Chapter 225
Chapter 225
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 225
Chapter Title: People Trapped in the Past
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After the unexpected mishap, Sharon barricaded herself in her room, claiming she had research to do.
Who could blame her? Getting caught red-handed bursting out the door in that outfit, with those words still hanging in the air—it was enough to make anyone die of embarrassment.
When Siu checked on her again after changing clothes, she wasn't studying at all. Instead, she was lying on her bed, buried under the covers, pounding away at her pillow.
"I'm heading out. You sure you don't wanna come?"
"Argh! Get lost! I'm not going!"
Siu asked in an amused tone, and the pillow she'd been full-on pummeling came flying at him with a whoosh.
He caught it with flair.
"No hard feelings, right?"
"Pl... please... just let me stay like this..."
At the sound of Sharon's half-dead voice, he gave up and headed outside.
Today's outfit was neat short slacks and a short-sleeved tee. With the nights cooling off lately, days like this wouldn't last much longer.
As he opened the door, the Tiphereth Duke stood there quietly, waiting.
"Sorry I'm late. I figured more people would be better, so I tried to drag Sharon along... but she said she had stuff to do."
"I see. What a shame."
Siu hadn't spent much time with Eloa, but one thing he was sure of: she wasn't the type to pry into others' business.
Sure enough, her reaction was just as expected. She said it was a shame, but didn't seem all that disappointed—and there was no sign she'd let her imagination run wild over what happened earlier.
She simply carried herself with the same quiet elegance as a well-polished sword.
"Where to?"
So he hadn't seen that coming.
"It's a housewarming, so... it's only proper I host personally."
"Pardon?"
"First, we'll need to do some shopping. No ingredients in the house at all. Mind guiding me to a nearby market?"
"Yes, of course."
The last thing Siu had imagined was her cooking the meal herself.
A bit dazed, he followed Eloa into the elevator anyway.
From Sinchon Rotary, they walked along the main road, turned left, and there was the department store—B1 had the food court and grocery section.
Not as stocked as a big supermarket, but it had everything you needed, and it was close, so Siu shopped there often.
Still, trekking fifteen minutes on foot without a single word between them felt odd.
It was his first time seeing Eloa in everyday mode outside of sparring, so he stole glances at her lovely profile.
Not out of any ulterior motives—just the way your eyes keep drifting to a beautiful work of art.
If he had to sum up his impressions...
'If magical girls existed in real life, she'd look just like this.' She was downright cute.
A bold, almost irreverent thought, but it fit. Aside from her big eyes with their prominent double lids and long lashes, everything about her was petite and dainty.
Not particularly tall, with practical short hair like an athlete.
Even her nose, mouth, and ears—all features that had to fit on that small face—were tiny.
Her usual aura hid it completely, but purely on looks, she seemed less like an elder and more like a little sister.
Like... if the twins were cheeky youngest siblings eight years apart, Eloa would be the surprisingly mature eldest sister?
As he observed her exterior and felt his awe—or was it intimidation?—fading, reality hit him again.
Her presence was just different.
Straight brows and a gaze settled in cool detachment.
Soft, delicate lips pressed firmly together, utterly serious without a hint of a smile.
Her steps steady and measured, like they'd been ruled out with a straightedge.
Every such detail made him think: She's not someone you can judge by appearances alone.
"Ah, let me push that."
"Much appreciated."
By the time they reached the department store and Siu grabbed a cart, he finally broke the ice.
Until then, he'd been too busy observing her, and they weren't close enough for casual chit-chat anyway.
Eloa headed straight for the meat section and tossed in two chickens for stewing.
Then to produce: carrots, onions, potatoes, cabbage, mushrooms, and the like.
Her hands moved without hesitation—she clearly had a menu in mind.
Might've been his imagination, but she seemed a touch more upbeat than usual, so he asked.
"Do you like cooking?"
Eloa looked mildly surprised that he'd spoken up.
They'd cross paths more in the future, so getting friendly seemed smart—and that meant starting a conversation, right?
"...I've done it plenty."
"Ah."
But Siu wasn't much of a talker himself.
Especially not with someone so far above him, like a grad student chatting up their professor. No clue what topic to latch onto.
Unexpectedly, Eloa spoke first.
"That said, it's been ages since I've done it like this. So don't expect too much."
She said it with an awkward lilt, then turned to the seafood aisle, loading up on all sorts.
Cod fillets with bones removed, shrimp, lobster, keyhole limpets, clams—you name it. She bought heaps, impossible to guess what she was making.
Finally, she grabbed packs of mixed herbs and bay leaves, then paid in cash.
On the way back, Siu's hands were stuffed with bags bulging with ingredients.
She'd offered to carry them, but he'd politely refused and taken them himself.
"Fascinating."
"Hm?"
"Even up until we established the first Wizpoint here, Seoul didn't look like this. Far more rural and pastoral. More mountains than buildings, more trees than people. I've traveled many countries, but none changed this drastically in so short a time."
"When did you set it up?"
"1920... around then? It was a perfect beachhead for Western powers between China and Japan, so we put in extra effort."
He'd guessed from her words, but it was so ancient he couldn't relate.
Noticing his reaction, Eloa gave a wry smile.
"Right, you haven't even lived thirty years yet, have you? Sorry for rambling on about nothing."
"No, no. It was interesting. Like seeing history come alive."
"You'd be even more amazed by Instructor Sua."
Before long, their idle chit-chat had carried them back to Siu's downstairs neighbor—Eloa's new place.
2.
The first time Siu stepped into her apartment, he was a little stunned.
Same building, right below his—identical layout.
But the vibe was worlds apart.
Even accounting for the fact she hadn't even been there a full day, aside from basics like the sofa and table, there wasn't a single personal item in sight.
Maybe those three blue boxes stacked in the living room corner, like evidence from a raid?
Peeking out papers on homunculi and public enemies...
It felt less like a home and more like a fugitive's hideout—no trace of daily life at all.
A stark display of what she lived for... and what she'd sacrificed for it.
"Set them on the kitchen table."
"Y-yes..."
For some reason, Siu felt subdued as he placed the bags down and unpacked.
In the kitchen, he finally spotted something personal to Tiphereth: a shelf crammed with all sorts of liquor.
"It'll take a bit. You okay with that?"
"No problem. Need a hand?"
"I'd appreciate it."
Eloa shrugged off her windbreaker and rolled up her sleeves.
She started sorting ingredients with swift efficiency: veggies together, meats and seafood that needed prep separated, anything for washing straight into the sink.
"Handle the veggies first. Nothing fancy—just brush off the dirt and rinse clean."
"What about these?"
"If you're up for it, seafood too. Scrub off the grime with that brush."
"Got it."
Siu turned on the faucet and got to work on the potatoes, onions, and seafood.
Eloa rinsed the prepped raw chicken, patted it dry, and marinated it in pepper, salt, and olive oil.
Looked awfully practiced.
"Carrots and onions first. Oh, and garlic."
"Here."
Eloa laid out a cutting board and grabbed a chef's knife.
Her hands danced.
Peeling a single potato took under ten seconds.
-Thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack
"Whoa..."
Siu pursed his lips, watching her slice the peeled veggies into perfect, uniform pieces.
Fast and precise.
Each crisp strike against the board yielded neat chunks.
For someone who hadn't cooked in ages, her skills were flawless.
"Seafood too?"
"Yeah, just finishing the wash. Still grimy."
He scrubbed diligently at the stubborn buildup.
Eloa, watching intently, spoke up.
"You throw yourself into everything, don't you?"
"Ah, probably the slave habits."
Caught off-guard by the sudden praise, Siu mumbled sheepishly.
"Right, you were a slave in Gehenna. Where from?"
"Public slave attached to Trinity Academy in Lenormand Town."
"Lenormand Town... Must've been rough among those rigid witches."
"Really?"
Eloa took the live lobster Siu handed her.
Closed her eyes briefly, as if in prayer, then snapped the necks of all three in an instant.
"The orthodox witches there are stuck in the past, mindset-wise. I can imagine the hardships you endured as a slave."
"I didn't meet many, but... the witches outside do seem freer. Still, Gehenna had its share of good ones."
"Not bitter toward them?"
"Blessing in disguise—I ended up in Gehenna, escaped a death sentence, learned magic. Made some good connections too."
Eloa stared intently at Siu's profile as he replied.
Features don't tell the whole story, but a person's outlook and attitude leave their mark on the face.
Siu had a kind impression, devoid of malice.
"Uh..."
Siu fidgeted, flustered for no clear reason, and Eloa let out a faint chuckle.
"You were stealing glances at me earlier too, weren't you? So I took a look."
"S-sorry."
"No need to apologize. It is an unusual hair color—people stare. If you'd asked, I'd have shown you outright."
It wasn't just the hair or eyes, but...
No need to spell that out.
Soon the kitchen filled with the rich aroma of butter and sizzling veggies.
With prep done, Siu had nothing left to do.
"Wait in the living room. It'll take a while."
"Anything else I can help with?"
"Thanks anyway—keeping a guest in the kitchen any longer wouldn't do as a host."
And so Siu ended up back in the living room, twiddling his thumbs.