Chapter 431
Chapter 431
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 431
Chapter Title: Merry Christmas (3)
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1.
Her teacher spent a long time talking with Rafi.
Si-woo had listened from the side for a while, but he felt it would be rude to eavesdrop any further, so he stepped back a little.
Eloa, who had been crying and laughing for ages, turned back to Si-woo with reddened eyes.
"Come here, will you?"
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, so come. I want to introduce you to Rafi too."
Eloa grabbed Si-woo's wrist with a hoarse voice and wiped away her tears with her sleeve.
Si-woo stood stiffly in front of the tombstone, unnecessarily tense.
Eloa cleared her throat a few times before showing Si-woo to Rafi.
"Rafi, this is the one."
With Si-woo by her side, Eloa began introducing him enthusiastically.
"Can you believe it? He possesses Autonomic Magic, yet he's a man. And his achievements are so swift and astonishing—it's like looking at you back then."
"……."
"He's a bit clumsy and awkward with words, and quite greedy, charming every witch under the sun... but..."
"……."
"Right now, he's more trustworthy and dependable than anyone else."
"……."
Her voice, excited at first as she praised Si-woo, soon wavered with tears again.
She finished her greeting to Rafi in that strained tone.
"So don't worry too much. Rest easy."
Si-woo carefully wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and Eloa buried herself in his embrace, sobbing for a long while.
2.
"Are you feeling a bit better now?"
Eloa's face was a mess of tears.
In truth, she had visited Rafi's grave several times before.
But this was the first time she had wept so freely, enough to unburden her heart.
Even when her throat tightened and her chest felt like it was ripping apart with loss,
the tears hadn't come.
What had blocked them was the unresolved guilt she still carried,
and the lingering regret for the days they could never share again.
Tonight, Eloa watched as a century's worth of regret and sorrow turned into pretty beads and scattered into the garden skies.
This too
must be because Si-woo was by her side now.
"I've shown you an unseemly side."
Eloa smiled, gazing up at Si-woo with a strangely lightened heart.
Si-woo's eyes were red around the edges.
He must have been feeling melancholic on his own while smoking and waiting for her.
My disciple, who willingly shed tears alongside me even though it wasn't his burden—my love, my fate.
"No way. Thank you for letting me come to such a precious place with you, Teacher."
It was the Harvest Festival, after all.
Once tonight passed, it would be a while before he could see Si-woo's face again.
The upheaval in the present world of Gehenna and the brewing unrest couldn't be quelled in just a day or two.
If this was their last time together for now, she wanted to spend it smiling.
With that thought, Eloa gripped Si-woo's hand tightly.
Afterward, Eloa and Si-woo wandered the garden for a long time, taking in the surroundings.
Gazing at the wide-open view that could rival Gehenna's observation decks, they shared memories that had slipped by.
"You have no idea how shocked I was back then."
"I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I have some confidence in my cooking."
"I'd be thrilled if you made it for me again sometime."
"For you, I'd do it anytime."
The first meeting where Eloa mistook Si-woo for Ea and attacked him, their training sessions together, the time she cooked for him, the nights they sipped drinks side by side, tales of the Witch of Cowardice, and more.
It was a special day, but their conversation wasn't anything extraordinary.
Just like the casual chats they often had while strolling the serene forest paths of the Jemernai estate after training.
Topics that didn't need voicing, idle talk that hardly mattered.
Yet this made it so happy—because this hand was firmly linked with Si-woo's.
That alone made her steps light and her heart pound.
"There's a place we should head to soon."
"This feels a bit apologetic somehow? I heard the man usually plans the date itinerary..."
"No need to feel sorry. Don't worry about it."
In truth, Si-woo had planned to wander the Malkuth Gallery with Eloa.
The arcade shopping district's layout was perfect for the Harvest Festival decorations, and his preliminary visit had confirmed it was splendidly adorned.
But seeing how meticulously she had prepared, he wanted to go along with her plans.
"It's Arcana Village in Lenormand Town."
"Yes, I'll follow you."
2.
The Tiphereth Ducal House had always boasted ample wealth.
Even now, the fertile lands of Gehenna, including the vineyards on the Mendel Hills acquired by the Jemernai family, all belonged to House Tiphereth.
However, as widely known, Eloa had poured her entire fortune into the Location Point charity project, leaving her with little money to spare.
That said, countless witches held her in high regard for her character and deeds, with over two dozen official sponsors—far from the tearful poverty Sharon had once endured.
Eloa rarely accepted such favors unless absolutely necessary.
Her nature was upright, and she didn't see her own work as something to boast about to others.
Even accepting lodging from the Jemernai Count family was in exchange for the artifacts she had provided them over the years; without that connection, she would have declined the invitation.
But tonight, she decided to accept Sua Branch Chief's kindness.
With women always buzzing around Si-woo, a night to monopolize him was precious.
And on this exhilarating Harvest Festival night, she wanted to be alone with him all the more.
Arcana Village in Lenormand Town.
As the name suggests, it was a villa district southeast of Trinity Academy.
Unlike grand estates like those of the Jemernai or Yesod Counts, it consisted of townhouses akin to outposts for twins, spaced appropriately here and there.
"First time coming here."
"Is it?"
During his slave days, there was no need or desire to enter such a pleasure palace.
And after returning, he had no acquaintances here, so no reason to visit.
Anyway, amid Gehenna's towns overflowing with attractions, this place was rather modest.
The only sight was a small lake taking up about half of Arcana Village's area.
Still, the villas each flaunting their unique Harvest Festival flair, and the path lined with heavy-fruited persimmon trees, evoked a serene, quiet charm.
Among them, the house Eloa led him to was perhaps the humblest in Arcana Village—a red-brick home that barely qualified as a mansion.
They passed through a fence instead of a wall and entered the front gate.
Compared to its quaint exterior, the interior was impeccably clean, without a speck of dust even in the corners.
The two brushed the snow off their shoes and slipped into fluffy indoor slippers.
"This place is pretty too."
"It's quiet and nice. The best part is that it's just the two of us."
As Si-woo glanced around and spoke, Eloa smiled.
It looked cozy enough, but it wasn't the sort of place to draw such admiration.
Still, his words seemed like a sweet pretense, much like the Sky Garden's importance to her, and it felt endearing.
"There's a cozy room upstairs. Wait up there, and I'll prepare some simple snacks and drinks to join you."
"No, let me help with the preparations."
He couldn't just sit like a lord while his teacher worked.
Si-woo rolled up his sleeves to assist, but she stopped him firmly.
"No. Absolutely do not come down to the first floor—wait obediently upstairs."
With that, Eloa vanished toward the living room, her pink hair swaying like a ponytail.
3.
"Hmm..."
As instructed, Si-woo settled upstairs first.
The room's layout was simple.
A door right at the top of the stairs.
Opening it revealed a sofa, a bed, and a bookshelf—all immediately visible.
With its attic-like setup, the ceiling sloped, and the space was narrower than downstairs.
A single rug from under the Jemernai estate bed could cover the whole room.
Anyway, Si-woo placed his feet on the soft sheepskin carpet and perched on the sofa.
"This is making me unnecessarily tense."
Unlike his past where his right hand was his lifelong companion, the current Si-woo knew exactly what came next in this atmosphere.
Hashtags like #HarvestFestival #MoonlitNight #JustTheTwoOfUs #WithDrinks—how could he misread that?
The issue was he'd never shared a proper romantic interlude with his teacher while fully sober.
Not the first time, nor the second.
Even after regaining his memories, they'd kissed occasionally, but Eloa had never initiated anything more.
Knowing her inner turmoil, Si-woo hadn't boldly suggested it either.
Still, with them apart for a while after this, he wanted to make the time special...
"I'll come in."
As he mulled it over, deciding his accumulated experience would help create a natural mood,
Si-woo stood to receive the drinks—and froze for a moment.
"……."
Through the slightly ajar door, his esteemed teacher was gone, replaced by a bunny girl.
A high-exposure leotard revealing more than half her pale skin, with soft, fluffy cleavage on full display.
Her thighs, perfectly toned, accentuated by heels; the garter belt straps gently pressing into her flesh—it was sensuality incarnate.
Eloa, too embarrassed to meet his gaze directly, stared at the tray of wine bottle, glasses, and cheese, her face flushed.
*Clatter clatter clatter*
The tray trembled and rattled from her shyness and nerves.
Eloa had prepared the outfit downstairs beforehand, changing while setting up the drinks.
She even had a line ready to surprise Si-woo with the bunny costume and playfully dispel the awkwardness.
'Tonight, I'm your bunny.'
Even that single line she'd memorized diligently to not forget.
But standing before Si-woo, her mind went blank.
She thought he wouldn't, but what if he scolded her for this ridiculous outfit?
What if he thought—crude as it sounded—that she was in heat?
Conservative Eloa couldn't fathom Si-woo's thoughts.
But she was in too deep to back out now.
Eloa steeled herself against the urge to squeeze her eyes shut and escape reality.
She widened her eyes, looked at him, and shouted.
Her prepared line, the feelings she wanted to convey.
"I-I'm a bunny in heat...!"
"……."
And just like that, Eloa realized her slip-up.
Her inner thoughts had bizarrely mixed with her rehearsed line, turning it into a bold pervert's declaration!
"N-No...! I'm a bunny in heat for you...!"
"……."
"No no...! I'm... a bunny... just for tonight...!"
One blunder after another, devolving into utter nonsense—a total disaster.
A cold silence fell, and Eloa bowed her head deeply.
The bunny ear ribbons drooped sadly.
She was done for.
Sharon's help had made this preparation special, but now everything was ruined.
Eloa stammered excuses.
"I-I thought... you'd be happy like this... Is it too grotesque?"
"No, Teacher, not at all."
"No, I know. This doesn't suit me... My hair color's weird, and I'm so short..."
At that moment,
the wine bottle in Eloa's hand clattered to the floor.
Si-woo had lunged forward without looking, pulling her into a fierce hug—the tray slipped from her grasp.
"Teacher, thank you so much."
"……."
"This is the cutest, most beautiful you've ever looked to me."
Her heart, on the verge of sinking into the mire, soared like it had sprouted wings at his praise.
"...Really?"
Eloa peeked up at him like a puppy that broke a vase while the owner was away.
His response was hands gripping her waist roughly and a deep, intense kiss.