City ​​of Witches 672

Chapter 672 – #135_A Bizarre Date (7)

#672

1.
The day after the deed.
Dorothy left the mansion quickly, not even completing the promised two days.

The ostensible reasons were, “I can’t do this for two consecutive days, it’s too tiring,” and, “I have a backlog of business matters to handle, so I’ll come back after finishing them,” but the reality was different.

The gap in surveillance that Siwoo and Dorothy had created together provided enough time for them to have a conversation, and she was leaving first to handle the matters they had discussed.

To understand what kind of conversation they had, we have no choice but to go back to the previous night.

“…Do you want to die?”

Dorothy opened her eyes under the blanket that Siwoo had covered her with.
The sound of her teeth grinding was chilling.

“I’m sorry, but thanks to that, I was able to buy some time. I was also able to dispel suspicion. It’s all thanks to you, Dorothy.”
“Do you think saying that will make me feel better?”

As expected, she wasn’t easily appeased, having been forced into an embarrassing situation.

“Actually, I didn’t intend to go this far.”
“Don’t lie! You were totally planning to go this far! You didn’t even drink my scent, did you?”

He groveled even lower, flattering her.

“That’s not true.”
“There you go again, lying~”
“I think I got more excited than planned because you’re too attractive, Dorothy.”

Dorothy, who had been frowning as if tired of his ridiculous lies, slightly relaxed her eyes.

“As you know, you have too many elements that drive men crazy.”
“Hmm~ is that so?”

“Yes, yes, your chest is so magnificent… Your body itself makes it hard to control myself. And of course, your beauty goes without saying.”
“Go on.”

“Is that all? Your pure and seductive smile that reminds me of a saint. I lost my self-control, intoxicated by the sense of power that I could do whatever I wanted with you, Dorothy…”

At some point, the two of them were chuckling and putting on a skit.

“Oh, you, all talk and no action~”
“Agh!”

Dorothy pinched and shook Siwoo’s cheek until tears welled up in his eyes.
The smile on her lips seemed to say that she would let it slide because it was cute.

“Well, I’ll let you off the hook for now. Not being picky about lies is a virtue for a mistress.”
“Let me off the hook? Don’t you think I’m lying?”

Anyway, the conversation continued about their escape plan.

“Like I said before, it’s not like I can solve it right away.”
“Aren’t you quite influential in this city, Dorothy?”

“Well, I am~ but I haven’t been involved in the Hexennacht business for quite a while. I don’t have any say, and I’m just a citizen. It’s already touch-and-go for just you, and it’s too much to take care of other people.”

“Is it that difficult?”
“Yeah, it’s re~ally hard.”

It’s not easy to say that as if it’s someone else’s problem.

For example, if Siwoo had received the favor of a 22nd-tier witch when he was a slave and had been helped to escape, it wouldn’t have taken a day to escape Gehenna.

Assuming he didn’t think about the aftermath at all, that would be a very simple task.

“Don’t compare it to Gehenna.”

Dorothy spoke first, as if she had seen through Siwoo’s question.

“Hexennacht is a city that hasn’t been around for long. Besides, its members are all outlaws, aren’t they?”
“That’s right.”
“To handle such reckless witches, the rules have to be strict. Among them, surveillance of the gates is stricter than anywhere else. If Gehenna is like an airport arrival hall, this place is like a prison. Besides, you’ll attract attention wherever you go.”

In short, it’s better to abandon the optimistic expectation that Dorothy will solve everything.

“I’ll give up on that. It’s not right to unilaterally place the burden on you, Dorothy.”

In this situation, it would be greedy to ask her to help not only Siwoo but also Yebin, Alice, and the two of them escape.

Therefore, they quickly moved on to the next topic.

The second plan was for Siwoo to create a dimensional transfer device to escape.
That was why he had gone with Linne to observe the ‘gate’ in Dignity Town, but the situation was not favorable in many ways.

Because they had been caught up in all sorts of trouble, they had barely been able to observe it.

It was also a problem to create an excuse to go there again.
Even if they somehow managed to reach a place to observe the gate, there was no guarantee that something like today wouldn’t happen again.
At least, it seemed almost impossible for Siwoo to move around Hexennacht without trouble…

In that regard, it would be easier if Dorothy, who could freely roam the city, collected information instead.

“I can help with that. But it’ll take a little bit of time. I don’t have special eyes like you.”

It was a problem related to the above issue.

As Dorothy said, Hexennacht’s immigration rules are strict.
The structure of the ‘gate’ is also not an open source that anyone can observe, like in Gehenna.
If the information were misused, it could be used to build backdoors or for illegal immigration.

“So~ three witches are in charge of the core parts of the gate, managing them separately.”
“That’s a problem…”

“No, I said I could help.”
“Really?”

“I happen to know the witches, and if I say I want to look at it for research purposes and give them a suitable reward, they’ll show it to me. But it’ll take about a week.”
“I can wait. Thank you so much.”

The daunting plan became much more manageable with Dorothy’s help.

“Oh, and… can I ask you for this too?”
“You’re asking for a lot, aren’t you? Tell me first. I’ll listen.”

“It’s just… there are many people in Gehenna who are worried about me. I’d just like you to let them know that I’m safe. Of course, please only consider this if it’s possible.”
“There’s no hotline to Gehenna, is there?”
“I think you can contact them through R’lyeh.”

Dorothy smiled happily.
Her eyes, which suddenly became warm, were also full of goodwill.

“Really? Our princess got her citizenship too? She must have used her power.”

She was still a sister who took good care of her niece.

“Yes, she’s probably immersed in her trials in Akula right now. Can you go see her?”
“Of course~ of course. I should see our princess’s face after a long time.”

“She’ll be so happy.”
“I guess so.”

She had bravely started the trials, but wouldn’t she be sprawled out by now, grumbling, ‘This is so boring!’?

If Dorothy showed her face, she would surely jump up and down with a bright smile.
The two, who had been feeling a brief moment of happiness, finished their conversation.

“By the way. Yebin, Alice, Manya, Malisha? Who are these people? Are they your lovers again?”
“Ah, they are…”

Dorothy’s expression became strange after hearing Siwoo’s words.

“You’re still being a pushover these days.”
“Why do you say that?”

“Even if the healing witch is paying back a favor… aren’t the other three people completely unrelated to you?”

From Dorothy’s point of view, it was a completely incomprehensible sight.
She knew that he wasn’t a fool who didn’t understand how much of a risk it was to increase the number of people when trying to escape secretly.

“It’s because I have money to get from them.”

Even if he extracted the escape fee plus alpha from a mere 8 billion debt, it wouldn’t be a profitable business.

“You’re still too nice.”
“I’m telling you, it’s because of the money.”

It was just an act of kindness.
Some might criticize him for being ignorant and call it a ridiculous hero complex, but Dorothy didn’t.

She was another person who had benefited from his uncontrollable meddling and his foolishness that invited his own crisis.
It was none other than Dorothy.

“So, you want to get Manya and Malisha out of the Silent Witch’s place first?”
“Yes, it’s better to have them by my side so that we can move immediately when the escape is ready.”

Originally, he had planned to complete the dimensional transfer device, then go to where Manya and Malisha were with Alice’s guidance, join them, and then escape.

However, since Dorothy had a week to roam around outside anyway, it was better to have them by his side in advance, as it would reduce the variables when escaping together. He was trying to make good use of the free time.

“Do you happen to have any information about the Silent Witch?”

Dorothy gently stroked Siwoo’s cheek.
Her eyes, which had been a little cold after being treated roughly earlier and having already gone several times, were once again filled with a lovely warmth.

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Just because~”

Since his own safety was at stake, he could have been a little more pathetic.
It would have been normal to grab her skirt and say, ‘Please let me escape too!’

Dorothy would have done that if she were Siwoo.

It was a much more rational choice than abandoning a safe option and taking on risks to save a doctor who had performed surgery on him in the past or three witches with whom he had no connection.

It was easy to find plausible excuses, such as not having the leeway to do so, choosing a safe option for now, and then planning for the future.

But he didn’t do that.
Even in this situation, he was still soft and stubbornly chose a dangerous path for the sake of others.

Looking at him, she was worried about how he would live in this harsh world, and at the same time, it stimulated her maternal instincts, making her feel like she had to take care of him personally.

“I do have information about the Silent Witch. But before that…”
“Yes.”
“Wouldn’t Linne be suspicious if she suddenly didn’t hear any sound?”

Dorothy hugged Siwoo’s neck and shyly kissed his nape.

“Ah, it’s okay. It seems like she went to the tea room… There won’t be a problem until she senses something. More importantly, there are more issues we need to discuss…”

This harmlessness.
His unchanging kindness, even when the situation changed, was good.

However, Dorothy was a public figure, and Shin Siwoo was in a relationship with various high-ranking witches in Gehenna.

No matter how much time passed, the day when Dorothy could stand proudly by his side would not come.
It was a pity, and a little bit bitter.

So, wouldn’t it be okay to indulge him as much as she wanted right now?
Thinking that, Dorothy bit Siwoo’s lower lip tightly.

“Ouch! What are you doing?”
“Because you’re annoying.”

Siwoo, who was holding his lower lip and looking bewildered because it had been bitten hard enough to draw blood.
Even his foolish expression, which she would have despised in the past, looked lovely. It seemed that this was why they said love was blind.

“Do I really have to say it with my own mouth?”

Dorothy threw off the blanket completely and knelt in front of him, her waist raised.
It was the same position she had been in when she had accepted his thing earlier.

“You were being arrogant, so you want me to punish you severely, right?”

Dorothy’s seduction, swaying her hips…
It worked very well.