City of Witches Chapter 35

A lobby so splendid it could put any royal reception room to shame.

Sitting upright on a comfortable sofa, Amelia was lost in deep thought.

Never forget your duty.

You are the one who will carry on the name of the great Marigold.

Even where no one else can see, maintain proper posture.

Do not be negligent in walking the Magic Path; strive and strive again.

Live nobly and live as a Witch.

That was what her Master had said to her, in a stern voice for the first time, when Amelia, not wanting to study Magic, had hidden in the storeroom.

Come to think of it, if she had an Apprentice Witch now, and that Apprentice Witch was a girl who only liked to play and be lazy, Amelia would probably scold her sharply just like her Master did.

Anyway, the teachings of the previous Marigold had seeped deep into Amelia's heart.

Spending time alone, recalling her Master's face and pondering her words, she engraved them into her heart over and over again.

"That was wrong."

She murmured softly, tracing the rim of a teacup of untouched black tea.

The scene she had witnessed earlier was replaying in Amelia's mind.

Jake and Flora.

They had introduced each other as lovers.

It was different from the usual relationship between a Witch and a male slave.

Even just from appearances, Flora treated Jake as an equal.

She didn't reprimand him for walking around the shop bare-chested, nor did she mind kissing him in front of customers.

A Witch and a slave as equals?

The disconnect from everything she had learned and practiced.

The disconnect from the knowledge she possessed made Amelia's head spin.

It felt like being in a theater where you're supposed to applaud a brilliant performance with both hands.

What if Siwoo treated her that way?

That is, if he acted like Jake, who seemed to passionately love Flora.

"Ugh!"

Amelia shuddered with an inexplicable sense of displeasure.

Goosebumps prickled all over her body.

Blasphemous.

She would absolutely never allow such a thing.

Then what about kissing?

"Hmm..."

In her imagination, Siwoo and Amelia tangled together like mating snails, biting, sucking, and exchanging saliva with their tongues.

"Ugh..."

This time, an even stronger wave of displeasure shuddered through her body.

That's strange.

She simply couldn't understand why such a filthy act was considered a token of love and affection.

Amelia sighed and picked up her black tea to shake off the distracting thoughts.

The tea had already cooled to lukewarm.

And then.

"Associate Professor, I've changed and am back."

The person she was waiting for walked in.

That was faster than expected. She was getting bored just sitting there alone anyway.

"The payment was made in advance, so..."

Then Amelia tilted her head.

Who is that?

Familiar, yet not quite.

Neatly swept-back hairstyle, a well-fitted suit, and shiny black shoes.

A man walking out, adjusting his sleeves as if feeling awkward.

Amelia, who had been about to stand up, plopped back down onto the sofa.

She didn't even have time to think she was being rash.

Hard to believe, but that impeccable gentleman was Shin Siwoo.

"Thank you. It's a really nice outfit."

"......."

She hated to admit it, for some reason she really didn't want to admit it, but it suited him incredibly well.

She became unnecessarily conscious of her breathing.

Inhaling and exhaling felt a bit uncomfortable.

It felt like this body wasn't her own.

How should she describe this feeling?

What change in human emotion causes the body to react like this?

Unfortunately, the word to define that emotion wasn't in Amelia's dictionary.

Amelia sprang to her feet.

"Ha... That's much better."

"It seems so. It fits so well it's even comfortable to move in."

Siwoo moved his arms around, showing off the fit of the clothes.

Even if Flora was a woman without decorum who played around with a slave, her tailoring skills were certainly top-notch.

Even with all that movement, the clothes didn't seem to wrinkle or get disheveled, and though they fit snugly, they didn't look uncomfortable.

Always dressed in rags before, wearing clothes like this made him look like a different person.

Amelia hurriedly averted her eyes from Siwoo.

"Associate Professor."

Siwoo strode over to Amelia, who was like that.

Amelia flinched in surprise and almost grabbed her skirt hem for no reason.

Something's strange.

"Thank you very much."

He bowed his head.

This was the first time she had received such sincere gratitude from him.

She had heard many words of thanks spoken politely, but this one was of a different intensity.

Was it okay to accept gratitude like this?

Amelia asked herself and soon found the answer.

Of course.

She had paid two Fragrances of Fatigue for the clothes.

But when she thought about the reason she decided to buy him clothes in the first place, it got confusing again. In a way, this was just compensation.

Let's maintain composure and respond as usual.

"No need for that. I just didn't like seeing you wandering around in unsightly clothes."

Trying to speak while maintaining composure naturally came out sounding like she was reproaching him.

The beaming smile on Siwoo's face became slightly ambiguous.

He was still a man who couldn't manage his expressions.

She shouldn't have said that much.

To smooth things over, Amelia added more.

"Wear clothes like this from now on. They suit you."

"Understood."

Siwoo sighed imperceptibly.

Amelia also sighed imperceptibly.

Having acquired a fine suit, Siwoo took a carriage straight back to Trinity Academy.

It wasn't that he didn't want to explore Ars Magna Town more, but a place teeming with Witches was somehow intimidating.

It was better to just finish the business and return like this.

Amelia spent the entire return journey with her head turned, looking at the scenery outside the window.

Thanks to that, all conversation between the two was completely cut off.

They returned without exchanging a single word.

The carriage headed directly to the stable where Siwoo had been living, and Siwoo gathered his belongings.

Goodbye, stable I'd grown fond of. Of course, I still have to move my things tonight.

"Are we going to my quarters now?"

Siwoo asked as he boarded the carriage, having spread out a large towel and bundled his belongings inside like a parcel.

"Yes."

Thus, the carriage moved again.

The place they arrived at was a detached building near the center of the faculty residences.

A large mansion with a garden, a fountain, and nothing to envy from a decent five-star hotel.The blue roof and white walls were striking.

"Associate Professor."

"Yes."

"I think the carriage might have come to the wrong place? This is the Associate Professor's residence."

This is Amelia's residence.

Though it was a magnificent building that the simple word 'residence' did not suit at all.

"I know."

What do you mean, you know?

Before Siwoo could even ask, Amelia stepped out of the carriage and opened the door to the mansion.

"Come in."

Blinking, Siwoo followed Amelia inside.

He felt a slight sense of unease.

Amelia quickly ascended the central staircase.

Not a single servant was visible in this vast mansion.

Yet, whether managed by Magic or not, it was as clean as if newly built. Not a speck of dust clung to the chandelier hanging high above.

Upon reaching the second floor, Amelia guided Siwoo to the room at the end of the corridor.

Even someone as insensitive as Siwoo was beginning to catch on by now.

"This way."

"Um, I just wanted to ask, just in case... is this going to be my residence from now on?"

"You are my personal slave. Isn't it only natural?"

Living in the same residence as Amelia?

Siwoo felt as if the sky were collapsing and the ground giving way.

Natural? It's not natural.

"B-but, how could I, a mere slave of the Associate Professor, possibly dare to live in the same building as the Associate Professor?"

"There are plenty of rooms and the residence is spacious. I can generously spare one."

If she had shown that generosity earlier, Siwoo would have thought much more highly of Amelia than he did now.

Just whose benefit is this generosity for, really?

"Associate Professor, I am truly too ashamed."

"No need for that. Now that you're my assistant, you should live a dignified life befitting that position."

Living in the same mansion as Amelia presented two very significant problems.

First problem.

Amelia's reason for keeping Siwoo so close was obvious.

Wasn't it precisely to work him to death?

She wouldn't even need to come find him or summon him.

Since they were under the same roof.

If it were just labor, it might not be a huge problem.

The problem was having to be with Amelia 24/7.

She was already an awkward and uncomfortable person to be around, and now he'd have to see her face until bedtime. This was a different issue from being an assistant who just helped with paperwork and tasks.

Second problem.

His Magic Research would be hindered.

The stable where Siwoo originally lived was located on a quiet hill at the very edge of the Academy.

The minuscule amount of magic power used for research there would never be detected.

How about here, in comparison?

He would immediately fall within the reach of Amelia's tentacles.

To avoid her gaze, he'd have to head to the deserted stable late at night to conduct his experiments.

That meant his Magic Research would slow down considerably.

He could endure anything else, but he couldn't bear the delay in his escape.

"Associate Professor, no matter how I think about it, this place doesn't suit me. I'll return to my previous residence."

Meanwhile, Amelia couldn't understand why Siwoo was struggling so desperately to get away.

Originally, she had planned to give him a servant's quarters near the research building. A place with facilities that weren't particularly good, but not bad either.

But considering how her past, petty revenge had snowballed down a slope and buried Siwoo, she thought some compensation was necessary.

So, she hastily decided to give him the room she had been using as a guest room.

Why was he resisting so much?

"Go get your luggage."

And so, he saw his future living quarters.

Siwoo, who had been anxiously looking for a chance to flee, was dumbfounded when he saw the room.

No matter how splendid the mansion, servant quarters were usually shabby.

And the room assigned to Siwoo was, by no means, a room for servants.

It was closer to a room for treating guests with the utmost hospitality.

A ceiling lower than the stable's, but still so high that Michael Jordan jumping at full power couldn't reach it.

The sofa, cabinet, wardrobe, and other furniture oozed such an expensive aura that if Siwoo bumped into them and left a scratch, he'd have to serve as a slave for life without pay to make up for it.

Moreover, the carpet spread on the floor felt so sinful to step on that Siwoo unconsciously avoided walking on it.

"This is the living room, and this is the bedroom."

Furthermore, there were two more rooms inside this room.

The spacious room Siwoo saw upon entering was the living area of the suite, and going further inside revealed a bedroom with a bed and desk.

Just like the furniture in the living area, the bed and the mattress on it didn't just look ordinarily luxurious.

"May I look around?"

"It's the caretaker's room now, so do as you please."

The moment permission was granted, Siwoo checked the one remaining room.

Attached right next to the bedroom was a large bathtub.

Turning on the water, warm water gushed out from a bathtub almost identical to modern facilities.

Goodbye to showers with icy water.

He felt bewildered.

"Is this really my room?"

"Yes. Today is a day off, so rest well and come to the research building tomorrow morning."

With those words, Amelia closed the door and left.

For a while, Siwoo looked around, taking in the room.

The question of why Amelia was suddenly showing such kindness took a slight backseat.

Author's Note (Afterword)

Four hours until work starts... Woo-hoo!