Page 418

1.

After dinner, Sharon, Eloa, Odile, and Odette, all gathered in one room, having been summoned by Siwoo.

There was nothing particularly unusual about the four women gathering together like this.

After all, they did the exact same thing just a few days ago. Also, since they often shared meals together, this arrangement didn’t feel awkward for them.

However, the difference was that, this time, it was Siwoo who had arranged this meeting.

Sitting together on the sofa, each with a drink in front of them, they all tried to figure out what Siwoo had in mind.

Since the situation was a bit unusual, Sharon turned to Eloa and asked.

“What’s going on? Do you know anything, Duchess?”

“I’m not entirely sure...”

“Is this about the Harvest Festival?”

“That seems likely.”

Sharon and Eloa were puzzled, unable to guess what it could be.

“Odette, the war for the first wife’s position is finally happening!”

“Yeah, Sis! Let’s stay sharp!”

Sensing that something was about to go down, the twins whispered to each other.

Since the wait was longer than they expected, when the man adored by all four of them finally appeared, they were all in the midst of chatting casually with each other.

“Sorry for being late.”

“Mr. Assistant!”

“I missed you! Give me a hug!”

As soon as Siwoo entered, the twins rushed over and clung to him.

Even though they had just had dinner together, they greeted him like they hadn’t seen him in ages, beaming with bright smiles.

“Uh...”

Caught off guard by the twins’ enthusiastic display, Sharon and Eloa missed their chance to welcome him.

Eloa simply watched the twins’ antics with an indulgent look, like she would with a beloved apprentice.

But Sharon knew just how cunning the twins could be.

Just by running up and hugging him, they had managed to monopolize both the conversation and his physical affection.

As ‘apprentice witches’, they could get away with being more forward, and it was easier for them to come across as cute compared to Sharon or Eloa.

They knew they could get away with acting spoiled, so they took full advantage of it.

With the twins clinging to his sides, Siwoo managed a strained smile and greeted Sharon and Eloa as well.

Once the lively atmosphere settled, Siwoo began to address the reason for today’s gathering.

“Actually, I have a confession to make.”

“A confession?”

Gathering the four of us out of nowhere for a confession?

All four pairs of eyes were now on Siwoo, and he felt the weight of their gazes pressing down on him.

After consulting with both Periwinkle and Takasho, he had made up his mind.

He had decided to cooperate with Countess Yesod on her research.

Even though their relationship had started off casually, the countess had shown him genuine kindness, and he had grown attached to Diana as well.

In such a situation, he couldn’t just turn his back and walk away.

However, this matter needed these four women’s agreement.

Regardless of reasons, he couldn’t just go on with this decision behind their backs.

“I...have actually been in a relationship with Countess Yesod.”

“What?”

The twins, still clinging to him, widened their eyes in shock.

Sharon and Eloa both froze, stunned by the bombshell he had just dropped.

“Relationship? Mr. Assistant? You don’t mean...sex, do you?”

“Oh come on, Sis, no way. Even if Mr. Assistant’s been acting like a scoundrel, he wouldn’t go that far.”

“I did hear that you’ve been going to the Yesod’s Mansion under the excuse of tutoring...”

“Wait, really? With the countess?”

Siwoo nodded heavily, trying to stay calm under the weight of their shocked reactions.

“Yes... We had...sex...”

“Haa...”

The twins, who had been clinging to him, pulled away as if they’d just been splashed with something foul.

Eloa’s face darkened, while Sharon let out a deep sigh.

“Mr. Assistant! Isn’t this too much?”

“We weren’t enough for you, so you seduced Sharon unnie, and even the duchess! And now the countess too? What’s your deal?!”

“Repent! Repent! Repent quickly!”

The twins, fuming, kicked the back of Siwoo’s knees, forcing him to kneel.

Then, with his head lowered, they grabbed his hair and shook it back and forth.

“Womanizer!”

“Casanova!”

“Cheater!”

“We’re filing a complaint!”

Normally, Sharon and Eloa would have stepped in to calm the twins down, but today, they only watched Siwoo with cold eyes.

Especially Eloa.

“We need to talk.”

When Eloa stood up, even the twins, who had been making a fuss, went quiet.

Eloa’s icy voice froze them in their tracks.

“Siwoo, I never expected you to devote yourself to me alone.”

“I have no excuse.”

“There are plenty of women who care for you, who can’t help but love you. I get that. I know how difficult it can be to deal with humans’ emotions, so I can sympathize with your feelings and your decisions.”

Though Eloa’s voice was calm, there was a strong hint of reproach in her tone.

Almost like disappointment.

If this matter had been just the two of them, she might not have scolded him at all.

But it wasn’t like that, wasn’t it?

“I would stand by you even if you became a Criminal Exile, However, for you to act thoughtlessly even though you know of your own circumstances isn’t only disrespectful to me, but also to Ms. Sharon, Ms. Odile, and Ms. Odette here. Tell me. Are you taking their faith in you so lightly?”

The twins’ loud complaints were somewhat cute compared to Eloa’s quiet scolding, which was downright terrifying.

Thankfully, Sharon intervened before things went any further.

“Duchess, maybe we should hear him out first. Siwoo...must have his reasons.”

“Tell us everything. Don’t leave anything out.”

“Yes, I’ll explain everything.”

Siwoo, who had anticipated this, began to reveal the whole truth.

First, he explained the sequence of events that led to his relationship with the countess.

From the intense reactions that led to their intimate encounters, Siwoo’s unique traits, who had seduced whom, to how things continued to progress.

He even shared how their intimate encounters had contributed to the research they were working on.

Eloa’s eyebrows, which had risen sharply, gradually lowered as she listened to the explanation.

Her expression suggested that she didn’t seem completely satisfied, though.

She had long known that Siwoo would lose his senses when he inhaled her scent, and she herself had once used it to her advantage.

The problem here was that he continued his relationship with the countess under the guise of research without informing her. It bothered her a little.

“If that was the case, you should have told me sooner....”

Even Sharon, who had zero intention of restraining Siwoo, seemed unsettled by that point.

The twins, who were the first to scold Siwoo, were now quietly glancing at Eloa, clearly sensing the serious mood.

“Yes, I understand. I won’t let anything like this happen again. But there is something I’d like to ask for your understanding on.”

“Understanding?”

“I wish to continue the research with Countess Yesod.”

Siwoo’s bold and shameless statement left Eloa and Sharon speechless, while the twins started to lose their tempers again.

“Mr. Assistant! You didn’t repent at all!”

“This isn’t an apology! You’re just trying to make it okay for you to sleep with her now!”

On either side of Siwoo—who was still kneeling—the twins reached out, mock-choking him.

Even Sharon, who would usually intervene, didn’t seem inclined to stop them this time.

“Are you saying that you’re going to continue your relationship with Countess Yesod in the future? For research purposes?”

“You could do that research with someone else! Like Sharon unnie!”

“Womanizer! Womanizer!”

“Ugg...! Haaa...! I-It’s...! Not only for that specific research...”

After being stuck in that position for a while, Siwoo finally revealed the full extent of the situation.

He explained that he and the countess were studying the unique magical phenomenon that happened during his climax. According to the countess, it could help with a new method of brand succession for witches.

“Is that even possible?”

“It’s still just a theory, but she said if we test it several times, we might make actual progress.”

“...”

At that moment, all four of their expressions were exactly the same.

Their mouths were tightly shut, and their eyes were as wide as pinecones.

Siwoo’s explanation could be summed up like this:

1) He was going to continue having sex with Countess Yesod.

The research’s purpose was to study the strange effects happening within Siwoo's body.

It was also to research a way for the previous witch to not die during succession.

But since there were three main points, each person interpreted it differently.

Sharon, who focused on point 2, said...

“Well, I suppose... We can’t just stay in the dark about everything.”

Siwoo was the first male witch.

His body was like a black box, no one knew what was going on inside.

Sharon had also overcome her incomplete succession with Siwoo’s help, but even she didn’t fully understand how it worked.

It was only natural to be concerned by such a thing, no one knew what unpredictable after-effects would arise from such a phenomenon.

It was like how people in the past, unaware of science, used lead, arsenic, or mercury on their skin, thinking it was safe.

Having Countess Yesod assist in this research would be a great help.

Even if the idea of Siwoo sleeping with another woman still bothered her.

Eloa, meanwhile, focused on point 3.

“I understand Countess Yesod’s intentions, and I understand your desire to help her. It seems I have misunderstood you somewhat.”

Eloa knew the pain of loss.

She could relate to the countess’ desperation for her apprentice witch—the desperation that could bring one to sacrifice everything, even one’s own heart.

Knowing Siwoo’s nature, she didn’t believe he was only acting out of lust, so it was easier for her to accept his explanation.

But then there were the twins who were focused on point 1.

“So basically, you’re just going to keep doing it.”

“At first, it was just us... But now... Mr. Assistant, you’ve turned into a bad person.”

They were the ones who had been with Siwoo from the beginning.

They acknowledged Sharon, who had been by his side when he was struggling alone in the modern world.

And even accepted Duchess Tiphereth, who had to wrestle with her own problems.

But now adding Countess Yesod to the mix?

No matter how reasonable or understandable his excuse was, they just couldn’t accept it.

“It feels like every time we blink, you’re off playing with a new woman, Mr. Assistant!”

“You barely even spend time with us anymore! It’s not fair!”

Odile and Odette, who had been shouting, now felt more sorrow than anger, their eyes brimming with tears.

“I’m sorry. From now on, I’ll...”

“Enough! Odette, let’s go!”

Cutting Siwoo’s apology in the middle, Odile grabbed Odette’s hand and stormed out, leaving the others behind.