City of Witches Chapter 189

“Siwoo, come here for a second.”

Just as I had finished preparing to sleep on the sofa, holding a blanket and a pillow.

Sharon, who had peeked her head through the bedroom door, gestured with her hand.

Siwoo followed her into her room, having expected her to call him sooner or later.

Sharon, now changed into her pajamas, looked confused.

Her hands, neatly clasped in front of her chest as if uneasy, spoke for her state of mind.

“What on earth is going on?”

“I know, it’s sudden for me too. They originally said they’d come to meet me in five years.”

“Those people, you mean the Apprentice Witches you told me about, right? The ones you rescued so impressively before.”

“I’m not sure about ‘impressively’... but yes, that’s them.”

Sharon looked toward the firmly closed door, beyond which the Twins were sleeping in Siwoo’s room.

The bond between the three looked undeniably close.

In some ways, they even seemed closer than Sharon was to him.

The way the Twins had tried to restrain (or so she thought) Sharon when she called Siwoo’s name.

The unease of not knowing exactly what had happened between the three in the past.

And the Twins’ attitude, openly showing affection toward Siwoo without any attempt to hide it—these three beats combined to make a sliver of anxiety well up inside her.

If asked what this anxiety was, she couldn’t explain it.

If forced to put it into words, it was the absurd delusion that Siwoo might disappear somewhere.

Even though she knew full well that she, who had always only received things from him, had no right whatsoever to claim ownership over Siwoo, she still felt a vague sense of loss.

So, not knowing what to say or even why she had called him in, she had pulled him into her room.

“You must have been surprised. They said they’ll only stay for about four days, so please bear with it even if it’s a bit uncomfortable.”

“No, it’s not that... If you put it that way, I’m also just staying here as a guest.”

“I told you not to say things like that. Uh...”

Mid-conversation, at a completely unexpected moment, Sharon clung to Siwoo’s embrace.

The feminine curves felt just from the touch.

Sharon’s soft body held Siwoo tightly.

Siwoo, momentarily surprised, chuckled softly and stroked Sharon’s head.

He thought it must be the confusion caused by the sudden visit of Deneb, the creditor, that had startled her.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Just... just...”

As their thoughts slightly diverged, Sharon felt something welling up in her throat.

Her eyes grew hot.

Lately, she’d been acting strange.

She had never been this much of a crybaby before.

No matter how tough things got, no matter how complicated or tangled her problems became, she had always lived bravely and resiliently.

But ever since meeting him, it felt like she had become a fool.

She’d cry at the drop of a hat, cling to him at the slightest provocation, and crave gentle comfort at every turn.

Was it that once she found someone to lean on, she kept wanting to lean on them—a bad habit she’d developed?

“What’s wrong? Are you crying? Did the Twins say something strange?”

Siwoo, noticing the dampness in Sharon’s voice as she suddenly clung to him, asked with a serious expression.

But Sharon wiped her tears away and shook her head vigorously.

Even so, she didn’t let go of her arms around Siwoo’s waist, holding him tightly.

“No, no... It’s just me being weird...”

He wanted to pull away and ask for the whole story, but Sharon stubbornly refused to release her hold on his waist.

“What is it? You can tell me honestly.”

“No, I really don’t know myself.... But you really didn’t hear anything?”

At first, he wondered if Sharon had been scolded about her debt, but it was uncertain whether the Twins, mere Apprentice Witches, even knew about Sharon’s debt. Besides, the Twins weren’t the type of Witches to have such malicious intentions.

Since Sharon didn’t seem to have anything further to add to clarify the situation, Siwoo was left completely in the dark.

“I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. If there’s something difficult you can’t tell me, just talk to me. Don’t keep it to yourself like last time.”

“No, there really isn’t. Really.”

“Well, that’s a relief, then.”

Siwoo calmed Sharon with his composed voice.

Sharon buried her face in his chest and listened to the sound of his heartbeat.

Strangely enough, that alone made her feel a little more at ease.

“...Could you do me one favor?”

“What is it?”

“A kiss... Could you give me just one kiss? Not the kind you give a lover, but the kind to comfort a friend... If it makes you uncomfortable, it’s okay if you don’t...”

Since a kiss is inherently an act between lovers, there’s no such thing as a “kiss to comfort a friend.”

Sharon knew that too.

So, she wrapped her impulse to kiss him in that ambiguous sophistry and presented it to him.

For Siwoo, who was already treading a precarious line with her as more than just friends, the request wasn’t particularly burdensome.

Whatever the reason, if Sharon was tearfully asking for it...

Of course, he should do this much.

Sharon’s lips met Siwoo’s as she leaned in first.

It had been quite a while since their first kiss, as Sharon had never asked for a kiss herself before, and the reverse had naturally never happened either.

“Hmm.... Mmm...”

A moist, soft tongue cautiously tapped against Siwoo’s teeth before slipping into his mouth.

The refreshing scent of mouthwash mixed with sticky saliva, leaving a faint tingle on the tip of his tongue.

It wasn’t long.

Just enough time for the temperature of their touching lips, that subtle difference in body heat, to become similar.

The two quietly parted their lips.

“.........”

“Will you sleep well now?”

“Yes, thank you, Siwoo.”

Sharon, who had looked as anxious as a puppy that hadn’t seen its owner in a long time until just moments ago, now appeared much calmer.

It seemed what she needed was time to think, so he decided not to ask why she had suddenly requested a kiss.

“Are you asleep, Unnie?”

“No, Odette, are you?”

“I’m not, that’s why I’m talking.”

The Twins, who had been isolated to the bedroom due to Siwoo’s strong insistence, were lying side by side on the bed.

At first, they were enchanted by the scent of the Assistant that wafted from all around them.

But the sense of smell is the quickest to become desensitized to stimuli.

Before they knew it, they could no longer feel Siwoo’s body scent enveloping them, leaving only the frustration of having to part from him as soon as they had met.

“The Assistant is being too harsh.”

“But it’s true that it would be a problem if the Master came back. Let’s just sleep and think about playing with the Assistant starting tomorrow morning.”

“That’s true, but... Still, isn’t this the perfect time, with the Master away, to do the things we couldn’t do before?”

“Unnie, there will be plenty of opportunities. If we get caught by the little Master, we might not be able to come to the Mortal Realm again until we become Witches.”Odil glanced sideways at Odette, who was speaking unusually maturely for once.

"What, did you eat something weird?"

"I've always been mature. It's you who's always acting like a kid."

"Ugh, whatever."

If she were at full energy, Odil would have been ready to turn this into a full-blown argument, but not now.

She had to prepare for the trip to the Mortal Realm early in the morning and had spent a lot of mental energy marveling at the sights that made her eyes go wide.

Perhaps because of that, a peaceful drowsiness enveloped her body even in the face of Odette's preemptive strike.

"Tomorrow... let's definitely have fun with the Assistant... haaam.... Goodnight, Odette."

"Yeah, goodnight, sis."

The Twins closed their eyes harmoniously, breathing softly.

The rain pouring down fiercely all night veiled even the city lights like a curtain.

Thanks to that, the living room was wrapped in a gloom as if smeared with charcoal soot.

"Hmm..."

Siwoo was lying against the back of the sofa, looking at his tablet.

Inside were notes he had taken while studying Magic.

The world sure has gotten better.

You can study like this without having to bother turning on a lamp or shuffling through several sheets of paper.

Whenever he feels the advanced conveniences of modern life, he's reminded anew that the five years spent in Gehenna were not short.

Take the styler in the entrance of the officetel where Siwoo is staying, for instance.

Just hanging clothes there sterilizes, dehumidifies, and even removes wrinkles.

They don't have things like that in Gehenna.

This must be what they mean by the benefits of civilization, he thought.

-Click!

Just then, he heard the sound of a door opening quietly.

Thinking Sharon might have come out, Siwoo lifted his head briefly.

But judging by the size and silhouette of the small shadow, it was probably one of the Twins.

He turned off the tablet, set it down, and sat up in his spot.

"Assistant, you're still awake."

"Well, for me, sleeping now or not sleeping doesn't make much difference."

"I guess, since you're a Witch now too."

Her voice was slightly subdued, probably because she'd just woken up.

But since the Twins naturally have high-pitched voices, even her whisper sounded like a bird chirping.

Odil, carefully closing the door behind her lest she wake anyone else, scurried over and promptly nestled into Siwoo's embrace.

"Oh my, you need to sleep now so you can play to your heart's content tomorrow."

"But... I missed you so much all this time... How could I just lie there when I knew you were out here in the living room?"

"What about Lady Odette?"

"She's sleeping. Soundly."

As Siwoo moved the blanket aside for Odil, who was snuggling into him, she slipped right in as if burrowing into a nest.

The moment she got under the blanket, Odil took a deep, audible sniff.

"Mmm, this is it, this is the stuff."

"Please stop putting your hand under my armpit."

Siwoo gently dissuaded her with a laugh, as Odil's hair was tickling his nape and she kept trying to tickle him.

Normally, Odil would have said something like, 'This isn't allowed, that isn't allowed. You're such a mother-in-law!'

But today, she was unusually quiet, just clinging to Siwoo without saying much.

Instead, after sharing warmth for a while, she asked in a very soft voice.

"Assistant, can I ask you something?"

"Yes, feel free to ask."

"What do you think about Odette?"

"Lady Odette? She's a good person. Cute too."

"Is that all?"

"What more is there to say? She might be a bit less skilled in Magic compared to you, Lady Odil, but I think she has a kind heart. So please, Lady Odil, don't fight with her too much and get along well."

That last part probably felt unnecessary to add.

Even though the two of them always bicker, they're always stuck together and actually get along well.

"I-I see... Then what do you think of me?"

"Lady Odil?"

"Yeah, me."

When she asked about Odette, he hadn't thought much of it, partly because Odette was in the room.

But having to list out various assessments about her right in front of her felt burdensome.

The true intent behind her question was also a bit unclear.

"Likewise, you're cute."

He relayed that being cute was a fact.

"And that's it? There's nothing special about me, like I'm more special than Odette or something?"

"That's a tricky question to answer. You've both been so good to me."

Siwoo chuckled lightly and stroked the head of Odil, who was still burying her face in his chest.

A satisfied sniffle and her breathing warmed his chest faintly.

Her little wriggles and squirms seemed to feel quite nice.

He should probably send her back soon.

"You should go in and rest. Starting tomorrow morning, I'll show you around the good restaurants nearby. We have plenty of time."

"Mmm-mmm..."

Odil shook her head side to side.

Instead, she clung to Siwoo like a magnet, as if she didn't want to let go.

"You like me more than Odette, right?"

"Huh?"

"That's why you took that last night walk with me, not Odette, right?"

"Well..."

Not particularly.

He thinks Odette is just as cute as Odil.

That considerate night walk was simply because Odil came out last to comfort him and they ended up together.

For Odil, who knows the reason for that better than anyone, to ask such a question...

"By any chance, is Lady Odette very upset about that?"

"Yeah, very upset."

With a mumbling voice, Odil's hand, which had been fumbling over Siwoo's chest, began to stealthily head downward.

It was a touch that seemed to carry a hint of stubbornness.

"Eek!"

"Shh...! You'll wake them."

"What are you doing? All of a sudden...!"

Then, she promptly grabbed Siwoo's snake-like thing.

She even slipped her hand inside his underwear and began moving it around.

Slender, small fingers stealthily coiling around his cock.

Familiar with the touch, his cock seemed to greet her happily, showing signs of swelling.

"If we're going to spend time together... this might be the last chance... huh? Assistant..."

"No. You have to be careful today. I told you. Lady Deneb might show up unexpectedly."

"Just once, short, just a little bit is fine."

Siwoo grabbed Odil's wrist, trying to remove the hand that was fiddling with his cock.

No matter how he thought about it, he felt a pang of conscience—that betraying Deneb's trust in just one night was a bit...

But Odil wouldn't easily give up her stubbornness.

Still not letting go of his thing, she burrowed down further, attempting to lovingly caress it with her mouth.

"Lady Odil!"

Siwoo could only utter a stern voice at Odil's obstinate attitude.Siwoo flung the blanket aside and faced Odil's face.

And he realized.

"You're mean, unnie... the assistant was bad too..."

It had been too dark, and crucially, because the way of speaking had completely changed, he hadn't noticed.

But seeing the face with pearly tears welling up in the corners and sniffling, he knew immediately.

That the person who had pretended to be Odil and burrowed into Siwoo's embrace was Odette.

"You leave me out every day... it's so unfair, totally..."

A word from the author (afterword)

Amelia didn't request separate outsourcing because the master said he'd make emoticons for her!

Hooray for Master Chul!

I want to go camping.

I want to go to the beach too.

I want to go to the ski resort but couldn't.

It's been three years since my last overseas trip.

I hate COVID-19 ㅜ