City ​​of Witches 304

Chapter 304 – #68_Before The Trip

#302

1.
Quite some time had passed since Amelia had taken refuge in the workshop, thanks to Clara’s kindness.

Contrary to her first impression, Clara was an incredibly delicate and meticulous witch.
Without initiating conversations or prying into the details, she paid close attention to Amelia’s every move.

Not too burdensome.
Or in a way that made her feel overly self-conscious.
She always kept a proper distance and silently stayed by her side.

Amelia, who had been utterly exhausted and tattered, was able to gradually forget her pain each time she realized such small acts of consideration.
Ironically, just having someone by her side, just the feeling of being cared for by that person, was enough to clear the blockage in her chest.

“Good morning, Amelia.”

Clara was busily making something in the kitchen.

Actually, calling it a ‘kitchen’ in this workshop was a bit ambiguous.
It wasn’t properly separated from the living space, nor was it particularly cleaner.
It was simply a space with a hole that looked like a hearth and a pit that looked like a fire pit.

However, while Amelia had briefly washed up, it seemed that Clara had already taken care of it, as the fine sand-like substance had completely disappeared.

“Could you wait just a bit? I’m making food. It’s been a while, so I’m not sure if it’ll turn out well…”

It seemed she was preparing a meal for Amelia, just as it appeared.
Truthfully, Amelia didn’t want to eat anything, and she certainly didn’t want to cook.
However, she wasn’t so shameless as to complain about every little thing when she was in a position to receive unconditional kindness.

“…I’ll help too.”
“No, no! There’s no need for that. Just sit there and wait quietly. It’ll be done soon.”
“Still.”
“It’s okay! I said it’s fine.”

Amelia, unable to refuse her repeated refusals, reluctantly sat at the table.

Clara ignited flames from her mouth, personally lighting the fire pit and hearth.
Then, with practiced skill, she heated oil in a wok and tossed something in with a plop, plop.
The sight of a witch, known as the Dragon Witch, cooking while spewing flames that could melt even steel was quite comical.

However, it wasn’t enough to bring a smile to Amelia’s face.
Regardless of her gratitude for Clara’s kindness, she couldn’t understand why Clara was being so nice to her.
The rumors she had heard said that she was a kind witch to everyone, but when that kindness was directed at her, it felt strange and awkward.

These hands must already be stained with blood.
They were only marked by unwashable sins and irreversible regrets.

“Ta-da, it’s done!”

Negative emotions, like poison, gnaw at oneself.
Just as Amelia was about to be consumed by the gloom that had risen like dark clouds, three plates of splendid dishes were placed before her.

Clara explained each dish as if she were a chef introducing her masterpiece.
The food she had personally prepared for Amelia was traditional cuisine from this area.

First, a dish that looked like fried patties.

“This is Falafel! It’s made by grinding chickpeas and other beans and frying them. You can dip it in the tomato sauce next to it.”

Next, a bird dish with its insides hollowed out and filled with rice, then baked in the hearth.

“This is Hamam! It’s a pigeon filled with rice and roasted until golden brown. You can dip it in the tomato sauce as well!”

And something that looked like a hamburger steak.

“This is Kofta! Think of it as a hamburger made with minced lamb and lots of spices. You can dip it in the tomato sauce too!”

After introducing the dishes, she didn’t sit down but stood with her arms crossed, looking at Amelia with sparkling eyes.
Her nose, puffed up as if she was asking for praise, caught Amelia’s eye.

“Thank you.”
“Say something other than that.”
“…Amazing.”

Clara, her lips curving playfully at Amelia’s praise, finally sat down and handed her a plate, fork, and knife.
Then, she personally served food onto Amelia’s plate.

“I made a lot, so don’t hesitate to eat. Tell me if you need more.”

The dishes, filled with care, were the first she had seen in days.
Amelia stared silently at the plate, filled with that tender warmth.

“Why…”
“Huh?”
“Why are you being so nice to me?”

She had wanted this warmth.
But she didn’t want it.

She was afraid that the resolve she had built up would weaken and break.
She was afraid of failing to complete the execution list and bringing about the worst possible outcome.

“I’m planning to leave tomorrow.”

Therefore, Amelia decided to be alone again.
She decided to continue as she had been, not relying on anyone else’s warmth, and spoke in a cold and detached tone.
Considering how much help she had received so far, it was a clear expression of rejection.

Clara, who had been staring with wide eyes as if surprised.
At the very least, she thought she would be displeased.
However, her reaction was not included in any of the scenarios Amelia had anticipated.

Clara smiled brightly.
It was a genuine smile, without any calculation, discomfort, or awkwardness.

“Then that’s perfect. Eating well before a trip will make you feel good.”
“……”

Amelia silently picked up her knife.
The pigeon meat, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, was cut without a sound.
She dipped it in the tomato sauce as she had been told and brought it to her mouth.

“How is it? The best, right?”
“…It’s delicious.”
“Eat more, eat more.”

The first meal she had eaten since leaving Gehenna was incredibly warm and tender.

2.
“Hmm, hmm, hmmm…”

Sharon hummed a cheerful tune as she entered the lecture hall.
The passionate afternoon she had spent with Siwoo last night had been truly blissful.

She no longer needed to worry about how to approach Siwoo, nor did she have to fret about ‘What if Siwoo chooses someone else?’
Sharon, clad in the armor of rising confidence, was strong.
The lecture time, which had once reminded her of a fierce battle, no longer intimidated her.

“Let’s see~”

However, the twins’ means of keeping her in check were still valid.
If the twins were to run to Count Albireo and tell him, ‘Master! Master! Sharon unnie broke her promise and had sex with the assistant!’ she didn’t know what kind of situation would unfold.
In other words, she still needed to be cautious.

She wondered if she was smiling too much.
Sharon checked her face in the window to see if her happiness was showing.
Her mouth was almost reaching her ears, so she managed her expression and straightened her prim witch attire.

Okay, just like usual, just like usual.
She had to face the twins calmly, without being too excited.
They were the ones who had resorted to petty tricks first, so she would be just as underhanded!
With this ambition, Sharon opened the door to the lecture hall.

-Slam!

“Did everyone do their homework?”
“……”
“……”

The usual small lecture hall was filled with a chilling silence.
It wasn’t a joke, but the temperature seemed to drop by about 5 degrees the moment she crossed the threshold.
It was clearly an abnormal phenomenon.

From the twins’ perspective, they had gone to greet Siwoo before Sharon and had even seen them kissing shamelessly in front of them.

In other words, they had successfully launched a powerful preemptive strike.
There was no reason why they shouldn’t be smiling smugly.

Then, one thought occurred to Sharon.
Shouldn’t she have looked angrier?
And lowered her lips, which were rising so clumsily?

-Gulp

Sharon swallowed.

“Hello, Sharon unnie.”
“Hello.”
“Oh, uh, yeah…”

However, contrary to Sharon’s worries, the twins greeted her politely.
They even smiled softly.
Fortunately, they didn’t seem to have noticed anything strange.

“Submit your assignments. This one will take a while to grade, so let’s move on with the lesson.”
“Yes, Sharon unnie.”
“Yes, Sharon unnie.”
“Huh?”

She thought she had misheard something.
The way they addressed her felt different from usual.
Sharon didn’t think much of it and accepted the twins’ assignments and continued with the lesson.

And so, the endless hell of lectures unfolded again today.
Once they sat down, it was an extreme form of torture where they couldn’t take their pens off the paper for five hours straight.
While Sharon filled the blackboard with notes and erased them repeatedly, the twins, who were almost on the verge of collapse, were finally released by sunset.

-Tap tap

As Sharon organized her teaching materials, Odile and Odette slumped down.

“Phew…”
“Haa…”
“Okay, that’s it for today. Tomorrow is a holiday, so I guess I can give you a lot of homework, right?”
“Wait a minute! Sharon unnie!”

Before Sharon’s merciless homework announcement could end, following the merciless lecture, Odile hurriedly interrupted.

“What’s wrong?”
“Well, we were planning to go to the beach with our assistant for a one-night, two-day trip on the holiday…”
“Sharon unnie, come with us!”
“The beach?”

Sharon looked at the twins with suspicious eyes.

She had expected them to take Siwoo without telling her, but suddenly they were proposing a joint trip.
If the twins didn’t propose it, Sharon, who was outwardly complying with the contract, would have no justification to follow Siwoo.
It was like sending salt to the enemy.

“Yes! We have a villa near the Blue Cooperative Sea!”
“It would be fun to go and play together, right? So, could you not give us homework just this once?”
“We’ll review thoroughly!”

If Sharon forced them to do homework, the twins would have to hold back tears and work on their assignments even while they were on vacation.
However, in this case, Sharon wouldn’t be able to go to the beach with Siwoo.

On the other hand, if Sharon passed on the homework, the twins could have a good time.
Also, Sharon could accept the twins’ offer and go play with them.

If she chose the former, everyone would have to suffer losses, and if she chose the latter, there would be some competition, but it would be mutually beneficial.
The plan wasn’t without calculation, so it was rather trustworthy.

“Really?”
“Please! It’s our first time going to the beach with our assistant!”
“We’re begging you too!”

The Blue Cooperative Sea was a relatively small sea located between the edge of Border Town and Taro Town.
However, it was one of the finest resorts with an unpolluted sandy beach and a blue emerald sea.
And it was possible to swim there all year round.

Playing in the water with Siwoo there.
And at the Gemini’s villa, which even most resort facilities couldn’t compare to?
Just imagining it made her feel good.
Sharon nodded readily in front of the twins, who were looking nervous.

“Okay! Let’s do that!”
“Yay!”

The twins jumped up and down as if they were about to do a somersault.
And so, the cohabitation with the enemy for mutual benefit was established.