Chapter 361 – #78_Outdoor Activities(3)
#359
1.
The salmon that Diana had caught was taken into custody by the mansion’s chef for its insolence, and it paid for its crime by offering itself as a full-course meal.
For the first time, I was invited to dinner and had a meal with Count Lucy and Diana.
The Count kept smiling at Siwoo’s chaotic salmon-catching antics with Diana.
After a pleasant meal, it was time for the last task of the day.
The Count’s private tutoring time had arrived.
“Mr. Siwoo, please escort me.”
As we left the dining room and headed towards the private library, the Count extended her hand, wearing a white glove, with the back of her hand facing up.
I hesitated for a moment.
I was reminded of last night’s incident with the Count.
I had resolved to prevent such an unfortunate accident from happening again, so I was unsure if I should hold her hand.
However, it would be rude to show that I was conscious of the incident to the Count, who had generously let it slide.
With that in mind, Siwoo took her hand, placing it gently on his palm, and headed towards the private library.
“It’s an honor.”
Perhaps it was because of the rather old-fashioned hallway, or perhaps it was because of the Count’s calm demeanor, even with her face flushed from the alcohol.
It truly felt like I was escorting a noble lady.
As if reading Siwoo’s mind, the Count spoke first.
“You seem like a knight, Mr. Siwoo.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, it feels like I’m being escorted by a very reliable knight.”
“Maybe it’s because I’m tall.”
We exchanged idle chatter and arrived at the Count’s private library.
The air, which had cooled down as the sun set, was warmed by the flames of the burning fireplace.
I sat on the sofa where I always studied, and the Count sat opposite me.
“Since you played well with Diana, I should reward you too.”
“Please take good care of me during today’s lesson as well.”
I wondered if she would tease me about last night, but thankfully, the lesson started without any issues.
However, that didn’t mean there were no problems… that was a different matter.
“Hmm, so you’re planning to control the red branches using the ribbon as a medium rather than the shadows?”
“That’s right. The shadow side is an amorphous magic, so it’s greatly affected by the barrier.”
While answering calmly, Siwoo’s gaze flickered towards the Count.
Yesterday, Count Lucy was wearing a party dress with a revealing back.
But today was different.
The dress, which modestly covered her back, instead revealed her cleavage.
It wasn’t just a little bit revealing.
The daring slit that went down to her sternum exposed not only the Count’s voluminous upper chest and side chest but also part of her underbust.
It was an outfit with such low guard that it could be easily slipped off by grabbing the collar and pulling it slightly.
I hadn’t really noticed it during dinner.
In the first place, the table was so long, about the length of three billiard tables put together, that Siwoo and the Count were facing each other from a distance.
The lighting was bright, and Diana was there too.
It was a distracting atmosphere in many ways to be consciously aware of her outfit…
“Where should I look? Hmm…”
The Count brushed a stray hair behind her ear and reached for the paper that was in front of Siwoo.
Her upper body tilted like a heavy flower bud, and the valley of abundance and motherhood naturally drew the eye.
A sweet, creamy scent wafted along with a refreshing perfume.
It was just the two of us here.
Moreover, the atmosphere was strangely romantic due to the candles and the fireplace.
And the close distance where the Count’s tongue licking her lips was clearly visible.
It was an extreme situation that I couldn’t help but be conscious of.
“The idea doesn’t seem bad… but we’ll have to apply it to the distortion field to see if it’s practical.”
It was a precarious situation where something that shouldn’t be seen would be visible if her clothes were to slip even slightly.
I knew she usually wore light and provocative outfits, but this was on a level of intentionally showing off.
Could she really be intentionally exposing herself?
Siwoo barely managed to turn his gaze away, as if he was being sucked in.
“Then, let’s reconstruct it based on what you saw yesterday, Mr. Siwoo.”
Whether she knew Siwoo’s feelings or not, the Count calmly continued the lesson.
2.
“Is it perhaps not enough to see it just once?”
“Pardon?”
“I’m talking about the mental landscape.”
“No, no. It’s enough.”
“I could do it a few more times. If you’re worried about yesterday’s accident, it’s okay.”
In fact, Count Lucy was subtly testing Siwoo.
The Count knew that her appearance was outstanding.
She was confident that her mature and curvaceous figure and elegant face were exceptional.
However, knowing it alone and being able to confirm it through the other person’s reaction were slightly different.
Siwoo’s gaze, glancing at the cleavage that the Count had subtly exposed.
The prominent Adam’s apple bobbing as he gulped.
His innocent and cute appearance, scratching his head awkwardly.
It filled Lucy Yesod’s self-esteem not as a witch, a noble, or Diana’s mother, but as a ‘woman’.
It was only natural that the desire to tease him followed.
“Oh my, but today’s outfit is a bit inappropriate. This dress doesn’t have a back at all…”
The Count smiled and placed her hand on the shoulder strap of her dress.
If she just pushed it slightly to the side, it would slip off, and her top would come off.
“…I guess I’ll have to do this? Right?”
She didn’t really intend to do it.
Showing her body carelessly to an outsider was an unchaste act and went against the virtues of a noble.
She just wanted to see his dramatic reaction like yesterday.
“It’s really okay! Count! Please calm down and slowly take your hand off.”
Siwoo jumped up as if boiling tea had been poured on his lap, trying to stop her.
The Count suppressed a laugh at his reaction, which was exactly as she had expected.
“If there’s no need to share mental landscapes, then the lesson ends here. What a shame?”
“Hoo…”
“Aren’t you disappointed, Mr. Siwoo?”
“I’m disappointed that I can’t learn more, but I’m not disappointed that you’re not… taking off your clothes.”
The Count almost lost her composure and burst into laughter at his words, which now even blocked the loopholes for her to tease him.
The Count had met all kinds of people in the process of leading a large-scale business.
After living for so long, it was easy to judge a person’s character just by looking at their eyes or listening to their tone.
Especially after having faced each other and talked for more than four days, she had a rough idea.
The Count judged that he was a sincere and kind person.
The fact that the picky Diana was subtly fond of him, and the fact that there was no trace of the unique sticky malice in his tone, behavior, and eyes.
In this situation, he could have harbored impure thoughts.
“Mr. Siwoo.”
“Yes.”
“Do you have any plans or appointments after the lesson?”
His pupils were shaking.
The fact that he was so obviously flustered was one of the joys of teasing this man.
She fiddled with her clothes and dragged out her words.
“If, if you’re not busy… could you spare some time?”
“I’d like to hear what it is first before deciding.”
As expected, Lucy spoke in response to his cautious reply.
“Will you take me fishing too?”
“…Now?”
“Yes, after hearing you talk about it tonight, it seems like it would be quite enjoyable.”
He seemed to think for a moment, then nodded.
“Okay.”
3.
Diana was tossing and turning in her bed.
She was very tired both mentally and physically from being dragged outside by Siwoo, but she couldn’t fall asleep easily.
She was thinking about the fishing trip she had gone on with him.
“Hmm…”
Overall, it was just annoying and tiring.
She wondered why she had to go through the trouble of using a portal to go all the way to this forest to fish.
A sudden accident occurred, and she even had the unexpected experience of diving into the river on this cold winter day.
But if she were asked if only bad memories remained, the answer would be no.
It was strangely fresh and new.
The feeling in her hands after a long wait and trial and error.
The strong vitality and flapping she felt at the moment of the bite still seemed to linger on her fingertips.
Although the end was a ridiculous ending where she was dragged away by the salmon because she was holding the fishing rod too tightly.
All men are wolves.
They are inferior beings who cannot become witches and are destined to die.
When dealing with men, you must always be careful not to be used.
These were the words that her mother had always emphasized and taught her.
The tinted glasses that were created in this way were also on Diana’s eyes when she looked at Siwoo.
Even if he could use magic, even if he was the first male witch in history, even if he was so good at the position board that it made her angry, nothing really changed.
But.
‘Let’s switch places. It seems like your spot is better and you’re catching them well.’
‘I came out here because I was supposed to do outdoor activities. Please pay attention to me too.’
‘Let’s go back now. It’s been over two hours.’
Looking back, he never frowned at Diana, who was only being spiteful.
She seemed to have said things that would clearly make the atmosphere cold, but he didn’t.
Diana was an apprentice witch of the Count’s family, and he was just a witch.
Moreover, he was in a situation where he had promised to take her mother’s lessons in exchange for being Diana’s tutor.
She didn’t take it for granted, but he was someone who couldn’t say a word even if Diana complained.
But even considering the difference in their positions, there was an atmosphere that could be felt when a person was hiding their emotions.
He didn’t sincerely take issue with Diana’s attitude or get annoyed.
Rather, he would just pass it off with a good-natured wry smile.
There must have been many rude actions that she had committed in a fit of anger.
‘You should go and show off.’
Instead of getting angry, he readily gave her the fish he had caught and let Diana show off.
That’s when she felt it.
He was a person who had a delicate consideration for others’ circumstances, as if it was ingrained in his body.
This was the reason why Diana had to re-examine her tinted glasses.
“Maybe even then…”
The reception game that had only made her angry at the time.
And that still made it impossible for her to look at that man favorably.
Wasn’t that also his consideration in its own way?
Of course, it was a humiliating consideration that she neither wanted nor desired.
“Huu…”
It was complicated.
It felt like the things she knew were being twisted and turned upside down.
Her mother, who had repeatedly insisted that men were dangerous and lowly beings, was actually writing a novel about a witch being conquered by such a man.
The male witch Shin Siwoo, whom Diana had only glared at with disdain, was not the barbarian she had heard about from her mother.
Just normally.
“Um…”
He was a person who knew how to care for others’ circumstances.
Suddenly, her chest felt itchy.
Even though she hadn’t said it out loud and had only muttered to herself, she got goosebumps as if she was making obvious flattery.
“Ugh…”
Diana shook her head to get rid of her distracting thoughts.
Come to think of it, it had been a few days since she had set foot in her mother’s secret library.
She had seen the last part that had been written, so there must be a sequel by now.
The delivery man and the witch committing an outrageous act right next to the apprentice witch while she was asleep.
It had ended with the scene of the apprentice witch tossing and turning. She wondered how the story would progress.
“……”
Diana was caught in an internal conflict.
It was an obscene book that was far from cultured, so she should stay away from it.
Moreover, it didn’t seem good to dig into her mother’s secret hobby.
However, the chaotic story that made her curious about what would happen next, like a makjang drama, and the curiosity about the relationship between men and women that she had learned about for the first time, were enough to tempt Diana.
It was probably the time when her mother was asleep.
Diana grabbed her slippers and a blanket and quietly left her room.
