Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Border Town (2)
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1.
We walked along the zigzag path carved into the cliffs.
Ahead of me bobbed Amelia's round head.
The fragrant perfume filling the umbrella mingled with her natural scent, tickling my chest.
As witches who favored the conservative, Gehenna exuded a thoroughly medieval vibe, but Border Town was a different story.
This was a place flooded with modern goods smuggled in by traffickers, cut off from other towns, so it was packed with items you'd only see back home.
Just look at the laborers hauling cargo at the docks—they were wearing suspender jeans. And in one corner of the market, the tiny street vendor selling chicken skewers had a roof made of blue panels straight out of a factory.
Speaking of chicken skewers...
Chicken skewers were one of Siwoo's favorite foods.
He especially loved the Japanese style, skewered with green onions and grilled over charcoal.
But since he couldn't exactly ditch his duties to Amelia to grab some, Siwoo settled for the aroma.
Then Amelia spoke up.
"Caretaker."
"Yes?"
"Go buy two."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Was it okay to get this excited about food at his age? Still, there was no helping it.
After a whole day of eating what barely qualified as food, even the most refined person would weep or laugh over a single piece of meat.
He took the pennies from her and dashed to the vendor.
"Two, please."
"Sure thing~"
The friendly-looking lady placed the skewers on the gravel heated by charcoal.
With a sizzle, the chicken started browning as the juices boiled.
A delicious smell wafted up.
"New face. Where you from?"
"Pardon?"
Come to think of it, East Asians were rare in Gehenna.
Distracted by the skewers, he hadn't noticed, but she seemed Korean.
"Ah, Korea."
"Oh my, really? I had a feeling. You a slave?"
"For now, yeah."
Her eyes lit up with the joy of meeting a compatriot.
"Serving that witch behind you?"
"Kinda, but not directly. I'm with city hall."
"Nice~ That's better than nothing. Slaves sent to the labor camps have it rough."
"Haha..."
"Meeting a fellow countryman put me in a good mood. Here's an extra one."
"Thank you."
After some light chit-chat with zero nutritional value, Siwoo returned to Amelia with her well-wishes for good health ringing in his ears.
"Associate Professor, thank you."
"Why three?"
Amelia, who had been holding the umbrella alone, took the skewers.
"Fellow countrywoman gave an extra."
"...Can't eat in the middle of the street. Over there."
She pointed to a building with a long overhanging eaves perfect for sheltering from the rain.
We folded the umbrella and stood side by side against the wall.
Siwoo confirmed Amelia biting into her skewer, then popped the sauce-dripping meat into his mouth.
The juices and fat soaked into the skin beneath, mixed with sweet-salty soy-based sauce and the smoky charcoal aroma, danced on his tongue.
For Siwoo, who hadn't eaten since morning, it was pure bliss.
"Caretaker."
"Yes?"
"Do you miss home?"
Amelia, quietly nibbling away, suddenly spoke up.
Lately, he'd been getting these random questions.
Was something changing in her mindset?
Or maybe, as Takasho suggested, this was her way of approaching him.
"I'd be lying if I said no."
Siwoo stuffed a well-charred green onion into his mouth.
Gehenna was built on witches exploiting everyone non-witch.
No overt oppression, but it was clear they stripped away personal freedom.
"I suppose so."
Her sudden chit-chat was odd enough, but what followed was stranger.
Conversations needed back-and-forth, yet Amelia would toss out a few words and clam up.
"........."
".......*nom nom*."
Decent size or not, they were still just chicken skewers.
Two barely made a dent in Siwoo's stomach.
"Um..."
-Boom!
The moment Siwoo finished his skewers and Amelia opened her mouth again.
Was it the weight of the rainwater? The eaves we sheltered under collapsed.
In that split-second with no time to react.
Amelia's face flashed in slow motion, mouth and eyes wide in shock.
Siwoo instinctively thrust out his arm to shield her head.
Falling debris pounded his back, head, and arms.
Or rather, his body moved before his head did?
The instant he sensed danger, he enveloped Amelia.
Pooled rainwater poured down with the debris, soaking his clothes.
A rotten wooden beam had smacked him right on the crown of his head.
It hurt so bad and made him so dizzy that tears welled up.
"...Ah."
Siwoo opened his eyes at the sound of Amelia cutely gasping.
When he shook off the dizziness and came to.
His arms were braced against the wall on either side of her head, like a kabedon.
She fit perfectly under his shadow.
And amid it all, he'd remembered not to touch a witch casually—instinctively avoiding direct contact—which drew a wry smile.
"...Uh."
"........."
Anyway, their faces were way too close.
If Siwoo stretched out his tongue as far as it could go, he could lick her round forehead.
Her still-wide eyes, fluttering lashes.
Even her softly parting lips were crystal clear.
The situation, the pose—it was straight out of a clichéd rom-com.
Siwoo and Amelia both froze solid, and Amelia spoke first.
"Caretaker, you're too close."
"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to, I mean, it wasn't like I was gonna do anything weird..."
Siwoo stammered incoherently and jerked his torso back, swallowing hard.
He could block the falling wood, but not all the pooled water.
So Amelia's clothes were drenched like a bucket had been dumped on her.
"Um..."
To make matters worse, today's dress was thin and light-colored.
Soaked, the fabric clung tight, subtly outlining her curves.
And through the now-sheer dress, her black bra.
It barely covered her breasts—perfect handfuls—visible as clearly as if she'd worn a see-through top.
"......?"
Amelia noticed Siwoo suddenly turning away and slowly checked herself out.
Then she froze up like a lagging computer.
"Caretaker."
At her call, Siwoo hesitantly turned back.
Classic Amelia—even in this mess, not batting an eye.
Or so it seemed for a split second.
Look closer: her lips quivered.
Her usually pale cheeks flushed pink.
"Are you hurt?"
Amelia subtly covered herself with an arm while checking on him.
The usually prickly Amelia worrying about a mere slave's condition.
Maybe his slave instincts were ingrained, but even this normal act touched him.
"Ah, no. I'm fine."
"Good. I'll overlook today's slip-up."
If this were a rom-com world, they'd head straight to a motel to "dry off" and "wash away the rain."
Cue some sweet or steamy scene. But alas, this was Gehenna, city of witches.
-Snap!
Amelia flicked her fingers, and all the rainwater on both of them evaporated cleanly.
Her embarrassing dress turned fresh as if just from the dryer.
The muddy rain smell vanished, replaced by a faint minty scent swirling around.
"Let's go."
Amelia walked off with elegant poise, as if nothing happened.
Each step like strutting a runway.
"Um, Associate Professor."
"It's fine. Just clothes got wet and see-through from rain. Nothing untoward, so no issue."
Her unusually quick speech proved she was a bit embarrassed.
But that wasn't the point.
"Yes, I'm truly grateful. But..."
"Then what's the problem?"
"Blue Snake Contact Point is the other way?"
"........."
Amelia tilted her chin up haughtily, as always.
She said calmly, like she knew everything.
"I'm Amelia Merrygold. Think I'd forget something that simple? I just wanted to browse the docks a bit more."
She tried playing it cool, but Amelia seemed hugely embarrassed.
Seeing her flustered was a first—refreshing, and honestly...
A little cute.
Never imagined feeling that about her.
Throwing himself to shield her from the debris didn't feel wasted at all.
"Sorry for the needless comment. I'll escort you."
Siwoo opened the umbrella and stood beside her.
Awkward silence fell, and that scene replayed in his mind.
Quite the surprise.
Never pegged Amelia for the provocative lingerie type.
That barely-there black bra covering half her breasts kept popping up in his thoughts.
2.
A contact point was a wholesale-retail shop selling smuggled modern goods.
Some dealt only in kidnapped slaves like Siwoo; others, just grain.
Blue Snake Contact Point specialized in high-end items for witches.
Incidentally, it was run by a super charismatic, sexy older sis.
"Welcome."
The cramped contact point overflowed with crates of goods.
Luxurious furs and decorative taxidermy caught the eye first, alongside furniture wrapped in plastic.
Way too pricey for the dim light of rusty oil lamps.
"Been a while."
"Not that many visits. You remember me."
"I never forget cute boys."
The proprietress, lounging at the counter puffing an e-cig, winked at Siwoo.
Adidas tracksuit.
Clothes he'd worn often back home—nostalgic.
After greeting Siwoo, she finally addressed Amelia.
"What brings a noble witch to this humble shop?"
To act this casual knowing she was a witch? Either a fool or gutsy.
Probably the latter.
Meanwhile, Amelia seemed oddly irked, glancing between Siwoo and the lady.
"Caretaker, payment for earlier. Pick what you want."
"Thank you!"
No point asking if she meant it.
Strike while the iron's hot before she changed her mind.
And so, Amelia and Siwoo's shopping spree began.