Chapter 37 – #9_A Sexless Cohabitation (2)
#36
1.
Waking up in bed.
Now, even without an alarm, my eyes snap open at 6 AM.
After sleeping on a hard straw bed placed on a box, waking up in a soft blanket felt incredibly refreshing.
I immediately rushed to the bathroom for a shower.
“A strong and powerful morning.”
Come to think of it, how long has it been since I showered with hot water indoors, not outdoors?
There’s no need to grumble anymore, saying, ‘Even in prison, you can wash with warm water once a week.’
If Siwoo’s room was at the eastern end of the mansion, which stretched long from east to west, Amelia’s was at the western end.
As she had told me yesterday, I woke up at 6 AM, showered with warm water, got dressed, and then went to find Amelia.
After a final check of my attire in the mirror in the hallway, Siwoo opened the door and entered Amelia’s room.
“Amelia, I’m coming in.”
“Come in.”
I knocked and asked, and her voice came from beyond the door.
Come to think of it, this is only the second time I’ve entered a woman’s room, but such a trivial thought quickly disappeared.
Amelia’s room wasn’t much different from Siwoo’s.
I mean, the structure itself.
If Odile or Odette’s rooms were at least flashy, this place was quite plain.
Aside from the basic, high-quality furniture, it didn’t feel like it had been decorated with much care.
However, her room was filled with all sorts of magic books, documents, and experimental materials.
Anyway, perhaps because the room was much smaller, it felt even more cluttered than the research building.
She had stubbornly dragged all sorts of research materials into the house.
“Did you sleep well?”
I was about to say good morning, but I ended up saying something else, and as soon as I spoke, I realized it was a meaningless question.
“I didn’t sleep today.”
Amelia asked without putting down her pen, still sitting at her desk.
She was constantly writing something on the paper on her desk.
She must have been doing that all night.
A pile of papers with ink still drying was stacked in front of her.
“Just wait a moment.”
After saying that, Amelia went back to her work.
Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed in concentration.
She rarely showed emotion and had few changes in expression, but those straight, thin eyebrows were an exception.
More than 90% of the time, Siwoo could gauge her emotions thanks to her eyebrows.
Anyway, Amelia finished her work and finally looked at Siwoo.
“Check what you need to do here.”
Straight to the point.
Amelia rummaged through her desk drawer and handed Siwoo a stack of papers about 30 to 40 pages thick.
“This is a manual that briefly outlines what you need to do as my exclusive slave. It includes schedules and tasks for each day. Take your time to read and understand it.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Amelia got up from her seat and walked around the table.
She had changed into a more comfortable robe.
“Look at item 15 on page 3.”
“Yes.”
It seemed to be a kind of work guide.
As Siwoo flipped through the pages, he suddenly realized that the handwriting in the manual looked familiar.
Amelia had written this word by word.
Page 3 was about what to do after waking up in the morning.
If Amelia was asleep, wake her up, and if not, greet her.
After that, make the bed and prepare breakfast.
Breakfast wasn’t something Siwoo had to make himself; he just had to pick up the food from the kitchen in the faculty building.
“Yes, I’ve checked it.”
“I’ll be waiting in the dining hall, so go ahead.”
It was quite thick, and it seemed like it would take quite a while to memorize everything.
Siwoo watched Amelia head to the bathroom and then made his way to the academy kitchen.
2.
I met a familiar face.
It was Takasho, yawning widely as he cleaned the hallway.
As soon as he saw Siwoo’s changed attire, he jumped up and down in excitement.
“Wow~ who is this? You look so dashing, it’s surprising.”
“Hey, hey, calm down. It’s not that big of a deal.”
“Of course, it’s a big deal! My friend has finally made it!”
Actually, I have a lot to say, but I’m not sure if I’ll have enough time.
Siwoo gave him a rough summary of what had happened.
“See, what did I tell you? Amelia likes you, I knew it!”
He patted my shoulder with a proud look, like a friend who had finally passed a long-awaited exam.
“What nonsense are you talking about? What did you hear? How did you conclude that Amelia likes me from this?”
“What?”
“I just told you, she called me to her room not for a night service, but to be her assistant.”
Takasho’s face, which had been beaming with pride, changed to an ambiguous expression.
It was like looking at someone who had won the lottery but never went to the bank to cash it in.
“Wow, where do I even begin to explain this? I feel it every time, but you’re really something.”
“I was so embarrassed I almost died because of you, okay? Do you know what kind of look Amelia gave me back then?”
As soon as I mentioned the night service, I was met with a look that was almost like she was looking at an insect.
Just thinking about it makes my face burn.
“Oh, you poor thing… You’ve had a girlfriend before, right?”
“Nope?”
“…Right, that’s right.”
Takasho, who had given up on even trying to scold Siwoo, scratched his head, wondering where to start explaining, and then began to lay out his thoughts one by one.
“Look at Shin Siwoo. Amelia bought you underwear, right? Gave you cigarettes? Gave you cake? Bought you a suit too. Why would she be so nice to a slave she has no interest in?”
“How would I know? Maybe she felt a little sorry after tormenting me.”
“Huh… seriously.”
“You’d have to spend a day with Amelia to understand. You said it yourself, Amelia is a traditional witch who has no interest in men.”
“That’s the general case, but the fact that Amelia is showing interest in you is a special case, you know?”
Takasho realized that no matter how much he explained, Siwoo wouldn’t understand.
“Hey, look at this material.”
“Hey, don’t get so close! It’s creepy.”
“This is mohair.”
“What’s that?”
Takasho stroked Siwoo’s arm and said.
“I’ve received a lot of suits as gifts when I used to work, you know? Have you ever heard of cashmere?”
“Cashmere coat?”
“Mohair is just as good, or even better, material. If she had no feelings for you, would she give such nice clothes to a mere personal slave? Besides, Amelia hasn’t taken in any slaves before.”
Siwoo, looking indifferent, thought that it was probably expected since the clothes were tailored at a dress shop in Ars Magna Town.
“In my opinion, she’s blatantly courting you, but you’re just thinking, ‘Maybe it’s just my imagination, *sigh*…’ you know?”
“You’re mistaken, I have no feelings for Amelia.”
“Are you out of your mind?”
Takasho was so dumbfounded that his mouth hung open.
After considering Siwoo’s situation and circumstances with all his might, in this incomprehensible situation, this was what he said.
“Well, it’s true that you’ve suffered a lot because of Amelia. But isn’t that half your own doing?”
“Why the hell is that my fault? Anyway, I’m not believing you anymore.”
“Mr. Shin Siwoo, the virgin who’s never been in a relationship, please believe me. Sometimes when I look at you, I feel like I’m watching a kid skipping stones with gold bars. What you’re throwing away is a golden opportunity! How long do you think a noble, rich, and beautiful witch will keep looking only at you?”
“So, what’s the conclusion? Make it short. I have to go soon.”
Takasho pondered for a while, then tossed out a single line.
“Tell me all about it after you have sex. I’ll buy you drinks.”
After smacking Takasho, who was still getting ahead of himself, on the back of the head, he went to get his food from the kitchen.
3.
I don’t know what my life will be like in the future, but one thing is certain: I’m blessed with food.
The breakfast I received from the kitchen, pulling the tray along.
To put it simply, it was an English breakfast.
Bacon with almost no salt, served with a bagel. A perfectly made poached egg that bursts when you poke it, a salmon salad, and warm coffee.
It’s goodbye forever to bread scraps that could only be used as charcoal erasers and that pale, watery soup.
It was awful, and let’s never meet again.
Siwoo sat at the same table as Amelia, savoring each bite of his breakfast. After finishing and clearing his plate, he headed to the research building.
It felt strange to have the cycle that had been ingrained in him for five years broken.
It felt like he should be heading to the academy right now to do chores.
Siwoo sat in a corner of the research building, reading the manual and lost in new thoughts.
Amelia, without saying much, had immediately immersed herself in her magic research with a cigarette as soon as they arrived at the research building.
So, Siwoo was also discreetly pretending to take over, thoroughly flipping through the manual.
So, roughly looking at the contents:
Things to do upon waking.
Things to do during lunchtime.
Things to do from dinner until bedtime.
Things to do on weekdays.
Things to do on weekends.
Things to do within the mansion.
Things to observe when accompanying her to the research building.
Instructions for organizing documents and paperwork.
Cleaning and laundry methods.
How to order various desserts.
What to do when problems arise.
And so on, various detailed instructions were written.
If he just read this diligently, there shouldn’t be any major problems.
“Hmm….”
By the way, he needs to move the things from the barn, but it seems he won’t have time for a while.
According to the manual, I have to follow Amelia around almost all day, but it takes about an hour to go back and forth between the research building or the dorm and the barn.
Should I pick a day and sneak out at night?
It’s not urgent anyway.
Besides, it’s a place where no one ever goes.
-Caw caw!
Just then, I heard a crow cawing outside the window.
I was wondering where the sound was coming from and was about to glance at the window when Amelia suddenly called out.
“Siwoo.”
“Yes, Lady Amelia.”
“Come back here in three hours.”
“Understood. Is there anything I should do in the meantime?”
“No, for now, just stick to the manual.”
“Yes.”
Siwoo nodded obediently and left the research building.
4.
Warm sunshine.
It’s a very mild day for late autumn.
Outside the research building, I stretch my arms wide, enjoying the peace.
“Ah, this is the life.”
Normally, I’d be climbing a ladder to prune branches or sweeping a spotless hallway right now.
But to have a fancy meal in the morning and then leisurely free time?
“I should enjoy this.”
I was just wondering how to deal with the barn problem, and the timing is perfect.
I can go to the barn right now, get the magic supplies, move them to my dorm, and then return as if nothing happened.
But I want to laze around in bed for about an hour, so I should hurry.
They say that after hardship comes happiness, and suddenly everything is going smoothly, so how can I not hum a tune?
Siwoo, with light steps, enters the rose garden.
The quickest way to the barn is to cross this rose garden.
The enchanted roses, forgetting the season, bloom in large, colorful flowers, pleasing the eyes and nose.
And then.
I suddenly feel something is off.
“Huh?”
This fountain is definitely the same one I saw earlier.
A little angel blowing a trumpet.
A witch pouring anointing oil on a witch’s child wrapped in a blanket.
Siwoo looks straight ahead again.
The exit is visible.
Siwoo concentrates and slowly walks towards the exit, one step at a time.
My mind was focused on the exit without a single gap, but as soon as I thought I was leaving the garden, I was back in front of the fountain.
“This is bad.”
A bad feeling creeps up on Siwoo, and he turns around.
There, a carriage three times the size of Sophia’s carriage was parked.
Engraved on the carriage door are two birds with their wings spread.
They are the black and white twin birds that sing of magic.
Two as one witch.
They symbolize the Geminae County.
