Chapter 225 – #51_People Trapped In The Past
#223
1.
After the unexpected incident, Sharon locked herself in her room, claiming she needed to do research.
Well, it was understandable that she would be mortified after being caught red-handed running out the door in that outfit and with those words.
When I checked on Sharon again after she had changed, she was not studying at all, but was lying on her bed, buried under the covers, and pounding her pillow.
“I’m heading out, are you really not coming?”
“Ugh! Go away! I’m not going!”
When Siwoo asked with a playful voice, the pillow that had been taking a beating flew at him.
He caught it with a flourish.
“They probably won’t think much of it.”
“P-Please… just let me be…”
Giving up at Sharon’s half-dead voice, I left the house.
Today’s outfit was a neat pair of shorts and a short-sleeved t-shirt.
It was getting cooler at night, so I figured there wouldn’t be many more days to wear this.
When I opened the door, Tiferet was standing there, waiting.
“I’m sorry I’m late. I thought it would be better to have more people, so I tried to get Sharon to come, but… she said she has a lot to do.”
“Is that so? That’s a shame.”
Although I haven’t spent a lot of time with Eloa, I’m sure of one thing.
She’s not the type to be so careless as to meddle in other people’s affairs.
So, as expected, she reacted as I thought she would.
Even though she said it was a shame, she didn’t seem that disappointed, and she didn’t seem to be letting her imagination run wild about what happened earlier.
Like a well-polished sword, she always carried a quiet, composed air.
“Where shall I take you?”
Therefore, I didn’t expect this.
“Since it’s a housewarming… it’s only right that I treat you myself.”
“Pardon?”
“First, we need to go grocery shopping. I don’t have any food at home. Can you guide me to a nearby store?”
“Yes, I understand.”
I never imagined that she would cook and serve me herself.
Siwoo was bewildered, but followed Eloa into the elevator.
If you come out of Sinchon Rotary and walk along the main road, then turn left, you’ll find a department store, and the basement floor is a food court and grocery store.
It doesn’t have as many items as a large supermarket, but it has everything you need, and it was the closest place, so Siwoo often used it.
Anyway, we’re walking together for 15 minutes, and not a single word is exchanged.
It was the first time Siwoo had seen Eloa in everyday life, not in a duel, so he glanced at her beautiful profile.
It wasn’t because he had any ulterior motives, but it was more like being drawn to a beautiful work of art.
So, if I were to give a review…
‘If there were a magical girl in real life, she would look like this,’ she was quite cute.
It was a bold and presumptuous thought, but it was true.
Except for her large eyes with long, thick double eyelids and long eyelashes, everything else was quite small and dainty.
She wasn’t that tall, and her head was small, like a dancer’s.
Her nose, mouth, and ears, which all had to fit on that small face, were all small.
I hadn’t noticed it at all because of her usual aura, but just by looking at her appearance, she felt more like a younger sister than an older one.
So… if the twins were like a younger sibling who was a dozen years younger, Eloa was like a very mature older sister?
Just as I was observing her appearance and losing my sense of awe and fear, I realized again.
Her aura is different.
Her straight eyebrows and gaze are indifferent and calm.
Her soft, blurred lips are also tightly closed, with not a hint of a smile, and she is serious.
Her gait is not frivolous, but measured and consistent.
Every time I observed those aspects, I thought.
She’s not someone you can judge by appearances.
“Ah, I’ll pull it.”
“Thank you.”
Anyway, Siwoo was finally able to speak when he arrived at the department store and was about to pull out a cart.
Before that, he had been too busy observing her, and they weren’t close enough to talk naturally in the first place.
Eloa headed to the meat section and put two whole chickens for baeksuk in the cart.
Then, she picked up things like carrots, onions, potatoes, cabbage, and mushrooms in the vegetable section.
Judging by her swift movements, she seemed to have already decided what to cook.
It might have been my imagination, but she seemed more excited than usual, so I asked.
“Do you like to cook?”
Eloa looked a little surprised, as if she was surprised that Siwoo had spoken to her.
But it seemed like we would have a lot of contact in the future, so it would be good to get closer, and to do that, we had to have a conversation, right?
“….I used to do it a lot.”
“Ah, I see.”
But Siwoo wasn’t very good at talking either.
Moreover, in a situation where there was a huge difference in status between him and his professor, he had no idea what topic to continue the conversation with.
Unexpectedly, Eloa spoke first.
“But it’s been a long time since I’ve done it again like this. So don’t expect too much.”
After speaking in an embarrassed tone, Eloa turned around and moved to the seafood section, picking up various items.
I didn’t know what she was going to make, but she bought so much.
She bought cod fillets with the bones removed, shrimp, lobster, scallops, and other shellfish, and finally, she bought a pack of mixed herbs and bay leaves and paid in cash.
On the way back.
Siwoo’s hands were full of bags of groceries.
He had refused Eloa’s offer to carry them and carried them himself.
“It’s fascinating.”
“Yes?”
“Even when I first created a location point here, Seoul didn’t look like this. It was more rural and pastoral. There were more mountains than buildings, and more trees than people. I’ve been to many countries, but Seoul is probably the only place that has changed so much in such a short period of time.”
“When did you establish it?”
“1920… or around that time? It was a bridgehead to advance to Western countries between China and Japan, so I put in a lot of effort.”
I had guessed from her words, but it was so long ago that I couldn’t relate to it.
Seeing Siwoo’s reaction, Eloa smiled bitterly, as if she had realized it.
“Well, you haven’t even lived for 30 years yet, have you? I’ve been talking nonsense.”
“No, it was kind of amazing. It feels like I’m seeing living history.”
“You’ll be even more amazed when you see Professor Sua.”
We chatted about meaningless things like that, and before we knew it, we arrived at Eloa’s new home, Siwoo’s downstairs neighbor.
2.
When Siwoo first stepped into her house, he was a little taken aback.
Since it was on the floor directly below his in the same building, the layout of the house was exactly the same.
But the atmosphere was completely different.
Even considering that she had only moved in a day ago, there were no personal belongings to be seen, except for basic furniture such as a sofa and a table.
At most, there were three blue boxes piled up on one side of the living room, like confiscated materials?
Even those, judging by the papers sticking out, were about homunculi or achievements…
It was more like a hideout for a fugitive than a home, with no sign of life.
It seemed to show what she lived for and what she had given up for that purpose.
“Please put it on the kitchen table.”
“Yes, yes…”
Siwoo, who felt a little solemn, put the grocery bags on the table and took out the contents.
When I came to the kitchen, I could see something that could be called Tiferet’s personal belongings.
It was a collection of various liquors that filled one side of the shelf.
“It will take a little time, is that okay?”
“I don’t mind. Shall I help you?”
“Then I would be grateful.”
Eloa took off her windbreaker and rolled up her sleeves.
First, she began to distribute the ingredients with quick movements.
The vegetables were separated, the meat and seafood that needed to be prepared were separated, and the ones that needed to be washed were all placed in the sink.
“First, take care of the vegetables. There’s nothing special, just shake off the dirt and wash them clean.”
“What about this?”
“While you’re at it, if you can, please wash the seafood as well. Scrub it with this brush to remove any grime.”
“Yes, sir.”
Siwoo turned on the water and began to wash the potatoes, onions, and seafood diligently.
Eloa lightly rinsed the raw chicken that had already been prepared, removed the moisture, and marinated it with pepper, salt, and olive oil.
It was a very familiar sight.
“Give me the carrots and onions first. Oh, and the garlic too.”
“Here you go.”
Eloa unfolded the cutting board and took out a kitchen knife.
Her hands began to move as if they were dancing.
It didn’t take her even 10 seconds to remove all the skin from one potato.
-Thump thump thump thump
“Oh….”
Siwoo pursed his lips as he watched her cut the peeled vegetables into appropriate sizes.
Fast and accurate.
Every time the knife hit the cutting board, making a light sound, the various vegetables were cut into precise sizes.
It was too skillful for someone who hadn’t done it in a long time.
“Can you give me the seafood?”
“Yes, I’ll wash this and give it to you. It’s not clean yet.”
Siwoo, who answered that way, diligently scrubbed away the grime that had stuck to it.
Eloa, who had been watching him closely, said.
“You work hard at everything.”
“Ah, isn’t it because of my slave experience?”
Siwoo, flustered by the sudden compliment, replied awkwardly.
“Come to think of it, you were a slave in Gehenna. Where were you from?”
“I was a public slave from Trinity Academy in Lenomond Town.”
“Lenomond Town… you must have suffered a lot among those stubborn witches.”
“Is that so?”
Eloa took the live lobster that Siwoo handed her.
She closed her eyes for a moment, as if she was praying, and then instantly killed the three lobsters.
“The orthodox witches who live in Lenomond Town are particularly stuck in the past. I can imagine the pain you had to endure as a slave.”
“I haven’t met many people, but… it seems that the witches outside are more free-spirited. But, well, there were many good people in Gehenna too.”
“You don’t hate the witches?”
“It’s a blessing in disguise, but thanks to being captured by Gehenna, I escaped my fate of dying and learned magic. I also made good connections.”
Eloa stared at Siwoo’s profile as he replied.
Although physiognomy doesn’t represent everything, a person’s attitude and way of life leave traces on their face.
Siwoo had a kind face that didn’t feel malicious.
“Uh….”
Eloa, who was smiling faintly, as Siwoo was a little flustered because he didn’t know what was going on.
“Didn’t you peek at me earlier? So I saw you too.”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“Is there any need to be sorry? It’s certainly a hair color that people who see it for the first time find fascinating. If you had asked, I would have shown you without having to peek.”
It wasn’t just because her hair color or eye color was unusual that I had looked at her…
But I didn’t bother to tell her the truth.
By now, the kitchen was filled with the fragrant smell of butter and the aroma of stir-fried vegetables.
Siwoo, who had finished preparing the ingredients, had nothing to do.
“Please wait in the living room. It will take a little time.”
“Is there anything else I can help with?”
“I appreciate the thought, but it’s not right for a host to keep a guest in the kitchen any longer.”
And so, Siwoo returned to the living room and waited blankly.
