Chapter 403 – #87_Oversight (2)
#402
1.
“Ugh…!”
The soft sunlight felt wonderful.
The back of my head rested on a fluffy pillow, undoubtedly filled with plenty of duck feathers.
A blanket, warmed by the fireplace, covered me up to my chest.
It was incredibly comfortable.
The only downside was the sunlight streaming through the bars, stinging my eyes that hadn’t seen light in a while.
But it was a very cozy and warm sunlight.
Just as my mind, still drowsy from sleep, was about to drift back into slumber, it became clear as if splashed with cold water.
Too many unresolved issues came to mind to remain in a half-asleep state.
“Siwoo!”
““Assistant!””
Before my eyes could even adjust to the bright light, four voices hit my ears.
And then, two small hands in my left hand.
One hand in my right hand.
Hands that trembled with a fragility that made me want to hold them tightly, but I couldn’t bring myself to do so.
I didn’t even need to open my eyes.
In fact, I would have known even without hearing their voices.
It was the twins and Sharon.
“But if you were going to go, you should have at least told me!”
“Assistant…! Really! You’re so mean!
“That’s right! You’re so mean! You keep disappearing and doing things that could get you killed!”
Through my blinking eyelids, I saw Sharon and the twins, their eyes filled with tears.
Sharon was on the verge of sobbing, and the twins were half-leaping onto the bed, trying hard not to hug Siwoo.
Knowing that their anger stemmed from worry,
Siwoo tried to offer an apology.
“I, cough…!”
My throat was parched, probably from lying still for so long without saying a word.
As soon as they saw this, Sharon and the twins simultaneously grabbed the water bottle on the side table.
They moved with the speed of a baseball player sliding to touch the base.
“D, drink water!”
“I, I’ll give it to you!”
“Assistant, honestly, you want the water I give you the most, right?”
“Thank you, thank you.”
It was as if they were triplets, their teamwork was so good.
Siwoo, feeling bewildered, took the glass of water, watching the three of them whose teamwork had improved so much.
Weren’t they usually a bit more bickering?
“No matter how I think about it, you deserve to be scolded!”
“Sharon’s right!”
“Sharon is right!”
Siwoo, who had been in a coma, had no way of knowing, but a strange camaraderie had blossomed between Sharon and the twins as they kept watch by his bedside.
They had resolved their misunderstandings and made an agreement before.
After quietly drinking the water, Sharon’s scolding began.
“Are you even in your right mind? You knew you were going to die for sure if you went…. Why, what are we supposed to do without you…!”
“That’s right! Do you know how worried we were for the three days you were unconscious?”
“We couldn’t even sleep properly, waiting here for you to wake up!”
Looking around, I saw a small bed and a rather large bed placed around the bed, hidden by a canopy.
The small one was probably Sharon’s.
The large one seemed to be for the twins.
They had taken great care of me until I woke up.
“I, I’m sorry….”
“If you’re sorry…!”
““Do you think that’s enough?””
But their loud voices didn’t last long.
The twins and Sharon all rushed at once and hugged Siwoo tightly.
The soft, floral scent enveloped my nose.
Sharon and the twins held Siwoo’s hands tightly or rubbed their cheeks against him as they spoke.
“From now on… never do anything so reckless….”
“Assistant, I admit you’re pretty amazing… but please don’t do that again.”
“Assistant, I’m scared you’ll die before we even inherit….”
Their heartfelt worries and warm welcome, spoken through tears.
Siwoo’s nose tingled.
The embrace of his precious people, whom he thought he might never see again, felt warmer than usual.
But there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that prevented him from simply enjoying this moment.
Siwoo had risked his life to go to Bianca to save Takasho.
And despite playing along with all her schemes, Siwoo had failed to protect Takasho.
Takasho, who had endured terrible torture for Siwoo’s sake.
“Sharon…. By any chance, Taka….”
My throat was tightening.
I couldn’t bring myself to ask if they had found his remains.
If I did, it would confirm Takasho’s death.
As I hesitated, the door opened, and an unbelievable person appeared.
“Yo, Shin Siwoo. You’re finally awake.”
Though he was on crutches, with casts on both arms and wrapped in bandages, Mimiya Takasho still boasted his healthy, tanned skin.
He was Siwoo’s old friend.
2.
Siwoo excused himself from the twins and Sharon for ten minutes.
He jumped out of bed, hugged Takasho, and shed hot tears.
Takasho, whom he had never seen shed a real tear in his life, also had red eyes.
“H, how did you survive? Are you really Takasho?”
“Hey, can’t you tell by looking? How could I, the most beautiful girl in Gehenna, just fall down when my knight in shining armor, Shin Siwoo, came to save me?”
It was unbelievable.
Bianca, who treated humans like insects, would have surely killed him once he was no longer a valuable hostage….
“Weren’t you full of holes and turned into meat?”
“Holes? I did get some. That crazy bitch, if she was going to make holes, she only needed to make one down there, but she insisted on making three.”
Takasho shuddered, as if just recalling the moment sent chills down his spine.
But how? I looked at him with that question in my eyes, and he shrugged and replied.
“Well, I did go as a business partner of Ms. Periwinkle. I just got introduced to some connections, but she lent me an artifact. On the condition that I return it when I get back.”
That’s right.
Takasho’s trip to the mortal realm was originally to sign a supply contract with a business that Periwinkle had arranged.
After that, Takasho went on and on about Ms. Periwinkle’s profound wisdom.
Though there was some joking and exaggeration, it was true that he had received a great favor.
Having three large holes in his body and being brined in seawater for over an hour, the fact that he was alive could only be described as a ‘miracle’ given by Clover.
“Anyway, thank you again, my friend.”
“You… you got caught because of me….”
“Why is that because of you? It’s this body’s charm that bewitches all the witches that’s the problem.”
Takasho grinned, showing his strong teeth, and Siwoo smiled back.
“Oh, and I have some good news.”
“What is it?”
Takasho closed his eyes as if announcing a major fact.
His nostrils flared, and his eyelids twitched, as if he was very excited.
“I, I’m up….”
“What…?”
“My dick is up. This morning.”
It was indeed a major issue, just as Takasho had hinted.
Even though Bianca had crushed his balls, Takasho’s erectile and ejaculatory functions were completely normal.
Siwoo sincerely shook his hand firmly, congratulating Takasho on his true resurrection.
“You’re really amazing.”
“You’re just realizing that now?”
3.
“Seriously, Siwoo, you’re such a troublemaker….”
After the reunion with Sharon, the twins, and Takasho, Siwoo had to face his mother-in-law, Albireo.
The second person he felt most guilty about after returning from the fight.
The first, by the way, was Deneb.
“How on earth…. How do you manage to get into trouble everywhere you go? The Water Bearer Witch, the Cowardice Witch, the Homunculus incident, and now the Desire Witch….”
Albireo’s reaction was beyond reproach, it was more like disbelief.
The fact that all of this had happened in less than two years was astonishing.
How could someone’s fate be so twisted?
“I’m sorry….”
Siwoo sat on a chair, his knees neatly together, preparing for a full prostration of apology.
The fact that Albireo knew about Siwoo’s backdoor sex relationship with the twins alone made her a difficult opponent to face.
Moreover, there was the credit note he had given to Flora Arabesque in exchange for ordering the cloak.
Siwoo had not yet heard how much gold had been taken from it.
But seeing Flora’s grinning face, he knew it couldn’t have been a small amount, and he was mentally prepared for it.
That’s why this one-on-one meeting with Albireo was so awkward.
“I acknowledge that you are an benefactor of our family and that this rampage was a righteous act to save your friend.”
“Yes, thank you for seeing it that way.”
“But if you spend more than double the amount we originally agreed upon…. Even for you, Siwoo, it’s hard to just let it slide.”
“T, two times…?”
“It’s 2.74 times, to be exact.”
It was truly astonishing.
I had never really thought about it, but was it 10 billion?
It certainly wasn’t a small amount….
“H, how much is that exactly?”
“Originally, it was 10 billion every five years. Specifically, it was on the condition that we wait for the twins’ succession to be completed in the mortal realm. I’m a little skeptical as to whether this support agreement still holds any meaning, though.”
So, I spent 27.4 billion on one piece of clothing.
Siwoo’s vision went dark.
He could clearly picture himself working as a servant for the Gemini family.
I couldn’t possibly say, “Could you please consider that I gave you 15 years’ worth in advance?” out of conscience….
Even if I tried to pay back half of that, how much would that be?
Even if I won the lottery, I would have to win it ten times and then a few more times to barely pay it back.
“You’re in debt, Siwoo.”
“I will take responsibility.”
Siwoo closed his eyes and waited for Albireo’s judgment.
He was so tense, waiting for what she would say next, that he heard a snicker.
When he opened his eyes, he saw Albireo smiling, covering her mouth.
“Don’t let this happen again. Don’t make people’s hearts race.”
Siwoo’s heart swelled at Albireo’s saintly reaction.
“Is that… really all?”
“Of course not. The proper life of a bourgeois is to hold on tight to every single gold coin that goes out.”
“Ugh….”
Albireo chuckled, seeing Siwoo, who was at a loss for words, lower his head.
Even though he knew it was a joke, he couldn’t really respond.
Albireo knew this, so she often made difficult jokes when dealing with Siwoo.
At this point, I wondered if all the counts had similar personalities.
“Instead, please love the twins a lot. Don’t just take care of Sharon.”
Albireo gave a subtle piece of advice in a gentle tone.
What could Siwoo, who had already become a daughter thief, a twin daughter thief, and a playboy, say?
“I will serve you with all my might.”
“At least your answer is spirited. Ah, Siwoo. You fainted due to extreme mana exhaustion, but you were lying down for three days. Don’t go running around just because you can move, and take some rest for the time being.”
“Yes, I understand that too.”
Albireo gestured for him to leave and picked up her pen again.
She had been working on official business even when Siwoo had come in.
Seeing that, I realized that not just anyone could become rich.
“Ah, by any chance, where is my master?”
I had assumed that Eloa would have rushed over like the wind after hearing that Siwoo had collapsed.
I was about to go look for her since I hadn’t seen her yet.
“Duke Tiferet is….”
-Bang!
Just as Albireo opened her mouth, the door burst open, and Duke Eloa Tiferet, Siwoo’s master, entered.
