City ​​of Witches 404

Chapter 404 – #87_Oversight(3)

#403

1.
Eloa Tifereth.
In truth, even before regaining his memories, Siwoo had often felt a strange sense of incongruity.

Like, she wouldn’t appear in light clothing, mostly pajamas, as she used to.
Or she wouldn’t suggest their nightly masterpieces that they enjoyed almost every day…
Most of it was the same in that Eloa was avoiding Siwoo to an unusual degree.

Looking back, even the minor signs that he had brushed off as nothing had already been foreshadowed.
All of it stemmed from Eloa’s determination to draw a line, wanting to reject even the smallest temptation.

Inside the palace of memories, Siwoo could confirm it.

Eloa, who had come to love Siwoo as a man.
And Eloa, who loved Siwoo as a disciple.

He also understood what kind of guilt she felt after being intimate with Siwoo, and what decision she had made as a result.

Of course, Siwoo didn’t have as clear a sense of teacher-student relationships as Duke Tifereth.
In the first place, in an era when the world was a little less rigid, there were many stories about romances between teachers and students, weren’t there?
Therefore, it was difficult for him to fully understand how much guilt and responsibility she felt.

However, he could understand more clearly what a significant decision and self-sacrifice it was to erase the memory of having shared love with someone.
For example, erasing Sharon’s or the twins’ memories and becoming complete strangers.

“Master, I’m back…”

Before such issues, Siwoo, who instinctively felt he was about to be severely scolded, greeted her awkwardly.

“Duke Tifereth… Oh my…”

Albireo, who had been smiling brightly and about to welcome the Duke, covered her mouth as if surprised.

-Slap!

As soon as she found Siwoo, Eloa, who had approached with quick steps, slapped Siwoo’s cheek.
It didn’t hurt that much, just a sting.
And immediately, she hugged Siwoo tightly.

“I… I had a social gathering appointment…”

Albireo, who had quietly gotten up while watching the passionate reunion of the master and disciple, left the office.

“M, Master… I’m having a little trouble breathing…”
“Stay still.”

Eloa, still in her combat uniform as if she had just returned from the present world.
Eloa, who had tied her cherry blossom-colored hair back, hugged Siwoo tightly as if she would never let go.
If Siwoo were a teddy bear, the stuffing would have been popping out.

While Siwoo was heading to the four corners of the world alone without anyone to rely on, Eloa was chasing after Eah for days, wandering around Hong Kong, swayed by just one photo.

She was busy reliving the emotions she thought she had forgotten, anger and the desire for revenge.

As a result, Deneb and Sharon, who had realized the abnormal situation, had pulled Siwoo, who was almost dead, out of the sea, and even while he was recovering, she hadn’t realized that her beloved disciple was in such danger.

She had almost lost another beloved disciple because of the same mistake.
Eloa hugged Siwoo, who was a head taller than her, with all her might.

Unlike her usual strength, her slender body trembled like a water bird.
The quiet weeping soon turned into shaking shoulders, and Eloa repeatedly left tear stains on Siwoo’s collar.

“I’m sorry…”
“It’s okay, I brought it on myself…”
“I’m sorry…”

Avenging Rapi was important.
If Eah were alive, Eloa would not hesitate to wield the sword of Shura once again.
But Siwoo was here now.

Shin Siwoo, Eloa Tifereth’s beloved disciple, was here.

2.
Eloa, who had calmed down a little, and Siwoo went out into the garden.

The snow that had fallen in the middle of the night was piled up on the conifers.
The two masters and disciples took a walk together for the first time in a while, tapping the icicles hanging like small light bulbs on the tips of the sharp leaves.

In the garden, which now showed clear signs of winter, Siwoo heard from Eloa why she couldn’t come to help immediately.
Apparently, that wicked Bianca had used Eah as bait to separate her master.
And that was a topic that had something in common with the topic Siwoo was about to bring up.

“Master, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“Tell me anything.”

In the palace of memories, Siwoo was able to understand Eloa’s love.
However, there was an even more important fact than that now.

Eah Sadalmelik, who had killed Eloa’s apprentice witch.
The truth that she, who had her magic stolen by Siwoo, was still alive.

“Before regaining my consciousness this time, I looked into my memories.”

As soon as the word ‘memories’ came out, Eloa’s shoulders flinched.
Eloa, who had been walking on the lightly covered snow with her hands slightly behind her back, stopped abruptly in her tracks.

“Memories…?”

Eloa’s gaze, quietly looking up at Siwoo, was not the usual dignified and benevolent one.

Worried.
Anticipating.
Disappointed in herself for having such expectations.
Quietly swallowing her hot feelings of affection.
Her moist magenta eyes.
It overlapped exactly with her appearance in his memories.

She must have always been looking at him with those eyes when he couldn’t see her.

“Eah Sadalmelik might still be alive.”

And that expression didn’t last long before it changed.
But he didn’t feel the intense anger that Siwoo had expected.

“Why do you think so?”

Instead, she calmly and composedly listened to Siwoo’s report and nodded readily.
He had been a little worried that she might react with something close to rage, but she was so calm that he was a little surprised.

“Did you… know?”
“I had a hunch that might be the case.”

Eloa, who had drawn out the end of her words like a sigh, nodded as if to say she understood.

It was surprising.
Compared to the beginning, her master’s atmosphere had become much gentler and softer, but Siwoo also remembered her fierce expression, distorted with anger, as she punched his liver with a fist.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“It’s just that you’re more… well…”
“You were almost in a big trouble and you’re right here. Is revenge that important right now?”

Eloa smiled and brushed it off, but Siwoo could tell that her eyes were deeper than usual.
She was just not making a fuss because Siwoo had returned from a crisis, but she must have been feeling complicated inside.

In fact, when he met his master today, he was also going to tell her that the memories she had sealed had returned.
That he had remembered the memories of sharing love with her, and that he had also remembered her confession.

Actually, he thought, what would he even do by telling her?
Siwoo already had the twins and Sharon by his side.

Not only that, but he was also entangled with various other women.
But was it right to leave her alone, suffering in silence?

“Master, you’re getting cold. Shall we go inside?”
“Let’s do that.”
“I’ll offer you a drink for the first time in a while.”
“Nothing could be better.”

But it was difficult to bring up the topic in this subtly serious atmosphere.
Just as they were about to warm their slightly frozen feet in front of the fireplace and exchange drinks, Eloa hesitated and asked.

“Siwoo.”
“Yes.”
“Is there any other memory that you might have recalled?”

Eloa seemed to regret even bringing up these words.
She might think she was clinging to a pointless attachment.

“…Master, let’s go inside first and talk.”
“……”

That alone might have been enough of an answer.
Whether she should be happy, sad, or some emotion in between.
Seeing Eloa’s expression, which was becoming a mess, he could guess how much she had suffered, and it made him feel even more sorry for her.

Eloa’s face turned pink, like her hair color.

3.
In the awkward atmosphere where they couldn’t even exchange a word, they returned to the drawing room.
Siwoo poured a drink into Eloa’s glass as she sat in front of the fireplace.
Her fidgeting hands, fiddling with the lap blanket, showed how embarrassed she was, as if she wanted to hide right away.

“I’m sorry, but may I speak first?”
“Of course.”

Siwoo, who was sitting diagonally opposite her, slowly warmed his freezing feet by the fireplace.

“First of all, I’m sorry. Even though I clearly said I would take proper responsibility for you, I ran away like this… and erased my memories. It was an irresponsible act.”

Eloa’s words, which came out smoothly as if she had thought about it a lot while walking here.
But her face was not like that at all.
It was not only flushed red to the point where he could feel the heat even without touching it, but her hands, which had been pinching the blanket since earlier, were also moving non-stop.

“However, I would like you to understand, as I said before… I am in love with you. But as a master, I couldn’t let you, my disciple, commit an immoral act.”

Eloa’s hand movements stopped.
The back of her hand, where the blood vessels could be seen under her white skin.
Tears fell on it, drop by drop.

“Can you forgive me?”

Understand?
Of course, he could.
In the first place, he didn’t even know why he had to forgive her.

How much Eloa cherished and cared for Siwoo was evident even in her small gestures.
There were also countless things he had received without any compensation.

Siwoo got up from his seat.

“Master.”

He wasn’t sure if he was qualified to do this.
Nevertheless, after hesitating for a moment, Siwoo opened his arms and gently hugged Eloa.
Her small, soft body was thrown into Siwoo’s arms as if she had been thrown.

“…I’m a terrible master…”

Eloa’s voice, muffled and choked.
Siwoo carefully wrapped his hand around her small head.

“Not only did I make advances on my disciple, but I was also afraid to take responsibility, so I erased my memories…”

Her usual dignified appearance was nowhere to be seen, and Eloa kept burrowing into Siwoo’s arms like a spoiled child.

“Just by you hugging me, I’m acting like a fool and getting happy…”
“No, I should have noticed it sooner…”

No one started it first.
Whether it was a simultaneous feeling that it was now, the two of them moved at the same time naturally.

While hugging each other, Eloa’s lips carefully overlapped with Siwoo’s lips.
The scent of her breath that he smelled after a long time.
A fruity scent, like smelling a ripe peach.

It matched her habits in his memories.
The way she tightly grabbed his collar with her carefully extended hand.
The way her lips lightly bit Siwoo’s lower lip.
Her long eyelashes, trembling because she was nervous.

They were all the same.

When he felt Siwoo’s tongue tip, which had extended between their softly rubbing lips.
Eloa was startled as if she had suddenly regained her senses and tried to pull her body back.
However.

“Hmm… Chup…”

Siwoo’s arms firmly restrained Eloa.
And he boldly bumped his lips and pushed his tongue in.
Eloa’s body trembled like a deer hit by a tranquilizer gun, but she soon accepted the kiss with her beloved disciple, which she had missed and longed for.

This time, it wasn’t because of the scent.
It wasn’t because of the effects of a suspicious potion either.
It was just because Siwoo wanted to do this.

A little while later.

With slightly quickened breaths, the two people’s lips parted.
Eloa’s gaze, shaking as she looked at Siwoo.
And Siwoo, who did not avoid her eyes and met them.

“Master.”
“……”
“I’m okay. Rather, I was happy to be able to have this kind of relationship with you.”

To her, who couldn’t decide whether to be happy or sad at Siwoo’s words.
To her, who had to suffer alone, keeping only half of her memories.

“I’m also a bit lacking… and to be honest, it’s a bit awkward for me to say this myself, but my relationships with women are also complicated.”
“……”
“But just like you think of me, I also cherish you.”

Siwoo wasn’t good with words.
He didn’t think he had to make her understand with fancy words.
Even if it was a little shameless, he was just telling her the honest truth.

“So, this time, please don’t run away and stay with me.”
“……”
“I’ll try to take responsibility in my own way.”

Eloa was stunned.
Her face, which had been staring blankly at Siwoo as if she had been cursed by petrification, scattered like ripples.
Eloa covered her face with both hands and lowered her head.

“Master?”
“I’m sorry…”

Eloa’s answer to Siwoo’s words was an apology.
Was it not enough to change her sense of teacher-student relationship with this?
Just as he was about to feel a little disappointed.

“I’m so… happy… I don’t know what kind of expression I should make… I don’t even know what kind of expression I’m making…”

Eloa’s laughter could be seen through the gaps in her hands.
She was holding back her tears, but her smile looked more than happy.

That smile was the most beautiful of all the expressions Siwoo had seen from Eloa.