Chapter 745
Chapter 745
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 745
Chapter Title: The Returned Prodigal (3)
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Si-woo left the Big Mother-in-law behind as she complained of a migraine and headed to the underground prison with the Little Mother-in-law.
"It's fine. I know the way."
"I know, Si-woo. I'm not doubting you. I just wanted to chat on the way."
Deneb, who had volunteered to guide him, stopped by her room first for a quick touch-up.
Nothing extravagant.
She simply changed out of clothes that were wrinkled from not being changed for so long, re-tied her hair, cast cleansing spells repeatedly, and spritzed on some perfume.
Body adornment, which she hadn't skipped a single day since inheriting her countess title along with the brand, felt so fresh like this.
And she realized for the first time that it could stir up these ticklish emotions.
She was aware she was doing something wrong.
She knew these feelings were the kind that needed to be suppressed, and how angry it would make her sister.
Yet even if a future no better than a sword's edge and anxiety clouded her vision, there was a heart she could only cling to desperately.
It wasn't just from romance novels filled with sweet phrases or dramatic plays.
This truly existed in reality.
A path that deliberately wound around a bit.
Deneb glanced at Si-woo's profile and suddenly spoke.
"Does Si-woo have something he can't hold back?"
For Deneb, this reunion was far too precious.
Even as she cried until her eyes swelled every day, threw tantrums from illness, and resented her sister.
She had prayed to walk by his side once more.
Now that her wish had come true, Deneb's steps were naturally light.
"Something I can't hold back?"
"Yes. Oh, I'm not scolding you. You barely made it back safe, and Sis was a bit harsh, wasn't she?"
"No, it's fine. If I imagine having cute daughters like Lady Odil and Lady Odet, I can understand why Al bireo is angry."
"...Yeah, I guess I was too."
Deneb couldn't bring herself to say that a significant part of her sister's anger stemmed from Deneb's misplaced affections.
She knew Shin Si-woo might seem like a playboy at a glance, but he had his own firm boundaries.
When he was captured in the aquarium, he had tried to avoid any relationship with her, even staking his life on it.
And even when Deneb had deceived him into sleeping together later, he believed without a shred of doubt that it was for "research."
He hadn't probed with any lecherous assumptions to continue their sticky relationship.
If she told him the truth now, even this simple time would vanish like bubbles.
Si-woo would naturally start keeping his distance from Deneb.
After all, a mother-in-law harboring romantic feelings for her son-in-law.
Wasn't it the epitome of taboo, something straight out of a third-rate erotic tale?
"If it's something I can't hold back... Hmm, nothing in particular comes to mind."
There was one thing, actually.
The surge of lust when he caught her scent.
Not a topic he wanted to share with the Little Mother-in-law, so Si-woo quietly changed the subject.
"I see."
In truth, from the moment he answered, Deneb's nerves were already fixed on the sleeve brushing against Si-woo's.
A distance narrowed intentionally.
Every time their sleeves teased at touching, she pondered.
Should she move a little closer?
Would he think it strange if she got too close?
This dilemma sank deep like a stone into water.
What if she hugged him now?
As a mother-in-law welcoming her safely returned son-in-law, couldn't she express that much joy?
Or was it already too late?
"Lady Deneb."
"Yes?"
"Is this the right way?"
Lost in deep thought, following wherever her feet led, she had wandered into the secluded garden path of the mansion.
It was well-maintained, but the maze-like shrubs hid it from outside view, leaving it deserted at night.
"Si-woo."
Deneb felt her heart surging.
They say humans all harbor self-destructive urges.
For example, looking down from a high place and thinking, "What if I jump?"
Or seeing a speeding car or truck and wondering, "What if I get hit there?"
Of course, with a healthy mind, these self-destructive urges stay as mere occasional curiosities.
But Deneb was not whole right now.
More than anyone, Deneb knew her feelings were wrong.
Guilt and sin, regret and self-loathing, affection that tore at her heart, and the reality that she mustn't express it—these were enough to exhaust her.
It was like running across a thin layer of ice on a lake she knew she couldn't cross to the end.
She was swept up in the impulse to dash forward anyway, forgetting calculations and consequences.
"Yes, Lady Deneb."
Seeing Si-woo tilt his head innocently, oblivious to it all, Deneb belatedly regained her senses.
A little later, and she might have blurted something outrageous like, "Will you hold me?"
Only then did she realize what she had nearly done.
But unlike her reason, her body couldn't curb its momentum from the impulse, and her forehead thudded against his chest like an old tree trunk.
"Lady Deneb? Are you okay?"
Thinking she felt dizzy, Si-woo quickly supported her back and waist.
"Welcome back safe."
His voice held not the slightest hint of ulterior motive, filling Deneb with half relief, half sorrow.
She cautiously reached out and gripped his waist.
Awkward as the form was, it was a walk where she could finally nestle in the embrace she had so longed for.
2.
The prison still reeked of a chilling atmosphere.
The Gemernai Count Family's underground prison had grades.
Not like hotel suites or superiors, but cells divided by crime severity and danger level.
It was split into three levels from basement 1 to 3, with higher numbers meaning deeper cells under stricter surveillance.
Dorothy was on level 1, Rinne on level 3.
Deneb, inspecting the firmly locked door, spoke.
"Looks like a visitor's already here."
"Is it Master?"
"Yes, as I mentioned earlier, the Tiferet Duke stays here almost constantly. She's personally overseeing the watch."
His heart grew heavy on its own.
Why she guarded Si-woo's bedside no longer but stayed in this dank prison.
He could guess without being told.
-Clank!
The heavy iron door opened silently, and Deneb stepped back regretfully.
"Just close the door when you're done."
"Aren't you coming in, Lady Deneb?"
"I'm busy too, you know."
No matter how much she enjoyed his company, she wasn't so oblivious as to interrupt a lovers' meeting.
She had nestled in his arms just earlier, so today ended here.
Si-woo exchanged brief farewells and entered the underground prison.
This was his third time here.
The first was when the twins caught him in the act and Little Mother-in-law dragged him here; the second, to visit Amelia after she caused an incident and got locked up.
It didn't feel that long ago, but things had changed quite a bit since then.
The first thing he encountered was Dorothy, not in her nun's habit but pajamas, lying on the bed.
Being an underground prison, the facilities weren't great.
The bed was barely adequate, and her ankle was chained heavily right now.
"Lady Dorothy, it's me."
"Darling~ I missed you so much."
Even so, Dorothy, lounging on the bed reading like it was her own bedroom, lit up at the sight of him and rushed to the bars.
"You've been through so much because of me."
Seeing Dorothy made gratitude well up anew.
In this escape, Dorothy's contributions ranked first by far.
She had put in the most work perfecting Si-woo's escape magic and provided info so Eloa and Lurye could wait at the escape point.
Not only that, when all plans crumbled with Amelia's illegal entry, she joined with literal "ready-to-die" resolve.
Had even one of her actions been missing, escape would have been impossible.
Si-woo himself couldn't fully grasp why she went this far.
"Nah~ Nah~ Coming to Gehenna was my lifelong dream. But this hotel sucks. Room's crappy, no view either."
Si-woo just smiled at Dorothy's playful tone.
Magic use was impossible here anyway, so the bars weren't that dense.
Dorothy pouted and stuck her face between them.
"I did good, right? If I did good, kiss me."
"Yeah, yeah, that's a given."
Thinking it was just a light peck, but as Si-woo approached the bars, Dorothy's hand shot out and grabbed his collar.
In an escape action flick, unarmed guard Shin Si-woo would have his neck snapped, key stolen too...
But Dorothy just showered him with sticky kisses.
"Mmm... Sluuurp... Haa... Ah... Kissing you makes me want to do it with you..."
Dorothy made a sulky face.
Then, as if struck by a great idea, she raised a finger and said,
"Aha! I'll turn around and stick my butt right up, so wanna do it from outside? Prisoner and guard play. How's that?"
"Haha, that's a bit..."
"Or should I use my mouth?"
"There are surveillance cameras here."
"So?"
Si-woo pointed to the recording crystal orb on the corridor ceiling, but Dorothy just shrugged nonchalantly.
Soon pulling back from the bars a bit, arms crossed like it was all a joke.
"No need to grovel in excessive gratitude."
"No, I have no idea how to repay this debt. Thank you so much, again."
"But I was just repaying the huge debt I owe you. If you get me back safe, I'll have no regrets."
"Of course. I'll take responsibility somehow."
"Hehe, so reliable?"
Si-woo reassured her with bold promises.
After wrapping up recent updates, he headed to level 3—the brain cell where Rinne was held.
This was his first time venturing this far.
Unlike level 1 with some maintenance traces, this was pure dilapidation.
Meaning Rinne was under the strictest watch.
"......"
After descending deep stairs, in the middle of the straight corridor stood his master, perched on a rickety wooden chair surveilling the cell interior.
Her gaze was no different from when she drew her sword on an "enemy."
Unlike Dorothy, who had mitigating factors, few could sympathize with Rinne without full context.
She was crime incarnate.
Si-woo took a deep breath and stepped toward his two masters, whom he hadn't seen in so long.