Chapter 244
Chapter 244
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 244
Chapter Title: Divination (2)
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1.
The conversation continued all the way through dessert and several encores of after-dinner drinks, until Periwinkle was pleasantly buzzed.
Even after skipping the parts too risqué to mention aloud, condensing and trimming as much as possible, recounting five years' worth of events still took quite a bit of time.
At Periwinkle's suggestion that sitting there stuffed wasn't ideal and they needed a change of atmosphere, they agreed to take a leisurely stroll through the night streets.
"Fun story."
As Siu wrapped up his epic tale by mentioning how he'd returned to the present world thanks to Countess Jemernai's benevolence, Periwinkle nodded with a relaxed smile.
She had no hobby of attentively listening to other people's life stories, but it was different if the person was truly exceptional.
Hearing about Siu's journey—from getting caught up in a plane crash and ending up enslaved, to finally making it back to Korea—was decent entertainment.
"You're special, after all."
"Everyone says that. Honestly, it doesn't really sink in. I'm just me."
"That's because you've been special since birth. Weren't you some kind of math prodigy?"
"Not quite a prodigy..."
"No need to be so modest. It's ugly when mediocre people hype themselves up, but excessive humility annoys me too."
If she had to sum up the conversation and pass judgment by her standards, Siu wasn't all that interesting as a man.
He lacked the smooth talk that delights women, and while he seemed kind-hearted, he was missing that dash of wicked charm.
That didn't change her original intent, though.
A little boredom didn't make his face any less handsome, nor did it erase the fact that he wielded Nature Magic and had a spirit body.
Chatting amiably as they walked, they arrived at the hotel.
Siu paused in front of the grand five-star establishment, where the "Periwinkle" logo was elegantly scripted in lavish strokes.
Caught up in the conversation, he hadn't noticed, but this must have been her goal all along.
"I feel like we didn't have quite enough to drink. Let's go in and have one more. Will you escort me?"
Periwinkle's soft hand slipped into the crook of Siu's arm.
They ended up with their arms linked naturally, and she looked up at him with eyes brimming with curiosity.
He'd half-expected this, but not that she'd be so direct about it.
Siu resisted the urge to scratch his head.
"You're not going to say no. Let's go talk some more, just the two of us. All the top-shelf stuff is upstairs anyway."
Far from pulling away at Siu's stiffening posture, Periwinkle poked his side with a finger and pressed even closer.
2.
Periwinkle Seoul.
A 51-story, five-star hotel boasting two grand ballrooms, six restaurants, and 320 guest rooms.
Its interiors reimagined France's Belle Époque era with a modern sensibility, exuding refined elegance.
The noble sophistication of the suites—not the gaudy flaunting of new money—drew tourists year-round, with nary a single off-season day.
Floors 1 through 4 housed the lobby and various amenities.
Floors 5 to 47 offered rooms for standard guests.
But the top floors—49, 50, and 51—were a single, sprawling suite designed for one person alone: Kybele Periwinkle, CEO and owner of Periwinkle Hotel.
The moment they stepped out of the private elevator, Siu froze at the sight before him.
A towering glass wall spanning three full stories framed the breathtaking night view of Myeongdong.
Beyond the glass lay a rooftop pool vast enough for a swim meet.
The soft glow spilling from the pool added another halo to the city lights, making it feel less like a hotel suite and more like the bridge of a starship flagship.
"Whoa..."
Even Siu, who'd grown numb to extravagance after touring Gehenna's witch-targeted luxury spots, couldn't help but gape.
He'd only murmured it softly, but the vast space turned it into an echo.
How much did a night here even cost?
Three chandeliers dangled from the high ceiling, gleaming brilliantly and enhancing the ambiance.
"Come on in. Slip into the slippers."
Periwinkle watched Siu's reaction with evident satisfaction as she padded ahead barefoot.
One side of the suite featured a sleek modern bar, perfectly appointed for guests.
No bartender in sight, but there probably was one normally.
Siu followed her in a daze.
Looking closer, he noticed several suitcases neatly stacked in one impeccably tidy corner, as if she were about to leave any moment.
"What do you think?"
"It's like another world..."
"Right? I designed it all myself, from start to finish."
It felt like transplanting Gehenna's finest villa straight to the hotel's penthouse.
Periwinkle selected a few bottles from the wine cellar behind the bar counter, then lit a cigarette.
As she drew on the filter, a spark flared at the tip, and smoke curled up.
"Smoke if you want. It's got top-notch air purification."
"Ah, thanks. I will."
Siu didn't hesitate to light up.
How often did one get to smoke inside a suite like this?
Sitting side by side, alternating between cigarettes and wines worth a salaryman's annual pay—this was luxury at its finest.
"I saw some suitcases over there. Going somewhere?"
Siu tossed out the question to break the lull.
"Yeah, planning to leave Korea soon."
"Where to?"
"Anywhere but here. You know things have been getting weird lately, right?"
"Yeah."
Sua had warned him that dangerous events were brewing.
Tales of the Witch of Cowardice plotting something terrifying.
"Actually, I got my fortune read a few days ago, and it wasn't good."
"What'd it say?"
"If I stay in Korea, I'll die within the month."
The answer was utterly unexpected.
Unlike Siu, who froze mid-sip, Periwinkle calmly drained her glass and refilled it.
Fortune-telling, huh.
Whatever she meant by that, it wasn't some street vendor hawking couple's horoscopes.
And this omen was for a 20th-rank archwitch to die.
It implied a crisis of that magnitude was approaching.
"You read it yourself...?"
"Yeah. That's why I'm skipping town. Probably 'cause the Witch of Cowardice is about to stir up hell."
"How accurate is it?"
"For myself, it's rarely off. Why? Want me to read yours?"
Periwinkle turned, propping her chin as she studied Siu intently.
Without waiting for an answer, she snapped her fingers with a sharp crack.
A few cards appeared in her hand like magic.
"I can read your fate. Fun party trick, no?"
Even knowing calamity loomed, she asked it casually, like chatting about someone else.
"Let's see..."
She laid out twelve cards face-down and flipped them one by one.
They were about the size of playing cards, but etched with arcane magic circles Siu couldn't even guess at.
"Oh dear... this is bad."
"W-what is it?"
Periwinkle's perpetually detached expression tightened for the first time.
Siu tensed up in response.
She eyed him silently, then smiled slyly.
"Kiss me, and I'll tell you."
It deflated the tension she'd built up.
Siu's brow furrowed.
There was a time and place for everything, but Periwinkle acted utterly unbound by such things, free-spirited to a fault.
It could be charming, sure—but not to Siu, whose mind was reeling from the shocking revelation.
"Is it about the Witch of Cowardice?"
"No idea."
"What about the hotel? You're just leaving it?"
"A collapsed building can be rebuilt. If I die, that's game over. And no more probing like that—rule violation."
"........."
"Decide. Wanna know?"
He couldn't refuse Periwinkle's requests anyway.
And truthfully, she was magnetic enough to stir instinctual desire.
But Sharon's face flashed in his mind.
With her lying unconscious, fooling around felt like cheating, leaving a sour taste.
"For the record, you really should hear it. For your sake."
Perhaps sensing his unease, Periwinkle licked her upper lip.
"If initiating's too hard, want me to go first?"
After a moment's hesitation, Siu leaned in slowly.
Periwinkle's face drew near.
Her crimson lips glistened with gloss.
Even before their lips met, her slightly parted mouth revealed a scarlet tongue, as if boasting its sweetness.
"Mm..."
Ignoring a twinge of guilt, Siu pressed his lips to her plush, full ones.
Instantly, a soft tongue flooded his mouth.
Periwinkle was aggressively intertwining hers with his.
Chilled slightly from the wine, it carried a fruity bouquet and heated to body temperature in moments.
"Mm... smack..."
Now intimately close amid their deep kiss, her scent burrowed deep into his nostrils.
At the same time, lust exploded like a triggered switch.
An urge to pin her down and ravish her, coupled with his fully erect arousal.
Siu barely clung to his fading reason and shoved her back.
Her hand had been slyly creeping up his inner thigh; any longer, and he might've lost control.
"Already? I'm not satisfied yet..."
Periwinkle smacked her lips regretfully.
Siu steadied his turbulent heart and spoke firmly.
"Tell me, as promised."
"This much feels like a letdown..."
Trailing off, she noted his dead-serious expression and shrugged.
"According to the cards, you're gonna die. Soon."
"Pardon...?"
"Lose an arm and bleed out. Couldn't tell if it's the right or left."
"You're not just making this up 'cause the kiss was short, right?"
"You wish."
Periwinkle chuckled as she stood.
No words, but it felt like "follow if you want more."
Siu stubbed out his cigarette and trailed her to the rooftop pool.
Die?
It hit like a blow to the head.
Her casual tone made it even more disorienting, as if it were no big deal.
Would a doctor's grim prognosis have felt more credible?
"Why die? Why the arm? What's the probability?"
"Sudden chatterbox, huh."
"How can I just sit here if I'm dying soon?"
Periwinkle waved off his agitated reaction.
"Accuracy drops when it's not about me, so no need to take it too seriously."
"Probability-wise?"
"Fifty-fifty?"
"That's insanely high!"
Life or death hinging on a coin flip wasn't "low."
Siu paled.
"But I can save you from it."
The words pierced the chaos clouding his mind.
Periwinkle eyed him amusedly, then closed in.
"Curious? Want my help?"
"...Yes."
Her finger playfully tapped his chest.
"Good. Make me happy tonight, and I'll help. You were gonna hang out with me for two days anyway—not a bad deal."
He couldn't tell if she was bluffing or genuinely willing and able to assist.
But as she said, he was already cast as her fawning companion tonight.
No escape either way, so better to face it head-on and do what he could.
"Wanna swim? I'll go change into a swimsuit."
"I don't have one."
"I prepared one. Just follow."
With that, Periwinkle sauntered off, swaying her hips teasingly.