City of Witches Chapter 283

“Could you please keep your distance from Siwoo?”

Sharon, who had just received the best proposal she could never have imagined moments ago, had been glowing with delight.

Her face instantly stiffens.

Though it’s the first time she’s experiencing this, it somehow feels like a scene she’s seen many times before.

Isn’t this exactly like the wicked mother-in-law in a drama who says, “Take this money and leave my son”?

Of course, Siwoo isn’t Albireo’s son, and Albireo isn’t Siwoo’s mother, but the situation feels eerily similar.

“…May I ask why first?”

Suddenly asking her to keep her distance…

Even someone as oblivious as Sharon could tell that the Apprentice Witch twins of the Gemernai Family and Siwoo were close.

She even wondered if they might be in an intimate romantic relationship.

Wasn’t that why she felt so uneasy when the twins visited previously?

Back then, she had been relieved when nothing happened, but now, hearing this, she blames herself for her own complacency.

Albireo calmly explained the situation.

“I think very highly of Siwoo. Whether considering his future prospects, the kindness he has received so far, or his character as a person. Ah, of course, I don’t mean I’m personally interested in him, but rather that I hope things work out well between him and our twins.”

“Am I… in the way?”

Sharon’s voice was filled with unease.

Seeing her was like watching a child having a cherished doll snatched away, making Albireo feel somewhat uncomfortable as well.

But Sharon quickly steeled her resolve.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she slid the contract back across the table.

“I’m sorry. I’m truly grateful for your help with my recovery and for the proposal I never even imagined. I won’t forget this kindness.”

“Hmm…”

“But… I find it difficult to accept the suggestion of staying away from Siwoo. I’m truly sorry.”

Albireo scanned the contract pushed toward her with her violet eyes.

She had anticipated a possible refusal, but she never expected there to be not even a moment of hesitation.

After all, Albireo’s proposal offered terms so favorable that any Witch would find them hard to refuse.

The current Countess is at the 21st hierarchy.

However, that is solely because she divided a portion of the Brand’s power as a Vessel for the twins.

Though the twins are currently just immature and naive children, they will one day inherit the name of the Jemernai Count Family and become the 22nd hierarchy Countess.

By refusing the contract with Albireo, Sharon had just kicked away the opportunity to build a connection with such twins.

That wasn’t all.

Sharon has many debts.

In a world where money begets money, accumulating such a large sum from nothing is difficult even for a Witch.

Finally, the recommendation letter for the Truth and Enlightenment Academic Society and the letter of introduction to Trinity Academy.

The letters of introduction or recommendation themselves aren’t particularly remarkable.

If you befriend a Witch with some connections in Gehenna and offer them fine wine while making a request, they’d gladly write you such a mere piece of paper.

But a letter of introduction bearing the seal of the Gemernai Family carries a different weight.

If she were to join the Academic Society, she could receive a significant amount of research materials and support under the guise of Duke Erelim’s calculated favor.

If she were to enter Trinity Academy, even if her skills were somewhat lacking, she would be immediately appointed as a head professor and gain access to various ancient texts.

Sharon, being from Gehenna, couldn’t possibly be unaware of what ‘support’ from the Jemernai Count Family, stemming from overwhelming financial power, truly means.

Yet, she refused so decisively, in one stroke.

“I apologize for the late hour. I should start preparing to return to the Mortal Realm now.”

Watching Sharon hurriedly gather herself to leave, Albireo fell into brief thought.

Truth be told, if she put her mind to it here, pressuring Sharon by force wouldn’t be difficult.

Before starting the conversation with Sharon, Albireo had taken a long look through her debt certificates.

With almost no collateral or credit, Sharon had to sign loan documents filled with all sorts of toxic clauses to borrow money.

Having just completed her succession, Sharon lacked social experience, and even if she hadn’t, she had no other choice.

Among them was a clause stating that if the repayment period exceeded 10 years, the creditor could demand full repayment from the debtor.

Furthermore, by cleverly linking this clause and that clause, one could endlessly increase the interest and principal.

In other words, she could immediately demand repayment, threaten her by slapping her with a wad of cash, and forcibly separate Siwoo and Sharon against her will.

However, Albireo had no intention of going that far.

It wouldn’t be right to ruthlessly crush Sharon, who had clearly supported Siwoo in the Mortal Realm in some way.

Moreover, from a practical standpoint, it would be a poor move, as it might even provide a trigger for the twins and Siwoo to drift apart.

But she couldn’t just stand by and do nothing, could she?

“Wait a moment.”

Albireo raised her wine glass and signaled to Sharon with her eyes.

Sharon reluctantly sat back down.

“Hmm, I think you may have misunderstood my words a little. I have a tendency to be hasty and state the main point first, which sometimes leads to misunderstandings like this.”

“……”

Sharon looked at Albireo with eyes still filled with wariness.

“I don’t believe people’s hearts, especially emotions like love, move based merely on gains and losses. If my proposal felt like a test of Miss Evergreen’s feelings, I apologize.”

Albireo bowed her head slightly toward Sharon in apology.

“However, the twins are still children who don’t even know what’s what. Of course, they’ve passed adulthood, but in my eyes, they still look like little kids. They are still utterly immature in perceiving their own emotions.”

Albireo paused for a moment.

“But you’re not like that, are you, Miss Sharon? You’re an adult, and you are clearly aware of what your own feelings are.”

The twins’ feelings toward Siwoo are closer to curiosity + goodwill toward a benefactor who saved their lives twice.

It’s a blank slate, with no manual or guidelines established for what true love is or what to do in such a situation.

“So, when I asked you to keep your distance, it was meant as a request to give the twins a chance as well.”

Moreover, because Albireo intentionally separated the three, their starting points are already uneven.

She felt that artificial intervention was necessary to balance the scales.

“A chance?”“That’s right. Don’t just think of it as being taken away—maintain an appropriate distance. At the very least, so it can be a fair competition.”

“I never had the right to begin with… Besides, it’s not like I can control Siwoo’s heart…”

“Please don’t say that. I feel gratitude and respect toward Miss Evergreen as well.”

Truthfully, if you examined Albireo’s words point by point, they bordered on sophistry.

But that subtle difference in nuance naturally erased the feeling of relentlessly pressuring Sharon.

After all, even among Witches, their lived experiences differed.

While Sharon wore a complicated expression, Albireo gradually moved to solidify her position.

“I’m saying this not to drive Miss Evergreen away or exclude her from the competition entirely. It’s simply a request for a small concession from the perspective of a guardian with lacking children.”

“……”

“If the Twins succeed the Brand in the future, and if they maintain a close relationship until then, wouldn’t that be a great help to him? That would be a joyous thing for Miss Evergreen, who loves Siwoo, as well.”

This was the hidden wedge Albireo had been concealing.

Simultaneously, it was a statement that strongly shook Sharon’s heart.

Even without direct pressure, if it was hinted at this subtly, one could fully grasp the underlying meaning.

“If it’s difficult to decide right now, you can take your time to answer. Then, have a good night.”

Albireo returned the contract to the dazed, frozen Sharon and left the room.

“I’m depressed….”

Sharon sat leaning against the bed, hugging her knees.

A blue melancholy spread like a complex stain in her chest.

With her mind tangled and heart troubled, a certain person’s face naturally came to mind.

“I miss him…”

She missed Siwoo.

The ten years of living as a debtor and a pauper were one of the reasons Sharon grew utterly sick of the Mortal Realm.

Unfriendly, rigid people as if constantly being chased, the pressure of debt repayment, an always empty wallet…

Even in retrospect, it was by no means a place that left good memories.

Wasn’t that why she so desperately wanted to return to Gehenna?

But now, even within Gehenna, she had no desire to go to the White Whale Tavern in Taro Town, taste Kipuishi’s cakes or cookies, or stroll along the beautiful paths of Renomond Town.

Instead, what came to mind were the movies she watched with Siwoo while living in the officetel, the tasteless beer that refreshingly quenched their thirst back then.

Missing the Mortal Realm where she wandered the night city with him while searching for Homunculi… What a terrible joke.

Yet, that wasn’t the main cause of Sharon’s depression.

After all, once Siwoo returned, she could see his face again, and they could go to the Mortal Realm together later.

But the Countess’s words kept weighing on her mind, preventing her from comfortably looking forward to seeing his face.

‘If the Twins succeed the Brand in the future, and if they maintain a close relationship until then, wouldn’t that be a great help to him?’

Though likely spoken without malice, Sharon felt as if cold water had been dumped over her head, her mind turning icy.

Until now, Sharon had only received from Siwoo.

She ate food bought with his money, obtained a comfortable place to sleep thanks to his support, and even overcame the obstacle of incomplete succession because of him.

But in truth, Sharon had given him nothing in return.

Because Sharon was a debtor and a 17th Hierarchy Witch.

Even if she became a Witch who could stand tall before her Master upon reaching the 20th Hierarchy, comparing an ordinary 20th Hierarchy Witch to the legitimate heir of the Jemernai Count Family was absurd.

Was it truly right for her, who had only leaned on Siwoo until now and would only hold him back in the future, to remain by his side?

The ones who could help Siwoo more than anyone were not Sharon, but the adorable Twins.

“……”

And it wasn’t like she was being asked to completely part ways, right?

If that were the case, she would have refused without hesitation, but since Albireo only presented ambiguous criteria, Sharon’s contemplation deepened.

Even if she successfully received a perfect 20th Hierarchy succession, she couldn’t immediately wield it as her own.

At the very least, to avoid leaning on him further and becoming a burden, accepting Albireo’s proposal was the most realistic choice.

If she did that, she could at least stand proudly beside Siwoo as an equal.

“How ridiculous….”

Sharon forced a bitter smile.

There were plenty of dramas and movies with this kind of plot.

A frustrating female lead who sacrifices her own happiness and love for the sake of her beloved’s future.

From the perspective of a third-party observer, it was just frustrating.

What’s the big deal about that future, what’s so important about that prospect?

If being together is happier, isn’t that enough? She used to feel frustrated, pounding her chest.

Now, she thought she understood how that felt.

She thought she understood what emotions must have driven such a choice.

“Sigh….”

Sharon’s worries deepened with the night.

A Word from the Author (Author’s Note)

Haven’t been able to write much latelyㅜㅜ

I’ll try harder over the weekend.