City ​​of Witches 301

Chapter 301 – #66_Three-Way Battle (4)

#299

1.
The day dawned.
I stretched and got out of the plush bed.

Last night, I was treated to a wonderful dinner and given a separate room in the annex.
It was a two-story stone building, smaller than the main mansion but closer to it than a villa.
Of course, the facilities and maintenance were top-notch, so the quality of sleep was beyond compare.

Looking out the window, it was still dim as the sun was just beginning to rise.
I could see the night dew glistening on the neatly manicured lawn of the garden in the early dawn.

“It’s 6 a.m.”

I’ve been sleeping in quite often lately, but I woke up automatically.
Maybe it’s because of the five years of slave labor in Gehenna, where I had to wake up at dawn. Maybe my body clock is automatically waking me up because of that.
I half-seriously considered it.

“Hoo…”

I went out to the terrace for a morning cigarette.
The cool late autumn breeze and fresh air cleared my groggy head.
I flicked the ash into the conveniently placed ashtray and thought about today’s agenda.

First, my tasks in Gehenna were as follows:

To find research material to apply to perfectly controlling the ‘Red Branch.’

Currently, the only control Siwoo can exert is preventing the distortion field from being emitted indiscriminately.
Even that isn’t perfect, so it’s impossible to use spatial teleportation with a branch wrapped in ribbon.

I could say that barely getting through the ‘gate’ is all I can do.
The ‘gate’ in charge of formal entry into Gehenna was made directly by Duke Keter, so it was much more stable than Siwoo’s crude spatial teleportation.

Also, to see Takasho.
Nothing special, just meeting an old friend I miss.

Next, to check on Sharon’s condition.
I finished that yesterday.

Next is to meet Amelia and talk, but….

“Hmm….”

I don’t feel comfortable about it.
To Siwoo, Amelia was like an ex-girlfriend who made his heart ache every time he thought of her.
And not in a good way. It was a bad breakup. I couldn’t just hate her, but I couldn’t just remember the good times either.

After regaining his memories and completely severing ties with Amelia, Siwoo left a note before coming to the present world.
It was a note written while drunk, and quite some time has passed, so I don’t remember it clearly, but….

I’m sorry for saying too much.
We both made mistakes, so it’s hard to blame just one of us.
I hope we can talk calmly when our emotions settle down.
Something like that.

But there has been no news from Amelia since then.
She also quit her position as an associate professor, and there was no contact or visit.
So, I was inwardly feeling bitter that our relationship was completely over.

But it’s not like I feel guilty or have a sense of debt.
Until Amelia’s attitude changed in her final years, Amelia was the epitome of a terrible boss to Siwoo.

Still, I keep thinking about her.
Her kindness to Siwoo when he was a child.
And the way she cried as she listened to Siwoo’s angry resentment at the end.

I wanted to talk to her again.
Maybe the proud, clumsy Amelia is just unable to come and see me honestly.

“Hmm, should I see Takasho first?”

Let’s postpone the heavy events for a bit.
Let’s do what I can quickly.

Even though Siwoo visited Gehenna, there was little change in the twins’ tight schedule.
It meant that they had to live like high school seniors preparing for the college entrance exam in Daechi-dong until their day off tomorrow.
Count Jemina was also like a strict parent.
So, I thought it would be good to use today’s free time to meet Takasho.

-Knock knock

After washing up and getting ready to go out.
I knocked on the door of my teacher’s room.
Whether Eloa had given Count Jemina a heads-up or not, I happened to be staying in the room right next to hers in the same annex.
It did feel like overprotection, but I understood, knowing her past.

“Are you asleep?”

It’s not like I have any particular business.
It’s just a habit to say hello.
I was about to turn away when I heard no answer.

“…Come in.”

A very tired-sounding answer came.
I opened the door and saw Eloa just getting out of bed.
As I could tell from her voice, her eyes looked tired.

Even so, a witch is a witch.
There was a unique, haggard beauty that couldn’t be hidden by her disheveled hair and dark circles under her eyes.
While Eloa tidied her pajamas, Siwoo poured her a glass of water.

“Are you okay? You look very unwell.”
“I’m fine.”

Her voice didn’t sound fine at all.
She was weaker than usual.

“You’re dressed to go out. Where are you going?”
“I’m going to Trinity Academy to meet a friend. I have a friend who helped me a lot when I was here. I told you about him, right?”
“Takasho?”
“Yes, that friend.”

It was a very casual conversation, but when our eyes met, Eloa turned her head away.
With this much reaction, I could roughly guess.
The sound from the inn room the other day + the Count’s question during yesterday’s dinner must have brought back bad memories for my teacher.

I realized she was very concerned, and I felt a little awkward.
But it would be weird to say, ‘You don’t have to worry so much’ here…

“Then, I’ll see you in the evening.”

I was about to run away when.

“…Siwoo, wait a moment.”

Eloa’s voice stopped Siwoo as he was about to leave the room.
When I turned around, Eloa avoided my gaze again and opened her mouth after a long silence.

“…I’m sorry.”
“Yes?”
“I want to apologize… to you.”

Only then did Siwoo realize.
Eloa wasn’t just embarrassed about the memory.

On the day they had sex for the sake of replenishing her magic, Eloa urged Siwoo to have sex, saying in a tone that she would ‘apologize later.’
She suddenly brought her forehead close to his nose to smell him.
From Eloa’s rigid point of view, she had forcibly seduced Siwoo, even if it was out of necessity.

Of course, the situation was what it was.
And I was happy to have sex with a beauty like Eloa. I didn’t think it was a difficult thing at all.
But from the point of view of my principled teacher, she might think of that incident as sexual harassment.

Eloa, who had not mentioned this matter since then, suddenly apologized.
She had been too embarrassed to say anything until now, but she must have finally been ready.
Anyway, if an apology comes, it’s right to accept it.
Honestly, I don’t think I’m in a position to receive an apology.

“It’s okay. I knew it all along.”
“…What?”
“Did you think I didn’t know?”

Eloa’s eyes widened at Siwoo’s words.
Her beautiful eyes, shaking back and forth, looked directly at Siwoo for the first time since he entered the room.
Her fine pink hair, which looked like it would flutter in the wind.
In the middle of it, her beautiful magenta eyes were shaking wildly.

“……”

Eloa seemed speechless and pondered for a long time in silence.
Almost a minute passed, and it was starting to get awkward.
Eloa asked as if to confirm the truth one last time.

“…The thing from yesterday… you mean?”

Yesterday?
Siwoo wondered what she meant and suddenly remembered something.
Eloa suddenly left her seat when Siwoo’s story came up during the meal.
She didn’t answer Deneb’s questions about Siwoo’s achievements and left in the middle.
Thanks to that, the atmosphere at the dinner table became quite awkward.

In fact, Siwoo already knew why Eloa had reacted that way.
Bringing up yesterday’s events at this timing must also be because of the sex in the rain tunnel, so it’s an extension of the story that she wants to apologize.
Siwoo nodded obediently.

“Yes, including that.”
“You already noticed… that?”
“Of course. It’s obvious.”

Suddenly, Eloa’s white face began to turn red.
It went beyond peach color to a well-ripened strawberry color.
Eloa began to speak in a small voice as if she was ashamed.

“I’m sorry. That wasn’t my intention…. I acted impulsively without realizing it…. I’m really ashamed….”

Eloa’s voice as she apologized was not normal.
It was as if she had become a great sinner.
She looked so apologetic that it seemed like she would offer her left cheek if Siwoo slapped her right cheek.
It was a bit bewildering.

“Why… even though you knew… why didn’t you say anything?”

Just because she couldn’t apologize on time and ruined the atmosphere by leaving her seat during the meal?
I felt sorry for her, and somehow cute, that she was so worried about a problem I didn’t think was a big deal.
She’s so like my teacher.

“Well, this might sound strange, but… I enjoyed it too. It was a good experience.”
“Enjoyed…?”

I didn’t think much of it, but now that I said it, it sounds a bit strange.
If translated, wouldn’t it be ‘Ah, the magic-replenishing sex with my teacher. It was the best’?
But if it could ease Eloa’s burden, a little embarrassment wouldn’t matter.
I didn’t want to see Eloa feeling so sorry, even if it meant I had to be a little broken, so I spoke my honest feelings.

“Yes, I will cherish it as a precious memory. Well, I’m a bit busy now.”

But it’s still embarrassing to keep looking at her face like this.
Siwoo finished his last greeting and left the room.

“It’s nothing. Really….”

I even said I would cherish it as a precious memory because of the atmosphere, but it’s quite embarrassing.
There’s no way to undo it anyway, so time is the only cure.

Anyway, I should go see Takasho soon.
If I had to pick the person who gave me the most strength during my five years of slave labor, it would undoubtedly be Takasho.

Not only did he take care of various conveniences for me, but he was also my only friend, so I came well-prepared to be a grateful magpie who properly repays his kindness.
I brought two large travel bags filled with items from the present world that could fit an adult woman.

For reference, items from the present world are traded at very high prices in Gehenna.
The ‘gate’ in Border Town is not free to travel through.
A huge amount of resources are required to ship and import goods, so most of the goods that come into Gehenna are luxury items for witches.

It goes without saying that bringing in a Persian silk carpet in the same shipping space is much more profitable than bringing in 100 boxes of potato chips.
Therefore, items like cola or instant ramen, which are ‘sold at too low a price compared to the cost,’ are scarce because they don’t come in.
What Siwoo prepared were such miscellaneous items.

“Okay, I’ve packed everything well.”

After organizing the items one last time, Siwoo prepared to use spatial teleportation to Trinity Academy.

2.
The door was firmly closed.
Eloa silently looked at the door that Siwoo had just left through.
She didn’t say anything, but her mind was already in a storm of confusion.

Eloa tossed and turned in guilt and self-loathing until late last night.
She kept thinking about the incident where she secretly watched Sharon and him having sex and how she wet her underwear.

And she came to a conclusion.
She could keep the latter to herself as her own sin.
But at least she had to apologize properly for the former.
She had to reveal the truth and apologize for the voyeuristic act that Eloa had clearly been involved in.
That’s what she thought.

Siwoo came in for his usual morning greeting.
Eloa, who had been agonizing until the last moment, stopped Siwoo as he was about to leave the room and apologized.
The answer she heard after much deliberation was enough to surprise Eloa.

‘It’s okay. I knew it all along.’

Siwoo already knew everything.

‘…The thing from yesterday… you mean?’

To make sure he wasn’t mistaken or confused about something else, she specifically asked if she was talking about yesterday’s events.
Siwoo replied.

‘Yes, including that.’
‘You already noticed… that?’
‘Of course. It’s obvious.’

That’s right, he had already noticed.
Even though he knew everything, he didn’t blame Eloa.

But what Siwoo said after that was shocking enough to make her feel grateful.
When Eloa asked why he hadn’t said anything even though he knew, Siwoo replied.
With a slightly embarrassed and shy look.

‘Well, this might sound strange, but… I enjoyed it too. It was a good experience.’
‘I will cherish it as a precious memory.’

Enjoyed it?
It was a good experience?
In other words, having sex with Sharon while Eloa was watching?
And he would even cherish it as a good memory?

From this point on, the content was far beyond Eloa’s common sense.
It’s not like she knows much about relationships between men and women.
She was aware of her own weakness.
But even in light of Eloa’s meager knowledge, Siwoo’s answer was not normal.

Does he have such a fetish?
Or did he take the blame on himself so that Eloa wouldn’t be too embarrassed?
If it’s the kind Siwoo, the latter is much more likely….

Eloa couldn’t understand Siwoo’s words and actions, so she could only groan and take a cold shower.