Chapter 258
Chapter 258
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 258
Chapter Title: All Darkness Comes from the East (4)
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1.
What the hell is going on?
Siu froze in place for a moment, staring blankly.
Humans' thoughts come to a halt when they encounter the unexpected.
Siu had discovered something utterly unforeseen, leaving his brain in a complete shutdown.
Even if someone told him he'd undone it himself, he would have believed it—the pajama top had come completely unbuttoned.
Out of its five buttons, three had come loose, rendering it useless as clothing any longer.
"......"
He knew he should look away, but he couldn't.
Just like how one gets lost gazing at a beautiful work of art, he couldn't tear his eyes off.
His beloved mentor, Eloa Tiphereth's pale breasts were exposed in a completely defenseless state.
He had imagined their size from the cleavage formed by her sports bra or the way they naturally lifted her pajama top, but they were even larger than he'd thought.
The sheer presence of bare breasts, perhaps?
By eye, they seemed about a D-cup.
Beautifully shaped like ripe peaches sliced in half and placed upside down.
At their tips, small cherry-like nipples glistened, proudly displaying their color, while faint gradient areolas in a soft pink framed them like saucers holding fruit.
Not fully stripped off, but half-undone like hastily removed mid-passion on the bed, the harmony between the disheveled top and the peach-like breasts was intensely alluring and seductive.
"......"
"......"
And then, belatedly, his sluggish thoughts caught up to reality, a beat behind.
Breasts exposed by a mere accident.
What reaction would the Duchess show to this?
Just as tension built for the awkward, embarrassing explanation ahead, a sound came from below his knees.
"Snore... snooore......"
Siu closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, Eloa had timed it perfectly and fallen asleep.
Her snores were unusually loud today, but given no reaction even in this state, she must have been in deep sleep since the moment she fully closed her eyes moments ago.
"Phew... that's a relief."
Siu's quiet murmur.
"......"
Eloa felt her heart pounding like a drum and lay stiff as a rabbit playing dead.
Her heart raced so fiercely she worried he might hear it.
No.
Thinking it over, it wasn't time to relax yet.
She'd only succeeded in pretending to sleep; her breasts were still exposed.
Right in front of Siu, no less.
Stay calm, stay calm.
Nothing's changed.
Absolutely nothing has changed.
She'd asked for the massage in the first place to stop seeing him as a man.
She just needed to wake up now as if she'd dozed off briefly and act nonchalant, like it was no big deal.
Eloa repeated this endlessly in the narrow gap of her racing thoughts.
But the chances of her resolution holding seemed slim now that she'd panicked at the unexpected exposure and pretended to sleep.
Once you've fled once, facing it again is hard.
"Hmmm..."
As she anxiously awaited the right moment to "wake," Siu's hand slipped away from the nape of her neck.
In that instant, the scene blooming cloud-like in Eloa's mind was...
Ironically, Siu kneading and playing with Periwinkle's breasts as if they were his own.
Pounding into Periwinkle roughly while gripping her breasts hard enough to flatten them, sucking and tugging her nipples, even slapping them with his palm like spanking cheeks—the vivid image surfaced unbidden.
Eloa's eyelids trembled as she pondered when to wake, only to freeze solid.
Why was this memory surfacing here of all places?
Right.
It wasn't because she saw Siu as a man; it was the shocking scene she'd witnessed that had burned into her brain.
Eloa desperately rationalized it in a way she could accept.
Then Siu's low voice reached her, along with the thunderous sound of him swallowing.
"Mentor, are you asleep?"
That question felt like a crossroads.
Should she pretend to just wake, rub her eyes sleepily, and show the 'unfazed mentor' as planned?
Or keep feigning sleep to dodge half the embarrassment?
Eloa definitely meant to wake.
But once again, her body wouldn't obey.
Honestly, she had no confidence in acting calm after opening her eyes.
She didn't even know how to look at him.
Normally, kneading breasts wouldn't wake someone from sleep.
At least to Siu, Eloa must seem in perfect defenseless mode.
What would he do?
Eloa suppressed her anxiety, awaiting his decision.
Would he think she was fully asleep and grab them? Would he touch?
No, he couldn't... he mustn't... she stomped internally, while unspeakable imaginings grew sharper.
-Rustle!
She sensed him moving.
Even with eyes closed, the presence of someone moving nearby is surprisingly strong.
His body heat warming the air, the sounds, his shadow—she could tell his posture roughly.
Siu's hand reached toward Eloa's breasts.
Her breath held, anxiously awaiting what came next, it almost seemed ridiculous...
"Having another bad dream, I see."
Siu fumbled with the hem of her top, carefully buttoning it without letting his fingers touch her skin as much as possible.
His fiddling with the fabric was oddly slow.
Eloa realized why.
It wouldn't take this long just to button one.
Siu was deliberately looking away to avoid seeing her half-nude body while fixing her disheveled clothes.
Out of consideration, even for an unconscious Eloa.
'Siu...'
Eloa couldn't help but be moved.
She felt ashamed of suspecting he might harbor lewd thoughts while she slept.
Wasn't this making her a worse mentor than her disciple?
After meticulously fastening the last button, Siu finally exhaled deeply.
Soon, arms gently wrapped around Eloa's legs and back.
Siu had scooped her up princess-style from her perpendicular position on the bed and laid her straight.
Now it was all over.
A mix of relief that she could finally sleep easy and a strange sense of defeat for breaking her own resolve in under an hour.
Thick hands gently stroked her tangled hair.
Eloa, initially tense wondering what this was about, soon calmed under the emotion in those hands.
"......"
This was a comforting touch.
Like what Eloa gave Rafi in her hard times—warmth and care from the fingertips.
Not knowing she was awake, Siu must have thought her stiffness and tense expression came from a nightmare.
It was too familiar for a first time.
How long had he been doing this?
Siu sat cross-legged by the bed for a long while, stroking Eloa's hair.
Her hair flowing slowly under his fingers.
The coolness when his fingers occasionally brushed her scalp.
Above all, the strong sense of affection and their bond.
Whether mentor and disciple saw each other as man and woman, or how he looked at her.
In this moment, it didn't feel so important.
Strength drained from Eloa's body like melting jelly.
Her earlier tension and fluster melted like snowflakes in spring sun, sleepiness drifting in.
Soon, Eloa fully asleep.
"Zzz......"
That night, Eloa had no nightmares.
Instead, she dreamed of riding horses with Rafi across the vast Mendel Hills blanketed in nameless wildflowers.
A peaceful sleep, deeper than she could remember.
2.
Siu opened his eyes.
He'd slept a bit longer than usual today.
Normally, dawn would just be breaking, but pleasant sunlight streamed through the window.
"Hm?"
Peering up with half-lidded eyes, a pink silhouette shimmered.
And he belatedly felt the gentle hand stroking his hair.
"Awake?"
"Something wrong?"
Siu blinked in confusion for a moment.
The one continuously stroking his hair was Eloa.
With an apron over her pajamas, she sat on the edge of his bed, endlessly petting his head.
"Nothing at all. I just felt like trying it."
Eloa usually gazed at Siu with a soft smile, as if looking was enough.
But her current expression was far more tender, a loving smile.
If her apprentice witch Rafi were alive, she'd probably look at her with this face... the thought crossed his mind.
"Your sleeping face looked just like a baby's."
Embarrassed by Eloa's words, Siu sat up, tousling his messy hair, and asked.
"How long were you watching?"
"Not long. You were sleeping so soundly today; I hated to wake you. Perfect timing now. Come on out—I've prepared breakfast."
Eloa stepped off the bed toward the kitchen.
Following slowly, he saw a pot bubbling on the induction stove.
The aroma of chicken noodle soup, one of her specialties.
Recently a near-daily breakfast for its gentle, stomach-soothing qualities without heaviness.
Beside it, bacon wafting subtle smoky notes, and bread toasting golden in the toaster.
"Wait just a moment. It'll be done soon."
"Need any help?"
"You always ask, even when I say it's fine."
Eloa bustled around the kitchen, serving a breakfast brimming with care.
Siu set the table and milk as always.
"Thanks for the food."
"Eat your fill; there's plenty."
As obvious from sight, it was more than enough for two.
Eloa had large hands; her cooking portions could feed a family.
As a spirit body, she didn't even need to eat.
Was it always her wish to fill Siu up?
No reason to refuse Eloa's perfect breakfast, visually and taste-wise.
As usual, he waited for her first bite.
"...Why are you looking at me like that?"
Eloa hadn't touched her food, just staring at Siu.
"Siu."
"Yes."
"Thank you."
The sudden gratitude made his head tilt slightly, but he could guess what for.
Since meeting Siu, Eloa had found some leisure.
No more the taut bowstring vibe from their first encounter, ready to snap.
For her, scarred by loss, Siu filled the void like a pet companion.
Probably thanks for that. He vaguely surmised.
"Truly, thank you."
Eloa clasped her hands, praying this happy peace would last forever.
A prayer likely unfulfilled.
Fleetingly so.