Chapter 297
Chapter 297
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 297
Chapter Title: Homecoming (5)
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“Aigoo...”
Eloa had slept in late, which delayed their arrival at the Jemernai mansion by quite some time.
He knew the twins lived well, but this was his first visit, and Siu couldn’t help but marvel at the overwhelming grandeur.
It was the kind of scale and scenery that made him think if there had been a Hollywood star or world-class athlete in the Victorian era, they would have lived in a place like this.
Following the butler who came out to greet them, it took over ten minutes by carriage just to cross the garden from the main gate to the central building.
“It’s beyond imagination.”
But the reason Siu and Eloa’s souls were utterly captivated wasn’t solely due to the mansion’s size.
The mansion itself was undoubtedly impressive, but the morning’s events had a more direct connection.
The moment they finished their late breakfast and stepped out onto the first floor, they were startled.
There were at least ten times more witches there than what he’d seen yesterday, all eating on the first floor.
‘Hey! That’s him!’
‘Is that the guy? A man with a stigma?’
‘It really is him, for real?’
The moment they spotted Siu and Eloa, the entire group dropped their forks and knives and rushed over.
They looked just like rabid fans charging at someone outside a broadcasting station, leaving Siu and Eloa flustered as they barely escaped the scene.
Even then, the commotion didn’t fully die down.
Word that Siu was in Border Town must have spread like wildfire overnight, as witches mobbed them all the way to the portal.
At this point, even the Orgel was pointless.
Of course, there were subtle advances like offers of gifts if he followed them or invitations to spend some quality time.
There were also plenty of spine-chilling proposals, like requests for help with magic research or pleas to let them study him just once.
‘Enough already!’
The chase—where they scattered like baby spiders at Eloa’s shout only to swarm back like clouds—finally ended once they reached the Jemernai mansion.
“We can’t even step outside...”
“I agree... You’ll have to sneak around from now on.”
Eloa slumped back against the carriage seat and nodded.
She looked utterly exhausted.
At that moment.
Clop! Clop!
The sound of galloping hooves began echoing from afar.
And soon after, high-pitched squeals like birds chirping followed.
“Assista~ant!”
“The assistant’s he~ere!!!”
There was no need to wonder whose voices they were.
The twins soon approached, circling the halted carriage like natives who’d captured their prey.
“Looks like they came to greet us.”
“Get out first. I’ll pass on your greetings for you.”
“Is that okay?”
“Of course.”
Siu bid Eloa farewell and stepped out of the carriage.
The twins sat astride women’s side saddles that allowed them to cross their legs elegantly, gazing at Siu with eyes full of delight.
For the record, Odil was on a black horse, Odet on a white one.
Both had coats so glossy they seemed to use better shampoo than Siu did.
““Assistant!!!””
“Whoa! You’ll get hurt.”
The moment they spotted Siu, Odil and Odet leaped from their saddles without hesitation and threw themselves into his arms.
They greeted him with the fervor of puppies reuniting with their owner after a long time, as if ready to lick his face.
“Assista~ant! We missed you so much! I heard you almost caused a huge incident in the mortal world?”
“If it was dangerous, you should’ve come straight to our mansion! I’ve been practicing my shooting like crazy ever since that day!”
“That’s right! From now on, no matter what, talk to us first before doing anything!”
“You didn’t even tell us when you were coming! That’s too much!”
Siu was completely overwhelmed by the twins’ surround-style welcome, passing his arms back and forth between them while they showered his cheeks with kisses and chattered happily.
“F-First, get off my neck and come down?”
“What’s with that reaction! You don’t seem that happy!”
“You’re not more excited to see someone else than us, are you?”
To be honest, Siu was thrilled to see the twins, but he had planned to meet Sharon first.
Favorability or affinity wasn’t the issue here.
Sharon had gotten badly hurt by the homunculus while trying to protect the helpless Siu.
Since he’d last seen her unconscious, it was only natural to worry about her health right away.
At that moment, Odil spotted something over Siu’s shoulder.
She’d seen Sharon running toward them from afar.
Siu, with his back to her, hadn’t noticed yet.
Just as he was about to ask the twins’ permission and head to meet Sharon.
A fresh, fragrant scent—mixed with the unique perfume of the Jemernai family—tickled his nose.
Soft lips overlapped his mouth like a cover.
It felt plump and smooth, as if slathered in lip gloss or balm.
Before he could even register the surprise, a tiny, adorable tongue slipped between her lips and into his mouth.
“Mm?”
“Mmm... mmph...”
“S-Sis! Me too! I want to do it too!”
Odil had spotted Sharon from afar and clung to Siu, kissing him on the spot.
If she didn’t do it now, Sharon would surely steal their long-awaited reunion kiss.
And she wanted to show that the assistant truly liked her the most.
Siu belatedly realized they were in the middle of the Jemernai mansion’s garden, with no screens or cover, and hurriedly pulled Odil away.
What if the countess was watching from one of those windows over there?
A chill ran down his spine.
“Lady Odil, we can’t do this outside.”
Despite Siu’s perfectly reasonable protest, Odil brushed her hair behind her ear, placed her hands on her hips, and declared boldly.
Her cheeks were flushed as vibrantly as ripe peaches in season.
“From now on, I’m ignoring everyone else’s stares! And so what? Our exclusive maids already know everything!”
“Me too! I want to do it too!”
Even amid the chaos, Odet bounced around Siu, begging for a kiss.
Figuring this wouldn’t end otherwise, Siu gave her a light peck as well.
“Hee... heehee... It’s been so long, my heart’s racing...”
Odet melted into a gooey expression, shyly bashful.
If Odil’s had been a combative kiss, Odet’s felt like a princess’s first love kiss, leaving even Siu forgetting the situation in mild embarrassment.
“You do it all and then what.”
“Sis lacks romance!”
“No I don’t? My heart rate spiked to 300 bpm for a second there!”
“Now, now, that’s enough, both of you.”
Siu intervened as the twins started bickering over something trivial again.
Odil and Odet, gearing up for battle, spotted Siu and lunged into one last group hug.
In truth, they’d missed how he always stepped in to stop their squabbles like this.
“We missed you, Assistant...”
“Me too, Assistant...”
“I missed you both too, Lady Odil, Lady Odet.”
Feeling warmed by their heartfelt welcome, Siu took the reins and headed toward the main building.
“......”
Odil, expertly mounted and escorted by Siu, glanced back briefly.
Sharon’s figure, which she’d glimpsed earlier, was nowhere to be seen.
It might be called cowardly, but...
“The world of competition is a harsh one.”
“Pardon?”
Siu hadn’t caught Odil’s mutter.
Odil smoothly urged him on.
“Nothing. Let’s hurry, Assistant. I prepared a picnic for us.”
2.
Sharon slammed the door shut.
The moment classes ended and she heard Siu had arrived, she bolted out to meet him.
Albreo’s plea to keep her distance from Siu had been completely erased from her mind.
But what she witnessed after rushing over was the twins—arrived earlier on horseback—standing with Siu.
And Odil’s sudden kiss, followed by Odet’s, left Sharon shocked and conjured up all sorts of thoughts.
One.
Just how close Siu and the twins really were.
Two.
The contract with Albreo that joy at his return had made her forget.
That vague warning whose exact boundaries she still didn’t grasp.
“Hoo...”
Sharon let out a sigh.
When bickering with the twins without Siu around, she’d thought it was no big deal.
Even if she gave them time, Siu wouldn’t be stolen away.
She’d vowed to use this to stand by his side as an equal, without relying on him anymore.
But seeing the twins kiss him made that confidence melt away.
With her conviction crumbling and the contract issue resurfacing, her feet felt as heavy as if shackled.
She couldn’t bring herself to run over and greet him joyfully.
“Why... didn’t he tell me?”
Siu had clearly said they were just close like siblings.
But meeting like that, not just pecks but full tongue kisses? And calling that sibling closeness?
“Every brother and sister in the world would end up sleeping together...!”
Sharon clenched her fists, venting her disappointment and resentment toward Siu.
But the blame soon turned inward.
Objectively, she knew her conditions fell far short of the twins’.
Money?
Just the villa she’d received as lodging would take her years to afford.
No, even buying one chandelier from the lobby might take over a year.
Hierarchy?
Unless she advanced two ranks within a few years, she’d fall behind.
Numbers?
Sharon was all alone, while the twins were perpetually a buy-one-get-one deal.
Social status?
The Evergreen family boasted prestige in orthodox elemental academia, but the Jemernai family was an earl’s house that held sway even in Gehenna.
Appeal?
She’d flaunted her figure in front of them today, but the twins weren’t unattractive.
They had a cute charm Sharon couldn’t imitate.
Even calling the last one a draw meant Sharon’s utter defeat.
A sigh escaped at her own patheticness for teasing the twins about their small chests.
Just like Albreo had said:
‘If the twins inherit the stigma someday and maintain a close relationship with him until then, wouldn’t that be a huge help to him?’
If you grabbed any random witch on the street and polled ‘Who would be more helpful to this man?’, a hundred out of a hundred would pick the twins.
No good.
She couldn’t endure this in her right mind.
Sharon pulled a bottle from the workshop cabinet and blew into it like a flute.
“I can’t... let you go like this... I prayed all night... so desperately... But if I can’t... love you anymore...”
Sharon sipped her drink while singing the song they’d belted out at the coin karaoke bar with Siu.
Then the door burst open as someone entered.
“Sharon! I’m back!”
At the sudden sound of Siu’s voice, Sharon panicked like a fox hearing a gunshot and scrambled to hide.
Despite not knowing why, her instincts drove her to conceal herself—but her efforts were in vain as Siu flung open the workshop door and strode in.
“......”
Siu had left the grumbling twins waiting outside and come straight to see Sharon.
What entered his eyes was Sharon, half-buried in the wardrobe, posing as if about to climb in.
It was nothing like the reunion he’d imagined.
“What are you doing in there?”
“...L-Looking for something in the wardrobe.”
“...What? Do you have to go inside to find it?”
“R-Right, what was it? Ugh, it’s hot... so hot.”
Sharon fanned her burning face and slipped out of the wardrobe.
Only then did her long-awaited appearance fully register.
She was so very welcome.
Lustrous long hair the color of light and deep green perfectly blended, swaying gently.
Mint-green eyes moist with emotion, contrasting her otherwise cool and aloof look.
Lately, his dreams had been tormented by the image of Sharon impaled on a harpoon to save him.
Seeing her unharmed in person stirred his emotions so deeply that tears nearly welled up.
“S-Siu... mmph...!”
Siu strode forward, pulled Sharon into a tight embrace, and kissed her fiercely in one go.
A three-second entrance kiss!
Sharon, stiff and trembling like a captured bird, went limp and leaned her full weight into Siu’s broad chest.
“Mmm... mm... mmph...!”
At first, it seemed like she might resist.
But that notion vanished clean after three seconds.
Sharon wrapped her arms around Siu’s waist as if offering everything, continuing the kiss.
When excitement and ragged breaths made breathing impossible, they finally parted.
Even after just the kiss, Sharon’s face was already a tear-streaked mess.
“Sob... hic... Siu... I missed you... I missed you so much...”
“I missed you too. No injuries? Feeling okay?”
“U... uu... waaah... I-I’m fine now... My h-hierarchy’s all... recovered... waaah...!”
“Aigoo, look at that messy face.”
“D-Don’t... tease... meee... waaah...!”
Sharon wailed so loudly Siu worried when she’d catch her breath, burrowing desperately into his chest.
The disappointment she’d felt toward him, the vague anxiety of possibly drifting apart.
Even the petty question of who truly suited him.
None of it mattered right now.