaters.


    It made her wonder if he just had really sharp senses or if he possessed a self-essence magic that allowed him to detect things easily.


    Nevertheless, the answer wasn¡¯t of any importance to her. She could live with losing a few repeaters.


    After all, she could easily create several hundreds of them without any difficulty.


    Without wasting a moment, she proceeded to do just that.


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    Siwoo took a deep breath.


    His armor had cooled off, but it didn¡¯t do much to relieve the dampness from his sweat-soaked body.


    And his whole body still felt unbearably hot, making it difficult for him to breathe.


    However, he believed that victory was still within his reach.


    From the recent clash, Siwoo managed to find out the sequence in which Della¡¯s magic was activated.


    Firstly, she preinstalled her magic circles in the air. Then, she channeled the mana from her brand into those magic circles. After that, the installed magic circles would draw mana from their surroundings and utilize it. Lastly, they would unleash the magic, all at once.


    Indeed, the sequence was clear to him.


    So, how could he gain the upper hand against her?


    Usually, in battles, his instinct always showed him nearly correct solutions.


    But, that same instinct was giving him a clear solution, a sureway for him to win.


    There was something Siwoo possessed that Della lacked.


    And so, he needed to leverage that advantage to the fullest.


    He raised his reinforced armor¡¯s strength without holding anything back, opting for a close combat.


    At the same time, he used to use his ribbons to dispel all the floating magic circles.


    ¡°Haah!¡±


    He took a deep breath.


    Putting all his strength to his legs, he propelled his body forward, crushing the asphalt below him as if it were tofu.


    Raising his shield high, he charged directly at Della.


    Footnotes:


    1Imagine Minecraft¡¯s Redstone Repeater, yeah that¡¯s the repeaters the author is referring to.

 Chapter 161: Redcliffe (5)

    ? Redcliffe (5) ?


    1.


    ¡®What is a magic battle?¡¯


    A common question that apprentice witches would bring up during their lessons.


    To answer that, many witches would refer to a certain game.


    A board game, depicting a small war unfolding on a narrow board consisting of sixty four squares; chess.


    Like chess, magic battles involved two sides trying to discern each other¡¯s intentions, strategic thinking and calculations.


    However, there was obviously more to a magic battle than that.


    In the first place, a magic battle wasn¡¯t a fair game where both participants held the same pieces, time and followed the same rules. And more importantly, it wasn¡¯t a turn based game.


    The stage for magic battles wasn¡¯t just a sixty four square chessboard, rather, thousands times bigger than that. Each player held a different number of pieces, possessed different kinds of movements and followed different sets of rules.


    ¡®Number of pieces a player can have¡¯ represented how much mana they possessed.


    Meanwhile, ¡®the number of pieces a player can move in a turn¡¯ represented by how skilled they were in using mana.


    There was also ¡®the movement pattern of these pieces,¡¯ which varied depending on how skilled the person was in magic.


    In this mind game, every factor was put on display as each side competed to see whose magic was more refined than the other.


    And in those regards, Della completely overshadowed Siwoo.


    As a highly experienced witch, ranked 20th in the hierarchy, Della had dedicated countless years to perfecting her mastery over magic.


    Meanwhile Siwoo was a self-taught novice who had only gained his power not too long ago.


    The vast difference in their abilities made the thought of comparing those two laughable.


    With that much difference in skill, there was a clearly significant gap between the two. And this gap would heavily affect the outcome of the battle they currently were having.


    However...


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    At first, Della expected that the battle would end within a minute, but it dragged on.


    -Clang!


    Siwoo¡¯s powerful sword swing was met by her formidable defense, the ¡®Solid Flame.¡¯


    The strike that could easily split a huge rock in two still wasn¡¯t enough to penetrate it.


    He swung his longsword forcefully against the wall of flames shielding Della¡¯s body, all while deflecting and dissipating the erupting flames around him with his shield.


    -Clang!


    ¡°How could... Such a thing...!¡±


    Initially, when she saw him charging at her, she had praised him quite highly.


    Still, that praise was something that came out from a lofty perspective, a praise a higher being would give to a lower lifeform, filled with confidence in their overwhelming superiority.


    If there was one weakness that Della¡¯s magic had, it was the interval between her magic manifestations due to her reliance on repeaters.


    The more powerful spell she tried to use, the more repeaters that she required, leading to the inevitably longer delays.


    That was why, considering the disparities in mana, skill and level of their magic, the best thing Siwoo could do to fight her was to relentlessly press forward, leaving her with no room to even breathe.


    -Clang! Clang!


    Sticking closely to Della, Siwoo launched continuous attacks to prevent her from counterattacking.


    A simple strategy that even a child could come up with.


    To execute it, however, was a different story.


    Della¡¯s ¡®Solid Flame¡¯ possessed an automatic counterattacking system, similar to that of a witch¡¯s autonomous defense.


    Whenever she was attacked, fiery flames would pour out in response.


    Faced with such powerful flames, any intelligent being would feel apprehensive whether they liked it or not.


    Even if one managed to block out the flames, the heat would still obscure their vision, and scorch their skin, prompting them to retreat due to fear.


    -Clang!


    Yet, despite all that, the sword made of shadow clashed against the wall of flames once more.


    Sparks flew as scorching flames grazed Siwoo¡¯s cheek.


    Amidst the sparks and the grazing heat, his face, exposed beneath the helmet, was reddened, several burn marks had already formed there.


    In that fleeting moment, amidst the brilliant flames, Della¡¯s gaze locked with Siwoo¡¯s.


    The odd-eyed figure, each bearing black and gold irises, held an unwavering gaze.


    Despite the situation where one small mistake could severely injure him, he relentlessly pursued her like a hunting dog locking on its target.


    This made Della convinced.


    The man was no stranger to such battles.


    He had experienced similar situations before.


    ¡°Are you maybe... Countess Gemini¡¯s secret weapon...?¡±


    Such doubts arose within her, but Siwoo didn¡¯t answer her.


    He went in, knowing exactly where her weak spots were and refused to give her any space.


    Despite his struggle in the beginning, he eventually managed to overturn the situation.


    The decisive factor in this showdown wasn¡¯t something grandiose.


    While Della was treating this battle as a game, the man was fighting for his life.


    ¡®This isn¡¯t something that someone who hadn¡¯t received any training could pull off!¡¯


    The ring he wore indicated he was a guest of the Gemini Household.


    A man who bore a brand and possessed a good instinct during a fight.


    The shadow he deployed had the property to disrupt the magic, and this also applied to the weapons that were made from it.


    Not only that, his eyes probably could even see the flow of mana.


    And there was also that ribbon, which could cover any weaknesses that he might have.


    ¡®There¡¯s no mistaking it...¡¯


    ¡®He¡¯s the secret weapon of the Gemini Household, made to be deployed when there aren¡¯t enough witches to hunt down Homunculi or wicked Exiles.¡¯


    ¡®Otherwise, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d be in this situation.¡¯


    ¡®This isn¡¯t merely about superiority or such either.¡¯


    ¡®He is simply a formidable opponent, as if he¡¯s made to fight against witches far more powerful than he is...¡¯


    Thus, Della finally acknowledged Siwoo¡¯s prowess.


    Since he displayed his skills without holding anything back.


    She decided to do it in kind to keep up with him.


    ¡®He looks like an ordinary man, but he actually conceals this kind of truth deep within, huh...?¡¯


    ¡°Alright, since it¡¯s a fight you want, I¡¯ll oblige.¡±


    Della didn¡¯t have much mana left to fight.


    She was well aware that this might be her last chance to make a move.


    Seizing the opportunity when Siwoo raised his shield, she dismantled the wall made of her Solid Flame.


    At the same time, she redirected the mana she had been deploying there to strengthen her body.


    As her mana flowed through the circuits spread throughout her entire body, she increased her durability to its maximum level.


    The most effective way to utilize mana was undoubtedly through a witch¡¯s own body.


    And so, she used up all her remaining mana to make herself stronger and strengthened her autonomous defense to its strongest state.


    She swiftly advanced, taking advantage of Siwoo¡¯s unguarded state when he was about to swing his sword.


    Turning the whole battle into a close combat.


    Normally, Della wouldn¡¯t even attempt such a move, but her priority was to win this fight.


    She believed that exploiting the gap in Siwoo¡¯s monotonous assault would be enough to earn her victory.


    Besides, he was the one who started the close combat trend in their fight, so it was only right that she answered his challenge.


    Using her autonomous defense, she planned to withstand any counterattacks that he might unleash.


    Its resilience could create distance between them, buying herself time to deliver her final blow using the scattered repeaters.


    Fully determined now, she threw herself into action.


    Perhaps, it was a mere coincidence.


    At that moment, their eyes locked.


    From his partially destroyed helmet, she faced his intense gaze, and instinctively understood.


    The man could perceive her determination, her desperate final stand as she threw away her own pride.


    ¡°Go... Down...!¡±


    As she surged forward, trying to evade his relentless pursuit, her opponent suddenly ceased his attacks, creating distance between them.


    While this was something that Della had hoped for, the battle still didn¡¯t turn to her favor.


    In that critical moment, she had focused all her mana into enhancing her physical abilities and autonomous defense.


    After all, she expected an incoming strike that would trigger her autonomous defense to buy herself precious seconds needed to reactivate her repeaters.


    But that didn¡¯t happen and if she were to keep this up, her mana expenditure would turn meaningless.


    And so, she redirected the flow of mana that she had invested in her body.


    She realized that her last opportunity was slipping away by the seconds and hurriedly activated the dormant repeaters to set up her attack.


    -Bang!


    But it was too late. A black ribbon hit her side.


    The ribbon, which had never directly intervened in a battle prior to this, suddenly launched an attack, as if it had been waiting for this moment.


    This was something that she had neglected to consider.


    ¡°Gah!¡±


    With a strange cry, saliva sprayed from her mouth as her body folded sideways in the air, tumbling helplessly to the ground.

 Chapter 162: Friendship (1)

    ? Friendship (1) ?


    1.


    ¡°Huff... Huff...!¡±


    The intense battle had come to an end.


    As the shadow that enveloped him melted away like ice, Siwoo suddenly collapsed onto the ground.


    His upper body, suffering from constant contact with Della¡¯s flames during the battle, was scorched, as if he had been standing under the blazing sun all day long.


    Pressed against the ground, his cheekbones and muscles were twitching from the strain, threatening to buckle under the immense pressure.


    He could feel a throbbing sensation in his left eyes and the pain from the damaged magic circuits from all over his body; The aftermath of the fight.


    Adrenaline in his body started to subside, replaced by the stinging pain from all the injuries he received.


    ¡°...Fuck... Did I do it...?¡±


    Now that he had a moment to reflect, he couldn¡¯t believe the frenzy he had just experienced.


    It felt like he was watching a crazy movie at his own funeral.


    He couldn¡¯t deny that luck has played a significant role in his triumph.


    After all, his enemy was powerful, and she possessed a terrifying amount of mana. The only reason why he managed to gain a crucial advantage against her was because she hadn¡¯t taken the fight seriously until midway through.


    Not only that, he also possessed a long-range attack that could effectively disrupt her strategies, preventing her from ever gaining her momentum back.


    There was also the fact that she had already engaged in a fierce battle with Sharon beforehand, depleting her mana to some extent.


    At this point, he remembered the saying of how magic battle was comparable to chess.


    Using that comparison, the existence of his left eye that allowed him to discern the flow of mana was like a cheat code that allowed him to predict his opponent¡¯s next moves.


    It was ultimately the reason why he was able to press his advantages against her, dispel her repeaters, and thwart her counterattack in that final moment.


    ¡°...I should give it a cool name.¡±


    He mused.


    ¡®Like in Japanese manga, they have a lot of those named eyes, right?¡¯N??v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    ¡®Mangekyo Sharingan or what not...¡¯


    ¡®...What am I even thinking about? Did my brain get fried along with my face?¡¯


    All sorts of thoughts swirled in his mind.


    Exhaustion weighed heavily on his body as he collapsed onto his back when he tried to turn around.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    At this point, he didn¡¯t need to play dead if he needed to, as he literally felt like he was about to die.


    Despite the support from his armor, he still had to wield his sword using all his strength for nearly twenty minutes.


    And he had to do that all while continuously checking on Della¡¯s mana, and manipulating his ribbon to disrupt the floating magic circles. There wasn¡¯t a single moment when he could rest even a little.


    He had to rely on his amplification technique for at least thirty times because of how quickly his mana was depleted.


    Due to him pushing his limit both mentally and physically, it wasn¡¯t a wonder that he became so exhausted, despite possessing a spirit body.


    ¡°Ugh...! Sharon...¡±


    Summoning every ounce of strength left in him, he managed to crawl back to his feet.


    His eyes fell on Sharon, who remained motionless on the ground.


    Before he could even catch his breath, he had to prop her up to ensure she could breathe properly. Of course, he couldn¡¯t let his guard down either because Della was still around.


    There was a chance that she could recover her mana through some kind of strange method and launch a counterattack from there, after all.


    ¡°Sharon!¡±


    At that moment, the Interdimensional Barrier slowly dissipated, and the destroyed landscapes started to regenerate, as if time was being rewound.


    Though, what actually went on was the disappearance of the copy created by the barrier as it was being replaced by its original.


    But, that wasn¡¯t important for Siwoo at the moment.


    He picked up Sharon, who was completely unconscious, and gently tapped her cheek to rouse her awake.


    Sadly, he received no response.


    For some reason though, he was struggling to lift her upper body. There was an unnatural feeling of heaviness that he felt, causing him to groan.


    ¡®Did this feeling come from her big chest?¡¯


    At that moment, painful groans echoed from the other side of the road, where Della¡¯s body was thrown.


    ¡°Ugg...¡±


    ¡°Fuck.¡±


    Leaving the unconscious Sharon to lean against the tunnel wall, Siwoo dragged his tired body towards Della.


    The latter¡¯s clothes were disheveled from her rolling on the ground. With great effort, she managed to open her eyes.


    Her side was throbbing with pain, causing her face to twist in anguish. She clutched the area where Siwoo¡¯s ribbon hit her.


    Seeing this, Siwoo didn¡¯t feel even an ounce of remorse toward her situation.


    ¡°I won.¡±


    Realizing that Siwoo was nearby, looking down at her, Della hastily tried to retreat.


    Her efforts were futile though, as she was completely drained of both mana and physical strength. She could barely even muster the energy to move, and her hasty attempt only managed to drag her body a few centimeters away.


    ¡°...I understand.¡±


    After that, Della quickly walked away in hurried steps.


    Watching the red witch disappear from his sight, Siwoo decided to carry Sharon home. Though, he wasn¡¯t confident that he could carry her all the way back, so he used Dimension Shift instead.


    Going through three rounds of mana amplification, forcing his tired minds to work through the calculation, he teleported back home together with Sharon.


    After that, everything was blank to him.


    As she laid Sharon down on her bed, she immediately passed out from exhaustion.


    2.


    ¡°Ouch...¡±


    Siwoo groaned as he opened his eyes.


    The intense pain and headache he was feeling immediately reminded him that the events that had just occurred were not dreams or imagination.


    Well, it was the pain that woke him up from his sleep.


    Looking around, he found himself still in Sharon¡¯s room.


    While his spirit body was more durable than any human¡¯s body, it didn¡¯t mean he could withstand being rolled around like he was made of diamond.


    He just had a stronger body than normal, he could still feel exhausted and tired.


    Which drove the point home of how intense the battle he just experienced was.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    When he sat up, he immediately felt a warm and comforting touch.


    There was a lukewarm towel on his forehead.


    Earlier, when he collapsed, he remembered that he was still dressed, but now, his upper body was completely bare, revealing his toned abs that seemed to have naturally appeared after he obtained his spirit body.


    Apparently, Sharon had taken the initiative to treat him.


    ¡°Fuck, it stings...¡±


    The burn marks had started to lose their color, but his upper body still felt like burning.


    His face, in particular, felt as if it had been doused in some sort of chemical reagent.


    -Click!


    ¡°Siwoo? Are you up?¡±


    Holding a glass of water in her hand, Sharon, who had just opened the door, rushed toward him when she saw him halfway sitting up.


    He looked much better compared to earlier, when he was almost dying from exhaustion, which made her feel relieved.


    ¡°Look at you, are you okay? Do you feel hurt anywhere?¡±


    Sharon didn¡¯t dare to touch him because he seemed in so much pain.


    Tears even welled up in the corners of her eyes, reflecting how worried she was.


    ¡°...Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Ugh... Sob... I¡¯m... Sorry...¡±


    At her intense reaction, Siwoo could only respond in an awkward manner, unsure on how to comfort her. Suddenly, her tears flowed like a broken dam.


    She blamed herself for getting involved with Della and causing Siwoo to get hurt.


    The weight of her guilt and remorse echoed painfully within her chest.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault... That you ended up getting hurt...¡±


    ¡°Hey, why are you acting so distant? Are we not meant to support each other through tough times?¡±


    ¡°Sob... Sniff... I¡¯m sorry... Really sorry...¡±


    ¡°I told you, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t trying to comfort her, he genuinely believed that he was okay.


    Besides, it wasn¡¯t like she forced him to fight, rather he went forward willingly.


    Not to mention that he won the whole thing with his own power.


    He understood her feelings though, so he decided that he should explain the situation to her.


    ¡°That witch... Della, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah... What did that bitch say to you? Did something else happen after she hurt you?¡±


    ¡°Well... Uh... I actually won that battle...¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Sharon¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    ¡°I defeated her in a magic battle and she promised me that she won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡±


    After staring at Siwoo with her mouth agape for a while, Sharon suddenly pulled Siwoo into a tight hug.


    Due to their position, Siwoo¡¯s face was buried in her soft chest.


    He could feel the sheer volume of her E-cup breasts through her clothes.


    ¡°Okay, sure, I get it, I believe you...¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t believe me? I was telling you the truth though?¡±


    ¡°No, I believe you, really do.¡±


    For a while, the room echoed with Sharon¡¯s sobs as she tightly pressed Siwoo¡¯s face against her chest.

 Chapter 163: Friendship (2)

    ? Friendship (2) ?


    1.


    Sharon didn¡¯t waste any time and immediately treated Siwoo.


    Ancient myths stated that humans were made of earth, in line with the earth element in the Elemental Magic, which held the power of healing and restoration to the human body.


    She didn¡¯t think twice about using a total of six small jade beads, which she had been saving to use as offerings to the earth element. Normally, she¡¯d only use them in critical situations.


    ¡°Balance.¡±


    Sharon whispered as she swiftly swung her staff, causing the jades that had been floating around Siwoo¡¯s body to melt onto his wounds, acting like a soothing ointment.


    The reddish areas, akin to withered autumn leaves, on his body began to undergo a change. Blisters that had formed on his body rose up like bubbles and disappeared, replaced by newly regenerated skin.


    He watched the mesmerizing scene with amazement.


    ¡°Wow, my body¡¯s healing so quickly...¡±


    ¡°Obviously. This is magic.¡±


    After they assessed his injuries, it became apparent that Della hadn¡¯t actually caused significant harm to him. He only mostly suffered from first-degree burns.


    Not to mention that he also possessed a spirit body.


    Such minor injuries would heal within a week, but Sharon just couldn¡¯t bear to leave it, and that was why they treated it in the first place.


    Her moral code couldn¡¯t let her neglect his well-being over a few gemstones, especially considering that the reason why he had gotten hurt in the first place was because of her.


    ¡°By the way, you¡¯re good. How did you bring her down? Yes, she¡¯s ugly and her personality is shitty, but her skills are no joke.¡±


    ¡°I have my ways. I learned it from someone.¡±


    Siwoo said as he grinned with confidence.


    Watching him, Sharon felt a surge of emotions welling up within her chest.


    Suppressing those feelings, she glanced at her watch.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s almost time for my part-time job. I guess we have to skip today¡¯s class...¡±


    ¡°Sure. I need a day off anyway. Let¡¯s meet up later and grab some food.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Leaving his smiling face behind, Sharon quickly made her way to the bathroom.


    She took off her clothes and turned on the shower.


    Inside, she covered her mouth as muffled sobs started to come out of it.


    -Sssss!


    ¡°Sob... Sniff...¡±


    Those tears nearly escaped her eyes while she was treating Siwoo¡¯s wound. Back then, she managed to hold them back, but this time, they burst forth uncontrollably.


    In front of him, she pretended to support his claim of defeating Della in battle, but in her heart, she refused to believe it.


    Or rather, she couldn¡¯t.


    After all, it was Della Redcliffe they were talking about.


    She was a formidable witch in her 20th rank. In the domain of fire elemental magic, she was literally unmatched by anyone.


    As for Siwoo? His own rank was far below Sharon¡¯s, let alone Della¡¯s.


    In standard duels between two witches, when there were two ranks gap, the result of the fight was pretty much decided.


    Compatibility and combat experience? That would only matter within a single rank gap.


    Sharon was a quite formidable witch herself as a 17th rank witch whose expertise was Elemental Magic. But Della handled him with such ease.


    Della even had the lenience to make a cigarette out of mana and volcanic ash, and offered it to her mid-battle.


    ¡°Sniff...¡±


    That was why she couldn¡¯t just accept Siwoo¡¯s claim about defeating Della.


    Instead, she convinced herself that there must be a reason why he fabricated such a lie.


    For her sake.


    The various burn marks and damaged magic circuits on his body were clear evidence that he had participated in a fierce battle.


    Considering Della¡¯s personality, it was most likely that he had suffered a humiliating defeat, mercilessly played like a toy by her.


    In this world, there were things that simply couldn¡¯t be overcome with effort. There were opponents that simply couldn¡¯t be beaten no matter how hard one tried.


    Sharon could imagine how powerless Siwoo must have felt when facing that kind of situation.


    How arduous the battle was.


    And how agonizing the experience was for him.


    She could totally empathize with his feelings.


    After all, she was someone who had already experienced the cruel reality of being unable to achieve her goals, and she had to suffer through insurmountable obstacles. She knew the pain all too well by now.


    But, even amidst such agony, Siwoo still told her an obvious lie.


    All because he didn¡¯t want her to blame herself for his injuries.


    To alleviate her guilt.


    She knew how kind-hearted and gentle he was. This was the answer he came up with to console her.


    A white lie.


    And since she understood his true intention, she willingly pretended to be deceived by him.


    There was also its unique ability to interfere and elude the opponent¡¯s magic, as well as its shape-shifting capability. He could already combine that with the Maiden¡¯s Loom.


    ¡°Its ability to destroy magic circles is just broken...¡±


    However, it still had its limitations.


    It still couldn¡¯t take care of anything that possessed dense mana, since things usually were made of countless extremely small magic circles.


    To strengthen his abilities, he realized that this aspect was one thing that he needed to fundamentally improve.


    ¡°This is it.¡±


    And that was the direction he¡¯d take in his training from now on.


    After bouncing back from his fall, he planned to make slight modifications to his magic, just like how he applied the Law of Shadows to the Maiden¡¯s Loom.


    So, his self-study session today would be dedicated to sketch out this plan.


    Siwoo concluded, determining the direction he would take.


    ¡®But, how?¡¯


    ¡®Should I weave the small magic circles into something like a net, to reduce the impact of mana pressure it received?¡¯


    ¡®No, that won¡¯t do.¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯ll restrict my movement and the durability of my armor and shield.¡¯


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s pondering grew deeper.


    3.


    After her shift was over, Sharon swung the front door open and stepped into the house.


    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a little late. Did you go somewhere?¡±


    Hearing the sound of the door lock, Siwoo came out of his room to find Sharon holding two full plastic bags with both hands.


    She curled her lips into a slightly awkward smile as she noticed his surprised expression.


    ¡°Well, it feels like I¡¯m always receiving something from you, so I bought this. Also, I wanted to buy some anyway.¡±


    ¡°What are those?¡±


    ¡°King crabs. Freshly steamed.¡±


    After she was done with her part-time job, she headed straight to the nearby crab restaurant.


    There, she spent at least 400,000 won on the crabs.


    She knew that Siwoo loved eating, especially seafood or something with shellfish in it. He always had this satisfied expression when he ate those.


    Also, this was the first time Sharon had spent such a large amount of money on food ever since she came to the modern world ten years ago.


    Her hands trembled slightly when she came out to pay for the food, but she didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit of regret.


    ¡°Oh, come on. I told you that I¡¯d buy you food in exchange for you teaching me magic, right? How much was it? I¡¯ll pay you for it.¡±


    As she had expected, Siwoo, with an embarrassed look, took out his wallet. However, she remained resolute and tried to dissuade him from paying.


    She felt an overwhelming need to express her gratitude to him, fearing that failing to do so would leave her with an unbearable sense of guilt.


    ¡°No. Look, if you don¡¯t take the food as it is, I¡¯ll get really angry, okay?¡±


    ¡°But, it¡¯s too much... You¡¯ve even used your gems to heal me earlier today...¡±


    ¡°Seriously, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Still...¡±


    ¡°I said, it¡¯s fine!¡±


    After a brief scuffle, Siwoo let out a bitter smile as he looked at Sharon, who showed no signs of backing down.


    Whenever she insisted on something like this, Siwoo had always backed down, and this time was no exception.


    ¡°I still think this is too much...¡±


    ¡°Enough already, or else I¡¯ll be the one who feels burdened. Let¡¯s dig in before the dishes get cold.¡±


    They spread the king crabs on the table.


    As he ate, Siwoo kept expressing his gratitude, saying ¡®Thank you, thank you,¡¯ almost every time he took a bite.


    Meanwhile, Sharon was relieved to see that Siwoo didn¡¯t seem to act in an awkward manner. Which meant, he completely believed that she bought his lies of defeating Della.


    In truth, she wasn¡¯t really confident in her acting skills.


    After eating all the crabs and devouring three bowls of ramen, completely satisfied with their meals, they made their way to the living room.


    ¡°Wanna watch a movie?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Today, Sharon actually wasn¡¯t supposed to slack off like this. After all, she lost the crystals from the Homunculi she hunted, and she spent a lot of money just now. But, she didn¡¯t seem to be concerned at all.


    She didn¡¯t want to burden Siwoo with the anxiety that arose from her own personal situation.


    ¡®I¡¯ll just take it easy today.¡¯


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go change and be right back.¡±


    ¡°Can I pick the movie?¡±


    ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡±


    Wrapping up their typical conversation, Sharon headed to her room.

 Chapter 164: Friendship (3)

    ? Friendship (3) ?


    1.


    Sharon said that she¡¯d just be changing her clothes, but it took ten minutes before she stepped out of her room and joined Siwoo in the living room.


    ¡°Did I make you wait for too long?¡±


    ¡°No. Can you get me some beer? Also, I put some popcorn in the microwave.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    Said popcorn was the 2,000 won kind that were sold at the convenience store, and the beer was the cold and canned one.


    Watching a movie with the AC on and a cozy blanket draped over their knees was a moment of pure bliss for them.


    Specifically for Siwoo, having Sharon, a beautiful female friend, with him, just made the experience significantly better.


    ¡°Ey!¡±


    Sharon exclaimed as she settled onto the sofa, placing the popcorn and beer on the armrest.


    The distance between them was so close, but it seemed entirely natural.


    Her smooth thigh, hidden under her dolphin-patterned shorts, touched Siwoo¡¯s.


    ¡°Pass me the beer.¡±


    ¡°Here you go.¡±


    Even Siwoo was amazed at how effective the AC was, considering that it was currently midsummer. Initially, he was afraid that he¡¯d have to deal with sweat all over his body.


    He leaned over to grab the beer from Sharon¡¯s hand, and noticed something.


    ¡°...?¡±


    Normally, when she was indoor, Sharon would prefer to wear her dolphin shorts and a tank top.


    Siwoo still remembered the culture shock he felt when he witnessed the combination of her voluptuous chest, which didn¡¯t quite match her slender waist, and the absence of her bra under her tank top.


    Whenever she made slight movements, it¡¯d nearly expose her breasts and protruding nipples.


    While Siwoo had grown accustomed to a lot of things, he still felt uneasy when seeing this sight, so he always tried to avoid it by averting his gaze.


    After all, he didn¡¯t have the kind of personality to say things like, ¡®Hey, your chest is making me uncomfortable, so wear a bra at least!¡¯


    But for some reason, she wore a black bra under her black tank top today.


    The choice of color was probably because she tried to match it with her shoulder straps.


    In any case, he couldn¡¯t see her protruding nipples anymore, as the bra cups covered them.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°N-Nothing.¡±


    Sensing something was off, Sharon asked that question.


    But, that wasn¡¯t exactly a good move from her.


    She was aware what was the reason behind his awkward reaction, and said awkwardness was contagious, making feel the same way.


    The way she nervously brushed her forearms and fidget hinted to her discomfort in the moment.


    ¡°...Um.¡±


    ¡°Uh...¡±


    Siwoo took a gulp of his beer, trying to soothe his parched throat, before adjusting his posture and tried to compose himself.


    ¡®Why is she wearing a bra now?¡¯


    ¡®Did she notice my discomfort despite my efforts to hide it?¡¯


    Though, the thing that had been bothering him had gone, so he felt a little relieved about this situation, but...


    He felt mostly awkward rather than relieved, as he kept on pondering, ¡®Why did she suddenly do this...?¡¯


    ¡°...Y-You seemed bothered by it, that¡¯s why I did it.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°W-What I¡¯m trying to say is... I-I haven¡¯t been wearing my underwear, right? N-No I¡¯m wearing it... I just don¡¯t want you to get the wrong idea...¡±


    Sharon caught his glance, briefly turned her mint-colored eyes towards him, and spoke.


    He wasn¡¯t great at hiding emotions, and Sharon already knew this a long time ago.


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±


    The brief conversation ended with Siwoo¡¯s curt response, replaced by the dry sound of them sipping their beer for a while.


    An awkward air enveloped the two of them.


    Siwoo felt the urge to clear the awkwardness, but struggled to find the correct words to use.


    Luckily for him, Sharon took the lead and started a new topic of conversation with him.


    ¡°So, what are we going to watch today?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not good at these things.¡±


    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t we just pick something randomly? I¡¯m fine with anything.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡±


    Siwoo pressed the remote control and selected movies that appeared randomly on screen.


    He had planned to watch a war movie or a thriller movie, but ended up choosing an unexpected genre in a rush.


    The movie they ended up picking was a romantic comedy that he had never heard before. And it didn¡¯t seem to be a masterpiece or anything of the sorts either.


    Nibbling their popcorn, the two of them watched the movie intermittently.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He disregarded the unease and focused solely on the moment when their lips met.


    But, as he tried to do that, he found out that he was unable to put it into words.


    It was similar to when one was looking at a bouquet of flowers. One might recognize it as such, but if the question, ¡®How many flowers make up the bouquet?¡¯ was asked, they¡¯d struggle to answer it.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain... I just felt a desire to... Just go for it, I guess...¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡®This conversation took an unexpected turn,¡¯ Siwoo thought.


    It felt awkward for him to discuss such matters while watching a romance movie.


    While Sharon seemed indifferent, he felt rather uneasy.


    ¡°Back then... My heart beat faster...¡±


    ¡°Your heart? It did that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Hearing his words, Sharon¡¯s eyes widened.


    She didn¡¯t seem to expect that answer.


    ¡°Then... It felt like everything around us disappeared... I could only focus on both of our lips... I felt an urge to do it, then I just did it...¡±


    ¡°You just did it? What about the other person? Don¡¯t you need their consent?¡±


    ¡°Hmm... Honestly, I¡¯m not sure about that part, but back then it felt like they also wanted to do it... It was just my hunch though...¡±


    Despite the uncomfortable topic, Siwoo honestly answered her curiosity.


    ¡°Would you have refrained if you weren¡¯t sure though?¡±


    ¡°Maybe not?¡±


    ¡°Hm... I guess relationships between men and women in real life are more complicated than in movies.¡±


    ¡®Exactly.¡¯


    Siwoo still had a lot of things he didn¡¯t understand.


    This intricate situation defied any attempt of him trying to simplify his answer.


    But at least their conversation was concluded with that, at least for now.


    For a while, they just stared blankly at the screen, without even watching the movie properly.


    Siwoo wasn¡¯t keen on the movie in the first place, while Sharon was busy thinking about the answers he gave her just now.


    [Slurrp... Smack... Ahh...]


    [Haah... Mm...]


    ¡°...¡±


    Soon enough, a passionate kissing scene unfolded, catching their attention.


    Sharon, who had been immersed in her thoughts, started watching the movie again.


    As for Siwoo, he glanced at her, noticing how she tried to do a deep analysis and compare Siwoo¡¯s answer with the scene unfolding in front of her.


    Except, it seemed like the scene wouldn¡¯t stop with just a kiss.


    [Oh yeah, fuck yeah~]


    And once again, Siwoo¡¯s well-honed intuition, nurtured by countless romance films, was correct.


    After the couple went back home and shared a kiss, things swiftly escalated to a scuffle at the door.


    Maybe because it was an adult romance comedy, they boldly revealed the woman¡¯s chest and the man¡¯s buttocks.


    At this point, Siwoo had long past feeling awkward over watching such scenes with Sharon since every film had a semblance of sex scene in it.


    It was because Sharon was usually unperturbed when watching such scenes.


    Well, it still felt awkward when their conversation was cut because these kinds of scenes come up, but ultimately, it wasn¡¯t that big of a deal.


    But something was different today.


    He noticed it when he took a glance at Sharon.


    She was sitting with her knees pulled close to her chest, her head slightly tilted and there were sparkles in her eyes as they stared at him.


    ¡®No way...¡¯


    ¡°Can I ask you another thing?¡±


    Due to how close they were, her scent was even more noticeable than usual.


    The only light source in the room was the dim light coming from the TV, but Siwoo could make out every detail of her.


    Her eyes possessed an enigmatic color, which seemed otherworldly.


    One wouldn¡¯t even need to exaggerate this description, as she had flawless features on her face that could captivate the hearts of any man, devoid of any imperfections.


    He noticed strands of hair covering her long eyelashes.


    And when he did, he finally realized how close their faces were at the moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing big...¡±


    At first, he tried to ignore it.


    Their usual daily life had already made him feel content.


    He didn¡¯t want any impulsive changes to occur in it.


    And, he could feel something, instinctively.


    How this question could bring a major change in their relationship.


    The mere thought of any unforeseen events to alter her friendship with her, or worse, destroying their relationship altogether, made him sad.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    But, before he could do anything, his words already slipped out of his mouth.

 Chapter 165: Friendship (4)

    ? Friendship (4) ?


    1.


    Siwoo could only see Sharon¡¯s face. It was as if time had stopped.


    Her cheeks were slightly flushed, dyed in peach color, just like when she got out of the shower, and her eyes were wandering, unsure on where to look.


    This made him understand.


    That she felt just as awkward and as embarrassed as him.


    ¡°Can I ask another thing? It¡¯s nothing big...¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    [Happy Halloween! I prepared a witch costume for you!]


    [Oh, fuck!]


    While they were doing that, the actors in the movie already fucked for five minutes.


    Currently, the screen showed various special and comical events that the two had been through over the past year.


    Seeing it at such a timing worried Siwoo.


    Sharon gulped and opened her mouth.


    ¡°You know, in movies... Kisses usually move into... Sex... Like this one...¡±


    ¡°Yes...¡±


    Such a scene, where a couple got all hot after a kiss before mixing their bodies together was almost a regular occurrence.


    But Sharon didn¡¯t continue her words.


    Prompting Siwoo to repeat his answer, as he suspected that she didn¡¯t hear his answer properly.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    After a brief period of hesitation, she finally opened her mouth.


    ¡°I think... It¡¯s a rude question to ask...¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re close enough. I don¡¯t think it is.¡±


    ¡°...Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°...Maybe...¡±


    Siwoo could roughly guess what she would ask, and concluded that it wouldn¡¯t be a difficult question to answer.


    ¡°Um... So... Have you... Done that...?¡±


    Sharon¡¯s slender finger was pointing at the screen. There, a scene where the man ejaculated into his girlfriend¡¯s pussy was being played.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I see. All of a sudden, you became more mature now...¡±


    She let out an awkward laugh.


    In response, Siwoo did the same.


    ¡°So, does the timing of moving on... To the next step... Come naturally? Just like kissing?¡±


    Her question made Siwoo feel a strong sense of deja vu.


    It felt exactly like something the twins would ask during their sex education nonsense.


    As soon as he was aware of that, his eyes wandered to her cleavage, as if it was being sucked into a black hole.


    Her upper chest, which seemed to be large enough to cover his member, reflected the evening light and shone with a subtle luster.


    ¡°Uh... Yeah...¡±


    At that moment, Sharon¡¯s eyes followed his gaze and went down to her chest for a moment before going back up again.


    Though it was only for a moment, she caught him staring intensely at her chest.


    Siwoo wondered whether he should apologize or not, but Sharon didn¡¯t even show any signs of concern toward his action. Instead, she quietly shifted the position of her upper body, which had been tilted towards his direction, back to its original position.


    ¡°I see...¡±


    After that, for the rest of the movie, no more words were exchanged between the two of them.


    2.


    ¡°Mm...¡±


    It was the time when a proper member of society who possessed a normal everyday life would have fallen asleep.


    Sharon was sitting on her bed, deep in though, swaying her body back and forth.


    At first, she didn¡¯t wake up to think about random things.


    She wanted to replenish the mana within her brand, which had become empty due to the treatment she gave Siwoo after today¡¯s battle with Della.


    Normally, the mana stored inside a witch¡¯s brand was dense.


    This dense mana had the property of attracting mana from the surroundings.


    The ¡®magnetization¡¯ process used this property to bring external mana into the brand, refined it and made it easier to use.


    Currently, her brand was completely empty, so its power to attract mana had weakened greatly.


    She surmised that it would probably take about two weeks to fill it back up.


    Her biggest source of money, the hunting for Homunculi, required mana. Since there were no means for her to supplement her mana, she was currently in quite a predicament.


    This meant she had to spend two weeks idly, while trying to recover.


    ¡°Sigh... What should I do...?¡±


    Having her thoughts wandered up to that point, Sharon let out a deep sigh.


    ¡®This all happened because of that bitch Della...¡¯


    Even if she recovered some of her mana and went back to hunt, her hunting ground had been taken over by Della.


    It was obvious that nasty bitch would claim possession over that area, even though she practically had no use for it. And every time Sharon would cross into the area, she¡¯d definitely threaten her.


    Not to mention that she also had made Siwoo suffer.


    Just thinking about it made Sharon¡¯s fists tremble.


    And the worst part about this was that even though she was angry, she couldn¡¯t just go find and complain to her.


    ¡°Do I really have to leave...?¡¯


    Seoul was the place where she was luckily able to settle down after moving about aimlessly when she first came to the modern world.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if she had become attached to it, but she definitely felt more accustomed to living in this city.


    Then there was also the time and effort needed of finding a new place, a new hunting ground and a new place to live to consider.


    While all that happened, she had to hold on from repaying her debt, which meant her interest rate would continue to grow. But, the thing was, if that were to happen, there was a chance that it¡¯d grow so large to the point that it exceeded the amount she had paid in the first place.


    She quickly got up and left the room.


    ¡°Ugh... Somehow, I feel even more confused...¡±


    The reason why she came to his room was because she wanted to forget about her problems, but somehow, she came out with a whole new problem due to the appearance of a strange impulse.


    Said impulse was her desire to kiss him secretly.


    She knew that kissing was an important act between a man and a woman.


    That was why she believed that the act of kissing him secretly was something cowardly, if anything.


    ¡®Maybe I¡¯ve gone crazy after all those romance movies...¡¯


    ¡°Think of a nice thought... A nice thought...¡±


    She roughly sat down on the sofa, the same one where she was watching the movie earlier.


    Trying to calm herself down, she deliberately diverted her line of thought.


    ¡®Yes... Just like this...¡¯


    ¡°Anyway... What should I do?¡±


    Speaking about Siwoo, he had done a lot of things for her.


    But, she couldn¡¯t even give her something decent in return.


    So far, she had only given him some crabs and treatment for his wounds.


    The former, he could order hundreds of them if he wanted.


    As for the latter, in the end, her magic could only heal the wounds on his body.


    After all, even magic couldn¡¯t heal a wounded heart.


    So, she wanted to help him, who had pushed himself so far for her sake.


    To do this, she decided to access the Modern World¡¯s Akashic Records, the very thing that contained the secrets of the universe.


    ¡°How to... Comfort... A friend...¡±


    She clumsily typed those words out, and not long after, a long list appeared in front of her eyes.


    ¡®Modern World¡¯s science is great, indeed!¡¯


    ¡®Everything could be solved by just doing this!¡¯


    ¡°Rather than trying to find unique words, just give him your sincere support... Consider his feelings first... Acknowledge him and give your support with a justification...¡±


    Though, Sharon knew at least this much. She wasn¡¯t stupid, after all.


    The reason why she found it difficult to comfort him so openly was because she didn¡¯t want to make it obvious.


    After all, this was a delicate matter. If she messed up, she could hurt his pride even more than this.


    ¡°How to comfort your boyfriend...?¡±


    As she looked through the unhelpful Akashic Records, she belatedly found a related search term.


    In Korea, a boyfriend refers to a male lover, not a male friend.


    Sharon and Siwoo were definitely not lovers.


    But, fundamentally, Siwoo was still a man, so Sharon had hopes that whatever came up from the search result might help her in one way or another.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a quick look...¡±


    Stroke his head.


    Hug him.


    Kiss him.


    Act cute in front of him.


    All of them were things that were pretty difficult to do unless they were in a relationship.


    Though, she figured that it might be useful someday.


    Besides, they had already hugged each other earlier today.


    ¡°Huh...?¡±


    At that moment, she found an article written on a counseling community.


    The title was ¡®My Boyfriend is Feeling Down.¡¯


    To summarize its content, the boyfriend of the writer seemed to be upset after failing his recruitment exam several times, but he didn¡¯t show it and instead acted exaggeratedly happy, making it hard for the writer to comfort him due to fear of hurting his pride.


    A similar situation as the one that Sharon and Siwoo were in.


    ¡°This is it!¡±


    Sharon shouted ¡®Eureka!¡¯ in her mind and hurriedly looked at the reply.


    [Let him touch your breasts. It works like a charm.]


    And as she did so, her hopes and dreams were crushed promptly.


    ¡®Breasts? What breasts?¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s just dumb. If that could solve everything, no men in this world would be left with any worries.¡±


    Though she referred to it as the Akashic Record, as there was a lot of information one could find there, there was a lot of useless trash in it as well.


    She carelessly scrolled down the replies, her eyes widened in the process.


    [Breasts are the best. When my boyfriend screwed up on his college entrance exam, I just asked him, ¡®Do you want to touch my breasts?¡¯ And that boosted his mood a lot.]


    As she scrolled down, she found more similar advice.


    She read through the various replies with shocked eyes.


    [Just looking at breasts made him feel good.]


    [I tried it after I saw it on the internet, but it surprisingly worked well.]


    [It also works when they¡¯re angry. Just show it to them, or let them touch it.]


    [Women¡¯s breasts soothe men both psychologically and biologically.]


    And so on. Countless stories about breasts were being told.


    Then, she got on the last message of the threat; The author¡¯s response.


    [Thank you^^ I followed all of your advice and my boyfriend really liked it! He seems to have regained his energy! I plan to support him by his side for another year.]


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s all it takes?¡±


    Sharon turned off her phone screen, feeling completely dumbfounded.


    ¡®Come to think of it, he¡¯d secretly glance at my breasts at times...¡¯


    ¡®Would it really comfort him if I let him freely see or touch it...?¡¯


    ¡®Men are so difficult to understand...¡¯

 Chapter 166: Witch of the Covenant (1)

    Chapter 166: Witch of the Covenant (1)


    ? Witch of the Covenant (1) ?


    1.


    Altai Mountains.


    Or ¡®Mountain of Gold¡¯ in Mongolian, the mountain range that spanned 1,600 kilometers from the Gobi Desert to Siberian Plain, crossing four nations in its path; Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Russia and China. It cut a path across those nations, from the southeast to the northwest.


    Across the vast terrain, a newly formed, meandering river flowed, accompanied by the rustling sound of scattered cottonwoods and birch trees along the valleys, swaying in the strong winds.


    At the mountain¡¯s peak that pierced the deep blue sky, ice-capped like hats, there were various untamed slopes where the wild goats thrived as they ran along the mountain ranges.


    And standing among such a grand showcase of nature was a petite woman. Even those who didn¡¯t believe in gods would find themselves chanting divine praises when they saw this scene.


    Though she appeared mature, she possessed a look akin to a girl who had just entered adulthood.


    However, anyone who encountered her for the first time would have a hard time recognizing this subtle distinction.


    Her hair and eyes held a mysterious allure, surpassing even the beauty of the Altai Mountains¡¯ landscapes.N??v€l--?1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.


    And her allure wasn¡¯t confined to her appearance alone.


    To reach this area to begin with required one to traverse tens of kilometers from the nearest nomadic settlement, marking it as a challenging place to reach.


    Yet, she stood there without a proper guide, dressed lightly, as though she was out for a leisure stroll. She stepped onto the surface of a chilly lake formed by the melting glacier.


    The pure white sword, that was taller than her own body added to the mysterious allure that she possessed.


    ¡°...¡±


    Suddenly, a wave of mana began emanating around her.


    Magenta-colored aura reflected subtly in her eyes.


    The serene water, resembling a mirror, without a single ripple traversing through it, quivered as it received the intense mana that poured out of the woman.


    An interdimensional barrier slowly expanded from around her, gradually engulfing the surrounding landscape.


    Ten meters, twenty, a hundred, five hundred... One kilometer... Five... Ten...


    While Duchess Keter had already simplified the formula needed for this spell, deploying it on such a scale would still need a substantial amount of mana.


    Despite her cute look, the lack of playfulness in the woman¡¯s face took away part of the charm that usually accompanied someone with such a look.


    ¡°...There you are...¡±


    She murmured as she tapped on the water¡¯s surface lightly.


    Immediately, the lake churned, stirring up a roaring waterstorm.


    This phenomenon wasn¡¯t caused by mana, surprisingly.


    The woman¡¯s forceful kick was the sole thing that was responsible for it.


    It harbored an immense kinetic energy that defied the laws of physics.


    With a single leap, she crossed several hundred of meters, charging toward her destination.


    Every step she took seemed to trigger some sort of explosive reaction from her surroundings.


    Though her dashes barely brushed the birch trees, they were enough to shake them to their roots and shattered the lake¡¯s tranquility.


    After dashing for about ten seconds, she abruptly stopped on a certain meadow that was covered in thick grass.


    The cause? Because she had found her target, the Homunculus, ¡®Red Knight,¡¯ who had escaped from her and concealed itself inside a subspace.


    ¡°...¡±


    It stood around two meters tall.


    There was an ominously thick, fiery red armor covering its body.


    It briefly glanced in the direction of the woman as it sensed her presence.


    Despite its injuries, the time it managed to buy had granted it a swift recovery.


    Most Homunculi weren¡¯t given any unique names.


    This was because all Homunculi were different, and it was simply inefficient to give those creatures who¡¯d be killed immediately once found flashy names.


    So, what did it mean if a Homunculus bore a name?


    Simple, it meant that specific Homunculi possessed a fearsome reputation and it had survived in this world for centuries.


    Similar to an Exile bearing the label ¡®Criminal¡¯ for all the harm she caused to witches and humans, this ominous Homunculus bore the name ¡®Red Knight.¡¯


    Since its discovery in the Apennine Mountains five hundred years ago, this monstrous creation of the Witch of Creation had caused deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians, even killing seven witches who sought to hunt it down.


    -Clang!


    The Red Knight swiftly thrusted its spear, resonating with its crimson armor.


    She utilized one of her twelve ¡®covenants¡¯ on it.


    It allowed her to pinpoint each other¡¯s locations.


    That was why she could vividly sense its presence even though there was a considerable distance between the two of them.


    While the range of error was still within several dozen kilometers, at least she could narrow down her search range.


    Her experience in hunting numerous Homunculi taught her that their spatial leaps had limitations.


    The further the distance they traversed, the longer time it would take for them to do another leap.


    This time, the Red Knight covered quite a distance in a single leap.


    Which meant, it was impossible for it to escape from her if she were to find it again.


    Eloa crouched her body down and sprinted forward.


    She accelerated, almost reaching the speed of sound, covering several kilometers per minute.


    -Beep! Beep! Beep!


    Suddenly, her phone alarm rang, and she abruptly stopped her legs.


    Since she had been dwelling in remote areas for a while, the moment she reached a place where she could receive a phone signal, a backlog of emails flooded her inbox.


    ¡°...¡±


    She scanned through the email¡¯s header, and suddenly her body froze, seemingly unable to believe what she had just read.


    [Madam Tiphereth, Ea Sadalmelik invaded Gehenna, and was promptly killed by Baroness Amelia Marigold.]


    [The death of the criminal, Ea Sadalmelik.]


    [Sadalmelik¡¯s death.]


    Similar messages flooded her inbox.


    As the founder of Witch Points worldwide, she was able to gather all information concerning Homunculi and their activities.


    But even so, for her, any intel regarding Ea took precedence over everything else.


    Those multitude of emails she received all conveyed the same information.


    The news of Ea Sadalmelik¡¯s death, the person responsible for killing her own apprentice witch a century ago.


    ¡®She¡¯s... Dead...?¡¯


    ¡®That bitch who¡¯s always slipping away like a cockroach...?¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯re telling me she¡¯s dead...? Just like that...?¡¯


    Eloa sensed something inside her snap.


    At that moment, two scenes flashed before her eyes.


    The image of herself granting permission to her apprentice witch, Ravi, who had pleaded for the chance to go out and have fun in the modern world.


    And the haunting memory of her embracing Ravi¡¯s chilling body inside a shabby warehouse.


    Ever since that day, she made a solemn vow.


    To survive, only to avenge her apprentice, against the vile being who unjustly killed and stole her bowl.


    But that quest for vengeance had come to an abrupt end.


    After all, she couldn¡¯t hold the deceased accountable, no matter how wicked they were when they were still alive.


    She was unable to hurl her heartfelt anger against that vile witch.


    And this abrupt development robbed her of the ability to stir her emotions.


    ¡°Ravi... Ravi...¡±


    Her legs gave way and she slumped to the floor, calling out the name of her beloved apprentice.


    After momentarily lost in a daze, she managed to gather herself and struggled to rise.


    ¡®No, nothing is certain yet...¡¯


    ¡®There¡¯s a chance that it¡¯s merely a rumor...¡¯


    ¡®I have to find out the truth.¡¯


    She took out her Gehenna citizenship card and infused it with mana before plunging herself into the nearby blue river.


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 Chapter 167: Witch of the Covenant (2)

    Chapter 167: Witch of the Covenant (2)


    Witch of the Covenant (2)


    1.


    In an immigration office made for the witches to travel between the Modern World and Gehenna.


    The lounge connected to the portal was crowded with people, as today, there were a lot of witches visiting the place.


    From beyond said portal, a witch with light pink hair, akin to the cherry blossom, came out.


    Her magenta eyes shone with pride and conviction, no coquetry nor flirtatious allure were hidden within them.


    With her pursed thin lips and charming body lines.


    And the way she carried herself as she walked towards the center of the lounge with short, yet precise steps, showing the aura of a charismatic leader.


    As soon as they saw her, the witches who had been conversing inside the lounge, all went silent.


    Then, they promptly lowered their heads.


    All of them recognized who this woman was; A personage that stood out even among the witches.


    The Witch of the Covenant, Duchess Eloa Tiphereth herself.


    Though, the reason why they bowed their heads wasnt solely because of their respect towards her title.


    After all, this was the woman who slaughtered hundreds of Homunculi and killed dozens of criminals for their sake.


    No matter how bull-headed or self-righteous a witch was, theyd pay their respects to her merits and noble acts.


    Toward such an awe-filled response, Eloa gave them a look before walking towards the person she was looking for.


    Its been a while, Madam Deneb Gemini.


    Duchess Tiphereth. Have you been well?


    In front of her was a white-haired witch, dressed in an old-fashioned mermaid dress, greeting her with a smile.


    As soon as Deneb received the Duchess call, she passed over her tightly packed schedule to Albireo and came out to greet the Duchess by herself.


    It wasnt a surprising response. After all, the Gemini Household profited by purchasing and selling items and legacies that were acquired by the Duchess.


    She was a customer who provided them with a continuous supply of high-quality magic tools and artifacts, of course theyd give her a VIP treatment like this.


    Wheres Ea Sadalmelik?


    Shall we change our locations before we talk? I brought my carriage here.


    Lets get going then.


    Eloa strode past Deneb with a rather rough gait, but the latter understood the reason behind it.


    While at a glance Eloa might seem calm, Deneb could clearly see that she was trying really hard to suppress her emotion. Like a ticking time bomb, said emotion could explode at any moment.


    This was the person who had been wandering around the Modern World for the last century. Never once did she set foot in Gehenna since then. But, as soon as she had heard the news of Eas death, she immediately rushed back here.


    That was how strong her desire to confirm the authenticity of the news she received with her own eyes, despite her having access to long-range communication devices.


    The two people sat opposite of each other inside an elegant carriage.


    As soon as Deneb settled herself on her seat, Ea opened her mouth to speak.


    Ea Sadalmelik is dead? Is this true?


    First of all, I would like to express my condolences. And indeed, last winter, the Witch of Aquarius sneaked into Gehenna to attack Baroness Marigold, and was promptly killed in the battle between herself and the Baroness.


    At that moment


    Deneb saw Eloas accusing gaze collapse.


    But, she was still staring at her in disbelief.


    This was probably the reason why she visited her directly, as Deneb was someone who was capable of collecting more accurate information than anyone else.


    Impossible


    Duchess


    Thats impossible. That woman is a thorough one And her persistence is like that of a cockroach What of her body? Have you found it?


    Eloa asked, leaning her body towards Deneb as if she was about to pounce on her.


    This put the latter into a little bit of predicament.


    After all, if she couldnt control her anger and lightly hit the carriage with her fist, it would inevitably collapse, just like a mountain house getting run over by a landslide.


    We havent found her body However, considering the nature of Baroness Marigolds self-essence magic We can at least confirm that she evaporated without a trace.


    The nature of Particle Magic was to interfere with its surroundings by spraying microscopic particles around. Itd tear any opposition into pieces, bit by bit.


    Back then, Deneb immediately rushed to the place where they had fought after hearing the twins words, only to find Amelia screaming while hugging Siwoo. The Baroness was without any injuries, meanwhile Sadalmelik had been turned into a pile of flowers.


    It was clear that the gap between their skills was overwhelming.


    With such a difference, there was no way shed allow Sadalmelik to escape.


    At least, Deneb was sure of this.


    The further she went in her explanation, Eloas expression became even more crumpled.


    At this point, the Duchess barely managed to suppress her heavy breathing that was mixed with nihilism and resentment.


    You said that the one who fought Sadalmelik was Marigold, right? Ill meet with her in person. I still cant believe that wicked fox is dead. Please arrange it for me.


    Eloas tone was ablaze with her passion to not give up on this matter so easily.


    On the other hand, Deneb was put in a tough spot.


    This was because she had learned from Sophia about the condition the Baroness was in.


    She locked herself inside the hut she used to live in as an apprentice, stating that she wouldnt meet with anyone.


    3.


    I saw her last moment with my own eyes.


    Amelia retold the events that happened that day with sincerity.


    Though she occasionally felt a pang in her chest as she talked about Siwoo.


    As she had expected, the Duchess went out of her way to visit her to hear about the process that led to Eas death, and to make sure that she was really dead.


    She understood this feeling.


    After all, she only had one in a lifetime chance at revenge.


    Except that her chance was already gone, as Amelia was the one who had pulled the trigger for her.


    But, it wasnt like she had another choice back then either.


    My apologies.


    With these words, Amelia ended her story.


    The Duchess weakly stood up from her seat.


    During that time, have you ever lost sight of her for a moment? Or noticed something unusual from her?


    No.


    Did you feel something like an illusion magic or space magic being casted?


    I didnt.


    I see Thank you


    Eloa, who expressed her gratitude in a shaky voice, as if she had lost her energy, felt like a different person than when she first came in.


    Her previously sharp gaze had turned gloomy, and her dignified tone had turned into that of a sick person.


    She then trudged out of the cabin, leaving only Deneb and Amelia inside.


    Deneb took a sip of the already cold tea before putting down the cup.


    The Duchess is having a hard time maintaining her composure.


    I could see.


    If I were to leave her alone, shed come barging in here That was why I brought her over despite knowing that this was rude of me


    Its okay.


    Then, Ill take my leave.


    Seeing Amelias condition, Deneb thought that she was in a better state than she expected.


    Or maybe shes faking it?


    After saying her goodbye, Deneb left the cabin, comparing Amelias current appearance with the one she had seen in the past.


    Back when she left the twins in her care, Amelia looked just like a living doll.


    Though she was pretty, even from a witchs point of view, her beauty felt artificial, as it was devoid of any human emotions.


    When she visited her for the second time, to gain the ownership of Shin Siwoo from her, she was much more lively than before.


    Though she showed more negative emotions, such as nervousness and mild anger, it made her seem like someone who could feel both joy and sorrow.


    Comparing those two appearances to her current one, Deneb concluded that she looked closer to the first time they met.


    While she looked fine on the outside, she exuded a cold sharpness that seemed as if she could cut anything that touched her.


    Is she feeling upset?


    However, she wasnt her nanny, therefore, she didnt need to care about her condition.


    So, she went straight to Eloa, who was walking further away from her.


    What are you planning to do now?


    I dont know.


    How about a little rest? Ill prepare a place for you at my mansion.


    No need, I still have something to do. There is an enemy that I need to chase, I have to catch and kill it before it teleports again.


    Are you going right away?


    Yes.


    Deneb felt that the other witch was pushing herself too hard.


    She even gave up her magic research and lived to get her revenge, so that no one would experience the sorrow she felt.


    Now that one of her goals that she had been pursuing for a century had suddenly disappeared, the feeling of emptiness must have weighed on her body.


    Its nice meeting you after such a long time.


    If only she could let it go for a little.


    With those feelings in mind, Deneb asked her a question.


    Where are you heading to?


    Korea.


    That was the answer that came out of her mouth.


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 Chapter 168: Friendship? (1)

    Chapter 168: Friendship? (1)


    Friendship? (1)


    1.


    As Siwoo woke up in the morning, he noticed a different atmosphere with Sharon.


    Thanks for the food!


    Like usual, Sharon was the one in charge of ordering breakfast.


    But today, she only ordered two servings worth of meals for herself.


    The sight was unbelievable to Siwoo.


    Like, normally shed eat more than three servings without batting an eyelid, but today she only ate two and said Thanks for the food without complaining.


    Are you sick?


    Huh? No? Why do you ask?


    The question came out of Siwoos mouth before she could realize it, while Sharon answered it with a question of her own because she didnt understand why he even asked that question.


    Youre eating less than usual today


    Ah, that. Well, I dont normally eat much to begin with. Like, I barely ate any before I met you.


    Is that really the case?


    This wasnt the only anomaly that Siwoo noticed from her, though. She acted strangely during the whole breakfast itself.


    How should I put it? The atmosphere is Awkward?


    It was the first time since they became friends that they had a meal in silence, so Siwoo was feeling a little flustered.


    He suspected that the conversation they had yesterday was the cause of this current situation. The one when she asked him whether he had kissed or had sex or not.


    Come to think of it, she began to act strangely ever since she asked that


    While Siwoo was pondering about this, Sharon had done the dishes, wiped the remaining water off the plates and went to the living room.


    Siwoo.


    Yeah?


    Do you want to come to my room?


    What?


    Her room?


    Ever since she moved in here, Siwoo had never entered her room.


    Likewise, Sharon never entered his room, unless they were holding a magic class there.


    After all, despite them living together, they werent lovers or anything of that sort. There were certain lines that they shouldnt cross.


    Those lines became unwritten rules that they abided on their own.


    Its nothing big. Follow me.


    Shes giving a vibe as if shes going to do something big, though


    Siwoo felt uneasy.


    He suspected that there must be something important she wanted to talk about, otherwise, she wouldnt go out of her way to invite him to her room.


    Alright, Ill go there after I clean this up.


    Okay.


    What is it?


    Did something happen?


    Maybe its about her debt?


    Or did I offend her somehow yesterday?


    What is it?


    Even when he tried to rack his brain, he couldnt come up with a reason. So he gave up on thinking and decided to hear her out.


    He knocked up on the door to her room and entered.


    Inside, Sharon was sitting on her bed, wearing a subtle look.


    Across her, there was an empty chair, a perfect setup for an interrogation or something similar to that.


    What happened?


    First, can you sit down?


    Siwoo complied and sat down.


    As he did, a hesitant look appeared on Sharons face.


    It seemed like she had something to say, but the words just refused to leave her mouth.


    Can you close your eyes?


    Can you tell me whats going on first?


    Um, no


    Normally, Sharon would respect Siwoos wishes.


    But this time, she didnt.


    Is she trying to give me a surprise?


    Fine.


    He decided to comply and closed his eyes tightly. Soon afterwards, he heard rustling sounds from Sharons direction.


    You can open your eyes now.


    Okay


    W-Wait! Wait a second! D-Dont do that! Wait a little longer!


    What? What are you even up to?


    This only confused Siwoo even more.


    But, he decided to trust her, after all there seemed to be a reason behind this.


    After hearing his answer, she let out a giggle.


    Her response made him look at her with a puzzled expression. At that moment, their eyes met, and she showed him a shy smile.


    Its The first time that anyone ever praised my chest


    Im just telling you the truth.


    But theres a mole on my left chest Doesnt it look ugly?


    No.


    Phew, thats good then I was worried that youd find it repulsive


    The tone of her voice implied that she had been treating this whole affair like some sort of an important mission.


    It wasnt something that Siwoo particularly mind, but it did make him question, Why?


    In normal cases, she was pretty straightforward, but it seemed like she did possess strange quirks in some specific cases.


    So, does it make you feel better?


    Im not sure what youre trying to ask, but I guess it does?


    Even his lower body parts would agree to his words.


    Then, do you want to touch them?


    Huh?


    Do you want to touch them? My chest, I meant.


    Ms. Sharon, things are progressing way too fast, I cant keep up!


    Siwoo felt like he was approaching his limits.


    He knew that if he were to cross that line, this peaceful cohabitation would turn into something else entirely.


    There was a huge chance that Sharon, being naive as she was, heard about something strange and followed it without even realizing what her actions entailed.


    If the reason behind her current action was because she was acting on impulse, even Siwoo himself didnt know what would happen between them afterwards.


    The atmosphere quickly turned awkward and rather suffocating for him.


    I-I still feel embarrassed to go beyond that, but Im fine with you touching them with your hands


    At that moment, her tank top fell down a little, but she quickly readjusted it, shaking the pair of mounds in the process.


    After looking at them again, Siwoo just couldnt hold himself back anymore.


    Just like Adam when he reached for the forbidden fruit, Siwoo grabbed Sharons chest with his hand.


    He grabbed the lower part of her chest, supporting its weight with his hand.


    Ngg


    At this unfamiliar touch, Sharons whole body froze.


    Ah


    While Siwoo exclaimed at the heavenly feelings that he felt with his hand.


    Its heavy.


    What he felt was the texture that was softer than velvet, yet more elastic than pudding.


    Sharons chest distorted because of his grip in such a way that it made her nipples stand out more than before.


    It invoked an urge to lean closer and suck them out to his hearts content.


    After that, he started touching her chest in earnest.


    Every time he moved his fingers, it sank into her chest, but as soon as he moved them away, itd immediately return to its former shape without any hitch.


    This also happened to her erect nipples as he kneaded them with his palm, the sensation he felt was as addicting as taking up drugs.


    After all that, he barely could take his hands off her chest.


    He really was nearing his limit. If he were to keep going for another minute, he was sure that hed lose all his rationality and attack her right there and then.


    W-Was it good?


    Of course, Sharon was no better; She also almost reached her limit as well. As soon as Siwoo took her hand off, she immediately covered her chest with her tank top again.


    She corrected her sitting posture and clasped her knees together, placing her folded hands right on top of them.


    The corners of her mouth were twitching upwards, showing that she didnt actually find the experience detestable.


    I think Its time to proceed with our magic lesson now


    Okay, let me get dressed first, then Ill come over You can leave now


    Just like that, the two of them exchanged such words, trying to treat as if nothing had happened. Albeit, there was a slightly awkward atmosphere between them.


    As Siwoo tried to leave the room, trying to hide his fully erect rod, he could hear Sharons voice in his ears.


    Siwoo


    Yes?


    If you want to see Or touch them again Feel free to ask me, okay? Especially when you feel depressed or having a hard time


    A-Ah Okay


    He responded as such to her provocative suggestion before leaving the room.


    What just happened?


    Siwoo knew that Sharons knowledge about male-female relationship was as lacking as the twins.


    Her only source of knowledge were the few romance movies that she had watched.


    If it was any other woman, he could assume that she was doing it because she was interested in him, but this was Sharon he was talking about. He was completely clueless on what she was up to.


    In any case


    That was fun


    Still recalling the lingering sensation of her motherhood in his hands, its weight and its softness, he went into his room to prepare for his lesson.


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 Chapter 169: Friendship? (2)

    Chapter 169: Friendship? (2)


    Friendship? (2)


    1.


    Sharons part-time job was a simple one.


    She only needed to scan barcodes, swipe cards, receive cash in person, give out changes, check out the inventories, display some of the products, and occasionally wipe the floor.


    Because of her beauty, sometimes there were overly clingy people that would try to hook up with her, but that was a story of the past. After she bought a Tarnishing Charm, those people stopped coming.


    Said charm could significantly reduce the presence of the person wearing it. It wasnt an exaggeration to say that most witches in the Modern World owned it.


    After all, all witches possessed an exquisite beauty, and such beauty would attract unneeded attention from pests, whether they liked it or not.


    Although its performance wasnt as good as Siwoos music box, which was able to hide both magic waves and sound, for something that could be bought for 500,000 won, it was worth all the money.


    Without it, shed have to deal with people trying to hit on her every ten steps, and that really wasnt something she could appreciate.


    Should I just quit?


    As she sat down by herself behind the counter, she looked around the empty convenience store.


    Normally, at times like this, shed try to study about stocks and blockchain.


    But, after tasting the bitterness of crashing stocks and blockchain, all her passion about them vanished.


    Nowadays, she spent her time in a daze.


    In the first place, the reason why she took up a part-time job was to cover for her living expenses, including to pay for her rent.


    But, she didnt have to worry about both anymore. She only needed to teach Siwoo magic lessons to cover for them.


    Siwoo Siwoo Hmm


    Crossing both arms and legs, she muttered the name that came to her mind.


    She remembered the thing that happened earlier in the morning.


    The Ill let you touch my chest event that she prepared with great care to soothe Siwoos sad and discouraged heart.


    Now that she had the time to think about it, she realized that what she had done was something quite bold.


    No matter how close they were, to let him see her bare chest like that was a little too far.


    But


    Not only did she let him see, she also let him squeeze them to his heart content.


    Though, as an exchange, he seemed to be more spirited than usual, so it wasnt all that bad.


    Sharon stared at her chest.


    Theyre nice


    That was the first time in her life that someone had ever praised her chest.


    Ugh


    Are they really nice, though? If anything, they only make me uncomfortable when running And theres the mole


    Because this was the first time she had ever shown her chest to a man, she was skeptical towards Siwoos praise.


    But still, I showed him these And even let him touch them


    In some of the R-rated movies she watched, she saw scenes where the male protagonist would grab the female protagonists chest whenever they were making out.


    Previously, she had wondered what it would feel like if someone were to do that to her, but surprisingly, she didnt really feel anything.


    Whenever her nipples brushed against his thick palm, she felt a little itchy, but otherwise, she didnt feel anything special.


    Seriously, whats wrong with me?


    But, for some reason, whenever she thought about it, her face would turn hot.


    Not only that, her chest also felt all tingly.


    Those movies never said anything about this!


    Nevertheless, she was proud of what she had done.


    After all, it was clear that Siwoo seemed to like it.


    While it might be that every male in this world would like what she had done, but still


    It isnt like Im doing anything bad


    She told him that he was free to ask her if he was having a hard time, but she knew that he wouldnt do that. Even if he were going through a hard time, he wouldnt go out of her way to trouble her just for something like that. He was that kind of a person.


    That was why she decided that shed be the one whod brought the matter up instead.


    Anyway, I should stop thinking about this.


    It was near the end of her shift, so she checked out the inventory for one last time. When she was done with it, she left the convenience store.


    Huh?


    That was when she noticed something.


    The steps she took were as light as a feather.


    Though they sounded awkward, she seemed to be humming for a while now.


    No, this wasnt because she felt joyful over her ending shift.


    It was because of the fact that she would be able to meet with Siwoo again after she took that elevator.


    Even when youre not here with me, Id always think of you


    Id give you all the treasures in this world


    Thinking about meeting you already made me feel happy


    Back then, I still didnt know why. But now, I know.


    I love you.


    Suddenly, she was reminded of a scene from one of the movies she had watched.


    Even when we arent together, I still think about him I do want to give him a lot of things in this world And Just by thinking about meeting him, I already feel happy?


    Am I In love with him?


    This realization struck her dumbfounded for a moment. Soon, it was replaced by a hearty laugh.


    What am I even talking about? Thats ridiculous.


    Ill open it.


    It feels like Im doing something illegal.


    I know, right?


    After exchanging such a meaningful joke, Siwoo grabbed the handle to the door.


    He only pulled it lightly, but the power boost he received from his armor was tremendous.


    The doors frame was bent, accompanied by the sound of steel being crushed. Meanwhile, the glass between the frame was shattered.


    Because of the quiet surroundings, the sound he made was explosively loud.


    That didnt trigger the alarm?


    Stop dawdling and go in quickly.


    I know, I was just Surprised


    Sharon was used to these kinds of actions, but that wasnt the case with Siwoo.


    Illegally breaking into a closed building wasnt something he normally did, after all.


    He knew that they were inside a barrier, but he was still amazed at how differently things went.


    Anyway, you said you want to try out something What were you talking about?


    Ah, Ive changed the components of the shadow Ive been using. Just a little though. I want to see how they perform.


    What kind of change?


    I mixed a little of the Earth Element that you told me. Can you look over it and point out the mistakes that I made?


    Sharon was barely able to hide her shock after hearing Siwoos words.


    How long have you been taking lessons from me, again? Youve already trying to mix it into your existing spell?


    Of course, she didnt express her thoughts out loud.


    After all, she could do it later, when he finally showed his magic to her.


    Though, she had a strong feeling that there wouldnt be anything for her to criticize.


    As they conversed, they explored the inside of the department store.


    .Its pretty dark here


    Just like any other normal department store, the first floor was the place where they sold cosmetics and seasonal clothes. The whole floor was engulfed in darkness.


    There was no window, so no moonlight could enter and the only illumination inside was the green fluorescent light on the emergency exit sign.


    Ill light it up.


    Five decorative lights were lit up around Sharon.


    This feels like a date Siwo thought.


    But, he didnt utter that thought out loud.


    However, as they explored half of the first floor, both of them noticed something.


    At that moment, they turned their gazes toward each other.


    And their eyes met.


    Somethings off.


    Right?


    Uneasiness covered both of their hearts.


    One thing they just realized was the fact that Sharons compass only had a search range of 150m.


    From outside to here Weve walked way past 150m, havent we?


    Something shouldve come out at this point


    What shouldve happened was that the needle pointing in another direction at one point, but


    The needle keeps on pointing in that direction


    We should escape.


    Siwoo was ready to take Sharon outside.


    While he didnt know what would happen


    He had a terribly bad premonition.


    What?


    And as they were having that conversation.


    The compass suddenly started spinning uncontrollably, as if it was broken.


    -Grrr


    Then they heard growling noises from their surroundings.


    The source were the black dogs that they had been hunting so far.


    Siwoo, I dont have the strength to protect you


    Sorry for being stubborn


    Save that for later. This isnt something you need to apologize for, anyway. You didnt know it would turn out like this.


    Let alone Siwoo, Sharon herself didnt expect this kind of development either.


    The case where more a bunch of similar Homunculi grouping up together was unheard of. Besides, even if there were ten of them, Sharon would still be able to dispose of them quickly.


    But the growls they heard came from their surroundings. One or two Homunculi wouldnt make that much noise.


    From between the shelves, the escalator, hangers, corridors, emergency stairs


    Red eyes were staring at them from every direction, there were more than fifty of them.


    After succeeding in luring their prey, the group of beasts finally revealed themselves.


    Itching to take their revenge against two people who have been killing of their kins.


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 Chapter 170: Friendship? (3)

    Chapter 170: Friendship? (3)


    Friendship? (3)


    1.


    How can day and night be so different?


    Even in the should-be familiar first-floor of the department store, this darkness weighed heavily on their shoulders.


    The creatures lurking in the corners amplified their unease, as they chose not to attack despite having them surrounded completely.


    Siwoo racked his brain.


    Wondering if this long standoff was really worth all the trouble.


    As time passed, sweat streamed down his back like a waterfall.


    The red-eyes around them flashed like warning lights, increasing the pressure they were giving, but they only stood in place, as if waiting for something.


    Though, this intense standoff wasnt all that bad. At least, it offered a moment for Siwoo and Sharon to converse.


    Do you know whats going on?


    Not exactly, but something feels off You see, if there were so many of them, even if they were to conceal themselves in their subspaces, we would still find them during our search


    Siwoo nodded in agreement after hearing Sharons words.


    There werent only one or two of those dogs in this place.


    Considering the size of the buildings, dozens, or maybe there were even hundreds of them here.


    And we didnt discover any of them until now? How?


    Are they usually this smart?


    It varies based on the number and shape of their eyes But you shouldve seen it. In most cases, theyre no different than ordinary beasts


    But what about this case? It feels like theyre under someones command or something.


    Under someones Command?


    Siwoo began to explain his assumption to Sharon.


    First, to avoid detection during our search, they somehow hid themselves, all while luring us and keeping a distance of 150 meters. Then, when we reached the center of the department store, where we wouldnt be able to escape, they immediately closed in on us and tightened their encirclement. Dont you think their behavior is strange?


    Indeed, their actions were too well-planned.


    They moved in unison, as if they were one.


    Commanding Homunculus


    A certain witch came to Sharons mind.


    Could it be?


    Do you know something?


    But Sharon quickly rejected her own assumption.


    Now way.


    If that Criminal Exile is here, there wouldve been a much bigger commotion.


    Hell, there wouldve been a huge disaster happening by now.


    We first encountered those black dogs three months ago. If the mastermind behind those incidents was really the Cowardly Witch, she wouldnt be content with causing such small-scale incidents.


    Besides, she hasnt been showing herself since the Chernobyl Incident.


    No. Lets focus on getting out of here for now.


    How many can you take on with your remaining mana?


    Probably twenty or so What about you?


    Ill have to try to find out.


    One fortunate thing for Sharon was the fact that Siwoo seemed much calmer than she had anticipated.


    Even for Sharon, someone with a fair amount of hunting experience, this was a dire situation.


    While it might not be so in action movies, in real life, sheer numbers could overturn overwhelming skill differences.


    And even if one wasnt aware of that fact, it was only natural to feel afraid when they were being surrounded by those growling monsters.


    But Siwoo showed no signs of such unease.


    This calmness of his also eased Sharons mind, making her feel composed despite the looming danger.


    If he wasnt here, she wasnt even sure that she could keep her composure.


    Youre quite reliable, dont you know that?


    The words slipped out of her mouth unintentionally, prompting Siwoo to turn his surprised gaze at her. A moment later, a smirk formed on his face.


    Their number keeps increasing.


    So? Should we move away now?


    The sooner we do, the better, but theres a problem. The encirclement near the entrance is surprisingly loose.


    Taking note of his observation, Sharon also scanned their surroundings.


    And she confirmed the validity of his words; There was a spot where the number of the red-eyes were considerably lesser than the rest of the spots.


    Ive got something in mind, do you wanna hear it? If not, sure, youve got more experience than me anyway.


    What is it? Ill hear you out.


    Siwoo then explained to Sharon what he had found out from his observations.


    He spoke hurriedly, sensing that time was running short.


    The encirclement near the entrance is loose, but the one around the escalator leading towards the underground is extremely tight. I have a feeling that theyre trying to guide us toward the entrance Well, thats assuming they have that kind of intelligence to begin with


    Youre trying to tell me that we shouldnt go through the entrance?


    Almost as if engraved into his muscles, before the thought of how to defeat the enemy crossed his mind, he effortlessly created a weapon and exploited the enemys weakest points.


    His movements were even more natural and fluid compared to his battle with Della.


    -Kiieek!


    Partially dazed, Sharon watched him effortlessly breaking through the encirclement.


    At first, she was especially concerned about him.


    Despite his experience fighting the Homunculi, he still didnt have as much experience as her, after all.


    Normally, an ordinary person would panic when they had to fight against such numbers.


    -Boom!


    Suddenly, a sharp, ribbon-like whip lashed out, deflecting two Homunculi that were trying to attack Sharon from behind.


    At the same time, Siwoo used the weight of his shield to strike down one Homunculus and crushed another ones head with his foot.


    He effortlessly handled the Homunculi charging at her without even taking a glance while simultaneously facing the ones charging at him from the front.


    Watching this, Sharon recalled a phrase.


    Free from restraint1, related to Zen Buddhism, meaning unfettered, free from restraint, adaptable.


    A Chinese philosophy that referred to a state where ones actions and thoughts flowed freely without obstructions.


    His movements were unhindered.


    Devoid of any momentary hesitations or interruptions.


    Like an experienced hunter, he adeptly wielded his magic, continuously altering the form of his weapon, leaving no space for the Homunculi to evade his relentless onslaught.


    This allowed Sharon to break free from the entrapment without having to resort to using her staff.


    In the blink of an eye, he swiftly killed three more Homunculi while Sharon was preoccupied with unnecessary thoughts.


    As someone who was also walking the path of magic, she couldnt help but admire Siwoos ability to overcome obstacles using a skill that closely resembled martial arts.


    This was something that normally could only be obtained after years of pushing himself to the limit while undergoing abusive training.


    If hes really this skilled He could probably beat Della despite the gap between their magical abilities


    Wait, could it be that he really beat her?


    Such bizarre thoughts began to form in her mind.


    Amidst the chaos of splattering Homunculi body fluids and screams, Siwoo continued to push ahead.


    Finally, he spotted the entrance to the escalator, which seemed impossible to reach.


    -Grrr


    Phew


    To his surprise, the Homunculi didnt pounce on him, but instead kept a certain distance from him, trying to maintain their initial standoff.


    This brief moment of respite allowed him to catch his breath, wipe off his sweat and survey his surroundings.


    And what he saw surprised him.


    The once overwhelming number of monsters had diminished significantly. He could easily count their numbers at a glance.


    Those repulsive creatures started to retreat with their tails between their legs.


    Siwoo tried to describe the current situation.


    If he was allowed to say his honest thoughts, he felt that he didnt get the thrill he previously expected.


    When he first defeated a Homunculus, he had sprinted around, leaving his whole body in pain due to excessive mana usage.


    But back then, he felt a sense of accomplishment as his hard work paid off.


    Today was different. The battle was so one-sided that he couldnt even feel proud of his accomplishment.


    Such a one-sided fight Do we even need to run?


    They had been trying to look for those Homunculi every night.


    Now that they achieved such a major success, he didnt feel the need to escape.


    Youll never know. There might still be more of them lurking in ambush.


    But Sharon thought otherwise, expressing a rather cautious approach.


    Even with all the uncertainties, Siwoo had killed around eighty Homunculi, including those who joined the encirclement later.


    If they were to deal with the rest of them, that number would rise to about a hundred.


    Even if their crystals were valued at one million won each, itd still sum up to a hundred million won.


    She couldnt earn a billion won through normal work in a short time, but she could easily make that much by hunting the Homunculi.


    With one billion won, she wouldnt have to depend on Siwoo.


    Of course, she didnt plan to hoard all the money herself.


    Though she had an agreement with him, stating that shed gain the ownership of the crystals in exchange for teaching Siwoo magic lessons, she wasnt such a greedy person.


    Hunting the remaining twenty would be enough, itd yield her a minimum of twenty million won, enough to easily cover her next quarterly payment.


    Such thoughts momentarily distracted her from her rational judgment.


    Ill take care of the remaining ones.


    She declared as she raised her staff.


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    1


    , related to Zen Buddhism, meaning unfettered, free from restraint, adaptable

 Chapter 171: Friendship? (4)

    Chapter 171: Friendship? (4)


    Friendship? (4)


    1.


    Twenty seconds.


    That was the time it took for Sharon to defeat all the remaining Homunculi.


    The moment her staff, adorned with emerald-green jewels, began to radiate brightly


    A small storm abruptly erupted within the confines of the department store.


    Siwoo marveled as the whirlwind effortlessly tore through the seemingly impervious Homunculi. The sight of her effortlessly slicing through those creatures which were supposed to resist sword strikes reminded him of watching a skilled chef preparing a calamari.


    The department turned into a big mess, as if it was just struck by a terrorist attack. Meanwhile, Sharon signaled the end of the battle by firmly placing the bottom of her wand on the ground.


    Phew Okay, time to collect everything quickly.


    Sure. Ill lend you a hand.


    No, Ill do it myself. You should get some rest, youve done a lot tonight, good job.


    She efficiently utilized her remaining mana to stack the numerous lifeless bodies into a neat pile.


    If Siwoo were to do this, itd only result in chaos. The reason why Sharon could do this was because she had strong fundamentals, thus she was able to easily manipulate a hundred objects without causing any mishaps.


    Then, she proceeded to extract the crystals with surgical precision, a testament to her expertise.


    As she continued to collect the descending crystals into her pocket, she posed a question to Siwoo.


    Have you ever learned martial arts?


    No, I havent.


    There was an ambiguous atmosphere between the two of them.


    A lingering feeling of uncertainty, unsure if the immediate danger had passed. The events today could be a warning that a great calamity might happen in the future, and this left them uneasy.


    But at the same time, this was a rare occasion for Sharon as she finally completed a proper hunt and harvested a large quantity of crystals. As for Siwoo, he managed to confirm the effectiveness of the new Law of Shadows he had just established. Both of them were not entirely dissatisfied with the outcome.


    How did you fight so well, then? It felt like I was watching a movie!


    I dont know. My body just moved on its own.


    Sharons excitement echoed in her raised voice, but it was actually Siwoo who felt the most bewilderment between the two.


    Despite hunting a significant number of Homunculi, he felt no strain on his body.


    His breath was slightly labored, a consequence of the medium-distance sprint he had taken, but that was it.


    This served as evidence that, unlike before, he moved his body in a more efficient manner.


    Oh, right, youve served in the military, right? Did you learn these skills there?


    No, the military didnt teach me anything like that.


    Sharon continued her strange speculations, uttering them out loud with an excited tone.


    The joyous dimples on her cheeks were impossible to hide.


    After all, with this amount of crystals, she could take her mind off her debt, at least for a short while.


    A total of a hundred and three crystals ended up in her hands.


    She looked at her bulging pocket, filled with said crystals, as if it was the source of all happiness.


    With this amount, she could easily get a hundred No, a hundred and fifty million won.


    Siwoo.


    Yes?


    You know, Ive been thinking


    She approached Siwoo, who was taking a break on a nearby broken stand.


    Seeing him removing his helmet and wiping the sweat off his damp hair, her gaze momentarily faltered.


    Today, he seemed rather magnificent in her eyes.


    Ill give you 80% of these after I exchange them for money. I mean, you did most of the work


    Where did that come from? Our agreement was that youd take all the loot from our hunt in return for you to teach me magic.


    But this doesnt feel right The amount of money isnt small


    Sharon set up that condition because she expected that Siwoo wouldnt be able to involve himself heavily during the hunts.


    But, the reason why their hunt was successful was because of his effort.


    It would be unreasonable of her to say, This is all mine! after all that, even if she were to factor in their old verbal agreement.


    Siwoo chuckled softly before settling down on the floor.


    Then, he gently stroked Sharons head.


    He had always admired her honesty, and her tendencies to not resort to deceitful methods even in difficult situations.


    Its fine. A promise is a promise. Changing that at this point doesnt feel right. Besides, it isnt like I need money at the moment.


    But


    Take everything. I successfully applied your teachings during todays hunt. Thats enough for me.


    Sharon watched his hand stroking her head with a dazed look in her eyes.


    It was a simple gesture, but her heart was beating even louder than back when she offered him her chest to touch.


    Why is my heart beating so fast?


    Am I smiling? At a time like this? But why?


    She quickly covered her mouth, afraid that she might reveal an unpleasant face as she fidgeted nervously.


    Alarm by her reaction, Siwoo swiftly withdrew his hand.


    This made him remember that Odile always disliked having her hair touched without permission, and he assumed that Sharon was the same.


    Lets go back.


    Sharon quickly turned around, trying to appear calm and collected.


    With the danger gone and she had successfully harvested all the crystals, there were no more reason for them to linger in this desolate place.


    Siwoo, who had successfully teleported outside, witnessed the sight of a building so massive that one had to tilt their head back to see its top, collapsing in its entirety.


    -Boom!


    A massive wreckage weighing over tens of thousands of tons hurling down from dozens of meters above, releasing an energy comparable to a weapon of mass destruction.


    Chaos unfolded in the form of sound, impact and massive tremors.


    Perhaps due to it having a five-story underground structure, it appeared to be swallowed into the ground.


    Glass fragments scattered in every direction, and concrete chunks larger than a humans body rained down like hail.


    Though Siwoo and Sharon werent directly hit by those heavy objects, they were still subjected to dust and debris that spread like desert sandstorm. Siwoo had to move to protect Sharon.


    God knew how long it took to construct that building.


    Yet, the bustling department store, typically crowded with Chinese shoppers, had turned into a pile of rubble in just twenty seconds.


    Cough! Cough! Phew I almost Died


    Terrified out of her wits, Sharon buried herself in Siwoos arms.


    It was indeed a very close call.


    The collapsing corridors, just like a sandcastle being washed away by a high tide, the deafening noise that numbed their hearing, and the imminent collapse that threatened their lives.


    Sharon was certain that theyd be crushed to their deaths back then.


    If Siwoo wasnt there, that was exactly what would happen.


    Despite her identity as a witch, without mana, she wouldnt be able to escape from that kind of situation.


    Are you okay?


    Y-Yes I am But, it was scary I-I felt like I was going to faint for real


    Seems like luck was on our side today. Despite everything, we got out relatively unscathed. I probably should consider becoming a fortune-teller or something.


    Siwoo tried to lighten the mood by telling her a light joke about their current situation, but that didnt ease Sharons trembling.


    In truth, Siwoo wasnt unaffected by the incident.


    If he had mistimed his teleportation, hed have been flattened inside the building.


    Despite that, he couldnt help but wonder about the significance of this harrowing experience.


    Surprisingly, the immense stress didnt affect him as much as expected. He could probably credit it to his recent tough encounters.


    With Sharon trembling in fear, he couldnt show any weakness.


    Are you hurt anywhere? Let me take a look.


    N-No Im not J-Just Can you give me a moment? I-I cant Move My body


    Frozen in fear, Sharon gripped Siwoos collar tightly.


    While contemplating how to soothe her, he gently patted her back. She let out a gasp, breathing heavily as if she was going through a heavy labor.


    When he looked at her, he noticed tears welling up in the corner of her eyes, reflecting the overwhelming despair she felt.


    I guess it was a stupid idea to go to the underground. Was this part of their plan?


    What had happened was way too perfect to be a mere coincidence.


    After all, the building immediately collapsed as soon as they entered the underground shopping mall.


    I-I doubt it They shouldnt be that smart Ah, whatever, lets forget about it! My legs are dying on me! Lets get back And rest


    Sharon let out grunting noises before letting go of Siwoos clothes. Then, she sat down, hunching over in that spot.


    When someone witnessed an astonishing scene, a scene that went beyond common sense and left them bewildered, theyd stand still in silence.


    And the pair reacted exactly as such.


    In the distance.


    What used to be the entrance of the department store was visible to them.


    As soon as the summer breeze cleared the dust and the dirt settled to the ground, they saw it.


    An enormous beast, almost the size of a building, gazing directly at the two of them.


    Immediately, it began to dash toward them with an overwhelming force.


    Seeing this, Sharons face turned as pale as a sheet.


    S-Siwoo W-We need to run T-That thing That thing isnt normal!


    Each step it took made the ground tremble.


    Its towering, approximately thirty meter figure, with a quadrupedal gait, bore a striking resemblance to the menacing Homunculi they had fought earlier. To be exact, this beast looked like it could be their mother.


    But, if size was the only thing it possessed, Siwoo, who had become more confident in his abilities, and Sharon, who had seen his skills, wouldnt be so fearful of it.


    The thing that closely covered its body, densely packed, making any attempt to count them futile was the source of their fear.


    They were red eyes.


    In sheer astonishment, Siwoo let out an incredulous laugh.


    So thats why weve been lucky Damn, how many of those does it have?


    Siwoo cursed his fate for dragging him through this chaotic mess and purposely guiding them onto such a thorny path.


    He couldnt frequently rely on Dimension Shift.


    First, it demanded a considerable amount of time to calculate.


    If they were to try and escape using it, it would take him at least thirty seconds to calculate since he had to consider Sharon as well. But, it wouldnt take ten seconds before the Homunculus reached their spot and started trampling on them.


    So, he swiftly lifted Sharon into a princess carry.


    Sharon wasnt heavy to begin with, with the power boost from his armor, she felt weightless in his hands.


    W-What are you doing?!


    You dont have any mana now! This is our quickest option!


    And immediately, he turned around and began to flee towards the distant boundary of the Interdimensional Barrier.


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 Chapter 172: Friendship? (5)

    Chapter 172: Friendship? (5)


    Friendship? (5)


    1.


    In common folklore, it was often said that at the gates of hell, there were monstrous guardians stationed at it.


    But, why wasnt this particular one staying at its station?


    Greek mythology mentioned a three-headed beast being stationed there.


    Siwoo knew one thing for sure, though.


    If they wanted to put a monster to guard the gate of hell, letting this crazy mutt, which was chasing them wildly, would be much more effective.


    Considering the difference in speed between them, it was clear that theyd be caught quickly if they ran along the road towards the boundary of the Interdimensional Barrier.


    That was why Siwoo maneuvered through the alleyways between buildings, trying his best to shake it.


    -Bang! Thud! Crash!


    But that didnt stop the Homunculus.


    It crashed into a stationary bus, sending it flying into the air. Not only that, it demolished the side of a commercial building, it also toppled lampposts and utility poles, as if they were mere obstacles as it relentlessly pursued them.


    The things behavior reminded Siwoo of a naughty little doggy wreaking havoc in a meticulously crafted miniature film set.


    Anyway, though they could utilize obstacles to spin around and maintain some distance, it still wasnt certain that they could completely shake it off, or even escape beyond the barrier.


    The moment they ventured in a straight line, the gap in their speed would eventually result in the monstrosity catching up to them.


    -Roar!


    Damn, this things fast as fuck!


    Mmph!


    The first thing they heard was its monstrous roar that erupted as the monster became more agitated.


    Then, it was followed by Siwoos frustrated grunt as he realized how relentless the monster was; It didnt seem like it would let them escape.


    Lastly, amidst their struggle, a strange sound came from Sharon as her cheek bumped against Siwoos breastplate due to his position of embracing her.


    Sharon, what the hell is that bastard?!


    I-I dont know! Its the first time Ive ever seen anything like that!


    Despite Siwoos inquiry, Sharon, breathing heavily, only shook her head in response.


    Should we try to fight it at least?


    Siwoo contemplated.


    Can we just take it on? Ill give it a shot!


    No! No way! Hell no! You know, the Homunculus who caused the worst disaster in history only had twenty pairs of eyes! Theres no way we can handle something that has even more eyes than that!


    That means the strongest one so far had forty eyes?


    Siwoo glanced over his shoulder and looked at the frenzied Homunculus.


    Its fucking gross.


    Just seeing it made him feel nauseous.


    It resembled something hastily shaped out of dark clay, like something a grade-schooler might mold without any thoughts behind it.


    The monsters appearance made it difficult to distinguish its front legs from its hind legs. Hell, even its head resembled something that had been carelessly stepped on.


    Foul smell came out of it, and it kept making loud noises that made shivers run down Siwoos spine.


    But, the thing that made him feel disgusted the most wasnt its revolting look, even though it did seem like something that would come out straight of hell.


    It was the numerous eyes covering its body.


    At a glance, the numbers seemed to be reaching four digits at least.


    Who even has the power to take that shit down?!


    I dont know! Ugh! Why do these things always happen to me?!


    Nestled in Siwoos arms, Sharon began to lament her lifes misfortunes.


    Inheriting my brand in the weirdest of ways! Getting caught in explosions during my experiments! Losing all my research papers and getting into debt! And to top it all This fucking monster!


    H-Hey, calm down! Hold on to me tightly!


    -Grrraaar!


    With their pursuer closing in the gap again, Siwoo decided to use nearby buildings as their refuge.


    He harnessed his incredible speed, allowing him to cover dozens of meters in a single stride, to leap effortlessly and make powerful jumps.


    -Crash!


    Siwoo swiftly unfolded his shadow, ensuring that Sharon wasnt hit by glass shards and leaped to the fourth floor of one of the buildings.


    Entering what seemed to have been an office space, he found computers and documents shattered within the building.


    Without delay, the monsters snout pierced through the building, like a woodpecker drilling its peck into a tree to eat.


    Fuck, this is crazy!


    Aaaahhhh!


    They didnt have any time to catch their breath.


    Siwoo swiftly hoisted Sharon, narrowly pulling her ankle away from the monsters jaws before darting towards the opposite side of the building.


    -Kiiiekkk!


    Narrowly missing its prey, the beast made a roar that struck the pairs eardrums.


    Thats why, listen to me. Theres something off about that thing.


    Something Off?


    He quickly explained the clues he had noticed while he was fleeing.


    Sharon, do you think that creature is really a powerful Homunculus that has thousands of eyes?


    It doesnt matter if I think so or not. You saw it too. Its whole body is covered with eyes!


    But do you really think that its dozens of times stronger than the strongest Homunculus in history?


    Thats


    Just look at it.


    At first, Siwoo was just as terrified as her.


    After all, it was strong enough to destroy that department store and obliterate anything in its path.


    However, as he ran away, he began to suspect something.


    It didnt possess the aura that typical formidable being would have.


    Compared to the foes he had faced before, its aura was simply lacking.


    Take Ea Sadalmelik, for example. Just being near her already made him hard to breathe.


    Similarly, Della Redcliffe had this eerie atmosphere, as if she could dominate anyone whod dare to drop their guard down for a moment.


    Both of them were powerful witches, ranked at 20th or higher in their hierarchy.


    Ea, especially, was a 21st ranked witch, and she deserved to be in that rank.


    Of course, this Homunculus incredible strength that was able to demolish a whole building was breathtaking.


    So was its speed and agility as it tore everything around it, leaving them with no space to escape.


    But that was all there was.


    Siwoo imagined a scene in his head.


    If that creature was Ea, for example.


    Would he be able to run away this far?


    The answer was a definite no.


    He might have grown stronger since then, but he knew that he wouldnt last a single minute facing Ea at her peak.


    When he attempted a surprise attack on her, it left him in a pretty bad situation.


    This is just a gut feeling, but did you notice those pups coming out of it?


    Yeah, I saw them when we leaped up here earlier.


    Sharons anxious look slowly disappeared. She, too, noticed something was up.


    And so, she perked up her ears and attentively listened to his words.


    A moment ago, I took a glimpse at its mana. It was all over the place.


    Huh?


    So, I thought about it. What if those eyes arent owned by a single being? That Mother Homunculus is just a colony?


    In moments of panic, peoples judgment became clouded.


    That was why Sharon couldnt think of any other possibilities, as she was completely panicking as they fled.


    The stronger the Homunculus was, the more important the legacies they carried, thus amplifying their strength.


    Theyd possess diverse magic abilities, and at times theyd even be as strong as witches, making hunting them even more difficult.


    But what about the mother Homunculus?


    Apart from scattering its offspring around, it didnt cast any remarkable spells.


    Even when it chased the pair, it only utilized its physical strength.


    At this moment, it was no different than a dog failing to chase a chicken; It clawed the buildings wall, trying to climb up, but it ended up falling down instead.


    No one would believe such a pitiful being to be a Homunculus with thousands of eyes.


    Now that I think about it Youre right


    If the Homunculus really had more than twenty eyes, they shouldve tried to escape instead of chatting like this.


    But, when thinking about it logically, it was simply absurd that a single Homunculus could possess that many eyes.


    Sharon could see where Siwoo was coming from.


    Sadly for them, they didnt have much time to think things over anymore.


    Because the little pups had climbed over the wall, cornering both of them.


    Down below, the Mother Homunculus figured that it couldnt reach the top of the building by just leaping around. Instead, it was hanging a distance away, clinging to the building, trying to help its pups to reach the top quicker.


    Every time it hit the building, the whole place shook and cracks started showing all over the place.


    Okay, whats the plan now?


    Despite knowing that it wouldnt do anything without mana, Sharon held onto her staff tightly.


    Siwoo stared at the pups, aiming his spear toward them and said his piece.


    After all these troubles theyve caused us. Dont you think its time for revenge?


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 Chapter 173: Friendship? (6)

    Chapter 173: Friendship? (6)


    Friendship? (6)


    1.


    Having used up all her mana, Sharon couldnt contribute much to the situation.


    Actually, Siwoo had to shield her from a swarm of Homunculi. If anything, she was a detriment here.


    Aside from those two ordeals, he also had to prepare for the oncoming decisive attack by the Mother Homunculus that was still struggling to climb the building from its side.


    Thus, he had to deal with three ordeals at once.


    But, he had faced similar experiences numerous times prior to this.


    In a situation where he could not back down, the mana that he had accumulated bit by bit always ensured the success of his plans.


    But now, all he could rely on was his own strength.


    Step back a little!


    He yelled at Sharon while thrusting his shadow spear with all his might.


    Sharon knew that she couldnt help him at all.


    That was why she had to deal with the frustration of watching Siwoo fight while keeping her guard up.


    Now she regretted her decision to deplete her mana so hastily. Had she not done that, she might have been able to offer him some help.


    H-Hang in there, Siwoo!


    Ultimately, all she could do was just to offer him verbal support.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo thrusted his spear in an odd angle, piercing two charging Homunculi, all while striking another Homunculus that appeared from the side with his shield.


    Despite both of his hands each doing different actions, his movements flowed smoothly without any signs of awkwardness.


    Bloom!


    At the same time, he amplified his mana.


    Through the Mystic Eyes on his left, he absorbed mana from his surroundings before amplifying it.


    He did this repeatedly.


    From a normal standpoint, what he was doing was dangerous.


    The act of amplifying mana would generate some noise so it had to be executed with utmost caution and precise calculations.


    Otherwise, the noise would mix with the mana, causing his magic circuits to short-circuit, and inflicting severe internal injuries on him.


    At the very least, this wasnt something that one should do while moving around.


    However, amplifying mana and suppressing those noises were among Siwoos areas of expertise.


    He had honed these skills during his time as a slave, back when he had to develop various ways to cast large-scale spells without storing any mana.


    Ah


    Meanwhile, Sharon could only stare anxiously at this perilous spectacle, feeling as though she was watching an astonishing acrobatic performance.


    Her helplessness had momentarily disappeared, replaced by amazement by this incredible sight.


    With each passing moment, his amplified mana grew denser, matching even the density of Sharons mana in her prime.


    But, amplifying mana wasnt the extent of Siwoos expertise.


    He immediately turned those amplified mana into shadows.


    An enormous quantity of shadows began accumulating on the rooftop where they stood.


    These shadows had a different appearance than usual.


    If previously it had fine particles to the point that they seemed like smoke, now they were denser and heavy like sand.


    Argh!


    At that moment, a Homunculus sank its teeth into his arm, but he repelled it by swinging his shield.


    Its fangs pierced his armor, causing a sharp pain spread up to his forearm.


    Evidently, performing such calculations during combat hindered his capabilities.


    But, it wasnt like he had any other choices.


    Despite the risks involved, he had no choice but to gamble with his life.


    He drew out shadows using his amplified mana, a reckless act.


    They were the aforementioned different kinds of shadows.


    Denser than mercury, heavily compressed like iron.


    He maximized its weight by combining it with the Earth Element.


    Just like when he utilized his shadows into wings or when he strengthened his whole body with the armor.


    He focused on solely adding weight without thinking about complicated matters.


    The heavy shadow gradually expanded on one side of the rooftop.


    At a glance, this action seemed meaningless.


    The abundance of mana and the ability to control them were two separate issues.


    Even if he managed to amplify the mana and replicated such shadows, he could hardly make effective use of them.


    At best, he could only make it so that the shadows wouldnt dissipate.


    However, this was only part of his preparation for the hidden ace up his sleeve.


    -Rumble! Rumble!


    Suddenly, the building shook violently,


    The cause was the Mother Homunculus, hanging halfway up the building after leaping from afar.


    Because of that, the building swayed, as if caught in an earthquake, tilting to the side, like the leaning tower of Pisa.


    S-Siwoo! More of them are coming! The building might collapse!


    Sharons face paled as she witnessed hundreds of Homunculi swarming towards them.


    She felt like they were being caught in a downpour of those creatures.


    Ugh


    No, Siwoo! You cant just die now!


    As Siwoo let out a groan, lying on the ground as if on his deathbed, Sharon let out tears of worry.


    Even his spirit body couldnt endure such a harsh condition.


    Im not actually dying Just let me lie down For five minutes


    H-Here. Lie down here.


    Sharon kneeled on the floor, gently lifting Siwoos head onto her thighs.


    No, its fine. I dont want to hurt your knees.


    Dont mind that! I couldnt do anything back then, so at least let me do this!


    She said, her eyes filled with tears.


    And so, he accepted her knee pillow without protesting any further. Besides, he knew that she hated to owe anyone anything, and he also didnt have the energy to argue.


    Look at what youve been through


    It was tough, but at least you were there with me


    If you hadnt carried me and fearlessly rushed through the middle of the building, I would become prey to those creatures.


    When we jumped into that building, if you didnt catch me, Id have been dragged down to the ground, so, thank you.


    They both praised each other for their contribution during the hunt.


    But, both of them knew that Siwoo was the one who contributed the most.


    From the moment they escaped from the collapsing department store, fled from the pursuing monster, discovered its identity, and dealt the final blow, all of them were done by Siwoo alone.


    He felt embarrassed to brag about his own achievements, though.


    And he also knew that he was quite lucky that things turned out successfully.


    Lying comfortably, he felt the gentle raindrops tapping on his cheeks.


    He took in the pleasure in the accomplishment that came out of his perfectly executed plan.


    The thrill of analyzing the enemys capabilities, devising strategies against them and watching all of them succeed was an indescribable joy to him.


    This rush of adrenaline felt both overwhelming and enthralling.


    I feel like Im losing my mind for a moment there


    Huh?


    Oh, dont mind me.


    Siwoo glanced briefly at the remnants of the building that became the Homunculis tomb.


    Among the rubble were large concrete chunks, twisted metal bars, unidentifiable debris and smoke billowing from within.


    Scattered in the wreckage were the pups, the same creatures that once tormented the pair, now either whimpering their death throes or lying in pieces. Such a satisfying sight that signified their hard-earned victory.


    -Grrr!


    Ah, cmon Cant you just wait a little longer?


    However, such peace didnt last long.


    The buildings remnants trembled and the stacked concrete chunks began to tumble down.


    Beneath them, the Homunculus was trying to get out.


    That wasnt enough to kill it?


    Despite taking such a great fall and getting buried under heaps of debris, somehow, the Mother Homunculus was still alive.


    Siwoo expressed his amazement at its amazing resilience.


    Siwoo! Get on my back!


    Now, he regretted his decision for not making a swift escape when he could.


    As he wallowed in that regret, Sharon swiftly lifted his body.


    I can manage on my own.


    He stumbled as he tried to escape, but he abruptly halted his steps.


    -Grrr


    At that moment, the Homunculus emerged as it pushed the largest piece of rubble aside.


    With a glance, it was clear that its appearance was different than before.


    All of its feet except for a single front paw were severed. The glowing red eyes in its body were destroyed, and black liquid covered all over its body.


    The sound that it let out wasnt a deafening howl anymore, but a death throe of a dying beast.


    Great, so it worked, after all.


    We cant retrieve its crystal with it in this state, though.


    Breaking free from Sharons support, Siwoo created a spear made of shadow.


    He made it as sharp as possible and pointed it at the Homunculus head.


    Its head was as big as a mid-sized sedan, so he could see why it could survive such a great impact.


    And he also noticed something.


    Four pairs of eyes that hadnt lost their glow on its head.


    With an eerie gaze, the creature stared directly at its would-be killer.


    This is your fate for coming at me.


    While it felt immoral to attack a non-resisting opponent, this creature had devoured humans, wreaked havoc across the city and attempted to make Sharon and him its prey.


    So, he aimed his spear at the center of its head before thrusting it deeply.


    You can rate this serieshere.


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 Chapter 174: Friendship?? (1)

    Chapter 174: Friendship?? (1)


    Friendship?? (1)


    1.


    Despite its monstrous appearance, the monsters head was quite vulnerable.


    Using his spear, Siwoo plunged it into the center of the creatures forehead (or somewhere close to it). It didnt even shriek, rather it twitched once before dying.


    As light vanished from its eight eyeballs, its flesh began to melt.


    The tar-like, dark body almost liquified, slipping through the crevices amidst the debris.


    Among the swirling black liquid, Siwoos and Sharons gazes were drawn to a certain glimmering object.


    Eyeballs No, they were crystals that were embedded in the body of the Mother Homunculus.


    Ah Ah! Ah!


    Sharon, quick! Pick them up!


    Having stood by Siwoos side the whole time, fearing that the Mother Homunculus might cause one final round of chaos, Sharon suddenly cried out.


    In her panic, she swiftly gathered the crystals, while Siwoo rushed over to help her.


    He didnt want these valuable crystals, even more valuable than gold, to vanish into the buildings cracks.


    This reminded him of a certain scene in Spirited Away.


    For a while, they were occupied with collecting the crystals.


    Because of Siwoos clumsy use of his telekinesis, they ended up spending a full two hours to collect everything.


    In total, they managed to gather around 4,091 crystals.


    According to Sharon, they weighed around 5,4 kilograms.


    Which meant, they could get 5,4 billion won if they were to exchange it at the Witch Point.


    F-Five B-Billion


    After confirming the final count, Sharon staggered with her mouth agape.


    Siwoo expected shed be jumping for joy, but it seemed like the huge amount of money just left her dumbfounded instead.


    When her body started to wobble, Siwoo lent support by holding her in the waist.


    Earning five billion Is like Working 600,000 hours at the convenience store


    H-Hey, snap out of it!


    Im going crazy Oh, Im so happy What do I do?


    The huge amount of money, equivalent to winning the lottery, wasnt the only thing that they got. Siwoo actually stumbled upon something else.


    A heart-shaped piece near the Homunculus heart.


    Every part of the Homunculus, save for the crystals and this piece had melted already at this point.


    As he watched Sharons half-ecstatic, half-fainting state, he also gazed at the heart in his hand. There was a complicated emotion in his face.


    Its size barely matched his fist, but it looked incredibly eerie.


    If he were to place it in a glass case, itd resemble a preserved heart specimen.


    What do you think this is, Sharon?


    I dont know Ehe Ehehe Five billion


    Laughing joyously, she clung to Siwoo as if she was high on morphine.


    Their skinship wasnt excessive, but he could feel her soft chest pressing against his arms as she embraced him tightly.


    Haah


    Seeing her so happy made him chuckle involuntarily.


    In his opinion, she did deserve this kind of reward in her life.


    While he was thinking as such, Sharon, who had been giggling uncontrollably, suddenly stiffened up.


    Oh!


    She remembered something.


    Della.


    Because of her loss to Della, she had lost her hunting ground.


    Which meant, if they lingered here any longer, she might silently swoop in and snatch away all their spoils.


    I-I cant let that happen


    Noticing her suddenly trembling like a squirrel, Siwoo looked at her with a puzzled expression.


    Lets go back. Quickly.


    Why? Is something wrong?


    Sharon instantly regretted her words.


    If she were to mention Dellas name here, itd blow her cover of having seen through his lies to her.


    Therefore, she quickly straightened up and acted nonchalant.


    Ah, well Im just tired. Lets go home, watch a movie and get some late-night snacks.


    But you told me youd be treating me to dinner tonight.


    And finally they decided to split the heart-shaped object open.


    Siwoo extracted a bit of his shadow and created a scalpel out of it to cut the heart.


    Contrary to its appearance, it had more of a stony texture than flesh, so he needed a considerable force to split it open.


    Hmm


    When they managed to slice it open, something appeared out of it.


    Is this A crystal?


    A Homunculus crystal.


    Quite a big one, about 5 cm in diameter.


    They expected something amazing to come out of it, but it turned out to be just a crystal.


    Well, I was excited for nothing.


    However, Sharon examined the crystal even further. She held it up to the light and saw it from different angles.


    Suddenly, her expression turned serious.


    Hm? Did you notice something strange?


    Yeah. This thing is a little weird.


    What about it is weird?


    Normally, when a Homunculus dies, the body slowly disappears except for the legacy it possesses and its crystal, just like what we saw today.


    Okay


    Sharon set the crystal aside and inspected the split heart on the table.


    But for some reason, this thing remains intact. It isnt a crystal or a legacy.


    As Siwoo lacked a broad understanding of magic, he struggled to comprehend Sharons words.


    With a serious expression, she continued to talk.


    Someone must be behind this.


    Someone?


    Yeah. I dont know who it is, but they did something to this crystal. Due to interference from the outside, even if the Homunculus dies, it wont disappear.


    Are you trying to say that they were using the heart to control that Homunculus?


    Could be, but we cant be too sure of that. It could be there to enhance its power, there are endless possibilities But, judging from the crystal wrapped inside its heart It involves some ritualistic enhancement through human sacrifice


    Then, she began to dissect the heart bit by bit.


    Hearing such a serious matter coming out of her mouth, Siwoo opened his eyes wide.


    Human sacrifice?


    Yeah, most likely A Criminal must be behind this. Anyone can tell that this is a humans heart.


    Well, not me, apparently.


    The split heart suddenly appeared grotesque to him.


    I knew it seemed too small as the heart of that enormous monster. But, fucking hell, its actually a humans heart?


    Well we dont need to overthink about it. I just need to report it to the Witch Point tomorrow while exchanging the crystals.


    Really?


    Yes. Ill take care of the matter from now on. You should take a good rest, youve been through quite a lot.


    Sharon was correct.


    Siwoo was completely drained, both mentally and physically. He didnt even have the energy left to think about anything else.


    Considering the days hustle, taking a night off without overthinking things would be ideal for him.


    Rather, it was a much needed reward for him.


    Still up for a movie night?


    Of course.


    Okay, Ill take a warm shower first.


    What do you want to watch, though?


    Its been a hectic day today, so lets watch something calming. What do you think?


    Sure, Im down.


    Having decided what they wanted to watch, Sharon headed to the bathroom for a shower while Siwoo sprawled on the sofa while sipping a chilled beer.


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    1


    Korean dish consisting of pigs trotters cooked with soy sauce and spices.


    2


    Jokbal, but they divided it to half smeared with soy sauce and the other half with spices.


    3


    Korean buckwheat noodle


    4


    Spicy rice cakes

 Chapter 175: Friendship?? (2)

    Chapter 175: Friendship?? (2)


    Friendship?? (2)


    1.


    After the fierce battle, the peace that followed felt incredibly heartwarming.


    Getting caught in a sudden downpour, then sinking their bodies to a comfy sofa afterwards; They felt like they were having the best time of their lives.


    Today, they were just watching a regular romance flick.


    The movie depicted two separated lovers, erasing their memories to escape the pain of their breakup, only for fate to reunite them once again.


    In fact, Siwoo had already seen the movie.


    He just found the movie to be entertaining, so he decided to make Sharon watch it.


    Phew


    This time, she was wearing her usual tank top and dolphin shorts.


    With her boldly exposed long legs, she rested half of her body on the sofa, while the other half was leaning against Siwoo. In her hand was a can of beer that she sipped heartily.


    Should I grab another one?


    You already drank down five cans. Havent you had enough?


    Nope. I might seem drunk, but its really just because Im in such a good mood!


    Siwoo knew she wasnt used to strong drinks.


    After a couple of cans, shed get all giggly, flashing that beautiful smile of hers, playfully slapping his arms when he told her a good joke.


    But here she was, disregarding her weakness of alcohol, sipping her fifth can of beer after experiencing a near-death moment, repaying a substantial amount of her debt, and cleaning up her body with a nice shower.


    Her happiness, sense of accomplishment, and energy was way through the roof.


    It was as if she had turned into the embodiment of happiness.


    As long as you enjoy it, I guess


    Then, wait a second, okay~?


    Siwoo paused the movie for a moment as Sharon made hurried steps to the kitchen. After a few seconds, she returned with a bunch of imported beers that previously filled the entire section of their fridge.


    Oi, are you sure youre going to finish all that?


    Oh, cmon! On a day like today, you gotta drink your fill till you drop!


    Seeing how excited she was, especially considering her usual struggles against her debt, Siwoo didnt even think about stopping her.


    Excitedly, she poured some beer into a glass filled with ice before offering Siwoo a can.


    Siwoo, Siwoo, Ill pour some for you~


    I havent even finished mine yet


    Then, finish it quickly! Drink this one after youre done!


    Jeez, youre really drunk


    Yeah! I think Im drunk now!


    Showing a wry smile, Siwoo put down the beer he had been sipping and took the one Sharon offered.


    He quickly drank it down, as if he was drinking water, and soon he started to feel a little tipsy.


    Siwoo didnt mind her behavior at all.


    Considering the changes of lifestyle she underwent ever since she met him compared to her previous one, where she had to struggle with her debt and daily life matters, he could understand why she acted like this.


    She had been struggling hard without anyone to confide in, facing mockery from other Exiles, who saw her as a naive fool. Eventually, she gave up all leisures just so that she could focus on work.


    Compared to his five years as a slave, she had to live even a harsher life.


    For ten whole years, doubling his period of suffering.


    When someone had to shoulder that kind of weight for too long, it would only be natural for them to stumble and lose their footing.


    That was why moments like these, where she could completely let loose and enjoy her carefree moments, became all the more important.


    Siwoo


    Suddenly, Sharon clasped Siwoos hand tightly.


    Perhaps due to the alcohol, her palms felt warmer than usual.


    Do you know how grateful I am to you?


    W-Well, its time to go back to the movie, dont you think?


    No. Give me a proper answer. You know that Im really, really, reeeeally grateful to you, dont you?


    Normally, during their hangouts and movie nights, shed restrain herself from doing something like this.


    However, that wasnt the case for today. And there was something that Siwoo noticed for the first time.


    It was how her speech became a bit repetitive when she got drunk.


    She couldnt stop giggling and continuously clung to him.


    It seemed like she had overestimated herself on how many shots of beer she could take.


    Yes, yes, I get it. I know youre grateful to me.


    Okay~


    Even after hearing his response, she was still giggling and refused to let go of his hand.


    Instead, she pinched it, intertwined their fingers and gently touched his cheek with her other hand.


    So cute


    She usually did such cute things, but today she looked even more adorable than usual.


    Are you done now? Can we watch the movie now?


    Yes! Can I hold your hand?


    Umm Sure, I guess


    Holding hands wasnt a big deal to him, and this level of physical contact wasnt something that was out of the line considering their relationship.


    Wait, Im going to move seats.


    Move seats?


    Wait a second.


    Suddenly, Siwoo found himself placing his hand on her chest as they settled in to watch the movie.


    This time, she showed more consideration as she leaned slightly lower than before, allowing Siwoo to touch her more comfortably.


    It was an ideal position for him to explore her breasts to his hearts content, all while admiring their enticing shape.


    Her breasts werent excessively big, and their shape was beautiful enough to drive any man crazy.


    This included Siwoo, as he discreetly, very discreetly gave her breasts a gentle squeeze.


    What he experienced was the heavenly sensation he felt just yesterday.


    Siwoo.


    At that moment, her lovely mint-colored eyes curved up as it met his gaze.


    You dont have to be so cautious, you can touch it however you like. Just do it like how youd knead rice cakes!


    Knead Rice cakes?


    Hm, I guess that isnt the best expression to use? Anyway, just do whatever you want! Just think of it as a way of showing my gratitude! How about it?


    She seemed to be genuinely wanting to reassure him as such.


    He felt a twitch in his manhood.


    Until now, he had managed to endure the temptation by chanting the heart sutra, but as soon as he heard Sharon saying kneading rice cakes, a certain vivid scene came to his mind as blood heated up his lower body.


    Feeling something hard against her back, Sharon subtly adjusted her posture without saying a word.


    This action made Siwoo feel embarrassed.


    Sharon spoke out, without making eye contact.


    Look You dont have to be too concerned Actually, Im happy You genuinely feel that my body is pretty, dont you? I I dont mind


    Her voice sounded more shy and bashful rather than drunk.


    She seemed surprised, probably because she noticed his erect rod for the first time.


    But her considerate tone only made the situation even more awkward.


    Siwoo knew that this was her way of expressing her gratitude, so he had no intention of refusing her.


    Then again, who would do that at this point?


    Would any man just remove his hand and put on some kind of righteous act in this situation? If so, they werent men at all.


    Alright Can I continue, then?


    Yes. Go ahead.


    In the end, he spent the rest of the movie watching session playing with her breasts, unable to focus on the movie itself.


    But, he didnt regret it.


    After all, what he held in his hand was way more interesting than any movie in existence.


    As the gentle music played and the end credits rolled, silence filled the air between them.


    Being the talkative person she was, normally, this was the time when Sharon would open up a discussion about the movie parts she failed to understand.


    But this time, she remained silent.


    Siwoo wasnt the only one who couldnt focus on watching the movie.


    At that moment, he realized something.


    Her nipple was pressed against his palm.


    Are they always this pointy? That thought came to his mind.


    No


    Stop thinking about strange things.


    She doesnt know anything about relationships, she offered her breasts to express her gratitude, theres nothing much to it.


    Its just like how I got a boner from fondling her breasts. Her nipples just hardened a little due to the friction, Im sure.


    It was fun, wasnt it? Ah!


    As she offered a clearly insincere remark about the movie, Sharon slowly rose to her feet.


    In the process, her body was wobbly and she swayed unsteadily.


    He quickly grabbed her waist to support her.


    Be careful.


    Ah


    His hand found its way to her soft and smooth side waist,


    It was like a twist of fate. He just grabbed it without much thought, but their faces drew so close for some reason, just like a scene out of a romance movie.


    Sharon clung to his chest, staring at his eyes intently.


    Unable to resist the odd feeling between them, Siwoo decided to break the silence first.


    Um My thigh hurts a little Can you come down?


    He asked, even though that wasnt actually the case.


    That was just an excuse to avoid the discomfort he felt.


    Her innocent, widened eyes and slightly parted lips struck him silly.


    He had always known how pretty she was, but seeing her at this distance gave him a completely different feeling.


    Siwoo.


    But Sharon showed no intention to get off his thighs.


    Instead, she lightly licked her alluring lips.


    I think I know.


    What?


    The timing when I feel like I should kiss someone.


    Suddenly, she embraced his neck and pressed her lips against his.


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 Chapter 176: Friendship?? (3)

    Chapter 176: Friendship?? (3)


    Friendship?? (3)


    1.


    I think I know.


    What?


    The timing when I feel like I should kiss someone.


    With that as a cue, Sharon launched an intense attack.


    First, she pulled Siwoos neck, clinging closely to him before gently kissing him.


    He could feel her soft lips.


    Her swaying chest was pressed against his. With her eyes tightly shut, she slid her tongue gently between his lips.


    Perhaps because she was nervous, her arms were tense.


    Compared to her first attack, the following actions she took were rather passive.


    She played around with his tongue, but she didnt actively intertwine it with hers. Instead, she took a careful approach, as if she was dealing with some kind of unknown entity.


    After several cute and teasing kisses, she brushed her tongue against Siwoos, and ended the kiss.


    When ten seconds had passed, she hurriedly broke away.


    That was when Siwoo finally realized what had just happened, and just like her, he backed away a little.


    Sharon stared at him, wide-eyed, seemingly surprised as if she couldnt believe that she initiated that kiss.


    Wow I think Ive lost my mind


    She covered her mouth, still seemingly uncertain, reminiscing the sensation of their sudden first kiss.


    The lingering scent of barley during the kiss, the rough and tingly feeling of their gently colliding tongues.


    It felt far more thrilling than anything theyd seen in the movies, almost making her head spin.


    And then she realized that she had kissed him without asking for his permission.


    Siwoo Are you Angry?


    She felt a clear impulse that told her to kiss him back then.


    While she couldnt explain where it came from, or what kind of emotion had triggered it, what was clear for her was that her heart was screaming for her to kiss him.


    What she was worried about was the fact that she didnt take Siwoos feelings into account throughout this process.


    And, as anyone could expect, Siwoo was staring at her with wide-eyes, completely taken aback by this situation.


    But, there was nothing she could do to stop the fiery impulse in her heart. Especially when the atmosphere, the late hour and the fact that she was drunk, supported that impulse.


    I-I U-Um I-I dont know


    So, she turned around and sat down,


    She locked her eyes with Siwoo, dropped to her knees, sat on his lap and leaned closer to his face.


    Then, she kissed him again.


    This time, it was far more passionate than before. It wasnt even fair to compare both in the first place.


    Extending her tongue, she gently traced his lips and swirled it inside his mouth.


    Sluurp Mmh


    Mm


    Discarding her initial hesitance, she firmly grabbed Siwoos hand and placed it on her chest.


    All while continuing to intertwine their tongues together.


    As they kissed, exploring each others mouths, Siwoos hands moved to explore her body.


    This was when Sharon realized that kissing could be such a passionate act.


    You poured your heart in, giving everything to the moment.


    As she mulled over those thoughts


    Siwoo was still bewildered by the situation.


    Sharons sudden kiss caught him off guard.N?v¦ÅlB?n: Your Escape into Infinite Tales.


    After all, it wasnt just a simple kiss that young couples usually did with each other; It was more than that.


    Their tongues explored every corner of each others mouths, tasting each others saliva, a form of affection that could be considered next level if anything.


    His left hand was holding onto her squirming waist.


    While his right hand was molding and shaping her large bosom, as if kneading it.


    He could feel the supple and firm sensation of her nipple at the tip of his fingers.


    That and her rough breathing clearly indicated her heightened sexual arousal.


    Haah Mmmh Sluurrpp


    She didnt seem to show any signs of stopping anytime soon.


    Wrapping her arms to the back of his neck, she passionately intertwined their tongues, signaling her intent to continue despite Siwoo thinking otherwise.


    And so, responding to her passionate moves, his lower body grew firmer, prompting Sharon to instinctively press her intimate area against it as her hips swayed rhythmically.


    Haah Yes Mmm Slurrrpp Mmh


    They could feel each others intimate areas through their clothes.


    After that, she smiled awkwardly, finding it embarrassing that such a loud sound came out of her mouth.


    Um You know I was looking up something that I could do for you And I Kinda came across some stuff


    Ah, so thats when you found about getting me to touch your chest.


    Yeah


    And he had been wondering why she suddenly asked him to touch her breasts whenever he felt down.


    After all, this wasnt something that she would normally come up with.


    Knowing that she got it from the internet cleared up some of his confusion.


    A-Anyway! They said that its natural for your thing to get bigger when we kiss Also, while I already let you touch my boobs, I think I can do something more to make you feel a bit more comfortable Though, sex might be a bit too much


    Siwoo was staring at her in confusion.


    He couldnt understand what she was trying to say.


    A-As long as youre okay with it I can Do this


    Sharon cautiously slipped her hand through Siwoos pants, reaching for his underwear.


    Her hand touched his already hot and throbbing rod, even hotter than her own palm.


    She was surprised by how hot it was, but she still cautiously wrapped her hand around it.


    Then, she started moving it slowly, following the videos she had seen.


    If I make you comfortable and happy Maybe I can repay you Just a little?


    Her desire to do something for Siwoo and her internet-informed knowledge created a scenario straight out of a horny teenagers fantasy.


    As long as youre okay with it Ill do anything for you From now on S-So Let me take care of you B-But dont misunderstand! I wont do this to anyone else!


    She was fully aware of how crude the idea of repaying Siwoos kindness with her body was.


    It was as if she was selling herself to him.


    But, she wasnt afraid of him seeing her in that light.


    Besides, what she wanted to do for him was something beyond repaying his favor.


    She wanted to give him everything, just like she had given him her first kiss, she wanted to give him more of her firsts as well.


    Not because she wanted to repay everything that he had done for her.


    But because she had developed fondness toward him, as a friend Or perhaps more


    So Could you accept me?


    As Sharon firmly gripped his rod and began moving her hand, her voice took an unusually sweet and sticky tone compared to usual.


    This evoked a strong urge in Siwoo, to pounce on her right then and there.


    The teasing sensation of her hand moving inside his underwear only intensified his growing desire.


    And that desire eventually took over his mind.


    Sharon.


    He spoke up, gently grabbing her wrist, trying to pull her hand away.


    Until then, he had been feeling somewhat okay with everything, but there was something that didnt sit right with him.


    It wasnt that he refused to be physically and emotionally involved with an attractive woman like Sharon.


    However, her actions were something that stemmed from both her feeling indebted toward him, and the influence of alcohol. This bothered him a lot.


    You dont need to push yourself too hard. This is not what I want And I dont want to force you to do anything.


    Im not pushing myself!


    Also, youre drunk.


    Im not doing this because Im drunk!


    Yet, she refused to let go of his manhood.


    She held it firmly as she looked at him with desperate eyes.


    Just once Please Do it with me, then decide Im completely fine with everything, you know?


    It isnt about that


    Are you saying you dont want to do it with me?


    No Its just The situation is


    If Sharon had openly expressed her desire to have a sex with him, like what Yebin did, it might have been easier for him to go along.


    The problem here was Sharon considered his kindness as a debt she needed to pay.


    And that bothered him a lot because of her usual behavior, as she treated it as something she needed to pay at all costs.


    Im just doing this to ease my mind, so dont feel burdened, okay?


    Sharon looked at him with moist eyes.


    So Let me Make you cum


    Siwoo couldnt bring himself to refuse her any longer.


    Theres no way I can reject her at this point?


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 Chapter 177: Friendship?? (4)

    ? Friendship?? (4) ?


    1.


    After enduring five whole years of hardship, Siwoo finally escaped Gehenna and relished in the freedom of the Modern World. Yet, his newfound freedom wasn¡¯t without its flaws.


    While his current life was comfortable, and he didn¡¯t need to worry about his financial situation at all...


    It was incomplete, as he was unable to form deep relationships with others.


    Though the joy of him returning home had cured his homesickness, a curse still left him feeling isolated.


    Yes, he was living the life of abundance, but it felt empty to him.


    He could buy tasty foods and things that he had never dared to buy before, but at one point, nothing felt special to him anymore.


    Then, he met Sharon.


    Contrary to his first impression of her; Intimidating and prickly, she turned out to be a genuinely good person.


    Among the people he encountered, she was one of the few he could truly count on.


    Even with the enormous debt that seemed impossible to pay, she never considered walking the wrong path or burdening others with her problems.


    She never expressed it outwardly, but Siwoo could tell that she felt guilty for always relying on him.


    But, to him, just being able to live with her in this world was something he really felt grateful for.


    Without her, chances were he¡¯d chase after those Homunculi blindly with his mediocre skills, and ended up becoming a wandering ghost because of it.


    Apart from her occasionally unconventional behavior, she was a reliable and trustworthy friend.


    Unlike with Takasho, their relationship felt genuine, and it made him hesitant to change the nature of it.


    A relationship between a male and a female was something complex and perplexing.


    Based on his experience, such relationships wouldn¡¯t just progress like in romance movies.


    In the case of Sharon, she was still oblivious to the nuances of such relationships. He didn¡¯t know what would happen to them in the future if he were to accept everything that she offered. That was why he was being more careful in every step he took while dealing with her.


    He didn¡¯t want her to leave him so suddenly. Going back to the mundane life he had just escaped wasn¡¯t something he wanted to happen.


    Nevertheless...


    He had touched her breasts, albeit he only fondled it for a bit.


    Of course, he had tried to reject her advances to the best of his abilities, but she was unexpectedly persistent. Ever since he had groped her chest, various thoughts and desires had been messing with his head.


    She did this because she felt indebted to him, that much he could understand. But, he didn¡¯t want their relationship to grow twisted if things were to go wrong at this point.


    ¡®I should try to stop her.¡¯


    ¡°Siwoo?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°I brought some lotion.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Good job.¡±


    Eager to return the favor, Sharon volunteered to do everything willingly.


    She knew that there were preparations to be made, so she quickly made her way to the powder room, and returned a moment later, holding a bottle of body lotion in her hand.


    This wasn¡¯t something either of them had bought, but it was part of the necessities the officetel stocked in all their rooms.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...S-Should we undress first...?¡±


    The living room was dimly lit, with only one stand of lamp turned on.


    Such an obscene question resounded in that kind of obscene situation.


    In front of Siwoo, Sharon stood topless, cowering while holding a bottle of lotion, looking somewhat embarrassed.


    ¡°No, wait... Let me undress you...¡±


    ¡°I can do it myself.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know, but I want to do it for you... Can I, please...?¡±


    Sharon knelt down at his feet and crouched as if she was about to remove his pants right away.


    Once again he realized how much courage it took for her to do something like this just to cheer him up.


    Maybe because they saw each other¡¯s faces so often, it felt embarrassing for him to expose his private parts to her.


    ¡°Fine... But, if you think you can¡¯t continue, you can stop any time you want.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t stop.¡±


    Siwoo helped her by lifting his waist slightly, making it easier for her to remove his pants.


    As soon as she untied the waistband of his trousers, followed by his underwear...


    -Thump!


    ¡°Huh...?¡±


    Her eyes widened in surprise.


    As if she had just opened Pandora¡¯s box, she looked startled as his rod suddenly sprung out and accidentally hit her chin.


    Her body completely froze, as she couldn¡¯t even consider moving the stiff rod that was pressing against her.


    She fixed her trembling pupils in Siwoo¡¯s direction.


    Hurriedly, Siwoo grabbed his rod.


    ¡°Sorry, I should have warned you beforehand...¡±


    ¡°A-Ah, it¡¯s fine... It happens... I guess...¡±


    Siwoo blamed himself for not thinking that far.


    The already awkward atmosphere became even more awkward after that.


    As soon as she noticed his gaze, Sharon turned her gaze towards him, wondering if she did something wrong.


    ¡°How does it feel? Not bad, huh?¡±


    ¡°Where did you learn how to do this...?¡±


    Her exceptionally soft breasts pressed against his dick, covering it from all directions, leaving no space in between.


    ¡°W-Well... You seem to like my breasts and... I heard I can use them to make you feel good... Do you not like it?¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I like it.¡±


    ¡°Alright... I¡¯ll do my best then...¡±


    ¡®I¡¯d be crazy to say no.¡¯


    After getting his permission, Sharon awkwardly began moving her upper body back and forth as she clutched her chest tightly.


    Only now did Siwoo realize why she had brought the lotion in the beginning.


    If they were to do it bare-skinned, he¡¯d feel stiff and uncomfortable. The lotion made her titfuck feel incredibly smooth.


    With each movement she made, his rod twitched, as if it was begging to release its load onto her fair chin.


    -Squelch, squelch


    The sensation that he felt made almost him believe that the purpose behind a woman¡¯s chest wasn¡¯t for breastfeeding, but for driving men¡¯s dick to heaven.


    Her chest completely devoured his rod.


    It was a lewd sight, something he had never even dared to imagine whenever he saw her chest before. Yet, this supposedly impossible scene was happening right before his eyes.


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    An involuntary exclamation slipped out of his mouth.


    There was another thing that he learned.


    Titfuck felt different from person to person.


    With Sophia, it felt like his whole cock was completely enveloped by her massive, overflowing breasts. Meanwhile Sharon¡¯s felt as if two bouncy balls were stimulating him.


    The flesh in the middle of her breasts were more noticeable, and that gave out stronger pressure from both sides.


    ¡°Haah... Haah...¡±


    There was also her alluring expression.


    She fervently pressed her breasts to pleasure his rod; Her eyes were fixated on the rod that was moving back and forth between her cleavage.


    The atmosphere around her was filled with a peculiar heat that was visible at a glance.


    Hot sighs escaped her half-open mouth, tickling the base of his rod.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Just then, his voice burst out involuntarily as he felt the overwhelming sensation of his climax as he tried to pull his hips back.


    Reacting to that, Sharon raised her gaze upward, like a dog begging for a treat.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you¡¯re feeling good. I¡¯m glad...¡±


    ¡°S-Sharon...¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m going to cum¡ª!¡±


    She didn¡¯t get a chance to respond.


    The long period of him not masturbating and Sharon¡¯s intense titfuck.


    Combine that with her innocent gaze despite doing such a lewd act, Siwoo couldn¡¯t hold back anymore, as his member began to throb.


    ¡°Kyaa! Mmh¡ª!¡±


    Tightly squeezed between Sharon¡¯s breasts, which were as soft as mochi, Siwoo¡¯s cock twitched before it sprayed its semen towards Sharon¡¯s chin.


    The strong stream of semen surprised her.


    Too bad for her, he couldn¡¯t stop his ejaculation midway, and she ended up getting sprayed by his semen.


    ¡°Ahh... Fuck...¡±


    His dick continuously shot out semen as it twitched.


    While she was caught off guard by this, Sharon was still able to gently use her breasts to wipe his member.


    The ejaculation felt especially long.


    It was as if a whole thirty seconds had passed, but he knew that was impossible.


    ¡°Incredible...Seriously...¡±


    Sharon gazed up at Siwoo, as if she had made a remarkable discovery.


    Seeing the scene from the videos she had seen unfolding in real life made her eyes widen in disbelief.


    ¡°Haah...¡±


    Despite him only sitting comfortably while receiving the priceless titfuck from her, Siwoo was breathless.


    After everything was done, he straightened up, looking for wet tissues to help Sharon clean up everything.


    ¡°Look at this... There¡¯s a lot...¡±


    With a smile, holding the emotion of curiosity, joy and wonder, Sharon revealed the space between her breasts.


    Her upper body seemed like a complete mess as his semen trickled down from her chin to her navel.


    The sticky, hot scent of a male¡¯s fluid drenched her slender neck, elegant jawline, delicate collarbone, and the space between her beautiful breasts, painting them white.


    It was as if she was wearing a necklace made out of pearls.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to make such a mess...¡±


    Staring blankly at the lewd yet captivating scene, Siwoo pulled out a tissue and handed it to Sharon.

 Chapter 178: Friendship?? (5)

    Chapter 178: Friendship?? (5)


    Friendship?? (5)


    1.


    Sharon barely had spare mana to use, and Siwoo was unable to control his mana to use a delicate cleansing spell.


    So, they ended up having to use wet tissues Siwoo retrieved to clean up her breasts that were filled with his sticky cum.


    Eugh Its so bitter I thought itd taste sweet like milk


    Sharon said after she took a blob of white semen from her chin with her finger and sucked it.


    In general, witches possessed a great deal of curiosity.


    After all, an apprentice needed to have the curiosity towards learning since they needed to deeply delve into their chosen field of study, so this was within their nature.


    Sharon wasnt the only one to do this, as both Yebin and the twins had done the exact same thing the first time they saw his semen. A rather convincing hypothesis could be made out of this phenomenon.


    Did you just smell it?


    Is something wrong with that? It smells like honey tea, and I like it.


    But its still something that came out of You know


    What? We ate shirako1Milt, or fish semen, or fishs semen sac. Yeah they eat it in Japan, and I guess in sushi restaurant in Korea too. when we ordered sushi the other day. It was tasty.


    It was a rather absurd comparison, as she just compared someones semen to fishs.


    Despite having already experienced such a strong ejaculation, Siwoos dick remained rock-hard.


    Sharons gaze shifted to the massive rod that seemed to stand tall forever.


    Strange. They said itll shrink after you ejaculate Or could it be that you havent ejaculated yet?


    No, just wait for a few seconds more, itll go down.


    Honestly, the final scene left too big of an impact on Siwoo for his excitement to subside.


    Witnessing Sharon meticulously cleaning the semen off her neck and chest with a wet tissue was so arousing that his dick grew larger again.


    Of course I cant just say that to her face Too embarrassing


    Maybe I didnt do a good job at all?


    Ive told you already, you did a great job.


    Her passionate titfuck, filled with fervor and heat, made him feel as if his soul was being drawn out during his ejaculation.


    He never expected that such sensations would come from his dick being squeezed by her two breasts.


    His mind wandered to the stimulation he had just experienced. The blend of her lotion-coated skin, his hard cock that nestled in between her breasts and the sultry sounds enveloping them, creating a tantalizing environment.


    If he had to describe it with one word, hed use the word, perfect.


    No good, I cant wipe the slimy feeling away. I need to wash it off.


    After diligently wiping her chest, Sharon eventually set down the wet tissues.


    With the amount of semen he spurted, and how thick it was, there was no way wet wipes would be enough to thoroughly clean herself up.


    Seeing Sharon struggling, clearly looking embarrassed, Siwoo asked her a question unconsciously.


    Do you want me to help?


    The question was triggered by his gratitude towards her rather than a deliberate thought.


    Sharon briefly widened her eyes before grinning at him.


    Its fine. You had a rough day today, so you can relax in your room.


    I guess that was a weird question to ask, huh?


    Youve already caressed my chest as much as you wanted. At this point, that kind of question couldnt be considered weird anymore.


    Both of them let out soft chuckles as they looked at each other.


    Despite the recent events, he found it fortunate that things werent too awkward between them.


    Siwoo.


    Yes?


    After I wash up and come out


    At that moment, Sharon, whom Siwoo thought would head straight to the bathroom, called out to him, preventing him from going back to his room.


    After a moment of hesitation, she carefully spoke up.


    Can you Kiss me again? I was too drunk, so I feel like Ive forgotten what it felt


    By now, Siwoo had become somewhat familiar with her habit of throwing unexpected curveballs.


    Though it was a sudden request, since she was the one who requested it, hed gladly comply with it.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))


    Haa


    The memories of their locking lips kept resurfacing, as her brain vividly replayed it.


    After showering, she approached Siwoo with hesitant steps.


    Unlike their first encounter, a sudden surprise like a nighttime firework, this moment evoked a different feeling from her.


    Just like back then, her heart was pounding wildly, but there was no sense of urgency that accompanied it this time.


    Feeling his body heat, smelling his breath, she even attempted a slight tiptoe move shed seen in movies and lightly bit his tongue.


    Before she realized it, she already nibbled on his lower lip.


    What began lightly gradually intensified into a fiery passion.


    It might sound bizarre, or even kinky, but at that moment, Sharon wanted nothing more than removing her clothes and pressing her bare skin against his.


    She was the one who said, We cant become lovers until were equals, and she was determined to act accordingly for his sake


    But, within just an hour, that determination vanished, like a fleeting dream.


    Phew Thats why they did that after kissing


    She used to think how theyd transition from a kiss scene to a sex scene felt artificial and forced.


    But, after getting in a similar situation like in those movies, she could understand.


    That such a scene was indeed a natural progression.


    Is my mouth an erogenous zone or something?


    She entertained such random thoughts that came to her mind, but ultimately, she couldnt find the answers by herself.


    And this troubled her.


    So, she turned on her computer.


    Recently, by browsing the internet, she had stumbled upon the mysterious realm of relationship.


    It was as if she was exploring a whole new universe.


    The information she once brushed off as nonsense turned out to be helpful, and the search bad had become her sole advisor for matters concerning relationships due to her not having someone to consult to.


    In fact, she was able to do what she did today, giving Siwoo a breastjob, because of a video site that she visited.


    She immediately put in How to plan surprises for your boyfriend in the search bar.


    Based on her previous experience, using the term boyfriend instead of male friend broadened the search results by a significant margin.


    Of course, she had to filter out overly explicit results, but this approach provided her with a wider range of options.


    Hmm


    Back when she first did this, shed cover her mouth, screaming, Oh my! This is way too lewd! but now, she could confidently confront the ocean of explicit information on the internet.


    Would this count as experience gained from exploring the depths of the internet?


    Heh.


    Despite it being a one-night experience, she felt a sense of newfound maturity creeping upon her.


    Clothes to make your boyfriend happy? This looks promising


    They said men are more sensitive to visual stimulation than women


    Wearing seductive attire was touted as an almost necessary event among lovers to fulfill that need


    Come to think of it, did he sneak some glances at my chest when I wore my tank top?


    If I want to repay his favor I might as well go all out with it


    Where should I look?


    Sharon confidently clicked on a site with a banana logo.


    Instantly, the screen displayed outrageously revealing swimsuits, full-body stockings, lingerie, peculiar-looking school uniforms, Chinese dresses and many more.


    These clothes were so risque that they couldnt even be considered clothes or underwear.


    T-This is too much


    They arent even clothes at this point


    Why would anyone wear these? There isnt any fabric on the bras and the panties, those are just straps!


    She clicked her tongue disapprovingly as she scrolled down the page. But then, her gaze suddenly caught on something unexpected.


    This Might actually work


    It seemed like she accidentally stumbled upon something suitable, or rather, decent clothing for her to wear.


    Heres a pic of Yebin, our cute doctor


    1


    Milt, or fish semen, or fishs semen sac. Yeah they eat it in Japan, and I guess in sushi restaurant in Korea too.

 Chapter 179: Pleasant Daily Life (1)

    Chapter 179: Pleasant Daily Life (1)


    Pleasant Daily Life (1)


    1.


    Todays a good day.


    In a certain alley, away from the bustling downtown, a tipsy male student laughed with a cigarette in his mouth.


    How the fuck did you pick her up? She was crazy stunning!


    Leaning against the stone wall, his friend casually lit a cigarette and shook his head.


    Their tipsy state led them to laugh while telling each other inside jokes.


    I told you, this great Taehyun is smooth with the ladies!


    There were three girls back there, its surprising how well it went.


    So, who caught your eye the most?


    The short-haired one on the right. What was her name again? Soyeon? Anyway, she stands out. Its crazy to think how a quiet-looking girl like her gets wild in bed!


    It was a Friday night during the summer vacation.


    When the student, Taehyun, was lounging around in his room, he got a call from his friend and rushed to a nightclub.


    Before that, he spent half an hour fixing his hair and putting on the outfit he bought from a department store.


    And all the effort he put in was totally worth it.


    The quality of the girls he attracted, though he claimed that he wasnt a smoker (to attract more of them), was outstanding.


    Despite each of the girls having different tastes, the matchmaking went smoothly. As the night went on with their drinking games, physical contact became less uncomfortable for them.


    All because I set the mood properly.


    The fuck? I tried my best to be a wingman for you. Dont act like you did everything all by yourself.


    Well, I guess youre right about that.


    Using playful banter, smooth conversations and laughter, he effortlessly transitioned into the role of a mischievous male friend.


    To proceed, he planned to spend a second round at a cocktail bar, create a subtly seductive atmosphere and move on to the final part of his plan; Bringing the girls home.


    His achievement to seduce over forty girls just like this became something that he boasted often among his friends.


    Alright lets head inside and have more fun. If we keep them waiting any longer, they might start complaining and go home instead.


    Sure, let me finish this cigar first.


    While his friend smoked, he was fiddling with his phone. Suddenly, he felt the urge to urinate.


    Fuck, I gotta take a piss. Wheres the toilet?


    Just do it here. No ones here anyway, Ill cover for you.


    Let me know if anyone comes.


    He loosened his belt and walked through the narrow alley, feeling slightly unsteady.


    Getting tipsy improved his mood considerably, but it made his body feel heavy.


    In any case, he decided to do the deed in a secluded spot rather than finding an actual toilet.


    As he stepped into the alley, a chill breeze greeted him.


    I havent even pissed yet, what a pain.


    Vaguely aiming toward the drain, he began to empty his bladder that was filled from him drinking beer.


    Where should we go for the second round, though?


    Leaning against the wall, he called out to his friend standing outside the alley.


    But no response came.


    Oi, I asked you a question.


    He hadnt walked too far from him, so he should be able to hear his voice.


    The situation turned tense, and he tried to lighten it with a chuckle and a joke.


    Did you pass out or something? If you sleep here, youll wake up with a paralyzed face, you dumbass.


    Still, the only response he got was an unsettling silence.


    Amidst the flowing stream of his urine, he sensed that something was off.


    Currently, it was around 1 am. The night should still be bustling with activity even though it was Friday.


    Even if he was a little away from the lively downtown, there should be some noises coming out from the small one-room apartment blocks nearby.


    Drunken women crying, men causing ruckus, students making noises, he should be able to hear all of those sounds.


    But instead, what he was facing was total silence, as if he was in a library.


    Not even the usual sounds of cars or delivery bikes reached his ears.


    More importantly, the strange atmosphere was so noticeable that even a drunk man like him could tell it.


    Theres some fucked up shit going on, huh?


    Unease started to creep up on him. The feeling overwhelmed him, even more than the foul stench coming up from the alley, but he forced a chuckle as he tried to reassure himself.


    He felt a shiver run down his spine, but he attributed it to his alcohol-laden body acting up.


    Because it wasnt satisfied.


    It was still hungry.


    At this rate, it couldnt fully repair all the damage it took from all the consecutive battles it underwent.


    Against its most formidable adversary among the countless witches it had faced throughout the century, the pink-haired witch.


    With a single strike, she could cleave mountains, with a touch she could unleash earthquakes and she could endure the distortions caused by Red Branchs power with ease.


    No matter how the Red Knight tried to hide using the Red Branch, the pink witch would inevitably appear before him.


    Based on its experiences and logical circuits, if it were to confront the pink witch, the confrontation would eventually lead to its defeat.


    Yet, it had always remained devoid of any emotions.


    It approached all of its problems mechanically, considering various methods to find solutions.


    But, first and foremost, it required more mana. More humans it needed to devour.


    Currently, it only had a fraction of mana it needed.


    If it were to encounter the pink witch in this state, itd be unable to fight properly or escape unscathed.


    In fact, its condition was quite dire as if it were to try and hunt other witches in this condition, it couldnt ensure its victory at all.


    The only viable targets if it were to hunt something were the apprentice witches, those who hadnt fully became witches yet.


    And that was why


    It chose the last resort that came to its mind.


    Devour more Humans


    It calculated the amount of mana that it could obtain by ending a single human life.


    And came to the conclusion that it needed around 4,000 people to devour.


    Only then would it regain enough power to hunt witches.


    -Tap, tap


    Suddenly, the sound of something treading through a sticky pool of blood echoed in the air.


    It resembled that of a reptilans footsteps.


    Hearing this, the Red Knight turned its head around.


    Beneath the dim street light


    There was a witch, standing on the blood that hadnt dried yet.


    She adorned an elegant black dress, just like mourning clothes.


    With her raven-black hair and emerald green eyes


    Her appearance aligned with the standards a witch normally had. To put it simply, she was beautiful.


    However, her beauty had a flaw.


    The fact that one side of her face contorted grotesquely, divided by a line drawn down the center.


    Resembling a burn or melted mass of flesh caused by chemicals.


    However, that wasnt important to the Homunculus.


    The fact that she had infiltrated this barrier undetected and managed to catch up to it mattered more.


    And there was also the fact that it realized how powerful she was. She wasnt someone it could handle at its present state.


    It didnt even consider escaping as it aimed its Red Branch at her.


    After all, it knew that seizing opportunities during a confrontation before actually escaping had a higher likelihood of success compared to attempting a clumsy escape.


    Are you hungry?


    But the witch ignored its aggression, and spoke in a calm tone.


    Her sudden kindness caused the Red Knights movements to halt abruptly, as it couldnt decipher her intentions.


    This was the first time it had encountered such a situation, so it couldnt come up with a decision quickly.


    It seems youre really hungry.


    Meanwhile, the witch took a step closer to the Red Knight.


    She stepped into the distance where it could freely deliver a decisive blow with its spear.


    Given how careless the witchs movements were, as if it never anticipated that it would attack her


    The Red Knight saw a possibility for it to win.


    And so, it tried to. Aiming its spear at her heart instinctively, it tried to bring her down Only for its whole body to stop abruptly like a rusty machine.


    Its body became fixed in place, as if tightly bound by an unseen force.


    Despite its best efforts, utilizing all its physical, magical, and the Red Branchs power, it still couldnt move even an inch.


    Meanwhile the witch steadily approached it, undeterred by its condition, offering something in her hands.


    A heart. It was throbbing and squirming, as if it was freshly extracted from a living being.


    Want to give this a taste?


    Fanart of the Red Knight

 Chapter 180: Pleasant Daily Life (2)

    Chapter 180: Pleasant Daily Life (2)


    Pleasant Daily Life (2)


    1.


    The bus jolted along the road. Through the window, a skyline filled with tall buildings sped by.


    A scene of the downtown, the stereotypical scene youd see in big cities with all those big corporate buildings and tall structures gathered in one place.


    At first, Sharon was amazed by such a sight.


    But, after living in this bustling metropolis for ten years, she had grown somewhat accustomed to it.


    With Gwanghwamun entering their view, it marked that they were getting closer to their destination.


    Sharon let out a deep sigh.


    Haa


    Whats wrong?


    Sitting beside her, Siwoo asked casually.


    Despite what happened yesterday, their friendship remained strong.


    As they had breakfast together, any lingering awkwardness dissipated, and they returned to their usual selves.


    However, Sharon felt oddly uncomfortable with Siwoos friendly demeanor.


    The reason for that was the fact that she had been deceiving Siwoo by telling him that she believed his white lies.


    Nothing. Just Tired I guess


    Since youre going to quit your part-time job, why dont you take a break?


    That sounds tempting, but nah. Also Im not ready to quit yet.


    I see.


    Mm.


    They exchanged such conversation idly, and after it ended, Sharon drifted back to her thoughts.


    Siwoo unexpectedly decided to tag along with her to exchange the crystals they got from the Homunculi the other day.


    However, since he was keeping his identity as a witch and his ability to use magic hidden, he couldnt accompany her all the way to the Witch Point.


    Hence, their plan was for him to wait nearby while Sharon completing the exchange. Then, theyd go to a nearby pasta restaurant.


    But, there was still an unaddressed problem with this arrangement. Della.


    She had defeated Sharon and forcefully took over her hunting ground.


    Although the other day she didnt come to intervene during their hunt, and they managed to reap a good harvest, the exchange might draw the attention of other witches, creating rumors that would eventually reach her ears.


    If that crazy bitch were to hear it, what would she do?


    Wait, what if I bumped into her before the exchange even began?


    Such a multitude of worries made her stress level skyrocketed.


    Her head felt like it was about to explode.


    Ill wait outside. How long will it take?


    It wont take long. Around thirty minutes at most.


    Alright, Ill wait for you at the cafe.


    The two stepped off the bus together.


    She glanced towards the cafe where Siwoo would wait before checking her leather pouch one last time.


    This pouch was an heirloom, enchanted with magic to keep its weight light, and expand the space inside it.


    And, inside said pouch, there was a pile of crystals rattling as her movement shook the pouch itself.


    With an anxious heart, she headed towards the exchange spot.


    She took the elevator straight to the exchange counter, while hoping to avoid Della.


    To her relief, there were no other witches there when she arrived.


    Welcome, Miss Evergreen. Its been a while since we last met.


    Ive been busy lately. Please exchange all of these.


    The Witch Point employee behind the counter, dressed like a bank teller, greeted Sharon with an amiable, office-like smile.


    Almost immediately, that smile turned into astonishment.


    -Chrrrrrrrr!


    As Sharon poured the content of her leather pouch onto the counter plate, countless crystals spilled out endlessly. The sight reminded one of a pachinko machine hitting the jackpot.


    The receptionists eyes darted around momentarily at the piled up crystals.


    Um Ill verify this And proceed with the exchange quickly


    Despite the unexpected situation, the courteous receptionist began to diligently weigh the crystals after a few back-and-forth trips.


    Meanwhile, Sharon leaned against the wall, anxiously peeking at the entrance.


    Siwoo quickly reached for his smartphone and presented an article to Sharon.


    What?! 30% annual increase rate?!


    With 5.4 billion won in her possession, she could make a profit of around 1.6 billion won each year.


    Considering investing the remaining money in real estate with a forged identity might generate a significantly higher income than the interest on the money she borrowed from the Gemini.


    Ill need to research how stable the industry is first, but it seems riskier than investing in cryptocurrency


    She was overwhelmed with emotion.


    Despite numerous unresolved and undisclosed issues, she couldnt deny the happiness she felt in the moment.


    It was like finding a glimmer of hope in an otherwise impenetrable darkness.


    She unknowingly slid her arm under Siwoos as the latter walked with his hands in his pockets.


    In reality, she had been holding back her urge to just embrace him right there and then.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo was surprised by her sudden action, and the sudden pressure he felt from her plump chest.


    Siwoo Should we Do that thing again?


    Oi, what are you talking about? This is a public place!


    They were talking about her unique way to make Siwoo happy, something that they both had just learned yesterday.


    Her unexpected proposal left him visibly flustered.


    Meanwhile, she inadvertently hid her laughter.


    Hes so cute~


    Previously, she had always thought that if she were to date someone, he should be a dependable and upright man, with a sturdy and tall body like a pine tree. But recently, she had different thoughts.


    Did I say something strange? I didnt even say anything about what I would do.


    Ah


    He willingly extended significant kindness to her, yet he felt uncomfortable and embarrassed when she tried to repay him.


    Despite him being in a position where he could easily act like a jerk toward her, he didnt. Even when she was teasing him, he only tried to resist her a little, and that was it.


    Still, when it counted, he courageously took the lead, risking his life to protect her.


    This is what a truly admirable man looks like, huh?


    Cupping her hands, she leaned in and whispered into his ear.


    Just kidding. By thing, yes I was talking about the thing we did yesterday.


    Please, go easy on me


    Your face is red~


    As Sharon was teasing him, he tried to pull his arm away, as if he was angry, but there was no force behind his movement.


    He was just pretending to be angry due to his embarrassment, and Sharon knew this.


    Are you upset?


    No. Why would I?


    So, you arent upset?


    Yeah.


    Then, why are you sulking?


    Im not.


    Their conversation might be incomparable to a couple in a full-blown argument, but if one were to record their interaction on the video, their dynamics as a couple was quite noticeable.


    Do you want to see my chest now?


    When we get home.


    How considerate~ You can ask me to show them here if you want to, you know~?


    Possessing a hefty sum of money, Sharons excitement was high, and she kept on teasing Siwoo who could only reply to her awkwardly.


    From a third persons view, the two of them looked quite affectionate.


    This went for a while, to the point that Siwoo could only show a wry smile as he couldnt even compose any words to retort.


    At that moment


    Sharons smile suddenly disappeared from her face.


    Her face had turned pale, as if she had just seen a ghost.


    As the saying goes, the world was indeed a small place.


    Right when they entered the alley leading toward the nearby pasta restaurant, she encountered her worst enemy.


    Normally, she could just pretend that she didnt see her and walk by, but because they were standing face-to-face, that was not an option at all.


    Said enemy was none other than the wicked witch who had been tormenting her persistently.


    Della Redcliffe, the bitch of all bitches.

 Chapter 181: Pleasant Daily Life (3)

    Chapter 181: Pleasant Daily Life (3)


    Pleasant Daily Life (3)


    1.


    In the beginning, the Homunculi hunted witches to sustain their existence.


    Centuries ago, there wasnt a lack of witches, and their numbers werent scarce, so they could hunt them with ease.New novel chapters are published on


    However, over time, various incidents, suicides, and murders led to a decline in the number of witches.


    In contrast, the number of Homunculi had increased rapidly due to them coming out of their hibernation.


    To put it shortly, in the medieval era, the ratio of witches to Homunculi was ten to one, while in the modern era, it was reversed dramatically to one to ten. Such disparity wasnt without consequences.


    As their preys number became scarce, they resorted to hunting humans.


    Whether it was because this was an option in the first place, or because they were so desperate that they had to devise a method to do so, it was a fact that they had a way to convert humans ties into mana.


    Consequently, they chose to gather in bustling metropolises, where the number of prey were plentiful compared to the countryside or remote territories.


    This was why Witch Points were placed within major cities.


    Having passed through Border Towns Gate and reached the Han River, Eloa Tiphereths first stop was a Witch Point nearby.


    Among those Witch Points, Gwanghwamuns stood out as the most active hunting ground in the eastern region, comparable to places like Macau, Wudaokou and Shinjuku.


    Ah.


    As Eloa entered the busy office after taking the elevator, the room fell silent as if it had turned into a library.


    Everyone present, whether they were witches or humans, showed their respect with a small bow.


    Tiphereth was the founder of the Witch Points, but she had relinquished all her authority fifty years ago.


    However, it was undeniable that the establishment of the Witch Points ended up helping the Exiles a lot due to all the information that was shared through the Witch Points database. Thus, they ended up being the one who appreciated her accomplishment the most compared to the witches of Gehenna.


    The way they treated Eloa was as if they were paying their respects to a living legend or a well-known saint.


    Dont mind me, everyone.


    Tiphereth replied, raising her hand in response to their bows, before heading straight to the branch managers office on the top floor.


    Most witches were independent and dictatorial.


    Assigning witches, known for their selfishness, to predefined roles in positions of power was likely to result in a high degree of dissatisfaction and potential resistance.


    However, it didnt mean that all of them shared the same temperament.


    Among them, some found comfort in stability, control and management.


    And Sua Agatha, the branch manager of the Gwanghwamun Branch, belonged to that category.


    Even before Tiphereth decided to appoint someone, Sua Agatha had taken the initiative to fill the position despite knowing the troublesome tasks that it brought with it.


    Ascending the stairs, Eloa arrived at the well-maintained top-floor, resembling a grand old mansion or a traditional Japanese Restaurant (Ryoutei).


    Instead of Western-style wooden doors, there were rows of windows covered with hanji, traditional Korean paper, and the floor was heated with ondol, a traditional Korean underfloor heating system. Visitors had to take off their shoes before stepping inside.


    As Eloa removed her shoes, the windows that blocked her path swung open, revealing a spacious office behind it.


    Sua, the branch manager, had set up a tea table in front of a folding screen with a painting of the four historical figures, and was in the middle of making tea.


    Its been a while, Ms. Sua. Youre still the same as always.


    Pleased to meet you. It has been ten years, hasnt it? Please have a seat, I brought some good tea from Hadong.


    Sounds nice.


    Sua maintained her calm expression and relaxed demeanor.


    Clad in an elegant hanbok, her jet-black hair was intricately styled, and her eyes gleamed with clear, ashen hue, as if she was a painting that had just stepped out of its canvas.


    Elegantly pouring some tea into two cups, her movements resembled a delicate orchid, or a droplet of morning dew.


    Her gaze consisted of compassion, sharpness and wisdom, and she used it to look at Eloa.


    This subject assumes that Your Ladyships arrival is to inquire about the unfortunate death of the Witch of Aquarius, the one you tirelessly pursued. Am I correct?


    Yes.


    This subject can only imagine the sorrow you must feel.


    There is no room for sorrow. I brought this upon myself, after all.


    Eloa calmly spoke, as if brushing away any futile resentment.


    She displayed an attitude worthy of a ruler, even in the face of scattered grievances. However, as her long-time friend, Sua could see through her facade.


    Eloas shoulders seemed burdened by a tumultuous storm of melancholy and grief.


    This subject, too, heard the rumors and immediately sent mine words to you, Your Ladyship


    Im aware. Since your contact was the first one I confirmed. In any case, I didnt come here to dwell on the things that had already happened.


    What is your purpose then?


    The Knight I pursued fled to this place. I need help to pinpoint its exact location.


    Are you perhaps talking about the Red Knight?


    Sua displayed an unusual expression of surprise.


    He boasted that he had defeated Della for her sake, and she played along, pretending not to know the truth.


    But, since they ended up bumping into each other like this, both his lie and her pretense to believe him would come to nothing.


    That was why, Sharon immediately thought of sending Siwoo away somewhere first.


    But, when she was about to call out to him


    Hello, there.


    He greeted Della, to her surprise.


    And to that greeting, Dellas mouth twisted uglily.


    It was the first time Sharon ever saw her making such an expression.


    A mixture of annoyance and other complicated emotions, a face that suggested she didnt know what she should do.


    The exact same expression Sharon would always wear when she bumped into her.


    That narcissistic and arrogant Della? The same bitch whos always full of herself? Making this kind of face?


    Tomorrow will be raining money, Im sure.


    Hello.


    When she heard Della reply to Siwoos greeting curtly, she discreetly pinched her own tight.


    THAT arrogant Della responds to a guys greeting before picking a fight with me?


    Did she really just ignore me?


    Am I dreaming?


    Sorry about last time. Are your wounds okay?


    You dont need to worry about that.


    Did he just Ask about her wounds?


    And she said no need to worry?


    Sharon was completely lost.


    She didnt know what the hell they were talking about.


    Alright, well go on ahead then.


    Um? Uh?


    Siwoo gave Della a casual nod before walking past her.


    Since they were walking with linked arms, Sharon, who had been standing around stiffly, found herself half-dragged by him.


    There was no hint of fear or worry in Siwoos eyes.


    A perfectly calm response, as if he was just meeting an acquaintance by chance.


    Will she really let him off so easily?


    But, this is Della were talking about! Shes as persistent as a mosquito! Why would she let him off?!


    Sharon felt utterly bewildered, unable to understand what was going on.


    Hey.


    There you go, thats more like it.


    Finally, something that makes actual sense happens.


    Normally, this was the moment where Della would start hurling insults.


    But, when she turned around, she only pouted her lips before opening her mouth.


    Next time, Ill win.


    She confidently declared, her gaze sharp as if she was facing her sworn enemy.


    It wouldnt surprise Sharon if she were to suddenly pounce on them right there and then.


    But, there was a hint of resignation in her gesture, as if she knew deep down that she couldnt just charge forward.


    Dont get it wrong, okay? The reason why I didnt come after you immediately is not because Im afraid, but because of our contract, got it?


    Uh Sure?


    Siwoo blurred his words, finding it difficult to respond to her heated declaration.


    Thanks to that, it made it sound like he gave an ambiguous or sarcastic reply, depending on how one looked at it.


    The normal Della would definitely give them a hard time with three times the intensity compared to usual when she heard that kind of reply, but


    She only glared at him with fiery eyes before turning her body around gracefully like a model and went on her own way.


    The view of her back seemed oddly familiar to Sharon.


    It was as if she was seeing at her own back when she bottled up her dissatisfaction with Della, but she couldnt utter a word against her and had to run away instead.


    Are you okay? If we dont hurry, our reservation will expire.


    Huh? Ah, yeah Okay!


    Still bewildered, Sharon could only blink as Siwoo guided her into the pasta restaurant.

 Chapter 182: Pleasant Daily Life (4)

    Chapter 182: Pleasant Daily Life (4)


    Pleasant Daily Life (4)


    1.


    Siwoo wasnt lying.


    He did defeat Della


    After Sharon gathered her thoughts and regained her composure, she realized that she had finished her meal already.


    Somewhere along the way, Siwoo had caught on to why she was acting weird.


    So, you didnt believe me, huh?


    H-Huh? W-What did you say just now? I-I didnt hear you!


    You never believed that I beat Della.


    Back then, he was surprised that she didnt even question him about how exactly he defeated Della.


    Now he knew the reason why; She just didnt believe him in the first place.


    Though, he understood why that was the case.


    There was a considerable gap between his and Dellas skill, and it was by extraordinary stroke of luck that he managed to beat her in the first place.


    N-No? I-I really believed you!


    Trying to reassure Siwoo, Sharon waved her hands wildly in the air.


    But soon enough, she ended up confessing anyway since it was obvious that she couldnt keep up her lies anymore.


    S-Sorry I-In truth I didnt believe you


    No need to apologize.


    Siwoo said, showing her a small smile.


    Considering that she still played along even though she thought that he was lying, she didnt need to feel sorry at all.


    But, why didnt you say anything?


    Huh? What?


    I mean, you couldve bragged about knocking her down, but you didnt So, I thought you were just lying


    Ah, well It feels embarrassing if I were to brag about it, you know? Besides, you didnt ask for details, so I figured that itd be better to leave it be Ah, right, theres something


    He rummaged through his wallet before pulling out a business card.


    On it was a brief statement, a pledge to not reveal Siwoos true identity and to not harm Sharon in any way.


    It was written in Redcliffes name, emphasizing the seriousness of the promise.


    After seeing that, Sharon finally fully believed this surreal story.


    I told her to stop bothering you since it seems like she has been giving you tough times.


    He had heard her complaints multiple times, so he requested Della to stop bothering her.


    Without batting an eyelash, Sharon suddenly pressed herself against him.


    W-What are you doing, all of a sudden?!


    Sharon?


    With her lips pouted as she averted her gaze, she stuck to him, refusing to let go.


    He tried to call her out, but she didnt respond, and she also didnt say anything.


    She was currently feeling extremely embarrassed about overthinking the whole situation, and all the futile actions she ended up doing because of it. The fact that Siwoo effortlessly handled everything well only further her embarrassment.


    But, the strongest feeling she currently felt was the fact that she didnt need to suffer through all the abuse anymore.


    No more worrying about Della suddenly showing up and taking her money, or worrying about getting chased out of Sinchon, wandering like a beggar to God knows where.


    All this time, those worries had been occupying her heart. The fact that it was all gone made tears well up in her eyes.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))


    T-Thank you


    She hugged him tightly while sobbing, refusing to let go for a long time.


    Except this time, her tears came from her joy and relief.


    Amidst her downpour of tears, she couldnt help but notice how often she found herself crying these days.


    2.


    After finishing their errands; Exchanging their crystals at the Witch Point, and eating their pasta, they both headed back home.


    Ugh I did something stupid to myself without realizing it


    Now I know why youve been acting so strangely lately.


    I really thought you lied to me to make me feel better


    Siwoo could understand why she berated herself over her misunderstanding.


    After all, despite what actually happened, she brushed over his words, drawing a conclusion on her own without thinking twice.


    I probably shouldve talked more about it even if Id end up sounding like a braggart. That should be better than her ending up underestimating me


    Siwoo thought.


    The contrast between her vibrant hair and black fabric created a sense of sensuality in her look.


    Seeing Siwoos reaction to her lovely outfit, she smirked, feeling triumphant for successfully enacting her revenge.


    Isnt this too revealing?


    This is exactly what you asked for, isnt it?


    What she was doing required more courage than getting completely naked.


    The black fabric, starked against her fair skin, was incredibly seductive, evoking lust in Siwoo toward her soft and supple skin underneath those fabrics.


    Haah I owe you so much, so I dressed up like this to repay you in some way~ But seeing how much fun youre having teasing me, I cant help but put it on early. Now, its time for a revenge~


    Triumphantly, she crossed her arms and walked towards Siwoo in light steps.


    With each step, her curvaceous hips swayed enticingly, as her chest bounced seductively. The bell on her choker jingled along.


    Now Ill be wearing this outfit all day long~ I wont leave you by yourself, Shin Siwoo~ Youll be touching my breasts until youre sick of it~


    She had only been teasing him about giving him another breastjob, but from her tone, it seemed like she was going at it for real this time.


    As the situation took an unexpected turn, Siwoo looked as if the sky was falling as he saw her coming up closer. He was actually anticipating the moment though.


    With her dressed like that, his rod was all stiff just by looking at her. There was no way he would be able to stand it if she didnt allow him to touch her.


    Okay, thats that. Its time for our magic lesson. Lets head to the study room, my dear student~


    Now, thats just too far.


    Too far? After all your teasing, you called this too far?


    She approached him with a smile, prompting him to stand by using her cat gloves that were clearly made out of a cheap material, and guided him to the study room.


    With every step she took, the cat paw print on her buttocks flickered, making Siwoo felt even more miserable.


    As usual, they sat down at the desk, with Siwoo sitting down straight while Sharon squeezed next to him.


    By the way, her outfit seemed to be imported from Japan, and it followed the standard-size of average Korean women. Thanks to that, her large chest looked especially stuffy beneath her bra.


    Now, well delve back into studying the elemental properties of earth, something we havent finished exploring yet the last time we held our lessons.


    Suddenly acting formally like that What are you doing?


    Hm? I dont quite understand what youre getting at, my dear student. As far as Im aware, Ive always been professional whenever Im teaching you, havent I?


    Yeah, sure, sure.


    Clearly teasing him, she playfully snuggled up next to him.


    He knew that everything was part of her plan.


    She was having a good time, enjoying his reaction.


    While she might have felt a little embarrassed, it was worth it because this made him feel extremely awkward.


    Every time he glanced at her, she always returned a taunting look, a seductive look that was enough to arouse him.


    Oh my, Mr. Siwoo, you shouldnt stare at your teachers chest in the middle of the class, okay?


    Your dress is inappropriate, why is a teacher wearing something like this during class?


    Im just wearing it because it looks cute on me. Mr. Siwoo, you need to control yourself, you arent a pervert, are you?


    Whenever he responded to her taunts, she could feel a tinge of excitement in her heart.


    After some time had passed.


    Well, well, Mr. Siwoo, look at you, acting like this during class. What a bad student you are.


    Suddenly, Sharon, who had been subtly caressing his thigh, boldly moved her hand and touched his fully erect rod.


    This unexpected physical contact caught him off guard.


    She had already removed her gloves at one point, so now she was teasing the bulging rod beneath his pants with her bare hands.


    This is unfair!


    He expressed his dissatisfaction.


    Just being next to her was enough to make his rod throb in pain, let alone her touching it with her hand.


    Are you giving up already?


    Uh, can you please put on some proper clothes?


    He couldnt focus on todays lesson, feeling like it was a waste of time.


    Obviously it wasnt his fault for that, even if Buddha was sitting there, the result wouldnt have been much different.


    Sharon let out a mischievous chuckle and pulled Siwoo up.


    Fine, lets go to my room now. Weve decided that wed do it earlier, no? Lets do it now.


    Huh?


    Ive had enough fun seeing you squirm.


    So suddenly?


    In front of the bewildered Siwoo, Sharon shook her chest, as if she was showing them off.


    What? You dont want to do it?


    And then she gave him a mischievous smile.


    Urged by a strange mix of confusion and bewilderment, Siwoo followed her into her room. All while accompanied by a suppressed desire to banish his inner demons.

 Chapter 183: Pleasant Daily Life (5)

    Chapter 183: Pleasant Daily Life (5)


    Pleasant Daily Life (5)


    1.


    Led by Sharon, Siwoo stepped into her room.


    Her room was a bit smaller than Siwoo, but due to the place being a good studio apartment, it ensured her room to have an ample living space.


    The inside of her room looked simple due to her not liking lavish decorations.


    Everything, from her blanket to her bed and pillows was plain white, making the room look unremarkable.


    Amidst this white backdrop, her black attire stood out. It was as if they were sitting in a studio or something.


    Someones excited~


    No, Im not.


    In response to Sharons teasing, Siwoo awkwardly scratched his cheeks.


    I can see it in your eyes~


    No you cant.


    So, I take it as you dont want to do this?


    Its not like that


    Though Siwoo tried to assert himself in their playful struggle for dominance, it was clear that Sharon held the upper hand here.


    Against her seductive, irresistible advances, he found himself defenseless.


    Now, Student Siwoo, please stand in front of me.


    Are we going to continue with this play?


    Itll be embarrassing if we dont! Lets keep doing it, at least for now.


    Sharon smirked before lightly patting his buttocks as he stood there awkwardly.


    Deep down, both of them knew that their relationship was far from a normal one.


    They werent officially dating, but they hadnt crossed the one line that would turn them into sex friends.


    The reason why Sharon initiated this kind of sexual play with him was because she felt indebted to him. In other words, this was her way to repay for all the kindness he had shown to her.


    While it seemed like she was selling her body to receive his favor at a glance, the whole thing was more complicated than it looked.


    In the first place, there was something special going in between them. They werent mere hunting partners.


    Weird. Why cant I take this off?


    Should I?


    No, let me do it.


    Sharon sat down on the bed and tried to take Siwoos jeans off.


    The way she pouted her lips as she struggled to remove his pants was cute.


    There we go!


    She exclaimed triumphantly, finally managed to unbutton his jeans and pull them down to his thighs.


    Her gaze met his exposed glans, which was already peeking out from his underwear.


    Finding it amusing, she covered her mouth while giggling, before playfully touched it with her fingertip.


    Hello~ Its nice to meet you again~


    Then she greeted it.


    Thinking back to their first meeting on the rooftop, this series of events wasnt something he could have imagined.


    When he saw her in the convenience store, she exuded a strong and mature aura, giving off an older sisters vibe.


    It turned out that her nature was rather playful, and that only made him all the more delightful.


    Now, she even went out of her way to wear such sexy underwear to entice Siwoo, something that even his wildest imagination couldnt compare to.


    What is this by the way? Last time, theyre here too.


    Can you stop poking it?


    Her gaze remained fixed on the throbbing tip of his fully erect rod, seemingly intrigued by the pre-cum clinging to it.


    As her delicate fingers explored the crevices, the sticky pre-cum transformed into a long string of thread, stretching from her fingertips.


    Her insistence to tease his sensitive areas made him squirm his hips due to the stimulation.


    This thing looks like the thing that comes out of a mushroom. You know, when you grill them along with pork belly and stuff.


    Stop making things up.


    Hearing Siwoos comment, Sharon giggled in response.


    This being their second time, the nervousness that enveloped them during their first time had long dissipated.


    Both of them were relaxed, enjoying the act as if it was a game.


    Though there was still some nervousness in their heart, due to their unfamiliarity with the action, they could still deal with it easily.


    Do you want me to take off your underwear too?


    Sure.


    She smoothly slid her fingers into the elastic band, gently pulling his underwear down to his thighs.


    This time, she kept a safe distance so that she wouldnt get hit by his rod again. She observed it from a distance as it swayed like a spring.


    You got this big just by watching me?


    She tapped on the spot where she had been sitting before pulling out a cylindrical plastic bottle from the delivered package.


    Whats that?


    A lubricant. Youre supposed to use it like this!


    She opened the bottle before pouring the sticky liquid directly onto her breasts.


    The viscous liquid ran down her cleavage, tightly pressed against the fabric.


    While they used lotion before, she noticed the lack of lubrication back then, especially in the latter stages of the act.


    That was why she went all out this time, even going out of her way to prepare proper equipment based on the information she saw in videos.


    Ah, its cold!


    The lubricant felt way colder than she expected but it soon warmed up due to her tightly pressed breasts.


    Thinking that the preparations were complete, she sat down with a wobbling motion, placing her knees between his legs.


    Its time for the real deal now~


    Heres the boobs that you like, Colonel~


    Her breasts, trapped in the cat bra, were covered in a thin layer of lube, resembling a sweet donut with a transparent sugar coating.


    Seeing her appearance, Siwoo gulped hard.


    All you need to do is to put it in this hole.


    Sharon proceeded to crawl between his legs, aligning the tip of his manhood with the cat-shaped hole in her bra.


    It was that moment when he finally realized the purpose of the hoke.


    Yes, it wasnt a sexy gimmick, merely for visuals .


    It was a hole specifically made for titfuck.


    They made it so that the woman could bring her breasts together to pleasure a dick without removing her bra or using her hands.


    Though, theyd need enough pressure from both sides to make it work.


    -Squish!


    As he pushed his waist forward, his manhood smoothly slid into the groove of her cleavage.


    Holy fuck


    That made him totally lose it as he blurted out a swear word, completely forgetting that Sharon was there.


    Thanks to the lubricant, his cock effortlessly plunged into the onahole made by her squishy tits.


    But, the pressure of his rod being squeezed together by those enormous tits in such a tiny bra provided him with more pleasure than he had imagined.


    He pushed his hips forward, making his throbbing tip emerge from the gap of her creamy tits.


    Humanity never truly grasped the danger of nuclear weapons until Japan got hit with two atomic bombs.


    Likewise, Siwoo had never expected the destructive force of this custom-made onahole until he experienced it firsthand.


    The pleasure he felt was so good that it felt like a sin.


    It made him forget about everything. The right mix of pressure and softness made a shiver run down his back.


    He never expected that such a significant difference in sensation could come from a simple change in clothes and lubricant.


    Plus, the close contact between their skins, heated by the well-tempered lubricant, only served to intensify the pleasure.


    Fuckits so tightamazing


    Really? You like it that much?


    Sharon tilted her head slightly so that the tip of his shaft wouldnt poke her chin. She looked at him in amusement.


    When she started to shake her breasts, they quickly realized a problem.


    Its hard to move.


    You knowit feels like theres something in the way


    Unlike before, when she only used her jiggly breasts to give him titfuck


    Because of the tight cat bra, she couldnt move as freely as she wanted.


    Hmmwhy dont we try something different?


    After a momentary pause, Siwoo carefully pulled out his rod from between Sharons breasts and watched as she positioned herself on the bed in a slightly reclined position.


    Then, she poked her stomach and pointed at it.


    Sit here, you should be able to move your hips freely.


    Yeah, that probably could work.


    Eager to feel her warm tits again, he carefully got on top of her while making sure that he didnt put too much weight on her.


    He felt awkward for doing this so suddenly though.


    Can I hold on to them?


    Sure, sure, do whatever that makes you comfortable! Dont go too rough though, it might hurt me a little.


    After obtaining her consent, he took her tits in his hands and slowly inserted his throbbing rod.


    Facing her innocent face upfront made him feel a little guilty.


    It feels like Im using her as a sex toy


    It seemed like Sharon didnt seem as calm as she let on too, as she gulped hard.


    Go ahead. Im ready now.


    After a brief hesitation, he began moving his hips, creating a series of squelching sounds due to his rod thrusting into the crevice between her tits.

 Chapter 184: Pleasant Daily Life (6)

    Chapter 184: Pleasant Daily Life (6)


    Pleasant Daily Life (6)


    1.


    -Squish squish squish!


    The sound that echoed in the room was strange, yet erotic.


    It was caused by the sticky lube, smearing and rubbing, creating a lewd squelching noise.


    Now, Siwoo was feeling the clear difference between using an actual lube and lotion during a titfuck; Both the sensation and the sound it made were completely different.


    Sharons warm and supple breasts, snuggly confined by her bra, pressed firmly together, squeezing his erect rod.


    Each movement she made provided a different sensation from her blowjob, sending waves of pleasure through his body.


    Even the sound is arousing


    While using her breasts to make him cum, she stared at Siwoos rod while muttering those words.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo was struggling with a feeling of guilt that suddenly crept over him.


    Despite the enthralling scene and the exhilarating pleasure he felt, Sharons innocent face made him question the morality of their actions.


    It felt as if they were engaging in something that should have never been done.


    The fact that they were doing this in a strange position, where she was lying beneath him, only added to his guilt.


    But, just like his time with the twins, any kinky act could easily blur the line between reason and pleasure.


    Contrary to his thoughts, he firmly grasped her breasts.


    Normally, her large breasts would fall down, following the law of gravity, but thanks to her bra, they maintained their supple shape.


    When he pressed them together, he felt an even greater pleasure.


    Involuntarily, a gasp escaped his lips.


    Woah


    Your expression is really arousing


    Does it bother you?


    Oh, no, not at all! I just felt like saying it


    Sensing awkwardness in his response, Sharon used her wrist to cover her own mouth.


    As things continued, a lovely blush appeared on her face.


    In truth, Sharon was fully aware of the obscenity involved in this act.


    -Squish squish squish!


    As Siwoo quickened his pace, the sound and foam created by the entangled lube intensified.


    Within the initially transparent lube, small bubbles formed, and a misty liquid seemed to flow through the valley between Sharons breasts.


    And Siwoo had a full view of the scene.


    Due to him firmly holding on Sharons breasts, the fabric of her bra stuck closely to her skin, exposing her already protruding nipples through the thin fabric.


    Not only that, he could also see a part of her nipple peeking on the hole of the bra.


    Both the fact that her tits was already a sight to behold to begin with, and this kind of discreet exposure, further fueled his lust.


    He had heard a saying, how things hidden from view were often more beautiful, and in this moment, he found himself agreeing to that saying.


    Aah!


    Siwoo moved, teasingly pinched Sharons nipple, and she let out a moan in response.


    Seemingly embarrassed by the unexpected sound she made, she looked at him.


    Thinking that she was disturbing the mood somehow, she awkwardly apologized.


    S-Sorry


    This was the first time he had ever seen a girl apologizing while his rod was nestled comfortably in between her breasts.


    A-Ah, i-it isnt like it hurts or anything, its justticklesso I was surprised by it! Anyway, if you want to continue, go ahead!


    Though she casually brushed it off, normally he wouldnt have insisted on continuing.


    But now that she gave him permission


    A mischievous desire arose in his mind as he became curious what kind of voice she would make.


    I can keep going?


    Yeah, of course. Youre just using part of my chest anyway, whats the big deal?


    With her giving him the green light, he dove in, moving his hips while squeezing her chest firmly.


    All this while, he had been playing it safe, avoiding direct contact with her nipples while only holding on her chest gently, but with her nod of approval, he decided to toss all those cautions aside.


    He grabbed her sensitive parts, playfully teasing her nipples with his fingers.


    Mmh! Yesahh


    With her nipples responding to the stimulation, she couldnt hide her reactions.


    It was as if her nipples had grown bigger, now they turned pointy and hard, as if assessing their presence.


    Unable to hide her pleasure, Sharons eyelashes trembled as she tried to cover her mouth with her wrist.


    Letting such lewd sounds out of her mouth made her feel awkward, but she didnt ask him to stop.


    Looking at her expression, a mix of embarrassment and confusion, it seemed like she was taking it all in stride.


    Mmhmmm


    After their fun time, she gave him a thorough clean up, commonly known as a clean-up blowjob.


    Though, while she really wanted to clean his rod up, the sensation he received was a little bit more than that.


    The overwhelming sensation of ejaculation and the trembling of his legs were both clear indications that this wasnt a simple cleaning service. It was as if she was trying to extract his very soul, leaving him in a state of pure bliss.


    -Plop!


    His fully engorged shaft slipped out of her mouth with a plop.


    With her cheeks puffed up like a chipmunk, she looked at him.


    There were traces of semen coming out of the corner of her lips.


    Mmmmmm?


    At that moment, she gestured to her own mouth repeatedly.


    Is she asking me to praise her because she did a good job?


    Yes, you did well. Thank you.


    Mmm! Mmm!


    Tissue?


    That was just a guess.


    Nevertheless, that was exactly what she wanted, so he handed her a tissue. After he did, she spat out the mix of her saliva, lube and semen, making a disgusted face.


    Since she had been holding something so tasteless in her mouth, she rinsed her mouth while making a disgruntled voice.


    Yuck, it tastes really bad


    Why did you do it then?


    Look, I started it already, so I might as wellbesides, you seemed to enjoy it!


    I mean, it does feel good. But yeah, they did say that semen tastes bad.


    Its sour and saltya mix of both. Theres also the lube, it tastes like diluted starch. Not only does it feel sticky, it also tastes disgusting.


    Yeah, that sounds about right.


    I did hear that it isnt as tasty as it looks.


    Anyway, I licked it clean~


    Hm? Ah, yeah you did.


    In response to Siwoos remark, Sharon stuck out her tongue as she licked up the semen around her lips.


    She definitely didnt mean to, but the sight was a little bit too erotic even for Siwoo.


    The gap between her innocent look and her lewd act made it even more so.


    Ugh, it feels sticky. Im going to wash up.


    Sharon lowered her disheveled bra, revealing her chest that looked pretty dirty.


    Her nipples had returned to normal, but the fabric of her bra was damp and sticky, so she couldnt wear it anymore.


    Then again, it wasnt anything surprising. Such an undergarment was often made out of cheap materials.


    You should throw it away.


    I should. Its a cheap one anyway. Ill just buy a better one from Dongdaemun street market.


    Anyway, thank you for everything today. It was really something.


    Hearing Siwoos honest reaction, Sharon smirked as she got up from the bed.


    Following the flow of the conversation, Siwoo casually glanced at her underwear.


    That was when he noticed something.


    Her bra wasnt the only thing that turned into a mess.


    As his gaze traveled up from her straight legs to her thick thighs, he noticed her plump buttocks.


    To be more exact, he was seeing the black cloth wedged between her buttcheeks.


    It seemed like he could shift her panties aside effortlessly and easily insert his rod right in.


    As he looked around for a little bit more, he caught a glimpse of her plump labia. That was when he realized that she had shaved everything clean.


    Furthermore


    What?


    Its nothing.


    Ill be taking my shower first, okay?


    Sure, go ahead.


    After she left, he could finally catch his breath.


    Her panties were clearly and visibly soaked.


    With her being that wet, it would be easy for him to slide his rod in between her juicy lower lips.


    Fuck, there must be something wrong with my head.


    Does she even want to go further than this? Like, does she even want to have sex with me?


    He pondered as he stared at his still rock-hard rod, refusing to stay still even after it had shot loads of cum.

 Chapter 185: A Surprise (1)

    Chapter 185: A Surprise (1)


    A Surprise (1)


    1.


    As an apprentice witch, Ravi inherited her vessel from Duchess Tiphereth, and was the next in line to inherit her brand.


    To describe her with one word, she was lovable.


    Everyone, no matter the age or gender, loved her.


    Even birds, animals and livestocks were drawn to her, willingly seeking her company. Stray dogs and birds would gather around her as she walked through the fields, competing for her affection.


    With her cheerful personality, she always brought smiles to everyone.


    This playful nature of hers even managed to crack a smile on Eloas usually grumpy face.


    One day, she approached her master and said,


    Master! I want to go to the modern world!


    Knowing how adventurous the child could be, Eloa had already anticipated this request.


    As a response, she asked the child with a biter smile.


    Whats gotten into you, all of a sudden?


    As an apprentice witch inheriting Duchess Tiphereth name, I thought I should broaden my horizons and explore a wider world!


    You do have a way with words, dont you?


    Eloa let out a chuckle, laughing at her apprentices resolute response.


    They looked exactly like a pair of sisters talking to each other. Anyone who was unaware of their age difference would think that they were having a cheerful sibling banter.


    The modern world is dangerous, especially for an apprentice witch like you. There will be a lot of people whod target you.


    Well, that would be fine, Im confident with myself! Ive got a good handle on the magic youve taught me, Master!


    Just as she boasted, Ravi was an excellent apprentice witch.


    Though she only had received a small portion of Eloas power, she was already strong enough to fight back against an average witch.


    The Myriad Weapons Mastery Covenant gave her the ability to master any kind of weapons.


    Her natural fighting sense made it as if the covenant in her bowl was entirely her own.


    Even Eloa acknowledged that when it came to pure fighting prowess, there were only a handful of witches who could match Ravi.


    While magic was crucial in combat among witches, arguing its importance compared to martial skills was a pointless thing to do.


    Masterplease? Pretty please?


    Seeing her master deep in thought, Ravi seized the moment, trying to win her over with cuteness.


    She jumped around, giving her master kisses while swinging their joined hands.


    Stop her.


    Observing the scene, Eloa was unable to express her murmur as it faded away.


    It turned into meaningless babble, fading away to nothingness.


    You have to stop her!


    Dont let her!


    That was her honest feeling.


    But, despite her screams, pleas and wishes, the dream she was witnessing remained unchanged, just like a scripted movie.


    After all, this dream was a memory from the past. Its ending was already set in stone.


    Well, since I have some business in the modern world, do you want to come with me?


    Really? Youll bring me with you, Master?


    Of course. Have I ever lied to you?


    Just like this, the Eloa in the dream chose to undergo this tragic path.


    Woohooo!


    She smiled happily at Ravis cheerful look, the sight that she could no longer see.


    No matter how dangerous the modern world might be, given time, Ravi could handle it by herself.


    As long as Eloa was with her, nothing bad could happen to her.


    Under that reasoning, she made this choice.


    In return


    Yes! I will do whatever you tell me, Master!


    Dont slack off on your magic training before you go. Promise me.


    I promise! Actually, Ill double my training time!


    So youre saying that you dont want to sleep?


    Hehehe, kinda, yes~


    At that moment, Ravis joyous expression as she bounced around, turned twisted.


    Like a torn and damaged film playing through a projector.


    The once-happy images of Ravi smiling and Eloa lovingly looking at her became distorted.


    Those crumpled memories of happiness now emitted a metallic scent, stinging her nose and painting the view red.


    Eloa looked down.


    Beneath her, Ravis body was laid down.


    Unlike usual, she looked a little lighter.


    Her temperature was much colder.


    And she laid there, motionless.


    She wasthere


    Covered in blood with her womb torn apart. Eloa helplessly pulled her into an embrace.


    Just from a slight carelessness, she had lost the most important thing to her.


    Foolish, reckless, arrogant Eloa.


    Eloa Tiphereth, foolish one.


    Did you think that the thing you cherish would last forever?


    You must not have expected your arrogance and carelessness would lead to such a tragedy.


    The womans mocking voice reverberated, piercing her ears like a shrill scream.


    After knocking on the door and receiving permission, they opened the door and entered the room again.


    Then, what unfolded was a repeat from earlier.


    Master! We have a favor to ask!


    As Albireo watched the twins behaving like obedient puppies, she couldnt help but hide her smile.


    Trying to distract herself by scratching her forehead with the tip of her quill, she then dipped the quill back to the inkwell.


    What are you cheeky brats up to today? You even kicked the door open and all.


    We didnt kick the door, Master!


    Yeah! We just gave it a little push!


    Both of them seemed to be on the same page, eager to show that they hadnt been acting rudely.


    Sure, sure, just be more careful next time. So, what is it that you want?


    Their cute display had brought some much-needed joy to the Countess, making her willing to consider almost all of their requests.


    However, the twins remained silent, not uttering a word.


    Odile gave Odette a nudge, urging her to speak up.


    It seemed like the former had won their silent rock-paper-scissors game.


    M-Master, do you know what day tomorrow is?


    Of course I do. Its our little darlings birthday, isnt it? Ive already arranged for a fancy cake from Kipushi Bakery for you two.


    Usually, just hearing about a special cake from Kipushi would make the twins cheer loudly, but their reaction this time was rather lukewarm.


    This made Albireo suspect that there was something going on with them.


    She guessed that they had more to discuss than a simple birthday request for tomorrow.


    T-Thats great, but, umwe have something specific we want as a birthday gift


    Is that so? You can go ahead and tell me.


    U-Um


    Seeing her sister hesitating, Odile, unable to hold back her impatience, stepped forward with confidence.


    Master, for our birthday present this year, we want to go to the modern world and have some fun!


    Their request was exactly what Albireo had anticipated.


    This was the reason why they chose to approach Albireo directly at this hour as they knew that she was more lenient compared to the strict Deneb.


    In this late night, Deneb would usually be locked away in her lab, engrossed in her magic research.


    Playing the weak card in negotiation before getting to the favor, huh? Albireo mused, admiring their unusual cleverness.


    She casually folded her arms before asking,


    Be honest. Do you want to go to the modern world, or do you want to meet with Assistant Shin Siwoo?


    Meet with Mr. Assistant.


    Im sorry, but the answer is no, regardless of the options you chose.


    It wasnt a surprising response,


    After all, the modern world was a dangerous place.


    Even experienced witches were in danger of being attacked by criminal exiles, and Homunculi, and the danger was even more so for mere apprentices like the twins.


    Duchess Tiphereth herself lost her own apprentice due to a momentary lapse of vigilance, there was no way Albireo would carelessly give them her permission,


    M-Master, please! We promise we wont do anything strange! You can even monitor us closely!


    Thats right! Not seeing Mr. Assistant for five whole years? Thats unfair! Its only been 141 days and its already tough on us


    Hes our friend! A friend!


    Despite hearing Albireos firm answer, the twins kept on pleading. In the first place, they realized that obtaining her permission wouldnt be easy.


    They earnestly shared various reasons to convince her, all the reasons that they had prepared prior to this.


    Meeting face-to-face and addressing lingering doubts would be more beneficial than leaving things unresolved, at least they believed so.


    In their persuasion, they even mentioned that just by glancing at the Assistants face could motivate them to study even harder.


    Not only that, their curiosity about the modern world and their eagerness to learn something new would also fuel their determination.


    They even proposed that the visit wouldnt necessarily need to be on their birthday, as they could just accompany her whenever she planned to visit Korea.


    Furthermore, they expressed their concern about their dear assistant living by his lone self in the modern world.


    And many more.


    They stated at least fifty different reasons on, Why we need to meet Mr. Assistant.


    Please, Master We have been attentive and well-behaved recently


    Yeah! If you grant us this request, well work twice no, thrice as hard!


    Hmm


    Albireo thoughtfully considered as she rubbed her chin.


    Go back for now, I need more time to think it over.


    Really?


    Yeah. Also, this is not a decision I can make by myself. Ill consult with Deneb.


    The twins widened their eyes, not expecting her to actually consider their request.


    Its late so go back to bed. Ill give you two the answer before your birthday ends.


    Okay! Thank you!


    Thank you so much, Master!


    They beamed with satisfaction at their accomplishment.


    Like job applicants at the end of an interview, they bowed politely before leaving Albireos office.


    Hmm


    In reality, this matter had always been a dilemma for her.


    She didnt show it, but she did notice the sadness in the twins heart, and more importantly, she felt a little guilty for throwing the Gemini Households benefactor into a somewhat solitude life in another world.


    But, she had to consider the risk of doing so, that was why she couldnt simply nod her head.


    Well, maybe keeping an eye on them from the sidelines wouldnt hurt.


    Given their personalities, they might decide to run away without a word.


    Since thats the case, it wouldnt be a bad idea to give them some lenience under supervision


    Her dilemma only deepened as she contemplated the situation.

 Chapter 186: A Surprise (2)

    Chapter 186: A Surprise (2)


    A Surprise (2)


    1.


    Once upon a time, there lived a witch.


    With gorgeous black hair as smooth as silk, and eyes as enchanting as sapphires.


    Despite her formidable magical powers, she was loved by people.


    Because she had defeated and tamed the wicked monsters left behind by the Witch of Creation, thus earning the gratitude of the people.


    But that wasnt all.


    The witch carried herself with humility, never once did she boast her extraordinary abilities.


    She was respected, not only by the citizens of the City of Witch, but also by other witches. They called her The Witch of a Thousand Beasts.


    Years passed, and the Witch of a Thousand Beasts realized that her magic had reached its limit.


    Like other witches, she picked an apprentice from her lineage.


    The days she spent with her apprentice, teaching her magic, sharing their time together, made their bond unbreakable, just like families.


    Just like that a year passed. Then five years, ten years


    By now, the apprentice had already matured with her bowl ready to inherit the brand, to inherit everything from the Witch of a Thousand Beasts.


    And the witch too, had intended to transfer all her knowledge to her apprentice and let the young girl continue her magic research.


    However, during the inheritance ceremony, an unexpected fear gripped the witchs heart.


    She realized that by giving away her brand, it meant shed have to sleep eternally, and this fear successfully controlled her action.


    In the middle of that ceremony, she abruptly ended it, and by extension, she also ended her own apprentices life.


    The same apprentice whom she had nurtured like a daughter, her own disciple whom she taught magic to.


    Perhaps, that was the reason why God was angry at her.


    As the witch took back the brand that was being passed on her apprentice, her face began to contort in a grotesque manner.


    One side of her once beautiful face became horribly disfigured, as if burned.


    From then on, people stopped calling her the Witch of a Thousand Beasts.


    Out of fear for her own life, she killed her apprentice.


    For such a person, a coward and treacherous, referring to her by a noble title was too extravagant.


    Yes


    Due to her cowardice, people called her The Cowardly Witch.


    Even now she continued to harm humans and witches in a desperate attempt to fix her disfigured face


    Horrifying, isnt it?


    Oh, its already late.


    You two have a long journey ahead tomorrow, dont you? Rest up.


    Right, right, have you brushed your teeth?


    Good job.


    Sweet dreams, Ms. Odile, Ms. Odette


    2.


    A month had passed since Siwoos impressive feat of hunting down the deformed Homunculus.


    If it was a movie or drama, a plot line without any accidents would be boring, but in real life, it was common sense to avoid something as life threatening as that particular Homunculus hunt.


    Sure, it might be dull, but everyone would definitely rather choose to live out their lives peacefully.Visit  for the best novel reading experience


    Lying halfway in the sofa while staring out the window, Siwoo let out a murmur.


    Its been raining a lot this year.


    Sharon, who was snuggled up next to him, leaned her waist to the side before replying.


    Mmhits all because of the typhoonhaap!


    As Sharon had said, a typhoon had hit Seoul ever a while ago, and ever since that heavy rain and strong winds had been covering up the summer sky.


    Recently the weather turned particularly worse than usual and thanks to that, the glass windows of a commercial building fell down.


    Currently, it was raining, and the raindrops hitting the dark window made popping sounds.


    Thinking that just a moment ago he would be standing in the middle of that rain, searching for a Homunculus


    He couldnt help but feel a little impressed with himself.


    It wasnt only the weather that had changed.


    Sharon had also quit her part-time job.


    In exchange, she devoted her time to studying the real estate business.


    Due to the significant debt she needed to pay off, and the fact that she couldnt rely solely on her savings, this was a wise choice on her part.


    Additionally, there was another change.


    She had become quite adept at both giving him titfuck and fellatio.


    Though she had not become so good that Siwoo wouldnt last for five minutes under her mercy, she had at least become good enough that she wouldnt accidentally graze her teeth on his glans.


    Haamslurrp!


    Even as they were watching the movie, sitting next to Siwoo, Sharon was tilting her upper body to the side as she carefully caressed his rod with her lips and tongue.


    It somewhat felt like he was receiving a blowjob from a lady in a massage parlor.


    Over time, Siwoo already managed to adjust himself to this peculiar relationship of theirs.


    While it seemed like this relationship was one sided, with only him receiving the pleasure, Sharon actually alleviated some of her indebted feelings to Siwoo through all the services she provided.


    And so, Siwoo figured that since both of them benefited from all this, it would be fine to go on like this.


    Of course, it wasnt like he could ask him, Hey, does sucking my dick make you wet? So, he chose his words carefully.


    Ah, no, you took longer than usual, so I was wondering what you were up to.


    D-Did I? I-I didnt really do anything!


    Her reaction was quite intense though.


    She was like a cat getting sprayed by water as she jumped in surprise.


    It was a suspicious reaction and Siwoo clearly noticed this, but he decided to drop the matter instead of probing it any further.


    Dont mind me. Anyway, thank you for today.


    No problem! Its my duty to do these things.


    Trying to ease any discomfort she might have, Siwoo thanked her first and Sharon responded nonchalantly.


    Then, she sat beside him, settling herself in.


    Maybe because she felt relieved for being released from such a predicament or some other thing, she let out a small sigh.


    3.


    As they wrapped up their daily routine, they settled in to enjoy a movie together.


    Todays movie was chosen by Sharon.


    But, Sharon herself couldnt focus on the movie because she desperately tried to calm her racing heart.


    Her mind was filled with concerns and anxiety as she wondered if Siwoo had noticed something unusual about her.


    At first, she had only been trying to repay his kindness by doing all sorts of things to pleasure him, but over time, she found the actions to become increasingly awkward.


    Whenever they engaged in their naughty plays, she couldnt help but feel aroused, causing her panties to turn damp.


    So, under the guise of rinsing her mouth and breasts, she went straight to the bathroom where she had prepared a change of underwear in advance.


    Also, to prevent Siwoo from feeling suspicious if he were to notice that the number of panties she had to wash suddenly increased, she made sure that she magically pre-wash them, kept them separate from her other dirty clothes and hand-washed them.


    But this time, her prolonged time in the bathroom wasnt solely for cleaning up.


    There was something she discovered when she was cleaning her pussy with the showerhead.


    By turning it on strong and using the water pressure to cleanse her pussy, she found that it created a pleasure similar to when she scratched the spots.


    Normally, it didnt give her this kind of pleasure, but whenever she felt aroused after licking and sucking Siwoos rod, this act would give her an unbelievable sense of pleasure.


    And so, she had made it a routine to indulge in this act while cleaning up.


    This time, too, she had done the same thing. After she was done, she returned to the living room as usual.


    But this time, Siwoo asked her an abrupt question, leaving her wondering if he had discovered her secret.


    However, given his lack of skill in hiding things and his usual behavior, it didnt seem like he had noticed her little escapade.


    But, while she felt relieved that he hadnt exposed her, she still couldnt shake the disappointment she felt.


    It feels like Im stuck in one place


    If Siwoo were to let himself loose, just like when he kissed her the other day and demanded more intimate acts with her, she was confident that she could play along, pretending that she was unable to resist him.


    Does he not want to advance our relationship further?


    Or maybe hes respecting my words the other day? When I said something about wishing for us to have an equal relationship before going any further?


    If its the lattercan I tell him that Im taking my words back? Wait, what will he say to me if I were to do that?


    Lost in her thoughts, she couldnt grasp the plot of the movie on the TV.]


    Then


    -Ding dong


    -Knock knock


    The doorbell rang.


    Followed by the sound of knocking.


    This unexpected disturbance threw both Siwoo and Sharon into confusion. It was in the middle of the night and somehow someone was visiting them.


    What? Did you order something?


    Me? No?


    The two of them exchanged bewildered looks.


    Siwoos expression showed signs of tension.


    Meanwhile Sharon wore a serious expression.


    Then, who?


    Based on what has been happening so far, it smells like trouble. The fortune-teller I visited a while ago said so. Considering my bad luck earlier, I need to be cautious


    What? Did the fortune-teller say this kind of thing would actually happen? No way.


    Well, maybe its just our neighbor


    Maybe shes here to complain about the noise


    Should I go check?


    Ill go with you.


    They paused the movie before quietly standing up.


    In case of trouble, Siwoo discreetly pulled out a ribbon and hit it behind his back.


    Sharon opened the door, and found herself face to face with a certain someone she recognized.


    Its been a while.


    Huh?


    It was none other than Countess Gemini. More specifically, Deneb Gemini.


    Seeing her face, Sharons face turned instantly pale.

 Chapter 187: Twin Rush (1)

    Chapter 187: Twin Rush (1)


    Twin Rush (1)


    1.


    After knowing that Deneb didnt come to demand repayment or to collect the debt money after hearing that her debtor had collected a substantial amount of money, Sharon let out a sigh of relief.


    In hindsight, the 58 billion won Sharon borrowed was like a drop of water compared to Gemini Households vast fortune.


    They didnt really care for the money in the first place as what they wanted to do was to gain access to Evergreens magical research materials.


    Unlike Sharon, whose face was ridden in anxiety, Deneb casually greeted her with a nod before entering the living room.


    Siwoo, noticing the messy living room table, tidied up the table before he guided Deneb inside.


    Seeing what happened, Sharon didnt stay idle either; She took out some fruit from the fridge and started washing it.


    Meanwhile Deneb alternated her glance between the two of them before handing out a paper bag to Siwoo.


    This is a housewarming gift.


    Ah, thank you.


    From its shape, weight and sloshing sound it made, Siwoo could guess that the bag in his hand was alcohol.


    At this point, he couldnt help but notice.


    If Denebs intention was to hold a housewarming party, then shed at least look like shed be in the mood for it, but that didnt seem to be the case as she had only been sitting there with a straight face.


    Albireo was someone whod consider Siwoos situation so he could be more at ease with her, but Deneb was a different story, so he felt unusually anxious.


    Ahemthanks to Countess generosity, Ive been living comfortably.


    Trying to break the uncomfortable silence, Siwoo awkwardly coughed and tried to start a conversation.


    Hearing his words, Deneb, who had been scanning every corner of the room with her gaze, responded to him.


    I was a little worried when I heard that you turned down my offer to stay in the Gemini Household as our guest and went back to the modern world instead, but it seems that youre doing well. Thats great to know.


    Siwoo wasnt sure if she was sincere in saying that or not, but at the very least she was polite to him.


    Nevertheless, there was a sense of unease lingering in the air.


    Ultimately, the reason why Siwoo was kicked out of Gehenna was because Albireo was afraid of him forming an overly intimate relationship with the twins and crossing the line they should never cross.


    And now, within a year, he somehow lived with another witch.


    It wasnt strange that he was worried about how Deneb would react to this situation.


    Regarding your day-to-day life, is there a problem youre struggling with?


    Thanks for the Gemini Households thoughtfulness, Ive been living a good life.


    I see.


    However, Deneb didnt seem to dwell on the matter.


    When they last met, it was clear that she drew a line between them, but even so, she had been treating him quite politely.


    So, there was no way that hed go out of his way to say something like, Your sister was the one who kicked me out to her face.


    P-Please feel free to eat these


    Thank you.


    At that moment, Sharon, who had been cutting up fruits in the kitchen, placed the sliced pears and apples on the table with a reserved demeanor.


    Since she didnt know the full story between the two, she felt as if she was a prey sitting next to a predator that might pounce on her at any given moment.


    I appreciate your kindness to visit me, butmay I ask why you came?


    Upon hearing Siwoos question, Sharon held her breath.


    Meanwhile Deneb took a time to munch on her apple before sighing.


    Itll be quicker if I just show you.


    Sorry?


    Denebs cryptic words left Siwoo bewildered.


    There was a hesitation on her face, but she stood up anyway.


    And then she lifted up her wide dress, all while maintaining her dignified, ladylike impression.


    Due to the sudden action, Siwoo couldnt react in time to cover his eyes.


    Nevertheless, he didnt get to see what color the noble Countess Deneb Geminis underwear was.


    What came out of the hem of her skirts were two familiar faces.


    They were none other than Odile and Odette.


    Rather than wearing their trademark half-bonnet, they had styled their hair into multiple strands before elegantly pulling it up into a princess-like updo.


    Their mature black dresses complemented their doll-like features, showcasing their endearing cuteness.


    The smoke they exhaled swirled as they dispersed in the gusty wind.


    With her dazzling beauty, Deneb took a deep breath, signaling the start of their conversation.


    Hows life in the modern world?


    It hasnt been trouble-free, but thanks to your various considerations, I can live well here. The ring you gave me back then has been a great help too.


    Thats glad to hear. Honestly, I wished that you stayed in Gehenna. Really, Id be having trouble sleeping if something were to happen to you


    Surprisingly for Siwoo, Deneb was being really friendly to him. It was unthinkable that this was the same woman who was so furious at him after catching him kissing (this was what she believed) Odile back then.


    Sorry for being so insistent on returning


    Actually I heard about it from Albireo later. You were coerced to leave, werent you?


    T-Thats


    I apologize.


    Looking at how calm she was, Siwoo figured that she hadnt heard the full story of why he was forced to leave to begin with.


    After a pause, she continued.


    So, whats your relationship with the woman youre living with?


    Caught off guard by the sudden question, Siwoo hesitated.


    Even he himself couldnt start to describe what exactly their relationship was.


    Sorry for bringing her into the house without permission


    Boy, Im not here to reprimand you.


    We arefriendsit just so happened that the situation aligned, so we ended up living together.


    Hearing his answer, Deneb seemed to be contemplating for a brief moment.


    Can I take it as you two arent officially dating or in a relationship of that sort?


    Yes.


    He was about to add Not yet but he ultimately decided not to.


    Deneb wore a more troubled expression than before.


    In fact, she had always been troubled by this situation.


    Though she had never experienced a deep relationship with a man, she had lived long enough to understand the complexities of such connections.


    As she pondered over the scene where the twins had come face to face with Siwoo, she actually had sensed something.


    It was clear as day that they had feelings for Siwoo, she didnt even need to investigate further.


    In her opinion, he was a good man who could be a suitable partner for either of them in the future.


    Moreover, now that he also had a spirit body, there was no need to worry about his lifespan.


    But, because of their lack of trust in him, and their rash actions


    They ended up kicking him out, robbing the twins chance to have a good relationship with him. And thanks to that, there was a huge possibility that the opportunity went to another witch.


    Deneb felt both guilty to Siwoo for what her family had done and felt bad for the twins for things to turn out this way.


    Obviously she had no intention to allow the twins to be in a relationship that would endanger their future as witches


    That would be akin to leaving them to play with a live grenade.


    However, she did have other plans.


    Like, she could always arrange situations where they could spend quality time with him, leaving a lasting impression on him.


    With wonderful memories of each other, even if they were to be separated for a while, Siwoo would still be able to remember the twins.


    Since Im quite busy, I wont be able to stay by their side for long. Please take care of them for me, Siwoo.


    Sorry?


    Besides, its been a while since youve met each other, no? Itd be awkward if I got in your way.


    NoIm sure they wouldnt mind even if you were there, Countess Deneb


    Deneb was pleased with his response.


    If he had ulterior motives, he wouldnt refuse an opportunity to be alone with the twins.


    She admitted that she had misjudged him due to shock the first time she heard that Odile was having a boyfriend.


    Theres no way someone who had risked his life twice for them would recklessly reach out to them and ruin their bowl.


    Ive sent gifts to the twins, so make sure that they put those gifts to good use. Ill be staying at a nearby hotel so call me if you need me. Oh, also, can you tell them that I have to leave early because of an urgent business?


    I understand.


    After she handed him her business card, she made her way down the stairs, leaving him standing there, bewildered.

 Chapter 188: Twin Rush (2)

    Chapter 188: Twin Rush (2)


    Twin Rush (2)


    1.


    If Sharon had to pick the most challenging situation in her life, shed definitely pick her current situation.


    Seated side by side on the couch, the Geminis, the Countess apprentice witches, were giving her quite the intense stares.


    Just like the raindrops falling outside, they continued to pour all their attention to Sharon.


    When speaking about the Countess, both of them had personal favorite colors; The older preferred black, while the younger preferred white.


    However, that didnt seem to be the case with their apprentices. Their resemblance to each other and their breathtaking beauty gave off an eerie sensation to Sharon, as if she was facing a pair of ghosts.


    Now, she wouldnt feel that way if they were to start a conversation with her, but the problem here was that they didnt.


    Since Deneb and Siwoo left the room together, they remained silent, fiercely staring at her while keeping their mouths shut.


    Umwould you like more fruit?


    Mustering all her courage, she initiated a conversation with them.


    Thanks to that, the twins intensified their gaze on her, giving off an unwavering presence.


    I want to cry


    Why are they looking at me like that?


    Yes please, thank you.


    Id like some apples, please.


    After a moment that felt like an eternity, the twins finally responded.


    So, Sharon walked into the kitchen, occasionally glancing at them, who still hadnt removed their gazes from her.


    Unable to bear it any longer, she quickened her pace and entered the kitchen.


    What the hell was that?


    Naturally, Sharon was already aware of Siwoos status as the guest of the Gemini Household.


    Not only did he possess the Countess ring, but he also rescued these apprentice witches from a dire situation.


    Witches in Gehenna wouldnt normally send their apprentices to the modern world, which only made the situation even more peculiar. The fact that they were here meant that they had a really close relationship with Siwoo.


    Could it be?


    Maybe those twins are among the people Siwoo has kissed?


    Doesnt this feel like the scene where an ex is trying to keep the current girlfriend in check?


    Thinking back on countless romance movies she watched, she quickly came up with a plausible scenario.


    What do I do now?


    Am I going to lose him? Just like that?


    She peeled the apple in a neat way before going back to the living room.


    Sobutah


    No, Sisits not like that


    The twins, who had been sitting still like dolls, were actually whispering to each other when she came back in.


    As she approached them, they swiftly returned to their quiet state, abruptly ending their conversation.


    Obviously Sharon was curious about what they were talking about, but she decided to pretend not to notice as she placed the fruit on the table.


    Thank you.


    They nodded politely.


    As one of them started to eat the apples with a long fork, another one of them surprisingly initiated a conversation with her.


    Ms. Witch, may I ask for your name?


    A-Ah, my name is Sharon Evergreen


    Truthfully, considering the witches social hierarchy, there was no reason for Sharon to feel threatened by the twins as they were merely apprentices.


    But, she couldnt just disregard them. Sharon had 58 billion worth of debt while these twins were essentially the daughter of her debtor.


    Moreover, she didnt know what would happen next.


    There was a chance that these twins would get angry at her, rush over to the Countess and demand to confiscate all her belongings.


    With this in mind, it wasnt strange that Sharon was cowering in fear.


    Im Odile.


    My name is Odette.


    Nice to meet you.


    After what it felt like eternity, finally they started to talk with her.


    She let out a sigh of relief internally.


    At least she didnt have to endure the awkward and suffocating silence, or the confusion over her not understanding what was going on.


    By the way, what is your relationship with Mr. Assistant?


    Are you living here together with him?


    But, as soon as she heard their questions, she realized that the earlier silence was a much better situation for her.


    Instead of a conversation, this felt more like a full-blown interrogation.


    W-Well, for now, I dont have anywhere else to go, so Siwoo


    Siwoo?


    Did you say Siwoo?


    Y-Yes, M-Mr. Siwoo has been kind enough to offer me both food and sheltera-and in return, Ive been teaching him magic. T-Thats how our current relationship goes


    You didnt forget about us, did you?


    We really thought you were going to ditch us to get a girlfriend!


    After that, they shared stories about their dedication toward their magic studies to meet him, asking for this visit as a substitute for their birthday gift and how they tried to figure out ways to sneak out into this world if that plan failed.


    In any case, they told him a bunch of stories.


    Hmm


    Facing their joyous energy after so long, Siwoo couldnt help but feel joyful as well.


    If he were to pick the best connection he made during his five years of slavery in Gehenna, hed definitely pick these mischievous and lively twins without any hesitation.


    It hadnt even been a year yet since they parted, but the twins had already missed him so much that there were joyful tears in their eyes as they snuggled up against him.


    I-I really thought I wouldnt be able to see you for five years


    But at least you got to go on a date with him before he left! I didnt even get that!


    Are you still holding that against me?


    Because you always brushed it off like it was nothing! How can I just let it go?!


    Now, now, calm down. Why do you two always pick a fight with each other whenever you get the chance, hm?


    Odettes the one who starts it!


    No, youre the one who does!


    What did I just say?


    The twins suddenly got even more immersed in their argument, just like what they did back in Gehenna.


    Like usual, Siwoo tried to play as the mediator while smiling wryly.


    Normally, the twins wouldve asked him to pass his judgment on who was in the right or wrong, but when Siwoo suddenly burst out laughing, they also joined in with laughter.


    After all, this smile, this laugh, was the thing that they missed so much that they dared to cross over to this world.


    It feels like a dreamIve always wanted to check out the modern world, and now Mr. Assistant is here with us


    Oh, right, Mr. Assistant, this world is seriously amazing! I did a bit of studying before we came here, and there are so many cool things here!


    Yeah! Its the first time we got in a car, but honestly our carriage is better.


    The elevator is the coolest thing for me! Can I ride it later? Where do I need to pay for it?


    Their excited chatter filled the room.


    Well, obviously they found the modern world fascinating, since they spent their whole lives in Gehenna.


    Siwoo was also like that when he first saw magic in Gehenna.


    Their non-stop chattering made Siwoo feel nostalgic. They truly hadnt changed even a little.


    Im glad that you were having fun.


    You also missed us, right, Mr. Assistant?


    Sis! Why are you asking such an obvious question?


    Right, right. Anyway, how have you been, Mr. Assistant?


    The twins each warped one of Siwoos arms around them, hugging him tightly.


    They gently pressed their soft cheeks against his chest and held onto his collar, as if afraid that he might disappear somewhere if they were to let go of him.


    This was their usual way of expressing their affection.


    After holding onto Siwoo for a while, they let out a big yawn.


    When Siwoo glanced at the clock, he found out that it was already four in the morning.


    Unlike his perfect-spirit body, the twins spirit bodies were still incomplete, so they needed their sleep.


    Since they had been bouncing around energetically for a good while, it wasnt a surprising thing that they got tired at this hour.


    Though Siwoo would welcome the idea of them chatting for a little longer, Deneb entrusted him to care for them, so it wasnt like he could just indulge like that.


    Especially when Deneb was one of the people responsible for him to be able to maintain this comfortable life.


    Its getting late already. Shall we call it a night?


    Already?


    Look at your eyes, theyre all red. You seem sleepy too.


    My eyes are red because Im still feeling emotional from meeting you again, Mr. Assistant! Also, I only yawned because Sis yawned first.


    Huh? You were the one who yawned first! Im still wide awake!


    In no time, they started bickering again, but now Siwoo knew how to handle them.


    Well, it was more like they knew how to listen to him though


    By the way, I found a dessert shop that you two would love. If we wake up late tomorrow, well definitely miss it out. So, why dont you two go to bed quickly so we can go there early?


    Sounds good! Can we share a bed though?


    No can do. Lady Deneb said it would be a big problem if you guys fool around. Ill take the couch tonight.


    Of course, Deneb never actually said that, but this would make convincing them easier.


    The twins didnt give up so easily though. They had just reunited with their beloved Assistant for less than thirty minutes, after all.


    Mr. Assistant, were not asking for anything weird. Just sharing a bed. Please!


    Yeah, well just be next to you, holding your hands


    Sorry, no matter how hard you ask me, I can do that. At least for tonight. What if Lady Deneb checks on us and sees? You dont want us to get into trouble, do you?


    Seeing Siwoo standing firm on his decision, the twins eyes became teary again, but they finally nodded their heads, albeit reluctantly.


    Siwoos words made sense to them, after all.


    And so, they ended up sleeping in his room while he slept on the couch, putting an end to the bedtime negotiations.

 Chapter 189: Twin Rush (3)

    Chapter 189: Twin Rush (3)


    Twin Rush (3)


    1.


    Siwoo, come here for a second.


    With a blanket and pillow in his hands, Siwoo was getting ready to sleep on the couch.


    Suddenly, Sharon poked her head out of her room and motioned for him to come in.


    He already figured that shed call him eventually, so he entered her room without any contemplation.


    Already in her pajamas, Sharon was looking at him, puzzled.


    The clasped hands in front of her chest showed that she was feeling anxious.


    What the hell is going on?


    Yeah, well, I dont know either. They were supposed to come here five years later


    So, theyre the apprentices you mentioned before, right? The ones you saved so heroically a while ago?


    Not sure if Id call it heroic, but yeah, I guess


    Sharon stole glances toward Siwoos room, where the twins were sleeping.


    The three of them looked incredibly close.


    It was clear that they had a deeper relationship than what she currently had with him.


    The twins were even trying to keep her in check (this was purely her assumption) when she called his name by accident.


    She didnt know the full story behind their relationship and it brought her the feeling of uncertainty that messed with her heart a little.


    The way those twins openly showed their affection for him, acting all protective without holding anything back, only deepened her worry.


    She found it hard to control this anxiety.


    It felt as if hed just vanish out of the blue, an irrational fear, almost like a delusion.


    She knew that she had no right in claiming him as hers, but since she had always been relying on him for a lot of things, she couldnt help but feel a little down about it.


    Even she herself didnt know what she wanted to say to him, or why she pulled him into her room in the first place. She just followed her mixed emotion and went with the flow.


    You must be surprised, huh? Well, theyll be here for four days, so sorry for the inconvenience in advance.


    N-No, its not like thatwait, if you put it that way, it feels like you taking me in is also a burden for you


    I told you you shouldnt say something like


    In the midst of their conversation, Sharon suddenly let herself fall into his arms.


    He could feel her feminine curves without doing anything special.


    Her soft body embraced him completely.


    For a brief time there, he stood there, surprised, but in no time at all, a smile appeared on his face as he gently stroked her hair.


    Thinking that her inner turmoil was due to the sudden appearance of her creditor, Deneb, he continued to comfort her.


    Whats wrong?


    I-Its just


    Their thoughts were slightly mismatched, nevertheless they didnt know that and it didnt stop a lump from rising in Sharons throat.


    Her eyes became warm with tears.


    She had noticed this somehow, but she had been acting strangely lately.


    Unlike before, she wasnt this much of a crybaby.


    No matter how tough and complicated things got, she had always stayed strong and resilient.


    But, ever since she met him, she felt like she had been turned into a fool.


    Shed easily cry, found herself wanting to seek comfort in his embrace, yearning for his soothing words.


    Did I develop a bad habit of being too dependent on someone now that I have someone to lean on?


    W-What happened? Why are you crying? Did the twins say something weird to you?


    He sensed the tremor in her voice as she unexpectedly hugged him, showing his genuine concern, he asked her.


    She quickly wiped her tears away before shaking her head.


    However, she didnt release her grip on his waist.


    N-NothingI-I justfeel strange, I guess


    Sharon wanted to let go of her and ask him what had happened between him and the twins in the past, but she couldnt bring herself to let go of his waist.


    Seriously, whats wrong? You can speak to me.


    Idont knowseriously, I dontalso, this isnt because they had said anything to me


    At first, Siwoo thought that the twins were teasing her about her debt or what, but in the first place it was doubtful that they knew about the matter. Despite everything, they were still merely apprentice witches. Besides, they wouldnt be that mean, Siwoo knew that.


    With Sharon refusing to properly explain the situation, he found himself confused.


    Sorry


    You dont need to apologize. If its rough for you, just remember that Im always here for you, so dont bottle all your problems just like what you did last time.


    Im really fine, I promise.


    Thats a relief then.


    Siwoo tried to reassure her with a calm voice.


    She buried her head in his chest, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat.


    It was a strange thing to do, but it brought her an unexpected sense of comfort.


    Can I ask for a favor?


    What is it?


    Kiss mejust once is enoughnot a kiss as a lover, just a kiss to comfort a friendyou dont need to do it if it makes you feel uncomfortable though


    Kiss itself was an act between lovers. There was no such thing as a kiss to comfort a friend.


    Sharon was well aware of this fact.


    This was just her clumsy attempt to convey her desire for a kiss in a way that she found reasonable.


    Of course her request wasnt too much for Siwoo to handle. After all, they had been doing all sorts of things with each other for a while despite their status as friends.


    He didnt know what was wrong with her, but she was making a tearful plea to him.


    So, he figured that he should do this for her.


    Dont put your hands under my armpit.


    Siwoo chuckled as he tried to stop Odile from tickling him. Though, he couldnt do much against her hair that was tickling his neck.


    Normally, shed say something like, You cant do this, you cant do that! Who are you, my mother-in-law?!


    But today she just quietly hugged him without saying much.


    After a long time, she asked in a very soft voice.


    Mr. Assistant, may I ask you a question?


    Of course.


    What do you think of Odette?


    Odette? Shes nice, and cute too.


    Thats it?


    Is there anything I need to say about her? Well, she isnt as skilled in magic as you, but shes a kind-hearted person. So, Ms. Odile, please dont fight too much with her.


    Actually, he added those words to make himself look good.


    While yes, they bickered sometimes, but he already knew that the twins always had a great relationship with each other.


    Very wellwhat about me? What are your thoughts on me?


    My thoughts on you, Ms. Odile?


    Yeah, me.


    Because Odette wasnt here, he didnt have much thought about it when he was asked of his impression of her.


    But this time, Odile was the one who asked the question herself, so he felt a slight unease about it.


    His words came out somewhat hesitant.


    You arealso cute


    He replied, making it clear that both of them were cute.


    Is that all? Do you not think that Im special compared to Odette?


    Thats a tricky question to answer, since both of you have been treating me well.


    He chuckled, continuing to stroke her head that was still nestled against his chest.


    The satisfied sound she made and her warm breath created a cozy atmosphere around them.


    Sometimes, her body would twitch a little, making him feel comfortable.


    Time to send her off to bed, I guess.


    You should head in and get some rest. Ill bring you to some good restaurant for breakfast tomorrow morning. Weve got plenty of time.


    No


    Odile shook her head.


    Instead, she clung to him like a magnet, as if she didnt want to let him go.


    You like me better than Odette, right, Mr. Assistant?


    Huh?


    Thats why you took your last night stroll together with me, not with Odette, right?


    Um, thats


    In fact, it wasnt like he preferred one twin over the other.


    He found Odette just as cute as Odile.


    The only reason why the night stroll happened was because Odile came out to provide him comfort, and they ended up going together because of that.


    Odile out of all people should know this, but for some reason, she asked such a question


    Is Odette upset about that?


    Yes, she does. Shes really upset about that.


    After she murmured those words, she moved her hand, which had been exploring his chest gently, downward.


    The touch carried a mischievous undertone.


    H-Hey!


    Shhyoull wake someone up!


    What are you doing all of a sudden?!


    With a swift movement, Odile grasped his manhood.


    She slipped her hand into his boxers before she started moving it around.


    Her slender and delicate fingers coiled around his member.


    In response to her familiar touch, his member eagerly greeted her, showing signs of growing bigger in her hand.


    I-If the two of us want to spend some time together, now might be the last huh? Mr. Assistant?


    We cant. Like I said, we need to be careful today. Lady Deneb might show up tonight.


    Please, just once? Itll be quick, so everything should be fine


    Siwoo grabbed her wrist and tried to remove her hand from his manhood.


    He didnt want to betray the trust that Deneb had towards him overnight, and he didnt want to bear the guilt for doing so.


    But, Odile didnt give in easily.


    She persisted, refusing to release his member from her grip, even went further and bent her waist down, trying to use her mouth to pleasure him.


    Ms. Odile, stop!


    Seeing her reckless attitude, Siwoo raised his voice in frustration.


    He quickly pulled up the blanket and faced her directly.


    Then he quickly realized.


    Sis is so mean to meand youre also mean, Mr. Assistant


    Due to the darkness, and her attempt to change her tone, Siwoo failed to notice it earlier.


    But, when he saw the tears welling up in her eyes, and her trembling face, he finally understood what was going on.


    The girl who had been nestling down in his embrace was actually Odette, who had pretended to be Odile.


    She bullies me every dayits so unfai

 Chapter 190: Twin Rush (4)

    Chapter 190: Twin Rush (4)


    Twin Rush (4)


    1.


    Siwoo had two ways to tell the twins apart.


    By looking at their eyes and listening to the way they speak.


    Technically, he could also tell them apart by the way he felt when he penetrated them in their real hole, but that wasnt exactly practical for everyday situations, so it would be best to put that option aside for now


    With Odile, her eyes were always filled with determination.


    There was a strong will, courage, and pride in her eyes, giving off the impression that she was someone whod never give up no matter what the situation.


    In contrast, Odette was more of a reserved and passive young lady.


    Though his ability to recognize them by their eyes might sound odd, it worked wonder in this case.


    But he didnt always need to go into such detail to tell them apart.


    Both of them referred to him with Assistant, but Odile used contractions while Odette used honorifics.


    While he could tell them apart easily in everyday situations, in this specific situation, where Odette tried her best to mimic Odile, in a dark room where he couldnt see their eyes clearly, it was inevitable that hed stumbled.


    It took him a good moment to realize that the girl he thought to be Odile was actually Odette.


    She bullies me every dayits so unfair


    Odette started to cry and complain, her tone reflected her sadness.


    I couldnt even spend our last day together, Mr. Assistantunlike Sis


    Back then you were asleep, I couldnt just take you with me


    But you could have woken me up! I also wanted to go on a night walk with you! And swim in the fountain togetherand visit the windmill


    Oh, boy


    Siwoo sighed inwardly.


    In reality, that night was practically the last night he spent with the twins,


    After he recovered from his bad hangover, he got up and spent his time with Odile.


    To make things worse, when they returned a restraining order was issued against Siwoo by the Countess, and this fact must have lingered on Odettes mind for a while now.


    Mr. Assistant, if you think that Im cute, why did you only hang out with Sis? Why did you leave me out? Didnt you think that Im nice?


    Well, there is a reason for that, Ms. Odette


    Siwoo tried to explain, giving her a comforting pat on the shoulder.


    But that couldnt fully ease Odettes pent-up sorrow.


    Lies! Youre so mean! You always liked Sis more than me! From doing things with her first, then only hanging around with her!


    Ah


    She always teased me about everything! Maybe you thought that Im just blindly copying her? Mr. Assistant, I did everything because it was you! I wouldnt do it for anyone else!


    Ms. Odette, please call down first


    Everyone always tells me to calm down! Even Sis! Its annoying! Unfair! Waaah! Unfair!


    She vented her frustration by hitting Siwoos chest.


    Of course he didnt feel a thing when her small hands hit him.


    But he could feel the frustration and the feeling of isolation that she suffered from.


    Exactly how much pain had she been enduring to the point that she went out of her way to imitate her sister just to approach him? He had no idea.


    Nevertheless, the thought left a bad taste in his mouth.


    Ms, Odette


    I dont wanna hear it! Im not done being angry!


    She covered her ears and huddled up.


    Siwoo could tell that her emotions werent that of a possessiveness towards lover, but a sense of disappointment like, Why do you leave me out?!


    Or at least, she didnt seem to have any desire to monopolize him.


    Im sorry, I really should have paid more attention to you. How about we take a nighttime stroll together later?


    Really?


    Yes. Youll feel a bit more tired tomorrow, but whatever, Ill show you around. Nighttime has its own charm anyway.


    Really? Really, really?


    Odettes eyes, which had been on the verge of shedding tears just a while ago, lit up with excitement.


    Then lets go! Right now!


    Her joy was so palpable that Siwoo could see her trembling with happiness.


    She looked so cute, but at the same time she looked quite pitiful.


    In any case, since they had not seen each other for a while, they had plenty of things to catch up on.


    Sure, Ill get dressed and get ready. Also, Ill find something for you to wear, Ms. Odette.


    Going out carelessly would be risky, so Siwoo was always well-prepared for any possible dangers.


    He brought along the music box to eliminate any traces of Odettes presence.


    Letting her wear normal clothes would be the equivalent of them announcing to the world that she was a witch, so Siwoo dressed her up in his hoodie and Sharons shorts. This way, no one would recognize her as a witch even if they were seen.


    Before he could finish telling her that they should go inside and think it over, Odette dashed outside without a second thought.


    It didnt even take three seconds for her gray hoodie to turn completely black from the pouring rain.


    Mmh?!


    She was caught off guard when the rain poured down on her face harder than she expected.


    Siwoo rushed out with the umbrella and quickly covered her.


    But as soon as he opened the umbrella, it immediately snapped. One of its poles broke down.


    Yeah, I dont think its a good idea walking around on a day like this


    What are you doing? Youll catch a cold!


    I wont! Actually, I feel refreshed and cool!


    The two of them had to yell so that they could overpower the howling wind.


    Siwoo was about to tell Odette to go back but he couldnt bring himself to do so when he saw her smiling face.


    He didnt want to ruin her fun.


    Fine, follow me Ms. Odette! Ill show you around!


    Okay! After you, Mr. Assistant!


    Both of them ran through the alley. Water splashed with each of their steps.


    2.


    Woah, woah! So fun!


    The pair had been running around the alley for a while, splashing each other with rain, before going into a certain shopping mall.


    Rain poured down on them, as if a hole had been opened in the sky.


    Though they were inside a building now, they could still smell the rain.


    They ran as far as they could in the dense fog that made it impossible to see anything in front or to the side, and they ended up entering the Shinchon Railway Station.


    The whole shopping complex was closed and abandoned.


    Since the wind ruined their umbrella, they ended up throwing it away. Thanks to that, they were soaked down to their bones, so they had to look for shelter.


    As soon as they went inside, they let out a sigh of relief. Finally, they were safe from both the wind and the rain.


    Their whole body was so soaked that they could inhale water whenever they took a breath.


    Having a spirit body meant one wouldnt get tired so easily, but for some reason, Siwoo felt so exhausted. Meanwhile Odette was full of energy, like a sprout that had just been given water.


    Getting hit by the rain feels great! Master would never let me do something like that!


    Her high-pitched voice echoed through the empty, closed-down shop.


    Shh, Ms. Odette, lower your voice


    R-Right! Shh, Mr. Assistant You know, the echo makes this place sound like a ballroom.


    Odette said, bending her knees slightly, as if she was a noblewoman who had been invited to a waltz.


    Siwoo had always thought of her as a shy girl.


    But this late-night adventure seemed to have injected her with newfound vitality.


    She casually took off her hood, as if the weight of her wet clothes was too much for her head.


    Without the hood, her hair was so wet that it stuck to her head, making her already small head look even smaller.


    Her mysterious purple eyes, shining like the eyes of a fairy out of a fairy tale, were filled with both excitement and anticipation.


    Do you feel better now?


    Yes! That was an experience Ill never forget! So many amazing things to see! The traffic lights, the tall buildings, the stories, the cars, even this building, everything is so amazing!


    Since youve had your fun, lets go back quickly. Well take a short break first though.


    Siwoo lowered his head and squeezed out the water in his hair.


    The water then dripped to the floor.


    Seeing this, Odette tidied her hair to the side then wrung it as if it was a towel.


    Can we look around for a little longer? This place looks amazing


    She pouted, looking clearly disappointed.


    In Siwoos opinion, they had already seen enough things for the night, but


    Please, Mr. Assistant! Itll be a shame if wed just go back like this


    It was one thing if they were outside, but since they were currently inside a building, he figured out that it shouldnt be too much of an issue.


    So, he nodded his head, agreeing to her plea.


    Fine.


    Yay!


    Finally receiving his permission, Odette jumped up and started running towards the motionless escalator.


    Be careful not to trip, Ms. Odette!


    Its fine! Follow me, Mr. Assistant! Hurry, hurry!


    This was the most spirited state he had seen of her so far, so he couldnt help but let her be.


    So, he obediently followed behind her.

 Chapter 191: Twin Rush (5)

    Chapter 191: Twin Rush (5)


    Twin Rush (5)


    1.


    Spaces that were designed for people to stay tend to look run-down if left untouched.


    As they stepped into the building, Siwoo and Odette found the lobby and the first floor of the building looked surprisingly tidy. But as they rode the escalator up, the scene abruptly changed. The once glittering shops, along with the malls interior, looked faded and worn.


    There were shutters in various spots, also sights of unfinished wiring and construction materials wrapped in plastic that caught the pairs attention.


    Siwoo and Sharon had visited this place a few times during their hunt. It always surprised him that this place hadnt become a shelter for the homeless yet.


    Then again, there was still that one movie theater on the upper floor, so that was probably the reason why.


    Mr. Assistant, this place is creepy


    Its fine, Ive been here a few times, there were no ghosts here.


    Okay, Ill trust you on that


    Thanks to Odettes magic, removing the damp droplets from their bodies, both of them were now dry.


    Siwoo wasnt unfamiliar with the scenery around them, but that wasnt the case with Odette as her curious gaze explored every nook and cranny of the place.


    Seeing vinyl, a new material that she had never seen before in Gehenna, excited her so much that she squatted down to stare at it for a long time.


    With this kind of atmosphere, the whole building felt like some kind of secret hideout, prompting an urge to walk around to find something interesting out of her.


    But over time, her curiosity began to wane.


    After all, the fourth floor was no different from the second or third; Her initial excitement faded away.


    To fill the silence, she called out to Siwoo.


    Mr. Assistant.


    Yes, Ms. Odette?


    Right, now that I think about it, you arent an assistant anymore.


    Well, we arent even in Gehenna right now, are we?


    Can I call you something else?


    You can call me whatever you want, Ms. Odette, Ill be fine with anything.


    Odette pursed her lips, clearly looking perplexed as if she were deep in thought.


    Siwoo found it amusing to watch her eyebrows twitch constantly.


    Orabeoni1orabeoni = elder brother (Oppas formal variant used by younger woman for a older brother/male. Its like Onii-sama)? Siwoo orabeoni?


    Odette tilted her head as she looked at Siwoo, as if looking for his approval.


    Siwoo orabeoni


    That was the first time he had ever heard his name attached to that term, and he thought that it sounded strange to him at first.


    But hearing Odette saying it, it sounded completely natural.


    She had grown up in the Gemini Household, so not only did they teach her magic, they also taught her noble etiquette.


    In fact, she even had fancy hobbies such as archery, embroidery, piano and horseback riding.


    So he guessed that she was most likely more comfortable calling him by Orabeoni instead of Oppa.


    Plus, she looked like a princess out of a fairy tale, so the unconventional way of addressing sounded perfectly appropriate.


    What do you think?


    Odette asked, noticing that Siwoo had been silent for a moment.


    I wouldnt say I hate it, but it sounds kind of awkward to me


    Youll get used to it, Siwoo orabeoni!


    Odette giggled, then as if by instinct, she gave the hand she was holding a quick, tight squeeze before letting it go.


    What about calling me Oppa instead? Orabeoni feels a little embarrassing since it isnt really a common way to refer to someone


    Hmm, but I prefer Orabeoni more! If people dont normally use it, Id like it even more then!Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only


    Siwoo tried to compromise, but that only made her firmer with her decision.


    Odette swung their joined hands as she hummed.


    In between her hums, she added Siwoo Orabeoni.


    The air, which had been heavy and stagnant due to the darkness and humidity, felt more refreshing due to her pleasant voice.


    So, now that the whole way of referring to me thing is settled, shall we go back?


    Already?


    What do you mean already? Weve been out for over two hours


    Siwoo couldnt deny that he was enjoying his impromptu date with Odette.


    Still, others would wake up soon.


    Though she confidently took off her clothes, she shyly covered her chest and groin, acting all coy.


    As she approached Siwoo, she sent a sidelong glance at her neatly folded clothes nearby.


    I-Ive already done this faryou really wont do it for me?


    As she got closer to him, he caught a whiff of her alluring scent.


    Though she had been thoroughly drenched in the rain just a moment ago, she exuded a different scent than the musty smell of rain. Instead, her scent was pleasant, as if she had put on perfume before this.


    The scent was undeniably stimulating.


    All of his senses, from sight, hearing, to even smell, were focused on Odette.


    The now forgotten unique sensation of her rear hole had rushed back to his head as soon as he laid his eyes on her naked body again.


    I-Ive been studying a lotbut theres much more things that I want to explore with you, Mr. Assistant


    Gently running her fingers over Siwoos chest, she hinted that her claim of her having studied extensively about this matter wasnt an exaggeration.


    However, her hand movements were still a little awkward. It was clear that this was the first time she had ever put all those techniques she had studied into practice.


    L-Like this


    Taking a brief step back, she playfully pushed her buttocks toward him.


    She assumed a teasing position as she gripped her knees and subtly arched her buttocks.


    T-This too


    But that was only the beginning of her daring attempt of seduction.


    She boldly held each cheek of her buttocks with both hands, spreading them wide open.


    And simultaneously, a breathtaking sight revealed itself.


    Her inner flesh, reminiscent of well-aged salmon, displayed its pink hue.


    It was unclear whether her arousal came from her revealing her own naked body to Siwoo or her anticipation of what was to come next.


    Nevertheless, her petals glistened, slightly damp from the moisture.


    Her exposed rear holes creases twitched with embarrassment each time Siwoos gaze fell upon them.


    With her showcasing both her pussy and ass simultaneously, Swioo was enticed even further than he already was.


    You still wont do it with me? Even after all this?


    In that state, she playfully wagged her buttocks from side to side, teasing him with her imaginary tail.


    This was the kind of play that if one were to ask a prostitute to do it, it wouldnt be strange if she were to slap you, but she was doing it without being asked for it.


    M-Mr. Assistantor rather, Siwoo orabeoniIve been thinking about you, every night for the past few daysa-and Ihave been doing it by myself while thinking about you! I-Its embarrassing for me to admit itb-but I want to do it with you! I-I want to become one with you! B-Because


    The next words that slipped out of her mouth were meant to completely break down Siwoos last bit of self restraint.


    It was the same kind of naughty talk she used in the past when she was tipsy to push Siwoo to reach his climax.


    M-My anal holeis reserved for you to dump your cum, Orabeoni


    A perfect mix of innocence and raunchiness.


    Naivety and allure.


    Nobility and vulgarity.


    All these conflicting vibes were wrapped up in her backdoor that blossomed like a beautiful flower.


    S-So? W-Will you?


    This is too muchno way I can hold myself back anymore


    And so, Siwoo decided to finally discipline her.


    He swiftly took off his pants and boxers, approaching her with his twitching, rigid rod.


    Seeing his stride, Odette quickly squirmed and pulled her ass away, as if retracting all her efforts of seduction.


    M-Mr. Assistant, you cant just put it in like that!


    Dont worry, Ive learned a bit of elemental spell now.


    Thanks to Sharons excellent teachings, now Siwoo was able to manipulate viscosity and lubrication by gathering water in his surroundings.


    Considering that today was a humid day, it only made everything easier for him.


    In no time, he managed to make a makeshift lube and sprayed it through the gap between Odettes rear crevice.


    While it wasnt as good as store-bought goods, this would at least prevent injuries from happening.


    W-Wait, let me hold onto this pillar


    No, Ill do you right here.


    Too bad for her, he didnt have the patience to wait until she reached the pillar that was three meters away from her.


    After all, her posture, with her buttocks sticking out as she gripped her knees with her hands, was way too enticing to resist.


    1


    orabeoni = elder brother (Oppas formal variant used by younger woman for a older brother/male. Its like Onii-sama)

 Chapter 193: White Knight (1)

    Chapter 193: White Knight (1)


    White Knight (1)


    1.


    Even during the brightest of sunlight, it would never light up the whole jungle.


    Such a metaphor could also apply to a city.


    Even in a bustling city, filled with CCTV and dashcams, there were parts of the city that werent covered by them.


    One such place was the long-abandoned drainage that ran beneath Seoul.


    This tunnel used to collect rainwater from the area and directed it toward the Han River to prevent the city from getting flooded, but it was now unused as they had built new tunnels over the years.


    It was still officially a public facility, and the city government still maintained it.


    But, with a touch of magic, such a place was transformed into an unnoticed blind spot, forgotten even by those who were aware of its existence.


    -Clack clack clack


    45 meters underground.


    Surrounded by the massive concrete walls with a diameter of over ten meters, a sound of high-heeled shoes echoed.


    Tattered rags fluttered on the wall as a strong, foul odor permeated the entire tunnel that contained some of the rainwater.


    Relying on a single decorative light, Della Redcliffe was walking inside the tunnel.


    -Woooosh!


    With a typhoon wreaking havoc above, rainwater gathered in the functioning drainage ditches, forming waterfall-like streams.


    When she arrived in a certain corner, Della took a turn and entered a dark and vast chamber. As she did, the loud sound of flowing water that came from the distance made her frown her brows.


    The noise wasnt the only thing that bothered her, though.


    Haah


    She swept her long, red hair back and crossed her arms in annoyance.


    The foul stench, mixed with the overpowering smell of blood wafted through the already revolting air.


    She then added a few more torches to the chamber, revealing the full extent of carnage before her.


    There was a large altar in the center of the chamber.


    On top of it, there were people, lying motionlessly while staring blankly at the ceiling, as if they had been possessed by something.


    This is why I didnt want to come hereughyoure still the same as ever, Paola Xochitl.


    On the altar, there was a witch, hunching-over while calmly playing with a dagger in her hand. Her expression was completely blank.


    Just like a professional surgeon, she skillfully sliced through the peoples chests, severing their ribs and extracted their hearts.


    Paola Xochitl, or rather, the Cowardly Witch, silently directed her half disfigured face toward Della.


    Its been a while, Della.


    But even then, she still continued moving the knife in her hand.


    As soon as she extracted one heart, shed extracted another one in an instant.


    It didnt take more than ten minutes for the thirty two people lying on the altar to lose their lives.


    While this scene was unfolding, Della only stared at her, waiting without attempting to stop or interrupt her.


    Until Duchess Keter created Gehenna and prohibited the act, human sacrifices and experimentations were something that witches would casually do, and this was the most common reason why regular witches became Exiles.


    Youre still conducting your research, huh?


    Its all Ive got left.


    When Paola made a gesture with her hand, a portal appeared.


    A part of a Homunculus body emerged from a hidden pocket dimension, grabbing the remaining scraps on the altar.


    Disgusting sound of it munching down on something echoed through the air.


    So, why did you call me to this filthy place?


    Were friends. Cant I at least see your face after such a long time?


    Theres no way you called me just for that.


    Hahaha!


    Paola laughed, contorting the half of her face that was still intact.


    Her smile gave off an unsettling vibe, making her laugh sound more eerie than anything.


    That strange laughter ceased as she opened her arms, as if to welcome her old friend.


    Welcome to my temporary workshop. I dont have any fancy desserts or tea, though.


    Della wrinkled her nostrils, clearly confused.


    So, whats the deal? You never answered me when I tried to contact you.


    Im trying to warn you.


    Trying towarn me?


    Noticing Dellas confused face, Paola snapped her finger.


    In an instant, the space tore open, revealing a chained-up Homunculus.


    -Grrrr


    Clad in a huge red armor, it towered over two meters tall.


    It held a red spear that looked like it could easily reach five meters long.


    There were fifteen pairs of eyes on its head.


    This Homunculus was something that Della had heard of before, but unlike its notoriety, its current appearance was like an insect trapped in a spiders web, struggling to break free.


    Red Knight?Updated from


    Yes. As you can see, I havent fully subdued it yet. Its quite the stubborn child. Despite its weakened state, it still wouldnt bat an eye even if I gifted it fifty hearts at once.


    Paola snapped her fingers once again, and the space that she had opened immediately closed like a curtain.


    -Wooosh!


    Suddenly, the space behind Paola tore open.


    Various monstrous noises echoed in the chamber, as if they were about to tear apart the dimensional pocket that was accommodating all of them.


    A worthy spectacle befit the witch who once bore the name of the one who controlled a thousand beasts.


    If youre looking to end your life, at least let me do it for you, with my own hands


    The reason behind Paolas actions wasnt because of research or anything of the sort.


    Rather, she was trying to drag innocent humans down with her as her last struggle.


    Della could completely understand the act of sacrificing humans for the sake of research, but what she was about to do was nothing more than a mindless slaughter.


    If shes going to die at the hands of Duchess Keter anyway, I might as well put her to rest myself


    Seeing her friends determination, Paola showed a mix of a troubled and sad expression.


    Even you cant understand me either, huh?


    I can. Thats why Im doing this.


    No. I dont want to hear it.


    Paola bit her lip before turning away.


    All the Homunculi she tamed were let loose and started crawling out one by one.


    Ignite.


    Dellas hair fluttered and a crimson aura began to spread like molten lava around her.


    She was ready for what was to come.


    Moreover, this cramped chamber gave her an advantage in handling her fire magic.


    -Sizzle!


    -Kkiieek!


    Monstrous creatures resembling centipedes, octopi, wolves and more each started casting various spells to fight her off, but it was futile.


    Her fiery waves, hotter than ten of millions degrees, turned them all into ashes.


    One powerful spell after another was being thrown by her without the slightest bit of concern.


    Surprisingly, even after all this, she hadnt used even a tenth of her mana.


    The ebb and flow of the battle, the strategic positioning on the battlefield and the dynamics between the two combatants all worked in her favor, so she couldnt help but let out a smile.


    Gradually, all the Homunculi that Paola had unleashed were either consumed by flames or melted into oblivion.


    Meanwhile, Paola was just observing this scene without a trace of regret or disappointment on her face.


    Why bother letting out such weaklings?


    Della couldnt help but furrow her brow.


    All the Homunculi Paola had brought up only had less than ten eyes.


    Even if she had buffed them into oblivion, they still wouldnt be able to become Dellas match.


    Im just waiting.


    Waiting? For what?


    For my toy soldiers to be complete.


    It was then that Della realized what was going on.


    The hearts that Paola had just pulled out and placed by the side of the altar were nowhere to be found.


    Have fun.


    Paola said with a twisted laugh, accompanied by the clanking sound of metal.


    Armor-clad Homunculi began to emerge from the twisted open space.


    Their appearance resembled that of the Red Knight, except for the pure white armor that they wore.


    And their numbers exactly matched the number of people she had sacrificed just a moment ago.


    Ive just finished my research on Homunculi cloning. As you mentioned, I dont need a bunch of them, I just need to keep the strongest one by my side, then I can make as many copies of it as I want. I just need some sacrifices as the catalyst.


    Despite that, Della wasnt too concerned about the situation.


    Clone?


    What does she mean by that?


    Well. who cares. Even if she makes a hundred or thousand of them, I can just burn them all.


    Ignite.


    With a casual wave of Dellas hand, flames enveloped their armors.


    If one were to think that metal could withstand her flame, then they were simply wrong.


    There wasnt a single kind of metal that her fire wouldnt be able to melt.


    Or at least that was what she believed.


    Facing her raging flames, the White Knights didnt even flinch.


    Rather, they formed a solid barrier using the large shield they held in one of their hands, skillfully blocking her flames like well-trained soldiers.


    What?


    These cloned children are much weaker than the original, but they still possess the traits that the original has. You should be familiar with the Distortion Shield the Red Knight has, right? The trait that it extracted from the Red Branch.


    Just as Paola had explained, her fire couldnt even reach their shields.


    Like plasma confined within a magnetic field, the flames flickered in place before they consumed all their manas and dissipated.


    When her flames subsided, the White Knights aimed their spears at her.


    Its a shame that things turned out like this, Della. I really considered you as a friend.


    As Paola turned her back, the White Knights charged towards Della in perfect unison.

 Chapter 192: Twin Rush (6)

    Chapter 192: Twin Rush (6)


    Twin Rush (6)


    1.


    In English, there was a term called innie pussy.


    It was a term for a type of vagina that was neatly closed with a straight line, having well-developed outer lips and less noticeable inner lips.


    In Korean, it was referred to as tight straight vagina, or commonly known as tight pussy.


    When Odette spread her butt cheeks wide, the pussy that she showed perfectly matched such a description.


    If Siwoo had to judge its elegance, hed say with certainty that there was a hint of nobility in her pussy.


    Before she spread it, it looked clean, neat, modest and innocent. There wasnt any hint of it being moist and its soft flesh didnt seem to be prominent at all.


    Seeing this tempting scene, it wasnt a wonder that Siwoo became unable to resist her.


    He pondered on how it would split and how exactly would it feel if he were to forcibly shove his rod inside.


    Haahhaah


    However, seeing Odettes nervous, heavy breathing quickly dampened that desire.


    Safety first, that was the golden rule he had to follow.


    In that sense, anal sex was clearly the better choice, as he could enjoy the action without worrying over anything.


    As his gaze traveled up, he noticed Odettes small rear hole.


    On the entrance, he had already applied some quick and easy-to-use lube, leaving it all smooth and slippery.


    Even if he were to include the shape of her butt in his previous judgment, she would still pass with flying colors.


    Despite its nature as an organ used for excretion, the word dirty never even crossed his mind when he looked at it.


    It looked smooth, as if it held its natural color since her birth.


    Though he had already penetrated it a few times before, when he compared the small hole to his massive rod, he still couldnt help but think, Can it even fit in there?


    S-Siwoo orabeoniplease hurry


    Her earlier attempt of seduction already shook his reasoning to begin with.


    He was admiring the view of her rear, but Odette thought that he was still hesitating.


    So, in a lustful voice, almost like a moan, she urged him.


    Are you sure you want me to do it right away?


    D-Didnt you say you are in a hurry? B-Besides, its fineI-Ive played with my anus a lot when Im alone


    Siwoos heart skipped a beat.


    This was the familiar feeling he got whenever his arousal peaked.


    As he felt that sensation, his lips unknowingly began to quiver.


    How do you do it?


    Yes?


    How do you masturbate? I want to see it.


    Hearing his words, Odette glanced back with a flushed face.


    Y-You want to see it now?


    She stammered for a moment. Despite the way she seemed to be ready to handle his manhood, she didnt seem to have the courage to show him the way she usually masturbated.


    Ill do everything that you are asking me to do, but I also want you to do something for me. Well, sure that youve been doing it on your own, but Im still worried that youll get hurt if you go straight into it without any foreplay.


    O-Okay, I-Ill give it a tryI-I normally do it when I lie down though


    She replied before moving one of her hands that were gripping her knees to her buttocks.


    Lying down? Do you normally do it in bed?


    A-Ah, y-yes!


    Siwoos voice came out huskier than usual thanks to his lustful state.


    Odette nodded her head before spilling the behind-the-scenes story of her secret to pleasuring herself.


    U-Usually, when Sis already fell asleepI-Id get down on the bed, squattingl-like thist-then I apply the lube


    Her neatly manicured fingers, with their carefully trimmed nails, timidly wandered around the creases of her butt before gliding over the entrance of the hole.


    Then, she used her middle finger to slowly widen its entrance.


    The seemingly impenetrable hole gradually started to open as it accepted the tip of her finger.


    L-Like thisI-I put one fingerstarting from the tip


    And then?


    Aahh! W-While thinking about you, OrabeoniI-I started movingslowly


    It was an awkward conversation in an already awkward situation.


    Due to the embarrassment of her exposing the way she usually pleasured herself up close, Odettes buttocks began to twitch and contract.


    At the same time, the finger that she used to penetrate her entrance started to produce lewd squelching noises as it went back and forth in her rear hole.


    L-Like thisI-Id push it all the way ina-and apply the lube nggh! I-I had to move quietlyso that Sis wouldnt wake up


    Huh? Haanngg!


    Still having his rod inside Odette, Siwoo began to walk.


    S-So sudden


    It wont be far, just up that pillar. Think of it as us taking a few steps together.


    G-Got it Hng! Im ready!


    Something that seemed like a four-legged race unfolded out of nowhere.


    The pillar wasnt far away from them, only three meters away.


    Even so, for Odette, who was still holding on Siwoos rod with her ass, it was a daunting task to walk that far.


    In fact, she already collapsed before she could even take the second steps, prompting Siwoo to catch her before she could fall to the floor.


    Ngghh! Every timeI try to movemy stomach! I-I cant walk anymorei-its so good M-My head is spinning


    Ugh, this is so


    The sight of Odette in such a lascivious state was making Siwoos already hard boner throb with frustration.


    It awakened primal instincts to breed her and a desire for dominance within him.


    However, Odette had no idea of his situation.


    So, she continued to speak and act this way, making her appear to be innocent on the outside even though her wet and tight ass-pussy was clearly teasing his cock.


    Whatever happens after this is her fault


    Since she wants this so much, Im going to fuck her senseless.


    Kyaa! Ahh! Assistant!


    The action that Siwoo took was simple.


    He lifted her by the waist while his rod was still etched deeply inside her.


    Then, he quickly slid his arms below her thighs to firmly hold her and prevent her from falling.


    Though this was an awkward position, her body was small and light, so it wouldnt affect his balance at all.


    But because she was getting lifted out of the blue, Odettes body jumped in shock, causing her to forget the way she should actually refer to him as she desperately called out.


    Consequently, her grip on his rode became much tighter


    It was as if her rear hole was trying to prevent his rod from coming out.


    P-Please let me down! T-This is scary!


    Dont worry, I got you, you wont fall. Anyway, Im going to move.


    B-But! Ahh! Ahhh! Mmmh!


    Her legs formed a narrow M-shape in the air.


    With Siwoos dick still stuck inside her anus, all he had to do was to shake her body up and down to experience the pleasure he had been looking for.


    Ahh! Ahh! I-It feels so good!


    Odette, who was scared at first, eventually relaxed her body and began to indulge in the pleasure.


    The fact that she was completely at his mercy added to the sensation she felt.


    -Squelch, squelch!


    Ah! Ah!


    Phewhuff


    Though Odettes body was light, Siwoo still had to exert his strength to pull this off.


    Before long, both of them became breathless.


    Due to their position, Odettes lower lip became wide open, overflowed with love juice, symbolizing how much she was enjoying this action.


    Haah! Yes! I-Im going to! Im!


    Already forgetting that they were outdoors, Odette started moaning loudly.


    Luckily for them, they had already set up the music box beforehand for some privacy.


    Haaaaahh! W-When you cum, c-can you release it Inside? A-Ahh! L-Lets do ittogether! P-Please hold out until then!


    Im almostthere!


    N-No, forget it! I-I cant wait! Hngg! Ahhn! I-I dont want to wait! C-Cumming! Aahhnn!


    Odettes toes stretched as if she was a ballerina.


    Her arms awkwardly reached behind her, wrapping tightly around Siwoos neck.


    The tight grip of her anus and the throbbing contractions of her inner wall squeezed Siwoos rod hard.


    Such an intense feeling pushed his manhood over the edge despite it being close to its limit already.


    Kyaaa!


    With a cute moan, Odette arched her waist backward.


    -Spurt, spurt, spurt!


    Finally, Siwoos throbbing cock released its thick and hot semen deep inside her.

 Chapter 194: White Knight (2)

    Chapter 194: White Knight (2)


    White Knight (2)


    1.


    The typhoon that had been hitting Seoul all night had finally ended.


    Though there were still faint sounds of thunder in the distance and light rain still fell from the sky, both were nothing compared to the torrential downpour yesterday.


    Woahthe modern world sure is something


    So bigand tall


    Odile and Odette stepped out of the taxi, staring up at the towering skyscrapers in awe.


    Just because its tall doesnt mean its great. Since ancient times, architecture has always been a form of art. You cant measure its worth by its height alone.


    Odile began to criticize the building, adopting a serious expression as if she was a real and proper critic.


    Yeah, thats true. Well, to me this tall bubu?


    Building.


    Right, thank you, Mr. Assistant. To me this building is just a bunch of structures piled on top of each other without any regard for beauty. Seven out of ten.


    Odette also followed her sisters lead, crossing her arms while expressing her thoughts about the towering building.


    She and Siwoo had decided to keep their late-night stroll a secret, so the former had reverted to calling the latter by his old title, Mr. Assistant.


    All the buildings in Gehenna, especially those in Lenomond Town or Ars Magna Town, were all beautiful.


    Compared to those buildings, the skyscrapers, built with functionality and efficiency in mind, just like Odette had stated, paled in comparison. Then again, they werent supposed to be judged aesthetically to begin with.


    You two made good points, but its time to go inside.


    Okay! I cant wait to see what have you planned for us, Mr. Assistant!


    Me too!


    The twins were dressed very nicely.


    They were wearing loose-fitting sweatshirts with rabbit prints on them, tennis skirts and white sneakers.


    Deneb had actually prepared suitable modern attires for them, erasing Siwoos worries in that regard.


    They would look good in whatever attire they wear, but seeing them wearing such casual clothes felt refreshing to Siwoo.


    The twins looked like models, ones that he felt strongly familiar with.


    With this level of beauty, they could easily become influencers by simply posting a few pictures of themselves on social media.


    But, Mr. Assistant, is it really alright to be out and about in this getup? The skirt feels a bit too short


    Youre wearing shorts underneath, arent you? It should be fine.


    Still, my knees are completely visible


    Odette had been quite concerned about her outfit for a while now though.


    After all, the twins had always worn elegant flowing dresses. Wearing something like a tennis skirt, something that revealed their legs to a considerable extent, was a little unconventional for them.


    Its fine, trust me. Lets go.


    They had been wandering in front of the building for around ten minutes already.


    Although Siwoo wanted to go inside, the twins always got distracted every few seconds and kept tugging on his arms.


    Just like this time.


    Mr. Assistant, hear me out!


    Yes, yes


    Look over there!


    Odile pointed with her eyes, quickly glancing at a woman passing by them.


    She was dressed in tight leggings and a top tee.


    Do you see that lady flaunting her body like that?


    Yes.


    Does she work at a brothel or something?


    Uh, no?


    Then, why is she dressed like that?


    Odette chimed in, adding her thoughts.


    In the modern world, if women are confident about their bodies, theyd proudly showcase them for the world to see. That level of exposure is apparently socially acceptable.


    But, isnt that just like wearing underwear? You can see her cleavage and everything


    Ill explain later, just follow me for now. Well take a look around.


    Siwoo held their hands, half-dragging them along.


    He had expected the twins to be curious about everything, but he didnt expect them to be this curious.


    With every step they took, theyd whisper a question to him. Thanks to that, it took over three hours for them to reach their destination.


    The aquarium.


    Siwoo pondered whether to take them to an amusement park or here. Though he was sure that theyd enjoy either, he ultimately decided that they might prefer the latter given the rainy weather.


    With limited entry times and capacities, Siwoo purchased tickets and then settled into a cafe to wait. As he sat down, he let out a deep sigh.


    HaaUpdated from


    I-Is this an artifact or something?


    No. Anyway, its time, so lets go.


    Seeing their adorable reaction, Siwoo let out a smile as he led the two of them to the aquarium.


    2.


    Wow


    The twins were awestruck as if they entered a different world. They looked around excitedly.


    Their large eyes widened, and both of them had their mouths agape.


    What had stolen their attention was a large tank with swarms of jellyfish swimming gracefully inside.


    Soft neon lights lit the tank up, giving off a mysterious vibe.


    They leaned closer, their cheeks almost touching, engrossed in observing those jellyfish.


    Look at them, those girls are so cute!


    Are they models? Should we ask if we can take their pictures?


    The guy next to them is handsome too


    Even with the music box, it still wasnt enough to completely mask their presences.


    Siwoo felt a bit embarrassed because people thought that he was their guardian, but at the very least there werent that many people in this place because it was currently a weekday.


    W-What are these?


    Those are jellyfish.


    It seems like theyre wearing a dressI wonder how it would feel to touch them?


    They must feel squishy!


    Both of them spoke with a hint of fascination in their voices.


    Considering that this aquarium was the largest one in Seoul, it contained various marine lives and even rare insects, so their fascination was understandable.


    This was the perfect place for Siwoo to show the twins the wonders of the modern world, as these things were impossible to see in Gehenna.


    The thing that the aquarium had to offer would definitely satisfy the twins curiosity.


    Cmon lets go to the next area. Theres a section where they showcase rare fish from the Amazon.


    Cant we stay a little bit longer? Theyre so pretty


    I want to keep looking at themwait, can I buy some of them later? How much do they cost?


    Uh, I dont think theyre sellingalso, there are even cooler things up there.


    He gently pushed their backs as the twins wandered between the jellyfish tanks, urging them to move on as they had completely lost track of time already.


    While the jellyfish was interesting enough, there were still many more things to see, at least according to the pamphlet.


    At their current pace, they might have to spend the whole day at the aquarium.


    Then again, Siwoo didnt really mind. Because as long as the twins were happy, he would be happy as well.


    Next the group visited where they showcased the fish from Amazon.


    Seeing a huge fish that seemed like it was at least one meter, close to two meters long, the twins didnt hide their excitement.


    Wow, Ive never seen such a big fish before!


    Mr. Assistant, can we buy one through an auction? I want to take one home!


    From the size, I dont think you can call it a fish anymorealso, I doubt theyre selling this one either


    Mr. Assistant, in front of our households assets, theres no such thing as not for sale!


    When I become the Countess, Ill definitely buy this aquarium!


    Huh, that actually doesnt sound too bad.


    Siwoo couldnt help but smile and applaud the twins for their ambitious aspirations.


    This brought back memories of the past when he followed them on a picnic to the Latifundium.


    During that time, he was the one who was awestruck, while the twins were guiding him through everything. It was an eye-opening experience for him.


    As they crossed the bridge overlooking the Amazon aquarium, they came across a big tunnel.


    Not just any tunnel, but an underwater one, giving off the sensation of walking inside a giant aquarium.


    In the midst of the blue light, fish and sharks gracefully swam around. They could also see various creatures such as stingrays, floating around here and there.


    The sheer grandeur of the place made all three of them speechless.


    They stood at the entrance of the tunnel that resembled a blue sea dungeon, unable to take a single step. The twins clung onto each other tightly.


    T-Those scary looking thingstheyre sharks, right?


    Lets seeyeah, theyre gray reef sharks.


    T-Turtles are this big? B-But, the one Pecha brought was the size of a palm


    Ah, that ones a green sea turtle.


    Gigantic stingrays passed over their heads, sharks glided by with their sharp teeth exposed, thousands of silver anchovies swam in harmony, and slow-moving turtles paddled with their mouths open.


    Finally mustering up the courage, the twins explored the tunnel with excited steps while Siwoo casually followed behind them.


    They spent quite a long time in the aquarium and left the place with two sets of pajamas that they got from the souvenir shop as mementos.

 Chapter 195: Festival (1)

    Chapter 195: Festival (1)


    Festival (1)


    1.


    The aquarium wasnt the only thing inside the big building.


    Different halls, stores, restaurants, theaters, and other convenient and fun spots were also here.


    Since they planned to spend all day there, Siwoo brought the twins to a restaurant for lunch.


    Ahhthe food was tasty


    Im so full, I can barely walk! Cant you give me a piggyback ride, Mr. Assistant?


    Sure, Ill give you that. Back at home, that is. For now, lets just walk normally, shall we?


    What? I want one too then!


    Yes, youll have your turn too, Ms. Odile.


    For lunch, they ate kimchi stew.


    Siwoo chose this particular dish because the twins were making a fuss about how they wanted to taste the food from his hometown.


    At first, he was unsure if it would suit their palate, but both of them ended up loving it.


    In fact, they devoured almost eight servings of it in one go.


    Wasnt it spicy?


    Not really? It was a little salty, but the dongchimi1A variant of kimchi using radish. solved that problem.


    The tender pork belly was amazing! Also, the oysters!


    Well, I was worried that it didnt suit your tastesglad that you two liked it so much.


    Kimchi was the classic Korean traditional food.


    Seeing how it managed to satisfy the twins refined palates, Siwoo felt a sense of pride welled up within him.


    He personally fed them the kimchi, because they still werent used to using chopsticks. The way they kept asking for more made him feel like he was feeding a pair of baby birds.


    After they finished their lunches, they went to Baskin-Robbins, getting the twins an ice cream cone each, before heading towards the arcade.


    For the twins, the arcade was like a whole new world, a completely different world than the aquarium, and they were really excited to thoroughly explore the place.


    W-W-What is all this?!


    L-Look at these cool artifacts!


    Stuffing all the remaining ice creams into their mouths (by the way, they thought that the ice cream was just fine, not great or anything), the twins eagerly dashed away.


    They looked around, exploring all the game machines that played out some scenes on their screens and the machines that had weird gimmicks.


    Look at that, Mr. Assistant! Its spinning like crazy!


    Mr. Assistant, are those dolls?! There are so many dolls!


    They love the arcade more than the aquarium it seems


    The twins couldnt contain their excitement as they hopped around and bounced from one spot to another.


    They seemed so energetic that Siwoo became worried if he were to take his eyes off them for a moment, theyd disappear.


    He exchanged three ten-thousand won bills for game cards.


    Is there anything you want to play?


    What are all these? Like, what can we do with them?


    Uh, play? You know, they are a kind of entertainment.


    Like chess? Or duck hunting?


    Umm


    The twins knew nothing about electronics, so Siwoo found himself in a bit of a pickle trying to explain the concept of video games to them.


    Thankfully, they got distracted by the flashy arcade games rather quickly.


    Odile went for a shooting game while Odette went for a crane game.


    I want to try this one! How does it work?


    So, if you step on this pedal, you can hide. You can try to aim the targets with the gun and shoot. To shoot, you just need to pull the trigger, just like a real gun. And to reload, just shake the gun a little.


    Okay, Ill give it a go! It sounds doable for me.


    With a serious look, Odile took a note of all his instructions and took aim at the screen.


    As her sister was going through the tutorial, Odette excitedly dragged Siwoo along.


    Mr. Assistant, I want to try this one! How do I get those dolls?


    They stood in front of the crane machine that had a mountain of dolls piled up inside.


    In this case, it was easier for Siwoo to give a live demonstration than going into a lengthy explanation, so he did exactly that.


    Heres how it works. You use this lever to control the crane and use this button to make the crane come down. Then, itll pick up the dolls


    Ah, so close! You almost had it!


    Maybe because both of them were young, or they could learn quickly to begin with, both of them absorbed everything in no time.


    Odette promptly took hold of the lever, aiming fervently at the rabbit doll she had been eyeing since earlier.


    Ever since we were at the aquarium, she had been fawning over random rabbitsand she was the one who picked the pajamas with the rabbit designwhats up with that?


    By the way, does she know that rabbit meat is tasty?


    The memories of the rabbit stew he had shared with his father resurfaced in Siwoos mind.


    Siwoo orabeoni.


    After a heated competition.


    Odette lost every single round and became the luggage carrier.


    2.


    Why the sulky face, Odette?


    You dont need to be so sulky~ Dont I always beat you at games we play for the first time?


    What? You cant accept that you lost?


    -Squish.


    As they rode the escalator of the department store together, Odette squeezed the rabbit doll she was holding.


    Unable to tolerate it anymore, Siwoo intervened.


    Cmon, Ms. Odile, you need to stop teasing her. Please dont take it to heart, Ms. Odette, dont worry, we wont tell anyone that you lost.


    Even Siwoo, who she expected to take her side, joined in on the teasing. Thanks to that, Odettes patience finally ran out.


    Ugh, this is all your fault, Sis! Dont talk to me! I want to go home! Take me home!


    I was kidding.


    Siwoo coaxed and soothed Odette, who was about to throw a tantrum.


    They were on their way to the womens clothing section to complete their shopping for the day.


    What Siwoo found out today was the fact that they had a remarkable adaptability.


    At first, they thought that the lifts were some kind of a marvel, but now they just stood casually on the escalator as if it was nothing.


    After he treated them to a shopping spree using the black card given by the Countess, they headed back home.


    He planned to host the Shin Siwoos officetels specialty later, the Sharons Food Delivery Parade.


    Save for the desserts, the twins seemed to be fond of the local cuisine.


    This is actually kinda cool. A staircase that moves while you stand still? Did they use some kind of spatial magic?


    No, its more of a belt-shaped thing than a staircase. It goes round and round, moving up and down. No magic involved.


    Ah, I get it.


    They could have taken the lift, but they opted for the escalator this time.


    At that moment, Siwoo suddenly felt a commotion.


    The place was never silent, but the noise he heard was unusually loud and distinctive.


    Surprise, exhilaration and confusion, all of those emotions were mixed in the lively crowd.


    As they rode up the escalator


    The twins noticed something strange near the ceiling on the opposite side.


    Sticking close to the handrail, they pointed at an object floating in mid-air.


    Mr. Assistant, what is that?


    We saw it at the aquarium didnt we? A piranha? Yeah, I think thats what it is!


    Its so big! As big as a taxi!


    Siwoo followed the direction the twins were pointing at and widened his eyes.


    What?


    A peculiar creature floated in the air. Its fins gracefully moved, as if it was swimming.


    The creature had a thin, elongated body, with jagged teeth that stuck out so far that made it unable to close its mouth shut.


    It rolled around its eyes, uncertain where to focus.


    The bustling noise coming from the lower floor turned out to be coming from people taking out their phones, trying to take pictures of the piranha, accompanied by their excited murmurs.


    This wasnt a strange reaction. After all, no one would anticipate such a thing in a normal department store.


    The piranha gracefully descended, flapping its fins as it approached the onlookers.


    Eek! Whats that? It looks so gross


    Is this some kind of event?


    Maybe a hologram? Hey, take a picture of it! Quickly!


    Hello? Kyungsung? Are you still in the bathroom? Come here quickly, theres something really cool here!


    Perhaps their reliance on modern societys safety dulled their natural instinct to look out for danger.


    They didnt run away or scream and flee like they would in a monster movie.


    Instead, they observed the thing as if it was an attraction.


    Run away!


    Siwoo shouted loudly to them.


    Huh?


    Suddenly the piranha lunged forward, opening its mouth wide and devouring the upper half of a student who was trying to take a close-up picture.


    And that marked the beginning of the unexpected festival.


    1


    A variant of kimchi using radish.

 Chapter 196: Festival (2)

    Chapter 196: Festival (2)


    Festival (2)


    1.


    -Snap! Crunch! Snap!


    That disturbing sound was followed by a brief moment of silence.


    The life of the student bitten by the piranha met an abrupt end. His lungs were punctured by its sharp teeth, preventing him from screaming.


    Pretty red blood dripped from the corner of its mouth, like the juice flowing from a ripe raspberry.


    E-Eek!


    What the hellis this?


    Is he dead?


    I-Im dreaming right now, right?


    This should be a prank! Wheres the hidden camera?!


    What the fuck is this?! W-We gotta report this


    Even after seeing such a sight, people didnt run away. Instead, they muttered to herself.


    If there was a gunshot involved, if someone were to be blown up, or if a robber with a weapon was making a ruckus, their reaction might be different.


    But what they saw was a giant fish chewing on a person under the halogen light of the department store.


    The whole spectacle felt like a scenario out of a B-Movie. It was too unbelievable for them to the point that their instinct for danger didnt kick in.


    Only when they saw the students limbs dangling like seaweed between the teeth of the piranha did it finally sink in.


    The foul stench of blood, too strong to be dismissed as hallucination, filled their nasal cavity.


    Red blood, too copious to be a dream, streamed down the students shin, creating a small pool on the cold artificial marble.


    F-Fuck! What the fuck is this?!


    Aaahhh!


    Call 119! 112! Fuck it, call everyone!


    What the fuck?! Why isnt my phone working?!


    Mommy!


    Desperate pleas rang out amid the chaos as people belatedly realized the severity of the situation.


    The mens clothing section of the department store had transformed into a scene of pandemonium, filled with screams, tears, cries and confusion.


    Suddenly, a figure clad in black armor swiftly cut through the crowd, vanquishing the piranha that had been the source of the terror.


    2.


    Leaping from the middle of the escalator, Siwoo swiftly conjured a suit of shadow armor and a longsword.


    Leveraging his weight and the force of gravity, he swung the sword toward the piranha with all his might.


    As he executed the move, he felt a solid resistance on his hand.


    With his blade passing through, cutting the piranha in half, the fish fell to the ground while spewing out blood.


    Despite being cut in two, the piranhas mouth gaped as it thrashed its tail on the ground.


    The sight would send shivers down on a normal persons spine.


    Everyone, gather around here!


    He called out loudly to the people.


    However, in that extreme chaos, the crowd, now at the height of their confusion, wouldnt just listen to a single persons words, let alone follow his instructions.


    It was a complete disaster.


    What the fuck is going on?


    Siwoo took off his eyepatch and scanned the surroundings.


    He was almost certain that this piranha was a Homunculus.


    But when he examined the mana around him, there werent any interdimensional barriers being deployed.


    Also, from what Sharon had taught him, Homunculi wouldnt bring so many humans into their barrier when they were hunting.


    But this Homunculus appeared in the modern world without deploying a barrier and started killing people for some reason.


    Mr. Assistant!


    The twins ran down the escalator towards the confused Siwoo.


    Stay behind me. We dont know what might happen.


    Someone had just died in front of him.


    So, he had no idea what kind of threat was waiting for them.


    As he entered his combat mode, he realized that he was much calmer than he expected.


    Even considering the fact that he had been in quite a few life threatening battles, his eyes, separate from the chaos of his mind, were scanning the battlefield, preparing for any variables, like a seasoned veteran.


    Have you contacted Lady Deneb?


    I-I cant!


    B-Both our artifact and our cell phone cant reach her!


    Seriously, what the fuck is going on?


    Though the piranha was dead, it wasnt enough to calm anyone down. There was still this tingling sensation on their skin, and the tense air made it clear that this was just the beginning.


    The crisis wasnt over yet.


    Hell, this was probably just the appetizer.


    There was definitely something worse looming on the horizon.


    -Ting, ting!


    Just as Siwoo had predicted, all the lights inside the department store began to go out one by one.


    They didnt go out completely.


    Instead, their brightness had been suppressed to the limit, as if they had been sunk into the deep sea.


    But since there were no windows inside the department store, the whole building turned pitch-black.


    Aaahh!


    W-What is this?! Is this a terrorist attack?!


    Ill worry about it later.


    There is this urgent matter to be dealt with.


    We need to get everyone to evacuate first.


    How?


    His mind finally cleared up a little.


    I will use Dimension Shift, the same teleportation spell I used to get you two away before this. It will take some time, so can you protect them in the meantime?


    Of course. Leave it to me.


    Odile replied with confidence.


    To Siwoo, these piranhas were weaker than the dogs he encountered before.


    But their speed surpassed any other creature he had faced so far.


    This speed and their ability to swim freely in the air hindered him a lot as he was specialized in close combat.


    On the other hand, the twins had no such struggle as they utilized their excellent marksmanship.


    Though they were apprentice witches, he judged that it was safe to trust them as they held quite powerful offensive artifacts.


    Everyone, please gather in front of me.


    Can you please explain whats going on? Are you a soldier? Or a knight?


    We need to know whats going on!


    In the midst of chaos, the panicked survivors voiced their concerns, looking for answers from Siwoo, who seemed to know something.


    Im not a soldier or a knight, and theres no time to explain. Just come over here, Ill get you all out of this place.


    However, when he brandished his blood-stained sword and voiced his words assertively, they quieted down.


    From their perspective, the man who suddenly appeared to kill those monsters while being drenched in blood was equally as terrifying as the monsters themselves.


    So, he used that fear to his advantage.


    Since it would be easier for him to control them this way.


    Ms. Odile, Ms. Odette, please come over as well.


    Siwoo decided that hed be staying.


    Because there might be survivors hiding in this place, seeking refuge from the disaster.


    He wanted to get at least one more person out of this disaster.


    However, he couldnt let the twins stay with him.


    No one knew what might happen later, and he wished to evacuate everyone and get them to inform the outside world what was going on here.


    But the twins refused to leave.


    No, well fight alongside you, Mr. Assistant!


    Yes! We will help you save everyone!


    This is not the time for that! You two need to inform Lady Deneb about this!


    One of those people can do it. They just need to call her, no?


    But


    Odile firmly interrupted his attempt to explain further.


    Mr. Assistant, a nobles honor doesnt come from the family name, but from fulfilling their obligations and responsibilities as a noble.


    Isnt that what youve taught us, Mr. Assistant?


    I dont remember ever teaching you two that


    In the end, he decided to take up their help for now.


    He figured that theyd be of great help with the guns in their hands.


    Alright, lets evacuate the civilians first. But, if theres even the slightest hint of danger, Ill get you two out of here first, got it?


    As soon as he decided on what to do, Siwoo looked around his surroundings.


    For some time now, he had been sensing a different flow of mana, but it was different from the interdimensional barrier he was familiar with.


    It was much heavier and oppressive, its color was deep and ominous.


    This meant he needed to move the civilians further away from the building.


    Siwoo handed a mobile phone to one of the survivors.


    As soon as you get out of here, call this number and this number, explain the situation here. This is important, so make sure to do this.


    W-What should I say?


    Just tell them that monsters appeared at COEX.


    O-Okay


    The black-haired soldier, who seemed to be in on a leave, trembled, but he nodded repeatedly in response.


    Siwoo didnt have the lenience to comfort him though.


    Ms. Odile, Ms. Odette, please cover for them.


    A blue circle began to form beneath the feet of the civilians.


    It was Siwoos Dimension Shift.


    Given the number of people and the distance involved.


    He surmised that hed need a whole minute of calculation.


    In the meantime, the twins would be buying time for him.


    The piranhas, who had been observing the situation for a while, had become impatient at this point.


    Stimulated by the blue light, the predators bared their teeth and prepared themselves to pounce on the survivors.


    Siwoo closed his eyes, placing his trust in the twins and entered a state of complete focus.


    Unlike back then, the twins were no longer trembling helplessly behind him.


    This time, they resolved themselves to protect their Dear Assistant.


    Standing in front of Siwoo, they gripped their muskets.


    Are you ready, Odette?


    Anytime, Sis.


    They took aim with their guns and pulled the trigger, releasing a barrage of magic bullets upon the creatures.

 Chapter 197: Festival (3)

    Chapter 197: Festival (3)


    Festival (3)


    1.


    Around the 16th century, back when mankind believed that they could develop a whole new continent and conquer the world with the power of science.


    This behavior of mankind roused the witchs curiosity to combine science and magic.


    They believed that even though science was something that was created by the lowly mankind, if they added a great witchs magic into the equation, theyd be able to create great things with it.


    Thus an era of magic engineering was born. The era when all the witches who were well-versed in alchemy and some of the other branches of magic were immersed in seeing through the potential of science.


    Sadly, the era only lasted for less than a hundred years, and the popularity of magic engineering declined. Nowadays, witches only regarded it as one of many paths one could take to develop ones magic. The lavishly decorated Janissary on Odile and Odettes hands were a combat artifact that was created during that era.


    It was a musket that didnt require gunpowder or lead.


    Because it created its own magic bullets and shot them out with several times more firepower than the bullets originally held.


    The magic formula engraved its body, made out of oak, would suck in its wielders magic.


    Then, the magic that was absorbed would go into the barrel and transform into a magic bullet.


    When its wielder pulled the trigger, the engraved steel wire inside the musket would amplify the bullets power several times.


    -Bang, bang, bang!


    Following those loud sounds, a magic bullet came out of the muskets muzzle and killed the piranha swimming on its way, leaving an orange-colored trail.


    Sis!


    I know!


    There was no need for the twins to give each other complex signals. They were able to cover for the gap that the other one left and killed the incoming piranhas swiftly.


    To them, what they were doing was way easier than duck hunting or shooting flying frisbees.


    Everything, from their distance to their targets, the targets size and movements, all of them made everything easier.


    Bullets ripped through the piranhas smooth scales.


    One of them turned their head towards the twins, only for its teeth and eyes to be crushed by the incoming bullet.


    Unlike normal muskets, the Janissary didnt leave any residual smoke even after the twins pretty much spammed it.


    Eventually, the dozens of piranhas, probably close to a hundred in total, were reduced to a number that could be counted by taking a single glance. At that moment, a blue light glowed behind the twins, followed by a strong wave of magic.


    With that, Siwoo finally managed to teleport the citizens out of this place.


    Thanks, you two. It went well thanks to you two.


    As expected of Mr. Assistant! You are amazing!


    Well finish up the rest!


    Sweat dripped from Siwoos chin.


    This was the first time he had to use Dimension Shift on such a huge number of people at once.


    Not to mention that there was something strange in the flow of mana.


    It interfered with the activation no, rather, it felt like it was sticking to him tightly.


    If normally, mana flew like water, this time it felt like mud instead. Thanks to that he had to perform his calculation twice as hard as usual.


    Add to the fact that the calculation he had to do was a complex one to begin with, it was no wonder that he felt nauseous because of it.


    Whoops


    Mr. Assistant, are you okay?!


    I-Is something wrong?


    The twins, who finally managed to clean up all the piranhas, noticed Siwoos pale complexion and approached him.


    He wiped the sweat away with his palm and nodded.


    Yeah, just a little dizzy, nothing I cant handle.


    Okayby the way, Mr. Assistant, theres something that I noticed.


    What is it?


    While I was shooting those fishit reminded me of a certain Formal Wear1not actual formal wear, but more like clothes, or something ceremonial that harbors certain magic abilities that I once read in a book


    Huh? Wait, yeah you are right!


    Hearing Odettes words, Odile made a loud exclaim, confirming the truth of her sisters words. Apparently in the Gemini Households library, there were all kinds of miscellaneous books, some of them touched on the topic of Formal Wears and artifacts that existed throughout history.


    Also, those monsters arent Homunculi. They dont look like them, and they didnt leave any crystals when they died.


    Huh, come to think of it


    Until now, all of the Homunculi that Siwoo had beaten, while they seemed like they were based on animals, they looked so bizarre that there was barely any semblance of that.


    On the other hand, those piranhas looked exactly like real piranhas. Their sizes were just a lot bigger than normal.


    But, if anything, this revelation only made him feel even worse about the whole situation.


    So, what is it that youre trying to tell me?


    It was recorded in the book, the Formal Wear, Dagons Flute. A witch from five hundred years ago was said to possess it. The records said that the formal wear could change the surrounding area into a hunting ground for her familiars


    Which means that those piranhas are familiars and like all familiars, they need a medium to exist, and that medium should be the Formal Wearso, if we get rid of it, theyll disappear, and we can stop this whole mess.


    How many people had died in this mess?


    While there might be some people alive


    There was no way theyd be able to find them easily, as they had to hide from the sights of those monsters.


    Rather than trying to find those people and send them out one by one, it would be way easier for them to just end the mess entirely.


    Alright, were going to find that Formal Dress!


    Can you do that?


    The cause was the report of the witch who came to her in a hurry.


    Dagons Flute was deployed in the middle of Gangnam?


    Yes.


    The magnitude of the incident was so big that Suas face turned pale, even though she was a witch who had seen countless incidents caused by Homunculi.


    Dagons Flute was one of the Formal Wear of the Deep-Sea Witch, a notorious witch who was killed by Duchess Keter.


    The Formal Wear itself wasnt actually that dangerous even for normal witches.


    So what if it could summon a bunch of familiars? They were weaker than even the weakest of Homunculi, they werent of any threat to the witches.


    But, the purpose of Dagons Flute wasnt for fighting witches, it was for slaughtering humans.


    Under the influence of the flute, the familiars would begin to hunt humans, turning them into mana sources that could be used for later.


    To put it simply, it wasnt something that one would use for a battle, but to prepare for one.


    Sua shook her head.


    She decided to stop thinking about scenarios that hadnt even happened yet and focus on what was currently going on.


    The fact that such a monster house had appeared in the middle of Gangnam.


    And it was their duty to prevent humanity from taking any more damage.


    Immediately summon all the witches you can contact.


    Understood!


    Sua prepared to move to where the flute was, and of course, she contacted Duchess Tiphereth before doing anything.


    Your Ladyship, can you hear me?


    Her earring started to vibrate.


    Any kind of communication method using radio waves couldnt go through a barrier.


    That was why she used this earring, a magic tool that could let its users communicate even through a barrier.


    [I can. Almost there.]


    The cause of the disturbance is the Dagons Flute, the identity and purpose of the perpetrator is unknown. Other witches will save the survivors and prevent the damage from spreading any further than thisso, may I ask you to secure the source of the disturbance, Your Ladyship?


    [What about Duchess Keter?]


    She hadnt made a move.


    [Got it.]


    After that, the communication was cut off.


    A witch using their magic to slaughter three no, perhaps the number of victims were already in four digits.


    Despite that, Duchess Keter hadnt made a move.


    Even though there was no way that she wasnt aware about this.


    Normally, she would personally involve herself to deal with the situation.


    But for some reason, she didnt do so this time.


    What is it that shes doing right now?


    Sua muttered.


    No matter how hard she tried to think about it, she just couldnt understand what was going on in the Duchess mind.


    3.


    Eloa was dashing toward COEX, the place where the incident occurred.


    Dashing wasnt the right word to use, as she was actually hopping from rooftop to rooftop of the various skyscrapers in the city.


    In the distance, a building surrounded by a huge spherical barrier entered her field of vision.


    Sharp sirens, signaling an evacuation order, could be heard from the other side of the river.


    They said that the air in Seoul had gone bad due to the pollution, but the air around that particular building looked even dirtier than that.


    This meant that the area was turning into another world.


    Since the air had changed to that extent, even an interdimensional barrier wouldnt help the situation at all.


    This was the first time that an accident of such a magnitude had occurred in the modern era.


    I have to get there quicklyand save everyone


    Eloa muttered, out of habit.


    Then she realized something. Even when she was facing this kind of situation, she was surprisingly calm. No, rather than that, she actually couldnt feel any emotions coming from her heart.


    Normally, her heart would be filled with a sense of duty to save those innocent souls, and a feeling of sadness toward the families of the victims, who had to experience the pain of losing a loved one.


    But she couldnt feel anything, as if her heart had already died.


    All she could feel was the mental exhaustion that washed over her, and she was only doing it because this was her responsibility.


    My life has no purpose anymore.


    No more reason to live


    Only this hollow responsibility remained


    Once upon a time, she had lived only for revenge.


    But now that she had lost that goal of hers, she could feel her hypocritical sense of justice disappear, leaving her with her empty current self.


    She pursed her lips, though her expression was still indifferent. Then, she hurried to the place where the incident was taking place.


    1


    not actual formal wear, but more like clothes, or something ceremonial that harbors certain magic abilities

 Chapter 198: Festival (4)

    Chapter 198: Festival (4)


    Festival (4)


    1.


    It was like hell had descended into the world.


    The pungent, nauseating smell, the darkness that hid the malice within, just like a grim reaper hanging its scythe on your neck.


    If one were to focus their attention a little, theyd notice the severed fingers, pieces of intestines, and all kinds of flesh scattered on the ground.


    [Thank you for visiting our store, Customers! Have a good day, and we hope that you had a fun shopping experience!]


    Such an announcement, accompanied with some classical music came out from the speaker that hadnt been turned off yet, echoed through the department store.


    The contrast between the cheerful announcement and the current situation only made it all the more nauseating for Siwoo.


    When he went to the next floor, it wasnt any better.


    Dozens of piranhas were swimming around, their eyes flashed when they saw him.


    Though all of their snouts were covered in blood, clearly indicating that they had eaten quite the number of people prior to this, as soon as they spotted a new prey, they immediately pounced on him.


    These bastards!


    Those giant fish, almost as big as a truck, came rushing towards Siwoo.


    If this was any other person, theyd stand still, frozen in fear or theyd try to avoid it. But he did neither.


    He calculated the timing of their attacks and swung the longswords in his hands.


    -Clang!


    The sword on his left smoothly cut through a piranhas side, revealing its twisted guts.


    While the sword on his right moved in a straight line, crushing the piranhas dense teeth and nailed itself in the creatures mouth.


    Despite the size difference between him and the monsters, he didnt back down.


    Because they were weak.


    With his shadow armor strengthening his body like a power suit, mere tackle from a 200 kg creature wouldnt even get him to budge, let alone hurt him.


    -Bang, bang!


    Siwoo twisted his ribbon, using its elasticity to strike those fish, just like what Ea did before.


    In almost an instant, the ribbon that was shot in a flexible curve, hit and pierced through several piranhas at once.


    The attack was so vicious that it left a big hole on their bodies.


    -Flap, flap


    The dying piranhas couldnt even let out a scream, instead they flapped around the ground helplessly.


    For a while, only the sound of bursting flesh and organs being crushed could be heard in that area.


    Also the dry sound of those piranhas falling to the ground.


    Fuckfuck!


    In a situation like this, even when he didnt mean to pay attention to his surroundings, Siwoos eyes unilaterally moved towards the corpses scattered on the ground.


    Among the victims were children.


    Young children who couldnt even crawl out from their strollers.


    There were also middle-aged people who would be as old as his parents if they were still alive.


    These were lives that werent supposed to end as meals for these creatures.


    At his current state, Siwoos mind and body had adapted to combat, thanks to this, he didnt give in to his rage.


    Because he knew that if he were to give in, his rage would just cloud his judgment.


    Instead of letting his anger burst out, he just let it burn quietly like embers.


    Siwoo uttered another curse at a piranha who rushed towards him as he blocked its advance with his gauntlet.


    It tried to bite his gauntlet, but despite the size of its jagged teeth, it still wasnt strong enough to pierce through his armor.


    -Flap, flap


    The piranha wriggled its body violently, as if it was panicking, but its current state was akin to a butterfly that had lost one of its wings.


    Its struggles were futile in the face of an overwhelming strength.


    Fuck off!


    Siwoo yanked his hand, ripping the piranhas lower jaw from the rest of its body. The creature made a final struggle as it made another flap or two before falling into the ground.


    As for the lower jaw that was sticking to his gauntlet, it was discarded like trash.


    Everyone who is currently hiding! You can come out! The monsters are all dead! Ill get you out of here!


    As soon as he cleared the floor, he shouted those words from the top of his lungs.


    You are safe now!


    He ran around, shouting, checking secluded places like the toilet and all the corners of the floor, just in case that his voice didnt reach those places.


    Is there anyone here? Please answer me!


    But all his shouting was only met with silence.


    No one gave him their reply.


    He knew that there should be some survivors, but they kept their mouths shut.


    His face became twisted.


    So twisted that if the twins were to see him right now, they would probably burst into tears.


    After that, he went up to other floors, and he ended up experiencing the same thing all over again.


    The piranhas roamed around, munching on mannequins and hangers like they were some delicacies, while Siwoo killed them all.


    Hammer, spear, sword.


    He stabbed, pierced, crushed and smashed them all before moving on.


    Effortlessly, he did all those things in succession.


    Whenever he picked up a weapon, his body became accustomed to said weapon.


    When he sensed that, he immediately gave up on blocking and opted to dodge the thrust instead.


    The tip of the spear, which had been coming in a straight trajectory, immediately bent.


    Like a snake, half the spear twisted and charged toward Siwoos heart.


    -Clang!


    He managed to ward off the attack after he hit the pole with his sword.


    If he were to block the spear just now, it would definitely crawl past his shield and pierce through his heart.


    This was the first exchange and he almost lost his life already.


    The thing that amazed him the most out of all of this was the fact that the previous attack didnt involve magic at all.


    He was observing the White Knights attack closely.


    From that, he could tell that the Homunculus achieved that attack by purely using its martial prowess.


    Such a strike that could fool ones senses came from pure spearmanship.


    Aside from that, he had been observing this Homunculus for a while, and he had noticed something different about this one compared to all the mindless Homunculi he had faced.


    And it wasnt the number of its eyes.


    He took a few steps back and the White Knight pursued him.


    It raised its arm over its shoulder, not giving Siwoo any time to even feel afraid.


    Following it was a diagonal slash downward, similar to how a whale hunter would harpoon his target.


    Thanks to this, its upper torso and armpits were exposed.


    Siwoo could move forward and use that opening to strike the Homunculus.


    But, because of the amazing display of spearmanship that the Homunculus showed, he decided to not exploit that opening.


    Instead, he carefully watched the way it moved.


    -Woosh!


    And that decision turned out to be correct. At one point, the overhand strike had changed to an underhand one, and the Homunculus swiftly thrusted its spear into three spots in succession.


    Those thrusts were so ferocious that it felt like they ripped the space open.


    -Clang, clang, clang!


    It was thanks to his quick reflex that he managed to block all those attacks as it was practically impossible to follow with his eyes.


    He took a step back from the impact that hit his shield.


    My hand hurts


    In terms of strength, the White Knight was as strong as Siwoo.


    But, unlike him, its posture was perfect. Each of its thrusts were heavy, almost as if it focused all the weight and force of its moves on the tip of its spear.


    It made it felt as if he was being hit by a piledriver rather than a spear.


    This was a bad situation for Siwoo.


    Up until this point, he had always defeated his opponents, whether they were witches or Homunculi, by taking advantage of the Law of Shadows.


    By nature, the Law of Shadows could counter any kind of magic with ease.


    However, that method wouldnt work against this White Knight, as its prowess came from its physical strength rather than magic.


    It wasnt an opponent that he could best by using his wit either.


    The Homunculus gave him no time to think.


    No time to deploy his ribbons.


    This time, it thrusted its shield forward.


    Siwoo realized that he couldnt keep dodging from its attack.


    He had to fight back or else he wouldnt be able to steal the momentum from it.


    His body moved, following his instinct.


    He lunged forward, kicking the ground with his heel while pushing his shield forward.


    -Clang!


    A loud noise echoed as the two chunks of metal clashed.


    Part of the concrete that they were stepping on were crushed, split apart like cookies that fell onto the ground.


    It worked!


    Then, for the very first time, a real opening appeared.


    The Homunculus was setting up another shield bash, but Siwoo ignored it, he closed in before throwing a punch at it.


    Huh?!


    No loud sound echoed this time.


    Siwoo, who had been clenching his teeth all this time, opened his mouth dumbfoundedly.


    The White Knight, who was in the stance of attacking, suddenly took a step backward, as if running away.


    That completely destroyed Siwoos balance.


    His whole body leaned forward, swaying as he was about to fall down.


    In his tilted vision, he could see the tip of the Homunculus spear coming toward his face, as if it had been waiting for this very moment.


    Ugh!


    Luckily, he still had his pair of ribbons.


    Using them as makeshift arms, he forcibly pushed the ground, dodging the trajectory of the spear.


    Haahhaah


    It was an unexpected movement coming from him, but the White Knight was still able to respond properly. Instead of closing in to him, it once again thrusted its spear.


    This time, the tip of the spear hit Siwoos eyelid.


    He could feel the blood covering his eyes as his vision turned red.


    At the very least that attack didnt crush his eyeball, but now he had to fight with a handicap on top of being purely overwhelmed by his opponent in terms of skills.


    The situation was dire.


    Now he was completely cornered, and there seemed to be no way out in sight.

 Chapter 199: God of Combat (1)

    Chapter 199: God of Combat (1)


    God of War (1)


    1.


    The flow of the fight was completely one-sided.


    Using various skills and feints, the White Knight relentlessly pressured Siwoo.


    Brandishing its lengthy spear that could be adjusted up to 3 m, the White Knight unleashed a barrage of one-sided attacks.


    Whether it was thrusting towards his face or unexpected sweeps down his thighs, its attacks were relentless.


    Unable to steal back the momentum, he could only barely parry the onslaught.


    As his body moved, blood from his torn eyelids accumulated in his eyes.


    -Clang, clang!


    He felt as if he was losing his mind.


    Each second, he had to deal with rapid, unrelenting strikes that could threaten his life.


    They were both diverse and unpredictable.


    To counter those unconventional assaults, he had to solely rely on his quick thinking and adaptability.


    The battle was unlike any magical encounter he had experienced before. He felt his life force draining away.


    Haah!


    Siwoo shouted, blocking the incoming spearhead with his shield.


    Simultaneously, the rotating shaft of the spear struck him in the abdomen.


    The impact penetrated his armor, shaking his internal organs.


    In that instant, the air in his lungs was forcefully dragged out, leaving him gasping for breath.


    -Claang!


    He exerted all his strength, forcefully pushing off the ground.


    His legs felt heavy, as if they were shackled with lead, but he desperately dragged them forward.


    Instead of engaging in a battle on an ever changing distance, he planned to provoke the White Knight into a close-quarter combat.


    However, it didnt respond the way he wanted it to.


    Instead of countering his charge, it stepped back instead.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))


    This created a gap between them again.


    In a melee like this, the winner was usually decided on how well each fighter could manage the distance.


    Throughout the fight, the distance between the two of them remained consistent.


    The White Knight skillfully maintained a strategic distance where it could allow itself to continuously thrust its spear while preventing Siwoo from landing any effective hits.


    Its barrage of attacks made him unable to use his ribbons.


    Once again, the two knights, clad in White and Black respectively, clashed.


    They stood, emitting golden and crimson auras, casting shadows that dispersed like wisps of smoke.


    Time passed by, even their armors started to show signs of wear, with visible dents and scratches.


    -Bang!


    Urk!


    This time, the White Knights underhand swing suddenly spun around.


    It forcefully struck Siwoos chin guard.


    A gurgling sound escaped his throat as he momentarily lost his consciousness.


    Fortunately, the plate that connected his helmet and his body armor was strong enough to protect him from a fatal neck injury.


    -Bang, bang, bang!


    But that wasnt the end of it, the White Knight proceeded to send consecutive blows at him, leaving him feeling disoriented.


    The ground beneath them trembled.


    His vision swayed, as if his eyes were submerged in water.


    Struggling to control his breath, he panted heavily.


    The White Knights attack only intensified, as it had gained complete control of the fight. It aimed to finish the fight.


    -Bang!


    After receiving three consecutive thrusts, Siwoos shield, once his steadfast companion, was sent flying.


    With his torso wide open, he was an easy target for the White Knight.


    The creature lowered its stance, putting some strength on its knees before aggressively thrusting its spear toward him.


    Its target was Siwoos heart.


    Siwoo didnt have any time to recreate his shield.


    And he wasnt skilled enough to dodge this strike.


    Now, the sensation of the reapers scythe hanging just inches away from his neck became hauntingly palpable.


    In this dire moment, he gripped his sword tighter, following his instinct.


    -Swish!


    Huh?


    What was that? How did that happen?


    The sharp spear, previously going on a direct path, suddenly changed its trajectory.


    Its blade scraped against the side of his armor, tearing it apart, but it failed to penetrate his flesh.


    Siwoo didnt use excessive force.


    What he had done was just adjusting his center of gravity slightly.


    But he executed it both naturally and skillfully, leaving himself surprised.


    Contrary to his initial surprise, his feet moved, but they didnt make a single wasted movement.


    When the White Knight failed to land the last strike, it was left with a huge opening.


    Thus mark the first chance that Siwoo had ever get since the fight began, and he obviously wouldnt just let it pass by


    Gripping the spearhead that had grazed his waist, he held it firmly against his side.


    The situation turned tense.


    Without realizing it, he managed to close the seemingly unreachable gap between him and the White Knight.


    -Bang!


    Of course, the creature didnt stay silent. It used its white shield, pushing it forward like an avalanche.


    But a single shield bash wasnt enough to bring Siwoo down.


    To strike the creatures neck, breaking a few bones would be an acceptable sacrifice.


    He prepared himself for the impact as he aimed his tilted sword against the creatures vulnerable spot.


    Under his armor, his clothes were drenched with cold sweat, and his body involuntarily shivered.


    -Clank, clank, clank!


    He was calculating coordinates for a Dimension Shift to his apartment, when it happened.


    Three White Knights crawling up the outer wall.


    All three of them looked completely identical, as if they had been mass-produced in a factory. The scene created a sense of dj vu.


    It reminded him of the black dogs that came out of the deformed Mother Dog Homunculus he had encountered before.


    Fuck, this is just too much.


    I barely managed to deal with one of them and now there are three?


    No way in hell Im doing this.


    Just when Siwoo had decided to put in all his effort to escape.


    A bright white lightning bolt struck.


    -Booom!


    To be more precise, it wasnt a lightning bolt.


    But a lightning-speed strike filled with power.


    It was a menacing blow that seemed to test the laws of physics, accompanied by a flash and a thunderous sound.


    One of the White Knights, the same being that took him all his strength to kill, was sliced into two, just like a chicken on a chopping block.


    Caught off guard by the intense strike, he belatedly glimpsed the silhouette of the witch who had executed that strike.


    Amidst the pure white lightning.


    There was a pink hue, radiating softly.


    Though he concentrated his eyes at the bright light to the point where his eyes felt like they were about to pop out, that was the only thing he could discern.


    The witchs movements were incredibly swift.


    Meanwhile, the White Knights were a little too late to react to the situation, they had only just aimed their spears at the newly appeared witch.


    -Boom, booom!


    But


    All their resistance was futile.


    The unpredictable thrusts of their spears that Siwoo struggled to parry, were neatly deflected by the witch.


    After a dazzling flash, one of the White Knights armor crumpled like a squashed can.


    The remaining knight also met a gruesome end, with its limbs severed and its head ripped off.


    Only after the witch concluded her destructive spree and stayed still did Siwoo finally take a good look at her.


    Amidst the flying fragments of armors, she stood.


    Her pink hair and magenta-colored eyes were something that you wouldnt normally see in real life.


    There was a mysterious aura coming from her face, her straight and thin eyebrows made it as if cherry blossoms decorated her forehead.


    In one of her hands, there was a sword, in her other hand, she was gripping a distorted helmet that had turned into a knuckleball.


    Since she was a witch, it went without saying that she had a captivating beauty.


    But, despite her appearance, the aura that was emanating from her was more warrior-like rather than witch-like.


    Lingering traces of mana, resembling that of tiger stripes rippled from her shoulders.


    It made Siwoo wonder how such a power could come from a person.


    Her magenta eyes darted, piercing through Siwoo.


    Simultaneously, a shiver ran down his spine.


    Her piercing gaze was filled with anger and hatred, triggering the sense of danger within him.


    She had killed the White Knights, so Siwoo thought that they were on the same side, but apparently that wasnt the case.


    He hurriedly readied himself for battle.


    Whether he could survive or not, it didnt matter at this point.


    Fuck, I cant just give her my life without resisting.


    He pulled out a ribbon from his Maidens Loom, created a shield to cover his torso, all while looking for an opportunity to counterattack with his sword.


    I came to keep my promise.


    A cute voice, completely mismatched her solemn tone, spread like a chilling breath.


    Promise?


    But he had no time to ponder the significance of her words.


    As she said that, bluish veins appeared on the back of her small hand that was gripping her sword.


    Shes coming.


    Siwoo lowered his body, focusing all his attention so that he wouldnt miss a single movement from the witch.


    He could sense her every breath, hear her heartbeat, even feel the flow of her blood that was running through her vein.


    The witch kicked the ground.


    And vanished completely from his sight.


    Fuck!


    Realizing what was about to happen, he instinctively used his shield to protect his heart, neck, and head.


    He curled up like a turtle, trying to defend himself by pushing the shadows density to its limit.


    -Baaang!


    Ugh!


    He received the impact, and he could sense that his spine had fractured into pieces.


    It was as if he was being pummeled by a sledgehammer, the pain made him struggle for air.


    Blood sprayed from his mouth, creating a misty spray that seeped through the gaps in his helmet.


    This kind of impact didnt come from a sword.


    In fact, the witch hadnt even swung her sword.


    She simply stepped forward and thrusted her small fist into Siwoos stomach.


    With that alone, she managed to pierce through his shield and his armor as well.


    He could feel it.


    The pain that resulted from his ribs that were pulverized.


    Maybe his liver had exploded as well.


    If she had aimed at his heart, he would definitely have died.


    You havent forgotten me, have you?


    As if being drawn into a dark tunnel, everything dissolved into darkness. In Siwoos fading vision, the witchs face appeared. A triumphant smile decorated her face.

 Chapter 200: God of Combat (2)

    Chapter 200: God of Combat (2)


    God of Combat (2)


    1.


    Duchess Tiphereth was jumping between the buildings when she noticed it.


    COEX, the huge exhibition center in Seoul, was surrounded by a massive circular barrier.


    Inside the magic barrier that was manifested by the Formal Wear, people were probably dying.


    She figured that before anything, she had to destroy the flute first.


    Barriers, no matter what kind it was, had a key part; Either a core or a catalyst.


    In this situation, the barriers core would be Dagons Flute.


    To prevent more damage, it was obvious that she had to break down the barrier.


    But she couldnt figure out where the flute was.


    Though, this was normal, because that was how barriers usually worked.


    One set a barrier to keep prying eyes out, or to prevent anyone from moving in and out of certain areas.


    Its purpose was to separate everything inside the barrier to the outside world, or to create a whole new world inside.


    This was why the cops and journalists, who didnt know anything about this mysterious event, found themselves perplexed as they were unable to investigate or enter the building.


    Something that could make Sua, the Witch Points branch manager whod have to handle the aftermath of this incident, the biggest incident in the century, let out a sigh of relief.


    At the moment, the situation wasnt that urgent.


    Eloa began chanting a spell.


    Hereby, I declare a covenant.


    A subtle mana glow emanated from her magenta eyes as the Light of Truth started flickering within.


    Tiphereths self-essence magic was known as the Covenant Magic.


    As in its nature, covenants always came with a price.


    From the moment of her declaration, shed be able to see through all kinds of illusions and deceptions.


    Once the covenant was complete, shed lose her vision for an hour. That was the price she had to pay to gain the power through her covenant.


    As the power flowed into her eyes, the barrier that previously clouded her vision turned as clear as glass.


    Ah


    Several kilometers away, on the rooftop of COEX, Eloa spotted the flute she was looking for.


    Suddenly, bloodlust filled her eyes.


    Because there was a knight who looked exactly like the Red Knight she had been chasing for, except that its color was white.


    If it was only this much, her reaction wouldnt be this intense.


    But then she found a black-armored knight engaged in a fierce battle against the White Knight.


    When she saw this black figure, she felt a surge of emotion.


    Because of the two ribbons extending from the knights back.


    Their colors were slightly different than she remembered, but there was no way she could mistook that appearance.


    It was Ea Sadalmeliks self-essence magic. The archenemy who had taken the life of her beloved Ravi, whose death she hadnt forgotten for a single second.


    From their design and the way the knight used them, the ribbons were definitely the Maidens Loom.


    I knew it!


    At that moment, her heart was filled with joy.


    She couldnt even begin to describe how elated she felt.


    The sensation burned away all her boredom, depression and lethargy that she had felt for the past few days.


    I knew it, I knew it! Theres no way you could have died just like that!!


    She is alive!Visit  for the best novel reading experience


    Ea Sadalmelik is alive!


    Just as she had hoped, Ea was alive and well, and she was doing the things she always loved to do.


    The pleasure coursing through her veins revitalized her, bringing life back to every strand of her withered body.


    But her expression quickly stiffened.


    Because for some reason she was engaging in close combat, using a sword and a shield. Perhaps because the aftermath of Baroness Marigold attack was still affecting her?


    But the reason didnt matter, the fact that she was using swordsmanship was.


    Because the technique she used, the way she parried, effortlessly deflecting the White Knights thrusts


    The overhead strike, honed to perfection as it cleanly severed the White Knights body in half


    They were all too familiar to her She knew that she was deluding herself, but she couldnt help but hold a tiny hopethat the one beneath that armor was her beloved Ravi


    It felt unreal, but it was undeniably real.


    There was no way shed be able to forget Ravis swordplay and her unique way of moving her body.


    Ravi, whom she loved more than anyone else, had inherited the Myriad Weapons Mastery covenant.


    And Ea shamelessly wielded the covenant that she had stolen as if it were her own.


    Her mind that once filled with joy, turned into a chaotic mess, as if it was thrown into a muddy swamp.


    Blood trickled from her slightly shut lips.


    She felt humiliated. It was a bitter and mocking insult to her.


    Kill.


    Ill kill you


    Theres no way Ill let you die an easy death


    An urge to completely break Ea, turning her into a miserable wreck, getting her to regret all the things she did, begging for her death, surged inside Eloas heart.


    Butwhy did you attack Siwoo?


    However, the rumors she had heard never mentioned that she was a wicked witch.


    After all, she was the one who took the initiative to establish the Witch Point when other witches would try their best to avoid dealing with Homunculi and criminal Exiles.


    Regardless, Sharon knew that there was no way for her to confront the Duchess, no matter how prepared she was.


    That was why she decided to start a conversation with her instead of making any rash moves.


    Just in time then. Who is this man?


    Sharon had shown that she had no intention of fighting, but the Duchess still kept her sword raised.


    Moreover, the aura surrounding her made it seem that she was prepared to strike down anyone, including both her and Siwoo, if necessary.


    Hes my friend, hes definitely not a bad person! There seems to be a misunderstanding! He fought here to solve this incident! Just a while ago, the apprentices of the Gemini


    This man was using the self-essence magic of both Ea Sadalmelik and my apprentice witch. Do you really think that Id pass it off as a misunderstanding?


    With her words abruptly cut off, Sharon found herself speechless.


    Who was Ea Sadalmelik?


    She was the witch who was infamous for the murder of Duchess Tiphereths apprentice witch.


    Sharon was aware that Siwoo had faced off against that same Ea, and because of the life-threatening situation that came of it, he became a witch, but this was the first time that she heard about him using the wicked witchs self-essence magic.


    But, despite not knowing all the details, she trusted him.


    Though she couldnt figure out the complexities of the situation, she was sure that he was a good person.


    It was unimaginable for her that he would trouble the Duchess, let alone committing an atrocious act against her.


    Her past experiences and memories strongly supported this belief.


    However, this judgment came from her personal experiences.


    The Duchess, who lacked such experiences, wouldnt back down and believed a third partys words just like that.


    I know that this is a strange situation, but he really is unrelated to this! He might be a bit of an idiot, but hes a kind and good person, he would never hurt anyone for no reason!


    YouI dont know who you are, but if youre here to save a suspicious man in the middle of this mess, theres no way Id be able to trust you. Step back. If you make even the slightest move, Ill cut you down.


    As if to prove that she wasnt bluffing, the Duchess firmly gripped her sword with both hands.


    In the tense atmosphere, Sharon finally could see the Duchess eyes, and she managed to confirm something.


    The fact that the Duchess had no intention of hearing her words from the very start.


    She didnt even try to clear up the misunderstanding.


    No matter what she said, there was no way that she could convince the Duchess.


    Come to think of it, you are also suspicious. Arent you an Exile? Is this some kind of plot to get Ea out of here? Theres a chance that she reincarnated herself to be this man or something. Tell me, did you receive someones instructions? Or maybe someone had put you under their spell


    N-No, thats not it


    The Witch of Aquarius is a cunning one. Three times. She slipped out of my hands three times using methods that I never expected. Even though Ive never let my guard down, never for a moment, yet she still managed to escape. If this man has any connection to her, theres a chance that youre being tricked by her too.


    Eloa kept on talking, her composure had long crumbled.


    Despite her strength, she sounded so stressed out and powerless.


    Her demeanor suggested that she was trying to convince herself rather than Sharon.


    Wellit isnt a bad idea to end it this way anyway. It would be better that way, no?


    Eloa aimed her previously straight sword toward the fallen Siwoo.


    Despite everything, she never actually intended to end his life.


    It was just a tactic to see how the feigned unconscious man and Sharon would react.


    She believed that if she were to threaten the mans life, she could uncover the truth and get the answer she was looking for from whoever among the two who held the secret.


    No!


    As she had expected, Sharon reacted rather fiercely.


    Flames erupted, forming a barrier that obscured her view.


    Vines emerged from the cement, intercepting the sword that was aimed at Siwoos throat.


    With a burst of energy, Sharon dashed forward, determined to rescue Siwoo from harms way.


    The way she adeptly handled three different types of magic made it clear that she was a remarkable witch.


    However, her opponent was just in an entirely different league than her.


    Kyaa!


    In the middle of her charge, Sharon found herself caught by her neck.


    Her leg was ripped from the ground as she was hung in mid-air before being forcefully slammed into the cement,


    What just happened hadnt even registered in Sharons brain, but the Duchess had already put more strength in her grip.


    Ive warned you to not move.


    Seeing the Duchess face in such close proximity, Sharon once again knew what was going on with her.


    On her face, there was madness and some kind of fanaticism.


    Though her eyes were pretty, they were lifeless.


    It was clear that she was not in the right mind.


    She was consumed by a vengeful rage, clearly on a wild rampage.


    Can you see it?


    The Duchess twisted Sharons neck, making her direct her gaze towards Siwoo.


    Somehow, there was a thin red line on his neck.


    The tip of her sword was digging into his flesh.


    One move, this man dies. If you want to save him, tell me everything you know.


    1


    the raw said Ki instead of mana

 Chapter 201: God of Combat (3)

    Chapter 201: God of Combat (3)


    God of Combat (3)


    1.


    After subduing Sharon, Eloa stepped on her wrist, causing her wand to fall from her grasp.


    She then kicked the fallen wand away, sending it flying into the distance.


    Witches who relied on elemental magic usually couldnt cast their spells properly without their wands.


    This knowledge came from Eloas experiences after defeating various opponents.


    From my perspectivethis guy is somehow linked to Ea, and you are a shady Exile showing up to help him. So, whats your story?


    Eloas sword, threatening to cut off Siwoos throat at any moment, entered Sharons vision.


    Fear gripped her whole being, draining the color from her face.


    One move from the sword could end Siwoos life.


    Sharon didnt even have the leisure to ponder, Would the Duchess really go as far as to kill an innocent man without proof?


    She was too occupied with stopping Eloa and saving Siwoo.


    No, no, please! Stop! Siwoo would never do anything bad Cough! Sob


    She screamed. Her cries turned into a wail as Eloa tightened the grip around her neck.


    No matter how much she struggled, she still couldnt break free from the Duchess powerful hold.


    There was a clear difference in their power, she was way weaker than Eloa.


    She used both her hands, trying to pry away one of her fingers, but it was still useless.


    Ugh Cough! S-Stop I told you! S-Siwooalmost died because of that Witch of Aquarius bitch! How could he be an accomplice?


    Sharon struggled to get her words out, as her neck was being tightly held by Eloa.


    But the latters expression stayed blank.


    There was no way that those words were enough to convince her.


    Almost died? Someone who was about to be killed by her can now use hers and my apprentices magic?


    I-I swear, he is not


    Did you see it happen? Or can you at least explain what exactly happened during that time? Hm?


    When she said that, she pushed her sword down a little further.


    This move triggered a response from Sharon. As if she was in a heated fight, she desperately tried to stop Eloa by any means.


    D-Dont! Cough! P-Please dont! I-It really isnt what you think! P-Pleasedont kill himplease


    Tears streamed down her face, not only because of her painful breathing, but also from the fear that she might lose Siwoo right there.


    Seeing Sharons tears pour down like a waterfall, Eloas grip on Siwoo seemed to loosen a little.


    She recognized her tears as real ones, shed without any trickery, for the sake of others


    Transparent tears that were impossible to come from a villain, it shook her heart that had been corroded by the venom of vengeance.


    Pleaseyou really misunderstoodI-Illgive you this! I-Inside theres a 5.4 billiona-all my moneyp-please spare him! Or please hear me out!


    Sharon let go of the hand that was holding her throat and fumbled through her cleavage to pull out a card.


    Eloa took a look at it and recognized what it was.


    The Witch Bank card, the same one the witches would usually use to claim big bounties.


    It had her accounts details on it.


    Her vision blurred from her tears, but Sharon kept on muttering incoherent words.


    I-It isnt much! I-I dont really have muchbbut Ill give it all to you! S-Siwoo really isnt someone whod do something so heinousa-and I know youre a good person, Duchessy-youre just not in the right mind nowp-please dont do something that youll come to regret later


    At that moment, Sharon wasnt thinking straight.


    The looming threat of Siwoos potential death messed with her head.


    She tossed aside any attempts at trying to reason with her and just spoke out everything on impulse.


    In her desperate attempt, she thought of offering the most valuable thing in her life, her money, thinking that it might save Siwoo. It was an odd conclusion for sure, but she was doing her best.


    Certainly, it was a pretty foolish move.


    Because a centuries-old grudge could never be settled with just a few bucks.


    It wouldnt be strange if this would only make Eloa angrier.


    Shes still desperately pleading for someone elses life even in such a dire moment, not thinking about her own personal gainis she really a wicked person?


    What kind of wicked person would willingly sacrifice their everything to save a life?


    Whos the real villain here, I wonder?The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))


    While she still kept her suspended in the air, Eloa loosened up her grip,


    Her mind was a total mess.


    Tiphereth!


    Suddenly, a sharp voice called out to her,


    A familiar voice.


    Then, Deneb Gemini, together with her apprentice witches, landed on the rooftop, her black dress flowing in the wind.


    What are you doing?!


    What the fuck happened?


    Mr. Assistant!


    Orabeoni!


    Ow!


    Suddenly, the twins appeared out of nowhere, catching him off guard.


    They practically threw themselves at him, like a pair of affectionate puppies, pressing their cheeks against his.


    Their smooth and soft cheeks, and he could smell pleasant fragrance emanating from them.


    Orabeoni?


    Meanwhile, Odile questioned Odettes sudden change in how she addressed Siwoo. In which, the latter casually replied.


    Yeah, I figured Id call him Orabeoni.


    What? Why?


    Well, I went for a night stroll with him yesterday while you were asleep. It was really fun~


    Huh?


    When she heard those words, Odiles jaw dropped. Meanwhile, Odette grinned, feeling like she had just delivered a decisive blow to her sister.


    Now Siwoo understood why she had been holding back from calling him Orabeoni in front of Odile. She was planning to do this all along.


    With a suspicious glint in her eyes, Odile turned to Siwoo.


    From behind, Odettes voice chimed in, What, you left me behind the last time too~


    Is what shes saying true, Mr. Assistant?


    Yes, but can you two fill me in on what happened first?


    Just then, he realized that the twins had been flanking him on either side of the bed.


    Before giving him any explanation, both of them grabbed one side of his cheeks.


    As if trying to scold him, similar to how the Countess would scold them.


    And then, they stretched his cheeks out angrily.


    Before that! Explain yourself!


    Thats right! What were you thinking, trying to handle everything by yourself again?!


    What if you got seriously hurt again?! Try to think about us a little!


    You went too far!


    It hurts, it hurts! Let goplease


    He was actually in real pain, as tears welling up in his eyes.


    For a while after that, the twins continued to scold him while gripping his cheeks. Eventually, they pulled him into a tight embrace.


    Their hands stroked him gently, as if they were touching something precious.


    Well get stronger from now onstrong enough to protect you, Mr. Assistant


    Yeahwell make sure that you wont shake in fear under our watch


    So, please, count on us more


    They worried about me this much


    The warmth they showered him with made his chest tightened. As he felt that, there was a rush of embarrassment on his cheeks. It felt as if someone had pointed out a good deed he accidentally did, leaving him wanting to awkwardly rub his nose.


    Anyway, heres what happened


    They took turns explaining the situation.


    The witch who attacked him was the Duchess Tiphereth herself.


    She had a serious misunderstanding, as she mistook him for Ea or someone related to her.


    Sharon arrived at the scene first, managed to buy them some time, then Deneb came in, convincing her that this was all a misunderstanding.


    I yelled really loudly at her, I told her that if she ever bullied you again, Mr. Assistant, I will beat her up!


    Youyelled at her, Ms. Odile? At Duchess Tiphereth?


    Yes! I know Id probably lose if we actually fought though, but she couldnt even say a word when I said that! Maybe she yielded to my charismatic talk~?


    What charismatic talk? You were crying while throwing a tantrum


    Shut up, Odette!


    Why dont you stop telling lies, Sis?!


    Unhappy with the fact that her older sister had taken all the spotlight, Odette pouted as she muttered under her breath. Meanwhile, Odiles face contorted with frustration as she expressed her discontent.


    So, where are the two of them now?


    Both of them went to the Witch Point. This whole incident is a huge deal, so they have to do a lot of things to sort it out.


    What about Sharon?


    Unnie is in her room, maybe?


    Right! You should go check on her! It isnt serious, but she got hurt!


    What?


    Siwoo quickly got up from his seat and hurriedly went to check on Sharon in her room.


    He entered her room, finding her crouching in the corner of her bed.


    1


    The Tekken characte

 Chapter 202: Those Who Almost Lost a Loved One (1)

    Chapter 202: Those Who Almost Lost a Loved One (1)


    Those Who Almost Lost a Loved One (1)


    1.


    Sharon was crouching in the corner.


    Seeing her like this brought Siwoo back to the day when she got kicked out of her rooftop apartment.


    Except that she looked more depressed than back then.


    Even her once flowing and lively hair seemed limp and lifeless.


    Siwoo


    She called out to him with a shaky voice.


    Her appearance looked incredibly frail.


    I heard you got hurt because of meare you okay?


    It had been a while since he had seen her looking so low-spirited.


    Though Sharon had a slightly quirky side, there was always this lively and energetic aura around her, as if that was her life motto.


    He wanted to comfort her, so Siwoo sat on the edge of the bed.


    Meanwhile, Sharon shook her head after hearing his words.


    Im fineIm not hurt or anything, b-but


    After stuttering a few more times, her body shuddered as the shocking scene from earlier flashed in her mind.


    Her voice and body trembled like a hypothermic patient as she clutched his hand tightly.


    I-I thoughtsomething really bad would happen to you! I-I really thought you weregoing to die! H-Hic! Uhh


    Her cry almost turned into wail as she snuggled into Siwoos arms.


    Fresh scent wafted from her body, Siwoo could feel its softness when he embraced her.


    He patted her back to comfort her as her shoulders shook due to her sobs.


    It wassoso scary! I-I was so scared! Waaah!


    Dont worry, in the end everything turns out fine, isnt it? See? Im perfectly healthy now.


    B-But Icouldnt do anything!


    Relief, powerlessness, fear and despair enveloped her heart all at once. Sharon found herself tightly clinging to Siwoo.


    With him holding her close like this already brought her comfort.


    Seeing her like this reminded Siwoo of his own helplessness at the moments when he almost died.


    He could relate with her, and so his heart welled up in emotions.


    Anger towards Duchess Tiphereth who made Sharon cry, and gratitude towards Sharon herself, who had cared so much for him; Both emotions engulfed his heart.


    See? Im doing well. My injuries have all been healed already. So, stop worrying and relax, okay?


    M-MmI-Ill try tocalm down


    Meanwhile, the twins who had been following Siwoo all this while only watched the scene from behind.


    Odile nudged Odettes side, grabbed her wrist and quietly closed the door.


    Knowing that it wasnt a good time to make a fuss, Odette stayed silent for a good while before finally breaking the silence with a question.


    Why?


    Just let Unnie be. She needs to let her emotions out, more than us


    But, I want to be hugged by Mr. Assistant too


    Didnt you already do that with him yesterday?!


    That was only to get even with you, Sis!


    The twins settled onto the comfy living rooms couch.


    It had been quite a day for them.


    When they thought about Siwoo lying helplessly on the rooftop, their hearts started to race.


    The memory brought back the traumatic experience of them having to face the Witch of Aquarius back in Gehenna.


    Anyway, right now Unnie needs Mr. Assistant more than we do. We should be considerate.


    But I have a bad feeling about all this! Something just doesnt feel right!


    Same here, but what can we do? Mr. Assistant helped us before, and hell continue to do so.


    Odile knew from her master of the state Siwoo was in when he returned to the modern world.


    He was practically stranded, unable to form normal relationships with humans due to his ties to the world being severed.


    Moreover, he had to face the danger of being targeted by Homunculi and Exiles.


    When she first saw Sharon, she felt that she was being betrayed by Siwoo and she was a little bit angry at him, but at the same time, she felt thankful towards Sharon.


    3.


    Eloa moved her gaze around with a blank expression on her face.


    Just a hundred years ago, this eastern part of the world was merely a countryside. One could only see mountains and fields everywhere. But now, it has totally changed.


    Tall buildings that stood tall, facing the heavens, bending the earth itself to accommodate dozens of their kinds. Millions of people that lived in the intricate cityscape that was akin to spider web.


    Yet, she had no lenience to indulge in sentimental feelings toward this change. Let alone that, she didnt even have the spare energy to desperately search for the culprit of the incident, even though it was something that she had to do.


    Instead, she simply went along with the flow, following where her feet would take her, all while concealing her true emotions.


    She genuinely thought that she had found Ea Sadalmelik.


    Put anyone else in the situation she was in back then, they would definitely share the same sentiment as her, or at least theyd feel suspicious towards the man called Siwoo.


    Even after what happened, Eloa still wasnt able to drop her suspicion towards him.


    However


    Even though it was possible that her dying lifelong goal could be resurrected, she failed to find any motivation to actually resurrect it.


    Because of the sharp voices that echoed from the depths of her worn-out heart.


    [I-It isnt much! I-I dont really have muchbbut Ill give it all to you! S-Siwoo really isnt someone whod do something so heinousa-and I know youre a good person, Duchessy-youre just not in the right mind nowp-please dont do something that youll come to regret later]


    Those were the words of a green-haired exile who offered her entire future to save the man as she pleaded desperately to her.


    [Hes a guest of our household! Theres no way hes involved in this incident! Hes not the kind of man whod even start something like this!]


    Those words came from the rare burst of anger from Countess Deneb as she confronted her.


    [Did you do this?!]


    Those were the words that came out of the apprentice witchs mouth as she accused her.


    She could see her own reflection in that apprentices intense eyes.


    At that moment, the image of Ravi overlapped with that apprentice.


    And at the same time, it dawned upon her that she almost became a villain who was about take the life of someone dear to that apprentice.


    I


    Eloa sank down, wrapping her arms around herself.


    I thought I did the right thing


    Maybe, if I could at least offer a hand to those who lost someone precious to them, it would bring them solace


    But noweverythingI dont know anymore


    All sorts of boundaries became unclear.


    What was the right thing to do and what wasnt.


    The thing that she should have done and the thing she shouldnt.


    Justice and revenge.


    Victims and perpetrators.


    Wisdom and hubris.


    Compassion and selfishness.


    As those boundaries dissolved, they churned within her in a form of nausea.


    It felt like she was about to fall down.


    I want to run away


    Theres no need to pass on the brand anyway


    Ravi Tipherethis my only apprentice


    The name Tipherethwill end with me


    No.


    She slowly stood up.


    With all her strength, she gathered the shards of her shattered heart and steeled her resolve.


    She knew that this was futile. A lifeless puppet wouldnt come to life just because one attached some strings to it.


    Theres something that needs to be done.


    It wont be too late to wrap things up after everything has been confirmed.


    I havent cleared all the suspicions yet.


    Thats whyI need to find that man


    Eloa soared into Seouls night sky.


    To look for clues and bring everything to an end.


    The pale moon that decorated the night looked as if it was weeping sile

 Chapter 203: Those Who Almost Lost a Loved One (2)

    Chapter 203: Those Who Almost Lost a Loved One (2)


    Those Who Almost Lost a Loved One (2)


    1.


    Being unable to save numerous civilians, it was natural for Siwoo to feel depressed, even though everything else had pretty much been resolved already.


    But, it wasnt like he had control over everything.


    He had done everything he could, and more importantly, he didnt want to add to the gloomy atmosphere in the house.


    Sharon already looked sad enough, and it didnt take a genius to tell that the twins must also have been traumatized by the event as well. If he were to add his own grievances to the mix, nothing good would come out of it.


    This was his way of being considerate as an adult.


    Ta-da~! Here it is, everyone! Our officetels famous delivery special~!


    The wide six-person table was loaded with food that was delivered to their doorstep.


    Siwoo had to pull out all the plates he could find in the kitchen to serve all the food.


    He tuned up his enthusiasm a notch to boost the mood, playing his usual part, and the twins eagerly cooperated with him.


    The previously gloomy atmosphere had now vanished, replaced by a lively one over at the dinner table.


    Woah!


    Kimchi! Kimchi! Kimchi!


    Were going to eat everything, Mr. Assistant!


    Sure, sure, dont hold back!


    Odile looked so excited that she clapped her hands loudly. While Odette carefully savored the new dish that she had just learned about earlier today.


    The clothes that they wore added to their usual cuteness.


    They were wearing the pajamas Siwoo bought as souvenirs from the aquarium earlier.


    Odile wore a blue shark hoodie pajama, and Odette wore a pink rabbit hoodie pajama.


    Rabbit wasnt exactly something that youd associate with the word aquarium, but they were easy to care for and people find them adorable in general. So, the aquarium kept them as the land turtles companions.


    Will I ever revisit that aquarium?


    No, lets forget about it.


    Gloomy thoughts tried to creep in, but Siwoo brushed them away.


    Is this enough for everyone?


    Yes! Were good!


    Ms. Odile, Ms. Odette, you both look so cute~!


    The twins infectious excitement brought Sharon back to her usual self.


    She helped Siwoo to keep the atmosphere warm with those conversations.


    Hearing Sharons words, Odile immediately responded.


    Cute? What do you mean by that?


    I know, right? We are young ladies, so elegant suits us better than cute! Hohoho!


    The twins, who were strangely obsessed with being associated with more mature words, sat down and spoke such words while pretending to fan themselves gracefully.


    Of course it didnt suit them to act this way at all.


    And Siwoo subtly pointed it out to them.


    Those pajamas dont suit your statements though.


    Whats wrong with my pajamas? Theyre cute ah


    My pajamas? But they look pretty and cute ah


    See?


    Just like that, another hilarious comedy routine was unfolding.


    Siwoo didnt even need to try, the twins already walked right into the traps they dug on their own.


    Seeing them like this, he couldnt help but think that theyd do well as celebrities or YouTubers if they were to give up becoming a witch.


    It was hard to overlook their charm and entertaining personalities.


    Siwoo was already used to seeing them like this, so he only let out a chuckle at their antics, but Sharon was fighting for her life to suppress her laughter.


    Anyway! Forget about these trivial matters! From now on, Sharon unnie! Please be careful with your choice of words!


    Also, is it okay if we call you Unnie? It would make things easier for us! Besides, youre our senior anyway since you became a witch before us!


    R-Really? I-I mean, are you sure?


    Yes!


    Siwoo chimed in with a complaint.


    If thats how it is, wouldnt I be your senior too?


    Yes, but Mr. Assistant is Mr. Assistant!Visit  for the best novel reading experience


    I always use honorifics to address you, Mr. Assistant!


    Seeing how smooth the interaction with twins went, Sharon found herself comfortable chatting with them.


    This was something that Siwoo had expected to happen. The twins had the personalities that would go along well with Sharons.


    After all, she could also be quite the mischievous woman herself.


    He could envision a future where the three of them got along really well and had a great time together. Occasionally, theyd gang up on him and tease him.


    And so, the evening began with a modest dinner banquet.


    Siwoo clapped his hands, grabbing everyones attention as the host while signaling the start of the delightful feast.


    We might have had a rough day, but lets just forget about it and enjoy the meal.


    Mr. Assistant, can I grab a drink?


    I knew youd say that, Sis, so I brought some from the artifact~!


    Odette said, holding cans of beer from the fridge.


    When she received them, Odile effortlessly popped the cans open.


    Please teach us how to make it!


    Siwoo patiently taught Odile how to wrap the lettuce, while Odette was being taught by Sharon.


    While they were at it, they showed various variations, such as pairing pork belly with stir-fried kimchi, fresh garlic, chili peppers, and perilla oil salt dipping sauce.


    The twins faces lit up with excitement as they enjoyed wraps, their heads bobbed up and down in joy.


    When we get back home, we should start our own pig farm!


    I cant believe they turned such delicious food into sausages! We need to spread their greatness!


    After that, Siwoo proceeded to introduce a series of traditional Korean dishes rarely found in Gehenna.


    Surprisingly, the twins could handle spicy food well.


    In contrast to Gehennas cooking methods, which valued the natural flavors of ingredients, Korean cuisines straightforward use of red pepper flakes, black pepper, salt, garlic, and soy sauce seemed to appeal more directly to the twins.


    They could even enjoy dishes such as tteokbokki2Simmered rice cake and kimchi stew.


    However, when it came to samgyetang3Ginseng chicken soup, a dish that focused more on the natural flavors of the ingredients, they didnt enjoy them as much.


    Though, it was probably because the medicinal scent deterred them.


    Instead


    So, is this the chicken thing that Mr. Assistant was talking about? How good can a chicken really be?


    I think turkeys are more delicious than this samgyetang!


    Have a taste then. This one is yangnyeom4A variety of Korean fried chicken seasoned with a sweet and spicy sauce of gochujang, garlic, sugar, and other spices chicken, coated in a sauce made from gochujang and malt syrup, while this one is just a plain fried chicken.


    Alright, Ill taste them both~


    Despite their words, the twins couldnt hide their excitement toward the upcoming flavors.


    They enthusiastically grabbed a chicken leg each and began to devour them with excitement.


    Through previous experiences, Siwoo had already guessed their preferences.


    Oh!


    My God!


    Their reaction as they savored the chickens taste was comical.


    I wonder how they would react if I were to give them spicy chicken ramen?


    If I were to put it on YouTube, itd probably get millions of views in one go.


    T-This ischicken?


    Whats with this sauce?


    And he thought that after military service, his patriotism had disappeared down to his very bones.


    But he realized at this moment that, if the twins were unable to handle the salty, spicy Korean food, and preferred the bland food from the Geminis Household, his heart would probably break down in pieces.


    Proud Korean5Gukppong (Korean: ), a derogatory Korean word that is used to pejoratively describe a [South] Korean nationalist. moment, huh?


    What?


    Dont mind me.


    Sharon, who was eating some pigs trotters next to him, looked at him strangely, but he brushed her off.


    At the moment, he was too occupied with watching the rest of the twins reactions.


    This is a culinary innovation! Alright, Im going to open a branch of this chicken restaurant in Gehenna when I get back! Imagine the profit!


    Right, right! Well open it right next to our manor!


    Not only that, the twins also showered praise on other dishes, like pigs trotters, grilled intestines, raw fish soup, bulgogi, and kimchi stew.


    Before long, a pile of empty beer cans had accumulated next to the twins. They were surprisingly good drinkers.


    HaaahI dont wanna go back


    S-SisI feel like Im going to puke


    After indulging in a two-hour feast, they flopped down on the cough.


    It was a little impolite, but Siwoo decided to let it slide.


    Besides, he couldnt see them ever receiving the clean up after eating lesson, so he didnt make a fuss about it.


    Also, they were the ones who footed the bill for the food.


    Go have fun, Ill do the dishes and join you later.


    Ah, no, leave it to me, Ill do it later tonight.


    I said Ill do it~! Now, go out and watch a movie or something!


    Wearing rubber gloves, Sharon gently nudged Siwoo forward.


    Odile lay back against the couchs head, feeling as if she could melt away. Odette was right next to her, sprawling in the exact same position.


    Are you going to sleep like that?


    Its too early to sleep isnt it?


    Yeah, the night is just startinghoaahm


    Despite their words, their droopy eyelids gave away their fatigue. They blinked lazily, like a drowsy pair of calves.


    Why dont we watch a movie together?


    A movie? Sure, I want to watch one!


    M-Me too!


    When Sharon was done with the dishes, she joined as well.


    And so, the four of them sat side by side on the couch while watching a movie.


    1


    Spicy dipping sauce


    2


    Simmered rice cake


    3


    Ginseng chicken soup


    4


    A variety of Korean fried chicken seasoned with a sweet and spicy sauce of gochujang, garlic, sugar, and other spices


    5


    Gukppong (Korean: ), a derogatory Korean word that is used to pejoratively describe a [South] Korean nationalist.

 Chapter 204: Those Who Almost Lost a Loved One (3)

    Chapter 204: Those Who Almost Lost a Loved One (3)


    Those Who Almost Lost a Loved One (3)


    1.


    Just like Sharon when Siwoo first showed her a movie, the twins reactions were satisfying to watch.


    Right now they were watching a romance movie that was screened in such a high quality that one could even count the actors pores.


    The movie was known for its beautiful visuals, so it managed to capture the twins attention easily.


    They had been keeping their mouths shut, pouring all their concentration on the screen while clinging to Siwoo.


    Well, for the first fifteen minutes of the movie, at least.


    Fuuu


    Zzz


    Sharon picked up the remote and turned the TV off.


    When the story was about to begin, the twins soft snores echoed in the room.


    As expected of twins, I guess


    Its amazing that they could be so in sync. They both dozed off at the same time, there isnt a single second difference.


    The twins wore one piece pajamas, the ones that required them to put their leg in first if they wanted to wear it, just like a mascot costume.


    Their pajamas matched each of their personalities well, but it was still strange to see them sleeping quietly like this.


    Then again, considering what had happened today, they must have been totally exhausted.


    It was pretty much a given that theyd be mentally exhausted after all that, and the physical exhaustion probably followed afterwards.


    This was especially the case with Odette as she had to brave the storm for the night walk right before everything else happened.


    I know they said that I shouldnt call them cute, but theyre so cute! Ugh


    The expression on Sharons face was like that of a woman who had just seen a tiny, cute kitty.


    She covered her mouth with both hands, pressing them against her lips.


    Her eyes shone, glistening with tears.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo was removing the twins hands from his, carefully so that they wouldnt wake up.


    Ngg


    But they furrowed their brows, and held on his sleeves even tighter than before.


    This didnt wake them up though.


    Look at them sleeping~


    Yeah, but I cant just let them sleep hereI need to bring them to my room.


    Need some help?


    Nah, I can do this.


    Oho~ Look at you go~


    Siwoo took out his ribbons and weaved them around, turning them into a hammock.


    Its good that I trained myself a lot.


    Thanks to his training, he could use two ribbons at once proficiently. With two of them, he could freely conjure them to more complicated shapes like this.


    And this made him feel even more wronged after thinking about the beating he received because of these ribbons


    Whatever, lets think about that later. For now, I need to get these twins to my room.


    After he brought them to his room, he laid them down, side by side. Meanwhile, they were still sleeping like a pair of angels.


    Well, they tossed and turned a couple of times, but that didnt wake them up. They were still sleeping soundly while hugging each other.


    When came back to the living room again, he saw Sharon, still sitting on the couch, staring at the turned off TV while waving her legs.


    What are you doing?


    Uhsitting?


    Sharon broke her silence as she looked at Siwoo and smiled.


    Why are you smiling like that?


    I just cant get Ms. Odile and Ms. Odette out of my mind! Theyre so cute~!


    Well, yeah, they are.


    It made him wonder though, if the twins were to become proper witches and gained more experience, would they become as quiet as the Countess?


    He doubted that it would happen, though.


    At first, I thought that theyd be scary. I know that was just my prejudice, b-but still


    Yeah, who woulda expected theyd be like that. If they keep their mouth shut, they look like a pair of picky noble ladies that would criticize the tea you brew and throw a handkerchief on your face.


    I know, right?!


    Thinking that Siwoos description was right on the money, Sharon clapped her hands noisily.


    Anyway, thats why Ive been spacing out! Theyre so cuteso innocentcan I take them home? They even called me Unnie and all that!The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))


    Been there before, youll die of exhaustion, dont do it.


    He didnt deny that those twins were cute and pretty, but innocent?


    As someone who once got played like a fiddle by them, he just couldnt associate them with that word.


    Nowadays, he could play around and joke with them, but back then, just seeing them made chills run down his spine.


    Im going to smoke, what about you? Movies?


    No, Im going to sleep. I swear, ever since Ive met you Ive been sleeping more. Before that, I barely even slept


    Well, you got to empty your head and rest more, thats good.


    I guess so.


    Siwoo patted her head, ending their conversation before going to the rooftop.


    The typhoon had passed, but the moist air still lingered.


    A witch suddenly appeared on the supposedly empty rooftop.


    He recognized her; The same witch who mistook him for Ea and smashed him unconscious.


    Duchess Eloa Tiphereth.


    She stared at him without saying anything, and her blank expression made it hard for him to guess what she was thinking.


    Chills went down his spine, as goosebumps appeared all over his body.


    Despite this, Siwoo still managed to call out to her first.


    Sorry to trouble you, but if youre going to hit me, please avoid hitting my liver. Ive been drinking a lot lately, so I dont want it to get worse than it already is.


    Either because he was really concerned about his liver


    Or because he just didnt want to suffer through the same experience again


    He spouted such nonsense before he could even realize it.


    Having saying it out loud, made him genuinely feel embarrassed.


    The occasion was just so inappropriate that anyone could take it either as a sarcasm, a provocation, or a light joke.


    But, the Duchess brushed his words off. Her tightly shut lips finally opened as her eyes fixedly staring at Siwoo.


    Yet, contrary to his expectations, her gaze bore no ill-will.


    They shook, seemingly uncertain about something.


    Youwho are you, really?


    Her voice was soft and high-pitched, just like what he had heard earlier.


    Apart from her tightly clenched fists, red, just like a pair of snow crabs in season, there was this air of fragility that surrounded the rest of her body.


    This was Duchess Tiphereth, the same person who knocked him out upon seeing him, and hurted Sharon without much thinking.


    He expected her to rush at him again the moment they met, but


    Her current appearance looked forlorn to the point that he couldnt even bring himself to curse at her. It was as if she could break down to pieces if he were to touch her.


    Well, not that hed just start spewing curse at her, or downright attack her, of course.


    Hereby, I declare a covenant.


    But, the next words that came out of her mouth made him realize that it wasnt the time for him to immerse himself in such needless compassion.


    At the same time of her chant, she took out her sword.


    The sword looked pretty with twelve unknown letters engraved on its sides.


    Bloom!


    I thought the twins said that the misunderstanding has been resolved!


    Come to think of itneither the Countess or this woman knew the reason why I could use Eas magic


    There is nothing that can be used to prove my innocence!


    The one he was up against was a great witch even among the great witches.


    A 23rd ranked witch, someone who could kill him with just a single touch.


    He enveloped his body with his black armor while racking his brain, trying to find a way out of this situation.


    But, to his surprise, Eloa threw her sword at his feet.


    This didnt reassure him at all though.


    Earlier today, she had already proven to him that she didnt need her sword to subdue him.


    I have no intention to fight, for now.


    Noticing Siwoos anxiety, Eloa put her hands in the air.


    For now, she said


    Now or later, Id get hit all the same!


    Cold sweat began to trickle down his neck.


    I just want to talk with you. So, who are you?


    As she said that, Siwoo could see a great magic being casted through the Duchess mouth.


    It was the first time that he had ever seen such a dense amount of mana.


    Word of power.


    The kind of magic that would manifest its casters will the moment the word left their mouth.


    Such a high-ranked magic was being casted right in front of Siwoo.


    Three of the letters engraved on the sword shone in resonance with the Duchess decree.


    The letters then surrounded both of them almost immediately.


    I want to sign a covenant with you. Both of us can ask each other three questions, and neither of us can lie. Will you accept the covenant?


    Fortunately, she was true to her words. The magic she casted wasnt one laden with hostile intent.


    We could have spared a lot of trouble if you had just used such convenient magic last time


    Siwoo let out a complaint.


    Sharon and I wouldnt unnecessarily get hurt if she just casted it back then.


    Well, whatever, wed still get hurt either way if the magic fails to resolve the misunderstanding.


    Siwoo raised his hand and grabbed one of the strings of mana that surrounded him.


    The moment he did that, an intangible force bound his body.


    It was a completely different sensation than the Poem of Confession.


    With the Poem of Confession, it forced his body to confess whatever it was that the caster desired. Whereas with this magic, there was a strong coercive force that made one felt subdued and willing to obey the Covenant.


    I accept.


    And so, under the midnight sky, the discussion between the two started.

 Chapter 205: Those Who Almost Lost a Loved One (4)

    Chapter 205: Those Who Almost Lost a Loved One (4)


    Those Who Almost Lost a Loved One (4)


    1.


    Eloa Tiphereth, the Duchess Tiphereth.


    A hundred years ago, she had lost her apprentice witch to the Witch of Aquarius.


    At one point, she created the Witch Point.


    Siwoo had heard quite a bit about her from Sharon, but this was the first time he and the Duchess herself had a proper conversation.


    They interacted at the mall before, but it was too one-sided to be called a conversation.


    So, he took this chance to observe Eloa more closely.


    Her hair was in a shade of pink that he had never seen before, even in Gehenna, where witches with plethora of hair colors were wandering around.


    Hed occasionally spot people with the exact shade of pink hair in Sinchon or Hongdae, though


    But none of them looked as good with it as the Duchess.


    Her lips were small, and tightly shut, her eyebrows looked stiff, giving off a serious vibe, but it looked neatly groomed.


    Overall, she gave off a serious, mature impression, but he noticed that she was smaller in build than expected.


    Roughly, she was taller than the twins, but a little bit shorter than Amelia.


    She also looked younger than he expected, but that was because of her eye and hair color.


    He made such an evaluation that didnt match the situation at all, but his point was, Eloa was undeniably beautiful.


    Her beauty was out of this world.


    At that moment, her petal-like lips were opened. Siwoo eagerly waited for the question that would come out of her mouth, but more time passed in silence.


    Oh, wait, am I supposed to ask first?


    Yeah. My apologies, I didnt explain everything properly


    Since that was the case, Siwoo decided to not waste any more time and spoke up.


    Yeah, shes pretty and all, but


    I still have something to ask, even if it risked upsetting her


    There was a misunderstanding between us, and I understand that, but was it necessary to suddenly attack me like that? And it wasnt just me, you even brought harm to others too Sure, I get it, theres a chance that Im connected with the incident and all, but why did you attack the other witch? For what reason?


    The initial shock of meeting her wore off, and he finally had the time to think calmly. A surge of resentment toward her burst forward.


    Back then, he was using the ribbons, and his face was hidden by his helmet, so it was a given that shed mistook the situation.


    However, Sharon had to bear the consequences because of her mistake.


    Whether it was a misunderstanding or not, well find out now, but it was true that I suspected you as Ea Sadalmelik herselfor at least is associated with her. Meanwhile, I suspected the witch in question as a third party posing as an obstruction or collaborator. Thats why I restrained her.


    So, are you trying to say that youre planning to harm Sharon No, the green-haired witch earlier too?


    The Duchess, trying to seek her revenge in the modern world for her loved one to the point of almost losing her sanity.


    Siwoo could understand that much.


    Besides, he only experienced a brief moment of pain back then. Now, his body was fully healed, and he received no significant psychological shock either.


    But Sharon looked pretty traumatized by it.


    So, he had no intention of forgiving Eloa easily for what she had done.


    One question at a time.


    Feel free to ask me anything.


    In response to his decisive words, the Duchess only stayed silent. After a while, she finally spoke up.


    By this time, Siwoo had also cooled his head down and crossed his arms.


    He knew that letting his emotions take over wouldnt lead to anything good.


    What is your relationship with Ea Sadalmelik?


    I hate that bitch. She barged in, gouged my eyes and even left me in a coma with a head injury.


    His response was straightforward.


    He really hated Ea.


    Not only was she a murderer, she was also the one who gouged his left eye.


    The mere thought of her face was enough to bring back the excruciating pain he had endured.


    When he finished uttering his sharp response, one of the three gleaming letters suddenly faded away.


    Eloa watched the letter with trembling eyes.


    The exchange of questions and answers was meant to establish trust and prove that there were no lies between them.


    Now that she found out the truth, she felt perplexed, and disoriented.


    But, seeing no reaction from either of them, she quickly looked back and forth between the pair.


    Then, she discreetly put her wand away.


    H-Hey, whats going on? A-Am I misunderstanding something?


    UhyeahI guess?


    Eloa looked at Siwoo with determined eyes.


    The covenant letters floating around her were absorbed into the sword and disappeared.


    She had no more questions for him.


    Im sorry.


    Suddenly, she kneeled in front of the two, catching them off guard.


    They said that someones behavior and actions could be understood through the evaluations of those around them, rather than the person themselves.


    If Siwoos words were the only thing that she considered, there were still a lot of suspicious points that she could point out.


    However, when there wasnt just one, but four people fervently defended him, everything became clear.


    This man really has nothing to do with Ea


    Even if there is, he is just one of her victims


    Please forgive me for jumping to conclusions without knowing the full story. ButIm unsure on how to make amends for my unjust actionsto the person next to you


    She didnt only kneel, she also bowed her head all the way to the floor.


    Her hair spread out like a fan on the floor.


    Its shamefuland inexcusableplease tell me how I can make it up for you


    T-Theres no need to go to such lengths


    Y-Yeah! I-Im already over it by now!


    Both Siwoo and Sharon were in a panic, not knowing what to do.


    Siwoo didnt have any negative feelings towards Eloa in the first place.


    Yes, he got hurt, and yes he was angry at her because she hurted Sharon, but her actions had been far more humane than most of the witches he had ever met.


    And Sharon felt the same way as him.


    Anyone would grieve the loss of a loved one.


    However, not anyone could just spend their entire fortune and risk their life to capture all the Homunculi and the criminal Exiles so that no one would go through the same pain as them.


    Even when considering that there was a misunderstanding between them, the Duchess had already humbled herself by kneeling down and apologizing.


    So, there was no reason to resent her anymore.


    Please stand up, Maam The misunderstanding has been resolved, and I accept your apology Im already over it too by now


    Forgive me, but please, let me stay like this


    Siwoo bent down to lift her up, but she refused to budge.


    Shes strong.


    He gestured to Sharon with his eyes, and she hurriedly ran over and joined him.


    Duchess Tiphereth, please raise your head Im sure what happened today was very, very upsetting to you And I forgive you


    Sharon lifted her up, and she finally raised her head.


    Seeing her face, both of them were taken aback.


    Because in her serious, and strong eyes, her tears were welling up.


    They didnt expect her to be crying, as the voice that she let out was clear without even a hint of a sob.


    Its my faultits all because of my incompetence and foolishness No matter how much I apologize, theres no way I can make up for my actionsfor using the person that you love as a shield to satisfy my selfishness


    T-The person that I love?!


    Sharon repeated her words, clearly flustered.


    Then, after a brief hesitation, she kneeled in front of her.


    She reached out her arms and pulled the Duchess into a hug.


    The latters body trembled as she accepted Sharons embrace.


    Is it okay if I were to do this?


    As someone who knew of her sad past, Sharon wished to provide a small comfort for her.


    Its okay, please dont cry Everyone makes mistakes sometimes


    Im sorrysorryI did things that should have never been done


    No, no, its really okay


    Before Sharon knew it, her own tears started to well up too.


    The interrogation that had started abruptly came to an end with a scene that was similar to a reunion of separated families.

 Chapter 206: Before Regret (1)

    Chapter 206: Before Regret (1)


    Before Regret (1)


    1.


    Inside a certain cabin, in a certain oyster tree forest.


    Amelia checked the content of her large suitcase for one last time.


    It was her Masters keepsake, enchanted with a space and lighting magic. Inside, there were her clothes, magic supplies, a letter, and a note.


    Season had passed, and the heat of the summer had gone already.


    If she were to pass by the clearing, filled with lush oyster tree branches and wildflowers, she could smell the scent of autumn.


    Once upon a time, Amelia had summoned Yebin to Gehenna to heal Siwoo.


    However, she failed to heal him completely, only his body and part of his brain, and she failed to restore his personality to its original state.


    After that, it was Duchess Keter who stepped forward.


    She was the one who restored Siwoos personality and even went out of her way to give him a potion to ensure his complete recovery.


    In return, she asked Amelia to do one thing for her.


    But, ever since then, the Duchess never contacted her againuntil a while ago, when she was focused on her magic research after Siwoos departure from her life.


    Its time for you to uphold your promise.


    Duchess Keter, the same person who went to seclusion for 82 years, had come out to see her in person.


    Since the matter was important enough that she even came out of her tower, needless to say it must have been an arduous task.


    But Amelia wasnt afraid.


    Because to her, her life was already meaningless. Everyone who was important to her had already left her life.


    She nodded her head, reminiscing all those vague, sweet and painful memories.


    Reassuring herself that she had nothing to lose anyway.


    My clumsinessmy ignorancemy stupiditymy inability to cherish everything that was dear to me


    Its all meaninglessIve lost everything


    Still, why did she?


    Before Amelia closed her suitcase, her eyes wandered to a certain book inside.


    It was a book, as thick as a dictionary, covered by an ominous color of black; The book that was handed to her by Duchess Keter herself.


    When the Duchess handed the book over, she told her something.


    What is this book?


    The book contains everything that you need to do.


    The Duchess tone was relaxed and calm.


    Rather, everyone you need to kill.


    Despite the content of her words, the way she uttered it sounded like she was a waiter reading off a menu.


    The Duchess departed after a while.


    Amelia then carefully examined the content of the book.


    In it were various criminal records and the locations of various Homunculi that were hiding in the various parts of the world.


    The modern world, to be exact.


    What the Duchess was trying to tell her was to go out there and to purge the modern world instead of herself.


    If this was the past Amelia, she would definitely refuse to do this.


    But now, even after she finished packing up and getting ready, she didnt have any particular feelings for it.


    She looked around the cabin for one last time.


    Her gaze was a little different than usual this time, since she expected to never come back here again.


    To this small and precious cabin, where her happy memories with both her Master and Siwoo were buried.


    Suddenly, Siwoos shirt, hanging on the armrest of the chair, came to her sight.


    Originally, she planned to let it stay there.


    Because this cabin was like a treasure chest to her, the place where she could store all her precious things.


    But she decided to take it with her, so she opened her suitcase again and folded the shirt neatly.


    Then she brought it closer to her face, and took in its scent carefully.


    She could barely smell his scent there, but his unforgettable voice and face came to her mind.


    After that, she placed the shirt inside, closed her suitcase again before leaving the cabin for good.


    The wind chime, hanging on the eaves, wept as it was being blown by the wind.


    2.


    After Duchess Tiphereth calmed down, Sharon and Siwoo saw her off.


    She told them that shed be back later to compensate them before disappearing into the dark city.


    Its tough


    Sharon, who was watching the scene from behind Siwoo, said so quietly.


    Of course, it wasnt easy for her to forgive the Duchess, after all, she was the one who hurted Siwoo and almost killed him.


    In fact, her heart still palpitated when she remembered about the blade that was about to dig into his flesh.


    But, aside from that, she forgave her completely.


    Yeah


    A normal person lived through the day to think about tomorrow.


    This also applied to witches.


    But it wasnt the case for Duchess Tiphereth.


    Under the moonlight, Sharons green hair glowed mysteriously.


    It reminded him of forest fairies that came out in legends.


    Do you want to sit on the bed?


    S-Sure


    Sharon offered shyly, covering her chest with one arm.


    In truth though, she wasnt covering anything.


    Because the majesty of her chest was insurmountable. Two arms wouldnt be enough to cover it, let alone a single one.


    In the end, she could only cover up her nipples.


    And the sight only excited Siwoo even more.


    She squatted down, taking off Siwoos pants, along with her underwear.


    This wasnt the first time she had done this, and he was pretty much used to it by now. He raised his hips to make her job easier.


    His rod had been gathering up heat for a while, and when Sharon pulled his underwear down, it unilaterally hit her chin.


    She stared at the hot rod for a while with a red face before standing up again.


    Then, she nodded with a determined expression on her face.


    Huh?


    Siwoos eyes instantly widened.


    Because Sharon suddenly gripped the elastic part of her shorts and threw it away.


    Her skin that was exposed was as white and smooth as snow.


    Even after he scanned through it, he couldnt find any blemish or scars, just like a nude sculpture made by a master craftsman.


    Her smooth, silky hair fell down to her waist.


    Just above her tummy were a pair of plump, matured breasts, with a pair of beautiful nipples hanging on their tips.


    Her tummy itself was smooth, without the slightest excess fat.


    Decorating it was a tiny, lovely belly button.


    There was a heart-shaped mark on her pelvis.


    It was her brand, proudly showing itself to Siwoo.


    Because he was sitting on the bed, he could see her tightly closed lower lips from below.


    With the moonlight as a backdrop, Sharons skin glistened.


    The sight made Siwoo at a loss of words.


    Maybe if one were to take the most beautiful of curves in the world, and weave them into a single entity, this was what would come out of it.


    That was how shocking the sight in front of him was.


    T-Today was so scary


    She said as she rubbed her fleshy thighs.


    Her calves shook while her toes wiggled.


    It was clear that she was nervous about all this.


    However, this just showed him the depth of her determination.


    I-I wasso afraid that Id lose yout-that Id never see you again


    She approached him, slowly.


    Each step he took, a filter was taken off Siwoos mind.


    Making him stop thinking of her as a friend


    And making him treat her properly as a woman


    That was how much impact her naked body brought to Siwoo.


    She climbed onto Siwoos stiff thighs, and seated herself on them.


    Then, she proceeded to push his erect rod down with her lower lips.


    He noticed a stark difference between her cold thighs and her hot lower lips, as if they were on fire.


    I-I know thatIm not equal to you yet


    She said before she hugged him, treating him as if he was the most precious thing in the world.


    Her breasts, the manifestation of her motherhood, were being pressed against Siwoos hard chest.


    I knowthat I shouldnt do thisI knowthat Ill come to regret it laterbut, even so, I dont want to regret everything later!


    A-Ah


    Her twinkling eyes met Siwoos trembling eyes.


    Even in this darkness, he could clearly see the lust and desire in her eyes.


    At that moment, her tongue slipped inside his half-opened mouth, like a burrowed snake.


    Reflexively, he accepted her tongue, entwining it with his own.


    Her sweet, lively tongue skillfully explored his mouth.


    The tip of his rod rubbed against her entrance, sticking close, as if refusing to let go.


    Slowly, the temperature of the room began to rise.


    Eventually, she broke the kiss and said


    B-Butcan we forget the fact that we arent equals for the moment? Can you embrace meeven if its just as friends?


    Her voice sounded pitiful.


    C-Can you turn me into a woman, Siwoo?

 Chapter 207: Before Regret (2)

    Chapter 207: Before Regret (2)


    Before Regret (2)


    1.


    The room was filled with an unusual warmth, almost as if it came seeping from the moonlight.


    Inside, two figures entwined their tongues.


    Neither of them took the lead, or tried to be more aggressive than each other.


    They pulled each other close, snuggling their bodies together, trying to find out how close they could clasp their lips together, nibbling each other in the process.


    Sluurrppmmmhng


    Sharon held onto Siwoo, embracing him, as if hanging onto him with her naked body.


    She wasnt sure where she should put her hands, so she tentatively explored his waist before pulling him closer by pushing his neck.


    Almost instinctively, she laid her hand on his chest, gently, as her other hand grasped his wrist.


    Every sensation that she felt was new to her.


    Her heart pounded, as if she had just gone through a marathon.


    Finally understanding the words, heart on the verge of bursting expression that she had only read about in books.


    Mmh!


    Siwoos hand gently squeezed Sharons slender waist.


    His fingertips softly glided over her smooth sides, savoring the elasticity of those parts.


    Her body twisted in response.


    Normally, shed only feel ticklish, but at this moment, it wasnt the case.


    Especially not when they were in the middle of such a passionate kiss.


    Instead of feeling ticklish, she felt that the places his touch grazed heated up.


    The scorching, yet pleasant sensation eventually enveloped her bare body.


    His warm, thick palm caressed her hips gently before moving toward her plump buttocks.


    Then it traveled around, back to her hips, to her ample thighs, then moved up to encircle the lower part of her breasts.


    Feeling the unobstructed touches, Sharon came to a realization.


    AhIm showing him every part of my body


    Even the places that shed only ever touch during baths or during her alone time were being explored by him.


    The feeling gave her immense joy, along with a hint of embarrassment.


    Mm!?


    Suddenly, she felt something that caught her completely off guard.


    A sticky liquid started gushing out from her hidden parts.


    It overflowed, squeezing through the tight petals between her crotch before dripping onto his rod.


    This was none other than the love juice that always gave her a headache after she gave Siwoo a blowjob.


    Is it because Im feeling something down there?


    Below, Siwoos exposed rod pressed firmly against her lower body. There wasnt even a single thin fabric that separated it from her skin.


    She vividly pictured its swollen head, pulsating veins and stiff shaft.


    The grandeur and masculine beauty of his manhood was etched clearly in her mind.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))


    Phew


    Finally, they concluded their long, passionate kiss.


    It felt as if they had done every possible kissing technique for over ten minutes.


    S-Siwoo


    Sharon called out, a mix of embarrassment, awkwardness and fear was there within her voice.


    After they broke off their kiss, Siwoo pulled Sharons waist closer with one hand.


    Then, with his free hand, he firmly grasped her bouncy breasts, moving his lips to the tip of her firm peaks.


    Haang!


    With its beautiful curve, Sharons waist tightened and arched backward like the hull of a ship.


    He playfully nibbled and sucked on her sensitive nipples, teasing them with the tip of his tongue.


    With each touch, her waist shivered, as if a pleasant shock coursed through her.


    Her heart raced, and her body quivered in response to the newfound sensation.


    Haaahn


    She felt her strength begin to leave her body, as she nearly toppled backward. But she managed to cling to Siwoos head.


    Her soft breasts gently brushed against his face as her nipples grew firmer in his mouth.


    It felt like her breasts were being sipped on.


    A surge of arousal tingled in her lower stomach.


    The atmosphere and the proximity between her and Siwoo werent the only thing that stirred this arousal.


    It also came from the physical pleasure and bodily response that rose up from the stimulation of her erogenous zones.


    S-Siwoo Haang!


    She clung to his head tightly, trying to cover her mouth.


    Because she didnt want her feeble moans to escape her lips completely.


    She trembled as a sense of fear coursed through her body.


    At first, she expected this would go just like what she had seen in romance movies, but it wasnt the case at all.


    In those movies, the pair of lovers would come together with a gentle and playful background music.


    Theyd exchange glances, as sweet as honey, while softly caressing each others bodies.


    However, what she was experiencing was far cry from those scenes.


    First, it was rougher than she had anticipated.


    Her face heated up as shame surged through every inch of her body. There was also fear that Siwoo might look at her with disdain mixed in.


    H-Hurry upput it in


    When she gave a sneaky glance and mumbled those words, something clicked within Siwoo.


    He then took his fully erect manhood and gently inserted it between her pink slit.


    -Squelch!


    Hot.


    He had felt the heat when they hugged and kissed earlier, but this part of hers felt especially hot even after considering that.


    Ngh!


    Though he had just lightly inserted the tip of his rod, Sharons breath already turned rough.


    She quickly clasped her hands in front of her chest, as if she was praying.


    Not only that, she even nibbled on one of her fingers, making her look even more adorable than she already was.


    Can you lift your hips a little?


    Like this?


    I should probably put a pillow under your hips instead.


    W-Would that work?


    Due to her nervousness, the angle wasnt quite right.


    From his time with Yebin, Siwoo knew that adding a pillow under her hips would make things more comfortable for both of them.


    So, he quickly did just that.


    As her waist made a gentle arch, her pussy became even more visible.


    Y-You can see everything like this!


    Well, itll feel less painful this way for upi.


    R-Really? Y-You arent lying to me, right?


    Unable to bear the embarrassment, Sharon finally pulled up her blanket.


    Then, she nestled half of her face into it, like a kid, clinging to her favorite blanket.


    Meanwhile, thinking everything was ready, Siwoo slowly moved his hips forward.


    His glans slowly entered her tight opening.


    Only a fourth of his glans entered the hole, but he could already tell


    That Sharon didnt need any more foreplay.


    -Drip!


    His rod slid smoothly through her quivering flesh, and her wet juices immediately flowed out of the tight hole.


    Slowly, and steadily, Siwoo guided himself into her.


    Ahhitshot!


    Ugh


    Finally, all his glans entered her inner folds.


    At that moment, Siwoo couldnt help but express his awe.


    He didnt know if it was because this was their first time, or it was because doing it with her just felt naturally satisfying.


    His rod was experiencing the kind of pressure that was so different compared to the ones that he received from the twins anus.


    It was more gentle, and more moist


    As if her inner walls were welcoming him, they gently caressed his glans, providing an intense pleasure for him.


    Meanwhile, Sharon was experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime experience.


    This was the first and last time that shed be losing her virginity.


    More time passed, and Siwoo felt more satisfaction toward the act, to the point that he could feel an urge to just ejaculate right there and then.


    Her vagina tightened its grip around his penis in a sticky, lascivious hold.


    The bumpy ridges of her inner wall was unlike the clinginess of Yebins. If Yebins felt like they were gripping his rod, refusing to let go, Sharons felt like they were massaging it, sliding along with it.


    He pushed his rod a bit more, through a thin membrane that obstructed his progress.


    Kyah!


    At that moment, a short yelp escaped Sharons lips.


    I-It hurts!


    She tightly shut her eyes, biting her lips hard.


    What he just broke through was her hymen.


    It didnt take long for Siwoo to recognize that.


    This was the proof that he had taken her virginity.


    The evidence of his intrusion to her most private parts, forcefully parting the narrow crevice and tearing through the fragile membrane.


    Are you okay? If it hurts that much, do you want me to stop?


    If anything, her response only gave him the urge to thrust his rod all the way in.


    The urge to tear through her fragile hymen apart.


    But, he suppressed that impulse and instead asked her that question.


    She shook her head.


    N-No! D-Dont stop!


    She forcefully wrapped her legs around his back.


    As if trying to tell him not to pull away directly with her body.


    Urging him to continue.


    She wrapped her white legs around his waist, resembling two snakes in the middle of a mating ritual.


    Then, with all her strength, she pulled his waist toward her.

 Chapter 208: Before Regret (3)

    Chapter 208: Before Regret (3)


    Before Regret (3)


    1.


    Seeing Sharons reaction, seemingly in more pain than expected, Siwoo was a little hesitant to push his rod deeper into her.


    It was the pair of legs that locked on his waist tightly that got rid of his hesitation.


    Since his glans were already inside, he only needed to push in a little more for half of his rod to enter her tight wall.


    Even so, that was still more than Sharon could handle.


    In the first place, she had no experience with penetration. Even when she masturbated, she never went that far. She expected that she could take his large rod with ease, but the truth couldnt be any more different.


    An intense pain struck her body, making all her limbs frozen stiff.


    Haah!


    A cat-like yelp came out of her mouth as she rolled her eyes upwards.


    Ugh!


    Meanwhile, Siwoo, who managed to penetrate midway through, felt a stiff resistance.


    It was his first time opening such a tight inner wall.


    The pressure was so intense that it actually hurt his cock.


    Sharons inner wall was soft, but there were stiff protrusions here and there.


    It felt like he was inserting his rod into a custom-made onahole instead of a vagina.


    Having experiencing this much pleasure, he wondered what would it feel like if he were to start fucking her for real now.


    Nghhhaah


    Meanwhile, Sharon was biting her lips tightly, her body twitched as she felt the sensation of his rod penetrating her insides.


    It was clear that such a reaction didnt come from pleasure, but pain.


    Her mouth was half-open and she was unable to move a single muscle. Noticing this, Siwoo pulled his waist slightly, trying to help her ease some of her pain.


    But as he tried to do that, Sharon immediately tightened her grip around his waist again.


    S-S-Siwoow-waita-a moment


    Does it hurt? Ill be more gentle, okay? Thats why you shouldnt pull me in suddenly like that


    I-It doesnt hurtb-but, let me stay like thisfor a secondhaahhaah


    Her body trembled as she took in a few deep breaths.


    Shed definitely get angry if he were to say this out loud, but she looked really cute and adorable like this.


    Due to the sweat appearing on her forehead, her bangs became disheveled. The bridge of her nose wrinkled due to the pain she felt, and her cheeks kept on moving, following the rhythm of her heavy breathing.


    Such a sight would arouse any men who laid their eyes on her.


    But Siwoo held that urge, patiently waiting for her to calm down while holding out his current awkward position.


    I-I thinkw-we can continue now


    She glanced at Siwoo with an exhausted expression.


    Her voluptuous chest that had been moving frantically, had calmed down a little now.


    I can move now?


    Y-Yes! Ahhng!


    Then, Siwoos monstrous cock continued its way to penetrate her tight walls.


    Sharons body shook in response as she hurriedly grabbed his arm.


    I-Im fines-so, j-just continue


    She didnt even leave any chance for him to consider going easy on her.


    Seeing her in such pain did leave Siwoo worried.


    But his worries crumpled away little by little over time.


    -Riipp!


    As Siwoo slowly put his dick in, 0.5 cm every ten seconds, finally the pleasure of an intercourse spread through Sharons brain.


    Her toes could be seen, wiggling from side to side.


    She moved her arms to cover her chest at one point, maybe trying to hide it from Siwoos sight, but it was for vain as her trembling body kept making her chest slip out of her arms anyway.


    Aahhnnaaaah!


    Siwoo wasnt pushing his rod in without caring for her well-being, though. Whenever he found her struggling with the pain, hed pull his waist back a little before pushing it slowly again.Visit  for the best novel reading experience


    -Squelch!


    And he ended up repeating that process a few times.


    Sharons wet inner walls also moved as he moved, gently following the movement of his rod, as if trying to massage it.


    Everytime that happened, it felt as if his rod was being attacked from all sides.


    Maybe this was how a witch pussy worked?


    Or was it just Sharons pussy that was special?


    Her inner walls kept on attacking his rod, as if trying to squeeze him dry as they yearned for the male seeds that were stored in his balls.


    Nghhaah! I-Is it all in? Ahn!


    Sharons wet eyes peeked at Siwoos side.


    Even after the initial pain had passed, her fear still remained.


    Of course, she wasnt oblivious to the movement that her inner walls made as they clung to Siwoos cock, refusing to let go.


    She could also clearly feel the hard sensation of his rod that was embedded deep within her stomach.


    Those two sensations combined, giving her shivers that ran down her spine.


    A new kind of pleasure spread from her lower abdomen throughout her whole body.


    No, Ill put them all in now.


    I-It isnt all in?! Ahh!


    After he felt that he eased up her inner wall enough, Siwoo began to push forward again.


    In fact, he had just inserted a little bit more than half of his full length.


    -Squelch, squelch!


    With that, an obscene sound, as if it was a water bottle with barely any water in it being shaken, echoed inside the room.


    Sharon twisted her body, letting out sweet moans that shed definitely wouldnt let out normally out of embarrassment.


    Whether it was because Siwoo stopped holding back anymore, or because of their position, each movement they made was large.


    Siwoo would pull his waist to the point that his glans popped up from inside her before slamming it inside almost immediately. Meanwhile Sharon was indulging herself in the act, relishing in the pleasure that she felt as Siwoo explored every inch of her pussy with his large cock.


    Y-Yes! T-There! K-Keep going! Haang!


    There were times when shed shake her head, trying to resist the unfamiliar pleasure.


    But her efforts were in vain as his large rod would penetrate the deepest part of her body again, making her mind go blank. She even suspected that his erect rod was filled with a paralyzing poison.


    She couldnt think clearly anymore. Her eyes could only see whites, as if she was struck by lightning.


    -Plap, plap, plap!


    Hngg! Ahhhaaang! S-Slow down!


    Of course she didnt actually want him to slow down.


    If she really wanted to, shed demand it in a more firm tone, not beg for it foolishly like this.


    What she really wanted was for him to pound her harder.


    To thrust in deeper.


    She wanted to become one with him.


    But, at the same time, she was afraid.


    She grew afraid of getting used to this strange pleasure she felt for the first time.


    -Squelch, squelch, squelch!


    Ahh! Y-Yoursi-iss-so thick!


    Her face was deep red from the heat and pleasure she received.


    Sticky saliva flowed out of the corner of her mouth that was open to the point that Siwoo could see her small tongue.


    Vulgar moans came out of her mouth every time he thrusted his cock in.


    He had to admit that observing her reactions felt better than watching porn on his phone.


    Shh, quietI forgot to turn on the music box.


    W-What?! Ahh! W-Why did you just say that now?! Mmh! Mm!


    Her long eyelashes trembled in shock.


    Frustrated moans and hot breath leaked through the hand that she used to block her mouth.


    I hate you.


    The voice that she let out, her current appearance


    Someone other than Siwoo might see it


    But, for some reason, he didnt seem too concerned about this.


    On the contrary, he increased his speed.


    -Plap, plap, plap!


    Mmh! Hmff! Hmmaahh! Aaang!


    No matter how hard she tried to keep her mouth closed, it was no use.


    She even tried to bite her lips, to stop her voice from leaking, but


    It was no use.


    Because the pleasure she felt was so amazing that it was impossible for her to not make any noise.


    From the beginning, it was a useless endeavor.


    Ahah! S-Somethingi-is coming!


    All those buildups gradually filled her cup of pleasure, and finally, it was about to break out.


    She could feel it. Just another drop of pleasure, and everything would overflow out of the cup.


    Hng!


    Siwoo shoved his cock into the deepest part of her stomach.


    That was enough to serve as the final trigger for both of them.


    Ugh!


    Without realizing it, Sharon had stopped breathing.


    For a second, the room was enveloped in silence, the calm before the storm. Almost immediately, everything burst out. The silence was replaced by the peak of their climaxes.


    Aaaang! S-Siwoo! Siwoo!! A-Ahhh!


    Goosebumps appeared all over her skin.


    Sharon could feel the inside of her stomach squirming violently.


    Her hips and back were lifted in an arch.


    The tip of her toes went stiff, as if they were experiencing a cramp. At the same time, her cervix felt like it was being shot by a water gun.


    Siwoos cock kept pouring semen into her pussy, showing no mercy at all.


    W-Wait! S-Stop! A-Ahhhh!


    She desperately tried to cover her mouth with her hands, but all her efforts became useless when Siwoo moved his waist again.


    As his cock moved back and forth repeatedly, squirting the white liquid, a hot sensation spread through her womb.


    That was when she realized that he was releasing his seeds inside her body, stimulating a different kind of pleasure that shed normally never experience..


    Aaaangg!


    Siwoo reached out his hand, grabbing her delectable breasts.


    He gripped it hard and pulled it, almost yanking it. It was to the point that Sharon could feel the pain clearly amidst the pleasure she felt.


    As he did that, he kept on pouring his semen inside, every last drop of it.


    -Spurt, spurt, spurt!


    Phew


    Haaahhh


    After his cock squeezed everything out, Sharons inner wall stopped wriggling after a while.


    To Siwoo, the feeling that the ejaculation brought was out of this world. His balls felt like they were completely empty now.


    It even made him wonder if he ever had cummed this much.


    HaahImdying


    Their bodies, now covered in sweat, were stacked on top of each other.

 Chapter 209: Before Regret (4)

    Chapter 209: Before Regret (4)


    Before Regret (4)


    1.


    When she ejaculated, Sharon could hear a loud throb from her chest that she clasped without realizing it.


    Both her body and Siwoos, coated with sweat, touched against each other.


    Their dripping sweat made their skins feel smooth, but strangely enough, they didnt feel disgusted by it.


    Haahhaah


    Siwoos cock was still buried deeply inside Sharon, and he could clearly feel the clenching of her inner walls, an usual post-orgasm phenomenon.


    Just when he thought that something was missing


    It happened


    Haa! Ahhahh! S-Siwoo! W-What is this?!


    Sharon, who was still hugging Siwoo due to her body going limp, asked urgently.


    This was because she could feel mana coming from Siwoos cock permeating through her defenseless womb.


    Because of his excitement over seeing Sharons fascinating body, Siwoo completely forgot to tell her this.


    She was about to push him away, but he managed to calm her down in time.


    Ah, its fine, just stay still. This is a normal thing.


    In normal cases, something like this wasnt exactly a good thing.


    Witches spiritual bodies were sensitive to mana, especially their womb, because that was where their brand was placed.


    Most of the time, if ones womb was injected by pure mana like this, it wouldnt result in anything good.


    O-Okay! Haah!


    Even considering that, as soon as she heard Siwoos words, Sharon stopped resisting.


    She completely trusted that he wouldnt hurt her.


    Meanwhile, his mana that seeped inside her womb voraciously absorbed all the mana that were stored there.


    The process brought out a great amount of pleasure that her body couldnt help but tremble.


    A-Ahh! Ahhh! S-Siwoo! T-This!


    Her body began to writhe.


    She dug her sharp nails onto Siwoos back, while her heels, shaking wildly, hit Siwoos sides.


    Of course, she wasnt trying to push him away or anything.


    The pleasure she felt was just too overwhelming to the point that she became unable to control her body.


    Ahh Mmh!


    After all that, she bit onto his shoulder.


    Through her half-dazed state, she still realized that if she didnt bite onto something, shed let out a scream so loud that all their neighbors would know that she and Siwoo were having a sex.


    -Woooong!


    Meanwhile, Siwoos dick had completely absorbed her mana.


    Then, it amplified her mana a few times before returning it to her, shooting it directly into her womb again.


    Mmph!


    Feeling the strange sensation, she put even more strength into her bite, to the point that Siwoos shoulder started to bleed.


    Mana kept on pouring inside her.


    Pure, unadulterated mana passed through her womb, endlessly, accompanied by an indescribable pleasure.


    At that moment, her brand began to glow.


    Originally, she should have inherited twenty strokes worth of brand.


    But, because of the incomplete inheritance process, she could only use seventeen of them.


    The three strokes, extending to the far right like tea leaves, were inaccessible.


    She couldnt use anything that was contained in those strokes, nor could she inject her mana to activate it.


    But, one of those three leaves that refused to budge no matter how hard she tried, suddenly resonated with the overflowing mana.


    She felt the sensation clearly, her mouth gaped open, but she was unable to let out a single sound.


    -Wooong!


    An enormous wave of mana filled her womb, and at that moment, Ain was formed before her eyes.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))


    The stimulus she received was so intense that she didnt even need to concentrate to form it.


    A huge structure was floating in the middle of the black space that spread out endlessly.


    Its shape was like that of a scale with four plates.


    Like a diamond, four plates were placed in all four cardinal directions, letting out glows with each glow having different colors.


    This scale was the great legacy of the Evergreen that had lasted for generations.


    Then, something seemed to come to her mind as her body froze, and she directed her gaze at him.


    S-Siwoos-sorry to ask this of you, butc-can we do it one more time?


    Huh?


    Im not trying to take advantage of you or anything! Just now, I was too surprised to do anything, but I have a feeling that if we were to do it again, I can restore part of my brand! Also, Ill try to find out what exactly is the cause of this while were at it


    What? Does that mean?


    She wants us to do it again?


    I know itll be hard on you since youve ejaculated already, but, you still


    With a seductive gesture, she grabbed Siwoos dick that still hadnt completely settled down yet.


    Normally, she was a considerate person, but it seemed like what had just transpired made her unable to think clearly.


    However, Siwoo understood her situation, and he was more than willing to help her in this regard.


    Sure, one could say it was for restoring her brand, but at the end of the day, it was still sex.


    Besides, he was craving for more anyway.


    I-Itll be hard to put in if its like this, right?


    Because of the conversation they had prior to this


    His dick was in the state of half a boner.


    So, Sharon gently stroked it, trying to get it up again while blushing heavily.


    You should lay down.


    Why?


    Since Im the one who asks for itIll take the responsibility of making your dick bigger with my mouth


    Good idea.


    And so, he made himself comfortable and laid down. As for Sharon, she brought her face closer to his crotch, like a cat about to pounce on something.


    She swept her hair and placed it behind her ear so that it wouldnt fall down in the middle. Then, she opened her alluring red lips and took his cock in.


    Ohh


    Slurpmm!


    Even when some time passed after his previous ejaculation, his cock was still sensitive.


    Her mouth gave him enough pleasure normally, but in his current state, the way she twirled her tongue on his glans sent him over the heaven.


    It had been a while since the last time she gave him a blowjob. There was a glint in her eyes as she saw his cock growing bigger in real time after all the care she had given it.


    And the sight looked so alluring.


    To the point that he started leaking pre-cum because of it.


    Puha! I see that you like that a lot~ Look, it grows so big~


    Not caring how her saliva dropped onto her hand, Sharon grabbed his cock and traced the pre-cum that gathered like morning dew with her tongue.


    The tip of her tongue poked the entrance of his urethra, giving him a tingling sensation.


    This was one of the services that she provided him, so she knew full well how much he liked it.


    Haahthis feels so lewdthis isnt the first time weve done this, but somehow, this feels more lewd than usual


    At first, she had only done this purely for the sake of restoring her brand.


    But she quickly realized that this would escalate into something more. What was supposed to be a foreplay in the name of magic research had turned into an opening to another amazing round of sex.


    Her crotch became all tingly, and she couldnt even think about restoring her brand anymore. At the moment, her head was only filled with Siwoos cock.


    She remembered the feeling of ecstasy that she experienced during the act with him prior to this.


    I-Ill put it in nowc-can you stay like this?


    She got on top of him.


    Then, she leaned her upper body forward, making her chest dangle down, giving the stimulation needed for Siwoos cock to grow even harder.


    In that position, she spread the opening to her vagina open while adjusting the position of his glans so that it could easily enter the opening she provided.


    It made him wonder if there was something even more delightful to see than this scene.


    She knelt on one knee, while the other one was in a squatted position.


    Then, she gently rubbed his glans against the entrance of her vagina, before slipping it in.


    -Squelch!


    The semen and love juice that remained inside her hole made a rather loud sound as his cock made his way inside.


    Sharon bit her lip, and slowly lowered her waist.


    This time, his cock made its way inside more smoothly than before.


    Haang!


    And so, the pair became connected once again.


    Only after Siwoos dick settled nicely inside her that Sharon started to move her hips.

 Chapter 210: Before Regret (5)

    Chapter 210: Before Regret (5)


    Before Regret (5)


    1.


    Sharon squatted, assuming a frog-like position on Siwoo.


    Her usually neat-looking bangs looked disheveled, and it was stuck to her forehead due to sweat, making her look even more alluring than usual.


    Since she was a witch, she wouldnt be able to become pregnant, but if she wasnt, Siwoo would be more than ready to impregnate her.


    Even when she was squatting, he could still see her perfect, child-bearing hips, descending slowly. Their allure didnt lose out even to her healthy-looking thighs.


    Ahhaa


    The deeper she pushed his dick in, the hotter her inner wall became.


    With one arm supporting her whole body, leaning on Siwoos stomach, she finally took in all the length of Siwoos cock.


    Passing the moat made of the smooth walls that clung to his dick tightly, his glans greeted the plump entrance of her uterus that welcomed him heartily.


    Haahlooking at it like thisits unbelievableeverything really went in


    I can see its shape on your stomach.


    Youre rightunbelievable


    Despite her seeing it clearly with her own eyes, she still went out of her way to press on her stomach. That was how dumbfounded she was.


    Maybe because her stomach was smooth and without any flabs, when she took in all of his cock, the lower part of her abdomen swelled, taking in the shape of his cock.


    She pressed her stomach lightly, and Siwoo could feel her touch clearly.


    J-Just like this! Ahh!


    After she corrected her stance, Sharon began to move her waist in earnest.


    But, after only ten seconds, her whole body turned stiff.


    The leg that she used to support her weight fell down as she stumbled forward.


    Whats wrong?


    W-When I moveI-I feeldizzy


    At first, she thought that shed be able to make him feel good as long as she moved her hips heartily, but it wasnt as simple as she thought.


    The sensation she felt was completely different compared to when she just laid down and let Siwoo do all the work.


    His rock hard cock, tightly clinging to her vagina, leaving no gap even for air to come in, was roughly rubbing against her inner wall.


    When she felt the tip of his glans kissing the entrance of her womb, the ecstasy that she felt made her legs give in.


    Hngahh


    Her moans, which only started as cute, soft nasal sounds, started to become louder.


    She threw her head back, curtain-like green hair hanging behind her. Sweet moans slipped out of her mouth as she closed her eyes, reveling in ecstasy.


    -Squelch, squelch!


    Vulgar sounds came out of her inner walls that were clinging tightly to Siwoos rock hard cock.


    Her beautiful breasts that were always a delight to see, bounced with every movement she made, providing him with a perfect visual stimulation.


    I-It feelsso good! I-Im losing my mind! S-Siwoo!


    The pleasure she felt tingled and spread through her body like electricity.


    It made her shiver in delight, as if she was struck with a cool breeze even though the air around her was as hot as it could be.


    At this point, she already stopped restraining herself.


    Then again, why would she, when she could feel that her climax was coming in soon?


    I-I think Imalready! W-Wait! I-Its getting bigger-! Ahhh! Aahh!


    After an orgasm and the previous mana injection, Sharons pussy was notably more sensitive than normal.


    Her already arched back became even more so, as if it was melted by the heat that was produced by the action.


    She rocked her hips back and forth violently.


    -Spurt, spurt, spurt!


    Y-Yes! Ahhaaang!


    Because of the rough movements, Siwoos cock stirred her insides even more violently than before.


    Sharon twisted her waist, holding her breath while biting her lip down to the point that it turned white.


    At this point, the thoughts about wanting to restore her brand had disappeared from her mind.


    She just wanted to experience the climax now.


    Just like a whore who was selling her body, her hips moved, dancing while having Siwoos dick embedded deep inside, desperately trying to reach for the pleasure of climax.


    From where he was at, Siwoo could clearly see her chest bouncing up and down.


    Hng!


    Siwoo lowered his hands that were hovering on her waist to grab her buttocks.


    They were even bigger than her breasts.


    While it felt skin and smooth to the touch, just like how her breasts were, they were firmer and more supple.


    Only this part of her body could produce such a sensation.


    Alright, Ill move now.


    Ahh! Ngh! W-Wait, slow down, slow down! It feels so good, so let me immerse myself in it firstcan you?


    When he spread out her buttocks, naturally the depth of the penetration became deeper.


    His cock explored an even deeper part of her womb.


    Sharon clung to his neck even tighter as she whispered her moans softly in his ear.


    -Plap, plap, plap


    Euhahhhn


    Maybe because the movements that they made werent as rough as before, the sound of their skin hitting each other was louder than the wet sound they previously produced.


    Sharon wasnt lying when she said that it felt good.


    With every thrust Siwoo made, her inner wall tightened up even more than before, making it feel even better compared to their first round.


    D-Dont spread it too wide! I-Its embarrassing! Ahh!


    It isnt like I can see it from here


    Y-Yes, but still! Ahhhaaah!


    As he held her buttocks and rocked them up and down, the range of their motion became larger.


    Having her pussy penetrated to such an extent, Sharon could only helplessly moan while placing her chin on Siwoos shoulder.


    Her grip on both his neck and back became much stronger, though.


    -Plap, plap, plap!


    Because she had just came, she thought that she would last a little longer than before.


    But, she could already feel a familiar sensation in her stomach.


    She hadnt even been moving much, but the familiar sensation was going strongly inside, as if forcing her to cum right there and then.


    Her body began to tremble.


    T-There! I! Im going to!


    As her trembling became greater, her legs grip on Siwoos waist became tighter.


    And she felt it again, the feeling when she was about to cum, the same one that she had experienced twice prior to this.


    -Woooong!


    At the same time, she could feel her mana was being sucked again.


    Siwoo hadnt even started ejaculating yet, but the absorption had already begun.


    Kyah! A-Again! I-It got sucked again!


    At the same time as when her magic began to be sucked, overflowing her womb, Sharon finally reached her climax again.


    Ah! Ahh! Ahhhaaang!


    After that, the previously absorbed mana was being returned to her womb, coming alongside Siwoos semen.


    This time, the mana reached out to the three strokes of her brand that she was unable to access.


    Aaaahhhh!


    Screaming so loudly, Sharon embraced Siwoo tightly.


    Her pussy contracted and relaxed repeatedly like a broken machine, gushing out not only Siwoos semen, but also some of the overflowing mana.


    Haaaaeungg!


    The pleasure she felt easily surpassed any ordinary orgasm she had ever experienced.


    It was to the point that she almost fainted from that. Her body even went limp.


    Phew


    As for Siwoo, he also felt the lingering pleasure of ejaculation, as he grabbed Sharons buttocks tightly.


    That was the best


    Fuck, the way her pussy sucks on my semen and mana was crazy


    He couldnt even begin to describe how good it felt when her inner walls started squeezing his dick tightly just now.


    After that, they embraced each other for a while, enjoying the afterglow of the act.

 Chapter 211: Protection (1)

    Chapter 211: Protection (1)


    Protection (1)


    1.


    Siwoo and Sharon mixed their bodies until sunrise.


    At dawn, the dark night disappeared as sunlight seeped through the gaps of the curtain, announcing the start of the morning.


    In total, they did five rounds.


    As they went on, the gap between each of their ejaculations became longer than the previous ones.


    After the long makeout sessions, it was unthinkable that his rod could still stand tall and proud, even though he hadnt taken any aphrodisiac prior to this.


    The reason for that wasSharons after-service.


    Sluuurrpmm


    Siwoo sprawled out of the bed, exhausted.


    Meanwhile, Sharon was sitting down in front of his crotch, thoroughly cleaning his cock from the semen and love juices that were stuck in it with her mouth.


    At this point, she had stopped caring about how the salty, fishy liquid spread inside her mouth anymore. She just put in all her concentration to thoroughly tracing his cock, from the top of its glans down to the base of the rod with her tongue.


    There was a hint of exhaustion in her eyes as she did that, but at the same time, they looked so full of life.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo looked as if all his energy had been sucked off him.


    Mmhsluurrppp


    After she was done cleaning off the cock, she held it with her hand before going down to his balls to lick them the same through cleaning.


    With this kind of after-service, even if he was exhausted, Siwoo couldnt help but feel aroused again.


    It got bigger again


    In truth, this wasnt the only time this happened.


    This also happened after their third and fourth round.


    After Siwoo ejaculated and the thought I cant go on anymore! came up in his mind, Sharon crawled down his crotch and rejuvenated his cock.


    She even said something like, Ill get it to stand up again with my mouth~ with a seductive voice.


    Indeed, she was just like a walking aphrodisiac.


    Lets stop it for now. The twins are going to wake up soon.


    What? NoI want more


    Before we started the last round, you said that it would be the last one.


    In truth, Sharon was also as exhausted as him.


    She had just popped her cherry today, and throughout all that, she ejaculated ten times in total. If she was any normal woman, it wouldnt be strange if she fainted midway.


    But, the prospect of mingling her body with Siwoos encouraged her to go on.


    The pleasure that made her twist her body, and made her lose her mind every time she climaxed, left her yearning for more.


    There was also the sense of accomplishment she felt as she managed to slowly restore her unresponsive brand that made her forget of her own fatigue.


    And more than anything, she didnt want to let him go.


    But, look at itits gotten bigger again! Dont you think its a shame


    No means no.


    Ughfine, lets wrap it up then


    She gave a final kiss to his glans and stood up.


    Both their bodies were covered in sweat, a testament to how rigorous their making out session had gone.


    Siwoos back was filled with nail marks that Sharon left whenever she was having an orgasm, while Sharons crotch was covered in semen that had turned watery due to how many times Siwoo ejaculated inside.


    And of course, the bed was in a worse state than them.


    The bed sheet had turned into a mess, wetted by the mix of sweat, semen and love juices.


    They didnt even realize that the blanket had fallen down to the floor at one point, and one of the pillows had gone missing.


    Ugh, it looks so swollen


    Sharon said as she stroked her lower lips that had become swollen from all the actions.


    Seeing this, Siwoo


    Let me take a look.


    Sad that in jest


    What are you on about?! You already saw it all night long!


    Sharon retorted in embarrassment.


    The mood was different now.


    Earlier, she didnt even look a little bit shameful as she lusted over his body like a bitch in heat


    Now that the lustful atmosphere had gone, every single little thing made her squirm in embarrassment.Visit  for the best novel reading experience


    But Siwoo wouldnt be a man if he gave up after only this much.


    -Ding dong!


    At that moment, the bell suddenly rang.


    It was Deneb, looking so haggard because she had to deal with the aftermath of the previous incident overnight.


    Her once shiny white hair had lost its shine, making it look dull.


    Even her usual graceful demeanor disappeared as she gave off a sloppy atmosphere.


    Perhaps smelling the scent of coffee wafting through the house, she immediately asked for a cup of coffee.


    Haahis there any coffee left?


    Yes, should I make it for you?


    Please do.


    When she entered, she checked on the twins, who were still sleeping soundly. Only after that did she plop her body on the couch.


    Her white hair scattered like fallen snow.


    Are you okay? You look exhausted


    Siwoo, who brought the coffee to her, asked worriedly.


    Yeah, a little I just spent too much mana, nothing big. Had to hypnosis thousands of people, and had to heal them afterwards too. Honestly, I want to get back to my hotel room and sleep immediately, but I want to check up on the twinsalso I have something to tell you


    She looked extremely exhausted, but she still had the strength to receive the coffee from Siwoos hands and gave him her thanks.


    As for Sharonfacing her debtor, she could only stand stiffly behind Siwoo, trying to elude Denebs sights.


    Phewthat feels so much better.


    Ill get you another cup if you want some more.


    No, this is enough, I need to go quickly anyway.


    The coffee brought some life back in her purple eyes.


    When I treated the survivors, they talked about you.


    Sorry?


    Well, to be exact, theyre talking about someone who went around, beating up the monsters while looking for survivors in that building. That was you, wasnt it?


    Ahh


    Hundreds of people survived thanks to you, and you did an excellent job prioritizing destroying the Dagons Flute over anything else. You should feel more at ease after knowing this now.


    Hearing her words, he started to feel emotional.


    I thoughtI was unable to save them


    I thoughtit was a futile struggle


    Butthey survivedIsaved them


    But theres a problem with this. I wasnt the only one who heard of this matter. At least within the Witch Point, your presence is already known. A male witch clads in black armor


    This time, his face stiffened.


    There were some witches who already knew of his existence, sure.


    Countess Gemini, Sharon, the twins, Yebin, Amelia, Sophia, Della and Duchess Tiphereth, all of them knew about him.


    Huh, now that I think about it, quite a few people know about me already


    But


    Now more people know, and I have to be even more careful


    Just like what Deneb had said, the fact that he became more well-known could cause some trouble.


    Now he had to be on the lookout because the witches and the Exiles might recognize him if he were to take a stroll around the town.


    Calm down. It is indeed a problem, but you have nothing to worry about.


    How so? No matter how much I think about it, I can only think of the bad things that would come out of this


    Duchess Tiphereth, the Witch Points Branch Manager, Sua Agatha, and myself, the representative of the Gemini Household vouched for you. From now on, youll be recognized as a citizen of Gehenna.


    Sorry?


    The Duchess especially stressed the point that anyone who would bring harm to you will be recognized as a public enemy. If anything, your situation has significantly improved from before.


    What? The Duchess did what?


    Our Gemini Household is unable to protect you completely, but now that the Duchess has vouched for you, the situation changes. Because no sane witches would be willing to offend the Duchess just to satisfy their meager curiosity.


    Like she said, things would be better for him than it used to be.


    Because he didnt need to hide his identity anymore.


    But, he was still feeling doubtful.


    Would the Duchess name be enough to restrain their desire to satisfy their curiosities about the worlds first male witch?


    Such anxiety lingered in his heart.


    I know my words wont be enough to quell your worries, thats why I brought her here. Why dont you have a chat with the person herself directly?


    -Ding dong!


    As soon as Deneb finished speaking, the sound of the doorbell echoed through the room.

 Chapter 212: Protection (2)

    Chapter 212: Protection (2)


    Protection (2)


    1.


    The spectacle felt refreshing for Siwoo.


    Once upon a time, he lived his life as the lowest of the lowest in Gehenna.


    In fact, not even a long time had passed since then. He could still remember clearly the moment when he had to shovel the Trinity Academys drainage under the falling rain.


    Back then, he couldnt even dream of sipping a cup of coffee together with a noble witch like this. There was always fear in his heart that they would bring him to the gallows the moment he made eye contact with them.


    Of course, even now, he still wasnt in a position where he could consider the noble witches as his equal, but still


    Please forgive me.Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only


    As soon as they brought Tiphereth to her seat, she immediately uttered a lengthy apology.


    She bowed her head, not only to Siwoo, but to Sharon as well.


    Please dont do this, Duchess. Its because of you that we feel much safer to live in this world


    But still


    Tiphereth, the talk wont continue at this rate, so can we just leave it at that? Those two seem to forgive you already, so there shouldnt be any more problems. Besides, the reason why you asked me to bring you here is because you want to give Siwoo compensation, right?


    Yes


    She nodded thoughtfully at Denebs words, seemingly accepting her words well.


    Then, she turned her gaze to Siwoo, there was a serious look in her eyes.


    Seeing her gaze made him feel embarrassed.


    Because there was a strange emotion in her face that he failed to understand.


    It wasnt suspicion.


    But rather, longing, melancholy and regret.


    Such a mix of complicated emotions were there, inside her eyes.


    I cant offer you any wealth to compensate you for, as I am a person without any.


    Originally, as a Venerable Duke, Eloa had a vast amount of wealth.


    But that was a story from a long time ago, a hundred years ago to be exact.


    She had spent all her fortune to pay for bounties that various Witch Points provided. Even all the funds that she gained from those were reinvested for the sake of hunting Homunculi and Criminal Exiles.


    You dont need to compensate for anything, really. In that situation, it was normal for anyone to make that kind of misunderstanding. Besides, youve already given me a sincere apology yesterday.


    Yes, I share his sentiment! Any witch could empathize with you, Duchess!


    Both Siwoo and Sharon knew of her situation, that was why they decided it would be better to not receive anything from her.


    Sharon, in particular, was thankful to her, as if it wasnt for her, she wouldnt be able to gather her courage to become close to Siwoo.


    Though one could say that their judgments were too result-oriented, they genuinely thought that it was the right course of action.


    But, I still cant just leave you without doing anything for you. Though you are under mine, Gemini Households and Branch Manager Suas protection, it still doesnt grant you absolute safety.


    She was right.


    They were in Korea, a country that was known for its public safety, but murders still occurred here and there.


    Though most of the murderers were arrested and punished.


    In this case, even though Siwoo had received protection under three big witches names, there was still a chance that some sick-in-the-head witches would ignore that and mess with him intentionally.


    They only needed to have the As long as I dont get caught, it would be okay, or Fuck it, Im going! mindset, that would be enough to render their protection worthless.


    Because it wasnt like they could watch over him 24/7.


    Um


    Also, I dont know if Deneb had told you about this already, but the magic youre using is called Myriad Weapons Mastery Covenant.


    It was my apprentice, Ravis magic. The magic is a covenant that allows you to perform the most optimal and best move using whatever weapon you have at hand.


    Hearing those words made Siwoo suddenly feel guilty.


    While Eloa already told him that it was okay, and he didnt know why he could use the magic in the first place, he still felt like he was holding on the belongings of her dead apprentice.


    And this thing he was holding couldnt be returned to the original owner.


    You dont need to make that face. Weve settled this already, whats done is done.


    I still feel guilty about it


    Really, its fine.


    Tiphereth took another sip of her coffee before continuing.


    Anyway, what Im trying to say is that, youll need to master that covenant. If you do, other witches wouldnt be able to take you down so easily.


    Are you


    Yes, Ill help you with that.


    Siwoo was surprised to hear her words, and Sharon was no different.


    Both of them covered their mouths in surprise, unable to believe the words the Duchess had just spoken.


    It was already well known that Tiphereths capabilities in magical combat were unparalleled.


    In fact, throughout history, she founded several martial art schools, and she had also made a name as a martial arts master.


    To be able to receive martial arts training from such a person was a priceless opportunity. No amount of money could buy such a thing.


    Please. Id really appreciate it if you do.


    At first, Siwoo was planning to reject whatever it was that she proposed.


    Sorry?


    Your official Gehenna ID will be issued soon, so youll be able to come and go freely to Gehenna, just like other witches.


    Itll be dangerous to bring the twins out here every time theyre throwing a tantrum, so it would be better for you to visit us instead. If you do, well give you the best treatment as our most valuable guest. Ill also express my thanks properly for this incident by then.


    Huh? Mr. Assistant is coming to our mansion?


    Really?


    The twins, who looked so sullen just a few seconds ago, immediately burst with energy.


    They were clearly pretending not to hear anything just a moment ago, but now they dropped all the pretense.


    If you really come to our mansion, Mr. Assistant, Ill make you some steamed turkeys!


    Me too! Ill make you some snacks!


    Your snacks are just some white bread with nuts and honey!


    Shut up! You dont even make anything! What making steamed turkeys, huh? Youll just get Lena to do most of the work, anyway, Sis!


    Odile, Odette, cant you two not fight for just one day?


    Seeing their antics, Deneb and Siwoo could only let out a wry smile.


    Those were the smiles of people who knew of each others pain.


    You must have a hard time dealing with them all the time.


    Theyre cute so that helps a little.


    After they were done packing up, the twins bid Siwoo and Sharon farewell.


    We havent been here for long, but being with you was so fun, Unnie!


    Lets play and talk more next time!


    Yes! Its been a while since Ive played with two cuties like you! It does feel like Im having two little sisters~!


    Sharon patted their heads in turn.


    After they bid her farewell, they did the same thing to Siwoo.


    They opened their arms and embraced him tightly.


    He sent Deneb a troubled look, but the Countess didnt seem to mind it.


    It was as if she was telling him that he deserved this now.


    Or maybe it was because of the atmosphere.


    Nevertheless, the only thing that was certain was the fact that there was no way the Countess would allow them to go any further than this.


    Mr. Assistant, tell me when will you visit our mansion? Actually, why dont you just visit us on Thanksgiving?


    Thats way too late! You should visit us next month!


    Dont worry, Ill stop by as soon as I receive my ID.


    While he was hugging them, something suddenly came to his mind.


    Countess, before you leave, can I ask you something?


    Yes, ask away.


    How doesBaroness Marigold do these days?


    Hearing his question, Deneb looked at him with a confused look on her face.


    As if asking him, Why are you asking me that? You should know about her better than me.


    The last time I saw her, she was still acting the same way as usual. Still cooping herself up inside that small cabin.


    I see


    Seriously, what happened to her?


    Hearing about Amelia, an uncertain feeling rose in his heart and he closed his mouth shut.


    Why am I feeling like this anyway?


    Little did he know that the emotion he was currently experiencing was something called restlessness.


    You dont need to answer me as Im just asking to satisfy my curiosity, butwhat exactly did you write in that letter that you gave her? Sorry if you found this question insensitive.


    No, you dont need to worry about that. You were the one who went out of your way to pass the letter to her, after all.


    The conversation between them ceased at that moment, as the atmosphere turned rather awkward. It didnt last long though, as Deneb broke it with a faint smile.


    Unlike Siwoo who wore a complicated expression, the glint in Denebs eyes made it seem like she understood everything.


    Youre a popular man arent you, Siwoo?


    Sorry?


    If I had met you earlier, Im certain Id take you for myself.


    What are you even


    Im on the twins side, so I dont think its the correct thing to tell you this, but


    She leaned closer to him and whispered in his ears.


    You see, sometimes a woman doesnt need help, she just needs a tight embrace. Especially those who are committed to a relationship between a man and a woman.


    Sorry?


    Obviously, SIwoo didnt understand what she was talking about.


    Rather than understand, it was more like that he couldnt even process her words in the first place.


    Ending the conversation just like that, Deneb grabbed the twins hands while narrowing her eyes.


    Its time, you brats. Come on, lets go home.

 Chapter 213: Protection (3)

    Chapter 213: Protection (3)


    1.


    After Deneb and the twins left, the already spacious house felt like it became twice as big.


    It feels like something is missing


    When I think about it, Ive been living here by myself for the longest time


    Cant relate with that since Ive never lived in such a good place before, but I reckon that it was boring for you.


    Siwoo and Sharon were eating their dinner while chatting.


    But this time, instead of eating in the dining room as usual, they were doing it in the living room.


    The reason for this was because they wanted to watch the news about the recent incidents.


    It was currently a hot topic on the internet too, as if they were to put on something inside the search bar, the first twenty recommended searches would be something related to the incident.


    The scale of it made Siwoo wonder if the witches could really cover up the incident well.


    And to his surprise, they did cover it up.


    Well, cover wasnt exactly the correct word here, as what they did was clearly a manipulation of information.


    They changed the cause of the death of the people; from being killed by strange monsters to explosions caused by gas leaks.


    All the survivors gave out the same answers when they were being interviewed, as if they had rehearsed it beforehand. They even showed CCTV footage of people suddenly dying from explosions when they were in the middle of shopping.


    They put the blame on poor management and constructions for letting this happen, declaring the construction company guilty for not abiding safety regulations.


    After he saw that they gave the companys CEO, president and representative arrest warrants, Siwoo turned off the TV.


    Siwoo


    When she saw Siwoo keeping his mouth shut, Sharon gently took his hand.


    Youve done your best. Didnt the Countess say that there are a lot of people who survived thanks to you?


    Yes, but it still left a bitter taste in my mouth I guess I shouldnt have tried watching it while eating, huh?


    Thanks to the atmosphere turning sour, their dinner came to an end earlier than usual.


    Sharon tidied up the dishes and brought them to the kitchen. Then, she called out to him.


    Right, why dont we take a stroll together? Staying inside wouldnt improve your mood anyway, would it?


    Take a stroll? Where?


    Incheon Port.


    Sure. They have great clams there.


    Siwoo agreed to her suggestion, Besides, he needed a change of atmosphere anyway.


    Maybe it was because the twins went back already, but the house was less lively than before.


    And he figured that there was no need for him to share his depression with Sharon.


    Well, getting some grilled clams sounds nice, but do you know that Gehenna has a contact point for smugglers in there?


    Huh? That kind of thing exists?


    Yeah! They arent always available, but every three months, there is a period of time where everyone would come and go to the port for around fifteen days, right? Theyll be available by then. There are a lot of things to see there! Though, I dont normally go there often, only when its necessary.


    What kind of things can we see there?


    Sharon continued her explanation. According to her, there were places like this all over the world, and Incheon Port wasnt a unique case.


    She said that usually the smugglers would carry some goods from Gehenna, but that wasnt always the case. They would occasionally bring some goods from the Modern World back to Gehenna too.


    So, you know the magic crops that they grew in the Latifundium, right? Exiles cant really go to Gehenna to buy those directly, but they dont really need to, as the smugglers will bring those crops here instead! The same goes for other stuff like magical tools and such.


    That sounds more like a regular market to me.


    Well, it does function like one!Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only


    Those Criminal Exiles youre talking about, if they havent been caught already, that means theyre the most dangerous ones among the most dangerous ones.


    They are either grand witches or close to being one.


    In the first place, aside from Duchess Tiphereth, barely any witches would willingly trying to get into fights. Strong witches with a lot of money wouldnt even try to hunt the Homunculi, let alone those Criminal Exiles.


    To put it in the game terms, the witches who barely scraped by with hunting small mobs, wouldnt just go out of their way to solo raid bosses.


    Sure, the prize would be great, but the risk would be too high.


    Also, those Criminal Exiles have their own way of making money, like running a drug cartel somewhere in South America or cultivating drugs in general.


    I mean, they did say that chemistry is rooted from alchemy, so thats pretty much still within their area of specialty. Of course, there are some of them who obtain profit from legitimate business as well.


    But, if they mess around too much, wouldnt Duchess Keter come for them?


    Hearing his question, Sharon just shrugged her shoulders.


    Duchess Keter, huh? How do I put this? Shedoesnt care much about it? Lets say that after we go back home, Ill try and form a human trafficking organization, then I make it grow so big and it becomes the biggest one in the world. Even in this situation, unless I announce to the world that I am a witch, or openly use magic in the process, she would just leave me alone.


    But why?


    I dont know. You see, the only moments when the Duchess would make a move is when a witch openly made a big fuss in the world using magic and almost revealing the existence of witches.


    Or if they made such a big fuss like, for example, if that one witch running the cartel in Mexico bought a nuclear plant and launched it in the middle of Mexico City. The Criminal Exiles also know about this, so they wouldnt deliberately look for trouble either. Theyll keep it within a reasonable level.


    After that, Siwoo was able to hear about secrets of the world that werent told in textbooks.


    To summarize, the reason why the Criminal Exiles werent being dealt with was as follows.


    First, the witches whod take bounties and stuff didnt want to deal with them because they werent strong enough.


    Second, the witches who were strong enough didnt need the bounty, so they simply didnt want to bother.


    Third, they hadnt caused enough trouble for Duchess Keter to interfere.


    In any case, since they had been walking while talking for a while, they reached the part of the district where there were no buildings around.


    On the road, there were trucks carrying massive containers instead of passenger cars.


    When they entered the pier through a gate, they could see a bunch of containers piled up on the ground, more than theyve ever seen in their lives.


    Bizarre looking machines could be seen, lifting the containers up and down while dozens of large warehouses were lined up side by side throughout the grounds.


    The most impressive looking machines out of all of them were the tens-meters-long cranes that were used to pile and unload the massive container towers.


    This way.


    Sharon pulled Siwoo, who was curiously looking around, by his sleeves and headed toward the largest warehouse in the port.


    In truth, Siwoo was worried that some people in work clothes would stop them before they could look around, but that didnt seem to be the case.


    Then again, that meant the music box was still working properly.


    No one even spared a glance at the two of them.


    As they slowly made their ways inside, treading through the gap between the containers, Siwoo soon realized that he couldnt find any more people in his surroundings.


    Even the boisterous noises of the heavy machineries couldnt be heard anymore.


    Suddenly, a big warehouse, towering over the others, appeared in front of him.


    It might sound a little funny, but Siwoo thought that this must be what it felt to be kidnapped by a witch, just like in those storybooks he used to read as a kid.


    I was wondering why you were so nonchalant about all this, so thats how it is, huh?


    Well, while this is the place where all the people gather, and they wouldnt mind sharing the space, that doesnt mean theyd build this building out in the open where everyone could see it.


    As far as I know, they used ley lines, water veins and the arrangement of the containers as medium to spread their mana and conceal the place.


    To get here, you need to turn at the right corner at the right place, so people wont stumble upon the place by accident.


    Thats interesting.


    Right?


    The reason why they didnt find anyone guarding the warehouse was probably because of the concealment.


    After that, the pair opened up the door and entered the smugglers contact point.

 Chapter 214: Protection (4)

    Chapter 214: Protection (4)


    Protection (4)


    1.


    The sun had already set at that point.


    When they opened the door to the contact point


    Siwoo was astonished.


    Perhaps because when they came in, it felt like they did it in a rather secretive way? Or perhaps because this place was hidden from the rest of the port?


    Before they opened the door and entered, he thought that the place would have a black market-like atmosphere, just like the Blue Snake Junction.


    Contrary to his expectation, the place felt like a normal night market oned see in Busan or Ulsan.


    The interior was much more spacious than he expected.


    Woahhow big is this place?


    Should be around 2,000 pyeong1around 6,661 square meter.


    Considering that a football field was 2,200 pyeong2around 7,272 square meter, it was safe to say that the place was twice as big as what Siwoo had expected.


    Maybe because the place wasnt always available all year, most of them only set up temporary stalls. Said stalls were lined up in rows of five.


    Some of the shops used a whole container as a stall, perhaps trying to imitate real shops.


    The ceiling, which was ten meters high, didnt resemble your usual warehouses ceiling with hoists installed here and there. Instead, there were mercury lamps up there, reminding Siwoo of an arcade more than anything.


    Obviously, this place had a more modern feeling to it compared to the one he visited in Border Town.


    The place is more spacious than I thought. Also, there was barely anyone entering from outside, but there are a lot of people inside, huh?


    Well, like I said, the entrance wont open all the time, so the moment it opens, nearby witchesor, I guess there are some who came from faraway places as wellanyway, theyd immediately come here to do their business.


    After hearing Sharons words Siwoo looked around the place and noticed the witches who were wandering around.


    Most of them wore modern clothes, but it wasnt a hard thing to distinguish them from normal people.


    Then again, when they had a face of supermodels and perfect body proportions, who else could they be if they werent witches?


    There was a living example of it right beside him even.


    Even so, he could only see around ten of them here.


    Disregarding the areas that he couldnt see at a glance, there should be at least fifty people in this place.


    Alright, Im going to look for everything that I need to buy, so dont wander around the place, okay? Keep close to me!


    I wont do that, Im not a kid.


    But, what if a random witch gives you candy and drags you away?


    I told you, Im not a kid.


    Sharon let out a giggle as she teased Siwoo.


    After that, they began to visit all the stalls in their way, carefully looking for the things that Sharon needed to buy.


    There were a bunch of strange items to Siwoo.


    The variety of the items alone made the small magic tool shop he once visited in Tarot Town pale in comparison.


    Actually, it wouldnt be surprising if the items here had better qualities than in that small shop.


    The stall that Sharon currently visited was a jewelry stall.


    Seeing the pair approaching his stall, the merchant, who had only been sitting quietly without trying to draw in any customers at all, greeted them in a relaxed voice.


    Welcome to my shop, pretty witch, kind sir!


    The merchant was an old man with white hair, there was a monocle hanging on one of his eyes. From his demeanor, it was obvious that he was used to dealing with witches.


    And from the materials of the stall and the display stand, it was clear that he wasnt selling half-assed products.


    Pretty jewelries that would dazzle anyones eyes were being displayed on his stall.


    So, what is it that youre looking for?


    Im looking for some gems. The ones that are suited for elemental magic.


    For offerings? Then, you came to the right place! Our Ruby Atelier definitely wouldnt disappoint you! We sell all kinds of precious metals and gems from all over the world!


    Compared to the merchants that Siwoo met in Gehenna, he looked different.


    He felt experiencedsomehow.


    Even though he was dealing with a witch, he looked confident and he had a relaxed demeanor.


    When he saw him standing next to Sharon, he also didnt seem to be surprised. Instead, he also greeted him without showing any particular emotions.


    To cast her elemental magic, Sharon needed some kind of offerings depending on which element she intended to use.


    Of course, the better the offerings, the stronger the magic shed cast. And among different kinds of offerings, gems such as these were of the highest qualities.


    It followed the timeless classic tropes in fantasy where shiny, where eye-catching stones would hold some kind of connection to the mystical powers.


    As to how theyd receive their money, well, the merchant would bring the receipt to the bank and withdraw the money appropriately, following what was stated in the receipt.


    For the final step, Sharon signed the receipt with her name. She let out a sigh, thinking how the box in her hand was too light for something that was 113 million worth.


    Im okay, Im finethis isnt a waste of money, I promise


    I-If you say so, sure


    Ill have to prepare to pay for this much! Its a necessary expense in the name of magic!


    Even though she didnt need to, Sharon went on and tried to rationalize her life choices, before going to a tobacco shop next.


    Of course she could always go to a convenience store if she wanted to buy some cigarettes, so obviously she wasnt here for that.


    What she wanted to buy was a magic pipe for her rituals.


    Since her old pipe was broken by Della, she wanted to get a new one here.


    Welcome!


    Unlike the jewelry merchant, the tobacco merchant was rather rough looking. He greeted Sharon while rubbing his own hands.


    Tobacco was a popular commodity among the witches of Gehenna, so tobacco pipe was pretty much a luxury item.


    But, for offering specifically, one couldnt just use any ordinary ones as it would decrease its value.


    This was an issue that she had felt over the years, the fact that her self-essence magic was truly a money-eating machine.


    Part of the reason why her research stagnated for a good while was because she didnt have enough money.


    This ones popular among witches, I tell you! Its made of the tusk of a narwhal, its even embedded with amber to add to its elegance! This is one of the only ten of its kind in this world! Made by the famous pipe crafter from Gehenna, Rond!


    The pipe was around 30 cm long, and the chamber was quite small. It looked like a pistol more than anything.


    For reference, its price was 15 million won.


    While it was a luxury item, this kind of price was still stupidly expensive.


    Do you want me to buy it for you?


    Seeing Sharons whole body start to tremble, Siwoo couldnt take it anymore and made that offer to her.


    He asked cautiously, so that he wouldnt hurt her pride by accident.


    Still, she shook her head and rejected him.


    No, you gave me enough, I dont want to burden you even more than this.


    Why dont we do this? Ill buy one for myself and while Im at it, Ill buy one for you too


    No, if you want to buy one, then Ill buy it for you.


    Jeez, stop being so stubborn


    The merchant, who had been smiling amicably up until this point, suddenly stiffened up.


    Well it wasnt a strange reaction, considering that this was the first time he had ever seen a man treating a witch this way.


    It made the pair seem like they were a couple instead of a witch and her boy toy.


    Im not being stubborn, I can pay for everything! Anyway, do you have some tobacco leaves? The ones youd use for offerings?


    Sharon decisively refused Siwoos offer again before asking the merchant that question.


    His fluster only lasted for a moment as he soon began to regain his composure again.


    Ah, yes, of course we do! Here they are! We also have scented tobacco leaves here! The popular ones are the coffee-scented one and the cherry


    No, just the normal ones will suffice.


    Alright!


    The scented ones were unnecessary for Sharon since shed only be using the leaves for offerings anyway.


    Besides, she didnt really enjoy smoking in the first place.


    The merchant then pulled out a wrapped piece of paper, unwrapped it and showed her the tobacco leaves she asked for.


    You can give it a touch! These leaves came from the Latifundium, grown with the highest quality of magic water! They can maintain their moisture well and they are the perfect one to use if you want to replenish your mana!


    For around 50 g of those leaves, she had to wring out more one million won.


    After that, they went all around the place to look for more things that Sharon needed, and she ended up spending more than 400 million won in less than three hours.


    Its okayall of these are necessary


    Yeah, you arent being wasteful, its a necessary expense.


    Right? You think so too, right?!


    Seeing how she muttered to herself while holding her card, as if it was her own child, Siwoo patted her back.


    While he did that though, he had to suppress his own laughter due to how cute, yet pitiful her current appearance was.


    1


    around 6,661 square meter


    2


    around 7,272 square mete

 Chapter 215: Selfish Desires (1)

    Chapter 215: Selfish Desires (1)


    Selfish Desires (1)


    1.


    When it came to night markets, there was one thing one just couldnt leave out.


    Food.


    Surprisingly, some of the smugglers did open up some food stalls in one of the corners of the contact point.


    They were more like street cafes rather than fancy restaurants though.


    The chairs and the tables were made of wood, and it was clear how aged they looked. Instead of being served in fancy silver and porcelain plates, the food was served on plastic ones instead.


    In Siwoos mind, witches were the kind of people whod want everything to look fancy, so he just couldnt imagine how theyd ever eat in these stalls.


    But contrary to his expectations, there were eight of them sitting there, eating.


    Are those really profitable? Honestly, I cant see it.


    He whispered to Sharon.


    Well, yeah, because they arent really selling the food here.


    What do you mean?


    After hearing Sharons words and looking through the menu, he found out that there wasnt any fancy food listed there.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))


    Green bean fritters with chickpeas, seasoned with cloves and garlic, stir-fried with olive oil.


    Chicken broth boiled with spices, leeks, and various mushrooms.


    Salmon pie that was shaped into a fish-shape, with salmon filet, ginger and sage in it.


    Simmered cod seasoned with white wine and seed mustard


    All those dishes looked so ordinary that the food they served in hotels would look more appealing than them.


    Ah, I see.


    But it didnt take long for him to notice something.


    The ingredients they used were different from this worlds, probably to match with Gehennas style.


    They were stuck in the Middle Ages, the era when they used to put heavy emphasis on the ingredients natural taste more than anything. This was also why they used cloves and vinegar a lot in some of these dishes.


    In other words, those werent the dishes youd normally see in the modern world.


    You can say that theyre selling the nostalgia value? As you already know, some of the Exiles used to live in Gehenna at one point, like me, so they could relive those memories with these dishes. And, for those who had always been an Exile since day one, theyd definitely be tempted to try the food from the land they had only been hearing about or something like that.


    So its just like if you were to open a kimchi restaurant in the Middle East or something.


    Yeah, thats a good comparison.


    Right, there were times when I missed chicken and coke so badly back in Gehenna.


    Maybe it was the case too with some of those Exiles. Gehenna isnt a place they could return to, after all


    After that, the pair sat down and ordered their food.


    Ive been feeling it for a while, buttheyre staring at me


    Theyve only been glancing at me when we were walking, but as soon as I sat down, they immediately stared at me openly like this.


    Well, I guess its only natural, huh?


    After he obtained a spirit body, Siwoos face became even more handsome than before.


    There were even times when hed admire his face for a moment in front of a mirror.


    Not to mention that he wore a rather eye-catching accessory on his face; an eyepatch.


    But, the biggest reason of them all was the fact that they already knew who he was.


    The witchs society was small, so any kind of rumors would spread quickly among them.


    No matter where they lived, whether it was in remote places or next to witch point itself, they would have heard of the rumors.


    Because for the first time in history, a male witch had appeared.


    Not only that, the head of the Gemini, Agatha and Tiphereth household, all put him in their protection.


    The news spread to them all in a single night.


    And now that they saw a man loitering around with a witch in the contact point, there was only one person whod come to their mind.


    Dont mind them, they wont do anything to you.


    Siwoo didnt exactly mind about them knowing his identity.


    But, he did feel burdened because of the gazes. Then again, who wouldnt when a group of beauties openly stared at them?


    Not long after, their food arrived. Siwoo ordered some green bean fritters, something that he hadnt eaten in a while. As he was about to put some of them in his mouth, a witch suddenly sat next to him.


    Her movements were so natural, almost making him think that they had met before.


    Excuse me.


    Her hair and eyes were of the same color; dark blue, just like an ultramarine.


    Clinging tightly to her body was a dress that showcased her curves perfectly.


    The area under her eyes was painted with a colorful tear-like pattern.


    Mind-blowingly pretty were the first words that came to his mind when he saw her.


    Arent you the male witch everyone has been talking about? Can I know your name? Mine is Cybele Periwinkle.


    The witch immediately introduced herself. Her actions were so bold that it was obvious what she was up to.


    Im going to continue my research. You go get some rest.


    Sharon, its not what you think


    Unfortunately, Sharon refused to listen to Siwoos excuse and slammed the door to her room on his face.


    And so, she went back to the bed where he spent a hot and passionate night with her.


    But, knowing that fact only made her feel uncomfortable, so she curled his body up on the bed.


    Haah


    She was angry for some reason.


    And terribly upset.


    A little bit of sadness and depression also mixed in.


    Strictly speaking, it wasnt like they were in an official relationship or anything.


    And she genuinely thought that she had no right to selfishly monopolize him or restrain him from doing anything.


    Because it wasnt like she had done something for him all this while.


    Well, she might have done a few things, but those were still nothing compared to what he had done for her.


    That was why it was simply shameless of her to try and pretend as if she was his girlfriend.


    However, even though she could accept those ideas in her mind, deep in her heart, she wished to keep Siwoo to herself.


    That was the reason why she was angry when she saw that witch started to seduce him and he seemed to be falling for that seduction as well.


    If he just brushed it off calmly, I wouldnt act like this!


    But, his face looked so red back then! And not to mentiondown there


    Even though you just did it with me yesterday


    She muttered bitterly.


    This wasnt the Joseon Era, where having sex meant that you loved each other.


    Besides, the reason why they did that yesterday in the first place was because she pushed herself onto him one-sidedly.


    And even so, she was the one who benefitted from it the most as she was able to call out to the previously unresponsive parts of her brand.


    She really wasnt in the position to demand him to take responsibility for having a sex with her.


    Until now, she had been hiding behind the word friend and used it to stick to him as close as she could.


    There was no reason for her to be this anxious, and she couldnt imagine him suddenly leaving her side.


    But, as time passed, things also started to change.


    Now, she wasnt the only one who knew that he was the first male witch in the world.


    Three great witches even vouched for his identity and placed him under their protection.


    He was the only male witch in this world, he was so handsome that it was unreal, and his backing was incredibly strong.


    And most importantly, unlike other males, he wouldnt die of old age.


    Just like that, he became the most sought after male among the witches, as he was the first male who could accompany them for their entire lifetime.


    In the first place, the reason why witches didnt form deep relationships with males was because they were afraid that their beloved would age and die, but they wouldnt experience such a loss with him as their partner.


    Today, Periwinkle was the only one who dared to approach him, but it was obvious that more of them would come to him in the future.


    And so, came the question; Could she protect him from those witches?


    The only advantage she had over them was the fact that she got to know him earlier than them.


    She herself was only a decently powerful witch of the 17th rank. She was also in a huge debt and an Exile.


    Compared to the witch that seduced him just now, Periwinkle, she was nothing. Not only was Periwinkle a grand witch, someone who had reached the 20th rank, she was also a rich witch who owned several five-star hotels all over the modern world.


    And most importantly, she wasnt an Exile. She was a legitimate citizen of Gehenna who was only coming out here to have fun.


    Then, she started to imagine something.


    Siwoo!


    In her thoughts, she was running.


    Her destination was a space station.


    There was a rocket inside, where Siwoo and Periwinkle were sitting in, waiting, as the rocket was about to take off.


    Siwoo! A-Ah!


    But, she tripped herself and the documents in her hand, where the details of her debt was written, fell onto the ground.


    Siwoo! Dont leave me!


    Haha! It was nice living with you, Sharon! Really, Ive enjoyed everything we did, but now I am the husband of the Noble Periwinkle! She taught me magic better than you did! Also, were going to the International Space Station for our honeymoon! Just for the trip alone she already spent 60 billion won, but thats still way better than someone who could only sell her body to me, isnt it?


    Sorry, Evergreen, but you should already know that this man deserves someone better than a bug who cant even pay her own debt. I hope that youll know your place from now on and stop coming near him again. Ohohoho!


    Ahahaha!


    Ohohoho!


    Her imagination ended like that, filled with Siwoos and Periwinkles high-pitched laughters.


    Suddenly, a sense of possessiveness came to her heart.


    She began to feel anxious toward the possibility that Siwoo might be taken away by someone.


    But at the same time, she reprimanded herself, telling herself that it was wrong to feel this way when all this while, she had never given anything to him.


    And that feeling pricked her heart, to the point that her eyes started to tear up.

 Chapter 216: Selfish Desires (2)

    Chapter 216: Selfish Desires (2)


    Selfish Desires (2)


    1.


    Seriously, what the fuck were you thinking?


    After Sharon locked herself in her room.


    Siwoo decided it was time for a serious talk.


    Okay, I admit that I neglected you for twenty eight years, that was my bad, but havent I been looking out for you recently? Why are you acting like this?


    He was questioning his aroused member that lost its cool after encountering a seductive witch.


    The relatively pleasant atmosphere was completely ruined because of this jerk.


    At least dont pull that kind of stunt on me you asshole. Alright, you decide now, how many spanks do you want?


    Still not answering?


    He tried harder to bait out a response, but his interest quickly faded.


    A sense of self-hatred washed over him.


    Ugh, my little buddy didnt do anything wrong.


    Because deep down, he knew that he was the one solely to blame.


    Why did it have to end up like this?


    Siwoo had always prided himself on being a romantic.


    Though he had never experienced a proper relationship before, if he had the chance to, he believed that he could wholeheartedly commit himself for that special someone without fooling around with another person.


    But earlier, when Periwinkle touched his thighs


    No, even before that, when he caught a whiff of her scent.


    It felt like all his brakes were off, and his body instantly reacted.


    But, there was an even more surprising revelation.


    The fact that he felt that he might accept Periwinkles offer if Sharon wasnt around.


    Still, he was aware that though his relationship with Sharon was still rather ambiguous


    He didnt have the freedom to fool around with just anyone.


    Because it would be disrespectful to Sharon.


    Am I losing it?


    He let out a sigh before tearing up the business card he was holding.


    Since he couldnt just do this in front of Periwinkle, he accepted it without making much noise back then.


    What do I do now?


    He pondered as his urge to apologize to her grew stronger.


    There were still two things he wasnt certain about, though.


    Was the reason he thought that he needed to apologize was because he thought of her as his girlfriend?


    Also, was the reason why she was upset because she saw herself as his girlfriend?


    This confusing relationship between the two of them left those unanswered questions in his head.


    Ugh, so annoying!


    As he tried to reflect on himself, going over every detail of what went wrong, he discovered yet another mistake that he made.


    The fact that he had never mentioned his secret relationship with the twins to Sharon.


    In hindsight, he probably thought that he could finesse his ways through both situations.


    Without a second thought, he just naturally assumed that being close with both Sharon and the twins at the same time was a normal thing.


    What the fuck is wrong with me?


    After returning to the modern world, he flipped through his math books and recalled the frustrating experience of him unable to solve a single problem.


    He had been completely using Eas ribbon and Ravis self-essence magic without a clue on how to use them properly.


    And he somehow remembered back when he was acting like a casanova, chasing after witches like a dog in heat.Visit  for the best novel reading experience


    Something feels offwas I really cured properly?


    There were more than a few changes that he noticed.


    So he was completely certain that something happened during the process of his bodys recovery.


    But, he could only guess.


    As there wasnt even a single thing he could find out.


    Ugh!


    A sudden headache momentarily overwhelmed him.


    All the troubling incidents that had been preoccupying his thoughts vanished and forgotten.


    Because she thought that her selfish desires had won against her selfless desire to see Siwoo make better choices for himself.


    C-Compared to herIm nothing Hell, Im nothing compared to you. At this rate, Id only hold you back I cant even offer you any help


    At this point, she even hated her own self hatred.


    Because deep inside, she was hoping that Siwoo would deny her words.


    Im not particularly pretty among the witchesand you wont be able to do everything you want because of me


    Sharon.


    The moment he called out to her, Sharon held her breath.


    When she looked up, she saw him making a bitter smile as he looked at her.


    W-What? Why are you smiling? Im being serious here!


    Suddenly, he grabbed her wrist.


    And he closed the distance between the two of them.


    She was about to get angry at him, but this was enough to quell it.


    With a mixture of unease and anticipation, she looked up at him.


    Seeing her like this, Siwoo recalled Takashos teaching, his once close friend and mentor.


    What should you do when your woman is feeling anxious? A blockhead like you is asking this thing? What happened?


    While he couldnt recall the exact circumstances behind it, he vaguely remembered talking about that with him.


    Takasho raised three fingers with confidence.


    You just need to remember these three. Kiss, sex and sex.


    However, he never paid too much attention to Takashos advice.


    His friend had ample experience, having dealt with more than 600 women in his life.


    That was why Siwoo always thought that his outlook was just way too different compared to him, as the other guy had lived a life comparable to that of a porn actor.


    From my experience, this combo has a 95 percent success rate! The girl you use the combo on will relax and fall for it easily!


    Whats the deal with you saying sex twice?


    Because thats how important it is! Look, if you only do it once, itll leave a variable. Theyll think that you were only doing it because of the mood and you arent attached to them!


    Basically, you do the first sex to follow the mood after the kiss, and the second one is when you seal the deal!


    Theres still a five percent fail rate, right? What will happen then?


    Takasho silently made a motion to adjust his bracelet.


    Well, they gave me warning, most of them, at least.


    You crazy bastard.


    That was the end of their discussion, but Siwoo was convinced.


    From his own experience, he managed to prove that Takashos advice was surprisingly useful on many occasions.


    As Siwoo brought his lips closer, Sharon closed her eyes and welcomed his advances.


    Her expression looked so adorable that he stopped before their lips touched. He quietly observed her for a bit before she opened one of her eyes slightly.


    And when she saw his mischievous smile, she instantly became furious.


    Ah, seriously! What the hell?! Stop teasing me! Im being serious here! Mmh!


    This time, he really pushed his lips against hers.


    She had been hitting his chest playfully, but she instantly calmed down as if she had been given a dose of a calming potion.


    Mmhhsluurpmmm


    And then, as if her tantrum was a lie, she grabbed his collar tightly and actively entwined her tongue with his.


    The anxiety that had been afflicting her heart melted away.


    Replaced by an incredibly strong temptation, that pulled her closer to him like a magnet.


    With flushed cheeks, she gazed at him, her eyes filled with desire.


    Her bated breaths and heated gaze conveyed her heightened arousal.


    Today, she seemed even more alluring than usual, and that wasnt because of Siwoos lust affecting his judgment.


    Ahh


    Siwoo gently pulled her wrist, and she fell onto the bed.


    He didnt do it forcefully, so she could have resisted it if she wanted to.


    But she didnt.


    Because she wanted him to take the lead.


    Climbing on top of her, Siwoo kissed her while slowly undressing her.


    No more words were needed.


    Like a pair of mating beasts, they exchanged their heavy breaths, using their limbs to draw each other closer as they became one.


    That night, Sharons brand was injected with amplified mana four times.

 Chapter 217: Reminiscence (1)

    Chapter 217: Reminiscence (1)


    Reminiscence (1)


    1.


    After the passionate sex was over, Siwoo sprawled his body out on the bed.


    Yes, he had a spirit body and all, but shooting his load four times in a night still made him exhausted.


    He found out that Takashos advice was spot on, though.


    Even though Sharon had been in a gloomy mood before all this, after everything was over, she went to sleep with a satisfied smile on her face.


    Next time Im visiting the twins, Ill bring him a bunch of things while Im at it.


    Who knows, maybe hell like it if I bring him some stuff from this world.


    The warm morning sun seeped through the window.


    In the midst of the blissful exhaustion, Siwoo heard an odd sound.


    That was when he realized that the sound came from Sharon, eagerly sucking on his dick with her moist tongue.


    Mmhmm


    He lifted his head to see her below.


    Her hair was messy, most likely because she immediately passed out right after they had done their fourth round.


    But that didnt take anything away from her beauty.


    Good morning.


    Taking care of my morning wood now, hm?


    The sun is already high up, I dont think this is morning wood anymore, isnt it~? Haam


    He remembered drifting off to sleep right after he cummed four times inside her.


    Because he felt lazy, he didnt even bother cleaning his body up, so he just slept while making use of Sharons warm body like a makeshift pillow.


    When he looked at his rod that Sharon had been eagerly sucking on, he noticed that there werent any traces of his dried-up semen anymore.


    Which meant that she had been taking care of it diligently with her mouth before he even woke up.


    The more he thought about it, the more excited he became.


    Im doing this because I didnt clean you up properly last nightso, Im making up for it


    Well, thats considerate of you, but still


    Anyway, its morning but youre already full of energy! We even did it four times last night!


    Blushing, Sharon rested her cheek against his stiff rod as she spoke.


    She didnt need to say anything. Her gestures, tone, and expression already told Siwoo what it was that she wanted.


    It was clear that as soon as she woke up, she wanted to go for another round with him.


    I only planned to clean it up butwould you be satisfied if we left it at that?


    She mischievously licked the tip of his dick like a lollipop as she let out a smirk.


    Though Siwoo had just woken up, this temptation was too much for him to resist.


    Her allure was still as potent as ever.


    So, he caught her by the waist and proceeded to enjoy a full round in the morning after giving her a few playful spanks. His day started with a refreshing ejaculation.


    2.


    After fooling around a bit more and finishing their shower, they sat down for brunch with a cup of coffee.


    Sharon, her hair tied in a ponytail, took a bite of the toast spread with grapefruit marmalade in her hand, chewing it with a satisfied expression on her face.


    In the past, the two of them would order a bunch of food to eat, but recently, they had only been eating a portion or two each time.


    After pushing through their limit for the longest time, it seemed like moderation came to them naturally.


    Then again, no one in this world would be able to sustain such indulgent eating for a prolonged period of time.


    Why are you staring at me like that?


    Even when she was chewing, Sharon never took her eyes off Siwoo.


    Unable to bear the weight of her gaze, he yielded and asked her that question.


    Because I like you.


    Cough!


    Hearing her words, he choked, nearly spilled his coffee/


    Even though he had seen every part of her, down to her anus that would twitch, as if yelling It feels good! More, more! during their sex sessions


    When she blurted out something so abruptly like this, it always left him flustered, unable to respond to her words.


    I love being with you, whether its during sex or when were just having breakfast together like this. Its just perfectI love everything about it


    Under the table, her toes playfully tickled his feet.


    She wasnt even trying to seduce him, she really just enjoyed touching him.


    Even during the shower earlier, she did the same thing.


    She tickled him, washed each others body in that narrow shower booth, reveling in the delightful feeling of being in close proximity with him.


    Because of that though, they almost did another round in the shower because Siwoos cock grew hard again when it was his turn to wash her breasts.


    U-Umw-we have a guest it seems! I-Ill go and prepare some tea!


    Hey, where are you going?


    Sharon immediately dashed away, trying to avoid his shadow like a boxer trying to dodge incoming blows.


    She said that shed go and prepare some tea, but she disappeared into the bathroom instead.


    Whod come at this hour, though?


    He wondered, trying to recall if he had ordered anything online prior to this.


    As he did so, he opened the door.


    As promised, Im here. Sorry for not notifying you in advance.


    Behind the door was a certain Duchess with pink hair.


    Eloa Tiphereth, with her modest clothes, stood there with a serious expression on her face.


    3.


    Every time Siwoo laid his eyes on Eloa, he couldnt help but question her noble title, Duchess Tiphereth.


    Because no matter how he tried to look at her, she seemed more like a princess than a duchess, more like a magical girl than a witch.


    However, seeing her wearing modern clothes like this instead of her usual formal white dress, he couldnt even look at her in that way anymore.


    Because the sweatpants and windbreaker that she wore looked terribly awkward on her.


    It made her seem like an idol who managed to escape the paparazzi and sneaked out to go back to her parents home.


    Ive brought a small housewarming gift.


    Thank you.


    Its nothing much.


    No, really, I appreciate it.


    In front of Siwoo, who was sitting with a formal posture, there was a fruit basket placed.


    It wasnt an extravagant one that was filled with exotic fruits, but something that one could casually bring whenever they were visiting someone in the hospital.


    To put it in other words, it was too humble of a gift considering that it was from a duchess.


    But he didnt think too much about it.


    The Duchess also didnt try to make small talks, instead she immediately tried to get to the point.


    Its a bit late to tell you this, but with the Countess help, I was able to take up residence on the floor below this apartment. Ill be staying here for a while to watch over you and teach you at the same time. Like I told you before, I still cant trust you completely.


    Below?


    I havent moved it yet, but I will soon. Is that alright with you?


    Of course. In fact, Id prefer it this way.


    Tiphereth was easily one of the strongest witches in terms of pure combat power.


    So, getting guidance from her was a golden opportunity for him.


    And to top it off, she even willingly stayed downstairs?


    If her suspicion about Ea messing with his body was true, then her presence would help as a countermeasure against that.


    Siwoo had nothing to lose, so he welcomed her with open arms.


    If you arent busy, we can start the training right away. What do you think?


    Sure, Ill get ready quickly. Do I need to bring something?


    Just wear something comfortable and easy to move in.


    Alright, Ill change my clothes and come back right away.


    Sharon told them that shed be researching magic in her room while Siwoo received his training.


    To begin with, Tiphereths self-essence magic that was based on incantations, were ill-fitted to Sharon, who was an orthodox elemental witch.


    She also had no reason to learn martial arts at this point in her life.


    Is this good enough?


    Not bad for a start.


    Since Tiphereth asked him to lead her to a spacious area, he brought her to the rooftop where he usually smoked.


    She scanned the surroundings briefly before discreetly deploying a barrier.


    How will we conduct the training?


    To that question, she kept her mouth shut.


    She tied her hair back with a ribbon, revealing her bright hair that shimmered like cherry blossoms under the spring breeze before taking off her windbreaker.


    That exposed her white skin, as her upper body was only covered in a sports bra that wouldnt hinder her movements.


    In her hands was the Sword of Covenant, her personal weapon that had twelve letters engraved on it.


    Ill see how strong you are first.


    She didnt let him do any warm-up first, but that wasnt a big problem for Siwoo as he had expected this outcome already.


    If anything, he was curious how someone as strong as her would gauge his skills.


    Alright.


    In that instant, a black armor enveloped his body.

 Chapter 219: Reminiscence (3)

    Chapter 219: Reminiscence (3)


    Reminiscence (3)


    1.


    The Shadow Plate Armor.


    When Siwoo first put it on, he did feel that it was a little impractical, like something out of a video game.Read latest chapters at novelhall.com Only


    It clung tightly to his body, lacking the unnecessary add-ons that made it seem unable to absorb the impact of a hit.


    But, it was precisely because of this that he had benefited greatly from the black armor.


    The snug fit allowed him to move quickly and on top of that, it gave him a power boost, just like a powered suit.


    Instead of the usual shock-absorbing function that an armor had, it relied on the unique Law of Shadows, a material that was unlike anything else.


    Throughout his battles, the armor had been a reliable ally, saving him and assisting him numerous times.


    He was well aware of his own strength.


    With the armor on, he could probably wreck buildings only with his bare hands.


    He should also be able to cleave a cargo truck in half.


    That was why, when he thought that he needed to use this heavy-duty weapon against a petite woman like Tiphereth, he felt a little awkward.


    With the longsword in her hand, the woman looked so delicate that Siwoo momentarily forgot that she was a 23rd rank witch.


    But then


    The moment she gripped her sword and assumed her stance.


    Siwoo realized that he was making a fool of himself.


    Her body remained steadfast and still.


    Though she seemed relaxed, it was clear that she would be able to react in an instant.


    Her eyes stayed focused, following Siwoos every move.


    Come.


    He could hear her words clearly, even so, he couldnt move his body easily.


    Until now, he thought that he had become pretty good at swordsmanship by waving his weapon recklessly.


    He thought that he had developed the ability to reflexively spot his opponents openings and wield the sword and shield freely, as if they were his limbs.


    No one would be able to point out any of his shortcomings, he believed that was the case.


    But, seeing the Duchess, he couldnt even see any visible openings whatsoever.


    She only held her sword in one hand, lowering its tip to the ground, but he couldnt find any openings that he could exploit.


    Seeing his hesitation, Eloa encouraged him.


    I wont hurt you, just show me what youve got.


    Got it


    Trying to test the gap between their strength, he extended his arm and swung his sword.


    Eloas response was simple.


    Before he could even complete his swing.


    Her blade, as if sliding into the trajectory, completely nullified the force of his swing.


    Ugh!


    His attack was thwarted before it even started.


    It wasnt even a matter of strength.


    She didnt even use much mana for that move.


    The strength she exerted was only half of Siwoos.


    In other words, she managed to effortlessly block his attack with only a quarter of her usual strength plus a little bit of a sleight of hand.


    Again.


    -Clang!


    Tiphereth swung her sword, their blades clashed and Siwoo cautiously distanced himself again as a result.


    He ditched his flashy, but ineffective style and created a shield this time.


    The shield covered half of his body as he carefully searched for an opening.


    Haah


    He had barely even moved, yet he already started sweating.


    It felt like an invisible pressure was bearing down on him, as if a thick padding was being pressed onto him.


    Despite him knowing that she wouldnt harm him in any ways, her presence only grew even more imposing by the seconds.


    Haaap!


    He kicked off the ground at supersonic speed.


    This time, he put all his strength into swinging his sword right from the beginning so that at least she wouldnt be able to block him in awkward positions.


    His target was the center.


    He swung his sword forcefully, aiming to cut her body in half by her waist.


    -Thunk!


    But, as he heard that resounding sound, he was momentarily stunned.


    Even though he swung his sword with all his might, Tiphereth still blocked it effortlessly.


    Normally, when two objects collided with this much force, theyd make a loud bang or crash, but this time, they barely made any sound at all.


    All he could hear was a faint noise, like someone plucking the strings of a musical instrument.


    Not only that, his hands didnt even feel any impact from the clash.


    Nevertheless, he wasnt planning to retreat.


    Or if he had just handled his covenant a little bit more smoothly


    She wouldnt need to start teaching him from scratch like this.


    But, having lived through a lot and met various martial artists, Tiphereth already figured most things out.


    His talent for martial arts was vague at best, hopeless at worst.


    Even with Ravis covenant and her guidance, it still wouldnt help him.


    The barrier of talent was insurmountable.


    Considering his outstanding magical abilities, it seemed more practical for him to focus on that instead.


    Which meant, it would be better for her to compensate him for the misunderstandings in some other way.


    But, she already made a promise.


    Even if he decided to quit halfway, shed do her best to train him.


    Im not good at breaking things down step by step, so youve got to learn how to use your body by actually using it.


    Eloa clenched her fist, taking a stance.


    Trying to keep up, Siwoo followed her awkwardly.


    If you arent fully focused, you wont keep up with me.


    Im ready.


    Dont worry, youll get the hang of it when you give it a shot.


    The sound of a soft step echoed from the floor.


    Eloa closed the gap between them instantly, slipping into one side of Siwoos arms.


    Even without a weapon in hand, the covenant reacted to Eloas movements.


    Siwoo, attempting to counter her sudden attack, extended his fist.


    However, Eloa deftly deflected his blow with her elbow and proceeded to grab his wrist.


    Oof!


    And she flipped his body.


    His body floated briefly before landing somewhat roughly on the ground.


    He barely had time to process what had just happened.


    Looking up, he found Tiphereth peering down at him with her stern, magenta eyes.


    The key is using your body at will. Without that as a foundation, no matter how fancy your techniques or martial arts are, they wont mean much.


    I think I understand what youre trying to say.


    Your attacks left too many openings.


    Siwoo dusted himself off as he got back on his feet.


    Since he couldnt use mana to strengthen his body, he was only as strong as your average male.


    Without the armor to protect his body, he was badly shaken by the blow.


    But, if this was all he got from this training, he wouldnt have bothered asking for it in the first place.


    This time, it was him who took the initiative and charged.


    Eloa blocked his punch with her hand and then lightly tapped his stomach with her palm.


    Even so, he felt like she was shoving him by the abdomen.


    Ugh!


    As the force of Eloas counter sent him flying through the air, Siwoo let out a groan.


    While not as excruciating as the occasional intense pain he felt, it was enough to make him stress out.


    Prepare for the case when your attack gets blocked. Youd have to think about your next move before that happens.


    Ughy-yeah It hurts a bit


    Pain can be a wake-up call. Remember it with your body so you dont repeat the same mistake.


    After that, they continued their spar.


    If your footwork becomes predictable, it will become easier for your opponents to find your openings.


    When you plan to strike, dont stare at the spot too hard.


    Dont overly rely on brute force. It wont work on someone stronger than you.


    Keep your center of gravity in the middle. A shaky center leads to stumbling even with a simple misstep.


    After each of her moves, Tiphereth dished out advice.


    Two hours passed, Siwoos body showed signs of wear and tear.


    All this time, Tiphereth had been relentlessly tossing, pushing and tapping his body.


    But, he couldnt even touch a strand of her clothing.


    Exhausted, gasping for breath, he collapsed on the rooftop floor.


    Sweat flowed from all over his body, soaking not only his shirt but also his underwear.


    I guess well have to call it a day.


    Continuing the training would only be a waste of time, so Tiphereth decided to wrap it up for the day.


    Throughout the session, she controlled her strength.


    After all, she had no plans to cause him serious injury.


    But, if he lacked talent and determination, it was natural that hed fall behind.


    Thats probably a better path for him, though.


    Yesthank youfor today


    Struggling to get up, Siwoo decided to lay the back of his head on the ground and shut his eyes.

 Chapter 220: Reminiscence (4)

    Chapter 220: Reminiscence (4)


    Reminiscence (4)


    1.


    The one-sided sparring session that could hardly even qualify as training came to an end.


    Eloa returned to the hotel where she was staying.


    She had plans to meet Branch Manager Sua later in the afternoon, but since the training was finished earlier than she expected, she had some free time.


    As she relaxed in the lounge with a cup of coffee in her hand, she reflected on todays events.


    Originally, it was her suggestion to teach Siwoo how to master the Myriad Weapons Mastery Covenant.


    There were two underlying reasons why she did so.


    First, just like she openly admitted, it was a way for her to keep an eye on him, ensuring his safety while waiting for any potential meddling from Ea.


    Second, the other reason she didnt explicitly say


    She hoped, maybe, by watching him, that she could catch a glimpse of Ravis wonderful swordsmanship, something that she couldnt even dream to see anymore.


    This was her only hope to reminisce about her dear apprentice.


    However, even that slight hope took a disappointingly bleak turn.


    The Myriad Weapons Mastery Covenant was undoubtedly one of the most useful self-essence magic for close combat.


    It would guide its user to move their body and handle any weapons they wielded effectively.


    But, it was similar to when one assigned a high-end bike to a regular rider and threw them to a race. It still wouldnt make the playing field even.


    His moves just couldnt measure up to Ravis skills.


    And so, Eloas hopes to see her dear apprentices beautiful swordplay was completely crushed.


    Its a shame.


    She knew that Siwoo wasnt to blame.


    And she wasnt blaming him at all.


    If anything, she was just disappointed in herself for getting too hopeful about this.


    Is something the matter?


    Sitting down across from her, Branch Manager Sua called out to her after hearing her muttering to herself.


    Despite the Branch Managers frantic schedule to cover up the recent incident, she appeared unruffled, maintaining her usual elegance.


    Her hanbok looked ancient, yet it was adorned with vibrant colors.


    With her presence alone, the hotel lounge was dyed in an old-school atmosphere.


    Youre early.


    This subject wouldnt dare keep Your Ladyship waiting.


    Sua responded with a graceful smile.


    She rarely spoke in such a playful tone, so it was clear that she was in a good mood.


    I heard that youve taken a new apprentice, Your Ladyship.


    Hes hardly an apprentice of mine. Im just giving him some pointers.


    Yet, youve already checked his identity and background, and you even taught him martial arts. Your Ladyship, essentially, he is already your apprentice.


    Youre in a good mood today arent you, Ms. Sua?


    Looking at Tiphereths flustered expression, Sua let out a grin.


    She had been observing this Duchess from a distance for a long time now.


    After she lost her apprentice, she basically threw everything away and focused on trying to seek revenge.


    And when the target for her vengeance disappeared, Sua saw how the pink-haired Duchess in front of her fell apart, drowning in emptiness and deep feeling of denial.


    Now seeing that her old friend finally let go of the notion of revenge and made a new connection, it wasnt strange that she felt happy for her.


    Tiphereth took a sip of her coffee, wearing a bitter smile while she looked at the smiling Sua.


    Still, what were you disappointed about, Your Ladyship?


    Actually


    Tiphereth then casually recounted her sparring session with Siwoo.


    His determination was impressive. No matter how many times he fell, he always tried to get back upbut its hard to tell how long thatll last. Im not even sure if his stubbornness will work in his favor at all.


    Hmm


    Sua thoughtfully let out a frown.


    Though her close friend only spoke casually, she could sense the underlying emotions between her words.


    Having lost both her apprentice and target for revenge, Eloa seemed to project her emptiness onto Shin Siwoo, the new guy.


    Sua suspected that by offering to teach Siwoo, Eloa was trying to look for traces of Ravi in him.


    Perhaps its best if you stop for his sake. Trying to catch two rabbits at once usually means you wont catch either.


    Ms. Sua


    Then, she comforted Eloa with her soothing voice.


    Not everyone is born with the overflowing blessing of martial arts like you, Your Ladyship.


    But


    If you allow this subject to be so bold Your Ladyship, are you perhaps trying to find a place to rest? Is that why you proposed to teach him martial arts?


    She carefully avoided bringing up Ravi directly.


    Eloa was the strongest person she knew, but she was also the most fragile.


    Even though he was being tossed around like a ragdoll, it was true that he wasnt actually hurt anywhere.


    Since he was the one who volunteered and took the first swing, he refused to back down, even though it felt like he was being turned into a squished sandwich.


    How was it?


    What?


    The Duchesshow was she?


    Tough. Cant even touch her


    Well, that isnt a surprise. Theres no way you could do it on your first run.


    It felt like he got schooled by a pro in a hardcore video game.


    The only difference was that instead of saying something like, Git gud, she pointed out which parts that he needed to fix.


    But, even though all of her advice sounded simple, they were deceptively hard.


    When he tried to follow them, he ended up fumbling over everything and failing.


    Oh my~ Having a hard time, arent you~? Fine, let me cheer you up a little~


    Ew, dont touch me! Im all sweaty!


    So?


    Stumbling forward, she pulled him into a tight embrace.


    His body was reeked with sweat to the point that his hair was drenched. It wasnt a surprise if Sharon found it uncomfortable.


    Yet she didnt.


    If anything, she embraced him a little bit too tightly, to the point that his aching limbs were screaming.


    His sore muscles overwhelmed any other feelings that he should have.


    Then again, even pro fighters would turn into jelly after a proper spar, yet Siwoo kept going with his relentless endurance, relying solely on his spirit bodys durability.


    Ill give you a wash.


    Cant you just use a spell instead?


    Nope! I want to do it myself!


    Smirking playfully, she used telekinesis to lift his body.


    Then, she gently placed him in the bathtub. While he was still floating, she undressed him.


    Yahoo~


    I can take my own clothes


    No, no, just stay still!


    Even though he was grumbling, he still obediently raised his arms.


    As Sharon peeled his shirt away, his well-defined upper body under the damp clothes was revealed.


    At the sight, she found herself involuntarily gulped.


    This wasnt the bulky physique of someone who had only been lifting weights in his whole life, but the physique of someone who was trained in combat.


    The interaction between his spirit body that kept him in his peak state, and his natural male physique, created a form that reminded her of a Greek statue.


    His sweat enhanced his masculinity.


    Typically, sweat had an unpleasant odor.


    But his sweat in particular, didnt seem to be the case.


    If anything, smelling them made her heart race.


    Is it because of the pheromones?


    Memories of Siwoo slamming her against the fridge before sparring with the Duchess came rushing back.


    His rough voice and behavior made her feel helpless, amplifying her lust.


    As those memories resurfaced, it felt like her body had become a furnace, fueled by desire.


    I-Ill take off your pants too!


    No, Ill do it


    I told you already! Just let me do it! Arent you tired?


    Yes, but letting you do it will make my mind even more exhausted than my body


    After a bit of back and forth, Sharon ended up coming out on top in her playfully stubborn tussle with Siwoo.


    With a triumphant yet flustered expression, she skillfully removed his pants and underwear.


    This made Siwoo have a flashback of his days as a slave as he glanced at Sharon sheepishly.


    From the atmosphere she exuded, he could tell what exactly was in her mind.


    Sharon, Im tired


    Without even bothering to answer him, Sharon already ditched her shirt.


    Then, she swiftly stripped her dolphin pants, revealing her white thighs and the underwear that covered her pubic area.


    After all that, she slipped into the spacious bathtub.


    Siwoo swore that hed doze off the moment he had the chance to, but seeing her naked body like this, his lower body reacted promptly.


    You can leave it all to me then I told you Id cheer you up


    W-Wait!


    She dismissed his words again as she nestled her body against Siwoos sweaty body.


    At this moment, the thoughts of trying to restore her brand through sex left her mind.


    All she wanted was a good and comforting hug from him.

 Chapter 221: Reminiscence (5)

    Chapter 221: Reminiscence (5)


    Reminiscence (5)


    1.


    Sharons voluptuous bosom, as soft as marshmallows, touched Siwoos exhausted upper body.


    It was true that in some parts of their bodies, women held substantial amounts of fat compared to men.


    Chest, belly and thighs, those three supple parts of hers clung closely to his skin, perhaps because his body was drenched in sweat. The warmth oozing from her body led him to think of a word to describe those parts: Motherhood. Though, he reckoned that even that word couldnt do them justice.


    Why do you look so fired up?


    She stuck her body close to him as if she was a remora clinging underneath a shark.


    Thanks to that, he could clearly feel her heartbeat.


    Though they hadnt done anything, the sweet moans that mixed up with her breaths were clear indicators of how aroused she was.


    I-I dont know! I always feel like this whenever Im with you!


    Hearing his words, Sharon retorted fiercely to clear her embarrassment, before moving her head down toward his crotch.


    Siwoos raging rod could already cast a shadow over her face.


    The salty smell of sweat and masculine smell of a man tickled her nostrils.


    Looking at it like this, Siwoo realized how amazing his spirit body was.


    Back when he railed the twins inside their carriage, he still hadnt acquired a spirit body yet.


    At that time, even when he gulped down the aphrodisiac like water, exhaustion still washed over his body, making him feel like a dead man walking.


    Now, even after he had sex all night long, getting dragged to the rooftop, trained his body to the point that he vomited everything that was stored in his stomach, he could still go for a round of sex.


    Sharon, who had been locking her gaze on his dick, turned it toward Siwoo.


    She didnt try to look at his eyes directly though, only slightly directed her gaze upwards to the direction of his face.


    Thinking that she should start sucking him off now, she opened her mouth and


    U-Um


    Yeah?


    D-Do you have anyumrequest?


    Request?


    He understood what she was hinting at.


    But he didnt know where to start.


    Then again, who could blame him? He didnt even plan for this to happen as he just wanted to take a nice rest. It was Sharon who suddenly stripped him naked, he was completely unprepared for this.


    D-Do you want to continue where we left off?


    Where we left off?


    Y-You know, after we ate and before you went to the rooftop


    Ahh


    He did say something about punishing her before the Duchess interrupted them.


    Back then, he said that because he wanted to get Sharon back for provoking him.


    But now that he thought about it, she didnt show any sign of resistance after he said that.


    Instead, he was the one who became unsure on where to proceed from there.


    Feeling embarrassed, now he was the one who averted his gaze.


    Despite both of them being unable to look each other in the eye, their weird conversation continued.


    But why?


    I-I mean, after you said something like that, I W-Wait, why do I have to explain for you?!


    She started her sentence hesitatingly, but towards the end, she just exploded.


    Then, she went through a few more hoops, trying to dodge the issue, but eventually she yielded and said


    C-Can you actually goa little rough with me? Y-You know, just like when you grab my breasts tightly when you cum? I-Ikinda like that


    After hearing Siwoos low tone in the morning and seeing his current sweaty appearance, somehow such desire manifested in her heart.


    She didnt want him to treat her equally in sex, but she wanted him to totally dominate her.


    Such a thing might not be a bad idea, or so she thought.


    When he heard her words, Siwoo was dumbstruck, as if someone hit the back of his head with a hammer.


    Women usually love it to be treated roughly. Even if they look modest and decent on the outside, theyre only pretending. Deep inside, theyre horny as fuck.


    He could hear Takashos voice echoing in his ears.


    Exactly how deep was his understanding of womens hearts? Siwoo didnt know.


    He experienced the same thing with Yebin, but he had only been brushing it off as an exception, but now that Sharon was doing the same thing, he couldnt help but think that his friends words were true.


    His dick was tingling.


    Seeing her begging to be ravaged with such an innocent expression was too much, even for him


    He gulped, calling out to her with a slightly cracked voice.


    It wasnt his intention to make that kind of voice, but he was so nervous that he unilaterally did it.


    Urg! Mmh!


    And so, he placed his hands on her head again.


    As if it was the rein of a horse, he grabbed her hair and moved her head back and forth, forcefully.


    He never thought that hed indulge himself in sadistic behavior like this.


    But, now that he actually did, he couldnt stop himself.


    Sharons throat convulsed around his dick, making him feel like it was the perfect makeshift onahole.


    Not a long time had passed, but he could feel that an ejaculation would be coming soon.


    Sharon, Im going to cum soon.


    His voice came out in such a high-pitched tone that he almost suspected that it wasnt actually his.


    He felt like his dick was about to burst out.


    And the semen that hed spurt out would be thicker than ever.


    Puhaa! W-Wait!


    Sharon pulled his dick out of her mouth, breathing heavily, as if she had dived inside the water for a long time.


    A string of sticky saliva was spilled from her mouth, creating a bridge between it and Siwoos glans.


    The sight of her bubbly saliva creating that seemingly sticky string was already obscene in itself.


    She urgently aligned the position of her lower mouth with his glans.


    Though she hadnt touched it with her fingers, her petals were already soaked, as if she had smeared it with lube before this. Thanks to that, his glans could easily slip in.


    And so


    -Squelch!


    Haang!


    She accepted Siwoos cock, which was about to ejaculate, with no resistance.


    Then, she skillfully moved her waist up and down, as if she was riding a horse.


    In fact, she was actually experienced in riding a horse, so her movements were smooth and without any flaws.


    -Plap, plap, plap!


    Ahhhhaa! Y-Yes!


    Now covered by both Sharons saliva and love juice, Siwoos groin made some lewd noises whenever it met with Sharons crotch.


    Haah! P-Please, c-cum inside! F-Fill Sharons pussy with your cum!


    At this point, the stimulation that his cock received was too much for him to bear.


    His eyes, seeing Sharons E-cup breasts bouncing up and down, were also experiencing the same thing.


    He could also see her clitoris standing erect down there.


    With her begging for a creampie with a flushed voice, there was no way that Siwoo would hold himself back anymore.


    Ugh!


    So, he grabbed her breasts instinctively and shot out his load inside her.


    -Spurt, spurt, spurt!


    Following that, his mana spread out through her womb.


    His seeds also did the same thing, clinging tightly to every fold of her inner walls.


    Haaanng! Ahhaaaa!


    Receiving his seed, Sharon sat down, straining her healthy pair of thighs.


    Just like a sweet daughter, welcoming her daddy home, she accepted every drop of Siwoos seed willingly.


    Haahhaah


    She was barely able to hold on to the sides of the bathtub at this point, and in the end, she decided to let them go and fell to Siwoos embrace.


    Though she experienced it multiple times already, she didnt seem to be able to get used to the pleasure.


    Well, if it was only the pleasure from the sex, she could endure it, albeit with difficulties, but the pleasure that she felt when Siwoo injected his mana into her womb was a different story.


    Since Siwoo was already about to ejaculate when she slid it into her pussy, she only needed to move around a little, even so, she was drenched in sweat, just like Siwoo.


    Her vaginal walls kept on stimulating his cock, not giving him a chance to revel in the aftertaste of his ejaculation.


    Siwoo held Sharons body like a hugging pillow, slowly rubbing her back.


    But at that moment, the worry he felt when he saw her tear up seized his heart, making him push her away a little to check up on her.


    Why were you pushing yourself like that?


    B-Because you seem to like it. Dont worry, I should get used to it next time.


    You dont have to get used to it, you know?


    But I want to!


    After cuddling for a little longer, they washed each others bodies and went out of the bathroom.


    Thanks to this little mishap, Siwoos muscle pain was upgraded by one level.


    Heres Eloa!

 Chapter 222: Prodigy (1)

    ? Prodigy (1) ?


    1.


    Unlike what one might think, life wasn¡¯t actually as complicated as they think it was.


    Live well, eat well, take care of your business well, those were the only things they needed to do.


    After getting his spirit body, Siwoo¡¯s body stopped discharging bodily waste anymore as he didn¡¯t need to. Though, thanks to Sharon, he now had something else that he regularly discharged out of his body.


    This was around the time when he was supposed to take magic classes from Sharon.


    Because of certain matters, the curriculum of her elemental magic class was altered a little.


    ¡°That should be enough for today...¡±


    ¡°Huh? That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°You learned things quickly, that¡¯s why it ends quickly as well.¡±


    Originally, Sharon would teach him various things about elemental magic.


    Then, since Siwoo didn¡¯t have any magical knowledge that he could share with them, they¡¯d go about their ways.


    Sharon would continue her magic research, while Siwoo would explore what he just learned.


    However, as stated before, something changed.


    Sharon added an extra time for their class as she needed to receive a vaginal injection from Siwoo to restore her brand.


    ¡°A-Anyway, it¡¯s time for me to get my shot...¡±


    She closed the book she was holding, stood up and bent her body over.


    By ¡®shot¡¯, obviously she meant sex.


    Sharon was too embarrassed to say something like ¡®Let¡¯s have sex!¡¯ so she came up with a unique way of saying it.


    It wasn¡¯t a problem though since she also rubbed part of her body obscenely against her bed. Even for Siwoo it wasn¡¯t hard to understand what she was trying to get at.


    ¡°Sure, but, what¡¯s with that outfit? I don¡¯t know where to put my eyes...¡±New novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m wearing this! Doesn¡¯t it look good on me?¡±


    Sharon had been running around with only Siwoo¡¯s shirt on her body since early in the morning. She was even wearing the same thing when she gave him her lesson.


    When it came to something that a woman put on their naked body, there were variations of them, such as an apron or the virgin killer sweater, but Siwoo actually wasn¡¯t really interested in those things.


    Or so he thought.


    His opinion changed the moment Sharon came to him dressing like that.


    The back hem of the shirt barely covered her buttocks.


    Both her hands were completely covered by the sleeves.


    Her majestic motherhood vigorously lifted the chest area of the shirt, making them look more delectable to the eyes.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you get bored if we were to do it every day like this?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not. I always enjoy every moment of it! E-Especially when you¡¯re doing it from...the back...¡±


    She leaned on the bed and stuck out her hips. Thanks to that, the back of her shirt was rolled up and her tightly closed slit popped up from beneath it.


    Seeing this kind of scene, it was hard for Siwoo to not be tempted. Though his mind would complain, ¡®Aren¡¯t we doing this too often?¡¯, his body would still give in to his lust.


    ¡°So...does that mean...you aren¡¯t going to do it...?¡±


    When she shook her butt a little like this, there was no way he¡¯d refuse.


    It had been fifteen days since this relationship between the two of them had begun.


    So far, they hadn¡¯t only been doing this during their classes.


    ¡®Siwoo, do you want to try that?¡¯


    When they were watching movies...


    ¡®S-Siwoo...I-I¡¯m getting wet right now...¡¯


    When they were about to sleep...


    ¡®Sluurrrp...pwah...! Siwoo? Are you awake?¡¯


    When he just woke up...


    ¡®S-Siwoo, there...! W-Wash that part carefully...!¡¯


    When they were showering together...


    And so on.


    That was when he realized that while Takasho gave a bunch of correct advice regarding women, he also missed on some of them.


    He told him that doing it with the same woman over and over again would be tiring.


    But in truth, it wasn¡¯t the case at all. Siwoo suspected that his friend only said that because he hadn¡¯t seen how hot Sharon was.


    Anyway, whenever they got the chance to, even on the dinner table, they would do it to the point that Siwoo could feel his balls drying up.


    Thanks to this, Sharon managed to restore part of her lost rank in three days, getting her up to the 18th rank.


    When he thought about it, this wasn¡¯t exactly a strange development.


    One could think that brand was the same thing as dantian in martial arts. In that sense, an incomplete brand was pretty much the same thing as a blocked dantian. To open it up, one just needed to infuse their internal energy, and in this case, it was Siwoo¡¯s semen.


    In any case, Sharon managed to cross that insurmountable wall in merely three days.


    ¡°In any case, why don¡¯t we start doing something different this time? Let¡¯s try to enhance your body with magic.¡±


    She said those words out loud, but deep inside, she felt embarrassed.


    So far, they hadn¡¯t used even a single drop of their mana in their training.


    They had only been focusing on things that exclusively involved their spirit body, like the reach of one¡¯s limbs, the body¡¯s center of gravity and so on.


    The basics of martial arts was to be able to visualize the movements that one¡¯s limbs made even when one¡¯s eyes were closed.


    This was the basics of the basics, just like how a civil engineer would solidify the ground first before building anything on top of it.


    Just like a building, if one didn¡¯t have a good foundation in martial arts, anything that they built up afterwards would end up in vain.


    Eloa believed such principle strongly, yet here she was, skipping the basics and made him do the next lesson instead.


    As for the reason why she did that...it was probably because she saw Ravi in him when she saw his disappointed expression...


    ¡°Actually, that¡¯s good too. I¡¯m confident in my use of magic.¡±


    Unaware of what Eloa was thinking, Siwoo let out a happy expression.


    Standing next to him, she tried her best to control her eyebrows so they wouldn¡¯t end up twitching.


    ¡°Have you ever used body enhancement before?¡±


    ¡°Not directly, only from my armor¡¯s enhancements.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s normal.¡±


    Normally, witches wouldn¡¯t enhance their bodies using their mana.


    It was because, unless they were a special case like Eloa, there was a limit on enhancing one¡¯s body with magic.


    In most cases, it would be more efficient for a witch to leave her defenses in the hand of the autonomous defense that she had in her brand and use the excess mana to attack.


    For the average witches, body enhancement was a great risk, low return venture.


    ¡°Strengthening your spirit body with magic might sound foolish at a first glance, but even as a witch, the thing that you can manipulate freely is your own limbs, your own spirit body. Once you get used to it, you¡¯ll find it to be more efficient than any kind of enhancement magic.¡±


    As Eloa explained the common sense he needed to know, Siwoo obediently nodded his head.


    ¡°Firstly, I¡¯ll need to check the extent of your magical power...can you show me?¡±


    ¡°How much do you want to see?¡±


    ¡°As much as you can.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Siwoo nodded with a serious expression.


    And...


    -Woooong!


    Golden lights scattered.


    His eyecatching golden eye glowed and began to absorb all the mana around him.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    This was a process that every witch knew, absorbing mana in the air using the self-essence magic that was stored in their brands.


    But, if that was all, Eloa wouldn¡¯t be this surprised.


    The amount of mana that he absorbed was absurd.


    Generally, the greater one¡¯s magic power was, the greater the attraction force of the absorption was.


    However, Siwoo¡¯s attraction was too strong to the point that it was hard to believe to see this happen.


    Not only did he attract the mana in the atmosphere, he also attracted the mana inside Eloa¡¯s brand. It felt like if she were to let her guard down even a little, he¡¯d be able to take all her mana without much effort.


    But, her shock didn¡¯t even end there.


    He effortlessly doubled such a huge amount of mana.


    And he did it again, again, again and again.


    Repeatedly amplifying the mana.


    He casually did something that completely defied common sense and the existing law of magic.


    Before she knew it, a brilliant golden light enveloped her.


    ¡°Is this enough?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At this point, the amount of mana he handled had already exceeded the amount of mana Eloa had.


    This overwhelming storm of mana was comparable to a large Homunculus that possessed a separate space to store their mana. It looked more like a big spark rather than a flash of light.


    ¡°Do I need to get some more?¡±


    There were more than a few things that Eloa was surprised about.


    First, the amount of mana that he handled, it simply defied common sense.


    Second, the mana was a result of repeated amplification and nothing else.


    Third, the mana was pure, she couldn¡¯t detect any impurities mixed in.


    And lastly, from his expression, it seemed like this wasn¡¯t even his limit.


    Now Eloa realized.


    How much of a genius the man in front of her was.

 Chapter 223: Prodigy (2)

    Chapter 223: Prodigy (2)


    Prodigy (2)


    1.


    The huge amount of mana swirled and became a storm in itself.


    As she watched the brilliant golden light that scattered around her while listening to the low sound that it produced, Eloa shut her mouth tightly.


    Duchess Tiphereth was a witch who was known to hunt for Homunculi with her sword.


    Though her achievements earned her enemies here and there, she didnt have a lack of admirers.


    That was why, as she traveled all around the world, many witches came to seek her for her teaching.


    Their reasons were varied.


    To defend themselves, to advance even further in magic, to become stronger and so on.


    As long as they had ambition and a good reason to learn, the Duchess always welcomed them with open arms.


    I dont think this suits me.


    This training is different than I thought.


    Forgive me.


    But, most of them gave up within two weeks.


    It wasnt like they lacked patience or perseverance.


    If anything, witches obsession and persistence surpassed that of a human to an absurd level. It wouldnt be strange if normal humans were to associate them with the word crazy.


    The reason why they chose to give up quickly was because that was how long it took for them to calculate what would happen to them in the future.


    No matter how much effort I put into this, I wont gain anything much, was eventually the conclusion they reached.


    After all, Tipereths teaching was different compared to that of any ordinary witches.


    That was why, three days after she began training Siwoo


    As soon as she realized that Siwoo didnt have any talent when it came to martial arts, she immediately thought that he was the same as other witches.


    She expected him to come to her and said I quit with a hint of disappointment on his face.


    And so, she neglected to take a look at him properly.


    What kind of talent did he have? And what kind of strength did he possess?


    She didnt even bother to explore the reason why he could survive the arduous battle that he was forced to participate in.


    Should I keep going? Its getting hard to control all this mana


    Now he said its getting hard?


    But it doesnt seem like hes having trouble at all.


    I cant even see a single drop of sweat on his forehead.


    Maybe if he pushes himself he can handle twice, or maybe even four times of the current amount


    If you use all that mana to strengthen your body, your body will actually explode.


    Yeah, I kinda figured I cant handle this much.


    As he said that, he made a light gesture and half of the mana instantly dispersed.


    Once again, Tiphereth was surprised by his way of handling the mana.


    His mana control was just too astounding to see.


    Can you reduce it a little more?


    Yesis this enough?


    After she asked him to reduce the mana a few times, she finally declared that the amount of mana was enough for the body enhancement he was about to do.


    This much should be enough for your first time.


    That was when Eloa realized that her voice had become lighter due to anticipation.


    Ill demonstrate first.


    Please.


    Sit down.


    Okay.


    After Siwoo sat down, crossed-legged, Eloa started her explanation.


    Normally, with body enhancement, youd start from your brand and run your mana through every nook and cranny of your magic circuit. Your brand is in a different location than normal, so wed have to do it a little differently than normal.


    Ill guide you for the first time. Remember the path I took well.


    Of course, I have no intention of harming you or trying to spy on you or anything, so you can rest assured. But, just in case, are you fine with this?


    She said in a cautious tone.


    While she always spoke in a rather cautious tone, this time, it was especially the case.


    Handing over the control of ones magic inside ones body to another person, or accepting another persons mana into ones body.


    Both of them were extremely dangerous things to do.


    A single mistake could cause irreparable damage to ones circuit, so just a tiny bit of malice from the other person could mess one up really badly.


    Eloa herself had seen a lot of witches shaking their heads in refusal when she asked for their permission to do this during their body enhancement lessons.


    Of course I do. I never once thought that youd harm me.


    Think of body movement in advance. Move the armor accordingly. The body would move following the armor.


    His limbs that had been moving awkwardly became exceptionally sharp.


    That was when she noticed.


    The fact that he actually could picture everything that she taught in his head perfectly.


    He only hadnt been able to perform them because he wasnt athletic enough to do so.


    Like a bicycle that had lost its speed and began to fall sideways.


    However, as soon as he enhanced his body, it could finally keep up with his thoughts and he managed to perform everything that she had taught him perfectly.


    In hindsight, it wasnt really a surprising development since he was a genius in handling his mana, not his body.


    Her shock didnt last very long, as it was soon replaced by curiosity.


    Siwoo.


    Yes, Duchess? Thank you for teaching me this, it feels good!


    Why dont you try this too?


    Eloa took a deep breath.


    She pulled one of her feet forward, placing it right ahead of her other one, before enhancing them with her mana.


    Then, she bent both of them in a horse-riding position, but she made an extra effort for the foot on the front to stay at the right angle.


    Pushing into the ground, she concentrated her power in her legs and turned her waist to accelerate.


    Using the force from her back, she rotated while accelerating with mana.


    Then, with the strength gathered from her shoulders, elbows, and wrists


    -Bang!


    She held her fist vertically toward the air, creating a sound that was similar to a metal being hit.


    It wasnt like she touched anything with her fist in the process.


    Before Siwoo realized it, cracks were formed beneath her feet.


    This was the application of one of the basics that Eloa implemented in her swordsmanship.


    Fa Jin, the ultimate technique to generate a force and unleash it into one single spot.


    W-Wow


    Seeing her demonstration, Siwoo clapped his hands in admiration.


    At the same time, he remembered the time when she beat him down with this technique, and it made his stomach turn. Nevertheless, the technique itself was cool to see.


    Eloas light pink hair fluttered for a moment before straightening up again. She then let out a low sigh.


    Try it.


    Huh? You want me to try this?


    No way I can do that!


    If its just swinging my limbs around, maybe I can try to do it, or at least pretend to do it, but a proper martial arts move like this? Theres no way!


    It isnt as hard as it looks. Just relax your body and try to use only the muscles that you need.


    Easy for her to say


    But dont move your body.


    Dont move my body?


    Yes. Instead, simulate the movement by using the mana inside your body. Focus your mana on the circuits that you need and unleash it.


    Can you show me how to do it again?


    Sure. Like I said, it isnt a particularly hard thing to do.


    Eloa assumed the same posture as before.


    To make it easier for him to follow, she used the same gesture, injected the same amount of mana and unleashed the same amount of force.


    It might not be a big deal at a first glance, but this was quite a remarkable feat.


    Because she managed to replicate her previous move without even a single millimeter of error.


    It was like doing a long jump and landing in the exact same place twice, not impossible in theory, but it was a completely different story in practice.


    The fact that she was able to do this just showed that her ability to control her body was already beyond that of what a human was capable of.


    Phew So? Can you do it?


    During the second demonstration, Siwoo watched her closely.


    But what he focused on wasnt her gesture or posture.


    Using his left eye, he watched how she distributed her mana, the timing when she did it and how the mana affected her movements.


    Ill give it a try.


    Go ahead.


    Under Eloas indifferent, yet expectant gaze, Siwoo copied the movements that she had just shown him.


    -Booom!


    Just like that


    A small crater was created on the rooftop.


    1


    both are acupuncture points, located on a persons head

 Chapter 224: Prodigy (3)

    Chapter 224: Prodigy (3)


    Prodigy (3)


    1.


    An Jin, the small movement, hidden, unable to be observed with naked eyes.


    Chun Jin, to unleash a burst of power within the minimum range.


    Dan Jin, to shoot ones internal power from a distance.


    Qin Tou Jin, to pierce through ones enemys defense, destroying their insides.


    The variety of Fa Jin applications that appeared in Chinese martial arts were endless.


    Those techniques were among the most versatile and easiest to use. Its versatility was similar to a ring that could function as different things depending on where one chose to wear it; For example, put a ring on ones ear, itd turn into an earring, while if one were to put a ring on ones nose, itd turn into a nose hook. New novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    However, even considering that, the Fa Jin technique that Eloa established was a simple one.


    It didnt break the law of physics, rather moved closely with it.


    Each movement didnt produce the unnecessary waste of energy that would always occur whenever one were to move their muscles.


    The deterrent force that came out when one used more power than necessary wasnt there either.


    Normally, when someone were to move their muscles, a dispersion in force would inevitably occur.


    But, what if one were to suppress that dispersion as much as possible and converge it into a single point?


    What if one could project the muscle strength of their whole body into a single fist?


    With that kind of method, even a normal human could drill a hole in a wall using merely a single finger.


    Such was Eloas Fa Jin, a movement that she could perform by expending a refined, and concentrated force.


    She was able to utilize it as naturally as breathing, and even incorporated it into all of her sword techniques.


    Something feels missing.


    You almost got it.


    Now that he was allowed to use his magic, Siwoo almost managed to imitate what Eloa demonstrated in a single attempt.


    Of course it still wasnt perfect.


    The fact that the crater he made was bigger than necessary proved this.


    It was inevitable that a crater would be formed, since the ground where he stood was the place where the force was generated.


    The problem was the craters size, as it was bigger than it should be, signifying that the force wasnt dispersed in the correct ways.


    Still, the size was pretty close to Eloas.


    Haah


    Siwoo let out a deep breath.


    Dont do that, ease your breathing a little. Heavy breathing will make your movement heavy as well. You need to lighten even the slightest thing so that your movement will lighten as well.


    Understood.


    Hearing that advice, he relaxed his body while replaying Eloas movements in his head.


    Focusing on when and where she distributed her mana.


    And how exactly did she stick out her fist after all that.


    -Thunk!


    Ah


    This time, he realized his mistake before Eloa pointed it out.


    Because the sound he made didnt create an echo.


    When he extended his fist, he felt a strange feeling, as if his fist was being caught in a bump.


    Before you extend your fist, make sure to let the force travel properly. From your lower body, to the center of your body and to your upper body, in that order. If you made a mistake in the distribution or the transmission, you wouldnt be able to perform it properly. Try it again.


    Yes!


    Again. Youre trying to materialize your thoughts into reality, your mind and body must be in harmony.


    Yes!


    Dont get caught up in your thoughts. Too much thinking will slow your body down. Moderation is the key.


    Yes!


    He made more failures and each time he did, Eloa gave him a piece of advice.


    Throughout this trial and error, his body became more accustomed to the unique timing.


    He realized that the posture wasnt important here.


    Rather, it was the timing of when he injected his mana into his movements.


    -Krrrk!


    Beneath his soles, a piece of cement crumbled.


    The force he used to push the ground didnt bounce his body upwards, but pulled it downwards.


    It was then directed to his back muscles through the rotation of his pelvis and transmitted to his upper body just like a gun being loaded.


    After going this far, he only needed to do one thing.


    Direct the force into his shoulders, arms and fists, before releasing them moderately.


    -Bang!


    When Siwoo unleashed his fist into the air, it made the same voice as what Tiphereth did.


    Though he only threw a single fist, he could feel a strange feeling, as if his whole body had turned into one, utilized for one single purpose.


    A tingling sensation remained in his fingertips.


    Some of the remnants of the force that he hadnt released made his body hum like a gong.


    In fact, it might even be a presumptuous assumption on his part


    Maybe she was reminded of her dead apprentice?


    If that was the case, Siwoo could understand why her expression immediately switched to a depressed one even though she had shown him a somewhat proud look when he tried to boast to her.


    Duchess, do you have any plans after this?


    Before he realized it, he already grabbed her hand.


    In truth, the Duchess was someone that he couldnt really handle well.


    Her noble title was one thing, but there was also the atmosphere she exuded when she taught him.


    Although she never scolded him or criticized him, she was very strict and scary, just like the stereotypical instructors.


    Not only that, he could also clearly feel the difference in their strength, even when she refrained herself from using her magic.


    She was someone who could kill him in a second the moment she wished to do it.


    And perhaps that was why he had been unconsciously put up a distance between them.


    Eloa turned back to face him.


    No.


    Then, have you finished unloading your belongings?


    I barely have any in the first place. Miss Sua shouldve taken care of it already.


    Does that mean shes living in a pretty much empty room?


    He was worried that she might find him nosy.


    But, after being taught by her for a while, he became a little fond of her.


    Not toward the noble witch Duchess Tiphereth, but toward the person, Eloa.


    Whatever the reason, she was among the few witches who cared for ordinary humans, and he could understand the pain of losing someone.


    Then, do you want to eat dinner together? Take it as a housewarming party.


    Dinner?


    Yes, there is a lot of good food you can buy around here. Also, its almost dinner time, isnt it? Might as well.


    Wouldnt it be better to eat together than alone?


    He invited her under that premise.


    Also, Im under her protection anyway, so it shouldnt be bad to get closer to her.


    I have a lot to learn from her anyway.


    But, Eloa went silent for a good while after hearing his words.


    Did I go too far?


    I-I was just saying it, if you are uncomfortable with it, you dont need to


    No, lets do it.


    When she nodded it felt like the gloomy mood on her face was eased a little.


    Then, the two of them came down the stairs together.


    Alright, Ill change my clothes quickly and come back, so can you wait for a moment?


    -Beep beep!


    As he typed in the password to his room, a bustling sound could be heard from inside.


    And when the door was opened


    Youre earlier than usual, Siwoo. Are you tired? Come here, Ill wash you up


    Sharon, fully prepared, wearing nothing but a pair of sexy underwear, ran out of the door.


    As for why she did so, it wasnt a hard thing to guess.


    When she heard him pressing the password to the room, she definitely ditched her research and hurriedly came outside.


    The cheerful smile she showed immediately froze.


    Because she could see the Duchess staring at her intently after she ran out of the door.


    -Bang!


    Almost immediately, the door was slammed shut.


    Siwoo and Tiphereth stared at the door blankly, unsure how to react.


    After a while, the door was opened again, and Sharon, with a face as red as a boiled octopus, greeted them with a trembling voice.


    This time, she wore her clothes properly.


    U-Ump-please come in, D-Duchess


    Ah, no, I wont be coming in


    I-Is that so?


    Yeah, uh, shell just be waiting for me while Im changing my clothes


    I-I see


    After Siwoo entered the room and closed the door, Sharon immediately slapped his forearm.


    What were you doing?! You shoulda told me!


    Ow, ow! What are you on about? You were the one who ran out so suddenly like that!


    I dont know! Ugh, I dont know!


    Siwoo burst into laughter seeing her like this.


    Is this funny to you?! Is this funny to you?!

 Chapter 225: People Who Are Stuck in the Past (1)

    Chapter 225: People Who Are Stuck in the Past (1)


    People Who Are Stuck in the Past (1)


    1.


    After the unexpected incident, Sharon locked herself in her room, claiming that she wanted to focus on her research.


    Siwoo didnt blame her for that. After all, if he were to run out of the door naked, only to find out that there was someone else there, he would probably do the same thing.


    As planned, he changed his clothes and left. Before he left, he checked up on Sharon to see what she was doing, only to find out that she wasnt doing any research, but burying her face into her pillow, her whole body was covered with a blanket.


    Are you really not going?


    Just leave me be! I wont go!


    After hearing that answer, he laughed at her and a pillow flew in his direction.


    Of course he managed to grab it before it hit him.


    I doubt that she actually cared about what happened.


    Please, I beg youjust leave me be


    After hearing her half-dying voice, Siwoo finally let her be and left the house.


    He was wearing a nice pair of slacks and a short-sleeved shirt.


    The air was getting colder and colder at night though, so he wondered when he would need to wear a warmer set of clothes.


    When he opened the door, Tiphereth was still there, waiting for him.


    Sorry, that took a while. I thought it would be better to have more people, so I was trying to convince Sharon to come, butuhshe said she has a lot of work to do


    Is that so? What a shame.


    Although he hadnt known Eloa for a long time, there was one thing that he was certain about her personality.


    She wasnt the type of person whod stick her nose into somebody elses business.


    That was why he already expected her to react like this.


    It was clear from her face that she didnt treat the unfortunate incident as a big deal at all and she also didnt seem to let her imagination wander to think about their affairs.


    She was like a well-polished sword, carrying her usual virtuous spirit.


    Is there anywhere you want to go to?


    That was why her answer to that question was a little unexpected for Siwoo.


    Since its a housewarming partyIll whip out something for you.


    Huh?


    But well need to buy some groceries first, I dont think I have anything suitable at home. So, can you guide me to a nearby grocery store?


    Y-Yes, of course.


    He never imagined that shed go out of her way to offer to cook for him.


    Although he was dumbfounded by the development, he still followed her quietly into the lift.


    From Sinchon Rotary, walk along the road and turn to the left, there was a department store there. The first basement floor was a food court and a grocery store.


    Although the selection was limited, unlike a supermarket, this was the closest store from where they lived and the go-to place for Siwoos grocery needs.


    They walked for fifteen minutes to said store and there wasnt a single word being exchanged between them.


    Since it was the first time he saw her in any other setting other than sparring, he took his time to admire her beauty.


    No, he didnt have any ulterior motives for doing so. It was like how ones eyes would be drawn to a beautiful piece of art, he also found his eyes darted to Eloa.


    His impression of her was


    If magical girls really exist in this world, I guess theyd look like her


    An absurd and rather weird impression, but it was also an accurate one.


    Except for her large eyes, long eyelashes and double eyelids, everything about her was small and cute.


    She wasnt tall, her head also wasnt big.


    Naturally, her nose and mouth were also small to fit that small face of hers.


    Normally, he wouldnt see her this way at all because of the aura she exuded, but she really was more like a little sister than a big sister.


    If the twins were the energetic little sisters, then Eloa was probably the mature type of little sister.


    Just when he was about to be lost in awe of her appearance, he realized something once again.


    Her atmosphere was different.


    There was indifference in her straight eyebrows and sunken gaze.


    Her soft, small lips were closed shut without the slightest hint of smile.


    Steady gait, not really frivolous, but if he were to take out a ruler, hed definitely see that her straight posture would match it.


    Noticing this, a thought came to his mind.


    She really wasnt someone that could be judged by appearance only.


    Ah, Ill carry that.


    She separated vegetables, the meat and seafood that needed to be cleaned, and everything that needed to be washed first separately.


    Can you take care of the vegetables first? No need to do something special. Just wash off the dirt.


    What about the other ones over here?


    Well, while youre at it you can also clean those. Also make sure to clean any dirt.


    Okay.


    Siwoo turned on the water and began to wash the potatoes, onions and the seafood.


    Meanwhile, Eloa rinsed the chicken with water, dried it and marinated it with pepper, salt, and olive oil.


    Somehow, her movements looked familiar to him.


    Give me the carrots and the onions first. Ah, also the garlic.


    Here they are.


    Eloa placed the cutting board down and took out a knife.


    Her hands began to move, as if they were dancing.


    It took her less than ten seconds to peel off the skin of a potato.


    -Tak, tak, tak!


    Ohh


    Seeing her cutting down the vegetables to appropriate sizes made Siwoo sigh in amazement.


    Her movements were fast and accurate.


    All kinds of vegetables were beautifully cut every time her knife hit the cutting board, creating cheerful sounds.


    It was a very skillful hand movement that he witnessed for the first time in a while.


    Hand me over the seafood.


    Okay, Ill wash them first, I havent got to do that.


    As he said that, he put more effort into washing the dirt that stuck into the lobster he was holding.


    Watching him closely, Eloa said,


    You work hard at everything, dont you?


    Ah, well, maybe because I was a slave once.


    Taken aback by the sudden compliment, Siwoo replied shyly.


    Right, you were a slave in Gehenna. Who was your owner?


    The Trinity Academy in Lenomond Town.


    Lenomond Town, huh? You must have had a hard time dealing with those old-fashioned witches back in that town.


    Old-fashioned?


    Eloa took the living lobsters from Siwoos hand.


    She closed her eyes for a moment, as if drowning herself in a prayer, before ending the lives of the three lobsters at once.


    Those witches living in Lenomond Town are the conservatives among the conservatives. Their way of thinking is stuck in the distant past, so I can imagine the pain you had to go through as a slave in that place.


    I havent met many witches myself, butits true that witches outside that town have a morecarefree atmosphere. Nevertheless, I met a lot of good people in Gehenna.


    Do you not come to hate witches?


    Part of me feels so, but if it isnt because I became a slave in Gehenna, I wouldnt be freed from my fate of death nor would I be able to study magic as I am now. Also, I made quite a few precious friends back there.


    Eloa glanced at Siwoo as he spoke.


    Though a persons facial expression couldnt tell everything about them, their nature and attitude towards life would leave a mark on their face.


    What Eloa got from Siwoos was the fact that he was a good-natured person without any malice.


    Ah


    This prompted her to let out a light smile at him. Since it was so sudden, he didnt know how to respond, as he could only smile back shyly.


    You also stared at me back when we were walking. Do you think I wouldnt notice?


    S-Sorry.


    No need to. Im aware that my hair color is a rarity even among witches. Honestly, Id let you touch it if you ask.


    He wasnt staring at her because of her unusual hair color, that was for sure.


    But, there was no way hed tell her that.


    Before he knew it, the kitchen was filled with the fragrant smell of butter and stir-fried vegetables.


    After he finished preparing all the ingredients, Siwoo had left with nothing to do.


    You can wait in the living room, this will take a while.


    Is there anything else I can help you with?


    I can only accept your sentiment. As the host, I really cant make my guest work in my kitchen any more than this, can I?


    Hearing her words, Siwoo went to the living room and waited for a long time.

 Chapter 226: People Who Are Stuck in the Past (2)

    Chapter 226: People Who Are Stuck in the Past (2)


    People Who Are Stuck in the Past (2)


    1.


    Coq au vin.


    Befit its name, it was a dish of chicken stew that was made by boiling the chicken inside a wine for a long period of time.


    Even Koreans who knew nothing about French dishes would be aware of its existence.


    As she stir-fried the vegetables with butter, Eloa added the marinated chicken in.


    She cooked it along with its fat and skin with high temperature, all while ignoring the oil splashing to the back of her hand.


    When the chickens color resembled that of caramel, she moved it to the pot and heated it.


    As the finishing touch, she added two bottles of Burgundy Wine and sprinkled some herbs on top.


    She could smell the scent of the wine and hear the sizzling sound of the broth.


    The wine was given to her by Sua as a gift, so there was no way that itd be of a poor quality.


    That was most likely the reason why the scent was so good.


    Since the dish needed to be cooked for quite some time, she was supposed to use a rooster for it


    But, she could only find chicken in the store, so she had to make do with this.


    Hardening her heart to compromise by using Koreans rather smaller chicken, she put a lid on the pot and began to prepare her second dish, the bouillabaisse.


    To put it simply, it was a French seafood soup.


    Tomatoes, garlic, onions, peppers, and a bunch of other ingredients were added to various high-quality seafood. To add to the flavor, she added bay leaves and thymes into the soup.


    Originally, she was supposed to make the broth out of boiled fish bones, but since she didnt have the time to do so, she replaced it with seafood stock.


    These two dishes were the dishes that Eloa was most confident in, and also the favorite dishes of Ravi.


    It had been more than a century since she last made it, but her body still remembered how to do it.


    Maybe, if a little more time passed.


    Shed end up forgetting it.


    Eloa stared blankly at the bubbling pot.


    Then suddenly she burst out laughing.


    Because she remembered the words she told Siwoo just now.


    Those witches living in Lenomond Town are the conservatives among the conservatives. Their way of thinking is stuck in the distant past


    Their way of thinking is stuck in the distant past


    Stuck in the past


    They dont change even after time passes


    Stagnates like the water deep in the ocean


    As she mulled over the words again, she realized how much they fit herself.


    Every night, she dreamt of the moment she lost Ravi.


    Tormented by the past that she would never get back.


    Ugh!


    Are you okay?


    For a moment, she was lost in thoughts.


    The pot in front of her was boiling, its content overflowed.


    Noticing this, she hurriedly turned down the fire.New n0vel chapters are published on


    Originally, coq au vin had to be boiled in a low-heat for a long time to remove the alcohol in the wine, but she forgot about that for a second there.


    D-Dont worry, Im okay.


    Ill help you.


    As Siwoo rummaged through her shelves, looking for a bowl, she only watched him from behind.


    2.


    The first dish that was finished was the bouillabaisse, followed by the coq au vin.


    For the latter, after being submerged in the wine for a good while, every part of the chicken was successfully permeated by the wine.


    After they finished preparing the meal, Eloa and Siwoo sat facing each other at the table.


    I wanted to cook more things for you, but its been a while since Ive done this, so Ive forgotten a lot.


    Its okay, you know, its been a while since I ate a handmade dish prepared by someone else.


    Youre exaggerating, I didnt prepare anything.


    Siwoo put some food on the plate in front of Eloa before taking his seat.


    After that, they both started eating.


    Bouillabaisse and coq au vin were both dishes he never tasted before, but it surprisingly fit his palate.


    The chicken, soaked in wine and tomato sauce, melted in his mouth as soon as he put it in.


    When the light saltiness went away, it was replaced by a fragrant and bitter aftertaste, which was a delicacy on its own.


    This is probably what foreigners feel when they eat samgyetang for the first time.


    Maybe that was why


    She had this strange urge to tell him about the memories of the happy days with her dear apprentice that she refused to remember.


    Perhaps


    The scent of these nostalgic dishes on the table, the feeling of having a meal with someone after a long time would be able to start her stopped time, even if it was only for a moment.


    While Siwoo was hesitating whether to apologize for his thoughtless words or not, Eloa opened her mouth first.


    Raviwas a bright and cheerful child


    She said that in a faint voice, as if she was tracing a distant past.


    That girl was more talkative than a small bird. Shed talk endlessly, saying more things than I could say in a year in a mere dayand she has a nice heart, even brighter than any gems in this world


    Eloa moistened her dry lips with alcohol.


    I loved her. Really, she was too good of an apprentice for me. No one in Gehenna hated her, even the most untameable beasts would lick her hand obediently


    That wasnt all. She was a genius in both magic and martial arts. Unlike me, who could only pose as one, she was a real genius


    Flash of memories were being replayed in Eloas hazy mind.


    A gentle smile appeared on her lips.


    The kind of smile that naturally came to her mind, a happy smile as she reminisced about her now long lost joyful past


    But, that smile disappeared as she delved more into her memories.


    And as you knowI lost herbecause of my complacency. Maybe this is how the heavens showed me how undeserved I was of her


    Thats


    If I had only been a little more carefulif I had only been less complacentmaybe I wouldnt have lost her in vain like that


    She didnt shed any tears.


    There was also no trace of sadness in her voice.


    Yet, she cried. Without any tears, without any sadness in her voice


    Do you know the most horrible thing out of everything? Its the fact that I dont have the right to even mourn her.


    That was when Siwoo found out the first time.


    Of how deep someones sadness and self-loathe could be.


    Sorry, I said something unnecessary


    Eloa couldnt speak anything anymore.


    She knew that Siwoo was a strong man.


    Because he always showed her his unwavering figure.


    She never expected that even though she decided to dedicate her life for revenge, to end up festering her worries to such a man.


    To bring up the dried wound deep inside her heart and laid it bare for the man to see.


    Eloa looked at her glass, now empty, before picking up a bottle of whiskey with more than half of it remaining.


    Please drink a little more slowly


    Just because you have Ravis bowl, doesnt mean I hate or resent you, so you dont need to worry.


    I never worried about that, I know youre a kind person, Duchess.


    Is that so?


    Her vent was something that she had probably repeated a hundred thousand times already.


    So, it didnt take long for her to regain her composure.


    She tidied up her disheveled clothes and wiped the trace of whiskey that flowed down her chin,


    I drank too much, sorry for showing you such disgraceful behavior.


    No, it was me who should be sorry. I shouldnt have asked you that question


    Eloa reached out without saying anything.


    Her hand, warm from the alcohol, touched Siwoos eyepatch.


    The brand engraved on his golden eyes contained Ravis bowl.


    Youre holding her bowl.


    For a witch, their brand meant more than their life.


    I never thought that Id see it again


    A hundred years. It took that long for her to see what remained of her apprentice.


    She stroked his eyepatch carefully, as if she was handling a fragile object.


    Her eyelids slowly closed as her hand moved to caress Siwoos cheek.


    When she was still chugging her alcohol, it made her numb to the state of her body, but now that she stopped, the drowsiness finally hit her.


    And her body fell down gently on the table, asleep, prompting a deep sigh from Siwoo.


    His heart felt heavy.


    Raviravi


    Because even when she was sleeping, it was clear that she was suffering.

 Chapter 227: People Who Are Stuck in the Past (3)

    Chapter 227: People Who Are Stuck in the Past (3)


    People Who Are Stuck in the Past (3)


    1.


    Duchess?


    Eloa fell asleep with a grimace on her face.


    Siwoo shook her shoulders, trying to wake her up, but to no avail.


    Unlike ordinary witches, Tiphereth needed to sleep as a part of her covenant.


    That was why, once she fell asleep, it was impossible to wake her up just by shaking her shoulders.


    Oh, jeez


    Unable to say anything, Siwoo could only stare at her.


    She was pitiful.


    There really was a clear difference between listening to hearsays and hearing everything directly from the person in question.


    Her self-loathe, regret, sufferingThe source of this content no/v(el)bi((n))


    She had been suffering alone while holding all those emotions for a hundred years.


    Siwoo carefully lowered his body. The whole thing left a bitter taste in his mouth, even more bitter than the watered down whiskey.


    I cant just leave her like this


    So, he decided to move her to her bed.


    All the drama aside, it didnt sit well with him to let the person who kindly treated him to a meal lying on the table like this.


    Please excuse me, Duchess.


    He placed his hands on her armpits before slowly lifting her up.


    For a second there, he wondered if this was the right thing to do.


    But then again, it wasnt like he had weird thoughts about her or anything.


    Shes so light


    After gaining a spirit body, Siwoo naturally became stronger than normal people.


    Even after considering that, Eloas body was especially light.


    Then again, she was only a little bit taller than the twins, so it would be weird if she was heavy in the first place.


    In any case, he couldnt just carry her by lifting her by her underarms, so he shifted her position to a princess carry instead.


    Ngh


    When he looked down, he could see Eloas face trembled, her frown still remained.


    There were beads of sweat on her forehead, as if she was experiencing nightmares.


    Throughout their training, Siwoo had come into close contact with her a lot of times, but it was the first time he had ever seen her from such a close distance.


    Then again, during their training, he couldnt even touch the hems of her skirt.


    While he was carefully moving Eloa, who was sound asleep, something embarrassing happened.


    Maybe because of their close proximities, her unique scent tickled his nose.


    Her sweet scent, a mix of the scent of cherry blossoms and the scent of a breezy spring, infiltrated his nose, but it didnt stay there. Instead, it went further and permeated through his chest.


    Fuck, not again


    Almost immediately, his lower body started to react.


    As if a switch had been pressed, it began to stand up.


    Unable to hide his embarrassment, he waddled over to Eloas bed and put her there.


    Maybe because he did it rather roughly, Eloas frown grew deeper as she moved her body away a little.


    Fuu


    In the process, her hair spread like a fan and let out a fragrant scent.


    Her breath leaked out from her thin lips.


    Like cherry blossoms being blown by the wind, her long, dense eyelashes fluttered.


    Her slightly disordered clothes revealed the nape of her neck.


    She looked so delicate, it was as if her entire existence was there to attract males.


    The attraction Siwoo felt didnt come from his natural instinct to mate or his sexual attraction towards the opposite sex.


    It came from her defenseless figure as she slept, it was as if she was begging to be devoured by him.


    The impulse he felt was close to that of a violence.


    Before he knew it, he already reached out to her chest. Luckily, he managed to rein himself in, even though he could feel that his reasoning had almost faded away.


    Haah


    Unaware of what was going on, Eloa stretched out sleepily in her sleep as Siwoo left the room without glancing back.


    Am I going insane?


    This phenomenon had happened a few times already.


    With Yebin, Sharon and Periwinkle.


    The moment he got within close proximity with a witch, hed breathe in their unique scent, his lower body would react immediately as his libido shot up.


    Just like a werewolf who transformed after seeing a full moon.


    Perhaps that comparison was closer to the truth than what one might think.


    Because only a beast would get aroused just three seconds after finding someone pitiful.


    Siwoo staggered as he made his way to the sink and washed his face.


    Seriously, whats wrong with me?


    After pouring some cold water onto his face, he finally managed to regain his senses.


    His lower body also calmed down a little.


    I should go back


    It felt like he had just avoided a death flag there.


    Even though his body was acting weird again, it didnt erase the fact that it was only his body that was acting up, not the Duchess.


    Ah!


    Siwoo lowered his body slightly before lifting her hair and kissed the back of her neck.


    Maybe because she didnt expect him to do this, Sharon let out a squeaky noise in surprise.


    The sensation sent goosebumps all over her body, but she didnt know whether it was because she felt ticklish or because she felt pleasure from his kiss.


    I dont know. What do you think? Is it enough?


    Alright, Ill give you more.


    I didnt ask for more! Ahn!


    Siwoo gently pulled on the straps of Sharons shirt.


    As they slid down on her round shoulders, they revealed her white nape.


    He slowly showered the place with kisses, gently tracing the beautiful curve. After a while, he could hear her hot breaths leaking out of her lips.


    So, Judge Sharon, what is the verdict of the trial?


    I dont knowyou dummy!


    Receiving his relentless attack, Sharon held on to the chair she was sitting on.


    Her body started to tremble.


    Then, she reached out behind her with one of her arms, grabbing Siwoos thigh.


    But she didnt push him away.


    Instead, she just leaned on him, as if surrendering herself to him.


    You dummy


    Look at that naughty smile of yours.


    I dont have a naughty smile! You do!


    Sharon slowly got up from her seat and offered her body to Siwoo.


    Her shirt fell down to the floor, revealing her voluminous body that was only covered with sexy lingerie, which immediately fell onto Siwoos arms.


    He only needed to swipe a little for her bra hook to come off.


    It was clear that the poor thing was unable to withstand the pressure of her breasts that had become more and more obscene by the days.


    From now on, Ill text you whenever Im coming home late. And I wont make fun of you again. So, dont be angry, okay?


    What are you on about? Im not angry Ahhn!


    Siwoo lightly bit her neck with his teeth.


    That didnt hurt her, but the bite left a teeth mark.


    This was one of the things that Sharon came to enjoy these days.


    That was why her body was left with bite marks all over the place after they were done with their intercourse.


    Siwoo placed his hands under the bra cups, poking Sharons nipples with his fingertips before twirling them around.


    What about this? Will you be less angry now?


    Haaang! O-Of coursenot!


    You said that, but these little guys are getting harder.


    U-Ugh


    When he pointed out her protruding nipples, Sharon turned her gaze down.


    You liar.


    Im not lying!


    Before she knew it, she already lost the initiative.


    Siwoo was no longer the foolish virgin he once was.


    Especially now that Sharon had told him that she liked to be dominated.


    Recently, whenever they got into this kind of atmosphere, Siwoo was the one whod take the lead.


    Youre not lying, hm?


    Ahhhaang


    -Squelch, squelch!


    At that moment, Siwoo pushed his hand into her elastic buttocks.


    Feeling the elastic band on his wrist, he gently rubbed her lower mouth with his hand, which was already wet and hot at this point.


    Thanks to this, Sharons legs started to get all wobbly.


    Y-Yes, I-I lied! I-I lied!


    Thats not good. Youll need to be punished. Get over here.


    Ahh!


    Siwoo dragged her onto the bed.


    And she plopped down without resisting.


    Before she knew it, she was looking at Siwoo with an expectant, yet lewd gaze.


    Haa


    There was no way Siwoo could hold himself back after seeing that gaze.


    These days he did feel that his sexual urge had been running uncontrollably.


    Still, when he dragged Sharon into his embrace, that silly worry of his was immediately swept away.


    I-I was angry just a while agow-why am I?


    Well, this is an effective method to ease someones anger, dont you know that? Do you not like it?


    I-I dont know! W-Well, I dont hate it at least


    Sharon, who had become aware that she was carried away by her lust, covered her face in shame.


    As for Siwoo, he had just eaten a hearty dinner before this.


    Now it was time for him to eat the sweet desserts.


    A fanart of Amelia and her Master!


    Also a young Sharon fanart!

 Chapter 228: People Who Are Stuck in the Past (4)

    Chapter 228: People Who Are Stuck in the Past (4)


    People Who Are Stuck in the Past (4)


    1.


    Here was a piece of interesting knowledge.


    Whenever a well-trained buttocks got all sweaty, it became so smooth to the point it was hard to grab them.


    Case on point with Sharons buttocks, which were as firm as the most trained Pilates Instructors.


    Her white buttocks that were raised up high, glistened because of the mix of the sweat and love juice that covered them.


    Ahh! I-I cant! I cant! Kyah!


    As this was happening, Sharon was holding her pillow so tightly that it seemed it was about to burst, all while taking on Siwoos cock with her raised buttocks.


    Whenever his hard, massive rod penetrated deeply into the depths of her narrow hole, she let out a series of moans.


    Her back was arched beautifully as it writhed without showing even a little bit of restraint, proof that she was enjoying every moment of this.


    Siwoo! Kyaah! S-Siwoo! S-Slow down! Ah, ah!!


    What do you mean slow down? You were the one who told me to go like this.


    After he shoved her to the bed.


    He immediately moved to discipline her.


    In fact, the incident that happened today was completely Siwoos fault.


    So, even though he was the one who was disciplining her, he only did that because this was what she wanted.


    Of course it wasnt like he hated doing this, rather, he loved it.


    F-Forgive me! S-Sorry for naggingahh! Y-You like that! Haeung! I-I was wrong!


    If you know that you are wrong, why did you do it, hm?


    Ahh!


    -Slap!


    Kyaaah!


    He could feel the lingering sensation of Sharons sweaty buttocks in his hand.


    Several red hand marks decorated her firm buttocks, turning it into a fascinating work of art.


    Once he started giving her ass a nice slap, it was hard for him to quit doing it. Because every time he did, she would flinch while letting out a dirty sound that felt addictive to the ears.


    Answer me. Why did you do it when you know that its wrong?


    B-Because I was upseta-and I want you to know that I am Kyah!


    Once they got in this situation, whichever among them who was in the wrong stopped mattering anymore.


    Siwoo was clearly in the wrong, but when he tormented her like this, she could only let out a loud, satisfied moan. This got him out of trouble while satisfying Sharons desire to be dominated.


    Such was what one would call a perfectly crafted symbiotic relationship.


    Now, you move.


    W-Wait! II-I! Haeung!


    She moved her pretty-looking butt.


    Bending her upper body forward, she rocked her waist back and forth, repeatedly taking in and pulling out Siwoos cock.


    Even though her pussy was completely soaked with love juice, her inner flesh could still grip his thick meat rod tightly.


    Though he had been doing this with her everyday, he had never grown tired of it and there was a good reason for that. Because the contrast between her current appearance and back when he first met her.


    When they first met, Sharon gave off this cold, arrogant and aloof vibe. But now, she willingly spread her legs for him, just like a bitch in heat.


    Her hips would tremble whenever she heard his suggestive words.


    Putting it that way, how could he not enjoy such a thing?


    H-Haeung! S-Siwoo, I-I think Im going to!


    Suddenly, her inner flesh tightened as she took in the whole length of his rod before twisting her waist.


    As her back trembled violently, she finally reached an orgasm.


    Her toes wiggled.


    Since her buttocks were raised up high, Siwoo could see her butthole twitching repeatedly.


    As he reveled in the view, Sharon was holding for her dear life onto her pillow.


    Haahhaah


    I see you havent reflected on your actions at all. Who told you that you could cum first, hm?


    S-Sorry! Ahh! Sorry!


    How many times have you came without my permission now?


    T-Three times! I-It was three times! Ahh!


    While she had done it three times, he hadnt done it even a single time yet.


    Naturally, he felt elated by this development. His endurance had grown considerably compared to before. Despite that, he still didnt go easy on her.


    This wont do. Get on your knees.


    L-Like this?


    She meekly followed his words, kneeling on the bed face down while he grabbed her hips firmly.


    With her adopting a kowtowing posture, it gave him a weird sense of immorality. It was as if he was about to violate her while she was trying to beg for his forgiveness.


    Siwoo ran his palm over her wet pussy, giving it a careful wipe.


    As he did, thick love juices came leaking out.


    Say that you want me to fuck you.


    H-Huh?


    Say it. With a please.


    Sharon lifted her head slightly to look at Siwoo.


    Considering that she made a fool out of herself already by cumming repeatedly, she began to plead to Siwoo, letting out pitiful tears as she begged him with her eyes, Please spare me


    But, soon enough, she erased that look from her face as her face started to redden.


    Drops of tears fell down onto the ground.


    Biting her lips, Ravi turned around and left without saying anything.


    Even though Eloa knew that her dear apprentice was going to go out, she didnt stop her.


    She made an excuse to herself, that both of them needed some time alone since this was the first time something like this ever happened.


    The hotels door was slammed shut.


    Back then, if she knew that it would be the last time shed ever see her dear apprentice.


    Shed definitely try to make a different choice.


    3.


    Eloa opened her eyes.


    An unpleasant pain spread across her chest as sticky sweat dripped down her forehead.


    As always, whenever she woke up from the repeating nightmare, she found it hard for herself to breathe.


    Haahaa


    She gasped for air desperately, as if she had just about to drown.


    Using both hands, pressed onto her chin before moving up to her hair, grasping it tightly.


    Like a bird trying to cover its body from a storm, Eloa curled up, trying to distance herself from the storm of emotion that was raging in her heart.


    Ah


    When she calmed down a little, she instinctively reached out to the side, trying to grasp the bottle of liquor that had always accompanied her at her bedside.


    But it failed to grab anything.


    Come to think of it


    Finally, she was out of her daze and realized what exactly had happened.


    Today, she invited Siwoo in.


    After a hearty dinner, she got drunkand fell asleep right there and then.


    But somehow, she woke up in her bed.


    Which meant, the man had willingly carried her to the bed.


    She left the room.


    What she needed now was a drink and a cold shower.


    Outside the window, she could see the scenery of Seoul welcoming a new dawn.


    Through the numerous skyscrapers and the rather thick layer of smog


    The light of dawn seeped in, chasing away the darkness of the night.


    But even that brilliant light couldnt chase away the darkness in her heart.


    They said that the most painful time was the first time one woke up after getting anesthesia.


    But to Eloa, the most painful time was the time whenever she woke up from her nightmare.


    She took out a bottle of alcohol from her shelf and twisted the cork open.


    The hot liquor set fire to her throat down to her stomach.


    Once upon a time, she was among those people who had an aversion to alcohol, as theyd numb ones senses and muddle ones mind. But now, she couldnt live without it as it was her only way to ease her suffering.


    As she was getting herself ready to start her day, she noticed something.


    The table was strangely clean.


    I see, so he cleaned everything up


    She swept her hand across the table.


    All the dishes she left behind before she went to sleep had already been washed.


    Since there was no way that she had done all that while sleeping, she reckoned that Siwoo must be the one who did it.


    Hes a good child.


    A kind one.


    Regardless of her initial misunderstanding, this small act of kindness he had done increased Eloas evaluation of him.


    Perhaps it was because she was feeling lonely.


    Or she probably couldnt bear with the pain anymore.


    She ended up accepting Siwoo, the one who inherited Ravis bowl, as her disciple.


    Even when she knew how foolish of an act it was, fooling herself to think that shed be able to erase her regret by doing all this


    She still wanted to do everything that she couldnt do with Ravi, with him.


    -Wooong!


    But, her moping didnt last long.


    Because a deep and massive mana suddenly surged.


    Her senses were able to pick up even the slightest vibration of mana from far away.


    The circuits that were carved deep under her skin and muscles, just above her bones, enhanced her capabilities to sense magic.


    That was why she could always detect any kind of mana even from far away.


    What?


    But, this time, the mana she felt was different than usual.


    Because the source wasnt far, but very close to where she was.


    Though she could feel that it was being hindered by something, due to the sheer amount of mana being emitted, it seeped through that hindrance and created a considerable wave of mana.


    Just like the vibration of a landslide that one felt from a great distance.


    Eloa turned her eyes toward the ceiling.


    Amelia


    The twins


    And Sharon

 Chapter 229: People Who Are Stuck in the Past (5)

    Chapter 229: People Who Are Stuck in the Past (5)


    People Who Are Stuck in the Past (5)


    1.


    Your average witches would never notice it.


    No matter how much mana Siwoo emitted during his ejaculation, the music boxs concealment was strong enough to hide it from their senses.


    It was like a giant stealth plane that was caught in a radar as a small bird, the music box concealed enough of his mana to the point that one could only feel it as a small wave.


    Even Tiphereth wouldnt feel it if she wasnt staying right beneath them.


    But, she was there and she was more sensitive to mana waves compared to your average witches.


    What?


    Eloa took out her signature weapon, the Sword of Covenant.


    In response to her call, the sword with twelve characters engraved in it showed its brilliant appearance in the air.


    A lot of things were going on between them, but at this point, Eloa had already put her trust in Siwoo.


    Although he was somehow related to Ea, it was clear that he was never on her side to begin with.


    And his stance on this was firm, like an iron boulder.


    Still, there was something abnormal about this mana wave.


    So, she decided to check it out, just in case.


    Hereby, I declare a covenant.


    She didnt even stop to think.


    Her mana surged and it was reflected in her magenta eyes.


    This was the Light of Truth, the covenant to see through falsehoods even among the falsehoods.


    With it being opened, she gained the ability to see through even a one meter thick concrete wall with ease, but at the moment, she was unable to do so.


    Her view was blocked, as if a giant barrier was there.


    She could easily peer through the other rooms, but not Siwoos.


    As far as she was concerned, he was in an extremely precarious spot.


    He was in a situation where all kinds of witches put their interest in him. Basically, he needed to pay much more attention to his safety compared to your ordinary Exiles.


    In other words, a simple concealment device became a necessity for him.


    But the fact that the concealment device was so powerful that it managed to block her Light of Truth was something she didnt expect.


    Why did he have it? And why didnt he mention it to her?


    His identity was guaranteed by powerful witches, and she herself was living nearby, but why did he need to conceal himself to this extent?


    Why did he pull off something like this when he knew that she was asleep?


    Actually, Eloa didnt need to let her mind wander like this.


    She could easily dismiss it as him just being overly cautious.


    Because he thought that it wasnt really an important thing to mention, he didnt tell Eloa anything.


    The stubborn and staunch Eloa from the past would have thought so.


    Lets calm down firstcalm down


    However, a faint emotion in her heart gave birth to suspicions.


    Her confirmation bias striked again, painting Siwoo in a suspicious light and casting a dark shadow in her already fragile mind.


    No matter how kind he was, no matter how good natured he was


    Though he possessed Ravis bowl, at the same time, he also possessed Ea Maidens Loom.


    And she still didnt know the reason why he had both of them.


    Therefore, she couldnt afford to let her guard down.


    The thoughts of him hiding a twisted emotion behind a good-natured mask brought chills down her spine.


    And so, she carefully opened the door to the balcony.


    If she were to cast her gaze below, she could basically see the city from a birds-eye view, but she didnt need to pay any attention to that. Because It wasnt like shed fall from this height.


    -Woosh!


    She clung to the railings upstairs like a cat.


    Through the blackout curtains, she could see what was inside Siwoos living room, but she couldnt hear anything.


    So, she opened the door carefully, trying to not make any noises.


    Fortunately for her, the door wasnt locked, so she was able to enter Siwoos place as soon as she passed through the curtaiaybe because she was getting closer to the source.


    The mana wave she felt was much stronger.


    She carefully advanced, one step at a time, holding her sword firmly.


    There were two rooms in Siwoos place.


    One of them had its door open and there was no one inside, so she surmised that the source of the mana wave was behind the closed door.


    2.


    The Duchess was rewarded with a sex scene for her surprise visit.


    At this point, Siwoo had already desensitized by it, since he had gone through Amelia jerking him off in her classes, and having a threesome with the twins.


    However, that wasnt the case with Sharon. Because this was her first time facing something like this, she was literally losing her mind.


    Sharon.


    Whats up? Im writing down my wills right now.


    Half-dazedly and half-naked, she was scribbling something on a piece of paper.


    It seemed like she was seriously considering killing herself out of shame and leaving out a will.


    Just last night she was caught by the Duchess when she was trying to seduce him to have sex with her.


    And the very next morning, the Duchess actually saw them having a sex


    Considering that, it wasnt strange if Sharon were to think that she was afflicted by some kind of curse.


    I dont think shell care that much, so dont worry about it, okay?


    No, Im not worrying. I wont be around to find out anyway.


    Her voice was surprisingly calm.


    But that was what made it scary.


    Because it reminded him of something.


    The people who accepted their deaths had tendencies to act unnaturally calm.


    Hehehehehehehehehehe


    As she leaned forward to write her will, she suddenly started laughing


    It was the first time he had ever heard her laugh like this, adding to his fear.


    Crazywhy did she have to come at that moment? Hehewhat did I say back then? Siwoo, is my pussy tasty? heheheahahahahaha


    Half-dazedly, she laughed in an empty voice.


    That was when it finally clicked for Siwoo.


    This was how a normal person should react when someone caught them in the middle of sex.


    His situation was different from hers too. Eloa only caught him naked, while Sharon was moaning loudly while spouting such embarrassing words.


    He admitted inwardly that hed probably feel the same way as her if someone were to hear him saying things like How does my dick taste?.


    And so, he patted her on the shoulder.


    She probably thought it was cute. Surely she had experienced this a couple of times in her life.


    Cute?


    Hearing her sharp reaction, Siwoos whole body flinched.


    Sorry, I misspoke.


    This is so fuckedI swear Im slowly starting to hate herahhh!


    Seemingly unable to bear the feeling that overflowing her chest, she threw herself into the bed and went on a rampage.


    How could this happen to me! She let out a muffled scream as she did so.


    Based on Siwoos experience.


    If someone was suffering this much from embarrassment, it would be wise to just leave them alone for their mental healths sake.


    So, he patted her on the shoulder again.


    Im going to talk to her, okay? Dont think of something bad and stay calm.


    What are you even going to talk to her about? Ah, tell her to not tell anyone about it! I swear if she were to do it, Im going to kill myself!


    Dont worry, she isnt the type of person to do that. Ill just tell her that she should be more careful next time.


    Ughseriously, I want to kill myself


    After receiving her promise that she wont kill herself in the meantime, Siwoo left her and went downstairs.


    Haah


    He tried to remember what the Duchess had said as an excuse.


    She said that she felt a mana wave that was strong enough to seep through the music boxs concealment effect.


    That was why she came upstairs to check it out.


    If that was really the case, then he didnt have much reason to complain.


    Because even himself was unable to explain what was going on.


    That left him with the only problem, which was also the biggest one, the innocent victim, Sharon. He surmised that it would probably be better for Eloa to apologize once again to her,


    -Knock, knock.


    -Click!


    As soon as he knocked on the door, it opened wide, as if the inhabitant had been waiting for him.


    Please come in.


    Eloa emerged from the door, reluctantly stepped away to make ways for him to enter.


    More Amelia fanart

 Chapter 230: People Who Are Stuck in the Past (6)

    Chapter 230: People Who Are Stuck in the Past (6)


    People Who Are Stuck in the Past (6)


    1.


    There was no table in Eloas living room, so they talked in her kitchen instead.


    Between them were a bottle of whiskey and two glasses.


    They figured that itd be more comfortable to talk over a drink, since the situation wasnt exactly a normal one.


    Considering how embarrassing it was, there was a possibility that they couldnt even start talking if they were sober.


    Cough


    Ahem


    Case on point, even after they downed two glasses of whiskey, they hadnt started talking yet.


    For Siwoo, considering the context of their conversation, he definitely had to explain what was going on when he was ejaculating in detail. No matter how used he was to embarrassing situations, having to explain that kind of thing with his own mouth was still difficult for him to do.


    Especially considering that they werent even that close to begin with.


    I amsorry


    It was Eloa who eventually broke the silence with those words. For some reason, she was holding and releasing the hem of her dress repeatedly.


    Her usually straight shoulders were now curled up, as if she was losing her spirit.


    Usually, shed stare right at Siwoos eyes whenever she was talking, but now, her gaze randomly fell onto the glass.


    Its fine, I know you meant well, Duchess.


    Thats


    You came because you thought someone was attacking me, right? Thats why you brought out your Formal Wear, you thought that I was in danger and wanted to help me.


    Ah


    As if someone had hit her in the head, Eloa was shocked the moment she heard Siwoos words.


    When she first felt that mana wave


    She never considered the possibility of an assailant.


    All she could think about was doubt towards Siwoo.


    It was as if her words about trusting him were merely something that she used to keep her appearances. When an abnormal phenomenon occurred, the first thing she did was cast her suspicions on him.


    Then again if it wasnt for that, she wouldnt just snuck into his house like a cat.


    Uhwas that not the case?


    He provided a convenient excuse for her, but she hesitated.


    And it didnt take long for Siwoo to realize that his guess was off after he noticed her reaction.


    No.


    As she said so, Eloa hung her head down in complete shame.


    Then


    All this time, she hadnt made eye contact with him.


    Her eyes had been darting back and forth randomly, like tea leaves in a hot black tea.


    Seeing that, Siwoo came to a rough guess.


    A vague speculation that emerged as a fact.


    You didnt trust me, huh?


    Im sorry.


    So far, she hadnt provided him with any explanations.


    Still, after all they had been through, with her putting him under her protection and training him, he had expected her to trust him a little, but


    Like you said, I didnt trust you


    I understand where you came from. Youve told me that part of the reason why you live here is because you wanted to keep an eye out of me, after all But still, it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth


    Siwoo completely understood why she did all that, at least logically.


    Since the target of her revenge was dead (or at least, her whereabouts were unknown) and the only remaining link to her was himself, it was reasonable for the Duchess to keep a close eye on him.


    But emotionally, it was a little different.


    Just half a day ago they had shared a nice meal together and she even shared her pain with him. But even after all that, she was still looking at him with prejudice


    Saying that this was shocking to him was an understatement.


    Im sorry I thought Id trusted you already, but it seems like I had been fooling myself to believe so


    Dont worry, I understand this isnt easy for you. I hope that we can resolve our misunderstandings one day.


    Still, this is completely my fault


    Suddenly, she stretched out her hand.


    Gently, she held the back of Siwoos free hand.


    It wasnt a firm grip, but a light touch.


    I lost it for a moment. Honestly, I also dont understand why I hold so much prejudice towards you. Nevertheless, Ive wronged you and I have no excuses.


    Somehow, she managed to convey her restlessness clearly.


    Siwoo felt like he was feeling too self-conscious to think so, but it seemed like she didnt want him to hate her.


    Still, admitting to something like that was more embarrassing than he imagined.


    Now, Eloa must have thought of him as an unscrupulous man who made women say obscene lines as he fucked them.


    But, after the first look of surprise, Eloa let out a gentle smile.


    Why is she smiling? Is there something funny?


    Since he expected her to reproach him or at least, keep her distance from him, this reaction of hers was completely unexpected, and it only added to his embarrassment even more.


    You are not good at lying, do you know that?


    Huh? But Im not lying.


    Sure, sure.


    Seeing through his lies almost immediately, Eloa grinned before standing up.


    You should go back and comfort her. Like you said, if I were the one to go to her, something even more embarrassing would definitely happen. Also, tell her that I deeply apologize and I promise I wont tell anyone about this.


    Y-Yes. Also, in the future, if you need to visit us, can you please refrain from going through the balcony? Um, just ring the doorbell first


    I will.


    She stuck out her pinky to Siwoo.


    In which, he could only stare at it blankly.


    Because it was quite the childish gesture, the complete opposite of her behavior so far.


    Seeing his reaction, Eloa quietly lowered her hand, as if she had come to her senses.


    Sorry, I always did this whenever I made a promise to Ravi


    No, its okay. Please uphold your promise


    With that, he intertwined his pinky with hers.


    2.


    After Siwoo returned, Eloa was still sitting there by herself, drinking.


    In the witches world, it was normal for all sorts of bizarre things to happen, but his case was still on the bizarre side even after considering that.


    Absorbing mana through sexual intercourse was already an absurd phenomenon to begin with, but amplifying it, returning it and using it as a basis to restore an incomplete brand? It was a phenomenon that was out of this world.


    Anyway


    Eloa had devoted her entire life to magic.


    Ever since Ravi died, she had been running around the world, trying to get her revenge.


    And those were the only things she did, she never bothered to care about anything else, so it was the first time she had ever seen a man and woman copulate.


    Of course, she had never done it with a man either.


    One could say that her life was just like the typical life of a conservative witch.


    Ahem


    Thinking back, it was such an embarrassing sight.


    Seeing the thing that she had only ever heard of with her own eyes was quite the shock to her.


    Maybe because she was a little drunk already.


    Normally, shed be able to brush this kind of thought off easily.


    But that wasnt the case today.


    Instead, she kept replaying the scene that she had seen over and over.


    How Sharon was lying face down and how Siwoo was pushing himself on her.


    The sight of his particularly thick assets was embedded in her mind clearly.


    She wasnt aroused or anything, though.


    As far as she was concerned, she had never lusted on anyone, not a man nor a woman.


    What she was feeling was curiosity.


    She was amazed that something so big could fit inside such a small hole.


    Sharons expression, which looked as if she had taken the sweetest drug in the world, was also embedded in her mind.


    Her first impression of Sharon was that she possessed an innocent beauty, but such a person was groaning like a beast in that situation.


    Moreover, she was in such a trance that she didnt even notice that another person entered the room, making Eloa wonder, exactly what kind of feeling did she experience back then?


    This was the first time she had ever wondered about this kind of thing.


    I need to stop.


    Eloa poured some more alcohol into her mouth and shook her head.


    She figured that it would be rude to both of them if she were to continue thinking about it.


    Lets just forget everything that happened today.


    She promised herself.


    Ahem


    She rested her head on her chin again and fell into thoughts.


    It seemed like she wouldnt be able to erase the memory out of her head anytime soon.


    Here we go, its none other than our dear MC

 Chapter 231: Training (1)

    Chapter 231: Training (1)


    Training (1)


    1.


    Through a combination of administrative maneuvering and the usage of magical devices, the darkness in that certain place had been consigned to oblivion.


    In the underground of Seoul, in a forgotten drainage tunnel, Della let out a bitter laugh.


    If they found out how much of a mess Ive becomea bunch of them are definitely going to cheer for it


    Just as she said, that was a likely outcome.


    Since she had been snatching whatever she wanted, using whatever method she could use, there were numerous people that held resentment toward her.


    If those people were to see this sorry sight, theyd definitely burst into laughter.


    After all, the greedy Witch of Ashfire, Della, was moaning in pain. Barely keeping herself alive while struggling like a worm.


    Her current appearance was indeed miserable.


    The once vivid red hair now looked like a tangled mess of blood and dust.


    Her limbs were impaled with white spears as she hung on the wall like a preserved insect.


    Due to her repeated bouts of blood-vomiting, a strong stench and the thick smell of blood wafted from her mouth and the chest area of her dress.


    Was it painful, you ask?


    Well, at this point, she couldnt even feel a thing anymore.


    She was undoubtedly a 20th rank grand witch.


    Not only that, she was also abundant in combat experience. Even so, she still suffered a brutal defeat when Paola brought out thirty two White Knights at once to deal with her.


    But, this outcome simply didnt make sense.


    While it was true that she suffered a devastating defeat by those White Knights


    Despite their status as the clones of the Red Knight, they only had four eyes.


    Normally, let alone thirty two of them, even if Paola were to bring a hundred of them at once, Della would still be able to beat them. Overwhelmingly so.


    But the outcome was completely different than that.


    They were different from the typical Homunculi. Those White Knights could move systematically, they could use their intelligence to hunt her down relentlessly.


    The white spears in their hands contributed the most to her downfall.


    Those spears were clones to the Red Branch, the weapon of the Red Knight which possessed the ability to distort the space.


    The spears ability forced Della to use more power than necessary just to beat one of them, which led to her defeat after merely taking care of twenty of them.


    -Clack, clack, clack!


    As someone entered the spacious chamber, the sound of footsteps echoed in the air.


    Following that, three White Knights guarding Della made way to reveal the Cowardly Witch, Paola.


    In her hand was a long-necked bottle.


    Drink.


    You wont last a day if you dont drink.


    Della glared at Paola with sharp eyes before opening her mouth.


    As she bit the spout of the bottle that was pushed into her mouth, a foul and tasteless liquid flowed in.


    Inside the bottle were various potions that could heal a spirit body.


    This was the reason why she had survived for so long, even though her body was pierced all over by the White Knights spears.


    Paola


    After feeding Della all the potion, Paola turned around to leave, but the former stopped her.


    So, the latter turned around again with an indifferent gaze.


    Her unblemished face wore a completely expressionless face.


    Having spent more day after day dangling in the communal space, Della had been observing every move Paola made.


    Using the cloned Dagons Flute, Paola had massacred humans without deploying any interdimensional barrier just to collect a large amount of mana.


    Just like Paola, Della was a grand witch.


    That was why she could easily figure out that the magic circle that was etched across the commune, with the Red Branch in the center, was part of some kind of preparation.


    And so, she gave the other witch a piece of advice.


    Just quit already


    As I thought, meaningless words again.


    But Paola shrugged off her advice, showing no interest whatsoever towards it.


    Paola!


    In a weary voice, Della called out to her once more.


    Fluttering her eyelashes, Paola turned to face Della again.


    Do you even know what youre trying to achieve right now?


    Im gathering a ton of mana.


    Youre doing a mass slaughter!


    Seoul was a highly populous city.


    Now, say that Paola sent her White Knight order and let them loose in the city.


    Would the witches be able to stop them?


    Theyd eventually call out a big-shot like Duchess Keter to solve it, as there was no way such an incident would end with only one or two casualties.


    To put it simply, no matter what Paola did, things would turn south for her and Della knew it well.


    Despite everything, Paola was still her friend and she didnt want her friend to cause such a horrific event.


    Well, to be exact, she was trying to lift him off the ground to soften the impact hed receive, but


    -Bang!


    The sheer force was enough to shatter the concrete beneath them.


    This was the 50th takedown.


    Eloa clicked her tongue in disapproval.


    Do you really think charging in like an enraged wild boar is the way to go? Your movements are too big and clunky.


    Haahhaahisnt calling me a wild boar a little too much?


    Siwoo rubbed the back of his head as he got up.


    You only looked straight ahead, charged in and fell on your own. If you arent a wild boar, what are you?


    Eloas teasing seemed to hit home as he scratched his head.


    As they continued their training and sparring sessions, Siwoo noticed that theyve grown closer.


    At this point, Eloa had oftenly spoken to him in a teasing manner.


    Thanks to her relaxed attitude, Siwoo became more comfortable to grumble and complain from time to time.


    You were the one who told me to stop being timid and start to make big and powerful moves.


    Yes, but that doesnt mean you should charge in and leave a bunch of openings. Did you forget the other thing that I said? You dont need to make big moves to perform a powerful move?


    This is so hard


    Obviously, its training. The only easy thing to do during training is lying down doing nothing. Cmon, get up.


    As Eloa extended her hand, Siwoo took it to pull himself up.


    A month had passed since they started their training. Autumn had already settled in.


    In comparison to the early days when Eloas every move left him stumbling, he had been making notable progress. But, there were no clear signs of further improvement.


    Then again, the other person was a real warrior with years of experience in battle. There was no way hed be able to catch up to her with just a few days of training.


    Is there anything else you want to show me?


    Yes. It would be a shame to end it just like this.


    Siwoo felt a substantial wall between him and Eloa.


    A wall that seemed to think for him to overcome.


    But that didnt necessarily lead him to despair, or make him give up.


    That wasnt his style at all.


    Just trying to climb such a high wall would already bring him a sense of accomplishment.


    He knew that if he replaced the time he would waste by despairing with putting in more effort, hed end up accomplishing more.


    Since he had a clear goal and purpose for learning, his concentration never wavered.


    After wrapping up the sparring, hed head home and watch some UFC matches.


    The technique that Eloa called wild boar tackle was something that he had seen in a match the day before.


    Having ambition is always a good thing. As long as you yearn for more and work towards it, your effort will eventually bore fruits.


    She didnt show it, but Eloa actually looked at him with admiration.


    He was a considerably patient man, and she knew this.


    But, for him to endure over ten hours of daily beatings while sticking to the training routine was still something that she didnt expect him to do.


    She felt like she was a bit biased, but she thought that he was a handsome book smart.


    By the way, theres something I need to tell you about the attack the other day.


    Yes?


    Eloa adjusted her slightly disheveled windbreaker before turning around.


    Do you know when the most dangerous moment in a fight is?


    Uh, in a physical fight or magic combat?


    Both.


    When she saw him staying silent, Eloa continued.


    Its when you attack.


    When Iattack?


    Whenever youre attacking, your vision would narrow and your mind would get fixated on one thing, offense, and nothing else. Because of this, youll leave a bunch of openings, thats why


    Eloa placed her hand on her waist while extending one finger on her other hand.


    Always keep this in mind during battle. Keep your mind open, keep your view broad.


    The training with the Duchess had a bit of a philosophical vibe.


    She didnt only teach skills that one could use with their bodies, but also teach one how to train their mind.


    Can you tell me more about it? Like, can you show me specific stances I can use or how to cover up my opening in my attacks?


    This is not about forcing everything into a mold. You need to do it naturally, let it flow just like water. Im only here to guide you so you wont stray from the path of the flowing stream. Everything else is up to you.


    Got it, Ill give it a shot.


    As expected, her advice sounds like a riddle.


    Siwoo thought so, but despite that, he didnt doubt her.


    Because he knew better than anyone else that his skills were improving rapidly.


    Alright, lets do it again.


    Bring it on.


    Watching his fighting spirit rekindled again, Eloa let out a faint smile.


    Eloa in her casual clothes

 Chapter 232: Training (2)

    Chapter 232: Training (2)


    Training (2)


    1.


    Well review what youve learned so far. Squeeze out all of your energy and charge at me.


    It had been another tough twelve-hour training session for Siwoo.


    Unlike before when he only relied on his spirit body for training, his physical strength had been significantly increased due to the body enhancement, making such a long training session possible.


    Despite that, the relentless training still took its toll on Siwoo, leaving him all drained.


    It left him breathless, drenched in sweat with aching muscles.


    But, this was the final stretch.


    Deep down, he knew that it was merely a dream for him to win against her.


    Still, he couldnt help but hope to see the slightest hint of surprise on the Duchess face after he had endured such hardship.


    He let out a deep breath.


    The hot breath he let out instantly cleared his head.


    His body, which had been unnecessarily tense, started to relax, but at the same time, it was ready to spring like a taut bowstring.


    -Smack!


    He visualized the image in his mind.


    Of how he narrowed the gap between himself and his opponent, just like a released arrow or a sudden gust of wind.


    His mana-enhanced body moved in perfect harmony with his mental image as he charged ahead.


    In an instant, Eloa stood before him as he focused all his attention on her.


    This allowed him to take in every detail of Eloas appearance, as if he were snapping a picture of her.


    As usual, she wore training pants and a loose windbreaker. With the zipper undone, it revealed a white sports bra.


    But what he was focusing on was her overall movement.


    Even someone as skilled as her needed to perform certain movements beforehand to make her techniques work.


    These movements included simple actions like pulling back her hind leg or extending her arms.


    He planned to use those subtle cues to anticipate all her next moves.


    Hap!


    Siwoo threw his fist forward with all his strength.


    It was already infused with Fa Jin as it shot out in a straight line.


    Even Eloa would suffer a serious injury if this blow hit her in the stomach.


    But that wasnt a reason for him to hold back.


    This wasnt the first time he had tried out this kind of move. In fact, he had done even riskier moves prior to this.


    Because he was sure that Eloa would block it anyway.


    As he had expected, she thrusted her petite body into his arms, as if trying to push herself on him.


    Her hands wrapped around his outstretched arm like a snake coiling around its prey.


    Then she rotated his arm slightly and before he knew it, his legs, which were running towards her, were kicked by her, causing him to lose his balance as his center of gravity shifted forward.


    Ugh!


    Normally, hed have hit the ground.


    But he didnt let himself fall. Instead, he grabbed Eloas shoulders and shifted his weight back.


    The sudden change in direction put a lot of strain on his waist.


    But with that, he managed to hold his ground, albeit barely.


    Oho?


    Eloa chuckled, clearly impressed with his move.


    This was the first time he had managed to resist her this much ever since they started their spar.


    Though he was mostly using brute force, he still managed to anticipate her moves.


    Ultimately, Siwoo found himself in a situation where it appeared as though Eloa was attempting to lift him and he had his arms wrapped around her from behind.


    They continued to struggle in this position.


    In fact, Eloa knew a lot of ways for her to get out of this situation.


    But, since this was the first time he had gotten this far, it roused her curiosity to find out what his next move would be.


    Now that were stuck here, what are you going to do?


    Siwoo, who had been focused on overpowering Eloa, snapped back to reality after hearing her words.


    That was when he realized something.


    The fact that they were literally stuck together.


    But, since she still had a grip on his arm, he couldnt just push her away.


    Both of them were still clinging onto each other tightly.


    Um Duchess?


    It isnt over yet. Even if were stuck here, I know that you have your way to get out of this situation. Also, this is the first time youve caught me off guard like this, so show me something good.


    That isnt important! those words almost slipped off his tongue.


    His situation was dire, freakishly so.


    Because Eloas head, with her pink hair swaying, was right below his chin.


    There was no time for him to stop her or say something else to her.


    He could only watch her walk away, feeling helpless and lost.


    2.


    Youre back already? Sorry, I was doing my work, I didnt notice you.


    When he opened the door, Sharon was there, sitting at her desk with a computer on one side and a notebook on the other. She was writing something on the latter.


    Lately, she had been studying stocks and real estate to boost her savings.


    It turned out that she had quite the knack for making money.


    Then again, witches were all geniuses, so if they were to put all their mind on making money, it wasnt a strange thing for them to strike rich.


    The only reason why she had been struggling with poverty for so long was because everytime she could get any money at all, they were all taken away before she could even invest them.


    Come over here, you mustve worked so hard, no? Ill give you a hug~


    Sharon stood up to hug him, who had just finished a tough training session, and was surprised by his exhausted expression.


    W-Whats up? Did something happen?


    No, its just


    Tell me.


    He glanced at her face.


    Back when she was suffering from embarrassment because the Duchess saw her half-naked that one time, he had found her pitiable and cute.


    But now, he regretted what he had done back then.


    Sharon.


    Yes?


    You know, when the Duchess caught you doingthings Sorry, I didnt really understand what you were going through back then.


    W-Why are you bringing that up all of a sudden?! Did she say something?!


    Almost panicky, Sharon jumped up.


    Though quite some time had passed, the emotional scar in her heart still remained.


    And it seemed like it wouldnt heal anytime soon.


    Siwoo felt a dull ache in his solar plexus.


    Now he understood the gut-wrenching feeling Sharon had told him before.


    No, it just popped into my head suddenly.


    He wasnt sure how to face Eloa tomorrow.


    While he could explain the situation to her, bringing up the topic in the first place was a different matter altogether.


    I should consider taking a break for a few days


    What do you mean by that?! Seriously, whats going on?!


    On the verge of tears now, Sharon trembled nervously as she watched Siwoo lost in his thoughts.


    Nothing, really. She hasnt brought it up since then. Doesnt seem like its on her mind either.


    Are you sure? Really, really sure? Cross your heart?


    And hope to die. But does my swear even mean anything?


    Youre not a liar, so I can believe it! Anyway, thank God! It felt like I was losing ten years of my life! Seriously!


    Sharon hugged him tightly, nuzzling her cheek against his chest.


    No matter how often he warned her about him being all sweaty after training, she never listened.


    It had been a really exhausting day for him.


    While humans could adapt well even to tough training routines, he was still mentally strained by everything, so he needed a breather.


    Right, what if we take a break today, Siwoo?


    Take a break?


    You know, todays our hunting day, so Anyway, I booked a place through the app!


    Sharons voice trailed off, her eyes flickering nervously towards him.


    That was when he realized what he had been forgotten about.


    Today was their scheduled Homunculus hunt.


    Despite the Dagons Flute incident, they still regularly went to hunt more Homunculi in Hongdae and Sinchon after a brief break.


    Not only that they didnt want anyone falling victim to those Homunculi, the hunt also contributed to Sharons income.


    Although they hadnt encountered a single one since their last one, the Mother Dog.


    Anyway, when she mentioned reservation, it meant she had already booked a hotel for them to stay in after the hunt.


    Eloa was staying downstairs and unfortunately for them, the music box couldnt completely block the mana wave.


    Because of that, if they were to have sex at home, the Duchess would pretty much know about it, so they decided to spend a night together at a nearby hotel to do it instead.


    Mm


    Originally, Siwoo was feeling like taking a break today.


    But, seeing Sharon buzzing with excitement as she shook her phone, he couldnt help but get caught up in it instead.


    Get ready, Ill get changed first.


    Got it!


    After they were done getting ready, both of them set off for a night out, something they hadnt done in a while.

 Chapter 233: Training (3)

    Chapter 233: Training (3)


    Training (3)


    1.


    Eloa closed the door to the rooftop and briskly made her way home.


    She hastily retrieved a bottle of liquor from the pantry, almost as if searching for a medicine for someone who was having an asthma attack.


    The strong liquor with 52% alcohol flowed down smoothly in her throat.


    Phew


    But even after that, she still felt unsettled, so she splashed cold water onto her face in the bathroom.


    Yet even after her bangs got soaked, she still felt on edge.


    Whats going on?


    Confusion clouded her mind.


    And there was a reason for it.


    The unfortunate incident during their recent sparring session.


    Usually, their training session that always lasted twelve hours each day, would follow a repetitive pattern.


    1) Siwoo would try something.


    2) Eloa would stop it.


    3) Both of them would go over the problem and find a way to improve.


    4) Repeat the first two processes until the problem was resolved.


    Sparring was the most effective way for Siwoo to improve his skills.


    Although their spar wasnt as intense as real combat, it still helped him learn how to move his body effectively.


    The fact that he always came up with various strategies only added to the effectiveness.


    Yesterday, he even attempted multiple takedowns during their spar.ReAd latest chapters at novelhall.com Only


    But, even though his efforts were commendable, she could easily counter his attempts. She could theoretically let herself get hit by him, but that wasnt an option she could choose.


    Because if she were to allow such sloppy attacks to succeed, there was a huge chance that it would have negative consequences in the future.


    But, since he had worked so hard for it


    She thought that it wouldnt hurt to let him see a glimpse of what he had been working on.


    Seeing him fall over and over again, yet never giving up even after all that, she decided to let him have a little fun.


    Obviously shed tell him afterwards that it was a bad idea to use submission holds on someone who possessed a spirit body that had been enhanced with magic.


    But the moment she turned her back on Siwoo and he stuck on her like glue


    After further reflection, that moment didnt last long.


    Interestingly, their position resembled that of a bear hug.


    Since Siwoo was taller than her, he could easily rest his chin on top of her head.


    But, the feeling she got from something that was pressing against her back was solid and firm. She could even feel its heat through her clothes


    That was


    She didnt need to think much, it was obviously his manhood.


    It was fully aroused, just like when he had a sexual intercourse with Sharon, rock hard from the rush of blood.


    Moreover, the breath that brushed against her ear felt different from the rough breathing he always let out during their spars.


    It felt more instinctual, almost as if he let his primal instinct go.


    Regardless, that was the first time she had ever felt that kind of breath.


    Are you crazy?


    Eloa absentmindedly stroked her back before shaking her head.


    Though she only had superficial knowledge of male-female relationships, she knew exactly when a man would get an erection.


    At Trinity Academy, they had classes on such things that were considered crucial not to miss.


    From those classes, she knew that a guy would only get an erection whenever he felt excited sexually.


    Of course, erection was something that usually happened naturally, sometimes it would even happen when one had the urge to urinate.


    Unfortunately, Eloas didnt know that.


    I cant do this.


    She quickly got to her feet and undressed herself.


    Her confused mind wouldnt settle like this.


    So she decided to take a bath to cool down both her body and mind. She filled up the tub, grabbed a bottle of liquor then got in.


    A towel was wrapped around her head to keep her hair dry then she started to ponder inside the warm water.


    Sigh


    Her hot breath, filled with the fuzz from the alcohol, created ripples on the surface of the bath.


    The past few days had brought her a sense of tranquility, but it didnt fit her usual vibe.


    She still had restless nights, she still woke up sweating from nightmares and sometimes shed clutch her chest, lost in thoughts of Ravi, but


    Things were gradually changing, bit by bit.


    Her once regret-filled and sigh-heavy days were slowly morphing into something new.


    Just like the frozen ground that had begun to thaw under the gentle touch of spring, heralding an unspoken revolution of vibrant green.


    First, the fridge was filled with various ingredients.


    Then, the cabinet that was once filled with booze, now had various things like bottles of soy sauce, vinegar and olive oil.


    In her bedroom, there were soft cushions and a cozy looking bedside lamp.


    Even the pajamas she was wearing were a gift from Siwoo.


    With all the care and concern she received from him, she had no desire to nitpick or dwell on his minor flaws.


    Itll all work out fine.


    She flopped onto the bed.


    Lets just act like nothing happened.


    Tomorrow, lets stick to our routine and invite him over for a meal.


    Then, well enjoy a drink and have a nice chat about things.


    As she let this thought sink in, the dizzy feeling she felt began to ease a little.


    Hoahm


    She let out a soft yawn as she laid in her bed.


    Every single day, she had to ensure that she got at least four hours of sleep.


    The bath, the alcohol she consumed and the comfort of Siwoos soft cushion slowly enticed her to sleep.


    Despite all these things lightening the load on her mind somewhat, she still felt fear and dread looming over her.


    Because this was the moment when she had to confront all the suppressed memories in her past mistakes.


    She felt as if she were being pulled in as her consciousness faded into darkness. And then


    It went on and on


    She cautiously, very cautiously, blinked her eyes open.


    Wondering which dreadful past shed revisit today.


    ?


    Suddenly, her eyes snapped open.


    She was in her own room.


    Obviously, this wasnt a place where her memories with Ravi were etched.


    Nor was it a place she ever visited in her dreams.


    It felt like only a moment had passed since she closed her eyes, yet now she could see the sky outside her window was tinged with the shade of blue.


    No dream?


    I didnt dream about anything?


    None of the nightmares that usually haunted her, causing her dread as night approached, showed up.


    She sat up in her bed, glancing around with vacant eyes.


    -Click!


    At that moment, the door was opened.


    A figure emerged from the dim shadows.


    It was Siwoo.


    You? What are you doing here?


    Usually, hed show up around lunchtime.


    But it was currently the dead of the night, the sun had yet to rise.


    Adjusting her rumpled pajama collar, Eloa looked at him with a puzzled expression,


    I came to see you, Master.


    M-Master?


    This was the first time he had ever called her Master.


    Usually, hed only refer to her as Duchess.


    Maybe it was because Eloa never asked him to, but it was most likely because he understood her grief over losing Ravi.


    That was why, his sudden use of Master and his unexpected late-night visit left her wondering.


    Good timing, Ive slept and theres no reason for you to hold back, no? Want to get some drinks with me?


    Sounds good to me.


    As he said that, his gaze was fixed on her face.


    His voice carried a deep resonance and he appeared to be at ease.


    Eloa sensed a shift in the atmosphere as she saw him approaching the bed where she sat down.


    It feels different to see you like this. You always wear your workout clothes usually.


    Isnt this something you bought for me? I found it very comfortable to wear, so Ive been wearing it often. Anyway, can you wait outside for a moment? I need to change my clothes.


    No matter how comfortable it felt, she still couldnt entertain her guest while wearing pajamas.


    So, she stood up, trying to change into something more presentable, but his next words stopped her in her tracks.


    Youre pretty.


    W-What?


    Youre really pretty, prettier than any witch Ive ever met in my life.


    Hearing his words, her pupils began shaking uncontrollably.

 Chapter 234: Night of Homunculi (1)

    Chapter 234: Night of Homunculi (1)


    Night of Homunculi (1)


    1.


    Youre pretty.


    W-What?


    Youre really pretty, prettier than any witch Ive ever met in my life.


    Hearing Siwoos words, Eloa pupils began shaking uncontrollably.


    She began to doubt her own ears.


    His whispers were soft.


    They carried a hidden message, one that even a mature woman could sense intuitively.


    He was trying to seduce her.


    Why are you doing this all of a sudden?


    Trying to mask her confusion, Eloa avoided his gaze.New n0vel chapters are published on


    Why exactly would he do this in the break of the dawn?


    She just couldnt understand.


    Is this sudden behavior of his because of what happened in yesterdays sparring session?


    Master


    Right as he was about to speak again, Eloa interrupted him.


    Thanks for your compliment, but like I mentioned earlier, I need to change, so could you please wait outside?


    She tried to shut him up again, but she still couldnt conceal her embarrassment.


    Pretty he said


    That was a familiar compliment, she received it often during her time as an apprentice witch.


    Though she hadnt heard it at all since she became an official witch and inheriting her title as a Duchess.


    Because it was common knowledge that she despised flattery and insincerity.


    Not only that, she also wasnt fond of her own looks.


    She couldnt stand her overly bright pink hair or her creepy magenta-colored eyes that glowed with ominous glint.


    There was also her height.


    She was almost as tall as her Sword of Covenant, there was hardly any difference.


    Simply put, he had nothing to boast about her appearance.


    Did you not hear me?


    But, even though she asked him to leave, he stayed put.


    This unsettling behavior left her feeling even more uneasy.


    Usually he knew how to behave without her telling him what to do, but now he abruptly complimented her and ignored her words


    The situation made her feel uncomfortable.


    Do you need help?


    He let out a mischievous grin.


    Help? With what?


    With changing your clothes.


    How could that


    Before Eloa could finish her words, Siwoo suddenly climbed onto her bed.


    Their faces were inches apart, almost touching.


    Despite wanting to give him a piece of her mind, Eloa was taken aback by his boldness instead.


    I know I chose that pajama, but it looks great on you, Master.


    R-Really?


    Yes, really.


    Siwoo moved closer, reaching out his arms as if to embrace Eloa.


    She felt a lump in her throat.


    In truth, she could easily push him away if she wanted to.


    Even without resorting to magic, she could overpower him with her physique.


    However, she refrained from doing so.


    Trust me, I dont have any ill intentions, I just want to help you change.


    I-I


    You dont need to worry. We used to get this close during our spars, remember?


    He gently grasped the wrist of her hand that was holding on her buttons.


    Even when their hands barely touched, she already felt a jolt running down her spine.


    Her instinct recognized it.


    The current contact held a completely different meaning from when their arms and legs touched during their spars.


    Eloas hand slipped away from his grip, fell weakly like a child whose candy was snatched away.


    That was why she had expected her to wear an expression of anger when she saw his reflection in his eyes, but


    The truth was far different from that.


    Instead of anger, she showed hesitation, as if she was being led around, pushed and pulled in different directions, like a puppet controlled by his whims.


    Stop! T-This kind of! Ah!


    Again, his hand grabbed her breasts without permission.


    His unexpectedly rough, yet warm hand, gently cupped her soft breasts.


    Though, what worried her the most wasnt the hand that was touching her chest.


    Instead, she feared that hed notice her heart that was beating erratically at the moment.


    A-As you said, I am your master


    But, youre also a woman.


    Awoman


    His words confirmed her suspicion.


    Siwoo did see her as a woman.


    That was why when he found a chance to be alone with her, he stripped her of her clothes and pushed her onto the bed.


    Siwoo withdrew his hand and leaned in slowly.


    He pressed his lean, toned body against her soft, bare skin.


    At this point, Eloas breath had turned into ragged gasps.


    Its still autumn, but the morning air is still chilly. We can keep each other warm until sunrise if we huddle together.


    N-No, d-dont No! Ah


    Eloa desperately tried to push him away.


    But, her arms felt weak, as if she had just been hit with a tranquilizer.


    He gently nibbled at the nape of her neck.


    And with just that, she was already too powerless to resist.


    At that moment, a sweet sigh escaped her lips.


    His teeth nipped at her neck, but she didnt feel any pain.


    But the heat that she felt on his skin, the scent of his sweat and the warmth of touch made her fear grow.


    As if she was being tickled by feathers, waves of pleasure repeatedly assaulted her body.


    T-This is wrongwrong


    There is nothing wrong about love.


    She pushed against him again, but it was futile.


    Because he persisted, pressing himself closer to her.


    Realizing that his hot object was pressing firmly against her soft lower abdomen, Eloa let out a muffled breath and a light gasp.


    I want to become one with you, Master.


    His hand slowly began to remove her pants.


    Soon, shed be completely naked in front of him.


    Will that actually happen? We becoming one?


    Am I gonna end up trembling helplessly beneath him?


    Actually, that doesnt sound so bad.


    No, it cant happen!


    Amidst her conflicting thoughts, a sense of unease crept over her.


    There was no other reason.


    An inexplicable chill just washed over her body, as if someone had poured ice water on her.


    Her instinct, sharpened by countless life-or-death situations


    Was now ringing alarm bells.


    Something was wrong and she sensed it.


    So, she forcefully shoved Siwoos chest aside.


    The Sword of Covenant appeared in her right hand, responding to her call.


    Her previously weakened body was now filled with vitality and strength. She got up from the bed and pointed her sword at Siwoo.


    M-Master!


    There was a genuine panic in his expression.


    Eloas strong reaction, backed up by her body language, clearly showed her feelings at the moment.


    I-I made a mistake! T-This wasnt my intention


    If the person in front of her was truly Siwoo, he would undoubtedly react the same way.


    Even Eloa, despite her instincts telling her otherwise, still thought that she might have made some kind of mistake and about to lower her blade.


    But, she decided to trust her instinct over her muddled logic.


    Hereby, I declare a covenant.


    The Light of Truth shone in her eyes, cutting through all falsehood and deception.


    Sharon!

 Chapter 235: Night of Homunculi (2)

    Chapter 235: Night of Homunculi (2)


    Night of Homunculi (2)


    1.


    M-M-Masssterrrrr


    Siwoos body started contorting.


    His skin and muscles seemed to melt away as if they were being soaked in strong acid.


    Simultaneously, the room shattered into countless fragmented pieces like the constantly shifting shapes of a kaleidoscope.


    Gripping her sword tightly until the end, Eloa watched the scene unfold.


    The scene that was rippling like a stormy lake shattered to pieces, revealing the true identity of Siwoo.


    -Grrrr!.


    A Homunculus.


    She didnt need to see its three flickering eyes to recognize it.


    Because there was no way such a creature would exist in reality otherwise.


    Floating in the air were three eyeballs buried in an unidentified mass of flesh.


    Below it, black tentacle-like things dangled limply, similar to the arteries of a rotting animal corpse.


    Drool-like liquid oozed from its slightly parted mouth. To Eloas surprise, her body was also covered in the same viscous substance.


    She had encountered numerous Homunculi in her journey.


    Combining her experience and the information she got from the Witch Point, she managed to identify it with a glance.


    Incubus.


    -Gooo!


    As Eloa tried to regain her composure, the monster desperately writhed its tentacles.


    There was no need for her to dwell on revulsion of disgust after seeing it.


    Because it was a Homunculus, so there was only one course of action she needed to take.


    Hunt it down.


    The battle didnt take long and she never intended to drag it either.


    It was way too weak to block her sword strikes.


    -Whooosh!


    She firmly gripped her Sword of Covenant and swung it diagonally.


    Her perfectly refined swordsmanship cut through the Homunculus torso without even making any sound.


    -Kiiiieeek!


    With a strange scream, similar to a crows neck being twisted, the Incubus writhed on the bed.


    Naturally, the interdimensional barrier that it deployed gradually faded away.


    Eloa looked down, seeing her own naked body and the Homunculus body that was dissolving into thin air.


    The battle itself was uneventful, but it was an extremely perilous moment.


    One really couldnt rely on appearances to judge this things danger level.


    Though the Incubus only had three eyeballs, it had a history of assassinating two witches before.


    Under normal circumstances, to assassinate a witch ranked above 15 was nearly impossible.


    Even when she was asleep or unconscious, a witchs autonomous defense was always active.


    When it sensed hostility, physical contact or unexpected attacks


    The autonomous defense would defend, intercept and even counter the attacks.


    And the Incubus was a Homunculus that was specialized in breaking down witches autonomous defenses.


    It would crawl into their dreams, delve into their mental world and neutralize their autonomous defenses by merging itself with their mana.


    With that, the witch would turn defenseless and all it needed to do next was to take her life.


    If Eloa had noticed it just a moment later, her throat would have probably been slit open without her being able to retaliate.


    Using her spell, she instantly dissolved the unidentified liquid clinging uncomfortably to her body.


    And that was when it hit her.


    If even she got into such a perilous situation, what about Siwoo?


    Siwoo!


    She cried out before rushing towards the balcony as if her body was being carried by the wind.


    The reason why Incubus was infamous among the witches wasnt just because its feat of assassinating witches.


    It was also because it was closely related to the Cowardly Witch.


    A series of recent incidents and events played through Eloas mind.


    Ms. Suas report of a Homunculus that could clone itself, the human heart modified as an offering from within its body


    The White Knights she encountered on the rooftop that bore an uncanny resemblance to the Red Knight.


    Back in the COEX, the mass slaughter incident.


    And lastly, the Dream Demon that attacked her today.


    From the very beginning, Ms. Sua had linked the incident to the Cowardly Witch, Paola Xochtil.


    Though they couldnt locate her whereabouts because she was quite adept in hiding herself


    With the haunting whispers and all the pieces fitting together, everything became clear.


    The recent incidents in Seoul were something that the Cowardly Witch had orchestrated herself.


    Eloa didnt know why she was doing all this.


    What she knew was the fact that Xochitl was once known as the Witch of Thousand Beasts, she could control numerous Homunculi all at once.


    The important points here were numerous and at once.


    Despite their bodies already tightly intertwined, she still moved in even closer.


    Sometimes, these kinds of moments made him feel that he was really lucky.


    He was living with Sharon, a woman even more beautiful than his dream woman, and he didnt need to worry about money or his future.


    Thinking that this all started from his life as a slave in Gehenna, he thought of the phenomenon called the snowball effect.


    While he had been warned about getting attacked by Homunculi or Criminal Exiles


    He never felt the case at all.


    The fact that he was especially careful was one thing, but the constant peace in his daily life made it hard for him to think that such a crisis would ever approach him.


    It was just like how Koreans never felt the danger of war even though they were living in a divided country.


    Too bad that the Duchess lived nearby. Before she came, we could have sex whenever we wanted


    Well, I get your feeling, but I need to get stronger. Who knows when trouble might come to us, right?


    Yeah, but its still frustrating


    Sharon pouted in dissatisfaction.


    She glanced at him, her lips were still pursed.


    Hmm~?


    She then lightly tapped her lips, but Siwoo pretended not to notice.


    Hmm! Mmmm! Hurry up


    As expected, it was a hint for a kiss.


    Still not satisfied, huh?


    Then again, today was shorter than usual.


    Whenever they stayed in a hotel like this, Sharon would always pounce on him relentlessly with an insatiable hunger, trying to devour every inch of his throbbing rod.


    Just as they were about to continue their passionate love-making


    A faint mana began to spread around them.


    Whats happening?


    Siwoo quickly got up and scanned his surroundings.


    He felt a strange sensation on his skin and saw distinct mana patterns emerging in the air.


    This wasnt the first time he experienced such a thing, so he managed to sense the trouble even before an interdimensional barrier was formed completely.


    Said barrier engulfed the entire hotel.


    W-What is this? Whats going on?!


    Homunculus, most likely.


    As Siwoo began cautiously scanning their surroundings, Sharon, even though she saw him being on edge and all that, only managed to realize the gravity of the situation once the barrier solidified.


    Dark shadows emerged from his body, covering him up completely.


    The shapeless mass of shadow quickly turned into a full-body armor, a shield and a long spear.


    Even after weeks of training with the Duchess, Siwoo wasnt foolish enough to confront a Homunculus without wearing proper gear.


    Sharon, too, donned her witchs robes over her naked body, readying herself for battle.


    She tightly gripped her wand that was adorned with a large emerald, surveying the area.


    Their surroundings were filled with a sudden, palpable tension.


    Its been a while since we became the ones who are hunted like this.


    And they never show up whenever were looking for them


    Clearly annoyed by the disturbance, Sharon clenched her wand tightly as she glanced around.


    -Splash!


    Huh?


    While still maintaining his defensive stance Siwoo tried to approach the window to look outside.


    But the sound of splashing water from beneath their feet surprised him.


    They were currently inside a hotel room.


    Yet beneath their feet, water was flowing abundantly just like a swimming pool.


    Except that the water was pitch black, as if it came from the depths of the abyss.


    Because of that, the floor also turned black, they couldnt even make out its original color.


    Ive been practicing so hard lately, lets see if it pays off or not. If not, well, we will make a run for it.


    Siwoo wasnt too alarmed.


    After all, it was just water, not blood, so he reckoned that this was the work of some Homunculus nearby.


    To lighten up the mood, he cracked a joke, meanwhile Sharon placed her hand on his shoulder alarmingly.


    She had been regularly browsing the Homunculus database at the Witch Point.


    So, she could immediately tell which Homunculus was able to do something like this.


    Lets not do that, Siwoo We need to get out of here Quickly!


    The Drowned Witch.


    A powerful Homunculus, the familiar of the Cowardly Witch who managed to kill three witches so far.


    No matter how hard she tried to be optimistic, this thing wasnt something they could handle.


    Huh? Why?


    -Splash, splash!


    Siwoo asked, trying to get some context, but the sound of rapid footsteps approaching from outside grew closer and closer.


    They were accompanied by heavy splashing sounds, as if they were stepping on a puddle of blood.


    -Creak!


    And then.


    Even with the lock still on, the hotel door was swung open effortlessly.

 Chapter 237: Witch of Fortune (1)

    Chapter 237: Witch of Fortune (1)


    Witch of Fortune (1)


    1.


    Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion.


    All of a sudden, a sharp harpoon protruded from behind Sharons back.


    It had jagged edges, just like teeth, creating a strange and unsettling feeling as it pierced through her body.


    Intense emotions surged within Siwoo as his sense of reality began to fade.


    Fear consumed him.


    He felt as if his consciousness was trapped within his body.


    Though Sharon was receiving such a blow, he couldnt move a muscle.


    He had to consciously breathe and each time he had to struggle against the weight of reality.


    -Thud!


    Just before Sharons body fell down.


    Siwoo bit his tongue, snapping himself back to his senses.


    Only after he felt the pain in his partially severed tongue that produced an eerie crunchy sound, did he manage to move his body and catch Sharon.


    Shell be fine.


    It shouldnt be anything too serious.


    This is just a minor incident.


    She had been chatting happily just a moment ago.


    Besides, she wasnt just anyone, she was a witch, she wouldnt die that easily.


    Knowing how mischievous she was, Siwoo was half-sure that she was just faking her injury to tease him.


    Sharon, hey, can you hear me?


    He carefully turned her motionless body over.


    Her gruesome injuries that were hidden under her cloak were now on full display.


    At this point, the harpoon had lost its shape and turned into the black seawater, revealing a hole about the size of a ping pong ball.


    On her solar plexus, there was a deep wound that went through her back.


    There were traces of saw blade cut in that gaping red hole.


    Her pink flesh, muscles, and faintly visible ribs were all gruesomely exposed to him.


    Ughaah


    Sharons body trembled with a shock.


    Siwoo remembered something about not removing the object that penetrated through someones body.


    Because it would only worsen the bleeding if anything.


    Her wound convulsed, with each convulsion, it gushed out a significant amount of blood.


    It was as if her heart was trying to expel the blood out of her body, just like a malfunctioning sprinkler.


    Siwoo clumsily tried to stop the bleeding, but in the end all he could do was to watch the bright red blood spurt through his fingers.


    He watched everything unfold as if in a daze.


    Sharonisdying?


    Just the thought sent shivers down his spine.


    Part of his tongue was already cut off and the blood from that wound filled his mouth. But at this point, the smell of blood was already so strong that he couldnt tell whose blood he was smelling.


    Ah


    Until now, he had been overly confident.


    He had boasted about his feat of defeating several Homunculi.


    Felt prideful about how he defeated Della.


    Because people kept on praising him over how fast he was improving


    He had acted all high and mighty, as if he was someone special.


    And now he was facing the consequences of his own arrogance.


    Seeing Sharon dying and spitting up blood like this made him feel like the world was mocking him.


    Telling him, This is the cold reality youve been living in.


    The consequences of your arrogance are staring at you in the face.


    It served as a stark reminder that the peace he had been enjoying was just a fleeting moment inside the cage he was living in.


    He felt utterly powerless.


    Normally, hed explode with anger at this point.


    Hed ignore any further consequences, jump into action to defeat the Homunculus in front of him and save Sharon.


    But


    -Bang! Clang! Kwang!


    But, by just doing that, something already happened.


    The upcoming anchors and harpoons became all tangled up and broke apart as they chased after their targets.


    Rusted chains and rotten ropes collided with each other in the air, creating a loud noise, bouncing off in all directions as if they were out of control.


    Even though the shattered fragments scattered in all directions like a cluster grenade, not a single one of them hit Periwinkles body.


    By some coincidence, all of them missed her.


    Today, my fortune is unbelievably good, well not like it isnt always good.


    Momentarily thrown off by the unexpected turn of events, the Homunculus swung another massive anchor at her.


    Ah, right.


    As if she had just remembered something, Periwinkle turned around to face Siwoo.


    By doing this, she exposed her back to the enemy.


    Yet, by some twist of fate, the giant anchor narrowly missed her, barely even grazing her.


    I forgot to mention something. If I were to help you, will you do me a favor in return?


    Siwoo couldnt believe what was happening in front of him.


    The overwhelmingly strong opponent that he thought he couldnt even lay a finger on was being trampled effortlessly by her.


    Such was the prowess of a grand witch.


    Her power surpassed that of his own that he had been stupidly boasting about.


    Ill take that as a yes since you seem unable to respond to me anyway.


    Periwinkle turned her attention back to the Drowned Witch without waiting for his reply, all ready to face the Homunculus.


    She casually followed the retreating monster with relaxed steps.


    -Kuoooh!


    A sudden cry erupted from the previously silent monster, resembling the cry of the damned from the depths of hell.


    Getting nervous now? Dont you know monsters are scarier when theyre quiet?


    Its attacks became even more ferocious.


    Except that its previously carefully planned attacks had turned into a wild flurry as it swung its weapons haphazardly.


    But the result stayed the same.


    Whenever Periwinkle calmly moved her footsteps, as if strolling through a garden, strange coincidences kept on happening.


    It was like when the bullet used during a Russian roulette turned out to be a dud.


    Like when a grenade went off next to her, but all the shrapnel missed her.


    This kind of coincidence kept repeating itself.


    -Kuoookuooo


    The Drowned Witch slowly backed up until its back hit the wall.


    A strange, groaning sound escaped her. If any normal person heard it, the sound would definitely terrify them.


    Its bulging eyes darted around, trying to look for an escape route.


    Are you scared?


    The water that had risen so high had already receded until it was only enough to wet her heels.


    In their surroundings, the decayed interior started to go back to how it was before, as if time had been turned back.


    Periwinkle was convinced that shed win.


    Her overwhelming ego, unfazed by the thought of death, didnt even budge at the face of the corrosion.


    Though the Homunculus had some semblance of intelligence, it wasnt that smart.


    At least it was smart enough to know that it could no longer win this battle.


    As soon as it realized this fact, the monster swiftly made its decision to escape.


    It focused its everything to find an escape route.


    In that split second when its attention was shifted, a white rapier was extended toward it.


    -Kuaaak!


    Though its movement was slow, the Drowned Witch couldnt react in time.


    All it could do was staring at the pure white blade as it pierced its chest.


    Its face was filled with shock and it wasnt an exaggeration.


    Generally, Homunculi was quite resilient.


    Once it acquired seventeen eyes, one would need a heavy-duty sniper rifle just to make a dent on its body.


    But, even though the rapier was only infused with a little bit of mana, it managed to cut through the rotten and burned flesh like tofu, destroying the Homunculus core.


    Periwinkles cold, ultramarine eyes watched it as its life ended.


    My fortune is unbelievably good today, too bad that yours arent, though.


    And just like that, the one-sided fight came to an end.

 Chapter 238: Witch of Fortune (2)

    Chapter 238: Witch of Fortune (2)


    Witch of Fortune (2)


    1.


    Lately, there were a series of significant events that stirred up the witch community.


    The demise of Ea Sadalmelik the notorious criminal, the incident at COEX that was possibly linked to the Cowardly Witch, and the unprecedented appearance of a male witch.


    In truth, Periwinkle didnt care if the Witch of Aquarius died or if the Cowardly Witch caused trouble.


    She had the ability to escape from even the most powerful criminal exiles and she had never been in a situation where she had to go on a Homunculus hunt because of financial difficulties.


    Like many witches, she just focused on studying and practicing her own magic.


    However, among the rumors, there was something that caught her attention.


    Apparently, the male witch was backed up by the Duchess Tiphereth, Countess Gemini and Branch Manager Agatha.


    Since hed be possessing a spirit body, she had guessed that hed be an attractive man without any flaws and hed also make an interesting subject.


    He also wouldnt age and die like a lightbulb.


    And she deemed herself to be more than qualified to sleep with him.


    So, when they met back at the Contact Point, she immediately hit on him.


    She didnt overthink it.


    When she saw him in person, she was pleasantly surprised by how good-looking he actually was.


    She thought that if they hit it off, they could spend the night together, but if not, then that was it.


    Of course shed rather have the former than the latter, but from the lack of contact after she gave him her business card, she figured that he had rejected her offer.


    Since he was turned on just by her sitting next to him, she thought that he might be interested in her, but apparently it wasnt the case.


    Though she was disappointed, she reluctantly accepted the situation.


    Considering lifes unpredictable twists and turns, she figured that if it was meant to be, theyd eventually cross paths again.


    So, she went about her life, putting him out of her mind.


    Then, one day, when she was out driving to clear her head, she stumbled upon two familiar faces.


    Sharon Evergreen, the witch who was well-known to be ridden with debt, and Shin Siwoo, the man who had turned down her advances not too long ago. They stood side by side, catching her attention.


    Staring at the compass in one of their hands, they seemed to be hunting for Homunculi together.


    Right, they were all close and cozy at the market too.


    The way Evergreen jumped up and down like a child who had lost her candy when she offered a one-night stand came to her mind.


    So, are they a couple?


    Or is Evergreen just his slave?


    Regardless, her curiosity was piqued, prompting her decision to tail them.


    Looking at how faint their presence was, she suspected that they were using some kind of high-end concealment magic tools.


    The kind where it could make ones presence vanish in the blink of an eye.


    But she wouldnt be eluded by such a thing.


    Even if she momentarily lost her focus, she could find them again eventually as she strolled along.


    Such was the power of the Witch of Fortune.


    Lucky encounters happened around her all the time, to the point that reality itself could be twisted due to the sheer luck she had.


    Still nothing today?


    Its been quiet lately. Weve been wandering around for two hours already.


    See?


    Despite her tailing them openly, they remained unaware of Periwinkles presence.


    At least, as long as she had her mana and clover, everything would go out her way.


    That was how it was for her in all her days of living.


    Though initially she had been enthusiastic about following them, that didnt last long.


    So boring


    She thought something spicy might happen since they had been strolling through the dark streets and sneaking into creepy-looking buildings.


    Is there something down there?


    Or here maybe?


    Is it finally happening this time?!


    Nope, what about now?


    The same old routine, making her bored.


    He didnt appear to do it on purpose though.


    If anything, he looked sincere.


    Then again, most guys would be drawn to witches just by being around them.


    Just as she began to feel tired of following them around and contemplated heading back for a drink


    An unexpected opportunity popped up.


    The scene overturned her common sense by several degrees.


    Regardless of her surprise, they went straight into round two.


    Watching them again, Periwinkle blinked in amazement.


    She was caught between getting turned on by the wild sex scene and her urge to do research on the phenomena that had just happened. In the end, she decided to give up her voyeuristic fun, waiting for them to finish while keeping an eye on the faint mana waves.


    Because she thought that there was value in trying to understand how the mana was generated and what kind of mana it was.


    Luckily for her, she managed to get more valuable data than she expected as they repeated their actions several times.


    Moreover, she picked up some shocking facts from their conversations.


    Even more shocking than the mans amazing stamina during sex.


    Apparently, when he ejaculated, hed amplify some very pure quality of mana in large quantities.


    Additionally, what they were trying to do was to treat Evergreen for her Incomplete Succession using this peculiarity of his.


    It was a well-established fact that treating an Incomplete Succession was impossible.


    But, his recurrent mana amplification was just as mind-boggling as that.


    To find something groundbreaking in any field of research was rare.


    Because it could be a treasure trove of knowledge, waiting to be explored and studied.


    Suddenly, she felt an even stronger craving for the man.


    No wonder Evergreen seems to be desperate to keep him around.


    But, now that Periwinkle had found out, there was no way that shed let Evergreen monopolize this rare knowledge.


    Hmm


    Maybe this is the perfect time for me to join in.


    Since some big shots had placed him under their protection, she couldnt use threats against him.


    But, she wasnt one to resort to such tactics anyway.


    Instead, shed rather suggest a threesome while promising to keep everything she saw today under wraps.


    Roughly speaking, this could be seen as a form of blackmail, but even if they refused her, it wasnt like shed actually spread it around.


    At that moment, an interdimensional barrier was deployed out of nowhere.


    Huh?


    The barrier enveloped the entire hotel.


    In cases like this, it usually meant that a Homunculus had come to attack.


    So, Periwinkle rose to her feet to confront the unexpected visitor.


    The one that came crashing through the door was something with the body of a human and the head of a bull.


    It looked like something straight out of Greek mythology, the Minotaur.


    With massive muscles that appeared to be able to thwart sharp blades and horns, while holding axes in each hand, her first impression of the creature was that it lacked originality.


    Cow head soup would be nice right now.


    That pretty much summed it up.


    It didnt take long for her to twist the bulls head off.


    The mindless Homunculus came at her with brute force. Its physical attacks were strong and its crimson skin made it seem like it could shrug off even the strongest spells, but Periwinkle was quick on her feet. She easily dodged its blows while returning them with her own using her personal weapon, eventually bringing it down to the ground.


    Despite it being able to regenerate rapidly, she eventually managed to wrest the axes from its grasp and delivered a fatal blow to its neck.


    The creature spurted out quite a bit of blood, but she remained unfazed, and didnt even seem out of breath.


    Whats with all this commotion?


    She glanced upwards.


    And saw that the pair was struggling.


    Facing off against them was the Drowned Witch, the Homunculus notorious for how cunning it was.


    Seeing how the situation turned out, she became sure that the one who made all this fuss was the Cowardly Witch and she seemed to be up to something.


    Guess today isnt like any other day, huh?


    She waved her hand, using magic to clean up the blood that stained her dress.


    While she was doing that, Evergreen had already been wounded.


    Ah, I shouldve acted a little faster.


    In truth, she wasnt fond of this kind of trouble.


    She wasnt scared of anything, she just hated it because it was annoying.


    If Evergreen was the only one there, she would have just left the hotel.


    This was just a minor inconvenience to her, like a spark that somehow crept on her clothes, she could deal with it effortlessly.


    She could end up burning from the spark if she wasnt careful, but that was that.


    But, when it came to something that caught her interest, things were a little bit different.


    Having already snuck a peek at them having sex and with the situation at hand, she felt that she could get what she wanted if she were to play her moves well, so she decided to strike.


    With a leisurely stride, she made her way upstairs.


    And the rest was history.

 Chapter 239: Witch of Fortune (3)

    Chapter 239: Witch of Fortune (3)


    Witch of Fortune (3)


    1.


    Periwinkle put her phone down and checked on the two people lying nearby.


    First was Siwoo, who was knocked out by the Drowned Witchs powerful mental attack and the other was Sharon, who had collapsed due to her lungs getting punctured.


    She laid them side by side on the bed after the interdimensional barrier was lifted.


    Anyone with spirit bodies wouldnt die easily even from serious injuries like this.


    Even if their limbs got chopped off, theyd still regenerate given enough time and in the case when their body got punctured, they could still be fixed, given proper treatment.


    But, even considering that fact, the wound that Sharon suffered from was quite serious.


    The harpoon used by the Drowned Witch was something made out of its black water, which was the same as seawater.


    Now, while it was a magically materialized seawater, it wasnt really much of a problem.


    The problem here was that it was infused with fear and despair, turning it into a deadly concoction, pretty much a poison.


    While the physical toll might not be significant, no one could say it was the same mentally.


    Luckily, with Periwinkles intervention, she would avoid the worst-case scenario.


    Befitting her moniker, the Witch of Fortune, her actions would go as she intended, and she didnt particularly wish for Evergreen to die.


    Well, its none of my business anyway.


    As she let out a yawn while sitting on the couch, the person she had just called on the phone suddenly opened the door to the room and entered.


    It was Eloa Tiphereth, who had been searching for Siwoo frantically all over Seoul.


    Knowing that Tiphereth was one of the people who backed Siwoo up, when she saw her name on Siwoos contact list, she immediately gave the Duchess a call.


    Judging by her disheveled looking cherry blossom-colored hair and bloodshot eyes, it was clear that she immediately rushed over here after that call.


    Nice to meet you, Im Cybele Periwinkle Oh my?


    Ignoring her greeting, Eloa swiftly moved past her to check on Siwoos condition as he lay on the bed.


    Is Siwoookay?


    Lowering the hand she offered for a handshake, Periwinkle shrugged.


    Skipping greetings on their first meeting was a rude thing to do, but considering Eloas concern for Siwoo, Periwinkle just let it slide.


    As she asked that question, Eloa checked on Siwoo, who was lying unconscious with a pale complexion like a corpse.


    To her relief, she didnt find any major injuries in his body.


    But her relief was short-lived and she couldnt help but feel depressed again.


    Because Sharon, who was lying next to him, had some serious wounds.


    Theyre both okay. A bit hurt, but they wont die. Well, all thanks to me, of course.


    What happened?


    In response to Tiphereths question, Periwinkle calmly explained what happened.


    She was focused on her own actions though, while leaving out the part about her stalking them to watch them having sex.


    Would you like a drink?


    After she wrapped up her explanation, she casually strolled over and handed Tiphereth a cold can of beer from the fridge.


    Instead of taking the beer, the Duchess reached out and grabbed her hand.


    Then she bowed her head.


    Thank youI genuinelythank you


    Please, you dont need to do this. Witches should help each other, after all. Still, if you insist, I wont turn down a small gesture of goodwill from you, Duchess.


    Ill make sure to prepare ample compensation for you.


    Dont mention it.


    Thats that, Im done.


    No need to linger in this gloomy place anymore.


    Periwinkle pulled out a business card and handed it to Eloa.


    I had a personal arrangement with him.


    A personalarrangement?


    Please tell him to contact me this time. Thats my only request. Alright then.


    Wait, what arrangement are you talking about?


    Those who were actively involved in hunting Homunculi were targeted.


    It wasnt hard for them to see the connection.


    The target selection was way too obvious.


    All those witches had received substantial bounties at the Witch Point.


    Basically, they were witches who were hell-bent on slaying those Homunculi, whether it was because they needed money or they just hated them for existing.


    This subjects deduction is thatshes planning to reduce the number of witches staying in Seoul


    I assume that some of them have already left?


    Indeedmore than half of them have left Seoul


    Four witches were killed in one night.


    After knowing that the person behind the incident was the Cowardly Witch, the criminal notorious for her slyness and for how dangerous she was, it wasnt hard for the witches to just decide to leave Seoul.


    This matter would affect not only the witches who were attacked last night, but those who had been avoiding battles with the Homunculi.


    The thing was there was no way that this was the only thing that Xochitl wanted. Eloa suspected that she was planning for something bigger.


    What in the world is she after?


    Eloa was lost in thought.


    With the Dagons Flute, she tried to get a ton of mana.


    The Red Knight that she had chased vanished, replaced by the mysteriously cloned White Knights.


    Then this time, she tried to drive the witches out of the area with this incident


    The most puzzling thing about all this was the fact that because of this, most of her force was wiped out.


    Her notorious Homunculi like the Drowning Witch, Incubus and various other Homunculi perished in just a single night.


    If shes not completely off the rocker, she must have done this on purpose


    Eloa mumbled to herself.


    She could tell that Xochitl definitely was a psychopath, but that didnt mean she was dumb.


    At the very least, she knew that she shouldnt just throw her resources away.


    Have we still not located her whereabouts?


    Since the person in question is proficient in hiding in the first place, no, we havent. Please forgive me.


    No need to apologize. It isnt like Im in a position where I can do much


    Sua hadnt only been sitting on a cushion while sipping tea.


    From the very start, she volunteered herself to become the Branch Manager for the Gwanghwamun Branch for the sake of safety and security for her homeland. She had been tirelessly searching for Xochitls whereabouts to eliminate as many variables as possible.


    But most Criminal Exiles were pretty good at hiding their tracks to begin with.


    The Cowardly Witch, especially, was a nightmare to track down. Firstly, she never fought directly, only sending her minions in her stead. If she wanted to hide herself, then there wasnt a single way one could use to look for her. That was why, Suas effort had been fruitless.


    While we are at this subject, Redcliffes whereabouts are unknown.


    The Witch of Ashfire?


    Yes. Upon investigation, this subject found out that she was a former classmate of the Cowardly Witch at Trinity Academy, and she harbored a close relationship with her before she became a Criminal Exile. Strangely, she disappeared right before the incident occurred Since it was suspicious, this subject has been trying to ascertain her current whereabouts.


    Eloas head started to throb.


    How many more people would die or get injured from now on?


    Have you tried requesting assistance from Gehenna or other Witch Points at least?


    She asked that, but she already felt like she had given up halfway.


    There was no way that those research-obsessed witches of Gehenna would leave their comfy nests to stop a runaway Criminal Exile.


    While the witches from other Witch Point wouldnt budge willingly, unless things got really desperate.


    Lets see what this subject can do. We will start negotiating with the government to secure the funds needed to persuade them.


    Thank you.


    Theres no need. This subject only did this to protect the land this subject was born and raised in.


    And so, their meeting ended without reaching a clear conclusion.


    Eloa thought that things would be much simpler if the enemy was right in front of them.


    But with her whereabouts remained unknown, there was nothing that could be done.


    She let out a sigh.


    The sky outside was painted a gloomy black, the cold autumn rain began to fall.

 Chapter 241: Repayment (2)

    Chapter 241: Repayment (2)


    Repayment (2)


    1.


    Youre much more dashing than this subject heard.


    Sua said so as she poured some tea into Siwoos cup.


    The latter had never learned anything about tea etiquette or something of the sort, but just from the atmosphere alone made it feel very formal.


    This made him see the twins in a new light considering that as a noble, they must have had learned about such things.


    In any case, the overly formal atmosphere made him think about a lot of things concerning etiquette. Like, was it okay for them to sit face-to-face on a sofa like this? Wasnt the proper etiquette to sit down on ones knees? Similar questions kept popping up in his head.


    And he found it rather burdensome.


    Y-Youre holding me in way too high regards.


    That isnt the case at all. The result spoke for itself. Had it not been for your bravery, catastrophes upon catastrophes would have befall this city. As someone whose duty is to protect this city, this woman could never treat what you had accomplished lightly.


    Sua bowed her head as she politely said as such.


    If it was an ordinary person who spoke in such ways while bowing their head, it wouldnt be a strange thing if someone were to deem them as a pushover.


    But when this hanbok-wearing witch was doing it


    She looked like the personification of the saying, the more a rice ripened, the more it bows its head.


    However, you seem to be uncomfortable. How about this? I reckon this should be enough? Etiquette is all about being considerate to others, after all.


    A-Ah, yes, this is enough, thank you.


    Sua let out a bright smile as she changed her tone from extremely polite to moderately polite.


    Carefully sipping on his tea, Siwoo asked her a question that had been nagging him.


    Anyway, um, I heard that you want to meet me? May I ask for the reason?


    Of course. I wish to personally thank you, and Im sure that you also wish to hear of Miss Evergreens condition, dont you?


    That was when Siwoo remembered the thing that Eloa had told him. Sua was the one in charge of Sharons recovery.


    He trusted Eloa enough to be assured that there wouldnt be any mishap in that regard, but now that he was facing the person in question, he decided that he might as well confirm Sharons condition.


    Then, can I ask about her condition first?


    I figured you would ask that.


    Sua closed her eyes and nodded her head.


    Afterwards, she gave him an explanation regarding Sharons condition by laying out some kind of magic terms here and there, but because he didnt know a single thing about recovery magic, he was lost in her explanation.


    In the first place, Siwoos knowledge regarding magic was lacking. He never even received the basic knowledge that every apprentice witches took.


    Still, because Sua explained it really carefully, he could manage to roughly figure out Sharons condition.


    I seeso her body has already recovered, but theres still a problem with her mentally?


    Exactly. She should be able to regain her consciousness now, but she isnt. There is a little bit of a problem in her mental state. She refuses to wake up due to her fear and anxiety.


    Isnt that a big problem, then?!


    Siwoo remembered a saying, stab a body and it heals, but injure the heart and the wound lasts for a lifetime.


    The words problem in her mental state carried a heavy weight to him.


    Seeing his expression hardened, Sua spoke out in a soothing tone.


    You dont need to worry. She will open her eyes in two weeks at the very latest.


    Will there be any after-effects?


    If her autonomous defense is fully established, there should be no serious after-effects. After all, the poison that dug into her body was magic.


    Only after hearing that did he feel relieved.


    He glanced to the side to see Sharon lying down like the Sleeping Beauty.


    Every time he saw her, he remembered the pointy tip of the harpoon that had pierced her delicate back.


    At the same time, a burning hatred raged inside his heart.


    Burning hatred toward the Cowardly Witch.


    He wiped the cold sweat off his face and sipped his tea again.


    Then one person suddenly came to his mind.


    The witch who offered something to him when he was about to give up on everything.


    Cybele Periwinkle.


    Suas answer went in a rather strange direction.


    Is ither brand?


    Correct. A brand is a legacy that has been passed down through generations. Its a treasure thats created by the karma and the life of a witchs predecessors.


    This is the reason why they would be willing to throw their lives just for the sake of advancement.


    A brand doesnt only carry a witchs name, but also her mission and the unfulfilled wish of her predecessors.


    This was something that Siwoo already knew.


    He knew that it was also the reason why witches would willingly commit mass slaughter for the sake of their magic.


    As a consequence, the self-essence magic inside a brand became something with a deep meaning for a witch. You are holding the self-essence magic of Ravi, the Duchess apprentice.


    Sua poured more tea into Siwoos empty cup.


    Ever since that tragic day, this is the first time Ive ever seen her care about someone else. The first time she taught someone earnestly, the first time she talked about someone with such zeal, the first time he has ever shown a different emotion than regret and her desire for revenge


    He was the only person whom Tiphereth could share her heart with.


    That was what she was trying to imply.


    Siwoo had already guessed long ago that Eloa saw Ravi in him.


    The Duchess isfragile She can handle thousands of adversaries all at once, but her heart is tired


    This was the reason why Sua guaranteed his identity.


    To help Tiphereth, who had been only living her life for vengeance, to regain a new purpose in life.


    She found a hope for that in Siwoo.


    This might be presumptuous of me, but Please take care of her well


    What can I


    Nothing special. Just keep doing what youre doing.


    Sua recalled the time when Eloa was chatting happily about him.


    How she had started cooking again, how she taught him how to use his body, and how she bragged happily about all the things he had done.


    Eloa had no idea how happy Sua was when she saw the light smile on her face.


    And Siwoo didnt know how thankful she was toward him for what he had done.


    Moreover, I can always trust the person whom the Duchess herself trusts. Shes always a better judge of character than me, so theres no doubt that youre a good person.


    Im not that good of a person


    Embarrassed, Siwoo touched the tip of his nose.


    Miss Sua? What were you two talking about?


    At that time, Eloa, who had been out for a while, returned.


    Her pink hair, tied in a ponytail, shook as she tilted her head.


    This subject wished to check on Miss Evergreens recovery and also, there was something this subject needed to convey to him.


    Is that so? He hasnt fully recovered yet, so please dont hold on to him for too long.


    Coincidentally, our conversation is about to end.


    After hearing Suas words, the way he looked at Eloa changed.


    Because of her fearsome martial arts, powerful magic and her title as a Duchess, he always felt that she was living in a different world than him.


    But now he knew that she was the same as him, a weak person who needed a shoulder to rely on.


    Im already okay, Master.


    After mulling it over for a moment, Siwoo finally used the word Master to refer to her.


    Until now, he hesitated to do it out of fear that she might feel unpleasant due to her past and out of fear that he might step out of his boundaries.


    But now that he knew this would help her a little, he was more than willing to do so.


    Im already feeling better, so, why dont we start our practice now?


    Eloa widened her eyes.


    She never expected him to call her that.


    While he was worried that he might have gone too far, Eloas eyes curved into crescent shapes.


    I see. But dont push yourself too hard for today, okay?


    Just like blooming cherry blossoms, a bright smile bloomed on Eloas lips.

 Chapter 244: Divination (2)

    Chapter 244: Divination (2)


    ? Divination (2) ?


    1.


    Their conversation continued until Periwinkle became pleasantly drunk after downing more after-dinner alcohol.


    Summarizing his five years of life still took Siwoo quite a long time even after he omitted the parts that he wasn¡¯t comfortable telling anyone.


    After they finished eating, they agreed to take a leisure walk through the city for a change of atmosphere.


    ¡°That was fun.¡±


    Periwinkle tilted her head with a smile after hearing the conclusion of his story with him going back to this world with the help of Countess Gemini.


    She never exactly enjoyed hearing someone else¡¯s life story, but the man in front of her was special, so it was a different story.


    Hearing him retell his life from back when he survived a plane crash, becoming a slave and going back home gave her enough entertainment to enjoy.


    ¡°As expected, you¡¯re indeed special.¡±


    ¡°Everyone said that, but I honestly don¡¯t know about that. It feels like I¡¯m just being me.¡±


    ¡°That means you¡¯re just special since birth. Didn¡¯t you say that you were a math genius ever since you were young?¡±


    ¡°You made it sound as if I¡¯m a noble or something...¡±


    ¡°Not really, you¡¯re just downplaying yourself too much. Sure, it¡¯s annoying to hear someone gloating over nothing, but hearing someone downplaying their things isn¡¯t any less annoying, you know?¡±


    To put it in another word, personality wise, he was boring according to her standards.


    She could tell that he was kind, but he didn¡¯t know how to please a woman using his words. To put it another way, he lacked the charm of a ¡®bad boy¡¯.


    Still, it didn¡¯t mean that she¡¯d let him go just like that.


    While his personality might be a little boring, that didn¡¯t make him any less handsome, nor did it make his self-essence magic disappear.


    As they were walking while talking, they arrived in front of a certain hotel.


    It was a fancy-looking five-star hotel with the word ¡®Periwinkle¡¯ sprawled on it.


    Siwoo didn¡¯t notice it since he was busy talking, but it seemed like she was trying to bring him here from the very beginning.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve drunk enough yet, so why don¡¯t we come inside and drink some more?¡±


    Her soft arms enveloped one of his arms.


    Since the sight in front of him roused his curiosity, he looked up.


    He expected that she¡¯d pull something like this, but he didn¡¯t expect that she¡¯d be this brazen about it.


    The urge to scratch his head rose, but he held it in.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in and chat, shall we? They got all kinds of high-quality alcohol inside~¡±


    When she saw him standing stiffly, Periwinkle didn¡¯t get discouraged, instead she clung to him while poking his side with her finger.


    2.


    Periwinkle Seoul.


    It was a fifty one story five-star hotel, with two banquet halls, six restaurants and 320 rooms.


    The interior looked sophisticated, with the modern interpretation of Belle-Epoque Era as its base.


    It made one feel the dignity of a noble instead of the vain arrogance of a rich person. The hotel was famous for attracting tourists to the point that it was especially hard to book a room throughout the year.


    From the lobby to the fourth floor, there were various auxiliary facilities that everyone could enjoy.


    Then, from the fifth to forty seventh floor, were the floors where the guest rooms were located.


    And then there were the last three floors, a massive room dedicated for a single person.


    For the CEO and owner of the hotel herself, Cybele Periwinkle.


    As soon as he got off the private elevator, Siwoo froze at the sight that he saw.


    In front of him was a glass wall, covering up three stories from the bottom of the forty eighth floor to the ceiling of the fifty first, showing him the perfect view of Myeong-dong.


    Beyond it was a large private swimming pool, large enough to hold an actual swimming competition there.


    The subtle lighting from inside the swimming pool added to the night view, resembling a halo of some sorts.


    Rather than a hotel, it felt more like he was standing on a bridge of a space fleet.


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    Even Siwoo, who had gained some degree of immunity to fancy things like this after visiting some high-end facilities in Gehenna, couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh of amazement.


    He didn¡¯t make a loud sound or anything, but due to how big the place was, his voice echoed through the space.


    ¡®How much money do you need to spend a night here?¡¯ He asked in his mind.


    The three chandeliers, shining brightly, hanging on the ceiling only added to the atmosphere.


    ¡°Come in, change your shoes into these.¡±


    Seeing his reaction, Periwinkle smiled in satisfaction before stepping forward.


    On one side of the room, there was a modern-looking bar. From how it was decorated, they probably occasionally let the regular guests come here to drink.


    The bartender wasn¡¯t here at the moment, but Siwoo assumed that normally this wasn¡¯t the case.


    He dazedly followed Periwinkle.


    At one corner of the room, several luggage bags were piled up neatly in the corner.


    It gave off the impression that she¡¯d leave Seoul soon.


    ¡±So, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°It feels like I¡¯m in a different world.¡±


    ¡°Really? I was the one who designed this whole building, you know?¡±


    Perhaps if the fanciest villa in Gehenna were to be placed on the top floor of the fanciest hotel in Gehenna, it would look like this.


    Periwinkle picked up a few bottles of wine from the wine cellar inside the bar counter and took out a cigarette.


    She said, licking her upper lips. Perhaps, she felt the need to say that because Siwoo was making a displeased expression.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t kiss me, I can just kiss you instead, what do you think?¡±


    Siwoo, who was thinking for a moment, leaned his face forward slightly.


    Her face got closer and closer to his.


    On her red lips, the lip gloss that she applied shone enticingly.


    Before their lips met, her tiny red tongue peeked out from between her lips, as if trying to seduce him.


    ¡°Mmh...¡±


    With a hint of guilt, Siwoo overlapped his thick lips with her soft, thin lips.


    At the same time he was doing that, a soft tongue entered his mouth.


    Periwinkle didn¡¯t even hesitate for a second.


    His tongue, which was chilled by the wine, suddenly felt like it was caught on fire when her tongue, coated with the fragrance of wine, was pressed against it.


    ¡°Mm...sluurrrp...¡±


    As they got closer and their kiss got deeper, her scent invaded Siwoo¡¯s nose.


    Almost instantly, as if a button had been pressed, an intense lust began to envelop his mind.


    His rod started to grow taller, alongside with the urge to push her down and rape her.


    Barely holding to his senses, he managed to push her away.


    At that point, Periwinkle¡¯s hand was already exploring his thighs, so if he was just a moment late, they would be at the point of no return.


    ¡°Already? I¡¯m not satisfied yet, though...¡±


    Periwinkle whined, as if she was disappointed.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo tried to calm himself down before opening his mouth again.


    ¡°You¡¯ve promised, so please tell me.¡±


    ¡°So boring...¡±


    Realizing that he was serious, Periwinkle shrugged her shoulders before continuing.


    ¡°According to my reading, you¡¯ll die. Sooner or later, you¡¯ll die.¡±


    ¡°What...?¡±


    ¡°Your arm will get cut off and you¡¯ll die. Not sure which one though.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t just making this up so that I¡¯ll kiss you more, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    She let out a chuckle before standing up.


    Though she didn¡¯t say anything, her body language seemed to be telling him that if he wanted to hear more, he should follow her.


    And so, he followed her to the rooftop pool.


    ¡®I¡¯m going to die?¡¯


    That revelation shocked him so much that it felt like he was just hit in the head.


    But the confusing thing here was the way Periwinkle acted. She looked so carefree as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    If she were to wear a serious look like a doctor announcing a death sentence, he might have believed her more.


    ¡°Why would I die suddenly? My arm will get cut off? Why...? Just what exactly would happen?¡±


    ¡°You suddenly became all chatty.¡±


    ¡°Obviously! You told me that I¡¯m going to die, of course I can¡¯t just stay silent after that!¡±


    At his outburst, Periwinkle only waved her hand slightly.


    ¡°No need to take it seriously. If it doesn¡¯t involve myself, the accuracy isn¡¯t that high.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the accuracy then?¡±


    ¡°Fifty-fifty.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s still quite high!¡±


    Fifty-fifty percent of him dying and she acted as if it was a low probability.


    Siwoo looked like he was fed up by all this.


    ¡°Well, I do have the power to get you out of the danger.¡±


    These words made his ears perk up.


    Finding it amusing, Periwinkle drew herself closer to him.


    ¡°Curious? Want my help?¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    She tapped his chest teasingly.


    ¡°Alright, if you can entertain me today, I¡¯ll help you out. Since you¡¯re supposed to keep me company for two days anyway, it isn¡¯t such a bad deal, right?¡±


    Siwoo didn¡¯t know if Periwinkle was lying or if she really had the ability to help him.


    But, as she had said, he was supposed to entertain her and fawn over him anyway.


    Since he had nowhere to run to anyway, he decided to face it head on and do whatever he could.


    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t we play in the water together for a bit? I¡¯ll change into my swimsuit and come back quickly.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t have my swimsuit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have it prepared for you. Follow me.¡±


    After saying that, she walked away. Her buttocks swayed with gentle movements.

 Chapter 247: Divination (5)

    Chapter 247: Divination (5)


    ? Divination (5) ?


    1.


    Not all kisses were the same.


    This was something obvious, but the nature of kisses would change depending on the people involved.


    In that sense, Siwoo¡¯s kiss with Periwinkle was filled with three things, but it only meant one thing in the end.


    Passion, lust and desire.


    The desire, strong enough for him to put everything else aside for the moment.


    ¡°Mmh...mm...sluurpp...¡±


    He tightly grabbed Periwinkle¡¯s chest while teasing her cute nipples with his fingers.


    Between the kiss, he shoved his tongue inside and let their saliva mix with each other.


    By this time, he had completely taken off her swimsuit.


    At first, Periwinkle was taken aback by his sudden change in attitude, but it didn¡¯t take long for her to regain her composure and accept his kiss.


    Though she wasn¡¯t sure if this happened because her plan worked or because Siwoo was lusting over her naked body.


    Nevertheless, seeing how spirited he was when they were just kissing, she figured that she could look forward to what would happen when they got to the action.


    It had been decades since she last found a man she was interested in, so she was especially excited for this.


    ¡°Haah...¡±


    Siwoo slowly moved his hand, which had been groping her breasts like rice cakes, down.


    Periwinkle didn¡¯t resist, instead she opened her thighs wider to welcome his hand.


    Unlike what she had expected, the way he was handling it was really skillful.


    He wasn¡¯t forceful, nor was he making exaggerated movements like an overly eager child.


    Even in this kind of situation, he was still showing his consideration towards his partner.


    ¡°Mmh...mm...¡±


    As their passionate kiss continued, Periwinkle closed her eyes and she began to feel his fingertips caressing her clitoris.


    The movement of his fingertips wasn¡¯t rough, nor was it careless. Instead of the tip, he rubbed the base of her clitoris carefully, using the same force as a cat used when they were patting their owner.


    This was the perfect kind of caress to use when a woman still wasn¡¯t aroused enough or when she wasn¡¯t wet enough for a penetration.


    At first, she didn¡¯t feel anything, but as time went on, she felt a ticklish sensation and the bottom of her stomach became hotter and hotter.


    His kiss grew more passionate, as if he couldn¡¯t wait to devour her, only fueling her excitement even more.


    When their lips parted, sweet juice already crept out of her tight lower hole.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re much more skilled than I thought...¡±


    ¡°You flattered me.¡±


    After the kiss, Siwoo could see Periwinkle¡¯s face clearly again.


    She tried to hide it by acting relaxed, but he could already tell that something had changed in her expression.


    There was a tinge of pink on her chest, as if she put on blush. When they made eye contact, her ultramarine eyes shook slightly.


    With her swallowing her own saliva to wet her dry throat, he could only see her as nothing but a woman waiting to be conquered.


    ¡°I guess you¡¯ve done it a lot with Evergreen, hm?¡±


    Her reaction so far was similar to Sharon¡¯s, but for some reason, she kept on trying to taunt him.


    He couldn¡¯t make heads or tails on why she was doing it to the point that the blood that was rushing through his head calmed down a little.


    Still, he was thankful for this development.


    Because if he were to continue on in that state, he might have done things that he might come to regret later.REad updated stories at novelhall.com


    He thanked her inwardly for pulling the brakes of his otherwise uncontrollable desires.


    ¡°Ms. Periwinkle.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really letting me do anything, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh jeez, why are you like this? I already swore on my name as a witch, what else do you want me to do?¡±


    She didn¡¯t say it out loud, but she was wondering how long she must wait for him to finally act.


    Though she was surprised by how skillful he was, she already had a certain image of him etched in her head.


    To make him, who was always bowing his head down, to do just half of the thing he had done to Evergreen, she went through all the trouble to provoke him.


    And now she was starting to second guess herself, maybe she had to push him even further after all?


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Just like during the insertion, her inner walls gripped his dick tightly.


    Looking at the way her pussy trying to cling to his departing cock gave Siwoo the urge to just fuck her senseless right there and then.


    Judging by her reaction, it seemed like she wouldn¡¯t mind if he were to do that.


    Also, he had this nagging feeling that she wasn¡¯t actually as experienced as she boasted to be.


    -Pop!


    Perhaps because of how tight her inner walls clung to it, his cock made a peculiar sound when it came out, bouncing upwards as it did, spilling some of her love juices onto Periwinkle¡¯s elegant-looking butt.


    At this moment, she felt an ominous feeling looming over her.


    Pulling out already? Could it be that you¡¯re about to ejaculate, hm...?


    I went through all that to make you do this but you turned out to be a quickshot?


    You just put it in, how could you take it out the next second?


    Wait, when he did it with Evergreen, he lasted for a long time, didn¡¯t he...?


    Could it be that mine feels better than hers...?


    Such thoughts filled her head while Siwoo only stood silently behind her.


    ¡°I¡¯m just trying to entertain you in my own way. Don¡¯t be too surprised, okay?¡±


    Hearing his words, Periwinkle let out a snort.


    Ha! Entertain me? You pulled out right after you put it in, entertain me my foot!


    Me? Surprised? You were all stiff and stuttering before we started, what are you being so smug for?


    Ah, maybe he got carried away because I seemed to be impressed when he cut my swimsuit with a dagger and when he bound me with his ribbons?


    Ridiculous.


    ¡°Oh, really? What do you have¡ª H-Huh? H-Hey, wait¡ª!¡±


    When she was about to provoke him yet again, she became increasingly flustered.


    Siwoo, who had been silent for a while now, suddenly lifted up her buttocks, as if trying to pump all her love juices out of her pussy.


    He grabbed her buttocks with one hand and his own cock with the other without saying anything.


    His gaze was locked onto her asshole which was always hidden behind her nice butt, normally invisible if she were just standing.


    Of course, her butt was without blemish.


    There weren¡¯t many wrinkles on the entrance and it seemed to be tightly closed. A good little anus that could seduce anyone to force it open.


    ¡°You¡¯ve sworn on your name as a witch. I¡¯ll keep my end of promise, so you¡¯d better do the same, Periwinkle.¡±


    Even after he mulled it over, Siwoo still thought that this was a good idea.


    According to his experience, anal sex would only deliver pleasure, it wouldn¡¯t trigger the mana amplification phenomenon.


    This would drastically lower the chances of Periwinkle craving for more of his magical rod after he was done with her.


    Basically, when she told him that he could do anything, swore on her name and underestimated him in general, she had already sealed her fate.


    The relaxed attitude she had when she was provoking him had gone, replaced by her futile struggles and panicking when she found out that he was rubbing his glans against her backdoor.


    Too bad for her though, he enjoyed this reaction of hers very much.


    ¡°B-But t-that isn¡¯t...! T-That isn¡¯t the hole you should put it in!¡±


    ¡°You hold that kind of prejudice? Don¡¯t you know the term anal sex exists?¡±


    ¡°B-But...¡±


    In fact, once one became a witch, anus had become pretty much a vestigial organ.


    Periwinkle¡¯s pride couldn¡¯t handle calling that particular hole of hers ¡®filthy¡¯.


    But, that didn¡¯t matter for Siwoo, as he ignored what she was currently feeling and raised his rod to prepare for his attack.


    ¡°Well, I asked you about this. Multiple times. Also, you¡¯ve sworn on your name that you would let me do whatever I want and won¡¯t hold a grudge over it later.¡±


    ¡°You...¡±


    Periwinkle tried to find a word of rebuttal, but she couldn¡¯t find any.


    Because she really was the one who said that he could do anything to entertain her.


    Not only that, Siwoo also confirmed this multiple times and she was the one who laughed at him while taunting him (though this was an act).


    ¡°Well, you can retract your promise if you want to... I mean, what can I do anyway? You are my life savior, after all.¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯re a docile guy, but you¡¯re quite vicious, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°How so? I barely did anything.¡±


    She really thought that with a gentle face like that, he wasn¡¯t the type who¡¯d devour her even if she were to serve herself on a silver platter.


    Him making such a sly move was something that didn¡¯t even cross her mind.

 Chapter 248: Divination (6)

    Chapter 248: Divination (6)


    ? Divination (6) ?


    1.


    The number of times Periwinkle had slept with other witches were too many to count.


    In fact, the number of times she had slept with men was only a handful.ViiSit  for latest novels


    Because she was very picky when it came to choosing partners, especially men.


    Men¡¯s physical structure made them unable to bear a brand.


    To witches, who practically worshiped magic and walked the path of magic, men were nothing but pitiful beings that were born with defects.


    In fact, most of them believed that there was no point in giving their bodies and hearts to someone who¡¯d leave them to age and die.


    Anyway, while she had gone around, switching partners and stuff...


    She had never, not even once, let anyone touch her filthy hole.


    Well, it might be weird to call hers ¡®filthy¡¯, since technically speaking, the hole wasn¡¯t filthy anymore after she gained her spirit body.


    In any case, for witches, even when they¡¯d get intimate in bed, groping each other, clinging to each other like a slug, they still wouldn¡¯t touch their backdoors.


    Pleasuring each other was good and all, but they still held a certain amount of respect for each other. Inserting something to a place where it wasn¡¯t meant to be was one way of showing the aforementioned respect.


    However, Siwoo, who had been playing innocent up until now, suddenly announced that he¡¯d thrust his dick into that very same hole.


    When Periwinkle understood what he wanted to do, it was as if the sky fell on her.


    She felt like her dignity as a woman had been violated by him.


    At most she expected that he¡¯d spank her butt and make her say some obscene words.


    But no, what he wanted to do was something more perverted, more maniacal than she could ever imagined.


    The poor witch¡¯s long preparation had crumbled to nothing at that moment.


    She couldn¡¯t even escape from it since she had sworn using her name as a witch, but what made her even more pissed off was the fact that this was the result of her digging her own grave.


    ¡°No need to be too nervous.¡±


    ¡°What are you on about? I¡¯m not nervous.¡±


    Siwoo said while caressing her buttocks.


    She answered while gritting her teeth.


    Contrary to her words, her backdoor was tightly shut.


    Though she was hanging in the air, the ribbon supported her weight, so there weren¡¯t actually any strains on her body.


    Which meant that all the tension in her buttocks, to the point that it made the wrinkles in her entrance barely visible, were all coming from her being all tense.


    ¡°Ngh¡ª!¡±


    He found the way her open attitude became closed the moment he brought up anal cute though...


    The problem here was that when he pressed the center of her crease with his glans, it refused to budge even an inch.


    It sealed itself like a hard wall.


    At this rate, it would be impossible to insert his rod in. Well, he could try inserting it forcefully, but that would only hurt him if anything.


    ¡°You¡¯re putting too much strength here.¡±


    ¡°W-What strength? I-I haven¡¯t been putting any strength in that place for hundreds of years now!¡±


    Periwinkle¡¯s nape was red, it was as if she just sunbathed without applying any sunscreen first.


    In any case, it seemed like she misunderstood what he meant by ¡®strength¡¯.


    Seeing her lively reaction was quite funny to him, though.


    ¡°Try to take a deep breath.¡±


    ¡°Why would I need to do that?¡±


    ¡°Because you need to relax your body first, or else we can¡¯t proceed.¡±


    Regardless of the pleasure he¡¯d feel, his body was already heated up.


    He had only been rubbing his glans against this tightly closed hole for a while, so he was slowly becoming impatient.


    It was to the point that he had the desire to cut all the bullshit and just put his cock inside the moist hole underneath instead.


    ¡°Phew...haaah... A-Are you really going to do it?¡±


    Though she didn¡¯t hide her aversion, Periwinkle still tried to relax her body as Siwoo instructed.


    Still, he couldn¡¯t wait anymore.


    He glanced at his fingertips.


    Since he always kept them trimmed for his spars, he figured that they would make do for the time being.


    ¡°Ah¡ª!¡±


    And so, he dug his finger into her pussy.


    -Squelch, squelch!


    ¡°Oho...¡±


    Siwoo exclaimed in admiration.


    Though he only inserted his middle finger, her walls immediately closed in on it, gripping it from all sides.


    Regardless, the durability of spirit bodies was amazing.


    He had been doing this for ten minutes, but her hole only loosened up a little.


    For it to be able to take on his dick, it¡¯d need to take on four of his fingers first.


    So, he grabbed her hips again to stop her from moving around before he began moving his two fingers earnestly.


    -Squelch, squelch, squelch!


    -Slap!


    ¡°Ugg¡ª! Hng¡ª!¡±


    When he twisted his middle and ring finger inside, arching them slightly, it became easier for him to move them.


    With his other hand, she slapped the entrance of her pussy. His fingers didn¡¯t slack off on stimulating her backdoor, though.


    At this point, she began showing another reaction other than a pained one.


    ¡°Haa! Aaang!¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    For the first time, she let out a strange moan, completely different from the groans of pain she had let out before.


    Because he didn¡¯t expect her to succumb this quickly, he inadvertently stopped moving his fingers.


    This prompted Periwinkle to shout in protest.


    ¡°N-No, it isn¡¯t what you think!¡±


    ¡°What? I didn¡¯t even say anything.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you looking down on me too much? How dare you...¡±


    At the first glance, it really looked like she was getting angry, but Siwoo could tell that it was just a clumsy act.


    She wasn¡¯t angry at all.


    Rather, she was ¡®pretending¡¯ to be angry to hide her embarrassment.


    Because as a noble witch, she didn¡¯t want to be seen enjoying any kind of pleasure from being violated in her rear hole.


    -Slap! Squelch, squelch!


    As proof of this, when Siwoo increased his pace, that feisty attitude of hers went away.


    ¡°Haang! Ahh! Haaa!¡±


    Instead, lusty moans echoed through the room.


    This should be enough.


    After spending thirty minutes loosening up her hole, Siwoo decided that she was ready.


    -Schlop!


    His fingers slipped out of her anus, making a peculiar noise.


    ¡°U-Ugh... I¡¯m so...upset...¡±


    Periwinkle, whose sweaty body had been tense, relaxed her body.


    However, that didn¡¯t last long because Siwoo had already pressed his glans against her rear hole again, making her body tensed up once again.


    ¡°W-Wait a minute! W-Why don¡¯t you think about this again?! Y-You know, I think I might have been a little rash for swearing in my name as a witch¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. I can¡¯t waste the resolution and stain the honor of a grand witch like you, Ms. Periwinkle.¡±


    ¡°You just need to put it inside the front hole! That way you won¡¯t stain my honor!¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t think that will be enough to entertain you.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think this would entertain me?¡±


    ¡°Everyone said that the first time. Rest assured, you will gradually come to enjoy it.¡±


    Seeing him pretending to be all oblivious, Periwinkle could only give up.


    It was clear that he had no intention to back down.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll put it in.¡±


    ¡°W-Wait! I told you to wait! Ahh...hhng...!¡±


    When she was thinking about something else to say to him, he had already made his move. He grabbed her hips and thrusted his glans in.


    He did this because if he dawdled, her body would get all tense again.


    -Schlop!


    He slowly pushed his dick in, feeling the wrinkles in her anus with his sensitive glans.


    Just like with everything, in anal sex, the beginning was half of the battle.


    As long as one managed to get the glans in, everything would follow up smoothly.


    Case on point, when he got his glans halfway in, her anus sucked in the rest greedily.


    ¡°Aaaah! Haaaang!¡±


    Periwinkle¡¯s shoulders trembled as she let out strange moans.


    As soon as she took Siwoo¡¯s whole length, her tense body instantly drooped.

 Chapter 236: Night of Homunculi (3)

    ? Night of Homunculi (3) ?


    1.


    -Creak!


    The creaking sound came from the hotel door that was stated as ¡®had been recently remodeled¡¯.


    Dry jokes aside, the situation itself wasn¡¯t a laughing matter.


    Siwoo and Sharon quickly figured out why such a sound came out.


    Because of the Homunculus¡¯ arrival, everything around them changed.


    Firstly, all the things inside the room started to rot.


    From the shiny-looking stand, the freshly-painted wallpaper, and even the furniture that hadn¡¯t seen much use.


    All of them fell apart as if ages had gotten to them.NEew stories at novelhall.com


    The water¡¯s pungent smell, just like the smell of the deep sea, stung both their noses.


    ¡°...huh?¡±


    At that moment, the door swung open.


    The hallway, which looked just as messed up as the room was now in their full view.


    But there was no sign of the enemy.


    All they could see was a weird, grotesque painting hanging on the wall.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down! Balance!¡±


    Sharon yelled at Siwoo, who was starting to relax his grip on his weapon, before quickly waving her wand.


    In her hand, a rock-sized topaz appeared out of nowhere.


    She turned herself into an ¡®altar¡¯ and offered the topaz as an ¡®offering¡¯ to the fire element. Then, she swung her wand and flames started erupting around her like a flamethrower.


    -Whooosh!


    It wouldn¡¯t be inaccurate to think that the flames were sucking off the surrounding oxygen.


    After all, she used such a high-quality offering, it wasn¡¯t a wonder that the flame she called produced so much heat that made the heat of a blast furnace pale in comparison.


    Since she didn¡¯t know where the enemy was hiding, she commanded the flame to burn everything around them to eliminate any potential hiding spots it could have.


    The flames crackled as they shot out, turning everything they touched into ashes.


    But, the sight that they produced wasn¡¯t exactly in line with the one that came to mind when one heard the word ¡®burning¡¯.


    Because of the flames¡¯ absurdly high temperature, the moment the bed they had just spent a hot night on made contact with them, it immediately evaporated.


    They couldn¡¯t find any signs of the enemy yet, but Sharon had already gasped for air.


    Not because of the spell she just used, though.


    It was because her body tensed up due to fear.


    ¡°Siwoo, I don¡¯t have time to explain it in detail, so I¡¯ll keep it brief.¡±


    ¡°Is our opponent this time really that dangerous?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Drowned Witch, the most dangerous one we¡¯ve ever faced. Even among the Homunculi raised by the Cowardly Witch, it¡¯s among the most notorious ones.¡±


    The Cowardly Witch.


    In the world of witches, their strength was typically determined by how high their rank was in the hierarchy.


    The higher their rank was, the more diverse the spell they could wield. If a battle occurred between witches who had two or more rank gaps, the outcome was pretty much decided before they even started.


    But, there were always exceptions.


    The Cowardly Witch, Xochitl, was only a rank 19th witch.


    Yet, ever since she became a Criminal Exile, Xochitl had taken down one 21st ranked witch, one 20th ranked witch and two 19th ranked witches.


    How did she manage to pull that off exactly?


    Because her self-essence magic revolved around ¡®manipulating Homunculi¡¯.


    By controlling these powerful Homunculi and sending them onto the battlefield, she possessed a wide range of strategic options.


    She could even force multiple battles to go down at once, something that barely any witches could do.


    With each Homunculus possessing its own unique traits, she could set up fights where the odds were stacked in her favor.


    If need be, she could drag out a war of attrition without showing her face even once.


    Unlike Siwoo, the Cowardly Witch was someone who specialized in ¡®Great Witch Battles¡¯.


    -Woooo!


    A loud sound echoed in the room.


    At the same time, the flames that had been dancing around them went out like birthday candles.


    The water creeping up on the floor now had risen to their ankles while a liquid resembling melted metal streamed down the walls and ceiling.


    It felt like they were stuck in a Titanic cabin as it sunk down to the depths.


    Their fate seemed sealed, death by drowning seemed to be an inevitable outcome.


    Siwoo glanced around.


    Regardless how it all went down, he surmised that there must be some kind of magic at play.


    So, he thought that he could see through it with his left eye...but that belief crumbled down as quickly as it began.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be...¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t see the flow of the mana!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t see anything.


    No matter how hard he looked, he couldn¡¯t spot the flow of mana or their enemy, as if a thick fog had obscured everything.


    Siwoo who always had the upper hand in battles thanks to his left eye, felt like he had turned blind, which was a rather disconcerting feeling for him.


    He really felt like they were stuck in a really dark room now.


    -Chwaaak!


    At that moment, something burst forth, tearing through the water covering the floor.


    The pair could only freeze in terror at the horrifying sight unfolding in front of them.


    There, seventeen red eyeballs were embedded in its back like grotesque balls.


    This Homunculus¡¯ core protruded from its back to begin with, not its face.


    ¡®The mother dog I hunted by using up all my strength, all while bringing down multiple buildings in the process...how many eyes did it have again...?¡¯


    ¡®Eight...was it...?¡¯


    ¡®What about the White Knight...?¡¯


    ¡®It has four...¡¯


    ¡®And this thing has seventeen...¡¯


    Siwoo had always faced opponents that were way stronger than him.


    During those encounters, he recognized his own weaknesses and the strengths of his foes.


    Therefore, even in the face of an overwhelming gap, he could still struggle on his way to victory as long as he refused to give up.


    However, even that conviction he usually had was shattered by this unexpected level of threat.


    ¡°Siwoo, listen to me carefully.¡±


    At that moment, Sharon whispered to him.


    In that fleeting moment when the Homunculus was just standing around silently, she had been racking her brain, trying to dig up information on the Drowned Witch.


    Just like Ea Sadalmelik, it wielded a powerful physical magic.


    At a first glance, it didn¡¯t sound like it would be a big threat.


    That was because the real danger was the seawater that was rising up to their ankles.


    When things already escalate up to this point, it meant that the Homunculus had already corroded the surrounding space with its mana.


    This corrosion was akin to a widespread debuff. It would weaken the effectiveness of all other spells in the area and also drain the courage and willpower of those who fought against it.


    It was like being caught in a raging current, its opponent could only struggle until their strength was completely drained, leading to their inevitable demise.


    Fear would creep into their hearts as they realized the gravity of their situation.


    Despite their efforts to resist, their spells would gradually lose their potency, leaving them so weakened that they would struggle to breathe, ultimately resulting in their deaths.


    This ability to drag its opponents down earned the Homunculus name as the Drowned Witch.


    ¡°Run away.¡±


    ¡°No, I made this mess, so I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    Siwoo insisted, ready to step forward with his newly crafted spear despite his growing fear.


    But Sharon didn¡¯t even turn around to look at him. Instead, she tapped his chestplate and pleaded with a trembling voice.


    There was desperation in her voice.


    ¡°Please, just run. While I stall for time, go look for the Duchess so she could help us. That¡¯s our only chance of surviving.¡±


    As Sharon spoke, she also casted a spell.


    She used a considerable amount of offering to unleash a large-scale ritual.


    Water, fire, wind, earth, all elements converged within the void sphere.


    A rotating spherical mass, created with her maximum output as a 18th ranked witch, spun in the air.


    Upon contact with this sphere, anything in nature would be easily obliterated.


    ¡®Could it work...?¡¯


    But nothing was certain.


    A spell that could corrode even the mind.


    When Sharon read it on the database, it seemed pretty manageable.


    But when she was actually facing it head on, she was overwhelmed by the sense of dread.


    It was like standing in front of a noisy industrial grinder.


    The grinder just sat there doing its own thing, but one would still feel their strength getting drained anyway.


    She was scared.


    No, she was outright terrified.


    Her heart felt like it was about to break as it made the loudest sound she had ever heard yet.


    ¡°Siwoo.¡±


    But she didn¡¯t run away.


    She must not run away.


    Because Siwoo was behind her.


    Once upon a time, she walked into this city, because of her failure, bringing nothing but her own body. Back then, the city felt cold, as if it was stuck in an eternal rain.


    She tried to put on a brave front, refusing to yield to her unfortunate situation...


    Yet, despite all that, she felt lonely.


    Her life was agonizing and she felt like giving up at times.


    ¡®And that¡¯s when I met you.¡¯


    ¡®In the world where I alone was the one who was getting soaked in the rain, it was your hand that reached me and brought me the warmth I yearned for.¡¯


    She still clearly remembered the warmth of his fingertips and the way he readily offered it to her.


    And that...


    Was the most precious treasure that Sharon Evergreen ever possessed.


    Suppressing her urge to escape, she gathered her courage and opened her mouth.


    This might be her last chance.


    So, she had to say it.


    The words she always wanted to tell him when they stood side by side.


    ¡°I really¡ª-¡±


    But her words trailed off right there.


    A rusty, sharp arrow effortlessly pierced through her delicate body.


    Following that, a crimson flower bloomed behind her.

 Chapter 243: Divination (1)

    ? Divination (1) ?


    1.


    The night air was quite chilly.


    Right now Siwoo was near the building where the Witch Point was, hanging around.


    Looking at the various administrative buildings and large corporate offices, he inwardly agreed with the moniker ¡®Heart of Seoul¡¯ that people usually used to describe this area.


    The road was practically bustling with cars, though there was barely anyone walking on the sidewalk.


    But that wasn¡¯t to say there weren¡¯t any people there, as most of them were just flocked to the bus stop.


    The brightly lit office buildings made him realize that there were actually numerous office workers who were currently working overtime.


    As he mindlessly stood near the bus stop, he heard various exclaims from the distance.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Is that the real thing?¡±


    ¡°Wait, let me hang up for a moment¡ª¡±


    ¡°Take a picture, take a picture.¡±


    Whether it was men waiting in the long line for their turn to ride the bus to come, women with tired expressions and slumped shoulders, or middle-aged men pressing their temples in fatigue, all of their gazes were drawn into an unfamiliar sight of a supercar that was zooming through the road.


    It had a glowing black color, just like a limousine.


    With low body, aesthetically pleasing curves that were hard to find even among the more common luxury cars, cool looking air vents that seemed like it could suck through all the air around them, long, protruding bonnet and horseshoe-shaped grille at its front.


    Siwoo didn¡¯t know much about cars, but even he could tell at a glance.


    That the car was fucking expensive.


    Even taxis, which were well-known for their reckless driving and buses, which were bigger vehicles, made a considerable distance from the car.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    The supercar, which was leisurely going through the lane, suddenly made an U-turn and stopped in front of the bus stop.


    No, to be exact, in front of Siwoo, who was standing on the side of the road mindlessly.


    On its royal blue-colored license plate, ¡®diplomacy¡¯ was written instead of a region¡¯s name.


    If he didn¡¯t know any better, he¡¯d think that the owner was some oil prince from the Middle East or something...


    But he knew of one fact.


    Some witches were so damn rich that it was stupid to associate them with common sense.


    The witches that he was currently close to, Eloa and Sharon, were among the most frugal compared to the rest of them.


    ¡°Uh, it¡¯s been a while?¡±


    The passenger side¡¯s window opened, revealing Periwinkle, who immediately leaned in to say hello to him.


    She was wearing gradient sunglasses with a pink-ish green color that would remind one of the sunset in Maldives¡¯ beaches.


    Well, they weren¡¯t exactly sunglasses, but rather fashionable-looking colored glasses.


    He could only see part of her clothes from where he was, but she was dressed like a movie star.


    ¡°Get on.¡±


    The eyes of the surroundings were focused on Siwoo.


    Not only that.


    ¡®Who is that person?¡¯ ¡®Is he someone famous?¡¯ ¡®Maybe he¡¯s a third-gen chaebol.¡¯ And so on.


    The whispers surrounding him were so clear that it made his face burn.


    Unable to take it anymore, he quickly got into the car.


    As soon as he entered the car, which was so expensive that it would cost him thirty million won just to replace the oil, it left the onlookers in the dust with a smooth buzz.


    2.


    Siwoo carefully looked around the interior of the first supercar he had ever ridden in his life.


    Out there on the street, it should be loud with the sound of car engines and such, but here, it was quiet.


    So quiet that he could leisurely enjoy the old pop song that was playing.


    The seats, dashboard and even the door pads were all coated by cowhide leather.


    Sitting in this place made him feel uncomfortably guilty for some reason, maybe because it felt like his skin would stain the expensive cowhide leather and made the car¡¯s whole price completely drop.


    Though the seat wasn¡¯t wide, it was made so one could feel comfortable sitting, or even lying down there.


    There should be one or two occasions when one was still a child and their parents reminded him to not sit down inside a stranger¡¯s car.


    ¡°Well, there are days when I don¡¯t mind having people around, but today¡¯s not the day. Anyway, um, Siwoo, right? Alright, let¡¯s have a toast to your health and safety, Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    As he awkwardly raised his wine glass, Periwinkle let out a grin before drinking her wine gracefully.


    Siwoo followed suit while glancing at her, who was sitting right in front of him.


    Earlier, when he sat next to her, he couldn¡¯t observe her clearly but now he could.


    As expected of a witch, her beauty was otherworldly.


    Even though her tied-up hair color was unnatural, dark blue, just like an ultramarine, it didn¡¯t look out of place at all.


    Because it suited her face that much.


    Her shirt dress that clung to her voluptuous body tightly had a couple buttons undone, revealing her cleavage that didn¡¯t lose out to Sharon¡¯s. The red lips that decorated her face, as red as the wine they were drinking, added to the sensuality that she already exuded.


    Lastly, the teardrop mark in her eye looked so alluring that it could seduce even the most reserved of men.


    She exuded an atmosphere that could only come from a woman who had maxed out her seductive charm and knew exactly how attractive she was.


    ¡°You can stare at me more, no need to be shy.¡±


    Though she was savoring her wine with her eyes closed, she could tell that he was staring at her, so she gave him a knowing smile.


    Not expecting that she¡¯d find out, Siwoo was immediately thrown into a state of fluster.


    ¡°Wait, you were really staring at me?¡±


    That was when he realized that he had been smitten by her smile and that realization made his body stiffened.


    Compared to Sharon, who gave off the air of an airhead and Duchess Tiphereth, who gave off the air filled with wisdom, Periwinkle gave off a completely different air.


    The air of a shrewd fox.


    ¡°It may be presumptuous of me to ask this, but back then you said that you needed me to do something for you.¡±


    ¡°That I did, in exchange for killing the Drowned Witch.¡±


    ¡°May I ask what it is first?¡±


    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t ask for something difficult.¡±


    Siwoo gulped.


    ¡°What I want is for you to do a hundred things for me.¡±


    ¡®Are you kidding me?¡¯ the words left his mouth, but he managed to hold it in.


    When he was agonizing whether she was being serious or not, Periwinkle already sipped through her second glass.


    ¡°I was kidding, why are you so serious? Relax, it isn¡¯t like I¡¯ll eat you.¡±


    It was only natural that someone would get even more uneasy when they told them to relax.


    Especially when the person who said those words was fiddling with his finger, mumbling something like ¡®Now, what should I ask you to do, hm~?¡¯.


    From her expression, it was clear that she was enjoying this situation.


    ¡°Ah, what about this? Follow me around for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°Huh...?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing big, just go on trips with me, drive together with me and have dinner with me, something like that!¡±


    Siwoo managed to read her intention.


    In fact, he already knew what her aim was from the beginning.


    She wanted a boy toy who¡¯d follow her around like her cute little pet.


    But that was a hard thing for him to do.


    ¡°Sorry, but I think that¡¯ll be difficult. I know I owe you for saving my life, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°That so? Then just do it for a day or two.¡±


    Suddenly, she lowered the hurdle sharply without much thinking.


    From a lifetime to a day or two.


    Because of how nonchalant she was, it was hard for him to tell if she was joking or not.


    ¡°So? Your answer?¡±


    ¡°That I can do.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right, there¡¯s one thing. Try to act like my boyfriend, okay? I don¡¯t want you to be all stiff and boring, don¡¯t worry about you offending me or whatnot.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ¡°Alright, why don¡¯t we get to know each other first? So, how did you become a witch? I want to hear your story.¡±


    He hesitated for a while, but when their amuse-bouche was served, he began to tell her about his turbulent backstory.

 Chapter 245: Divination (3)

    ? Divination (3) ?


    1.


    A night without fine dust.


    Or ultra fine dust for that matter.


    Such a night in Seoul was as rare as a wild ginseng and tonight happened to be that night, one without smog nor cloud, showcasing the full moonlit night.


    After changing into his swimsuit, Siwoo came out while taking a sip on his alcohol, enjoying the night view.


    Prior to that, he followed Periwinkle to a certain room.


    When he saw a swimsuit lying on the bed, he was a little scared.


    Fortunately for him, she didn¡¯t offer to put his swimsuit on for him, nor did she ask for his help to put on her swimsuit.


    In any case, Periwinkle seemed to be a thorough woman, a completely different type of person than him, who loved to push through without a clear plan.


    Thinking back, he felt like he had been dragged around by a leash.


    If he were to let his guard down, there was a good chance that she¡¯d suck him dry and turn him into a dried fish.


    ¡°Did you wait for too long?¡±


    The large glass door slipped open and Periwinkle walked in.


    Seeing her, Siwoo¡¯s eyes were wide open.


    Clinging closely to her body was a white monokini with its top and bottom joined together by strings in the sides. An unconventional design for sure, but it looked terrifyingly good on her.


    The top barely covered half of her chest, just the slightest movement could reveal her areolas. While the bottom part only consisted of a small amount of fabric, so small that if she didn¡¯t adjust the line properly, her pubic hair, if there was any, would be exposed.


    On her clearly exposed belly button, a sparkly-looking piercing could be seen, decorating it.


    Despite her showing so much skin, her gait was filled with confidence.


    The sight of her showing off her body with the urban lights as her background was like a model walking down the runway.


    Of course her beauty surpassed that of a model, it wasn¡¯t even a fair comparison to begin with.


    ¡°Oh, your body looks good. Someone¡¯s been working out, I see.¡±


    Periwinkle approached him, closing the distance between them without any hesitation whatsoever.


    He didn¡¯t know if it was because of the atmosphere she exuded or because of her body proportion, but from the distance, she seemed to be taller than him. She actually was a head shorter than him, though.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t that worth mentioning. But, yeah, I¡¯ve been working out these days, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so stiff? It isn¡¯t like I¡¯m a tax inspector or anything! C¡¯mon, you¡¯re supposed to entertain me! Now, one, two, three!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still so stiff, jeez. I thought some alcohol would loosen you up a little.¡±NEew stories at novelhall.com


    How to avoid his death...


    He was thinking to bail out immediately after finding out about that, but that seemed impossible to achieve.


    Besides, now that his hands and feet were pretty much tied, he couldn¡¯t even run if he wanted to.


    Acting as if she couldn¡¯t wait anymore, Periwinkle giggled before walking toward the pool.


    Then she called him, her tone carried a subtle rebuke.


    ¡°Do you prefer weed instead?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not that lively of a person.¡±


    ¡°Still, are you planning to just stand there? Do you want to be some kind of lighthouse or what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in.¡±


    He followed behind Periwinkle and entered the waist-high pool.


    At first he was worried that the water might be cold, especially considering the weather that had grown colder lately.


    But that worry turned to naught as he felt the warmth of the water.


    ¡®Maybe she pulled out hot spring water from somewhere and directed it all the way here with a pipe or something? Actually, that sounds like something she¡¯d do...¡¯ He thought, but he didn¡¯t say it out loud.


    In the end, he gave up thinking about it. How much money she wasted for the hot water was irrelevant to him anyway.


    And so, the two of them entered the pool together.


    When Periwinkle snapped her fingers, a soothing music, suitable for a romantic atmosphere, began to play.


    ¡°It feels nice doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it feels as good as it looks. Thank you for bringing me here.¡±


    ¡°No need to thank me, it¡¯s my first time here too. It¡¯s not bad.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Was that a difficult question to answer? Or maybe the alcohol wasn¡¯t enough to make you talk? Ah, could it be that you think that you¡¯ll be cheating on her if you were to answer that question?¡±


    She kept on hounding him, giving him more and more pressure.


    He had heard of a shitty method during a job interview called the pressure interview and he felt like he was going through exactly that at the moment.


    ¡°How good exactly did you make her? She was sooo protective of you, you know? I heard that she was practically living on prayers at one point, but it seemed like she was living THE life, huh?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Periwinkle, if you dislike something about me, please tell me, I¡¯ll try to fix it.¡±


    Siwoo bowed his head politely, but his tone was firm.


    Though his social position and magic skills were beneath her, the gap wasn¡¯t as big as when he was a slave.


    As a witch, she was a citizen of Gehenna.


    If she were to touch him, she¡¯d risk offending not only Duchess Tiphereth but Countess Gemini as well, so there was no way she¡¯d do something so reckless.


    His last words were basically him trying to warn her ¡®Do it in moderation¡¯.


    Regardless of her attitude, she was still his savior and he did promise to do her a favor.


    He could only grumble and complain like this because he was alive.


    That was why he had been enduring this whole thing, bowing his head while humbling himself.


    At that moment, a certain person came to his mind.


    Since what was going on currently was similar to what happened back then, a bitter feeling ended up appearing in his heart.


    He found it amusing that the thought even came to his mind in the first place, though.


    After he left her with a single letter, he thought that she¡¯d contact him first.


    Maybe I should visit her after I visit the twins in Gehenna.


    I mean, while that stupid farce between us is finished and she might have decided to let me go completely, I still need to meet her at least once.


    But, she never asked to meet me even once, that¡¯s the problem.


    Perhaps it was some kind of psychological escapism.


    All sorts of thoughts came to his mind.


    But, that didn¡¯t last long as he was dragged back to the unpleasant reality.


    Thanks to that brief tangent, the anger that was boiling inside him had calmed down for a bit.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He wondered what kind of gaze she sent beneath his bowing head.


    Even though he was anxious, he quietly waited for her reaction.


    ¡°Pfft... Ahahaha!¡±


    Suddenly, laughter began to pour out.


    She held him on his shoulders while laughing, helping him to stand up.


    ¡°Why are you so serious? I was just trying to probe what kind of person you are. Can¡¯t really trust all those goody two shoes, you know? Did I make you mad?¡±


    Siwoo looked at her warily, wondering if she was trying to deceive him.


    She was like a coin.


    It was impossible to gauge her reaction, just like when one threw a coin, one wouldn¡¯t know if it would land on head or tail, he also didn¡¯t know what kind of reaction she¡¯d let out if he were to do this and that.


    ¡°So, did I make you mad? Don¡¯t worry, you can be honest, I won¡¯t be mad at you.¡±


    ¡°A little, yes.¡±


    He answered in a sour voice.


    At this point, his impression of her, ¡®a free spirited person, but not a bad one¡¯ had gone. But that didn¡¯t matter, since he owed her his life anyway.


    ¡°Still, it¡¯s nice to see that you have pride. I thought you were a pathetic guy who lives under the control of a witch just because she got a rein on your lower body or something. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d be disappointed for real.¡±


    There was one thing that he wanted to say to her though.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind you mocking me or whatever, but please keep Sharon out of this. If you want me to do something for you, please tell me so I can fulfill your wish.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that because she is your woman?¡±


    Periwinkle, who shook her head helplessly, or maybe pretended to shake her head helplessly, left the pool and went back inside.


    In his heart, he kept on repeating words such as ¡®There¡¯s a fifty-fifty chance that I¡¯ll die,¡¯ and ¡®One wrong move, I¡¯ll die for real¡¯ to keep his wits together.


    Anyway, is she treating me like this because I didn¡¯t contact her after she gave me her business card? Or maybe I said something wrong during our conversation.


    While thinking as such, Siwoo followed Periwinkle to the bedroom.

 Chapter 246: Divination (4)

    ? Divination (4) ?


    1.


    The bedroom was no less fancy than the lounge Siwoo was in just a while ago.


    Just like the previous room, there was a huge glass wall in here. He could take in the full night view if he wanted to.NEew stories at novelhall.com


    The main difference between this room and the previous was one humongous-sized bed. It was no exaggeration to say that it was as big as a futsal field.


    On the edge of the bed, Periwinkle sat there. She hadn¡¯t even wiped the water off her body.


    To show a man such a sight, just cemented Siwoo¡¯s belief that she knew how to seduce a man.


    Actually, Siwoo had already guessed that things would come to be this way.


    After all, this was Periwinkle, the witch who offered a threesome the very first time they met.


    Besides, she had been repeating the words ¡®entertain me¡¯ like a parrot, there was no way that she meant to say it in the normal way.


    ¡°What are you doing? Come over here.¡±


    Siwoo closed the door before walking in.


    Meanwhile, the witch scanned his body from top to bottom with a curious gaze.


    In truth, Siwoo didn¡¯t hate doing this and that with a pretty woman like her.


    As a man, he would be lying if he were to say that he wasn¡¯t interested in sex.


    But, he disliked her personality and behavior.


    On top of that, there were two other reasons, the main reasons why he felt so reluctant to have a sex with her.


    First, Sharon.


    Right now, she was still lying unconscious.


    Though Ms. Sua said that she¡¯d get better after some more rest, he still didn¡¯t feel good about it. This made him feel terribly unwilling to mix his body with another woman.


    Even though this was the price he had to pay for his own life.


    The second reason was more on the logical side.


    Whenever he had sex, he¡¯d end up amplifying the mana of his sex partner.


    She was already interested in him due to him being a male witch, add that fact on top of that?


    There was a big possibility that she wouldn¡¯t be satisfied with just a one-night stand.


    She would probably even coerce him to stay with her, refusing to let him go.


    He didn¡¯t have enough information about her.


    During their brief time talking, he failed to find any reassurance.


    If anything, he found out that she was more whimsical than any witch he had ever met.


    ¡°Ms. Periwinkle.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Firstly, I¡¯m sorry if I come off as rude to you. I¡¯ve been dealing with a lot of complicated stuff lately and there¡¯s also the result of your fortune-telling...¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    But, it wasn¡¯t like he could just let her drag him around like this or else something terrible would happen.


    That was why he decided to take the initiative.


    Since he couldn¡¯t run anyway, he decided to win over her, in bed if he had to.


    Takasho, give me strength.


    He recalled his old friend and quietly prayed.


    ¡°If you can tell me what it is that you wish for, I will do my best to fulfill it.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re saying this after ruining the atmosphere? Besides, what¡¯s a boorish man like you can do?¡±


    Though from her tone, she was clearly joking, but her words were still stung.


    With her chin up high, tutting a few times, Periwinkle aimed to hurt Siwoo¡¯s pride with her words.


    Calm down, she is still my lifesaver.


    Besides, it isn¡¯t like I¡¯ll meet her ever again after a day or two.


    After he successfully reined in his emotion like that, Siwoo looked around to see a bottle that caught his attention.


    Realizing that it would be tough for him to go through this sober, he thought that he might as well go all out and get himself drunk.


    And that bottle of alcohol should do the trick.


    ¡°Should we have more drinks?¡±


    ¡°More drink? But I¡¯ve drunk enough...no, sure, whatever, go ahead.¡±


    The first thing he did was to bury his nose on her head.


    Witches had their own unique body odor.


    Rather than the scent of a human¡¯s flesh, they emitted a faint scent that was close to that of a perfume.


    Such a scent penetrated deeply into his nose through his olfactory nerves.


    The scent roused something within his brain.


    At the same time, impulses that were different from normal lust took over.


    The sound of something breaking echoed in his ears.


    Strings of that were holding his reasons began to unravel, opening a new door in his heart and from it, a new being emerged, one that would follow through its instincts faithfully.


    ¡°What are you doing? It tickles.¡±


    He ignored her complaints and kept on inhaling her scent like a drug addict taking in some cocaine. At the same time, his little buddy down there became increasingly hot.


    Of course this didn¡¯t escape her notice, as it was practically trying to claw its way out of his swimsuit.


    ¡°Your fetish is quite the unusual one.¡±


    Periwinkle let out a giggle, calmly letting him do whatever it was that he wanted.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask this again, just to make sure.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re letting me do whatever I want, correct?¡±


    ¡°Jeez, do I really need to say it again?¡±


    Hearing that, Siwoo pushed her down to the bed.


    Her ultramarine blue eyes looked at him with interest as her small tongue licked her upper lip in anticipation.


    ¡°You look like you¡¯re about to eat me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Amidst his rough breathing and pounding heart, Siwoo reached out his hand.


    Toward the string that was holding Periwinkle¡¯s monokini together.


    He pulled it, as if he was unwrapping a present and the knot unraveled smoothly, creating a gap between her big chest.


    Since she was lying down now, it was natural that her chest would abide by the rule of gravity.


    Her monokini had the minimum amount of fabric to begin with.


    So, he didn¡¯t need to do much to make her pink, fresh nipples pop out from behind it.


    While her breasts were as big as Sharon¡¯s, her areolas were on the smaller side, making them look like cherry blossom petals.


    ¡°You took so long just to remove a piece of clothing. This is something that you should¡¯ve done earlier when we were at the pool.¡±


    Again, he ignored her words.


    Every time he drew in his breath, he would take in her scent. The more he inhaled her scent, the more he was drawn to her chest that was swaying enticingly.


    After that, he tried to take off the rest of her monokini.


    However, it wasn¡¯t easy to take off such a thing when the other person was lying down.


    ¡°Do you need some¡ª H-Huh?¡±


    But, he decided to just use force, with a dagger of shadow that he just made.


    Not expecting him to do this, Periwinkle sent him an anxious gaze.


    Now she was making the face of a prey that was about to get eaten by her predator.


    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s what you¡¯re trying to do?¡±


    ¡°You did say you won¡¯t mind me doing anything.¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s voice was cold.


    And this brought joy to Periwinkle, as her plan had finally come to fruition.


    ¡°Never said I mind it though?¡±


    He pressed down the single-edge blade towards the fabric that was tightly embracing her body.


    The black blade that contrasted with her white skin, dug into the hem of her monokini.


    Then, he cut it.


    Every time the blade cut through a part of the fabric, more of her white skin was exposed.


    And when he cut through the last string that held the monokini¡¯s lower part together, her pussy was revealed to him.


    As someone who seemed to be obsessed with dolling herself up, her beautiful pussy was carefully waxed, he couldn¡¯t even see any traces of hair there.


    So, he could see her well-balanced lower lips and clitoris.


    He then laid his body down on hers, hugging her before kissing her on the lips.

 Chapter 252: An Unknown Side (3)

    Chapter 252: An Unknown Side (3)


    ? An Unknown Side (3) ?


    1.


    Eloa hurriedly paid for the cheapest room at Periwinkle Hotel, using all the money she had on her.


    The same money that was supposed to be used to buy ingredients for her dinner with Siwoo after their training.


    Feeling disoriented and sick to her stomach, she struggled to keep one eye on her surroundings while having to witness Siwoo¡¯s wild sex with Periwinkle with her other eye.


    She hadn¡¯t planned on just letting them go on. That was why she rented a room in the first place, so she could intervene the moment they let up a little.


    But...


    ¡®Phew... One more time?¡¯


    There was no such thing.


    It seemed like they could go on endlessly.


    Siwoo, who was obedient like a chick during the training, had turned into a wild predator in bed.


    He easily overpowered Periwinkle and banged her, be it in her front or back hole, wherever he wanted.


    ¡°Ugh, not again...¡±


    Eloa covered her eyes and hid her face.


    But, even when she covered her eyes, the visual connection still remained so it essentially served no actual purpose whatsoever. Still, this helped her ease the embarrassment that she felt because her face was flushed from all this.


    Once again, she saw Siwoo¡¯s worryingly big manhood penetrating Periwinkle¡¯s tight hole.


    With each of his vigorous thrusts, she cried out like a bitch in heat.


    ¡°Please...just...stop...¡±


    Three hours had passed since she entered the room.


    They seemed to have been doing this for hours already.


    Yet, there was no sign of them stopping.


    The rough gasps and moans that echoed in one of her ears made her head throb.


    -Thunk!


    Unable to bear it any longer, Eloa abruptly stood up from the cough.


    She realized that it would be disrespectful of her if she just sat there watching without taking any actions.


    Even if she couldn¡¯t tell him everything, she had to meet him and fulfill the covenant first.


    That was she could finally put an end to this unwanted sex ed session.


    So she got up, brimming with hope, walking steadily towards the door...before turning around.


    ¡°No matter how I think...this just doesn¡¯t feel right...¡±


    She realized that this was going to be harder than she thought.


    Like, how am I supposed to barge into THAT?


    She berated herself for signing the covenant without giving a proper explanation. While she was supposed to be his temporary teacher, she should have been more cautious than this.


    Siwoo might be kind and gentle, but even he wouldn¡¯t be amused to know that his privacy could be invaded at any time.


    To make things worse, she had already busted into his room when he was in the middle of an action with Sharon once.


    Though she never backed down when it came to fighting Homunculi, always keeping her willpower strong in the face of evil...


    She had no clue whatsoever to deal with this kind of situation.


    Eloa walked briskly and stepped into the bathroom.


    When one needed to clear one¡¯s head, splashing cold water on one¡¯s face could really help, or at least that was what she believed.


    So, she splashed some cold water on her face to cool down before checking her own face in the mirror.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    Reflected in the mirror, her face was as red as a boiled squid.


    If she were to show up in front of Siwoo looking like this, she¡¯d just embarrass both of them if anything.


    Finally, she gave up and stripped off her clothes.


    Turning on the cold shower, she huddled under the bathtub¡¯s stream.


    -Shwaaah!


    As the ice cold water soaked her head, running down her body, she felt a strange heat, perhaps stemming from arousal or maybe it was something else, that subsided after a moment.


    ¡°Haa...¡±


    She had never got into an intimate relationship with a man before.


    It was because she never felt the need to, no, actually, she never even felt any kind of sexual feelings or love before.


    Not only that, she never even planned to experience such things from the start.


    But, lately, strange things had been happening.


    First, she accidentally caught Sharon and Siwoo in the act.


    Then, when she was in a really close proximity with Siwoo during their spar, she could feel his...thing...pressing against her lower back.


    There was also the occasion when she was seduced by the Incubus, sending her to a dream where she showed her naked body to Siwoo and got her breasts fondled by him.


    And today...this embarrassing incident that she was too embarrassed to tell anyone about.


    ¡®Ah...ahh...! Hyaa!¡¯


    Every time Siwoo thrusted his thing in, Periwinkle would scream out.


    But, even when Eloa first listened to it, it was clear that it wasn¡¯t actually a scream.


    It sounded like she was in an euphoria, experiencing pleasure that she couldn¡¯t find elsewhere.


    Forcing that huge member of his that normally won¡¯t fit into such a tight hole...


    Is she really enjoying this...?


    To accept a man¡¯s member into a hole that wasn¡¯t meant for childbirth but for excretion instead was something that was out of common sense.


    Even if Eloa were to meet a man that she liked and allowed him to do whatever to her body, she¡¯d still be hesitant to offer him that shameful hole.


    Despite her trying to cool her head for a while now, she could still feel her body burning with intense heat.


    But, it was different from a normal kind of heat.


    ¡°Are you not feeling tired?¡±


    As Periwinkle stretched her arms, Siwoo¡¯s gaze wandered to her swaying breasts.


    Then he noticed the distinct handprints on her sides.


    Naturally, he remembered what happened, he pounded her bouncing tits while he poured his semen into her.


    Thinking back, while it was something that she requested, he still went on with that kind of bold move.


    ¡°That was the most enjoyable two nights that I¡¯ve ever had, Siwoo.¡±


    Grinning mischievously, she tiptoed towards Siwoo.


    Having been able to replenish her yang qi, she visibly looked very happy.


    ¡°You acted so shamelessly, why are you being so docile now, hm?¡±


    As she tried to nuzzle her head under his nose, he blocked her forehead with his palm.


    He could see her eyes sparkling through the gap in his hand.


    ¡°I appreciate your effort, but I have some things to do.¡±


    ¡°Hearing you being so polite feels weird. You¡¯ve been calling me a bitch until just now.¡±


    ¡°W-Well, you were the one who asked for it...¡±


    Despite his reluctance, she pressed on, reaching out between his crotch.


    As she did so, she gently licked his palm that was blocking her forehead.


    ¡°A chance to fuck a high-class bitch like me to your heart¡¯s content doesn¡¯t come often, you know? If you leave now, you might not get another shot at it...¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ve already got plans to shop with Duchess Tiphereth...¡±


    ¡°Tch, so cold.¡±


    Seeing him still acting all stiff with her, she eventually backed off, as if she had lost her interest with him.


    Siwoo looked at the way she acted with a curious look.


    Throughout their sex session, she had climaxed multiple times, even passing out a few times from them.


    Each time, he forcefully woke her up by ramming his dick in violently and it seemed like she was craving for more...


    She seemed to be a woman with an endless ¡®passion¡¯.


    ¡°You really still want some more?¡±


    Now that he knew her a little better, he was more comfortable talking with her.


    And it seemed like she felt the same way as him.


    ¡°If I am a high-class bitch, then you¡¯re a stallion. Part of me feels satisfied, but another part of me wishes for more. You probably feel the same way, right? ...Anyway, a promise is a promise.¡±


    She waved her hand, clothes flew in from afar and draped over her naked body.


    It had been 48 hours since Siwoo had seen her white skin being covered by any kind of clothes.


    In that time, he spent almost every moment of it to bite her, suck her, spank her, and fuck her, barely taking any breaks.


    ¡°That was really fun.¡±


    ¡°I felt the same way.¡±


    ¡°So are you going to get another witch as a sex slave later?¡±


    Periwinkle tidied up his clothes before pulling something out of her pocket.


    A car key inside a key holder.


    There was a familiar logo carved on it, the same logo as the one on the car they had ridden when she came to pick him up two nights ago.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call someone to get the car ready for you. It¡¯s the least I can do as a thank you.¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t accept this. You¡¯ve done so much for me.¡±


    When he realized what it was, Siwoo¡¯s body froze.


    She was giving out the supercar that they rode last time.


    He genuinely felt that this was way too excessive.


    It was to the point that he was worried if something bad would happen to him in return for receiving all this.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it, just keep it. The four-leaf clover I gave you wasn¡¯t that expensive, you know? This is a gift, from me, to you, so seriously, just accept it.¡±


    ¡°Since you said that it¡¯s a gift, can I really use it freely?¡±


    Considering that the license plate of that car clearly displayed the word ¡®Diplomat¡¯, it wasn¡¯t strange for him to ask that as a confirmation.


    ¡°Of course. No one would question what the Great Periwinkle does, you know?¡±


    She coolly replied as such while playfully pinching her nose.


    Since she was planning to leave Korea, she figured that she¡¯d leave the car in his hands since it was quite an expensive car. Well, that was part of the reason, the main reason was because the car had a built-in GPS, it would make it easier for her to meet him again in the future.


    Of course she didn¡¯t say this out loud.


    Not knowing what she was planning, Siwoo only stared at her, clearly touched.


    Now he finally realized that he had been acting too coldly at her, even when considering that she might have bad intentions against him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve properly thanked you yet, so... Thank you for saving me back then, for helping me avoid any danger that I would face in the future and for treating me well so far.¡±


    Periwinkle flashed a sweet smile at him.


    Before long, the private elevator arrived.


    ¡°Don¡¯t solely rely on that four-leaf clover. Remember that it will only save your life once.¡±


    ¡°Got it, I¡¯ll remember that.¡±


    ¡°Alright, time to say goodbye, at least for now.¡±


    Just as Siwoo was about to step into the elevator...


    Periwinkle gently pulled him towards her before planting a light kiss on his forehead.


    ¡°May the fortune always be on your side.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s meet again in one piece.¡±


    With those words serving as their parting words, the elevator doors were closed shut.

 Chapter 255: The Darkness that Came from the East (1)

    Chapter 255: The Darkness that Came from the East (1)


    ? The Darkness that Came from the East (1) ?


    1.


    As planned, they bought all the clothes they picked out.


    Next thing on their to-do list was grocery shopping at the department store¡¯s food corner.


    Eloa turned out to be surprisingly good at cooking. After their training, she¡¯d sometimes invite Siwoo over to cook him a meal.


    Today too, she planned to do that, as a thanks for buying her clothes.


    ¡°Hmm...hmm~¡±


    Eloa hummed a tune while sporting a flowy shirt dress, her heels clicked at times.


    Beside her, Siwoo, who was pushing the shopping card, was trying hard to contain his laughter.


    Normally, she would act reserved.


    She¡¯d kept her feelings to herself, though he didn¡¯t know if it was because she wasn¡¯t good at expressing it, or if it was because of her warrior¡¯s upbringing to not reveal their emotions easily.


    Most of the time, she never even expressed her likes or dislikes.


    Seeing her in such a good mood was a clear sign that this shopping trip was a huge success.


    As Eloa strolled excitedly through the grocery aisle, she suddenly realized something before throwing Siwoo a subtle glance.


    Then, she stopped humming.


    It was because she noticed his calm expression, with a teasing gentle smile on his lips.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Stop grinning like a fool.¡±


    He¡¯d love to tell her that it was because he thought that she was cute, just like a cheerful puppy, playing on a sunny day, but he didn¡¯t want to make the atmosphere awkward.


    And so, he decided to praise her outfit instead.


    ¡°Those clothes suit you well, the shoes look nice on you too.¡±


    The first half of his sentence was something that he said repeatedly when they were shopping for her clothes, but even so, she still responded in the same way when she heard her compliments.


    Feeling skeptical of his words, going ¡®Really?¡¯ in her head, but still letting out a cheerful smile anyway.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. It¡¯s my first time wearing heels like these...though it does make me feel a little taller. Do you think they stand out too much?¡±


    ¡°They all go well together.¡±


    ¡°...No, they don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Really, they suit you well.¡±


    ¡°Stop teasing me.¡±


    Usually, she¡¯d just nod along whenever Siwoo threw her compliments during their training, but it seemed like all the compliments on her appearance and her clothes made her feel embarrassed as she almost always replied with ¡®Stop teasing me¡¯.


    Siwoo thought that it was adorable for her to react that way and it made him want to keep on complimenting her.


    ¡°Oh, I just remembered something.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for buying me these nice clothes. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever shopped for clothes at a department store.¡±


    ¡°Well, technically, I didn¡¯t use my own money to buy them. Besides, I¡¯ve received many things from you, Master, no need to thank me, really.¡±


    Hearing his modest answer, Eloa quickly barraged him with facts.


    ¡°Countess Gemini isn¡¯t only an outstanding witch, but also a skilled businesswoman. For someone like her, no matter how much money they have, they won¡¯t spend their money thoughtlessly. The Countess provided you with financial support, that means you¡¯re someone worthy of receiving it, not out of favor, pity or anything like that.¡±


    ¡°Uh...¡±


    Now he understood what Eloa had been feeling whenever he complimented her clothes.


    A mixed feeling between unease and embarrassment.


    So, the reason why he could enjoy such luxury in the modern world was because he quite literally sacrificed his life when he confronted Ea Sadalmelik.


    He still didn¡¯t understand how the fuck did he have the balls to confront someone as fearsome as Ea when he couldn¡¯t even cast a single combat spell, but...


    Never once did he think that his action was something extraordinary.


    He always thought that anyone else would make a similar choice in his position.


    ¡°Take some pride in yourself.¡±


    Eloa playfully nudged his back before walking ahead.


    After filling the cart with enough groceries and paying for them, the pair got in the car.


    It was the supercar he received from Periwinkle.


    Truth to be told, until he actually drove it, he thought that he¡¯d just park it somewhere in the lot and he¡¯d hardly ever drive it.


    He wasn¡¯t that into cars to begin with and driving this thing would draw so much attention because compared to Ferraris or Lamborghinis, this kind of car was rare to be found in Seoul.


    But once he grabbed the steering wheel and hit the road, he became addicted to it.


    He tried to soothe her, laying out his thoughts calmly.


    ¡°Ms. Periwinkle said that she will be leaving Korea for a while, she said that she saw a future where even herself would get caught in danger in a month. Considering what the Cowardly Witch did recently, chances are she¡¯s going to cause trouble again soon and I might get caught up in it...¡±


    ¡°Did she really say that?¡±


    ¡°Yes and I agreed with her.¡±


    After the recent attack by the Cowardly Witch, there was a power gap not only in Seoul but all across Korea.


    Witches who felt the urgency from the consecutive incidents decided to either return to Gehenna or flee abroad.


    Branch Manager Sua tried reaching out for support from other Witch Point branches and Gehenna, but their responses were mostly lukewarm.


    Because witches never had any obligations to save people.


    Their only goal was to advance their self-essence magic to a higher level.


    Moreover, most of them exerted efforts not for adventures but for their own safety.


    For a witch, death wasn¡¯t merely the end of an individual¡¯s life, but an extinction of an entire ¡®lineage¡¯. That was why they always hesitated to get involved in events that seemed futile and risky.


    ¡°This is why I told you not to worry too much.¡±


    Siwoo pulled out two four-leaf clovers from his cigarette case.


    One was light green and the other was pink.


    These were the things that Periwinkle had given him, claiming that they could save his life.


    ¡°She mentioned that even if my fate leads to my death, I¡¯ll be able to get away from it once.¡±


    Only then did Eloa¡¯s tense expression eased, albeit only slightly. There was a glimmer of relief amidst her previously desperate demeanor.


    The Witch of Fortune was quite famous among witches. Even Eloa herself had heard a few times about how useful her clovers were.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I overreacted...¡±


    ¡°No, Master, I was the one who brought the topic up all of a sudden.¡±


    ¡°So, what are you planning to do?¡±


    ¡°That... I don¡¯t know that yet...¡±


    Siwoo had already suspected that some incident would occur due to the Cowardly Witch.


    However, he couldn¡¯t decide what to do because he didn¡¯t want to leave Sharon behind and flee.


    Should I just stick around and face whatever fate waits?


    But, considering that even a grand witch like Periwinkle could lose her life, wouldn¡¯t it be better to just take Sharon and flee instead?


    Such thoughts crossed his mind.


    ¡°Run away.¡±


    Eloa said decisively, as if telling him that there was nothing for him to think about.


    ¡°Go to Gehenna and don¡¯t come back until things settle down. It¡¯ll be safer to stay there than here.¡±


    ¡°But, the Branch Manager said it would take time to discuss things about letting Sharon into Gehenna...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help speed things up.¡±


    To grant special permissions for Exiles, they¡¯d need to go through an extremely strict process of review.


    With the administrative tasks in Gehenna moving at a snail¡¯s pace, going through the official channels would take quite a long while.


    However, if a big shot like the Duchess Tiphereth herself used her name and authority to push things through, there wasn¡¯t anything she couldn¡¯t pull off.


    Though she had lost her wealth and influence, and her title was merely a symbolic one, she was still one of the three Duchesses of Gehenna.


    ¡°Really? You can do that?¡±


    Siwoo let out a sigh of relief.


    If she succeeded, his burden would at least lessen a little.


    Above all, he was glad that Sharon, who was still unconscious, could get away from the place where the storm would strike.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it done within two days. You and Ms. Evergreen will¡ª¡±


    Eloa was about to suggest he go to Gehenna, but something clicked in her mind.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Master?¡±


    Puzzled by her momentary silence, Siwoo looked at Eloa.


    Eloa clutched onto his sleeve desperately.


    ¡°While Ms. Evergreen seeks refuge in Gehenna, you...¡±


    She grasped his hand tightly, as if refusing to let go.


    ¡°...Don¡¯t go anywhere, stay by my side.¡±

 Chapter 256: The Darkness that Came from the East (2)

    Chapter 256: The Darkness that Came from the East (2)


    ? The Darkness that Came from the East (2) ?


    1.


    The bond between a master and apprentice was often compared to that of a parent and child.


    This was especially the case within the witch society, where it held an even deeper meaning than usual.


    To an apprentice witch, her master was like a parent, while to the master, the apprentice was like a cherished child, one whom they would willingly sacrifice their very life for.


    ¡°You, don¡¯t go anywhere. Stay by my side.¡±


    And so, a love between a master and her disciple...


    Was considered a forbidden relationship.


    Eloa mustered up all her courage to confess her uncertain feelings towards Siwoo, but what came out of her mouth wasn¡¯t quite what she intended to confess...


    Well, when she grabbed his hand, he did have a moment of delusion going on there, but that was it.


    ¡°There¡¯s something on my mind...¡±


    Periwinkle, Siwoo, and even Eloa felt it.


    They all believed Siwoo¡¯s death would be caused by the Cowardly Witch.


    Considering everything, this seemed like the most likely scenario.


    After all, the huge disaster that was looming over Seoul was dangerous enough to threaten the life of a great witch.


    Siwoo held a grim prophecy of his own death that would come soon, and he was currently in Seoul.


    The Cowardly Witch had caused several incidents in Seoul over the past few months and her whereabouts was still unknown.


    Even considering the uncertainties, it didn¡¯t take a genius to come to a certain conclusion, especially when all the evidence was pointing toward that way.


    A huge disaster will strike Seoul.


    So, Eloa decided to take Siwoo to Gehenna, along with Evergreen, for their safety.


    But, she suddenly had a thought.


    What if...


    That was the wrong conjecture?


    What if Siwoo¡¯s possible death had nothing to do with the Cowardly Witch.


    There was a possibility that other kinds of dangers were lurking around him? For example, a criminal exile who was aiming for him, the first male witch.


    She felt the burden of the duty she had taken upon herself.


    No, it wasn¡¯t only that, it felt like karma weighing on her shoulders.


    The problem here was, she couldn¡¯t just ignore the looming catastrophe.


    She had resolved herself to stay in Seoul and fight, even if it meant putting her life on the line.


    Since that was the case, if Siwoo faced some kind of danger in Gehenna, she wouldn¡¯t be there to assist him.


    She could only hope that Periwinkle¡¯s four-leaf clover would do its magic.


    That was why she proclaimed as such.


    ¡°...I¡¯ll keep you safe. You¡¯re better off by my side than anywhere else.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Siwoo listened quietly, feeling slightly overwhelmed by her sudden intensity.


    She laid out her thoughts logically and even after he looked over her words, it didn¡¯t sound completely implausible.


    At the very least, her words were worth considering.


    But, if he were to speak his mind honestly...


    It sounds a bit too far-fetched...


    Eloa¡¯s assumptions were all based on worst-case scenarios.


    Even for someone as cautious as her, it really felt like she was overreacting a little.


    ¡°That¡¯s possible.¡±


    But he chose to not point out the flaws in her reasoning.


    Ultimately, Eloa lost Ravi because they weren¡¯t together.


    He hadn¡¯t heard all the details, he knew that Ravi ended up facing Ea on her own and lost her life in the process.


    For Eloa, someone who was carrying that painful past, the idea of ¡®not being able to keep Siwoo by her side when there was a danger looming around¡¯ was already enough to trigger her trauma.


    It was similar to how a world war veteran would hear fireworks at a festival and think that there was a bombardment. In such a state, it was pointless to talk to her about odds and chances.


    She was desperate to keep him in her sight no matter what the cost.


    ¡°You think so too?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think your words make sense, Master.¡±


    ¡°So, will you stay by my side?¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    Suddenly, Eloa stuck her pinky finger under his nose.


    Though the action seemed silly, her gaze was serious and intense.


    ¡°Then, promise me.¡±


    When Siwoo glanced at the clock, he realized that it would be midnight soon.


    Which meant it was almost bedtime for Eloa.


    Siwoo didn¡¯t need to sleep, but Eloa was different. She needed four hours of sleep every day as the price for her covenant.


    But, one thing he noticed was that, as the night wore on, the weird stuff that kept on happening between them tended to ramp up.


    So, he stayed alert, making sure to keep himself composed without letting his guard down.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get changed first and so, please wait outside.¡±


    Maybe Eloa sensed that something strange had been going on too, so she repeated her request again.


    ¡°Wait outside, you hear me?¡±


    3.


    Eloa went inside a room, all determined.


    ¡°...¡±


    She did notice that something strange had been going on lately.


    Weird things kept on happening one after another.


    Whenever she was showering, the door would suddenly swing open, allowing Siwoo to see her showering (luckily, she quickly bent over with her superhuman reflexes, avoiding a disaster).


    Occasionally, her hand would brush against his groin in the middle of spar (but she played it off like it was nothing).


    There were also occasions when her underwear got accidentally exposed...


    Anyway, all the incidents were pretty embarrassing.


    And she didn¡¯t take them lightly.


    Naturally, she felt embarrassed and awkward, but she tried to act like it wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    She couldn¡¯t just avoid Siwoo because of these little things, so she put up with them and stuck with him.


    But...


    It wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t find it weird that these things were happening so often.


    She even had suspicions that it was Siwoo who intentionally caused these incidents, though she didn¡¯t dwell on that for too long.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way.¡±


    Eloa knew his character and temperament well.


    At least, she knew him well enough that he wouldn¡¯t stoop so low to set up lewd schemes on her, though she couldn¡¯t tell if he¡¯d do that to others.


    After undressing herself, removing the snug sports bra that constricted her chest...


    She changed into the pajamas that Siwoo bought for her.


    As the soft fabric wrapped around her, she couldn¡¯t help but yawn and think about the recent events.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    She absentmindedly caressed her chin, letting her thoughts wander. Then, a sudden realization struck her.


    ¡°...Wait.¡±


    Whether it was showing her bare skin, revealing her underwear, or making physical contact.


    All of those incidents that left her embarrassed seem to share a common theme.


    Shame for showing bare skin to her own disciple?


    Embarrassment over revealing her panties to her disciple?


    Flustered over coming into contact with each other¡¯s bodies?


    Everything didn¡¯t make any sense to her.


    Her acceptance of the series of events as embarrassing was due to the fact that they involved ¡®relationships between men and women¡¯, which she found distasteful.


    And this was what clicked in her mind.


    A male-female relationship between a master and a disciple?


    Absurd. Nonsensical.


    To her, this was immoral.


    Siwoo was still getting the hang of things, so he could still get a pass for his actions, but she should¡¯ve kept her cool and set a good example, not shaken by those incidents.


    ¡°Why have I been acting so embarrassed all this time?¡±


    She pondered, closing her eyes as she felt a wave of enlightenment washing over her.


    Realizing her role as his master, though temporary, she knew that she had to set a good example.


    Considering how worked up she got over trivial matters, she could imagine what Siwoo might have learned from her behavior.


    Like, if she had handled the first embarrassing incident calmly...


    Maybe Siwoo wouldn¡¯t have made such a big deal out of it either.


    A teacher was supposed to be a role model for a student.


    Since she initially saw him as just a man, it wasn¡¯t surprising if he also saw her as just a woman either.


    Now that she knew her mistake, all she needed to do was to fix it.


    With a newly determined resolve, she stepped out of her room.

 Chapter 258: The Darkness that Came from the East (4)

    Chapter 258: The Darkness that Came from the East (4)


    ? The Darkness that Came from the East (4) ?


    1.


    What the hell is going on?


    Siwoo¡¯s body froze for a moment, completely taken aback.


    When faced with an unexpected thing, people tend to freeze like this.


    This was something he never could have predicted, so it wasn¡¯t a wonder that he was in a complete shock.


    Eloa¡¯s pajama top was completely ripped open, as if someone had torn it off with force, something that would never happen normally.


    With three out of five buttons undone, it had practically lost its purpose.


    ¡°...¡±


    Siwoo felt like he should look away, but he couldn¡¯t.


    As if captivated by a beautiful piece of art, his gaze remained still.


    His dear master, Eloa Tophereth, was laying there, letting her show-white breasts exposed.


    He had anticipated to see her cleavage, and since she wore a sports bra all the time, he expected her breasts to be bigger than what he used to, but it turned out that they were bigger than he could have imagined.


    Maybe leaving her chest bare gave her a buff somehow...


    With only using his eyes, he judged that they were roughly around D cup.


    Their shapes were beautiful, like perfectly cut peaches split in half and placed upside down.


    At their tips, the small nipples glistened, showing off their color. The pale pink areolas formed a faint gradient that resembled plates holding fruits.


    Add that to the partially removed top, as if she had hastily took it off in the middle of their love making, her peach-like breasts looked incredibly alluring and enticing.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Then, slowly, his mind caught up with reality.


    Due to an unfortunate accident, her breasts ended up exposed.


    So, how exactly would she react?


    Just as he started feeling anxious about what kind of awkward explanation that he had to pump out, he heard a muffled breathing sound coming from her.


    ¡°...F-Fuu...fu...¡±


    To that, he closed his eyes, letting out a sigh of relief.


    Luckily for him, Eloa had fallen asleep at that moment.


    Her snores sounded louder than usual, but she had completely closed her eyes since earlier, so he completely believed that she really was asleep.


    ¡°Phew... Thank God...¡±


    Siwoo muttered under his breath.


    ¡°...¡±


    Meanwhile, Eloa remained frozen stiff. Just like a rabbit playing dead, she felt her heart racing.


    It was so loud to the point that she was worried Siwoo would notice it.


    Wait!


    Then she realized she couldn¡¯t relax just yet.


    While she had succeeded in pretending to sleep, her breasts were still exposed.


    And Siwoo was still here.


    Stay calm, stay calm.


    But, nothing¡¯s changed!


    Nothing¡¯s changed at all!


    The whole point of me asking for a massage is to avoid seeing him as a man!


    I should act as if I¡¯ve woken up briefly and play it cool!


    Eloa¡¯s mind raced as she tried to navigate the awkward situation.


    But from the moment she faked sleep out of panic, the likelihood of her goal coming true became slimmer and slimmer.


    Now that she had lost her perfect chance, there was no guarantee that it would come up ever again.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    While Eloa fidgeted, trying to come up with the timing of her waking up, Siwoo¡¯s hand slid away from her neck.


    Suddenly, a vivid scene flashed in her mind.


    The scene of Siwoo playing with Periwinkle¡¯s breasts as if they were his own.


    For some reason, she could vividly recall that scene when he roughly pounding on Periwinkle, squeezing her breasts to the point of crushing them, sucking and tugging on her nipples, even sapping them.


    With trembling eyelids, she hesitated to wake up, and now became stuck in place.


    Why am I remembering this now?


    Huh?


    She knew that the scene lingered in her mind wasn¡¯t because she saw him as a man, or thought of him romantically, but because of how shocking the sight was.


    Or at least that was what she was trying to tell herself.


    At that moment, she heard his voice.


    That night, she didn¡¯t have a nightmare.


    Instead, she found herself dreaming of riding with Ravi through the wide-open field of the Mendel Hills.


    It was the first time she had ever slept so soundly in years.


    2.


    Siwoo blinked his eyes open.


    It felt like he had slept a bit longer than usual today.


    Normally, he would¡¯ve woken up at dawn, but today, the pleasant sunlight streamed through the window.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    As he gradually opened his eyes, a pinkish silhouette caught his attention.


    Then, he felt a comforting touch on his head.


    ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    He was momentarily confused.


    The person who had been gently stroking his head was none other than Eloa.


    Wearing an apron over her pajamas, she sat on the bed, gently running her fingers through his hair.


    ¡°Nothing, I just had the urge to try something.¡±


    Normally, whenever she looked at him, she had this subtle, yet enchanting smile that showed how she was content just being with him.


    But today, her expression was softer and kinder than usual.


    It was the kind of look that he¡¯d imagine she used to give to her deceased apprentice witch.


    ¡°You look like a baby when you sleep.¡±


    Blushing at her words, he got up. Running his hand through his tousled hair, he asked.


    ¡°How long have you been watching?¡±


    ¡°Not for long. You were sleeping so soundly today, so I didn¡¯t want to disturb you. Anyway, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re up now. I¡¯ve made you breakfast, so come on out.¡±


    Eloa got off the bed and headed to the kitchen.


    Siwoo followed her slowly, noticing a pot bubbling on the induction stove.


    He also noticed the smell of chicken noodle soup, one of Eloa¡¯s favorite dishes.


    It was also a dish he had been having almost every morning lately. Perfect for the time since it wasn¡¯t too spicy and was easy on the stomach.


    Not only that, Eloa also prepared bacon that emitted a subtle smoky aroma along with slices of toast that crisped up nicely in the toaster.


    ¡°Wait a moment, it¡¯ll be ready soon.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything I can help with?¡±


    ¡°Why do you keep asking me that? You know my answer already, just sit back and relax.¡±


    Eloa bustled around as she prepared the delicious-looking breakfast.


    Like usual, Siwoo set the table with plates and milk.


    ¡°Thanks for the food.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s plenty of them, so just dig in!¡±


    She was right, the amount of food was more than enough to feed two people.


    With her skillful hands, Eloa whipped up a meal that could easily feed a whole family.


    It wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t know that Siwoo didn¡¯t really need to eat much due to his spirit body.


    Perhaps, she just enjoyed seeing him eat heartily.


    Of course, since the food both looked and smelled so good, there was no way Siwoo could resist them.


    As always, Eloa waited for him to take the first bite.


    ¡°...Why are you staring at me like that?¡±


    But this time, even after a while, she only stared at him without taking a bite of her food.


    ¡°Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Her sudden expression of gratitude caught him off guard, but he could vaguely understand what she meant to say.


    Ever since she met him, she had found a sense of ease.


    No longer did she feel the tense feeling, like a taut bowstring that could snap at any moment, just like when she did back when they first met.


    To her, who had experienced the pain of loss, Siwoo seemed to have filled a void, just like a cute pet.


    Her gratitude probably stemmed from the solace he provided, a sentiment that lingered faintly in her mind.


    ¡°Thank you so much.¡±


    Eloa clasped her hands together, hoping that this peaceful happiness would last.


    She knew that it might never come true.


    But, she hoped for it anyway, despite how futile it was.

 Chapter 259: The Darkness that Came from the East (5)

    Chapter 259: The Darkness that Came from the East (5)


    ? The Darkness that Came from the East (5) ?


    1.


    It felt like an incomprehensible amount of time had passed.


    The pitch-black darkness, devoid of any light, had disrupted Della¡¯s circadian rhythm a long time ago.


    She couldn¡¯t properly tell when it was time to sleep, to wake up, or even how much time had passed.


    Then again, even if it wasn¡¯t disrupted, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to sleep in this state.


    The white spears that pierced her body felt like it had morphed into tender flesh, embedded perfectly inside as if it became a part of her.


    She couldn¡¯t even laugh at her plight.


    Della was someone who had always prided herself when it came to her mental strength, thinking that she would never be shaken by anything.


    But, after being forced to witness the horrifying event unfolding right in front of her while being pinned on a wall like an insect specimen, even she would feel nauseous.


    -Ooooo!


    Especially when she also had to deal with that sound on top of all that.


    The loud vibrations that were echoing through the underground chamber, as if they were trying to drill into her ears.


    Listening to that horrific sound, as if it came from the depths of hell, she felt a strong urge to tear her eardrums out.


    ¡°...¡±


    Della lifted her head, which had been hanging weakly.


    Her complexion was extremely pale, as if she was someone on the brink of death.


    The stress and pain building up inside her was too much for her to endure, even considering that she had a spirit body.


    It wouldn¡¯t be strange if she were to lose her mind if this were to continue a while longer.Re?Ad lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only


    Suppressing the urge to swear, she stared at the strange object that was emitting the loud noise in the center of the underground chamber.


    Its form was like a lotus that had not yet fully bloomed.


    She estimated that both its height and weight were at least a dozen meters.


    Layers upon layers formed a massive mound, waiting for the right moment to blossom.


    All of its petals were made of human arm bones, interlocked like humans praying.


    Even someone who was infamous for her rotten morals like Della couldn¡¯t help but feel repulsed by the grotesque artwork.


    The stem supporting the bone petals looked like a tangled mess of red threads, similar to ropes.


    At first glance, it seemed like a tangled mess of wires, but its true identity was humans¡¯ central nervous system.


    Beneath the slowly wriggling stem, white and murky chunks of flesh, resembling fish innards, twisted and turned as if they were alive.


    The mass resembled a brain, impossible to describe as just a piece, clung together like a lump of clay, supporting the stem and flower buds like roots, submerged under a mix of brain fluid and blood, just like a lotus stem.


    To put it simply, its flower was made of bones, its stem made of nerve bundles and its roots made of brains...


    As for what was the purpose of this lotus flower that seemed to come straight out of a B-grade horror movie, it was actually an altar.


    A massive altar made of human bones, brains and nerve bundles.


    It served both as an altar to offer Paola¡¯s prayers, wishes and desires, and a collective artwork for the masses that was compressed into a compact size suitable for Paola¡¯s needs.


    The humans that were ensnared in that artwork would pray for her until their synapses and nerves finally gave out.


    Or rather...


    It was doubtful to call them ¡®human¡¯, as they had lost everything that normal human beings should have.


    -Oooooo!


    The vibrations echoed loudly once more, as if countless dead souls were screaming together.


    Another arm bone extended outward, unfolding like a petal.


    Jutting out from the center of the lotus was the ¡®Red Branch¡¯.


    The artifact of the Red Knight¡¯s, possessing the special trait ¡®distortion¡¯.


    Della knew too well the power it held.


    Through the White Knights, mere inferior clones of the Red Knight, through their white spears that were merely replicas of the Red Branch, resonating with each other, they could disrupt any kind of spell.


    But, Paola had bigger plans than just boosting the Red Branch¡¯s combat capabilities.


    What she was trying to do was to control the ¡®distortion¡¯ concept that it had, pushing it to the extreme and manipulating it in the desired direction.


    Her goal wasn¡¯t just to manipulate space or magical fields, but to distort fate and reality itself.


    Essentially, she was aiming to erase the fact that her apprentice witch had died in her hands.


    ¡°Ugh...!¡±


    Della wasn¡¯t the only one revolted by this grotesque scene.


    The group of Knights were created by collecting the hearts of ¡®1200 victims¡¯ from the previous incidents Paola orchestrated with Dagon¡¯s Flute.


    There were also four witches she hunted down with her combat Homunculi and among them, there was one witch who survived up until this point. Just like Della, she was also observing the artwork that would bring about an unprecedented disaster.


    -Ooooooo!


    Paola Xochitl knelt beneath the lotus flower, offering her prayers.


    Her madness and determination to sacrifice everything for a single wish were so pure that they¡¯d send chills down one¡¯s spine.


    Even amidst this horrifying scene, at a glance, she looked just like a saintess.


    -Snap!


    Even if she managed to fully unleash the Red Branch¡¯s potential by making that lotus bloom, she still required more mana for the resurrection ritual.


    In other words, she was planning to mobilize all 1200 White Knights, along with the Red Knight, to carry out another massacre.


    Just like when she utilized Dagon¡¯s Flute to massacre those civilians.


    How many people would die from that?


    Ten thousand, a hundred thousand? Maybe even one million?


    The toll might surpass the incident that the Witch of the Plague herself caused in the past.


    ¡°Arg...ugh...¡±


    Barely escaping, Della realized that she couldn¡¯t go on like this as she crawled to a large tunnel.


    Her bleeding was too severe.


    There were only two outcomes that awaited her like this, either death or losing her consciousness.


    Either way, she wouldn¡¯t be able to escape with her consciousness intact.


    ¡°Huff...huff...¡±


    Della took a deep breath, raising a single finger.


    With the little mana she had, using powerful healing spells on a body that could barely hold itself together was too wasteful.


    She rolled up her sleeve before biting it. Then she pressed her flaming fingertips against the wound, searing it shut.


    ¡°...!!!¡±


    The pain she felt was unbearable, as if she was on the brink of death.


    Scent of burning flesh and meat filled the air as her skin sizzled and blistered.


    This was the kind of pain that would kill her outright if she was a human. Blood spurted out of her mouth as she clenched her gums tightly.


    After barely managing to control her bleeding with such a crude and aggressive method, Della barely managed to rise to her feet, grasping the tattered cloth against the rain-soaked tunnel wall.


    Now that she barely could hold her body together, she dragged her feet forward.


    But she had no time to relax, not even for a moment.


    -Clank, clank, clank!


    Footsteps echoed in the distance, drawing closed and closer.


    The White Knights, some which weren¡¯t participating in the ritual, perhaps on their patrol.


    She couldn¡¯t get caught here.


    Even at her best, she could barely handle twenty of them at once.


    The white spears that resonated with the distortion ability of the Red Branch, the ultimate weapon for killing witches.


    Even if she managed to escape and expose her plans to the witches outside, it was still very doubtful that they could handle those knights.


    Unless there were witches capable of powerful physical attacks like Duchess Tiphereth or Ea Sadalmelik was around, it would be impossible to defeat them.


    She knew that, but she decided to think about it later until she completely escaped from them.


    ¡°Damn it¡ª Cough, cough!¡±


    Cursing under her breath, she used magic to support her trembling body and began to run.


    With each step, the pain threatened to overwhelm her.


    -Clank, clank, clank!


    I can¡¯t get caught here again!


    Delle, who had squeezed out her last bit of strength, saw a light descending vertically in the distance.


    It came from the escape route she had taken a note of back when she first decided to confront Paola, just in case an unforeseen event happened.


    ¡°Ignite¡ª!¡±


    She cried out, summoning wings of flames, using up all her remaining strength.


    Currently, she was 45 m down underground.


    With her current condition, there was no way she could climb a ladder even if she wanted to.


    She had to fly out in one go.


    Utilizing large wings that resemble a phoenix¡¯s she shot upwards in an instant, smashing through even the large steel covering.


    ¡°Ugh¡ª!¡±


    As she managed to push open the iron door, her consciousness blurred again, but she managed to emerge nonetheless.


    The rush of fresh air filled her lungs, a welcome relief after what felt like an eternity.


    ¡°Haa...haa...have to...head to...the Witch Point...¡±


    I need to tell them everything.


    They¡¯ll protect me and treat my wounds there.


    With that goal in mind, she bolted out of the alleyway.


    -Screeech!


    Just then, a blinding white light filled her vision.


    A sports car with a grill resembling a horse¡¯s hoof screeched to a halt, but it was too late.


    -Bang!


    The impact threw her body through the air, as if she was a can being kicked.

 Chapter 260: The Darkness that Came from the East (6)

    Chapter 260: The Darkness that Came from the East (6)


    ? The Darkness that Came from the East (6) ?


    1.


    Siwoo¡¯s training schedule had become more intense than before.


    Not because of any specific reason, but because he felt the need to do something in a situation where he didn¡¯t know any kind of danger that might come.


    Originally, he¡¯d only train hard for a couple hours around noon, but now he doubled it, once in the morning and once again in the evening.


    Naturally, he felt exhausted to the point that he felt he was about to die.


    With Eloa¡¯s strict and old-fashioned manner of teaching, she never let him slack off. So, he ended up being beaten up in the morning and once again in the evening, making him all bruised and battered.


    -Vroooom!


    Currently, they were inside the luxurious supercar that ran with a sleek engine sound.


    ¡°So, I was given about half a day off each week. With Takasho¡¯s help, uh, the friend I mentioned before, I¡¯d use the time to shop in Tarot Town for essentials. Well, ¡®essentials¡¯ might be a little bit of a stretch...it was more like I bought some magic items...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Siwoo was recounting his time in Gehenna to Eloa, as she had requested.


    Meanwhile, Eloa was sprawled comfortably on the backrest with her eyes closed.


    Glancing at her with a side-eye, Siwoo asked.


    ¡°Are you tired?¡±


    At that moment, her tightly closed eyelids fluttered and she opened her eyes.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m listening. Sorry, even though I was the one who asked you to talk about yourself...¡±


    In truth, this intense training regime was also tough on Eloa.


    If she had one persistent weakness, it was her stamina.


    Her past attempt to enhance her self-essence magic for greater strength had disrupted the balance she had achieved before.


    It was way easier for her to unleash an incredible burst of power, but she¡¯d be burned out just as quickly.


    As a comparison, she was like a high-performance race car with poor fuel efficiency.


    Not to mention that to deal with Siwoo, who was significantly weaker than her, she¡¯d need more ¡®strength to rein in her power¡¯ than ¡®strength to swing a fist¡¯ to prevent him from getting seriously injured.


    It was akin to holding a soft tofu to keep it from falling apart.


    Also, just because someone had a higher rank, didn¡¯t mean they had more mana.


    The accessibility of mana and the amount of mana the witches could store heavily depended on their brand and magic type, not their ranks.


    If more mana meant higher rank, Siwoo, who was able to generate a tremendous amount of mana through mana amplification, would have ranked around the 25th rank by now.


    In comparison, Eloa¡¯s capability to store mana wasn¡¯t that great.


    That was why after the second training session, she¡¯d often close her eyes to take a quiet rest like this.


    ¡°I really hope I¡¯m not asking too much of you.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Don¡¯t you feel your own progress?¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean, with your teaching... I¡¯ll shut up.¡±


    ¡°There you go again, stop teasing me.¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s playful words elicited a chuckle from Eloa.


    ¡°Anyway, at the very least you don¡¯t only have bad memories living in Gehenna, huh?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that exactly, but I guess so, yeah. Sometimes, I do reminisce about my time there. I also missed the friends that I made there...¡±


    ¡°You were Baroness Marigold¡¯s personal slave at one point, right? Did she treat you well?¡±


    He hesitated for a bit before responding.


    ¡°...Yes, but she troubled me a lot before she took me in.¡±


    His hesitation only lasted for a really short time, but Eloa managed to pick up the subtle shift in his mood.


    Whenever he talked about his time as a slave, he¡¯d enthusiastically share various stories about it, but when it came to Marigold, he always fell silent.


    And more importantly, he never initiated any kind of discussions about her.


    ¡°I should probably thank her if I ever meet her again.¡±


    ¡°You met her before, Master?¡±


    ¡°Yes, when I first heard the news of Ea Sadalmelik¡¯s demise. Deneb arranged for us to meet since that wicked bitch met her end by the Baroness¡¯ hand.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±Findd new stories at novelhall.com


    Come to think of it, we got to meet each other thanks to that.


    He glanced at the passenger seat to see if she was upset, but she seemed like the usual Eloa.


    Just her eyes looked sleepier than usual, as if she could nod off at any moment.


    ¡°How was she?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°I mean, Ms. Amelia, how was her...condition...?¡±


    ¡°Well, things were pretty hectic for me at the time, so I didn¡¯t get a good look at her, but...like the rumors said, she was pretty for a witch, I guess?¡±


    An awkward silence followed.


    Siwoo was the one who dispelled the slightly heavy atmosphere.


    ¡°Master, you¡¯re pretty too.¡±


    ¡°Enough with the flattery. Didn¡¯t I tell you to stop teasing me?¡±


    -Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!


    As soon as the barrier encased the nighttime streets, five White Knights showed up.


    The completely identical knights were each holding a long white spear.


    They were the ones who had been chasing after the fleeing Della.


    With their four eerie glowing eyes, they scanned Siwoo, Eloa and the fallen Della.


    No words were being exchanged, well, they didn¡¯t seem to communicate with each other to begin with.


    But, despite their actions resembling those of basic artificial intelligence, they possessed a clear strategy to encircle their targets.


    They moved, forming a formation that was suited for hunting.


    While they lacked individuality, they had a solid sense of being a cohesive unit.


    ¡°Siwoo.¡±


    After checking them out, Eloa turned to Siwoo.


    During their training sessions, there was always one thing that never stopped bothering Eloa.


    His lack of actual combat experience.


    No matter how close their sparring sessions got to a real fight, there was always a difference when comparing it to the time when they fought for their own lives.


    Since it didn¡¯t seem like Della was on the verge of dying right away, and she could immediately step in if Siwoo found himself in danger...


    ¡°Why not give it a shot? I¡¯ll keep an eye on her.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Siwoo nodded before silently conjuring his shadow.


    It wasn¡¯t just fear and tension that bubbled up inside him when the White Knights showed up. There was a weird mix of excitement and curiosity too.


    There was no doubt that he had grown after receiving countless beating from Eloa.


    He had mastered how to enhance his body with mana, learned how to utilize Fa Jin, and practiced countless times to perfect his usage of the Myriad Weapons Mastery Covenant.


    However, it was still impossible to tell how much exactly had he grown if he only used his spars with Eloa as a standard.


    No matter how much he had improved, Eloa always held back in their spars.


    It was like learning boxing from a world champion boxer who had won eight weight classes and sparring with him daily.


    Like beating up street thugs while thinking, ¡®Ah, I¡¯ve gotten stronger¡¯.


    The last time Siwoo had faced a White Knight, it was on that rooftop and it took everything he had to barely take one of them down.


    Even then, it was only possible after they crossed swords several times in one-on-one combat.


    Now, how would things play out exactly?


    After all the special training he received from Eloa, who was said to be the strongest witch when it came to close quarter combat, would things be different?


    ¡°Bloom.¡±


    His shadow, previously gathering around him, rose up like black smoke and covered his body.


    It formed a sleek and sharp armor.


    There was a story about Cheonuimubong, a fairy¡¯s clothes that were deemed as perfect without a single stitch.


    Something out of reality, just like his armor.


    There weren¡¯t any weak spots or gaps in his armor.


    It fit him like a second skin, allowing him to move freely while protecting him from impact effortlessly.


    The entire armor was dark and it didn¡¯t even reflect a hint of light,


    With the helmet formed from the direction of his spine covering his face, the only light coming from him was the glint in his magical left eye, glowing a fierce hold.


    As Siwoo reached out his hand, a heater shield that covered his upper body completely appeared in his left hand, while the longsword that he had been using extensively materialized in his right hand.


    Despite his racing heart, his limbs grew cold.


    Fear, anticipating the worst scenario possible, filled his heart, while a cold tension settled on his skin like frost.


    After all, fighting wasn¡¯t something he enjoyed.


    If he could, he¡¯d rather avoid it.


    But then he recalled the day when Sharon¡¯s body got punctured by the Drowned Witch.


    The feeling of helplessness as he could do nothing but watch that terrible tragedy unfold.


    Then he came to understand.


    That those who succumbed to fear would only end up losing.


    Throughout the past few months of training, Eloa always reiterated the same message.


    Be afraid of battles.


    Never see it as something enjoyable.


    But, when it came down to it, never, ever back down.


    And this was the time for him to learn how to face his fear and stand his ground.


    He extended his sword forward, adopting the defensive stance that he had honed through countless beatings.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    He murmured to himself.


    Right at that moment, the five White Knights lunged forward in unison.

 Chapter 261: The Darkness that Came from the East (7)

    Chapter 261: The Darkness that Came from the East (7)


    Siwoo ran toward the nearest White Knight without hesitation.


    Just because he covered his body with thick armor and protected his heart with a thick shield didn¡¯t mean his fear would disappear.


    The enemies he had to face were both numerous and strong.


    Even if Eloa was close by, watching him, he could still lose his life if he were careless.


    If anything, jumping in without the fear of death would be foolish of him.


    He had been studying.


    About the importance of military strategy that Eloa kept on emphasizing during their spar.


    Preemption, simultaneous attack, and follow-up.


    In battle one must always have the initiative.


    Never give one¡¯s opponent the chance to take that initiative and never be swayed by one¡¯s opponent¡¯s movements.


    To achieve victory just by controlling the situation well was more than possible for anyone.


    This was preemption.


    But one couldn¡¯t always keep the initiative during a battle.


    Unless the enemy was a scarecrow, they¡¯d definitely unleash a counterattack, trying to seize the initiative.


    During that time, if one were to back down, they¡¯d definitely lose the initiative completely and succumb to their opponent.


    To prevent the enemy from turning over the tide by not giving them a chance to attack.


    This was simultaneous attack.


    But there would be times when one had to let their enemy attack them for one reason or another.


    In this case, one shouldn¡¯t stay idle and just take that attack. They had to prepare for a follow up attack as well.


    This was follow-up.


    From that, it was clear that those three logic and strategies had something in common.


    To seize the initiative. For that, one should not falter or shrink due to fear.


    That was why Siwoo rushed toward where the Knights were at and ended up being surrounded by five of them at once.


    Contrary to its appearance, his armor allowed him to move swiftly. Due to its weight, more than 200 kg, just a simple leap could already cause the ground to be crushed under it.


    -Woooosh!


    As he was running toward them, a spear came to greet him.


    In a split second, it suddenly bent in a strange way.


    It was clear that the spear aimed toward the lower part of his stomach, but it suddenly changed its trajectory mid-air and went for his heart.


    -Clang!


    But, he easily blocked the attack.


    He pinned the spear down with his sword so that the knight couldn¡¯t do any follow-up attack with it before slapping it away with his shield.


    Even though he managed to perform the subsequent movements smoothly, as smooth as flowing water, he was actually surprised by the outcome.


    There were two reasons for that.


    One was because he didn¡¯t expect to produce such speed and exert such power.


    The other reason was because he didn¡¯t expect that he could neutralize the enemy¡¯s vicious attack with only his sword.


    However, that was that, this was this. Those two reasons didn¡¯t mean that he should stay idle.


    He relaxed the tension in his body.


    The unnecessarily tense muscle in his body calmed down as he planted his feet firmly on the ground.


    Don¡¯t use your arms to swing your sword, use your legs and waist.


    Your arms are only for just holding your sword, nothing more, nothing less.


    Don¡¯t focus on them.


    ¡°Haaap!¡±


    Taking a small breath, strength came into his relaxed body.


    Every muscle in his body moved to bring forth all his strength.


    As long as one¡¯s sword could contain the power stored in one¡¯s body, its blade could cleave through even the tallest mountain.


    At this moment, the White Knight already recovered from Siwoo¡¯s attack and almost immediately, it took another shot toward his head.


    This was something he had experienced before.


    A strike using the spearhead, a move that aimed to keep him at a distance from the Knight.


    Right before the tip of the spear, rotating like a windmill, hit his head...


    Siwoo¡¯s blow connected first.


    -Clang!


    Drawing an arc from the Knight¡¯s right shoulder to its left waist.


    The longsword cut the White Knight¡¯s body in two.


    Its trajectory looked so clean and the way the sword bent made it look like it was melting in the air.


    The sensation lingered in his fingertips.


    As soon as he finished his swing, Siwoo quickly tilted his head backward.


    Because the spear had slipped out of the White Knight¡¯s hand, grazing his helmet and soon enough, flew forward and smashed the nearby parked car.


    I did it!


    With that, he managed to turn a five-to-one battle into a four-to-one.


    Compared to back when he struggled against one of these things, this was a massive improvement as he didn¡¯t even receive a scratch in the fight.


    This situation left him dumbstruck for a moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get distracted. It¡¯s not over yet.¡±


    ¡°Whoops!¡±


    ¡°Huh....?¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s back reflected in her eyes.


    He tossed the shield hanging in his arm as if it was a nuisance.


    Then, he firmly gripped the sword he was holding with both hands.


    -Clang, clang!


    His sword drew a single trajectory and parried the two attacks coming from his sides.


    Unlike before, there were no loud roars being produced, it was as if the force he utilized perfectly matched the force of the two attacks he parried, thus resulting in the force nullifying each other.


    Instead, it produced a clear sound, like a fork hitting on a glass.


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    The battle wasn¡¯t over yet, but it felt like the surroundings were enveloped in silence.


    He could only hear the sound of his own breath and see the movement of his sword that drew a spiral, as if dancing.


    A dance that was so beautiful, without any unnecessary steps or moves.


    Even those who walked in the path of sword all their lives, chasing nothing but to improve themselves, could only dream to achieve such beautiful and pure swordsmanship.


    He moved leisurely between the gaps of the spearheads that stabbed him from every direction.


    His steps were quick and graceful, as if he was dancing a waltz and the sword in his hand merged to the scene, becoming the part of his dance.


    As if in a trance, he was engrossed in this sword dance, completely unaware of how his movements became relaxed despite the bloody battle he was currently in.


    Witnessing all this, Eloa unconsciously rubbed her eyes.


    A familiar silhouette merged with Siwoo¡¯s back.


    ¡°Ravi...¡±


    The child who was loved by the sword.


    Who could hear the voice of the sword.


    If she had grown successfully to be a witch, by now she must have long surpassed Eloa already.


    And her visage was now overlapping with Siwoo¡¯s, albeit vaguely.


    The dance successfully tied the four White Knights to a stalemate with him.


    But before long, the scale tipped on one side.


    Two of their spears, which had been flying freely in the sky, were caught in his sword¡¯s trajectory and shattered like a broken glass.


    At this moment, Eloa suddenly became more anxious.


    Because the two other White Knights that had been stalled by Siwoo¡¯s ribbon, had now completely surrounded him.


    One of them thrusted its spear at his blank spot to the left while the other threatened him from an angle where it made it impossible for him to block both attacks at once.


    The spears that those White Knights held, had similarities with the ¡®Red Branch¡¯ hat the Red Knight held.


    While they were unable to distort the space itself like what the Red Branch did, they were able to distort the flow of mana in their trajectories.


    No matter how thick his shadow armor was, if the White Knights could get a clean hit in, their spears would skewer his body effortlessly.


    But, Siwoo kicked the ground with his feet, as if he was waiting for this exact moment.


    He wasn¡¯t just leaping forward randomly.


    It was a calculated move, rotating his body with all his strength all while utilizing Fa Jin by using his magic.


    The asphalt below him ruptured with a loud sound.


    A shockwave burst out from the tip of his sword.


    He swung his sword around his waist, blocking the two attacks coming from his front and at the same time, cutting the two White Knights that were surrounding his sides into two.


    A failed surprise attack would leave one open to a counterattack.


    With that in mind, he had deliberately chosen the timing when they would perform a surprise attack and prepared a solid counter for them.


    The two White Knights¡¯ upper body flew in the air because of the momentum, but Siwoo didn¡¯t stop there.


    -Crack!


    During his rotation, he used two ribbons to support his body.


    They dug into the asphalt that had turned into a field of gravel due to the fierce battle.


    With a crackling sound, he performed another spinning slash thanks to the ribbons keeping him in the air.


    The second strike.


    Since he was still utilizing the momentum from his previous strike, he managed to brush past one of the White Knight¡¯s helmet lightly.


    -Bang!


    But, that was enough to make the helmet explode, just like an aluminum can that was being hammered by a mace.


    With that, there was only one enemy left.


    The White Knight only stared at him emotionlessly.


    Though three of its comrades fell in an instant, it didn¡¯t show any fear or hesitation.


    Instead, it waited until it saw an opening in Siwoo¡¯s movement and began its counterattack.


    From this angle, it would be impossible for him to evade, block or even launch a counterattack against its blow.


    -Srrrrt!


    But, the two ribbons protruding from the ground suddenly pierced through its body, turning it into a ragdoll.


    Not only was its body pierced, but the force was strong enough to lift it high up in the sky, leaving its dead body dangling weakly in the air.


    Siwoo had been planning to use these two ribbons as a fatal trap for the creature all along.


    After he withdrew his ribbons, the White Knight¡¯s body fell with a thud at Eloa¡¯s feet. She had been watching her dear student dispatching all the White Knights by himself.


    It only took him a few seconds to accomplish that.


    At the same time, the scene that felt like unfolding in slow motion began to regain its original speed.


    Without a doubt.


    This was Siwoo¡¯s perfect victory.

 Chapter 262: Salvation (1)

    Chapter 262: Salvation (1)


    ? Salvation (1) ?


    1.


    Siwoo didn¡¯t look excited.


    He didn¡¯t cheer nor run wild out of joy for his victory.


    Instead, he was feeling the lingering sensation in his fingertips.


    His heart was still pounding wildly.


    The sensation of him cutting through metal as if it was paper remained faintly amidst the rush of adrenaline.


    It felt like those two things were the only thing accompanying him in this night street.


    He couldn¡¯t even feel the sensation of the sword he was gripping.


    No, rather than couldn¡¯t feel it, it was more like he had become one with his sword. The sword had turned into an extension of his limbs.


    The techniques that he thought only existed within his head, could only feel through his instincts, materialized in reality through his body. Even when the battle was already over, he still felt the thrill that he experienced during it.


    It was a clean execution without any flaws.


    But he knew it wasn¡¯t the result of his own actions.


    Rather, it was the manifestation of ¡®someone else¡¯s talent¡¯ that was lying dormant inside the Myriad Weapons Mastery Covenant. He was just there to pull it out of its slumber.


    ¡°Siwoo!¡±


    As he was immersed in the feeling, reminiscing about the fall of his enemies, basking in the afterglow of the fight, Eloa came running toward him.


    She stopped right in front of him, showing an intense joy, as if she was the one who achieved this.


    ¡°Excellent! That was excellent, Siwoo! You¡¯ve applied things that you¡¯ve learned in our training properly!¡±


    Things like the reason why Della was there or why the White Knights were chasing after her to begin with...


    Eloa stopped caring about any of those.


    She was too overtaken by joy for her disciple¡¯s achievement and growth.


    ¡°I...did that...?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    That was when Siwoo finally realized what he had done.


    The sense of accomplishment over cutting down five of the foes he was barely able to beat before came rushing in.


    I have a feeling that I could still take them on even if there were more than five!


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    At that moment, Eloa stretched her hand upwards.


    He only watched her silently, wondering what this was all about. Her expression gradually turned from that of joy, surpassing even his own, to that of frustration.


    ¡°Bend your knees a little.¡±


    ¡°Like this?¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Then, she stroked his head, as he had taken off his helmet a while ago.


    Is this her way of rewarding me?


    Siwoo felt embarrassed and awkward at the same time, but seeing her bright smile, he simply didn¡¯t have the heart to tell her to stop.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sweaty though...¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, I can just wash it off later if I need to. Come closer, let me pat you more.¡±


    But, after this went on for more than a minute, he really thought that it was time for her to stop.


    ¡°Master, I understand your feelings, but there¡¯s a more pressing matter... Um, we need to get Redcliffe out of here...¡±


    He pointed at Della, whose body was still lying on the ground.


    That was when Eloa finally got back to her senses. She took a deep breath and...


    ¡°R-Right. I-I forgot...¡±


    For a witch, Della¡¯s injuries weren¡¯t actually grave enough to kill her.


    If she was a human though, she might as well be washing her feet in the Sanzu River with that kind of injury. The only thing that would wait for her was her inevitable death.


    Instead of Eloa, who had just come back to her senses, Siwoo was the one who carried her unconscious body.


    The two of them then headed to the Witch Point.


    2.


    As it wasn¡¯t really an appropriate time for a visit, the Witch Point was eerily quiet.


    They had contacted Branch Manager Sua in advance, so Della was able to receive first aid immediately when they arrived.


    Siwoo had to wait outside though since they needed to take off her clothes as there were serious injuries all over her body.


    Inside the room, the Branch Manager Office, Sua and Eloa were having a conversation.


    ¡°Phew...this subject is going to embarrass herself...injuries of such magnitude... It has been a long time since this subject even witnessed it...¡±


    Numerous gold and silver needles covered Della¡¯s body, which were lying still on the bed.


    Below the bed, there was a magic circle in the cross of a shape that let out a soft glow.


    ¡°How is she?¡±


    ¡°While the injuries look grave, they aren¡¯t as bad as they look. Seeing that there¡¯s no sign of necrosis and all her organs are functioning properly, the Cowardly Witch must have taken care of her quite well.¡±


    The terrible wounds and the burn marks which purpose was to stop the bleeding made Della¡¯s injuries seem worse than they actually were. Her internal organs were all in good conditions.


    One could even say that she was in a better state than Sharon.


    But if one were to see it in a different perspective, this just showed how skilled the Cowardly Witch was when it came to torture. Only a skilled person could torture someone without actually threatening their life like this.


    None of Della¡¯s limbs were cut off and above all, her internal organs weren¡¯t afflicted by mana contamination.


    After a week, she should be completely healed.


    There was a good chance that she¡¯d regain her consciousness later today.


    ¡°Assume that she was detained by Xochitl, there is a good chance that she knows what that woman is up to. But, we can¡¯t ignore the possibility that this is all a ruse and they are working with each other.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. One fortunate thing is that her condition is well enough that an interrogation could be conducted immediately after she wakes up.¡±


    Sua folded her sleeve after she took out a golden needle out of it before asking Eloa a question.


    -Ting!


    They tapped each other¡¯s glasses lightly.


    Seeing Siwoo having such a pleasant smile despite his tired eyelids, a smile also appeared in Eloa¡¯s face before she realized it.


    An indescribable tingle tickled her heart.


    Ever since she lost Ravi...


    She had been suffering.


    The only reason why she drew in her breaths was so that she could cut her enemies. Longing for a life that had shattered all while shouldering the pain of losing someone precious to her.


    Even she herself couldn¡¯t call that ¡®living¡¯.


    The only thing that kept her together was her desire for revenge.


    Her hatred for Ea Sadalmelik, who had taken her most precious thing and toward herself, who allowed herself to lose that precious thing to begin with.


    And then she met Siwoo.


    Even though their first meeting wasn¡¯t one that could be called a ¡®good first meeting¡¯.


    There was a misunderstanding between them and she ended up punching him in the gut, rendering him unconscious. Now that she reminisced about that time, she couldn¡¯t help but curl up in shame.


    ¡°Master?¡±


    ¡°You know...¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Even when she started teaching him, she still thought that he was just pretending to be docile.


    That was how deep the scar in her heart was.


    She genuinely thought that it was a karma she had to pay, something that would follow her until the day she breathed her last.


    Eloa got up from the sofa and approached him.


    ¡°You...¡±


    But...


    His strong will, never giving up despite his shortcomings, his diligence to follow through her arduous training without even uttering a single word of complaint...


    When he managed to recreate Ravi¡¯s sword dance, something she thought she¡¯d never see again...


    ¡°...Are my salvation.¡±


    For Eloa Tiphereth, that was like a ray of light amidst the darkness surrounding her. He was her salvation.


    Her tone was serious, her eyes moist.


    Siwoo couldn¡¯t understand what she was trying to say.


    But, he knew what he should do in this situation.


    He gently opened his arms and she immediately dove into his embrace, her pink hair shook in the air.


    As if she was something precious, he put his hand behind her back and her waist, hugging her tightly.


    ¡°I want to be the one who embraces you, but you¡¯re too big.¡±


    ¡°Well, I am a man...¡±


    In response to his familiar curt response, Eloa giggled a little.


    ¡°I want to promise you something.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    Eloa lifted her head to look at him.


    ¡°Even if everyone in this world becomes your enemy, I will become your sword and cut them all. I swear in the name of Tiphereth.¡±


    ¡°...M-Master, that¡¯s a little cheesy, don¡¯t you think? Still, thank you very much. I have no intention of doing something that would make the world turn on me though...¡±


    Turning the world into my enemy? No way.


    I don¡¯t even have the power to do so.


    He let out a bitter smile before patting her back.


    ¡°I know, but I still meant what I said.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t admonishing him for his reply though, instead, she buried her face in his chest once more with a gentle smile.


    But, she didn¡¯t notice that they were a little too close to each other.


    Siwoo had been having trouble breathing since he didn¡¯t want her to notice that he was breathing from his mouth.


    This was a vulgar way to describe it, but he could feel her breasts rubbing against his lower abdomen.


    ¡°Should I take you to bed?¡±


    ¡°No? I can walk on my own...¡±


    ¡°No, you look tired, I¡¯ll take you.¡±


    Siwoo didn¡¯t listen to her answer as he just lifted her in a princess carry.


    Her eyes widened to the point that he could see the entirety of her magenta-colored pupils.


    ¡°...Do as you like.¡±


    She suddenly lowered her gaze and curled up in his arms like a docile cat.


    He expected that she¡¯d tease him and they¡¯d end up walking with a playful atmosphere, but her response created an ambiguous one instead.


    Though he was embarrassed, he could hide it well. He then laid her down on the bed.


    ¡°Guess I¡¯ll get some sleep too.¡±


    ¡°Sleep well, Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°You too, Master.¡±


    Lying side by side on the same bed, with a little distance between them, the two of them quickly fell asleep after they said their good nights.


    After four hours of sleep, dawn had finally arrived.


    At that moment, their phone rang.


    It was a message from Sua, notifying them that Della had woken up.


    Here¡¯s Eloa when she was pretending to sleep a few chapters ago.

 Chapter 263: Salvation (2)

    Chapter 263: Salvation (2)


    ? Salvation (2) ?


    1.


    Siwoo and Eloa woke up after sleeping for four hours.


    They went straight downstairs after they did because Branch Manager Sua called for them.


    Della had woken up.


    When they arrived at the Branch Manager Office, they saw her, sitting on the bed, dressed in a white cloth.


    She was sitting with a blank look on her face and there were bandages all over her body.


    It was to the point that there were barely any parts of her skin that were exposed for them to see.


    ¡°...Thank you for saving me.¡±


    As soon as she was out of her daze, she immediately thanked them.


    Though, from her expression, it was clear that she was still a little out of it.


    Then again, who could blame her? No matter how strong her mental strength was, getting imprisoned in a place without even a ray of light while her body was getting impaled by spears still took a toll on her.


    While Branch Manager Sua was disinfecting the needles she used to treat Della...


    Eloa stepped forward to face her.


    Since she came down as soon as she woke up, her appearance looked messy.


    As usual, she was wearing leggings and a sports bra, with her windbreaker draped over her shoulders.


    Even her pink hair looked messy due to her bed hair.


    But, she wasn¡¯t THE Duchess Tiphereth for nothing.


    The gentle atmosphere she exuded last night was gone.


    Instead, she let out a strong air, just like a well-honed sword.


    There was a hint of elegance amidst the intimidation and the dignity she exuded made her seem like a battle-hardened general.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get to the point, Baroness Della Redcliffe, you are under suspicion of cooperating with the Cowardly Witch.¡±


    ¡°Cooperating? Me and her? Do you really think she¡¯d treat an accomplice of hers like this?¡±


    Della let out a bitter smile as she pointed at the bandages all over her body.


    Her expression was filled with exhaustion. It was as if she was a prisoner of war who had just been released from a concentration camp.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just let the possibility of her sending you here as a part of her plot. Especially considering that none of your twelve grave wounds actually penetrated through your internal organs.¡±


    Eloa made a valid point.


    In fact, Paola didn¡¯t really want to take Della¡¯s life. The wounds only came from her pinning the other witch into the wall.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just tell you everything I know. You can punish me or whatever if you think that I¡¯m lying.¡±


    ¡°No need. We have an easier way to find out.¡±


    ¡°Your Ladyship.¡±


    The moment Eloa took out the Sword of Covenant...


    Sua, knowing what she was about to do, immediately stepped in.


    The Duchess was trying to create a covenant for Della to confess everything she knew cleanly.


    If the situation wasn¡¯t urgent, this was probably the best option they had.


    But, it wasn¡¯t the case at all, they couldn¡¯t afford to do so.


    ¡°Please preserve your power well, Your Ladyship. Have you not signed a covenant for Lord Siwoo prior to this?¡±


    Currently, Eloa was the strongest force this branch of Witch Point had.


    If she were to sign a new covenant now, she¡¯d need to wait for a while to regain her power again.


    In Sua¡¯s opinion, she shouldn¡¯t willfully use up her covenant when the situation was uncertain like this.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be too late for you to take action after the questioning is over, Your Ladyship.¡±


    ¡°...Very well.¡±


    While the two of them were talking, Della¡¯s eyes hovered in Siwoo¡¯s direction.


    That brought a little life to her eyes.


    After all, he left such a big impression on her the last time they met.


    ¡°...As expected, you aren¡¯t a normal guy.¡±


    A male witch.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a friend of the Cowardly Witch? There¡¯s a possibility that you¡¯re sharing distorted information with us so you could protect her.¡±


    ¡°I swear using my name as a witch. If there¡¯s even a single falsehood in my words, I swear I will pay for it later.¡±


    The dam was already on the verge of collapse.


    Cracks were already appearing and the repair workers were running it late. Just a handful of rainwater would be enough to make it collapse.


    That was how the situation looked at the moment.


    ¡°According to you, Baroness, the Cowardly Witch had subdued the Red Knight and is now assembling an army of White Knights, the clone of the Red Knight. Is that correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°May I know their number?¡±


    Maybe because it wasn¡¯t long since she woke up.


    Somehow Della missed the most important fact.


    She casted her gaze down, her head dropped slowly.


    ¡°Around...twelve hundred...¡±


    ¡°Twelve hundred, is it...¡±


    ¡°Numbers aren¡¯t the only thing that they have. All of them are wielding the clones of the Red Branch as a weapon.


    ¡°The more they¡¯re grouped together or the closer they get to the Red Branch, the more they resonate and they could create a force field that acts like a barrier.


    ¡°Unless you can attack them physically like the Duchess, you can barely attack them. I could only take care of twenty out of thirty of them, if more of them were grouped together, then...¡±


    Della was a 20th ranked grand witch.


    She could freely manipulate heat and flames through the use of her numerous repeaters.


    Even someone like her could only deal with twenty.


    One could say that her skillset wasn¡¯t compatible with her opponents, but considering her identity, this was still a big deal.


    ¡°Too much time has passed. Xochitl didn¡¯t plan this in a day or two, she has been doing it for several decades. And we only have a single night to stop it.¡±


    Paola, whose magic originally could only command and strengthen the Homunculi, had grown stronger to the point that she could clone them at will.


    And she didn¡¯t stop there. She went out of her way to collect various artifacts and formal wears that she could use to reach her goal.


    While the witches in the world relied only on Duchess Keter and completely ignored the Criminal Exiles altogether, Paola prepared all this with intense tenacity that touched the border of madness.


    ¡°It¡¯s already too late to stop her. We can only minimize the damage at this point.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not too late.¡±


    Eloa¡¯s confident voice cut through the air.


    ¡°I will stop her.¡±


    ¡°The waterway stretched for 12 km, there are more than six openings that connect it to the city. It¡¯s like stopping rain with one hand, no matter how strong you are, Duchess, it¡¯s useless.¡±


    From that fact alone, it was clear that the Cowardly Witch had made a thorough preparation.


    The countermeasure that Sua and Tiphereth could come up with was pale in comparison.


    However, the things that Della had mentioned before hadn¡¯t happened yet.


    Since the White Knights still hadn¡¯t jumped out to the city and slaughtered the civilians yet, they still had a chance to respond.


    ¡°Before she could pull out any more tricks, I¡¯ll visit her myself. I will slain the Cowardly Witch with my own hands and stop her from carrying out her plan.¡±


    Eloa was right. If she were to kill the Cowardly Witch, everything would be resolved.


    But, that meant she had to visit the enemy¡¯s den personally, which was definitely filled with traps.


    What she was trying to do was essentially storming at the place where the enemy¡¯s power concentrated the most.


    No matter how accomplished the Duchess was when it came to Homunculus hunting, no matter how strong she was...


    For her to deal with twelve hundred enemies at once, all while dealing with the Cowardly Witch directly, it was doubtful that she could do that.


    ¡°This subject wouldn¡¯t sit idly either.


    ¡°A line has been drawn all over Seoul. Even if the Cowardly Witch deployed her twelve hundred White Knights all at once, this subject would still be able to confine them within a barrier for a while.¡±


    As she said, Sua wouldn¡¯t just stay idle.


    Though she was unable to prevent the other witches from leaving Seoul and she couldn¡¯t draw in great support from elsewhere, she could still act as a last line of defense to prevent the worst case situation from happening.


    ¡°Also, this subject will summon the other witches to come.¡±


    All they needed afterwards was to convince them.


    Within an hour, using the artifacts set in advance, a total of seven witches gathered in the Witch Point.

 Chapter 264: Salvation (3)

    Chapter 264: Salvation (3)


    ? Salvation (3) ?


    1.


    By their nature, witches would never take orders from anyone.


    At best, they¡¯d only do their assignments within an already established system.


    Even the grand titles of the Duchess of Gehenna or the Branch Manager of a Witch Point wouldn¡¯t give them qualifications to command other witches.


    The seven witches that Sua Agatha called only came because they had promised to help in case of emergency.


    Those witches were now sitting comfortably on the sofa inside the Branch Manager Office.


    If someone who didn¡¯t know any better were to see this scene, they¡¯d probably think that those women were trying to compete for a beauty award or something.


    Each of the witches had different hair color, eye color and skin tone, but all of them were objectively beautiful.


    ¡°Hoaahm~ The wind has been stirring lately.¡±


    The 170 cm tall witch, the ¡®Witch of Harvest¡¯, let out a yawn as she leaned her back into the sofa.


    She had a healthy tanned skin and her revealing dress looked disheveled due to her sitting posture, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind it. Instead, she twisted her healthy thighs around, trying to show them off.


    The rest of them didn¡¯t say anything, but they exuded a similar atmosphere.


    ¡®Do I really have to do this?¡¯, ¡®Annoying,¡¯ and so on. It was clear from their expressions that they were trying to say that.


    If anything, they seemed to be more interested in Siwoo than the reason why the Branch Manager called them.


    ¡°Hello? I¡¯ve heard a lot about you, but I believe this is the first time we met.¡±


    The Witch of Harvest, Evelynn Imhotep, kicked her heels and winked at Siwoo, trying to flirt with him.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    Like it or not, he had to return her greetings.


    He didn¡¯t really appreciate this kind of flirting, especially when it was a day like today.Findd new stories at novelhall.com


    Della¡¯s story still shocked him.


    To use an easier to understand analogy, it was like hearing the news that a large-scale terrorist attack by an armed religious group would occur in the heart of Seoul.


    This wasn¡¯t a laughing matter for him.


    After all, ten million people¡¯s lives were in danger.


    It was like the massacre the other day, just on a much wider scale.


    Even now, Siwoo could still vividly remember the sight of blood and intestines scattered around the floor, painting it red. Just thinking about it made his stomach churn.


    ¡°Firstly, this woman would like to express her gratitude for everyone who has gathered here.¡±


    Sua, who had been preparing the data for her briefing, entered the room while carrying a blackboard with her telekinesis.


    ¡°You should, considering that you can just talk about this over an email or phone.¡±


    That rather curt answer came from the ¡®Witch of Glass¡¯, Patricia Khazad.


    With pure white skin and pale complexion.


    If yuki-onna actually existed, it would probably look like her.


    ¡°Apologies for the short-notice, but the situation is rather urgent.¡±


    ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon, cut her some slack. It isn¡¯t like you¡¯re doing anything but scribbling randomly in that small room of yours anyway.¡±


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s hard for a witch who wasted her life away for pleasure to understand the importance of time.¡±


    Patricia and Evelynn immediately hurled those words toward each other. It seemed like they knew each other well enough.


    The two of them weren¡¯t the only ones who did this, so the atmosphere inside the room turned chaotic rather quickly.


    It made Siwoo think that grade schoolers during a class meeting would be more disciplined than them.


    ¡°Right now, Seoul is facing an unprecedented crisis, bigger than any other disaster, a treacherous scheme more meticulously planned than any other threat that ever existed.¡±


    And so, Sua told them what Della had told her.


    How the Cowardly Witch was planning a massacre.


    And how she had already finished her preparation.


    She also didn¡¯t hide the details about the White Knights; their origins and strengths.


    Moreover, she even emphasized the danger if they were to intervene in the situation.


    The witches didn¡¯t gather here to fight for justice or anything.


    They were more like mercenaries.


    If Sua were to hide something or lie to them, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to leave midway.


    That was why it was better to tell them the truth and ask for their sincere cooperation. This way they wouldn¡¯t need to deal with deserters during the actual thing.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    While Sua calmly explained the situation, the chaotic atmosphere was subdued.


    In place of it, the witches were staring at Sua with different expressions on their faces.


    Some wore an indifferent look, some looked annoyed, and some sent out a bitter smile.


    ¡°I heard you. Let¡¯s pretend that our talk the other day never happened.¡±


    He looked at her straight before conveying his thoughts.


    ¡°I am strong enough to handle a few White Knights, besides I have Ms. Periwinkle¡¯s clover and your ¡®covenant¡¯, Master, I will be fine. You don¡¯t need to worry, I won¡¯t push myself. I know my limit and I promise I won¡¯t overdo it.¡±


    ¡°No. I will not allow it. Never.¡±


    ¡°Master.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t listen. Whatever you say, you won¡¯t change my thoughts.¡±


    Eloa blocked her ears, refusing to hear any words from him.


    So, he gently placed his hand on her shoulder,


    Eloa wasn¡¯t stupid.


    She knew that he had already made up his mind and she wouldn¡¯t be able to dissuade him from thinking otherwise.


    After all, this was the reason why he wanted to get stronger in the first place; To protect the innocents.


    ¡°Master, you really don¡¯t need to worry about me too much. My self-essence magic allows me to move to a coordinate I specify whenever I want. I also have the music box to hide my presence. With you protecting me, we should have enough time to run away when it comes to it.¡±


    He said as such, not knowing this was the reason why she wished to stop him from going so desperately.


    Eloa vividly remembered the last conversation she had with Ravi, who insisted that she wanted to fight to protect the innocents.


    She knew very well that Siwoo had grown stronger again and he would be a strong asset to fight against the White Knight, but her trauma deterred her from letting him go.


    And so, she held onto his sleeve, trying to plead desperately.


    ¡°Why do you want to go so badly...? No one will criticize you even if you run away... Just look at what happened just now! Even witches who are more experienced than you backed away without any hesitation!¡±


    She wasn¡¯t wrong at all.


    Though his words about how they needed every help they could get was true, it was doubtful that he would help much to begin with.


    At most, he¡¯d take care of a few White Knights and leave.


    ¡°I know very well that I can just run if I want to.¡±


    The situation was different from the times when he was abruptly sent into the battlefield and had to risk his life.


    Perhaps, his courage was nothing but his foolish naivety.


    ¡°Then...why don¡¯t you just run? You don¡¯t need to risk your life...¡±


    ¡°Master.¡±


    Siwoo stared at Eloa¡¯s magenta eyes with a serious look.


    He didn¡¯t think of himself as special.


    More than anyone, he knew how clumsy he was, how many mistakes he made and all the stupid things he had done.


    Some of them would even make him laugh out loud due to how idiotic they were.


    Shin Siwoo was a coward.


    He was a coward who wished for nothing but to close his eyes and turn his back around whenever he had to face a crisis. To cover his ears and pretend not to hear when someone was asking him for help. Someone whose legs would shake violently in the face of death.


    But, one single unshakable and clear conviction had always remained in his heart.


    A belief that was taught to him by life itself.


    ¡°If I kept on running away whenever I got the chance to, I wouldn¡¯t be here.¡±


    Had he chosen to succumb to the life of a slave, where food and clothing was scarce, where the place he lived in could barely even be called a ¡®shelter¡¯, he wouldn¡¯t be able to use magic as he was.


    If he had chosen to flee back when he faced the fearsome Homunculus for the first time, he probably would have fallen prey to it alongside the twins.


    It wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t feel fear.


    He did, but in the moment where he coulda give in to his fear, he decided to brave it and take a step forward. That was the reason why he could stand here today.


    The one time he completely succumbed completely to his fear...


    He almost lost his and Sharon¡¯s life to the Drowned Witch.


    In his life so far, there wasn¡¯t a single moment where running away ended up becoming the correct choice.


    ¡°I understand what you¡¯re worried about, Master, but... I just can¡¯t let the innocents die. Sorry, but I have the power to do something, so I want to do everything that I can.¡±


    Eloa couldn¡¯t stop him.


    She felt a deep sense of deja vu from his words.


    There was a lingering fear that if she were to still dissuade him from going at this point, history would repeat itself again and she¡¯d end up losing him just like when she lost Ravi.


    She refused to repeat the mistake of her foolish and immature self.


    Eloa closed her eyes.


    Her long, pretty eyelashes trembled heavily.


    ¡°Fine. But, don¡¯t stray away from my side.¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡ª¡±


    ¡°And!¡±


    Right before Siwoo was trying to bow his head in gratitude, Eloa grabbed his hands.


    ¡°If you feel even the slightest danger, run away immediately.¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s my plan from the very start.¡±


    Though her hand felt too small to cut down the mighty enemies they might face, Eloa tightened her grip on his hand.

 Chapter 265: Waterway Tunnel (1)

    Chapter 265: Waterway Tunnel (1)


    ? Waterway Tunnel (1) ?


    1.


    The vertical shaft to the waterway tunnel was closer than Siwoo had expected.


    There was one at a construction site, less than 5 km away from the Gwanghwamun Branch¡¯s Witch Point.


    The construction site was abandoned for some reason, so it was practically only an empty lot surrounded by rusty metals. In the middle of them was the aforementioned vertical tunnel.


    There was an elevator installed there, but it was blocked with cement.


    This was probably how the Cowardly Witch hid it, combining physical means with her magic so that she could use the tunnel as her workshop.


    Maybe because it was still midday, the bottom of the tunnel was still visible even though it was quite deep down there.


    The distance from the entrance to the bottom was probably around 40-50 m.


    Whenever there was a rain, they¡¯d open this tunnel, letting the water flow to the tunnel underground.


    The rainwater would then traverse through the 5 km long tunnel and be released to the Han River.


    ¡°...It looks deep.¡±


    Siwoo, wearing his armor already, looked down the tunnel.


    He muttered those words in a really low voice, but the echo still reverberated through the deep tunnel.


    ¡°It does.¡±


    Eloa replied curtly.


    Even after she decided to let Siwoo go with her, a prickly sensation still remained in her heart.


    She fully respected his will and courage, that was certain.


    But, if a strong mind could solve every problem in the world, people wouldn¡¯t end up dying in the first place.


    While waiting for the signal from Miss Sua, Eloa renewed her conviction to protect Siwoo no matter what happened.


    -Shoooo!


    Before long, the expected signal came.


    The plan wasn¡¯t complicated.


    Branch Manager Sua would spread her barrier to deter the White Knight¡¯s counterattack, all while protecting the center of the barrier.


    Tiphereth and Siwoo would act as the main force to defeat the Cowardly Witch and the Red Knight hiding in her workshop.


    Meanwhile, the Witch of Harvest and the Witch of Glass would lure out some of the White Knights to take some pressure off the other two.


    That was it.


    It was so simple that it felt wrong to even call it a plan.


    ¡°Siwoo, remember that if things are getting dangerous, don¡¯t even think twice. Retreat immediately.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±


    Instead of telling him to ¡®escape¡¯, she used a more vague word of ¡®retreat¡¯ instead. After saying that, she looked up at the sky.


    There, the huge barrier that would cover all Seoul was slowly formed.


    The moment the barrier was completed, that was the moment when they¡¯d enter the tunnel.


    Siwoo also tilted his head upwards to look at the barrier.


    The moment the dome-shaped barrier, that glittered like the blue East Sea, was completed, the pair immediately jumped into the tunnel at the same time.


    2.


    Siwoo¡¯s body had long surpassed human¡¯s limits.


    As long as he put his mind into it, he could concentrate his strength into one point or attain supersonic speed. With a weapon in his hand, he could easily swing it and surpass the speed of sound if he wanted to.


    Without much exaggeration, he could do that even if he were wearing all his armor and weapons, which weigh almost as heavy as a two-wheeled vehicle.


    But, even with all that, there were still times when he was reminded that ¡®in the end, he was still a human at the core¡¯.


    For example, when he had to free-fall from the height that would kill a normal human, or get them paralyzed for life if they were lucky.


    -Thud!


    But, contrary to his expectations, his knees easily absorbed the shock from the jump as she landed successfully.


    Though, because the ground he fell into was dusty, when it met the lump of metal he was wearing, it cracked and made the dust on its surface rise up.


    Next to her, Eloa, gracefully stepped down the ground with her hair fluttering, as if her body was without weight.


    ¡°Stay close to me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    From east to the west, in that widely stretched tunnel, there were no enemies in sight.


    But, it didn¡¯t take long before Siwoo noticed something.


    There was something ¡®different¡¯ about this place.


    The distance from this place to the place he jumped from was probably only around thirteen stories tall, but the air clung to his skin tighter than back on the surface.


    At that moment, the White Knights finally entered their view.


    -Clank, clank, clank!


    With a spear in each of their hands, the moment they saw Eloa, they immediately launched their bodies forward.


    Like a well-trained army, their movements were symmetrical. Their white armor shone in the dim light.


    ¡°Watch.¡±


    Eloa made a stance, twisting her waist downward until the tip of her sword touched the ground to her right.


    She looked like she was about to swing a baseball bat in full swing rather than swinging a sword.


    ¡°Haaap!¡±


    She took a deep breath.


    The tip of the White Knights¡¯ spear at the forefront had almost reached her.


    Even while knowing that, she just closed her eyes, not making any movement to react against the attack.


    She stayed still,even stopping to breathe, as if she had entered the state of meditation.


    When the tip of the spear almost touched her forehead...


    And when Siwoo was about to stretch his ribbon to protect her.


    She forcefully opened her eyes.


    Her feet burrowed into the cement floor and...


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!!!


    A roaring sound, like hundreds of tons of dynamite exploding in a narrow tunnel reverberated through the space.


    At the same time, a torrent of force that didn¡¯t seem like it came from a sword swing came out from Eloa¡¯s sword.


    Well, that was only a guesswork that Siwoo made from Eloa¡¯s changed posture. It seemed like she had ¡®swung her sword¡¯, but the only thing he could see was flashbang-like light that flashed up in an instant before disappearing.


    After that...


    -Boooom!


    The thirty two White Knights, some were still in the air, some were running along the tunnel walls, some throwing their spears at her...


    They were the ones who started their attacks first, but Eloa¡¯s blow connected much faster than theirs did.


    The extent of the destruction her attack caused could be compared to that of a storm, definitely didn¡¯t look like something that would come out of a sword swing.


    A shockwave began to spread around her and the White Knights¡¯ form began to distort.


    As if they were being pressed by an invisible press machine, their entire armors shattered as pieces of metal were flung out like fish scales.


    About twenty White Knights were caught up in that blow and all of them were cut in half.


    Their remnants tumbled around and for a while, the sound of dozens of empty cans being kicked around echoed in the tunnel.


    But, even after all that, the tunnel walls were unscathed.


    Only some of the fabrics that were clinging onto it were cut.


    That was how masterful the control of her power was. She only aimed to cut the White Knights while being mindful of her surroundings and she did exactly that.


    ¡°...Phew...¡±


    Eloa lowered her sword before taking a deep breath.


    Standing behind her, Siwoo could only watch with his mouth half-open.


    He knew that as a 23rd rank witch, Eloa was strong.


    However, after witnessing her actual strength first-hand, he genuinely felt the stark difference between both of them.


    It was as if she possessed an overwhelming force that was capable of crushing through everything in her way.


    ¡°That¡¯s what cutting with all your strength looks like.¡±


    Eloa looked at Siwoo.


    Seeing the precious disciple she desperately wanted to protect, she couldn¡¯t help but open her mouth.


    Forgetting the graveness of the situation, Siwoo almost clapped his hands to applaud her.


    ¡°Amazing...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t clap. Also, don¡¯t let your guard down.¡±


    ¡°Ah, r-right.¡±


    Before he could, she had already prevented him from doing so.


    She wasn¡¯t being overly strict or anything, though. Their enemies could tell where they were from that clapping sound. There was also a possibility that the sound could activate a trap installed in the workshop.


    Though, it was clear that she was happy from hearing his praises, considering that the corners of her mouth twitched up and down repeatedly.


    The only reason why she didn¡¯t break into a smile immediately was because she didn¡¯t want them to let their guard down and end up committing some kind of grave mistake while they were at it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We aren¡¯t done yet.¡±


    Looking at Eloa, who quickly turned around and started walking forward, Siwoo couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he would even get a chance to fight tonight.

 Chapter 249: Divination (7)

    Chapter 249: Divination (7)


    ? Divination (7) ?


    1.


    Four strands of ribbons were used to suspend Periwinkle in the air.


    Whenever Siwoo hit her from behind, her breasts, which hung downward like cow¡¯s, swayed back and forth, as if showing off their beautiful appearances.


    -Plap, plap, plap!


    Meanwhile, Siwoo ruthlessly pounded into her rear hole.


    As expected, after he inserted his glans, nothing stopped the rest of his shaft from entering the hole.


    All that he needed to do afterwards was to explore, observe and enjoy the pleasure of her rear hole that no one had ever pried open before.


    ¡°Ngh...ahh...haaang!¡±


    ¡°Woah, fuck...¡±


    Siwoo held onto her waist tightly and repeatedly thrusted into her.


    They said that pussy felt different depending on the person, but it wasn¡¯t the case with anus.


    He remembered Takasho telling him that, but when it came to witches, things were a little different.


    The pleasure he felt was so unique to the point that his lower back tingle.


    If he were to compare her anus with the twins¡¯, she was a little less tight than theirs, but that was most likely due to the differences in their physiques.


    To put it in another word, while it was tight, it wasn¡¯t so tight that it clenched his dick so hard to the point that it hurted him.


    Instead, her anus felt sticky, just like a well-aged sashimi.


    Even if he were to ignore the tightness of her entrance, her rear hole provided a savory and luxurious taste to his cock, worthy to be called a premium product.


    It was like the Hermes1As in the luxury brand. He¡¯s basically saying that her ass is some high-class shit. of anus.


    ¡°W-Wait! W-Wait a moment...!¡±


    Getting her rear hole pried open so suddenly, Periwinkle tried to dissuade Siwoo from proceeding forward with an urgent voice.


    She clearly didn¡¯t feel as much pleasure as before, when he thrusted his finger in instead of his cock.


    Well, she would be lying if she said that she didn¡¯t feel anything, but it was true that she felt more pain than pleasure.


    What she felt was more like having a foreign object suddenly dug deep into her stomach.


    However, her anus had been considerably conditioned, so when a large and hard object entered it forcefully...


    When the deeply inserted cock was pressing against the back of her uterus...


    An unexpected sensation began to rise like a tide.


    What is this?


    Why do I feel this way?


    Though she struggled, trying to thrash her body around to hide his embarrassment and shame, the ribbons that were tying up her limbs didn¡¯t show any signs of loosening up.


    In the end, all she could do was shake her head and wiggle her toes.


    While she wasn¡¯t a combat-specialized witch, she was still a grand witch who could take on a large army by herself.


    To put it in another words, her raw strength alone was already strong enough, no human could even hope to take her on in that regard.


    But...


    -Squelch, squelch, squelch!


    ¡°S-Stop! I told you to¡ª Stop...!¡±


    Siwoo hadn¡¯t been giving her time to rest.


    He was different.


    The first male witch who specialized in close quarter combat and using physical magic, that was who he was.


    Using physical strength alone, he could already overwhelm her effortlessly. Now that he had her bound like this? He didn¡¯t need her consent to do unspeakable things to her.


    -Plap, plap, plap!


    His thighs made clapping sounds when they hit Periwinkle¡¯s butt.


    Every time his hot meat rod came in and out of the most shameful part of her body, she¡¯d choke on her breath and the blush in her face went a shade deeper.


    During an intercourse, she was always taking the lead.


    She was never in a submissive position, so she never knew the anxiety that the position would bring her.


    This realization brought her a great sense of humiliation, but at the same time it brought her a great amount of pleasure.


    Like they always said, one¡¯s first time was always special, no matter what it was.


    ¡°I-I feel...weird! Ngh...! I-I¡¯m g-going to...! Ah! Haaaeung...!¡±


    Her back, which had been slowly bending backwards like a taut bow, trembled violently.


    At that moment, her anus began to clench Siwoo¡¯s dick even tighter than before.


    Usually, to reach orgasm through anal sex alone, one needed to get used to the feeling first before anything, but because of the peculiar sensation that she felt for the first time, she managed to reach it without any problems.


    Just after thirty minutes of thrusting, she already spurt out a big one.


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    Sweat had started to come out of Siwoo¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Aa...ahh...¡±


    He could feel the tightness of her rear hole, it felt as if it was trying to lop his dick in half.


    Especially when she was right about to cum, the tightness was too much even for him so that he had to stop moving for a moment.


    Meanwhile her body reeked in sweat from all the pleasure she felt. Her head and hair drooped down just like a prisoner who had just undergone a severe torture.


    ¡°Huh, despite your words, you seem to like it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    -Grit!


    Her mouth wasn¡¯t the one that answered his question, but her rear hole.


    It tightened around his cock again, as if saying ¡®It feels good!¡¯.


    With an exasperated voice, while biting her lips, Periwinkle let out some words.


    ¡°...Unbelievable...¡±


    It seemed like she was shocked by the fact that she cummed from this.


    Seeing her, which always looked so carefree, visibly upset, made Siwoo feel elated.


    She shut her eyes tightly and bit the bed sheet with her mouth, refusing to answer his question.


    Seeing this, Siwoo grabbed her hips and started pounding on her vigorously, as if trying to break her.


    His body was a trained spirit body.


    If he wanted to, he could go on and pound her without stopping until he ejaculated.


    ¡°Well, if you won¡¯t answer, I¡¯ll keep doing you like this.¡±


    Every time his oil-soaked cock came in and out of her rear hole, the speed of her hole tightening and loosening increased.


    Her body trembled violently, then, as if she couldn¡¯t stand it any longer, she finally showed the sign of her giving up.


    ¡°I-If I... If I answer...w-will you really stop...?¡±


    She raised her head slightly as she asked.


    ¡°Yes, I swear under my name as a witch.¡±


    ¡°Ngh...hng...!¡±


    His answer made her ponder for a moment.


    Unfortunately for her, she didn¡¯t have the leisure to do even that.


    -Plap, plap, plap!


    Suddenly, Siwoo increased his speed even further.


    Her pussy began to squeeze more juice out as his balls kept hitting against it and her legs started to tremble as if she was being electrocuted.


    In the end, she chose to completely submit to him.


    ¡°Haeung! Ang! Ahhh! O-Okay! Ahh! A-Asshole, y-yes! I-I¡¯m getting fucked...ahh! I-In the asshole! S-So, please! S-Stop...!¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Periwinkle¡¯s answer was almost like a scream.


    But Siwoo didn¡¯t stop.


    Instead, he increased his pace even more while shaking her waist as if she was a one big onahole.


    ¡°Kya! S-Stop...! Y-You swore...! I-In your name! Hng...! Haaeung...!¡±


    ¡°Well, such a shame. I don¡¯t actually have one of those.¡±


    ¡°...Y-You!¡±


    The reason why Periwinkle, who previously showed such tenacity, willingly spouted vulgar words like asshole was probably because she was reaching her limit.


    As for Siwoo, he just wanted to get himself comfortable before taking that one last step.


    Waiting for the climax to build up, she kept on pounding her from the same position.


    As he did so, her anal muscle gripped his cock tighter and tighter until it reached a certain point.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m...! Kyaaaa!¡±


    At that moment, Periwinkle¡¯s sweet scream echoed in the room. As if she completely forgot about everything else, she was drowned in pleasure.


    Her anal muscle contracted and relaxed repeatedly in a fast pace, prompting Siwoo to release the semen that he was holding into the depths of her backdoor.


    -Spurt, spurt, spurt!


    ¡°Agg...haaa...¡±


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    When he was ejaculating, he pressed her body down so that his semen could permeate into the deepest part of her stomach.


    Meanwhile, her rear hole kept on tightening on his cock, trying to milk every drop of semen that he stored in his balls.


    Siwoo reached his hand to embrace her sweaty body, holding her large breast tightly.


    Because his touch was so sudden, she was surprised for a moment, but she decided to indulge in it since she actually liked it. Thanks to this, she was able to bask in a longer afterglow than Siwoo.


    -Spurt! Schlop!


    ¡°Hng...¡±


    Siwoo got up and slowly pulled out his cock.


    Due to his intense thrusts, he could see Periwinkle¡¯s slightly opened rear hole twitch as if it was breathing.


    Not a single drop of semen flowed out of it even until the hole was completely closed.


    This was because her butt was raised up high and he spurted his semen deeply inside her.


    ¡°Haa...haa... I didn¡¯t know you were such a...rough man...¡±


    She complained, her body was shaking.


    Her lusty, teary eyes, flickered as she stared at him.


    With that kind of look she gave him, her twitching pussy, and the sight of her fully exposed rear hole... It was hard for him to end everything just like this.


    ¡°I¡¯m satisfied now. It kinda hurts, so...can you release me now?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Huh? Did you not hear me?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Suddenly, he grabbed her by the waist again.


    ¡°W-Wait! Are you still not satisfied yet?!¡±


    Surprised, Periwinkle tried to move her body somehow.


    But, with her wrists and ankles tied, she couldn¡¯t even begin to do that.


    She could move her hips from side to side, but that only served to stimulate Siwoo¡¯s sexual desire even further.


    He simply inhaled too much of her scent to stop now.


    Not to mention that it was the scent of a rank 20th grand witch.


    One round wasn¡¯t enough to satisfy him.


    ¡°N-No way... A-Are you really going to do it again?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°W-Wait, I-I can¡¯t¡ª! Haeung!¡±


    Ignoring her earnest plea, Siwoo thrusted his cock into her once again.


    1


    As in the luxury brand. He¡¯s basically saying that her ass is some high-class shit.

 Chapter 250: An Unknown Side (1)

    Chapter 250: An Unknown Side (1)


    ? An Unknown Side (1) ?


    1.


    ¡°Ahh...aa...¡±


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    Both of them didn¡¯t know how long it had been.


    At some point, the ribbons that were tying Periwinkle¡¯s body had been undone.


    All the while, Siwoo had been enjoying her premium anus to the point that everything turned to blanks.


    ¡°Aahh...¡±


    After Siwoo pulled out his shaft, Periwinkle¡¯s body twitched as she raised her buttocks high.


    Because she had orgasmed at least a dozen times before this, she immediately passed out after feeling the sensation of his large rod being pulled out of her.


    Just like a water gun, her anus spurted out some of his white semen.


    Actually, Siwoo had contemplated stopping a couple times before this.


    But every time her seductive back came to his sight, his body moved to pound on her again before he could realize it.


    Still, it was time to quit for real now.


    With all the heat drained from his head, he carried Periwinkle to the bathroom.


    Seeing the messy state she was in, there was no way he¡¯d let her sleep like this.


    And so, he laid her down into the spacious bathtub.


    He checked the water temperature before pouring more water in, all while making sure that she wouldn¡¯t fall down and drown.


    ¡°This is kinda fucked up...¡±


    He didn¡¯t hit her or anything, but there were red palm marks all over her body, mostly because he unconsciously had been groping her body with too much force.


    While it was true that she was the one who taunted him to begin with...


    It was also true that he was the one who thoroughly violated her despite her telling him to stop multiple times.


    That was why he was feeling especially anxious, fearing that he really might have crossed the line this time.


    ¡°...¡±


    But, seeing her chest floating on the water roused his lust once again.


    It was just this time he managed to calm it down.


    He proceeded to wipe her body with a sponge, all while trying to collect his thoughts.


    His lust would go out of control whenever he smelled too much of a witch¡¯s scent.


    In that state, his reasons would disappear, replaced by instincts to conquer the woman¡¯s body in front of him.


    Once he reached that state, he couldn¡¯t get out of it easily even if he wanted to.


    He didn¡¯t know if this was the aftereffect of having his frontal lobe pierced or the aftereffect due to a mishap in his treatment somehow...


    Either way, he decided to list out what he knew about the phenomenon.


    First, whenever he smelled a witch¡¯s scent, he¡¯d get an erection.


    After he inhaled enough of it, an intense sexual desire would come out and just like what happened earlier, he ended up losing control to the point that he did things that clearly crossed the line.


    Second, the intensity of the impulse depended on the rank of the witch.


    He smelled Sharon¡¯s scent more than enough times.


    But, each time he did so, he was still able to control that impulse and he never went off the rails like this time.


    And there was the case with the Duchess, when she caught him having an erection during their spar the other day.


    Although the sensation had become fuzzy by now due to the Cowardly Witch¡¯s attack, he could still vaguely remember the embarrassment he felt back then.


    He barely smelled her scent, but the impulse he felt was the strongest he had ever felt yet at that time.


    If she didn¡¯t notice his abnormal state and escaped, even he himself didn¡¯t know what would happen.


    Considering that he only felt half the intensity of that time¡¯s impulse with Periwinkle, he figured that it had something to do with their ranks.


    Third, the twins too, should have the unique scent of a witch, but strangely enough, this phenomenon never happened when he was with them.


    He never felt an impulse so strong that he lost his reasons with those two.


    ¡°So weird...¡±


    The problem here was that there was a possibility that he couldn¡¯t leisurely wait and see what happened anymore.


    While at a first glance it didn¡¯t seem like a big deal, in reality, it was close to a mental illness, which meant that he had to get it treated as soon as possible.


    ¡°Ngh...¡±


    At that moment, Periwinkle¡¯s tightly closed eyes were opened. The pair of ultramarine-colored jewels looked around in puzzlement.


    When she saw her body being submerged in the bathtub with Siwoo wiping it, light returned to her eyes.


    ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    Siwoo put down the sponge and asked in a nervous voice.


    When they were having a sex, she was moaning like a crazy bitch, but now that they were done... He couldn¡¯t imagine what she would do to him.


    She was justified to say so. When they first met, he acted like a virgin, when they got in bed, he completely dominated her, but as soon as the sex ended, he turned into a docile rabbit again.


    Seeing how he moved her to the bathtub to wash her body with his own hands instead of using magic, she could tell that she was a kind person, but the time when he forcefully pressed her down, ignoring her pleas to stop was etched in her mind.


    Now knowing that he was such an interesting person, a desire to keep him to herself rose in her heart.


    ¡°Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Periwinkle?¡±


    ¡°Would you like to come with me?¡±


    And so, she made that offer.


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re with me, you can live without any regrets. You¡¯ll be able to detect and avoid any danger before it happens, or even prevent them from happening in the first place. My self-essence magic is one that could play with fate, manipulating it to my advantages.¡±


    She slowly raised her body and climbed on top of him.


    While looking straight at him, she swallowed his fully erect cock with her rear hole, the same hole that he had thoroughly violated before.


    ¡°Ahhha...! I-I¡¯ll let you do this with me every day. Actually, you can do it whenever you want. You can even force me to do it with you like what you did just now...honestly, I liked it when you did so.¡±


    But, even after it went through all that, her rear hole was still gripping his cock tightly. There was no sign of it loosening at all.


    She shook her waist gently, making multiple ripples on the calm surface of the water.


    Hot sigh leaked out of her slightly opened mouth.


    ¡°Haah...haaah... I¡¯ll become your toy at night... Anytime, I¡¯ll fulfill your desires... I don¡¯t mind if you were to do it with other people too. Actually, why don¡¯t I introduce you to some of the witches I¡¯m close with?¡±


    ¡°Ugh...!¡±


    ¡°Most of them aren¡¯t as good as me, but you¡¯ll drive them crazy anyway, so it should be fine.¡±


    She pressed on his shoulders, preventing him from getting up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind the mean words I said today. I was trying to taunt you and got completely beaten by you... Um, I admit that I was a little excessive, but trust me, I¡¯m not a bad witch...¡±


    It didn¡¯t need to be said that she was beautiful and attractive.


    Not only her looks and body, she also had the wealth and strength that Siwoo of the past couldn¡¯t even dream of. She was the kind of person that he could only watch from afar.


    And knowing what would happen next, it would probably be the best for him to come with her.


    But...


    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, Ms. Periwinkle.¡±


    He politely declined her offer.


    Because Sharon would be sad if he were to accept it.


    After what she had done to him; risking her life for him to escape and trying to stall the Drowned Witch, he couldn¡¯t just betray her like that.


    ¡°Is that so? I knew you¡¯d refuse, but...it¡¯s still disappointing.¡±


    She licked her lips before pulling his dick out of her anus.


    With a sweet groan, she stood up from the bathtub and stepped out of it. Water dripped down from her naked body.


    Siwoo followed suit, taking out a pair of robes hanging on the bathroom wall and put one of them on her shoulder.


    ¡°Follow me.¡±


    She brought her to the bar area where they shared a drink together and offered him a cigarette.


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±


    After a brief moment of them enjoying their cigarettes, she took out something.


    A small box.


    ¡°As promised, since you successfully entertained me, this is a gift from me.¡±


    Inside the box were two four-leaf clovers.


    One had a light green color while the other one had a pink color.


    ¡°What are these...?¡±


    ¡°These four-leaf clovers contain my self-essence magic. Those politicians and billionaires would go crazy if I were to dangle one of these over their heads, you know?¡±


    She giggled while twirling her hair with the hand that was holding up the cigarette.


    ¡°They will let you escape death once.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re giving me two of these?¡±


    ¡°The pink one is a freebie. Since it¡¯s a special occasion, I added a little something to it. The effect will only last about a week, but that should be enough. This is the reward for entertaining me.¡±


    Siwoo looked down at the four-leaf clovers in the box before looking at her again.


    ¡°I¡¯m very grateful for this.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    She smiled before pulling him by the wrist.


    The place she dragged him to was another bedroom, the stage where their second round would occur.


    ¡°Then, keep your promise.¡±


    That was how the pair did another round of sex that lasted until the newly rising sun went down once again.

 Chapter 251: An Unknown Side (2)

    Chapter 251: An Unknown Side (2)


    ? An Unknown Side (2) ?


    1.


    Periwinkle proved once again how sly she was.


    Seeing Siwoo¡¯s reaction becoming lukewarm, she quickly figured out what she needed to do.


    She noticed him saying ¡®I don¡¯t know what will happen if I smell your scent...¡¯ back when they were in the bathtub.


    Combining that with the occasion where he, who had been avoiding her all this time, suddenly sniffed her hair and went wild, she easily arrived at a conclusion.


    She deduced that to trigger his berserk state, all she needed was to make him smell her hair.


    So, she forcefully made him sniff her, while he succumbed to her manipulation effortlessly, forgetting to think to resist.


    After that, he just straight up began to ravage her holes like there was no tomorrow.


    At this point, there was no turning back for him.


    Since everything except him ejaculating in her vagina was a fair game, he tied her up again, pounding her while switching between her two holes.


    Lost in the heat of the moment, he accidentally forgot about three important things.


    First, his training with Eloa, which were scheduled to happen every day.


    Second, throughout his time with Periwinkle, he never told Eloa that he was with her.


    Third, how Eloa would desperately search for him since he essentially vanished without contact.


    2.


    ¡°...¡±


    In Gwanghwamun Square, Eloa anxiously fiddled with her phone, there was a concerned look on her face because she couldn¡¯t find Siwoo anywhere.


    She knew he was a diligent guy.


    They called it sparring, but it really was just him getting roughed up. He still took it seriously though, and never once did he complain.


    He always showed up before her, he¡¯d grab coffee ahead of time without saying a word, and he never once came late for their training.


    Moreover, he knew that Eloa would worry about him, so he wouldn¡¯t wander around all night.


    [The number you are calling is currently unavailable and you have been connected to the voicemail. Call charges may apply....]


    After the third unanswered call, Eloa finally gave up on calling him.


    She knew she needed to compose herself, but her heart still raced with anxiety.


    Her head was spinning and she felt nauseous.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening...¡±


    Prior to this, she had given him the ¡®Guardian¡¯s Covenant¡¯.


    It was one of the twelve covenants she could use and she temporarily granted it to him.


    Essentially, she gave him 1/12 of her power.


    If he ever found himself in trouble, the covenant would protect her better than regular autonomous defense.


    And it would immediately let her know where he was.


    She had created this covenant even though she knew that she wouldn¡¯t need it after losing Ravi, yet it proved to be exceptionally effective.


    Knowing him, there was no way he¡¯d go down without a fight and with the covenant around, he¡¯d last for a good while. But, normally she would never ignore her calls.


    This was the main source of her anxiety.


    ¡°Please forgive me.¡±


    Maybe he was sleeping in or lost in thought while spending some time alone.


    But just in case that something had really happened to her, she decided to use another function of the Guardian¡¯s Covenant that she hadn¡¯t told Siwoo about.


    Simply knowing his location might not provide information for her to assess his condition or the exact danger he was facing.


    That was why she added another function to the covenant.


    It would allow her to share the target¡¯s vision and hearing.


    Though she saw herself as his master, she didn¡¯t want to pry into his private life.


    But, in a situation like this, things were a little different.


    She closed one eye and fulfilled the covenant.


    When she found his location, what she saw was...


    ¡°What...?¡±


    A wild carnal feast of white and pink flesh.


    It seemed like he was currently in a hotel room.


    In the shared vision, she saw a white buttock, covered in red handprints, like autumn leaves scattered all over.


    -Slap, slap!


    ¡°Yes¡ª! Ahh¡ª!¡±


    A thin stream of liquid dripped down from inside the contracting anus, which flinched with each slap.


    There was a massive meat stick thing that was thrusting deeply into the flesh below.


    She could see the vagina labia minora coming out and being rolled inward with each thrusting of the dick.


    The angle from where she was seeing this whole thing unfolding was explicit, blatant, and lewd.


    Because of this, she only stood there dumbfounded, as if someone had struck her on the head.


    ¡°W-What is this...?¡±arine blue hair was tousled over the bed.


    The current Siwoo wasn¡¯t in his right mind.


    Because a sane witch would never allow anyone to do that, so the scene she was seeing was definitely rape.


    She had no idea how a 20th ranked Periwinkle could be subdued by a mere 15th ranked Siwoo (if he was ever ranked, this would be his rank), but if left alone, he might become a Criminal Exile.


    And so, she steeled herself to protect him.


    Even if she had to bow and kneel to Periwinkle, she would explain Siwoo¡¯s condition.


    She wasted no time, she gathered her mana and rushed toward where they were.


    Myeongdong and Gwanghwamun weren¡¯t very far apart.


    She could get there in around three minutes.


    As powerful as the effects of the Covenant Magic were, it always came with a price and condition.


    Just like how the activation of the Light of Truth would blind her eyes and she¡¯d need sleep as a cost for physical enhancement...


    Once the Guardian¡¯s Covenant was activated, it would persist until the original contract, ¡®Tiphereth successfully protecting Shin Siwoo,¡¯ was fulfilled.


    That was why she had to dash to where he was, with one eye witnessing the horrific scene of rape while the other one on the Seoul cityscape.


    The moment she reached the hotel entrance, she buckled her knees before leaping up to the 51st floor in a flash.


    Suddenly, she spotted Siwoo, who had just finished his ejaculation, engaging in conversation with Periwinkle.


    ¡®Haah...haah... I feel like I¡¯ve lost my mind...¡¯


    As Siwoo, who had just finished ejaculating deep inside Periwinkle¡¯s rear hole, collapsed onto her back, she extended her hand to stroke his head gently.


    She appeared utterly content and affectionate.


    ¡°???¡±


    This time, Eloa¡¯s body stiffened again, but for a different reason than before.


    Despite her being raped just now, Periwinkle¡¯s gaze was filled with affection, as if they were lovers.


    There wasn¡¯t any trace of her acting like a rape victim.


    Even though just a moment ago, she had been pleading tearfully for him to stop.


    What happened?


    ¡®My butt feels numb... Well, I was the one who told you to spank me as much as you want... But, with this, I can¡¯t wear a bikini for a while...¡¯


    ¡®You just reap what you sow, Ms. Periwinkle. I told you it¡¯ll be bad if you keep on forcing me to smell your scent.¡¯


    ¡®D-Do you want to smell me more...? I want to see if you can get any rougher...¡¯


    Seemingly embarrassed, Siwoo tried to pull away, while Periwinkle turned her body around and pulled his neck towards her.


    She kept trying to get her head closer to his nose.


    ¡®It¡¯s not every day I get to be with a guy like you, you know? I¡¯m going to leave Korea soon, so, I might as well do everything I can here chu~¡¯


    From the way the conversation went, Periwinkle was clearly in control here.


    She even leaned in to kiss him and it was obvious that she wanted more.


    Eloa blinked her eyes, desperately trying to rack her brain.


    So, all this kinky, sadistic sex...was consensual...?


    She quickly reached that conclusion, but another question pop up in her mind.


    But why?


    As Siwoo kissed Periwinkle and deeply breathed in her scent again, his breathing became rougher.


    He grabbed her throat, as if trying to discipline an unruly puppy before pressing her down.


    ¡®No means no...¡¯


    ¡®Cough! C-Can¡¯t you use a more intimate tone? N-No, more commanding! Maybe throw in some swear...!¡¯


    As she was treated like that, Periwinkle¡¯s eyes sparkled, as if she was happy.


    The sight of Siwoo, who had always been kind, uttering something along the lines of ¡®Spread your legs, you damn bitch,¡¯ shocked Eloa to the core.


    Her legs started to wobble. Like someone who was both dizzy and lost, her legs wandered around aimlessly.


    Now she got a rough idea of what was going on.


    Since she had braced herself for the worst case scenario, this was somewhat of a relief.


    Though she had a pretty conservative view on sex, she wasn¡¯t entirely uncomfortable with Siwoo doing something like this.


    Because it wasn¡¯t like she had the right to comment on the matter.


    There was another reason why she was unable to get herself together at the moment, though.


    ¡°Can¡¯t they just...stop...?¡±


    Once the Guardian¡¯s Covenant was activated, it would stay in effect until Eloa could protect Siwoo.


    It was a vague goal to clear and it seemed like she wouldn¡¯t be able to clear it until she reunited with him at the very least.


    But...


    He¡¯s still on it...


    She didn¡¯t want to intervene midway through.


    So, she had to see through him having sex until he was finally done with it, whether she liked it or not.


    ¡°...¡±


    Why does this always happen with him?


    Eloa was practically in tears.

 Chapter 253: An Unknown Side (4)

    Chapter 253: An Unknown Side (4)


    ? An Unknown Side (4) ?


    1.


    3 pm.


    Was the time when Eloa checked in to a standard room at Periwinkle Hotel in Seoul.


    For Periwinkle and Siwoo, it was a steamy afternoon.


    This continued on until midnight.


    Eloa tossed and turned, unable to sleep.


    Because the intense intercourse between those two was still going on.


    The next day, 4 am.


    Eloa woke up.


    And they were still going at it.


    11 am.


    Eloa gave up and checked out of the hotel.


    Later, she returned to the Witch Point.


    Those two were still going at it.


    5 pm.


    Eloa decided to meditate.


    They were still at it.


    Another day passed and it was midnight once more.


    Eloa drifted off to sleep.


    Up until this point their neverending sex saga still persisted.


    Then, at 4 am.


    Eloa woke up with bleary eyes.


    This was the result of the previous night¡¯s lack of sleep and the ordeal she went through all day.


    After waking up, she looked around, resisting the urge to cheer.


    ¡°Finally...! It¡¯s over...!¡±


    What reflected in her eye was the interior of a fancy-looking car.


    She didn¡¯t care what was going on, she was just glad that she couldn¡¯t see Periwinkle¡¯s naked body anywhere.


    A surge of emotion overwhelmed her.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    But, that joy was short-lived, it ended as soon as she noticed the pillow sitting between her legs.


    Siwoo and Periwinkle had been going full throttle even until she dozed off.


    Seeing their wild sex, so wild as if they were surrendering to their primal instincts, made her feel embarrassed, but at the same time, aroused.


    Her heart raced irregularly and she felt a tingling sensation below.


    She couldn¡¯t control her face that turned deep red and her breathing that grew hotter.


    The worst thing was that she couldn¡¯t just escape under the cold water to fall asleep.


    She could masturbate, but she didn¡¯t do it.


    There was a strong urge that made her feel like she should reach her hand down there, but she resisted.


    Because she wouldn¡¯t know how to face Siwoo later if she were actually masturbating while watching him doing it with someone else.


    And most importantly, she just felt that it didn¡¯t sit right with her.


    So, she came up with a makeshift solution, to slide a pillow between her legs.


    This would prevent her from ever touching her crotch.


    But the brief relief that was provided by squeezing the soft cushion with her crotch only lasted for a moment.


    She squirmed her waist and legs.


    Squeezing the pillow with her thighs before loosening her grip on them again.


    Repeatedly.


    Each time the pillow and her panties were pressed against her genitals, she felt a sense of relief as if she had released a pent-up feeling of hers.


    She immersed herself in the sensation of transitioning from an odd and ticklish feeling to a refreshing one and ended up doing so while squirming on the bed until she eventually drifted off to sleep.


    Eloa was inexperienced and she didn¡¯t know any better, so she had no clue what she was doing.


    But, to anyone else, it was clear that she was definitely masturbating, just in a different way than her idea of what masturbation was.


    Just like how an innocent girl trying to explore their sexuality, instinctively seeking pleasure through pillow masturbation.


    Finally, just before she fell asleep, she was still holding onto the pillow and squirming around. Actually, she was still doing it even while she slept. When she woke up again...


    ¡°...¡±


    The pillow was damp.


    Eloa looked at it confusedly for a moment.


    Is this sweat?


    After catching a glimpse of the scene of the intercourse while half-asleep, she wondered if this was just her sweat or there was something else.


    ¡°I swear it wasn¡¯t like this yesterday...¡±


    As soon as she fully woke up, everything began to clear up.


    Because her pillow wasn¡¯t the only thing that was damp, but her underwear too.


    ¡°This won¡¯t happen again, I swear.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Disappearing without words isn¡¯t a good thing, but...you need rest too. I mean, you¡¯ve been training without a break until now, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    The pair casually walked across the room.


    After a brief pause, Eloa asked him a question.


    ¡°So, where did you go?¡±


    Though the question came out a bit late, since Siwoo was the one who wandered without a word, he expected that he¡¯d need to explain himself.


    The problem here was the fact that there was a slight tension in the air. It seemed like Eloa herself wasn¡¯t keen on bringing the topic up for some reason.


    ¡°I met up with Ms. Periwinkle, you know the one who saved me and Sharon before... About that, I need something to tell you. Do you have a moment?¡±


    Eloa tossed the crumpled laundry into the basket.


    Then she cautiously turned to Siwoo.


    ¡°Y-You need to tell me something...?¡±


    Hearing his words, her confident demeanor disappeared as she hunched her shoulders.


    It reminded Siwoo of a small animal who¡¯d cower when one would talk to it.


    Is she having a rough time right now?


    He felt worried.


    According to Branch Manager Sua, thanks to him, Eloa¡¯s mental state had improved significantly, but he knew that she was still silently suffering.


    He had witnessed her whimpers in distress during her nightmares more times than he could count.


    Everytime, he¡¯d look at her with empathy and concern.


    Considering that she normally never felt good after waking up, he realized that perhaps this was the worst timing to bring the topic up.


    So, he decided that he¡¯d wait for a bit, to give her a chance to relax before telling her about everything.


    ¡°Well, why don¡¯t we save that for later? For now, how about a drink?¡±


    Eloa nodded subtly in agreement.


    All this time, she was surprised that he arrived so quickly, but it seemed he only saw her moving the laundry and nothing else.


    He didn¡¯t seem to suspect anything.


    But, she still couldn¡¯t bring herself to meet his gaze.


    All because she was wetting herself down below when she peeped on him having sexual intercourse.


    No one but herself knew about this.


    But, she was still embarrassed anyway, because of how shameful her behavior was.


    How can I call myself his master when I¡¯m so shameless?


    Eloa calmed her racing heart.


    But, why did he suddenly want to talk? Why is he suggesting we have a drink together?


    Feeling confused, she cautiously accepted the glass Siwoo offered.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    With a little alcohol entering her system, she felt relieved somehow.


    ¡°How are you feeling, Master?¡±


    ¡°W-What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t look good, so I was worried. I didn¡¯t worry you too much, right?¡±


    ¡°Ah, no, nothing for you to worry about.¡±


    When he asked her about her condition, Eloa, who was about to panic, breathed a sigh of relief after realizing that he was just trying to care for her.


    But, the vivid images and the vulgar words he used earlier kept replaying in her mind, making her feel restless.


    She wished that those impure thoughts would go away quickly.


    ¡°As I mentioned before, do you want to go shopping for clothes together after tomorrow¡¯s training?¡±


    Hearing that, Eloa¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Did he see my wet clothes and underwear?


    As soon as she saw him, their visual connection was lost, so she didn¡¯t know what he saw after that.


    Desperate to change the topic, she blurted out her words.


    ¡°I have more than one pair of pajamas, you know?¡±


    ¡°Ah... I mean, clothes you can wear outside, not just pajamas...¡±


    ¡°Clothes...besides pajamas...? Ah, right. Clothes. Yeah. Good idea.¡±


    This is going horribly.


    Her thoughts were all over the place.


    Unhealthy thoughts kept popping into her head.


    Maybe I should spend some time away from him.


    Let¡¯s get some fresh air.


    ¡°I¡¯m a little tired, so I should stop drinking for today. Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Without even waiting for his response, Eloa suddenly stood up, downed the remaining drink in one shot and quickly went outside.


    ¡°I guess she¡¯s really upset with me, huh...?¡±


    Since he didn¡¯t know the situation at all, he could only make such a guess.

 Chapter 254: An Unknown Side (5)

    Chapter 254: An Unknown Side (5)


    ? An Unknown Side (5) ?


    1.


    It felt more like he was watching a graceful dance than a sword fight.


    Every unnecessary move was trimmed away from her movements.


    The refined swordsmanship that could only be produced by those who had crossed the line of death, holding and wielding the sword tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, hundreds of millions times to the point of boredom.


    With just the tip of her toes touching the ground, Eloa spun gracefully, her eyes narrowed as her clothes fluttered around her.


    There was something pretty about this pure display of skill.


    But this wasn¡¯t a time to get distracted.


    Momentarily captivated by the scene, Siwoo raised his sword a little too late to defend himself.


    -Clang!


    Her sword was imbued with a hidden strength that belied its gentle movement.


    The voice the clash produced sounded like a grenade going off, sending Siwoo flying backward.


    His feet hit the ground, leaving dents on the hard surface, while cobblestones flew up like popcorn around him.


    This was only because he had braced himself. If he had taken that hit head-on, he would have been launched dozens meters away instead.


    ¡°Haa!¡±


    Struggling to support his buckling knees, Siwoo pushed the sword forcefully to create some space.


    With his ability to adapt and use anything as a weapon, be it dagger, axe, or even shield, he was always ready.


    Eloa, on the other hand, was wielding a sword much bigger than herself.


    At a first glance, it looked like Siwoo would have the upper hand in a close quarter combat.


    But it wasn¡¯t the case at all.


    In close quarter combat, Eloa could use her smaller size to her advantage.


    Being small meant she could move around him more easily even in a tight space.


    She¡¯d trip him up with her feet, jab him with the tip of her sword, even use her elbows and kicks to keep him off balance.


    -Kang!


    Siwoo pulled his shield inward then shoved it toward Eloa, trying to push her away.


    Eloa, who protected herself by inserting the sword between the points of impact, used this to bounce away.


    On its own, this wasn¡¯t an effective attack from Siwoo.


    She easily endured the impact of his shield strike by leaping away after all.


    But that was exactly what Siwoo had been waiting for.


    ¡°Got you!¡±


    -Srrrt!


    He twisted the four ribbons that had been staying still in the air, waiting for the exact moment to attack.


    Then, he proceeded to mimic how Ea had used these things.


    Each of the ribbons was packed with power, much stronger than even Siwoo¡¯s strongest sword swing.


    Feeling the sensation similar to releasing a bowstring, he intercepted Eloa, who was still floating in the air, and launched an attack that was like a homing missile.


    His attack covered all directions simultaneously.


    Its speed surpassed even that of bullets.


    At that moment, it really looked like this would finish Eloa for good.


    But...


    ¡°I hereby declare a covenant.¡±


    One letter on the side of the Sword of Covenant glowed.


    A surge of powerful mana spread out as Eloa kicked her legs hard mid-air.


    With the absence of a solid foothold, her movements were constrained by the lack of reactive forces in the air.


    This was common sense that would apply to anyone.


    However, Eloa wasn¡¯t just anyone, she could easily break that common sense if she wanted to.


    -Boom!


    As she performed the kick mid-air, a shockwave rippled out in all directions.


    Eloa¡¯s rear leg moved so quickly it broke the sound barrier. To anyone watching her, it looked like she had ¡®stepped¡¯ on empty space before shooting forward like an arrow.


    With a violently powerful force that seemed to mock the laws of physics, it shoved the air around her aside.


    The ribbons that Siwoo had released veered off course, trying to follow where she went, but...


    That was the wrong move.


    ¡°Gah!¡±


    Before he realized it, Eloa had landed a kick that shattered his shield as if it was a cookie and struck him right in his abdomen.


    He crashed into a parked car, destroying it comically as if it was a block of lego, and flew for a while before being slammed into a cosmetics store.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    Struggling to get up, he found her standing over him with her sword pointing at his neck.


    That was the sign of KO for him.


    ¡°Haah, I lost. Cough, cough!¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, because you were holding back.¡±


    ¡°Well, we need to go shopping later, no? Can¡¯t have you looking like a mess.¡±


    Eloa reached out her hand to him with a gentle smile.


    So, they ended up wandering through the store like a conveyor belt sushi.


    ¡°What kind of clothes do you usually wear?¡±


    ¡°Ones that are comfortable to move in, or dresses.¡±


    ¡°Uh...then should we check out this section?¡±


    They randomly chose a brand and entered a store that seemed to have a lot of dresses. It took a while before a clerk approached them.


    ¡°Hello¡ª Oh my...¡±


    The female clerk, who seemed quite young, was taken aback when she saw Siwoo, even more so when she saw Eloa.


    Siwoo was already handsome enough, but Eloa was even more so, since she had a really unique appearance even among witches.


    She stared at the two of them blankly, went speechless for a bit before coming to her senses and apologized.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! You both are so handsome and pretty...haha...! What kind of clothes are you looking for?¡±


    But that awkwardness didn¡¯t last long.


    Her eyes immediately lifted up as she began to recommend one outfit after another in a really friendly voice.


    ¡°Are you sure you aren¡¯t a model? Jeez, your hair color looks so pretty on you!¡±


    ¡°What about this one? This kind of outfit is quite popular these days, it would definitely suit you!¡±


    ¡°You noticed that it¡¯s getting chilly at night these days, right? Pair it with this cardigan, it¡¯ll look very pretty!¡±


    ¡°Just look at it! The sporty and casual vibe will suit you well! Actually, this one might look good on you too...¡±


    She kept on suggesting clothes to her like a kid playing dress-up with her favorite doll.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo could only stand on the side, acting like a human clothes hanger, holding up the clothes recommended by the clerk.


    ¡°Would you like to try them on?¡±


    ¡°I probably should...¡±


    ¡°Yes, you should try them before buying them.¡±


    ¡°Then, the fitting rooms are over there! If you need any alterations to the clothes, we can do them right away, so don¡¯t worry if the size doesn¡¯t fit!¡±


    Seeing how Eloa looked a little doubtful on whether she should try the clothes on or not, Siwoo answered for her instead.


    Those pretty clothes weren¡¯t cheap, so it made sense to try them first before buying.


    The first dress she grabbed was a gray knit dress that came down on her calves.


    Though a knit dress didn¡¯t sound appealing, it was quite a popular style at the moment in Korea.


    After a round of rustling sound from inside, Eloa shyly emerged from the fitting room.


    ¡°Woah...¡±


    Before Siwoo could even react, the clerk already exclaimed in admiration.


    The knit dress she recommended hugged Eloa¡¯s body tightly, showing off her figure and curves perfectly.


    Though she wore a cardigan to cover her upper body, her swaying butt would be visible through the clothes each time she took a step.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    He knew he shouldn¡¯t react this way, but it was better than looking away.


    Because she had only been wearing loose sweatpants and windbreaker, he never noticed that Eloa¡¯s body was more curvy than expected.


    Just a while ago, she looked like a princess going on a secret date, now, she had this seductive charm that only actresses would exude.


    ¡°T-This feels a little too tight...¡±


    Due to the snug embrace of the knitted fabric around every curve of her body, and the stares she received as soon as she stepped out of the fitting room, Eloa was completely flustered.


    ¡°No! You look really great, Miss! Don¡¯t you think so too?¡±


    ¡°M-Me? Y-Yes, it looks good on her.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, you need to react more~ Or else, you¡¯ll make her feel bad~¡±


    ¡°Uh, you look beautiful. It looks really great on you.¡±


    Unlike Siwoo, who had gotten used to extraordinary beauties because of all the times he spent with the witches, Eloa¡¯s beauty seemed to catch the clerk off guard.


    She was so hyped that she made Siwoo say his opinion twice.


    While staring at herself in the fitting room mirror. Eloa wondered, ¡®Does this really suit me?¡¯ but hearing Siwoo saying that she looked pretty made her dismiss those thoughts and sent her to cloud nine.


    ¡°R-Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it really suits you well. Would you like to try something else?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Next, she tried on jeans, a belt, a black shirt, and a trench coat.


    This time, it was in the Western¡¯s city woman style and it suited Eloa well.


    ¡°This feels a little stuffy...¡±


    ¡°What do you mean a little stuffy? You look so good in it, just like a movie star! Don¡¯t you think so too?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah, you look really good, um...¡±


    ¡°R-Really?¡±


    This same pattern repeated itself after that.


    Eloa would ponder inside the fitting room, wondering if the clothes really suited her.


    As soon as she came out, Siwoo would agree with the clerk who clapped her hands in admiration.


    Then, she¡¯d feel flattered by his compliments about how pretty or cool she looked.


    Consequently, they ended up buying everything.


    Of course some of them had the wrong size, so they had to wait for the store to alter the size for them.


    While waiting, Siwoo bought her three pairs of shoes.


    With that, the shopping spree, which had been a feast for the eyes, came to an end.

 Chapter 257: The Darkness that Came from the East (3)

    Chapter 257: The Darkness that Came from the East (3)


    ? The Darkness that Came from the East (3) ?


    1.


    ¡°Is it because of this?¡±


    Siwoo took out the pink four-leaf clover he kept in his cigarette case.


    With its mysterious color, the clover seemed like it could crumble with mere touch. It definitely looked slightly wilted compared to when Periwinkle first handed it to him.


    She said that it was something she experimented on.


    And the effect would last for a week.


    That was all she told him.


    She never went into details about what exactly did it do.


    As for the woman herself, as soon as they parted ways, she immediately left for Guam without giving him any contact information, so he had no way to contact her.


    I shoulda suspected it when I first saw this color.


    It looks damn suspicious. It¡¯s obvious that she was up to something.


    ¡°Should I just throw it away...?¡±


    If his suspicions were right, this was an unnecessary gift, no matter what kind of intention she had when she gifted it to him.


    Like, seriously, she should give me an instruction or two on how to use it. What¡¯s the point of giving me something that would only put me in awkward situations?


    He covered his fingertips with shadow, trying to crush it.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    But he stopped.


    Because he wasn¡¯t sure if that was really the effect this clover had. There was a possibility that this was a backup in case he used up the green four-leaf clover.


    Deciding to drop the matter for now, he neatly tidied up Eloa¡¯s bedding.


    Recently, both of them had been sharing a room.


    Eloa¡¯s four hours of sleep every day was pretty much the most dangerous time for Siwoo, because no one could protect him during that time.


    That was why he slept as close to her as possible, so he could wake her up for help in case of emergency.


    Of course they didn¡¯t share a bed. They just pushed two beds together side by side.


    -Creak!


    Suddenly, the door across the room flew open. Eloa scurried over in her pajamas, looking like a little kid.


    Of course referring to an adult woman, especially someone as dignified as Duchess Tiphereth, as ¡®little kid¡¯ was impolite, but it was hard for him to think otherwise when she was wearing those pajamas.


    Siwoo bought this set by himself and it was a size too big for her. The sleeves of the pajamas completely enveloped her hands.


    Seeing her with the hems rolled up, trailing on the floor, the ¡®little kid¡¯ label was all too fitting.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made your bed. Would you like some warm milk before you sleep? I¡¯ve already heated it up.¡±


    ¡°Thanks again.¡±


    ¡°No problem, really.¡±


    He handed her a mug filled with warm milk that he had preheated in the kitchen.


    As he had learned over time, Eloa was quite the heavy drinker.


    Physically, she couldn¡¯t get addicted due to her spirit body, so that was no problem, but mentally, she had grown dependent on it.


    So, he figured out a way to change that. Instead of letting her drink more alcohol, he thought it would be better to give her milk, as that would definitely help her sleep. That was why he had been serving her milk for the past few days.


    Considering all the help she gave him, this felt like the least he could do.


    ¡°Mhm, this milk tastes perfect.¡±


    Eloa said, after sipping the milk that had been adjusted to the right temperature.


    Feeling grateful for his considerate gesture, she flashed a warm smile as she gently swung her legs back and forth.


    She really seemed like she was similar in age with the Gemini twins.


    If her way of speaking didn¡¯t sound like that of an old woman¡¯s, Siwoo might probably think so.


    ¡°Siwoo, I have a favor to ask.¡±


    He was about to go to the kitchen to clean up the mug.


    But Eloa suddenly stopped him.


    ¡°Sure, what is it?¡±


    ¡°Can you give me a massage?¡±


    A...massage...?


    So suddenly?


    At times like this?


    Her request surprised him a little. Considering the circumstances, it was like she was asking for him to throw her into a crowded place during a pandemic.


    Even when he didn¡¯t even do anything, strange things would unfold.


    Yet, here she was, asking for physical contact when both of them wore nothing but pajamas.


    The clothes designed to have zero points allocated to defense, fully maxing on the comfort stat.


    Thin fabric, loose buttons, just a slight bend would reveal what laid underneath.


    In this case, her panties¡¯ line was clearly visible above the pants she wore.


    ¡°Why do you look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s such a difficult request to fulfill.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but...¡±


    Meanwhile, Eloa tried to act nonchalant, as if this was no big deal to her.


    The reason why she made this kind of request all of a sudden was because of the promise she made to herself earlier.


    Until now, she merely thought of him as a disciple, but she started to think of him as a man subconsciously.


    And this behavior of hers caused him to perceive her as a woman.


    Originally, this was the part when he applied pressure using the weight of the other person¡¯s head, but since her head was too small and light, he had to use extra force.


    ¡°Ngh, you¡¯re really good at this...¡±


    Eloa¡¯s body swayed like a tipsy cat standing on a tree branch.


    Slowly, she leaned back, almost falling over.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t feel comfortable sitting up, what about lying all the way down?¡±


    ¡°Would that be alright with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If anything, that would make me feel more comfortable too.¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Eloa laid her body completely down and Siwoo slipped his hand beneath the back of her head.


    He repeated the motion he had done before, massaging her entire neck.


    However, something unexpected occurred.


    Since she was lying flat, he could see more of her body now.


    As she laid down on her back, her pajamas were rolled up a little, revealing her cute belly button that was peeking through the gap,


    It looked cute, long and slightly indented.


    ¡°I had no idea there was such a clever way to do this...¡±


    At the same time, he noticed a bump.


    Two curves protruded over her chest, which had lifted her thin pajamas.


    Right in the center of her chest, the bumps were located there.


    Those...are her nipples, right...?


    ¡°Ow!¡±


    ¡°S-Sorry.¡±


    The unexpected sight made him tighten his grip on her neck, causing her to open her eyes wide in surprise.


    ¡°No, no, this feels comfortable. Just keep doing what you were doing.¡±


    Eloa closed her eyes again and entrusted her body to Siwoo¡¯s moving hands.


    Inwardly, she was extremely pleased.


    The idea that she came up with was exceedingly brilliant.


    When Siwoo¡¯s hand first touched her neck, she flinched slightly.


    Prior to this, they had bumped into and hit each other during their sparring, but they never had this kind of subtle physical contact.


    His unexpectedly rough, thick, and cold hand, brushing against her skin, made her wonder if she had made the wrong decision for a bit.


    But once the massage started, she realized that it was a needless worry.


    Because even when their bodies touched, it didn¡¯t bother her at all!


    Siwoo initially was hesitant, letting out an innocent reaction, much like Eloa¡¯s innocent heart that came up with this approach.


    In any case, now that both of them didn¡¯t seem to feel embarrassed about the touch, Eloa felt satisfied. From now on, their master-disciple relationship would form properly, or so she thought.


    As long as things continue like this, everything will be fine in the future...


    ¡°Nn...¡±


    At that moment, she was starting to get sleepy.


    It would be nice if I fall asleep while he¡¯s still massaging me...


    In her dazed state, all she could feel was the soothing sensation of his hand on the back of her neck.


    As she felt herself slowly sinking into the mattress, her body shifting subtly...


    A clicking sound caught her ear.


    -Tick, tick, tick.


    A faint sound that came exactly three times, leaving her chest feeling strangely open.


    When she tossed and turned, the hem of her dress moved around during the massage.


    Naturally, three buttons on her loose pajamas came undone.


    To make things worse, because she was moving as she did so, the unbuttoned front of her pajamas flapped open, revealing her bare chest.


    At that moment, Siwoo¡¯s hand, which had been massaging her neck, suddenly stopped.


    Though she couldn¡¯t see what was happening since her eyes were closed, she could still sense that something was amiss.


    She was aware of the recent series of mishaps that kept on happening, but this time it seemed like it had escalated quite dramatically.


    In other words, by sheer coincidence, her breasts were fully exposed to him.


    And he saw everything unfolding directly.


    Feeling a rush of embarrassment, she desperately tried to keep her cool.


    This won¡¯t change the plan!


    She reminded herself of her determination to handle these situations with composure if they really happened again.


    As long as she acted as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal, Siwoo would definitely forget about it, or so she thought.


    So, I have to pretend like there¡¯s nothing wrong, adjust my collar and act like I¡¯m not flustered by this...


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    But, a long pause followed.


    Despite her efforts, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to move or speak.


    ¡°...F-Fuu...fu...¡±


    Instead, she pretended to be asleep!

 Chapter 266: Waterway Tunnel (2)

    Chapter 266: Waterway Tunnel (2)


    1.


    Even after they walked for 1 km, Eloa never gave Siwoo a chance to fight.


    It wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t have the chance to either. Unlike the first time when there were more than thirty White Knights rushing at once, they had only been coming at around eight to ten Knights at a time.


    ¡°Stay back.¡±


    The reason for this was because, despite her allowing him to participate, her heart was still heavy about it.


    She didn¡¯t want him to receive an irrecoverable injury because of a single lapse in judgment from her.


    So, she decided to not let him join in the fight until he really had to.


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    This was already the tenth group that they were facing.


    After cutting down nine White Knights at once, Eloa caught her breath again.


    Unlike the first fight, she didn¡¯t need to use her mana grandiosely.


    Just as the Cowardly Witch sent all these Knights to gauge her strength, she had also been gauging the Knights¡¯ strength.


    The Red Knight was one thing, but these White Knights couldn¡¯t even be considered as her enemy due to the massive gap between their power.


    So, all she needed to do was just use her energy as efficiently as possible while dealing with each group that came rushing in.


    ¡°Something¡¯s strange.¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    Eloa muttered, which prompted Siwoo to ask.


    ¡°I expected her to immediately send the Red Knight along with the White Knights all at once, or maybe try to exhaust my mana by keep sending the White Knights on our way, but she did neither. Even someone who is barely competent in strategy knows that those two are the most efficient moves, but why did she...?¡±


    From the very beginning, they hadn¡¯t encountered any major obstacles at all.


    In fact, Eloa had already killed 150 White Knights effortlessly.


    That was already more than 10% of the Cowardly Witch¡¯s total forces.


    Their progression had been so smooth that she couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy.


    ¡°Maybe she sent most of her forces outside? You know, to deal with the barrier and all.¡±


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be the case. This place is the center of her plan, she has to protect it at all costs.¡±


    It was unthinkable for her to just ignore the Witch Point¡¯s strongest fighting force when they were already so deep inside her territory just to deal with the barrier outside.


    That would be no different from going all in at a poker table with a bad hand.


    Eloa tapped the blade of her Sword of Covenant with her fingers before muttering...


    ¡°We¡¯ve come this far, so there¡¯s no way that the Cowardly Witch failed to notice us. And there¡¯s no way that she thought those White Knights she sent would be enough to stop us.¡±


    She could dismiss it as her trying to probe their fighting power, but they had already way past that point, since both sides had gathered plenty of data on each other.


    At the very least, she should have figured out that she wouldn¡¯t be able to stop Eloa unless she acted more aggressively and sent out the Red Knight or a Homunculus on its level.


    There was also the possibility that the other two witches were doing exceptionally well to take her attention away, but...


    ¡°Why did she keep throwing away her forces senselessly like this...? I can¡¯t think of anything other than she¡¯s trying to buy time...¡±


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s exactly what she¡¯s trying to do.¡±


    Siwoo, who had been standing still behind her, said that while Eloa wiped the sweat off her forehead.


    ¡°Do you have something in mind?¡±


    ¡°Well, no one knows what¡¯s the use of the ¡®Altar¡¯. There is a chance that if she completes it, she could use it to completely overturn the situation. That should be enough of a reason for her to stall us here.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense.¡±Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    As soon as Eloa¡¯s words dropped, a familiar deafening sound reverberated through the tunnel once again.


    -Ooo¡ªooo¡ªooooo¡ª


    As its distance got closer and closer to them, it also got louder and louder.


    Hearing the unpleasant noise that was more annoying than the sound of someone scratching their nails on the blackboard, the pair let out a frown.


    ¡°I¡¯m sick of hearing that.¡±


    ¡°Same.¡±


    And Della had to deal with this kind of noise for months? How could she even stay sane after all that?


    Siwoo couldn¡¯t help but praise her mental fortitude.


    If it was him, he¡¯d have gone mad on the third day.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry. Also, like I¡¯ve said multiple times, if it gets too dangerous, just prepare to retreat. I¡¯ll buy you time.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    -Oooo¡ª-!


    When the noise suddenly stopped, they couldn¡¯t see any White Knights rushing toward them.


    This halted the pair¡¯s footsteps as they stayed still, feeling incredibly uneasy.


    The scream that had been dragging on for a long time was suddenly cut off in the middle like a cassette tape being cut.


    When it was still there, the unpleasant noise left them wondering when it would end.


    But, when it finally stopped, they wished that it could start once again.


    Because this meant that something had changed.


    The place where the pair stopped was a crossroads where five tunnels converged.


    To get to the altar, they¡¯d need to take the second tunnel from the right.


    ¡°Get ready.¡±


    Eloa raised her Sword of Covenant again.


    Now, she was expecting a full-scale attack from the Cowardly Witch.


    To take advantage of the massive difference in number, first, one would need a big enough space.


    The crossroad where they were at was the perfect place for it.


    Blood rushed through his veins as he felt the sense of unity in his body. It was as if every part of his muscle could move to obey him right now. As if his whole body had become one with the sword.


    He slashed the White Knight from the top of its head down to its crotch, holding back a laughter that was threatening to escape his lips.


    ¡°Haah... Phew...¡±


    It was a completely one-sided battle.


    Siwoo took a deep breath.


    Eloa too, after wiping the sweat off her brow and tied her disheveled hair back together.


    A total of 598 White Knights were annihilated by her hands while Siwoo took on 22 of them that slipped past her.


    Of course, in the general scheme of things, Siwoo¡¯s contribution was way lower than hers, but this battle had proven that he had become way stronger than before.


    ¡°Did you get any injuries somewhere?¡±


    ¡°No, what about you, Master?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. These fools can never touch my hair.¡±


    Eloa¡¯s expression became more relaxed after that exchange, while Siwoo was smiling at her joyfully and pridefully.


    She began to think that maybe she was being too paranoid.


    After all, there was a chance that the Cowardly Witch was just too flustered by their unexpected attack to the point that she failed to put up a proper response.


    Though the real enemy hadn¡¯t appeared yet, she started to have that kind of optimistic thought.


    At that moment...


    -Bang!


    A loud noise echoed.


    Not long after the pair turned their gaze to the pile of metal that used to be an army of White Knights...


    -Bang!


    A sound, resembling a metal plate being struck, echoed from the distance.


    This time, it was accompanied by tremors, just like an earthquake.


    As the cause of the phenomenon was still unknown, Eloa cautiously grabbed her Sword of Covenant, while Siwoo turned his gaze toward the tunnel where the sound originated from.


    -Clank, clank, clank!


    Not long after, the sound of heavy, bloody footsteps followed.


    Then, it appeared. Right in front of them, in the crossroad, under the decorative lights, a knight with a size larger than the White Knights, clad in bright red armor, close to that of the color of blood.


    ¡°The Red Knight...¡±


    It exuded a completely different atmosphere than the White Knights.


    Even though the only difference it had from them was its color and it was a little bigger, Siwoo¡¯s instincts were screaming at him to run away.


    This guy is on a different level.


    Eloa noticed that it had grown half a meter taller than back when they last met, now it stood at 2.5 m tall.


    In its right hand was a long red spear, perhaps around 2 m long, the Red Branch.


    After absorbing all the sacrifices, concluding the ritual on the altar, both the Red Knight and the Red Branch was painted in a much darker crimson color.


    ¡°...!¡±


    ¡°...!¡±


    Siwoo, who was nervously staring at the foe in front of him, and Eloa, who was preparing to brandish her sword, drew in their breath at the same time.


    Because they noticed something in the creature¡¯s hand.


    It was holding two witches in its hand, grabbing them by the hair, dangling them around in the air.


    The Witch of Harvest, Evelynn, the one who flirted with Siwoo without a care before coming here.


    There were no traces of her lower body left and her internal organs were dangling from the remaining part of her upper body.


    Part of her bright red flesh was covered in dust. It was safe to say that the Red Knight had been dragging her around for a while now.


    The Witch of Glass, Patricia, with her white hair and pretty gray eyes.


    Her expression froze, perhaps there was a tinge of fear and astonishment in there.


    Nothing was certain about what kind of expression she was making because only half of her head remained.


    Needless to say, both of them had already died.


    -Krrk, krrrrrk


    This sight made the pair completely speechless.


    Ignoring their reaction completely, a sound that was similar to scraping metal flowed through the Red Knight¡¯s helmet.


    Humans and Homunculi were different kinds of being, both had completely different body structures.


    By extension, the language they used wasn''t the same.


    But, even if the pair couldn¡¯t understand what the creature was trying to say.


    Even when there wasn¡¯t a single sentence being exchanged between them and the monster.


    They knew. What kind of emotion that it was trying to express under that unpleasant sound.


    Joy.


    The joy of facing up against the adversary that had pushed it to the brink of death over and over again after becoming incomparably stronger than before.


    Old resentment.


    Perseverance.


    Anger.


    To the monster, this was the perfect opportunity to showcase all of those things.


    And so, it laughed. Even when it finally opened its eyes, it was still smiling.


    Its ¡®twenty pairs¡¯ of eyes that embroidered its helmet curled upwards with a red glint, resembling a wicked smile that a human would /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 267: Waterway Tunnel (3)

    Chapter 267: Waterway Tunnel (3)


    1.


    Eloa raised her sword, glaring at the Red Knight.


    The creature was doing the same, letting out an ominous ¡®smile¡¯.


    Originally, it only had thirty eyes, but thanks to the Cowardly witches, it had forty now.


    The same number of eyes as the Homunculus who once caused the worst disaster in history had, the Homunculus who was dubbed as the strongest.


    ¡®Jormungandr¡¯, the Homunculus that took the form of a giant snake, the one which was killed by Duchess Keter after it successfully ate up three kingdoms, eight big cities, countless villages and seventy eight witches in the past.


    Back then, Gehenna¡¯s system was just being established.


    Considering that the average rank of witches back in the day was around 15th, it was understandable that as many as seventy eight of them fell in battle against the monstrosity.


    However, that fact shouldn¡¯t be used to underestimate Jormungandr, and by extension, the Red Knight, which now possessed the same number of eyes as it did.


    Of course, just as a witch¡¯s strength couldn¡¯t be fully measured by rank, a Homunculus¡¯ full strength also couldn¡¯t be fully measured by the number of its eyes.


    However, the Red Knight specifically was a Homunculus which possessed rich experience when it came to fighting against witches.


    It was not due negligence that Eloa still failed to kill it despite being able to defeat it seven times.


    The Red Knight was a strong enough foe to go toe-to-toe with her when it came to pure martial skills. This was also why it always managed to spare some strength to get away from her when things went south for it.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Eloa calmly faced it, trying to assess its newfound strength.


    The Red Knight, huh...?


    It was common sense that the power of a Homunculus depended on what exactly was it guarding.


    For example, even a weak Homunculus would become tricky to deal with if it was holding the ¡®Egg of Gnosis¡¯, because that meant the Homunculus would be equipped with some kind of self-essence magic.


    With that in mind, since the Red Knight was holding the Red Branch, it was categorized among the stronger Homunculus by default.


    Red Branch itself was a spear that possessed the ability to twist concepts and laws.


    Not only that, it could also deploy a distortion field that could impair all kinds of magic and weaken spirit bodies.


    It could also manipulate the reality of the object it touched.


    The magic that the Red Knight could utilize from the Red Branch alone was already trickier to deal with compared to most combat witches¡¯.


    This was part of the reason why Eloa always failed to kill it even back when the difference between their power was significant.


    But now, she sensed something different from the red spear after not seeing it for a little while...


    Just from the mana it exuded alone, it was already on a different level compared to the last time she saw it.


    It was denser and it gave her a deep sense of unease.


    This implied that the Red Knight wasn¡¯t the only thing that the Cowardly Witch buffed, but the Red Branch itself as well.


    Meanwhile, I...


    To deal with all the White Knights on her way here, she had expended 30% of her mana.


    Because she was using one of her available twelve covenants on Siwoo, she could only use eleven of them at once.


    If this was the first time they fight, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    But, this was a foe she had faced a few times before. Facing an enemy that was familiar with her technique while she herself wasn¡¯t in perfect condition... Even if she was being optimistic, she couldn¡¯t guarantee a victory.


    She had triumphed over countless Homunculi in the past, but this time, she felt a great sense of danger that she hadn¡¯t felt in a long time.


    ¡°Stay back. Get ready to escape.¡±


    Eloa pushed Siwoo back and brandished her sword.


    ¡°Hereby, I declare a covenant.¡±


    With that, two of the three remaining covenants were activated.


    The Red Knight was probably the Cowardly Witch¡¯s strongest weapon.


    It wasn¡¯t an opponent Eloa could fight half-heartedly, but if she utilized all her strength here, she wouldn¡¯t have many options against whatever it was that would come out next.


    The ninth covenant, to reestablish the concept of her own body.


    In order to minimize the effect of the Red Branch¡¯s distortion, she reestablished her existence over the world itself.


    With this, she wouldn¡¯t need to be afraid of getting caught in its barrier or getting her mana distorted by it.


    The tenth covenant, to consume half of her mana and exchange it with strength.


    The Red Knight wasn¡¯t the only force the Cowardly Witch had left.


    There were still over 600 White Knights and though she wasn¡¯t as formidable in a direct fight, she still had to face the Cowardly Witch herself as well.


    If she were to expand more mana than this, she¡¯d be helpless against what came next.


    Eleven of the twelve letters engraved on the Sword of Covenant glowed and a strong mana wave scattered around her.


    -Clank!


    The one who made a move first was the Red Knight.


    It threw the witches¡¯ corpses in its hand, all while gliding forward to stab Eloa.


    At first glance, its movement seemed more simple and less powerful than that of the White Knights¡¯.


    It didn¡¯t make a loud sound as it cut through the air and the force it seemed to exude was unremarkable.


    But that was far from the truth.


    Just like how deep rivers looked relatively stable and one would only know how strong the flow of stream it had if one were to dip their body inside...


    The tip of its spear suddenly passed through Eloa¡¯s defensive stance, rushing toward her heart.


    ¡°Haah!¡±


    She rotated her body halfway and struck the tip of the spear.


    No, it was more like she tried to swat it away.


    But an unexpected outcome happened, both the tips of their weapons met each other in the air.


    All of her magic and techniques were centered around close quarter combat.


    Which meant, the Red Branch completely countered her since just being near it could already hurt her.


    Eloa took a deep breath to compose herself.


    Her mind, which had been disturbed due to her agitation, turned calm like still water.


    Being all agitated wouldn¡¯t help her situation.


    What she needed to do was to assess the situation calmly and make her move accordingly.


    To make less contact with the opponent¡¯s weapon, like it or not, she¡¯d have to use her feet more.


    Instead of standing her ground, she should move forward when she had to and pull back when she had to.


    The question here was, should she use up her remaining covenant?


    Was it the right move if she were to use up all her mana to deal with the enemy in front of her?


    Meanwhile, even though it had the initiative, the Red Knight did not press on the attack on her.


    Instead, it stayed in its place, raised its spear up high, and began to scream.


    ¡°D¡ªD¡ªDrivat¡ª!¡±


    This scene left her dumbstruck.


    Because from the dark space beneath the red helmet, a voice that sounded similar to that of a human¡¯s language came out.


    Homunculi that lived for a long time usually developed a clear sense of self.


    However, for a Homunculus to utter something that wasn¡¯t an incomprehensible cry, it was unprecedented.


    ¡°Drivat¡ª! Lajak¡ª-!¡±


    It said something in an unknown language, the words accompanied by a muffled sound.


    No, it could be that it was singing.


    With that, a bright red barrier stretched out from the Red Branch, along with the sound of scraping steel.


    At first, she thought that this was another one of its attacks, but she quickly realized that the barrier stretched out in a wide area, striking various places except where she was standing.


    ¡°This¡ª!¡±


    Eloa looked around.


    The space around her was distorted.


    It was as if reality itself was being eroded.


    Though this was the place that connected five tunnels, it was still located underground, so there wasn¡¯t that much space for them to move around.


    However, it had changed into an enormous area, as if it was an image refracted by a lens.


    The strange thing here was the fact that she couldn¡¯t even tell when exactly did this happen.


    It was as if the place looked exactly like this since the very beginning, she just blinked and the change had already happened.


    She looked around the waterway that had now become as spacious as a football field.


    ¡°¡ªYatholot!¡±


    At that moment, the Red Knight struck the floor with its spear.


    Then, the barrier that enveloped the place disappeared.


    Silence quickly followed.


    ¡°Siwoo...¡±


    A sudden silence was always accompanied by an ominous outcome.


    By instinct, Eloa glanced behind to look for Siwoo, who was preparing for his escape with Dimension Shift.


    Whatever it was that was about to happen, she wanted him to get away first.


    But he wasn¡¯t there.


    Considering that she didn¡¯t sense any magic being deployed, it meant that he was still around.


    When she was struck by panic, another abnormality occurred in front of her eyes.


    The White Knights she had already taken down...


    Even those who had been reduced to rubbles and pieces, all of them began to reassemble and regenerate themselves.


    -Kak...kak...kakakak...!


    The Red Knight let out an unpleasant noise again, as if it was laughing.


    Red Branch¡¯s ability, ¡®distortion¡¯.


    It was strong enough to distort the rules of heaven and went against the laws it set.


    This was why the Cowardly Witch sacrificed thousands of humans and five witches for, to bring it to its fullest potential.


    The strange phenomenon that clearly surpassed cause and effect revived all the White Knights that had fallen.


    Hundreds of White Knights also poured out from all five tunnels almost immediately.


    Clank clank clank clank clank clank.


    Clank clank clank clank clank clank.


    Clank clank clank clank clank clank.


    Clank clank clank clank clank clank.


    Clank clank clank clank clank clank.


    Sounds of metal boots hitting the solid ground reverberated through the air.


    Accompanied by the deafening noise, almost all of Xochitl¡¯s White Knight gathered in one place.


    With a single purpose, to hunt Eloa Tiphereth.


    Eloa reminiscing about /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 268: Waterway Tunnel (4)

    Chapter 268: Waterway Tunnel (4)


    1.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    In the middle of the tunnel, Siwoo was there, standing dumbfoundedly.


    Or rather... he was in the middle of a strangely widened tunnel.


    The situation was bewildering.


    Out of the blue, the Red Knight appeared, carrying a terrifying atmosphere, as he had killed the two witches as if they were insects. After the creature and his Master, who had single-handedly beaten hundreds of White Knights, fought for a bit, they both disappeared.


    Leaving him all alone in this place.


    ¡°This is...¡±


    Dangerous.


    Siwoo didn¡¯t know what exactly caused them to be separated, but he was in the middle of the enemy¡¯s territory at the moment, that fact was enough to ring his alarm bells.


    I can still run.


    Throughout his training with Eloa, his physical strength wasn¡¯t the only thing that was improved, his usage of Dimension Shift too.


    He managed to simplify the casting process.


    Before this, he needed to ¡®declare his current position¡¯, then ¡®declare the coordinate of his destination¡¯, only then he could ¡®calculate the distance between the two and teleport¡¯...


    Well, a handful of steps were omitted, but that was roughly how it went.


    Dimension Shift was a complex and precise magic, one needed a high level of concentration and magic control to even use it.


    They could try and not to concentrate too much, but doing that would increase the casting time significantly.


    In most cases, this wasn¡¯t the spell one could use to escape during combat.


    So, to cover this major flaw, Siwoo had been trying to optimize the aforementioned three steps.


    The way he came up with was to always declare the coordinate where he was at, every time he moved.


    As for the coordinate of the destination, he could always set it at random to speed things up, and by adding the clause ¡®strictly on the ground¡¯ he wouldn¡¯t need to worry about suddenly getting thrown into the sea or whatever.


    Unless he was inside a barrier that completely isolated him from the outside world like Ea¡¯s barrier, he could secure an escape route quickly with this.


    Whatever the Cowardly Witch¡¯s plan was...


    Siwoo had resolved himself to not sit idly against it.


    He promised to himself that no matter how small it was, he¡¯d try to help out. At the very least, it would be better than him just sitting around and watching.


    That was why now was the perfect time for him to escape.


    He had done what he could, the enemy was too strong for him to fight, and besides, he had more than enough time to run.


    Moreover, he got separated from Eloa for some reason he didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Bloom.¡±


    Without hesitation, Siwoo started calculating for Dimension Shift.


    Since the tunnel suddenly widened, the mana around him had changed.


    It felt like something was restricting the mana, as if some kind of jammer was around, but that wasn¡¯t a problem for him.


    He just needed to treat it as a variable, insert it to his calculation and calculate accordingly. Just like that, he successfully calculated a way out of here.


    At that moment...


    -Bang, bang, bang!


    A loud sound echoed through the air.


    It was so loud that the whole space trembled, similar to when the Red Knight first appeared.


    He could even tell where the sound came from due to the vibration, even though it sounded like the source was over hundreds meters away.


    That¡¯s probably where Master and the Red Knight is.


    He concluded that the Red Knights was the reason why the space became jumbled like this.


    It probably deemed him as a ¡®pebble in the road¡¯ or ¡®an annoyance¡¯, so it teleported him away from where he was previously.


    ¡°Is this really the right thing to do?¡±


    Eloa had told him in advance about the Red Knight.


    It was the greatest fighting power the Cowardly Witch had, so it was only natural that Eloa shared the information with him.


    According to her, the creature was a formidable one that managed to escape her grasp seven times in the past.


    For it to be able to run away from Eloa seven times, even after being beaten seven times by her, the creature¡¯s power was simply way out of his league.


    And he knew that.


    The reality of the situation became even more apparent to him when he saw how Eloa had to give it her all to fight it.


    Witnessing their fight made him think ¡®I¡¯m glad I¡¯m not the one who¡¯s fighting¡¯. After all, this was the monster who managed to survive Eloa¡¯s onslaught seven times and escaped from her.


    If it was him who was fighting the monster, he wouldn¡¯t have lasted even for a second.


    Even more so when it was even stronger now.Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    He didn¡¯t even dare to guess exactly how strong it was, but there was something that was bugging him.


    Siwoo took off the gauntlet on his left hand.


    On the back of that hand, Eloa¡¯s covenant, with its hourglass-looking pattern, was engraved.


    This was the covenant that she had conferred to him ever since the day that he was ambushed by the Drowned Witch.


    According to her, this would help him if his life were ever in danger.


    Of course, even if one could call those her ¡®weaknesses¡¯ in the grand scheme of things, it didn¡¯t really matter at all.


    Try to group a bunch of people against her, no matter how many of them were gathered, they wouldn¡¯t amount more than a bunch of scarecrows to her.


    However, the problem here was the White Knights that the Red Knight deployed were just strong enough to hinder her.


    When they came in thrusting their spears while disregarding their own lives, even Eloa couldn¡¯t just ignore them.


    Not to mention that even if she were to cut them down, they¡¯d still resurrect themselves and rejoin the battle again.


    In that sense, the Red Knight utilizing those guys as its shield was a correct move.


    For Eloa to advance a single step, she had to cut down ten of those White Knights.


    As a result, her clothes were tattered, torn in several places, her beautiful pink hair was drenched in so much sweat that it looked like she had just been splashed by water.


    Though at the very least, she gained a little bit of solace from this outcome.


    Because Siwoo managed to get away from here.


    Even after this much time had passed, she hadn¡¯t got any warnings from the Guardian¡¯s Covenant.


    If some kind of crisis were to befall him, it would act as an autonomous defense to protect him and inform Eloa of it.


    Since that didn¡¯t happen, chances were that he had already taken shelter somewhere.


    If that was the case, she could rest easy.


    ¡°Haa...¡±


    She swung her sword again and dispatched ten White Knights at once in a blink of an eye.


    Now was the time for her to decide.


    To run away.


    Or to fight and risk her life until the end.


    The Red Knight and all these White Knights was probably the Cowardly Witch¡¯s entire force.


    In other words, if she could handle these guys, the threat that was looming over Seoul would disappear.


    Her mana was almost depleted.


    But, there was still enough for her to shake off their possible pursuits and escape.


    However, if she really were to escape, it¡¯d take a whole week of treatment and mana gathering before she could recover her power again.


    In other words, while she could save her own life, she couldn¡¯t fight off the looming disaster,


    The problem here was, if this fierce battle continued, the Red Knight would definitely come forward and join the fight.


    And if that were to happen, she¡¯d lose her chance to escape.


    ¡°Gavaakkkk¡ª!¡±


    The Red Knight roared.


    All the White Knights held up their spears and rushed toward Eloa as the Red Knight rushed into the white waves.


    The distance between the creature and Eloa was quite far, but for both beings, whose might transcended that of a human¡¯s, it was a distance that could be closed easily.


    Only five seconds had passed since Eloa started thinking.


    But in that brief moment, she managed to think about a lot of things.


    Especially her own death.


    There was a great chance that even if she were to give it her all here, she¡¯d end up succumbing to her enemies anyway and perished.


    She was scared.


    If she could run away, she would.


    Whenever she was dancing between the boundary of life and death with a sword in her hand like this.


    There wasn¡¯t a single moment when she didn¡¯t feel scared.


    ¡°Ravi...¡±


    She remembered Ravi¡¯s words about protecting the innocents.


    The upright conviction of her lovely apprentice that she had never approved of back when she was alive.


    And now, she foolishly held onto that conviction like her weapon.


    ¡°Siwoo...¡±


    If I knew that today¡¯s the last day we¡¯ll ever meet, I shoulda praised him more.


    I shoulda been more honest and praised him as much as I can.


    Sorry, Siwoo.


    As if the stopped time began to rewind again, the sound of footsteps echoed in her ears.


    She held her sword tightly, as if trying to break it.


    ¡°Come forward.¡±


    She used up all the magic in her brand, turned it into strength and allocated them to her legs.


    With this, she sealed her own escape path as she sent a glare towards her enemies. Her magenta eyes glowed.


    Eloa Tiphereth might die here today.


    But she wouldn¡¯t fall before she achieved victory.


    ¡°I will stand my /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 269: Waterway Tunnel (5)

    Chapter 269: Waterway Tunnel (5)


    1.


    Eloa gave up thinking about what would happen ¡®next¡¯.


    Her fear of death was cut clean by the swing of her sword.


    The only thing that she was thinking about was how to come out of this fight victorious.


    Once she managed to get rid of all the distracting thoughts, both her mind and body became one with her sword.


    She unleashed her mana freely, moving around with the sword in her hand, as if she was dancing.


    The White Knights that were supposed to be tricky to deal with were cut into half and collapsed like mere tin cans.


    Meanwhile, their white spears swayed like bamboo being struck by a storm.


    -Woooong!


    At that moment, a red spear crawled in, accompanied by a ghastly sound.


    Even until this point, the Red Knight was still so cautious.


    It refused to engage with Eloa in one-on-one battle.


    Using the meat-grinder tactic, it deployed waves of White Knights, one after another, only launching its own attacks when Eloa showed a gap in her movements.


    -Bang, bang, bang!Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com


    Even in that kind of commotion, where the echoing sounds had turned into shockwaves, Eloa could still sense the presence of the red spear aiming towards her back.


    This was thanks to her ¡®Omniscience¡¯, the covenant that allowed her to perceive everything in the radius of 30 m from her, letting her detect any attacks even if they came from her blindspot.


    ¡°Ha!¡¯


    Eloa quickly dodged the spear thrust by rolling her body on the ground that had been smashed like cookies.


    Facing the Red Branch directly would be a foolish move.


    That was why she went as far as doing such an unsightly move just to dodge it.


    After avoiding the Red Branch¡¯s barrier, she twisted her body and leaped toward the Red Knight¡¯s direction.


    While Red Branch was the thing that kept bringing those White Knights back to life...


    The battle still wouldn¡¯t end unless she dispatched the Red Knights.


    However...


    -Clank, clank, clank!


    Before she could land a hit, the Red Knight retreated promptly.


    Then, hundreds of White Knight blocked her path, acting as if they were some sort of wall.


    Unable to feel any emotion, they were more than ready to risk their lives for their commander.


    Though she could conjure up a storm by utilizing both her physical strength and swordsmanship at once, she still couldn¡¯t break through the Phalanx Formation that they deployed.


    With that, the Red Knight managed to disengage safely.


    Maybe it¡¯d only come in again when she started to show signs of exhaustion and gave out a big enough opening for it to slit her throat.


    ¡°Huff...huff...¡±


    At this point, her breaths felt like they only came down to her chin.


    They were so erratic that the tip of her tongue felt like it was made out of metal.


    Time was running out.


    She needed to end this quickly.


    Putting all the remaining mana and strength she had into a single strike...


    -Crack!


    Her two feet stepped on the ground, steadfast, like the root of a tree.


    She wielded her sword at an angle.


    From the distance, she could see her enemy¡¯s eyes, curved, as if eerily laughing.


    -Woooong!


    Magical pressure was pressing on her from all sides.


    White veins spouted on the back of her hand, accompanied by sparks of pink mana.


    ¡°Jazak¡ª!¡±


    As if they sensed a bad omen, the White Knights rushed at her direction all at once, following the order of their commander.


    They completely disregarded their lives, using their bodies as shields to protect the Red Knight.


    All to block her next attack.


    Meanwhile, Eloa was focusing her strength on a single point to an extreme level.


    As the body, mind, and the sword became one.


    Even a simple slash would cut the heavens.


    She raised her sword silently as all the distracting thoughts disappeared.


    Her death, life and even the boundaries between them rested solely on the tip of her sword, that wasn¡¯t any wider than the strand of her hair.


    Heaven and earth trembled.


    The sword drew a clear line, as if cutting through the space itself, emitting much more powerful mana than she had ever emitted in this battle.


    All the White Knights that were caught in its trajectory disintegrated, as if they were struck by a nuclear bomb.


    The outpour of concentrated mana exploded, creating a blinding flash of light.


    And the moment the sword was raised above her head...


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!!


    The sky became visible from where they were.


    From this space, 45 m underground.


    The thick walls, cements, foundation, everything that stood in her way were demolished, replaced by a hundred meters long crevice.


    Then, the sword that she had poured all her life into finally fell down upon her enemies.


    Black sword, as black as the armor of the person who wielded it, entered her sight.


    It was a familiar back to her.


    ¡°Do it in moderation, you bitch.¡±


    Spouting those words with a voice filled with anger, was Siwoo.


    As soon as he finished saying that, he sent a forceful strike towards the monster.


    -Crack!


    The sword of shadow, swung exactly the way Eloa had taught him, struck the monster¡¯s helmet cleanly.


    With a cracking sound, the Red Knight¡¯s body was flung away,


    Of course if it still had its full power, there was no way that Siwoo could even get closer to it in the first place.


    No matter how strong he had grown, there was such a clear difference between their strength that he could never make it up with any kind of skills or techniques.


    Nevertheless, his attack connected and the Red Knight was flung away, which meant that it had been weakened significantly.


    Just like Eloa, who had unleashed her full power, the monster had also done the same.


    Siwoo looked back towards Eloa and asked.


    ¡°Master, are you okay?¡±


    For a moment there, she only blankly stared at him before everything clicked on her mind.


    Just before this, she had accepted her death gracefully, so she thought that she was dreaming.


    But, when she saw him, she immediately regained her clarity.


    ¡°W-What are you doing here? I-I thought you had run away a while ago?¡±


    ¡°Sorry for being a disobedient disciple. I knew I should have run away.¡±


    The range of the distorted space was wider than any of them thought.


    Siwoo had to run around for 10 km before he could finally find where Eloa was.


    After that, the first thing he saw was the sight of the enemy beating his Master up one-sidedly, so, there was no way that he¡¯d thought to escape right there and then.


    Thinking that she became weaker in the face of death...


    Eloa forgot about the situation she was in and screamed out in tears.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the time! Hurry up and run away!¡±


    She grabbed his wrist and tried to urge him to go, but he only stared at her with a resolute gaze.


    He came here with a goal and it didn¡¯t seem like he¡¯d go away before that goal was fulfilled.


    ¡°Master, that thing isn¡¯t in perfect condition, didn¡¯t you notice?¡±


    After receiving an attack from him, the Red Knight stood up slowly.


    A long gash remained on the part of its helmet that he struck with his sword.


    Normally, this kind of attack wouldn¡¯t get past its distortion field, but somehow, Siwoo managed to get a clean hit in.


    In a way, this was the perfect opportunity.


    If only Eloa had some mana left in her, her victory was pretty much decided already.


    ¡°Master, you should take back the covenant you gave me. That will be our best bet to win.¡±


    Eloa recognized what he meant by those words.


    She had killed all the White Knights and the Red Knight was significantly weakened.


    If she could fight again, they could turn this into a two-on-one battle.


    There wasn¡¯t any guarantee that they¡¯d be able to get this golden opportunity ever again if they were to run away now.


    Because the Cowardly Witch would definitely come up with a new countermeasure.


    He was suggesting that they both take on the creature together.


    But Eloa shook her head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that, I have no more strength left.¡±


    Even if she were to take the covenant back, it wasn¡¯t like she could immediately reuse it again. Besides, the covenant wasn¡¯t really a combat-oriented covenant.


    And above all, her body had already turned into a mess because of her other covenants.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯d have to take it down by myself. Is it even possible?¡±


    Eloa¡¯s heart was torn in two.


    Though he managed to hit it because of a surprise attack, the fact that he could attempt a surprise attack to begin with was enough proof that it was already severely weakened.


    This was, without a doubt, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that would never come by again no matter how long they waited.


    He believed in his talent.


    It would be a rational decision to let him go and give it a shot.


    But, to make him risk his life for a ¡®maybe we could win¡¯ situation?


    If something goes wrong and he...


    Eloa, who was about to express her concern, looked at Siwoo¡¯s eyes.


    Those aren¡¯t the eyes of a hero who knows no fear and possesses absolute confidence...


    Self-doubt, fear, anxiety...


    Those are the eyes of someone who has the courage to take a step forward...


    Maybe, I underestimated him too much. He isn¡¯t someone I need to be so overprotective about.


    What if I think of him not as my ¡®disciple¡¯ but as a ¡®colleague¡¯? Would my opinion change?


    Slowly pondering her thoughts, she closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again.


    ¡°It might be worth a try.¡±


    As soon as he heard her words, Siwoo lifted his sword without any hesitation.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do it /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 270: Waterway Tunnel (6)

    Chapter 270: Waterway Tunnel (6)


    1.


    Eloa¡¯s sword strike managed to cut through the 45 m thick hard rock and cement cleanly as if they were cakes.


    Though, the fact that the foundation did not collapse and fall down on them meant that her cut had been precise, there was no leak of energy or mana occurred.


    Light leaked down from the ceiling from the V-shaped crevice.ViiSiit  for latest novels


    And below that majestic wall of light, Siwoo and the Red Knight were facing off against each other.


    A 1.8 m tall man, clad in black armor, holding a sword in his hand.


    Facing a 2.5 m tall monster, wearing its red armor with a red spear in its hand.


    When it came to Homunculi, most of the time, one had to deal with a significant difference in size.


    For example, the first Homunculus, the monster of shadow that Siwoo killed was about as big as an intercity bus, while the mother dog he faced later was as big as a small-size villa.


    As for the monster in front of him, perhaps because it was in a form that was resembling a human...


    Or because of the forty red eyes that were staring at him from under its helmet...


    While there were only two heads difference between their heights, it felt like the monster in front of him was way bigger than all the previous ones he had faced.


    ¡°Siwoo, listen carefully.¡±


    Interlocking in a war of nerves, the man and the monster were assessing each other¡¯s weaknesses.


    At that moment, Eloa started to point out the abilities of the monster in front of him.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve managed to land a surprise attack on him, it has grown significantly duller and slower than it should be, practically speaking, it¡¯s already on its last legs. But, you still need to be very careful or else you¡¯ll pay for it.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Can you tell me about the Red Branch?¡±


    Siwoo walked slowly without taking his eyes off the Red Knight.


    The creature also did the same, mirroring him wherever direction he took a step in.


    A human and a monster slowly walking, creating a circle.


    One could use an object to store some kind of magic within.


    Those kinds of objects, the ones which were able to store the magic semi-permanently, were called artifacts.


    But, when the magic that was embedded within an artifact went beyond simple magic, capable to support one¡¯s self-essence magic or even exuding self-essence magic on its own, that artifact would be conferred with another name; Mystic Codes.


    The reason why Red Knight was such a difficult opponent was precisely because of its Mystic Code, the Red Branch.


    Classifying it roughly, it possessed three different abilities.


    ¡°The Red Branch is a tricky Mystic Code. It has a distortion field that acts as a shield to block any incoming magic and force that comes towards its wielder. When the magic or force hit the spear itself, it would distort it and reflect it towards the source.


    ¡°You should be able to endure it the first or the second time it happens, but the damage will accumulate quickly, so don¡¯t even think of dragging the battle out.¡±


    No matter how great the magic was, there was still a cost to pay for casting it.


    The Red Knight wasn¡¯t the only thing that was spent, the Red Branch too.


    It was clearly evident by how it was unable to regenerate the fallen White Knights like it used to.


    ¡°Aside from that, it could also let out a barrier that allows it to distort its own trajectory. While its speed isn¡¯t something worth noting, it¡¯s still extremely powerful, so keep your eyes on the tip of the spear.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s everything. Now you only need to trust yourself. Are you ready?¡±


    Siwoo pondered over Eloa¡¯s words for a moment before nodding.


    Meanwhile, Eloa was also wondering if she had made the right choice as she stared at his back.


    Siwoo already got the gist of the situation.


    The Red Knight and the army of White Knights were the Cowardly Witch¡¯s greatest fighting power.


    That was why Eloa gave it her all to completely obliterate the latter and severely weakened the former.


    If they were to run away now, both the Cowardly Witch and the Red Knight would go into hiding again.


    Despite them looking for her workshop for months, Sua and Eloa still failed to find it.


    The fact that they managed to find it in the first place was thanks to Della, who successfully escaped from her captivity.


    If they were to let Xochitl and the Red Knight go, there was an extremely high chance that they would never find those two again due to how good they were at running away and hiding.


    Given enough time, both of them would regain their strength back again and probably bring a greater disaster upon this world.


    There was no way someone as meticulous as the Cowardly Witch wouldn¡¯t have a Plan B just in case her current plan went awry. With her status as a Criminal Exile, she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to sacrifice even more innocent people just to fulfill whatever her goal was.


    Still, despite all this, Eloa was still trying to look for another way.


    Because, no matter how much she believed in Siwoo, it still hurt her to see him fighting by himself while she could only sit in place doing nothing.


    But, her contemplation didn¡¯t last long.


    Because the Red Knight, which had been glaring at him all this while, made a move first.


    -Tang!


    Its speed was significantly slower than when it was at its full power.


    Shadow particles, pitch-black in color, enveloped his body all at once, blurring his traces.


    Those particles came from his amplified mana and he used them as a smokescreen.


    ¡°Krrr!¡±


    Seeing the newly manifested shadow, the Red Knight stopped its onslaught, hesitating.


    But, as soon as it realized that the shadow was just something that was made of small particles, it immediately utilized its distortion field.


    As long as the shadow hadn¡¯t turned into something solid, this distortion field was a perfect counter for it.


    And just as it had thought, the smokescreen made of shadow immediately dissipated as soon as it touched the distortion field it deployed, as if it was being erased by an eraser.


    -Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!


    But, at that moment, like a guided missile splitting through thick cumulonimbus, four strands of ribbons with sharp twists at their end came out.


    Since the Red Knight¡¯s vision was narrowed to the radius of 3 m, this seemed like a surprise attack to it.


    Nevertheless, it was still able to fend off the attack as it brandished its spear.


    As this was happening, Siwoo was watching from the shadows.


    The reason why he deployed his shadow as a smokescreen wasn¡¯t so that he could run away.


    He was using it to test out the capabilities of the distortion field.


    Utilizing his left eye, he carefully observed the series of actions that the Red Branch performed.


    Just from that, he managed to obtain some crucial information.


    He managed to figure out how much of an overpowered item the Red Branch was.


    In close proximity, it would transfer the wave of distortion that it had towards the enemy that it touched, using it to damage them from their insides. Meanwhile, against long-ranged magic attacks, it would deploy its distortion field like a veil and distort the composition of the upcoming magic.


    To speak in game terms, it was like one of those broken items the devs made so that the players could cheese through impossible-to-beat bosses.


    Both close-ranged and long-ranged attacks couldn¡¯t get past it, so how could he win against it?


    But, through his observation just now, he managed to discover one other thing.


    The characteristics of the distortion field.


    Usually, the field was sitting idly around the Red Branch like a shrunken balloon.


    Using the same analogy, the monster could inflate the field like a balloon to widen its area of effect. But the catch here was that as it got more inflated, it became less concentrated as well, and the strength of its distortion effect grew weaker.


    Which meant, if Siwoo were to forcefully widen the field by using his shadows, then, he could get in closer and engage the monster in close-range combat since the feedback of the distortion would become significantly more tolerable to him.


    To prove this theory, before the Red Knight could pull the distortion field back, he immediately rushed in and closed the gap.


    The shadows that were still up in the air were suddenly being dispersed by a gust of wind and following that, Siwoo¡¯s sharp sword strike fell down.


    -Bang!


    Although the surprise attack was carried out perfectly from a place that the Red Knight didn¡¯t expect, the monster still managed to block it.


    It raised the Red Branch and swung it diagonally to block his sword strike.


    Clenching his teeth, Siwoo prepared himself for the pain that was about to come.


    -Clang!


    But, the Red Branch only bounced, leaving out a few sparks, the pain he received wasn¡¯t great either.


    At most, it made him feel nauseous, as if he was struck by seasickness.


    Still, this wasn¡¯t enough.


    The field was only one thing, he still had to deal with the barrier. Before that task was done, he would never be able to beat this monster for good.


    ¡°Bloom!¡±


    Once again, he hid in the shadows and amplified his magic four times.


    His left eye stung due to all the amplifications, but he still proceeded to turn all the amplified mana into shadows.


    The scenery soon turned into something that you¡¯d find when a big fire had risen, dense black smoke filled the air.


    ¡°KouzaK¡ª¡ª!¡±


    At a glance, it seemed like the Red Knight was showing its annoyance with that yell as it brandished its spear again.


    Following that, it used the distortion field to push the smokescreen made of shadow without much difficulty.


    In truth, the shadow that Siwoo deployed didn¡¯t really possess any particular effects.


    Unless the shadow was sticking close to his body, it was hard to give them any kind of substance. The ribbons were exceptions to this, but he could only control four of them at once.


    At best, the shadow could cover his enemies¡¯ eyesight a little and hindered their magic.


    Would this be enough to beat the enemy in front of him?


    The question made him second-doubt himself.


    And the answer was, of course not.


    But, this wasn¡¯t the end of his /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 271: Master (1)

    Chapter 271: Master (1)


    1.


    Eloa cautiously stepped back toward the wall as she was watching Siwoo fighting a fierce battle.


    But, the problem here was that the space was filled with shadows.


    And those shadows obscured the ongoing battle from Eloa¡¯s view.


    ¡°Siwoo...¡±


    So, she could only tightly clench her fist and cheer him on.


    The intermittent clashes of weapons indicated that the intense battle was still going.


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    Meanwhile, Siwoo was staying hidden within the dense shadow, calmly controlling his breathing.


    In truth, the shadows he conjured were just a smokescreen at best.


    Even if the Red Knight did not push them out with its distortion field, it wouldn¡¯t do much damage to it.


    But, the monster remained oblivious to this fact.


    It cautiously maintained a distortion field at a radius of 5 m, pushing back the shadows as if it was trying to prepare itself to deal with Siwoo¡¯s new self-essence magic.


    This gave him a strategic advantage, allowing him to use hit-and-run tactics, periodically engaging in close quarter combat and skillfully going back into the shadows afterward.


    -Grrrrr


    At the sight of the surrounding shadows, the monster growled in annoyance.


    If only the Red Branch was in a perfect condition¡ªno, had it possessed ample mana reserves, it could have effortlessly dispelled these bothersome shadows.


    Actually, if it had a bit more time, it could make them all disappear right here and then.


    ¡°Haaa!¡±


    -Baaang!


    However, every time it tried to expand its distortion field, the black-armored figure would dash in like a ghost and spoil its effort.


    In the heat of combat, the figure forced the monster into a melee, making it impossible for it to adjust the distortion field and launch its counterattacks. If it were to try and give chase, the figure would swiftly vanish into the shadows.


    Adding to the monster¡¯s frustration, whenever it tried to jump into the shadows and give pursuit, four ribbons would get in its way.


    It knew for sure that if it were to actually pursue the figure into the shadows, it could catch him without problems, but it also knew that dealing with those fluttering ribbons in its current state would be dangerous.


    Their solid form made it difficult for it to give out an effective counterattack, making those ribbons the ¡®only attack that would pose a threat¡¯ from the monster¡¯s perspective.


    -Grrrrrrr!


    This witch wearing the black armor had been one of the weaker opponents it had faced in its life.


    While the witch used some strange tricks to trap it, in the grand scheme of things, the witch didn¡¯t pose a threat to the monster.


    All this while, the monster had been imagining the sight of it tearing off the black-armored witch apart and taking down the pink-haired witch afterwards.


    And...


    That was exactly what Siwoo wanted the Red Knight to think about him.


    He engaged in a repeating pattern, not bothering to add any kind of variation into it.


    Deliberately trapping the monster to think in a certain direction.


    This was the first step.


    He calmly calculated in his mind, his mental processor working tirelessly.


    Doing two things at once: Physically, running in, swinging his sword, and then retreating.


    And mentally, he was trying to figure out ¡®how to use his magic in the shadows¡¯.


    Doing both things at once while keeping a steady balance between the two wasn¡¯t an easy feat.


    In fact, he could feel his brain heating up, overwhelmed by all the calculations.


    -Wooooong!


    This time too, Siwoo, who had been hiding in the shadows, dashed forward as soon as he sensed the Red Knight¡¯s intention to expand its distortion field.


    A regular witch might have struggled to pull this off, but not for Siwoo.


    Because of his uncanny ability to read the flow of mana.


    ¡°Kaoooo!!!¡±


    Anticipating his moves, the monster turned around and thrusted its spear.


    Siwoo¡¯s persistent harassment had clearly gotten under its skin.


    And so, it used its attempts to expand the distortion field to its advantage, luring Siwoo into rushing at it.


    Standing in a stance, ready to strike with its spear, it waited for Siwoo, who was charging towards it.


    -Thwack!


    Siwoo dug his heels into the ground, halting abruptly while maintaining his stance from the charge.


    This sudden stop strained his knees, causing him to lose his balance.


    ¡°Koooo!¡±


    Seeing this, the Red Knight immediately seized the moment.


    Charging at Siwoo, who was retreating, as if it was assured of its victory over its elusive prey.


    This was the moment it had been waiting for, a chance for it to strike back.


    After carefully watching Siwoo¡¯s moves, the Red Knight made its move first.


    Anticipating this, Siwoo manipulated his mana as planned.


    Watching the monster acting like this, Siwoo felt as if he was witnessing the sight of a dying human.


    ¡°Grrrr.¡±


    The lights in the monster¡¯s helmet flickered out one by one, like dying fireflies, making Siwoo shudder.


    This was a sign that it had acknowledged defeat.


    Its long-held duty to protect the ¡®Red Branch¡¯ had come to an end.


    At that moment, it saw the pink-haired witch who had been watching the fight from afar.


    Its nemesis, who had tormented it endlessly.


    Even in the face of death, its rage gave it one final burst of strength.


    -Clang!


    The Red Knight barely managed to support its body that was about to collapse.


    It held its 3 m long spear.


    In an instant, the monster was ready to throw it.


    Siwoo also realized what it was trying to do.


    To take Eloa with it to accompany it to the valley of death.


    ¡°Master!¡±


    Siwoo reached out his arm.


    His instincts kicked in, despite knowing it probably wouldn¡¯t make a difference.


    He grabbed the Red Branch, which was about to be hurled towards Eloa.


    Hoping that it would at least disrupt the throw.


    And then...


    ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-!!!!¡±


    He felt an intense burning sensation, as if he had grabbed a red-hot metal rod.


    Every muscle, bone and cell in his hand felt like it was melting away, accompanied by an excruciating pain.


    He let out a scream that was akin to a dying animal.


    His scream echoed throughout the tunnel, sounding like it came from multiple sources at once.


    The Red Branch wasn¡¯t something one could handle barehanded.


    Though the Red Knight was already in a near-death state and the power of the spear had been greatly weakened, it was still a dangerous object that emitted a distortion field.


    Its effect on the spirit body was akin to that of a nuclear control rod saturated in radiation.


    Add that perilous nature of the object to his mana depleted state, it wasn¡¯t a strange thing for him to experience such agonizing pain.


    He felt like the pain was ripping his soul out of his body.


    Yet, even amidst the agony, he refused to release his grip on the Red Branch till the very end.


    The throbbing pain threatened to make him faint but he kept holding on because he couldn¡¯t bear the thought of Eloa getting hurt.


    When the Red Knight¡¯s back finally slumped and collapsed on the ground, the spear also slipped out of his grasp.


    That was when his legs gave away and he crumpled to the floor himself.


    ¡°S-Siwoo!¡±


    Eloa, who had been watching, ran to him with unsteady steps.


    Seeing him collapse weakly left her with an unimaginable terror.


    Regret, mixed with guilt, overwhelmed her.


    Why did he do such a reckless thing? Grabbing the Red Branch with his hand, even though he had already won the fight?


    Eloa knew the answer all too well.


    ¡°Siwoo! Wake up! Siwoo! Siwoo!¡±


    She blamed herself for what happened.


    He had forced himself to do something so reckless in order to protect her.


    Am I really going to lose another disciple just like this?


    Once again, my foolish mistake is taking another person who¡¯s dear to me. Someone who had healed the wounds in my heart...


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t do this... Open your eyes... Please, please...¡±


    Tears streamed down her face.


    The pain in her chest was so intense that it made it difficult for her to breathe.


    Then, a hand touched her cheek.


    Siwoo, in her arms, managed to let out a faint smile and wiped away her tears.


    ¡°Master... I¡¯m fine... Just...I blacked out for a moment there...¡±


    Eloa didn¡¯t care that she was sobbing uglily in front of her disciple.


    She wasn¡¯t ashamed over the fact that she was clinging to him so desperately.


    Because the feeling of gratitude overwhelmed her. She was so grateful over the fact that he had woken up and couldn¡¯t help but hug him tightly.


    ¡°Thank you...thank you...thank you so much...¡±


    The smile that she was wearing at the moment was brighter and even more dazzling than the sunlight that streamed through the crack in the /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 272: Master (2)

    Chapter 272: Master (2)


    1.


    Whenever a battle erupted, the chaos it induced would be beyond measure, but once it ended, everything felt anticlimactic, almost empty even.


    The Red Knight, with its upper body falling backwards while still on its knees, and the Red Branch, sprawled on the ground.


    Siwoo, barely getting back on his feet, supported by Eloa, who held him close.


    The massive waterway tunnel they were fighting in had shrunk back to its normal size.


    It seemed like whatever magic the Red Branch had used to enlarge it had vanished following its wielder¡¯s demise.


    The huge crack from Eloa¡¯s sword strike was still there though, allowing them to make out their surroundings without needing to cast extra spells.


    ¡°Phew... Ugh...¡±


    The rush of adrenaline that had dulled his sense of pain during the fight started to fade away.


    His hand, the same one he used to grip the Red Branch, throbbed.


    It felt numb, in a strange way...


    Though the strangest thing was that there weren¡¯t any cuts or bruises in that hand.


    While the worst thing about all these was the lingering pain that the distortion field had inflicted on him when he forcefully braved through the Red Branch¡¯s barrier.


    Though he managed to survive, his stamina was depleted, he could barely run, and his brain felt like it was on fire from the consecutive mana amplifications and shadow control.


    His left eye stung and his vision on that eye was blurred because of all the mana it had amplified.


    Eloa, her voice laced with concern as she helped him stay steady, asked him.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, everytime I fight, my whole body just wears out.¡±


    ¡°You can lean on me more if you want.¡±


    ¡°No, I know you¡¯re tired too, Master.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯ve been through worse. As for you, this is probably your first time feeling this worn out, right?¡±


    ¡°Then...I¡¯ll depend on you for a while, Master. Thank you.¡±


    Siwoo leaned on Eloa, his mind wandered to the intense battle they just had.


    Camouflaging his shadows as ribbons to trick the Red Knight¡¯s eyes was a good move.


    Him pretending to be weak to catch the monster off guard was also cool, but that was trivial.


    The thing he was focusing on was when he threw himself into the barrier that sprang up densely from the Red Branch.


    It was a desperate move, heavily dependent on him to fully believe in Periwinkle¡¯s lucky charm so that he could charge headfirst into danger.


    What if that barrier hadn¡¯t been weakened by the mana explosion?


    That question made him shudder.


    Guess this is what happens when you¡¯re always fighting tough opponents, huh?


    He had been training hard to get stronger, but in the end, everything always came down to last-minute decisions and close calls.


    Now the prospect of just chilling out and living a normal life seemed extremely tempting to him.


    Siwoo reached into his pocket and pulled out the light green four-leaf clover he had been carrying.


    This was the lucky charm, the thing that gave him enough confidence to take those crazy risks.


    Just before this, it had been looking pretty lively, even though the stem was broken, but now it dried up and had become brittle. In fact, it crumbled into dust at his touch.


    As if announcing that it had fulfilled its purpose in the fight just a while ago.


    Meanwhile, the pink clover was a little wilted, but it was still pretty much intact...


    What¡¯s the use of this thing anyway?


    ¡°...¡±


    Seeing him lost in thought, Eloa couldn¡¯t decide whether to praise him or scold him.


    As a comrade, she wanted to praise him for his clever plan in defeating the Red Knight, but as his teacher, she felt the need to warn him to not risk his life recklessly ever again.


    But, there wasn¡¯t time for her to dwell on such minor concerns now.


    With the Red Knight and the White Knights defeated, they had to take on the Cowardly Witch next.


    Since she had already set up her altar in the cavity, they needed to press forward and take her down.


    And Eloa was more than eager to do that.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s exactly my question too.¡±


    She really wanted to give him a clear answer here.


    To act like a real teacher, conveying their future plans with a confident attitude and demeanor in honor of her student¡¯s splendid victory, but...


    The reality just refused to cooperate with her wishes.


    Currently, both of them were completely worn out.


    Let alone walking, even to stumble forward, they had to rely on each other.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you this in advance. It¡¯s a real shame, but I really can¡¯t keep on fighting.¡±


    She already exhausted her mana and the price of the covenant she made had already taken its toll.


    In fact, her condition might be even worse than Siwoo¡¯s. The only reason she could still stand right now was due to her sheer willpower.


    Her muscles were strained from exertion beyond their limits, felt like they could crumble at any given moment.


    As for her bones, she suspected that most of them were fractured at the very least.


    She¡¯d need to rest for at least a week to fully recover.


    If she had even a trace of mana left, she could just force her body to move, but as she mentioned before, she had exhausted all of them in the previous battle.


    ¡°How strong is the Cowardly Witch?¡±


    The way he addressed her as ¡®Master¡¯ always sounded comforting and it brought back fond memories.


    But, for some reason, it also made her heart ache.


    ¡°Have you ever lied to me?¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t.¡±


    He replied without a moment of hesitation.


    His confident response made her eyes waver.


    She needed a way out of this dead end, a final clue before she raised her arm in surrender.


    The clue that was tied to the scene of him having sexual intercourse with Periwinkle.


    She remembered the day when she witnessed him and Sharon having sex.


    Later that day, she paid a visit to her, explaining the reason behind their sexual intercourse.


    That was when he claimed that he could amplify and fill out a witch¡¯s mana through sex.


    Shocked by that revelation, she asked him something.


    Because putting someone else¡¯s mana inside the brand was a highly risky act...


    She questioned him while scolding him, why exactly would he engage in such reckless behavior?


    And his response was...


    The mana he injected in this way was without any impurities, and it could instantly be attuned and used by anyone.


    ¡°Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    She thought about her morals and considered the scary future.


    It was a taboo for a master and disciple to become that intimate.


    Rather, just seeing each other as anything other than master and disciple was already wrong.


    But, she questioned herself, was keeping this sacred bond more important than saving lots of innocent lives?


    Were there any kind of moral, religious, ethical, or philosophical rules that would put it in higher priority than saving the innocents?


    Eloa quietly closed her eyes.


    ¡°Master, are you alright?¡±


    Siwoo came up to Eloa, who was standing quietly with her eyes shut.


    ¡°Can you close your eyes for a second?¡±


    ¡°Close...my eyes...?¡±


    After asking if he had ever lied to her, his master, who had been silently lost in thought, suddenly requested him to close his eyes.


    It felt somewhat odd, but his affection and trust in her were nearly unparalleled.


    As requested, he closed his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ve closed them.¡±


    ¡°Now, can you please take a slow and deep breath? Just like after our sparring sessions?¡±


    ¡°Deep breaths? Is there anything wrong with my body?¡±


    ¡°No. Just relax and take a deep breath.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Huu...¡±


    With his eyes gently shut, he began taking deep breaths as instructed.


    It was clear that something was off within his body.


    Despite not doing anything other than taking deep breaths, he felt a sharp pain in his lungs down to his abdomen.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Due to his extreme exhaustion, he couldn¡¯t react in time.


    The fact that he never expected Eloa to do such a thing was also another great factor to this.


    -Thud!


    Even with his eyes closed, he could still feel her presence.


    How she rushed towards him, as if she was about to embrace him.


    And the fragrance that filled the air, so strong as if she sprayed perfume directly on his nose.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    He let out that noise, taken aback.


    When he opened his eyes, he saw Eloa tiptoeing, her head nestled closely beneath his nose.


    He tried to push her away, but she held onto him firmly, refusing to let go.


    In an instant, his heart rate skyrocketed, pounding twice as fast.


    A surge of lust engulfed his body, accompanied by an impulse that a human¡¯s endurance could never handle.


    He had inhaled her scent deeply from such a close proximity.


    His nose almost touched the crown of her head and on top of that, she was also drenched in sweat.


    ¡°Sorry, but I believe this is the best course of action for now... I will bear the responsibility for today¡¯s events to the day I breathe my last...¡±


    Siwoo desperately tried to suppress his impulses with sheer willpower.


    Eloa, showing a deeply apologetic expression towards him, puckered her adorable lips.


    ¡°For now, I need you to charge me up with mana...¡±


    Sweaty Eloa after a training /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 273: Master (3)

    Chapter 273: Master (3)


    1.


    Out of the blue, Eloa started seducing Siwoo.


    She stuck close to him, forcing him to breathe the scent of her hair deeply.


    Eloa had seen the sexual intercourse between Periwinkle and Siwoo through the Guardian¡¯s covenant.


    The former¡¯s tactic for seducing him, who was always trying to restrain himself, was simple.


    She¡¯d position the top of her head close to his nose, ensuring that he¡¯d take in her scent.


    Each time that happened, Siwoo, who had wanted to stop, would get swept by his own desires and get entangled with her again.


    Though Eloa didn¡¯t know the logic and principle behind it, after observing these scenes repeatedly, she gained an important insight.


    The fact that the scent of her hair would make him lose control.


    She assumed that this situation was uncomfortable for him too.


    To be getting physically involved with her, his own Master, must have made him feel complicated, even though they only did this so that they could save the innocents.


    Eloa knew that Siwoo was a genuinely decent and honest man.


    If she had persuaded him that this was the only way to deal with the Cowardly Witch for good, he would probably have gone along with it.


    However, that would mean they both needed to share the blame for the debauchery.


    Since this would turn into a consensual act after a mutual agreement.


    That was why she decided this on her own.


    To completely let him lose his self-control and get him to ravish her.


    She didn¡¯t ask for his permission or even try to convince him.


    So that if blame were to come from today¡¯s events, it would be directed only at her and not at him.


    Or at least that was what she was planning...


    ¡°Gulp...¡±


    She swallowed nervously.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo was looking at her, bewildered and surprised, since he hadn¡¯t seen this coming.


    Something was changing in his eyes.


    ¡°Master, is this really okay with you?¡±


    Eloa quietly nodded, looking at him with worry.


    His gaze was not the loving or affectionate one she was used to.


    But it was one full of bloodshot veins.


    His eyes, red and intense, filled with a burning desire.


    Like a male beast, eyeing its mate, they were filled with raw lust.


    This was something that she had expected to some extent.


    Especially since she vividly remembered how aggressive he had been when he pounced on Periwinkle.


    But she was ready to face it.


    No matter how bad it would get, she knew that this wasn¡¯t his fault, but rather the outcome of her own selfish choices.?iscover new chapters at novelhall.com


    Yet, there was she, unsure of what to do next, just standing hesitantly in front of him. Her small body cowered.


    ¡°Hooo...hooo...¡±


    Meanwhile, after deeply inhaling the scent of a 23rd ranked witch, Siwoo was practically out of his mind.


    It was as if his personality had been flipped, there was this overwhelming impulse that he aimed solely towards Eloa.


    He had never felt such an intense urge before.


    As he gradually lost the capacity to think of anything else, Eloa¡¯s gleaming lips, moist like a dew covered petal, came into his sight.


    Whatever, I¡¯ll continue to think after I get my hands on those lips.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Siwoo reached out his arm.


    Then, he wrapped it around Eloa¡¯s slender, yet firm waist before pulling her tightly to him.


    For Eloa, who was completely drained of energy at this point, his movement felt especially rough and aggressive.


    Her body turned stiff, as if they were made of ice.


    The normally calm and assertive eyes now shook with indecision.


    Even after she steeled herself, her doubts nagged at her, ¡®Is this really the right choice?¡¯


    But, it was too late for her to second-guess herself at this point.


    Besides, this was what she had to do to save countless innocent lives.


    And it was a decision made unilaterally by her, without seeking his consent.


    But...


    Despite all that, she was scared.


    The fear that she felt was greater than when her pajama slipped up and exposed her breasts while she was getting a massage the other day.


    Her heart thumped even wilder than back then.


    As Siwoo¡¯s lips came closer and closer, she gently closed her eyes.


    ¡°Mmh¨C!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s...do it here...¡±


    She firmly bit her lip, as if making a solemn vow, then turned her back to Siwoo.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo was watching her intently, indulging in the feeling of excitement, anticipation and burning desire to take control.


    He could barely contain himself anymore.


    In his heart, he wanted to devour her straight away, but luckily, he managed to cling onto that last shred of sanity and held back.


    ¡°Hoo...hooo...¡±


    Eloa hesitated for a bit before hooking her thumb into the waistband of her sweatpants.


    They weren¡¯t leggings, but they still showcased her curves well.


    ¡°Uhh...!¡±


    Then, she boldly exposed herself to him.


    She stripped down with sex in mind.


    Despite feeling a whirlwind of confusion, Eloa finally managed to pull down her pants and underwear at the same time.


    The tight fabric caused both her pants and the striped panties to bunch up at her knees.


    As the wrapping, covered in dust, came off, Siwoo was greeted with the sight of her bare, plump, and soft buttocks.


    ¡°Woah...¡±


    Eloa didn¡¯t know if it was a sigh of admiration from him, or he was just exhaling. Either way, it made her feel even more embarrassment.


    The answer was, it was the former, he just couldn¡¯t hide his amazement.


    As a man, there was no way that he wouldn¡¯t stop to admire her at this moment.


    He had seen glimpses of her butt when her skirt was being upturned before, but this was the first time he had seen them all in full.


    Just like he expected, they boasted an unbelievably beautiful shape.


    Maybe because she wasn¡¯t very tall, they didn¡¯t seem that big.


    If he were to spread his hand out, he could pretty much wrap it around them completely.


    But, their size wasn¡¯t the only thing that captivated him.


    First off, he could really feel the suppleness of them, due to her well-trained body.


    Moreover, the beads of sweat on her skin made them glisten with moisture, which increased the temptation even further.


    Unlike the average person, her sweat didn¡¯t stink at all.


    Instead, it smelled sweet, like a perfume, which knocked his senses for a loop.


    ¡°Uhh...¡±


    In response to the sharp gaze he had been sending, Eloa let out a moan.


    She knew that he could see everything from this angle.


    After all, she had seen Periwinkle being pounded from behind in his perspective before.


    He would be able to see the smoothly contoured labia without a single strand of pubic hair underneath her taut buttocks.


    If he were to parted her buttcheeks just a little, he¡¯d definitely be able to witness her shyly flinching anus.


    Despite it being for a good cause, as a virgin about to have her first experience, she felt uncertain, scared, and ashamed.


    Those emotions showed up in her physical reactions too.


    Like someone who had tad a bit much to drink, her body flushed hot, turning her voluptuous buttocks into a deep red shade.


    Just like a juicy peach with its tempting fruit hidden away.


    In the midst of her pink hair, her ears had turned so red that they couldn¡¯t be concealed anymore, making them look incredibly adorable.


    To Siwoo, who was already at the peak of his arousal, she was no longer his esteemed Master Tiphereth.


    She was nothing more than an innocent girl baring her ass in front of him, begging to be fucked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to put it in.¡±


    Instead of replying, Eloa glanced up and noticed his member, which was now out of his pants.


    Seeing it up close, it looked even bigger than she had imagined.


    Taken aback by its impressive size and bulging veins, she quickly averted her gaze.


    ¡°...Go ahead.¡±


    She nodded slowly, trying to hide her astonishment.


    Siwoo nervously grabbed one of her buttcheeks and rubbed his glans against her entrance.


    Unlike her slightly cooled buttocks from the dried sweat, there was a faint warmth coming from her tightly closed vagina.


    ¡°Hng! Ang¡ª ugh!¡±


    When his glans brushed against her labia...


    Every time his shaft grazed her sensitive clit, her breath hitched.


    Actually, she wasn¡¯t wet enough for penetration yet.


    They had only been kissing for a little bit, after all.


    Since this was her first time, it would be better for her to go through a longer session of foreplay first.


    But, Siwoo¡¯s patience had run out at this point.


    With her pussy lips tightly closed, he could hardly see the pink flesh within.


    He slowly slid his glans into her pussy, which was barely wide enough for one finger to /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 274: Master (4)

    Chapter 274: Master (4)


    1.


    A firm belief that wouldn¡¯t budge no matter the situation, that was what conviction meant.


    All around the world, there were plenty of instances where two conflicting beliefs would clash over the same topic.


    For example...


    Some people would pour sauce over sweet and sour pork, others wouldn¡¯t.


    Some preferred their eggs fully cooked, some liked them half-cooked.


    Some liked their bacon chewy, others crispy.


    Some wanted their peaches to be soft, some liked it hard.


    None of these issues had a conclusive answer, but today, Siwoo, found the answer to the last issue.


    It was right here.


    The answer was firm and bouncy, packed with resilience, that was how his master¡¯s buttocks, surrounding the tender flesh of her pussy, felt.


    Her peachy buttocks were the pinnacle of all peaches, encapsulating both softness and firmness.


    -Swish, swish


    Her pussy, plump like a macaroon, would let his tip slide in if he were to push it, but if he were to let his guard down even a little, it¡¯d sneakily push his member out.


    Siwoo rubbed his tip at her entrance that was dripping with her sweet, juicy essence.


    ¡°Ugh¡ª!¡±


    Eloa bit her lip hard, swallowing her moan.


    She felt the sensation of her virgin pussy being forcefully spread open for the first time.


    The sharp pain made her forget her shame and guilt, at the same time, it also made her clench her buttocks, turning them into a firmer peach.


    Their previous kisses made her nether region sensitive and wet, but it simply wasn¡¯t wet enough.


    ¡°Master, it¡¯ll be tough to keep going.¡±


    He was right.


    Her pussy was a yet-to-be-explored frontier, no male had ever penetrated it, and it also never experienced self-pleasure.


    It just wasn¡¯t ready for the forceful insertion of his rock hard shaft, which would rival even a black man¡¯s cock, without a proper foreplay.


    While it was somewhat wet, it still wasn¡¯t enough. The muscle was all tense and it refused to open up easily.


    It was so tight that he was already struggling just to push his rod in.


    The penetration would definitely hurt her a lot if he didn¡¯t get her lubricated first.


    ¡°S-So? W-What should we do?¡±


    ¡°Do you mind if I lend you a hand?¡±


    ¡°L-Lend me a hand...?¡±


    The innocent appearance of his master, who was an expert in fighting, but clueless in this front, triggered his urge to dominate her.


    He bent down slightly, as if kneeling.


    Before Eloa could even respond, he had already slipped off her panties and her pants.


    ¡°Ahh...!¡±


    Both her pants and panties slid down her smooth calves.


    Eloa suddenly found herself sporting the no-pants look.


    ¡°H-Huh...? U-Um...?¡±


    He then took hold of one of her legs.


    Supporting her flexible thigh with his arm, helping her keep her balance.


    When he lifted her leg straight up, her legs stretched out as gracefully as ballerina¡¯s.


    She ended up balancing on one foot, as if she were in a ballet class.


    Since Siwoo supported most of the weight of her leg, and her body was a well-trained one, it wasn¡¯t hard for her to maintain this pose.


    All the training she had done made it easy for her to keep herself stable.


    The problem here was the fact that Siwoo was crouching below her.


    He was seeing the parts of herself that she wanted to keep hidden, making her feel all embarrassed and fidgety.


    ¡°W-What kind of awkward position is this? Ahh¡ª!¡±


    Unlike Eloa, who was embarrassed to death, Siwoo didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by it.


    He spread her legs wide, planting a deep kiss on the pale pink flesh of her pussy.


    Using his tongue, he explored it deeply, as if he was french kissing it.


    ¡°Ngh¡ª haa!¡±


    She never expected him to do something like this.


    Just a moment ago, she thought of him as her disciple, but in a short time, she lost both her first kisses, up on her lips and down her pussy, to him. She reached for his hair, trying to push him away.


    But he didn¡¯t flinch at all from that.


    ¡°I-I haven¡¯t...properly washed it yet, s-so please...l-let¡¯s not do this...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it isn¡¯t smelly or anything.¡±


    ¡°I-I wasn¡¯t talking about the smell¡ªah!¡±


    He was being sincere.


    Though the pussy juice that dropped onto his tongue was salty, he didn¡¯t dislike it at all.


    Moreover, her intoxicating scent, like a narcotic that paralyzed his brain, was truly captivating.


    It really made him feel like he could stay like this all day long.


    ¡°Ugh...mmh...¡±


    Eloa pressed her upper body against the wall.


    The arousal from foreplay wasn¡¯t only for extra lubrication.


    It also made a woman¡¯s insides relax, allowing the penetration to proceed smoothly.


    ¡°Hng...ah¡ª! Mmh!¡±


    As Siwoo moved his hips forward slowly, Eloa¡¯s heels tapped on the floor rhythmically.


    The cock that was forcing its way through the cramped hole finally pierced her hymen.


    ¡°Hyaaah¡ª!¡±


    With a noise like a hissing cat...


    Her back arched like a bowstring, and her hair became tousled.


    She had no choice but to uncover her anus, both her hands clenched the wall for support as her legs trembled uncontrollably.


    Maybe because their preparation was enough...


    It wasn¡¯t as painful as she had expected.


    But, the foreign sensation, heat, and rhythmic throbbing inside her body, left her unable to move.


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    Siwoo, who had nearly fully penetrated her with her penis...


    Couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh of wonder.


    There was something that anyone would notice right away if they were to put a finger into a woman¡¯s pussy.


    The fact that the vagina wasn¡¯t just a straight line.


    It was made up of these uneven, wavy membranes, and the sensation changed a lot depending on their texture.


    In that way, her vagina had this unique charm, unlike anything he had ever encountered before.


    The insertion itself was smooth.


    It didn¡¯t have a melty, sticky sensation like Yebin¡¯s, nor did it have Sharon¡¯s stimulating roughness. Rather, it had this gentle tightness that was wrapping around his cock.


    But, when he went deeper, things started to change.


    Siwoo could feel the twists, three times bends, and her strong vaginal muscles tightening sequentially around his penis at each curve.


    He had barely started, but the sensations nibbling at the base and middle of his penis were out of this world.


    She trained her spirit body to the limits, that I know of, but does it have effects on her inner muscles too?


    He didn¡¯t expect to confirm Takasho¡¯s advice about the different feels of a woman who worked out in this way.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take it slow.¡±


    ¡°Ngh...o-okay, g-got it... P-Please be gentle... I¡¯m begging you...¡±


    Siwoo grabbed onto Eloa¡¯s buttocks as she let out pained groans.


    Her plump labia naturally parted, making the penetration much smoother.


    And, as an extra treat, he caught a glimpse of her occasionally twitching, cherry-colored anus fold.


    -Squelch!


    He gently pulled his manhood back before easing forward again.


    ¡°Ngh¡ª!¡±


    He didn¡¯t pull out far, nor did he go in too deep.


    Yet, she let out a groan as though she had been hit.


    The difference was that this particular groan was laced with sweetness.


    -Squelch!


    Once again, he pulled out and slid his dick back in.


    While he marveled at the tight squeeze of her pussy every time he did that, Eloa moaned ¡®Ahaah!¡¯ in pleasure.


    Her reaction was not one drowned in pain, but pleasure.


    Siwoo firmly held onto her waist before starting to rhythmically move back and forth.


    ¡°Ugh...! Mmh...! Huff¡ª!¡±


    Every time he pulled out and thrusted back in, she tried to stifle her moans, making adorable sounds.


    And each time he thrusted, he¡¯d poke in deeper than before, granting him a surge of pleasure he had never anticipated.


    ¡°Master.¡±


    ¡°Mmph¡ª!¡±


    Amidst the head-spinning pleasure and turmoil, Siwoo uttered the word ¡®Master¡¯. This made her vaginal muscle spasm and tighten around his cock.


    Even in her pleasure-soaked state, the word ¡®Master¡¯ brought her an odd mix of guilt and wrongness.


    ¡°Master, are you enjoying this?¡±


    Finding her reaction amusing, he couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Furthermore, his teasing tone unknowingly made Eloa bow her head and shake it from side to side.


    She couldn¡¯t bring herself to speak.


    Because if she were to open her mouth, she might let out uncontrollable moans.


    She was adamant to not showing such a vulnerable side to her dear disciple.


    But, that didn¡¯t last.


    Seeing her refusing to reply to him with words, Siwoo decided to give her a little surprise.


    Up until now, he had been treading carefully so that he didn¡¯t end up penetrating too deeply and overwhelming her, but he decided that enough was enough.


    He aimed the glans directly at the cervix within her pussy, which boasted three layers of twists and turns, as well as intense squeezes.


    As the tip slid in smoothly, like a torpedo cruising through a deep-sea trench, it perfectly hit the cervix, which was reeling from the new level of pleasure,


    ¡°Hngh¡ª! Ah! Aaah¡ª!¡±


    Overcome by a wave of ecstasy, Eloa was completely engulfed in the bliss of her /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 275: Master (5)

    Chapter 275: Master (5)


    1.


    In truth, neither the location nor the circumstances were fit for Eloa¡¯s standard of a romantic first time.


    This place was secluded, inside an old tunnel, a few steps away from the battlefield.


    It wasn¡¯t exactly damp, given it¡¯s been a while since the tunnel leading towards the canal was closed off, but there was still a musty smell in the air.


    With sand piling up, there was no comfortable spot for them to lie down or adjust their positions.


    That was location wise, how about circumstance wise?


    They couldn¡¯t even leisurely explore each other¡¯s bodies since time was of the essence.


    Everything was done hastily since they needed to make their move before the Cowardly Witch could escape.


    Besides the initial kiss, their sex was like a battlefield, lacking in both romance and intimacy.


    ¡°Ngh¡ª! Ah...! Ahh...! Aang¡ª!¡±


    Though that was from Eloa¡¯s perspective. As for Siwoo¡¯s, this wasn¡¯t a major concern as he was gripping her bouncy cheeks heartily,


    While a dense musky scent filled the air from their intimate connection...


    A sensual scent, a mix of Eloa¡¯s sweat and love juice, masked that faint odor like an air freshener.


    Add that to his master¡¯s peach-like buttocks that spread out in front of him, with drops of honey-like liquid dripping down from beneath it, the less-than-ideal location wasn¡¯t a concern to him at all.


    -Plap, plap, plap, plap!


    ¡°Ugh¡ª! Ahh! Ohh...!¡±


    In truth, to some extent, Eloa, who was still trying to stifle her moans while her cervix was being pummeled, felt the same.


    This was something entirely new to her.


    Showing Siwoo, whom she considered her disciple, all the embarrassing sights while muffling her moans...


    Thanks to that, she had no leniency to pay any attention to their surroundings.


    She kept her lips tightly shut, struggling against the sticky pleasure that felt like melted sugar, determined not to give in completely.


    ¡°S-Siwoo! F-Finish it quickly...! Hng¡ª! P-Please...! Ahh...aanng¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be done soon.¡±


    Hearing his response, Eloa felt a wave of relief washing over her.


    Even though she didn¡¯t know how long it would take exactly.


    His thing was too hard, hot, and big for her.


    With each thrust of his cock, pleasure was driven deep into her belly, making her feel an euphoria that sent her to cloud nine.


    Despite her desperate thoughts of ¡®This shouldn¡¯t be happening, this shouldn¡¯t be happening¡ª!¡¯ she eventually surrendered to the overwhelming ecstasy.


    Her daily mental and physical training couldn¡¯t change the fact that, at the end of the day, she was just a woman.


    ¡°Haah! Mmh! Ngh¡ª!¡±


    Fifteen minutes had passed since they started having sex.


    At this point, Eloa had already climaxed twice.


    The first time was the result of his oral caress, causing her to reach an orgasm through her clitoris while the second one was because of the circular motion of his glans against her sensitive cervix.


    After she climaxed, her inner muscles spasmed irregularly, gripping his member, as if reluctant to let go.


    Due to the frequent friction, arousal, and embarrassment, her vulva had turned a rosy pink, dripping with fluids for some time.


    With each thrust of his cock, her peach juice flowed out in rhythm with his movements.


    -Squelch, squelch, squelch!


    The sound of their sweaty bodies colliding with each other echoed for about three minutes.


    Eloa, still in her doggy-style position, quickly grabbed his wrist, which was gripping her ass.


    Her face, partially turned, looked like a complete mess, almost on the verge of tears.


    There were no more traces of her composed and dignified air as a Master.


    ¡°Siwoo...please...no more... I can¡¯t take it anymore...¡±


    Eloa felt as if sparks were flickering inside her belly.


    A familiar sensation to her by now.


    The prelude to a climax.


    A premonition that came when the accumulating pleasure was about to surpass its threshold, ready to pour out like an exploding dam.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Master. Just leave it to me.¡±


    Even after Eloa was pleading, Siwoo didn¡¯t stop.


    It wasn¡¯t because he wanted to finish this quickly.


    Rather, the faint vibration of her body on the verge of climax and her pussy¡¯s greedy strokes were too enticing.


    His rationality was clouded by the overwhelming pleasure, all he wanted was to devour her body thoroughly.


    ¡°Hng¡ª! Mmh! Ugh!¡±


    The pleasure drained all Eloa¡¯s strength, her knees pressed together as she swayed.


    Her slender legs began to tremble.


    She couldn¡¯t hold onto his wrists anymore, nor could she even try to stop him, so she turned back to face forward and bit her lip tightly.


    Now she understood the reason why Periwinkle could confidently say something like ¡®I¡¯m going to cum¡¯.


    And why she had pleaded to him to stop with a cracked voice.


    With such sensations and pleasure, it was natural that even Periwinkle was having trouble to endure it, let alone Eloa.


    No matter how much she tried to restrain herself, she couldn¡¯t avoid moaning out loud in a strange voice in front of her disciple.


    ¡°Ah! Ngh! Mmh!¡±


    It was a losing battle in the first place.


    It felt like his semen was being squeezed out like toothpaste, even the remnants in his urethra flowed out smoothly.


    -Plop!


    ¡°Hngh!¡±


    As he withdrew his cock, he could hear the air escaping her elastic and tight flesh.


    And...


    That completely exposed her buttocks in front of him.


    ¡°Haah...haah...¡±


    With each heavy breath she took, a mixture of sticky and foamy cum bubbled and flowed out of her twitching pussy.


    After abstaining from sex and masturbation for some time, his cum had become considerably thicker and darker, melted with a hint of pale pink.


    Maybe the latter part was because it blended in with her virgin blood.


    As he observed this, the reality of the situation suddenly struck him.


    Ah, I really took Master¡¯s first time...


    All this time, their relationship had always been limited to strictly master-disciple, and now they had crossed a new boundary.


    And this was all due to her irresistible seduction.


    He was sent in a daze, wondering if everything was real or merely a dream. Maybe his real body had started to die away after being killed by the Red Knight and this was all just his hallucination.


    -Creak!


    Eloa, who had been lying flat on her stomach with her buttocks raised, suddenly raised her body up.


    Her alluring pink hair and her usual outfit with only her pants removed...


    The cum flowed smoothly between her perfectly lifted buttocks, obscuring any view of her anus.


    Siwoo couldn¡¯t help but stare at her for a moment, drawn in by her seductive aura that seemed to be able to tempt any men.


    ¡°Uh...¡±


    Now, he was unsure on how to handle the situation.


    How should I treat her now? We¡¯ve crossed that line already, there¡¯s no way we can just act like nothing happened now, right?


    The situation was complicated for him and so was it for his master, as she was trying to avoid his gaze.


    No words came out of her mouth.


    ¡°...¡±


    Instead, she just quietly picked up her sweatpants and panties that had fallen to the floor.


    At the very least, it seemed like the mana transfer was successful, as there were no more signs of exhaustion or fatigue in her movements.


    ¡°Um...¡±


    As she pulled on her black sweatpants, her cute buttocks were slightly pressed together.


    Since her lower part was still covered in semen, putting on her clothes made her feel a little uncomfortable, prompting a small groan from her.


    But that didn¡¯t last long, as she summoned the Sword of Covenant in her right hand and firmly held it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going, we¡¯ve taken too much time.¡±


    That was the first thing that she said. Those words made him feel embarrassed.


    She didn¡¯t even hesitate nor felt embarrassed.


    There was no awkwardness in her attitude as she called out to him.


    With her confident posture, determined gaze, and clear tone, she looked exactly just like her usual self.


    This was the Eloa he knew.


    What just happened was simply a means to deal with the Cowardly Witch.


    To feel embarrassed or uncomfortable in such a situation would be as childish as a grade school child thinking doing CPR was the same as kissing.


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    Thanks to her composed attitude, Siwoo was able to treat her like usual.


    ¡°We should probably retrieve the Red Branch separately. It would probably be dangerous if any of us touch it directly, though. Any ideas?¡±


    ¡°Wait for a moment, please.¡±


    With that, Siwoo covered his entire body with his armor.


    Then, he pulled out a ribbon from his waist.


    During the sex, Eloa wasn¡¯t the only one who gained a significant amount of pure mana, Siwoo too.


    Compared to the mana he usually generated through the repeated amplification, this mana was notably more pure.


    Due to how pure it was, it put less strain on his circuit as it flowed through.


    The reason why he pulled out his ribbon was to counteract the distortion field that was emitted by the Red Branch and to reduce its impact.


    -Woooosh!


    Though its owner already perished and it had no mana anymore, the spear was still a tricky artifact to deal with.


    He prepared the ribbon in a hurried manner, thinking of many different scenarios that could happen next, but the ribbon shredded upon contact with the spear.


    Undaunted, he tried to envelop the spear¡¯s entire length with multiple layers of ribbons.


    While the distortion would crush all these ribbons eventually, this would at least buy him some time.


    After a while, the lengthy spear was finally covered by the black ribbon, taking on a pillar-like form as it stabilized, impervious to the distortion field.


    ¡°This should be enough as a temporary measure.¡±


    ¡°Good. Can you move immediately?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Siwoo, armed with this spear, and Eloa, now recovered to some extent.


    Together, they sprinted towards the cavity where the ¡®altar¡¯ was /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 276: Master (6)

    Chapter 276: Master (6)


    1.


    ¡°Ahahaha!¡±


    In that vast cavity which used to be the pump and engine room of the waterway tunnel...


    The dim and cramped space where the ¡®altar¡¯ was placed...


    Paola Xochitl, the Cowardly Witch, laughed and cried, and laughed and cried, again and again.


    Half of her face, the horribly disfigured part, twisted into a crazed grin while her tears streamed down uncontrollably.


    I¡¯ve arranged everything meticulously!


    She lamented.


    Taking advantage of the Red Knight¡¯s successive defeats and weakened state, she seized the Red Branch from it.


    Her goal was the ¡®distortion¡¯ power that the spear had.


    Drawing from the concept of distortion, she sought to craft an artifact capable of twisting the rules, rewriting the history, and altering the events of the past.


    To do this, she farmed ¡®human¡¯s bond¡¯ and ¡®countless corpses and hearts¡¯ with the ¡®Dagon¡¯s Flute¡¯.


    After that, she set up the altar while continuously offering prayers by maintaining the functions of the nervous system and brain of 1440 people.


    Countless lives were lost because of this, but it didn¡¯t matter.


    Her desire to undo everything outweighed any lives that were lost.


    She wanted to wash away the days filled with regret and look for redemption.


    This was the fruit of her efforts.


    Paola laughed hysterically with tears streaming down her face. She grabbed the altar and hugged the big flower that bloomed from it.


    It was shaped like a delicate lotus blooming on a pond.


    Despite its being born at the cost of countless sacrifices, it was still an artifact that gave off a sacred and mysterious vibe.


    ¡°Ahahaha!¡±


    To prevent any interference from other witches, she had dispatched her carefully nurtured Homunculi to either eliminate or intimidate them.


    She wasn¡¯t worried about any gaps in her power.


    Realistically speaking, who could topple her army of 1,200 White Knights, which she had created as closely as possible to the Red Knight, the Red Knight itself, and the powered-up Red Branch?


    As she had expected, other witches weren¡¯t too keen on getting involved in this whole mess. They saw it as a huge pain and scurried away like a bunch of rats.


    The fact that only three of them dared to enter the waterway tunnel confirmed this.


    More than anyone, she knew that she had crossed several lines in the process.


    However, just as the Witch of Whispers had informed her, Duchess Keter did not move.


    Everything was unfolding according to plan, almost too perfectly.


    There was just one more thing for her to do to fulfill her lifelong dream, the plan she had been working on for decades.


    To unleash the White Knights and have them round up more humans.


    Then she¡¯d use this magic flower to suck off their lives, ties, and mana, in which all of them would be used to bring her apprentice witch...back to life.


    After that, she planned to bestow her apprentice her proper brand and confess everything.


    From how sorry she was...


    How scared she had been...


    And how she didn¡¯t know that interrupting the ritual would end up taking her apprentice¡¯s life...


    To admit that everything was just one big mistake and to confess how much she loved her.


    She wanted to hold her close and apologize.


    In the world of witches, what the master did would affect the apprentice.


    Like how the successors of an Exile would become Exile themselves, and how the apprentice who inherited a Criminal Exile¡¯s brand would become a Criminal too.


    Though, sometimes the bigwigs at the Tree of Sephiroth would get together and discuss things about breaking this chain of inheritance. They could choose to forgive the apprentice and let them back in Gehenna. But, for someone like Paola, who had clearly crossed the line that anyone shouldn¡¯t cross, it was almost impossible to be granted forgiveness.


    Not that she cared about that, though.


    All she wanted was to bring back her apprentice, whose voice, face, and even name had slipped away from her memory.


    That was the only thing that mattered to her.


    If only she had one more day¡ªno, just half a day would be sufficient, everything would proceed as she had planned.


    With this flower, she could have revived her and they¡¯d spend their last moments together.


    But then, two people showed up and smashed her whole plan to bits.


    Eloa Tiphereth.


    A Duchess, ranked 23rd, known for her efforts in hunting Criminal Exiles.


    Paola knew about her.


    But, with enough preparation, she really thought that she could win against her, and in fact, the victory was almost within her grasp.


    The White Knights that she deployed strategically gradually wore the Duchess down.


    After she was sufficiently weakened, she sent the Red Knight along with all the White Knights and was finally able to subdue the formidable Duchess.


    She was only one step away to victory.


    If the Red Knight had taken the woman¡¯s life sooner, she would¡¯ve won this fight.


    After all, the Red Branch was still able to function properly at that time.


    Though the Red Knight suffered severe damage, as long as it could manage to get the Duchess¡¯ brand, Paola could still restore both the Red Knight and all the White Knights that had fallen.


    The Cowardly Witch, barely supporting herself by clutching onto a large lotus flower, pushed herself from there and faced Eloa.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The two of them silently stared at each other.


    Both their eyes were filled with complexity as they silently exchanged such a gaze.


    There was no need for conversation.


    What they needed to do was clear; To kill each other right here.


    After all, their survival was at stake here.


    A battle was inevitable, both of them instinctively knew that.


    ¡°I offer myself...¡±


    Paola was the first one to make her move.


    Her opponent was the Witch of Covenant.


    She knew she couldn¡¯t win, but she held onto a faint hope that her opponent wasn¡¯t at full strength.


    Her plan was to use all her strength to topple the Duchess and find a way to move the Lotus out.


    Now that she had no more sacrifices left, she could only offer her own pitiful body to strengthen her Homunculi.


    A dim mana spread around her and her legs began to rot away.


    At the same time, a subspace opened behind her.


    Thick strands of tentacles, resembling that of an octopus¡¯, wrapped around her decaying, rotting legs.


    Instead of suction cups, each of those tentacles were filled with thousands of small mouths.


    The ailing Homunculus, having consumed insufficient prey for its size, fused with Paola¡¯s body as one entity.


    To fill the power gap between her and her opponent, she fused her own flesh to the last Homunculus that she had left.


    ¡°Hereby, I declare a covenant.¡±


    Following Eloa¡¯s chant, a wave of clear mana swept through the cavity.


    With six of her covenants exhausted for body enhancement, she only had four available to use.


    Her body still wasn¡¯t in its top condition.


    Though she possessed an ample amount of mana now, she still couldn''t sense the extremities in her body, like her fingertips and toes, due to her postponing the payment of her covenants.


    She could only supplement those parts of her body by using her mana to force them to move.


    ¡°I will cut you down.¡±


    As her lips moved, the seventh letter began to glow.


    The covenant was sealed.


    ¡°I will cut you down.¡±


    Her covenant wasn¡¯t mere ¡®words¡¯.


    They were based on verbal suggestions that were backed up by reality manipulation.


    Once a covenant was made, it could twist even the law of causality to fulfill it.


    ¡°I will cut you down.¡±


    For example, when she designated a single target and declared, ¡®I will cut you down¡¯.


    Her entire body would be geared up to execute that task.


    From her eyes, heart, muscles, blood vessels, to even the tiny fragments of her cells, they¡¯d be strengthened solely for executing that covenant.


    ¡°I will cut you down.¡±


    With that, the tenth and the final covenant was complete.


    This was the reason why Eloa Tiphereth was almost invincible in a one-on-one battle.


    Her body exerted an unprecedentedly heavy mana, pressing down on the surrounding air.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    When that word fell, tentacles stretched out from all directions.


    The otherworldly creature, one that shouldn¡¯t exist within the laws of this world, had assimilated with Paola and wielded its tentacles that would bring forth death.


    However...


    ¡°...¡±


    Those flood of tentacles, numbering in the hundreds, couldn¡¯t even touch a strand of Eloa¡¯s hair.


    She gracefully swung her sword, efficiently severing the tentacles that were fused with Paola, one by one.


    The difference between them was overwhelmingly vast, making it impossible for Paola to even match her.


    Then, Eloa¡¯s body lunged forward.


    Ignoring the tentacles that were chasing her, she plunged her sword deep into Paola¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    A dark red stream of blood spurted out from the Cowardly Witch¡¯s mouth.


    Following that, the Homunculus that had merged with her also met its demise, futilely thrashing its tentacles.


    With an indifferent expression, Eloa withdrew her /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 277: Master (7)

    Chapter 277: Master (7)


    1.


    Just like that, the fight was over.


    The overwhelming difference in strength between the two of them made it impossible for Paola to resist, and she was defeated by Eloa without putting up much of a fight.


    This was only possible because the latter had recovered her mana.


    If she immediately came here after her battle with the Red Knight, she definitely would have been caught by those grotesque tentacles and ended up as their quick snack.


    Eloa stood before the lotus flower, which was still shining brilliantly.


    At that moment, something unexpected happened.


    Lying against the flower, Paola mustered the last bit of her strength to yell at her, blood oozed out of her mouth.Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com


    ¡°W-Wait...!¡±


    Surprisingly, even after her heart was pierced, Paola was still alive.


    Perhaps when she fused herself with that Homunculus, she inherited some of its tenacious vitality as well.


    But, that just meant she¡¯d cling to life a little bit longer, she¡¯d still die eventually.


    ¡°...¡±


    Seeing this, Eloa raised the Sword of Covenant again.


    This time, she aimed to swiftly end her suffering with a clean cut to the neck.


    ¡°S-Stop! Hear me out...please...!¡±


    Paola looked at Eloa in desperation, her blood-stained teeth revealed.


    Thick blood was still oozing out of the gaping wound in her chest.


    If she didn¡¯t get treated soon, death would be inevitable for her.


    Eloa paused, but she positioned her sword so that she could strike the witch in front of her at any time.


    This wasn¡¯t the first time that a criminal begged their lives to her.


    There was even a criminal who was overwhelmed with fear, begging for her mercy before their fight even began.


    Yet, she never once halted her sword or listened to their pleas.


    Instead, she silently bore the burden of her own karma.


    These were the same witches that had killed the innocents without care, killed other witches¡¯ apprentices, and even murdered their fellow witches.


    Whatever it was that came out of their mouth would never justify what they did. They were those who deserved every kind of condemnation from her.


    There was no room for her to compromise or sympathize with them.


    ...No, that was just an excuse.


    Eloa knew it, more than anyone.


    She was only trying to escape.


    Using her desire for revenge and the dark emotion that she harbored as a refuge to waste her life until it fell apart.


    ¡°...¡±


    But even Eloa, who usually would just cut the foe in front of her without any hesitation, couldn¡¯t just dismiss the Cowardly Witch.


    Because she could see herself in her.


    ¡°You, too...! Could understand...! What losing someone feels like...! To lose your apprentice witch due to your own mistake...accepting the irreversible consequences...! You, too, should know how agonizing it is...!¡±


    At this point, Paola had grown extremely desperate.


    Even the slightest movement like opening her mouth made her punctured lungs scream in pain.


    She screamed out her desperation at Eloa, squeezing out the words that she wanted to convey.


    ¡°I...I am...just like you...so...you can understand me, can¡¯t you? My feelings when I did those things...¡±


    There was another reason why Eloa couldn¡¯t just easily strike the criminal with her sword. Because she realized that her plea was not just for her own life.


    She wasn¡¯t trying to win her sympathy to prolong her own wretched life.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do all this because I wanted to... This isn¡¯t about some silly magic... You understand me, don¡¯t you? I...just want to...undo everything!¡±


    Just like her, she was desperate to fix her mistakes.


    Her guilt weighed down on her, making her feel like a sinner just for breathing.


    In her desperation, she became willing to grasp onto anything that might alter the past.


    She still let herself to wallow in denial, clearly showing that in her face as the veins in her neck started to bulge.


    ¡°...¡±


    But, seeing Eloa¡¯s silence, she finally realized that the executioner had already placed her blade on her neck.


    ¡°How can you be so heartless...? I thought you said you understood me...? We¡¯re the same, aren¡¯t we...?¡±


    With her desperate pleas mercilessly rejected, Paola¡¯s face twisted into a mix of rage and hatred.


    She directed her condemnation, which was akin to a desperate scream, solely at Eloa.


    ¡°I understand your anger and despair well. After all, I have experienced them all myself.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! You don¡¯t know anything! I...! Just for this... I...!¡±


    Eloa looked down at Paola with pitiful eyes as the latter succumbed into her rage.


    ¡°Your grief, regret, despair...that wretched feeling of guilt... I¡¯ve experienced it all. I, too, would have done anything to save Ravi...¡±


    But that was before she met Siwoo.


    Maybe, if the one who was standing here was her past self who was wandering around without a goal after losing her target of revenge...


    If she considered the Cowardly Witch¡¯s proposal with her heart that was just a step away from breaking apart completely...


    She probably wouldn¡¯t shake her head so easily.


    It¡¯d be too arrogant of her to think otherwise.


    After all, Eloa never saw herself as someone with a strong mental fortitude.


    She could see herself agonizing over this, maybe even extending a helping hand to the desperate Paola, who was on the verge of death.


    ¡°But, if I were to use your power to bring her back...she¡¯d definitely be mad at me...¡±


    ¡°Ha! You¡¯re making this cowardly choice because you¡¯re scared of being hated?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m scared.¡±


    Eloa let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°I can already picture it. She¡¯d yell at me, asking why I did that, why did I bring her back to life...? But, I know that she¡¯d forgive me eventually. She¡¯d cry, scream, maybe even hit me, get mad at me for a long while, but eventually she¡¯d come around and give this incompetent teacher of hers a hug.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°After that, I¡¯d spend the rest of my days wandering around, trying to make amends for all my wrongdoings.¡±


    ¡°Then...wouldn¡¯t it be fine...?¡±


    ¡°But, that¡¯s not what she would want. That¡¯s just me being selfish. I have to walk the path that was left for me, to grieve those who were gone and keep on moving forward.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Paola¡¯s voice faded, as if she had poured all her energy into her passionate speech and anger.


    Her throat was choked by the hot blood that kept oozing out of her lips.


    She could sense that her end was near.


    Neither of them spoke another word after that.


    They had said all they needed to say.


    ¡°Anything else you want to say?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Now stripped of her last hope, Paola glanced up at Eloa, her eyes looked dead.


    In her hollow chest, where even her thoughts refused to bloom, a thick, suffocating hatred blazed like wildfire.


    That was the loathing she directed right at the foe who had stolen every ounce of hope from her.


    ¡°I hate you.¡±


    With that as a cue, Eloa¡¯s sword moved, creating a beautiful arc.


    The blade glided effortlessly, slicing through Paola¡¯s neck while shattering the lotus she leaned on without making a sound.


    After she returned the bloodless sword into her subspace, Eloa muttered bitterly.


    ¡°Yeah, I understand that feeling too.¡±


    After the lotus flower, which was slowly crumbling like a heavily cracked glasswork, collapsed, covering Paola¡¯s body beneath it...


    Eloa headed towards the place where Siwoo was /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 278: Master (8)

    Chapter 278: Master (8)


    1.


    With that, the massive disaster that seemed unlikely to occur once in a century, had finally passed.


    Looking back, the battle was filled with heart-stopping moments and that didn¡¯t change no matter how many times Siwoo replayed it in his head.


    Whether it was when he saw the White Knights come forward like a raging river or the fearsome appearance of the Red Knight.


    If even one of them had been slightly weaker, both him and Eloa wouldn¡¯t have made it through the crisis for sure.


    The latter¡¯s body ended up covered in wounds while suffering from the after-effects of her covenants.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo got bruises all over after facing the Red Knight head-on.


    After they returned to the Witch Point with the Red Branch, Siwoo just sprawled on the bed and spent the whole day trying to recover from his fatigue.


    Despite him having a spirit body, he still needed a good quality sleep to recover from this level of exertion.


    As the pair of master-disciple went to sleep, Branch Manager Sua successfully wrapped up the incident.


    Since everything had unfolded within the vast interdimensional barrier she had set up, the cleanup itself didn¡¯t take much time.


    All she really needed to do was to deal with the remnants of the two witches that had helped them and arranged their funerals.


    Witches weren¡¯t usually well-connected to each other to begin with, and since both of them hadn¡¯t taken any apprentice yet, the funeral also went smoothly.


    Siwoo was recognized for his contributions in this subjugation and was given ownership of the Red Branch.


    At first, he hesitated to receive such a grand reward, especially considering that he had only delivered the final blow to the Red Knight, as Eloa was the one who had significantly weakened the creature.


    But, Branch Manager Sua insisted on him receiving the reward, saying that it was to show him how deeply she appreciated his efforts.


    Besides, Eloa had already possessed the irreplaceable mystic code, the ¡®Sword of Covenant¡¯, so the war spoils naturally fell to Siwoo¡¯s hand.


    With that, he was granted the possession of the Red Branch.


    After everything was finished, Eloa, Siwoo, and Della met up in the cavity of the waterway tunnel.


    More specifically, the place where the altar was set up, where Paola met her demise.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡±


    Della hadn¡¯t left Seoul while the incident was happening as she was still recovering at the Witch Point.


    She casted down her gaze, looking really sad.Upstodatee from


    Siwoo recalled her feisty and bold personality, just like a fox, but he couldn¡¯t see that in the current Della. Her beautifully extended eyelashes were drooping with grief.


    Dressed in all black instead of her usual red, Della stood before Paola¡¯s lifeless body, lying beneath the shattered pieces of the lotus flower.


    Upon seeing her lifeless body, with one of her eyes open, revealing her white sclera, Della gently reached out to close that eye.


    ¡°Now, I return your life to the light of truth. May the chains of delusion that bound you to be released. Death is a sacred journey of shedding one¡¯s flesh shell to embrace the truth...¡±


    When Della first heard about Paola¡¯s passing, she asked Branch Manager Sua to allow her to hold a funeral for her friend.


    Usually, a witch¡¯s funeral was held as a ceremony to honor the ¡®predecessor who had passed her brand to her apprentice¡¯.


    In this case, it was a way to acknowledge that the witch had fulfilled her duty, so being in a somber mood for a witch¡¯s funeral wasn¡¯t the norm in their society.


    But, in cases like this, when the witch unexpectedly died and left no successors, the funeral would proceed in a somber atmosphere, watched by her close acquaintances.


    Of course, considering Paola¡¯s actions resulted in thousands of deaths and the killing of over ten witches, there was no way that she¡¯d ever get a proper funeral.


    She was a Criminal Exile, a witch who had violated the rules of the witch society.


    Other witches wouldn¡¯t give such offenders any mercy.


    Typically, they¡¯d send the criminal¡¯s body to Gehenna to be auctioned off at the ¡®First Salon of the Red Roof¡¯, or just use it for research instead.


    But Della generously donated her entire fortune to the Witch Point, expressing her desire to receive Paola¡¯s body, in which the Branch Manager readily agreed to.


    The fact that they could fix the situation before the Cowardly Witch could cause even more trouble was all thanks to the intel that Della had provided, after all.


    Which was ironic because it was Paola who had spared her life, even though she could have easily killed her at any time.


    Nevertheless, they couldn¡¯t just trust the red-headed witch that easily since she had been hiding Paola¡¯s whereabouts until now. That was why they decided that the funeral would only be held if Eloa was also present.


    ¡°May the sacred fire consume her flesh, let the earth return to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust...¡±


    Accompanied by a brief eulogy from Della.


    Flames burst at her feet, engulfing the whole cavity.


    They consumed the remnants of the broken altar, the half-crumbled lotus, and Paola¡¯s cold, lifeless body.


    Everything was burned as the fiery flames came to lick them.


    When Della stomped her foot, the raging flames subsided like molten lava, leaving behind a white blaze that consumed everything, not leaving even a trace of smoke.


    ¡°Rest in peace.¡±


    Then, she stared blankly at the spot where Paola had once sat.


    While watching her back, the other two quietly left the scene.


    And that wasn¡¯t all.


    He went out of his way to comfort her and stayed by her side, even though she was a complete stranger to him.


    The man listened to her worries that were bordering on obsession and delusion, and instead of running off to Gehenna for his safety, he decided to fight alongside her.


    He even saved her from danger and killed the Red Knight.


    And lastly, when her mana was running low...


    Eloa suddenly stopped her train of thought before grumpily grumbling.


    No need to dwell on pointless thoughts.


    Though she said that, it was obvious to see that her cheeks had turned redder, and it was not because of the autumn sunset casting that was illuminating her cheeks.


    ¡°Whoa...!¡±


    Just like that, his Siwoo¡¯s resolve to resist Eloa¡¯s attempts on teasing him crumbled.


    Because she reached out her hand and grabbed his hand all of a sudden.


    It wasn¡¯t a gripping hold, as if she was trying to cling onto him with all her might, nor was it anything suggestive.


    Merely a warm touch that showed how much trust she had in him, the same kind of emotion that was shown in her eyes.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She then brought his hand to her cheek before gently pressing it against the back of his hand.


    It wasn¡¯t like she was doing it for any particular reason.


    She did it because she wanted to.


    Her soft cheek was being pressed lightly against the back of his hand.


    As he felt the softness of her skin, a certain memory came flooding back.


    He remembered the softness and smoothness of her body...


    Before he could get into trouble due to this naughty recollection that came to him like a reflex, Eloa pulled his hand away from her cheek and asked in a light tone.


    ¡°So, what are you going to do next?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of heading to Gehenna to pick up Sharon and while I¡¯m at it, visiting the twins, since I¡¯ve promised to visit them... Then, I¡¯m gonna go to meet someone in person...¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Perhaps it was just his imagination, but...


    When he mentioned Sharon¡¯s name, Eloa¡¯s expression seemed to slightly darken.


    Then, she quickly composed herself.


    However, his following words shattered this facade of hers.


    ¡°Do you want to come with me to Gehenna, Master?¡±


    Eloa knew that he¡¯d naturally invite her along, but it still made her so happy that it surprised even herself. She had to hold back the urge to break into a wide smile.


    ¡°Sure thing. I was planning to take a breather while fulfilling the price of the covenant anyway.¡±


    She lowered her head slightly before touching her lips.


    This was one of her habits that Siwoo recently came to know of.


    Whenever she tried to hide her smile, this was the one thing that she¡¯d do.


    ¡°Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master?¡±


    Brimming with excitement, Eloa pointed towards the department store.


    They had been wandering aimlessly and somehow found themselves in the area near their houses.


    ¡°You know, we¡¯ve been through a lot, but overall, we¡¯ve done a great job. Instead of moping around, why don¡¯t we celebrate the occasion?¡±


    ¡°Sure...?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the cooking. Wouldn¡¯t hurt to spend the whole day getting drunk for once, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Seeing her skipping with excitement like a child at an amusement park entrance, a smile crept onto his face.


    Sometimes, just like now, he felt like he was looking at his cute little sister rather than his master.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get a move on. We don''t have much time before they close.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only seven, though! We¡¯ve still got three hours!¡±


    ¡°Look, since I¡¯m going to go all out with the cooking today, even if we shop for five hours, it still wouldn¡¯t be enough!¡±


    Despite the lingering aftermath of the battle, the two of them headed to the grocery section with light steps. There, they shopped for a long time, filling two carts to the /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 279: Interlude (1)

    Chapter 279: Interlude (1)


    1.


    As she had stated before, Eloa went all out with her cooking, even whipping out her secret recipe and filling up the dining table in the officetel kitchen.


    The two of them thoroughly enjoyed their party.


    It was a peaceful time without the need to stress about Criminal Exiles, to worry about missing Homunculi, and to freak out about suspicious and ominous divination.


    This was especially so for Eloa, who hadn¡¯t experienced such peace, both mentally and physically, in a long time. When Siwoo handed her a glass of alcohol, she downed it heartily.


    After their meal was over, they moved the alcohol to the living room, escaping from the messy dining table, for a second round.


    They grabbed a bunch of snacks like cheese and salami that they bought from the grocery store. Before they knew it, almost half of it was gone.


    On the floor, there were five bottles of whiskey rolling around.


    ¡°Haaah...¡±


    Relieved of her mental burden by the blessing of alcohol, Eloa let out a content smile as she leaned back on the couch.


    If she had to say something about the current state of her body at the moment, she¡¯d definitely say that it felt uncomfortable.


    Due to the aftermath she had to endure for using all those covenants, her body was sore all over.


    There were blue bruises all over her skin, and her usually sharp senses and eyesight were dulled.


    Also...this was something she wouldn¡¯t say out loud...her lower abdomen was a little sore due to the vigorous sex she had with Siwoo.


    ¡°Tired?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! On such a great day, you gotta keep drinking until you drop before you can say you¡¯re enjoying it!¡±


    Her voice came out louder than usual and it was a little slurred too, probably because she was drunk.


    Usually, she was really good at hiding the fact that she was drunk, but her face was flushed red now, as if she was wearing makeup.


    Her eyes were also half-closed.


    ¡°Another one, please!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you still not feeling well? You really want more?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Being a witch, she wouldn¡¯t die of alcohol poisoning or anything, but that didn¡¯t stop Siwoo from worrying if it was okay to keep pouring more alcohol into her glass.


    But, seeing how unusually cheerful his master was, he couldn¡¯t help but do it anyway.


    ¡°Here, have one for yourself too!¡± She said, pouring some into his glass as well.


    With the sound of glasses clinking countless times throughout the night, he politely turned his head and took a sip of his drink.


    -Gulp, gulp!


    He only took small sips before placing his glass down, but Eloa downed her almost full glass of whiskey in one go.


    That¡¯s an on the rocks glass...


    Are you even supposed to down whiskey like that?


    Even after seeing her doing it several times, he was still dumbfounded.


    Suddenly, Eloa wiped her lips with her sleeve and started swaying side to side.


    She closed her eyes tightly for a moment, then squinted them open to look at Siwoo.


    ¡°Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master?¡±


    She called his name out of the blue.


    However, even after he replied to him, she remained silent.


    Instead, she just stared at him for a moment longer before turning away.


    ¡°Master? Were you about to say something?¡±¡°...Don¡¯t mind me. It¡¯s time for bed now.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll clean everything up.¡±


    Anticipating what was to come, Siwoo got up and began gathering the empty bottles.


    He tidied up the drinks and then went to the bedroom to make their bed.


    Recently, they had moved another bed into his room and had been sleeping together like that, putting some distance between them.


    Ever since Eloa heard about his ominous divination, she had been sleeping by his side so that they could be prepared for any incident.


    But, now the crisis had passed, so there was no need for them to share a room anymore.


    The thing was, they hadn¡¯t had the time to move the bed out again. Besides, both of them had grown accustomed to sharing a room, so Eloa just quietly followed Siwoo into the bedroom without a word.


    ¡°I¡¯ve tidied everything up.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Eloa staggered before flopping down on the bed.


    ¡°Uh, Master? That¡¯s my bed.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    No response came out from her.


    It seemed she had fallen asleep just like that.


    Though she seemed okay on the surface, he could tell that it wasn¡¯t the case at all.


    She had suffered more than him in that fight, and now that she drank that much whiskey, it wasn¡¯t surprising that she fell asleep like that.


    Still, it wasn¡¯t like he could just leave her.


    While he didn¡¯t mind if she were to sleep in his bed, she had flopped down onto it, lying flat on her stomach.


    It definitely wasn¡¯t the ideal sleeping position.


    In short, they had sex.


    Though she had done it because there was no other option back then, she still couldn¡¯t justify it like that.


    It was the fact that she forced him to have sex with her, disregarding his consent completely.


    Given her stubborn and old-fashioned mindset, she would have apologized long ago, but...


    ¡°I...¡±


    She couldn¡¯t bring herself to say it.


    Even if she could go back in time, chances were she¡¯d still make the same choice.


    Thinking back on the shameful display she had put on in front of Siwoo was enough to make her face burn with embarrassment, leaving her speechless.


    On the contrary, Siwoo¡¯s intent on brushing the whole thing under the rug was clear, as he had been pretending that their sex never happened.


    Not only did he not initiate a conversation about it, he was also treating Eloa as if nothing had happened in the first place.


    Is he waiting for me to apologize first?


    Or maybe he¡¯s hoping that his incompetent master gathers the courage to address it instead of just ignoring it and acting as if nothing happened?


    But those were quite the audacious thoughts, there was no way that he¡¯d think like that and Eloa knew that.


    ¡°Haa...¡±


    Eloa let out a soft sigh.


    After all that, she finally understood why she pretended to be asleep.


    Since Siwoo didn¡¯t make a move on her and neither did she, she wanted to see his reaction, to force him into a situation where he couldn¡¯t keep his hands off her.


    In fact, he hesitated for a moment there, but he eventually let her lie down without doing anything strange.


    Just like the time she had bared her chest in front of him.


    Though, the attempt failed and it felt like she was getting nowhere.


    Anyway, speaking of getting nowhere...


    She attempted to play it cool and act like a dignified master, brushing everything off as insignificant, but the memories flooded back nonetheless.


    But letting it go just like that felt morally wrong for her. She was afraid that it would disappoint Siwoo.


    Thinking that she should probably switch off the light now, Eloa sighed and rose from the bed.


    At that moment, she saw Siwoo, who had kicked off the blanket, sleeping.


    She got up quietly and settled beside him.


    The mattress felt so comfy that she sank in without even a wobble.


    ¡°Hehe...¡±


    Despite her mixed feelings, she couldn¡¯t resist smiling at his peaceful sleeping face which had the innocence of a child.


    It was like a reflex, just like when your leg kicks up if someone were to tap on your knee.


    Maybe this was what could be considered as a natural affection a master had for their beloved disciple.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Eloa slowly stroked Siwoo¡¯s hair before turning her gaze away.


    Coincidentally, his rough lips caught the end of her gaze.


    The same lips that had passionately intertwined with hers last time as they exchanged their breath in a heated moment.


    Maybe it was due to the alcohol, but her heart started pounding loudly.


    If before that was a natural emotion to feel as a master looking at her disciple...


    Then what exactly was the emotion that she was feeling right now?


    As her loosely spread thighs involuntarily tightened, the alcohol made her body feel hot.


    Indeed, she had kissed him, pushed her butt onto him like a beast, and gulped his hot essence just like that...


    The memories stirred within Eloa, wrapping around her heart and body like a snake.


    Heat that couldn¡¯t be perceived by just observing, the feeling of becoming one with him, the ecstatic pleasure, as if she was melting away, surrendering everything to his rough touch...


    Her gaze shifted to his groin.


    A natural course of action, considering the direction that her thoughts went.


    Though he was fully dressed, the imposing outline of his manhood boldly asserted its presence.


    ¡°That thing...went inside my body...¡±


    Unconsciously, hot breaths escaped through her slightly parted lips.


    Even though quite some time had passed, she could feel the intense sensation in her body, as if it was being imprinted on it.


    -Slap!


    She slapped her cheeks hard, snapping herself out of her thoughts.


    What am I thinking?!


    ¡°So disgraceful...¡±


    I must never, ever think of something like that!


    What kind of master harbors lustful thoughts towards her own disciple?!


    Just because we crossed that line once doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s okay to keep going down that path!


    This is the alcohol¡¯s fault isn¡¯t it? Being drunk made me lose my mind.


    Eloa got up swiftly and headed to the bathroom.


    That night, she took a long, cold shower to douse the strange heat that had ignited within /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 280: Interlude (2)

    Chapter 280: Interlude (2)


    1.FOlloow newest stories at


    Whenever Mexico was mentioned, there were some things that would come to people¡¯s minds...


    Drugs, gangs, sketchy securities, slums...


    Those were pretty much it.


    Just like in most Latin American countries, Mexico had its fair share of corrupt politicians and cartels who had more say in the country than the government did.


    Those cartels had established their own empires within the drug smuggling industry, with them importing drugs that were produced in Columbia, Venezuela and various other countries.


    They ruled with fear, executing rival gangs, politicians, journalists, and even the military and police officers if they ever got in their way.


    If an ordinary person dared to criticize them, they wouldn¡¯t be spared at all¡ªthey¡¯d be mercilessly killed and have their bodies dumped on the streets.


    Take Ciudad Jua?rez, a border city with the US, for example. Thanks to the drug war, 10,000 people were killed every single year, with the rate of murders happening to 200 out of 100,000 people. This was the reason why the city was deemed as the most dangerous place in terms of safety and contributed to the ¡®Mexico is dangerous¡¯ mindset that was etched in people¡¯s minds.


    However, if one were to move beyond those border cities, known for their cartel and drug wars, like the southern megacity known as Mexico City, things would change quite a bit.


    Mexico City was the city where the federal government and all the embassies were located. Even those cartels would think twice about causing trouble there, so it was a pretty safe place.


    This was especially the case in the city¡¯s heart, Polanco, where one could find a mix of European-style architecture and statues from the 16th century amidst the tall skyscrapers. The place looked so prosperous that if one held to their belief that Mexico was a dangerous place, they¡¯d think that they had wandered off into a different country somehow.


    In the center of the city, there was a grand building that not even the worst smog could touch.


    Hotel St. Regis Mexico City, the place where you could see the beautiful night sky and cluster of stars from its rooftop. In this place, a group of witches were holding a meeting.


    There were only four witches here.


    Well, calling it a meeting wasn¡¯t quite correct, as they were all here by personal invitations. This number of witches simply paled in comparison to back in the day, when this Criminal Exile¡¯s group, ¡®Qlipoth¡¯ was in its prime.


    Then again, considering that a lot of their members lost their lives during the invasion of Gehenna in 1883, it was simply an unavoidable situation.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve all gathered like this, right? When was the last time we did this? Twenty years ago?¡±


    Of course not everyone who had been invited had arrived, but the Witch of Desire, Bianca Belleli, declared that enough time had passed as she twirled a strand of her hair and let out a laugh.


    Her lustrous silver hair flowed gracefully over her shoulders, her emerald-colored eyes retained their radiance even under the dim lighting.


    ¡°So, why are you sitting at the head of the table again?¡±


    A witch spouted that question at her in a sharp voice, but Bianca answered her in a calm tone.


    ¡°Well, you came to my city and I¡¯m the hostess here. Isn¡¯t it natural for me to sit here, or do you have another idea in mind, ¡®Claire Asmodeus¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Whatever. Either you sit somewhere else or bring out something better for me to drink. Why are you bringing this cheap shit out anyway?¡±


    Except for Claire, who voiced her displeasure sharply and openly, nobody else did.


    Bianca was someone who had brought together both the big cartels and the small ones in Mexico, turning them into one powerful force.


    Considering how her throne was built on mountains of drugs and dead bodies, it was hard for other witches to argue with her.


    The reason why Claire was fuming at her was only because they hated each other.


    Well, actually, it was more like she just couldn¡¯t stand Bianca.


    She owned a drug production plant in Colombia, but thanks to Bianca¡¯s greed when she distributed her drug to North America, Claire ended up losing a lot of money, so it was hard for her to see the witch in a favorable light.


    Even to witches, money was important, since their magic research cost money.


    ¡°Picking a fight right after meeting each other? Little one, you¡¯re always full of energy, hm~?¡±


    The witch in a nun¡¯s habit, sitting comfortably, said so with a light giggle.


    Despite her robe hanging somewhat loosely, it still couldn¡¯t conceal her voluptuous figure.


    ¡°Shut up, you cow-tits.¡±


    ¡°Why are you being so harsh? Who do you think supplied your weapons for your little wars, hm?¡±


    Just like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Claire immediately started a quarrel.


    It was clear that there wasn¡¯t a harmonious atmosphere going around them.


    But, this was normal for them.


    Because the witches gathered here were the infamous Criminal Exiles from ¡®Qlipoth¡¯, the grand witches known for their prowess and magic.


    They were the worst of the worst, those who formed their own factions to go against Duchess Keter and Duchess Tiphereth.


    But, that was the extent of their relationship. They were forced to cooperate due to the circumstances, but fundamentally, they were hostile to each other.


    Considering that even the Witch of Aquarius, who used to be a member of Qlipoth, was immediately stripped of all her power and influence as soon as the news of her death was heard, it was only natural that they were wary of each other.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious. Why are we holding this meeting all of a sudden?¡±


    A calm and collected voice cut through the tense air.


    This time, a witch with jet-black hair, looking like it was drawn with a brush, spoke.


    Her cold gray eyes clearly expressed that she had no wish to entertain anyone¡¯s nonsense, even for a second.


    It really didn¡¯t take them long to catch on what she was planning to do. As soon as they did, everyone started calculating the pros and cons in their heads.


    For these Criminal Exiles, Duchess Keter was like a giant landmine under their feet.


    At the moment, they were tiptoeing around, cautiously navigating their way so that they wouldn¡¯t accidentally set the landmine off. But, at the same time they were practically shackled inside this field, unable to get out even if they wanted to.


    The prophecy from the ¡®Oracles¡¯ that the Witch of Whispers relayed wasn¡¯t something to brush off lightly.


    This organization had a perfect track record of predicting the future for over a thousand of years.


    Even though they couldn¡¯t trust Lilith even a little, there was a possibility that she was telling the truth this time.


    If that was the case, that meant they could finally do all the magic research and shady dealings they were unable to do before without worrying about anything.


    And there was someone here who volunteered herself to risk her life to see if the prophecy was real or not.


    While the price tag was hefty, the offer was tempting enough, so it was really hard to refuse it.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m in~¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°If you die, I¡¯m going to take over all your toys.¡±


    ¡°Now, don¡¯t get ahead of yourself.¡±


    In the end, they all agreed to her plan.


    If more witches were around, she could get more profit off this dealing, but she was already satisfied enough with this result.


    After that, things just flowed smoothly.


    She didn¡¯t demand for anything much and considering the danger, she even agreed to delay half the payment until she was done with the experiment.


    In fact, the negotiation went a little too smoothly, leaving the other three witches confused.


    ¡°Alright, since this isn¡¯t exactly a friendly catch-up session, why don¡¯t we call it a day?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯m sick of hearing your annoying voice anyway.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Oh, cmon, don¡¯t be like that~ Haven¡¯t we been buds for ages~?¡±


    ¡°Alright, catch you later.¡±


    -Clap!


    With a loud clap from Bianca, their arguing stopped.


    The lights on the previously dimly lit hotel were immediately turned on, showing a completely different scene at the conference table.


    ¡°Ugg...grr...!¡±


    The three witches who had been occupying the table¡ªthe loud one, the quiet one and the laid back one¡ªwere all gone.


    In their place were three dying humans with their mouths foaming and eyes bleeding.


    This was a mental dissolution spell performed using a proxy.


    Except for Bianca, the other witches weren¡¯t in Mexico City. They had all been attending the meeting by using magic.


    Of course the humans that were used as their proxies couldn¡¯t withstand the immense knowledge and mana of a witch with their frail body.


    They ended up becoming unfortunate sacrifices, soon to meet their end due to their brains getting mushed up from the ritual, but that wasn¡¯t a major concern for anyone.


    ¡°Haah...!¡±


    Suddenly, Bianca let out a hot sigh.


    The reason for this was there was someone crawling between her skirt, licking her sensitive parts throughout the meeting. This place was a blind spot for the other witches that were sitting at the table, that was why they hadn¡¯t noticed this person.


    ¡°Phew... I almost cummed back then... Alright, it¡¯s done. Come out.¡±


    A figure hesitantly crawled out from between her wide-open legs.


    With her short fair fell below her shoulders, she looked pitiful, like a wilting flower.


    She had ruby-like eyeballs, no, rather, the color of her eyes closely matched that of blood. There was fear in those eyes as she stared at Belleli¡¯s face.


    Her face could be considered flawless even by a witch¡¯s standard, but it was covered in sticky love juice and saliva, making her look disgustingly vulgar.


    ¡°Your skills have improved lately. Well done, Ea.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    She was the pet that Bianca had recently acquired, the witch whom everyone thought to be dead.


    Ea Sadalmelik.


    The infamous Witch of /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 281: Interlude (3)

    Chapter 281: Interlude (3)


    1.


    Ea Sadalmelik.


    She was an infamous witch even among the Criminal Exiles, until one day, she was defeated by Amelia.


    In exchange for her reviving herself using the Cocoon of Reincarnation, her rank was dropped to 15th.


    Then, in that state where she could barely even activate her autonomous defense, she met Siwoo, who eventually robbed her off her magic and dropped her rank further to the 13th.


    In such a tattered state, she returned to the Modern World.


    When she returned, the news of her ¡®death¡¯ had already spread throughout the world, and of course, it wasn¡¯t the most comfortable feeling for her.


    Because of that news, her workshop and her various means to make money all around the world were all attacked by other witches.


    Even her hidden funds had been robbed by someone, probably because they had been tracking those specific funds from the very beginning.


    Which meant, all this time, those hyenas were only pretending that they didn¡¯t know of those places¡¯ existence out of fear of her retaliation, but now that she couldn¡¯t fight back, they immediately flocked onto them.


    But, it wasn¡¯t like she could complain about it.


    Rather, this situation was a blessing for her, since they really thought that she had died.


    Throughout her life, Ea had only been making enemies left and right, never a friend nor an accomplice. Her relationship with other Criminal Exiles was the worst, so if they were to find out that the infamous ¡®Witch of Aquarius¡¯ was actually alive, and her rank had fallen to the 13th, even those witches who originally didn¡¯t dare to make eye contact with her would come to try and catch her.


    She still had enough resources to hunt for Homunculi despite being thrown in such a disadvantageous environment, and she even had a bold plan to attack witches that were weaker than her or some apprentice witches she could get her hands on, but everything was foiled when she fell into the hands of the ¡®Witch of Desire¡¯, Bianca Belleli.


    ¡°You¡¯re a cutie, do you know that? Well, you¡¯ve always been a cutie, but you¡¯re even more so nowadays.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Bianca knelt down, patting Ea¡¯s head as the latter¡¯s face grew distorted in humiliation.


    She was treating her like a puppy.


    No one would have guessed that Ea, the witch who was feared by countless Exiles, who was notorious for reaping other witches¡¯ brand among other things, was now obediently wearing a maid uniform.


    Said uniform was custom-made, though despite its expensive materials and how well-made it was, its design was extremely vulgar.


    The skirt part was so short that it failed to cover her crotch, let alone her healthy thighs, while the chest part completely revealed her pair of mounds, emphasizing them even.


    And of course, there was a maid headband decorating her head.


    She didn¡¯t wear anything to cover her crotch.


    The sparse hair on her pussy had been removed to satisfy Bianca¡¯s taste, leaving her pussy exposed for all the world to see.


    Her eyes had stopped emitting the usual vicious glint, though her shoulders were still trembling due to her not being used to such humiliation even after experiencing it for months.


    She understood it logically.


    The reason why she could live this long was because Bianca had been hiding her existence from the rest of the world.


    If she were to leave her protection, she would be greeted by a fate worse than death.


    And that she had no choice but to obediently act as her sex slave for the time being.


    But, even though she could accept it logically, emotionally, she just couldn¡¯t accept this situation.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that expression? Need I remind you who was it that dresses our pitiful Ea in such pretty clothes, let her sleep comfortably in a good bed, hide her existence from other witches, and let her eat whatever she wants, hm?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    To those words, Ea only kept her head down and refused to answer.


    Even though Bianca had already toyed around with her to her heart¡¯s content, her pride still didn¡¯t allow her to act like an obedient dog towards her, mostly because of how bad their relationship was in the past.


    Well, to be more precise, she had been ignoring Bianca, who had always tried to flirt with her every chance she got.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t it.¡±


    Bianca let out a sigh before pushing Ea away.


    Just from that, Ea lost her balance and fell down.


    The frilly hairband that she wore wasn¡¯t just an ordinary item.


    It was a transformed ¡®Ring of Subordination¡¯, a mystic code that had the power to seal off one¡¯s mana circulation, suppress one¡¯s physical strength to its limit, and ensure that one carried out the commands of their master.


    For Bianca, a witch who could manipulate the appearance of all kinds of artifacts and mystic codes, changing one of them into a cute-looking headband was nothing.


    The binding nature of the mystic code wasn¡¯t actually anything special, as any witches with a working autonomous defense could break the binding free, but Ea was currently stuck in the 13th rank.


    That was why her body had become so weak that she couldn¡¯t even lift a cup on her own. In the end, she could do nothing but to fall over and expose her private parts to Bianca.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t it, that isn¡¯t it.¡±


    ¡°Ngh...! Urg...!¡±


    Bianca lifted her smooth, flawless foot, and stepped on Ea¡¯s pussy.


    She then proceeded to rub her clit gently. The movements she made with her foot were so skillful to the point that Ea felt like she was using her hand.


    Ea somehow managed to grab her ankle and tried to stop her, but Bianca just ignored her and did whatever she wanted while smiling.


    -Squelch, squelch, squelch!


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe the rude bitch from back then had turned into this wriggling insect... Just look at you, you look so cute, it¡¯s soooo irresistible...¡±


    As Bianca hastened her pace, Ea¡¯s breathing became more and more ragged.


    The dirty sound of splashing water grew louder and the carpet gradually became more stained.


    ¡°Ngh...! M-Master... S-Stop...¡±


    Though she tried to endure for some time, Ea¡¯s stubbornness cracked a little eventually.


    But, even though she had suffered similar humiliations countless times, her pride still didn¡¯t allow her to bend over completely to the woman in front of her.


    She yielded and called Bianca ¡®Master¡¯, just like what the latter wanted, but she didn¡¯t stop what she was doing.


    To put it simply, Lilith was like a playwright or a screenwriter.


    She was someone who reveled in delight witnessing the chaos that ensued because of her words and actions.


    For her to set up various things to cause that kind of chaos everywhere, there was no way that she¡¯d like it if Keter were to come in and disturb her plan.


    Absolutely no way.


    In this sense, Bianca saw that this part of Lilith¡¯s personality was similar to her.


    Since that was the case, she could tell what she was thinking about to some extent and the reverse should hold true as well.


    That was why they were able to keep in contact with each other for so long.


    ¡°Do you understand now?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, but... The risk you¡¯re taking is still too big compared to the payoff, no...?¡±


    ¡°Correct. It¡¯s just as you said.¡±


    But, even after all that explanation, Ea was still unconvinced and she asked another question.


    Just as she stated, the benefit that she ripped off other witches weren¡¯t actually good enough to make her risk her life.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve already received the real payoff. Wanna see?¡±


    Bianca opened her palm and revealed a pretty-looking lotus.


    The lotus let out a subtle shine, as if each of its petals were made of crystals...


    And this was something Ea was familiar with.


    Because she was sitting right next to Bianca when the latter was watching everything unfolding in Seoul.


    It was the same lotus that the Cowardly Witch gambled her life on. Though it was smaller in size, the shape itself was the exact same.


    ¡°Lilith took it from the Cowardly Witch the moment her ritual was completed and she passed it to me as an advance payment.¡±


    ¡°H-How...? T-Then, the thing that Tiphereth destroyed...¡±


    ¡°Was a fake I made in advance.¡±


    Even the wicked Ea was left dumbfounded by this revelation.


    This essentially meant that the thing the Cowardly Witch had protected with all her life was nothing but a useless prop.


    ¡°Made you curious to see what would happen if Tiphereth and the Cowardly Witch really take each other¡¯s hands and begin to slaughter humans for nothing, huh? Too bad that won¡¯t ever happen. Well, at the very least the sight of them struggling over a piece of trash was amusing.¡±


    Seeing Bianca licking her lips as if she was looking forward to what she had just said made shivers run down Ea¡¯s spine.


    It was because she realized how much the other witch reveled in watching the destruction and despair of others.


    ¡°Why are you making that kind of face? I¡¯m doing all this for you.¡±


    ¡°F-For me?¡±


    ¡°Just think about it, this ¡®lotus¡¯ could allow the Cowardly Witch to ¡®undo¡¯ someone¡¯s death, no? It¡¯s a mystic code that¡¯s able to twist the law and rewrite the past. Even your badly broken ¡®Ain¡¯ can be fixed with this. That means you can stop being the obedient dog Ea and return to be the Witch of Aquarius Ea Sadalmelik again.¡±


    ¡°A-Aah...¡±


    When Ea tried to reach for it, the lotus in Bianca¡¯s hand faded away like a mirage.


    ¡°No, no, not yet. My dear Ea isn¡¯t being really obedient right now, is she?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll be obedient...! S-So please...!¡±


    Ea hurriedly knelt down in front of Bianca.


    Actually, prior to this, Bianca had already promised to restore her magic, but she always thought it was just an empty promise.


    But, it was actually real.


    She could become who she was before.


    To not live this miserable life where she had to live in hiding, but to live a life where she could mock and laugh at her enemies¡¯ faces.


    Thinking that Ea¡¯s reaction was cute, Bianca let out a chuckle.


    ¡°Alright, if you obey me properly in the future, I promise I¡¯ll give you a ¡®reward¡¯. Well, when you finally realize that my love for you is genuine and you put aside that charade of yours and fully obey me, that is.¡±


    ¡°B-But, I didn¡¯t put on any charade...! I-I¡¯ve given all my heart to you...!¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then, why don¡¯t you show me with your body?¡±


    As she said that, Ea immediately crawled between her legs, making her let out a satisfied smile.


    Finally, she had the chance to win Ea¡¯s obedience.


    Now, all she needed to do was to decide who should participate in the stage that she was about to set up.


    ¡°Sluurp...sluuurrrp...!¡±


    ¡°Ahh...ahhh...!¡±


    Then, an idea suddenly came to her mind.


    The man who dared to take Ea¡¯s virginity and stole her magic away from her.


    That trash who dared to pose as a witch, who possessed an inauthentic brand that he obtained without going through the proper procedure.


    If I were to take him out, won¡¯t Ea feel thankful?


    Won''t she start to follow and obey me with all her heart?


    And the moment she places all her heart and hope in me and completely submits herself to me...


    What kind of expression would she make if I were to destroy the lotus right in front of her face?


    All those thoughts quickly faded away due to Ea¡¯s passionate caress.


    Never mind that, now is the time to enjoy her body /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 282: Interlude (4)

    Chapter 282: Interlude (4)


    1.


    It was a deep, dark space.


    An endless darkness spread, taking away even one¡¯s sense of distance.


    But, seeing this spectacle, the thing that Sharon felt wasn¡¯t fear or dread towards the darkness.


    Rather, she felt cozy, as if she had returned to the warmth of her mother¡¯s womb.


    This was the world beneath her consciousness.


    Ain, a space made out of ideas that were gathered by countless generations of witches.


    How much time had passed exactly?


    What was happening in the outside world?


    For Sharon at the moment, those things were trivial.


    In this profound space, she couldn¡¯t feel any kind of emotion. Even her personality felt fragmented. The only thing she could think of was her own magic.NewW novels updates at novelhall.com


    A huge, cross-shaped structure was established in the middle of the Ain.


    This was the Ark of the Elements, a structure that encompassed the power of the five elements.


    The elements of water, fire, earth, wind, and space were floating around the structure, under this deep darkness, as if they were dancing.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty...¡±


    Even though she was clearly unconscious, Sharon was still struck with awe.


    Each of the elements felt cold, warm, firm, at the same time, full of life. They constantly interpreted and analyzed each other, creating a harmony that surrounded them.


    The big structure wasn¡¯t the only thing inside the Ain.


    There were also elements and mana inside.


    The mana, not originally hers, spun around the structure like a strong current.


    -Wooooong!


    At that moment, a change began to occur.


    The Ark of the Elements began to tremble, creating a strong vibration that could shake the heavens and the earth.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    For a moment, ecstasy scoured through Sharon¡¯s body.


    This was what one could call enlightenment.


    The thing that actually came rushing inside her mind was waves of information and knowledge that she had once received back when she first inherited her brand.


    She was absorbing all the knowledge that she should have received in the first place.


    -Wooooong!


    Every time the deafening roar that felt like it could burst one¡¯s eardrums out was heard, mana surged and entered her womb.


    Parts of her brand that were unresponsive due to the incomplete inheritance began to come to life again.


    The elements around the structure jumped happily, excited at the birth of a grand witch who was finally able to wield them properly.


    Each of them clung close to her, embracing her and going around her body, creating a torrent.


    And she willingly surrendered herself to this torrent.


    At that moment, she felt a shock so great that it broke through all the ideas and contradictions that were previously incomprehensible to her.


    Then, a stream of light, so bright that it made her eyes hurt¡ª


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Sharon, who had been lying quietly still on the bed, opened her eyes.


    When she finally came to her senses, she noticed that she was inside a room with a pleasant moonlight coming in from an angle.


    The room was spacious enough for a family of four to be able to live comfortably.


    She turned her eyes, which were extremely sensitive to light at the moment due to the fact that she had been keeping it close for a good while now, around to see her surroundings closely and found out that there were a bunch of old-fashioned, yet expensive-looking furniture everywhere.


    The first thing she figured out was the fact that she was on a bed.


    She could feel the softness of a feather pillow on the back of her head.


    There was also the blanket that covered her body up to her chest, the best blanket she had felt yet.


    It didn¡¯t take long for her to also notice that the canopy above her head was embroidered carefully out of very high-quality materials.


    ¡°...Ah...!¡±


    Then, her memories from before she lost consciousness returned.


    The last thing that she remembered was the sight of the Drowned Witch piercing her chest with a harpoon.


    And Siwoo, all by himself, facing that fearsome Homunculus .


    ¡°Siwoo!¡±


    Even though she knew that no one else was nearby, Sharon still shouted his name while looking around desperately.


    The fact that she had finally fulfilled her lifetime goal, to finally completing the inheritance from her predecessor, was shoved aside by her. To find out if Siwoo was alright or not was far more important than that.


    ¡°Ugh! Arg...!¡±


    She had just stepped on the ground, but her autonomous defense was triggered somehow.


    This was because her limbs had considerably stiffened due to how long she had been unconscious for.


    Despite her staying in Gehenna when the event had transpired, she still knew all the details due to her contact with various sources of information.


    The series of strange events that happened in Seoul recently was the work of the Cowardly Witch.


    Siwoo, along with Duchess Tiphereth, worked together to subjugate her.


    At the moment, they were cleaning up after the incidents, and were going to visit Gehenna soon to meet up with Sharon and the twins.


    Sharon, who looked as if she had witnessed the skyfall when she heard that Siwoo was in danger, immediately took a sigh of relief when she heard that everything had resolved peacefully.


    ¡°As for what happened to you, Miss Sharon, you were in a coma, but thanks to Siwoo, they managed to send you here, to our Gemini house, to recuperate from your injuries.¡±


    ¡°Thank you... I can¡¯t thank you enough...¡±


    Albireo¡¯s complicated gaze fell on Sharon¡¯s head, as she bowed towards her.


    She recently heard about Siwoo¡¯s situation from Deneb.


    It wasn¡¯t difficult for her to guess the degree of relationship between a man and a woman just by inferring clues from them just by talking.


    Their small gestures and such showed the kind of emotion they harbored.


    In Sharon¡¯s case, it felt like she just freely gave off clues without any restraints.


    Considering the significant difference in her mana after she woke up, it was clear that she was able to fix the problem of her inheritance when she was still in a coma.


    Albireo didn¡¯t know the specifics, of course, but she assumed that getting into contact with the world beneath her consciousness helped somehow.


    In any case, she survived a near-death experience.


    But, the first thing that came to her mind when she woke up was Siwoo...


    From this, Albireo inferred that the feelings she harbored towards him was something along the lines of a blind love.


    Considering that Siwoo had also prioritized getting her to safety while he himself decided to stay in Seoul...


    And the fact that they were found injured inside a hotel, it wasn¡¯t hard for Albireo to guess what kind of relationship they had exactly.


    Since they were living together, it was safe to guess that their relationship was going strong.


    Of course it was her who decided to kick Siwoo out of Gehenna.


    She noticed that the relationship between him and the twins had grown dangerously close and decided that they should be kept apart, at least until they had inherited their brands safely.


    There was definitely an option to let them do whatever they wanted instead, but she just didn¡¯t want to risk the possibility of them committing an irreversible mistake.


    And now, she found out that the decision she made back then was a mistake.


    She thought that she made that decision for the sake of the twins, but because of that decision, that man was stolen by this witch in front of her...


    It wasn¡¯t like she could complain about it either, since she was the one who kicked him out to live in that dangerous world, all while telling him to wait for five whole years.


    Still, she had her pride, she refused to back down so easily.


    She had an idea.


    That idea was the reason why she asked for a one-on-one meeting with Sharon, and it was now the perfect time to reveal it.


    ¡°Miss Evergreen.¡±


    ¡°Um?¡±


    ¡°Would you like to stay in our mansion and become the twins¡¯ tutor?¡±


    ¡°Um...?¡±


    ¡°Baroness Marigold was their tutor regarding Elemental Magic, but now that she¡¯s away, the position became vacant. Since the Evergreen¡¯s self-essence magic is among the most orthodox when it comes to Elemental Magic, the position suits you perfectly. I have written you a contract, you can read it first.¡±


    She figured that it would be better if she were to intervene with their relationship here, even if she were to use such a dishonorable means, for the sake of the twins.


    While she was sorry for Sharon, she really couldn¡¯t help it.


    After all, this matter was directly related to her daughters¡¯ happiness, she couldn¡¯t just sit idly by.


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    Sharon, who was reading through the proposal, jolted in surprise.


    Because the condition was so good, it was unreal.


    The twins would surely inherit their brand in five years.


    So, the contract would last for five years.


    But, whether they could inherit their brand or not within that time, if she were to sign the contract, all her remaining debt would be considered as paid.


    All the research material that was used as collateral would be returned, and within the contract period, they¡¯d provide her with food, housing, research expenses, even private expenses as well.


    Lastly, at the end of the contract, she¡¯d receive a letter of introduction, either to the Jinri Jinmyeong Academic Society or to the Trinity Academy.


    In short, they would clear her debt and guarantee both her present life and her future.


    ¡°Okay! I will do my best!¡±


    Needless to say, Sharon was overjoyed.


    With this, she wouldn¡¯t need to lean on Siwoo anymore.


    She could finally stand on equal terms with him.


    And this would also get rid of the problem that had been haunting her for decades.


    She had no reason to refuse such a sweet deal.


    ¡°But, there¡¯s one condition.¡±


    Albireo tried to ignore Sharon¡¯s overexcited state and continued.


    ¡°You need to keep your distance from Siwoo. Could /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 283: Interlude (5)

    Chapter 283: Interlude (5)


    1.


    ¡°You need to keep your distance from Siwoo. Could you?¡±


    Sharon, who was extremely thrilled because she had received an unimaginable offer just now...


    Found her face hardened due to those words.


    Though this was the first time she had ever experienced it, this was something she had seen quite a few times before.


    Isn¡¯t this just like in those dramas? The scenes where the mother-in-law went ¡®Here¡¯s some money, break up with my son¡¯? That kind of thing?


    Of course, Albireo wasn¡¯t Siwoo¡¯s mother, and he wasn¡¯t her son either, but this indeed gave off that kind of vibe.


    ¡°...Can I ask why?¡±


    For Albireo to suddenly ask her to distance herself from Siwoo...


    Even Sharon, as dense as she was, could tell that the twin apprentices of the Gemini Household were quite close with Siwoo.


    She was even sure that their relationship was closer than a close friend.


    After all, this was the whole reason why she spent her days in anxiety when the twins came over to their place the other day.


    At that time, she felt relieved because nothing big ended up happening between them, but now that this happened, she could only curse herself for being complacent.


    Albireo then explained what she had in mind in a calm tone.


    ¡°I personally hold Siwoo in high regard. Based on the things he had done in the past, the prospects of his future, and his personality, he is perfect as a man. Oh, of course, I¡¯m not saying this because I covet him or anything, I just wish that he¡¯ll get along well with our twins.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to say that I¡¯m in the way?¡±


    Sharon¡¯s voice as she said that was filled with anxiety.


    This put Albireo in a rather uncomfortable situation as well, since it felt like she was taking a precious doll away from a little girl.


    But, before she could say anything else, Sharon had quickly made up her mind.


    Without an ounce of hesitation, she placed the contract back on the table.


    ¡°Please forgive me. I¡¯m thankful for your care to nurse me back to health and for offering me an opportunity that I can never even dreamed of, I really am, and I will forever be thankful for it.¡±


    ¡°Um...¡±


    ¡°But, I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t accept the condition to distance myself from Siwoo. I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    Albireo scanned through the contract using her purple eyes.


    She had guessed to some extent that Sharon would refuse it, but she never had guessed that she did it without any hesitation whatsoever.Visitt (.)co/m for the latest updates


    The contract that she offered was something so unbelievably good that it was hard for any witches to refuse it.


    At the moment, the Countess rank was 21st.


    But, that was only because they had already transferred part of their brand to the twins.


    While the twins were just unruly, immature and unsophisticated children now, they were the future Countess Gemini, and by the time they inherited the brand completely, their ranks would rise to the 22nd.


    By rejecting the contract offered by Albireo, Sharon also expressed her refusal to build a relationship with the twins.


    That wasn¡¯t all.


    Sharon was in a massive debt.


    In a world where one would need money to get more money, it was hard for a penniless witch to raise a big sum.


    There was also the letter of introductions, either to the Jinri Jinmyeong Academic Society or the Trinity Academy.


    Letters of introduction weren¡¯t something that was hard to get.


    If one could sit down on a table together with a well-connected witch of Gehenna, one bottle of good booze would be enough to get them to sign their name.


    But, letters of introduction that were stamped with the Gemini Household¡¯s seal held a whole different weight compared to those kinds of letters of introduction.


    If Sharon were to choose to join the Jinri Jinmyeong Academic Society, she¡¯d be able to receive a considerable amount of research materials from the illustrious Duchess Erelim as a sign of goodwill from her.


    Meanwhile, if she were to choose to join the Trinity Academy, even if her skills were lacking, she¡¯d immediately become the Head Professor there and would be able to gain access to various ancient books in the academy.


    There was no way that Sharon, a native of Gehenna, failed to recognize what it meant to receive the ¡®backing¡¯ from the Gemini Household, which was known for their enormous wealth.


    Nevertheless, she refused the offer so firmly.


    ¡°Sorry for taking your time in this late hour, I¡¯ll be preparing myself to leave Gehenna now.¡±


    When she saw Sharon trying to get up, Albireo became lost in thought.


    It wasn¡¯t hard for her to pressure Sharon by force here.


    ¡°Ugh, I feel so...¡±


    Sharon was sitting on the bed while hugging her knees.


    The sadness in her heart spread like a non-washable stain.


    As her train of thoughts became more complicated and she became more distraught, a certain someone¡¯s face came to her mind.


    ¡°I miss you...¡±


    Siwoo, I want to see you...


    For ten whole years, she lived as a beggar with a huge debt on her name, enough reason for her to grow sick of the Modern World.


    Always getting treated coldly by others, constantly living as if she was being chased by something, her debt always weighed on her mind and there was never a single penny in her wallet...


    She couldn¡¯t remember even a single good memory in that world.


    Thinking back, perhaps that was the reason why she desperately tried to return to Gehenna.


    But now that she was actually back in Gehenna, she didn¡¯t have the slightest urge to visit White Whale Bar in Tarot Town, tasting Kipushi cakes, or walking around to see the beautiful scenery of Lenomond Town.


    Instead, the thing she wanted to do was to watch various movies with Siwoo while chugging bottles of tasteless beer, all the things that they did together inside that officetel room.


    She genuinely missed the nights where they were out hunting for Homunculi together...


    Looking at it, it sounded like a bad joke.


    But, that wasn¡¯t the main cause of her depression.


    She could just do all these things when Siwoo came here, she knew that seeing his face would make her feel better.


    The problem here was the words that the Countess had told her, which deterred her from thinking about doing all these things with him in peace.


    ¡®Wouldn¡¯t it be better for you as well, as someone who loves Siwoo, if he were to have a close relationship with the future Countess Gemini?¡¯


    There was no malice in the Countess¡¯ voice as she said that, but she could feel her head turn cold, as if cold water had been splashed on it.


    So far, Sharon had only ever received things from Siwoo.


    He bought her food with his money, got her to live together with him in his house, and he even helped her to resolve her incomplete inheritance problem.


    Yet, there was nothing that she could even offer to him.


    She had a huge amount of debt and she was merely a 17th ranked witch.


    Even if she were to rise to the 20th rank now and became a proud witch that was comparable to her predecessor, compared to the heirs of the Countess Gemini, she was practically nothing.


    She had only ever been relying on Siwoo, there was no guarantee that she¡¯d ever pay back all the favor she owed him if she were to stay by his side.


    It wouldn¡¯t be her who¡¯d be of a great help to Siwoo later in the future, but the Gemini twins.


    ¡°...¡±


    Since that was the case, should she break up with him completely?


    Well, if that was truly what Albireo was trying to do, Sharon would definitely reject her offer without hesitation, but it wasn¡¯t the case, as she had only been leaving her with vague words.


    Also, just because she finally broke to the 20th rank, didn¡¯t mean she could utilize all those powers freely.


    As such, the safest path to take for her here was to take up on Albireo¡¯s offer, that way she also wouldn¡¯t need to completely rely and burden Siwoo anymore.


    If she were to take this path, at the very least she could stand side by side with Siwoo as his equal.


    ¡°What a joke...¡±


    Sharon let out a bitter smile.


    She had watched a bunch of dramas and movies where this exact same progression happened.


    Most of the time, the female lead would choose to give up her own happiness for the sake of her loved one¡¯s future.


    From the perspective of the audience, including herself, it was such a frustrating development.


    Like, what future would you need to be so worried about?


    The best course of action was surely to just stay with your loved one, or so she believed.


    But now that she was actually experiencing that kind of dilemma...


    She could understand why those female leads would take the opposite choice.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    As the night grew deeper, so was her /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 284: Interlude (6)

    Chapter 284: Interlude (6)


    1.


    At the highest area in Ars Magna Town.


    Up the mountain road, where oak and birch trees were planted on the small slope, at the end of the road, there was the Gemini Mansion.


    It was the residence of Countess Gemini themselves, and it was often referred to as ¡®Gemini Palace¡¯ by other witches.


    The reason for that was because the mansion occupied enough land for a small village, and with some tweak, the Geminis could even use the mansion as a five star lodging if they wanted to.


    It bordered the Ars Magna Lake to the east, and inside the mansion ground, there were four artificial ponds in total. That should give off enough estimation to how big the mansion really was.


    After passing through the main gate that would definitely intimidate its first visitors, one would be greeted with a magically cultivated garden that offered flowers in full bloom, regardless of the season.


    To get to the main building, which was also renowned for its beauty, one had to pass through the seemingly endless garden and a total of six fountains along the way


    When one were to open the front door to the main building, they¡¯d be greeted by the majestic-looking marble stairs and aesthetically pleasing ceiling that consisted of overlapping arches, just like a cathedral.


    The gallery, which was connected to the main entrance, was big enough to be used as a banquet hall. In the 6 m wide and 70 m long room, there were various paintings, sculptures and vases being showcased.


    But, the most amazing thing about this was the fact that all this spectacle didn¡¯t exude any ¡®vain¡¯ aura.


    Instead, it exuded such elegance that made all this show of wealth didn¡¯t feel snobbish at all.


    Even though the extent of the luxury the mansion showed reached every single corner of the mansion, even to the ivory carvings of the staircase.


    And, as one could expect, just by breathing in such a place would already make any average person to be all tense.


    However, one would feel more at ease if they were to go towards the annex up north.


    Originally, this place was used to be the main building, but nowadays it was used as the annex, so the management of the place was noticeably more lax.


    And this place was where the room of the apprentice witches, the lodgings, and the workspace of the over fifty employees of the mansion were.


    Considering how big the mansion as a whole was and how many people the Countess had employed, there was a lot of work to do, and by extension they also needed plenty of workspace to carry those works out.


    There was still room to prepare all the ingredients that needed more than a day''s time to make, like jam and soup stock.


    A pantry where they stored all their expensive plates and glasses.


    They even had rooms specifically for utensils made of ivory.


    There was also a larder where they¡¯d process their meat at and store various ingredients such as eggs, cheese, and butter.


    They also had a laundry room that was connected to the boiler room for both washing their clothes and ironing them.


    All the rooms that supported the busy daily life of the mansion were located in the annex.


    However, even that rowdy daily life quietened down considerably at night.


    Especially in the kitchen, the place where food was usually being prepared, they never turned on the lights at night in that room, except on the day before a festival or when there was a banquet going on.


    But tonight, even though it was already well-past 11 pm, there was a dim light coming out of the window of the kitchen.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Sis? Is there a problem?¡±


    Inside the spacious kitchen was Odile Gemini and Odette Gemini.


    Usually bickering, this time the twins were racking their heads together to accomplish the same goal.


    They were already aware that their dear Mr. Assistant would be coming to visit them soon since he had finished dealing with whatever trouble it was back in the Modern World.


    That in itself was already an exciting event for both of them, but they decided to take it a step further and show their sincere hospitality to him. So, they planned to serve him some handmade roasted guinea fowl.


    However, being born with a diamond spoon as they were, the twins had no clue whatsoever on how to cook.


    Their ambitious plan to serve Siwoo the best handmade roasted guinea fowl was already in shambles from the very beginning.


    ¡°Odette, hand me the recipe that Lena gave us.¡±


    ¡°I thought you already memorized it?¡±


    ¡°Just do it. I want to make sure.¡±


    At the very least, they prepared all the ingredients well.


    There was a large, fully trimmed guinea fowl in front of them.


    Originally, they planned to prepare the fowl themselves, but they still didn¡¯t dare to pluck the feathers off the fowl¡¯s body or take care of its intestines, so they ended up asking for Pecha¡¯s help.


    ¡°Thinly sliced black garlic, carrots, sage, ginger, celery, bay leaves...and rosemary. Those are the spices, next, butter...¡±


    ¡°Why are you doing this, Sis? We just need to follow Lena¡¯s recipe, no?¡±


    ¡°But, don¡¯t you feel that something is lacking?¡±


    Indeed.


    Worried that the twins might injure themselves, Lena had washed and peeled all the vegetables they needed.


    The oysters by themselves were tasty enough, but what if they were to add them to the fowl?


    A taste that was out of this world would be created.


    At the very least, the taste wouldn¡¯t be bad.


    Odile, who also liked oysters, though not as much as Odette, praised the novel idea that her sister had.


    After receiving such praise from her sister, Odette¡¯s nose was now raised up high.


    ¡°Ahem! Sometimes you need to open your mind to come up with something like this! Anyway, let¡¯s put in ten of them.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Odette washed the oysters¡¯ shell off the sawdust with water. She even brought an oyster knife to open their shells. After she was done cleaning them, she handed them over to Odile.


    But, they both still felt that all this wasn¡¯t enough.


    They were sure that there was something else that they could add to make their dish tasted better.


    ¡°If we were to put some oysters in it, won¡¯t we need something to get rid of the smell?¡±


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m thinking... Ah, why don¡¯t we add some lime or lemon in? That would fix the problem, no?¡±


    ¡°Right! Alright, wait for me, I¡¯m going to get some!¡±


    Their little cooking experiment became more and more unhinged by the second.


    If Lena was here, she¡¯d definitely grab the hems of their skirts to stop them from doing whatever it was they were doing at the moment, but she wasn¡¯t, so there was no one who could stop their rampage.


    One after another, new batches of ¡®tasty food¡¯ entered the fowl¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°What did we learn from our outing to the Modern World? You could do a lot with the correct amount of sweetness and saltiness!¡±


    ¡°Alright, should we add some honey then?¡±


    ¡°Hm... I think sugar would work better.¡±


    ¡°No, I think fruit would work better compared to sugar!¡±


    And so, they followed their pride to escape the confinement of the recipe and make a better dish.


    The twins, enjoying the sensation of becoming a great chef, kept on adding more ingredients after reasonably discussing what they should add.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting hungry just by thinking of it... Let¡¯s peel the fruits first¡ª! Huh? Odette, why can¡¯t I peel them?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t peel it then! We can take it out later anyway!¡±


    ¡°Fine. Well, they did say that fruit tastes better with its skin intact, didn¡¯t they?¡±


    With that, they cut some pear without peeling them.


    And added it into the fowl¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°Odette, don¡¯t you think the dish will be a little tasteless like this? We only used pepper and rosemary for the spice.¡±


    ¡°You got a point, let me think... Hm, why don¡¯t we add some cheese?¡±


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re on a roll today! Cheese is perfect!¡±


    They took out a large block of cheddar cheese that was stored in the larder and grate it.


    Then they added it into the fowl¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s done! But, while the cheese will add a rich taste to it, I think it still won¡¯t have enough taste. Why don¡¯t we add some cinnamon sticks to balance the taste?¡±


    ¡°Cinnamon sticks?¡±


    ¡°Yes! They go well with pears, no?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right! Way to go, Sis! You are also on a roll today!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just me every day, Odette.¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡±


    They kept adding various things inside the fowl¡¯s stomach to the point that it bulged out like a pregnant woman.


    Its insides kept on trying to spill out, making it a challenge for the two of them to seal them shut.


    ¡°This should be enough, right?¡±


    Odile pushed back the food that was about to spill out through the gap in their seal with her finger.


    ¡°This will be our perfect dish.¡±


    Odette applied more oil on the fowl¡¯s surface, turning it golden.


    Then, with excited hearts and confident expressions, the pair placed the large guinea fowl inside the /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 285: Interlude (7)

    Chapter 285: Interlude (7)


    1.


    The kitchen, which had previously been cleaned up by the Gemini Household¡¯s chef, was now in a mess, as if an earthquake had just occurred.


    With excited hearts and confident expressions, the twins placed the large guinea fowl inside the oven.


    ¡°Since we added more things compared to the recipe...let¡¯s roast it for twenty minutes more!¡±


    Odile, who had been changing the recipe as she pleased, glanced at the clock as she placed all the trash into the trash can.


    Meanwhile, Odette, who had been squatting in front of the oven, watching the red flame rising from beneath it, stood up while grabbing the hem of her skirt.


    ¡°Cooking is fun, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes! It feels like we¡¯re in an alchemy class!¡±


    ¡°Right, but it¡¯s way more fun than that! With alchemy, if things go wrong, it might explode, but it isn¡¯t the case with cooking!¡±


    The twins dragged two chairs for them to sit in front of the oven, waving their legs as they saw the guinea fowl being roasted to a golden brown color.


    Since it would be boring if they just stared at it without doing anything, they brought some wine with them.


    They shared a glass of wine with each other, as if it was their aperitif.


    ¡°Sis.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Odette?¡±


    ¡°You know, there¡¯s something that bothers me.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Sharon unnie.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Sharon unnie?¡±


    Earlier tonight, they received a message from Head Maid Galina that Sharon had regained consciousness.


    The twins knew that their household had been taking care of Sharon in the guest room for quite a while now.


    Back when they visited the Modern World, Sharon had been treating them as if they were her little sisters, and the twins also liked her.


    While she could be a little fierce and love to tease others, she was really kind, unlike other witches they had met.


    They would occasionally visit her in the guest room whenever they were bored, wondering ¡®Will she wake up today?¡¯ while sending her a gaze filled with concern.


    The twins thought that if she were to wake up, they could talk with her and ask her how their dear Mr. Assistant was doing


    ¡°What do you think of Sharon unnie?¡±


    ¡°Hm... I think she¡¯s pretty and kind. She must have helped with Mr. Assistant¡¯s loneliness too, so he should like her quite a bit, no?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Also, her chest is big.¡±


    ¡°It is. Even bigger than our masters¡¯...¡±


    Then, Odette decided to drop all the pretenses and said what she wanted to say.


    ¡°Do you think that... Mr. Assistant and Sharon unnie...have become lovers at some point?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡±Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com


    Odile¡¯s eyes, which originally looked bored, widened at her sisters¡¯ words.


    ¡°But, Sharon unnie said that they are just friends when we asked her, though!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she did say that she¡¯s living together with him in exchange for teaching him magic, but do you remember what happened back then, Sis?¡±


    ¡°Just tell me everything straight! I don¡¯t even know what you are trying to tell me!¡±


    ¡°When Mr. Assistant comforted Sharon unnie by hugging her and when I tried to go to them, you stopped me...¡±


    ¡°Ah...!¡±


    It was back when Duchess Tiphereth attacked Siwoo because of a misunderstanding.


    Seeing Siwoo and Sharon sharing a hug, Odile promptly dragged Odette to give them some space.


    Truth to be told, she wanted to be hugged by him too, but she decided that she wasn¡¯t ¡®the person he needed¡¯ at the time.


    Because she thought that what he needed was someone who he could always rely on, a friend who¡¯d always stay by his side.


    The problem here was that she thought Sharon and Siwoo¡¯s relationship wouldn¡¯t progress just because Sharon declared that they were just friends.


    This just showed how inexperienced the twins were when it came to the delicate relationship between a man and a woman.


    In fact, even though Odette was the first one to question it among the two of them...


    She only began feeling suspicious after she had a talk with Pecha, one of their maids.


    ¡°Could it be...they slept together?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense! You saw that they sleep in different rooms, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    By now, they already knew what it meant if a man were to sleep with a woman.


    Odette¡¯s bold assumption made Odile jump in surprise.


    She shook her head aggressively, trying to emphasize that such a thing shouldn¡¯t be possible.


    ¡°No, Sis! Listen to me first! So, I asked Pecha about this the other day and she said that even if they¡¯re friends, a man and a woman don¡¯t usually live in the same house!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why?¡±


    They found out that the sound came from the oven that had been warming their feet.


    The fowl they had roasted was a little bit too full.


    Some of the ingredients they put inside the fowl were filled with moisture. When those ingredients met the high temperature of the oven, the moisture turned into steam and that same steam tried to burst out of the fowl through the gap on the fowl¡¯s crotch that the twins had sealed with a thread.


    This created a strange sound, as if the fowl was crying in tears from the netherworld after seeing how its body ended up in this state.


    ¡°Oh no, what should we do?!¡±


    ¡°Quick, Odette, how much time before we can take it out of the oven?¡±


    ¡°Thank God, we can take it out now!¡±


    Odette hurriedly turned the heat off and waited for the noise to die down.


    After the intermittent explosion noise died down, the twins carefully opened the lid and checked the insides.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The fowl, which was supposed to showcase the twins¡¯ creativity to its fullest, managed to retain its shape, but the shape was the best thing about it. Overall, it looked disastrous. One couldn¡¯t even use ¡®appetizing¡¯ to describe it even as a flattery.


    With oysters sticking out of the fowl¡¯s crotch, the name ¡®Guinea Fowl with Oysters Straight from Hell¡¯ fit the dish perfectly.


    The pieces of cheese and vegetables amidst everything only added to its grotesqueness.


    At the very least though, the smell wasn¡¯t horrible.


    ¡°So...¡±


    ¡°So...¡±


    The twins glanced at each other, and...


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it first, Sis?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it first?¡±


    Immediately showcased their sisterly bond.


    Neither of them wished to be the taste tester of this spawn of hell guised as a food.


    ¡°No, I mean you worked so hard after all, Sis, you deserve this. From now on, I¡¯ll concede the leadership of whatever group we¡¯ll form in the future to you, so, make sure to eat a lot!¡±


    ¡°No, Odette, as the Head of the Culinary Research Society, you have the right and responsibility to be the first person who tastes the dish.¡±


    ¡°No, no, Sis, you see? I¡¯ve already decided to resign from my position as the Head of the Culinary Research Society. I¡¯ve realized the honor of being a head of an organization is worth nothing. You can wait for my resignation speech later in our room.¡±


    ¡°No, no, Odette, you got it wrong. Honor doesn¡¯t come from authority, it only comes when one is deserving of another¡¯s respect.¡±


    As they exchanged such words, refusing to back down...


    The door to the kitchen opened.


    -Thump, thump, thump!


    They could hear the sound of footsteps.


    The twins, who had been fighting, turned stiff, then let out a sigh of relief when they realized who it was that approached them.


    It was Lena, the one who had been helping them to prepare for the dish.


    ¡°Lena!¡±


    ¡°You scared me! Why didn¡¯t you knock first? I swear I thought it was Head Maid Galina who¡ª¡±


    Before she could continue what she was about to say, Odile¡¯s face turned pale.


    The reason was because the exact person she was talking about was right behind Lena.


    ¡°You look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost, Miss Odile.¡±


    Even though she was already over 60, the glint in Head Maid Galina¡¯s eyes still seemed extremely sharp.


    She swiftly moved to cut off the twins¡¯ escape route.


    ¡°S-Sorry... I-I really tried to hide it...¡±


    ¡°You said you needed the kitchen to make some jam, so I allowed you to use it. That was all a lie, hm, Lena?¡±


    ¡°I-I am sorry... M-Ma¡¯am Galina...¡±


    ¡°You will hold responsibility for this, but that could wait for tomorrow. Go back upstairs.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes... I¡¯m really sorry...¡±


    Lena glanced at the twins, as if trying to apologize to them with her eyes, then ran upstairs.


    The messy kitchen was reflected on Galina¡¯s round eyeglasses. She folded her arms in front of her chest.


    Although Odile had tried to clean it up, the place still looked as if it had gone through a war.


    The twins¡¯ thin shoulders trembled like twigs being blown by a strong wind.


    ¡°Now, will you two explain what happened?¡±


    ¡°¡°E-Eek!¡±¡±


    Like a pair of rabbits being stared down by a snake, the twins jumped in /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 286: Interlude (8)

    Chapter 286: Interlude (8)


    1.Finnd new chapters at novelhall.comelia Marigold was looking through the scenery etched deeply in her memory.


    It was a blurry scene, like a photo inside a dusty old album, but it was undoubtedly precious to her.


    Actually, considering how long she had been living for, it was a quite recent memory.


    However, the series of peaceful scenes she was reminiscing felt like a distant dream.


    Because for her, these scenes were something she would never get back.


    Once upon a time, the young Siwoo said that he was craving for kimchi, so Amelia took it upon herself to challenge the new dish.


    Cabbage, ginger, red pepper, salted fish and so on...


    She was unfamiliar with most of the ingredients because Gehenna favored western-styled dishes more, and she also had to go all the way to Border Town just to buy all the ingredients needed.


    But, she didn¡¯t feel bothered by that.


    She once held Siwoo back from returning to his hometown.


    Since he said that he missed the food from his hometown, she thought that she¡¯d take responsibility for that and make the food properly.


    She managed to buy a bunch of ingredients at once, but the problem was even Siwoo didn¡¯t know the exact ingredients needed to make the dish either.


    They ended up putting all of them inside a huge pot and boiled them. The result was an unidentified dish which taste couldn¡¯t even be described by even the most eloquent of poets.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, I thought I¡¯d make something tasty for you...¡¯


    After sipping her drink, the first thing that she said to him was to apologize.


    Because the strange soup thing that she made, with the unpleasantly sweet and spicy flavor, and had the smell of salted fish, couldn¡¯t even be considered a proper food.


    ¡®No, it¡¯s really good. It tastes the same as what I used to eat back at home.¡¯


    However, Siwoo kept on complementing the food, eating it heartily, to the point that he ate three people¡¯s worth of servings.


    Including Amelia¡¯s portion.


    ¡®Is...that...so...?¡¯


    Back then, hearing him saying that made her feel relieved.


    His actions, attitude and expressions, all suggested that she had succeeded in making the kimchi stew.


    She thought that the reason why it didn¡¯t taste good to her was due to the differences in their taste buds.


    But now she knew it wasn¡¯t the case at all.


    After reminiscing through the memory over and over again, seeing his eyes and observing his expression properly...


    It wasn¡¯t due to the differences in taste buds at all.


    In fact, it was clear that the dish didn¡¯t suit his taste at all.


    Yet, he still gulped through the poor excuse of a dish that she had painstakingly made.


    Even praising it, saying that it was tasty.


    2.


    A gust of wind blew.


    The night in the desert was cold.


    When the sun was up, the sand would heat up like a furnace, but as soon as it went down, the heat would dissipate as if it was a lie.


    Fine grains of sand, mixed with the gust of wind, brushed through Amelia¡¯s cheeks as she curled up with her eyes closed.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    Her long eyelashes trembled, revealing her beautiful sky blue-colored eyes.


    For a brief period, they looked unfocused, but after a few blinks, they regained their usual clarity.


    She looked around to find there was nothing around her.


    As always, dreams were just dreams.


    She wasn¡¯t inside that wooden cabin, but in the middle of a desert.


    The fine white sand reflecting the moonlight, as the moon shone fleetingly in the dry night sky.


    Carrying the kill list she received from Duchess Keter, Amelia was wandering around the most remote place in the Modern World.


    She had traveled through the North Pole without rest, killing four Homunculi in the process.


    Then, she continued her travel to a certain desert in Africa, looking for more targets.


    Not even once she stopped to eat or drink.


    In fact, she barely even rested.


    It was as if she was someone who couldn¡¯t survive unless she focused her mind on something, charging straight ahead without thinking about anything but to hunt her targets.


    When she got so tired that she couldn¡¯t move on, she¡¯d let herself collapse somewhere, take a nap, then continue the routine.


    At this point, what she was doing couldn¡¯t be considered as merely ¡®hunting¡¯ anymore.


    What she was doing was the equivalent of a monk, purposely walking in a thorny path to wash away their past sins.


    It was a reenactment of the time when her Master passed away, back when she was burying herself in magic research due to her grief.


    This time, it was no different.


    The reason why Amelia had passed out in the middle of the desert was because she was exhausted after triumphing over the Homunculus that lived there.


    Her spirit body was extremely durable, but it didn¡¯t grant her endless endurance or anything.


    The fatigue and stress had already piled up considerably and it affected her badly this time around.


    Because of her fatigue, the giant scorpion Homunculus that she faced managed to land a hit on her.


    ¡°Ugh...!¡±


    Feeling the pain in her left arm, Amelia¡¯s brows furrowed.


    ¡°P-Please...! From now on, I¡¯ll live quietly! I¡¯ll never make trouble for anyone again, so please spare me! I promise I¡¯ll compensate you!¡±


    There was one thing that Amelia had to consider here.


    If Amelia was actually as weak as her disguise was, the witch in front of her would definitely just kill her without even thinking twice.


    It was only after she was facing certain death that the Witch of Scorched Sand said all those words.


    Killing her wasn¡¯t difficult for Amelia either; Just a single flick of finger would shut her bloody mouth forever.


    Life would disappear from the witch¡¯s eyes and she wouldn¡¯t see her reflection on those pitiful eyes anymore.


    She could even turn the hand that was holding onto her hem, along with the rest of her body, into the sand that she was so proud of.


    It wasn¡¯t like the witch in front of her was an innocent witch anyway.


    She was a ¡®Criminal Exile¡¯, known for her madness and vile acts.


    However, it was still hard for Amelia to just emotionlessly kill someone of the same kind as her.


    Of course, this was a normal thing, as even the most arrogant witch would feel burdened morally if she were to commit fratricide like this.


    Let alone someone like Amelia.


    ¡°P-Please... L-Let me go just this once...! I-If I die, my brand will also disappear, s-so, let me bring up an apprentice witch at least...! A-After that, I-I¡¯ll quietly die by myself...¡±


    Seeing that the terrifying witch in front of her seemingly hesitating, the Witch of Scorched Sand begged even more pitifully.


    Meanwhile, Amelia could only bite her lips, unsure of what to do.


    It wasn¡¯t like she hadn¡¯t murdered anyone before.


    After all, she was the one who had turned Ea Sadalmelik into a pile of wildflowers.


    However, that was only because she was unable to control her emotion after seeing Siwoo¡¯s demise right in front of her.


    Her hostility towards the Witch of Aquarius was also at its highest back then.


    And she never gave any opportunity for the other witch to discuss about her remorse or whatnot, nor did she have the leisure or energy to.


    But...


    It wasn¡¯t the case this time.


    The witch in front of her realized that further resistance was futile, so she surrendered to her.


    Killing someone who couldn¡¯t harm her in the slightest would be a murder, not an enactment of justice.


    Is she telling the truth?


    If she really won¡¯t do any more vile acts, then couldn¡¯t I just let her live?


    Besides, she was right, letting her pass on her brand to an apprentice witch wouldn¡¯t be no different than killing her.


    She began contemplating. Rather than picking the hard answer to just kill her, she could just take the easy one and let her live.


    It wasn¡¯t like she wanted to kill her in the first place.


    Amelia truly believed that if killing Criminal Exile could truly be considered as justice, then someone else should just enact that kind of justice instead of her.


    But, this conflict in her heart gave birth to negligence.


    The witch had already gotten closer to her, wrapping her hands around her ankle.


    -Snap!


    Since she was in a daze, Amelia snapped her fingers in reflex.


    She thought the sudden touch was an attack from the other witch.


    ¡°Plea...¡±


    Just like that, the whole situation had ended.


    The seeds of mana that had already penetrated every nook and cranny of the witch¡¯s body, resonated with Amelia¡¯s mana.


    Using all the witch¡¯s mana and life force, they bloomed into pretty-looking flowers all at once.


    The Witch of Scorched Sand left the world without even being able to leave out a final message.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Amelia stared at the hands that were wrapped around her ankle.


    Compared to the rest of the witch¡¯s body, her hands were a distance away from the center of her body, so they remained intact, up to her wrists.


    Though, the rest of her body was filled with so much flower that Amelia felt if she were to remove the hands away, they¡¯d immediately be devoured by those flowers.


    It was only when she saw this that she realized.


    I killed her?


    The witch was someone she had to kill.


    In exchange for Siwoo¡¯s live, Duchess Keter demanded her to kill everyone in the kill list, including the Criminal Exile in front of her.


    She knew that if she didn¡¯t fulfill that deal, the Duchess might have just taken Siwoo¡¯s life again in retaliation.


    After all, she was Duchess Keter, someone who was fair and unrelenting, cold and merciless.


    She had no lenience to let anyone in the list off in the first place.


    ¡°Aaa...u...urgk¡ª!¡±


    But, despite all that...


    Her tears, that she thought she could no longer let out again, came rushing out of her eyes, accompanied by a nauseous feeling.


    Amelia held the hands holding her ankle.


    Then, she forcefully ripped them away from her.


    Still, the lingering sensation she felt in her ankle felt as if it would drag her down into the abyss.


    For a good while after that, she let out the content of the stomach onto the /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 287: Interlude (9)

    Chapter 287: Interlude (9)


    1.


    The Sahara Desert, which covered most of Northern Africa, was stated to be almost ten million kilometers square wide.


    Leave out the fact that due to the climate changes that resulted in desertification, letting the area to grow even wider, the desert was already almost as big as the United States.


    Obviously, the social and environmental infrastructure in the desert was extremely poor.


    Such a place naturally became a hiding ground for Criminal Exiles.


    Perhaps, if she were to just go in without any strategy whatsoever, Amelia would still be looking for the Witch of Scorched Sand now.


    Also, the reason why Duchess Tiphereth, who was famous for her strength, struggled to hunt for those Criminal Exiles was because they had been hiding in the most remote corners of such a harsh area.


    But Amelia had the kill list in her hand.


    Accompanying the Criminal Exiles¡¯ name in the list was their hiding spot, so she barely had any difficulties in her ¡®hunt¡¯.


    After she killed the Witch of Scorched Sand, she immediately moved around the desert and successfully hunted three other Criminal Exiles.


    ''I know I did something wrong, but you don¡¯t have to do this to me...!


    One of them struggled until the last moment, even hugging her heels to beg for her life.


    H-Hiii! S-Save me...!


    There was also one who immediately tried to run away as soon as she witnessed her strength.


    Nevertheless, she killed them all.


    Without a shred of hesitation, at least outwardly.


    Just like a snowball that had started rolling down a snowy mountain, refusing to stop for even a second.


    After crossing that line, there was no more hesitation in her actions.


    She was fully aware of the consequences of her own actions.


    To take another witch¡¯s life...


    It meant that she wasn¡¯t only killing the witch of the present, but also the ¡®hope¡¯ within them that had lasted for hundreds or thousands of years.


    And the weight of her actions was eating away her heart, like a poison.


    The reason why there wasn¡¯t a shred of hesitation in her actions wasn¡¯t because she couldn¡¯t feel any emotions from them.


    It was because her heart had been paralyzed by the guilt she felt.


    She had just gaslit herself into thinking that she became unable to feel anything, that was all there to it.


    ¡°I heard a witch is hunting both Homunculi and Criminal Exiles... Is it you?¡±


    And now, a witch was bravely accepting her death in front of Amelia.


    Her blonde hair that looked similar to withered herbs, caused by the nature of her own self-essence magic.


    She was the ¡®Witch of Poisonous Plants¡¯. With her lower body turned into flowers after her battle with Amelia, she leaned on the sand dunes, letting out a bitter smile.


    Though the battle only lasted for a short period of time, it was definitely a fierce one.


    Her previous fights with the other three Criminals didn¡¯t leave her with any scratches or injuries, but it wasn¡¯t the case at all this time.


    The physical and mental fatigue she had been carrying with her had finally taken their toll on her, letting the other witch to take advantage of it.


    ¡°Cough!¡±


    She let out one violent cough and got down to one knee.


    Dark red blood spread across the sand as she did so.


    The reason for this was because the Witch of Poisonous Plants¡¯ intangible poison had infiltrated her body.


    It was clear who came out victorious, though.


    As the Witch of Poisonous Plants had lost half of her body.


    Her tenacious spirit body allowed her to keep her life for now, but even if Amelia didn¡¯t do anything, the witch wouldn¡¯t last for more than ten minutes.


    As for Amelia, while she was poisoned, it wasn¡¯t anything fatal.


    Because her autonomous defense promptly prevented the poison from reaching any of her vital organs such as her heart, brain or her womb.


    Amelia got up, albeit with difficulties.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°From the rumors, I thought you would be a bloodthirsty young lady like Duchess Tiphereth, but you...¡±


    As she said that, Maylily, the Witch of Poisonous Plants, made an astonished expression.


    She had taken the lives of other witches for the sake of her magic before.


    Never did she forget about the resolve she made back then, that she might lose her life due to that act one day.


    But, this kind of end wasn¡¯t something she had expected.


    Her opponent, staring at her with a merciless gaze.


    She woulda thought that some contempt and pride would be mixed in that gaze as well, but that wasn¡¯t the case at all.


    Instead, what she was facing was a pitiful gaze, as if the other witch was holding back her tears.


    For her to be beaten so pathetically by a child who couldn¡¯t even make a proper resolve, she found this outcome ridiculous.


    Then again, maybe the reason why she had lost was exactly because of that expression the other witch made.


    Because that was the exact same expression she wore throughout their fight.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    At the self-mocking laugh the other witch let out, Amelia¡¯s body stiffened.


    Because she realized what the other witch was trying to say.


    Maylily¡¯s sin was killing three witches for the sake of magic.


    Amelia also did the same thing for Siwoo¡¯s sake.


    Both of them were willing to take another¡¯s lives for the sake of their own selfish purposes, to Maylily, they were both the same kind of person.


    ¡°No...!¡±


    Of course, Amelia didn¡¯t think so at all.


    Her words were merely shallow self-mockery and unfair accusation, given enough time, Amelia could come up with a whole essay to refute them.


    No, maybe that was just what Amelia had thought.


    Maylily probably was saying those words just because.


    Not because she wanted to mock herself, nor did she want to accuse Amelia of something. She was just saying it as it was what she truly believed from the bottom of her heart.


    ¡°...¡±


    But, before Amelia could find out the answer, Maylily¡¯s head was already lowered.


    Her body stopped moving.


    Except for the sticky red blood that dripped out of the corner of her mouth, no other movements were made.


    Even if Amelia were to rebuke her previous words desperately, she wasn¡¯t there anymore to listen to that rebuttal.


    That signed the end of their fight.


    It was Amelia¡¯s victory.


    However, even though Maylily lost, she ended up dying with a satisfied smile on her face, while Amelia only got to keep her life.


    She couldn¡¯t even tell if this was a victory or not.


    The rebuttal that she failed to utter became so twisted to the point that she came to second guess herself.


    And this wasn¡¯t something that Amelia could bear, considering her current mental state.


    Isn¡¯t this just a murder then...?


    If she were to only count the result, what exactly was the difference between her and the four witches she had killed?


    ¡°I...¡±


    Should I just end everything here?


    Give up everything and close my eyes peacefully like she did.


    If I were to do that, will this pain and suffering finally end?


    Suddenly, the mana around her moved.


    The particles that surrounded the area began to flicker like warning lights and surrounded her.


    When a witch reached the 15th rank, their magic and instinct merged into one.


    Amelia wished to end her life.


    So, her magic responded to that desperate desire of hers, even though it went completely against her survival instinct.


    She didn¡¯t try to stop the magic at all.


    I¡¯m tired.


    I just want to...rest...


    That was the only thought she had in her mind.


    ¡°WAAAIIIT!¡±


    At that moment, someone jumped through the torrent of particles with a loud voice.


    They wrapped their arms on her waist, as if they were tackling someone who was just about to jump off building with a full force. Both of them then rolled up on the sand due to the excessive force.


    Needless to say, this was a dangerous thing to do.


    Throwing one¡¯s own body to an unknown magic, one that was clearly had the capability to kill, was the equivalent to suicide.


    Laying down on the sandy surface, Amelia stared at the other person blankly.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    The other person was a young-looking witch.


    Her deep blue eyes that reflected Amelia¡¯s face were filled with concern. She had a tied up, auburn-colored hair that was long enough to reach her ankles.


    ¡°Good things will happen to your life eventually! So, cheer up!¡±


    She looked young, even for an apprentice witch¡¯s standard. It was as if she had just entered puberty, the age when an apprentice witch had just started studying the basics of magic theory.


    But, there was no way an apprentice witch would be able to break through Amelia¡¯s particle magic.


    ¡°Get the bad thoughts away from your head! Let¡¯s go to my place!¡±


    Amelia tried to say something, but the auburn-haired witch just grabbed her hand without her consent.


    She didn¡¯t know who the other witch was.


    Maybe she was one of the targets that was listed in the kill list.


    Whoever she was, Amelia didn¡¯t care.


    She followed the witch that had appeared so suddenly to her /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 288: The Twins and Sharon (1)

    Chapter 288: The Twins and Sharon (1)


    1.


    After the incident in Seoul had been resolved.


    Siwoo sent a message through Eloa to the Gemini Household that he¡¯d be visiting Gehenna soon.


    He heard that Sharon, who was in a coma due to the Drowned Witch, had already recovered, so he wanted to see her face.


    Of course he was also looking forward to the twins who had been itching to meet their dear Mr. Assistant.


    He also planned to visit Takasho, who was surely drowning in his loneliness without his friend by his side.


    And lastly...he had a few things he wanted to talk about with Amelia...


    Though, there was an unexpected situation that he had to deal with, so his coming back to Gehenna was delayed for a little bit.


    ¡°Ugh... This is really a problem...¡±


    On the desk in front of him was the ¡®Red Branch¡¯.


    Around it, magic papers with extremely complex magic formulas written on it, were scattered around.


    Recently, he had been putting all his efforts into controlling the Red Branch.


    His body had turned into a spirit body, so he didn¡¯t need to worry about dying of old age or anything, he also had become the first male witch.


    But, he didn¡¯t know what would happen to himself in the future, especially when his lifespan far exceeded that of a human.


    Even if he were to not indulge in his sense of justice, he still needed to prepare himself for the future. Just like a young man who was making preparations for his retirement one day.


    ¡°Ugh... Does this even make any sense?¡±


    Generally speaking, artifacts referred to an object that contained magic inside.


    For example, the music box that was able to play the Song of Silence, or the Janissary that the twins carried for self-defense.


    Meanwhile, a stronger artifact that contained magic on the level of self-essence magic or could be used as a catalyst for a ritual, just like Sharon¡¯s staff or the Red Branch, was called Mystic Code.


    To add more to the differences between the two, artifacts, even though they were rare, were still able to be mass reproduced given enough resources. Meanwhile Mystic Codes were pretty much the equivalent of a unique or a legendary item.


    Like they had always said, nothing in this world was free.


    Though he managed to obtain such a good item, Siwoo still couldn¡¯t even touch it after a long time.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know where to start with this thing...¡±


    Siwoo let out a sigh as he stared at the Red Branch that had been rolled up in his black ribbon, increasing its thickness to the level of a tree trunk instead of a branch.


    The reason why his coming back to Gehenna was delayed was exactly because of this Red Branch.


    Even though he had wrapped it thoroughly with the ribbons, its strong distortion field was still able to mess with the teleporter¡¯s coordinates.


    He didn¡¯t want to imagine what kind of disaster that would come up if he were to go to Gehenna like this, so he gave up on going and stayed back home to analyze the situation properly.


    ¡°I wish I could use this guy...¡±


    In short, the Red Branch was constantly emitting a distortion field, as if it was a nuclear rod.


    He could use Maiden¡¯s Loom, make adjustments to the ribbon so that he could somehow make the Red Branch ¡®carryable¡¯ but that was just a temporary solution.


    Because, though the process was rather slow, the distortion field was corroding the ribbons, little by little.


    That was why, even if he were to layer it up with a bunch of ribbons, he still needed to replace the ribbons at some point. Besides, there was a possibility that the distortion would leak through the ribbons.


    Now, if he were to be able to master this thing, he¡¯d be able to solve everything in an instant. Also, it would tremendously help his ¡®retirement plan¡¯.


    That was why he willingly struggled to find out how to control the spear...


    But of course, it wasn¡¯t as easy as it sounded.


    No matter how much he could see and observe the flow of mana, his knowledge about magic wasn¡¯t up to par for the task.


    Since the distortion field was on the level of self-essence magic, the difficulty of researching it was already sky high to begin with.


    And so, he was feeling the kind of frustration that one would feel if they were to acquire a unique item, but was way off from the level requirements to use it.


    ¡°How is it? Still not good?¡±


    At that moment, the door creaked open and Eloa stepped inside.


    Her ponytail, with a prettier shade of pink than the blooming cherry blossom in spring, shook from side to side.


    In her hand was a tray with coffee and some fruits.


    ¡°Thank you, Master. Also, this is a lot harder than I previously thought.¡±


    Siwoo got up, took the tray from her hand, then sat back down on the sofa.


    As he was busy occupying himself with his research, just like what was happening right now, Eloa was the one who¡¯d carry some snacks for him to eat.


    Eloa let out a warm smile as she looked at all the papers Siwoo had scribbled on.


    ¡°I wish I could help you, I really do. But anyway, why don¡¯t you move your body around. Being stuck here all day long will get you stuck in the rut, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    She was an excellent witch, there was no doubt about that.


    Now, it was different.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Unknowingly, Sharon held her breath.


    The twins were staring at her with calm, yet cold eyes.


    Those eyes, prettier than even the prettiest jewels, were clearly locked into Sharon, as they followed her movements from the moment she opened the door to the moment she arrived at her table.


    This was the exact same treatment they had given her back when they first found out that she was living together with Siwoo.


    Vigilance.


    Suspicions.


    Along with those two, mischief and dissatisfaction were also mixed in their gazes.


    Then again, this kind of treatment was something she had expected ever since Countess Albireo stated her intention to intervene in her heir¡¯s love life.


    If love was war, then Sharon was pretty much the twins¡¯ ¡®enemy¡¯ right now.


    Although the Countess didn¡¯t say it herself, there was a huge chance that the reason why she intervened in this war was because the twins had asked for her intervention themselves.


    But, she had nothing to be scared of anymore.


    After all, the twins were just apprentice witches.


    Meanwhile, Sharon had already reached the 20th rank after she completed her inheritance.


    Besides, despite their status as rivals or enemies in love or whatever, class was still class.


    She decided that she¡¯d need to take the initiative to make sure that the twins knew their places in her class.


    ¡°Hello, my name is Sharon Evergreen. From today onwards, I¡¯ll be in charge of teaching you the Elements Basics and the Applications of Elemental Magic.¡±


    However, despite her bold determination and chilly exterior, she was a weak-hearted person.


    Even now, her heart was pounding wildly and she couldn¡¯t stop it from doing so.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m glad you seem well.¡±


    ¡°Hello, it¡¯s nice to see that you¡¯re healthy.¡±


    The twins greeted Sharon with a perfect manner, as if they had planned this out beforehand.


    Their current attitude was completely different from the friendly pairs they were back in the Modern World.


    The subtle change in attitude immediately drew a sense of distance between them three.


    It made Sharon feel a little bit sad since she genuinely thought of them as close friends.


    But, Sharon didn¡¯t show it on her face as she grabbed the chalk and immediately started the class.


    Before entering the class, she had already planned out what it was that she would be teaching them and what kind of preparation that she¡¯d need to make.


    For apprentice witches, the most important thing in magic study was to strengthen the basics.


    Depending how far their mastery of the basics was, the speed of their understanding of magic when they inherited their brands from their masters would vary, that was why the basics were the most important thing.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be dividing the materials into twelve and we¡¯ll be covering everything for a year. Each week, I¡¯ll give you assignments based on what you¡¯ve learned for the day. Every month, I will hold an exam to see the depths of your understanding of the month¡¯s materials.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Instead of giving her a chance to continue the conversation, the twins only gave out short answers.


    ¡°Any questions?¡±


    The twins exchanged their glances.


    Without saying anything, they nodded to each other.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any.¡±


    ¡°...Alright, let¡¯s begin from the first chapter.¡±


    Sharon said, referring to the textbook and wrote down an elemental magic formula on the blackboard.


    First and foremost, she wanted to test the twins¡¯ skills.


    ¡°Miss Odile, would you please solve this problem for me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Odile sat up from her seat and walked toward the board.


    The tense atmosphere, just like a negotiation table for a ceasefire, continued throughout the class.


    /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 289: The Twins and Sharon (2)

    Chapter 289: The Twins and Sharon (2)


    1.


    ¡°Haah... That was rough...¡±


    After her first class was over, Sharon walked towards her accommodation while letting out a deep sigh.


    Autumn was coming to an end. Although the weather was definitely getting colder, there were beads of sweat on her forehead.


    Time passed by quickly, the class was over before she knew it.


    Not to say that it wasn¡¯t difficult for her to teach the twins, though.


    Since she had prior experience, thanks to her teaching Siwoo before, she didn¡¯t really have any problem on that part.


    The twins also had solid fundamentals¡ªmost likely due to their upbringings as the heir of a prestigious noble family¡ªso she didn¡¯t need to do anything special to teach them.


    There was no work-related issue for her to complain about, so the reason why she was so stressed wasn¡¯t because of that, but because of a more personal issue, her relationship with the twins.


    Throughout the class, they had been sending her stinging gazes towards the back of her head, making it feel all tingly, as if there was some kind of lump there.


    It was clear that the twins had drawn a line between them and her, not showing any gaps where she could cross that line by answering her questions with short and curt answers.


    Facing that kind of pressure, it wasn¡¯t a wonder that Sharon felt incredibly nervous.


    In the end, her plan to talk to them to get to know them better failed, and she ended up spending the whole session teaching them only.


    Though, if she were to be honest, this development was better than what she usually saw in K-dramas or movies.


    The twins didn¡¯t throw small lump of papers covered with their saliva onto the back of her head and the Countess didn¡¯t throw a bowl of kimchi onto her clothes either.


    Still, she couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed by this development.


    She really missed the cute twins who¡¯d go up to her while going all ¡®Sharon unnie! Sharon unnie!¡¯.


    For the first time in her life, she got to experience how scary a fight for one¡¯s love could be.


    As she moped like that, being all depressed, Siwoo¡¯s face came to her mind.


    ¡°Siwoo... I miss you...¡±


    Is the matter with the Drowned Witch over?


    I heard that something big happened in Seoul. You didn¡¯t get hurt, did you?


    Do you miss me just as much as I miss you?


    Her questions kept on coming.


    Though she had achieved her long-time wish of coming back to Gehenna, without Siwoo by her side, she felt empty.


    She opened the door to a villa inside the Gemini Mansion¡¯s grounds.


    It was a magnificent-looking three-story building that doubled up as both lodging and workshop.


    As soon as she entered the building, the candlesticks lit up on their own, a dazzling hallway, decorated with luxurious-looking furniture, compared to even the main building, greeted her.


    Housing prices in Seoul were ridiculously expensive, but compared to this one building, they were probably as cheap as dirt.


    He¡¯s going to visit Gehenna soon, right?


    Soon, I can see his face again...


    My happiness...if I can call it that...


    ¡°Haah... If only...¡±


    Unfortunately for her, there was that agreement she signed with Countess Albireo.


    To keep a distance between the two of them so that the twins could have a chance as well.


    That was the price she had to pay to be able to get a stable job, teaching the twins, and pay off all her debts.


    ¡°How am I supposed to do that even...?¡±


    The problem here was that unlike the agreement she signed ten years ago with the Countess, they only agreed to the current one verbally, and the terms were extremely ambiguous.


    It felt as if the Countess was leaving everything to her to decide how much distance was appropriate. Instead of feeling relieved though, Sharon became more anxious to the point that she asked for another meeting with her shortly afterwards.


    ¡®What exactly does keeping a distance entail...? Does that mean I have to treat him like a stranger, or...?¡¯


    ¡®Hm, I can¡¯t exactly decide that clearly, Miss Evergreen. I don¡¯t know the details between your relationship and Siwoo¡¯s. You¡¯re the one who knows best, so I¡¯ll leave it to your discretion¡¯


    However, even after the second meeting, the Countess still didn¡¯t mention how much distance was appropriate.


    She only drew a vague line that might as well not exist at all.


    If she had stated everything clearly like ¡®Doing this and that is okay, but sex is not allowed¡¯, then she¡¯d be more at ease and she¡¯d be able to make her move accordingly.


    ¡®That¡¯s too naive, Sis! You can¡¯t hold on to anything with that kind of thoughts! Sharon unnie is a potential danger for us! If we can¡¯t keep her in check, she¡¯ll eventually steal Mr. Assistant from us!¡¯


    On the other hand, Odette thought that such a passive attitude shouldn¡¯t be taken and instead, they needed to come out rather strongly, thus forming the pro-war faction.


    The twins had been arguing all night to discuss their future course of actions, but thanks to the atrocities that Sharon had done to them, they seemed to have come to an answer.


    ¡°I was right, wasn¡¯t I?¡±


    Since things were going completely in her favor, Odette¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as she voiced her words passionately.


    Her heated tone and clenched fists made her seem like some kind of freedom fighter.


    ¡°I told you, all big breasted women are foxes! Vera told me that even though they acted like they weren''t, those kinds of women are actually really possessive and get jealous easily!¡±


    Normally, when Odette insisted that her view was completely right like this...


    Odile would fiercely oppose her and went on about how wrong she was.


    But this time, Odile realized that her view was wrong and spoke out in a gloomy voice.


    ¡°Fine, I admit that you¡¯re right this time, Odile. Your logic is correct, I¡¯m sorry. I guess I was under the illusion that everything in this world is as beautiful as it looks like.¡±


    Odette placed her pretty little hand on Odile¡¯s shoulder.


    She wasn¡¯t trying to mock her sister or anything.


    Because she knew it wasn¡¯t the time for them to be divided, they had to stand tall together to face their common enemy.


    The reason why she placed her hand there was to console her trustworthy rival if anything.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel so down, Sis. Just like there are times when I turned out to be wrong, there are times when you turned out to be wrong too.¡±


    ¡°Odette...¡±


    Odile looked at her younger sister, who had grown into a mature young lady before she realized it, with moved eyes.


    Then, the twins shared a sisterly hug.


    ¡°Besides... It isn¡¯t like we hadn¡¯t done anything in today¡¯s class...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you did a good job planning this out!¡±


    ¡°¡®We¡¯ did a good job, not just ¡®me¡¯.¡±


    Today was their first class.


    So, Sharon definitely didn¡¯t expect that they¡¯d set a trap on her.


    Of course, this was something that Odette had actively pushed as the leader of the pro-war faction.


    She wasn¡¯t willing to take sole credit for it, though.


    Instead, she shared her achievements with Odile, her own rival.


    This made her older sister hold back her tears.


    After all, her younger sister, who had always trotted behind her, had grown so much before she even realized it.


    ¡°Hehe, okay. But, she really didn¡¯t notice it, huh?¡±


    So, what exactly was the trap they were talking about?


    ¡°There¡¯s no way Sharon unnie is able to notice it when even Baroness Marigold isn¡¯t for years.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    They simply exchanged places.


    During the class, Sharon had called out each one of them to solve something on the blackboard, but they never responded when their own names were called.


    To put it simply, when Odette¡¯s name was called, Odile was the one who came forward, and when Odile¡¯s name was called, Odette was the one who came forward.


    So far, they have been succeeding in this. Their goal was of course, to make trouble for Sharon.


    Even though this was something they had been doing for a while, they couldn¡¯t help but feel giddy when their ploy was actually working.


    ¡°Hehehe... Sharon unnie is completely clueless.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll proceed like this from now on, Sis!¡±


    ¡°You got it, Odette!¡±


    Of course, Sharon didn¡¯t even realize that she had been tricked, while the twins didn¡¯t even know what was the point of doing this kind of trick since no one would have noticed it anyway.


    Nevertheless, their first operation concluded with a warm handshake between the two /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 290: The Twins and Sharon (3)

    Chapter 290: The Twins and Sharon (3)


    1.


    Three days had passed since their class first started.


    To keep their rival in love, Sharon Evergreen, in check, the twins had successfully implemented the following policies.


    1) Be sure to make Sharon feel discouraged by showing her their mature appearance.


    2) Be sure to trouble Sharon every time by exchanging places.


    3) Be sure to make Sharon feel burdenful by staring at her during classes.


    They praised themselves for being able to consistently implement such policies, but...


    While they were talking just before going to bed last night, they suddenly realized something.


    A certain remark from Odette started it all.


    ¡°Sis, is it really going to make a difference if we¡¯re to keep doing this?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean, we¡¯re trying to keep Sharon unnie in check, no? But, showing off our mature appearance won¡¯t make her stop seeing Mr. Assistant. Staring at her during class will only make her think that we¡¯re paying attention to her class!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Up until this moment, the twins had been excited over the fact they had been ¡®doing things¡¯ and were completely side-tracked from what they actually were meant to do.


    This revelation made them unable to sleep for the night.


    In the end, they decided to spend the whole night discussing their future plans with half-opened eyes.


    ¡°Ms. Odile, Ms. Odette, it¡¯s time to wake up.¡±


    As usual, when it was time for them to wake up, Head Maid Galina came in with a sharp gait.


    Behind her, the four maids followed, immediately doing their set duties, such as opening the windows for ventilation, fixing the two young ladies¡¯ hair that had turned messy, and putting their slippers on their feet.


    ¡°Haam...!¡±


    ¡°Hoaaahm...!¡±


    ¡°I will read through today¡¯s schedule for you.¡±


    Due to their all-night long discussion, the twins were unable to open their eyes properly. As the maids were giving a briefing on their schedule for the day and combing their hair, they let out a loud yawn.


    After they were done washing their bodies, they¡¯d need to dress up and attend Mr. Kelvin¡¯s piano lesson in the morning.


    Next, they¡¯d have to attend their reading session that lasted until lunch.


    After lunch, Sharon¡¯s terrifying five hours class would start.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going to Tarot Town to repair some of our fireplaces and chimneys, so please follow Lena¡¯s instructions and abide by the rest of your schedule, Ms. Odile, Ms. Odette.¡±


    ¡°Hoaam... Safe trip, Galina!¡±


    ¡°Hoaahm... See you...¡±


    Once they heard that the Head Maid would be leaving the mansion, the eyes of Pecha, Lena, Vera and Masha, who was busy tidying up the room at this point, immediately lit up.


    Since their only supervisor would be away, this would be the perfect opportunity for them to talk with the twins and spoil them to their heart¡¯s content.


    ¡°Lena! Make sure to follow the schedule properly!¡±


    ¡°Yes, understood!¡±


    Seeing how Lena was already about to burst into laughter, Galina could only let out a deep sigh.


    2.


    The twins¡¯ bath time was part of their routine in the morning.


    Originally, they only needed an hour for it, but Lena boldly ignored the schedule, skipped breakfast time and extended the bath time to two hours.


    The reason for this was obviously to play around with the twins.


    Even if Galina wasn¡¯t there, there were still too many eyes and ears in the mansion, they couldn¡¯t just play around wherever they pleased.


    The twins also needed to consult the maids for their problems, so the extended bath time was a good thing for them too.


    ¡°Lena, I have a question.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please ask me anything, our dashing and beautiful Ms. Odile!¡±


    ¡°Me too, Pecha.¡±


    ¡°Yes, what is it, our sweet and cute Ms. Odette?¡±


    Lena and Pecha were both diligently applying some shampoo to the twins¡¯ hair, which were sitting on their bath chairs.


    With red faces, due to the comfortable message they were given, the twins recounted the problem that had been keeping them awake last night to the maids.


    Starting from the sudden appearance of Sharon as their rival and the things they had done to keep her in check.


    Then again, it completely made sense for her to keep her life. Clara wasn¡¯t an Exile, let alone a Criminal Exile. Her intervening in wars also wasn¡¯t because of her personal greed or anything of that sort.


    Her workshop, which she had called ¡®nest¡¯, was a cave located somewhere on a towering sandstone cliff in the middle of the desert.


    The place was large, but the interiors couldn¡¯t be called nice, even as a flattery.


    There were miscellaneous items scattered around, including various magic papers. Since the owner of the place barely even decorated it, there was sand all over the wall and floor.


    Even so, there was still something that managed to capture Amelia¡¯s eyes; The pile of gold bars that were lying around in the corner of the cave. Maybe they would weigh around a ton.


    At first, she actually dismissed the pile of gold, thinking that they were just some materials for alchemy or something.


    When Clara saw Amelia¡¯s eyes were drawn into the gold bars, Clara puffed out her chest.


    She looked so proud of herself.


    ¡°What do you think? I got a lot of those! These babies are the fruit of my hard work!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Too bad for her that the other person was Amelia.


    The door to her heart was closed due to her fatigue and disillusionment.


    She only nodded her head without showing much interest toward the pile of gold.


    ¡°You can sit over there, take a rest for a bit.¡±


    ¡°...Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Save your thanks! I¡¯m just happy that I found another witch after a long time!¡±


    Seeing that Amelia refused to respond to the joke she threw to ease the atmosphere, Clara left her at the table to make some tea.


    Meanwhile Amelia, who was half-dragged here, finally got a chance to cool her head down.


    Well, that didn¡¯t clear the problem that was ailing her heart, of course.


    Dark shadow still clung to her face, giving her a gloomy look.


    Not long after, Clara came back with a teapot, some cups and some madeleines to go with the tea.


    The tablewares she brought out were quite clean, which meant she had been storing them properly.


    She casually plopped down in front of Amelia.


    ¡°Go ahead, drink.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Amelia was in a daze.


    The aftermath of the torrent of emotions that she had experienced before coming here seemed to have paralyzed some of her brain functions.


    After she came here, she didn¡¯t say anything except three thank yous.


    ¡°You¡¯re really pretty, you know that?¡±


    As Amelia lifted her cup and moistened her lips for the first time in months, Clara said those words to her.


    She really was just saying what she had in mind.


    Beautiful blond hair, as if coated with gold, elegant sky blue sky that could steal one¡¯s breath away just by looking at them.


    Even among the witches who were known for their beauties, Amelia¡¯s appearance was unparalleled.


    Though she looked quite unkempt due to her lifestyle, it still didn¡¯t diminish her beauty.


    ¡°I¡¯d give out all my gold if I could be reborn with this kind of beauty.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Amelia didn¡¯t know how to react to those words.


    Besides, she was so tired that she only wanted to rest for now.


    Clara stared at her.


    She noticed that the witch in front of her was too tired to even hold a proper conversation.


    Then again, this was normal, considering that she was about to kill herself just a few minutes ago. It would be strange, or even dangerous if she actually became talkative in this situation.


    As she stared at Amelia, who was sipping her tea quietly, Clara quickly made a suggestion.


    ¡°If you go there, there¡¯s a bathroom. I drew the water from an oasis, you can wash your body there. Over there is a bed, you can use it and rest there if you want. You seem to be too tired to talk anyway, so let¡¯s do it later after you¡¯ve rested up.¡±


    ¡°...Okay.¡±


    ¡°But! I want you to promise me one thing! Stop thinking about bad things! You can tell me what¡¯s going on with you later, until then, just think of this place as your home and relax!¡±


    Amelia looked at Clara with a surprised look.


    Feeling a warm welcome she hadn¡¯t felt in a long time, she nodded her head a /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 291: The Twins and Sharon (4)

    Chapter 291: The Twins and Sharon (4)


    1.


    Though she was incredibly wealthy, Countess Lucy Yesod was just the second richest person in Gehenna.


    She made a fortune catering to affluent witches by running a lavish bathhouse resort that offered all sorts of entertainment, amenities, and accommodations in the rather dull world that was Gehenna.


    But that wasn¡¯t all she had done.


    With her amassed wealth, she expanded her business into the modern world, planning and constructing various amusement parks all around the world.


    Of course, since they shared interest in modern world businesses, it wasn¡¯t uncommon for both her and Countess Gemini to meet up.


    ¡°Sounds like a fair deal to me.¡±


    ¡°As fellow witches, we should understand each other well, right? So, why are those nobles in the modern world, so engrossed in their power struggles and material gains, suspicious of us?¡±


    ¡°My question exactly. The path we took may be different, but ultimately, we¡¯re still chasing the same goals, right? Us witches.¡±


    Albireo carefully arranged the copies of the contract that was sitting on her desk and placed them in an envelope.


    These documents outlined the collaboration between their noble families, detailing their joint venture to construct a large-scale theme park in Hong Kong that would be fully built at the end of the following year.


    Of course, the two witches weren''t really negotiating the fine details of their contracts.


    Instead, they only provided each other with necessary guidelines related to the project, and the two companies they owned would handle the execution of the project following the parameters that had been agreed upon those guidelines.


    That was why the actual topic of discussion between them wasn¡¯t really related to things in the Modern World, but matters pertaining to Gehenna.


    Lately, there had been certain rumors circulating around.


    The rumors claimed that Duchess Keter was no longer involved in the affairs of the Modern World. Of course, such rumors lacked any verifiable source.


    In fact, this was a recurring rumor that would pop up every fifty years or so, whenever the world turned somewhat peaceful.


    Whenever this happened, Keter would silence the rumor by punishing any witch who dared to confirm its veracity.


    But lately, things took a different turn.


    Even when the Cowardly Witch clearly caused a huge ruckus, the Duchess didn¡¯t make any move.


    There had already been reports of some Criminal Exiles¡¯ reckless business expansion and some Exiles trying to cause a stir, and she ignored them all.


    And so, both Countess decided to push forward a certain project they had been putting on hold in the meantime to sort out the chaotic situation in the witch society.


    Their plan was to set up a Witch Point that doubled as a theme park on Lantau Island in Hong Kong, where the influence of the Communist Party was minimal, to avoid them trying to get their grubby hands on their projects since they strongly opposed any kind of Witch Point¡¯s establishment.


    This was a responsibility that those bearing the title of a ¡®noble¡¯ should rightfully uphold.


    History had shown that whenever chaos erupted in the Modern World, it wouldn¡¯t be long before it crossed over to Gehenna.


    ¡°For the prosperity and glory of the Geminis.¡±


    ¡°And for the transcendence and sublimation of the Yesods.¡±


    After exchanging courteous remarks about each other¡¯s families, the two Countesses raised their glasses, doing a light toast.


    Feeling satisfied from their deal, the corners of their mouths were curved upwards.


    When their discussion was over, Albireo looked out over the watery terrace and opened her mouth.


    ¡°Speaking of, I hope that Miss Diana is still doing well.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see how she is when you see her.¡±


    The place where their meeting took place was inside a private villa in the Lavanna Grand Bath.


    To be specific, they were on a terrace, overlooking a wide outdoor pool.


    When they looked down, they could see an apprentice witch floating in the pool, which was shaped like a large crescent moon.


    Just like her master, Countess Yesod, she had ash-colored hair, which she tied up to a ponytail, and wore a bikini.


    Floating on a sunbed with a tube attached to it, holding a book in one hand and a bottle of alcohol beside her, it was clear that she was thoroughly enjoying herself.


    ¡°Haah...¡±


    Wrinkles formed on Countess Yesod¡¯s forehead as she let out a sigh.


    She had a beautiful appearance that fit her esteemed title of a Countess.


    As a Countess and a witch who had reached the 22nd rank who had achieved significant research results that were recognized by the Academy...


    And as a witch who had achieved everything she could in her lifetime as a witch, and was about to pass on her legacy, ¡®Lucy Yesod¡¯ only had one major concern...


    It was none other than her apprentice witch, ¡®Diana Yesod¡¯.


    ¡°Sometimes, I envy you to death.¡±


    Countess Yesod lamented, expressing her honest sentiments.


    ¡°Your twins always listen to their masters, unlike my Diana... Ugh, why is she so...¡±


    ¡°If you spend a day on a picnic with the twins, you¡¯d understand how ferocious they could be. If anything, I often wish those two are as well-behaved as Miss Diana.¡±


    Albiero responded with a wry smile, clearly able to sympathize with Countess Yesod¡¯s dilemma.


    Even after over ten years living together, the twins always left her feeling drained.


    ¡°The mysterious balance of the field, woven like an arabesque, the combination of those mysterious principles gave me the feeling of not only magical effectiveness but also outstanding aesthetic value.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°After reading such a high-level paper, I couldn¡¯t concentrate on the rest of my studies, so I spent the whole day floating around on the water, lost in thought.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    -Flip, flip


    Lucy kept on reading through DIana¡¯s analysis of the thesis until the very end.


    Seeing this, Diana reached out her arms and hugged her mother like a baby bird seeking its mother¡¯s warmth.


    ¡°I really admire you, Mom. I want to be a great witch like you.:


    ¡°...¡±


    Even Albireo, who was watching from behind, could see right through the obvious flattery.


    Let alone Lucy, as her face turned red.


    Like a mischievous imp, Diana whispered in her mother¡¯s ear, whose body remained stiff.


    ¡°Tonight after dinner, I¡¯ll take a walk for at least thirty minutes.¡±


    -Grit!


    Lucy tightened her grip on the paper that Diana had handed her.


    She lost it.


    Then again, Albireo could relate to her.


    If the twins were to try and pull something like that, she¡¯d definitely get them to write a ten page worth of self-reflection.


    ¡°...My baby...!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    However, things developed in a way that she didn¡¯t expect.


    ¡°Where did you get your smarts from, hm? Then again, the paper that you submitted a while back did cause quite a stir in the Jinri Jinmyeong Academic Society! Right, what do you think about this part? This is the influence and control of the field that distorts the concept of reality! What do you think of it?¡±


    ¡°Uh, right, this one...went over my head a little, but I¡¯ll definitely give it another look tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Good, good, keep it up then! Oh, my baby, you¡¯re just perfect! Look at you, your nose, your eyes, your lips, everything about you is cute! Mommy is so proud of you, Diana!¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah, I¡¯m also proud of you, Mom...¡±


    Lucy opened her arms wide and hugged Diana tightly.


    Meanwhile, Albireo was watching this passionate mother-daughter bonding, though they looked like they were sisters, with her mouth half-open.


    She knew that leaving her mouth like this couldn¡¯t be considered a dignified act, but she really couldn¡¯t help it.


    ¡°Alright, come over here. Sorry for getting mad for no reason... Sometimes, Mommy just lost her patience, you know?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mom, I know you did it because you care about me.¡±


    ¡°Mommy loves you more than anything in this world...¡±


    ¡°I love you too, Mom.¡±


    At that moment, Albireo saw the corners of Diana¡¯s mouth curling up slyly while she was settling herself in Lucy¡¯s arms.


    But when she noticed her stare, Diana immediately wiped that smirk off her face.


    I¡¯ll pretend that I didn¡¯t see it.


    Anyway, that explains everything.


    Now she knew why Lucy never managed to change Diana¡¯s bad habits.


    Aside from being the second richest person in Gehenna, she was also a complete pushover when it came to her daughter.


    ¡°My genius baby, what do you want to eat today? Mom will buy it for you.¡±


    ¡°I want those snacks you bought from Border Town before.¡±


    ¡°Doritos?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Those.¡±


    ¡°If my baby wants it, I¡¯ll get it for you! I¡¯ll hurry up to Border Town now, take care!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Get me the Nacho Cheese flavor, please!¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡±


    After Diana casually specified the flavor she wanted, Lucy practically skipped towards the portal.


    Meanwhile, Albireo could only watch her disappear, as it seemed like she forgot that Albireo was even there.


    Calling her a doting mother isn¡¯t even enough at this stage. She¡¯s a complete sucker for her daughter...


    She secretly /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 292: The Twins and Sharon (5)

    Chapter 292: The Twins and Sharon (5)


    1.


    If you know your enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.


    That well-known quote wasn¡¯t just about fighting on bloody battlefields.


    Like any other battle, love also left its marks on everyone involved, in the form of hidden wounds and unchecked passions. This was the truth that the twins had learned from their maids.


    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day for today¡¯s lesson.¡±


    The tight schedule made every class feel like they were squeezing oil from a dry olive.


    As usual, Sharon assigned them homework before preparing to leave the nerve-wrecking classroom.


    The twins, now accustomed to the pressure, didn¡¯t flee like they used to.


    Instead, it was Sharon, who sensed the upcoming trouble, like an animal detecting an approaching storm, who felt the pressure.


    And so, she quickly got up from her seat.


    ¡°Miss Evergreen.¡±


    Too bad for her, Odette¡¯s call stopped her in her tracks right before she could leave.


    She recalibrated her trembling gaze before turning around.


    ¡°Do you have any questions?¡±


    Perhaps due to tension, her voice came out cold like ice.


    But the twins were undeterred, they spoke up confidently.


    ¡°With all these classes, we haven¡¯t had a moment to catch our breath.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and we barely have off-time, so we haven¡¯t had a proper chat with you, Sharon unnie.¡±


    Sharon unnie?


    She heard those two words before.


    Hearing their current tone, Sharon was delighted, since it seemed like they were finally trying to get closer to her.


    In fact, she had been feeling somewhat stressed. She even doubted her delicate self would be able to keep this up for five years.


    ¡°R-Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes! We don¡¯t have anything planned after this class!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d love to treat you to some drinks if you¡¯re okay with it, Sharon unnie!¡±


    ¡°We can get you some good wine!¡±


    Sharon pretended to hesitate for a moment before nodding.


    ¡°Alright. Let me put this away first and I¡¯ll be right there. Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°No need to, it isn¡¯t far.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s right there.¡±


    Feeling somewhat perplexed by their answer, Sharon followed the twins and soon realized.


    They were right, they didn¡¯t need to walk far.


    Their destination was a carriage that was parked right in front of the classroom, that was where they¡¯d be having their wine party at.


    ¡°Come on in.¡±


    At first, Sharon thought, ¡®Are we going to drink inside the carriage?¡¯.


    Once the door was opened, that question of her was immediately answered.


    The carriage looked fancy enough on the outside, with detailed bird carvings on the door, but the insides were something that surpassed even Sharon¡¯s wildest imaginations.


    A spatial distortion spell had been casted on the carriage, allowing it to break the laws of physics regarding space.


    Furthermore, to support the interior space that was easily as big as a decent salon, they applied a weight manipulation spell.


    This carriage was a product of a mix between magical artifacts and engineering, showing Sharon the capabilities of the Gemini Household.


    ¡°Come on in!¡±


    Encouraged by the twins¡¯ excited gestures, Sharon stepped inside.


    -Thud!UppTodated from no?/v/e/lb(i)n.c(o)/m


    Then, the door shut behind her.


    The twins quickly went to do their things; Odile getting a bottle of wine ready and Odette setting out some simple snacks like cheese.


    Before Sharon knew it, the small drinking party set up was done on the table in the middle of the couch.


    ¡°The Geminis really know how to impress, huh?¡±


    ¡°Sharon unnie, this place is completely isolated, so you can say whatever you want!¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Let¡¯s forget about everything and have a good time!¡±


    ¡°Oh, can I really?¡±


    ¡°¡°Yes!¡±¡±


    With the twins approaching her, as friendly as ever, Sharon nodded her head.


    Before she knew it, they were opening a bottle of wine.


    The wine they had in their hands was different from the usual factory made wine. It was handcrafted by skilled wine artisans from Gehenna, and every step of the process was meticulously done, so its quality couldn¡¯t be doubted, even if she wanted to.


    They poured the wine into the glasses without filtering the sediments separately, giving it a lovely jewel-like color.


    ¡°This one is a 72-year-old wine made from the Mendell Hills¡¯ grapes!¡±


    ¡°We saved up our allowance to buy it!¡±


    ¡°Also, we bought three whole bottles of it!¡±


    But, I thought wine from Mendel Hills was worth as much as the annual salary of an ordinary citizen?


    And they bought it with their own allowances?


    This fact and the luxurious carriage she was in, made Sharon painfully aware of the gap in their wealth.


    Perhaps due to her low self-esteem, this fact lingered heavily in her mind.


    ¡°Cheers!¡±


    ¡°Cheers!¡±


    In that instant, the atmosphere turned chilly.


    The twins felt like they had been stabbed in the heart.


    They made the exact same reaction and expression to those words.


    Their eyes widened and their mouths dropped at the same time.


    Frozen in shock, Odette stuttered out a response with trembling jaws.


    ¡°S-S-Sex...?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Did you not hear me the first time?¡±


    Seeing their reaction, Sharon couldn¡¯t help but smile inwardly.


    Actually, there was a little misunderstanding between Sharon and the twins.


    Their somewhat hostile attitude added to their confusion.


    The thing was, seeing Albireo¡¯s extravagant and outrageous payment, Sharon simply didn¡¯t believe that her goal was only to ¡®give the twins a chance to get a good partner¡¯.


    So, she assumed that the Countess¡¯ involvement was due to the twins¡¯ request.


    In such a situation, she figured that she couldn¡¯t just sit back and endure if the twins were to tease her or pressure her about her relationship with Siwoo.


    Meanwhile, in the twins¡¯ case...


    They seeked help from their maids to navigate through this complicated and perplexing situation.


    The conclusion they managed to reach after considering everything carefully was to first ¡®clarify the nature of Sharon and Siwoo¡¯s relationship¡¯, since ¡®there wasn''t sufficient evidence¡¯ at the moment.


    Just because Sharon gave them a lot of homework and kept them busy in class didn¡¯t mean that she was being ¡®hostile¡¯ to them.


    So, them setting up this drinking party wasn¡¯t because they wanted to keep her in check or anything.


    They were simply trying to gauge the situation to understand everyone¡¯s position.


    But at the same time, they felt suspicious over the matter with their assignments and packed schedule; They thought that Sharon was trying to control their free time with that.


    So, they threw out a little ¡®kitty punch¡¯ of their own to see how she¡¯d react.


    But instead of playing along with them, Sharon unleashed a surprise backspin elbow that sent them reeling.


    The twins were stunned by the shock they received to the point that their tongues went numb.


    However, they quickly regained their composure.


    Without even exchanging glances, they managed to realize something.


    She is our enemy who¡¯s also aiming for Mr. Assistant!


    ¡°Ah, I see... Well...¡±


    Odile shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, her voice trembled as she suppressed her anger.


    The tension in the air grew more palpable, just like the flow of liquid nitroglycerin.


    ¡°Since Sharon unnie is kind enough to be frank with us... We¡¯ll share a secret with you.¡±


    ¡°S-Sis...! T-That¡¯s...!¡±


    Still retaining some sense, Odette hurriedly tried to stop Odile, but it was too late.


    Her sister had already crossed her arms, gesturing towards the couch where Sharon was seated.


    ¡°On the couch you¡¯re sitting on right now, Sharon unnie, Mr. Assistant took my first. Hehe, what a nostalgic, steamy moment that was...¡±


    ¡°W-What...?¡±


    Such was Odile¡¯s retaliation.


    It genuinely felt like she was receiving a dropkick on her head for Sharon.


    But then she realized that there was one big flaw on her claim.


    The fact that she was an apprentice witch.


    If they had sexual intercourse, their bowls would be damaged, so there was no way that they had actually done that.


    Now that she realized this fact, Sharon let out a victorious smile and crossed her legs.


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    ¡°What? Do you think I¡¯m lying?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You¡¯re an apprentice witch, after all.¡±


    ¡°Sis, no! Yes, she was lying!¡±


    Them doing such things with Siwoo was a secret between the three of them only.


    It was a dangerous secret that even their masters didn¡¯t know about.


    Such information was too risky to be used to win a petty fight.


    Because if things went wrong, Sharon could just reveal this fact to their masters.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    Odile also seemed to have realized it.


    Biting her lip, she pushed the words that had risen to the tip of her tongue back down.


    The atmosphere of the place changed, making it felt like it wasn¡¯t the spacious and luxurious interior of a carriage anymore.


    Instead, it felt as if this was a narrow cage with three feral beasts inside.


    ¡°Too bad. I really wanted to be close to you, Sharon unnie.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    Throughout that exchange, Sharon and Odile had been glaring daggers. At one point, they reached for their wine glasses at the same time and chugged them down without saying a word.


    Then, with a bang, they slammed the glasses down.


    ¡°I will never give up on Mr. Assistant!¡±


    ¡°M-Me too!¡±


    Odile declared coldly as Odette chimed in with determination afterwards.


    ¡°Me too! I won¡¯t just stand around and let you two do whatever you want!¡±


    At that moment, the unseen Cold War between Sharon and the twins erupted into an all-out /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 293: Coming Back (1)

    Chapter 293: Coming Back (1)


    1.


    The feeling of going through a portal was like getting motion sickness on a turbulent airplane ride.


    Though Siwoo could handle even a plane crash as long as he stayed calm, the sudden dizziness he felt upon crossing the portal overwhelmed him, causing him to collapse.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    As a groan escaped his mouth, Eloa gently tapped his back.


    ¡°Are you okay, Siwoo?¡±


    ¡°I...still can¡¯t get used to this...¡±


    ¡°Well, they did say that those with a strong affinity for mana tend to feel dizzy when crossing over.¡±


    ¡°But, you seem completely fine, Master.¡±


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯m not weak enough to show a pathetic sight in front of my own disciple.¡±


    He took Eloa¡¯s outstretched hand and stood up.


    Compared to the power she possessed, her hand was incredibly soft.


    Raising his head to survey his surroundings, Siwoo¡¯s gaze fell upon a familiar sight.


    The lounge of the immigration office.


    This was the platform that linked the Modern World and Gehenna, allowing travel between them.


    I think this is my second time coming here.


    Really thought I would never see this place again.


    Nostalgia washed over him as he caught the distinct smell of Gehenna, the scent he had grown accustomed to after five whole years living here.


    The air was pleasantly cool, though slightly humid due to the light drizzle falling. There was no smog nor dust here.


    As he tried to focus, he felt the witches¡¯ intense stares as they stopped doing whatever it was they were doing to look at him.


    The attention he received was a little overwhelming to him.


    If they were just staring at him, he could handle it somehow, but those witches were all covering their mouths with fans or hands, staring at him with their eyes wide open.


    Then again, the famous Duchess Tiphereth showed up at the immigration office with a guy. It was natural for them to react like this.


    ¡°...Why don¡¯t we find another spot?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that might be a good idea.¡±


    Wearing a wry smile, Eloa guided Siwoo to the exit of the immigration office.


    And so, they faced the familiar, yet unwelcome scenery.


    Cargo ships, coming and going from the harbor through the giant gate, was all the thing they could see through the coastline.


    Amidst the dispersing drizzle, men in raincoats were busy moving those cargo.


    The sight of containers being unloaded from a modern cargo ship by magic and then transferred into carriages was quite the spectacle.


    ¡°Hurry up, you lazy bastards!¡±


    As they heard that voice, a sharp crack of the Overseer¡¯s whip echoed behind the slaves, who were practically in their underwear, carrying the loads.


    Seeing this scene brought back an old memory for Siwoo.


    When Amelia was on the verge of killing a slave, he stepped in to intervene.


    Little did he know back then that these slaves were death row inmates that were sent here by treaty between various nations...


    Most countries had a relatively clean punishment system where they didn¡¯t hand down death sentences for minor offenses.


    While in developed countries, there were many cases where they sentenced someone to death, but never actually carried out the execution, only ended up wasting taxpayer¡¯s money.


    ¡°I need to meet the immigration officer for a moment, will you be okay on your own?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, go ahead and do what you need to do.¡±


    ¡°If an unfamiliar witch starts talking to you, don¡¯t just follow her around. Also, hold back on the snacks, I¡¯m planning to cook something to celebrate our return to Gehenna.¡±


    Siwoo made a promise to Eloa as they crossed the center of the dock, interlocking their pinky fingers, just as they always did.


    Surprisingly, he wasn¡¯t attracting as much attention as he did back at the immigration office.


    Only a few people glanced at him to take a look at the large object he carried on his back; The Red Branch that he wrapped with his black ribbons.


    But then again, even Larissa, the woman who backstabbed Siwoo, and Fyodor, the guy who was turned into a mackerel, never made much fuss about other people¡¯s appearances. They said that ¡®smugglers¡¯ preferred practical, comfy, earthly attire.


    That was why his outfit didn¡¯t feel out of place here in Border Town at all. With his eyepatch on, it felt like he was someone working in that field.


    ¡°This place is the same as always...¡±


    The sight of smugglers gathering together while puffing on their cigarettes...


    Houses with panels on their roofs, clustered together in the distance...


    Merchants grappling in a fight over bargains at the Meeting Point...


    And witches, confidently striding with their chins held high as they went about their business.


    ¡°Ah, that should be it, huh?¡±


    In the distance, he spotted the Cloud Mushroom Village, the village that Sharon had destroyed in the past with her massive tree.


    It was also the place when he almost spent a night with Amelia at Sophia¡¯s villa.


    He could also see the Coiled Serpent Inn, the place where Larissa¡¯s gang tried to kidnap Amelia in the distance...


    Suddenly, a wave of memories about his crazy escape plan to escape from Gehenna came rushing in like a flood and his mood shifted immensely.


    Back in the Modern World, he had been focused on things that happened there, so he never really thought about Gehenna all that much.


    ¡°Is that necessary? Why don¡¯t we just book a room at a nearby inn. Oh, if you have urgent matters, feel free to head straight to the inn, I want to explore a little more.¡±


    ¡°Okay, sounds good to me.¡±


    If one of them had an urgent matter, they could simply run there without needing a carriage.


    But there was nothing urgent for either of them, and Siwoo definitely didn¡¯t want to ignore his master¡¯s request to look around a little more.


    Though she didn¡¯t show it much, Eloa was still recovering from the intense fight she had the other day.


    The two of them made their way through the drizzle to the ¡®Coiled Serpent Inn¡¯, the largest inn in the vicinity.


    He didn¡¯t want to stay here despite that, though, because he didn¡¯t exactly have good memories with this place.


    But what could he do when the other inns were fully booked.


    As always, the accommodations in Border Town were bustling with activity.


    ¡°It seems like a lot of people are stuck here because the portal is down.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The immigration officer said that many witches returned to Gehenna from the Modern World due to all the turmoil out there.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why there are a lot of them here...¡±


    The inn didn¡¯t change from the last time he came here.


    It was a three-story building made of brick with a wooden interior.


    The first floor had a bar that sold both drinks and food, while the second floor and above were where the lodgings were at,


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing else around here... Then again, I don¡¯t remember the place being that fancy...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, when I was out hunting, sleeping under the stars was common for me. If anything, having a bed to sleep on is a luxury.¡±


    Siwoo hesitated for a moment before opening the creaky wooden door and taking a step inside the place that he didn¡¯t have fond memories of.


    In that instant, noise rushed in, as if someone suddenly cranked up the volume on the speaker while watching a movie.


    The air was thick with the smell of stale cigarettes and alcohol, to the point that he actually felt dizzy.


    ¡°You''re gonna lose all those shit tonight.¡±


    ¡°If I lose then I lose, what do you care?¡±


    He also noticed some gamblers subtly engaging in a battle of nerves at the bar.


    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s the end of the world, I tell ya.¡±


    ¡°Smuggling some booze in will get even harder then, ugh.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell¡¯s bringing in trashy shit like Dom Pe?rignon these days, huh?¡±


    ¡°I heard there¡¯s a new bar in Lenomond Town.¡±


    He also saw some merchants huddling together, reading ¡®Canards¡¯, the closest thing the Border Town had to a newspaper.


    ¡°Try this! It¡¯s a sweet and tasty tropical fruit!¡±


    Suddenly, a young boy with a pineapple strapped to his waist shouted those words, offering slices to anyone who¡¯d take one.


    ...I swear I¡¯ve seen that somewhere before.


    In any case, things were similar to back when he last visited.


    The only difference was that there were five or six witches sitting in a row in the corner of the bar.


    With this level of noise, one¡¯d think they¡¯d cause a commotion here, but they were all focused on their own tasks, not paying any attention to their surroundings.


    In any case, it really seemed like they were more witches in Gehenna now.


    At the very least, there were enough of them to fill even this shabby inn (by their standards, of course).


    ¡°...Oh.¡±


    But, the moment Siwoo and Tiphereth entered, the situation changed dramatically.


    Unlike the ordinary citizens who barely gave them a glance, the witches immediately fixed their gazes on them.


    The bored and annoyed expressions on their face completely vanished.


    Replaced by astonishment, curiosity, and inquisitiveness.


    They looked like fangirls who just spotted their idol in a public place.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m with you.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, I¡¯m not really worried.¡±


    Eloa subtly comforted Siwoo by lightly touching his back.


    After paying the innkeeper, Eloa went to the counter and settled the bill for a day¡¯s stay, including breakfast, then she went together to the second floor with Siwoo.


    Meanwhile, the witches watched the two of them go upstairs.


    Before this, they had been sitting separately, but after those two were out of their sight, they got up and gathered together.


    There was no way that they¡¯d pass up this bewildering situation without discussing it.


    ¡°W-What did I just see?¡±


    ¡°That was Duchess Tiphereth, right? The one next to her is the famous male witch then?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re coming here?¡±


    ¡°I think they only booked one room.¡±


    ¡°Oh my goodness, could it be...?¡±


    For a good while after that, the witches talked to each other, trying to interpret the unbelievable sight they had just /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 294: Coming Back (2)

    Chapter 294: Coming Back (2)


    1.


    At that moment, Siwoo realized how natural it felt like for him and his master to share the same room.


    Perhaps because they had been living together in the same officetel room for a while now turned this into a habit.


    Feeling that the first floor was too crowded, he asked that their meals be brought up to their room.


    He felt like he wouldn¡¯t be able to digest the food properly if he were to take in all the burdensome gazes from those witches earlier.


    The room was a double suite with two single-sized beds.


    Well, it was a stretch to call it a suite...


    Then again, the buildings in Border Town generally looked more run-down than those in Tarot Town.


    This room alone screamed old-fashioned.


    Despite having a fireplace and a makeshift bathroom created with magic in the corner, the room still felt shabby.


    ¡°This room isn¡¯t that bad.¡±


    But, it seemed like his master didn¡¯t seem to care much about it.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Uh, well, I can make do with this level of comfort, I guess.¡±


    Having lived well in practically a hamster cage for five years, Siwoo could sleep anywhere as long as he didn¡¯t need to deal with bugs.


    They pulled up a table, finished a quick dinner while sitting on their respective beds, using them as chairs.


    With drinks accompanying their meal, they naturally started talking to each other.


    ¡°Staying in a place like this sometimes makes you feel nostalgic, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right, Master. It has this unique old-fashioned feel to it, I¡¯m enjoying it quite a bit.¡±


    The chilly weather, adding the drizzle to it, matched the atmosphere.


    Looking tired, Eloa sat comfortably by the fireplace, accepting the drink Siwoo offered.


    He finally asked something he hadn¡¯t because he had been so focused on controlling the Red Branch.


    ¡°So, Master... What¡¯s your plan from here on out?¡±


    ¡°Hmm... I haven¡¯t paid all the prices yet, so I need a good rest until I¡¯m fully recovered.¡±


    In the previous battle, Eloa had used up too many covenants at once.


    Thanks to that, she needed a month or two to recuperate.


    ¡°After that... I¡¯ll carry on with what I¡¯ve been doing...¡±


    To her, Ravi¡¯s last words were not just a simple will.


    It also wasn¡¯t a simple promise, but a covenant she had to fulfill.


    She vowed to honor it.


    To protect those who¡¯d die in ignorance.


    Purge the impurities that befoul the world.


    She¡¯d continue her journey, to hunt for Homunculi and Criminal Exiles.


    However, this time, things would be different.


    The burden of guilt that had been ailing her, driving her into a cycle of meaningless penance, was gone.


    This newfound realization filled her heart with gratitude towards Siwoo.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it, please.¡±


    Siwoo understood her situation and he knew he couldn¡¯t stop her, well not that he thought he should.


    However, though he was aware of her strength, he had seen her in a dire situation up close.


    If he hadn¡¯t stepped in then, she would have been in serious danger and lost her life.


    Eloa smiled softly at Siwoo, who was looking at her with eyes filled with concern.


    Her pink eyes flickered along with the flames that came from the fireplace.


    The gaze of a disciple that was worried about his master, and the gaze of a master staring lovingly at that disciple, met.


    ¡°You worry too much¡ª¡±


    However, the tender moment between them was abruptly shattered by a sudden noise.


    Said sudden noise...


    Came from the next room...


    ¡°Haah! Ohhh! Right there! That feels great~!¡±


    ¡°Of course it is, look at you, you¡¯re this wet already, you sly little kitten!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t because both of them had extraordinary senses that let them hear those voices.


    But because the Coiled Serpent Inn¡¯s building, as the name suggested, was a wooden one constructed in an old architectural style.


    In other words, its soundproofing was practically non-existent since there were only log walls that separated the rooms.


    ¡°...You...worry too much...¡±


    Eloa tried to continue the conversation while ignoring the noises, but it turned futile as another timely interruption came from the neighboring room.


    ¡°Ohhh~! Right there! Ahh...! There...!¡±


    ¡°Do you like it here? Spread it wider then.¡±


    ¡°How can I¡ª Haaang...!¡±


    Eloa was about to open her mouth to diffuse the situation, but she ended up shutting her lips like a clam.


    Unable to meet Siwoo¡¯s gaze, her eyes darted away involuntarily as her pupils trembled greatly.


    Of course, Eloa wasn¡¯t the only one who felt embarrassed.


    Siwoo¡¯s body was frozen stiff due to this awkward situation.


    He had assumed they were just a happy couple when he heard their laughter during dinner.


    Never did he expect that they¡¯d be having this kind of...provocative...conversation.


    But Siwoo wasn¡¯t the naive boy he used to be.


    While he left to save Eloa from the awkwardness, it didn¡¯t mean that he wasn¡¯t feeling the same way as her.


    ¡°That was so awkward...¡±


    According to his all-knowing friend, friends with benefits could go to a motel together after drinking and act like nothing happened.


    But, Siwoo knew that wasn¡¯t an option for him.


    The memories from the waterway tunnel were still deeply ingrained in his mind, after all.


    He could still picture every inch of Eloa¡¯s body, it was as clear as day.


    Even with clothes on, he could still imagine her being nude.


    He had been trying to be as unobtrusive as possible, keeping his distance from her so as not to embarrass her.


    But the unexpected incident forced him to confront those memories once again.


    If only our relationship is more casual when it comes to our physical intimacy...


    Maybe in that situation we¡¯d start kissing playfully and hear her moans again...


    Like, it would be amazing if I could just grab those voluptuous breasts and release my load deep inside her, no?


    ¡°Ugh, fucking hell! These damn dirty thoughts need to get out of my head! Fuck, am I finally losing it?!¡±


    In the midst of his sticky turmoil, as he was about to fall into self-loathing and tear his hair out...


    ¡°What are you doing alone, Darling?¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    A voice that came out of nowhere startled him.


    Turning around, he found a woman wearing a pointed cap, poking his shoulder.


    ¡°Oh my, I had a hunch that it turned out to be true! It was you, right? You know, the one who came with Duchess Tiphereth earlier...uh...the male witch, right? That eyepatch is cool, by the way! Is it a fashion thing?¡±


    Being a witch, she wasn¡¯t the typical beauty one¡¯d see on the streets, so he quickly recognized her.


    She was one of the witches who was drinking on the inn¡¯s first floor earlier.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Siwoo instantly put up his guard.


    This was the habit he came to develop while living in the Modern World.


    While there were many good witches that he had met, there were also some who¡¯d show an unhealthy obsession with his uniqueness, after all.


    ¡°Do I need a reason? I just want to have a chat.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I need to head back inside soon.¡±


    He sensed a hint of danger in her sparkling eyes.


    It wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d mind attention from a pretty woman.


    But, considering that this attention might be spawned out a witch¡¯s typical curiosity, it made him especially wary of her.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, c¡¯mon! It won¡¯t take long! Why are you in such a hurry?¡±


    The witch grabbed his wrist firmly with a smirk.


    It was at that moment when he saw a sense of madness and curiosity, bordering obsession, that was hiding behind her beautifully curved eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not up to anything bad, I just want to have a drink with you!¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve already drunk enough.¡±


    ¡°Why are you being so cold?¡±


    Siwoo tried to pull away from her, but the witch¡¯s grip on his wrist tightened like a pair of handcuffs.


    ¡°There are so many things I want to ask you. Like, what¡¯s your relationship with Duchess Tiphereth? Is it like that, after all?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    ¡°If you two don¡¯t have anything special going on, there¡¯s no harm in playing with me, right?¡±


    She¡¯s so persistent...


    Like that one college chick who just can¡¯t leave you alone outside the club bathroom...


    Why can¡¯t she just get lost already?


    ¡°Sorry, but I have to go back soon. My master is waiting for me.¡±


    ¡°Master?¡±


    ¡°Duchess Eloa.¡±


    ¡°You two are on a first-name basis? So you two are that close?¡±


    This witch had the typical ¡®my way or the highway¡¯ attitude.


    In other words, she was bossy and self-centered.


    It reminded him of those spoiled rich daughters in dramas, pampered and treated like royalty from birth. Witches who had been witches ever since they were born always carry this sense of privilege, as if they were the only things that mattered.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡±


    Siwoo said in a low tone as he pulled his arm away. This caused the witch to pout, her face suggested that she was extremely offended by him.


    Even without saying anything, it was clear that she was trying to say something on the lines of ¡®A man like you dares to reject me?¡¯.


    ¡°A mutant like you dares? The audacity! You think you¡¯re all that, huh...?¡±


    The situation seemed to be following the expected route.


    If they fight, would he win?


    He instinctively assessed his chances of winning.


    At that moment...


    ¡°He can do whatever he wants.¡±


    A voice that sounded oddly familiar rang out.


    ¡°Because he¡¯s the man who killed that Cowardly Witch.¡±


    With an amazing figure, as if she was the perfect sculpture and proportions that were like a supermodel¡¯s.


    Her navy blue hair was shimmering, complimenting her beautiful dress.


    Cybele Periwinkle appeared, exuding a relaxed vibe; A shawl draped around her as she stood under the night /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 295: Coming Back (3)

    Chapter 295: Coming Back (3)


    1.


    Due to an unexpected appearance of a third party...


    Siwoo became bewildered.


    So was the witch whose name he didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°W-Wait...! Is that really you? THE Witch of Fortune? Cybele Periwinkle...?¡±


    ¡°Thanks for introducing me on my behalf, but why are you looking at me like that? Do you want my autograph or something?¡±


    ¡°Sure! An autograph from you would be awesome! But...wait, what is this about killing the Cowardly Witch?¡±


    As usual, she was clad in a revealing and seductive dress.


    Periwinkle then strutted over with an air of arrogance. Her heels clacked against the floor, as if announcing, ¡®Look at me, I¡¯m the hottest bitch here!¡¯, then she casually positioned herself right next to Siwoo.


    ¡°You have no clue how dangerous the guy you¡¯re flirting with is, do you?¡±


    ¡°U-Um, I...¡±


    ¡°You witches who spend all your time in Gehenna are behind on the news it seems. Do you know about the Red Knight that was under the Cowardly Witch¡¯s control? This guy right here was the one who took it down, you know?¡±


    ¡°No way! They said it was Duchess Tiphereth who killed the Cowardly Witch...¡±


    Periwinkle looked down at the witch, who was a head shorter than her, then flashed a relaxed smile.


    ¡°Alright, if you say so, why don¡¯t you have a go, then? I¡¯ll be your referee to keep it fair and square.¡±


    The witch glanced at Siwoo¡¯s face.


    As if trying to gauge whether Periwinkle was serious or bluffing.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, why are you hesitating now? It sounds fun, no? The winner will get to do whatever they want to the loser, also, before the duel, you two need to agree that both of you don¡¯t mind getting hurt during the thing. So, what do you say?¡±


    ¡°J-Just wait a minute...¡±


    The witch, who had been on her high horse earlier, suddenly spoke in a more subdued tone. Her initial bravado had faded away.


    No matter how confident she was as a witch facing a man...


    If that man had truly killed the Cowardly Witch...


    Moreover, the one who delivered the news was a Grand Witch, Periwinkle...


    She couldn¡¯t just shrug it off lightly.


    ¡°I-I suddenly have urgent matters to attend to, s-so I¡¯ll take my leave now... H-Hahaha...¡±


    ¡°Sure thing. Take my autograph with you.¡±


    Periwinkle casually grabbed a pen and scribbled on a business card. Then, she slipped it into the witch¡¯s cleavage.


    It was like she was giving a tip to a stripper.


    ¡°Kyaa! Thank you, thank you!¡±


    The witch, who Siwoo thought would lash out in anger due to such a humiliating act, instead disappeared into the distance with sparkling eyes after receiving the business card.


    Periwinkle watched her with an amused gaze, then turned around to face Siwoo.


    ¡°Funny, isn¡¯t it? Seriously, who does she think am I, a fortune pig? This is why I hate Gehenna. Everyone¡¯s like, ¡®Please hold my hand~ Give me an autograph~ Kiss me~¡¯¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s great to see you again, Ms. Periwinkle, thanks for your help. But, about the Red Knight...¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know, I know, don¡¯t worry, I was just messing around with her.¡±


    She then reached out and straightened his clothes.


    ¡°You made it out alive, Shin Siwoo, you Wild Horsey.¡±


    After saying that, she flashed him a wide grin, revealing her pearly white teeth.


    2.


    The Coiled Serpent Inn, first floor.


    Siwoo and Periwinkle, each holding a wooden beer mug, clinked them together in a toast for their long-awaited reunion.


    ¡°Now I know why the portal malfunctioned as soon as I entered Gehenna. It was all to meet up with you here, hm?¡±


    Cybele Periwinkle casually tossed out a line that could be passed up as a pickup line.


    She had saved Siwoo and Sharon¡¯s lives once, and later, she granted him a four-leaf clover to save his life once again.


    In a sense, she became his benefactor and he owed her a lot for saving his lives twice.


    He had been surrounded by gazes that treated him like a strange and rare specimen, so now that he found a familiar face, he felt a sense of relief washed over him.


    While at first, she was treating him the same way as those strangers, after their night together, she seemed to see him as her equal.


    ¡°How have you been all this time?¡±


    ¡°Me? Oh, I¡¯ve been enjoying myself in Guam until a business matter brought me here. What about you?¡±


    ¡°Same here, I need to take care of some things here.¡±


    Now that they were here, he could feel how much of a unique vibe Periwinkle gave off.


    With her ultramarine hair, eyes and black dress...


    Though she hadn¡¯t worn anything made out of gold, the shabby bar she sat in seemed to shine like a treasure trove just because of her existence here.Re?a? latest cha/p/ters on


    As if this place right here was in a separate space from everything else.


    With her chin propped on her hand and legs crossed, Periwinkle tapped her high heels.


    ¡°You¡¯re still not good at leading conversations, huh? If only you can be as good at it as you¡¯re in bed.¡±


    After she brought up sex out of the blue, she set her beer glass down.


    She let her heel drop down from its precarious perch on her toe and smoothly slid her foot between Siwoo¡¯s legs.


    Though her invitation was crystal clear, Siwoo discreetly declined it, sensing that this wasn¡¯t the right moment.


    When his hand brushed against her foot, she let out a giggle, as if it tickled her.


    ¡°Because my master is waiting for me up there.¡±


    ¡°Your master...? Who?¡±


    ¡°Duchess Tiphereth.¡±


    At that comment, she shifted her gaze slightly upward.


    Then, she went silent for a moment, as if she was trying to process what she had just heard. After a while, her mouth opened wide, as if she had finally figured something out.


    ¡°Y-You... N-No way! Y-You hooked up with Duchess Tiphereth?!¡±


    She stumbled over her words, completely shocked by the snowball effect that her pink clover had brought.


    At that moment, Siwoo realized that she completely misunderstood him, so he quickly attempted to clarify the situation.


    But, he actually had done it with his master.


    That fact made him hesitate to say anything, making Periwinkle think that her conjecture was the truth, so she stuck her tongue out.


    ¡°Look at you, acting like it¡¯s nothing... Anyway, you¡¯re quite the player, huh?¡±


    ¡°I think...you¡¯ve misunderstood something, that¡¯s not what happened at all.¡±


    ¡°So, you didn¡¯t do it with her?¡±


    He lamented the fact that Periwinkle had caught on to it quickly.


    Still, he needed to protect his master¡¯s reputation, so he decided to throw a lie here.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°So you did. You know, you really suck at lying.¡±


    But she saw through him in an instant.


    With her eyes still wide in disbelief, Periwinkle¡¯s mind wandered.


    Any thoughts of sex had long since disappeared as she murmured something to herself.


    ¡°That stubborn Duchess...? No way... Even with the pink clover... Just how...?¡±


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s great to see you after such a long time. See you again.¡±


    ¡°Now, wait a minute!¡±


    Periwinkle grabbed Siwoo¡¯s sleeves as he stood up, yanking him back down on the chair.


    ¡°Seriously, tell me the truth. Did you do it?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t though!¡±


    ¡°You definitely did... But how?¡±


    Even though he knew that she had seen through his lie, Siwoo still denied her words.


    Still, the truth was so unbelievable that Periwinkle herself found it hard to believe.


    That was why she was all confused like this.


    Anyway, he figured that she wasn¡¯t the talkative type, and since it would be better to clear any possibility of misunderstandings and unsavory rumors from spreading out...


    ¡°Heh, alright, I¡¯ll tell you the truth... I did it.¡±


    ¡°Liar!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not! What do you take me for?!¡±


    And so, Siwoo slowly and carefully explained the sequence of events to Periwinkle, who was clearly bewildered.


    Gradually, she began to understand and accept his explanation.


    At the end of his story, she nodded in relief, regaining some of her composure.


    ¡°I see... So that¡¯s what happened...¡±


    ¡°Keep this a secret, okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon~! Do you think my tongue is loose like that? I¡¯ll only open my mouth when you eat me in bed, you know?¡±


    But maybe it would have been better for him if she had stopped there.


    ¡°How could I, a mere mortal, refuse a request from the heart thief Shin Siwoo... Also... Seriously, this is just too shocking, even for me.¡±


    In any case, she regained her playful spirit and started teasing Siwoo again.


    ¡°Anyway...¡±


    She chugged the last of her beer and got up from her seat.


    Probably figured that this wasn¡¯t a situation she should meddle in.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too, I¡¯m really glad that you¡¯re okay.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Thank you for everything, Ms. Periwinkle.¡±


    ¡°Well, I actually want to ask if I could try it with the Duchess in bed... But I guess that¡¯s out of the question, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, not happening.¡±


    After making that provocative statement which made Siwoo¡¯s head spin, Periwinkle grabbed her purse and handed him something.


    A business card, but it was different from the one she gave him before.


    On it was a strange sequence of numbers.


    ¡°Well, you know there¡¯s no signal in Gehenna, right? Can¡¯t even make a call and stuff.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. I¡¯ll get in touch.¡±


    After he received her crystal ball¡¯s contact info so they could communicate remotely, she gave her a quick peck on the cheek and grinned.


    ¡°You¡¯re not stopping me from doing this?¡±


    ¡°Figured I should at least let you this much. Take care.¡±


    Just like her storm-like entrance, her exit also left an impression just like a storm. She then disappeared from the /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 296: Coming Back (4)

    Chapter 296: Coming Back (4)


    1.


    I didn¡¯t expect to meet Ms. Periwinkle again.


    Anyway, I can''t keep Master waiting any longer.


    -Knock, knock


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Siwoo knocked on the door and only opened it after Eloa responded.


    He didn¡¯t have the pink clover anymore, but this had become a habit of sorts.


    Just a few days ago, if he were to open the door at this time, a half-naked Eloa would greet him with surprised eyes, like a startled rabbit.


    ¡°You¡¯re a little late.¡±


    Luckily for both of them, nothing unusual happened this time.


    His master, sitting by the fireplace, was dozing off like a cat basking in the pleasant sunlight.


    Though, she was dressed in her formal attire rather than her pajamas, most likely because of the things that had been happening recently.


    To their relief, the couple who had been making quite the ruckus with their amorous noises seemed to have fallen asleep.


    ¡°Ah, yes, I met up with an acquaintance, a witch.¡±


    ¡°A witch?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you know, Ms. Periwinkle, the one who helped me before.¡±


    When he entered the room, Eloa greeted him with her usual warm smile, even though he hadn¡¯t done anything else aside from that.


    But as soon as he uttered the word ¡®Periwinkle¡¯, her smile froze.


    ¡°I was expressing my gratitude to her for saving me the other day. You know, I owe her a favor because of that...¡±


    ¡°A...favor... I see...¡±


    Periwinkle, the same witch who Eloa saw when she was forced to watch Siwoo¡¯s sexual intercourse a while ago.


    As soon as her name was mentioned, Eloa¡¯s mind started buzzing with various thoughts.


    Scenes of explicit debauchery and vulgarity during the intercourse came to her mind, but that wasn¡¯t the only thing.


    Her mind wandered to the question, ¡®Why is he late this time...?¡¯.


    Unconsciously, she glanced at Siwoo¡¯s clothes.


    It took around thirty to forty minutes for him to come back here after leaving.


    That was enough for a quick tryst, right?


    Maybe that was the muffled ¡®swish-swish¡¯ sound I heard not too long ago?


    Her face turned redder as her fluster and confusion increased.


    The change in her complexion was noticeable.


    At the same time, an uncomfortable feeling pricked at her chest.


    ¡°Master?¡±


    ¡°...Huh?!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t find any words to tell him, so she slowly lowered her head.


    Concerned by her strange reaction, Siwoo tentatively reached out his hand to her shoulder, causing her to jerk her head up like a spring.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°N-Nothing! I-It¡¯s nothing, really!¡±


    Siwoo was usually clueless about things like this, but even he could tell that something was off. What he couldn¡¯t tell was that Eloa¡¯s reaction stemmed from her secretly spying on his sexual intercourse with Periwinkle.


    ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    That was why the conclusion that he reached was, ¡®Maybe Master¡¯s health is still a little poor¡¯, increasing his concern for her.


    ¡°Anyway! It¡¯s late, why don¡¯t you get some sleep?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the plan. Are you sleeping by the fireplace, Master?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Both of them settled into their respective beds comfortably.


    Siwoo had exhausted himself enough for today. He had put his last burst of effort into his research since this morning, which had left his head steaming, while Eloa, as usual, was worn out because of the price she had to pay for her covenant.


    They both were buzzed from the drinks they drank before, and were both so exhausted that they had a feeling that they¡¯d pass out as soon as their heads hit the pillows.


    ¡°Have a good sleep.¡±


    ¡°You too, get a good rest.¡±


    After turning off the decorative light, Eloa closed her eyes. Shortly after, she began to hear Siwoo¡¯s rhythmic breathing.


    However, unlike Siwoo, who quickly fell asleep, she couldn¡¯t seem to do so.


    Her mind was busy thinking of Siwoo¡¯s words from earlier about his encounter with Periwinkle.


    At first, she only felt a vague sense of embarrassment and confusion when she heard those words.


    That much wasn¡¯t hard to figure out for her.


    After all, she had secretly witnessed their sexual affair and the memories from that time came rushing back.


    However, within that mix, she also felt a nagging discomfort, like a thorn at the tip of her finger.


    Specifically when she remembered the way Siwoo kissed Periwinkle.


    And when she considered the possibility of him engaging in another sexual intercourse with her again before returning to this room...


    A heavy and murky emotion enveloped her heart.


    The problem was, she couldn¡¯t quite figure out why she was feeling this way.


    Unlike the other instance, this feeling definitely wasn¡¯t instinctual, and she didn¡¯t know where it came from.


    ¡°...¡±


    Eloa gently opened her eyes.


    Despite them calling it a special suite, the room felt cramped, the beds were so close to each other, they could barely fit a small desk between them.


    So, Siwoo¡¯s face was clearly visible to her, as he laid there with his eyes closed, facing her direction.


    When she saw him having sex with Sharon for the first time...


    It didn¡¯t really bother her.


    She just felt embarrassed because she accidentally stumbled upon their secret rendezvous.


    When she saw Siwoo serving Periwinkle as a way to repay his debt...


    She felt a mixture of embarrassment and awkwardness.


    For the first time, she sensed a subtle hint of desire and, oddly enough, she began to see him as a ¡®man¡¯.


    But that was it.


    [The twin black cats would show up randomly without any fixed schedule, and they won¡¯t be easily scared off.]


    [Condition 2]


    [Incorporate at least three different elemental arrays into the magic square without using any runic symbols.]


    [Condition 3]


    [Assume there¡¯s a 1.5% resistance to mana flow within the magic square and the elemental waveforms are steady.]


    It was clear what the twin cats in Sharon¡¯s question referred to.


    As she skimmed through the answers to her biased question, she glanced at the twins.


    ¡°What¡¯s with your answers for question ten?¡±


    Both twins had only written a single line for Question 10.


    [Just let the cats steal it]


    ¡°This is totally about us! Why else would you come up with this?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unfair, unfair I say!¡±


    The twins slammed their palms on the table, criticizing Sharon for abusing her authority.


    But Sharon didn¡¯t even bat an eye to this.


    Because she felt that if she didn¡¯t act this shamelessly, there was no way that she¡¯d even stand a chance against those two.


    ¡°You two need to take your lessons and assignments more seriously!¡±


    ¡°Sharon unnie, you¡¯re the one who should do that! Don¡¯t mix personal matters into our assignments!¡±


    ¡°Also, your outfit is way too revealing! Please refrain from wearing such clothes in the future! It¡¯s indecent!¡±


    Sharon strided past the teacher¡¯s desk to approach the twins.


    With her arms crossed, her chest perched on her arms, each sway of her body would accentuate the ample size of her chest, leaving a big impression on the fragile hearts of the twins.


    Successfully scoring two goals in quick succession right at the start of the battle, Sharon became especially pumped.


    This was not the usual Sharon anymore, but Berserker Sharon.


    ¡°What do you mean? This is just my casual outfit. Everyone¡¯s dressed like this in the Modern World. What made you think this is indecent, hm?¡±


    With her hand on the desk, Sharon leaned forward, successfully emphasizing her cleavage even more.


    The twins sealed their lips tightly as they gazed into the deep valley in front of them.


    ¡°Ugh! Those must be fake! Yeah, they¡¯re fake!¡±


    ¡°Right! You used magic to make it bigger, right?! Tell us the truth!¡±


    They desperately tried to deny the reality in front of them.


    Even the twins knew that a woman¡¯s breasts were one of her most attractive features.


    That was why, the thought of their dear assistant being captivated and teased by the pair of breasts in front of them made their confidence plummet.


    Sharon knew this, of course, and she used this chance to score a hattrick.


    ¡°Is that so? Then, why don¡¯t you two touch it?¡±


    Rather boldly, she extended her chest towards the twins.


    After sharing a quick look, the twins reluctantly extended their hands.


    ¡°If you really think you can bewitch Mr. Assistant with something like this...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re mistaken...¡±


    -Squeeze!


    At that moment, they felt both warmth and softness in their palms.


    The chest in front of them was too big for their tiny hands to hold.


    Its firmness, volume, and softness, coming through the bouncing sensation, was enough to render them speechless.


    There was no way that a fake could evoke this kind of feeling.


    The kind of captivating sensation that would get even women addicted, the epitome of natural femininity.


    Their expression instantly turned grim.


    It was as if they were facing an insurmountable wall that couldn¡¯t be overcome through effort alone.


    ¡°By the way, Siwoo reaaaally likes them.¡±


    They said that fighting with kids would turn you into one.


    This seemed to be what was happening here, as Sharon, who managed to silence the twins with her childish tactic, raised her sassy face high while shrugging her shoulders.


    Seeing her like this, Odile spoke in a low voice.


    ¡°...Odette, lock the door.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Sis.¡±


    -Click!


    Using telekinesis, Odette promptly locked the door.


    The twins quietly rose from their seats.


    As they were doing this, Sharon looked at them, confused.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The twins let out a snort and launched themselves at her like missiles.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s you, Sharon unnie, we can¡¯t take it anymore!¡±


    ¡°Take your gloves off and fight us!¡±


    ¡°W-Wait, you two! What are you doing?!¡±


    With a growl, Odile lunged at her, grabbing her by the hair.


    Meanwhile, Odette clung to her arm, restricting her movements.


    The three of them became entangled in a catfight, without even having a chance to use magic.


    ¡°Ow, ow! Get off me!¡±


    ¡°How dare you humiliate us like this!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you realize how inefficient something this big is?! They¡¯re definitely fake!¡±


    ¡°Are you two out of your minds?! You are the ones who started this!¡±


    ¡°No, you are the one who provoked us first!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to give up on Mr. Assistant!¡±


    And this...


    Continued for a good /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 297: Coming Back (5)

    Chapter 297: Coming Back (5)


    1.


    ¡°Ugh... .¡±


    Thanks to Eloa waking up late, their visit to the Gemini Mansion was significantly delayed.


    Siwoo knew that the twins were filthy rich, but this was his first visit to their mansion, so he ended up being awestruck by its grandeur.


    The place seemed like somewhere that a Hollywood star or a world-famous athlete would live in if they lived in the Victorian Era.


    As they followed the butler who came out to greet them, it took them over ten minutes by carriage to just go through the garden and reach the main building from the front gate.


    ¡°Wow, this is even more amazing than I expected...¡±


    However, the main reason why both Siwoo and Eloa looked as if their souls were being sucked wasn¡¯t because they were overwhelmed by the size of the mansion.


    Sure, the mansion was amazing and all, but the main cause was the thing that happened earlier this morning.


    Right after they finished their late breakfast and headed downstairs, they were greeted by a shocking scene.


    Compared to yesterday, there were ten times more witches lounging around in the first floor of the inn.


    ¡®Oh, there he is!¡¯


    ¡®Is that really him? The male who possesses a brand?¡¯


    ¡®Really? That¡¯s him?¡¯


    As soon as they saw Siwoo and Eloa, they dropped their forks and knives and rushed over.


    They were acting like crazed fans running at celebrities outside a TV station, prompting the pair to make a hasty retreat.


    But that didn¡¯t calm things down for them.


    The rumor of Siwoo being in the Border Town spread like wildfire overnight, so there were a bunch of witches gathering around the portal all day.


    At this point, even the music box became meaningless.


    ¡®Come with me, I¡¯ll give you lots of gift~¡¯


    ¡®Can I spend some quality time with you~?¡¯


    Not only were they flirting with him...


    ¡®Please help me with my research!¡¯


    Some of them downright went full psycho on him, like asking to study his body was the least creepy proposal of the bunch.


    ¡®Enough of this!¡¯U//ppTodated fr/o/m


    Even after they scattered like spiderlings at Eloa¡¯s shout, a new batch of witches would soon gather again. The chase only ended when they finally reached the Gemini Mansion.


    ¡°I can¡¯t even go outside...¡±


    ¡°Yes... You might need to hide away for a bit...¡±


    Eloa nodded as she sunk her body into the backrest of the carriage.


    Even the mighty Duchess seemed extremely exhausted after all that.


    At that moment...


    -Clip-clop, clip-clop!


    The sound of hooves approaching from afar.


    Soon, they heard a pair of chirpy voices.


    ¡°Mr. Assistant!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Assistant!!¡±


    Of course Siwoo knew whose voices these were.


    The twins, who quickly came up and circled the carriage like a pair of hunters surrounding their game.


    ¡°Seems like they came to welcome you.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go on ahead, Master? I¡¯ll say hello to them.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Siwoo parted with Eloa and got out of the carriage.


    The twins, sitting side-saddle on the saddles that were designed for women¡ªthey allowed them to gather one of their legs and ride diagonally¡ªlooked at Siwoo with eyes full of excitement.


    By the way, Odile was riding a black horse and Odette was riding a white one.


    Both horses had shiny-looking coats, and with how sparkly their hair looked, it seemed like they used better shampoo than Siwoo.


    ¡°¡°Mr. Assistant!!¡±¡±


    ¡°Careful! You might get hurt!¡±


    As soon as they saw him, the twins jumped off their horses and threw themselves into his arms.


    Then they started to greet him excitedly, like puppies greeting their owner after a long time apart. From the look of it, they were ready to lick his face.


    ¡°Mr. Assistant, we¡¯ve missed you so much! We heard that you were in serious trouble back in the Modern World?¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come to our mansion immediately? Right, I¡¯ve been practicing my shooting so hard since the last time!¡±


    ¡°Right! Next time trouble comes to you, talk to us before you do anything else!¡±


    ¡°Also, why didn¡¯t you tell us that you¡¯re going to come today? You¡¯re so mean!¡±


    Their barrages of hugs, kisses, and cheek smooches left him overwhelmed.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, can you not hang off my neck like that?¡±


    ¡°What?! Can¡¯t we do this much at least?! Why don¡¯t you seem happy to see us?!¡±


    ¡°Is there someone else you want to see more than us?!¡±


    Though he was really glad to see them both, he was planning to meet Sharon first.


    It wasn¡¯t because he favored her more than them or anything.


    The reason behind Sharon¡¯s severe injury was because she was trying to protect the powerless Siwoo from a Homunculus.


    He was incredibly worried about her health, considering that the last time he saw her, she was still in a coma.


    At that moment, Odile noticed something over Siwoo¡¯s shoulder.


    Their Sharon unnie running towards them from afar.


    Since Siwoo¡¯s back was facing her, he hadn¡¯t spotted her yet.


    ¡°Are you trying to pick a fight with all the siblings in this world...?!¡±


    Sharon clenched her fist, expressing her frustration and sadness about Siwoo.


    But all those feelings soon turned into self-loathe.


    Because she realized that, objectively speaking, she was lacking in almost every way compared to the twins.


    Money?


    She only needed to take a look at the villa she had been using as her accommodation. It would take her unimaginable amount of time to buy something that was similar to this.


    In fact, it might take her more than a year just to buy a single chandelier in the lobby.


    Rank?


    Unless she moved up two ranks within the next few years, she¡¯d be left behind by them eventually.


    Numbers?


    Unlike her, who was alone, going with the twins was like a ¡®buy one, get one free¡¯ deal.


    Social status?


    While the name Evergreen was respected academically in traditional elemental magic, the Geminis held a more prominent position due to their status as a Countess Household.


    Charm?


    Though she confidently showed her body off in front of the twins earlier today, they weren¡¯t lacking in appearance.


    In fact, they had a cute charm that she could never replicate.


    Even if she counted this one as a draw, the result was still her crushing defeat.


    She let out a sigh at her own pathetic self for being so smug when she teased the twins about her having slightly larger breasts.


    If they were to inherit their brands in the future, and if they could maintain a close relationship with him until then, it would be a great help to him as well, no?


    She agreed with Albireo¡¯s words regarding that.


    I mean, I can go outside and ask any witches on the street, which one of us would be more helpful to him. A hundred out of a hundred would definitely choose the twins...


    No, I can¡¯t do this...


    I can¡¯t do this anymore...


    Sharon opened a bottle of liquor from the cupboard and poured herself a drink.


    ¡±I can¡¯t let you go...like this... I prayed... through the nights... But if I can¡¯t... love you anymore...¡±


    Singing the song she sang together with Siwoo at the coin karaoke, she took a sip of the alcohol in her hand.


    At that moment, the door burst open and someone came in.


    ¡°Sharon, I¡¯m here!¡±


    She flinched like a startled fox at Siwoo¡¯s sudden voice and tried to hide.


    Well, she tried to, but Siwoo opened the door already and walked in.


    ¡°...¡±


    Before this, he had ignored the twins¡¯ grumbling and went straight to see Sharon.


    What he saw inside was Sharon with the closet door halfway open, about to step inside.


    It definitely wasn¡¯t the kind of reunion he had anticipated.


    ¡°What are you doing there?¡±


    ¡°...I-I was looking for something inside the closet...¡±


    ¡°...You need to go inside to find it? What is it?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah, u-um... W-What was it that I wanted to search again? Ugh... I-It¡¯s so hot over here...¡±


    Fanning her flushed face, Sharon slowly stepped out of the closet.


    It was only then that Siwoo was able to take in her appearance after such a long time.


    He couldn¡¯t believe how relieved he felt to see her again.


    Her flowing, lustrous hair, the perfect blend of emerald green and deep green.


    The mint-colored eyes that were moist, glistened, contrasting with her outwardly cold demeanor.


    Even in his dreams, he was tormented by the image of her being pierced by a harpoon as she tried to save him.


    Now that he saw her safe and sound directly, his emotions surged and tears threatened to flow out of his eyes.


    ¡°S-Siwoo...! Mmh!¡±


    Siwoo strode over and hugged Sharon tightly, before immediately kissing her.


    In other words, this was the three-second kiss at the doorstep!


    Sharon¡¯s body turned stiff as it inexplicably trembled, then she started to lose her strength like a captured prey and leaned her weight against his broad chest.


    ¡°Mm...m...!¡±


    At first, it seemed like she was resisting.


    But, that impression was completely gone within three seconds of the start of the kiss.


    Sharon continued to kiss him, wrapping her arms around his waist as if she was saying that she¡¯d give him all of her.


    It was only when their excitement peaked and their breathing became so fast that they could hardly catch their breath that they finally pulled apart.


    They had only been kissing for a bit, but Sharon¡¯s face was already a mess due to her tears.


    ¡°Hic...sniff... Siwoo... I missed you...¡±


    ¡°I missed you too. Are you hurt anywhere? Feeling better now?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah... Waah...! I-I¡¯m okay now... I-I even got my rank back... waaah...!¡±


    ¡°Jeez, look at your face, it¡¯s a mess and a half.¡±


    ¡°S-Stop...making fun of me...! Waah!¡±


    She continued to cry into his chest. Her sobs were so intense that Siwoo grew worried that she wouldn¡¯t be able to breathe.


    The longing she felt for him, as well as the anxiety that she might become distant from him...


    And the trivial question of who between her and the twins were better suited to be by his side...


    None of those mattered for her at that /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 298: A Three-Way Battle (1)

    Chapter 298: A Three-Way Battle (1)


    1.


    Eloa, who got to the mansion before Siwoo, exchanged a brief conversation with Countess Albireo.


    They didn¡¯t talk about anything major, just exchanging friendly greetings, like the Countess telling her to feel at home and such, so the whole thing didn¡¯t take too long.


    In truth, both the Duchess Tiphereth and the Countess Albireo weren¡¯t close on a personal level, as they had only been involved in strictly business-related manners so far.


    Unlike Deneb, who was more down-to-earth, Albireo was an all-business type of person, so Eloa couldn¡¯t really relate to her.


    Then again, it was the combination of such a practical mindset and skills that let her build a major business success¡ªsome people even dubbed it as ¡®Gemini Kingdom¡¯¡ªin less than a century.


    ¡°Hmm, hmm~ ?


    The weather outside was nice.


    Coincidentally, Eloa was also in a good mood.


    She hummed a tune as she wandered around the garden, thinking that it would be nice to check out the beautiful garden that the Countess owned.


    They said that to judge the beauty of a mansion, one only needed to judge the garden and in that regard, there was no need to mention how beautiful the Gemini¡¯s garden was.


    Flowers of various colors were blooming beautifully, as if they had forgotten the season.


    Each tree stands were manicured impeccably, she could tell that a skilled gardener had handcrafted them beautifully.


    The fountains that were scattered throughout the garden spurted out clean water, she couldn¡¯t see even a single leaf floating on them.


    ¡°It would be nice to stroll around here while drinking...¡±


    Enjoying the scenery, Eloa contemplated going back inside and grabbing a bottle of wine.


    As she walked through the neatly trimmed lawn, a beautiful villa entered her view.


    Compared to the main building, which always looked busy with dozens of servants going around, the villa¡¯s exterior seemed to be lacking in regards to its maintenance.


    Yet, it was still larger and grander than the villa she used to live with Ravi.


    She assumed that there were probably more than one such villas within the Mansion¡¯s vast grounds.


    Normally, she¡¯d pass by without much thought, but she was feeling unusually upbeat today.


    It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to check out that villa, would it?


    With excited steps, she came over and walked around said villa.


    Woah, it¡¯s big.


    Even excluding the attic that sloped down diagonally, the building looked to be at least three stories tall. Within the fenced area, there was also a garden and a fountain.


    Should I ask to stay here while I recover?


    Since she had been treated like a VIP due to her selling all the legacies and magic items from the Homunculi she had hunted to the Geminis at a cheap price, she figured that the Countess would surely agree to this request of hers.


    Siwoo would probably like it if he were to live here too.


    Eloa hadn¡¯t even realized that him living with her was a foregone conclusion as she nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°Anyway... I should explore a bit more.¡±


    Eloa quietly opened the gate and stepped inside.


    If she were staying here alone, she wouldn¡¯t need to care about it much, but since she planned to stay here with Siwoo, she figured that she¡¯d check out the condition of the rooms and the building¡¯s overall maintenance.


    The most important thing of all, the kitchen had to be perfect.


    Because she¡¯d be making meals for Siwoo there.


    ¡°Oho?¡±


    But, her worries were unfounded, as the villa was in an excellent condition.


    She was originally worried about the slightly old exterior, but the shiny marble tiles in the lobby and the spotless stair railings made her previous concern seem silly.


    Now, where¡¯s the kitchen...?


    As Eloa was daydreaming about her cozy life with Siwoo, she sensed some movement from inside the villa.


    Despite her senses being slightly dulled due to the price she had to pay for her covenants, she still possessed abilities that far surpassed an ordinary witch¡¯s.


    With her hand on the stair¡¯s railing, she paused before going upstairs. Her senses picked up faint noises and the gentle vibration of the silver-plated handle.


    I just barged in when there are people inside...


    In other words, she was trespassing, a considerably rude gesture.


    Normally, she¡¯d have quietly closed the door and left, but for some reason, her body froze.


    The reason for that was because the vibration she felt was strangely familiar.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s here...


    She recognized it.


    The identity of the vibration she felt in her hand.


    Said vibration was similar to the ones that the sofa springs made after they reflected Siwoo¡¯s voice whenever she and him talked until late night while drinking.


    For a superhuman being like Eloa, recognizing something like this wasn¡¯t a difficult feat at all.


    It seemed like after he met the twins and went somewhere else, he had ended up here, probably chilling here by himself.


    ¡°Hehehe.¡±


    At that moment, a smile spread across her lips.


    Though it hadn¡¯t been long since they parted, the thought of seeing him again made her feel giddy.


    Of course she had no intention of barging in and interrupting him, so she carefully climbed up the stairs, planning to quietly see what he was up to.


    When she reached the second floor, she saw a double door with one of them being opened, probably for ventilation.


    ¡°S-Suck them... Siwoo...¡±


    Without even pulling out, Siwoo leaned forward and took one of her nipples into his mouth.


    At the same time, her waist arched up from the bed.


    -Slurp, slurp!


    -Squelch, squelch!


    ¡°Ah...! That¡¯s so good...! Does Sharon¡¯s pussy feel good too, Siwoo...?


    ¡°Ah... I love it, I love it! I¡¯m gonna burst¡ª!¡±


    Sound of dripping juices alongside some slurping sounds echoed as he sucked on her breasts.


    Sharon let out mischievous giggles as she kept on uttering naughty lines to arouse Siwoo.


    Her moans and coquettish nasal sounds were an added bonus to all this.


    ¡°I-I want to be...aah! Devoured...by you...! I-I h-haven¡¯t pleasured myself even once...ngh¡ª! W-Waiting for you...! S-Sharon¡¯s pussy...is lonely...! Ahhh...!¡±


    Her provocative choice of words were clearly aimed to give him pleasure other than the physical stimulation she had already provided with her body.


    The childish endearment of calling herself by her own name, just like a young kid, made Eloa¡¯s head spin.


    ¡°...¡±


    As for Eloa, she swallowed hard as she was watching, her throat moved visibly.


    Her mouth felt dry, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from gulping repeatedly.


    The scene beyond the door flooded her with too many memories.


    More prominently, the memory of Siwoo violently pouncing on her back in the waterway tunnel.


    She was thinking that perhaps, back then, he must have lusted after her body with those eyes and expressions on his face.


    ¡°I-If you keep on nibbling my breasts like that...! Ahh! W-While thrusting so deeply...! S-Sharon won¡¯t be able to¡ª! S-Siwoo! Ahh...!¡±


    Sharon lightly pinched Siwoo¡¯s wrist as she said that.


    For Eloa, it looked like an insignificant action, but this was Sharon¡¯s subtle way to ask him to treat her rougher.


    This was an unspoken understanding that they had come to develop due to the months of experience they had together.


    Siwoo, who had been sucking her nipples so hard to the point that her chest turned conical, immediately picked up on the sign.


    In a rough voice, he replied to her words.


    ¡°Won¡¯t be able to what? Say that only if you aren¡¯t squeezing me so tightly.¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s...! Hng...! T-That¡¯s because you keep on biting¡ª Kyah!¡±


    ¡°Shut up. Keep squeezing my dick, stop talking nonsense.¡±


    Since it had been so long since they had done this, Siwoo wasn¡¯t sure about the right level of intensity.


    He hesitated, worried that he might have gone too far, so he looked at Sharon¡¯s face for reassurance.


    Her response was a vigorous nod.


    Which meant she wanted him to continue with this pace.


    ¡°...Fucking cumslut.¡±


    ¡°Haah...!¡±


    Meanwhile, Eloa was receiving shock after shock.


    Siwoo never treated even Periwinkle this roughly.


    The sight of him, who always seemed so proper and polite, treating Sharon as if she was only an object while getting really rough with her, made Eloa¡¯s hands tremble.


    Seeing Sharon panting with her mouth half-open despite being treated so roughly also added to her shock.


    But...


    ¡°Hng...!¡±


    Eloa let out a small gasp, forgetting that she wasn¡¯t supposed to make any noise.


    Fortunately, Siwoo and Sharon were too engrossed in their lovemaking, so they didn¡¯t even hear her.


    A burning heat rose from her lower abdomen, it was as if her brand was heating up.


    At the same time, she realized that her underwear, tightly clinging her most intimate place, was slowly getting wet.


    No way...


    She carefully slipped her hand into her panties.


    This can¡¯t be happening...


    She tried to deny reality, kept telling herself that there was no way that this was real, but on her fingertips...


    Felt transparent and slippery...


    It was definitely the sweet and sticky nectar that came out due to her arousal.


    2.


    Meanwhile...


    On the villa¡¯s terrace, hidden behind the curtains, there were two other people who were watching Sharon and Siwoo¡¯s heated reunion sex.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    One of them was Odile, who had turned up the music box to its maximum, she was gnawing on the hem of her skirt.


    And Odette, who was right beside /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 299: A Three-Way Battle (2)

    Chapter 299: A Three-Way Battle (2)


    1.


    Odile and Odette planned to go on an afternoon picnic with Siwoo.


    They were eager to take him before the sun set, but he politely asked them to postpone that for a bit.


    Because he wanted to check up on Sharon before going to play with the twins.


    Though Odile was a bit annoyed by this, she let him go since she had already scored a kiss from him in front of Sharon.


    ¡°Sis, how can you let him go so easily?!¡±


    ¡°Calm down, Odette, I have my reasons. Besides, Sharon unnie was watching when we kissed Mr. Assistant earlier.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Do you think I would just kiss him out of nowhere for no reason at all?¡±


    ¡°You are the best, Sis!¡±


    Now that she knew her sister was actually keeping their rivals in check, Odette¡¯s face brightened significantly.


    But, this was just the beginning of Odile¡¯s plan.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just let Mr. Assistant go like that though, we¡¯ll still need to follow him.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Dummy! We need to know what he¡¯d do when he meets Sharon unnie!¡±


    Earlier, Sharon had admitted that she was a fuck buddy of Siwoo¡¯s.


    But, nothing was certain yet and there was no better way to see the authenticity of that claim other than directly observing the atmosphere between the two and how they interacted with each other.


    ¡°Alright! I have the music box with me, so we can go right away!¡±


    Just like that, they began tailing him.


    They followed Siwoo as he made his way to the villa where Sharon was staying.


    And now, they found themselves in the current situation.


    This...exact moment...


    ¡°Won¡¯t be able to what? Say that only if you aren¡¯t squeezing me so tightly.¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s...! Hng...! T-That¡¯s because you keep on biting¡ª Kyah!¡±


    ¡°Shut up. Keep squeezing my dick, stop talking nonsense.¡±


    Currently, they were on the terrace of the room where Sharon and Siwoo were engaged in their passionate lovemaking.


    From behind the curtain, they were watching everything.


    ¡°Grr...!¡±


    ¡°Huff...huff...!¡±


    The twins, furiously gnawing on the hem of their skirt, stared intently through the window.


    Since they had engaged in the act with him before, they weren¡¯t shocked by the tone that Siwoo used.


    But, it didn¡¯t mean that the scene they were watching didn¡¯t affect them.


    Also, though the music box¡¯s concealment was extremely potent, the twins¡¯ shadows would still be visible on the curtain.


    If either one of the people inside had paid just a little attention, they would definitely discover the twins¡¯ presence there.


    But...


    Neither of them did.


    To the twins, this meant that Siwoo was completely engrossed in the act.


    ¡°In our villa...on our bed...! Sis, are you seriously just gonna stand here and watch?!¡±


    ¡°Stay still.¡±


    ¡°Look at her, trying to seduce Mr. Assistant! Did you hear what she just called herself? ¡®Sharon this, Sharon that¡¯¡ª!¡±


    If Odile didn¡¯t hold her back, Odette was ready to burst in at any given moment.


    It wasn¡¯t surprising, considering that the two inside the room were passionately lusting over each other like a pair of lovers that were deeply in love with each other.


    Also, unlike what he had been doing with them, they were having real sex.


    The way those two¡¯s tongues were deeply intertwined was way more intense than the kiss he shared with them earlier.


    And it was clear that he was totally obsessed with Sharon¡¯s ample bosom, the same one she had bragged about this morning, as he was biting and sucking them as if he couldn¡¯t get enough of them.


    ¡°I told you, stay still and just watch!¡±


    ¡°Why are you stopping me?!¡±


    Odette grumbled as she expressed her frustration.


    ¡°Alright, tell me, what are we gonna do if we were to go inside, hm?¡±


    ¡°Obviously we¡¯ll join them!¡±


    ¡°Yeah and let them find out that we¡¯ve been stalking and peeping on them? What if Sharon unnie spilled the beans to our master that we have been doing this and that after we do that? What?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, but, we can¡¯t just stand here and watch!¡±


    Odile had a better understanding of the situation compared to Odette.


    Their relationship with Siwoo had changed from before.


    Before, Siwoo had just been reluctantly going along with their demands since he was a slave, but now, he was a real citizen of Gehenna.


    Moreover, they owed their lives to him twice now, so it would be inappropriate for them to just force him to do their biddings like what they had been doing in the past.


    Also, she knew that Sharon was just the beginning.


    Soon, more tough competitors would show up one by one.


    It would be a bad move for them if they were just blindly pushing forward without understanding the ongoing circumstances like before.


    As Odile explained this calmly, Odette fell silent for a moment.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Odile Gemini, an apprentice witch who would never give up no matter what kind of obstacles I have to face, and so are you, Odette Gemini.¡±


    Odette looked at her sister with wide eyes.


    At that moment, a gust of wind made Odile¡¯s black hair flutter.


    ¡°We will never be afraid, give up, or surrender to our fate! Because that¡¯s not who us Geminis are!¡±


    ¡°Sis...¡±


    ¡°No matter how tough things get, don¡¯t get discouraged or hang your head in defeat! Today, we¡¯re just scouting things out, we¡¯ve finished that task, so now we need to plan our next move! Let¡¯s find something that only us can do!¡±


    Odile¡¯s encouraging words gave Odette the strength she needed to restore her morale that was about to crumble.


    Their eyes met, and Odile gave a nod to her sister.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s plan our next moves.¡±


    ¡°Good, that¡¯s my little sister!¡±


    With that, the close-knit twins disappeared from that place without even looking back to see Sharon and Siwoo who had continued their passionate sex session.


    2.


    Maybe because it had been a while since they had last done this.


    Or perhaps it was because Sharon had been abstaining for a while.


    Her inner walls clung to his penis more tightly than ever before.


    From the moment he took the first thrust inside her until the moment he ejaculated his semen, she took full care of his penis, gripping it tightly.


    It felt as though she was draining his very soul.


    After he ejaculated deep inside her, he stayed in bed, holding her while his member was still inside.


    Her voluptuous breasts, her smooth, curvy body, felt warmer and more comforting than any cushion in this world.


    ¡°Ahh... I feel so happy...¡±


    ¡°Have you been doing well?¡±


    Sharon nestled her face into Siwoo¡¯s chest and nodded.


    Naturally, he found himself laughing after seeing her joyful smile.


    ¡°Yeah, of course, everything¡¯s been great except for you not being around. Did you miss me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I rushed here. To come and pick you up.¡±


    After their intense lovemaking, they could feel their eyelids turn heavy as they indulged in pillow talk.


    This was one of Sharon¡¯s most favorite moments.


    It made everything feel like they were real lovers.


    ¡°I regained my rank, thanks to you. Can¡¯t be happier than that, no?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I put in some serious work for that. Knew that you could make it happen.¡±


    Then why did you keep the fact that you¡¯re close enough to the twins to share a kiss with them? Though she was asking that question inwardly, the disappointment she felt had vanished completely.


    Because she had promised herself from the beginning.


    Even if he were to have a relationship with other women, as long as he came back to her, she wouldn¡¯t hold him down.


    And he did exactly that, he came back to her.


    Apparently, he had declined the twins¡¯ invitation to hang out and came directly to meet her.


    That fact alone filled her with indescribable joy.


    ¡°Oh, right, actually, I¡¯ll be teaching the twins from now on... They said they¡¯ll clear all my debts if I were to do that.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯ll be great. I hope you¡¯ll get along well with them.¡±


    Upon hearing Sharon¡¯s words, Siwoo started to celebrate as if it was his own stroke of luck.


    However, Sharon still had concerns weighing on her.


    Even the overwhelming happiness she felt couldn¡¯t alleviate that concern.


    As for what it was, it was the contract she signed with Countess Albireo.


    What Sharon did as soon as she met Siwoo, by any kind of interpretation, went against her contract to ¡®keep her distance¡¯.


    Which meant it was a breach of contract.


    She could just pretend as if nothing happened and brush it off completely, her sincere nature prevented her from doing so.


    That was why she felt especially concerned because of this, as she had broken her contract without permission.


    ¡°Yeah, so... Maybe we won¡¯t be able to spend as much time together as before...¡±


    It was sad and a bit upsetting, but she still had to tell him that.


    Still, she wasn¡¯t as anxious as she was before.


    Because she had a strong faith that he¡¯d come back to her.


    Though she didn¡¯t know how things would go in the future, for now, this was enough for her.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Not knowing the full story, Siwoo looked at the time.


    5 pm.


    The twins mentioned that the dinner would begin at 8 pm, so they still had about two hours of free time.


    ¡°Alright, we have to make the most of our remaining time then.¡±


    ¡°Ah, wait, don¡¯t push me so suddenly!¡±


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t wanna go for another round?¡±


    ¡°Let me have a break first! Ahh!¡±


    Siwoo flipped her body over and tossed her onto the bed. When she tried to crawl away, he grabbed her waist and almost immediately, they went for another /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 300: A Three-Way Battle (3)

    Chapter 300: A Three-Way Battle (3)


    1.


    Inside the dining hall in the main building of the Gemini Mansion.


    The table, about the size of eight pool tables put together, had fresh flower arrangements just picked from the garden.


    Albireo and Deneb sat at the far end of the seats, followed by Siwoo and Eloa, facing each other, and the twins, sitting beside Eloa.


    Sharon was seated next to Siwoo.


    Although there were only seven people participating for the dinner, the servants tirelessly brought out various dishes, filling the spacious table with food.


    It didn¡¯t take long for a sumptuous feast to spread before Siwoo¡¯s eyes.


    There were a bunch of dishes that he wasn¡¯t familiar with, and some that he was familiar with, like roasted piglets and exquisite seafood that were hard to find even in Gehenna.


    Accompanying those dishes were a lot of utensils, there were ten forks and knives arranged on both sides of each plate.


    There were also five beautifully curved glasses on the table.


    Despite him participating in this, Siwoo didn¡¯t understand the purpose of them placing all those spoons and knives near the plates.


    It feels like I¡¯m in another world...


    The scene was like something that would come out from a more modern version of Harry Potter, making him feel totally out of place.


    After they finished serving their food, the maids stood behind each guest like bodyguards and it seemed like they wouldn¡¯t leave the spot anytime soon.


    One of the maids (he didn¡¯t know for sure if she was a maid, but she was dressed like one) who was standing behind Siwoo discreetly filled his wine glass and whispered softly.


    ¡°If you need anything, please feel free to let me know.¡±


    Everyone in the room was wearing calm expressions except for Sharon and Siwoo, who were staring at everything with wide eyes.


    Even Eloa, whom Siwoo thought would relate with him, seemed unfazed.


    It seemed like for these individuals who belonged to the upper class in Gehenna, such an extravagant dinner wasn¡¯t something out of the ordinary.


    ¡°Allow us to thank you for accepting our invitation, Duchess Tiphereth.¡±


    ¡°Welcome to the mansion, Mr. Shin Siwoo.¡±


    Albireo and Deneb smiled broadly as they welcomed both Siwoo and Eloa.


    ¡°...I¡¯m the one who should be thankful here.¡±


    ¡°Likewise. This is the most appealing dining table I¡¯ve ever seen in my life.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you both are important guests of our family, after all.¡±


    ¡°We have a special dessert prepared for you, feel free to enjoy yourself.¡±


    With a graceful gesture, the two Countesses, the hosts of this dinner, placed their napkins on their laps, signaling the start of the meal.


    The problem here was that Siwoo had no idea where to start, or even how to eat any of these dishes.


    Observing the Countesses, he followed their lead by taking the forks and knives placed near the edge of the table.


    When he reached out to grab a bite of some kind of roasted bird dish, the maid behind him smoothly served it onto his plate.


    This subsequent scene gave him a mixture of comfort and unease.


    It was quite daunting, to say the least.


    ¡°By the way, Mr. Siwoo, I¡¯ve heard about your achievements in Seoul. Are you injured? The stories of your achievements have been spread all over Gehenna, the rumors about you spread so fast that they¡¯ve even reached the mansion¡¯s wall.¡±


    Deneb, who knew Siwoo a bit better out of the two Countesses, asked in a kind voice.


    As she addressed Siwoo in a dignified manner, a dignified smile was plastered in her smile.


    ¡°Well, the Duchess was right there, I didn¡¯t really do much.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? But from what I heard, you played a significant role in the incident.¡±


    ¡°Not really, I just helped her out a little.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re always so humble, Mr. Siwoo. Why don¡¯t we hear what the Duchess has to say about it directly, hm?¡±


    As she said that, everyone¡¯s gaze naturally shifted towards Eloa.


    ¡°...¡±


    However, Eloa had been staring blankly into space without a word since the meal began.U//ppTodated fr/o/m


    The steak on her plate had been cut by her, but she hadn¡¯t even begun eating it.


    After she was done cutting the steak, she proceeded to chop the asparagus in her plate.


    ¡°Excuse me? Duchess...?¡±


    As the conversation came to a halt, Deneb called out to Eloa with a puzzled expression.


    But Eloa kept on chopping the asparagus, ignoring everyone.


    ¡°Master?¡±


    ¡°...Huh?!¡±


    Only when Siwoo called out to her did she snap out of her daze, as if she had just woken up from a trance.


    Confused, she looked around at the eyes directed at her and at some point, her eyes met with Siwoo¡¯s.


    She quickly averted her eyes and looked at Deneb, the words that came out of her mouth next sounded extremely stiff.


    Instead of making sure that what she was doing was safe or not, she had just hit it with him three minutes after their reunion.


    Considering everything, the Countess was her employer.


    She planned to stick to the guideline of ¡®maintaining an appropriate distance¡¯ from now on.


    Since the Countess hadn¡¯t set a clear criteria, she decided to be a bit brazen, drawing her line at ¡®as long as we don¡¯t have sex every day¡¯.


    Not exactly a strict rule, but she could always employ a stricter rule later if the Countess brings the matter up in the future.


    Though she planned that out, it still felt uncomfortable for her to act all lovey-dovey with Siwoo at the moment.


    Meanwhile, as he was completely oblivious to the underlying reasons, Siwoo was completely thrown off by her reaction, even more than when Eloa just stormed out the room for no reason.


    Feeling uneasy, he glanced at the twins.


    ¡°Ms. Odile, Ms. Odette, you should try this, it¡¯s tasty.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re fine, Mr. Assistant.¡±


    ¡°You should have more, we¡¯re already full, Mr. Assistant.¡±


    But even the twins he had trusted were acting strangely off.


    Compared to their usual demeanor and the warm welcome they had just given him earlier, it was a stark contrast.


    ¡®This this was prepared by Chef ??, the exclusive chef of the Gemini household, and it¡¯s called ??!¡¯


    ¡®Of course, the food in the Modern World is tasty, but this one will make you fall in love with it for sure, Mr. Assistant! It¡¯s a ?? dish made with ?? ?? ingredients!¡¯


    He expected them to react like that, but they didn¡¯t.


    Instead, they politely declined him and whispered among themselves.


    Of course, the twins also had their reasons for their behavior.


    ¡°Did you count it all, Sis?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we only made eye contact with him four times, but Sharon unnie did it ten times! And we¡¯re sitting right in front of him...!¡±


    ¡°Did you see how she acts as if she¡¯s not close to him? This is all part of her strategy to deceive everyone!¡±


    ¡°So irritating...¡±


    After witnessing Sharon and Siwoo¡¯s steamy sex scene earlier today...


    The twins held a strategy meeting.


    In short, the things that they were discussing during the meeting were...


    What special technique that the twins could use while Sharon couldn¡¯t?


    What kind of measure they needed to take to get in between those two, who were pretty much lovers already.


    However, due to the limited time, they were unable to discuss the matter thoroughly since they had to join the dinner.


    So, for the time being, they decided to just observe how those two treated each other during the dinner.


    They engaged in a superficial conversation while doing so, just in case that their masters caught on to what they were doing, but their brains were working hard as they tried to come up with a plan.


    In any case, since all those women were too occupied with their own things, that left Siwoo with his only conversational partner at the table, the Countesses.


    ¡°By the way, Mr. Siwoo, how long do you plan to stay in Gehenna?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Maybe for about a week?¡±


    ¡°Shorter than I expected, I see. If you want, I can arrange a separate villa for you.¡±


    ¡°Would you consider staying here as our household¡¯s guest? We¡¯d treat you with the utmost respect.¡±


    According to the two Countesses, it would be a good idea for him to just live in Gehenna.


    They were hoping to deepen the relationship between him and the twins.


    After all, if he were to stay here, it would be easier for his relationship with the twins to develop. Also, they were hoping that if he were to get a taste of the sweet fruit that was the Gemini Household¡¯s wealth, he wouldn¡¯t be interested in other witches.


    ¡°But, I feel like I¡¯ll be inconveniencing you if that¡¯s the case. I appreciate the thought, though.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Ah, right, I almost forgot.¡±


    Countess Albireo let out a meaningful ¡®hm¡¯ and signaled to the maid standing next to her. The maid then walked over to Siwoo with a small gift box in her hand.


    It was a small and sophisticated wooden box. When Siwoo opened it, there was a card that seemed like it was made of platinum.


    Naturally, there was a family crest depicting twin birds engraved on it. To the side, there seemed to be some kind of hole being placed there.


    ¡°What is this...?¡±


    ¡°A credit card basically. You can use it during your stay in Gehenna. If you show this card anywhere in Gehenna, any expenses will be charged into our family¡¯s account.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no spending limit on it, so feel free to use it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you...¡±


    Actually, Albireo had already known his spending habits, so she wasn¡¯t worried even if the card had no limit.


    He might buy a bunch of food at once, but that was it. Siwoo wasn¡¯t the type to indulge in unreasonable extravagance.


    Her giving him the card was pretty much just a show of wealth than anything, she did it to impress both him and Sharon.


    Holding the platinum card in his hand tightly, Siwoo thanked the two Countesses and shared some stories with /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 301: A Three-Way Battle (4)

    Chapter 301: A Three-Way Battle (4)


    1.


    A new dawn had arrived.


    Siwoo stretched his body before getting off the bed.


    Last night, after he was served a nice meal, the Countesses assigned him to a private lodgings.


    It was a two-stories building made out of stone near the main building of the Gemini Mansion, a distance away from the villa where Sharon resided in.


    Of course, the facilities inside the building were top-notch, there was no need to question it. It went without saying that his quality of sleep was also excellent due to this.


    He looked at the window to see that it was still dark outside, not a strange thing, since dawn had just started.


    Out there in the garden, he could see the glistening dew on the neatly trimmed lawn.


    ¡°It¡¯s still six, huh?¡±


    Though he tended to oversleep these days, for some reason, he was wide awake now.


    Maybe because of his five years living in Gehenna as a slave, when he used to wake up around this hour, his internal clock adjusted to that and got him awake at this time too now that he was back in here.


    Well, whatever it was, he didn¡¯t really care.


    ¡°Hoahm...¡±


    He got up to smoke some cigarettes on the terrace.


    The cool late autumn breeze roused him awake completely.


    As he placed some of the cigarette¡¯s ash into the ashtray, he began thinking about his plan for the day.


    First, he listed off the things he wanted to do in Gehenna.


    He planned to find some relevant research to gain complete control over the ¡®Red Branch¡¯.


    Currently, all he could do was prevent it from emitting the distortion field everywhere.


    Even so, the method he had wasn¡¯t perfect. The distortion field would still leak out and the spear would become a liability if he were to bring it with him while he was casting Dimension Shift.


    He could bring it through the ¡®Gate¡¯, but that was really the best he could do.


    Besides, that was mostly because those ¡®Gates¡¯ were created by Duchess Keter herself. They were way more stable than Siwoo¡¯s Dimension Shift. Actually, he couldn¡¯t even compare the two even as a joke.


    Then, the next thing he wanted to do was to meet Takasho again.


    There was nothing special behind this wish, he just missed the guy.


    He also planned to check up on Sharon.


    But, he had done exactly that yesterday.


    That left Amelia...


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Honestly, he didn¡¯t feel like doing that.


    To him, Amelia was like an ex-girlfriend who¡¯d make him feel comfortable whenever her name was mentioned.


    Like someone who he broke up with on a bad note, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to hate her, at the same time, he didn¡¯t have any good memories with her either.


    After he regained his memories, his relationship with her was torn apart, but he still left a note to her before he left Gehenna.


    Though, he wrote it while he was drunk, so he didn¡¯t remember the content clearly...


    ¡®Sorry for speaking so harshly.¡¯


    ¡®Both of us made mistakes to one another, it isn¡¯t right to put the blame solely on one of us.¡¯


    ¡®I hope after we finish sorting our emotions, we can have a proper conversation.¡¯


    He remembered it to be something similar to that.


    But, he never heard anything from her ever since.


    The only thing he had heard about her was that she had quitted her job as an Associate Professor, but she never visited or even contacted him.


    That was why he thought that this was her way of declaring that their relationship was completely over.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t like Siwoo was feeling guilty for leaving or feeling indebted to her or anything.


    Before her sudden change of attitude, Amelia was the worst boss he ever had in his life.


    Still, he couldn¡¯t help but think about her.


    He could still remember the warmth she provided her back when he turned into a child and lost his memories.


    And he could also remember the tears that came out of her eyes as she took in all of his anger and resentment when he finally got his memories back.


    That was why he wanted to talk with her again.


    He held on to the faint hope that the reason why she cut contact with him was because of her lack of social skills and clumsy nature.


    ¡°Hmm... Maybe I should just visit Takasho first.¡±


    In the end, he decided to postpone doing the heavy stuff for later.


    Instead, he¡¯d finish the things that he could finish right away.


    Even though Siwoo was back in Gehenna, they didn¡¯t just change the twins¡¯ schedule arbitrarily.


    Which meant they¡¯d be living like Daechi-dong¡¯s exam takers until their next holiday.


    From what he could tell, the Countess were rather strict as parents.


    That meant, he couldn¡¯t hang out with the twins freely, so he figured that he should just visit his old friend to spend his free time.


    -Knock, knock


    After he took a light shower and finished getting ready...


    He knocked on the door to the room where his master was staying.


    By some coincidence, or maybe the Eloa had requested it from the Countess, the rooms they were staying in were right next to each other.


    Since he knew what happened to her in the past, he didn¡¯t think that his master was being overprotective or anything.


    ¡°Master, are you still sleeping?¡±


    There was no special reason behind it.


    Greeting his master every morning had just become a habit of some sorts to him.


    After a while, he didn¡¯t receive any answer, so he was about to turn back when...


    ¡°...Come in.¡±


    A tired-sounding answer came out.


    When he opened the door and came inside, he saw the sleepy-looking Eloa sitting on her bed, most likely she had just woken up.


    From her voice and her eyes, it was clear that she was tired.


    Even so, she was still a witch.


    She really doesn¡¯t need to be so remorseful just for that...


    Though, the sight of her worrying so much about the problem that he deemed as insignificant made her look pitiful and cute.


    Then again, that¡¯s just how she is, I guess.


    ¡°Well, it might be strange for me to say this but... It¡¯s because I enjoyed it too.¡±


    ¡°You...enjoyed...it...?¡±


    He didn¡¯t think much when he said it, now that he thought about it more, those words sounded a little strange.


    Because it sounded like he was saying something like ¡®I enjoy the mana transfer moment I had with my master¡¯.


    Still, if this could relieve some of Eloa¡¯s burden, he figured that he was fine with her perceiving him as a weirdo.


    His image might be ruined, but that was a small price to pay to keep the gloom out of his precious master¡¯s face.


    ¡°Yes and I will keep that moment as one of my most precious memories. Anyway, I need to go now, my schedule is a little packed for today.¡±


    However, that didn¡¯t mean the embarrassment she felt from receiving her bewildered look was gone.


    After he finished saying his goodbye, he immediately left the room.


    ¡°What was I on about, seriously...¡±


    Though he took advantage of the situation and said that he¡¯d cherish the memory, he still felt embarrassed by his words.


    In any case, what was done, was done, all he could do now was to give her some space.


    Anyway, time to go look for Takasho.


    If there was one person who helped him the most during his five years of slavery, it was Takasho without a doubt.


    Not only did he provide Siwoo with a lot of good things, he was also his good friend, so Siwoo was set to give him a bunch of good things to repay all the favor he owed him.


    With him were two large suitcases, each of them were big enough for an adult woman to hide in, both filled to the brim with Modern World items.


    By the way, items from the Modern World were sold at an extremely expensive price in Gehenna.


    The ¡®Gate¡¯ back in the Border Town wasn¡¯t something one could just enter for free.


    Since enormous resources were needed in the process of loading in the goods by ships, most things that came from the Modern World were luxury items for the witches.


    Bringing in things like Persian silk carpet was more profitable compared to hundreds of boxes of cup noodles, especially since they¡¯d need to invest in roughly the same amount of resources to load those things in.


    That was why ¡®cheap things¡¯ like ramen or cola were practically nonexistent in Gehenna.


    And the things that Siwoo stuffed inside those suitcases were such items.


    ¡°That should be everything.¡±


    After he finished sorting all the items he brought, Siwoo then prepared to take the Gate to the Trinity Academy.


    2.


    After Siwoo was gone, the door was tightly closed.


    Eloa remained silent as she looked at the door he just went through not too long ago.


    Though she hadn¡¯t made any noises or anything, her heart was caught in a storm.


    Last night, she was stuck, tossing and turning on her bed, drowning in self-loathe.


    This was because she remembered the time when she secretly peeked in when Sharon and Siwoo were having sex and her underwear somehow turned wet as she did.


    After a long contemplation, she came to a decision.


    She could keep the latter case to herself as a shameful stain in her history.


    But, she had to at least apologize for the former case.


    She had to tell him about the voyeurism and give him a proper apology.


    That was what she had decided to do.


    So, when Siwoo came over to her room as usual...


    Though she had been agonizing and contemplating, she was able to utter her apology right before he tried to leave the room for the first time.


    But, the answer that he gave her was not something she ever expected and it caught her completely off guard.


    ¡®It¡¯s fine. I understand everything.¡¯


    He said those words.


    ¡®...What about yesterday¡¯s...?¡¯


    She tried to make sure that they were both talking about the same thing.


    And his response was...


    ¡®Yes, that too.¡¯


    ¡®D-Did you really...?¡¯


    ¡®Of course.¡¯


    He knew everything already.


    Even so, he didn¡¯t get mad at her or anything.


    However, his next words were so surprising to the point that Eloa didn¡¯t know if she should be grateful for this outcome or not.


    When she asked him why didn¡¯t he say anything if he noticed...


    With a shy look, he...


    ¡®Well, it might be strange for me to say this but... It¡¯s because I enjoyed it too.¡¯


    ¡®I will keep that moment as one of my most precious memories¡¯


    Enjoyed it?


    He will keep it as a precious memory?


    Is he trying to say that he likes it when I see him having a sex with another woman?


    To the point that he¡¯ll be keeping it as one of his most precious memories?


    This matter had derailed too much from the common sense that Eloa was familiar with.


    To begin with, Eloa didn¡¯t understand much regarding the relationship between a man and a woman.


    And she knew about this flaw of hers pretty well.


    However, even with her limited knowledge, she knew that Siwoo¡¯s answer was not normal at all.


    Does he really have that kind of perverted preference??


    Or maybe he¡¯s just trying to make me feel less bad?


    Knowing him, it¡¯s probably the latter, but...


    In the end, thanks to Siwoo¡¯s ambiguous words and actions, Eloa had to take a cold shower for a long time to calm herself /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 302: Mimaya Takasho (1)

    Chapter 302: Mimaya Takasho (1)


    1.


    Needless to say, the town where Siwoo spent most of his life in Gehenna was none other than the ¡®Lenomond Town¡¯ where the Trinity Academy was located.


    This was the second rich town in Gehenna, the place where witches who weren¡¯t part of the nobility, yet possessed the wealth comparable to one, lived.


    One could say that if Ars Magna Town was like Seocho-dong in Gangnam, Lenomond Town was like Gangdong-gu in Yongsan.


    In Tarot Town, there were more ordinary citizens than witches, while in Lenomond Town, the witches¡¯ population doubled that of the ordinary citizens.


    After Siwoo came out of the Gate, he found himself at the northern part of the Trinity Academy¡¯s main building, which was spread in the shape of a cross.


    The grandeur of the interior matched that of the Palace of Versailles, more specifically the Hall of Mirrors.


    No matter where he looked, he was greeted by the magnificent glitter of gold that was blended in the flickering flames that came out of the numerous candles.


    Its beauty served to strengthen the notion of ¡®such a beauty wouldn¡¯t change even if a thousand years had passed¡¯ in the heart of its believers.


    ¡°Nothing changed at all here, huh...?¡±


    The moment he walked into the corridor, the memories of his past struggle rushed through his mind like a panorama.


    He thought that he¡¯d experience something close to PTSD, but...


    Instead, he only felt a slight prick in his heart, it felt like a vague and distant memory, something nostalgic.


    ¡°Alright...¡±


    I should start looking for Takasho.


    Around this time, he should be either cleaning the hallway or lounging around inside a professor¡¯s room...


    Siwoo walked leisurely while looking around to check out his old workplace.


    One would think that such a grand-looking building would be noisy with people, but it wasn¡¯t the case at all.


    The school building, perhaps influenced by the silence brought by the dawn, was eerily quiet that it felt genuinely discomforting.


    He had grown used to it in the past and now the feeling gave him quite the nostalgic vibe.


    The difference was that, now he was experiencing that feeling while walking leisurely instead of rushing to wipe through all the chandeliers in the hallway.


    He passed through a well, the same well that he used to wash his body with cold water after his work was done.


    The memories of him digging through the ditch on rainy days came rushing to him.


    He then took a quick look at the library where he used to sneakily study magic, but throughout all this, he hadn¡¯t seen Takasho anywhere.


    An hour had passed since he started going around in the Academy.


    ¡°Seriously, where is he?¡±


    Suspecting that they must have missed each other, he headed to a certain place.


    The administrative office that was located in the southeast of the building.


    As its name suggested, it was an office in charge of administrative tasks.


    -Knock, knock


    The office looked older than the library where he used to work.


    When he knocked and entered the door, he saw a woman, shuffling through a stack of paper, this early in the morning.


    He knew her.


    Though he never got to know her personally, he used to receive all his tasks from this woman.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    The woman, fiddling with her pen, turned her hazy, sleepy eyes towards Siwoo when she heard him calling out to her.


    ¡°H-Huh?! J-Janitor Shin Siwoo?¡±


    ¡°Yes, though I¡¯m not a janitor anymore.¡±


    ¡°H-Hello!¡±


    The woman stood up from her seat and bowed her head like a soldier bowing to someone that was higher ranked than her.


    Staff working in the administrative office weren¡¯t witches but ordinary citizens and this woman wasn¡¯t an exception to that.


    Now that Siwoo had officially become a ¡®witch¡¯, his status naturally became higher than hers.


    But...


    ¡°...U-Um...¡±


    He looked at the trembling woman with a concerned expression.


    Since this was his old workplace, it wasn¡¯t strange that the news about him becoming a witch spread faster than anywhere else, and he knew that, but...


    Why does she look so scared...?


    ¡°A-About your accommodation from last time, I... I-I¡¯m truly sorry...!¡±


    Ah...


    That¡¯s why.


    The reason why Siwoo was kicked out of his relatively decent lodgings and had to live in that rundown barn was due to the administrative office¡¯s influence.


    She probably thought that now he had a higher rank than her, he was out for revenge or something.


    ¡°Uh, don¡¯t worry about that, I¡¯m just here to ask a few questions.¡±


    A fortunate thing for him, since those witches would follow him around like baby chicks the moment they set their eyes on him.


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    After looking around for a bit more, he finally dragged his feet to the supposedly Takasho¡¯s workplace.


    ¡°Is this really the right place?¡±


    Siwoo arrived at the far end of the street.


    In front of him was a building without a sign, located in a corner that made it difficult to find.


    The building looked clean and neat, though. It even got a red carpet laid on its stairs.


    Still, what kind of job would a slave need to do in such a place? At least, Siwoo couldn¡¯t think of any.


    He decided to stop thinking about it, walked up the door, and knocked it.


    -Knock, knock!


    ¡°...¡±


    A loud sound echoed.


    Since he couldn¡¯t hear any sound coming from inside, he decided to knock on it once again.


    ¡°What is... Who are you?¡±


    The one who came out of the door was a man with blonde hair, he looked younger than Siwoo.


    Just like his shaggy, messy hair, he wore rather loose clothes.


    If there was something noteworthy about him, it was that he was quite the looker.


    His friendly, but clearly forced smile, was wiped off his lips as soon as he found out that the person who knocked on the door was a man.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to meet someone.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Mimaya Takasho. Is he inside?¡±


    When Takasho¡¯s name came out of Siwoo¡¯s mouth, the man¡¯s expression changed again.


    His annoyance disappeared as his expression turned bright.


    In a somewhat cautious manner, he then asked a question.


    ¡°Are you a close friend of Takasho hyung?


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    The man then took a quick glance at Siwoo.


    He scanned through the rather expensive looking eyepatch and clothes that he wore before glancing towards the ring in his hand.


    Then, the man ascertained that his outfit was not something that an ordinary slave could wear.


    ¡°Ah, then please come in and wait¡ª Liam! Get over here! There¡¯s a guest here! Um... May I know your name...?¡±


    ¡°Shin Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°Tell Takasho hyung that Shin Siwoo is here for a visit!¡±


    Siwoo then followed him inside with a brave stride.


    After he went through the front door and passed through a rather thick door inside, he was greeted by a fancy looking bar.


    Well, actually, it probably wasn¡¯t actually a bar, but the room¡¯s layout was similar to one.


    Although some of the tables were scattered around and there were wooden boxes piled up in one of the corners, it still didn¡¯t make the interior of this place any less sophisticated looking.


    The murals, statues, and even the pool tables looked extremely expensive.


    Overall, the place gave off a very bar-esque atmosphere, but for some reason, the place was really dark even though the sun had risen already.


    ¡°Please wait a minute, Hyung will come down soon.¡±


    ¡°What is this place? A bar?¡±


    ¡°Uh, something like that, I suppose.¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s confusion due to that answer was cut short by the deep voice that was accompanied by the trudging sound of footsteps.


    ¡°Shin Siwoo!¡±


    Although his voice sounded deeper than the one he was familiar with, Siwoo could immediately tell who the voice belonged to.


    But, when he turned around, to his surprise, the man who called out to him wasn¡¯t the Takasho he remembered.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while! I¡¯ve missed you!¡±


    The Japanese man was dressed in a stylish Italian suit, his hair slicked back with hard pomade, his beard was trimmed nicely to complement his face, and on his waist, there was a shiny Patek Philippe.


    In this rather dark room, his confident smile that was amplified by his cheekbones, brightened up the room.


    ¡°T-Takasho, is that really you?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    Siwoo awkwardly shook Takasho¡¯s stretched hand, but he still stood frozen in front of him.


    Seemingly anticipating his reaction, Takasho gave him his business card while giving off a bold smile.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, I am the President and Madame of the one and only host club in Gehenna, ¡®Rose Glass¡¯, Mimaya /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 303: Mimaya Takasho (2)

    Chapter 303: Mimaya Takasho (2)


    1.


    Seeing Siwoo still didn¡¯t understand the situation, Takasho grabbed his wrist and dragged him to the President¡¯s Office on the second floor.


    ¡°Oh, my soul friend, Shin Siwoo! Looking good, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    As soon as the door was closed, Takasho opened his arms and embraced Siwoo tightly.


    The scent of strong perfume wafting from him made Siwoo feel embarrassed somehow.


    He had been looking forward to meeting him, but when he actually did, instead of feeling something like ¡®Glad to see him again after a long time¡¯, he was all flustered, asking ¡®What the fuck is going on?¡¯ in his head.


    ¡°Dude, why do you look so different? What the fuck? You aren¡¯t using a filter, right?¡±


    Takasho took out a bottle of alcohol and a pair of glasses, pouring both glasses to the fullest.


    His luxurious watch flashed in the middle of the gesture as a bonus for the show he put on.


    ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon, who do you think I am? Hokkaido''s legend! The man with a six-story pagoda of flesh! The number one ace of Kabuki-cho! Mimaya Takasho!¡±


    Seeing the way he laughed frivolously as she flopped down the sofa reassured Siwoo that this guy was indeed the Takasho that he knew.


    He was just wearing a different set of clothes than he used to¡ªhis loosely fit work clothes with patches here and there.


    Now, he looked like a young and rich businessman. Well, at least that was how Siwoo would introduce him to someone if they were to see his current appearance.


    ¡°Man, I haven¡¯t been drinking these days since I need to take care of myself and stuff, but there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t drink now that my dear friend is here! C¡¯mon, drink them up!¡±


    Damn, he seems to live quite the life now, huh?


    Seeing that his friend whom he was worried about was doing so well, Siwoo let out a sigh of relief inwardly.


    Since the cheerful atmosphere fit perfectly with his plan, Siwoo took out his ¡®secret weapon¡¯ from his luggage.


    ¡°Nice, just add this and it will be perfect.¡±


    ¡°T-This...?!¡±


    Takasho, who was sitting on the sofa, spreading his arms wide, relaxing, jumped up the moment he saw what Siwoo had brought out.


    It was one of the secret weapons that he brought for the occasion.


    Instant ramen.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t a normal instant ramen.


    It was a 6,000 won ramen that used liquid soup as its broth, allowing one to taste the authentic taste of a genuine tonkotsu ramen.


    ¡°I remember you bitching about wanting to eat ramen, so I bought some for you. Fifty packages of these things.¡±


    ¡°F-Fifty...? T-This is... Ichiran Ramen! My favorite...!¡±


    Takasho hugged the ramen that fell into his embrace, almost rolling on the floor.


    He looked exactly like a drug addict who found a secret crack stash somewhere.


    ¡°S-Siwoo-sama... T-This Takasho is glad to be your friend... P-Please know that back then, when I used to call you josenjin...1 I-It was all a joke...!¡±


    Tears welled up in his eyes.


    This was when Siwoo found out that a Japan Mainlander¡¯s dogeza was on a completely different level than the one he was familiar with.


    ¡°Oi, Takasho, do it over. Stand up and give me another dogeza.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord¡ª! No, my king!¡±


    After that, Siwoo emptied his two bags in front of Takasho.


    The content of his bags included potato chips, Japanese cigarettes that Takasho said he missed, some comfortable underwear, razors along with the replacement blades and so on.


    There were also various Japanese snacks, instant film cameras and their films, even pictures of his favorite actresses.


    Since Siwoo lived in Gehenna once, just like him, he knew how precious those things to him were.


    That was why he made a whole list of things to buy this good friend of his and bought everything in that list for him before coming back to Gehenna.


    ¡°Ahhh...! Aaaahhhh!! I love this so much...! I think I can fly...!¡±


    Now that he saw his friend rolling around the ground happily, he let out a smile in satisfaction over a job well done.


    2.


    The two men proceeded to chat over a bag of potato chips and ramen.


    Takasho gave Siwoo the answer he had been so curious about.


    ¡°After you left, I did a lot of thinking. Like, a loooot of thinking. You were once a slave, just like me, yet you succeeded in studying magic and got your freedom back. It made me think that I¡¯ve been spending my life in vain, wasting my life away...¡±


    There was an ecstatic expression on his face when he boiled the water for his ramen. The face he made when he took a good slurp of the ramen made it seem like he was going to cum or something.


    As someone who gave him this gift, there was nothing more joyful for Siwoo than seeing this expression of his.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I decided to chase after my dream.¡±


    ¡°Your dream?¡±


    ¡°To become an owner of a host club. To become the true Lord of the Night.Like they said, a man should dream big. I don¡¯t want to waste my life satisfying those witches while I don¡¯t gain anything tangible for it.¡±


    Takasho gulped down his drink, then patted his chest.


    ¡°So, I went to see Countess Adonai. As you know, her company takes a big hold on Gehenna¡¯s logistics. I told her to lend me some money so I could start a business.¡±


    ¡°She just lent it to you?¡±


    While it was true that Takasho was adored by quite a few witches, he was still a slave.


    No matter how remote this building was, it still required quite the sum to open up a shop in THE biggest marketplace in Lenomond Town...


    ¡°You gotta owe it to my explanation. I told her that there just isn¡¯t enough entertainment in Gehenna, particularly in regards to where the witches could satiate their lust.


    Eloa¡¯s.


    This particular picture was taken fairly recently. What happened here was, Siwoo was randomly taking a picture of the sunset when Eloa suddenly photobombed him.


    Of course, Takasho didn¡¯t know any of this. His body shook even more than before.


    ¡°Oi, josenjin. Who is this?¡±


    ¡°Ah... Just a witch that I know. She¡¯s teaching me this and that.¡±


    ¡°This and that? This and that you said!? Dude, are you fucking with me right now? Is this why you came to see me? So that you could show off your women to me?!¡±


    ¡°Shut it, why do you care so much?! Hey, stop scrolling! Give me my phone back!¡±


    Takasho was losing it at this point, the speed at which he scrolled through Siwoo¡¯s gallery became faster and faster.


    After Eloa¡¯s pictures¡ªwell, there weren¡¯t many of them¡ªcame the twins¡¯ pictures, which were taken back when they visited him in the Modern World.


    When he saw them, Takasho¡¯s hand suddenly stopped.


    Reflected on the picture was Siwoo¡¯s face being crushed by the twins¡¯ faces from both sides.


    After they took the picture, the twins were arguing with each other because one of them occupied more space in the picture or whatnot.


    In any case, anyone who looked at this picture could tell how close they were to each other.


    ¡°The Gemini twins... Oi, Shin Siwoo! Didn¡¯t you tell me that you are just looking after those two?!¡±


    ¡°Just give me my phone back quickly!¡±


    ¡°A thief who learns late doesn¡¯t know when dawn comes...¡±


    Siwoo freaked out and took his phone back.


    He completely forgot about this particular picture.


    Meanwhile Takasho, who was wearing an exasperated expression earlier, suddenly smiled in satisfaction.


    ¡°Right, come to think of it, I¡¯m the one who taught you all those things. A student¡¯s success is the teacher¡¯s success as well.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t refute that.¡±


    If anything, Siwo knew more than anyone that Takasho¡¯s advice worked wonders.


    ¡°Anyway, what are you gonna do now? Wanna work in our place for a bit?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m gonna head back to the Modern World later. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll visit your place often before going back.¡±


    ¡°That so?¡±


    Just a while ago, he was raging, perhaps from jealousy, but now there was a soft smile on his face, as if his behavior just now was just a joke.


    In fact, it really was a joke.


    After all, he was the kind of person who¡¯d give a bigger push to his friends when things were going well for them.


    ¡°Bring your girlfriend over next time, okay? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll praise you to high heavens in front of her.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Actually, when I told her stories about you, she did say that she wanted to meet you at least once.¡±


    When they were about to continue their small talk...


    -Knock, knock!


    After the knocking sound, the door was opened and the blonde man that escorted Siwoo in came into the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you while you two are having such a great time, but, Hyung, someone from the Chamber of Commerce is here. They want to have a word with you.¡±


    ¡°What does he want?¡±


    ¡°He is the one in charge of the alcohol supplies, I think. There¡¯s a problem about tariff or something like that.¡±


    ¡°Huh, really?¡±


    Takasho immediately rose up to his feet, tidying his disheveled suit.


    He tapped Siwoo on the shoulder as he stood up.


    The moment he straightened his body, the usual Takasho was gone, replaced by the full-fledged businessman Takasho.


    ¡°Sorry to cut our time together short, Siwoo. I need to take care of this thing now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon, don¡¯t be sorry. I¡¯m going to visit often anyway.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Anyway, it¡¯s nice to see you doing so well. Next time, let¡¯s have a real talk over some good booze, okay?¡±


    After saying that, Takasho walked away.


    Siwoo was about to follow and leave the room, but the blonde man stopped him, though there was a hesitant expression on his face.


    ¡°Um, excuse me...¡±


    ¡°Yes? Is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°Are you...um...close to the witches?¡±


    ¡°Yes. For now, at least.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can say this but... Can I ask you something? The thing is, Hyung...¡±


    When he was about to say something, Takasho¡¯s loud voice echoed from behind the door.


    ¡°What are you doing, Paul? Come with me!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Hyung! ...Sorry about that, please don¡¯t mind me. I have to leave now, excuse me.¡±


    But, in the end, the blonde man had to leave without the chance to say what it was that he had in /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 304: Before the Picnic (1)

    Chapter 304: Before the Picnic (1)


    1.


    Ever since Amelia was saved by Clara, she had been staying in her workshop.


    Unlike Amelia¡¯s first impression of her, Clara was a thorough and meticulous witch.


    Although she barely talked to her, she paid attention to every and each one of Amelia¡¯s activities.


    But, she did it in such a way that made Amelia feel it wasn¡¯t burdensome at all.


    She also wasn¡¯t being overprotective or anything like that.


    Keeping a proper distance while staying by her side silently, that was all that she had done.


    Through this small gesture of consideration from her, Amelia was slowly able to forget her pain.


    Though, she did find it funny that just having someone staying by her side, ready to help her at any moment, was enough to make her feel better.


    ¡°Good morning, Amelia.¡±


    Currently, Clara was in the kitchen, busily cooking something.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t really a conventional kitchen, but rather just an area that was fit to be called ¡®kitchen¡¯ the most in this workshop.


    It wasn¡¯t a separate room from the rest of the workshop, including the place where they slept, and it wasn¡¯t a particularly nice place to look at either.


    There was only a hole that functioned as a stove or oven of some sorts, though from the fire that was burning inside it, it looked more like a furnace than anything.


    Anyway, it seemed like when Amelia was briefly washing her body off the fine sand that was stuck there, Clara had been stuck in the kitchen for a bit.


    ¡°Do you mind waiting for a bit? I¡¯m cooking. It¡¯s been a while since I last did this though, so don¡¯t expect too much from it...¡±


    It was obvious that she was cooking something for Amelia.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t like Amelia wanted to eat in the first place, let alone troubling someone else to cook for her.


    However, she wasn¡¯t shameless enough to grumble over the favor that the other person kindly gave her.


    ¡°...I¡¯ll help out.¡±


    ¡°Nononono! You don¡¯t need to! Just sit there and wait patiently, okay? I¡¯ll be done soon!¡±


    ¡°Still...¡±


    ¡°I told you, you don¡¯t need to! See? It¡¯s pretty much done already!¡±


    After Clara¡¯s repeated attempt to dissuade her from helping, Amelia had no other choice but to sit down obediently at the table.


    The oven, stove, or whatever it was, used the fire that Clara produced from her own mouth,


    After checking that the heat was enough, she put some oil and ingredients into her wok.


    The sight of the Witch of the Dragon cooking with the flame that could melt steel as if it was butter was admittedly, quite humorous for Amelia.


    Still, it wasn¡¯t humorous enough for a smile to bloom in her face.


    Of course, she felt gratitude for all the kindness Clara had given her, but she couldn¡¯t understand the reason why the other witch was doing all this.


    Though she had heard from the rumors that the Witch of the Dragons was someone who¡¯d show her kindness to everyone, but when that kindness was directed solely at her, Amelia couldn¡¯t help but feel incredibly awkward about it.


    Because her hands were already stained with blood.


    With sins that could never be forgiven for, with regrets that could never be resolved.


    ¡°I¡¯m done!¡±


    While the negative emotions were eating Amelia¡¯s heart up, slowly, like poison.


    Three plates, each filled with delicious-looking food, were placed in front of her.


    As if she was a chef, trying to introduce her own work, Clara gave a brief description of each of the dishes.


    These dishes were the traditional dishes of the region they were in.


    The first dish that Clara introduced was a deep-fried egg-looking dish.


    ¡°This one over here is Falafel! You make it by grinding some chickpeas and other beans, then deep fry them! It¡¯ll taste better with the tomato sauce!¡±


    Next, a roasted bird with its stomach hollowed out and filled with rice.


    ¡°This one over here is Hamam! You make it by cutting a pigeon¡¯s stomach first, place some rice inside it, then roast it until it turns golden brown! Like the other dish, you can also dip it into tomato sauce!¡±


    Lastly, was something that looked similar to hamburger steak.


    ¡°And this one is Kofta! You can say it¡¯s a hamburger steak made with minced lamb and plenty of spices! Of course, you can also dip this one into tomato sauce!¡±


    After she introduced all the dishes, Clara didn¡¯t sit down, instead she folded her hands in front of her chest and stared at Amelia with sparkly eyes.


    There was a little ¡®Hmph¡¯ noise coming out of her nose, as if she was so proud of her work, waiting to be praised.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Can you say something else? Please?¡±


    ¡°...You did great.¡±


    Only after she received Amelia''s praise did Clara sit down. The edges of her lips were curled upwards as she distributed the plates, forks, and knives.


    Then, she put some of the dishes onto Amelia¡¯s plates.


    ¡°I made a lot, so go on, eat as much as you want! Tell me if you want to eat more, okay?¡±


    Each of the dishes she made was made with sincerity and Amelia could tell it clearly, even though they barely knew each other for a few days.


    She stared at the dishes that were filled with warmth.


    ¡°Why...?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Why are you doing all this...for me...?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Sharon unnie.¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°A-Ah, y-yeah, hello...¡±


    However, unlike Sharon, who grew wary of them, the twins greeted her politely as usual.


    Though, unlike usual, there was a gentle smile on their faces.


    Fortunately for her, it didn¡¯t seem like they noticed her smile just now.


    ¡°Submit your assignments. I¡¯m gonna need to take a long time to grade this one, so let¡¯s start the lecture right away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sharon unnie.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sharon unnie.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    I¡¯m not hearing things, am I?


    They¡¯re acting way differently than I expected...


    Though she noticed that something was off with the twins, Sharon decided to just dismiss it for now, took their assignments that they submitted, then continued with her class.


    With that, hell descended upon the twins.


    For them, Sharon¡¯s class was like an extreme torture where they couldn¡¯t even put their pens down the moment it started for the next five hours.


    They were driven to the point of nearly dying as Sharon kept on writing and erasing things from the blackboard. Only when the dusk arrived were they released from this torture.


    -Tak, tak!


    After the class was finished, when Sharon was tidying up her things, the twins relaxed their bodies in their chairs.


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it for today¡¯s class. Since there¡¯s no class tomorrow, I¡¯m gonna give you more assignments than usual, okay?¡±


    ¡°Wait, Sharon unnie!¡±


    After the ruthless lecture, following the merciless statement that Sharon had just dropped.


    Odile quickly intervened.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°You see, we¡¯re planning to go to the beach with Mr. Assistant tomorrow! It¡¯s a two day and one night trip!¡±


    ¡°We want to ask you if you¡¯d come with us!¡±


    ¡°The beach?¡±


    Sharon looked at them with a suspicious gaze.


    This is the kind of moment where they should just take him away without telling me anything, but for them to go out of their way to invite me?


    In the first place, even if they told Sharon about their trip, she wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about it since she had to follow her contract, but it was a different story now that they actually invited her.


    Is this that ¡®Sending salt to your enemy¡¯ kind of thing?


    ¡°Yes! We have a villa near the Blue Narrow Sea!¡±


    ¡°We just thought that it would be nice if we were to go and play together there! So, can you please, not give us the assignments?¡±


    ¡°We promise we¡¯ll review everything we have learned properly!¡±


    The gears turned in Sharon¡¯s head. If she were to still give them their assignments, they¡¯d have to spend their whole time working on it, even if they ended up going with Siwoo anyway.


    But in exchange, Sharon wouldn¡¯t be able to go to the beach with Siwoo.


    On the contrary, if she didn¡¯t give them the assignments, they¡¯d be able to have fun.


    While she could take up on their offer and go to the beach with them.


    In short, the former option would result in a loss for both of them while the latter would benefit them both.


    It didn¡¯t seem like they were scheming anything for this, so Sharon thought that it was unlikely for her to lose out in the exchange.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Of course! This is the first time we¡¯re going to the beach with Mr. Assistant!¡±


    ¡°Please come with us! Let¡¯s have fun together!¡±


    The Blue Narrow Sea was a rather narrow sea that was located between the edges of the Border Town and Tarot Town.


    It was famous for its sandy beach and its pretty emerald blue sea.


    The place was regarded as one of the best resorts in Gehenna where one could swim around in the sea all year around.


    Sharon thought about playing in such a place with Siwoo.


    Not to mention that they would be staying in one of the Gemini¡¯s villas, which definitely would have better facilities than any other resort''s facilities.


    Just by imagining it already threw Sharon to cloud nine.


    Facing the twins¡¯ nervous expressions, she nodded her head eagerly.


    ¡°Sounds good! I¡¯ll come with you guys!¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    Hearing her answer, the twins¡¯ hearts were filled with so much joy that they even somersaulted in the air.


    Just like that, both parties agreed that the best course of action they could take for now was to sleep with their /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 305: Before the Picnic (2)

    Chapter 305: Before the Picnic (2)


    1.


    After dinner.


    In the Mansion, the twins¡¯ movements were heavily restricted, at least as long as the Countess or Head Maid Galina was around.


    Every night after dinner, they had to greet their Masters before they went to sleep.


    For tonight especially, they couldn¡¯t really do anything else. Their Masters wanted to see their progress in their piano lessons, so they had to obey that and went to the music room with their Masters.


    Before departing from the dining room, they threw a pitiable look towards Siwoo.


    On the contrary, Sharon was essentially the Countess¡¯ guest.


    She was free to do whatever and go wherever as long as she didn¡¯t cross certain boundaries.


    This also meant that she could visit Siwoo¡¯s accommodation freely.


    And so, she did just that and sneaked into the place.


    When she got there, she saw Siwoo carrying his soaps and the likes and headed to the bathhouse.


    Seeing this, she thought that maybe they could have some fun times if she were to follow him.


    ¡°Ugh... Should I really go though?¡±


    Still, Sharon wasn¡¯t a shameless person.


    Though she vowed in her heart that ¡®I¡¯d do anything I want, who cares about what other people think!¡¯...


    It didn¡¯t mean that she¡¯d feel fine ignoring her contract completely.


    Just a while ago, the Countesses had invited her to a really amazing meal and named her their guest, so her conscience was working overtime to warn her to not throw her shame away even though she had vowed in her heart.


    ¡°I have to keep a reasonable distance between us...¡±


    She could justify that it was their reunion for yesterday¡¯s tryst, but if they were to do it two days in a row, it would be a different story.


    Then again...


    ¡°Honestly, I just want to be with him...¡±


    They didn¡¯t need to have sex.


    She would be happy enough if the two of them were watching a movie together or even just having a small talk, really.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll just talk with him tonight. Just talking, not gonna do anything else.¡±


    Muttering to no one in particular, Sharon decided to wait in Siwoo¡¯s room.


    2.


    The annex building where Siwoo and Eloa stayed had showers in each room. But, perhaps due to some kind of limitations when they were building it or for efficiency''s sake, they only installed one bath, which was located in the bathhouse on the first floor of the building.


    Though it was considerably smaller than the average public bathhouse, the place¡¯s quality didn¡¯t lose out to the Levanna Grand Bath or any other public bathhouse that Siwoo had previously visited.


    Currently, he was soaking his whole body in the tub, surrounded by the smell of fragrant tea leaves.


    ¡°Ahh... It feels so nice~¡±


    His voice echoed inside the bathhouse that was filled with soft and pleasant steam.


    He could feel all the fatigue that accumulated from him running around since the break of dawn had been washed away.


    Maybe if he were to lay his head on the edge of the tub, he could instantly fall asleep right there and then.


    ¡°By the way... Master hasn¡¯t eaten anything tonight...¡±


    Tonight¡¯s dinner was when the Countesses gave him and the twins permission to go to the beach tomorrow.


    Before the dinner started, he actually went to her room to take her to the dining room with him, but she didn¡¯t even open the door for him.


    Instead, she told him ¡®I¡¯m good, just go on ahead¡¯ and locked herself inside her room.


    It was clear that his remarks earlier in the morning made her feel awkward around him.


    Though Duchess Tiphereth always gave off a solemn aura of a well-trained warrior, Siwoo knew that deep down, she was an extremely shy person.


    Earlier today, what he said to her was the equivalent of him saying that ¡®I enjoyed having sex with you! I¡¯ll treasure it as one of my most precious memories!¡¯ so it was no wonder that she¡¯d be acting this way towards him.


    I knew it, I shoulda restrained myself a little.


    Well, to be fair, I was trying to imitate Takasho and his methods have worked wonders so far...


    ¡°I¡¯ll just give her some space...¡±


    Thinking that time would solve the problem, Siwoo relaxed his mind once again.


    We¡¯ll go to the beach tomorrow, there should be plenty of time for us to have a heart-to-heart talk. Only need to have one of those to fix our relationship again.


    Perhaps because he got to relax both his mind and body, he had an unusually optimistic view about this.


    He soaked his body for a while longer. When he started to feel dizzy, he got out, wiped his body with a soft towel and headed back to his room.


    As expected, Eloa¡¯s door was still firmly shut.


    Then again, he figured that he could always talk to her tomorrow and stopped worrying about it much.


    So, he opened his room and entered, widening his eyes in surprise since he didn¡¯t expect that someone would be sitting on the sofa in his room, waiting for him.


    ¡°Huh? Sharon?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, Siwoo! I came here to play!¡±


    It was none other than Sharon, who was acting standoff-ish during the dinner.


    In complete contrast to her cold just a while ago, he couldn¡¯t see even a hint of shadow on her face and instead, she was smiling so brightly that it was blinding.


    Maybe if she had a tail, it would be moving around vigorously from side to side.


    In a blink of an eye, Siwoo had completely undressed her and laid her down on the bed.


    Sharon patiently waited for Siwoo to finish all his preparations with open arms, as if she was ready to embrace him at any moment.


    Then, they shared a passionate kiss.


    3.


    Meanwhile, during that time...


    Inside her room, Eloa let out a groan.


    After she heard Siwoo¡¯s shocking remark earlier this morning, she had been groaning while rolling around her bed.


    An understandable reaction really, since Siwoo just straight up uncovered his perverted tendencies to her; That he liked it when she was watching him having sex with another woman.


    Her sharp instinct couldn¡¯t figure out the reason behind why he even said such a thing to her.


    Maybe he really had that kind of perverted tendencies, maybe he was just saying it to make Eloa feel better, she didn¡¯t know which one was the truth.


    Due to this, she was too shy to even look at his face, so she opted to skip tonight¡¯s dinner.


    However, after she mulled it over and over, and after considering Siwoo¡¯s personality, her mind directed her to a certain direction.


    He isn¡¯t a pervert.


    Yes, he might act like a different person in bed, but that is that, this is this! That doesn¡¯t mean he is perverted by nature!


    In other words, he was just being kind, telling me a white lie to spare me from the embarrassment!


    But, he said that he noticed that I was there yesterday, right? Why didn¡¯t he stop then? Such a question lingered in her mind, but she decided to stop thinking about it and put her full trust in her disciple.


    Just as she had reached that conclusion, she heard the sound of footsteps coming from the distance. She assumed that Siwoo had probably finished with his bathing already and figured that she should hang out with him for a bit.


    -Clack, clack!


    But, when she listened closely to the sound of the footsteps again, she noticed that this kind of sound would only come out from a pair of heels.


    Her room and the main living room were only separated by two walls, the door to the bedroom ,and the door to the living room itself, so it wasn¡¯t hard for Eloa¡¯s sharp senses to distinguish someone¡¯s footsteps.


    The sound of footsteps varied from person to person, as it was heavily influenced by the person¡¯s weight, height, stride length and so on. It was a unique trait of someone, just like fingerprints.


    For a while, Eloa could hear the footsteps¡¯ owner paced around nearby, but eventually, they disappeared into Siwoo¡¯s room.


    It didn¡¯t take long for her to figure out who the owner of the footsteps was.


    Miss Evergreen? Did she just entered Siwoo¡¯s room?


    But why?


    ¡°Could it be...?¡±


    Considering what had happened before, countless suspicions came to her mind.


    No way, it can¡¯t be, right?


    But, she dismissed those suspicions, since she knew how close Sharon and Siwoo were. One of them visiting the other¡¯s room to hang out probably wasn¡¯t that big of a deal.


    -Tap, tap, tap


    Not long after that, she could hear Siwoo¡¯s footsteps coming from the distance, followed by the sound of the door closing.


    Then, she heard the pair exchanging their words loudly.


    ¡®Are you suggesting that you¡¯ve turned me into a puppy?¡¯


    ¡®In bed at least.¡¯


    ¡®What? Not everything is about sex, you know?¡¯


    ¡®Yes, but I know that¡¯s exactly what you¡¯re hinting at.¡¯


    Eloa agonized for a moment before she decided to leave her bedroom and went into the living room.


    She wanted to go to the place where she could hear them better.


    In truth, the reason why she felt so disoriented today wasn¡¯t just because she became wet when she was peeping on Siwoo and Sharon¡¯s intercourse.


    Similar to back when he suspected him having a tryst with Periwinkle...


    She felt a feeling of discomfort when he peeped on the two yesterday.


    Then, she realized something.


    The fact that Periwinkle wasn¡¯t the only person Siwoo had a physical relationship with.


    And that she also had a physical relationship with Sharon, the witch that he was especially close with, a woman who was practically his lover at this point.


    At first, Eloa tried to justify her current action with the excuse that she was being overprotective of her disciple, but she knew more than anyone that she was extremely curious.


    When a pair of man and woman were left alone...


    What kind of conversation would they have?


    And so, she decided to listen in to their conversation while concealing her breath.


    To her surprise, they were only talking about trivial things.


    They shared what was going on in their daily lives.


    For Sharon, she shared that she got a taste of what living like royalty felt like during her stay at the Gemini Mansion.


    She also told Siwoo what was going on in the twins¡¯ classes.


    As for Siwoo, he was talking about his friend, who had opened up a shop in Lenomond Town.


    Hearing this trivial exchange between them made Eloa feel guilty for listening in, but at the same time, she felt relieved since nothing else happened.


    Until she suddenly heard a rather loud /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 306: Before the Picnic (3)

    Chapter 306: Before the Picnic (3)


    1.


    It wasn¡¯t a difficult feat for Eloa, who was exerting all her senses, to listen to the sounds that came over from the next room.


    But this would only apply under one condition.


    If Siwoo wasn¡¯t turning the music box on.


    Siwoo¡¯s music box, which he claimed to be a present from Odile, was an extremely potent artifact that was able to conceal not only mana waves, but also the appearance, presence, and sound of the user¡¯s.


    It also wasn¡¯t a difficult artifact to use, and the user could freely adjust the strength and range of its concealment.


    ¡®Mmh...mmm...¡¯


    ¡®So, you really came here for this, hm?¡¯


    ¡®Nope~ I really came for a talk, it¡¯s just... When you look at me with that kind of gaze, you know...¡¯


    The loud sound that Eloa heard wasn¡¯t a canon that rang out somewhere, but it was the sound of their lips smacking against each other.


    Following that, she could hear the sound of their clothes rustling against the bed sheet.


    And their voices as they talked.


    Those sounds were the kind of sounds that they could easily conceal using the music box.


    But...


    Eloa looked around.


    One thing about the music box was that as long as one was within its range, the concealment effect wouldn¡¯t work on them.


    However, when she looked around, she realized something.


    They didn¡¯t turn the music box on.


    Before they started, Siwoo had reassured Sharon, who was worried about her presence in the next room, that their conversation wouldn¡¯t leak since he¡¯d be turning the music box on.


    But, he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°...Ah.¡±


    The realization hit Eloa, it rang loudly in her mind like shattered glass.


    Then, the scattered glass shards gathered and were being assembled on their own.


    She began to put together all the pieces and clues that she got from yesterday up to this moment.


    Siwoo, despite knowing that Eloa was there, continued to have sex with Sharon instead of stopping.


    That was what he had told her earlier this morning.


    Right now, despite saying that he¡¯d turn on the music box before having sex, he didn¡¯t do it.


    Both the clues and his actions pointed to one conclusion.


    He wanted Eloa to peek at their intercourse again.


    This realization left her whole body frozen.


    She simply couldn¡¯t believe that he would have this kind of side to him.


    About his unusually rough behavior during sex, she could easily dismiss it as he got carried away in the steamy atmosphere and to some extent, she could also pass this particular matter as such.


    But, from his tone, it was clear that he knew what exactly he was doing.


    ¡°No way...¡±


    There must be a reason why he is doing this again, though. Wait, is it because I¡¯ve been holing up in my room since our talk this morning? Is he trying to tell me that he wasn¡¯t lying and he really doesn¡¯t mind me peeking at their intercourse last time?


    But I don¡¯t need him to do this!


    Can¡¯t he just leave it and pretend like nothing happened like back when we had sex in that rainway tunnel?!


    ¡°No way...¡±


    Or maybe...


    I really don¡¯t want to believe it, but...


    Maybe he does have such a...unique...preference and he¡¯s trying to rope me into it...?


    A lot of things happened all at once, making Eloa unable to think clearly.


    While she was drowning in her own thoughts like that, the pair began their action.


    The sound of rough breathing and the wet sound of flesh clapping against each other reached her ears.


    Not only that, she could also hear the sound of their bed creaking.


    No matter what his intention behind this was, the thing that he wanted to show to Eloa was entering her ears.


    ¡°Hu...¡±


    I need to get out of here.


    Nothing good would come out if I were to stay here.


    Also, I need to discipline him tomorrow.


    I¡¯ll have to set it to him straight that this is just wrong and make him swear to not do this ever again.


    Though she had experienced this a few times already, her body still trembled due to the embarrassment.


    In any case, she had decided to set things straight with him.


    And so, she was about to open the door and leave the room with resolute steps when...


    ¡°...¡±


    She stopped and stared at the wall, where all the wet sound came from


    Eloa wasn¡¯t completely clueless about the relationship between a man and a woman.


    Because Siwoo had taught her the joy of being a woman directly onto her body.


    With that, the force that was rubbing against her sensitive parts promptly increased.


    ¡°Haa...¡±


    Eloa¡¯s breath turned steamy and hot.


    Compared to what she had done with Siwoo, it was a completely different feeling.


    However, she¡¯d be lying if she were to say that this didn¡¯t satiate her lust somehow.


    She spread the hem of her skirt wide and gently moved her waist back and forth, rubbing against the edge of the table.


    -Creak, creak!


    ¡®Ahh! Ahhh! Haaang...!¡¯


    ¡®Haah...haah...¡¯


    Meanwhile she could hear the sound of the bed creaking and Sharon¡¯s moans of ecstasy that aroused her even though she was also a woman like her.


    Not only that, she could also hear Siwoo¡¯s heavy breathing.


    ¡°Ngh...hng...¡±


    Eloa slowly moved her waist again, feeling that her mind became lost due to the pleasure.


    It feels so good...


    Why does it feel so good...?


    The pleasure overwhelmed her to the point that the hand that was holding the hem of her skirt lost its strength.


    To the point that her toes that supported her tiptoeing body trembled.


    It was as if every single cell in her body was celebrating the fact that she finally released all the lust that she had been holding back all this time.


    All of the sexual pleasure and experiences that she ever had in her life was always connected to Siwoo in some way or another.


    Since she could hear his voice clearly from the next door, it wasn¡¯t hard for her to use her imagination to rouse her lust up even more.


    And it wasn¡¯t hard for her to imagine him to be there with her right at this moment.


    The sense of immorality that she felt from doing this left her dizzy despite how hard she tried to convince herself that this would be her last time to do something like this.


    As she sunk deeply into her act, a certain someone¡¯s name leaked out from between her parting lips, accompanying the gasps that she had been letting out for a while now.


    ¡°Aaah... Siwoo...¡±


    Realizing what had just come out of her own mouth, Eloa became horrified.


    But that feeling was quickly replaced by the overwhelming pleasure that she felt.


    She told herself that this wasn¡¯t anything strange.


    Because she could hear Siwoo¡¯s voice clearly, it was inevitable that she¡¯d call out to him.


    Just like that, she dismissed the matter rather quickly and added more speed to her waist¡¯s movements.


    She placed the hem of her dress that she had been holding with her hand in her mouth and bit it.


    Under the triangular shadow that was formed by that same hem, her stomach contracted repeatedly in pleasure.


    ¡®Siwoo! Siwoo...! Siwoo...!¡¯


    Though she was convinced by Siwoo¡¯s words that he¡¯d turn the music box on, Sharon still felt a little apprehension over letting out her voice loudly since Eloa¡¯s room was right next to Siwoo¡¯s.


    But now, it seemed as if she had thrown all that apprehension away as she began to let out an even louder voice.


    The reason for it was because she was close to her climax.


    Her high-pitched squeals, filled with lust and ecstasy, prompted Siwoo to move even faster, making his breath grow heavier.


    ¡°Ngg...! Mmh...!¡±


    Eloa also began to accelerate her pace.


    Sticky liquid that came from her panties soaked the coated wood as if a snail had just passed by.


    There was no need to point out what kind of liquid it was.


    Using the liquid as lubricant, Eloa¡¯s movements became more smooth as her waist¡¯s strokes became increasingly lewd.


    With how skilled she was at utilizing her body, it didn¡¯t take much time for her to find the best way to pleasure it.


    ¡®Inside...! Siwoo! Let it all out inside...!¡¯


    At that moment, she heard Sharon¡¯s voice, begging for Siwoo to pour his semen inside her.


    With that, Eloa could tell that Siwoo was close to ejaculating.


    She could imagine Siwoo¡¯s hot rod spurting out the hot white liquid into Sharon¡¯s narrow vagina.


    Just like what it did to hers.


    ¡°Hng...! Ahh...mmh...!¡±


    Eloa tried her best to suppress her moan as she accelerated her hips even further.


    -Wooong!


    ¡®Aaaahhh...!¡¯


    At that moment, an enormous wave of magic power that Siwoo usually generated whenever he ejaculated, enveloped Eloa¡¯s body.


    As if following a cue, her body stiffened.


    She flinched, trembling rather disgracefully, wearing an expression that failed to show even a hint of dignity that she had always carried.


    The tingling sensation of her own climax ran through her body like electricity.


    She felt a sensation as if her body was wrapped in a thousand feather pillows.


    Sharon, Siwoo, and Eloa, all three of them climaxed at the exact same /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 307: Before the Picnic (4)

    Chapter 307: Before the Picnic (4)


    1.


    Late at night, when even the moonlight was hiding behind the clouds and the insects were fast asleep.


    Inside a certain dimly lit room, the twins¡¯ whispers could be heard, accompanied by the sound of bubbling liquid.


    ¡°Odette, do another check. This isn¡¯t it.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Alright, wait for a bit, Sis...¡±


    This place was the alchemy room, located right next to the library. Inside, Odile and Odette were working, racking their brains together.


    Since this room was Countess Gemini¡¯s property, an actual chaebol, it was filled with cutting-edge equipment and high quality materials that could make witches that dedicated their lives to alchemy drooled in envy.


    There were hundreds of alchemy-related equipment lined up inside, from complex distillation tubes, centrifuges, scales, mana-powered heating plates, precisely measured test tubes, and various reagents.


    Covering their bodies with oversized robes, the twins were accompanied by an opened book that they placed under a dim lantern.


    Odette was busy preparing the materials that they needed, while Odile was drawing a magic circle to heat up the cauldron they were using.


    The book they were using as a reference was a rather thick book.


    It was the second volume of the ¡®Forbidden Potion Formula¡¯ that they found today in the old library.


    The twins were really desperate right now.


    Until a while ago, they thought they were fighting on the same ground as Sharon to win Siwoo¡¯s love.


    They genuinely thought that they were equal in position.


    But, when they happened to see Siwoo and Sharon having sexual intercourse, they realized that the relationship between those two were far deeper than they expected.


    Moreover, they also realized that Sharon possessed a certain charm that they couldn¡¯t even dream of having no matter how hard they tried.


    That was the reason behind their desperation that was so deep to the point that they wouldn¡¯t even hesitate to take up the monkey¡¯s paw.


    After meticulously scouring through the library to look for a move that could perhaps shift the tide of the battle to their favor, they finally found the answer inside this potion book.


    Without a shred of hesitation, they immediately started working to concoct the potion they needed.


    A considerable amount of time had passed since they started working on it.


    Shadow was casted on their faces thanks to the dim lantern light.


    Their bright, purple eyes, glinted with madness, the kind of glint that one would see in a mad scientist¡¯s or an unhinged witch¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Odette, the book said to inject the furnace with mana for 3.3 seconds five times.¡±


    ¡°Ugh... I can¡¯t do that, Sis... It¡¯s too hard...¡±


    ¡°Fine. Move away, I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±


    In truth, Gemini¡¯s self-essence magic didn¡¯t really have a relation to Alchemy.


    However, a witch¡¯s apprentice was similar to a medical student.


    Just like both a surgeon and plastic surgeon had to learn about the human body as a whole in their students¡¯ days, as an apprentice, the twins also had to learn about all the magic systems that were currently relevant.


    This was also the reason why they were learning Elemental Magic from Sharon.


    From all the things that they had learned, the thing that the twins excelled the most at was potion making.


    Well, they only studied the subject earnestly because they could cause all kinds of mischief with it, but still, they were pretty good at it.


    ¡°This is even harder to make than the potion that made Master grow a beard a long time ago...¡±


    ¡°Even the potion that could make people sleep for three whole days isn¡¯t as hard as this one to make...¡±


    The first potion that they were talking about was the ¡®Viking Potion¡¯ that could make anyone who drank it grow a beard.


    While the second potion was the ¡®Hibernation Potion¡¯.


    Basically, it was a potion that they made because they wanted to sleep all day long without anyone disturbing their sleep so that they could skip all their classes altogether.


    Both potions were rather difficult to make, but the difficulty still fell short compared to the one they were currently making.


    Maybe because they got the formula from the second volume of the book, the difficulty was a few levels higher.


    What they needed to do here was to place all the meticulously gathered ingredients into the furnace that was powered by mana. The problem here was that they had to inject their mana to heat the furnace up at the right timing so that the potion could be concocted properly.


    After a long struggle, the twins finally managed to make a pretty-looking purple potion.


    -Fizz!


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    ¡°Finally... After a long, tough fight...¡±


    Odile finished her potion making by putting the steaming flask into ice water to cool it down.


    Now, they only needed to take one more step left.


    ¡°If we put in the reagent and a snowflake pattern is formed inside, that means we succeed!¡±


    It was simply a waste of both time and material if they were to consume the potion just to check if they succeeded in making it or not.


    That was why most potion formulas would come with a reagent that the potion maker could use to check if their potion would work or not.


    The clear liquid in Odette¡¯s hand was the reagent for this particular potion.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve already failed three times... Surely, we¡¯ll succeed this time...¡±


    ¡°Odette! You¡¯ll jinx us!¡±


    ¡°S-Sorry, Sis...¡±


    ¡°Yes. You remember me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll never forget any customers that I personally made their clothes for.¡±


    Flora tapped her head, trying to emphasize her point.


    Siwoo felt a little surprised though, since she didn¡¯t show as much interest in him as other witches did.


    He speculated that it was probably because she had long given up her interest in magic and raising her rank, and was now completely focused on making clothes.


    Of course, this kind of reaction made Siwoo feel elated. Ever since he came back to Gehenna, he felt like he had turned into a rare Pokemon or something.


    ¡°So, I assume that I¡¯d need to make swimsuits for everyone here too?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°H-Huh? Me too?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Why do you think we brought you here with us, Unnie?¡±


    ¡°T-Thank you...¡±


    Sharon, who thought that she would be just tagging along, was surprised by the twins¡¯ words.


    Of course, she¡¯d try her best to not make the twins pay for her swimsuit.


    She still had a conscience, after all. There was no way that she¡¯d be that impudent after ignoring her contract with Albireo twice.


    ¡°Alright, why don¡¯t we start with the twins¡¯ swimsuit first?¡±


    3.


    Only after the twins and Sharon were done did Siwoo get his turn.


    Flora was undoubtedly a master of her craft.


    This was especially true given the fact that she managed to make high quality clothes for three people in less than fifteen minutes.


    Though, swimsuits in general would need less time to make than normal clothes due to them only covering the necessary parts of the body (probably), but her speed was still worth noting.


    When she saw Siwoo walking through the veil that covered the measuring room, Flora let out a smile.


    ¡°Well, look at the man. Not only did you nail a Baroness back then, you also nailed a Countess¡¯ apprentice witches and a famous Elemental Witch in one go.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no need to be modest. All three of them told me to make the swimsuits look as pretty as possible. Especially the twins, they were really pushy about it. Well, they always are pushy about things, but they¡¯re even more pushy than usual this time.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re just excited for the picnic.¡±


    It was an awkward topic for him, but thankfully, Flora didn¡¯t ask any further questions.


    Instead, she started making his swimsuit in the air without even taking up his measurements.


    Now that he got a chance to look at it again, he realized how sophisticated her control over her telekinesis was. The precision was almost at the same level as a surgeon¡¯s during a surgery.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to take another measurement for you. Do you want me to make it loose or tight, like spandex tight?¡±


    ¡°Just make them like normal shorts, can you?¡±


    ¡°Alright. You¡¯re the only man whom I made three separate clothes for, so you can be more proud of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, it¡¯s my honor.¡±


    After that, she started to sew a Hawaiian pattern on the black fabric.


    At that moment, Siwoo was struck with curiosity.


    He knew that Flora had abandoned her advancement in magic for the sake of making more clothes since she liked it so much.


    But he never knew what her self-essence magic was.


    ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°Ask away, I¡¯m bored anyway.¡±


    ¡°Is your self-essence magic related to weaving?¡±


    Hearing that question, she turned her gaze towards Siwoo.


    ¡°Hm? Why are you asking that?¡±


    ¡°Well, they said that each witch has a unique self-essence magic, so I¡¯m curious.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, it isn¡¯t like it¡¯s something I need to hide. My self-essence magic is related to weaving. In fact, I made all my clothes using my magically spun thread.¡±


    ¡°Ahh...¡±


    ¡°The clothes I made naturally grants the wearer some resistance against all types of magic, but I honestly rather make clothes for the other witches to doll themselves up instead. Don¡¯t wanna see my creations all tattered and battered, you know? Anyway, try this out.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re done already?¡±


    During the duration of that short conversation, she was done making his swimsuit.


    Since she had been adding some floral and tree patterns into the swimsuit, he thought it would look frivolous to some extent, but it actually looked nice and simple.


    ¡°I don¡¯t put anything special in your swimsuit. The witches¡¯ swimsuits though, are different. Look forward to it, okay? I put some serious effort into making them.¡±


    When he tried on the swimsuit in the dressing room, it fitted his size perfectly.


    It was also extremely comfortable to wear, even more comfortable than your average underwear.


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    After trying out the swimsuit and putting on his clothes, Siwoo went back to the /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 308: Summertime (1)

    Chapter 308: Summertime (1)


    1.


    ¡°Damn... This is crazy...¡±


    After getting their swimsuits and hopping on to the carriage for a comfortable ride, they finally arrived at the Blue Narrow Sea.


    Since this was Siwoo¡¯s first time setting foot on a private beach, his heart was filled with excitement. After all, this was a private beach, something that he thought only ever saw in movies.


    The sand was white, even whiter than salt, while the sun was unreasonably hot for the season.


    Under the clear blue sky that extended to the horizon, the sound of crashing waves echoed pleasantly.


    The scene in front of him was so magnificent that he felt a liberating sense of freedom just from seeing it.


    ¡°Now this is a real high quality resort.¡±


    Just twenty seconds away from the beach, there was a no-less magnificent looking villa.


    It was a small villa, only two stories tall, almost as big as the annex where Siwoo and Eloa was currently staying in, but the wall that was facing the sea was made out of glass.


    ¡°Feels like I¡¯m in Dubai or something...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the sea! Seaseaseaseasea!¡±


    ¡°Odette-style! Hyper Boost!¡±


    Accompanied by tapping sounds of footsteps, two sets of footprints of identical sizes started appearing on the sand.


    The twins passed by Siwoo, who was admiring the view, threw their luggages aside and jumped into the sea.


    They hadn¡¯t even changed into their swimsuits yet.


    ¡°Mr. Assistant! Come quickly! The water is so cool here!¡±


    ¡°Come here quickly, Mr. Assistant!¡±


    The hem of their skirts float on the water like lotus on a pond.


    There was a bright smile on their faces that were covered with water droplets.


    Siwoo and Sharon, who were watching them from a distance, couldn¡¯t help but break into a smile.


    ¡°Ms. Odile! Ms. Odette! Change into your swimsuits first!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine! We don¡¯t need to!¡±


    ¡°We brought a bunch of clothes with us!¡±


    ¡°Those two are so energetic.¡±


    ¡°They remind me of a pair of husky, playing around in the snow.¡±


    As he stood side by side with Sharon, watching the two playing around, it reminded him of something that happened in the Modern World.


    When the twins came to visit him and how he and Sharon felt as if they were a married couple with two kids, trying to take care of those two.


    The thing that was happening right now resembled that moment so much.


    ¡°Mr. Assistant!¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and come!¡±


    The twins urged him to come while splashing the water around.


    Seeing this, Siwoo turned to look at Sharon with a wry smile.


    ¡°Are you gonna go in like this or?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, can you take care of my luggage for me? They¡¯ll raise hell if I don¡¯t come over right now.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Assistant!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll come over!¡±


    After leaving his luggage to Sharon, Siwoo came over to the twins¡¯ side and jumped into the sea.


    Just like they said, the water was cool and refreshing.


    2.


    ¡°Hoaahm...¡±


    Currently, Siwoo was laying down on a sunbed, under a parasol.


    With a cold beer in his hand, he was fully enjoying himself in this high quality resort.


    The sound of waves felt pleasant to his ears, the cool shade the parasol gave him made me feel like he was in heaven, the beer enhanced the experience as a whole, while the salty wind that would normally bother some people actually felt nice to his skin.


    What about the view?


    The beautiful natural scenery in front of him, combined with the sight of the twins and Sharon, affectionately playing around in the water together, was nothing short of perfection.


    Once again, he praised Flora¡¯s exquisite skills.


    While he didn¡¯t know what kind of swimsuit was deemed fashionable in Gehenna, he knew that the ones that those girls wore wouldn¡¯t look out of place even if they were to go to a beach in Florida.


    Firstly, the twins¡¯ swimsuit.


    On their chest area was a tube-top swimsuit with plenty of frills on it.


    The swimsuit was made to minimize the exposure of their upper bodies and maintain their elegance and dignity.


    Odile was wearing a black swimsuit while Odette was wearing a white one, thus eliminating another potential cause for their bickering from its roots.


    Next was Sharon.


    It was a black monokini that was adorned with decorations that looked similar to that of a belly dancer¡¯s outfit.


    The monokini was made in such a way that it exposed her navel and her back.


    Siwoo could get a glimpse of her breasts from the side, giving an impression as if she was cosplaying a succubus or something.


    That aside, unlike Siwoo, who was exhausted after playing with the twins for a short time, Sharon had been engaging in a water fight with them for a good while now.


    ¡°Ahaha! H-Hey, you two! Stop!¡±


    ¡°Ei, ei!¡±


    ¡°Odette-Style! Water Cannon!¡±


    ¡°I told you to stop!¡±


    Currently, the twins were spraying water on her while Sharon was running away from them.


    Seeing them like this it felt like those three were actually sisters or something.


    They got along surprisingly well.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    What? Am I just seeing things or is that wave getting bigger?


    He didn¡¯t know when it started.


    -Shock!


    As soon as his hands touched their bodies, they let out the already expected reactions.


    Their relaxed posture instantly turned stiff, as if a block of ice had been put on their backs.


    They also stretched their toes stiffly, like a ballerina.


    -Rub, rub, rub.


    Siwoo ignored their reactions as he evenly spread the oil around from their waist down to the bottom of their spines.


    While he was doing this, he realized that he had underestimated this current situation that he was facing.


    To be more specific, the sensation he felt as his palm touched their skins.


    The twins¡¯ white and soft skin slowly became shiny as he applied the oil on them, rousing a lot of memories from the depths of his mind.


    Normally, he had always seen the twins as his cute little sisters, but the moment they took off their clothes, their impression on him changed into that of a pair of little succubi.


    When his hand moved to their sides, the part of their body that didn¡¯t bulge out or push their upper body even a little from the mat...


    They let out a symphony of moans at the same time.


    ¡°Ahh...¡±


    ¡°Hng...¡±


    ¡°No strange noises allowed.¡±


    ¡°But, Mr. Assistant! It¡¯s been a while since the last time you touched our bodies!¡±


    ¡°The way you are massaging our bodies... There¡¯s this erotic feeling about it...¡±


    Now he realized that this was definitely what they were aiming for from the start.


    Whenever he tried to spread the oil to their sides, his hands always touched a certain something.


    Add the stimulation he received from their now shiny skin, his senses of hearing, touch, and sight were all being stimulated by them.


    ¡°How does it feel, Mr. Assistant?¡±


    ¡°It feels like I¡¯m marinating a lukewarm steak with olive oil.¡±


    ¡°Is that all?! It doesn¡¯t make you want to do this and that with us?!¡±


    ¡°Uh...¡±


    ¡°What about this? If you were to sneak into our rooms tonight... We¡¯ll let you massage other parts of our bodies.¡±


    ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll do the same to you too, Mr. Assistant!¡±


    I think I should set things straight with them.


    He had been thinking of doing this for a while.


    The only reason he hadn¡¯t done it already was because he couldn¡¯t find the right timing.


    ¡°Ahem, Ms. Odile, Ms. Odette, there¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡±


    The twins, who slightly turned their heads at Siwoo¡¯s cough, focused their stares at him.


    Under their gazes, Siwoo was unable to say what he wanted to say.


    ¡°A-Ahem... You know...¡±


    Back in the Modern World, though he never lacked money, there was no one he could connect with.


    He couldn¡¯t have a meaningful talk with anyone and no one he talked with would remember him.


    As he was suffering from that kind of loneliness, Sharon came to his life.


    At first, he only took Sharon¡ªwho was under a heavy debt¡ªin out of pity and he thought that they could help each other out, but as time passed, their bond grew deeper and deeper.


    Now, if someone were to ask him if he had a girlfriend or not, Sharon would immediately come to his mind.


    Since that was the case, he thought that if he were to continue this ambiguous relationship with her and the twins, it would be the same as him cheating with all of them at once.


    And so, he decided to sort out their ambiguous relationship as soon as he could, but...


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    But he didn¡¯t even know how to begin.


    This was due to the twins¡¯ extremely good intuition.


    Odile was looking at Siwoo, who left his mouth hanging open, unable to let out any words, with trembling eyes. Meanwhile, Odette¡¯s eyes had started to tear up.


    At first, the twins approached him back when he was a slave due to their curiosity.


    Although their relationship began because they practically strong-armed him into it, after overcoming several crises together, their bond grew deeper and deeper into something that was stronger than a bond between an apprentice witch and a slave.


    When he got his heart broken by Amelia...


    It was Odile¡¯s warm embrace that saved him from that deep pit of despair.


    He could also remember Odette¡¯s kindness that she showed on her thoughtful gifts that he received right before he went back to the Modern World.


    Their kindness towards him was something that he could still remember deeply.


    That was why he found himself at a loss of words.


    While it was morally right that he came clean so that he could end this ambiguous relationship once and for all...


    If he were to draw that line clearly in front of the twins, who had been treating him kindly all this time, that would make him a cruel and shameless person at the same time.


    And so, he was stuck at an impasse.


    Is there an answer where I can make all three of them happy?


    That irresponsible question came to his mind.


    ¡°...Later, during the barbeque, I¡¯ll grill the meat.¡±


    In the end, he let out an inward sigh and postponed his decision.


    He figured that he should ask Takasho for advice next time he visited him.


    Since it was Takasho, he¡¯d definitely come up with good advice for him.


    ¡°I-Is that all? W-Why are you saying it with such a serious expression then...?¡±


    ¡°S-Seriously! I-I was so scared...¡±


    When the twins said those words with an awkward smile...


    ¡°What are you guys doing?!¡±


    Sharon, with the picnic basket in her hand, ran straight to where they were after seeing the twins with their top /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 309: Summertime (2)

    Chapter 309: Summertime (2)1.


    -Bzzz!


    On the sandy beach, a BBQ grill, fueled with hot charcoal was set up.


    A thick piece of pork belly with the 2.5 cm honeycomb, the golden ratio, was placed on top of it.


    The twins brought a whole icebox to this beach and it was filled with pork, not a single veal or lamb was there.


    Around 5 kg worth of pork was there.


    Given that some of the ingredients such as ssamjang were difficult to find in Gehenna, and they had those with them, it was clear that this BBQ party was quite a lavish one for Gehenna¡¯s standard.


    ¡°Gulp...¡±


    ¡°Gulp...¡±


    ¡°Gulp...¡±


    Odile, Odette, and Sharon sat side by side at the table, holding their forks and knives firmly in their hands.


    Their eyes shone brightly, locking on the meat that Siwoo was grilling, refusing to let it out of their sights even for a moment.


    Like they said, good food makes good relationships.


    There was a reason why they held important events like a meeting while eating.


    Sharon and the twins, who had been engaging in a subtle war of nerves, were now waiting for their food amicably together.


    The serious atmosphere from earlier was broken by the raging Sharon and the four of them enjoyed their pleasant and relaxing time on the beach together afterwards.


    They made sand castles of enormous sizes with magic.


    Held a swimming competition where some of them ended up drinking salty water because of it.


    After they were done with all that, they were all starving. Not wanting to break this cheerful atmosphere of their long-awaited reunion, Siwoo rounded them up for the BBQ.


    And so, the main event of their vacation, the BBQ party, with the sunset in the verdant horizon as the background, began.


    -Bzzz!


    Both the twins, who¡¯d start teasing Sharon the moment they found the chance to, and Sharon, who¡¯d argue loudly against them, went quiet as they listened to the sizzling sound of the BBQ. To them at that moment, that sound probably sounded more beautiful than even the most beautiful orchestra.


    ¡°Gulp...¡±


    When the sweet smell of the sizzling meat entered her nose, drool dropped down the corner of Odette¡¯s slightly opened mouth.


    ¡°This should be enough, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think you can stop grilling that one, Mr. Assistant. It¡¯s perfect already!¡±


    ¡°They said that meat is best when eaten medium rare!¡±


    While listening to the twins¡¯ urging, Siwoo put the steaming pork belly onto the cutting board and sliced it.


    Maybe it was because there were three beautiful girls watching him...


    Or maybe because this was the meat that he grilled on his own...


    Whatever the reason was, even though he had a little bit of trouble controlling the heat as he grilled the meat, it still looked extremely pleasing to the eye.


    ¡°Wow, it does look perfect.¡±


    Its surface was golden and crispy.


    The unique aroma of the pork, combined with the smell of the herb was mouth-watering to say the least.


    It was so well grilled to the point that when the knife touched its surface and was pressed down, it made a crispy sound.


    As the knife made its way down, the juice that came out of the meat moistened the cutting board up.


    The white and oily cut meat was enticing to look at.


    After he put the meat on a plate, he placed the plate on the table.


    ¡°Here it is!¡±


    ¡°Woah...¡±


    ¡°It looks so good!¡±


    The twins clapped their hands as they cheered.


    Meanwhile, Sharon wrapped the meat with the lettuce she had with her and put it in Siwoo¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, Siwoo. You deserve the first bite.¡±


    ¡°T-Thank you.¡±


    The twins, who had started eating the pork belly due to their impatience because of the long wait, suddenly grew stiff after watching the scene.


    They made the same expression as a politician who got eliminated from the election.


    Unlike them, who were busy stuffing their mouths, the first thing that Sharon did was to take care of Siwoo.


    Her considerate gesture came out so naturally.


    This was something that the twins, who grew pampered by the people around them, lacked.


    Of course they didn¡¯t stay still. They immediately munched the meat in their mouths and wrapped pieces of their meat in lettuce.


    Though, compared to Sharon, who had lived in Korea for ten years, they were clumsier, to say the least.


    They placed the lettuce on their plates, put a bunch of meat on it at once, then folded the lettuce like origami. When they found out that the lettuce couldn¡¯t hold all that meat at once, they added another layer of lettuce, turning it into a makeshift sandwich instead of a ssam.


    ¡°Mr. Assistant, say aah~¡±


    ¡°We made this for you!¡±


    The ssam they made was bigger than their fists.


    When he saw the huge thing being pressed against his nose, he let out a bitter smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think those are a little too big?¡±


    And the twins, while it was him who had saved their lives, it was them who had showered him with the kindness that this world of witches had never granted him ever since he first came here.


    All of them were precious to him.


    ¡°Haa...¡±


    At times like this, I envy Takasho...


    If this is him, he¡¯ll definitely get a clear answer for this situation...


    Thick cigarette smoke came out of his mouth, one after another.


    ¡°...!¡±


    At that moment.


    Siwoo felt a chill running down his spine.


    This feeling wasn¡¯t something he could explain with words.


    Rather, it was something that he could feel clearly in the atmosphere.


    An overwhelming amount of mana that made him feel like he was thrown into the deep ocean where not a single ray of light could pass through. The peer pressure crushed him from all sides.


    A presence without hostility or malice, yet his sense of danger screamed at him just by standing near it.


    Siwoo carefully turned his head around.


    There stood a woman.


    She was wearing plain-looking witch clothes that showed barely any of her skin, just like a priest¡¯s robe.


    Her white hair was as white as snow, but if one were to trace it down to its tip, they could see a myriad of colors mixed together, as if the colors were dyed there.


    Beneath her lush eyelashes, her majestic golden eyes stared at him.


    Her mysterious eyes seemed to be looking at the ¡®present¡¯, but he felt like she was looking at something that had happened in the ¡®past¡¯, and something that would happen in the ¡®future¡¯ at the same time.


    Needless to say, she was beautiful.


    But, her beauty transcended that of the beauty that a woman could possess.


    It was as if he was seeing the galaxy that made the Earth feel like dust in comparison, the kind of beauty that left him in awe and aware of how insignificant he truly was.


    Siwoo instinctively knew who this person was.


    She was the oldest witch, the one who reached the pinnacle of a witch¡¯s existence.


    The sole being who had reached the 30th rank of the witch¡¯s hierarchy, Duchess Keter herself.


    It could only be her, not anyone else.


    Because it was only her who had such an overwhelming presence that made him feel like she could completely erase his existence just by sighing.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Shin Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He didn¡¯t even dare to blink.


    Let alone to breathe.


    Now he realized why those self-centered and arrogant witches would worship this woman in front of her.


    ¡°Did you like the gift ¡®I¡¯ gave you?¡±


    Keter approached him slowly.


    Just that small gesture made the space tremble and time felt like it was breaking apart.


    Even though she was standing a distance away, he could already smell the scent of her body.


    It roused his urge, driving his instinct crazy to the point that it overwhelmed his reasons and made it feel like his head was about to explode.


    The only reason why he hadn¡¯t pounced on her yet was because his instinct was screaming for him not to do it out of fear.


    ¡°Two before and another two afterwards?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°This is not enough. ¡®I¡¯ even gave you ¡®My¡¯ ¡®bowl¡¯.¡±


    Keter reached out her slender hand and traced over Siwoo¡¯s eyepatch.


    Her touch was soft and he could feel warmth in it.


    But, his fear of her still remained.


    The only way for him to control himself amidst her strong scent and this fear that afflicted his heart was for him to do nothing.


    ¡°Need ¡®I¡¯ interfere more?¡±


    She smiled before taking a step back.


    Her golden eyes shone, like the light of dawn.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!


    The darkness that hung at the edge of his vision fell apart.


    A blinding white light began to emerge from the fragmented night sky in his vision.


    ¡°Be in awe.¡±


    As Keter willed it.


    His world was destroyed.


    And recreated again.


    Facing the blinding white darkness, Siwoo¡¯s consciousness was broken into pieces before it got reconstructed again

 Chapter 310: Summertime (3)

    Chapter 310: Summertime (3)1.


    ¡°Sharon unnie! We¡¯re gonna get some fresh air too!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Odile said before hurriedly dragging Odette¡¯s hand¡ªthe latter barely able to lift her heavy eyelids.


    They weren''t trying to follow Siwoo.


    It wasn¡¯t time for that yet, as before anything else, they¡¯d need to plan out everything perfectly.


    ¡°Odett! Wake up already!¡¯


    ¡°Sorry...Sis...just put me on the sunbed...¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the time to mess around!¡±


    ¡°Hoaahm...¡±


    Even after Odile practically yelled at her, Odette still couldn¡¯t open her eyes properly.


    Then again, it was understandable for her to act like this. The twins were up all night concocting their potion, then today, they played around all day long, ate to their fullest and drank a bunch of alcohol. Considering that Odette was weaker to alcohol than Odile, it wasn¡¯t a wonder that she¡¯d be wasted already.


    ¡°Haah... Take this!¡±


    ¡°Ow!¡±


    Odile let out a deep sigh before pinching part of Odette¡¯s buttocks that wasn¡¯t covered by her swimsuit.


    The tingling pain made Odette raise her head, tears welling up in her eyes.


    Then, her cheeks were held by Odile as her sister stared deeply into her eyes.


    ¡°Odette! Wake up! This is the battlefield!¡±


    ¡°I knowww....¡±


    Hearing Odile¡¯s words that were filled with rage, Odette finally came to her senses.


    Only after Odette answered with her protruding lips that Odile let the cheeks that she held tightly go.


    ¡°You knew what Mr. Assistant was about to tell us, right?¡±


    ¡°Sis, but...¡±


    ¡°...He wanted to end our secret relationship.¡±


    ¡°...I know.¡±


    From Siwoo¡¯s reaction when they asked him to apply some tanning oil on their bodies while making dirty jokes like usual...


    They could feel what his hesitant eyes and half-opened mouth was about to say.


    Even though he chickened out at the last second, they could clearly tell what it was about.


    With this, their position in their battle against Sharon turned desperate.


    If they couldn¡¯t come up with anything, they¡¯d be beaten just like that.


    But, in such a moment, Odette seemed to have lost all her drives.


    And Odile didn¡¯t like that.


    ¡°Why are you like this? We¡¯ve already made the potion, we only need to plan out the perfect time to use it!¡±


    ¡°Sis...¡±


    ¡°Why are your shoulders slumped? Straighten them up!¡±


    ¡°Sis, listen to me.¡±


    Odile sat down on the chair nearby, trying to cool her heated head down.


    After she had calmed down a little, she was finally ready to listen to her sister.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it deeply. You know, we¡¯re still apprentices. Compared to us, she...¡±


    At that moment, Odile just lost it.


    She jumped forward and started half-shouting at Odette.


    Of course, she already knew what Odette was about to say.


    It was because she knew that she became angry in the first place.


    ¡°So what?! Are you trying to say that we should just give up?! We still have the potion!¡±


    The potion they were talking about was the potion who¡¯d allow anyone who drank it to fall in love with another person for about a week, though the details of the effect usually varied between individuals.


    If they were to get Siwoo to drink the potion and make him show off his affection for them in front of Sharon...


    That would be a game changing move, no matter how one were to look at it.


    ¡°But Sis, you know the nature of that potion...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°The feelings that he¡¯ll show us after taking that potion won¡¯t be his true feelings...¡±


    That was when Odile realized why Odette had been looking so dispirited.


    In fact, this was something that Odile was already painfully aware of.


    Feeding Siwoo the forbidden potion and making him show off his affection towards them in front of Sharon...


    That would be the equivalent of cheating.


    A meaningless tantrum that wouldn¡¯t improve their standings at all, and most of all, it also meant that they¡¯d be ignoring what Siwoo really wanted.


    ¡°Even if Mr. Assistant was to drink the potion, does it even matter in the end?¡±


    ¡°Why are you saying something like that now? What, are you scared after going this far?¡±


    But, Odile tried to avert her eyes from the truth and instead tried to provoke Odette.


    Odette didn¡¯t back down and instead, faced her sister with resolute eyes.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m scared.¡±


    ¡°You know that it won¡¯t end up with just a kiss... I won¡¯t be able to hold myself... Besides, I¡¯m too tired to... I¡¯ll just go to sleep, okay...?¡±


    This surprised Siwoo a little.


    Because Sharon had never refused a kiss before.


    Maybe the twins being here really bothers her...


    He understood where she came from though.


    After talking for a bit more, he went back to the living room.


    ¡°This place is so quiet now.¡±


    As the commotion died down, the already messy place seemed even messier than before.


    Still, as a guest, he didn¡¯t complain and started cleaning up.


    From empty bottles to various trash scattered around the floor, he cleaned everything.


    Then, when he tidied up the twins'' picnic basket, which was wide open, he found a thermos with some tea inside.


    Since the thermos was transparent, he could see the pretty color of the tea.


    ¡°Perfect timing, I¡¯m getting thirsty.¡±


    Maybe because he had been smoking and drank a lot of alcohol before this, his mouth felt dry.


    Without hesitation, he opened the lid and gulped the tea down.


    Feeling refreshed by the cool and fragrant black tea, he continued to clean the room.


    3.


    At the beach, near the Blue Narrow Sea, Eloa was treading along the sand.


    Her steps were heavy, just like the steps of a prisoner.


    ¡°Haa...¡±


    At this point, she had lost count of the sighs she had let out today.


    Her disgraceful act yesterday still lingered in her mind.


    When Siwoo brought Sharon in and let her hear their voices as they started to have sex.


    She had vowed to herself that she¡¯d reprimand him firmly, but she was caught in the heat of the moment and ended up soaking the edge of that one table for three whole hours.


    ¡°I must have been out of my mind...¡±


    After she mulled over what she had done for a bit, she found that it was ridiculous.


    What kind of master would masturbate while listening to her disciple having sex next door?


    I swear if someone were to find out about this, I¡¯ll kill myself.


    Completely ashamed of her own behavior, she lowered her head even further as she walked through the night breeze.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    She noticed the light in the distance, meaning that her destination wasn¡¯t too far away from where she was at.


    Now, how am I gonna explain everything to him...?


    Her original plan was to severely reprimand him and make him promise so that the incident from last night wouldn¡¯t happen again, but...


    If she were to do that, due to her honest nature, she¡¯d end up telling him everything that she had done.


    Obviously, hiding her own dirt while pointing out other¡¯s didn¡¯t sit right with her, so doing that wasn¡¯t an option for her.


    And since that wasn¡¯t an option...


    She walked all this way from the Mansion not only to meet him face-to-face.


    Her walk had a more symbolic gesture to it, like a pilgrimage for the sacrament of her confession.


    This was also part of the reason why her steps were unusually heavy.


    How should I say it to him, though?


    ¡°Siwoo, I know you have unique preferences, but that still doesn¡¯t make it right. The act of making love between a man and a woman must be done in secret, not out in the open. You should not mix your body with a woman solely for peripheral pleasure, but you should treat it as a noble process to confirm your love towards each other...¡±


    Eloa let out a sigh as she read the note that she had edited and modified several times.


    Since it wasn¡¯t really embarrassing, she could read this part out to him no problem.


    Because she thought that it was a master¡¯s job to guide her disciple to the proper way.


    The problem was the latter part of the note...


    ¡°And there is something that I want to apologize to you for, but please don''t misunderstand my words. I have committed a great sin against you.


    ¡°I listened in when you made love with Sharon Evergreen...and I was caught in the heat of the moment and ended up pleasuring myself from it...


    ¡°But, don¡¯t misunderstand. This isn¡¯t because I¡¯m conscious of you as a man, but rather, it¡¯s because of a physiological reaction...¡±


    She rehearsed this multiple times already, but it still made her feel dizzy.


    If she could return to the past and beat the living crap of Eloa from yesterday, she¡¯d do it without hesitation.


    Seriously, what on earth was I thinking when I decided to do such a...shameful act?!


    ¡°...Should I just...not mention it...?¡±


    Can I just pretend that it didn¡¯t happen?


    Just play dumb and move on?


    When she arrived at the villa, she was almost in tears.


    As she carefully opened the door and entered, she found Siwoo, sitting by himself in the dimly lit room, drinking.


    ¡°Siwoo.¡±


    She called out to him with a rather timid voice.


    ¡°Hm? Master? You¡¯re here! It¡¯s late already though?¡±


    Hearing her voice, Siwoo turned his gaze to her.

 Chapter 311: More Than a Disciple, Less Than a Lover (1)

    Chapter 311: More Than a Disciple, Less Than a Lover (1)1.


    Siwoo warmly welcomed Eloa with a big smile as soon as he saw her.


    As if he had been waiting for her.


    Even if he wasn¡¯t sure if Eloa had secretly listened in or not, he was still the one who brought Sharon in and let Eloa hear the sounds they were making.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here now, Master! It would have been more fun if you had come a little earlier.¡±


    How could he act all innocent after doing something like that?


    His contradictory behavior made her confused.


    The Siwoo she remembered always acted consistently.


    Maybe I made a misunderstanding somewhere?


    That thought started to nag at her.


    After that, they went for a walk as per Siwoo¡¯s suggestion.


    They had no particular destination, so they just explored the sandy beach together.


    But, strolling along the vast ocean at night, with the waves crashing against the shore, was already enough to make it a wonderful stroll.


    ¡°The moon is beautiful tonight.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, it is.¡±


    ¡°But it looks even more beautiful with you here, Master.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Eloa didn¡¯t know what to say to that.


    Nor did she know how to look or what to say when facing him.


    That was why she had been hiding in her room for two days, completely avoiding him.


    I need to tell him what I have in mind. I need to¡ª!


    But, even after repeating those words to herself, she still couldn¡¯t say anything to him, and instead she only followed behind him closely while nervously playing with the hem of her skirt.


    Despite its reputation as the hottest region in Gehenna, the temperature around the Blue Narrow Sea dropped down the moment the sun dipped below the horizon.


    Should I really say it?


    Or should I just keep it to myself?


    As she wrestled with this question for the hundredth time...


    Suddenly, she felt something draped over her shoulders.


    ¡°The air is cold. You¡¯re still recovering, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°T-Thank you...¡±


    It was Siwoo¡¯s cardigan that he took off and draped over her.


    She absentmindedly stroked the cardigan.


    With that, finally she made a big decision.


    I should say it.


    So that we can talk it out and go back to how we were before.


    We need to fix everything that went wrong with our relationship.


    With that resolve, she gathered her courage.


    ¡°Siwoo, I have something to tell you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Siwoo, who had been walking ahead of her, acting as if nothing had happened between the two of them, turned around at that moment, flashing her a gentle smile.


    Under the full moon, his handsome face shone.


    Eloa didn¡¯t normally judge people by their look, but she couldn¡¯t deny how good-looking the man in front of her was.


    No, wait, that¡¯s not it!


    This isn¡¯t the time to admire his looks!


    If I don¡¯t speak up now, I might never get the chance again!


    ¡°I-I...¡±


    Just as Eloa was about to stammer her words out...


    Siwoo suddenly closed the gap between them.


    Eloa, who was about to speak what was in her mind, found out the word that had reached her throat rapidly sunk back into her stomach.


    Needless to say, she was completely caught off guard.


    Until now, Siwoo had always kept a subtle distance, physically speaking, from Eloa, except during their spars, of course.


    ¡°Before that...¡±


    But today, he seemed different somehow.


    His usual shyness, his somewhat uneasy expression whenever he found himself too close to her, were all gone.


    He seemed calm and relaxed, like still water.


    ¡°I have something to tell you too, Master. Would you be willing to listen to me?¡±


    ¡°...What is it?¡±


    Is he trying to apologize first before I say anything?


    Given how tough it was for her to start this topic, Eloa focused all her attention on him.


    Now that Siwoo was trying to take the lead, it would be easier on her to resolve things between them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking a lot about how to treat you, Master.¡±


    And it was just as she expected, he brought this topic up.


    The dilemma of not knowing ¡®how to treat the other person¡¯ was something that she experienced too.


    It was something that could always make her resolution waver amidst her deepening worries.


    ¡°I-I was actually about to bring up something similar...¡±


    ¡°Then, this might take a while. Why don¡¯t we walk a bit more? There¡¯s a good place to sit and have a long talk over there.¡±


    Siwoo interrupted their conversation at just the right moment.


    Even Eloa gave out a small nod, agreeing with him.


    He then led her to the twins¡¯ carriage that they had parked by the beach.


    Its interior was massive, almost as big as a trailer, thanks to the spatial magic that was applied.


    Siwoo politely offered his hand to help her get in before going straight to the minibar to grab a drink.


    ¡°Here, have some.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Since they always had drinks during their conversations, this wasn¡¯t something out of the ordinary.


    Eloa took the drink he handed and gulped it down quickly.


    As evidence, when she pulled away from him, she felt a sense of emptiness, as if a part of her had been ripped away.


    There was this huge sense of loss in her heart.


    Still, she tried to ignore it as she uttered what she had in her mind.


    ¡°Y-You... I know you didn¡¯t inherit my brand, but... Y-You¡¯re still my disciple... A-After all, I am your master...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°A master is no different from a parent! Just as a child serves their parent, a disciple serves their master. A master loves their disciple just like their own child! Carnal desires have no place in such a relationship!¡±


    Eloa spoke rapidly, but she sounded like she was just making excuses.


    ¡°Master.¡±


    Siwoo took a step forward...


    But Eloa took a step back.


    This repeated a few more times.


    The realization that if she was cornered by him here, there would be no turning back, made her instinctively take a step back.


    But, she couldn¡¯t just retaliate with her full power against him.


    Because he was Siwoo.


    Her beloved disciple, the one that she cared for more than anyone else.


    -Thud!


    Even though the carriage space was widened by a spatial magic, it was still an indoor space.


    She couldn¡¯t just keep taking a step back.


    And so, the moment her back hit the wall, Siwoo closed in on her.


    Before she realized it, she had already stood on her toes, pressing herself against the wall.


    What should I do now?


    How can I get out of this situation?


    As he racked her brain, a certain someone¡¯s name popped into her head.


    The name of the person who could stop Siwoo, and also stop Eloa from indulging him, came to her mind.


    ¡°A-Also...! A-Aren¡¯t you together with Sharon Evergreen?¡±


    Yes.


    He already has a lover by his side.


    A woman he¡¯s deeply committed to. I¡¯d believe it if he were to tell me that they¡¯re engaged.


    Mentioning her name will make him give up, right?


    -Thunk!


    But, his reaction wasn¡¯t something that Eloa had expected.


    He pinned her against the wall, blocking her escape.


    Then, he jammed his arm into the space next to her head.


    Swallowed by his shadow, she looked up at him with trembling eyes.


    ¡°But, I¡¯m together with you now, Master.¡±


    Eloa swallowed hard.


    Siwoo reached out, gently running his fingers through her pink hair before lightly holding her flushed ear.


    Meanwhile, she pressed her tiny fingertips against his chest.


    The force behind that press was far too weak to create a distance between them, though.


    She tried to tell herself a thousand times that this was wrong, but she simply couldn¡¯t push him away.


    Why...


    Why can¡¯t I push him away...?


    Is it because that unwavering gaze of his that makes it feel like he could swallow me whole?


    Or maybe... Deep down... This is something that I want as well...


    ¡°Please...stop...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to stop.¡±


    Siwoo moved his lips closer.


    Due to him pinning her to the wall, she couldn¡¯t avoid this move at all, so he gradually closed the distance between them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hide my feelings anymore.¡±


    He pressed her body against the wall even more.


    It was to the point that she felt that her back had merged with the wall.


    Just as their lips were about to meet, she sharply turned her head.


    If we kiss here...


    She felt that an impending doom would come to them, she wouldn¡¯t be able to stop it.


    So, she stammered her words, her eyelids drooped pitifully.


    ¡°No matter how I think about it... This just doesn¡¯t feel right... Siwoo, please calm down... Let¡¯s have another talk...¡±


    Feeling his presence moving away from her, she opened one eye and looked at him.


    It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to fulfill his desires.


    She also wasn¡¯t rejecting him entirely either.


    So, why...?


    Seeing the disappointment on his face, she felt a pang in her chest.


    ¡°Is it because we¡¯re master and disciple?¡±


    ¡°Have I not told you multiple times? We¡ª¡±


    ¡°Eloa.¡±


    At that moment, Siwoo¡¯s voice, deep and close, pierced her ear.


    He didn¡¯t call her ¡®Master¡¯.


    That sweet and captivating title that transcended taboos and immorality.


    He then forcefully inserted his knees between her legs.


    Using a gentle, but strong grip, he held the back of her neck.


    Their lips drew closer once again.


    ¡°Stop lying.¡±


    Then, their lips met.


    She tried so hard to keep her lips closed, but his tongue slipped between those lips.

 Chapter 312: More Than a Disciple, Less Than a Lover (2)

    Chapter 312: More Than a Disciple, Less Than a Lover (2)1.


    Siwoo crossed both of Eloa¡¯s arms before pinning them up over her head.


    Her two wrists, which had been blocking his hands, were subdued, leaving her feeling powerless.


    Even though they were both standing, their bodies were pressed together so closely that there was hardly any space between them.


    When his soft lips met hers, the scent of alcohol and faint tobacco, mixed with his natural scent, filled the air that she inhaled.


    ¡°Mmph...mm...¡±


    Her mind went blank.


    She was supposed to keep her lips tightly shut.


    However, when Siwoo, who had been nibbling her upper lip, tilted his head, his soft and moist tongue slid inside.


    What was even more surprising was that Eloa¡¯s clenched teeth that had been biting down so hard that she could probably break her molars, magically opened.


    Then, his tongue, that seemed to be able to fill her mouth up, rushed in, entwining her own like a snake.


    ¡°Chuup...mm...¡±


    Their saliva mixed, blended with a sticky and sensual tone.


    Their ragged breathing caressed each other¡¯s faces.


    Between her trembling legs, she could feel the hard press of his knee.


    Her hands were bound, her intimate parts that weren¡¯t supposed to be touched were being pressed down by his body, her tongue was being sucked by him as if it was a piece of candy.


    Experiencing this, her memories of the past resurfaced.


    To be more specific, the memories of the first time Siwoo embraced her.


    That passionate memory...


    The experience that couldn¡¯t be erased by time, the memory of her succumbing to her primal instinct as a ¡®woman¡¯, fueling her desire.


    Her heart and lungs, normally tireless even after a whole day of marathon, now seemed to malfunction as they moved faster and faster.


    With her strength all drained, she leaned half her weight against the wall and the other half on Siwoo¡¯s knee.


    She couldn¡¯t move a muscle, like a stuffed butterfly.


    ¡°Phew...haah...haa...¡±


    The kiss that seemed like it would go on forever finally came to an end.


    Siwoo¡¯s lips, which had been invading her mouth as if it were his own, had been pulled away.


    Yet, she craved for more.


    Before everything else, the first thing that came to her mind was a deep sense of regret.


    As a gap was being formed between their bodies, slowly growing bigger and bigger, the disappointment she felt became heavier.


    Accompanying that feeling was her feeling of guilt and betrayal, making her feel even worse.


    ¡°This...is something...that shouldn¡¯t...happen...¡±


    Though she said that, deep down, she knew she didn¡¯t mean it.


    Despite her repeatedly saying such words, she did nothing to stop his advances.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want this... Please...let me go...¡±


    Another lie came out of her mouth.


    In truth, she wanted him to keep on holding to her.


    To never let her go, to keep embracing her.


    She succeeded to wrestle her wrists out of his grip.


    Without looking him in the eye, she searched for a place to escape.


    In her current state, she was too confused to dismiss this whole thing and act as if nothing happened, but at the same time, she was too conflicted to come to a decision; To continue or not to.


    So, she mustered what little strength that was left in her shaky legs and slipped out from Siwoo¡¯s shadow.


    Straightening her ruffled clothes, she told herself...


    Well done, Tiphereth.


    You did the right thing by refusing him.


    She pushed aside her weak thoughts that urged her to compromise with his actions and returned to her usual stern demeanor.


    ¡°...If you ever need me, I¡¯ll always be there for you.¡±


    Eloa remembered how Siwoo had once pulled her from her deep despair and heartache, all while giving her strength to continue forward.


    ¡°If you want my life, I¡¯ll give it to you without a second thought.¡±


    Her love for him was so deep that she was willing to sacrifice everything for him.


    ¡°But there are things that I can¡¯t allow, even if it¡¯s for you.¡±


    ¡°Master...¡±


    ¡°So, please, don¡¯t put me through this ever again...¡±


    But she knew that guiding him away from the wrong path was an act of true love.


    This rejection wasn¡¯t for her own sake.


    But, it was for his sake, as she couldn¡¯t bear to see her dear disciple losing his morals and crossing the line that should never been crossed.


    ¡°Master.¡±


    Siwoo approached her cautiously.


    Then, he took out a handkerchief from his pocket before gently wiping the corner of her eyes.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t cry.¡±


    ¡°Huh...?¡±


    Only then did Eloa realize that tears were streaming down her face.


    And the stinging pain that came from her biting her lip.


    Then, she reached behind, undoing the knot at her waist, letting the straps slip off her shoulders.


    Her white dress flowed down, revealing her milky white breasts.


    Her smooth, flawless belly, shadowed like ripe fruit, was also revealed.


    ¡°If you come and embrace me now, later, I could probably think that it¡¯s all a dream and move on.¡±


    This was practically an invitation. She was trying to say that he would be allowed to do anything to her.


    ¡°When morning comes, I¡¯ll forget everything. I might even forget the fact that I forgot.¡±


    At the same time, she made a promise to herself to let today¡¯s events go as night passed.


    Siwoo gulped.


    His eyes were fixated on her curves that were illuminated by the crimson light.


    Her eyes, seemingly would burst into tears at the slightest touch, numbed his reason.


    Eloa quietly slipped off her partially removed dress, leaving it by her feet.


    Standing there in just her panties, she met his gaze.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo let his gaze wander over her body.


    ¡°If it¡¯s you...¡±


    The feeling of embarrassment for acting so childishly...


    Happiness of finally being able to speak out her thoughts...


    Guilt of crossing a line she should never cross...


    Anticipation and fear for what lay ahead of her...


    And sadness, knowing that she¡¯d have to pretend that none of this happened after the night passed.


    A whirlwind of emotions flooded her mind.


    The complex emotions were fused into something that was difficult to describe with words, like flickering flames, dancing around, with its passionate form and dreamlike allure.


    ¡°Now... What would you do to me...?¡±


    Eloa closed her eyes.


    Whenever she could sense his presence growing closer, her shoulders would shake.


    She was terrified.


    Scared.


    She wanted to run away.


    But, his hand dug into the back of her trembling body.


    Aside from fear, his touch also gave her joy.


    ¡°I would take you to bed first, and...¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s gentle voice managed to reassure her.


    She could feel her body float up.


    Siwoo had scooped her up, supporting her knees and back.


    He opened the door to the bedroom and carefully laid her down on the bed.


    Then, he snapped his fingers, in which the room¡¯s decorative lanterns responded by showing a magical pattern, casting light around.


    Eloa, who had felt relieved being in the darkness, quickly moved to cover her chest and face, embarrassed as the lights had let her body be revealed to him.


    ¡°I¡¯d kiss your body, even if she were to feel shy about it.¡±


    Siwoo whispered as he climbed over her.


    He turned her head to the side before pressing his lips onto her slender neck.


    ¡°Aah...!¡±


    Her body jolted, as if she was hit by an electric shock.


    Dizziness, not coming from the alcohol she had taken, engulfed her.


    Goosebumps surged all over her body before disappearing.


    Siwoo slowly moved down her neck, showering her body with kisses.


    From across her straight collarbone and cleavage, down to her squirming abdomen and cute-looking navel.


    ¡°Aah...hng...!¡±


    They weren¡¯t her erogenous zones.


    Because Siwoo purposely avoided all her sensitive areas.


    If the atmosphere had been different, or if he were to do this in a different way, at best, she¡¯d only feel ticklish.


    He pressed her squirming body down.


    Without stopping his kisses.


    From her side, down to her white panties while he teasingly grazed her pelvic, then he went down to her thighs, knees, calves, and the soles of her feet.


    Even her cute toes weren¡¯t spared. His tongue slowly crawled down.


    ¡°S-Siwoo... T-That place is dirty¡ª! Ahng!¡±


    As Siwoo sucked and nibbled on each of her toes, unable to resist any longer, she protested.


    Obviously, she was embarrassed.


    Because she hadn¡¯t washed them separately.


    She was worried about any possible odor that her toes might have, but at the same time, him showing affection to even the most insignificant parts of her body made her feel loved.


    ¡°There¡¯s not a single part of your body that is dirty, Master.¡±


    After hearing such words coming out of his mouth, Eloa decided to trust him completely, her body occasionally quivered under his touches.

 Chapter 313: More Than a Disciple, Less Than a Lover (3)

    Chapter 313: More Than a Disciple, Less Than a Lover (3)1.


    Siwoo didn¡¯t hold anything back as he kissed every inch of Eloa¡¯s body.


    He caressed her small, elastic body that exuded a soft femininity with loving affection.


    As for Eloa, being on the receiving end of such a show of affection for nearly an hour, her whole body couldn¡¯t help but melt away.


    It was as if all her bones and muscles had disappeared.


    There wasn¡¯t a single spot in her body where she could muster any strength from.


    At first, she enjoyed all the kisses.


    She was glad that her whole body could receive his affection.


    As his soft lips and tongue grazed her skin, her body twisted and turned with excitement and pleasure.


    But as time went on, she began to notice a pattern in his actions.


    He was showering her with affection, that thing was certain.


    But never once touched her erogenous zone, the places where she could gain real pleasure from his touches.


    Even when he gently caressed her breasts, he¡¯d avoid her nipples or her areola and instead moved his attention elsewhere.


    He¡¯d massage other parts of her body, but he completely ignored the part that was covered by her panties that had been soaked with her juices.


    ¡°Ahh...ahh...¡±


    No matter how much she wriggled her hips and rubbed her wet thighs together, Siwoo continued his monotonous caresses with an unwavering dedication.


    His tongue smoothly glided over her breasts once again.


    If he were to move just a little higher, he¡¯d touch her shamelessly hard nipples.


    Eloa bit her lip, holding her breath in anticipation, but when his lips moved away again, she let out a deep breath, feeling disappointed.


    ¡°Haaah...¡±


    Why did he stop there?


    Stop teasing me... He hasn¡¯t even taken my panties off yet...


    Unlike her crotch that was getting wetter and wetter, her throat felt dry.


    The aching, tingling sensation, was driving her crazy, much more than any drunken haze that she experienced was able to.


    How long will he keep this up...?


    ¡°S-Siwoo...¡±


    Siwoo, who had been toying with the string of her panties with his teeth, looked up at her face.


    His voice sounded innocent, as if he was unaware of what she was feeling right now.


    ¡°Yes, Master? Do you need something?¡±


    Do I need something...?


    Of course I do!


    I want you to touch other places too! Use your mouth and tongue, caress my more embarrassing parts...


    If I could, I would beg him to put his hot, hard member inside me... Just like what he did back in the rainway tunnel...


    But, there¡¯s no way I could say all that!


    ¡°N-No... N-Never mind...¡±


    To Eloa, just lying in front of him, exposing her vulnerable self, had already taken all the courage she had.


    She simply had no courage left to bring herself to use seductive words to rile him up like what Sharon did.


    ¡°Uhh...ahh...¡±


    In the end, she chose to endure kisses and caresses that were both tender, but not quite hot.


    This didn¡¯t go on for long though, as within five minutes, she managed to come up with a clever plan.


    To subtly guide him so he wouldn¡¯t catch on to what she truly wanted.


    ¡°S-Siwoo...¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master?¡±


    ¡°A-Are you okay...?¡±


    Eloa¡¯s gaze flickered towards Siwoo¡¯s pants.


    Between his legs, there was a sturdy pillar bulging, looking as robust as a pillar that could support a tent for 24 people.


    It showed that Siwoo was holding back just as much as she was.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°A-Are you sure...?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Even if I want you, Master, I can¡¯t do anything without permission. Especially when you¡¯re drunk like this.¡±


    She felt a great urge to retort and say, ¡®So, stripping me naked and kissing me all over without my permission is okay?¡¯.


    But, she enabled him to do that in the first place.


    So, she could only squeeze her eyes shut before taking a deep breath.


    Her long, pretty eyelashes trembled like the wings of a butterfly.


    As her grand plan went up in smoke like a damp firecracker, tears started to well-up in her eyes.


    I thought I told him that I¡¯d allow him to do anything to me tonight!


    Did he misunderstand my words somehow?


    As such doubts began to creep in, she started to feel dizzy.


    The heat that came from the whiskey, combined with the even hotter heat that came from her lust made her feel feverish, as if she was suffering from a heat stroke.


    She wanted him to touch her more.


    To caress her more.


    Whatever he was doing right now, she wanted more.


    Now lost in the haze of her primal urges, she felt a maddening frustration.


    ¡°Siwoo...!¡±


    Unable to bear it any longer, she called out to Siwoo.


    He was about to tickle her belly button when he heard her voice and looked up.


    In other words, the current Siwoo was a little different than the Siwoo that she was familiar with.


    -Smooch, smooch!


    ¡°Hiiik! S-Siwoo...! T-That feels...good...!¡±


    After that, everything played out just like before.


    His lips lightly sucked on her Eloa¡¯s clit, as if he was trying to give it a peck.


    While he was doing that, he moved his tongue, mercilessly ravaged her completely exposed clit, stripped of its protective covering.


    At this point, Eloa had been longing for this moment for days and now that she experienced an hour of tantalizing foreplay, her lust had reached its peak.


    It felt as if she was slashed with a blade that could inflict endless pleasure upon her body.


    Flashes of sparks danced before her eyes.


    -Smooch, smooch!


    ¡°Heeeu...! S-Siwoo! S-Stop...! Ahhh!¡±


    ¡°You want me to stop? Even when you are enjoying it so much?¡±


    And so, she had no other choice but to moan and writhe with a pitiful voice.


    At the moment, she was nothing more than a ripe woman, begging to be devoured.


    ¡°Ahh... N-Not good, n-not good! N-No! Ngh...!¡±


    Suddenly, her pleas stopped.


    Her buttocks tightened as she held her breath.


    At that moment, a massive, explosive sensation, scorched her body as the hot, yet sweet flames that had been building up in her lower abdomen ignited.


    Then, as if time had resumed its flow, she began to thrash around.


    ¡°Aaaannghh!!¡±


    -Bang!


    Her head banged against the bed frame, but she strangely felt no pain.


    She gripped the sheets tightly, as if she was about to tear them apart.


    That was her climax.


    The sensation blew her mind, it was much more intense than when she did it alone.


    It was just as good as when she climaxed during her first sex with Siwoo.


    She wriggled her hips sensually.


    Even though she had been licked clean by Siwoo, her pussy got wet again as her body moved uncontrollably, as if dancing, splashing droplets of love juice onto the white sheets.


    This uncontrollable spasms that was driven by the unbearable pleasure didn¡¯t end until at least twenty seconds had passed.


    ¡°Haa...haa...¡±


    After that was done, she seemed completely exhausted; Too exhausted to hide her ragged breaths and falling breasts.


    Her tangled hair spread across the pillow like pink threads.


    Sweat poured from every pore of her body, her pleasure-filled pussy pulsated intermittently, as if demanding even more.


    Eloa instinctively realized something.


    If she wasn¡¯t a witch...


    Or rather, if she didn¡¯t have a ¡®Spirit Body¡¯ that wouldn¡¯t produce any kind waste in the first place...


    She¡¯d have made a mess on these sheets during that orgasm.


    An hour of foreplay, Siwoo¡¯s skilled moves, and her own long period of celibacy had given her pleasure so intense that it would definitely make her lose control of her bladder.


    Blissful haze enveloped her after she reached her climax.


    A sense of luxurious relaxation washed over her, as if she had sunk into a particularly fancy bed.


    Through her hazy vision, she spotted Siwoo grinning at her mischievously.


    Next thing she knew, he was standing there, stark naked.


    His well-defined muscles and manhood was on display.


    At this point, Eloa felt a tinge of fear creeping in.


    If that thing were to go inside me right now...


    Will I be able to keep my sanity...?


    There¡¯s no way I can take on that thing without resting first...


    As Siwoo went down on her, she subtly shuffled towards the top of the bed.


    But, he made his move quickly, as he pulled her thighs towards him.


    ¡°You seem to really enjoy it when I kiss your clit, Master. That¡¯s good to know.¡±


    ¡°N-No... I-I don¡¯t...¡±


    She felt the imminent danger of being penetrated by such a large object while being in such a sensitive state.


    At the same time, she also felt embarrassment from his subtle teasing, making her unsure of what to do.


    Capitalizing on this, Siwoo held her stiffened thighs before gently spreading them apart.


    Without resistance, her legs opened into an M shape.


    -Squelch!


    Her legs opened effortlessly, revealing her pink and dripping wet entrance.


    It was so wet that it made such a sound, prompting Siwoo to lick his lips in excitement.


    ¡°Thank you for always teaching me in various ways, Master.¡±


    ¡°Ngh¡ª!¡±


    When he pressed his hot member against her swollen clit, Eloa instantly shuddered before arching her back.


    As much as she wanted to, she couldn¡¯t control her spread legs.


    Because Siwoo, who firmly held onto them, didn¡¯t allow her to do so.


    ¡°But today, it seems like it would be me who¡¯d teach you a thing or two.¡±


    His cock teased her tiny entrance, gently rubbing up and down.

 Chapter 314: More Than a Disciple, Less Than a Lover (4)

    Chapter 314: More Than a Disciple, Less Than a Lover (4)1.


    If Eloa had been standing, her ankles would have been soaked with the copious amount of love juices she had released.


    Still feeling the lingering pleasure, her sensitive bud was twitching.


    Now, as Siwoo¡¯s hot shaft rubbed against her tight entrance...


    She panted, staring at it, as if in a trance.


    Her pink eyes shimmered with the haze of desire.


    -Squelch!


    ¡°Ugh...!¡±


    Then, Siwoo inserted it...


    His shaft made his way into her searing hot entrance that had been building up heat since a while ago.


    The tool that would relieve all her pent-up desire and longing was being inserted.


    With her legs spread wide open, she had completed all the necessary preparations for welcoming his rod, though she still felt a glimmer of hesitation.


    While she had promised herself that she¡¯d let herself loose, her guilt was still eating at her.


    No matter how hard she tried to rationalize it, this was still a taboo.


    Her joy and delight couldn¡¯t completely shake off the feeling that she was doing something she shouldn¡¯t do.


    ¡°W-Wait...¡±


    And that feeling prompted her to cover her crotch with her hands.


    Despite seeing her sudden change of heart, Siwoo remained unperturbed; He was still ready to send a thrust.


    ¡°C-Could you bring me more whiskey...? J-Just a little more would be fine...¡±


    She thought that while the whiskey from before had successfully made her feel tipsy, it still wasn¡¯t enough.


    Maybe if she chugged down a whole bottle and got so drunk that she couldn¡¯t tell which was left or right, she could have gone through this moment a little easier.


    ¡°...Are you still bothered by it?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    After taking a moment to consider Siwoo¡¯s words, who seemed to be wavering now even though he had been relentlessly charging forward just a few seconds ago, Eloa nodded her head.


    Perhaps, if she had a few more convincing reasons, she wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to hook up with him. Actually, maybe she would have given in to his charm ages ago and found her way into his bedroom already. At least, that was what she believed.


    She stole a glance at his expression.


    Aware of her action that caused this sudden halt in the midst of the heated atmosphere...


    She couldn¡¯t help but be worried if he had taken it as a ¡®rejection¡¯ or if it had hurt his feelings somehow.


    But, he spoke out calmly, showing that she didn¡¯t need to worry about him.


    ¡°You could have spoken up if you felt uncomfortable. I didn¡¯t want to be too pushy.¡±


    ¡°N-No, really... I-It¡¯s just... I wanted a bit more alcohol...¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Siwoo, who had been leaning in really close to her¡ªalmost embracing her¡ªbacked off.


    He even released her thighs that he had been spreading halfway, allowing some air to touch her wet crotch.


    Seeing this, she felt a rush of panic.


    ¡°H-Huh...?¡±


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to do this anymore.


    Nor did she intend to end things so abruptly like this.


    She genuinely wanted to get a bit more drunk first before carrying on, but things took an unexpected turn.


    The thoughts of Siwoo saying something like ¡®I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t consider your feelings enough¡¯ and left her just like that was haunting her mind now.


    Now she realized something. Just as she had gathered all her courage to compromise with this act, Siwoo must have gathered all his courage for tonight too.


    But now she ruined it, right when the two of them were finally about to connect.


    If it ends just like this, will we have another chance...?


    This isn¡¯t how it¡¯s supposed to go...


    Caught by her restlessness and confusion, her lips quivered. At that moment, Siwoo threw her a question.


    ¡°By the way, Master.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes...?


    ¡°How are you these days? Are you feeling better?¡±


    He suddenly changed the topic.


    Even Eloa could sense that the hot atmosphere from earlier had dissipated.


    So it really ended up this way... All because of my indecisiveness and hesitation...


    Due to the reckless usage of her Covenants in her battle against the Cowardly Witch, Eloa had to pay a heavy price for nearly six months.


    Her physical strength was now limited to about a fifth of usual and she¡¯d constantly suffer from chronic headaches.


    Not only that, the number of Covenants she could make and the amount of mana she could utilize had also drastically decreased.


    The only reason why she could conceal these struggles well was due to her sheer willpower.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit better now, at least it isn¡¯t as bad as before.¡±


    She didn¡¯t feel confident enough to revive the previous mood they had going.


    While masking her deep regret and disappointment, she wondered when she should put her underwear back on.


    ¡°You have a lot of experience and I know that, Master, but I¡¯m more skilled in this area, so please trust me and follow along for now.¡±


    ¡°I-I understand...¡±


    Indeed, compared to Eloa, Siwoo was more adept in regards to in-bed actions.


    Knowing full well of her limited knowledge, she couldn¡¯t go against his reasoning.


    ¡°This color is really pretty.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Siwoo widened her pussy lips more before bringing his face closer.


    Meanwhile, she was basically suffocating from all the embarrassment.


    It was the first time she had ever exposed herself like this.


    ¡°Can you hold it open like this?¡±


    Hearing that question, she felt the urge to ask why, but she was embarrassed by his possible answers.


    So, while keeping her legs still, she reached her hand out to the side of her thigh before spreading it wide open.


    This vulgar posture made it seem like she was showcasing her pussy on full display, making her dizzy.


    ¡°Promise me. You won¡¯t let them close up.¡±


    ¡°H-Huh...? U-Um...o-okay... I-I promise...¡±


    As Siwoo gently stroked her swollen and cute clit, he could see her inner wall twitched.


    Everything looked so sensual, it took his breath away.


    In a way, it looked as if his kind and pure master was lying down in a lascivious posture, begging him to cum inside her.


    Unable to resist his growing lust any longer, he quickly inserted his rod inside her.


    ¡°Uuaahh...!¡±


    Her tight entrance was stretched open.


    Even though she had already spread it with her own hand, it was still hard for him to insert everything in one go due to how tight it was.


    It was as if there was a devilish barrier inside, pressing against the head of his shaft, stimulating it to the point it felt like a torture.


    -Slurrrp...!


    ¡°Ah...haang...ahh...uuuh...¡±


    Even after she was loosened up, Eloa remained incredibly snug.


    With his finger stroking her clit, she inadvertently narrowed her entrance even more.


    As usual, Siwoo first moved his hips back and forth, only slipping in the tip of his member.


    Even though he had only dipped it in a few times, the tip had become damp in no time.


    -Squelch, squelch, squelch!


    As he did this, obscene wet sounds came out of Eloa¡¯s drenched pussy.


    The shallow penetration made her pussy produced noises that sounded similar to foamy juices mixed together.


    ¡°Ahh...haah... S-Siwoo...¡±


    His hard, rigid cock, plunged into her body.


    Embarrassment once again washed over her after realizing she was assuming such a lewd position in front of her disciple.


    She couldn¡¯t help but feel that she had lost some dignity as his master.


    But, these conflicting emotions only made her heart race even further, if anything.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to put it in for real now.¡±


    ¡°Haaang...!¡±


    Siwoo thrusted his hips forward, the pressure he felt made him feel like he was twisting something open.


    With a ripping sound, his penis went deep into the depths of her pussy in one go.


    The unique folds of her vaginal wall, the clingy sensation of her mucous membranes and the tightness...


    All of them made Eloa¡¯s pussy perfectly suited for sexual pleasure, giving him an euphoric sensation that made him feel like he¡¯d cum as soon as he inserted his cock.


    ¡°Ah...! Aah...! Hng...!¡±


    Meanwhile, Eloa stared at their connected body parts with wide eyes, as if she couldn¡¯t believe it.


    She almost lost control and let go of the lower lips that she had been spreading open.


    The sheer pleasure of the penetration left her momentarily dazed.


    Unlike when she received her first penetration, she didn¡¯t experience any pain.


    Only pleasure.


    The overwhelming pleasure almost made her think that she should just throw their master-disciple relationship away and succumb to becoming his slave so that she could enjoy this pure ecstasy.


    -Squish, squish, squish!


    ¡°Aah...! Aaah...haah...!¡±


    Now that he had reached this far, Siwoo began to move indiscriminately, as if there was no need to hold back anymore, leaving Eloa panting roughly, unable to breath.


    It felt as if fireworks were exploding before her eyes with each of his thrusts.


    His hard, penetrating shaft, thoroughly plundered her sensitively tingly insides, making her feel a maddening ecstasy.


    ¡°Haah! Hngh...! Aah...!¡±


    It only took thirty seconds for her tense expression to loose up and her mouth to open wide enough to reveal her pink tongue.

 Chapter 315: More Than a Disciple, Less Than a Lover (5)

    Chapter 315: More Than a Disciple, Less Than a Lover (5)1.


    He thrusted.


    And thrusted.


    Again and again.


    -Plap, plap, plap!


    ¡°Haah...! Ahh...hhaahn...! S-Siwoo...! Siwoo...!¡±


    Standing beside the bed, Siwoo stood, holding Eloa¡¯s bent body on the bed, her pussy completely exposed.


    Where he was at was the equivalent of a VIP seat, where he could enjoy seeing every inch of her body.


    Her legs were spread wide down to her thighs, her waist arched sharply, while her shameful place was completely left bare.


    And her fingers clung desperately to her slick, tender pussy lips, trying not to let them go.


    With each thrust he did, his bulging member penetrated her sticky flesh deeply, and whenever he pulled back, that same wall would cling tightly around his shaft.


    ¡°Haah...! Ngh...! Ahhaa...!¡±


    No one woulda thought that the woman who let her tongue out while she was being fucked was the elegant and refined Duchess Tipereth herself.


    Even for Siwoo, it was hard to connect the woman in front of him to the gentle, reliable, and upright master of his.


    It just felt off, as if his mind was going haywire.


    Still, seeing her like this made him unable to resist in tormenting her even further.


    ¡°T-This...feels weird...! M-My body...! F-Feels...strange...!¡±


    Her vaginal walls were squeezing his cock so viciously.


    From the moment he started pumping it with his shaft, her insides would squirm nonstop, as if she was about to climax.


    But, seeing how her waist was bouncing up and down, her head swaying side to side, and her belly wiggling around, he became convinced that she really was about to climax soon.


    ¡°S-Siwoo...! Aaahhh....!¡±


    Eloa¡¯s hips trembled as she repeatedly called out Siwoo¡¯s name.


    Her inner walls tightened, gripping his penis firmly, to the point that it made him feel numb around the area.


    He could feel her pussy twitching, just like an electric onahole.


    -Spurt, spurt!


    ¡°Ahh...haaah...!¡±


    This sudden change in her vagina¡¯s tightness caused her love juices to overflow and trickle down between their touching skin.


    Siwoo even halted his movements just to watch her squirting all the liquid around like a water gun.


    Though, Eloa was unaware of this, since she was drowning by the sensation of her climax. Her body trembled as she gripped the sheet beside her hips.


    ¡°Haa...haa... Ngh...¡±


    Her breathing was heavy.


    ¡°Master.¡±


    ¡°H-Huh...? W-What is it...?¡±


    ¡°You just came.¡±


    ¡°...Ah...¡±


    His words made Eloa realize what had just happened. She instinctively looked at her own hands, gripping the sheet like claws.


    And she realized that this was her second climax within two minutes of their intense sex session.


    She remembered the way her body started to convulse like a broken machine, barely able to avoid kicking Siwoo with her legs. In such a state, it was simply too hard for her to keep spreading her pussy open with her hands.


    Instinctively, she looked for something to hold onto, as if trying to prevent herself from going to cloud nine from the ecstasy she felt.


    She tried to grip her pussy lips at first, but they were too slippery and soft to get a grip on.


    So, she ended up moving her hands into another place without realizing it.


    ¡°S-Sorry... I-I... S-Should I... O-Open it again...?¡±


    It was only then that Eloa understood why Siwoo had stopped. She cautiously reached between her legs.


    But, even as she swallowed her embarrassment and spread her pussy open again, Siwoo still ruthlessly passed his judgment.


    ¡°You broke your promise.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    She vaguely remembered making such a promise.


    Facing his remorseful look, she felt strangely self-conscious.


    Even though she didn¡¯t fully understand why she had to keep that promise, a promise was still a promise, so she thought that it wouldn¡¯t be good to deny his words.


    ¡°I guess I have to punish you now.¡±


    ¡°P-Punish me...?¡±


    Out of nowhere?!


    But, given the timing, it¡¯s unlikely that the punishment will harm me...


    ¡°While you¡¯re my master, I¡¯m the one who teaches you today. Since you broke your promise, there¡¯s no choice but to punish you, isn¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°B-But...¡±


    Punishment usually came from someone in authority.


    That was why Eloa never heard of a story where a master got punished by their student over anything at all.


    This alone was puzzling enough for her, but add the fact that his tone sounded strangely affectionate and gentle¡ªclearly he wasn¡¯t scolding her¡ªthis whole thing only further fueling her confusion.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master. You will enjoy this punishment.¡±


    Within Eloa¡¯s puzzled eyes, she could see Siwoo pulling out a black ribbon.


    In a blink, the ribbon bound her wrists like handcuffs and tied them to the bedpost above her.


    Then, he did the same thing to her ankles, leaving her completely immobilized in the same position.


    ¡°T-This...¡±


    Seeing what was happening, Eloa caught on to it, stammering her words.


    This was the same ribbon that Siwoo used when he was engaged in foreplay and intercourse with Periwinkle.


    The purpose of those ribbons was to keep her still, stopping her from moving around.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get started.¡±


    ¡°Ngh¡ª!¡±


    Realizing that there was no room for protest, she gasped.


    ¡°Eek!¡±


    ¡°I love seeing you cum anyway, Master.¡±


    Siwoo pressed his finger lightly against her swollen clit as he gave her the two options.


    This small movement alone sent sparks through her mind, making her hold her breath.


    Maybe...


    Rather than continuing to show embarrassing scenes to him, it would be better to just give in, close my eyes, and say the shameful thing instead...? It¡¯s a one-time thing anyway, right...?


    Eloa gulped and closed her eyes.


    She just couldn¡¯t bring herself to look him in the eye while saying the following words.


    ¡°M-My clit...p-please...s-stop rubbing it...¡±


    I said it...


    Even though the mood was especially heated, she still couldn¡¯t understand why she said such a vulgar thing.


    A wave of embarrassment and shame rushed over her, making her tear up again.


    And at that moment...


    ¡°Ah...! S-Siwoo...! S-So suddenly...! L-Like this...!¡±


    Siwoo began thrusting his cock all the way inside her like a wild horse.


    His rough breaths revealed his intense arousal.


    With how he became so aroused just by her saying a few words, she felt both terrified and satisfied.


    ¡°Ugh! Ngh...! Haaang...! KKhh...!¡±


    Following his vigorous movements, Eloa¡¯s breasts bounced wildly.


    At that moment, a sudden surge of pleasure consumed her body.


    ¡°S-Siwoo...! Ah...! Ahhh...!¡±


    It hadn¡¯t even been long since her last climax, yet she was already about to cum again.


    She bit her lips tightly to hold back the moans that were about to burst out like screams.


    -Squish, squish! Squeeze!


    ¡°Ah...! I-I¡¯m going to...! C-Cum...! Again...!¡±


    With each of his forceful thrust, copious amounts of her pussy juice splashed around.


    Then, the expected change occurred.


    As Siwoo¡¯s rod got harder inside her, she could feel his mana surging inside her.


    A trace of mana started to be drawn out of her womb, where her brand was located.


    Her entire body then quivered from the sensation of being stimulated in places that were normally left untouched.


    ¡°Gh...!¡±


    ¡°Haah...! Ngh...! Ahhh...!¡±


    Then, her vaginal walls tightened around him, as if squeezing his cum out.


    Feeling the heavenly tightness, Siwoo unconsciously grabbed Eloa¡¯s pale breasts.


    The softness and warmth in his hands seemed to push him towards his climax.


    -Squelch, squelch, squelch!


    ¡°S-Siwoo...! Siwoo...! I-I... A-Again...!¡±


    Despite being bound tightly, Eloa¡¯s body trembled intensely, tensing up to the limit.


    Her inner walls squeezed his member even more intensely.


    Grabbing her breasts tightly, he thrusted his hips forward, burying himself deep inside.


    Even after becoming a witch, her primal instinct to reproduce made her clench around Siwoo¡¯s still-ejaculating shaft, craving it even more.


    -Spurt, spurt, spurt!


    Hot semen flowed out from the cock that was being pressed tightly against Eloa¡¯s cervix.


    The overwhelming heat that seemed to melt her body, along with the tremendous surge of mana, stimulated her, giving her an immense pleasure.


    ¡°Hiyaaah!!¡±


    As she received his seed deep inside her, she rolled her eyes halfway back, emitting a cry resembling that of a cat with its tail stepped on.


    -Spurt, spurt, spurt!


    Meanwhile, Siwoo kept on ejaculating, making Eloa¡¯s head spin.


    During that prolonged ejaculation, she threw her head back as her body trembled uncontrollably.


    Her disheveled breasts never once left Siwoo¡¯s hands, as the pair of mounds were too alluring for him to let go.


    ¡°Haah...haah...¡±


    When he felt her vaginal wall twitching convulsively, Siwoo pulled out his cock.


    -Pop!


    ¡°Ah...!¡±


    Even as he pulled out, her insides were still squeezing his shaft, trying to get every last drop of his seeds out of his urethra.


    And this drove her into another small climax as her toes curled up.


    -Trickle!


    ¡°Haa...haaa....¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s thick, creamy semen dripped out, giving him a sense of triumph.


    He had spread her plump pussy lips apart, overturned its tight walls, and poured his seeds inside.


    Moreover, it was his master that he did all of those things with.


    ¡°Master.¡±


    At that moment, he regained his senses and called out to her.


    He thought she was too embarrassed to respond, but it didn¡¯t take long for him to notice that something was off.


    ¡°...Haa...ugh...¡±


    The combined sensation of her receiving such pure mana and her own intense orgasm overwhelmed Eloa.


    Add the fact that she was under the influence of alcohol, she simply couldn¡¯t withstand everything and fainted in the spot.

 Chapter 316: More Than a Disciple, Less Than a Lover (6)

    Chapter 316: More Than a Disciple, Less Than a Lover (6)1.


    In the midst of the dizzying pleasure, Eloa lost track of things.


    ¡°Huu...¡±


    As she exhaled, like letting out murmurs in her sleep, she suddenly came to her senses.


    ...What...just happened...?


    She recalled the part when she threw out some dirty words to plead to Siwoo.


    Also the part when he suddenly picked up the pace and the part when he released his seeds deep inside her womb.


    All those memories came flooding back.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Embarrassed by the memories, she let out a quiet sigh.


    Looking around, she noticed the ribbons that had been tying her limbs up were gone.


    Instead, she found herself snuggling in Siwoo¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Are you finally awake?¡±


    Hearing those words, a chilling thought crossed her mind.


    Have I...been unconscious...all this time...?


    Did our night together...end just like that...?


    ¡°S-Siwoo! W-What time is it?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Ah you were just out for a short while. About a minute, I think?¡±


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    What a relief...


    She patted her now-cool chest.


    If I were to leave such a big moment hanging without wrapping it up properly, I¡¯ll sure come to regret it...


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it seems like I got carried away.¡±


    After saying that, Siwoo put his arms around Eloa and pulled her closer.


    Then, he cuddled her, running his fingers through her hair, kissing her forehead, and caressing her gently.


    In truth, Eloa was pretty surprised.


    Even though she knew that Siwoo turned into a different person in bed, she could feel that difference even more now that she had experienced it firsthand.


    However, the warmth of his gentle touch neatly evaporated the strangeness and uncertainty she felt towards him.


    The realization that he cherished her so much made her forget about those feelings.


    She felt like she could cry tears of joy...


    And she felt that she was genuinely happy...


    So happy that she wished this night would never end.


    She had stopped caring about any possible embarrassing moments or what was to come, she just wanted to indulge in this happiness.


    ¡°You¡¯re so...unfair...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You looked so lewd, Master, so I ended up wanting to tease you a little.¡±


    Eloa looked up at him, who was holding her tightly in her arms, with teary eyes.


    ¡°Do you...really...enjoy this...kind of thing...?¡±


    ¡°Is it a little perverted to your liking?¡±


    ¡°...Honestly, yes... Forcing your master to say things like that... Are you out of your mind?¡±


    Just from her words, it sounded like she was scolding him, but there was a hint of coquettishness in her voice that she couldn¡¯t hide.


    It made her sound like a child throwing a tantrum, even she herself was a little surprised about that.


    The more surprising thing was that she didn¡¯t feel any aversion towards it.


    ¡°...Well, if this is what you are into...¡±


    If he truly likes it, then, I can handle a little embarrassment...


    Because, other than tonight, when will I ever get another chance of doing this...? I might as well give him everything that he wants now...


    Eloa gently kissed his cheek before whispering in his ear.


    ¡°Siwoo...¡±


    She felt a wave of shyness hit her as she tried to speak.


    Then, she gathered her courage and continued.


    ¡°M-My body... W-Was it...to your liking...?¡±


    She could feel Siwoo flinching in surprise after hearing her question.


    Then again, how could he not be?


    Because normally, Eloa would never say such things.


    Moreover, she said it in such a sultry voice, even to her own ears.


    Actually, she had toned her words down a little.


    Originally, she was going to use another word instead of ¡®body¡¯, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say it.


    Suppressing the blush in her cheeks, she carefully took Siwoo¡¯s member in her hand.


    Even though he had just finished cumming, it had already gotten back to its full size and hardness.


    Eloa made a ring with her thumb and index finger, running it along his shaft awkwardly while whispering in his ear.


    ¡°I-If you want to taste more... Y-You can...devour me... A-As much as you want...¡±


    Is that the right way to say it...?


    She wasn¡¯t sure about it.


    Since she didn¡¯t really know what would turn him on in the first place.


    But, she had already resolved herself to make him happy tonight.


    ¡°F-First... M-M-My...m-m-mouth...¡±


    At that moment, her face transformed into that of pure bliss.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s take care of the rest.¡±


    Eloa then crawled down by using her elbows.


    She carefully cradled his now cleaner member with both hands and began to lick it with her tongue.


    ¡°Haap...!¡±


    After slowly stimulating his shaft and testicles, she took his whole penis into her mouth.


    Maybe because the angle was slightly wrong, one of her cheeks became bulged.


    ¡°Chwuuup...sluuurp...¡±


    In truth, Siwoo didn¡¯t feel that good.


    He didn¡¯t know where his conservative master learned how to do fellatio, but her technique was terrible.


    She sucked on his glans as if it was a piece of candy, but he felt more ticklish than pleasure.


    Also, her teeth kept bumping into his glans.


    ¡°Sluurrpp...mmh...?¡±


    Despite that, she still looked up to see his reactions.


    Her eyes showed her uncertainty in her skill, yet she still proudly displayed her strenuous efforts.


    ¡°Sluurrp... H-How does it feel...? D-Do you enjoy it...?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master. It feels amazing.¡±


    When she heard his reply, her face lit up with a wide smile.


    At that, Siwoo felt his urge to just quickly knock her down and have his way with her grew stronger than before.


    ¡°Master, can you stay in that position?¡±


    ¡°Like this...?¡±


    Siwoo got up, leaving Eloa propping her body up on her elbows.


    He could already see it when he was leaning his back against the bed, but now that he stood up, he could see it even clearer.


    Her peachy buttocks, unmatched in regards to its shape and firmness compared to any other woman¡¯s.


    As he remembered the soft and sweet flesh that was hidden between those cheeks, it became even harder for him to restrain himself.


    ¡°...¡±


    Eloa held her breath, as if anticipating what was to come.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo gripped her buttocks before gently spreading them with his thumbs.


    As her tightly closed cheeks spread apart, the hidden folds of her womanhood and the peach but on top of it were exposed, quivering as cool air touched them.


    ¡°N-No... P-Please don¡¯t...¡±


    Eloa protested, reaching her back and grabbed his wrist.


    His action made her earlier confidence disappear, turning her back into a shy and bashful girl.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Siwoo to figure out why she acted like this.


    When he spread her cheeks a little wider, he noticed her petals that he had cleaned with care were now moist again with her nectar.


    ¡°You¡¯re all wet down here.¡±


    ¡°B-Because... I-It leaked out from inside...¡±


    ¡°Really? You aren¡¯t lying to me, right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Eloa quickly looked away.


    She lowered her head, murmuring something that was barely louder than a whisper.


    ¡°I-I... A-Actually...g-got wet when I...g-gave you a...b-b-blowjob... I-I was too embarrassed to admit it...¡±


    Eloa blushed as her ears and buttocks turned red.


    Siwoo hadn¡¯t even stimulated her, yet here she was, soaked from merely giving him blowjob.


    It made her worried about how he¡¯d see her now.


    ¡°...D-Does it make me seem...too eager...?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It makes you seem a little perverted.¡±


    ¡°Ugg... You¡¯re a bigger pervert than I am, though!¡±


    At his response, she turned around and shot a glare at him.


    Her eyes reflected her protest about how it was him who made her say and do perverted things that suited his perverted tastes.


    ¡°Haah...!¡±


    But, that pitiful protest was cut short.


    Siwoo¡¯s shaft, which heat had been scorching her with pleasure, smoothly slipped inside her wet petals.


    He lay draped over her trembling back, chuckling.


    ¡°I like eager women like that. Are you willing to be that kind of woman for me, Master?¡±


    Is he asking me to become a pervert?


    There¡¯s a limit that you shouldn¡¯t just break, you know?!


    No way I¡¯d just do that!


    ¡°So, how would you like me to serve you?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    That question left her hesitating for a moment.


    ¡°...J-Just like earlier...u-use your...p-penis...a-and r-ram it into m-my...p-pu...p-pussy...d-deeply...u-until I faint...¡±


    But, since it was Siwoo who had requested her of this, she had no choice but to obey him.


    ¡°...P-Please...¡±


    Seeing his surprised reaction, she finally couldn¡¯t bear the shame anymore and buried her head deep into the blanket.

 Chapter 317: More Than a Disciple, Less Than a Lover (7)

    Chapter 317: More Than a Disciple, Less Than a Lover (7)1.


    ¡°S-Siwoo...! Haah...!¡±


    How many times had I taken his load again?


    And how many times had I moaned and passed out in pleasure, only to wake up and end up doing it all over again?


    Eloa had long given up on keeping count, she snuggled into Siwoo¡¯s arms, relishing the feeling of his shaft sliding into her.


    ¡°You promised to tell me how many times you¡¯ve cummed, Master.¡±


    They were locked in a position that allowed his cock to directly press against her cervix.


    Siwoo stood with his legs slightly apart.


    Eloa wrapped her limbs around him as he supported her weight; Her legs went around his waist and her arms around his neck.


    His hands gripped her plump buttocks, supporting her as he thrusted upwards.


    This was the so-called carrying position.


    Eloa was hanging onto Siwoo like a clingy child as she took his member in.


    Her body shape was perfect for this position as she melded with Siwoo seamlessly.


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t... I-I lost...count...! Aahh...!¡±


    Eloa cried out in a voice that sounded almost like a sob.


    She had stopped stifling her moans like she did in the beginning of their intercourse. Now, she had been letting out the voice of a female in heat, though hoarse from all the action.


    Well, given that she had been relentlessly pounded by him from 2 am until the dawnbreak, it was understandable that she was in this state.


    She had already received Siwoo¡¯s semen three times, and even now she was offering her pussy to him, begging for more.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ve lost count, Master? You shouldn¡¯t lie, you know?¡±


    ¡°Ngh...! Ahh...! W-Why do you...keep...asking...those embarrassing questions...! Ahh...!¡±


    When he stabbed her in her sensitive uterine orifice, she almost lost her grip on his neck.


    The fear of falling tightened her pussy¡¯s grip around his cock.


    Acknowledging this, Siwoo adjusted his position before moving his hips rhythmically.


    With each thrust, Eloa couldn¡¯t help but let out a sob-like moan, which only captivated Siwoo even more.


    When the dignified, benevolent, refined, and gentle master turned into this lewd, vulgar and lascivious woman...


    How could he, as her disciple, not stop and savor the moment?


    ¡°Please, Master, tell me. I want to hear you say it.¡±


    ¡°Ngg... Haaang... I-I¡¯ve cummed just now... T-That was...t-the t-twenty...t-twenty third time... Hng!¡±


    ¡°Twenty three times? Amazing.¡±


    Perhaps it was because the pleasure had become too overwhelming for her.


    Eloa¡¯s eyes welled up with tears every time she came.


    Though, even a fool could see that those tears didn¡¯t come from sadness.


    In a half-dazed state, she was penetrated by his member.


    Amidst all that, she could still give a lewd reaction to his teasing tone.


    ¡°Y-You...a-are... Y-You¡¯re going...t-too intense...! Ahh...!¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me if you¡¯re about to cum next time?¡±


    Siwoo asked calmly, not even considering slowing down his piston-like thrusts.


    Eloa was surprisingly light, but she still had the weight of a sack of rice.


    So, it was still quite a task for him to support her weight like this, especially when she was all limp like a wet rag.


    Even with a spirit body, enduring this kind of thing for a whole hour was still a tough thing to do.


    But he didn¡¯t seem to have any trouble with it.


    Interestingly enough, this was all the result of all the physical training Eloa had put his spirit body through. Labor of this level wouldn¡¯t tire him.


    Of course, he still infused a bit of his mana into his body, just in case.


    ¡°N-No...! I-It¡¯s too embarrassing...! Haaa!¡±


    ¡°I see. Guess we don¡¯t have much choice then.¡±


    Siwoo firmly grabbed her luscious buttocks and began his series of vigorous thrusts.


    His RPM seemed to have doubled as Eloa¡¯s body bounced up and down like crazy.


    -Jjik, jjik!


    Even though they had just engaged in light foreplay, her juices flowed abundantly, making him wonder if this was because of their consecutive sex.


    Or maybe it was because there was a leftover semen inside her.


    Whatever it was, he could clearly hear the distinct sound of her love juices splashing around.


    ¡°Kyaaah...! Ahh...! Hii...!¡±


    At this point, Eloa had become so sensitive that even the slightest touch would make her tremble and climax.


    Facing his vigorous pistoning, she went from moaning to screaming to pleading.


    ¡°Aaah....! M-My pussy...! I-I cummed again...f-from my pussy...! I-I told you...! N-Now p-please stop...!¡±


    ¡°You did well, Master.¡±


    Siwoo paused, giving her a moment to rest, as if rewarding her efforts.


    Meanwhile, her brain felt like it was melting.


    Eloa was starting to grasp the effects that overwhelming pleasure had on the human body.


    ¡°Uuu...hicc...¡±


    She meekly clung to Siwoo, her whole body trembling.


    Unlike men, women had no limit to how many times they could orgasm.


    Despite her dignified status as Siwoo¡¯s master, Duchess Tiphereth ultimately was just a woman.


    After experiencing orgasms in the double digits, her entire body would still turn incredibly sensitive, as if in a constant state of climax.


    Her vaginal walls twitched incessantly, as if the mere presence of his cock inside her pussy was enough to make her cum.


    ¡°I want to have a baby that looks just like you...¡±


    Siwoo stood there, stunned.


    That was how sincere and straightforward her confession sounded; Even a fool could understand it clearly.


    ¡°I think... I love you... Siwoo...¡±


    Then, silence descended upon them.


    Heavy...


    Her genuine feelings were strikingly heavy for him.


    It was to the point that Siwoo found himself thinking if he even deserved all this, even though he was clearly under the influence of the aphrodisiac.


    ¡°Hehe.¡±


    Then, Eloa¡¯s laughter broke the silence.


    She uttered her next words in a triumphant tone, as if she had successfully pulled off a prank on him.


    ¡°Were you surprised? Hehe, your expression was priceless. It feels good to finally get back at you after everything you put me through tonight.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me say things like that again, okay? Now, can you put me down?¡±


    Siwoo carefully pulled his shaft out and lowered her to the floor.


    She almost collapsed when her feet touched the ground, but he managed to catch her just in time.


    ¡°Please be careful.¡±


    ¡°...What are you saying? You¡¯re the one who made my legs weak like this...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Eloa had already gone back to her usual self, as if nothing had happened earlier.


    However, Siwoo was still giving her a complicated look.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The moment their eyes met, a deep regret struck Eloa.


    Deep down, she knew...


    Siwoo would never take this kind of thing as a joke.


    What she had said was nothing but a full-blown confession.


    Yet, it left room for uncertainty.


    A lot of room for doubt and conflict.


    As if she was testing him despite her saying that she¡¯d cherish tonight¡¯s memories earlier.


    But it didn¡¯t matter.


    Tonight, she had decided that she¡¯d allow everything.


    For him...


    And for herself.


    She then pushed him onto the bed.


    ¡°Are you feeling weak?¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s shaft, now a mess due to his own cum and her love juice¡ªa bigger mess compared to his first ejaculation¡ªwas all limp.


    ¡°Master, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°One more word and I swear I will never see you again.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Her firm tone made Siwoo fall silent and she knelt down at his feet.


    ¡°What now? Are you going to be mad at me over a joke? You were the one who wanted me to say it.¡±


    Eloa decided not to dwell on the bitter memories.


    Because it was best to hold onto the good ones instead.


    Even if it seemed selfish...


    She believed that this was the right choice.


    With that in mind, she took his now messy member into her mouth without any hesitation.


    ¡°Chew...sluuurpp...¡±


    From the semen trapped under his glans to all the love juices covering it...


    As if she was giving it a french kiss, she thoroughly swirled her tongue around his penis, swallowing everything.


    Even though she found the taste repulsive before.


    Somehow, that unpleasant taste felt oddly tasty to her.


    ¡°Kuh!¡±


    Unable to resist the stimulation, Siwoo¡¯s penis began to swell rapidly.


    When he looked up at her...


    He found himself struck by surprise.


    Because her eyes shimmered with a brilliant pink light, coming from her mana.


    ¡°Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°Master...!¡±


    ¡°I love you. That much is true.¡±


    The smile on her face was more sorrowful than he had ever seen.


    ¡°Hereby, I declare a covenant.¡±


    And that...


    Was the moment when Siwoo¡¯s memory was cut off.

 Chapter 318: Gehennas Host Club (1)

    Chapter 318: Gehenna''s Host Club (1)1.


    Eloa stared at Siwoo¡¯s sleeping face, wearing a relaxed expression as she drank the remaining half bottle of her whiskey.


    The ruby-red alcohol flowed down her throat, spreading a warm heat inside her.


    ¡°...¡±


    With a light spell and a wave of her hand, all traces of their lovemaking disappeared.


    The fluids that were sticking on the sheets and their bodies were gone.


    All the gathered impurities were burned away by the flame of purification.


    After she was done, she dressed Siwoo back in his clothes.


    With that, all traces of their encounter were gone.


    As if nothing had happened at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost as if everything was just a dream...¡±


    Even the happiest moments would fade into the past once they were over.


    Warm memories between two people stayed in both their hearts.


    If that was classified as a full memory, then tonight¡¯s happiness was only half a memory.


    Because Eloa would never forget about it...


    But Siwoo would never be able to recall it.


    She wondered for a moment if she could call it a ¡®shared memory¡¯.


    But she quickly realized that it was a pointless thought and brushed it aside.


    She had made this resolution the moment she gave herself to Siwoo.


    Now, there was no room for her to feel regret or sadness, as such emotions were pointless for her.


    ¡°Siwoo...¡±


    Sitting by the sleeping Siwoo¡¯s bedside, she stroked his head.


    She had used three strokes of her covenant to erase Siwoo¡¯s memories.


    Her body was already in dire need of rest, and now she had to suffer the consequences of using self-essence magic.


    As if she had been electrocuted, her fingertips had grown numb, while her heart was pounding erratically in protest.


    Yet, she still felt the warmth of his body so vividly it tugged at her heart.


    ¡°This was bound to happen... It¡¯s almost like fate...¡±


    In truth, Eloa wasn¡¯t really skilled at memory manipulation and it was weak enough to be easily blocked by even the most basic ¡®autonomous defense¡¯.


    Mind-manipulation magic wouldn¡¯t work on witches with high-level mental defenses to begin with.


    But, despite him possessing self-essence magic around the 16th to 17th rank, Siwoo didn¡¯t have any kind of autonomous defense whatsoever.


    This was the weakness that Eloa had targeted and it worked on him quite easily.


    She erased all the memories of their drunken encounter tonight, as well as the past memories of their intercourse in the rainwater tunnel.


    Of course, she replaced those memories with something else, just in case he noticed the inconsistencies and tried to recall the real memories.


    In short, for Siwoo, his memories of ¡®having an affair with Master Eloa¡¯ was completely gone.


    Though she did it without his consent, as his master, she took in upon herself to guide her disciple to the correct path.


    Besides, she believed that she should have never let it get this far in the first place.


    And thanks to this action of hers, everything went back to normal.


    The incident when she tested him and left room for herself to mess around was gone.


    So was their first experience in that rainway tunnel, where they violated that line even though they were master and disciple.


    What was hard the first time, usually got easier the second time.


    That saying was true, because after that incident, she began to see him as something more than a disciple, and eventually, she crossed the line she should never have.


    ¡°...Sniff.¡±


    She felt a sharp sting at the tip of her nose.


    A master who can¡¯t even give her disciple who loves her a stern scolding...


    Instead, she developed feelings for her disciple and allowed him to do intimate acts with her... But that master is gone now...


    And I should have been glad about this, but...


    She felt some kind of pressure coming behind her eyes and wiped her blurry vision with her sleeve.


    Hot tears had started streaming down her face before she realized it.


    ¡°Siwoo...¡±


    She knew this shouldn¡¯t have happened.


    But he was the one who guided her when she was lost in her sadness after losing Ravi, and gave her a new reason to live...


    He was the one who showed her a world that she didn¡¯t know...


    She couldn¡¯t help but fall in love with him.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...for acting on my own...and for always being a burden to you...¡±


    And so, wanting to end things properly, she indulged herself for one last day with him.


    She let him do everything he wanted and did everything she wanted to him.


    He wouldn¡¯t remember, but she would never forget.


    ¡°...¡±


    Eloa lowered her head, reaching to his lips as he slept soundly without any response, and gave him a light kiss.


    This was really the end of everything.


    She straightened his messy collar, gave his hair one last stroke, and quietly left the carriage.


    2.


    Early in the morning.


    The twins woke up feeling refreshed, but then they noticed something odd.


    ¡°Sharon unnie, did you drink the tea in this bottle last night?¡±


    ¡°The black tea in the bottle.¡±


    ¡°Huh? No?¡±


    The twins, who were wearing the look of relief for a moment, instantly made a stiff face again.


    This revelation meant that Siwoo was indeed the one who had drunk it.


    ¡°What? What¡¯s going on with you two?¡±


    ¡°N-Nothing!¡±


    At that moment, the bell at the entrance rang and the twins rushed out in a hurry.


    Sharon, who had been letting out deep sighs amidst the morning hustle and bustle, followed them to see Siwoo¡¯s face.


    3.


    ¡°...Where am I?¡±


    Siwoo woke up to find himself inside the twins¡¯ carriage.


    He looked around confused and there was no one else there.


    It seemed like he had drunk a lot and stumbled in here by himself.


    ¡°Did I finish this all by myself? No wonder I blacked out...¡±


    Seeing the empty whiskey bottle nearby, he frowned disapprovingly.


    He couldn¡¯t remember anything, but at the very least he didn¡¯t have to deal with a worse hangover, thanks to his spirit body.


    After tidying up a bit and heading back to the villa, the twins greeted him excitedly.


    Odette, with wide eyes, asked.


    ¡°Mr. Assistant! Did you drink this?¡±


    When he saw the pretty-looking tea inside the pretty-looking bottle, he admitted it right away.


    He remembered that he drank it while cleaning last night because he was thirsty.


    ¡°Yeah, I drank it while cleaning last night.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    When the twins suddenly fell silent after they heard his answer, Siwoo felt a strange sense of unease.


    ¡°Were you all planning to drink it together? Sorry about that...¡±


    ¡°N-No! We were planning to throw it away because it was a failure...¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah! B-But, um... W-Who were you with last night...?¡±


    Who were I with...?


    Their question was definitely a strange one, but Siwoo still took a step back to remember what happened last night carefully.


    I remember drinking alone and crawling into the carriage, but after that...


    Nothing, can¡¯t remember anything.


    ¡°Sharon...¡±


    When they heard that, the twins showed an expression as if their world was collapsing.


    ¡°...And you two... Why do you ask? Did something happen?¡±


    But when they heard the rest of his answer, they let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Nothing!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really!¡±


    After calming the two of them down, as they had been in a frenzy since earlier this morning, the four of them finished their breakfast and were getting ready to leave.


    The twins went ahead, while Sharon helped Siwoo with the luggage.


    ¡°Those two... Doesn¡¯t something seem off with them?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Did something happen last night?¡±


    ¡°Nope, that¡¯s why it feels off. I just had a good night''s sleep...¡±


    As Siwoo tilted his head in confusion, a strange unease began to creep in Sharon¡¯s heart.


    How Siwoo had claimed that he slept in the carriage out of nowhere and how the twins questioned him frantically about who he was with were definitely suspicious.


    Her intuition told her that something must have happened last night.


    Actually, it didn¡¯t matter who he was with.


    Because she had already resolved herself for this kind of outcome.


    As long as he came back to her, she wouldn¡¯t care about who he spent his time with.


    But...


    ¡°Did you really just drink by yourself and sleep in the carriage?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Sharon¡¯s eyes were fixed on the sandy beach.


    Apart from the twins¡¯ footprints, there were clearly some larger ones that seemed to be left by Siwoo last night.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t lying, right?¡±


    ¡°Why would I? I really was alone.¡±


    ¡°...Alright.¡±


    Next to his footprints, there was something else. Footprints that seemingly had been washed away by the waves and blown away by the wind, but they were still there.


    They didn¡¯t belong to the twins nor Siwoo, in other words, they belonged to ¡®someone else¡¯.


    As if someone had walked side by side with Siwoo towards the carriage.


    At that moment...


    Sharon felt her chest tightened.


    Because this clearly showed that he had just lied to her.

 Chapter 319: Gehennas Host Club (2)

    Chapter 319: Gehenna''s Host Club (2)1.


    After the trip was over, it was finally time for Siwoo to achieve his main goal, the reason why he came to Gehenna.


    Currently, he was searching through the Trinity Academy¡¯s library.


    Normally, outsiders weren¡¯t allowed in, but with the full cooperation of the administrative staff, he got a pass and became able to come and go as he pleased.


    To control the Red Branch, he needed comprehension in force field magic.


    So, he gathered all the relevant books on the topic he could find.


    It didn¡¯t take him long to do so, though.


    After all, back when he was a slave, his official duties included the maintenance and management of the library; He knew where every book was like the back of his hand.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot more than I thought...¡±


    Still, even though he only gathered books on force field magic, the amount still piled up on the table.


    Not only that, each book was as thick as a phone book and there were over a hundred of them.


    Of course, not all of them contained the latest information on the matter.


    Those kinds of books would only be found at places like the ¡®Secret Library¡¯ in Lenomond Town, or the Jinri Jinmyeong Academic Society.


    Sometimes, witches would trade those kinds of books among themselves at auctions.


    In any case, the Academy¡¯s library was full of old books, and since magic evolved over time, it basically meant that those books were a little outdated.


    ¡°But, even if I try to understand the latest one, it isn¡¯t like I can understand anyway... Yeah, this is the better outcome, I guess...¡±


    Then again, since Siwoo knew very little about force field magic, the more recent or advanced knowledge of the matter would only confuse him.


    It would be better for him to study books that focused on basic concepts if anything.


    According to Branch Managed Sua, he¡¯d need at least ten years of study before he could fully utilize the Red Branch.


    He had plenty of time.


    There was no need to hurry.


    ¡°Hmm... Should I start with this one?¡±


    It had been a long while since he spread a book open like this. As he read through the content, he started taking notes.


    Force field magic was different from other types of magic.


    To put it simply, the magic he knew was like drawing outlines and gradually adding color, building up to the final result, step by step.


    Meanwhile, force field magic was all about ¡®completing the whole picture at once¡¯.


    Mana was a vague force.


    It existed, but at the same time it didn¡¯t. It followed the physical laws, but at the same time, it broke them.


    The way ¡®force field magic¡¯ worked was to spread those mana to induce specific effects. It mainly focused on how well one could control the mana¡¯s ambiguity and unpredictability.


    Ironically, mastering it began with denying the nature of mana itself.


    From the start, considering every variable to set up a force field was nearly impossible for humans.


    ¡®Normally, mana follows physical laws according to the caster¡¯s control¡¯.


    In this way, a mana user could freely create the desired image within the hectic force field.


    This was the first step of force field magic, known as the ¡®Imaginary Order¡¯.


    However, what happened inside the artificially set force field couldn¡¯t really be called ¡®magic¡¯.


    It was more like a child¡¯s endless imagination, ignoring all principles and concepts.


    The next step was to turn that imagination into a solid concept, following a set of laws and rules.


    This step involved declaring what kind of things that couldn¡¯t be done while inside the field and brought it into reality.


    Such was the second step, ¡®Symbolic Order¡¯.


    To go this far, a whole new challenge arrived.


    The imagined magic within the Imaginary Order simply couldn¡¯t exist in reality because it went against the world¡¯s laws and principles.


    Since that was the case, the conceptualized magic in the Symbolic Order would become warped due to the world¡¯s logic and flaws, making it go against the original imagination.


    Finding a balance where one could bring that imagination to the ¡®real world¡¯ was the goal of force field magic.


    To make the magic follow the laws of the world while still acting according to one¡¯s imagination.


    ¡°...Easier said than done.¡±


    With this magic, one couldn¡¯t see the process or predict the result until the magic was complete.


    It was like cooking in the dark without tasting the food until it was done.


    Siwoo¡¯s success in ¡®partially blocking¡¯ the Red Branch¡¯s distortion field was almost a miracle in itself.


    He thought that with Takasho¡¯s skills and adaptability, he had made a successful business on his own.


    But, after getting the details, it turned out that he had borrowed money from Countess Adonai and was struggling to make a profit.


    It¡¯s a new place, yet it¡¯s in this state for over a month?


    ¡°Can you tell me more?¡±


    Siwoo realized that this was a serious matter.


    It wasn¡¯t just about the business¡¯ succeeding or failing anymore, as Takasho¡¯s life was on the line.


    Why didn¡¯t he come to me and ask for my help?


    Hearing his question, Paul hesitated for a moment before speaking carefully.


    ¡°Honestly, we¡¯re all grateful to Takasho hyung. Technically, we¡¯re public slaves, but he rescued us from wasting our lives... He even taught us a thing or two himself... And, well, despite everything else, at least we have warm meals, shelter, and some degree of freedom...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m following you.¡±


    ¡°But... The problem is, the club isn¡¯t making any money. Rather, we¡¯re losing more money every week. Without customers, we can¡¯t sell anything, but we still have to pay for operating costs and stuff. We also have to pay for our weekly alcohol purchases, the bills already piling up...


    ¡°At the moment, we¡¯re doing odd jobs at the arcade at night, basically without pay, just to tighten our belts... But, I don¡¯t know how much longer we can keep this up...¡±


    Siwoo looked around the bar again.


    From the liquor, furniture, even the carpet...


    Everything here looked luxurious, probably because they were aiming to target witches as their customers.


    From the way it looked, even if all the employees pooled all their earnings from the side jobs, they still wouldn¡¯t be able to afford one of the paintings inside this room.


    ¡°Hey, Siwoo, you¡¯re here?¡±


    Having been informed of Siwoo¡¯s arrival, Takasho came out with a bright smile while waving.


    But, seeing Siwoo¡¯s serious expression, his smile quickly faded.


    He let out a sigh as he walked down the stairs.


    ¡°Paul, you bastard, you told this guy useless things, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Hyung... You said that he¡¯s close to the witches, right...? You know, we can always go back to our old jobs if the club goes under, but you...¡±


    ¡°Enough, you brat. Go back to work.¡±


    Takasho patted the back of Paul¡¯s head, as he was looking at him worriedly with tears in his eyes.


    With a bitter look, he stroked his beard and looked at Siwoo.


    ¡°Haah... I didn¡¯t wanna show you this fucked up situation...¡±


    ¡°Was it true?¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°That the business is in a bad spot right now?¡±


    After pondering for a while, he plopped down on the couch and confessed.


    He lit a cigarette, puffing on it as if he had just inhaled something bitter.


    ¡°...Psh...huff...¡±


    He smoked in silence, staring at Siwoo, who was standing across from him, until he finished the cigarette down to the filter. Then, he scratched his head before opening his mouth.


    ¡°Look, things aren¡¯t great right now. I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s a disaster, but it¡¯s definitely tough. Like, really tough.¡±


    Even for the closest of friends, it wasn¡¯t easy to openly talk about their struggles.


    And on top of that, having to talk about it while putting on a brave face made it even harder.


    ¡°I thought it¡¯s because the business is still in its early days, so I have been trying to figure things out on my own...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°But things don¡¯t always go as planned...¡±


    Takasho laughed it off like it was nothing, but it only made Siwoo¡¯s unease grow even more.


    They had shared five years of ups and downs together.


    Naturally, he wanted things to go well for his friend.


    ¡°What exactly is the problem? Maybe I can help...¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we move to a different place first? The kids might overhear us here.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Siwoo followed Takasho, who was still rocking the fancy suit, into his office.

 Chapter 320: Gehennas Host Club (3)

    Chapter 320: Gehenna''s Host Club (3)1.


    As soon as Takasho brought Siwoo to his office, he offered a drink for him.


    An unusual champagne.


    The bottle looked unique and there was a shield-like logo on its surface.


    Even Siwoo, who didn¡¯t have a particular interest in alcohol recognized what it was.


    Moe?t et Chandon Dom Pe?rignon.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    Since Takasho took out a cigarette after offering him a drink, Siwoo also took one himself.


    Actually, he came here to ask him for relationship advice.


    But, things happened and they ended up in this situation.


    -Pop!


    Takasho removed the bottle¡¯s stopper skillfully and poured the content into the tall champagne glasses that were standing side by side in front of them.


    The drink bubbled up beautifully as he did so.


    Without any hesitation, Siwoo took a sip of it.


    A sweet and ecstatic flavor of fruit exploded in his mouth, it was as if a star had exploded in his mouth.


    He already knew that this thing was extremely expensive, but tasting it drove that point home even more.


    The alcohol he usually drank with Eloa couldn¡¯t even compare to it.


    Well, of course it wasn¡¯t really appropriate to compare the two, since Eloa and he usually only drank cognac and whiskey, but he just couldn¡¯t help it.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°How much did you hear from Paul?¡±


    ¡°He told me that you¡¯re losing money because you have no customers.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡±


    Siwoo tried to word his answer carefully, but Takasho still looked quite taken aback after hearing it.


    He had known the guy for six years, but this was the first time he had ever seen him acting like this.


    The Takasho he knew was someone whose smile wouldn¡¯t disappear even if the sky was being turned upside down.


    Siwoo stood up and slapped the back of his close friend. It was a hard slap, the sound even echoed inside the room.


    ¡°Ow! What the fuck is your problem, you bastard?!¡±


    Takasho exclaimed, holding the back of his head, trying to protect it.


    ¡°Oh, shut up. It isn¡¯t like we know each other for a day or two. Why are you hiding shit from me, huh? Spit it out, tell me everything.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your sentiment, but it isn¡¯t that simple. Where would I put my face on if I make you worry for no reason, hm?¡±


    ¡°The alcohol...¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay for them.¡±


    Hearing Siwoo say those words so bluntly, Takasho gave him a blank stare.


    Then, he made an expression that only a heroine of a story would make, as he bit his lip, holding his tears back.


    ¡°S-Siwoo... I-I...¡±


    ¡°Stop that! I¡¯ll go somewhere and leave you to cry on your own. Fuck, it¡¯s sickening to see you like this.¡±


    ¡°Siwoo, I love you!¡±


    ¡°Aaaack!¡±


    He suddenly jumped from his seat and gave Siwoo a strong tackle hug.


    Feeling the strong muscle of his that he hid under his suit, Siwoo let out a scream.


    Only after they joked around for a bit longer did they sat back down and continued their business.


    ¡°Fuck... Why are you still so strong...?¡±


    ¡°Would you believe me if I were to tell you that it¡¯s because of my love for you, Siwoo-kun?¡±


    After hearing Takasho¡¯s brief explanation, Siwoo came up with a conclusion.


    There was a much better solution than him trying to help Takasho on his own.


    ¡°Alright, I know someone who¡¯d be a massive help to us. Do you have a crystal ball?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I have one here for work. Why?¡±


    ¡°Give me a moment, I¡¯ll contact that person right now.¡±


    Leaving the confused Takasho behind, Siwoo immediately contacted a certain someone who had left her business card to him the other day.


    2.


    Not long after that.


    The front door of the host club swung wide open.


    ¡°Welcome!¡±


    -Clack, clack, clack!


    The sound of the clacking heels marked today¡¯s relief pitcher¡¯s entrance.


    With her elegant-looking ultramarine blue hair and eyes.


    A curvy body, covered by a fuschia velvet dress.


    There was a fur shawl draped over her chest and shoulders.


    A pair of heels, so tall that it was a wonder how she didn¡¯t break her ankles yet, decorated her feet.


    With a luxury handbag in her hand, the Witch of Fortune walked in.


    Cybele Periwinkle had arrived.


    In truth, Siwoo didn¡¯t know anything about business since it wasn¡¯t a subject that he studied in both worlds.


    ¡°From that interaction, it feels like that witch is his close friend...¡±


    ¡°The way he treated that picky-looking witch...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like taking candy from a baby...¡±


    The first thing Takasho did was to hide his admiration towards his matured disciple, Shin Siwoo.


    Then, he spoke out in a solemn voice.


    Since Siwoo had shown them the ideal form of the host he wanted them to be, he took this as an opportunity.


    ¡°Boys, that¡¯s the pinnacle, the peak that every host should aim for! We need to not only provide sexual entertainment with our customers, but we also need to build spiritual bonds with them! Engrave the thing that you saw today within your hearts!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Hyung!¡±


    ¡°The pinnacle that every host should aim for...¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I should join them now.¡±


    After giving that speech, Takasho hurriedly followed Siwoo and Periwinkle to the salon.


    3.


    Periwinkle¡¯s instant response to Siwoo¡¯s call...


    The way she snuggled up to his arm, as if it was natural for her to be there...


    And the way she rubbed her thigh against his secretly at every chance she got...


    ¡°Hello, I am Madame Mimaya Takasho from the Rose Glass. It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡±


    Even after witnessing such a scene, Takasho¡¯s composure didn¡¯t falter.


    He still greeted her with dignity, his low and calm voice echoed as he sat down in front of the pair.


    Then again, it was as expected of the guy who seduced witches for a living.


    ¡°Madame? Ah, right, a host club, makes sense...¡±


    ¡°Yes, so my friend over here recently opened this host club, but business isn¡¯t going well. That¡¯s why I invited you here, Ms. Periwinkle. We want to consult you on this matter.¡±


    ¡°Well, first of all, I don¡¯t work for free...¡±


    Even though she said so, the fact that she was here meant that she would help him, or at the very least, listen to his request.


    As for the reason why she acted like this...


    ¡°Two days and one night.¡±


    ¡°No, three days and two nights.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we do two nights straight without resting instead?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather we do three.¡±


    She wanted to get a dose of hot time with Siwoo.


    Of course Siwoo wouldn¡¯t lose out in this deal.


    If anything, instead of payment, this felt like a reward to him.


    Maybe it was because they had done it once already, he didn¡¯t feel the slightest aversion to do it with her again.


    Since Sharon had woken up, the guilt he felt when he first did it with her was gone.


    The only reason he didn¡¯t accept immediately was only because he thought it wouldn¡¯t be fun if he were to do that.


    He wrapped his arm around Periwinkle¡¯s waist before gently biting her ear.


    Then, he whispered in a low voice.


    ¡°Now, if you get too greedy, I¡¯ll punish you. Do you think you can handle it?¡±


    ¡°Pfft¡ª! Hahahaha!¡±


    Periwinkle, who¡¯d normally cover her mouth whenever she laughed, didn¡¯t do that as she burst out laughing.


    She laughed so hard that she kicked the table several times.


    If she were sitting on the floor, she¡¯d probably be rolling around instead.


    ¡°W-What was that...? T-That didn¡¯t suit you at all!¡±


    After laughing to the point that she started panting for three minutes, Periwinkle stopped, but she was still holding her stomach, curling her body like a shrimp.


    ¡°Jeez... Siwoo, did you look up something weird on the internet again? Please don¡¯t say something like that again, okay? It just doesn¡¯t suit you.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, stop that...¡±


    Now, Siwoo felt embarrassed.


    If this was ¡ö¡ö¡ö instead of Periwinkle, her face woulda turned red and she¡¯d nod shyly to his words.


    As he was whining in his mind like that, Periwinkle nodded her head, a cheerful smile still hanging on her lips.


    ¡°Alright, since you made me have a good laugh, we¡¯ll do it for two days. 48 hours, no more, no less.¡±


    ¡°Fine, that¡¯s a deal.¡±


    As this was going on, Takasho was watching everything in disbelief.


    Is that really Siwoo?


    The Siwoo that he knew wasn¡¯t the kind of guy who¡¯d be able to make a witch laugh with a perverted joke, let alone setting a date to have sex with her.


    Knowing how Siwoo was when he was a slave, the probability of him doing this was even lower than Takasho himself realizing the futility of his worldly desires and decided to walk the path of an ascetic.


    ¡°So, what exactly is the problem with this place, Madame? Tell me in detail.¡±


    Takasho, who was half-dazed by the scene unfolding in front of him, nodded in a hurry when he heard her words.


    In any case...


    Since it was Siwoo himself who called this witch over, there was no doubt that she¡¯d be able to help him out, even if it was only a little.


    He decided that he could place his bet on his business¡¯ life and death on her.


    And so, he began to brief her about what was going on with a confident gaze as he laid out the documents that he had been carrying under his arm on the table.


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll explain everything and present the relevant data to you.¡±

 Chapter 321: Gehennas Host Club (4)

    Chapter 321: Gehenna''s Host Club (4)1.


    Although Periwinkle had pretty much retired from the hotel management business now and had only been wandering all over the world leisurely, her experience from the time when she was active was still there.


    But, since she knew nothing about how to run a host club, Takasho still needed to explain all the basic structure of the business himself, mainly regarding how the business could get profit.


    First, the customer would pay for the service¡¯s admission fee upfront.


    The fee would include the beverages and snacks that they¡¯d get inside.


    ¡°Similar to how clubs work in the Modern World, hm?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Additionally, we¡¯ll provide three different levels of admission fees based on the types of alcohol that will be served. There are three in total.¡±


    ¡°The cheapest one is Dom Pe?rignon Blanc, then Rose? 2000, and Vintage 1995?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I see. Keep going.¡±


    After the explanation, Periwinkle sat down and asked for an explanation about the hosts themselves.


    The way things worked was that the club didn¡¯t charge a separate fee for specific hosts and the hosts would provide entertainment by joking around with the witch.


    Basically, they¡¯d just accompany the witch for a drink while chatting with them.


    ¡°You just talk with them, that¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. The idea is that we¡¯ll put the witches¡¯ joy as our priority and let them feel the ticklish emotion that they won¡¯t normally feel.¡±


    If the witch didn¡¯t call for a specific host, or if the witch was the first customer of the day, the hosts would take turns to serve the witch in fifteen minute intervals.


    ¡°It¡¯s similar to when you go to a perfume store where they allow you to pick up the scent you like, in here, we¡¯ll also provide the witch with a way to allow them to call for a host that suits their tastes.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°If the witch is satisfied with the host¡¯s service, they could give the host high-quality alcohol as a present.¡±


    Said alcohol would be the extra revenue that the club would get.


    ¡°Ideally, this present-giving system would be our main source of income.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m familiar with this. And then?¡±


    ¡°If the witch really likes the service, they could go for a second round. In this case, they¡¯d need to pay a small amount of expense to the club. Also, if they leave the host with a tip or other kinds of presents, the club will take 30% off it, while the hosts will receive 70%.¡±


    To summarize, the source of income of the club would be...


    The admission fee + alcohol ordered separately by the witch + extra expenses + 30% cut from tips.


    After listening to Takasho¡¯s explanation, Periwinkle crossed her arms and fell into silence.


    Since he had been explaining a bunch of things at once, she might need a few moments to digest everything.


    ¡°A hundred words worth of explanation would never be enough. Can I try out the service?¡±


    Then, whimsical as she was, she said those words out of nowhere.


    But, Takasho didn¡¯t even lose the slightest bit of his composure. Instead, he bowed his head, complying with her request.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll provide you with the best service available here.¡±


    ¡°No, just give me the regular one. I need to get a feel of it.¡±


    ¡°If you say so...¡±


    -Snap!


    At the sound of his snapping finger, five handsome men walked in.


    2.


    An hour later.


    Periwinkle, who had become the club¡¯s first guest for the day, happily chatted and drinked with the hosts.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo became a wallflower as he stood in the side, watching them.


    He was actually impressed by the hosts¡¯ performance.


    They were handsome, that was a plus point already.


    From the way they carried themselves, it was clear that they were trained hosts, they knew what to say to their customers, how to serve them well, and how to read the air so that they wouldn¡¯t cross a certain line.


    They were also aware that the other person was a witch, so they knew how to tread carefully and not show any kind of frivolousness, treating her gently as they tried to make her feel comfortable.


    All in all, the atmosphere was amiable.


    Of course, there were one or two guys who made small mistakes, but Periwinkle kindly let those mistakes go with a gentle chuckle, maybe because she was in a good mood.


    ¡°The time is up, huh?¡±


    ¡°That was pretty fun, Ms. Witch. Please call for me, Paul, again the next time you visit us.¡±


    After saying that, Paul then got on one of his knees¡ªlike he was about to propose to her¡ªkissed the back of her hand and left.


    With that, Periwinkle¡¯s first host club experience had come to an end, leaving her with a satisfied smile.


    But, there are no customers who¡¯d come for a second time?


    I¡¯m guessing the issue touches a more fundamental thing then...


    ¡°This poor me is not good enough! Please show me the light!¡±


    As he said that, Takasho immediately knelt down to dogeza in a beautiful angle.


    The flawless dogeza that Siwoo had witnessed the other day.


    ¡°Stand up and sit here. You¡¯re Siwoo¡¯s friend, so don¡¯t be like that with me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind!¡±


    Takasho followed her instructions with fire in his eyes, sitting right in front of Periwinkle.


    ¡°First and foremost, the biggest problem in this place is...¡±


    Periwinkle held her thin finger before telling Takasho the problems that she managed to find.


    ¡°This place subtly scratches the witches¡¯ arrogance. Not in a good way, but in a way that annoys them.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean...?¡±


    ¡°First of all, you claimed that this is a high-end entertainment facility. That¡¯s why you chose to open the club here, in Malkuth Gallery, instead of Tarot Town.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Periwinkle sucked on her cigarette hard before placing it on Siwoo¡¯s hand.


    She then leaned her upper body forward before continuing.


    ¡°Imagine yourself as a witch, wanting to go to this host club for the first time. You feel tired because your magic research hits a snag, so you¡¯re in a bad mood already, then you find out that a new club, this place, is opened. The club was advertised as a high-end entertainment service where you can drink while being served by handsome men.¡±


    Takasho took out a notebook and a pen, taking notes as he listened to her.


    ¡°But, the moment you enter the club, you¡¯d be greeted by twelve men, shouting loudly in your ears. Won¡¯t that make you doubt the claim that this is a high end facility?


    ¡°Then, while you¡¯re being escorted to your seat, still in shock, the club tells you that there¡¯s an admission fee. Since you¡¯ll end up paying again after everything is done, what¡¯s the point of it?


    ¡°Not only that, you¡¯ll find that there are three levels of the admission fee? You came here to let yourself feel spoiled, but the club is already trying to classify your worth by how much money you could pay. The audacity. Even though you went out of your way to come here and bless the club with your presence?¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    ¡°After that, you¡¯ll look at the price of the admission fee. 3 pounds, 5 pounds, 8 pounds...


    ¡°The anger that you barely buried is now coming back again.


    ¡°For such a small difference in money you have to hear in detail about how the admission fee works and how the drink you¡¯ll choose will change accordingly. Then the club has the gall to tell me to order according to my taste?¡±


    Takasho¡¯s mouth gradually opened after hearing Periwinkle¡¯s words.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t set up the three levels admission fee with such an intention.


    He just wanted to cater to as many customers as possible, that was why he figured that it would be better to set the fee in that way.


    To that end, the cheapest fee of 3 pounds (around 2.52 million won) left a little margin.


    Then again, even Siwoo failed to consider what this system seemed like from the perspective of a witch.


    ¡°Not only that. The alcohol being served in this club isn¡¯t even real high-end alcohol, but the ones that are ambiguously hanging in that line. Like, why are they all Dom Pe?rignon? There are way better alcohol available in the market.¡±


    Periwinkle¡¯s relentless criticism kept coming from unexpected places, making Takasho sweat profusely.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s just a specialty of the club... A-Also, if I get better alcohol than that, the cost will be too expensive... B-But, we reserve the more expensive alcohol for the presents and events...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the second problem.¡±


    Periwinkle held out her second finger.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand the mindset of the rich at all. If you want to draw in witches that can¡¯t afford those kinds of alcohol, why did you even bother opening the club here, this is the Malkuth Gallery, you know?¡±


    ¡°My goal is to...¡±


    ¡°I know. You want to attract as many customers as possible. That¡¯s a good idea, if your business is big enough and you can make it so that witches with different economic situations can be divided in separate floors, like what they¡¯d do in luxury hotels. But, is your business at that level?¡±


    Her criticism was so harsh that it made even Siwoo, who was a bystander here, drowning in sweat.


    ¡°Considering the size of your business, the kind of witches you should try to attract shouldn¡¯t be those who only came in to pay the admission fee and took up space, but the VVIP, the ones with a bunch of cash. Just getting one of such customers would be better than getting ten of the waste of space.¡±


    ¡°R-Really?¡±


    ¡°Rich people won¡¯t care about how much they spend. As long as they receive validation and respect from people around them, even if they have to splurge, they won¡¯t care. Do you understand what I¡¯m trying to say? Now, I can help you, but do you want my help?¡±


    At that moment, Periwinkle secretly casted Siwoo a glance, as if trying to ask him ¡®How was that? Wasn¡¯t I cool?¡¯.


    Even Siwoo, who invited her here, didn¡¯t expect that she¡¯d identify the problem this quickly and even presented a solution.


    ¡°Please! I¡¯ll be honored to receive your help!¡±


    ¡°Alright~ Then, why don¡¯t you serve me a bottle of alcohol first?¡±


    ¡°Coming right up!¡±


    That marked the beginning of Periwinkle¡¯s Alley Host Club Consultation.

 Chapter 322: Gehennas Host Club (5)

    Chapter 322: Gehenna''s Host Club (5)1.


    The alcohol that Takasho eagerly served Periwinkle was none other than Dom Pe?rignon.


    With this, Siwoo was able to confirm his obsession toward the drink.


    Wearing white gloves in his hands, Takasho pulled the bottle out of the ice bucket that it was in and held it as if he was holding an expensive jar.


    ¡°The moment you said that you¡¯re willing to help me, Ms. Periwinkle, I immediately ordered the boys to chill this bottle for you. Since champagne bottles need to be thick enough to protect its content from carbonation, it takes a longer time for it to chill down compared to regular wine.¡±


    He carefully wrapped the bottle, which had been cooled down to a temperature that was perfect for drinking, with a napkin.


    ¡°This one over here is Dom Pe?rignon 1973 P3 Plenitude Brut, a highly regarded champagne even among the legendary vintage lineups of the 70s.¡±


    ¡°Now, that¡¯s what I call quality.¡±


    Siwoo could swear that he saw Periwinkle¡¯s eyes shone for a moment there.


    He didn¡¯t know much about vintage champagne.


    However, when he looked at the bottle¡¯s powerful presence and Periwinkle¡¯s satisfied reaction, it was clear that this was no ordinary liquor, even among the high-end ones.


    ¡°I¡¯ll open it now.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure.¡±


    Takasho held the bottle close to his chest in a disciplined motion, as if he was a soldier holding his firearm.


    Then, he cut the bottle¡¯s neck with a knife that seemed more like a ceremonial sword.


    This was sabrage, a method to open a champagne bottle using the pressure coming from the champagne¡¯s bubbles, using a cut from the bottom of the bottle¡¯s to its tip.


    -Plop!


    That gentle sound concluded his beautiful performance.


    When the bottle¡¯s neck flew away together with the cork, Periwinkle clapped her hands.


    ¡°That was a nice show.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Takasho held the bottom of the bottle with one hand while holding its body with a handkerchief with his other hand. Then, he carefully poured its content into Siwoo¡¯s and Periwinkle¡¯s glasses.


    The champagne had a heavier golden color than the previous ones.


    Seeing how the carbon dioxide bubbles were still running around inside the champagne, even though its age was older than 50 years old, was a fascinating thing in itself.


    ¡°You drink it too.¡±


    When the lighting hit the bubbles through the luxurious champagne glass, the bubbles shone like a sea of stars, strengthening the luxurious vibe that it gave off.


    Clearly in a good mood, Periwinkle raised a glass to Siwoo.


    ¡°This thing looks too expensive for me to drink...¡±


    ¡°Does it? Madame, how much is it?¡±


    ¡°Including Gehenna¡¯s tariff, we bought it for 24 pounds, but we sells it for 35 pounds.¡±


    ¡°See, if you bring this out instead, those rich witches would be pleased with you.¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s mouth was wide open.


    Gehenna¡¯s currency worked differently compared to the Modern World¡¯s, so it was a little hard to tell how much exactly 1 gold pound was worth.


    However, he could still have a rough estimate based on his experience living here as a slave; His estimation was 1 pound equal 840,000 won.


    Which meant, a single bottle costed more than 20 million won.


    Rather, it was close to 30 million won in total.


    As Siwoo was staring dumbfoundedly, Takasho continued his fluent explanation about the champagne itself.


    ¡°This champagne has the unique taste that came with its brand. It lacks the fruity scent of rose like the other ones of its kind have, instead, it has the scent of nuts and creamy bubbles from the roasted almonds.¡±


    ¡°You surely are knowledgeable about this, hm?¡±


    ¡°I figured that I¡¯d need to educate myself at least this much to provide the customers with the best service. Of course, I made sure that the other hosts studied just as much.¡±


    ¡°Good, good.¡±


    Periwinkle smiled contentedly before bringing the glass closer to her lips.


    ¡°I like your spirit. Even though your business isn¡¯t going too well and I am a friend of your friend, you still provided me with the best service that you could provide. Honestly, I would be disappointed if you didn¡¯t do at least this much.¡±


    ¡°How could I not give you the best service when you¡¯ve provided me with such valuable advice?¡±


    Although just a moment ago he was hit by her relentless criticism, Takasho still went all out.


    Siwoo knew that if it was him who was in Takasho¡¯s shoes, there was no way that he¡¯d go all out because of how bad the business was going at the moment.


    Whatever it was that Siwoo was thinking about, accompanied by the bottle of champagne, the consultation continued.


    ¡°Alright, where should I start? Hm, why don¡¯t we take a look at the documents again.¡±


    Three hours passed by since they started this business talk.


    To summarize, the issue with Takasho¡¯s approach was that he was using the common people¡¯s mindset, which didn¡¯t fit his expected customer base, but Periwinkle had fixed that problem.


    ¡°And one last thing...¡±


    Though, not everything had been solved yet.


    One last problem had remained unsolved.


    ¡°How do you attract customers? In Gehenna, normally, if there¡¯s a new business, they will spread the news by mouth, but you¡¯ve missed the timing for that, Madame. If anything, there¡¯s a good chance that bad things about this club are circulating among the witches.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    ¡°Also, both Hydrangea Garden and Levana Grand Bath have been around for more than a century. It¡¯ll be hard for a new business like this to compete against them, especially when we have to consider the fact that we need to draw in regulars.¡±


    ¡°So advertisement is still a problem, huh?¡±


    As Takasho failed to provide a clear answer, Periwinkle let out a snort of disapproval.


    ¡°What if we advertise it in the newspaper...?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s way too bland for our standard. Right, I forgot about this, but make sure to get rid of the signboard outside.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Siwoo, who had been watching quietly, stepped forward.


    In fact, the first time he heard about Takasho¡¯s situation, he already had an idea on how he could help him.


    Of course, he was the one who called Periwinkle here and that also counted as a help, but that was that, this was this.


    ¡°Ms. Periwinkle, about the advertisement thing...¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh, right. You¡¯re here!¡±


    Periwinkle¡¯s face instantly lit up when she saw him, but Takasho could only tilt his head in confusion after seeing her reaction.


    ¡°How could I forget...! We can advertise this club as the place where they could meet with the first male witch!¡±


    Here, Siwoo¡¯s fame was beyond the level of any celebrities¡¯ in the Modern World.


    Just like what happened in Border Town, he was like the Pied Piper of the witches; His mere presence could make the witches flock to him like a horde of rats.


    With the heavy reliance on mouth-to-mouth advertisement in Gehenna, what would be a better way to advertise the business than this?


    Siwoo figured that since he couldn¡¯t walk like a normal person outside due to all the rumors anyway...


    He might as well go balls deep and use this fact to help out his friend.


    ¡°Uh, I know that Siwoo is handsome, he can serve the customers well and he can use magic, but how would that be helpful for the business...?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no one more popular than him in Gehenna right now. At the very least, the witches staying in Lenomond Town will come to visit just to look at him once.¡±


    At that, Takasho sent Siwoo a strange look, as if asking him, ¡®Is she for real?¡¯.


    ¡°Believe me, I don¡¯t want to be this popular either. But I guess this is a blessing in disguise...¡±


    ¡°What on earth have you been doing...?¡±


    Cutting Takasho¡ªwho had dropped his formal tone due to how dumbfounded he was¡ªPeriwinkle stated her final advice for the day.


    ¡°Alright, well, there¡¯s no way that we can start doing everything tomorrow, since we still need to take care of more things, so we¡¯ll start the host club¡¯s revitalization project the day after.¡±


    With that, Periwinkle, who had been giving Takasho various advice, left the club with a satisfied look. She even paid for the champagne as a tip.


    After that, Takasho proceeded to teach Siwoo about table manners, attitude he needed to take towards the witches, simple topics to keep conversations going, and Gehenna¡¯s current state of affairs so that he could handle more in-depth conversations.


    ¡°Memorize everything.¡±


    Table manners like, when he placed the ice into the glass, he had to make sure that the concave part of the ice was facing the side.


    He also needed to avoid putting his hands under the table.


    When putting the glass down, he had to use his fingertip so that it wouldn¡¯t make any noise.


    Making sure that whenever he was pouring alcohol, the mouth of the bottle wasn¡¯t facing the customer¡¯s direction.


    He also learned how to light up someone else¡¯s cigarette properly.


    And many more.


    Though relatively short, this course of table manners was quite tricky for him to understand.


    Other than table manners, there wasn''t anything else that Siwoo found difficult to learn, though he got some good tips from Takasho regarding how to handle the witches¡¯ temper properly.


    He also had his five years experience as a slave, so he was familiar with a witch¡¯s mindset and how to treat them well.


    After spending all night receiving the special training from Takasho...


    It was time for the Grand Opening of Gehenna¡¯s one and only host club, the Rose Glass.

 Chapter 323: Gehennas Host Club (6)

    Chapter 323: Gehenna''s Host Club (6)1.


    1 pm.


    The day of the war had finally begun.


    Siwoo, who had been studying about service and manners without even resting, looked out of the window, suddenly finding that his heart was beating faster than usual.


    ¡°Takasho... What the hell is that...?¡±


    ¡°You tell me... What kind of life have you been living, dude...?¡±


    Behind the curtain, they could see through the situation at the Malkuth Gallery¡¯s alley; It was bustling with people.


    To be more precise, it was bustling with witches.


    Even for Takasho, who had undergone all kinds of hardship in Gehenna and Siwoo, who had been living as a slave together with him...


    It was their first time seeing so many witches gathering in one place.


    The club hadn¡¯t even opened yet.


    Which meant that Periwinkle had done a great job to spread the news about the club to the witches.


    ¡°Finally...a chance...to leave a deep impression on our future customers... Let¡¯s do this...¡±


    ¡°We need to get ready soon.¡±


    As he muttered those words, Takasho embraced Siwoo, who was standing next to him.


    It was the sight that he had seen for the first time in his life; Customers lining up in front of his club like Vienna sausages.


    While he didn¡¯t know if he could handle all these witches or not, he felt that it was appropriate to say his thanks to Siwoo first and foremost.


    ¡°My friend... Thank you very much... I will use this opportunity that you¡¯ve given me to its fullest!¡±


    ¡°Friends gotta help each other, don¡¯t they? You¡¯ve also helped me a lot in the past, no need to act like this, seriously.¡±


    As for Siwoo, he already had guessed that things would turn out this way, but actually seeing his prediction come true evoked a different kind of feeling from within him.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t help Takasho out with the intention of selling his own body to those witches.


    His role was merely as a ¡®bait¡¯.


    He¡¯d stay at his table, changing his customer every fifteen minutes or so.


    Only witches who purchased the most expensive alcohol would be allowed to be served by him for an hour but even after that, they still wouldn¡¯t be allowed to have a second round with him.


    Their plan was to use him as bait to attract the witches for two weeks, so that the club would gain enough traction to stand by itself without the need of his presence.


    ¡°But, Takasho... Do you really think I can do this?¡±


    Though, even when the plan was clear, Siwoo still wasn¡¯t confident that he could do his job well.


    The problem here was that the thing that he needed to do wasn¡¯t only to talk with the customers, but to ¡®serve¡¯ them as well.


    Moreover, among those witches outside, there bound to be at least a dozen of them who¡¯d have a prickly personality...


    ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯ll be fine, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Takasho sent him a weird look, as if he had just said something weird.


    Where the hell did he get this much confidence from?


    After that exchange, Siwoo looked at himself in the mirror to look at his current appearance.


    Neatly swept back hair, uniform that hangs down loosely like a swallow¡¯s tail.


    Takasho offered him a monocle for him to wear, but he refused it.


    He said that this was the kind of look that the witches would love to see, but Siwoo just couldn¡¯t see it.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time to make history.¡±


    ¡°Sure, whatever you say.¡±


    The two men, dressed up perfectly in their suits, walked toward the front door.


    And so, that was the monumental scene of the opening of Gehenna¡¯s first host club, the Rose Glass.


    2.


    ¡°It¡¯s our honor to serve you honorable witches in our establishment.


    ¡°Due to the large number of people visiting us compared to the size of our business, we¡¯ll be issuing queue tickets so that we can provide you with our best service.


    ¡°If you may, please share your contact information for your crystal balls with us, as soon as your number in the queue comes up, we will immediately contact you.


    ¡°Of course, if you prefer to wait for your turn in our establishment instead, you may spend your time leisurely at the salon on the second and third floor.¡±


    Just because a lot of people had come, it didn¡¯t mean that they could take all of them in.


    The host club could only accommodate a maximum number of thirty people at once.


    Since they had advertised themselves as a high-end entertainment club, it would be disastrous if they were to let everyone in and turn the atmosphere similar to that of a traditional market.


    And so, Takasho decided that they¡¯d serve a maximum amount of 120 customers each day, divided that number into four waves and assigned queue tickets for them.


    In addition, he provided the witches with free middle-grade high-quality alcohol as a sign of appreciation. With that, he could start the club¡¯s opening without much issues.


    ¡°Table 12 has run out of snacks, bring out some more. The customer seems to like cheese, so bring out the Stilton Cheese.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Table 2 ordered a wine, so bring out the decanter. Has the caviar arrived?¡±


    ¡°It has, earlier this morning.¡±


    ¡°Check its condition. If it¡¯s good, bring it out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, understood.¡±


    At a glance, it seemed like she was really out for blood, but Takasho could tell that she wasn¡¯t as tough as she let on.


    Which meant that his strategy worked quite well on her.


    So, he looked straight into her eyes.


    ¡°I will do anything for you, as long as I can convey my sincerity properly to you.¡±


    If the customer seemed to be offended, apologize.


    But, never show them servility.


    The witches might be overbearing and their authority was something that was hard to resist for common people.


    But, they were still women.


    They still needed to be treated with patience. Showing one¡¯s irritation would only make the situation turn sour.


    ¡°Do you really mean what you said?¡±


    Scylla twisted her lips upwards before she took off one of her shoes.


    Then, she filled it with the Dom Pe?rignon.


    She threw him a smirk, as if trying to tell him ¡®There¡¯s no way you¡¯ll actually do this.¡¯.


    Funnily enough, this kind of thing was something that was surprisingly common to see in host clubs.


    ¡°Now, drink¡ª Huh?¡±


    Before Scylla could even finish speaking, Takasho already picked up her shoe and emptied the champagne inside.


    When he was done, he turned his face towards her again, smiling brightly at her.


    There wasn¡¯t even a hint of unpleasantness in that smile.


    Then again, chugging Dom Pe?rignon served with a woman¡¯s heel was pretty much a reward if anything.


    ¡°Does this make you feel better?¡±


    Of course, Scylla didn¡¯t expect him to take up on her show of contempt without any hesitation like this.


    As she was still in a daze like that, Takasho stood up and straightened his disheveled clothes.


    ¡°I am aware that this much isn¡¯t enough to earn your forgiveness, but I hope that this could quell your dissatisfaction, even if it¡¯s a little.¡±


    When he turned around, as if declaring that he was done here, Scylla called him out in a hurry.


    ¡°W-Wait...!¡±


    ¡°Yes? Is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°You really drank that?! Have you no self-respect?!¡±


    ¡°As long as this could eases Ms. Scylla¡¯s anger a little, I have no need for such a thing.¡±


    It took less than a minute for embarrassment to replace the irritation on Scylla¡¯s face.


    When facing the customer¡¯s anger, the best course of action was to let them vent their anger to their heart¡¯s content.


    Even if they were witches, at the end of the day, they were still flowers, blooming in this greenhouse called Gehenna.


    In front of Takasho, a veteran who had dealt with all kinds of women, from career women to rich women back when he was still in Japan, the witch was only an inexperienced child.


    Now that they got this far, all he needed to do was to throw in a Gehenna-like comment right here.


    ¡°Although it¡¯s regrettable that we can¡¯t satisfy you, Ms. Scylla, we¡¯ll still do our best to put a smile on your beautiful face. I wish nothing but for you to have a little fun in our establishment.


    ¡°And I will also gift you better alcohol as an apology, so could you please wait for a moment? Of course, it¡¯s free of charge.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At this point, Scylla¡¯s expression turned significantly softer; A little apologetic even.


    Of course, his statement of gifting her a better alcohol was a thoroughly calculated one.


    If there was one thing he knew about a woman was that they¡¯d become extremely generous when they felt the guilt after lashing out in anger.


    And, as he had expected, she refused his free service.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll pay for it. I was being unreasonable anyway, so at least I¡¯ll pay for the alcohol that I¡¯m going to drink myself.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°Give me more of it. Two bottles for me and this friend here.¡±


    ¡°Understood, I¡¯ll bring them to you immediately.¡±


    As Takasho turned around and walked away, Scylla turned her head away too, but she secretly sneaked a glance at his back.


    Of course, Takasho could feel her gaze on his back.


    Melting away the anger of a woman that had already erupted while getting the picky, fussy women to think to come back for more.


    Such was the technique of an elite host.


    Takasho consciously tried to control his facial expression.


    After all, the manager couldn¡¯t just walk around the club with a silly grin on his face over this little matter.


    He then went around the place again to see how the other customers were doing.


    ¡°Is Siwoo doing well over there?¡±


    From the way he handled Periwinkle and looking at how many witches he got to befriend based on the pictures on his phone, Takasho figured that he had nothing to worry about in that regard.


    Still, that didn¡¯t mean he shouldn¡¯t check up on him, so he walked toward the center seat, the place where Siwoo was serving his customers.

 Chapter 324: Gehennas Host Club (7)

    Chapter 324: Gehenna''s Host Club (7)1.


    At the center table of the host club.


    Siwoo, who seated himself there at table 1, was being bombarded with questions from the witch.


    ¡°Can you show me your magic?¡±


    Queue number one, the witch who had been lining up since the break of dawn and the one who first entered the club, was looking at him with shining eyes.


    If this was the past Siwoo, he woulda been half-terrified by this.


    Actually, he¡¯d rather not deal with this kind of thing.


    Because it was clear from her eyes...


    That the witch was seeing him like some kind of frog on an experiment table, at least that was how he felt.


    But, for today, he decided to ignore that feeling.


    If he were to fail in doing his role as the bait and all the customers that came for him ended up never returning to the club again, he wouldn¡¯t have the face to meet with Takasho again.


    ¡°Since you came all the way here just to meet me, of course I can show you my magic.¡±


    ¡°Really? Are you really going to show me?¡±


    ¡°Bloom.¡±


    Actually, he didn¡¯t need to chant to cast this level of magic, but he figured that it¡¯d be better for him to put on a show here as part of the service. With his magic, he created a lump of shadow.


    The witch held a slide glass to the magic floating in his palm with a drooling mouth and crazed expression.


    ¡°O-Ooh... W-Wooah...! I-Is it a shadow?¡±


    For reference, the slide glass was something the witch normally used to collect magic patterns; The thing was made of quartz.


    Thanks to quartz¡¯s structure characteristics (Framework Silicates), it was easy to store magic patterns in it. Its durability also exceeded glass¡¯ by a lot, so it was a popular material for collectors.


    ¡°Yes. Its structure is similar to that of a hook and with this kind of structure, it¡¯s easy for it to interfere with the manifestation of magic. These days I¡¯m trying to add more to its structure by combining it with Elemental Magic though.¡±


    ¡°Really? You¡¯re combining it with Elemental Magic? Combining two magic from different fields of study isn¡¯t an easy thing to do, you know? You¡¯re impressive...!¡±


    Despite everything, she was a kind and well-mannered witch, a perfect witch as his first guest.


    Though she wasn¡¯t wealthy by any means, she still went out of her way to gift him a bottle of alcohol as she felt sorry for inconveniencing him.


    ¡°The particles seem irregular, how do you connect them to each other?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that difficult if you were to use linear combination and set it up in a virtual space. You only need to create an outline, then all you need to do is to connect the whole thing by using the hooks.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see! So you went with a basic approach, huh?¡±


    With that, their magic discussion began.


    It made him wonder if this was the right thing to do as a host, but he couldn¡¯t deny that he was feeling more at ease talking about this matter.


    ¡°If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask me.¡±


    The petite witch hesitated for a while before steeling her resolve and asked him a question.


    ¡°Can you please come to my house?¡±


    ¡°I appreciate that, but I¡¯m sorry, that request is a little hard for me to fulfill.¡±


    ¡°I knew it, that was too much, huh? It¡¯s just, you know, I don¡¯t have much money, so I can¡¯t come here often. Well, it¡¯s okay. The sample I received from you today is plentiful enough!¡±


    To his surprise, the witch gave up quite easily.


    He really had thought that she¡¯d crazily obsess over him, but it wasn¡¯t the case at all. She treated him well, he even felt that they could genuinely get along.


    After that, they proceeded to talk about various things until the fifteen minute timer on the hourglass ran out.


    ¡°Oh my God! I can¡¯t believe that I really talked to a male witch! After this, I¡¯m going to brag about it to all my friends!¡±


    The witch, who left a good impression on Siwoo, stood up and left the table with happy steps.


    Of course, Siwoo stood up to escort her out before coming back to sit down again.


    ¡°Huh, this is easier than I thought...¡±


    That short session gave her confidence that he could serve the rest of the witches well.


    Normally, witches looked down on men, but Siwoo¡¯s situation was a little special.


    While he was, indeed, a man, he was a man who could use magic.


    And such, he was able to serve those witches on a more equal footing from the start, a privilege that no other hosts had.


    ¡°Welcome, thank you for coming.¡±


    Of course.


    Not all witches thought that way.


    The next witch who came in was a tall witch¡ªaround 175cm tall¡ªwith blonde hair. Since she was wearing heels, she was at the same eye level as Siwoo.


    As soon as he noticed her supermodel-like figure and sharp gaze, he immediately thought, ¡®I¡¯m screwed now¡¯.


    Unlike the previous witch who looked around curiously as she sat down carefully...


    This witch immediately crossed her legs as she sat down, seemingly used to this kind of luxurious atmosphere.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe that Gehenna has a host club of its own now. Nice.¡±


    ¡°Hello, it¡¯s an honor to meet you. My name is Shin Siwoo and I¡¯ll be in charge of serving you, Ms. Witch, for the next fifteen minutes.¡±


    He politely introduced himself while standing, following what Takasho had taught him, but the witch only replied to him with a snort.


    ¡°So you¡¯re the one who became a witch, even though you¡¯re a man?¡±


    Not all witches possessed curiosity toward Siwoo¡¯s existence, or treated it in a positive way.


    For some of them, magic was something sacred.


    And Siwoo¡¯s existence was a sacrilegious stain; To them, he was a filthy and unwelcome invader who had the audacity to barge into their sanctuary.


    An impure element, a pretender who thought that being able to cast a spell or two made him qualified to be called a witch.


    In any case, it was clear that this second customer didn¡¯t seem to be pleased by his existence.


    ¡°I was merely lucky.¡±


    ¡°I care not about your pitiful aptitude for magic. What I¡¯m here for is to see if you really possess a spirit body or not and that¡¯s all.¡±


    Throughout this exchange, Siwoo felt something strange.


    He was a little anxious for his friend since the customer this time seemed to be an especially prickly one, but...


    As expected, there was no need for him to worry.


    After all, this was no longer Shin Siwoo of the past, but Shin Siwoo who managed to seduce not one, not two, but three witches, while also bagging two apprentice witches all at once.


    Just look at him...


    He doesn¡¯t seem to be doing it intentionally, but he seduces that witch well.


    According to his experience, unpolished charm was something that was fatal to a woman¡¯s heart.


    That was a reason why makeup that made them look like they were wearing no makeup was popular among women; Because they liked it when something looked natural.


    When Takasho rose to the top of his position, the promising juniors who could probably compete with him one day all gave off that kind of unpolished charm vibe.


    Too bad that all of them were rather soft-hearted, as they usually failed to keep their emotions in check, ended up falling too deeply in love with one of the customers and retired soon after.


    If this is Kabukicho, maybe...


    That got him thinking, if Siwoo were to walk on this path together with him and gain enough experience...and if they were to compete with each other...who exactly would win among them?


    The way he served his customers was nothing short of excellent, to the point that Takasho couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing.


    After that, there were no major problems in the club.


    Takasho¡¯s quick wit that he gained from rolling around the various host clubs in his hometown let him provide whatever it was that the customers needed before they could even ask.


    The thirty hosts that he trained for three months managed to satisfy the witches with their service without any issue.


    Considering the influx of customers, Takasho wanted to ban the witches from coming for a second time for a while, but it was clear that a lot of them already considered coming for the second time.


    With that, Gehenna Glass Rose¡¯s grand opening concluded.


    It was now 2 am, the witches had already left and the whole place had turned quiet.


    After they finished cleaning the club, the hosts gathered in the center of the room, clearly looking exhausted.


    ¡°Attention!¡±


    Since the business day was over, it was time for them to count their earnings.


    ¡°Everyone worked hard today! All your efforts have borne fruits!¡±


    Standing on the stairs, Takasho sent words of congratulations to the hosts who had worked really hard throughout the day.


    With calm eyes, he scanned through each one of them. These were the guys he had been drinking together with in the last few months.


    It was hard to believe that just a few months ago, they didn¡¯t even know if they should drink the alcohol they served or not.


    After working for twelve hours and cleaning up the place, they all looked ragged and their exhaustion was clear, but all of them were wearing satisfied expressions.


    Some of them were even grinning at him.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll announce our profit for the day.¡±


    Hearing those words, the hosts instantly became nervous.


    ¡°Our earning for the day is 2,112 gold pounds.¡±


    ¡°Huh...?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Two thousand...?¡±


    Hearing that mind-boggling amount of money came out of Takasho¡¯s mouth, the hosts were left dumbfounded.


    Even Siwoo, who was leaning on the stairs, completely exhausted after serving more than a hundred witches in a row, left his mouth hanging open.


    That was roughly 1.7 billion and 74.08 million won in just a day.


    Maybe because it was money, his mental calculation was quicker than usual.


    ¡°After deducting the price of alcohol and such... Our earnings for the day dropped to 1,267 gold pounds.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    After that, the commotion subsided and the place was thrown into silence.


    Of course, if they were to factor in their monthly debt and its interests, the price of snacks and alcohol they had to buy, labor costs and so on, the earning would drop by half easily.


    Just from the alcohol alone, their earnings were reduced to 1 billion and 64.44 million won.


    But...


    This was their earnings for the day. Not a month or a week, but a day.


    Everyone looked at Takasho, who continued his report in a calm tone, in bewilderment.


    ¡°This is the first day, so we need to treat it as an exception among exceptions. What happened today won¡¯t happen every day, but for tomorrow and the day after, we can expect to be as busy as today. That¡¯s why, while you guys can relax, don¡¯t let your guard down.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    Takasho clenched his fists, lowered his head down, and said while in tears.


    ¡°We did it, you brats! We did it! Thank you for all your hard work! Please keep up with your good work in the future!¡±


    ¡°Woaah! Takasho hyung!¡±


    ¡°This all only happened thanks to this Shin Siwoo over here! Give praise to this friend of mine, you idiots!¡±


    ¡°Siwoo! Siwoo! Siwoo!¡±


    ¡°Takasho! Takasho! Takasho!¡±


    After that, the place was thrown into a frenzy again.


    They hugged each other, running around the room frantically, chanting Takasho¡¯s and Siwoo¡¯s names.


    All this time, they had been struggling, taking up various side jobs just to make up for the club¡¯s deficit, dealing with anxiety over their job that might disappear at any moment, all while honing their skill to be a great host. Now that all their efforts had finally borne fruit, it wasn¡¯t a wonder that they¡¯d lost themselves in joy like this.


    Even Siwoo and Takasho danced around with the hosts, as if they were crazy.


    It was a wonderful night when a man¡¯s dream came true.

 Chapter 325: Ill Choose You (1)

    Chapter 325: I''ll Choose You (1)1.


    After their shift for the day was over, they held a simple party to celebrate the day¡¯s great success, which was over by the time morning came.


    Now, the host club was quiet, as if yesterday¡¯s hustle and bustle was a lie.


    Siwoo, who had already drunk a bunch of alcohol during his shift and drank even more alcohol at the party, took a nap for around two hours.


    Normally, after he woke up, he¡¯d be dealing with a terrible hangover, but thanks to his spirit body, he didn¡¯t need to suffer through that.


    He suddenly felt like wandering around, so he went down to the first floor and found Takasho writing something under the gas lamp¡¯s light.


    Seeing how he hadn¡¯t changed his clothes yet, it seemed like he immediately went back to work after the party.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t slept yet?¡±


    At Siwoo¡¯s call, Takasho raised his chin and smiled at him.


    ¡°Hey, looks like our host club¡¯s ace is awake. Want a drink?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll pass. I had around ten bottles yesterday, just seeing another one already makes me want to puke.¡±


    Seeing how he spent fifteen minutes on each one of the 120 witches that came yesterday, he most likely drank more than that.


    It was to the point that he felt sick of the alcohol since he had to drink everything that the witches offered him, all while serving them to the best of his abilities.


    ¡°Anyway, what are you doing? The sun is about to come up.¡±


    ¡°Writing documents and organizing the customers list and the queue order.¡±


    Just as he said, there were queue tickets and admission forms scattered around the table.


    The sight made Siwoo rethink his impression of his dear friend. There was no way that he could dismiss him as a womanizer when he would go out of his way to work overtime like this even though he was the boss of the place.


    He couldn¡¯t help but admire this dear friend of his inwardly.


    ¡°The customer list especially is extremely important to organize. This way we can know which of them are willing to spend a bunch of money at once and deserve to be treated as VIP.¡±


    ¡°Need some help?¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m almost done.¡±


    Siwoo pulled out a chair and sat down comfortably with his legs on the table.


    ¡°Siwoo... Thank you, really... Tell Ms. Periwinkle that I¡¯m really thankful to her as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon, stop that already. You¡¯re giving me goosebumps.¡±


    ¡°You know, I did my best to make this business work, but I still failed miserably. It was thanks to both of you that I can finally feel hopeful about the future...¡±


    ¡°Do you think it can work out?¡±


    The thing was, Siwoo wouldn¡¯t be working here forever, so the important thing here was if Takasho could make Rose Glass operate without him or not.


    Fortunately, it seemed like Siwoo didn¡¯t need to worry about the matter, as Takasho smiled happily before nodding.


    ¡°There are more than ten witches who left their business cards and asked me to invite them again when everything settles down. While the number of witches who promised to come again next time easily doubled that. I can safely say that we hit the biggest jackpot this time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡±


    It was only after he heard Takasho¡¯s words that Siwoo was able to rest easy.


    The reason why he offered to work as a host, even though he knew nothing about the industry, was because he wanted to help Takasho so that his business could do well.


    ¡°But still... I don¡¯t know how to put this... Uh, this place is more innocent than I thought...? Considering how you used to go around and have sex every day, it¡¯s a surprise that your business didn¡¯t lean toward that way, you know...¡±


    ¡°You really just went ahead and said that kind of shit right in front of my face, huh?¡±


    Takasho slammed the stamp on his hand on the paper in front of him with a wry smile.


    ¡°Anyway, this is what a first-class host club is like. Only second-rate host clubs would offer their hosts as a walking dildo for the customers. That kind of club would go out of business before a year.¡±


    ¡°Right, you told me about that before, I think.¡±


    ¡°In any case, for the time being, I¡¯ll continue running the club with this policy. Once we start to have regulars, I¡¯ll think up of holding some kind of event to keep things fresh. Maybe I¡¯ll take them all to the Narrow Sea or bring in an item from the Modern World to introduce to them.¡±


    After Takasho finished working on the documents, he put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it up.


    Maybe, because he was exhausted, he didn¡¯t seem as rowdy as usual, but Siwoo could see it clearly from his face...


    He was extremely happy about this whole thing.


    ¡°You changed a lot, you know? Back then, you were a miserable fucker who couldn¡¯t even talk to women properly. Yet, here you are, handling those witches like a fuckboy. How the hell did you do that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Things happened and I just somehow ended up like this, I guess.¡±


    His words were true though. Back then, Siwoo didn¡¯t even dare to look at the witches¡¯ eyes, but now he was handling them well.


    ¡°Anyway! We can say that both of us had ascended! Once upon a time, we were merely lowly slaves, digging ditches at the Trinity Academy and now look at us! Puff your chest out, my friend! Be more proud of yourself!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you didn¡¯t even dig the ditch back then.¡±


    ¡°Right, you were the one who did while I was busy digging up the witches¡¯ pussies. Also, you know, if I were to swing that way, maybe we¡¯d dig each other¡¯s asses instead, don¡¯t you think? Of course, I¡¯ll be at the front and you¡¯ll be coming at me from behind.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, stop it... Just thinking about it makes me sick. Stop it before I actually kill you.¡±


    Though they were exchanging such nasty jokes, the atmosphere felt pleasant.


    Suddenly, Takasho pointed out something.


    ¡°Right, did your girlfriend give her permission for you to work here?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, this is a host club, you know? Won¡¯t she get jealous?¡±


    Jealous?


    Permission?


    Both words were something that didn¡¯t even cross Siwoo¡¯s mind before.


    ¡°...It should be okay. It isn¡¯t like I¡¯m doing something big anyway.¡±


    ¡°I was just taking a short break, after that I will get back to practice again. Do you want to see the moves I¡¯ve been practicing, Mom?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a fool?! I watched you doing nothing for a whole hour as soon as you thought that I left! Didn¡¯t you promise me that you¡¯d practice hard? Was it too much for me to ask you to practice?!¡±


    Diana tried to act cute and quell her anger, but the Countess still didn¡¯t budge. On the contrary, she continued to nag her even more.


    ¡°Studying magic is good and all, but I told you to move your body once in a while! Even this ballet class only lasts four hours a week! And you still laze around during that short time?!¡±


    ¡°...I-I¡¯m sorry, Mom...¡±


    Diana lowered her head.


    Her arms dangled weakly on her sides.


    Not only that, her shoulders showed clear dejection, as if she had properly reflected on what she had done wrong.


    ¡°It was because my feet hurt so much during practice... I promise I won¡¯t lie to you again from now on...¡±


    She said those words with a weak, trembling voice.


    Following that, tears slid down her chin down to the floor, drop by drop.


    Since her Plan A to act cute failed, she immediately went to enact her Plan B: Crocodile tears.


    This was her special move, the move that had never failed her before.


    Even though Countess Yesod was determined to scold her, it was clear that Diana¡¯s tears affected her.


    Her fingers started to tremble.


    Maybe if she were to let her guard down a little, she would run over to Diana and embrace her.


    But, she knew that she had to stand firm here.


    Because she didn¡¯t want her precious child to grow to become the embodiment of sloth.


    Though, it was probably too late since Diana was already way too old to be called a child.


    ¡°Stop showing me those fake tears! I know you aren¡¯t really crying!¡±


    ¡°T-They aren¡¯t fake...¡±


    Even though she said it wasn¡¯t fake, her tears immediately dried up like smoke when she raised her head back up again, making the Countess stare at her dumbfoundedly.


    ¡°Can you spare me this time...? I promise I¡¯ll work hard from now on...¡±


    ¡°Spare you? Of course not! You¡¯ve been slacking, lying and even deceiving me with your acting?! You¡ª I swear you¡¯ll be the death of me!¡±


    Meanwhile, Diana was also left dumbfounded since not only did her special move fail, but her mother kept on scolding her relentlessly.


    It seemed like her mother wouldn¡¯t let her off so easily this time.


    And her rough guess was right, as a shocking declaration came out of the Countess¡¯ mouth, leaving Diana dumbfounded once again.


    ¡°Get out of the mansion.¡±


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    Diana started to stammer.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re kicking me out?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Even if you stay here, you¡¯ll only slack off at the corner of the mansion anyway! It¡¯ll be better if you do it out of my sight, so get out!¡±


    ¡°But...it¡¯s more comfortable inside...¡±


    ¡°Get! Out!¡±


    She could feel her stomach sink.


    Kicking her out of the mansion was the worst punishment she could ever get.


    This was all because she had a passive skill that would make her health point decrease the further away she got from home.


    Of course, no matter how mad she was, the Countess was still a fool for her daughter.


    Though she said she wanted Diana to get out of the mansion, she didn¡¯t mean that she was kicking her out for real and turning her into a homeless person.


    ¡°From now on, after you eat your breakfast, go out and don¡¯t come back until dinner! Of course, you can¡¯t just stay inside the bathroom either!¡±


    ¡°I need to go out...from morning...to evening...?¡±


    ¡°Starting today! That means, right now! Get out!¡±


    ¡°...Yes, Mom...¡±


    This time, Diana wasn¡¯t acting, she was truly discouraged.


    Countess Yesod could feel her heart ache as she saw Diana¡¯s head hung low, her gaze focused to her toes.


    To leave her cute and lovely daughter outside...


    The decision truly made her heart broken apart.


    If she were to follow what her heart told her, she¡¯d run over to her daughter and hug her, repeatedly assure her that she loved her so very much.


    ¡°Huu...¡±


    But this time, she had to put up with this feeling.


    Because after she passed on her brand to her daughter, she had to live by herself in this cruel and harsh world. Her nagging and punishment was nothing compared to the harsh reality.


    Diana¡¯s chronic laziness was pretty much a disease.


    And the Countess was ready to pay any price as long as she could cure that disease.


    ¡°I love you... My dear daughter...¡±


    Tears came out of the corner of Lucy Yesod¡¯s eyes as she saw Diana¡¯s departing back, leaving the ballet room towards the dressing room.


    1. Edgar Degas: An impressionist artist that lived in the 19th century. He''s famous for his paintings and half of his paintings depicted dancers, specifically ballerinas.

 Chapter 326: Ill Choose You (2)

    Chapter 326: I''ll Choose You (2)1.


    Countess Gemini loved alcohol.


    Alcohol, a drink created by fermenting either grains or fruits.


    There were certain depths involved within the world of alcohol, an endless grandeur that awaited everyone who tried to pursue it, similar to magic¡ªperhaps that was the reason why they loved alcohol so much.


    They could hear different melodies and tunes from each alcohol that they put in their mouths.


    The unfolding aroma of cloves, butterball, and oak barrel, covering the subtle scent of cherries, entered their noses the moment they closed their eyes.


    After decades of waiting, those different scents melted together, creating an avant-garde harmony that evoked a sense of thrill and excitement from the depths of their hearts.


    The Countesses, who already took a sip of the alcohol in front of her while enjoying the scent that came out of it and savoring the taste in their mouth, finally gulped it down their throat.


    ¡°Phew~ As always, drinking alcohol after work just hits you in the right spots.¡±


    ¡°Unnie, where did you get this brandy from?¡±


    ¡°The Witch of Fortune gave it to me. There was a magic crop that we were going to auction at the ¡®Red Roof Salon¡¯, no? She said that she wanted to purchase it in advance.¡±


    Generally speaking, the magic crops that were produced in Latifundium that were owned by Countess Gemini would be sold either in the Malkuth Gallery or the Gemini Magic Tool Shop.


    However, there were exceptions to that, mostly the rare crops that had limited production, those kinds would be auctioned off at the Red Roof Salon instead.


    One of such crops was the ¡®Red Root Geranium¡¯ that Periwinkle had purchased from them.


    ¡°I see. Making deals with her is always profitable for us.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason not to sell it to her since she offered twice the market price anyway.¡±


    Anyway, the Countesses would hang out together like this after they finished their work for the day. This was one of their favorite pastimes.


    Normally, each of them would share stories about what they had been dealing with in their business or they would talk about the twins, but for today, there was one particularly novel topic that one of them brought up.


    ¡°By the way, Unnie, did you hear about the host club that was opened in Malkuth Gallery? They said that the host club it¡¯s a host club for serving us witches.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Though it was a novel topic, it wasn¡¯t novel enough to catch Countess Albireo¡¯s attention, though.


    Instead, the thing that came to her mind the first time she heard it was, ¡®Is Deneb interested in that sort of thing, seeing how she brought it up and all?¡¯.


    ¡°Also, Shin Siwoo is working there.¡±


    ¡°Huh...?¡±


    Before she could realize it, Albireo¡¯s mouth hung open.


    Since she frequently wandered around the Modern World, she knew what a host club was.


    In her mind, it was the place where rich women would drink while rubbing a male hosts¡¯ ass.


    ¡°W-Why is he¡ª? Is he in such dire need of money?¡±


    To Albireo¡¯s knowledge, Siwoo wasn¡¯t a big spender.


    That was why she gave her a card with no credit limitations on it in the first place.


    This revelation of him working came as a surprise for her.


    Especially when the work involved flirting with witches while pouring them alcohol.


    It was just so hard to believe.


    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s doing it for fun?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean for fun?! Also, why are you taking this matter lightly?! Deneb, wasn¡¯t it you who proposed the idea to match him together with our twins?!¡±


    Seeing the expected reaction came out of her sister, Deneb let out a smile as she brought her glass to her nose, savoring the pleasant aroma.


    ¡°I was as surprised as you, but don¡¯t worry, I looked it up. The Madame of that place is his old friend. He probably did it to help him out since the business has been in the red. Also, the club itself is quite clean; As in, there¡¯s no sexual action involved.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just say that first? You made me overreact over nothing...¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s cute when you overreact. Anyway, what do you think would happen if our twins find out about it? Do you think they¡¯d get jealous, Unnie?¡±


    Deneb, who succeeded in making Albireo flustered, said so while giggling.


    At that moment...


    ¡°Mr. Assistant¡ª!¡±


    ¡°Is working¡ª!¡±


    ¡°¡°At a host club?!¡±¡±


    The door to the room suddenly swung open without warning.


    People who could swing the Countess¡¯ office door open rudely without suffering any consequences were few and far between.


    But those two, the Gemini¡¯s cute baby birds, were among those people.


    Odile and Odette.


    The twins, who decided to swing by the Countess¡¯ office before going to bed, accidentally heard their conversation.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why we haven¡¯t seen him much lately!¡±


    ¡°He got himself that kind of job?!¡±


    Odile¡¯s eyes were wide open. She made a gesture, as if she had solved a closed room murder case.


    Meanwhile, Odette was chirping beside her.


    ¡°Odile, Odette.¡±


    When Deneb called their names out in a low voice, they quickly left the room.


    -Knock, knock.


    -Crash!


    -Clink, clink!


    Of course, being the members of Gemini Household, the amount of their allowances were incomparable to that of a normal person¡¯s.


    Countless gold coins that they had collected for nearly five years sparkled among the broken bottle shards.


    ¡°Hehehe...¡±


    ¡°We will use this emergency as a chance to turn out the tides and buy out all of Mr. Assistant¡¯s time!¡±


    ¡°We will!¡±


    2.


    Duchess Tiphereth loved alcohol.


    Whenever she was struck with sadness, she¡¯d drink a whole bottle to soothe her sadness, and whenever her heart was filled with happiness, she¡¯d fill up her glass to share that happiness.


    To her, the wine glass contained both the joy and sorrow of life. Sometimes a sip of its content was enough to wash over the sorrow and replace it with joy.


    And sometimes, the glass also contained the tragedy of her running away from her love.


    That was probably why the alcohol that usually could soothe her felt particularly bitter tonight; It contained the pain of having to deny the love that she realized far too late.


    ¡°...¡±


    After she erased all the memories about her affair with Siwoo from his mind...


    Eloa had been suffering from the aftereffects.


    Even she herself didn¡¯t expect that she¡¯d be suffering this much from it, both physically and mentally.


    She forcefully used her already weak body to conjure up a Covenant.


    That made her body heat up and in pain all over, and she had to deal with incessant coughing, as if she was catching some kind of flu.


    But, those weren¡¯t the only things she was suffering from. Whenever she felt such pain, she¡¯d feel the remnants of the memories that she had erased from Siwoo¡¯s head.


    The number of empty bottles of alcohol that had been piling up in her room reached a terrifying amount, as she had been doing nothing but drinking whenever she wasn¡¯t sleeping.


    ¡°Haa...¡±


    She let out a sigh that was clearly reek of alcohol as she endured the pounding headache.


    Has Siwoo not returned from the picnic yet?


    She had sworn to herself that from then on, she¡¯d only treat him like a disciple, but the more time passed without seeing him, the more she grew to miss him.


    Of course, she didn¡¯t miss him as a master yearning to meet her disciple again, but as a woman missing the person she loved.


    This was why she kept on drinking, so that she could get that kind of thought off her mind.


    The only problem here was that once she got drunk, her longing only got more intense and this prompted her to drink even more, creating a vicious cycle.


    ¡°...What should I do...?¡±


    Obviously, she didn¡¯t know the answer to that question.


    Actually, it wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t have anything else to do.


    There was still one more person that she hadn¡¯t confessed her sins to.


    The lover of her precious disciple, Sharon Evergreen.


    Erasing Siwoo¡¯s memories didn¡¯t mean that her past sins would disappear.


    Even if Siwoo didn¡¯t remember anything, her sins of having an affair with someone else¡¯s lover wouldn¡¯t just vanish into thin air.


    The fact that she had been suffering from guilt didn¡¯t mean that her sins had been erased.


    That was why the correct thing to do here was for her to go to Sharon and apologize.


    ¡°...¡±


    And so, she stood up.


    Forcing her heavy legs, she stepped forward and headed towards the annex where Sharon was residing.


    -Knock, knock!


    She knocked on her door.


    Though it was so late at night that even the plants were asleep, like her, Sharon was also a witch.


    Not long after, she could hear the sound of footsteps and the door was opened.


    ¡°Duchess Tiphereth? What are you doing here? It¡¯s late...¡±


    ¡°Sorry for intruding this late at night...¡±


    Since Sharon was wearing a dark-colored nightgown, Eloa¡¯s mind played a trick on her, assuming that the other witch¡¯s complexion was as dark as her outfits were.


    She even suspected that the other witch already knew about her affair and was about to give her a hard time for it.


    ¡°I want to share a drink with you, is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Sure, come in, please.¡±


    Actually, ever since they came to Gehenna, both of them never even spoke to each other once.


    Due to Eloa¡¯s misunderstanding, during his first encounter with Siwoo, she almost killed him.


    That and the fact that she caught Sharon and Siwoo having a sex made Sharon try to secretly avoid her.


    Why is she inviting me for a drink this late at night?


    Although she was confused, Sharon still invited Eloa in.

 Chapter 327: Ill Choose You (3)

    Chapter 327: I''ll Choose You (3)1.


    From the day she returned from the picnic, Sharon had been coping with heartache by herself.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    Since she was living off the salary from the Countess Gemini...


    She decided to exercise some amount of restraint.


    All so that she could fulfill her words to Countess Albireo, to keep an appropriate distance from Siwoo.


    Though, if she were to be honest, she didn¡¯t know what kind of distance could be counted as ¡®appropriate¡¯ in this case.


    After meeting Siwoo again and having an intercourse with him, she reaffirmed her love for him and developed a deep trust with him.


    She even went out of her way to ignore her promise with the Countess for that moment, albeit her conscience had been prickling at her greatly.


    And to make up for it, she decided to not do anything like that to him during the time of their picnic.


    But, the very next morning, an incident occurred...


    Siwoo, who had been wandering around at night, came back to the villa, claiming that he drank some kind of tea and slept in the carriage by himself.


    The problem here was the twins¡¯ behavior seemed to hint at something.


    And there were also the footprints she saw on the sandy beach, disproving his claim that he was by himself in the carriage the night before.


    But, those footprints belonged to neither Sharon nor the twins.


    Seeing at their sizes, it was clear that the owner was a woman, though.


    So, she went out of her way and asked him


    ¡®You weren¡¯t lying, were you?¡¯


    To that, Siwoo answered.


    ¡®Why would I lie? I really was by myself.¡¯


    And that was clearly a lie.


    His claim that he was alone the previous night was a lie.


    Since that was the case, there was a high probability that his other claim about him being unable to remember anything that happened that night since he just blacked out was also a lie.


    The fact that she had tried drinking a lot and never got so drunk that she just blacked out due to her spirit body reinforced this suspicion.


    Still, that didn¡¯t mean Sharon would doubt him completely.


    At least up until that point she had faith in him and believed that she was just being paranoid.


    Besides, there was that thing that she had told him before.


    About how she¡¯d be okay if Siwoo were to play around with other women as long as he never forgot her and came back to her.


    There really was no reason for him to lie to her, so her heart was at ease...that was, until she checked up on the carriage on their way back.


    Back then, she noticed something.


    The bedroom in the corner of the carriage was in a suspiciously clean and tidy state, as if someone had casted a cleaning spell on it.


    A completely different state than when they first arrived at the beach.


    After seeing this, a certain scenario played out in her mind, of Siwoo drinking while playing around with an unknown witch inside this carriage, making such a huge mess to the point that they had to resort to using a cleaning spell.


    At that moment, she could feel her heart sink.


    All kinds of thoughts came to her mind to the point that aside from classes, she only spent her day curled up in bed feeling all depressed.


    ¡°...Come to think of it... I¡¯ve never even heard an ¡®I love you¡¯ from him...¡±


    Of course, it went both ways as she also never told him that she loved him.


    It wasn¡¯t like she was a firm believer that men were the one who should confess first or anything.


    She just didn¡¯t want to tie him down and burden him with her feelings.


    Still, she fervently believed that their feelings were mutual.


    But, this incident had cracked her faith.


    -Knock, knock!


    Suddenly, a knocking sound interrupted her line of thoughts.


    Thinking that it was probably Siwoo, she jumped up, adjusted her nightgown and hurried down to the first floor.


    When she opened the door, a completely unexpected person was standing there.


    A woman with light pink hair and dark magenta eyes.


    It was Duchess Tiphereth who came knocking on her door, looking haggard.


    2.


    The building¡¯s living room was more luxuriously decorated than the other rooms.


    Probably because the Geminis believed that welcoming guests was more important than anything.


    Eloa, who was already drunk, invited Sharon to drink with her, in which she accepted. Though, she only drank a little amount as she watched the other witch keep on chugging glasses after glasses of alcohol.


    ¡°Um... D-Duchess... May I know why you came here...?¡±


    ¡°Can I finish this bottle first before I talk?¡±


    ¡°O-Of course, feel free.¡±


    After that, Eloa downed half of the bottle of alcohol that she had left.


    For witches, as long as their autonomous defense was still functioning, they didn¡¯t have to worry about something as trivial as acute alcohol poisoning, but even with that in mind the amount of alcohol Eloa drank was alarming.


    With difficulty, she put down her glass before opening her mouth.


    ¡°Miss Evergreen.¡±


    ¡°Please just call me Sharon, I¡¯m not so great of a witch to be referred to in that way...¡±


    ¡°...I owe you an apology.¡±


    The moment she heard the word ¡®apology¡¯ came out of Eloa¡¯s mouth, Sharon¡¯s eyes widened.


    After listening to Eloa¡¯s words, it was clear to her how deep her love for Siwoo was.


    Eloa hadn¡¯t said anything about it, but Sharon could tell how much determination she had when she decided to erase his memories and meet her to apologize.


    Is a relationship between master and her disciple that big of a taboo?


    Didn¡¯t they say that love transcends everything?


    All her desire to criticize Eloa had vanished.


    Still, it¡¯s a strange feeling...


    I thought I¡¯d be more jealous and possessive...


    When I heard that she slept with Siwoo, my heart ached, but that was it...


    After I heard that she fell in love with him...


    It feels like I found a reliable ally who loves him as much as I do...


    ¡°Have a pleasant dream, Duchess.¡±


    Sharon quietly stroked Eloa¡¯s head before leaving the room.


    3.


    Rain fell on the desert.


    The droplets of water seeped into the unmoving corpse, turning into blooming small wild flowers. It was an unrealistic scene, yet it was happening and it was beautiful to see.


    Amelia witnessed this scene from a distance.


    The corpse belonged to an Exile who was thrown out of Gehenna due to her vicious experiment that involved 120 people as her test subject. Even after she became an Exile, she soon became a Criminal as she kept on kidnapping travelers to take their hearts away.


    ¡°...Amelia.¡±


    As she stood still like that under the heavy rain, Clara approached her.


    She had been following Amelia as the latter continued her journey to hunt the Criminal Exiles.


    It seemed that she was worried if she were to leave Amelia alone, the poor girl would get a mental breakdown along the way.


    Of course she hadn¡¯t asked for her permission beforehand, but since Amelia hadn¡¯t told her to go away yet, she figured that this was her way of allowing her to tag along.


    As soon as Amelia found out where the Criminal whose name was listed on the Duchess¡¯ killing list was hiding, a fierce battle immediately ensued.


    Clara had to watch it from a distance since both of them were spraying magic everywhere without a care. It was only after the battle was over did she finally dare to come over.


    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±


    When Amelia turned her sky blue eyes that had been staring off the distance dazedly to Clara...


    The latter¡¯s body flinched before it started to tremble.


    It seemed like the emotions Amelia felt from her battle still lingered in her heart.


    Because she was showing an expression that Clara had never seen before.


    An expression so blank, so cold that made her unable to tell what was going on in her mind.


    Clara tried to hide the nervousness that had come out before she realized it and confronted Amelia.


    No matter how cold or blank her expression was, Clara could see clearly in her eyes. That she possessed the eyes of a weak-hearted person who was driven into a corner.


    ¡°...What is your reason for hunting the Criminal Exiles?¡±


    The moment Clara voiced her question, Amelia¡¯s eyes shook.


    Her usual weak and clumsy side came out suddenly, as if this Amelia and the Amelia from before were different people.


    Clara gathered a little more courage and spoke her words more carefully.


    ¡°If you¡¯re having a hard time with it, you just need to stop.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I, too, have killed a lot of Criminal Exiles... If you don¡¯t think that your heart is ready for it... You can just quit...¡±


    Taking another person¡¯s life inevitably came with a burden.


    In Clara¡¯s opinion, Amelia was unprepared to bear that kind of burden.


    The sight of Amelia suppressing the Criminal Exiles with overwhelming force seemed more like she was strangling her own neck if anything.


    ¡°Because I have to.¡±


    Follow her along, but keep a certain distance, that was Clara¡¯s policy.


    That was how she showed her consideration to Amelia since she was having a hard time, but she couldn¡¯t help but intervene now.


    It was her way to console the poor girl also.


    ¡°There is no need for you to feel guilty about killing a Criminal Exile. They are the people who caused great disturbances in the world and killed a great number of people. If you¡¯re having a hard time, just think like that...¡±


    Amelia looked at Clara for a while before turning her gaze away.


    ¡°I...always think...in my mind...¡±


    The sight of someone¡¯s body crumbling before turning into a bed of flowers and blown away by the wind...


    Was always etched in her mind...


    ¡°Maybe, this witch was misguided...like me...and she hasn¡¯t found what was important for her...¡±


    Even Amelia herself didn¡¯t expect those words to come out of her mouth.


    That was the first time she had ever opened her heart to someone else like that.


    ¡°Maybe, by killing them I took their opportunity to correct their wrongdoings away...¡±


    Amelia turned her gaze back at Clara.


    ¡°Are you willing to listen to my story?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am. You can talk to me as much as you want.¡±


    Clara replied happily.

 Chapter 328: Ill Choose You (4)

    Chapter 328: I''ll Choose You (4)1.


    If Amelia mentioned something that Clara brought into her wandering life, then it would be the fact that they got a basecamp now.


    A tent to block the sandstorm and a bonfire to keep them warm.


    Sometimes, Clara would treat her to a warm meal.


    Of course, it was Clara who¡¯d take initiative to offer the meal.


    After spending all this time with her, Amelia could say that she was a considerate person who¡¯d put others¡¯ feelings before her own.


    It was clear to see from the way she just tagged along with her without asking her any questions for the longest time.


    Originally...


    Amelia never tried to open her heart to anyone, not even to Sophia.


    As she stared at the crackling bonfire, Clara handed her a warm chamomile tea.


    With that, her long story began.


    ¡°The reason why I go around hunting Criminal Exiles is...because I owed Duchess Keter a favor...¡±


    ¡°K-Keter?! A-Ah, s-sorry, please continue.¡±


    Clara jolted with surprise when she heard Keter¡¯s name.


    It was common knowledge that Duchess Keter was someone that ordinary witches could never meet in their lifetime.


    She was a transcendent even among the transcendent witches.


    A being whose existence symbolized the word ¡®absolute¡¯, a being who¡¯d willingly commit fratricide for the sake of keeping the balance of the world.


    Such was the strongest perception of her that ran among the witches.


    Not only was there not a single witch that had formed a personal relationship with her, there was also not a single witch that was able to make a deal with her.


    In most cases, interaction with Keter spelled death for the other person.


    ¡°To hunt Homunculi and Criminal Exiles in exchange for her saving a single person¡¯s life. That was my deal with the Duchess...¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    That was why Amelia couldn¡¯t just run away from this, even though she was clearly not suited to do all this.


    Siwoo¡¯s life was at stake.


    If she failed to hold out the end of her contract, the Duchess could take Siwoo¡¯s life back any time she wanted.


    Keter was well-known for her iron-blooded exploits throughout history and Amelia didn¡¯t dare to bet that she would act differently this time.


    ¡°...Is that person...someone that you love...?¡±


    Hearing the question that Clara asked in such a cautious tone, Amelia¡¯s body froze.


    She didn¡¯t know what the correct answer to that question was.


    So, she decided to tell her everything, from the very beginning.


    Her inner thoughts that she had never shown to anyone slowly seeped out of her mouth.


    ¡°He was...just a slave...at first...¡±


    A slave who refused to serve her in bed.


    Back then, Amelia was still an arrogant witch.


    An arrogant and a foolish witch.


    Back then, the only thing that she had in her mind was to fulfill all the responsibilities of a witch as her master¡¯s sudden parting made her unable to think about anything else.


    Those were the days when she¡¯d live her life all alone, confined by the thick wall of her self-hatred, unable to see anything beyond that wall.


    ¡°When we first met, he rejected my invitation and I took it as an insult...¡±


    ¡®A mere slave dares to reject a witch¡¯s invitation! Does he not know that I am a Baroness¡ª?!¡¯


    Back then, such childish anger erupted in her heart.


    Like a child who didn¡¯t get the gift that she wanted, she threw her endless tantrums one-sidedly toward that man.


    ¡°So, I singled him out, made him do the pettiest chores I could imagine and made his life difficult for him. As if I had dedicated my whole life only to make his life miserable...¡±


    At first, she only did it out of her pettiness.


    Because she grew to hate him and seeing him made her irritated.


    Of course back then she gaslit herself into thinking that she had a proper and noble reason to do all those things to her, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that she had done something so horrible.


    The fact that everything was just her childish tantrum.


    Then days, weeks, months, years passed, just like that.


    At first, she noticed the way he had been diligently completing his tasks, no matter how difficult they were, without a single complaint.


    Unlike other slaves who¡¯d grovel to beg for her forgiveness at this point, he was steadfast on not doing exactly that. Yet, it was that part of him that made her eyes unknowingly drawn to him.


    After that, she kept on piling more work for him.


    Because she was afraid that he¡¯d one day notice this strange feeling of hers, this strange feeling that even she herself couldn¡¯t identify.


    Her overbearing attitude made her do nothing but make his life even more miserable than it already was.


    ¡°I kept piling up more work for him...getting him to do all those menial labors, so that I could look at him... I knew that what I was doing was wrong, but... I kept on committing that same mistake, over and over again...¡±


    Before she realized it, her mistake piled up even more than she could handle.


    She didn¡¯t even know what kinds of feelings she harbored towards him back then.


    Because she kept gaslit herself into thinking that she did all those to teach him a lesson for hurting her pride.


    And the only one who was having a hard time between them was her, even though it was her own fault that she lied to herself about her feelings.


    ¡°It must have been difficult...and painful...for him... Why is it only now that such thoughts come into my mind...?¡±


    Still, whatever her excuse was, it wouldn¡¯t erase her of her past sins.


    And this was what hurt her so much.


    ¡°I...regret everything... If...I can go back in time and undone my past actions...I would...¡±


    The sudden appearance of the twins, which were actual nobles of Gehenna, made Liam break in cold sweat.


    One needed to take note that this was his first year in Gehenna.


    Although the twins were merely apprentice witches, there was no way he¡¯d be able to handle the aggressive pair easily, especially considering their background.


    ¡°Hey, Ms. Odile, Ms. Odette, it¡¯s been a while. Liam, it¡¯s fine, let them in.¡±


    ¡°¡°Mr. Assistant!!¡±¡±


    Without waiting for Liam¡¯s permission, after seeing that Siwoo was on the second floor, the twins immediately jumped in.


    They entered the room from the window.


    When he opened his arms, they let themselves fall into his embrace, with each of the sisters taking each of his sides.


    ¡°What are you two doing here?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen you for a while, so we came!¡±


    ¡°We missed you, Mr. Assistant! That was when we heard that you were working here!¡±


    ¡°You two missed me that much?¡±


    ¡°Of course! You could at least tell us!¡±


    Feeling happy after seeing him, the twins rubbed their cheeks against his to their heart¡¯s content.


    It hadn¡¯t even been three days, but the way they acted made it seem like they had been separated for three years.


    As always, their cuteness hadn¡¯t diminished at all.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve been so busy lately.¡±


    ¡°If you feel sorry, then pat our bottoms as a greeting, Mr. Assistant! We won¡¯t just let anyone do that to us, you know? But since it¡¯s you, Mr. Assistant... We grant you special permission!¡±


    ¡°Sis is right! Also, just for you, Mr. Assistant, we¡¯ll even let you touch what is inside, you know?¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure, but we can¡¯t do that part here, okay?¡±


    He proceeded to rub the twins¡¯ butts, as they had been sticking them out while they were nestling in his embrace.


    Even though he was exhausted, both physically and mentally, the soft feelings in his hand healed his exhaustion a little.


    After that strange greeting the twins started asking him the questions that had been in their minds, their eyes were filled with curiosity.


    ¡°Anyway, Mr. Assistant, what¡¯s going on? Why are you getting a job? I heard your job involves serving other witches and pouring them alcohol?¡±


    ¡°Did our master take your card away? If so, you could just ask for our help...¡±


    ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m just helping out a friend.¡±


    So, Siwoo told the twins the whole story.


    There was nothing for him to add to the story, nor was there anything that he needed to hide from them, so he just straight up told them what happened.


    About how his friend opened up a new business, but it didn¡¯t go so well, so he decided to lend him a hand.


    Also, the job wasn¡¯t anything big, he only had to talk with the witches while pouring them drinks.


    ¡°Phew, I thought you¡¯d have to become one of those males in those erotic novels, Mr. Assistant...¡±


    ¡°Thankfully you didn¡¯t, Mr. Assistant...¡±


    The twins then let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Anyway, this was what happened! So, we came here to buy Mr. Assistant¡¯s time, so that you don¡¯t need to serve those evil witches!¡±


    ¡°We even broke our piggy bank for this!¡±


    ¡°Um... That is...a little difficult...¡±


    While he was grateful for them, the matter wasn¡¯t that simple.


    No witches were allowed to pick out Siwoo as their host because in essence, the reason why he was here was because he was a promotional tool.


    And it was also to prevent anyone from monopolizing his service, this included the twins.


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    ¡°Why?!¡±


    The twins¡¯ cheeks, which had been puffing in anticipation, deflated with dissatisfaction after hearing his words.


    Even though they went as far as breaking their piggy bank for him, Siwoo still couldn¡¯t just let them monopolize him like that.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we do this instead? After work, if I have free time, we can just hang out.¡±


    ¡°Today?¡±


    ¡°At night?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I was thinking of stopping by the mansion anyway. Why don¡¯t we have some drinks while I am at it?¡±


    ¡°Sure! We¡¯re in!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll prepare some good drinks for you!¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s suggestion made them cheer in excitement.


    While he would love to keep them company and rest up some more, his time was almost up.


    So, he bid them goodbye while patting their heads.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time for me to go. See you two later.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Assistant, can we watch you while you are working?¡±


    ¡°Can we? I¡¯m curious, I wanna see what you¡¯re doing!¡±


    They want to see me work?


    Well, it isn¡¯t like there¡¯s something I can¡¯t let them see anyway.


    The queue list is long, but as long as I give Takasho a heads-up, I should be able to fit those two in there.


    Siwoo then nodded his head.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll make it so that you two can get a table near mine.¡±

 Chapter 329: Ill Choose You (5)

    Chapter 329: I''ll Choose You (5)1.


    True to his words, Siwoo asked Takasho to sit together with the twins down at a table nearby and serve them some snacks.


    He figured that with Takasho¡¯s easygoing personality, it wouldn¡¯t be hard for him to get along well with the two.


    When he returned to table 1, the table he was in charge of, a witch had already been waiting for him there.


    ¡°My, hello?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor for me to serve you today. Please forgive me, I should have escorted you instead of dishonoring you and made you wait for me...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I don¡¯t really care.¡±


    ¡°May I sit down?¡±


    ¡°Do as you like.¡±


    Throughout that exchange, just like how she didn¡¯t budge even an inch from her seat, her gaze also didn¡¯t move around, looking straight into Siwoo¡¯s eyes.


    The first thing that Siwoo noticed about her was her curly black hair and jade-colored eyes.


    While this was the first time he had ever worked in a host club, after serving so many witches in these past few days, he could figure out a witch¡¯s ¡®level¡¯ just from her attire and the atmosphere she exuded.


    Whether she was rich or not.


    Or whether she was a high-ranked witch or not.


    He could also roughly guess their intention to come here, such as, maybe she came here to check out Siwoo¡¯s magic.


    Or maybe she just came here to satisfy her curiosity towards the so-called male witch.


    This was why he felt incredibly nervous when he was facing this particular witch.


    It was their first meeting, but he could feel the overbearing atmosphere emanating from her.


    From her dress, which was made of several elaborate layers of silk...


    This was the kind of clothes that couldn¡¯t be washed if it ever got dirty, instead, they needed to be thrown away immediately.


    In her hand was a long tobacco pipe made out of ivory, with a large diamond sitting on its end.


    From her relaxed attitude, it was clear that she wasn¡¯t here to make the most out of the fifteen minutes chance that was given to her.


    He could tell that she was at least a grand witch.


    And she was incredibly rich.


    Actually, incredibly rich couldn¡¯t cut it to describe her, as she definitely had a bunch of money that was rotting away somewhere in her vault.


    ¡°It¡¯s a great honor to serve you today, my name is Shin Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°I know. You¡¯re famous, after all.¡±


    The rich witch slowly blew out some smoke from inside her mouth as she started to examine his face.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo opened up a glass of champagne before pouring it into the two glasses in front of him.


    The witch only watched him without saying a word.


    ¡°...¡±


    Perhaps it was because he was exhausted.


    But, he felt some kind of intimidation from her gaze, to the point that he felt suffocated.


    ¡°May I ask your name, Ms. Witch?¡±


    ¡°My name?¡±


    The witch gently raised her glass and moistened her lips up before answering him.


    When she moved the glass away from her lips, Siwoo could see a bright red lips mark on the rim of the glass.


    ¡°It¡¯ll put you in great danger if you were to know my name, you know?¡±


    ¡°What kind of great danger exactly?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t specify what kind.¡±


    This was definitely the first time that he had to deal with this kind of customer.


    Normally, the witches who came here would show their excitement toward the fact that they were meeting him, a male witch, or maybe to some of them, a rare specimen.


    Considering that they had to queue up for a long period of time, sometimes, their excitement would be overwhelming for him.


    However, this unknown witch was quite relaxed. Not only did she not appear to be excited, he could also sense a dangerous glint in her eyes.


    ¡°It seems like you¡¯re a woman of many mysteries. Then, is it okay if I were to refer to you as Ms. Witch from now on?¡±


    Siwoo gulped nervously inwardly, but he managed to say his words without stuttering.


    If there was another host club in Gehenna, he¡¯d probably suspect that this witch was some kind of ¡®assassin¡¯ sent from that particular host club to make a mess out of him.


    ¡°So, do you mind?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    She tilted her head, sending him an intense gaze, yet no words came out of her mouth.


    But, behind her gentle smile, Siwoo could feel it.


    Her smile hid a certain depth.


    It was so deep and so black that he couldn¡¯t guess where its bottom was.


    Though her eyes possessed the bright color of jades, he couldn¡¯t see any light reflected from them.


    ¡®What kind of witch is she and what kind of life has she been living?¡¯ Such a question naturally came to his mind as he stared at her.


    ¡°You know, you look just as handsome as they said. Totally my type, I like it.¡±


    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re too generous with your praise.¡±


    Normally, this was when he should say something like a professional host to her to probe for her reaction.


    But, it was hard for him to come out with a proper line when even the atmosphere she exuded already suffocated him so much.


    Suddenly, the witch flicked the tip of her pipe toward the ashtray before standing up.


    Of course, things weren¡¯t that simple, since like her, Ea was a Criminal Exile.


    Not only that, due to her notorious cruelty and viciousness, she was placed among the most dangerous of the Criminal Exiles.


    Now that her rank had fallen to the 13th and she had lost all her abilities to resist thanks to the Ring of Subordination, the consequences of her past action would come in more severely than before if Gehenna were to find out about her whereabouts.


    So, while Bianca was leisurely staying inside an inn in Lenomond Town, Ea had to fight a whole battle on her own out here.


    When she felt that her moan was about to come out, she¡¯d try her hardest to suppress it, just in case that someone were to pass by and hear her. The slightest stimulus from outside would make her jump in surprise and she had to experience the jumping sensation between carnal pleasure and fear of death.


    For her, who had been experiencing such a thing without knowing how much time had passed, Bianca¡¯s presence was nothing short of a salvation.


    ¡°Poor thing... Were you scared? Come here.¡±


    ¡°M-Master... H-Hic... M-Master...¡±


    Ea immediately crawled to her, albeit rather awkwardly, as if she was a cultist meeting the head of the cult.


    The way she desperately and cutely tried to cling to Bianca made her look like a puppy that was about to be abandoned.


    ¡°Hehe, look at you. You¡¯ve become really cute now.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes... F-From now on, I-I¡¯m gonna do my best... I-I¡¯ll become even cuter, s-so, p-please... P-Please don¡¯t abandon me, Master...¡±


    Still, no matter how much this unconventional play drove her towards the edge, Ea¡¯s reaction was way too abnormal.


    Normally, she¡¯d just glare at Bianca with eyes filled with hostility while gritting her teeth.


    The thing was, Ea was no longer the Witch of Aquarius of the past.


    In the months since Bianca took her under her care, Bianca had been grinding both her pride and ego to dust to the point that there was nothing left.


    She inflicted all kinds of dark and twisted sadism without holding anything back.


    Ea had to endure both pain and pleasure all day long.


    Whether it was punishment or reward she received, everything would be done according to Bianca¡¯s mood.


    With Bianca continuously injecting drugs into her system, Ea eventually lost her power to resist.


    In other words...


    She had truly become Bianca¡¯s obedient dog.


    ¡°I get it, so can you move away a little?¡±


    ¡°M-Master... P-Please...don¡¯t throw me away...¡±


    ¡°Haa...¡±


    Bianca let out a sigh before gently pushing Ea away as she clung to her tightly without any sign of wanting to move away.


    Then, she mercilessly kicked her in the stomach.


    ¡°Urrg!¡±


    Ea curled up like a bean bug, spit came flying out of her mouth.


    It seemed like the pain she received was so great to the point that her lips turned pale and her body trembled.


    ¡°S-Sorry... Cough... I-I¡¯m sorry...¡±


    This was the result of everything.


    The vicious witch Ea Sadalmelik became an obedient witch who¡¯d instantly apologize if Bianca were to hit or kick her for no reason.


    Seemingly happy with her reaction, Bianca smiled before lowering her body down.


    Then, she gave Ea a warm embrace.


    ¡°Jeez, you don¡¯t need to worry. Who said I¡¯d abandon you? I mean, you listen to me well, don¡¯t you? There¡¯s no reason for me to abandon you¡±


    ¡°H-Hic...uuu...¡±


    ¡°Stop crying! It¡¯s thanks to you that I got to sneak into Gehenna without problems, so I¡¯ll never abandon you, okay? You know the reason why I treat you so harshly sometimes is because of my love towards you, right?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes... I-I know...¡±


    As if Bianca¡¯s arms were the only place she could be at ease...


    Ea snuggled into her arms, shedding tears of relief and joy.


    ¡°To prove how much I care about you... Today, the reason why I came out on my own was to investigate your enemy. All for the sake of avenging you.¡±


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    ¡°You told me about that male witch, no? The one who raped you and stole all the magic you accumulated over the years. That disgusting thing...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Since my Ea is currently more hopeless than an insect, it became my duty as your owner to enact your revenge in your place. What do you think? Aren¡¯t you happy that I¡¯m doing all this for you?¡±


    ¡°N-Now... I-I don¡¯t care about revenge anymore... A-As long as I can stay next to Master, I-I¡¯ll be okay...¡±


    ¡°Oh my, what a good girl you are~¡±


    The current Ea had lost both her power and pride.


    Even Bianca had no way of knowing what was going on in her now messed-up head.


    Well, she can go around saying that she doesn¡¯t care about revenge anymore, but what if I just get her to face the person in question directly?


    It would probably be fun to get that male witch to rape her again, hehe.


    What would happen if she is subjected to the same atrocity by the same person?


    Will she stay as obedient as she is right now?


    ¡°This world is just filled with so many interesting things, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, Master, you¡¯re right...¡±


    ¡°I hope there will be more interesting things happening in the future.¡±


    Bianca then stroked Ea¡¯s head gently.

 Chapter 330: Ill Choose You (6)

    Chapter 330: I''ll Choose You (6)1.


    ¡°Sis.¡±


    ¡°What is it? If it¡¯s nothing again, then, just shut up, Odette. You¡¯re just making me mad.¡±


    The twins were sitting on table 2, right next to table 1 where Siwoo was working.


    Although the whole place was noisy, there was only a simple partition separating them from him, so they could hear the entire conversation that he was having from where they were at.


    Because they heard that he was working as a ¡®host¡¯, they were curious about what exactly was it that his job was about, so they told him that they wanted to see him doing his job.


    And what they were hearing was exactly the same as what Siwoo had told them before.


    All he had been doing was to sweet-talk the witches and do things that pleased them.


    ¡°Grrrr...¡±


    Odile knew that this was just part of the job.


    And she knew that even though he was saying all those sweet words, those witches wouldn¡¯t become his friends or anything.


    But, it didn¡¯t mean that she could accept it just like that.


    ¡°But Sis, I¡¯m bored! Also, can you believe that Mr. Assistant can say all those words? It feels like he turned into a completely different person!¡±


    On the contrary, Odette didn¡¯t seem to mind it at all.


    At first, just like Odile, she had her ears perked up to eavesdrop on all of his conversation, but now she stopped doing that. Instead, she leaned her back against the sofa while leisurely drinking her champagne.


    Sometimes, she¡¯d let out a giggle whenever cringe-worthy lines came out of Siwoo¡¯s mouth. In any case, she was way more relaxed than her sister.


    ¡°Are you really okay with this? Mr. Assistant is flirting with another woman, you know?¡±


    Odile furrowed her brows and scolded her sister.


    To her, Odette was the only one she could rely on to fight against Sharon, who was already way ahead of them.


    But, seeing her current attitude, Odile became unsure if she could trust her anymore.


    How could she stay relaxed at times like this?!


    ¡°Sis, aren¡¯t you taking this way too seriously?¡±


    ¡°What are you on about? Didn¡¯t you hear the things he just said?¡±


    Odile turned the intensity of the music box up before lowering the tone of her voice.


    ¡°¡®A toast to Ms. Witch¡¯s eyes, a toast to Ms. Witch eyes!¡¯ What the hell was that? I¡¯d rather pour the champagne into the witch¡¯s eyes, hmph.¡±


    Seeing her sister grumbling, Odette just laughed heartily.


    ¡°Sis, just think about it.¡±


    ¡°Think about what?¡±


    ¡°Have you ever heard Mr. Assistant say such things to us before?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    With that, Odette finally let her sister know the reason behind her relaxed attitude.


    ¡°Right, I haven¡¯t...¡±


    After pondering for a while, Odile finally came to an answer.


    He never spoke to them like that.


    Besides, the reason why Odile was so surprised by this was because Siwoo had never done that in the first place.


    ¡°But, what does it matter? Isn¡¯t the situation more urgent if that¡¯s the case? Just think about it, he¡¯s saying things that he had never said to us before to other witches!¡±


    ¡°Goodness, Sis! That just means he doesn¡¯t say those words sincerely at all! They¡¯re all just lip-service, nothing more!¡±


    Hearing Odette¡¯s answer made Odile blinked her eyes.


    After she pondered a little more, she finally understood where her sister was coming from.


    Even back when he was having a hot time with Sharon...


    He never said such things; Things that made her stomach churn in disgust just by hearing them.


    Besides, even though it was temporary, this was still a ¡®job¡¯ for him.


    ¡°It¡¯s a job and this is his workplace! Like, how chefs work in the kitchen or actors acting in a movie!¡±


    ¡°Is that how it is, though?¡±


    ¡°Of course it is! It¡¯s called being a professional, Sis! That witch sitting over there paid him money for him to say those words!¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to say... He¡¯s being sincere when he¡¯s with us, but not when he¡¯s with those witches...?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! We can also take it as we got something that even money can¡¯t buy from him!¡±


    Odette crossed her arms as she let out a snort filled with pride.


    Meanwhile, Odile could only see her sister in amazement.


    After she gave her words a good thought, she found out that she was completely right.


    In other words, instead of feeling jealous over nothing, she shoulda just shrug her shoulders and let it go.


    ¡°That¡¯s why, don¡¯t worry about it too much and listen to his words instead. Some of them are really funny, you know?¡±


    ¡°Fine. I guess you¡¯re right this time.¡±


    And so, she decided to do what Odette did, to stay put and listen...


    That was when she realized how hard this job was for Siwoo.


    Since he had to say things he didn¡¯t mean, all to please those prickly and picky witches.


    It gave her the urge to jump into the next table and strangle those witches.


    ¡°...For Mr. Assistant to do such a difficult job. Making money isn¡¯t easy, huh?¡±


    ¡°True. He had to say things that he didn¡¯t mean...¡±


    The twins¡¯ gaze fell onto the table.


    On there was a leather pouch that they used as a makeshift wallet.


    Inside the pouch was a bunch of gold coins that they brought to buy their Mr. Assistant¡¯s time.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    That was why the area around the hideout was extremely quiet.


    Still, such a quiet atmosphere of the town wasn¡¯t something unfamiliar to Siwoo.


    If anything, it made him feel nostalgic.


    It brought him back to the time when he indulged himself in alcohol after the whole scuffle with Amelia and Odile brought him for a night walk.


    Also, it was because he fell for the twins¡¯ trap that his deep relationship with the twins began. It could be said that this place was filled with his memories with the twins.


    He arrived at the five-story hideout that clearly stood out compared to the shabby buildings surrounding it.


    Of course, compared to the Gemini Mansion, the building was nothing.


    -Knock, knock!


    ¡°Are you two sleeping already?¡±


    The fact that the twins invited him to go all the way here meant that they snuck out of the mansion again.


    Hopefully I¡¯m not late...


    Well, if they already went to sleep, I¡¯ll bring them back to the mansion.


    When he reached the door to knock on it again...


    It was slowly opened from inside.


    ¡°So I wasn¡¯t late¡ª Huh?¡±


    The place didn¡¯t seem different from what he remembered.


    Candlesticks, decorated with gold leaves, each holding candles with swaying fire on it.


    The light from the flames was reflected on the marble floor below; If one were to wear a skirt without underwear, it would definitely be reflected off there.


    So far, those were familiar things to him, but there was one thing that wasn¡¯t so.


    ¡°Welcome back, Mr. Assistant¡ª No! Master!¡±


    ¡°Welcome back, Master!¡±


    And that thing was the twins, standing on both sides of the entrance, politely bowing their heads.


    Well, if it was only up to that point, it wasn¡¯t really anything strange, but...


    Considering that this place was their hideout...


    The fact that they were wearing maid outfits was nothing short of strange.


    And there was also the way they referred to him.


    Instead of the usual half-bonnet, they were wearing maid headbands.


    On top of their frilly skirts, they were wearing cute-looking aprons.


    The outfit wasn¡¯t the lewd ones that people normally used to stimulate other people¡¯s sexual desire, but the ones that were practical and suited for actual housework.


    Yet, even though they were clearly wearing what one might call a servant¡¯s outfit, their atmosphere was still filled with dignity, probably because of their upbringing as noble ladies.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Well, since you must have had a hard time serving those witches earlier today, Mr. Assistant, we figured that we should be serving you to help you relax! You can say your thanks to us now!¡±


    ¡°Sis, it¡¯s ¡®Master¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. Master!¡±


    Odile answered him with a shy smile, her tone made it sound like it was obvious.


    Meanwhile, Odette casually corrected the mistake in her answer.


    ¡°Anyway, you worked hard today, Master.¡±


    Siwoo was dumbstruck, standing still in front of them, but a soft smile appeared on his face.


    He found the twins cute for wearing clothes that were clearly not their size.


    ¡°W-What? Why are you smiling like that?¡±


    ¡°Is there something strange? Did we make a mistake?¡±


    The sight warmed his heart.


    All the fatigue that he felt from working all day long disappeared.


    And he felt thankful for them.


    He never thought that it would give him such joy to have someone cared for him like this.


    It made tears almost come out of his eyes.


    ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m just tired, but everything is well. Also, those outfits suit you two.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Siwoo then hugged the twins tightly and even showed them the alcohol he brought them as gifts.


    ¡°I got some good alcohol for tonight. Thank you for waiting for me.¡±


    ¡°Heh, I knew that you¡¯ll love it Mr. Assistant! Pecha said that men would dream of seeing women in maid outfits!¡±


    ¡°Sis, it¡¯s Master.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right, Master!¡±


    Though it was clear that she was a little shy about all this, Odile still had her nose hung up high since she managed to get the desired reaction out of Siwoo.


    Siwoo felt that she had grown a little taller, but then realized that it was because she was tiptoeing and she didn¡¯t realize that.


    ¡°Anyway! You should relax for now and enjoy the snacks we¡¯ve brought for you!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s come in and get them! We¡¯ve prepared a bunch of snacks for you!¡±


    ¡°Of course, snacks aren¡¯t the only things we prepared!¡±


    They got something else for me?


    At this point, Siwoo had already forgotten about his fatigue. Accompanied by the twins, he entered the hideout.

 Chapter 331: Twin Therapy (1)

    Chapter 331: Twin Therapy (1)1.


    Even though it had been a while since Siwoo returned to Gehenna, he hadn¡¯t had much time to hang out with the twins.


    He had only been eating dinner together with them and went on that brief picnic to the Narrow Sea.


    The reason why it was the case was because the twins had a really tight schedule to follow every day.


    Although it seemed like they were doing nothing but playing around all day, they were still apprentice witches.


    They had to spend their days following an extremely tight schedule to the point that they barely had any free time for themselves.


    This was the reason why Siwoo felt bad for them, since their schedule just didn¡¯t match and he was unable to hang out with them even though they missed him so much.


    And so, he decided to bring them good alcohol as an apology for that.


    Never did he expect that they¡¯d greet him in this way, though.


    While he felt thankful for them doing all this for his sake, he also felt a little awkward to receive this kind of treatment.


    ¡°This way, Master!¡±


    The twins dragged Siwoo by the hand into the parlor.


    It was the same place where Countess Gemini caught Odile and him red-handed after their night walk.


    ¡°You can sit here and wait, Master. Odette!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll bring it over, Sis!¡±


    After making sure that Siwoo sat comfortably on the sofa, Odette disappeared somewhere.


    ¡°You know, I was planning to entertain you two today, as an apology that we haven¡¯t had much time together. I even brought this bottle with me...¡±


    ¡°What are you even sorry for, Mr. Assistant? Don¡¯t worry about that! Anyway, you must be tired, no? We¡¯ll get you to rest later, so just wait for it!¡±


    Odile said proudly as she flipped her hair.


    Since seemed to be not used to calling him ¡®Master¡¯, she made another mistake again.


    Her rather pushy and haughty attitude didn¡¯t suit that of a maid at all, but...


    It was still cute that she tried her best to keep up with the concept.


    ¡°Sis, it¡¯s here!¡±


    At that moment, Odette reappeared again, carrying a large basin that was as big as half of her body.


    Seeing how steam came out from inside it, Siwoo assumed that it contained warm water.


    ¡°Alright, give us your jacket, Master.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to go this far, though.¡±


    ¡°But this is what our maids always do whenever we go hunting! Trust us, your fatigue will go away!¡±


    Due to his job as a host, he was wearing a nice-looking but rather uncomfortable-to-wear suit.


    Odile took off his suit jacket, hung it on the hanger, then stood behind him to massage his shoulders.


    Meanwhile, Odette put the basin down near Siwoo¡¯s feet with a grunt, then she proceeded to take off his shoes and socks.


    After she was done with that, she rolled up his pants and dipped his feet into the basin.


    ¡°They said that a lot of the body¡¯s fatigue accumulates in the feet, so taking a foot bath would help relieve your fatigue! So, how is it? Is the temperature okay?¡±


    ¡°Seriously, you two don¡¯t have to go this far...¡±


    Not only did they give them a massage...


    They also went as far as washing his feet.


    Before this, he felt both thankful and felt a little awkward, but now he just felt extremely awkward.


    ¡°But, we¡¯re doing this because we want to!¡±


    Yet, Odette dismissed his words casually.


    Instead of stopping, she squatted down and started to wash his feet with a serious expression on her face.


    She gently washed his feet and soles, as well as the skin between his toes, inserting her little finger in.


    Aside from feeling a little ticklish from it, he also felt relaxed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad, sorry, or awkward! I mean, which other men in this world would ever get the apprentice witches of the great Gemini Household to be their maid?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll still feel bad about it though...¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, what did I tell you? Say that again, I swear I¡¯ll pour the champagne into your eyes!¡±


    ¡°F-Fine.¡±


    Odile pressed her fingers on his shoulders tightly as she sent that bloody threat.


    Despite the small size of her hands, her grip was something else.


    ¡°It feels good, doesn¡¯t it? Our Big Master praises us a lot whenever we do this to her!¡±


    ¡°Yes, it does. It feels like I¡¯m going to ascend to the heavens...¡±


    He wasn¡¯t exaggerating, her massage really made him feel good.


    His neck and shoulders got to relax without him lifting a finger.


    Moreover, there was also the foot bath. Considering that he received this foot bath right after he was done with work...


    It made him feel like a dad who had just returned from an overtime on Father¡¯s Day.


    He felt so comfortable that he could probably drift off to sleep if he were to close his eyes for a moment.


    ¡°Master, I know you¡¯re tired, but please don¡¯t fall asleep yet! We haven¡¯t even got to the Gemini Special Therapy Session yet!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, we haven¡¯t even started for real yet! You can¡¯t go to sleep already!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I won¡¯t fall asleep.¡±


    Or what would the twins think of him if he were to indulge them...?


    He didn¡¯t have the slightest clue to either question.


    But, the twins were right there, in front of him.


    Be it now or later in the future...


    He didn¡¯t want to disappoint them, as they had always thought of him.


    ¡°Ms. Odile, Ms. Odette.¡±


    The twins, who had been staring at the floor, trying to avoid eye contact, trembled the moment they heard his voice.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m grateful, really...¡±


    ¡°...Don¡¯t be, we¡¯re the ones who should be grateful to you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we have more things to be grateful towards you for...¡±


    Siwoo then stretched his arms and embraced both of them.


    The fragrant scent of lilac and their fresh body odor were mixed together, tickling the tip of his nose.


    ¡°I know that this is shameless of me, but... You two are very precious to me.¡±


    ¡°...Then?¡±


    ¡°I will never push you two away, so please be more at ease. And I¡¯ll do my best to resolve any problem that will come in the future.¡±


    Hearing that, the twins¡¯ eyes widened.


    Then, they immediately jumped up and down while circling around Siwoo.


    The sight of them shouting ¡®Yay! Yay!¡¯ while they were doing that reminded him of the indigenous people¡¯s dance whenever they hunted a big game.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Assistant¡ª! Oh, wait, we¡¯re running out of time! Odette, are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sis! Mr. Assistant, please stand here and stretch your arms wide! We¡¯ll help you take off your clothes!¡±


    ¡°Please take care of me!¡±


    The twins, who almost slipped up due to the slippery floor, grabbed Siwoo¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°Before taking a bath, you need to take off your clothes first.¡±


    ¡°T-Take off your clothes first!¡±


    They had already seen each other in nude before.


    It was said that after the opposite sex knew each other for long enough, even if they were to see each other naked, they would just treat it as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    However, maybe because it had been a while, Odile¡¯s hands trembled as she began to unbutton Siwoo¡¯s shirt.


    She felt this unfamiliarity and excitement, as if she was doing this for the first time.


    One by one, his button was undone.


    Little by little, Siwoo¡¯s body¡ªwhich had become muscular thanks to it becoming a spirit body¡ªwas revealed.


    Almost instantly, a bright blush appeared on the twins¡¯ cheeks.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Just a moment ago, they couldn¡¯t conceal their excitement at all, but now, it was as if they had turned into mutes with red faces.


    Their hands were still moving though, taking off his shirt, unfastening his belt, taking off his pants and they were about to reach out for his underwear, when...


    ¡°I can do that myself.¡±


    ¡°No! We said we¡¯ll do it!¡±


    When Siwoo was about to pull off his underwear himself, Odile slapped the back of his hand.


    Since she had gone that far, he had no choice but to let them do whatever they wanted. After they were finished undressing him, they folded the clothes and placed them in the basket in the corner of the bathroom.


    ¡°This way, Master.¡±


    ¡°You can lay down here.¡±


    Now naked, Siwoo was led to a massage bed near the edge of the bathtub.


    Well, it was actually just several layers of towel being laid down on a wooden desk wide enough to accommodate an adult male.


    This was something that the twins had brilliantly set up.


    ¡°I just need to lay down here?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I tried doing it before and it was soft enough!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be shy!¡±


    Ah...


    They were right, it feels soft...


    Now that he had laid his body down, he was starting to look forward toward what they had in store for him.


    ¡°Sis, this is too erotic... Mr. Assistant¡¯s back is too enticing...¡±


    ¡°Shh! Be quiet and just get ready!¡±


    Though they were whispering, it was loud enough that Siwoo could hear what they said too,


    Odile then stood to his left, while Odette went to his right. Then, they rolled up their sleeves at the same time.


    ¡°Alright, time for the massage!¡±


    That was how the phase two of their service time began.

 Chapter 332: Twin Therapy (2)

    Chapter 332: Twin Therapy (2)1.


    Siwoo laid down on the massage bed¡ªwhich was softer than he expected for something that was made in haste¡ªwith only a piece of towel covering his butt.


    As he did so, the twins started massaging his back.


    The air¡¯s humidity and temperature was perfect for the massage.


    He could feel them splashing some water on his body in the middle of their massage.


    When he opened his eyes and looked ahead, he could see clouds of steam rising up from the bath, making him feel like he was in the Peach Blossom Spring1 or something.


    ¡°Haat!¡±


    ¡°How does it feel, Master?¡±


    Maybe because they were trying to maintain the maid concept, since, even as they were diligently massaging his upper body, the twins were still wearing their maid uniform.


    ¡°It feels great. Can I get another massage later?¡±


    When he answered as such in a sleepy tone, the twins giggles entered his ears.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t even started yet, but you already acted like this, that¡¯s what¡¯s funny!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    When he let out that dumbfounded voice, the twins began taking off their clothes as well.


    First they took off their aprons, which fell down to the ground with a plop. Then, they proceeded to take off their tops next.


    After that short striptease, their plump bare chest appeared right before Siwoo¡¯s eyes.


    The panties that they were wearing beneath the skirt weren¡¯t the drawstring panties they usually wore.


    Instead, they wore the kind of panties that went against the principle of normal panties; To cover up the parts of the body that weren¡¯t supposed to be shown to others.


    What they were wearing were see-through black lingeries.


    ¡°...¡±


    As he took in the sight, Siwoo swallowed his saliva. The sight of their naked body as they wore nothing but their panties were nothing short of enticing to him.


    Unlike Sharon¡¯s or Eloa''s, their bodies weren¡¯t filled with femininity in certain parts, that was for sure.


    However, the curves on their thin bodies made up for it.


    Keeping the golden ratio between innocence and lewdness, their bodies had their own unique charm.


    The fact that there were two of them in front of his eyes just added to the experience.


    ¡°You are staring too hard...¡±


    Odile tried to act casually as she brushed her hair, though the blush in her face betrayed her effort.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you two take your clothes off so I could see?¡±


    Beside her, Odette, who shyly covered her breasts with her arm, rubbed her legs together before letting out a giggle.


    ¡°Hehe, yes, but you could drill a hole in our bodies with that stare!¡±


    Their narrow waists and belly buttons looked so similar that even if he were to close his eyes and tried to compare them with only his sense of touch, he wouldn¡¯t be able to spot a difference.


    Everything on their bodies were identical, from the location of the moles on their bodies, to the pink fruits at the tip of their breasts.


    Odile and Odette¡¯s shimaidon.


    The heavenly experience from that certain night would be recreated today.


    There was so much for him to take here to the point that he drooled a little.


    Since the twins had been massaging his body until just now, the part of his body that had been considerably hardened before grew even harder.


    ¡°What do you think about our panties? Do they make us look mature?¡±


    ¡°It looks sexy, right? If you look at us from behind, you can see our buttocks too.¡±


    Odette playfully stuck out her buttocks to him, and as she said, her plump buttocks were visible through the see-through fabric.


    Just looking at it normally would drive his dick crazy, but now that he was seeing through such neat packaging, it was even more so.


    It made him rethink the purpose of clothes for humans, because somehow their plump meats were more enticing this way than bare.


    ¡°Ah, no, we aren¡¯t done yet! Stay still.¡±


    ¡°I am staying still, though?¡±


    ¡°No, we could tell that you were about to get up, Master! You need to lie down there until we give you permission.¡±


    ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon, that¡¯s just too much...¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t! You need to be more patient, Master!¡±


    Having to stay still while such a heavenly sight was unfolding right in front of him was nothing short of a torture for Siwoo.


    But, the twins just ignored his complaint and approached snuck into the makeshift bed.


    And they let him experience the life of a master.


    Anyway, the makeshift bed¡¯s size was only around a single bed¡¯s size at most.


    For the twins to fit into the limited space, all three of them had to stick closely together whether they liked it or not.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start.¡±


    He could feel their bodies¡¯ warmth from both sides.


    At the same time, he could also feel the ticklish sensation when their hair brushed against his skin.


    After Odette¡¯s declaration, the twins immediately started caressing Siwoo¡¯s back using their lips, like a pair of fish feeling up the wall of a water tank.


    They traced his skin with their tongues and lips, as if they were kissing.


    While they hadn¡¯t touched any of his sensitive parts yet, he already felt goosebumps appearing all over his body.


    ¡°Haam...chuuup...sluurrp...¡±


    ¡°Mmm...haam...¡±


    ¡°Stay still for a moment! Chuup...sluurp...!¡±


    Maybe she felt excited to see Siwoo¡¯s embarrassed reaction, Odile upped the intensity of her rimjob.


    Instead of vaguely tapping his rear hole with her tongue, she smacked her lips in forcefully, as if she was kissing it.


    ¡°W-Wah...!¡±


    With each and every lick Odile did, Siwoo¡¯s cock throbbed, making Odette let out loud exclamations at the sight.


    ¡°How was it? Do you like it, Master?¡±


    ¡°Of course he does! Just look at his thing, it¡¯s twitching nonstop! Sis, let me try it too!¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure, try it then.¡±


    Odile wiped off the trace of saliva on her cheeks and made room for her sister.


    As a man, getting attacked in his rear hole like this was something that only gay person would like.


    But, Siwoo decided to think of it from another perspective...


    The ones who were taking turns to lick his dirty hole were none other than the twins, the heir of the prestigious Count Gemini.


    Just thinking about it already made him feel like cumming.


    ¡°Sluuurrrp...haam...¡±


    Odette¡¯s kisses, which were significantly more passionate than her sister¡¯s, brought him heavenly pleasure.


    ¡°Your body is shaking... Mr. Assistant, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Sluurp...chuup...¡±


    -Tak, tak, tak!


    As the twins¡¯ hands were both holding his cock, they naturally hit against each other as they moved them.


    Then, his expected ejaculation finally came not long after Odette started her service.


    He really felt like he was losing his mind.


    His cock, which was so hard that he could probably take out an entire aircraft if he were to let his guard down and shoot everything out with full force, only got harder and harder by the seconds.


    But, just when the pleasure he felt was about to hit the limit, when he was right about to ejaculate, the twins stopped.


    They let his cock go and stopped kissing his rear hole before moving away.


    Only then was Siwoo able to catch his breath.


    ¡°Master, you can¡¯t just cum already!¡±


    ¡°You were about to ejaculate, right? I could tell!¡±


    The twins giggled mischievously as they said so.


    It was clear how happy they were since the special service that they were providing was going so well.


    Anyway, the sudden loss of stimulation made his already raging cock jerk around, begging for more stimulation since it was unable to ejaculate.


    ¡°You can sit now, Master.¡±


    ¡°We have another thing prepared for you.¡±


    ¡°Another thing?¡±


    While he wanted them to just continue what they were doing, the twins seemed to have no intention of doing so.


    So, he didn¡¯t have any choice but to sit on the edge of the massage bed while feeling regretful.


    As for the twins, they went further away from him and stood side by side, as if this was a talent show.


    Their elegant-looking black hair looked glossier than usual, maybe because it was wet, and their naked body, looking as fresh as ripe strawberries, looked extremely enticing.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have big breasts like Sharon unnie, and we¡¯re still apprentice witches, so we can¡¯t have real intercourse with you for quite a long time, Mr. Assistant.¡±


    ¡°But! We have something that even Sharon unnie doesn¡¯t have! Something that is unique to us!¡±


    The twins then held each others¡¯ waists.


    They stood, facing each other with their bellies touching.


    ¡°Men are attracted to visual stimuli more than women, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we have prepared something for you! A performance that you¡¯ll never forget!¡±


    ¡°Huh? A performance?¡±


    As Siwoo stared at them in confusion, the twins just stared at each other¡¯s eyes.


    Then Odile suddenly nodded her head, followed by Odette not long after.


    They slowly closed their eyes before moving their heads closer.


    As they slowly closed the distance between them, their cherry-like lips overlapped. As if on cue, they then began to share a passionate kiss.


    This was the ¡®Lily Invasion 3P Play¡¯ that appeared in the second volume of the Devil¡¯s Delivery Service, the erotic novel that was popular in Gehenna.


    Men would already get excited to see a woman¡¯s naked body.


    But, what if they were seeing two of them? What if the two naked bodies were to rub against each other in lewd ways? There was no doubt that they¡¯d be even more excited.


    And indeed, as they had said, this was something that was impossible for Sharon to do, since she was alone.


    This was the twins¡¯ unique ultimate move.


    ¡°...¡±


    Siwoo could only see this scene with his mouth agape.


    A straight up lesbian kiss was happening just 50 cm away from him.


    The sight of the identical twins kissing each other gave off a whole different kind of temptation than a normal lesbian kiss would give off.


    In the middle of their kiss, the twins opened their eyes and glanced at Siwoo to see his reaction. With a smile on their faces, they then approached him.


    1. A reference to a Chinese fable with the same title. It''s basically a land of utopia that one could get into by chance. A land free of conflict and hatred, filled with the beautiful peach blossoms and a spring that flows peacefully, hence the name Peach Blossom Spring.

 Chapter 333: Twin Therapy (3)

    Chapter 333: Twin Therapy (3)1.


    The Devil¡¯s Delivery Service was an erotic book that was booming in Gehenna.


    Its provocative content and sensational writing gained popularity not only among the maids, but also among high-ranking witches that those maids served.


    Both Odile and Odette were also interested in this book.


    Part of the reason for this was because the book clearly showed them ¡®How to please a man¡¯ in great detail.


    That was why as soon as they heard that the second volume had been published, they bought it behind their masters¡¯ back and read it at night secretly.


    By the way, the chapter that the twins were using as a reference was chapter 13.


    After he received an invitation from a bored witch, the delivery man immediately set his eyes on a new prey.


    A lesbian witch who had a crush on the bored witch.


    Through various stratagems and methods, the delivery man managed to make the lesbian witch fall for him.


    When they were about to have three-way sex, the bored witch and the lesbian witch put on a show where they rubbed their bodies together to please the man.


    As soon as they read this part, the twins realized that this was something that they could attempt, so they figured that they¡¯d try it and...


    Judging from Siwoo¡¯s reaction, they could say that this was a success.


    The twins slowly approached Siwoo as they kissed each other.


    His cock, which was in an enraged state due to its previous failed attempt to ejaculate, throbbed everytime the twins rubbed their bodies together.


    He never expected that the twins would use such a destructive strategy against him.


    But, this wasn¡¯t the end of their performance.


    While their lips were still connected, they knelt down in front of him.


    ¡°Mmm...sluurp...¡±


    ¡°Sluurp...haa...¡±


    They placed Siwoo¡¯s glans in between their wet tongue.


    Then, a merciless caress that came from all directions began.


    As if they were transferring candies with a kiss, the twins moved Siwoo¡¯s glans back and forth between their mouths.


    ¡°Kh...¡±


    The sight was enough to drive him crazy.


    But the problem here wasn¡¯t only the stimulation itself.


    The twins always had a sophisticated air that made people think something along the lines of ¡®Ah, I am simply beneath them, there¡¯s no way that they¡¯d ever take a glance at me¡¯.


    But, they went as far as kneeling down and licking his cock, all while kissing each other, just to please him.


    Their kisses were sticky, just as sticky as the kisses of a lover¡¯s and the addition of his precum that they had been exchanging made it even stickier.


    The way they stared at him from an angle...


    And the immoral sight of them holding each other¡¯s hands while kissing each other made it hard for him to hold back any longer.


    ¡°Ugh¡ª!¡±


    Then, almost without warning...


    His cock shot out its semen due to the overwhelming pleasure.


    -Spurt, spurt, spurt!


    If one was a man, he would know...


    How difficult was it to ejaculate merely by strictly stimulation on one¡¯s glans by a tongue.


    Tongue¡¯s movements barely have any significant force or pressure on them.


    But maybe because he had been holding back from ejaculating for a long time...


    Or maybe because it had been a while since he experienced the shimaidon...


    His ejaculation¡¯s time was long, and the semen he produced was also thick.


    And it went without saying, it also felt incredibly good.


    The only things that were holding his cock were the twins¡¯ tongues, so his semen flew all over the place.


    From Odile¡¯s long, fluttering eyelashes, to Odette¡¯s glossy black hair...


    His semen went ahead and spurted onto their noses, cheeks, and tongues, as they still had their tongues interlocking with his glans when his ejaculation happened.


    ¡°Mm...! Sluuurppp...!¡±


    ¡°U-Uhh...! Chuuup...!¡±


    Even though Odette let out a frown because she wasn¡¯t used to the semen¡¯s taste, she and her sister still diligently covered Siwoo¡¯s glans and rubbed it together.


    They scraped up every drop of the semen that was about to come out from his glans.


    Only after he was done ejaculating did Odile open one of his eyes.


    It seemed like the semen hit her previously closed eye.


    ¡°How is it, Master?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the fellatio and lesbian kiss combo!¡±


    ¡°Ahh...yeah...it¡¯s great...¡±


    ¡°Is it? We had been practicing this, you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you like it, Master!¡±


    Siwoo felt dizzy.


    It made Siwoo swallowed dryly.


    ¡°Like this...! We¡¯ll move like this, and you won¡¯t have to do anything, Mr. Assistant...!¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t insert it, but this much should be okay...!¡±


    They then started to move their hips up and down while maintaining the sandwich position.


    Their skins gently rubbing his cock.


    There was no need for additional lubricants as their overflowing love juices were enough to serve as one.


    If there was one unexpected thing here, it would be the fact that the twins also felt pleasure from this, even though they had only been focusing on pleasuring Siwoo.


    First of all, there was the mental excitement they felt when they rubbed their most private place against his most private place.


    Then, there was also the physical pleasure they got every time his erect cock brushed against their clitoris. It added to the pleasure they had been feeling since the start, making their bodies hotter and hotter as they went.


    ¡°H-Haa...haa... H-How is it, Master...?¡±


    ¡°Huu... That¡¯s my question. How are you doing, Ms. Odile?¡±


    ¡°Y-Your dick...is rubbing against my clit...a-and it feels so good, Master...¡±


    ¡°I-It¡¯s so hard and hot... I-I can feel the veins...¡±


    Bright red blush appeared on their faces.


    Like a work of art, their naked bodies, with his dick in the middle, started to move up and down as they spread out their own love juices.


    Before they realized it, their nipples already stood erect as they savored the pleasure with their mouths half-opened.


    When Siwoo tried to get up as he saw their expression that tempted him to devour them quickly, he got scolded by them.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t move! Ahhng...! W-We told you that we¡¯re going to do everything today...!¡±


    ¡°But, it seems like you two are having a hard time.¡±


    With the way they were using their hands to hold up their weights, it was clear that they¡¯d get tired soon.


    Moving their butts up and down in that kind of position was difficult.


    Nevertheless, they persisted and bit down on his cock with their pussies even harder.


    The force and heat he felt against his cock...


    Their half-dazed gaze and disheveled appearance as they were looking at his dick that was starting to get drenched by their own love juice...


    He got more and more aroused by the second, but the twins¡¯ service just failed to give him enough pleasure to satisfy that arousal.


    What he needed was a more intense pleasure.


    ¡°Ah...!¡±


    ¡°Ow...!¡±


    Siwoo quickly got up and grabbed them by the wrists.


    Then, he threw them to the bed and laid them on their backs, before pouncing on them, as if he was about to devour them.


    ¡°M-Mr. Assistant...! Y-You can¡¯t...! Ahh...!¡±


    ¡°W-We told you that...w-we¡¯re gonna do everything for you...! Ngh...!¡±


    Despite their words, they didn¡¯t resist much.


    In an instant, Siwoo inserted his fingers one by one into their rear holes.


    Since the entrance was already covered with their own love juices, he didn¡¯t have much difficulty inserting his finger in.


    As usual, the pressure he felt from their holes was something else.


    Due to their small size and their innate nature, the pressure their holes gave him was easily one of the strongest ones among all the holes he had experienced.


    And it hadn¡¯t changed from the first time he had done it with them.


    ¡°N-No! M-Mr. Assistant... P-Please don¡¯t...!¡±


    ¡°M-Mr. Assistant...! I-If you do that, I...!¡±


    The twins who had tried to tell him off as he suddenly rebelled out of their control, ended up surrendering to him the moment he got to insert his finger into their rear.


    As he moved his fingertips back and forth, as if he was scraping their insides gently, they couldn¡¯t do anything but to accept his caress.


    The tightness of their rear holes made him wince, it was as if they were biting his fingers.


    ¡°It¡¯s unfair if I¡¯m the only one receiving something, no? I¡¯ll pleasure you guys in return. Ms. Odette, can you help me out?¡±


    ¡°...Yes? What is it?¡±


    His sudden change in attitude frightened Odette a little, but she didn¡¯t reject him or anything.


    Siwoo then whispered his plan into her ears.


    When she heard his plan, her eyes widened for a moment before she obediently nodded.


    ¡°Yes... Alright since today Mr. Assistant is our master... Anyway, I can¡¯t believe that you¡¯re this perverted...¡±


    Since she was unable to lift off even a finger, Odile couldn¡¯t do anything but tremble in fear when she felt that Siwoo and her sister were staring at her with a mischievous gaze.


    ¡°W-What is it? W-What are you two talking about?¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s begin.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    ¡°W-What are you two¡ª! Ow...!¡±


    Suddenly, a black ribbon was wrapped on Odile¡¯s wrists, completely ignoring her confusion.

 Chapter 334: Twin Therapy (4)

    Chapter 334: Twin Therapy (4)1.


    -Srrrrt!


    After a few months had passed, Odile¡¯s rear hole was finally being ripped open again.


    Before Siwoo inserted his cock in, he had already loosened it up considerably first with his finger.


    Despite him having some difficulty inserting his cock in at first, once he got it in, her hole crazily sucked his cock in like a vacuum.


    ¡°Ngh...! Aahh...haaah...!¡±


    Odile¡¯s legs were raised up high.


    As for her hands, Siwoo placed them on her back and tied them by the wrists.


    Of course, he placed a pillow beneath her, so that her hands wouldn¡¯t get crushed by the force during the action. Still, with all her limbs being bound like that, Odile couldn¡¯t do anything but receive his raging shaft without any means to resist.


    She was less skillful than Siwoo in magic now, so she couldn¡¯t just try to break free. Of course, she could try using her physical strength, but Siwoo got her beaten in that regard too.


    ¡°M-Mr. Assistant...! Y-You¡¯re going...t-too fast...!¡±


    But what about Odette? What was she doing during this time?


    ¡°A-Also, Odette! S-Stop biting me...! W-Why are you even¡ª?!¡±


    ¡°No way, I want to look at your lewd expression, Sis... Also, this is what Master wants...!¡±


    She was clinging closely to Odile¡¯s nipples, sucking on them vigorously.


    It was to the point that Odile¡¯s breasts turned cone-shaped.


    ¡°Odette...! I told you to stop...!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Sis. Sluuurp...!¡±


    This was Odile¡¯s first anal sex in a few months.


    Actually, ever since she was awakened to the pleasure, courtesy of Siwoo, oftentimes, she¡¯d pleasure herself in this way to satisfy her sexual urges, especially when Siwoo was still in the Modern World.


    However, compared to the thickness and rigidity of his enormous cock, the fingers she used to pleasure herself were nothing. It was like comparing the limp dick of a pathetic NTR protagonist to the big dick his wife¡¯s affair partner had.


    Due to its size, Siwoo¡¯s cock could reach the part of her uterus that her small fingers couldn¡¯t even dream to reach.


    Now, that alone had already driven her crazy, but what if the stimulation from Odette sucking her nipples without stopping were to be added?


    It went without saying that she couldn¡¯t even think straight anymore at this point.


    ¡°Master, you¡¯ve become more skillful... The way you made Sis¡¯ waist move looks so lewdly...¡±


    ¡°Ngh...! I said...! Stop...it...! Odette...!¡±


    ¡°No way~ Stop being so stubborn and just accept it, Sis! Chuupp...¡±


    What Odette said was pretty much a given.


    He had done plenty of fucking since the time they had sex inside the twins¡¯ carriage.


    Previously, he had just been leaving everything to his instincts, but now he could perform actual techniques on his intercourse partner.


    Rather than just thrusting this shaft in roughly, he could now make sophisticated and efficient movements.


    -Plap, plap, plap!


    While her rear hole was being stabbed repeatedly and her breasts were being sucked vigorously, Odile¡¯s pussy had been spurting out love juices uncontrollably.


    ¡°Huu... This is quite crazy...¡±


    Meanwhile, Siwoo was experiencing the harmony of her anal¡¯s tightness and looseness as he rammed his dick in repeatedly.


    Especially when he thrusted his cock in deeply in upward direction. Her body would start to tremble like a frightened bird and that would add to the stimulation he felt on his cock.


    Not only that, he was also witnessing the amazing scenery in front of him.


    It was arguably even more beautiful than the Han River.


    Odile with her legs spread far and wide, receiving the full length of his shaft without being able to resist. Every time his thick cock hit the deepest part of her rear hole, his tummy would bulge a little.


    Odette, lifting her hips like a cat as she caressed her sister¡¯s breasts. Her love juices glistened like honey through the cracks of her tight pussy entrance.


    -Plap, plap, plap, plap!


    ¡°Ahh...! Hngg...! Haaaeung...!¡±


    As he kept on attacking Odile with the technique he gained over the months, her waist slowly began to arch up.


    The way her ankles tensed up, as if she was having a cramp, suggested that her climax was close.


    It was much faster than he remembered, but it was probably because Odette¡¯s help sped up the process.


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t...! D-Don¡¯t look at me...! Haaaeung...!¡±


    As her hands were bound, she was unable to use them to cover her face from Siwoo¡¯s sight.


    Just like that, she reached her climax, spurting her love juices onto Siwoo¡¯s abdomen.


    Seeing her face melting while it was unfolding was pretty much a bonus.


    ¡°Haa...ngh...! Hic...!¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Everytime she spurt out the love juice, the grip she had on his cock would considerably tighten.


    Thanks to that, he could feel the lingering feeling of the pressure, as his cock was starting to hurt from it.


    ¡°Wow... So lewd...¡±


    Meanwhile, Odette stared at her sister¡¯s climax with a red face.


    She understood what she was going through, though.


    Because this was also what happened to her the last time she took on the full length of his shaft.


    It was just, seeing her dependable sister in this state brought a strange excitement into her heart.


    She felt a slight guilt, as if she had done something wrong, but she also felt as if she had beaten her somehow.


    Meanwhile, Odile glared at her with tearful eyes.


    ¡°O-Odette, you...! I-I told you...t-to stop...¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Sis, but you looked so lewd, I can¡¯t help it... Also, Mr. Assistant told me to do it...¡±


    She was right, Odile looked so lewd as her love juice dripped down her narrow entrance like honey without Odette and Siwoo needing to touch her.


    He watched over their exchange.


    In normal circumstances, he¡¯d give the twins one shot each.


    But, since it had been a long time since the last time he had done it with them, he figured that he might as well compare the sensation of their rear holes while he was at it.


    The moment he decided that, he immediately acted on it.


    ¡°Ahh...ahh...ahhh...!¡±


    She let out hiccup-like moans while tightening her grip on his cock.


    Her climax kept on building up, surpassing her fastest record yet.


    Meanwhile, Odile, who had been biting her clit, was having trouble keeping up with her movements.


    After several seconds of violent writhing, Odette¡¯s stiff body finally went limp.


    ¡°Haa...haaa... I-I feel so...lightheaded... C-Can you stop now, Mr. Assistant...?¡±


    She begged in an almost tearful voice, pouting her lips.


    Ah, I can¡¯t hold it back anymore.


    Instead of answering her, Siwoo turned her body around and placed her on the bed.


    Then, she folded her hands to her back, before forcing her to take a kneeling position with her butt raised up.


    After that, he embraced her from behind.


    ¡°A-Ahh...? Haaeung! M-Mr. Assistant...?!¡±


    Without any hesitation, he continued pistoning into her rear hole.


    -Plap, plap, plap!


    ¡°Aahh! Ahh! M-Mr. Assistant! I-I don¡¯t need this, please...! I-I need to take a breather...! Haaang...!¡±


    ¡°Wait, Master, if you do it this way, I can¡¯t join in!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it with you immediately after this is over, Ms. Odile...!¡±


    He could feel it. Just a little bit more and he¡¯d be shooting his load out.


    The night was still long, so there was plenty of time for him to screw around with Odile.


    Right now, he was trying to focus on pouring his hot semen into Odette¡¯s unsoiled rear hole.


    ¡°Ngg...! Mmh...! Hnnggg...!¡±


    Meanwhile, Odile¡¯s breathing grew more erratic as she was watching Siwoo pouncing on her sister so roughly as if he was about to impregnate her.


    Since their appearances were the exact same, she couldn¡¯t help but put herself in her sister¡¯s position.


    Although she hated the fact that she wasn¡¯t the first one to receive Siwoo¡¯s semen...


    She decided to not throw any tantrums over it, since today was supposed to be the day when they served him, not the other way around.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Instead, she buried her face into his buttocks.


    Before Siwoo could register what had just happened, she showered his rear hole with licks and kisses.


    ¡°Sluurrp...chupp...¡±


    Even though his body had turned into a spirit body, she still felt some kind of aversion towards it.


    It was the dirtiest hole in his body until not too long ago after all, and she still couldn¡¯t get used to thinking that it was a clean place.


    After all, even she herself almost died from the embarrassment the first time Siwoo took her anal virginity.


    But, Odile wanted to join in the fun...


    So, she decided to follow what the erotic novel had said; Helping Siwoo to spurt out all of his semen into Odette¡¯s anus.


    ¡°I¡¯ll...give you a blowjob...from behind...sluuurpp... Just come inside her first...¡±


    Siwoo could feel his head spinning.


    Odile had no idea how seductive she currently was in his eyes.


    This intercourse was already filled with immoralities to begin with, from the threesome to the anal sex.


    And now she started to caress his rear hole so that he could cum comfortably inside her sister?


    It sent shivers down his spine.


    Sex was something he had done multiple times, but it was the first time that he got this aroused from this level of immorality.


    ¡°Sluuuurpp!¡±


    ¡°Ahhh...! M-Mr. Assistant! Haaaeung...!¡±


    As Odette was suffering from the endless pleasure...


    Odile managed to find the right timing to cling into Siwoo¡¯s buttocks and kept on caressing it.


    Her nice assist accelerated the process of him spurting out the semen that had been accumulating in his balls.


    -Spurt, spurt, spurt, spurt!


    ¡°Haaaaeung...!¡±


    His hot white semen entered Odette¡¯s stomach.


    He felt the same sensation that he always felt whenever he ejaculated; A feeling of relief that managed to take his breath away.


    With Odile¡¯s tongue added to the sensation...


    The pleasure he felt was easily doubled.


    It felt like he was cumming from two different places.


    -Plop!


    ¡°Haah...nghh...!¡±


    After he was done, he slowly removed his dick from Odette¡¯s rear hole.


    The same hole immediately spurt out the hot white liquid like a volcano the moment his shaft was out.


    It was opened wide enough to the point that he could see her bright red insides, but it closed itself again in no time, as if the rough sex had never happened.


    He couldn¡¯t help but feel amazed by its resilience.


    However, the same couldn¡¯t be said for the person herself, as she was lying down weakly on the bed, seemingly out of energy after two consecutive climaxes.


    ¡°Thank you, Ms. Odile... Jeez, my legs are shaking now...¡±


    ¡°No problem, Mr. Assistant! I was only doing it because it¡¯s you! Anyway...can you cum inside me next?¡±


    She stared at him with a gentle look in her eyes.


    As for his answer to that question...


    Did it really need to be spelled out?

 Chapter 335: Twin Therapy (5)

    Chapter 335: Twin Therapy (5)1.


    ¡°Mmm...¡±


    ¡°Fuuu...¡±


    After that, a storm-like sex-fest ensued.


    Odile swung her hips on top of Siwoo, going up and down like a jumping frog.


    Odette, accepting his thrusts from behind boldly while kissing her sister.


    Everything had ended by now though as the twins were sleeping soundly while hugging each other tightly.


    Maybe snuggling together like that was their sleeping habit or something.


    ¡°Have a nice dream.¡±


    Siwoo patted the head of the two who were sleeping like a pair of angels.


    Even though he couldn¡¯t fully enjoy the whole master and maid concept¡ªthey dropped it in the middle, after all¡ªhe still had a great time.


    ¡°Nn... T-That won¡¯t fit...¡±


    ¡°Mr. Assistant...¡±


    He put a blanket on them, who was sleep talking, probably dreaming of their love making session.


    After that, he proceeded to continue with his post-sex activities; Nicotine supplementation.


    When he was about to walked to the terrace and put a cigarette in his mouth...


    ¡°Such a pleasant night, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Huh...?!¡±


    He dropped the cigarette to the ground due to the shock.


    This was the twins¡¯ hideout, so no one was supposed to be here, but there she was.


    A witch wearing a jet-black dress that emphasized her cleavage. The combination of her black hair and purple eyes added a mysterious atmosphere to her appearance.


    ¡®Maybe if Odile grew older, she¡¯d look like this¡¯, such a thought came up in Siwoo¡¯s mind as he stared at the witch. She was Countess Albireo, the ¡®intruder¡¯ who occupied the terrace before him, leisurely smoking, seemingly without a care in the world.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    One thing instantly popped up in his mind.


    I¡¯m fucked.


    There was no way that she wasn¡¯t aware of what had transpired in this place.


    After all, the twins were still lying down naked while they were sleeping, and such a sight was clearly visible through the glass door.


    There was also the fact that he had been pounding their rear holes until just a few minutes ago.


    Anal intercourse wasn¡¯t something that would put much strain into the apprentice witches¡¯ bowls.


    This was proven by them more than enough times.


    However, the Countess was like the mother to the twins. And there was a good chance that she had witnessed the action directly, so he couldn¡¯t help but shrunk in fear over what she might do to him.


    As his mind was occupied with such worries...


    Albireo let out a long puff of cigarette smoke before trying to reassure him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I suspected that this would happen from the beginning... They begged me to let them have a sleepover, so I figured that I should follow them all the way here.¡±


    ¡°S-Sorry... A-Actually, it was me who...¡±


    He tried to defend the twins, but Albireo waved her hand and stopped him before he could conjure up an excuse.


    ¡°No need to defend them, I know my daughters¡¯ personalities well... Their bowl is fine, right?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, they¡¯re fine... U-Um, I¡¯m sorry for asking, but since when did you...?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been here for an hour.¡±


    If she had been here for an hour, that meant she saw the moment when the twins made a tower with their butts and him alternately fucking them that way.


    Fuck...


    She saw everything then...


    Feeling both extremely embarrassed and terrified, he glanced at Albireo.


    ¡°Do you mind talking with me for a moment?¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    Though she seemed fine on the outside, he still didn¡¯t know what was going on in her mind.


    He was nervous, but it wasn¡¯t like he could do anything, so he just obediently sat down on the chair as instructed.


    It felt like being interrogated for alleged murder would get him more relaxed than this.


    Moreover, he only had a single piece of gown covering his body, adding to the uncomfortable feeling.


    ¡°No need to be nervous, I already told you that I had a guess that this might be the case, no?¡±


    Even though she said that, he still couldn¡¯t brush off the unease that he felt.


    He could feel his bottom clenched, as if he was sitting on a cushion made of thorns.


    ¡°You have been doing this with them for a while, right? Were you also doing it when I caught you the last time?¡±


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m sorry...? Doing what, specifically...?¡±


    ¡°Anal intercourse. Did you do it back then too?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    After his first time with them, he probably thought that doing it with them wasn¡¯t anything special.


    But, from an outsider¡¯s perspective, it clearly wasn¡¯t something normal.


    Though they were perfectly identical twins, they were still sisters at the end of the day. For him to have sex with both of them on the same bed, all while doing something that couldn¡¯t be counted as normal sex...


    As their mother, Albireo must have had her own thoughts after witnessing such a scene.


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    ¡°No need to, I¡¯m the one at fault here...¡±


    She only hit him once, so there was no way that he¡¯d hold a grudge on her over this.


    If anything, he felt thankful that she didn¡¯t hit him with magic instead.


    Albireo then leaned her back on the sofa, taking up a relaxed posture, as if she had calmed down considerably.


    ¡°I hope from now on we can start to have honest conversations with each other as we had seen each other at their worst.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you wish, Countess...¡±


    Siwoo poured more alcohol into Albireo¡¯s glass¡ªpurely out of habit¡ªas she hugged her knees, clearly sulking.


    Only she would know why she acted that way¡ªwhether it was because she had found out about the twins¡¯ and Siwoo¡¯s relationship this way, or because she felt shameful for letting her emotions get the best of her.


    ¡°Siwoo, is it okay if I ask you something?¡±


    After she spent a few moments pondering, Albireo finally opened her mouth again.


    Her tone had changed now; He could feel that she was concerned about what it was that she was about to ask.


    ¡°Please, feel free.¡±


    ¡°Does sex feel that good?¡±


    ¡°...Do you really want me to answer that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just curious why the twins are so obsessed with it. This might come as a surprise to you, but I¡¯ve never done it before.¡±


    ¡°U-Uh... I can only answer it from a man¡¯s perspective though...¡±


    ¡°Of course. It isn¡¯t like I¡¯m expecting you to answer from a woman¡¯s perspective.¡±


    Albireo burst out laughing the moment she heard his answer, even though she was aware that her question was as absurd as his answer was.


    The usual graceful atmosphere that she always carried with her was gone at this moment.


    Instead, it was replaced by a rather familiar atmosphere.


    ¡°...I assume you¡¯ll be doing this with them a lot in the future too?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to restrain myself.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not saying that you shouldn¡¯t do it. As long as you won¡¯t put them into danger, you¡¯re free to do anything with them. Though, make sure to not get caught by Deneb. If it was her and not me here, a slap in the face wouldn¡¯t be the end of it.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    After she was done with all her complaints, Siwoo was also visibly more relaxed.


    I don¡¯t know the details, but crisis averted, I guess?


    ¡°It...would be better if you don¡¯t do it with them at all, but I know that men usually fall to temptations easily. You in particular are even more so. While you won¡¯t be the one who initiates, if the hard-headed twins urge you to...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    I can¡¯t even refute her words...


    ¡°What about this? For the time being, will you be satisfied if you were to do it with me instead? Unlike those two, I¡¯m a real witch so there won¡¯t be any danger involved if you were to do it with me. Besides, I believe that my look is to your liking, no?¡±


    Albireo dropped that bombshell with a red face as she shyly glanced at Siwoo.


    Of course, this wasn¡¯t something that he expected for her to say.


    He left his mouth agape from the confusion without realizing it.


    ¡°I will do my best to make time for it. It might be a little awkward since it¡¯ll be my first time doing it, but... I¡¯m confident I¡¯ll get the hang of it soon enough.¡±


    When she finished her words, he could tell that her fingers were twitching and there was a strange glint in her eyes.


    She crossed her legs and as she did, the hem of her dress was raised, revealing a glimpse of her panties.


    It was black.


    In any case, aside from the shock from her offer, he couldn¡¯t deny that it was quite the tempting offer.


    Taking one of the twin Countess¡¯ virginity?


    He could imagine himself spanking her peachy butt as they did so.


    Let alone him, any man would be tempted when they heard that kind of offer.


    If he were to follow his urge, he¡¯d just straight up say something like ¡®Yes, Countess! There¡¯s a room on the third floor, why don¡¯t we do it there?¡¯ the moment she dropped that offer.


    But, after he pondered about it a little more...


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be a problem, morally speaking...? You¡¯re still their mother, Countess... Having a physical relationship with the mother of those two is a little...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I understand what you¡¯re trying to do, but I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t think I can do that. Instead, I¡¯ll do my best to restrain myself and be as careful as possible when I¡¯m with them...¡±


    After hearing his answer, Albireo, who had assumed a rather provocative position, immediately corrected her posture and grinned.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be sorry about. It was a joke.¡±


    She took another sip of alcohol, her usual composure was back, as if the way she acted just now was a lie.


    After he was dumbstruck for a while due to the sudden change, Siwoo broke into a cold sweat as he realized something.


    ¡°...A joke...? ...A booby trap is more like it...¡±


    ¡°Indeed. If you were to take up on that offer, I was going to give you a really, really big disappointment. Fair price, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°...Your sense of humor is a little twisted, Countess...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you get after living for over a hundred years. You¡¯ll be able to relate if you live as long as me.¡±


    As she said that, there was a gentle smile on her face.


    But, this particular smile looked way scarier than the expression she had when she slapped Siwoo¡¯s face.


    ¡°Anyway, please keep it a secret to those two that I came here. They have classes to attend tomorrow morning, so please send them back to the mansion early.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be leaving then.¡±


    Leaving those words behind, Albireo left the hideout, the hem of her dress waved around in the air.

 Chapter 336: The Lazy Witch (1)

    Chapter 336: The Lazy Witch (1)1.


    ¡°I wanna go home...¡±


    Diana Yesod was feeling depressed.


    It had been a week since Countess Yesod punished her and made her leave the house every day from early morning to the evening.


    Finally, her spirit that had been falling off right crazy since day one had sunk to the bottom.


    ¡°Huu...¡±


    Diana wasn¡¯t an unfilial daughter.


    She knew that her mother did all this because she was worried for her.


    That was why she decided that she¡¯d try to live up to her mother¡¯s expectations a little, even though she¡¯d normally find it bothersome to move around.


    In fact, she was actually excited to go around at first.


    During the week, she had been actively going around Ars Magna Town, spending every moment available to her busying herself.


    In other words, she didn¡¯t just sit in a cafe or sleep under a nice shade or something like that.


    Instead, she¡¯d walk around the town, watching all kinds of plays, and studying magic in the library.


    Whenever she went back home and recounted everything that she had done to the Countess, while the latter would look at her lovingly. This also became a driving force of some sorts for her.


    But, she had reached her limit.


    Diana wasn¡¯t the kind of person who¡¯d force herself to do something she hated or had no interest in.


    Especially when her initial burst of energy had run dry.


    As a natural shut-in who had zero passion towards anything and a severe lack of perseverance, she hit her limit significantly faster than anyone.


    ¡°I want to go home...¡±


    Diana sighed as she uttered the same complaint for perhaps the hundredth time this day.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t go home now... What else should I do to pass the time...?¡±


    Yesterday, she walked around the markets in Tarot Town to look at the daily necessities of the civilians.


    The day before yesterday, she watched a dull and boring play at the theater.


    Should I watch another play? But all the plays in Gehenna are boring...


    All of them are just one to one adaptation of ancient books, no improvisations, no nothing.


    The parasol draped over her shoulder felt particularly heavy somehow.


    That, along with the terrifying realization that she¡¯d be stuck to hang around outside for six whole hours weighed heavily on her heart.


    Of course, she could always go somewhere without other people and just take a long nap there before returning home.


    Even though the Countess technically kicked her out, she still gave her a credit card with no limits attached to it.


    She could book a room in a hotel somewhere and spend the rest of her day lounging around.


    But that¡¯ll make mom sad, won¡¯t it...?


    Just like how Lucy loved her, Diana also loved her mother.


    She already resolved herself to live up to her mother¡¯s expectations, so she couldn¡¯t just let herself go back to square one like that...


    ¡°But maybe, if it¡¯s just for today...? No, ugh...¡±


    She tried her best to maintain her weakening resolve.


    All while the conflicted feelings in her heart followed her like a tail.


    Seriously, isn¡¯t there anything fun to do?


    Anything stimulating, exciting, anything to pass time?


    As she wandered around like that, Diana finally set foot in the Malkuth Gallery, the place she had decided to explore today.


    Since it was the biggest market in Gehenna, there were many great cafes and shops that would definitely catch the eyes of the witches.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see...¡±


    I won¡¯t disappoint mom!


    Today, I¡¯ll get back after I experience a lot of things!


    As she thought ambitiously, a nice looking cafe caught her eyes.


    She tried her best not to go there though.


    Because she knew that if she were to get herself comfortable in that kind of place, she¡¯d be unable to overcome her laziness anymore and end up sitting there all day long.


    And so, she was struck in a dilemma.


    To go and rest in that nice looking cafe.


    Or to continue doing her best to make her mother happy.


    But then, her scarlet eyes were drawn into a certain food that another witch was eating.


    ¡°Hm, why don¡¯t I get that...?¡±


    Diana then sat down and tucked her pretty gray hair behind her ear.


    ¡°You know there¡¯s a newly opened host club at the end of the Malkuth Gallery, right? He¡¯s working there~¡±


    Host club?*


    *


    What¡¯s that?


    Of course, the witches ignored the confused Diana and continued to talk.


    ¡°I heard that if you go there and order a drink, you can meet him for fifteen minutes there. Why don¡¯t we go?¡±


    ¡°Sure, that sounds interesting.¡±


    ¡°Alright! I have a few coins to spare anyway, let¡¯s go! Where else can you get an opportunity like this? Also, they said that they have a long list of reservations already, so we need to go quickly!¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go now?¡±


    The witches then stood up from their seats and left the cafe.


    Meanwhile, Diana wolfed down her remaining ice cream, with dignity, of course.


    ¡°A male witch, huh...?¡±


    Throughout history, there were reports of men utilizing magic before.


    And to no one''s surprise, they were all frauds, scandalous con artists that claimed they possessed self-essence magic.


    Of course, they had paid dearly for their lies and deceits after they were caught.


    If those rumors are true...


    And he turns out to be the first real male witch...


    Maybe it¡¯s worth it to visit him.


    A creature that supposedly comes out of a fantasy book is right here, it won¡¯t hurt to see him for a bit, no?


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    A frown appeared on Diana¡¯s face.


    Not because she felt annoyed or anything.


    Rather, it was because somehow, even though she hadn¡¯t met the so-called male witch, a feeling of aversion toward him sprouted in her heart.


    To describe that aversion in one sentence, it would be...


    But, a male using magic?


    To witches, magic was sacred.


    Even though she was still an apprentice, Diana could already appreciate its beauty and intricacies.


    The more one delved into the world of magic, the more one would feel that their knowledge was but a drop of water in the middle of an ocean.


    A male is doing that?


    She remembered the words that her mother used to tell her.


    When it was late at night and she was just about to go to sleep...


    ¡®Men are inferior creatures, so don¡¯t even come near them! Only lies and deceits will come out of their mouths! They¡¯ll deploy all kinds of trickery to eat you!¡¯


    When they were eating...


    ¡®All men are wolves! The only thing they want is to take advantage of your lovely and cute appearance! Oh, my adorable daughter!¡¯


    And when they were taking baths together...


    ¡®Good men exist in this world, of course! But, the moment he approaches you, he stops being a good man! If a man ever calls out to you and tries to talk to you, call your mother! Immediately!¡¯


    In addition, her mother kept on telling her that witches should marry fellow witches and that was it. Love between witches and men just couldn¡¯t exist, as men were nothing but pitiful creatures that were unable to handle mana.


    Even though Lucy herself had a male lover when Diana was younger.


    In any case, due to this extremely biased education, up until Diana was eleven, she wholeheartedly believed that men were able to turn into wolves at night to eat unsuspecting women.


    Even when she was old enough to understand that all her mother¡¯s teachings were extremely biased, the prejudice still remained in her heart.


    Such a lowly creature is using magic...


    The thought simply went against the prejudice she held for the longest time.


    That was why she couldn¡¯t accept the existence of a male witch.


    She just couldn¡¯t.


    But, she knew that this kind of discriminatory thought was bad, that was why she had never expressed it.


    Still, it was because she was holding such a thought that she felt uncomfortable with the thought that a male witch did exist.


    ¡°...I¡¯ll meet him myself.¡±


    Although Diana had reached the epitome of laziness, she still possessed the traits all witches and apprentices alike had.


    An inquisitive mind and the desire to find out the answer to her questions.


    Without those traits, no matter how talented Diana was, there was no way that she¡¯d be able to succeed the brand from her mother in three years.


    After leaving the cafe, she immediately knocked on the door to the host club.

 Chapter 337: The Lazy Witch (2)

    Chapter 337: The Lazy Witch (2)1.


    It had been a week since Siwoo became a promotional ambassador for Gehenna¡¯s first host club, the Rose Glass.


    So far, he hadn¡¯t stumbled into any special events.


    The closest thing to a special event would be Sharon or the twins coming to hang out occasionally.


    In other words, the business was doing well.


    The fact that no problems had occurred so far meant that the shop was able to smoothly secure some regulars.


    On the contrary, instead of problems, the club¡¯s sales had been showing a gradual curve upwards, and there were plenty of witches that had left their business cards and promised to return.


    ¡°It¡¯s still early for this kind of commotion...¡±


    Currently, it was an hour before the opening time.


    He was leaning on the sofa after wearing his suit and slicked his hair back.


    Once upon a time, he found this kind of hairstyle comical, but nowadays he had grown accustomed to it.


    In any case, he was in the middle of relaxing while smoking a cigarette.


    Down there near the entrance, he could see a witch arguing with Paul, who was guarding the door.


    The witch¡¯s gray hair, which fell down to her waist, was tied at its end. Her raised chin showed a disgruntled expression on her face.


    ¡°An apprentice witch?¡±


    It was easy for him to tell due to how young she looked.


    Looking at her parasol, which price probably comparable to a decent sedan, it was obvious that she was an apprentice of a bigwig.


    He couldn¡¯t hear what they were talking about from where he was at, though.


    After a while, Paul bowed his head and entered the host club.


    Before long, the door to the lounge was opened.


    ¡°Siwoo hyung, please help me!¡±


    Paul, who was drenched in cold sweat, immediately asked for his help the moment he entered the lounge.


    ¡°I already told her that we haven¡¯t opened yet, but she kept telling me that she wants to meet you! Even when I explained that I can¡¯t just let you meet her since your schedule is already booked, she still insisted! She said that since the club isn¡¯t open yet, it¡¯s no problem and that she¡¯s willing to pay any amount...¡±


    ¡°Whose apprentice is she, though?¡±


    ¡°Um... She¡¯s Diana Yesod, Countess Yesod¡¯s apprentice...¡±


    ¡°Yesod?¡±


    Woah, now that¡¯s a real bigwig.


    So that¡¯s why he can¡¯t just kick her away, huh?


    Countess Yesod, one of the seven Countesses of Gehenna.


    The Yesod¡¯s name was enough to turn this apprentice into the most notable witch who had visited them so far.


    Countless witches had come to visit the club, but there had been no grand witches or nobles yet.


    He guessed that it was probably because they felt that it was beneath them to visit when there was still a promotion going around.


    Well, either that or they just didn¡¯t want to line up to meet up with someone for merely fifteen minutes in a place like this.


    ¡°What else can we do? Let her in.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure. What differences will it make if I add one more person to serve anyway?¡±


    ¡°Alright! Thank you!¡±


    After hearing his words, Paul ran downstairs with a bright smile.


    Siwoo tidied up his clothes one last time before going down to sit at his table.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t do this out of kindness of his heart, this was all a well-calculated move.


    He had been learning something from this business. It was that ¡®serving witches¡¯ was merely a start to a greater thing.


    That greater thing was connections.


    As he served those witches and made them happy, he¡¯d be able to secure connections with those witches, which were more valuable than gold coins.


    With those connections, one would be able to generate profits from an unexpected angle, such as selling information that was only circulating among a group of witches.


    In that sense, even though she was merely an apprentice, Diana was perfect as a customer.


    If Siwoo were to succeed in securing her as a regular, she¡¯d definitely become a great help to Takasho.


    ¡°There¡¯s also another thing...¡±


    The more important thing here was that she was an apprentice of ¡®Yesod¡¯.


    If there was one thing that Siwoo knew about Yesod, it was that their self-essence magic utilized barriers.


    In fact, most of the study materials that Siwoo had read in the library were papers that were written by Countess Yesod herself.


    He figured that if he could use this opportunity to get to know the apprentice witch, she¡¯d be a great help for him to figure out how to control the Red Branch.


    In other words, he was doing this partly out of his self-interest.


    If things were to go well, he¡¯d be able to receive guidance from the most proficient witches in the field of barrier magic.


    ¡°Welcome, thank you for visiting us! My name is Shin Siwoo, and I¡¯m the one who will serve you, Ms. Diana Yesod.¡±


    When he saw her approaching him, Siwoo threw his business smile at her.


    Now that he was able to see her closely, he noticed that the girl possessed a very unique aura.


    Her words and gestures were overbearing, but they also held grace and elegance.


    From that alone, Siwoo could already say that Countess Yesod had educated her daughter well.


    Even though she was merely an apprentice witch, she bore the dignity of a real witch.


    But, no matter how much poise she tried to show off, Siwoo¡¯s business smile never left his face.


    Though he let out a bitter smile inwardly, it didn¡¯t stop him from raising a black shadow in his hand, the thing that he always did whenever a witch asked him to cast his spell.


    ¡°Bloom.¡±


    Fluttering black particles appeared.


    They were so dark that it made them look like they absorbed all the light around them.


    Perhaps it was because of her double eyelids, or her cute, slightly droopy corners of her eyes...


    Even though Diana opened her eyes widely, it still didn¡¯t drop the sleepy impression that she gave off.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You can take a closer look.¡±


    The Law of Shadow was the most basic among the magic Siwoo had.


    His armors, weapons, and even ribbons were conjured using these shadows.


    The reason why he could show it off without any worry in front of all these witches was because he had improved his control upon them.


    Whenever he made his armors or weapons, he¡¯d inject them with elemental magic that he had learned from Sharon.


    Whereas with his ribbons, he injected them with another self-essence magic, the Maiden¡¯s Loom, and weaved the shadow into the ribbons¡¯ threads.


    Meanwhile, the one he showcased was just the Law of Shadow without any enhancements whatsoever. It was clear that the magic wasn¡¯t at a very high level.


    But, most witches would be surprised by it anyway, since none of them expected that a man would be able to use magic at all.


    ¡°...¡±


    Diana carefully looked at the fluttering shadow in his hand.


    Clearly, it was different from that of common magic.


    Which meant that his words were true, it was a self-essence magic.


    It was the first time she had ever heard that this kind of magic existed, let alone seeing it.


    But still...


    The magic was so shabby that she could blow it away without even trying.


    -Swoosh!


    Diana then conjured up a barrier with her hand.


    It was a thin disk-shaped barrier that served as a touchstone for observing various types of magic.


    She grabbed the shadow and spread them on her fingertips to see what was up with them.


    Only then could she see their hook-shaped structures...


    Their special characteristics to stick into other¡¯s magic and disrupt them...


    And their weakness; Their inability to resist an overwhelming difference in power.


    She managed to find out about all that in an instant.


    If it¡¯s just this much...


    Diana felt bittersweet disappointment crept up in her heart.


    Disappointment over the fact that the self-essence magic she went out of her way to check out was merely a poor one that she was able to imitate just with a little practice.


    While it felt a little exhilarating to know that the male witch indeed existed, she still felt disappointed that his magic was this bad.


    This means my assumption was correct then?


    ¡°Does it catch your interest? Though its level isn¡¯t high, It is still a self-essence magic.¡±


    However, even though he displayed such poor magic, the man still smiled proudly.


    At that moment, she realized that relatively speaking, what he had accomplished was indeed something big as it was an accomplishment worth a single generation of research.


    And that she had been downplaying that achievement greatly, which definitely was not a good thing to do.


    Maybe I¡¯ve become more and more of an elitist because I¡¯ve been spending my time outside...


    Diana opened her mouth, trying to come up with a praise in her own ways.


    ¡°I can¡¯t accurately gauge the level of your magic just from this.¡±


    ¡°Then, you can ask me to do whatever you want, Ms. Diana. I am yours for the next forty minutes, after all.¡±


    Yeah, forty minutes should be enough.


    Even though she wasn¡¯t a full-fledged witch yet, Diana was confident that she could take on a male witch who had just come out of thin air.


    Of course, she wasn¡¯t going to challenge him to a magic battle or anything unsophisticated like that.


    Because that was more of an annoyance to her than anything.


    Instead, she had a better way to tell which among the two of them possessed the superior aptitude for magic.


    ¡°Do you have a Witch Board here?¡±


    It was none other than a game of magic.

 Chapter 338: The Lazy Witch (3)

    Chapter 338: The Lazy Witch (3)1.


    What did witches usually do in their free time?


    This question wasn¡¯t really different from ¡®What are your hobbies?¡¯ or something similar to that.


    It was because the answer really depended on the witch in question¡¯s tastes and preferences.


    Some of them spend their time by reading a book, by riding their horse through the hills, by watching plays or by taking baths in a luxurious bathtub.


    But, what did they usually do when they hang out with other witches? Now, that question would get you a whole different answer completely.


    In Gehenna, where there was a severe lack of entertainment, there was one traditional game that was popular among the witches called the Witch Board.


    The most basic Witch Board would have a large dodecahedron hologram appear above a crystal ball.


    That dodecahedron itself consisted of countless smaller dodecahedrons.


    This dodecahedron-shaped hologram would act as a board for the game¡ªjust think of it as a weirdly-shaped chessboard.


    As for the rules of the game, they were as follows:


    1) On the provided game board, each corner represented a ¡®pass¡¯ and each vertex houses a ¡®rune¡¯ essential for drawing magic spells. These runes are randomly placed using a random algorithm within the crystal ball.


    2) Passes and runes alone are insufficient to complete a magic spell. Therefore, each player is provided with three ¡®mana orbs¡¯ that they can strategically place on the board to initiate the game.


    3) Once the game commences, players take turns making moves like in go1, using the runes and the passes on the vertices to craft magic spells.


    4) Players cast the spells they create to attack their opponent''s mana orbs or defend against their opponent''s attacks.


    5) The first player to capture all three of their opponent''s mana orbs or force their opponent to surrender is declared the victor


    With that concise and quick explanation, Diana finished her presentation.


    ¡°It looks complicated...¡±


    What happened prior to this was Diana expressing her desire to compete with Siwoo in a board game.


    Coincidentally, the game that she challenged him to play, the Witch Board, was quite a popular game¡ªthe club had a few boards themselves, Siwoo only needed to take one of them from the third floor.


    But, the game rules were a little complicated for him to follow properly.


    That was why he said those words after hearing her explanation.


    ¡°You¡¯ll understand when you try it. If it¡¯s your first time playing the game, I¡¯ll walk you through it.¡±


    To put it simply, what he needed to do was to connect some lines and runes to cast a spell.


    Then, he¡¯d need to utilize those spells to attack the opponent¡¯s mana orbs or to defend against their attacks.


    I guess this is some kind of simulation board game, similar to chess or go, huh...?


    Thinking as such, Siwoo began to connect a few lines using his eyes and imagination.


    That was when he found that the task wasn¡¯t as difficult as it sounded.


    Though, because the board space was limited and the runes were scattered, the spell he could cast was pretty limited.


    ¡°This game can even the playing field, basically. Also, unlike magic battles, you take turns attacking.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can see that.¡±


    That was another reason why this game was popular among the witches.


    In actual magic battles they had to factor in a bunch of variables.


    Also, no matter how great one¡¯s magical thinking was, if there was a clear difference in ranks and amount of mana, the victor of the magic battle was pretty much decided.


    But, in Witch Board, Grand Witches and Apprentice Witches alike could only make their moves once per turn.


    Not only that, use of magic beyond certain levels was prohibited.


    Also, since self-essence magic was pretty complex, casting one of them would easily take hundreds of turns, so one couldn¡¯t rely on that, unless their opponent was willing to wait for that long.


    In other words, this game was perfect to showcase one¡¯s magical thinking and flexibility.


    ¡°So, is this really your first time?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Actually, I¡¯ve never even heard of this game before this.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll concede nine turns for you. Feel free to do anything during that time.¡±


    By the way, Diana was extremely confident in her skills about this game.


    Witch Board was one of her hobbies.


    In fact, she was good enough to compete directly against Countess Yesod herself, thanks to her amazing aptitude in magical thinking.


    Actually, she was confident that she could take on any witches in this board game.


    ¡°So, how do I start?¡±


    ¡°First, you need to place your mana orbs. Well, you can just place them anywhere within the decahedron.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Since he was a newbie on this game, Siwoo decided to just take up on her offer.


    He quickly placed his orbs in three locations without any shred of hesitation.


    The moment she saw that, Diana tilted her head.


    This was because he chose to place his orbs right next to each other.


    As for why she looked so puzzled, not only was this something that others wouldn¡¯t normally do, it was also considered as an inefficient move.


    Because normally, one would want the mana orbs to be as close as possible to the corners so that one could utilize more of the board.


    Putting them all closely together like what Siwoo did would only lessen both the space and magic available.


    Well, I guess this really is his first time playing...


    ¡°That¡¯s nine.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Seeing how Siwoo spent his nine turns, Diana became more firm in her beliefs.


    What considered standard plays were the highly generalized principle as the result of countless trials and errors.


    In other words, their potency and efficiency had already been proved.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what I am doing.¡±


    The problem here was that, from his tone and the look in his eyes, it was clear that the man in front of her was serious.


    This made her feel even a bigger aversion towards him than when he tried to market himself as a real witch.


    And so, she gave her final verdict.


    She shouldn¡¯t expect anything else from this so-called male witch.


    That he was only an idiot who willingly spread stupid rumors about himself for the sake of appearances.


    And that after this game, she should just go back home quickly.


    After the nine turns had passed, they then took turns, exchanging their moves.


    Just like the previous game, it was another easy game for Diana.


    This time, she utilized a different strategy and slowly built her way up towards victory.


    Everything went smoothly.


    She managed to occupy 15 passes and the optimal runes needed for her attack.


    Of course, she didn¡¯t forget to secure a good defense, just in case of a sudden counterattack from him.


    I¡¯ll teach you directly how dumb of a move clumping your mana orbs together like that is.


    Her plan was to cast a cannon magic to blow all of Siwoo¡¯s mana orbs in one go.


    She calculated that she¡¯d be able to achieve her victory within five moves.


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    But then, she caught onto something. All this time, she had only been focusing on her own moves and she had been neglecting something.


    ¡°Ah, you noticed. I thought I did a good job hiding it too...¡±


    Among the complex-looking dots, lines, and runes...


    There lay a barely noticeable trap.


    If Diana were to proceed to execute her five moves victory strategy, that trap would have been triggered.


    ¡°...¡±


    The thing that Diana had been creating was a magic cannon that had been amplified over and over again.


    On the other hand, what Siwoo had been creating was a large ring tunnel that would guide her cannon into her mana orbs.


    If she were to fail to notice this trap and press on the offensive, she¡¯d end up taking out all of her mana orbs in one fell swoop instead.


    How did I not notice that?


    Was I being that careless?


    No...


    This trap is just too cleverly hidden...


    ¡°Of course I noticed it.¡±


    Diana casually told that lie and changed her strategy.


    Then, she slowly destroyed the ring tunnel that Siwoo had made and claimed her victory in twenty turns.


    Of course, this outcome was shocking to her.


    Because his strategy was completely out of the norm.


    It was a one-shot strategy, if it failed, then there would be no coming back from it.


    Yet, he almost pulled it off against her, even though she thought of him as nothing more than an overconfident punk.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no way I could recover after you noticed that one. Good game, Ms. Diana, it¡¯s my loss.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Although she won the whole thing, it still left a bitter taste in her mouth.


    She quickly hit the reset button on the board.


    ¡°One more. I¡¯ll concede another nine turns this time too.¡±


    No way, I¡¯m letting you off just like that after pulling off that stunt!*


    *


    Not if you actually have been planning for that from the start!


    If he could do it again, I might need to reevaluate my opinion about him...


    Facing the motivated Diana, Siwoo held up an hourglass with a perplexed expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but our time is running out. I need to serve the witches who have made reservations now.¡±


    That was when Diana noticed that her surroundings had grown busier than before.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you more money. Please extend the time.¡±


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t do that, Ms. Diana. As the apprentice witch of Countess Yesod, you should know the importance of following through a contract more than anyone.¡±


    Those words were enough to break her momentum, as she haughtily nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Fine. Then I¡¯ll come by tomorrow, same time. Get ready.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll escort you to the door.¡±


    As she stepped out of the door while being escorted by Siwoo, Diana made a vow to herself.


    I¡¯ll definitely come back tomorrow!


    1. Chinese chess.

 Chapter 339: The Lazy Witch (4)

    Chapter 339: The Lazy Witch (4)1.


    The two members of the Yesod Household always ate dinner together.


    No matter how busy Countess Lucy was, she¡¯d always spare some time to eat with her daughter.


    Especially now when she was forcing Diana to stay outside all day long; She had been rescheduling her appointments just so that she could eat together with her.


    ¡°You have done a great job today too, Sweetie. Mommy¡¯s so proud of you.¡±


    The Countess said so with a bright expression on her face.


    In fact, she never expected Diana to obediently do what she told her.


    She thought that her daughter would only idle around outside and come back when it was time to come home.


    Not to mention that she¡¯d be doing this for a whole week straight.


    Also, every single day, her dear daughter would experience a lot of things outside and recounted all her experience to her.


    I¡¯ll have no regrets even if I were to pass on now...


    ¡°We¡¯re having lamb chops today, your favorite, Sweetie! Eat a lot! Ohoho!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    But, even though the Countess had offered Diana her favorite meal, she was only staring at it blankly, as if lost in thought.


    This unusual reaction from her turned the Countess¡¯ expression into that of a bewilderment.


    Normally, her dear daughter would come running the moment she heard the ¡®L¡¯ in lamb chops.


    She¡¯d earnestly move her knife and fork just to eat the lamb chops despite her tendencies to avoid doing something that would even slightly inconvenience her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen outside?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing happened, Mom. Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright! Earlier today, I went to the Border Town to buy a lot of snacks from the Modern World! Anyway, what were you up to today, Sweetie?¡±


    The Countess asked that question, marking the start of her dear daughter¡¯s daily report.


    Preparing to hear what her daughter was about to say, a giddy smile appeared on her face.


    ¡°Today, I went to a host club.¡±


    But, hearing those words come out of her mouth, that smile instantly crumbled down.


    She unknowingly put too much force into the knife she was using to cut the lamb chops and that knife helplessly slipped out of her hand before falling down to the floor.


    ¡°W-W-W-What club...?¡±


    ¡°Host club.¡±


    ¡°No, Sweetie! You can¡¯t go to a place like that! Mommy won¡¯t allow it! Didn¡¯t mommy tell you that all men are just perverts who¡¯d only approach you for your pretty face?! Why did you go to that place anyway? Is this the start of your rebellious phase?! Oh, my heart...!¡±


    Apprentice witches had to stay away from men.


    This was common knowledge to witches as it was a way to prevent unsavory accidents.


    However, Countess Lucy¡¯s speech, or rather, indoctrination about men, clearly wasn¡¯t in line with what was considered as common sense for the witches.


    ¡®There¡¯s no way that I¡¯ll let those bastards take the apple of my eyes away!¡¯


    This was something that Countess Lucy told herself over and over.


    Because, with how much she doted on her dear daughter, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if she were to fall into depression just from thinking that Diana would bed another man later in the future.


    Especially when she imagined how much tears her dear daughter would shed the moment she had to separate with the man that she came to fall in love with...


    But then again, she just didn¡¯t want Diana to experience the pain and sorrow of watching her loved one grow old, sick and die...


    Just imagining that scenario already made her heart ache.


    ¡°No, of course not, I¡¯m not in my rebellious phase or anything. I just heard about a male witch working at that place, so I went there to take a look.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Though, Diana¡¯s calm reaction made the Countess realize that she had overreacted a little.


    As a businesswoman, the Countess reacted very quickly to the ongoing rumors.


    That was why even before Diana told her about it, she already knew that there was a newly opened host club in Gehenna and the rumored male witch was working there.


    And she knew that it was worth visiting him, even if it was just out of curiosity.


    ¡°Sorry, Mommy overreacted a little. I¡¯m sorry, Sweetie...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°So, what did you do in the host club? How did you feel after seeing him in person?¡±


    ¡°...Well, I didn¡¯t feel anything special.¡±


    She reenacted how the magic he had shown wasn¡¯t anything special.


    Although he indeed possessed a self-essence magic, it wasn¡¯t to the level that it was worth giving him a visit to see it.


    She stated that even if she were an apprentice witch, if she were to engage in a battle with him, she¡¯d win against him effortlessly.


    Then again, he was the first generation of his witch¡¯s line, so this much was to be expected.


    ¡°Is that so? You can¡¯t really trust the rumors after all, hm? Then again, no man in this world is worthy to catch my dear daughter¡¯s eyes!¡±


    But even so, there was still something that bothered Diana so much that she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it.


    The thing that happened during their second Witch Board game.


    When he pulled off a completely unexpected move that almost drove her into a corner.


    Did he really aim for that from the beginning?


    If that was the case, that meant he had been responding to all my movements while building his own way to counterattack at the same time...


    ¡°Mom.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sweetie?¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m good at Witch Board?¡±


    After they finished setting up the game, Diana felt like crying out loud in satisfaction.


    She had been waiting for this moment since last night.


    That was why, as soon as she finished her breakfast, she immediately went straight to the club.


    ¡°I¡¯ll concede another nine turns this time as well. Go, start your turn.¡±


    She stated that she¡¯d be conceding nine turns, as if it was a given.


    Even though she ended up being surprised by yesterday''s match''s outcome, this was still a reasonable handicap. Because in the end, even though she had conceded nine turns, she was the one who ended up winning.


    ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t need to do that anymore. I¡¯ve studied about the game all night.¡±


    But, for some reason, he said that to her.


    He boldly proclaimed that he didn¡¯t need any kind of handicap against her.


    Diana struggled to control her expression that was slowly becoming distorted.


    I see, he let the fluke from yesterday go over his head, huh?


    In this game, where every single move could decide whether you¡¯ll win or not... I willingly gave him nine turns as a handicap, yet he said he doesn¡¯t need it?


    He became this arrogant only after a single night of studying?


    What a detestable and arrogant guy...


    ¡°...Fine.¡±


    But she knew that lashing out at him for his attitude would be distasteful of her.


    So, she decided that she¡¯d teach him a lesson by showing him how wide the gap between their skills was.


    She made a vow to herself that she¡¯d teach this fool in front of him the true meaning of despair.


    With that, their game started.


    Diana and Siwoo both took turns to place their mana orbs.


    She followed a standard move, placing her three orbs a few spaces apart.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo used the same strategy as the other day, clumping his three orbs together.


    ¡°...¡±


    The moment she saw this, Diana could feel her expression twitched.


    Of course, she wasn¡¯t worried about the possibility of her losing or anything.


    She just found what he was doing so ridiculous that she was having trouble trying to keep her mouth shut.


    In the end, she decided to give him a piece of her mind after much deliberation.


    Of course, she wasn¡¯t trying to be nice about it at all.


    ¡°I thought you said you studied the game.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been reading various notations all night long.¡±


    ¡°Were there any notations with this kind of opening?¡±


    ¡°No. I just think this opening suits me better.¡±


    Is he trying to thin my patience or what?


    Of course, Diana knew that such an opening did exist.


    But such an opening would only be used as a surprise strategy, similar to what he had done yesterday.


    The strategy had a major flaw that it wouldn¡¯t be able to put on much momentum mid-game and it would be virtually impossible to win if the game were to be dragged out to late-game.


    Does he think that the fact that he almost got me yesterday meant that this flawed strategy would work on me again?


    Diana could feel her blood boil.


    Even though his very existence had already made her mad, he doubled down on that and did things that made her even more mad.


    No matter how lenient her attitude toward everything was, her patience had started to run thin.


    ¡°You¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    She thought about overwhelming him with force from the very start, but in the end, she decided to just fortify her defense and take it slow.


    Even though the bottom of her stomach was boiling, her head was cold and she was still able to make rational decisions.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo was making one strange move after another.


    Rather than focusing his play in one place, he spread it all over the board.


    It was hard for Diana to guess what it was that he was trying to do.


    No, I shouldn¡¯t mind him.


    He¡¯s just an insufferable narcissist who¡¯s drowning in his futile fame of being the first male witch.


    Yesterday¡¯s game was also a fluke anyway.


    I¡¯ll end this stupid game quickly and go to watch a play or something.


    After she decided to do that, Diana continued to dish out her moves to complete her magic cannon.


    And then...


    ¡°...¡±


    Siwoo made a move that fully utilized all of his randomly placed runes.


    The move successfully penetrated through the pyramid-shaped fortress that Diana had been building, as if it was his goal from the very beginning.


    With just one move, he destabilized her formation and destroyed the connection between her mana orbs and the rest of her runes.


    It seemed like Siwoo had been preparing to do this all along, to destroy her connections in one go.


    This was the kind of move that could only be utilized by someone who completely understood the principles and structures of the magic in question.


    Dispel Pin.

 Chapter 340: The Lazy Witch (5)

    1.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The current state of the game shocked Diana.


    Her magic cannon was broken.


    The formation that she had been building over the course of fifteen turns was completely dismantled.


    Siwoo¡¯s runes, which he had been setting up since the start of the game, successfully disrupted the connection she had been building.


    For the first time during the game, Diana raised her head to look at Siwoo¡¯s face.


    That was when she found out that he didn¡¯t seem even a little joyful after his plan had worked. He also didn¡¯t seem elated that he managed to beat her.


    Instead, he calmly rested his hand on his chin and calmly scanned the board with his eyes.


    As if he had expected this kind of outcome from the very beginning.


    The attack that she had been preparing from the start of the game was stopped before it could even start.


    This was pretty much a checkmate.


    Of course getting one¡¯s strategy being dispelled midway like this was something that commonly happened in the game.


    But, the problem here was that he was using Dispel Pin to do it.


    Not to mention that it was the Dispel Pin that he had been setting up from the start of the game.


    Unless he got her dancing in his palm from the beginning, this result was something that should be impossible to happen.


    Because he¡¯d need to predict what kind of moves she would make.


    All while calculating the next move that he needed to make himself.


    The thing here was that he definitely had no way to know what she was trying to do so early in the game.


    Impossible...


    There¡¯s no way...


    This must be another fluke.


    He just happened to pull it off because the situation was aligned in his favor.


    ¡°That was a pretty good move.¡±


    ¡°You flatter me.¡±


    He¡¯s just lucky...


    Both yesterday and just now...


    He can¡¯t even play fairly, he just sticks to his dirty tricks...


    Diana calmly examined her broken formation.


    And she noticed that it wasn¡¯t completely broken yet.


    She still had a chance to turn this around.


    If I were to give up the current formation, connect a pass to another one of my magic orbs, and utilize the runes at the top left of the board that I¡¯ve previously captured, I could regain my footing in five turns.


    And so, she discovered that the Dispel Pin was merely a check and not a checkmate.


    Besides, Witch Board was a game where one needed to destroy all of their opponent¡¯s mana orbs to win.


    A single Dispel Pin normally wouldn¡¯t be enough to win games.


    In fact, Diana had already planned out her next steps.


    She was now showcasing the versatility of the standard strategies.


    Even if her strategy stumbled in the middle, she still had enough to regain her footing quickly.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    But after three turns, when she was about to rebuild her connection again...


    The same thing happened.


    As if he had already predicted this move, Siwoo¡¯s Dispel Pin destroyed her magic cannon again.


    But how could he build another one so quickly¡ª!?


    It didn¡¯t take long for Diana to finally find the answer.


    His three mana orbs that were clumping together.


    Though at the first glance, it looked like an inefficient strategy, it perfectly supported the placements of all his Dispel Pins, allowing him to bust them out quickly.


    Is this what he was aiming for...?


    ¡°...¡±


    No, this is okay, I still have another chance.


    I still had my mana orbs, I could still rebuild the cannon.


    But...can I...?


    I¡¯d need at least seven turns to do that...


    Also, even if I could do it, that meant it took me forty turns to build a single cannon. If he managed to destroy it again, there was no coming back from that...


    I couldn¡¯t work with anything else...


    In Witch Board, dismantling an unfinished spell was a part of the normal strategy.


    After all, one could take the resources off that spell and place it elsewhere to utilize those resources more effectively.


    Considering Diana¡¯s playstyle that prioritized stability over everything, this was a more than viable course of action for her to take.


    Let¡¯s just do it. I¡¯ll win if I drag it into the late game anyway.


    Though she decided on that, Diana still felt a subtle discomfort.


    As if she was caught in some kind of secret ploy of his and she¡¯d need to rethink her decision a little bit more.


    She had this unpleasant feeling that if she were to drag it to the late game, even if she ended up winning the game, she¡¯d still feel like she had lost to him.


    ¡°I changed my mind, it seems that you¡¯re a little worthy of my acknowledgement.¡±


    She felt foolish for not noticing it.


    From the nature of his self-essence magic, it was clear that he was somewhat proficient when it came to dismantling spells.


    But, will he be able to stop my next move?


    Even the placement of her mana orbs was superior to him.


    Still, Diana didn¡¯t let her guard down.


    If she hadn¡¯t suffered from his unconventional strategy twice, she wouldn¡¯t be like this, but she unfortunately had.


    Besides, she knew that she could win this game as long as she didn¡¯t rush in like a headless chicken.


    She could envision it.


    The perfect timing for her to end the game.


    She calculated that if she were to take into account all the resources they had and launch a big attack on him...


    I¡¯ll win in 22 turns.


    The moment she was about to set that plan in motion...


    ¡°Alright, I guess it¡¯s time to start fighting back.¡±


    Siwoo began his counterattack.


    To describe it in a more understandable way, Diana¡¯s formation was like full plate armor without any gap in defense.


    The only way for him to do any meaningful damage to her was during a very brief opening when she was about to attack.


    ¡°Sure, whatever.¡±


    Still, this wasn¡¯t a problem for her.


    Because she was already so far ahead.


    But, she still checked out the board, just in case that there was something that she missed.


    Because she completely expected him to pull off another bizarre move.


    After calming herself down again, she made her move to prepare against Siwoo¡¯s attack.


    She was perfectly confident that if she were to block his attacks, she would easily win on the crackback.


    At that moment, Siwoo deployed a Dispel Pin.


    ¡°Another one of these, huh...? But, I already knew you¡¯d do that.¡±


    A slight smile appeared on Diana¡¯s face.


    His timing was excellent, but she already built a countermeasure to his Dispel Pin strategy.


    She knew that his speciality was to connect the haphazardly placed runes and cast a Dispel Pin with them and take her down in one fell swoop.


    But, what if she were to split her formation and distribute her resources evenly among them?


    In an instant, she split her magic cannon into ten separate smaller cannons.


    This wasn''t a difficult thing to do for her.


    After all, she had been setting this up in advance.


    With this move, the situation suddenly changed. Now he had to deal with ten different attacks instead of one.


    Try to use your Dispel Pin against this if you can.


    Of course, it''s obvious that you can¡¯t. Not in this situation.


    Unless your level is far above me, there¡¯s no way...


    Just like before, unlike Diana who distributed her mana orbs all around the board, Siwoo clumped them together.


    Now that it was like this, she could take him down in one fell swoop.


    She continued her attack, fully prepared to lose one or two mana orbs in this attack, just to completely subdue him.


    ¡°With this... I won.¡±


    After Siwoo destroyed one of Diana¡¯s mana orbs, he said those words.


    ¡°What kind of nonsense are you trying to say?¡±


    You just destroyed a single mana orb, what are you on about?


    Keep dreaming. You can¡¯t even stop my attack.


    Diana opted to ignore him and continue to press on.


    And then...


    She realized the hard way that his words weren¡¯t a bluff.


    ¡°N-No way... H-How...?¡±


    Because he quickly dismantled all of her cannons.


    Siwoo calmly cut off everything, one by one, as if he had expected from the start that she¡¯d be using this strategy.


    All the bizarre moves that Diana previously dismissed as meaningless were actually part of his preparation to block her attacks.


    There wasn¡¯t a single gap in his formation that she could exploit.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Good game?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not over yet.¡±


    Though the attack that consumed a lot of her resources had failed and one of her mana orbs was destroyed, Diana still hadn¡¯t given up.


    There¡¯s no way I¡¯m gonna lose like this¡ª!


    She struggled to defend against Siwoo¡¯s onslaught, but in the end, all her efforts were in vain.


    I lost...


    Again...


    ¡°I see, I understand now.¡±


    This unbelievable result made a distorted expression appear on her face, but that didn¡¯t stop her from resetting the board once again.


    ¡°Our score is 2-2, right? Let¡¯s play another round.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we don¡¯t have enough time. Anyway, that was fun. If you come again tomorrow, same time, I¡¯ll be more than happy to play with you again, Ms. Diana.¡±


    Before she realized it, her time had run out.


    She couldn¡¯t do anything but helplessly left the host club after that.

 Chapter 341: The Lazy Witch (6)

    1.


    As soon as Diana left the host club, she bought a new Witch Board at a nearby store.


    Then, she bought some ice cream at a cafe that she had been eyeing from yesterday before she started reviewing today¡¯s games.


    Since she memorized all the turns they had taken, she reenacted them on the board slowly.


    ¡°Huu...¡±


    She recreated the moments when Siwoo effortlessly blocked all of her attacks.


    And all the disorganized moves that managed to shake her up.


    After doing that for a while, one single thing popped into her mind.


    ¡°If I just kept on following the standard strategy, I would have won...¡±


    Looking back, both games somehow could be simplified into a single pattern.


    Siwoo would make an erratic move, then Diana would try to stop him.


    Then, she¡¯d get impatient, tried to do something and ended up getting caught in his tricks.


    But, the most frustrating thing about it was...


    ¡°Why Dispel Pin...?¡±


    Even in Witch Board, Dispel Pin was considered an ineffective strategy.


    Generally speaking, it was a difficult strategy to pull off and even if one managed to pull it off, there wouldn''t be a high reward to be reaped.


    It was a high-risk, low-reward strategy that would leave both the one using the strategy and the one falling for it at a loss.


    In other words, it was the kind of strategy that one would only use for fun.


    But today, she was hit by more Dispel Pin than she had ever been in her entire life playing the Witch Board.


    It was only natural that she reacted this way.


    ¡°Still...¡±


    Though, looking back, her losses were still losses.


    No matter how strange his strategy was, it was a fact that he managed to figure out her intentions and gained victory through his strategic maneuvers.


    But still...


    ¡°Urrgg...!¡±


    No matter how much she tried to think about it, it still angered her so much.


    ¡°How dare...¡±


    A fool who doesn¡¯t understand the basics properly...!


    ¡°Using such trickeries...!¡±


    In this state, it was hard for her to make a calm and collected evaluation of the game.


    After all, her pride had been hurt from all the losses.


    ¡°Just wait...! Tomorrow...!¡±


    His strategy was nothing short of a wild card.


    Which meant, there was no way he¡¯d be able to utilize it multiple times in succession.


    Twice was the limit for such a strategy to succeed.


    Diana firmly believed that the reason why she lost twice today was due to bad luck and she had been letting her guard down.


    And so, she made preparations for tomorrow.


    2.


    ¡°Welcome, Ms. Diana.¡±


    ¡°Prepare the Witch Board. And the drinks.¡±


    The next morning, 6 am.


    Diana didn¡¯t even bother to eat breakfast today and went straight to the host club, telling herself that she¡¯d win for sure this time.


    She believed that all the strategies and countermeasures she had come up with were perfect.


    And so, with fiery spirit, she entered the club, fully prepared to repay all the humiliations from yesterday.


    ¡°You seem to be in a hurry today. Do you have another plan for the day?¡±


    Diana felt her heart starting to palpitate when she heard Siwoo say such words, as if he didn¡¯t know what was going on.


    Of course, her heart¡¯s palpitation came from her anger.


    She detested the expression on his face, his sly attitude, his unconventional playstyle, and the fact that he was a male witch.


    ¡°Huu...¡±


    But, as a noble, it was inappropriate for her to express her feelings directly like that.


    Even if her dissatisfaction was so great that she could barely prevent it from showing, she still had to treat him politely and made it so that he¡¯d notice it instead.


    But, she still felt that at the very least, she had to get some words in.


    ¡°I dislike you.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then, why are you coming to visit me so early in the morning every day?¡±


    Unknowingly, Diana was pouting her lips as she spouted those words that were filled with discontent.


    Since Siwoo was in his host mode, he took her words without batting an eye.


    ¡°That flippant attitude of yours. I dislike it.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll do my best to fix it from now on.¡±


    ¡°Hmph...!¡±


    Towards his attitude that refused to give in to her words until the very end (at least in her view), Diana let out a snort before plopping on the sofa rather rudely.


    Their current score was 2 to 2.


    If Diana were to lose the next match, that meant a beginner succeeded in reverse sweeping her.


    Before the game began, Diana got another word in.


    ¡°I assume that Dispel Pin is your specialty or something?¡±


    Siwoo hesitated a little before answering that question.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know much about magic, but I have some experience in interpreting and destroying magic formulas.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen this time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to it.¡±


    Diana raised her eyebrows, glaring fiercely at him.


    Then, they proceeded to start the game, arranging their pieces in the same way as their previous games.


    Diana, who followed the standard way of playing...


    And Siwoo, who went on doing whatever he wanted.


    But this time, there was a difference.


    That means he isn¡¯t even a human.


    He¡¯s a monster...


    As Diana was dumbstruck by this unimaginable result...


    -Tak!


    Suddenly, a way out presented itself.


    If Siwoo were to hold his formation and come at her like that, it would only be a matter of time before she got defeated.


    But, for some reason, he decided to recklessly continue their dogfight instead.


    Even though it was clear that the fight was for nothing.


    And so she took this opportunity.


    She quickly countered his attack and stole the momentum.


    This was something that happened often.


    Sometimes, one¡¯s field of view just narrowed significantly and they became unable to see the flow of things, just like what happened to Diana just now.


    Unable to tell whether one was in a favorable spot or not.


    She assumed that this was exactly what happened to Siwoo.


    Instead of trying to strengthen his formation and solidify his position, he wasted his moves on places that wouldn¡¯t affect the overall flow of the game instead.


    So, she desperately fought back.


    She perfectly utilized the opening that her opponent foolishly made.


    The possibility that he had only been winning because of ¡®luck¡¯ instead of skill put her mind at ease.


    ¡°There. I won.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long for her to turn the previously unfavorable situation into a victory.


    Grabbing the sweet fruit at the last minute.


    She timidly clenched her trembling fists, relishing on this pleasure that victory had brought her.


    ¡°That was an amazing game. I can¡¯t beat you at all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what happens when you start an erratic fight like that. It¡¯s just hard to make any follow ups after that.¡±


    ¡°The current score is 3 to 2. I lost.¡±


    Hearing that made Diana feel extremely excited.


    Of course she didn¡¯t say it out loud, it was easy to tell how she felt by seeing her twitching lips and flaring nostrils.


    Well, I¡¯ll admit it.


    Even though you kept using those bizarre strategies, you do have some skills.


    ¡°You¡¯re also quite amazing yourself. If it was another apprentice witch and not me, they¡¯d definitely have lost without being able to put up a fight. For a man, you are quite remarkable.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t do this move, I would have lost.¡±


    Feeling generous over her victory, she gave him advice and even praised him.


    ¡°Anyway, good job. I almost lost to you because I let my guard down.¡±


    ¡°Please, you¡¯re too kind. I¡¯m the one who has learned a lot from you, Ms. Diana.¡±


    Diana stood up from her seat.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll come again when I have free time.¡±


    ¡°Hm? You won¡¯t be coming back tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Why should I? I¡¯ve already won.¡±


    They hadn¡¯t actually decided on a best of five, Diana was the one who did on her own.


    Seeing Siwoo¡¯s flustered expression, she let out a mischievous smile.


    She didn¡¯t even bother to hide it anymore, as she even went out of her way to show her teeth to him.


    ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t like bullying someone who¡¯s clearly worse than me at the game. Anyway, that was quite fun. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±


    Feeling refreshed after saying that last line, Diana left the host club.


    For some reason, the sun shone especially brightly today.


    3.


    Siwoo stared blankly at the Witch Board.


    Then, he turned his gaze to the door, where Diana had just left without even letting him escort her out.


    ¡°Did I mess up somewhere?¡±


    Somehow, things derailed from his plan.


    His goal was to grow closer to Diana and get some help for his magic research.


    In order to do that, he figured that the best course of action was to meet her as often as possible.


    ¡°I should¡¯ve just gone for it instead of going easy on her like that...¡±


    Siwoo noticed that Diana was the type of person who hated to lose, even though she pretended otherwise.


    That was why he was worried if he were to thoroughly defeat her in that game, he¡¯d end up hurting her pride too much and she wouldn¡¯t come back ever again, so he decided to give the win to her.


    He never expected that she¡¯d feel satisfied with just that and left the club immediately.


    Seriously though, didn¡¯t she get one of her wins when I barely even know how to play?


    Siwoo complained that if it was the twins who played with him, they would never count that game as legit and would proceed to demand a rematch.


    Now, he understood the saying that apprentice witches were like a ball that you¡¯d never know where it would bounce to.


    Well, fully grown witches also fit that saying, but it fitted apprentice witches even more.


    In Siwoo¡¯s view, the difference in their skills was already obvious.


    After his first victory against Diana, he believed that he could win no matter what she tried to do.


    Ultimately, this game was all about interpreting and building up spells, something that Siwoo was extremely good at.


    All this while, he hadn¡¯t even removed his eyepatch, but if he did, the gap between their skills would be even more insurmountable.


    But...


    ¡°Playing it like this is fun.¡±


    He was actually enjoying this game quite a lot.


    Siwoo stretched his body a little before going to the dressing room to prepare for his job today.


    Well...


    Let¡¯s just hope that she¡¯ll visit me again soon.


    He thought silently.

 Chapter 342: Pride and Prejudice (1)

    1.


    Diana entered the Gate, returning home with light steps.


    Her steps were so light, it felt like she was walking at 1.2 times of her usual speed.


    Currently, it was just past noon, a time when she had to go outside, as per Countess Yesod¡¯s instructions.


    But, today was a special occasion.


    It was a day for her to reward herself.


    She just had a full-on duel that made her head heat up, and that game left her drained.


    The game made her go through different kinds of emotions, from anger to agony to despair to joy. Thanks to that, she was more exhausted than ever and she believed that she deserved a good rest as a reward.


    That was why, right now, she was floating around in the private pool of Levana¡¯s Public Bathhouse.


    Her hands were holding a bunch of grapes that she ate one by one to celebrate the joyful occasion.


    ¡°Ah~ Sweet~ Sweet victory~¡±


    The grapes tastes sweeter than usual~*


    *


    That whole game was just so good~


    Especially the look on his face after I beat him~


    ¡°Pfft...!¡±


    When she recalled SIwoo¡¯s blank face, she immediately burst out into laughter.


    His expression when she told her ¡®I don¡¯t want to bully someone weaker than me¡¯ specifically was etched in her mind.


    ¡°Pfft...! Ahaha...!¡±


    One of her wins from Siwoo was back when he barely even knew how to play, but she actively ignored that and just laughed to her heart¡¯s content.


    ¡°So what?¡±


    It¡¯s too much trouble to play another game anyway.


    In the end, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s gonna win, so...


    Who cares?


    ¡°This world is all about the result after all! Ohoho...!¡±


    With a bright smile on her face, Diana comfortably laid her body down on the sunbed.


    It has been a while since I¡¯ve felt so at peace~


    The warm pool with a dome above me to protect me from sunlight~*


    *


    Surrounded by the lush tropical trees and flowers~ Covered by their pleasant scent~


    Too bad I still have something to do, or else I¡¯d just spend the rest of the day sleeping...


    ¡°Heh, anyway, time to recap today¡¯s games~¡±


    The aforementioned thing that she had to do was this.


    Watching her previous games to admire her amazing plays.


    While replaying the games she played this morning in her mind, she set up the Witch Board that she had brought here with a clear excitement on her face.


    Though she seemed a little distracted, she actually managed to remember each and every move that happened in both games.


    As she replayed the games, she recounted all the feelings she had back then.


    This was when I fiercely pushed forward!


    Then, he counterattacked me with an even fiercer momentum!


    He got me real good for a good while and even forced me on the defensive!


    But, I managed to make use of his blunder and achieved a grand victory! ...Huh?


    ¡°Wait...¡±


    The smile on Diana¡¯s face suddenly turned into a frown.


    Because she noticed something that she failed to notice back when she was playing.


    The part when Siwoo made a huge blunder that led to her decisive counterattack.


    She could feel an uncomfortable sensation in her mouth, as if a fishbone got stuck into her teeth while she was eating.


    Diana replayed the part when Siwoo made that foolish blunder over and over again.


    ¡°Huh...?¡±


    And the more she did it...


    Something is strange...


    I could almost smell it... There¡¯s something weird in his move...


    Back during the game, she was too occupied to think about anything else.


    Her mind was too exhausted by the crazy dogfight Siwoo started and when he made that mistake, she was too happy to care.


    But now the game was over.


    She had composed herself considerably and she felt this sense of discomfort when looking at it.


    Diana tried to collect her thoughts once again.


    Question, why did he choose to continue the dogfight instead of holding his formation?


    Answer, because he didn¡¯t realize that he held the advantage there.


    So far, that sounded to be a reasonable conjecture.


    But...


    Question, why did he try to start those obviously fruitless skirmishes and tried to occupy the runes I didn¡¯t need?


    Answer...why...? I don¡¯t know....


    Could it be...?


    He might not be familiar with the basics of the Witch Board.


    But, it was clear that he at least had a general understanding about magic.


    After all, if he didn¡¯t, Diana would have beaten him easily the moment he started the dogfight.


    That made this particular move of his all the more weird.


    ¡°Lately, it came to my mind that it wouldn¡¯t be good for her future if she were to keep this up, so I scolded her and kicked her out. I told her to go out after she ate her breakfast and only come back when it¡¯s dinner time.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    ¡°And it has been a week since then! She has been listening to my words for a whole week!¡±


    Deneb blinked her eyes, a smile was hanging on her face.


    She was waiting for Lucy¡¯s next words, but...that was it, that was all she wanted to say...


    Is this...even something worth bragging about...?


    For Deneb, whose apprentice witches would run away from home the moment she turned her gaze towards the other side and she had to chase after them and drag her home, she couldn¡¯t relate to Lucy¡¯s sentiment at all.


    She also didn¡¯t know how to respond to her. For example, she could try to make a light joke or something, but seeing how happy Lucy was, she just couldn''t bring herself to.¡±


    ¡°Oh my... That¡¯s...amazing...¡±


    ¡°Right? Right??¡±


    After that, Countess Lucy proceeded to speak about Diana nonstop to Deneb.


    Then, as if something had just crossed her mind, she asked Deneb a question.


    ¡°Right, I forgot! There was something I wanted to ask you about, is that okay?¡±


    ¡°If I can answer it, of course.¡±


    ¡°Countess Gemini, you¡¯re close to that male witch, right?¡±


    ¡°You mean Shin Siwoo? Yes, I am, he is our important guest and benefactor, after all.¡±


    Not only did he save the twins'' lives, the twins also loved to follow him around.


    ¡°Yes, him. He...isn¡¯t a weird guy or anything, right...?¡±


    ¡°Is there something wrong with him?¡±


    ¡°These days... Diana has been visiting the host club to meet up with him. She said that they¡¯re just playing Witch Board together, but I¡¯m a little worried about it, you see...?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry, he isn¡¯t that kind of person. If anything, it¡¯s rare to see such an upright man these days.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? But why would someone like him work at a host bar...?¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, the owner of the bar is his friend and he¡¯s helping him out.¡±


    This was another Lucy-esque worry, but this time Deneb could relate to it.


    After all, there was a time when she was also worried over the fact that the twins were a little too attached to him.


    Of course, nowadays she had trusted him enough to let the twins travel together with him.


    ¡°Is it possible that Ms. Diana is interested in Siwoo as a member of the opposite sex...?¡±


    That was why she asked that question, to probe the relationship between him and Lucy¡¯s apprentice.


    Lucy¡¯s answer couldn¡¯t be more firm though.


    ¡°Of course not!¡±


    She jumped off her seat and slammed the table.


    ¡°My dear daughter isn¡¯t interested in that kind of thing! Since he¡¯s a real male witch, she definitely just came to meet him to satisfy her curiosity!¡±


    She has a point, that sounds like what her daughter would do.


    As far as Deneb knew, Countess Lucy was the most conservative and stubborn witch out of all the most conservative witches she knew.


    And Diana wasn¡¯t much different.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him. He¡¯s a former slave, so has a good understanding about how things work in Gehenna. Besides, he isn¡¯t the kind of person who¡¯d do something like that.¡±


    ¡°If you say so... Phew... In any case, I think I need to meet him in person soon.¡±


    It was natural for a witch to treasure her apprentice so much, but even to Deneb, Lucy¡¯s overprotective-ness was a little...excessive...


    Deneb sipped her black tea, hiding her bitter smile.


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised to see him in person. He¡¯s really attractive, you know?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, all men are the same in my eyes.¡±


    3.


    When the tear party¡ªthat lasted a little bit longer than expected¡ªended, the sky had already turned dark.


    Countess Yesod walked through the corridors of the large bathhouse and went to Diana¡¯s room.


    Even though they didn¡¯t have dinner together today, she still wanted to ask her daughter how her day was going.


    ¡°Sweetie~ What about taking a bath with mommy tonight~?¡±


    She opened the door to her daughter¡¯s room, smiling brightly at the thought of her seeing her lovely daughter.


    But what she had seen behind the door made her frozen in place.


    The sight before her eyes was so unbelievable that she was having a hard time believing it.


    ¡°A-Ah...¡±


    It was the sight of Diana, sitting at her table, holding a pen made of a peacock¡¯s feather.


    She let out a groan before looking around the pile of magic books on the table.


    The girl was so absorbed in her study that she didn¡¯t even notice Lucy¡¯s presence.


    Seeing this, the Countess shut her mouth tightly.


    She could feel the tip of her nose turning hot and there seemed to be something stuck in her throat.


    The sight unfolding in front of her made her about to shed her tears.


    Dear Lord...


    My cute Diana is studying at this hour...?*


    No matter how many times she rubbed her eyes, she still saw the same sight.


    There was a frown on her daughter''s face¡ªas if she was in a rut¡ªand her hair was messy since she had been using it as an outlet to release her frustration, but she was still studying hard.


    Had there ever been a time when she put this much effort into studying?


    Lucy¡¯s heart raced at this new sight, the sight she¡¯s seen for the very first time ever since she took this girl in as an apprentice.


    She quietly closed the door and left, afraid of disturbing her dear daughter.


    ¡°Sniff... My Diana...! My dear daughter...! Sniff... You¡¯ve finally grown up...!¡±


    Seeing how much her daughter had grown in this short period of time, Lucy couldn¡¯t help but shed her tears while pressing her hand on her mouth.


    With that, the night turned into an emotional night for the Countess.

 Chapter 343: Pride and Prejudice (2)

    Chapter 343: Pride and Prejudice (2)1.


    Three days after her closed-door training started.


    Diana had been busy studying magic while practicing her Witch Board skill for her revenge match.


    It was the first time she had ever put in this much effort in her long life as an apprentice witch.


    After all, no matter how much she enjoyed the Witch Board, at the end of the day, it was only a game.


    She never felt the need to dedicate some of her time to practicing it earnestly.


    Not only that, she had also realized something.


    How powerful revenge was as one¡¯s motivation, as it even managed to let her overcome her own laziness.


    Countess Yesod had to wipe her tears away more than a hundred times after seeing her studying from the morning till late at night. That was how motivated Diana was.


    As for what exactly she studied during that time, she was analyzing the famous witches¡¯ notations and reading through magic books related to Dispel Pin in more depth.


    Of course, she naturally tried to analyze Siwoo¡¯s playstyle as well and ended up discovering a surprising fact.


    ¡°That shameless man deceived me...¡±


    The male witch...


    Wasn¡¯t a beginner at all.


    His method of building his groundwork in advance before using Dispel Pins to steal advantages from her...


    Was a specialty of a certain witch from the 19th century.


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t copying that witch¡¯s moves down to a T, but the way he set his formation up was identical to the witch¡¯s.


    Even the way he clumped all his mana orbs to concentrate his power was similar.


    Which meant the tricky method that he had been using wasn¡¯t his own, but something that he copied off someone else.


    And yet he pretended as if he was playing for the first time.


    He acted as if he was someone who didn¡¯t know how to play.


    That led her to let her guard down and got her victory stolen from right under her nose.


    Of course, she didn¡¯t intend to hold it against him.


    Though he was playing sneaky and dirty, he practically won the last game with a direct fight, not with Dispel Pins, and that fact wouldn¡¯t change.


    ¡°Just wait and see... I¡¯ve already prepared my surefire plan...!¡±


    However, she was confident that she¡¯d win against him this time. She had put all her effort into studying and she had grown considerably more than before.


    If she were to give an estimation, she was 1.5 times stronger than before.


    As long as she could shut down his Dispel Pin, her victory was assured.


    And so, she jumped off her chair and headed towards the host club with a confident gait.


    2.


    ¡°S-Siwoo hyung is already tending to a guest now...¡±


    Diana, whose heart was filled with revenge, let out an atmosphere so cold that one would think the snow had suddenly fallen, even though it was still May.


    She went out of her way to come here at seven in the morning, yet Siwoo didn¡¯t even come down to greet her.


    Instead, it was the man she had seen the first time she came here who came to meet her with a flustered expression.


    ¡°I¡¯ll order something expensive. Bring me to him.¡±


    ¡°H-Huh? W-Wait for a moment...!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time to waste. Bring me to him. Now.¡±


    If she wasn¡¯t in her current state, she¡¯d probably decide to either wait or just go back tomorrow.


    But not now.


    Because she had been training so hard that she wouldn¡¯t feel satisfied unless she thoroughly beat that man in a game.


    Diana passed through the flustered doorkeeper and headed straight to table 1, where Siwoo always sat.


    Her thumping steps were filled with emotions and when she opened the temporary blinds...


    Three pairs of eyes, surprised by her sudden appearance, were staring at her.


    ¡°...Uh, hello there?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Two people she never expected to be with Siwoo were there.


    The two girls, wearing half-bonnets that were wider than their faces and dresses that looked as expensive as Diana¡¯s.


    With their curled black hair, purple eyes and cute faces that were like a doll, there was no way that Diana would mistake these two apprentice witches for anyone else.


    ¡°Huh? Why are you two...?¡±


    After all, they were the daughters of her mother¡¯s friend, the girls whom her mother always compared her to whenever she scolded her.


    The twin witches who shared the same witch name, the apprentice witches of Countess Gemini.


    ¡°You are that lazy girl...?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you are the apprentice witch that never listens to your mother!¡±


    Hearing their strange descriptions of herself, Diana¡¯s blood pressure instantly rose up.


    ¡°What¡¯s with those weird descriptions of me?!¡±


    Since Countess Gemini and Countess Yesod were close, they were naturally aware of each other¡¯s existence.


    But they were acquaintances at best, not friends.


    That was why Diana was surprised to find them here.


    There was another thing that surprised her.


    It was the fact that the twins were clinging closely to both Siwoo¡¯s sides.


    If intimacy could be judged by the distance between one person and the other, that was the kind of distance that only lovers could have.


    Also, one of the twins was putting a piece of fruit into the man¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°I thought I¡¯d need to introduce you to each other, but it seems like I don¡¯t need to...?¡±


    ¡°Well, we know each other, but we aren¡¯t that close.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    She didn¡¯t know if it was because the mood was right or if it was because of some other reason, but she could feel the flow of the game better.


    Now, she could clearly see what needed to be thrown away and what needed to be taken to gain even the slightest advantage against Siwoo.


    At one point, Siwoo was about to set up his Dispel Pin, but she managed to disrupt that, all while preventing other variables from interfering with her plans.


    Overall, the game was pretty tight.


    Siwoo¡¯s strategy was a do-or-die strategy that would get him to lose all his gas in the mid-game.


    Despite that, the game was still tight even though they were entering the late game.


    If one were to look at the odds, it would be 5.5 to 4.5 in her favor.


    Even though she had been pressuring him repeatedly, for some reason, he always found a way to hang on and prolong the game.


    However, no matter how much one tried to cover the whole board, the game area was limited to the board.


    Even if he were to keep dodging her assault like a slippery snake, eventually he¡¯d run out of space to run into.


    That was what Diana was trying to aim for. She analyzed the board while keeping her guard up against his Dispel Pin.


    -Tak!


    As Diana was calculating her moves...


    She could hear the twins¡¯ voices, as they started to comment on the game out of boredom.


    Well, actually, they were just whispering among themselves instead of commenting, but she could still hear it nonetheless.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not it...¡±


    ¡°Why did she even do that?¡±


    Of course, she tried to ignore them.


    They¡¯re just saying that because they don¡¯t know how to play.


    It isn¡¯t even worth responding to.


    ¡°You¡¯ll just give yourself up with that move...¡±


    ¡°Why does she keep making strange moves...?¡±


    ¡°Anyway, Mr. Assistant is really good!¡±


    ¡°As expected of Mr. Assistant!¡±


    Ignore, ignore...


    Giving myself up? There¡¯s no way I¡¯d make such a blunder.


    He doesn¡¯t have enough lenience to set up a trap for me anyway.


    The game is clearly in my favor, they can¡¯t even see that and they still said those words? Ha!


    Though she tried to ignore them, in the end, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and opened her mouth.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you two shut up?¡±


    ¡°What? Do you think you¡¯re in a position to demand something from us after we conceded our precious time to you? Besides, we¡¯re just talking among ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Just admit that you¡¯re bad at the game.¡±


    ¡°Haa, seriously... Just stop talking...!¡±


    They weren¡¯t wrong, but their words still pissed Diana off.


    Whatever, it doesn¡¯t matter.


    We¡¯ll see if my moves are right or wrong soon anyway!


    Though she resolved herself like that, the twins still managed to inflict mental damage on her with their words.


    That was probably the reason why she made such a huge blunder not long after.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    She realized her mistake a moment too late.


    Of course, Siwoo capitalized on her mistake, making even better moves than what Diana had expected.


    Her current position considerably worsened, as if she had just lost one of her legs in a tug-of-war.


    ¡°Ugh...!¡±


    Diana tried to make up for her blunder, but...


    Siwoo¡¯s attacks were too relentless for her to handle and eventually, he managed to completely crush all of her formations.


    That one blunder was enough to turn the game around.


    ¡°As expected of Mr. Assistant, there¡¯s no way she could beat you!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Mr. Assistant!¡±


    Diana hung her head down, her shoulders were shaking.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo tried his best to stop the twins from getting rowdy.


    Because he didn¡¯t want them to pour more oil into a burning house.


    ¡°Ms. Odile, Ms. Odette, please stop it... Also, Ms. Diana, that was a close match, if only you didn¡¯t make that blunder¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know!¡±


    After saying that, Diana glared at the twins while gritting her teeth.


    ¡°You guys said that you¡¯re good at Witch Board, right? Fine, play with me next.¡±


    It was clear that Siwoo was the target of her anger before she sat down, but now, she had directed everything at the twins.


    ¡°Huh? You want to go against us?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re really good at the game, you know? Do you think you can beat us?¡±


    Odile accepted the sudden challenge with a snort.


    Meanwhile, Odette crossed her arms and threw Diana¡¯s provocation right back at her.


    ¡°Of course I can beat you! Why don¡¯t we make a bet? Whoever lost the game will have to leave this place!¡±


    With that, Diana threw her glove to throw the twins out, so that she could finally have a proper showdown with Siwoo in peace.

 Chapter 344: Pride and Prejudice (3)

    Chapter 344: Pride and Prejudice (3)1.


    And so, an unexpected match between Diana and the twins started.


    Though she really didn¡¯t expect things would turn out this way, Diana wasn¡¯t flustered.


    After all, she had been studying magic as an apprentice witch for many years. Not only that, she was also confident in her skills.


    ¡°I have to say, I admire your courage in trying to challenge us.¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t cry when you lose, okay?¡±


    Ignoring the twins who were provoking her while smirking, Diana made her first move.


    She knew that she didn¡¯t need to mind their words at all.


    Because all she needed to do was to chase them quickly and continue her revenge in peace.


    -Tak!


    Odile moved to occupy the center of the board.


    Diana still didn¡¯t know the extent of the twins¡¯ abilities.


    That was why she was planning to assume a wait-and-see approach while trying to keep them in check, but that plan went awry by an unexpected turn of events.


    -Tak!


    Odette made a move right after Odile without waiting for Diana to take her turn.


    ¡°Hey, what was that?!¡±


    She asked that question with a frown, but what she received was a nonchalant answer from the twins.


    ¡°What? I was taking my turn.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s against the rules! You can¡¯t make two moves at a turn!¡±


    ¡°There are two of us, of course we can.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    These shameless girls¡ª!


    Even as they did that, the twins didn¡¯t act as if they were doing foul play or anything. Instead, they just smugly stared at Diana, as if trying to say ¡®Why can¡¯t you understand such an obvious thing?¡¯.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t do that! Even if you¡¯re both Geminis, you still can¡¯t do that! It¡¯s one move per turn for both of you!¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯re confident in your skills?¡±


    ¡°That is that, this is this! This is just cheating!¡±


    ¡°Ms. Diana, isn¡¯t the Witch Board a game where we could showcase our magical capabilities? Say that in the future we¡¯ll have an actual magic battle, we¡¯ll be doing exactly this, you know? We¡¯ll fight together against you alone. Are you going to say that we¡¯re cheating too when that happens?¡±


    Of course this was nothing but sophistry.


    While it was true that Witch Board was the closest game to an actual magic battle...


    It still had its own rules. More specifically, the ¡®one move per turn¡¯ rule, unlike a magic battle. That was how witches from different ranks, and even apprentice witches could enjoy the game fairly.


    This rule was the core of the game itself.


    And yet the twins just blatantly disregarded it.


    Besides, if what they were doing was actually allowed, then no witches could even dream of beating the Geminis in Witch Board.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine to run away if you¡¯re really afraid.¡±


    ¡°Mhm! We¡¯ve seen your weird plays earlier, anyway. We know how our game will go.¡±


    ¡°You can pretend to remember about something urgent and go back home.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll let you go.¡±


    Diana let out a deep sigh.


    They hadn¡¯t even started playing yet, but she was already exhausted.


    If it wasn¡¯t for their annoying provocation, she wouldn¡¯t even bother to challenge them like this.


    She¡¯d rather go back home, wash her feet, and go to sleep than doing all this.


    ¡°Fine, but I¡¯ll also make two moves per turn. Using you two¡¯s logic, by the time I become a real witch and have a magic battle with you, the amount of calculation we¡¯re going to make is similar anyway. Our ranks should be around the same too.¡±


    ¡°Sure, do whatever.¡±


    And so, they started the game with that sudden change of rule.


    Now, the game¡¯s speed became twice as fast as before and Diana was forced to think more than usual.


    She squinted her eyes at the twins¡¯ moves.


    As expected of the heirs of Countess Gemini, the way they built their formation was identical.


    The small-scale skirmishes that they started at the center of the board were solid and she could safely say that they were being serious when they said that they were good at the game.


    It was just, unlike Diana, who had a slow-and-steady approach, theirs were erratic and wild.


    They utilized the board to its fullest as they opened up skirmishes everywhere, while bouncing around like a rugby ball. With the ¡®two moves per turn¡¯ rule in effect, their moves were even harder to read than it should have been.


    Moreover...


    ¡°Hmm... Should I... Move here...?¡±


    ¡°No, wait, Sis, it¡¯s definitely whispers see what I meant?¡±


    ¡°But, Odette, won¡¯t it whispers if I do that?¡±


    ¡°Sis, just trust me!¡±


    ¡°S-S-S-Such a v-v-vulgar...a-a-act... Y-Y-You t-t-two a-are supposed to be nobles...¡±


    She started stuttering like a broken radio.


    Seeing this intense reaction, the twins tilted their heads in confusion for a bit. Then, a smirk appeared on their faces.


    It was the kind of smirk one would find on a mischievous old man¡¯s face.


    They could tell why Diana was acting this way.


    Because they were exactly like her once.


    ¡°Pfft, look at you. You¡¯ve been acting as if you¡¯re an adult all this time, but you can¡¯t even handle something like this~?¡±


    ¡°You know what they said, Sis? A frog in the well doesn¡¯t know that the sky isn¡¯t round!¡±


    ¡°Right, right! I bet she doesn¡¯t even know how babies are made, Odette!¡±


    Hearing the twins¡¯ continuous provocation, Diana barely managed to come to her senses.


    ¡°W-Who do you think I am...! Witches can¡¯t make babies!¡±


    ¡°What? We aren¡¯t talking about that.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You really don¡¯t know...?¡±


    The twins¡¯ reactions made Diana stare at them dumbfoundedly.


    It was as if they were unaware of how dangerous their actions were.


    Even though she wasn¡¯t particularly fond of them, she still couldn¡¯t bring herself to see them ruining their lives like this.


    Since it seemed like they were doing this because of their ignorance, she decided that she¡¯d correct that.


    ¡°Listen to me carefully.¡±


    Diana stared at the twins with a serious expression on her face.


    ¡°We apprentice witches shouldn¡¯t touch men carelessly.¡±


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s a given.¡±


    ¡°Why are you stating the obvious?¡±


    ¡°If you know, why did you do...what you did?! What if you accidentally touched his lips when you...did...that...to his cheek and lost your bowls?!¡±


    Question marks appeared on top of the twins¡¯ head.


    ¡°What are you even saying?¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to say that a kiss on the lips is dangerous?¡±


    ¡°...A kiss on the lips...is how you¡¯d make babies... S-Such a l-lewd act will ruin your bowl, obviously! W-Why can¡¯t you two figure this out? Are you two stupid?!¡±


    Diana glared at them, blaming them that she had to say all those embarrassing words out loud.


    At that moment, the twins finally realized what she was getting at.


    There were times when they were ignorant of such things too, so they could understand where she came from.


    In the first place, a relationship between apprentice witches and a man could easily be considered as a taboo.


    But, the thing here was, unlike the twins back then¡ªwho were akin to a houseplant growing in a greenhouse, Diana was akin to a seedling, completely ignorant and lacked even the basic knowledge.


    ¡°Look at this!¡±


    ¡°Kyaaa! W-What are you doing?!¡±


    Suddenly, Odile grabbed Siwoo¡¯s cheek before kissing him on the lips.


    That prompted Diana to jump off her seat with a scream.


    It wasn¡¯t because she thought that this was an obscene scene.


    To her, this was the equivalent of someone jumping right in front of a moving carriage.


    Unable to look, she tightly closed her eyes.


    When she opened her eyes after a while, she could see Odile shrugging at her.


    ¡°Nothing happened.¡±


    ¡°Sis, you sneaky¡ª! You took that chance to steal a kiss!¡±


    Without missing a breath, Odette also gave Siwoo a kiss.


    At this point, Diana had turned so pale and she also had started hyperventilating.


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    But, as time passed, she realized that nothing happened to both of them.


    If an apprentice witch¡¯s bowl was damaged, there bound to be some kind of magical reaction, but there wasn¡¯t anything like that happening.


    ¡°Who told you that a kiss on the lips could damage your bowl?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s sex that could damage your bowl. Sex!¡±


    Again, Diana jumped from her seat.


    This time, it was out of surprise¡ªat least as surprised as someone who had just discovered that the earth wasn¡¯t flat¡ªdue to the obscene fact the twins spouted.


    ¡°Y-Y-You perverts...! H-How could you¡ª! I-In front of others¡ª!¡±


    After that, Diana immediately left¡ªas if running away¡ªthe host club in a stagger.


    Leaving the twins to stare at her departing back blankly..

 Chapter 345: Pride and Prejudice (4)

    1.


    Closed for business.


    ¡°Thank you for everything, Siwoo hyung!¡±


    ¡°We owe you a lot!¡±


    ¡°No no, it¡¯s all because you guys worked so hard.¡±


    Today marked the end of Siwoo¡¯s career as the host club¡¯s promotional ambassador.


    For the occasion, the Rose Glass¡¯ staff members were holding a small party. Siwoo drank with the hosts for a while before approaching Takasho for a chat.


    ¡°Siwoo! My brother in both spirit and body! Thank you for your hard work!¡±


    ¡°So, how¡¯s everything? Did you get to secure some regulars?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Actually, at this rate, we might be able to open up a second club soon! I won¡¯t do that though! Being greedy isn¡¯t good, after all.¡±


    This was the first time Siwoo had witnessed how scary the word of mouths from the witches were.


    Thanks to Periwinkle¡¯s review, Takasho managed to improve the host club¡¯s service¡¯s quality and with Siwoo drawing the attention of the witches, it was safe to say that for the next three months, the club wouldn¡¯t need to worry about getting customers anymore since everything was completely booked.


    The witches didn¡¯t even mind if Siwoo was no longer working here.


    Takasho stood up from his seat and shook Siwoo¡¯s hands while smiling.


    The moment Siwoo grabbed his hand back, they embraced each other while patting each other on the back.


    ¡°I know I¡¯ve said this enough times already, but... Thank you... Without you, I don¡¯t know if I could go this far... That¡¯s why...¡±


    Takasho then took off the watch on his wrist.


    Siwoo didn¡¯t need to double check, it was obvious that this watch was a luxury item.


    ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon, keep that, why are you even giving me something like this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing compared to what you¡¯ve done for me. Just take it with you already!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it, just keep it!¡±


    ¡°Please! My friend! Take it!¡±


    Siwoo tried to reject it, but Takasho just shoved the watch into his grip.


    Then, he grabbed Siwoo¡¯s shoulder and showed him his bright smile.


    ¡°If you ever encounter any difficulties in the future, please come to me. I swear, I¡¯ll help you in any ways I can.¡±


    ¡°...Fine, appreciate the thoughts, dude. Alright, let¡¯s continue our party.¡±


    Takasho¡¯s words made Siwoo feel like he was in a youth movie or something and he felt a little ticklish and awkward because of it.


    In any case, at least this outcome could relieve him of one of his worries.


    ¡°Oh, right, recently, Ms. Periwinkle introduced me to a new alcohol dealer, so I¡¯ll be going to the Modern World soon.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You¡¯re going to the Modern World?¡±


    Gehenna was the City of Witches.


    For the sake of keeping the unique atmosphere of the place and satisfying those conservative witches¡¯ demands, they strictly limited their interactions with the Modern World.


    Even those smugglers who regularly supplied goods from the Modern World to Gehenna were prohibited to leave Border Town.


    And yet, Takasho said that he¡¯d be going to the Modern World...


    ¡°I have a temporary pass from Countess Adonai. Well, I figured it¡¯ll be easier for me to just go there and take care of this myself since I have a contract with Adonai¡¯s Trading Company anyway. I¡¯ll be going to Europe though, so I won¡¯t have the time to visit my home country. Guess this is how the life of a successful businessman goes, huh?¡±


    ¡°Take care of yourself and come back quickly. Don¡¯t just run away later, okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I won¡¯t just leave this place behind, you know?¡±


    -Knock, knock


    They were drinking while having some idle talk when suddenly there was a knock on the door.


    After that, Paul¡ªwho had got along well with Siwoo by now¡ªentered the room.


    ¡°Takasho hyung, a witch is looking for you.¡±


    ¡°At this hour? Where is she?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡±


    Before Paul could say anything, emerald green hair entered Siwoo¡¯s and Takasho¡¯s view.


    Though this witch wasn¡¯t that tall, she had such a great proportion that anyone would mistake her for being a tall woman.


    The aloof atmosphere she gave off¡ªsimilar to that of a stray cat¡ªand her mint-colored eyes only served to strengthen that image.


    This witch was none other than Sharon Evergreen.


    Wearing a pretty dress that was pressing against her chest, she bowed her head towards Takasho.


    ¡°Hello. I¡¯ve heard a lot about you from Siwoo. My name is Sharon Evergreen.¡±


    ¡°Sharon? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve told me about him a lot, no? I just wanted to meet him, since he¡¯s your best friend and all... Also, the last time I came here, he wasn¡¯t here...¡±


    For a moment there, Takasho was frozen stiff, surprised by her presence, but it didn¡¯t take long for him to showcase his skill and give her a proper welcome.


    He stood up from his seat and returned her bow.


    ¡°Hello! I¡¯ve heard a lot about you from him too! He always tried to make me jealous since he kept on bragging about his pretty girlfriend every single time. Jeez, seeing you in person just makes me want to kill him out of jealousy now.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Girlfriend...?¡±


    Hearing that word, Sharon¡¯s ears perked up.


    Sharon¡¯s eyes¡ªwhich were directed at Siwoo¡¯s¡ªwere trembling heavily.


    ¡°Yeah... I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to hide it... I was about to tell you about it soon, though...¡±


    ¡°No, no! I¡¯m not scolding you or anything! I just want to know if it¡¯s true or not.¡±


    Sharon averted her gaze.


    Siwoo could roughly tell what was going on in her mind.


    A man laying his hand on an apprentice witch was a taboo in the witch¡¯s society and this case wasn¡¯t an exception.


    Laying his hand on both twin sisters was also considered a taboo generally.


    There was also the matter of him sleeping with other girls even though he already had Sharon, which was also a taboo.


    Of course the threesome with the twins could also be considered as another taboo.


    But...


    ¡°Sharon, can you listen to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Can I speak first?¡±


    The atmosphere was strange.


    There was this weird tension among them, but Sharon was strangely calm.


    But, Siwoo didn¡¯t know if her calmness stemmed from disillusion, contempt, or something else.


    That was one thing that he couldn¡¯t figure out.


    ¡°Siwoo, you...are very important to me... I can say that you¡¯re the most important thing in my life...even more than magic... I want to tell you that...¡±


    As she said that, she moved her gaze to look him straight in the eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s why... When I found out that you¡¯ve been sleeping with someone other than me... That you¡¯ve been showing the same expressions you¡¯ve been showing me to others... I was upset...and jealous...really, really jealous...¡±


    ¡°...Sharon...¡±


    Then, she drew her lips closer to his.


    She pulled him by the collar and kissed him.


    When they parted after that kiss, a blooming smile appeared on Sharon¡¯s face.


    ¡°But, if this is what makes you happy, so be it. At the end of the day, your happiness is the only thing that I want. So, please, don¡¯t feel too concerned about me anymore, okay?¡±


    ¡°Wait, I tried to settle things properly with the others too, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°What did I just say? You don¡¯t need to do that! Don¡¯t feel too concerned about me. Got it? Anyway, ugh, I hate this kind of atmosphere. It made me feel like we¡¯re in some kind of a cheap drama or something... Well, I actually tried to imitate that one drama I watched before, but ugh... Can¡¯t say I like it...¡±


    Sharon let go of her arms, waving everything off as if it was a joke and walked on.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    But of course Siwoo wouldn¡¯t just let her go as he immediately grabbed her wrist.


    She immediately looked back, startled.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same for me.¡±


    ¡°W-What?¡±


    ¡°Sorry for not telling you this sooner, but... You¡¯re also important to me.¡±


    Sharon, who was staring at him blankly, considerably brightened up after he said those words.


    Her expression made it look as if she had received all the goods in the world.


    ¡°Mm! I know!¡±


    It was currently late at night.


    There was no one around.


    The shops and the streets that were bustling during the day were pretty much deserted, leaving only the two of them in this Gallery.


    Holding Sharon¡¯s slender wrist, Siwoo brought her face closer to his, starting another kiss.


    This time, deeper and longer.


    The tip of her tongue¡ªwhich he hadn¡¯t tasted for a long time¡ªfelt a little bitter, maybe due to the alcohol they consumed earlier.


    Sharon didn¡¯t refuse his kiss and instead held on to his waist tightly.


    After they parted, Sharon looked up at Siwoo with wide eyes. It was because she had felt something hard pressing on her lower stomach.


    Both of them had gone through a lot of things together.


    To the point that they could understand what the other person was thinking just by looking at their eyes.


    ¡°Really? Here? But what if someone...?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way I could endure until we get home... Uh... That alley over there, nobody should notice it if we do it there.¡±


    In truth, Siwoo could just teleport them back home.


    And Sharon knew this.


    That was why, for him to make such a suggestion...


    ¡°W-Well, I-I heard that a thrilling adventure every once in a while could make a relationship stronger... Of course, if you don¡¯t want it, I won¡¯t force you to...¡±


    It went without saying that Sharon didn¡¯t even think of refusing his offer.


    That night, it was said that the stray cats in the Malkuth Gallery were a little bit rowdier than usual, and they didn¡¯t stop making noises until the night was over.

 Chapter 346: Pride and Prejudice (5)

    Chapter 346: Pride and Prejudice (5)1.


    ¡°Baby, are you feeling sick?¡±


    ¡°No, Mom, I¡¯m not. I¡¯ll just lay down for a moment, I¡¯ll feel better...¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Should Mommy not go to work today and just take care of you at home, Sweetie?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I just wanna be alone for a bit...¡±


    ¡°If you say so... Mommy will buy something tasty for dinner, so cheer up quickly okay, Sweetie? Mommy loves you!¡±


    ¡°I love you too, Mom.¡±


    -Click


    After Countess Lucy went off to work and closed the door to her room, Diana buried her face in the pillow again.


    It had been two days since she had been doing this; groaning in her room in agony and distress.


    As for why she was in this state... Well, she had just witnessed an absurd sight before her eyes, and because of it, one of the beliefs she had held so dearly was shattered to pieces.


    ¡°That was absurd... How could they...¡±


    Recalling all the atrocious things the twins had done up to the...kiss...Diana bit her lips. Confusion and distraught enveloped her mind.


    Their lips clearly touched!


    A man¡¯s lips touched those two¡¯s lips!


    And yet, their bowls are still intact...?


    ¡°Uuu...gg...¡±


    Recalling the scene again, Diana felt nauseous.


    The uncouth...


    And unpleasant action...


    Left an inexplicable feeling of aversion and disgust in her chest¡ªthe same feeling when someone accidentally came across a gazelle being eaten by a lion.


    ¡°...Anyway, I can¡¯t stay like this forever...¡±


    Saying that, Diana rose up.


    Then, she combed up her messy hair.


    It had already been two days since she holed herself in her room.


    Something strange is going on here, definitely...


    And that was the conclusion that she had reached after all the time she spent pondering.


    Now, she was presented with two choices.


    Would she settle with the pleasant lie that she had always believed for her entire life?


    Or would she try to find out the truth, even though it might be horrible and cruel?


    Diana was an apprentice witch of the Yesod.


    And she was proud of that fact.


    Any ordinary person would pick the first option without much hesitation but...


    She was a witch, someone who was supposed to pioneer a new path to explore the depths of magic. That was why, picking the first option like an ordinary person wasn¡¯t even an option for her.


    The gap between lies and reality.


    To explore through that gap, Diana took a step outside her room.


    2.


    With that in mind, the first thing Diana tried to investigate were all the people working inside the house.


    As a side note, Countess Yesod didn¡¯t employ any male employees there.


    That was why Diana had it easier to ask around about something like this.


    ¡°Good afternoon.¡±


    She approached the two maids who were chatting in the hallways. The moment they saw her, they instantly lowered their heads.


    ¡°M-Ms. Diana, h-hello...¡±


    ¡°H-Hello, M-Ms. Diana... W-We¡¯re just about to go back to work...¡±


    For a normal employee, meeting with Diana was an extremely rare occasion.


    First of all, Diana barely left the vicinity of her room, as she spent most of her time in the pool that was directly connected to her room.


    Also, ever since she was young, she spent all her time together with Countess Yesod, and that hadn¡¯t changed even until now, so there just weren¡¯t any occasions where the employees could have a talk with her.


    That was why, when she suddenly approached them, the maids¡¯ bodies became frozen stiff.


    ¡°I have a question for you.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes!¡±


    ¡°Y-You can ask me anything!¡±


    After hearing such responses from the maids¡ªwho seemed like a new recruit facing their TO¡ªDiana went ahead and asked the question that had been weighing on her mind, but before that...


    ¡°Please don¡¯t be weirded out by my question, it¡¯s only for research¡¯s purposes. Also, don¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡±


    For an apprentice witch who had received all kinds of advanced education to ask a few maids about her research...


    Obviously, it roused their curiosity, but they were too scared to do anything else other than nodding their heads.


    ¡°Y-Yes!¡±


    ¡°I-I swear I¡¯ll never tell anyone about this!¡±


    For a brief moment, Diana hesitated.


    Because she knew that her question wasn¡¯t exactly a normal one.


    Rather, it was an embarrassing one to ask to anyone.


    ¡°Ahem, so, do you know how babies are born?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The moment they heard Diana¡¯s question, the maids¡¯ expressions hardened.


    They looked at each other and began to sweat profusely.


    ¡°A-Ah... T-That... I-I¡¯m sorry, b-but... W-We have to go back to work soon...¡±


    ¡°S-Sorry...!¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    If the library in the center of the mansion was equivalent to the size of a city library, Countess Lucy¡¯s personal library was significantly smaller than that.


    At best, it was as big as a small bookstore in a neighborhood.


    Since the countess maintained its humidity and temperature well with magic, even books that were at least a hundred years old looked as good as books that hadn¡¯t had their ink dried.


    The sunlight seeped through the window, combined with the smell of old paper gave anyone who entered this place a peace of mind.


    Inside, the shelves were arranged in a ¡®?¡¯ shape with a desk placed in the middle.


    On the desk, there were papers filled with magical calculations scattered around.


    Actually, Diana came here quite often.


    And the countess never refused her visits even once.


    However, this was the first time she had ever sneaked her way in like this, so her heart was pounding even harder than usual.


    ¡°Huu...¡±


    Nevertheless, that didn¡¯t stop her from searching through the library for thirty minutes.


    But, her search ended with disappointment.


    Because she couldn¡¯t find anything here either.


    The only difference between the books in here and in the library was that the books here were smaller in number but more advanced in contents.


    ¡°Could I have been wrong...?¡±


    Maybe, books about men were few and far between in the first place?


    Does that mean Mom didn¡¯t actually do anything?


    At that moment a sense of guilt struck her.


    She let out a light sigh before putting back the books she had picked up from the shelf and then...


    -Click!


    She didn¡¯t mean to do anything.


    All she tried to do was put the last heavy book back in its place before leaving the library.


    But, she grazed the small statue on the side of the bookshelf by accident.


    When that happened, the small statue portraying the silver crescent moon¡ªthe crest of Yesod¡ªlet out a sound that was similar to that of a gear turning.


    ¡°?¡±


    She put down the heavy book in her hand and stared at the statue closely.


    Huh? Is this something they usually put in a bookshelf?


    ¡°This...?¡±


    Suddenly, she began to twist the crescent moon statue, seemingly realizing something.


    Not long after, alongside the sound of interlocking pieces of metals, the shelf began to descend slowly.


    I knew it, this isn¡¯t a simple statue, it¡¯s some kind of a mechanism!


    After the bookshelf was completely out of the way, the wall behind it opened like an entrance to somewhere..


    So, this bookshelf functions as a door of some sorts...


    ¡°A door to a secret room...¡±


    Diana held her breath, waiting for the wall to be completely open before stepping inside cautiously.


    This secret room, or rather, secret library didn¡¯t look like anything special.


    The location of the bookshelves and the table¡¯s arrangements were the exact same as the countess¡¯ private library.


    But, the books inside were different.


    From the titles alone, Diana could already tell that those were novels.


    She quickly approached the shelves and began to look through the titles carefully.


    ¡°Dangerous Plays of a Bored Witch... Selling Your Life to Repay a Debt... How Butterfly Flowers Fall... The Tailor of Malkuth Gallery... Sweeter Than Cocoa...¡±


    Diana had only been reading through the books¡¯ titles, but it already made her feel uneasy.


    She guessed that this was probably the kind of feeling she¡¯d felt if she were to suddenly fall into a snake pit.


    For some reason, she could feel her spine tingle and a strange chill struck her.


    What are these titles...?


    ¡°Just what...?¡±


    All the books here had similar sounding titles.


    At first, she thought that this place was just a storage for those books or something, but the colorful bookmarks in those books disproved that thought instantly.


    Essentially, a novel was a small story packaged in a book.


    The witches deemed all the people who read it as graceless.


    Especially the conservative witches who valued magic above all; to them, even Shakespeare¡¯s works were worth less than a piece of garbage.


    And Countess Yesod was among those conservatives, an especially stubborn one among the other conservatives even. Diana always had thought her as a perfect noblewoman, so it was hard for her to imagine that she¡¯d ever enjoy these books secretly.


    Of course, she wasn¡¯t disappointed in her mother or something.


    After all, she had her own concept of fun so she wouldn¡¯t judge her mother at all if this was her way of having fun.


    And she believed that everyone had the right to keep a secret or two.


    So, she decided to just leave this place quietly, since it would be rude of her if she were to pry for her mother¡¯s secret any more than this.


    But then something caught her eyes.


    A book with a bright leather cover that was sitting on the table.


    Written in cursive, the book¡¯s title was as follow:


    ¡®Devil¡¯s Delivery Service Volume 3¡¯.


    She reached out to the book instinctively.


    ¡°T-This...¡±


    She recognized the handwriting on the title; her mother¡¯s.


    Unable to resist her curiosity, she proceeded to open the book.


    From the first chapter to the last chapter...


    The entirety of the book was written by Countess Lucy Yesod.

 Chapter 347: Pride and Prejudice (6)

    1.


    The path leading to the Gemini Mansion¡¯s grounds were filled with oak and birch trees.


    Amidst the falling leaves from the trees that were preparing for their hibernation, a jet black spear cut through the air with piercing sounds.


    It was a 2.45 m long spear made of shadows.


    Both its shape and length were similar to that of the Red Branch.


    ¡°Heuk...!¡±


    The one who had been swinging such a spear was Siwoo, and the one facing him directly was none other than Eloa.


    With her pink-colored hair tied to a ponytail, she easily deflected the spear tip that had risen to her chin.


    When he saw that happen, Siwoo spun his body around.


    Then, in the midst of that rotation, he dished out three quick thrusts in quick succession.


    -Woosh, woosh, woosh!


    Each thrust was aimed at different points, but Eloa managed to dodge every one of them with ease. She even managed to close the gap between them using the momentum.


    The tip of her sword, which had been kissing the ground before she lifted it up, reached right in front of Siwoo¡¯s neck in an instant.


    At that moment, their eyes met and after a while, Siwoo raised both of his hands in defeat.


    ¡°Good job.¡±


    ¡°Haaa... You too, Master... I just can¡¯t beat you, can I?¡±


    ¡°Of course. What made you think that you can do that already, hm?¡±


    The two of them then drank some water from the same bottle while sitting down on a bench near the trees.


    Siwoo had asked Eloa to teach him something again.


    Originally, his weapon of choice was always a sword paired with a shield, but this time, he changed it into a spear.


    He was planning to change his main weapon into a spear so that he could immediately use the Red Branch in combat the moment he managed to control the weapon properly.


    Although Myriad Weapons Mastery Covenant allowed him to skillfully use all kinds of weapons, there was still a big difference when he was using weapons that he was used to and the ones he wasn¡¯t.


    Case on point, he was defeated significantly quicker while he was wielding the spear compared to when he was wielding a sword.


    ¡°So, what is it that I need to pay attention to this time?¡±


    ¡°Spacing. Basically, your body is trying to adjust to a different distance compared to what it used to. That¡¯s why you ended up stepping forward when you were supposed to back down and backing down when you were supposed to be stepping forward. Well, as long as you keep on practicing, you¡¯ll get used to the distance eventually.¡±


    Leaning her head slightly to the side, Eloa wiped the sweat that had formed on her forehead.


    Looking at how thin and fragile her neck and body looked, it seemed unthinkable that she could unleash such great strength during the sparring.


    Siwoo knew that it was because of magic, but even after knowing that, it still didn¡¯t make much sense to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since the last time we sparred like this.¡±


    A bright smile bloomed in Eloa¡¯s lips, as if she was extremely happy because of that alone.


    ¡°Ah, turn your face this way for a moment.¡±


    She stared at Siwoo for a moment before suddenly saying that and leaned her face closer to his.


    Because of that, the distance between them instantly narrowed.


    It was so close that Siwoo thought they were about to kiss; his body became frozen stiff at the thought.


    Of course, Eloa wouldn¡¯t just kiss him like that. Instead, she wiped his face with the handkerchief in her hand.


    It was a pure white handkerchief with a light floral pattern embroidered on it.


    ¡°I-I can do that by myself.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, why are you being so shy all of a sudden, hm?¡±


    As she wiped his sweat off his face like that, a strangely sweet scent tickled his nose.


    It was as if she had sprayed a bunch of perfume on her.


    Feeling a little awkward due to his reaction, Eloa placed the handkerchief back in her bosom.


    ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t seen you for a while... Busy?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but not anymore. I want to focus on training for the time being, so... Will you help me with it, Master?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Since it¡¯s you who¡¯s asking me, even if I don¡¯t have the time to, I¡¯ll make some for you. You just need to ask.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master, I appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°So, do you have any plans after this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll probably continue my research next... I¡¯m still stuck...¡±


    Prior to this research, Siwoo had thought that he had a natural talent in magic or something.


    Now, he realized how arrogant he had been.


    He had been trying to sample formulas from here and there, but the result was nothing but disastrous.


    Maybe trying to break a rock with eggs would be more fruitful than what he had been doing.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get there, I believe in you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you... Well, I guess I shouldn¡¯t waste any time so that I could get some results quicker. See you at dinner, Master.¡±


    ¡°See you.¡±


    Siwoo bowed his head before going back to his room.


    Meanwhile, Eloa stared at his departing back.


    The happy smile that was engraved in her lips turned into a sad one before she realized it. For some reason, a feeling of regret and annoyance filled her heart.


    She muttered under her breath, to no one in particular.


    ¡°Follow me!¡±


    Clara threw down the teapot she had been boiling and picked up Amelia¡¯s small body.


    Even through her clothes, she could feel that her entire body was burning hot.


    Her hair fell on her cheeks, clinging to it due to sweat as she stared at Clara with a blank gaze.


    ¡°Amelia, listen to me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to cure you now, so I need you to turn off your autonomous defense for a moment.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna give you some of my mana.¡±


    Without hesitation, Clara offered to give her mana to Amelia.


    This was a taboo act among the witches.


    Because it was an extremely dangerous act.


    To a witch whose body was made of spirit, mana was no different than blood.


    Since each witch possessed different self-essence magic, each witch also had a different kind of mana.


    That was why, transfusing one¡¯s mana to another was just as dangerous as transfusing blood of different types as it would cause pretty much the same side effect as that. There was also the possibility that the one doing the transfusing held a malicious intent against the one receiving. It went without saying that such a thing would be life-threatening for the latter.


    ¡°Do you trust me?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Though her body was in such a poor state, Amelia¡¯s expressionless eyes looked the same as always, giving off an eerie impression, but Clara could see the slight tremble on them.


    The slight tremble on her pretty blue eyes reminded her of a ripple on a calm lake¡¯s surface.


    When Amelia gave her a small nod, Clara instantly started her work.


    Without hesitation, she pulled out the mana she stored in her brand.


    It was bright red in color, just like a bursting red flame.


    Of course, she wouldn¡¯t just give Amelia the mana while it was still in this state.


    She had to separate her self-essence magic from it as much as possible first before she could give it to Amelia.


    Clara¡¯s mana reserves were great, she could hold several times more mana than the average witches on the same rank as her.


    But, even if that was the case, separating self-essence magic from mana was an inefficient process, and it would create more waste than it would create pure mana.


    For example, if she were to separate a bottle worth of her mana, she¡¯d only get a few drops of pure mana at most.


    ¡°Hang in there, I¡¯ll heal you soon.¡±


    During the process, Clara¡¯s forehead was also covered in sweat.


    Not long after she started, the red mana in her hand turned white and transparent.


    Though there was still some of her self-essence magic remaining there, this was as pure as it could get.


    ¡°Haa...¡±


    Then, she passed her mana over to Amelia, and the latter¡¯s face finally began to regain its color.


    Not long after, Amelia¡¯s body began to relax as she started to fall asleep and that was when Clara could finally let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°...That was dangerous.¡±


    Even though they had become closer lately, Amelia was still putting up a thick wall between her and Clara.


    Though Clara was disappointed by this, she understood that was just how the girl was like.


    In contrast to her lofty status as a 23rd rank witch, Amelia Marigold was still an extremely immature, weak, and clumsy witch.


    A fool who was afraid to show her wound to others.


    Clara stroked Amelia¡¯s lustrous blond hair as she let her lay down on her lap.


    Her thin yet fluffy blond hair was like melted gold woven on an angel¡¯s loom, it flowed comfortably between her fingertips.


    Amelia¡¯s cheeks were drenched in sweat.


    Her lips slightly parted as her breath came in and out of the gap.


    Even though she looked extremely haggard and weak, she still exuded a strangely sensual aura around her.


    After staring at the sight for a good while, as if possessed, Clara¡¯s eyes caught the glimpse of Amelia¡¯s kill list which was nestled in her arms.


    The same kill list that was filled with the names of the Criminal Exiles that Duchess Keter tasked Amelia to kill.


    It went without saying that this wasn¡¯t something that Clara could just look at without Amelia¡¯s permission.


    But, she knew more than anyone, if things were to continue like this, Amelia¡¯s condition would only get worse.


    Since she decided that she¡¯d help Amelia out anyway, she figured that it would be a good idea to at least find out who her next target would be.


    And so, she opened the kill list.


    After finding the name of the witch that Amelia just hunted today, she quickly found the next target that Amelia needed to hunt.


    ¡°This...is one hell of a tricky one to face off against...¡±


    Her target was a member of Qlipoth.


    A 22nd rank grand witch.


    She was notorious for her feat of killing countless witches who stood in her way, the one who held the moniker of the Witch of Desire.


    Bianca Belleli.

 Chapter 348: The Witchs Erotic Novel (1)

    1.


    Diana began to read the third volume of the Devil¡¯s Delivery Service.


    Before that, she already skimmed through the entire book and she became more convinced that it was her mother who wrote this book.


    Both her elegant handwriting and the ink and quill on the table was enough to prove it.


    [Chapter 1]


    [Crime and Punishment.]


    [Under the influence of love, the witch became even more beautiful than before.]


    [Her hair, previously scorned and mocked as being dirty, had a luster that would remind one of a wolf¡¯s fur. Her lips, with their captivating colors, and her eyes, glistening with dreamlike luster, stole the attention of all the witches walking down the streets.]


    Those were the first words that Diana had read off the book.


    It looked just like a romance novel one could find anywhere.


    A story of love between a man and a woman, just like ¡®The Sorrows of Young Werther¡¯ or ¡®The Red and the Black¡¯.


    ¡°The protagonist¡¯s hair is gray...¡±


    Diana noticed the most-distinguishable feature of the witch¡ªwho appeared to be the main character of the novel; her ashen-gray hair.


    She quickly assumed that her mother was projecting herself onto this character.


    It was a little strange, but Diana was open-minded enough to accept it.


    The first half of the story proceeded with nothing special happening.


    There was a summary of what happened in volume one and two, which were about 3~4 pages long, telling the story of how the witch fell in love with an ordinary, yet attractive delivery man.


    Apparently, the witch was rejected by him somehow.


    In the summary, there was even a description of the witch letting out a sigh under the dazzling moonlight, unable to forget the appearance of said delivery man.


    [¡°That detestable person, why did he refuse to meet me? Can¡¯t he ease this loneliness that¡¯s darker than the night, relieve me of this pain that¡¯s sharper than countless blades...¡±]


    ¡°...He rejected the witch?¡±


    Diana knew that this work was purely fictional, but she was still left dumbfounded due to how absurd that notion was.


    It was just like all those lines uttered in theater that no one would ever try saying out loud in real life.


    Although, if she had to describe her current expression in a single word, it would be...


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Excitement.


    Because this book wasn¡¯t the kind of book that Countess Lucy would allow to be stored in the mansion¡¯s library, the so-called ¡®controversial book¡¯.


    Normally, a book depicting a relationship between a man and a woman would end in vague terms, as if the author refused to give a clear ending to their work. r


    But this book should be different. To Diana, it was like she was entering a whole new world entirely.


    She was just like a chaebol who had tasted fast food for the first time and relished in the cheap and savory taste of such food.


    That expression actually wasn¡¯t further from the truth, since she actually felt the same excitement that she felt when her mother brought her those strange snacks from the Modern World when she was reading this book.


    Since there was still some time before the countess¡¯ return, Diana decided to sit down and read through the book in earnest.


    [After much thought, the witch finally decided to meet the delivery man. Yet, she was greeted by his cold and humiliating words instead of a warm embrace.]


    [¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me that you¡¯d never sought for me again?¡±]


    [¡°I did.¡±]


    [¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you hate those who break their promise?¡±]


    [¡°I did.¡±]


    [¡°Then, why are you here? Is it because the weight of your promise to humans is less than that of your promise to witches?¡±]


    ¡°Aha...¡±


    From that, Diana was able to tell that it was the witch who had left the man first because of something and she declared that she¡¯d never meet the man ever again.


    But, she was unable to bear the loneliness and in the end, she went against her own words and sought after the man.


    Up to this point, she could follow the plot perfectly.


    The summary was pretty clear and it didn¡¯t seem like there was a need for her to read the first and second volume first.


    After that, the witch and the delivery man talked back and forth.


    [¡°Lying is a great sin. Even if you utter it with your beautiful lips until they bleed, it still won¡¯t erase that sin.¡±]


    [¡°I know. Hence why, I am here, to accept any punishment you¡¯d bestow upon me, to atone that sin.¡±]


    [The witch covered her face out of shame.]


    [A mix between embarrassment and humiliation was shown in her face, stemming from the way she humbled and carried herself as a lowly person despite her identity as a noble witch. But there was a third emotion mixed in; anticipation.]


    [The witch, who had been averting her eyes from the man¡¯s, opened her mouth again.]


    [¡°Please, tell, what kind of punishment awaits me?¡±]


    [¡°Could it be that¡¯s the reason why you came here, Ms. Witch? To receive that punishment from me?¡±]


    [¡°That isn¡¯t true.¡±]


    [¡°Lying is a sin.¡±]


    [¡°...¡±]


    ¡°Punishment?¡±


    Diana tilted her head.


    Up until this point, she was able to follow the plot without any difficulties whatsoever, but that word in particular left her bewildered.


    A man? Punishing a witch?*


    *


    The witch is even looking forward to the punishment...?


    What¡¯s going on?


    [But at the same time, she felt this sweet and thrilling ecstasy that accompanied such feelings.]


    [Shy, light pink color, just like a blooming sakura, painted her face.]


    [Though she still hadn¡¯t felt the man¡¯s breath touching her body, her shame was thrown out of the window the moment the soft quill in the man¡¯s hand stroked her¡ª]


    At that moment Diana averted her gaze away from the book.


    ¡°What is this even...?¡±


    Contrary to what Diana had thought, the punishment that the delivery man mentioned wasn¡¯t something that was overly obscene.


    If anything, it was less shocking compared to when the witch stripped her clothes without any warning whatsoever.


    The delivery man only tied the naked witch into the bed.


    Then, he gently tickled her body with a quill feather.


    She tried to picture that scene in her head, but she still failed to find something strange with it.


    ¡°...I guess I¡¯ll have to read more to tell...¡±


    And so, she continued to read the book further despite the heat rising to her head.


    [The feather tickled every nook and cranny of the witch¡¯s body, even the deepest part where no one but herself could touch.]


    [¡°I can¡¯t...take this anymore... Please... Embrace me...¡±]


    [¡°But the punishment isn¡¯t over yet.¡±]


    [¡°Please... Just embrace me... If this goes on like this... I


    ¡°...¡±


    For the first time, Diana could somewhat relate with the witch.


    She thought that if she were to be tickled that heavily with a feather, she¡¯d also feel so suffocated that she might die.


    Of course, she had no intention of letting anyone tickle her with a feather to begin with.


    In any case, she managed to understand this part of the book quite easily.


    Though the book used sultry words to describe the part where the delivery man tickled the witch, aside from the passage where it said ¡®The witch made strange nasal sounds¡¯, it was just a tickling punishment more or less.


    [The witch¡¯s body, trembling pitifully, now covered with glistening beads of sweat, akin to that of morning dew.]


    [Her hot breath, sweet, just like tropical fruits and her body, now so hot and excited, even a light brush of the feather gave her the sensation of a deep caress.]


    [¡°You¡¯re wet down there, Ms. Witch.¡±]


    [¡°Don¡¯t mention that...¡±]


    [¡°Did you really enjoy being caressed by this feather that much?¡±]


    [¡°A-A


    [The delivery man swung the feather at the witch¡¯s most precious protruding spot.]


    [That evoked a reaction from the witch, as her body swayed and a lewd, beastly moan escaped her lips.]


    [Her groin, all soaked because of the strokes of the feather, stank in the vulgar scent of a woman.]


    ¡°...¡±


    The novel, which started out like a cliche romance novel, became more and more racy as it progressed.


    As she read further, Diana found more sentences that she failed to understand.


    But...


    One thing she knew for sure was...


    The fact that this novel was an extremely obscene one.


    Just imagining what was going on already made her chest tight, it was so vulgar that she felt some aversion as she read it.


    After that, the book showed her a scene where the delivery man took off his clothes and climbed onto the bed.


    The passage depicted the naked body of a man¡ªthat Diana obviously had never seen before¡ªin vivid detail.


    Like how hard the man¡¯s muscles were, thanks to all the hard labor he had been doing all these years, or how his copper-colored skin was rougher than that of a woman¡¯s.


    But, the most detailed part of the depiction was none other than the man¡¯s male-specific organ.


    [Down below was his rigid spear, made of flesh.]


    [Its tip was round, as big as a child¡¯s fist. Thick looking veins covered its shaft as it stood proud and tall, showing no sign of wilting any time soon. The man had no qualms pressing this hard object against the witch¡¯s lower abdomen.]


    [¡°Is this what you want?¡±]


    [¡°Yes... That... I want...¡±]


    [¡°Say it properly, that you want it.¡±]


    [¡°Your cock... That hot, hard spear of ecstasy... I want it deep inside me...!¡±]


    Diana, who had been holding her breath as she read through every word with bloodshot eyes, stopped at the last sentence.


    [¡°Alright. I¡¯ll put it in.¡±]


    The part where the man¡¯s genitals...


    Was inserted into the witch¡¯s own genitals...


    ¡°Eep...!¡±


    Almost immediately, Diana lifted her hand from the book, as if she had just touched a hot pot by accident.


    Then she shook her head wildly from side to side.


    If Gehenna was just any other city in the Victorian Era, not the City of Witch...


    And if Diana was an ordinary young lady of a count¡¯s family instead of a witch, she would have held her social debut and had gotten engaged two or three years ago already and she¡¯d probably think that this kind of stimulation was rather exciting.


    But, she wasn¡¯t and instead, she was raised by Countess Lucy, who had planted the seed of man-hating in front of her. This kind of stimulation was too much for her.


    ¡°This dirty¡ª!¡±


    She quickly closed the book, put everything back into its place and left the library quickly.

 Chapter 349: The Witchs Erotic Novel (2)

    1.


    It was the end of her busy day at work for Countess Lucy, so she headed towards the dining room with excited steps.


    Obviously, she was going to have dinner with her beloved Diana today too.


    She even ordered the chef to cook up a special meal for Diana since the poor girl seemed to not be in a good mood lately.


    Diana always preferred pheasant meat more than lamb.


    This particular pheasant the chef was going to serve was a freshly hunted one, they just hunted it earlier this morning.


    Game meat like this normally had a stronger meaty flavor compared to farmed ones, it also held a high value as a gourmet meal since it still had the ¡®taste of the wild¡¯.


    ¡°Hello, Sweetie! How was your day?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t only the pheasant, the rest of the food being served on the table could pass up as gourmet meals.


    But, Diana¡¯s expression didn¡¯t brighten up at all even after she saw it; bewildering the countess.


    Instead, her complexion was grim, as if her face was covered by dark clouds.


    ¡°Baby? Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The countess asked in a worried tone, but she only glanced at her briefly before averting her gaze again.


    Surprised by this, Lucy asked her once again.


    ¡°Diana? What happened?¡±


    ¡°Nothing happened, really...¡±


    Though she said that, it was obvious that something happened.


    However, even though she was worried, the countess couldn¡¯t press the question further, since Diana made it clear that she didn¡¯t want to talk about it¡ªwith how she blurted out that answer curtly before immediately grabbing the silver cutleries and wrapping a napkin on her neck.


    ¡°Today¡¯s dinner is your favorite dish, my baby! Since you¡¯ve worked so hard, eat a lot, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you, Mom.¡±


    Lucy tried to get a reaction out of her by purposely acting all excited, but the response she received was still lukewarm.


    The way Diana cut the meat up with the silver knife was rough, and she wore a look as if she was chewing rubber after she scooped up the cut meat with a fork and ate it. R?


    Is this... Her second rebellious phase?!


    Diana¡¯s first rebellious phase happened years ago when she first went through puberty.


    Since then, they had stopped taking baths together and they had their own separate rooms.


    If Lucy were to describe the grief and bewilderment that she felt in that time of crisis, she could probably create a 800-page novel easily just from that.


    Even though she was a mature and experienced witch, Diana was, after all, her very first daughter, and it was the first time she ever had to deal with something like that.


    However, this time was different. She had gathered plenty of important experience from that time, so she was significantly more calm and composed than before.


    ¡°Sweetie, is there something troubling you?¡±


    Now, she was aware that asking her child why she was acting differently wasn¡¯t a good thing to do, both for the child¡¯s mental health, and for the sake of communicating with her clearly.


    She had learned from experience that the best way to handle this situation was to build empathy with gentle words and eye contact.


    Lucy stared at Diana with a gentle smile on her face. The latter met the countess¡¯ gaze with hesitant eyes, seemingly a little taken aback by the warmth within her gaze.


    ¡°If there really is something troubling you, just tell your mommy, okay? Mommy will do her best to take care of everything!¡±


    ¡°...Thanks for the food.¡±


    Sadly, the situation went in a complete opposite direction than what Lucy had expected.


    Diana put down her fork and knife and left the dining table with quick steps.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The countess could only stare at Diana¡¯s departing back¡ªwhich quickly disappeared from her line of sight before she could even think to stop her.


    2.


    Hidden truth was something that could distort good relationships.


    Though in Diana¡¯s case, it wasn¡¯t as bad, she couldn¡¯t imagine treating her mother the same way as she did before she discovered her secret hobby.


    But...


    ¡°Haa...


    After she was done with dinner, Diana went to the back garden connected to her room.


    Well, rather than a garden, it was more like a bathhouse with a huge glass dome-like cover. Here, she could enjoy soaking herself in the warm hot spring water that flowed leisurely all-year round.


    And she did exactly that; hhe dove into the hot spring, trying to wrestle with her concerns while curling her body up in a fetal position.


    She was still shocked by the book she found in her mother¡¯s secret library today.


    The third volume of the Devil¡¯s Delivery Service.


    Her first concern, the obscene act that the man and the witch did was something that she had never come across before.


    Second concern, the witch¡¯s actions as she acted as if she succumbed herself to be the man¡¯s plaything.


    And her third concern, the fact that her mother was the one who wrote all that.


    It wasn¡¯t a wonder that she ended up not enjoying her dinner tonight.


    Just one of the concerns that she was tackling could already turn her world upside down and she had to deal with all three at the same time.


    There was also the fact that the appearance of the witch inside the book was depicted to be similar to her mother, which only sent her into a deeper distraught.


    In fact, during the dinner, when she happened to gaze upon her mother¡¯s chest, she involuntarily remembered the scene depicted in the book.


    -Gurgle gurgle gurgle!


    With that, her infiltration succeeded.


    As long as she closed the door to the secret room properly, no one would notice that she was inside.


    Maybe it was because this was the second time she came here, or it was because of the calming atmosphere of this place, she was composed enough to look around the place.


    In one of the shelves, she could see more than three dozen quills and fountain pens being stored there.


    She could also see an ink bottle that her mother used, alongside with a white ink bottle that was normally used to erase mistakes.


    This confirmed her suspicion that her mother did write here.


    But, that wasn¡¯t important.


    Diana adjusted the position of her oil lamp so that it could illuminate the book well and sat down on the chair.


    ¡°Huu...¡±


    She took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart before opening the Devil¡¯s Delivery Service¡¯s cover.


    With trembling fingertips, she carefully turned the pages and reached the part where she left off earlier.


    To be exact, the part where the delivery man was about to insert his penis into the witch¡¯s crotch.


    ¡°!¡±


    In truth Diana¡¯s rich imagination and the countess¡¯ precise description and expression both failed to accurately portray this particular scene.


    But it wasn¡¯t exactly their fault, as it was simply the limitation of the text-based medium.


    No matter how precise the description was, it would pale in comparison to what a video could portray.


    Even so, Diana couldn¡¯t close her gaping mouth after reading everything that happened afterwards.


    The depiction of how the witch¡¯s secret garden had turned mushy.


    How the man¡¯s erect shaft forcefully dug into the witch¡¯s narrow hole.


    And how the man began to move his waist while pressing the witch down, as if restraining her.


    To be exact, this was what was written in the book:


    [Mercy could not be found in his movements.]


    [Spreading the witch¡¯s thighs, white as snow, as far as they could go, he held her down, as if raping her.]


    [He pushed his erect flesh into the mushy hole whose insides could be seen clearly and pressed it down.]


    [Though the witch¡¯s insides were hot and wet, just like a tiny mouth, at the same time, they were soft.]


    [As he did all that, he grabbed her chest violently and moved his waist back and forth, ignoring any attempt of resistance from the witch.]


    It was no wonder that Diana¡¯s face began to heat up at once.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t because of the heat that came from the oil lamp.


    ¡°T-T-That was... D-D-Disgusting...¡±


    Though she said that, her violet eyes continued to read through the passages without stopping, even though she was squinting them and covering them with one of her hands.


    [The witch¡¯s body, white as canvas.]


    [Was painted in the lingering marks of carnivorous bites.]


    [On her delicate skin, held so tightly but not to the point that it bled, beads of sweat bloomed, glistening refreshingly, as if trying to show off the pain and pleasure she felt.]


    [¡°Please, let me have it...! Your baby...!¡±]


    [The witch did not resist the man.]


    [Even when he bit her nape, twisted and squeezed the delicate flesh of her sensitive mounds¡¯ peak, she still didn¡¯t show any sign of resistance.]


    [¡°You¡¯re still saying this kind of nonsense. Aren¡¯t witches unable to get pregnant?¡±]


    [As the round entrance deep inside her stomach was being pressed, the witch experienced a great pleasure that made her feel dizzy.]


    [The man¡¯s harsh words made her beautiful eyes tear up.]


    [Not from sadness, but from joy.]


    [¡°I know, but I want it. Your seeds... Inside me...¡±]


    [¡°If that¡¯s what you want, then I can¡¯t help it. Spread your legs. Wider.¡±]


    [¡°Yes. If that¡¯s what you want me to do, yes.¡±]


    [As their bodies overlapped, their movements grew more and more intense.]


    [The witch felt a jolt running from the tip of her head down to the tip of her toes.]


    [Before she realized it, she had clenched her buttocks, meanwhile her bulging meat hole was holding the hard object inside it tightly. Her curled toes moved around, as if dancing.]


    [¡°Aaahh...!¡±]


    [She bent her waist, creating an arch, just like a bridge.]


    [All while the man pressing her neck with both hands, to prevent her from dodging his seeds that he planted inside the deepest part of the witch¡¯s most secretive place.]


    [As the man¡¯s white semen soiled the inside of her body, a blooming smile appeared on the witch¡¯s face.]


    ¡°...¡±


    It was as if Diana had eaten a new type of food for the first time in her life.


    The expression on her face was indescribable, to say the least.


    But, it was safe to say that the shade of red in her face was comparable to the one the witch inside the book had.


    In any case, this moment marked the occasion when Apprentice Witch Diana Yesod finally learned how a baby was made.

 Chapter 350: The Witchs Erotic Novel (3)

    1.


    Countess Lucy Yesod was someone who was praised for achieving the most outstanding achievements compared to all her predecessors in both magic and business.


    But, she had a lot of things going on in her mind lately.


    What could her concern be when everything in her life had been going on perfectly, you ask?


    It was none other than her daughter¡¯s¡ªDiana Yesod¡ªchronic disease; her laziness.


    Though, recently, that problem seemed to be fixing itself quite nicely.


    After Lucy kicked the girl out of the house with tears in her eyes...


    Not only did the girl faithfully obey her orders for over a week, she also went out of her way to study on her own during her free time.


    But...


    ¡°Baby...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat dinner tonight...¡±


    ¡°Is there something troubling you these days? Are you feeling sick?¡±


    ¡°No... Sorry, Mom, I wanna sleep early today.¡±


    Lying down on her bed, Diana answered as such in a weak voice before turning her body around, refusing to even glance at Lucy.


    Lucy thought about patting her shoulder to comfort her, but in the end, she decided that it would be best to just leave quietly.


    In any case, this was the new source of her worry.


    Diana¡¯s reclusiveness, which had been getting better lately, became worse than ever before all of a sudden.


    Before, she only refused to leave the house, but now, she¡¯d even skip out of her meals and refuse to show her face during tea time.


    It was obvious that she had been avoiding Lucy though, making the poor countess think that this was indeed her second rebellious phase.


    ¡°Haa...¡±


    Maybe forcing her to go out was a bad idea...


    Reproaching herself, the countess let out a sigh.


    Forcing Diana to go out was for her own sake, even Diana should know that.


    After all, a witch¡¯s life was long.


    There were more than enough bumps on the road that they¡¯d face.


    A witch had to devote their life for their magic advancements, even when it seemed impossible for them to achieve in their whole life.


    Fighting to overcome the thick wall of frustration and failure, that was the essence of a witch¡¯s life.


    Intuition and talent wouldn¡¯t be enough to overcome that.


    What one needed to have was experience in various fields and ample rest so that they could have an easier time to deal with all the inevitable stress.


    So that they could enjoy all the beauties this world had to offer.


    If a witch couldn¡¯t do that, then no matter how talented she was, it would be meaningless.


    In that case, they would start looking for an apprentice to pass on everything in just a few years, this was what Lucy tried to avoid, so that Diana wouldn¡¯t end up like that.


    ¡°If only...¡±


    With a heavy heart, Countess Lucy headed towards her private library.


    At that moment, she was reminded of something.


    ¡°Come to think of it, when she was still meeting up with that male witch, she was more lively than she had ever been...¡±


    She was like a completely different person back then...


    What was she doing with him again? Right, Witch Board, they were competing on that!


    She even said that he was skilled enough to match her, even their scores are really close...


    Ever since she had heard about the fact that Diana had been visiting the male witch, the countess had been paying close attention to that man.


    Though she didn¡¯t think that her daughter would foolishly fall for him, she figured that it wouldn¡¯t hurt to leave a countermeasure, just in case.


    ¡°Huh? Wait a minute...¡±


    Now that I think about it, that male witch quit his job as a host recently, no?


    The timing matches quite well too, the moment he quit, Diana¡¯s mood started to worsen...


    I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s a connection between the two, but...


    If this will improve her mood, maybe it wouldn¡¯t be bad to bring him here as a gift to her...


    ¡°...Let¡¯s put that matter aside for a moment...¡±


    Today is a rare day when my work finishes up sooner, after all.


    The countess then skillfully manipulated the statue inside her private library, opening a whole new room inside.


    Her tiny study room, filled with the tickling scent of ink, the place where she could indulge in her secret hobby.


    ¡°Hohoho... How long has it been since I last came here, hm?¡±


    Sitting down on the chair, the countess picked up her pen.


    Her face was bright and cheerful, as if forgetting all her worries already, showcasing how happy she felt currently.


    It had been ten years since she picked up the hobby of writing erotic novels.


    The currently serialized series, ¡®The Devil¡¯s Delivery Service¡¯, wasn¡¯t the only novel she had written. ¡®Madame Butterfly,¡¯ ¡®Dangerous Games,¡¯ ¡®Paradise Lost,¡¯ and dozens of single-volume novels were among the ones she had written.


    Although some of them received harsh criticism since they had the same theme of ¡®a witch submitting to a man,¡¯ it was those fussy witches who¡¯d flock to grab the new installments of the novel the moment they came out.


    Even Gehenna¡¯s civilians praised those books and would cause a big stir whenever a new volume was out.


    Of course, from the writing to the publishing process, everything was done in secrecy, so no one knew that Lucy was the author of the books.


    Which was exactly what she wanted to begin with.


    The countess moved her pen, filling up the blank paper with words upon words without any hesitation.


    Siwoo¡¯s heart started pounding.


    Is she here to give me an earful for hanging out with her apprentice?


    It would be nice if she¡¯s here to help me out with my research though...


    I couldn¡¯t find anyone with a better understanding regarding barrier magic compared to the Yesod...


    With that in mind, he met the countess¡¯ gaze.


    ¡°You know me?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Your work on the First Law of the Yesod Magic Field deeply astonished me. In fact, I always refer to it from time to time in my research.¡±


    How was that? That was the ass-kissing skill I obtained through my time as a host!


    Mixing in truths with your flattery always works so that the other person wouldn¡¯t realize that you¡¯re kissing their ass!


    Just as he expected, the countess accepted his flattery well as the words that came out of her mouth next flowed out in a satisfied tone.


    ¡°Oho? That¡¯s surprising. These days, many witches started to ignore pure magic and became obsessed with practical magic instead. It seems like you belong among the rare, yet upstanding witches. Even though you¡¯re a man.¡±


    ¡°Please, you¡¯re flattering me.¡±


    Even until now she hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about Diana, so Siwoo assumed that she didn¡¯t come here because of that.


    ¡°By the way... Is that look... Normal for you?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Ah, sorry, I just finished sparring...¡±


    The countess¡¯ rather shy gaze made him realize that he was still shirtless at the moment.


    In other words, his body, which was better than the people who went to the gym regularly, was completely visible to the countess.


    After he started his training with Eloa, his muscle volume began increasing, it was to the point that even he himself would stop and stare to admire his body.


    Still, that didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t feel awkward to show it off to someone he met for the very first time, so he quickly put on the shirt that she threw away nearby.


    It was only then did Countess Yesod stopped looking around furtively and approached him with confident steps.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Then, she stared at the tied up Red Branch without saying anything.


    ¡°May I ask what business you have with me?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The countess didn¡¯t even bother to answer him, instead she turned around to look at his face.


    She was quite tall for a woman.


    If she were to take off her high heels, she¡¯d probably stand tall at 168 cm, similar height to Diana¡¯s.


    Since that was the case, there was a risk that he¡¯d whiff up her scent by accident, so he took a step back.


    But the countess stopped him, grabbing his collar decisively.


    Startled by this, Siwoo stared at her with a dumbfounded look.


    Meanwhile, the countess let out a smirk, along with her voice that sounded sweet, like chocolates.


    Licking her bright red lips, which contrasted with her pure white skin and dress, she...


    ¡°You buttoned your shirt wrong.¡±


    Then, she started to unbutton it, one by one.


    As if they were newlyweds, as if she was a wife who was about to see her husband off work for the first time. This development left Siwoo dumbfounded.


    Before he knew it, the countess slipped her finger between his open shirt.


    ¡°This lab... Does anyone visit it often?¡±


    She threw a blatant seducing gaze at him while grazing his chest with her well-groomed fingertips.


    ¡®If people barely come here, why don¡¯t we have some fun...?¡¯


    That was what her gestures were suggesting to him.


    By this point, Siwoo was used to such a thing.


    When he was working as a host, at least ten witches would try to drag him into bed every single day.


    Though all those offers were tempting, he resolved himself to never receive those kinds of offers, so he had always been refusing them outright and this time should be no different.


    It was just, he didn¡¯t expect a countess would do this to him.


    That was why he was a little dumbfounded, but at the same time, he felt extremely uneasy.


    Because...


    She exuded the same atmosphere as Countess Albireo just a while ago.


    Not only that, the circumstances surrounding both cases were also similar.


    Back then, Albireo tried to seduce Siwoo to see if he¡¯d just sleep with anyone even though he had such an intimate relationship with the twins.


    This time, there was a huge chance that Countess Yesod was doing the same thing because of his relationship with Diana.


    ¡°Countess Gemini occasionally pays me a visit. Also, pardon me, Countess, you still haven¡¯t told me why you came here...¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Pardon me, then.¡±


    From the way Countess Yesod backed down and straightened her posture, as if she had never asked such a risque question, Siwoo¡¯s guess was correct.


    The atmosphere that reminded him of a desperate widow that had been missing the embrace of her passing man had also disappeared from her.


    ¡°Ahem.¡±


    After she cleared her throat...


    Countess Yesod finally uttered the real reason why she was here.


    ¡°I¡¯m here because I have an offer for you.¡±


    1. A reference to Naruto, Might Guy''s ultimate technique.2. This is the reason why Eloa was able to overhear his intercourse with Sharon tens of chapters ago, even though he turned on the music box.

 Chapter 351: Private Tutor (1)

    My Dearest Daughter.


    That was the name of Countess Yesod¡¯s project to boost her lethargic daughter¡¯s motivation and foster diligent habits in her.


    It sounded grand, but the countess actually thought that she had done everything she could for Diana.


    From tearfully kicking her out of the house to searching far and wide for any medicine that might help her.


    She even spent a small fortune¡ªenough to buy several lavish villas in Lenomond Town¡ªto try to find hobbies that might spark her interest


    But, even after all that, her efforts were in vain.


    Sometimes, Diana would show interest for an hour, or even a week, seemingly about to break free from her lethargic lifestyle.


    But after that, she always went back to square one.


    And the countess couldn¡¯t do anything about it but let out a deep sigh.


    However, recently, something different happened.


    Thanks to a new ¡®factor¡¯ that hadn¡¯t existed before, Diana started showing a newfound enthusiasm and seemingly was about to break out from her reclusive life.


    Said factor was a male witch that she had met at a host club.


    The way that she instantly turned gloomy the moment she wasn¡¯t able to see him anymore proved this conjecture.


    And so, Countess Yesod decided  to prepare a gift for her, as well as a plan to rejuvenate her.


    The plan was to make the male witch her private tutor.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    And so, that morning, she visited Countess Gemini¡¯s mansion to have a word with her.


    She wanted to find out in more details about the male witch who had been causing quite a commotion in Gehenna, but more importantly, she believed that couldn¡¯t just place any man next to Diana.


    The countess couldn¡¯t imagine Diana, with her high standards and even higher pride, falling for any man.


    So, if there was anything going on between the two of them, it would be the male witch falling head over heels for her, as she was the most adorable girl in the world. ?


    ¡°Is this the lab...?¡±


    Currently, she was in front of the mansion¡¯s twelfth laboratory.


    She held her breath as she quietly opened the door and stepped inside.


    True to the Gemini Family¡¯s reputation¡ªtheir excellence in various magic tool business, apart from their self-essence magic¡ªthe lab¡¯s experimental apparatus was of high quality.


    At a glance, it felt like this place was an antique shop due to the sheer amount of antique items inside. Amidst them, a man¡¯s back came to her view.


    There was a table designed to allow for observation with minimal disturbance.


    On it, floated something that looked like a pillar, wrapped in a black ribbon.


    However, Countess Lucy¡¯s gaze wasn¡¯t drawn at the mysterious specimen, instead it was drawn elsewhere.


    ¡°Oh my...¡±


    ¡®A man¡¯s back says it all,¡¯ was a phrase she often had heard.


    In front of her was the broad back of a man, with a towel draped around his neck, looking at the manuscript in his hand.


    His sharply defined muscles, unimpeded by body fat, reflected even the slightest movements he made.


    Unlike a bodybuilder¡¯s physique, his muscles didn¡¯t look showy.


    Instead, they were densely packed and tightly compressed.


    Countess Lucy, who had been standing there dazed, shook her head in disbelief.


    She couldn¡¯t believe how foolish she was being.


    While yes, she admitted that the man had an extremely attractive back¡ªthe kind that prompted a smile out of her just by looking at it¡ªshe wasn¡¯t here just to enjoy the view.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    Clearing her throat, she called out in an elegant and dignified voice, befitting her status as a countess.


    When the man, who had been engrossed in whatever it was he was doing, turned around...


    Countess Lucy held her breath for a moment.


    This was the first time she had ever seen a male witch.


    Naturally, it was also the first time she had seen a man in a spirit body.


    Having a spirit body gave one a lot of benefits.


    The most noticeable one among them was that it would make one look more beautiful than before.


    As if a metamorphosis had occurred, all scars and blemishes on one¡¯s body would disappear and their body would take on its most ideal form.


    The male witch¡¯s appearance completely showcased this, that was how beautiful his body looked.


    His black hair, slightly damp with sweat, just like his back, his eyes, shimmering with melancholy, and his sharp jawline...


    He was exactly the type of pretty boy Countless Lucy disliked the most, if she were only to judge him by this alone.


    But, there was his pronounced Adam¡¯s apple and gymnast muscles, which matched the strength of the muscles of his back...


    And the leather eyepatch that looked like it had seen some rough times, added a strong sense of masculinity in his appearance.


    At this point, the man had already turned his back, looking at the countess in surprise before letting out a soft smile and bowed to her politely.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet such an exalted personage as you.¡±


    Hearing him speak, the countess grew even more surprised.


    Because she could feel that his polite manner of speaking was genuine and it seemed like some sense of etiquette was ingrained in him.


    Siwoo managed to figure that out after her little test was over.


    Sitting quietly in the chair, he listened to the countess¡¯ proposal.


    ¡°Tutor? Me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, as I have mentioned before, I need a tutor to help cure our Diana¡¯s...la


    The sudden offer to be a tutor puzzled Siwoo, especially since he wasn¡¯t a particularly strong witch.


    It turned out that the content of the proposal seemed to be much simpler than he anticipated.


    ¡°Um, cure her laziness? How am I supposed to...¡±


    ¡°You only need to spend time with her, find some fun things to do together to... You know, keep her busy?¡±


    ¡°Is that really all there is to it?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Countess Yesod told him about her plan to hire a tutor to help her apprentice witch, Diana Yesod, overcome her laziness.


    That girl¡¯s laziness was something Siwoo had no knowledge of since he had only seen her enthusiastic side whenever they played their games.


    According to the countess¡¯ words that seemed to be her true nature.


    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t plan to have you work for free. If there¡¯s anything you want, just say so. Our Yesod family believes in fair exchanges.¡±


    Seeing his hesitation, the countess made another offer.


    Siwoo realized that this was a golden opportunity for him.


    He could get help from her to get the Red Branch under control, a problem he had been wrestling with on his own for quite a long time now.


    Which meant, he didn¡¯t need to go through all those crude trial and errors, like pulling a cart up a rocky path with his bare hands.


    But, he still wasn¡¯t sure about it. After all, being a play tutor for an apprentice witch didn¡¯t seem to justify his wish.


    That was why he asked her carefully...


    ¡°I¡¯m studying a little bit about force fields... Could you possibly help me with that?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I could lend you a hand on your research.¡±


    Thankfully, Countess Yesod readily agreed to that and immediately looked at the Red Branch on the table.


    ¡°So, this is what you want me to help with?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... I know this might sound a little odd since I¡¯m the one asking for a favor here, but this arrangement isn¡¯t permanent. We¡¯ll renew it weekly. If Diana were to... Um...¡±


    ¡°My name is Shin Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Anyway, if Diana doesn¡¯t take a liking to you, Mr. Shin Siwoo, that means I won¡¯t go out of my way to assist you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand that.¡±


    That was about what he expected.


    Compared to the almost honorary role of a baroness, a countess was often heavily involved in managing Gehenna. Just look at Countess Gemini; they were always swamped with their magical research and business.


    Even he himself thought that getting help from a countess in return for being a play tutor was an extremely unfair trade.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we take a look straight away? This is the Red Branch that the Red Knight carries, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Right now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a little curious about it myself. Could you unbind it?¡±


    Though, it seemed like the countess was more enthusiastic than he expected.


    She exuded the vibe of a pro gamer offering to help a newbie like him clearing a difficult level.


    While he didn¡¯t have a reason to refuse her, he did have one rather big concern about her request.


    ¡°Countess Yesod, I don¡¯t mean to sound presumptuous, but there are too many magical tools here. If we unbind it here...¡±


    Seeing his worried expression, Countess Yesod chuckled, her voice tickling his ears.


    Her eyes, full of laughter, looked at Siwoo as if she found him cute.


    ¡°Oh my, it seems like you¡¯re more cautious than I thought. Don¡¯t worry, I can handle this, but well, if this could ease your worry a little...


    Countess Yesod snapped open her white fan.


    Accompanied by a silver aura of mana reflection, reminding Siwoo of pure moonlight, her beautiful voice chanted the starting words like a song.


    ¡°Divine Wisdom.¡±


    With that, several layers of force fields enveloped the lab.


    The lights emanating from them made the lab appear several times brighter.


    At the same time, the mana inside the fields became completely stable.


    It transformed the room into a sterile environment where no variables could occur.


    Siwoo, who struggled to create even one force field, was amazed at how effortlessly she layered dozens of them.


    Even though he possessed a very limited knowledge in regard to force field, he could understand why she was so highly regarded in the area, and acknowledged that she was indeed worthy of the title of a countess.


    ¡°You can go ahead now, Mr. Shin Siwoo.¡±


    The countess nudged Siwoo¡¯s side, urging him on as he stared at her in amazement.

 Chapter 352: Private Tutor (2)

    1.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a closer look at it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll unbind it.¡±


    Siwoo carefully unwrapped the ribbons, which were inside the force field that were enveloping them under numbers of layers like a croissant.


    At that moment, the Red Branch, which had been left to rot without anyone wielding it for so long, finally saw the light of the day again.


    Ever since he first acquired it, this was the first time Siwoo had removed all the ribbons covering it.


    He had always sealed it under several layers of ribbons¡ªadding new layers every time the ones beneath them got corroded, because he was unsure of what the distortion field might cause.


    From the blade¡ªshaped like willow leaf¡ªto its shaft, the weapon seemed seamless.


    True to its name, the ¡®Red Branch¡¯ was clad in a sinister shade of red, like fresh blood.


    -Sizzle!


    The moment all the ribbons were stripped away...


    A red ripple spread out as if it had been waiting for that very moment.


    At the same time, thin barriers, shaped in the form of the roots of a plant, shot towards the countess with a menacing force.


    As if it was a venomous snake, lunging at the trainer who had been keeping it trapped in a jar.


    -Clang!


    But Countess Yesod managed to react with the calmness of an expert trainer.


    Before Siwoo could even react, the force field surrounding the lab quickly contracted and wrapped itself tightly around the Red Branch.


    This happened a few more times until the Red Branch was encased under nineteen layers of thin fields, stopping its rampage.


    ¡°W-What just happened?¡±


    ¡°This is what happens when you seal something like this up thoughtlessly. The distortion field inside kept building up. Think of it like shaking up a bottle of soda. It¡¯s like the foam that bursts out of the can when you pop it open.¡±


    The countess explained as such with a calm tone, but Siwoo felt a chill down his spine.


    While the countess had blocked it so effortlessly, the intensity of the distortion field and the barrier was far from ordinary.


    If Siwoo had unwrapped the ribbon carelessly on his own, he would¡¯ve been seriously hurt at the very least.


    As he reflected on that close call, a sudden question crossed his mind.


    ¡°But, I¡¯ve only been wrapping it with the most basic cover. If it had been building up its distortion shield all this time, it should¡¯ve been strong enough to burst out on its own, no...?¡±


    ¡°I assume that it was probably waiting. Waiting for the moment when the shield weakened even slightly, so that it could burst out all at once.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    But, her response only birthed more questions in Siwoo¡¯s mind.


    It was waiting...?


    But, it¡¯s just a mystic code.


    A tool.


    But, the way she said that, it was as if this thing had a will of its own...


    As Siwoo wondered about that, Countess Lucy kept examining the branch carefully.


    She even reached her hand into the force field to touch it directly.


    ¡°This...is no longer something that can be categorized as a mere artifact or mystic code. Fascinating... For a single artifact to generate such diverse patterns of force fields... Even now it¡¯s trying to break free from my restraints... What material is this made of, I wonder? Probably not something from this world, I assume...¡±


    Her elegant voice carried the inquisitive curiosity of a witch, mixed with awe.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°A typical mystic code is nothing more than a tool. It operates passively, following the processes that the user had programmed or designed in advance.¡±


    Yesod withdrew her hand from the field, prompting a surprise look from Siwoo.


    Because one of her fingers was twisted in such a grotesque way, as if it had suffered multiple fractures at once.


    This meant the ¡®distortion¡¯ was powerful enough to alter the structure of her spirit body, causing this kind of mutation.


    ¡°But this one is different. It¡¯s like a virus responding to an immune system, trying to corrupt its surroundings in various ways on its own. If you were to tell me that this is a witch¡¯s curse taking the form of a spear, I¡¯d believe it.¡±


    ¡°Huh...? Now that you mention it...¡±


    After hearing her words, Siwoo started to piece everything together.


    He remembered that the Cowardly Witch had sacrificed countless humans¡¯ souls and threads of fate to unlock the full potential of the Red Branch.


    And so, he did his best to relay this information to the countess.


    ¡°...Maybe something like an evil spirit managed to get in it...?¡±


    ¡°Hoho, no, I doubt that was what happened, evil spirits don¡¯t exist, after all. In any case, I can see that this is a special mystic code...¡±


    The Countess chuckled as if she had heard a good joke and casted another spell.


    Her abnormally twisted finger returned to normal.


    Even after that, the Red Branch kept thrashing around, trying to release more barriers from inside the force field, but the Countess easily defended against everything it tried to do.


    ¡°This is interesting. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve found a research subject that excites me so...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡±


    ¡°Alright, why don¡¯t we set up the schedule now. Five days a week, excluding holidays and the day before.


    This sensation meant that she was aroused.


    But, she was completely unfamiliar with such things.


    That was why she couldn¡¯t really put a finger on this vague, iridescent feeling, much like the shifting hues of a silkworm¡¯s cocoon.


    ¡°Ugh... .¡±


    She buried her head deeper into the pillow.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way...¡±


    She tried to deny it.


    In her mind, the values she had grown up with, together with the rigid beliefs drilled into her by Countess Yesod¡¯s education, were clashing with this new, disturbing knowledge, creating some sort of mental implosion.


    She was stuck in the loop of thinking about the novel, trying to forget it, getting her curiosity roused by it, and feeling disappointed in herself for being intrigued by something so vulgar.


    Just like that, days after days passed for her.


    -Knock, knock, knock


    Today, she heard a knock on the door.


    Since she had ordered even her personal maid not to enter, the visitor at the door was undoubtedly Countess Lucy herself.


    ¡°Baby, may I come in?¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    Her heart felt heavy.


    Ever since she first started reading that novel, she didn¡¯t know how to face her mother.


    This was why she had been avoiding eating dinners together with her for the past few days.


    ¡°The morning sun is so lovely today, why are you sitting here in the dark?¡±


    ¡°...I feel more comfortable like this, Mom.¡±


    Countess Lucy approached Diana¡¯s bed with a concerned tone.


    She pulled up a chair and sat down next to the head of the bed.


    Lucy then began to gently stroke Diana¡¯s hair, her voice was soothing and kind as always.


    ¡°Diana, has mommy been pushing you too hard lately?


    ¡°...No, that¡¯s not it.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve been too stubborn all this time... I just wanted the best for my lovely daughter, but I realize now that it might have been too much for you... I¡¯m sorry, Diana...¡±


    She was showing the tenderness that she had always shown.


    But, she had completely misunderstood the situation.


    Even so, seeing her apologizing so sincerely, Diana, who had always been a dutiful daughter, couldn¡¯t just turn away from this situation.


    For a moment there, she hesitated, but in the end, she turned to face the countess slowly.


    Only then did she see the gentle motherly smile on her mother¡¯s lips, as well as the tears that were welling up in her eyes.


    ¡°Aaah... It feels so good to see your face again after so long. Come here.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    When the countess stretched out her arms, Diana leaned into her embrace.


    ¡°Oh! Who do you take after to be this adorable! You little rascal! You little rascal!¡±


    ¡°M-Mom! That tickles...¡±


    After the playful scene of Diana blushing from the shower of kisses on her cheeks while the countess was grinning broadly passed...


    The countess cleared her throat and got to the point.


    ¡°Anyway, Mommy noticed that you¡¯ve been down lately, my baby. That¡¯s why mommy has prepared a little surprise for you!¡±


    ¡°A surprise...?¡±


    She¡¯s giving me a gift...?


    Diana was surprised, but she had no reason not to be happy about this development.


    ¡°Yes! This is something that you haven¡¯t received before, so I think you¡¯ll like it, my baby! Come in.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    -Thump, thump, thump


    She heard a deep male voice, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Diana¡ªwho was still in the countess¡¯ embrace¡ªto open her eyes wide.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Ms. Diana Yesod. I¡¯m Shin Siwoo, your new tutor.¡±


    Wearing a clean butler¡¯s uniform and slicker hair...


    Dressed so immaculately that it was almost annoying, the man bowed politely to her.


    Standing there was her greatest enemy in her life.


    The male witch who had humiliated her with both crushing defeats and victories through his hospitality at the host club.

 Chapter 353: Private Tutor (3)

    1.


    The Levana Grand Bath was famous for its luxuriousness. In fact, there was even a saying, ¡®You¡¯ve only experienced half of Gehenna¡¯s riches if you haven¡¯t been to the Grand Bath¡¯.


    This was proven true even to Siwoo. Even though this wasn¡¯t the first time he had been here, it still felt like he had stepped into a legendary-class resort.


    The morning after Countess Yesod offered him the tutoring job.


    He, who visited the countess early in the morning, found himself being taken aback.


    Not only were the facilities next to the Grand Bath looked so extraordinary that they¡¯d make one¡¯s eyes pop, the place also had a completely different vibe compared to the twins¡¯ mansion.


    When it came to the Gemini Mansion¡¯s elegance, it came from the contrast between light and dark in its design.


    First, the mansion¡¯s interiors were made dim by the dark crimson carpets and the dimly colored wallpapers.


    To offset this darkness, they decorated it with the opulent glow of chandeliers and candlelights, creating a dazzling and magnificent atmosphere inside.


    In contrast, the Yesod Mansion just had a much brighter atmosphere overall.


    With arches, domes, rounded columns, and ornate but tasteful murals lined the walls being part of its architecture.


    Since Gehenna¡¯s architecture was unique, it was hard to describe it precisely, but...


    If Countess Gemini drew inspiration from the French and British architectures, Countess Yesod perhaps drew hers from Romans or Italians.


    While the place still had a grand atmosphere, it felt more open and free, making Siwoo feel like he was a prince visiting a palace in a neighboring country when he walked down the hallway.


    Even though he was actually just a contract tutor.


    ¡°So, Diana, make sure you listen to your teacher, okay?¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    ¡°For today, you can just enjoy yourself as much as you like.¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    ¡°And Teacher, please take good care of my Diana.¡±


    ¡°I will do my best.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you tonight~¡±


    After saying that, Countess Yesod walked off into the distance.


    Though he barely managed to talk her out of forcing him to wear some ridiculous-looking round glasses, he was still stuck in this formal butler¡¯s uniform and slicked-back hair since the countess refused to back down on this in particular.


    Who am I even supposed to impress by dressing like this?


    When he looked to the side, he saw Diana standing there, looking extremely confused.


    Judging by her reaction, it seemed like the countess hadn¡¯t told her about this arrangement.


    And that made him feel like he had been handed a ticking time bomb.


    ¡°Nice to see you again.¡±


    Nevertheless, he had a goal.


    According to the countess, his job was to get Diana, whose lethargy was comparable to a hibernating rabbit, to be more active and play with her.


    From the unlimited fund that the countess provided, her message was clear: ¡®Accomplish this mission at any costs!¡¯.


    In return, the countess promised that she¡¯d personally give him magic lessons and act as his research assistance. That was why he¡¯d need to show some decent results this week to secure his contract for next week.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even feel the slightest bit of happiness to see you. Also, use formal language, please.¡±


    He tried to act cheerful in front of her, but his greeting was met with such a blunt response.


    She pouted her soft-looking lips slightly, as she puffed her healthy cheeks with displeasure.


    He had already expected this, but she really didn¡¯t seem to be thrilled with this arrangement.


    ¡°I thought Countess Yesod already made it clear? From now on, I¡¯ll act as your tutor.¡±


    Diana was a naturally stubborn woman.


    Not only that, she had been coddled her entire life as the precious jewel of the countess, not to mention that she had a promising future as a witch.


    To gain even a little control over her, he¡¯d need to establish their relationship first, with him as the teacher and her as the student. The first step in doing that was through how they addressed each other.


    Of course, this wasn¡¯t just about titles. The countess had given him permission to scold her lightly ¡®if necessary¡¯.


    While it seemed like the countess had gone out of her way to set things straight...


    ¡°Mom¡¯s gone already, it¡¯s just the two of us here, so it doesn¡¯t matter. Can you stop pretending that we¡¯re close?¡±


    Judging from Diana¡¯s reaction, even the countess¡¯ gesture hadn¡¯t helped much.


    With an even sharper tone than before, she spouted out those words before slowly walking off somewhere.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Nap. Don¡¯t follow me.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t think I can do that.¡±


    From the looks of it, Siwoo realized that if he were to keep talking back to her, he wouldn¡¯t get anywhere with her, even if he were to use the countess¡¯ words as his shield.


    And so, to avoid upsetting her, he switched to formal language and followed her around.


    ¡°I need to show some results from this job, so I need to do something...¡±


    ¡°No matter how much you follow me, it won¡¯t stop me from taking a nap.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still going to follow you regardless.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself.¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing I can do about that then. I¡¯ll just have to do my best today.¡±


    ¡°Do your best at what? Annoying me...? ...Whatever, just do your thing, I¡¯ll just ignore you.¡±


    The truth was, Diana was unhappy with the whole situation.


    She hadn¡¯t liked him much in the first place.


    And lately, her mind had been overwhelmed with a million thoughts at once.


    Her head was already too full to deal with this ¡®surprise tutor¡¯ situation.


    Not to mention that this guy, Shin Siwoo, was a ¡®man¡¯.


    She remembered the brutish and filthy man from the novel that she read, giving her a sense of aversion and disgust towards such an unfamiliar presence.


    And she projected all those negative feelings onto Siwoo.


    She couldn¡¯t help but wonder, ¡®Is he directing the same dirty eyes towards me, like the delivery man in the novel?¡¯.


    Someone who gave her such an uncomfortable vibe was following her around, assuming the role of her tutor under her mother¡¯s orders. In that kind of situation, it didn¡¯t take long for her patience to run thin.


    Eventually, they ended up going back to her room.


    Earlier, she thought she could just relax in the warm sunlight or just float around the pool, but now...


    All her plans had been ruined by this man.


    But, at the very least, he won¡¯t follow me inside¡ª


    ¡°?! What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡±


    ¡°...Hm?¡±


    ¡°This is my room, you know?!¡±


    Disregarding Diana¡¯s expectations entirely, Siwoo walked straight into her living room.


    As if it wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    As if he owned the place.


    ¡°Have you not learned any manners?! You can¡¯t just walk into a lady¡¯s room uninvited¡ª¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, but I have to prioritize Countess Yesod¡¯s orders.¡±


    His audacity and shamelessness was beyond anything Diana could have imagined, leaving her speechless.


    Irritation and anger surged within her.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a joke, huh?!¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t my intention, so please accept my apology, but I have a job to do.¡±


    ¡°Fine, do whatever you want. You¡¯ll be out of a job by tomorrow anyway. Just stay out of my bedroom, or I swear, I¡¯m not gonna hold back!¡±


    Too exhausted to argue with him any further, Diana grasped the doorknob.


    But, just as she was about to turn it, Siwoo¡¯s voice stopped her.


    ¡°If you find me annoying, why don¡¯t we do something that you can do while sitting down. Sure, I might be fired from this job tonight, but I¡¯d feel ashamed if I were to report to the countess that I had done nothing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your problem.¡±


    ¡°What a shame. And here I thought this might spark your interest, Ms. Diana.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    When she turned her gaze around slightly, she saw a familiar-looking sphere.


    She had forgotten about all of this after the intense shock she recently experienced, but she recognized this thing. The crystal ball from the WItch Board that had once kept her focused on her studies because she encountered that novel.


    ¡°If I remember correctly, I¡¯m ahead with 4 to 2, correct?¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    Siwoo tried to provoke her, but Diana remained indifferent.


    Bigger emotions would overwhelm the smaller ones, that was how it normally went.


    In Diana¡¯s case, she was already occupied with the Devil¡¯s Delivery Service and her other worries, that was why she wasn¡¯t snapped right there and then.


    Normally, she would definitely have fallen for that kind of provocation.


    ¡°Did you really think I¡¯d fall for something that obvious? I won¡¯t play with you, just do it on your own.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°...Hmph.¡±


    Witch board is just a game.


    Getting all worked up over losing a game to some weakling I could easily beat with magic is just childish.


    As she thought that while scoffing, Diana grabbed the doorknob.


    ¡°With all due respect, could it be that you are...¡±


    She was about to enter her bedroom, if she hadn¡¯t heard what he said next.


    ¡°...S


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s do this.¡±

 Chapter 354: Private Tutor (4)

    1.


    It wasn¡¯t that Suwoo had no worries at all.


    It was just that they were all minor concerns.


    Diana was the first one who challenged him to play Witch Board back when he was working at the host club.


    When Countess Yesod told him how lazy she was, he figured that if he were to invite her to a game or two nicely, she¡¯d gladly take up on it.


    As long as he could appeal to her competitive nature and offer something in return for winning, she¡¯d probably be more willing to cooperate with him. It should be a pretty effective tactic even if it was a little shallow.


    After all, even the twins¡ªwho were just like her, both apprentice witches¡ªcould be controlled with this tactic, so he figured that Diana wouldn¡¯t be much different.


    But, contrary to his expectations, the girl was as unyielding as a fortress.


    She showed zero interest in him whatsoever and was only focused on getting away from him.


    Deep down, he was shaken.


    Because his only plan seemed to be falling apart.


    ¡°Who said that I was scared¡ª?! Haa...! Haa...! Seriously...! Unbelievable...!¡±


    But in the end, his slightly over-the-line remark managed to prompt such a reaction from her.


    She was ready to enter her room, but after hearing that, she immediately turned around, rushed to the living room table, and sat down.


    With lightning speed, she grabbed the Witch Board, setting it up while grumbling.


    Seeing her like that, it was hard to associate her with her nickname ¡®Lazy Diana¡¯.


    She finished setting the board up in the blink of an eye and glared at Siwoo with fierce eyes filled with hostility.


    ¡°You.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You know what you¡¯re getting into, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure what you mean.¡±


    Diana exuded an intense aura.


    A rare aura that was crafted by her frustration of being constantly hounded and challenged by an infuriating pursuer...


    The aura of anger.


    ¡°You dared to provoke me, with such a ridiculous insult, no less. Accusing me of running away and whatnot.¡±


    Her voice sounded calm, but she said all those words quickly, as if mumbling.


    ¡°I wanted to take a nap, to rest my head on my warm, fluffy feather pillow and lounge around in my comfy pajamas. But now I can¡¯t. Because of you, everything¡¯s gone awry. ?


    ¡°Do you know how badly I wanted to wrap myself in a blanket and take a nap in a sunny spot?!


    ¡°Once winter fully sets in, I won¡¯t be able to do that anymore!


    ¡°In other words, everything has been ruined because of you, and yet you still dared to barge in here, taunting me with your petty provocation, knowing that it would hurt my pride if I were to ignore you¡ª¡±


    She said all those words in one breath.


    The sheer volume of her speech was like a full workout in itself for her.


    ¡°I swear, if you lose to me, don¡¯t think that you¡¯d walk away unscathed. I¡¯ll give you a fitting punish...ment...¡±


    Suddenly, in the midst of her rage, her words were cut off like a broken record.


    In her mind, she...


    A fitting punishment...


    Punishment...?


    A palm slap...?


    The Devil¡¯s Delivery Service...


    Tickling... Feathers...


    She recalled how the delivery man in that novel had pinned down the witch¡¯s body as she writhed, teasing her mercilessly before thrusting his rigid shaft into her...


    ¡°A-A-A-Anyway...!¡±


    Seeing Diana¡¯s face suddenly flushed red after saying all those words quickly like a burst dam, Siwoo could just stare at her in confusion.


    Meanwhile, she couldn¡¯t even look at his face properly before mumbling out her next words.


    ¡°A-Anyway, let¡¯s start. I¡¯m going to crush you.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡±


    Seeing his smug grin, Diana clenched her teeth in frustration.


    Why did that particular scene come to my mind right now of all time...?!


    I hadn¡¯t even finished everything I was going to say!


    Thinking back, they hadn¡¯t actually finished their last game.


    Back then, when she returned to the club for that showdown, full of determination after much practice, the twins¡ªthe apprentice witches of the Gemini Family, hurled her with mental attacks, causing her to lose promptly.


    And when she was about to challenge him again, she fled the place after seeing him casually kissing those twins.


    This prompted her to try and look at this matter positively; at least she had another chance to settle the score with him properly.


    She took a deep breath to calm her boiling frustration, though it was just like pouring cold water on hot oil more than anything.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since the last time we¡¯ve played together.¡±


    Meanwhile, the annoying man was grinning happily. She understood that he was hired as a tutor because of the goodwill of her beloved and respected mother.


    That was why she had been tolerating him up to this point.


    Though she threatened to fire him by tonight, as long as he didn¡¯t cross the line, she was prepared to let anything slide.


    But he didn¡¯t, so she decided to not just let him off so easily.


    ¡°Listen.¡±


    Tainted with humiliation and arrogance.


    Her act of accepting that victory and letting it get to her head back then became the driving force behind her dedication to her magic studies.


    ¡°If you think you can beat me with the same tactic... You¡¯re just being arrogant.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it.¡±


    Diana¡¯s eyes lit up.


    She hadn¡¯t forgotten the humiliation she felt when she realized what had happened back then, back when she was reviewing everything by herself, thinking that it was just a game of entertainment.


    He had focused her studies specifically for situations like this, where the battle turned chaotic.


    What followed was an intense and furious duel.


    The level of the game was significantly higher than before.


    The skirmishes¡¯ intensity was also significantly more fierce.


    Before long, Diana had no leniency to speak anymore and was completely absorbed in the game.


    At this moment, her anger, frustration, and even thoughts of The Devil¡¯s Delivery Service were gone.


    She was completely focused on this battle of pure intellect and calculation.


    Drowned in the deep strategic maneuvers within this dodecahedron battlefield, filled with traps and bluffs.


    They had exchanged over a hundred moves without speaking or even making eye contact.


    But suddenly, her focus broke.


    ¡°Ah....¡±


    A sigh slipped out before she could stop it.


    He¡¯s strong.


    As frustrating as it was, she had to admit it once again.


    This man had an extraordinary intellect that was in no way inferior to hers.


    But in the end, it was her who emerged victorious.


    ¡°I won.¡±


    A total of 27 skirmishes ensued, and it was her who won by a hair¡¯s breadth.


    It was similar to winning by half a point in Go, but in the end, she had secured 25 out of the 27 runes.


    At this point, there was no need for them to engage in chaotic battles anymore.


    ¡°I¡¯ll acknowledge your skill. I really mean that.¡±


    Because she had secured so many runes, there was no need for her to entertain in the skirmishes that he initiated anymore.


    All she needed to do was to destroy his mana orbs by force, just like a bull charging forward, carrying a spear-wielding knight in its back.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been noticing it since our first game, but...¡±


    When she thought that her victory had been pretty much secured, a faint voice reached Diana¡¯s ears.


    There was an unexpected hint of amusement in that voice.


    ¡°You really need to broaden your perspective a little, Ms. Diana.¡±


    -Clack!


    At that moment, a move that was able to overturn the entire situation on the board was played.


    A move that was unthinkable even to Diana.


    A divine move that completely deviated from common sense.


    ¡°Ah....¡±


    That was when she saw it.


    Amidst the fierce battle, the final piece of the puzzle that he had been preparing, finally fell into place.


    With that one move, the two runes he had occupied began to glow.


    The glowing runes formed the shape of a sharp dagger.


    With that one move, a mana path was connected to the shape of the dagger.


    That move turned the scattered, meaningless abandoned moves into a guiding tunnel.


    With that one move, the dagger shot forward, smashing all of Diana¡¯s mana orbs that had been drained from all the fierce battles.


    Just like toppling a perfectly stacked row of dominoes, leaving no gap at all...


    The flawless chain reaction of magic caused Diana to lose in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°...¡±


    She couldn¡¯t comprehend it.


    How did she lose exactly?


    It took her a while to figure out the answer to that question.


    When did he start planning this grand strategy?


    Perhaps that question was the spark that made her awe in the face of his overwhelming talent.


    At that moment, she realized that her arms were covered in goosebumps.


    She felt like she was facing an immense wall of talent, its shadow enveloped her completely. It was the first time she had ever felt like this.


    ¡°So, uh... Does this mean you won¡¯t tell the countess to fire me anymore?¡±


    The male witch, the first in witch history, pleaded with a cute expression while clasping his hands.


    His name is... Shin Siwoo, right...?


    I want to know a little more about him...

 Chapter 355: Private Tutor (5)

    1.


    Right after the game ended.


    An icy silence fell over the table.


    ¡°...¡±


    This time, Diana didn¡¯t throw any tantrums.


    Actually, she didn¡¯t even say anything.


    She just stared blankly at the board, just like what she often did.


    By then, Siwoo thought that he had done something wrong.


    Did I overdo it?


    Maybe I should have tried to win by a narrow margin instead to avoid hurting her pride...


    Though Siwoo thought so, it wasn¡¯t like he had any other options to take.


    Whether Diana was serious or not when she said it, she did say that if she were to win this game, she¡¯d get him fired no matter what.


    If he were to have a narrow win after scratching her pride like that, the chances of him getting fired would be significantly higher.


    That was why he decided to win in a different way.


    The problem here was that, the way he won was like he purposely took hits from her without fighting back, only to unleash a full combo at the last moment and completely crush her.


    With how Diana took great pride in her skills, he realized that what he had done was already beyond scratching her pride, this was the equivalent of him just ruthlessly smashing it into the dirt.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Diana?¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t a newbie, are you?¡±


    Her voice as she said those words was soft and low.


    The shock that she had on her face earlier had vanished, replaced by a blank, unreadable expression.


    It was hard for Siwoo to tell what she was feeling inside.


    What should I say here...?


    Should I be honest and just tell her, ¡®You were the one who taught me this game, Ms. Diana¡¯?


    Or should I just tell her a white lie and say, ¡®Sorry for deceiving you,¡¯ to save her face?


    ¡°Um...¡±


    ¡°Huu...¡±


    Diana let out a deep sigh.


    Then she pressed the reset button on the Witch Board, starting the game over.


    Her actions made Siwoo wonder, ¡®What would she do next?¡¯.


    While they had agreed that if Siwoo were to lose, he¡¯d be resigning from his position without making any fuss, there was no guarantee that she¡¯d keep him as her tutor even if he won.


    With her unpredictable moods and temper, his hard-won tutoring job could disappear overnight.


    As Siwoo was waiting, all tense, Diana suddenly stood up.


    ¡°Whatever. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Dragging her newly changed slippers, she placed her hand on the doorknob to her bedroom.


    ¡°I¡¯m really going to bed now, so clean this up quickly and leave.¡±


    After saying that, she slammed the door and shut herself in her room.


    Well, I screwed up.


    My plan really went off track.


    I should¡¯ve won by a closer margin and made it look like a hard-fought victory.


    ¡°Haa....¡±


    He let out a bitter sigh.


    I don¡¯t need to hear anything else from her... It¡¯s obvious what she¡¯s going to do...


    As he thought that, the tightly closed bedroom suddenly creaked open.


    Half of Diana¡¯s face, looking none too pleased, peeked out.


    ¡°...Tomorrow... Before anything else... I want to take a nap first...¡±


    After saying that, she quickly closed the door.


    Leaving Siwoo standing there, dumbfounded. It took a while for him to realize that it was a shy way of her asking for a rematch.


    In other words, he managed to avoid being fired after just one day of working.


    2.


    Diana started locking herself in her room at 2 pm.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo¡¯s tutoring session with Countess Yesod wouldn¡¯t start until 10 pm, so he had to wait for quite a while.


    He could always use Dimension Shift to go somewhere, but he chose not to.


    After all, this place was THE Levana Grand Bath, there were plenty of entertainment and sights to see, so exploring it was enough to pass the time.


    Like the greenhouse that was filled with colorful magical plants.


    Or a museum that showcased the masterpieces of the famous artists¡ªeach piece worth a fortune in the Modern World.


    Even the Grand Bath¡¯s architecture alone was beautiful enough to look at. With so many things to sightsee, it wasn¡¯t a wonder that Siwoo lost track of time by just wandering around the place.


    ¡°I¡¯m here, since it¡¯s our appointed time now.¡±


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Then, when the night had fallen, under the bright full moon...


    ¡°This is the most basic book on the subject that had been passed down in the Yesod Family to teach our apprentice witches. I¡¯ve updated its content myself, and Diana had learned from it too. You can take it.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s alright for me to have something so valuable?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You see, when Diana was young, she kept hiding the book, so I ended up making about ten copies of it. The content itself also isn¡¯t particularly unique anyway.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much.¡±


    Siwoo quickly flipped through the book the countess had handed him.


    The book was quite thick.


    It was thick enough that its edges could be used as a weapon if he wanted to. And yet, even though it was that thick, the font of the text was miniscule, to say the least.


    He felt like this book contained two or three full textbooks at once.


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot, isn¡¯t it? Usually, it takes an apprentice witch three years to learn everything in there. But, my Diana finished it in just six months! Impressive, right?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Very impressive.¡±


    Her daughter-bragging was as frequent and detailed as the writing in a textbook, so Siwoo just diligently played along.


    He had sensed it before, and now he was completely sure of it; the countess was a doting mother.


    ¡°But, Mr. Shin Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Countess?¡±


    ¡°Given that you managed to shield against the distortion field, I assume that you¡¯ve done some studying on barrier magic?¡±


    ¡°Yes, although I only skimmed through a few books at the Trinity Academy¡¯s library.¡±


    ¡°Before we get into the lessons, why don¡¯t we check your skills first? It might save us some time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate that.¡±


    ¡°Just a moment, please.¡±


    The countess then picked up a pen and quickly jotted down some problems.


    There were ten questions in total, ranging from basic ones to test his understanding of the fundamentals to simple application problems.


    The overall difficulty level of the questions was well-balanced.


    ¡°Try solving these.¡±


    The first thing he did was to scan the questions.


    No matter how difficult and abstract the concept of barrier magic was, at the end of the day, its root was magic formulas.


    In other words, it was all about calculations.


    He grabbed his pen and began to solve the problems calmly.


    Conceptualizing the abstract problems, theorizing the magic formulas needed...


    Calculating the effective potential and loss when implementing said magic formulas from the Imaginary and Symbolic Orders into the real world...


    Then deriving the necessary formula to actualize a given magic formula in the real world.


    Siwoo smoothly solved all the problems, right up to the last one, and then smacked his lips.


    The first three questions were not difficult at all.


    But, given the examiner was the same person who made the question, he couldn¡¯t help but feel as though his weaknesses were being meticulously probed.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve solved all the ones I could.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    When he glanced over, he saw the countess blinking as she reviewed his answer sheet.


    She stared at it for quite a while, her gaze was completely locked at it.


    ¡°Countess?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, may I ask how long you¡¯ve been studying barrier magic again?¡±


    ¡°I started studying it earnestly...around one or two months ago...¡±


    ¡°A month or two...?¡±


    She showed a troubled look before taking back the book she handed to him.


    Siwoo stared at her with a bewildered look, but the countess quickly answered the question that he was about to ask.


    ¡°You probably won¡¯t need this anymore.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me...?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to look at it. You¡¯ve already known everything.¡±


    The ten problems that the countess gave him weren¡¯t something a beginner with just a month or two of study could solve.


    Also, she didn¡¯t give the problems to him so that he could give her the ¡®correct¡¯ answer, she just wanted to observe his thought process.


    After all, in magic, especially when it came to abstract magic like barrier magic, there was no single correct answer.


    Yet, he confidently wrote down his answers to all ten problems.


    While yes, his answers fell short and there were logical leaps in them...


    At the same time, he wrote down approaches that even Lucy herself had never considered.


    He had attempted to quantify the inherently unquantifiable force field.


    To Lucy, his answers had already gone beyond what one could learn from an introductory textbook.


    ¡°You¡¯re far more talented than I expected, Mr. Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°R-Really?¡±


    Hearing that praise, the first male witch in history chuckled awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head.


    His name is... Shin Siwoo, right...?


    I want to know a little more about him...

 Chapter 356: Private Tutor (6)

    1.


    Gehena, the City of Witches.


    It was a place created to serve the privileged witches, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that the place was often described as ¡®prosperous¡¯.


    The city was free from pollution caused by chemical fuels and piles of trash, leaving its natural beauty untouched.


    Its buildings, preserved for generations, untouched by war and conflicts. Even the simple inns possessed a unique charm and resonance.


    Both the witches and the citizens who served those witches enjoyed the peace that Gehenna offered.


    And this had been going on for centuries.


    However, all affluence came at a price, and Gehenna was no exception.


    Underneath its warm and prosperous surface, a massive dark shadow loomed.


    In this city, where everything was brimmed with elegance, there were those who were exploited and forced to atone for their sins. They lived in the shadows, unnoticed and ignored.


    The slaves who didn¡¯t belong to City Hall.


    They were death row convicts, sent here by the governments back in the Modern World who had made deals with the noble witches.


    Most of them were bought by Border Town smugglers to work themselves to death in the docks.


    In most cases, they¡¯d die before finishing their ten years of labor of working twelve hours a day, whipped, fed poorly, with no guaranteed days off, all while pushed beyond their limits.


    But this was something that everyone in Gehenna accepted as normal.


    After all, those people were criminals who had committed very serious crimes, and they were here to atone for their sins.


    They didn¡¯t even question whether this kind of atonement was right or wrong. If anything, barely anyone would even speak out against how unfair this kind of thing was.


    Except for the victims themselves, of course.


    Inside a dilapidated warehouse in the Border Town¡¯s harbor.


    The warehouse itself had been left to rot for decades ever since a new one was built. It was nothing more than an abandoned building.


    With the constant drizzle in Border Town, the originally damp, dark and shabby warehouse felt even more like a sewer.


    Naturally, the voices that came from inside it could be considered as nothing more than the squeaks of rats.


    ¡°Move away, it¡¯s my turn now.¡±


    ¡°Fucking asshole, stop rushing me already. Get the fuck away, you pig bastard.¡±


    On a pile of straw, a woman was lying there with her legs spread and her body limp.


    Meanwhile, the two men started arguing while five other men lined up nearby.


    In the middle of the warehouse, a fire made from broken wooden crates flickered as empty alcohol bottles rolled around.


    There were around twenty men here in total, and they were all slaves; death row prisoners who were bought by the smugglers.


    ¡°Pig bastard? What did you just call me?¡±


    The fat man, who had been arguing over who would get to have fun with the female slave before she got sold to the brothel, trembled with anger as he said that, his double chin quivering. r?


    When he heard that, the muscular man who had been pinning the woman down adjusted his pants before moving forward.


    The fat man might¡¯ve been heavier, but the muscular man exuded a menacing atmosphere that was impossible for anyone to ignore.


    ¡°What? Got a problem, you pedo pig bastard? I used to beat fuckers like you to death back in prison. Be thankful that this isn¡¯t a fucking jail cell.¡±


    ¡°You fucking prick, you think you¡¯re hot shit, huh? So you killed a few guys and thought you¡¯re the shit, huh? Do you think you¡¯re the only one here who has killed anyone, you fucker?¡±


    The fat man had been quietly putting up with this kind of disrespect for a while, but tonight, under the influence of alcohol, his arrogance got the better of him.


    He grabbed a beer bottle from nearby with his pudgy hand and smashed it.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on him at once, and in the next second, the whole place was filled with mocking laughter.


    Though the tension in the air was thick, no one thought that the fight would amount to much.


    ¡°Kahaha! Look at that idiot, he actually broke the bottle.¡±


    ¡°Dude, you wanna stab someone with that?¡±


    The muscular guy chuckled as he pulled a knife from his waistband.


    ¡°Good, good. I¡¯ve been wanting to kill you, you pig! Guess we¡¯re having pork intestine soup tonight!¡±


    ¡°Muscle-bound freak, acting all tough now, huh?¡±


    Normally, slaves weren¡¯t allowed to do anything on their own, let alone touching women or drinking alcohol.


    But these guys were the ¡¯Ten Foremen,¡¯ a slightly different kind of slave.


    Slaves usually consisted of social outcasts, such as the mentally ill, criminals, murderers, or rapists.


    It was too much to ask for the smugglers to keep a handle on these dregs of society that were thrown away by their own nations.


    So, how did they get these bunch of lazy, disorganized rats to work?


    It was simple, they put the most violent and ruthless ones among them in charge.


    In exchange, they promised them slightly better treatment and a few perks to these guys.


    Of course, at the end of the day, these perks amounted to almost nothing.


    But humans, when pushed to the brink, would gladly turn on each other for something even as small as a piece of bread. This was something that those smugglers knew all too well.


    And so, the Ten Foremen were assigned to keep the other slaves in line, handling the areas that even the middlemen couldn¡¯t reach.


    ¡°Enough.¡±


    Just as things were about to turn into a knife fight...


    A man stepped in between them.


    This whole time, he had been quietly watching them near the fire.


    ¡°Come on, Boss! You saw what happened! This fucker called me a pig bastard...!¡±


    The soft smile on her lips showed no trace of anger or irritation.


    ¡°Although, I don¡¯t think I can afford to buy you... Instead, why don¡¯t I fulfill your desire? Can you take a look into my eyes?¡±


    She lifted Harvey¡¯s chin, making him meet her gaze.


    Her thin tongue licked her upper lip in a seductive way.


    Fulfilling his desires.


    Such sweet words entered his ears, tempting him.


    Maybe the witch is all hot and bothered, and is currently searching for a slave to warm her bed for the night?


    With eyes full of anticipation, Harvey met that stunningly beautiful emerald gaze.


    ¡°Hmm... It seems that you¡¯re hungry?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes I am...¡±


    Harvey stared at Bianca in a daze.


    It was his first time seeing a witch so up close.


    She was breathtakingly beautiful.


    It was as if he had lost the ability to look anywhere else, as his eyes locked on those stunning jade-green orbs.


    ¡°Well, this is all I have right now. Will you be satisfied with this for now?¡±


    Bianca pulled out a barbecue from her bosom. It was so large that it made Harvey wonder how she even carried it around like that.


    The meat was thick, with a cross-hatched skin; crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside.


    It was on a whole different level in size and quality compared to the regular meat one could find in Border Town.


    ¡°Can I really... eat this?¡±


    ¡°Of course, you can. I told you that I¡¯d fulfill your desire, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    Seeing the meat dripping with juice, Harvey opened his mouth wide and bit into it.


    This meat...


    Is incredible...!


    He felt the subtle flavor of butter and rosemary from the crispy surface.


    The meat itself tasted perfect, the best pork he had ever eaten in his whole life.


    Harvey tore into the meat without hesitation, savoring the heavenly taste he hadn¡¯t had in years.


    ¡°Gulp...! Gulp...! T-Thank you...! I¡¯ve never had such delicious meat before... It¡¯s the best... the best...¡±


    As Harvey devoured the meat greedily, Bianca patted his head before turning around to face Jack again.


    ¡°That should wrap up my introduction, don¡¯t you think? Or is there anything else?¡±


    -Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!


    ¡°C-Crazy...¡±


    ¡°H-Hey, s-someone, stop him...¡±


    ¡°How the fuck do we even stop that...?! Why don¡¯t you go instead?!¡±


    ¡°Urp...!¡±


    All of them heard it...


    The sound of someone chewing through tough flesh and crunching bones...


    And the sound of someone swallowing warm sticky blood.


    Everyone¡¯s faces went pale.


    Some even started to gag.


    Since the moment the witch had spoken, Harvey had been grinning while eating his own left arm.


    Even when his teeth cracked against his own bone, even when he had to chew through the rubber-like sensation of his own tendons, he didn¡¯t care.


    He kept on continuing his gruesome meal until he collapsed into the pool of blood he had created.


    Said blood flowed to Bianca¡¯s feet, staining the white tips of her shoes.


    ¡°You should understand who I am now, no?¡±


    Even a witch wouldn¡¯t kill someone so senselessly without a reason.


    But, there was one type of witch who would act this way.


    ¡°...An Exile... .¡±


    ¡°Mhm. A special kind of Exile, a Criminal Exile, in fact. I hold a deep grudge against those who live comfortably in Gehenna, just like you do.¡±


    Bianca put a cigarette in her mouth and whispered to Jack.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you frustrated? You¡¯ve been pushed around by them all this time. Are you going to keep living like a worm until you die just because of some petty crime?¡±


    Jack looked at the witch.


    Though his body was trembling with fear, he felt it clearly.


    The person right in front of him was the key to changing his monotonous and powerless life.


    ¡°What do I have to do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. I¡¯ll give you power. The power to take revenge on the witches who have looked down on you and treated you like dirt. Just hear my offer out first... You¡¯ll definitely like it~¡±


    Staring at the trembling slave, a smile bloomed on Bianca¡¯s face.

 Chapter 357: Private Tutor (7)

    1.


    ¡°Hey, kids, I need to talk to you two for a bit. Do you have some time?¡±


    That day, after their class had ended...


    Sharon called out to the twins.


    ¡°Yes, we do.¡±


    ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡±


    After traveling together and coming to recognize Sharon as their true rival, and, of course, with Siwoo¡¯s reassurance that they wouldn¡¯t be pushed aside, the twins managed to maintain a relatively peaceful relationship with Sharon.


    In other words, they no longer engaged in pointless fights during class as they used to.


    But, the moment they heard her request for a private meeting, their instincts kicked in.


    They had a hunch that this ¡®talk¡¯ would have something to do with Siwoo.


    That was why they stared at Sharon, looking all tense.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we move somewhere first?¡±


    And it was just as they expected. She suggested moving to the carriage, meaning that the thing they were going to talk about was something very secretive.


    Lately, they indeed had been thinking that things had been a little too quiet.


    Considering that their fight had only been postponed, not resolved, it felt like calm before the storm if anything.


    ¡°Sis...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Odette. Nothing bad will happen. I¡¯m here.¡±


    Odette tightly grasped her sister¡¯s hand, feeling uneasy as she watched Sharon walking ahead of them.


    When it came to the competition for Siwoo¡¯s affection, Sharon was clearly in the lead.


    At least, that¡¯s what the twins thought.


    They actually saw her as someone to look up to, both physically and mentally.


    Even though Siwoo had told them, ¡®I won¡¯t push you two away,¡¯ and ¡®You two are precious to me,¡¯ they still felt that they were overshadowed by Sharon, who had already secured her place in his heart.


    That was why, as soon as they settled into the carriage, Odile straightened up and met Sharon¡¯s gaze head-on, trying to assert herself.


    She was facing her full, ample chest that she couldn¡¯t grasp with just one hand.


    The innocence that emanated from her sitting upright in a poised manner.


    This person was their greatest adversary in their history as apprentice witches.


    Sharon Evergreen. They shot their gazes at her.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did you call us out like this?¡±


    ¡°Just as I told you, I want to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Unlike last time when the twins had called her, Sharon was completely calm.


    She wore an expressionless face, giving off a cold vibe like a statue that made Odette think...


    That the current Sharon unnie was different.


    Unlike her previous soft attitude, it seemed like she had made up her mind and fully intended on firmly grasping the upper hand against them.


    She was no longer the person who¡¯d panic if the twins blew on her.


    If they were to consider this meeting as a battlefield for a truce negotiation, Sharon¡¯s unwavering appearance was already a threat in itself.


    ¡°So, what do you want to talk about?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop fighting among ourselves.¡±


    After hearing that, neither Odile nor Odette answered.


    Let¡¯s stop fighting.


    At first glance, it sounded like a good proposal.


    But truces weren¡¯t always made on fair terms.


    If Sharon had prepared a decisive move to end everything, the twins would have no choice but to accept this truce even if they had to bear some kind of humiliation.


    ¡°No way! We¡¯re not giving up on Mr. Assistant!¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s right! Even if it¡¯s you, Sharon unnie, you can¡¯t just get in the way of our love!¡±


    The twins came here with that mindset from the very start.


    After all, for them, Siwoo wasn¡¯t just their lives¡¯ savior.


    He was someone they wanted to be with more than anyone.


    Even the most boring tasks became five times more fun whenever they did them with him.


    They absolutely refused to lose him.


    ¡°Sharon unnie, you coward! You¡¯re always trying to take Mr. Assistant away from us!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! You¡¯re a liar too! You use those huge boobs to seduce him!¡±


    ¡°People¡¯s love won¡¯t stay the same forever, you know?!¡±


    ¡°Sure, maybe you¡¯re closer to Mr. Assistant right now, but that¡¯s not gonna last forever!¡±


    The twins rattled off everything they wanted to say.


    But that was probably because they were just trying to hide their insecurity.


    The fear that the whole ¡®game¡¯ might have been decided already without them knowing.


    As she listened to their words, Sharon furrowed her brows.


    ¡°You two are misunderstanding something. I didn¡¯t call you here to fight.¡±


    ¡°Liar!¡±


    ¡°You kept picking fights with us every day!¡±


    When the twins strongly asserted themselves, Sharon slammed her hand on the table.


    Odile and Odette immediately fell silent, surprised.


    Although Diana, who quietly placed her pieces, was a little different than before.


    She used to grit her teeth, as if she had been slapped by him, after losing a game. But ever since her loss back in the first day, she had been rather accepting of her losses.


    The problem here was, Siwoo couldn¡¯t tell if this was a good situation or not.


    He was tasked by the countess to somehow get Diana to engage in some kind of activities outside.


    Since it was still early in their tutoring period, the countess was still letting them off with just playing games in her room, but if things didn¡¯t change, he could just lose his job right there and then.


    And that was the last thing he wanted at the moment.


    Because the countess¡¯ lectures and support helped him push his growth in ways that he could never achieve on his own.


    That was why...


    In the beginning, Siwoo had planned that if Diana got all worked up after losing and demanded a rematch, he¡¯d use the opportunity as bait to lure her outside.


    But so far, her reactions have been lukewarm. There was simply no opportunity to set up said bait.


    ¡°...¡±


    Like right now, she only stared silently at the Witch Board.


    Normally, she¡¯d just say something like, ¡®One more game,¡¯ or, ¡®I want to take a break now, thank you for your hard work,¡¯ and went back to her room.


    It was the first time that she had ever been so quiet like this.


    ¡°...You.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss?¡±


    ¡°Um...¡±


    Normally, even though she complained a lot, she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to make her demands.


    But now, her eyes¡ªwhich were similar to her mother¡¯s¡ªwere glancing nervously at Siwoo as she fidgeted with her gloves.


    ¡°U-Um... I-It¡¯s nothing much, b-but... C-Can I ask you something...?¡±


    ¡°Yes, go ahead.¡±


    Siwoo gave her permission, but Diana kept avoiding his gaze for some reason. Only after a while did she point at the Witch Board slyly.


    ¡°C-Can you tell me why you placed this piece here...? T-The move you made on the 172nd turn...¡±


    It was a short question, but she spoke so softly and hesitantly that nearly thirty seconds passed.


    Her usually pale cheeks were now visibly warm and flushed.


    It was clear that she did this with so much difficulty.


    Her image of Siwoo hadn¡¯t changed much.


    To her, he was just a male witch. While his magic might not be that impressive, his skills at the game were exceptional.


    They had played a total of twenty rounds so far, but she had never beaten him even once.


    She tried her best to study and practice on her own, but he kept beating her without fail.


    To the point that she had grown curious about his secret.


    Though, the problem here was that, asking for feedback from an opponent she had been subtly ignoring was quite embarrassing for her.


    That was why it took her three days to agonize over this. But in the end, she decided that she¡¯d speak up today.


    ¡°I-I was just curious...¡±


    After that, she clammed up again.


    What she was asking about was one move that had completely turned the game around.


    It was also the move that made Diana realize she was going to lose.


    As a dedicated gamer, asking her rival for the key to his strategy was obviously embarrassing to Diana.


    She couldn¡¯t think of it as anything but a shameless request.


    ¡°C-C¡¯mon, tell me! A-Aren¡¯t you my tutor? Aren¡¯t you supposed to teach me something...?¡±


    Diana shut her eyes tight and steeled herself for the embarrassment.


    After a while, she received no response from him, so she cautiously opened her eyes, only to see Siwoo smiling faintly.


    Diana, in turn, opened her eyes wide, challenging him to a stare-off.


    If she looked away now, she felt like she would completely lose out to him.


    ¡°I can tell you.¡±


    ¡°Then do it quickly...¡±


    ¡°But that won¡¯t benefit me at all, no? Why don¡¯t we make a deal?¡±


    ¡°A deal?¡±


    ¡°Yes. As you already know, I¡¯m here to learn magic from the countess in exchange for spending time with you, like playing games together and such...¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why, let¡¯s do this. After every game, I¡¯m gonna reveal my strategy. But for the next day, we¡¯ll do some outdoor activities together for a little while. How does that sound?¡±


    For Diana, it was a proposal that nearly took her breath away.


    Outdoor activities.


    She could tell that this was the reason why her mother hired this guy.


    The thought of actually going outside already exhausted her just by thinking about it.


    But, it didn¡¯t take long for her to decide.


    At this point, she had come to respect him to some degree.


    At least when it came to Witch Board, he was someone she could learn a lot from.


    ¡°Two hours a day. I won¡¯t compromise on that.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    And so, a small agreement was made between Siwoo and Diana.

 Chapter 358: Private Tutor (8)

    Chapter 358: Private Tutor (8)1.


    Countess Lucy lived a whole different life compared to Diana.


    While she was effortlessly handling the mountain of business affairs in the Modern World, she never neglected her duties as a witch; to immerse herself in magical research.


    She also had hobbies to enjoy, going everywhere to build friendly connections with other witches, all while diligently exploring every corner of Gehenna whenever she got the chance.


    From the moment she woke up at 6 am to the time she went to bed at 2 am...


    She¡¯d keep herself busy in every single moment.


    Recently, she even got rid of her regular sleep schedule.


    To mentor Diana¡¯s tutor, Shin Siwoo.


    ¡°I wonder if he¡¯ll be on time today~¡±


    She propped her chin in her hand, waiting for the sound of a knock at her door.


    The first male witch in Gehenna...


    When Lucy first heard about him, she wasn¡¯t particularly excited.


    Sure, the word ¡®first¡¯ had a certain allure to it.


    Unobserved.


    Unknown.


    Full of untapped potential.


    Those were the implications of that particular word.


    However, being the first male witch also meant his accomplishment was merely confined to the level of the ¡®first generation.¡¯


    She thought that there was no way his existence would benefit the ancient and well-established self-essence magic of the Yesod Family that had been developed over thousands of years.


    That was also probably why all those Grand Witches didn¡¯t pay much attention to his ¡®magical value¡¯.


    And she too, thought of it that way until just recently.


    ¡°Hmm, quite impressive indeed...¡±


    These days, the countess found herself drowning in her thoughts whenever the neatly arranged stack of papers on her table entered her line of sight.


    Said stack of papers was a study journal, served to document everything that they had studied together over the past four days.


    Of course, even after all that, her answer to the question, ¡®Magically speaking, is he worth studying?¡¯ hadn¡¯t really changed.


    In her eyes, even if she were to run various experiments on him, it wouldn¡¯t contribute to the advancement of her self-essence magic.


    Because Yesod Family¡¯s magic had advanced well beyond that point.


    The thing that caught her attention, however, was his ability to learn.


    ¡®If you don¡¯t mind, may I ask how long you¡¯ve been studying?¡¯


    ¡®I started studying it earnestly...at around one or two months ago...¡¯


    ¡®A month or two...?¡¯


    Not too long ago, he mentioned that he had only been seriously studying barrier magic for about a month or two.


    And he wasn¡¯t just shutting himself away to focus on his research like most witches during that time, as he was also helping out his friends while having some fun along the way.


    At first, she thought that he was probably exaggerating it.


    Even if he was smart and was great at calculations... Even if his test answers were impressive...


    Everything had its limits.


    Even child prodigies in music that would be praised as geniuses everywhere, often pale in comparison to seasoned maestros.


    But, after teaching him for these three days, the countess realized...


    That a talent that could surpass experience existed.


    The man swiftly and skillfully solved all the problems she presented at an alarming rate.


    If he were to get stuck at something, she¡¯d only need to give him a small hint for him to immediately find his way and push forward with relentless momentum.


    He¡¯d navigate the complex maze of barrier magic skillfully, sometimes he¡¯d even find ways to break through it wales.


    And as a result, he managed to develop an ¡®add-on¡¯ to control the Red Branch.


    He completely grasped all the theories he deemed necessary.


    But not only that, he also colored it with his own color and embraced it.


    Watching him doing all that sparked a thought in the countess¡¯ mind.


    ¡°If Siwoo were to create his own barrier magic... I wonder what it would look like?¡±


    When one were to fuse two different self-essence magic together, there bound to be some kind of transformation occurred.


    It goes without saying that the result would be quite different from the Yesod¡¯s traditional barrier magic.


    During that process, there was a big chance that he might even provide some inspiration for her.


    This was why the countess secretly looked forward to her private tutoring sessions with him.


    ¡°And besides that...¡±


    ¡°Excuse me. May I come in?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please come in.¡±


    When she heard Siwoo¡¯s voice, the countess quickly checked her appearance in the mirror on the table and let him in.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Siwoo, dressed in a way that she found extremely appealing, walked into the study.


    Back during the first day, she could clearly see him being all nervous, when she got here, but now he seemed considerably more comfortable being here. His expression was much brighter than back then.


    Seeing that expression on his face brought a slight smile to the countess¡¯ face.


    This was the second reason why the countess looked forward to their tutoring sessions.


    It¡¯s never a dull moment when a handsome man is round.


    Seeing him brought a tingling sensation....


    And emotions that she hadn¡¯t felt in a really long time.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you. How was Diana today?¡±


    Then, like a graceful swan, she walked forward with light steps before turning around.


    Siwoo had to hold back the gasp that almost slipped out of his mouth.


    He hadn¡¯t noticed this when he walked in, since he only saw her face, but Countess Yesod was wearing a bareback dress that revealed much more of her skin than he expected.


    It wasn¡¯t just some dress that was hinting at exposure slightly.


    But rather a daring and revealing dress that, if the shoulder straps were to be loosened even a little, one could see her entire buttocks.


    Her neatly tied-up hair exposed her slender nape, while her back and waist proudly showcased their perfect proportions.


    The fabric of her skirt, clinging to her feminine hips, only served to pronounce their presence.


    But, even though her outfit looked extremely revealing, there was no sense of vulgarity in her figure, perhaps, thanks to the mature beauty that she naturally exuded.


    If anything, she looked like a work of art.


    ¡°To share our vision, close physical contact is important.¡±


    She had unbuttoned the front of his shirt and revealed her snow-white back...


    The implication behind her actions was more than clear.


    She wanted him to hug her from behind.


    ¡°Are you feeling shy? This is for the sake of magic study, you know?¡±


    The countess glanced back at the hesitant Siwoo as she asked that.


    Meanwhile, for Siwoo, putting aside how sudden this was, this was still a lot to take in.


    They were here alone, late at night, and she was asking him for a skin-to-skin back hug...


    A whole bunch of innuendos are being thrown around, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°...Since the only necessity is contact... Can¡¯t we just hold hands instead...?¡±


    Before anything, he asked that question first.


    Because he was worried that if he were to hug her all of a sudden, something unpleasant might happen.


    Also, he wasn¡¯t sure if she was doing this because this was really necessary, or if she was actually trying to seduce him like what other witches did.


    ¡°...This is how we do it in our family.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see...¡±


    But, that decisive answer she gave out erased the last of his doubt.


    As he was about to go along with it, the countess sealed the deal even further.


    ¡°Are you trying to embarrass me here? And here I thought I¡¯m offering you a favor.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t my intention...¡±


    Dude, get a grip of yourself!


    This isn¡¯t the host club!


    Countess Yesod isn¡¯t one of those shameless witches who¡¯d ask me to sleep with them just because they¡¯re curious about me!


    She¡¯s one of the highest-ranking witches!


    One of the only seven countesses in Gehenna!


    There¡¯s no way someone of her stature would use vision sharing as an excuse to touch me!


    Guess after being harassed by those witches made me develop this kind of delusional tendency, huh?


    ¡°Then, please excuse me...¡±


    ¡°My, you should be saying thank you instead.¡±


    Siwoo then awkwardly extended his arms to hug the countess.


    Since she was still wearing her heels, their height difference was only around half a head.


    He breathed through his mouth, trying to avoid inhaling the scent of her hair as he carefully embraced her.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Surprisingly, the parts of her body that he touched with his hands were warm, especially compared to the cold air that slipped through his open shirt.


    He could feel her soft skin, softer than a shawl made of a mink¡¯s fur.


    Not only that, he could also feel her body temperature slightly rising and her vivid heartbeat as he pressed his chest against her back.


    In the middle of this unexpectedly erotic moment, the countess gently pulled his stiff arms closer.


    ¡°You need to get closer.¡±


    ¡°W-Whoa!¡±


    Now, his body that had only been lightly pressed against her curvy upper back was fully pressed against it.


    He could clearly feel the bra-less curves of her breasts in his arms.


    This was a unique problem that arose from touching a woman¡¯s body in this position; unlike a man¡¯s, the curves in both their front and back were extremely pronounced.


    As Siwoo¡¯s abdomen pressed against her lower back like that, his manhood ended up nestled between her buttocks.


    ¡°...¡±


    Considering its massive size, there was no way that the countess wouldn¡¯t notice it tightly pressing against her soft, unsuspecting buttocks.


    ¡°Ohh...¡±


    At that moment...


    The countess¡¯ surprised gasp entered his ears.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    So, he quickly tried to pull his hips back and distance himself from her, but...


    Lucy tightened her grip on his wrists, holding him in place.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just focus.¡±


    In a somewhat undignified manner, Siwoo managed to shift his hips back to create some distance between them as Lucy began sharing the vision with him.

 Chapter 359: Outdoor Activities (1)

    1.


    There was a saying, ¡®It¡¯s better to see something once than to hear about it a hundred times¡¯.


    While learning through theory and listening to explanations was a good way to absorb new knowledge in an indirect way...


    It still could never reach the depths of the knowledge that one could gain from directly learning said knowledge with one¡¯s eyes and senses.


    The moment the countess shared her vision to Siwoo, it felt like a new horizon opened up before him, one that he had never known.


    All the concepts that previously felt vague to him became more clearly defined.


    ¡°Ah....¡±


    It cleared up those that were unclear.


    Made uncertainties certain.


    Turning what was once blurry into something distinct.


    It was as if he finally found the missing piece of a puzzle.


    The mere act of ¡®recognizing¡¯ caused a tremendous expansion of his understanding of the magic.


    For a brief moment there, he felt like his worldview overlapped with the countess¡¯.


    His mind buzzed with such a sensation.


    The thrill of receiving a sudden ¡®enlightenment¡¯ surged from the tip of his toes to the top of his head, numbing the sensation in his limbs.


    ¡°Ahn...¡±


    Just as his thoughts were branching out, multiplying like roots, something stopped him from going further.


    It was none other than the lustful sigh of the countess, whom he was still embracing in his arms.


    That sigh seemed to flip a switch in his mind, redirecting his focus somewhere else.


    The area of the countess¡¯ bare skin that he didn¡¯t touch, directly contacting the room¡¯s cold air, like a winter night without a lit fireplace.


    His limbs stopped becoming numb, as he could clearly feel the hard floor under his feet, supporting his weight.


    He could also feel the warmth of the countess¡¯ body that was pressed against his chest.


    The ecstatic softness from the slender, yet delectable-looking female body that he had unconsciously grabbed.


    Perhaps the overwhelming thrill he felt just now was the thing that created this dizzying situation.


    His arms, which had only been holding her gently before, were now tightly wrapped around her waist and chest.


    But, the thing that he was embarrassed the most about...


    Was his rigid manhood¡ªhardened by the rush of blood, firmly pressed between her buttocks before he realized it.


    While Siwoo was a researcher by nature, he wasn¡¯t the kind of pervert to get sexually aroused by a major discovery.


    The reason why he was in this state was because he unknowingly had whiffed the countess¡¯ scent a few times as he forgot to breathe through his mouth.


    This was another cold splash of water that brought him back to his senses.


    Because this could easily be considered as him crossing the line.


    After all, the countess only allowed him to get this close to share her vision with him.


    And yet, he wrapped his arms around her body tightly like this, all while showing her the shameful state of his lower body.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry...!¡±


    He quickly let go of the countess, as if her body was a burning bamboo wife1.


    Luckily for him, his sexual urge didn¡¯t overwhelm his mind this time¡ªwho knows if it was because of the shock or he just hadn¡¯t inhaled her scent deeply enough though.


    In any case, he ended up stumbling back a few steps, completely flustered. Meanwhile, the countess casted a subtle glance at him.


    ¡°Your face is all red.¡±


    ¡°C-Countess... Y-You might not believe me, b-but, I swear it wasn¡¯t intentional. I-I have no such thoughts towards you¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, we¡¯re not children. I understand that this is just a natural physical reaction.¡±


    The countess let out a slight chuckle before adjusting the strap of her dress that had turned disheveled from Siwoo¡¯s rough embrace.


    Even that small movement looked irresistibly seductive to Siwoo in his current state.


    ¡°It¡¯s surprising. With your handsome face, I thought you¡¯d have plenty of experience with women, but it seems like you¡¯re pretty innocent, Mr. Siwoo.¡±


    It was only after he saw her nonchalant reaction did Siwoo finally let out a sigh of relief.


    This was the kind of matter where he wouldn¡¯t be able to justify himself even if he were to have ten mouths. Seeing that she was just treating it as a simple mishap made him feel an immense gratitude to her.


    ¡°Oh my, I didn¡¯t mean to tease you, you know?¡±


    Countess Lucy covered her mouth with her hand, pretending to be surprised.


    Almost immediately though, a slightly mischievous smile appeared on her lips.


    ¡°Then again, you did try to play a little prank on me, Mr. Siwoo, so we can call it even. In that case, there¡¯s no need for you to apologize.¡±


    ¡°It really wasn¡¯t my intention at all...¡±


    Siwoo wasn¡¯t a naive virgin, and there really was no need for him to get so worked up over a back hug.


    But the problem here was that he did it with a woman that he wasn¡¯t particularly close to.


    And that woman was a countess.


    To make things worse, she was a countess who allowed him to do such an intimate contact purely to help him.


    ¡°So, what did you feel?¡±


    She realized that she had judged him unfairly because of his appearance. When she first saw him, she really thought that he was the type of man who¡¯d flirt with women left and right since he had such a handsome face.


    But, contrary to his appearance, he seemed inexperienced.


    With that in mind, she could safely assume that the reason why such an innocent man would unconsciously reach out to her was because of her own charm.


    ¡°I¡¯m just too much, aren¡¯t I? Being this irresistible sure is a sin, tsk tsk~¡±


    Brimming with newfound confidence, Countess Yesod once again recalled his strong and healthy body that was holding her tightly.


    Then, she touched the statue on the bookshelf, opening a passage that led to a secret room.


    She felt like she was overflowing with inspiration today.


    So, she figured she¡¯d pour every bit of it onto the blank paper in front of her.


    3.


    As they had planned before, Diana kept her promise with Siwoo.


    Since Siwoo spent four hours yesterday giving her advice on Witch Board, today she followed him outside for outdoor activities.


    Siwoo actually had prepared various ways to persuade her, just in case she refused to hold the end of her promise, but she easily tagged along with him.


    ¡°Are we almost there?¡±


    ¡°We are. Actually, I think this spot will do.¡±


    Donning an outdoor dress and a white parasol, Diana¡¯s beauty radiated strongly. The word ¡®young lady¡¯ suited her perfectly.


    One might wonder why she even needed to carry a parasol mid-November, but this parasol was probably the reason why both she and her mother had such fair skin.


    The picnic spot Siwoo had chosen was located along the lower reaches of the Rabbit River; a river that stretched through Lenomond Town and Border Town.


    It was a beautiful river that flowed gracefully between the hills that were covered with dense maple trees.


    The carpet of fallen leaves, the cool yet pleasant breeze, the clear sky, and the pearlescent water shimmering like scales under the sunlight made for a refreshing sight, but that didn¡¯t erase the displeased face on Diana¡¯s face.


    ¡°C¡¯mon.¡±


    Because even though this place looked beautiful, it was a no-man¡¯s land, not belonging to any town.


    Naturally, the path they could walk on was rough, as it was untouched by human hands.


    ¡°I can go by myself.¡±


    Siwoo reached out to escort her closer to the river, but Diana just shook her head and hopped down the sloping hill on her own.


    With a large backpack that resembled a snail¡¯s shell and long fishing rods sticking out of it, it was clear that the man had brought Diana here to fish.


    Siwoo figured that rather than getting her to do a sporty outdoor activity, it would be better to just get her to fish, since she¡¯d only need to sit down while waiting.


    And so, last night, he bought fishing gear at a Contact Point in Border Town before looking for a perfect location to fish.


    If he just wanted to prevent Countess Yesod from firing him, he didn¡¯t really need to go this far, but...


    It¡¯s better to do it thoroughly.


    While Diana stood idly by, Siwoo set up a folding chair and offered her a seat.


    ¡°They say there are as many fish as water here. You¡¯ve probably guessed it already, but we¡¯re here for some fishing.¡±


    ¡°It already took me forty five minutes to get there. Considering the time limit we agreed on, I¡¯ll only be doing this for thirty minutes.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll prepare everything quickly then.¡±


    Today, Siwoo planned for them to fish with a lure.


    He had tried this a few times during his college days with his friends.


    So, he used his experience to give Diana some advice.


    ¡°You hold this part, cast the hook, let it flow with the current, and then set it at the end. Also, I¡¯ve adjusted the weight of the lure beforehand for you.¡±


    Since this was downstream, the water was considerably shallow, unless they were to go to the center of the river. That was why one needed to wade in until the water reached thor calves.


    Diana, who had been listening intently to the explanation about the rod¡¯s component and how to hold it, was left startled when she saw Siwoo rolling up his pants and stepping into the water.


    ¡°Wait, do I have to go in too?¡±


    ¡°Yep. The water is shallower than I expected, the lure will probably get stuck on the riverbed often.¡±


    Diana ran her finger across the river with an extremely disgusted expression.


    The water was cold.


    If she were to take off her shoes and go in, who knows how cold it would get.


    ¡°No. You never told me about this.¡±


    ¡°Well, normally you¡¯d stand on a rock or something to do it, but... As you can see, there¡¯s nothing to stand on here.¡±


    ¡°Who in their right mind would wade into a river in this kind of weather? I¡¯m not going to do this. Do this on your own.¡±


    After saying that, Diana plopped down onto the folding chair that Siwoo had set up and crossed her arms.


    He thought about trying to persuade her, but they only had thirty minutes worth of time.


    It was his fault that it came to this since he hadn¡¯t done enough research beforehand, so he couldn¡¯t really argue against her.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a shame... Alright, fine.¡±


    Since they came all the way here together, he preferred for them to enjoy this together, but it wasn¡¯t like he could help it since she clearly didn¡¯t want to.


    Feeling a bit disappointed, Siwoo cast the float into the flowing river.


    1. It''s a bolster made of bamboo.

 Chapter 361: Outdoor Activities (3)

    1.


    Diana brought the salmon she caught to the head chef. Since it was guilty of pissing her off, the salmon ended up paying for its sin by offering its body as a full course meal for dinner.


    Siwoo was also invited for this dinner by both her and the countess; the first time this had ever occurred ever since he started working here.


    For the whole meal, a bright smile didn¡¯t leave the countess¡¯ face as she listened to the tale of Diana catching the huge salmon from Siwoo¡ªof course he embellished the tale quite a bit, but the countess had no way of knowing that.


    After the dinner was over, there was one last task that Siwoo had to do left for the day.


    The cozy private tutoring session with the countess.


    ¡°Would you mind escorting me, Mr. Siwoo?¡±


    As they left the dining room together to head toward the countess¡¯ private library, Countess Lucy held out the back of her hand that was covered by a white glove.


    Seeing this, Siwoo hesitated for a moment.


    Because he remembered last night¡¯s incident.


    Prior to this, he had told himself repeatedly that he wouldn¡¯t let such an incident happen again, and he knew that if he were to take her hand, the probability of such a thing happening would increase.


    However, it wasn¡¯t like he could just refuse her hand; it would be extremely rude if he were to do so, especially considering that she had only been showing him good favor so far.


    And so, he decided to take her hand in his palm and escort her to her private library.


    ¡°It would be an honor.¡±


    Perhaps it was because of the elegantly decorated hallway...


    Or maybe it was because of the countess¡¯ calm gait, despite the slight drunkenness on her face...


    Siwoo felt like he was escorting a real noble lady.


    As if noticing that he was pondering about such a thing, the countess opened her mouth.


    ¡°You look like a knight right now, Mr. Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It feels like I¡¯m being escorted by a really dependable knight.¡±


    ¡°Maybe my height gave off that kind of impression...¡±


    As they exchanged such a trivial conversation, they arrived at the countess¡¯ private library.


    The air that had been considerably cooled down due to the sun setting was warmed back up again due to the blazing fire in the fireplace.


    Siwoo sat down on the sofa, while the countess sat across from him¡ªthe same sitting arrangement that they had been following ever since the first day.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing such a good job with Diana, I¡¯m thinking of rewarding you.¡±


    ¡°Please take care of me in today¡¯s class too.¡±


    Siwoo thought that she¡¯d make fun of him again because of what happened last night, but to his surprise, she started the lessons without doing anything like that.


    Did that mean his class tonight would go smoothly, though? Well, the answer for that was yet to be found, as he soon noticed a whole different problem than yesterday...


    ¡°Hmm... So your plan is to control the Red Branch using your ribbons rather than your shadow?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The shadow is a rather abstract kind of magic, so it¡¯s heavily influenced by the spear¡¯s force field...¡±


    Siwoo answered her question calmly.


    Then, he glanced at her.


    Yesterday, the countess was wearing a party dress that revealed most of her back.


    But today, it wasn¡¯t the case.


    This time, her dress completely covered her back, but in turn, it revealed her cleavage.


    While that wasn¡¯t something worth mentioning normally, the problem here was that the slit didn¡¯t just show a glimpse of her cleavage.


    Because it was a bold-looking slit that went down from her shoulders to her navel, showing off her voluminous upper chest, side chest and even some of her lower chest.


    Her dress was a bold dress that could easily be taken off by just tucking its collar in a little.


    Back during dinner, he wasn¡¯t particularly conscious of it.


    Because their sitting position was so far apart across the table¡ªthe table itself was so long, probably as long as three billiard¡¯s tables¡ªhe couldn¡¯t really see all the details all that well.


    The lights were too bright for him to see clearly, and Diana was also sitting next to her.


    In any case, the atmosphere back then was too distracting for him to be too conscious of her outfit, but now...


    ¡°Let me see that.¡±


    The countess tucked her hair behind her ear before reaching out to grab the paper in front of Siwoo.


    Her upper body leaned close to him like a flower bud, her valley of abundance and motherhood caught his attention completely.


    A sweet scent that reminded him of whipped cream wafted into his nostrils, accompanying the alluring scent of her perfume.


    They were the only people here.


    The fireplace and the candlelight somehow brought a romantic atmosphere into the room.


    With the countess occasionally licking her voluptuous lips with her tongue, and Siwoo seeing everything within such a close range...


    It was hard for him to not be conscious of her.


    ¡°The idea itself doesn¡¯t seem bad... But we won¡¯t know if it¡¯s practical or not unless we start working on the force field first.¡±


    But the countess didn¡¯t seem to notice her precarious situation; her clothes might just fall off if she made the wrong move, and he¡¯d end up seeing things that he wasn¡¯t supposed to see.


    While Siwoo could accept the logic that she was wearing such clothes because she probably liked them...


    If the clothes were this provocative, it was hard for him to think that she didn¡¯t wear it on purpose.


    It really feels like she¡¯s doing this on purpose...


    He barely managed to avert his gaze away from the scenery that had been trying to forcefully drag him in.


    ¡°Alright, why don¡¯t we start creating the force field based on what you¡¯ve seen yesterday, Mr. Siwoo?¡±


    Meanwhile, the countess didn¡¯t seem to notice his problem, as she just went on with their class.


    But she would be lying if she were to say that only bad things happened during that time.


    She had to admit that it was a fresh and new experience for her.


    The taste of victory that came after a long period of trial and error was etched in her mind.


    Even the sensation of catching her first bite¡ªa bite filled with vitality and vigor¡ªstill remained vividly on her fingers.


    Though that first bite ended up quite disastrous since she made a mistake of holding onto the rod too tightly and got dragged by the gigantic salmon because of it.


    ¡®All men are wolves.¡¯


    ¡®They¡¯re inferior creatures compared to us witches, creatures who could never escape their fate of death.¡¯


    ¡®When you¡¯re dealing with men, you need to be careful so that you don¡¯t get taken advantage of.¡¯


    Those were the words of her mother that she always emphasized to her.


    They became tinted glasses that always covered her worldview. Even now, she was still looking at Siwoo through those tinted glasses.


    Even if he could use magic, even if he was the first male witch in history, even if he was extremely good at Witch Board, all those things didn¡¯t matter, because at the end of the day, he was still a man.


    But...


    ¡®Let¡¯s switch spots. It seems there are more fish here than where I am.¡¯


    ¡®I want to have some fun too, you know? Pay attention to me as well!¡¯


    ¡®Let¡¯s go back. It¡¯s been more than two hours.¡¯


    Looking back, even though she had been treating him harshly, he had never let out even a single frown at her.


    She knew that there must be more than enough times that she hurled hurtful words at him and turned the atmosphere ice cold.


    Diana was the apprentice witch of a countess¡¯ family, and he was just a normal witch.


    Not only that, her mother promised him magic lessons in exchange for him to act as her tutor.


    In other words, even if Diana were to throw a huge tantrum at him, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do or even say anything about it.


    But even considering that, she couldn¡¯t feel that he was hiding his resentment at her at all.


    Which meant, he genuinely didn¡¯t mind her prickly attitude, and he didn¡¯t find her annoying at all.


    Instead, he just let out a bitter smile and let everything slide, it was hard for her to not see him as a good person.


    Although, there were indeed some rude actions that he unintentionally did in the heat of the moment...


    ¡®Go on, show it off.¡¯


    Like when he shoved the big fish he had caught into her hands and told her to brag about it to her mother.


    But that was the moment when she realized...


    That he was an extremely attentive person; he¡¯d pay attention even to the tiniest details.


    And so, Diana decided that she probably needed to adjust her tinted glasses.


    ¡°But, there¡¯s a possibility...¡±


    That everything is just an act...


    The stunt that the man pulled when he purposely went easy on her during their matches made it hard for her to look at him favorably.


    So what if it¡¯s just his way of being considerate?


    It only serves to humiliate me in the end!


    ¡°Huu...¡±


    Her feelings were complicated.


    She felt like everything that she knew had turned distorted and twisted.


    Her mother, who had repeatedly insisted that men were dangerous and lowly creatures, was actually writing a novel about a witch who was dominated by one of those creatures.


    The male witch, Shin Siwoo, who she had never seen favorably, didn¡¯t fit the savage description that she had heard from her mother.


    He is just...a normal person...


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    A normal person who is both attentive and caring.


    At that moment, Diana suddenly felt her heart pounding a beat faster.


    She didn¡¯t say her thoughts out loud, but she was suddenly struck with the anxiety that usually accompanied someone when they found out that the person they had been praising behind their backs found out that they had been doing that.


    ¡°Urrg...¡±


    Diana shook her head, trying to shake off the distracting thoughts.


    Right, now that I think about it, it¡¯s been a while since I last went to mom¡¯s secret library.


    I¡¯ve caught up with what she had written last time, so she should have written more while I was gone, right?


    The last scene Diana left it off on was the scene where the delivery man and the witch were having a sex near the witch¡¯s sleeping apprentice witch.


    It left on a cliffhanger where the apprentice witch was tossing and turning in her sleep. Diana was curious on how it would go from there.


    ¡°...¡±


    Now, she was caught in a moral dilemma.


    That book was clearly an erotica, so the right thing to do was to stay away from it.


    Besides, digging further into her own mother¡¯s secret hobby was definitely not a good idea.


    However, at this point, she was already way too invested in the story, just like a soap opera addict. Her curiosity to find out what was going to happen next with the delivery man and the witch was driving her crazy.


    Mom must have fallen asleep by now, right...?


    Thinking as such, Diana left her room in her slippers, dragging her blanket with her.

 Chapter 362: Outdoor Activities (4)

    1.


    His time with Diana wasn¡¯t Siwoo¡¯s first experience in tutoring.


    Because his first time was during the winter break right before his early graduation from high school.


    He tutored math to a friend from middle school that was the same age as him.


    But, that tutoring¡ªhe did it for some pocket money¡ªended extremely quickly, even quicker than he first expected.


    The reason for it was because his friend just failed to understand calculus, and Siwoo himself failed to understand why his friend couldn¡¯t understand it.


    Not only that, he also had zero confidence to make his friend understand.


    This was something that happened a long time ago, so it wasn¡¯t a wonder that he had forgotten about it.


    The only reason why this memory somehow came back to his mind was because he remembered that his friend¡¯s mom treated him extremely kindly¡ªjust like what the countess was doing right now.


    But, I don¡¯t know if the countess is treating me kindly for the same reason as that auntie...


    Also...


    That auntie just gave me a bunch of snacks at most, she never asked me to go fishing with her in the dead of the night.


    Siwoo and the countess took a Gate to the Rabbit River.


    They passed through a hill where maple trees were scattered here and there;  their colorful display reminded Siwoo of a fireworks party.


    The bright starlight illuminated the place, replacing the need for any artificial lights. They looked like diamonds scattered around the sky.


    ¡°Woah...¡±


    ¡°Careful!¡±


    Suddenly, Countess Yesod ran down the hillside, letting out a sigh of awe, just like a child.


    He was about to stop her, but when he saw her running through the rough terrain with ease, the fact that she was a high-ranking witch clicked in his mind.


    In a way, I can see the resemblance between her and her daughter...


    Nevertheless, he could understand why she reacted this way.


    Even Siwoo, who had visited this place twice already, was still left astonished by its grandeur.


    ¡°This place is nice. It¡¯s really pretty.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    Since Diana¡¯s reaction toward this location that he had searched with difficulties was rather lukewarm, he didn¡¯t have much hope that the countess would like it.


    That was why when he saw the countess actually running around excitedly while stepping on the rocks, he felt a little proud of himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to prepare everything, I¡¯ll do my best to make it quick, so please wait for a moment.¡±


    After saying that, he gathered rocks from the surroundings and piled them up. Then, he made fire with the twigs that he picked up while they were passing through the forest. After that was done, he put up a water pitcher.


    He was only missing a portable camping chair to turn this place into a perfect salmon fishing spot.


    As he was doing all that, Countess Lucy was watching him from the side with an amazed face.


    ¡°You sure are something else, Mr. Siwoo. You found out about this place yourself, and even prepared everything for the occasion in such a short notice.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your compliment. I¡¯ll finish the preparation and we should be able to start fishing after that.¡±


    I really just imitated what my friends used to do, though...


    But then again, she¡¯s a countess, I doubt she had the chance to do something like this often, if not, at all.


    After he finished preparing everything, he set up the fishing rods for both of them.


    When it came to lure, if the lure was too heavy, it would sink quickly and chances were it would easily get stuck in between rocks. But, if the lure was too light, one wouldn¡¯t be able to fish to begin with.


    This was something that he learned when he went fishing with Diana earlier.


    ¡°Those are all fish?¡±


    Countess Yesod asked as she sneakily glanced into the water from a distance.


    When Siwoo glanced over, he could see countless black shadows moving ceaselessly against the dark water¡¯s current.


    Since salmon was nocturnal by nature, there were significantly more of them right now compared to back when he came here during the day.


    ¡°Yes, I believe so.¡±


    The countess suddenly turned around and looked at him.


    Her eyes glinted slyly, reminding him of Diana¡¯s.


    ¡°I noticed something in your way of speaking, Mr. Siwoo.¡±


    She...noticed something...? What is it...?


    ¡°Um?¡±


    ¡°When asked for your opinion, you never straight up say ¡®Yes¡¯ or clearly state what¡¯s in your mind. Instead, you deliver your opinion as if you¡¯re guessing.¡±


    ¡°Do I really do that...?¡±


    ¡°Mhm. You always do that, whether we¡¯re in class or when you¡¯re reporting to me about Diana.¡±


    Hearing her words, Siwoo turned silent, not knowing how to reply.


    ¡°I¡¯m just guessing, so forgive me if I¡¯m wrong, but, the way you¡¯re doing that, it¡¯s as if you¡¯re afraid that you are making a mistake.¡±


    When he heard her next sentence, it finally clicked in his mind.


    For the whole five years he was living as a slave, he had only been dealing with witches whose status was far above him. It wasn¡¯t a wonder that he ended up developing such a habit.


    ¡°The fact that you managed to bring her out here means that she listens to you well.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡±


    It was only after he remembered how stubborn Diana could be did Siwoo agree with the countess¡¯ words.


    After their conversation was over, it was finally time for fishing.


    Siwoo briefly explained how to fish to the countess and demonstrated it right after.


    He didn¡¯t add any special tricks from the last time.


    Even the fishing rods and the lures were the same ones he and Diana used earlier today.


    ¡°That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°It really does sound fun.¡±


    The countess took off her shoes without hesitation and walked into the shallow river without caring about her dress getting wet.


    She followed Siwoo¡¯s instruction closely, casting her line into the water, not too far, not too close.


    However, even though there were a bunch of salmon passing by, she still couldn¡¯t hook even a single one, just like Diana.


    Even after she repeatedly pulled and cast her line ten times.


    ¡°This is harder than I thought, Mr. Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°Ah, please wait for a moment. Let¡¯s exchange our rods.¡±


    When Siwoo was about to go down, the countess tugged his collar.


    ¡°No, I believe that even if we exchange our rods, the result will end up the same.¡±


    With shining eyes, rivaling that of the starlight, she asked...


    ¡°Instead, why don¡¯t you teach me more?¡±


    What was it that the countess was asking Siwoo to teach her?


    ¡°I know that this is a little presumptuous of me to ask this, but... Do we really need to go this far?¡±


    ¡°Of course. It isn¡¯t like it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve given you my back, is it, Mr. Siwoo?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not... Never mind...¡±


    Currently, they were standing together in a rather comical pose.


    The countess stood in front of Siwoo, holding the rod in her hands firmly.


    Meanwhile Siwoo stood behind her, holding the rod together with her as if hugging her.


    And...


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    Actually, calling it holding the rod together wasn¡¯t quite right. It was more like he was holding the countess¡¯ hands instead.


    This was the part that made Siwoo feel uncomfortable the most out of all of them.


    Though, he managed to get used to it pretty quickly.


    Given the circumstances, there was a chance that she was trying to flirt with him, but there were two reasons why he doubted it was the case at all.


    One, she was a noble witch, a countess. Considering that she was also known as an extremely conservative witch even among the conservative witches, it was hard for him to imagine her genuinely trying to flirt with someone she didn¡¯t even know for a week.


    Two, the most important reason out of the two.


    The first time they met, she tried to test his self-control, just like what Albireo did.


    Everything that happened...


    From her unbuttoning his shirt before running her finger on his chest, her offering her bareback while sharing her vision with him, her wearing a low-cut dress to show off her assets, all her effort to make him ogle her, everything could be part of her test.


    Getting fired from his position as Diana¡¯s tutor just because he couldn¡¯t keep his lust in check would be an extremely undesirable outcome for him.


    But, if she¡¯s really out here to test me, when I did...that...to her buttocks... Wouldn¡¯t that be enough to make me fail her test...?


    Also, I¡¯ve only known her for a short time, but she doesn¡¯t seem to be the kind of person who¡¯d give me test after test for no reason at all.


    Even Countess Albireo said that her personality is admirable, and she isn¡¯t that kind of petty person...


    I don¡¯t know... I can¡¯t figure her out at all...


    ¡°Come on~¡±


    The countess¡ªwho knows if she was pretending not to know or if she actually didn¡¯t know what was going on in his mind¡ªurged him on with an innocent-sounding voice.


    Siwoo let out a sigh and hugged her from behind again.


    This time, he carefully placed his hand on top of hers, paying attention to the position of his waist so that no unfortunate incident would occur again.


    Her hands were so small compared to the usual majesty she exuded.


    They were warm and soft, just like the previous time he touched her skin.


    ¡°So this pose really does work. I thought because I¡¯m quite tall we¡¯d end up in a rather uncomfortable position but it isn¡¯t the case at all~¡±


    They cast their line with a swoosh.


    With one hand on the reel and the other on the rod, they leisurely let the hook drift away.


    That night, they managed to catch more than ten salmon.

 Chapter 363: Outdoor Activities (5)

    1.


    The countess found the fishing outing fun.


    Under that starry night sky...


    Both of them cast their lines over the sparkly water while holding each other close.


    Although no racy events occurred and Lucy couldn¡¯t see him squirm as she hadn¡¯t made any dirty jokes...


    She enjoyed the experience greatly.


    What is the best word to describe this experience?


    A tryst?


    No, it isn¡¯t that intense.


    A date.


    Yes. An innocent word that makes one¡¯s heart race. Perfect.


    The way he placed his jacket over her shoulders when he noticed them trembling...


    The way he tried his best to avert his gaze despite the clear temptation in front of him...


    Even the way he turned his head away, trying his best to breathe with his mouth¡ªprobably because he was too embarrassed to smell her body odor...


    All of those gestures he made excited her, giving her the fluttering feeling that she hadn¡¯t felt for so long.


    The air that accompanied her throughout her way back to her private library was cold, but she strangely felt warm.


    Her heart was still pounding excitedly, just like a kid who had just returned from an enjoyable trip.


    ¡°But... Is it really okay for me to indulge in this selfishness...?¡±


    Countless years had passed ever since she turned a blind eye to these feelings.


    For Diana¡¯s sake... For protecting her honor as a countess... She turned away from those feelings, only occasionally unleashing it in her secret library.


    Of course, she had no regrets.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anymore.¡±


    The countess sat down in the library with a bitter smile on her face.


    Relationships between people could change quickly and suddenly.


    Just like how she had employed this ¡®male witch¡¯ without any particular thoughts at first, but he managed to catch her interest in just a few days.


    Lucy Yesod could tell that she was the key.


    The key to the turning point in their relationship.


    Their relationship would definitely change depending on the way she acted.


    ¡°Because he is way too passive...¡±


    If he were to suddenly embrace me from behind, or just sneak in a kiss or two while we were out there fishing, I would allow him to continue.


    Seriously, he only does things that I explicitly allow him to do...


    But that¡¯s what makes him so likable.


    ¡°Maybe I should give him a little space instead?¡±


    There was no need for her to rush.


    While she was feeling a little anxious because of this at the moment, it wasn¡¯t a big deal for her.


    A hot black tea was the perfect black tea, but black tea that had been cooled down a little also had its own charm.


    Especially if it was the same black tea one had been drinking for decades.


    Sitting on the table was the third volume of the Devil¡¯s Delivery Service.


    It was Lucy¡¯s choice of companion to ease her loneliness recently.


    But today, rather than indulging in those explicit emotions, she wanted to immerse herself in this sentimental aftertaste.


    She took out a new book.


    A blank book without anything written on it.


    This book would probably become a book that she wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to see.


    She then proceeded to write down today¡¯s events, as if she was writing a diary entry while recalling all the moments that made her heartbeat quicken.


    But she felt that if she only wrote those things down, it would turn out a little lacking.


    Recounting the event that happened in reality without adding anything wouldn¡¯t make a good novel.


    So she added her personal twist and turn in her writing.


    She wrote about a certain witch who went on a fishing trip with her apprentice witch¡¯s tutor.


    The tutor embraced her from behind, holding the fishing rod together with her.


    After a period of teasing by the witch, the tutor became unable to resist her seduction and he made a bold move to kiss her.


    At first, the witch tried to shake him off, but in the end, she gave up and accepted his tongue.


    ¡°Mhm...¡±


    The countess continued to write at a rapid pace, her quill fluttered, moving without a rest.


    If he did this...


    This would happen...


    She turned her experience into something fictional.


    It was as if she was begging for his attention.


    After vehemently rejecting her advances, the tutor eventually gave up and made his move.


    He moved his hand, which was previously placed on top of the witch¡¯s hand, to dig into the unexplored parts of her body.


    Soon after, they were no longer able to hold back their hidden desires. They threw the fishing rod away and went to the nearby grassy fields, sharing kisses in between.


    Then, they took off their clothes, sharing kisses until they were out of breaths, overlapping their naked bodies.


    With the sound of the river¡¯s stream, combined with the cricket¡¯s singing as the background, they passionately explored each other¡¯s bodies.


    It was only after a strong release did their hot affair end.


    After reading that far, Diana closed the book with trembling hands.


    She didn¡¯t know what kind of expression she was making, but she could tell that the corners of her mouth were twitching.


    ¡°...¡±


    The witch¡¯s apprentice¡¯s tutor...


    The description of the scenery that perfectly fit the Rabbit River...


    The salmon and the man¡¯s attitude...


    Even a fool could tell what this book was based on.


    ¡°No way...¡±


    Is this book really supposed to be a ¡®novel¡¯...?


    The tutor¡¯s personality, appearance...everything is similar to that man...


    Also, the witch...ashen hair, violet eyes...exactly like mom¡¯s...


    In truth, she could easily just brush this matter off without thinking too deeply into it.


    The problem here was that there were too many details that she noticed in the book that only further confirmed her speculations.


    As a comparison, the witch in the Devil¡¯s Delivery Service¡¯s appearance also had semblance to her mother, but it was crystal clear that she had a completely different personality than her mother.


    But it wasn¡¯t the case at all with the witch in this book.


    First, her mother¡¯s writing style usually put less emphasis on dialogue and more into the psychological situation of the characters.


    However, this book was different; it was mostly dialogue, making Diana think that it was some kind of script instead of a novel.


    Furthermore, she could clearly see her mother in the witch¡¯s part of dialogue. From her way of speaking, mannerisms, even the hard-to-understand jokes, all of them sounded like something her mother would say.


    With that in mind, Diana reached a terrifying conclusion.


    This book isn¡¯t just a novel...


    She knew that after their tutoring sessions Siwoo would visit her mother for his own tutoring sessions.


    So, she surmised that the event on this book happened after they finished that tutoring session. Her mother did invite him to a secret date.


    But she didn¡¯t stop there, she even seduced him, laid down naked on the grassy patch and had a love affair there.


    And...


    Probably...


    That happened just a few hours ago...


    It was currently 2 in the morning.


    Shin Siwoo¡¯s tutoring session started at 9 pm, so they had plenty of time to do all that.


    After doing it with him, her mother probably went back to this secret library to write the book.


    In other words, this book wasn¡¯t a novel or anything, but rather a diary that recounted what happened tonight.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    With that revelation, the gears finally clicked in her head.


    She finally found all the missing puzzle pieces.


    The reason why her mother, who had always shown her disdain to men, assigned a male tutor to her.


    It¡¯s because she¡¯s fond of him and she wants to keep him by her side...


    The reason why she held classes in her private study every single night with that man.


    It¡¯s because she wanted some time alone with him...


    Finding out that two characters in a novel were having a sexual affair and finding out two real people were having a sexual affair brought two different feelings altogether.


    In Diana¡¯s case, the thought of two people that she knew having a sex like a pair of animals made her feel sick.


    She felt betrayal and disappointment.


    But at the same time, she wanted to understand her mother¡¯s standpoint.


    It was filthy.


    And she knew that this kind of curiosity was dangerous.


    But...


    The vivid description of a certain man¡¯s body refused to leave her mind.


    Shin Siwoo...


    With all those thoughts swirling in her head, Diana stumbled her way out of the room.

 Chapter 364: Outdoor Activities (6)

    1.


    ¡°You seem a little distracted today, Ms. Diana...¡±


    Since the other day they spent their time outdoors, today was the time for Siwoo and Diana to go back to Witch Board again.


    Hearing his words, Diana snapped out of her daze.


    ¡°Why do you think so?¡±


    ¡°Well, for starters... You made mistakes that you normally would never make. If you¡¯re feeling unwell, why don¡¯t we rest for a bit?¡±


    It was just as he said.


    Normally, a game between them would last around 250~300 turns.


    But the games they played today lasted for less than 100 turns.


    In fact, there was one time when it concluded in less than 50 turns.


    Not only that, Diana hadn¡¯t asked for his feedback each time she lost.


    She just kept on playing, immediately continuing to the next game after the previous one ended, as if she was in a daze.


    When it came to Witch Board, Diana acknowledged Siwoo¡¯s expertise, and she¡¯d always try to learn from him the moment she got the chance to. That was why her current behavior was extremely strange to him.


    She cast her glance at him.


    They had been playing for over three hours today, but this was the first time they had made eye contact.


    ¡°...¡±


    Her mind was in chaos.


    It was as if her linguistic capabilities had regressed to that of a toddler¡¯s.


    Facing his eyes that were filled with genuine concern towards her, she couldn¡¯t find any words to say.


    ¡°I...think...I should take a break...¡±


    ¡°Please do. Thank you for your hard work for today.¡±


    After saying those words in a feeble voice, Diana returned to her bedroom.


    Waiting inside her bedroom was a custom-made bed that boasted an ergonomic design.


    Without any hesitation, she let her body fall onto said bed that was decorated like a princess¡¯ bed, complete with its canopy.


    ¡°Haa... What is this feeling...?¡±


    After finding out about the secret relationship between her mother and her tutor last night...


    An unknown emotion that she felt for the very first time in her life appeared in her heart.


    Her mother¡¯s sloppy appearance in that novel was etched onto her brain.


    The first time she found out the true reason why her mother suddenly assigned that man as her tutor, she was in a complete shock, but she already sorted that particular feeling out with a sleep.


    It wasn¡¯t like Diana had no clue what love meant.


    Although she found it hard to believe that her mother¡ªthe same person who kept warning her about how deceitful men were¡ªwas hiding such a secret...


    She understood her circumstances, or at least tried to.


    Because of Diana...


    And all the people around her...


    Her mother was unable to express her true feelings, that was why she went ahead and wrote those erotic novels. Diana understood that much, at the very least.


    It just showed how lonely and isolated she must have felt all this time.


    Even so, Diana still thought that something didn¡¯t feel right.


    She understood her mother¡¯s circumstances.


    If her mother wanted to meet a new man and had a secret relationship with him behind her back, she was free to do so. There was no reason for Diana to feel uncomfortable about it at all.


    At best she¡¯d just feel left out a little and grumble about it, but that was it.


    After understanding the matter this far, her mind should be at ease.


    In fact, that was what she really felt last night. That was also why she was able to go to sleep to begin with.


    But, the moment she met Siwoo for their tutoring session, the feeling of discomfort came creeping up in her heart again.


    ¡°Uuugh...¡±


    She buried her face in her pillow before flapping her legs around, as if she was trying to swim.


    The moment when Siwoo came into her room, wearing his usual butler uniform...


    From the moment he opened the door and entered the living room, she started to remember the various lines that were written in the novel.


    His manly, protruding Adam¡¯s apple...


    His firm-looking arms that were visible through the raised shirt cuffs...


    Even his serious look as he stared at the Witch Board...


    All of them perfectly matched with what she had read in the novel.


    This was the reason why she was so restless during their tutoring session.


    When she realized that he would be having another ¡®tutoring session¡¯ with her mother tonight too...


    A new sense of discomfort appeared in her heart.


    ¡°It feels weird...¡±


    She felt unpleasant.


    Because he took her mother away from her.


    Because he knew the sides of her mother that she was unaware of.


    But at the same time, she had entirely different kinds of complaints.


    You¡¯re my tutor, aren¡¯t you?


    You should prioritize me first.


    Inside the bathroom, there was an enormous round bathtub that seemed to be large enough for ten people to enter at the same time.


    The bathtub was filled with water and in the center of it was the Red Branch that Siwoo had entrusted to the countess prior to this.


    ¡°I expected that the Red Branch would be quite active during the course of the experiment, so I figured it would be better to bring him here. As you might¡¯ve noticed, the bathtub is filled with mana heavy water with 99.9% purity.¡±


    ¡°Mana heavy water?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Ah, you don¡¯t know? It¡¯s something that¡¯s usually used in alchemy; mana water that has been refined to lower its reactivity to an extreme degree. Anyway, we will be experimenting with the Red Branch inside the water. This way if it goes out of control during our experiment, you can use the water as both a buffer and a neutralizer.¡±


    He could tell that the water was completely different from normal water.


    For starters, he couldn¡¯t see any refraction from its surface and he could see the bottom of the bathtub clearly.


    ¡°Just for confirmation, we¡¯re going to do everything inside the water, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°Ah, before that.¡±


    Siwoo had already taken off his shoes and socks, and was about to jump into the water, but...


    The countess placed her slender hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯ll be better if you take off your top? The water¡¯s temperature is naturally low, so if you just come in full clothes, the cold might be unbearable for you.¡±


    Hearing that kind of request from a woman, Siwoo found it strange, but at the same time, he thought that it wasn¡¯t really a big deal since he only needed to take off his top.


    Considering that they had done bareskin contact before, it would be weird of him if he were to be too self-conscious about this.


    So, he took off his jacket, vest, and shirt, and stepped into the bathtub. Soon enough, he realized that the countess was right.


    The water was freezing cold.


    But it wasn¡¯t to the extent that it was unbearable.


    ¡°Can I really hold it like this? No more preparation needed?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t worry, there won¡¯t be any problem.¡±


    Hearing the countess¡¯ words, he carefully grabbed the Red Branch that was floating on the waist-high water.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    The moment he touched the Red Branch, he could feel his palm tingle, as if he had just touched a leaking battery.


    He felt a familiar sensation of his spirit body distorting away.


    However, unlike the last time he felt it¡ªback then, he felt like his whole body was being torn apart¡ªthe tingle was all he felt, so he had no problem holding the spear in his hands.


    Moreover, the annoying red barrier didn¡¯t come out of the spear, making him let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Alright, now, try to wrap it with the spell that you prepared and take it out of the water.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Bloom.¡±


    Siwoo then took out a strand of his ribbon.


    The ribbon was imbued with a barrier he made to control the Red Branch.


    It quickly sank to the water like a water snake, then wrapped itself around the Red Branch. After that, Siwoo carefully tried to pull the spear out of the mana water.


    He swallowed hard.


    Unlike before when he tightly sealed the spear with a bunch of layers of ribbons, right now it only had a single layer of it.


    He was afraid that the spear would go out of control the moment it left the mana water.


    After a while, he finally managed to pull the Red Branch out.


    And what happened next brought him joy.


    The spear that had been disobeying him stayed calmly still as he pulled it out of the water.


    With this degree of calmness, he could even freely use Dimension Shift while carrying the thing with him.


    ¡°Alright!¡±


    Countess Yesod¡ªwho had been watching quietly from the side¡ªspoke in a gentle voice.


    ¡°The method you used before could only suppress around 72% of its distortion. While it wouldn¡¯t affect spirit bodies right away, the leakage was enough to make fragile artifacts malfunction. But now, we can safely say that the method successfully suppresses 100% of its distortion.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much, Countess... I¡¯m forever indebted to you!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating. I only gave you advice, nothing more.¡±


    The countess replied with a bright smile.


    From her smile, it seemed like she was genuinely happy with his achievement.


    ¡°But this isn¡¯t the end, you still have a long way to go. According to your description, the Red Branch would also let out its distortion field whenever it receives some amount of force, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Siwoo recalled the time when he was fighting the Red Knight.


    To be specific, the time when his insides were struck by the spear¡¯s distortion each time his sword clashed with the Red Knight¡¯s.


    As the countess stated, this method would only allow him to move the Red Branch around. It definitely wasn¡¯t enough to let him swing it freely as a weapon.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we start by hitting it with a light force and see its reaction?¡±


    Nevertheless, this could be considered as a breakthrough.


    Siwoo was sure that he would be able to continue to improve his barrier further.


    He nodded to the countess¡¯ words and continued with the experiment.


    3.


    Ahh~


    My tears are coming~


    A joyous smile appeared on the countess¡¯ lips as she watched Siwoo fiddling around with the Red Branch topless.

 Chapter 366: Sewer Rats (1)

    Chapter 366: Sewer Rats (1)1.


    Diana, who had extremely limited knowledge about men due to her sheltered upbringing and education...


    Recently got to know about ¡®sex¡¯ thanks to the erotic novel that her mother wrote.


    Just yesterday, she even got to peek at her mother and her tutor making love to each other.


    Because of that she had changed her perspective on this sort of thing. Instead of treating it as something filthy and dirty, she became extremely curious about it.


    Naturally, the target of that curiosity was the only man by her side; her tutor, Shin Siwoo.


    Although, she¡¯d deny it if one were to confront her about it.


    His muscular body kept her awake at night, and from then on, her imagination would wonder to his manhood; the same part that her mother touched the other day.


    Everything was still so fresh in her mind, since it was only yesterday that she peeked on the two of them.


    This was also why she felt extremely uncomfortable while walking with him side by side.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Diana?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t we go somewhere closer to home instead?¡±


    ¡°We can, but since we¡¯re already here, might as well go around the town, no? Today, I want to show you a bunch of interesting items from the Modern World.¡±


    Their plan for today was to go around the closest town to the Modern World.


    Border Town.


    Actually, Siwoo¡¯s original plan was to go somewhere close to the Grand Bath, but he remembered that Diana had never gone to the Border Town before, so he thought that it would be a nice change of pace if they were to go to there instead.


    More specifically, to the smuggler¡¯s Contact Point where there were a lot of goods from the Modern World being sold. Since he knew that the twins would love this place, he thought that Diana would probably also love it.


    Especially considering that she loved the drinks and sweets from the Modern World.


    ¡°Haa...¡±


    But now that they were on their way there, he realized that he probably picked the wrong place to go.


    Holding up her umbrella in the heavy rain, Diana didn¡¯t even bother to hide her scowl.


    Her expression was significantly worse than the time they went fishing together.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about such things. Besides, that town is dangerous.¡±


    ¡°But, there are a bunch of interesting things here. Just look around, you¡¯ll definitely find something that catches your eye.¡±


    Though he said that, he still felt a pang of regret as he walked down the winding cliff road that overlooked the Border Town.


    Even with the umbrella, the rain water was still able to soak his collar. There was also the unpaved road that felt so sticky to tread on, as if they were walking on a swamp.


    Every time Diana¡¯s shoes were stained with dirt, his heart just sank further and further.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡®Enough of this! I¡¯m going home! Leave me alone!¡¯


    Siwoo thought that Diana would throw a tantrum like that, but...


    She had been clamming her mouth shut, completely defying his expectations.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    After a while, they arrived at the dock where a bunch of slaves were working, then Siwoo guided her straight to the Contact Point.


    ¡®Fat Mermaid Contact Point¡¯, the place where he bought their fishing gears the other day.


    Inside the single-story building¡ªwhich looked like the inside of a warehouse with its high ceiling¡ªthere were various Modern World items arranged in such a way that made the whole place feel like a maze.


    Since this was a place where anyone could just come in, there weren¡¯t any expensive items being sold, but Siwoo thought that there bound to be one or two things that caught Diana¡¯s eyes here.


    ¡°I heard that you love these sweets don¡¯t you, Ms. Diana? Why don¡¯t we buy a box or two?¡±


    ¡°...I still have plenty of them at home.¡±


    ¡°What about this one?¡±


    ¡°Not interested.¡±


    But the more they went through the place, the more he thought that he screwed up big time.


    All this time, Diana just looked around the place with clear disinterest in her eyes.


    It was completely different than when they went out fishing; back then, at least she was still staring at him with a curious gaze.


    Nevertheless, he still had to adhere to his contract.


    No matter how hard it was to please this completely disinterested girl, he still had to do it.


    He was about to let out an inward sigh, but then...


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Diana suddenly called out to him.


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Diana?¡±


    Though she was the one who called out to him first, she didn¡¯t say anything else.


    Instead, she tapped her dirty shoe against the floor as her frilly dress bobbed up and down, following the rhythm. After a while, she opened her mouth.


    ¡°The tutoring... Do you enjoy it...?¡±


    ¡°Um, by tutoring, do you mean what we¡¯re doing right now, or when we¡¯re playing Witch Board?¡±


    Instead of answering that question, Diana just shook her head.


    ¡°Ah, did you mean my tutoring session with the countess?¡±


    When she heard that, Diana¡¯s body trembled slightly.


    She nodded her head a little, but her gaze was focused on the tip of her toes, as if she was concerned about the mud that was sticking into her white shoes.


    ¡°Of course. Countess Yesod is a true master of her craft. I always learned something new from her every day.¡±


    Their eyes closely followed a certain witch who was wearing a gorgeous dress¡ªa sight that was far from the image that the Border Town had.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that her?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she looks exactly like the picture.¡±


    The men in the group numbered ten; they were Jack and the other thugs who met Bianca just a while ago.


    All of them hid themselves¡ªeither behind a box, or beside a building¡ªwhile watching each other with stiff expressions on their faces.


    ¡°So, what are you gonna do, Boss? Are you really gonna do it?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s an apprentice of a countess, you know?¡±


    Bianca, who came to visit them, asked them for a favor in exchange for two artifacts.


    ¡°Shut your crap, why are you bitching like a little girl? So what if she¡¯s the apprentice of a countess? Noble or not, if we got caught messing with an apprentice, we¡¯re gonna end up dead anyway.¡±


    Jack shot a sharp glare toward the other thugs.


    He had been waiting for a long time for this moment.


    From the moment he was captured by those witches and forced to live a life worse than a normal human¡¯s, he had been biding his time.


    So that he could take revenge on the witches who were walking around with their chins raised high, as if it was the most natural thing to do.


    Now, his wish was about to come true.


    Through the contract he signed with the devil, he finally managed to obtain the last piece of the puzzle he needed.


    Jack looked down at the katyusha in his hand.


    This was the aforementioned last piece of puzzle that he received from that Exile, ¡®Ring of Subordination¡¯.


    According to the self-proclaimed good witch who loved to grant others¡¯ desires, this artifact could suppress the magical power of the witches whose autonomous self-defense wasn¡¯t active, and allow them to obey any of his commands.


    The artifact could work on regular witches, let alone apprentice witches.


    In other words, as long as he could get the apprentice to wear this on her head, it would be game over for her.


    For him, it wasn¡¯t a difficult thing to achieve.


    The only problem here was whether the trash accompanying him would follow through the plan until the end or not.


    Even Jack wasn¡¯t confident that he could take on an apprentice witch all by himself.


    At that moment, one of the thugs called out to him with a trembling voice.


    ¡°...Boss, can we just stop...? I have a bad feeling... Maybe we should wait for another opportunity...¡±


    And his concern was proven correct.


    One weakling spoke out and successfully spread anxiety to the whole group.


    He was about to go a step further and weaken their resolve for revenge.


    And so, Jack decided to answer the weakling¡¯s action in kind.


    ¡°Keuk¡ª!¡±


    In an instant, he took out a dagger, stabbed the weakling¡¯s neck with it and twisted it.


    He did it so quickly that the weakling didn¡¯t even have the chance to let out a scream.


    ¡°Urrg...ggrrrg...¡±


    The stabbed guy started moving in a bizarre way before collapsing and died without being able to say anything else.


    After finishing his deed, Jack wiped the blood off his face and threw a sinister look toward the other thugs around.


    As far as he was concerned, whether their plans failed or not, they would end up dying anyway.


    The worst case scenario was that if they were to stop and wait for another day, one of the thugs would betray him and tip-off the countess about their plan.


    That was in his view they had to carry out the plan today whether they liked it or not.


    ¡°Anyone else?¡±


    Facing the stiff-faced thugs, Jack bared his teeth.


    ¡°You fucking cowards. In the first place, you idiots were the ones who agreed to this. Now that our chance to get back at those whores is right in front of us, you¡¯re telling me that you¡¯re fucking scared?¡±


    No one among the thugs were brave enough to refute his words, especially when there was a corpse right in front of them.


    ¡°Think about it for a second, you morons. Do you think that witch who came to us was such a naive whore who¡¯d just let it slide and let us go if we were to go back without doing anything? After she gave us two fucking artifacts?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°If we were to back down now, we¡¯re just going to die without getting fucking anything.¡±


    ¡°...True. If I were to die anyway, I might as well die after eating an apprentice witch.¡±


    After hearing the pale-faced pig agreeing to Jack¡¯s words, the rest of the thugs nodded their heads slowly.


    There was a reason why they were death row inmates.


    They were the dregs of society who were willing to throw their lives away just to unleash their anger and sexual desires.


    ¡°So you can say something good once in a while, huh, Pig?¡±


    ¡°S-Shut up... Anyway, I¡¯ll only allow myself to die after raping that apprentice!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll decide the order by drawing lots, alright?¡±


    In the midst of their excitement and tension, the thugs¡¯ eyes were locked at the back of the apprentice witch, as if they could strip her naked with just their gazes.


    ¡°We¡¯ll follow the plan. Release our frustration on that bitch properly.¡±


    As the apprentice witch moved toward a place with less people...


    The nine thugs followed her closely.

 Chapter 365: Outdoor Activities (7)

    1.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Just as Siwoo had expected before, things just wouldn¡¯t go smoothly so easily.


    There were three kinds of experiments he needed to run.


    One, checking the barrier¡¯s shielding.


    Two, securing samples of the Red Branch¡¯s distortion rate whenever it reacted to a strong enough force.


    Three, controlling the distortion field after removing the protective ribbon and exposing 5% of the spear.


    The first one was easily done, but the moment he tried to do the second one, he immediately stumbled upon a wall.


    Because even the slightest force would make the Red Branch go crazy even though it was still covered up by his ribbon.


    The same thing happened when he exposed a tiny part of the spear¡¯s blade.


    Even the surface of the mana water¡ªwhich was supposed to be pretty much unreactive¡ªrippled crazily because of it as it spitted out droplets of water everywhere.


    He had to soak the spear into the mana water again after a really brief time of experimenting.


    ¡°It seems like you¡¯re having trouble.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The countess, who had only been watching from the side, suddenly joined him and came into the bathtub.


    Without giving Siwoo a chance to say anything, she reached out to the Red Branch from behind him, assuming a pose similar to back when they were fishing in the Rabbit River.


    ¡°Woah, it really is cold...¡±


    Siwoo stared at her surprised, but she just smiled carefreely at him.


    ¡°This time, I¡¯m going to help you, so why don¡¯t you try again?¡±


    He could feel a soft feeling from behind his back.


    The countess¡¯ body warmth¡ªwhich was like the antithesis of the mana water¡¯s coldness¡ªwarmed his back.


    At the same time, he sensed the countess casting a barrier that enveloped his body.


    ¡°You can take it out. Don¡¯t get hasty, just do it carefully.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Following her instructions, Siwoo pulled out the Red Branch out of the mana water again.


    As the aftereffects of it going ham just now was still there, the spear was still vibrating like crazy, but the countess casually took control of its distortion field without batting an eye. ??


    ¡°You were handling it too roughly, you need to gently caress it, just like this...¡±


    ¡°Like this?¡±


    ¡°Mhm, yes... That¡¯s it... Do it just like that until you¡¯re used to it.¡±


    From then on, the countess kept giving him guidance on his experiment.


    If the spear¡¯s distortion field acted up again to the point that it was hard for him to handle it, she¡¯d guide him and tell him what he needed to do to solve the problem.


    After that, he¡¯d use the countess¡¯ guidance as a basis to his calculation and settle the issue promptly.


    One thing worth noting here was, even Siwoo, who was able to see the flow of magic as long as he removed his eyepatch, had difficulties to see where the problems that he encountered lied.


    But the countess managed to find out all of them purely by instinct.


    Once again he realized that her feat in achieving the 22nd rank wasn¡¯t just for show.


    ¡°Is it like this...?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s correct. Good job.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Alright, now try doing everything from the beginning again...slowly...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At one point, his mind became clear from all distractions.


    Using the countess¡¯ guidance as the trigger for him to concentrate...


    He could no longer feel the coldness of the water that felt like it was trying to rip his skin apart, and the countess¡¯ warmth on his back.


    With the countess¡¯ voice as his navigator of some sort, his concentration reached its peak.


    He suppressed the red waves that danced around as if they were possessed, one by one, calculating everything to the point that he felt his brain was being fried.


    Ignoring everything else that was happening around him for the sake of accomplishing his goal.


    2.


    The countess glanced at Siwoo.


    ¡°...¡±


    He had been in a trance for five minutes.


    Not only that, he had been responding less frequently to her guidance, seemingly pouring all his focus into the experiment.


    This level of concentration he was showing was terrifying, even for the countess.


    He wasn¡¯t just using her guidance to imitate her.


    Instead, he used it to carve his own path.


    Considering that it hadn¡¯t been long since he first studied magic, this kind of mindset showed how incredible he was, and how promising his future would be.


    If he had been a woman, became a witch in a proper way and inherited a matured brand... I wonder how quick his growth would be?


    The countess never ever once thought that her talent was lacking, but seeing this man¡¯s talent, it made her think that her talent pale in comparison by a lot.


    Maybe his talent is on par with Duchess Keter...


    You¡¯d probably need this kind of talent to pry your way through the unreachable 30th rank...


    ...Pfft, what am I even thinking about?


    Meanwhile...


    ¡°...I don¡¯t care anymore.¡±


    Contrary to the words of complaint that came out of her mouth, Diana¡¯s eyes followed those two people closely.


    However, she didn¡¯t try to think what it was that those two were going to do this time.


    Because currently, she wanted nothing but to float around in the enormous bath, maybe while having a chat or two with someone.


    But then she realized something.


    ¡°Wait, that direction they¡¯re going to...¡±


    That path only leads to two places, the restaurant and...mom¡¯s private bathroom...


    She knew that her mother didn¡¯t usually eat lunch, so there was no reason for her to go there. That meant, by a simple elimination, their destination would be...


    ¡°No way...¡±


    Ignore it, ignore it.


    Though she tried her best to feign ignorance, her feet just refused to move.


    Is the content of that book I read yesterday all true...?


    ...This is a great opportunity to find out, right...?


    Because she was genuinely curious about the love affair between a man and a woman that she had only ever experienced through books.


    As expected of an exemplary apprentice witch, her curiosity pushed through and managed to set her discomfort and aversion aside.


    ¡°...Ah, I don¡¯t know anymore...¡±


    And so, she hastened her steps and headed towards the countess¡¯ private bathroom.


    Her heart was pounding faster than back when she was sneaking into her mother¡¯s secret library.


    Just like a spy, she sneaked and stood right beside the red silk that covered the bathroom¡¯s entrance just a few moments after the other two entered.


    ¡°Huu...¡±


    Sweat dripped down her forehead.


    If they were to catch her peeping on them, who knows what they would do to her.


    She wanted to confirm everything with her own eyes, but unfortunately for her, the private bath was quite small.


    If she were to go inside the room where the bathtub was, there would be nowhere she could hide herself in.


    And so, she just held her breath and quietly listened from where she was.


    Her mother¡¯s familiar voice entered her ears.


    ¡°This time, I¡¯m going to help you, so why don¡¯t you try again?¡±


    Her sweet voice echoed through the bathroom.


    If it was anyone else, they wouldn¡¯t notice it, but Diana could easily tell...


    That her voice was different from the usual gentle voice that she normally heard.


    It was a tone higher than usual, as if she was trying to seduce someone.


    ¡°You can take it out. Don¡¯t get hasty, just do it carefully.¡±


    Take what out...? Huh? What are they talking about?!


    Diana unknowingly gulped, leaning in closer to listen.


    ¡°You were handling it too roughly, you need to gently caress it, just like this...¡±


    ¡°Like this?¡±


    ¡°Mhm, yes... That¡¯s it... Do it just like that until you¡¯re used to it.¡±


    Diana felt a tingling sensation, as if she had just been electrocuted.


    With this, everything was clear to her.


    While it wasn¡¯t as explicit as in the novel, they were definitely doing something lewd inside.


    Her mother and her tutor, Siwoo, were having that kind of affair inside.


    Gently caress...?


    Diana combined the knowledge she had learned from reading her mother¡¯s books with the content of the conversation that she had just heard.


    Take something out, then gently caress it...?


    What are they talking about?


    Is it mom¡¯s chest...? Or is it Shin Siwoo¡¯s...


    ¡°Is it like this...?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s correct. Good job.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Alright, now try doing everything from the beginning again...slowly...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Hearing her mother¡¯s voice getting smaller and smaller, as it got mixed with her breaths even more, Diana finally mustered his courage.


    She lifted the curtain to the bathroom a little and took a peek inside.


    And she saw it.


    Siwoo standing in the bathtub with his shirt off.


    With her mother hugging him from behind.


    Though she didn¡¯t seem to have undressed herself, from their posture and the position of her hands...


    It seemed like she was caressing his penis from behind.


    Unable to endure the sight anymore, Diana quickly left the scene.


    1. The part of your back muscles that stretches from right behind your arms down to your hips.2. Shoulder muscle.3. Buttocks muscle.

 Chapter 367: Sewer Rats (2)

    1.


    Diana strode forward while grumbling.


    She knew very well was showing such an unsightly display by lashing out at that man..


    After all, she got angry at him so suddenly without explanation or even a reasonable reason.


    The insults she hurled at him were nothing more than her venting her frustrations that had been building up for a while now.


    ¡°...Still, he should try to apologize at the very least...¡±


    It only took her thirty seconds after she left him that she realized that she had gone too far.


    At first, she was in denial and tried to forget about it.


    But she eventually decided that would never apologize to him first.


    Although, if he were to chase after her, she wouldn¡¯t mind offering her apology a little, but...


    Even after she had gone this far ahead, she hadn¡¯t heard him shouting her name from behind like what she had expected.


    This only served to fuel her anger more.


    She then went past the dock and entered a quiet place where several warehouses were lined up.


    ¡°Huu...huu... Hello?¡±


    At that moment, an ugly-looking fatso came out of the alley and approached her, startling her in the process.


    From the shabby-looking clothes and the sweat dripping down his face¡ªas if he had just done some heavy manual labor...


    And the ominous glint in his eyes...


    Diana could tell who¨Cor rather, what he was.


    A slave that was owned by a smuggler.


    Her mom had told her that all the slaves that were working in this place were death row inmates.


    I¡¯m already in a bad mood, and now, a death row inmate, a human garbage, is trying to talk with me?


    She narrowed brows as her usually languid eyes rose sharply.


    ¡°What?¡±


    The dress she was wearing right now wasn¡¯t just any ordinary dress that one could buy in the streets of Gehenna.


    Even her dirt-stained shoes were worth as much as a villa if one were to sell them away.


    Anyone could tell at a glance that she was a noble, and the fact that this man still called out to her despite that only made him all the more suspicious in her eyes. ?


    ¡°I-I... S-Sorry, M-Ms. Witch... C-Can I have a glass of water...?¡±


    Then she heard that he was just asking for a glass of water.


    It left her completely off guard.


    ¡°Do I look like I have water for you to drink? Get lost.¡±


    She didn¡¯t bother to hide her dismay.


    Normally, this would be enough to get the fat man to scurry off, but somehow instead of doing that, he trudged closer to her.


    Is he deaf?


    At this point, her expression distorted greatly.


    I tried to settle this with words, but fine. If he wants me to blast him off, I¡¯ll just do that¡ª!


    But, before she could raise her magic power...


    ¡°Kya¡ª


    A hand that was reek with the smell of cigarettes covered her mouth from behind.


    The owner of that hand was a man with a knife wound on his face. He quickly moved his other hand to embrace her from behind and locked her in that position.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you play with us for a second, Missy~?¡±


    ¡°Mmh¡ª! Mmmh...!¡±


    ¡°Stay still.¡±


    Diana, who was struggling to escape¡ªunable to cast her magic because she was too flustered to¡ªfroze when she noticed a sharp knife facing her neck.


    ¡°I know that when a witch is trying to use their magic their eyes would light up a little. Let¡¯s see which one is faster, your spell or me slitting your throat with this little guy over here. You¡¯re more than welcome to try.¡±


    At that moment, more men came out of their hiding spots, accompanied by their mocking laughs.


    They looked like rats jumping out of a sewer.


    ¡°Hahaha! Try it out, Missy. I don¡¯t mind playing with a corpse as long as it¡¯s still warm anyway!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we got her just like that.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, it was funny when she tried to act high and mighty like a real witch.¡±


    Though she was just an apprentice, Diana was still an apprentice of a noble family.


    If she could use her magic, these thugs wouldn¡¯t be able to scratch her body.


    But, these thugs knew how magic worked.


    Moreover, the blade that was pointing at her neck was a real blade, not some kind of toy to intimidate children.


    She only needed two seconds to cast her spells, but she knew that the blade could pierce through her neck faster than that.


    But, the moment they put the katyusha¡ªwhich was clearly an artifact¡ªon her head, that was no longer an option. Right now, she wasn¡¯t an apprentice witch anymore, but a mere mortal.


    All she could do was threaten them with a trembling voice.


    ¡°Y-Y-You... D-Do you think you¡¯ll get away after doing all this...?¡±


    The pride of the heir of the Yesod Family.


    She squeezed the last bit of her pride in that threat even as she shrunk in fear.


    But, the answer that came back was a mocking laughter from all the thugs in the room.


    After having a good laugh, Jack approached her in a brisk manner before grabbing her hair.


    ¡°Who the fuck cares?¡±


    ¡°Hic¡ª!¡±


    This was the first time Diana had ever been treated this roughly, let alone being stuck in this kind of dangerous situation.


    The intense pain and the genuine malice that the thug in front of her exuded scared her so much that she didn¡¯t even dare to look away.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯ve been living cooped up in that happy little castle of yours. Enjoying every moment of your life, perfecting how to lift your teacup perfectly or whatever, completely ignoring all of us here who are working like dogs in this shithole.¡±


    Diana gritted her teeth before sending a weak glare at Jack.


    ¡°Y-You are just...r-reaping what you sow...¡±


    ¡°Pfft, hell no.¡±


    Jack grabbed Diana¡¯s cheeks roughly.


    ¡°We¡¯ve suffered enough, and now it¡¯s time for us to get what we deserve. From now on, we¡¯re going to fuck you until you¡¯re dead. If an apprentice witch got fucked in the pussy, they won¡¯t be able to become a witch anymore, right? I bet your master will be thrilled when that happens. I want to see the expression on her face when she realizes that her precious apprentice has turned into nothing more than a useless whore.¡±


    Fuck.


    Pussy.


    Useless whore.


    All were vulgar words that Diana wasn¡¯t familiar with.


    But, she could tell what he meant by that.


    Those thugs were about to rape her.


    ¡°N-No...! S-Stop...!¡±


    ¡°Hell no. Hey, grab her and lay her down.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ll be going first right, Boss? Alright, you lot, gather up, we¡¯ll be drawing lots now!¡±


    ¡°H-Hey, I told you that I¡¯m up second!¡±


    Diana was thrown into the muddy straw piles before the thugs tied up her limbs.


    She tried to struggle but there was no way an apprentice witch could beat a group of grown men who lifted heavy things for a living without her magic.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we wait for the boss¡¯ orders?¡±


    ¡°Eh, he isn¡¯t better than me at raping women. I¡¯ll show you all how it¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°Oho.¡±


    With her arms tied, it wasn¡¯t hard for the thug to grab her legs, which couldn¡¯t offer any resistance at this point.


    ¡°N-No¡ª! S-Stop...!¡±


    Diana let out a heartbreaking scream, but no one came to her rescue.


    After all, there was no sane person aside from these thugs who¡¯d even thought of coming to this dark warehouse in the first place.


    Even if her scream somehow escaped the confines of the warehouse, it would be drowned by the bustling noises coming from the dock.


    ¡°No need to take off the dress completely, it¡¯d be too wasteful. We¡¯ll keep it on her until we go a full round with her.¡±


    ¡°Mmh


    Jack knelt between Diana¡¯s spread legs. He was about to tear her underwear when...


    -Wooong!


    A sound that made everyone¡¯s heart drop echoed through the warehouse.


    The sound of the door to the warehouse being opened.


    Jack instantly covered Diana¡¯s mouth before sending a glare at one of the thugs.


    ¡°You dumbass, did you forget to lock it?!¡±


    ¡°I locked it already, Boss! With the huge lock even!¡±


    ¡°Then, how could someone just barge in through the door, you jackass¡ª?!¡±


    Jack¡¯s glare at his pathetic underling grew more and more fierce.


    Meanwhile, someone walked across the shabby warehouse that was filled with chaos and confusion.


    ¡°What are you guys doing?¡±


    The one who asked that was a sturdy-looking man wearing an eyepatch.


    From his tone, it was clear that he was trying to suppress his cold, rising anger.

 Chapter 368: Sewer Rats (3)

    1.


    Ruining the life of an apprentice witch to show their anger at the unfairness of the witches.


    And of course, releasing their lust while they were at it.


    If they were to give a name to this small operation of theirs...


    It would probably be something like Operation Water Ghost1.


    Jack never thought that this operation¡¯s success rate would be high.


    Even if the witches in Border Town were particularly weaker compared to the rest of Gehenna, they were still witches at the end of the day.


    And they couldn¡¯t be so sure if the apprentice witches they approached would be armed or not, or if they were even walking on their own to begin with.


    That was why when he noticed that an apprentice witch was wandering around near their hideout alone, he immediately made his move.


    He thought that the heavens were helping him to make this operation a success.


    But, when he was about to finally leave his mark on the captured apprentice and write the first page of his grand revenge story, the door to the warehouse was ripped open.


    He thought that the operation was doomed to fail for sure, and let out a sigh. And then, the intruder¡¯s voice entered his ears.


    ¡°What are you guys doing?¡±


    At that, he cheered inwardly.


    If his idiotic underling actually locked the warehouse, it meant that unless one was using proper equipment, they wouldn¡¯t be able to open the warehouse door.


    Since the intruder broke through the door easily, he naturally assumed that the intruder was a witch.


    But when he heard their voice, it was clear that the intruder was a man.


    There were nine people in total on their side.


    Since he was a retard who barged in without knowing what was good for him, they could just kill him.


    ¡°Mmh¡ª! Mmh!¡±


    ¡°Look who it is. The eyepatched fucker from back then, huh?¡±


    When Jack looked back, he noticed that the intruder was a familiar face.


    Well, to be exact, he didn¡¯t really remember the intruder¡¯s face, but his eyepatch was definitely something that left an impression on him.


    He was the guy that bumped into him a while back, the same guy that dared to challenge him.


    ¡°What? You¡¯re here to film a movie or something, huh, jackass?¡±


    Jack nodded towards his subordinates.


    He remembered how the man in front of him didn¡¯t even flinch when he tried to intimidate him during their first encounter, which meant he was pretty confident in his fighting skills.


    If this was any other time, he¡¯d send the other guys in to surround him and teach him who exactly was in charge here, but it wasn¡¯t the time for that. He had to eliminate every variable that came up as quickly as possible so that their operation could go smoothly.


    And he had already thoroughly planned on how to do that.


    The three thugs who received his signal immediately took out their Beretta M9s, complete with silencers from their bosoms.


    These were the weapons that were normally used by their overseers, and they managed to obtain them for themselves, albeit with difficulties.


    While these guns were useless against witches, they were more than effective against humans.


    ¡°See you later, dumbass.¡±


    -Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!


    The moment they pulled the triggers, the 9mm parabellum bullets that were faster than the speed of sound, and were strong enough to pierce through a mortal¡¯s flesh and organs, flew out of the guns¡¯ muzzles.


    He had already stepped into their range.


    Though the thugs were idiots who probably couldn¡¯t even aim their guns properly, if the three of them fired four or five bullets at once, one of the bullets was bound to hit the man no matter what.


    Every time a gunshot noise that was failed to be killed by the silencer echoed through the warehouse, Diana¡¯s body trembled.


    ¡°So, what are you gonna do, Missy? Your knight in shining armor just died right in front of you! Hahaha!¡±


    Hearing Jack¡¯s babble, Diana¡¯s face turned even more pale.


    In Diana¡¯s eyes, even if Siwoo was a male witch, it was doubtful that he could dodge all those bullets at once.


    After all, he was someone who had just become a witch, and he hadn¡¯t inherited a brand from anyone.


    ¡°A-Aah...!¡±


    Diana screamed in despair, but...


    Something unexpected happened.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Fucker, you shot it properly, right?!¡±


    ¡°Did we miss every shot?¡±


    The man who should have fallen down onto a pool of his own blood stood tall there.


    No action-movie-like scene¡ªsuch as the man reading the guns¡¯ movements and using it to dodge the incoming bullets before coming in close to snatch the guns out of the hugs hands¡ªhappened.


    Instead, he just stood there unfazed, as if the bullets just went past him unceremoniously.


    ¡°You dumb idiots! How could you miss all your shots from that distance?!¡±


    ¡°Shoot again, shoot again!¡±


    -Bang, bang bang, bang!


    After that, the three thugs quickly aimed their muzzles at the man again, but the result was the same.


    None of them managed to land their shots no matter what.


    Except this time, Jack saw what exactly happened.


    The moment the bullets were shot, a strand of ribbon sprouted from the man¡¯s waist.


    It floated gently like seaweed under the water as it deflected all the incoming bullets.


    The other thugs who also managed to see the ribbon instantly panicked.


    ¡°I-Is that magic?!¡±


    ¡°What the fuck?! H-How can a guy use magic¡ª?!


    Then suddenly, the black ribbon that had been fluttering smoothly turned stiff like a poisonous snake about to attack.


    Jack immediately shouted towards the other thugs.


    ¡°Get the fuck away!¡±


    ¡°W-What¡ª?! Keeuk¡ª!¡±


    The ribbon launched itself toward one of the thugs who had drawn his gun.


    Almost immediately, that same thug was launched into the air.


    Seeing how her body trembled greatly like cottonwood...


    And how her whole body was stained with dirt as she had been rolled around the dirty floor...


    Siwoo gritted his teeth in anger again.


    When Diana ran out, he actually had tied a small strand of his ribbon secretly, just in case that she got into trouble. And his prediction was right. Too bad he was too late in preventing this thing from happening in the first place.


    ¡°H-H


    Meanwhile, Diana was unable to speak properly. She could only grab Siwoo¡¯s collar while pouring her tears out.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve taken care of all of them.¡±


    Thanks to his gentle and warm voice, she quickly regained her senses.


    Finally, she could be sure that she was safe now.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this is all my fault...¡±


    ¡°


    Diana sniffled before shaking her head.


    It was a clear accident, something that neither of them could ever predict, so she had no intention of blaming him.


    Besides, even though something that she could never have imagined was about to happen to her, he was the one who prevented it from actually happening.


    At that moment, Jack¡¯s body squirmed as he forcefully tried to stand up.


    Seeing how he kept coughing up blood¡ªhe probably had spit out a whole bowl of blood at this point¡ªit was a miracle that he was still alive.


    ¡°T-This...mother...fucker...¡±


    No matter how much Siwoo tried to hold back, he had zero intention of sparing those guys. After all, they were death row inmates who tried to kidnap and rape an apprentice witch.


    He had crippled most of those guys, and just straight up pierced through the chest of the obvious leader of those thugs.


    Unfortunately, Jack managed to avoid a fatal wound by twisting his body at the very last moment.


    Instead of dying, he just lost his consciousness for a moment as the ribbon just left an obvious gash near his armpit.


    Siwoo could just leave this place and report everything to the city hall, and everyone here would either be hanged or used as a material for the witches¡¯ research.


    However, from the glare that Siwoo had in his eyes, it was clear that he had no intention of doing that.


    He refused to show him any mercy, he wanted the fucker to die in his hands.


    ¡°You...dirty witch¡¯s lackey...¡±


    The thug¡¯s words didn¡¯t even register in his ears.


    Whatever it was that came out of his mouth, it wasn¡¯t anything worth hearing.


    Instead, he turned his back on the thug to face Diana and opened his mouth.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go outside first. After that, I¡¯ll properly finish them off.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Diana nodded slightly, and Siwoo proceeded to princess carry her.


    ¡°Keheuk¡ª!¡±


    Jack followed their departing backs with his eyes.


    At that moment, he took out an orb from his pocket.


    This was an artifact that the Witch of Desires had given him along with the katyusha.


    She had specifically told him that he shouldn¡¯t use it unless he had no other choice.


    Of course, Jack wasn¡¯t stupid.


    He knew that an Exile wouldn¡¯t just give out artifacts to a filthy group of slaves like them for free.


    The moment he broke this ominous-looking orb, something horrible would befall him, that outcome was already certain.


    But...


    He¡¯d rather take that desperate attempt instead of letting himself die so pathetically like this.


    ¡°I¡¯ll...take you...together with me...!¡±


    Resolving himself like a terrorist carrying a suicide bomb, Jack threw the black orb towards the floor with all his might.


    -Swoooosh!


    At that moment, black smoke rose up from the shards of the orb.


    As if it was a ghost, it jumped around the warehouse, attacking the crippled thugs.


    It seeped through the nose and mouth of the pig-like man who was pretending to be dead.


    ¡°W-What¡ª?! N-No! G-Go away¡ª!¡±


    And those were his last words.


    The smoke then came out of the pig¡¯s mouth again¡ªthe sight made it look like the smoke he inhaled was sarin gas.


    In a blink of an eye, the smoke had killed all the crippled thugs. Then, it headed towards the only surviving thug, Jack.


    As he was forced to inhale the smoke...


    Jack¡¯s body trembled.


    Am I...dying...?


    ...No...


    After some time passed, Jack realized that he was still alive, unlike his subordinates.


    His wounds healed up.


    A burning fighting spirit filled his heart as an overwhelming power enveloped his body.


    Seventeen red-eyes in total grew on the thug¡¯s arm.


    Coincidentally, that was the same number of eyes as the ¡®Drowned Witch¡¯ who had driven Siwoo to the brink of death in the past.


    Except that the current Siwoo was different from back then.


    ¡°A-A Homunculus...¡±


    ¡°Ms. Diana, stay back.¡±


    Without delay, he hid Diana behind his back.


    ¡°Bloom.¡±


    As he finished his chant, a black armor made of shadow enveloped his body.


    1. Water ghosts or water sprites are the ghosts of people who had drown in the water. It would haunt certain bodies of water and drag anyone to the depths together with itself. In this instance, the operation meant that they''re dragging the apprentice witch that they caught to the depth of hell with them

 Chapter 369: Sewer Rats (4)

    1.


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡±


    Jack was overwhelmed with ecstasy.


    He could feel tremendous power boiling up in his whole body.


    Vitality and energy fueled up each of his muscles.


    This wasn¡¯t the kind of strength that one could get through exercise or doping, and he knew it.


    That evil witch Bianca had surprisingly prepared a delightful gift for him.


    Though it cost him the lives of his subordinates, he didn¡¯t feel regretful for it at all.


    ¡°I can feel it! Power! Hahahaha!¡±


    The power coursing through his body gave him his confidence back.


    He genuinely felt like he could even kill the witches that he was so afraid of right now.


    My day of living as a human livestock is finally over!


    Finally, I can return to my life of glory, and live up to the name of Jack the Cutter once again!


    It was as if he was high on drugs, the power he felt intoxicated him so, as he felt an endless thirst for blood.


    His skin had turned dark, and there were strange bumps in his arms, but...


    To the current him, those were non-issues.


    Because the only thing that mattered for him right now was that he could finally enact his revenge on the witches.


    He could rape, kill, and leave his marks on the corpses of those filthy whores.


    ¡°Ah, right, you are still there.¡±


    After laughing alone for a while, Jack finally tilted his head to see his enemies in front of him.


    The man who had turned his subordinates into cripples in a blink of an eye, and the apprentice witch who was shaking while wearing a pale face.


    Although the man¡¯s body was covered in black armor now, it didn¡¯t matter.


    Looking back at the prowess that he displayed just now, Jack believed that he wouldn¡¯t lose to the man no matter what.


    Because I¡¯m way, way stronger than him now!


    The power coursing through his body gave him that much confidence.


    ¡°Keuhahaha! You were so smug despite being so weak...!¡±


    ¡°W-We need to run away... T-That¡¯s a Homunculus...¡±


    Diana called out to Siwoo with a trembling voice.


    It turned out that Siwoo was actually way stronger than she expected.


    He knocked down all the thugs in the blink of an eye as if it was just another Tuesday for him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can handle that guy alone.¡±


    But, that was that, and this was this.


    While Diana failed to find the logic as to how a normal human managed to mutate into a Homunculus, it was still a Homunculus at the end of the day.


    It was one of the monsters that was created by the Witch of Creation, the monsters that no witch under the 15th rank should even try to hunt.


    What was more, this particular Homunculus had seventeen eyes.


    No normal humans could take a Homunculus of that level, no matter what kind of firearms they tried to use, as it wasn¡¯t something that a single witch could handle to begin with.


    ¡°No, no, no! We have to get away! Get away and look for help!¡±


    And so, Diana desperately tried to pull Siwoo¡¯s arm to get away from here.


    While she wanted nothing more than to just run away from this place immediately, she couldn¡¯t just leave him here by himself.


    She didn¡¯t have the heart to leave him to die alone, not after he went out of his way to save her.


    ¡°What a bunch of bullshit.¡±


    Seeing the melodrama happening in front of him, Jack let out a cruel smile as he twirled the knife in his hand.


    His gaze, filled with more lust than ever, was turned towards Diana.


    ¡°Apprentice, just watch, I¡¯m going to break this bastard¡¯s limbs one by one in front of you!¡±


    ¡°H-Hic...!¡±


    ¡°No one is going to save you anymore! Hahaha! Aren¡¯t you curious about what¡¯s going to happen to you after that?¡±


    Without any hesitation, Siwoo blocked Diana¡¯s sight from Jack¡¯s lustful gaze with his broad back.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s curious about that at all.¡±


    Seeing this, Jack turned his gaze towards Siwoo, furrowing his brows.


    ¡°Ah, right, you should look forward to it too. I¡¯m going to show you the broken sight of the witch you¡¯re trying so desperately to protect as a gift that will accompany you to the afterlife!¡±


    Jack hopped in place, assuming a boxer¡¯s warming-up stance before he started to run around the place like a ferocious cat.


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t just ¡®running around¡¯ normally.


    He was testing his newfound power by bouncing his body up and down the walls and ceilings, all while circling around Siwoo and Diana, creating black afterimages in his wake.


    ¡°Keuhahaha! Keuhahahahahaha!¡±


    In the middle of such a maneuver that would be impossible for a normal human to replicate, as one needed an incredibly high speed to pull it off, Jack suddenly lunged toward Siwoo.


    Seeing the glimpse of the black shadow that her eyes failed to follow properly, Diana screamed out in desperation.


    ¡°Watch out¡ª!¡±


    That was a blow that was strong enough to blow a whole human¡¯s head off its neck, but since Jack had turned into a Homunculus, he was able to hang on to his life.


    After rolling around the ground several times, colliding with the wall before falling down, Jack finally realized that something was amiss.


    ¡°N-No way...! T-This can¡¯t be happeniiing...!!¡±


    He thought that it was normal that the man could use some magic, after all he was an attendant to the apprentice witch. The problem here was that he thought that was all the man could do.


    Such a complacent mindset made him never even once considered that he would be ¡®defeated¡¯.


    He tunnel-visioned himself into thinking that he could kill the man easily and have some fun with the apprentice witch afterwards.


    ¡°Are you done?¡±


    Now, he realized that something was amiss.


    The man¡¯s strength and kinetic vision was beyond anything that a human could have.


    It was as if he could just tank a machine gun¡¯s barrage unscathed.


    This realization came in a little bit too late for Jack.


    ¡°You fucker...!¡±


    Jack got up with a stagger, finally became wary of Siwoo.


    He assumed his stance, trying to calm his mind down so that he could regain his ragged breath.


    ¡°If you¡¯re done, then... It¡¯s my turn.¡±


    He¡¯s coming¡ª!


    As Jack thought of that and prepared himself to react to his opponent¡¯s attack, his opponent already thrusted his spear towards his nose.


    The spear¡¯s movement was so quick that it created an illusion as if its shaft was bending mid-air.


    A heavy crackling sound that made it hard to believe that it came from a spear cut through the air.


    -Woooong!


    Jack gritted his teeth before bending his waist to dodge.


    But he found no room to perform a counter attack.


    The moment Siwoo realized that he missed his thrust, he immediately followed it up with a roundhouse kick.


    -Bang!


    ¡°Keuaack!¡±


    That kick dug straight into Jack¡¯s side without any hitch.


    If one were to look at his magic power alone...


    Siwoo wasn¡¯t actually that strong.


    At best, he was equal to a 17th or 18th ranked witch.


    However, if one were to factor in his physical abilities, it would be a whole different story.


    After all, he was personally taught by Eloa Tiphereth, the famous Goddess of Combat herself.


    Not only that, he also possessed the Myriad Weapons Mastery Covenant, allowing him to freely master the use of all kinds of weapons.


    Now, if Jack had gained some kind of self-essence magic when he turned himself into a Homunculus just like the Drowned Witch, Siwoo might find himself struggling a little to fight him, but...


    Jack had only been using his physical ability from the beginning, there simply was a huge gap between their skills in that regard.


    It was no wonder that the battle between them turned into a one-sided slaughter very quickly.


    Jack swung his dagger around, showcasing his overwhelming endurance and resilience, but Siwoo always managed to properly distance himself.


    Using the spear¡¯s long range, he constantly struck Jack¡¯s body with its shaft, and whenever


    Jack managed to come in closer to attack, he just kicked or punched him away again.


    -Bam! Bam! Bam, bam! Bam! Bam, bam!


    Siwoo kept on unleashing his attacks at the rate of ten attacks per second.


    ¡°Keuk! Urgg! Arrg!¡±


    The barrage of attacks made Jack repeatedly scream out, just like a character in a fighting game with a bugged voice.


    After three whole minutes of him being beaten by the savage blows that thoroughly cracked his bones and twisted his internal organs, Jack¡¯s fighting spirit finally died down.


    Even for him, whose heart was filled with a twisted sense of evil, the barrage of Siwoo¡¯s blows were simply too much.


    ¡°Urrg...! Kahaack...!¡±


    ¡°Huu...¡±


    Before long, Jack found himself floundering in a pool of black blood, his limbs were twisted beyond recognition.


    If he was an ordinary person, Siwoo would probably feel a little bad for going this far, but he wasn¡¯t, so Siwoo felt no remorse whatsoever.


    In his eyes, it was simply a waste of his conscience to mourn over the death row inmate who was guilty of kidnapping, attempted murder and attempted gang rape.


    On the contrary, he felt refreshed, as if all his stress had been relieved from beating the trash to a pulp like that.


    Not long after, Jack¡¯s skin color returned to normal as the eyes in his arms disappeared.


    After seeing him return to normal while squirming on the floor, Siwoo removed his armor.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back now. We need to report this matter to the countess.¡±


    Meanwhile, Diana could only stare at Siwoo blankly with wide eyes, as if she still couldn¡¯t believe what had just happened.


    Her wide-open mouth was the icing on the cake.

 Chapter 370: Hero (1)

    1.


    Bianca Belleli leaned back on her sofa, shaking the wine glass in her hand with an elegant gesture.


    In front of her was a crystal ball, showing a scene of Jack, covered with blood, being dragged away by a witch.


    ¡°Huh? Is that it?¡±


    Needless to say, Bianca was a strong witch.


    From her self-essence magic, her battle prowess, to the countless artifacts she had...


    There weren¡¯t a lot of witches who could be her match in any of those regards.


    The number of witches she had buried and stole artifacts from were easily in the double-digits.


    But, the most terrifying thing about her was that she would always try to prepare herself thoroughly to face her opponent, even if they were a helpless witch that was significantly weaker than her.


    Also, she normally wouldn¡¯t risk her life to do the job.


    Instead, she¡¯d use someone else¡¯s life.


    Even if her opponent wasn¡¯t a grand witch, but a male witch who had just turned into a witch, she would never let her guard down.


    She¡¯d analyze her opponent thoroughly before starting her hunt, just in case that she was blindsided by some kind of ¡®miracle¡¯ that would only occur once in a ten thousand chances.


    That was why she gave that slave named Jack a sealed orb that contained a Homunculus in it.


    The Homunculus was capable of possessing someone¡¯s body and taking control of their consciousness.


    While it wasn¡¯t as strong as other notoriously-named Homunculus, Bianca thought that it would be decent enough to take care of things


    But, Shin Siwoo was significantly stronger than she expected.


    Seeing the way he moved, she could tell that Duchess Tiphereth had trained him.


    ¡°He¡¯s stronger than I expected.¡±


    ¡°Uu...uuu...uuu...¡±


    Nearby, Ea was also staring at the crystal ball, her eyes were full of hatred.


    Even though her reasoning had turned clouded, and her intelligence deteriorated to the point that she could only act like an obedient pet dog, she still couldn¡¯t get her eyes off the man reflected on the crystal ball even for a moment.


    She can only drool around like an idiot usually, but it seems like she hadn¡¯t given up her hatred towards that man.


    Her hatred runs deeper than I thought, hm~


    ¡°Ea, you¡¯re dirtying yourself again. Come here.¡±


    ¡°Uu...uuu... M-Master...¡±


    Bianca took out a handkerchief from her bosom before wiping the drool that flowed under Ea¡¯s chin.


    The latter instinctively hugged Bianca before clinging to her, refusing to let go.


    In truth, Bianca found this particular circumstance unfortunate.


    Not long ago, the witch called Ea Sadalmelik was completely ruined by her.


    Her red eyes that once shone with venomous glint had turned cloudy as if she was inflicted with Down Syndrome, and she had turned into a vending machine of lust that would spurt out all the juice with a single press of a button.


    Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have taken away her freedom and injected all those aphrodisiacs into her...


    Oh, how I miss her angry look...


    Sigh... Whatever, there are still things that I could enjoy from her.


    Seeing her like this excites me too anyway, albeit in a different way...


    ¡°Although, if I grow sick of her later...¡±


    I¡¯ll cross that bridge when I get there.


    Now, about the male witch.


    He¡¯s quite strong for his kind, huh?


    I need to collect more data about him, that¡¯s for sure...


    But first, I¡¯d need to drag Duchess Tiphereth away from him, or else I wouldn¡¯t get anywhere.


    After that... It¡¯s going to be fun, hehe...


    ¡°Ea, come here. Why don¡¯t we go to bed together now?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yesh... Master...¡±


    Bianca grabbed Ea¡¯s wrist and went to the bed with her, carrying a syringe with her other hand.


    2.


    The incident that happened today blew up a little.


    It went without saying that the daily newspaper, Canard, covered the incident from the beginning through the end under the headline ¡®The Rebellion of Jack the Cutter¡¯.


    The outline of the incident that was reported went as follows;


    ¡®Jack the Cutter, taken over by a Homunculus, slaughtered his colleagues, the Ten Foremen. He assaulted the apprentice of the Yesod Family in the process, but he was promptly vanquished by Countess Yesod herself.¡¯


    There were a few things that were different from what actually happened.


    First, the newspaper didn¡¯t say anything about the thug¡¯s attempted gangrape towards Diana.


    Second, the countess was the one who was credited instead of Siwoo.


    The reason for the first one was simple.


    But...


    ¡°...¡±


    Strangely enough, her heart felt calm.


    Thanks to the man who had saved her life in that moment of crisis.


    Shin Siwoo...


    Right before she was about to cross the river of no return...


    He appeared like a knight in shining armor and defeated the group of vicious thugs effortlessly.


    It was truly an unexpected turn of events.


    She also came to know that his brand wasn¡¯t located in the normal place¡ªthe womb¡ªbut his left eye.


    A mere rookie who hadn¡¯t inherited a brand (yet was somehow proficient in Witch Board).


    That was her first impression of him.


    And that was why she had expected him to get into the same predicament as her the moment he tried to step in.


    ¡°...¡±


    Diana recalled what happened back then.


    The situation was pretty much a blur because she was panicking, she couldn¡¯t remember all the details, but...


    She could recall the words that he said the first time he came into that warehouse...


    ¡®What are you guys doing?¡¯


    ¡®Lay a finger on the young lady, you will all fall before my magic, you filthy maggots...¡¯


    Huh? Did he say that?


    ...Should be close enough, no?


    After that, she remembered some brutal things happened as blood splattered everywhere.


    Then, she was being held hostage by the most vicious thug of them all.


    She remembered him saying...


    ¡®Trust me, Ms. Diana. Even if I have to give up my life, I will save you.¡¯


    Yeah, that one should also be close enough.


    After saying that, he used his magic to save her from the vicious thug.


    Then, the vicious thug turned into a Homunculus.


    And that terrified Diana to no end.


    He could beat those thugs with his magic for sure, but it was a different story when it came to the Homunculus.


    Then, out of nowhere, a beautiful-looking black armor enveloped his body.


    It wasn¡¯t the crude and rustic armor that one often saw in books or illustrations.


    But rather a refined-looking armor that fit his body perfectly, as she could see him moving his joints in such a natural way.


    When he heard the vicious thug try to threaten her with dirty words, he immediately snapped back with some gallant lines.


    ¡®She isn¡¯t interested. Why not worry about your head that¡¯s about to be lopped off your neck instead?¡¯


    ¡®Is that all? My turn.¡¯


    After that, he dispatched the Homunculus with a dazzling set of movements.


    Well, actually, she could only see black flashes and the Homunculus got blown away so suddenly, but she could tell that his movements were dazzling.


    It was simply unbelievable.


    A man who she thought of as nothing but a rookie witch swung a large spear around and beat up a seventeen-eyed Homunculus with ease.


    ¡°Huu...¡±


    Then she remembered how she started to cry like a baby in his embrace after everything had ended.


    Thinking back, it was quite embarrassing, but she remembered how all of her fears and worries disappeared when she did that.


    After she was done reminiscing about all the twists and turns that she had experienced today, she could feel her eyelids turning heavy.


    It was quite the long day, she was exhausted both physically and mentally.


    ¡°...¡±


    What happened to her was terrible.


    It was the first time in her life that she was exposed to such thick malice directly like that, and also the first time she had ever been in such a dangerous situation.


    For the first time, she learned how ugly and scary the ¡®sexual desire¡¯ in someone¡¯s eyes could be. She still could feel the stinging sensation in her skin.


    But she wasn¡¯t afraid of it anymore.


    Because she knew that beyond her closed eyelids, there was a huge light that would dispel the thick darkness for her.


    Even if she were to have a nightmare, he would come and save her.


    Before long, only the sound of Diana¡¯s peaceful, rhythmic breaths could be heard from her bedroom.

 Chapter 371: Hero (2)

    1.


    Sitting on the sofa in the living room, Siwoo nervously smoked his cigarette.


    The sun had already set, but the countess, who had gone to comfort Diana, hadn¡¯t come back yet.


    From what he had observed, Countess Yesod¡¯s love for her daughter was almost terrifying.


    His conversation with the countess was often filled with doting remarks about her daughter. She also never missed a single opportunity to boast about her.


    And that doting countess had learned that her daughter had been involved in a life-threatening situation.


    Thanks to Diana¡¯s suggestion, the details of the actual incident had been blurred, so no one except for them really knew what was going on, and not only that, Siwoo also managed to prevent any major harm coming to her. But the problem here was that this whole fiasco wouldn¡¯t happen if he didn¡¯t take Diana to the Border Town in the first place.


    If the countess decided to hold him accountable for that, no matter how many mouths he had, he wouldn¡¯t be able to utter even a single word to defend himself.


    That was why he had been sitting nervously in this place, smoking a cigarette to calm his troubled mind.


    At that moment, he heard the click-clack sounds that came from a pair of heels.


    Not long after, Countess Yesod appeared. Her hair looked slightly disheveled, which was an unusual sight. Nevertheless, she still had the same grace and poise as usual.


    ¡°Welcome back.¡±


    Siwoo quickly stubbed out his cigarette and stood up to greet the countess.


    Looking utterly exhausted¡ªjust like a surgeon after a long surgery¡ªthe countess just gave a simple nod in response to his greeting.


    In truth, Siwoo was scared out of his wits right now.


    He remembered the time when the countess first learned about Diana getting attacked. The anger she showed back then actually sent shivers down his spine.


    ¡°Shall we talk?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Without saying another word, the Countess turned around, and Siwoo anxiously followed.


    He noticed that she really wasn¡¯t acting like her usual self.


    The warm smile and laid-back attitude she always had were nowhere to be seen.


    While yes, Siwoo had saved Diana and that could probably spare him the brunt of her anger, there was no guarantee that she wouldn¡¯t just say something like, ¡®Your tutoring duties end here. Obviously, our private lesson sessions are over too,¡¯ and fired him.


    The place where they went to wasn¡¯t the countess¡¯ private study.


    Instead, it was a room that looked like a lounge of some sorts.


    One thing he noticed was that the place looked similar to Diana¡¯s room.


    They both were filled with obviously expensive furniture and the place was big enough to fit a whole family of four.


    Although, there were differences between this room and Diana¡¯s, such as this room¡¯s cabinet was full of fancy liquor bottles, while the furniture and carpets had a more mature, antique vibe.


    Also, the books on the shelves looked more scholarly than Diana¡¯s.


    ¡°Shall we talk now?¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    The countess took out a bottle of liquor and two glasses before setting them on the table.


    Siwoo instinctively got up to pour the drinks for her, but the countess stopped him and filled her own glass to the brim.


    She didn¡¯t pour anything into Siwoo¡¯s glass though, instead she downed her drink in one go.


    ¡°Haa...¡±


    Sensing the tense air, Siwoo cautiously broached the main topic.


    He believed that it was better to just get it over with already. If she really called him all the way here for a scolding, he figured that it¡¯d be better if he gave her an explanation first.


    ¡°I apologize. My carelessness put Ms. Diana in danger. I¡¯ll make sure to be more careful from now on to prevent something like this from ever happening again.¡±


    After saying that, he placed his hands on his knees and bowed his head respectfully.


    He had rehearsed this countless times while smoking earlier. His words and attitude was as formal and as polite as it could be.


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t just putting on an act; he was truly sincere in his apology. After all, he genuinely felt responsible for what had happened.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m not foolish enough to blame you for this. Besides, if it weren¡¯t for you, Mr. Siwoo, she would¡¯ve been much worse off.¡±


    The countess let out a deep sigh as she accepted Siwoo¡¯s apology.


    She briefly rubbed her head, seemingly exhausted. Meanwhile, Siwoo was just glad that the biggest thing he was worried about had passed.


    ¡°How is Ms. Diana doing?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s faring much better than expected. I watched her for a while after I left her room. At the very least, she was able to sleep soundly. Huu... She used to be so timid...always looking for me whenever she was afraid... She¡¯s grown so fast... It feels bittersweet...¡±


    With a wry smile, the countess poured some liquor into Siwoo¡¯s glass.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Siwoo. I heard that the Homunculus had seventeen eyes, but you took care of it more cleanly than the witches in Border Town could ever do.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t deserve that much praise, Countess. I just happened to be having an advantage against an enemy like that.¡±


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Let me take a look.¡±


    The countess stood up¡ªher drink still in her hand¡ªand casually sat down beside Siwoo.


    She sat down so naturally, as if sitting side by side like this was something they had always been doing.


    As she leaned in, a sweet, creamy scent, mingled with the musky fragrance of her perfume, swirled around him, making his head spin.


    Her delicate neckline, exposed by her clothing, along with her soft voice, added to the seductive aura she naturally carried.


    ¡°I¡¯m really fine. You don¡¯t have to do this...¡±


    She set down her glass. Using her pale hand, she gently grasped his hand.


    Her warm, delicate fingers intertwined with his, like a snake coiling around, refusing to let go


    ¡°Ah...!¡±


    The countess was surprisingly startled by that, as she let out a soft gasp before pulling away from him.


    ¡°Ah....¡±


    ¡°I-I...apologize. That was improper of me.¡±


    This outcome left him feeling half-disappointed, half-relieved somehow.


    The countess quickly turned her back to Siwoo, fixing her hair before stretching her back.


    ¡°Haam.... I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with your spirit body. You may leave now. Once again, thank you so much for what you have done today.¡±


    ¡°Yes, understood.¡±


    ¡°Would it be okay if you were to pause Diana¡¯s tutoring session until she calmed down more?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The countess¡ªher voice lacking the sensual tone from earlier¡ªspoke a little hurriedly.


    I probably held back a little too much...


    At the end of the day, Lucy Yesod was still a countess. Him being late in reacting to her advances probably scratched her pride a little.


    ¡°Oh, I almost forgot.¡±


    The countess, who had been walking toward her bedroom, suddenly glanced back at him and spoke.


    ¡°We will continue our private lessons as usual. As for the time...how about we move it to twelve? My schedule is a little tight.¡±


    She was the one who seduced him first.


    He was about to answer her promptly, but she suddenly cut him off, trying to pass the whole thing off as a misunderstanding.


    And yet, here she was, offering up a late-night meeting, as if telling him that the door was still open for him.


    I don¡¯t know... Nothing makes sense anymore...


    2.


    As soon as Countess Yesod closed the door behind her, she filled the freestanding tub in her bedroom.


    She untied the ribbon-like belt that wrapped around her dress, then slid off her garter belt that held up her stockings.


    Then, she slipped off her panties, revealing her legs that were as smooth as porcelain.


    Using her fingers as if they were tongs, she stared at her panties closely.


    ¡°How could this... Gosh, it¡¯s so embarrassing...¡±


    As she had seen with her own eyes, the white lace ribbon panties were in the most embarrassing state she had ever seen.


    Though there was only a little stain on the outside, its inside was completely soaked.


    As for how it turned out this way, the cause was completely embarrassing.


    While she was teasing him, sticky honey had unknowingly leaked from her pussy.


    In fact, the moment she removed her panties, the liquid trickled down her thighs.


    The countess dipped her toes into the tub to check its temperature before sliding her whole body in.


    ¡°Haah....¡±


    Only then did she finally let out the sigh she had been holding in.


    She actually was trying to invite him to her bed tonight.


    Of course it wasn¡¯t to fulfill her personal desire.


    She just wanted to express her gratitude and repay the effort of the diligent young man who had been taking care of Diana well, and even saved her from a dangerous situation.


    What would a man in his prime like him the most as a gift?


    First off, she knew that he was interested in her body.


    The things that happened during their previous private tutoring sessions proved this conjecture.


    Hence, she chose her ¡®gift¡¯ based on that episode. Of course, with no personal feelings involved whatsoever.


    Yes, no personal feelings involved...


    ...Actually, maybe a little? Just a tiny bit?


    She admitted as such.


    In any case, she could tell that he was a virgin, and he needed the guidance of an experienced older woman in that particular matter. That was why the countess did everything she did just now.


    And sure enough, he had almost fallen for it.


    He was just about to kiss her before she stood up abruptly.


    The reason why she suddenly retreated from her plan which had been going smoothly so far was because when his hard manhood was rubbing against her, her secret garden experienced a torrential downpour.


    If she failed to realize what was happening back then, she would¡¯ve left an embarrassing stain on his pants.


    No matter how hard she tried to seduce him, she still didn¡¯t want to reveal such an indecent side of herself during their first tryst.


    ¡®The countess is already wet before we even kiss.¡¯


    She didn¡¯t want such a scandalous image to be planted in anyone¡¯s mind, let alone his.


    ¡°Tsk...¡±


    But, today wasn¡¯t her last opportunity.


    There would definitely be other chances in future.


    ¡®Next time, I will definitely redeem myself,¡¯ she thought to herself.

 Chapter 372: Hero (3)

    Chapter 372: Hero (3)1.


    After he started his work as Diana¡¯s tutor and taking private lessons from Countess Yesod...


    Siwoo just stopped sleeping altogether.


    He simply had too many things to do, as he had to juggle between studying the rapidly progressing distortion field control method and sparring with his master.


    It was currently late at night.


    He was locking himself in his lab, organizing and compiling everything he had learned so far.


    Under the desk lamp, with a cigarette in one hand and a pen in the other, he worked on refining his new theories.


    Inspirations and ideas could come and go in a second. If he didn¡¯t write them down the moment they came to his mind, they¡¯d just end up being buried and forgotten inside his subconscious.


    Now that he had a spirit body, he didn¡¯t need to worry about lung cancer anymore.


    Also, he had more than enough money.


    So, even though his ashtray was overflowing with cigarette butts, nearly stacked like a shrimp cocktail¡ªhe went through all these cigs in six hours, which was how long his research usually lasted¡ªit wouldn¡¯t cause him any problem whatsover.


    Currently, he was enjoying the silence of the night, inhaling the air that was mixed with morning dew.


    Suddenly, he sensed that someone was coming his way.


    The twins were already asleep at this hour.


    His master would sometimes drink with him, but she had been avoiding drinking too much lately.


    She tried to hide it, but even he could tell that something was up with her. After all, hiding her feelings wasn¡¯t something that she was particularly good at.


    Siwoo didn¡¯t pry though. He just acted normal, as always.


    That left one person, the only person who¡¯d visit him at this late hour.


    -Knock, knock


    She was a woman with deep green hair, so deep that it almost looked black under this dim light.


    Her mysterious green eyes gave off a refreshing vibe.


    Though her waist was slim and her frame looked delicate, her hips were curvy, while her bosom was plump.


    She was none other than Sharon Evergreen, who was standing in the door, leaning slightly with her hands behind her back.


    Siwoo just had seen her the other day, but it felt like he hadn¡¯t met her for far longer than that. Perhaps it was because a lot of things had happened today.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to see you.¡±


    Maybe because of the first time they met, whenever he looked at Sharon, an image of a tame stray cat always came to his mind.


    The way she often wandered into the lab just to hang out for no reason just strengthened this image.


    He reached out to greet her, and she immediately rubbed her cheek against his palm, as if she had been waiting for that moment.


    Her usual soft expression softened as she closed her eyes playfully.


    Just look at her...


    It¡¯s hard not to think of her as a clingy cat.


    ¡°Sniff... Cigarettes?¡±


    She sniffed his palm before slowly working her way up his arm and buried her nose in the collar of his shirt. There, she took a deep whiff of his scent.


    ¡°You know, I never really liked the smell of cigarettes, but... When it mixes with your scent like this... I kinda like it.¡±


    ¡°There you go, saying embarrassing stuff like that again.¡±


    ¡°I was just telling the truth.¡±


    He let her take in his scent for a while, opening his arms wide.


    According to her, this was a small ritual to ¡®recharge her Siwoo energy¡¯ or whatever.


    ¡°Ahhh... I¡¯m charged up for the day!¡±


    After saying that, she plopped down on the desk with a big, satisfied smile on her face.


    ¡°How was class? Is Ms. Diana still refusing to listen to you?¡±


    Siwoo was busy, but so was Sharon.


    Ever since she had overcome the problems with her incomplete inheritance, she had been putting in the work to master her inherited self-essence magic, which required a lot of fine-tuning on her part.


    Having the same brand as her predecessor didn¡¯t mean that she¡¯d be able to use it immediately. She had to adjust it to fit a few factors, like her body size and mental image.


    To put it simply, it was like adjusting herself to a set of clothes she inherited.


    This was why apprentice witches would spend at least five to ten years in closed-door training the moment they inherited their brands.


    Sharon was already busy enough with that, add her duty to tutor the twins in Elemental Magic, it wasn¡¯t a wonder that she was more busy than ever.


    Because of that, she hadn¡¯t heard about the incident in the Border Town yet.


    In fact, if the incident was actually dangerous, Siwoo wouldn¡¯t have told her at all.


    ¡°What?! A Homunculus?! It had seventeen eyes?!¡±


    It was a big annual festival that happened for three days starting the third Monday of December. Basically, it was Gehenna¡¯s version of Thanksgiving.


    In the modern world, they¡¯d hold Thanksgiving around October or November, but in Gehenna, they held it a little later. To be exact, after they finished planting the winter barley.


    As for why they did it this way...


    Witches had been in conflict with various religious groups since ancient times¡ªalthough they were no match for witches in terms of power. Their conflict with Christians in particular, was extremely deep.


    This was why back when Gehenna was first established, the witches banned the citizens from doing all kinds of religious events.


    But, the first settlers of Gehenna were medieval folks who deeply believed in superstitious beliefs such as connecting diseases with divine punishment.


    Religion was ingrained in their way of life, and their worldview was closely related to their faith.


    Before long, frustration started to bubble under the surface, and the witches realized that they couldn¡¯t control these people through oppression alone. From then on, they promised them religious freedom.


    Even so, without churches or any formal religious institutions, there was no way their faith would last.


    On top of that, they interacted regularly with a group of people who possessed mystical power and were openly against their faith. If anything, it would be strange if their faith remained intact.


    Within a century, most religious people just disappeared. Christmas was renamed to Harvest Festival, while all religious aspects of it were erased, keeping only the festive atmosphere.


    Siwoo had experienced five Harvest Festivals in Gehenna.


    Every year, they¡¯d put up a huge fir tree next to the clock tower in the main square of Border Town.


    The citizens of Gehenna knew nothing about Christmas Trees, but they¡¯d bring along candlesticks and decorations to adorn the huge fir tree. They¡¯d also light a big bonfire nearby and dance to lively music with their arms around each other.


    Women of Gehenna would prepare large batches of food at home and bring them outside, filling the streets with the rich aroma of warm meals. No matter which part of the town one went to, they¡¯d be greeted by the delicious scent of food. Of course, when it came to festivals, one couldn¡¯t just forget beers. During the Harvest Festival, the City Hall would provide an endless amount of beer to the citizens.


    Also, this was something that Siwoo only heard, but, apparently they¡¯d hold grand balls in Lenomond Town and Ars Magna Town to celebrate the festival. Even witches who usually stayed locked away at their labs would come out to join the fun.


    Back when Siwoo was still a slave, the festival was one of the few events he actually enjoyed.


    ¡°Mhm! It¡¯s less than three weeks away! Wanna go there together?¡±


    That was basically like an invitation to spend Christmas together.


    Siwoo had no reason to turn her down.


    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Also, can the twins come along too?¡±


    Siwoo was actually planning to ask her that, but she brought up the matter before he could, which surprised him a little.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    She liked him, and so were the twins.


    He was stuck in a dilemma between the three and decided to just go out with all three of them in the end. While he had more or less gotten the three¡¯s approval...


    It would be a lie if he were to say that he wasn¡¯t afraid the three got jealous of each other while they were in this kind of relationship. Surprisingly, Sharon suggested to include the twins in their Christmas date.


    ¡°Of course! It¡¯ll be fun if we all get along, no?¡±


    If only I were more straightforward, could I have handled this matter better than I did?


    Siwoo silently sent his gratitude to Sharon for stepping up to smooth things over with the twins; something he would¡¯ve struggled to do himself.


    And she did it so smoothly, as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal. She also wasn¡¯t acting as if she was doing him a favor.


    ¡°Ah, I think it¡¯s stuck.¡±


    Siwoo was about to thank her for that, but she had already changed the subject.


    She tapped at the headband that was sitting on her head.


    It seemed like she was trying to take it off, but it was clear that she was just pretending to, as if she was acting out some kind of pantomime.


    ¡°I turned off my autonomous defense.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Sharon let out a sly smile and moved closer to Siwoo.


    ¡°It feels so weird... Like I¡¯ve gone back to when I was a kid. I can¡¯t move my mana at all.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    For a witch, their autonomous defense system was like their final lifeline.


    And yet, Sharon easily turned it off right in front of Siwoo.


    That was how much she trusted him.


    ¡°Now I guess I can¡¯t fight back against what you¡¯re trying to tell me to do anymore...¡±


    If there was a difference between the current Sharon and the Sharon he met for the first time...


    It was that the current Sharon had developed this playful, teasing side.


    The way she handed over ¡®control¡¯ so casually to him...


    Made it impossible for him to resist.


    Siwoo lifted Sharon with his arms and carried her toward the sofa.

 Chapter 373: Hero (4)

    1.


    The artifact showcased its overwhelming power.


    Sharon was completely unable to resist any of Siwoo¡¯s commands.


    Even if they were things she¡¯d usually be too shy to do, she complied with all his commands completely and without any hesitation.


    For example, he asked her to show him how she usually masturbated.


    He made her spread her long legs wide open to expose her soft inner flesh.


    Making her squat naked on the lab table while he held her hips and thrusted up from below.


    Throughout the actions, her face was burning with embarrassment, but this was just her reaping what she had sowed. She had no choice but to follow his humiliating demands.


    ¡°Hoaahm...¡±


    Originally, Siwoo planned to work through the night, but Sharon¡¯s seductive teasing was simply too much for him to resist.


    In the end, they tossed and turned on the sofa until dawn, with Sharon ended up sleeping there by the end of it.


    While she was sleeping, Siwoo gently removed the headband that was still on her head.


    Seeing the headband in his hands, he couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡®Damn, this thing is way better than I thought¡¯.


    ¡°What a dangerous artifact...¡±


    Normally, if Sharon wanted to, she could easily overpower Siwoo.


    Or, at the very least, she could resist him enough to prevent him from completely dominating her.


    But, the moment she put on that headband, that stopped being the case.


    She became unable to resist him, as she could only obediently follow all the orders he had given her, even the most humiliating ones.


    The psychological dominance Siwoo felt from that was unlike any others.


    ¡°Kuu... .¡±


    Right now, Sharon had fallen into a deep sleep after their intense night together.


    Even as she lay down, her impressive boobs lifted the blanket upwards. Seeing this, Siwoo gently squeezed them.


    Her breasts, white like snow, bounced back at his touch, showcasing their firmness.


    Their soft and smooth texture was unlike anything else in the world.


    ¡°Ngg...¡±


    Sharon furrowed her brows and let out a soft breath, maybe because she felt the cold temperature of his hand.


    At that moment, a mischievous idea crossed Siwoo¡¯s mind.


    Using his fingertips, he gently twisted her tiny, cherry-sized nipples that shone with a bright pink hue.


    ¡°Aah....¡±


    At first, they were soft like jelly, but after he had done that, they slowly hardened and stood stiffly.


    As he did that, Sharon¡¯s lips parted slightly, letting out a soft moan that accompanied her breath.


    He had been biting and sucking on these all night. The marks left by that were undeniably erotic.


    On a side note, the way she masturbated was a sight to behold.


    During that, she showed him how she was able to suck on her own boobs.


    That was how one could tell that her boobs were easily a legendary-class.


    He remembered her face back then as he continued to knead her breasts while feeling a sense of heaviness from his lower half. More specifically, the sight of her teary eyes as she was suffering from embarrassment.


    Anyway, I should probably head over to the Yesod Mansion to check up on Ms. Diana...


    But time was running tight.


    He was about to cover Sharon¡¯s body up, but at that moment...


    ¡°Siwoo!¡±


    Countess Albireo suddenly opened the door and entered the lab.


    Unfortunately for them, the sofa¡¯s position was directly facing the door.


    ¡°Eek!¡±


    So, Albireo ended up seeing Siwoo standing naked with his little guy standing below him. Almost immediately, she covered her eyes before collapsing to the floor.


    2.


    Whether it was a stroke of luck or not, Sharon remained fast asleep.


    So, Siwoo left Sharon behind after rolling her up in a blanket and went outside to talk with the countess.


    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry about all that... What brings you here, Countess...?¡±


    ¡°I heard there was an incident in Border Town.¡±


    Albireo shot him a cold gaze.


    Actually, he could sense a hint of contempt in that gaze.


    To elaborate on what kind of look she was giving him... It was the look that someone would give to an inconsiderate person who was hosting a pork belly party in front of an Islamic mosque.


    For a witch, magic is like their faith, and the lab was essentially their sacred temple.


    In other words, the countess caught him and Sharon having a nasty sex in a sacred place. It was understandable that she reacted like this.


    ¡°I was worried, so I immediately went home from the Modern World and rushed straight back here, but... I see that everything¡¯s fine, huh?¡±


    ¡°...Yes...¡±


    Moreover, she was the twins¡¯ mother.


    Arriving at that conjecture, Siwoo congratulated himself.


    Because he was no longer the old virgin Siwoo.


    He was able to read Diana¡¯s mind to some extent now.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t finished what I wanted to say yet.¡±


    Diana grabbed Siwoo¡¯s arm, stopping him from passing by.


    This surprised him a little.


    After all, this was the first time she had ever initiated a physical contact with him.


    All this time, she had always kept her distance as if he were some sort of virus.


    ¡°M-M-Mr. S-Siwoo... T-Thank you for saving me...¡±


    She muttered as she lowered her head.


    Her soft voice made her words almost inaudible, but this was her way of showing her gratitude.


    Also, for the first time, he called him by his name instead of just ¡®you¡¯.


    It seemed like the incident yesterday had served as a trigger for her to acknowledge him.


    Siwoo felt a sense of satisfaction.


    The old people¡¯s saying was true. Good deeds indeed always come back to you.


    ¡°I accept your gratitude. Shall we go inside now?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Still holding his arm, Diana pushed Siwoo out of the door.


    ¡°Huh? W-Wait¡ª¡± He stammered as the door was slammed shut behind him.


    ¡°Not today. I¡¯m going to rest. Goodbye.¡±


    Blindsided by the sudden dismissal, Siwoo stood there, mouth agape.


    ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡±


    4.


    As soon as she shut the door, Diana dove onto her bed as if fleeing.


    For someone who usually moved no faster than 20 cm/s, her sudden increase in speed was quite notable.


    Earlier this morning, she had the urge to groom herself, so she spent a whole half an hour brushing and braiding her hair.


    She also picked up the prettiest dress she had in her wardrobe, but because of what she had done, everything had turned into a complete mess.


    ¡°Ugh...!¡±


    She flailed around on the wide bed for quite some time until she dropped a pillow down. Only after that did she go still.


    But, her heart was still pounding wildly, and it showed no sign of calming down.


    Weird, weird, weird. Everything feels weird!


    If she were to start listing all the things she found weird, it would go on forever.


    Number one.


    Why did she say she¡¯d attend the tutoring session today?


    Knowing her mother, she¡¯d probably let her stay in bed for a whole week.


    In other words, she had a free pass to skip those bothersome lessons.


    Yet, she had gone out of her way to call her maid in the morning and announce that their tutoring would proceed as usual.


    Number two.


    Despite falling asleep so late into the night, she had woken up at the crack of dawn.


    After that, she took a short thirty minute bath, ate her breakfast and got dressed.


    While she didn¡¯t mind wearing nice-looking accessories or dresses...


    She never bothered prettying herself, as that usually came with the cost of effort and discomfort. Typically, she¡¯d just dress herself enough to maintain her dignity.


    Yet today she had spent nearly one, or maybe even two hours styling her hair, wearing a corset under her dress, and putting on heels.


    And number three, the weirdest thing of them all.


    The incredibly weird feeling she had when she saw his face.


    Her heart suddenly raced so fast, and her breathing became heavy.


    Not only that, her head also spun so much that she could barely stand, let alone speak.


    These symptoms actually started when he first knocked on her door.


    And the moment she saw his face, they just intensified, reaching their peak.


    She could only stand there, unable to do anything.


    On the contrary, he was the same as usual.


    His handsome and well-groomed face, with a touch of masculinity in it when she examined it closely. Wearing the usual tailored suits that fit him perfectly, he let out his gentle voice that sounded no less gentle than usual.


    Yet, for some reason, she felt overwhelmed when she faced him.


    She tried to call him by his name, like what her mother did, but she just struggled to do it.


    And like an idiot, she just thanked him before kicking him out.


    Diana let out a deep sigh, lamenting her stupidity.

 Chapter 374: Countess (1)

    1.


    It was finally time for Siwoo¡¯s tutoring session with Countess Yesod.


    Due to Diana turning him away at the entrance, his schedule freed up, so he just went back to Countess Gemini¡¯s mansion the moment he got the chance to.


    Right now, he was strolling down the hallway of the Yesod¡¯s mansion, carrying the Red Branch that was wrapped in his ribbons on his shoulder.


    ¡°Uhh...¡±


    As the time to meet Countess Yesod quickly approached, he started to feel more and more anxious.


    Last night, the countess sat on his lap while checking on his condition.


    But, he wasn¡¯t sure if she really was checking his condition, or trying to make a move on him.


    Back then, he decided to bank on the latter option, but what happened after that?


    The moment he leaned in for a kiss, the countess immediately backed off.


    Although, it seemed like his guess wasn¡¯t completely off, since she arbitrarily moved their tutoring session to midnight of all times.


    ¡°She said it¡¯s because she¡¯s busy, but is she really...?¡±


    Of course, the schedule change didn¡¯t get him to think something along the lines of, ¡®I¡¯m finally going to have sex with the countess this time!¡¯.


    Yesterday, he spent some of his time reflecting.


    He already had Sharon and the twins.


    There was also Periwinkle, who he had planned to hook up with to show his gratitude, but this was a special case.


    Not only had she saved his life, she also helped out Takasho a lot, the hook up was really just a way to show his gratitude. Their relationship was very casual at best.


    Periwinkle herself also didn¡¯t seem to want anything more than that.


    Sure, heroes were known to have multiple wives AND concubines, but he wasn¡¯t a hero. Also, even if he was, he didn¡¯t want to mess with a married woman. A real hero would get in serious trouble if he did that, let alone him.


    He had been swayed by the idea of, ¡®a man could be spineless, but he should wrung his balls out when he got the chance,¡¯ and realized the errors of his way a little too late.


    ¡°...There¡¯s no point in thinking about it.¡±


    In any case, just thinking about what he¡¯d do in such situations was easy.


    But, what if the countess actually tried to seduce him?


    Considering that he¡¯d be whiffing the lingering subtle scent that wafted from her body, could he resist her advances in that situation?


    There¡¯s no other way, I have to put things straight before our lesson starts.


    Or at least, before she even has the chance to make a move on me.


    So, he decided to cut the route off cleanly, like slicing with a knife.


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    -Knock, knock


    ¡°Ah, Mr. Siwoo, come on in.¡±


    After hearing her response, he opened the door while trying to figure out the right timing to enact his plan.


    When is the best time to bring it up? Right after we greet each other? Or after we sit on the sofa? Hm, or maybe I should just wait until after the session ends?


    ¡°He¡ª¡±


    ¡°Come in. Do you mind helping me out a little?¡±


    The moment he opened the door, Siwoo awkwardly froze in place.


    When he stepped in, the countess immediately greeted him.


    Of course, that in itself wasn¡¯t a problem at all.


    The problem was that the countess greeted him while showing her bare back to him.


    She was wearing her favorite tight dress, and the tie at her back was undone more than halfway.


    The silver fabric clung to her hourglass waist and hips, seemed as if it had been woven from moonlight itself.


    As she turned her body slightly, her elegant shoulder line and delicate-looking shoulder blades became more pronounced.


    One of her hands was holding the front of her dress. It would probably slip off if she were to let it go.


    Siwoo couldn¡¯t tell whether she was in the middle of putting the dress on or taking it off.


    Whichever it was, she was halfway through there.


    ¡°...Hello...¡±


    He finished his interrupted greeting with a weak voice.


    My mouth isn¡¯t hanging open, right...?


    Please, tell me it isn¡¯t...


    ¡°You came at the perfect time. As you can see, I¡¯m in a bit of a bind...¡±


    Siwoo almost spouted out the words, ¡®I¡¯m also in a bit of a bind here...¡¯ but he managed to swallow it at the last second.


    ¡°Are you changing your clothes right now...?¡±


    He was about to add, ¡®But this is the library...¡¯ but he also managed to hold himself back from saying it.


    ¡°Yes, yes. I tried to do it on my own, but it just didn¡¯t go well... Could you give me a hand, Mr. Siwoo?¡±


    The countess asked that so naturally, as if this was a normal thing to ask.


    Siwoo just knew that he needed a quick excuse to avoid getting swept up in the situation.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but... I don¡¯t know how to tie it... Also, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to discuss...¡±


    He wasn¡¯t lying.


    Because he really didn¡¯t know how to tie up a dress like that.


    After all, never once in his life did he find himself in a situation where he had to wear such a dress.


    ¡°Why are you so sure that I¡¯m going to ask you to tie it?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You know, I might ask you how to undo it instead.¡±


    The feeling of having her charm recognized by the opposite sex...


    And the thrill over the fact that she was in control of the situation, pulling him in and pushing him away as she pleased.


    On top of that, she also had this distorted maternal instinct to teach and mold this naive boy into the perfect male.


    ¡°You did well today, as always.¡±


    After the lesson was over, Siwoo tried to get up like he always did.


    Except that he couldn¡¯t.


    How so?


    Because the countess was sitting right across him while his lower half was embarrassingly pitched like a tent due to her constant seduction.


    If he were to stand up now, he¡¯d be showing that embarrassing sight to her.


    The countess was unaware of his dilemma though. Instead, she took his hesitation as something else entirely.


    ¡°Oh my?¡±


    Usually he¡¯d just leave politely after the lesson¡¯s over, but it seems like he wishes to stay here longer today?


    What is he hesitating about, hm?


    She suspected that this was what he was thinking about:


    => The countess is too irresistible. I want more than this, but I can¡¯t just bring myself to say it...


    After reaching that conclusion...


    She suppressed a triumphant smile that was about to be formed on her lips.


    How could every little thing he does seem so adorable?


    She could feel her heart race, and there was this sudden urge to just devour him as a whole.


    ¡°Is there something else you need?¡±


    ¡°U-Um... N-No...¡±


    ¡°Do you have something you want to say to me then?¡±


    ¡°N-No...¡±


    Seeing his discomfort only made her more certain of her assumption, so she casually sat next to him.


    She wanted to enjoy his reactions for a little longer, but she knew that it wouldn¡¯t be right to push him too far.


    This was the time for her to show him the composure of an older woman and take the lead.


    Finally, we¡¯re going to spend the night together~


    .


    Just thinking about that already made her heart pound wildly.


    ¡°Mr. Siwoo, do you know?¡±


    ¡°Yes...?¡±


    The countess leaned her head against his shoulder.


    She then slipped her hand between his tightly clenched thighs, and his body immediately went rigid.


    His sharp intake of breath entered her ear.


    ¡°Inside a man¡¯s body, there¡¯s a nasty poison.¡±


    ¡°Um, Countess...?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a dangerous poison born from deep sin and desire, and if it isn¡¯t released in time, it¡¯s going to eat away a man¡¯s body and mind...¡±


    She undid his belt, unfastened the buckle, and gently grabbed hold of his thing.


    The huge serpent, hot, hard, oozing with venom that was coiling inside his pants.


    Watching him grow even more tense, the countess let out a hot breath.


    ¡°I believe I can help you with that... What do you think, Mr. Siwoo?¡±


    ¡°Um, Countess... I need to tell you something...¡±


    He averted his gaze before turning his gaze back to her.


    She saw a hint of redness in his eyes, a mix of conflict, anxiety, and excitement.


    ¡°I-I... I already have someone I¡¯m currently seeing...¡±


    Hearing that, the countess was a little surprised.


    Up until now, he seemed like someone who had never held hands with a girl, let alone had a girlfriend.


    Actually, she wasn¡¯t just a little shocked, but completely shocked.


    Nevertheless, the countess didn¡¯t care about that.


    She couldn¡¯t hold it anymore.


    ¡°Oh my? Do you think we¡¯re doing anything wrong? No, no, we¡¯re just playing around a little, you know~?¡±


    Like a white serpent, her pale hand wrapped itself around his cobra that was raising its head stiffly.


    With delicate movements, she stroked his member, back and forth.


    She slipped past his underwear, feeling the hardness, the heat, the dangerously pronounced veins, and the pulse of raw masculinity underneath.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need something like love or whatever when playing this game between a man and a woman~¡±


    Before Siwoo knew it, his large member was already standing exposed between his pants and underwear, touching the air.


    The countess admired its size as she traced his member with her index and middle finger, whispering in a seductive voice.


    Her voice sounded so sweet, it felt like the warmth was melting the inside of his ears.


    ¡°Instead, you¡¯d only need a spoonful of sweetness, a whisper in your ear, and a little spice called a secret~¡±


    Then, Countess Yesod pressed her plump lips against Siwoo¡¯s.

 Chapter 375: Countess (2)

    1.


    Siwoo knew...


    That he had no spines nor balls.


    If he had to come up with an excuse, it would be that he had inhaled way too much of Countess Yesod¡¯s scent.


    Being near her for so long, he couldn¡¯t help but catch whiffs of her fragrance. Especially when she belatedly grabbed his manhood with her bare-hand, he couldn¡¯t help but take a deep whiff of her sweet, fragrant hair.


    Even so, the most dangerous thing of them all was the countess¡¯ own raw, natural allure.


    In front of it, even if he hadn¡¯t inhaled her scent, or even if she were truly a married woman with a husband...


    He would¡¯ve tossed his conscience aside, become her secret lover, and probably ended up getting sued into bankruptcy over it.


    Her red lips, enticing, like the forbidden fruit, nibbled at his lower lips.


    With her eyes closed, the countess savored the delicate flesh, as if in an aesthetic trance.


    Her long eyelashes trembled, as if they were about to brush against his face.


    ¡°Sluurp...chu...¡±


    Her soft, plump lips clung to his lips like they were meant to be one from the start.


    The sweet taste of her lip gloss filled his mouth.


    While the thick, sweet scent of her skin filled his nostrils.


    Facing that, Siwoo felt as if all the brakes inside him malfunctioned.


    Now, he had crossed a point of no return.


    Meanwhile, the countess was so focused on the kiss that she seemed to forget she was still holding his manhood.


    They gently nibbled and sucked each other¡¯s lips.


    Then, she wrapped her arms around his neck.


    She lightly bit his lower lip, then lifted her eyes to glance up at him.


    ¡°Are you feeling nervous, Mr. Siwoo?¡±


    Contrary to her usual sultry behavior, there was a hint of innocence in her eyes.


    They hadn¡¯t started doing french kisses yet, but Siwoo was already panting, and his body was already trembling.


    ¡°N-No, it¡¯s just...¡±


    ¡°Shh... Don¡¯t think about anything else right now. It¡¯s just the two of us here.¡±


    She cut off his words, pressing her chest against him before resuming the kiss.


    This was when she finally slipped her tongue between his lips, tapping against his teeth lightly.


    Unless he was a eunuch, there was no way a man could endure such an allure, and this included Siwoo.


    Unable to hold back any longer, he pulled her slender waist into a tight embrace.


    ¡°Mmh¡ª!¡±


    She let out a moan, her eyes widening in surprise before she giggled and kissed him again.


    When he responded by sticking out his tongue, the countess sucked on it as if it was a pacifier.


    ¡°Sluuurp...chuuup...¡±


    Her tongue movements were slow and careful, one could almost mistake it as her being devoted to it.


    She caressed his tongue as if it was an erogenous zone.


    This wasn¡¯t the mischievous countess who loved to tease him anymore.


    She had turned into a woman who was clinging to him, overwhelmed by lust,


    ¡°Haah...haah... .¡±


    After the long kiss...


    The countess was panting for breath.


    She slipped her fingers onto her back, undoing the knot of her dress. A moment later, her dress slid down her shoulders.


    Under the dim lighting, her sinful breasts that had often tried to tempt Siwoo were completely exposed.


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    Siwoo couldn¡¯t help but let out a gasp of admiration.


    From the moment she started fiddling with her dress, he could tell that she wasn¡¯t wearing a bra.


    What greeted him was something beyond what he had ever imagined.


    It was as her breasts had a rather balanced stats between softness and firmness, with more stats in the former.


    Even the smallest movements she made as she undressed herself sent gentle ripples through the mound, yet they still boasted the perfect degree of firmness.


    In the middle of her faintly colored areola, where the edges were barely visible, her small, cute nipples stood out.


    ¡°Hohoho... What do you think?¡±


    The countess asked, raising her forearm in front of her chest.


    For a moment there, Siwoo thought she was about to cover herself, but she wasn¡¯t really hiding anything.


    In fact, with the way she was lifting her breasts from underneath, it only made them stand out even more.


    ¡°Haahn... M-Mr. Siwoo, no matter how hard you suck it, no milk would come out... Aahh...¡±


    Countess Yesod looked down at Siwoo with affection in her eyes.


    The sight of him eagerly sucking on her slightly lowered breasts, his hips twitching involuntarily, were etched into her eyes.


    His chiseled masculine body paired with his almost childlike behavior stirred a wicked sense of depravity in her.


    ¡°...¡±


    Wow...


    It really feels like I¡¯m in heaven...


    Meanwhile, Siwoo was enjoying himself.


    Countess Yesod¡¯s mature skill and aura was undeniable.


    It extended to the way she handled his cock as well.


    The fact that there was no friction during the handjob, despite the lack of lube, proved her skill.


    Also, she wasn¡¯t trying her best to make him come.


    Instead, she gave him a gentle handjob, like a loving mother soothing a child to sleep while singing a lullaby.


    Thanks to her gentle pace, his fully erect cock wasn¡¯t overstimulated and he could clearly feel each of her slender fingers and soft strokes.


    ¡°Haa... Haa, Mr. Siwoo... You¡¯re being such a good boy, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Is this what true satisfaction feels like?


    The softness of her thighs beneath his head...


    Her gentle handjob and her light strokes against his hair...


    There were also her breasts, so big they couldn¡¯t fit in his mouth, softly rubbing against his entire face.


    And finally, the sight of her body, trembling while suppressing her moans with every suck of her nipple. All of them showcased her pure lewdness.


    The sheer excitement those things gave him, brought him close to climax even though there was barely any stimulation to his cock.


    ¡°Mr. Siwoo...ahh... Are you ready...to cum soon...?¡±


    With his mouth still on her nipple, Siwoo nodded. Seeing this, the countess let out a pleased smile.


    ¡°Ahh... I¡¯ll finish the rest with my mouth...¡±


    The countess tried to move and give him blowjob from where she was at, but the angle was a little off.


    So, she gently lowered Siwoo¡¯s head from her thigh and crawled over to adjust her position.


    The sofa¡ªnow warm due to absorbing their bodies¡¯ heat¡ªwas a rather big one, maybe as big as a normal bed, giving them plenty of room to move around.


    -Swish


    Countess Yesod assumed the classic 69 position, her head facing the opposite direction from his.


    As a result, his head slipped under her dress as it fell down like a curtain.


    All of a sudden, he found himself in the world under her skirt.


    Since the countess was now kneeling over his shoulders, her legs slightly spread...


    This meant her secret triangle was literally in front of his eyes.


    It was dripping wet due to her arousal, like a fruit that had ripened past its prime.


    Her panties were completely soaked, and her thighs glistened as the liquid dripped down.


    Since her panties were made of such a thin lace, he could see her plump folds¡ªthick like her lips¡ªbarely hidden as if it was only covered by a soft mosaic.


    The fact that its fabric was transparent made the swollen outline of her clit visible.


    With the rich scent coming from her arousal¡ªsomething that he didn¡¯t find unpleasant at all¡ªand the sight in front of him...


    It was no wonder that Siwoo felt overwhelmed. Especially when he was pretty much trapped in this enclosed space that was filled with the intense stimulation and the thick pheromones unique to witches.


    There was no way he could hold out longer than this.


    ¡°Kuhk!¡±


    ¡°Oh...!¡±


    Even while changing positions, the countess didn¡¯t stop her gentle tease on his cock, keeping him close to the edge.


    She was about to take his dick into her mouth, but suddenly, her whole body flinched, startled.


    The heat coming from her breath already made his cock swell in her hands, and he started spraying thick cum everywhere.


    -Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!


    The thick white liquid gushed forward like an erupting volcano, flowing out, as if trying to create a fountain.


    His semen, far thicker and in larger amounts than usual, spurted out uncontrollably.


    ¡°There, there, good boy... Are you done now, Mr. Siwoo?¡±


    The countess was unbothered by this. Instead, she held his still ejaculating cock gently, stroking it to help him release his full load.


    When he finished, she even carefully milked the remaining droplets of cum with her hand.


    Because of that, both her face and hands were covered in sticky white baby seeds.

 Chapter 376: Countess (3)

    1.


    ¡°Do you feel better now, Mr. Siwoo?¡±


    The countess got down from the sofa and asked Siwoo¡ªwho was still gasping for breath on the sofa¡ªthat question while leaning her face closer to his.


    It was the kind of move only someone who fully understood how to arouse a man could pull off.


    ¡°Hehe, look, you came so much.¡±


    Her face was splattered with a thick layer of baby seeds that spurted out from his cock, defying gravity.


    The mix of her elegant features and the thick male fluid looked more erotic than any makeup she could have ever worn.


    After letting Siwoo see it for a while, she flicked her fingers, washing away the semen from her face and hands.


    ¡°I just breathed on it, how did that happen, hm?¡±


    She teased him with a sultry smile.


    Seeing him feeling overwhelmed by her mature technique only made her affection for him grow.


    She was proud over the fact that she had completely tamed this strong, masculine man with nothing but her hands.


    I keep wanting to tease him, I wonder why?


    Just like that time during their lesson when she playfully toyed with him, for some reason, she liked seeing him squirm.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I should have warned you...¡±


    ¡°What are you sorry for?¡±


    ¡°For...messing up your face, Countess...¡±


    Meanwhile, Siwoo was embarrassed, and that left him at a loss for words. He was panting, as if he was holding something back.


    To the countess, he looked like he was barely restraining the urge to pounce on her.


    They hadn¡¯t even gotten to the penetration yet, but the countess already felt a sense of satisfaction when she noticed his burning desire.


    This was exactly what she wanted to see.


    ¡°Hmm~ I¡¯ll let it slide this time, but how about we make a deal?¡±


    ¡°A...deal...?¡±


    ¡°Mhm. It would be a little troublesome if Mr. Siwoo keeps messing up my face like that.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the deal?¡±


    ¡°From now on, whenever you feel like you¡¯re going to cum, you have to tell me, ¡®I want to cum~¡¯ okay? And, you can¡¯t release it until I say you can.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    Hearing that, Siwoo¡¯s face showed a trace of discomfort.


    As a man who prided himself on dominance, he had to beg a woman by saying something like ¡®I want to cum¡¯.


    It was an objectively humiliating thought.


    But Lucy Yesod wanted to see him endure that humiliation, to see his shameful form as he begged for orgasm.


    He¡¯d lose his composure over something so small, getting her more chances to tease him.


    With a flushed face from barely being able to hold back his orgasm, he¡¯d miserably fail to hold it and spurt out his seeds anyway. From that, she¡¯d use the moment to tease him further and punish him for it, prompting an even more flustered look from him...


    That was the kind of dirty play she longed for.


    ¡°You¡¯ll promise me, won¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°...Um...okay... It isn¡¯t really a hard thing to promise...¡±


    ¡°Now, stand up for me, will you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Siwoo followed the countess¡¯ instructions and stood up on the sofa.


    ¡°Now, put your hands behind your back.¡±


    ¡°Done.¡±


    He did as he was told.


    His muscular body that looked like a flawless Greek statue, stood tall, while his erect member was fully exposed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you what you didn¡¯t get to enjoy earlier, Mr. Siwoo, but you have to stay still, okay?¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    The sofa wasn¡¯t very high.


    And since Countess Yesod was wearing heels, she had to bend over so that she could take Siwoo¡¯s cock in her mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s still this big after you came once...¡±


    The Countess, almost expressing her amazement, quickly glanced up at Siwoo and said...


    ¡°Mr. Siwoo, you can¡¯t just cum from my breath like earlier, okay? Hehe.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know...¡±


    The Countess shifted her gaze back to his crotch.


    Even though it spurted out enough cum to cover her face thoroughly, there was still a lot of it clinging to his throbbing cock.


    Which wasn¡¯t a surprise, since he had shot it upward while lying down.


    ¡°Slurp...¡±


    ¡°Haah... Mr. Siwoo, this is your final lesson.¡±


    She undid the last ribbon tied around her waist.


    As her dress slipped off smoothly, her naked body, wearing only heels and a pair of panties, was revealed under the moonlight.


    Even without the heels emphasizing them, her legs were already stunning enough.


    With her long, graceful legs that possessed the same soft firmness as her breasts...


    And her slender waist that flowed into her hips, shaped like fine porcelain...


    She was like the embodiment of femininity herself.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of everything, Mr. Siwoo. You can just sit back and relax.¡±


    She pulled the strings of her panties, and now she was completely naked.


    The soft, moist folds of her pussy, previously hidden, were now glistening, as if announcing their presence.


    -Tok tok tok


    The countess flaunted her body as she gracefully climbed onto the sofa, letting Siwoo see everything.


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    She squatted over him, assuming a position as if she was about to pee.


    From where Siwoo was sitting, he couldn¡¯t clearly see her pussy.


    But he could see the lewd little pearl that matched her ripe body.


    Her clitoris, which had been peeking through her panties earlier, stood out just as much from this view looking down.


    Meanwhile, her thighs spread wide from squatting, her sticky pussy lips parting, dripping sweet love juice onto Siwoo¡¯s tip.


    He hadn¡¯t entered that enticing hole yet, but the pulsing heat it exuded was already surging through his cock.


    ¡°Mm, like this...gently...¡±


    The Countess reached between her legs, grabbed Siwoo¡¯s cock, and softly rubbed it against her petals.


    She slid her plump, mature pussy back and forth with seductively smooth movements, teasing the tip of his glans with warmth.


    -Squelch... squelch... squelch...


    ¡°Ugh...!¡±


    ¡°Ahhn... How is it? I¡¯ve gotten this wet just from taking care of your cock...¡±


    The Countess lined up his cock with her starving widowed pussy, before balancing herself with her hands on his thighs, and slowly lowered her ass.


    ¡°Mr. Siwoo... Should I let you in...? Do you want me to put it in...?¡±


    As her luscious ass sank lower, a whole new world was about to open up to Siwoo.


    -Sssslurp!


    Even though she was dripping wet, her entrance still felt tight. His glans had to push through the snug barrier of inner walls before finally making its way inside.


    Her inside was hotter than he expected.


    And stickier than he imagined.


    Her pussy gripped his cock just as firmly as her mouth had.


    ¡°Ahhh...!¡±


    The Countess let out a hiccup-like moan, straightening her back as her body trembled.


    He hadn¡¯t even gotten past the entrance, but his massive cock was already filling her up inside.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ve barely... put it in¡ª!¡±


    The countess was shocked, but she followed her instinct and started moving her hips.


    Still squatting, she began lowering and raising her hips in short motions, slowly swallowing more and more of his cock.


    -Slick! Slick! Slick! Slick!


    ¡°Haah...haah...haah...hahng..¡±


    ¡°C-Crazy...¡±


    Her bouncing breasts and the lewd posture she assumed as she devoured him made the countess look like a total slut.


    Siwoo couldn¡¯t help but be in awe at how much tighter than he imagined her trembling inner walls gripped him.


    The soft cushion of her pussy, which had been slowly swallowing him, finally covered the part of his shaft that still had a faint ring of her lip gloss on it from earlier.


    In other words, about 60% of his cock had slid inside her.


    ¡°Haa...haa... Mr. Siwoo... I ate your cock... haa...ha...¡±


    Sweat now dotted her skin as the countess licked her smiling lips.


    ¡°Does it feel good? How do you feel?¡±


    Her voice, a pitch higher than usual, was filled with a playful, sultry tone.


    Do I really need to reply to that?


    ¡°It feels amazing.¡±


    ¡°Ahh... Then...I¡¯ll start moving...okay...?¡±


    After saying that, the countess finally started to move her hips.

 Chapter 377: Countess (4)

    1.


    from the moment siwoo first met countess lucy yesod, he immediately noticed the dangerous allure of her body.


    it didn¡¯t help that she always seemed confident in her curves¡ªalways wearing outfits that closely clung to her body and radiated sensuality.


    but he never could¡¯ve imagined just how lewd and wild she was behind her noble mask.


    -thump, thump, thump, thump!


    ¡°ahh...haah...aaahh...¡±


    right now, countess yesod was squatting over his cock, twerking her ass up and down.


    the position she was assuming was pretty intense.


    not just because of the act itself, but also because of how physically demanding it was.


    to squat down, bouncing back and forth while taking his cock inside her must have strained her thighs immensely.


    especially considering that she was wearing high heels.


    -squelch, squelch, squelch!


    ¡°mr. siwoo...! how does it feel...? do you like it? haa...aah...!¡±


    ¡°ugh!¡±


    ¡°you¡¯ve grown so big...mr. siwoo...! my belly...feels so full...! haah...! it feels amazing...!¡±


    but the countess never slowed down.


    even as her breasts bounced wildly, and she occasionally arched her back in pleasure when his cock hit a particularly sensitive spot...


    she kept rubbing his cock with her wet pussy, bouncing up and down as if she was doing tiny bunny hops.


    -squelch, squelch, squelch, squelch!


    ¡°hng...! ngg...!¡±


    her thighs, which had been spread wide in an m-shape, started to tremble and close in.


    meanwhile, her hips, which had been moving so smoothly, suddenly stiffened.


    at the same time, her vaginal walls began clenching and releasing, as if they had a mind of their own.


    he could see her clit, shining a soft pink, started to tremble greatly.


    siwoo was familiar with the sight. it meant she was about to cum.


    ¡°hooooooooaah...!¡±


    the countess bit her lip, trying to hold back her moans, but that didn¡¯t stop her body from collapsing forward, pressing her weight onto siwoo.


    her pussy kept rubbing against his hard, thick cock as she hit her climax before him.


    ¡°haaa...haa...ha...¡±


    her voice shook as she let out a series of soft, trembling moans.


    down below, liquid gushed out, spilling out from her tight hole like a leak.


    ¡°haa...haa... how does it feel, mr. siwoo? did you like that...?¡±


    ¡°yes, countess...¡±


    all he had to do was sit back on the sofa, watching her while enjoying the sensation she brought him.


    he didn¡¯t have to lift a finger, and the pleasure still flowed through him.no?v(el)b\\jnn


    but, he still felt that there was something off.


    the countess¡¯ body was sweet, soft, it was as if it was made for this.


    there was also the way she danced on top of him while trying her best to please him, which left him dumbstruck, to say the least.


    and yet, he still felt that something wasn¡¯t quite right.


    it felt like he hadn¡¯t penetrated her deep enough.


    she was swallowing his cock with her lower mouth, yes, but she had only taken it at around 20% to 60% of its full length.


    even though her juices dripped down, leaving his shaft glistening, half of it was unable to enjoy her pussy because of this.


    could it be, she thinks that she had taken in the full length already?


    or is she just holding back to tease me again?


    whichever it was, after realizing this, an overwhelming urge to push his entire length into her slick, dripping pussy, enveloped siwoo¡¯s mind.


    ¡°countess.¡±


    ¡°yes? are you ready to cum already?¡±


    ¡°no, it¡¯s just... i¡¯m wondering if it¡¯s alright if i were to move a little? i feel a little bad just sitting here while you do all the work...¡±


    when she heard that, her eyes widened in surprise, but then she let out a sly smile.


    a familiar look she always wore when she found something new to tease him about.


    ¡°oh my, really? well, practice is important, too, i guess. so, do you think you can make me feel good?¡±


    ¡°yes, i¡¯ll try to, at least...¡±


    to lift his hips in this position, he¡¯d need something to hold onto.


    after all, he couldn¡¯t carelessly move and let her fall. it would bring nothing but a disaster.


    ¡°is it okay if i hold onto you, countess?¡±


    seeing siwoo¡¯s hesitant hands, the countess generously gave him her permission.


    ¡°why do you ask such a thing at this point, mr. siwoo? are you shy? oh, my.¡±


    ¡°ahaha... alright, i¡¯m going to hold you then.¡±


    siwoo decided to grab her round, soft ass for support.


    he had already parked his thick cock in there before, so he had a rough idea of its size.


    even so, he still didn¡¯t expect that it would be this soft.


    ¡°you can grab on a little harder if you want.¡±


    even in this position, her ass felt so full and plump that he couldn¡¯t feel her bones that were hiding deep inside it.


    it didn¡¯t feel like soft, squishy flesh either.


    truly, it was a premium ass which possessed both unparalleled elasticity and softness.


    ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°s-stop... please...! stop... n-now... haa...haaang...!¡±


    but, before she could even get the words out...


    the tip of his dick pounded right against her cervix.


    a torrent of pleasure she¡¯d never felt before surged through her, throwing her over the edge.


    it drove her to a climax so intense that it blurred her mind.


    her consciousness, on the verge of slipping away in ecstasy that felt like it would last for minutes...


    -thrust! thrust! thrust!


    was forcefully brought back by the continued hard pounding his dick was giving, even though she had already cummmed.


    her pussy clenched and released rhythmically, as if it was having a spasm.


    ¡°haah...! haaaang...! mr. siwoo...!!! s-stop... please...!¡±


    considering how passive siwoo had been up until now...


    and the respect he usually showed towards her... getting him to stop now seemed like the right thing to do.


    but siwoo wasn¡¯t listening at all. instead, he just grabbed her ass tighter, keeping her from escaping.


    -thrust! thrust!


    ¡°i-i¡¯ll break...! y-you¡¯re going to break me!!! s-stop...! please, stop...!¡±


    she was hit by multiple orgasms, even though she didn¡¯t want them.


    it was as if she was being slowly pushed off a cliff, except that her body kept on sending a strange and an unfamiliar reaction¡ªterrifying her.


    her legs had already gone weak, and her struggling had kicked off her high heels, sending them rolling across the floor.


    ¡°no...! no...! this can¡¯t...!¡±


    her hands, trying to push against siwoo¡¯s firm chest, had no strength left in them.


    she tried to pull her hips back, but his firm grip on her ass kept her in place.


    the only thing she could do was to brace herself as she turned into a helpless woman, waiting for the avalanche of pleasure to hit her.


    her face turned pale as it stiffened.


    for a second there, she felt nothing at all.


    just like that brief period one experienced when they were suspended in the air before falling off a cliff.


    ¡°a...ah...ahh...¡±


    but that feeling only for a second.


    a strained cry escaped her throat, even though she didn¡¯t mean for it to.


    her lower body clamped down on his cock, completely beyond her control, amplifying every wave of pleasure.


    goosebumps rose from her toes, rippling through her entire body as her clit twitched uncontrollably.


    ¡°haang!¡±


    and then...


    she started to fall, plunging into the rushing torrent of ecstasy.


    one climax hadn¡¯t even faded before another slammed into her, making her hips jerk wildly back and forth.


    ¡°ha...aanng...! haaah...! nghh...!¡±


    in the end, she let out a loud moan, like a beast, completely unbefitting of her status as a countess, before collapsing.


    ¡°ah... aah... aah....¡±


    as if melting into a puddle, she collapsed on top of siwoo.


    her thighs were soaked with juices, spilling out from where they were still joined.


    siwoo held her trembling body, which had turned into a vibrating sex toy after her orgasm.


    her soft body pressed against him, and the scent of her sweat, no longer sweet but intense enough to tingle his senses, filled his nose.


    ¡°uh... huh...! huh...!¡±


    her pussy, wetter and tighter than before, clenched and released around him over and over, massaging his cock relentlessly.


    the walls of her vagina had turned swollen from the orgasm.


    ¡°hmm....¡±


    the scene gave siwoo a new impression on the countess.


    she acts tough but she¡¯s pretty weak...


    if i have to compare... she¡¯s like periwinkle? no, actually, she¡¯s even weaker than her...


    despite all the bravado, her pussy didn¡¯t resist me at all...


    countess yesod, now unconscious and limp in his arms...


    just before this, she had said all that stuff about telling her before he came, but here she was, passing out from this much.


    it was a little ridiculous, but somehow, it made her even cuter.


    ¡°hah...!¡±


    siwoo gave a light poke to her soft cervix with his cock, and that made her eyes fly open, as if she had been jolted awake by a shot of adrenaline.


    ¡°m-mr. si...woo...? ah...¡±


    her eyes were dazed, as if she really had lost all sense of what had happened.


    ¡°did you sleep well?¡±


    the moment she realized that his cock was still inside her, her pussy instinctively squeezed him tight again.


    despite looking like a composed, widowed mature woman, she was actually someone with an extremely sensitive pussy that could cum from the slightest touch.


    knowing this, there was no way he could just hold back from teasing her more.


    a smile spread across siwoo¡¯s face.


    ¡°from now on, i¡¯ll be doing things my way.¡±

 Chapter 378: Countess (5)

    1.


    currently, siwoo and the countess were sitting side by side on the sofa, just like they did during their lessons.


    the only difference was that both of them were completely naked. there wasn¡¯t a stitch of clothing on either of them.


    countess yesod¡¯s once sharp and dignified eyes had turned hazy and dreamy, while her usually tidy hair was now slightly tousled.


    ¡°uh, countess, can you promise me something?¡±


    ¡°w-what is it...?¡±


    countess yesod, who had fainted from the intense orgasmic wave she experienced, was forcefully woken up after siwoo knocked on the entrance to her womb.


    it was clear that she was still a little out of it.


    she hadn¡¯t fully grasped what had just happened.


    ¡°you need to say, ¡®i¡¯m about to cum,¡¯ just like what you told me to do earlier. also, you can¡¯t cum until i give you permission.¡±


    ¡°m-mr. siwoo?¡±


    his words made her flustered for two reasons.


    first, siwoo, whom she had thought was inexperienced, was now giving her such explicit instructions.


    but she didn¡¯t linger on that particular thought for long.


    after all, she had just woken up, she was still too dazed to fully grasp what was happening.


    besides, this didn¡¯t mean siwoo had complete control over the situation.


    her current situation was that her body was unnaturally sensitive towards all the stimuli since it had been a long while since the last time she had done this. in other words, she hadn¡¯t had the time to adjust to all the stimuli being thrown at her at once¡ªespecially the one she received from his monstrous cock.


    this was the thing that flustered her the most at the moment.


    ¡°mr. siwoo, women don¡¯t cum like men. besides, i have a spirit body... you get what i mean, right?¡±


    she was right.


    while for men, ejaculation was visually similar to the idea of ¡®urinating¡¯, for women, it was a completely different thing.


    and if he was confusing ¡®cumming¡¯ with urinating, then it made even less sense.


    lucy yesod couldn¡¯t even remember the last time she had to use a bathroom.


    could it be that he didn¡¯t even know about something this basic?


    siwoo shook his head in response to her confusion.


    ¡°no, that¡¯s not what i meant. i¡¯ll just show you.¡±


    ¡°show me what...?¡±


    ¡°show you that you can cum too, countess.¡±


    ¡°kyaa...!¡±


    suddenly, ribbons shot out from siwoo¡¯s waist, wrapping around the countess¡¯ arms and legs like a snake.


    he calmed the startled countess down as he brought his middle and index fingers together.


    ¡°um, mr. siwoo? you don¡¯t need to do this. i¡¯m not going to run away, you know...?¡±


    ¡°i know, this is just for demonstration.¡±


    then, he looked at the countess¡¯s pussy, before spreading open in an m shape.


    ¡°oh...¡±


    though they just had sex, the previous position, and angle didn¡¯t give him such a clear, direct view of her pussy like this.


    which meant, this was his first time seeing her insides with his two eyes. he let out a sigh of awe when he did.


    her soft, pussy lips, as plump as her actual lips, were spread between her rounded mound, and her inner folds hung delicately like curtains.


    and at the base of those curtains was her small, pearl-like, swollen clit.


    since her pubic hair didn¡¯t extend down, nothing was in the way, letting him observe her fully.


    if he pressed a piece of paper between her thighs right now, it would probably leave behind a perfect imprint, like a kiss mark.


    ¡°please, stop staring so much...¡±


    is she feeling shy?


    the countess slowly turned her head, trying to avoid siwoo¡¯s burning gaze.


    but her pussy didn¡¯t lie.


    it twitched uncontrollably, while her swollen clit trembles as if it was begging to be fed something delicious.


    ¡°pardon me.¡±


    ¡°aah...!¡±


    without hesitation, siwoo slipped his fingers into her hot pussy.


    the sticky and elastic texture of her inner walls felt much more vivid than when he felt it with his cock.


    ¡°haa...! aaah....!¡±


    he barely teased the front part, yet her hips jerked up, and her clit trembled violently.


    after coming so many times, she had become incredibly sensitive.


    ¡°countess, your clit keeps twitching. should i hold it still for you?¡±


    ¡°hnnng!¡±


    after saying that, siwoo gently pressed down on her pea-sized clit.


    the countess¡¯ eyes flew wide open to the point that her pupils were visible. her body shook from the pressure.


    down below, her pussy walls clenched his fingers so tightly it almost hurt.


    ¡°m-mr. siwoo! if you keep teasing me, i¡¯m going to get angry!¡±


    ¡°you¡¯re clearly enjoying it, though¡±


    -cluck, cluck, cluck


    ¡°hnng! hnng! hnng! mr. siwoo...!¡±


    every time he pressed her clit, as if it was a button, she let out strange moans and shuddered.


    before her frustrated gaze could reach him, siwoo decided to finish messing around.


    ¡°sorry for teasing you too much. i¡¯ll show you now.¡±


    ¡°y-yeess! you¡¯re right, mr. siwoo...! you¡¯re right! s-so...! p-please! stoooop...!¡±


    the countess was practically crying, twisting her body as her hips jerked wildly.


    each time her tight flesh clamped down on his finger, it made a squelching sound, spitting out fluids like she was drooling.


    her pussy juice splattered everywhere: on his palm, wrist, forearm, even his face.


    ¡°huuu...huuu...haaaah....¡±


    it was only when siwoo finally slowed down, did the countess finally manage to stop moaning and catch her breath.


    but even her breathing wasn¡¯t normal; it was shaky, like someone with hypothermia.


    the countess¡¯ twitching pussy, and the tremor in her voice showed a clear connection.


    ¡°now, you¡¯re going to keep your promise and tell me, right?¡±


    ¡°t-that¡¯s... mr. siwoo... t-that¡¯s too...vulgar...! haah!¡±


    the countess tried to cling to him, but siwoo pressed on her weak spot again, making her arms go limp.


    ¡°no can do. you have to tell me.¡±


    ¡°f-fine...! a-after a little rest...! haaah¡ª!¡±


    she tried to stop him, but he just resumed what he was doing, rendering her actions in vain as her voice cracked.


    once again, she arched her back, assuming the bridge pose as she pushed her pussy forward while shaking her head from side to side.


    even so, siwoo gave her no mercy.


    then again, how could he when he was facing such a ridiculously arousing scene?


    -squelch, squelch, squelch,squelch


    -splat! splat! squish...!


    ¡°ngh! hah! ugh¡ª!¡±


    the lewd sounds that were made by his fingers became something that set the pace for their rhythm.


    meanwhile, the countess let out her sloppy groans, mixing her sound with the squelching sound of her fluids.


    her soft, swollen pussy, completely defenseless after the relentless build-up of pleasure, was now showing clear signs of another climax.


    ¡°countess.¡±


    ¡°n-no...! aaahhh! s-such embarrassing words¡ª! i-i can¡¯t...!¡±


    the fact that she felt about to cum wasn¡¯t the only thing she was concerned about.


    even though she had her secret fetishes...


    she had always lived her life as a graceful countess, but now she had to say something so vulgar, so improper, and so shameless...


    there was no way that she could just agree to that.


    ¡°come on, we had an agreement.¡±


    but, all it took to shatter the countess¡¯ mental resistance was just a single button.


    siwoo, who had been attacking the countess with only one hand, began massaging her clit with his free hand.


    -squeeze, squeeze


    -squelch, squelch


    ¡°hhgk...!¡±


    with that, the pleasure she experienced became too much for her to handle.


    the countess arched her back violently.


    her toes were barely able to cling to the sofa¡¯s edge as she flailed like an overturned frog, begging for mercy.


    ¡°m-mr. s-siwoo! y-you can¡¯t! y-you can¡¯t touch that place...! n-no! nooo!¡±


    ¡°so, will you say it, or not?¡±


    ¡°yes! i¡¯ll say it...! i¡¯ll say it...! s-so please...! stop! i-i¡¯m going to cum...! i¡¯m going to cum! right now...! right now...! haaaaaang...!¡±


    she gripped siwoo¡¯s arm so hard it left marks, her body froze briefly before her hips started to shake uncontrollably.


    -squelch! squelch! squelch!


    ¡°haah...! haaang...! haaaaaang...!¡±


    with each of her broken moans, the countess¡¯ eyes rolled back as she squirted out fluid as if she was peeing, her body thrashing wildly.


    for over thirty seconds, she put on a show, spraying her liquid like a fountain before collapsing, utterly spent.


    as soon as the ribbon binding her body was untied, her noble figure slumped dowd.


    now she, sitting in a puddle of her own fluids, no longer looked dignified. any trace of elegance had disappeared from her body.


    ¡°countess.¡±


    ¡°ah!¡±


    the countess, lost in a daze, suddenly snapped back to reality.


    this time she recovered surprisingly quickly. he didn¡¯t need to give her any extra push.


    she glanced around nervously before opening her mouth.


    her voice was quick, as if she was being chased by something.


    ¡°m-mr. siwoo, let¡¯s end the lesson here. i... i suddenly remembered i have an important appointment.¡±


    ¡°what?¡±


    ¡°ah... my mind must have been somewhere else... you understand, right?¡±


    the countess hurriedly dressed herself up.


    she stumbled a bit, like a newborn fawn, but still managed to put on her heels and vanish like the wind.


    it happened so quickly, siwoo couldn¡¯t even process it.


    ¡°...what was that?¡±


    she¡¯s leaving?


    siwoo couldn¡¯t believe that she suddenly slipped away when things were finally about to get better. he couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of dismay.

 Chapter 379: Countess (6)

    1.


    three days had passed since then.


    ¡°i¡¯m fucked.¡±


    siwoo could sense that things had gone really wrong.


    when the countess left in the middle of the action, he was left dumbstruck.


    she was the one who seduced him, but for some reason, she ran off halfway through.


    he had inhaled her scent as much as he could but everything ended with just a handjob, leaving him unsatisfied.


    for a while there, he could only stand still in her private study. by the time he got dressed and stepped outside, his lust had cooled, and his head had cleared.


    ¡°why the hell did i do that?¡±


    countess yesod was the one who started seducing him, calling it ¡®repaying a favor¡¯ or whatnot.


    she rubbed up against him naked, but that was fine.


    getting a blowjob from her too, was fine.


    what about sex, then? well, at that point, it seemed natural for things to progress that way, so he could say that it was fine too.


    but tying her up, forcing her to shout, ¡®i¡¯m cumming!¡¯ while watching her squirt all over looking like a mess?


    even after she said several times that she didn¡¯t want to do those sorts of things?


    that was where everything went off the rails.


    ¡°haa...¡±


    he lit up a cigarette.


    the whole thing happened not just because he was overly excited.


    all the other women he¡¯d been with had gone along with things that he tried to pull off, even when he suddenly increased his roughness up a notch in the middle.


    even when they told him to stop, none of them actually wanted him to. it was just like those japanese adult videos where the woman would scream ¡®yamete!¡¯ but didn¡¯t actually want the guy to stop.


    in his experience, hearing ¡®stop! it¡¯s too much!¡¯ in the middle of sex was just part of the act, something for him to enjoy.


    at the end of it, everyone had always seemed happy.


    but countess lucy yesod was different, and his assumptions had been way off.


    it seemed she genuinely couldn¡¯t stand the degrading behavior he had shown, as she immediately fled the scene the moment she was able to.


    while she hadn¡¯t yelled or expressed her anger afterward, that didn¡¯t mean everything was fine.


    the next day, when he went to her mansion for diana¡¯s lessons, he was politely turned away.


    they told him something along the lines of, ¡®countess yesod has gone on a business trip,¡¯ but considering that he received no further news from her after three days, it seemed more apparent that he had been fired from his tutoring job.


    if only he had stuck to what the countess expected of him, problems like this wouldn¡¯t surface.


    yet he just had to show off in front of the countess, recklessly exposing her vulnerable state like that.


    he¡¯d only managed to figure out about 25% of the red branch, and he still needed the countess¡¯ help.


    yet, he ended their relationship in the worst possible way. he couldn¡¯t help but lament his own incompetence.


    ¡°i need to apologize....¡±


    the silver lining here was that, it didn¡¯t seem like the countess was holding a grudge with him over this.


    after all, if she were truly upset with siwoo, she would have taken some formal action, or at least, summoned him for a confrontation.


    at the end of the day, even if it was true that he had gotten carried away, he was still the one who had ruined things by repeatedly doing things that she didn¡¯t want.


    hence, he wished to see her again. so that he could apologize to her in person.


    2.


    countess yesod, who was supposed to be away on a business trip in the modern world, was actually having dinner with diana.


    although, it was clear that her mind wasn¡¯t there, as she barely glanced at her plate. she still maintained perfect table manners though, as that habit was ingrained in her after a lifetime of noble upbringing.


    to anyone else, it would have seemed like she was just focused on eating her dinner, but she couldn¡¯t fool her daughter, diana.


    in her eyes, something was obviously off about her mother.


    ¡°mom.¡±


    hearing her daughter¡¯s call, the countess, previously lost in thought, snapped out of it, and turned her gaze towards her beloved daughter.


    ¡°yes, sweetie?¡±


    diana hesitated for a moment before cautiously asking her question.


    ¡°has mr. shin siwoo...quit?¡±


    for diana, this was something she had been wondering about for days.


    ¡°he is my tutor... why is mom...?¡±


    her lips twisted in a pout.


    3.


    ¡°haa...¡±


    after returning to her private study, lucy yesod let out a deep sigh.


    diana¡¯s unexpected question during dinner startled her. after she quickly left the table, she couldn¡¯t help but remember the problem that had been troubling her lately.


    the scandalous incident with her tutor, shin siwoo, which had forced her to replace the sofa in this very room three days ago.


    ¡°just...how did i...¡±


    she was the one who seduced him to have a sex with him.


    at first, it was great.


    as planned, she managed to set the mood, and even got him looking so flustered, a reaction that she particularly enjoyed.


    but the situation took a drastic turn once he took over the control from her.


    she had always thought he was just a timid and inexperienced young man, but it turned out that he was a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing.


    facing his skilled hands, lucy yesod became nothing more than a helpless rabbit.


    when his fingers stirred in her most intimate areas sharply...


    she found herself chanting vulgar phrases like ¡®i¡¯m about to cum!¡¯ while her juices splattered everywhere.


    soaking both the sofa that she liked so much and one of his arms in her bodily fluids.


    when she regained her lost sanity, the countess felt a wave of fear.


    fear of the pleasure she had never known, terror of the depravity she had never experienced.


    to put it simply, it was a fear of the unknown.


    or, to put it even more simply, she was scared.


    in the end, she quickly left in the middle of the action, and had been avoiding to meet him ever since.


    using flimsy excuses to hide from both diana and siwoo.


    ¡°how could i face him again after all that...?¡±


    the countess felt like she had turned into the heroines of her novels, ruined and crumpled. the thought that she had to face the person who had put her in that state only served to strengthen that feeling even further.


    she¡¯d rather die than deal with that kind of embarrassment.


    and to make matters worse, she had projected such a strong femme fatale vibe in front of him, as if she could devour him whole, only to end up crying out under his mere two fingers like a child scared of a shot. this would definitely haunt her until the day she finally passed on from this world.


    ¡°...the problem here is that i can¡¯t just let things stay this way...¡±


    recently, diana had been becoming more diligent.


    she started studying on her own while following siwoo around, actively spending her leisure activities.


    it was proof that siwoo was doing his job well.


    on top of that, he had saved diana¡¯s life.


    while yes, that incident happened in border town, and in hindsight, things would¡¯ve probably been fine without him, but he handled that incident perfectly, so he deserved all the credits.


    this was why ignoring him and cutting their relationship off wasn¡¯t an option. it would be absurd of her to treat his accomplishments as meaningless just because she couldn¡¯t handle her childish embarrassment.


    her management philosophy did not allow such unfair dismissals.


    which meant, she had to see him again, whether she liked it or not.


    ¡°...¡±


    after tossing and turning for a little more, the countess finally pulled out a sheet of paper and picked up a pen.


    ¡°i suppose i need to see him again.¡±


    of course, she wasn¡¯t writing an invitation for them to spend another heated night together.


    there were dangerous things in life that shouldn¡¯t be approached lightly.


    drugs, for example, might seem like an easy way to find happiness and pleasure, but they often lead to terrible consequences.


    she genuinely felt a sense of danger when the thought of continuing a physical relationship with him crossed her mind. it felt like she¡¯d be crossing a line she wasn¡¯t ready to cross.


    that was why this letter was simply a way for her to uphold basic courtesy between them.


    she didn¡¯t have any other intentions at all.


    the countess folded the perfumed paper carefully and sealed it with melted wax, before pressing her stamp into it.

 Chapter 380: Widows Night (1)

    1.


    [classes will proceed as usual. please bring the red branch and visit my private study by 12 o''clock.]


    with takasho going to the modern world for a high-end liquor deal, siwoo was left alone with no one to talk to, so he had been stewing in his own worries.


    but suddenly, he received a letter from the countess that said as such.


    for him, who was stressing over how to sort out the mess, this was like a lifeline.


    ¡°thank goodness...¡±


    there was no sign of her trying to pressure him about what happened the other night.


    the letter also wasn¡¯t a dismissal notice saying he didn¡¯t have to come in anymore.


    all things considered, maybe things turned out better than he expected.


    through this incident, he also learned a good lesson about how one shouldn¡¯t swing his cock around carelessly.


    although, he still needed to have a talk with the countess to get more details about the situation.


    ¡°...well, this is good enough.¡±


    at the very least, he had the chance to bow his head and apologize, which was a relief.


    so, he vowed not to make the same mistake again, before knocking the door and entering the countess¡¯ private study.


    ¡°it¡¯s been a while.¡±


    he could hear the rain softly drummed against the window.


    countess yesod stood by the window, watching the raindrops tapping against the glass.


    ¡°...¡±


    he was at a loss for words.


    for a second there, the image of her naked body crossed his mind.


    the softness of her breasts, the sweet touch of her lips...


    and her lower body, which was more defenseless than he expected.


    he had tried his best to stay focused so that things would proceed smoothly, but the moment he saw her in that outfit, his mind just went straight to dirty thoughts.


    so, he quickly shook his head, trying to clear his mind.


    ¡°i¡¯m sorry for leaving without a word the other day, mr. siwoo. something urgent came up.¡±


    ¡°no need to apologize, countess. i understand that you¡¯re a busy woman.¡±


    wearing her usual gentle smile, the countess gestured for him to take a seat.


    seeing her attitude siwoo guessed that she was trying to sweep the whole thing under the rug, as if it had never happened.


    the way she was acting as if there was nothing going on made him feel even more certain about this conjecture.


    he wanted to apologize to her, but that meant he¡¯d have to bring up what happened last time.


    in any other circumstances it wouldn¡¯t be a problem, but if she really wanted to pretend that everything never happened, bringing the topic up carelessly would be a bad idea here.


    he decided that staying quiet was the safest move he could take in this situation.


    and so, while keeping his mouth shut, he sat on the sofa. soon after, the countess took her seat across from him, starting their lesson.


    ¡°where did we leave our lesson off last time?¡±


    ¡°we were calculating the red branch¡¯s shielding efficiency.¡±


    ¡°oh, right, that. have you made any progress on that?¡±


    ¡°yes, i have.¡±


    ¡°oh my. as expected of mr. siwoo.¡±


    their conversation and lesson proceeded just like any other day.


    but even if it seemed normal, not everything was the same.


    for one, the countess, who usually flaunted her figure with tight outfits, was wrapping up her body in thick fabric.


    she also wasn¡¯t playfully teasing him like she normally did.


    not only that, she also kept her distance from him, only passing papers back and forth during the lesson.


    because of this, the discomfort that had made his stomach churn when he first entered the room faded away for a moment.


    as it seemed like they were just going to move past what happened, siwoo was finally able to settle in and focus on the lesson.


    the four-hour lesson ended up being more productive than usual, since he had a lot of pent-up questions and issues he had been stuck on.


    ¡°you¡¯ve worked hard, mr. siwoo. starting tomorrow, you can come in as usual. sorry for not letting you know earlier.¡±


    ¡°yes, i understand.¡±


    they didn¡¯t need to say it out loud to reach a mutual understanding.


    both of them tacitly agreed not to bring up what happened a while ago.


    that seemed to be the conclusion they had reached during the lesson.


    although, siwoo couldn¡¯t help but feel a slight sense of disappointment over this, as he wasn¡¯t ready to move on from the matter yet.


    but then...


    then, he casually wrapped his arm around her waist.


    his movements were so natural, as if this was how things were supposed to be, as if they were lovers.


    ¡°m-mr. siwoo?¡±


    the countess hesitated, unsure of what to do, but she finally managed to get a word out.


    she was scared.


    all the years of etiquette, manners, and sophistication she had cultivated...


    seemed to crumble under his touch.


    she would end up panting like a bitch in heat, showing him every last bit of her shameless display.


    but still, it wasn¡¯t like she could help it or anything.


    after being forced to eat her veggies for so long, her mind craved the taste of raw, bloody steak she never knew she wanted.


    and siwoo had definitely caught on to that hidden desire of hers.


    as proof, his hand slid down like a snake and gently stroked her ass.


    this was undoubtedly a blatant act of sexual harassment, as he did it without her consent.


    but instead of getting angry, the countess just sat there with stiff shoulders.


    how could he touch her body so carelessly?


    it didn¡¯t matter that he was her loyal employee or that he had helped her out in the past; this wasn¡¯t something she should allow.


    if the countess was acting like her usual self, or if it was any other man, she would¡¯ve gotten mad and kicked him out right then.


    at the very least, she would¡¯ve shouted, ¡®how dare you touch me like this!¡¯. but...


    ¡°to be honest, i felt a bit disappointed, countess. we didn¡¯t really get to finish the lesson you mentioned last time.¡±


    he whispered in her ear while casually fondling her ass.


    it was a complete reversal of roles, a picturesque turnaround from the time when she was teasing him relentlessly.


    ¡°you said you want to teach me about your body, no?¡±


    ¡°m-mr. siwoo, i-i was...o-out of my mind back then. i shouldn¡¯t have said those things so lightly... mmngh...!¡±


    ¡°that¡¯s a shame. i thought you¡¯ve finally made up your mind by now. after all, you did call me back after running off like that.¡±


    he squeezed her ass harder, it was almost painful.


    the countess deliberately lowered her voice, speaking in a solemn tone, as if she was angry at him.


    ¡°...how rude. do you see me, lucy yesod, as some kind of a loose woman? a tavern wench that you can grope whenever you like?¡±


    ¡°of course not, countess, i have never entertained even the slightest thought of such rudeness in your presence.¡±


    but even as she spoke coldly, she could feel it...


    the slight tremble at the end of her voice.


    stemming from anxiety, and perhaps, a bit of anticipation.


    ¡°i just think that you should probably try to keep your promise.¡±


    ¡°mr. siwoo, i¡ªmph!¡±


    whatever excuse she was about to make was cut short as her lips were gently sealed by his.


    she tried to push him away, but he quickly grabbed her wrist and kissed her.


    her soft lips met his slightly thin and rough lips.


    before she realized, her tongue quickly reached out to meet his.


    then, they proceeded to exchange more kisses.


    the memory of that ecstatic and terrifying night flooded back with each kiss.


    before long, her clothes slipped off, piece by piece.


    actually, it felt less like they were being undressed and more like they were being torn off.


    the strangest part here was...she wasn¡¯t even resisting.


    even though she was being treated so rudely, and she knew she could easily stop him if she wanted to...


    she just stood there, showing her naked body in front of him, without doing anything.


    it brought her a different kind of shame from when she had willingly stripped in front of him before.


    a deep blush spread across her porcelain skin.


    ¡°please guide me through the lesson again today.¡±


    his hand suddenly moved to grab her breast.


    then, they intertwined their bodies on the newly bought sofa.


    from then on, in this space, there was only a hungry predator, and a prey that was waiting to be devoured.


    and that fact only became truer as time went on.

 Chapter 381: Widows Night (2)

    1.


    Today too, Diana pretended to sleep and went to visit her mother¡¯s secret library at midnight.


    This was a habit that she had developed after she learned about sex.


    All her life, she had been living a sheltered life thanks to her mother¡¯s selective education.


    That was why, when she first read those erotic novels, she felt disgusted and thought of the books as uncouth. However, at the same time, she failed to take her mind off of them.


    Then she started to visit the secret library regularly, curious of the intricacies hidden between the love of a man and a woman, wishing to find out what would come out of it.


    At one point, she even tried to masturbate using her own hands.


    Although she quickly stopped doing that since she couldn¡¯t feel anything except for shame and a strange ticklish sensation.


    It was currently eleven at night.


    Based on her previous outings, around this time, her mother¡¯s secret library was always empty.


    So, there would be no problem if she were to sneak in and rummage through her books.


    Sadly for her, she couldn¡¯t find any new books this time.


    Her mother also hadn¡¯t written more of the Devil¡¯s Delivery Service, which meant she had to settle with reading some other erotic books.


    Then suddenly, at around ten minutes before the midnight bell rang...


    Her mother entered the private study.


    As the name entailed, the secret library was quite literally a secret room.


    There wasn¡¯t a separate escape route here, no windows, no nothing.


    Which meant, if her mother were to open the door to the secret room, then her fate was sealed.


    Diana started to run some simulations in her head, trying to come up with various excuses as to why she was in this kind of place. But then she realized that she didn¡¯t need to do that, at least for the time being.


    ¡°...¡±


    Because judging from the sound that she heard from beyond the wall...


    Her mother was only busily going around her private study without showing any signs to enter the secret library.


    Which meant, as long as she stayed put, everything would be fine.


    But then the situation developed, making Diana, who had been biting her nails anxiously turned even more nervous.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    Siwoo had entered the room.


    Diana had a gut feeling that she¡¯d end up eavesdropping on a secret rendezvous between him and her mother if she were to stay here.


    A sudden dizziness then struck her.


    The situation significantly worsened.


    She expected things would turn complicated the first time her mother came in, but she never expected that it would grow even more complicated than that.


    Of course, she could try to leave now before everything was too late, but if she were to do that, she¡¯d need to say a word or two to her mother.


    She could say that she entered the secret library because she found it by accident and was curious to see what was inside but...


    Then she¡¯d need to explain why she was in her mother¡¯s study to begin with.


    She couldn¡¯t just come out and leave, but if she were to stay, there was a chance that her mother and Siwoo would start to make love to each other.


    Just like what happened in the erotic novels she read.


    Now, if they were to come to the secret library to do it...


    That would be a point of no return to her.


    But...


    There¡¯s a chance that they won¡¯t come in here...


    In the end, she decided to bet on that possibility. Besides, she figured that she could find out about real sex this way.


    Not the sex that was depicted in those erotic novels she had read, but a real one.


    Of course, she wasn¡¯t feeling guilt-free from doing this. After all, the people she was eavesdropping on were her own mother and her tutor, Shin Siwoo, people that she knew quite well.


    But, her curiosity eventually preceded her guilt.


    And so, holding her pounding heart in anticipation, she spent a whole hour eavesdropping on them. But...


    ¡°...?¡±


    ...They¡¯re just...studying...


    Indeed. In that full hour she was eavesdropping on them, the countess and Siwoo were just holding their class normally. Let alone flirting, they didn¡¯t even have the kind of conversation that were usually held between lovers.


    Their voices were too small for her to understand what they were talking about completely, but the atmosphere between them wasn¡¯t the kind of atmosphere that would lead to a hot secret affair at all.


    What...?


    Could it be... I¡¯ve been misunderstanding their relationship all this time...?


    They really were here for classes? I was just being delusional?


    Then, what about that story about them going fishing and making love?


    Diana¡¯s head was enveloped in a total confusion.


    Even as dawn approached, nothing happened between the two, and Diana started to nod off.


    Since nothing ended up happening, her eyelids started to grow heavy. Of course the fact that her spirit body wasn¡¯t fully-developed yet and that she was exhausted from waiting for so long contributed to her sleepiness.


    But then, she was snapped out of her sleepiness.


    It was because her mother¡¯s sultry moans entered her ears.


    2.


    The countess¡¯ hot moans echoed through the room.


    ¡°Such a...vulgar act...¡±


    Diana turned her gaze upward, feeling dizzy from the lingering heat in the room.


    -Gulp!


    Now she had a choice. If she dared to take the risk, she could catch a glimpse of them in the act and see for herself what sex exactly looked like.


    And she¡¯d also be able to see Shin Siwoo¡¯s naked body.


    As a young woman whose curiosity was still going strong, the opportunity to see the naked body of her crush wasn¡¯t something she could just pass on so easily.


    It was just, the moment she decided to take that risk, she¡¯d turn into an unfilial daughter, as she¡¯d be taking a peep at her mother¡¯s private affair.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    But... Mom was the one who started it...


    I found him first, and the reason why he stayed so long in our place is because he¡¯s my tutor.


    Yeah, there¡¯s no need for me to be considerate!


    ¡°Mom¡¯s the one at fault here. Hmph.¡±


    Diana, who clumsily made such an excuse, took a deep breath to calm her flushing face and carefully made her way upstairs.


    3.


    ¡°Haa...haa...haa...¡±


    Meanwhile, Countess Yesod had to go up the stairs naked, all while having Siwoo¡¯s dick inserted into her pussy.


    By the time she and Siwoo reached her bedroom, her legs had turned so weak that she couldn¡¯t even stand with her own two feet anymore. Siwoo had to push her down to the bed himself.


    In fact, Siwoo did this half-intentionally.


    Since he didn¡¯t want her to run away like last time, he figured that he should make sure that she couldn¡¯t run away in the first place.


    As per his discovery the other day, the countess¡¯ G-spot was like a water gun¡¯s trigger.


    Using a single hand, he rubbed the pretty-looking round pearl that befit her status as a countess, stimulating her weak spot and made her pour out love juices seven times in a row.


    Also, on their way here, she actually came again twice.


    ¡°...¡±


    She fell down helplessly onto the bed with her butt facing against the sky.


    He didn¡¯t even need to lift his hands, her pussy just squeezed out more liquid on its own. That sight, combined with the sight of her twitching clitoris and throbbing asshole...


    It went without saying that such a sight was magnificent to see.


    The contrast between her noble body and such a disgraceful pose only added to the atmosphere.


    It stimulated his lust even further than before.


    When he thought of the gap between the current countess and the time when he met her for the first time, his desire to trample her burned even more.


    ¡°Countess.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He called out to her, but she didn¡¯t answer him.


    When he glanced over her plump buttocks, he noticed that her breathing had turned steady, although heavy, and her eyelids were closed.


    He pinched her clitoris.


    Although her clit was standing so proudly right now, to the point that one could see clearly even if she were to wear an underwear, due to how wet it was, grabbing it wasn¡¯t actually an easy task.


    -Spurt, spurt!


    ¡°Ahh...! Hng...! Aahh...! M-Mr. Siwoo...! Ahhh...!¡±


    While he did that, the countess welcomed his touch with a fountain show.


    Her eyes were swung wide open, while her hips trembled greatly. She started to moan wildly, as if he had spanked her or something.


    ¡°Countess, why do you faint so easily? Also, you just can¡¯t stop squirting, can you? That liquid isn¡¯t your pee, you know?¡±


    ¡°T-There...! I-If you...t-touch it there...! I-I¡¯m going to¡ª!¡±


    Even though she seemed to be out of breath, she was still lively enough to squirm her body around.


    But, that was all that she could do. She didn¡¯t have enough strength to escape Siwoo¡¯s skilled hands.


    ¡°I¡¯d never have thought that the esteemed Countess Yesod would hide such lascivious nature.¡±


    ¡°N-No...! D-Don¡¯t say it...! Like that...!¡±¡¯


    This was the side of the countess that he found cute.


    Even though she was in such a miserable state, a light insult like that would get her to blush like crazy.


    Furthermore, Siwoo could tell that she was actually enjoying the whole thing.


    It turned out that the noble-looking widowed countess was actually a masochist of the highest rank.


    ¡°Am I wrong though?¡±


    ¡°Ahhh...! Ah, ah...!¡±


    ¡°Am I wrong, though?¡±


    ¡°N-No! Y-You are not! I-I am a lascivious woman...! I-I...! K-Kept on trying to seduce you...! M-Mr. Siwoo...!¡±


    Her clit acted like a truth button, as she¡¯d answer any question he asked truthfully whenever he was pressing on it.


    Then, he grabbed her round buttocks.


    ¡°Very well. Since you answered that sincerely, that means I have to give you a reward, Countess.¡±


    ¡°Ngh...!¡±


    With that, Siwoo¡¯s Red Branch that was made of flesh and blood, was plunged sharply into the countess¡¯ garden once again.

 Chapter 382: Widows Night (3)

    1.


    ¡°Ahh...haaang...! Ngh...!¡±


    Beneath the countess¡¯ ashen hair, Siwoo could see her current state.


    She breathed irregularly, as the groans that escaped her lips, along with her panting breaths, turned into a loud howl that echoed through the room.


    With her knees spread apart, buttocks raised, and two arms helplessly flailing around, she just couldn¡¯t support her body properly in her current state.


    If the woman, Lucy Yesod, was seeing herself from a distance, she¡¯d probably think, ¡®Oh my, how vulgar. Even in bed, a noble lady must not forget her dignity and manners, not howling like a beast...¡¯ or something along that line.


    -Squelch, squelch, squelch!


    ¡°Oooh...! Ahh...!¡±


    But, as much as she wanted to uphold those words, she couldn¡¯t even keep her posture straight.


    Hell, she couldn¡¯t even suppress those vulgar moans from escaping her mouth.


    Everytime she felt his thing knocking against his cervix, rubbing against her already swollen and plump pussy, her reason just flew away.


    Her breasts heaved back and forth, following the rhythm of his waist.


    Every time her erect nipple grazed the sheet below her, a wave of pleasure was sent into her brain, clouding her thoughts even more.


    -Plap, plap, plap!


    Her body was covered in sweat.


    That sweat dripped down her back down to her buttocks, making it so slippery that Siwoo started to have trouble gripping it tightly.


    Her trembling thighs and the goosebumps that appeared on her skin made him wonder. ¡®Does her autonomous defense not work anymore due to the pleasure?¡¯.


    That was just an idle thought of his, though.


    -Slap!


    ¡°Kyaaah...!¡±


    Feeling the sharp pain on his buttocks, the countess let out a pained scream.


    Her consciousness that was about to sink into a swamp of pleasure was suddenly roused awake by that pain.


    As if her senses had been resetted, she could feel the penis that was embedded deep inside her vagina even more strongly than a few minutes ago.


    -Slap!


    ¡°M-Mr. Siwoo...!¡±


    This had happened multiple times.


    Whenever she was about to pass out from the pleasure, he¡¯d slap her buttocks and bring her to her senses.


    She could feel the lingering heat after the slap, meaning that he left his handprints there.


    The countess wondered, how could a man be so rude towards her?


    Not only did he stick his thing roughly inside her and treat her as if she was some kind of sex toy, he also left his handprints on her bottom.


    His actions suggested that he had no respect whatsoever towards her, towards women in general.


    Realizing this, Lucy¡¯s noble side growled in burning anger.


    ¡°You need to clearly say what it is that you want. I¡¯m not a mind-reader, you know?¡±


    But...


    Every time she could feel his hot rod making its way inside her...


    The thoughts of her having to maintain her dignity, the anger she harbored for being treated so rudely, any kind of such emotions, were instantly vaporized.


    ¡°A-Again...! I-I¡¯m...! I-I¡¯m going to c-cum...!¡±


    I want more.


    More, more, I want more!


    Her thighs started to tremble, spasming violently, before she spurted out more liquid out of her vagina, as if urinating, creating another puddle on the bed sheets.


    ¡°Haaaaauuu...!¡±


    The countess let out another howl, like a wolf howling in pain.


    Her brain felt like it was melting.


    The pleasure she felt was something that she could probably savor for hours if she could.


    As she was stuck there in ecstasy, unable to lift even a finger...


    ¡°M-Mr. Siwoo?!¡±


    She suddenly raised her upper body halfway, as her eyes opened wide.


    Something shocking happened, snapping her out of her dazed state.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°T-That...! T-That place! D-Don¡¯t spread it like that...! I-It¡¯s embarrassing...!¡±


    At that moment, Siwoo had spread her plump buttocks wide open.


    She was able to notice what she was doing even though she was out of it because she suddenly felt the cold wind that grazed the entrance of her butt hole.


    Since her buttocks were raised upwards, if he were to spread it wide, it meant that her hole would be completely visible to him.


    Anal sex. It was something that she was familiar with as she had done her research on it.


    In fact, she had written about it in her novels before.


    However, the shame that she felt when a man was actually spreading her hole open far surpassed anything that she ever wrote in her books.


    ¡°Are you embarrassed?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, of course...! T-That place is...! N-No good...!¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve been seeing this place for a good while now. A little too late for that, don¡¯t you think? ¡±


    ¡°Ngg...!¡±


    The countess buried her face in her pillow.


    Siwoo was right.


    They had been fucking in the doggy position for at least ten minutes now.


    It wasn¡¯t a normal doggy position even, but the one where the woman¡¯s body bent into a heel-shape.


    He indeed had seen her rear hole plenty at this point.


    Her waist, which had been considerably relaxed, suddenly shot up to its limit.


    ¡°Please, Countess. Can you?¡±


    ¡°M-Mr. S-Siwoo...! I-If you do that¡ª! A-Also, n-no! A-Absolutely not!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Ahhh...! Haaang...! N-No means no...! Ahh...!¡±


    When he gently pinched the pearl and twisting it around, her reaction only grew more intense.


    Unable to bear the sweet pleasure that felt like sugar water, the countess eventually raised the white flag first.


    ¡°Are you really, really sure that you can¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°F-Fine, I-I¡¯ll do it...! I¡¯ll do it, so please...! S-Stop...!¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°Nggghh...!¡±


    The countess, struggling to overcome the pleasure as she twitched both her holes at the same time, resentfully reproached Siwoo.


    ¡°Seriously, Mr. Siwoo...! You¡¯re such a bad person! Forcing a lady to do something like this...!¡±


    She slowly raised her white hands.


    Her entire arms were shaking, but she still held onto her buttocks and spread them open for Siwoo to see.


    As if she was feeling pleasure from the act, her toes wriggled, completely contrasting her dishonest mouth.


    Siwoo noticed it, but he decided to ignore it and...


    ¡°S-Satisfied now...?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Also, you don¡¯t need to feel so embarrassed, Countess. Even this part of yours looks pretty.¡±


    ¡°Ugh... Stop teasing me...¡±


    The countess¡¯ nape and ears were redder than they were ever before.


    Siwoo wasn¡¯t lying though.


    Her flower buds, preserved in their original form without any pigmentation, were far from the word dirty.


    It peeked shyly through her mature-looking buttocks.


    As if saying that it was ready to be turned into his bitch.


    ¡°A-Are you done?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. Please stay still.¡±


    ¡°Kyaaah...!¡±


    This time, he grabbed the countess¡¯ pelvis instead of buttocks as his handle.


    Now, her position was firmly fixed, as if she had been caught in a trap.


    As he was watching the woman in front of him opening her dirty hole wide in front of him, he started thrusting again.


    Not long after, the sensation of ejaculation came rushing in.


    -Squelch, squelch, squelch, squelch!


    ¡°Haaah...! Haaang...! I-I¡ª! Ahhh! H-Hate this...! S-So...! Embarrassing¡ª! Nggh...!¡±


    Though she said that, she never let go of her butt.


    How could Siwoo not find this cute?


    And so, to repay her dedication, he decided to unleash his spearmanship to the fullest.


    Not thrusting for the sake of thrusting.


    Just like when he concentrated his power when he used Fa Jin.


    The secret to good spearmanship was to hit the exact same spot to increase the pleasure every time.


    ¡°Ngh...! Mmh...! M-Mr. Siwoo...!¡±


    The countess called out to him in an urgent manner.


    Right before he was about to hit his climax.


    ¡°I-I-I think...! I-I¡¯m going to cum...! Right now...!¡±


    The countess immediately squirts out the liquid in her vagina the moment she said such words.


    Siwoo watched as her vagina vibrated and her back hole closed and opened repeatedly.


    In the middle of that, he plunged his dick deeper.


    -Spurt, spurt, spurt, spurt!


    ¡°Ah...! Ah...! I-It¡¯s...! Hot...!¡±


    He had held himself back from ejaculating for quite a long time.


    So, when he finally did, it was as if the dam burst. His semen kept on flowing towards the entrance of the countess¡¯ womb.


    The countess, who was curling her body up like a shrimp, started to tremble in pleasure when the usual mana absorption began.


    ¡°Aah...aa... W-What is this...?¡±


    -Woooong!


    The tentacles of magical power spread through her uterus.


    It was almost a taboo to receive someone else¡¯s mana into one¡¯s brand, but the countess was too shocked to reject his mana as this was the first time she had ever felt such pure mana.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s nothing harmful.¡±


    ¡°Haaaah...!¡±


    -Spuuuurt!


    Then suddenly, the wave of magical power that had swollen up burst at once, overflowing her brand.


    Both the eruption of magical power and her own vaginal ejaculation burst through her uterus and...


    ¡°Ngh...! Aaaah...! Kyaaaah...!¡±


    After experiencing what was probably the biggest ejaculation she had tonight, the countess¡¯ consciousness was cut off.

 Chapter 383: Widows Night (4)

    1.


    ¡°Nggh...aahh...!¡±


    -Spuuurt... Plop!


    Siwoo¡¯s cock came out of the countess¡¯ narrow lower mouth, making a sound similar to the one that a zipper of a luxury brand dress made.


    As he pulled it out, her body trembled, as if she could feel the sensation clearly.


    Then, her body fell down with her thighs spread apart. Her legs were unable to support her weight anymore at this point.


    ¡°It¡¯s overflowing...¡±


    The countess¡¯ pond couldn¡¯t contain all the white tadpoles, so it was inevitable that some of them got out.


    Their amount was bigger than usual because Siwoo had been holding himself from releasing it, and only released it in a big bulk at the end.


    Every time her abdomen contracted, it squeezed the white liquid out like cream pie.


    ¡°Huu...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It seemed like the countess finally lost her consciousness.


    Then again, it wasn¡¯t exactly a strange thing. After all, throughout the night until now, when the dawn broke, she had been cumming repeatedly.


    ¡°I have no regrets... What¡¯s done is done...¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s ¡®Unlimited Magic Refill with Sex!¡¯ thing was something that he originally wished to keep as a secret.


    As far as he knew, only Yebin and Sharon knew about it and both of them had been keeping it a secret.


    After all, his existence had already attracted the attention of countless witches.


    Now, if they also heard that he could inject pure mana that was potent enough to make unresponsive brands responsive again, those witches would start to hunt him like how humans started to hunt nutria1 to the point that they became endangered species.


    That was why originally he planned to ejaculate outside, but he ended up doing it inside because it was just too tempting to do it.


    Now that the heat that got into his head had cooled down, he realized what he had done.


    First, even though the countess had shown her refusal, he kept on pushing himself onto her as if she was some kind of an escort and forcefully kissed her.


    Then, he made the reluctant countess sit on his lap and got her to squirt like crazy.


    Next, he made her walk in all four to the bedroom with his penis still embedded inside her.


    And lastly, he made her spread her own asshole widely, slap her buttocks as if she was a sow, and fucked her senseless.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    Looking back, it felt like the spirit of Mimaya Takasho had invaded his body.


    ¡°...But, it should be okay, right? I mean, she likes it...¡±


    He tried to look at it positively. Through all this, he helped the countess to enter a new world, so that was a good thing.


    Leaving that aside, it didn¡¯t seem like the countess would wake up anytime soon.


    But, he didn¡¯t feel that it would be right for him to leave her in this state.


    He actually wanted to do more things with her, but he felt bad if he were to wake her up right now, and doing her while she was unconscious wasn¡¯t an option either.


    So, he gave up and instead, wiped her body with a towel, dressed her up, and laid her down properly on the bed.


    His gaze wandered around as he did that. Eventually, it reached the terrace window near the bed that had a curtain draped down on it, and...


    He saw it.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Someone else¡¯s eyes were peering at his own.


    Whose eyes you asked?


    Who else but Diana Yesod¡¯s eyes, Countess Lucy Yesod¡¯s apprentice witch who was peeking in, hiding half her body behind the curtain.


    Both of them froze, blinking their eyes, not knowing what to do.


    Why...


    Is she here...?


    Siwoo rubbed his eyes, and when he opened them again, Diana had already gone.


    But, he could see her shadow curling up behind the curtain, holding her breath.


    She did her best to hide from him, but since the sun already rose up, it was useless, as the sun just illuminated her figure clearly.


    Siwoo could even see the trembling shadow slowly standing up before crossing over to the neighboring terrace.


    ¡°...This is bad...¡±


    From then on, Siwoo promised to himself, that he¡¯d check all possible hiding places before and after he had sex with someone.


    After that, he stood frozen for a while.


    2.


    A fierce battle between conscience and curiosity ensued in Diana¡¯s heart.


    But in the end, it was her curiosity that won.


    Her mother had the habit of changing her bedroom depending on the mood¡ªshe had eight bedrooms in total on the third floor.


    But, it wasn¡¯t hard to find which one was it that she was using for the night.


    Because there were traces of sticky liquid in the hallway, Diana just needed to follow those.


    But she soon ran into trouble.


    As stated before, the entire third floor was her mother¡¯s.


    After going up the stairs and passing through the hallway, one would quickly find all eight bedrooms, connected by doors.


    There were dressing rooms and bathrooms filling some of the spaces.


    The problem here was, the way the layout of those rooms was laid left no space for her to peep.


    Eavesdropping on them was a good option, but to do that, she had to open one of the rooms first. If she were to do it, the sound of the door being opened would echo through the entire floor.


    She tried to peep through the keyhole, but her sight was blocked by a vase.


    Of course, she could try to use magic, but both Siwoo and her mother were way better at magic compared to her.


    She didn¡¯t have the confidence that she could use magic without them noticing her.


    ¡°Ahh...hhhngg...! Haaang...¡±


    At that moment, she could hear the rough moans of her mother echoing from behind the door.


    Her heart started to pound loudly as she tried to rack her brain, trying to decide her next step.


    ¡®Oh no, oh no, you should go back now!¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t peep on them! It¡¯s bad¡¯


    Her conscience appealed to her to go back.


    If that wasn¡¯t enough, apparently she actually felt pleasure from that shameful act. The tremble of her body got even more violent than before.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Then she realized that this was the same feeling she felt when she first read one of those erotic novels.


    At first, she was afraid and felt a sense of rejection towards the unfamiliar thing. But, the more she read through it, the more she got absorbed into it.


    This time too, it happened. Peeking through the curtain, she slowly leaned her head forward.


    Forgetting the guilt that should¡¯ve been there, she watched her mother¡¯s lovemaking session until dawn arrived.


    ¡°Ha...¡±


    Suddenly, she could feel a sense of heat in the lower part of her abdomen.


    The gentle heat spread through her body, as if she had just sipped a cup of hot black tea.


    Its source was the part between her legs, which had grown itchy at one point.


    As if possessed, she put her hand inside her cloak, touching that particular part.


    ¡°Haaah...! Haaang...! I-I¡ª! Ahhh! H-Hate this...! S-So...! Embarrassing¡ª! Nggh...!¡±


    Meanwhile, her mother...


    Her elegant mother was being treated so roughly that she made that kind of voice...


    Indeed, her mother¡¯s words were right.


    All men were wolves.


    Because only wolves could gulp someone down like that...


    Diana¡¯s hands, cold after touching the air, slowly reached her panties, like a snake crawling in the bushes.


    In contrast to her hand, the inside of her panties was extremely hot, and for some reason, wet.


    When she touched the tiny pearl inside, which was much larger than usual...


    ¡°Hng...!¡±


    Diana closed her mouth shut.


    A pleasure she had never experienced coursed through her body, making her feel faint.


    It felt like her body had turned as light as a feather, even though the only thing she did was touching a single part in her body, prompting the question, ¡®What is happening?¡¯ from her.


    Then, as if it had been waiting for this moment, her thighs started to tremble and she could feel that some sort of liquid traced down on it.


    Masturbation.


    Sexual pleasure.


    Rather than pleasant, the sensation just felt alien and surprising to her.


    Diana slowly spread her legs before rolling the pearl that had been begging to be stroked with the tip of her middle finger.


    Every time she pressed on that pearl, her legs would start to tremble.


    Now she could kinda understand why her mother had been acting like that.


    Her throat felt like it had a will on its own, begging to let out the voices she had been holding. Meanwhile, her whole body trembled from the uncontrollable heat.


    My hands...can¡¯t stop...


    The voices... I can¡¯t stop hearing it...


    And...the scene... I can¡¯t look away from it...


    ¡°Ngh...! Mmh...! M-Mr. Siwoo...!¡±


    If I...were to offer myself to him...


    Will I end up like mom...?


    At that moment, her mother¡¯s sorry state as she desperately called out Siwoo¡¯s name overlapped with her own.


    ¡°I-I-I think...! I-I¡¯m going to cum...! Right now...!¡±


    Diana could feel sparks flying around inside her stomach as she saw Siwoo hugging her mother¡¯s body tightly, as if trying to prevent her from running away.


    ¡°Hng...!¡±


    She tried to hold back her moan, but failed to.


    Her legs trembled uncontrollably, as if it was trying to do a bizarre dance.


    She bit her lip to the point that it was about to bleed before pulling her hand away.


    While she could tell that if she were to continue touching that part of her body she¡¯d experience a whole different level of pleasure, she wasn¡¯t sure that she¡¯d be able to hold her voice back if she were to do that.


    ¡°Haa...haa...¡±


    She achieved a light orgasm, and that was already an eye-opening experience for her.


    But, at that moment...


    -Woooong!


    Waves of magical power made her skin tingle.


    ¡°Ngh...! Aaaah...! Kyaaaah...!¡±


    Then, she could hear her mother¡¯s scream of pleasure.


    As far as she knew, sex wouldn¡¯t produce this kind of wave of magic power.


    So, she tilted her head in confusion before she peered into the window, wondering what had just happened.


    There wasn¡¯t a single worry in her heart.


    Her trust towards Shin Siwoo aside, she believed that her mother¡¯s self-autonomous defense would do its job if her life was really being endangered.


    Knowing that nothing could possibly go wrong, she turned to check up on her mother...and the sight made her whole body freeze.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Their eyes met.


    Hers and Shin Siwoo¡¯s.


    ¡°Aaa...aa...¡±


    As if she had been caught stealing, her heart sank.


    The eye contact lasted for around five seconds. Seeing how his eyes widened so much, there was no doubt that she had been caught.


    She belatedly crouched to hide behind the curtain.


    ¡°What should I do...? What should I do...? What should I do...?¡±


    How could you let your guard down at the last moment, you dummy!


    Dummy! Dummy Diana! How could you be so foolish!


    Not knowing what to do in this situation, Diana quickly climbed over the railing to make her escape.


    1. They''re a species of big rats, people hunt them actively because they are harmful to the environment and an invasive species. Although, they aren''t exactly endangered, but their population has indeed lowered by quite a lot because of the hunt.

 Chapter 384: Widows Night (5)

    1.


    Since when has she been there!?


    After seeing Diana fleeing from the scene slowly, Siwoo wanted to catch up to her and explain what happened.


    But, that wasn¡¯t an option, as he had something more important to do.


    Taking care of the unconscious countess.


    ¡°Haa...¡±


    Besides, this wasn¡¯t the first time that this sort of thing happened.


    From his experience, nothing big really happened after each time.


    So, he decided to just wait and see.


    He let out the sigh before he went around the room to clean it.


    Curiously, the whole floor was filled with bedrooms.


    There were no separate hallways dividing them, so after passing through the main hallway up front, one would be greeted by the different bedrooms, intertwined like a maze.


    What was surprising was that all of the bedrooms had different interior designs and bed shapes.


    He went into one of the other bedrooms, grabbed some warm water and wiped the countess¡¯ body with it.


    Once again, he made contact with her soft and smooth body.


    He thought he had cooled down, but the moment he did that, his penis stood erect again.


    Siwoo found it hard to believe that this was the body of the woman that he eagerly slapped in the buttocks and vigorously poured his semen into.


    ¡°Nngg...ggh...¡±


    Siwoo wiped her body thoroughly, even wiping away the semen that had been diluted with her love juice before moving her to the bed.


    At that moment, the countess¡¯ eyelids fluttered, and her pretty pupils showed themselves again.


    ¡°Mmh...? Mr. Siwoo...?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡±


    The countess blinked a few times before she realized that she was still naked in his arms. So, she hurriedly grabbed the nearby blanket and covered her body.


    ¡°How did I¡ª Ah...¡±


    As if the scenes of what had happened last night came flashing, her face quickly turned red like a ripe persimmon.


    Seeing her reaction, Siwoo also felt awkward for some reason and promptly covered his lower body with the towel in his hand.


    He just realized that he had been so concerned over the countess that he forgot to get dressed himself.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He awkwardly held the towel, just like how the countess awkwardly held her blanket.


    The passionate heat that ran through the night had disappeared when the sun rose in the horizon, leaving the man and the woman feeling awkward over what they had done in the heat of the moment.


    At that moment, the countess¡¯ eyes rolled around for a while before locking into the towel in Siwoo¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Did you...clean me up...Mr. Siwoo...?¡±


    ¡°Yes...¡±


    Siwoo just sat there frozen, not knowing what to do or say. He didn¡¯t even know if he should tell her about Diana being there last night.


    Meanwhile, the countess interpreted his reaction in a different way.


    Her hesitation seemed to have been gone as she loosened up her grip on the blanket she was holding.


    For some reason, she threw him a relieved look.


    ¡°Mr. Siwoo, you were like a different person during the night...¡±


    And then, that relieved look quickly turned into a grumpy glare.


    Siwoo let out an awkward cough.


    He knew that he was so caught up in the moment to the point that he did all sorts of perverted things to her. So, he expected her to reprimand him in one way or another.


    ¡°I really thought you were about to devour me. My butt is still hurt, you know?¡±


    Ah...


    At that moment, Siwoo realized that the countess was just bluffing through her tease.


    After all, he could see her moist eyes and she had been avoiding eye contact with him.


    Then there was also the blush on her cheeks.


    What was happening here was that she was so embarrassed by the thing they did last night, so she tried to mask it by teasing him.


    Too bad for her, this plan of hers was a little too sloppy and could easily be thwarted by him.


    ¡°Is that so? Let me take a look.¡±


    ¡°Kya...!¡±


    Siwoo pretended to lift her blanket, prompting her to scream as her body stiffened up.


    When she noticed the mischievous smile on his face, she immediately scolded him.


    ¡°Mr. Siwoo! Stop joking around! I¡¯m going to get mad!¡±


    Countess...


    You¡¯re so cute right now.


    ¡°Countess, you¡¯re much cuter than I expected.¡±


    ¡°Cute? Ha! Mr. Siwoo, it¡¯s fine for you to treat me comfortably, but I¡¯m still a countess of Gehenna. You still need to treat me with respect no matter how small.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°But, I don¡¯t have time to eat breakfast.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Siwoo just nodded obediently, although he did think that it was a little weird to hear those words coming from the same person who had invited him out.


    ¡°You already know this, don¡¯t you? Spirit body doesn¡¯t need nourishment through meals. The act of eating isn¡¯t a necessity, it¡¯s just... To me, it¡¯s a part of my daily routine, same goes for dinner and sleep.¡±


    ¡°Um...?¡±


    For some reason, their conversation touched a rather weird topic.


    And here I thought she was about to say something important since she suddenly stopped walking...


    ¡°So, don¡¯t you think it¡¯ll be fine for both of us to skip breakfast...?¡±


    ...Ah.


    So that¡¯s how it is...


    ¡°I have two hours to spare before I leave for work... Do you mind accompanying me during that time?¡±


    The countess rolled her eyes upward, as if she was testing the water.


    Her previous atmosphere was nowhere to be found.


    Instead, it was replaced by the bitch in heat he had seen last night, exuding a strong body odor.


    Siwoo wasn¡¯t sure how to react.


    There was the matter of Diana that he hadn¡¯t told the countess yet.


    He also hadn¡¯t inhaled much of her scent yet, so he wasn¡¯t particularly horny right now.


    His sanity was still perfectly intact, and it told him that it would be too much for him to accept her invitation here.


    But, at that moment, the countess placed a hand on his chest.


    Then, she pushed him against the wall, tiptoeing to whisper something in his ears.


    ¡°I think I left something in my bedroom, Mr. Siwoo.¡±


    Every time her lips moved, a breath of air tickled his ear.


    ¡°Do you mind going back and helping me find it?¡±


    ¡°Seriously, Countess. You¡¯re like a dog in heat.¡±


    ¡°Mm?¡±


    After saying that, Siwoo lifted the countess and went back to the bedroom.


    2.


    ¡°What do I do...? What do I do...? What do I do...?¡±


    Diana, who just couldn¡¯t fall asleep after returning to her bedroom, kept on repeating ¡®What do I do?¡¯ until the sun was already up high in the sky.


    Oh no, oh no, oh no!


    This is bad!


    In my whole life as an apprentice witch, I¡¯ve never had a problem this bad!


    Out of every possibility, I got caught by him!


    Despite everything, she still considered herself lucky. After all, she was caught after they were done with the act.


    Now, if she was caught during the act... She¡¯d probably just jump off the terrace immediately without thinking.


    In any case, she got caught for peeping at her mother¡¯s secret rendezvous.


    While she got to escape afterwards, she still made eye contact with that guy for a moment.


    This part was the reason why she was making so much fuss.


    Her irritation and anger towards her mother for monopolizing Shin Siwoo had long since faded away.


    This was how people¡¯s emotions work. An old emotion would fade and be forgotten, eventually be replaced by a new, stronger one.


    The jealousy and tingly emotion she felt were quickly turned into a strong sense of depravity and a wave of sexual desire the moment she caught a glimpse of the sexual acts.


    After she made eye contact with Siwoo, those two emotions were quickly replaced by embarrassment and desperation to get out of this situation.


    But, that wasn¡¯t the only thing she had to deal with. The memories of that time kept flashing in her head.


    Shin Siwoo¡¯s naked body and his magnificent muscles, her mother¡¯s scream, as well as her shameful display.


    And lastly, the shadow of his penis that was poking out from between his thighs like a spear, and the orgasm that she felt for the first time in her whole life.


    Diana felt a wave of dizziness strike her, as if her brain was being contaminated by chemical and electrical waves.


    Her mind felt like it was being occupied by 50 Dianas at once.


    If she had to list all the things that came to her mind as she felt that way...


    I can¡¯t let mom find out about this! His penis was huge... Is it really okay to let it enter just like that? Mom seems to love it... Unbelievable... What would it feel like, I wonder...? Has he told mom about it already? How could I let my guard down at that moment and let myself get caught? I¡¯m so screwed... Why did I stare at his face back then...?! When I rubbed it lightly, it felt so good... Apprentice witches shouldn¡¯t approach men carelessly! What if this matter comes up...? I hope mom won¡¯t find out...


    -Whirrr!


    It would be that.


    Her eyes started to spin from all the things that came to her mind.


    Then, at that moment, a knocking sound woke her up from her state, as if someone had poured cold water on her.


    -Knock, knock!


    ¡°Ms. Diana? It¡¯s Shin Siwoo.¡±

 Chapter 385: Shared Secrets (1)

    1.


    Instead of getting breakfast, Siwoo took a quick ¡®meal¡¯ with the countess.


    He realized that compared to gobbling some freshly baked scones with unsalted butter and some milk tea...


    Devouring the countess¡¯ ripe body was much more nutritious for his body.


    After the eventful meal...


    Countess Yesod gave him permission to return to his duty as Diana¡¯s tutor.


    Considering how much she doted on Diana, he thought that she¡¯d try to keep him away from her after he had shown him such wild behavior during their deeds, but...


    Surprisingly, she didn¡¯t.


    Which meant, she had come to trust him that much.@@@@


    ¡°This could be considered a good thing, I guess...¡±


    Also, he didn¡¯t tell her about Diana peeping on them. He had the chance to, but he didn¡¯t.


    There was no way he could bring himself to tell the countess something like, ¡®So, last night, your daughter was peeping on us. And no, I wasn¡¯t seeing things, our eyes met for a moment there,¡¯ out of nowhere.


    Besides, he figured that it¡¯d be better to discuss it with the girl first before doing anything else.


    A certain German Proverb(?) came to his mind.


    ¡°Things left unsaid are as good as nothing...¡±


    After taking a shower with the countess and donning his butler outfit, Siwoo went to Diana¡¯s room and knocked on her door.


    ¡°Ms. Diana, it¡¯s Shin Siwoo.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know how Diana got there last night, or since when did she start peeping on them. What he knew was the fact that he was out of his mind last night, and he did some intense stuff.


    For Diana who¡¯d get all flustered after seeing a kiss, it went without saying that the sight must¡¯ve shocked her.


    Hence, he was a little worried about her.


    But, compared to back when they first met, they had a considerably more amiable relationship. It was even more so after he managed to save her the other day. RANobE?s?


    He believed that everything would go well as long as they could communicate clearly.


    Holding that kind of optimism in his heart, he fixed his gaze forward.


    Not long after his knock...


    He could hear her voice, coming from behind the door.


    ¡°...Come in...¡±


    2.


    The first thing he noticed were the dark circles under Diana¡¯s eyes.


    Which meant, after all the bustle last night, she probably didn¡¯t get a wink of sleep.


    Then again, no children in this world would be able to after seeing her mother in that kind of situation.


    Although she might have treated the countess in a rather lukewarm manner, it was obvious that she loved her mother as much as her mother loved her.


    Now that she was meeting the man who drove her mother into that...disheveled...state...


    No one could predict what exactly would happen next.


    We are both seated now, but... Now, what?


    A cold silence enveloped both of them as they sat opposite of each other on the sofa.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Just like a normal apprentice witch, Diana was ignorant when it came to sexual knowledge.


    But unlike the twins whose curiosity would grow the more ignorant they were, in Diana¡¯s case, it was her aversion that would grow more, or at least that was what Siwoo thought.


    That was why he had expected her to lash out at him, screaming, ¡®What did you do to my mother?!¡¯ with a red face.


    But that didn¡¯t happen at all.


    Instead, she timidly curled her body, like a small animal.


    She hunched her body, bringing her knees closer to her chest. With her shoulders drooping and her head bowing, she looked like a sinner who was about to confess her sins.


    It was as if his presence intimidated her, she fidgeted around while avoiding his gaze.


    ¡°Um... May I speak first?¡±


    The moment he said that, her shoulders trembled, as if a bug had entered her dress.


    Then, she nodded her head, her movements stiff like a marionette.


    ¡°Um... Last night¡ªno, this morning... Did you see...?¡±


    ¡°Hic!¡±


    That¡¯s a reaction straight up from a cartoon...


    Before Siwoo could even finish his words, Diana started to hiccup, as her shoulders jolted upwards.


    She covered her mouth, trying to prevent herself from letting out another hiccup but to no avail.


    So, Siwoo got up, grabbed some water for her, and waited for her to calm down.


    ¡°My... Please drink this first, we can talk afterwards...¡±


    ¡°Hic! Y-Yes... Hic!¡±


    Why is she so surprised, though...?


    I swear we stared at each other¡¯s faces for a good ten seconds last night... Did she think that I¡¯d mistake it as a hallucination or what...?


    ¡°I-I-I¡¯m...! I-I¡¯m sorry...! P-Please... Please don¡¯t tell mom about this...¡±


    Then he heard her speak in such a sad, trembling voice, and it finally clicked.


    ¡°A-A kiss...is fine...! Y-You¡¯ve saved me once, after all... B-But, anything more than that is not allowed...!¡±


    Since it was rare for him to see her like this, he had this strong urge to tease her, but he refrained himself.


    He didn¡¯t want to go too far, as such teasing could easily turn into sexual harassment if he wasn¡¯t careful.


    Besides, considering the thing in Border Town happened not too long ago, such jokes would be in bad taste.


    ¡°Mr. Diana, I think there¡¯s a misunderstanding. I won¡¯t be doing what you¡¯re thinking at all.¡±


    ¡°Lies¡ª!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying.¡±


    ¡°You are!¡±


    ¡°Am I really that untrustworthy in your eyes?¡±


    Seeing Siwoo¡¯s bitter smile, Diana¡¯s body, which had been leaning forward due to her high-pitched rap, suddenly leaned back.


    Her eyes widened, and it seemed like she was pondering his words seriously.


    ¡°N-No, that¡¯s not it...! A-Also, you have my weakness now...! A-Are you telling me that even with that in your hand, you don¡¯t want to use it to at least get a kiss from me, THE Diana Yesod herself?!¡±


    ¡°...First, it isn¡¯t really that big of a weakness. Second, if anything, I came here to ask you to keep the fact that you peeped on us a secret from the countess, Ms. Diana...¡±


    ¡°Of course I won¡¯t tell mom about it! Do you know what she¡¯s going to do to me if she¡ª! N-No, forget about that...! In any case, I won¡¯t tell!¡±


    Man, she¡¯s a mess...


    She looks like an aloof beauty, but she acts like she¡¯s a girl in late puberty.


    Like a girl that doesn¡¯t even know her drinking capacity, drank too much by accident and got dead drunk...


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Ms. Diana, I¡¯m going to say it once again. I didn¡¯t come here with that kind of intention.¡±


    ¡°...Um...¡±


    Siwoo lowered his voice, trying to explain calmly.


    ¡°It seems like both of us share the same goal. If Countess Yesod found out about this, it would be a problem for both of us, right?¡±


    -Nod, nod.


    Diana nodded her head, considerably calmed down now.


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t we agree to keep this a secret? Let¡¯s treat it as if nothing¡¯s happened. We didn¡¯t see each other last night. Is that okay with you?¡±


    ¡°B-But...¡±


    Diana squirmed around, as if she had some dissatisfaction, but eventually nodded her head.


    At the very least, it¡¯s easy to convince her...


    Siwoo let out a smile and held out his hand.


    ¡°To conclude an agreement, normally you¡¯d need to do a handshake, up and down. You know that, right?¡±


    Diana gulped as she stared at Siwoo¡¯s hand.


    It was a big hand, filled with calluses and thick muscles, a complete opposite of her own.


    Then, she carefully reached out and took his hand.


    ¡°O-O-Okay...¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Glad we came to an agreement quickly.¡±


    With that, the secret agreement between the two was concluded. Although, because the way she was acting earlier, it was clear that she was trying so hard to hide her embarrassment.


    She asked Siwoo to leave the room in a quiet voice, so he did exactly that without making any fuss.


    Alright, now that this matter is done, I should probably continue my research...


    Siwoo was about to leave, whistling over the matter that was easily concluded.


    But suddenly, the door behind him swung open.


    ¡°Mr. Shin Siwoo!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Yes??¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t it! I need to have your weakness too so it would be fair!¡±


    Diana, who stormed out of her room with her face flushed red, grabbed Siwoo by the collar and pulled him towards her.


    As if she was about to choke slam him.


    Although, seeing how fragile her hands looked, she¡¯d probably just fall down with him on top of her if she were to actually do that.


    At that moment, something soft touched his lips.


    It felt soft and plump, reminiscent of the countess¡¯ lips.


    The feeling only lasted for a moment.


    Just for about three seconds.


    ¡°Haaa...haaa...haaa...¡±


    After that, her shoulders heaved up and down, as if she had just drank hot sauce.


    Her face turned red and her fingertips trembled.


    ¡°I-I-If you break our agreement, I-I¡¯m going to tell mom about this! Do you understand?!¡±


    She declared in a powerful tone before running back to her room.


    ¡°Kyaa!¡¯


    And somehow sprained her ankle as she did.


    1. A pornhwa site

 Chapter 386: Shared Secrets (2)

    1.


    Just like the guest room in Countess Gemini¡¯s Mansion, Diana¡¯s room was a spacious room with two living rooms, a guest room, a bathroom, a bedroom, and a courtyard.


    Since it was so spacious, there were naturally a lot of things inside.


    Including the level three first-aid kit that was conspicuously placed on the shelf.


    After Diana shouted about weakness or whatnot and boldly kissed Siwoo...


    She ended up spectacularly falling and twisted her ankle.


    Since she couldn¡¯t stand up properly as her ankle was completely swollen, Siwoo had to lift her and laid her down on the sofa where they usually played Witch Board together.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    First, she misunderstood his intention greatly, then she kissed him after saying nonsense about his weakness or whatnot, ran away and fell down spectacularly, and now, he had to carry her to the sofa because she couldn¡¯t do anything.


    She was too embarrassed to lift her face up, there was no way that she¡¯d have the capacity to answer Siwoo¡¯s question. Not that he expected her to, though.


    He laid her legs on the sofa, then after asking her permission with his eyes, he lifted her skirt slightly.


    ¡°Oh, wow...¡±


    Her ankle was swollen red.


    While it didn¡¯t seem like it was bad enough that she had a fracture, it must¡¯ve been hurt.


    It was hard to believe that a simple fall could cause her leg to be this swollen.


    Then again, the sound that she made when she fell down was unnaturally loud.


    ¡°If it hurts, please tell me.¡±


    During his training with his master, injuries weren¡¯t a rare occurrence.


    That was why he was familiar with fixing them using magic1.


    He reached out his hand and wrapped her ankle.


    Healing spirit bodies wasn¡¯t as difficult as one might think.


    Especially if the injuries were far from the main organs, Siwoo could easily fix them by just using his mana.


    ¡°Bloom.¡±


    He unleashed his mana and wrapped it around her injured ankle.


    Then, he controlled it to reduce the swelling and calm the tense muscles.


    It wasn¡¯t a difficult thing to do, but it took some time to finish it properly.


    In the meantime, let¡¯s admire how pretty her feet were.


    They were clean and white, without any blemishes.


    One could find traces of her slender genes in her toes which were small, yet thin and long.


    When Siwoo touched these little toes to inject some more of his mana, they wiggled around, as if she was enduring the pain.


    ¡°So, why did you do that, Miss? I still won¡¯t tell even if you didn¡¯t, you know?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    After keeping silent for a long time, Diana finally spoke out, mumbling her words through the cushion that she was covering her face with.


    ¡°...Mom told me that you need to know your opponent¡¯s weakness so you can negotiate safely...¡±


    ¡°I-I see...¡±


    It was a rather Machiavellian reason.


    But, that didn¡¯t make her decision to use a kiss as a means for blackmail any less strange.


    Come to think of it, back in Border Town, she also ran away from me out of nowhere...


    I just can¡¯t figure her out sometimes...


    ¡°...Mr. Siwoo.¡±


    It was hard to see it from the way she usually acted, but Diana was a real noble lady.


    And it went without saying that she could act like a proper one, just like her mother did.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Sure, since this will take a while.¡±


    ¡°This might be a little strange question...¡±


    ¡°...Okay, ask away.¡±


    Diana never took the pillow away from her face.


    After that, she went silent for a long time, opening and closing her toes several times before she finally took a deep breath and asked her question.


    ¡°How long have you been together with my mom?¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s your question...?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I need to know.¡±


    It was truly a strange question to ask, and he genuinely didn¡¯t know how to answer it. But, it wasn¡¯t like he could just keep his mouth shut here.


    ¡°A day?¡±


    If they accidentally smeared it with mud, they knew that they¡¯d instantly be stuck in a three-generational worth of debt at the very least to compensate for the damage.


    ¡°So, why are we coming all the way here?¡±


    ¡°Just follow me.¡±


    Seeing everything unfolding was amusing, but Siwoo still hadn¡¯t fully recovered from his shock over the fact that Diana invited him to do something outside like this.


    As they walked through the alleys that were spread out like spider¡¯s web, they came across some suspicious looking buildings.


    Diana glanced around the area for a bit before immediately heading towards a certain three-stories building.


    ¡°Huh? The bookstore...?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to visit this place.¡±


    While the average Gehenna citizens lived a life that was similar to the life in the Medieval Era, their standards of living were actually close to that of the people of modern times.


    The sanitary standards were extremely high thanks to the water pipes that the witches had built with magic, the infant mortality rate was only 1% at most, and the crime rate was extremely low.


    Since such things were directly connected to the witches¡¯ convenience, the citizens could enjoy them for granted. Hence, it could be said that they were living a more comfortable life than those who lived in most third-world countries.


    One proof of that was the fact that there wasn¡¯t a single beggar operating in the entire market.


    Also, basic education was mandatory among the citizens, hence quite a few of them had reading as a hobby.


    This particular bookstore was opened to accommodate those citizens.


    From the entrance through the entire building, countless bookshelves lined up neatly. There were also towering piles of books here and there, giving off the scent of old paper.


    Dust particles could be seen at the parts of the bookstore that were illuminated by the dim light sources.


    In fact, Siwoo had known about this place since a long time ago.


    He just never went here.


    Because back when he was a slave, he just didn¡¯t have the time or money to buy novels. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like he liked reading novels to begin with.


    There was also no need for him to scour the place to look for magic books.


    After all, the place where he worked at was none other than the Trinity Academy where such books were plenty.


    ¡°Are you looking for a particular book?¡±


    ¡°Wait here.¡±


    Diana went past the dozing bookstore owner without answering and left him there.


    And there she goes...


    Well, since I¡¯m already here, might as well look for some books.


    He could find all sorts of books here.


    From books about basic medicinal knowledge...


    Books of food recipes, written in rough handwriting and crude format¡ªprobably to not waste any paper because it was rather expensive...


    To journals whose author name he couldn¡¯t recognize at all.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Meanwhile, Diana picked out a book out of the pile of books that probably reached ten thousands, not caring whether her coat caught the dust or not.


    Before long, she already had a few books tucked under her arm.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    As for Siwoo, his eyes were locked into a particularly large, dusty book that almost overturned the bookshelf.


    It seemed like it had been left there for a very long time.


    The writing was old and worn, so it was hard for him to read it, but when he wiped off the dust off its cover, he could read its title.


    [Criminals¡¯ Records].


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    He untied the leather strap that was tied onto the book as if it was a belt and opened its cover. To his surprise, the book was in a better condition than he had expected..


    As the title had stated, the book listed the various Criminals roaming around the world.


    From their actions, the major accidents they caused, their ranks, even their self-essence magic and artifacts.


    It seemed like the book served the same purpose as the Criminals Database that one could access through the various Witch Points in the Modern World.


    ¡°...¡±


    So far, he had been entangled with two Criminals, the Witch of Aquarius and the Cowardly Witch.


    He knew that he would meet more of them in the future.


    So, carrying this book around was handy. It would give him enough information so he could deal with them to some extent, just like how one would try to look up a guide to find out about a boss¡¯ attack patterns in an RPG.


    ¡°I doubt it will be much of a help, but it¡¯s still a decent book to keep...¡±


    When Siwoo found a book that was worth reading, Diana had ten books tucked in her armpit.


    ¡°Why so many...?¡±


    To that question, Diana just stared at him silently.


    She hesitated whether she should say what was in her mind or not.


    But in the end, after much pondering, biting her lips a few times, she finally decided.


    ¡°What I¡¯m going to tell you here... Is a secret between us. Okay?¡±


    1. Basically he can use his mana to fix things like twisted ankle, dislocated bones and stuff, not healing magic

 Chapter 387: Shared Secrets (3)

    1.


    Diana made a tower of books, placed a handkerchief on top of it, and sat on it.


    While lightly kicking her legs, she brought up an old conversation.


    ¡°So, you were wondering why am I so lazy, right?¡±


    ¡°...Huh? Ah, right, back during the fishing trip...¡±


    Diana nodded at that before bringing her knees closer to her chest.


    Though it seemed like she already decided to talk about this, there was a hesitation in her expression. As if what she was trying to say was something quite complex.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you about my status quo bias, right?¡±


    She reminded him of the term she used in response to his question back then.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bias to avoid change, to wish that tomorrow will be like today, and the day after to be like tomorrow. I don¡¯t want anything to change, I want everything to stay the same... And I...don¡¯t want to become a full witch... I don¡¯t want mom to disappear...¡±


    She turned her head towards the window.


    ¡°...I want her to stay. Forever.¡±


    Her voice turned slightly hoarse.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t hard to throw my laziness away and become the diligent daughter that she wants me to be. I just need to work myself a little harder than usual.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°But, if that happens... She¡¯s going to disappear, right...? And I¡¯ll be left alone...?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why, I don¡¯t want things to change. I want us to stay like this forever.¡±


    In witch¡¯s society, ¡®inheritance¡¯ was something to be proud of.


    All witches took it as an honor, as it meant that they were inheriting knowledge that had been passed down for hundreds of years.


    To be fearful of it, to the point that one refused to pass on their brand to their apprentice even though they clearly couldn¡¯t continue developing their brand anymore...


    Or to be fearful of it just because one didn¡¯t want to see their predecessor disappear...


    Were both considered as foolish and shameful in witch¡¯s society.


    Because such feelings showed their incompetence as a witch.


    Hence why Diana averted her gaze. She didn¡¯t dare to look at Siwoo¡¯s face.


    The thought of him giving her a disgusted look over this shameful attitude of hers scared her.


    It made her regret telling him all this.@@@@


    ¡°Strange, right?¡±


    ¡°A little.¡±


    ¡°...You don¡¯t need to be polite, I know what I¡¯m saying is stupid.¡±


    I knew it...


    There¡¯s no way he could understand...


    Well, I never expected him to anyway... I just wanted to vent a little...


    ¡°Oh, no, I think you misunderstood... You see, since you¡¯re Yesod¡¯s apprentice witch, I thought you¡¯d have a more orthodox view of such a thing, Ms. Diana. That¡¯s what I found strange.¡± R?¦¡?????o???S


    Hearing that, Diana quickly turned her face towards Siwoo.


    There wasn¡¯t even a trace of a judgmental look she expected from his face.


    Instead, he just blinked at her, wearing his usual gentle expression on his face.


    ¡°You...don¡¯t think my view is strange...?¡±


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s normal for a child to wish for her parent to live a little longer, no? I also wished for my parents to live a long and healthy life.¡±


    ¡°But, I¡¯m an apprentice witch...¡±


    No matter how she thought about it, she just couldn¡¯t understand his carefree reaction.


    So, she stared at him, wondering if he was just saying all this to make her feel better.


    ¡°Witch or not, they¡¯re still a ¡®person¡¯.¡±


    Hearing that, Diana averted her gaze again.


    She decided to confide her deepest secret, but for some reason, what she got was the hot sensation in her cheeks.


    It was strange.


    She revealed her insecurities to Siwoo, someone who was pretty much a stranger to her.


    And then she found out that he could actually understand what she was trying to say, and that made her happy.


    Actually, ever since that incident in Border Town happened, she had been experiencing strange things.


    For example, whenever she had nightmares, she¡¯d dream of his back, protecting her from harm.


    At one point, she felt resentment towards her mother, even though she loved her more than anything else in the world.


    And there was that surprise kiss that she did...


    In any case...


    Strange things had been happening, and were currently happening.


    Hence why she found it hard to continue her next words.


    Because it felt like she was forcing herself to say something she didn¡¯t want to say.


    But, she had to say what she had in mind out loud.


    It wasn¡¯t because the lingering feeling left her, though, she just didn¡¯t have the leniency to indulge in those feelings as right now, she had to show an appearance that befit her status as a noble.


    Also, the moment she breathed in the misty air of Border Town, her pent-up anger boiled over.


    She descended through the winding path, heading towards the Cloud Mushroom Village that was surrounded by the oak trees.


    ¡®The Rebellion of Jack the Cutter,¡¯ a case when a normal human was mutated into a Homunculus.


    Jack, one of the slaves, a former death row inmate who didn¡¯t know his place, attacked Diana and was promptly apprehended. The Border Town guards had handed him over to the countess.


    Right now, he was in the hand of another witch.


    On one side of the village¡ªwhere the place was turned into a whole forest because of an accident that was caused by a certain someone¡ªthere was a workshop that happened to survive through the accident.


    Arriving in front of it, the countess opened the door without hesitation.


    ¡°Welcome, Countess Yesod.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry.¡±


    The person who greeted the countess was Shriya Shitala, an 18th rank witch who was well-versed in necromancy and mind magic.


    While the countess wished to interrogate Jack personally, she knew that this sort of matter should be left to the experts.


    Considering that Shriya had solved several crimes prior to this, she was the right person for the countess to rely on.


    ¡°Come this way.¡±


    They walked through the messy workshop, towards the basement.


    It was a little rude for Shriya, but the countess felt like the place was a little too desolate and gloomy.


    Shriya opened the door, and behind the door, a white man could be seen, sitting on a chair, fully restrained.


    His limbs were flabby, as if his muscles had shrunken.


    His mouth was gagged to prevent him from killing himself, and his eyeballs were bulging out, as if they might fall out at any moment.


    He was also acting unusual.


    Even though the countess came in, he showed no reaction whatsoever; he just kept staring blankly at the sky like a vegetable.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying this so you don¡¯t misunderstand me, Countess. I haven¡¯t tortured him.¡±


    ¡°Even if you do, I wouldn¡¯t mind.¡±


    The countess circled around the chair, examining him.


    ¡°The moment I started interrogating him, his brain turned unresponsive. It took less than 15 for his cerebral cortex through his limbic system to fail completely. After that, his limbs started to melt.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Human turning into a Homunculus wasn¡¯t a case that was unheard of.


    There were countless Homunculi roaming around in the world, and there were more of them who were still sleeping or lurking in the dimensional rift.


    Among those Homunculi, it wasn¡¯t unthinkable that one of them had the power to take over humans¡¯ bodies.


    However, humans¡¯ bodies were too fragile to withstand Homunculi¡¯s power.


    Which meant, the moment those monsters possessed their body, their body would start failing.


    Whenever this happened, the Homunculi would usually just abandon their hosts, leaving them crippled if they were lucky, but in most cases they¡¯d just end up dead.


    In any case, it wasn¡¯t strange that Jack ended up like this.


    ¡°Still, he went out without saying anything...? What¡¯s the possibility of him being implanted with a ¡®gag¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t be sure for now, I¡¯d have to rip his head open first. However, I believe that¡¯s an extremely likely case.¡±


    ¡°How likely?¡±


    ¡°90% chance.¡±


    The reason why Shriya was so sure was because Jack was fully conscious before the interrogation began.


    In fact, he was shaking, fearing what was about to happen to him next.


    It was extremely unnatural that he suddenly turned like this in merely 15 seconds as soon as the interrogation began.


    Hence why the possibility of another witch¡¯s intervention was quite high.


    ¡°Can you continue your investigation?¡±


    ¡°Currently, I am in the middle of scouring through the smugglers¡¯ records and interrogating the witnesses.¡±


    Duchess Keter¡¯s inaction.


    The unusually active Criminals in the Modern World.


    And the fact that Gehenna had been invaded twice in a single year.


    Although this particular incident wasn¡¯t really a big incident, and one could just treat it lightly without any repercussions, Countess Yesod had a bad feeling about it.


    Her instinct as a businesswoman screamed so.


    ¡°So, how should I handle this?¡±


    Shriya pointed at Jack¡¯s crippled body and asked.


    ¡°Do you even need to ask?¡±


    ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll use every flesh of his body to look for all the pieces of evidence I can find.¡±


    ¡°Oh my. If someone were to hear what you said, they¡¯d misunderstand, you know?¡±


    After saying that, the countess turned around and left.


    Offering not even the slightest mercy towards the scum who almost brought harm to Diana.

 Chapter 388: Shared Secrets (4)

    1.


    ¡°Haa...¡±


    Diana, who returned from Tarot Town with a bunch of books, was currently lying face down on the bed, resting her head on the pillow.


    With how many things going on in her life at once, her head was filled with complicated thoughts, so she could only sit motionless for about three hours, muttering to herself.


    ¡°Come to think of it... That was my first...kiss...¡±


    The word ¡®first¡¯ came with a lot of implications.


    Such as, the world would only recognize people who were dubbed at ¡®first in something¡¯.


    The same logic applied to how everyone treated ¡®original¡¯ as the best.


    Such a thing also applied in what was known as a first kiss, and Diana knew this.


    After all, she had read about it a few times in her mother¡¯s novels.


    Although, this was something that she had been contemplating about, but kissing was an extremely dirty act.


    Why would you feel uncomfortable when being around someone who was sneezing?


    Also, why would you spit on someone¡¯s face or clothes when you wanted to insult them?


    It was because saliva was considered dirty.


    Kissing was an act where two people¡¯s mouths¡ªan organ that could be considered as the jar of saliva¡ªwould touch each other.


    To take a step further, the two people would start mixing their saliva as a sign of love.


    Diana just couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of it.


    She reached out and touched her lips.


    Recalling the moment when she kissed that man.@@@@


    While hanging on his neck¡ªas he could easily handle her weight...


    The feelings of his rough, yet at the same time, soft, gentle, and unusually hot lips, was etched on her own.


    She could still remember how loud her heartbeat back then was.


    But, Diana never once felt that the act was dirty.


    If anything, it felt like magic that made her understand things she hadn¡¯t understood before.


    ¡°...¡±


    She did that under the excuse of weakness or whatnot.


    Indeed, it was an excuse.


    After all, Shin Siwoo had proved that he was trustworthy to Diana many times over.


    And she already trusted him completely when they sealed their promise with a handshake.


    The real reason why she kissed him back then was because she wanted to do it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a mess...¡±


    But then came the questions, why did she ask him to seduce her mother?


    Why did she go out of her way to give out what essentially were strategy books so he could do it easier?


    Even as she was indulging in the lingering feelings of the kiss, she still felt her possessiveness towards him when she recalled the moment when he embraced her mother. ??NO??§¦?s?


    ¡°...I need a drink.¡±


    In the end, she took this contradictory behavior as proof that her love for her mother outweighed her feelings towards Siwoo.


    At least, that was what she thought at that moment.


    2.


    Even until they parted, Siwoo hadn¡¯t given a reply towards Diana¡¯s bold and bizarre proposal.


    ¡°...I don¡¯t know what to say...¡±


    A daughter who offered her body to get him to seduce her mother.


    No matter how he looked at it, it was an immoral proposal.


    Considering that the proposal came from Diana, someone who had the tendencies to overthink things to an extreme degree when left alone...


    It was easy to see that the idea came from her short-sightedness.


    After all, the naive girl didn¡¯t even understand the intricate relationship between men and women.


    Problem 1) She doesn¡¯t want her mom to disappear.


    Solution 1) If her mother has a boyfriend, she might just not disappear.


    Problem 2) She needs a good reward so that he agrees to her proposal.


    Solution 2) She offers her body.


    Since she tried to solve these two things at once, her brain must have short-circuited somewhere, hence why she came up with such strange answers.


    Indeed, solutions offered by an innocent and naive youngster sometimes proved to be disastrous.


    ¡°If only I can just tell her mother about all this...¡±


    The reason behind why she kept acting so lazy despite her being able to do the opposite.


    Should he tell the countess to get to the root of the problem at once, or should he keep his mouth shut to keep his promise to Diana?


    He was currently stuck in this dilemma.


    Currently, he was sitting inside the countess¡¯ private study.


    With a cigarette in his hand, he stared at the pile of books on the table.


    The book about the Criminal Exiles he picked up, and the dozen or so books that Diana gave him.


    Anyway, it¡¯ll be a while until class starts. Should I try to read them?


    Thinking as such, he opened the book which title he didn¡¯t recognize.


    ¡°Sweeter Than Cocoa...? Is this a romance novel?¡±


    The book, which seemed to be printed rather than handwritten, had neither a leather cover nor a hard cover.


    It looked just like a romance novel one could see anywhere.


    Who woulda thought that the countess has such a girly hobby.


    She¡¯d stay in his firm embrace again tonight, and show him all sorts of her embarrassing appearance.


    But, she was still a little worried. After all, even though she had a real reason for it, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he¡¯d think of him as a loose woman if she were to ask him to have sex with her again.


    Or if he¡¯d think that she was a weirdo if she were to try flirting with him during class.


    ¡°It¡¯s for the sake of research...¡±


    Yes, it¡¯s for research! There¡¯s no need to be embarrassed!


    After rationalizing herself once again, the countess opened the door to the study.


    ¡°Mr. Siwoo? Are you there?¡±


    The moment she opened the door and entered, Siwoo¡¯s flustered face entered her vision.


    With a wooosh, things that were scattered on the table were instantly swiped by his black ribbon.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re here already? D-Did you get off work early?¡±


    Seeing the way he was throwing an awkward smile at her, the countess...


    Hmm... Suspicious...


    ¡°Oh my?¡±


    When he received the countess¡¯ gaze, he looked even more flustered than before.


    He turns into a beast in bed, but here, he looks like a scared rabbit. It¡¯s cute.


    The gap only made the countess even more excited.


    ¡°Are you...hiding something?¡±


    ¡°N-No...?¡±


    -Smile!


    A playful smile appeared on the countess¡¯ lips.


    Is he thinking of me while relieving himself?


    Or maybe he sneaked out one of my underwear?


    ¡°Were you having fun by yourself?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. This place is pretty much a lab, no?¡±


    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you show me what you¡¯re hiding?¡±


    ¡°H-Huh...?¡±


    ¡°I saw everything, you know? The moment I entered, you started swiping everything on that desk away with your ribbon.¡±


    The countess then went towards the desk in front of Siwoo.


    Right under the desk, there were books scattered around.


    Judging from the quality of paper and the damaged covers of some of these books, it was clear that they weren¡¯t magic books written for academic purposes.


    ¡°Hm? Books?¡±


    ¡°Countess, this isn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    The moment the countess¡¯ eyes landed on the books, she threw Siwoo a smile, ignoring the poor man who tried so hard to change the subject.


    How cute.


    Were these erotic novels or something?


    ¡°What books did our dear Siwoo read, hm...?¡±


    She used her telekinesis to grab one of the books, and...


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    As soon as she read its cover, her expression instantly turned a 180.


    Then, she quickly scanned through the remaining books¡¯ titles with her eyes.


    ¡°...¡±


    She was struck speechless.


    Because the books lying on the ground were no other than the erotic novels she had written herself.


    ¡°W-W-Where did you get these books, Mr. Siwoo?!¡±


    ¡°...So it¡¯s true that you liked these books...¡±


    ¡°N-No! I-I mean, I wrote these books, b-but, just because I wrote it doesn¡¯t mean I like what¡¯s inside it! I-It¡¯s just my creative decisions! Yes! W-What, are you trying to mock me, Mr. Shin Siwoo?! M-Me! L-Lucy Yesod herself?!¡±


    ¡°Of course not...¡±


    ¡°A-Ahh...¡±


    The countess covered her face, trying to cover her embarrassment.


    She didn¡¯t know how he got his hands on these books, but however it was, her face felt like it was burning.


    Lines after lines that she wrote back then flashed in her head.


    O-Oh, no... H-He read through all those embarrassing lines, didn¡¯t he...? Oh no, oh no!


    Her dignity as a countess...


    And her face as an older woman...


    All the things that she had tried to maintain, had shattered to pieces.


    ¡°...¡±


    So all these books that Ms. Diana gave me...


    Are all written by the countess...?


    Meanwhile, Siwoo was taken aback by the revelation.


    ¡°C-Countess, I-I don¡¯t think having this kind of hobby is¡ª¡±


    ¡°...Please... Just leave me alone...¡±


    Siwoo patted her shoulder, trying to comfort her, while the countess squatted down, trying to deal with her embarrassment. This sight continued for a long time.


    1. It is basically Korean''s traditional musical storytelling.

 Chapter 389: Shared Secrets (5)

    1.


    ¡°You should also turn in after this, okay?¡±


    ¡°Alright, Duchess. See you.¡±


    After seeing Sharon off, Eloa took a deep breath.@@@@


    Lately, they had become drinking buddies.


    After hearing Eloa¡¯s story, Sharon expressed her sympathy with her circumstances, and from then on, she often stopped by to have a drink and chat with her at night.


    She¡¯s a kind witch, a fitting partner to Siwoo...


    Sharon had never expressed any particular possessiveness towards Siwoo, not even once.


    If anything, just now, after they¡¯ve drunk quite a few glasses...


    She suggested that Eloa should tell Siwoo about everything.


    Of course, Eloa rejected that idea.


    After all, to her, Siwoo was his disciple, just like Ravi.


    Their current relationship¡ªwhere she could watch him grow as they trained together¡ªwas satisfying enough for her.


    ¡°...I¡¯m such a coward...¡±


    Although, deep inside her heart, she knew.


    That every single part of her being...


    Yearned for him, and missed him.


    Every single night, she¡¯d dream of being in his embrace.


    In the end, her words where she said that she was content with just staying by his side was just a cowardly lie that she told to herself¡ªusing her moral compass as an excuse to run away from her feelings.


    Wearing the pajamas that Siwoo had bought her, letting her hair flow down, Eloa stood by the window¡ªwhere the moonlight seeped through.


    Her long, pink hair swayed around, gently caressing her clothes.


    Maybe it was because of the alcohol. She failed to think clearly, and her mind felt a little hazy.


    That gap in her mind made some memories resurface.


    The memories of his rough hands, grabbing her by the waist, and his rough breaths, tickling her ears.


    ¡°Siwoo...¡±


    She bit her lips, trying to shake off those memories.


    I guess it¡¯s another cold shower night...


    As Eloa was about to go to the bathroom, an envelope caught her eyes.


    Immediately after, all the alcohol¡¯s influence and all the distracting thoughts that had been plaguing her disappeared.


    ¡°...¡±


    She summoned her Sword of Covenant.


    Up until Sharon left her room...


    The envelope wasn¡¯t there.


    And she knew for sure that no one other than Sharon had entered the room tonight.


    ¡°Hereby, I declare a covenant.¡±


    A pinkish light glowed in her eyes.


    Her gaze, able to pierce through lies and illusions, scoured through the surroundings.


    Yet, she couldn¡¯t see anything suspicious.


    This was Gehenna, and she was currently inside the highly secured mansion of Countess Gemini.


    How many witches could fool the eyes of the 20th-rank Grand Witch Sharon Evergreen and 23rd-rank Grand Witch Eloa Tiphereth and pull off something like this? r?a??O??¦¥S??


    Without letting her guard down, she quietly took the envelope and opened it.


    Inside, there were three pictures.


    ¡°This is...¡±


    Her pupils narrowed in shock.


    One of the pictures depicted a bunch of shabby buildings, densely packed like cardboard boxes, with neon signboards hanging between them.


    In the middle of the bustling crowds, there was a witch, holding food in both hands.


    Her hair, cut short, above her shoulders...


    With deep red eyes, just like a pair of rubies...


    She looked exactly like the Criminal that Eloa had been trying to hunt for her whole life.


    Ea Sadalmelik.


    All three pictures were pictures of her, taken secretly.


    Eloa hurriedly flipped the picture over to see the place and time written on them.


    The time was yesterday, the place was the Red Light District in Kowloon, Hongkong.


    To be exact, in Mongkok, just across the Nathan Road.


    ¡°...¡±


    Surprisingly, even after seeing this, she was calmer than expected.


    Then, they got ready for bed.


    It was thanks to Clara¡¯s care and consideration that Amelia could catch her breath and rest like this.


    When she heard Clara¡¯s soft snore¡ªproof that she had fallen asleep¡ªAmelia slowly got up from the bed.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Mmnyaa...¡±


    Back when she was wandering around, broken, not knowing her limits...


    It was Clara who lifted her up, both physically and mentally.


    She wanted to indulge herself in her warmth and stay a little longer with her, but her work wasn¡¯t done yet.


    Long ago, she had told herself that until she had cleared up the killing list in her hands, she wouldn¡¯t show her face in front of Siwoo.


    If she kept on relying on Clara, she was afraid that she¡¯d be burdened by her feelings and responsibilities.


    And so, she decided that she had received enough help from her.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Amelia stroked Clara¡¯s head, and put a bottle of perfume that she made specifically for her beside her.


    Her resting time was over, and now it was time for her to make her move again.


    Donning the cloak that her master had left her, Amelia set off into the night.


    3.


    ¡°So this is what it feels like to be a successful businessman!¡±


    Inside a royal suite room of a certain 5-star hotel, Periwinkle Hotel, Seoul.


    Takasho was drinking his wine while basking in the night view inside the room that his average salary could never afford.


    Cybele Periwinkle¡ªthe witch that he met through Siwoo¡¯s introduction¡ªkept her promise.


    Not only did she save the host club that almost went bankrupt with her godly advice, she also introduced him to a distributor that was willing to provide him with high-quality liquors.


    With permission from Countess Adonai, Takasho got to travel the Modern World together with the smugglers that were working under the countess for a week.


    Since the liquors that Rose Glass needed weren¡¯t the kind of liquors that could be found everywhere...


    In addition to signing a direct contact with the suppliers¡ªa famous brewery overseas¡ªhe was also introduced to three experts.


    The problem that Rose Glass had was the lacking amount of high-end liquors they provided. This contract would definitely boost their sales by fold if it went through.


    While it was true that he only could get this far thanks to Periwinkle and Countess Adonai¡¯s help, at the end of the day, it was his pitch that got him to seal the deal, so he could definitely pat himself on the back for that.


    ¡°Can¡¯t celebrate a successful deal without a toast.¡±


    Although he found it unfortunate that there was no one to share the drink with, and there was no woman he could bed...


    Takasho still couldn¡¯t hide the smile on his face.


    Back when he was still working as a slave in the Academy, let alone enjoying his time in such a place, he couldn¡¯t even dream of setting his foot in the Modern World.


    And it was all thanks to Siwoo.


    ¡°Haa... I don¡¯t know how I am supposed to repay you, Dude...¡±


    Maybe if Siwoo was right beside him, he¡¯d just start sucking him off without hesitation.


    Takasho took a sip of his wine again while taking in the scenery of his friend¡¯s hometown.


    ¡°Tomorrow, I probably should go around shopping for the rest of the day...and pick up a gift or two for Ms. Sharon.¡±


    It¡¯s already this late...


    He put down his glass and was about to go to bed and sleep, but then...


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    A witch.


    Her hair, ivory blond, with waves that looked like a curtain.


    And her jade-like eyes, shining brilliantly through the room¡¯s dim lighting.


    Of course Takasho could figure out that she was a witch in an instant.


    His six years of experience of dealing with witches wasn¡¯t for nothing, after all.


    Only a witch would have that kind of flawless appearance. If anything, it would be a miracle that she wasn¡¯t a witch.


    Thanks to his experience, he was always ready to humble himself no matter what kind of situation he was in¡ªincluding when a witch suddenly barged into his room.


    But, facing this witch, he couldn¡¯t even gulp.


    Actually, he couldn¡¯t even blink.


    It was because the witch¡ªwho looked like a French Doll¡ªwas exuding a sinister aura that he had never felt before.


    Her mere presence rang the alarm in his brain, as the air turned suffocating, as if the oxygen had been turned into sarin gas.


    Seeing him frozen in place, the witch threw him a smile.


    ¡°Feeling comfortable?¡±


    The witch, who had been sitting on the bed, stood up and introduced herself.


    ¡°I am the fairy who grants others¡¯ wishes. My name is Bianca Belleli.¡±


    In the darkness, her jade-like eyes glowed in a sinister light.


    ¡°And I¡¯m here to pick you up.¡±

 Chapter 390: The Last Supper (1)

    1.


    Seeing the way the countess¡¯ face turned red like raspberry made Siwoo¡¯s blood rush into his head.


    His lower head, to be exact.


    Even now, he was still stuck in a dilemma, and it was clear that he wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of it anytime soon.


    He still hadn¡¯t conveyed Diana¡¯s feelings to her mother.


    Actually, he didn¡¯t even know if he should do that or not.


    But, when he was actually facing the countess like this...


    The supposedly elegant and dignified countess...


    Who, for some reason, carried an atmosphere that filled him with a sense of depravity, and an appearance that could grant her the title of femme fatale...


    Somehow would turn extremely weak when pushed into a bed and got stripped naked, unleashing a gap that no man would be able to resist.


    But that wasn¡¯t all. Apparently she was also a pervert who yearned for extreme plays in bed.


    With all those things in mind, there was no way that Siwoo could resist anymore.


    Moreover, there was also the class that they had planned out for today.


    Originally, instead of having a normal tutoring session, they planned to research Siwoo¡¯s absorption thing that triggered whenever he had sex.


    He figured that as a 22nd-ranked witch, Countess Yesod must have some kind of explanation for this phenomenon.


    In other words, essentially, tonight¡¯s class was pretty much just another secret rendezvous under the guise of research.


    However, the countess went on to hold their class normally, as if forgetting that they had made prior arrangements beforehand.@@@@


    Seeing how she was pretending to be oblivious made Siwoo think of how cute she could be.


    ¡°This...is the end of our class tonight...¡±


    ¡°Understood, Countess. Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    However, the countess didn¡¯t run away, even though she had announced the end of the class. Instead, she just stared at Siwoo.


    It was clear that there was something in her mind, but she didn¡¯t know if she should speak out or not, so Siwoo decided to lend her a hand.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Siwoo... I don¡¯t know how you got your hands on those books, but... I-I¡¯m not that kind of woman...¡±


    ¡°What kind of woman?¡±


    Hearing his teasing answer, the countess pouted her lips.


    She then reproached him in a resentful tone.


    ¡°Mr. Siwoo...stop teasing me...¡±


    ¡°But, you also teased me a lot, Countess.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but haven¡¯t you already gotten your payback yesterday? A-Also, I just wrote whatever came to my mind! My writing doesn¡¯t reflect my preference at all!¡± RaN§àbE?s?


    The countess protested vehemently, but it wasn¡¯t really working.


    Because...


    ¡°Yeah, I can see that. Your preference stops at getting spanked and humiliated. I know.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Siwoo! I told you to stop teasing me...! Seriously! Where did you get these books anyway...?¡±


    Seeing how the countess would probably run away again if he were to keep teasing her, Siwoo decided that it was the perfect time to stop.


    ¡°No need to be embarrassed, Countess. I¡¯ll accept whatever preference you have.¡±


    ¡°...You know I won¡¯t fall for that, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Still wearing an embarrassed face, she turned her head away from Siwoo.


    ¡°By the way, Countess, what about our scheduled research today?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m busy today, so no...¡±


    ¡°So, the reason why you¡¯re helping me with my research on the Red Branch is because I¡¯m willing to be Ms. Diana¡¯s tutor, right?¡±


    ¡°Why are you bringing that up all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°Since this research is your research, Countess, may I have something in return?¡±


    Startled, the countess turned her gaze at Siwoo.


    Then, he whispered something in her ear.


    ¡°Absolutely not! I told you already! I don¡¯t have that kind of preference!¡±


    Almost immediately, she huffed in anger.


    ¡°Sure, but I do. Trust me, this will help tremendously in the research.¡±


    With Siwoo giving her a convenient excuse like that, the countess contemplated for a bit before eventually nodding her head in agreement.


    2.


    Siwoo was sitting on the sofa.


    Meanwhile, the countess was lying on his lap, her butt facing up.


    She was basically assuming the position of a child who had done wrong and was about to be spanked by her parents.


    In the end, it came to this.


    Siwoo expressed his wish to spank her plump buttocks.


    Diana¡¯s request to seduce the countess aside, he was going to try and find out the cause of the mana absorption phenomenon thing anyway.


    Since he found out about the countess¡¯ fetish, he figured that he might as well do it that way while he was at it.


    ¡°It really feels like you become a completely different person whenever the sun sets, Mr. Siwoo...¡±


    Her body was trembling greatly.


    A familiar sight, as this was what she looked like when she was about to cum.


    Wow...


    She¡¯s the real deal...


    It takes a real pervert to cum just from exposing her buttocks and getting spanked until they turn red...


    Her obscene reaction was enough to make Siwoo stop pulling his punches.


    ¡°Countess, how could you cum just from a few spanks?¡±


    ¡°W-What do you mean...?! I-I haven¡¯t...!¡±


    ¡°You really are a pervert, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I-I told you I¡ª!¡±


    -Slap!


    ¡°Ahhh...! M-Mr. S-Siwoo...! I-I was still talking!¡±


    The countess waist went up and down as she panted.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo stared at the red palm marks that he left on her buttocks.


    Relishing over the fact that there was no other man in this world who¡¯d place the lofty countess on his lap while ¡®punishing¡¯ her in such a way.


    Is she close?


    -Wooosh!


    He raised his palm again, this time with bigger momentum than before.


    -Slap!


    And then he brought it down towards the soft flesh of her buttocks again.


    ¡°Ngg...gghh...! Aaahh! Haaaang...! Haaa...haa...!¡±


    As the slap connected, the countess rolled her eyes further upwards, showing the whites of her eyes while creating an arch with her back.


    Her body shook enticingly, just like a pudding, while Siwoo could feel that his thighs became moist.


    ¡°Haaa...haaa...¡±


    When he took a glance at her face, he found her sneaking a glance back at him.


    ¡®Did I really just come from that?¡¯ from her expression, it seemed like she was asking such a question.


    Then, a beat after, that expression disappeared, replaced by a look of utter shame and embarrassment.


    ¡°M-Mr. S-Siwoo... P-Please don¡¯t get it wrong...! I-It actually hurts...!¡±


    ¡°Countess.¡±


    Hearing Siwoo¡¯s calm and composed tone that flowed into her ears, her whole body flinched.


    ¡°I see, so you didn¡¯t cum just now. Is that what you¡¯re trying to say?¡±


    ¡°L-Like I said...! Hng...!¡±


    Before the countess could answer, Siwoo had already inserted his fingers into the hole hidden under her pubic hair.


    He wasn¡¯t being gentle when he did that, prompting a big reaction from her.


    ¡°Hauu...uunngg...¡±


    Her inside was soaked with sticky juice.


    Since she had just cummed, her sensitive pussy quickly welcomed the fingers that came into her, emitting its heat.


    ¡°Well, your inside said otherwise, Countess. You definitely had cummed.¡±


    Hearing that, her face turned even redder than her buttocks.


    As if expressing her shame, she gripped on his fingers tightly, as if about to cut them off.


    Seriously, though...


    I might as well stop being a man if I don¡¯t get excited by this.


    The countess¡¯ reaction was essentially the same as her begging him to devour her.


    Still, it would be nice if she could struggle a little more.


    ¡°In any case, since you cummed without announcing it, my pants turned into a mess now.¡±


    There was a hint of sadism in his voice.


    Now, the countess was facing a big turning point in her life.


    If she were to go along with him, indulging him in his wish...


    She could actually imagine what would happen next.


    And so, her choice was pretty much decided.


    ¡°P-Please...forgive me...¡±


    To indulge.


    ¡°B-But first, l-let me say it again! I-I don¡¯t have this kind of preference! I-It¡¯s just, I feel bad for ruining your pants, M-Mr. Siwoo... A-Also, y-you seem to be interested in it...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...D-Do you understand?¡±


    Her excuse was obviously sloppy, but at least she tried.

 Chapter 391: The Last Supper (2)

    Chapter 391: The Last Supper (2)1.


    Countess Yesod knelt on the cold floor without a cushion, still wearing her shoes.


    Her dress, now taken off, was neatly folded beside her.


    On top of it, a generously sized bra, laced panties, and high heels were arranged like decorations.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo lounged on the sofa, fully dressed, with his cock hanging out of his unzipped pants.@@@@


    The countess, not allowed to wear even a single thread of clothing, rested her hands neatly on her thighs, diligently bobbing her head back and forth.


    -Sluuurp... Smooch... Slurp... Schluuup...


    Nothing else could display the inequality in their positions better.


    Her plump lips wrapped softly around his shaft as her tongue flicked and swirled over his glans.


    The countess, unable to meet Siwoo¡¯s eyes, was wearing a mix of embarrassment and excitement on her face as she diligently applied her lip gloss to his shaft.


    Painting his member with the mix of her saliva and melted lip gloss.


    Actually, Siwoo never thought she¡¯d give in this easily.


    He was worried that he might have pushed her too far, hence why he was so impressed by her eager response.


    ¡°Try taking it deeper.¡±


    -Pause.


    Hearing that, the countess¡¯ movements stopped.


    Did I go too far...?


    Worried, Siwoo asked himself that, but then her eyes fluttered before she obediently took his cock deeper into her mouth...


    And turned the whole action into an almost throat-clenching deep fellatio.


    The soft flesh of her mouth¡ªthe thing he had never experienced before¡ªrubbed against his glans with renewed vigor.


    ¡°Schluuup... Guh...ooo...mmnn...¡±


    Her hair, styled in an elegant chignon, was neatly pulled back.


    As if struggling for breath, her brows furrowed in a beautiful arch. Even so, her lips stayed tightly wrapped around his shaft.


    With every movement she made, her chest gently jiggled.


    It didn¡¯t take too long. Siwoo could barely hold back anymore.


    He wanted to become one with her.


    ¡°Enough.¡±


    ¡°Pwaah... Cough... Cough...!¡±


    The countess then pulled away, delicately covering her mouth with her hand as she turned her head, coughing lightly.


    Even in such a simple act, her grace shone through. Needless to say, to have kneeling naked before him as she gave him oral service, was a sight to behold.


    Although he told her to stop, this wasn¡¯t the end of today¡¯s roleplay.


    ¡°Oh dear....¡±


    He tossed out a playful comment to move the scent forward. The countess then asked hesitantly.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mr. Siwoo? Did I hurt you with my teeth?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a look yourself?¡±


    To that, she turned her gaze to his towering erection.


    A ring, smeared of her own lip gloss¡ªmarking how far she had taken him in¡ªentered her view. It was a visible reminder of how much effort she put into that particular action.


    ¡°Your makeup¡¯s made a mess of it, Countess.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    ¡°Looks like it needs some cleaning.¡±


    According to the novel he skimmed through a while ago, making her do this wouldn¡¯t even reach 50% of the intensity.


    Now, how would she react?


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry... W-What should I do?¡±


    Her first reaction was hesitation.


    She brushed her hair with her fingers as her eyes darted nervously.


    Seeing this, Siwoo pushed a little further, hammering the point home.


    ¡°Since it was you who made this mess, Countess, I think it¡¯s only fair if you were to clean it up with your body. You know what I mean, don¡¯t you?¡±


    The countess nodded slightly before slowly standing up.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll clean it for you.¡±


    ¡°And how do you plan to do that?¡±


    ¡°W-With...with m-my...my hole...¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s tone carried a cocky, almost playful arrogance as he watched her.


    ¡°Whose? Where?¡±


    ¡°M-Mine... I-I mean... C-Countess Lucy Yesod¡¯s...p-pussy...¡±


    After a little bit more hesitation, Countess Yesod finally spoke the crude words¡ªjust like what she wrote  in the novel. Her head was hanging low in embarrassment as she stared at her toes.


    Her hands, clasped awkwardly in front of her with no place to put them, made her look like a child getting scolded.


    In truth, this kind of role-play was usually hard to pull off without a little alcohol.


    Because it was easy for the cringe factor to kick in and ruin the mood.


    But with the way the countess reacted¡ªwith her lips tightly pressed together as her naked body trembling slightly¡ªit was easy to forget those thoughts and got completely immersed in the play.


    In this moment, Mommy Yesod was nothing more than Siwoo¡¯s obedient slave.


    Now, how far can I push this, hm?


    ¡°First thing first. I¡¯m going to check it out. Come closer.¡±


    ¡°Mr. S-Siwoo... I¡¯m a little scared...¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s pants and shirt were completely soaked. When he was done with this, he¡¯d need to immediately throw them straight to the wash.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk. You made a mess again...¡±


    ¡°Sniff...sob... I-I¡¯m sorry... M-Mr. Siwoo...¡±


    ¡°Bad girls need to be punished. You know that, don¡¯t you?¡±


    He said such words, probing her reaction, just to make sure.


    And the countess¡¯ answer to that was...


    ¡°...Punish me...please...¡±


    A straight yes.


    3.


    Like a piece of meat being prepared on a cutting board, the countess lay on the table at waist height.


    She hooked her arms behind her knees and spread her legs wide, adopting a vulgar position where Siwoo could see everything that she normally should hide.


    Naturally, this was under Siwoo¡¯s command.


    Her eyes, excited with anticipation, shaking with fear, and soaked with lus, were staring at Siwoo.


    ¡°Seriously, leaking all over the place like that. What are you, a baby? It seems like I need to train you.¡±


    Siwoo stood in front of her, looking down at her fully exposed pussy.


    Her plump mound looked even more plump from this angle, glistening with her own juices.


    Siwoo¡¯s chosen object for the punishment was the countess¡¯ juice release switch.


    Her engorged, swollen clitoris.


    ¡°Are you ready? Don¡¯t change your position, even for a single inch.¡±


    Siwoo had been wanting to try this ever since the first time he saw it.


    It was the first time he had ever seen a clit so prominent, round, and pretty.


    Siwoo gathered energy in his fingers as if playing alkkagi1.


    The countess, still didn¡¯t know about what was coming, followed his fingers with a confused gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯ll only hit this part.¡±


    ¡°Huh...?¡±


    It was only when his hand hovered over her spread legs, right above her exposed pussy...


    When it finally clicked for her what was about to happen.


    ¡°W-Wait, wait, wait! M-Mr. Siwoo! If you do that...! Gyaaaahhh...!¡±


    Unfortunately for her, it was too late.


    Siwoo already flicked her clit with a sharp snap, prompting her to arch her back, as she let out a piercing scream


    At the same time, her juices squirted out wildly, as if she was peeing.


    ¡°Aaahh...! Aaahh...! Haaa...! Nnnng...!¡±


    The countess trembled uncontrollably, clutching the back of her knees with a tight grip.


    But she wasn¡¯t holding her legs on purpose.


    Her muscles were just being tense at that moment, and she was unable to let go of her grip because of that.


    ¡°Haa...haaa...huuu...!¡±


    Her slightly gaping pussy twitched and convulsed.


    Following that in the same beat, her clit and lower lips pulsed in spasms, over and over.


    The previously clean table was now soaked in her juices.


    What the hell, this reaction is way too intense, no?


    Like, I didn¡¯t even hit her that hard...


    Nevertheless, the role-play wasn¡¯t over yet.


    ¡°You seem to be enjoying this way too much, Countess.¡±


    ¡°Hah...ah... M-Mr. S-Siwoo... T-This... This is too much...¡±


    ¡°No can do. Nine more times to go, so...¡±


    As he said that, he dished out another flick to her swollen clit, not showing even a shred of mercy.


    ¡°Kyaaaaaagh...!¡±


    This time, her arms went slack and she was about to let go of her legs. But, Siwoo managed to tie them firmly to keep her in place just in time with his ribbon.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even say you were going to cum this time, huh?¡±


    -Thwack!


    ¡°Kyaaah...! S-Stoooop! M-Mr. Siwoo...! I-I did it...! I came...!¡±


    -Thwack!


    ¡°P-Please...! O-One second...! L-Let me rest for o-one second...! Kyaaah...! Haa...haaa... I-I...came again...just now¡ª!¡±


    -Thwack!


    ¡°Haah...aahhh...! Kyaaah...!¡±


    Siwoo actually hit her more gently with each strike, but for some reason, her reaction only became more and more intense.


    With each strike, came an orgasm that grew more intense as multiple of them overlapped.


    However...


    -Thwack!


    ¡°Nnghh...!¡±


    After the final flick, her body convulsed violently before going limp.


    The overwhelming pleasure made her fuse blown.


    1. It''s a Korean board game. Think of caroom, but you''re using a go board and pieces instead. The relevant part of it in this sentence is that you''re playing it by flicking the pieces with your fingers.

 Chapter 392: The Last Supper (3)

    1.


    Siwoo watched the countess¡¯ arousing performance.


    He had already inhaled her sweet, honey-like scent that was mixed with her natural fragrance, so it was impossible for him to hold back any longer.


    It only took three thrusts of his hard shaft to wake the unconscious countess up.


    ¡°M-Mr. S-Siwoo...! S-Stop...! Stop...! I-I¡¯m going to break...! I¡¯m going to breaaak...!¡±


    Using her slick nectar as lube, he roughly rubbed her flushed clit with his palm while thrusting into her. She trembled, squirting almost every ten seconds.


    It hadn¡¯t been long since he started penetrating her, but he already had a strong urge to cum.


    The things he had seen prior to this were way too erotic for him to endure any longer.


    As his focus waned for a bit, his ribbon loosened and the countess slipped free from its restraint.


    ¡°A-Again...! I-I¡¯m cumming again...! I-I want to stop cumming, but I can¡¯t...! Haaahhh...!¡±


    As she climaxed, the countess tightly wrapped her slender legs around Siwoo¡¯s waist.


    Magic research or whatnot, it didn¡¯t matter to her at this point.


    Right now, she was merely following the primal instinct of a female that was still alive and well within her, even though she had turned into a witch.


    It was begging him to fill her up.


    The way her body pulled his lower half in made it clear that she didn¡¯t want him to blow his load anywhere else.


    ¡°Ugh...!¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s response was a tight grip on her bouncing breasts.


    It was to the point that he couldn¡¯t feel their softness anymore.


    The plump flesh in his hands were condensed to the point he felt their firmness instead.


    ¡°Haah...! Ahhh...! Haaa...!¡±


    -Squelch! Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!


    The countess, who had been shouting ¡®I¡¯m cumming, I¡¯m cumming!¡¯ only moments ago, was now reduced to shallow gasps, unable to say a word.


    Her jaw hung open, trembling from the overwhelming pleasure as she pulled Siwoo down for a kiss with all her strength.


    ¡°Mmph...mmm...chuup...!¡±


    And then..


    -Splurt!


    It happened; the absorption, and release of mana.


    The countess¡¯ soft body convulsed again and again.


    Siwoo had no idea how many times she had bitten his tongue through the waves of ecstasy she felt.


    But the sex didn¡¯t end there. They hopped onto the countess¡¯ bed and continued.


    This time, they didn¡¯t do any role-playing, as they just explored each other¡¯s bodies thoroughly. Siwoo came inside her twice more.


    It was only after dawn had arrived that their sex¡ªwhich had started at around dusk¡ªended.


    2.


    After the beastly sex was over.


    Siwoo leaned back against the headboard, while the countess rested her head on his shoulder.


    ¡°Did you enjoy it, Mr. Siwoo?¡±


    Having just received the third creampie¡ªthe last time was from a doggy position¡ªwhile having her buttocks spread wide open, the countess gently patted Siwoo¡¯s arm, catching her breath. ra??o?bE?s


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Was my performance to your satisfaction? I tried my best to match your tastes, you know?¡±


    Siwoo was about to respond to her sudden pillow talk, but...


    She had already started to clean up.


    ¡°Performance?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Since this is a transaction, sort of, I wanted it to be thorough. Always fulfilling our business partner¡¯s needs. Following that principle, that¡¯s how our Yesod Company grew into such a large enterprise.¡±


    Siwoo had wanted a soft SM play, and the countess had to reluctantly go along with it.


    That seemed to be the setup she was going for.


    Although her sudden shift to talk about her business philosophy made it very clear that she was a little overwhelmed by all this.


    Then again, considering she had just experienced numerous small orgasms and one big happy one, it wasn¡¯t surprising that she was still high on dopamine right now, and was trying to calm herself down.


    She was acting just like her daughter.


    Unlike what Siwoo first expected, they had quite a lot in common.


    ¡°Anyway! Mr. Siwoo, there¡¯s something I need to scold you about.¡±


    ¡°Yes? Feel free to.¡±


    ¡°Well... Um... A woman¡¯s genitals are very sensitive. Especially that...part... You know, the little bump on the vulva. It¡¯s going to hurt the woman if you¡¯re handling it roughly! Like, flicking it with your fingers, or rubbing it harshly. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about the clitoris?¡±


    As soon as he teased her with that, she snapped back.


    Especially after his relationship with her had turned physical.


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    The Countess, who had been teasing him, shut her mouth at the unexpected seriousness in his tone.


    She rested her head on his shoulder, as if apologizing


    Then, she reached for his hand, lacing her fingers with his and gently stroking the back of his hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I wasn¡¯t being considerate.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I was the one who brought the topic up thoughtlessly.¡±


    ¡°Either way, it makes me feel bad now.¡±


    After that, silence fell upon them.


    Instead of the usual silence that was filled with satisfaction over sex, this one had a hint of sadness in it.


    A daughter who didn¡¯t want her mother to die...


    And a mother who was worried about leaving her daughter alone.


    Thinking about it made Siwoo think that everyone¡ªnot only the countess¡ªwould eventually disappear. Sharon, the twins, his master...


    The vague fear he hadn¡¯t thought much about, as he had been thinking that he wouldn¡¯t need to worry about it until far in the future, suddenly felt very real.


    3.


    After saying goodbye to the countess, Siwoo returned to the Gemini Mansion just as the dark sky was starting to lighten with the dawn.


    It was currently 5.30 am, a time when her master had already woken up.


    But no matter how many times he knocked, there was no response from inside.


    ¡°Master?¡±


    Siwoo let himself in, remembering how he used to bring Eloa a wet towel when she woke up in the morning.


    But this time, only silence greeted him.


    He could see the tidied up bed, but Eloa was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Did she go out?¡±


    The lingering feelings from his conversation with the countess, combined with the early morning atmosphere, made him want to talk to his master, but that didn¡¯t seem to be an option.


    So he just went back to his room, slumped onto the couch.


    ¡°Since I have nothing to do... Might as well study...¡±


    No point in overthinking things.


    Before becoming a witch, he had never worried much about stuff like ¡®What if I die of old age~?¡¯.


    Because he believed that there was no point in stressing about something so far away.


    Nevertheless, he figured that he should try to catch up with the twins today, have a quality time with Sharon, and drink with his master after a while. Even if he had to skip his tutoring session, he¡¯d do it.


    After all, appreciating the people around you in the moment was the best thing he could do in this situation.


    Thinking as such, he moved over to the window to let out the cigarette smoke when something caught his eye.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    There was a crystal ball resting against the inside of the window frame.


    It was a remote communication orb, the kind used for video calls in Gehenna, where no regular communication network existed.


    The only difference was that it was much darker in color than other crystal balls.


    ¡°...Who left it here?¡±


    At that moment...


    -Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!


    The orb began to vibrate and flash, much like a phone on silent mode


    Scratching his head, Siwoo decided to check it out.


    Judging by the vibration pattern, it wasn¡¯t a live call, but rather something like a voicemail.


    Whoever it was who placed the orb there had recorded a video for him.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    The surroundings were too dark to make out anything clearly.


    But, he could hear a woman¡¯s voice.


    For a moment there, Siwoo assumed that it was just another witch sending flirtatious messages, trying to satisfy her curiosity about the so-called ¡®male witch¡¯. But then...


    ¡°Hm? Is it too dark to see properly? Wait a minute.¡±


    -Click!


    The image of Takasho, covered in blood, illuminated by a spotlight descending vertically like a stage prop popped up in the crystal ball..


    ¡°What should I do? Your friend is begging me to see /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 393: The Last Supper (4)

    Chapter 393: The Last Supper (4)


    1.


    At the shipyard in Yeongdo, Busan. A massive container ship was sitting in the dry dock, fully assembled, waiting to be sailed.


    The huge vessel was around 400 m long, 35 m tall, and 61 m wide, with a capacity of 23,000 TEU1.


    This ship¡ªthe largest container ship in the world, and yet to be named¡ªwas expected to bring a new resurgence to South Korea¡¯s declining shipbuilding industry2.


    Bianca had brought Takasho to the cargo hold of the container ship.


    Since the ship wasn¡¯t yet fully constructed, the interior, devoid of containers and exposing its guide rails, looked like a massive steel forest.


    When it came to throwing a party, timing and location were everything.


    The choice of guests and venue said a lot about the host¡¯s preferences.


    In that sense, Bianca was quite pleased with hers.


    A ball of life and death playing out in the dense framework of steel beams, arranged neatly like fishbones.


    There couldn¡¯t be a more perfect location than this in her eyes.


    ¡°Hmm, hmm~¡±


    Bianca wandered around the ship, busily setting up some fitting decorations until Takasho woke up.


    Making sure that everything wasn¡¯t too plain, she added a touch of drama here and there. Then, she stood before Takasho, whom she had chained up with some chains she had found nearby.


    ¡°Ugh, huff... Where is this...?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite the textbook response.¡±


    It had been about an hour since she knocked him out with magic.


    Seeing him slowly opening his eyes before looking around, a smile rose up in her face.


    .


    Not long after, Takasho noticed that he was only wearing his underwear currently, and then, his eyes finally landed on Bianca.


    How¡¯s he going to react, I wonder~?


    With such anticipation, Bianca stared at Takasho.


    Then, the somewhat handsome Japanese man suddenly started wailing.


    ¡°Miss Witch! I¡¯ve been smoking and drinking like crazy since I was young! I¡¯ve been working at host bars all my life! My liver¡¯s probably ruined already, I¡¯m not good enough to be your test subject...!¡±


    Hearing that, Bianca let out a disappointed snort.


    Because the thing that came out of his mouth was such a dumb and uncreative line.


    Given how unusually sharp he was, she had expected him to start trembling the moment he woke up, but it wasn¡¯t the case at all.


    ¡°Please, just let me go! I swear I¡¯ll never speak of what happened here to anyone! Instead, I¡¯ll treasure it as a precious memory forever!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes! And if you were just looking for some company for a lonely drinking session, I, Mimaya Takasho, would be happy to volunteer! I¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t feel a single moment of boredom, Miss Witch!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty good at promoting yourself.¡±


    ¡°Well, I have to prove my worth somehow, no?¡±


    Bianca tilted her head, then belatedly gave him a nod of admiration.


    Indeed, the Japanese man, Shin Siwoo¡¯s friend, knew that she was a Criminal Exile.


    He was sharp enough to figure that out from their brief meeting in the hotel room.


    Seeing how things were, any suspicions he had would¡¯ve turned into certainty, yet he was still shamelessly playing dumb.


    He tried to grab her attention with his exaggerated antics, whining, and witty remarks that didn¡¯t suit the situation at all.


    A cunning survival strategy that the weak could employ precisely because they were weak.


    ¡°You¡¯re an amusing guy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just doing my best to make you smile, Miss Witch!¡±


    Takasho stared at Bianca with eager, wide eyes, as if he¡¯d crawl over and lick her boots if she let him go.


    Seeing this, she threw him a hint of hope to tease him.


    ¡°So, you want to live?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean, Miss Witch.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already figured it out, haven¡¯t you? That I¡¯m not some kind of wish-granting fairy.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re joking, Miss Witch. There¡¯s no way someone as noble as you could possibly be a wicked witch!¡±


    ¡°Oh my, aren¡¯t you something?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t just clever, but also bold, and Bianca liked him even because of it.


    After all, she¡¯d rather play with a lively toy than not.


    His face, plastered with such a bright, fake smile...


    Froze the moment one particular name was mentioned.


    ¡°Shin Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s your friend, no? So you should know where he is.¡±


    His body temperature spiked.


    The corners of his mouth stiffened, and his pupils shrank.


    His tongue reflexively licked his dry lips, and his eyes darted around.


    All typical reactions that someone would let out when they were feeling confused and cornered.


    Bianca gazed at Takasho like a snake eyeing its prey.


    ¡°I¡¯d be really happy if you were to tell me where he is.¡±


    And yet he was still trying to provoke her rage, trying to stop her from torturing him to get his friend¡¯s location out of his mouth.


    Trying to get her to lose her temper and end him with one fatal blow.


    In other words, he had already resigned himself to death.


    Even though his actions were futile, she had to respect his boldness.


    ¡°That¡¯s a cute way of talking.¡±


    ¡°Ugg...!¡±


    Bianca¡¯s hand slipped between Takasho¡¯s legs, lewdly playing with his member.


    ¡°Finally we¡¯re speaking the same language. Now, you can untie this¡ª! Ugh...!¡±


    ¡°Stop pretending to be tough.¡±


    His attempt was admirable.


    Even Bianca, who knew the whole truth, felt her anger boiling at his taunts.


    Her next move silenced Takasho¡¯s loud mouth.


    Bianca¡¯s pale hand had gripped one of his testicles firmly.


    ¡°Hey now, Miss Witch, this is just a joke, right...?¡±


    At that moment, Takasho¡¯s face went white.


    He realized what she was trying to do.


    Something that would plant a great fear and pain into the heart of a man.


    Of course, Bianca was fully aware of what she was doing too.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see... I¡¯ll crush the small one. Try not to die, okay?¡±


    ¡°Aaaaaargh!¡±


    His scream¡ªfar louder than when she¡¯d broken his fingers¡ªechoed through the cargo hold of the container ship.


    Even after hearing that horrifying scream, Bianca¡¯s smile didn¡¯t waver.


    ¡°Uwaeekk...! Eekk...! Uwaeekk!¡±


    Tears, snot, and vomit streamed down Takasho¡¯s face down to his neck. But, he didn¡¯t have the lenience to care about it as he was overwhelmed by the excruciating pain.


    His body convulsed and stiffened repeatedly, before finally went limp.


    ¡°That should do it, right?¡±


    Bianca pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped the vomit from the corner of his mouth.


    Feeling her touch, his body started to tremble like a leaf.


    ¡°Now, will you tell me where Shin Siwoo is?¡±


    ¡°Agh...g-g-g...g-heh heh heh...¡±


    But then, he burst out a crazed laughter, making Bianca flinch in surprise.


    It was a desperate, choked laughter, as if he was trying to push down the creeping terror he felt.


    Nevertheless, this wasn¡¯t the reaction that she had ever predicted coming from him.


    ¡°Fine... I-I¡¯ll tell you where he is... Come closer...¡±


    ¡°Go on. Tell me everything.¡±


    In under five minutes, four of his fingers had shattered, and one of his testicles had been crushed.


    He was merely a pathetic existence that would fade away like dust after he grew old and sick.


    With a face marred by all kinds of bodily fluids, he...


    ¡°Auntie, my friendship weighs a hell of a lot more than a single ball...


    ¡°...So cut the crap and just kill me already.¡±


    Even though his body trembled uncontrollably and his eyes were full of fear...


    Though he had turned into this kind of wreck...


    He didn¡¯t back down.


    ¡°This shit is nothing...¡±


    As soon as those words left his lips, his strength seemed to give out as his body slumping weakly. Then, a sharp whip cracked toward him.


    -Whoosh!


    ¡°Aaaaaargh...!¡±


    Takasho¡¯s body shook uncontrollably as the whip sliced lightly across his skin.


    The reaction he gave out seemed way over the top for a single hit, but there was a reason for it.


    ¡°This lame little artifact is called the ¡®Whip of Repentance¡¯. They said it could make whoever was hit by it relive the worst pain they¡¯ve ever felt in their lives.¡±


    ¡°Agh...! Aaahhh...!¡±


    -Whoosh!


    . . .


    ¡°Allow me to applaud your bravery and stubbornness. Let¡¯s see how long you can keep it up.¡±


    His lips turned a purplish-blue from lack of oxygen, the blood vessels in his eyes burst, staining them red, and his clenched teeth began to crack under the overwhelming pain.


    But even through all that pain, Takasho kept his mouth shut.


    Indeed.


    Even after all that, he still refused to open his mouth.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------Swimsuit Amelia!


    Footnotes


    1. Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit. It''s a unit of measurement specifically used to measure the capacity of container ships and container ports. 23,000 TEU basically meant it could carry 23,000 20-foot containers at once.2. HMM Algeciras is the ship''s name. At the time when the Chapter came out, it was the largest container ship in the world, but it had been beaten by plenty of ships since then. As of right now, Nov 2024, the largest container ship in the world is China''s MSC Irina, sitting at a capability of 24k TEU.

 Chapter 394: Ball (1)

    Chapter 394: Ball (1)


    1.


    Siwoo¡¯s mind completely went blank.


    As if he had swallowed a ball of fire, his insides were burning with anger.


    ¡°Takasho...¡±


    He uttered the name of his friend, the guy who stood by his side through his five years as a slave.


    The one who broke free from the life of a lowlife and chased his dreams harder than anyone.


    And now, that same guy had been reduced to rags.


    All because of some lowlife Criminal Exile acting up.


    The video being played from the long-distance communication orb that Bianca sent him was showing the endless hours of torture he had experienced.


    When Siwoo snapped out of his daze, he could taste blood in his mouth.


    Apparently, he had been biting his lip without even realizing it.


    ¡°Your friend is truly something. He hasn¡¯t said a single word even up until this point. Even though all he¡¯s doing is meaningless.¡±


    Watching how Takasho was tortured by her...


    How she mocked his loyalty and resolve...


    Gave Siwoo the urge to kill her.


    For the first time in his life, he felt a fierce, overwhelming urge to kill someone.


    It wasn¡¯t just a vague urge, he felt an actual murderous intent in the rawest sense of the word.


    In his hand was the ¡®Criminals¡¯ Record¡¯, the book he had picked up when he and Diana had visited the library.


    While the video was playing, he opened the massive book.


    Even though it felt like his brain would explode from rage, his mind tried to analyze the situation clearly.


    He knew that running around in an emotional frenzy would only make things worse.


    This whole thing was bigger than just brutal bullying.


    It was clearly a trap meant to lure him out.


    Hence why it was crucial for him to know everything about the opponent he was about to face.


    The record itself was written in 1972.


    In other words, it was over 50 years old, but he easily identified the person in the video thanks to the faded black-and-white photo attached to it.


    The Witch of Desire.


    Bianca Belleli.


    The godmother of Mexico¡¯s biggest cartel and a Criminal Exile with ties to Qliphoth.


    A 22nd ranked witch that had been active as a Criminal Exile since the 1860s.


    ¡°What I want is the Red Branch and you, Shin Siwoo. Surely, you¡¯re going to come and save Takasho, who¡¯s been enduring all this pain for your sake, right?¡±


    Her self-essence magic was called ¡®Covetousness¡¯.


    She was a collector who possessed over a thousand artifacts and five Mystic Codes.


    Most witches believed that there was a clear limit to magical engineering, but the Witch of Desire didn¡¯t think so.


    Not only was she a collector, she was also a skilled artisan who could ¡®customize¡¯ and modify the artifacts and Mystic Codes she acquired.


    ¡°The place is...here. Busan¡¯s Yeongdo Shipyard. As for the time... Hmm... I¡¯ll give you plenty of time, so, noon.¡±


    Page after page, the list of artifacts and Mystic Codes she possessed went on and on.


    There were dozens of pages in this large book solely dedicated to describing the dangers that she possessed. And all this information was from over 50 years ago.


    ¡°But, there¡¯s one important condition. You can¡¯t tell anyone, and you have to come here alone.


    ¡°When it comes to hostage situations, one-on-one negotiations are the basic rule, no? If you let another witch know, or if I notice a single hint that you aren¡¯t alone, I will kill Takasho. Immediately¡±


    Siwoo flipped through the pages listing Bianca¡¯s magical tools and their effects.


    But, he didn¡¯t have the luxury to read everything carefully.


    So, he just crammed each page into his mind instead, as if taking mental snapshots of them.


    ¡°Oh, by the way, don¡¯t think this is the last time I¡¯ll be doing this. If you fail to show up, I¡¯ll just go after your other loved ones. Like those twin apprentice witches. Or Sharon Evergreen.¡±


    He forced himself to control his emotions.


    His anger slowly cooled down.


    In a fight where his life might be on the line, those clovers would be his best shot at surviving.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve called me first. Are you here to keep your promise?¡±


    Siwoo didn¡¯t waste time and walked straight up to Periwinkle.


    Periwinkle stood up, ready to embrace him, but he gently stopped her.


    ¡°Sorry, but tonight¡¯s not really a good time.¡±


    ¡°What? You didn¡¯t come here for sex? Then why are you here?¡±


    Periwinkle tilted her head, confused by Siwoo¡¯s serious tone.


    She thought that he was here for another consultation regarding the host club¡¯s matter, but his stiff attitude clearly meant that her guess was off.


    ¡°Can you give me as many of those four-leaf clovers as you can?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Confused by his sudden request, Periwinkle poked his chest with her finger


    ¡°Hey, do you think I¡¯d just give those out to anyone?¡±


    ¡°Please. I¡¯ll do whatever you want in return.¡±


    ¡°What happened? Why are you acting all serious like this?¡±


    ¡°Please.¡±


    Periwinkle¡¯s gaze scanned Siwoo from head to toe.


    As if she was gauging his worth while also reading the situation.


    The tense expression and nervousness on his face failed to escape her notice.


    Not only that, she also caught the dark undertone deep in his eyes.


    ¡°Four times.¡±


    After a brief silence, Periwinkle¡¯s mood shifted completely.


    She let out a deep sigh and continued.


    ¡°That¡¯s the limit of how many times I can intervene with someone¡¯s fate. Do you understand what that means?¡±


    ¡°It means I¡¯ve got three chances left.¡±


    ¡°Haaa... It pisses me off that you¡¯re talking as if it¡¯s a done deal, but... Well, it¡¯s not a bad offer.¡±


    Periwinkle closed her eyes.


    A faint rainbow-colored glow radiated from her clenched fist, accompanied by a pulse of powerful mana.


    When she opened her hand, three ordinary-looking four-leaf clovers lay in her palm.


    Having drained her mana, Periwinkle shook her head as if trying to shake off her exhaustion.


    ¡°Do you even know how valuable each of these clovers is?¡±


    For most people, just having one of these would be enough to attract incredible luck.


    Whether it was love, financial, business, all kinds of luck would be attracted to them.


    And in her hands, there were three of them.


    With these things, Siwoo could open up a random chicken shop, and it would probably turn into a global franchise in a short time.


    Even if he only had an average look, women would flock to him like bees, and it wouldn¡¯t be weird if he won the lottery every time he played.


    ¡°To cast magic, one needs a subject and an object. Casting one¡¯s self-essence magic on others as the object is much harder than casting it on oneself as the object. But, I¡¯ve long mastered such a thing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±


    ¡°This is why I¡¯ve never given these clovers to just anyone. If they fall into the wrong hands, I¡¯ll be in danger if I were to face them. You¡¯ve probably known this, but identical self-essence magic would cancel each other out when they clash.¡±


    Despite saying that, she used her mana to weave the clovers into a bracelet.


    She slipped it into Siwoo¡¯s wrist, before standing on her toes and kissed him gently on the forehead.


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask what¡¯s going on, but make sure that no bad apples get their hands on these, okay? Come back safely.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Just make sure you pay me back properly later.¡±


    After giving him a playful smack on the butt, she stood back as she watched him bow one last time and Dimension Shifted to Flora¡¯s boutique.


    There was one last preparation that he had to /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 395: Ball (2)

    1.


    After receiving approval from the Border Town¡¯s Immigration Office and crossing the ¡®Gate¡¯, Siwoo made it to the meeting spot in just five minutes.


    The sky was clad in a fragile, transparent blue, while the air was thick with the salty stench of the sea, mixed with the scent of oil.


    Surrounding him were heavy machinery larger than ordinary buildings, hauling parts larger than any regular truck.


    He only had fifteen minutes left before noon.


    Siwoo lit a cigarette, checking the cloak draped over his shoulders.


    The cloak was well-designed¡ªelegant even¡ªit was crafted in such a way that it wouldn¡¯t restrict his arm movements, and equipped with hidden straps that could wrap around him at a moment¡¯s notice.


    In truth, the reason why he went to see Flora Arabesque was due to pure desperation¡ªas if she was his only lifeline.


    The countless artifacts used by the Witch of Desire had one thing in common.


    They were all long-range weapons.


    Even considering Maiden¡¯s Loom into calculation, Siwoo was built for close combat.


    The clovers alone couldn¡¯t close the gap, so he needed another tool.


    After piecing together the bits of info he¡¯d gathered, he found an answer he needed.


    He recalled a conversation he had with Flora when he had gone to order a swimsuit from her.


    ¡®There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t weave. The clothes I craft while giving my all can fend off most magic.¡¯


    And the passing comment from Countess Yesod.


    ¡®If she were to keep devoting herself to her magic research, who knows how high her rank would have been... Since time immemorial, she has reached the 22nd rank...¡¯


    The moment he walked into the tailor shop, he knelt down and bowed his head.


    He asked her to craft a ¡®Mystic Code¡¯-level cloak, fully utilizing her self-essence magic.


    So how did she react to that request?


    It went as well as one would expect.


    Unlike with Periwinkle, the two had no personal connection other than her making him three different outfits.


    His sudden, pushy request left Flora absentmindedly toying with her cigarette holder, looking all irritated.


    Though it was understandable because his request was simply ridiculous. He basically asked her to make him a man¡¯s cloak¡ªan ugly one at that¡ªthat had the defenses of a Mystic Code.


    ¡®Stop bothering me. Get out.¡¯ That was probably the most polite way she could give out to reject him.


    But luck was on his side.


    Siwoo had a platinum card, a credit certificate from the Gemini Family.


    And he handed it over to Flora.


    Even Flora¡ªwho was normally indifferent unless something piqued her interest¡ªgave him a meaningful smile and accepted the offer the moment she saw that. r?aN?bE?s


    He didn¡¯t even dare to imagine how much gold was transferred into Flora¡¯s vault through that creditworthiness.


    Of course, he felt bad for Countess Albireo, who had trusted him with the credit. But, if he made it back, he promised that he¡¯d figure out how to pay her back.


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    In any case, everything was in place now.


    As he exhaled a puff of smoke and took a step forward...


    The world froze.


    A suspicious, unsettling silence hung in the air.


    The workers, heavy machinery, and cranes that had been bustling around the shipyard all stopped, as if frozen.


    And most shockingly, after taking that one step, the night had fallen.


    This was a sign that he had crossed into an Interdimensional Barrier.


    But it wasn¡¯t an ordinary Interdimensional Barrier.


    It was one that was created with an artifact that belonged to Bianca.


    This was something that he had read about in the record.


    His feelings were too tangled, too complex for his mind to sort out.


    Even so, when those emotions spilled out, they sometimes condensed into a single sentence.


    ¡°I¡¯m probably going to die.¡±


    Fear started sinking in.


    Terror soon followed.@@@@


    He wanted to run away, even now.


    Everything had happened so fast. He didn¡¯t get the chance to say goodbye to the twins, his master, Sharon, or anyone else who mattered.


    ¡°But, I¡¯d rather die than stay around doing nothing.¡±


    Compared to this reckless charge, Don Quixote¡¯s1 tilting at windmills seemed like a well-thought-out, cautious plan.


    What kept him moving forward was his loyalty to a friend who had believed in him.


    I don¡¯t give a fuck.


    Whatever this lunatic Criminal Exile is indulging herself in, I don¡¯t give a fuck.


    No matter what kind of madness awaits me, it doesn¡¯t matter.


    There¡¯s only one thing that I need to know.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Takasho?¡±


    Everything here looked exactly like what he saw through the communication orb.


    Even down to the dark bloodstain under her feet that was illuminated by the spotlight.


    ¡°Just go straight to business? How about a dance first?¡±


    ¡°Takasho comes first.¡±


    Bianca snapped her fingers, and with that, the thundering music and the wildly billowing dry ice smoke ceased, as if expressing her soured mood.


    ¡°I came on time. Brought the Red Branch, came alone. I even humored your little games from the entrance. Let Takasho go.¡±


    ¡°You really care that much about your friend?¡±


    Her jade eyes looked at him pitifully, like he was the wrong guest at the wrong party.


    Then, her lips curled into a grin, melting away like rotten cheese.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Takasho entertained me quite well.¡±


    For some reason....


    Even before she said those words, a sense of ominous foreboding crawled up his spine.


    ¡°Right after we shot the video, I drilled three holes in him and tossed him into the sea. You don¡¯t need to worry if you can still save him or not.¡±


    He had already expected this.


    After all, she was a completely different breed from Xochitl. She wasn¡¯t someone who tried to rectify her past mistakes due to regret, albeit in the wrong way.


    Rather, she was someone whose intention was purely evil, just like Ea Sadalmelik. There was no room for redemption or for him to sympathize with her.


    ¡°You¡¯re not as shocked as I thought. So, why did you come here? Did you fall for my face or something?¡±


    Takasho wasn¡¯t like Siwoo.


    He couldn¡¯t use magic, nor was he the first male witch of Gehenna.


    To Bianca, once she used Takasho to shoot a video to lure Siwoo out, he became completely worthless.


    In the Criminal Exile¡¯s eyes, he had no rarity or value; he was just a talking insect.


    That was probably why she had no qualms about breaking her promise and killing him so easily.


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t even want to fight. It¡¯s like hitting a rock with an egg. Every time I fight monsters like you, I get hurt and it¡¯s scary. At one point, I thought that maybe being treated like a slave wouldn¡¯t be so bad.¡±


    ¡°Then, just hand over your weapon and come along quietly. Whether it¡¯s as a research subject or a slave, I¡¯ll take good care of you.¡±


    But for Siwoo, it was different.


    Takasho was his precious friend, someone who had tried to hold on to their friendship even though he had to suffer the worst kind of shit for it.


    Siwoo felt the dam holding back his emotions break, releasing a flood he could no longer control.


    Even if it was reckless...


    Even if it was absurd...


    Even if it meant walking toward his death...


    The burning fire inside him refused to compromise.


    ¡°You really think that I¡¯d just cooperate with you after you killed my friend?¡±


    His golden eye, no longer covered by the eyepatch, began to absorb mana.


    The overwhelming surge of mana rippled like a storm, swept through the area, growing into a full-blown storm.


    ¡°Fine. Bring it on.¡±


    A thick shadow started wrapping around his body.


    His armor, elegantly crafted in smooth curves, darkened to a murky black.


    The tip of his red spear glowed so fiercely it looked like it might melt.


    Through the gap in his helmet, his eyes burned with the rage of losing a dear friend, locked on the formidable enemy.


    The opponent he could never hope to defeat.


    ¡°Just know you¡¯re putting your life on the line too.¡±


    ¡°Ahahaha!¡±


    Bianca burst into laughter, as if she had just heard a hilarious joke.


    With that, the Ball of Death began.


    Footnotes


    1. Reference to the novel Don Quixote. ThereIt''s a reference to a scene where Don Quixote mistook windmills as giants and charged at /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 396: Ball (3)

    Chapter 396: Ball (3)


    1.


    The moment the fight started, Siwoo realized just how big the power gap between them was.


    First, he assessed his own gear.


    Three four-leaf clovers from Cybele Periwinkle.


    These were the lifelines that could save him from death three times.


    Next, the protective cloak made by Flora Arabesque.


    He hadn¡¯t had the chance to test its full defensive capabilities, but...


    Considering that it was a ¡®Mystic Code¡¯ crafted by a 22nd-ranked grand witch, it shouldn¡¯t be some kind of counterfeit.


    And lastly, the Red Branch, which he could only control at about 25%.


    He could barely use it to manage its distortion field, while its barrier was completely beyond his control.


    Nevertheless, he was betting everything on the Red Branch as his only shot at winning.


    During his research with Countess Yesod, he had taken a look at the broken music box that he had.


    It was a top-tier artifact designed to be able to handle considerable contamination, but its circuit had been completely burned out.


    The reason for that was none other than the slight distortion field that leaked through the ribbons that he used to seal the Red Branch.


    Meanwhile, Bianca Belleli¡¯s self-essence magic was all about customizing various magic tools.


    As long as her abilities revolved around those tools, this was literally the only thing he could bet on.


    The distance between them was around 100 meters.


    For Siwoo, it was a gap he could close up in a heartbeat, but Bianca already pulled out a gun before he could start.


    Her calm reaction to his sudden charge showed her seasoned experience as a hunter.


    The black gun in her hand seemed to be an ordinary 9mm automatic K5.


    It didn¡¯t look like an artifact, but...


    From what he had seen in his left eye¡ªnow released from the eyepatch...


    He could see hazy mana wrapping around the gun, and the moment her finger touched the trigger, the hazy mana shifted.


    His superhuman vision caught every detail of the process as if it were in slow motion.


    Yet, in that stretched-out time, the bullet streaking toward him was like a flash of light.


    ¡°Hup!¡±


    Dodging to the sides or blocking it wasn¡¯t an option.


    So, still in his charging stance, he planted his spear into the ground and vaulted himself upward.


    The bullet barely grazed the tip of his armor-clad foot, crashing into a massive iron pillar and crushing it with a loud bang.


    He managed to dodge it, but it wasn¡¯t time to relax just yet.


    The maneuver left him in the air, and as far as he knew, K5 was an automatic gun, so it was capable of firing another bullet right away.


    -Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    And he was right. She fired the gun¨Cwhich had turned as strong as a tank¡¯s cannon¨Cwithout even flinching from the recoil.


    A mass-produced pistol with that kind of destructive power, yet left the user with no strain.


    It didn¡¯t take a genius to see how absurd of an enhancement it had received.


    -Swish! Clink!


    Siwoo read the path her barrel was aiming for.


    Suspending himself in the air with eight ribbons like spider legs, he dodged the shots acrobatically and launched himself at Bianca.


    No witch could survive being impaled by the spear that was radiating a distortion field, but...


    ¡°I have some advice for you. I¡¯m not really fond of men who come on a little too strong.¡±


    When the gap between them closed to about 30 meters...


    Bianca let out a smirk and lifted her hand for him to see.


    In her hand was a crude-looking detonator that looked like an old-fashioned cellphone.


    The two wires attached to it trailed off into a corner of the cargo hold, towards a M18A1.


    In other words, the detonator was for an anti-personnel shrapnel mine, more commonly known as Claymore.


    Siwoo instantly reacted.


    Before he could find the true nature of the object in Bianca¡¯s hand, he instinctively used his cloak to cover his body.


    He lowered his head, bracing himself for the impact.


    With his free hand, using the cover of his gauntlet, he protected the back of his neck.


    -Boom! Boom! Boom!


    His black armor, even though it was made of shadow with weak physical substance, had been reinforced with earth and fire elements, pushing its toughness and shock absorption to its maximum limit.


    Normally, even the blast of about 700 grams of C4 and the shrapnel wouldn¡¯t be enough to pierce Siwoo¡¯s black armor.


    But this Claymore had been boosted by Bianca¡¯s magic.


    The combination of the shockwave that traveled at tens of kilometers per second, and the silver steel fragments, left Siwoo frozen mid-air.


    At the same time, his body felt like it was being pummeled by a baseball bat, and his mind began to blur.


    So, he rotated his body like a spinning top, and at the same time, he wrapped his cloak tightly around his armor.


    Adding the rotation to his already excellent defense.


    -Screech! Screech! Screech!


    The sound of metal grinding against a grinder filled the air as the deflected bullet fragments scattered. At the same time, his spinning foot firmly hit the ground.


    -Kuung!


    The reverberating shock shook the hull as Siwoo accelerated again.


    His gathered and condensed power surged forward twice as fast as before.


    This burst of speed that he had been saving for this moment allowed him to dodge her last bullet. Now, he was only a step or two away from reaching out to her with his spear.


    ¡°I told you already. I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    -Wooong! Wooong! Wooooong!


    But, the red spear that he thrusted straight at her heart suddenly stopped in front of a silver shield.


    It was a bizarre sight.


    The spear, tearing through the air faster than sound, came to an abrupt stop as it hit the shield that was no bigger than two palms.


    What was strange was the fact that there wasn¡¯t any shock or impact from the collision.


    Only silence filled the space, as if the spear had been pressed against the shield from the very beginning.


    The shield, having blocked his attack, floated around Bianca as if its job was done. This was the second Mystic Code from the records.


    ¡®Bitege¡¯s Shield¡¯.


    It was like an advanced autonomous defense.


    The shield could nullify all incoming energy, providing absolute defense towards its user.


    Combine it with ¡®the Observer¡¯s Eye of Thought¡¯, Bianca Belleli had practically no blind spots.


    But it wasn¡¯t over yet.


    The spearhead, which had been stopped, began to move.


    Its shaft and blade blade swept through the air in a deadly arc, striking Bitege¡¯s shield repeatedly with a sharp, cutting noise.


    But...


    Despite his relentless assault, it accomplished nothing. It was as if he was just dancing in the air.


    No sound of impact nor shockwave was produced, and even his hands didn¡¯t feel any kind of recoils.


    While this was happening, Bianca never lifted a finger. The Bitege¡¯s Shield was blocking every single strike he dished out with ease.


    The weak distortion field at the tip of the spear wasn¡¯t enough to affect the Mystic Code that had been reinforced by Bianca¡¯s magic.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t just let this go on forever, right?¡±


    Bianca let out a faint smile as she pulled out a fan, its white feathers softly fluttering.


    ¡°Mind stepping back a bit?¡±


    As soon as she gave the fan a light wave...


    Something incomprehensible, something beyond his understanding, happened.


    A fan that small shouldn¡¯t have been able to counter the wind force Siwoo¡¯s movements created. But as soon as he felt that breeze on his cheek, the gap he had just closed was blown open again, pushing him even further back.


    This was Bianca¡¯s third mystic code.


    ¡®The Poet¡¯s Fan¡¯.


    Even if one managed to get close to her after withstanding all her barrage and sniping, in the end, it wouldn¡¯t matter. With a single wave, that fan could create an enormous gap again.


    Each of her spells hit with devastating power, targeting vital points with perfect accuracy.


    Even if one could close the gap, her impenetrable shield would block all the attacks, and if one were to hesitate even for a second, the distance would widen again, sending them right back to the start.


    ¡°Do I really need to keep going? I feel like I¡¯ve shown you enough already.¡±


    Bianca let out a sigh, waving her fan lazily as if she had grown tired of the fight.


    But for both Siwoo and Bianca...


    This was just the end of the initial probing stage.


    She would keep attacking from a distance.


    And if he got close, she¡¯d block him with her seemingly unbeatable defense.


    Then, she¡¯d push him back to long-range again.


    A flawless strategy that seemed unbreakable.


    ¡°It¡¯s not over yet.¡±


    For Takasho¡¯s sake, and for the chance to seize control of his own fate.


    It was too early to give up.


    He still had something left to try.


    What he needed now was mana. A lot of them. An overwhelming amount of them.


    ¡°Bloom.¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s golden eyes swirled again, absorbing every bit of mana from the /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 397: Ball (4)

    Chapter 397: Ball (4)


    1.


    Prior to this, Bianca had never once fought with the intent to capture her target alive. Hence why she learned a new lesson today.


    Capturing a little pest without killing it turned out to be a lot more difficult than she thought.


    After suddenly amplifying his mana several times over, Siwoo pushed his speed to a whole new level.


    The speed he was moving at now was nothing like before.


    With just a few light strides, he was already breaking the sound barrier, showing off his superhuman velocity.


    If Bianca were to try to follow him with her bare eyes, all she would have seen was a blur.


    But ¡®The Observer¡¯s Eye of Thought¡¯ wasn¡¯t just some Mystic Code that could simply aid one¡¯s aim.


    After it was enhanced by Bianca, it became the ultimate observation tool, capable of analyzing every bit of the target¡¯s data and predicting their movements almost perfectly.


    No matter how fast Siwoo got or how hard he charged, the Bitege¡¯s Shield linked to the Observer¡¯s Eye of Thought would block every attack he unleashed without any trouble.


    Even when he tried to twist his ribbon-like weapon and strike multiple places at once, it didn¡¯t matter.


    The shield had the capability to split into up to seventy-two pieces to defend, turning it into a genuinely impenetrable wall.


    And whenever Bianca got tired of watching him bleed and sweat while swinging his spear, she¡¯d just wave the Poet¡¯s Fan and push him away, creating distance between them all over again. To her, this fight had already turned into a boring and tedious standoff.


    He was clearly pushing his body past its limits.


    No matter how versatile mana was, stuffing that much into one spirit body was dangerous.


    And using all that mana to enhance one¡¯s muscle to create thrusts that was close to a fighter jet¡¯s charge only added to the danger.


    ¡°So reckless.¡±


    Hence why she was flabbergasted. After losing his friend, he somehow lost his mind and all sense of reason like this.


    Bianca stomped her heel against the ground once more.


    Immediately, dozens white paper airplanes lifted into the air, shooting straight toward Siwoo.


    Of course, those projectiles weren¡¯t just regular paper planes.


    They were artifacts Bianca had customized to track and destroy her enemies.


    The homing projectiles twisted and turned persistently, closing in on Siwoo.


    -Bang! Crash! Boom!


    But he wasn¡¯t going down that easily.


    Seeing him striking down the dozens of paper airplanes with a series of fierce, precise spear attacks made Bianca let out a hum of admiration.


    For a witch, his skills in close combat were actually worthy of praise, even though it was rare to see witches fight like that.@@@@


    It was even more so considering that he hadn¡¯t been a witch for even ten years, and he was already strong enough to beat a weakened Ea.


    And she could see that any witch who didn¡¯t have the right countermeasures against him would easily fall prey to his unconventional style of close combat.


    It was rather hard to believe.


    A mere lowly man dared to challenge the achievements that took hundreds of years for the witches to build.


    The thought made her desire to possess her burning even more as her body shuddered.


    -Baaaaaang!


    ¡°Huu...¡±


    ¡°...Ah¡±


    Bianca suddenly realized.


    At one point, he stopped charging in recklessly, even though he seemed like he could do it all day at first.


    Rage was a fleeting thing.


    And human beings were inherently weak.


    Even the kind of fury that could push someone to face their death would fade away in the face of overwhelming sense of powerlessness.


    Siwoo, initially blinded by rage after hearing of his friend¡¯s death, had rushed into the fight.


    But after their first clash, he must have realized the truth.


    That he couldn¡¯t win against her, no matter what.


    Unfortunately for him, the moment he boarded his ship, he had already signed his name in the ¡®Ballroom Register¡¯.


    Since he had agreed to the terms of the contract, there was no more turning back for him, and Bianca had also made sure to let him know about that.


    But then, why did he, after realizing the insurmountable gap between them, and knowing that he couldn¡¯t run away even if he wanted to, still pushed himself so hard? The answer that Bianca came to was, he was buying time.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious. Are you waiting for someone to come and save you?¡±


    Seeing him remaining silent, Bianca became more certain.


    She failed to break him down with words alone, but that wasn¡¯t the only way she could utilize to break someone.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo checked his body¡¯s condition.


    He had pushed his physical enhancements far beyond what his spirit body could handle.


    Every muscle in his body screamed in pain as if wrung dry, and his joints felt like they might melt down, like an engine straining beyond its limit.


    Still, he gripped his spear as if it was a harpoon.


    He twisted his body, adding rotational force, and hurled the Red Branch with everything he had. It flew like a comet, leaving a red trail in its wake.


    Throwing away the most powerful weapon he had...


    In front of Bianca, who could easily take it for herself, could only be seen as an act of desperation.


    -Wooooosh!


    The Red Branch, shooting forward like a beam of light, came to a sudden stop before the Bitege¡¯s Shield, hovering horizontally in midair like an arrow stuck in a target.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s over now, right?¡±


    Bianca sneered, amused at how easy the fight had been, turning her gaze back to Siwoo.


    But then, she saw it.


    Even after witnessing the overwhelming difference between their powers, there wasn¡¯t an ounce of despair in Siwoo¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°No.¡±


    The Red Branch responded to an external shock, releasing a fierce distortion field.


    Throughout the battle, every collision had steadily stored energy inside the ribbon wrapping around the branch.


    Siwoo didn¡¯t avoid charging at Bianca or take a defensive stance because he thought it was pointless.


    All this time, he had been using up a tremendous amount of mana, mental strength, and focus just to keep the distortion field that was itching to go wild under control.


    The cursed Mystic Code, awakened from devouring 1,200 human souls.


    Siwoo could only control about a quarter of its true power.


    Unlike the Red Knight, he couldn¡¯t even manipulate the distortion field freely, let alone utilizing its barrier.


    However...


    What if he used the built-up impact to intentionally trigger a runaway surge?


    ¡°This is just the beginning.¡±


    -Woooooooong!


    The ribbon that had been keeping the ¡®distortion¡¯ of the raging Red Branch under control was torn off.


    At the same time, the barely-contained distortion field and red barrier began to flood out towards their target.


    ¡°W-What the hell...!¡±


    It was like shaking a bottle of soda with Mentos inside, tightly sealing it, and then tossing it at someone.


    For the first time during this whole fight, Bianca showed a confused expression as the Red Branch unleashed its distortion field and barrier indiscriminately.


    While this alone wasn¡¯t enough to break through the Bitege¡¯s Shield...


    The distortion field had an antagonistic nature to artifacts, just like an EMP burst towards electronic devices.


    Bianca had to see her artifacts begin to malfunction and lose control, prompting her to take a step back for the first time.


    Of course, Siwoo didn¡¯t just wait around.


    Seeing Bianca caught off guard, he conjured a sword and charged into the swirling storm of distortion and barriers, trusting in the three clovers.


    His body felt like it was being torn apart.


    The intense distortion field was like uncontrolled nuclear radiation to his spirit body.


    His vision swayed, like being hit by a blast of the radiation.


    His balance and sense of direction seemed to melt away, and a scorching pain engulfed him as two of the clovers disintegrated in an instant.


    Periwinkle¡¯s clovers were also artifacts.


    It meant, they weren¡¯t completely immune to the distortion field¡¯s interference.


    ¡°This is absurd!¡±


    Bianca tried to pull out another artifact as she backed away from the storm of the distortion field.


    But, at this point, even her Observer¡¯s Eye of Thought was temporarily paralyzed.


    So, there was no way that she could know that he had taken a suicidal route, charging straight toward her. Because of this, she was too slow to react.


    -Boom!


    Siwoo¡¯s strike, fueled by every last bit of his strength, came crashing down toward Bianca.

 Chapter 398: Ball (5)

    1.


    What exactly was a witch?


    The answer was, a being who chose the path of magic to achieve the great feat of creation. They were the chosen beings who had transcended the ordinary, beings who deserved divine reference, beings whose bodies were untouched by the passage of time.


    With just a word, they could bend the very laws of cause and effect.


    Those who bore such extraordinary responsibilities were granted equally extraordinary rights. One couldn¡¯t judge a beast by human standards of morality, and it worked the same way the other way around.


    To impose ordinary standards on a witch wasn¡¯t just foolish, it was straight blasphemy.


    As a being who had freed themselves off all the restraints and embraced the side of the mystics, it went without saying that they had to be ¡®different¡¯ from the mundane.


    With that in mind, where did Shin Siwoo, the first male witch in history, stand?


    From top to bottom, he was as ordinary as they come.


    The fact that he was so easily drawn into this trivial hostage drama was a clear indication of his crassness.


    Anyone who had a working brain could tell that the life of a witch, who bore a great mission, outweighed that of a mere human. She had predicted that he¡¯d throw himself into danger for his friend to some extent, but somehow she still found herself disappointed by his conduct.


    And he didn¡¯t even stop there.


    What did she think after seeing him throwing his life away like that?


    Charging through a deadly storm of distortion field, swinging his blade while exuding such a thick killing intent?


    After she saw the resolve that was planted in the blade of the sword in his hand.


    The same blade that tore through her cheek and scattered her blood. It made her question, was this really something an ordinary person would do?@@@@


    Meanwhile, Siwoo was struggling to see what was in front of him.


    He managed to swing his sword through the dizziness, but it still wasn¡¯t enough to take Bianca¡¯s life.


    ¡°Haa...haa...urgh...¡±


    Only after he vomited uncontrollably and lifted his head was he able to see Bianca, staring at the blood on her hand.


    The blade had missed her neck by a hair, leaving only a deep gash on her cheek.


    Indeed. He had wounded a 22nd rank witch.


    It was an incredible success, an unbelievable feat of his quick thinking and improvisation.


    But Siwoo couldn¡¯t feel an ounce of satisfaction.


    The fact that she was still standing meant his gamble had failed, because that blow meant to kill her once and for all.


    Using the rampaging Red Branch to temporarily shut down her abilities and dish out a surprise blow was his trump card. If the blade had grazed her neck instead of her cheek, the outcome would¡¯ve been completely different. R?a??o??¦¢E?S?


    As for Bianca, instead of unleashing her rage and screaming, ¡®How dare a mere male witch strike me?!¡¯, she just stared at him with a terrifyingly calm gaze. Instead of anger or hatred, her eyes were filled with admiration.


    ¡°Impressive.¡±


    Talking during a fight was a bad habit of hers.


    Nevertheless, it gave him a moment to catch his breath.


    He immediately checked on his condition.


    Two of his clovers had withered away.


    Which meant he only had an extra life left.


    His cloak was almost in tatters.


    The protection that had been keeping him safe was down to less than 20%.


    But, even after he took all these setbacks into account, the worst setback so far was none other than the condition of his own body.


    His joints alone felt like they were melting from the excessive mana use.


    Meanwhile his magic circuits, shredded by the distortion field and the red barrier, were less than half functional.


    His whole body screamed in agony, warning him that if he were to push any harder, he might never recover from this ever again.


    ¡°...Ugh!¡±


    He barely managed to hold back a mouthful of blood from spurting out.


    ¡°I recognize you as a worthy opponent.¡±


    Meanwhile, Bianca¡¯s injury was nothing more than a scratch.


    The Bitege¡¯s shield, the Poet¡¯s Fan, and the Observer¡¯s Eye of Thought, which had been briefly disrupted by the distortion field, quickly returned to full functionality.


    In other words, she had zero loss.


    Meanwhile, he was nearly bankrupt.


    No matter how hard he tried to think of a way out, the result was obvious.


    But giving up wasn¡¯t an option.


    Besides, the fight wasn¡¯t over yet.


    Despite the gap between them that drove him into despair, and how hopeless and pessimistic his situation was, he had to fight to the bitter end.


    To show his respect towards the life he had been living so far.


    ¡°That too, won¡¯t be enough.¡±


    But it was pointless.


    The heavy, ominous mana that felt like it was engulfing the world was proof of that.


    There was no way an arrow that could be said as the manifestation of the night¡¯s sky could be blocked with just this.


    His eyes caught sight of the Red Branch, still glistening with a dangerous crimson glow after its rampage.


    Even until now, it hadn¡¯t completely calmed down.


    The Red Branch, which had been emitting distortion fields in all directions, was just taking a brief pause while it condensed its power.


    It couldn¡¯t be controlled with the ribbon-attached control he had been using until now.


    He quickly stripped off his cloak and wrapped it tightly around his right arm, keeping it far from his heart, and grabbed the Red Branch.


    Then, he clenched his teeth as his whole arm felt like it was burning from the inside out.


    Even with the cloak¡¯s protection shielding him from the initial wave, the distortion field kept flooding in. The force rampaged through his body, violently twisting his body as if it owned him.


    He couldn¡¯t control it.


    His muscles boiled, bones bent, blood flow reversed, heart skipped erratically, lungs shriveled, and organs twisted. From his magic circuits, sparks actually flew around, as it wasn¡¯t just noises.


    He couldn¡¯t even tell if the pain was just a hallucination or real.


    The more he tried to control it, the more he tried to block it, the more violent its resistance was, twisting his body.


    ¡°Huuu...¡±


    Back then, when he was still a rookie without any brand, at the Latifundium...


    Siwoo had absorbed seven kinds of mana fluid into his body to catch the shadow cat.


    Just like back then...


    Instead of resisting, he decided to guide it.


    He turned his entire body into a conduit.


    If he let this level of distortion field run wild inside him, there was no telling what might happen. But if sitting still would get him to die anyway...


    He¡¯d rather die burning himself up for one big hit.


    The Red Branch rampaged recklessly through his body, defying its master¡¯s attempts to control it.


    ¡°Good, good, that¡¯s it...¡±


    He guided it, directed it, spun it through his body.


    To avoid fatal interference, he avoided his vital organs and offered his less important internal organs as its playground.


    When he came back to his senses, he found himself slumped against a broken steel frame, losing the feeling in his lower body.


    He then gathered the last of his mana and wove it into a ribbon.


    Not for ¡®control¡¯ but to unleash a ¡®rampage.¡¯


    But, he needed more than just his shoulder strength to throw this.


    And so, he wove twelve ribbons, spiraling them around the surrounding steel structures.


    Using the ship¡¯s frame as the bow and the Red Branch as the arrow, he drew the ribbons like a bowstring.


    Creating an image of a black flower with a blood-red stamen.


    -Baaaang!


    The ribbons strained as the steel frame buckled under the tension.


    He contained the distortion field and the red barrier, both growing wilder, inside his body, over and over.


    When he regained his senses again, the last-remaining clover was gone.


    -Screeech!


    The night sky, now shaped like a bow, was ready to fall down upon him.


    The Archeart¡¯s Bow, pulled to its absolute limit.


    The strongest Mystic Code in Bianca¡¯s arsenal, never once failed in dealing a killing blow.


    ¡°Release.¡±


    Bianca Belleli softly chanted, staring at the black flower blooming toward the sky.


    ¡°Bloom.¡±


    Siwoo unleashed the wild Red Branch, watching as the night sky rained down.


    The light of the night sky disappeared.


    The sea shattered, as if letting out a sob.


    In the collapsing world, there was only a single black line.


    And a crimson flash clashing against /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 399: Ball (6)

    Chapter 399: Ball (6)


    1.


    The clash of forces that shook the world came to an end.


    Bianca, floating above, was looking down at the shipyard.


    Or rather, it would be more accurate to say it as ¡®a place that was once a shipyard¡¯.


    The massive container ship, once so imposing, was now shattered like a delicate model that had been tossed aside. Beneath it, the dock, riddled with holes, was slowly sinking into the seawater.


    Archeart¡¯s Bow, a bow that could fold space to launch as arrows...


    Possessed a destructive power that defied conventional law of physics, like the law of mass conversation for example.


    With that in mind, the ship should¡¯ve been completely wiped off.


    Not just that, everything in the vicinity should¡¯ve been too.


    But there was a reason why it hadn¡¯t.


    The rampaging Red Branch, launched using the ribbons like a slingshot, and the distortion field it created had canceled out the magic the bow released, neutralizing it.


    However, the gap in power was obvious.


    The night sky Bianca shot out crushed the red flash and forced it down.


    In the first place, it was impossible for such a hastily improvised attack to overcome the Mystic Code that could perfectly shoot a deadly strike.


    Through her Observer¡¯s Eye of Thought, Bianca saw a man slumped against the twisted metal frame, his head hanging low.


    With a light flap of her wings, she landed on the slowly sinking deck that had split in two.


    ¡°What a pity.¡±


    The man, his head drooping like a corpse, didn¡¯t react.


    He had fought well, even to the end.


    No witch had ever managed to do what he did¡ªintercepting that unstoppable attack from her.


    Bianca wasn¡¯t an expert in Barrier Magic, but she could still sense the danger emanating from the distortion field he was utilizing.


    He had been exposed to it for too long.


    His breathing had almost stopped, and his heart was barely beating. He was slowly dying right in front of her.


    Bianca had a potion that could instantly heal most injuries.


    So, she pulled it out, and was about to give it to him, but at the last second, she put it back.


    She realized that it wouldn¡¯t be enough to heal his injuries.


    The potion would make him look fine outwardly, but his insides¡ªhis spirit body¡ªwere already in ruins, crushed to a state akin to a scrambled tofu.


    And not long after, his heart stopped.


    Well, at least I¡¯ll get the Red Branch¡ª


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    The Red Branch lay some distance away, as if discarded.


    When Bianca reached down to pick it up, something unbelievable happened right before her eyes.


    -Twitch


    It was just barely, but the man¡¯s fingers moved.


    At first, she thought it was just the last remnants of electrical signals in his muscles, a reflex that could happen though one¡¯s body had died.


    After all, she had seen his heart stop.


    Through the Observer¡¯s Eye, she had witnessed how his pupils fully dilated.


    He was definitely dead.


    But...


    ¡°Why are you still moving?¡±


    Bianca stared at Shin Siwoo.


    And he stared back at her.


    2.


    He was sinking, endlessly...


    Into that vast, dark space...


    Yet, the darkness that touched his cheeks and wrapped around his waist felt warm, reminding him of his mother¡¯s embrace.


    Ain.


    The first threshold of the three realms, never fully revealed.


    On the horizon, the magical history Siwoo had written glowed, towering like a massive structure.


    His thoughts, which had been drifting like his body, started to return.


    Haa...


    He let out a sigh, as he remembered the night sky that had swallowed the Red Branch in his final moment.


    The shattering sound of magic tearing through the heavens echoed in his ears for a while, but now everything was so quiet.


    It was eerie, and unsettling, enough to send chills down his spine.


    Is this what death feels like?


    Off in the distance, where the horizon faded away...


    He could see a magical structure.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    A sound finally escaped his lips.


    And with it, realization dawned upon him.


    The fight was over.


    He was defeated.


    And he had to pay for that defeat with his life.


    For example, he¡¯d use his loom to weave shadows¡ªwhich tend to scatter easily¡ªinto ribbons, or fortify them with elemental magic to turn them into reliable weapons.


    Additionally, since he wasn¡¯t specialized in direct magical fights, he adopted the unorthodox close-quarter combat style to balance his fighting capabilities.


    In short, he was a mediocre opponent, not quite worthy of being called a proper witch.


    But the current him was different.


    Now, each of his ribbons was incomparably more refined and durable than before.


    They were fewer in numbers, but each of them packed the same power as those used by Ea Sadalmelik in her prime.


    An awakening after a near-death experience?


    Or did he gain a newfound revelation in his final moments?


    ...No, that¡¯s just ridiculous.


    The world isn¡¯t designed to be so kind and gentle.


    But, how else should I interpret this? The difference in his power is ridiculous. It¡¯s like he had become a different person entirely!


    -Shrieeeek! Shrieeeek!! Shrieeeek!!


    The ribbons all surged toward Bianca, as if each one had a will of its own.


    They weren¡¯t just closing up on her like homing missiles, they were also setting up a trap, guiding her through the air like a net and pushing her toward one side.


    But even with all the ribbons, her Observer¡¯s Eye of Thought never missed a beat.


    Her Icarus¡¯ Wing let her fly faster than the ribbons, easily dodging them without so much as a single strand of hair being disturbed.


    No need to panic.


    I have plenty of mana left.


    Reaching a speed of Mach 30...


    In the blink of an eye, she left behind the objects that were 10 kilometers ahead of her just a second ago.


    At that velocity, the G-force from a sharp turn would crush a normal human¡¯s body, yet was still able to Bianca calmly draw back the Archeart¡¯s Bow.


    It was the most powerful weapon she had, and it was able to unleash a force that was beyond any other weapons in her arsenal, but it also consumed a vast amount of mana, limiting her to only three shots.


    Which meant she had two shots left.


    With her bow drawn to its limit and the sky was bent once again. Her target was Shin Siwoo, who was controlling the ribbons below. Just as she was about to fire her second shot...


    -Wooooong!


    The ribbons, as if anticipating her attack, suddenly formed a massive ring hundreds of meters wide.


    Each strand coiled around itself in a spiral pattern, creating a tunnel that grew narrower and narrower.


    Not only that, each of them was densely inscribed with golden magic formulas, all designed to control force fields.


    The coiled ribbons and the force fields they emitted were his attempt to block Bianca Belleli¡¯s ultimate strike.


    ¡°Release!¡±


    Though it was her second shot, it was just as powerful as the first.


    -Screeeeeeech!


    The black arrow tore through space.


    But the ribbons¡ªas if they¡¯d been waiting for it¡ªresonated in unison, and the black arrow slowed, as if caught in a net.


    ¡°What...?¡±


    The arrow that not even Icarus¡¯ Wing could outrun was now moving slow enough to see. It was hard to believe.


    As for why it happened, the arrow was being interfered with by a force field.


    Not by some irregular Mystic Code or distortion of the Red Branch.


    But simply by a massive and unexpectedly large-scale spell.


    The force field trying to block the arrow and the arrow trying to break through it.


    As the arrow advanced, the ribbons around it began to burn bright red¡ªlike filaments exposed to high voltage. Then the arrow regained its speed and slipped smoothly into the tunnel that the ribbons had created.


    That was when she realized.


    He wasn¡¯t trying to block the attack completely in the first place.


    -Kwaaaaang!


    A deafening roar shook her to her core.


    Followed by a geyser of seawater shot hundreds of meters into the sky.


    Bianca had witnessed the entire sequence clearly.


    Her ultimate strike had been guided through the tunnel created by the ribbons and plunged deep into the sea, far from its intended target.


    How many times had she thought this?


    Unbelievable...


    Anyone could have come up with that idea.


    Guiding a linear attack into a curve, like sliding it down a slide.


    It was a strategy often used even on simple a Witch Board game to block a beam attack.


    The problem here was that Bianca¡¯s attack wasn¡¯t a simple beam attack.


    Even if a kilometer-thick cube of special alloy stood in its path, her strike would have obliterated it completely.


    And yet, he had diverted it just with ribbons and force field magic.


    It was a move that required a delicate calculation, and a single mistake could cost his life.


    A lunatic...


    This isn¡¯t something a sane person could pull off...


    She was unable to contain her shock as she tried to locate Siwoo.


    Even amidst the water and the chaotic swirl of mana, her Observer¡¯s Eye of Thought quickly pinpointed his location.


    Shin Siwoo, who had torn through space and emerged right behind her, swung the Red Branch.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------Author¡¯s note: This part is a semi-climax for Part 3. I really wanted to keep going with it, but due to some circumstances, I can¡¯t. It¡¯s frustrating.

 Chapter 400: Ball (7)

    Chapter 400: Ball (7)


    1.


    Albireo Gemini was out on a business trip to deal with some affairs in the Modern World.


    Establishing a stable line of communication between the Modern World and Gehenna required immense resources and investment, but Countess Gemini never hesitated to cover said costs.


    Even while she was in the Modern World, she could manage her family¡¯s affairs without needing to travel back and forth, and conversely, when she was with her family, she could stay in touch with her business partners in the Modern World. However, the most important thing of them all was that she could connect with her adorable twins either way¡ªshe could do it directly in Gehenna, and with a video call from the Modern World.


    Earlier today, Galina, her head maid, reported something through a costly communication device. Albireo could hardly believe her ears.


    ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°That Siwoo?¡±


    ¡°For what...? Huh, you don¡¯t know either, Galina?


    ¡°Got it. I know it¡¯s a hassle, but could you visit the vault and double-check? Thanks for all your hard work.¡±


    After that, she ended the call.


    She blinked, still in disbelief.


    Just an hour ago...


    She had been informed that a large sum of gold had been withdrawn using the credit certificate she gave to Siwoo.


    Even for a countess who didn¡¯t mind spending billions on fine wine, the amount was hard to ignore.


    ¡°My goodness, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Albireo had entrusted Siwoo with a credit certificate without any limit.


    But never in her wildest dreams did she expect him to spend more than double the agreed compensation. That in a single day too.


    Did he buy a castle in Lenomond Town or something?


    No, that couldn¡¯t be it...


    Lenomond Town might be Gehenna¡¯s most valuable territory, and purchasing a prime estate there would cost a sum, but it still wouldn¡¯t cost that much...


    Anyone else would immediately suspect something fishy.


    But Siwoo was a little different.


    Albireo knew at least a little about what kind of person he was.


    At the very least, he wasn¡¯t a fool who would recklessly squander large sums of money as soon as they came in.


    Given his usual demeanor and the surrounding circumstances, the thought of ¡®Did he just take the money and run?¡¯ seemed utterly implausible.


    ¡°That¡¯s strange...¡±


    Hence why, instead of feeling suspicious, she felt unsettled.


    Like how a bank might suspect fraud if someone withdrew a huge amount all of a sudden without any heads-up...


    For Siwoo to spend so much without a word... The uneasiness crept up quickly in her heart, so she quickly reactivated the communication orb.


    ¡°Hey, Deneb. I need you to check up on something.¡±


    2.


    Amelia stood frozen, glancing around in confusion.


    Until now, she had only been hunting in desolate, remote areas.


    So, this was her first time seeing a bustling, modern city.


    The overwhelming crowd, the blaring car horns...


    Buildings that loomed larger than the greatest tree in Gehenna, with their glass windows glinting in such a frightening way as they towered over the city...


    Normally, when Amelia went out on a hunt, she wouldn¡¯t let herself get distracted.


    Especially considering that this time, the task at hand was so challenging that it felt like her heart would crumble under the pressure.


    But this was Korea.


    The place Siwoo had longed to return to.


    Even though she knew it was pointless, she couldn¡¯t stop her gaze from wandering around.


    Too bad, the situation wasn¡¯t conducive enough for her to indulge in nostalgia.


    The place marked as Bianca Belleli¡¯s current location was Busan, a port city in Korea.


    After leaving Clara¡ªwho was asleep¡ªand ventured out all by herself, Amelia soon realized that she had landed herself in quite the predicament.


    ¡°What? Is she cosplaying or something?¡±


    ¡°Wow... How could someone even look as pretty as that?¡±


    ¡°Should I ask her for a picture?¡±


    Stares and whispers flooded in, surrounding her.


    Amelia, known for her stunning looks even among witches, drew everyone¡¯s attention just by standing there.


    Normally, she would have masked her presence immediately, but the flood of noise and the overwhelming new sights made her dizzy. It wasn¡¯t until a moment later that she finally snapped her fingers.


    In that instant, people¡¯s attention shifted away as if she had never existed.


    But that wasn¡¯t the issue here.


    The main problem was the overwhelming number of people around her.


    Now, she could feel their flaws clearly.


    The Ball of Death and the Arena¡¯s Banner prevented either of them from leaving the battlefield until the battle was finished.


    Bianca had arranged it so he couldn¡¯t escape midway, and also to make sure their fight remained unnoticed by outsiders.


    The range of the Arena¡¯s Banner was just over 3 kilometers, as that was the ideal range for maximum concealment.


    Bianca¡¯s greatest advantage, the unilateral bombardment from a distance, was too restricted in such a small space.


    She did set this up because she was too complacent, as she never expected that she¡¯d be in such an intense confrontation. Now, the very safeguards she had set up backfired and turned into a choker that was binding her.


    But of course, this wouldn¡¯t stop her. After all, her power came from her abilities to adjust and attune her artifacts.


    Give her some time, she could easily break free from these constraints.


    The problem was, Shin Siwoo kept on pressuring her without a moment¡¯s pause.


    Siwoo closed the gap on Bianca again.


    A red spiral traced through the air, crashing heavily against her shield.


    -Bang! Baang! Baaang!


    Bitege¡¯s shield was a Mystic Code that could nullify any physical energy.


    Yet the shield was letting out a piercing cry as it was relentlessly struck by the Red Branch. A proof that its defensive properties were being compromised by the concentrated distortion field the spear emitted.


    Watching the shield¡¯s fragments slowly break apart, Bianca knew that this was the time for her to make a decisive move.


    If the battle dragged on, she risked depleting her mana bit by bit, leading to defeat.


    But at the same time, if she could hold on long enough, his heavily strained body could just completely stop working before that happened. So, there was an option for her to just keep the status quo.


    Lose...


    Me...? Lose...?


    Bianca rolled the unfamiliar term around in her mouth for the first time, smirking at its odd taste.


    ¡°Haaaaaah!¡±


    Bianca gathered every bit of mana she had left.


    It did not suit her temperament to waste time squabbling over small sums, competing to see whose stake was higher. If she was going to gamble, she¡¯d go all in.


    She vigorously shook the Poet¡¯s Fan.


    Just like that, Siwoo was flung to the far edge of the barrier.


    At the same time, millions of tiny cubes filled the 3 km airspace around them.


    Even for Bianca, controlling so many artifacts simultaneously was impossible.


    However, the artifact that she used¡ªthe ones akin to the fragments of a star floating in zero gravity, sparkling with beautiful lights¡ªwere none other than ¡®the Dice of Mimic¡¯.


    What she unleashed were decoys that only copied the external appearance of the real artifacts to deceive the enemy, and its mana consumption was minimal.


    Normally, they were just a way to bait opponents into overreacting and wasting their resources, granting Bianca the upper hand in a prolonged battle, but this time, she had something else in mind.


    She noticed that his spatial jumps always occurred in empty spaces.


    So, now that the surroundings were littered with so many floating obstacles, his blink-like jumps would be heavily restricted.


    No matter how quickly he tried to approach her, she could still draw Archeart¡¯s Bow faster.


    -Screeech!


    Once again, she pulled back her bow.


    But this time, it took on a different form.


    Seventy-two fragmented pieces of Bitege¡¯s shield lined up, forming a cylindrical structure.


    It was inspired by Siwoo¡¯s Ring Tunnel, which he had used earlier to deflect her arrows.


    By orienting the shields so their powerful defense faced inward, she minimized the dispersion of energy.


    Normally, her Night Sky Arrows would spread out in all directions, but with the shields compressing the impact, the energy would converge into a single point.


    In other words, this shot would be far stronger than anything she had unleashed before.


    ¡°So, that¡¯s how you want to play?¡±


    Siwoo said as he landed far out over the sea.


    Did he figure out what I was going to do?


    He didn¡¯t position his ribbons defensively.


    -Kuuuuung!


    Instead, he spread them wide again, like a flower in full bloom.


    The difference was that the ribbons, which had only numbered twelve before, had now multiplied to dozens.


    Using the seafloor and the surrounding wreckage of cranes and ships as anchor, the ribbons pulled together with a terrifying roar.


    It was a reenactment of their earlier clash.


    The two, having prepared their ultimate attacks...


    Let those attacks collide in midair.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------Author¡¯s Note: If Bianca had been able to maintain her distance freely, Siwoo would have definitely lost to her cunningness.

 Chapter 401: Ball (8)

    Chapter 401: Ball (8)


    1.


    -Booooooooom!


    Their clash began with a shockwave.


    Like two dragons twisting in midair, the red spear and the dark night sky clashed together.


    The collision of compressed space and an overflowing distortion field gave birth to a strange result.


    Colors began to fade...


    Leaving only black and white.


    In between, droplets of various sizes, formed of the seawater, floated in the air, as if trying to defy gravity.


    The slow-spreading white light passed through the water droplets, turning into seven colors like a prism.


    Even gravity itself was strangely warped.


    This was the phenomenon that happened when a powerful mana storm was created.


    Spatial Randomization.


    The massive shockwave from their clash twisted even the natural phenomenon within the barrier.


    Seeing this, Bianca thought for a moment.


    She still had some mana left.


    If she really wanted to, she could keep on fighting.


    But this space had turned into an apocrypha¡ªlaw of nature had stopped working here.


    Considering that even basic common sense¡ªlike water falling downward¡ªcould be defied here, the act of casting spells would be the equivalent of suicide.


    A simple spell to light a fire could end up setting her whole body ablaze.


    Even shooting a mana beam could bounce off the twisted space and hit her.


    A defense spell might just turn against her and become a self-harming spell.


    Until this distortion settled, she had to be extremely cautious with even the smallest move.


    And then Bianca saw it.


    Two opposing forces neutralized each other perfectly, like blown-out candles.


    In the eerie silence and the black-and-white world...


    A suit of armor flew up, reflecting a golden glow of mana like the dawn breaking.


    Targeting the witch he saw as the enemy.


    His sheer determination made him forget the fear of death.


    Ignoring the never-before-seen phenomenon, and the distortion of the gravity that was pulling his body from all directions.


    He didn¡¯t stop his battered footsteps.


    Some fought to survive in this endless battle.


    Others pushed forward, ignoring the unknown threat to their lives.


    The turning point between victory and defeat was ironically determined not by magic but by one¡¯s mindset.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Before she could even finish thinking, their path already crossed.


    With a flick of his blade, Bianca¡¯s wings were severed, and she began to descend, her body swaying gently like a falling feather.


    2.


    Shin Siwoo checked his body.


    The distortion field had seeped into him so deeply, reaching his very bones.


    He had been using his ¡®Covenant¡¯ to stabilize his existence, keeping his spirit body from disintegrating.


    His energy was completely drained, and he couldn¡¯t muster even a tiny bit of mana.


    With his circuits in tatters, trying to recharge his mana through recurrent amplification was out of the question.


    Which meant, there was only one option left.


    There was a tasty prey right in front of him, a prey that could open a new door in magic.


    He could steal her magic and amplify his own mana from there.


    ¡°That¡¯s...surprising...¡±


    Floating weakly on the shattered sea, Bianca had no strength left to resist.


    She had been beaten so badly¡ªeven Bitege¡¯s shield couldn¡¯t help her anymore. In her current state, she was unable to even lift a finger.


    The surprising thing was that Shin Siwoo had just cut off Icarus¡¯ Wings, not taken her life away.


    As she watched him calmly walking across the sea as if it were solid ground, Bianca finally realized what was going on.


    ¡°Are you going to take my magic too?¡±


    He hadn¡¯t spared her out of some foolish sense of mercy.


    As she met his cold, merciless gaze, a fact that she had been pushed aside came to her mind.


    He was the one who had reduced Ea Sadalmelik to the 13th-rank.


    According to Ea, he had a special ability to steal a witch¡¯s magic through intercourse.


    While it sounded ridiculous, the results weren¡¯t something to scoff at.


    After all, she had seen how tragic it had been for Ea¡ªto have her magic stolen while still being alive and well.


    For a witch, that was the equivalent of having her limbs cut off.


    And yet, Bianca accepted it willingly.


    ¡°Fine, take what you want. Just...spare my life.¡±


    Now fully stripped of his armor, Shin Siwoo stood before Bianca.


    Due to the impact of their clash, Bianca¡¯s clothes, which were barely holding together, revealed her ample chest and thighs.


    Throughout history, many kings had met their end by an assassin¡¯s blade in their beds.


    After all, a woman¡¯s soft legs and the brush of her skirt had a way of stripping a man¡¯s defenses.


    Bianca¡¯s provocative gaze fixed on Siwoo.


    A jade-green glow flickered in her eyes.


    ¡°Devour me.¡±


    But beneath the surface of the water where she lay...


    She had one last trick, a final card she had prepared by squeezing out the very last bit of her mana.


    In that moment of her fall, she squeezed every bit of mana she had left into the artifact.


    -Chwaaaak!!!


    At the same time, as the exhausted Siwoo approached, a bizarre-looking mouth broke through the water, as if waiting for him.


    Its teeth, packed tightly like the spears of a phalanx, snapped shut from all sides like a carnivorous plant devouring its prey.


    ¡°This child is going to devour us. Together.¡±


    Siwoo had just a brief moment when he let his guard down, and she took advantage of it perfectly.


    But just as the teeth were about to tear both of them apart, it suddenly stopped.


    Out of nowhere, rain began to pour.


    Drenching Siwoo, Bianca, and the artifact, covering everything in its path.


    Wherever that seemingly normal rain touched, magic stopped working.


    It sucked up the mana, giving no room for control.


    ¡°What the...¡±


    As Bianca stared at her surroundings, confused, her body began to fall apart.


    Flowers bloomed, and they kept on blooming.


    Wildflowers pushed through her skin, ripping her body open as they blossomed, spreading across the waves, the artifact, and every inch of the witch¡¯s body.


    ¡°Ah...hahahaha...¡±


    And so, her last desperate move ended in failure.


    With a hollow smile, her body crumbled into a heap of flowers and collapsed, and her remains spun on the surface of the water.


    Siwoo slowly stood up, scanning for the cause of this strange event.


    As he searched for the intruder who had suddenly barged in and intervened as he was about to devour his prey...


    A blonde witch¡ªstanding frozen¡ªentered his gaze.


    3.


    No matter how hard Amelia searched, she couldn¡¯t find anything.


    She had traced the mana waves back to a shipyard, but even after combing through the place, she couldn¡¯t find anything that stood out.


    There were no signs of a barrier, nor were there any heavy surge of mana.


    At that point, it was natural for her to wonder if she had just imagined it.


    After all, it would be nearly impossible for a witch of her caliber to miss the presence of a nearby barrier.


    Feeling it was all in vain, Amelia turned to leave.


    But just as she did, she felt another wave of dull mana hit, as if trying to stop her from leaving.


    -Woooong!


    And there they were, the remnants of a broken barrier.


    Despite it being the middle of the day, the sky above was shattered, like pieces of the night sky were scattered across it.


    And amidst the black sea, she spotted a familiar figure drifting like a feather; the Witch of Desire, just like she¡¯d seen on the List.


    But, her condition was far from normal.


    From her torn clothes and the pale complexion from her mana deficiency, it was clear that she wasn¡¯t okay.


    And standing there, looking down at her, was a man.


    A man with a familiar back, the same one she had longed to see again. Shin Siwoo.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    A low sigh escaped her lips, and with it, old trauma resurfaced.


    The image of Siwoo with his skull pierced at the feet of Ea Sadalmelik resurfaced instantly.


    She couldn¡¯t even think of the situation clearly. The fact that she had seen him alone with a Criminal Exile was already enough to make her face turn pale.


    As if on cue, massive jaws emerged from the water, ready to swallow the weakened prey, and Amelia, choking down her scream, cast a spell.


    Piles of flowers shattered.


    This time, there was not even a trace of hesitation in her action.


    With the artifact and the Witch of Desire herself both scattered into oblivion, Amelia wasted no time, sprinting across the water toward Siwoo.


    If Bianca was in bad shape, Siwoo was even worse.


    His body was drenched in so much blood that it was hard to even tell what kind of color his skin was originally.


    The injuries in his body were so severe to the point that her fear quickly gave way to pure worry.


    Not knowing what to say or how to even face him, her feet, which had been frozen in fear moments before, now ran straight toward Siwoo without hesitation.


    The truth was, she was scared.


    Terrified even.


    Terrified of being rejected.


    Terrified of facing the consequences of the choices she had avoided for so long.


    The memory of Siwoo¡¯s tears and his heart-wrenching cry at their parting still echoed in her chest.


    The nightmares that haunted her every night might come true today.


    She might reach a point where there was no turning back.


    Siwoo stared down at Bianca, who had transformed into flowers and vanished.


    And then his eyes fell upon Amelia.


    As Amelia ran through the water, splashing with her every step, her eyes met Siwoo¡¯s, and her feet gradually slowed to a stop.


    What could she possibly say to him?


    How was she supposed to approach him?


    All the things she had wanted to say, the words she had composed in her mind after the hunt ended, before collapsing from exhaustion.


    None of them would come out.


    While he kept his lips firmly shut.


    Even the faintest hope she had been clinging to was sliced cleanly away by the icy look in his eyes.


    The mood was painfully hostile, as if he found it unpleasant that she had interrupted him, as if any apology or excuse from her would be futile.


    Severance and rejection. Those were his only responses.


    ¡°Si...woo...¡±


    As she barely whispered his name, time seemed to start moving again.


    But Siwoo turned his head away, as if to avoid her¡ªeven though their eyes had clearly met.


    His eyes were directed not at Amelia, but toward the eastern sky.


    -Splash splash


    Without a second thought, Siwoo turned his back on her.


    Not even exchanging the simplest words, he began to walk away, and Amelia was forced to watch his retreating figure.


    As the Interdimensional Barrier crumbled, Amelia¡¯s heart collapsed along with it.


    4.


    Amelia crouched down, lost in a loop of the same scene playing over and over in her mind.


    Silently hunting Homunculi, capturing Criminal Exile...


    She had foolishly thought that if she said she did it all for him, he would forgive her, and with time, they¡¯d resolve all their conflicts.


    But now, it was clear that it was only her selfish delusion.


    Siwoo didn¡¯t even seem angry when he saw her.


    He just turned his back around, not even giving her a chance to speak.


    It was as if he had gone back to the time when he felt nothing at all.


    As if he had lost even the desire to resolve things with her.


    If so, what had she been struggling for then?


    Had her desperate attempts to cast herself as a tragic heroine, hoping he¡¯d turn around and notice her, been nothing more than selfish, impure atonement?


    What should she do now?


    Where was she supposed to go?


    Amelia sank deeper into a cold reality that hadn¡¯t even fully hit her yet, a reality so cruel that she couldn¡¯t even let a single tear fall.


    ¡°Amelia! How could you just leave without saying anything? You scared me!¡±


    Just as she was about to lower her head further, Clara appeared and rested her hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°Cla...ra...¡±


    Seeing how Amelia squatted down and looked at her as if she would burst into tears the moment she touched her made Clara realize that something had gone terribly wrong.


    ¡°I...met...Siwoo...¡±


    With that added information, Clara became certain.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t say...anything... I couldn¡¯t say a word...¡±


    ¡°Amelia.¡±


    Clara firmly grabbed Amelia¡¯s hand as she was about to run away again on her own.


    The pain from Clara¡¯s rough grip was almost like a tight squeeze.


    But that pain pulled Amelia back from the edge of panic.


    ¡°What happened? Tell me everything.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to... It hurts... I hate all of this....¡±


    ¡°Amelia!¡±


    Clara scolded her sternly.


    Due to her cheerful and energetic nature, she had always been a loud and lively one, but this was the first time Amelia had ever heard her yell like this.


    So she widened her eyes in surprise as she looked at her.


    ¡°We¡¯re friends! You have to tell me what happened! I-I want to help you too, you know...?¡±


    ¡°Clara...¡±


    Tears began to well up in Amelia¡¯s wide-open eyes.


    She started to pant, as her beautiful face twisted in so much pain, as if she could barely breathe.


    And so, she tried to explain everything that had happened when she finally met him again.


    But her words were all over the place, a messy mix of facts and feelings, blurred with sobs and half-finished sentences, making it hard for Clara to understand.


    Still, Clara stayed calm the entire time.


    She just listened to Amelia¡¯s words attentively from start to finish.


    Siwoo¡¯s reaction and the way he treated her...


    How much despair she felt...


    Clara kept on holding her, listening to her every word, even if it was more of a cry for help than a coherent story.


    ¡°Amelia.¡±


    Clara gently patted Amelia¡¯s back as she continued to hiccup, unable to give a proper response.


    ¡°In the end, you two haven¡¯t actually talked things out yet, have you?¡±


    ¡°...I...couldn¡¯t...say anything....¡±


    ¡°No, no, no! I¡¯m not blaming you. I¡¯m just trying to tell you that nothing¡¯s been settled yet!¡±


    Amelia¡¯s body stiffened slightly at Clara¡¯s words.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to be this miserable on your own... Maybe it¡¯s worth trying to be a little braver?


    ¡°Just like how you were thrown off by seeing him so suddenly, he was probably caught off-guard by seeing you too. Maybe right now he¡¯s thinking differently, maybe he¡¯s regretting what he had done during that encounter, just like you are right now.¡±


    Amelia wasn¡¯t one to trust other people¡¯s words easily.


    She had spent too many years living alone, and the closest relationship she¡¯d ever had ended in the worst possible way, leaving her with a deep-seated distrust of others.


    But Clara¡¯s voice resonated with her in a way that no one else¡¯s ever had.


    ¡°First, let¡¯s go back to Gehenna. Once we¡¯re back, even if it¡¯s hard, let¡¯s at least try to meet with him.¡±


    ¡°I...don¡¯t know...what to do...¡±


    Clara held Amelia gently, stroking her delicate blonde hair like she was something fragile.


    Amelia clung to Clara like a child, and Clara leaned close, her lips moving as if whispering a kiss to Amelia¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll help you. You don¡¯t have to think about any of the complicated stuff.¡±


    Clara¡¯s words¡ªsweeter than a serpent¡¯s whisper¡ªslid into Amelia¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Just listen to my whisper, that¡¯s all you need to do.¡±

 Chapter 402: Neglect (1)

    Chapter 402: Neglect (1)


    1.


    Siwoo opened the first door.


    And a whole new world came into his view.


    It was a world filled with countless equations and geometric sequences.


    Actually, no...


    That wasn¡¯t quite right.


    It was more like a series of calculations layered over everything in his sight, as it was a magic analysis of the principles behind every object.


    Then, he focused his eyes more. A woman¡¯s face appeared through the overlapping layers of vision that resembled a dragonfly¡¯s eye.


    She was the woman who had once healed him, and later shared a one-night stand with him.


    Yebin Smyrna.


    Through a combination of self-essence magic and sex, she roused Siwoo from the solitary, research-obsessed state he had imposed on himself within the Ain he had constructed.


    In a situation where it was unclear what was what...


    With his instincts flaring, two answers rose within him.


    One, mimic her self-essence magic.


    Two, violate her and steal her magic.


    He picked the first answer.


    So, he pounced on her and successfully copied her Palace of Subconscious.


    Although her self-essence magic wasn¡¯t at a particularly high-level...


    As it could only allow him to peek into another¡¯s memories.


    Then, the second face appeared.


    Amelia¡¯s.


    Her scent¡ªsomething that witches naturally had¡ªwas much richer and stronger than Yebin Smyrna¡¯s.


    He had already copied a self-essence magic once by following his instincts.


    And now he felt the need to take her magic as well, believing that it would greatly aid his own magic research.


    But, unlike Yebin Smyrna, who had been somewhat compliant despite showing some feeble resistance...


    Amelia Marigold straight out refused to cooperate with his magic research.


    She spoke softly, but in that quiet room, her words were too loud for him to hear.


    The annoyance of having his magic research interrupted and the irretrievable memories of the past caused his lips to twitch.


    ¡°¡ª-,¡ª.¡±


    Perhaps, it was a curse that escaped his lips.


    Then, the magic formula lifted like a veil, briefly revealing her face.


    With that her determined eyes, as if showing her determination to not run away from him, entered his sight.


    But, there were tears in her eyes that were fixed on his face. Leaving an impression that she might just crumble with the slightest touch.


    ¡°¡ª-, ¡ª ¡ª-.¡±


    She did not scold Siwoo.


    Instead, she just turned her back, seemingly holding her tears back, as if she had committed a grave sin before closing the door behind her.


    This was the truth...


    That Siwoo had never known about.


    Or rather, the truth that he couldn¡¯t remember until this very moment.


    Memories continued to flow.


    And he reached the second door.


    What Siwoo had been doing was researching magic by himself.


    He constantly broke down and reassembled various spells, building on everything he had learned so far, trying to look for a more efficient form of such spells.


    Everything in the world became his source of inspiration, his playground.


    For example, the massive barrier separating Gehenna, the barrier that was almost perfect.


    He tirelessly carried on with his research, using that very barrier as a reference for his Dimensional Magic spells.


    Until one day, he sensed a flaw in the barrier.


    Sensing an anomaly in the supposedly flawless Gehenna barrier, Siwoo met Ea Sadalmelik.


    The terrifying Criminal Exile, a force of evil that had to be eliminated.


    Though his mind wasn¡¯t entirely clear, he instinctively recognized her as an obstacle upon meeting her.


    Then, they fought.


    And he defeated her.


    To simply copy and paste her magic was too much of a kindness to be shown to an obstacle like her.


    So, he raped her as she knelt before him and stole the Maiden¡¯s Loom.


    Along the way, he also took the Myriad Weapons Mastery Covenant.


    This was the first time Siwoo realized how he came to possess both the Loom and the Myriad Weapons Mastery.


    After that...


    He met Duchess Keter


    There was no need to explain how he had figured everything out.


    Even with his overly-enhanced Mystic Eye that could see through anything in this world, he still couldn¡¯t fully understand her.


    ¡°¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ª-.¡±


    After she muttered something, Keter reverted his body¡ªwhich was breaking down from overload¡ªback to his childhood.


    At the same time, his Ain was split into two.


    One version of Shin Siwoo rose above.


    And the other Shin Siwoo stayed below.


    Banished deep into a place he never wanted to go.


    A place where he could no longer gain magical inspiration.


    The deep abyss where he could only break things down and build them back up.


    But he didn¡¯t feel discouraged.


    Nor did he feel anger.


    Instead, he only felt a heavy sense of regret that pushed him to take one final action.


    Right before the black Ain was completely sealed shut...


    He threw out a single thread, connecting himself to the Ain above.


    So that his ¡®yearning¡¯ would come out whenever he caught the scent of a witch possessing a different magic than what he had.


    And so that when a crisis that would make him unable to continue to research his magic in the depths of his subconsciousness came...


    He could rise up again.


    Such a thing was linked to his autonomous defense.


    Then, time passed. A long time passed.


    Boring days where only bits and pieces of magic occasionally drifted in.


    For an ordinary person, they would think that it was a mind-numbingly dull period of time, but it wasn¡¯t the case for him.


    Each time he absorbed good magic, he found satisfaction in blooming, transforming, and refining it.


    In that empty Ain, he built his own world.


    Striving for something more perfect, more beautiful, something higher.


    That was the duty of a witch.


    Then, forgotten memories started to return, one by one.


    The fragment of the Elemental Magic he had once obtained...


    The fragment of Covenant Magic...


    And the fragment of Barrier Magic...


    Time continued to flow.


    At one point, a door appeared, but it looked a little different from others.


    Unlike the tightly closed black door, it had a somewhat crude appearance.


    And it faintly reflected a pinkish glow, with a pattern of a Covenant etched on the door.


    Let¡¯s open the door.


    ¡°Sorry, but I believe this is the best course of action for now... I will bear the responsibility for today¡¯s events to the day I breathe my last...¡±


    He saw Eloa pressing her head against his nose.


    Unlike the other memories, Eloa¡¯s voice came through clearly. Every word she spoke, every tremor of her body, every bead of sweat from her struggle against pleasure vividly flashed past his eyes.


    After some time had passed...


    When they were alone inside the twins¡¯ carriage...


    Siwoo, under the influence of aphrodisiac, shared a heated night together with Eloa.


    Under the guise of roleplay, her true feelings spilled out.


    ¡°I think... I love you... Siwoo...¡±


    But then, she suddenly drew out her Sword of Covenant.


    ¡°Hereby, I declare a covenant.¡±


    And with that, this memory came to an end.


    Finally, he faced the last door.


    The time when Takasho was taken hostage, and Siwoo confronted the Witch of Desire to save him.


    From here on, the memories connected rather smoothly.


    Before Siwoo wandered through this particular Palace of Memories.


    This was the last memory.


    The fragments of magic he had gathered along the way.


    The new Siwoo, intertwined with a massive tree, faced Bianca.


    The magic he wielded was astonishing, so beautiful, it was hard to believe it was his.


    He believed he had won, he had mistakenly thought that this was his victory.


    But the Witch of Desire had prepared for this moment, setting a trap to ensure their mutual destruction until the very end.


    Then, when the bars-like teeth were about to pierce his entire body, a forest of wild flowers fell down, together with the cold winter rain.


    He saw Amelia.


    And Amelia saw him.


    Why was she there?


    From what he heard, she had abandoned her job as a professor and left her workshop behind to go somewhere far away.


    His chest tightened.


    He didn¡¯t know what to say, but seeing her body stiffened the moment their eyes met filled him with discomfort.


    It reminded him...


    Of the way she looked when he had cruelly lashed out at her right after regaining his memories.


    It felt like the emotions he had tried so hard to forget and suppress were crawling back to the surface.


    Had she read my letter?


    How did she end up here?


    Siwoo wanted to carefully choose his words and speak to her, but this was merely a memory, a moment long gone.


    He looked away from Amelia.


    And shifted his focus to the faint presence disappearing beyond the wide sea.


    He couldn¡¯t afford to lose the prey he had almost caught, but the extreme exhaustion and strain forced him to stop.


    With that, the part of Shin Siwoo¡¯s memory that even Shin Siwoo himself didn¡¯t know existed ended.


    2.


    ¡°Guhh...ugh...! Ugh...!¡±


    Inside a dark basement...


    An artifact sat in the center.


    It looked like a cocoon made of a giant mammal¡¯s embryonic sac, or maybe like a grotesque sleeping bag made from raw meat.


    This was the Cocoon of Rebirth, an artifact that Bianca Belleli had prepared as her last resort.


    Originally, it was Ea Sadalmelik¡¯s artifact, but she plundered it from her.


    Gagging, Bianca coughed up the sticky liquid that not only drenched her body, but also filled her nose and mouth, making her shudder.


    It was a horrible experience that she never wanted to go through ever again.


    Part of that feeling stemmed from fear.


    For a witch, a fall in rank could be considered as worse than death in a lot of ways.


    Although Bianca had customized the artifact so that it could save her life once without dropping her rank...


    The outcome was something she wouldn¡¯t know until she actually experienced death firsthand.


    Fortunately, the 22 marks on her brand were still intact.


    In exchange, the Cocoon of Rebirth was reduced to dried jerky and disappeared after that single use. Which meant, her customization worked.


    Losing her ¡®final escape route¡¯ was regrettable, but on the flip side, it meant she had gained a chance for revival that shouldn¡¯t have existed in the first place.


    As long as she stayed cautious, she wouldn¡¯t be defeated the same way twice.


    ¡°Cough¡ª! Cough! Well, that was amusing...¡±


    In any case, right now, her priority was to regain her strength and mana.


    Still on the ground, Bianca tried to catch her breath and push herself up.


    But then, her body froze.


    -Tak, tak, tak!


    From the circular stairs leading to the basement where she was...


    A sound that shouldn¡¯t be heard echoed.


    This was Bianca¡¯s hidden hideout, her personal treasure trove. No one was supposed to know where this place was.


    Nothing was supposed to be here either, not shadow, not even the flicker of light.


    Especially not this woman¡ªEa Sadalmelik.


    ¡°Ola! This is how your normal greeting sounds like, no?¡±


    Ea Sadalmelik¡¯s shadow loomed over Bianca, who was crawling on the floor like a newly hatched caterpillar.


    Under the crescent moon, her blood-red eyes reminded Bianca of spider lilies.


    She wore a bobbed haircut that cut sharply at her shoulders and a sleeveless dress adorned with her beloved aquarius-themed lace pattern.


    ¡°Ahahahaha.... You crazy bitch....¡±


    Bianca let out a bitter laugh.


    She couldn¡¯t help it.


    After all, just a few days ago, Ea Sadalmelik had been drooling while crying out, ¡®Master, Master!¡¯ in front of her.


    Just the other day, she had ordered her to engage in a cat-and-mouse play in Hongkong, but seeing how she was here instead of obeying her order...


    Bianca couldn¡¯t suppress a sarcastic chuckle.


    ¡°How was my acting?¡±


    Bianca was at the 22nd-rank.


    While Ea was still at the 13th rank.


    But, right now, Bianca¡¯s mana was completely depleted, and that brutal fight from before left her with no strength at all. There was no way she had a chance to go up against Ea.


    She was like a missile without fuel, a mere scrap metal without any use.


    ¡°Acting like a complete idiot, sobbing with snot running down your face?¡±


    Bianca sneered, half spiteful, but Ea didn¡¯t even blink.


    Instead, she crouched down to meet Bianca¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Tsk, how could you be so careless? You even let the Headband slip off and gave me so much freedom... Seriously, if you were going to take something off, limit it to my clothes. Ah, right, were you looking for this?¡±


    As she said that, Ea pulled out her hand that she had been awkwardly keeping behind her back, revealing a small lotus the size of her palm.


    It shimmered like it was made of crystal, radiating a mysterious rainbow-colored light.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve hidden something this important better.¡±


    No matter how broken Bianca thought Ea was, she had never shared the location of this workshop with her.


    But if Bianca had truly been as careless as Ea suggested, then there was a chance that she had dropped a clue of its location through one of her minor actions or words.


    This whole situation was a high-stakes, no-risk gamble for Ea.


    If Bianca had won the fight, she wouldn¡¯t have returned to the Cocoon of Rebirth, and Ea just needed to continue her act as usual.


    But she had lost, returned to the Cocoon and suffered far too much damage to fight back against her.


    Bianca had no choice but to admit it.


    She had been completely fooled by Ea Sadalmelik.


    Ea grinned with pure glee, clenching her teeth.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to see she was holding back her laughter.


    ¡°What did you say about the lotus again? With enough sacrifices and mana, I can restore my rank, right?¡±


    ¡°...Kill me.¡±


    Bianca knew her end was near.


    If this was the Ea that she knew, she would never, ever let Bianca live.


    ¡°Already? Oh, c¡¯mon, don¡¯t be such a bore. We¡¯ve finally reached such a satisfying moment! Besides, I still need to get revenge for everything that you¡¯ve done to me.¡±


    Indeed.


    Bianca had tormented, degraded and humiliated Ea in every way imaginable.


    There was no way that a witch with as much pride as Ea didn¡¯t want to enact revenge after receiving such treatment.


    And this was an opportunity for Bianca, a very slim one, but an opportunity nonetheless.


    ¡°Sorry, just kidding.¡±


    But then, Bianca felt a burning pain sweep across her neck, like a searing blade had grazed her skin.


    She could feel blood slowly trickling down her windpipe, flooding her lungs.


    Before she could realize it, Ea had slashed her throat with the precision of a butcher, hitting her vital point.


    For the completely exhausted Bianca, incapable of even activating her autonomous defense, this was a fatal blow.


    ¡°Ack! Cough... cough...!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve taught me before, remember? Only a fool would let their guard down. Well, I¡¯ll give you a small word of comfort. I¡¯ll put your brand to good use. It¡¯s going to serve as a fuel for the great resurrection of Ea Sadalmelik! As for your useless body... Well... I guess I can throw it for the pigs.¡±


    When Ea let go of the hair she was holding onto, Bianca¡¯s head drooped forward heavily.


    Her nails snapped as they futilely clutched at the cement floor.


    Over the sound of her blood bubbling in her throat, Ea¡¯s eerie laughter echoed through the room.


    ¡°Thank you, Bianca Belleli. You were a truly wonderful /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 403: Neglect (2)

    Chapter 403: Neglect (2)


    1.


    ¡°Ugh...!¡±


    The first thing that Siwoo felt was the soft sunlight pouring on him.


    Then, he felt the fluffy pillow¡ªfilled with duck feathers¡ªthat the back of his head was resting on.


    Lastly, he felt the blanket that covered his chest, and the warmth that radiated from the fireplace.


    It feels comfortable...


    The sunlight that seeped through the window¡¯s bar stung his eyes¡ªas it had been a while since it took in this much light at once¡ªmaking him grumble inwardly a little.


    But, that didn¡¯t reduce the coziness and the warmth that his body felt from the sunlight.


    Although, at that moment, his mind¡ªwhich had been urging him to go back to sleep¡ªwas roused awake, as if someone had just splashed water on his face.


    Because countless unresolved issues had suddenly resurfaced, making it difficult for him to stay in that dazed state.


    ¡°Siwoo!¡±


    ¡°¡°Mr. Assistant!¡±¡±


    Before his eyes could adjust to the dazzling light, three different voices rang in his ears.


    He felt two pairs of small hands holding on to his left hand...


    And a pair of bigger hands holding on to his right.


    All of them had one thing in common: they were holding his arms so tightly that it hurt him. But, he noticed how those arms trembled, making him feel like he shouldn¡¯t tell them to let go of him.


    He didn¡¯t need to wait until his eyes adjusted to the light to know which hands these were.


    In fact, he didn¡¯t need to hear their voices to know.


    The twins and Sharon.


    ¡°You could¡¯ve at least told me before you go!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Assistant...! Seriously, you¡¯re bad! Bad!¡±


    ¡°Right! You¡¯re bad, Mr. Assistant! Suddenly going missing like that, and almost got yourself killed¡ª!¡±


    He could see the tears hanging from their eyelids.


    Sharon was about to burst into tears, while the twins were holding themselves back from jumping at him to hug him.


    He knew that their outbursts were out of worry for him.


    So, he was about to apologize, but...


    ¡°I¡ªcough...!¡±


    His extremely dry throat¡ªprobably because he had been lying down here for a while¡ªgot in the way.


    The moment they saw that, Sharon and the twins quickly grabbed the water bottle on the table.


    Their movements reminded Siwoo of the moment when a batter tried to touch a base.


    ¡°Drink this!¡±


    ¡°T-Take the water!¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to feed you the water, Mr. Assistant?¡±


    ¡°T-Thank you...¡±


    Somehow, the three of them didn¡¯t get into a fight as they did that.


    Feeling bewildered after seeing them acting so unexpectedly harmonious, Siwoo took the water from their hands.


    And here I thought they¡¯re going to start a fight again...


    ¡°That aside, you really deserve to be scolded, Siwoo!¡±


    ¡°Sharon unnie is right!¡±


    ¡°Sharon unnie is more than right!¡±


    Siwoo didn¡¯t know about this, obviously, but when he was still unconscious, Sharon and the twins had been guarding his bedsides like faithful guard dogs. Naturally, they developed a strange sense of camaraderie.


    Since they had resolved their misunderstandings and reached some sort of agreement a while ago, this strengthened the bond between them.


    After Siwoo was done drinking his water, Sharon began scolding him.


    ¡°Are you out of your mind?! You knew that you were definitely going to die if you went! So, why...! Why did you go...?! Do you think we could just live without you if you were gone...?!¡±


    ¡°Sharon unnie¡¯s right! Do you know how worried we were when we watched you sleep for three days...?!¡±


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t even sleep and eat properly! We just waited for you here until you woke up!¡±


    He looked around and saw a small bed and a fairly large bed surrounding the bed that he was lying down on.


    The smaller bed seemed to be Sharon¡¯s.


    While the bigger one was the twins.


    From this, he could tell that they really had been going all out to take care of him while he was asleep.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry...¡±


    ¡°Do you think everything...¡±


    ¡°...Can be solved...¡±


    ¡°...By just apologizing?!¡±


    They shouted at him, but that was the end of it.


    Because after that, they immediately ran to him and hugged him.


    The soft scent of flowers entered his nose.


    Sharon held his hand tightly, while the twins were rubbing their cheeks on him.


    ¡±Promise me... Don¡¯t ever do something this reckless again...¡±


    ¡°Mr. Assistant, what you did was awesome, but... Please don¡¯t do it again...¡±


    ¡°Mr. Assistant, if you keep doing this, you might end up dying before we can inherit our brands...¡±


    Their warm, heartfelt concern poured out together with their tears.


    Seeing this, Siwoo¡¯s nose became tingly.


    The embrace of these people he never thought he¡¯d ever meet again felt warmer than usual.


    But, he just couldn¡¯t indulge himself in this moment. Because there was a certain matter that he had been worried about all this time.


    The reason why Siwoo went to confront Bianca in the first place was to save Takasho.


    While he managed to survive through her trickery, in the end, he still failed to save Takasho.


    Even though the man had gone through the worst kind of torture for him...


    ¡°Sharon... Takasho...¡±


    He stopped.


    ¡®Did you find his remains?¡¯ the words failed to leave his throat.


    Because if he were to ask that, he would know for sure that Takasho had died.


    At that moment of his hesitation, the door to the room opened, and someone who Siwoo didn¡¯t expect to be here walked through it.


    ¡°Yo, Shin Siwoo. Finally, you¡¯re awake.¡±


    Although he was walking on a crutch, both his arms were on casts, and there were bandages all over his body, Mimaya Takasho was there. The part of his tanned skin that wasn¡¯t covered by the bandages looked perfectly healthy.


    Indeed. Siwoo¡¯s longtime friend survived that horrific encounter.


    2.


    After asking Sharon and the twins to leave the room for ten minutes...


    Siwoo jumped out of the bed and hugged Takasho. Hot tears came out of his eyes.


    Likewise, Takasho¡¯s eyes also started turning red, marking this the first time Siwoo had ever seen him cry.


    ¡°A-Are you really alive? Are you really Takasho?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell by looking at me? Yes, I¡¯m Takasho. The same damsel in distress who you, the prince on a white horse, came to rescue.¡±


    Siwoo genuinely couldn¡¯t believe this had happened.


    Knowing Bianca¡ªwho regarded humans as mere insects¡ªhe had fully expected her to just kill him the moment he became useless to her.


    ¡°But she told me that she drilled holes in your body and turned you into a shark fodder...¡±


    ¡°Holes? Yeah, that crazy bitch made not one, but three fucking holes! Seriously, even though my bottom hole is working properly, she still went and did that!¡±


    Takasho¡¯s body shuddered as he remembered the horrifying experience he had gone through.


    ¡®So, how did you survive?¡¯ Siwoo stared at him with that look on his face. Seeing that, he just shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°Well, so, I went to the Modern World to meet up with Ms. Periwinkle¡¯s business partner, right? Before I departed, she lent me an artifact on the condition that I give it back to her after I come back.¡±


    Indeed.


    The sole reason why Takasho went to the Modern World in the first place was to sign a contract with one of Periwinkle¡¯s business partners.


    He then proceeded to go on a full rant about how great and thoughtful Periwinkle was.


    Of course, he slipped in his crude jokes occasionally, and exaggerated his words greatly, but he genuinely felt indebted to the witch.


    After all, thanks to the clover she gave him, he managed to survive even after getting three holes drilled into his body, and being drowned for more than a hour in the sea. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that Periwinkle had granted him a ¡®miracle¡¯.


    ¡°Anyway, thank you again. I owe you a lot, my friend.¡±


    ¡°You punk, no need to thank me... I was the reason why you had to go through that in the first place...¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re the reason? It¡¯s my body¡¯s devilish charm that could attract even the worst of the witches is the reason why I had to go through all that, not you.¡±


    Takasho smiled, revealing his white teeth. Siwoo smiled back at him.


    ¡°Oh, also, I have some good news.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Takasho closed his eyes, as if he was about to announce a major news.


    Then, his eyes fluttered open as he announced the news with a loud and excited voice.


    ¡°It stood...!¡±


    ¡°What...?¡±


    ¡°This morning! It stood up again!¡±


    That news might seem irrelevant, but to Takasho, it was worth the world.


    After all, Bianca had crushed one of his balls, so it wouldn¡¯t be strange if he couldn¡¯t ejaculate, or even get erect anymore. But it turned out that wasn¡¯t the case at all.


    Hearing that, Siwoo immediately held his hands tightly, congratulating him on his actual miraculous experience.


    ¡°You are a great guy, you know that?¡±


    ¡°How could you just notice that?¡±


    3.


    ¡°You surely are a magnet for trouble, Mr. Siwoo...¡±


    After Sharon, the twins, and Takasho, Siwoo had to deal with one of his mother-in-laws, Albireo.


    She was the second person in the list of the people Siwoo dreaded meeting the most.


    For the record, the first one was Deneb.


    ¡°Just, how on earth does this keep on happening...? The Witch of Aquarius, the Cowardly Witch, the incident with that Homunculus in Border Town, and now the Witch of Desire...¡±


    Albireo was so bewildered at what had happened to the point that she didn¡¯t have the heart to scold him anymore.


    After all, all the incidents she had mentioned happened in the span of two years.


    It felt like when it came to him, the hand of fate was twisted two times over.


    ¡°I have no words to defend myself...¡±


    Currently, Siwoo was sitting on a chair with his knees folded¡ªpreparing to bow for an apology.


    The fact that Albireo knew that he had been fucking the twins in the ass already made the difficulty of handling her skyrocket.


    And then there was also the matter of him handing Flora Arabesque his credit certificate so that she could make him a cloak.


    Even until now, he hadn¡¯t heard how much gold she had withdrawn with that credit.


    However, after recalling how the usually languid Flora grinned happily back then, he knew that it definitely wasn¡¯t a small amount, so he practically had been bracing himself for an impact.


    In any case, those two things were the reason why he felt so awkward in front of Albireo right now.


    ¡°First, I¡¯m going to tell you that your status as our family¡¯s savior hasn¡¯t changed. I also acknowledge your righteous reason of saving your friend for your rampage.¡±


    ¡°I thank you for your kind words...¡±


    ¡°But, I just can¡¯t let go of one thing, Mr. Siwoo. You¡¯ve spent twice the amount that we agreed upon.¡±


    ¡°T-Twice...?!¡±


    ¡°To be exact, it was 2.74 times the amount.¡±


    The revelation left Siwoo dumbstruck.


    They never wrote down how much money he was supposed to receive, but he knew that it should be roughly ten billions.


    Which meant, Flora really hadn¡¯t taken a small amount...


    ¡°M-May I know how much was the agreed amount exactly...?¡±


    ¡°Originally, it was set up to be 10 billion for every five years. It was under the condition for you to wait until our twins received their brands, but now I¡¯m questioning whether you could keep your end of this agreement or not...¡±


    This meant he had spent 27.4 billion on a single piece of cloak.


    Siwoo¡¯s eyes darkened instantly.


    He vividly imagined himself living as a slave of the Gemini Family for the rest of his life now.


    Logically speaking, she could take it as her paying him fifteen years in advance, but there was no way he could say that out loud.


    Another option was to pay it back, but even half of it was an astronomical amount.


    Even if he were to win the lottery ten times and more, he¡¯d barely be able to pay that much.


    ¡°You¡¯re in debt now, Mr. Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to pay it in full.¡±


    Siwoo closed his eyes, waiting for Albireo¡¯s reaction.


    As he waited nervously for her next words to fall, he suddenly heard a snicker from her direction.


    When he opened his eyes, he saw her giggling while covering her mouth with her hand.


    ¡°Just make sure that this won¡¯t ever happen again in the future, okay? You almost made me have a heart attack, you know?¡±


    Those words made his heart flutter, thinking that she was an angel that had descended from the heavens.


    ¡°Are you...sure...that¡¯s okay...?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. One rule about being a rich person is that you should never let even a single penny go to waste.¡±


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    Seeing Siwoo lowering his head, at a loss for words, Albireo started to laugh out loud.


    Siwoo knew that she was just joking, but he still couldn¡¯t find any words to respond to her.


    Albireo knew that, of course. That was why she made that joke in the first place¡ªshe just loved to see him struggle like this.


    Recalling how Countess Yesod had a similar tendency made Siwoo think that all the countess was more alike than he thought.


    ¡°In return, I want you to take care of our twins properly. Not just Sharon.¡±


    Albireo said in a soft tone.


    As someone who had stolen both of her daughters, he didn¡¯t have any words to say to that.


    ¡°I will do my best.¡±


    ¡°At least you¡¯re brave enough to give me an answer, hm? Anyway, Mr. Siwoo, the reason why you fainted for three days is due to mana exhaustion, so don¡¯t go running around for the time being. Make sure to recuperate.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    After that, Albireo gestured that he may leave the room and picked up her pen.


    When Siwoo first came in, she was working on something¡ªwhich meant, she had spared her busy time just for him.


    This made him realize once again that not anyone could become filthy rich like her.


    ¡°Ah, right. Countess, have you seen my master?¡±


    He expected that Eloa was the first one running to him the moment she heard the news that he had collapsed.


    The problem here was that, even the countess didn¡¯t know her whereabouts.


    ¡°Duchess Tiphereth, she¡ª¡±


    -Bang!


    Just right when Albireo was about to start talking, the door to the room burst open.


    And the one who came in was none other than his master, Duchess Tiphereth herself.

 Chapter 404: Neglect (3)

    Chapter 404: Neglect (3)


    1.


    When it came to Eloa Tiphereth...


    Before Siwoo regained his memory, he felt this vague sense of discomfort whenever he was facing her.


    He noticed that lately, she had stopped wearing light clothes¡ªsuch as pajamas¡ªcasually in front of him.


    Not only that, she also stopped her late-night visits¡ªusually to drink some booze¡ªaltogether.


    Both suggested that she had been actively drawing a line between them.


    Now that he could properly reflect on her past actions, it was obvious. Even the slightest strangeness that he had noticed pointed out in that direction.


    She truly was determined to abide by the line that she had drawn, to not give in even to the slightest temptation, all to put in a distance between them.


    After visiting the Palace of Memories, everything just became more clear.


    Eloa loved him as a man.


    But at the same time, she viewed him as her beloved disciple.


    The guilt she felt when she mingled her body with his must have been immense, and that was probably why she made the decision to draw a line between them.


    Of course, Siwoo¡¯s view on their relationship as a master and disciple was different than Eloa¡¯s.


    Not too long ago¡ªbefore the world had grown terribly sensitive¡ªteacher-student relationship wasn¡¯t even deemed as anything strange.


    This was why he found it difficult to understand how much guilt that weighed on her heart.


    To the point that she had to force herself to erase the memory of the person that she loved.


    However, Siwoo understood the weight behind her decision to do that. After all, it wasn¡¯t hard for him to imagine himself in her position¡ªhe just needed to imagine him doing the same thing to either Sharon or the twins.


    ¡°Hello, Master...¡±


    Siwoo could tell from Eloa¡¯s expression that this wouldn¡¯t end with just a simple scolding, but what could he do? He just threw her that awkward greeting.


    ¡°Duchess Tiphereth¡ª Oh my...¡±


    Albireo, who was about to greet Eloa with a bright smile, stopped herself as she covered her mouth with her hand, surprised.


    -Slap!


    Because the moment Eloa¡¯s eyes were locked on to Siwoo, she immediately approached him and slapped him in the cheek.


    Of course, that wasn¡¯t enough to hurt him, but the slap still stung.


    Immediately after that, she grabbed him into a tight embrace.


    ¡°A-Ah, right...! I have a meeting scheduled with the Academic Society! Now, if you excuse me...¡±


    Seeing this passionate reunion between the master-disciple pair, Albireo quickly stood up and left the office.


    ¡°M-Master... I-I can¡¯t breathe...¡±


    ¡°Stay still.¡±


    Eloa was still clad in her combat attire¡ªimplying that she had just come back from the Modern World.


    Her pink-colored hair was tied as tightly as her embrace¡ªso tight that it felt like she didn¡¯t want to let him go ever again.


    If Siwoo was a teddy bear, part of his body probably had bulged out already at this point.


    While Siwoo was stuck with the death trap he couldn¡¯t run away from, Eloa spent days blindly chasing Ea just because she had received a single picture of dubious origin.


    She had been busy indulging in the emotions she thought she had forgotten: anger, and her desire for revenge.


    Because of that, it wasn¡¯t her who found Siwoo floating on the sea, almost losing his life, but Deneb and Albireo, who had noticed the abnormal situation early on and immediately looked for him. It was only after her beloved disciple recovered to some extent did she know that he had almost lost his life.


    I...almost made the same mistake again...


    I...almost lost another disciple...


    Eloa tightened her hug on Siwoo¡ªwho was a head taller than her.


    She didn¡¯t do anything else, but Siwoo could feel that her whole body was trembling.


    At one point, weak sobs came out of her mouth, and not long after, Siwoo could feel that his chest started to get wet from her tears.


    ¡°I¡¯m...sorry...¡±


    ¡°Master, no, I brought it to myself...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m...sorry...¡±


    Avenging Ravi was an important matter.


    If Ea really was alive, it meant that she should take up her sword to hunt her once again.


    But now, Siwoo was here.


    Shin Siwoo was here, her beloved disciple was here.


    2.


    After Eloa calmed down a little, they both then went to the garden.


    Out here, the conifer trees were covered with the snow that fell last night.


    The master-disciple pair walked side by side for the first time in a long time. Occasionally, they¡¯d tap on the icicles that were hanging on the trees¡¯ pointy leaves as if they were Christmas decorations.


    In the garden that had been touched by the winter, Siwoo heard from Eloa the reason why she couldn¡¯t come to him right away.


    Apparently, Bianca had used Ea¡¯s picture as bait to separate her from him.


    Coincidentally, this actually touched the topic that Siwoo was about to bring up.


    ¡°Master, I have something to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Do tell.¡±


    He had peered into the Palace of Memory, so he came to know of Eloa¡¯s feelings for him.


    However, there was something more urgent that he had to tell her right now.


    Regarding Ea Sadalmelik, the vile witch who had stolen Eloa¡¯s apprentice witch...


    Even though he had stolen her magic, the vicious woman was still alive.


    ¡°Before I regained my consciousness this time, I got to look into my memories.¡±


    The moment the word ¡®memories¡¯ came out of Siwoo¡¯s mouth, Eloa¡¯s whole body stiffened.


    She stopped treading on the thin snowy path, keeping her hands still behind her back.


    ¡°Memo...ries...?¡±


    She looked up at Siwoo, and the look behind her gaze wasn¡¯t the usual affectionate one that she had, nor was it the dignified one that she often wore.


    Worry.


    Expectation.


    Disappointment for having such an expectation.


    Determination to quietly swallow her longing feeling.


    Her magenta eyes started to moisten.


    This was the same look that Siwoo had seen in his memories.


    He realized that she had probably been staring at him with this kind of gaze from the place where he couldn¡¯t see.


    ¡°Ea Sadalmelik might really still be alive.¡±


    But that expression of hers didn¡¯t last for long.


    Although the change in her expression wasn¡¯t as intense as Siwoo had expected.


    ¡°Can you tell me why you came to that conclusion?¡±


    She just nodded her head, calmly asked him that question, fully prepared to listen to what he was about to say.


    Siwoo was worried that she might get a little too heated when hearing this, but the way she reacted to the news calmly left him a little surprised.


    ¡°Did you...already know...?¡±


    ¡°I kinda expected it...¡±


    Eloa trailed her words into a sigh as she nodded, confirming Siwoo¡¯s guess.


    Of course, Siwoo was surprised when he saw this.


    The atmosphere around her was significantly more relaxed and gentle. It was as if she wasn¡¯t the same person who had punched him in the guts with a fierce expression on her face when she found out that he was related to Ea in some way.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    ¡°N-Nothing, it¡¯s just...¡±


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. It¡¯s fine. Anyway, my beloved disciple found himself in trouble again. There¡¯s no way I could just leave you alone and go to settle the score with her right now.¡±


    Eloa smiled and passed it off as a joke, but Siwoo could tell from her eyes...


    That she didn¡¯t make much fuss because he almost lost his life, and that she must have complicated feelings inwardly.


    In any case, now that the heavy topic was out of the way, he could proceed with his original plan, to tell his master that he remembered everything.


    He remembered the memories of them mixing their bodies, and the memories of her confession.


    Honestly, he already had an idea of what to do with their relationship.


    He already had Sharon and the twins.


    Not only that, he also had been entangled with other women as well.


    Leaving her suffering with her feelings on her own wasn¡¯t an option.


    ¡°Master, it¡¯s cold here. Wanna go in?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy you drinks, it¡¯s been a while, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Now we¡¯re talking.¡±


    But, the current atmosphere wasn¡¯t fit to bring that sort of topic up.


    So, he decided that he¡¯d tell her after they warmed their feet a little in front of the fireplace with some booze in their hands.


    At that moment, Eloa called out to him.


    ¡°Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember anything else?¡±


    As soon as she finished that sentence, she made a face as if she had regretted her life¡¯s decision.


    It made her feel that she was hanging on to a useless obsession.


    ¡°...Let¡¯s go in first, Master. We can talk about it then.¡±


    That answer probably answered all the subsequent questions that she had.


    She didn¡¯t know if she should feel happy, sad, or somewhere in between.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo noticed the change in her expression. He could tell how much she had gone through, and it made him feel even more sorry for her.


    Her face had turned into a shade of pink, as pink as her hair.


    3.


    Feeling awkward outside, as they had no idea how to continue their conversation, the two of them found their way back inside.


    Siwoo poured out some drinks into Eloa¡¯s glass as she warmed her feet in front of the fireplace.


    Eloa¡¯s hands¡ªplaced on her blanket¡ªfidgeted around, proof of how embarrassed she felt. She wanted nothing more but to go and hide right now.


    ¡°I know this is an awkward topic to talk about, but... Can I speak first?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Siwoo replied, then sat next to her to warm his feet too, just like her.


    ¡°First of all, please forgive me. I told you that I¡¯d take full responsibility for my actions, but I didn¡¯t. Instead, I ran away and erased your memories. That was irresponsible of me...¡±


    Eloa¡¯s words came smoothly and calmly, as if she had rehearsed it while they were walking back here.


    However, her face couldn¡¯t be any different from the word calm.


    It was red enough to the point that Siwoo could feel the heat even without touching it. Not only that, her hands had also been fidgeting around without stopping for a while now.


    ¡°But, I still want you to understand things from my perspective. As you know, I...love you. However, it¡¯s just wrong and immoral for a master to commit such acts with her disciple... The opposite is also true, of course...¡±


    At that moment, her fidgeting stopped.


    Tears started to fall on the back of her white hands¡ªwhere he could see the veins visible underneath her clean skin.


    ¡°Do you think I am...worthy of your forgiveness...?¡±


    Worthy?*


    *What is she even on about?


    I don¡¯t even understand what she is trying to apologize about in the first place...


    Siwoo knew how much she cared about him¡ªeverything was clear from even her slightest gestures.


    There were countless things that she had given him that she never asked him to pay back


    Siwoo stood up.


    ¡°Master.¡±


    He didn¡¯t even know if he deserved her.


    Nevertheless, he still opened his arms and embraced her, after hesitating for a moment.


    He pulled her small, soft body into his arms.


    ¡°...I¡¯m an unworthy master...¡±


    Eloa said quietly.


    Siwoo then carefully wrapped his hands around the back of her small head.


    ¡°Not only did I mess around with my disciple... I also erased his memories... Out of fear of taking responsibility for my actions...¡±


    Her usual dignified appearance couldn¡¯t be seen as she kept on digging into Siwoo¡¯s embrace like a child.


    ¡°And now... Just because you¡¯re hugging me... I feel shamelessly happy...¡±


    ¡°Master, no... It¡¯s my fault for not noticing sooner...¡±


    Neither of them initiated.


    Somehow, they just knew that it was the right timing to do it.


    Still embracing each other, their lips overlapped.


    For the first time in a long time, a familiar scent tickled his nose.


    A fruity scent, just like a ripe peach.


    Everything that unfolded next matched the scenes that he remembered.


    She carefully reached her hands out to his collar, before grabbing in tightly.


    Then, she bit his lower lip, as if nibbling on it.


    Her eyelashes trembled due to her nervousness.


    Everything was the same as he remembered.


    He then extended his tongue, touching her slightly parted lips with it.


    Feeling that touch, as if surprised and startled, she tried to pull away from him.


    But...


    ¡°Sluuurrp... Chuup...¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s arms fully restrained her, preventing her from running away.


    Then, he inserted his tongue in without any hesitation.


    Eloa¡¯s body trembled like a deer who had been shot by a tranquilizer, but soon enough she accepted the kiss of her beloved disciple, the kiss that she had been longing for.


    This time, Siwoo wasn¡¯t doing all this because he smelled her scent.


    Nor was it because he was under the effect of a strange potion.


    He wanted to do this from the bottom of his heart.


    After a while...


    Their lips moved apart as both of them tried to catch their breaths.


    Eloa¡¯s eyes trembled as she stared at Siwoo.


    And Siwoo met her gaze, not even trying to avoid it.


    ¡°Master.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine having this kind of relationship with you. If anything, I want to have this kind of relationship with you.¡±


    To her, who wasn¡¯t even sure if she should be happy or sad after hearing those words.


    Who had been suffering all by herself for holding all her memories about him all this time.


    ¡°If anything, I think I¡¯m the one who doesn¡¯t deserve you... I hate to say this about myself, but... As you know, I have a...very complicated relationship with multiple women...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°But, just as you think of me as someone precious to you, I also think of you as someone precious to me, Master.¡±


    He didn¡¯t try to make any excuses.


    Nor did he try to make her understand his position.


    Even if it was shameless, he just wanted to tell her the truth.


    ¡°That¡¯s why, please. Don¡¯t run away from me, and stand by my side.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Let me do my part and take responsibility.¡±


    Eloa stared at him in a daze, as if she had been struck by a curse of petrification.


    Then, slowly, as if said curse was being lifted, her face changed.


    But before Siwoo could see what kind of expression she was making, she already covered her face with her hands, and lowered her head.


    ¡°Master?¡±


    ¡°Sorry...¡±


    The first thing that came out of her mouth was an apology.


    Is that not enough to make her heart feel at ease?


    Just when Siwoo started to feel discouraged by her response...


    ¡°I¡¯m...so...happy... I-I don¡¯t know what kind of expression I should make... I-I don¡¯t know what kind of expression I¡¯m making...¡±


    That was when he noticed her soft smile peeking from the gap between her hands.


    From her voice, it sounded like she was holding back tears¡ªthe tears of happiness.


    Her smile at that time was the most beautiful expression of her that Siwoo had ever seen.

 Chapter 405: Neglect (4)

    Chapter 405: Neglect (4)


    1.


    After sleeping with Gehenna¡¯s one and only male witch, Countess Yesod came to know one thing. When that man ejaculated, he¡¯d release a unique wave of magic power that came out with the mana he injected into his partner¡¯s brand.


    The male witch, Siwoo, wanted to know why this happened.


    While the countess wanted to satisfy her curiosity as a witch towards this phenomenon, and do her research on the matter.


    This was why the two of them agreed to have sex again, and recorded the phenomenon on a crystal ball that could record and measure both magical properties and mana waves.


    She was analyzing said record when she discovered a surprising fact.


    ¡°This...¡±


    The phenomenon was divided into five major stages.


    Ejaculation -> Magic Power Injection -> Mana Absorption -> Mana Amplification -> Injection of the Amplified Mana.


    The whole process was done unconsciously, as it didn¡¯t require Siwoo¡¯s input¡ªalmost similar to how a witch¡¯s autonomous defense worked.


    This in itself was already fascinating, thought provoking, and ¡®useful¡¯¡ªalthough it was a little cold to put it in that way.


    Normally, a witch must go through a long process of assimilating the mana with their brand to store it there.


    With high-purity and high-quality mana water, it would take less time to do it, but it would still take time.


    But, it wasn¡¯t the case with this phenomenon¡ªit overturned the common sense that all witches had.


    The mana that he injected after the amplification was so pure that it didn¡¯t need to be assimilated first before being stored.


    At this level of purity, even if he were to inject those mana into an apprentice witch¡¯s bowl, it wouldn¡¯t do them any harm.


    The implication of this was huge.


    This meant that as long as he didn¡¯t mind overloading his magic circuits, and dealing with the inevitable exhaustion that came from calculating magic, he could recharge his own brand to its full capacity as many times as he wanted.


    ¡°Amazing...¡±


    But, the records that she read from the crystal implied that he could achieve something even bigger.


    During the injection, he also absorbed some of the self-essence mana inside the brand.


    This finding made the countess shiver.


    Is this a unique property of his self-essence magic?


    Or is it just something that naturally happens because he is a ¡®male witch?¡¯. I don¡¯t know, there¡¯s no other sample to compare it to...


    But, whichever it is...


    This phenomenon might give birth to a new way of ¡®succession¡¯, a new way that is completely different from the current one!


    As she could feel her heart pounding loudly from that amazing discovery...


    Her communication orb buzzed.


    Since she had just made a grand discovery, and the buzz completely interrupted her joyous occasion, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if she¡¯d at least click her tongue in annoyance, but that didn¡¯t happen right now.


    ¡°Really? Shin Siwoo woke up?¡±


    Because Shin Siwoo, her partner whom she had mixed her body with, who was lying unconscious after his fight with the Witch of Desire to save his friend, had woken up from his coma.


    2.


    Albireo, who ran into Countess Yesod by chance, was left dumbstruck.


    It was because the latter was walking down the hallway so quickly that it seemed like she was almost running, even though she was wearing heels.


    Her presence here¡ªin the Gemini Mansion¡ªwasn¡¯t strange. After all, it was Albireo who had sent the news of Siwoo¡¯s waking up over the communication orb to her.


    Besides, she had visited Siwoo two or three times while he was still unconscious.


    Of course it went without saying that Albireo felt a little suspicious over her actions, as at the end of the day, she was just Siwoo¡¯s temporary tutor, and the mother of Siwoo¡¯s temporary student.


    She wasn¡¯t that suspicious though.


    At best she only had the ¡®Could it be?¡¯ kind of thoughts in her head.


    But right now, when she saw Countess Yesod carrying a bouquet of roses¡ªthere were probably a hundred of them there¡ªshe could feel the alarm bell ringing.


    A bouquet...?


    Of roses...?


    There should be a hundred roses there, no...?


    That was when everything clicked in Albireo¡¯s head.


    Nevertheless, she still dismissed it with a ¡®I¡¯m probably overthinking it...¡¯ and carried on. Of course, she still kept that possibility close in her mind.


    ¡°Hello, Countess Gemini. It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°May I know where Mr. Siwoo is right now? I went to the sick room, but he wasn¡¯t there.¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s in one of the three guest rooms over at the east wing.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m in a bit of a hurry, so please excuse me.¡±


    Normally, even if they met by chance out in the street, they¡¯d have a light chat for a bit.


    It was even more so in this situation¡ªwhere Countess Yesod was clearly a guest in Albireo¡¯s mansion.


    However, this time, she just greeted her and passed by her without even putting down the bouquet of flowers in her hands.


    There was only one time Albireo had seen such a sloppy display from this supposedly extremely conservative witch.


    Whenever she was talking about matters related to Diana.


    But, what does Siwoo have to do with her?


    ¡°Yesod, is that bouquet a gift from Miss Diana?¡±


    Albireo knew that this was none of her business, but she couldn¡¯t help but ask anyway.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I was just wondering if you bought those roses on behalf of Miss Diana, or she passed them to you so you could give them to Siwoo on her behalf.¡±


    Seeing Albireo tilting her head, showing her genuine curiosity, Countess Yesod immediately understood what she was implying.


    For a moment there, she wondered if she should tell him the truth or not, but at this point it wasn¡¯t like she could just lie.


    Besides, there was no reason for her to hide it.


    ¡°Haa... I wanted to hide it because it¡¯s a little embarrassing... But, as expected, I can¡¯t hide from your keen eye, Albireo.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Seeing Countess Yesod¡¯s expression turning into one that resembled a girl who had fallen in love for the first time, the alarm bell rang even louder in Albireo¡¯s head.


    ¡°Recently, my life has been so happy~ I¡¯m glad he came back safely~¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Albireo couldn¡¯t say any words for a moment there.


    ¡°...Happy...?¡±


    ¡°Yes. A lot of things happened, and I somehow got in a deeper relationship with him. I can¡¯t believe that I could still have this kind of happiness even though I¡¯m so close to the end of my life~¡±


    Before she realized it, their conversation had turned into a conversation between Siwoo¡¯s prospective mother-in-law and one of Siwoo¡¯s mistresses.


    This realization left her so dumbstruck that she forgot what she was about to say.


    Our twins... Sharon... And now Countess Yesod too...?


    Just how far will you go next?!


    ¡°Um, can you...elaborate...?¡±


    Albireo asked with a dreaded look.


    But, it seemed like Countess Yesod didn¡¯t notice that look, as she immediately revealed the nature of her relationship with Siwoo, as if bragging.


    ¡°When it comes to the relationship between a man and a woman, what else there is to elaborate?¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Countess Yesod started to blush shyly as she said so.


    Though she had never been in such a relationship, even Albireo could tell that.


    Oh, my head...


    Still trying to digest this new information, she asked another question.


    ¡°Who started this relationship, if I may ask?¡±


    ¡°Is that important?¡±


    Since that kind of question came out, even Countess Yesod started to be suspicious of her motive.


    So, she wore a sly smile¡ªjust like a perverted old man¡¯s smile¡ªand started teasing Albireo.


    ¡°Oh, could it be? Are you also interested in him, Albireo? Hehe, don¡¯t worry too much, I don¡¯t intend to keep him to myself or anything like that. I just want to have fun with him~¡±


    ¡°Yesod, just answer me already.¡±


    But, Albireo had zero intention of playing along with her antics, so she could just give up and let out a sigh.


    ¡°I was the one who seduced him first. Then things happened, and our interests aligned, so we continued on.¡±


    Not only did he take both of her twins¡ªhe could just pick one if he wanted to instead of both¡ªhe also opened his legs to Sharon, and now to Countess Yesod too.


    Throughout history, she had never heard of such a womanizer who had seduced so many witches at once.


    Though Countess Yesod said that it was her who seduced him first, at this point, that detail was too trivial to mention in Albireo¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s rare for you to be curious about such a thing. Aren¡¯t you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about this.¡±


    Not knowing what else she should say to Countess Yesod, Albireo gave up and decided to just bring her to Siwoo.


    While she was at it, she figured that she should at least give that womanizer son-in-law of hers a nasty look.


    As Albireo took a turn on the hallway with Countess Yesod¡ªwho was acting all giddy, throwing all her dignity to the ground¡ªshe suddenly stopped walking.


    Through the window of one of the guest rooms...


    In the gap between the curtains, she could see Siwoo.


    But he wasn¡¯t alone.


    Duchess Tiphereth was also there, as they were sitting together, exchanging passionate kisses.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Albireo had to open her eyes wide to make sure that she wasn¡¯t just seeing things. Before she realized it, she had let out a strange voice.


    But, she really wasn¡¯t just seeing things.


    Who else in the world had such distinct pink hair other than Duchess Tiphereth herself?


    He¡¯s adding the duchess to this whole mess?!


    Albireo¡¯s whole body froze, completely dumbfounded.


    Up until now, she had been trying to push the twins through, to make them look more attractive to him.


    But Duchess Tiphereth was simply too formidable of a foe.


    Though her wealth was insignificant, her fame and status as a respected witch were so exceptional to the point that ordinary witches could never dream of.


    Not only that, she also had such a uniquely attractive appearance that could be described as peerless.


    ¡°Oh, my head...¡±


    Where do I even start...?


    No, should I even try to involve myself in this...?


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    Seeing Albireo suddenly stopping and letting out that undignified cry, Countess Yesod tilted her head in confusion. Then, her eyes laid upon the same scene that the other countess saw.


    ¡°H-Huh?!¡±


    Her face immediately turned pale as she let out that cry.


    Siwoo had told her that he had a lover, that was for sure.


    But, never in her wildest dream could she have guessed that his lover was none other than Duchess Tiphereth herself.


    For the countess who loved seeing things from a weird perspective, this was the equivalent of her facing the wife of his lover.


    In terms of wealth and influence within Gehenna, Countess Yesod was far ahead of the penniless Duchess Tiphereth, but...


    She had no guts to confront an angry Duchess Tiphereth.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    And so, the two countess stood side by side, watching Siwoo and the duchess exchanging their passionate kisses for a while.


    Though both of them were thinking about different things, their complicated thoughts were all the same.

 Chapter 406: Neglect (5)

    Chapter 406: Neglect (5)


    1.


    Surprisingly, Gehenna had a building code based on regulations from the City Hall.


    If the exterior or interior of the building didn¡¯t fit Gehenna¡¯s vibe, or if they were straight up ugly, the City Hall wouldn¡¯t issue a building permit.


    Said code was a little vague, but essentially, it was to prevent people from bringing materials from the Modern World and use their construction techniques to build a building in Gehenna.


    One could see how this regulation roughly worked by seeing the Gemini and the Yesod Mansion, as well as various other buildings in Gehenna.


    Although, even if that regulation was lifted somehow, Gehenna wouldn¡¯t suddenly become like a modern city or anything.


    Gehenna builders knew nothing about Modern World¡¯s construction techniques, and procuring materials from the Modern World would require a lot of money.


    Besides, most of the witches living here had their aesthetics locked to the style of the past.


    But, there was one notable mansion in Gehenna that exuded the most modern-ish atmosphere, at least among the 90% of the total buildings. It was none other than Periwinkle Mansion in Lenomond Town.


    The generous usage of glass walls, as well as the use of halogen lamps for its interior created a sense of openness.


    It would remind one of a mansion that a Hollywood actress would live in.


    The last time he visited, Siwoo was too distracted by the thing with the Witch of Desire, so he couldn¡¯t take a closer look, but now he noticed that everything here looked completely different than the rest of Gehenna as a whole.


    As for why he was back here... He had a debt to settle with Periwinkle, and he wanted to settle it as quickly as he could.


    After all, she could be considered as the one who helped him the most in that incident.


    If she hadn¡¯t given him her clovers, Bianca would¡¯ve just killed him straight away and there wouldn¡¯t be a fight.


    ¡°Is that you, Cutie?¡±


    As he wondered if he should go straight to her workshop or not, she had already come out to greet him personally.


    Her navy blue hair was tied princess-style, her dress¡ªlooking a little tacky¡ªsparkled brilliantly.


    It was a sequin dress, and the nature of the sequins made it look sparkly, but when worn by her, those sequins looked just like real jewels instead.


    She was a slender beauty, and she always liked to look fancy, so the dress perfectly suited her.


    ¡°Ms. Periwinkle...¡±


    ¡°I heard everything. Is it okay for you to come here right after you wake up?¡±


    Before their conversation began, Siwoo already dropped his head down so low that it almost touched the floor.


    ¡°Thank you very much. Takasho is safe thanks to you, Ms. Periwinkle.¡±


    This was the reason why he felt so thankful.


    If it wasn¡¯t for Periwinkle, all his effort would be for nothing.


    ¡°No need to thank me, I¡¯ve already received a good enough gift from that guy. A lifetime VVIP treatment in Rose Glass.¡±


    Periwinkle waved her hand, smiling at him as if she hadn¡¯t done anything big. Then, she walked over and grabbed his arm.


    ¡°However, you haven¡¯t held the end of your promise. I hope you won¡¯t forget that~¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°But, can I ask you something? Did you really subdue the Witch of Desire?¡±


    Periwinkle glanced at him with a look of disbelief.


    Although her clovers were extremely good at creating variables in a battle, there was still a stark difference in her rank and Bianca¡¯s.


    For comparison, if she had gone and confronted Bianca herself, she¡¯d be utterly helpless in front of that witch.


    It would be the best case scenario if she could barely save her own life.


    But then there was this guy, a male witch, a first generation witch, who managed to successfully hunt such a vicious Criminal Exile.


    It was only a given that she felt a little doubtful of the news¡¯ truth.


    Especially considering that the first time they met, he almost died to a mere 17-eyed Homunculus.


    ¡°Um... It¡¯s a long story. Also, I wasn¡¯t the one who dealt the final blow...¡±


    ¡°The final blow...?¡±


    Does that mean you did most of the job except the final blow?


    When she first heard the rumors, Periwinkle thought that, ¡®He¡¯s getting help from another witch for sure...¡¯ so, this news left her dumbfounded.


    ¡°Yes... Baroness Marigold helped me when I let my guard down after thinking that I was winning...¡±


    His face and voice expressed his complicated feelings, but Periwinkle failed to sense it.


    Because she was processing the change of her perception of him.


    To Periwinkle, he had always been just a slightly special man.


    He was quick to learn something, but at best he could only imitate others¡¯ magic, and he was weaker than her.


    But then came this revelation of him subduing a 22nd-ranked witch by himself.


    From that alone, he looked considerably more manly and cooler in her eyes.


    ¡°...Not good.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Did you say something?¡±


    At the end of the day, witches were still women.


    The instinct to be attracted by strong men was still ingrained within them, and she was no different.


    Said instinct just never been triggered as there hadn¡¯t been a man who was stronger than a witch.


    ¡°Anyway, what should I do to keep my promise?¡±


    The combination of his deep voice...


    And his glance towards her, gave off a strange sense of intimidation.


    Though it was unlikely, if he wanted to, he could just push her into the ground and have his way with her, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to resist even if she tried to.


    She felt a hot breath caught up in her throat.


    ¡°I-I... I don¡¯t know. W-What do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    Seeing Periwinkle acting oddly like that, Siwoo tilted his head in confusion.


    ¡°Well, what if we try something a little rough today?¡±


    2.


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    On top of the bed¡ªwhere the heat of their ¡®action¡¯ still lingered...


    Periwinkle, leaning back against the backrest, leisurely breathed out her cigarette¡¯s smoke.


    Similarly, Siwoo also did that as he flicked up his cigarette¡¯s ash into the ashtray that they had placed between them.


    Periwinkle¡¯s body¡ªwhich wasn¡¯t completely covered by the blanket¡ªwas filled with colorful handprints.


    This was the result of Siwoo putting in his strength to hold her down, as she had tried to escape from him during their ¡®action¡¯ a few times.


    If he were to slightly lower the blanket, her chest, covered in teeth marks, would be exposed to the world.


    But, even though he had ejaculated three times into her back hole, Periwinkle still felt that there was something strange with him.


    ¡°Is something bothering you?¡±


    He enjoyed her body thoroughly, that was for sure.


    After all, even when she tried to run away, he still held her body down, and no matter how hard she tried to resist, he still pounded her back hole as if there was no tomorrow.


    But, she felt something different from the last time she did it with him.


    She was confident in her body, that was for sure, so she thought that she¡¯d be able to give him a hot and passionate night, and he¡¯d also drown in the pleasure, just like her, but...


    His words and actions were more detached than usual, as if he was treating this matter as a business and nothing less.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to notice that.


    Because in the first place, he was bad at hiding his feelings.


    ¡°You can tell this Big Sister what¡¯s troubling you. Maybe I can help.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°It feels like your mind is wandering somewhere else. Are you feeling guilty about something?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I know I shouldn¡¯t have felt this way. I should¡¯ve done my best to forget about it and focus...¡±


    In truth, there were a lot of things that bothered him.


    If there was nothing, or if the things that bothered him were only trivial things, he¡¯d act more proactively during their action.


    But there were just too many things that were in his mind.


    In total, there were three.


    First, Amelia.


    He wasn¡¯t able to thank her properly after she saved him from Bianca.


    Maybe because she saw his cold eyes, she just stood there without saying anything to him.


    In any case, he wanted to know why she was in the Modern World.


    He wanted to know if she had read the letter he left her, and what was in her mind when she was looking at him.


    There were more, but those were the most important ones.


    Second, Duchess Keter¡¯s intentions.


    He just couldn¡¯t figure out what her goal was.


    Why did she, someone who had been secluding herself for decades, suddenly bestowed a ¡®bowl¡¯ on him?


    Why did she heal him?


    Why did she go out of her way to make it so that he felt less psychological aversion in having relationships with multiple women?


    He didn¡¯t know anything.


    His third concern was related to the second one.


    Now that his relationship with his Master, Sharon, and the twins were pretty much official, he couldn¡¯t just have sex with random witches like he used to.


    He didn¡¯t know what Duchess Keter¡¯s intentions were, but now that he knew that everything was related to her somehow, he couldn¡¯t act the same way as he did.


    Hence why he only did the deed with Periwinkle to repay her, no more, no less, and he was also planning to end his relationship with Countess Yesod soon.


    ¡°You see...¡±


    Among those, only the third one was directly related to Periwinkle, so he only told her about that.


    Periwinkle let out a chuckle as she took out a new cigarette.


    ¡°Ah, sorry, sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to make fun of you. I just thought that it was a cute concern.¡±


    ¡°I was being serious, though...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty naive, you know? Hehe. I was a little surprised to hear that you didn¡¯t even like me that much, but I guess that¡¯s why you haven¡¯t kissed me even once while we were having sex.¡±


    Periwinkle pinched his cheek, as if she was finding him cute.


    Why did she react this way?


    If it was anyone else, she would¡¯ve thought something along the lines of, ¡®Is he lying because he doesn¡¯t want to sleep with me?¡¯.


    The reason was because she knew what kind of person Siwoo was.


    He was being sincere, this wasn¡¯t just an excuse.


    ¡°You know, polygamy was still legal a few decades ago. In fact, there are still plenty of countries that legally allow it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just about whether it¡¯s legal or not...¡±


    Then, Periwinkle calmly expressed her thoughts.


    ¡°You¡¯re handsome and talented. I can totally see more women flocking to you in the future. As a capable hero, it isn¡¯t a strange thing to have a few concubines with you, you know?¡±


    ¡°...Can you not put it that way? It¡¯s embarrassing... Also, I¡¯m not a hero...¡±


    ¡°How could a man who had hunted a 22nd-rank Criminal Exile not be a hero? You need to be more confident in yourself.¡±


    Even after she said all that, Siwoo¡¯s expression was still stiff.


    So, she continued.


    ¡°Have you ever wondered why humans limit themselves to only a single person to love? This is my personal opinion, but I think it¡¯s because of ¡®time¡¯. Human¡¯s life is too short to fall in love with one person completely, and human¡¯s youth¡ªthe time when love blooms the prettiest¡ªis even shorter.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°As long as your heart is ready, and you¡¯re confident enough, there¡¯s no need to feel guilty about love.¡±


    It felt like she was giving advice to her cute little brother rather than trying to convince him to have a sex with her again.


    ¡°If you have time to feel guilty towards me, then you should spend it to fall for me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Go and sort out your mind properly. You still haven¡¯t paid everything that you owed me yet. In a way, you could say that both of us are dissatisfied with each other right now, so go, find the answer that you think is correct. If you¡¯ve found it, and you think that paying your debt to me in this way is incorrect, we can arrange another way.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Periwinkle... You really feel like a dependable big sister...¡±


    ¡°Of course I am~ I¡¯m a few years older than you, you know?¡±


    She then leaned over to him, and gave him a kiss on his cheek.


    ¡°Right, this is a little late, but...¡±


    Then, with a beautiful smile, she...


    ¡°Welcome back.¡±

 Chapter 407: Neglect (6)

    Chapter 407: Neglect (6)


    1.


    Siwoo closed his eyes.


    Concentrating deep enough to the point that he could hear the sound of falling snow.


    With the silent surroundings, the sound of his heartbeat and breathing was as loud as the sound of a collapsing building.


    He tried to delve into the depth of his mind, and eventually, his consciousness fell into the pitch-black darkness.


    There was something he wanted to check out.


    Ain, the realm where numerous magic formulas that he accumulated so far was stored...


    Appeared before his eyes.


    Shimmering shadows.


    A loom.


    Elemental particles.


    Doors and keys to the Palace of Memories.


    String of a Covenant.


    A giant moon being held by a force field.


    And a fractal-shaped dimensional formula that he first studied.


    He was familiar with all of them.


    As soon as he came to his senses, he was left surprised.


    Because there were so many self-essence magic that were added here.


    Before this, he could only see the Maiden¡¯s Loom, the Law of Shadows, the unfinished Dimension Shift, and the Myriad Weapons Mastery Covenant.


    Everything else was added after something from his subconsciousness rose back up.


    But, if he were to look at the level of completion of these magic...


    ¡°They¡¯re all awful...¡±


    Awful was actually an overstatement.


    The four original magic structures were well-built and organized, but the newly-added ones were in an extremely messy state.


    Compared to back when he came to this place the other day¡ªjust before he regained his consciousness¡ªit was like comparing something that a child built out of Legos with something that a professional architect had crafted.


    Everything was in shambles.


    To him, who had remembered the beautiful harmony from the previous time, they were all worthless.


    He closed his eyes again, trying to calm his consciousness down.


    What he was trying to do was to contact his ¡®other self¡¯ that was hanging around deep inside his mind.


    He didn¡¯t know if he was someone he could talk to.


    But, if he could utilize his skills, it would definitely make his chances of survival against future threats better.


    However...


    No matter how deep he went, all he could see was just the pitch-black darkness that spread endlessly.


    He couldn¡¯t find the black curtain that he saw last time.


    ¡°...I knew it wouldn¡¯t be that easy...¡±


    He opened his eyes again.


    As he did, he was greeted by the empty space of the Gemini Mansion that he usually used as a training space with his master.


    Of course, he never expected this would be easy. Accessing one¡¯s consciousness wasn¡¯t as easy as accessing one¡¯s C Drive or D Drive on one¡¯s computer¡ªone couldn¡¯t just switch between the drives anytime they wanted.


    ¡°Bloom.¡±


    The incantation that he was familiar with came out of his mouth.


    He didn¡¯t know if it was because of the clover, or because he reconstructed his body on his own subconsciously, but aside from severe exhaustion, he didn¡¯t have any problems with his body.


    Since he acquired some new weapons to play around with, he figured that he might as well try to test them out.


    First, he picked the most familiar magic of them all to him, the Law of Shadow.


    The shadow spread out like amorphous fog.


    -Shooooo!


    ¡°What?¡±


    Immediately, the space was filled with fog of shadows, as if Kraken had spurted out its ink.


    The shadow completely blocked the moonlight, making him think that he was still inside Ain for a second there.


    ¡°Crazy...¡±


    The spectacle left him dumbfounded.


    Previously, he could only showcase this much result after he amplified his magic power a few times.


    He could tell at a glance.


    That both the efficiency and the power of the magic was increased by ten times.


    The feeling felt even more distinct the moment he turned the shadow into armor.


    Said armor that enveloped his whole body was more solid than before. He didn¡¯t even need to inject any elemental properties into it anymore to make a proper armor.


    Though he expected that his magic would improve to some extent, he never expected that it¡¯d improve this much.


    Next, he tried out the ribbons.


    -Whooosh!


    Over a hundred of them instantly spread through the air.


    Though their numbers were large, each of their strengths was considerable, and he could move them around freely.


    As if they were the extension of his arms.


    ¡°...¡±


    Just what the hell happened when whatever it was in my subconsciousness merged with everything in my consciousness?


    The level of improvements he experienced was so great that he couldn¡¯t feel happy about it and instead felt concerned.


    Because he got stronger too quickly.


    Usually, this kind of improvement could only be achieved after he had paid some kind of ¡®price¡¯.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    As a wave of dizziness struck him, he pulled his ribbons away.


    The burning sensation flowing through his exhausted magic circuit was still bearable for him, but he just couldn¡¯t stand the migraine that stabbed the side of his head like a dagger.


    ¡°Can only do this much today...¡±


    Originally, he planned to test his Myriad Weapons Mastery and Red Branch as well, but...


    It was clear that he should stop here, as he needed to rest his body more.


    -Rustle-!


    At that moment, the sound of snow falling from a tree nearby entered his ears. When he turned his head towards that direction...


    He could see a pair of rabbit ears sticking from one side of a thick tree, and a shark tail sticking out from the other side.


    Siwoo could tell instantly. These were the pajamas that the twins had bought from the Modern World.


    ¡°Ms. Odile, Ms. Odette, come out.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    His words were met with silence.


    ¡°Sorry, but, I could see both of you.¡±


    Only after he added that did he get a response from them.


    ¡°Odette! You got us caught again!¡±


    ¡°You were the one who yawned and pushed me, Sis! I wouldn¡¯t hit the tree if you didn¡¯t do that!¡±


    Even now...


    The twins¡¯ antics never failed to bring a smile on Siwoo¡¯s face.


    They glared at each other while bickering as they walked closer to him.


    ¡°Why are you two wandering around in pajamas? It¡¯s freezing out here.¡±


    ¡°We were planning to surprise you when you got home, but...¡±


    ¡°Because of Odette...¡± ¡°Because of Sis...¡±


    ¡°¡°Everything¡¯s ruined!¡±¡±


    Though they were bickering, they were completely in sync, as always.


    But, if he were to leave them like this, the constant barrage of them blaming the other probably wouldn¡¯t stop until the end of time.


    ¡°Come inside quickly. Or else you both will catch a cold.¡±


    When he spread his arms, the twins quickly grabbed one hand each.


    Then, they walked together, linking their arms like that.


    They leaned their small heads on him, as he could feel their small chest rubbing against each of his arms.


    It was the first time in a while that he experienced this ¡®flowers in both arms¡¯ experience.


    ¡°Sorry, Mr. Assistant. We actually waited for you inside, but you never came back.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We knew that you¡¯re busy, but we were just so worried about you, so...¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s me who should be sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have worried you two in the first place...¡±


    At that moment, Odile¡¯s eyes shone with a glint, as if she had been waiting for those words to come out of his mouth.


    ¡°Are you really sorry, Mr. Assistant?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am. Sorry for worrying you two...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough! A proper apology is necessary!¡±


    ¡°You need to do something for us as an apology!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t hard to tell what it was that they wanted from him.


    The same old ¡®favor¡¯ that they had always asked.


    If it wasn¡¯t obvious already, the twins really loved to do ¡®it¡¯ with him.


    Even though they could only take it from the back.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll do anything you ask.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go to your room then, Mr. Assistant!¡±


    ¡°My room?¡±


    Actually, ever since the first time went back to Gehenna, he only ever had sex with the twins once.


    Back at the Gemini Villa in Tarot Town, where Albireo caught him red-handed.


    Although sex with them wouldn¡¯t cause any mana waves to come out¡ªafter all, they were doing it from behind¡ªthe twins¡¯ room was in the same building as Albireo¡¯s and Deneb¡¯s quarters.


    The thought of having a sex with the twins while being in the same building as their mothers was already embarrassing.


    He¡¯d also have to deal with the fear of getting caught by the two of them.


    The twins also felt the same way as him, that was why they hadn¡¯t been as assertive to ask him for sex.


    Nevertheless, he still felt like he was neglecting them all this time.


    Add that feeling to the current situation¡ªwhere he owed them an apology¡ªhe couldn¡¯t just refuse their request.


    The three of them entered Siwoo¡¯s room¡ªwhich wasn¡¯t too far away from the empty space.


    After entering, the twins took off their pajamas¡¯ hood without saying a word and sat Siwoo on the bed.


    Odette was the one who opened her mouth first.


    ¡°What we want to ask is...¡±


    ¡°We want you to kiss us. Passionately.¡±


    ¡°Since I won the rock-paper-scissors, I¡¯m up first!¡±


    Odette smiled brightly with the happiest expression she could muster, while Odile just clung to him with a displeased face.


    ¡°Is that enough?¡±


    ¡°I mean, we can kiss as much as we want! Besides... It won¡¯t hurt to be more careful, right?¡±


    ¡°Kisses are enough.¡±


    Odette quickly came to Siwoo¡¯s lap and wrapped her leg around his waist.


    Then, she embraced his neck tightly and started kissing him.


    ¡°We can start now! Also, can I please put my tongue in, Mr. Assistant?¡±


    ¡°Odette, stop wasting time already! Do it quickly!¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t even started yet! Also, no! I¡¯ll make the kiss as long as I can!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t hard to guess that Odette was extremely excited to be the first batter.


    On the other hand, Odile seemed extremely displeased that she was robbed of the chance to become one.


    After teasing her sister for a bit more, Odette finally begged Siwoo for a kiss, looking really happy.


    The twins were definitely cute and charming.


    Wearing her fluffy bunny pajamas, Odette looked like a cute doll.


    ¡°Mmh...¡±


    Their lips intertwined.


    The moment her lips touched his, her small, yet firm tongue entered Siwoo¡¯s mouth.


    Her saliva tasted like milk and honey¡ªshe probably drank those before coming to look for him.


    ¡°Chuuup...mmm...sluuurp...¡±


    Odette closed her eyes as she focused on the movements of her tongue.


    The kiss was awkward, but he could feel the warmth she was trying to share with him through her silence.


    It was only after a long time passed did Odette finally break up her kiss and look up at Siwoo with a flushed face.


    The twins were usually rowdy and mischievous, but at times like this, they¡¯d exude a potent and enticing charm like no others.


    ¡°Hehe... That felt nice~¡±


    ¡°Odette! It¡¯s three minutes already! Get away from him!¡±


    ¡°Ahh...! Sis, that tickles¡ª!¡±


    Odile placed her hands behind Odette¡¯s armpits and dragged her away.


    Of course, Odette immediately complained when she did that.


    ¡°I deserved this! I won the rock-paper-scissors!¡±


    ¡°You won, but that didn¡¯t mean you got to hog him all to yourself!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d do the same if you won!¡±


    Seeing them arguing like this, a happy smile appeared on Siwoo¡¯s face.


    At that moment, Periwinkle¡¯s words came to his mind.


    ¡®If you have time to feel guilty towards me, then you should spend it to fall for me.¡¯ At first, those words sounded like sophistry.


    But, after he gave it more thought, he realized that she probably was right about this whole thing.


    Because to him, every one of these girls were precious.


    ¡°Ms. Odile, Ms. Odette.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to stop me right now, Mr. Assistant! Lately this girl has been talking back to me, her older sister, like she owns the place! It¡¯s time for us to settle this once and for all!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re only older by a few minutes!¡±


    He opened his arms and embraced the two of them tightly.


    ¡°H-Huh? W-Why, so suddenly...?¡±


    ¡°W-We still have things to settle...¡±


    Just a moment ago, the atmosphere between the twins were so heated that it wouldn¡¯t be strange if they got into a fight, but now they were resting in his embrace, they became significantly calmer than before.


    ¡°Thank you. As always.¡±


    ¡°W-Why are you thanking us all of a sudden...?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah, you don¡¯t need to thank us! You are our life savior after all, Mr. Assistant...¡±


    ¡°No, Ms. Odile, Ms. Odette. You two are my life saviors.¡±


    The twins were so embarrassed that they could only twirl their hair around.


    Even their embarrassed gestures were the exact same.


    Seeing them putting their complete trust¡ªalmost like a blind trust¡ªin him made him feel a stronger sense of responsibility.


    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll become a better person and become someone who can answer your feelings, Ms. Odette, Ms. Odile.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, Mr. Assistant? You¡¯re good enough for us already, and you¡¯ve answered our feelings enough!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right!¡±


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s my turn to kiss you now!¡±


    Odile pushed her lips forward like a bird urging for food.


    In any case, due to where they were right now, the twins also thought that asking him to have a sex with them would be too much.


    And so, they just hung out together while talking about various things.


    As if he was retelling the story of a hero, he told them about his fight with Bianca.


    Then, the topic wandered to the time when they first met...


    The time when they met the Witch of Aquarius...


    Even the trivial times when the twins caught him sleeping and much more.


    It was a pleasant night.

 Chapter 408: Harvest Festival (1)

    Chapter 408: Harvest Festival (1)


    1.


    The twins, Sharon, his master, and Periwinkle.


    Though Siwoo couldn¡¯t have a proper conversation with Countess Yesod, he at least got to meet her and expressed his gratitude somehow.


    After that, he decided to set off and look for Amelia.


    The reason why he held off on doing that for so long was because he didn¡¯t know where she was, or even how to find her in the first place.


    All this time, he had been putting her at the back of his mind, just like how he set aside his emotions for her.


    But, soon enough he ran into a problem.


    He didn¡¯t know, after he finally found her, should he apologize for treating her too harshly, talk about something else first to break the ice, or just immediately touch the core of the matter?


    However, in the end, that question was left unanswered as no matter how hard he tried to look, he just couldn¡¯t find her in Gehenna.


    In the cabin in the middle of the forest where they used to live together...


    Or in the accommodations provided to her due to her position as an associate professor...


    Even in the Marigold Mansion in Ars Magna Town, he couldn¡¯t find any trace of her.


    Right now, he came back to the cabin again¡ªit marked his third visit today.


    He swept the table with his hand, carrying mixed feelings in his heart. No dust stained his hand, perhaps due to the Preservation Spell that was still working properly.


    The place was completely empty, and so was his heart.


    His mind traveled back to the time when Duchess Keter regressed him into a child again.


    The happy time when his younger self and Amelia spread their joy through every nook and cranny of the cabin.


    His gaze wandered to the table¡ªthe same table where they ate their meals together¡ªbefore it fell upon the armchair by the fireplace where they used to read books together.


    He remembered the time when she used to teach him magic on that table.


    Their time together wasn¡¯t very long, but each moment was precious.


    But then, he suddenly regained all his memories.


    His affection towards her turned into resentment and anger.


    Love and hatred was mixed, leaving him emotionally confused.


    He remembered how Amelia tormented him in every way possible just because he refused her offer to sleep with her.


    How she practically grabbed him by the neck and prevented him from regaining his freedom.


    But, he came to know her better. Her words were curt, but she was a scaredy-cat. Though she looked like a tough cookie, she was clueless about a lot of things.


    To him, she was a caring mother, a dependable sister, and...someone that he loved.


    Time diluted his emotions.


    He remembered the question she asked him, ¡®When you regain your memories later... Will you forgive me...?¡¯.


    Back then, he thought that question was disgusting and cowardly, but now he could understand her feelings a little.


    And now, the emotions he had left for her were only bitterness, regret, and a tiny uncertainty.


    Why hadn¡¯t she come and looked for him?


    All this time, why hadn¡¯t she contacted him at least once?


    When they last met, did his cold gaze give her cold feet, and made her back down for good?


    Such questions arose, prickling his heart.


    Like a splinter that was stuck in his fingertip. It wasn¡¯t painful or bothersome, but it gave him a feeling that it wouldn¡¯t go away anytime soon.


    And today, the splinter¡¯s presence was more pronounced than usual.


    ¡°...Haa...¡±


    Siwoo let out a sigh and closed the cabin¡¯s door.


    2.


    After experiencing the worst possible reunion...


    Amelia returned to Gehenna together with Clara.


    To be more exact, Clara dragged Amelia¡ªwho had a look of despair on her face, as if her world had completely fallen apart¡ªwith her.


    ¡°...¡±


    The poor witch could only stare into space.


    Clara tried to offer her tea and food, but she refused them all.


    Instead, she only sat blankly in front of her desk, staring at a piece of paper in front of her, untouched even after a few days had passed, while holding a pen in her hand.


    She had been like that ever since she returned to Clara¡¯s mansion in Gehenna.


    Clara hadn¡¯t heard her saying something about continuing her hunt or anything else.


    This was a difficult time for the poor witch, that was for sure.


    Clara had been watching over her for a while now.


    She prevented her from committing suicide, comforted her, cheered her on, and waited patiently for her to open her heart up to her.


    Amelia¡¯s clumsiness was something she knew very well at this point.


    She might look like your typical arrogant and haughty witch, but deep inside, she was nothing but a weak child.


    Without anyone guiding her, she wouldn¡¯t even know what her own feelings were. Whenever she was stuck with something she couldn¡¯t solve by herself, instead of looking for help, she¡¯d run away, close her heart, and hide her feelings.


    That alone was bad enough already.


    And yet, the clumsy girl decided that she¡¯d clean up the Kill List¡ªthe thing Duchess Keter entrusted her as the price of her reviving Shin Siwoo¡ªall by herself.


    Maybe if she were faced with fierce battles upon fierce battles, it¡¯d help her ease her conscience for a bit.


    After all, the proposition of ¡®kill or be killed¡¯ was an extremely effective way to vent out one¡¯s emotions.


    Unfortunately for her, her strength was too great.


    While her heart was too weak.


    Most of the time, she was faced with executions, not fights. In the end, her foolish expectations became the sole thing that supported her crumbling heart to go through with those cruel slaughters.


    The foolish expectation of, ¡®If he knows how much I struggle, he¡¯ll probably forgive me¡¯.


    In actuality, her effort was futile.


    Conflicts between people wouldn¡¯t be resolved in such a way. They¡¯d need to lay their feelings bare to each other, and work it out from there.


    After all, people¡¯s minds weren¡¯t connected by a telepathic nerve like aliens from outer space.


    She didn¡¯t have the confidence to be forgiven by the man, so she gambled on piling the feelings of guilt on him so that she could earn that forgiveness.


    In other words, she was hurting herself to gamble on the chance of receiving kindness from others.


    But then, the anticipation that she had been building up was shattered mercilessly.


    After facing the half-conscious Siwoo...


    Even the tiniest hope she once had shattered like frail glass.


    The rift between them was caused by a misunderstanding in the first place, and now another one was placed on top of it.


    Like a twisted cogwheel, one misunderstanding led to another.


    Clara didn¡¯t laugh at it.


    Because seeing the girl¡¯s agony, stupidity, and excruciating sadness up close...


    Gave her so much ecstasy that not even the finest wine could compare to.


    ¡°Amelia.¡±


    Clara, or rather, Lilith.


    Loved those feelings.


    Pain, agony, self-hatred, regret, anguish, self-contradiction, everything.


    Those emotions would open up a wide gap in someone¡¯s heart.


    A gap that would wear them out, the perfect place for her to parasitize.


    ¡°Would you like to talk to me?¡±


    That was the Witch of Whispers¡¯ surefire way to manipulate other witches.


    3.


    Inside the Gemini Mansion¡¯s parlor, two witches and two apprentices gathered.


    They were...


    Eloa Tiphereth.


    Sharon Evergreen.


    Odile Gemini.


    Odette Gemini.


    After straightening things with Siwoo and confirming their feelings towards each other, Eloa visited Sharon to tell her everything.


    Sharon was the only other person who knew the truth, and also the only one Eloa confided in. She deserved to know everything.


    Of course, Eloa clarified that she was content with just staying by Siwoo¡¯s side, and she didn¡¯t have any intention to ask for more.


    It would be a lie if she were to say that she didn¡¯t want to keep him to herself, but it¡¯d be shameless of her as his master if she were to actually do that.


    After hearing what she had to say, Sharon didn¡¯t seem to be surprised at all.


    Instead, she hugged her, all excited, as if it was a joyful occasion for her.


    She understood the emotional pain that Eloa had felt.


    Unlike her and the twins who shared secrets to each other, Eloa only shared her secrets to her. And with her peace treaty with the twins still intact, this occasion called for a meeting between the four of them to discuss what they should do moving forward.


    ¡°Hello, Duchess Tiphereth.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really the duchess...¡±


    ¡°Is this the first time we all gathered together like this?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯ve had meals together before, Sharon unnie.¡±


    Looking at this lineup, Eloa¡¯s mouth was half-open.


    She had heard from Sharon that Siwoo had other lovers, ¡®the twins¡¯, but she expected them to be Countess Gemini themselves.


    Considering how they practically gave him their full support every single time, it only made sense.


    Though she found it weird that Sharon used ¡®the twins¡¯ instead of ¡®the countesses¡¯ to describe them, she could still understand the logic as she thought that they were just that close.


    ¡°...It seems I¡¯ve misunderstood something...¡±


    But then she found out that Siwoo¡¯s other lovers were actually the apprentices instead of the countesses, leaving her completely dumbfounded.


    Naturally, the question, ¡®What are their masters doing?¡¯ came to her mind.


    ¡°...It seems like a proper scolding is in order.¡±


    Apprentice¡¯s bowls were a symbol of succession that couldn¡¯t afford to be damaged, and men were the prime reason why they could get damaged.


    No matter how much she loved her disciple, for him to lay his hands on apprentice witches was just wrong.


    ¡°I was also surprised when I first found out...¡±


    As Sharon let out a bitter smile, expressing her understanding of the duchess¡¯ reaction...


    The twins chimed in.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we know what we should and shouldn¡¯t do! We¡¯re making love with Mr. Assistant in a safe way!¡±


    ¡°Odette, why are you telling them that?!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we supposed to be honest and tell each other everything today? It would be weird if we keep hiding it, Sis!¡±


    In fact, Eloa¡¯s brain short-circuited the moment she heard the words ¡®making love¡¯.


    It was the second shock she received today.


    Siwoo is having sexual intercourse with apprentice witches??


    H-How¡ª?


    ¡°No way...¡±


    Eloa had already seen Siwoo¡¯s deed with Periwinkle.


    That was why it didn¡¯t take long for her to find the answer to her own question.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a shameful thing. Besides, it¡¯s the only way...¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right!¡±


    Though they said that, their gestures and flushed faces implied otherwise.


    But, all the women here shared their love for Siwoo, that included Eloa.


    Hence why she decided that she shouldn¡¯t make any comments about it and just leave it at that.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a drink first before we start?¡±


    ¡°Sure! I¡¯ve prepared some alcohol!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the famed Mendel¡ª?!¡±


    Everyone poured the alcohol into their glasses.


    It was Sharon who spoke first.


    ¡°The reason why we gather together like this is... While Siwoo isn¡¯t the kind of person who¡¯d break his own words, we all know how much of a womanizer he is.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we and Sharon unnie set some rules of our own!¡±


    ¡°So we won¡¯t get into unnecessary fights!¡±


    Indeed, the reason why Sharon and the twins stopped getting into any more fights was because of this gathering.


    As for the main topic for the gathering¡ªwhich was named ¡®Council for Fair Share¡¯ by Odile¡ªtoday...


    ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re here today to talk about the Harvest Festival!¡±


    It was just a trivial matter, at least to Eloa.


    At first, she thought that it was a joke uttered under the influence of alcohol, but when she looked around, it was clear that the twins and Sharon were completely serious.


    That was when she understood.


    While this gathering happened to prevent useless fights, it wouldn¡¯t limit any kind of fair competition between all of them.


    ¡°Me, Odile, will speak first. Odette and I are one. If we just divide our time spent by factions¡ªby three¡ªthe time that each of us can spend with Mr. Assistant will be cut in half. So, I propose that we receive twice as much time as what Sharon unnie and Duchess Tiphereth will receive.¡±


    ¡°Agreed! Sis is right!¡±


    The twins¡¯ argument was as follow:


    To use pizza as an analogy, if they were to divide a whole pizza in three large portions, the twins would have to share their portion.


    Therefore, it was only right to divide the pizza into four instead, so each of them could get one each.


    ¡°Sharon here, objection! The Harvest Festival is a special event that takes place for three days a year! While yes, if Siwoo is paying his attention to Ms. Odile, he¡¯ll be ignoring Ms. Odette to some extent and vice versa, but since you two are always together anyway, counting you separately won¡¯t work! Furthermore, if we were to follow you two¡¯s logic, that means you two will be hogging half of the available time to yourselves!¡±


    As for Sharon¡¯s argument, it was as follow:


    They just couldn¡¯t use pizza as an analogy here as unlike pizza that could be divided in such a clear cut way, there were more variables to be considered. For example, even if Siwoo was focusing on one of the twins, the other one could still talk and touch him as she would be nearby.


    Meanwhile, Eloa could only stare at them in a daze.


    After watching them go on with her eyes wide open, eventually, she opened her mouth, ready to join in the discussion.


    ¡°I also have something to say.¡±


    She realized that as someone who loved Siwoo, if she wanted to stay with him, she couldn¡¯t let herself be outdone by these three.

 Chapter 409: Harvest Festival (2)

    Chapter 409: Harvest Festival (2)


    1.


    ¡®Alcoriza Familia¡¯, the largest running cartel in Mexico.


    Widely known for their elegance in violence and reign of terror, the massive cartel was solely responsible for supplying 90% of the drugs in Mexico.


    That wasn¡¯t their sole source of profit, as they also dabbled in prostitution, human trafficking, arms smuggling, oil theft, and illegal job placement, netting them hundreds of trillions dollars annually¡ªmore than enough for them to attract more than 30,000 men to work under them.


    After they won the war against the cartel that was started by the president five years ago, the godfather of Alcoriza Familia had essentially risen above the laws, turning into a demon king that was feared by everyone in Mexico.


    But, not many knew that Luis Alcoriza, the godfather of the largest cartel in Mexican history, was merely a leader of a band of thugs, selling drugs in the countryside just 20 years ago.


    ¡°Huu... I don¡¯t know...¡±


    Inside an extravagant room¡ªfilled with so much vain decoration that it looked more vulgar than elegant...


    Sitting in a sofa that was made out of leopard¡¯s skin, under the lavish room that screamed the words ¡®nouveau riche¡¯, Alcoriza wiped off his forehead that was dripping with cold sweat.


    His bulging belly made even his nice suit look tasteless.


    If he were to take off his flashy gold bracelets and designer sunglasses that adorned his wrists and neck, he¡¯d look no different than the countless homeless people roaming around the streets of Mexico.


    Indeed, he was just a man with nothing particularly special about him.


    ¡°Just... Why does this happen?!¡±


    Alcoriza tried to calm his nerves by clutching a revolver that was fully plated with gold in his hand.


    However, no matter how hard he tried, the cold sweat didn¡¯t stop flowing.


    Though he was a notorious ¡®demon king¡¯ that even the citizens on the streets wouldn¡¯t dare to curse behind his back, ¡®witches¡¯ were still a terrifying existence for him.


    He remembered the time when he was still selling meth and opium in grams.


    Back then, he was drunk, and was stressing about the huge amount of payout when he met with a woman.


    He didn¡¯t know how could she survive the streets of Cuautepec¡ªwhere it wouldn¡¯t be strange if healthy men would be shot to death¡ªwithout getting raped.


    Especially considering how gorgeous she was¡ªa white woman with pretty-looking emerald eyes and graceful-looking platinum blonde hair.


    If he was acting like the usual drunk Alcoriza, he¡¯d probably throw a lewd joke at her, or ask for a price to get her under his bed.


    But back then, he instinctively sensed the ominousness between the woman¡¯s graceful look. So, he only ended up buying her a drink while putting up the most polite front he could muster.


    And that random act changed his fate completely.


    ¡®I feel bad receiving this without giving anything in return. Do you have anything that you desire?¡¯


    ¡®Haha, I know that I¡¯m born evil, I don¡¯t have a grand wish or anythin¡¯. Just wish I don¡¯t need to pay any more payouts.¡¯


    ¡®Is that all? You can ask for more, who knows if I can grant it. Just between the two of us, I am actually a witch.¡¯


    The woman, Bianca, introduced herself as a witch.


    Of course, he thought that she was joking back then.


    ¡®Hahaha!¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m not one of those poor women who got accused of being one and burned at the stake. I¡¯m a real witch.¡¯


    ¡®Alright, then I want to become the biggest drug lord in Mexico! That way, I can buy you even better alcohol!¡¯


    Little did he know that the cheap joke he told under the influence of alcohol was realized by Bianca Belleli in less than 5 years.


    He followed her instructions, and everything went on without any hitch.


    The leaders of the opposing organizations would just die without making much fuss.


    She gave him numerous drug manufacturing methods that he had never heard or seen before.


    Of course he didn¡¯t just stay idle. Though cowardly, he was surprisingly quick-witted, so he made his moves quickly.


    With Bianca¡¯s help, his cartel quickly grew as he absorbed other cartels, taking over their smuggling routes, and business partners, and before he realized it, he had become a powerful drug lord that no one in Mexico could ever dream to stand up against.


    He felt like Faust, who had signed up a contract with the Devil.


    No...


    In fact, that wasn¡¯t just an expression. As time passed, he came to realize that Bianca was a being that was close to the Devil himself.


    But at this point, Alcoriza was already drunk with power and wine, he couldn¡¯t care less about such a thing as he kept on obeying her instructions when they came and raking in more profit.


    Wealth, fame, power, everything easily came to his side.


    All he needed to do was just share less than half of his net profit with Bianca.


    In fact, ever since his cartel was formed, her orders came in less and he just let him run his business without interfering.


    But then one day, she gave out a strange order.


    She asked him to gather 10,000 of the Alcoriza Familia¡¯s members within 48 hours.


    No matter how powerful Alcoriza Familia was, this was still a risky order to comply with.


    Not only would it attract the eyes of the police, it would also attract the various foreign countries¡¯ intelligence agencies, and also possibly give the US a pretext for a direct intervention.


    However, the most terrifying thing here wasn¡¯t that, but the witch¡¯s unknown intentions.


    These days, Alcoriza had grown numb to the sight of a human being shredded to pieces, but Bianca was a different beast altogether.


    He had seen her killing his opposition with a bright smile plastered on her face.


    That brutal sight was what haunted him like a nightmare.


    But that wasn¡¯t all. She once made one of the opposing cartel¡¯s heads eat his own family before killing himself due to the shock. And she did all that just because she was curious, not because she wanted to send any ¡®warning¡¯ or because she had any other meaningful reasons.


    ¡°Is this because of the double ledger?! Or is she trying to start a war? Fuck, fuck, fuuuuck!¡±


    Alcoriza racked his brain, trying to figure out if he had made some kind of mistake, and what it was that the witch was trying to do.


    More time passed meaninglessly, and then came the appointed time. But, no one came to him.


    Alcoriza, who was smoking the cigar in his hand, felt that something strange had happened.


    His mansion was large, that was for sure, but there should be 10,000 of his members outside.


    No matter how large his place was, there was no way that it¡¯d be this quiet.


    ¡°Jose! Nemesio! What the hell is going on?!¡±


    He called out to his bodyguards who were supposed to be guarding the door with their rifles.


    ¡°...¡±


    But there was no answer.


    Immediately, he jumped towards the window with bloodshot eyes.


    When he looked out at the window, a soft curse escaped his mouth.


    ¡°Joder¨C¡±


    A large water bottle mirage enveloped his entire mansion.


    A strange phenomenon that couldn¡¯t be explained by any scientific theory.


    That left one possible explanation: magic.


    But that wasn¡¯t all.


    The garden and the pool, which was lavishly decorated to suit Alcoriza¡¯s taste, was completely empty.


    Even if his gang members suddenly got so high that they started playing hide and seek, the whole place wouldn¡¯t be this empty.


    Alcoriza clenched his grip on his gun.


    He felt it.


    The Devil who had filled his barn with mountains of gold had finally come to collect the price of their contract.


    ¡°O-Oh, Father in Heaven, hallowed be thy name...¡±


    While praying to the Lord, Alcoriza¡¯s eyes wandered around.


    ¡°Hiya.¡±


    ¡°Woah!¡±


    He immediately aimed his gun towards the direction where that voice came from.


    There stood a woman with short hair that reached her shoulders.


    If there was one thing that set her apart from the others, it was her red eyes that looked inhuman, and bewitching beauty, just like Bianca¡¯s.


    ¡°C-Could it be...? A-Are you... A-Are you a witch...?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re Bianca¡¯s moneymaker, correct?¡±


    Alcoriza hurriedly nodded, not knowing what was going on.


    But, hearing the word ¡®moneymaker¡¯ made him feel that as long as he stayed obedient, just like with Bianca, he¡¯d be able to keep his life.


    ¡°T-T-T-T-That¡¯s right!¡±


    ¡°Hmm... You look like an idiot, though.¡±


    The witch narrowed her eyes.


    As she moved her red eyes up and down, as if evaluating him, her interest quickly waned.


    ¡°Do you mind killing yourself?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes...?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to stain my ribbon with your belly fat. So, can you just kill yourself in my stead?¡±


    ¡°M-Ms. Witch! P-Please spare me! I-I¡¯ll be loyal, I swear...! M-My life...! A-At least, let me keep my life¡ª! Keuk!¡±


    At that moment, a black ribbon suddenly appeared and pierced Alcoriza¡¯s stomach.


    The pain he experienced was definitely more terrible than an instant death from being shot in the head with a gun.


    ¡°And here I thought you¡¯d listen to good advice.¡±


    ¡°Aaaaggh...! M-Ms... W-W-Witch... Please...¡±


    ¡°Bianca really has terrible taste. She keeps this kind of fool as a subordinate? Seriously?¡±


    He lay sprawled on the floor, and that was when he realized how his 10,000 subordinates had disappeared.


    His fingers started to melt, as if they had been soaked in hydrochloric acid. The whole process was painless.


    Similarly, his whole body was also melting away like a sugar cube melting away in boiling water.


    ¡°A-Ah... N-No...¡±


    It only took 3 seconds for his body to vanish completely.


    Then, something gray came from the direction where his body was and was sucked into the lotus-shaped artifact in the witch, Ea¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Its efficiency is terrible.¡±


    She said that as she snickered at the object in her hand.


    Bianca Belleli¡¯s brand wasn¡¯t enough to feed this lotus, so she went and harvested a total of 10,322 lives to activate it.


    Only then did the lotus begin to move, and she almost burst into laughter.


    Though it was an artifact that could basically distort and reproduce anything, its energy efficiency was horrid, so one couldn¡¯t just use it willy-nilly.


    It was even more so if Duchess Keter was still active.


    But she wasn¡¯t.


    The lotus that had been fed with countless lives let out a mysterious light that sparkled like a prism under the sunlight.


    Now finally bloomed into a perfect lotus, it was ready to grant whatever it was that Ea wished.


    ¡°May I regain the glory of the past, and reach an even higher realm.¡±


    After it was activated, getting it to follow through with her wish wasn¡¯t difficult.


    The artifact was already completed to begin with, and its original purpose was to ¡®resurrect¡¯ someone.


    Ea felt the light permeating through her body.


    Inside the dark Ain...


    The structure that had been plundered began to restore itself.


    Her magic then surged, regenerating and strengthening the structure with more power than she ever had before.


    The ecstasy of going up nearly 10 ranks at once wasn¡¯t something that ordinary witches could experience.


    ¡°Ahhh...¡±


    The sensation rivaled orgasm.


    A moan escaped her lips as she experienced it.


    And then...


    ¡°Welcome back, my beloved Loom.¡±


    A thick ribbon fluttered from behind her, as if welcoming the splendid return of the Witch of Aquarius, Ea Sadalmelik.

 Chapter 410: Harvest Festival (3)

    Chapter 410: Harvest Festival (3)


    1.


    A strange incident was reported.


    Alcoriza Familia, the most notorious cartel throughout South America...


    Was reported to have 10,000 of its members gathered at one place to celebrate their godfather, Alcoriza¡¯s birthday.


    Even if it was for that purpose, it was still an unusual thing for that many members of a cartel to gather up in one place, so this matter quickly gathered the attention of Mexico¡¯s military and police, as well as various countries¡¯ intelligence agencies.


    They even deemed the situation to be so urgent that a war might just break out at any moment.


    So they prepared themselves for the worst, and even mobilized the military¡¯s satellites to observe Alcoriza¡¯s mansion.


    That was when the most mysterious incident in the human¡¯s history occurred.


    The numerous members of the cartel, including Don Alcoriza himself disappeared without a trace, as if evaporated into the atmosphere.


    Those at the highest level of power in the world knew of the existence of the witches, but they didn¡¯t want the public to know that.


    Normally, they¡¯d pull all the stops to completely cover up the incidents that were related to the witches.


    However, no matter how hard they tried, no matter how nonsensical the nature of the incident was, when major media outlets¡ªboth local and foreign¡ªand countless numbers of people witnessed this situation with their own eyes, they just couldn¡¯t do it.


    Especially considering that the influence of Witch Points in South America was pretty much non-existent.


    Various media outlets, both local and foreign, faithfully did their work, covering it in various media, even coming up with a name for the incident, the ¡®Dawn of the Dead¡¯.


    Some stated that the Alcoriza Familia were the followers of the Devil, and they were just receiving their due punishment.


    While others said that this was the result of a joint operation between the US military and the Mexican government. They cooperated to wipe the cartel out because they were suspected of creating biological weapons, and both the US and Mexican government were just playing dumb.


    In the eyes of the witches though¡ªwho knew the real reason behind all the fuss¡ªthe way those people spread such false rumors was amusing, to say the least.


    ¡°Humans are sooo funny aren¡¯t they? Even when they¡¯re faced with something that can¡¯t be defined with common sense, they¡¯ll try to fit it within it anyway¡±


    A witch in a nun¡¯s habit said those words.


    She was none other than the notorious ¡®Witch of Crafts¡¯, Dorothy Sahaquiel, who calmly crossed her legs as she watched the TV, feeling amused.


    To her left was the ¡®True Ancestor¡¯, Claire Asmodeus, and the ¡®Witch of Swords¡¯, Rinne Samachiel.


    They were the Criminals of Qliphoth that Bianca invited to ¡®St. Regis Mexico City¡¯ a while back.


    As for why they were gathered together once again, it was to discuss Bianca¡¯s death and the ¡®Dawn of the Dead¡¯ Incident


    No one here had witnessed Bianca¡¯s death directly, but they were all certain of it.


    A Criminal like Bianca wasn¡¯t someone who could be dealt with so easily.


    If she were truly alive, she wouldn¡¯t let everything develop this far, and instead would enact her terrible revenge already.


    But, enough time had passed and she was nowhere to be seen. That meant two things.


    Bianca Belleli had indeed died.


    But she wasn¡¯t killed by Keter.


    Because if this was Keter¡¯s doing, there was no way that she¡¯d let an incident where 10,000 people disappeared into thin air to happen.


    Instead, she¡¯d show up and kill whoever was planning that incident before it could happen.


    ¡°So she died like an idiot after all, huh~? Still, that confirms Lilith¡¯s words aren¡¯t just lies.¡±


    ¡°Is Duchess Keter unable to move or what? I still don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s just sick of playing the police~? Rather than her, I¡¯m curious to see what those guys at the Witch Point will do.¡±


    ¡°Those cowards won¡¯t make the first move. They¡¯ll just sit back and watch.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    As they exchanged their opinions on the matter...


    Dorothy and Rinne noticed that one of them had been shutting her mouth tightly like a clam.


    Indeed. Since their discussion began, Claire had been staring at her feet with her fists clenched.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way.¡±


    She raised her head and a sharp sound of her grinding her teeth echoed. Her eyes were bloodshot, giving off a murderous vibe.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way that petty bitch would die like an idiot like that!¡±


    A thick killing intent, enough to straight up kill someone, emanated from her body.


    It was like a sharp blade that swept through the room.


    But, the people gathered here weren¡¯t people who¡¯d be fazed from such a thing.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that good for you then? You won¡¯t be bullied by her anymore¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you big-breasted bitch!¡±


    Claire was a foul-mouthed witch, but this time there was a tinge of desperation in her roar.


    Though she and Bianca were some kind of rivals due to their clashing interests in their business, Dorothy and Rinne knew...


    Claire¡¯s feelings towards Bianca were something like a love-hate.


    Though Bianca only ended up satisfying herself and dumped her afterwards, at the end of the day, they were still ex-lovers. It wasn¡¯t surprising for Claire to react this way after hearing her ex died.


    ¡°It¡¯s a misplaced anger. The one who volunteered to be a guinea pig was the Witch of Desire herself. You agreed to this as well.¡±


    Indeed. Claire agreed with Bianca¡¯s outrageous proposal, but that was because she believed in her.


    She believed that Bianca would come back alive no matter what kind of danger she¡¯d face.


    Never did she expect that the belief turned out to be nothing more than a blind faith, and she¡¯d be greeted with such horrible news.


    ¡°How sad~ So you¡¯re attracted to a bad bitch like her, huh?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! I swear I¡¯m going to kill you!¡±


    Eventually, Claire¡¯s eyes burst out in tears.


    Seeing this, Dorothy just glanced at Rinne and shrugged her shoulders.


    Their relationship wasn¡¯t so friendly that she¡¯d go out of her way to comfort the crying witch for free.


    Dorothy actually wanted them to talk about how to divide the business that Bianca had left behind, but seeing how emotional Claire was, carelessly bringing that topic up would most likely lead into a real fight.


    And so, she decided to take a step back and see if she could exploit her current emotional state for profit.


    ¡°Hmm~ Then, what about this? I¡¯ll help you out in your revenge~ Bianca¡¯s my friend too, after all.¡±


    ¡°Me too. I¡¯ll help you find the person who killed her.¡±


    ¡°...Stop saying those disgusting words.¡±


    Hearing that, Claire clenched her teeth.


    Those two held significant power in the underworld, and they could be a great help to her, but she couldn¡¯t trust any of them at all.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be for free, of course~ You can just give us some money instead, though~ I mean, you¡¯re going to absorb the familia anyway, no? Surely you can do that much~?¡±


    ¡°Your emotional state is unstable. Make a decision after you calm down, and contact us after.¡±


    ¡°I promise you won¡¯t find a more reliable partner than us~¡±


    ¡°Get the fuck away from me! Now! You fucking piece of...!¡±


    The moment Claire was about to go into a frenzy and spit out more curse words...


    The whole room became quiet.


    Just like the last meeting, both the Witch of Crafts and the Witch of Swords didn¡¯t come here with their real bodies.


    They were using a mental dissolution spell to materialize their main body using a human sacrifice.


    ¡°Aaaah! AAAAAAHHHHH!!¡±


    Unable to control her anger, Claire struck the head of one of the corpses around that was bubbling with blood.


    With a loud noise, its head exploded like a tomato, its brain scattered everywhere.


    Seeing the thick blood, she let out another scream.


    ¡°Bianca... Bianca... My Bianca...!¡±


    She didn¡¯t care if Bianca ripped her off for money.


    She didn¡¯t care if Bianca was just using her to make herself richer.


    All she wanted was just to become a witch that was worthy of Bianca, so that one day, she¡¯d notice her and take her back to her side again...


    But now, her cold eyes and smile...


    Her mocking words that would get to her head, everything...


    Was gone forever.


    ¡°Hic... Sniff...¡±


    Soon enough, the only sound that could be heard from that dark room were Claire¡¯s sobs, and the sound of the dripping blood from the exploded head.


    2.


    Eloa put the letter in her hands down.


    [...for this reason, we would like to ask for your assistance. We would wait patiently for your reply.]


    The letter was four pages of wide Korean papers long, filled with elegant writing strokes that were created by a brush.


    But that wasn¡¯t all, a thick file with various pictures was also attached to the letter.


    The one who sent them was none other than Branch Manager Sua.


    Most of the means of communications between Gehenna and the Modern World weren¡¯t instantaneous.


    It had been a few days since the Witch of Desire perished, and Alcoriza Familia, which was under her control, collapsed.


    Ten thousands of the cartel¡¯s members dissipated overnight, and it was obvious that this phenomenon was caused by magic.


    The purpose of that was suspected to be sacrifice.


    And the culprit was unknown.


    Despite such an incident happening in the Modern World, Gehenna was peacefully preparing for the upcoming Harvest Festival.


    It was clear what kind of stance the people here were taking. They simply didn¡¯t care, feigned ignorance, and treated the incident as having nothing to do with them.


    Unfortunately, Eloa couldn¡¯t take up the same stance.


    After all, she had promised Ravi.


    To keep the innocents out of harm¡¯s way.


    Furthermore, several high-ranking witches, including her, knew...


    That the chaos that occurred in the Modern World would someday reach Gehenna.


    The scale of the incident this time was too big for her¡ªthe founder of Witch Point¡ªto simply ignore.


    After all, this incident had reached an even larger scale than the fuss created by the Cowardly Witch a while ago.


    The incident was committed without any thought of concealing anything, it was to the point that more than enough major media outlets covered the news of it¡ªwhoever the perpetrator was, they had clearly crossed the ¡®line¡¯.


    And yet no purge had happened.


    Even though the biggest unwritten rule of the witch¡¯s society had been broken.


    For now, some of the more cautious Criminals would probably opt to watch and see the situation for a bit more, and the ones who had been teetering to test Keter¡¯s limit would probably continue to do that for a while before making any big moves.


    After all, not all of them would want to risk Keter coming after them.


    But...


    What if the duchess couldn¡¯t make her move?


    What if she, who had been suppressing all those Criminals from causing chaos, suddenly abandoned her previous ¡®duty¡¯, or was unable to uphold her rules?


    That meant, someone had to take up that role.


    The role of an iron-blooded ruler who¡¯d enforce the law by blood.


    Taking up the blade of the purge.


    Eloa unfolded a blank piece of paper.


    After she met Siwoo, she had been experiencing a happy life¡ªsomething she couldn¡¯t imagine experiencing again after Ravi¡¯s death.


    It was a blissful moment that she always thought she didn¡¯t deserve.


    The Harvest Festival would last for three days.


    Her time alone with Siwoo¡ªas discussed in the council the other day¡ªwould happen tomorrow.


    While hoping that she could experience peace for one more day, she wrote down her reply.

 Chapter 411: Harvest Festival (4)

    1.


    The famed male witch fought with the Witch of Desire and managed to come back alive.


    Though rumors and news usually circulated slowly among the witches, this piece of news spread through Gehenna in the span of less than a single day.


    That was how surprising and sensational the news was.


    Even Diana¡ªsomeone who barely left her room¡ªheard about the news, so there was no need to doubt how well-spread the news was.


    The first time she heard this news, her shoulders were puffed in pride.


    ¡®As expected of someone who had received my first kiss! He¡¯s so capable!¡¯ She said to herself.


    She was proud of herself for discovering his worth earlier than others.


    Of course, she dismissed the fact that he had basically laid his talent bare for her on their Witch Board games, and yet she still failed to notice it for the longest time.


    Anyone in my position would react in the same way!


    But, that feeling was soon replaced by gloom when she remembered that she had basically given him to her mother.


    That aside, it had been four days since their previous class¡ªthe time when she asked him to seduce her mother.


    Earlier today, she heard words that their class would resume starting today, leaving her excited.


    She even dolled herself for 2 hours, even though she knew that there was no point in doing that.


    ¡°Hello, Ms. Diana. It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°Hello. It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    Siwoo entered the room with his usual expression.


    For some reason, Diana felt a strange sense of mysteriousness emanating from him.


    Her play tutor, the black knight, her mother¡¯s lover...


    She vividly remembered the time when he defeated that Homunculus and saved her.


    However, that Homunculus couldn¡¯t be compared to his enemy this time, an infamous 22nd-rank Criminal Exile, the Witch of Desire. And yet, he fought against her and came back safely.


    Diana knew how powerful a 22nd-rank witch was¡ªher mother was one, after all. Hence why she could appreciate his achievements more than the average person.


    She already believed the rumors to some extent, and now that she was seeing him in person, she came to believe the rumors even more.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Diana walked towards the sofa and sat down.


    It was the same sofa where he had treated her sprained ankle with Healing Magic.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. My injuries weren¡¯t that serious.¡±


    ¡°...Really?¡±


    His injuries weren¡¯t that serious...


    Hearing him saying those words so calmly felt jarring.


    Normally, people in his position would go on a bragging spree, becoming big-headed, but he was acting the same as usual.


    ¡°Did you...win?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You fought the Witch of Desire and survived, no? I won¡¯t tell anyone, so, can you tell me what happened?¡±


    In the end, Diana failed to suppress her curiosity.


    She didn¡¯t realize it, but her body was leaning forward, expressing how curious she was.


    Probably, for her, this conversation was as exciting as an interview with a hero who had slain an evil dragon.


    ¡°Honestly, it just...happened. I don¡¯t know if I could say that I won or not...¡±


    ¡°If you won, you won, if you lost, you lost. How hard could it be?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind a long story. You can brag about it with me. Just tell me.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t. There are some private circumstances...and things that I can¡¯t tell you about, Ms. Diana...¡±


    Seeing his lukewarm reaction, Diana¡¯s brows straightened.


    Something¡¯s strange...


    Diana herself hated attention, so she¡¯d rather lay low most of the time, but if she were to defeat a powerful enemy, she¡¯d be more than willing to brag about it for 15 minutes.


    But the man in front of her was so evasive that it was suspicious.


    Are the rumors...false...?


    If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s understandable that he doesn¡¯t want to tell anyone the details of what happened...


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be suspicious of me...¡±


    ¡°As expected... You just can¡¯t trust the rumors, huh?¡±


    ¡°Even if you provoke me like that, I still won¡¯t open my mouth.¡±


    The more one tried to hide something, the more curious others became. That was the basic human psychology.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll just trust you. You must have your reasons.¡±


    However, Diana had already built up some trust in Siwoo.


    After all, she had gone out of her way to tell him secrets that she had never confided to anyone before, and even made a bold request to him to seduce her mother.


    ¡°Tell me if you feel like it later.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡±


    Fighting a magic battle herself was a scary thing, but it was different to hear other people¡¯s tales of bravery.


    She actually wanted to spend today¡¯s class hearing how the Witch Board¡¯s genius utilized his magic in a fight.


    It was regrettable, but she decided to move on. After all, she had something else that she wanted to talk about.


    Soon, Gehenna would be covered in a rowdy atmosphere of a certain festival.


    The Harvest Festival where people would celebrate their harvest for the year¡ªthree days and three nights of drinking and partying.


    But that wasn¡¯t all. This was also the time when lovers would affirm their affection towards each other.


    There was a popular saying going around that couples who met during the Harvest Festival would fall in eternal love until death separated them apart.


    Though she didn¡¯t know where that saying came from, and she actually didn¡¯t believe it that much, but that was what one of the novels she read said.


    Considering that a man and a woman who were in love tend to be heavily influenced by their emotions rather than logic...


    This was a golden opportunity that they shouldn¡¯t miss.


    If Siwoo could seduce her mother during this time, she might just wish to stay alive for a while longer, and that would be in line with Diana¡¯s goal to delay her brand succession for as long as possible.


    Even if she had to let go of the man that she liked as the price.


    ¡°By the way, do you know?¡±


    ¡°Know what?¡±


    ¡°The Harvest Festival. You were a slave once, right? So, you know what I¡¯m talking about?¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    After hearing Diana¡¯s words, the bitterness that Siwoo had been suppressing coated his tongue again.


    Basically, the Harvest Festival was Christmas.


    But, as time went on, and the notion of religion faded into obscurity in Gehenna, the religious implication of it had also gone, turning it into more of an annual festival than a holiday.


    ¡°There are many romantic places in the Levanna Grand Bath, I¡¯ll tell you some of them so you could have a good time with Mom there.¡±


    Diana pretended to be calm, but her face was completely red.


    It was only natural. After all, it hadn¡¯t been that long since she dashed out of a building after seeing the twins casually kissing Siwoo on the lips.


    After she accidentally caught Siwoo and her mother in the act, she asked him to do her a favor.


    To seduce her mother and delay her succession for as long as possible.


    Since she knew exactly what they were doing, there was no way she could keep her composure when talking about such a topic.


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared a nice wine for you, and Mom should have some spare time on that day since she¡¯d want to spend her time with me. As for gifts, you should prepare them yourself. I mean, you¡¯re a man and all.¡±


    But, Siwoo hadn¡¯t even given his clear answer to her request.


    While yes, he understood her feelings¡ªshe just didn¡¯t want to be separated from her mother...


    He felt that if he were to agree, he¡¯d be betraying the women that he loved.


    For a long time, he had been pondering about this.


    And after going through the Palace of Memories and regaining his lost memories...


    He had to think about Eloa as well, on top of Sharon and the twins. The woman who had been hiding her feelings on her own, while watching over him from afar.


    Siwoo knew...


    That if he were to hold off from giving his answer to Diana, eventually, someone would suffer from it, just like what happened with Eloa.


    ¡®If you have time to feel guilty towards me, then you should spend it to fall for me.¡¯ Periwinkle¡¯s words once again came to his mind.


    But, the problem here was that his relationship with the countess started due to her seduction, then things happened and it turned physical.


    It was a casual relationship at best, the kind of relationship that he could easily stop.


    The question here was, should he do that or not?


    ¡°...¡±


    In the end, he decided to stop his relationship with the countess, at least for the time being.


    Until he either got permission from his four lovers, or when he was in a more stable state to decide his answer for good.


    ¡°...?¡±


    Seeing Siwoo remaining silent, Diana, who had been passionately planning out his date with her mother, gradually changed her expression.


    From confusion, suspicion, to surprise.


    Though her body gesture turned languid, her brain quickly connected the dots.


    ¡°...You! Could it be...?!¡±


    ¡°First, let me apologize, Ms. Diana.¡±


    Diana¡¯s expression, which had been rippling like waves, turned frozen like ice.


    Her usually sleepy eyes were snapped open, giving off a fierce impression.


    She bit her lip, clenching her molars.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I need some time to think about your request.¡±


    ¡°...Why?¡±


    The atmosphere around them turned terrifying.


    While yes, if a fight were to break out here, she couldn¡¯t even dream of touching a part of Siwoo¡¯s hair, but she still bared her fangs regardless.


    And there was nothing Siwoo could do about it.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t told you, but... I actually had a lover already... We¡¯ve been together even before I¡¯ve met you, Ms. Diana... Our relationship is...quite deep...if I may say so...¡±


    He didn¡¯t bring up the fact that the countess was the one who seduced him first to protect her honor.


    This whole thing made him feel like he was in a drama. Like he was confessing to a daughter of a divorce, who had been trying to make him her step-dad, that he already had a family to take care of, and he couldn¡¯t marry her mother no matter what.


    Now he could understand what Sharon meant when she said that her stomach felt like it was being twisted whenever she got anxious.


    But, it wasn¡¯t like he could just back down here. He didn¡¯t want to leave both Diana and Countess Yesod with an empty hope.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t seduce Countess Yesod anymore. You can blame me all you wish.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Diana remained silent for a long time. Meanwhile, Siwoo kept his head low, as if he was a sinner.


    ¡°So...¡±


    Then, a low, drawn-out voice, just like that of a beast, trickled from her mouth.


    There was an obvious anger in that voice, accompanied by the feeling of bewilderment, and betrayal.


    ¡°...My mom was just a plaything to you?¡±


    Of course, she was completely mistaken.


    But, someone¡¯s conclusion of an event always depended on their position and knowledge. A single event could be interpreted in various ways depending on the person.


    In this case, Diana¡¯s words expressed her perspective of Siwoo¡¯s actions.


    Either way, the truth of the matter was, he was too weak and fell for the countess¡¯ seduction. He had no excuse for his behavior.


    ¡°So you think you could just have a taste of my mom and throw her away?¡±


    Diana spoke bluntly, ignoring even the most basic honorifics.


    Siwoo felt his heart grow cold as he saw her rapidly approaching him, like a sports car accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in a single second.


    ¡°You...! Bastard!¡±


    Then, with a glass in her hand, she swung at him.


    The glass bounced off the side of his head, making a ¡®Clink!¡¯ sound.


    ¡°You jerk! Who! Do you think! You are?! Treating my mom like that!¡±


    ¡°M-Ms. Diana...! Listen to me first!¡±


    ¡°Get out! Get out of my sight!¡±


    Just as the countess loved her, she also loved her mother.


    His words suggested that he had been using her mother as a place to release her carnal pleasure, of course she¡¯d rage at him.


    Her depression from before was changed.


    Into fuel that fed the flames of her rage.


    Siwoo tried to talk it out with her, but she was having none of it¡ªshe threw everything she could get her hands on at him.


    From wine bottles, vases, pillows, to even fountain pens.


    In fact if she were just a little stronger, she¡¯d probably throw the table at him.


    ¡°Never! Show up! In front of me again! Get out of here! Now!¡±


    After enduring her rage for a bit more, Siwoo was eventually kicked out of her room. A fountain pen was stuck on the back of his /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 412: Harvest Festival (5)

    1.


    Siwoo, who had been kicked away without even getting the chance to talk to Diana properly, let out a long sigh.


    He could try to justify himself, telling her that it was the countess who made the first move and seduced him.


    That their subsequent physical intimacy was the result of a mutual agreement in order to further their magic research.


    But even he knew that would just come up as an excuse.


    In any case, whether their sex was a means to enhance their magic or not, or if it meant losing the chance to sleep with someone as stunning as Countess Yesod...


    He decided it was time to sort things out.


    With a heavy heart, he knocked on the countess¡¯ door.


    She probably wouldn¡¯t react as severely as Diana did, but he doubted that things would go smoothly.


    ¡°You may come in.¡±


    Hearing her graceful voice, he carefully opened the door.


    This was the countess¡¯ private study, the place where they held their classes, and also the place where they shared passionate nights together.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°I heard you came to visit me while I was recovering. Thank you.¡±


    Clad in a thick fur coat that enveloped her body tightly, she received his greetings.


    But something felt different about the atmosphere around her.


    There was a noticeable gap in her polite welcome¡ªa gap that hadn¡¯t been there before.


    Given how the countess had acted the last time they parted, it wouldn¡¯t have been strange if she had thrown herself at him the moment they reunited, showering him with kisses.


    Especially considering that he barely made it back alive.


    And yet she was just sitting there, quietly sipping her coffee.


    ¡°I must say, I¡¯m impressed. To think that a man who studies magic without a proper master could defeat the Witch of Desire in a magic battle.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re giving me too much credit. I was just lucky.¡±


    In truth, Siwoo felt awkward about such praise.


    After all, it wasn¡¯t even him who led the fight to a draw, but his unconscious self that had gone berserk.


    There was also Bianca who made a blunder and trapped herself in a narrow cage¡ªdespite her main way of fighting being zoning and poking.


    And that wasn¡¯t all. Without Amelia¡¯s help, he would¡¯ve lost his life in Bianca¡¯s last counterattack. This was why he didn¡¯t feel particularly proud of himself.


    ¡°Modesty. Too much of it could be a bad thing, you know? What you¡¯ve done was something remarkable, something that will go down in the history of the witch society, Mr. Siwoo. It¡¯s an achievement worth celebrating.¡±


    In any case...


    He hadn¡¯t come here for a tutoring session.


    But to set things straight, to make their relationship clear, and to offer an apology in his own way.


    Even if their relationship had started casually, with them only thinking about physical relationship and not anything deeper, he thought that at the very least, he¡¯d have to show some courtesy before ending it.


    Just as he was trying to find the right moment to bring that topic up, the countess spoke up first.


    ¡°By the way, I was a little surprised.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°I had no idea Mr. Siwoo was hiding something so big.¡±


    ¡°Hiding...what?¡±


    Siwoo tilted his head, confused as the countess took the roundabout approach to get to the point.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me, Mr. Siwoo? That your lover is Duchess Tiphereth.¡±


    For the first time, the countess¡¯ composed expression wavered.


    But it wasn¡¯t anger or a sense of betrayal that flickered across her face.


    Their relationship had always been casual, and they did it partly for magic research.


    She already knew that another witch had a place by Siwoo¡¯s side.


    ¡°First, I want to make it clear. I don¡¯t feel betrayed or anything like that.¡±


    Indeed, the reason why the countess grabbed her head sulkily was because of all people, his lover was none other than Duchess Tiphereth¡ªthe witch who was revered as the Goddess of Combat.


    ¡°It¡¯s just! Couldn¡¯t you at least give me a heads-up that the other person was the duchess, Mr. Siwoo?!¡±


    She was a witch whose power matched her title. One of the only 3 duchesses in Gehenna.


    Excluding Keter, she had personally purged more witches than anyone.


    And, most importantly, she was known to be the most ¡®upright, unyielding, and strict¡¯ witch of all.


    ¡°You just said that she was your master! Of course I didn¡¯t dare to make any further connection than that!¡±


    Countess Yesod stood up abruptly. Her frustration was clear in her stance.


    The faint shadow under her eyes hinted at the mental strain she had endured.


    Pursuing one¡¯s own self-essence magic to higher levels was a witch¡¯s purpose in life.


    Hence, Gehenna¡¯s nobility titles didn¡¯t hold much weight among them.


    After all, those titles were originally just rewards from Duchess Keter for the witches who were of great help in establishing Gehenna. They weren¡¯t positions with inherent privileges, like ministers or deputies in the Modern World.


    That was why being a countess or a duchess didn¡¯t necessarily imply a hierarchy of power.


    Yesod Family was one of the wealthiest in Gehenna.


    In contrast, Tiphereth had unstable finances and would go bankrupt overnight without the support of the few witches who respected her.


    Yesod¡¯s influence in the Modern World was greater. There really was no reason for her to feel inferior to Duchess Tiphereth.


    But she had met Tiphereth before.


    She had seen firsthand what kind of person she was.


    Her cold, emotionless expression, and curt tone.


    Like a vengeful spirit, she relentlessly hunted down Criminal Exiles, and all the Homunculi that she could find, driven by a burning desire to avenge her disciple against the world that stole her life.


    Her violent inaction and sharp, blade-like gaze could intimidate even the usually fearless Lucy Yesod.


    ¡°Was it really that big of a deal?¡±


    Through their back-and-forth, Siwoo finally realized what the countess was truly afraid of.


    He had heard how a lot of witches mentioned how they ¡®revered¡¯ Duchess Tiphereth?


    The word ¡®revered¡¯ had two parts in its original meaning: ¡®to hold in esteem¡¯ and ¡®to fear¡¯.1


    In other words, Countess Yesod feared Duchess Tiphereth, just like everyone else.


    And it made sense.


    His master¡¯s actions, to put it mildly, made her like a smaller version of Keter.


    He had just overlooked it because of the gentle smile she usually wore, but when he thought of their first meeting, she had been truly terrifying and hard to deal with.


    ¡°Of course it was! You¡¯re being taught by her, aren¡¯t you? Out of all people, you should know what kind of witch she is, Mr. Siwoo!¡±


    ¡°No, really! She isn¡¯t as scary as you think!¡±


    ¡°To you, maybe! Who¡¯d thrust a blade to their lover¡¯s throat, huh...?!¡±


    The countess patted her chest in frustration, then gulped down the hot coffee as if trying to calm her nerves before sighing deeply and spilling her feelings.


    ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t say I was completely in the right either. You told me that you had a lover, Mr. Siwoo, and I was the one who pushed forward, ignoring your words.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m equally at fault. It¡¯s not just on you, Countess.¡±


    ¡°Still, I thought I could handle it. I even hoped we could make our relationship official one day. But I¡¯ve never expected that your lover is Duchess Tiphereth...¡±


    In truth, even if she stopped to ask his lover¡¯s identity back then, Siwoo would¡¯ve mentioned Sharon instead.


    After all, at the time, his memory was still bound by his master¡¯s seal.


    The countess, now almost in despair, gripped Siwoo¡¯s arm tightly.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure she hasn¡¯t found out, right? I...guess if she had, she¡¯d already pay me a visit...¡±


    ¡°You should try to calm down, Countess.¡±


    ¡°Calm down... You really have no idea who Duchess Tiphereth is, do you?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a reasonable person, not just with me but with everyone else as well. She wouldn¡¯t lash out over nothing.¡±


    Sensing that her anxiety was overblown, Siwoo tried to reassure her.


    For the sake of his master¡¯s reputation, who was likely oblivious to the situation, he felt the need to give her a proper explanation.


    ¡°Really...?¡±


    ¡°Of course. She might seem stern and intimidating, but as long as you explain things properly, she¡¯ll understand. She won¡¯t get mad.¡±


    From Countess Yesod¡¯s perspective, this evaluation came from the duchess¡¯ lover, so...


    She couldn¡¯t trust its objectivity fully.


    However, the genuine trust in Siwoo¡¯s tone was enough to ease her worries.


    The Countess stared at Siwoo with her deep red eyes, as if to judge the truth of his words, then finally sighed heavily, almost like a resigned puppy.


    ¡°...If that¡¯s true, then I can be at ease. I can¡¯t believe your words fully, but if half of what you say is right, I can at least calm down a little.¡±


    As if all her strength had left her, the countess collapsed onto the sofa, exhausted. She let out several long sighs.


    ¡°I guess doing reckless things really isn¡¯t worth it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, living a straightforward life seems like the best way to go.¡±


    Siwoo sat down opposite her, sharing a bitter smile.


    He felt some of the weight lift off his chest.


    Rejection wasn¡¯t just tough for the person on the receiving end, after all. The one doing the rejecting also bore a certain amount of burden.


    Although their relationship started out lightly, they started getting really into it and everything turned into a hot mess. Hence why Siwoo had been concerned about how she would take it all.


    But their conversation just now clearly veered towards, ¡®Let¡¯s stop this affair¡¯.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯re on the topic, I think it might be a good idea to bring our research to a close as well.¡±


    He chose his words carefully, watching her reaction.


    By research, of course, he was referring to their experiments involving mana amplification during his ejaculation.


    ¡°What?¡±


    But, the countess¡¯ reaction was far from what Siwoo had expected.


    ¡°Do you mean...we should stop seeing each other?¡±


    ¡°Rather than stop seeing each other.... I think we should stop having sex, at least for the sake of keeping things between us decent...¡±


    ¡°No way...¡±


    Showing a completely different reaction than the one she had during the conversation earlier, the countess was in shock, as if she had just been told they were breaking up.


    And just a minute ago, she had been worried about Duchess Tiphereth¡¯s anger.


    ¡°Research is important, but there are other things that matter more...¡±


    ¡°No. To me, studying your body, Mr. Siwoo, is a very, very important task.¡±


    Her firm voice interrupted his words, making him pause.


    Before he knew it, Countess Yesod had directed her intense gaze at him.


    It was a gaze that was filled with a strong sense of expectation that went beyond just physical desire.


    ¡°Take a look at this.¡±


    With a wave of her hand, a thick stack of documents that had been sitting on the table flew over to her.


    She laid them out in front of Siwoo. These were data that she acquired from their research.


    Even though he was still learning, Siwoo had come a long way from his days as an untrained witch.


    He had enough basic knowledge to grasp the general idea just from observing and learning.


    While he couldn¡¯t fully understand everything that Countess Yesod showed him, he could make sense of about half of it.


    ¡°See? During our intercourse, you didn¡¯t just charge me with mana, but with pure mana. You practically mimicked the circuits that were engraved in the brand.¡±


    The countess showed Siwoo the data that contained all sorts of complicated graphs and drawn messily, in a voice full of enthusiasm. She explained each item one by one.


    More specifically, she explained how his mana interacted with her self-essence magic during their sex.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Do you have something in mind?¡±


    The countess¡¯ words clicked with what Siwoo had already figured out.


    All the magic that was added to his Ain came from those he had creampied during sex.


    First Yebin, then Ea, Sharon, Eloa, and Lucy.


    He had copied their self-essence magic and kept it within him.


    Siwoo then shared this realization with the countess, along with what he had recently observed in the memory palace.


    Apparently that confirmed her hypothesis as Countess Yesod suddenly clapped her hands. Her eyes shone with excitement.


    Gone was her earlier nervousness, now replaced with boundless energy.


    ¡°See, Mr. Siwoo! If we can get this right, we could make brand ¡®transfer¡¯ possible! An apprentice witch might be able to inherit a brand without her predecessor having to pass on! Of course, we would require detailed adjustments and a lot more data samples, but the result would definitely be groundbreaking!¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    That was when it finally hit Siwoo.


    Just as Diana didn¡¯t want Lucy to leave...


    Lucy also didn¡¯t want to leave Diana behind.


    This meant his involvement was their only lifeline to escape the difficult circumstances.


    Whether Duchess Tiphereth approved their relationship or not became a lesser concern now.


    ¡°Mr. Siwoo, please... Proceed with this research, just for a little longer. I can¡¯t say that there¡¯s no personal feelings involved in this, but... Diana and I desperately need your help.¡±


    The countess held his hand, pleading.


    He could see that even a hint of refusal from him would make her strip herself naked and fall to her knees.


    ¡°...Okay. I can go with that...for the time being...¡±


    Despite feeling uneasy, Siwoo decided to see this through to the end.


    However, it wasn¡¯t because he wanted to satisfy his lust. He just couldn¡¯t bring himself to refuse her.


    After all, a life was on the line here. There was no way he could just walk away.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to explain it to her.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, thank you so much, Mr. Siwoo...!¡±


    With that in mind, Siwoo felt that perhaps his four women would be able to understand.


    Thinking that, he gave her a positive answer. At least for now.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------


    Author¡¯s note: This is Sharon comforting Eloa, from the fanart that Blessing-nim provided. Thank you for the beautiful art.


    Footnotes


    1. The word ''?????'' combines the characters ''???'' and ''??'', ''???'' means ''to respect,'' while ''??'' means ''to fear.'' So, ''?????'' implies a sense of both respect and awe, or /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 413: Harvest Festival (6)

    1.


    The Gemini Mansion, freshly refurbished, eagerly awaited the Harvest Festival.


    Beneath the darkness, before the moon rose, two small shadows darted through the annex, slipping between the flickering candlelight.


    There were none other than the lively twins, the most energetic pair at the Gemini Mansion.


    Even the drowsiness of midnight pressing heavily on their eyelids wasn¡¯t enough to slow them down.


    They raced along in the darkness, each dressed in pajamas they bought as souvenirs from the aquarium back in the Modern World.


    For Odile, a blue shark pajama, complete with a tail and fins.


    As for Odette, a fluffy pink bunny pajama with big floppy ears.


    ¡°Odette...! W-Wait up a sec.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up, Sis! Stop being so slow!¡±


    ¡°But the tail keeps getting stuck!¡±


    Whether it was running, casting spells, or swimming.


    Odette usually lagged behind Odile. But now, she was scolding her sister for being slow for who knows how many times already.


    Because of the shark pajama¡¯s long tail, Odile had to hold it in her arms to prevent it from dragging on the ground as they ran.


    The tail that usually served as a cushion whenever she was sleeping was now holding her back.


    As Odile adjusted the tail, Odette crouched at the corner of the hallway, peeking around like an agent on a secret mission.


    ¡°Whoa... Looks like they¡¯re gone for now.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up. I¡¯ve fixed the tail.¡±


    The twins then took off running again in tiny, fast steps.


    At this late hour, even the owls were asleep, but these two were about to begin a smuggling operation¡ªwhich was why Odette was carrying a small box with her.


    The Harvest Festival wasn¡¯t just about drinking and dancing.


    It was also a special day for couples to spend intimate time together and reaffirm their love.


    Hence why, the twins had prepared a gift for their assistant.


    If it were just a simple gift, they wouldn¡¯t need to be so sneaky.


    But the nature of the gift was incredibly dangerous.


    If their master or anyone else caught them, it wouldn¡¯t end with just a scolding.


    They had to plan out an elaborate strategy to bring it here¡ªfrom its purchase to its delivery.


    First, they had to steal Galina¡¯s¡ªthe head maid¡ªledger to obtain an order form¡¯s template. Then, they had to identify the exact name of the item through a separate investigation.


    With help from Pecha, Lena, Masha, and Vera, they smuggled the item from Border Town into the mansion without anyone realizing that they were behind it.


    However, Vera, the one who was placed in charge of the final delivery, had been called away unexpectedly, leaving the box in the mailroom for the twins to retrieve.


    Since Galina would check the mailroom early in the morning, they had to move quickly to retrieve it.


    ¡°Shhh...!¡±


    Odette, leading the way, extended her arm and pressed herself against the wall.


    Odile quickly followed, clutching her bundled tail to her chest, holding her breath.


    -Tap... tap... tap...


    From there, they caught a side view of Galina, patrolling the mansion with a lantern in her hand.


    Her round glasses caught the light, glinted.


    Galina was strict on a normal day, but tonight, she looked even scarier than a grim reaper.


    -Tap tap tap


    Not long after, her footsteps faded away, leaving the twins, trembling with their eyes squeezed shut, behind.


    Only after the head maid¡¯s footsteps were no longer audible did the two of them breathe a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    ¡°...That was close. Sis, let¡¯s not do something like this again next time.¡±


    Just as they began to chat softly, feeling relieved...


    -Tap tap tap tap tap tap


    ¡°Ms. Odile, Ms. Odette?¡±


    ¡°¡°Eeeek!¡±¡±


    The footsteps approached them out of nowhere, and Galina¡¯s harsh voice followed.


    Odile and Odette, genuinely startled, bolted, waddling away in a hurry.


    ¡°So it¡¯s the young ladies! It¡¯s bedtime! What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡±


    Like a wandering mob that had been aggroed, Galina chased after them, her lamp swinging.


    The shadows cast by the swaying light of the lantern made her look like a monster from an old horror story.


    Suddenly finding themselves in a terrifying 4D horror game experience, the twins felt their blood run cold and scrambled to escape.


    ¡°Odette! We got caught because you wouldn¡¯t stop talking!¡±


    ¡°No! It¡¯s because you sighed, Sis!¡±


    ¡°We got busted the moment your voice echoed!¡±


    ¡°I only started talking because you sighed! You were the one who acted like it was all clear!¡±


    Of all people, Galina was the absolute worst person to discover their secret gift, second only to their master.


    Even if they used magic to escape now, they¡¯d still be in trouble for running away in the first place.


    The reprimand would even extend to the maids, and then everything would be over.


    In short, this was a total disaster.


    At that moment, the twins suddenly noticed they¡¯d reached the mansion¡¯s far end.


    In their frantic panic, they had run into a dead end.


    ¡°What do we do, Sis?¡±


    ¡°We need to hide it at the very least!¡±


    Hearing Galina¡¯s footsteps right behind them, Odile hurriedly opened the nearest door.


    Even if they couldn¡¯t run away from her, at least they had to stash this gift somewhere¡ªIn a closet, under a sofa, under a bed, anywhere.


    They burst through the door in a panic as if to break it, but then...


    ¡°Huh? What are you two doing here?¡±


    They found Sharon staring at them with wide, surprised eyes.


    ¡°Sharon unnie!¡±


    ¡°Please hide us!¡±


    The twins ran straight to the sofa where Sharon was sitting, throwing themselves onto it and huddling behind the backrest like it was their only cover.


    ¡°Ms. Odile! Ms. Odette!¡±


    Right on their heels, Galina barged in, looking furious.


    The sequence of events happened so quickly.


    However, seeing the twins, unable to even hide themselves, trembling with their hoods up, and the enraged Galina, the head maid, Sharon quickly pieced the situation together.


    ¡°Oh, Ms. Evergreen. I apologize for the disturbance at this late hour.¡±


    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s fine, Head Maid Galina.¡±


    ¡°Would you mind sending the young ladies back to bed? I¡¯ve told them over and over again that it¡¯s way past bedtime...!¡±


    By now, the twins¡¯ faces looked as if the world was collapsing on them. As if they could sense where things were heading.


    Sharon gave Galina a troubled look.


    ¡°Oh dear, what to do? Actually, I¡¯m the one who called Ms. Odile and Ms. Odette over.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to have a quick chat with them, but it seems I¡¯ve ended up bothering you, Ms. Galina.¡±


    Sharon gave a slight bow with a regretful look before gently placing her hands on the twins¡¯ heads.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send them back to bed soon. Also, I promise this won¡¯t happen again. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Galina, who had been listening to Sharon with her arms crossed, closed her eyes and nodded heavily.


    ¡°I understand, Ms. Evergreen. But please make sure nothing like this happens again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    Galina didn¡¯t look convinced, but it was hard for her to press on the issue when Sharon was acting so polite towards her.


    After all, Sharon was the Gemini Family¡¯s tutor and, more importantly, a Grand Witch.


    Since she had bowed her head to protect the twins, Galina had no choice but to honor her action.


    As she apologized to cover up the twins¡¯ mistakes, Galina had no choice but to honor that.


    ¡°Alright, I will take my leave.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for all your hard work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just doing my duty as a servant. Also, please, Ms. Odile, Ms. Odette, try not to stay up so late.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°Yes...¡±


    After Galina closed the door behind her.


    The twins, pulling back their hoods, glanced at Sharon.


    Having overcome a major crisis, the twins¡¯ faces were filled with relief, like people who were found by the rescue team during a distress.


    ¡°Thank you, Sharon unnie!¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much! Sharon unnie!¡±


    ¡°Haa... So, what exactly is going on?¡±


    Sharon placed her hands on her hips, looking down at the two troublemakers.


    2.


    ¡°Since a strong opponent suddenly arrived...!¡±


    ¡°We figured we¡¯d need a trump card!¡±


    The twins, holding mugs of hot cocoa, marshmallows floating in the warm drinks, explained what was going on.


    Their elaborate plan wasn¡¯t just due to the upcoming Harvest Festival


    It was also to keep Duchess Eloa Tiphereth, who had recently joined the fray, in check and at the same time, to gain a strategic advantage.


    The Duchess¡¯ wealth was nothing impressive.


    However, she was still one of the only three duchesses in Gehenna, and a grand witch of the 23rd rank who was respected by countless witches.


    Moreover, as their assistant¡¯s master, she had a strong connection with him. Also, although not to the same extent as Sharon, she also possessed powerful asymmetric capabilities that the twins lack.


    If they stayed passive, they would end up beaten mercilessly, just like what happened with Sharon.


    ¡°So, this is your trump card?¡±


    Sharon asked, tapping the box on the table.


    ¡°Haa~ We were planning to keep it a total secret.¡±


    ¡°But since Sharon unnie helped us, we¡¯ll make an exception and show it to you.¡±


    ¡°Just promise you won¡¯t copy us, okay?¡±


    The twins then peeled away the wrapping,


    Without needing to hear the twins¡¯ explanation, Sharon quickly grasped the true identity of the item.


    Between the thin layers of plastic inside the box, she saw a set of neatly arranged wooden pieces.


    Jenga.


    It was a simple board game where players take turns removing blocks from a stack, and the one who makes it fall loses.


    ¡°Um... Nice! Siwoo¡¯s going to love this.¡±


    Sharon said, keeping her real thoughts to herself.


    She actually expected something special for them, but this was just a normal Jenga.


    Sure, it might seem special in Gehenna¡ªwhere modern items were rare¡ªbut in the Modern World, this was a common board game. People would play it for a bit then move on.


    Still, it looked like they went through a lot of trouble to get it...


    Siwoo will probably give them a nice reaction.


    She didn¡¯t want to spoil their excitement by being brutally honest, though.


    ¡°Of course! But this isn¡¯t your regular Jenga.¡±


    ¡°Hehehe, do you want to see what makes it different?¡±


    ¡°Different?¡±


    ¡°Just turn around for a bit.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be surprised, unnie!¡±


    Does it have an automatic stacking feature?


    Is this actually a magical toy or what?


    Sharon felt a little perplexed but she patiently waited as the twins made a fuss over the toy.


    ¡°Ta-da!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ready!¡±


    As she looked at the neatly stacked blocks, Sharon tilted her head again.


    No matter how she looked at it, there was nothing strange about the blocks.


    ¡°Want to give it a try?¡±


    ¡°Sure, it¡¯s not that hard.¡±


    Sharon rolled up her sleeves and tapped the wooden block in the center bottom with her fingertip.


    As she had expected, the block slid out smoothly.


    And just when she thought there was nothing out of the ordinary,


    She noticed how the twins were giggling mischievously.


    ¡°I did it. What now?¡±


    ¡°Ah, you have to check the back of the block!¡±


    ¡°The back?¡±


    When she turned over the block in her hand, she noticed something that was different from regular Jenga.


    A piece of transparent tape with writing on it was stuck to the block.


    ¡°What does it say?¡±


    ¡°W-What is this!¡±


    What was written on it was...


    [Locate the opponent¡¯s nipples over the clothes]


    It was a very simple yet clearly peculiar penalty clause.


    ¡°You have to do whatever it says on the block you pull out!¡±


    Sharon¡¯s jaw dropped.


    Indeed, the Jenga that the twins had prepared wasn¡¯t just any ordinary Jenga.


    It was an adult Jenga, designed for couples looking to spice up their nights.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------


    Odile in her pajamas! /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 414: The Happy Days (1)

    Chapter 414: The Happy Days (1)


    1.


    Sharon once lived in the Modern World for nearly 10 years due to her debts,


    So she understood the meaning behind the Harvest Festival, or rather, Christmas, to couples.


    To put it shortly, it was the night where 90% of couples around the world had sex.


    So naturally, she had been preparing herself for it.


    She picked up items like a Santa costume or fluffy handcuffs to spice things up for the main event.


    Not only that, she also planned out a romantic setting for it; a half-body bath with rose petals floating on the water, paired with sweet wine for a relaxing soak.


    Of course, these preparations required money, but her debt had long been cleared, and she had extra cash with her.


    She spent quite some time in the Border Town¡¯s Contact Point, making various preparations.


    ¡°Do you know what the most important part of a gift is?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the surprise for the other person!¡±


    But then she realized.


    That she had been too naive.


    She came in completely unprepared for the battle ahead.


    The gifts prepared by the apprentice witches pair, Odile and Odette, felt like it was poking at her complacency and inadequacy.


    She had forgotten that it was Christmas.


    It was a special occasion, so there was no way a simple and ordinary event would be enough to impress Siwoo. The twins¡¯ gifts made her realize that.


    Sharon swallowed hard.


    She couldn¡¯t help but wonder about what phrases might be written on those blocks.


    Without the internet to search for tips like ¡®How to please your boyfriend¡¯, Sharon was eager to learn what she could.


    ¡°How on earth did you even come up with this stuff?¡±


    She asked, reaching out to check the rest of the blocks.


    ¡°Hey! No peeking!¡±


    ¡°Confidentiality breach, confidentiality breach!¡±


    But then the twins jumped in, mimicking an alarm, stopping her spying attempts.


    While yes, they were thankful that Sharon had rescued them from Head Maid Galina, the extent of their thanks only went as far as revealing the identity of the secret move, not every detail it had.


    They quickly stretched out their arms to block Sharon from the Jenga set.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s you, Sharon unnie, we can¡¯t show you!¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t even seen all of them ourselves!¡±


    ¡°Tch.¡¯¡¯


    The Jenga the twins prepared was one for a couple¡¯s use. It looked like a regular Jenga, but the blocks had transparent stickers with penalties written on them.


    They even squinted their eyes to prevent themselves from seeing the sticker that Sharon had in her block.


    This was to prevent them from spoiling themselves when they finally played the game with their assistant.


    After all, knowing what was inside their gift in advance would only take away some of the excitement.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, just a peek? I won¡¯t tell anyone!¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not! If you spill the beans, it¡¯ll ruin the surprise for Mr. assistant!¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Besides, we¡¯re rivals, you know!¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess that makes sense...¡±


    The twins were adamant about protecting the Jenga.


    Leaving Sharon to stop and think for a moment.


    Still, they had been together for several months.


    She knew how to coax the twins when necessary.


    ¡°Anyway, this is really something! With a gift like this, Siwoo will definitely be pleased!¡±


    After buttering the twins up with praise, Sharon planned to ask them about it.


    Surprisingly, that was her whole strategy.


    Indeed, all she needed to do to coax them was ask them nicely and give them a little praise.


    ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°Competing for love isn¡¯t just done with the bodies, but also the brain! Hehehe!¡±


    ¡°Wow, impressive. I would¡¯ve never thought of that myself.¡±


    As she had expected, the twins let Sharon¡¯s praise get over their heads, and they started to gloat.


    ¡°Still, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s worth checking what¡¯s on the blocks? If even you two don¡¯t know what¡¯s written, there could be some unexpected surprises.¡±


    ¡°We can check them ourselves, though?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! We don¡¯t need to spoil it for you, Sharon unnie!¡±


    Unfortunately, they weren¡¯t as simple-minded as they seemed.


    The moment Sharon tried to dig deeper, they immediately became cautious.


    ¡°I get that, but wouldn¡¯t it help to have an objective check from a third-party?¡±


    ¡°How can you be considered as a third-party, Sharon unnie?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re rivals!¡±


    ¡°I mean, I¡¯m not trying to interfere with your plans. Besides, I know a lot about the Modern World¡¯s culture. This is a Modern World¡¯s object, and Siwoo is from there, so my input could be useful. Also, let¡¯s not forget that I just saved you two.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm... Strategy meeting!¡±


    The twins turned their backs on Sharon as they whispered to each other in hushed voices.


    Sharon felt like she was tricking a pair of innocent kids, but she wasn¡¯t doing this with bad intentions.


    She just wanted to take a little peek.


    As she tried to justify herself with that reasoning, the twins nodded their heads.


    ¡°Okay. But we have a condition.¡±


    ¡°A condition?¡±


    ¡°You have to play a friendly match with us, Sharon unnie!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why on earth?¡±


    It was literally a ¡®Why?¡¯ moment.


    Sharon was bewildered by the unexpected suggestion.


    Then, Odile elaborated on their plan.


    ¡°As you¡¯ve said, the best way to test the content is to try it ourselves.¡±


    ¡°But, just doing it between us wouldn¡¯t be that fun, would it?¡±


    Considering that she was the one who started all this, and the twins were just complying with her idea, Sharon couldn¡¯t back out now.


    ¡°...Okay, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    And so, Sharon and the twins sat down across from each other and started their peculiar mock game.


    Odile went first.


    She easily removed the second block from the center of the bottom row.


    ¡°What does it say?¡±


    ¡°Hmm... ¡®Choose an item of clothing from your opponent and have them take it off.¡¯ Okay, Sharon unnie, take off your panties.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Sharon looked at Odile in shock, surprised by the bold request.


    ¡°What? If we¡¯re going to test this, we have to do it properly, right?¡±


    Meanwhile, Odile just shrugged, as if it was no big deal.


    ¡°Do I really have to take off my panties though...?¡±


    For some reason, she just immediately aimed for her panties.


    Right now, Sharon had her pajamas and sleeping socks.


    If they just wanted to test the game, there was no need to go straight for her underwear.


    ¡°Hehe, if it¡¯s too much for you, we can stop here.¡±


    As Sharon sat there, bewildered, Odette chimed in, agreeing with her sister.


    The twins¡¯ smiling eyes held a chilling glint. Seeing that, Sharon realized what their game was.


    They weren¡¯t just innocently going along with Sharon¡¯s plans.


    Rather, they had seen through Sharon¡¯s thoughts.


    The reason they pretended not to know and fell for Sharon¡¯s proposal was because they didn¡¯t want to be in her ¡®debt¡¯.


    Sharon had just saved them from being caught by Head Maid Galina, earlier, and they didn¡¯t know what kind of thing they¡¯d have to repay her with in the future.


    In that case, the best option was to pretend to play along with Sharon¡¯s scheme and then drive her away under the pretext of losing, or giving up the game.


    It was a skillful political maneuver from them, a move that would settle their debts while keeping the secrets of their Jenga closely guarded.


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s how you¡¯re going to play?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this. If I knock down the tower or give up, I¡¯ll walk away. But if you lose, you have to reveal everything.¡±


    Initially, Sharon was just curious and testing things out, but since the twins were provoking her like this, she decided that she wouldn¡¯t just back down.


    The twins were also prepared to face her head-on.


    With that, their competition¡ªwhich had deviated from its original purpose¡ªheated up.


    ¡°¡°Okay!¡±¡±


    Sharon stood up abruptly.


    She lifted her long, flowy dress before hooking her fingers around her underwear, pulling them down.


    Her skirt acted as a changing room curtain, keeping her vagina hidden. But, the white piece of cloth that was sliding down her toned, white thighs, was still quite a provocative view.


    ¡°You think something like this can stop me? My turn.¡±


    Sharon, now pantyless, pulled out a block without hesitation.


    But then, she realized she had overlooked something.


    So far, the penalties had been something along the lines of ¡®Locate the opponent¡¯s nipples over their clothes¡¯ and ¡®Choose an item of clothing from your opponent and have them take it off¡¯.


    Naturally, she thought the one pulling the block was in control.


    However, this penalty wasn¡¯t originally designed for a ¡®competition¡¯ but for a game meant to spice up passionate moments between lovers.


    There were more than plenty of traps that would humiliate the person pulling the blocks.


    ¡°Imitate a cat and get spanked ten times...?¡±


    ¡°Looks like you pulled a dud~¡±


    Sharon¡¯s mint-green eyes darted nervously.


    ¡°W-What is this? I-Isn¡¯t this bad?! If Siwoo pulled this, would you actually make him do it?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°It would be fun, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Stop complaining and get on all fours, Unnie.¡±


    Sharon¡¯s argument was reasonable.


    However, the mock game for inspection was already nothing more than an excuse.


    What remained here was a chicken race of sorts, where it was a game of who would feel more ashamed and quit first. There was no way Sharon¡¯s protests would be accepted.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    Sharon clenched her teeth.


    Feeling humiliated, she presented her butt as the twins approached side by side.


    ¡°Oh~ Sharon unnie, your butt is so big~ Also those hips~¡±


    ¡°Yeah, with that thin dress, you can see everything.¡±


    ¡°Shut up and just get on with it already!¡±


    -Smak! Smack! Smack!


    The twins slapped Sharon¡¯s butt like they were playing the drums.


    Perhaps because of the thin skirt, as Odette had pointed out, their palms stung more than expected.


    But that pain paled in comparison to the humiliation she felt by getting spanked by those apprentice witches.


    And to make it worse...


    ¡°Imitate a cat, Sharon unnie!¡±


    ¡°Nyaao...! Meooow...!¡±


    She had to curl her hands into paws and meow pitifully while getting spanked. The whole thing was beyond humiliating¡ªit was utterly degrading.


    After enduring the no-panties cat impression and spanking punishment, Sharon sat back down, her face flushed red with embarrassment.


    Her cheeks were a perfect blend of 70% humiliation and 30% spite, fueled by a desire for revenge.


    After going through all that, she was determined to at least return some of the humiliation to the twins.


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn now.¡±


    Odette smoothly pulled out a block.


    The three of them stared at it, their hearts pounding in suspense.


    As if it was the final card flip in a Hold¡¯em game, the moment was filled with tension.


    ¡°Kyaaah! I¡¯m safe!¡±


    ¡°Nice, Odette!¡±


    Odette had drawn a block that said, ¡®Strip your opponent completely¡¯.


    As far as Odette was concerned, there was only one ¡®opponent¡¯ in this place, Sharon. Now, she was facing the real possibility of being completely naked.


    ¡°What the hell?! You two are cheating!¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡±


    ¡°We told you, we stuck these on without even looking!¡±


    The cruel twist of fate made Sharon¡¯s composure crumble.


    It wasn¡¯t the nudity itself that embarrassed her; being naked around other women didn¡¯t bother her.


    If it did, she woulda stay away from the public baths for her whole life.


    It was being the only one naked while having to suffer penalties after penalties that brought her shame beyond imagination. Especially considering that her opponent¡ªthe twins¡ªwere completely unscathed.


    ¡°Well~ if you want to give up, we won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    ¡°We get how you¡¯re feeling, Sharon unnie.¡±


    The twins grinned, waving their blocks in victory.


    They actually had a point.


    If Sharon were to quit now, her pride wouldn¡¯t be hurt any further.


    But, just like a loser who was too deep in a gambling den who¡¯d think, ¡®Just one big hit, I¡¯ll win!¡¯...


    Sharon didn¡¯t back down.


    So what if I¡¯m stripping? It¡¯s just clothes!


    ¡°Prepare yourselves, you two!¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t forcing you to continue, okay?¡±


    Gritting her teeth, Sharon ripped off her nightgown in one swift motion.


    She guarded her empty crotch by pressing her thighs tightly together and reached behind her back to unhook her bra.


    -Jiggle jiggle.


    ¡°...Sis, is it just me, or does she annoy you?¡±


    ¡°...No, it¡¯s not just you.¡±


    As Sharon did that, her breasts bounced softly with every move, showing off their majesty.


    The sight annoyed the twins greatly.


    Meanwhile Sharon, her face flushed as she tried to cover her lower half with one hand and her chest with the other, glared at the twins, her eyes brimming with tears of shame.


    ¡°My turn!¡±


    With trembling hands, she barely managed to pull out a block and flipped it over. It said, ¡®Spread your legs wide and show everything.¡¯


    ¡°Are you kidding me?! What the hell?!¡±


    She threw the Jenga block, it rolled helplessly across the sofa.


    The twins instantly rolled around laughing at the sight.


    Despite everything, the three of them oddly had perfect chemistry together.


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------It¡¯s Odette this time!

 Chapter 415: The Happy Days (2)

    Chapter 415: The Happy Days (2)


    1.


    ¡°Um... Sharon unnie... Shouldn¡¯t we stop now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think that¡¯s enough for now...¡±


    ¡°No, I refuse!¡±


    Thirty minutes had passed since the game started.


    Quite a long time had been consumed by the penalties. At this point, only a few blocks had been pulled; they had left mid-game a while ago.


    However, Sharon¡¯s appearance was a mess.


    Her once smooth, supple breasts were covered in hickeys¡ªcourtesy to the twins¡ªand she was still stark naked.


    Carrying the penalties left her hair disheveled and her eyes red.


    Though her thighs were pressed tightly together, a wet spot was beginning to show between them.


    Compared to Sharon, the twins looked exactly the same as when they started the game.


    All the blocks Odile and Odette had pulled were ¡®commands for the other¡¯.


    While every block Sharon pulled was a punishment she had to endure.


    In short, no matter who drew the blocks, Sharon had to suffer the punishments.


    Here¡¯s a list of what she had been through.


    [Write your name with your butt 10 times.]


    She had to climb on the sofa and shake her juicy ass while spelling out her name in English.


    [Let others leave hickeys on your breasts.]


    The twins clung to her breasts like doctor fish, leaving reddish hickeys all over.


    [Seduce others with a sexy dance.]


    She had to sway her hips and dance to the rhythm.


    [Lick others¡¯ toes from corner to corner.]


    She had to lick the twins¡¯ toes like a dog after they slipped off their slippers.


    [Endure ticklings from others¡¯ mouths and lips.]


    She had to hold her arms up while the twins tortured her by tickling her armpits.


    [Hold your panties in your mouth while striking a sexy pose.]


    She had to bite down on her own panties and make sultry faces, no matter how humiliating it felt.


    Lastly, [Masturbate for 5 minutes while moaning.]


    After enduring all sorts of degrading and perverse punishments, Sharon was mentally wrecked, while the twins¡¯ toes were only slightly damp.


    This was the moment when the twins and Sharon both learned how easily a human¡¯s dignity could be shattered.


    ¡°Not before your turn comes!¡±


    Sharon whimpered, but she really couldn¡¯t just back down now.


    Just once...!


    I want to humiliate them...! Just once...!


    That thought alone kept her going through all this humiliation.


    Having lost all her bets and even sold her house, she refused to walk away without even taking a single profit.


    Odile and Odette exchanged nervous glances.


    They were terrified by Sharon¡¯s descent to madness.


    To the point that they secretly hoped for a real punishment so they could finally end this mess and let her have her small victory.


    Odette played her turn, drawing her block.


    Immediately, Sharon glared at her and pressed Odette to reveal her block.


    ¡°What did you get? Let me see.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    ¡°Sis...what do we do...?¡±


    Odette handed the block to Sharon with a troubled expression.


    Sharon slowly lowered her thumb over the writing, revealing it piece by piece.


    The word ¡®other person¡¯ appeared.


    Seeing that, the twins¡¯ faces immediately stiffened.


    After patiently waiting for her chance, an opportunity for revenge had finally arrived for Sharon.


    ¡°Hahaha! I win! I¡¯ll pay you both back!¡±


    ¡°Um, Sharon unnie...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too late to beg now!¡±


    With a wicked grin, Sharon checked the rest of the punishment.


    And there it was, the shocking punishment.


    [Kneel and give the other person blowjob.]


    Sharon stared at the words for a long time, dumbfounded.


    She rubbed her thumb over the letters, wondering if she¡¯d read it wrong, but the text didn¡¯t change.


    ¡°Ha...hahaha....¡±


    A hollow laugh escaped her lips.


    ¡°Ahahahaha!¡±


    ¡°Eek...!¡±


    Her laugh turned maniacal, echoing around the room.


    The twins huddled together, trembling like they were in a horror movie exorcism scene.


    They wanted to end it now, but Sharon wasn¡¯t giving them any way out.


    ¡°Please...why... Why does this happen to me...?¡±


    Sharon¡¯s laughter faded as her expression crumpled into one of despair.


    Panicking, the twins tried to calm her down.


    ¡°Please... Sharon unnie... let¡¯s pretend this punishment didn¡¯t happen and stop here, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, honestly, we¡¯ve wanted to stop for a while, it¡¯s just... You seemed so into it that we kept going.¡±


    At first, it was just a harmless prank.


    If they knew it would turn into something this messed up, they wouldn¡¯t have started at all.


    But Sharon just laughed.


    Her smile looked like something had happened to her.


    The moonlight, reflecting off her beautiful face, made her look ghostly, almost otherworldly.


    ¡°Hehehe, you¡¯ll feel the same humiliation I did now.¡±


    ¡°Huh? We¡¯re going to do it?!¡±


    ¡°S-Sharon unnie! Calm down! Please, calm down!¡±


    ¡°My body¡¯s already been defiled. I don¡¯t feel anything anymore... But you... You are different...¡±


    The twins felt a chill run down their spines.


    Sharon¡¯s move was self-destructive, an attack that would harm both her and them.


    Kneeling to perform such an act in front of Odile and Odette was humiliating for Sharon, but it would be equally mortifying for the twins.


    No matter how beautiful Sharon was, she was still of the same gender.


    It was shameful enough to do this thing with their Mr. Assistant, but now they had to do it with their Sharon unnie¡ªit was beyond embarrassing, to say the least.


    ¡°U-Unnie... Y-You¡¯re not in the right mind right now!.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be late if you stop now, Unnie!¡±


    ¡°W-We¡¯ll admit defeat and reveal the rest of the blocks!¡±


    The twins realized that Sharon wasn¡¯t acting like herself.


    Ending things here would be the most sensible decision, not just for the twins themselves but for their Sharon unnie.


    Sharon curled the corners of her mouth sarcastically.


    ¡°You know what all those people who say revenge is meaningless have in common?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve never really lost something precious.¡±


    Sharon¡¯s lifeless, hollow eyes turned towards the twins.


    ¡°Which one of you will go first?¡±


    Sharon got up from her seat and trudged towards the twins.


    The twins, trapped in her shadow, started inching backward.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a big deal~ Hehehe~¡±


    -Thud!


    ¡°A-Ah... U-Unnie, please....¡±


    Odile¡¯s and Odette¡¯s backs hit the wall..


    There was nowhere left to run, nowhere to escape.


    They clung to each other, trembling, terrified.


    Sharon knelt down on her hands and knees.


    ¡°Take it off now.¡±


    ¡°S-Sharon-unnie...¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and take it off!¡±


    Sharon grabbed onto Odile¡¯s clothes as if she were clinging to the hem of someone¡¯s pants, tugging persistently while unbuttoning one by one.


    The tight one-piece undergarment was difficult to remove, but that didn¡¯t really matter much as she was just trying to expose the crotch area.


    ¡°S-Stop, Unnie!¡±


    ¡°We surrender! Unnie, unnie, please!¡±


    As her pajamas were being peeled away, Odile¡¯s pale, soft belly and long navel came into view.


    Beneath that, her loose drawers were exposed.


    Finally, Sharon yanked Odile¡¯s underwear down to her thighs.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t feel right...¡±


    Sharon slowly lowered her head and pressed her upper lip against Odile¡¯s tightly shut, plump lips, pouting in distress.


    ¡°Hic...!¡±


    The warmth of Sharon¡¯s breath and her moist lips brushing against Odile¡¯s bud made her body tremble.


    Without hesitation, Sharon spread Odile¡¯s legs, making sure they stayed open, and began licking her small clitoris, delicately, like a puppy lapping water.


    ¡°S-Sharon unnie...if you stop now, I¡¯m going to.... Ahhh...!¡±


    Being touched by another woman.


    Odile and Odette had once shown off their lesbian play in front of Siwoo.


    But for them, their twin was like a part of them.


    They barely felt any repulsion or shame.


    As for Sharon, she was strictly a teacher who taught them, a complete stranger.


    Yet, the intense shame Odile expected was drowned out by Sharon¡¯s gentle tongue and the undeniable pleasure that followed, which she had never imagined.


    And that pleasure just swelled up more and more.


    ¡°Sluuurrpp...slurp... Mmm...¡±


    ¡°Hngh... Ahh... Mmm...¡±


    ¡°S-Sis...! Snap out of it! What are you doing?! Have some dignity!¡±


    ¡°B-But...it feels...surprisingly good...?¡±


    ¡°Sis!!!¡±


    Odile¡¯s face turned red as she moaned in pleasure. Meanwhile Odette could only watch in horror, as if witnessing a comrade being brainwashed by the enemy.


    ¡°Aahhhh...!¡±


    Eventually, Odile¡¯s belly twitched slightly before she slid down the wall and collapsed.


    Sharon¡¯s sharp attention to detail and knowledge of the female body even surpassed Siwoo¡¯s.


    After all, she was a woman herself, so it just made sense.


    With her skill, she had brought Odile to a small climax in under a minute.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s your turn now, Odeettteee~¡±


    ¡°A-Aaaa... ¡±


    Like a vampire finishing a meal, Sharon wiped the mix of saliva and love juice from her lips with her arm.


    Her mint-green eyes gleamed as they locked onto Odette¡ªher next meal in line.


    ¡°Sharon unnie, p-please, just once...¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m already on my knees, ready for you. Just take it.¡±


    ¡°A-Aaa...¡±


    ¡°You, hurry up and strip!¡±


    As Sharon raised her voice...


    She noticed something in the reflection of the window.


    Then, the door swung open.


    She turned to see someone who wasn¡¯t supposed to be there.


    It was none other than Sharon¡¯s beloved boyfriend, Shin Siwoo.


    ¡°Mr. Assistant...!¡±


    Like a basketball player breaking through a tight defense, Odette slipped away from Sharon¡¯s side.


    Meanwhile, Sharon wondered for a brief second what Siwoo must have thought of this scene as he held Odette in his arms.


    She was there, stark naked. There was also Odile, half-naked, collapsing with a sultry expression, and Odette, whom she had cornered, ordered to strip, and looking at Siwoo in terror.


    Sharon stared at Siwoo, who was gaping at her in shock.


    This was the first time she had seen him this surprised ever since they met.


    ¡°Sharon, no matter how much you...¡±


    ¡°I-It¡¯s not what you think...! S-Siwoo! It¡¯s a misunderstanding!¡±


    A misunderstanding that painted Sharon as a lesbian witch assaulting the apprentice witches rose in Siwoo¡¯s mind.


    She had to spend quite some time explaining the circumstances to Siwoo, pleading her innocence.


    2.


    Once the twins enthusiastically explained everything to clear the air, Siwoo left for his appointment with Eloa.


    Now dressed, Sharon curled up on the sofa, burying her face between her knees.


    Her once vibrant hair had dulled, now limp like withering weeds.


    The twins sat on her both sides, gently patting her, trying to comfort her.


    Even though Sharon had lost control and gone overboard, her actions were, in their eyes, somewhat understandable.


    ¡°Sharon unnie... Don¡¯t be too upset. The opponen¡ªmmmph...!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry... I showed you such a pathetic side of myself...¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re fine! I mean, it was kinda fun¡ªmmmph...!¡±


    ¡°Odette, read the room!¡±


    That night was a night that made Sharon want to cry her heart out.

 Chapter 416: The Happy Days (3)

    Chapter 416: The Happy Days (3)


    After witnessing Sharon and the twins¡¯ hilariously erotic encounter.


    Siwoo headed to the highlands just outside Border Town.


    Today, he had an appointment with Eloa.


    For a spar.


    In the middle of a field, covered in pure white snow, Siwoo and Eloa stood facing each other.


    Today¡¯s spar would be different from the ones they had before.


    Eloa had drawn her Sword of Covenant, and would be using six of her Covenants, while Siwoo, donned his black armors and ribbons, fully armed except for the Red Branch that he put away.


    He had also been instructed to use every spell he knew, not just his swordsmanship or spear techniques.


    The wide, empty plains served as the perfect training ground for such an unrestricted battle.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    After gaining new power, the first thing that one should do was to refine it.


    Especially when said power was far greater than the ones they had before.


    Hence why Siwoo¡¯s heart was racing.


    This was his first spar after he was able to tap into his unconscious mind.


    Even from merely donning his armor, he could feel it.


    He had gotten stronger.


    So he wondered just how far could that strength hold up against Eloa.


    A natural feeling to have, really.


    ¡°Use your full power.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay with that?¡±


    ¡°You are not at the level to make me sweat in worry yet.¡±


    Eloa smiled and adjusted her stance.


    ¡°I hereby declare a Covenant.¡±


    At that moment, a fierce wind surrounded Eloa, and the snow around her turned into a swirling pink whirlwind.


    Such physical force happened from her merely releasing a bit of her mana.


    Then, her body vanished.


    It looked as if she was teleporting, but she was just moving her body physically.


    The deep snow, piled up to her ankles, failed to keep up with her pace, parted like the Red Sea after she passed.


    ¡°Bloom!¡±


    Siwoo lowered his stance, bracing himself for the impact.


    Eloa had allocated six of her Covenants, half of her full capabilities.


    But all six of those were used to strengthen her body. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that this was her peak physical capabilities.


    ¡°Urgh!¡±


    From left to right, then back to the left again.


    Eloa swiftly closed the distance, throwing in feints with her unpredictable footwork before swinging her sword at point-blank range.


    In the past, Siwoo wouldn¡¯t even be able to see the attack and would just let it dent his armor.


    -Boom!


    But this time, Siwoo raised his spear diagonally and deflected the blow.


    The calmness he had gained from walking the line between life and death made his body move before his mind could register the attack.


    -Bpom! Boom! Boom!


    He simultaneously deflected the continuous, crisscrossing strikes from above, below, and to the sides.


    The perfect embodiment of ¡®the soft overcomes the hard1¡®.


    He caught a brief glimpse of Eloa¡¯s satisfied smile as she passed through his vision.


    But simply blocking her wasn¡¯t enough.


    Siwoo preferred to use close combat because he excelled in it, but against his master, that wasn¡¯t even an option.


    He¡¯d need to create some distance and bring his ribbons into play here.


    -Swish! Swish!


    Dozens of black ribbons twisted through the air, flying toward Eloa.


    All of those ribbons were like extensions of hands, freely moving at different angles and speeds creating a barrier between Siwoo and Eloa.


    However, even though each ribbon packed the force of heavy machinery, they shredded like leaves under Eloa¡¯s sword strikes.


    Despite the overwhelming defense, Eloa steadily pressed forward.


    This won¡¯t stop me!


    Her deliberate movements and heavy steps amidst the chaos seemed to declare such words.


    Just as Eloa cleaved through the ribbons with a single strike...


    The snow beneath her feet shot up.


    More ribbons extended¡ªribbons that had been coursing through from below the ground.


    They sprang out in a timed manner to catch Eloa off guard.


    At the same time, Siwoo charged forward.


    His spear, gripped at its end, aimed for her abdomen¡ªan area that was difficult to maneuver.


    A clean, direct attack from the front, and unpredictable, winding movements from behind.


    All of this happened within 3 seconds of the start of the spar.


    This was a duel between those who had surpassed human limits.


    ¡°Haa...¡±


    Eloa didn¡¯t have a grand reaction.


    She just took a short breath and swung her sword.


    But, the speed and force she used for that was beyond ordinary.


    -Wooosh!


    The series of strikes moved beyond the limit of speed¡ªit couldn¡¯t even be considered as normal strikes anymore.


    Its razor-sharp movement cut through the space itself, slicing everything around it.


    In an instant, thousands of sword strokes unfolded, creating a sword domain that turned the entire area into a vacuum.


    Even with his armor on, Siwoo refused to step into that death zone.


    The shredded ribbons and swirling snowflakes sucked into the void were testimony to her power.


    As Siwoo hesitated, Eloa charged at him.


    It was a diagonal slash, upward from the lower left.


    Caught mid-movement, Siwoo couldn¡¯t dodge or block the perfectly angled strike.


    Even without the Myriad Weapon Mysteries Covenant, Eloa was the best swordsman among the best, she could easily make optimal decisions with how vast her experience was.


    But...


    Siwoo had foreseen this much.


    He knew his powerful master wouldn¡¯t fall for a desperate move like that.


    So, he had prepared one more move.


    -Whoong!


    Siwoo activated his pre-calculated Dimensional shift.


    A flash of blue light instantly enveloped his body.


    And Eloa¡¯s strike hit nothing but empty air.


    ¡°...!¡±


    Eloa turned to look for him, but then she felt a cold, hard spear tip against her back.


    Siwoo had teleported behind her, utilizing the perfect opening she left properly.


    Eloa froze, her body stiffening for a moment, then she raised her hand in defeat.


    ¡°...It seems I¡¯ve lost.¡±


    When she turned to face him, a proud smile beautifully spread across her face.


    2.


    After returning to their quarters through Siwoo¡¯s Dimension Shift, they cleaned up quickly and sat by the fireplace.


    Of course, they had washed separately, and they had some good whiskey with them, ready to share.


    The warmth of the liquor and the fire settled Siwoo¡¯s body, which had cooled after the hot bath.


    It was the kind of atmosphere that would make one sleepy.


    Wrapped in a blanket, Eloa smiled warmly at Siwoo.


    ¡°Well done. Impressive. As expected of my disciple.¡±


    For the first time, Siwoo had won in a spar against Eloa.


    Dimension Shift, though it let him manipulate space and distance freely, was previously too slow to be useful in actual combat...


    But now, he was able to use it to stab his spear¡¯s tip right into Eloa¡¯s back.


    When she was utilizing 6 powerful Covenants no less.


    It wasn¡¯t a wonder that Eloa¡¯s smile didn¡¯t wane from her face¡ªshe was clearly proud of his progress.


    ¡°You¡¯ve broken through yet another wall. I truly congratulate you.¡±


    Despite the flood of compliments, even the affectionate pat on his head, Siwoo could only manage a sheepish grin.


    Even though he could¡¯ve acted a little more smug about it.


    ¡°Why the long face?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing. Thank you. It¡¯s all thanks to what I learned from you, Master.¡±


    Seeing Siwoo¡¯s shy reaction, Eloa spoke as if she couldn¡¯t help it.


    There was something she hadn¡¯t told him yet.


    ¡°You can be proud, what you¡¯ve achieved was significant. Only a handful of witches could¡¯ve gotten behind me.¡±


    Siwoo had noticed.


    Eloa had hesitated when delivering her final blow.


    And the reason was obvious.


    Dimensional Shift was a spell that required a lot of calculations using various variable inputs, even when he used it to traverse a stop distance.


    During that time, Siwoo had to stop moving and was left completely defenseless.


    While a witch like Bianca, who focused on simple long-range spells, might not have noticed, someone like his master, who preferred close-quarters combat, would have easily exploited that opening.


    However, seeing Siwoo just standing there defenselessly, Eloa hesitated.


    Even though his whole body was protected by his armor, she still couldn¡¯t bring herself to harm her beloved disciple.


    In other words, she was holding back.


    It was thanks to that opening that Siwoo was able to finish his calculations.


    If Eloa hadn¡¯t shown him mercy and had swung her sword, he would¡¯ve been hit and rolled in the snow without a doubt.


    Knowing this, Siwoo couldn¡¯t fully enjoy the victory.


    Eloa gently cupped his cheeks with both hands.


    ¡°Siwoo, will you look at me?¡±


    A warm spile decorated her lips.


    Her eyes were filled with the same kind of affection a mother would have.


    Thinking back to their first meeting, he could¡¯ve never imagined seeing her look at him like this.


    Her thumb gently lifted the corners of his mouth into a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to smile. I know you feel frustrated, but you must not forget, you¡¯ve truly achieved something extraordinary. You in the past wouldn¡¯t have achieved what you achieved today, even if I were to go easy on you.¡±


    ¡°Ahaha, you¡¯re exaggerating, Master.¡±


    ¡°Siwoo, I¡¯m truly proud of you. My words contained not even the slightest hint of falsehood.¡±


    As she stared into Siwoo¡¯s eyes, her lips trembled slightly.


    She didn¡¯t plan for it, but their current close distance made her feel like she was leaning in to kiss him.


    So, following her whim, she decided to be a little playful for once.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to get you a little something to celebrate, but first... Is there anything you¡¯d like from me?¡±


    She coyly looked away and pursed her lips.


    That was something she would never have done in the past.


    ¡°This will do just fine.¡±


    Finally, a smile appeared on Siwoo¡¯s lips as he gave her a light kiss on the lips.


    Though it was just a simple kiss, Eloa smiled like she had just been given the world.


    She curled up like a shrimp, covering her mouth with both hands to hide her laughter.


    A moment later...


    After calming her giggles with a sip of whiskey, she straightened up and Siwoo asked.


    ¡°So, why did you want to spar all of a sudden? Is something going on?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to see how much stronger you¡¯ve become.¡±


    ¡°So, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re about on par with Ravi.¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s fighting style wasn¡¯t well-suited to fight Eloa.


    Usually, he¡¯d win against the opposing witches by forcing them into close combat where they were weaker.


    But against a master swordswoman like Eloa, he was obviously outmatched.


    Fighting her on the same terms meant there was little room for variables that could change the outcome.


    So it was only natural that Siwoo would lose to Eloa, and as always, what Eloa was looking at was the process, not the result.


    Still, the fact that he managed to catch her off guard and win, even briefly, was impressive.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t using the Red Branch, were you? If you had, things might¡¯ve turned out differently.¡±


    Siwoo stayed humble, but Eloa knew he had made significant progress in controlling the Red Branch.


    The question was what would have happened if he had used that spear¡ªthe weapon so powerful that the modifier ¡®unreasonable¡¯ would suit it.


    ¡°If I had used the Red Branch, it would take me a longer time to deploy Dimension Shift, so I can¡¯t say for sure, but I¡¯m definitely stronger than I was.¡±


    Eloa had heard the whole story from Siwoo not long after he returned.


    Including the fact that Keter had interfered with his body.


    Or rather, the reason why he was able to grow stronger so abnormally quickly.


    ¡°Again, again, and again, you always downplay your achievements. Didn¡¯t you defeat the Witch of Desire?¡±


    ¡°I think I said this before, but it wasn¡¯t me who did it...¡±


    ¡°You told me it was your subconscious that did it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, exactly.¡±


    Eloa got up from her seat and crouched down beside Siwoo.


    She pressed her ear to his chest and listened to his heartbeat.


    He was someone she treasured, someone who gave her comfort just by being near.


    ¡°You¡¯re strong, Siwoo. It¡¯s not just the part of you Keter messed with that¡¯s powerful.¡±


    She didn¡¯t believe it was pure luck that he came so close to defeating the Witch of Desire.


    ¡°It¡¯s your heart, your courage to protect those you care about, that gives you strength.¡±


    There were a lot of things she could say and think about, but one thing was clear.


    Siwoo was no longer the weak person he used to be.


    Even if she were to leave his side for a while, he would be able to handle things on his own.


    She quietly reflected on that thought.


    ¡°You¡¯re...being quite affectionate today...¡±


    After a brief pause, Siwoo gently placed his hand on her head.


    ¡°For some reason, I just want to be spoiled by you whenever we¡¯re together like this.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for always loving me...¡±


    ¡°Anyway... When it comes to you... I don¡¯t think it¡¯s an exaggeration to say that you¡¯re already at the level of a grand witch.¡±


    Eloa¡¯s words came out slowly, almost as if she were dragging them.


    She had her Covenants to boost her strength, and being in his arms seemed to bring her a wave of sleepiness.


    ¡°Now...even without...you¡¯ll be just fine...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll move you to bed... Ah, she¡¯s already asleep.¡±


    Her last words were mixed with a yawn and they were barely audible.


    Siwoo playfully poked her cheek as she slept soundly.


    Even though he poked her several times, she still didn¡¯t give out any response.


    Her autonomous defense didn¡¯t kick in either.


    Which meant, she completely entrusted herself to Siwoo, prompting a gentle smile to appear on his lips.


    In this state, she probably wouldn¡¯t move even if he fondled her breasts or decided to play around with her body.


    ¡°Man...¡±


    He suppressed the sudden lust that rose up.


    This is all because of Master¡¯s innocent, peaceful sleeping face...


    Just how could she look so seductive when she¡¯s sleeping? She really is something else.


    Siwoo carefully picked her up and moved her to the bed, then headed back to his workshop to continue his magic research.

 Chapter 417: The Happy Days (4)

    Chapter 417: The Happy Days (4)


    1.


    Even though the first light of dawn already crept in, Diana still hadn¡¯t gotten a wink of sleep.


    Overwhelming frustration filled her heart.


    Her heart was consumed by sorrow for her mother.


    The betrayal by the man she trusted left her without enough time to even tremble with anger.


    ¡°How dare he...! How dare he...! How dare he...!¡±


    Diana bit into the corner of her pillow, gnashing her teeth, trying to release the resentment burning inside her.


    Even though her introduction to sex had been through her mother¡¯s sensual novels, she had been hammered with the proper conduct of a noble lady her whole life. Her stance on chastity hadn¡¯t changed even until now.


    A man and a woman, once they had done that intimate act, they should be married.


    In her eyes, that was just common sense.


    Even in the Devil¡¯s Delivery Service, the delivery man who initially treated the witch as his plaything eventually got engaged with her.


    ¡°Poor mom...¡±


    And yet, her mother was left cruelly abandoned, even though she had given herself to that man.


    She even had to endure humiliating things like being spanked by him.


    Not to mention how she entertained his perverse and degrading desires.


    In the erotic novels she read, such shameless, irrational, and cruel acts were described as:


    Being discarded after being used up.


    Her poor mother had been toyed with by that man, defiled, and discarded like a half-eaten apple.


    That pity for her mother soon morphed into hatred and disgust for Siwoo.


    ¡°He took my first kiss... Made me believe he was special...¡±


    What hurt more wasn¡¯t just that her mother had been treated this way.


    It was the fact that the man who had done all this was Shin Siwoo, the first man Diana had ever truly acknowledged and felt something for.


    On top of that, he had even saved her from danger once.


    Harboring resentment towards someone she was emotionally indebted to was simply infuriating.


    In fact, that was what frustrated her the most.


    This was the reason why she had only been grinding her teeth all night long, not getting even a wink of sleep until dawn.


    At that moment, the door opened. Her mother, Lucy Yesod, walked in, holding a candle.


    ¡°Oh my, did Mommy wake you up, Sweetie?¡±


    ¡°M-Mom...¡±


    The moment she saw her mother, all of the bottled-up sorrow and regret that she had been suppressing just burst out like a broken dam.


    She couldn¡¯t say a word, only shedding tears like they were raindrops.


    Seeing this, Lucy rushed towards her in alarm.


    ¡°Oh my! Did you have a nightmare? Come here, Sweetie. Why are you crying?¡±


    ¡°N-No, that¡¯s not it...¡±


    Lucy ran to her bed, hugged her tight, and gently stroked her hair over and over.


    Even so, Diana couldn¡¯t bring herself to tell her mother the truth.


    The mother she wanted to respect more than anyone had shown a side that she couldn¡¯t bear to see.


    And above all, she could imagine how upset her mother would be if she were to learn about her neglectful behavior in delaying her succession.


    Knowing her mother¡¯s personality, there was no way that she¡¯d just feel upset if she were to find out.


    Though parting was inevitable, the saddest thing for a witch and her apprentice was the fact that they had to choose the moment for it themselves.


    ¡°Mom...¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Sweetie? Do you want to sleep together? Maybe a bath first before you sleep? Mommy could sing you a lullaby after.¡±


    Unable to answer, Diana just rubbed her cheek against her mother¡¯s warm chest and said...


    ¡°Mom, I love you so much.¡±


    It was rare for Diana to express her affection.


    Diana was an awkward apprentice witch when it came to showing her feelings, especially her love for her mother.


    But today, she felt like she had to say something.


    ¡°Oh my...¡±


    Countess Yesod was a little surprised at Diana¡¯s sudden show of affection.


    She pulled her daughter into a tight embrace and said...


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did you have a nightmare? Don¡¯t worry, Mommy¡¯s here. Sleep well. Mommy loves you so much, my sweet girl.¡±


    ¡°Yes...please...stay... Stay with me...¡±


    ¡°Okay then, mommy¡¯s not going anywhere.¡±


    After a sleepless night of brooding in anger, Diana was utterly exhausted.


    When she nestled into the warmth of her mother¡¯s arms, she realized she was about to fall asleep.


    It only took her a minute of clutching her mother¡¯s waist that she drifted off to sleep, her breaths stabilized as she escaped into the dreamland.


    2.


    ¡°Yo, this is still the crack of dawn. What the hell are you bugging me for?¡±


    It was 1 pm. After eating just a piece of sandwich for lunch, Siwoo dropped by Rose Glass, the host bar Takasho ran.


    As a host, working late nights and sometimes into the early morning was the norm.


    Takasho, who greeted him, was scratching his head with half-asleep eyes.


    He looked like he¡¯d just crawled out of bed.


    ¡°Came by to grab a drink.¡±


    ¡°Dude, I¡¯m not like you. I¡¯m not a superman who can stay up for days without crashing.¡±


    ¡°I brought some good stuff. Let¡¯s go in.¡±


    ¡°My stomach¡¯s still messed up from last night¡¯s drinking, and you¡¯re giving me more alcohol?¡±


    ¡°Ever heard of a hangover cure drink?¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you even on about?¡±


    Siwoo nudged Takasho¡¯s back, who was grimacing at the mention of the unfamiliar Korean remedy.


    He had come to see Takasho today for advice.


    After all, Takasho was an indispensable expert in women¡¯s psychology.


    He had experienced it more than once¡ªTakasho¡¯s nonsensical remarks that he casually threw out in passing helped his ass off.


    ¡°Hoaahm...¡±


    Takasho flopped onto the couch, yawning and rubbing his eyes lazily.


    Instead of booze, Siwoo had brought some spicy ramen he cooked as a hangover remedy.


    After slurping up the noodles, Takasho¡¯s eyes regained a bit of their original wits.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°What do you think love is?¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to confess my love for you or what?¡±


    At first he answered slyly, but a grin appeared in his face when he saw Siwoo¡¯s serious face.


    ¡°Oh, you came for a love consultation, huh?¡±


    ¡°Things are too complicated for me right now. I¡¯m literally grabbing at straws here.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll start by answering that cheesy question of yours.¡±


    Seeing Siwoo nodding, Takasho thought for a moment before answering casually.


    ¡°Well, love is simple. It¡¯s just wanting to share your happiness with someone.¡±


    Slightly embarrassed by what he said, he rubbed his nose.


    Naturally, Siwoo was surprised. This wasn¡¯t the typical response that Takasho would say.


    ¡°Hey, Josenjin, why are you making that face?¡±


    ¡°No, I just didn¡¯t expect that kind of answer would come out. I thought you¡¯d say something more out there, like ¡®love means you want to get a woman pregnant¡¯ or whatever.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to love someone to think that way about them.¡±


    ¡°Ah, makes sense.¡±


    His answer was surprisingly reasonable.


    ¡°When you have fun doing something, you want to share it. When you eat something good, you want to give it to them. That¡¯s love, right?¡±


    But for Siwoo, that answer didn¡¯t solve much of his problem.


    He understood what he was trying to say, but that answer wasn¡¯t a roadmap that he could follow to deal with his situation.


    ¡°Takasho, listen. If you were in my shoes, what would you do?¡±


    ¡°Elaborate.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Siwoo began to spill all the things that had been weighing on him for a while.


    He began sharing his complicated situation with the twins, Sharon, his master, Periwinkle, and Countess Yesod.


    He had been flaunting his dick without restraint, and as a result, his womanizing had spun wildly out of control, creating a mess he didn¡¯t know how to clean up.


    This time, he didn¡¯t hold anything back and spilled it all.


    As the conversation continued, Takasho¡¯s indifferent expression turned into one of disbelief.


    By the time Siwoo finished talking about the twins, Takasho¡¯s face was practically twisted in disgust, and by the time Siwoo finished speaking, there was a subtle anger brewing.


    ¡°So you came here this early in the morning just to mess with my head? Do you want me to stab you or what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m being serious, damn it.¡±


    From that answer, Takasho clearly wasn¡¯t taking it seriously.


    He sneered at Siwoo, his expression was one of disdain, as if he were looking at a fraud.


    ¡°You crazy bastard. You¡¯ve got apprentice witches from a Countess Family, a busty girlfriend, a literal duchess, one of the only three in Gehenna, a rich hotel-owning mommy, and an equally rich countess, and you¡¯re asking what I would do in your shoes? First, you need to tell me how the fuck am I supposed to handle all that?¡±


    ¡°Wait....¡±


    ¡°Do you really have to put me through this? Have you totally forgotten about our friendship? Is this some kind of twisted game where you want to watch me going crazy?¡±


    Takasho spat his words with frustration.


    ¡°You wanna know how I feel? Imagine if one of your friends just won the damn lottery, and then came to you, someone who¡¯s just scraping by, and said, ¡®Ugh, man... How am I supposed to spend all this money?¡¯ That¡¯s how you¡¯re making me feel, you fucking Korean kimchi bastard.¡±


    ¡°Hold on, that¡¯s not...¡±


    ¡°How the hell did those witches even fall for a lame-ass guy like you... When Mr. Mimaya Takasho, the passionate young man from Hokkaido, is right here.¡±


    After slurping up the ramen broth, Takasho continued with a slouched posture.


    ¡°Anyway, what am I gonna do in that situation? Well, first, I¡¯d build a castle. Then, inside that castle, I¡¯d bang them like I¡¯m gonna die tomorrow, 17 times a day! Just thinking about it makes me so damn happy!¡±


    Despite his jealousy flaring up for a moment, Takasho knew Siwoo well enough.


    He understood exactly why Siwoo came to him for advice.


    After all, they¡¯d been through those rough 5 years together.


    Knowing Siwoo¡¯s timid personality, Takasho figured he must be feeling guilty about all of his four women.


    And it was clear that he was also stressing about having sex with Countess Yesod under the guise of ¡®research¡¯.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯d really do. Now, let¡¯s get to the point. It doesn¡¯t matter what I¡¯m gonna say, you¡¯re going to continue to sleep with Countess Yesod anyway, no?¡±


    ¡°Why did you think of that?¡±


    ¡°The Shin Siwoo that I know won¡¯t just sit still while there are people dying around him. Plus, you¡¯ve already had your fun with that mommy. You can¡¯t just pretend not to care.¡±


    Takasho pulled out a cigarette and lit it up as he continued.


    ¡°You¡¯re basically fucked. Just tell your woman, bow down, and beg like crazy. You know you¡¯ll have to do it anyway.¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡±


    ¡°Just tell them that you¡¯re doing this to save lives. Those women won¡¯t kill you for it. They¡¯ll probably slap you a few times, but that¡¯s all.¡±


    In the midst of his hesitation, Takasho¡¯s bluntness struck Siwoo right where it hurt.


    He recalled Periwinkle¡¯s advice, finally feeling ready to stop dancing around the issue and take action.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it right away. Thanks for the advice.¡±


    ¡°Oh, also, Siwoo.¡±


    Takasho had one last thing to add.


    ¡°I only said all that because I was jealous, but honestly, I think you deserve this. Really, just go for it. You can start with a fivesome.¡±


    That last bit of advice was so typical of /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 418: The Happy Days (5)

    Chapter 418: The Happy Days (5)


    1.


    After dinner, Sharon, Eloa, Odile, and Odette, all gathered in one room, having been summoned by Siwoo.


    There was nothing particularly unusual about the four women gathering together like this.


    After all, they did the exact same thing just a few days ago. Also, since they often shared meals together, this arrangement didn¡¯t feel awkward for them.


    However, the difference was that, this time, it was Siwoo who had arranged this meeting.


    Sitting together on the sofa, each with a drink in front of them, they all tried to figure out what Siwoo had in mind.


    Since the situation was a bit unusual, Sharon turned to Eloa and asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Do you know anything, Duchess?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure...¡±


    ¡°Is this about the Harvest Festival?¡±


    ¡°That seems likely.¡±


    Sharon and Eloa were puzzled, unable to guess what it could be.


    ¡°Odette, the war for the first wife¡¯s position is finally happening!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Sis! Let¡¯s stay sharp!¡±


    Sensing that something was about to go down, the twins whispered to each other.


    Since the wait was longer than they expected, when the man adored by all four of them finally appeared, they were all in the midst of chatting casually with each other.


    ¡°Sorry for being late.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Assistant!¡±


    ¡°I missed you! Give me a hug!¡±


    As soon as Siwoo entered, the twins rushed over and clung to him.


    Even though they had just had dinner together, they greeted him like they hadn¡¯t seen him in ages, beaming with bright smiles.


    ¡°Uh...¡±


    Caught off guard by the twins¡¯ enthusiastic display, Sharon and Eloa missed their chance to welcome him.


    Eloa simply watched the twins¡¯ antics with an indulgent look, like she would with a beloved apprentice.


    But Sharon knew just how cunning the twins could be.


    Just by running up and hugging him, they had managed to monopolize both the conversation and his physical affection.


    As ¡®apprentice witches¡¯, they could get away with being more forward, and it was easier for them to come across as cute compared to Sharon or Eloa.


    They knew they could get away with acting spoiled, so they took full advantage of it.


    With the twins clinging to his sides, Siwoo managed a strained smile and greeted Sharon and Eloa as well.


    Once the lively atmosphere settled, Siwoo began to address the reason for today¡¯s gathering.


    ¡°Actually, I have a confession to make.¡±


    ¡°A confession?¡±


    Gathering the four of us out of nowhere for a confession?


    All four pairs of eyes were now on Siwoo, and he felt the weight of their gazes pressing down on him.


    After consulting with both Periwinkle and Takasho, he had made up his mind.


    He had decided to cooperate with Countess Yesod on her research.


    Even though their relationship had started off casually, the countess had shown him genuine kindness, and he had grown attached to Diana as well.


    In such a situation, he couldn¡¯t just turn his back and walk away.


    However, this matter needed these four women¡¯s agreement.


    Regardless of reasons, he couldn¡¯t just go on with this decision behind their backs.


    ¡°I...have actually been in a relationship with Countess Yesod.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The twins, still clinging to him, widened their eyes in shock.


    Sharon and Eloa both froze, stunned by the bombshell he had just dropped.


    ¡°Relationship? Mr. Assistant? You don¡¯t mean...sex, do you?¡±


    ¡°Oh come on, Sis, no way. Even if Mr. Assistant¡¯s been acting like a scoundrel, he wouldn¡¯t go that far.¡±


    ¡°I did hear that you¡¯ve been going to the Yesod¡¯s Mansion under the excuse of tutoring...¡±


    ¡°Wait, really? With the countess?¡±


    Siwoo nodded heavily, trying to stay calm under the weight of their shocked reactions.


    ¡°Yes... We had...sex...¡±


    ¡°Haa...¡±


    The twins, who had been clinging to him, pulled away as if they¡¯d just been splashed with something foul.


    Eloa¡¯s face darkened, while Sharon let out a deep sigh.


    ¡°Mr. Assistant! Isn¡¯t this too much?¡±


    ¡°We weren¡¯t enough for you, so you seduced Sharon unnie, and even the duchess! And now the countess too? What¡¯s your deal?!¡±


    ¡°Repent! Repent! Repent quickly!¡±


    The twins, fuming, kicked the back of Siwoo¡¯s knees, forcing him to kneel.


    Then, with his head lowered, they grabbed his hair and shook it back and forth.


    ¡°Womanizer!¡±


    ¡°Casanova!¡±


    ¡°Cheater!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re filing a complaint!¡±


    Normally, Sharon and Eloa would have stepped in to calm the twins down, but today, they only watched Siwoo with cold eyes.


    Especially Eloa.


    ¡°We need to talk.¡±


    When Eloa stood up, even the twins, who had been making a fuss, went quiet.


    Eloa¡¯s icy voice froze them in their tracks.


    ¡°Siwoo, I never expected you to devote yourself to me alone.¡±


    ¡°I have no excuse.¡±


    ¡°There are plenty of women who care for you, who can¡¯t help but love you. I get that. I know how difficult it can be to deal with humans¡¯ emotions, so I can sympathize with your feelings and your decisions.¡±


    Though Eloa¡¯s voice was calm, there was a strong hint of reproach in her tone.


    Almost like disappointment.


    If this matter had been just the two of them, she might not have scolded him at all.


    But it wasn¡¯t like that, wasn¡¯t it?


    ¡°I would stand by you even if you became a Criminal Exile, However, for you to act thoughtlessly even though you know of your own circumstances isn¡¯t only disrespectful to me, but also to Ms. Sharon, Ms. Odile, and Ms. Odette here. Tell me. Are you taking their faith in you so lightly?¡±


    The twins¡¯ loud complaints were somewhat cute compared to Eloa¡¯s quiet scolding, which was downright terrifying.


    Thankfully, Sharon intervened before things went any further.


    ¡°Duchess, maybe we should hear him out first. Siwoo...must have his reasons.¡±


    ¡°Tell us everything. Don¡¯t leave anything out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll explain everything.¡±


    Siwoo, who had anticipated this, began to reveal the whole truth.


    First, he explained the sequence of events that led to his relationship with the countess.


    From the intense reactions that led to their intimate encounters, Siwoo¡¯s unique traits, who had seduced whom, to how things continued to progress.


    He even shared how their intimate encounters had contributed to the research they were working on.


    Eloa¡¯s eyebrows, which had risen sharply, gradually lowered as she listened to the explanation.


    Her expression suggested that she didn¡¯t seem completely satisfied, though.


    She had long known that Siwoo would lose his senses when he inhaled her scent, and she herself had once used it to her advantage.


    The problem here was that he continued his relationship with the countess under the guise of research without informing her. It bothered her a little.


    ¡°If that was the case, you should have told me sooner....¡±


    Even Sharon, who had zero intention of restraining Siwoo, seemed unsettled by that point.


    The twins, who were the first to scold Siwoo, were now quietly glancing at Eloa, clearly sensing the serious mood.


    ¡°Yes, I understand. I won¡¯t let anything like this happen again. But there is something I¡¯d like to ask for your understanding on.¡±


    ¡°Understanding?¡±


    ¡°I wish to continue the research with Countess Yesod.¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s bold and shameless statement left Eloa and Sharon speechless, while the twins started to lose their tempers again.


    ¡°Mr. Assistant! You didn¡¯t repent at all!¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t an apology! You¡¯re just trying to make it okay for you to sleep with her now!¡±


    On either side of Siwoo¡ªwho was still kneeling¡ªthe twins reached out, mock-choking him.


    Even Sharon, who would usually intervene, didn¡¯t seem inclined to stop them this time.


    ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯re going to continue your relationship with Countess Yesod in the future? For research purposes?¡±


    ¡°You could do that research with someone else! Like Sharon unnie!¡±


    ¡°Womanizer! Womanizer!¡±


    ¡°Ugg...! Haaa...! I-It¡¯s...! Not only for that specific research...¡±


    After being stuck in that position for a while, Siwoo finally revealed the full extent of the situation.


    He explained that he and the countess were studying the unique magical phenomenon that happened during his climax. According to the countess, it could help with a new method of brand succession for witches.


    ¡°Is that even possible?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still just a theory, but she said if we test it several times, we might make actual progress.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At that moment, all four of their expressions were exactly the same.


    Their mouths were tightly shut, and their eyes were as wide as pinecones.


    Siwoo¡¯s explanation could be summed up like this:


    1) He was going to continue having sex with Countess Yesod.


    The research¡¯s purpose was to study the strange effects happening within Siwoo''s body.


    It was also to research a way for the previous witch to not die during succession.


    But since there were three main points, each person interpreted it differently.


    Sharon, who focused on point 2, said...


    ¡°Well, I suppose... We can¡¯t just stay in the dark about everything.¡±


    Siwoo was the first male witch.


    His body was like a black box, no one knew what was going on inside.


    Sharon had also overcome her incomplete succession with Siwoo¡¯s help, but even she didn¡¯t fully understand how it worked.


    It was only natural to be concerned by such a thing, no one knew what unpredictable after-effects would arise from such a phenomenon.


    It was like how people in the past, unaware of science, used lead, arsenic, or mercury on their skin, thinking it was safe.


    Having Countess Yesod assist in this research would be a great help.


    Even if the idea of Siwoo sleeping with another woman still bothered her.


    Eloa, meanwhile, focused on point 3.


    ¡°I understand Countess Yesod¡¯s intentions, and I understand your desire to help her. It seems I have misunderstood you somewhat.¡±


    Eloa knew the pain of loss.


    She could relate to the countess¡¯ desperation for her apprentice witch¡ªthe desperation that could bring one to sacrifice everything, even one¡¯s own heart.


    Knowing Siwoo¡¯s nature, she didn¡¯t believe he was only acting out of lust, so it was easier for her to accept his explanation.


    But then there were the twins who were focused on point 1.


    ¡°So basically, you¡¯re just going to keep doing it.¡±


    ¡°At first, it was just us... But now... Mr. Assistant, you¡¯ve turned into a bad person.¡±


    They were the ones who had been with Siwoo from the beginning.


    They acknowledged Sharon, who had been by his side when he was struggling alone in the modern world.


    And even accepted Duchess Tiphereth, who had to wrestle with her own problems.


    But now adding Countess Yesod to the mix?


    No matter how reasonable or understandable his excuse was, they just couldn¡¯t accept it.


    ¡°It feels like every time we blink, you¡¯re off playing with a new woman, Mr. Assistant!¡±


    ¡°You barely even spend time with us anymore! It¡¯s not fair!¡±


    Odile and Odette, who had been shouting, now felt more sorrow than anger, their eyes brimming with tears.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. From now on, I¡¯ll...¡±


    ¡°Enough! Odette, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Cutting Siwoo¡¯s apology in the middle, Odile grabbed Odette¡¯s hand and stormed out, leaving the others behind.

 Chapter 419: The Happy Days (6)

    Chapter 419: The Happy Days (6)


    1.


    Odile and Odette, who had run out in a hurry, just disappeared, as if they were playing hide and seek.


    Well, they actually went to their hideout in Tarot Town.


    ¡°This is just too much! Way too much...¡±


    Normally, just being near her Mr. Assistant was enough to make her smile, but now she didn¡¯t even want to look at him.


    It was all because Odile felt she had finally hit her breaking point. She wanted nothing more than letting all her pent-up frustrations explode.


    ¡°But still, Sis... Shouldn¡¯t we have at least heard him out? Sharon unnie and Duchess Tiphereth were there too. Wasn¡¯t it a bit rude?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me, Odette?! This matter is totally worth getting mad about!¡±


    ¡°But... Mr. Assistant had his own reasons, didn¡¯t he...? Also, that research on brand succession really does sound like important stuff...¡±


    Meanwhile Odette, who had stormed out with her sister, managed to calm down faster.


    After pondering about her Mr. Assistant¡¯s words a little more, she didn¡¯t feel like there were any deep romantic feelings involved.


    Besides, with rivals like Sharon and Eloa in the picture, even if Countess Yesod joined, there wouldn¡¯t be any big changes occurring.


    ¡°Still, I¡¯m mad at him!¡±


    ¡°Me too, but...¡±


    ¡°I liked Mr. Assistant better the way he was before!¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, me too.¡±


    Odile¡¯s words reminded Odette of the time when it was just the three of them in that carriage, spending passionate nights together.


    Their feelings were fresh and innocent back then¡ªhadn¡¯t fully bloomed into love yet, but they were having fun.


    They even brought him here to this hideout to play all kinds of naughty pranks on him...


    Odette, swept up in Odile¡¯s ongoing complaints, went downstairs and returned with a bottle of alcohol.


    ¡°We went out of our way to buy a board game just to make Mr. Assistant happy... Every time we wanted to see him, he¡¯d be busy, with lessons, with work... We can¡¯t even spend our time together! I just can¡¯t...!¡±


    ¡°Sis... Don¡¯t drink too much...¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Odette! I¡¯ve decided to not give a damn today!¡±


    Odile started cursing Siwoo as she chugged from the bottle.


    At that moment...


    -Whoosh!


    A faint blue glow of mana slipped through the crack in the door, opening it.


    Their Mr. Assistant had come.


    The fact that he found them so quickly even though they hadn¡¯t told him where they had gone was proof of how well he understood them.


    But, of course, that alone wasn¡¯t enough to make things right.


    ¡°You¡¯re in here, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Siwoo, who didn¡¯t have the face to look at them, entered awkwardly.


    As Siwoo stepped inside, Odette made eye contact with him and frantically shook her head, trying to signal him not to approach Odile.


    She even mimed slicing her neck with her hand.


    It was a warning for Siwoo to leave now, because trying to reason with Odile right now would be pointless.


    But he just ignored the warning.


    Instead, he stood there, head lowered, not sure what to say.


    ¡°What are you doing here?! You¡¯ve got a lot of nerve coming here!¡±


    ¡°Ms. Odile...¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t your place, Assistant! This is Odette and my hideout. I don¡¯t remember ever giving you a key to just walk in here.¡±


    Her voice dripped with venom, and she bared her teeth at him.


    A scowl forming across her face at Siwoo.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been patient, I¡¯ve been doing my best to try to understand you, Mr. Assistant! You¡¯re the one who saved our lives, after all!¡±


    ¡°...Ms. Odile...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind that Sharon unnie likes you! I¡¯m glad I can be friends with Sharon unnie! I heard about the Duchess¡¯ situation from Sharon unnie. But, even after all that, I have to tolerate another person?! Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a bit too much?!¡±


    ¡°Sis...¡±


    Odile shook off Odette¡¯s restraining arm with a cold glare and shouted with all her frustration.


    ¡°I wish I¡¯d never met someone like you! I should¡¯ve never asked you to teach me about love!¡±


    Siwoo couldn¡¯t find any words to respond.


    While yes, his first affair with the countess was the result of the countess¡¯ temptation, and they only continued for magic research¡¯s purposes, he knew he¡¯d been complacent.


    If he¡¯d had nothing to hide, he wouldn¡¯t have kept it a secret from the twins, Sharon, and Eloa.


    ¡°I want to apologize.¡±


    ¡°Hah!¡±


    Odile let out a mocking laugh and a bitter smile as she heard Siwoo¡¯s words.


    ¡°Apologize? What kind of apology? You¡¯re just going to keep doing your research with Countess Yesod anyway!¡±


    ¡°Sis, please... I¡¯m sure Mr. Assistant had his reasons...¡±


    ¡°Odette, stay out of it. Do you have no self-respect?¡±


    ¡°I promise this will be the last time. I swear.¡±


    Odile, with a deep scowl, strode up to Siwoo.


    She jabbed her finger into his chest.


    ¡°Apologize. Get down on your knees and give me a real, sincere apology.¡±


    In truth, Odile knew.


    She and her sister didn¡¯t have any right to ¡®monopolize¡¯ Siwoo.


    Initially, the twins approached him because they thought he¡¯d be an exciting tool for learning.


    Their relationship started with an innocent curiosity, with little emotional attachment.


    Yet, Siwoo had saved both of their lives twice, leveraging his knowledge of their secret.


    And he had risked his own life to do it.


    On the day she saw him lying unconscious in his sickbed, Odile had made a vow.


    If he woke up safely, no matter what, she¡¯d always be on his side.


    Even if the world ended, she¡¯d stay by him. No matter what.


    ¡°Do you know what makes me the angriest? It¡¯s that later, I¡¯ll probably regret saying all this, feeling like an idiot for being too harsh with you!¡±


    What disappointed her most was realizing that, despite her big promises, she was here, throwing a tantrum over something so trivial.


    Odile¡¯s voice, which had been firing accusations at Siwoo like a machine gun, began to falter.


    Tears were rolling down her doll-like, beautifully double-lidded eyes.


    ¡°I hate you, Mr. Assistant... But I hate myself even more...¡±


    ¡°Sis...don¡¯t cry... Huaaah...¡±


    Odette, seeing her sister break down, couldn¡¯t hold back and began sobbing too.


    As the main cause for the normally cheerful twins to cry like this, Siwoo felt a crushing guilt, as if the sky was falling on him.


    ¡°Ms. Odile¨C¡±


    ¡°Let go of me!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Ms. Odile.¡±


    ¡°I said, let go!¡±


    Siwoo bent down and pulled Odile into a hug, but she struggled with all her might.


    She slapped him, kicked him, and even scratched his arms in defiance.


    But as he kept standing there, letting her take out her frustrations, her strength slowly began to fade.


    ¡°I hate... I really hate you, Mr. Assistant...¡±


    ¡°I promise I won¡¯t disappoint you two again, Ms. Odile, Ms. Odette.¡±


    ¡°Enough, go play your love games with someone else... wWe¡¯re done with this.¡±


    Odette, who had been quietly crying, looked up in surprise.


    ¡°Wait... Sis? Me too?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re a pair, so yes, you too!¡±


    ¡°B-But... I don¡¯t want that...¡±


    Despite her words, Odile leaned into Siwoo¡¯s arms.


    Soon, she was completely nestled in his embrace.


    ¡°You really are a jerk, Mr. Assistant. Even both of us¡ªapprentice witches from the great Gemini Family still aren¡¯t enough for you...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I really am an awful person.¡±


    ¡°Look here.¡±


    Odile grabbed Siwoo¡¯s arm and bit down hard.


    It wasn¡¯t just a playful bite; she actually sank her teeth in so hard it almost drew blood.


    Tiny, even teeth marks remained on his arm.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    ¡°I can handle it... It¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Then I need to make it hurt more. After all, I went through a lot of pain too.¡±


    Odile reached out and stretched Siwoo¡¯s cheek.


    She pinched him so hard that tears started to form in his eyes.


    ¡°Haha... hahaha....¡±


    Seeing Siwoo¡¯s pained, twisted face, Odile burst into laughter.


    With tears welling up from laughing so hard, Odile finally grabbed Odette¡¯s wrist and leaned against Siwoo.


    Both of them then snuggled into his arms.


    ¡°I know Mr. Assistant wouldn¡¯t just ignore something like this. If you were that kind of person, you wouldn¡¯t have saved us.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Odile...¡±


    ¡°Mr. Assistant is an overly kind, selfless person. That¡¯s why you can¡¯t keep your relationship with women straight. At first, I was a little mad, but I know there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. Just please be more mindful from now on. If anything like this happens again, please let us know.¡±


    In the midst of what he never expected would be such a generous forgiveness, Odile suddenly leaned in and spoke.


    Her beautiful purple eyes locked onto Siwoo¡¯s without a single tremor.


    ¡°But today, you¡¯ll have to properly apologize to both me and Odette.¡±


    ¡°Lucky for you, we¡¯re the only ones here.¡±


    Neither of them had any plans for the day, and even if there were, there was no way that either of them would proceed with them anyway.


    Siwoo understood just how generous Odile and Odette¡¯s proposal was, especially since he deserved a lot more punishment for what happened.


    ¡°Will a mere apology really be enough?¡±


    He asked, still feeling a little guilty, and the answer came back quickly.


    ¡°What? Were you planning to give us some kind of consolation money, Mr. Assistant?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll take more than just a little bit of money, you know?¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe, but...¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have money, you¡¯ll have to pay with your body.¡±


    Though they said it in a joking tone, it was still an incredibly generous offer.


    Odile leaned in first, pursing her lips.


    She tugged on his neck, pouting her lips as if asking for a kiss.


    Odette, having let her sister go first, stared expectantly at Siwoo, waiting for her turn.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t do it right, I¡¯ll get mad again, you know?¡±


    Siwoo couldn¡¯t feel anything but guilt.


    The least he could do was give his full attention to the twins at this moment as a form of apology.


    Odile¡¯s lips tangled with his, pressing in deeply.


    The tip of her tongue, small and pointed, slid smoothly into his mouth.


    The sweet scent of grape wine mingled with the stickiness of her saliva.


    ¡°Mmh...mmh...¡±


    Odile held him tightly, pressing her lips to his repeatedly as if she wanted to become one with him.


    When his hand brushed her shoulder, she pressed her chest against him. Her breathing turned a little heavier, as if inviting his touch.


    With each button he undid, her small shoulders trembled, delicate like a startled bird.


    ¡°Mr. Assistant... You look so sexy when you¡¯re undressing someone.¡±


    ¡°Me too, Mr. Assistant! Me too! Undress me and kiss me too!¡±


    Seeing her sister¡¯s anger fade, Odette eagerly joined in.


    Siwoo carefully undressed each twin, one by one.


    First, he slid off their capes, then their delicate silk shirts, and nude-toned bralettes.


    He continued until the twins stood completely bare before him, just as they were at birth.


    Even though they¡¯d seen each other naked plenty of times, the twins still shyly covered themselves, a bit embarrassed.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s Mr. Assistant¡¯s turn to strip.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll help you with that!¡±


    Just as he was about to pull out his already throbbing manhood.


    A cold breeze blew in.


    The terrace windows were firmly shut, so it couldn¡¯t have been coming from there¡ªor so they thought.


    ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡±


    At that moment, a chilling voice cut through the air.


    Behind the terrace door that had swung open.


    There stood a woman, standing behind the billowing curtains illuminated by moonlight.


    She was one of the two pillars of the Gemini Family, and also the twins¡¯ master.


    The room was suddenly filled with a radiant purple glow of mana...


    Deneb Gemini had arrived.

 Chapter 420: Verification (1)

    Chapter 420: Verification (1)


    1.


    There was an appropriate saying for moments like these.


    The air froze.


    When describing a spine-chilling moment of extreme tension and imminent danger, nothing could capture it better than that.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    ¡°H-Hiic...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Odile let out a faint groan, frozen in place.


    Odette, equally shocked, stood as still as a statue.


    Siwoo, realizing how much of a mess the current situation was, felt his entire body seize up.


    The only thing that moved in that suffocating tension was Deneb Gemini¡¯s long, white hair, fluttering amidst the violent aura she exuded. All Siwoo could think while facing that was, ¡®Fuck, I¡¯m screwed!¡¯.


    Albireo already knew about the relationship between him and the twins.


    And she had accepted his promiscuous womanizing and his physical relationship with the twins in exchange for a sharp slap to his face.


    But, there was one thing that she had repeatedly warned him about.


    To never let her younger sister, Deneb, find out about all this.


    She didn¡¯t say it just once or twice either.


    Unlike Albireo, who had a more tolerant view of relationships, Deneb¡¯s was more strict and rigid. She wouldn¡¯t be able to control her emotions if she were to find out.


    So, since returning to Gehenna, Siwoo had been careful to minimize his physical interactions with the twins.


    But now, she caught him.


    Not only did she see him kissing them, she also caught him in the act with the twins already undressing while laughing together.


    ¡°Little Master...! This isn¡¯t what it looks like... Haaam....¡±


    ¡°Little Master...! We can explain everything.... Haaam....¡±


    The twins, who had hastily wrapped themselves in a blanket and tried to defend Siwoo, suddenly collapsed onto the bed.


    It was Deneb¡¯s doing. She cast a sleep spell with nothing more than a twitch of her lips.


    Their gazes¡¯ met.


    Seeing her cold piercing gaze that held no traces of warmth, he knew that he couldn¡¯t talk his way out of this.


    He also noticed a firm, unshakeable resolution in her gaze.


    ¡°Sing.¡±


    A ripple spread from Deneb¡¯s body, expanding outward and enveloping the space.


    An Interdimensional Barrier, carving out another world over this one.


    Casting an Interdimensional Barrier within Gehenna was generally illegal, unless it was a special circumstance, such as large-scale experiments. Even so, one could only do it after notifying the City Hall in advance.


    This was because there was a possibility of misuse for illegal magic experiments.


    But Deneb hadn¡¯t cast the barrier because she wanted to suddenly perform a magic experiment.


    Her mana, violent and overwhelming, and the way she had flung the twins out of the barrier made that clear.


    Siwoo¡¯s blood surged with adrenaline, as though he were standing on a battlefield.


    This wasn¡¯t a joke. A single misstep, and he could die.


    As he struggled to find something to say, swallowing dryly...


    Deneb spoke first with her elegant voice.


    Her tone was as cold as a frozen lake in the dead of winter, despite her outward appearance of fury.


    ¡°I followed the twins here because they suddenly moved through a portal at this hour.¡±


    Though her tone was cold, that didn¡¯t mean she was calm.


    ¡°You know what you were about to do, don¡¯t you? Blinded by your fleeting desires, you dared to lay a hand on my sweet twins.¡±


    Touching an apprentice witch was one of the gravest crimes.


    Under normal circumstances, she wouldn¡¯t have allowed Siwoo to be anywhere near the twins.


    However, he was the benefactor of the Gemini Household, and Deneb had also assumed that he and the twins shared mutual feelings for each other.


    Because of that, she had turned a blind eye, thinking that at best, they would only be exchanging a kiss or two.


    She believed Siwoo wouldn¡¯t dare to cross that particular line.


    But what she saw today went far beyond anything she could accept.


    It wasn¡¯t just a matter of sexual misconduct.


    Odile and Odette could have lost their chance to ever become witches.


    Knowing the severity of such a consequence as a witch, Deneb felt a deep fear.


    ¡°You¡¯ve crossed a line that you should never have.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Deneb, I could just explain...¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t listen.¡±


    Before Siwoo could even begin, he felt a sharp sense of danger prickle at his skin.


    This was the result of him facing countless life-or-death situations prior to this.


    His instincts kicked in faster than his thoughts could process


    -Kwaang!


    A massive impact struck him in the side, smashing through the outer wall of the building.


    The sheer force was comparable to being hit by a bus running a red light at full speed.


    Had Siwoo not instinctively manifested his black armor, he would have likely suffered serious injuries from such an intense impact.


    What was scary about all this though, was the fact that the magic that caused this much damage was pretty much formless.


    Siwoo quickly threw off his eye patch.


    He admitted his fault and understood why Deneb was angry, but he wasn¡¯t going to sit still and let himself get beaten to death without a chance to explain.


    ¡°You are no longer a guest of our Gemini Household.¡±


    -Thump! Thump! Thump!


    The moment he took off his eyepatch, he became able to perceive the flow of mana, and understood what was happening.


    Each time Deneb exhaled, mana flowed with her breath, making the air around her respond violently.


    A massive, sledgehammer-like force of air had formed, smashing the building apart as easily as one might crush a gingerbread house.


    ¡°You wicked wretch who dares to defile an apprentice witch.¡±


    -CRACK!


    Within just a handful of strikes, the entire building crumbled.


    Amidst the dust and chaos, Siwoo managed to slip out of the wreckage.


    ¡°However, I will take the affection you shared with the twins and the fact that you¡¯ve saved them twice, into account.¡±


    Standing atop a still-intact pillar, Deneb stared down at him with a calm yet imposing gaze.


    A translucent barrier hovered around her, keeping even the smallest specks of dust off her pristine clothes.


    Around her, dozens of glowing balls of mana began to form.


    Though they could only access their full power when they were together, Deneb was still a half of Countess Gemini.


    On her own, she wielded the power of a 20th-rank witch.


    If she didn¡¯t possess at least that much strength, she and Albireo wouldn¡¯t have been able to manage their separate trips to the Modern World so confidently.


    ¡°If you won¡¯t listen to reason, I¡¯ll have to make you understand. I¡¯ll break your limbs and exile you from Gehenna. Don¡¯t even think about seeing the twin until after they complete their succession. They might be upset now, but I don¡¯t care. In time, they¡¯ll understand why I did this.


    ¡°Ms. Deneb, at least give me a chance to explain...¡±


    ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not going to listen.¡±


    Following her icy words, the balls of mana round her flared to life, shining brightly.


    Dozens of strands of purple mana beams shot out simultaneously.


    If he didn¡¯t fight back, he¡¯d die from this.


    Though she said she¡¯d only break his limbs, it was clear that she wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind to hold her power back that much.


    ¡°Bloom!¡±


    The densely packed mana waves left him with no room to escape, so he spread his shadow.


    The thick shadow particles not only obscured her vision but also weakened the power of the mana beams that she unleashed.


    Yet, even as the ground flipped under the torrent of attacks, Siwoo kept charging forward.


    Normally, he would have dodged the ranged attacks and closed in for close combat.


    Eloa had told him that if he were to go all out, he could hold his own against the countess no problem.


    But the countess was his future mother-in-law.


    Also, anyone could see that he was the one at fault here.


    Attack her when he found an opening?


    He was a decent person, there was no way he¡¯d even consider that.


    Still, if he took just one of those hits, he wouldn¡¯t come out unscathed, so his only options were to endure, hoping her anger would subside, or wait for someone to intervene.


    ¡°Right, you did face the Witch of Desire. Is that why you¡¯re acting so reckless? Because of your pathetic talents?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it! I¡¯ll take any responsibility! Just hear me out first!¡±


    No matter how much he shouted, Deneb didn¡¯t seem to hear him.


    As Siwoo frantically ran away, Deneb had destroyed the whole Tarot Town inside the barrier with her relentless attacks.


    In less than a minute, not a single building remained intact, all had turned into debris.


    ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª.¡±


    Then...


    As Siwoo dodged, a beautiful melody filled his ears.


    Even through his mana-reading eyes, all he could see was a violet wave, far faster than the speed of sound, expanding too quickly to evade.


    ¡°K¡ª-!¡±


    A clear sound that couldn¡¯t be produced by human vocal cords, as if played by a divine instrument, reverberated through mana as its medium.


    When that wave touched his skin, it immediately amplified the noise of the mana within his body.


    Then, all the mana in his body went rampant.


    It was as if a poison had rapidly spread through his magic circuits.


    His semicircular canals¡ªresponsible for balance and speed¡ªwere thrown off, making his world tilt and sway worse than when got dead drunk.


    At the same time, the rhythm unique to his self-essence mana unraveled entirely, and his black armor swelled up like an overbaked cookie.


    It was as if all the magic he experienced until now was just a joke.


    But that was what it felt when one was hit by the secret art of the Gemini Family, the inescapable self-essence magic, the ¡®Songs of Magic¡¯.


    Even blocking his ears or rupturing his eardrums wouldn¡¯t stop the ¡®vibration¡¯ penetrating through mana.


    ¡°If you struggle, you¡¯ll die.¡±


    Siwoo never imagined a magic like this even existed.


    In a duel of magic where split-second decisions could decide the victor, a magic that could incapacitate one¡¯s opponent was almost like a cheat code.


    -BOOM! CRACK! KA-BOOM!


    The ground flipped over as if it had been hit by a bomb.


    ¡°Ugh...!¡±


    Through the thick dust rising all around, Siwoo crawled on his hands and knees, desperately avoiding the oncoming attacks.


    He steadied the disrupted mana within his body, trying his best to regain control.


    To block further interference, he layered several fields of mana to shield himself from any more harmful vibrations.


    But Deneb didn¡¯t stop her relentless singing.


    ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª.¡±


    As soon as he managed to dodge the attack, her merciless self-essence magic tore through his hastily constructed mana barrier, as if it was merely a piece of paper.


    How much longer do I have to hold out?


    Should I just give up and take the hit? Just let the pain bring an end to everything?


    As he was racking his brain, trying to figure out his next move, he noticed an unusual flow of mana gathering in the air.


    Now, Deneb wasn¡¯t just trying to restrict his movements.


    The waves emanating from her body bounced off the Interdimensional Barrier, converging into a single point.


    Though the reflections seemed random, they were aligning in a precise, intricate pattern, forming an entirely new spell.


    ¡°Fuck!


    Something big was coming.


    Perhaps, she decided that Siwoo could take a more powerful attack from her without dying after she had seen him dodge her previous ones.


    There¡¯s no way I can just face that¡ª!


    Pushing his exhausted body to its limits, Siwoo forced himself to move as far away as possible from the gathering power.


    And then...


    -BOOOOOM!


    A massive explosion lifted dozens of meters of the ground, creating a gigantic shockwave.


    The deafening roar that followed, along with the thick debris, struck Siwoo¡¯s /genesisforsaken

 Chapter 421: Verification (2)

    Chapter 421: Verification (2)


    1.


    Countess Gemini, two bodies sharing a soul.


    It wasn¡¯t just some symbolic metaphor or an abstract idea.


    For generations, witches of the Gemini line had always been twins¡ªeach bearing half of a single brand.


    Even the apprentices chosen by the Oracles were twins, just like Deneb and Albireo¡¯s predecessors.


    This lineage of twins stretched back to their predecessors¡¯ predecessors and beyond.


    Their magic would only reach its full potential when they were together; perfection in unison.


    Due to this, no matter how far apart they were, Gemini twins could always sense each other¡¯s condition.


    For example, if Deneb were to cast a particularly powerful spell or if something unusual happened to her, Albireo would know immediately.


    So when Albireo¡ªpeacefully reviewing business proposals in the Gemini Mansion¡ªfelt a sudden surge of a massive spell from Deneb in the heart of Tarot Town, she headed there without hesitation.


    When she arrived, she sensed an Interdimensional Barrier.


    There were a few curious witches lingering nearby, wondering what was going on.


    However, none dared to step inside, knowing that the barrier belonged to Deneb.


    After all, they didn¡¯t know what she was doing there. If, by chance, she was conducting a magical experiment, even sneaking in could lead to serious trouble.


    ¡°Ugh, my head...¡±


    But, Albireo got to quickly connect the dots, forming the most likely theory as to why this had happened.


    The twins had a hidden base in Tarot Town.


    Deneb had suddenly set up an interdimensional barrier near that base.


    And then, one name came to her mind: Shin Siwoo.


    Could it be that Siwoo was caught by Deneb while he was fooling around with the twins?


    ¡°I¡¯m going insane! Seriously!¡±


    If her guess was correct, then this wasn¡¯t a trivial matter.


    Though Deneb was generally more compassionate and considerate than Albireo, in certain situations, she was far less forgiving.


    Without wasting time, Albireo stepped into the barrier.


    And as soon as she did, her hunch was proven correct.


    Sadly, she had arrived a little late, as Deneb and Siwoo had already left the barrier.


    Within the dissipating barrier, there wasn¡¯t a single intact structure left.


    She could tell that this was Deneb¡¯s handiwork.


    ¡°If things escalate even further... Not good...¡±


    Wiping cold sweat from her brow, Albireo imagined the worst.


    She could just imagine Deneb tearing Siwoo¡¯s head off his neck.


    Her sister really would do that, she knew her well.


    Of course, she wouldn¡¯t let things go that far, at least for the sake of the twins.


    Having an inkling as to where she thought Deneb might have taken Siwoo, Albireo immediately rushed to that place.


    2.


    Stabbing headache, aching muscles, the chill rising from the floor, uncomfortable dampness, all of these sensations combined pulled siwoo out of his deep sleep.


    ¡°Ah... Ugh... Huff...¡±


    The strain of that last battle finally caught up with his body, forcing him to gasp for air. When he tried to move, he realized both his arms were twisted behind him, bound.


    -Clank, clank!


    He wriggled his body around, trying to get off, but his feet were tightly fixed to a chair. His hands weren¡¯t tied by a simple rope either, but rather an iron chain. In short, he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape with mere brute force.


    And so, he tried to channel his mana, but...


    ¡°What the...?¡±


    The mana in his brand refused to respond.


    Only then did Siwoo take a look at his surroundings.


    If he had to describe it in one word, calling it a ¡®dungeon¡¯ would suffice.


    Rusty iron bars, turned completely black due to corrosion, densely embedded in the dark, filthy rock walls.


    The only light source in the dungeon, which was so dark since even the moonlight couldn¡¯t seep in, were the torches mounted on the walls.


    It was the kind of place where rats might grow as big as cats.


    As Siwoo blinked in confusion, he noticed a white figure stepping into view.


    ¡°During the Qliphoth¡¯s raid, Gehenna suffered a lot of damage. Even our family mansion was partially destroyed.¡±


    It was Deneb Gemini.


    Seeing her, all the memories came rushing back.


    ¡°Hostility toward Criminal Exiles and Exiles in general reached its peak since then. Several measures were implemented in Gehenna. One of them is this, the underground prison built beneath our family estate.¡±


    Siwoo remembered that he was chasing after the runaway twins, patching things up, sharing a kiss with them, then somehow ending up in a raunchy situation.


    Then, Deneb barged in out of nowhere and captured him.


    ¡°The newly rebuilt Gemini Mansion was designed to resemble a colossal magical array. From its architectural layout to its corridor patterns, everything was meticulously designed. Even the leylines and water veins beneath are controlled by this array. With that in mind, it isn¡¯t hard to turn this prison into a place where no one but my sister and I can use magic.¡±


    That was when Siwoo finally understood why he couldn¡¯t use his mana here.


    As Deneb had explained, the dense, oppressive mana of this place disrupted every attempt at magic.


    No matter how hard he tried, it was useless. His effort was as futile as trying to overturn a lost arm-wrestling match.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think for a second that the twins are coming to rescue you. They don¡¯t even know of this dungeon¡¯s existence. After all, knowing such a thing wouldn¡¯t be good for their emotional development.¡±


    In contrast to the rage she had initially displayed, her tone was disturbingly calm.


    But, Siwoo could tell.


    Her anger hadn¡¯t subsided, but rather sharpened and refined into a cold, piercing edge.


    ¡°Deneb, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the one asking questions here. I¡¯ve cast the Poem of Confession on you.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, not that spell again...¡±


    Even as Deneb spoke, Siwoo¡¯s mouth started moving on its own.


    The Poem of Confession was a spell that would force out every hidden thought of the person it was cast upon. In other words, it was the worst possible spell to face in this situation for Siwoo.


    He could feel his legs trembling, not from the cold, but from fear


    Though she had somewhat regained his composure, it was clear that Deneb¡¯s anger had not dissipated.


    She was simply keeping enough of her composure intact to proceed with this interrogation.


    But, now that the spell made Siwoo¡¯s mouth keep on running, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she were to lose her temper again and just decided to kill him on the spot.


    ¡°I see. So I¡¯m going to die here...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Wait, I wasn¡¯t saying that willingly! It¡¯s just this damn¡ª! Ah, sorry, I mean, it¡¯s because of the Poem of Confession! Please, have some mercy!¡±


    Deneb barely twitched an eyebrow at his awkward attempts at humor, showing not even the slightest hint of being amused.


    She continued, maintaining her icy tone.


    ¡°Did you intend to have sex with the twins?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    -Thunk


    Siwoo noticed Deneb¡¯s nails digging into her palm.


    He only said a single word, but the tension already shot up through the roof.


    ¡°...And why, exactly? Odile and Odette are just apprentice witches. Surely, by now, you¡¯ve known of the risks involved. Can¡¯t you just wait a little longer, just like I asked of you...?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had sex with them multiple times already, and there haven¡¯t been any issues.¡±


    ¡°Are you seriously saying that to me right now?!¡±


    Deneb¡¯s sharp voice reverberated through the dark room.


    ¡°But it¡¯s true! As long as apprentice witches¡¯ wombs are uncontaminated, nothing else really matters! Besides, we¡¯ve been careful to...¡±


    To emphasize once again, Siwoo hated this spell.


    No matter how much he tried to hold his tongue back, his mouth kept spilling out everything in his mind.


    It wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t try to time his answers either.


    The problem was that, as soon as a thought crossed his mind, his mouth immediately spilled it out.


    ¡°We only did anal!¡±


    ¡°...A-A-Anal...?¡±


    At that moment, Deneb¡¯s expression changed to that of utter disbelief. Like a scientist watching their core understanding of the universe shatter.


    She was stunned. Utterly shocked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve cummed inside them over twenty times and they¡¯re still alright, I mean, their bowls are still alright... Also, it wasn¡¯t purely out of lust... At first, it was because they fed me a love potion, but... Well, there are others I care about as much as the twins... And...¡±


    Alongside his thoughts of the matter, other ramblings kept pouring out of his mouth.


    Nevertheless, it was kinda obvious...


    That his words only passed through one ear and out the other.


    ¡°...I¡¯ve always planned to take responsibility for everything...¡±


    Deneb¡¯s face, now pale and drained, looked as if her soul had left her body.


    But, slowly, her cheeks gained some color again.


    Fueled by pure, unadulterated rage.


    ¡°In other words... You¡¯ve been doing obscene things with the twins without any regard for the consequences, and also have been involved with other women? And now you¡¯re claiming that you¡¯re going to take responsibility? Is the Gemini Household just a joke to you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it! I swear!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t...! I absolutely can¡¯t tolerate this...!¡±


    -Woooom, woooooom


    The air around them began to shake.


    Deneb wasn¡¯t even trying to cast a spell.


    It was just the result of her raw turbulent emotions, resonating with her mana, rippling it outward.


    And of course, Siwoo still couldn¡¯t use even a sliver of his magic.


    Meaning, a single stray touch of her mana could easily kill him, even if she had no intention to cause him harm.


    ¡°Deneb!¡±


    At that moment, a commanding voice echoed, and the rising turbulence of mana completely dissipated.


    Accompanied by the sound of clicking heels on the stairs, Albireo rushed down to intervene.


    She promptly neutralized Deneb¡¯s mana and stepped between her and Siwoo.


    ¡°Perfect timing, Sis. Hear me out. Apparently, this so-called amazing male witch has been messing around with our twins? Unbelievable, right?¡±


    ¡°Deneb, calm down first.¡±


    ¡°Calm down?! How am I supposed to calm down?!¡±


    Even though he said that he had done it out of a momentary lust, the things he had done still weren¡¯t acceptable. Especially when he had been repeatedly fucking the twins in the most unhinged, perverted ways.


    And it didn¡¯t stop there. He had also been involved with Sharon Evergreen, Duchess Tiphereth, Countess Yesod, and numerous other women.


    Deneb just couldn¡¯t forgive him for that.


    As she denounced his misdeeds heatedly, she realized that Albireo was acting much more nonchalant than she had expected.


    Her sister was far too calm for someone hearing this for the first time.


    ¡°Wait... Could it be...? You already knew, Sis...?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    ¡°How on earth could you just stand by, then?! Don¡¯t you realize how serious this is?!¡±


    Deneb couldn¡¯t understand it, but Albireo had her reasons.


    For one, it was the twins who had seduced Siwoo first.


    Driven by overwhelming curiosity, they used a potion to force themselves on him, and since he was a slave at the time, there was no way he could¡¯ve refused them.


    Despite this, he had saved their lives twice: once from the homunculus and once from a Criminal Exile.


    The second time, he was practically at death¡¯s door even.


    After that, Albireo basically forced him to go to the Modern World, and though it definitely wasn¡¯t her intention, he ended up in another near-death situation due to an incident caused by the Cowardly Witch.


    At the end of the day, it was the twins who troubled him considerably due to their affections towards him.


    However, Albireo wasn¡¯t simply excusing Siwoo¡¯s actions out of guilt or a sense of obligation.


    The twins genuinely cared for Siwoo, and it seemed that he felt the same way for them.


    Unlike any ordinary man, he wouldn¡¯t age and die of old age¡ªan invaluable trait for a witch¡¯s son-in-law. On top of that, he was a prodigy, and he kept on trying to further advance his magic.


    Maintaining a good relationship with him was nothing but beneficial.


    Fixated solely on Siwoo¡¯s physical relationship with the twins, Deneb failed to see the bigger picture, but Albireo had carefully considered everything.


    ¡°Siwoo, wait here for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going? Is there even anything you can¡¯t say in front of him?¡±


    Albireo grabbed Deneb¡¯s wrist and led her to a quiet corner of the dungeon.

 Chapter 422: Verification (3)

    Chapter 422: Verification (3)


    1.


    Siwoo swallowed his saliva.


    He was lucky that Albireo, someone he could at least reason with, showed up.


    Currently, the two countesses were chatting in the distance.


    Their conversation would likely decide what would happen to him next.


    The echo made it hard for him to catch the details of what they were talking about, but Deneb¡¯s sharp voice would raise occasionally, as clear as her current state of emotion was.


    Phrases like ¡®Kick him out!¡¯, ¡®I¡¯d rather we get rid of him!¡¯, and ¡®I can¡¯t forgive this!¡¯ echoed clearly, making Siwoo more anxious than ever.


    ¡°Sshh! Sshh!¡±


    Suddenly, at that moment, a hissing sound, like that of a snake, reached his ears.


    At first, he thought it might just be the wind sneaking through cracks in the stone, but it wasn¡¯t the case at all.


    ¡°Mr. Assistant...! Mr. Assistant...!¡±


    He turned his head and found Odile and Odette crouching in the corridor, their heads peeking out cautiously.


    True to their elusive nature, it was as if they had appeared out of thin air.


    After glancing around to ensure no one was watching, they tiptoed over to Siwoo.


    Their wide, anxious eyes darkened with worry when they saw Siwoo covered in dust, and the blood trickling down his forehead.


    ¡°M-Mr. Assistant... Y-You¡¯re bleeding... What do we do...? This is because of us...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mr. Assistant. Just stay still. We¡¯ll get you out of here.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Odile... Ms. Odette...¡±


    Actually, when Deneb insisted, ¡®Not even the twins know about this dungeon¡¯, ¡®I don¡¯t think so¡¯ came to Siwoo¡¯s mind immediately.


    After all, he knew that the twins were a curiosity incarnate. There was no way they hadn¡¯t known about such an intriguing dungeon yet.


    And sure enough, the twins were well aware of the dungeon¡¯s existence.


    Not only that, but they had guessed he¡¯d been captured and arrived armed with hefty sets of keys to rescue him.


    ¡°Odette, you take the top, and I¡¯ll handle the bottom.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Sis.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure this is okay?¡±


    Odile and Odette each selected a key and began testing it in the locks.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo asked, clearly worried.


    ¡°Mr. Assistant, do you think Little Master will let this go?¡±


    ¡°Just focus on escaping for now. We¡¯ll take the scolding and vouch for you.¡±


    Their hushed voices and the clinking of keys in the lock sounded deafening in the heavy silence.


    But, Siwoo knew running away wasn¡¯t the answer. The situation had already escalated like a wildfire in autumn.


    ¡°I appreciate your concern, but don¡¯t worry, just leave me here and get out quietly. I¡¯ll handle Ms. Deneb myself.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Assistant, cut the crap and run.¡±


    ¡°If you stay, things will only get worse...¡±


    The twins, knowing Deneb¡¯s fiery temper all too well, decided that their first priority was to defuse the situation.


    Rational conversation aside, it was painfully clear what would happen to their Mr. Assistant if they left things as they were.


    Hadn¡¯t they just seen him getting beaten and dragged away earlier?


    Without the twins stepping in to mediate, the outcome was as clear as day.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t this key work...?¡±


    ¡°There are too many keys, Sis...¡±


    But there really were far too many keys.


    No matter how much they struggled, the lock still wouldn¡¯t budge.


    Watching them fumble, Siwoo finally intervened.


    After all, it was his own mistakes that had started this mess, and he didn¡¯t want the twins to get caught up in it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll figure this out myself. You don¡¯t need to get involved because of me. Just go.¡±


    ¡°How can we just run away when we¡¯re the ones who caused this mess?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! We have conscience, you know?¡±


    The sound of clinking keys grew more frantic as they worked.


    At that moment, Albireo and Deneb¡¯s conversation abruptly stopped.


    The twins, though were putting their all to free Siwoo, ultimately failed to free him in time.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    With their conversation finished, Albireo and Deneb returned.


    Then, they found the twins clinging to Siwoo, desperately trying to unlock his restraints.


    ¡°Ha... You two brats....¡±


    ¡°How did you even get here?¡±


    Albireo let out a sigh, while Deneb stared at the twins in disbelief.


    She had definitely put them to sleep with a spell, and no one had told them about this dungeon.


    Yet, here they were, standing right in front of them.


    They even had spare keys in their hands.


    ¡°Master! Mr. Assistant hasn¡¯t done anything wrong!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! We were the ones who seduced him! If something happens to him...¡±


    ¡°¡°We¡¯ll refuse to see your faces again!¡±¡±


    The twins, abandoning their escape plan and opting to face the issue directly, stood firm while Deneb gritted her teeth.


    ¡°Sis! Take the kids upstairs!¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not leaving Mr. Assistant!¡±


    The twins clung to Siwoo, one on each side, making their intentions clear.


    Finally, unable to hold back her frustration, Deneb shouted.


    ¡°Do you even know how many women this man has played around with?!¡±


    ¡°We know! But our feelings for Mr. Assistant won¡¯t change!¡±


    ¡°We understand! We¡¯re loyal, just like a steadfast dandelion!¡±


    Seeing the twins¡¯ relentless devotion, Deneb shrieked in frustration. The anger she had just managed to suppress was reignited.


    ¡°Sis! Take them upstairs already!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t fall for the same tricks again...! Hoaahm...¡±


    ¡°Using magic to solve everything is just cowardly...! Mm... Zzz...¡±


    Seeing no other choice, Albireo put the twins to sleep with a spell.


    The twins tried to resist with their own magic, but they were simply no match for Albireo.


    Albireo scooped up the twins, who quickly slumped back down.


    ¡°Haaaaaa...¡±


    Deneb let out a heavy sigh as she watched this unfold.


    The twins¡¯ brief appearance had ended abruptly, but their intentions had been crystal clear.


    Even though they knew their plan would fail and they¡¯d face punishment, the twins still snuck in to rescue Siwoo.


    Their feelings for Siwoo were genuine, just like what Albireo had pointed out.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take them back upstairs, don¡¯t think about trying anything stupid while I¡¯m gone, alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I get it, Sis.¡±


    Albireo gave one last warning before leaving the place.


    In truth, when Deneb brought Siwoo here, she had been determined to be relentless.


    She had planned to fully expose his crimes, interrogate him about additional wrongdoings, impose a harsh punishment on him, before banishing him.


    However, Albireo¡¯s calm reasoning and the twins¡¯ desperate pleas had managed to stop the swing of her emotions.


    Although it didn¡¯t go further than curbing her outburst, Siwoo could at least breathe a sigh of relief for the moment.


    ¡°Mr. Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Countess Deneb.¡±


    ¡°I am very, very disappointed in you. I trusted you, Mr. Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for disappointing you; I have no excuses. My indecisiveness caused this situation to escalate.¡±


    Deneb snapped her fingers, releasing the Poem of Confession spell that she previously cast on him.


    She also undid the restraints on his hands and feet .


    ¡°You can¡¯t possibly understand how devastated I feel. Maybe you¡¯ll get it someday if you ever take on an apprentice witch.¡±


    Her demeanor was still prickly.


    But the way she reached out to heal the wound on his forehead made it clear that Albireo had managed to calm her down.


    ¡°I have a lot to say to you, but... Oh, you¡¯re already back?¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s okay here?¡±


    ¡°I told you I have it under control.¡±


    Albireo returned before long.


    Her quick return suggested she was genuinely worried about Deneb¡¯s potential outburst.


    It was a valid concern, though. After all, if anything had happened to him, the twins¡¯ weren¡¯t the only ones they¡¯d need to deal with, they had to also be prepared to receive Duchess Tiphereth¡¯s wrath.


    From Albireo¡¯s standpoint, stopping Deneb¡¯s reckless behavior was both the right and practical thing to do.


    ¡°Good job, Deneb. As expected of my little sister.¡±


    ¡°Could you shut up, Sis?¡±


    Watching the countesses bicker was an unusual sight.


    While he was still absorbing the scene, Deneb pushed Albireo away and stepped forward.


    ¡°Alright, fine. Let¡¯s say, for argument¡¯s sake, that you did have a physical relationship with the twins...¡±


    -Grit!


    Her words trailed off, replaced by the sound of her gritting her teeth.


    Deneb sighed¡ªher n-th sigh of the day¡ªand continued.


    ¡°I understand the reasons and circumstances behind your relationship, and I could accept that you¡¯ve seduced so many witches into bed with you. The twins themselves are okay with it, it¡¯s not my place to argue further.¡±


    ¡°Still, Mr. Siwoo, haven¡¯t you seduced too many witches at this point? A duchess, a countess, a grand witch... I can¡¯t even believe it. Are you planning to wrap your crotch in gold trim or something?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I was trying to do... Things just turned out that way somehow...¡±


    Facing his mothers-in-law¡¯s relentless scolding, Siwoo¡¯s shoulders slumped.


    But every crisis came with opportunity.


    If he played his cards right, this might be his chance to gain Deneb¡¯s full acknowledgment of his relationship with the twins.


    Trying to stay calm, Siwoo swallowed hard and met Deneb¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°What are you staring at?¡±


    ¡°N-Nothing.¡±


    Hearing Deneb¡¯s sharp remark, he quickly averted his gaze.


    He wanted to come across as a responsible, confident man, but he was just too scared of Deneb.


    Then again, who could possibly stand firm under the weight of her piercing blue glare?


    ¡°I admit, I had misunderstood you earlier. I attacked you because I believed that you, without any evidence or sense of responsibility, and with no regard for conscience, had dishonored, defiled, and committed adultery with our twins solely for pleasure, fully intending to ruin their future in the process.¡±


    Each heavy word from her made Siwoo shrink further into himself.


    ¡°But since you¡¯ve shown at least a bit of conscience, responsibility the size of a sauce packet, and remorse as small as a chick¡¯s tear, along with the favor you¡¯ve previously earned... I will reluctantly revoke your expulsion.¡±


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    Albireo, who had been quietly listening, let out a sigh of relief at Deneb¡¯s decision.


    After all, even if they were sisters, she still couldn¡¯t be sure if Deneb would accept any of her reasoning.


    ¡°But...¡±


    The moment everyone else thought that Deneb had made her final decision, she delivered a dramatic twist, like a judge revealing a surprising verdict.


    ¡°My leniency towards you will depend on if your words were true or not. I will see to myself if your actions with the twins have affected their bowls or not. Even if you claim otherwise, I can¡¯t just trust your words as they are. You have no objections to this, do you?¡±


    Since Siwoo had already deceived Deneb and crossed the line with the twins, he couldn¡¯t really complain about her stance.


    Still, something about her words seemed off.


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Deneb?¡±


    ¡°What I mean is, I will personally verify any mana reactions and effects caused by an anal intercourse. If there¡¯s even the slightest negative impact, I will not be lenient towards you. In other words, you are forbidden from even meeting the twins until they succeed their brands.¡±


    For a moment there, Siwoo¡¯s mind went completely blank from shock.


    Alright, time out. What did she say again?


    ¡®I could try to forbid you from doing it with the twins, but I know you both will just disobey it. Even if you¡¯ve told me that their bowls are fine, I can¡¯t just trust you. So, I want to personally verify if there¡¯s any potential problem with your method of intercourse towards the twins¡¯ bowls.¡¯


    It¡¯s something like that...?


    ¡°What?¡±


    Siwoo was stunned.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Albireo, who was listening nearby, was just as shocked.

 Chapter 423: Verification (4)

    Chapter 423: Verification (4)


    1.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    Though Albireo was sure that Deneb was serious, she still asked that question anyway.


    Sure enough, Deneb¡¯s face looked completely serious.


    After all, unlike Albireo, who was more laid back, Deneb was always straightforward.


    Especially when it came to matters concerning the twins¡¯ well-being, there was no way she¡¯d say something she didn¡¯t mean.


    ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m joking right now?¡±


    ¡°Deneb, you¡¯re getting way too worked up. Let¡¯s go out and get some air.¡±


    Still, even Albireo¡ªwho had lived a long life and seen a lot of things¡ªcouldn¡¯t fathom why every time Shin Siwoo was involved in something, things would spiral out of control like this.


    ¡°And by the way, I don¡¯t need your permission. My body is my own. The only person whose opinion I¡¯m asking for is him.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t think I can agree to that...¡±


    Siwoo refused for the same reason as when he rejected Albireo in the past.


    There was also the fact that it had only been a few days since he had promised to do better.


    If he were to go along with Deneb¡¯s suggestion now, he¡¯d not fail the twins¡¯ trust, but also damage his relationships with Sharon and Eloa.


    Sure, this might be the condition for him to stay with the twins, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel like it was an unreasonable sacrifice.


    But Deneb remained firm.


    ¡°In that case, I won¡¯t forgive you, Mr. Siwoo .¡±


    ¡°But why? Why is this such a big deal?¡±


    ¡°Just because the twins¡¯ bowls seem fine now doesn¡¯t mean nothing has happened to it! We are going off on an inductive reasoning right now, we don¡¯t know what might have occurred during the actual act! If anything, I don¡¯t understand how you could be so nonchalant about this, Sis! We¡¯re talking about our daughters¡¯ well-being here!¡±


    The truth was, the amount of mana released during a male¡¯s ejaculation was very small


    In order for it to affect the bowl, a man would need to ejaculate his semen while holding his penis close to the womb¡¯s opening.


    Based on that fact, Albireo had concluded that as long as the twins weren¡¯t having vaginal penetration, it should be safe. Besides, there had been no issues so far.


    She also trusted the twins and Siwoo to not lose their senses and actually do it from the front.


    ¡°No, Deneb... That¡¯s a little...¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, then we¡¯ll have to completely isolate him until the succession has been done.¡±


    Things had developed to a point where Deneb would trust a simple ¡®I won¡¯t touch them until they¡¯ve finished their succession¡¯ promise from Siwoo anymore.


    He had already broken her trust once, so there was no chance she¡¯d settle for just words.


    Even if Deneb were to trust him, she still wouldn¡¯t yield on verifying the ¡®effects of anal intercourse¡¯ herself.


    Also, she didn¡¯t want to rely on conclusions from the results alone; she wanted to examine the process closely too.


    Meanwhile, from Siwoo¡¯s perspective, after he just resolved himself to be more restrained, there was no way that he¡¯d want to go around sticking his penis into any hole that was willing to open itself to him. Not to mention it was his mother-in-law¡¯s.


    Accepting Deneb¡¯s proposal would be like betraying the twins, Sharon, and Eloa all at once.


    But rejecting it meant risking exilement from Gehenna or being forced apart from the twins.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your answer?¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, hold on! Are you seriously going through with this? If that¡¯s what¡¯s worrying you, couldn¡¯t you ask someone else to do it? Like Ms. Evergreen or Duchess Tiphereth...¡±


    Albireo¡¯s suggestion wasn¡¯t unreasonable.


    Deneb wasn¡¯t making this request because she wanted to be railed by him, but because she was worried about the effects of anal intercourse. She could just ask one of Siwoo¡¯s lovers to confirm it for her.


    Yet, she still rejected that idea. Not because it was obviously something extremely rude to ask of the two, but...


    ¡°How can you leave something this important to someone else? Besides, do you really think those two would admit to anything if things went wrong?¡±


    ¡°If word of this got out, it¡¯d be a huge scandal that would tarnish our family name.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to do this often. Just once would be enough to confirm things.¡±


    ¡°Our twins won¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°He already has plenty of women around him. Besides, this is all for their sake. Why would they complain?¡±


    Before Siwoo could say a word, his two mothers-in-law had already got into a heated argument.


    ¡°Um... Could you please not... .¡±


    Siwoo tried to step in cautiously, but...


    ¡°You don¡¯t get a say in this, Mr. Siwoo!¡±


    ¡°Just stay out of this... You¡¯re the root cause of this mess...¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Their icy glares left him with no choice but to zip his mouth.


    The argument continued unabated. Even when they dragged him out of the dungeon, they still continued on.


    2.


    In the end, Siwoo was dragged into Deneb¡¯s room without being allowed to say a single word.


    Deneb¡¯s room wasn¡¯t much different from the twins¡¯.


    It was the faint scent of incense and a slightly more mature atmosphere that set the two apart.


    Currently Countess Gemini and Siwoo sat at a table, sharing a quiet drink.


    But this quiet was only achieved after an extremely heated argument between the countesses.


    Deneb stubbornly held her ground, while Albireo was doing everything she could to talk her out of it.


    But, as that exchange went on, in the end, it was Albireo who gave in.


    ¡°Fine, you win.¡±


    Albireo cast a sharp glance at Siwoo with her striking violet eyes before speaking decisively.


    ¡°Since it comes to this, I¡¯ll take the matter into my hands. You don¡¯t know as much about this as I do, after all.¡±


    Though both of them were conservative witches with no experience with men, Albireo was the most knowledgeable among them in this particular area.


    Since they had no choice but to do this taboo act of committing sex with their son-in-law with their rear holes, she decided that she should shoulder all the burden herself.


    ¡°...No, I won¡¯t be satisfied unless I handle this myself. You¡¯re too biased to be objective.¡±


    ¡°What are you even saying?¡±


    ¡°The fact that you let the twins carry on with something so reckless proves you¡¯re anything but objective!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Albireo fell silent, considering Deneb¡¯s words.


    When Deneb became this determined, even Albireo wouldn¡¯t be able to persuade her.


    ¡°The only way to ensure there¡¯s truly no issue with our twins is to observe what happens during the process. Anything less is unacceptable to me.¡±


    As Deneb¡¯s final words drove the nail in deeper, Albireo, who had been swallowing a groan, looked at Siwoo.


    ¡°Mr. Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°We need your cooperation.¡±


    ¡°Do we really have to do this? Like I said before...this doesn¡¯t seem right...¡±


    It was like back when Albireo offered to satisfy his lust in exchange for him to not have sex with the twins anymore.


    Of course, back then it was a trap and not an actual offer.


    ¡°The circumstances don¡¯t allow you to back down. Besides, it¡¯s partly your fault things have spiraled this far, Mr. Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t argue with that...¡±


    ¡°Also, Deneb doesn¡¯t have any ulterior motives. No romantic feelings, no sexual curiosity about you. This is purely for magical research.¡±


    Deneb, who had been listening from the side, immediately flared up.


    ¡°Of course! Do you think I¡¯m doing this because I want to?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to disappear anyway once the succession ends... I wish you would just close your eyes and cooperate once. Don¡¯t we need to be sure what kind of danger Mr. Siwoo¡¯s secret play with the twins poses?¡±


    A heavy silence followed as Siwoo mulled it over.


    ¡°This is a one-time thing, right? A real one-time thing?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    And so, a dangerous pact was sealed between the son-in-law and his mother-in-law.


    Feeling a bit hesitant, Siwoo cautiously added a follow-up question.


    ¡°Just to confirm... This isn¡¯t some kind of trap, is it? Like, if I agree to Countess Deneb¡¯s proposal, I¡¯d lose something in exchange...?¡±


    ¡°Would you prefer it that way?¡±


    ¡°No, please.¡±


    ¡°...What a shame.¡±


    On a day like today, nothing else could surprise him.


    3.


    Deneb excused herself to prepare and went into the bathroom.


    Although her spirit body guaranteed complete cleanliness and she could use magic to wash her body instead of physically washing it, she probably did it anyway for the ritualistic value of preparing herself before sex.


    That or she just needed a moment to collect her thoughts.


    Siwoo also took a quick shower and came out wrapped in a bathrobe.


    And he was left startled.


    Albireo, whom he assumed had already left, was sitting in a chair by the bed, staring at him.


    As the absurdity of the situation sank in, a wry smile crossed Albireo¡¯s face.


    ¡°Wait... Are you seriously staying here, Countess Albireo?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the plan. Deneb insisted. To reduce errors in the experiment, we¡¯ll need to record the results from multiple perspectives.¡±


    ¡°Jesus...¡±


    The initial situation was already awkward enough, and this only further shaped up to be the most uncomfortable night of his life.


    Countess Albireo¡¯s presence only deepened his dread and discomfort.


    He wasn¡¯t even sure if his thing could get hard.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make that face. I¡¯m not thrilled either.¡±


    Seeing Siwoo¡¯s face twisted in despair, Albireo shot a sharp remark at him.


    ¡°...I really apologize, Countess.¡±


    ¡°This is why I warned you. If only you had shown a little more caution and restraint, we wouldn¡¯t be here. And yet, here we are... .¡±


    Albireo pressed her eyes, as if exhausted by the absurdity of the situation.


    ¡°I never imagined Deneb¡¯s first time with a man would happen like this.¡±


    Deneb was her younger sister.


    And now, that same younger sister was about to lose her long-held virginity in such a grim way.


    It brought a different kind of disappointment than the one she had felt with the twins before.


    And to make matters worse, this involved the immoral dynamic of a son-in-law and mother-in-law.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry...¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no helping it. Deneb is persistent. Don¡¯t feel too guilty about it, though. At least for me and Deneb, the matter of virginity isn¡¯t that important. Although, discussing whether rear hole penetration also qualifies as a loss of virginity might lead us into a philosophical debate.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t quite get what you¡¯re trying to say...¡±


    ¡°Deneb doesn¡¯t know anything about sexual relationships. Unlike me, she never put an ounce of care into it. She¡¯ll probably just pretend that this never happened if the ¡®verification¡¯ tonight goes off without a hitch, so you can stop feeling bad for having a relationship with other women for once.¡±


    Albireo rested her chin on her hand, swinging her legs gently.


    She acted casually, but it was clear that she was genuinely trying to ease Siwoo¡¯s guilt.


    ¡°So don¡¯t overthink it and just do all that you can.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Also, if something like this ever happens again, I¡¯ll drag you back to the Modern World myself.¡±


    While they were chatting like that, Deneb stepped out from the bathroom.


    She really had taken her time, probably to bathe.


    A gentle, warm mist lingered around her slender neck.


    She wasn¡¯t in her usual formal witch attire.


    Instead, she wore a white nightgown without a shawl. Considering how chilly the night was, it looked far too thin.


    The short hem revealed her long, toned thighs, and it seemed as if the slightest movement would expose her panties.


    The shoulders were detailed with slits and lace, highlighting her rounded silhouette, and the fabric was so thin that her skin was faintly visible underneath.


    If one had to summarize her look in a single phrase...


    She looked like a doll dressed to be seductive.


    Her figure had just the right amount of muscle, without unnecessary bulk.


    Her elegant and smooth curves naturally brought those sorts of thoughts to mind.


    But her expression wasn¡¯t that of a timid maiden on her first night.


    It was more like that of a warrior bracing herself for a battle.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Albireo looked at Deneb, who spoke with such a resolute voice.


    ¡°Haaaah...¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but let out the deep, weary sigh she had been trying to suppress.

 Chapter 424: Verification (5)

    Chapter 424: Verification (5)


    1.


    ¡°So, how should we start?¡±


    Deneb said, placing her hands on her hips.


    Her nightgown, folding delicately like fairy wings, parted slightly in the middle, revealing a glimpse of her slender navel.


    It was the kind of revealing attire you¡¯d never see on mainstream TV dramas.


    Despite the outfit showing quite a bit of her skin, her face showed no trace of embarrassment.


    It reminded Siwoo how perception could change emotions, even in the same situation.


    Imagine a scenario where a guy walked into a women¡¯s bathhouse. One time as a toddler holding his mom¡¯s hand, one time when he was old enough to understand sexual attraction. It was like that.


    For Deneb, relationships and sexual attraction were completely alien concepts.


    In her eyes, tonight¡¯s task was just an extension of an unusual magical experiment.


    ¡°...¡±


    But for Siwoo, the situation couldn¡¯t have been more embarrassing and uncomfortable.


    Regardless whether it was a magic experiment or not, it was still an indecent act involving his mother-in-law¡¯s body.


    The vast difference in their perspectives left Siwoo speechless. At that moment, Deneb raised three fingers and made her declaration.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about skimping on this. Tonight¡¯s experiment will involve detailed examinations of every step, from insertion, to thrusting, to ejaculation.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Deneb...¡±


    Unable to bear the sheer bluntness of Deneb¡¯s words, Albireo covered her face with her hands.


    Though he kept his mouth shut, Siwoo was mortified.


    His brain was still processing what had just happened, trying to accept that something so surreal was actually real.


    It was the feeling that anyone who had woken up on the second day of military camp would understand.


    ¡°A-Alright...¡±


    Siwoo cleared his throat, steadying his cracking voice, then he spoke up.


    ¡°F-First, I¡¯d need you to lie face down over there.¡±


    He gestured towards the bed as he said that.


    As long as she bent her body a little and placed a pillow under her hips, things would probably be easier on him.


    Because doing it face-to-face would only make him feel uncomfortable, if anything.


    He decided to just close his eyes and finish it from behind.


    ¡°...Lie face down? Why should I?¡±


    ¡°Umm...¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me to crawl on all fours like an animal?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sex with zero intimacy or connection was proving to be a nightmare.


    What made it worse was Albireo chiming in, supporting Deneb¡¯s absurd objection.


    ¡°Mr. Siwoo, trying to indulge your preferences at a time like this is a little...¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean!¡±


    ¡°Just keep it normal, please. That kind of position is way too indecent.¡±


    He barely stopped himself from saying, ¡®And testing this through the anus isn¡¯t indecent?¡¯.


    But he had no idea what they considered a ¡®normal¡¯ position.


    The worst thing was that, it wasn¡¯t like he could start debating the correlation between anal sex and positions here, so the whole situation was driving him mad.


    ¡°...Fine. I¡¯ll leave it to your judgment, Ms. Deneb.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably for the better. Lie down over there.¡±


    Annoyed by Siwoo¡¯s hesitation, Deneb decided to take charge of the experiment herself.


    As he rested his head on the pillow, Deneb¡¯s faint, comforting scent that lingered on the bedding reached him.


    Climbing onto the bed on all fours, she reached out and untied Siwoo¡¯s belt.


    A bathrobe was never the most secure or protective clothing to begin with.


    Her fingers paused briefly before parting the overlapping folds of his robe, revealing his limp member.


    Deneb gulped nervously, but her movement was ever so subtle.


    It was the first time she had seen a man¡¯s genitals this close.


    ¡°First, we¡¯ll need some lubricant, right?¡±


    She pulled out a bottle of aromatic oil she had prepared earlier.


    Since the rear hole naturally produced very little fluid aside from minor secretions, adding in lubricants before the act was essential.


    The premium aromatic oil, made from whale blubber, would serve its purpose even better than regular lubricants, making it the ideal choice.


    Without hesitation, Deneb poured nearly half of the expensive oil directly onto Siwoo¡¯s shaft.


    It was obvious that she didn¡¯t know that the amount needed to be moderated.


    Before long, the overwhelming fragrance, nearly headache-inducing, wafted strongly from his lower body.


    With peculiar concentration, Deneb kneaded Siwoo¡¯s member as if she were preparing a strange side dish with sesame oil.


    Though she was clueless about everything else, given that she had lived for so long, she at least knew that arousal was necessary before insertion.


    However, despite her clumsy efforts, Siwoo¡¯s member refused to be fully erect.


    Sensing something was off, Deneb asked.


    ¡°Is this as big as it gets? The texts said it¡¯s supposed to become hard...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so...¡±


    Albireo, who had once caught a glimpse of Siwoo¡¯s intimacy with the twins, also tilted her head in confusion.


    According to her memories, his member was thick and stiff¡ªeven its shadow was humongous. Now, it looked more like an eggplant after it got roasted in an oven and soaked in oil.


    But Siwoo had his reasons.


    It was known that the main cause of erectile dysfunction in men in their twenties was psychological.


    No matter how beautiful Deneb was or how tenderly she stroked his dick, he just couldn¡¯t get aroused.


    If he had to summarize the current event in a single sentence it would be, ¡®I ripped open my virgin younger mother-in-law¡¯s rear door in front of her inexperienced older sister¡¯. An absurd situation, to say the least.


    Unaware of his inner conflict, Deneb urged him again.


    ¡°Hurry up and get hard.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t something I have complete control over...¡±


    ¡°Siwoo, there¡¯s a saying, it¡¯s better to get the worst part over with first, so let¡¯s just finish this quickly.¡±


    ¡°Fine... I¡¯ll try.¡±


    Even if he tried to stall, he wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid the situation anyway.


    So, he closed his eyes, and focused on his breathing, trying to get an erection.


    He mentally gathered every happy memory stored in his synapses, channeling the blood flow toward his erectile tissue.


    Slowly but surely, his member began to grow, fueled by sheer desperation.


    Deneb¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment as she watched its unbelievable transformation.


    ¡°There, it worked.¡±


    Though she maintained a calm facade, Deneb couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡®It¡¯s bigger than I expected...¡¯.


    This was the first time in her life she would insert anything into her anus.


    It was hard for Deneb to predict how difficult the process would be, but judging by this thing¡¯s size, she calculated that it was just within manageable limits.


    That gave her a little bit of confidence.


    ¡°Hm...¡±


    Albireo, however, continued to look at Siwoo¡¯s groin with a doubtful expression.


    After he forced it to stand erect using his special technique, it got hard, but it wasn¡¯t completely hard.


    This was what people often call a semi-erect state.


    Luckily, neither of the sisters seemed knowledgeable enough to point that out, so the situation moved along without any issues.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to insert it now.¡±


    Deneb crawled up between Siwoo¡¯s legs and squatted down.


    Due to her posture, her robe parted slightly, revealing her smooth chest down to her sternum.


    But there was a problem.


    ¡°Um... You¡¯ll need to take off your clothes.¡±


    Deneb¡¯s crotch was still hidden behind her panties.


    Although the outline of her slit was faintly visible and was clearly attractive, insertion with her underwear still on was simply impossible.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m that clueless? There¡¯s no need for me to show you everything.¡±


    Deneb let out a sharp snort and then grabbed Siwoo¡¯s shaft as she said that.


    Her slender fingers, slick with lubricant, wrapped around it firmly.


    His glans brushed against something slightly bumpy textured; the unmistakable feel of Deneb¡¯s anus entrance.


    It seemed like she had cut away only the back of her panties.


    ¡°Ah...!¡±


    Deneb flinched in surprise. The heat from her rear turned out to be much warmer than she expected.


    Even Albireo, who had been casually throwing comments earlier fell silent, focused on what was happening.


    The bizarre situation felt as though Siwoo was being treated like a living dildo.


    Still, attempting anal penetration in a cowgirl position was anything but easy.


    To make matters worse, Siwoo¡¯s semi-erect member kept slipping off the mark, instead of sliding along the cleft of her ass.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t it go in?¡±


    It already felt uncomfortable enough¡ªshe felt like she was rubbing her rear with some squishy substance¡ªbut the fact that it kept on failing just made it downright frustrating for her.


    Deneb furrowed her brows.


    ¡°Can this even go in?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it can, but....¡±


    ¡°Let me help.¡±


    ¡°Stay out of this, Sis.¡±


    Still in a crouching position after Albireo¡¯s comment, Deneb responded curtly.


    This situation was more absurd than anything one¡¯d find in a trashy Korean drama.


    But regardless of how absurd the moment was, the male body tends to respond honestly.


    As Deneb continued stimulating him, Siwoo¡¯s member gradually swelled and hardened in her grasp.


    ¡°Huh? Wait, what?¡±


    It was like watching a larva grow into a hardened chrysalis.


    After struggling for a while, Deneb glanced down at Siwoo¡¯s member that she had been holding in her hands.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Oh my...¡±


    ¡°How did it get so big?!¡±


    Deneb¡¯s jaw dropped as she saw that the thing had grown to nearly twice its original size.


    It had ceased being soft.


    And turned rock hard.


    She could feel the strong pulse throbbing through its bumpy veiny surface.


    Siwoo¡¯s cock was no longer just a peculiar creature; it was a full-blown monster.


    ¡°Is something like this really supposed to fit...?¡±


    Faced with its sheer size for the first time, Deneb couldn¡¯t help but question it.


    With trembling eyes, Deneb stared at Siwoo¡¯s dick.


    Albireo, equally shocked, couldn¡¯t hide her surprise either.


    Neither of them had anticipated it would grow to such an intimidating size.


    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible.¡±


    But Deneb¡¯s maternal instincts toward her twins proved stronger than her hesitation.


    She had resolved herself to endure this challenge.


    Steeling herself, she gripped Siwoo¡¯s shaft with newfound determination.


    Her goal was clear: to guide it into her anus so that it wouldn¡¯t slip away repeatedly like earlier.


    As Deneb slowly squatted down, the tip of his shaft pressed firmly against her rear entrance.


    ¡°Huuu... Huu... Huu...¡±


    Without being told, Deneb instinctively took deep breaths to relax her body.


    The entrance, which had initially clamped shut without any give, began to part gradually as the tip applied steady pressure.


    ¡°Ahhh-! Hnghh...!¡±


    ¡°Deneb, are you okay? Try to relax a bit more.¡±


    ¡°Do you...think...! This is as easy as it looks...?¡±


    Beads of sweat rolled down Deneb¡¯s forehead as she continued the slow insertion. Albireo, watching with concern, offered her advice.


    Truthfully, taking Siwoo¡¯s massive size without preparation or prior experience was practically self-torture.


    Siwoo had intended to proceed slowly, having her lie down first, but...


    ¡°Ahhhk...! Haaaah...!¡±


    Whether it was the sheer pain or the strain on her thighs from her position, the tightness he felt was far more intense compared to when he penetrated the twins.


    ¡°Kuuk...!¡±


    It was like trying to force a ring onto something far too big.


    Even with only half of the tip inside, he was convinced it wouldn¡¯t go any further.


    ¡°Deneb, maybe you should let Mr. Siwoo take over instead?¡±


    Unable to watch any longer, Albireo suggested this, and Deneb reluctantly agreed.


    She realized that continuing like this was pointless.


    With her bottom now sore, Deneb sat with her legs pressed together, commanding Siwoo in a curt tone.


    ¡°Go ahead, give it a try.¡±


    ***


    https://ko-fi.com/genesisforsaken

 Chapter 425: Verification (6)

    Chapter 425: Verification (6)


    1.


    Since Deneb was hell-bent on not wanting to get on all fours like an animal, their first attempt was made with her standing, hands pressed against the wall.


    It was clear that forcing his cock in wouldn¡¯t work, so Siwoo decided to loosen her up with his fingers first, just as he had done with the twins.


    Meanwhile, Deneb stood leaning against the wall, subtly sticking her butt out.


    As Siwoo took in the sight of her lewdly exposed buttocks, he felt the last traces of his curse of erectile dysfunction completely fade away.


    With how easily he was affected by such sights, it made him feel shameful to be a man.


    If the twins¡¯ butts were like soft, plump rabbits, Deneb¡¯s was sleek and elegant, like a swan.


    Her hips didn¡¯t boast exaggerated curves or sheer volume. It was the refined feminine lines that made her buttocks extremely captivating.


    The combination of her mature allure, soft curves, and snowy white hair only added to her beauty.


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    Such an exclamation slipped out of Siwoo¡¯s mouth before he could stop himself.


    It was because her perfect, almost artistic figure exuded an innocence that paradoxically made it even more enticing.


    Her panties were little more than a tiny strip of fabric, just barely covering her slit.


    It was like a provocative outfit designed for perverted occasions. Wearing it was practically the equivalent of her saying, ¡®Please, use this hole,¡¯ as she shyly thrusted her tightly clenched folds onto his face.


    And, as expected of a witch¡¯s hole, it was clean. Its color was so pretty that it was hard to believe that it was someone¡¯s rear hole.


    Siwoo wouldn¡¯t doubt her if she were to say that she had applied makeup on it beforehand.


    Considering that he had seen the twins¡¯ anus before, and considering that the owner of the uncensored anus before him was his mother-in-law...


    Add those with the fact that they had no prior intimacy, it made the situation feel even more surreal.


    ¡°Wow?¡±


    ¡°Wow?¡±


    Hearing his exclamation that he spouted out unconsciously, Deneb shot him a piercing glare.


    Albireo also glared at him, as if saying, ¡®You shameless bastard, get a grip!¡¯.


    ¡°Did you forget why we¡¯re here? Focus and get it together.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Even though Deneb was oblivious to the male-female relationship, she wasn¡¯t that oblivious. At the very least, she knew of the embarrassment this act carried.


    After all, regardless of it carrying a sexual nature or not, the act of sticking one¡¯s buttocks out while exposing one¡¯s filthy hole in front of a man was deeply humiliating.


    This was evident from the soft, reddish hue spreading across Deneb¡¯s otherwise pale buttocks, as if lightly brushed with blush.


    Even her earlobes, peeking through her tied white hair, glowed faintly red.


    Seeing her like this, he finally understood why he had failed to penetrate her.


    For all her boldness, Deneb¡¯s body was stiff with tension, completely unyielding.


    At this rate, even if she had a spirit body, she might not be able to handle the pain.


    ¡°Could you try to relax a little? It¡¯ll be really painful otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m doing this for fun?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a point, but still...¡±


    The problem here was that he couldn¡¯t just force his cock in, not when it made him feel like he was offering an awkward, unconventional greeting to his younger mother-in-law.


    ¡°Deneb, we¡¯re getting nowhere like this. Maybe we should just stop here...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it, Sis. Mr. Siwoo, stop stalling and just get on with it.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, understood...¡±


    Siwoo applied more of the scented oil onto his fingers.


    Deneb seemed to have resolved herself not to turn back or look at him at all.


    As Siwoo looked at Deneb¡¯s graceful, swan-like figure, he carefully touched the tightly closed entrance with his fingers.


    Despite being instructed to exclude sexual thoughts, anyone watching could tell that the act itself was sexual.


    To ease Deneb¡¯s tense and unyielding body, a bit of foreplay was clearly necessary.


    ¡°...¡±


    Deneb stayed silent as Siwoo¡¯s fingers softly traced her tightly closed entrance.


    Her discomfort was evident in the way her skin twitches every so often.


    After a brief moment of testing, Siwoo pushed his finger inside.


    ¡°Eek!¡±


    To that, Deneb let out a sharp cry.


    Gone was the dignified tone of the countess, replaced by the panicked shriek of a young girl startled by a snake.


    ¡°Deneb!¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine...! I-I was just surprised.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll hurt a little at the start.¡±


    ¡°I know. Just stop talking to me.¡±


    Deneb buried her face, trembling as she tried to endure.


    The sudden intrusion of a thick finger pressing into her insides brought an overwhelming sense of discomfort and resistance she hadn¡¯t anticipated.


    It felt like her entire stomach might spill out just from this alone.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo could distinctly feel Deneb¡¯s anus tightening firmly around his finger.


    Its texture was both firm and soft, with a gripping intensity nearly rivaling that of the twins.


    Since they weren¡¯t blood-related, it made him wonder if this trait was something that was also passed down through their brand.


    ¡°Ngh...! Oohh...¡±


    Seeing Deneb trembling and making strange sounds in response to the unfamiliar sensation, Siwoo patiently waited for her to calm down.


    Her insides were so hot that it felt like his finger might melt away.


    As expected of Countess Gemini.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re doing this right? This looks like a childish prank taken too far...¡±


    At some point, Albireo had pulled up a chair to watch everything more closely.


    Feeling the weight of her gaze, Siwoo tried to defend himself.


    ¡°If I just go for it, it might hurt her... This step is necessary.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Why are you just sitting there, Sis? Back off!¡±


    ¡°You told me to observe and take notes carefully, didn¡¯t you, Deneb? I¡¯m just doing my job.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on...¡±


    Normally, Deneb would have argued over this for at least five minutes, but she didn¡¯t have the leniency nor energy right now.


    Even standing upright felt exhausting for her.


    For about three minutes, Siwoo moved his finger gently to help her muscles relax.


    Eventually, the constant twitching of her buttocks, and the feelings of it trying to push his finger out, began to subside.


    So, he went a step further and slowly moved his finger back and forth.


    -Slick, slick, slick.


    ¡°Ngh...mm...¡±


    The oil let his finger slide smoothly, producing wet, lewd sounds.


    At the same time, Deneb¡¯s body twitched around, as if she was receiving faint electric shocks.


    And that made Siwoo even more convinced that there was a connection between a witch¡¯s bowl and their genetics.


    Because the way she reacted was similar to the way the twins¡¯ reacted during their first experience.


    Even down to the strange noises she made.


    However, unlike the twins, Deneb felt nothing but discomfort and a sense of unfamiliarity.


    Back then, the twins still let out soft moans occasionally, and he could still remember how their panties dampened, but Deneb expressed nothing but unease.


    The problem here was that if she didn¡¯t relax her body, the whole thing would only get more difficult. Considering her already uncooperative attitude, insertion would be a real struggle.


    Soon enough, that problem became real.


    ¡°Ahh! Aahhh!¡±


    The moment Siwoo tried to add another finger, Deneb cried out and yanked his hand away.


    ¡°It hurts! Stop it! Stop!¡±


    Deneb¡¯s gaze, as she gritted her teeth while looking at him with resentful eyes, made him flinch with guilt.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to hurt you...¡±


    ¡°Mr. Siwoo! Enough already!¡±


    Albireo¡¯s scolding voice from the side made him flinch once again.


    Stuck in a position where he couldn¡¯t even defend himself, Siwoo could only sigh, frustrated by the situation.


    Still, he had to say what needed to be said.


    ¡°At this rate, this isn¡¯t going to work, Ms. Deneb. I¡¯m really trying my best to not hurt you, but if you can¡¯t endure this, the real thing will be too painful for you...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing this on purpose, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re just trying to make me give up!¡±


    ¡°Is there another way to do this?¡±


    ¡°If I knew, I¡¯d already suggested it...¡±


    The only solution he could think about was to stimulate her erogenous zones first.


    I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re having this conversation while her ass is still hanging in front of me...


    Though the scene suggested that this was something out of an erotic movie, to Siwoo, it felt more like a comedy movie with three clueless fools.


    ¡°Think about it more, Mr. Siwoo. You¡¯re a playboy, aren¡¯t you? You should know one way or two.¡±


    Just then, a sudden idea flashed through his mind.


    Since he needed to stimulate her without directly touching her breasts or genitals...


    ¡°I have a way, but I¡¯ll need you to trust me on this one.¡±


    2.


    If one were to ask which part of the human body could move the most freely, the answer would be the hands.


    Equipped with countless nerves and intricate bone structures, hands were unmatched when it came to precision and dexterity.


    But if one were to ask which part could move the most freely and gently at the same time, one part of the body came to mind.


    A part made of a bundle of muscles, though small, it was surprisingly powerful.


    The tongue.


    Even for Siwoo, this was his first time attempting something like this.


    Honestly, he hadn¡¯t expected Deneb and Albireo to actually agree to his strange suggestion.


    After all, using his tongue to relax her anus was a bizarre suggestion, even to him.


    Their position stayed the same as before.


    Deneb leaned forward with her hips raised, while Siwoo buried his face between her butt, his tongue flicking lightly.


    The sight resembled a bear sucking honey out of a jar.


    Not just any honey jar, of course, but one filled with the premium wild honey.


    For witches, their excretory organs were practically vestigial, so licking or even inserting his tongue wouldn¡¯t cause any discomfort.


    Although there was a faint taste of flesh and the sweet oil lingered on his palate, it wasn¡¯t unbearable.


    The only thing he¡¯d need to be cautious about was for him to not inhale too much of Deneb¡¯s scent.


    After all, this whole thing wasn¡¯t for romance or sexual intimacy, but for an experiment.


    If he lost his focus and let his instincts take over, everything would go south fast.


    That aside, though, this was practically the perfect plan.


    His tongue, flexible and stimulating, danced around Deneb¡¯s secret orifice.


    The results were clear.


    It was far more effective than when he was using his fingers.


    ¡°...¡±


    Her anus muscles that had been clenching tightly were now loosening, its opening gradually widening.


    This meant she had finally relaxed her body.


    Once sexual arousal caused the body to relax, the anus¡¯ muscles would naturally loosen up, save for during an ejaculation.


    The sound of his tongue lapping and saliva dripping was oddly erotic.


    Albireo, who had initially avoided looking at the awkward scene, was now watching Deneb¡¯s reactions in a trance.


    ¡°...¡±


    Deneb herself was eerily quiet.


    Sometimes, Siwoo would swirl his tongue around, or push its tip gently at her entrance. Every time that happened, her legs trembled as if drained of all strength, yet no sound escaped her lips.


    Only Albireo, observing the erotic act from the side, understood the reason.


    Deneb had been holding her breath to the point that her face flushed bright red.


    Whenever the stimulation subsided, Deneb would take ragged breaths before holding her breath again, repeating the cycle.


    -Slurp, slurp, slurp, slurp


    Initially, Deneb had dismissed Siwoo¡¯s suggestion outright.


    She hadn¡¯t felt anything even with fingers or other objects, so she couldn¡¯t imagine anything changing just because of his tongue.


    But reality was completely different.


    Within just 30 seconds, the unpleasant awareness of having her filthy hole exposed and licked vanished entirely.


    In its place, an unfamiliar sensation spread across her body, raising goosebumps.


    Not long after, she had to struggle to suppress her moans, fighting against the tickling sensation in her throat and the sounds threatening to escape uncontrollably.


    She couldn¡¯t understand why her body was reacting like this.


    Deneb began to regret agreeing to this so lightly.


    But it was too late now.


    The solution Siwoo had proposed was shockingly effective.


    -Squish!


    After carefully observing her reactions for a while, Siwoo decided it was the right timing and pushed his tongue deeper inside.


    ¡°Haahng! Hnnghh...! Haaah...!¡±


    Deneb, who had been desperately holding on, finally reached her limit.


    Her toes curled up, and her knees buckled.


    The pleasure she had been suppressing resonated throughout her body, harmonizing with her lewd moans.


    Thanks to this, even Albireo howled at the top of her lungs in a sweet voice that she¡¯d never heard before.

 Chapter 426: Verification (7)

    Chapter 426: Verification (7)


    1.


    ¡°D-Deneb...?¡±


    ¡°Haah... Hnng... Ugh... Mm....¡±


    Albireo flinched at Deneb¡¯s hips sudden movements.


    Even though the things between Siwoo and Deneb had calmed down a little, Albireo hadn¡¯t been too concerned about it.


    Or rather, she naively assumed that this wouldn¡¯t turn into anything ¡®disgracing¡¯.


    Why?


    Because as far as Albireo knew, in sexual acts, women wouldn¡¯t easily reach orgasm.


    Statistically, many women hid their dissatisfaction and rarely experienced orgasms during intercourse.


    Now, for the uncaring Deneb...


    To feel pleasure from the anus, which required constant stimulation...


    On the first experience, no less.


    It was an almost unimaginable scenario.


    Thus, Albireo had believed tonight¡¯s experiment would remain strictly clinical. Seeing how Deneb and Siwoo struggled awkwardly to proceed with penetration, her assumptions felt more certain.


    But...


    ¡°Hngh... Ah... W-Wait! H-Hold on...!¡±


    Deneb, who gracefully stretched out her slender waist, as if dancing, while being caressed by Siwoo...


    Just moments ago, Deneb hadn¡¯t reacted to Siwoo¡¯s touches, but now it was different.


    Her face flushed, her eyes moist, her breathing trembled, her hair had turned dishevelled, and her trembling lips were filled with embarrassment.


    Even Albireo, her twin, had never seen such a sensual expression on her face before.


    And all this happened because of merely oral stimulation on a hole that wasn¡¯t supposed to be treated in that way,


    ¡°Does it feel uncomfortable?¡±


    Albireo turned her gaze to Siwoo again.


    He didn¡¯t seem surprised by Deneb¡¯s reaction, as if he had already expected this.


    ¡°W-Where are you putting your tongue?! That¡¯s disgusting! It¡¯s filthy!¡±


    That was a lie.


    Deneb wasn¡¯t some naive maiden; she was a witch who had lived for centuries.


    Someone like her no longer had the ¡®awareness¡¯ of such a thing. In fact, they barely even remembered what a bathroom looked like.


    Of course, being on the receiving end of such stimulation on that hole might bring up other thoughts, but Albireo could tell Deneb was just rambling in embarrassment.


    ¡°Filthy? But you¡¯re a witch. Surely, it¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    ¡°No! It¡¯s not dirty! It¡¯s just...! Weird!¡±


    Denying Siwoo¡¯s words would be the equivalent of admitting that her rear hole was dirty. This left her in a dilemma.


    ¡°E-Enough, just do it already! This isn¡¯t what we¡¯re trying to do today anyway, right?!¡±


    Clearly flustered, Deneb fidgeted and avoided looking at Siwoo, her eyes darting forward instead.


    She couldn¡¯t bring herself to meet his gaze.


    Now, there was no denying it anymore.


    Siwoo¡¯s stimulation had been incredibly effective, enough to make Deneb ¡®feel it¡¯.


    So much so that Deneb was trying her hardest to hide it.


    Albireo couldn¡¯t even fathom what kind of sensations or processes had led to this, her face mirrored the stunned disbelief of someone watching a cosmic horror movie.


    ¡°...Put it in.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Siwoo nodded calmly and stepped behind Deneb.


    His thick, unyielding shaft, glistening with both precum and oil, was positioned against Deneb¡¯s slick entrance.


    Albireo, who had always considered ¡®anal sex¡¯ physically impossible, now was seeing  firsthand how it was unfolding.


    -Schlick!


    The bulging, battering-ram-like head of Siwoo¡¯s cock pressed firmly against her wet, trembling bud.


    As the pressure of his thrust overtook the tight resistance, her soft cheeks parted, gradually swallowing him inch by inch.


    ¡°Nghhh! Ah... ngh...!¡±


    Her entrance stretched slowly, giving the illusion that it was licking the crown of his cock clean before greedily taking him deeper.


    Once his shaft passed halfway, her tight walls sucked him in with a lewd, slurping grip.


    Deneb¡¯s trembling ass tightened, pressing snugly against both sides of Siwoo¡¯s cock.


    It was as if it was putting up one last futile resistance.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Siwoo paused, thinking that he should let her rest for a moment.


    Though foreplay had loosened her up, it still wasn¡¯t enough.


    Unlike the twins¡¯, whose smaller bodies could adjust quickly with foreplay, Deneb¡¯s anus was particularly stubborn.


    Still, her unbearable tightness and the way her heat clung to his cock proved that the same thing indeed ran in the family.


    ¡°Haa...ha... I-I¡¯m fine...¡±


    One needed energy to stay angry, and since she didn¡¯t have enough of it, her anger had gone away somewhere.


    As if dazed, Deneb gave a weak nod.


    While waiting for her resistance to subside, Siwoo savored the rough texture of her folds with his bare skin¡ªthis was possible because they didn¡¯t use a condom.


    The first penetration was 80% of the challenge of anal sex.


    From then on, any movement coming from his hips would bring them both pleasure.


    Though he had been hesitant at first, Siwoo¡¯s heart was now pounding with excitement.


    Who knows if it was her intoxicating scent, or her unexpected sexiness that drove him forward.


    ¡°I¡¯m going a little deeper now.¡±


    ¡°W-Wait, just¡ª Ahhh!¡±


    Siwoo gently grabbed Deneb¡¯s soft hips.


    Is it because I¡¯ve only ever seen her acting all composed and dignified?


    Siwoo had always assumed she had a large frame.


    But, when his hand gripped her waist, he found out that she was far more delicate than he had expected.


    Her soft, feminine skin radiated warmth and charm that no man could ever yearn for.


    Deneb, the proud Countess Gemini, was still, at her core, just a woman.


    ¡°Ah... Ah... Ngh...¡±


    At first, Deneb flailed her arms in protest, but soon her resistance faded. Instead, she used her hands to cover her mouth and suppress her moans.


    Siwoo pushed deeper inside her, feeling the welcoming embrace of her slick, sticky inner walls clinging tightly to his cock.


    It was hot.


    And tight.


    Beyond the entrance, her slick, smooth folds gripped his bare cock, twitching and squeezing as they wrapped around him.


    -Squelch! Squelch!


    ¡°Ugh... Aaah... Hnghh...!¡±


    He thrusted his waist into her as her moan accompanied him like a sob.


    Her delicate, sweet little hole had already swallowed him halfway, twitching slightly, as if offering a teasing, intermittent massage.


    Just a little deeper.


    Deeper.


    Her elegant spine, smooth like carved ivory, trembled with a delicate shiver.


    Eventually, his massive cock disappeared into her body completely.


    ¡°Ah... Kuuuh... Kkkuh...¡±


    All Deneb could do was gasp with her mouth wide open and eyes rolling back, as she took his cock slamming deep into her secret place.


    She didn¡¯t even have the presence of mind to protest as Siwoo gripped her hips without asking, treating her like nothing more than an object.


    After giving Deneb enough time to adjust, Siwoo began to move in earnest.


    -Schlock!


    His cock, entangled with her folds as though they were one, slowly pulled out.


    Her tight entrance clung stubbornly, almost refusing to let go. At the same time, she let out a crude, obscene moan through her ragged breathing.


    ¡°Hiik...!¡±


    For a woman, anal sex often gave a more intense pleasure during the pulling rather than pushing.


    But, Deneb had no way of knowing that, so she was completely unprepared against the incoming pleasure.


    ¡°N-No...! Nghh...! Uuuh...!¡±


    When he thrusted back in after pulling out halfway, Deneb¡¯s smooth thighs quivered with sharp spasms.


    Her insides, once resisting firmly, had now become soft and yielding.


    Soft on the outside, moist on the inside, that was the current state of her juicy ass.


    Sensing she was ready, Siwoo finally spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start moving now.¡±


    2.


    -Schlick! Schlick! Schlick! Schlick!


    The sound of wet flesh sliding against flesh played out in slow rhythm.


    ¡°Ahh! Haah...! Hngh...! Hrrngh...! Kuh...¡±


    Filling the pauses were her short, broken whimpers.


    Siwoo, who had disarmed Deneb piece by piece like dismantling a puzzle, began teasing her with abandon.


    Relishing her trembling figure, he savored both the tight resistance of her entrance and its soft, welcoming insides.


    The guilt he felt at first began to fade, and soon he even forgot that Albireo was there, watching them.


    Men who had never cheated existed.


    But, even if one were to take them here, make them thrust his dick into the rear hole of the city¡¯s most stunning beauty, would they even say no?


    Deneb¡¯s body was as intoxicating and addictive as a drug.


    -Schlorp! Schlorp! Schlorp!


    As he was about to pick up the pace with his thrusts,


    ¡°W-Wait, wait! Hnnng...! Just a second!¡±


    Deneb reached behind her, stopping Siwoo¡¯s movement with her hand.


    How did things develop this way?!


    This is supposed to be nothing more than an annoying experiment!


    The idea of exposing her most private place to another man already felt humiliating to begin with, but she hadn¡¯t anticipated it would be such a grueling experience.


    At first, all she felt was pain and resistance.


    But as the foreplay intensified and the rhythm of the thrusts took over, Deneb began to feel a spark of betrayal within her own body.


    A spark that flickered and popped before turning into a blazing fire that consumed her.


    ¡°P-Pull it out!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Pull it out, now!¡±


    At that moment...


    Deneb instinctively felt a rush of panic.


    A primal fear towards what might happen if the object that was violating her from behind continued its assault.


    -Schlllop!


    Through repeated penetration of his cock, she felt a sense of ¡®unity¡¯ with it.


    As his massive length dragged along her walls, Deneb trembled, overwhelmed by the mix of sweet relief and a stinging ache in her back hole.


    Siwoo withdrew, shaking free from Deneb¡¯s insides that clung to him as if unwilling to let go.


    Deneb, who had been standing upright with her legs spread wide, now trembled as her knees pressed together, barely supporting her weight.


    Between her round, enticing buttocks, her quivering pink flesh¡ªonce spread wide open¡ªnow slowly closed in a lewd display.


    Biologically, a woman¡¯s anus and genitals are closer together than a man¡¯s.


    Deneb¡¯s swollen, glistening pussy folds were fully visible, barely shielded by her soaked panties, clinging to her and ready to drip if squeezed.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll lie down.... Standing like this is too hard for me.¡±


    ¡°If you say so.¡±


    ¡°Deneb, are you okay?¡±


    Albireo swallowed hard, watching her younger sister with concern.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Deneb tried to respond calmly, but she didn¡¯t know.


    How her half-lidded, tear-glossed eyes and flushed cheeks looked so shamelessly aroused.


    And with that expression...


    ¡°Oh, and Mr. Siwoo... Remember... Don¡¯t grab my waist like some kind of handle!¡±


    The way she scolded him, oblivious to how her words only added to the erotic tension, was maddeningly arousing.


    With that, round two began, with a change in position.


    ***


    https://ko-fi.com/genesisforsaken

 Chapter 427: Verification (8)

    Chapter 427: Verification (8)


    1.


    Instead of being on all fours like an animal as planned, Deneb was assuming a different position.


    She lay flat on her stomach, pressing her belly into the bed.


    Her flimsy nightgown, which barely provided any coverage from the start, was pushed up past her waist, leaving her bare, round ass completely exposed.


    Siwoo was the one who came up with this position for her. He figured that it would be less taxing considering she could hardly handle being penetrated while standing.


    He positioned himself between her long, slender legs and lowered his body over hers before pressing them together.


    Her plump ass, raised slightly even as she lay flat, cushioned his thrusts like a pillow and gave him surprising stability.


    -Smack! Smack! Smack!


    ¡°Ah! Ngh! Ahh! Mmm!¡±


    With a rhythmic pounding of his hips, like pounding rice cakes, Deneb¡¯s feeble attempts at tightening around him failed entirely.


    All she could do was to clutch the bed sheets tightly, enduring the shame and humiliation while desperately trying to muffle her moans.


    ¡°Hngh! Ah! Ahh!¡±


    At first, her moans she let out sounded extremely strange.


    Due to her self-essence magic, her voice was originally enchanting, but her moans couldn¡¯t be described with any words other than ¡®unsightly¡¯.


    As they resembled the cries of a wild animal.


    However...


    That raw, primal sound she let out only drove him into a greater frenzy.


    The fact that she was trying desperately to muffle her cries, biting her lip and clenching the sheets, and failing miserably...


    Add that with the thought that he was slamming his cock into her virgin rear hole as if it was a stamping seal, while hearing the innocent woman¡¯s great failure to control her moans properly obliterated any sense of restraint he might have had.


    That overwhelming arousal gave Siwoo¡¯s thrusts a new level of finesse.


    With each thrust, his pelvis met the cushion of her plump, jiggling ass, creating a loud and satisfying smack.


    Even the bed¡¯s luxurious, cloud-like mattress springs felt like it was assisting his rhythm as he relentlessly pounded his mother-in-law¡¯s hole.


    -Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!


    ¡°Ah! Ngh! Hah! Nngh!¡±


    Just as Deneb started to get used to the rhythm of Siwoo¡¯s thrusts...


    -Squish!


    He made a sudden change.


    ¡°Haaangh...!¡±


    Deneb stiffened her toes, clenched her buttocks, and bucked against his cock.


    A high-speed contraction and relaxation, like a fever dream, began; going with the speed of five thrusts per second.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Meanwhile, Albireo could only sit there, mesmerized, as she watched her sister and son-in-law having this wild sex.


    Over time, Siwoo¡¯s thrusts only grew more aggressive.


    Trapped beneath him, Deneb couldn¡¯t escape; she could only let out strange noises.


    The intensity of the scene far surpassed anything Albireo had ever witnessed. Once, she had peeked at a couple having a sex from behind the curtains, but even then, the scene wasn¡¯t as intense as this.


    Siwoo was practically devouring Deneb.


    Every time he thrusted forward, Deneb¡¯s pale, supple ass rippled and flattened like soft rice cakes beneath him.


    When he pulled back, his thick, slick cock emerged, glistening from her soiled opening. The strange liquid that connected his cock and her hole glowed under the dim light.


    His muscles flexed and tightened as he leaned forward, pouring strength into every motion.


    The two of them, tangled together in animalistic passion, breathed heavily, their harsh gasps fogging up the nearby glass windows.


    ¡°N-No...! S-Sis...! I-I...! C-Can¡¯t...! Ahhh...!¡±


    Meanwhile, Deneb felt like she was thrown back to her days as an apprentice witch.


    She whimpered with her high-pitched voice. Desperately calling for Albireo.


    But, she couldn¡¯t even make out anything coherent to say.


    Her gaze that landed on Albireo was unfocused, swirled with hot and unrestrained lust.


    -Squish! Squish! Squish


    ¡°Hh... Hic...! Hngh...! Sis...!¡±


    Breathing heavily like she was about to faint, she finally started hiccuping with trembling shoulders.


    Tears of pleasure streamed down her face, her eyes half-closed and glazed over.


    Albireo saw every detail of Deneb¡¯s expressions and how she was experiencing the pleasure.


    ¡°Nngh...!¡±


    At that moment, Deneb¡¯s body stiffened. Her hands gripped the sheets as if she might rip them apart.


    Instead of moans, ragged breaths escaped her lips, and soon, she began to thrash around.


    ¡°Hah...! Nggh...! N-No...! W-What... Is this...?! S-Something, something... In my stomach!¡±


    Deneb¡¯s body, which had been flailing as if coming out of a trance, froze again.


    But this time, it didn¡¯t stop there.


    ¡°Kyaaaahh...!¡±


    Her body started to convulse uncontrollably.


    The source was her intense orgasm, shot through her like an electric shock, making her limbs jerk uncontrollably.


    Siwoo leaned down completely on top of her, wrapping his arms around her neck to stop her frantic movements.


    Albireo, who would normally have stopped them, could only stare in a daze.


    -Twitch!


    ¡°Ngh... I...!¡±


    A strange, tingling pleasure was spreading through Albireo¡¯s body, starting from her hips.


    She had never felt anything like this before, but she could tell of its nature; ¡®sexual¡¯.


    Of course, the stimulation didn¡¯t come from her watching them.


    But rather because her body reacted as though it had been physically stimulated.


    ¡°T-This is....¡±


    In fact, she felt a hint of it before.


    When Siwoo started licking Deneb¡¯s rear, she had felt a strange, tingling sensation.


    But she had dismissed it as her being aroused a little.


    After all, the scene in front of her back then was undeniably sensual.


    But the moment Deneb had her first orgasm, Albireo knew that it wasn¡¯t just a mere arousal.


    The Geminis were one.


    And that wasn¡¯t just a metaphor or a figure of speech.


    They had strived to become one, to break down the barrier between the twins, and they had succeeded in doing so.


    The Geminis had long studied magic through ¡®resonance,¡¯ allowing them to instantly sense each other¡¯s magical state, even across the world.


    But this wasn¡¯t just limited to magic.


    Sometimes, intense emotions or sensations could also trigger this ¡®resonance.¡¯


    ¡°Could it be...¡±


    If that¡¯s the case, then this...


    ¡°Ugh! Hic...! Hiccup...! Hic...!¡±


    Siwoo was holding onto Deneb¡¯s wrist as she panting heavily. Then, he started to move his hips slowly.


    At the same time, Albireo felt a strange, hazy sensation pass through her.


    A pure, more intense form of pleasure than she felt before.


    Deneb¡¯s intense orgasm had probably strengthened their link.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Albireo pressed her knees tightly together.


    Fortunately, Siwoo and Deneb were completely absorbed in their act, and they didn¡¯t seem to notice what was happening to her, but... The more she observed, the clearer it became.


    Every time Deneb ¡®felt¡¯ something, Albireo ¡®felt¡¯ it too.


    Though it was faint and much weaker than what Deneb was experiencing, the pleasure was being transferred to her in real time.


    Neither the countesses nor Siwoo could have foreseen this.


    The Gemini Family, drowned in their conservative views, had no history of sexual intimacy among their members.


    Meanwhile, the ones who did, were the twins, apprentice witches who had never achieved a full resonance.


    This lack of knowledge left the mystery of their ¡®bluetooth sex¡¯ undiscovered.


    -Schlp!


    ¡°Ahhhng!¡±


    As Siwoo moved back then thrust deep into Deneb.


    The pleasure intensified, making Albireo¡¯s vision flash.


    ¡°Hng!¡±


    Albireo hiccuped in surprise.


    A strange, invasive tingling sensation shot through her insides.


    It was definitely weaker than what Deneb was feeling, but it was still incredibly disconcerting.


    ¡°Um... Mr. Siwoo?¡±


    Albireo called out to Siwoo hesitantly.


    -Squish! Squish! Clap! Clap!


    ¡°Hngh! Ahh! Aahh...! Hnghh...!¡±


    But Albireo¡¯s voice was barely audible, and Siwoo was completely focused on fucking Deneb.


    With Deneb¡¯s intense moans, like a cat in heat, and the loud, wet sounds of their sex filling the room, it was no wonder he didn¡¯t hear her.


    ¡°Again...! Again...! Haaaaang...!¡±


    Deneb¡¯s body, pushed to the limit, plunged into another orgasm.


    Waves of pleasure shivered down her spine as her ass clenched tightly around Siwoo¡¯s cock.


    Tears streamed down her face, her delicate features contorted in ecstasy as her toes curled. She gasped for breath, completely lost in the pleasure.


    Her second intense climax.


    -Throbb!


    At the exact same moment as her sister¡¯s climax, Albireo was overwhelmed by a suffocating wave of raw, intense pleasure.


    Albireo¡¯s own ass felt like it was climaxing too, twitching uncontrollably, and the black lingerie beneath her dress became completely soaked.


    ¡°Oh...my...!¡±


    Now she knew for sure.


    This feeling got stronger every time Deneb climaxed.


    That was when she also finally understood why her sister Deneb, who was no less versed in etiquette than herself, was acting like a wild beast.


    Pleasure shot through her body, making her stomach feel all tingly, like a sudden downpour.


    And this much pleasure came from merely the transfer of sensations.


    -Thrust! Thrust! Thrust!


    ¡°Ugh...! Uhm...¡±


    ¡°Heeeek! Huuuung! Sis...! Sis...!¡±


    Watching them fuck, combined with this unexpected pleasure, completely overwhelmed even the usually composed Albireo.


    Deneb was now completely taken by his cock, unable to resist at all.


    Just an hour ago her ass was merely a neglected part of her body, but now, it was gripping his cock like crazy.


    Deneb was so turned on she could feel every ridge and throb of his cock as he pumped into her.


    And unfortunately for Albireo, she could thoroughly feel her pleasure.


    ¡°Whew... Ah... Aah...!¡±


    She was starting to feel everything her sister was feeling.


    It felt like someone was holding her wrists down as her ass kept sending waves of intense pleasure that made her head spin.


    She could even feel the pubic bone and cock that was pressing against her ass.


    ¡°Haaa! Haaa...!¡±


    Oblivious to what was happening with Albireo, Siwoo picked up the pace, getting ready to cum.


    His cock, swollen with cum, plunged into Deneb¡¯s asshole, while her asshole eagerly sucked it as if giving him a blowjob.


    -Glug! Glug! Glug! Glug!


    ¡°Anggghhh...! Heeeeeeek...! Huaaaang!¡±


    And that was how she reached her third orgasm.


    Siwoo pressed down hard on her writhing body while thrusting his dick in deep, like he was scraping her womb.


    The intense contractions of her anus as she orgasmed made it difficult for him to cum.


    But as her womb seemingly eager to pull his baby butter in, Siwoo eventually got to shoot his cum deep inside her.


    shot his hot cum deep inside Deneb.


    -Spurt! Spurt! Spuuurrt!


    ¡°Ah... ahh... .¡±


    Deneb¡¯s mouth hung open as she trembled, lost in pleasure.


    ¡°Ack! Ngg!¡±


    After cumming, Siwoo was still grinding his hips, trying to spread the jizz around. He had no idea that Albireo, who was next to him, was making some weird noises every time his dick twitched.


    ¡°Haa... That¡¯s it... Finished...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Do you mind if I pull out?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    As no response came from her, it was clear that Deneb was completely knocked out.


    He pulled his dick out of Deneb¡¯s limp, stretched-out asshole.


    -Squelch...!


    ¡°Nggghh...!¡±


    The mucous membrane clung to his still-hard cock.


    It was like her hole was sucking him in, especially the mushroom-like head of his cock.


    Even then, her asshole kept twitching and clenching.


    Its tightness was hard to describe, even for Siwoo.


    -Plop!


    ¡°Ahhhhaang!¡±


    After enjoying the sensation for a moment, Siwoo pulled his cock all the way out.


    With a distinct popping sound, like uncorking a bottle, his cock came free.


    From her lovely asshole, which had changed from pink to red, his thick cum oozed out with every twitch.


    And the sight of that stream of cum decorating her macaroon-like pussy was, without a doubt, a sight to behold.


    Siwoo wiped the sweat from his forehead, letting out a deep sigh.


    That was when he felt a gaze fall upon him.


    And when he remembered that Albireo had been watching the whole thing.


    All this time, he had been so caught up in the moment that he somehow forgot about her.


    ¡°Um... Countess Albireo...?¡±


    Although he was only doing what they asked him to do, midway through the action, it was clear that he had been indulging himself. Anxious about what Albireo thought about that, he turned his gaze towards her.


    She was sitting straight, holding the side of her chair tightly, like a proper lady.


    But her face was bright red.


    What she had just seen must have been quite a sight to her.


    Siwoo suddenly felt self-conscious.


    ¡°...Let¡¯s wake Deneb up first... We¡¯ll continue our conversation then...¡±


    In front of Siwoo, who was at a loss for words and waiting for her to speak.


    Albireo mumbled as such while avoiding his gaze.


    ***


    https://ko-fi.com/genesisforsaken

 Chapter 428: Verification (9)

    Chapter 428: Verification (9)


    1.


    The humiliating verification had finally come to an end.


    ¡°Ung... Uhnguu...¡±


    Deneb, who had been groaning as if she was sleep-talking while lying face down, suddenly bolted upright.


    ¡°Ahh!¡±


    She looked around in a panic, like a hamster whose sunflower seeds had just been stolen, and then realized what had happened.


    Unsure of what kind of outburst might follow, Siwoo just watched her nervously.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m going to wash up, Sis.¡±


    But, after she composed herself, Deneb didn¡¯t even glance at Siwoo as she staggered toward the bathroom.


    Her shaky legs wobbled greatly, making her look like a newborn fawn as she walked away.


    Meanwhile, Albireo didn¡¯t get up from her chair. Instead, she just tapped her fingernail against the table edge, showing no interest in continuing the conversation.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go wash up too.¡±


    The awkward tension was suffocating him.


    Siwoo quickly threw on a robe, made an excuse, and headed to the shower.


    -Swaaaahhh!


    As warm water poured over him, he thoroughly cleaned his shaft, which was sticky with oil, and cum, as well as his balls that were covered with Deneb¡¯s leftover juices.


    ¡°What the hell was that...?¡±


    One thing Siwoo realized after gaining a spirit body was that his stamina had no limits.


    Though his size hadn¡¯t changed, he had confirmed during his time with Periwinkle that he could have sex endlessly without ever hitting post-nut clarity.


    Hence why, even after that messy climax, his cock remained rock-hard.


    Deneb¡¯s grip was so tight that it left him with a lingering sensation, like an elastic band snapping onto it.


    Siwoo turned the water to cold, forcing himself to cool down.


    He couldn¡¯t let it stay rock-hard after walking out of the shower; there was no way he could ever face Albireo or Deneb again.


    So, he waited for his erection to subside, before drying his body off and quickly getting dressed.


    Having been soaked in scented oil for so long, his cock now gave off a pleasant fragrance, almost like a diffuser stick.


    When he returned to the room, Deneb was still in the bathroom.


    Albireo, who had been waiting alone, was now wearing a calmer face than before as she sat on the sofa while sipping her drink.


    An awkward silence still enveloped them, but it could be easily dispelled with a small talk.


    So, Siwoo, while trying his best to act normal, did exactly that.


    ¡°How was the result?¡±


    His question served as a subtle reminder that what had happened earlier was strictly for their research, as well as a quick way to change the subject.


    ¡°Just as expected, Deneb is just overreacting. The outcome is predetermined from the start.¡±


    ¡°I see... I guess it was all for nothing...¡±


    He lied. It wasn¡¯t for nothing.


    If anything, he enjoyed the experience immensely.


    After all, if he put aside every single moral dilemma he had, there was no way he could reject having sex with a gorgeous lady like Deneb.


    The only thing he hadn¡¯t anticipated was that what started as lukewarm sex would turn into something so wild.


    In particular, the way Deneb had been moaning while crying out for Albireo made him violently horny.


    ¡°...¡±


    If Albireo was in a more cynical mood, she¡¯d probably snarkily said something along the lines of, ¡®For someone who rejected it so much, you sure were enjoying yourself,¡¯ but...


    She just pressed her lips shut.


    Then again, it wouldn¡¯t be right if she were to chide him, after all, her sister even acted more beastly than him. Calling him out meant that she was also calling her sister out too.


    ¡°So, can I assume that I have your permission to be with the twins?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been okay with it. As for Deneb, well she isn¡¯t the type to go back on her words. But, don¡¯t get complacent just because you have permission. If you screw this up, I will never, ever forgive you.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Siwoo expected that much at least.


    ¡°Haa... What else now...? Right. Don¡¯t tell anyone about this, okay?¡±


    ¡°Even the twins?¡±


    ¡°Even the twins. I¡¯d appreciate it if you keep it to yourself. Deneb is, in some ways, less mature than the twins, which is why she made this decision. But like I said, she didn¡¯t do it out of selfishness or desire.¡±


    In truth if the sex had been straightforward and transactional like she had anticipated, she would¡¯ve considered telling the twins everything herself.


    But, considering what happened, doing that would only make things worse.


    So, she decided that it would be best to keep quiet about it.


    ¡°Thank you for your willingness to deal with this matter tonight.¡±


    ¡°It was nothing. You two went through much more than me...¡±


    ¡°You can go now.¡±


    With that, their brief conversation ended.


    From Albireo¡¯s tone and the way she was acting, it was clear that she wanted him to leave.


    And of course, after everything they had been through, Siwoo also felt the same way.


    Although, compared to the epic journey of fighting, getting beaten up, being interrogated, getting scolded, and even giving his little mother-in-law an anal greeting, he had to admit that this kind of ending felt a little anticlimactic.


    So, he thought that he should at least talk to Deneb before he went, but...


    ¡°Um... Shouldn¡¯t I talk with Ms. Deneb as well?¡±


    ¡°Deneb will share the same opinion as me. Now, move along.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Thank you.¡±


    Siwoo bowed and left the room.


    Albireo waited a moment before calling her sister¡¯s name.


    ¡°Deneb, come out. He¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°...A-Ahem ¡±


    Wrapped in a robe, Deneb came out from behind one of the pillars between the bedroom and the bathroom while clearing her throat awkwardly.


    Her spirit body showcased its impressive recovery.


    Just now, she was completely spent, fainting due to stamina loss after her first sexual experience.


    But now, she looked completely normal, as if she had just finished a relaxing bath.


    ¡°W-What are you even trying to say? I-I was... U-Um, I-I just got out of the shower! Y-You¡¯re making it sound like I was hiding behind a pillar, waiting for him to leave!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Deneb plopped down on the sofa, grabbed the glass Albireo had been drinking from, and chugged the remaining liquid off it.


    Since the ice hadn¡¯t fully melted, she basically downed straight liquor, which was bound to burn going down.


    Deneb scrunched up her face and slumped back onto the couch.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The younger sister who had just given her first anal to her son-in-law...


    And the older sister who had watched the whole thing. Sitting together, the tension between them was thick enough that one could probably cut it with a knife.


    One wrong word mentioned, and Deneb¡¯s dignity would be crushed, so she just let the heavy silence hung in the air.


    Feeling the suffocating air, Albireo finally spoke up.


    ¡°See? I told you I was right.¡±


    ¡°W-What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°About there being no magical contamination in the act. I already told you. If there was any real danger, I would have handled it myself in the first place.¡±


    Even though she was half out of it, Deneb¡¯s sharp senses were still working.


    Through her dazed state, she still remembered the feeling of Siwoo¡¯s cock inside her clearly.


    The result was exactly like Albireo¡¯s prediction; ¡®no significant risk¡¯.


    Which meant, she had personally given him all-clear.


    But in this situation, anything they talked about would just bring back the memory of what had just happened.


    Another awkward silence fell. This time, it was Deneb who broke it.


    ¡°A-Anyway, it wasn¡¯t as big a deal as I thought.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I thought it would be rough since it was my first time, but honestly, I barely felt a thing.¡±


    She barely felt a thing?


    Albireo tilted her head, wondering what the hell she was even talking about.


    ¡°Some witches make a hobby out of sleeping with people for that little bit of pleasure? I just don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I even had to fake moans and pretend I was enjoying it so he wouldn¡¯t feel awkward. It was actually kind of tiring.¡±


    Deneb said, crossing her arms.


    After doing it just once, and acting like such a mess, she was talking like some femme fatale who could wrap any man around her finger.


    Seriously....


    Seeing her obvious attempt to rewrite history, Albireo was struck speechless.


    What Deneb basically tried to do was convincing her that all her screaming and flailing had only been an act.


    ¡°Also, yeah, I waited for him to leave, but not because I was embarrassed, okay? He was acting so cocky, so I didn¡¯t want  to burst his bubble by telling him the truth. You get it, right? It¡¯s just me being...considerate...as usual.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Ah...yeah... I get it...¡±


    ¡°Anyway that whole thing just felt weird, not embarrassing or anything, and definitely not enjoyable. I¡¯m just telling you in case you were wondering. It wasn¡¯t a big deal.¡±


    Listening to Deneb¡¯s pathetic attempt to cover her tracks, Albireo couldn¡¯t bring herself to admit she had also felt the intense pleasure through their connection.


    She didn¡¯t know the exact percentage of Deneb¡¯s sensations she¡¯d experienced, but seeing how Deneb had been screaming her head off...


    There¡¯s no way she hadn¡¯t felt it.


    ¡°Oh, but you know, I heard that sex is good for blood circulation or something.


    ¡°Not that it¡¯d matter for us witches since improving blood flow doesn¡¯t really do much for us.


    ¡°Oh, and I think I teared up a little, but that was just because a feather from the bedding poked me in the eye, and when I kept calling for you, I was just checking if you were still monitoring things, the thrashing around was because I was uncomfortable and trying to get into a better position...¡±


    She went to spit her excuses rapid-fire, but Albireo didn¡¯t call her out.


    This was a one-time thing anyway, a secret that they¡¯d take to their graves, so she figured that it would be better to just let her ramble on.


    ¡°Really?


    ¡°Wow.


    ¡°Oh, okay.


    ¡°Well, you did your best. Good work.¡±


    Albireo patiently listened to her sister¡¯s pitiful excuse-filled monologue for a full hour, calmly patting her shoulder.

 Chapter 429: Merry Christmas (1)

    Chapter 429: Merry Christmas (1)


    1.


    The Harvest Festival was just a day away.


    Eloa was sipping her drink in anticipation when her door suddenly swung open, revealing Sharon, who she had been waiting for.


    ¡°Duchess Tiphereth! It¡¯s here!¡±


    Sharon¡¯s bright smile was infectious; the kind that could draw people to her effortlessly.


    Carrying a cardboard box under her arm, her mint-green eyes sparkled.


    The cardboard¡¯s industrial finish and precise tape wrapping made it clear that this was something from the Modern World.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad that they made it in time. The year-end rush made them delay so many orders. I had to hound them constantly so that this¡¯ll still arrive on schedule...¡±


    This was Eloa¡¯s first time spending the Harvest Festival with a male companion, essentially, a date.


    She had no idea what to prepare or how to even begin.


    ¡°I seem to always be in your debt, Ms. Sharon...¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mention it! That¡¯s what friends are for!¡±


    It was Sharon who eagerly stepped in to help the overwhelmed Eloa.


    While yes, the four of them¡ªthe two of them and the twins¡ªwere rivals, their rivalries were more of a friendly one than the opposite.


    Compared to the twins who oddly clashed with Eloa often, Sharon opted to support her instead. Perhaps it was her clumsiness that gave Sharon the urge to help her.


    And so, she did just that; she helped Eloa prepare her ultimate secret weapon.


    Eloa stared at the box on the table, her expression carried a mix of reverence and anxiety.


    Inside the box was the important item she had carefully prepared for this special day.


    It didn¡¯t take long for her to open the waterproof-wrapped box.


    The rare garments that had crossed the oceans and the great barrier of Gehenna finally reached her hands.


    ¡°This...¡±


    Eloa had already heard a thorough explanation from Sharon about the gift and its purpose.


    But the moment she held up the outfit, she couldn¡¯t help but question if this was truly the right choice.


    The clothes were so unconventional in design that they hardly seemed like typical ¡®garments¡¯ meant to cover the body.


    ¡°Woah, the material is high-quality! Definitely worth every penny!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sharon was right; the material was undeniably high-quality.


    It was just, the overall design was a little odd.


    A leotard with a corset that cinched the waist, ending with a fluffy pom-pom tail.


    Heels of a height Eloa had never dared to wear before.


    Detached shirt cuffs fastened with black pearl cufflinks.


    A garter belt paired with over-the-knee stockings.


    And, of course, a ribbon styled to resemble bunny ears.


    Indeed.


    Eloa¡¯s special, secret outfit was a bunny girl costume.


    Actually, she had debated for ages between a Santa girl costume and this one. In the end, she chose this one.


    She had studied the catalog and discussed the design in depth with Sharon, but seeing it in real life was an entirely different experience.


    The garments¡¯ exposure rivaled that of a swimsuit. It was so lewd that Eloa felt painfully embarrassed just by looking at it. Her body went stiff with unease.


    ¡°Ms. Sharon, isn¡¯t this a little too much?¡±


    ¡°Too much? No! It looks amazing! It¡¯ll suit you perfectly, Duchess! With your beautiful hair and eyes, you¡¯ll look stunning wearing it!¡±


    Sharon beamed as she said that, as if the outfit was a gift for herself.


    During her time living with Siwoo in the Modern World, Sharon had done extensive research online about dating and boyfriends.


    Naturally, she had learned from various media that ¡®bunny girl outfits fulfill men¡¯s fantasies,¡¯ which explained her enthusiasm.


    ¡°...¡±


    But Eloa was different.


    Though she had spent years in the mortal realm, 99% of her time was spent in isolated regions, leaving her no chance to encounter such knowledge.


    Hence why she couldn¡¯t help but doubt if Siwoo would really like such a provocative outfit.


    Still, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to ignore Sharon¡¯s kindness. After all, Sharon had gone out of her way, investing time and effort to help her choose.


    If she just stood there embarrassed, she¡¯d be letting Sharon¡¯s efforts go to waste.


    I should at least try it on.


    Resolving herself like that, Eloa excused herself from Sharon and headed to the dressing room to change.


    Each of the guest rooms in the Gemini Mansion was more like small mansions than simple rooms.


    Likewise, the dressing room wasn¡¯t just a typical wardrobe or changing room.


    It was a humongous room with storage the size of a small boutique and various kinds of mirror¡ªincluding one that covered an entire wall.


    Eloa quickly undressed herself and slipped into the garterbelt, struggling a little to pull on the leotard.


    After that, she pulled up her stockings and clipped them to the garterbelt. She was nearly done.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Looking at herself in the mirror, Eloa noticed her mistake.


    The bottom fabric of the bunny girl leotard was far too skimpy.


    It didn¡¯t just expose her hips and thighs; even the skin at the creases of her legs was visible.


    Since she was wearing her usual underwear, it made the sides of her panties awkwardly stick out.


    After a brief hesitation, she removed her underwear, and finally, she wore the outfit proper.


    The design formed a bold, provocative isosceles triangle that pressed tightly between her legs.


    Her breasts, thighs, and hips all felt so squeezed it seemed like she was wearing something two sizes too small.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    A strange mix of shame and embarrassment crept up, making her cheeks flush red.


    Words like shameless, childish, undignified, or lecherous came to mind.


    She was so mortified by her reflection that it brought out every negative thought she could imagine.


    To make things worse, the towering high heels felt like they¡¯d twist her ankle any second, making her feel awkwardly tall.


    She¡¯d rather not wear anything at all than show up in front of Siwoo looking like this.


    ¡°Are you done changing?¡±


    ¡°M-Ms. Sharon, don¡¯t come in!¡±


    ¡°But, I need to check how it looks!¡±


    Despite Eloa¡¯s protests, Sharon stepped inside.


    When her eyes fell upon Eloa, they started to sparkle with delight.


    Eloa had the tendency to wear only practical clothes; she even preferred to wear loose one-piece dresses when dressing up.


    Seeing her in this bunny girl outfit was such a dramatic transformation that even Sharon found it captivating.


    And though she wouldn¡¯t say it out loud, Sharon thought she looked incredibly cute.


    ¡°Duchess! You look absolutely stunning!¡±


    ¡°Ms. Sharon, I appreciate your help, but I don¡¯t think this is quite right...¡±


    ¡°What? Why not? You look so cute!¡±


    ¡°It just feels...improper. I¡¯m not sure if this even qualifies as clothing...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just how these outfits are! They¡¯re only for special occasions, after all!¡±


    ¡°E-Even so...¡±


    Eloa, unsure of what to do, listened to Sharon¡¯s words.


    ¡°This kind of outfit is designed to be super appealing to men.¡±


    ¡°How could that be?¡±


    ¡°Maybe because it¡¯s both cute and sexy at the same time?¡±


    ¡°I-Is that so...?¡±


    Since she was pretty much clueless about this, it only took Sharon to keep complimenting her to raise her spirits.


    At this point, Eloa had already looked herself over with a mix of skepticism and curiosity.


    Caught between her own values and this new perspective, Eloa¡¯s train of thought was interrupted by Sharon¡¯s next comment.


    ¡°Also! I¡¯m sure Siwoo would love it!¡±


    ¡°Siwoo would...?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The idea that Siwoo would like it.


    Coming from Sharon, who spent the most time around him, her words carried weight.


    No matter how embarrassed she was, if it could make him happy, Eloa would be more than willing to wear it..


    ¡°...Do you really think he¡¯d like it?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely! Trust me on this.¡±


    After a moment of hesitation, Eloa slowly nodded.


    ¡°Thank you, as always, for your help. I don¡¯t know how I¡¯ll ever repay you...¡±


    ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t mention it! My late master always said that we witches should help each other!¡±


    Sharon replied with a bright smile.


    2.


    After the awkward incident with the twins¡¯ mothers, things settled down.


    Unlike the Modern World which was ridden with chaos, life in Gehenna passed peacefully.


    Siwoo, too, spent his days quietly; researching magic with Sharon, playing with the twins, sparring with his master...


    But as he settled into this routine, a major event suddenly approached.


    The Harvest Festival, an event he had been secretly looking forward to since his days as a slave, was set to begin that evening.


    Since everyone was invited to dine with Countess Gemini, they would be attending the banquet.


    The attendees included Countess Gemini, Odile, Odette, Sharon, Eloa, and Siwoo.


    However, when he came to the dining table, there was only Deneb Gemini there. Perhaps it was because he came in a little too early.


    Just two days ago, Siwoo and Deneb had shared an intense, passionate night.


    It was supposedly only for verification purposes, but Siwoo vividly remembered how deeply she had gotten into it.


    In any case, she wasn¡¯t someone he¡¯d want to face right now.


    But, since they had already made eye contact, running away at this point would only make things even more awkward.


    So, he bowed his head politely,


    ¡°Thank you for the invitation.¡±


    ¡°Welcome.¡±


    Normally, Deneb would greet him with a poised, elegant smile.


    But today, her expression was stiff like a hard bun.


    Siwoo had expected someone of her stature to handle this gracefully, but it seemed that hope was misplaced.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The atmosphere couldn¡¯t be any more uncomfortable.


    He didn¡¯t know what to say to her, but saying nothing felt just as awkward.


    ¡°Mr. Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Countess.¡±


    ¡°...I-It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    After that, Deneb just quietly stared down at the tablecloth.


    Every now and then, she¡¯d glance at Siwoo, only to quickly lower her gaze again.


    She seemed like she had a lot on her mind and was waiting for him to say something.


    ¡°If there¡¯s something you¡¯d like to say, feel free.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, actually, there is. I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a few days now.¡±


    As though she¡¯d been waiting for him to ask, Deneb spoke with a serious tone that gave Siwoo a strange sense of unease.


    He was suddenly worried that she¡¯d tell him that the verification didn¡¯t matter anymore, and that he should stay away from the twins.


    Her overly serious expression only made his bad feeling worse.


    ¡°W-We... We did that, didn¡¯t we...?¡±


    ¡°Um? Yes??¡±


    ¡°At that time, I showed you a rather embarrassing side of myself. Shamefully so.¡±


    Well, context mattered for everything.


    Fortunately, it seemed his bad feeling had missed the mark.


    Seeing how embarrassed she was about that particular event, Siwoo decided to brush it off.


    ¡°No, it was just for verification, it¡¯s not a¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I¡¯m trying to say that you shouldn¡¯t misunderstand.¡±


    ¡°Misunderstand...?¡±


    Deneb continued, speaking calmly like she was reading a thesis.


    ¡°Actually, I was acting that day.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    ¡°To tell you the truth, it didn¡¯t feel that good. I just played along because I didn¡¯t want you to lose confidence. Looking back though, I realized I may have caused a big misunderstanding. Like making you think I was totally overwhelmed with pleasure that day.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    ¡°I believe white lies are necessary as social grease, but if they lead to confusion, it¡¯s only right to clear them up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that makes sense.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t all that into it, honestly. But don¡¯t feel too discouraged. It wasn¡¯t an entirely bad experience for me, so you don¡¯t need to lose your confidence as a man. It just means there¡¯s room for improvement.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll work on it.¡±


    Siwoo had a rough idea of what she was trying to say and just went along with it.


    Thinking that he understood her explanation, Deneb suppressed the urge to puff her chest pridefully before speaking gently.


    ¡°That¡¯s all I wanted to say. We¡¯ve prepared an especially wonderful meal today, so enjoy it to the fullest.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Apples don¡¯t fall far from its tree, huh?


    If Albireo had witnessed that awkward explanation, she¡¯d be probably covering her mouth, holding her tears. Imagining this, Siwoo thought to himself that the twins and their mothers weren¡¯t so different after all.

 Chapter 430: Merry Christmas (2)

    Chapter 430: Merry Christmas (2)


    1.


    The Harvest Festival was the biggest event in Gehenna, celebrated by witches, citizens, and slaves alike as a replacement for Christmas.


    For three days starting the evening of the third Monday in December, Gehenna¡ªusually unchanged for centuries¡ªtransformed into a dazzling spectacle.


    Everyone would set aside their work. Even witches who typically would keep to themselves join in the lively celebration.


    The Gemini Mansion had also been redecorated to match the festive season.


    The hallways were adorned with wall-mounted trees, carpets turned as white as fresh snow, and candlesticks glowing with colorful lights.


    A massive fir tree stood in the courtyard, decorated with sparkling lanterns made of mana water in vibrant hues.


    Tiny silver bells, canes, and other ornaments reflected the lantern light, adding to the grandeur.


    Of course, true to its usual extravagant look, that wasn¡¯t all the Gemini Mansion had to offer.


    The main gallery featured straw sculptures and fruit displays symbolizing gratitude for a bountiful harvest, along with a grand exhibit of a taxidermied stag pulling a cart.


    What could¡¯ve easily looked like a jumble of trinkets was arranged with impeccable artistic sense.


    ¡°Wow, they really went all out.¡±


    While walking towards the meeting spot, Siwoo admired the decorations.


    That evening.


    Siwoo had dinner with the twins, Sharon, his master, and Countess Gemini.


    The meals at the Gemini mansion were always excellent, but tonight¡¯s feast was in a league of its own.


    Roasted turkey as a main dish, basked in oil and butter for hours, served with cranberry sauce, surrounded by a feast of rare delicacies from every corner of the globe.


    It wasn¡¯t some overly sophisticated fine-dining dish but instead had a simple, straightforward flavor that even Siwoo, with his modest tastes, could fully enjoy.


    Afterward, they gathered by the fireplace, enjoying a cozy, familial moment together while holding glasses of cognac in their hands.


    Then, it was time for the individual dates.


    The festival schedule had been planned out, with Siwoo spending time with his master, Sharon, and the twins in that order.


    Eloa had been allotted the time slot from 10 pm to 8 am next morning.


    Though this arrangement had been made without his input, he had already felt guilty enough about juggling the four women at once, so he couldn¡¯t complain even if he wanted to.


    So, he went along with it without a fuss.


    The aforementioned meeting spot was the fountain in front of the Gemini Mansion.


    Since the mansion had multiple fountains, they agreed to meet in front of the one located at the garden near the private gate.


    In any case, this was a date.


    Which meant, he had to dress up properly for the occasion beforehand, and he did.


    When he arrived at the fountain, he spotted his master leaning slightly against it, gazing up at the sky, moonlight shining down on her.


    Her lovely pink hair was neatly tied up as usual, and when their eyes met, a soft smile bloomed on her lips.


    ¡°There you are.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t wait for long, did you?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    ¡°We should probably just come out together earlier...¡±


    Even as he uttered those words, he found that remark funny.


    After all, they had been sitting together in the lounge before she left to change clothes.


    Siwoo walked over and stood by her side.


    ¡°It¡¯s to set the mood. Sometimes, such a thing is important, don¡¯t you think? Meeting up at the agreed time and place adds a special touch.¡±


    As he approached, Eloa subtly shifted her posture, looking more reserved all of a sudden.


    It was their first official outing as a couple since they had confessed their feelings for each other.


    Even though they¡¯d spent so much time together and had crossed that line together, now that they were officially lovers, every little gesture they made felt much more meaningful.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange... We aren¡¯t really doing anything different, but... I feel a little shy...¡±


    Eloa tucked her chin into the collar of her fur scarf, trying to hide her smile.


    But the subtle curve of her upturned eyes gave her away.


    Even her heels, lifting and lowering restlessly, betrayed her efforts.


    ¡°A-Ahem...¡±


    Seeing his usually dignified master being so giddy like a teenage girl on her first date made Siwoo feel awkward himself.


    He hadn¡¯t planned anything fancy, and now he was worried about how well he could pull this off.


    ¡°So...¡±


    ¡°So...¡±


    Both spoke simultaneously, breaking the brief awkward silence.


    ¡°You go first.¡±


    ¡°No, please, after you, master.¡±


    Their words overlapped again, and another peculiar silence settled between them.


    It was Eloa who broke into laughter first.


    Siwoo joined in, their laughter easing the stiff atmosphere.


    ¡°If a date means spending time alone together, then this isn¡¯t our first date, isn¡¯t it~?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It feels like we¡¯ve spent so much time together already...¡±


    ¡°Mhm. That¡¯s why I think... I want to use this occasion to experience everything. One by one, step by step. As your lover, may I ask you a favor?¡±


    ¡°Of course, just tell me.¡±


    Eloa then nodded before hesitating for a moment.


    After a while, with difficulty, she finally uttered her request.


    ¡°May I... hold your hand?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The way she asked carried an unexpected and overwhelming charm.


    It left him so stunned he forgot to answer, or even reach out his hand.


    So, Eloa carefully took his hand with both of hers.


    Their hands, just like their statures, were noticeably different in size.


    Gently caressing his hand, Eloa intertwined her fingers with his and brought them to her cheek.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to hold your hand like this and walk together.¡±


    Her smile softened, melting with simple yet overwhelming happiness.


    ¡°At last, my small wish has come true.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Then, shall we go? There¡¯s somewhere I want to take you.¡±


    And so, their date began with their hands firmly clasped together.


    2.


    Ars Magna Town wasn¡¯t actually a large town due to its location; Gehenna¡¯s center.


    Excluding the Levana Grand Bath, which took up over half the area, its size was less than a quarter of Tarot Town.


    If one were to head northwest of the city center, where shops like Flora Tailor Shop were, one would find one of Gehenna¡¯s most stunning landmarks.


    The Hanging Garden.


    It was the only property Duchess Tiphereth refused to sell, even after liquidating her entire fortune to fund and maintain Witch Point.


    Now off-limits to everyone, the Hanging Garden featured a spiraling glass staircase reaching toward the sky and gardens that seem to float weightlessly.


    Flowers bloomed as if oblivious to the seasons, swaying like they were praying to the stars, while an unseasonal breeze gently brushed against the skin.


    While holding hands, the pair stepped on the dizzyingly ascending glass stairs and arrived at the garden, illuminated by moonlight as they leisurely wandered through.


    From the garden, which rose high like an observatory, they could see the lively Tarot Town celebrating the harvest festival and the majestic Spirit Mountain wrapped in mystical fog.


    Seeing all these views made Siwoo think like he was living in a dream.


    ¡°The more you explore Gehenna, the more beautiful places you find. It¡¯s truly amazing.¡±


    ¡°Hee hee, you can look around to your heart¡¯s content. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t charge you an entrance fee~¡±


    Siwoo had grown accustomed to seeing many magical sights, but even he was sure that nothing could compare to the beauty of this garden, so close to the heavens.


    Eloa, who had not let go of his hand even once, fidgeted slightly before speaking.


    ¡°Siwoo, I¡¯ll be leaving on a long journey soon.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°With Duchess Keter absence, the Criminal Exiles are bound to start troubles everywhere. I¡¯ll need to focus on subjugating them for a while.¡±


    Considering the setting and occasion, Siwoo had hoped for a romantic mood to be created between them.


    That was why his master¡¯s sudden announcement left him flustered.


    ¡°S-So suddenly...?¡±


    ¡°I should¡¯ve done this a long time ago, but I kept myself from starting because I didn¡¯t want to leave you.¡±


    Subjugating Criminal Exiles.


    To honor Ravi¡¯s last wishes, as well as to satisfy her personal revenge.


    Siwoo knew well that Eloa had devoted her life to hunting Criminal Exiles.


    But he also knew how much she had changed since the Cowardly Witch incident.


    Gone was her past self, blindly chasing revenge. Her smile had grown much more relaxed.


    Criminal Exiles would only bring great harm to humanity.


    Eliminating them was a righteous act of justice.


    But, the human heart was a strange thing.


    Though he knew that she was more than capable of handling most of the threats that those Criminal Exiles could pose...


    That her actions would save countless innocent lives...


    He still wanted to stop her.


    He still wished that she wouldn¡¯t go.


    Or, at the very least...


    ¡°I¡¯ll say this straight now. I won¡¯t take you with me.¡±


    ¡°...I was just about to say I¡¯d help you.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Eloa tightened her grip on Siwoo¡¯s hand.


    As if declaring a silent ¡®Never!¡¯, with her grip alone.


    ¡°This is different from the matter with the Cowardly Witch. I can be of help to you now, Master.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t a matter of that. I just can¡¯t allow you to go with me.¡±


    Siwoo wasn¡¯t exaggerating his capabilities.


    After all, he had already taken down the powerful Criminal Exile, Bianca.


    He had even managed to win a sparring match against Eloa¡ªeven though she was holding back.


    Although it was something his unconscious self had achieved, it had unlocked a mysterious surge of strength in him, and he was confident he would continue to grow stronger.


    If he had been powerless, it would have been a different story.


    But knowing he could be of help to her, there was just no way he¡¯d let her walk such a dangerous path alone.


    So, he decided to calmly try to persuade Eloa.


    But Eloa cut him off, as if to stop any chance of persuasion.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I think you wouldn¡¯t be helpful.¡±


    ¡°Then why...?¡±


    Eloa, who had been walking steadily, suddenly stopped.


    In the place where she turned, there stood a gravestone, and carved into its stone slab was the name Ravi Tiphereth.


    Despite the passing of countless years, the gravestone was pristine, as if it had been freshly made yesterday.


    The moment Siwoo saw it.


    All the words and arguments he had prepared got caught in his throat.


    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve brought anyone here ever since the moment I buried her.¡±


    Eloa gently let go of Siwoo¡¯s hand and knelt before the gravestone.


    She wiped the cold gravestone with her hand, as if she were tenderly caressing her apprentice¡¯s face.


    Her eyes and touch carried a sorrow that words couldn¡¯t describe.


    ¡°I wanted you to come with me. Ravi would¡¯ve been happy to meet you.¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s not fair.¡±


    With just that simple action, she revealed all the feelings in her heart.


    The reason why she didn¡¯t want Siwoo to follow her.


    And the emotions that were hidden behind her words.


    Eloa had not yet abandoned her mission.


    But she didn¡¯t want Siwoo involved in her path of redemption.


    In the ashes of her life, he was the fragile hope that had finally emerged.


    She couldn¡¯t bear the thought of losing him again.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case... I can¡¯t be stubborn...¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t stubbornness. You were just concerned for me.¡±


    Eloa then turned to Siwoo, her beloved disciple and lover, and made a request.


    ¡°I want to spend a moment with Ravi. Could you give me some time? Don¡¯t go too far, though.¡±


    ¡°...Alright.¡±


    While Siwoo turned his back and lit a cigarette, Eloa spoke to Ravi.


    She talked about how she had been, how much she missed her, and how the world had changed.


    And about Siwoo.


    Sometimes her voice carried soft laughter, and other times it trembled with fragile sobs that made it sound like she was ready to break.


    The night was so beautiful that even the starlight seemed to drown in the atmosphere.

 Chapter 431: Merry Christmas (3)

    Chapter 431: Merry Christmas (3)


    1.


    Eloa spent quite a while talking with Ravi.


    Siwoo had been quietly listening from nearby at first, but eventually, he stepped back, feeling it would be rude to overhear too much.


    After what felt like an eternity of laughter and tears, Eloa returned to Siwoo with reddened eyes.


    ¡°Come here for a moment, will you?¡±


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Come closer. I want to introduce you to Ravi.¡±


    In a quiet voice, Eloa grabbed Siwoo¡¯s wrist and wiped her tears away with her sleeve.


    Siwoo stood stiffly, feeling awkward and nervous in front of the gravestone.


    Eloa cleared her throat a few times and gestured to Siwoo, introducing him to Ravi.


    ¡°Ravi, this is him.¡±


    With Siwoo standing beside her, Eloa eagerly began to introduce him.


    ¡°Can you believe it? He¡¯s a man who possesses self-essence magic. His growth is quick and amazing; it reminds me of you back in the day.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°He can be a bit clumsy, and also not the most eloquent, and also...a bit of a flirt who seduces all the witches he meets...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°But now, he¡¯s someone I trust more than anyone... Someone I can depend on...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Her lively tone as she praised Siwoo gradually turned into a tone that was choked with emotion.


    Struggling to control her tears, she finished her farewell to Ravi.


    ¡°So, don¡¯t worry too much about me. Rest in peace, alright?¡±


    Siwoo gently placed his arm around her shoulder as Eloa buried herself in his embrace, sobbing quietly for a long time.


    2.


    ¡°Are you feeling a bit better now?¡±


    Eloa¡¯s face was a mess of tears.


    In truth, she had visited Ravi¡¯s grave many times before.


    But this was the first time she had let herself cry so freely, to the point that she even felt liberated because of it.


    Previously, even though she had felt her throat tighten and her chest ache from the weight of her loss...


    Her tears had never fallen.


    What had held them back was the guilt she couldn¡¯t resolve.


    And her regret for the fact she could never spend a single day with Ravi again.


    But tonight, it felt as though the century-long sorrow and regret she carried scattered like delicate beads across the garden.


    And this too, she thought...


    Was only possible because Siwoo was here by her side.


    ¡°I must have looked so pathetic.¡±


    Eloa let out a faint smile and looked up at Siwoo, feeling strangely lighter.


    The area around Siwoo¡¯s eyes was red.


    He probably felt emotional and shed a few tears himself when waiting for her, while smoking his cigarette.


    Here he was, her student, her beloved, her destiny*,* who was willing to cry with her over a burden that wasn¡¯t even his.


    ¡°Not at all. Thank you for bringing me to such a meaningful place, Master.¡±


    It was the Harvest Festival; a rare occasion.


    After tonight, it would likely be a while before she could see Siwoo again.


    The turmoil and unrest stirring in the Modern World weren¡¯t things that could be resolved in a day or two.


    If this was to be their last moment together for some time, she wanted it to end with smiles.


    With that thought, Eloa firmly held Siwoo¡¯s hand.


    For a while, they wandered the garden, taking in the sights together.


    They shared memories while enjoying the open view from what could almost be called Gehenna¡¯s observatory.


    ¡°I was so shocked back then.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not one to brag, but I¡¯ve always been confident in my culinary skills.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be nice if you were to cook for me again next time.¡±


    ¡°For you, anytime.¡±


    Eloa thought back to their first meeting when she had mistaken Siwoo for Ea and attacked him, the times they trained together, the meals she had cooked for him, the quiet nights when they were sipping their wines, side by side, and the times when they faced the Cowardly Witch.


    Today was a special day, but their conversations weren¡¯t particularly deep.


    They just felt like those casual chats they had while strolling the quiet forest paths near the Gemini Mansion after their regular training sessions.


    These were stories that didn¡¯t matter whether they were said aloud or not.


    Even so, the simple act of holding Siwoo¡¯s hand filled her with happiness.


    It made her steps lighter, and her heart beat faster.


    ¡°There¡¯s somewhere I¡¯d like to take you.¡±


    ¡°Should I feel bad about this? The guy is supposed to plan the date, isn¡¯t it not...?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to feel bad about? Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Siwoo had originally planned to take Eloa to the Malkuth Gallery for a walk.


    He thought that the arcade-style market seemed perfect for the Harvest Festival decorations, and his earlier visit confirmed it was beautifully decked out.


    But seeing how Eloa had carefully prepared the date, he decided to go along with her plan instead.


    ¡°Arcana Village, in Lenomond Town.¡±


    ¡°Alright, lead the way.¡±


    3.


    The Tiphereth Family was originally known for their immense wealth.


    In fact, the fertile lands of Gehenna, including the Mendel Hills vineyards, which were now managed by the Gemini Family, had once belonged to them.


    However, Eloa had poured her entire fortune into the charitable project called Witch Point, leaving her with little to her name.


    Still, many witches admired her character and achievements, with over a dozen official patrons supporting her. So unlike Sharon¡¯s days of dire poverty, Eloa¡¯s life was far from the word ¡®struggling¡¯.


    Although, she rarely accepted her patrons¡¯ kindness unless it was truly necessary.


    Her modesty and upright nature made her hesitant to boast about her efforts or rely on others.


    Even her stay at Countess Gemini¡¯s mansion was a form of compensation for the artifacts she had provided them. Without that connection, she would probably have declined the offer


    But for tonight, she decided to accept Branch Manager Sua¡¯s kind invitation.


    With Siwoo always surrounded by women, a night where she could have him all to herself was undoubtedly precious.


    And on this lively Harvest Festival night, with her heart inexplicably fluttering, she wanted to be alone with him.


    Arcana Village in Lenomond Town.


    As the name suggested, it was a housing area southeast of Trinity Academy.


    Instead of grand mansions like the Gemini or Yesod Mansion, it consisted of smaller townhouses scattered at reasonable distances; like outposts.


    ¡°This is my first time here.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Back when Siwoo was a slave, he had never set foot in this place, as there was no need to, not that he ever wanted to anyway, since it was practically a den of devils for him. After his return, since no witches he knew lived here, he had no reason to visit the place.


    In any case, compared to Gehenna¡¯s other famous spots, this place was rather modest.


    The only attraction was a small lake taking up about half of Arcana Village¡¯s area.


    But, due to the festival, they had decorated the houses appropriately. The cedar-lined paths, heavy with snow, gave the area a serene and peaceful charm.


    Of all the houses, the one Eloa led him to was perhaps the most modest one in the village; a red brick house that hardly deserved to be called a mansion.


    Passing through a wooden fence instead of a stone wall, they entered through the front gate.


    Despite its quaint exterior, the interior was impeccably clean, not a speck of dust to be found even in the corners.


    Brushing the snow off their shoes, they changed into soft, fluffy indoor slippers.


    ¡°This place is lovely too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quiet and nice. Best of all, we can be alone here.¡±


    When Siwoo glanced around and said that, Eloa smiled.


    While it felt cozy, the space didn¡¯t seem grand enough to deserve such admiration.


    Still, his kind attempt to offer compliments, perhaps thinking this place held sentimental value to Eloa like the Hanging Garden, came across as endearing if anything.


    ¡°There¡¯s a cozy room upstairs. Wait there. I¡¯ll prepare some snacks and drinks for us.¡±


    ¡°What? No, I¡¯ll help you with that.¡±


    Siwoo felt that he shouldn¡¯t just sit back like some guest while his Master did all the work.


    So, he rolled up his sleeves, ready to help, but Eloa firmly stopped him.


    ¡°No, absolutely not. Just stay upstairs and wait quietly.¡±


    With that, she turned around and disappeared into the living room. Her pink hair swayed behind her like a tail.


    4.


    ¡°Haa...¡±


    Following Eloa¡¯s firm instructions, Siwoo headed to the second floor and settled in.


    The room had a simple layout.


    At the top of the stairs was a door.


    Inside, there was a sofa, a bed, and a bookshelf, all within clear view.


    The slanted ceiling suggested the attic had been converted into a room, making it smaller than the first floor.


    A single rug from under the bed in the Gemini mansion could probably cover the entire space.


    Regardless, Siwoo placed his feet on the soft wool carpet and sat on the sofa.


    ¡°I feel weirdly nervous.¡±


    Unlike his past when his right hand had been his sole companion, present-day Siwoo knew exactly where this atmosphere was heading.


    With hashtags like #HarvestFestival, #MoonlitNight, #JustTheTwoOfUs, and #DrinksTogether, how could he possibly misread the situation?


    The issue was, he had never shared a romantic sex with his master while both of them were completely sober.


    It wasn¡¯t the case the first time, nor was it the second.


    Even after regaining his memories, they had shared kisses plenty but Eloa had never initiated anything beyond that.


    And knowing her inner struggles, Siwoo never felt comfortable taking the first step.


    Still, since they wouldn¡¯t see each other for a while, he hoped they could make this time special.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming in.¡±


    Just as he resolved to create a natural atmosphere based on his experience, a voice called out.


    Siwoo stood up to receive the drinks, only to freeze in place.


    ¡°...¡±


    Beyond the slightly open door, instead of his dignified master, a rabbit was coming in.


    The revealing leotard exposed more than half of her pale skin, her soft cleavage clearly visible.


    Her shapely thighs stood out thanks to her heels, and the straps of her garter belt pressed gently against her skin, adding an undeniable allure to the sight.


    Blushing furiously, Eloa couldn¡¯t meet Siwoo¡¯s gaze and focused on the tray in her hands, which held a wine bottle, glasses, and some cheese.


    -Tr-tr-tr-tr-tr-rr


    The tray trembled audibly, betraying her shyness and nervousness.


    Eloa had prepared the outfit beforehand on the first floor and had changed while preparing the drinks.


    She had planned a surprise with a bunny costume to playfully startle Siwoo, and had even practiced a line:


    ¡®Tonight, I¡¯m your bunny, Siwoo.¡¯


    It was just one line, but she¡¯d repeated it over and over to make sure she wouldn¡¯t forget.


    However, when she stood in front of Siwoo, her mind went completely blank.


    She never thought this would happen, but now she was worried that Siwoo might criticize her for such a silly outfit.


    Even if he didn¡¯t show it outwardly, she worried that he might think she was horny, to put it bluntly.


    As someone naturally conservative, Eloa couldn¡¯t even begin to guess what Siwoo might be thinking.


    Still, there was no turning back now.


    She fought the urge to shut her eyes and escape from reality.


    Instead, she opened her eyes wide, looked straight at him, and shouted.


    The line she had prepared, the feelings she wanted to express.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m a horny bunny...!¡±


    Eloa instantly realized her mistake.


    Her inner thoughts had somehow merged with her practiced line, turning it into a bold, perverse declaration!


    ¡°No, no...! I mean I¡¯m a horny bunny for Siwoo!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°N-No, no...! I-I¡¯m...a bunny...just for tonight...¡±


    After a series of mistakes from her fluster, her words turned into a strange, incomprehensible mess; a complete disaster.


    A chilling silence fell as Eloa hung her head in shame.


    The bunny ear ribbons, which had been perked up, now drooped sadly.


    I¡¯ve blown it...


    Ms. Sharon even went out of her way to help me, but I...


    Ruined everything...


    Eloa hastily tried to explain herself.


    ¡°I-I thought this might make you happy... B-But I guess it¡¯s ridiculous of me to even think about doing this, right...?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all, Master.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying. It doesn¡¯t suit me, does it? With this weird hair color...and my short height...¡±


    And then...


    The wine bottle Eloa had been holding tumbled to the floor with a loud crash


    Siwoo had suddenly pulled Eloa into a tight hug, causing the tray in her hands to drop and the contents on it to roll across the floor.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Master.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°This is the cutest and prettiest I¡¯ve ever seen you.¡±


    Her heart, which had been sinking into despair, suddenly soared as if it had sprouted wings at his compliment.


    ¡°...Really?¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s response to Eloa looking up at him with the expression of a puppy that had broken a vase while its owner was away, was...


    A rough grip to her waist, and a deep, passionate kiss.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Eloa bunny

 Chapter 432: Merry Christmas (4)

    Chapter 432: Merry Christmas (4)


    1.


    The cold moonlight streamed through the frosty windowpane.


    Shadows of two intertwined bodies swayed with their heavy, excited breaths.


    In her bunny girl outfit, Eloa had turned into quite a temptress.


    Siwoo knew better than anyone how shy and proper the usually strict but kind Eloa could be.


    The fact that she decided to swallow her embarrassment and put on such a revealing outfit just for him...


    Not only was it such a turn-on, visually speaking, but also a sweet gesture that touched his heart.


    A teacher¡¯s kindness is immense.


    That saying was definitely true.


    ¡°Ah...ahh...haah...¡±


    Siwoo, now naked, sat on the edge of the bed.


    His dick, which Eloa had been diligently licking between his legs just moments before, was now buried deep inside her tight, hot pussy.


    Eloa was riding him, facing him in his embrace.


    In this position, where they could feel each other¡¯s heartbeat, breaths, and body heat more intensely than any other, Eloa began to move her hips.


    He was glad he¡¯d put down a towel to protect the sheets.


    Because Eloa¡¯s juices were flowing down his hard-on, soaking it and dripping down.


    -Squelch, squelch, squelch.


    She bounced on him like a little bunny, while Siwoo gripped her ass tightly to keep her from falling.


    He had noticed it before, but Eloa¡¯s ass felt amazing in his hands.


    The perfect mix of softness and the way it twitched with every wave of pleasure she received made them a masterpiece.


    There was also the way her tight pussy gripped his dick; it made him feel like he could cum at any second if he wasn¡¯t careful.


    When he pulled Eloa back from where she was biting his shoulder, trying to stifle her moans, she quickly covered her face with her hand.


    She had been avoiding showing her face for a while now.


    ¡°Siwoo...! I told you...! I¡¯m embarrassed...¡±


    ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°Haah...! I-I just am... I knew I would be... B-But, this is worse... Than I thought...¡±


    Siwoo had seen her naked before. In more embarrassing positions even.


    So he couldn¡¯t understand why she suddenly felt so self-conscious about her expression.


    He watched the sight before him, thinking how complicated women could be sometimes.


    Meanwhile Eloa kept her face hidden under her messy bangs.


    Of course, she was still wearing the special outfit she had put on for him.


    Because of this, whenever his member thrusted in deeply, the fabric of her outfit pushed slightly to the side.


    The edge of the fabric rubbed against his dick, which was a little annoying, but the view was too good to just rip it off.


    ¡°Your breasts are so beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Haa...! Why...! Why do you keep looking... Ngh...! At them! You already... Saw them plenty when you were sucking on them...!¡±


    ¡°I feel like it. Can¡¯t help it.¡±


    And there was one of her perky breasts, peeking out.


    Her breasts, red from the kiss marks and bite marks that were scattered like rose petals, made him remember the way she had reacted earlier.


    Siwoo pulled Eloa closer by her waist and hips, bringing her breasts right up to his face.


    ¡°Haaaah...!¡±


    As he changed the angle, fucking her deeper, Eloa arched her back and moaned, completely lost in the pleasure.


    The warm scent of her skin, combined with her already sexy outfit, made her breasts even more irresistible, so he bit down hard on them.


    They felt soft yet firm, and Eloa¡¯s back arched smoothly.


    ¡°Haaak...!¡±


    Eloa¡¯s eyes rolled back as she let out a loud moan, like a cat in heat.


    The hand she had been using to cover her face was now clutched at the back of Siwoo¡¯s neck, as if she were about to faint from the intensity.


    This gave Siwoo a clear view of her face.


    ¡°Ah... Ahh... Hah...!¡±


    Due to him both fucking her and biting her breasts, Eloa¡¯s face was completely flushed and dazed with pleasure. In her own words, it was as if she had turned into a rabbit in heat.


    This was supposed to be a situation where her automatic defense would react.


    But, even when he teased her stiff, jelly-like nipples with his canines...


    ¡°Hngh...! Hiik...!¡±


    Her autonomous defense showed absolutely no resistance whatsoever.


    Instead, only her pussy¡¯s defense kicked in, gripping and milking his dick, pulling them both further into a spiral of pleasure.


    ¡°I-If you bite... If you bite me like that... I can¡¯t...! Hah... Ngh...! Nngh...!¡±


    By now, Eloa¡¯s hips, which had been bouncing up and down, had suddenly stopped.


    But there was no need to worry.


    Just teasing her nipples was enough to make her pussy clench and pulse around his dick, sending waves of pleasure through him.


    As soon as he pulled his mouth from her breasts, Eloa immediately scolded him.


    Tears welled in her eyes, and she looked wronged.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a baby... Why do you keep messing with my breasts?¡±


    The contrast between her usual dignity and her wildness in bed was a huge turn-on.


    He could now say and do things he¡¯d never normally dare, reveling in this confirmation of his dominance.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, I¡¯ll stop.¡±


    He squeezed her firm ass as he said that.


    Eloa gasped softly and avoided Siwoo¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°So, do you not like it?¡±


    ¡°O-Of course I don¡¯t...!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad. I was pretty sure you were enjoying it.¡±


    He knew she was lying, though, thanks to his ¡®pussy lie detector¡¯.


    The way her pussy clenched and throbbed every time he touched her breasts was proof enough.


    But Eloa was clearly too embarrassed to admit it, so she told a little white lie.


    Seeing her like this, a grin appeared on Siwoo¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll take over. Master, you just...¡±


    ¡°...Siwoo.¡±


    Eloa hesitated for a moment, then suddenly cut him off.


    Her face was much more flushed than when she had been bouncing her ass on his dick.


    ¡°I-I... I lied...¡±


    ¡°What was it that you lied about?¡±


    ¡°I-It feels good... When you... Do that to my breasts... My stomach gets all tingly... And my breathing gets heavy... B-But it really does feel good... I-I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry... I was just so embarrassed... B-But I lied...¡±


    And here I was, wondering what it was that she lied about.


    Eloa, pushing past her embarrassment, was confessing her little white lie.


    Of course, Siwoo thought such a minor lie was nothing more than playful teasing, but Eloa seemed to think otherwise.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It wasn¡¯t a big deal.¡±


    ¡°N-No, it¡¯s just... It felt so good, s-so... I wanted you to keep going... A-Also... Being one with you makes me so happy...¡±


    Looking at Eloa as she mumbled in a small voice...


    Siwoo suddenly felt a mischievous impulse.


    When else would he get a chance to tease his master like this?


    ¡°Hmm... Now that I think about it, a lie¡¯s a lie.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so ashamed... I¡¯m sorry...¡±


    He grabbed Eloa¡¯s waist tightly as she apologized with a sullen expression.


    ¡°That means you¡¯ll have to be punished, right?¡±


    ¡°P-Punished...?¡±


    Hearing the word punishment, her whole body flinched.


    She hadn¡¯t forgotten their night in the carriage.


    Back then, she too, was punished for breaking a promise.


    So she knew his punishment wouldn¡¯t be anything serious, but it would definitely make her so embarrassed that she¡¯d rather bury herself in a hole.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m your master...¡±


    ¡°Not right now.¡±


    ¡°Y-You were just calling me Master a second ago..!¡±


    Eloa hurriedly tried to backtrack, but...


    ¡°Hmm... Then, should I call you Eloa?¡±


    ¡°Hiik...!¡±


    Her reaction surprised Siwoo.


    The moment he used her name instead of ¡®Master,¡¯ Eloa¡¯s body tensed, and her pussy clenched tightly around his dick.


    Wondering if it was a coincidence, he tried it again.


    ¡°Eloa.¡±


    ¡°Hiik...!¡±


    This time the reaction was much more pronounced.


    Her whole plump ass in Siwoo¡¯s hands clenched before it relaxed again.


    As one last test, even risking getting a smack for stopping fucking her, he asked,


    ¡°Eloa... Do you like it when I say your name?¡±


    ¡°Ah...haa...!¡±


    ¡°You like it when I talk to you casually too, huh?¡±


    Eloa¡¯s eyes went wide and started darting around, looking totally confused.


    She opened her mouth to speak, but then stopped, like her brain had just short-circuited.


    It was clear that she was loving this, it was just her status as his master made it hard for her to just admit it. At the same time, if she were to say that she didn¡¯t like it, it would be a flat-out lie.


    Ultimately, Eloa¡¯s face turned bright red, her ears practically steaming like a kettle.


    Like a machine about to overheat, Eloa¡¯s energy drained away, and she finally gave a small, defeated nod.


    ¡°W-When you... Call me by my name... I-It...¡±


    Eloa trailed off.


    Then, as if a thought struck her, she changed her tone.


    ¡°It feels like we¡¯re really lovers... It made me happy...¡±


    She remembered how turned on Siwoo got when she used formal speech with him before.


    That time it had ended with a confession and then his memory being erased, but this time was different.


    She could make Siwoo happy whenever she wanted now.


    And she could find her own happiness in making him happy.


    If a little embarrassment was all it took to make Siwoo happy, Eloa was ready to do anything.


    Just as she expected, Siwoo¡¯s body started to tremble.


    His breathing quickened, and he gripped her hips tighter.


    He was getting turned on.


    He was enjoying it.


    Seeing his reaction made Eloa feel bolder, and she decided to go for it.


    After all, she had said much more embarrassing things in front of him before.


    ¡°So... While you say my name... Fuck me¡ª! Kyaa!¡±


    His dick slammed against the entrance of her womb.


    Eloa gasped with a strange cry, feeling a jolt like sparks flying in front of her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not holding back anymore.¡±


    After that, Eloa¡¯s memory was mostly blank.


    Siwoo had completely lost control, ravaging her body like a beast.

 Chapter 433: Merry Christmas (5)

    Chapter 433: Merry Christmas (5)


    1.


    A humble gesture of thanks, offered by a disciple deeply moved by his master¡¯s affection.


    Thick flood of sweet, syrupy juice, like coconut milk, filled Eloa¡¯s pussy.


    She took a doggy style pose while standing.


    The buttocks of the rabbit-mode master, who was lying face down on the bed, arched like a perfect heart flipped upside down, gave off a sensual scent.


    Her legs spread wide on the rug, forming an ¡®A¡¯ shape.


    The high heels added a striking ten centimeters to Eloa¡¯ height, emphasizing her graceful, well-shaped legs. Add the garterbelts to the equation, her already stunning figure turned into something breathtaking; a sight so alluring it could rival any aphrodisiac.


    -Slap! Slap! Slap!


    ¡°Hnn...! Nghh...! Ahhh...!¡±


    Through the soft fabric pressing into her skin, the sight of his hard shaft moving rhythmically in and out was utterly mesmerizing, no matter how many times he tried to look at it.


    This scene was already intriguing enough, if dirty talk was added to the mix, it would only heightened the atmosphere to a whole new level, to say the least.


    The musky scent had already intensified to a tantalizing level.


    Without slowing his movements, Siwoo said teasingly.


    ¡°You¡¯re like a rabbit in heat, Eloa.¡±


    Those words alone sent a shiver down Eloa¡¯s graceful spine. Her voice quivered as she emitted the scent of a submissive woman.


    Eloa definitely didn¡¯t do that intentionally.


    It was pure instinct; breaking free from the constraints of social norms and composure, awakened by raw, unfiltered pleasure.


    ¡°N-No...! Ahha... Ugh...!¡±


    ¡°No?¡±


    There was a satisfaction, almost like dominance, in the way Siwoo spoke casually to her, the Duchess Tiphereth herself, as well as his master.


    Watching her abandoning her usual composed presence and becoming someone soft and obedient gave Siwoo a feeling of conquest.


    Even though she was embarrassed, Eloa kept on going. Her devotion and quiet acceptance made her all the more endearing.


    But, as pleasing as her body¡¯s tight, smooth grip on his member was, the mental stimulation and emotional connection of the moment surpassed even that.


    ¡°Huff...Uuugh... Y-You¡¯re teasing me too much...¡±


    ¡°Rabbits are usually quiet, but you make too much noise for a rabbit, Eloa.¡±


    ¡°Nnngh...! S-Stop saying things like that... Nghh...!¡±


    Eloa¡¯s pussy was already tight,


    With the way she balanced her toes from the heels and the way her body instinctively tightened from the sensation she felt, the resistance Siwoo felt was so intense that even moving his hips became difficult.


    ¡°By the way, the houses are practically huddled together in this place. What if someone hears us?¡±


    It was a cliche? line, not entirely realistic, as no one outside could actually hear them making all the noise they wanted, but it had the desired effect. Just the thought alone made Eloa¡¯s eyes widen; the pleasure she felt was suddenly mixed with anxiety.


    ¡°T-That...! T-That can¡¯t happen¡ª! Heuk...!¡±


    Even as she was swept up in the wave of pleasure, she instinctively glanced toward the window, as if worried someone might see or hear her.


    That small, nervous movement, like a prey noticing a predator nearby, ignited a streak of sadistic desire within Siwoo.


    -Sssuuuck!


    Her body stiffened and tightened so much that even the smallest movements were met with resistance.


    ¡°Oh...¡±


    Siwoo couldn¡¯t help but marvel at her reaction.


    When a naturally gifted spirit body was paired with almost superhuman training, feats that seemed impossible become possible.


    Then, as he pressed fully inside, reaching her deepest point...


    ¡°Aaugh...!¡±


    With a soft sound like air escaping, Eloa¡¯s upper body gave out and collapsed.


    It was like a signal.


    The brief relaxation in her body, right before climax, served as a telltale sign.


    -Twitch! Twitch! Twitch!


    Eloa¡¯s hips bucked wildly, as if she had been struck with electricity. Not long after, her inner walls tightened around Siwoo¡¯s cock in rhythmic waves.


    -Squelch! Squelch!


    ¡°Ahh... hngh! Hah...! Ahh... ngh...!¡±


    Even with her already snug insides, there was no space left as Siwoo continued to bury his cock down to its base.


    With her overflowing juices soaking everything as she climaxed, only one result was inevitable.


    A burst of fluid shot out from where their bodies joined, as though imitating an ejaculation.


    ¡°Hnng... Hnng...¡±


    Eloa¡¯s trembling thighs were drenched, as if she were relieving herself; her juices trickling down like a stream.


    If Siwoo wasn¡¯t holding her waist, she might¡¯ve completely crumpled.


    The orgasm she experienced, caused by the deep penetration of her womb, left her legs weak and trembling.


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    Watching Eloa climaxing, Siwoo¡¯s body finally relaxed; the tension on his shoulders eased.


    Had he let his guard down for even a moment, he might have just come right there and then.


    ¡°So, the thought of someone overhearing us get you this excited, huh?¡±


    ¡°Oooh...¡±


    Instead of responding, Eloa buried her face in the bed and shook her head.


    Then she whispered softly.


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t want anyone else to hear... I-I want only Siwoo to see me like this...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°B-But... If Siwoo likes it... I wouldn¡¯t mind letting others hear... So, do whatever you want...¡±


    Blushing deeply, Eloa glanced back and spoke with an embarrassed expression.


    Everything she did just drove him crazy.


    From her teasing, her seduction... She was so tempting that it was almost a crime. He could fill her with everything he had all night and still not feel like it was enough.


    ¡°Do one thing for me.¡±


    There was one thing Siwoo couldn¡¯t resist doing with her in this outfit.


    Without hesitation, he asked Eloa for his request.


    2.


    After being tugged and shifted by Siwoo, Eloa¡¯s clothes were in disarray, leaving her nearly bare.


    The fabric that had covered her lush breasts was pulled down, while the fully exposed lower half revealed her swollen clitoris.


    -Squelch, squelch, squelch!


    ¡°Ngh...! Ahh...! Haah...! Uhh...!¡±


    Straddling Siwoo on the bed, Eloa moved her hips rhythmically, bouncing like a little rabbit.


    There wasn¡¯t a single better position that would suit a bunny girl than this.


    Balancing herself by placing her hands on his pelvis, she spread her legs wide, squatting as her hips rocked up and down.


    ¡°Hah...! Ah...!¡±


    She rode his cock as if mounting a horse.


    Her snug, squeezing pussy sucked him in, as the soft walls swallowed him until his glans disappeared completely.


    Coated with her slick, sticky juices, his cock slid out almost completely before thrusting back to press against her cervix.


    Following Siwoo¡¯s request, Eloa repeated these movements tirelessly for over thirty minutes.


    While just sitting might have been easier, squatting like that and doing the same movement required incredible stamina and core strength.


    ¡°L-Like this...! D-Does it...! F-Feel good...? Ahh... Nghh...!¡±


    Despite the pleasure glistening on her skin, Eloa didn¡¯t show a hint of exhaustion.


    Even though she was acting like a dirty whore, skillfully servicing a man, it only added to the already overwhelming ecstasy.


    Eloa had completely given her body over to Siwoo, not as his master but as his obedient servant, focusing entirely on drawing out his cum.


    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s the best!¡±


    ¡°Mmm...! As long as Siwoo... is happy...! I-I can keep going... Haang...! F-For as long as you want...¡±


    Siwoo cupped her bouncing breasts with his empty hands while admiring her dance-like movements.


    It was pure indulgence, a luxury to enjoy without lifting a finger.


    -Sluuurp!


    ¡°Mmm...! Hrk...! Haang...!¡±


    Eloa¡¯s thighs quivered, her insides tightening once more.


    She was climaxing again. Her body trembled with occasional spasms as another wave of climax overtook her.


    The garterbelt, soaked with sweat, bit into her skin, while her dripping pussy gripped his shaft tighter than ever.


    If the movements had been soft and gentle until now, at this point, a rough resistance akin to a gritty friction appeared, bringing forth a rough stimulation.


    The tight space and the textured ridges of her walls created a friction so intense, it felt like her body was squeezing him from every angle.


    -Scrub! Scrub! Scrub!


    ¡°Haah...! Hmph...! Heew...!¡±


    Siwoo realized once again just how skilled Eloa was at controlling her body.


    Even in the middle of her climax, even as her strength waned, she never stopped moving her hips.


    Her rhythm didn¡¯t falter at all.


    It was like watching a seasoned bodybuilder maintaining a perfect form even when they were exhausted.


    Similarly, Eloa, accustomed to climaxing, perfectly controlled her body, even in the throes of intense pleasure. All for the sake of giving Siwoo maximum pleasure.


    -Sluuurp!


    ¡°S-Siwoo...! D-Does doing it like this... F-Feels good...?¡±


    ¡°Hup!¡±


    Even as her tongue lolled, she adjusted her rhythm to match the twitching of his manhood, finding a movement that would bring him the most pleasure.


    What started as simple up-and-down motions had now evolved into a mix of vertical and rotational movements, a proof of how deeply she was immersed in it.


    Indeed.


    He momentarily forgot, but Eloa was a specialist in every sense of the word.


    Like any true expert whose skill shone through in the smallest details, Eloa¡¯s movements carried an artful precision.


    -Slap! Slap! Slap!


    ¡°I-I can...! F-Feel your cock...! Siwoo! I-It keeps! Ahhh! K-Kissing my...! Cervix...! Ngghhh...! I-I love it...!¡±


    He felt like he was being overpowered and milked dry by a succubus.


    It drove him to almost cumming right away.


    And Eloa seemed to notice his swollen, throbbing cock, about to cum.


    ¡°S-Siwoo...? Are you about to cum?¡±


    She stared at him with sultry, lust-filled eyes.


    Her eyes were filled with love.


    She then leaned her upper body forward before increasing her pace.


    -Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!


    ¡°L-Like this...! I¡¯ll make you cum...! Inside...! Cum inside me...!¡±


    She nearly doubled the speed of her thrusts.


    The way her pussy walls clamped down on his cock, pulling it in with every twitch, made it impossible for him to hold back his ejaculation.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m going to...! Cum...too...! Cumming...cumming...! Cumming...cumming...cumming...! Hee-euuugh...!¡±


    Above, Eloa¡¯s voluptuous breasts were heaving up and down, while below, a tightness that was almost like a vacuum was squeezing his cock.


    The intensity of it all made him lose control as he came inside her.


    -Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!


    ¡°Haaang! Haang! S-So good...! Siwoo...! Siwoooooo...!¡±


    Even as he came, the relentless squeezing of her walls on his overly sensitive cock prolonged the overwhelming sensation..


    It felt like his very soul was pouring out as he filled her with his hot semen.


    ¡°Haa...! Ahh...!¡±


    Eloa straightened her body, which had been hunched over, savoring the sensation of the last drop of his semen soaking the depth of her vagina.

 Chapter 434: Merry Christmas (6)

    Chapter 434: Merry Christmas (6)


    1.


    The wild sex that was so intense to the point that it almost drove them crazy eventually came to a close.


    Now completely drained, Eloa¡¯s tongue swept clean over Siwoo¡¯s cock, licking away the mixture of her juices and his cum coating it.


    They had gone at it from nightfall until the break of dawn, locked in instinctual animalistic mating sex.


    Eloa was the vulnerable, helpless rabbit, while Siwoo was the ravenous wolf devouring her.


    After shifting positions and exchanging shameless words countless times, in the end, Eloa took his seeds a total of five times.


    There were a few mishaps along the way, like Eloa accidentally breaking a table mid-climax and fainting twice from the overwhelming pleasure of Siwoo injecting the pure mana into her, but even with those mishaps, it was still a blissful experience for her.


    ¡°Haaa...chuup... Heeeup...¡±


    Her bunny costume had been completely destroyed, leaving behind only the garterbelt and high heels.


    But the sight of her bare skin with just the garter and heels was far more enticing than when her costume was still intact; a vision of pure sensuality that left no room for disappointment.


    Gently cradling his balls in her mouth as though cherishing them, Eloa murmured, there was a hint of irritation in her voice.


    ¡°Siwoo, you came too much inside...¡±


    ¡°Oh, did I?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still leaking out... Haa... Sluuurrp¡±


    Crouching as she meticulously cleaned his cock, the evidence of her claim was clear in the white droplets trickling between her thighs.


    At the same time, the sight of her reignited Siwoo¡¯s desire, making his shaft harden once more.


    With his glans tucked into her cheek, making her look like a hamster storing food, Eloa swallowed the salty, caviar-like liquid with ease.


    ¡°Well, you kept begging me to cum inside, Master.¡±


    ¡°...Stop teasing me...¡±


    As the dawn came, the lingering excitement from the night had begun to dissipate.


    Now, only a deep embarrassment crept into Eloa¡¯s heart.


    She recalled how she had moved atop him like a seductress, a succubus lost in her craft.


    How she had uttered every filthy name for his cock, pleading for him to finish inside her.


    Even while addressing him respectfully, she had shown delight at his merciless teasing.


    No matter how much she had resolved to set aside their roles as master and disciple for a time to be lovers, now that the haze of pleasure had lifted, she found herself feeling mortified by her actions.


    Her sudden shift to a brusque tone stemmed from that very embarrassment.


    ¡°Why the sudden attitude, Master?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because you never know when to stop; always forcing me to do such shameless things...¡±


    After she finished cleaning and taking a small sip of alcohol to refresh herself, Eloa curled up against Siwoo in bed.


    Her soft, full chest pressed against him was like the perfect cushion.


    Sensing a new kind of sensual allure about her, Siwoo embraced her before kissing her forehead gently.


    Eloa burrowed further into Diwoo¡¯s arms, hiding her face as if shy.


    Asking her to shake off her embarrassment would be clearly too much to ask.


    ¡°But you were the one who told me all your weak spots, Master.¡±


    ¡°Siwoo! Stop it! Enough! Isn¡¯t it over already?¡±


    All her flirtatious antics flashed in Eloa¡¯s mind, making her feel even more mortified than before.


    ¡®Eloa is a horny rabbit for Siwoo¡ª¡¯


    ¡®This is Eloa¡¯s weak spot...! Remember it...!¡¯


    ¡®Please impregnate Eloa with your seeds, Siwoo...!¡¯ and so on.


    As Siwoo recited each of these lines back to her, Eloa lost her composure, furiously banging her head against his chest.


    ¡°Stop it...! Just stop already...!¡±


    Her face flushed redder than it had been at the height of her climax, and she clamped her hands over her ears.


    His master looked so irresistibly adorable that he found himself getting hard again.


    ¡°If you keep saying those things... I might not grant your requests next time! Remember that!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious! Listen to me!¡±


    Eloa, visibly fuming, looked like a squirrel that had been rudely woken up from a hibernation.


    But, Siwoo didn¡¯t need to do much to calm her down.


    All he had to do was kiss her.


    As he leaned in, bringing their lips closer, Eloa frowned and pretended to stay upset.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m such an easy woman that you could just do this to me?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s you, I won¡¯t just let you have your way so easily.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°If you think a mere kiss is enough to calm me down... Ugh...¡±


    Seeing his lips move closer, Eloa seemed torn, wrestling with her own thoughts.


    Her slightly pouting lips hinted that she might give in for just one peck.


    Finally, Eloa couldn¡¯t resist and gave in to the temptation of the kiss.


    Eloa pressed her lips against Siwoo¡¯s.


    The faint taste of alcohol lingered as his tongue intertwined with hers, and he lifted her effortlessly into his arms.


    He carried her, still kissing her, all the way to the bathroom on the first floor.


    The space was only as big as two shower stalls, almost too small for two people, just big enough for the two of them to squeeze him.


    ¡°Haa... Haa....¡±


    As the warm water poured over them, washing away the remnants of last night¡¯s passion, Siwoo and Eloa continued their kisses.


    Then, noticing Siwoo¡¯s thing poking her stomach, Eloa asked with a sassy tone.


    ¡°After going at it all night... You¡¯re still like this?¡±


    Though she said that, Siwoo wasn¡¯t the only one.


    ¡°Well, you were pretty into it too, Master.¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s not true...¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    ¡°Siwoo! Do you really think I¡¯m some rabbit in heat?¡±


    ¡°Then why are you in this state?¡±


    ¡°Ah...!¡±


    Siwoo pressed his hard shaft against her lower belly while teasingly twisted her nipple between his fingers.


    Her erect nipples stood tall, as if pleading for attention.


    That was always the first sign she was getting turned on.


    ¡°So, why?¡±


    ¡°...O-Oh... Ahh...¡±


    He played with her nipples, twirling them between his fingertips like a tease.


    Her legs trembled slightly, and she instinctively pressed her belly against his hardened cock.


    ¡°So you were lying to me again, huh?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you one more chance. This time, be honest with me, just like you were last night.¡±


    ¡°...Yes...¡±


    They were supposed to do more than just have sex; they planned to share breakfast and take a morning walk together.


    But with Eloa being this seductive, she was leaving him with no choice.


    ¡°Um... Kissing Siwoo just...got Eloa so excited...¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°Eloa¡¯s nipples...ended up...getting hard...¡±


    Her voice softened, her toes curling shyly as she confessed, her demeanor turning meek and innocent.


    Seeing her like this, the urge for him to breed her surged through.


    Never before had the fact that witches couldn¡¯t get pregnant made him so frustrated.


    ¡°P-Punish Eloa...Siwoo... P-Please...¡±


    In the end, Eloa ended up receiving two additional mana charges.


    2.


    The two of them stayed in the bathroom, made out until their legs were trembling.


    Finally, the bittersweet moment of parting arrived.


    Siwoo used his Dimension Shift to take Eloa to the immigration office in Border Town.


    Despite showing nothing but her sweet and caring side to Siwoo, at the end of the day, Eloa was still a duchess.


    Obviously they¡¯d give her the VIP treatment, assigning the private VIP lounge to her where they spent their remaining time together comfortably, away from any prying eyes.


    Eloa sat there, neatly dressed with her bag packed.


    Her cheeks, once glowing with happiness that morning, now carried a hint of regret.


    She had already received a call for assistance from Branch Manager Sua.


    Apparently, various unrest was stirring in places like China and South America; regions where the Witch Point wasn¡¯t as influential as the rest.


    The reason she had been delaying her departure so far was simple: she wanted to spend the Harvest Festival with Siwoo.


    But delaying any further wasn¡¯t something she could allow herself to do.


    Of course, Siwoo understood this too.


    Even though she could still theoretically return quickly, the thought of his master leaving for such a faraway place still tugged at him.


    So, without thinking, he let out words he hadn¡¯t meant to say.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you stay just a little longer?¡±


    Eloa seemed slightly surprised by his words, but then smiled gently and held his hand.


    ¡°You already know I can¡¯t, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°If only I¡¯m better at controlling the Red Branch, I could go with you... But yeah, I know... For the innocents, is it...?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even without your help, I won¡¯t be in any danger.¡±


    Out of all the witches Siwoo had faced, the strongest one was Bianca Belleli, the Witch of Desire.


    But Eloa was so powerful that he just couldn¡¯t picture Eloa losing to Bianca at all.


    After all, she had been hunting Criminal Exiles effortlessly for the past century, and Siwoo was confident this time would be no different.


    Besides, he had already replenished her mana multiple times.


    ¡°You¡¯re acting like this is goodbye good. I¡¯ll come back as soon as I¡¯ve taken care of the biggest issues. It¡¯ll be a month at most.¡±


    ¡°Still... I¡¯ll miss you.¡±


    ¡°Be sure to get along well with Ms. Odile, Ms. Odette, and Ms. Sharon while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    The inspection on the ¡®Gate,¡¯ which had delayed her departure a little longer, was finally complete.


    Seeing the immigration officer approaching from afar confirmed it was time.


    ¡°And one more thing...¡±


    Leaning in close, Eloa brought her lips to Siwoo¡¯s ear and whispered,


    ¡°When I¡¯m back, I¡¯ll make sure to finish what we left incomplete.¡±


    She was referring to the blowjob she¡¯d started after their second round in the bathroom but had to skip due to time constraints.


    With that promise, Eloa departed for the modern world.


    3.


    ¡°Ms. Sua, It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    At Gwanghwamun Branch Witch Point.


    Usually, Ms. Sua Agatha, the branch manager, would always come out to greet Duchess Tiphereth whenever she came to visit.


    However, with pressing issues piling up from all over the world, Sua just didn¡¯t have the time to spare for that this time. In the end, Eloa was the one who visited her in her office that was filled with mountains of paperworks.


    ¡°Your Ladyship Duchess Tiphereth.¡±


    ¡°You seem quite busy.¡±


    ¡°This woman is just doing her best to fulfill her duty. Please forgive her for not welcoming you properly...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. If anything, I¡¯m the one who should be sorry for arriving later than planned.¡±


    Sua was taken aback.


    Just a few months ago, she¡¯d been worried that Eloa might do something drastic, like taking her own life.


    But now, here she was, greeting her with a soft, gentle smile.


    It was the kind of smile Sua hadn¡¯t seen from Eloa since her days as a carefree apprentice witch.


    ¡°Your Ladyship... You seem different.¡±


    ¡°A lot has happened.¡±


    Eloa walked over, leaned down, and lightly hugged Sua, who was still seated, expressing her joy at their reunion.


    Sua patted Eloa¡¯s back gently.


    Seeing her longtime friend and comrade-in-arms in such a positive state filled Sua¡¯s heart with genuine joy.


    But their heartfelt reunion didn¡¯t last long before Eloa¡¯s demeanor shifted.


    Happy memories were one thing, but duty called.


    It wasn¡¯t the time for them to indulge in their emotions; they had to focus on their missions.


    ¡°I¡¯d like an update on the current situation. Has anything changed since the last report?¡±


    Even Eloa¡¯s tone was different.


    In the past, her gaze had been sharp enough to cut through the air, but at the same time, it seemed so fragile, as though it could break at any moment. But now, it was steady and resolute. Sua could feel the strength in her gaze.


    ¡°Ms. Sua?¡±


    ¡°Apologies. This woman has prepared information on Claire Asmodeus, the True Ancestor that has started expanding her influence violently in Colombia, as well as data on how it might connect to the ¡®Curse of Dawn¡¯ incident.¡±


    Seeing Eloa¡¯s more reassuring presence than ever, Sua started her concise briefing.

 Chapter 435: Merry Christmas (7)

    Chapter 435: Merry Christmas (7)


    1.


    No one could ever stand on the rainbow.


    Even if they had the power to create and destroy worlds...


    Even if they had all the strength to cleanse all the Criminal Exiles disrupting the order, it didn¡¯t mean their power was perfect.


    Everyone carried their own contradictions deep inside.


    And she, Lilith, understood this better than anyone and knew how to use it to her advantage.


    She¡¯d find the hidden threads of these contradictions, then carefully, she¡¯d pull them free.


    Then, like spinning a slingshot, she¡¯d whirl them around with precision.


    The only things she needed to control were the length of the string and the timing of its release.


    Everything that unraveled from that point on, she¡¯d leave it to the roll of the dice of fate.


    Every time the spinning string buzzed past her ears like a bee¡¯s wings, she always paused to think:


    Is it time now?


    When¡¯s the perfect time to let go? The time when the most spectacular effect would be created?


    Just like watching a line of dominoes someone painstakingly stacked came crashing down...


    Thinking about the impending chaos always brought a smile to her face.


    ¡°Keter.¡±


    The title ¡®Duchess Keter¡¯ does indeed sound grand, doesn¡¯t it?


    Lilith muttered the name of her twisted reflection with a smirk.


    The arrogant spirit of order who had discarded her, tossed her aside like an old rag, and abandoned her.


    Yet you still failed, huh, Keter?


    The thought sent a wicked thrill through Lilith, along with a bitter chuckle.


    ¡°So, even you couldn¡¯t stand on the rainbow.¡±


    Lilith seized one of the cards Keter had meticulously prepared.


    The heart of the ¡®order¡¯ she had built, Gehenna, the City of Witches.


    If all her carefully laid plans come back as an explosive disaster, how bitter would she feel?


    Lilith¡ªno, now, she was Clara, suppressed a chuckle as she walked toward Amelia.


    Now wasn¡¯t the time to let her expression slip.


    While Amelia might trust her now, even the smallest signs could sow seeds of doubt.


    ¡°Have you made up your mind?¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    ¡°Great! You made the right call! Staying cooped up will only drag you down.¡±


    Today was the Harvest Festival.


    So, Clara had encouraged Amelia to step outside.


    Since her reunion with Siwoo, the latter had been in a daze for days.


    Lost in gloomy thoughts and regret, in the despair of dashed hopes she had held onto until now, she shut out everything around her, as if she had withdrawn into a shell.


    Everything, except Clara.


    This was why Clara had played the role of her supportive ally; all for this very moment.


    She kept just enough distance and demeanor so as not to make her feel uncomfortable, and eventually, she disabled Amelia¡¯s body¡¯s autonomous defense and infused her self-essence magic, disguised as mana, into Amelia¡¯s brand.


    Amelia¡¯s world was small.


    Her immature sense of self and distant personality, masked by cold words, made it hard for her to truly connect with others.


    For Lilith, someone who managed to manipulate even the deranged Cowardly Witch and the cunning Witch of Desire, Amelia was an overwhelmingly easy target.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you having second thoughts?¡±


    Noticing Amelia being all quiet, Clara asked with a little more higher pitch than usual.


    If her offer had simply been to tour around for the Harvest Festival, Amelia probably wouldn¡¯t have hesitated so much.


    But the way she wrapped her arms around herself, reluctant to embark on this outing, made it clear that the outing was merely a pretext.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who said you wanted to see for yourself.¡±


    ¡°Yes... I did...¡±


    Indeed, the real purpose of this outing was for Amelia to meet her long-time crush, Shin Siwoo.


    She wanted to hear his true feelings and have an open, honest conversation.


    To effectively use her ¡®Whispers¡¯, Lilith had to connect with her target more than anyone else.


    She needed to understand Amelia thoroughly; her psychological patterns, her journey from past to present, every step that brought her to this point.


    Right now, Clara already had a deep understanding of how Amelia¡¯s mind worked.


    She could even foresee the ebb and flow of her thoughts and feelings, swaying between conscious choices and subconscious impulses.


    If Lilith ever dropped Clara¡¯s appearance and imitated Amelia, her mimicry would be flawless. No one would notice that she wasn¡¯t Amelia, given how well she understood her.


    And yet, oftentimes, Clara had to stifle her laughter whenever she looked at Amelia.


    Even she didn¡¯t expect that Amelia¡¯s tendency to avoid things would run so deep.


    Amelia hadn¡¯t even bothered to read Siwoo¡¯s farewell note or her master¡¯s will.


    That just showed how childish and baffling her self-defense mechanism was.


    ¡°If there¡¯s a misunderstanding, you¡¯ve got to face it head-on. Things won¡¯t change if you stay passive.¡±


    ¡°I know, Clara. You¡¯ve said that so many times.¡±


    But just hearing it wasn¡¯t enough to change anything.


    True change usually needs an external push.


    Clara spent a lot of time persuading Amelia.


    Disguising her manipulation as heartfelt advice, she subtly influenced Amelia¡¯s subconscious.


    She planted a seed of hope in the barren depths of Amelia¡¯s mind.


    And she guided her to seek out Siwoo on her own, preventing her from retreating into isolation again.


    After all, hope was important.


    Because the higher one¡¯s hope was, the harder the fall would be.


    Still, Clara never intended for Amelia to actually meet and talk to Shin Siwoo.


    She gently wrapped an arm around Amelia, who was trembling like a bird stepping out of its cage for the first time.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be alright. You don¡¯t need to be so stressed!¡±


    ¡°You always say that...but thanks...¡±


    ¡°And as I always say, that¡¯s what friends are for.¡±


    In the end, Amelia mustered the courage to meet Siwoo again.


    Unfortunately, their reunion was bound to end in a disaster.


    Because Clara wouldn¡¯t accept it otherwise.


    2.


    ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m screwed! I¡¯m totally screwed! Why is the world out to get me like this...?¡±


    Sharon pouted, her face gloomy.


    The council had assigned her to the second day of the Harvest Festival.


    A special day or date didn¡¯t necessarily call for special sex, but she still knew exactly how to please Siwoo, who had a bit of a kinky side.


    While the twins were busy prepping their Love-Love Jenga, Sharon got a little competitive and began brainstorming her own ideas.


    She even helped Duchess Tiphereth, who was aimlessly wandering, unsure of what to do alone.


    Since the duchess had prepared a bunny-girl outfit, Sharon took the chance to order something special for herself, too.


    A 13-piece adult toy package, a product of the Modern World.


    The problem was that the smuggling ship that was supposed to arrive that morning had gotten caught in a maritime accident and sunk to the bottom of the ocean in the modern world.


    Her dildos and handcuffs, among other items, became hidden treasures under the sea without ever meeting their intended owner.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me...¡±


    Though the schedule had been tight, she had hoped it¡¯d make it in time.


    Never did she imagine that such a huge mishap, like the ship capsizing, would ruin everything.


    Sharon let out a bitter laugh at her unfortunate streak.


    ¡°Damn... I was really looking forward to this....¡±


    Some items in the catalog had looked intimidating, but they had sparked her curiosity.


    They said trying out new things could help keep a relationship exciting, so she braced herself and just did it.


    Even for someone like Sharon, to aim to secure a spot next to Siwoo, who was considered the most popular man in the Witch Society, she felt that mediocre preparations and readiness wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    But no matter how much she lamented, there was no time to prepare anything else.


    In Gehenna, where many conservative witches lived, it wasn¡¯t easy to get adult toys, and even if she could, the scandal she¡¯d have to deal with would be mortifying. Her master¡¯s name might get dragged into it, and she didn¡¯t want that.


    In the end, she decided to just put on her best makeup, dressed up as prettily as she could, and sat on a bench in Tarot Town, waiting for Siwoo.


    3.


    When Siwoo thought about the Harvest Festival, the first thing that popped into his mind was the lively, festive atmosphere of Tarot Town¡¯s plaza.


    Trinity Academy didn¡¯t change much even during the Harvest Festival, while the luxurious Malkuth Gallery wasn¡¯t a place where a slave could freely enter.


    So, naturally, he and Takasho often found themselves at the White Whale Bar, enjoying some dry jerky and draft beer.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t bad at all.¡±


    He¡¯d once heard that a measure of one¡¯s success was ¡®How great of a day are you having on holidays or special days¡¯.


    Looking at it that way, his life had certainly taken a turn for the better.


    Just yesterday, he spent a wonderful day with his master¡ªone of the three duchesses of Gehenna¡ªand tomorrow, he planned to relax with the Gemini twins¡ªapprentice witches of  Countess Gemini.


    And today, he had a date with Sharon, someone he would never have dreamed of approaching if he were the old Siwoo.


    Thinking about it, he couldn¡¯t help but feel like his happiness was a bit too much, even if he were to think of it objectively.


    Like all festivals, the real fun didn¡¯t start until evening.


    Since it was just past noon, Tarot Town¡¯s plaza was still pretty quiet.


    Everyone seemed to be still recovering from last night¡¯s revelry, holed up at home with their loved ones, battling their hangovers.


    But, of course, by nightfall, the town would come alive again as if nothing had happened.


    After wandering for a while, he spotted Sharon sitting on a bench near their meeting spot.


    He slowed his footsteps, moving in while making sure not to make any noise.


    He was planning on giving her a little scare, like he used to do back in the day.


    ¡°That¡¯s not gonna work on me anymore, you know?¡±


    Just as he was about to surprise her, Sharon turned her head and locked eyes with him.


    She seemed lost in thought a moment ago, but somehow, she had sensed him coming.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m that easy to fool? You always do the same thing!¡±


    ¡°How did you figure it out?¡±


    When she pouted slightly, Siwoo leaned in and gave her a quick kiss.


    With Sharon, greetings always seemed to start with a kiss.


    ¡°You can¡¯t hide your scent. I¡¯ve smelled it so many times.¡±


    ¡°Funny, considering you still fall for it sometimes.¡±


    Their playful banter flowed naturally, light and effortless.


    Sharon just had a way of putting people at ease.


    She might have seemed like a feisty stray cat at first, but in truth, she was far from it.


    ¡°Tada! How do I look? I put some effort in today.¡±


    She stood up, showing off her outfit.


    Her hair, usually left loose, was now swept up in an elegant bun fit for a princess.


    The butterfly pin and earrings, which seemed to be crafted by a master artisan, sparkled in the quiet afternoon sunlight, while her warm winter coat and scarf made her look so graceful that she could easily pass for a princess on a rare public outing.


    Moreover, the way her thick clothes were subtly puffed up by the influence of her bosom...


    Even though he saw her almost every day, Sharon¡¯s beauty never failed to captivate him.


    She was stunningly, ridiculously beautiful.


    ¡°Did you apply some makeup?¡±


    ¡°What the heck?! What¡¯s with that lifeless response?!¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t know what to say because you¡¯re too beautiful.¡±


    ¡°This outfit wasn¡¯t cheap, you know? Praise me more! Praise me!!¡±


    Even when she pretended to be upset, her cheerful smile made it impossible to think that she was actually upset.


    Then she skipped over and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a close hug.


    A comforting warmth spread, along with the soft scent of her skin.


    Playfully, Sharon rubbed her head against him, as if trying to leave her scent on him.


    ¡°Today, this big sister will cover all the date expenses. So, you could relax and leave it all to me!¡±


    ¡°Really? Are you sure about that?¡±


    ¡°Of course~ Think of it as me repaying you for all your help back when we were living together. Also, I just got paid, so let¡¯s go shopping at the gallery~¡±


    With an endearing puppy-like energy, Sharon clung to him even closer.


    Though she was usually one for physical affection, today she seemed in an especially good mood.


    If she had a tail, he imagined it would be wagging furiously as they headed toward Malkuth Gallery.

 Chapter 436: Merry Christmas (8)

    Chapter 436: Merry Christmas (8)


    1.


    It would take pages to describe the grandeur of Malkuth Gallery, and it still wouldn¡¯t do it justice.


    The closest comparison to it would be to the Belle E?poque Era of late 19th-century Europe; a time of immense prosperity and progress.


    Its glass dome was reminiscent of London¡¯s Crystal Palace, while the warm glow of crimson chandeliers created an atmosphere that made one feel oddly nostalgic, even if they had never lived through the era before.


    ¡°Reminds you of the old days, huh?¡±


    ¡°Mhm, we used to shop like this all the time.¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    Sharon, linking arms with Siwoo, settled herself in like it was natural.


    Before, she had been content with them just holding hands, but over time, she started to close in, begging for more.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo was just enjoying the soft, cushiony sensation on his arm.


    Although Malkuth Gallery was usually bustling around noon on weekdays, today it was surprisingly quiet. It was probably due to the witches recovering from last night¡¯s festivities, or they had just found more exciting places to visit.


    Either way, it worked out well for him.


    Nevertheless, they still were staring at him intensely, though their gazes weren¡¯t laced with as much obsession as before.


    He still felt that it was strange though.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just... Something feels off.¡±


    ¡°What does?¡±


    ¡°Uh, the witches... Usually, one or two of them would come up to me by now, you know...¡±


    The moment he said that, a sharp pain jabbed his side.


    Needless to say, Sharon was the culprit for that.


    ¡°Ow! Why?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, why? You¡¯re thinking about other women while you¡¯re with me! Are you seriously complaining that no one¡¯s hitting on you right now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not! It¡¯s just... It feels weird.¡±


    He could feel eyes on them, sneaking glances here and there.


    That was when Sharon, as if to show off (or to ward off competition), started to cling to his arm even tighter. Although the gesture was probably unnecessary since no one approached them anyway.


    ¡°It¡¯s because the rumors about you have changed.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you defeated the Witch of Desire, a big-shot Criminal Exile. Before, they thought of you as this cute new puppy, but now they know you¡¯re a beast that would bite if pushed.¡±


    ¡°A bit harsh on the metaphors, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s expression turned a bit sour, but Sharon seemed pleased with her analogy, covering her mouth as she laughed.


    Sure, calling him a puppy might be overboard, but her reasoning made sense.


    Considering that he had already entertained a huge number of witches back when he was working as a host, and quite some time had passed since he stayed here, the witches¡¯ interest in him probably had waned, just like the fad of castella cake, or crane games.


    But that still didn¡¯t explain why even the notoriously self-centered witches seemed to act more cautiously around him now; Sharon¡¯s explanation made all the pieces fit together.


    ¡°I guess the saying ¡®respect comes from fear¡¯ is true.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m so obedient and compliant with you. If not, I¡¯d get absolutely wrecked in bed.¡±


    Sharon hugged his arm close, throwing in a lighthearted joke.


    The fact that she was chattier than usual and was speaking a higher tone showed that she was in an exceptionally good mood.


    ¡°You¡¯re in a good mood today, huh?¡±


    ¡°Mhm, of course~ Oh, there it is! Hurry up, let¡¯s move!¡±


    Their first stop on today¡¯s date was ¡®Esprit Tailor Shop¡¯.


    To get in, they had to go up a half-flight of stairs.


    If one were to compare this place to a shop in the Modern World, it would be like  a barbershop or a classic-style British tailor.


    Though all the wealthy witches in Gehenna had dozens of piles of clothes, not everyone wore custom-made clothes.


    As long as the items were crafted beautifully, ready-to-wear could be just as popular.


    This was evident in the Malkuth Gallery, where a quarter of the space was dedicated to display cases filled with mannequins in dresses.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡±


    ¡°Whoa...¡±


    Of course, ready-to-wear clothes in Gehenna didn¡¯t come cheap.


    Their price tags were in a league of their own.


    The witch naturally carried a sense of pride and had a strong aversion to being judged by others.


    This was why stores catering to witches avoided the typical price tags with numbers.


    Instead, they used an elaborate system of scattering flower petals of different colors to indicate prices. Under the mannequins, a noticeable pile of petals hinted at their high prices.


    ¡°I used to shop here all the time before I was exiled.¡±


    They opened the door, and a shop that was much smaller than Siwoo expected was revealed.


    The cramped feeling came from the place¡¯s inefficient layout; every outfit was displayed on mannequins instead of hangers.


    From the entrance to the center, the clothes were tightly packed, each priced at several hundred thousand won or more.


    Siwoo, careful not to dent Sharon¡¯s pride, softly probed.


    ¡°...Are you sure about this?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I get a little allowance to keep up appearances, you know?¡±


    Well, she said it confidently enough, but...


    Seeing her who used to agonize over every penny trying to buy luxury clothes like this just feels surreal...


    I guess I¡¯m not the only one whose circumstances had taken a turn.


    They waved off a clerk who eagerly approached them and began browsing on their own.


    ¡°I want to wear something you pick out, Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°Really? I can choose anything?¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on... Not anything! Pick something nice.¡±


    Even in simple dolphin shorts and a tank top, Sharon had always looked stunning, proving the belief that fashion¡¯s final touch was the person wearing it.


    However, Siwoo had little experience shopping for women¡¯s clothes.


    Aside from that one time with Eloa, this was only his second shopping trip with a woman.


    He noticed a soft, water-colored dress that had a delicate elegance to it.


    It seemed like it would go well with a coat, so he made a suggestion for her.


    ¡°Uh... How about this one?¡±


    ¡°Got it! I¡¯ll try it on.¡±


    Though she had been browsing herself, she quickly agreed the moment Siwoo made his pick.


    ¡°You¡¯re not even going to check it?¡±


    ¡°No need! I¡¯m gonna wear it so I can look pretty for you anyway!¡±


    How could she say such words so casually...? Jeez...


    The sincerity in her eyes¡ªwithout a trace of adornment, pretense, or show¡ªmade her words all the more touching.


    ¡°Come on, follow me!¡±


    Sharon pulled Siwoo by the arm, guiding him into the dressing room curtained off from view.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s okay for us both to be in here?¡±


    ¡°Who cares? No one¡¯s watching.¡±


    Without hesitation, Sharon slipped out of her clothes, handing them to Siwoo.


    Holding her still-warm outfit, Siwoo found himself facing Sharon in just her underwear.


    No matter how many times he embraced her, it always felt fresh to see her sensual figure.


    Her chest, not just sizable but with an elegant teardrop shape, seemed beautifully sculpted, even within her bra.


    Suddenly, Sharon, locking eyes with Siwoo, said in a playful tone.


    ¡°You¡¯re staring again~¡±


    ¡°Well, with everything on display, it¡¯s hard not to.¡±


    Sharon giggled and snuggled closer to him in her underwear.


    She looked at him with a hint of mischief, like a child sneaking a treat, and whispered in his ear.


    ¡°Should we... Have a little fun right here?¡±


    ¡°What? Right here?¡±


    They had engaged in outdoor sex before, in a quiet alley of Tarot Town.


    The adrenaline of mixing flesh outdoors and the resulting pleasure were undoubtedly etched in Siwoo¡¯s memory, but... The idea of having sex in a fitting room had never crossed his mind.


    Because he always thought that was the kind of idea who¡¯d be more suited for those hot, overly passionate couples.


    ¡°The clerk¡¯s waiting on the first floor anyway. I can keep quiet, and I can clean up the aftermath with a spell... What do you think?¡±


    Did she get hooked on that alley sex?


    Siwoo swallowed hard.


    Only a flimsy curtain separated the fitting room from the store.


    To avoid detection, they would have to engage in a stealthy sex as if they were in an undercover operation.


    ¡°When did you get such a fetish?¡±


    ¡°You, Sir, were the one who made me like this.¡±


    Sharon took his chuckle as consent and wasted no time.


    She immediately undo his pants, then knelt in front of him.


    Since going straight for penetration wouldn¡¯t be too comfortable, she used her saliva as a lubricant.


    ¡°Mm... Mmmh... Mmm...!¡±


    The moment she pulled his member out from his pants, Sharon began to skillfully work her tongue around the glans.


    With the way she expertly licked his glans, blowing her hot breath on his crotch, his dick turned rock-hard in a second.


    ¡°Think you¡¯re ready?¡±


    ¡°Uh... Yeah...¡±


    They couldn¡¯t linger here for too long.


    So, they had to do everything quickly.


    Sharon slipped off her panties, braced herself against the wall, arched her back, and stuck her ass out to Siwoo.


    The combination of her flawless childbearing hips and her long well-proportioned legs that extend gracefully.


    Her pose¡ªleaning against the wall with her ass raised¡ªshowcasing her model-like impeccable proportions, stirred up a dangerously intense lust from within him.


    Siwoo kept his breathing quiet, grinding his dick against Sharon¡¯s sweet petals.


    ¡°Mmm...¡±


    She was already wet down there.


    Her juices dripped beyond her labia.


    There had been no foreplay, no kissing; the reason for Sharon¡¯s arousal was simple:


    She got wet while giving him blowjob.


    Sharon, who had been so proactive moments before, said the following words shyly with a deep blush.


    ¡°I told you, you made me like this...¡±


    ¡°Well, guess I¡¯ll have to take responsibility.¡±


    Siwoo gently stroked Sharon¡¯s ass with his fingertips and slowly pushed his member into her tight entrance.


    The hot mucous membrane immediately wrapped around him.


    The whole process was so smooth that it made him wonder if she even needed to give him a fellatio.


    Using her hand to muffle her own sounds, Sharon whispered again with a softer voice.


    ¡°S-Siwoo... D-Don¡¯t go too deep, okay? I-I might not be able to hold back... A-Also... W-When you cum... D-Do it outside, alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯d be a disaster if the mana amplification occurs here.¡±


    ¡°E-Exactly...¡±


    Sharon usually had a predictable pattern in her behavior.


    She¡¯d linger around, waiting for the perfect moment, before suddenly pouncing with an eagerness that always caught him off guard.


    But even someone as confident and assertive as Sharon, who carried herself like an older, mature girlfriend, would become surprisingly docile once they got into this kind of play.


    She¡¯d fully entrust her body to him, letting him take the lead.


    Before long, the fitting room filled with the soft sounds of their bodies moving together, sticky fluids mixing, and their heavy, heated breaths.


    2.


    -Ding, dong!


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The cheerful chime of the shop¡¯s doorbell echoed as Siwoo and Sharon stepped outside.


    In Siwoo¡¯s hands were the shopping bags filled with their purchases, while Sharon¡ªnow dressed in a beautiful new outfit¡ªstood beside him with a bright red blush on her face.


    ¡°It feels like... We did something really naughty...¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡±


    ¡°My face must¡¯ve been bright red... Do you think the clerk noticed when we checked out?¡±


    ¡°Nah, we played it cool. Plus, I made sure everything was cleaned up.¡±


    Sharon had a knack for setting the mood, but that was all.


    Though she had been so bold about having sex in the changing room, after it was actually done, she¡¯d look like she regretted all her life¡¯s decisions.


    In fact, she was on the verge of tears right now.


    Thankfully, calming her down was easy.


    ¡°Sharon.¡±


    Siwoo reached out his hand near her face...


    ¡°W-What? What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stress over it. We¡¯ve still got plenty of time left today to have fun.¡±


    Like a playful cat, Sharon leaned into his palm, rubbing her cheek against it.


    In an instant, her tension and worries melted away.


    Her expression shifted so quickly it was almost comical.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go grab something to eat.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I¡¯m the one who started this, and now look at me...¡±


    With that, the pair headed to the nearby restaurant they had booked earlier.


    For the first time in a while they went shopping together and had a meal together.


    They even sat through a rather boring play, spending the whole evening together.

 Chapter 437: Merry Christmas (9)

    Chapter 437: Merry Christmas (9)


    1.


    Sometimes, even dull moments become unforgettable ones depending on who one spent their time with.


    Though the play they were watching wasn¡¯t actually that exciting, the fact that he was doing it with Sharon was the thing that made it special.


    After leaving Lenomond Town, the pair arrived at Tarot Town¡¯s bustling square.


    The Harvest Festival was set to peak after sunset.


    As the twilight disappeared behind the spires, bonfires blazed to life in the center of the square, accompanied by loud singing.


    Musicians, hopping around like rabbits with their oboes, lutes, and bagpipes, while men with tankards laughed heartily and joined in.


    Older women lined up under various tents with homemade dishes, while young girls, with wheat stalks tucked behind their ears, coyly fended off the boys¡¯ playful advances.


    Amidst the merriment, street vendors seized the chance to call out to the crowd, displaying boards overflowing with flowers and trinkets, while couples locked arms and spun around the soaring flames, dancing in circles.


    Everyone basked in the festival, their faces lit with pure joy, as if the stars themselves had descended to light up the night.


    ¡°Da-da-da-dah-dah!¡±


    Sharon was also clearly in high spirits.


    From the way she bounced on her toes as she walked, it was clear that she just couldn¡¯t contain her excitement the whole time.


    Humming along to the lively music while linking her arms with Siwoo, she spun him around playfully.


    ¡°Amazing, huh?¡±


    ¡°Mhm! I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s been 10 years since I last went to the Harvest Festival!¡±


    Sharon, having grown up in Gehenna, had only good memories of the festival.


    Having struggled with hefty debts until now, she hadn¡¯t had the chance to focus on any festival, but now, her debts were gone, and she was enjoying the festival with her boyfriend. Everything just felt almost surreal to her.


    ¡°Try this out, Siwoo!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Vin Mariani.¡±


    It was something that could add an extra spark to the festival....


    Vin Mariani, basically Gehenna¡¯s version of a Red Bull.


    Its recipe was simple.


    They infused aged wine with coca leaves, then brewed it lightly.


    Unlike coke, which was extracted from the same coca leaves, drinking the leaves in this way removed most of its addictive properties, only leaving behind a mild stimulant that provided energy and a slight tonic effect.


    This was something that even the pubs in Tarot Town would sell. Only on holidays, though.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll try it.¡±


    Although, it was still made of coca leaves...


    But, seeing how Sharon was all excited, Siwoo just pushed all his discomfort and accepted her offer.


    Besides, spirit bodies had natural resistances to addiction due to their autonomous defense. Moreover, Gehenna¡¯s Vin Mariani wasn¡¯t known for being overly potent.


    So, he decided to indulge in a little harmless fun.


    ¡°Cheers!¡±


    With a few silver coins, they each got a bottle and clinked them together in a playful ¡®love shot¡¯.


    The sweet, grape-flavored wine went down smoothly.


    As for the effects...


    Honestly, it was actually barely noticeable.


    It was just a light buzz and a slight energy boost at best.


    Then again, the fact that even Gehenna¡¯s City Hall that was known for its strict control over everything, especially drugs, let the drink circulate, should speak volumes of how harmless it was.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t that strong, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it isn¡¯t.¡±


    After sharing a small, carefree laugh, they both blended back into the festival atmosphere.


    They wandered from stall to stall, admiring various bronze ornaments and glass crafts, and shared a spicy ginger cookie.


    The lively atmosphere of the festival, filled with people¡¯s laughter and music, seemed to course through their veins.


    As they moved from one stall to the next, weaving through the thick crowds, a young girl, no older than twelve, called out to Siwoo.


    ¡°Gentleman! Hey! Handsome Gentleman!¡±


    The noisiness and the unfamiliar title that she was using to call him made the pair fail to realize that the girl was calling him at first.


    It was only when she tugged on his sleeve did they both realize that the ¡®gentleman¡¯ was directed at him.


    Sharon, with cheeks flushed pink from the drink, giggled at the unexpected interaction.


    ¡°Since when are you a ¡®gentleman¡¯, hm~?¡±


    ¡°Stop teasing me, what¡¯s up?¡±


    With a wry smile, Siwoo crouched to the girl¡¯s eye level.


    The girl held up the flower in her hand; her freckled face brimming with boldness as she spoke with confidence.


    Given Sharon¡¯s appearance, it was clear she was a witch, but the girl didn¡¯t seem the slightest bit intimidated.


    It was clear that she wasn¡¯t an ordinary kid.


    ¡°Look here! This flower would suit the lovely witch perfectly! They say it takes a hero to win a lady¡¯s heart, so give it to her right now!¡±


    ¡°Really? Should I buy one?¡±


    ¡°Wow, they do look pretty! A-Ahem, go on, my servant! Fetch the prettiest one of them all!¡±


    Energized by the playful atmosphere, the girl threw herself even more passionately into her sales pitch.


    I suppose I¡¯ll buy one.


    Everyone seems to have a flower or wheat tucked behind their ear anyway. Also, it would suit Sharon...


    ¡°How much for a single rose?¡±


    Siwoo smiled as he rummaged through his wallet.


    Even though the support from the Gemini Household was cut off, he still had a bit of money left from his days working at the host club.


    ¡°When it comes to gifts, it¡¯s not just the gift itself but the sentiment behind it that matters!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°These might be simple flowers, but on a special day like today, it means much more when given to a beautiful witch.¡±


    What is she on about?


    Sharon, who had been smiling with her white teeth showing since earlier, watched the bargaining between the girl and Siwoo with great interest.


    Although, it was less of a bargaining and more of her sweet-talking him into overpaying her.


    ¡°How much value do you think this flower holds once it¡¯s decorating the lovely witch¡¯s hair, Gentleman?¡±


    In other words, the girl was saying that he should pay as much as he felt her ¡®gift¡¯ was worth, based on the sentiment behind it.


    Seeing how Siwoo was just blinking, confused, the girl let out a sigh before continuing.


    ¡°How about 2.5 pennies for one rose? That would express half of your heartfelt love, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    While Gehenna¡¯s prices were notoriously high, charging 10,000 won for a single rose was outright daylight robbery.


    Still, her cheeky attitude was endearing, and since it was a festival, he decided to buy the rest of her roses.


    He figured out that he should help the girl to enjoy the festival quicker.


    ¡°Alright, give me all of them. Keep the change.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Handsome Gentleman! Let me trim the stems for you right away! No one arranges flowers better than me in my village!¡±


    With that, Siwoo ended up buying four roses at an absurd price.


    The girl chatted excitedly about how she always picked the biggest and most beautiful flowers when she went gathering, and how all the villagers were eager to buy flowers from her, going into great detail about all sorts of trivial matters that no one had asked about.


    ¡°Thank you so much! I wish you a beautiful love story!¡±


    As soon as the girl left, Sharon burst into laughter she had been holding in.


    Siwoo knew he¡¯d been a bit taken advantage of due to the child¡¯s cuteness, but he couldn¡¯t forget how flustered he looked at first.


    ¡°Ahaha... Haha.... Oh, god... I can¡¯t... I laughed so hard, I¡¯m crying... What do I do...?¡±


    Practically collapsing against Siwoo¡¯s body, she hung an arm over his shoulder and laughed until tears came to her eyes.


    ¡°This nostalgic vibe... It¡¯s been ages... Tarot Town hasn¡¯t changed a bit...


    ¡°Still, you did well. Gotta hand it to her, she¡¯s a sharp little thing, really knows how to charm our handsome gentleman, Mr. Shin Siwoo.¡±


    For Siwoo, it wasn¡¯t much money, but he imagined that it would allow the little girl and her family to enjoy a much nicer meal at least for today.


    2.


    As the night deepened and midnight drew near, the festival buzzed with even more energy.


    There was a small scuffle between two men over a village girl, but the crowd treated it as just another part of the festivities.


    The grand finale of the Harvest Festival, without a doubt, was the massive fireworks display at midnight.


    Combining magic and gunpowder, the surreal fireworks that could not be seen anywhere else in the Modern World painted the night sky. The sight could always mesmerize Siwoo, even back during his days as a slave.


    The plaza was packed, leaving barely any room to move.


    Some people climbed onto rooftops to avoid the crowds, while others secured spots on terraces overlooking the square.


    The bonfires that had once crackled with fierce, dancing flames were now smothered in sand. Clothes covered the lights scattered around the stalls and streets.


    Now, with the stars visible again, the crowd gazed upward, murmuring in quiet anticipation.


    ¡°It feels like I¡¯m sitting in a theater before the movie starts.¡±


    Sharon¡¯s words were spot-on.


    At that moment, everyone¡¯s eyes were on the sky.


    -Peeeeeeing!


    With a sudden sound, a firework shot across the night sky like a shooting star, leaving a glowing trail.


    In a burst of color, fireworks spread like curtains opening, signaling the festival¡¯s peak.


    ¡°Wow... It¡¯s breathtaking, no matter how many times I see it.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t a typical fireworks show.


    Instead of disappearing after one burst, the fireworks, guided by magic, formed intricate shapes in the sky.


    -Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Snowflakes, a giant whale symbolizing abundance, stalks of wheat, and even scenes of rolling green fields lit up the night.


    Under the brilliant lights, couples began to turn toward each other, as if drawn by an unspoken cue.


    ¡°Hey, did you know?¡±


    When Siwoo snapped out of his daze, he noticed that Sharon was looking at him.


    ¡°They say couples who kiss under the Harvest Festival fireworks will stay together forever.¡±


    Amidst the rainbow of lights spilling like stardust, Sharon wrapped her arms around Siwoo¡¯s neck.


    Then, they kissed.


    To confirm their love for each other, they pressed their lips together while exchanging saliva.


    Perhaps, the stunning scenery made this particular kiss feel special.


    Siwoo could feel his heart racing, just like the very first time they kissed.


    Sharon, too, seemed to feel the same way. Her long lashes quivered as she held tightly onto his sleeve.


    The sweetness of her breath.


    The faint crackling sound of the dying embers above.


    The soft scent of her skin.


    And the delicate hint of wine.


    In that fleeting moment, which felt both endless and quick, they slowly separated their lips.


    It was as if his true feelings, hidden deep inside, slipped out without him realizing.


    ¡°Sharon, I love you.¡±


    Hearing his words, Sharon gave him a shy smile.


    ¡°Not fair, I was going to say it first.¡±


    Hand in hand, they turned their gaze back to the sky.


    The moment was so perfect that they couldn¡¯t help but wonder if they deserved such happiness.


    They watched the flamboyant flowers of fire in the sky, a sight they¡¯d carry with them forever, even to their last moments.


    At that moment...


    Rain started falling.


    At first, it was just a few scattered drops, but soon it spread, drenching the thousands gathered and covering all of Tarot Town.


    As the fireworks reached their finale, the murmurs of the crowd grew louder.


    Yet no one seemed upset by the sudden rain.


    They were too lost in the magic of the festival, treating the rain as another memory to cherish.


    But Siwoo felt a deep, unsettling dread, as if something was about to go terribly wrong.


    A sense of fear that he couldn¡¯t explain crept up, tightening like a vice around his chest.


    The rain wasn¡¯t normal.


    With rain like this, it should¡¯ve quickly turned to snow.


    Or, at the very least, it would¡¯ve turned into sleet.


    But this rain...


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    That was when he sensed a faint pulse of mana weaving through the spell controlling the fireworks.


    Sharon, too, sensed it, and realized that something strange was going on.


    ¡°Siwoo...¡±


    Siwoo removed his eyepatch and looked up. He could see a distinct magic pattern in the sky.


    The pattern of mana was something that he managed to recognize in an instant.


    Because....


    ¡°Amelia...¡±


    That pattern, that resonance, was the unmistakable signature of Amelia¡¯s self-essence magic.


    The moment her name left his lips...


    Tarot Town was engulfed in a shimmering storm of particles, falling like a cascade of stars.

 Chapter 438: Wandering (1)

    Chapter 438: Wandering (1)


    1.


    There were things she wanted to say but couldn¡¯t.


    Feelings she longed to share but kept hidden.


    She felt suffocated.


    Isolated.


    She tried to fix the things that had gone wrong, trying to mend the distance.


    And she knew that there were things that simply wouldn¡¯t get through unless she said it out loud, just as Clara had said.


    She understood that.


    But, she was still afraid.


    Of being abandoned. Of being rejected. Of receiving a cold, indifferent stare.


    Hence why she couldn¡¯t bring herself to face Siwoo directly.


    And could only hope for an accidental meeting.


    But perhaps, deep down, fearing they¡¯d never meet at all, she wandered through Gehenna, clutching onto her hesitant resolve and fearful heart.


    Wandering.


    Indeed, that word fit her perfectly.


    Foolishly drifting without any direction, with no solid ground under her feet.


    Her aimless walk began somewhere in Lenomond Town and came to an end as she arrived in Tarot Town.


    Because she had seen Siwoo.


    And beside him stood a witch.


    A woman with deep green hair, mint-colored eyes, and a cute smile that never left her face as she stayed by his side.


    ¡°...¡±


    They exchanged warm smiles, their conversation flowing naturally, and their gestures reflected a deep trust and affection.


    ¡°Amelia...¡±


    Clara, who had been watching nearby, gently rested her hand on her shoulder.


    But, it didn¡¯t matter.


    Amelia still stood frozen, lost in thought as time passed her by.


    When she snapped back to reality, she realized she had been watching him from a distance.


    Everything felt more hurt than she expected.


    But at the same time, she felt strangely numb.


    Only a dull ache lingered, like a once-throbbing wound now frozen over.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time.


    When she peeked at him doing indecent acts with the Countess Gemini¡¯s twin apprentice.


    And when she had seen him having intercourse with Yebin Smyrna, the woman she¡¯d invited to heal him, the tingling sensation was also there.


    Now, as she traced that ache like touching a wound, she realized where the pain had stemmed from.


    Back then, she was ignorant.


    She didn¡¯t understand what love was, and she couldn¡¯t accept it.


    Back then, there was hope.


    A sliver of a future where, no matter the cost, she¡¯d apologize to him without fail.


    But now...


    This wasn¡¯t the same Siwoo she faced fighting the Witch of Desire.


    His expression, his gaze, and the tone of his voice she had seen so often back when they lived together in that cabin, were now directed at this witch.


    She didn¡¯t feel bitter for losing him.


    Because that was a feeling she didn¡¯t deserve to have.


    But the sight of the pair completely engrossed in each other, as if the world belonged solely to them, seemed so flawless in her eyes.


    It was as if they were showing off that her relationship with him could never turn back to what it used to be.


    Her legs gave way.


    ¡°Amelia.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m okay.¡±


    The way her voice sounded so calm, as if coming from someone else, surprised her.


    But the moment the words left her lips, her chest felt like it was burning, and the numbness in her heart began to melt, replaced by unbearable pain.


    ¡°I¡¯m not bothered at all. I¡¯m alright.¡±


    Her breathing grew heavier.


    It felt like the ground was shifting beneath her, as if her sense of balance had suddenly vanished.


    How did it come to this?


    This...isn¡¯t what I wanted...


    -Rustle.


    At that moment, something fell to the ground.


    It was a small, folded note she always carried.


    The same one that she couldn¡¯t bring herself to open.


    Because, if those were Siwoo¡¯s parting words, she was afraid that reading them meant abandoning her duties to clear the Kill List and putting him in danger again.


    So, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to open it, afraid that the last pillar supporting her might finally collapse.


    And now, she reached out for that note.


    It was a futile attempt, a desperate grasp for a final shred of hope.


    ¡®Maybe, he had already forgiven me.¡¯ She hoped.


    Even if it was too late, she needed something to cling to.


    The note, folded only twice but seemingly impenetrable like a magic barrier, unfolded all too easily.


    Its message was brief, with more blank space than words.


    [I will never forgive you.]


    Those words grabbed her by the ankles and dragged her down into the darkest depths.


    At that moment, Lilith gently placed a hand on her waist, wiping her tears away.


    ¡°Oh, Amelia, my poor, poor Amelia.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±


    Amelia still didn¡¯t react.


    It was as if she had locked herself away in a place only she could reach, completely detached from the outside world.


    -Woooong!


    Instead, a storm of particles began to swirl violently around her.


    After reaching the 15th rank, a witch could achieve a state where her magic and mind became one.


    At such heights, her instincts and emotions fused with her mana, and that bond would grow stronger as they increased their rank.


    Lilith watched her with a sweet, satisfied smile.


    There was no need for her to pretend anymore.


    Finally, the magic she had planted within Amelia began to spread, taking root in every corner of her brand as Amelia¡¯s mind unraveled.


    To Lilith, this whole act had been crude, almost childish in its simplicity.


    All she had done was manipulate the misunderstanding between them and tweak the note he had left her.


    But for someone like Amelia, who was already crumbling on her own, what she had done was an overkill.


    But, Amelia wasn¡¯t the only witch Lilith had under her control.


    Besides, she didn¡¯t have the time nor the patience to make every last one of her attempts perfect.


    It hurts.


    I want it to end.


    It¡¯s unbearable.


    Leave me alone.


    I¡¯m fine by myself.


    I don¡¯t regret it.


    I¡¯m okay.


    Shattered fragments of emotion rushed past Lilith¡¯s ears.


    They were too beautiful, too much like a fairy¡¯s shimmering light, to be simply described as sorrowful. She gently caressed each one of them.


    Intense emotions were easier to manipulate than subtle ones.


    Whether it was overwhelming joy or blood-spitting rage, such emotions could be thrown entirely off course with a gentle nudge.


    ¡°You can still change things, even now.¡±


    The Cowardly Witch did it, Bianca did it, and so did countless witches whose names Lilith had forgotten.


    Amelia, being her stupidly naive self, wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it.


    ¡°Stop holding it in. It breaks my heart to see you as the only one sacrificing yourself. I can¡¯t bear to watch anymore.¡±


    Lilith¡¯s voice was tinged with an uncontrollable laughter.


    She gradually pushed and prodded at the raging storm of emotions that was still gaining momentum.


    ¡°It¡¯s been hard and painful for you. You had to carry all that pain alone. That¡¯s enough for you to atone for your sins.¡±


    -Wooooong!


    Fireworks erupted in the distance, bursting against the night sky.


    Tiny particles spread between them, starting to fill the air.


    Then, came the rain.


    A downpour cascaded from a cloudless sky, as if the heavens themselves were weeping.


    The particles expanded, spreading outward until they covered the whole of Tarot Town.


    Amelia¡¯s power was formidable, enough to make even Keter wish to use her as a weapon.


    She sought to bring every inch of this vast expanse under her dominion.


    ¡°It hurts, doesn¡¯t it? It¡¯s upsetting, but it¡¯s alright. I¡¯m going to help you. I will teach you how to attain happiness.¡±


    Of course, said ¡®happiness¡¯ was anything but genuine.


    Lilith gave a small, subtle pull of her fingers.


    Like a puppet on strings, the magic she had sown into Amelia began to pulse and expand.


    Amelia¡¯s vacant eyes slowly found Lilith.


    Her once sky-blue eyes, always filled with depth, now felt empty, like a pit of despair.


    ¡°Happiness...?¡±


    ¡°You have power, don¡¯t you? The strength to reclaim what¡¯s rightfully yours.¡±


    A flimsy rationale.


    Barely even an argument, more like a twisted excuse.


    Even Amelia knew that the feelings between a man and a woman couldn¡¯t be dictated by sheer power alone.


    But in her current state, it didn¡¯t matter.


    Sadness was something that could easily be morphed, most often into anger and desperate screams.


    Negative emotions and violence had always walked hand in hand.


    Even if she would deeply regret it later, right now, she felt that it was justified.


    ¡°All you need to do is snap your fingers. That¡¯s all it takes to stay by his side. To live in a world where it¡¯s just the two of you. I¡¯ll help make that happen.¡±


    Her words were merely sweet lies, twisted logic, and promises that would never be fulfilled.


    But her poison had already taken hold of Amelia.


    With each word that dripped from her tongue, Amelia¡¯s mana spiraled further out of control.


    ¡°Show him your sorrow, your anger. Let him see it all.¡±


    -Wooooooong!


    Wherever the rain fell, tiny sprouts began to bloom in abundance.


    As blossoms the size of a pinky nail unfurled, everything around them crumbled.


    With this, Lilith had achieved her goal, and Keter¡¯s plans lay in ruins.


    -Snap!


    Amelia¡¯s hand, lifted as if in a trance, twisted in midair..


    Then, an extremely brief ripple appeared.


    With mana and particles as her medium, the ripple flowed out, consuming everything under her command.


    -Rumble!


    Each time a flower bloomed...


    Her particles absorbed mana, producing even greater power.


    Lilith¡¯s face lit up with ecstatic delight.


    All would fall.


    Gehenna¡¯s collapse was imminent.


    ¡°...It¡¯s happening...¡±


    Just as Lilith was about to burst into laughter,


    All the trembling came to a halt.


    At the same time, Lilith¡¯s crazed laughter stopped.


    Her eyes darted around.


    Within the eerie silence that came out so suddenly, the raindrops became more visible.


    They hung in the air, as if suspended, moving slowly, scattering light as though they were caught in a realm with no gravity.


    Stunned, Lilith turned her gaze to Amelia.


    When Amelia had broken down mentally, Lilith¡¯s self-essence magic, ¡®Whisper¡¯, had undoubtedly taken hold of her body.


    She should¡¯ve been nothing more than Lilith¡¯s puppet by now.


    ¡°No... No...! This can¡¯t be...!¡±


    But, how was she supposed to explain this phenomenon?


    The magical phenomenon that didn¡¯t follow the laws of classical mechanics.


    A spell had its own inertia.


    Like a speeding train that couldn¡¯t stop abruptly, halting a large-scale spell like this was nearly impossible.


    But Amelia did it; she rejected all of her sweet lies.


    She poured all her strength into controlling the spell that had erupted from her emotional surge.


    As a result, the 23rd rank spell imploded, causing this phenomenon.


    Spatial randomization.


    It was the rupture that only would occur when spells of the witches of the highest ranks had clashed head-on. Amelia had triggered such a phenomenon by herself.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening...¡±


    Lilith stared at Amelia, her face twisted in disbelief.


    Her control on her was still intact.


    Indeed, the leash she had put on on Amelia was still there.


    ¡°Amel¡ª¡±


    Just as she reached out again, Lilith noticed tiny buds pushing up under her skin.


    If she had reached out for one more inch, her arm, or maybe her entire body, would have burst open.


    It was a clear rejection.


    A rejection directed not only at Lilith.


    But at the entire world.


    ¡°Ahaha.¡±


    Her bewilderment quickly turned into amusement.


    Lilith¡¯s spell, ¡®Whisper¡¯ worked differently depending on the target¡¯s magical prowess.


    It was a peculiar spell, shifting in power based on the strength of its target¡¯s mind.


    Amelia, who Lilith had dismissed as immature, was now defying her spell with sheer willpower.


    She had to admit that she had severely underestimated her.


    But that was it.


    Amelia might have rejected Lilith¡¯s control, but she was still on a rampage.


    The evidence was in the twisted space that refused to settle, and the particles pushing everything around her away, holding it in suspension.


    As always, Amelia was driving everything out and retreating into her own isolated space.


    In the distorted space, defying the rules of the world, she was crafting a new shelter, a spell to cocoon herself away from the world.


    The space was becoming increasingly distorted, and Amelia was already fading from view.


    ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t too bad.¡±


    Lilith didn¡¯t mind this unexpected variable.


    In her eyes, no matter the process, the outcome wouldn¡¯t change.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see you struggle.¡±


    With those final words, a thick darkness engulfed Lilith like a lightning strike, ejecting her from the space.

 Chapter 439: Wandering (2)

    Chapter 439: Wandering (2)


    1.


    Upon sensing the disturbance, Siwoo immediately deployed his magic.


    The mana waves reflected in his golden left eye were wild and overwhelming, just like a natural disaster was occuring.


    He hadn¡¯t fully understood the situation yet, but he unfurled his ribbon to shield as many citizens as possible and ran with Sharon.


    Particles, dense like volcanic ash, covered everything, consuming the space itself until the chaos finally halted near the outskirts of Tarot Town.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    A rippling boundary seemed to split the area like an invisible wall.


    The scene beyond the border was no longer the lively festival of Border Town.


    Instead, twisted shapes and strange colors shimmered like a mirage.


    It looked like a world distorted by a capricious god.


    Siwoo recognized this phenomenon.


    It was the same spatial randomization that occurred when Bianca¡¯s arrow collided with his spear


    ¡°Siwoo, is this... Amelia¡¯s doing...?¡±


    Sharon, too, was bewildered by the sudden turn of events.


    But she recalled the name Siwoo had murmured before this disaster unfolded.


    Amelia Marigold.


    The Witch of Perfumes, a Baroness of Gehenna, and a woman who had a rather complicated past with him.


    Siwoo had avoided talking about her, so Sharon hadn¡¯t pried, but she knew he was once her private slave and that something had happened between them.


    But right now, he was too stunned to answer Sharon¡¯s question.


    Because he was experiencing the kind of shock that made everything else incomprehensible firsthand.


    Why would Amelia do something like this...?


    Gehenna¡¯s laws forbid the usage of large-scale magic within the city¡¯s ground without casting an interdimensional barrier beforehand.


    But Amelia¡¯s magic had already affected thousands of citizens, twisting space itself.


    While he couldn¡¯t predict exactly how this space would impact everyone or what kind of effect would be, if it ever caused anyone harm or led to disaster, the punishment awaiting Amelia was all too clear.


    Exilement as a Criminal Exile.


    Or immediate execution.


    These were the worst-case scenarios, but that was enough to prompt Siwoo to make his move.


    Now wasn¡¯t the time to ask the whys or hows.


    He had to ensure that this disaster caused the smallest harm possible.


    In other words, he had to go there.


    If there were survivors, he had to save them, and if Amelia was there, he needed to stop her right away.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sharon, I have to go there. I¡¯ll explain later, okay?¡±


    ¡°What? You¡¯re seriously going in there?¡±


    Sharon exclaimed, shocked.


    She immediately spread her arms to block his path.


    ¡°No way! Are you crazy?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just a spatial randomization. It won¡¯t be my first time handling it.¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy?! Does this look like a normal spatial randomization to you?!¡±


    Sharon pointed to the boundary with her finger.


    She, too, had seen the magic spreading behind them as they helped evacuate the townspeople.


    To be exact, she saw how it stopped everything in its tracks.


    Those caught within it froze in place as if time had halted, and countless flowers bloomed over the ground and stone walls.


    The phenomenon was not something that simply occurred in a randomized space.


    It was a carefully constructed large-scale spell, creating a new, stable structure.


    And as much as she valued other people¡¯s life, Siwoo¡¯s life was far more precious to her.


    So, there was no way that she¡¯d just let him go.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°At least tell me what you¡¯re planning to do!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get the people out... Then, I¡¯ll stop her...¡±


    Sharon knew.


    If Siwoo thought that even one person was stuck inside, he¡¯d go in without hesitation.


    Now, what if that one person was someone who was likely to be an old lover of his? It wasn¡¯t hard to think that he¡¯d risk his life to save her.


    The problem was that there was no telling what kind of ominous magic lay ahead.


    In other words, he was basically about to step into a maze filled with who-knows-what kinds of dangers.


    ¡°Mr. Siwoo!¡±


    At that moment, a sharp voice called out loudly to Siwoo.


    He turned around to see Countess Albireo approaching quickly, her skirt fluttering as she moved.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    A massive magic realm had suddenly appeared in Tarot Town.


    Since Albireo had been in contact with Amelia before she disappeared, she immediately knew that the young witch was responsible for it.


    After all, the magic was so distinct that any witch who was familiar with the previous generation¡¯ witches would recognize it at once.


    ¡°Countess.¡±


    Seeing the determined look on Siwoo¡¯s face, Albireo felt glad she¡¯d hurried over.


    If she was even a minute late, she¡¯d probably lost her son-in-law in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act recklessly. The Tree of Sephiroth has called a meeting. Several nobles are already discussing a solution.¡±


    The matter was serious enough that Gehenna¡¯s higher-ups called for a meeting immediately so that they could assess the situation more effectively.


    ¡°You going in now wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference anyway. Countess Yesod and the others were still analyzing the spatial randomization patterns. According to Countess Kohav, the randomization itself has stopped, and stabilization has begun.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It means, you need to wait and enter once a proper plan is in place! So far, the results show that this space isn¡¯t harming ordinary humans.¡±


    Only then did Siwoo feel his nerves ease a bit.


    There was no immediate danger to the citizens.


    That alone meant the worst-case scenario had been averted.


    Not only were there no casualties, but it also meant Amelia¡¯s actions hadn¡¯t yet been deemed a Criminal Exile¡¯s attack.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s next, Countess?¡±


    Sharon, whose nerves also calmed down, asked that question to Albireo.


    ¡°Deneb is attending in my place and will update us on the decision, so please, don¡¯t do anything reckless.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Siwoo placed a cigarette between his lips.


    He could feel his chest tightened.


    Now that he had calmed down a little, he finally started wondering ¡®why¡¯ Amelia had done such a thing in the first place.


    He had a faint feeling that the reason was somehow connected to him.


    ¡°If anything goes wrong, I¡¯ll be ready to go in immediately.¡±


    ¡°I get it, the situation¡¯s tricky. But for now, just calm down.¡±


    Regardless, he needed the Red Branch to go in.


    After all, the only reason unconscious Siwoo had managed to navigate the randomized space was by using the spear¡¯s distortion field.


    If the noble witches could map out the randomized space¡¯s patterns, it¡¯d be like having a guide through the maze, allowing him to cast spells safely within it.


    Siwoo swallowed hard as he looked at the misty boundary rippling before him.


    2.


    Since Gehenna¡¯s founding, there had only been a few cases where so many nobles gathered so quickly.


    Within only ten minutes, twenty baronesses and four countesses had responded to the call.


    This was nearly every noble currently staying in Gehenna.


    Each was dressed in fancy attire, possibly having been at a party, but they were all wearing serious expressions.


    Despite the inconvenience of leaving their parties, none showed any sign of displeasure.


    To the noble grand witches, Gehenna was both home and the center of their lives.


    It was clear that everyone was on high alert due to this sudden, unprecedented event.


    However, despite the large turnout, the meeting hadn¡¯t started yet.


    Countess Yesod, sitting beside Deneb, was analyzing the random patterns from the crystal orb, drawing on her expertise.


    The host of the meeting had yet to appear.


    Then, breaking the sharp tension, the doors opened, and the witch they had all been waiting for entered the hall.


    -Click, click, click.


    The sharp sound of heels echoed through the chamber, catching everyone¡¯s attention.


    Her raven-black hair flowed down to her waist, and her eyes were as pale as snow.


    She was the head of the Jinri Jinmyeong Academic Society, Gehenna¡¯s largest academic society, and one of only three duchesses.


    The 24th-ranked Grand Witch, Blanche Erelim.


    Accompanied by her closest aide, Countess Yvonne Kohav, she took her seat.


    As one would expect from a witch, her beauty was flawless.


    But her aura was strangely cold and detached.


    Unlike other witches who showed a hint of humanity, Duchess Erelim seemed lifeless, like a wax figure brought to life, as if mercury flowed through her veins instead of blood.


    Without changing her expression, she sat before the witches who had been waiting and greeted them in a soft, yet still emotionless voice.


    ¡°First, I express my deep regret that this unfortunate incident has disturbed the great city of Gehenna, while the outside world is in chaos due to the violent and lawless actions of the Criminal Exiles.¡±


    Hearing those opening words, Deneb¡¯s face hardened.


    By calling it an ¡®unfortunate incident,¡¯ Duchess Erelim had already revealed her stance.


    She had already classified Baroness Marigold as a potential threat.


    ¡°The reason I called this urgent meeting is to gather your wisdom to discuss a way to bring this turmoil under control.¡±


    Since she already had made up her mind, this whole thing was just her way to make the other witches comply with her.


    Just as power in the human world was rooted in wealth, Gehenna¡¯s power was rooted in magic.


    Duchess Erelim, a 24th-ranked witch whose existence preceded even Gehenna, had countless followers behind her.


    Even in this very hall, more than a third were members of her school.


    With her crystalline eyes, Duchess Erelim looked over the witches seated around her, and immediately got to the main point.


    ¡°Therefore, I propose that Baroness Amelia Marigold be stripped of her title and exiled. If she refuses our demands or won¡¯t engage in dialogue, she will be treated as a Criminal Exile and be hunted down.¡±


    As those words fell, a massive stir spread throughout the meeting hall.

 Chapter 440: Wandering (3)

    Chapter 440: Wandering (3)


    1.


    Duchess Blanche Erelim, also known as the ¡®Witch of the Constellations¡¯.


    Having lived for nearly a thousand years, she was one of the oldest witches alive.


    Although she spent most of her time secluding herself in her workshop within the academic society, her words carried weight throughout Gehenna. No one dared dismiss them lightly.


    She was well-versed in all branches of magic, and her workshop was practically a treasure trove of research materials; from her personal findings to the theses of academic members, all these treasures were more precious to witches than heaps of gold.


    Even grand witches longed for a glimpse of her library, while countless others sought her guidance.


    But, despite Duchess Erelim¡¯s standing, the murmurs in the conference room continued.


    Instances where nobles got exiled were rare, while cases of purging were almost unheard of.


    Also, Duchess Erelim was known as a staunch conservative who prioritized the rights of witches, so no one expected her to propose such an extreme measure.


    At that moment, Deneb stood up hurriedly and spoke.


    ¡°Duchess Erelim, Gehenna owes much of its peace and prosperity to the Marigold Family¡¯s dedication throughout history. Your suggestion seems to overlook that. If execution is to be considered, it should only happen after a proper trial.¡±


    Although Countess Gemini and Amelia weren¡¯t particularly close, they were acquaintances.


    Even without knowing all the details, she didn¡¯t want to see Amelia getting purged.


    ¡°I agree with Countess Gemini. An immediate purge is far too extreme of a punishment.¡±


    ¡°The full assessment of the threat hasn¡¯t been determined yet. There¡¯s still time to analyze and respond more carefully.¡±


    Several witches backed Deneb¡¯s argument.


    A witch killing another witch was an entirely different matter from a witch killing a human, this was common sense to the witches.


    Just the notion itself stirred a deep, instinctive sense of unease in their heart.


    Even with the growing dissent, Deneb couldn¡¯t relax.


    Because most of the witches speaking up weren¡¯t members of the Jinri Jinmyeong Academic Society.


    The duchess listened calmly to the opposing voices, her gaze steady and unwavering.


    Her expression remained unreadable, like a mask.


    After a moment, she nodded slightly and spoke.


    ¡°Your points are valid. However, since time is of the essence, let me first present the data that we currently have before we continue this discussion.¡±


    A large projection appeared above Duchess Erelim¡¯s palm.


    It resembled a holographic screen, displaying the chaotic state of Tarot Town.


    ¡°I will explain the information in detail.¡±


    Countess Yvonne Kohav, the vice-president of the academic society and Erelim¡¯s close confidant, stepped forward.


    ¡°I¡¯ll provide a brief update on the spatial anomalies in Tarot Town and our projections moving forward.¡±


    With a flick of her finger, Countess Kohav rewound the footage in the projection.


    Said footage, recorded in real-time by an observatory near Tarot Town, not only showed the events as they unfolded but also displayed measurements from magical observations.


    ¡°The observed time of the incident is 00:04:35 AM, during the Harvest Festival fireworks show. At this exact time, Baroness Amelia Marigold¡¯s self-essence magic, ¡®Particles,¡¯ began to disperse. Initially, these were uncrystallized, microscopic particles...¡±


    The screen transitioned to another clip.


    It now showed rain falling under the still-glowing embers of the night sky.


    ¡°By 00:13:33 AM, the rain intensified as mana activity surged. According to records about the former Marigold, she used magic that dispersed self-essenced mana particles, allowing her to dominate space. In essence, she could control any area the rain touched.¡±


    The footage showed rain spreading out from the center of Tarot Town, eventually covering the entire area before stopping.


    ¡°At 00:14:20 AM, in less than a minute, the entire town came under her control. That¡¯s when the anomaly occurred. The distortion of space.¡±


    As Countess Kohav explained, the expanding magic was behaving unnaturally, as if it was grinding to a halt.


    ¡°At 00:15:04 AM, for unknown reasons, a force pushing outward clashed with one holding it back. This created a superimposed mana space, leading to a phenomenon known as spatial randomization.¡±


    This much was already common knowledge among everyone in the room.


    While spatial randomization was rare, its peculiar nature made it well-known.


    ¡°Spatial randomization has little effect on the human body. Humans either have no mana or only negligible amounts, so they might lose consciousness at best, but it¡¯s not harmful. It¡¯s in line with what the report states, ¡®it hasn¡¯t harmed the citizens so far,¡¯ but please take a look at this.¡±


    The cube that was displaying the horizontal footage vanished, replaced by another one.


    This one provided a bird-eye¡¯s view of the scene, as if the footage was taken from above.


    ¡°Duchess Erelim was the one who personally recorded this particular footage.¡±


    A murmur spread among the witches as they watched the footage.


    It was because this bird-eye¡¯s view strongly suggested this incident was no simple mishap.


    A black hole. It was like they were staring at one.


    The closer to the distorted center of Tarot Town, the clearer the swirling black circle could be seen.


    Its core was so dark and dense, even light seemed to be sucked in, making it impossible to see with the naked eye.


    ¡°As of 00:15:04 AM, the anomaly¡¯s outward expansion has stopped. However, for some unknown reason, the randomization worsens the closer you get to the center.¡±


    Hearing this, Countess Yesod sighed in frustration and tossed her pen onto the table.


    She had been painstakingly working on decoding the randomization patterns, but this new revelation rendered all her efforts useless.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense. Spatial randomization usually affects all coordinates equally, no? Once it spreads, it¡¯ll just turn into what essentially is a binary state of existence or nonexistence... But for it to intensify toward the center...¡±


    One of the witches spoke up, voicing the question on everyone¡¯s mind.


    The one who answered her wasn¡¯t Countess Kohav, but Duchess Erelim.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯ve proposed this rather extreme solution. If this is just a simple case of spatial randomization, we could take a more moderate approach. We¡¯d have more time, and we could chalk this up as an unfortunate accident.¡±


    Duchess Erelim stood up from her seat.


    ¡°However, as you can see, this is no ordinary randomization. Baroness Marigold is freely casting spells within it, and the footage shows clear signs of spatial collapse as a result.


    ¡°Her magic will continue to slowly expand, and within an hour, it will engulf the entirety of Tarot Town.


    ¡°Right now, we¡¯re barely holding things together, but as the collapse spreads, it¡¯s obvious that we¡¯ll eventually lose control of it.


    ¡°At that point, whatever her motives and goals are won¡¯t matter anymore


    ¡°If we just let it be, it¡¯ll expand until it reaches its limit¡ªwhich we don¡¯t know of, and chances are it could lead to the collapse of the barrier protecting all of Gehenna.¡±


    An uneasy silence filled the room.


    No one spoke. Some witches swallowed their gasps while others nervously ran their hands through their hair.


    ¡°As I mentioned earlier, this is only one of the reasons. During my investigation, I tried two things.


    ¡°First, I used magic to suppress the phenomenon. It didn¡¯t work.


    ¡°Second, I sent a warning to the baroness at the center of the collapse. She gave me no response.


    ¡°These two measures were my attempts at a moderate approach.¡±


    Finally, Duchess Erelim pulled out a stack of documents.


    ¡°Lastly, this is the final reason behind my decision. These documents are immigration logs of Gehenna¡¯s ¡®Gate¡¯ from the past year. The baroness left for the modern world, but there¡¯s no record of her return. In other words, she re-entered illegally through a backdoor.¡±


    The moment she finished her words, witches who were on Deneb¡¯s side, those who had shown hesitation about executing Amelia, felt it.


    At least half the room¡¯s opinion had shifted in favor of Duchess Erelim.


    While there might be lingering doubts still, and a better solution to the situation might exist...


    No one could propose a better plan faster than Duchess Erelim could pass her judgment.


    Besides, if the spatial collapse and erosion continued to spread in Gehenna, which relied on its delicate pocket-dimension stability, as the duchess warned, the worst-case scenario could unfold.


    ¡°The nobles of Gehenna are witches who played crucial roles in its prosperity. I understand why some of you may disagree with my stance.


    No matter the circumstances, the burden of killing one of our own is heavy.¡±


    Seeing the opinions converge, the duchess drove her point further home.


    ¡°I recently received confirmation from the Oracles. Duchess Keter is no longer active. Considering the past few decades and the current situation, I believe many of you have suspected this.¡±


    Duchess Keter.


    That name lingered in the minds of many witches even now.


    Why had she, who was always the first to act when her rules were broken, remained silent for so long?


    Various rumors were already circulating in the world.


    People¡¯s claim that she was unable to act for some unknown reason spread widely.


    But there was a vast difference between rumor and an official statement from someone as influential as Duchess Erelim.


    As the room teetered on the edge of chaos, Duchess Erelim¡¯s calm yet commanding voice brought it back under control.


    ¡°Duchess Keter was the foundation of the system that supported witch society. But, that system has now collapsed.


    ¡°Without it, chaos sown by Criminal Exiles will escalate, while the other Exiles will grow bolder.


    ¡°That¡¯s why now is the time to act decisively.


    ¡°As witches, our magical innovation must be built on a foundation of stability and control.


    ¡°We must show Gehenna and the world that we can maintain order even without Duchess Keter.


    ¡°I firmly believe this is the path for us witches and for Gehenna.


    ¡°If none of you are willing to bear the burden of spilling our kin¡¯s blood, I will take the lead.¡±


    A strong voice, firm conviction, and solid evidence combined with a righteous cause.


    No one in the room dared to oppose Duchess Erelim.


    ¡°The abnormal magical incident will stabilize once the mana source is removed.


    ¡°However, since the space is randomized and there are citizens nearby, we¡¯ll make a calculation for a precise strike.


    ¡°The calculator will take 30 minutes, and during that time, we¡¯ll give Baroness Marigold one last chance to surrender.¡±


    No one objected.


    Deneb immediately sent a message to her older sister, Albireo.

 Chapter 441: Wandering (4)

    Chapter 441: Wandering (4)


    1.


    Albireo¡¯s face turned pale.


    According to Deneb¡¯s message, what they called a ¡®meeting¡¯ wasn¡¯t really one.


    It was just Duchess Erelim presenting her briefing and pushing for her view to be accepted without question.


    The problem was that her position was solid to begin with. Also, though suspicious, the evidence she presented was pretty convincing.


    Even Albireo found herself wondering, ¡®Maybe Baroness Marigold has really become a Criminal Exile¡¯.


    Despite the chaotic situation, Albireo explained everything to Siwoo.


    She also showed him the bird¡¯s eye view that Duchess Erelim had presented during the meeting.


    As for Siwoo, he was currently standing on a magic circle that Sharon had created, receiving enhancement rituals.


    He was surprisingly calm, as if he had already steeled himself for what was coming.


    In contrast, Sharon¡¯s hands trembled as she used elemental magic to reinforce the seams of his black armor.


    ¡°So, since there¡¯s no immediate threat to civilians, and we¡¯re dealing with randomized space with large-scale spells at play, they gave us a 30-minute time limit?¡±


    Siwoo calmly repeated Albireo¡¯s explanation for confirmation.


    Albireo had a rough idea about the relationship between him and Amelia.


    She knew that he had been her private slave, and Amelia harbored feelings for him.


    In fact, the sight of her desperately trying to save Siwoo when he was about to die was still vivid in Albireo¡¯s mind.


    However, some incident had driven them apart, and she hadn¡¯t seen them meet again since.


    Since the twins were so fond of him, Albireo tried to support Siwoo as much as possible, but there were still parts of him that she disliked.


    Mainly the fact that he was a playboy and a troublemaker who¡¯d cause trouble everywhere he went.


    Still, she believed in his good nature.


    He had fought Homunculi and stood against Criminal Exiles, all for the twins, who were practically strangers to him at the time.


    And now, he was stepping into danger again, this time for Amelia.


    What would happen afterward was anyone¡¯s guess, known only to the gods.


    ¡°Honestly, I want to stop you.¡±


    Just like Sharon, who had been silently helping with the preparations despite tears brimming in her eyes, Countess Gemini also wanted to stop Siwoo.


    After all, he was the kind of son-in-law who¡¯d end up battered and bruised the moment she took her eyes off him.


    And now, he was planning to enter randomized space filled with unknown magic, all on his own...


    From a cold, logical perspective, it was practically a suicide mission.


    In a distorted magical realm where the laws of nature were distorted, magic would have to be used to push through spells that activated on their own.


    But beyond this boundary, regular magical mechanics no longer worked.


    Because no matter the spell, it would need to constantly adapt to the ever-changing rules of the ¡®space¡¯.


    If even the slightest mistake were to occur during that process, the carefully crafted spells would bare its teeth at its caster.


    The more advanced a witch¡¯s magical prowess, the greater the risks that came with it.


    This was why so many nobles and grand witches merely stood by, unwilling to act.


    After all, witches prioritized their own safety above all else¡ªit was in their nature.


    ¡°I can already hear the twins scolding me for not stopping you... Just thinking about it makes my head spin.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve been through something similar before. Everything worked out fine then, it should be the same now.¡±


    Objectively speaking, all the indicators and circumstances implied numerous ominous implications, and yet he was entertaining such a ridiculous thought.


    But then she realized that this was the man who had hunted a Homunculus back when he was still a human, and survived even after getting his brain torn apart by the Witch of Aquarius.


    He survived the mess that was caused by the Cowardly Witch and, recently, even defeated the Witch of Desire.


    If he had managed to overcome the worst situations so far, perhaps, he could also twist this seemingly doomed outcome as well.


    Although to Albireo, this was laughably baseless optimism.


    ¡°It¡¯s ironic, isn¡¯t it? Out of all the witches here, you¡¯re the first one stepping in.¡±


    Albireo wished to help. So badly. But she couldn¡¯t.


    Because she had the twins to think about.


    If she let her emotions guide her and followed him into a place where survival was next to impossible, not only would she lose her life, she¡¯d fail Odile, who¡¯d never inherit her brand completely, and Odette, who¡¯d end up inheriting half of it.


    ¡°Sorry, but I need to go now. The time limit is less than I thought.¡±


    ¡°Promise me that you¡¯ll come back.¡±


    After hearing those words, Albireo stepped aside, leaving space for him to pass.


    She had to rejoin Deneb to prepare for the next plan while also giving Sharon and Siwoo the moment they needed to say their goodbyes.


    After all, he was about to step onto a battlefield.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Say that again, and I¡¯m gonna slap you.¡±


    Sharon¡¯s once-flawless makeup had been stained with tears.


    Her carefully curled lashes were now wet and drooping.


    But even so, he had to go.


    After hearing that Amelia¡¯s execution was certain if he didn¡¯t make his move here, there was no way he¡¯d just feign ignorance.


    Thanks to the spells cast in the hopes they wouldn¡¯t be needed, Siwoo¡¯s armor gleamed with magical enhancements.


    Sharon had used up all the expensive offerings she¡¯d saved for later, following him to where he retrieved the Red Branch.


    Her self-essence magic was based on Tattva¡¯s Elemental Magic.


    In other words, her magic grew in power proportionate to the value of the offerings used, but...


    Even if she were to use the finest rubies, black pearls, and blue-tinged diamonds as offerings, it still wouldn¡¯t change one unshakable truth.


    Amelia, who created this dangerous space, was a 23rd-ranked witch.


    For Sharon, who had only just reached the early stages of the 20th rank, stepping into that space would do nothing but hold Siwoo back.


    All she could do was to use every means available to boost his armor¡¯s responsiveness to the limit.


    Swallowing her tears, she fixed her gaze on Siwoo.


    ¡°I won¡¯t kiss you. I won¡¯t ask why you¡¯re doing this, and I won¡¯t even mention marriage if you come back safe.¡±


    ¡°...Sharon.¡±


    Because she believed. Without a doubt. That he¡¯d return safely.


    After all, he¡¯d faced death and survived at least five times in less than a year.


    She clung tightly to the belief that he wasn¡¯t someone who¡¯d die to something like this.


    ¡°Just go. Don¡¯t say anything else.¡±


    She pushed him forward, as if it were just another ordinary day.


    Like they were parting for a short while, she gave him a gentle push on the back.


    Siwoo, who had been holding his gaze for a while, finally removed his eye patch.


    It was like oil drops floating on water.


    The psychedelic hues of the boundary wrapped around Siwoo, swallowing him whole.


    Sharon resisted the urge to collapse and walked over to Albireo, who was waiting nearby.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do what we can.¡±


    Sharon, a scaredy cat who usually shrank back whenever something scary happened...


    Showed an unwavering trust and determination in her eyes that even her flowing tears couldn¡¯t extinguish.


    2.


    As soon as he stepped into the boundary, an overwhelming pressure surged through his magic circuits.


    It felt like touching a mercury battery with his tongue; jolts coursed through him, while his reinforced shadow armor creaked like a boiling kettle.


    The silence was so deep that he could hear his own blood coursing through his veins.


    It was as if the world was withering, cloaked in a deep green filter, as rain, like rusty water, poured down, casting a melancholy veil over everything.


    Everything felt utterly surreal.


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    This place was a deranged magical realm where logic held no sway.


    He¡¯d claimed to have experienced something like this before, but that was only half true.


    Because it was his unconscious self that did, the one who possessed computational skills far beyond his current self.


    If he could only walk through calmly, perhaps he could figure out a way to untangle this most inexplicable natural disaster.


    But the problem here was that three disasters struck at once.


    First, this wasn¡¯t just a randomized space; it was filled with volatile spells that could detonate at any moment.


    Second, Siwoo had to head straight for the center of it all.


    Third, as if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, he was also up against a strict time limit.


    He¡¯d have to push his magic to the limit, since a single mistake could cost his life. And even if he made it through all this, if he failed to meet the deadline, Amelia would be executed.


    If he was anywhere near her at that time, he¡¯d be caught in it too.


    That was why, there was no more time for him to hesitate.


    Without delay, he grabbed the Red Branch and removed the ribbon inscribed with its control formula.


    Though the weapon was dangerously efficient, it had one glaring flaw; one wrong move, and he¡¯d be the one in tatters.


    No matter how distorted the spatial randomization was, at the end of the day, it was still a phenomenon that affected space.


    It couldn¡¯t penetrate the distortion field generated by the Red Branch.


    ¡°Bloom.¡±


    Siwoo sifted through his memories.


    Recalling how Shin Siwoo back then had once used the spear as a guide, venturing down the twisted path.


    For now, the path wasn¡¯t too difficult to follow.


    However, he couldn¡¯t feel optimistic about the situation


    As Albireo had shown in the bird¡¯s-eye view, the distortion would intensify the deeper he went.


    In other words, if this much strain was present at the outskirts, the core would be far worse.


    -Click, clack


    Siwoo met Amelia face-to-face almost a year after they parted during the fierce battle with Bianca, but they couldn¡¯t have a proper conversation.


    After returning to Gehenna, Siwoo tried to find her.


    Over time, negative emotions tend to fade.


    When Siwoo regained his memories, he felt betrayed and angry toward Amelia.


    Back then, he wished he could dismiss those painful memories as if they had never happened. But now, those feelings dulled, leaving only a faint sting, like a splinter lodged beneath his skin.


    Regret crept in, followed by guilt.


    He had avoided seeking her out, justifying it by thinking, ¡®Why hasn¡¯t Amelia come looking for me?¡¯.


    Since he assumed that she had read his note, the fact that she hadn¡¯t reached out yet felt like her way to tell him that things between them were done.


    But in reality, Siwoo wanted to hear her side of the story, have the conversations they had put off, and apologize when he needed to.


    Unfortunately, no one knew where she had gone after she resigned from her position as an associate professor.


    All he heard were rumors that she had gone to the modern world, and every attempt to find her ended in vain.


    ¡°Of all times...¡±


    And yet, their reunion had to happen under these circumstances.


    Siwoo didn¡¯t know much about Amelia.


    In his eyes, she was a complicated woman.


    Often, or rather, quite frequently, he just couldn¡¯t understand what was going on in her mind.


    Her actions thus far were closer to those of a Criminal Exile.


    Even if Siwoo had attended the noble¡¯s meeting, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to counter Duchess Erelim¡¯s claim or persuade the other witches.


    However, something firmly guided Siwoo¡¯s steps, stronger than the logical arguments presented by Duke Erelim or all the visible circumstances.


    Belief


    He believed that Amelia, while difficult to understand, was not a bad enough person to be a Criminal Exile.


    That the kind smile and cheerful care she had shown him in the log cabin were genuine.


    And that everything was the result of misunderstandings and mistakes.


    It was an almost laughable conviction.


    The thought of Amelia being executed while burdened with these misunderstandings was unbearable.


    Siwoo quickened his pace.


    His mind started adapting to the space at an astonishing speed.


    Inhaling deeply into his lungs the air that smelled like oxidized iron and the twisting of gravity that felt like his insides were being twisted.


    He pressed forward.

 Chapter 442: Wandering (5)

    Chapter 442: Wandering (5)


    1.


    The dilapidated sign marking the Tarot Town¡¯s boundary precariously leaned.


    Siwoo pushed through the chaotic, distorted space. His body was already drenched in sweat.


    ¡°This is driving me nuts.¡±


    Around him, circular distortion fields buzzed faintly, forming hazy rings in the air.


    When two different types of ¡®distortion¡¯ met, they layered like oil and water.


    The Red Branch¡¯s distortion field, usually invisible, became vividly clear in this warped, unnatural space.


    -Creak... Creak...


    But, the problem here was that the distortion field was screeching ominously, reminiscent of a submarine that was being pushed beyond its depth limit.


    The moment he crossed the boundary, Siwoo¡¯s body adapted to it, and he sprinted toward the center.


    Without any functional clocks here, the only way for him to estimate time was through his internal clock.


    He guessed that about five minutes had passed.


    Getting halfway to his destination in just five minutes wasn¡¯t bad.


    But, if he were to look at it from another perspective...


    Considering that the interference hadn¡¯t reached critical levels yet...


    It had taken him a sixth of the total time limit just to walk this far, even though he was fully armored¡ªit wasn¡¯t something to feel relieved at.


    In the distance, a storm of particles raged violently, like the eye of a hurricane about to reach the land.


    It looked more like a natural disaster, akin to a volcano or earthquake, rather than a magical phenomenon.


    He stepped closer and closer, but he still couldn¡¯t fathom what dangers lay ahead.


    ¡°...¡±


    Glancing back, he could see the path he had walked.


    He had deliberately avoided the overly twisted spaces, leaving a winding trail of footprints in safer areas.


    As long as he followed those footprints, he could get out of the place easily.


    At that moment, various possibilities crossed his mind.


    Maybe Amelia could stop her rampage on her own.


    Perhaps advancing through this randomized space was a fool¡¯s errand from the start.


    Even if he somehow reached her, he could still end up struck down by Duchess Erelim¡¯s bombardment.


    He wasn¡¯t immortal, nor was he someone like Super Mario who had extra lives.


    Trying to save Amelia was reckless and overambitious, a burden he wasn¡¯t ready to carry.


    Even the so-called grand witches actively avoided crawling into this disaster, it just made no sense that he decided to do this.


    Besides, ever since they parted ways, he and Amelia hadn¡¯t crossed paths again.


    At first, it felt like half of him had been ripped away, but time slowly covered the grief he felt, allowing him to move forward.


    ¡®All meetings end in separation.¡¯


    Maybe, just maybe, losing someone precious and becoming strangers wasn¡¯t so unusual.


    Every meeting was just a prelude to an eventual farewell, after all.


    The world would keep on spinning without Amelia, and so would his daily life.


    If he were to give up now, he could return to his cozy home, where his master, Sharon, and the twins were waiting for him.


    He could return to that peaceful daily life. This comfortable and tempting choice was still on the table.


    ¡°No.¡±


    He shook his head.


    Immediately, all his hesitation fell off.


    He had been through similar experiences before.


    People who knew him often asked him.


    Why did he always risk his life for others? How could he be so reckless?


    He had received plenty of worried scoldings from those he cared about.


    Some had even praised his outward bravery and selflessness.


    But every time, Siwoo would just scratch his head awkwardly.


    After all, his actions weren¡¯t driven by altruism or a sense of justice, nor were they acts of self-sacrifice.


    Shin Siwoo wasn¡¯t some hero who could turn the tide of impossible battles, nor a saint destined to lead others by transcending worldly truths.


    He simply had one thing in mind.


    If he let fear of danger make him run away, his future would definitely change.


    Even if it seemed flawless on the surface, it would leave out a fatal flaw somewhere deep inside him.


    He¡¯d be plagued by regret every now and then, even in peaceful moments.


    At times, he¡¯d catch himself muttering, ¡®I should¡¯ve been braver back then¡¯.


    And that wasn¡¯t the kind of life Siwoo could bear.


    Rather than living with regret and a bitter smile in an imperfect future, if there was a hand he could reach out and save, he¡¯d do it.


    Indeed. The reason why he had tried so hard was just sheer selfishness.


    -Creak! Creak! Creak!


    ¡°Cooperate with me just this once, okay? I¡¯ll give you a nice tune-up if we make it back in one piece.¡±


    The moment he took a step forward to avoid being swept away by the randomized space, the Red Branch that he was controlling, which had been glowing ominously from a while ago, began to glow even more intensely.


    Siwoo could feel the shifting air graze his body.


    It was as if the air itself had changed, transmitting a crushing pressure from the distortion field in an instant.


    He only took a single step forward, but the entire world seemed to shift.


    Siwoo was sure he was still looking at the same spot as just a moment ago.


    But with that single step, Tarot Town had completely transformed.


    It was as if he was facing a glitched reality, just like a game that was being run on a graphic card that had been rolled around in the sand a couple times.


    2.


    The first time he had seen the bird¡¯s eye view from Albireo and decided on what he had to do, Siwoo had been secretly.


    Tarot Town wasn¡¯t some ordinary village or some tiny spot on the map.


    It was THE second-largest town in Gehenna.


    He had to look for Amelia in that big town, searching through the randomized space while he was at it¡ªthe amount of effort required would naturally be humongous to say the least.


    But it turned out that he was worrying for nothing.


    Because the world itself made it abundantly clear where she was.


    -Boom!


    The scene before him resembled a painting by a surrealist artist high on hallucinogens.


    Stone houses floated in the air.


    Overturned carriages, jagged earth jutting skyward, and a twisted bell tower bent like a tree with a crooked spine.


    All these distortions didn¡¯t stop at objects.


    It even reached the sky.


    The sky gleamed an eerie green like a tattered quilt stitched together. There were parts shimmering with the pale light of down, others with the brightness of noon, some burned crimson like twilight, and others flickered faintly with starlight.


    It was an unsettling blend of mismatched fragments sewn together.


    Of course, the ground wasn¡¯t normal either.


    If someone were to ask him, ¡®What happened there?¡¯ Siwoo might have been able to give a rough description.


    But if they followed up with, ¡®What happened to the ground?¡¯ he wouldn¡¯t know what to say.


    From what it looked like, it was a flat land.


    Yet, his mind kept telling him that it was a deep crater.


    If he blinked, it would suddenly seem flat again, as if the illusion had never existed.


    It was as if there was a disconnect between what his eyes saw and what his mind perceived.


    Not even the sight granted by his left eye, capable of seeing mana flow, could make sense of this space.


    The only thing that was clear in this place was that Amelia was at the heart of it all; right in the middle of the sunken crater, where a silent storm of black particles raged.


    He tried shouting, raising his voice as loud as he could, hoping for a reply.


    ¡°Ms. Amelia!¡±


    But only silence greeted him.


    Indeed, the wretched place swallowed even the echoes of his voice.


    The storm of particles churned like a colony of toxic mushrooms spreading their spores, expanding ominously.


    ¡°...¡±


    Now, the real battle began.


    Siwoo took a deep breath and briefly shut his eyes, bracing himself.


    He couldn¡¯t afford to waste another moment.


    Cautiously, he moved forward, mindful of keeping the distortion field intact.


    -Gik! Gik! Giik!


    If this place were a radioactive zone, the sounds coming from the distortion field might as well have been the warning beeps of a Geiger counter1.


    Not that he needed that warning; his head already felt like it was boiling.


    Maintaining the distorted field, which was about to collapse like a can crushed in the deep sea, required immense finesse.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    But, at that moment, something crossed his sight and left him bewildered.


    It really was something that he had never expected in the slightest.


    ¡°Is that...a girl...?¡±


    A small figure, glowing in golden light like a fairy, came into view.


    Since even his perception was strangely distorted, he couldn¡¯t see it clearly, but a child barely tall enough to reach Siwoo¡¯s waist, was running


    And within a blink or two, she vanished completely.


    As if she was an illusion.


    It made him think that the stress was getting to him, making him hallucinate.


    After all, there was no way that a girl would wander around in a place like this.


    Still, there was no time to second-guess himself.


    Because, he...


    Had finally reached the edge of the crater.


    Seeing it up close made it even more unreal.


    It was a gaping void, as if the ground had consumed an entire village.


    Around him, tiny particles whirled and clung to the distortion field like metallic dust caught in a hurricane.


    -Ziiing! Ziiing! Ziiing!


    At first glance, they resembled volcanic ashfall, but these things were obviously far more sinister.


    Each time the countless microscopic particles collided with the distortion field, sharp sparks crackled ominously, as if the concept of calculation itself had failed to align.


    And this much chaos happened due to a few scattered fragments brushing against it.


    Every step he took added to the pressure; his head throbbed as he forced himself forward.


    He knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy, but the sheer intensity was still beyond anything he had ever anticipated.


    It made him wonder, ¡®What the hell is she thinking, doing something like this?¡¯.


    -Bam!


    Suddenly, a lone particle slipped through the distortion field, barely grazing his fingers.


    Technically, it hadn¡¯t made direct contact with his fingers, but....


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Though it merely touched the gauntlet of his shadow armor, the entire suit quaked violently.


    He could barely hold the writhing shadows in check as they threatened to spiral out of his control.


    If it weren¡¯t for Sharon¡¯s enhancement, he would definitely have lost control of it, and it¡¯d shatter in an instant.


    I can¡¯t go on like this...


    Entering now would be a death sentence.


    I need to think of something quickly!


    ¡°Alright. Calm down...¡±


    Calming his anxious thoughts, Siwoo deliberately created a tiny opening in the distorted field.


    Then, he intentionally absorbed a few particles and immediately deflected them with his armor.


    -Screeeeeeech!


    What happened next was like an inoculation; his armor groaned as if it was being crushed with immense pressure.


    But, he had no leniency to think or speak about it.


    Because he had to put all of his focus in analyzing how the particles affected his armor, all while piecing together their properties.


    This was his only shot at diving into that deadly crater and coming out alive.


    -Screeeeeeech!


    He stabilized the structure of his armor as if he was calming a wild horse and calculated the influence of the particles.


    ¡°This is...¡±


    From that, he managed to discover one thing.


    The particles resembled an autonomous defense system.


    To be exact, a deformed autonomous defense system that confined oneself without allowing anyone to approach.


    In other words, she was trying to repel everything in this world away.


    But why?


    He momentarily set aside the soaring questions.


    Closing his eyes, he concentrated and made contact with the circuits that spread throughout his armor.


    Sparks erupted.


    His armor struggled desperately, trying to maintain control as the black particles tried to invade it like a spreading cancer.


    The flames before him flickered so intensely they almost seemed to create a mesmerizing kaleidoscope of endless geometric patterns.


    At first, it appeared chaotic, but he noticed an underlying pattern hidden within.


    With burning nerves extending lengthily like a trail of fire in his brain, Siwoo followed that pattern.


    Using everything he had learned, every experience, and the sudden inspirations that came to him, Siwoo tried to create a new solution.


    In his mind, it was like standing before a massive blackboard stretching across acres of space.


    He discarded, wrote, verified, discarded, wrote, and discarded magic formulas and equations faster than a printer could print.


    ¡°Agh...¡±


    After pushing his brain to its limits with those calculations, finally, Siwoo understood.


    What he was trying to do was no different from trying to accurately draw the shape of a crystal glass three seconds after it fell to the ground.


    Not just one glass, but dozens of them at once, with only a few seconds to do it.


    Unless one had the intellect of Laplace¡¯s Demon


    2, it was something impossible to achieve.


    When he opened his eyes, the overwhelming mental strain faded, and his vision, which had been narrowing, cleared up.


    But just as that happened, the storm of particles had already reached Siwoo.


    A thick metallic scent filled the air, coming from his numb nose.


    Then, he realized.


    He couldn¡¯t stop it.


    With his current abilities, he couldn¡¯t deflect nor tank it.


    -Screech! Screech!


    Those particles, now darkening everything in their path, began to tear into the distortion field with savage force.


    The Red Branch vibrated wildly, stretching its barrier and distortion field in every direction, but it was pointless.


    Soon, Siwoo would be consumed by the particles.


    What he needed to do now was to get out of here.


    Going further would be pretty much a death sentence.


    He had to finish his calculations or find another way before trying again.


    After making that decision, he pushed off the ground, trying to escape.


    -Kuuuuung!


    But then, a violent tremor shook everything, as if the very earth itself was trembling.


    ¡°What the...?


    Somehow, the ground beneath him began to tilt.


    The pit expanded in an instant, as if a sinkhole had been created, taking away his footing.


    In this situation, his only option was to maintain his armor and distortion field while trying to run.


    He couldn¡¯t use his ribbons, Dimension Shift, or even spread his wings.


    ¡°Oh, fuck.¡±


    A curse slipped out of his mouth, one that came from his very core.


    Then, he was sucked into the endless abyss, with no end in sight.


    Footnotes


    1. A device to detect and measure radiation. If it beeps that means it detects radiation.2. A hypothetical being conceived by Pierre-Simon Laplace that knows the precise state of the universe at a given moment. Because of that it could predict the future perfectly.

 Chapter 443: Her Memories (1)

    Chapter 443: Her Memories (1)


    1.


    He remembered watching a certain video on the internet when he was young.


    It was back when there were no proper regulations in regards to using the internet; a time when one could google everything they wanted. A friend whose name he had forgotten once showed him the video.


    Said video was a distant shot of someone who got caught by a EF5 tornado that stretched from the ground up to the heavens, covering a large plot of land.


    The tornado swirled around, uprooting buildings, trees, even people in its wake as if they were weeds.


    What would happen to people who got caught by that tornado?


    Well, if they fainted due to the hypoxia, then they¡¯d be considered fortunate.


    If they had been crushed like a tomato in a blender by the debris inside of the tornado however, then they would be the most unfortunate of them all.


    In any case, the sight of how helpless humans were in the face of Mother Nature kept him up at night for days.


    It was only after he found out that Korea was generally safe from such a tornado due to how its terrain worked that he was finally able to have a good night¡¯s sleep.


    As for why he remembered such a thing at this exact moment, well...


    ¡°...!¡±


    The sudden storm of particles tilted his whole world.


    This feeling of being caught up like a poor ant in an antlion pit made him think that this was probably what that person who got caught up in that tornado felt.


    He didn¡¯t even have the leniency to scream.


    Particles surrounded him from all sides; up, down, right, left.


    His distortion field was shattered in less than 0.2 seconds.


    While his armor lasted longer; 10 seconds.


    In the darkness that resembled the bottomless pit of hell...


    Boundaries between space and his own body started to blur.


    The particles freely tore through his body that had lost all its defenses, soaking his body like seeping poison.


    His vision had long turned pitch black; even the strange sounds that he had been hearing felt distant.


    Not only that, even his sense of smell and touch disappeared; it was as if he was sinking endlessly.


    There was a certain emotion that he felt as he did, but it wasn¡¯t fear.


    It was loneliness that gripped his heart so hard that it made his teeth clatter.


    -Woooong!


    Finally, with the thin line of his consciousness finally snapping...


    Siwoo was swallowed by the sea of particles.


    2.


    All the chaos earlier felt like a lie.


    The strange sounds that threatened to tear his ears apart disappeared, and once again, there was only suffocating silence.


    As if everything had been a dream, Siwoo stood perfectly still in that dark space.


    ¡°Just what...?¡±


    Remembering that the last words he muttered were ¡®For fuck¡¯s sake...¡¯, he somehow felt silly.


    He had risked his life to come here, but in the end, he ended up dying without being able to see Amelia¡¯s face¡ªa pointless death.


    If there was one thing that was of note though, the feeling of him falling endlessly, the storm of particles that destroyed his distortion field in 0.2 seconds, and the feeling of his magic circuit bursting was still vivid in his mind, proving that he was still alive.


    ¡°...Wait, where is this?¡±


    This place...


    Is dark...


    At first, Siwoo suspected that his ¡®autonomous defense¡¯ thing got activated again, just like the other day.


    Back when he sunk into his Ain, and his other self took control of his body.


    But soon enough, he realized that it wasn¡¯t the case.


    Because he could feel the solid ground under his feet, and he couldn¡¯t see any big magical structures in the distance.


    ¡°...¡±


    The unknown begot fear.


    Randomized space was like a black box; anything could happen when one were to open it.


    As long as the purpose behind this space was left uncovered¡ª


    At that moment, a little girl passed by him.


    A familiar girl, the girl he had seen before.


    Unlike before though, there wasn¡¯t any golden light emanating from her, and her body shape, height, and silhouette overlapped like a decalcomania.


    ¡°Hey, Kid! It¡¯s dangerous here!¡±


    Rather than worrying how she got here, who she was, or where they were, the first thing that came to Siwoo¡¯s mind after seeing the girl was fear that there were others who got caught up in this place.


    At first, he tried to place his hand on her shoulder while calling out to her, but...


    -Tap tap tap tap!


    She dashed away with the speed and momentum of an Olympics¡¯ athlete while straightening her tiny hands frontward.


    It was to the point that he could only see her side view.


    But somehow, the girl looked familiar. Extremely so.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    He stared blankly at the girl who was moving away like a runaway train.


    Just what is going on here...?


    As he asked that question to himself, he noticed something.


    On the path that the girl tread on, ¡®footprints¡¯ remained.


    It was like a forest path, with weeds and wildflowers trampled by feet¡ªa fresh, new forest path.


    Siwoo quietly followed the trail, gripping the Red Branch tightly in his hands.


    Let¡¯s see where she went. Carefully.


    And then, something happened, like a miracle.


    In the midst of the darkness, a forest bloomed.


    It was as if he was witnessing an Ancient God creating heavens and earth by creating the void. The darkness was dispelled like dawn, and a splendid light bloomed beautifully that it hurt his eyes for a moment.


    ¡°Ugh...!¡±


    The light was blinding.


    Coming from the girl¡¯s body, it illuminated the darkness, as if she was scraping off black crayon covering a colorful landscape painting.


    As he looked around, he noticed that the forest was familiar to him.


    It was a forest filled with wing nut trees¡ªtheir pointed leaves fluttered in the wind, like ladies waving their handkerchiefs.


    The darkness was replaced by a summer day with the refreshing smell of the soil filling his nose and the chirping of the songbirds echoing beautifully in his ears.


    ¡°Huu... Huu... Huu...¡±


    In the midst of such scenery.


    The girl was crouching between the huge tree trunks, her eyes flashed like a wild beast, keeping a close eye on her surroundings.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not trying to¡ª¡±


    Amidst his confusion, he tried to comfort the girl so he could ask about the situation, but then he noticed something about the girl that made him feel like he just got hit on the head with a hammer.


    Blonde hair with part of her hair braided.


    Blue eyes that looked clearer than even the summer sky.


    And a witch¡¯s hat that looked too big for her head.


    ¡°Ame...lia...?¡±


    Her sharp nose and quivering lips, the way she was breathing roughly.


    Every part of her reminded Siwoo of Amelia, of her beauty that was hard for him to forget.


    ¡°...¡±


    Once again, his mind was thrown into confusion.


    Why is she here? Why does she look so young?


    Why is she so guarded with me? What did I do wrong?


    Questions popped up one after another, but then soon come the realization that he had asked the wrong questions in his head


    ¡°Amelia! Where are you?¡±


    A dignified voice echoed from the forest path the girl had just passed, adding certainty to his new realization.


    At the same time, the little Amelia hid under the tree like a mole.


    She was trying her best to hide, even though her big hat didn¡¯t do her any favor at all.


    ¡°Jeez, Amelia. This isn¡¯t the time to play hide-and-seek!¡±


    The person who had just passed Siwoo and quickly found the hiding Amelia was a witch.


    Just like Amelia, she had blond hair and blue eyes.


    However, unlike Amelia who possessed the kind of beauty that made it difficult to approach her, there was ¡®warmth¡¯ in this witch¡¯s beauty.


    The cloak wrapped around her body was familiar to Siwoo, so he quickly guessed her identity.


    She was the previous Marigold.


    He didn¡¯t know who her name was, but she was definitely Amelia¡¯s master.


    After passing by Siwoo¡ªas if he wasn¡¯t there¡ªthe previous Marigold crouched right in front of Amelia, muttering in a hoarse voice.


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to study.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ve been doing well! Come here, after you¡¯re done studying, I¡¯ll make you the tasty cocoa that you like, okay?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡±


    ¡°Even if I add some marshmallows in?¡±


    Looking back to Amelia in his memory, she was an extremely cold and difficult person to understand.


    She definitely wasn¡¯t someone who could be goaded with hot cocoa.


    ¡°...Five.¡±


    But apparently she wasn¡¯t like that when she was younger.


    Amelia raised her head.


    Saliva dripped from the corner of her mouth, while her eyes sparkled with joy.


    ¡°Alright, five marshmallows and two gingerbread cookies. How about that?¡±


    ¡°G-Gingerbread cookies...? Really?¡±


    ¡°Have I ever lied to you~?¡±


    ¡°A-Ahem. I-I love studying, actually...¡±


    ¡°Mhm, I know, I know. Come here, my baby.¡±


    With small steps and flushed cheeks, Amelia snuggled into her master¡¯s arm.


    Then, the scenery flashed, like fireflies in the darkness.


    As Siwoo had realized, this was the fragment of Amelia¡¯s memories.


    ¡°How could our Amelia run so quickly? You¡¯re as quick as a squirrel~¡±


    He watched as the master-apprentice pair disappeared down the forest path before quietly following them.


    3.


    Siwoo didn¡¯t know why he was able to peek into Amelia¡¯s memory.


    His best guess was that her particles somehow got connected with the Palace of Memories, one of his self-essence magic.


    But that didn¡¯t mean his situation was any good.


    His body could be turning into a tattered rag outside, and he didn¡¯t know what was waiting for him at the end of this.


    Maybe, in the end, this was all for nothing.


    Merely a waste of time.


    But, he had this vague conviction.


    That this scene before him...


    Were ¡®memories¡¯ that she treasured, ¡®memories¡¯ that she deemed important.


    The memories¡¯ flow wasn¡¯t consistent.


    There were parts that were cut off without context, like a broken videotape, or parts where only images flashing by.


    But, in all those memories, Amelia¡¯s presence was like a shining star.


    Sometimes, she¡¯d snuggle in her master¡¯s arms, sometimes, they¡¯d cook together, play the violin together in front of the animals, pick pretty flowers together while putting them on each others¡¯ hair... There was a memory where she threw her homework into the fireplace and ended up getting chased by her master.


    In all those memories, she was shining.


    Like a light that illuminated the darkness, like the flames of a warm fireplace, driving away the empty darkness and filling it with pretty memories.


    ¡°...¡±


    Siwoo just stood there, watching them.


    The previous Marigold was a good teacher.


    In those endlessly flowing scenes of memories, it was clear that she cared for Amelia as if she was her real mother.


    Whenever she kissed Amelia¡¯s round forehead, Amelia would dig into her arms with a smile on her face.


    He remembered how cold and detached Amelia was when they first met.


    But this Amelia had an incredible amount of energy, as if she had never ran out of it.


    She was bad at studying, and always tried to run away from it.


    And she spent half her day with a smile on her face.


    It was hard to imagine that this was the same Amelia he knew.


    Siwoo¡¯s lips, which, at some point, were spread wide, began to distort all of a sudden.


    Seeing how she used to act, he felt a sense of foreboding for what was about to come. Every moment the master-apprentice pair spent their time together, there was this ominous feeling lingering about.


    Currently, he was watching them having breakfast together after waking up.


    After that, they packed their lunch boxes and went out somewhere before lunch.


    He felt as if they were doing this to build as many memories as they could.


    As if they were desperate to add one more picture into their album before their relationship was cut short.


    In some memories, they¡¯d take up their easels, canvases, and pencils, then they¡¯d sit on the unmanaged barley hills and paint something together.


    Some memories had Amelia playing her violin, giving her private concert to her master.


    There were also memories of them fishing or swimming together in the nearby lake.


    At night, they¡¯d go to the roof and lie side by side to look at the stars together.


    Occasionally, they¡¯d wash their bed sheets diligently, stepping on them in a tub full of bubbles.


    Other times, they¡¯d buy ingredients to make apple pies together in their cabin.


    ¡°...¡±


    Now it all made sense.


    All these memories¡ªwhere she shone the brightest, just like a fairy¡ªwere the memories that were all too familiar to him.


    Because these were all things that Amelia had done with him.


    Suddenly, his conversation with Takasho came to his mind.


    ¡®Love is simple. It¡¯s just wanting to share your happiness with someone.¡¯


    The warm days that he thought was a deception due to his momentary anger and feelings of betrayal were precious memories for Amelia.


    All she wanted was to experience all these memories again with him.


    Siwoo was struck speechless.


    His breath was caught in his throat, as if he had swallowed something hot.


    The moment when he was unable to control his emotions, spewing out harsh words at her, flashing in his mind.


    In front of him, who was venting his emotions at her...


    What did she want to say to him?


    What words were left unsaid back then?


    Frozen in a daze, he felt discomfort creeping in.


    If she was that desperate to relive these warm daily lives, then...


    The scene shifted to Amelia lying on her bed.


    Though she oftentimes was lively and energetic, there were times when she¡¯d lie in bed, coughing violently without being able to lift a finger.


    The previous Marigold was sitting at her bedside, wiping her sweaty body with a handkerchief.


    With a haggard expression and worried eyes, she stared at Amelia, stroking her forehead.


    Amelia coughed a few times before asking.


    ¡°Master. When can I become a witch...?¡±


    ¡°Hm~? Maybe a year or two after your coming-of-age ceremony?¡±


    ¡°I want to become a witch quickly. So I won¡¯t be in pain like this, and I can live happily together forever with you, Master.¡±


    ¡°...Then, get well soon so you can study again, okay?¡±


    ¡°Ugh... I hate studying...¡±


    That tragic fate that the witches accepted as common sense.


    The previous Marigold hid that truth from Amelia all this time.

 Chapter 444: Her Memories (2)

    Chapter 444: Her Memories (2)


    1.


    Amelia¡¯s and her master¡¯s happy days continued.


    Though their world was limited to the area around the secluded cabin...


    The way they lived their lives symbolized the word ¡®happiness¡¯.


    Before Siwoo realized it, Amelia had now reached puberty, retaining her beauty that was all too familiar to him.


    There were countless things that he learned about her after looking at these memories.


    Amelia during her apprentice days was like a whole different person compared to after she became a witch.


    Apprentice witches were girls who had been chosen by the prophecy to succeed a certain witch¡¯s brand.


    They were generally born with a bright mind, unrivaled talent and learning ability, as well as exceptional artistic talent and beauty.


    In short, they were girls that were favored by gods.


    But, there were exceptions to everything, and Amelia was one of them.


    She was beautiful and she could do various things, like playing the violin, with ease, but she wasn¡¯t that good at magic.


    Siwoo had watched the twins, Diana, and even himself who had studied from the ground-up, so he could make this judgment with certainty.


    Amelia had to spend days just to learn even the most basic magic formula, and whenever she was presented with a new one, her eyes would spin, as if her brain couldn¡¯t take in those new information.


    It wasn¡¯t because she had no talent or anything, she was just that hopeless in studying.


    In fact, she couldn¡¯t even define her own magic and came out with her ¡®incantation¡¯ until she reached 20 of age.


    Seeing it like this, it made sense why she hated studying so much and kept running away back when she was younger.


    No one would like to be forced to do something they were bad at.


    Siwoo knew how harsh it was to study magic.


    To begin with, it required ¡®talent¡¯ as a prerequisite, and those who didn¡¯t fulfill that wouldn¡¯t be able to learn it at all.


    Nevertheless, Amelia didn¡¯t give up in her magic studies.


    As she grew older and mature, she stopped running away altogether.


    She stopped throwing her homework into the fireplace, and stopped slacking off during her classes.


    The time she spent in front of her desk to study increased immensely.


    More often than not, she¡¯d stay up late to read the various magic books with bloodshot eyes rather than going out to play.


    But, her change wasn¡¯t limited to her being more motivated to study.


    As she grew older, her illness also considerably worsened.


    Back when she was young, she¡¯d occasionally fainted or be stuck in bed from a high fever. After she grew older, she¡¯d periodically vomit out blood, spending half of the year in her bed. Even her complexion had turned considerably paler.


    But, even when she was struggling in her bed, she still didn¡¯t let go of her books.


    All so that she could reach her goal, ¡®to be with Master forever¡¯.


    Everyone would die eventually, it was common sense among humans.


    For witches, they¡¯d die the moment they finished their succession, it was common sense.


    Hence why Amelia¡¯s goal of, ¡®succeed Master¡¯s brand and live with Master forever¡¯ didn¡¯t make any sense.


    And there was no way the previous Marigold didn¡¯t know that.


    If anything, because she knew about it, she chose to isolate Amelia from the rest of the world in the middle of this wing nut tree forest.


    Even when they went out to town to go shopping, they¡¯d go back to their cabin immediately after they were done.


    Except for Sophia and her predecessor, the previous Avenega, who often came to visit them, no one else was permitted to enter the forest. That was how badly she didn¡¯t want Amelia to meet other witches


    It wasn¡¯t hard to guess why she did this though.


    Because she wanted Amelia to succeed her brand before she could succumb to her illness.


    If Amelia knew the truth, it was obvious that she¡¯d just stop trying altogether.


    There was no way she¡¯d want to succeed her brand anymore.


    Even if she could be convinced to proceed with the succession eventually, the whole thing would take too long, and with how bad she was at learning, her body might not last until the moment of her succession.


    Hence why the previous Marigold chose to conceal the truth.


    Of course, Siwoo got to know all this because he already knew the truth she was concealing, and he was here as a third-party observer.


    Amelia herself had no way of knowing this, and she just trusted her master wholeheartedly.


    The scene shifted to Amelia resting her chin on the windowsill, looking out the window at the pouring autumn rain.


    This was the same spot she always sat on while waiting for her master to come back.


    ¡°When will you be back...? Every day, you left me with homework and went out somewhere...¡±


    Amelia pouted as she whined.


    Siwoo could only stare blankly at her, not knowing what to feel.


    ¡°Why are you making that face?¡±


    At that moment, her sky-blue eyes met his.


    Immediately, he could feel his heart sink in fear.


    Essentially, what he was doing was spying her past without her permission.


    And he was holding the key to the cruel truth.


    He was afraid that he might accidentally let it slip.


    Even though he knew that this was just a fragment of her past, that fear was still there.


    ¡°Ah... Um...¡±


    As he was struck speechless, not knowing what to say.


    Amelia got out of her bed and dashed towards him.


    ¡°Come in, quickly! Seriously, why are you out without an umbrella again? It¡¯s raining!¡±


    Seeing the previous Marigold returning to the cabin, a happy smile bloomed on Amelia¡¯s face.


    It was only then did Siwoo realize that he was standing at the place where the previous Marigold was standing.


    The calendar showed the end of autumn.


    All soaked, the previous Marigold was hit by the rain on her way back from Lenomond Town.


    For a moment there, she stared at Amelia in silence.


    ¡°Amelia.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s tomorrow.¡±


    At those sudden words, Amelia¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment.


    After staring at her master¡¯s face for a moment, she jumped right into her embrace like a rabbit.


    Her pajamas instantly got soaked and the chilly air touched her bosom, but she didn¡¯t care.


    There was no need for her master to explain what ¡®tomorrow¡¯ meant.


    What else would it be other than the day of her succession?


    She had been worried that her health would deteriorate further than this.


    That she might die before she could even succeed her master.


    ¡°Is it true? You aren¡¯t lying to me, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You¡¯re ready now.¡±


    ¡°No way! You¡¯re lying! I haven¡¯t even decided on my incantation yet¡ª!¡±


    Amelia pinched her cheeks, her eyes wide open, as if she couldn¡¯t believe that this was happening.


    Her master hesitated for a second, but she eventually patted her shoulder before kissing her on the forehead.


    ¡°You¡¯ve practiced hard for the succession ceremony all these years, haven¡¯t you? You¡¯re ready. As for your incantation, you can use mine, or you can think about it after you receive the brand.¡±


    ¡°No way... No way, no way, no way... Am I dreaming? Master, am I dreaming...?¡±


    Amelia started to tear up.


    The hardship and trials she endured, the efforts she put, all would finally be rewarded. Joy overwhelmed her to the point that she started crying.


    ¡°Master... I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve been a bad apprentice... I promise... After I become a witch, I¡¯ll help you out whenever you need me... I love you, Master... I really, really love you...¡±


    Amelia hugged her master tightly, like a soaked baby bird burrowing into its mother¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°...No...¡±


    Siwoo knew they couldn¡¯t hear him, but he said it out loud anyway.


    This is just cruel...


    Way too cruel...


    2.


    Their last hours¡ªwhich only Siwoo and the previous Marigold was aware of¡ªpassed like any other day.


    After Amelia grew a bit, they started sleeping in separate beds, but that night, they snuggled in the same bed before closing their eyes.


    When morning came, they had breakfast together.


    Amelia started her day looking all excited.


    Her bright smile didn¡¯t leave her lips, as if she had overcome her illness, in contrast to her red eyes from the lack of sleep due to all the excitement.


    ¡°After everything¡¯s done, I want to go explore the world with you, Master! I want to see all of Lenomond Town and Ars Magna Town with you!¡±


    ¡°...Sure. Traveling is a good hobby.¡±


    After that, they hung out the laundry together, playing the piano and violin together, cooking together¡ªdoing all sorts of things together peacefully.


    But, this peaceful daily life, to one who knew what kind of end it would be, was merely a part of the tragedy.


    The two of them took turns eating their oven-roasted turkey as their main dish for their lunch-banquet.


    Soon, the dreaded final moment was about to come.


    ¡°Amelia.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master?¡±


    A bright, happy smile was still hanging on Amelia¡¯s lips.


    Seeing this, her master barely managed to let out a smile before hugging her.


    ¡°Do you remember the succession¡¯s procedure?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I¡¯ve practiced hard!¡±


    ¡°I see, I see. Of course you have. That¡¯s my diligent and admirable Amelia.¡±


    ¡°H-Hehe...¡±


    Tears welled up in her eyes as she snuggled into her master¡¯s arms.


    The pair then headed to a clearing where a magic circle had been drawn in advance.


    A fragrant lilac scent rose from the magic circle drawn with a mixture of perfume and ink.


    The pair then knelt down on it, holding each others¡¯ hands.


    Then, they touched their foreheads together.


    ¡°Amelia, do you know how much I love you?¡±


    ¡°Of course. After all, you¡¯ve taught this clumsy apprentice witch until I became worthy. I¡¯m happy that I can repay you for everything you¡¯ve done to me, Master.¡±


    ¡°Then, that¡¯s all that matters.¡±


    A vortex of beautiful particles enveloped the two.


    They flew out of the previous Marigold¡¯s body, and were being absorbed by Amelia.


    ¡°Stop...¡±


    This was something he couldn¡¯t change, but Siwoo still said that anyway.


    He tried to close his eyes, block his ears, but he could still see and hear the memories unfolding clearly.


    A sharp pain struck his heart, making his legs weak.


    ¡°I did it, Master! Look at me!¡±


    Before long, the brand succession was complete.


    Watching the moving particles around her, Amelia jumped up and down happily.


    It was the mysterious realm that she knew she¡¯d never achieve on her own. The excitement from attaining such a thing prompted her to try out her newly acquired power by spreading them on her palm.


    But then, she noticed with her eyes.


    The figure of the previous Marigold, slowly disappearing from the tip of her fingers.


    At that moment, all the information and knowledge stored in the brand entered Amelia¡¯s head.


    More specifically, the information about the succession ceremony, something that she had been studying as an apprentice witch for years.


    Now, all the uncovered secrets turned into ¡®known information¡¯ as if it had been directly inserted into her head.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    In a single second, her face that was full of joy crumbled.


    Only a dull, hollow sigh successfully came out of her lips, expressing her great shock.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t be honest with you, Amelia...¡±


    She fell to her knees.


    Tears flowed from her eyes as she raised them in vain.


    What followed was a scream.


    Unable to see this scene, Siwoo turned his back around.


    ¡°Master...! W-Why...! W-Why didn¡¯t you tell me...?! I-I thought... I-I thought that if I become a witch... W-We¡¯ll be together forever...¡±


    ¡°They said that there¡¯s always a parting after a meeting. Hehe, is that too cliche for a farewell?¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s just unfair... N-No, I won¡¯t accept this! P-Please, this is just unfair! Don¡¯t go...! Don¡¯t leave me...!¡±


    ¡°Amelia, my beloved apprentice... My successor... My dear daughter... I¡¯m so happy that you finally inherit the Marigold name...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need this name! Just... Why didn¡¯t you...?!¡±


    ¡°You are a kind child...¡±


    ¡°No...! No...! Master, take this back! I don¡¯t need it! I don¡¯t...! Without you, Master, I...!¡±


    Though she cried, tore up her hair, screamed, prayed...


    The cruel farewell didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°Live. As a witch. As a noble. And...¡±


    After that, all Siwoo could hear were sentences that sounded like a monologue.


    Followed by the scream of a newly-born witch who had just witnessed her master¡¯s death, running through the forest to look for the traces of her master that no longer existed.


    3.


    Incantation. It was a process of re-defining the previously formless magic power into an image that was easy for the caster to imagine.


    One could describe it as the reorganization of consciousness.


    For example, the reason why Siwoo¡¯s incantation was ¡®Bloom¡¯, was because the sight of magic power evaporating in his fingertips looked so pretty, just like blooming flowers.


    In Amelia¡¯s case, the reason why her incantation was ¡®Wail¡¯...


    Was probably because the way her magic scattered in a hazy manner reminded her of her flowing tears.

 Chapter 445: Her Memories (3)

    Chapter 445: Her Memories (3)


    1.


    The day when Amelia Marigold inherited her brand...


    Was the day when she killed her master with her own hands.


    At least, that was what she believed.


    Facing that cruel twist of fate, Amelia cried and collapsed multiple times.


    All by herself, she watched over her master¡¯s funeral procedure, which was only attended by a few people.


    By the time said funeral was over...


    She no longer shone.


    The previously dreamy scenery of the cabin that was brightened by her had sunk into the darkness.


    Darkness that was deeper than the deep sea, gloomier than a murky swamp.


    She sat at the table, gluing herself to her magic research documents, drowning herself in her magic study.


    As if it was the only reason she even existed.


    Without saying a single word, without sleeping, without eating, only stopping when she had to vomit from the fatigue, she continued to drown herself.


    In that dark space...


    Time passed.


    Spring, summer, fall, winter, back to spring again...


    But, no matter how many times that cycle repeated, she didn¡¯t stop; as if magic was her life mission, without being aware that it was just her means of coping with her loss.


    ¡°...¡±


    Siwoo couldn¡¯t say that he understood what she had gone through.


    All he could do was watch her close off her feelings.


    It was because she trusted her that she felt betrayed, because she loved her that she grew resentful.


    And so, she numbed her feelings to the point where she became unable to feel sad, to the point where she no longer felt pain. She burrowed herself, making her own world.


    Siwoo reached out his hand, but just blurred out like a phantom, and reformed again after he pulled it back.


    Of course, he knew.


    This place was just a trace of memories that had already passed.


    That no matter how much he sympathized with her, how much he felt sorry for her, he couldn¡¯t do anything.


    Then, a really, really long time passed.


    If Siwoo were to make a guess based on her term as an associate professor, she probably spent more than a hundred years in her lonesome.


    Eventually, Sophia came to visit her.


    As soon as she found her, she hugged her while crying. Guided by Sophia, Amelia eventually became an associate professor of the Trinity Academy.


    2.


    In fact, Amelia¡¯s lives didn¡¯t change much after she became an associate professor.


    The only things that changed were that Sophia bugged her more frequently, and her workshop changed from that small cabin to the one that was provided by the Academy.


    Since she didn¡¯t get assigned to become the twins¡¯ private tutor right after her appointment, barely anything changed.


    She still confined herself to her dark, gloomy world.


    After that, things proceeded as Siwoo knew.


    Amelia called out to Siwoo, he rejected her, and then her torment towards him began.


    Although from this, he came to know that it was Sophia who provoked her first, and that was what led to Amelia¡¯s clumsy attempt at making a pass on him.


    Back then, Siwoo had thought that Amelia was just tormenting him for no reason.


    Anyone in his position would think the same.


    But now that he had learned about Amelia¡¯s weaknesses and flaws, he was able to see things from a different perspective.


    She was just an extremely clumsy woman.


    It was her first time approaching someone, and she didn¡¯t know the proper way to do it. Her tendencies to close off her heart to everyone who approached her didn¡¯t do her any favor either.


    She was just afraid of getting hurt again.


    Of being left alone again.


    She was just drowning in her sadness, prowling around aimlessly like a lost soul.


    As usual, she dumped meaningless errands on Siwoo.


    At first, she was acting like he had always known; dedicating everything to her magic research.


    But, after three years passed, her gaze would wander to Siwoo¡¯s departing back.


    Within that space, filled with darkness so thick that one couldn¡¯t see their surroundings...


    Faint lights, like fireflies¡¯ started to appear around Amelia. This happened after they had known each other for a long time.


    But, she always actively tried to suppress those lights.


    By either shaking her head, or just quietly returning to her magic research.


    She was probably terrified and confused.


    Her clumsiness and inability to deal with her own emotions didn¡¯t do her any favor and only served to strengthen those feelings.


    As the memories went on, it grew hazier and hazier.


    It was clear that he couldn¡¯t just see more of these memories just because he wanted to see them.


    ¡°...¡±


    The scene changed again.


    Seeing how the scene had turned brighter, just like back when she was younger, Siwoo could feel strength leaving his legs.


    It was a low hill, covered in a bunch of barley trees and trees that he didn¡¯t know the name of.


    The fragment of the memories that he had forcibly crumpled now shattered like glass.


    This was the moment of great regret for him.


    The day when he regained his memory.


    His unusual atmosphere clearly had frightened Amelia.


    Facing Siwoo, who had only been replying to her words with an emotionless voice, she could only haphazardly say everything that came to her mind, painting herself as a sinner.


    He still remembered how he had slapped her hand away as she anxiously approached him, with an expression that was about to burst in tears.


    That was how he rejected her.


    Siwoo in the memory shouted at her.


    His shout was so loud that it made his ears ring. Like a comic book villain, he grabbed his hair and taunted Amelia with his words.


    But Amelia just cried, pleading.


    Then, the scene zoomed out and the two people in the scene faded away to the distance.


    Siwoo left Amelia.


    Now left all alone, her world that had started to shine once again, had shattered and sunk into the darkness once again.


    Shin Siwoo, the first person whom she had opened her heart to after her master had abandoned her.


    After that, she went on a lonesome journey.


    In exchange to save Siwoo¡¯s life, she made a deal with Keter to dispose of the world¡¯s evil.


    She tread the darkness alone, like an empty doll, doing what she had to do.


    Just like when she had lost her master, she devoted all her being in one thing and one thing only.


    The hunt.


    Indeed, she risked her life for someone who abandoned her so cruelly and had to drown in the guilt of fratricide.


    ¡°...¡±


    Siwoo couldn¡¯t say anything to this.


    Even if he found her way of dealing things frustrating, he had no right to say anything.


    ¡®Why hasn¡¯t she opened the note yet? If she does, she won¡¯t need to torture herself repeatedly like this.¡¯


    ¡®Why is she being so foolish?¡¯


    He already knew the answer to those.


    It was because she had holed herself away for so long ever since her master¡¯s death, she didn¡¯t know how to deal with her own emotion.


    Although, there were emotions that she could deal with better than everything else.


    Love and hatred.


    Amelia was already used to the pain that was caused by the lie of the person she loved and trusted the most.


    She had already loved and resented her master even before Siwoo was born.


    Amelia knew that expecting her actions to always be accepted would be selfish of her, even if those actions stemmed from her goodwill.


    And that one-sided love or hatred could leave someone with a lifelong scar.


    Hence why she understood Siwoo better than anyone else.


    And that was why she, like a fool, waited for him to glance back at her, trying to atone for her sins and suffering in places where he couldn¡¯t see her.


    She continued to do so...


    Until the moment the Witch of Whispers tricked her to unleash this large scale magic on Tarot Town.


    She never blamed Siwoo, not even once.


    Herself was the only person she¡¯d ever blamed.


    ¡°...¡±


    Siwoo wiped away his tears.


    At the end of her memories, there was a door.


    A pitch-black door.


    With trembling hands, he grabbed the doorknob and opened it.


    Behind it was Amelia, crouching in a cramped space that could barely fit two or three people.


    On her head was a flower crown that he had made back when he regressed into a kid.


    She was curling up in a fetal position, hugging her knees.


    He felt it.


    This wasn¡¯t the Amelia in her memories that he couldn¡¯t touch.


    But Amelia¡¯s own inner self.


    Because this Amelia¡¯s appearance was clear, unlike the blurry Amelias he had seen so far.


    The helpless, timid, fragile girl who yearned for love, but didn¡¯t have the courage to ask for it.


    That was her.


    Amelia.


    Is it okay for me to approach her?


    I¡¯ve been living a peaceful life without being aware of her suffering. Do I have the right to hold her hand?


    ¡°Ms. Amelia...¡±


    The moment Siwoo reached out to hear...


    An unpleasant sound echoed in his ears.


    A purple snake.


    Its color let it blend into the corner of the dark place, unnoticed by Siwoo due to him focusing on Amelia.


    Flicking its tongue, it quickly wrapped its body around Amelia¡¯s.


    ¡°No, stop!¡±


    He didn¡¯t know what this snake¡¯s deal was.


    But his instinct told him that he had to get rid of it quickly.


    Though this place seemed cramped and the distance between him and it didn¡¯t seem to be that far, in truth, that couldn¡¯t be more wrong.


    The spear that he swung could only fly aimlessly through the air.


    At that moment, the surroundings started to collapse; Amelia¡¯s memories fell apart.


    But, instead of the loud noise of a collapsing building, what he heard were...


    ¡®It¡¯s bothersome. It¡¯s painful. Give up. Let¡¯s go down together. You and I.¡¯


    Those Whispers.


    Incomprehensible Whispers that he could only catch the meaning sparsely.


    The sweet, tempting voice echoed throughout the crumbling space.


    Siwoo stared at Amelia with trembling eyes.


    In that collapsing darkness.


    Amidst the fragments of the collapsing memories, their eyes met.


    Surprisingly, Amelia¡¯s eyes were clear, but at the same time, they were cold, as if devoid of emotions.


    And finally...


    Like a stage after a play was over, the space closed up and disappeared.


    With a feeling that his feet was being sucked in, Siwoo¡¯s consciousness sunk into the endless darkness.

 Chapter 446: Her Memories (4)

    Chapter 446: Her Memories (4)


    1.


    What jolted Siwoo awake was a dizzying sensation of falling.


    Like a skydiver, he burst through the cloud-like black particles that grouped together like cumulonimbus. What he saw beyond those particles was...


    Darkness so vast that it would be meaningless to even try and guess its size.


    Amelia¡¯s loneliness and sadness. That was what the darkness represented.


    At the end of his gaze was Amelia, sinking endlessly, as if trying to reach to the bottom of the endless darkness.


    After a lifetime of regret and remorse, she seemed to have chosen to forsake everything.


    To hide herself in deep solitude, where even the most earnest of words were buried without a sound.


    ¡°¡ª¡ª!¡±


    Siwoo tried to call out to her.


    But even he himself couldn¡¯t hear his own voice.


    The purple snake-like magic that coiled around her had completed its purpose.


    Now, even if he could get Amelia away from Lilith¡¯s influence, her rampage wouldn¡¯t be stopped.


    ¡®You won¡¯t get hurt if you¡¯re alone.¡¯


    ¡®Isolate yourself in your small little world, without anything in sight. There you will find peace.¡¯


    ¡®Live by yourself, all alone.¡¯


    Amelia had succumbed to those Whispers.


    And that Amelia was now staring at Siwoo with her emotionless blue eyes, unleashing her fierce and fearsome magic power around.


    Am I running...?


    Or am I falling...?


    No, it doesn¡¯t matter...!


    There was still quite a distance between the two.


    As far as the moon shining brightly in the sky and the poor human who could only watch it from the top of their roof.


    That was how far the gap between them; cultivated by the misunderstanding, separation, and their failure to understand each other better.


    But...


    Siwoo was clearly closing that gap. Little by little.


    ¡°¡ª¡ª!¡±


    Again, Siwoo called out to her with a soundless cry.


    At this point, his body had turned into a complete mess.


    Gone was the Red Branch, his sturdy armor, woven from shadows, and his ribbons that he could freely move as if they were his limbs.


    His battered body, soaked to the bone by Amelia¡¯s particles, was the only thing he had left.


    At that moment, Amelia raised her hand.


    Blinded by her rampage, she was unaware of everything that went on around her.


    She moved, trying to clear all the ¡®impurities¡¯ around her so that she could create a ¡®world¡¯ solely for herself.


    Since Siwoo had seen through her memories, he knew exactly what would happen if his body were to come into contact with more of Amelia¡¯s particles.


    He¡¯d turn into a bush of flowers in a literal sense.


    And yet, he chose to move forward.


    -Screeech!


    At that moment, he could feel magic power tearing his body apart.


    As if his body tried to warn him that the way forward would be the end of him, excruciating pain spread through his body as the dark particles that gathered like dark clouds were cleared away.


    The space turned bright as if the sun had returned to brighten up the world after a rainy day, but this phenomenon wasn¡¯t something that Amelia created.


    What caused it was a magic that pierced through both her and Siwoo like a spear of light.


    Accompanying it was a divine hymn that made it feel like this was the stern judgment of a God, punishing the foolishness of mortals.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to figure out who was behind all this.


    To use such magic in this distorted space with such precision, it couldn¡¯t be done by anyone else other than the 24th-ranked witch, Duchess Erelim.


    Indeed, the scheduled 30 minutes had passed.


    If Siwoo was to continue on like this, he¡¯d get caught up in this magic and perish together with Amelia.


    His life was precious, and he didn¡¯t want to die yet, that was for sure.


    But, there were things that were even more precious than his life. At least to him.


    Siwoo pushed through the magic that entangled him like a vine.


    Before long, his clothes were torn apart.


    There were no visible injuries on his body, but on the arm that reached out to Amelia, there were signs of ¡®blooming flowers¡¯.


    -Ting!


    Then, in that space where only silence existed, a distinct sound rang out.


    A clear ripple, just like one that appeared when someone tapped a glass filled with wine. It moved to punish the uninvited guest who tried to barge into the place.


    Siwoo saw it.


    The left arm that he stretched forward.


    From the fingertips, gorgeous flowers bloomed, as if trying to devour him whole.


    ¡°¡ª¡ª!¡±


    And then, came the excruciating pain.


    It was like being eaten from inside by a parasitic lifeform, it separated his bones and muscles apart as it devoured them; if anything, it would be foolish of him if he were to expect that experiencing such a thing wouldn¡¯t be painful.


    The flowers that sprouted from his fingertips wouldn¡¯t stop blooming¡ªit¡¯d spread to his hand, arm, shoulder, and eventually, his heart.


    There was nothing he could do to block their advances; an impossible endeavor.


    But, from her memories he had seen of her hunt, he had seen the way her self-essence magic worked from up close.


    And now, he was using the data he had accumulated to make his next move.


    ¡°¡ª¡ª!¡±


    Bloom!


    With a shout that made him feel like his throat burst, a fierce magical power ran through his body.


    It wasn¡¯t a normal kind of magic power by any means.


    But the kind that consumed all of his magic power and destroyed his magic circuits¡ªthe self harming kind.


    The flowers that Amelia bloomed essentially came from seeds that she planted in advance, and to grow it, a resonance had to occur.


    Now, what would happen if said resonance didn¡¯t occur? What if he incapacitated his magic circuit, turning his body into that of a normal human¡¯s for a moment to prevent that resonance from occurring?


    The flowers would stop growing, that was the answer. He staked his everything on this bet.


    Of course, he was completely clueless if this was the right move or not.


    Because the thing that he observed, the reason why he made that guess could be just a random phenomenon that occurred at the same time as Amelia casting her magic. Regardless, he had chosen what he wanted to do.


    His circuit screamed throughout his body, but at this point, he had already taken his first step into the bottomless abyss.


    He grabbed his left arm¡ªwhich had already half-disappeared at this point.


    Amelia was already within his arm¡¯s reach.


    It had been a long journey.


    The two people who had been separated for so long, finally had the chance to face each other properly.


    ¡°...¡±


    Gehenna, the City of Witches. They had separated themselves from the mundane world for a long time.


    Hence why they had unique proverbs and sayings that wouldn¡¯t be found anywhere in the Modern World.


    Among them was:


    No living beings could stand on a rainbow.


    Rainbow. The symbol of utopia and perfection.


    Among humans, the saying meant perfection wasn¡¯t something that one could attain.


    And among the witches, the saying was a self-deprecating one expression, meaning that no one could ever attain the realm of the Witch of Creation.


    Siwoo didn¡¯t know about the latter, but the former was the truth.


    There were indeed no human beings that could stand on a rainbow.


    A minor misunderstanding.


    Immaturity.


    Wrong way to express one¡¯s love.


    Hatred. Resentment.


    In such ways, humans hurt each other, creating irreparable rift in their relationships.


    ¡®Fate¡¯ was a shabby-looking flower that bloomed on top of a messy pile of dirt which was human¡¯s relationships.


    If there was a being who could stand on top of that rainbow, then it would probably be God. And to God, such flowers were probably worthless in Their eyes, as they¡¯d easily wither due to how weak they were.


    But it was different for humans.


    Even the most worthless and weakest humans could attain happiness.


    -Whirrrr!


    Amelia¡¯s magic was still rippling through her body.


    No matter how excellent an engineer was, they still wouldn¡¯t be able to stop a train which had lost control on their own.


    In the sky, a pillar of light was descending like a guillotine, spelling their deaths.


    All Siwoo could do now was to get closer to Amelia


    With no more strength left in his body, the only thing he could think about was a way to hug her who had been suffering all by her lonesome in this world.


    But, the hand of fate was cruel.


    They finally met after such a long journey, yet they only had 10 seconds of time to talk to each other.


    Siwoo hugged Amelia.


    He ignored her magic that was still tearing his body apart.


    Instead, he just said what he wanted to say.


    He opened his blood-stained lips.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry... I¡¯m late...¡±


    He didn¡¯t know if those words reached her or not.


    If at the last moments, those words could provide her with the comfort that she needed.


    He held Amelia, who was frozen like a doll, gently, as if she was the most precious thing.


    ¡°I won¡¯t leave you... Ever again...¡±


    Their surroundings grew brighter and brighter.


    Then, Siwoo felt a sizzling heat coming from above, and right after that, the merciless judgment of God fell upon the two of them.


    -Drip, drip.


    He could hear the sound of water droplets falling.


    No...


    It was the sound of tears flowing down, wetting the hem of his clothes.


    At one point, the world that had lost its colors retained its original colors, and the dark particles scattered faintly.


    The distorted and tangled space was restored, as if everything that had just happened was a lie.


    Meanwhile, the light that was falling upon them turned into a huge pile of flowers and scattered.


    The frozen time began to tick again.


    -Pop! Pop! Pop!


    The fireworks that had been frozen in the sky now continued their journey and popped, decorating the sky.


    People who had gathered to enjoy the festival cheered with joy and admiration as they saw showers of flowers suddenly appearing in a spectacular manner.


    The collapsing world had gone.


    So had the ferocious magic tearing everything apart, and the divine judgment, trying to smite them.


    Instead, Siwoo felt a force pulling on his collar.


    He raised his head, trying to see through his blurry vision.


    There was Amelia.


    Staring at him, seemingly unsure of what to do.


    ¡°S-Siwoo... Y-Your arm... Your arm...¡±


    She wanted to see Siwoo again so badly.


    Yet, at the same time, she was afraid to see him.


    And now, facing him who had just lost his arm, she couldn¡¯t stop her tears from coming out.


    Their eyes met.


    She pulled the hem of her clothes anxiously, as if she was a sinner who wanted nothing more but to run away from this situation.


    Meanwhile Siwoo just thought that her reaction as she opened her mouth without knowing what to say was so typical of her.


    Nevertheless, the important thing here was that she could finally hear his voice.


    ¡°Ms. Amelia.¡±


    When he called out to her, her body instantly stiffened.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Right after that, he lost his consciousness and fell into Amelia¡¯s arms.


    But, before he completely lost his consciousness, he remembered another saying from Gehenna.


    ¡®God is cruel, They do not grant miracles¡¯. A cynical saying that was typical of witches.


    The aftermath of a magical rampage heavily depended on the individual witch¡¯s capabilities.


    In normal cases, Amelia would be unable to stop her power from going out of her control.


    There was a reason why it was called ¡®rampage¡¯ to begin with.


    However, not only did Amelia do exactly that, she also used her remaining power to counteract Duchess Erelim¡¯s magic.


    For such an event that overturned even common sense, perhaps it wouldn¡¯t be a mistake to call it a miracle given by God.


    If not, then, though it was childish and trite...


    Calling it a ¡®simple flower blooming on a pile of dirt¡¯ would probably suffice.


    A small, but beautiful flower.

 Chapter 447: Reunion (1)

    Chapter 447: Reunion (1)


    1.


    Two days passed since the incident where Baroness Marigold went on a rampage.


    Since its scale was so big that it could easily be treated as the second invasion of Gehenna, they didn¡¯t take the matter lightly.


    Under Duchess Erelim¡¯s order, an Investigation Committee was formed to decide on Amelia¡¯s fate. She entrusted Countess Kohav to lead the investigation to find out the cause behind the incident and to confirm how much damage it had caused.


    Since there was no judicial system for witches, Amelia¡¯s fate would be announced through a hearing.


    ¡°...Henceforth, any false statement may be used against you during this interrogation. So please fully cooperate with our investigation, Baroness.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    With her short black hair, and ivory eyes, filled with a hint of intelligence.


    Wearing a suit and a monocle, Countess Kohav began the interrogation after reciting the precautions.


    After the incident was concluded, they immediately captured Amelia and threw her into the dungeon at Countess Gemini¡¯s residence, just in case she suddenly tried to run away.


    Of course, the result of the hearing wouldn¡¯t be determined solely from her testimony.


    They¡¯d also collect and analyze the magical pattern that she unleashed back then, and used it as evidence. She¡¯d also have to pay the City Hall a huge sum of money as compensation.


    Nevertheless, during the three-hours-long interrogation, Amelia didn¡¯t show any agitation whatsoever.


    She just answered every question that Countess Kohav asked with a calm voice.


    And of course, she didn¡¯t tell a single lie; just answered everything as sincerely as she could.


    ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll take a break for half an hour before continuing.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Countess Kohav rose from her seat, carrying the stack of paper with her.


    She announced the break time not because she needed to rest.


    But because she needed to send the stack of paper to the committee for cross-checking, and to dig a little deeper on the matter.


    After this, there¡¯d be a barrage of questions that would be incomparable to the ones she had asked so far.


    But Amelia didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by this as she sipped her tea calmly.


    ¡°Baroness Marigold.¡±


    At that moment, Albireo Gemini, who had been standing by as a mediator, stepped into Amelia¡¯s cell.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for this place¡¯s shabby state. It hasn¡¯t been used for decades...¡±


    She made sure to clean the place and placed new beddings, but there was only so much she could do to make an underground prison feel comfortable.


    There was nothing she could do to get rid of the musty smell and the cold air that blew through the gaps in the stone walls.


    ¡°No, I appreciate your concern greatly.¡±


    Amelia bowed her head as Albireo stared at her.


    All witches were beautiful, there was no need to explain further, it was common sense.


    But even among them, Amelia¡¯s beauty was otherworldly.


    The braided part of her hair reminded one of a rope woven with golden thread, while her blue eyes were astonishingly beautiful that it¡¯d make one shiver.


    Her long eyelashes, and her slender, yet elegant curves made Albireo, who had never once in her long life complained about how she looked, felt that her looks were lacking.


    Many witches had strong homosexual tendencies, but Albireo considered herself to be strictly heterosexual.


    But, there was a reason why she evaluated her beauty so closely like this, even though she didn¡¯t have such a tendency.


    Because this witch, whose beauty could be described as ¡®demonic¡¯...


    ¡°Is Mr. Shin Siwoo okay?¡±


    Was a love rival of her daughters¡¯.


    Amelia and Siwoo had a deep relationship, and she had actually shown her unrequited love for him before.


    Now that Siwoo had risked his own life to save her and fix their tangled relationship, it was obvious that the Hollywood¡¯s cliche of ¡®a couple reuniting after a major crisis¡¯ would occur soon.


    Her daughters¡¯ fighting ground was already crazy enough with Evergreen, Duchess Tiphereth, and Countess Yesod, and now Amelia was going to join in too.


    As their mother, she couldn¡¯t help but let out a deep sigh at this.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine. He still hasn¡¯t woken up yet, but that¡¯s because his circuit got injured, but he¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°...What about his arm?¡±


    Amelia didn¡¯t blink even once during the tense interrogation.


    But, as soon as Siwoo became the topic of their conversation, her expression twisted with a heavy guilt, as if she was a huge sinner.


    ¡°Countess Kohav has agreed to provide him with a prosthetic arm. You can trust her, she¡¯s the best person to consult in this field.¡±


    ¡°Thank goodness.¡±


    Hearing that, Amelia let out a sigh of relief and leaned back in her chair.


    She didn¡¯t care what would happen to her, she only cared about matters regarding Siwoo.


    Seeing this, Albireo¡¯s worry grew deeper.


    She cleared her throat before continuing.


    ¡°We won¡¯t know for sure until the hearing is over, but your sentence won¡¯t be light. At the very least, they¡¯ll probably strip your title away.¡±


    The commotion Amelia caused wasn¡¯t just a simple incident.


    Even if she had done that under the influence of the Witch of Whispers, she still had imprisoned thousands of Gehenna¡¯s citizens and put the Gehenna¡¯s barrier under a significant risk.


    But, Amelia just nodded her head calmly.


    ¡°Fortunately, the public opinion among the witches isn¡¯t bad. The general opinion is that, as long as you can pay the compensation properly, the matter won¡¯t end in your exile. You¡¯ll also be free to go after the hearing is over.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for looking out for me.¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m even doing this for you, though,¡¯ those words crossed Albireo¡¯s mind, but she didn¡¯t say it out loud.


    In fact, the reason why the general opinion seemed to be favorable towards her was because Countess Gemini and Countess Yesod had worked their asses off to achieve it.


    As for why Albireo tried so hard to protect her daughters¡¯ love rival¡ªother than due to her desire to help a fellow witch, of course¡ªit was so that Siwoo wouldn¡¯t go on rampage.


    It was obvious that if something were to happen to Amelia, he¡¯d be the first person to roll up his sleeves and do something reckless.


    ¡°Countess.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°If, by any chance, Mr. Shin Siwoo wakes up...¡±


    Amelia¡¯s long eyelashes fluttered as she hesitated, but suddenly, a commotion occurred.


    Thud! Thud! Thud!


    The sound of someone going down the stairs entered their ears.


    ¡°Amelia!¡±


    A familiar voice to Amelia echoed from the hall.


    The person who jumped down was someone with a huge¡ªno, humongous chest swaying around as she walked.


    She was none other than Sophia Avenega, Amelia¡¯s only friend.


    ¡°Sophia?¡±


    ¡°Amelia!¡±


    ¡°Ugh...!¡±


    She went through the iron bars in an instant and embraced Amelia tightly, as if she had been reunited with a long-separated family.


    It was so tight that Amelia let out a yelp.


    Just a second ago, she was drinking her black tea, acting all-noble-like, but now, she was buried in Sophia¡¯s chest, struggling to get free.


    ¡°Thank goodness... You¡¯re okay...¡±


    Amelia went on her Criminal Exile hunt without telling Sophia about it first.


    Of course, Sophia who didn¡¯t know where she went to was worried, and she went around to find her.


    But, even after borrowing the eyes and the ears of various animals, Sophia still couldn¡¯t find Amelia.


    It was as if someone had erased her traces; even the clues to her whereabouts evaporated into thin air.


    She was scouring through the Modern World after going through every corner of Gehenna when she heard about the news.


    ¡®Baroness Amelia had invaded Gehenna.¡¯


    The first time she heard that, she almost fainted on the spot.


    ¡°W-Was I too late...? S-Sorry... I¡¯m sorry, Amelia...¡±


    ¡°S-Sophi...aa... I-It¡¯s...okay... Ugghh...¡±


    Holding her tightly while crying, Sophia rubbed Amelia¡¯s cheeks.


    The commotion only died down when Albireo, who noticed Amelia¡¯s face turned blue from lack of oxygen, hurriedly separated the two of them.


    2.


    ¡°A body has been found?¡±


    [Yes. Baroness Marigold¡¯s claim that the Witch of Whispers has been posing as Clara Scorpio is proven to be true.]


    ¡°Any other unusual findings?¡±


    [I have organized a search party, just in case that the Class 1 Criminal, Witch of Whispers, is still in Gehenna, but... I doubt that we¡¯ll find something significant.]


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work. Please contact me again if there is any progress.¡±


    Countess Kohav hung up.


    She had submitted the information that she managed to gather through the interrogation to the Investigation Committee.


    So far, she hadn¡¯t found any contradiction in Baroness Marigold¡¯s words.


    They raided Clara Scorpio¡¯s lair in the Modern World and found a mummified corpse, entangled in a pile of half-melted gold there.


    Putting aside the question, ¡®What is the Witch of Whispers¡¯ aiming for?¡¯, at the very least, they had circumstantial evidence that there wasn¡¯t any malice behind Amelia¡¯s actions.


    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean she¡¯d be forgiven so easily. After all, she was fooled by a Criminal Exile so easily despite her status as a baroness.


    ¡°...¡±


    Countess Kohav walked down the stairs leading to the dungeon, deep in thought.


    The world had changed.


    Even all the theories that were accepted as absolute truths had been disproven, one by one.


    Signs of such changes started to appear all over the world.


    It was difficult to notice such things when they lived their lives normally, but looking back to the past incidents, the ominous hints were everywhere.


    For example, two days ago, Duchess Erelim, someone who had always maintained neutrality, suddenly acted like that...


    ¡°Regardless...¡±


    Doubts were doubts, duties were duties.


    Kohav still had to do her duties well, so that she could repay the favor she owed to the duchess. She had to maintain her neutrality and distinguish the blacks and the whites from the evidence they had gathered.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Countess Kohav tilted her head.


    She could hear an unfamiliar voice echoed from the cell where Amelia was imprisoned.


    Inside, she could see Baroness Avenega, crying in tears in Baroness Marigold¡¯s arm, while the latter was busy consoling her.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault, Sophia. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have met him.¡±


    ¡°Hic... B-But, I-I should¡¯ve stayed with you...¡±


    ¡°No, it was all solely on me. I was foolish. You aren¡¯t responsible for anything, Sophia.¡±


    Additionally, Baroness Marigold¡¯s hand was moving gently, stroking Baroness Avenega¡¯s head.


    ¡°Sorry for always making you worry. Also, thank you for always looking out for me.¡±


    ¡°Amelia...¡±


    What a touching scene.


    Meeting a witch who¡¯s under an investigation is against the rules, but... Since when have we witches abided by the rules anyway?


    Kohav took out her pocket watch.


    ¡°I can wait 10 more minutes...¡±


    She wasn¡¯t heartless enough to interrupt such a heartwarming reunion.


    Admiring her own tact and kindness, she leaned her back against the wall, cheerfully tapping the floor with the tip of her shoes.


    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Another Bunny Eloa

 Chapter 448: Reunion (2)

    Chapter 448: Reunion (2)


    1.


    ¡°Hah¨C!¡±


    Waking up with a gasp, Siwoo looked around his surroundings.


    As his consciousness began to clear up, he started to slowly remember things.


    The incident in Tarot Town, his painstaking effort to meet Amelia, and its ending.


    As he gasped for breath, he felt the cold sweat soaking his back and the warm sensations on his knees.


    ¡°Mmnyaa...¡±


    ¡°Huuu...¡±


    One on his left leg, one on his right.


    The twins, wrapped in microfiber blankets, were journeying through the dreamlands, using his legs as cushions.


    Seeing how they still didn¡¯t wake up even after he pulled his legs¡ªand from their drools¡ªthey were clearly in a deep sleep.


    ¡°...¡±


    Normally, he could spend a whole hour appreciating their cuteness, but sadly, it wasn¡¯t the time for that.


    He collapsed from exhaustion, he could tell that much, but what about Amelia? How did things develop after he was out of commission?


    Impatience seized him as he lifted the blanket covering him. He was about to get up, when...


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    My left arm...is here...?


    He could still remember how he blew it away from the wrist up back during the incident.


    And yet, here it was, completely intact. He could move it freely, and he could clearly see the veins and muscles under his skin.


    If it weren¡¯t for the room that looked like a hospital, he might¡¯ve passed the whole incident as a dream.


    But then he tried to focus on his left arm, and...


    ¡°I can¡¯t feel anything...¡±


    It was as if someone else¡¯s arm was attached in place of his real arm, he couldn¡¯t feel anything.


    He probably could try and play a piano right away, it was just, he couldn¡¯t feel anything.


    It was a weird feeling.


    ¡°That¡¯s a prosthetic arm Countess Kohav transplanted on you. The fundamental structure of your spirit body itself was damaged, so there¡¯s nothing else we can do.¡±


    ¡°Woah! C-Countess?! Since when are you there?¡±


    Surprised by the person¡¯s voice, Siwoo¡¯s body jolted as he turned his head towards the direction of the voice. At the end of his gaze, there was Countess Deneb, standing by the lamp.


    She hadn¡¯t been making any sounds, so it wasn¡¯t a wonder that he thought there wasn¡¯t anyone else here.


    ¡°Oh, my poor heart! Why are you shouting all of a sudden?!¡±


    The countess, who was surprised by his reaction, immediately rebuked him with a frown.


    ¡°W-Were you taking care of me? Thank you...¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s taking care of you? I¡¯m watching over you so you won¡¯t jump on my daughters and do inappropriate things to them the moment you wake up.¡±


    ¡°Um, I won¡¯t do something like that, though?¡±


    ¡°As if you won¡¯t! I¡¯ve confiscated the toy you¡¯ve prepared for the Harvest Festival! That obscene toy! Gosh, how could such a thing exist?! Such a thing needs to be purified and burned!¡±


    The countess grabbed a box that seemed to have been unpacked and re-packed again and waved it around.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend as if you don¡¯t know this!¡±


    ¡°But, I really don¡¯t know...¡±


    Of course, since the twins prepared the toys as a surprise for him, there was no way for him to know.


    But sadly, the countess refused to accept his self-defense.


    ¡°I¡¯ll always keep an eye on you, so behave yourself! Seriously, men and their lustful thoughts...¡±


    The countess said, clicking her tongue before crossing her arms.


    She wanted to go off on him, but she eventually gave up with a sigh.


    It was because she noticed his unusually serious expression


    Deneb knew everything that had occurred while he was asleep, but it wasn¡¯t the case with him. He had just woken up from a long sleep, he knew nothing.


    It was only natural that he was worried about Baroness Marigold, whom he was close with (presumably).


    ¡°Ugh, thinking about it is making me angry again...¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Evergreen, the twins, Countess Yesod, Duchess Tiphereth, he is seeing them all at the same time, and you¡¯re telling me he¡¯s adding another one?


    He even prepared that indecent toy for my innocent daughters!


    Deneb was barely able to suppress the urge to choke him and ask him, ¡®Do you have any conscience at all?!¡¯.


    If he wasn¡¯t a patient who had just woken up from a coma, she¡¯d probably have unleashed her magic on him already.


    Indeed. Just because they spent a night together that one time didn¡¯t mean that she¡¯d hesitate to hit him.


    ¡°Whatever. Are you curious about Baroness Marigold?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Hearing him answering in a subdued voice, Deneb managed to regain her composure again.


    ¡°Right now, she¡¯s being held in the dungeon, and Countess Kohav is interrogating her. The procession started around two days ago; the day when you first collapsed.¡±


    ¡°I was out for two days...?¡¯


    ¡°They said the fatigue that accumulated in your body is severe. You know what that means, don¡¯t you?¡±


    The spirit body usually wouldn¡¯t get fatigued easily.


    Even if it was subjected to hard labor that a normal human body wouldn¡¯t be able to endure, a spirit body would still be fine.


    In fact, the only times a witch would ever get fatigued were if they had to do something that normally required one to use heavy machineries, or if they used too much magic.


    ¡°...I¡¯ve been treating my body a little too roughly lately.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to a decent spirit body tuner, so get it checked out.¡±


    ¡°That aside, Ms. Amelia...¡±


    In any case, what mattered to Siwoo right now wasn¡¯t his physical condition.


    And so, Countess Deneb told him what happened to Amelia.


    ¡°My sister and Ms. Evergreen stepped forward and held off Duchess Erelim¡¯s ¡®Judgment¡¯ for about 15 minutes. During that time, you managed to save Baroness Marigold. However, even though she¡¯s a baroness, her actions couldn¡¯t be swept under the rug just like that. Especially considering what she has done was comparable to her invading Gehenna.¡±


    ¡°Is that so...?¡±


    ¡°The Tree of Sephiroth had formed an Investigation Committee to deal with the case. In the meantime, they arrested Baroness Marigold, who is willingly cooperating with the investigation.¡±


    ¡°Is she okay? Is the matter really that serious?¡±


    With Siwoo leaning his body forward¡ªtheir faces almost touched¡ªDeneb pulled her upper body back.


    Then, she shook off his hands that were holding on her sleeve.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re anxious, but don¡¯t interrupt me!¡±


    ¡°S-Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Haa. They won¡¯t brand her as a Criminal nor exile her. In the first place, the incident had no casualties, and besides, there is evidence that pointed towards the involvement of the Witch of Whispers in this matter.¡±


    Siwoo remembered the sight he had seen in Amelia¡¯s memory, where Clara made her go berserk.


    ¡°By any chance, was it Clara...?


    Hearing the name that came out of Siwoo¡¯s mouth, Deneb tilted her head.


    ¡°Did you know her?¡±


    ¡°No, I just happened to know her name¡ª No, that isn¡¯t important! I can prove that Ms. Amelia is innocent in this matter!¡±


    ¡°...I told you, stop interrupting me. Anyway, she¡¯ll be fine. She¡¯ll have to pay a big sum of fine and compensation, but that¡¯s it. Her title will help her reduce her sentence, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡±


    Only then did Siwoo¡¯s anxious heart calm down.


    Then, carefully, he asked.


    ¡°Can I meet her now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡ª¡±


    Before she could even finish speaking, Siwoo already disappeared from the room.


    The rest of Deneb¡¯s words were uttered in vain.


    ¡°...Can... Haa...¡±


    What am I gonna do with that womanizer?!


    Looking at the twins, who were still sleeping soundly, Deneb got annoyed again.


    She covered the twins¡¯ body with the now-messy blanket, clicking her tongue before letting out another sigh.


    2.


    It had been months since Sophia and Amelia last talked with each other.


    Naturally, they had a lot to talk about, and they did exactly that.


    Amelia shared the hows and whys of the matter.


    Then, they made a promise to go for a tea after the investigation was over.


    Half of the conversation was Sophia being mad at Lilith for what she had done.


    Amelia had to comfort her, stroking her hair gently. She felt guilty for being such a bad friend to her.


    It¡¯s warm


    The warmth she felt wasn¡¯t the false sense of comfort that came from the fact that she had been alone all this time.


    But a true warmth that came from having a sincere conversation with someone who genuinely cared for her.


    However, even at this moment, Amelia felt this nagging feeling in her heart.


    It was the same feeling she felt during the interrogation, and when she stared blankly into the stone wall after the interrogation session was over.


    Was it guilt? Expectation? Regret? Or gratitude?


    She remembered the moment when Siwoo reached out his arm to her in that endless darkness.


    And the moment when his arm scattered like flowers, right before he pulled her into a tight embrace.


    He told her that everything would be okay.


    Then, he consoled her, who thought that her sin was so great that she¡¯d never be forgiven, with eyes and voice that showed his understanding.


    And yet, she hurt him.


    She hurt him with her magic that she failed to control properly.


    Like a pointillist painting that was made of dozens of colors, the mixture of her various emotions created one big, overwhelming emotion.


    She wondered, what kind of emotion should she show him when they finally met? What kinds of words should she say to him?


    In the end, she decided to apologize to him first.


    For hurting him, for her selfish decision to run away until all the misunderstandings go away.


    ¡°So, what I¡¯m trying to say is...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sophia, who had been talking with eyes covered in tears, suddenly stopped talking.


    Amelia too, just held her breath quietly.


    -Thump, thump!


    Because heavy footsteps could be heard, coming down the stairs towards where they were.


    They definitely weren¡¯t the footsteps of a woman.


    A man who was trying to visit Amelia in this late hour; a single name popped up in the two witches¡¯ minds.


    Shin Siwoo.


    The moment his name crossed her mind, Amelia could feel her heart sink.


    Dozens of both nightmares and happy dreams she experienced while wandering through the Modern World crossed her mind.


    The nightmares were none other than the bitter memories that repeated themselves over and over again¡ªthe memories of the day when her relationship with Siwoo broke down¡ªas well as her imagination about how bad their reunion would be.


    While the happy dreams were none other than the memories of their happy life back at that wooden cabin, as well as her dream of a happy reunion with him.


    Now, it was time to see which one of them would come true.


    During the incident, Siwoo had definitely hugged Amelia.


    He told her that it was okay, and apologized for being late.


    But, it was a dangerous situation back then, he had just survived a situation that would normally lead to his death.


    People¡¯s emotions tended to follow their mood.


    It was difficult to guarantee that his mood back then and now would be the same.


    Moreover...


    He already had a lover.


    It was more apparent to Amelia, that what would follow wouldn¡¯t be a happy reunion, and her nightmares would be the one that¡¯d be realized instead.


    Perhaps she¡¯d end up experiencing the same thing as the past.


    Although it probably wouldn¡¯t be as bad as the past, there was a big chance that they¡¯d turn into complete strangers after this.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you two some space.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sophia gently stroked the back of Amelia¡¯s hand.


    She tried to stand up, but Amelia quickly grabbed the hem of her skirt.


    But soon, her grip lost its strength, and she let her skirt go.


    Siwoo had come to save Amelia.


    This made it the second time he showed his courage to save her, even though he could¡¯ve just died right there and then.


    Running away in this situation would be cowardly, even for her.


    ¡°You can do this!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sophia.¡±


    Sophia gave Amelia her last words of encouragement before entering the shadow in the hallway.


    She seemed to be talking with him for a moment there, and that got Amelia to quickly straighten her body up.


    Now sitting upright in her chair, she stared at her feet, not knowing what to do.


    -Thud, thud, thud!


    Then, the sound of approaching footsteps grew louder.


    His scent that she could only dream of entered her nose.


    Amelia hurriedly tried to calm down her pounding heart before quietly looking at him, at Siwoo.


    ¡°...Siwoo.¡±


    She called out to him, to the name that she always called out in her lonesome nights.

 Chapter 449: Reunion (3)

    Chapter 449: Reunion (3)


    1.


    The moment she saw Siwoo, Sophia Avenega, Amelia¡¯s close friend whom he hadn¡¯t met for a while, immediately bowed her head as deep as she could to apologize.


    Bowing her head repeatedly, she also uttered her gratitude for his effort to stop Amelia. She also mentioned that she¡¯d make sure to compensate for the wrongs that she had committed in the future.


    Considering that his actions were part of the reason why Amelia went on a rampage, Siwoo didn¡¯t really have anything to say about it.


    Although, seeing Head Professor Sophia trying to take responsibility was nice.


    ¡°I won¡¯t interrupt your reunion any further, so please go ahead. But, I do want you to know that I¡¯m truly sorry for all the troubles...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all okay. See you next time.¡±


    He bid his goodbye with a nod, then he strode out of the corner.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    And there she was, Amelia, silently sitting on the chair.


    Her beautiful figure took out all of his attention that he failed to notice the chains binding her ankles.


    She looked exactly the same as he remembered.


    Siwoo stared at Amelia.


    Amelia stared back at him.


    A heavy silence hung between them.


    The time that had stopped between the two of them had started to flow again, that was for sure.


    Awkwardness and unfamiliarity lingered between the two, just like a frozen valley that had just melted when spring came.


    But, like ice that melted over time, such feelings could probably disappear over time.


    Although, whether they could return to their previous relationship or not, Siwoo still didn¡¯t know the answer.


    In truth, he didn¡¯t even know what he was thinking, insisting on coming here.


    He didn¡¯t know what kind of words he could offer to comfort her¡ªwho had suffered from the same pain over and over again. Hell, he didn¡¯t even know if he had the right to comfort her.


    But, if he were to stay silent, nothing would change.


    Whether it was to resolve their misunderstanding, or to reconcile, at the end of the day, they still had to talk to each other.


    ¡°So, um...¡±


    ¡°So, um...¡±


    To his surprise, Amelia seemed to be thinking the same thing.


    Her delicate shoulders trembling, the exact same words as Siwoo flowed out of Amelia¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Y-You can go first, please.¡±


    ¡°Y-You can go first...¡±


    Once again, it happened.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It was a quite familiar situation.


    Siwoo had once experienced this a while ago, back when Amelia took him as her exclusive slave and she suddenly started to treat him kindly.


    Suddenly, Amelia reached out, her movements stiff like a doll whose joint hadn¡¯t been properly oiled.


    She took Siwoo¡¯s left hand with her thin, trembling hands.


    Carefully, and cautiously, she caressed it, just like a devout Christian after taking the hand of the pope.


    She then clenched her teeth and asked in a low voice.


    ¡°Siwoo, is your arm okay?¡±


    Her voice came out cold.


    Extremely businesslike, similar to how she used to talk back before they lived together in that old cabin.


    Even Amelia herself was wide-eyed, surprised that her voice came out like that.


    She didn¡¯t mean to use that kind of tone.


    All she wanted to do was to suppress her voice as much as possible so that he couldn¡¯t hear the tremble in her voice.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s okay. What about you, Ms. Amelia? Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I am. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Amelia let go of Siwoo¡¯s hand.


    From her action, it was as if she was trying to distance herself from him.


    At the very least, it was the complete opposite of a warm embrace of a reunion


    In the past, Siwoo might¡¯ve misunderstood her and distanced himself from her in response.


    But, Amelia wasn¡¯t trying to distance herself, nor was she growing to dislike or hate her.


    She was still feeling guilty about Siwoo¡¯s arm, and she still wasn¡¯t sure if he was still holding a grudge from what happened between them in the past. This was why she couldn¡¯t feel completely happy about this reunion.


    Fortunately, now Siwoo could tell the implications behind her actions and understood what she was feeling.


    ¡°Ms. Amelia.¡±


    Siwoo pulled up a chair and sat down in front of her.


    At the same time, Amelia tilted her head down.


    Siwoo could hear her soft breathing start to turn erratic.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so¡ª!¡±


    She was about to shout out her apology, but seeing how Siwoo managed to finish his first, she jolted her head upwards.


    Below her golden locks that flowed like golden thread, dewdrops could be seen, gathered in her eyes.


    She was late.


    Amelia wanted to speak up first, but here she was.


    Cowardly waiting for him to say something.


    Even though she had resolved herself, telling herself to be brave just this one time.


    ¡°...I¡¯m the one who has to apologize...for hurting...you...Siwoo...¡±


    Amelia continued, her pent-up emotions exploded.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...for bothering you... I didn¡¯t know...that I made your life hard... I even...acted as if you didn¡¯t go through that suffering... I-I really...don¡¯t want you...to suffer...or get hurt...¡±


    Before this, she actually had tried to choose her words carefully countless times.


    But now, words of apology, things that she wanted to say, her trying to correct all the misunderstandings, and more words of apology...


    All of them poured out uncontrollably like a dam burst, and everything came out messily.


    Her erratic breathing didn¡¯t do her any favor either, making it harder to make out her words.


    In truth, Siwoo couldn¡¯t understand much of what she was saying either.


    But, if there was one thing that he knew.


    It was that Amelia wasn¡¯t someone who could lay out her emotions in such a situation.


    Thanks to her years of solitary life, she was unable to convey her feelings with words.


    Instead, it was through her distressed expression, her eyes, her tears, her gestures that made him want to hug and comfort her, and the way she tugged at the hem of her own clothes that her feelings were clearly conveyed.


    ¡°I know, Ms. Amelia. I know everything.¡±


    Siwoo¡¯s voice was so soft and tender, as if he was trying to calm down an alert herbivore.


    He didn¡¯t want her to be afraid of him.


    Back when he first regained his memories, he was unable to hear Amelia out properly.


    At that moment, he felt a sense of betrayal and anger. When Amelia tried to cling to him, he pushed her away. He treated all her kindness with disgust, and passed them off as nothing.


    Indeed, Amelia wasn¡¯t the only one who had run away.


    Back then, overwhelmed with emotions, Siwoo too, had turned his back on her.


    If one of them had the maturity and composure to start a proper conversation with each other, none of this would¡¯ve happened.


    Had he at least listened to her properly back then, things wouldn¡¯t have developed in this way.


    He couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡®If back then, I had said these words to her, what would happen?¡¯.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you, so please, say what you want to say.¡±


    He caressed the back of her hand, which was wet from her tears that had fallen.


    ¡°I won¡¯t leave you alone, nor will I close my ears and run away.¡±


    Siwoo got up.


    Startled, Amelia stared at him, wondering what he was going to do.


    Meanwhile, he just carefully stretched out his arms, before wrapping them around her.


    He nestled her small, round head, in his arms.


    Back when he was a slave, he always thought that Amelia was bigger than him.


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t talking about her body size¡ªshe had always been small, after all¡ªbut rather her cold and overbearing attitude which had unknowingly made him feel intimidated.


    But now, she was so small in his eyes.


    So small and weak, that it was unthinkable that she had endured and suffered all alone.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a proper talk with each other, alright?¡±


    2.


    Amelia dug even further into Siwoo¡¯s arms.


    Even when their bodies couldn¡¯t be any closer, she still grabbed onto Siwoo¡¯s collar with her trembling fingertips and rubbed her cheeks against his chest until it was covered with tear stains.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo just waited for her crying her heart out, all while holding onto her shoulders tightly.


    Even after all that, Amelia was still unable to express her feelings clearly.


    Due to her crying, her cheeks and nose were flushed red, she kept on repeating what she had already said. Sometimes, she even jumped around the topics, making things even more confusing.


    As Amelia kept on blaming herself for her clumsiness and cluelessness towards her own heart, Siwoo easily forgave her.


    He also told her about his feelings back during their fall out, and blamed his immaturity for causing it to happen in the first place.


    Amelia wasn¡¯t the only one who had run away, he wanted to get that point across.


    After all, back then, he was also the one who turned his back on her and refused to hear any explanation from her.


    Then, he told her that he saw her memories.


    That he got to know what kind of life she had lived, and what kind of wound she had suffered.


    He also told her that what she had taken in from the note he left couldn¡¯t be any further than the truth.


    Then, he told her the reason why he didn¡¯t go look for her; because he thought that she had given up on him after reading that note.


    Because he thought that if he were to go look for her, she¡¯d refuse to meet him.


    He told her everything.


    Who knows how much time had passed since they started.


    At one point, Amelia¡¯s body, which had been staying stiff in his arms, loosened like a sugar cube inside a cup of coffee.


    ¡°...¡±


    A comfortable silence fell among them.


    After they were done sharing everything they wanted to share with each other, what remained was warmth, as soft as wool.


    At that moment, Amelia looked up at Siwoo.


    ¡°Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    As if she had encountered an utopia that she had only ever dreamed of, as if she had seen a mirage that would disappear if she were to touch it.


    Amelia¡¯s delicate fingertips lightly touched his cheek.


    After biting her lips several times anxiously, she finally came out with her question.


    ¡°You don¡¯t...hate me...?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Even after I tormented you? Made your life miserable? Threw unreasonable tasks at you? ...Even after I tricked you to forgive me when you lost your memories...?¡±


    This question actually came up several times throughout their conversation.


    The fact that she still asked it again showed how anxious she was to hear his answer to the question.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t read the note you left me... I even made you lose your arm... You still don¡¯t hate me...?¡±


    Siwoo straightened her bangs that were tangled with tears.


    Their current position...


    Was close enough for him to count the number of her eyelashes, and see her pink lips clearly.


    And just like that, Siwoo found out the best way to ease her anxiety.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Their eyes met as they held their breathings.


    Amelia quickly locked her clear blue eyes behind her eyelids.


    However, that didn¡¯t stop her body from trembling.


    Her body quickly turned stiff again. She pulled on Siwoo¡¯s collar, her eyelashes quivered endlessly.


    They both could feel each others¡¯ heartbeat from their touching skin.


    At that moment, they knew what each other wanted.


    A kiss.


    An act of exchanging one¡¯s breath.


    The best way to express one¡¯s affection and trust.


    Slowly, the two of them closed their eyes, and drew closer like a snowflake falling on a quiet night.


    Then, the moment when their lips gently covered each other¡¯s.


    -Screeech!


    Like a startled flock of crows, Amelia and Siwoo quickly got away from each other.


    The sound of the door to the dungeon being opened echoed, followed by the voice of two people talking as they went down the stairs.


    Amelia, with a flushed face, sat upright on her chair, all stiff, while Siwoo, feeling all awkward, let out a few series of coughs.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake, Siwoo? How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling well, thanks to you. Thank you.¡±


    It was Countess Kohav and Albireo, visiting the dungeon this late at night.


    As for why, they were here to continue the interrogation.


    Since witches didn¡¯t need sleep, and everyone wanted this case to be over quickly, this had been going on for two whole days. Literally.


    ¡°Haa...¡±


    Albireo looked back and forth at Siwoo and Amelia, then she let out a sigh, as if she understood what was going on.


    ¡°We will now continue our interrogation of Baroness Marigold. Unrelated personnel, please leave the vicinity at once.¡±


    Countess Kohav tilted her head, confused at the strange atmosphere going on between Siwoo and Amelia, but she soon gave out her cool-headed verdict.

 Chapter 450: Reunion (4)

    Chapter 450: Reunion (4)


    1.


    Siwoo came up from the dungeon while touching the lips that barely met Amelia¡¯s.


    He wanted to see how the interrogation went from up close, but considering Albireo¡¯s position and the cold look of Countess Kohav¡¯s, he knew that there was no way they¡¯d just let him stay.


    In any case, since the dungeon was pitch black, he didn¡¯t realize that the sun had started to rise and dawn was already over.


    ¡°Haa...¡±


    For some reason, he felt refreshed.


    It was as if all the lingering worries that had been ailing him had been cleared away.


    He remembered Albireo¡¯s words; all they needed to do was to wait for Amelia¡¯s hearing.


    After that, they could go back to their happy daily life...


    ¡°Anyway, I wonder where¡¯s Master right now?¡±


    Two days had passed since the incident.


    Though his master was supposed to be in the Modern World, the incident was so big that one could confidently say every witch in Gehenna knew about it.


    Since that was the case, there was no way that the news didn¡¯t reach her ears.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t like he was upset at her for not showing up when he was in dire condition. If anything, he was worried about her since she didn¡¯t come back despite that.


    He knew that people who could give her trouble could be counted with a single hand though.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    He remembered that she mentioned Branch Manager Sua¡¯s name before going, so he figured that he should pay her a visit first.


    As he was thinking about that, suddenly a shadow jumped on him from the corner of the hallway that the morning sunlight hadn¡¯t reached yet.


    ¡°Now! Odile, Odette, attack!¡±


    ¡°¡°Yes, Master!!¡±¡±


    ¡°W-What?!¡±


    -Thud, thud, thud!


    It was the twins, jumping on him from both sides with movements so quick that it wouldn¡¯t be strange if the carpet was caught on fire. From behind them was Sharon Evergreen, opening up her arms as if she was commanding them.


    Odile¡¯s feet, which soared into the sky like she was some martial arts master, lightly tapped Siwoo¡¯s body with her thigh.


    Then, she grabbed his sleeve before wrapping her legs around his arm, spinning him forward.


    In an instant, he felt like his whole world was turned upside down.


    A Flying Omoplata.


    It was a jiu-jitsu technique that was said to be able to overcome the differences between weight-class.


    Using Siwoo¡¯s own weight to execute a spin attack that led into a joint lock despite her weight being half of Siwoo¡¯s, Odile perfectly executed the technique.


    ¡°Oww!¡±


    Siwoo fell forward to his knees with a loud sound.


    As he was stuck in that position, like a criminal caught red-handed, Odette swiftly delivered a kick towards his butt.


    ¡°You¡¯re too much, Mr. Assistant! Too much!¡±


    On the contrary to his sister, Odile, who had just landed that outstanding technique perfectly for the first time, somehow forgot that she was angry and started exclaiming happily.


    ¡°Did you see that, Odette? I did it! First try!¡±


    ¡°Urrrgg...! T-Time out!¡±


    A little later after Siwoo woke up and went to find Amelia, the twins woke up to find an empty bed. Of course, it went without saying that they were pissed.


    Their long-awaited Harvest Festival date passed by just like that.


    The surprise gift that they had chosen and prepared carefully was confiscated by their little master, while their dear Mr. Assistant that they had been taking care of disappeared on them the moment he woke up.


    That last one made them especially pissed. Even Sharon, who had been away to take care of things here and there decided that he shouldn¡¯t go unpunished, so they joined forces to do exactly that.


    With her arms crossed, Sharon stood in front of Siwoo, whose face was on the ground, with a cold expression.


    ¡°Mr. Shin Siwoo, I get that the situation was urgent for you, but can¡¯t you at least spare a word or two for those who had been worried sick about you before you went? Is it that hard, huh?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right! You¡¯re too much!¡±


    ¡°I was so scared when I woke up and saw you gone!¡±


    At Sharon¡¯s gesture, Odette, who had been kicking Siwoo¡¯s butt repeatedly, and Odile, who refused to let Siwoo¡¯s arm go even after he asked for a timeout...


    Stopped what they were doing and went over to Sharon¡¯s sides, placing both their hands on their hips.


    Siwoo had no excuse.


    No matter how desperate he was to see Amelia, and even though the reason he didn¡¯t wake up the twins was because he didn¡¯t want to disturb their sleep...


    If they felt wronged by his actions, then there was really nothing that he could say.


    He had no choice but to bow his head, kneel, and apologize.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry... The thing is...¡±


    Neither Sharon nor the twins knew about the details of the relationship between him and Amelia yet.


    Although, the twins had taken care of him after their fallout, so they probably knew a bit more than Sharon.


    At the end of the day, they were still Siwoo¡¯s lovers.


    He was planning to call them for a proper talk soon anyway, so he decided that this was a good time to come clean.


    But, before he could even finish the start of his story


    ¡°Enough, I get it already.¡±


    ¡°Already? Just from this?¡±


    Sharon, who had been listening with a serious expression, suddenly cut him off mid-sentence.


    The surprising thing was that her ¡®enough¡¯ didn¡¯t carry a bad connotation behind it. It was as if she was saying that she understood where he was coming from.


    He hadn¡¯t even said half of what he wanted to say yet.


    Sharon wasn¡¯t good at hiding her feelings.


    Whenever there was something that displeased her, or he had done something that she disliked, she¡¯d puff her cheek and complain to him outright.


    But right now, she was making the expression of a mature girlfriend who had forgiven her boyfriend¡¯s slip-ups.


    ¡°Get up. The floor is cold, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    She grabbed his wrist, pulled him up, dusted him off, and straightened his clothes up.


    Facing the implication that she really understood what was going on in his mind before he could even explain it made Siwoo even more embarrassed.


    Especially since despite him being together with Sharon for a really long time, he had never told her about his matter with Amelia.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad that you kept your promise and returned safely. Now, it¡¯s you guys¡¯ turn.¡±


    Sharon stepped aside lightly, revealing Odile and Odette, who were pouting at him.


    ¡°Mr. Assistant, promise us. From now on, you won¡¯t throw yourself into danger like this again.¡±


    Odile and Odette¡¯s anger wasn¡¯t only due to jealousy.


    It hadn¡¯t even been long since his fight with Bianca, and now he was doing something reckless again.


    This was the biggest reason why they were so upset at him.


    ¡°You won¡¯t promise us?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Unfortunately, the promise that Odile was asking for wasn¡¯t something that Siwoo could easily make.


    Because he knew, if something similar were to happen again, he¡¯d do the same thing again.


    He didn¡¯t want to make a promise that he could break anytime just to get away from this situation.


    ¡°I will do my best.¡±


    Hearing Siwoo¡¯s answers, the twins just furrowed their eyebrows before letting out a long sigh.


    ¡°I knew it.¡±


    ¡°What can I say? As expected of Mr. Assistant...¡±


    The twins knew what kind of person their Mr. Assistant was.


    If he was someone who¡¯d listen to others¡¯ words easily, this whole thing wouldn¡¯t have happened in the first place.


    Besides, they knew that as people who had been saved by that recklessness twice, they had no right to push the matter any further than this.


    ¡°Then, at least ask for our permission before you¡¯re going to do something like this again.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s the least you could do, you know?¡±


    Odile patted his shoulder gently, as if she was a manager trying to encourage her subordinate.


    ¡°Thank you for your understanding...¡±


    ¡°But, in exchange...¡±


    At that moment, Odette scurried over to Siwoo, grabbed his ear and whispered something to him.


    It was a request rather than a command; a request to play a ¡®game¡¯ in place of their lost opportunity to spend the Harvest Festival together.


    But, now that the twins had been freed from their little master¡¯s clutches, they naturally had no intention of holding back here.


    Odette¡¯s bold proposal was filled with a bunch of shameless words, making Siwoo¡¯s ear redden as he heard it.


    ¡°...Got it?¡±


    ¡°A-Ah... Y-Y-Yes...¡±


    Sharon, who saw Siwoo¡¯s dumbfounded face, immediately felt that something was wrong.


    ¡°Wait! What are you talking about?!¡±


    ¡°Sharon unnie, you¡¯ve done a lot of things during the Harvest Festival already! Let us have our fun!¡±


    ¡°Right! This is only fair!¡±


    ¡°This is the kind of thing that you two should discuss with me in advance!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but you went on a date with him already, no?¡±


    Although they were on the same side when it came to protecting the man they loved, essentially, Sharon and the twins were still competitors.


    Even their date schedule was a result of a fierce battle of wits.


    That was how they could share the man they loved.


    ¡°I did...! I did, but...!¡±


    In this situation, it was hard for Sharon to say that her date with Siwoo during the Harvest Festival was quite satisfactory.


    Of course, they did the deed briefly in that locker room, but that was the equivalent of eating instant ramen.


    She didn¡¯t have the enjoyment of wrestling all night long in bed with him¡ªshe hadn¡¯t tasted the full course meal yet.


    ¡°You did it, so what are you complaining about?¡±


    ¡°Seriously, Sharon unnie! Why are you always complaining when you keep getting the good things!¡±


    The argument between Sharon, who felt wronged by this situation, and the twins, who couldn¡¯t understand Sharon¡¯s grievances, continued until Deneb, who was passing by, noticed Siwoo who was standing like a statue in the hallway and scolded him.


    2.


    Amelia¡¯s hearing was held on the evening of the final day of Countess Kohav¡¯s interrogation.


    With all the information gathered from the Investigation Committee, and Countess Kohav¡¯s interrogation result, Duchess Erelim deemed that she had received enough data to proceed with the hearing.


    Of course, in truth, this was all just a formality, the duchess wasn¡¯t actually the one who decided the verdict, she was just tasked to read it.


    It was the nobles of the Tree of Sephiroth that acted as the jurors and judges; each of them had personally evaluated the case.


    The verdict that the duchess would read was merely something that they had agreed upon beforehand.


    Inside the conference room, which was bustling with witches.


    This case probably broke the record of the largest number of witches attending a hearing in Gehenna¡¯s history.


    Of course, Siwoo was also among the audience, sitting anxiously.


    Countess Albireo had told him that Amelia would be okay, but they¡¯d only give out their final judgment today, and she had been attending the meeting with the other nobles, so Siwoo hadn¡¯t heard anything about the verdict.


    Like the other witches here, he¡¯d only know of the result when they officially announced it.


    Hence why he was sitting there anxiously while staring at Amelia¡¯s side profile, so much so that he even failed to notice the numerous witches blatantly staring at him.


    ¡°Do you, Baroness Marigold, admit to your sin of performing large-scale magic without permission in Tarot Town on December 24th 632 Gehenna year?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Amelia was standing in the middle of the room, facing Duchess Erelim, who stood on the highest seat, looking down on her as she asked for her final statement.


    The duchess had black hair and eerily cold silver eyes. Her tone was neither high or low, but its majesty could be felt clearly.


    ¡°Do you admit to endangering the citizens of Gehenna, and furthermore, endangering the existence of Gehenna itself?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±


    This was something that Amelia herself had already admitted during the interrogation; they had also confirmed and calculated all the damage that she had caused during the incident.


    So, all Amelia could do was to nod obediently.


    ¡°Very well. Then, I, Blanche Erelim, will announce the verdict that thirty one witches¡ªincluding myself¡ªhas decided upon.


    Duchess Erelim took the verdict in her hand and started to read it.


    ¡°Amelia Marigold, you have neglected your duty as a noble, and let yourself fall prey to the Witch of Whispers¡¯s treachery, in which she used you to disrupt order in Gehenna.


    ¡°In addition, you were unable to control your own magic, which had caused danger to the lives of countless citizens of Gehenna and the Great Barrier itself. On the day of the incident, you have received several warnings to stop, in which you ignored and escalated the situation despite the warning.


    ¡°For your crime, our verdict is for your title as Baroness Marigold to be confiscated and for you to be sentenced to 58 years of imprisonment to reflect on your sins. Moreover, you will be sentenced to an exile without statute of limitations.¡±


    Hearing that, Siwoo opened his eyes wide, feeling his heart sink. But then, Duchess Erelim continued after taking a deep breath.


    ¡°However, the committee had also considered the following before delivering our final judgment.


    ¡°Throughout her career, Baroness Marigold had eliminated numerous Criminal Exiles and Homunculi alike; the incident was also due to an accident, not out of malice, and the damage had been calculated to be minor at best. Furthermore, in total, fifty petitions of exemption from punishment had been received by the committee, in which Countess Gemini, Countess Yesod, and Baroness Avenega were among the names signing it. Baroness Marigold herself has also shown her deep remorse regarding this incident.


    ¡°Finally, there¡¯s also the fact that the Marigolds had contributed greatly to the development of Gehenna in the past, which serves as the greatest mitigating factor.


    ¡°Therefore, the execution of Baroness Marigold¡¯s sentence of imprisonment and exilement is hereby suspended for a period of ten years, on the condition that following clauses are met:


    ¡°One, Baroness Marigold has to relinquish her title back to Gehenna.


    ¡°Two, Baroness Marigold has to compensate 182 witches who had suffered losses from this incident by paying them 1,000 gold pounds each.


    ¡°Three, Baroness Marigold has to pay 30,000 gold pounds of fine to the City Hall.


    ¡°Four, the moment all the above clauses are fulfilled, Baroness Marigold¡¯s sentence of imprisonment and exilement is permanently suspended.¡±


    The moment Siwoo heard those conditions, he quickly did some calculations in his head.


    In total, the amount of gold that Amelia had to pay was 212,000 gold pounds.


    If he were to roughly estimate that 1 gold pound equaled 800,000 won, it meant...


    ¡°169,6 billion won...?¡±


    In 10 years?


    No, can someone even pay that much?


    Compared to Siwoo and the other witches, whose mouths were gaping wide at the incredible amount, Amelia, the one who received that sentence, was calm.


    As if it was someone else¡¯s business, not hers.


    ¡°The above verdict was reached through a discussion within the Tree of Sephiroth, the highest decision-making as well as the highest body of Gehenna. Baroness Marigold will not receive any appeal to her sentence, nor will she be allowed to ask for one. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Though short, the hearing was intense.


    The hearing that only lasted five minutes, resulted in the largest fine in the history of Gehenna.

 Chapter 451: Reunion (5)

    Chapter 451: Reunion (5)


    1.


    Throughout the hearing, Amelia was feeling light-headed.


    Not because it was a big event that would become a stumbling rock in her life, though.


    If anything, she didn¡¯t care much about it.


    Having to pay a fine and compensation that amounted way bigger than all the gold she had ever held in her life?


    Imprisonment and exilement if she were to fail to comply in 10 years?


    Looking at the situation, it wasn¡¯t a matter that even her, someone who didn¡¯t care much about most things, could take lightly.


    Her master¡¯s inheritance was more than enough to fund her magic research, but it was far from enough to pay for both the fine and the compensation.


    That wasn¡¯t all.


    For her, who had been living a secluded life in Gehenna, exilement could be considered an extreme sentence.


    Imprisonment wasn¡¯t any better¡ªthey¡¯d only let her stare at the walls, barring her from doing any magic research.


    Yet, despite all that, her heart was calm, and the reason was none other than.


    He forgave me...


    We even almost kissed back then... I thought we¡¯d never be able to reconcile again, but...


    He was about to kiss me, wasn¡¯t he?


    In a corner of her heart, there was still a remnant of guilt remained, but there was also gratitude.


    She knew that she had a mountain of things she had to do to atone for her sins.


    But, even though she knew that it was pathetic of her to feel this way...


    It was unmistakable that an unshakeable pillar had been erected tall in her heart.


    ¡°Please leave your sign here and here.¡±


    In the waiting room. Countess Kohav, the witch in charge of the interrogation, placed a stack of paper in front of Amelia.


    She received it, carefully checked its content and signed whenever necessary.


    After that was done, the countess took all the paper from her silently and left after saying her farewell.


    ¡°Thank you for your cooperation. I hope that we won¡¯t meet in this circumstance ever again.¡±


    ¡°Likewise, Countess Kohav. Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    Almost immediately after, Sophia walked in.


    As soon as she saw Amelia, she caressed her cheek before hugging her tightly.


    ¡°Look at you... You¡¯ve become so thin...¡±


    ¡°Sophia, our bodies are spirit bodies, that isn¡¯t possible.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s how I feel when I look at you.¡±


    Being buried in Sophia¡¯s motherhood, Amelia teared up, a faint smile appeared on her face.


    She never knew that the embrace of a precious friend could feel so warm.


    The pair then briefly enjoyed their blissful second reunion.


    ¡°Amelia.¡±


    Sophia, whose expression darkened before long, called out.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you out, I¡¯ll pay some of the fines. It¡¯ll be hard to cover even half of the fine, but I have some money saved up, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Sophia felt responsible for things to turn out this way.


    Despite being her best friend, she didn¡¯t know that Amelia had been out there fighting, cleaning up the Kill List for Siwoo¡¯s sake.


    She also wasn¡¯t anywhere near Amelia¡¯s side when the Witch of Whispers was manipulating her to do her biddings.


    Moreover, it was all because of her teasing that Amelia¡¯s and Siwoo¡¯s relationship went downhill.


    The first two things that she couldn¡¯t help much about, but the last one was a different story.


    If only she could take better care of Amelia, and ensure that she and Siwoo had a proper talk before their fallout, things probably wouldn¡¯t have turned out this way.


    Sophia felt genuinely guilty about this.


    Even more so considering that Siwoo was the one who stepped in and stopped Amelia in the most crucial moment, while she, the cause of all this problem, was nowhere in sight.


    ¡°Sophia.¡±


    Amelia called out in a small voice.


    Just the other day, when they had that long conversation, she had said everything she wanted to say about Sophia¡¯s self-reproach.


    At the end of the day, it was Sophia¡¯s meddling that got Amelia to know Siwoo.


    Without her, Amelia probably wouldn¡¯t have met him at all.


    In that case, while she probably wouldn¡¯t end up suffering as much, she wouldn¡¯t get to know what was love either.


    This was why she didn¡¯t blame Sophia at all.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do all that.¡±


    ¡°But, Amelia...¡±


    It was also why she rejected Sophia¡¯s offer for support.


    But, Sophia took it as Amelia not knowing how much money was involved here.


    Even after excluding the smaller digits, the amount she had to pay was 210,000 gold pounds.


    The fine that she had to pay to the City Hall was still manageable, but the problem here was the compensation she had to pay for the witches whose research she had ruined.


    Even if Sophia were to sell all of her assets, she still wouldn¡¯t be able to cover half of it.


    The other possibility that Sophia assumed was that Amelia was refusing her help so that she knew that she really was ¡®okay¡¯ and that she didn¡¯t need to worry.


    Then again, that was only natural.


    No matter how much trouble Amelia got herself into, she wouldn¡¯t just ask for others¡¯ help, thanks to her stubborn pride.


    And so, Sophia racked her brain, trying to find a way to help her that wouldn¡¯t make her feel burdened.


    At that moment, Amelia looked straight into her eyes.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s my fault. I¡¯ll take responsibility for it myself.¡±


    The moment she met her clear eyes, without even a hint of hesitation...


    Sophia found herself feeling embarrassed.


    She called herself her best friend, but somehow, she failed to understand her best friend¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Thank you, Sophia. Your offer meant a lot to me.¡±


    Looking at Amelia, who was bowing her head in gratitude, she became certain.


    Her assumptions were all wrong.


    The reason why Amelia refused her offer wasn¡¯t because of some petty pride or stubbornness.


    It was a deeper, more firmly rooted belief that had successfully replaced her narrow-mindedness of the past.


    ¡°...Come here, lemme hug you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re already hugging me.¡±


    ¡°When did you become so mature...?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have money, it¡¯ll be hard for you to do your own magic research... Besides, it isn¡¯t like you¡¯re the one at fault here...¡±


    If it was someone else, they might have responded differently, saying, ¡®What¡¯s the big deal?¡¯.


    However, Sophia had been watching Amelia since her old, stubborn, stuffy days.


    She couldn¡¯t help but feel happy for her small, yet definite growth.


    ¡°Okay, I understand. But, if it gets too hard for you, ask me for help, okay? I know that you¡¯d help me the same way if I ever got into trouble, so don¡¯t hesitate, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±


    Like a pair of sisters, the two then held each other for a long time.


    2.


    ¡°Haa...¡±


    On the bed where the heat of the passion hadn¡¯t cooled down yet.


    Dry cigarette smoke added a layer of haze to the already hazy window¡ªcourtesy of the moist air.


    Countess Kohav¡ªwithout a layer of clothing, beads of sweat glistened like crystals on her pure white skin¡ªwordlessly stared at the window.


    As she filled her lightened body with nicotine while resting her chin on her hand, she glanced over her shoulder.


    At the end of her gaze was Duchess Erelim, sitting on the bed, leaning her back on the wall with a grimoire in her hands.


    Her silky black hair was combed neatly without a single strand standing where they shouldn¡¯t.


    Refusing to lose when it came to beauty, her silver eyes moved gracefully, scanning over the letters that she was reading.


    Her appearance looked so clean and neat that it was hard to believe that they had just finished a passionate love-making session.


    She was a woman that Countess Kohav always loved and admired, but sometimes, the countess couldn¡¯t help but think that she was a little too distant.


    As if she was a doll, not a witch, or even a human.


    And strictly speaking, that assessment wasn¡¯t entirely wrong at all.


    After all, the reason why Yvonne Kohav was feeling this way wasn¡¯t just due to her current neat appearance.


    It was because of something that had happened a while ago.


    ¡°...¡±


    On the day when Baroness Marigold caused that big incident, Countess Gemini and Evergreen came to the duchess to ask for a favor.


    To delay her ¡®Judgment¡¯ just for around 15 minutes.


    All the preparations to execute Baroness Marigold right there and then were complete, and the other witches had also asked for her mercy.


    So, after weighing the interest of everyone, the duchess accepted their request.


    Then, after the promised 15 minutes had passed.


    As planned, the duchess cast her ¡®Spear of Judgment¡¯.


    With that, the spear of light that could bypass all sorts of defenses and ignore magical affinities rushed from the sky to the ground.


    In an instant, the spatial randomization that Baroness Marigold had created disappeared, and the imprisoned citizens were freed.


    To describe the event in chronological order, it was as follows.


    (1) The duchess enacted her Judgment.


    (2) The spatial randomization that Baroness Marigold had created ceased.


    (3) The baroness stopped the duchess¡¯ Judgment.


    Although the Judgment was something the duchess¡ªa 24th ranked witch¡ªhad released, she still reined in the power to minimize the damage to the surroundings.


    So, it wasn¡¯t a far-fetched idea that the 23rd-rank Baroness Marigold was able to stop it.


    Of course, the thing that Countess Kohav was confused about the most wasn¡¯t that, but rather, ¡®Why didn¡¯t the duchess cancel her magic after (2) had happened?¡¯


    .


    A normal answer to that question was because she couldn¡¯t. Cancelling one¡¯s magic after releasing it wasn¡¯t exactly an easy endeavor.


    That was why neither Countess Gemini nor Evergreen made any fuss about it.


    But Kohav knew.


    The duchess was in total control of her magic, and she could easily do things that defy common sense.


    If Blanche wanted to, she could easily stop her Judgment at any time.


    But she didn¡¯t.


    Moreover, after her magic was stopped by Baroness Marigold, she stared down at the male witch and the baroness embracing each other with scary eyes.


    Why didn¡¯t Blanche stop her attack?


    And why did she stare at them with such eyes?


    ¡°Yvonne.¡±


    Hearing that call, Kohav finally realized that she had been so lost in her thoughts, and that Blanche had put down her grimoire, and was now staring at her.


    ¡°Do you have something you want to say to me?¡±


    Blanche closed her book before running her fingertips on Kohav¡¯s smooth waist.


    In fact, there were a lot of things she wanted to say.


    A lot of things she wanted to ask.


    However, those things were ultimately ¡®suspicions¡¯, and saying them out loud implied that she was suspecting the duchess of having impure motives.


    After gathering her thoughts for a bit, Kohav finally opened her mouth.


    ¡°Not really, but do you mind if I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    Blanche¡¯s nightgown loosened due to her movement, and she gently placed her naked body on top of Countess Kohav¡¯s.


    After wrapping her body around Kohav¡¯s like a snake, she caressed her earlobe gently before grabbing her buttocks.


    ¡°B-Back then... Why...didn¡¯t you...cancel your magic...?¡±


    Her lust surged, burning strong as if someone had just poured oil onto a dying ember..


    Amidst that, Kohav still managed to stammer out her words.


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°Back when...you used Judgment on...Baroness Marigold... I knew...you could do that... A-Ah, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m questioning your decision¨Cngh...¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    As Blanche¡¯s long fingers stirred her still-wet petals, Kohav¡¯s body stiffened.


    The cigarette that she was holding trembled¡ªit could probably fall off at any given moment.


    ¡°I probably didn¡¯t notice because I was too focused. Controlling such a magic isn¡¯t exactly an easy thing to do.¡±


    ¡°I-Is...that...so...?¡±


    ¡°Regardless, why did you wait until now to ask me that?¡±


    Her thick, sticky voice that Blanche wouldn¡¯t let others hear entered Kohav¡¯s ears.


    And that was enough to make Kohav put her doubts aside for a moment.


    ¡°T-That¡¯s...¡±


    She began to think that she had made a mistake, or misunderstood something somehow.


    While yes, Duchess Erelim had reached great heights, that didn¡¯t mean she was perfect and couldn¡¯t commit mistakes.


    Furthermore, she had devoted her life for the witch¡¯s society more than anyone else. There was no way that she¡¯d do something that would harm her fellow witches.


    ¡°I see. You doubted me, hm, Yvonne?¡±


    ¡°N-No... I-I wasn¡¯t...¡±


    With her weak spots being attacked relentlessly, Countess Kohav couldn¡¯t even make a coherent sentence anymore.


    It had been decades since she started this kind of physical relationship with the duchess, and she had never beaten her even once.


    Soon, Countess Kohav lowered her head, burying her face in the sheet as her whole body trembled.


    Her regret of ever feeling doubtful towards the duchess and uttering it in words were quickly swept away by the pleasure she felt.


    Behind her, who was swallowing her moans, Duchess Erelim¡¯s eyes shone meaningfully.

 Chapter 452: Trip (1)

    Chapter 452: Trip (1)


    1.


    Siwoo was worried.


    The amount of fine that Amelia had to prepare to avoid imprisonment and exilement wasn¡¯t small no matter how he looked at it.


    Witches were generally really wealthy.


    Even the witches whom one could see walking around the streets often threw gold coins around and were all living a life that would be envied by everyone in the Modern World.


    In fact, even Sharon was a multi-billionaire before she got stripped off her entire fortune in a class-action lawsuit.


    Fortunately, in Amelia¡¯s case, the City Hall settled the case by coordinating with the witches who had suffered damages by letting her pay a certain amount of compensation.


    Still, the amount of debt wasn¡¯t so easy to pay off.


    In the first place, only witches who had amassed their wealth from doing business in the Modern World like Countess Yesod and Countess Gemini could ever get that much money.


    After the hearing. Siwoo was on his way to meet with Amelia, but he ran into Sophia along the way.


    ¡°Ms. Sophia, were you seeing Ms. Amelia?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Mr. Siwoo... Yeah, I was...¡±


    Siwoo wanted to see Amelia right after the hearing was over, but...


    Unfortunately, Amelia was busy with various administrative procedures, including checking over the inheritance that her master left her.


    ¡°Has she gone already?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I told her to show her face for a minute at least before she goes, but... She¡¯s adamant in taking care of everything today.¡±


    ¡°Did she tell you when she¡¯ll be free?¡±


    ¡°She said she¡¯ll finish everything by tonight and meet you in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Alright, got it.¡±


    That was when he realized that it had been a while since he had seen Sophia.


    The last time she saw her, he was still a slave.


    Meeting an old acquaintance like this, he really felt like time had flown.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice meeting you again after such a long time. I won¡¯t bother you anymore, I¡¯ll get going.¡±


    Siwoo bowed politely as he said that and was about to leave, but...


    Sophia stopped him.


    ¡°Do you not hate me?¡±


    When he turned around to see her, she was meekly folding her hands, trying to avoid eye contact with him.


    Essentially, what she had done was using him for Amelia¡¯s sake without his consent.


    While she often helped him when Amelia¡¯s torment became too much, she never stopped Amelia from doing what she did to begin with.


    He could say that she was sacrificing him for Amelia¡¯s emotional education and she¡¯d have nothing to say to that.


    But then Amelia went berserk, and she couldn¡¯t do anything about it while Siwoo went ahead, risked his life, and saved her.


    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry for what I¡¯ve done. I¡¯ll do anything to repay you. Even if you tell me to live the rest of my life naked, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too much, I won¡¯t tell you to do that...¡±


    Though her tone was light, her sincerity was clear. Hence why Siwoo replied with a smile.


    While yes, the cause of his involvement with Amelia and miserable life as a slave was ultimately due to Sophia¡¯s antics...


    He didn¡¯t mind at all.


    After all, Sophia was the first one to offer a helping hand to Amelia, who was struggling all alone. She had also helped him tremendously back during the incident in Border Town, so he didn¡¯t really want to blame her too much.


    ¡°If you need my help, please let me know. I¡¯ll help you the best I can.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will ask for your help if something comes up.¡±


    After that, Siwoo left Sophia¡ªwho was bowing her head in apology until the end¡ªbehind and went back to Countess Gemini¡¯s mansion.


    2.


    Siwoo belatedly came to understand Amelia¡¯s feelings.


    If he could, he¡¯d love to embrace the reasons behind her actions, her clumsiness, and even her weaknesses.


    Of course, if she still harbored the feelings of ¡®love¡¯ towards him, he¡¯d also love to respond to it.


    Although, to do the latter, he had to deal with something else first.


    There was a reason why a harem was only really possible in fiction these days; one had to jump through complicated hoops to build one in reality.


    Before proceeding, he had to ask for Sharon, the twins¡¯, and his master¡¯s permission first.


    Sadly, he didn¡¯t have any proper explanation he could give to Sharon and the twins.


    So, he made them sit down and told them everything that happened between him and Amelia instead of giving out excuses.


    Of course, he didn¡¯t go through the details when it came to Amelia¡¯s painful past¡ªhe just grazed the topic a little.


    Just enough to give some context behind her past actions and such.


    ¡°...That¡¯s about it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He ended up giving a rather long explanation, but it was surprisingly shorter than he expected.


    Last time, when he tried to come clean about his affair with Countess Yesod, the twins were the ones who got angry the most.


    So, he checked on their expressions first.


    But, to his surprise...


    Their eyes were all red due to tears.


    ¡°Sniff... Odette, you aren¡¯t crying, are you? What are you, a child?¡±


    ¡°Sniff... Look in the mirror, Sis...! I¡¯m not the one rubbing my eyes with my sleeves!¡±


    ¡°My eyelashes got into my eyes! You know my eyes are long and pretty, just like a butterfly¡¯s antenna!¡±


    ¡°Mine too! Mine¡¯s as long as yours! It got into my eyes that it hurts so much!¡±


    They tried to not be emotional about it, but unfortunately for them, that didn¡¯t work out as well as they expected.


    The twins tried to hide it by starting to bicker among each other like usual again, but the tears in their eyes were clearly visible to everyone.


    ¡°A-Ahem... I see, so that¡¯s what happened to the Associate Professor.¡±


    ¡°And here I thought she was a bad teacher who always gave us homework every day...¡±


    Next, he turned his gaze on Sharon.


    She was staring wide-eyed at him, drops of tears were falling down on her cleavage.


    Siwoo¡¯s original plan was to come clean, get scolded by the three as much as they liked, and get them to have a conversation with Amelia, but...


    He never expected them to be so emotional after hearing his story...


    It caught him completely off guard.


    Maybe I have a talent for storytelling.


    Such a thought arose when he saw their reactions.


    At that moment, Sharon walked over and gave Siwoo a tight embrace.


    ¡°It must¡¯ve been hard... But, you¡¯re okay now, right...?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, it happened a long time ago, so I don¡¯t even remember much of it anymore... I¡¯m fine now.¡±


    Whenever Sharon asked him about his life in Gehenna, Siwoo always found a way to avoid the topic.


    Hence why this was the first time she had ever heard about his life as a slave in such detail.


    She had assumed that since he was a former slave he used to live a harsh life, but it was only after he told his experience in detail that it hit home to her of how harsh of a life he had lived.


    Since she was also someone who shed tears easily, it was only natural that she started to cry after hearing all that.


    He got paid less than minimum wage, got assigned to the worst possible accommodation, and on top of that, Amelia had assigned various odd jobs to him without a care in the world.


    While she could understand that Amelia had her own circumstances, it was just hard for her to see her in a positive light now.


    ¡°I-I feel guilty for what I¡¯ve done now...¡±


    ¡°M-Me too...¡±


    As for the twins, while their relationship had changed drastically after they came back from the Latifundium, before that, they used to approach Siwoo and made Siwoo do their biddings.


    Though they had helped him a lot since then...


    They still thought that they didn¡¯t have the right to come forward and comfort him like Sharon, since they used to carry out their whole ¡®sex education¡¯ agenda without even caring about his consent.


    ¡°In any case, if you, Ms. Odile, and Ms. Odette are okay with it, can you spend time together with her for a bit? I¡¯ll talk with Master separately later.¡±


    To that, Sharon nodded, wiping her tears with a handkerchief.


    While she couldn¡¯t see Amelia in a positive light after hearing how much she used to torment Siwoo, if the person himself forgave her, what else could she do?


    Besides, Amelia also suffered as much, if not more than Siwoo, so she decided to just keep her thoughts to herself in this case.


    ¡°Sure, I can do that if you want me to. It¡¯s great that you¡¯re loved by many, Siwoo.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Next, the twins¡¯ response.


    ¡°Ms. Odile, Ms. Odette.¡±


    ¡°Well, I knew that this would happen sooner or later.¡±


    ¡°Associate Professor Amelia used to monopolize Mr. Assistant when he regressed to his youth, after all!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s one or two more women, no one will beat us in the end anyway!¡±


    Of course, those weren¡¯t the only reason the twins were so accepting of Amelia.


    They knew that when Siwoo was lying in a coma for months, Amelia was the one who worked the hardest to find a cure for him, more than anyone else.


    Then there was also the matter with the Kill List; something that she had done in order to save him.


    In a way, it was thanks to her that the twins were able to continue their relationship with Siwoo.


    Considering all that, there was no way they could just throw a tantrum and reject Amelia.


    But, it made them feel awkward if they were to tell Siwoo all this.


    Hence why they just showed him their fighting spirit instead.


    ¡°Tell the associate professor to come and visit the council after you¡¯re done! Even if it¡¯s her, we won¡¯t let her skip our meetings!¡±


    ¡°Sis is right!¡±


    3.


    Time passed, and the night had deepened.


    Siwoo, who had been tossing and turning, unable to sleep, decided to go on a walk.


    He didn¡¯t have a specific goal in mind.


    Instead, he just went wherever his feet took him. Before long, he somehow arrived at the Trinity Academy.


    He had come here countless times to look for Amelia before.


    Maybe because he was significantly more relaxed from back then, he could take in the scenery where his five years of joy and sorrow had been buried more closely.


    ¡°Haa...¡±


    First, the long, winding drainage ditch along the wall of the building.


    It was one of the reasons why he used to really hate rainy days.


    Since the Trinity Academy was built a long time ago, the drainage looked like a dungeon where crocodiles might live.


    Then, he looked at the barn that used to be his accommodation for five years.


    It was an abandoned building to begin with, so of course when Siwoo, the only person who took the minimum amount of care on it left, the building became even more rundown than before.


    They said that one couldn¡¯t help but be nostalgic about the past no matter how bad it was.


    Looking at this place, he remembered the time when he was trying the damn hardest to escape from Gehenna.


    As he recalled the days of his struggles as he tried to study magic to escape, he felt a sense of longing...


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t miss that time at all.¡±


    Or not. If anything, those memories made him feel liberated, as if he could do anything he wanted in this world as long as he put his mind into it.


    Then, he looked around the library¡ªwhich was officially his workplace¡ªthe hallways, and the academy building, all decorated so lavishly that one would think they¡¯d need to pay an admission fee to visit.


    As expected of an academy with a long tradition.


    Siwoo had changed a lot ever since then, and yet this building¡ªwhich remained shining even under the silence of the night¡ªstood unchanged, as if telling the world that it would stay like this for a thousand years.


    Then, at that moment...


    ¡°...¡±


    He hadn¡¯t made any promises with anyone.


    His visit to the Trinity Academy was nothing more than a whim.


    But, as if ordained by fate, behind the swaying candlelight, a witch appeared.


    Amelia Marigold, holding a book as big as her torso, wearing the cape that her master left her as a heirloom.


    The two people who were walking from different ends of the hallway, eventually stopped in the middle.


    Don¡¯t think too much about this.


    We¡¯ve been apart from each other for so long, there are things we haven¡¯t been able to do for each other.


    From now on, we just need to do our best to make up for that.


    But, that¡¯s only if the ¡®love¡¯ is still in her heart...


    No, what am I saying? We almost kissed back then, I don¡¯t need to worry about that, surely.


    As he was thinking about various things, Siwoo realized.


    He was nervous.


    This reunion was completely unexpected and accidental.


    The fact that his mind was filled with various things the moment he laid his gaze on Amelia was clearly a reflexive reaction of his cluelessness on how to deal with her.


    He didn¡¯t know what he should do. Hell, he didn¡¯t even know if he should greet her first or straight up ask her opinion about the hearing.


    ¡°Siwoo.¡±


    In the end, it was Amelia who was the first to speak.


    Maybe due to the place, it felt like he had gone back in time.


    Back when Amelia was still an associate professor and Siwoo was her private slave.


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Amelia?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind... Would you like to go on a trip together...?¡±


    The sudden offer to go on a trip surprised Siwoo.


    Go on a trip? All of a sudden?


    He racked his brain, trying to connect the dots between what happened today, the debt that she now had to pay, and the offer she was currently making.


    Is she asking me to go on a midnight escape with her?


    Seeing him staring blankly at her, Amelia quickly added.


    With a voice that was way too calm and composed for someone who was presumed to be trying to do a midnight escape.


    ¡°I want to go on a trip with you.¡±


    From what Sophia told him, Amelia was busy dealing with various administrative works and checking her own balance.


    Her trembling eyes made Siwoo think that she was in despair over the fact that she was unable to pay her debt.


    ¡°If you¡¯re okay with it, of course...¡±


    But then, he realized.


    Her face that looked stiffer than usual.


    And her trembling eyes and fingers, unable to hide what she was really thinking.


    The way her eyes moistened and her hands trembled as they were grabbing the hem of her skirt...


    Made it clear that she really was struggling trying to get those words out.


    Siwoo realized once again that Amelia wasn¡¯t the kind of person who¡¯d attempt a midnight escape.


    He let out a light laugh, making fun of himself for even thinking about that.


    ¡°I was about to ask you the same.¡±


    With that, it was decided that the two of them would go on a trip together.

 Chapter 453: Trip (2)

    Chapter 453: Trip (2)


    1.


    When Siwoo accepted her invitation, Amelia didn¡¯t jump up and down in excitement.


    She also didn¡¯t smile knowingly, as if she had expected it, nor did she blush or squirm awkwardly.


    Instead, she turned away expressionlessly, just like when she first insisted he accompany her to Border Town.


    Her side profile as she walked beside him was as expressionless as ever, so he had no idea what was going on her mind.


    Amelia¡¯s self-essence magic, her signature ¡®poker face,¡¯ was fully in play, it was something Siwoo had grown all too familiar with.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    Amelia met Siwoo¡¯s persistent gaze briefly.


    It feels...


    Different from what I was expecting.


    Yesterday, they had a deep, honest talk and finally resolved the misunderstandings and grudges they had carried for so long.


    The old love-hate tension between them had softened into affection, while the rigid gap between them had finally closed.


    Just like a pair of estranged lovers who, after realizing their mistakes and regretting their choices, learned that the other had been silently enduring hardship, going to the ends of the earth to catch crabs in Russia just to pay for surgery. There was on way they could stay indifferent after hearing that.


    The atmosphere between them had been so tender that, if Countess Kohav and Albireo hadn¡¯t interrupted, they might¡¯ve shared a long, heartfelt kiss back then.


    That¡¯s how it should¡¯ve been, but...


    What¡¯s with this distance between us?


    Though unsure of their destination, he still walked beside Amelia.


    To make things worse, Amelia hadn¡¯t even glanced at him and kept her eyes fixed forward, maintaining an awkward silence for over five minutes.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Could it be?


    The timing is probably a little off?


    Let¡¯s think about it for a bit.


    Amelia and Siwoo¡¯s relationship had never been that smooth.


    Back when he was still a public slave and when she was an assistant professor...


    They were practically involved in a cold war where neither liked the other.


    Then came the period when he became her private slave, and she was his professor in charge.


    It was a transitional period when they almost grew closer, but things had fallen apart in the worst possible way.


    Next came her time as his guardian during his age regression.


    After going through a period of depression where their relationship had grown to be the closest but ultimately fell apart again, they were separated for a long time.


    During that time, rather than stagnating, their relationship deteriorated instead.


    Had their kiss the other day gone uninterrupted, things would¡¯ve probably been different, but after the hearing and their dramatic reunion, they were now stuck, unsure which stage of their tangled relationship to focus on.


    ¡°...¡±


    If not that...


    Could it be?


    For five years in his life, he had listened to Takasho¡¯s endless romantic theories.


    Every time that guy got bored, he¡¯d start babbling, forcing a database of dating advice into Siwoo¡¯s subconscious.


    And now, his imaginary monologue began to play in Siwoo¡¯s head.


    ¡®Shin Siwoo, how could you still think like a clueless virgin?!¡¯


    Takasho, stroking an imaginary beard, spoke up in his mind.


    ¡®Shin Siwoo! The assistant professor clearly misses you! When she finally gets to meet and talk to you, her reaction is surprisingly warm¡ªespecially for someone as intimidating and strict as her! Just look at her expression! She¡¯s quite literally begging you to kiss her!¡¯


    I...see your point, yeah.


    ¡®Shin Siwoo! Do you know about the Romeo and Juliet Effect?¡¯


    The Romeo and Juliet Effect? Did you just make that up?


    Takasho folded his arms, looking all serious.


    ¡®Humans are creatures who seek for freedom! Their instinct to reclaim their repressed free will is so strong that it overrides everything else! What I¡¯m trying to say here is that, since she had been unable to see you all this time, she wanted your embrace even more as a rebellious response to her environment!


    ¡®And yesterday, her long-held desire was fulfilled!


    ¡®Or so she thought! With her dramatic reunion interrupted, her mind, previously clouded by dopamine rushing through her brain, finally had the chance to think more calmly and came to a realization!


    ¡®Huh? I¡¯m not as thrilled as I thought I¡¯d be. Also... How many girlfriends has he got now?¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s like she¡¯s finally getting that pair of shoes she¡¯s been dreaming of, only to realize they¡¯re not as amazing once she put them on!


    ¡®Anyone claiming love lasts forever is just an idealist!


    ¡®Love is like a candle, flaring up at the smallest spark and snuffing out just as easily!


    ¡®Even Romeo and Juliet might¡¯ve gotten divorced in two weeks if their families had set them up!¡¯


    Eventually, Takasho, who had been passionately delivering his unconventional theory, faded out.


    Of course, this wasn¡¯t something that Siwoo¡¯d say out loud to anyone, but as ridiculous as it sounded, the logic was sound.


    At least, in this situation, it felt oddly believable.


    But, that doesn¡¯t explain why she suggested we go on a trip...


    As Siwoo wrestled with his confusion like that...


    Amelia¡¯s mind was running wild.


    A trip with Siwoo... A trip with Siwoo... A trip with Siwoo alone... A trip with Siwoo alone...


    Her travel plan, something she had nervously written down and barely managed to say, was easily accepted by Siwoo.


    The excitement and tension from that moment made her body turn stiff like a robot.


    2.


    Perhaps, it was sheer arrogance for Siwoo to think that he fully understood Amelia Marigold.


    It felt like a heavy stone was pressing down on his chest.


    He had already mentioned their supposed relationship to Sharon and the twins, speaking like it was a given, yet now it felt like everything had been reset.


    In truth, the time they had shared ¡®love¡¯ as lovers only spanned the period when memory-lost Siwoo had reached adulthood and before he regained his memories...


    Was just a handful of days at best.


    Now, he was afraid that he had jumped to conclusions, like drinking the kimchi soup before the rice, and then some.


    But while Siwoo¡¯s mind was tangled in doubts, Amelia, fully prepared, arrived, carrying the luggage she had packed beforehand.


    Her suitcase was enormous, big enough to fit a grown man curled up inside.


    ¡°Let me carry that for you.¡±


    It seemed the inertia of his actions, combined with the atmosphere of the place influenced him somehow.


    Despite his mind that was swirling in chaos, Siwoo instinctively reached out to take Amelia¡¯s luggage.


    But before he could, Amelia abruptly turned her body.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    From her gesture, it seemed almost like she was guarding the bag from him.


    Clutching the bag tightly in both hands, Amelia spoke warily.


    ¡°I¡¯ll carry it myself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I can help¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll carry it myself.¡±


    With a determined look in her eyes, Amelia flatly refused Siwoo¡¯s offer.


    She turned around completely and moved the bag to a place where Siwoo couldn¡¯t reach it even if he stretched out his hand.


    That was her way of making a point.


    As they walked through spaces filled with memories of their shared past, it wasn¡¯t just Siwoo who felt a flood of emotions.


    Amelia too, found herself reflecting on her own foolish actions from before.


    The times when she couldn¡¯t admit her feelings, when she made his life difficult, casually flaunted her social status, and treated him like a slave.


    Thankfully, he had forgiven her childish tantrums and cruelty.


    But, Amelia wasn¡¯t so shameless that she¡¯d let things go just like that.


    Even the smallest stone tossed into still water left ripples.


    The tangled threads of human relationships wouldn¡¯t unravel so easily.


    Hence why, there was no way she¡¯d ever treat him like a slave again.


    So, she resolved  to handle everything herself and not rely on him anymore.


    If anything, she was ready to become his servant to atone for the five years of suffering she had put him through.


    Hiding that firm resolve, Amelia glanced at Siwoo while holding her bag behind her.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    As anyone could expect, Siwoo looked completely stunned.


    A wave of satisfaction surged through her, sweet and overwhelming like a giant slice of cake.


    Though, if she were honest, it was a cake topped with the bittersweet regret of thinking, ¡®I should¡¯ve done this sooner.¡¯


    Siwoo, unaware of her inner thoughts, gathered his composure and asked hesitantly.


    No, it¡¯s too soon to make assumptions like that...


    ¡°By the way, about the trip... Where are we going?¡±


    Even as he asked, he felt he already knew the answer.


    The cabin in the wing nut tree forest, where he shared the warmest memories with her, that was the obvious choice.


    ¡°The Modern World.¡±


    But Amelia surprised him with her answer.


    ¡°I want to see your hometown, Siwoo.¡±


    Her shy smile melted away any misunderstanding he might have had.


    3.


    Could Amelia, practically on probation, even leave for the Modern World?


    That worry turned out to be completely unnecessary.


    Because apparently, the witches¡¯ society held an enormous amount of trust in their ¡®nobles¡¯.


    Well, in Amelia¡¯s case, a ¡®former¡¯ noble.


    At any rate, aside from a brief hiccup when Amelia had to personally face the immigration officer, the two of them passed through the gate in less than an hour.


    After feeling a brief distortion and a sway in his vision...


    The marble interior of the immigration lobby disappeared, and they found themselves standing by the Han River bank.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    The night breeze was refreshing, but as always, the warp left Siwoo feeling nauseous.


    One would think that the whole process would feel comfortable considering how expensive it was, but it wasn¡¯t the case at all.


    Meanwhile, Amelia was too captivated by her surroundings to notice Siwoo¡¯s discomfort.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    While yes, she had traveled to the Modern World before to clean up her Kill List.


    Her trips had been limited to harsh terrains like the Arctic, Antarctic, and deserts.


    She had briefly passed through a city before meeting Siwoo, but it was still nothing when compared to the grandeur of Yeouido, with its sky-high land prices.


    All this time, she hadn¡¯t seen buildings towering like walls that she had to lift her neck to see.


    Of course, her being much more relaxed and having the leisure to take in her surroundings helped.


    To her, this level of advanced science seemed no different from magic from the perspective of an ordinary person.


    That thought struck her as she gazed at the skyscrapers with their seamless walls of reinforced glass.


    The artificial lights glimmering on the dark Han River¡¯s surface...


    The honking of car horns and the noise of the bustling city left her dazed, and her trance was broken when Siwoo spoke.


    ¡°Uh... I¡¯ll book us a hotel first...¡±


    Hotel. Reservation. Siwoo.


    Deciding where to stay was a natural part of the trip.


    But Amelia had just made her resolution not too long ago.


    To not make Siwoo do any work.


    That was the least she could do as a way of atoning for her sins.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Amelia couldn¡¯t possibly break her resolve after only 3 hours, so she quickly snatched the smartphone from Siwoo¡¯s hand with a determined motion.


    Grasping the phone, which Countess Gemini had set up for Siwoo under a different name, Amelia¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    This was the first time she had ever seen a smartphone.


    She had only grabbed it on impulse after seeing Siwoo was about to use it to book their accommodations.


    It was small enough to fit in the palm of her hand, and the screen sparkled brightly and vividly.


    When she swiped her fingers across the screen, it responded immediately, just like the magical touchscreens in advanced magic labs she¡¯d seen before.


    Looking closer, she saw detailed images of nearby lodgings displayed, as if someone had taken photographs of the rooms.


    Feeling overwhelmed by this unfamiliar device that resembled an artifact, Amelia¡¯s eyes darted around in confusion.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo awkwardly reached out, trying to retrieve the phone from Amelia.


    From her memories, Amelia had no experience with modern technology, so naturally she wouldn¡¯t know how to use a smartphone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it, I know the area well.¡±


    But Amelia clutched the phone tightly against her chest like a squirrel protecting its acorn, shaking her head.


    ¡°I can do it. I¡¯ll manage.¡±


    Amelia took a deep breath, focusing on the screen, and began reading through the text slowly and carefully.


    Since Siwoo had been using it to find a place to stay, she figured it must be some kind of catalog.


    Noting how the screen responded to her touch, she decided to treat it like the magical equipment she was accustomed to.


    She clicked through options one by one, and she started to understand how it worked and eventually selected the most elegant-looking hotel among the choices.


    When she pressed the ¡®Book Now¡¯ button, a payment screen and a password prompt appeared, and...


    ¡°...¡±


    Amelia loading...


    As she turned her back to the screen, shielding it from view, Siwoo, who had been peeking over her shoulder, noticed her standing motionless and eventually spoke up.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to take over from here. I¡¯m the one who knows the password.¡±


    But then, she replied in a firm voice.


    There was even a subtle hint of triumph in her voice that puzzled him.


    ¡°Just tell me the password, and I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s 3821.¡±


    ¡°Three... eight... two... one....¡±


    Amelia pressed each number cautiously, as if she was defusing a bomb.


    A slight vibration followed, and a confirmation message popped up: ¡®Reservation confirmed!¡¯.


    And that was it, she did it.


    She helped Siwoo entirely on her own for the first time.


    ¡°Here you go.¡±


    Siwoo took the phone from Amelia.


    Although she seemed to be looking at him expressionlessly, Siwoo had a skill called ¡®Amelia Reading¡¯ that allowed him to read her emotions through her subtle facial expressions: a skill he had maxed out during his time as her slave.


    He hadn¡¯t relied on it much lately, now that Amelia had shown obvious reactions, the skill became incredibly useful.


    Her breathing became slightly faster.


    Her lower lip was tucked inward.


    Her eyes were wide, and her left eyebrow was raised by about fifteen degrees.


    From those hints, he assessed Amelia¡¯s emotional state:


    [Joy: 25%]


    [Self-satisfaction: 10%]


    [Pride: 25%]


    [Mild fatigue: 40%]


    Something felt a little off.


    Siwoo checked the reservation Amelia had made.


    ¡°Oh, you picked a great place.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I can do something like this just fine.¡±


    And just as he expected.


    She had booked a hotel in Jeju Island.


    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Amelia and her maste

 Chapter 454: Trip (3)

    Chapter 454: Trip (3)


    1.


    Amelia had booked a hotel in Jeju Island, but they couldn¡¯t possibly get there at this hour.


    So, Siwoo quietly canceled her reservation and booked a nearby hotel instead.


    Luckily, even though it was late, finding a room wasn¡¯t that hard.


    If it was Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year¡¯s Eve, or New Year¡¯s, every hotel would¡¯ve been packed to the brim already.


    Fortunately, today was December 27th, an uneventful in-between day.


    So, he managed to secure a room in a five-star hotel only a ten-minute walk away.


    Although, now that he wasn¡¯t receiving financial support from Countess Gemini anymore, he had to bear the expensive cost himself.


    He did have some money from all the gold Takasho forced on him during his time as a host, and the bounty he had split with Sharon during their time together though, so he didn¡¯t have to stress too much about it.


    The cold night air brushed past the Han River.


    People with their coat collars up hurriedly flagged down the taxis passing by.


    The streets were still adorned with Christmas decorations, and festive carols played in the background.


    ¡°...¡±


    Meanwhile, Amelia followed Siwoo like a curious puppy on its first walk.


    She didn¡¯t seem to notice, but her mouth had been slightly open in awe for quite a while now.


    Her gaze was locked at the cars passing by, making her fail to notice the traffic lights¡ªnot that she¡¯d understand what it meant even if she did¡ªso Siwoo had to pull her back when she almost crossed the street recklessly.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After 30 minutes of walking, her gaze was drawn into a giant ad billboard as if she had found one of the world¡¯s wonders. It was only when Siwoo called out to her that she closed her mouth and followed him along.


    Her over-the-top attempt to act unfazed was actually kind of cute.


    For a moment, it helped Siwoo forget all his worries about how he should deal with her.


    After going through more hassle, they finally checked into the hotel late at night.


    On a side note, Siwoo had anticipated that Amelia would draw attention¡ªboth from her stunning appearance and the fact that she was clearly a foreigner¡ªso he had brought along one Tarnishing Charm for concealment.


    Still, even the charm had its limits.


    It still failed to prevent a small mishap.


    The receptionist, who checked them in, stared at Amelia for an unusually long time, seemingly mesmerized.


    Well, considering that even when Siwoo and Amelia had the worst relationship, he had never been able to insult her appearance despite him cursing about everything else, this was only natural.


    Once in the elevator, Siwoo inserted the key card and pressed the floor button.


    He booked the best room available through the app; a high-floor suite with a view of the Han River. Now that check-in was complete, though, he felt a strange unease.


    Amelia.


    Hotel.


    By themselves, these words seemed perfectly ordinary.


    But when combined, they created this odd, jarring feeling.


    It reminded him of the time they stayed at Sophia¡¯s villa in the Border Town.


    An odd mix of tension, unfamiliarity, and awkwardness lingered in the air.


    Amelia flinched slightly at the sensation of the elevator rising, gripping the handle of her travel bag tightly.


    Unlike Odette and Odile, who had eagerly embraced everything in this world as ¡®new and interesting¡¯ when they first arrived, Amelia seemed to approach each moment in a more ¡®What the hell is this?¡¯ way.


    She was standing much closer to him than before.


    I could put my hand on her shoulder and comfort her. It should be fine, right?


    The moment when Siwoo, who thought so, tried to do exactly that to Amelia, who had her head hung low...


    -Ding!


    The elevator stopped, opening its door to reveal a hallway lined with mirrors on both sides.


    ¡°I¡¯ll lead the way.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Amelia¡¯s voice was noticeably quieter than before.


    He didn¡¯t need to analyze anything to know that she was intimidated by all this.


    It was clear from this that Amelia was a country bumpkin by nature.


    Thanks to her master¡¯s teachings and her own experiences, she had come to view the Modern World as a ¡®very unpleasant place.¡¯


    So, it wasn¡¯t surprising that she¡¯d feel overwhelmed and tense, her shoulders hunching as she took in the unfamiliar surroundings.


    Though both fascinated and shocked, she steadied her racing heart and followed Siwoo.


    At the very least, it was easy to get to their room after checking in.


    All it took was a swipe of the card key.


    ¡°Here we are.¡±


    Amelia watched him carefully, her eyes studying his movements as if he was performing some kind of magical ritual. As she unpacked, she glanced around the room, unable to hide her confusion.


    The room itself was immaculately clean.


    There was a faint smell of disinfectant on the bedding, as if it was freshly laundered. Even the slightly gaudy-looking sofa was in perfect condition, with no signs of wear.


    It was a spacious twin suite, separated into a living area and bedroom, located on the upper floors of a five-star hotel with a stunning view of the Han River.


    ¡°...¡±


    But, there was a clear disappointment in Amelia¡¯s face.


    She realized that her expectations had been wrong.


    When she saw the enormous hotel with over 60 floors that didn¡¯t exist in Gehenna and the grand lounge decorated with a Christmas tree, she had assumed her reservation was a success.


    She even felt a sense of pride amidst her discomfort with modernity.


    But when they stepped inside, her little moment of triumph turned out to be a mistake.


    She never imagined such a tiny, cramped room could exist in a hotel that big.


    The low ceiling and cheap-looking red carpet only added to her dismay.


    Not only that, the air was also overly dry, the humidity was poorly managed, and the space was far too small for two people to share.


    Even factoring the second floor of the room, it was still smaller than the old cabin.


    Indeed, venturing out without much knowledge had only made things worse.


    Now, she felt like she was back to being her old self; someone who just caused trouble for Siwoo.


    ¡°...¡±


    However, Siwoo, who was too busy looking around the room, couldn¡¯t possibly have noticed Amelia¡¯s inner thoughts.


    ¡°Ms. Amelia.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    Siwoo, who had been pacing near the floor-to-ceiling window, gestured to her.


    Amelia, feeling awkward and unnecessarily timid, responded hesitantly.


    ¡°Could you come over here?¡±


    At that, Amelia walked over cautiously, her steps small and timid.


    Meanwhile, Siwoo briefly stepped away for something.


    As he inserted the key card and turned off the lights...


    ¡°This is the night view. In my country, people pay an insane amount of money just to see this.¡±


    When the dazzling city lights, the towering buildings, the massive steel bridges, and glowing street filled her vision, her eyes widened.


    Almost immediately, her disappointment and guilt began to melt away.


    The scene in front of her was a sight that she could never see in Gehenna; a truly sleepless city.


    ¡°It¡¯s...beautiful.¡±


    Her honest thought slipped out as she pressed her hand against the glass, her gaze drifted from the far-off ground below to the shimmering lights across the river.


    ¡°So, this is your home, Siwoo...¡±


    Strictly speaking, the apartment he grew up in had long been demolished and redeveloped, but it wasn¡¯t wrong to call Seoul his home.


    Besides, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to correct her after seeing her gaping her mouth in amazement, so he just quietly appreciated her cuteness from the side.


    2.


    They reserved a suite with twin beds, so the two found themselves sharing the same room in the hotel.


    Sipping wine from the minibar while admiring the romantic night view¡ªit seemed like the perfect setup for romance.


    A fleeting blush, eyes locking, a quiet shift to close the gap, and then...a kiss.


    Usually, that would lead to them slipping into the bed next to each other.


    Then, what happened between Amelia and Siwoo?


    ¡°Good night.¡±


    ¡°You too... Sleep well, Siwoo.¡±


    Absolutely nothing happened.


    Since Siwoo had a fairly regular sleep schedule, it wasn¡¯t strange that he went to bed at this hour. But even Amelia, who hardly slept, ended up resting her head on a pillow on a different bed.


    Both retreated to sleep, unable to face the stifling awkwardness and tension in the room.


    ¡°Haaa... Damn...¡±


    He exhaled a deep sigh, disguising it as a yawn.


    Bridging the gap between them still felt impossible.


    When he first learned about Amelia¡¯s past and the sacrifices she made for him, he had been overwhelmed with emotion.


    If he could return to that moment when his heart was full, maybe things would be different now.


    He thought of clinking wine glasses with her. While they might end up not talking at all, they could just lean against the wall and kiss each other passionately.


    But now, he wasn¡¯t even sure where to begin.


    Should he act like the carefree man he was when he had lost his memories and lived happily with Amelia?


    Or should he act like the time when Amelia was an associate professor and Siwoo was a janitor?


    As if cold water had been poured on the flames that were about to ignite, what replaced his drive and impulsiveness was an overwhelming sense of difficulty.


    Amelia had come out into the Modern World and was no longer staying in that cabin alone.


    When she said she wanted to see his hometown, it felt as if she was giving him a clear green light, but even so, the situation was still confusing to him.


    If the mythical Cowherd and Weaver Girl had met under such awkward circumstances, they probably would have spent a day sulking on the Magpie Bridge...


    As these thoughts raced in his mind, a few hours slipped by, and he eventually fell asleep.


    Amelia waited until his breathing evened out before turning over carefully.


    She glanced at him, then rose from her bed quietly.


    After confirming once more that he was asleep, she got up and sat down on his bed.


    ¡°Siwoo...¡±


    Even now, she felt that it was hard.


    Loving someone while carrying the burden of guilt was just too difficult for her.


    When she wandered the Modern World, longing for his forgiveness, she often dreamed of falling asleep in his arms.


    She dreamed of reliving those moments of happiness they once shared.


    And now, that dream felt closer than ever.


    Siwoo had forgiven her and accepted her flaws.


    He was the first one to give her courage when she had run away for so long, being fearful of loss and pain.


    And now...


    Here he was, within her arms¡¯ reach, yet she could only keep her silence like a fool/


    She took Siwoo¡¯s hand.


    His left hand, which she had injured.


    He said that he still couldn¡¯t feel anything there because the nerves hadn¡¯t connected properly.


    As she grasped his thick and sturdy hand¡ªcompletely different from her own¡ªan uncomfortable pain struck her heart.


    Not only that.


    She had made many excuses, claiming, ¡®I wasn¡¯t honest with myself back then,¡¯ while having done countless terrible things to him that she could hardly justify even to herself.


    Clutching his hand tightly, she pressed the back of it against her cheek.


    ¡°...I¡¯m scared.¡±


    Siwoo wasn¡¯t the only one who was afraid and anxious.


    She, too, thought, ¡®What if that kiss we shared was only a fleeting rush of emotion after a long reunion? What if those feelings had already cooled down now?¡¯.


    Siwoo had forgiven her, that was for sure.


    Likewise, he had also forgiven him for what he had done wrong.


    However, just as conflicts and fights didn¡¯t necessarily mean a breakup, forgiveness and reconciliation didn¡¯t always equate to love.


    Their current relationship was one of forgiveness and being forgiven, and that was it.


    Besides, she knew that Siwoo already had someone else by his side.


    ¡°Siwoo is a kind person, so...¡±


    He empathized with her pain, forgave her, and even agreed to this trip she hesitated to ask for, but perhaps that was as far as his kindness would go.


    .


    That thought paralyzed Amelia, keeping her from making any bold moves.


    Even though there were so many things she wanted to ask of him.


    ¡°I want you to run your fingers through my hair...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°To hold my hand and smile at me...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°To hug me tight and never let me go...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Leaning closer, Amelia hovered over Siwoo¡¯s sleeping face.


    Just before her lips met his, she stopped.


    ¡°And...kiss me...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Of course, he didn¡¯t say anything in reply.


    Amelia gripped his hand tightly again, rubbing her cheek against it.


    Regardless, from now on, she¡¯d never run away anymore.


    Even if it took a hundred or a thousand years, she¡¯d keep trying until the day he turned back to her.


    Amelia stayed in that position, sharing the faint warmth radiating from his hand.


    With that, their first night of the trip came to an end.

 Chapter 455: Trip (4)

    Chapter 455: Trip (4)


    1.


    Six in the morning. The air was crisp and refreshing.


    Siwoo, who had somehow fallen asleep despite the awkward atmosphere, woke up suddenly and sat upright.


    As he took in the unfamiliar surroundings, memories of the previous night played back in his mind like a slideshow.


    An awkward sleepover with Amelia.


    Throughout the night, they failed to exchange more than a few words and ended up lying on separate beds.


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    He turned his head, and he quickly noticed that Amelia, who was supposed to be on the bed next to his, was missing.


    All that remained was the neatly arranged bedding, as pristine as when they first checked in.


    His heart skipped a beat.


    ¡®Did she leave already? Without saying anything?¡¯ He wondered.


    ¡°Ms. Amelia?¡±


    He called her name as he slowly got up.


    At that moment, the door to the bathroom swung open.


    From there, Amelia stepped out, still wearing the white dress from the day before.


    He didn¡¯t know when she did it, but her neatly combed blonde hair and clear, fairy-like eyes looked just as they always did.


    This proved that his fear that she had disappeared overnight was unfounded.


    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡±


    As he discreetly relieved his anxiety with a morning greeting, Amelia nodded slightly.


    ¡°Were you washing up?¡±


    Inside the bathroom, there was another door leading to a toilet, but as a witch, Amelia wouldn¡¯t really need to go there.


    Considering her hair was perfectly dry, it didn¡¯t seem like she had been bathing either.


    So, Siwoo guessed that she was just curious about what a modern bathroom looked like and had been poking around a little.


    Given her actions yesterday, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising.


    ¡°No. Come here for a moment.¡±


    Amelia gently tugged at Siwoo¡¯s sleeve, then she guided him toward the bathroom.


    As they entered, a hint of steam and the soothing scent of lavender filled the air.


    The bathtub was filled with warm water, tinted a faint purple.


    On the bath shelf, alongside some toiletries, sat a bottle of wine, a glass, and an unopened pack of cigarettes.


    She...prepared a bath...?


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared a morning bath.¡±


    ¡°A morning bath?¡±


    ¡°You enjoy it, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Siwoo turned to look at Amelia.


    Her face, now slightly flushed, carried a shy but hopeful expression, as though she was anticipating some form of approval or praise.


    That was when it finally clicked on Siwoo.


    He could sense the connection between the unfolding events.


    Amelia had insisted on carrying her own bag, and she had been stubborn about making the reservation herself.


    Now, she had woken up early to prepare his bathwater.


    Almost as if she were trying to serve him.


    Her next words confirmed this conjecture.


    Amelia, inching closer little by little, spoke in a quiet, almost timid voice.


    ¡°If you...need help with your bath... Just let me know. I¡¯ll be waiting outside.¡±


    That was it.


    While there was a hint of care and affection in her actions, it felt more like she was trying to atone for her past more than anything.


    Just as she had once ordered Siwoo around with a raised chin, she now seemed intent on returning everything she had done to him back in those days.


    Because she felt guilty, and ashamed of what she did back then.


    In her own way, Amelia was trying to make amends.


    Before Siwoo could respond, Amelia brushed past him, leaving without looking back.


    ¡°...¡±


    Of course, it didn¡¯t sit well with him.


    He wanted to tell her that she didn¡¯t need to burden herself like this, and that their past wasn¡¯t entirely her fault.


    More than anything, he was worried that she was shouldering a weight she didn¡¯t have to shoulder.


    Regardless, she had gone out of her way to prepare this for him.


    He removed his clothes, left them carelessly on the floor, and stepped into the tub.


    The water was just the right temperature, and, more than anything, the scent of Amelia¡¯s special bath salts made this plain bathtub feel like a luxurious spa, far better than the ones back at the Gemini mansion.


    A glass of wine and a cigarette would be perfect right now....


    ¡°Wait, cigarette?¡±


    Smoking inside would break the hotel¡¯s no-smoking policy and cost them the 200,000 won deposit they had left at check-in.


    ¡°Ms. Amelia!¡±


    Siwoo called out to her urgently.


    He heard a startled shuffle from the other side of the door.


    ¡°Do you need any help?¡±


    ¡°Just so you know, the hotel has a non-smoking policy!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    There was a brief pause.


    ¡°I know that, of course.¡±


    Then, her response came after a while, accompanied by the faint sound of rustling.


    2.


    ¡°Ms. Amelia, have you been sitting here this whole time?¡±


    After finishing his bath, Siwoo found Amelia kneeling in front of the bathroom, looking as composed as ever.


    She had stayed there like a devoted attendant the entire time he was soaking in the tub.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Amelia nodded as she answered.


    ¡°...¡±


    To others, it might have seemed like a performative act, a way to ease her guilt, but Amelia wasn¡¯t someone who¡¯d do that¡ªshe wasn¡¯t even able to do it to begin with.


    She was doing this out of genuine sincerity, thinking it was the right thing to do for Siwoo.


    He still remembered how she used to torment him when he worked as a janitor under her.


    But he didn¡¯t want to dwell on the past anymore.


    If the lingering guilt from that time was going to hinder their relationship, he¡¯d rather leave it behind and start fresh.


    ¡°Get up. And don¡¯t do this anymore.¡±


    ¡°But....¡±


    It was clear she was still feeling uneasy.


    But his sudden, firm tone, made Amelia flustered.


    She was wearing a worried expression, clearly not understanding why he was acting this way.


    It was as if she was afraid that she had done something wrong.


    Siwoo took her wrist gently and helped her stand.


    He embraced Amelia, who looked as frightened as a child who had broken a plate.


    Holding her close, she leaned into him without resistance.


    ¡°I told you, it¡¯s okay now. I don¡¯t hate you anymore, and I understand everything.¡±


    ¡°But... I want to do this. Just as much as you¡¯ve suffered, I want to be there for you too.¡±


    Amelia responded with a voice so fragile it sounded like it might break at any moment.


    Hearing that, Siwoo felt a pang of frustration.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was angry with her, he was just frustrated with his own indecisiveness that made her feel insecure and hide using the excuse of keeping distance.


    ¡°Really, it¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t need to do this.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll keep doing this.¡±


    ¡°Please, stop.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    Though the situation was serious, their exchange sounded almost childish.


    The unresolved tension between them was a genuine issue, and Siwoo knew they wouldn¡¯t get anywhere like this.


    Maybe we should¡¯ve had this conversation last night, over a glass of wine.


    He felt the need to clarify their positions, even if it was belated.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s settle this matter properly.¡±


    ¡°Settle...?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest. Ms. Amelia, the way you¡¯re acting is making me uncomfortable. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve only done only the right thing either. I can¡¯t accept your apology if it¡¯s in this way.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve done worse. I made your life miserable when you hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. I even tried to deceive you when I asked for forgiveness...¡±


    Deceive?


    That¡¯s not it.


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t deceive me. You were only trying to be kind to me, Ms. Amelia, I knew that.¡±


    He realized that Amelia had cared for him more than anyone else, and that she regretted her past mistakes and tried to make amends by being kind to the younger Siwoo.


    Her actions, which he deemed to be selfish once, turned out to be genuine acts of kindness without any ulterior motives.


    ¡°I should be the one apologizing. If I had just calmed down and had a proper talk with you back then, you wouldn¡¯t have had to bear everything alone, Ms. Amelia.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true...!¡±


    Hearing those words, Amelia abruptly pulled away from Siwoo¡¯s embrace.


    Siwoo might have said harsh things and walked away from Amelia.


    But he had left her a note.


    A note apologizing for being too harsh and expressing his willingness to talk after cooling off.


    While yes, the Witch of Whispers had tampered with the note, changing its contents, the problem stemmed from the fact that Amelia had delayed reading it out of fear.


    ¡°You left me a note... But like an idiot, I didn¡¯t read it and ended up struggling on my own for nothing...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true! Your struggle isn¡¯t for nothing either!¡±


    Siwoo hadn¡¯t expected that Amelia hadn¡¯t read the note until now.


    It was because he hadn¡¯t fully understood the weight of her past or her wounds.


    If he had truly wanted to talk, he had plenty of time to do so before he returned to the Modern World for the first time.


    Instead, he only passively conveyed his intention to talk because he felt awkward seeing her face. This left Amelia to wander the Modern World, burdened with misunderstandings and anxiety.


    Not only that, she also had to fight life-threatening battles to fulfill her agreement with Keter, something that Siwoo had no clue about.


    Siwoo didn¡¯t know how long it had been since they had confronted each other while raising their voices like this.


    ¡°Regardless, you going to such extremes is too much!¡±


    ¡°Why is it too much? I¡¯ve been saying it¡¯s my fault from the start!¡±


    They poured out their thoughts without holding back, their words tumbling over each other¡¯s.


    Even Amelia, usually quiet, spoke quickly with her voice raised, as if they were having a lovers¡¯ quarrel.


    Despite the argument centering around who should be blamed more, both Siwoo and Amelia were serious.


    Such heated exchanges continued after a while, and it was Amelia who got tired first.


    An undeniable truth clung to her like a heavy shackle.


    ¡°Even so... No matter what I do... I can¡¯t erase the fact that I hurt you, Siwoo...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°My unawareness and immaturity won¡¯t make my mistakes vanish... It won¡¯t undo the pain you¡¯ve gone through...¡±


    Tears began to fall from Amelia¡¯s cheeks as she lowered her head.


    Even in a moment as intimate as this, the shadows of her past refused to let her breathe.


    She thought about how she had once treated him with coldness, insulted him, and burdened him with pointless tasks. Each memory of his suffering and resentment cut her deeply.


    It was agonizing.


    She feared that the more she loved him, the more her past would torment her.


    ¡°I want to make it up to you, Siwoo. Even if it means becoming your servant, I want to set things right...¡±


    ¡°Ms. Amelia...¡±


    So that¡¯s how she felt.


    This confirmed that the distance he felt yesterday wasn¡¯t just something he made up in his head.


    Though they had hugged and cried together, they hadn¡¯t really talked about what mattered.


    Until now, he had assumed Amelia was just as unsure about how to act around him.


    But the truth was, deep down, she still hadn¡¯t forgiven herself.


    She believed she didn¡¯t deserve to be happy, so she kept drawing lines between them.


    ¡°I hate myself.... So, so much....¡±


    Amelia sobbed, her voice breaking.


    She wiped her tears roughly with her sleeve, trying to hold back the rising sobs.


    Siwoo gently reached out and wiped her tears away.


    Amelia didn¡¯t shy away from his touch and, after a pause, spoke in a trembling voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know... I don¡¯t know anything...at all...¡±


    ¡°Then, you can always ask me. I¡¯ll do my best to answer.¡±


    Amelia, who had barely managed to swallow her tears, moved her lips.


    What came out from her mouth was a very careful, heartfelt question.


    ¡°Is it...okay...for me to love you, Siwoo?¡±


    This was the main reason why she had turned away and run.


    Siwoo wasn¡¯t sure he could confidently give her the answer she wanted. At least for now.


    But he knew how to ease Amelia¡¯s worries.


    And he knew how to give her a clear answer.


    After all, this was something that he had done before.


    He overlapped his lips with Amelia¡¯s.


    When she instinctively tried to pull away, he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close.


    He deepened the kiss, parting her lips and tangling their tongues together.


    It wasn¡¯t a light, innocent kiss, but a passionate kiss that showcased his desire for her.


    Their tongues intertwined, as if to cement their feelings.


    When they finally broke apart, the atmosphere around them felt like a scene from a romance drama.


    ¡°...¡±


    Amelia¡¯s face was flushed red, as she stood frozen in place.


    The slight quiver of her lips showed how shocked she was.


    Seeing her reaction, a slight embarrassment hit Siwoo. He had kissed her in the heat of a moment, it wasn¡¯t something he thought through at all.


    ¡°Did that help?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Amelia¡¯s gaze was unfocused, her wide eyes filled with an overwhelming heat.


    She grabbed Siwoo¡¯s collar.


    Her hands trembled, so was her voice.


    ¡°One more... I-I¡¯m...not sure...¡±


    Then she clung to Siwoo¡¯s neck and kissed him again.


    It had only been five days since they had last met.


    But, this was probably the first time they truly saw each other for who they were.


    Feeling the softness and warmth of Amelia¡¯s tongue, Siwoo thought so.