City ​​of Witches 597

Chapter 597 – #121_I’M Back(5)

#597

1.
“It’s taking longer than I thought.”

Albiereo, who said she’d bring the twins soon, hadn’t come even after ten or fifteen minutes.

It didn’t seem like anything bad had happened, and it would be troublesome if they missed each other if he went looking, so Siwoo was sitting quietly in the reception room, waiting.

“The sunlight is nice.”

He sat comfortably, enjoying the spring sunshine streaming in through the window.
It was true that Akula was an excellent submarine, but this warm sunlight was something you could only feel on land.

Just as a drowsy sleepiness was washing over him, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps from the other side of the reception room.

But there was no crashing sound that should have inevitably followed.
If it were the twins, their shouts of “Assistant-nim!!!!” should have been heard from about 400 meters away.

“Haa… haa….”

White hair disheveled from hurrying, yet an elegant appearance that didn’t fade.
Was this the demeanor of a countess who had just met her husband returning from war without news?

Deneb Jemena, with wide, startled eyes, was standing there.

It had been a very long time since they were caught in the fish tank together.
Although it was unavoidable, he had engaged in a forbidden relationship with her several times, so he didn’t know how to act.

They had agreed to go back to normal as if nothing had happened once they got out of the fish tank, but even though he knew it in his head, his heart was very awkward.
The various feminine sides Deneb had shown were still vividly recorded in Siwoo’s mind.

“Hello…?”

Still, if he was vague, it would seem like he was consciously aware of it.
He greeted her naturally, and at that moment.

“Siwoo-gun!”

The hem of a pure white dress, overflowing with the grace and dignity of a noblewoman in a movie, fluttered.
Deneb didn’t add momentum like her sister Albiereo and kick him in the shin.

Instead, she flew into Siwoo’s arms like a swan.

“You’re safe…! I’m so relieved… I’m really relieved….”

A slender figure that could be fully embraced with soft breasts and arms, just like he remembered.
Violet eyes with tears welling up, looking up at him.

“De, Deneb-nim.”

He had expected her to express her gratitude, but he hadn’t expected such a passionate welcome.
It was completely unexpected, so he was startled.

Her hands were neatly placed on his chest, as if she were holding a precious lover, and her lips were moving.
The words that flowed out with the sweet scent of wine were, unbelievably.

“I missed you….”

It was.
He could understand.
After all, Siwoo had been in danger to help Deneb escape.
Deneb, who was suffering from guilt, might say something like that.

“I was really… worried….”

Maybe it was just his imagination, but her lips were getting closer, and her long eyelashes, like white snow, fluttered.
Looking at it this way, it looked like she was trying to kiss him.

Surely not.
The other person was Deneb Jemena.
There was no way she would be so irrational.

It was just a slightly intense hug.

“Um, Deneb-nim. It might be better if you stepped back a little….”

He understood that she was happy to see him, and he was grateful for her feelings, but if Albiereo, who would be back soon, saw this, he would be dead.
Moreover, he would have no excuse for the twins.

Only Albiereo knew about the things he had verified with Deneb in private and the magic power recharge in the fish tank.

“Ah…!”

With a sound of inhaling air, Deneb’s eyes snapped open.
At the same time, her hazy eyes regained their clarity.
Deneb quickly stood up and straightened her posture, as if she had shown him something she shouldn’t have.

“I, I’m sorry.”
“No, I’m grateful that you welcomed me.”

She put her hand on her cheek, which was red with intoxication, and flustered.
But that was as far as it went.

Seeing her welcome him like that, it was clear that she didn’t know the details of the incident.

“By the way… I don’t know if you’ve heard, but….”

Deneb was also a small mother-in-law.
If she found out that Siwoo, whom she was worried about, was enjoying a leisurely submarine life and even asked for citizenship in R’lyeh with the help of the Jemena family, she would be as angry as Albiereo.

After reciting in his mind, ‘Goodbye, gentle small mother-in-law,’

“…This is what happened.”

He confessed in a low voice, with the miserable feeling of making a confession.

“I see. If there’s anything I can help with… I should help.”
“Huh?”

But again, he got a completely unexpected reaction.
Deneb didn’t get angry or kick him in the shin.

“Aren’t you angry?”
“Should I be angry…?”

Deneb asked back.

“Well… I actually lived a leisurely life and even brought someone back with me?”
“When Siwoo-gun escaped me and was captured by the witch of the deep sea, we didn’t know what would happen. Siwoo-gun was acting with the worst-case scenario in mind.”

That was true.
At the time, R’lyeh was very scary, and he didn’t know they would be so docile.

“What I’m grateful for is Siwoo-gun’s heart at that time. It’s annoying that you brought a new woman in the midst of all this… but make sure to comfort the twins well. Don’t ever neglect them. Of course, you know that you absolutely can’t act without restraint and harm the vessel, right?”
“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”

Surprisingly, Deneb’s scolding, which wasn’t really a scolding, ended at the level of a reprimand.
Was this the strong bond of camaraderie that came from overcoming hardships together?

He was moved for a moment.

“……”
“……”

They were so surprised that they had nothing to say to each other, and an awkward atmosphere filled the air.
That was because, until now, communication with Deneb had been a combination of Deneb chattering like a bean and Siwoo getting kicked in the shin while being flustered.

If Deneb didn’t nag at Siwoo anymore, it would be a huge departure from their usual conversation pattern.
Saying ‘It’s a relief’ and ‘It’s okay’ a couple of times would turn into a stiff conversation.

“Siwoo-gun.”
“Yes.”

Then, Deneb, who had been standing blankly, hesitated and opened her mouth.
After that, she seemed to be choosing her words for a long time, closing her mouth and looking around.

“Can I ask you just one thing? It might be a bit of a personal question.”
“Yes, of course.”

He answered lightly, but after seeing Deneb’s actions, he became a little nervous.
The gesture of tidying her side hair and tucking it behind her ear.
Her eyes, hesitant and lost in temptation, looking down.

“That….”

That was what the small mother-in-law did when she was very embarrassed and shy.
He was sure of it because he had seen it several times.

He was very worried about what she was going to ask that was making her act like that.

“…What is Siwoo-gun’s sex drive like?”
“Wh, why are you asking that all of a sudden?”
“I’m not thinking anything strange! Who do you think I am! I just heard that you brought a new woman again… I was just curious how starved you must be to do that.”
“I’m sorry about that, but….”
“And it’s an important question, so I hope you’ll answer honestly.”
“Hmm….”

He had never received such a direct question before, so he hesitated to answer.
Sex drive?
It was unlimited when he smelled the scent of hair, but at other times, it was at the level of a normal adult male.

But he wondered why she was asking this, and whether it was okay to answer honestly.
Deneb made the decision first.

“I guess it’s lacking, isn’t it?”
“Huh?”
“You keep bringing in more people because it’s not enough, even though you have so many lovers around you… isn’t that right?”

It wasn’t because of his sex drive that he had formed relationships, it just happened that way.
But Deneb was already speaking as if she was half certain.
She continued as if talking to herself, without giving Siwoo a chance to object.

“I don’t think it would mean anything to criticize Siwoo-gun’s frivolous womanizing now.”
“I’m really sorry about that.”
“No, it’s not that I’m trying to scold you. Do you remember the conversation we had before…?”
“When you say before?”
“Before we entered the fish tank.”

Was she talking about when she had given Deneb a cognac drinking lesson at the twins’ forward base?

“You said that back then, right? That one verification wouldn’t be enough.”
“I… did say that?”

Come to think of it, she had said that.
It was an issue that hadn’t been discussed naturally because the situation had come where he would have to continue his relationship with Deneb.

The face of Deneb, who had said, ‘Wouldn’t it be troublesome if we didn’t verify thoroughly with double or triple checks?’ was replaying in his mind.

“……”

The fact that Deneb’s cheeks were flushed like wild strawberries while she was talking was not just because of the intoxication and the warm sunlight.

There had been many thoughts and changes in the situation.

She knew that his nature was good.
From his days as a penniless slave, he had risked his life twice for the twins, and after going to the present world, he had stepped into public subjugation even though he didn’t have to get involved.

He had applied for a one-on-one duel with a public enemy because his friend had been captured, and he had entered a dangerous area for the sake of the rampaging Baron Marigold.
He was endlessly naive, but he was always a person who risked danger for others, not himself.

Still, he was an annoying son-in-law.
Not only had he snatched away the twins, whom she wouldn’t trade for the world, but he also had a constant stream of women around him.
Moreover, he had shown her such an ugly sight during the verification and even left a habit behind.

She couldn’t look at him kindly.

However, in the fish tank, Siwoo was not just a foolish son-in-law.
He was a more reliable support than anyone else, and he had even been captured by the witch of the deep sea for Deneb.

For Deneb, whom he had treated so badly.

Deneb, who was getting more and more exhausted every day in the fish tank, where life and death couldn’t be guaranteed, gradually began to rely on Siwoo, and eventually, she crossed the line with Deneb’s seduction.

After coming out alone, she spent the night covered in self-loathing and guilt.

Every time she saw the twins, who didn’t blame Deneb, she felt so sorry.

Even while receiving such consideration, when she thought of Siwoo, whose life and death were unknown, it was as if she was dealing with a missing husband, and she couldn’t bear the fact that she was feeling such emotions for her son-in-law, of all people.

And on the day his safety was confirmed, Deneb realized.

There were some feelings in the world that she couldn’t shake off no matter how hard she tried.
There was also a place she wanted to be embraced, even if she had to make such cowardly excuses.

So, let’s just act spoiled one more time.

Using the excuse of being drunk.
With the excuse that Deneb would take on the lust for the sake of safety until the twins inherited it.
And with the excuse of thoroughly verifying the relationship from behind.

“So….”

If he rejected her here or showed a troubled expression, she would immediately laugh it off as a test for her son-in-law….

“I will take on Siwoo-gun’s desires instead….”
“Assistant-niiiiim!!!”
“Wow! It’s Assistant-nim! Assistant-nim!”

But Deneb’s words were not conveyed.

“Odile-nim! Odette-nim!”

The twins, who had found Siwoo, came running and hugged him.
Looking at the twins hugging him like puppies greeting their owner, Deneb swallowed her words.

Looking at the twins, who were shedding tears of joy and relief as if the gloom had been completely washed away, she once again felt the thorn of sin piercing her heart.

Siwoo, who was hugging the twins who were running up to him, rubbing their cheeks against his, and showering him with kisses, looked at Deneb with a troubled expression.

“Deneb-nim, what were you about to say?”

It was impossible after all.
Deneb gave up her last lingering feelings.

“It’s nothing.”

Even if there were feelings that she couldn’t shake off no matter how hard she tried, it didn’t mean that she had to express them.
Sometimes, she had to keep them in her heart and silently ignore them.

“Have a good time. You rascals! If you do anything bad, you’ll be in trouble!”
““Yes! Teacher!””

She had lived such a long life, and yet there were still things to learn.

Deneb smiled slightly and made way for the three of them.