Chapter 503
Chapter 503
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 503
Chapter Title: Aquarium (3)
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1.
The reason Deneb hadn't uttered a single word during their walk.
To be precise, it wasn't so much that she didn't as that she couldn't.
It had nothing to do with her social skills or interpersonal abilities. She simply couldn't grasp what to say.
Let's rewind time a little.
Before bed, Deneb had been spending some time consoling herself after a grueling day.
That's when an unexpected guest showed up, interrupting her happy time. Deneb greeted him with clear displeasure.
And that guest—as expected—was the thief who'd stolen her twins away, twins so precious she could've gouged out an eye for each one. Not to mention the son-in-law who went around screwing over every high-ranking witch in sight: Shin Si-woo.
Any mother who'd raised daughters could sympathize. Deneb's opinion of her son-in-law was at rock bottom.
But that wasn't the whole story.
There was more to why she acted like an autumn viper toward Si-woo every time they met, despite all the perfectly good reasons to be furious.
Watching him wander around with that carefree, dopey look on his face brought back the shameful behavior she'd shown in the past.
Shameful behavior no mature woman should ever let anyone see.
Quite some time had passed by now.
It should have faded from memory, but every time, a fresh wave of sensation revived it. Probably because Deneb was still ensnared by the lingering remnants of lust from that day.
Even though he had no idea what she'd been up to in her bedroom, the moment she stood before Si-woo, shame would flood her as if she'd been stripped bare.
This time was no exception.
So she'd charged at Si-woo, nitpicked every little thing, and kicked his shins to her heart's content.
Seeing him flail around had eased her mind a little.
But when she came to her senses, she was suddenly suggesting a walk with him.
Right.
That was where the problem began.
It wasn't like she had nothing else to say to him.
She'd kicked his shins plenty and felt refreshed enough.
So why suggest a walk, of all things?
And why head out for that stroll specifically near the Tarot Town villa?
She'd said it was to warn him to be more careful about his relationship with the twins—that if they went walking inside the mansion and the twins spotted them, all hell would break loose.
She'd piled on excuse after excuse, but she vaguely sensed they were just self-justifications.
However, even Deneb didn't know what true feelings those justifications were hiding.
She just felt a nagging doubt about her own actions, tacked on excuses, and an uncomfortable dissonance without any clear reason why.
"Brandy or whiskey—which do you prefer?"
"Brandy, please."
Anyway, they'd ended up at the villa.
Deneb poured cognac into glasses and plopped down on the sofa. She'd also set out some cubed cheese for light snacking.
It was the same sofa where she'd first held a conversation with him—when she'd caught the twins after their unauthorized overnight stay, back when they'd been with Si-woo.
Looking back on it, they'd already been sleeping together by then. The realization made her inexplicably angry all over again.
Perhaps his throat was parched, because Si-woo immediately brought the cognac to his lips.
Deneb pounced.
"Si-woo, that's not how you drink it."
"Pardon?"
"Didn't you work at a host bar? Don't you even know this?"
"I just popped champagne nonstop. Never really drunk cognac on its own."
Seeing his awkward smile only made Deneb's irritation spike for no good reason.
What was so great that he had to grin like an idiot? It just rubbed her the wrong way.
But like it or not, Shin Si-woo was the son-in-law of the Jemernai count family.
If his sloppy manners drew snickers from onlookers, it'd tarnish the Jemernai name just as badly.
"Here, watch. Sight, smell, taste—in that order. That's the proper way to enjoy it. First, cup the glass with your hand. Like this."
The impromptu lecture began without warning.
"Your body heat warms the liquor, letting you enjoy a much richer aroma. Then swirl it slowly like this to appreciate the color, clarity, and legs."
"Like this?"
"Exactly."
He might not have gotten it, but he followed along since she was teaching him.
Cognac trickled slowly down the side of the tulip-shaped glass, bumping against the walls.
"Next comes the aroma. Take in the first scent, give the glass another swirl to let it mingle with the air, then the second aroma."
"Hmm, like this?"
"Don't snort at it."
"Got it."
Deneb's moist, petal-like lips touched the rim of the glass.
Crimson liquor, intense and ruby-red, slipped gently between her lips.
"Finally, taste it across your whole tongue—like a kiss."
"Oh, that's way better."
"You might think it's all pomp and circumstance, but there's a world of difference between savoring it knowingly and just gulping it down blind. Appreciate its true value and observe the proper etiquette. That's the foundation of luxury."
"No matter how exquisite the liquor, pouring it for some gutter drunk is just a waste, wouldn't you say?"
Honestly, Si-woo had braced himself for an endless hell of nagging the moment he stepped into the twins' stronghold.
He'd half-expected the drink she'd pour him to be like the condemned man's final sip—poisoned wine laced with opium or something.
But unexpectedly, Deneb wasn't flying off the handle.
Her expression wasn't exactly cheerful, but she was treating him surprisingly smoothly.
Maybe his answer—no ongoing relationship with the twins—had been the right one after all.
"……."
"……."
But once the masterclass on stylish cognac drinking wrapped up, that ghostly silence crept back in.
The mother-in-law sat with her legs crossed, sipping her drink, refilling her glass, refilling his, and repeating—saying nothing.
Albireo at least would've kept up a steady stream of curt scoldings...
Deneb seemed especially awkward around him now, probably because of what had happened before.
One glass, two glasses.
The petite mother-in-law tilted her glass at a terrifying pace.
Before he knew it, she'd nearly polished off the bottle single-handedly.
Considering cognac's typical 40% proof, it was a scary display of speed and tolerance.
Even Si-woo—who'd stayed quiet figuring she'd down at least half if he didn't say anything—had to intervene.
"Countess, are you all right? Is something wrong?"
"What do you mean?"
"Your pace is a bit too fast."
"It's not? I always drink about this much."
Her response was perfectly natural, separate from the eerie silence.
As if they'd been chatting casually the whole time.
But her face was flushed, like she'd sat too close to the fireplace, and her usual crisp announcer diction was oddly slurred.
"That day..."
Deneb paused for a moment.
After a brief hesitation, she spoke again, forcing a casual tone.
"How was it after that day?"
"How was... what?"
It was a bewildering question for Si-woo.
He intuitively knew what "that day" meant, but he'd never expected her to dredge up a topic they'd all treated like an unspoken taboo.
"Just... how was it."
Deneb herself was inwardly startled by the blurted words and the inexplicable sense of relief that followed.
Why had she brought up this topic?
What answer was she hoping to hear?
She didn't know.
Maybe Si-woo was right, and she'd drunk too fast after all.
"Sorry, I'm not sure what you're asking."
His cautious, perfectly reasonable reply was only natural.
If even she didn't know her own intent, how could he?
It frustrated her all over again.
She didn't even know what she wanted, but his vague answer grated, and so did her own habit of glaring at him in disapproval.
"Fine, let me rephrase the question."
Deneb gulped down more cognac, let out a sigh, and spoke.
She put all her effort into sounding nonchalant, but her voice carried a shy undertone, like lipstick smudged on the glass.
"How was that day?"
Si-woo was at a complete loss for words.
Why on earth was she asking something like this?
He closed his eyes briefly and assessed the situation.
The late-night walk alone on purpose. Sharing drinks in this secluded villa for no good reason. Her bringing up this topic first.
He quickly arrived at a logical conclusion.
This was just like Countess Albireo's "test"—the one where she'd hinted, "Until the twins grow up, I can stand in for them..."
A booby trap. The moment he showed any sign of wavering, she'd pounce with, "I knew it! You're banished!"
Nothing else explained the current setup.
Just like Albireo and the twins, right on cue.
He steeled himself.
No flimsy lies, no hesitant demeanor, no fumbling.
Be honest about his true feelings while standing firm like an ancient oak.
That was his answer to pass the test.
Si-woo met Deneb's eyes with an unwavering gaze and spoke.
"Are you referring to the previous verification?"
Deneb flinched, then gave a small nod.
"Good."
"……."
Her eyes went wide, her mouth twitching through a full range of vowels.
And the hand gripping her glass trembled visibly.
She was clearly debating whether to hurl it at him.
Si-woo quickly pressed on before the glass could fly.
"Countess Deneb, you are beautiful. Though there were unavoidable circumstances, claiming the time we spent together wasn't good would be an outright lie. But..."
Beautiful?
If it hadn't been a good time, it'd be a lie?
The moment she heard his words, Deneb felt her heart clench tight like a rope, then release.
The stuffy emotions burst open.
Her alcohol-fogged head cleared right up.
And for some reason, a spark of confidence flickered to life.
As those shards of emotion flashed through her heart, Deneb's lips moved on their own, ignoring her will.
"Si-woo. The truth is... there was a problem with that last verification."
"I won't hold it against... What?"
Si-woo's fluent response froze on his face.
He fixed her with a suddenly serious gaze.
"A problem?"
"The last verification was a clear success—nothing happened at all. Of course it was. I verified it myself, after all."
"I know that."
"But experiments always carry variables. It's far too risky to base everything on just one test between you and the twins."
"……."
"Wouldn't it be better to verify it double—no, triple—thoroughly?"
Deneb finally realized why she'd lured him here.
She'd been feeling some deep-seated anxiety.
Albireo's observed verification had been a success, sure—but for a witch as meticulous as her to settle for a single data point? Absurd.
That lingering discomfort every time she saw him...
Dragging him to the Tarot Town villa for no reason...
Her subconscious had instinctively sensed the need for repeated verification, even as shame and embarrassment made her hesitate!
It had to be!
Like a clogged pipe suddenly clearing, a crystal-clear answer she hadn't even realized she was seeking came flooding out.
Deneb ranted on in an excited tone.
But just as she was about to wrap it up with, "Then we should do it right here today!"—her throat locked up.
A round sphere had suddenly floated up between them, right over the table where they'd been sharing drinks.
A deep blue marble about the size of a thumbnail.
Its shape and color evoked a blue hole—the "eye of the sea."
"Si-woo?"
"Countess?"
The two locked eyes, both silently asking, "What kind of magic is this?"
The moment their puzzled gazes met, Si-woo reacted first.
He instantly armored his entire body and reflexively swatted the marble away.
Or tried to.
But just before his hand made contact...
A pitch-black torrent of mana swallowed Si-woo and Deneb whole.