Chapter 256 – #58_All Darkness Comes From The East (2)
#254
1.
The relationship between a master and a disciple is akin to that of parents and children.
Especially in the witch society, that relationship becomes even more pronounced.
To an apprentice witch, a witch is a parent, and to a witch, an apprentice witch is a child for whom she would literally give her life without hesitation.
“But you must not go anywhere. Stay only by my side.”
A forbidden relationship that should not be crossed.
The love between a master and a disciple.
Thus, Elroa, at the end of her courage, confessed the vague feelings she had always held for Siwoo… of course, not.
Well, Siwoo did have a brief moment of delusion the instant their hands touched.
“There is one thing that concerns me.”
Both Periwinkle and Siwoo, and even Elroa a little while ago.
They all thought that the cause of Siwoo’s death would be the Cowardly Witch.
Considering the various circumstances, it cannot be denied that it is the most likely possibility.
A disaster that could even kill a Great Witch will strike Seoul within a month.
Siwoo holds an ominous hexagram in his hand, like a death sentence, and is currently in Seoul.
The Cowardly Witch has caused several accidents in Seoul over the past few months and has yet to be found.
Even if the uncertainties are omitted, if this much circumstantial evidence is gathered, the vague outline becomes a little clearer.
‘Conclusion: A huge disaster will occur in Seoul before long.’
Therefore, she tried to evacuate Siwoo to Gehenna with Evergreen.
At that moment, Elroa remembered.
But what if.
What if this is a wrong judgment?
What if Siwoo’s hexagram is not related to the Cowardly Witch?
What if there are other risk factors, such as enemies targeting Siwoo, who holds the rare title of the first male witch?
Elroa had duties and responsibilities that she had imposed upon herself.
It was no longer a matter of choice but was closer to the karma that Elroa carried.
No matter what options are given, she cannot turn her back and ignore the disaster that will soon occur.
Elroa will eventually remain in Seoul and fight, even if it means sacrificing her life.
In other words, if Siwoo is in danger in Gehenna, Elroa can do nothing to help him.
At best, she could only pray that the four-leaf clover that Periwinkle gave him would do its job.
Therefore, she declares.
“…Therefore, I will protect you. Being by my side will be safer than anywhere else in the world.”
“Hmm…”
Siwoo listened quietly to Elroa’s speech, which was caught in a strange fervor.
She articulated her opinion logically, and to Siwoo’s ears, it was not an impossible story.
It was something that could very well happen.
But to give a more honest impression…
It was too much of a leap.
The hypothesis that Elroa laid out was something that could only happen when all situations went to the worst.
Even considering her cautious nature, it was an excessive worry.
“That could be the case.”
But Siwoo did not bother to point out those things.
The reason Elroa lost Lapi was, in retrospect, because the two were not together.
Although he had not heard the exact story, Lapi was attacked by Eia while Elroa was distracted.
For Elroa, who has such a painful past, the very idea of ‘not being able to keep Siwoo, who is destined to be in danger, by her side’ is a trauma trigger.
Trauma is something that can make you think of shelling just by hearing the sound of fireworks in the middle of a festival, and from that point on, things like probability and possibility are meaningless.
Elroa wants to keep Siwoo in front of her eyes no matter what.
“You think so too, don’t you?”
“Yes, I think your words make sense, Master.”
“Then, will you stay by my side?”
“I will.”
Elroa suddenly extended her pinky finger to just below Siwoo’s nose.
Despite the somewhat childish gesture, her eyes were endlessly serious and earnest.
“Please promise me.”
Siwoo hesitated for a moment.
Just for a moment, he wondered if this promise was the right thing to do.
In fact, being by Elroa’s side would protect him from most dangers.
First of all, Sharon’s safety, which he was most concerned about, was guaranteed.
Also, if an unexpected crisis were to occur, the four-leaf clover that Periwinkle gave him would serve as insurance and buy him a turn.
No.
The safest thing is still to evacuate to Gehenna.
Siwoo could receive the protection of the Count of Jemina, so there was no reason to stay in Seoul, which would become a vortex of chaos.
Even while thinking that, Siwoo hooked his finger.
“I promise.”
Because, putting everything else aside, Elroa’s expression looked so desperate and earnest.
2.
Let’s talk about what happened over the next two days.
With the help of Branch Manager Sua, Sharon was evacuated to Gehenna.
After that, the two returned to their studio apartment from the penthouse at the location point.
Since they had been living in such a large penthouse for a while, even though it was a studio apartment with two rooms, it gave them a sense of being very close to each other.
“Siwoo, where are you going?”
“Ah, I’m going to smoke.”
“Didn’t we promise to always go together? Let’s go together.”
To describe Elroa’s appearance after they went shopping together, it was, to put it apologetically, like a puppy with separation anxiety.
She was constantly by his side all day as if she could not accept the fact that Siwoo was not in front of her eyes.
Elroa’s overprotective behavior, which was close to obsession, was even pathological, but knowing the circumstances, he had no choice but to accept it, even if it was a little uncomfortable.
“……”
That alone would be enough to make him feel a little burdened and uncomfortable.
But here, an additional problem arose.
It was a strange problem that he could not grasp the cause of at all.
Look at this.
Elroa, wearing the shoes Siwoo bought her, a checkered skirt, and a blouse, is going up the stairs first.
He was following behind her, unguarded, when he realized it.
Coincidentally, Elroa’s skirt hem was rolled up at a very strange angle, exposing one of her buttocks.
For reference, today’s pick by Duchess Tiferet is a simple mint and white striped panty.
Elroa’s plump buttocks and the under-buttocks that protrude below the elastic band as she climbs the stairs are shimmering right in front of his eyes.
It wasn’t a short skirt, and she wasn’t carrying anything like a bag, so Siwoo had no idea how such a scene could be produced.
No, even if it was folded like that because she was sitting on the sofa, is that how skirts are supposed to fold like paper?
Elroa opened her mouth, seemingly unaware of the situation.
“Don’t you think about quitting smoking? Of course, the toxicity of tobacco cannot harm the spirit body, but it is not good to become addicted and dependent on it. Isn’t this the fifth time you’ve gone to smoke today?”
Siwoo, who would have been completely flustered just two days ago, naturally walked up the stairs right next to Elroa.
This was because such coincidental coincidences had been happening every chance they got over the past two days.
Especially in a sexual way.
In that sense, if they could get through it this naturally, it was a relatively fortunate matter.
“Don’t you like to drink, Master?”
He glanced at Elroa’s buttocks as he stood next to her, and the skirt was properly arranged as if nothing had happened.
Among the accidents that happen several times a day these days, this was a case that ended without either of them getting embarrassed.
At this point, he wondered if a huge evil was moving to target Siwoo.
Was the death crisis that Periwinkle had told him about actually the fate of Siwoo being beaten to death by Elroa for making a mistake that crossed the line?
He even had such conspiratorial thoughts.
“Drinking and smoking are completely different!”
In the meantime, Elroa raised her voice as if she could not tolerate anyone touching her whiskey collection.
“There is no addictive nature to alcohol, but there is to tobacco, isn’t there? Also, alcohol contains style, aesthetics, and a profound art that cannot be fathomed. On the other hand, tobacco is so harmful that it is classified as a drug.”
It’s true that there is also a disease called alcohol dependence, but what can he do?
That’s what his master says.
Anyway, Siwoo, who was listening to a passionate eulogy about the harmlessness of smoking and various alcoholic beverages, especially whiskey, until the moment he came down after smoking.
“…Anyway, I will try my best.”
“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”
Elroa’s sermon, which had continued until the moment they arrived, was over.
Looking at the clock, it was already close to midnight.
It was about time for Elroa to go to bed.
Siwoo didn’t necessarily need to sleep, but for Elroa, four hours of sleep a day was a necessary price of the contract.
From experience, the deeper the night, the more the strange situations that occurred between the two tended to intensify.
Siwoo was careful and cautious, not letting his guard down.
“Then, I will go change my clothes first, so wait for me.”
Elroa, perhaps aware of the strangeness, gave him two warnings.
“You must stay outside.”
3.
Elroa, who had given such strict instructions, entered her room.
“……”
Something has been strange lately.
Strange things keep happening.
The door would suddenly open by itself when she was washing, showing Siwoo her showering (of course, she avoided a bigger disaster by crouching down with her superhuman reflexes).
Her hand would touch Siwoo’s crotch when he fell during sparring (she pretended that nothing had happened).
Her underwear would be accidentally exposed…
Anyway, they were embarrassing incidents that she couldn’t even put into words.
Elroa did not think that the series of events that had been happening lately were nothing.
Of course, she was embarrassed and ashamed, but she pretended to accept them as calmly as possible.
She couldn’t be separated from Siwoo just because of something like this, so she endured it and kept him by her side.
But…
This frequency was definitely strange.
She even briefly suspected that Siwoo might be intentionally harboring malicious intentions and causing these incidents on purpose.
“That can’t be.”
Elroa knew Siwoo’s character and tendencies well.
He was not the type to plot such a scheme against Elroa, even if it was someone else.
Elroa took off her clothes and threw off the sports bra that was tightly constricting her chest.
Then, she changed into the pajamas that Siwoo had bought her.
The soft touch that wrapped around her body made her yawn, and she thought deeply about what had been happening lately.
“Hmm…”
As she was stroking her chin, Elroa was startled by a thought that suddenly popped into her head.
“…Huh?”
Showing her bare skin, showing her underwear, or having physical contact.
The various ordeals that had recently embarrassed Elroa all had the same premise.
Is it embarrassing to show her bare skin to her disciple?
Is it embarrassing to show her underwear to her disciple?
Is it embarrassing to have her body touch her disciple?
It doesn’t make sense.
The reason Elroa accepts the series of events as mishaps is because they are awkward when they are in a ‘man-woman relationship.’
And that came as a shock to Elroa.
A man-woman relationship between a master and a disciple?
It was absurd, illogical, and unreasonable.
It was nothing short of a betrayal.
Even if Siwoo, who was not yet familiar with many things, could be like that, it was a great shock to Elroa that even she, who should be the one to take the lead and guide him, was subtly wavering.
“What have I been embarrassed about all this time?”
Elroa closed her eyes and shuddered as if she had gained a great realization.
Even though it was temporary, she should have only shown the right image as a master.
She had been frivolous and flustered over trivial matters, so she could guess what he had seen and learned.
If Elroa had dealt with the first embarrassing incident as if nothing had happened.
Perhaps Siwoo would not have been so concerned about it now.
A master is the mirror of a disciple.
Since Elroa had first thought of Siwoo as a man, it was not strange that Siwoo also regarded Elroa as a member of the opposite sex.
If there is something wrong, it must be corrected.
Elroa stepped out of the room with a determined ambition.
