Chapter 389
Chapter 389
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 389
Chapter Title: Shared Secret (5)
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1.
"Then go on in."
"Yes, Duchess. Good night."
Eloa saw Sharon off and let out a short sigh.
She occasionally came looking for Eloa with alcohol in hand.
Having heard the full story from Eloa and pitied her plight, Sharon had appointed herself as a steady companion and line of communication.
A kind witch perfectly suited to Siu.
Sharon never laid claim to Siu out of possessiveness.
Even today, once the drinks had really gotten flowing, she hadn't made the suggestion, had she?
To come clean to Siu about every last truth.
Eloa had turned it down with calm resolve.
He was the disciple she harbored in her heart in Rafi's place.
Just watching him train as always and live out his days in happiness was satisfaction enough.
"I'm nothing but a coward..."
But she knew the truth.
About Eloa's body... and her heart.
She longed for him. Remembered him.
Every night, Siu's face rose before her eyes. She tossed and turned, dreaming of the moments cradled in his arms, until sleep finally claimed her.
The excuse that simply remaining at his side was enough was just a convenient lie—one that didn't clash with Eloa's lofty moral code.
Standing at the window where moonlight shattered into fragments, Eloa slipped into the pajamas Siu had bought her and undid her hair.
Her light pink tresses cascaded in a wild torrent, spilling over her clothes.
Was it the alcohol? Her mind wandered recklessly, her reason growing lax.
Memories seeped in through the cracks.
His hands clamping roughly around her waist. The ragged breaths hot against the back of her ear.
"...Siu..."
Eloa bit her lip hard and shook off the temptation.
It looked like there'd be no escaping a cold shower tonight, either.
As she turned toward the bathroom, her gaze snagged on a document envelope.
In that instant, the alcoholic haze and stray thoughts clouding her mind evaporated like mist under the sun.
"......"
Before she knew it, the Contract Sword was in her grasp.
The envelope sat brazenly atop the desk.
It hadn't been there before she'd met with Sharon.
And no one had come or gone from the room while they'd been drinking together.
"I accept the contract."
A light pink glow kindled in Eloa's eyes.
Her gaze, which pierced all illusion and deceit, swept the room minutely.
No sign of anyone suspicious.
This was Gehenna—the Jemernai mansion, no less, renowned for its ironclad security.
How many in the world could slip past the notice of a 20th-rank archwitch like Sharon and Eloa at 23rd?
Eloa opened the untouched envelope—no magical wards or traces of spells—without a hint of negligence.
Inside were three photographs.
"This is..."
Eloa's pupils contracted in horror.
Shabby buildings crammed together like cardboard boxes. Neon signs draped densely between them.
Amid the teeming crowds clutching street food, one witch caught in the frame.
A bob cut falling just past her shoulders.
Eyes red as cursed rubies.
The Public Enemy for whom Eloa Tiphereth had burned away her life in vengeance.
Ea Sadalmelik.
All the photos appeared to be secret shots of her.
Flipping them over in haste revealed locations and timestamps scribbled on the backs.
The date: yesterday. The place: Hong Kong Kowloon's city that never sleeps.
Mongkok, sliced through by Nathan Road.
"......"
Eloa realized with surprise that she was far calmer than she'd expected.
In the old days, she would've bolted for the location scrawled on the back without a second thought.
A blazing hatred capable of incinerating everything would have consumed her utterly.
But now, she weighed the circumstances before and after with greater composure.
A photo of Ea planted on Eloa's own desk, breaching layers of stringent magical wards.
If it were a well-meaning anonymous tip, there'd be no need for such convoluted methods.
Which meant the sender was a witch who couldn't risk official channels.
A trap, with overwhelmingly high odds.
"Siu."
As she glared holes through the photo, Siu suddenly crossed her mind.
If Siu were here, he'd have talked her down.
And if her dear disciple Shin Siu urged caution—advised ignoring the blatant provocation—would she have listened without question?
The thought struck her out of nowhere.
But it was fleeting.
His face blurred beneath the crashing waves of fury surging late but fierce.
Trap or not, it hardly mattered.
Any witch toying with her reverse scale deserved to be hewn down and purged.
Trap or no, she could simply smash the whole thing to pieces.
Eloa's body rocketed toward the portal.
2.
Ever since recovering her wounds with Clara's aid.
Amelia and Clara's bond had drawn much closer.
But even the closest of friends had lines that couldn't be glossed over so easily.
"Clara."
"Yeah!"
"Why are you trying to stop me like this?"
"Huh? Stop you from what?"
Amelia put the question to Clara, who was busily laying out dishes across the table.
"You're... holding me back."
Mana depletion from a grueling, nonstop hunting schedule.
Amelia had disabled her autonomous defenses and barely pulled through by accepting Clara's purified mana.
Since that episode, Clara had brought Amelia back to the workshop and paraded an endless array of novel dishes all day long.
At first, Amelia figured it was just Clara's way of forcing her to rest.
But this was overkill.
As if Clara meant to keep the hit list far from Amelia's thoughts.
Days on end of this culinary onslaught.
Enough that even Amelia—who'd gratefully accepted Clara's kindness at the outset—began sensing something off.
"...That wasn't my intention. You still haven't rested enough."
"I've had plenty of rest. My mana's almost fully recovered."
"......"
"....Is the next target someone you know?"
What Amelia had in mind was the possibility that Clara was acquainted with Bianca Bellirili, the next Public Enemy listed.
"As if."
Clara shook her head vigorously in firm denial.
What a relief.
If Clara's connection—practically Amelia's benefactor—had been the next mark on her list...
The mere thought of how that might tangle things up was nightmare fuel.
"It's just... the Witch of Desire is dangerous."
"Dangerous?"
"Amelia, you could be the one who gets hurt this time. That's why I wanted you resting as long as you could..."
Amelia felt genuine worry and care in Clara's words.
For Clara—who respected and understood Amelia's resolve—the recent feast extravaganza had been her subtle way of pleading restraint.
It was deeply appreciated.
"Thank you."
"...No need for thanks. We're just looking out for each other..."
The meal wrapped up with little more conversation.
Clara and Amelia each washed up and readied for bed.
This chance to breathe and recuperate was all thanks to Clara's thoughtful consideration.
Once Clara had drifted off with soft snores, Amelia rose silently.
"......"
"Hmmnya..."
Amelia, crumbling alone without knowing her limits.
All the physical and mental pillar she'd become for such a woman was Clara's doing.
She wanted to stick around longer out of consideration for Clara's feelings, but her mission wasn't finished.
At the very least, until she'd seen this hit list through to the end, she had no right to face Siu.
And leaning on Clara indefinitely would only burden her.
She'd already received more than enough kindness.
"Thank you."
Amelia gave Clara's head a gentle stroke, then set down a bottle of perfume she'd crafted specially for her.
Now was the time to steel her resolve once more.
Amelia draped her master's relic cloak over her shoulders and stepped out into the night.
3.
"Is this what the life of a successful entrepreneur looks like?"
Periwinkle Seoul's Royal Suite—a 5-star affair.
Not the Presidential Suite, but luxurious enough that your average salary couldn't touch it.
Takahashi savored wine with the city skyline as his accompaniment.
Kybele Periwinkle, whom he'd met via Shin Siu's introduction, had made good on her word.
Not only had she rescued his near-bankrupt host club with consulting that reeked of real expertise, she'd even hooked him up with distributors for premium liquor imports.
With two weeks' permission to roam the mortal realm, Takahashi had globe-trotted alongside the Adonai Count family's smugglers.
Liquor bound for Rose Glass couldn't be your run-of-the-mill stuff.
So he'd inked direct-supply deals with top overseas distilleries and hired three grizzled auction proxies on top of that.
Already pinched for high-end stock and capping his revenues, these contracts were pure tailwind—hoisting his business to new heights.
Sure, he'd leaned on Periwinkle's network and the Adonai Count's prestige, but closing those deals came down to Takahashi pitching his track record just right.
"How could I not raise a glass to this?"
The only downside: no one to clink glasses with, no woman waiting in bed to celebrate.
Still, Takahashi couldn't wipe the satisfied grin off his face.
Back when he slaved away as a gofer at the Academy, he'd never dreamed of setting foot in the mortal world—let alone a place like this.
And really, it all traced back to Siu.
"Ha... how the hell do I ever repay you, Siu?"
He pictured Siu there beside him—no jokes, just the sincerest, most devoted head she'd ever get.
Takahashi drowned in wine and the intoxicating nightscape of his friend's homeland.
"Gotta spend the last day shopping. Pick up something nice for Sharon."
It was late.
He set down his glass and headed for bed when an unexpected voice greeted him.
"Hello?"
A witch.
Peach-blonde hair in lush, curtain-like waves.
Jade-green eyes gleaming vividly in the dark, catching the city lights.
Takahashi knew right away.
Six years surviving off witches' scraps had sharpened his instincts.
If that flawless beauty wasn't a witch, it'd be weirder still.
Under normal circumstances—no matter how absurd, even a total stranger witch plunked in his hotel room—Takahashi was ever ready with impeccable courtesy.
But he couldn't even swallow.
Couldn't so much as blink.
Because from that witch—looking for all the world like a French porcelain doll—radiated a viscous malice he'd never sensed before.
Her mere presence turned the air to sarin gas; alarm bells clanged wildly in his skull.
Beholding Takahashi frozen solid, the witch flashed a beaming smile.
"Sharp instincts."
She rose fluidly from the bed's edge and introduced herself.
"I'm a kind little fairy who makes people's desires come true. Name's Bianca Bellirili."
Her jade eyes flashed like lightning in the gloom.
"I've come to take you away."