City of Witches Chapter 52

It was an unusually refreshing morning.

Even though I had fallen asleep late last night and my body was tired from spending some alone time in the bathroom, my eyes snapped open as soon as it was time.

Maybe it was thanks to the soft, fluffy pajamas.

Siwoo chose comfortable work clothes suitable for hiking.

After picking up breakfast from the Academy kitchen and leaving it at Amelia's room, he nibbled on a sandwich and hurried out to the garden.

Mount Yeongsan!

Just the thought of setting foot in one of Gehenna's tourist attractions he had so longed to visit made him want to dance with joy.

Parked in front of the lodging's main entrance was the magnificent Gemernai carriage that had once kidnapped Siwoo.

Now that it was time to board, he felt a little hesitant.

Facing Odil, whom he had thought about while masturbating yesterday, was somewhat embarrassing, and the thought of having to spend the day with Odette, with whom he hadn't had a proper conversation since that day, was also a bit nerve-wracking.

"Time will probably sort it out."

Odette was surprisingly easygoing, so she probably wouldn't hold a grudge for long, and Odil was even less of a concern.

Hadn't she come looking for him again just yesterday?

Holding onto that belief, Siwoo bravely opened the carriage door.

The interior, as large and luxurious as he remembered, welcomed him.

"Assistant, you're quite punctual."

"Ah, hello..."

"Thank you for coming to pick us up."

"We're the ones who invited you, no need for thanks."

Odil, grinning and wiggling her fingers, and Odette, clinging tightly to her arm and hiding her face.

When he saw characters making gestures like that in dramas or comics, he always thought it was unrealistic, but who knew he'd see it in real life?

Moreover, since it didn't seem out of place at all, Siwoo felt awkward for no reason.

Because of that, unlike Odil, whom he could greet comfortably, he couldn't easily start a conversation with Odette.

"Odette! Don't be so stiff, say hello! We have to spend the whole day together today!"

"But! How can you act like nothing happened, unnie?"

"Traditionally, adults are supposed to bury what happened last night with the night itself."

Stomping her feet and blushing, Odette eventually hid in the room inside the carriage.

Siwoo asked worriedly.

"Will she be okay?"

"Leave her be, Assistant. She'll come around."

Even Siwoo's face flushed hotly when he recalled Odette under the influence of the Mysterious Potion.

Saying she masturbated while thinking of the Assistant, that she wanted a baby, that she wanted to receive the Assistant's baby seed in her ovaries many times over.

She had made such bold statements that were unimaginable coming from the timid Odette.

If even the person who heard it was like this, the person who said it couldn't possibly be fine.

In fact, he was starting to think Odil had an abnormally strong recovery ability.

Just looking at her now, it was hard to believe there had been an unspeakable R-rated incident the night before and earlier.

Or perhaps her curiosity had simply overcome her embarrassment.

In this regard, Odil seemed more mature than Siwoo.

"It'll take about an hour to get to Mount Yeongsan. Want something to drink in the meantime?"

"Yes, please. Are we moving now?"

"We've been moving since a while ago."

"I can't feel any vibration at all."

"You get what you pay for."

Now quite comfortable with the Twins, Siwoo naturally followed Odil to the minibar.

By the way, this carriage is like a private jet.

Not even the slightest vibration is transmitted inside, and it's equipped with all sorts of amenities.

Odil bent down into the minibar and, with some effort, pulled out a large basket.

"Since we're going on a picnic, Galina insisted on giving us this."

It was clearly a picnic basket.

It looked like it was packed full of club sandwiches and thermoses of tea.

"Let's just take out some orange juice and drink it here first."

"Sure."

"Odette! Aren't you having any?"

Odil called out loudly, but no answer came from Odette's room.

Odil clicked her tongue.

The sound and gesture seemed awkward, as if she was imitating someone.

"This won't do. Assistant, you go and soothe her a bit. Just say you don't mind, it's okay. She'll probably forget about it quickly."

"Give me a cup of juice, please. I'll talk to her."

Odil said that if she went along, Odette might stubbornly dig in her heels and it would backfire, so she sent only Siwoo.

It was a much more mature response than expected, so Siwoo was a little surprised.

-Knock knock

"I'm coming in."

After knocking, he opened the door with a click, and he heard a thudding sound and rustling.

"Ugh..."

With only a single candle as the light source, it was very dark, but the room was so small that it wasn't hard to find Odette.

"Lady Odette."

Odil also buried her face when she was embarrassed.

Was this a similarity because they were twins?

Odette was wedged between a large sofa, showing only her back.

She was desperately rejecting Siwoo's very presence.

"As... Assistant... please leave... I want to be alone..."

"I brought orange juice. I just tried it; it's very refreshing."

Siwoo calmly patted Odette's shoulder.

"It's fine. As Lady Odil said, I don't dwell on the past. Weren't you also not in your right mind at the time, Lady Odette?"

A wavering hesitation, as if debating whether to leave or stay, spread across her small back.

A mumbling voice drifted from between the sofas.

"But... it's so embarrassing... And I know I could have seriously harmed you, Assistant..."

"You really don't need to worry about it."

He gave a gentle smile, though she couldn't see it.

Honestly, what had made Siwoo anxious was that Odette's intense sexual attempt had nearly cost him his life, not that he held any lingering feelings about Odette's actions themselves.

Strictly speaking, aside from the mortal danger, wasn't it a reward?

Odette cautiously turned her head.

Seeing her in the dark, he momentarily mistook her for Odil because they looked so much alike.

But the pitiful expression with tears welling up in her large eyes was something only Odette could make.

"Really?"

"Of course, as long as you don't make that mistake again."

"Will you... also forgive me... for what I did alone... while thinking of you?"

Siwoo was momentarily speechless.

Both Odette and Odil sometimes had lapses in common sense.

There was really no need to bring up the filth of that day here."Of course! Of course... How can I face you after doing something like that!"

It seemed Siwoo's hesitation was clearly visible on his face.

Odette wept even more pitifully, burrowing deeper and deeper between the sofa cushions.

This is awkward.

I can't exactly say, 'It's okay. I also jerked off last night while thinking about your sister, Odette.'

"You think I'm a lewd and shameless girl, don't you?"

How should one respond when the person who's been playing around with other guys' dicks says something like that?

I didn't expect her to be this embarrassed.

Did she have some kind of classification system separating curiosity born of intellectual inquiry from sexual curiosity...?

Maybe Odette had her own boundaries or something.

"Not at all. Today's a rare outing, isn't it? We should enjoy it together."

At Siwoo's gentle, coaxing tone, Odette slowly began to emerge from the sofa again.

This is kind of amusing.

"Here you go."

"Thank you."

Finally completely free from the sofa, Odette briskly wiped her jewel-like, glistening tears with her sleeve and accepted the cup Siwoo handed her.

"Um, can I tell you about some other things here too?"

Odette asked meekly, holding the cup in front of her chest.

Siwoo readily nodded.

"Of course."

After a brief hesitation, Odette obediently opened her mouth.

"Actually... it wasn't just once."

"Huh?"

"The times I did it while thinking of you... I did it... two more times since that day."

For a moment, Siwoo couldn't understand what Odette was saying.

So, what?

Masturbation?

"Um... Odette, it's fine with me, so you really don't have to tell me."

Honestly, I don't even know why she's telling me this.

But Odette's thoughts seemed to be different from Siwoo's.

Like a Catholic making her final confession, she began to lay everything out with sincerity.

"Actually... I felt guilty... No matter how much I did it to feel good, and even though you're a slave, I still... did it alone while thinking of you without even asking for permission."

"I understood, and I meant it's okay, so you really don't need to mention it."

It seemed Odette had been blaming herself not just for that day's incident, but for other things as well.

Truthfully, Siwoo didn't care about any of that stuff; his only wish was to quickly end this awkward, off-point conversation.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Really, really, really?"

"Yes, I think it's all perfectly natural."

"Then... have you ever... touched yourself alone while thinking of me since that day?"

"......."

His mind grew hazy as the conversation took an even more surreal turn.

Without even a moment to hesitate about the best possible response, Odette reached her own conclusion.

"See, you haven't... It's because Odette is a bad girl, a strange girl, isn't it..."

Odette's expression fell and she began to sniffle.

No, if you're going to feel that guilty, can't you just not do it?

Or just do it secretly without telling anyone.

Her mind was more of a flower field than her sister's, making it impossible to follow her train of thought.

It feels like watching an innocent princess from a fairy tale.

"Odette, don't worry so much. If I'm okay with it, then isn't it a non-issue? There's no victim here."

"........"

"When you first... um, learn about masturbation, it's natural to be like that. I'm the only man around you, Odette, and it's not like you had any ill intentions toward me, right?"

What is Gemernai, the Twins' teacher, doing that I've ended up responsible for this kind of sex education too?

I get that she's overprotective of her apprentice Witches like they're her own children, but I wish she'd at least teach them basic common sense from now on.

Not that I'd ever have the guts to say that to her face anyway.

"You don't need to blame yourself so much. Curiosity about the opposite sex and sex is natural. There's no need to be ashamed."

"Even though it's a disgusting act?"

"Someday, when Odette finds someone she loves, she'll understand naturally. So, shall we head out now?"

Odette nodded her head slightly, like an obedient hamster.

On her healthy cheeks, flushed a rosy red, dimples of relief had formed.

"Um, Assistant."

"Yes, Odette."

"Then... is it okay if I keep thinking of you from time to time?"

It sounds romantic at first glance, but the implication is 'I'll keep using you as side-dish material.'

The smile that had formed on Siwoo's face as he watched the naive Odette instantly froze solid.

"Y-yes, of course."

"So you've forgiven me for my mistake with you, and you're allowing me to think of you while doing it from now on?"

Odette counted off the points on her fingers, summarizing the situation.

In some ways, Odette was a much trickier opponent than Amelia.

"But from now on, there's no need to tell me about it. Since I've already given permission once, it's fine anytime."

Anyway, the situation was settled for now.

This cringe-inducing conversation was more than enough for one lifetime.

Having successfully comforted Odette, Siwoo led her out of the room. The moment Odil saw Odette, she started picking a fight.

She'd probably overheard the entire conversation.

Odette's face turned beet red as Odil teased her relentlessly, chasing her around to escape.

Until they arrived at the gorge, the entrance to Yeongsan, the carriage was filled with cheerful, unceasing commotion.

Author's Note (Afterword)

I saw blood in my urine today...

Seeing something I only used to see when pulling all-nighters again gives me a certain kind of feeling.

I'll take better care of my health.