City of Witches Chapter 361

The salmon that had hooked Diana was taken into custody by the chef of the mansion's kitchen on charges of being an outrageous offender and atoned for its sins by offering its entire body as a full-course meal.

For the first time, I was invited to dinner and dined with Countess Lucy and Diana.

The Countess, who kept laughing at the chaotic salmon-catching operation of Diana, which Siwoo had seasoned.

After the warm and cheerful meal, the final task of the day.

The cozy private tutoring session with the Countess had arrived.

“Mr. Siwoo, I’d like you to escort me.”

Leaving the dining room together and heading toward the private study, the Countess offered her gloved hand with the back facing upward.

I hesitated for a moment.

Because the incident with the Countess last night came to mind.

I had resolved to ensure such an unfortunate accident wouldn’t happen again, so I wondered if I really had to hold her hand.

But it would be rude to the Countess, who had generously let it slide, to show that I was still conscious of the matter.

Having judged so, Siwoo took her hand as if placing it on his palm and headed toward the private study.

“It’s an honor.”

Perhaps it was because of the rather old-fashioned hallway.

Or perhaps it was because of the Countess’s calm gait, even with her face slightly flushed from the moderate amount of alcohol.

It truly felt like escorting a noble lady.

As if reading Siwoo’s thoughts, the Countess spoke first.

“You’re like a knight, Mr. Siwoo.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, it feels like being escorted by a truly dependable knight.”

“Maybe it’s because I’m tall.”

Exchanging trivial conversation, they arrived at the Countess’s private study.

The air, which had cooled as the sun set, was warmed by the blazing flames of the fireplace.

Sitting on the sofa where he always studied, the Countess sat across from him.

“Since you played so well with Diana, I should reward you too.”

“I’ll be in your care for today’s lesson as well.”

I wondered if she might tease me about last night’s incident, but fortunately, the lesson began without any particular remarks.

That’s not to say there were no issues… though that’s a separate matter.

“Hmm, so you plan to control the Red Branch through the Ribbon rather than through shadows?”

“That’s right. Shadows are amorphous Magic, so they’re greatly affected by barrier fields.”

While answering calmly.

Siwoo’s gaze flickered toward the Countess.

Yesterday, Countess Lucy was wearing a dress-like outfit with a completely open back.

But today was different.

The dress, which modestly covered her back, instead generously exposed her cleavage.

It wasn’t just a little revealing.

The bold slit that went all the way down to the solar plexus revealed not only the Countess’s voluminous upper chest and side chest but also part of her lower chest.

It was an outfit with such low coverage that if you just tugged the collar slightly, it would slip right off.

During the meal, I hadn’t particularly noticed.

To begin with, Siwoo and the Countess were seated far apart, facing each other across a table as long as three billiard tables combined.

The lighting was bright, and Diana was beside them.

The atmosphere was too distracting in many ways to suddenly become conscious of her attire…

“Now, let’s see. Hmm…”

The Countess brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear and reached for the paper in front of Siwoo.

Her upper body leaned over like a heavy flower bud, and the valley of abundance and motherhood naturally drew his gaze.

A sweet body scent, like fresh cream, wafted along with the refreshing Fragrance.

They were alone here.

Moreover, the candles and fireplace created an unnecessarily romantic atmosphere.

On top of that, the close distance made the Countess’s tongue, licking her lips, clearly visible.

It was an extreme situation where it was impossible not to be conscious.

“The idea doesn’t seem bad… but whether it’s practical will only be known by applying it directly to a Distortion Field.”

It was a precarious situation where if her clothes shifted even slightly, places that shouldn’t be seen might become visible.

I knew she usually wore light and provocative outfits, but.

This seemed like a deliberate display.

Could she be intentionally exposing herself?

Siwoo barely managed to tear his gaze away, as if being sucked in.

“Then, let’s reconstruct it based on what you saw yesterday, Mr. Siwoo.”

Whether she knew Siwoo’s feelings or not, the Countess calmly continued the lesson.

“Is seeing it once not enough, perhaps?”

“Huh?”

“The mental landscape, I mean.”

“No, no. It’s enough.”

“I could do it a few more times for you. If you’re concerned because of yesterday’s accident, it’s fine.”

In truth, Countess Lucy was subtly testing Siwoo.

The Countess knew her own appearance was exceptional.

Her mature and curvaceous figure and dignified face were something she could confidently boast about.

But knowing it alone and confirming it through another’s reaction were slightly different.

Siwoo’s fleeting glances at the cleavage she had subtly exposed.

His Adam’s apple bobbing as he gulped.

His awkwardly scratching his head in an innocent and adorable manner.

It filled Lucy Yesod’s self-esteem not as a Witch, a noble, or Diana’s mother, but as a ‘woman.’

It was only natural that a desire to tease him a little followed.

“Oh my, but today’s attire is a bit inappropriate. This dress doesn’t have an open back at all…”

The Countess smiled faintly and placed her hand on the shoulder strap of her dress.

If she just pushed it aside slightly, the top would slip right off.

“…I suppose I’ll have to do this? Right?”

She had no real intention of doing it.

Casually exposing her body to an unrelated man was improper behavior and unbecoming of a noble’s dignity.

She simply wanted to see his dramatic reaction, like yesterday.

“It’s really fine! Countess! Calm down and slowly take your hand away.”

Siwoo sprang up as if boiling tea had been poured onto his lap, trying to stop her.

The reaction, exactly as expected, made the Countess stifle a laugh.

“If sharing the mental landscape isn’t necessary, then the lesson ends here. What a shame, isn’t it?”

“Phew…”

“Aren’t you disappointed, Mr. Siwoo?”

“I’m disappointed that I can’t learn more, but I’m not disappointed that you… didn’t take it off.”

Seeing him speak while preemptively blocking any openings for teasing, the Countess nearly forgot her dignity and rolled around laughing.

The Countess had encountered all kinds of people while leading large-scale business ventures.

Having lived for so long, she could usually gauge a person’s character to some extent just by their eyes or tone of voice.

Moreover, having spent over four days face-to-face and conversing, she had a rough estimate.According to the Countess's judgment, he was a sincere and kind person.

The fact that the notoriously difficult Diana subtly followed him well, and that no uniquely clingy malice was felt in his speech, behavior, or gaze, were evidence of this.

In such a situation, one might expect him to harbor lecherous thoughts, but...

"Mr. Siwoo."

"Yes."

"Do you have any plans or appointments after class ends?"

Pupils wavering.

Seeing him visibly flustered was one of the pleasures of teasing this man.

Fidgeting with his clothes for no reason, she drew out her words.

"Um, if you're not too busy... could you spare a little time?"

"I'd like to hear what it is first before deciding."

As expected, his cautious response prompted Lucy to say.

"Will you take me fishing too?"

"...Now?"

"Yes, hearing Mr. Siwoo talk about it tonight made it sound quite enjoyable."

After seeming to think for a moment, he nodded.

"Understood."

Diana was tossing and turning in bed.

Even though she was extremely exhausted from being dragged around outside by Siwoo, sleep wouldn't come easily.

Because she kept recalling the time she went fishing with him in her mind.

"Hmm..."

Looking at it overall, it was just bothersome and tiring.

She wondered if one really had to go through all this trouble, taking a Portal and trekking through such forest paths, just to go fishing.

A sudden accident even led to the unexpected experience of diving into a river on this cold winter day.

But if asked whether only bad memories remained, that wasn't the case.

It was, rather, strangely fresh and new.

The feel of the catch after a long wait and trial and error.

The strong vitality and fluttering sensation felt at the moment of the bite still seemed to linger on her fingertips.

Even though the ending was a ridiculous one where, because she gripped the fishing rod too tightly, she ended up being dragged away by the salmon.

All men are wolves.

Inferior beings destined for mortality, unable to become Witches.

When dealing with men, one must always be careful not to be taken advantage of.

The words her mother always emphasized and taught.

The tinted glasses formed from that were also placed over Diana's eyes when looking at Siwoo.

Even if he could use Magic, even if he was the first male witch in history, even if he was so good at it that it made the Witchboard furious, nothing particularly changed.

But.

'Let's switch spots. It seems like the fish are biting better over there, so that spot seems good.'

'We came out because I decided to do outdoor activities. Please consider me too.'

'Let's go back now. It's been over two hours.'

Looking back, he never once frowned at Diana, who was only being petulant.

She was sure she often said lines that would rightfully offend and make the atmosphere frosty.

Diana is the Apprentice Witch of the Countess's household, and he is a mere Witch.

Moreover, in a situation where he promised her mother's lessons in exchange for taking on Diana's tutoring.

She didn't take it for granted, but he was someone who couldn't say a word even if Diana threw a tantrum.

But even considering the difference in position, there's an atmosphere one feels when a person is hiding their emotions.

He genuinely didn't take issue with Diana's attitude or get annoyed.

Rather, he just let it pass with a kind-looking, bitter smile.

There must have been many ill-mannered actions she committed out of sheer frustration.

'You should go and boast about it.'

Far from getting angry, he readily offered the fish he caught and let Diana boast about it.

That's when she felt it.

That he was a person who, even if it was something trivial, had a considerate delicacy that seemed ingrained in him.

This was the reason Diana found herself re-examining her own tinted glasses anew.

"Perhaps even back then..."

At the time, it only made her blood boil.

And that reception game, which still prevents her from viewing that man in a favorable light...

Couldn't it have been his consideration in its own way?

Of course, it was a humiliating consideration she neither wanted nor asked for.

"Phew..."

It was complicated.

It felt like everything she knew was being twisted and distorted.

Her mother, who repeatedly insisted that men were dangerous and lowly beings, was actually writing a novel about a Witch being conquered by such a man.

The male witch Shin Siwoo, whom Diana had only looked upon with disdain, was not the savage she had heard about from her mother.

He was just ordinarily...

"Hmm..."

A person who knew how to be considerate of others.

Suddenly, her chest felt itchy.

Even though she hadn't uttered it aloud and had only muttered it to herself, goosebumps rose as if she were uttering blatant flattery right before her eyes.

"Ugh..."

Diana shook her head back and forth to shake off the distracting thoughts.

Come to think of it, it had been days since she last set foot in her mother's secret study.

Since she had read up to the last written part, the continuation must be out by now.

The courier and the Witch committing an outrageous act right next to the sleeping Apprentice Witch.

It had ended with the Apprentice Witch tossing and turning; she wondered how the story had progressed.

"......"

Diana was torn by internal conflict.

It was a lewd book far removed from refinement, so she should stay away from it.

Moreover, digging into her mother's secret hobby didn't seem like a good idea.

But the train-wreck-like story that made her curious about what happened next, and the curiosity about male-female relationships she was learning about for the first time, were enough to tempt Diana.

By now, it should be time for her mother to be asleep as well.

Grabbing her slippers and a blanket, Diana quietly left her room.

A Word from the Author (Author's Note)

YouTuber 'Miyotori' has produced a dubbed video for 'The Witch's City'!

It was done in the style of dubbing an animation... The quality is quite impressive.

I was happy to feel the meticulous story checking and effort that went into making it haha.

If you're interested, please check it out!