Chapter 611
Chapter 611
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 611
Chapter Title: Deneb's Melancholy (6)
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1.
Peaceful days slipped by.
They were as heartwarming as the gentle spring sunlight bathing the sprouting buds.
In the early mornings, he helped Amelia with her perfume production process while doing his personal studies.
Unlike at the beginning, things had become more systematic now, so it no longer took as much time as before.
Around noon, it was sparring time with his master.
This was to make use of the Angel's Ring he'd obtained from Dorothy.
Though it consumed a great deal, the fact that it could buff all his skills and guarantee a decisive blow was no different from gaining a heavenly opportunity.
Si-woo's biggest weakness had always been his lack of a proper finisher, thanks to his patchwork self-magnetic magic.
In the evenings after sparring ended, they all had dinner together, followed by laid-back chats with Sharon, the twins, and Lurye.
Lurye's healing had gotten back on track, and in just a few more days, she'd be ready to face the next trial.
"Should I start making some money soon?"
The remaining issues were the spirit body problem and his eight-billion-gold debt.
Those were real headaches.
He'd initially planned to consult Periwinkle, but since she'd been away for so long, he went to see Takasho instead.
"Still going strong, huh."
Thus, in the early evening, he arrived at Rose Glass, the host bar in Malkuth Gallery—Gehenna's one and only.
The moment he opened the door, elegant classical music poured from the phonograph, mingled with witches' laughter and a dizzyingly sweet floral scent.
The snippets of conversation and chuckles leaking from the partitions showed that Rose Glass was still thriving.
He didn't want the witches' eyes on him.
He headed straight to Takasho's office, where he'd arranged to meet in advance.
"Yo, bro, you're earlier than I thought."
Takasho flashed a bright white-toothed grin and raised his hand in greeting.
It had been a while since he'd visited the madam's office, but the atmosphere felt much more sophisticated now.
Takasho's clothes had noticeably higher quality too.
"Business booming lately?"
"You know it. Who am I? The great Mima-ya Takasho. Not quite on Shin Si-woo's level, but the most successful old fox in history."
The two exchanged a light hug and greetings before sitting on the sofa.
With his legs casually crossed and a smug air, he now fully embodied the image of a boss.
"What's the deal? You calling me out like this."
"Got something to consult about."
"Consult? If it's woman trouble, I'll kill you."
Takasho bared his teeth like an angry monkey, but he was always good at giving advice despite the bluster, so Si-woo laid out his problem.
Takasho, puffing on a thick cigar instead of a cigarette and striking a pose, nodded as if he got the picture.
"Hmm, so basically, you need money, right? Ten thousand pounds in gold? Want me to lend it?"
"You can just hand over that much?"
"Of course. You're my brother, blood or not."
"Thanks, but like I said, this is kind of a test, so I want to prove myself spectacularly."
He couldn't even count how much he'd mooched off his mothers-in-law so far.
The amount was probably beyond counting.
With so many lovers already drawing scrutiny, he didn't want to look like a useless son-in-law clinging without talent.
He had no face left to keep mooching.
"That's important too. A real man needs ability to marry and keep her tight. Shin Si-woo, you've really become something."
"What has?"
Takasho let out a deep sigh and asked cautiously.
"Uh... mind if I see a photo of the Witch of the Deep Sea? Not anything naughty, of course."
"No problem."
He might look like a golden sun, but Takasho was surprisingly good at keeping boundaries.
Before dating Amelia, he'd joked around with stuff like "Pound Prof Amelia's pussy and spill the tea!" or "Collect some blonde bush for me!", but once they were actually together, he never said a word about it. And when Sharon visited before, he'd kept things strictly professional.
"Here."
"Ooh."
Lately, Lurye had picked up a new hobby.
Taking Si-woo's smartphone and snapping photos like crazy.
Having spent her whole life on a submarine, everything in the world must have seemed wondrous to her.
Her photo album was packed with shots of the sky, moon, flowers, clovers, and food—barely in focus, with zero thought to angles or composition, just whatever caught her eye.
Among them, he showed a photo taken in front of the twins' dressing room mirror.
It looked like she'd tried on various outfits.
The raw, clumsy shots of a smartphone newbie—no filters, nothing. Hands neatly clasped in front was her only "technique."
But the subject's beauty was too stunning to be hidden by amateur skills.
Obviously snapped casually, yet not a single embarrassing shot; they looked like a photoshoot.
"Wow... th-this, you josenjing bastard. Get erectile dysfunction."
Takasho alternated between gasps of admiration and curses, utterly entranced by Lurye's photos.
Maybe because of all the past deceptions—not quite deceptions—he didn't fly into a rage this time.
"With this, the eight billion debt's paid in full, no sweat. I'd sell my organs for it. Jealous... Shin Si-woo... you bastard..."
Instead, tears streamed down his face in sheer envy.
"Anyway, she looks like she's got a wild personality."
"What?"
"Queen aura's pouring off her."
"Queen?"
"You can tell from the photo. The vibe's just like Prof Amelia."
Si-woo looked at the photo again after hearing that.
Her brows furrowed toward the center from focusing on the camera, eyes naturally narrowed a bit.
A tense, rigid expression without a smile.
And with her inherently dignified deep navy-blue hair and intense blue eyes to top it off.
If it were just the photo, it'd give off a "What if the Northern Duke got gender-swapped?" vibe.
Of course, she was in little-sister-needing-care position now, but he'd been pretty intimidated when he first met Lurye.
"I wanted you to do well, but not this well."
"You're banging witches left and right too, aren't you?"
"Ah, right, about that. Can't anymore."
"Why? Balls busted?"
"I'm getting married soon."
"Congrats."
He figured it was bullshit and brushed it off, but Takasho's vibe was dead serious.
"Yo, wait. For real?"
"Yeah, with Adonai Countess this May."
"Whoa..."
Takasho, who used to wail that marriage was the grave of life, getting married.
And from slave to marrying a Gehenna countess? Unbelievable.
But he couldn't bring himself to congratulate easily.
Takasho's situation was different from his.
Plus, who was Adonai Countess?
The super top who'd loaned him startup funds in exchange for a body deed.
This marriage could be forced even if Takasho didn't want it.
"Why so serious?"
"Nah, congrats. You good with it?"
"Yeah, we got close talking business stuff. Now it's like we can't live without each other—super clingy."
"You bastard! Real congrats!"
It was the best news he'd heard lately, so he was thrilled like it was his own.
"Getting scammed every day, I wanna boast too. Photo?"
"Hell yeah, man! Why didn't you say sooner!"
Takasho rubbed under his nose bashfully, grinning like he'd finally gotten something to brag about.
He naturally pulled a photo from an envelope in the drawer.
There was Takasho in a dog collar and panties, one leg lifted.
"What the fuck."
"Wrong one. This is it."
"Yo, fuck. My eyes."
Takasho casually tucked it away and pulled out another.
"Here."
There was the Adonai Countess he'd only heard rumors about.
Takasho had said Lurye seemed intimidating, but she was nothing compared.
Like the sexy female exec from an old-school series.
A highly lascivious shot in skin-tight leather pants.
Zipper at the back fully open, legs splayed wide in a double peace sign—Adonai Countess herself.
"Cute, right?"
"Dude, you sure it's okay to show this?"
"Yeah, my sis is super chill about it."
Couldn't tell who was the S and who was the M.
"Tastes match perfectly, we click on everything. Plus, she was amazed by my business skills?"
The guy had a real talent for killing the mood.
Still, good news was good news.
He hugged him tightly again and patted his back.
"Oh, and I asked about trying NTR play—she said bring you if you're cool."
"Pass. You're such an omnivore."
"Obviously. I'll do anything except eat shit."
"R-Right..."
"Thought about it—maybe even shit!"
Takasho flashed a fresh smile to the end.
In the end, he forgot his original goal and just listened to Takasho's messy love stories.
2.
Tonight was research time with Madam Yesod.
Research in name only—for someone who just had to shake his hips, it was basically sloppy SM playtime.
After a thorough bath, he grabbed a bouquet and headed to her room, where Countess Lucy awaited.
"Oh my, Si-woo, come on in."
"Hello, Countess."
She welcomed him with her usual eye smile.
But her outfit today was somehow different from usual.
She always finished bathing right before he arrived and waited in sexy lingerie or a gown.
Today was more defensively dressed.
"It's getting warmer now, isn't it? Nights are still chilly, but the daytime sun is so delightfully warm."
Not only did she not hang on his neck for a kiss right away, she sat on the sofa first and gestured for him to join, starting with small talk.
"Is something the matter?"
"Oh dear, what do you mean? We always have a cultured conversation first, then relations tailored to your tastes, don't we?"
As he looked at her puzzled, he noticed sweat beading on her forehead.
Something was fishy...
Si-woo immediately sensed the awkwardness but sat down quietly for now.
"Ahem, Si-woo."
"Yes, Countess."
"Do you remember that sample discussion from before?"
"Ah, yes. Sharon agreed to cooperate."
She wanted to collect samples from relations with other women to avoid errors in stigma succession.
He'd remembered properly and asked Sharon for help.
She'd seemed a bit hesitant at first but agreed to schedule it soon.
"Oh no... what ever shall we do?"
"Pardon?"
"Truth is, the research has hit a major snag."
"Pardon?"
"I'm already a witch with an apprentice—that is, my vessel is separated. It's impossible for a normal witch to collect those samples."
She had a point.
Their joint research with Si-woo was for stigma succession to begin with.
Info from normal witches alone was insufficient.
"Does it have to be a witch with an apprentice?"
"Yes. Absolutely, positively."
"Could I see your research materials?"
"W-Well... I left them behind..."
This was awkward.
He'd barely gotten Sharon's consent, and now they needed help from a witch who had an apprentice...
Si-woo fell deep in thought.
It wasn't like no one came to mind, but...
"But don't worry too much, Si-woo."
"Pardon?"
"I've prepared everything."
"Pardon?"
Countess Yesod stood and opened the door to the bedroom.
"Will you come with me?"