City of Witches Chapter 215

If you were to list the charms of a night market, there's one thing that never fails to appear.

Food.

Surprisingly, even in a corner of the contact point, some smugglers were cooking and selling a few dishes.

It felt more like a snack stall tucked away in a shabby corner of the market than any fancy restaurant.

The chairs and tables were worn-out wooden pieces full of years of wear, and instead of fancy silverware or ceramic plates, the food was served on plastic dishes.

Given the deep-rooted notion that Witches are oriented toward high-class things, I thought no one would be in such a shabby street food stall.

Unexpectedly, eight Witches were crowded there.

"Can this really be a business? It doesn't seem like anything special."

Siwoo whispered to Sharon.

"It's not about the taste."

"What do you mean by that?"

Even after hearing Sharon's words and scanning the menu again, there weren't any particularly special dishes.

Fava bean fritters, seasoned with cloves and garlic, and chickpeas stir-fried in olive oil.

Fungus, a soup made by boiling chicken broth with spices, leeks, and various mushrooms.

Salmon pie, made by shaping salmon fillets with ginger and sage into a fish shape.

Cod, cooked down with white wine and codfish, served with mustard seeds.

Looking at any of the dishes, they were just so-so, to the point that eating at a hotel in the Mortal Realm would be more impressive.

"Aha."

But Siwoo soon realized.

The ingredients used in Gehenna's food are quite different from those in the Mortal Realm.

Perhaps due to the culinary culture that has continued since the Middle Ages, they focus on bringing out the original flavors of food using ingredients like cloves and vinegar from that era?

Anyway, it's a taste hard to experience in the Mortal Realm.

"It's a kind of selling nostalgia. There are Witches who were Exiles from the start, but there are also those like me who were kicked out in the middle. And even if they were originally Exiles, they'd be curious about what Gehenna's food, which they've only heard about, is like, right?"

"Like a kimchi stew restaurant in the Middle East?"

"Oh, that's a good analogy."

Come to think of it, Siwoo also desperately missed chicken and cola while in Gehenna.

For some Witches, this might be a place selling the food of a hometown they can no longer return to.

Siwoo and Sharon sat down and ordered food.

"......"

I've been feeling it since earlier, but the surrounding Witches' gazes are intensely focused.

If they were just glancing while walking around, now that we're seated, they're openly staring intently.

It was only natural.

First of all, after becoming a Spirit Body, Siwoo's face had been upgraded several levels.

To the point that he'd smiled satisfactorily at his reflection in the mirror while washing his face more than once or twice.

Plus, with the rare accessory of a leather eyepatch, attracting attention was the first reason.

An even bigger reason was that everyone already had an idea of Siwoo's identity.

Witch society is small, so rumors spread quickly.

Unless a Witch is in a remote area, those living near Witch Points had already heard the news.

Thus, the fact that a man bearing a Brand had appeared for the first time in history.

And that his status had been publicly attested by Gemernai, Agatha, and Tiferet.

Had become known to most Witches in the city overnight.

At such a time, a man appearing and wandering around the contact point with a Witch was an obvious result.

"You don't need to mind. Any Witch who comes this far won't cause trouble for no reason."

Siwoo isn't particularly worried about personal safety issues either.

But being the target of the curious gazes of beautiful women, even one would be burdensome, and with them all focused at once, it felt a bit overwhelming.

Just as he was putting a fava bean fritter, tasted after a long time, into his mouth, someone plopped down in the seat next to Siwoo.

It was so natural that he thought it was a companion.

"Excuse me for a moment."

Dark navy blue hair and eyes.

A dress clinging tightly to her body, fully showcasing her figure.

An alluring gaze and a beauty mark near her eye.

She was a Witch who naturally brought to mind the expression "stunning."

"You're the famous male Witch these days, right? What's your name? I'm Kibele Periwinkle."

The Witch who abruptly joined and introduced herself showed an attitude so bold it was transparent.

She subtly rubbed her chest, rivaling Sharon's, against Siwoo's arm and whispered in a bewitching voice.

"Got some free time?"

She showed a straightforwardness that disregarded the presence of the person already seated, revealing her interest in Siwoo.

Seeing this, Sharon couldn't just sit still.

Sharon, dropping the fork she was poking at chickpeas with a clatter, erupted in anger.

"And who are you?!"

"Ah, don't be so harsh. I just wanted to have a little chat."

Despite saying that, her hand under the table was already naturally stroking Siwoo's thigh.

It was an extremely secretive and blatant touch.

"Actually, I heard the rumors and got quite interested. It's my first time seeing a male Spirit Body."

Siwoo, frozen in bewilderment at the sex appeal that threw subtlety out the window.

Because she was pressed so close, the uniquely pleasant scent of a Witch wafting to the tip of his nose was sucked into his nostrils.

Immediately, Siwoo's lower half reacted.

The scent wafting strongly from Periwinkle's hair acted like potent pheromones, stirring sexual desire regardless of will or thought.

"Get away right now! Right now!"

"Why are you getting so angry? I'm just sitting next to you. Oh?"

Just before a flustered Siwoo quickly crossed his legs to hide his full erection.

Periwinkle glanced at Siwoo's tented crotch and smirked.

"What's your relationship? Are you close? Have you even matched belly buttons?"

"Sorry, but I'd appreciate it if you could step back a bit."

"Given that it's already this big?"

"What...?"

Sharon froze as if shocked by her words.

Because she clearly understood what Periwinkle meant by 'big.'

Siwoo tried to make excuses.

Of course, Periwinkle was beautiful like a Witch, but Siwoo wasn't some horny person who just charged at pretty women.

Rather, he was bewildered by the sudden physical reaction and the sexual desire that flared up like fire on dry grass.

He didn't want to be misunderstood strangely by either Sharon or Periwinkle.

"Um, men sometimes get hard without any particular thoughts."

"Don't dodge like that. Want to come to my hotel today? I'm good at various things. I'm confident I can do much better than that rookie Witch over there."

It felt like he was being sucked in.

It wasn't Magic or a Mysterious Potion being used.A fierce impulse surged in his heart.

"Thank you, but I must decline."

Only after Siwoo desperately mustered his patience and firmly refused did Periwinkle click her tongue as if annoyed and step back.

Then she spoke to Sharon, who was still in shock and unable to say anything.

"Do you have to be so stingy and hog him all to yourself? Wouldn't it be fun for the three of us to play together? You come too."

"Absolutely not."

She probably thought Siwoo was refusing because he was being considerate of Sharon's feelings.

It was natural, given the widespread belief among Witches that men were unconditionally beings beneath their feet.

The reality was a bit different, but seeing Sharon press her lips tightly shut, she seemed to give up completely and instead handed over a business card.

At least it was somewhat fortunate that she wasn't a monstrous Witch like Della.

"It's a business card I only give to important people. Contact me anytime if you think of it."

After Periwinkle left, the atmosphere rapidly became awkward.

Sharon set her fork down on the table with a clack in a stiff voice.

And she hadn't even finished half her meal yet.

"Let's go back."

Siwoo also ran out of things to say and quietly gauged Sharon's mood.

No, fuck, the atmosphere didn't seem bad.

Why did she suddenly get all sulky and...

Thinking about it again, it was strange.

His physical reaction earlier was somewhat abnormal.

It felt like someone had been diligently stroking his cock with their hand.

All his sexual desire, whether he had any or not, rose up, making him feel an intense sexual urge.

Unable to face Sharon, Siwoo stood up following her, bowing his head like a sinner.

For the record, on the taxi ride back to Seoul, Sharon didn't utter a single word.

"I'm going to do some Magic Research. Go in and rest."

"Sharon, it's not that..."

Without hearing Siwoo out to the end, Sharon slammed the door shut and locked it.

Then, the bed where she had spent a hot night with Siwoo from last night until dawn came into view.

That bothered her unnecessarily. She sighed as if wanting the ground to swallow her and crouched down on the bed.

"Sigh..."

She was angry.

Frustrated.

Depressed, sad, and resentful.

Strictly speaking, Siwoo and Sharon were not in an official romantic relationship.

And Sharon herself believed she had neither the right to monopolize Siwoo nor the right to bind him.

After all, what had she done for him, or what could she do for him?

Even if there were some tiny things, they were a drop in the bucket compared to what she had received from him.

In such a situation, she thought pretending to be a girlfriend was rather shameless behavior.

But while her head accepted that, deep down, she might have wanted to monopolize Siwoo.

That's why she got upset just seeing another Witch tempt Siwoo, and her mood was still foul from seeing Siwoo seemingly succumbing to the temptation.

Even if he had just been flustered and fumbling, it might have been different.

But to make such a bewildered face and then have his cock get hard...

"Even though we did it yesterday..."

Sharon muttered petulantly.

This wasn't the Joseon era, and just mixing bodies didn't confirm a romantic relationship.

Moreover, yesterday's events were the result of Sharon's one-sided pursuit.

Didn't Sharon even receive the incredible gift of activating an incompletely inherited Brand in that situation?

She wasn't in a position to say, 'Since we did it, you have to take responsibility for life!' so this was just a matter of her heart.

Until now, Sharon had naturally been by his side under the pretext of being 'friends.'

There was no reason for Sharon to feel anxious, nor had she ever thought he might suddenly leave.

But as time passed, the situation changed.

That Siwoo was the first male to bear a Brand was now known not only to Sharon but to many Witches.

In fact, there were three Great Witches who had publicly attested to his status.

Handsome looks, the rarity of being a male Witch, and a solid backing—the triple threat.

Add to that the enormous merit of not aging and dying.

He had become the number one groom candidate for Witches, something that had never existed in human history.

After all, the reason most Witches didn't form deep relationships with men was because they would eventually grow old and die.

Today, it was just Periwinkle who approached, but it was obvious that more and more Witches would approach Siwoo out of curiosity and interest in the future.

In such a situation, was there any way for Sharon to protect Siwoo?

The only advantage Sharon had to monopolize him was that she had known him a little earlier.

Because Sharon was a mid-to-high-ranking Witch of the 17th Hierarchy, and merely an Exile in debt.

In contrast, Periwinkle, who had just flirted with Siwoo, was a Great Witch of the 20th Hierarchy who operated hotels all over the world.

She wasn't even an Exile but a citizen of Gehenna who voluntarily wandered the Mortal Realm.

Cloudy delusions began to activate in Sharon's head.

'Siwoo! Siwoo-ya!'

Sharon was running.

The location was a space station.

Inside a rocket with its engines igniting were Siwoo and Periwinkle.

'Siwoo-ya..... Ah, aah!'

Her feet tangled, and she tumbled down hard, causing debt documents to scatter everywhere.

'Siwoo-ya! Don't go! Siwoo-yaa....!'

'Haha, Sharon! I really enjoyed living with you until now! But I've become the husband of the noble Periwinkle-nim! She'll even teach me Magic from now on! We decided to go to the International Space Station for our honeymoon! The round-trip fare alone is 60 billion, but unlike someone who clung to me like a parasite, she's paying for it all!'

'Sorry, Miss Evergreen. But he seems like a man too precious to share with a freeloading bug who can't even pay off her debts! So I hope you don't even come near Siwoo from now on! Ohohohoho!'

'Ahahaha!'

'Ohohohoho!'

With the loudly echoing laughter of the man and woman, the delusion ended.

A sudden sense of inferiority.

The anxiety that she might lose Siwoo like this.

Self-mockery for feeling such emotions despite having only received from Siwoo until now.

Sharon felt tears welling up.

A word from the author (Author's note)

Ahh... I couldn't update continuously ㅜㅜ