City of Witches Chapter 380

Classes will proceed as normal. Please bring the Red Branch and visit the private library by 12 o'clock.

This was essentially the summary of the short letter from the Countess, arriving while Siwoo was alone, stewing in anxiety with nowhere to turn for counsel, especially since Takasho had also gone to the Mortal Realm to finalize a Contract for importing high-end liquor.

For Siwoo, who had been agonizing over how to untangle the complicated situation, it was nothing short of a lifeline.

"What a relief…."

Surprisingly, there was no hint of interrogation about the events of the previous night.

Nor was it a dismissal notice, like 'it's okay if you don't come in starting today.'

Given this, perhaps it was fair to say things had worked out reasonably well.

He also learned a lesson from this incident: not to wield his pepper recklessly.

The details would only become clear after meeting the Countess, but…

"Still, this is better than nothing."

Just having the chance to bow his head and apologize was a stroke of immense luck.

Vowing never to act rashly again, Siwoo knocked and entered the Countess's private library.

"It's been a while."

By the window where a light drizzle fell.

Amidst the raindrops drumming against the glass as if to shatter it, Count Yesod stood.

"……."

For a moment, he was at a loss for words.

Because, for a very brief instant, he saw a hallucination of her completely undressed.

The soft sensation of her breasts and the sweet feel of her lips.

And even the lower mouth, which had proven far less resilient than it looked.

He had firmly resolved to banish such thoughts and just handle things properly, yet the moment he saw her clad in a dress, lecherous thoughts surfaced.

He shook his head, dispelling the distracting thoughts.

"Mr. Siwoo, I'm sorry for leaving without a word. Something urgent came up suddenly."

"Not at all. Given your busy schedule with official duties, I can fully understand."

The Countess, wearing her usual refined smile, gestured for Siwoo to take a seat.

Roughly gauging her intentions, it seemed Count Yesod might want to simply bury the previous incident as if it never happened.

Her excessively normal demeanor only reinforced this speculation.

To apologize, he would have to bring up the past event…

But if silence was what the Countess desired, then dredging up the past would be disregarding her chosen way of handling it.

Sometimes, staying quiet is the middle ground.

Keeping his mouth firmly shut, Siwoo sat on the sofa, and the Countess sat opposite him, beginning the lesson.

"Where did we leave off last time?"

"The part about quantifying the Red Branch's shielding rate."

"Ah, that's right. Have you made any progress since then?"

"Yes, I have."

"My, how very like you, Mr. Siwoo."

The conversation and lesson were excessively normal, just like usual.

However, that didn't mean there were no differences at all.

First, the Countess, who usually preferred outfits that showcased her figure, was now bundled up in thick, heavy fabric.

She wasn't subtly teasing Siwoo with risqué pranks.

And she absolutely did not come near him, conducting the lesson from across the table, exchanging papers.

But the discomfort, akin to excessive stomach acid secretion, was short-lived.

As the past incident seemed to be glossed over, Siwoo could also relax and focus on her lecture.

He had many questions that had been stuck and had neatly compiled points to ask, so the four-hour session ended up being more substantial than usual.

"You've worked hard. Mr. Siwoo, you can resume coming to work normally starting tomorrow. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you in advance."

"Yes, I understand."

A promise doesn't necessarily need to be spoken aloud to be established.

He wouldn't dig it up.

That seemed to be the tacit agreement settled between them during the lecture.

The fact that he felt a tiny, tiny bit of regret suggested he still hadn't fully come to his senses.

Then.

A very ominous anomaly occurred.

A fragrance wafting gently on the air.

The sweet, soft cream scent that always emanated from the Countess came rolling in, wave after wave.

There was something Siwoo had overlooked.

Previously, Siwoo had inhaled deeply of the Countess's body scent, laden with the Witch Spirit Body's unique pheromones.

And not just the scent from the crown of her head, but also the intensely rich essence that had seeped from her lower regions, taking it into his body.

Following that, their relationship had ended without them properly mingling their bodies.

Siwoo's body was still utterly unsatisfied.

Like a starved beast catching the scent of blood.

Despite smelling only a very faint trace of her body scent compared to usual, Siwoo felt his lower half surge stiffly.

And his reason began to recede.

"Countess."

At Siwoo's low voice, Count Yesod's shoulders flinched.

Women are adept at reading the atmosphere.

The Countess realized his tone and demeanor had suddenly shifted.

"Yes, Mr. Siwoo."

"This part seems insufficient. Could you explain just this part to me?"

"This… part?"

"Yes."

It wasn't just Siwoo who had been suffering inwardly.

The Countess, too, had been unable to stay still for a moment, fidgeting anxiously before receiving him.

Being alone with someone she couldn't even bear to make eye with due to sheer embarrassment, how could her heart be at ease?

But during the lesson, Siwoo also hadn't brought up the uncomfortable dark history.

It felt like a man and woman who got drunk, sped past the limits, and awkwardly ate hangover soup the next day; amidst their silence, the situation seemed to be concluding well.

The emotion the Countess felt was relief, mixed with a lingering ripple of regret.

The 'accident' or 'mistake' that might have occurred during their private lesson today.

Had she wished for it not to happen while secretly hoping for it? The thought made her feel a bit flustered.

Was that even possible?

She couldn't believe herself for not having regained her senses even after going through such an embarrassing incident.

But at Siwoo's call.

At the tone and inflection distinctly different from during the lesson, the Countess swallowed dryly and looked at the paper.

"If you're referring to this calculation formula… I'm not quite sure which part you don't understand."

She scanned the part he was tapping with his fingertip, but no matter how she looked, she couldn't grasp the intent behind his question.

It was a part Siwoo had already established in his own way long ago.

In other words, a part that didn't require additional explanation.

"Is that so?"

"Ah…."

"I'd like to work out the details a bit more. Is it okay if I come over there?"

Without waiting for permission, Siwoo rose from his seat.

And the moment he stood up, it became visible.

The thing whose shape, temperature, and hardness she already knew, swollen as if about to burst, pitching a 24-person tent.

The Countess felt the blood drain from her head.

Her breath caught in her throat, and her heart pounded.

Knowing this shouldn't happen, she still couldn't stop him from naturally taking the seat beside her.

"M-Mr. Siwoo…."

"Yes?"Moreover, at a distance so close that their thighs touched, just as the Countess had sat to tease Siwoo.

The Countess’s pupils shook uncontrollably.

She had never imagined he would take the initiative to this extent.

After all, as the Countess, she had only hinted at her intentions, even if metaphorically.

“Is something wrong?”

Siwoo asked back in a calm, low voice.

His arm casually wrapped around the Countess’s waist.

It felt so natural, as if they were lovers for whom such actions were taken for granted.

“S-Siwoo?”

The Countess hesitated, unsure what to do, before barely managing to open her mouth.

The Countess was afraid.

All the etiquette, manners, and refinement ingrained in her over the years—

in his hands, they became meaningless.

She would pant like a female in heat and display all sorts of disgraceful behavior.

But one thing was clear.

In her mind, after being forced to subsist on unwanted vegetarian fare and finally tasting a piece of meat, there existed a craving for a steak dripping with blood.

And Siwoo had caught onto the Countess’s hidden desire.

As proof, his hand, creeping like a snake, stroked the Countess’s buttocks with his palm.

An unmistakable act of sexual harassment, without permission.

Yet, far from getting angry, the Countess only stiffened her shoulders.

To touch a lady’s body so recklessly—

no matter how sincere an employee or benefactor he was, it was not an act she should permit.

If it were the usual Countess, or if he were any other man, she would have flown into a rage and kicked him out immediately.

With a shout like, “How dare you do this to me!”

“To be honest, I was a bit disappointed. The lesson you mentioned last time, we didn’t get to finish it properly.”

The man whispered near her ear, casually kneading her buttocks.

It was a complete reversal of roles, the opposite of when the Countess had teased Siwoo before.

“We were supposed to study your body, weren’t we?”

“Siwoo, back then, I was too… rash. It wasn’t something to speak of so lightly… Ah…!”

“That’s quite disappointing. After you ran away last time, I thought you had mentally prepared yourself when you called for me again.”

Her buttocks were squeezed so tightly it was almost painful.

At the action that felt almost like a scolding, the Countess deliberately lowered her voice and spoke solemnly.

“…How rude. Do you take Lucy Yesod for some loose woman? A tavern wench whose body you can grope anytime?”

“Of course not. I would never entertain such rude thoughts about you, not even a hint.”

But even as she spoke coldly, she could feel it.

The faint tremor at the end of her own voice.

From anxiety and an anticipation no less intense.

“I merely believe you will keep your promise.”

“Siwoo, ugh…!”

In any case, the Countess’s lips, which had been trying to say anything at all, were lightly blocked.

Siwoo, instead of letting go of the wrist she tried to pull away, grabbed it and kissed her.

Lips, somewhat thin and rough, pressed against hers.

Without realizing it, the Countess meekly slipped out her tongue to receive his.

Kiss after kiss after kiss.

The intoxicating and terrifying memory of that night spreading inside her mouth.

The clothes she wore were stripped away, piece by piece.

No, it felt closer to being torn off rather than simply removed.

What was even more absurd was that she couldn’t offer any resistance at all.

Even while receiving such rude treatment, even though she could easily break free if she wanted to.

She did nothing and was stripped bare before him.

A shame incomparable to when she had undressed herself before him with her own hands.

A fiery blush rose on the Countess’s porcelain-like skin.

“I look forward to today’s lesson as well.”

Siwoo’s hand suddenly grasped the Countess’s chest.

Their bodies piled onto the newly acquired sofa.

In this space, only a male who wanted to devour and a female who wanted to be devoured would exist.

Without a shadow of a doubt.

Author’s Note (Afterword)

I have an evening appointment tomorrow.

I’ll try to write until dawn today, but there might be a hiatus.