City ​​of Witches 969

Chapter 969 – #208_스캔들(5)

#963

1.
There were originally so many things to question.

After the scandal broke, Albireo racked her brain trying to handle the aftermath.
With no clear solution in sight, she engaged in endless discussions with Deneb to find a breakthrough.

Then, suddenly, came new news.

[Shin Siwoo Accepts Knighthood! Foolish Misjudgment of the Upstart Witch]

[Despite the recent controversy regarding her morality, the newly appointed Baron Shin Siwoo has officially accepted the barony, as decided by the Sephirah Tree.

The unprecedented bestowal of a title to a man in Gehenna has shocked the witch society. In particular, the fact that the individual in question has not offered any explanation regarding the alleged scandal, and has instead greedily sought the title of Baron, representing all citizens of Gehenna, has led to widespread criticism for distorting the symbolism and honor associated with the title in witch society.

There is suspicion that Shin Siwoo’s actions are a challenge to the long-standing legitimacy of the aristocratic system, or that, being originally from the mortal realm, she is treating the enraged public as so-called ‘pigs and dogs.’

The author will continue to report on the newly appointed Baron Shin Siwoo without succumbing to any external pressure or persuasion, and will fulfill the duty of a journal of record by delivering the truth…]

“Aaaaargh!!!!”

Albireo didn’t even finish reading the article before tearing the tabloid to shreds.
Her immature son-in-law had gone and accepted the barony.

Naturally, she was furious.

Why had he accepted the barony without permission?
If the Dandelion article was a targeted attack, then accepting the title so rashly was self-sabotage.
It was like choosing ‘social suicide’ over ‘staying still.’

Albireo rushed to Takasho’s host bar, determined to find out exactly why he had gone ahead with things without consulting her.

She was ready to grab him by the hair.

That was certainly her intention…

But when she actually faced Siwoo, Albireo could only tilt her head in confusion.

“I apologize for causing you concern. I should have definitely consulted you before proceeding.”

He poured champagne and crossed his legs, casually resting his clasped hands on his knee.
Albireo blinked again.

She knew that he had made great efforts to meet Albireo’s charisma project up until now.

The lights in Siwoo’s room never went out, no matter how late it was, and his etiquette was improving by the day.

However, even with such efforts, it was hard to say that they had been truly effective.

It was like putting together a puzzle using all the given pieces, but still feeling like some pieces were missing.

But the very nature of charisma, a supernatural authority, was that it couldn’t be clearly defined.

Albireo was even starting to think that the attempt to artificially create it might have been a failure.

However.

The current Shin Siwoo was different.
Something was different.

“I’ll explain everything slowly, so please calm down first.”
“Calm down? How can I calm down right now?”

Albireo, who had been feeling confused, realized why she had come here after hearing Siwoo’s words.
It was the moment she was about to firmly question her son-in-law’s rash actions.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Suddenly, Siwoo’s hand reached towards Albireo’s ear.
It wasn’t a particularly fast movement, but it was so unexpected that Albireo didn’t react at all.

His fingertips brushed past her ear, lightly stroking her fine black hair.
His fingertips even touched her earlobe in the process.

“Wh-what are you….”

Albireo gaped at his bizarre behavior.
Even though it was a slight touch, it was so unexpected that she felt a shiver run down her spine.

“It seems you came in a hurry.”

As if oblivious to Albireo’s bewilderment, he calmly withdrew his hand and resumed his posture. A single petal was caught on his fingertip.
It seemed that a petal had stuck to her hair while she was rushing through the garden.

“……”

Only then did Albireo realize.

She had been caught off guard.
She, a person of her stature, had been drawn into his pace in an instant.

At the same time, Albireo’s brow furrowed as she realized that this was flirting.

She knew that Takasho had taken him to make him into a Casanova-like figure to give him charisma.

But there was a time and place for everything!

“Countess, Countess, please calm down.”

It was Takasho who stopped Albireo from exploding.
He shielded Siwoo like a secretary and continued to explain in a calm voice.

“This guy is a bit out of control right now.”
“Out of control? What kind of control are you talking about?”
“Well, isn’t he playing a new image right now?”
“Is it because he’s doing method acting?”

Albireo was dumbfounded.
She had heard that when top actors become too immersed in their roles, the line between their daily lives and their acting can become blurred.

However, such immersion was honestly a matter of talent.
The flirtation towards Albireo, or rather, the sexual harassment in a broad sense, could not be justified.

“No, Siwoo is really one with his role right now, or rather, in a state of self-hypnosis.”
“What the hell is that…”

Albireo barely managed to swallow the profanity that was about to slip out.
Takasho, while sweating profusely, calmly continued his explanation.

“Count Adonai helped us. The most important part of image-making was mind control, and it seemed faster to get help from magic.”

In other words, Siwoo’s goal was to gain charisma.
The route he had chosen in the process was the Casanova route.
What was needed to take that route was strong confidence and immersion.

However, just like how new shoes need a break-in period to fit the feet, it takes some time.

To shorten that time, they had used Count Adonai’s hypnosis.
They had intentionally induced a slight over-immersion to overlay ‘the image of Shin Siwoo acting,’ that was the gist of his defense.

The deadline was about two weeks.
Until Siwoo’s academy officially held its founding ceremony.
It also coincided with the end date of the charisma project that Albireo and Siwoo had originally planned.

“So, you’re saying that Siwoo is now one with the character he’s playing…. Is that it?”
“That’s right. He’ll return to normal after some time.”

It seemed like a bit of an excessive prescription, but Albireo looked at Siwoo again.
Even in this chaotic situation, he was lighting a new cigarette, acting as if he was a complete bystander.

He was so relaxed.

“……”

Looking at him again, he was a masterpiece.

He looked like the personification of the term ‘homme fatale.’
He had achieved an atmosphere that she couldn’t even guess how long it would take to acquire, in such a short amount of time.

Rather, the etiquette of each movement had become less refined.

Crossing his legs, smoking a cigarette without asking for permission, and dressing as he pleased were all technically against etiquette.

But it was like an unconstrained nobility.

Rather, now that he no longer seemed to be obsessed with etiquette, every single movement seemed meaningful.
Even the smallest mistakes in his words and actions were packaged as natural.

It wasn’t ‘Oh, he’s making mistakes because he didn’t receive proper etiquette training,’ but rather ‘He’s so used to it that he exudes elegance even without adhering to formalities.’

She could even vaguely sense a rough wildness and ambition that didn’t want to be bound by outdated formalities.

“Even though I’m the one who ordered it…. It’s kind of annoying.”

Moreover, the biggest difference was his confident eyes.
The slave mentality towards witches that Siwoo couldn’t hide, even when Albireo told him not to, was nowhere to be found.

It was as if the son-in-law who had been trembling at Albireo’s every word had died, and a new person had taken his place.

It wasn’t that Siwoo’s acting was awkward that made her feel displeased, but rather that Albireo’s prejudice was at play this time.

Looking at the results, it was a remarkable transformation.

2.
Albireo acknowledged Takasho’s educational policy.
However, that didn’t mean everything was over.

Siwoo had accepted the barony without permission, and that couldn’t be undone.

His unconventional actions might add more charisma to the newly image-made ‘Shin Siwoo’ character.

Certainly, his newly established image focused on the wildness and ambition that only a man could project, rather than the unique characteristics of a high-ranking witch.

In any case, the place where they had to stake everything was the academy’s founding ceremony.
After the founding ceremony, they would hold a simple ball as an after-party, where they would aim to reverse the atmosphere by showcasing their refined charisma.

It was their first debut into high society, and they had to take control.

Of course, it wouldn’t be easy.

The next lesson took place in the Geminai Count’s dance studio.
Albireo, with her hands on her hips, asked.

“Siwoo, are you ready?”

Fittingly for the location, Albireo was dressed in a ball gown.

The black fabric, short sleeves, and off-the-shoulder style created a black-and-white contrast between her white shoulders and the black fabric. The skirt, which flared out from the waist, would spread out like a flower when she twirled.

“Of course.”

Siwoo, also dressed in a tuxedo for the banquet with a beige fabric accent at the waist, stood facing Albireo.

It might seem sudden to have a dance lesson, but Albireo had a plan.

“You might be able to get away with mistakes in other areas with your charisma, but not with dancing. If you happen to step on someone’s foot, you’ll become a laughingstock. You’ve read all the basic books I told you to look over, right?”
“Yes, I’ve memorized them. I’ve also done some simple practice.”

The main dance in Gehenna’s high society was the waltz.
It was a dance where a man and a woman paired up and twirled to 3/4 time music.

It might seem easy at first glance, but it was actually quite complex because of its simplicity.
Even the smallest mistakes would stand out.

“Let’s do a check first.”
“Yes, then…”

Siwoo approached her to practice.
Albireo was startled when he suddenly got close.

It was because she was suddenly aware of the difference in height and volume.
Even though Albireo was wearing heels, he was still half a head taller.
She hadn’t realized it because he always acted like a stooge, but the difference in their physiques was obvious.

It was… disconcerting.
Of course, she knew it was acting, but he looked very unfamiliar.

As if aware of Albireo’s feelings, Siwoo gave a gentle smile and extended one hand.

“Shall we dance to the next song? Lady.”

Albireo hesitated for a moment, then quietly spread her skirt and curtsied before taking his hand.

“Drop the ‘lady,’ Siwoo.”

======