Chapter 330
Chapter 330
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 330
Chapter Title: I'll Pick You #72 (6)
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1.
"Sister."
"Why, Odet? If it's nothing important, drop it. My stomach's hurting."
The twins had been shown to Table 2, right next to Table 1.
The place was a bit rowdy overall, but with just a flimsy partition separating them, they could clearly hear Siu's voice as he attended to all sorts of witches.
At first, they'd asked to observe because they'd wondered what an "attendant" actually did.
They were curious about their assistant's job, after all.
And sure enough, it was exactly as they'd heard.
Flattering the witches, sweet-talking them with lines that sounded saccharine even from afar.
"Ughhhhh..."
She knew it was just work.
She got that those canned lines and his polite speech were all for their friend.
Still, Odil just couldn't stomach it.
"But it's boring, right? And since when was the assistant this smooth-talker? He seems like a whole different person."
Odet, on the other hand, didn't seem fazed at all.
She'd started off perking up her ears to eavesdrop, but now she was lounging on the sofa, sipping champagne.
She even giggled at the cringiest lines. Looked like she was having the time of her life.
"You're seriously not bothered? By him going all flirty on other women like that?"
Odil narrowed her eyes and scolded her innocent little sister.
Their only ally in overtaking Sharon ahead was Odet, and suddenly she felt utterly unreliable.
How could she be so thick-skinned?
"Come on, sis, you're taking it way too seriously."
"Too seriously? You didn't hear that just now?"
Odil turned on the Orgel to keep sound from carrying to the next table and whispered.
"A toast to the lady's eyes—to her eyes! Clink! Makes me wanna spritz champagne right in 'em!"
Odet burst out laughing at her fuming sister.
"Sis, look."
"At what? I'm already looking."
"You ever heard the assistant talk that slimy before?"
"So what?"
Odet revealed the secret to her laid-back mindset, right as her sister was about to explode.
"Never, huh?"
Odil pondered her sister's words.
Nope, never.
She'd been shocked in the first place precisely because the assistant was spouting such cheesy nonsense.
"What does that even mean? He won't say it to us, but he'll say it to other witches?"
"Sis, think about it the other way: it means there's not a shred of sincerity in it. Not even this much."
Odil blinked rapidly at Odet's words.
Huh. That actually made sense.
No matter the romantic mood, not even during steamy moments with Sharon...
The assistant had never uttered lines that made her lower belly squirm just hearing them.
This was "work," even if pretend.
"It's like a chef chopping away in the kitchen! Or an actor performing in a movie."
"You think?"
"Totally. It's professional ethics. That witch over there paid good money for it."
"So in other words... when he's with us, the assistant shows his real self...?"
"Bingo. We're getting something money can't buy."
Odet crossed her arms and cleared her throat smugly.
Odil was impressed.
Listening closely, her sister was spot on.
No jealousy or envy—instead, she felt her shoulders lift with pride.
"So don't worry so much, sis. And listen close—it's hilarious."
"Yeah, you're right for once."
So she shifted to the same relaxed spectator mode as Odet, watching their assistant at work...
And damn, it wasn't easy.
Forcing insincere words, smiling through picky witches without a hint of annoyance.
From then on, she had to hold back the urge to charge at any arrogant witch mistreating him.
"...The assistant has it rough. Making money's no joke."
"Having to spew that much empty talk..."
The twins' gazes dropped to the table.
There sat the leather pouch they used as a wallet, stuffed full of gold coins they'd brought to buy the assistant's time today.
"Hmm..."
The twins had never worked for money out of need.
It was simply how things were.
From morning till night, they never lifted a finger, and everyone attended to their needs.
Even when helping the assistant, they almost always—pretty much every time—leaned on the Jemernai family's power.
"Kinda feeling what you're thinking, sis."
"Right? Shall we get moving, then?"
"Let's!"
Odil and Odet locked eyes and quietly rose from their seats.
2.
"My tongue's gonna fall off."
Siu felt bone-deep fatigue crash over him after hustling through another round of hosting.
Felt like defending in a tower game.
No wonder service workers ended up popping psych meds.
"Good work today, buddy."
"Feels like my soul's getting shaved away. How the hell did you do this for years?"
"Pussy's just that good for me. You?"
"...Same."
He was so drained he barely mustered a response to Takasho's bullshit.
"That so? Side note, I thought you had a pussy allergy at first. Or were gay."
"Cut the crap. Sales good today?"
"Duh. We've got ace Shin Siu on staff. A few others got personal picks too—smooth sailing all around."
Siu hauled himself up with a groan.
Time to meet the twins, as promised.
He'd said he'd be late, but they might be fast asleep by now.
"Nice. Got an appointment, so I'm out. Hang in there."
"Oh! Siu, forgot something."
"What?"
"Those Jemernai apprentice witches who stopped by at lunch? Said to pass this to you."
Takasho handed over a note.
Unfolding it revealed the address of the twins' forward base in Tarot Town, written in bubbly handwriting: Come here!
Come to think of it, things had been so hectic he hadn't even said a proper goodbye.
"And this is your cut from today's drinks."
"Booze tips?"
"Stash it. Meant to give you yesterday's too, but it slipped with all the chaos."
In a host bar, part of the drinks ordered alongside a host went to that host.
He'd sat with tons of customers who'd ordered big, so here came the flour dust.
Opening the pouch revealed gold coins.
What a dazzling shine.
The jingle was music too.
At this point, calling it crumbs felt criminal.
Two-digit stack of what it'd take him a year of weekly pay to save.
All just to help Takasho out.
Plus, he was already getting fat rewards from Countess Jemernai, so he didn't need it.
"Any chance I can take booze instead? Wanna grab a gift."
He figured he'd bring drinks for the twins—they loved booze, and he'd barely played with them after keeping them waiting so long.
But buying it with the countess's money felt off somehow.
Better to use today's hard-earned cash.
He could gift proudly; Takasho sold more post-shift.
Win-win.
"Gift? Oh, your 'appointment' a date with the O sisters?"
"Something like that."
Takasho clapped in admiration.
"Man, you said apprentice witches are flowers to admire from afar. Feeling that generational shift. Sweet! Can't take a friend's cash. I'll hook you up with our best booze—take it."
If this were some dive bar, he'd have taken it.
But this was a high-end spot for witches—the top-shelf stuff cost a fortune.
"Take the money anyway, but just this much booze. And no more commissions from here on. I'll cover 'em with drink sales."
In the end, he took the cheapest of the premium lineup (still worth thousands on the Gehenna market) and stubbornly shoved the gold over.
Taking the prettily packaged booze in his arms, Siu cast a coordinate teleport and warped to the forward base in Tarot Town.
3.
Deep into the night.
Tarot Town started and ended its days early by comparison.
The area around the forward base was deserted as could be.
But the quiet scene felt familiar, not strange.
Even nostalgic.
When Siu had been a drunken wreck, he'd taken nighttime walks here with Odil.
He'd first gotten properly tangled up with the Odet-Odil sisters after falling into a trap right here in Tarot Town, so the place was thick with twin-tinted memories.
A gleaming five-story forward base towering over the squat, shabby surrounding buildings.
The Jemernai estate was basically a vast treehouse on prime land; this felt more like a proper townhouse.
—Knock knock.
"They asleep?"
The twins being here this late meant either parental permission for a sleepover or sneaking out.
Bit too late either way.
If they were out cold, he'd planned to bundle them up and head back to the estate.
As he grabbed the knob for another knock, the solid walnut door swung open smoothly.
"Am I too la—huh?"
The scene matched memory perfectly.
Gold-leaf candelabras and their dancing flames.
Polished marble floors so sheer you'd flash your panties sans slip, right up to the stairs on the right.
A warmly nostalgic sight, cozy and fond...
With one glaring oddity amid it all.
"Welcome home? Assistant? No—Master."
"Welcome back, Master."
The twins, standing side by side in the entry hall, bowing politely.
Nothing weird up to there.
It was their forward base, after all.
But they were in maid outfits.
And the titles were off.
Headbands instead of their usual half-bonnets.
Full skirts with aprons cinched around.
Not the sexy-fantasy distortion kind, but practical workwear you could clock in with.
Still exuding class because they were noble ladies, of course.
"What's all this?"
"What else~? You must've had a long, hard day, Assistant. We're here to serve you properly. Feel free to be grateful."
"Sis, Master, Master."
"Oh, right. Master."
Odil declared it casually with a shy smile.
Odet corrected her sister's slip seamlessly.
"Exactly. You worked so hard all day."
A grin bloomed on Siu's face as he stood there.
Mostly because the twins looked adorable in ill-fitting maid getups, fidgeting and mumbling "Master" shyly.
"Wh-what? Why're you laughing? Something wrong?"
"Did we mess up?"
This heartwarming feeling.
The all-day fatigue melting away clean.
Truly grateful.
To think someone caring like this could feel so damn good.
He was this close to actual tears from the emotion.
"Perfect! I am beat—this hits the spot. Suits you both great."
"Really?"
"For real?"
"Yeah."
Siu pulled them into a tight hug and showed off the booze he'd brought as a gift.
"Picked up some top-shelf stuff to share with you two. Thanks."
"Heh, knew you'd love it! Fetia said maids are every guy's fantasy."
"Sis, Master, Master."
"Oh yeah. Master."
Odil sneaked peeks at Siu awkwardly, then puffed up with success, feeling taller on tiptoe without realizing.
"Anyway! Relax and enjoy the royal treatment we've prepped!"
"Got it! Set up a booze spread first? They threw in snacks too."
"Nah, come this way. We've got more than that ready."
Wonder what surprise they'd cooked up next.
Forgetting his fatigue in the buzz, Siu let the twins lead him deeper into the base.