Chapter 733
Chapter 733
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 733
Chapter Title: Healing (2)
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Rinne, who had told him to wait just a moment, headed downstairs with Yebin.
She had repeatedly warned him not to come out under any circumstances.
It was a bit longer than just a short while.
Unable to figure out what was going on, he waited quietly, and Rinne returned.
She was holding a traditional Japanese lunchbox, the kind commonly seen at sushi restaurants.
"What is this?"
Si-woo had delved into Rinne's subconscious, but those memories were mostly limited to her unfortunate past.
As a result, he hadn't realized it was eel rice topped with kimosui.
"Open it up."
After going around in circles, the homemade eel rice—made with Rinne's utmost care for her groom—finally landed in Si-woo's hands.
"Whoa."
Si-woo couldn't help but gasp in admiration as he lifted the lid.
The moment the lid came off, a fragrant aroma of straw-fire smoke hit his nose all at once.
Tenderly deboned and sliced eel glistened under a glossy glaze of sweet-and-salty soy sauce.
Just looking at it made his mouth water.
Yet the plating elevated the potentially rich, heavy dish into something refined.
Finely shredded burdock root, shepherd's purse, and pickled ginger added the finishing touches.
It was as vibrant as an autumn garden carpeted in fallen leaves, with visual appeal just as carefully considered.
"It looks so pretty."
"Does it?"
Rinne responded indifferently and poured kimosui and green tea into the accompanying teacups.
As is well known, spiritual bodies have no need for food or drink.
The only thing Rinne—the epitome of asceticism—had consumed while bound beneath her was a Moscow Mule from Dignity Down's bar.
From that perspective, how could the alluring sight of eel practically bursting with umami not draw a gasp?
"It looks delicious."
"Eat up comfortably."
While traditional Japanese cuisine calls for chopsticks alone, Rinne thoughtfully provided a spoon for her Joseon-born husband.
She pulled up a chair beside him to watch him eat.
"……."
And then she stared with an intensity that felt almost burdensome.
Feeling the pressure, Si-woo nearly suggested they eat together without thinking, then caught himself.
He soon steeled himself.
It was a tricky topic to bring up suddenly, and eating came first anyway.
"I'll gratefully dig in."
"Wait."
"Yes?"
Just as he was about to take his first bite, Rinne intervened.
With slow but deft movements, she took the spoon from his hand.
After a brief moment of consideration, she scooped up a perfect mix of eel and rice.
Surprisingly, the spoon headed straight for Si-woo's mouth.
"Say ahh."
"Ah?"
Still caught off guard by Rinne's unexpected gap moe, Si-woo opened his mouth.
Rinne smoothly fed him the bite.
Delicious.
Warm, fluffy rice paired with the eel's springy chew on the first bite.
The seasoning—neither too sweet nor salty—maximized the umami, harmonizing perfectly with the charcoal smokiness.
Before he knew it, overflowing eel juices and oils coated his tongue smoothly.
At the same time, the tangy pickled ginger popped between the grains, neutralizing any richness instantly.
The flavor was impeccable, undiminished even in his bewildered state.
"This is kimosui. It's a clear broth made from eel liver, so enjoy it together."
"Ah, yes, thank you."
After he chewed and swallowed, Rinne handed him a teacup bobbing with bean sprouts and enoki mushrooms.
The base was salted; unlike the eel rice, it was light on oil, offering a clean, refreshing taste.
"This is delicious too."
"Is it?"
Only after watching Rinne neatly roll up her sleeves and grip the spoon again did Si-woo fully grasp the situation.
Wasn't this exactly that?
The 'mother bird feeding' method that even clingy couples rarely attempt.
Rinne was doing it to Si-woo.
"Here, ahh."
It wasn't unwelcome, but it was incredibly embarrassing.
Especially with no one else around to watch; the shame was all his.
"Master, it's fine. I can feed myself."
"I'll do it."
"No, it's making me uncomfortable."
In the end, right after the second bite, he politely declined.
He feared he'd choke if she fed him the entire meal like this.
"…Understood."
But confirming Rinne's shocking behavior didn't end there.
"It was the first dish I ever made for you, so I wanted to serve it myself."
"You've always been good at cooking?"
"I learned recently."
"……."
Was this really the same person?
To reiterate, even after Si-woo had come to understand Rinne more deeply and heard her pledge to serve him as her husband, this behavior didn't click instantly.
The last image he remembered was the coldly piercing gaze of her masochistic mode Rinne.
The most frequent sight was the yaksha mode Rinne beating him mercilessly in the training grounds.
For such a woman to immediately serve homemade food and try to feed him by hand upon reuniting? It was only natural he couldn't adapt.
"I learned that leaving about a third and mixing it with green tea makes it even better."
After her lecture on savoring eel rice to the last bite, the meal concluded.
2.
Rinne hadn't meant to reveal it, but Si-woo had unintentionally uncovered her secret.
In turn, it was time for him to disclose a fact he'd kept hidden.
"Master, there's actually one more lie I told you."
"Tell me."
"It's about mana amplification during intercourse."
This wasn't to satisfy lust.
Nor was it purely guilt over the deception.
Rinne was born under a curse of deprivation, branded into her stigma.
If he used the renowned Magic Stick for healing the stigma, at least…
Maybe he could loosen the collar that had tightened since she became an apprentice witch? That was his thinking.
Not feeling anything from a homemade eel rice meal meant she could only find fulfillment in growing stronger—a terribly sad state.
Even if Si-woo couldn't remove her collar, there'd be no real loss.
Rinne's mana, heavily depleted in the fierce battle with Lydia, would recover.
And Si-woo would newly acquire one of her self-elemental spells.
It was a no-lose proposition with potential gains on both sides.
"Tell me."
Seeing Rinne perk up perked his nerves, chilling the warmth from the meal.
"Well, you see…."
He'd delayed until after eating despite knowing because…
Truth be told, he was a bit scared.
Until now, Si-woo had hidden the conditions for mana amplification to downplay his own value.
As a result, Rinne had been forced into all sorts of humiliating acts before him.
If she learned those outcomes stemmed from deception, he worried—slightly? No, greatly—that she'd truly get angry.
"Before that, there's something I want to say first."
"Yes, go ahead."
"I declared I want to serve you as my husband. But I haven't heard your answer. I know I can't force it."
She spoke casually, but he could tell.
"I'll be the most obedient wife. I'll make you my other half, become yours, and serve you as my lord until death do us part."
Rinne was extremely tense right now.
"My body as a witch may not bear you healthy sons, but I'll devote myself to fill that void and strive harder for any shortcomings."
"……."
Her eyes, always steady before, now wandered restlessly without composure.
This was Rinne's process of seeking confirmation for her confession.
And as is known, it was a question Si-woo found hard to answer directly.
"So please, I hope you'll become my family."
At this moment, Rinne's gaze was direct.
But Si-woo couldn't reply immediately.
"I… find it hard to answer right now."
Because the Rinne he knew wasn't the real Rinne.
Just as the Si-woo she knew wasn't the real Shin Si-woo.
There were still many things unsaid, many deliberate deceptions.
Sweeping her up like this would make him no better than a con artist.
He had to reveal the truth first.
"For starters, my life hasn't been solely about pursuing strength… and I don't particularly enjoy fighting."
"I know."
Rinne answered without hesitation…
"I have many lovers in Gehenna. I still love Duchess Tiferet. I have to return to Gehenna."
Here, Rinne hesitated a little.
But after a brief moment—not long at all—she nodded, seemingly having convinced herself.
"It doesn't matter."
"Is that something you can declare so easily…."
"Do you divide your love unequally among your lovers?"
Unequal love?
No.
The lovers waiting desperately in Gehenna were all equally precious without exception.
As Periwinkle noona advised, they were the ones he'd love endlessly with his eternal life.
"You don't, right? As long as I can receive the same affection, being a concubine is enough for me. I won't try to bind or restrain you. Just visiting occasionally would make me happy."
"Then, may I tell you what I was about to say, and ask if you still feel the same after?"
"Fine."
Finally, Si-woo could spill all the secrets he'd bottled up.
Bracing for potential backlash, that's when…
"I see."
Rinne nodded more plainly than the kimosui she'd served earlier.
She showed no outrage at having been deceived.
Nor much hope for the collar's removal.
The former was likely because she'd chosen the path of an obedient wife, as she said.
The latter, because it sounded too far-fetched.
It was a collar that had tormented her for 400 years.
Rinne the realist wouldn't buy a fairy tale from her sudden husband about freeing it.
"Just one thing to confirm."
"Yes."
"Even so, you prefer somewhat rough and perverted sexual acts?"
"Well…."
The focus was slightly off, but unable to deny it, he fell silent.
Rinne neither scolded nor mocked him.
"Me too."
With that, she casually undid her obi and slipped off her kimono.
"The last night you overpowered me by force and made unreasonable demands—that brought me the greatest pleasure."
Si-woo swallowed hard.
Because between her smooth, pale, soft thighs flowed sticky love juices.
"Just being alone with you in this room has made me like this."
So copious it had soaked her mound, rendering her panties useless; she untied and discarded them.
She tried to maintain her usual impassive composure…
But her face flushed crimson, pink spreading to her neck and chest, as she murmured coyly.
"Now that the meal is over… for dessert, please devour me."
Her closing line was flawless seduction.
It was the formal speech declaration Si-woo had once commanded.