Chapter 351
Chapter 351
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 351
Chapter Title: Home Tutor
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1.
Dear daughter.
Countess Yesod's project to boost the motivation of the listless Diana and instill diligent living habits.
The project name might sound grandiose, but in truth, Countess Lucy Yesod prided herself on having already tried everything possible for Diana.
Kicking her out of the house while holding back tears was just the appetizer; she'd even scoured for medicines said to be good for the body.
The money spent just finding hobbies Diana might enjoy could have bought several fine villas in Renomund Town.
The results, as you can see, were all the same.
She'd show interest for as short as an hour or as long as a week, seeming to break free from her slug-like life...
But in the end, she always reverted to square one.
It only added to Countess Yesod's sighs.
But lately, things were a bit different.
Thanks to a 'certain variable' that hadn't existed before, Diana was showing unprecedented enthusiasm and passion, appearing to emerge from her reclusive lifestyle.
That variable was the male witch Diana had met at the host bar.
And the moment she could no longer see him, she grew despondent—it all lined up perfectly.
Thus, Countess Yesod decided to prepare a gift and a reform plan for Diana.
She planned to make that male witch her daughter's home tutor.
"Hmm..."
And so, in the morning, she gave prior notice to Countess Jemernai and visited the mansion in person.
Part of it was curiosity about the male witch who'd been stirring up Gehenna lately, but more importantly, she couldn't just place any random man by Diana's side.
She didn't for a second think that Diana—with her high standards and even higher nose—would fall for a man.
The real issue would be if that male witch, upon seeing the world's cutest and prettiest Diana, fell head over heels and became clingy.
"Is this the lab...?"
The mansion's 12th laboratory.
The countess held her breath and quietly opened the door.
True to the Jemernai Family's exceptional achievements in magical engineering ventures separate from Nature Magic, the lab's experimental equipment was of the highest caliber.
Amid what looked like an antique shop's parade of outdated curiosities, she spotted a man's back.
A table designed to allow observation of the analysis subject with minimal stimulation.
Atop it floated a pillar tightly wound with something like a black ribbon.
But at that moment, Countess Lucy's gaze wasn't drawn to that mysterious specimen.
"My goodness...?"
They say a man's back speaks volumes?
A broad back, towel draped around the neck, examining a magic crystal in hand.
Lean, sharply defined muscles reflected even the slightest movements without a hint of body fat interference.
No showy bodybuilder vibe.
Instead, they felt densely packed and compressed inward.
Countess Lucy stood frozen in a daze for a while before shaking her head vigorously.
What a sentimental fool she was being.
Of course, it was a delightfully sculpted back—one that brought a pleased smile just looking at it—but she hadn't come here for eye candy.
"Pardon the intrusion."
She cleared her throat and called out to him in a voice befitting her station: elegant and refined.
When he finally turned from his deep focus, Countess Lucy held her breath for a moment.
It was her first time seeing the male witch.
Her first time seeing an ether body male, naturally.
There were various benefits to attaining an ether body.
The most striking? Becoming more beautiful.
Scars and blemishes vanished like a rebirth, the body taking its naturally optimal form.
And his appearance indeed showcased the ether body's effects.
Like his back, his black hair was lightly damp with sweat; eyes deep with intellect, sharp jawline.
Up to here, he was clearly the pretty-boy type Countess Lucy despised most.
But the prominently protruding Adam's apple, gymnast-like muscles that held their own against his back, and a leather eyepatch hinting at trials endured—all infused him with raw masculinity.
The man, looking surprised to see the countess, flashed a gentle smile and bowed courteously.
"An honor to meet a noble lady."
At this point, the countess was a bit more surprised.
His polite speech and ingrained etiquette shone through.
With his striking looks and gentlemanly demeanor, she felt her heart squeeze tightly.
Her heart fluttering at the sight of a man...
It was a sensation she hadn't felt in ages—familiar yet now strangely foreign.
"You're Countess Lucy Yesod."
When he recognized her and even named her, the countess had to suppress her pleased smile.
Satisfaction stack 1: even a newly minted male witch knew her fame.
"You know me?"
"Yes. I studied your Yesod Force Field First Law and was deeply impressed."
His gaze lowered modestly without a trace of sycophancy.
Satisfaction stack 2: praised for her magical research results with perfectly restrained poise.
The countess steadied her twitching lips and averted her eyes slightly as she asked.
No.
She wanted to look away, but her eyes kept drifting back.
His body looked so incredibly solid...
A sudden urge to touch welled up.
"By the way... do you always research like that?"
"My apologies. I just finished sparring."
Unruffled by her remark, he slipped on a white shirt.
The crisp fabric fluttered, wafting a heady masculine sweat scent.
A smell she hadn't encountered in ages.
His cuff-adjusting motions were maddeningly alluring, so she bit the inside of her cheek to regain composure.
She'd come without much thought, but his handsomeness and physique had rattled her—though that was it.
No matter how lonely the long years, she wouldn't lose her head to this level of temptation; otherwise, she'd have taken another man long ago.
Thus, no intentions of indulging impulses or embarrassing herself.
Time for a proper test.
"Might I ask what brings you here?"
Countess Lucy calmed her foolishly racing heart and met his gaze.
Up close, he was even more striking.
This wasn't personal indulgence—it was a test.
Repeating that to herself, she began unbuttoning his shirt one by one.
"Your buttons are done up wrong."
Licking her suddenly dry lips, she undid them carefully.
Regrettably, the pecs and abs hidden beneath revealed themselves once more.
She gently placed her hand on the chest she'd been itching to touch, fingertips lightly stroking.
Perfectly firm.
And still hot from the workout.
"Does this lab... get many visitors?"
If he was weak to seduction, he'd cave here.
Maybe wrap those veiny forearms around her waist and whisper, 'Shall we go somewhere quieter?'
Then, regrettably...
Regrettably...
Regrettably?
Anyway, regrettably, he'd be unfit as Diana's tutor.
Lacking self-control to even basic temptation.
"Countess Jemernai drops by occasionally. And I still haven't heard why you've come to see me."
With crisp rejection, he brushed off her hand. Countess Lucy sighed inwardly.
Test passed.
As Deneb had said, he wasn't lacking in propriety.
But this feeling of licking a sugar-coated donut and setting it down...
Time to get to the point.
"The reason I've come is that I have a proposal for you."
2.
Countess Yesod spoke in an archaic manner, like a queen stepped from a play.
Judging a test had concluded, Siu sat quietly in the chair and listened to her proposal.
"A home tutor? Me?"
"Yes, as I explained earlier, a tutor to cure our Diana's... um, laziness."
Siu wasn't a magically robust witch, so he'd wondered what she meant by home tutor.
Her proposal turned out far simpler than he'd imagined.
"How exactly would I cure her laziness?"
"By keeping her company in her leisure time and finding various amusements... something like that?"
"That's really all?"
"Yes."
Countess Yesod expressed her intent to hire a home tutor to treat her apprentice witch Diana Yesod's laziness.
All Siu had seen of Diana was her charging in, fuming about playing games, so he'd never noticed.
Apparently, that was her true nature.
"Of course, I don't expect you to do it for nothing. Tell me what you want. The Yesod family is always fair in give and take."
As Siu seemed to ponder, the countess made another offer.
This was a golden opportunity.
With the Yesods' help, the Red Branch control issue he'd been struggling with alone could finally get on track.
No more bumpy trial-and-error like dragging a cart by hand.
But would Nature Magic come into play just for playing playmate to an apprentice witch?
Thus, he asked cautiously.
"I'm studying force fields... Could you help with that?"
"Helping with your research? Fine. Let's do that."
Fortunately, Countess Yesod nodded readily and glanced at the Red Branch on the table.
"You want to handle this, right?"
"Yes."
"Hmm, I know I'm in no position to say this when asking a favor, but... this contract won't be perpetual. We'll renew it weekly. If Diana doesn't... "
"Shin Siu."
"Thank you. Anyway, if Shin Siu catches Diana's fancy, there's no need for me to invest time otherwise."
"Understood."
That was within expectations.
Unlike honorary barons, countesses often deeply involved themselves in Gehenna's management, and even Countess Jemernai was swamped with research and business.
Getting research aid from a countess-level witch in exchange for mere playmate duties was already exploitation-level trade.
"Shall we take a look right now? So this is the Red Branch the knight captain carries."
"Right now?"
"Yes, I'm personally intrigued. Will you unseal it?"
The countess was more proactive than Siu had anticipated.
Like a veteran stepping in to clear a stuck stage.
No reason to refuse, but one concern lingered.
"Countess Yesod, if I may... this place is full of magical devices. If we unseal it here..."
At Siu's worried expression, Countess Yesod chuckled as if tickled.
Her eyes, brimming with mirth, turned to him affectionately.
"My, you're more cautious than you look. I can handle that much. If you're still worried..."
"Pure intellect."
⟨ Word of Power ⟩
With that, multiple layers of force fields enveloped the lab.
The light emanating from the fields themselves made the room several times brighter.
The mana inside stabilized perfectly.
It became a sterile, fixed space where no variables could arise—like a clean room.
Siu, whose force field studies were lacking, could grasp why she held renown as a countess: deploying dozens of layers as naturally as breathing.
"Now, unseal it, Mr. Shin Siu."
The countess poked his side playfully, urging him on with sparkling eyes.