City ​​of Witches 451

Chapter 451 – #95_Reunion(5)

#450

1.
My head was blank throughout the trial.

Clearly, this was a huge event… or rather, a sudden disaster and obstacle in my life.
But I couldn’t think of anything other than that it didn’t matter.

Fines and damages that were more than all the gold coins I’d touched in my entire life combined?
Imprisonment and deportation if I failed to pay within 10 years?
In fact, looking at the situation itself, it was not a problem that even Amelia, who was insensitive to external circumstances, could take lightly.

The inheritance left by my teacher was more than enough to carry out magical research, but it probably wouldn’t even cover the fine.

And that’s not all.
For Amelia, who had lived her entire life in Gehenna, and even then, only in a small room, deportation was a heavy sentence.
The same was true for imprisonment, where she would have to do nothing but face the wall, unable to do any magical research.

Yet, the reason I could remain so calm was….

I was forgiven.
I had almost kissed him, the person I thought I might never be able to approach for the rest of my life.
Siwoo had clearly been about to kiss me too.

In a corner of my heart, there was still a sense of guilt and gratitude towards him.
I also knew that I still had a mountain of things to repay.

But even though I knew it was a pathetic sight, even though I knew I was not keeping up appearances.
I felt like an unshakeable pillar had been placed in a corner of my heart.

“Please sign here, here, and here.”

As I sat back in the waiting room, Count Kohav, who had been in charge of the interrogation, brought a pile of documents and placed them in front of Amelia.
Amelia carefully checked all the clauses and signed them.
Count Kohav silently picked them up and left with a brief greeting.

“You’ve worked hard. I hope we don’t meet again because of something like this.”
“You’ve worked hard too, Count Kohav.”

And almost without any time difference, Sophia walked in.
As soon as she saw Amelia, she stroked her cheek with her hand and hugged her tightly.

“Oh my, your face has become so thin….”
“Sophia, spirits don’t lose that much cheek fat.”
“That’s how I feel.”

Amelia, buried in Sophia’s symbol of motherhood, who was tearing up, wore a faint smile.
How warm it was to be in the arms of a trusted friend.
The two shared a second moment of joy at their reunion.

“Amelia.”

Soon, Sophia, with a dark expression, spoke first.

“I’ll help you with the fines and damages. It’ll be hard to cover even half, but I have some money saved up, so it’ll help.”

Sophia felt responsible for this.

She didn’t know that Amelia was carrying out the kill list for Siwoo.
She didn’t find Amelia while the Whisper Witch was extending her hand of temptation when Amelia was exhausted.

Moreover, as a result of meddling with a light heart towards Amelia, who knew nothing, her relationship with Siwoo had gone wrong.
The first two might be called force majeure, but there was really nothing to say about the last one.

If she had done aftercare before Amelia and Siwoo had dramatically gone wrong, things wouldn’t have come to this point.
Sophia was feeling responsible for the fact that it was Shin Siwoo who had taken a direct hit from Sophia’s karma that had stopped Amelia from going berserk.

“Sophia.”

In response, Amelia answered calmly.
Yesterday, she had talked for a long time and said everything she wanted to say about the self-blame that Sophia had.

If Sophia hadn’t forced a connection with Siwoo, there would have been no relationship between Amelia and Siwoo.

Even if there had been, it would have been a very, very, very slim chance.
There would have been no pain, but also no love.
That’s why Amelia didn’t resent Sophia at all.

“You don’t have to.”
“Amelia, don’t be like that….”

The offer of support was rejected so easily.
Sophia thought it was simply because Amelia lacked a sense of money.

Even excluding the small change, it was a whopping 210,000 gold pounds.
The fine that had to be paid directly to the city hall could somehow be managed, but the problem was the damages that had to be paid to the witches whose research had been ruined by Amelia’s magic.
Even if Sophia sold all of her assets, she wouldn’t be able to pay even half of the amount.

If not, she thought that maybe Amelia was refusing financial help with the meaning of ‘it’s really okay’ because she was worried that Sophia was feeling sorry.

Well, it was natural.
There was no way that Amelia, who was stubborn and had a strong sense of pride, would try to solve the problem by borrowing someone else’s hand, no matter how difficult she was in.
Sophia was wondering how she could help Amelia without making her feel burdened.

Amelia looked up at Sophia with clear eyes.

“It’s my fault. I want to take responsibility for it myself.”

The moment she met the eyes that looked up straight without a single calculation or blur.
Sophia felt ashamed.
She had prided herself on being her best friend, but how could she not have known her heart?

“Thank you so much for your concern, Sophia.”

Looking at Amelia, who bowed her head in gratitude, she could be sure.
Even if they had made the same choice, the reasons were different.

Amelia’s refusal was not a one-dimensional stubbornness that came from petty pride or stubbornness.
Something that could be called a belief that had taken root more deeply and firmly was replacing narrow-mindedness.

“…Come here, let’s hug.”
“We’re already hugging.”
“When did you become so admirable….”
“If I don’t have money, it’ll be hard for Sophia to do magic research too. Besides… it’s not like Sophia is at fault.”

Other people might react indifferently, saying, ‘What’s the big deal….’
But Sophia was the one who had been watching Amelia since her stubborn and frustrating days.
She couldn’t help but be happy about her small but definite growth.

“If that’s the case, I understand. But you have to ask for help if it’s hard, okay? Even if it’s not my business, you’d help me the same way if I was in trouble.”
“Yes, I will.”

The two hugged each other for a long time, like sisters.

2.

“Haa….”

On the bed where the heat had not yet cooled.
Dry cigarette smoke added another layer of blur to the glass window, which had become hazy with moisture.

Count Kohav’s naked body, lying face down towards the window, shone sensually with the beads of sweat on her white skin.
The count, who was leaning on her chin and filling her lightened body with nicotine, glanced over her shoulder.

There, Duke Erelim was leaning against the back of the bed, holding a magic book in her hand.
Her hair, as black as silk, was neatly combed without a single strand out of place.
Her white and silver eyes, which scanned the letters as if they were flowing, were also the same.

She looked so composed that one would not have thought that they had just shared a passionate love.

Count Kohav deeply admired and revered the Duke, but sometimes she felt that the Duke was too distant.
Like a doll that was neither human nor witch….
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a completely wrong expression.

However, what made Yvonne Kohav’s mind complicated was not just Blanche’s appearance after the affair.
It was because of a memory from a little earlier.

“…….”

On the day that former Baron Merrygold caused the incident and Blanche stepped in to fix it, Count Geminai and the Evergreen Witch came to Erelim and asked her.
They asked her to delay the ‘judgment’ for just 15 more minutes.

All the preparations to execute Baron Merrygold were already complete, and there had been continuous requests to stop her.
After a simple deal, the Duke accepted it.

About 15 minutes after the promised time had passed.
The Duke dropped the ‘Spear of Judgment’ as planned.
A spear of light that nullified all defenses and ignored magical compatibility rushed from the sky to the ground.
At that moment, the randomization of space created by Merrygold disappeared and the restrained citizens were freed.

In other words, to put it simply in chronological order, it meant the following.

(1) Judgment is passed.
(2) The randomization of space that Merrygold had created is normalized.
(3) Merrygold cancels the judgment.

Although it was the judgment of Duke Erelim, who was in the 24th rank, its power was weakened to reduce the damage.

Therefore, it was not impossible for Baron Merrygold, who was in the 23rd rank, to cancel it.

However, the question was why Blanche did not retrieve the magic even after seeing scene (2).

If it were anyone else, they would answer that it was difficult to retrieve magic once it had been released.
In fact, Geminai and Evergreen, who had seen this scene right next to her, did not question that point.

However, Kohav knew.
The magic that was unleashed at that time was a controlled blow, and Duke Erelim’s magical ability surpassed common sense.
If Blanche had wanted to, she could have stopped the bombardment at any time.
But she didn’t.

However, after the magic was canceled, she was just looking down at the man and witch hugging each other in the middle of the square with clear eyes that were burning blue.

Why didn’t Blanche stop the attack?
Why was she looking at the two of them with those eyes?

“Yvonne.”

Kohav, who had been lost in thought, belatedly realized that Blanche had taken her eyes off the book and was looking at her.

“Is there anything you want to say?”

Blanche closed the book and stroked Kohav’s smooth waist with her fingertips.

There were many things she wanted to say.
There were also things she wanted to ask.
However, these questions and inquiries basically implied the ‘suspicion’ that she might have had impure intentions.
Kohav, who had organized her thoughts a little, opened her mouth.

“No, it’s nothing. Can I just ask you one thing?”
“Of course.”

Blanche’s naked body, who had loosened her gown with a slow movement, gently overlapped with Count Kohav’s body.
Duke Erelim, who had wrapped herself around Kohav like a snake, caressed her earlobe and grabbed her buttocks.

“Why, at that time…. Why didn’t you retrieve the magic…?”

The desire that was rising like oil poured on dying embers.
In that desire, Kohav stammered.

“At that time?”
“When you were judging Baron Merrygold…. There was time. Time to retrieve the magic. Of course, I’m not trying to doubt Blanche’s intentions… ah….”
“Was there?”

Kohav’s body stiffened at the long fingers that were deeply stirring her still wet private parts.
The cigarette butt hanging from her fingertips swayed as if it was about to fall.

“I guess I didn’t notice because I was too focused. Controlling magic is not an easy task.”
“Is that… so…?”
“If that had happened, why didn’t you say so beforehand?”

As a thick and sticky voice that she did not share with others filled her ears.
Count Kohav put aside her questions for a moment.

“That’s….”

Perhaps it was simply a mistake or a misunderstanding.
Duke Erelim had certainly reached a great level, but that didn’t mean that she was perfect without mistakes.
Moreover, there was no way that she, who had been reforming herself for the sake of witches more than anyone else, would do anything that would harm a witch, right?

“Yvonne, you doubted me.”
“It’s not… doubt….”

The reason why Count Kohav’s voice was broken was because she had been skillfully attacked in her weak spot.
Having had a physical relationship for decades, Kohav had never once won against the Duke.
Soon, Count Kohav, who had buried her face in the sheet with her head down, trembled.

The regret that her suspicion was a pointless act, and that putting it into words was even more pointless, was swept away by the waves of pleasure.

Behind Yvonne, who was swallowing her moans, Duke Erelim’s clear eyes circled.