Page 421

1.

Countess Gemini, two bodies sharing a soul.

It wasn’t just some symbolic metaphor or an abstract idea.

For generations, witches of the Gemini line had always been twins—each bearing half of a single brand.

Even the apprentices chosen by the Oracles were twins, just like Deneb and Albireo’s predecessors.

This lineage of twins stretched back to their predecessors’ predecessors and beyond.

Their magic would only reach its full potential when they were together; perfection in unison.

Due to this, no matter how far apart they were, Gemini twins could always sense each other’s condition.

For example, if Deneb were to cast a particularly powerful spell or if something unusual happened to her, Albireo would know immediately.

So when Albireo—peacefully reviewing business proposals in the Gemini Mansion—felt a sudden surge of a massive spell from Deneb in the heart of Tarot Town, she headed there without hesitation.

When she arrived, she sensed an Interdimensional Barrier.

There were a few curious witches lingering nearby, wondering what was going on.

However, none dared to step inside, knowing that the barrier belonged to Deneb.

After all, they didn’t know what she was doing there. If, by chance, she was conducting a magical experiment, even sneaking in could lead to serious trouble.

“Ugh, my head...”

But, Albireo got to quickly connect the dots, forming the most likely theory as to why this had happened.

The twins had a hidden base in Tarot Town.

Deneb had suddenly set up an interdimensional barrier near that base.

And then, one name came to her mind: Shin Siwoo.

Could it be that Siwoo was caught by Deneb while he was fooling around with the twins?

“I’m going insane! Seriously!”

If her guess was correct, then this wasn’t a trivial matter.

Though Deneb was generally more compassionate and considerate than Albireo, in certain situations, she was far less forgiving.

Without wasting time, Albireo stepped into the barrier.

And as soon as she did, her hunch was proven correct.

Sadly, she had arrived a little late, as Deneb and Siwoo had already left the barrier.

Within the dissipating barrier, there wasn’t a single intact structure left.

She could tell that this was Deneb’s handiwork.

“If things escalate even further... Not good...”

Wiping cold sweat from her brow, Albireo imagined the worst.

She could just imagine Deneb tearing Siwoo’s head off his neck.

Her sister really would do that, she knew her well.

Of course, she wouldn’t let things go that far, at least for the sake of the twins.

Having an inkling as to where she thought Deneb might have taken Siwoo, Albireo immediately rushed to that place.

2.

Stabbing headache, aching muscles, the chill rising from the floor, uncomfortable dampness, all of these sensations combined pulled siwoo out of his deep sleep.

“Ah... Ugh... Huff...”

The strain of that last battle finally caught up with his body, forcing him to gasp for air. When he tried to move, he realized both his arms were twisted behind him, bound.

-Clank, clank!

He wriggled his body around, trying to get off, but his feet were tightly fixed to a chair. His hands weren’t tied by a simple rope either, but rather an iron chain. In short, he wouldn’t be able to escape with mere brute force.

And so, he tried to channel his mana, but...

“What the...?”

The mana in his brand refused to respond.

Only then did Siwoo take a look at his surroundings.

If he had to describe it in one word, calling it a ‘dungeon’ would suffice.

Rusty iron bars, turned completely black due to corrosion, densely embedded in the dark, filthy rock walls.

The only light source in the dungeon, which was so dark since even the moonlight couldn’t seep in, were the torches mounted on the walls.

It was the kind of place where rats might grow as big as cats.

As Siwoo blinked in confusion, he noticed a white figure stepping into view.

“During the Qliphoth’s raid, Gehenna suffered a lot of damage. Even our family mansion was partially destroyed.”

It was Deneb Gemini.

Seeing her, all the memories came rushing back.

“Hostility toward Criminal Exiles and Exiles in general reached its peak since then. Several measures were implemented in Gehenna. One of them is this, the underground prison built beneath our family estate.”

Siwoo remembered that he was chasing after the runaway twins, patching things up, sharing a kiss with them, then somehow ending up in a raunchy situation.

Then, Deneb barged in out of nowhere and captured him.

“The newly rebuilt Gemini Mansion was designed to resemble a colossal magical array. From its architectural layout to its corridor patterns, everything was meticulously designed. Even the leylines and water veins beneath are controlled by this array. With that in mind, it isn’t hard to turn this prison into a place where no one but my sister and I can use magic.”

That was when Siwoo finally understood why he couldn’t use his mana here.

As Deneb had explained, the dense, oppressive mana of this place disrupted every attempt at magic.

No matter how hard he tried, it was useless. His effort was as futile as trying to overturn a lost arm-wrestling match.

“Don’t think for a second that the twins are coming to rescue you. They don’t even know of this dungeon’s existence. After all, knowing such a thing wouldn’t be good for their emotional development.”

In contrast to the rage she had initially displayed, her tone was disturbingly calm.

But, Siwoo could tell.

Her anger hadn’t subsided, but rather sharpened and refined into a cold, piercing edge.

“Deneb, Ma’am.”

“I’ll be the one asking questions here. I’ve cast the Poem of Confession on you.”

“Ugh, not that spell again...”

Even as Deneb spoke, Siwoo’s mouth started moving on its own.

The Poem of Confession was a spell that would force out every hidden thought of the person it was cast upon. In other words, it was the worst possible spell to face in this situation for Siwoo.

He could feel his legs trembling, not from the cold, but from fear

Though she had somewhat regained his composure, it was clear that Deneb’s anger had not dissipated.

She was simply keeping enough of her composure intact to proceed with this interrogation.

But, now that the spell made Siwoo’s mouth keep on running, he wouldn’t be surprised if she were to lose her temper again and just decided to kill him on the spot.

“I see. So I’m going to die here...”

“...”

“Wait, I wasn’t saying that willingly! It’s just this damn—! Ah, sorry, I mean, it’s because of the Poem of Confession! Please, have some mercy!”

Deneb barely twitched an eyebrow at his awkward attempts at humor, showing not even the slightest hint of being amused.

She continued, maintaining her icy tone.

“Did you intend to have sex with the twins?”

“Yes.”

-Thunk

Siwoo noticed Deneb’s nails digging into her palm.

He only said a single word, but the tension already shot up through the roof.

“...And why, exactly? Odile and Odette are just apprentice witches. Surely, by now, you’ve known of the risks involved. Can’t you just wait a little longer, just like I asked of you...?”

“I’ve had sex with them multiple times already, and there haven’t been any issues.”

“Are you seriously saying that to me right now?!”

Deneb’s sharp voice reverberated through the dark room.

“But it’s true! As long as apprentice witches’ wombs are uncontaminated, nothing else really matters! Besides, we’ve been careful to...”

To emphasize once again, Siwoo hated this spell.

No matter how much he tried to hold his tongue back, his mouth kept spilling out everything in his mind.

It wasn’t like he didn’t try to time his answers either.

The problem was that, as soon as a thought crossed his mind, his mouth immediately spilled it out.

“We only did anal!”

“...A-A-Anal...?”

At that moment, Deneb’s expression changed to that of utter disbelief. Like a scientist watching their core understanding of the universe shatter.

She was stunned. Utterly shocked.

“I’ve cummed inside them over twenty times and they’re still alright, I mean, their bowls are still alright... Also, it wasn’t purely out of lust... At first, it was because they fed me a love potion, but... Well, there are others I care about as much as the twins... And...”

Alongside his thoughts of the matter, other ramblings kept pouring out of his mouth.

Nevertheless, it was kinda obvious...

That his words only passed through one ear and out the other.

“...I’ve always planned to take responsibility for everything...”

Deneb’s face, now pale and drained, looked as if her soul had left her body.

But, slowly, her cheeks gained some color again.

Fueled by pure, unadulterated rage.

“In other words... You’ve been doing obscene things with the twins without any regard for the consequences, and also have been involved with other women? And now you’re claiming that you’re going to take responsibility? Is the Gemini Household just a joke to you?”

“That’s not it! I swear!”

“I can’t...! I absolutely can’t tolerate this...!”

-Woooom, woooooom

The air around them began to shake.

Deneb wasn’t even trying to cast a spell.

It was just the result of her raw turbulent emotions, resonating with her mana, rippling it outward.

And of course, Siwoo still couldn’t use even a sliver of his magic.

Meaning, a single stray touch of her mana could easily kill him, even if she had no intention to cause him harm.

“Deneb!”

At that moment, a commanding voice echoed, and the rising turbulence of mana completely dissipated.

Accompanied by the sound of clicking heels on the stairs, Albireo rushed down to intervene.

She promptly neutralized Deneb’s mana and stepped between her and Siwoo.

“Perfect timing, Sis. Hear me out. Apparently, this so-called amazing male witch has been messing around with our twins? Unbelievable, right?”

“Deneb, calm down first.”

“Calm down?! How am I supposed to calm down?!”

Even though he said that he had done it out of a momentary lust, the things he had done still weren’t acceptable. Especially when he had been repeatedly fucking the twins in the most unhinged, perverted ways.

And it didn’t stop there. He had also been involved with Sharon Evergreen, Duchess Tiphereth, Countess Yesod, and numerous other women.

Deneb just couldn’t forgive him for that.

As she denounced his misdeeds heatedly, she realized that Albireo was acting much more nonchalant than she had expected.

Her sister was far too calm for someone hearing this for the first time.

“Wait... Could it be...? You already knew, Sis...?”

“Yes, I did.”

“How on earth could you just stand by, then?! Don’t you realize how serious this is?!”

Deneb couldn’t understand it, but Albireo had her reasons.

For one, it was the twins who had seduced Siwoo first.

Driven by overwhelming curiosity, they used a potion to force themselves on him, and since he was a slave at the time, there was no way he could’ve refused them.

Despite this, he had saved their lives twice: once from the homunculus and once from a Criminal Exile.

The second time, he was practically at death’s door even.

After that, Albireo basically forced him to go to the Modern World, and though it definitely wasn’t her intention, he ended up in another near-death situation due to an incident caused by the Cowardly Witch.

At the end of the day, it was the twins who troubled him considerably due to their affections towards him.

However, Albireo wasn’t simply excusing Siwoo’s actions out of guilt or a sense of obligation.

The twins genuinely cared for Siwoo, and it seemed that he felt the same way for them.

Unlike any ordinary man, he wouldn’t age and die of old age—an invaluable trait for a witch’s son-in-law. On top of that, he was a prodigy, and he kept on trying to further advance his magic.

Maintaining a good relationship with him was nothing but beneficial.

Fixated solely on Siwoo’s physical relationship with the twins, Deneb failed to see the bigger picture, but Albireo had carefully considered everything.

“Siwoo, wait here for a moment.”

“Where are you going? Is there even anything you can’t say in front of him?”

Albireo grabbed Deneb’s wrist and led her to a quiet corner of the dungeon.