Chapter 227
Chapter 227
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 227
Chapter Title: People Trapped in the Past (3)
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1.
"Duchess?"
Eloa had fallen asleep with her face twisted in a frown.
Siu shook her shoulder a few times, but there was no sign of her waking.
For Tiphereth, sleep was an essential requirement demanded as the price of her contract—unlike ordinary witches.
Shaking her shoulder wasn't enough to rouse her.
"Oh man..."
Siu trailed off, gazing at Eloa.
It was heartbreaking.
Hearing about her plight secondhand was one thing, but seeing the person herself writhing in agony made it hit differently on a visceral level.
Self-recrimination, regret, torment...
She'd been struggling alone like that for at least a century.
Leaving such bitter thoughts behind—more acrid than whiskey on the rocks—Siu carefully lowered his body.
"Can't just leave her like this..."
He intended to carry her to the bedroom.
No matter how much of a lavish meal she'd treated him to, letting her sleep slumped over the dining table felt wrong.
"Duchess, excuse me for a moment."
Siu slipped his hands under her armpits and gently lifted her.
He wondered if this was okay even for a second, but as long as he felt justified, that was enough.
He wasn't thinking anything perverted, after all.
"She's incredibly light..."
Siu's spiritual body was inherently strong by default.
Even so, the ease with which Eloa's body lifted came from how surprisingly light she was.
Well, she was only a bit taller than the twins, so it made sense—she shouldn't have been heavy to begin with.
He couldn't carry her like that with his hands under her armpits the whole way, so he naturally slid one arm under her knees and scooped her up in a princess carry.
"Hmmm... Mm..."
Looking down, he saw Eloa's face, eyes scrunched and trembling faintly.
Sweat beaded on her forehead—she must be having a nightmare.
Though he'd sparred with her countless times, he'd never been this close.
During their matches, Siu had often failed to even touch the hem of her clothes.
As he carefully carried the soundly sleeping Eloa to avoid waking her, something disconcerting happened.
Being so close, the unique scent of a witch began tickling the tip of his nose.
A faint cherry blossom aroma, sweet like a spring breeze—it didn't just linger in his nostrils but sank deep into his chest, thick and intoxicating.
"No, fuck, not again..."
Immediately, Siu's lower body reacted.
Like a button had been pressed, he was fully erect.
Unable to hide his embarrassment, Siu waddled awkwardly and set Eloa down on the bed.
He'd placed her a bit roughly; she grimaced and shifted slightly.
"Ugh... Kuuh..."
In the process, her hair fanned out like a peacock's tail, releasing a fresh, fragrant wave.
Her thin lips parted with faint breaths.
Her long, dense eyelashes, like resting cherry blossoms carried on the wind.
Her clothes had shifted slightly, revealing her slender nape and collarbone.
The sight of Eloa reflected in his bloodshot eyes was so fragile, as if meticulously groomed to tempt a male.
It wasn't mere instinctual breeding urge or natural heterosexual lust.
Her defenseless sleeping form felt like a desperate invitation to devour her.
An impulse more akin to violence than anything else.
As his hand reached for Eloa's chest, Siu barely caught his fading reason, as if he'd been slapped hard.
"Hoo..."
Eloa lay there oblivious, while Siu bolted from the room without a backward glance.
"Am I losing my mind?"
This had happened several times before.
With Yebin, Sharon, Periwinkle—it was the same.
Whenever a witch pressed too close, enveloping him in her sticky scent, his lower half inevitably reacted, and lust boiled up.
Like a werewolf going into heat at the sight of a full moon.
But even so.
Going from pitying tormented Eloa one second to pitching a full tent the next—that was beastly, not human.
Siu staggered to the sink and splashed cold water on his face.
"Phew... Why does this keep happening?"
The cold water brought him back to his senses a bit.
His swollen member had deflated somewhat too.
"This is driving me crazy..."
Still, the self-loathing lingered thickly.
Even if his brain was glitching or whatever, the one harboring those thoughts and impulses was him.
Besides, what if the duchess had been awake?
The thought made him shudder anew, chills rising.
He should probably visit Yebin soon.
"Hoo..."
But as someone who'd eaten his fill, he couldn't just up and leave.
Siu cleared the table, did the dishes meticulously, then headed back to the house where Sharon was waiting.
2.
The door opened, but Sharon didn't come rushing out.
It was quite unusual.
Sharon always ran to the entrance to greet him whenever he went out...
Siu quietly cracked open the door to Sharon's room.
Scratch, scratch.
A desk lamp illuminated the dim study.
Sharon was propping her chin, scribbling furiously with a ballpoint pen.
From a glance, it looked like she was deep into magic research.
Should he not disturb her and leave? Just as he thought that, Sharon noticed his return first.
"...You're back?"
But her reaction was utterly lackluster.
No bounding hug, no bright smile in an excited voice.
She pursed her lips peevishly and kept working, as if telling him to leave since she was busy.
"I'm in the middle of research, so I'm busy. Can you go?"
She seemed deeply bothered by what happened today.
Siu had teased and laughed at her, so she was showing her pouting side.
Less genuine anger, more like a protest.
Her protruding lips and puffed cheeks didn't suit her appearance at all.
Sharon had the icy, aloof vibe of a statue among witches.
But that gap made her look even cuter.
"What's got you so mad?"
"I'm not mad."
"You are."
"I said I'm not!"
"Sorry for bringing you without warning. I acted on impulse and didn't consider your feelings."
Siu approached silently and massaged her shoulders from behind the chair.
Feeling the bra strap under his palms, he realized Sharon's at-home seminude fashion show was on hiatus for a while.
"Think this'll make me forgive you?"
"You just said you weren't mad."
"Picking at my words...?"
"Sorry, sorry."
The cool Sharon vanished, replaced by one pouting and grumbling.
"You laughed while I was dying of embarrassment! Teasing me and all!"
"No, you were just too cute."
"Cute to you! I was serious! What must the duchess think of me now! Good thing I at least had panties on... And!"
She vented rapidly, clearly pent up.
"If you two were going to be late, at least text me! I was waiting for your call the whole time..."
"That..."
"You said just a quick dinner, but you drank too—could've messaged!"
"It's the house right above, so I thought it'd be fine..."
"So I should've come myself? After what just happened?"
Sharon huffed indignantly, making her hurt feelings abundantly clear.
This being her first such experience, she probably didn't have a playbook for damage control.
"I'm not hanging out with you for a while. You're right—I am mad."
"Sharon."
Still, he instinctively knew how to soothe her.
"...What suddenly?"
Siu shifted from massaging her shoulders to hugging her lightly from behind.
Her prickly tone melted instantly, like iron filings to a magnet.
"I'm sorry, okay? Forgive me. My bad."
"You must think I'm that easy. This won't cut it."
"Your voice is softening though."
"...Sharon Court is now in session. Present more reasonable grounds for leniency. I'll consider mitigation."
From sulking and flailing to melting like this from a hug alone.
How could he not adore her?
Siu released her gently.
Her ears, facing forward, were flushed hot.
"That do it?"
"Hot...!"
He leaned down, lifted her hair, and planted a light kiss on her nape.
Her fine hairs stood on end, pricking his lips.
A tingling mix of itch and pleasure raised goosebumps.
"Not sure? Kinda ambiguous..."
"Want more?"
"I didn't say want more... Haht..."
Siu tugged at the strap of her dress.
It slid along her rounded shoulder, fully exposing her nape.
He showered slow kisses down that graceful curve, and soft, ragged breaths began escaping her parted lips.
"How does the honorable Justice Sharon rule?"
"Dunno... You idiot..."
He pulled her chair back naturally.
Nibbling gently at her white neck made her tremble.
Her hand reached back, gripping his thigh tightly.
But no attempt to push away.
She just leaned into him, boneless and melting.
"Hey, calling me an idiot."
"You are... You've gotten so sly."
"When? You're the lewd one."
Sharon rose slowly from her seat, surrendering to him.
The straps fell; her dress pooled at her feet.
Her voluptuous body, clad only in sexy lingerie, pressed into his arms.
His hand trailed her back, unhooking her bra with a snap.
Her increasingly lewd-tinted breasts bounced free like rubber bands snapping.
"From now on, I'll always tell you if I'm late. And no more teasing. Good?"
"As if... I'm not over it at all...? Haht..."
Siu nipped her neck with his teeth—not hard, but enough to leave a mark.
One of Sharon's recent favorites.
Her body often ended up covered in bite marks after sex.
He slipped his hand under her bra cup, poking and circling her nipple with his fingertips.
"This help with the anger?"
"Ha... Ahng... Eut... Not... At all..."
"Really? It's getting harder though?"
"U... Uu..."
Mentioning her asserting nipple made her duck her ripe-red face, mumbling shyly.
"You're lying."
"I'm not...!"
Control had slipped away unnoticed.
Siu wasn't the fumbling virgin anymore.
And knowing Sharon subtly craved the submissive role...
Lately, when the mood turned steamy between them, Siu took the lead.
"Not lying, huh?"
"Ah... Ha... Ahng..."
Squelch, squelch.
He pushed his hand into her firm, perky ass without hesitation.
Feeling the panty elastic catch his wrist, he rubbed her pussy gently; her sticky, slick folds were already drenched.
Her legs quivered at his sly teasing.
"Ah, no... I lied... I lied..."
"This won't do. Gotta punish you. C'mere."
"Ah... Ack!"
Siu dragged her to the bed.
Sharon flopped onto it without resistance.
Her lust-glazed eyes gazed at him with strange anticipation.
"Hoo..."
He couldn't calm down.
Lately, his lust felt excessive, desires growing.
But seeing Sharon clutching her chest in excitement made everything else fade.
"I... I was the one mad... What is this..."
"Making it up to you. Don't like?"
"...Not that I don't... I dunno."
Realizing her flippant attitude and its cause, Sharon covered her face with both hands.
She'd had a hearty dinner.
Now it was time for sweet dessert.