Chapter 609
Chapter 609
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 609
Chapter Title: Deneb's Melancholy (4)
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1.
The exchange between the Yesod Count Family and the Gemernai Count Family had quite a long history.
It dated back to the time of their great-great-grandparents, when Gehenna was first established. They had been one of the Seven Counts, maintaining periodic interactions and a symbiotic relationship.
Of course, the wildly chaotic Albireo-Deneb duo and Lucy, the epitome of an arrogant witch, hadn't always gotten along smoothly.
When they were still young witches, they often clashed over all sorts of reasons.
For instance, Gemernai would swoop in and devour a business Lucy had her eye on, or conversely, Yesod would snatch away prey that Gemernai had set her sights on.
But the hot-blooded passion of youth doesn't last a lifetime.
Having inherited their witch names around the same time, over a hundred years of bickering and squabbling had built up grudging affection that eventually blossomed into friendship.
As such, Lucy Yesod knew Deneb of the Gemernai family inside and out.
She showed a bit more human warmth than her sister.
She was stricter with apprentice witches than her sister was.
While Albireo had a knack for expanding businesses and aggressive investments, Deneb focused on solidifying foundations without gaps, patching up any weaknesses.
And she wasn't one for jokes, either.
So how was she supposed to interpret this situation?
Lucy blinked several times.
The elegant handwriting was scrawled in special ink sold at Gemernai's magic tool shop.
Its contents couldn't be discerned by the naked eye, cameras, or surveillance magic, preventing unauthorized copying or leaks. It was used only for important contracts or oaths.
In other words, Deneb was considering the possibility of surveillance.
Was there surveillance or listening devices here right now?
Lucy deployed a barrier to check for nearby magic, but found nothing unusual.
There wouldn't be, to begin with.
This was the main building of the Yesod estate, her personal workshop.
Besides, the message was even more intriguing.
"If you're being threatened"?
Did someone bold enough to threaten a count even exist in Gehenna?
"How clever. Hmm, is it April Fool's today?"
But seeing Deneb casually brush aside the note with a perfectly serious expression made it even more baffling.
It didn't make sense as one of Deneb's rare jokes.
It just evoked a suffocating tension and grim resolve straight out of a spy thriller, leaving her bewildered.
"Hoo..."
Deneb, who had been scrutinizing Lucy's reaction intently, felt certain.
She's definitely hiding something.
The bewildered look on her face the moment she first saw the note.
Now she was trying to dismiss it as a joke, but the bewilderment lingered. It meant she'd hit a sore spot precisely.
From her perspective, she might want to deny the very fact of being threatened.
Having the Yesod Count屈服 to blackmail and suffer some vile act would be scandalous gossip fodder.
Even to a close friend like Deneb, she might not want to reveal it.
Of course, Deneb planned to leverage even that in negotiations.
Deneb immediately pulled out the next prepared note.
"Count Deneb? What are you doing? Surveillance magic or restrictions? This is my workshop."
"So no other magic is in place, then. Mind if I check?"
"If that's what you want..."
Lucy, unable to hide her unease at Deneb's sudden actions, went along half-heartedly.
"Sing a song."
The simple check turned up no suspicious magic nearby.
Thus, Deneb tucked away the remaining notes she'd prepared just in case.
It was far sloppier security than expected.
Which made her think Si-woo might have an even more sensitive issue leashed than she'd imagined.
"You can be honest with me. I already know everything."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"I know you don't trust me. Si-woo is a guest of our family, after all. I'm here to straighten out this misplaced relationship."
A signpost appeared, pointing the direction of their foggy conversation.
She still didn't know why Deneb was asking about threats or surveillance.
But there were plenty of interpretable clues.
First, the circumstance that Si-woo was the Gemernai family's adopted son-in-law.
Deneb's unusually tense demeanor.
Followed by remarks like 'Si-woo is our family's guest,' 'misplaced relationship,' and 'straighten it out.'
Combining the decipherable clues, Lucy inferred the reason for Deneb's behavior.
Albireo already knew about Si-woo and Lucy's research.
She even knew Lucy had taken a liking to him and seduced him before the research began, yet took no action.
So why block their research with Si-woo now, of all times?
Before her suspicions spiraled, Lucy decided to ask directly.
"Count Deneb. Could you explain a bit more simply? I don't understand a thing."
Of course, her tone came out sharp.
This wasn't some trivial matter—it involved Diana. There would be no compromise.
If the Gemernai Count Family was claiming prior rights to Si-woo and trying to interfere with the research, she'd fight tooth and nail.
"Si-woo is blackmailing you, isn't he?"
As she was steeling herself, Lucy tilted her head at what sounded like a dog snapping at grass.
"Pardon?"
"I know Si-woo is blackmailing you."
"...Pardon?"
She couldn't keep up.
"Blackmail? Si-woo blackmailing me?"
"No need to play coy. I'm here to help you, Count Lucy, and take clear responsibility for the incident. Rest assured."
Where had she heard such nonsense, and why was she taking it so seriously?
It felt like dealing with flat-Earthers who truly believed the planet was flat.
"Looks like more groundless rumors are circulating. Those idle fools. Didn't you used to hate gossiping about others' private affairs, Count Deneb?"
She figured Deneb must have heard nonsense at the salon.
It was astonishing that a witch of Deneb's caliber would take rumors so seriously.
As she smirked, ready to end this pointless topic—
"I saw it with my own eyes."
Lucy's mind went blank.
"Saw what?"
"Him having relations with you."
What did she see?
A piercing ring echoed in Lucy's ears.
Along with the dull tinnitus, Deneb's 'I saw it, I saw it, I saw it' rang like an earworm.
"No, no, no... Why would you see that? How?"
"I'm truly sorry. It wasn't intentional."
Of course, this was a grave issue.
An undeniable invasion of privacy.
No matter how close the Yesod and Gemernai Counts were, peeking into a bedroom was unforgivable.
But before anger could rise, overwhelming shame flooded in.
The acts she'd shared with him in bed today flashed by like a panorama.
So Deneb had seen all of it?
The spanking, clinging to him like a slave, pretending to hate it while panting.
Finally, the loose clues connected solidly.
The Yesod Count dropping the knife while cutting meat powerlessly, and Deneb gazing at her with a gravely serious look.
"So no need to hide it. I have no intention of spreading it outside, of course. I just want to help you, Count Lucy."
"......"
Never in her life had Lucy Yesod felt such bewilderment.
Even when Si-woo discovered the novels she wrote as a hobby, it hadn't felt this mortifying.
"I understand you want to handle this sensitive issue as quickly and quietly as possible."
"......"
"Could I hear the exact details?"
Lucy hung her head, silent.
Deneb felt certain all her hypotheses were correct and she'd timed the negotiation perfectly as intended.
This way, Si-woo could avoid the worst outcome.
Now she just needed to propose acceptable punishments and compensations for the Yesod Count and mediate.
Gazing at the crown of Lucy's bowed head in silence, Deneb carefully spoke up.
With these clues, Lucy would know what Deneb wanted.
No need to beat around the bush; she got straight to the point.
"This unfortunate incident will absolutely never leak outside. But could you consider that Si-woo is our family's son-in-law?"
"......"
"I'm not saying to just let it slide. We'll provide ample compensation. But we want him punished through proper procedures."
She'd said everything she needed to.
"Count Deneb..."
After a long silence, the Yesod Count spoke, her ears flushed bright red.
Well, as a woman who'd suffered such a thing—and heard it from another's mouth...
Shame must be gnawing at her heart.
"...I don't want punishment."
It seemed an extraordinarily grave matter had her by the weakness.
Or perhaps she planned to bide her time and handle it personally later.
"Of course I trust you, Deneb. And I'm grateful. But I don't want punishment."
Lucy slowly raised her head.
Her eyes, red as boiled octopus, brimmed with tears.
"Lucy..."
"Punishment from the start... It's absurd..."
What was absurd about it?
At this point, even Deneb grew anxious.
If she couldn't act as mediator, her leverage would diminish.
"Why not?"
"Haa... How did this happen..."
After repeated sighs and laments, Lucy's lips trembled.
"I... wanted it myself."
Revealing the truth here was tantamount to exposing her secret tastes.
But with Deneb so firmly misunderstanding, she couldn't very well say, 'Yes! He blackmailed and violated me!'
She didn't want Si-woo catching innocent flak purely from the misunderstanding.
"Lucy, I get that you want to hide it."
"No, really."
"You know this isn't something you can just cover up."
"I said really?"
"Lucy..."
So she swallowed her shame and revealed the truth, but Deneb naturally didn't believe a word.
She even looked at her with pitying eyes.
"Really!"
A moment of silence.
"Everything I saw was at your request, Count Lucy?"
"Y-Yes, it was..."
"Count Lucy, I'm not an idiot. If you're claiming all those scenes were consensual... I absolutely can't believe it."
Crawling on her knees like a dog, exposing herself like a slave without using her hands, getting her buttocks spanked—all consensual?
It was tantamount to sexual torture.
Where in the world was there such an absurd fetish?
"Be honest."
"I was honest! I endured the shame and told you everything without a single lie!"
"Then does that mean your tastes are so extreme you'd demand such acts? I can't believe it."
"Aaaargh!"
The frustrating, embarrassing, infuriating conversation dragged on for about thirty minutes of back-and-forth before finally wrapping up.