City ​​of Witches 126

Chapter 126 – #28_위안(2)

#124
1.
“Ughhh….”

As soon as Siwoo was placed on the bed, he twisted his body, making strange noises.
The pungent smell of alcohol that emanated from him with every turn soon filled the room.

“Ugh.”
“We should open a window.”
“We should.”

Odile and Odette opened the window to ventilate the room, feeling as if they were about to be submerged in an oak barrel.

“Assistant, wake up.”
“Ughhhhh…”
“Wake up, Assistant!”
“Ughhhhhhhhh….!”

They shook Siwoo several times after that, but he didn’t budge.
Only groaning strangely.
He just frowned and tossed and turned.
The twins gave up on waking Siwoo.

“Okay, let’s decide what to do now.”
“I wonder what happened?”
“Didn’t he just have a big drink to celebrate his body returning?”
“Then what about the associate professor?”
“Hmm….”

The twins discussed several theories about ‘why the assistant was passed out drunk on the first floor of the Tarot Town outpost.’
But with Siwoo, who knew the whole story, sleeping with his mouth wide open, it was like feeling an elephant in the dark.

“We have two options.”
“One is to leave him as he is?”
“Yeah, and the other is to stay with the assistant.”
“But… we’ll never get permission to stay out overnight, will we?”

The twins were already sneaking around to get to Tarot Town in the first place.
Even if it was a holiday, if they said they were going to stay out overnight, not only would the strict Galina, the head maid, be angry, but even their gentle teacher would be furious.

“So, we’ll just do it without permission. Of course, they’ll be worried, so let’s send a pigeon.”
“Just notify them…?”

Odile’s bold proposal for a deviation startled Odette.
Her sister’s unconventional ideas sometimes shocked the timid Odette.
This time was no different.

“U-Unnie. Can’t we just go home and sneak out at night? I don’t want to get scolded.”
“I’m going to stay here with the assistant.”
“Then I’ll do that alone…”
“That’s not allowed either!”

If Odette went home alone, Galina would surely ask about Odile’s whereabouts, and Odette, after being scolded, would spill all the facts.
If that happened, their secret rendezvous with the assistant would be over for good.

“Why do you insist on staying here?”
“Odette, don’t you understand the assistant’s true feelings for coming to find us even when he’s this drunk? It means he missed us that much!”
“R-Really…?”
“How heartbroken would the assistant be if there was no one by his side when he woke up!”
“Is that so…?”
“I can’t do such a cruel thing. I’d rather get scolded a little later and stay by the assistant’s side!”
“I see….”

It didn’t take much effort to persuade Odette.
Besides, the conversation had already moved in a direction that didn’t even consider the first option, ‘leave him as he is.’
Even though Odette grumbled, she basically followed her sister very well.

“Anyway, that’s how it is. I’ll send the carrier pigeon.”
“Ugh… I’m scared….”
“Odette, we spent our holiday so meaninglessly today. Thanks to the assistant, it’s going to have meaning from now on! Let’s think positively.”
“Okay, I understand, Unnie.”

Odile went to the rooftop to send a pigeon to the Jemina family estate.
Odette, who had been staring intently at Siwoo’s face, called out to Odile.

“Unnie, Unnie. Come here for a second.”
“Why? Wasn’t the conversation over?”
“It’s not that, but doesn’t the assistant… look a little different?”
“What do you mean?”

Odile, who had been carefully examining the passed-out Siwoo, also noticed something.

“Right? It’s strange, isn’t it?”
“It is, isn’t it?”

How should they put it? First of all, he looked much younger than the previous assistant.
Should they say he looked like he was in his early twenties?
It didn’t stop there.

“Hasn’t he gotten a bit more handsome?”
“I was thinking the same thing.”

His face was flushed red, his hair was a mess, and he was sleeping with a strange expression, so they hadn’t noticed.
But the current Siwoo was definitely different from his previous appearance.
First of all, all the acne scars that had been here and there were gone, making his skin like a newborn’s.
Siwoo had always been handsome, but it seemed that even his bone structure, which had been a bit unbalanced in places, had been completely corrected.
Of course, it was so subtle that you would only notice it if you looked very, very closely.

“Was he more handsome when he was younger?”
“I don’t know. Anyway, you go ahead, Unnie.”
“Okay, I understand.”

2.
The room was quiet again.
Siwoo, who had been lying on the bed, grabbed his throbbing forehead and opened his eyes.

“I’m gonna… die….”

He had only opened his eyes and moved slightly, but he was already making sounds like he was dying.
Honestly, it felt less painful when Aea pierced his brain.
His throat felt as dry as if it were cracked, and it felt like a huge bell was ringing in his head.

“Where am I….”

He only remembered ordering a second bottle of whiskey at the White Whale Tavern and opening the cork.
After that, his memory was completely cut off.
Siwoo frowned and looked around the dim room.
Seeing the canopied bed and the familiar room structure, it seemed like he was probably at the twins’ villa in Tarot Town.

He tried to get up, but he felt a weight on both arms.
Odile on the left.
Odette on the right.

“…..Snoooore….”
“…..Mmmph….”

The twins in their pajamas were curled up, using one of Siwoo’s arms as a pillow each.
Actually, they weren’t really pajamas, but rather loose inner dresses and drawers.
The underwear that the twins always wore under their clothes.

“Huh?”

Did I do something really stupid?
Slightly startled, Siwoo looked around with his head aching, but thankfully, the twins’ clothes were very neat.
At most, they were a little disheveled from sleeping, so he was relieved.
It seemed that nothing like spending a hot night with the twins while being unconscious and having no memory had happened.

“Phew….”

Maybe it was from the shock, but his mind became a little clearer.
His heart started to sting belatedly.
It was because the thought of ‘what is Amelia doing now?’ reflexively popped into his head.
He forcibly ignored that thought and carefully pulled his arms out so as not to wake the twins.

He needed to drink some water first.
Otherwise, he felt like he was going to die right away.
Siwoo opened the door with a wobbly gait and went down the dark stairs.
His stomach churned as if he had suddenly been shaken.

“Ugh…. Ugh… Ugh…!”

Siwoo grabbed the railing and retched.
He didn’t even have time to think urgently, ‘I can’t throw up here!’
He felt like he had thrown up everything with his esophagus wide open…

“Huh….?”

He thought, ‘I’m screwed.’
In fact, there were only a few drops of saliva and a little bit of sour liquid on the floor.
He didn’t know how long he had been lying down, but there was no way he could have finished digesting everything in just a few hours.

“Tsk.”

Siwoo roughly wiped the drool hanging from his mouth.
He wouldn’t care normally, but he didn’t want to pay much attention to it now.

His head felt like a smoldering ember with a faint smoke rising from it, as if it had been doused with water, but the night air clung coldly to his skin.
Siwoo arrived at the kitchen with a staggering gait, picked up a water bottle with three lemon slices in it, and gulped down the water.

It felt like the stale smell of alcohol was being washed away along with his insides.
Water dripped down his chin and soaked his clothes, but he didn’t care and drank almost half of it in one go.

“Kuh… I’m finally alive.”

With his mind blank, he stood there for a while, holding the water bottle.

He didn’t know what to think about first.
He didn’t know where to start organizing his thoughts.
His heart was squeezing tightly, and the only sensation he had was that his blood wasn’t circulating.

Let’s not think about anything.
Let’s just stay like this.

“Huh…..”

Something flowed from his eyes.
He didn’t know what was sad, he didn’t know why he had to cry, but tears were just coming out.
His nose didn’t tingle, his eyes didn’t sting, and his throat didn’t feel hoarse.
It felt like his heart was broken.

“Assistant?”

Just as he was putting down the water bottle and about to turn around.
A drowsy voice came from behind.
When he turned around, he saw Odile rubbing her eyes and trying to hold back a yawn.

“I was surprised when I couldn’t find you. Haaahm…”

Odile ended up yawning, and as she covered her mouth, her inner dress slightly rose, revealing her belly button.

“Odile-nim…”
“So, you’ve got all your memories back?”
“….Yes.”

The twins had been happy to see Siwoo, but he didn’t seem to care much, so he was a little disappointed.
But what could he do?
Maybe he was still drunk, or maybe he was just sleepy.

Odile was standing in the moonlight pouring in through the living room window, and Siwoo was standing in the dark part of the dining room, so Odile hadn’t seen his face properly yet.

“Give me some water too. I’m thirsty.”

Odile, dragging her slippers, approached Siwoo and reached out her arm, then was startled.
It was because tears were streaming down his face.
Odile looked up at Siwoo with wide eyes.

“Uh… what, what’s wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?”

Siwoo wiped his eyes with his sleeve.
He didn’t want to show his unsightly appearance.

“No, I’m fine.”
“Are you really okay?”
“Did I walk in here on my own? Did I do anything rude?”

Siwoo intentionally changed the subject.
Odile looked at him with a worried expression, then nodded readily.

“Well, you suddenly came into someone else’s villa and were lying down in a strange position, but other than that, not really?”
“I see. I’m sorry.”
“Why are you sorry? Have you forgotten already? You’re the benefactor who saved our lives twice. I won’t care unless you set the villa on fire. No, I’ll forgive you even if you set it on fire once.”

To comfort Siwoo, who looked very dejected, Odile spoke in the lightest voice possible and patted Siwoo’s arm.

“I won’t do that.”

Siwoo chuckled weakly.
Maybe it was thanks to Odile’s humor, but he felt much better than when he had been standing there blankly by himself.

“Anyway, will you give me water?”
“Yes.”

Siwoo poured water into a cup that was next to the shelf and handed it to Odile.
Odile took the glass and gulped it down.

“Kuh! So refreshing.”

In fact, spirits didn’t need to drink water, but maybe because she had fallen asleep using Siwoo, who reeked of alcohol, as a cushion, her throat felt parched.
Odile put down the glass and spoke to Siwoo, who still seemed to have his mind in the clouds.

“Um, Assistant.”

Siwoo looked at Odile.
Until a little while ago, her eyes had seemed to see right through him even when she was in front of him.
Now, she was finally coming into focus.

“Yes?”

Odile, standing obliquely in the dim moonlight, was clutching the hem of her dress and needlessly smoothing her hair.
She hesitated, then moved her lips.

“I’m not going to pry, but if you’re having a hard time, you can talk to me.”

She glanced at Siwoo, then looked away again and continued.

“I’m on your side.”

The moment he heard those kind words, he felt like the stick that had barely been supporting his body had collapsed.
It felt like the plug in his head had come out.
Something was flowing out uncontrollably.

Siwoo hugged Odile in front of him without realizing it.
Her small, soft body was firmly fixed in Siwoo’s arms.

“Ugh!”

Odile made a squishing sound because of how strong his momentum was.

“A-Assistant…! You startled me!”

Odile was startled by Siwoo’s sudden rush, but she soon realized that his shoulders were trembling.
He was crying.
As soon as she felt the warmth from where they were touching, the sense of loss for what he had lost reappeared as if it had been clearly painted.
He felt like he wanted to cling to anyone right now.

Odile’s shoulder became wet with tears.
Odile slowly stroked Siwoo’s shaking head.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. I’m not going anywhere. I’m here. I’m here, Assistant.”

Odile patted his back and hugged his head.
She felt her nose and eyes sting for no reason, and she hugged him for a long time until Siwoo calmed down.