Chapter 70
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Dorothy Kihased (2)
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A squid showed up as my blind date partner. Time to bail.
The worst possible scenario I could've imagined was pretty much exactly this.
Not only could I not introduce any new variables, I'd been filtered out right from the start based on looks alone. There wasn't even a chance to make a move.
Sadly, the ancients were right—bad predictions are always spot on.
It had been about thirty seconds since I met Dorothy. In that short time, I'd already stepped halfway into that disastrous flow.
Handsome gorilla shows up as blind date partner. That was as far as it went.
It was a terrifying situation that could've easily led straight to game over.
But thankfully, by some miracle...
"Still, I was a bit surprised by you, Mr. Nam Dowon. You're looking after Neria too."
"Ah, yes. That's right."
"How long have you known her? I've been out of the loop on Neria's news."
Instead of turning and walking away, Dorothy gave me a slight opening.
The topic unexpectedly turned to Neria.
Actually, on second thought, it wasn't that surprising.
From Neria's reaction just now, they at least knew each other in passing.
Since Neria—someone in the same boat—had dipped her toes into 'mana charging' first, it must've piqued her curiosity.
If Neria hadn't woken up and messed with my smartphone...
...Phew.
Next time, I'll give her a ton of kisses.
And all the sex she wanted too.
"It's been about a month and a half now. That's roughly how long I've known Lady Neria."
"Neria must've been a handful. Especially since Lady Erzel adores her. She's the girl who was always called a genius, after all."
"She was thrilled. ...And speaking of which, if you put in the effort, Lady Dorothy, someday..."
"Sorry. I'm just not into bestiality at all."
Guess this level of treatment is still the limit.
I could only flash an awkward smile, at which point Dorothy slowly pulled out her smartphone.
It wasn't like she had some urgent business. She was probably just checking the time.
She followed up with some words that felt like mild encouragement.
"Like I said earlier, I think you're pretty decent-looking for a human."
"...Thank you."
"Yes. I used a metaphor there, but the point is you're quite good-looking by human standards. Straighten your shoulders."
"Yes..."
"The reason I can't help but feel that way is because I've been surrounded by witches my whole life. Living buried among absolute stunners leaves me no choice."
Thinking about it... hmm, it made a certain sense, even if Dorothy was an extreme case.
After spending her entire life immersed in witches, now encountering humans' wildly varied looks...
They had to seem like inferior animals.
Hell, I'd only met a few witch ladies, and my standards were already shooting up.
That sparked a bit of curiosity, so I ventured to ask.
"...So, Lady Dorothy. Do you find yourself more drawn to fellow witches than men...?"
"Hold on. I'm not even a speck interested in homosexuality."
"Sorry. I had to ask just in case. Gotta clarify the situation too."
"I figured a question like that would come up eventually. Especially since even other women misunderstand sometimes."
"...Is this about the idol trainees?"
"I've gotten three confessions so far. From female trainees."
"......"
Is that even allowed?
Don't idols have dating bans anyway?
Do girls not usually go after each other?
...Better than a scandal with a guy, I guess?
Is the agency encouraging it?
As I reeled in shock, Dorothy started strolling leisurely beside me.
"It's getting chilly. Let's move somewhere else. A café okay with you?"
More than okay.
It meant I could keep talking with Dorothy, so I nodded eagerly.
And that's how we ended up here.
Tucked away in a quiet alley in Cheongdam-dong was a small café.
Dorothy's secret favorite spot. Something like that.
"It's a regular café, so don't let your guard down. Keep your voice low when we talk. It's a hassle to control everything with magic one by one."
"Got it."
"They do a great café latte here. Want to try it, Mr. Nam Dowon?"
"Sure, I'll give it a shot."
It reminded me a bit of Lady Lin because of the coffee connection, but the vibe suggested no relation to her master.
I followed Dorothy inside, skipping the ordering as she did, and we settled at a cramped corner table.
The nearest group of customers was three tables away... perfect spot for introverts.
But since we'd breezed past ordering, I asked first.
"Should I go order yours too, Lady Dorothy?"
"No need. I already did. Two hot café lattes."
"...?"
When?
There wasn't even a tablet on the table like at some places.
Did they have some telepathy magic?
Even if they did, wouldn't the staff think it was weird?
Thankfully, the mystery was solved quickly.
"Ah... I assumed you already knew, Mr. Nam Dowon, so I didn't mention it."
"......"
"The Kihased family, myself included, specializes in illusion magic among our various studies."
Water.
Space.
And now, illusions.
That was why she'd openly shared what magic she'd honed for so long.
"Illusions..."
Illusions, huh.
I had a vague image, but it was one of those things hard to sum up simply.
Creating things that didn't exist, distorting senses. Something like that...
Hard to explain crisply.
Right away, it reminded me of Lady Lin's magic from before.
A massive fist blazing with blue flames, but feeling no heat at all.
That was probably an illusion too.
I nodded along, and Dorothy continued.
"We hide our true forms, and the illusion I create merges with us after ordering as we walk in. Got it?"
"Uh... more or less. So the illusion is invisible to me?"
"Exactly. No need to clutter your vision, so I set it that way. I could make it visible and audible to you if I wanted."
"That explains it. When I first met Lady Lin, she appeared as an old woman, then revealed her true form before erasing herself like with an eraser. All illusions..."
"Yep. Smarter gorilla than you look. Just kidding, of course."
"......"
...Still, being called a handsome, smart gorilla beat a downgrade.
With Dorothy as the benchmark, countless guys wouldn't even get that much.
Anyway, this level of magic was probably manageable with her everyday mana reserves.
I nodded like I got it.
"So, Lady Dorothy, what if you used illusion magic to tweak a guy's face to your taste...?"
"Not an interesting proposal. Would slapping a celebrity photo on an animal's face make it a suitable mating partner for you?"
"...Yeah, that's a no-go."
"Besides, I haven't found my type yet. Not in real life, nor online."
"No face among them that was at least tolerable?"
"Hard to break it down that finely, but anyway—you're solidly in the top ranks, Mr. Nam Dowon."
"I-is that so."
"You seem pretty deflated by the animal treatment, but I wouldn't even sit at the same table as a guy I truly found repulsive. Makes me want to puke."
"......"
"The discomfort with you only kicks in when I imagine tumbling in bed with you, moaning away. Has to be at least that much."
Ugly animals? Can't even keep as pets.
Playing with a cute cat beside me? Fine.
But sex with the cat? No way.
That kind of treatment.
How the hell was I supposed to mana-charge smoothly with Dorothy like this?
I leaned back in my chair, rolling my head around, but nothing better than my earlier idea came up.
Sex with an ugly guy is disgusting.
Truth is, if her standards weren't sky-high, this applies to normal humans too, right?
Outside of weird fetishes, most people avoid ugly guys or girls.
That's lookism for you.
Was there no way to just enjoy sex with Dorothy?
Without seeing faces, bodies, anything—just the sex...
......
...Huh?
That feels familiar somehow. Like I experienced something similar recently...
It was right on the tip of my tongue when Dorothy cut in abruptly.
"Oh, and one question, Mr. Nam Dowon."
"What is it?"
"There was something very personal I considered asking back at the park but skipped... Hmm."
"Yes."
A brief silence.
After a moment that felt held-breath, Dorothy lowered her voice another notch.
"...How did Neria end up liking sex with you?"
Your disliked side dish, your friend scarfs down like it's delicious.
Even though your friend used to dislike it a bit too.
Dorothy asked in a tone that said it made zero sense by her values.
I lowered my voice to match as I replied.
"I could break it down step by step right now if you want, but to be brutally honest..."
Setting aside any desire to do it with Dorothy.
This was just the truth.
What can you do?
"Until you develop a taste for bestiality yourself, Lady Dorothy, you'll never understand what I'm about to say."
When it's time to thrust into pussy, you gotta thrust.