Chapter 673
Chapter 673
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 673
Chapter Title: Dual!
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The mansion of the Witch of Silence was a grand edifice, built upon a foundation of sheer opulence with pillars of extravagance rising high.
In scale, it might have been smaller than the Gemernai Count Family estate, but the parlor for receiving guests was as exquisitely beautiful as any storied royal palace.
After exchanging brief greetings, Si-woo settled into the parlor and glanced around.
The marble floor gleamed with a sparkling polish.
The sofa was so plush that sitting down felt like it might swallow his backside whole.
The interior design contrasted dim rooms with brilliant lighting to accentuate the lavishness, somehow evoking memories of the twins and stirring an unexpected wave of nostalgia.
But now was no time to indulge in such sentiments.
Let's rewind a bit to that very morning.
The moment Dorothy stepped out of Fragrant Moon Tower, Si-woo went straight to find Linne.
Thanks to the all-night Holstein show he'd put on with Dorothy, Linne's gaze upon him was laced with outright wariness and disgust.
"I've heard the Witch of Silence has Manya and Marisha in her possession."
"And?"
Si-woo hesitated for a moment before delivering his prepared line.
"It's a rare chance, so I'd like to sample them myself. I'm curious about the Witch of Silence too— it'd be great if I could meet her and have a chat."
Playing the half-mad pervert had clearly paid off, rather than sticking to some vaguely virtuous persona.
No matter what he asked for, it all boiled down to one simple motive: "I want to fuck."
"......"
That said, the icy glare Linne shot him at that moment was one he'd probably remember for life.
Linne pressed her lips tightly together.
She didn't say it outright, but her vibe screamed, "Wasn't screwing Dorothy all night yesterday enough for you?"
Her demeanor had transcended mere contempt, treating him like some grotesque mutant lifeform.
To think he'd drawn such a vivid, multifaceted reaction from Linne, who hadn't changed expression just days ago.
A small sense of accomplishment washed over him.
She let out a faint sigh and spoke.
"That doesn't justify skipping sparring."
"One day is all I need."
After brazenly stating his case, the tense moment followed.
The character he'd crafted in front of Linne was that of a sex-obsessed degenerate disciple.
This persona had covered for a lot of his schemes and hidden motives.
The problem was, it didn't guarantee carte blanche for any depraved act.
The only reason he could remain her disciple—and get away with some foolishness—was the potential she saw in him to bolster her own strength.
What remained was a delicate balance.
Si-woo's recklessness versus Linne's expectations that justified overlooking it.
The key was planting his foot just right somewhere in between.
And by his judgment, he was still safely within bounds.
"Master, hear me out."
"Speak."
"I'm going to be knee-deep in this world from now on anyway, and honestly, I love that. No need to hold back just to avoid the prying eyes of that insufferably upright Tiferet Duke anymore."
Sorry, Master. I miss you.
"I don't plan to hole up in Fragrant Moon Tower forever. To that end, I need to build connections across the board. Wouldn't the Witch of Silence make for a solid contact? Plus..."
"Enough."
Linne waved her hand, cutting him off.
"Do as you please."
It felt half like resignation, but he'd easily secured his one-day pass.
Getting permission to visit alone was an unexpected bonus.
The Witch of Silence's mansion wasn't far from Fragrant Moon Tower, and their longstanding ties had helped smooth things over.
After a short wait of five minutes...
"Here, black tea."
With a clink of porcelain, the Witch of Silence brought out the tea.
The clear, transparent orange brew swirled gracefully in an elegant cup.
"Wow, this is something else. Never thought I'd live to see a male witch."
The Witch of Silence, Rosie Alu, crossed her legs on the opposite sofa.
She propped her chin and fired off an endless stream of intrigued stares.
A house often mirrors its owner's temperament at a glance, but Rosie struck a stark discord with her own mansion.
Unlike the mansion's serene atmosphere, she exuded a wildly flamboyant vibe.
For starters, she sported two-tone dyed hair like some idol or girl band lead vocalist—as if it were the most natural thing.
Deep blue and mint green.
Witches were inherently drop-dead gorgeous, so it suited her, but it was still jarringly unfamiliar.
Witches usually favored vintage styles, after all.
Si-woo might've brushed it off up to here.
Two-tone dye? Big deal.
You could spot it casually on any bustling Seoul street.
But Rosie's bold break from stuffy witch stereotypes didn't stop there.
Clink, clink.
The faint metallic jingle followed even her slightest movement, emanating from her ears.
Not just earrings—her lobes were pierced to the point of looking painful.
Top it off with a leather jacket and punk ensemble, and she resembled a pampered heiress deep in her rebellious phase.
"Why are you staring like that?"
Catching Si-woo's gaze, Rosie smirked.
"Doesn't it hurt?"
"This?"
"Yeah."
Rosie swept her hair behind her ear to reveal it.
The piercings bloomed like flowers, twinkling under the lights.
"These didn't hurt a bit. But these spots stung like hell. Wanna see?"
She pointed brazenly at her chest and crotch, flashing a cheeky grin while eyeing Si-woo's reaction.
Probably expecting him to fluster...
But Alice had already tipped him off about her tastes.
She smiled sweetly, but underneath lurked a sadist who got off on piercing others.
A flashy poison mushroom you wouldn't dream of approaching.
Takasho always said a pretty girl was all that mattered, but Si-woo—scarred by beautiful bitches—couldn't agree so easily.
Plus, knowing she was a pure lesbian meant no point in high hopes.
"Sure, let's see."
His calm reply set her off in peals of laughter: "Pervert, pervert!"
She was naturally high-energy, but meeting Si-woo had her visibly pumped.
"So, where's your brand? Mine's right here."
Stroking her lower belly, her eyes drifted to Si-woo's impressive bulge.
He'd removed his eyepatch.
"Not there—here."
His radiant golden mana eye gleamed, and Rosie's eyes widened in instant fascination.
"Wanna see up close?"
"Hell yeah."
No harm in showing; he needed to build rapport anyway.
It was buildup to smoothly extract Manya and Marisha.
In a flash, she vaulted the table and plopped down beside him.
Up close, he noticed the ring within her pale pink irises was a circle lens effect.
"Hard to see."
Like an optometrist, she pried his eyelid open with two fingers for a better look.
Not satisfied, she straddled his lap like mounting a saddle and peered intently.
"Pretty. Like a living Persian rug."
She stared, mesmerized, at the densely etched geometric patterns in his pupil.
It was unique, no doubt.
He still marveled at it in mirrors sometimes; for others, even more so.
"I wanna pluck it out and keep it."
"Dearie me."
"Heh, kidding."
Not sounding like a joke at all, but she returned to her seat without lingering.
Little conversation had passed, but his impression of the Witch of Silence so far was...
She lived utterly by her whims, like a true witch unbound.
She seemed approachable and fun like a carefree big sis, yet a glimpse of indescribable, translucent madness lurked beneath.
Maybe just preconceptions at play.
"I served you tea, so show me some magic."
"Sure, no big deal."
After that, it turned into a casual talent show.
He conjured armor from shadows, deployed a simple barrier, and such.
Even these minor spells drew dolphin-show-level excitement from her wide eyes.
Her gaping mouth stayed open, her sparkling gaze missing none of his moves.
"Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!"
Her reactions were spot-on, so he even fired mana blasts through a tiny halo of an angel for flair.
Rosie nearly died of delight.
"Thank you for watching."
Si-woo bowed handsomely, like a magician wrapping up his act.
Clapping wildly, Rosie seemed even more thrilled, drool literally dribbling—not figuratively.
"Sluuuurp... Wow, I figured stabbing Linne must mean you're no ordinary guy, but damn, you're the real deal."
"You're too kind."
Her beaming smile faded from her face, and a sly glint swirled in those girlish pink irises.
"But seriously, why'd you suddenly wanna see me? Linne didn't explain properly."
Rec time over—now the main event.
Her voice carried hints of speculation, anticipation, and faint suspicion.
It made sense; even as a temporary disciple, Si-woo was essentially a captive.
For him to request a private audience with the Witch of Silence, a total stranger, must've struck her as odd.
"Ah, well, you see..."
He'd prepared countermeasures aplenty.
Courtesy of Dorothy's intel.
This info would serve as a bridge all the way to securing Manya and Marisha.
"I heard you're killer at witchboard."
"Witchboard?"
Those two words flipped her expression yet again.
"Totally lost it" fit perfectly.
"Came to challenge you."
"Let's do it right now!"
The Witch of Silence, Rosie Alu, was a severe witchboard addict—a hardcore duel junkie.