Chapter 487 – #102_Charity Event (5)
#486
1.
11 PM, a late-night stroll.
Siwoo and Amelia’s walk naturally led them to the Malcuth Gallery.
The arcade itself was only 400 meters long, but if you included the shops that branched out into the alleys beyond the glass dome, there were plenty of places to explore, easily filling an hour.
In the elegant and serene town of Lenomond, the Malcuth Gallery was the most vibrant place. However, given the late hour, everything except the bars—hair salons, theaters, and the like—were closed, and even the magic supply shops were mostly shuttered.
Even if witches could be active 24 hours a day, the ordinary citizens who ran the shops were not. They all locked up and went home to rest. Even the shops run by witches as a side job usually closed by 2 PM at the earliest, or 6 PM at the latest. Witches were better at maintaining a work-life balance than anyone else.
Therefore, the gallery, usually bustling with witches, was unusually quiet.
Occasionally, a witch dressed in her robes would glance at the two of them, seemingly curious, but unlike before, no one approached them to talk.
After Siwoo was revealed to be hiding his sharp teeth after defeating the Witch of Desire, and Amelia was known as the recent cause of a major incident, few witches would dare to casually approach them. After all, in the witch society, hierarchy was king.
“Why did you suddenly suggest going shopping? Is there something you urgently need to buy?”
Siwoo, watching the streetlights flickering along the paved road, spoke to Amelia, who was walking beside him.
Amelia, who was walking with her head swaying, her body hidden in a wool cloak that reached below her knees, seemed somehow uncomfortable.
She seemed awkward, perhaps even embarrassed. But regardless, Amelia answered Siwoo’s question readily.
“No, I just wanted to walk outside with you, Siwoo.”
As he had suspected, the suggestion to go shopping was just an excuse.
“I wanted to… go on a date.”
Amelia glanced at Siwoo and added her true feelings.
It wasn’t like the old days when they were just circling each other, trying to gauge the other’s feelings. Although they had become somewhat awkward due to a recent incident, the two of them had a bond that was incomparable to the past.
Hearing that, Siwoo finally felt relieved. He still didn’t know why Amelia was showing a strange distance towards him, but at least he had confirmed that their relationship hadn’t broken down.
Even without much conversation, the atmosphere itself was fine. It wouldn’t be bad to take this opportunity to ask what was on her mind.
“But Amelia, you’ve been strangely avoiding me lately… If it’s because you’re embarrassed about what happened back then, it’s okay.”
“Ugh!”
He deliberately spoke indirectly, thinking that directly mentioning the incident in the hallway would be counterproductive. Amelia reacted visibly to this. She turned her head sharply to the opposite side of Siwoo, and her clasped hands began to tremble.
Amelia had said she would do anything for Siwoo. But Siwoo didn’t ask for that much. He was just grateful that she was slowly keeping pace with him, even if she was clumsy.
In the same vein, he didn’t think much of Amelia’s sudden outburst—that is, when she suddenly dragged him into a secluded hallway and tried to give him a handjob. If anything, he found it cute.
“I know you’re trying your best. I’m grateful just for the thought.”
“Yes…”
“So, there’s no need to rush.”
Perhaps his sincerity had been conveyed, as Amelia’s grip loosened.
However, her subtly stiff shoulders and the way she was subtly avoiding his gaze hadn’t returned to normal. She was walking very hesitantly and seemed uncomfortable.
That was because the event that Amelia had come up with after two days of desperate contemplation and brainstorming was still ongoing.
The event outfit she had prepared, even wearing a thick cloak, was nothing more than her naked body and perfume.
It wasn’t the refreshing floral scent she usually used. It was the ‘Seduction Perfume,’ a special recipe left by her teacher with a slight arrangement.
It was said to have the best efficacy, capable of stealing the heart of even the most devout priest, thanks to the generous use of sensual fragrances that stimulated the senses.
Even when she had sprayed it on her body earlier, she had been surprised by the blatant scent.
The intense pink powderiness that was felt from the first note gave the illusion of sitting at a dancer’s dressing table.
The softness of the foundation brush gently brushing against the tip of her nose was mixed with Amelia’s natural scent, which was amplified several times by the magic effect.
The erotic scent, as if desperately pleading, ‘I’m lonely, I want to be in your arms right now,’ made it clear why her teacher had named it ‘Seduction Perfume.’
Therefore, what was trapped under this soft wool cloak was Amelia’s pure white naked body and the Seduction Perfume. This was also why Amelia had become so unusually stiff.
From her conversation with Sharon, she had roughly diagnosed his sexual preferences. She also knew that she had to make a very embarrassing resolution to meet them.
It was fine to be naked, wearing only perfume and a cloak, for the sake of Siwoo’s favorite ‘outdoor’ activity.
She had even prepared a line to retort to Sharon when she met her again, ‘Siwoo’s favorite outfit isn’t naked, it’s perfume, you know?’ and had carefully thought about what to do after revealing this bizarre attempt to him.
But actually walking down the street with only a cloak over her naked body made her heart race like crazy.
The cool breeze coming under the cloak made her aware of her naked body, and every time the soft wool tickled her whole body, the heat she felt when Siwoo caressed her was revived.
What if someone noticed?
What if a small mistake revealed this state to someone else? Her heart pounded.
It was an act that required so much resolve that she wanted to pay some respect to Sharon Evergreen, whom she felt competitive with.
“Siwoo.”
“Yes?”
“It’s nothing…”
The problem didn’t end there.
The question of where and when to reveal this event was also a problem.
There were more people on the street than she had thought, and unlike Tarot Town, the Malcuth Gallery, with its streetlights everywhere, was not suitable for a secret rendezvous.
But if they just went for a walk and went home, the event she had prepared would be meaningless.
As Amelia walked, staring at her feet, she suddenly looked around. The scenery had changed a bit.
“You seemed a little tired.”
At the intersection of the main street that ran through the gallery and the small road that led into the alley, a cafe stood at the corner of what looked like a four-way intersection. It was a nice outdoor cafe that served alcohol, wine, and simple food. Siwoo had moved towards the resting place for Amelia, who looked tired.
“I’ve been here before, and it was nice. Let’s take a break.”
Amelia, who was neatly dressed, would have readily nodded.
However, perhaps because there were few shops open late at night, there were witches visible here and there in the cafe. And Amelia was wearing an outfit with low defense that could reveal her skin with the slightest mistake. She only wanted Siwoo to see this event, and she would faint if anyone else saw it.
“Uh…? Siwoo…”
“Welcome, it’s an honor to have you here.”
Before she could stop him, a polite waitress led Siwoo and Amelia to a secluded table. Amelia, who had ended up sitting down with only a cloak on, was sweating profusely and glancing around.
If she had had a little more composure, she would have realized that subtly showing her bare body in a public place would lead to even greater arousal in a man… But that was too much progress for Amelia.
“I’ll have this and this. Is there anything you’d like, Amelia?”
“Ah, anything.”
The waitress, who had been taking their order politely, checked the menu appropriately, as if Amelia’s order was a familiar one, and walked away.
“You should have told me if you were tired.”
“I wasn’t tired…”
“Really? Your expression didn’t look good…”
“No, it’s okay, but thank you for worrying.”
It wasn’t what she had intended, but the silver lining was that the cafe was quite dark. Moreover, the distance between the tables was wide, so it seemed that nothing untoward would happen as long as there were no accidents.
Since the menu was mainly simple dishes at night, the food came out quickly.
It was a pate made from lamb’s liver spread thinly on bread, pickled olives, and two glasses of wine. Amelia moistened her parched lips with wine.
“Is it opening tomorrow?”
“Yes, the main extraction work is finished. It was finished quickly thanks to Siwoo’s help.”
“You’ll be busy for a while.”
The initial tension had subsided a little, and as they drank, they began to chat.
-Tap tap
Along with the sound of footsteps, the sound of heels approached, and then someone suddenly spoke to them.
“Who is this? Isn’t it the cutie?”
Navy blue hair and eyes.
A witch with a tall stature and a voluptuous figure, flaunting her body in a dress, and wearing heels that looked like they would break her ankles.
It was Periwinkle.
“Periwinkle, what brings you here?”
“I often come here to get some fresh air.”
Amelia was surprised twice.
Once by the sudden intrusion of a witch into a place where she didn’t want anyone to interfere.
And twice by the fact that Periwinkle, after looking directly at Amelia, kissed Siwoo on the cheek without any hesitation.
Even in Gehenna, a kiss on the cheek was a common greeting.
However, a kiss where the lips actually touched the cheek, rather than just making a kissing sound while touching cheeks, was not done unless the two were very close.
Especially if the two were of different genders.
“More importantly, when are you going to repay my favor? You little rascal, you.”
Moreover, Periwinkle’s appearance, poking Siwoo’s side with her fingertips as if playing a prank and smiling brightly, seemed to imply that the two were very close.
Now that she thought about it, Siwoo had told her about it.
That when Siwoo was in danger, he had received great help from the Witch of Fortune when fighting the Witch of Desire.
Then what kind of relationship did they have?
“Amelia, this is Periwinkle, who has helped me in many ways. Periwinkle, this is my…”
“She’s my girlfriend. Her name is Amelia Marigold.”
Amelia, feeling a sudden surge of anxiety, spoke with a subtle emphasis.
“Oh my, you were on a date?”
Periwinkle looked at Amelia as if she had just noticed her, without batting an eye.
