Chapter 820
Chapter 820
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 820
Chapter Title: Chapter 820 - #171_영혼의 마녀(3)
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 820
Chapter Title: Soul Witch (3)
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Dorothy and Gretel had finished their negotiations.
"Got it. It's some really old research records, so I'll have to dig them up."
"Yeah, I’m counting on you."
Dorothy slipped a check into Gretel's hand as she brushed off her seat and stood, all with that sweet, ingratiating smile like she was turning over her palm.
Gretel, who had been nothing but irritated the whole time, had her expression brighten just a touch at the sight of the check. It had to be a hefty sum.
"Linne."
"Don't order me around."
"It's not an order~ It's a request."
The moment Gretel stepped out of the parlor, Linne followed right after her like they'd made a promise.
Siu watched them go, then poked Dorothy in the side.
He had a bunch of questions he wanted to ask.
True to her sharp instincts, Dorothy cast the communication spell Revelation, one that no one around could eavesdrop on.
After all, this was Gretel's workshop—there were bound to be surveillance measures inside.
Dorothy: Why, darling?
Siu: How did you know?
Dorothy: Know what?
Siu: That stuff about the main body and all.
Siu had watched Dorothy's so-called negotiation from right beside her.
Especially that line: "I'm going to find your main body for su~re."
The moment Gretel heard it, her tail practically drooped.
Implying that the Gretel right here was some kind of "proxy doll" or a clone.
Yet even with his eyepatch off, Siu's eyes couldn't detect any such signs.
Dorothy flashed a beaming smile as she replied.
Dorothy: Didn't know? Just felt like her neck was super stiff, so I took a shot~
Siu: Eh? So you still don't know if it's really a clone or the main body?
Dorothy: Exiles use pretty similar safety measures anyway~ As long as the message gets across, right?
It had been a total bluff from the start.
He couldn't help but be impressed.
Without Dorothy, he might've had his nose pierced and been stuck granting all sorts of annoying demands.
Even from a third-party view, it was an undetectable bluff that seized control of the negotiation in one go.
Dorothy: Falling for me all over again?
Siu: That was cool.
Dorothy: Then~ then~
Dorothy giggled.
Siu: Was there some scheme behind pulling this stunt?
Dorothy: Hard to say. Probably just an accident. No one in their right mind would try tricks on a group this size.
Siu: Meaning she's not the type cut out for it?
Dorothy: Yeah. The situation lined up perfectly, so greed kicked in. Not planned.
Dorothy added that with firm conviction.
For exiles, hiding your workshop in a secluded spot was basic, but so was sizing up the quality of your visitors.
You never knew if they'd bring flowers... or come as assassins with blades.
Happy Pig was the perfect familiar for that.
Peeking into someone's ideal world gave you a pretty intuitive read on their true nature.
Dorothy: Gretel probably peeked into the dream with some device. Wanna bet?
To figure that much out from just a few words of conversation.
She seemed even more impressive now.
As he nodded along to the clear explanation, Dorothy poked him in the side this time.
Dorothy: More than that, I've been thinking this for a while... Mind some tough love?
Siu: Huh?
Dorothy: You're too soft, darling. All squishy and sweet—it's a problem. No good like that?
Siu: Out of nowhere?
Dorothy: You were gonna grant Gretel's demand, right?
That was true.
This wasn't just anything—it concerned his Master's safety.
Whether Gretel had pulled some trick or not could be sorted later, but he fully intended to get her help with the awakening, no matter the cost.
Dorothy: Abso~lutely not.
Siu: Yeah, watching you, I get that now.
Dorothy: It's not something to answer that simply.
Dorothy gave a wry smile and reached up to stroke Siu's head.
Dorothy: Your kindness and gentleness definitely have a magnetic pull. Take me—I'm totally hooked on your harmless charm.
So much for "tough love"—this was turning embarrassingly sweet.
Dorothy: But you can't be kind to everyone.
Dorothy poked his chest, her words firm and resolute.
Dorothy: You need to realize it yourself. You're a witch—a special existence. Time to shed those human sensibilities.
He'd heard something like that before.
Back when he'd gone to rescue Takasho, Bianca had couched her "advice" as transcending humanity meant shedding its burdens too.
It was absurd, basically telling him to surrender, so he'd ignored it.
Dorothy: You've been surrounded by good people so far, so you don't realize, but every witch is born to endlessly pursue and crave. Don't measure that desire against ordinary humans. Show weakness, and witches will drain you to the marrow.
But Dorothy's advice had a different nuance.
She pretended otherwise, but wasn't she the kind, gentle big sister type?
Dorothy: Wield your power, authority, and connections as negotiation tools without restraint. If you can crush them with force, do it—then soothe them gently after. Oh? Wait, you're great at that in bed, aren't you?
Siu: ...I'll do better.
Dorothy: I love the current clumsy darling~ but sometimes it makes me anxious.
Siu: Still short on experience.
Dorothy: No, you need more than that. As you are, your softness will trip you up someday.
It was a chaotic world.
Even greater chaos was surely coming.
Siu couldn't lean on his lovers forever; soon enough, he'd have to stand on his own two feet.
Until now, he'd gotten by on his good nature and luck, weathering various crises...
But Dorothy knew all too well that those who survived to the end weren't merciful saints, but cunning villains.
It had always been that way.
Dorothy: So, if you're ever in a crisis. If you face a situation where you just can't harden your heart. If you don't want to dirty your own hands...
That was why Dorothy wanted Siu to change.
At the same time, she hoped he wouldn't.
So she told him plainly.
Dorothy: Call me then. I'll be your dagger.
The dirty work in the shadows could be left to hands already stained.
All he needed to fix was his resolve and mindset for wielding the Dorothy in his grasp.
"Dorothy."
Siu abruptly cut off the Revelation and stared straight at her.
"That's really good advice. I'll keep it in mind. But don't say things like that. Sure, I'm a worthless guy, so it's natural you'd worry..."
And then, boldly, he pinched her cheek.
Dorothy's soft cheek stretched out.
"Ow..."
"Master often tells me this: she'll turn the whole world against her to stay on my side. It's like a habit with her."
"......"
"I feel the same way about Master. Even if something comes up where you need to ask a favor of me, I'll be right there beside you. I won't let you shoulder it alone."
Her heart swelled warmly.
She knew Siu's words weren't empty promises.
Depending on how he used her, Dorothy could become his genie's lamp.
But he refused to exploit that.
He saw her as a person, despite the "criminal" label society slapped on her.
What greater感動 could there be?
Involuntarily, the dream from moments ago resurfaced.
The ridiculous dream of a happy newlywed life—not as a criminal, not even as a witch, just with him.
It was merely a fleeting dream, but it had felt truly blissful.
If she could live that life, she'd gladly give up everything she held.
So she wanted to ask.
Even knowing the answer was set, she yearned to hear it from his lips.
"But... I'm a criminal, aren't I?"
This question was childish coquetry tossed his way.
He answered without a hint of hesitation.
"Doesn't matter. You're mine first."
A line so corny it could make your teeth itch, straight out of some drama.
The model answer for a naive young witch oblivious to the world, right?
If anyone else said it, Dorothy would've burst out laughing.
But now, it was like fireworks exploding in her ears.
Irrepressible joy and delight set her heart racing.
"Darling."
"Yeah, but is 'darling' locked in now?"
"Yep. It's my heart."
"Kinda cringy though... How about something else?"
To hide her surely messy, grinning face, she leaned her cheek against his chest.
"You're su~ch a bad man."
He got all this from her, yet a few words made her want to give even more.
He'd probably only be satisfied after stripping her down to the bone.
"Look forward to tonight."
As Dorothy said that and pulled away, Gretel and Linne returned.
"Device is set up. Follow me."
He'd worried that Dorothy's strong-arming might rub her the wrong way, but surprisingly, it hadn't.
If anything, Gretel's expression was more relaxed than when she'd first been saddled with these troublesome guests.
Exiles truly did have a slightly different mindset from those in Gehenna.
"Someone needs to enter the dream and turn it into a lucid dream. Become the lifeline that makes her accept reality and pulls her back."
"I'll go."
Might as well send Siu, who was closest to Eloa and already had two similar experiences under his belt.
Gretel nodded readily and led them elsewhere.
To the research wing of the workshop, lined with all sorts of experimental equipment.
They laid his Master on the procedure table.
Per Gretel's instructions, Siu lay down beside her.
"Won't be easy. At this level of immersion, she'll resist awakening fiercely."
"What happens if the awakening fails?"
Amelia asked anxiously.
"That guy's fine. He's just a guest entering. He'll get booted back to reality, end of story."
With that, Gretel handed Siu something.
A brooch woven from black ribbon and a gem.
"If even you start getting too influenced by the dream, smash the gem in this brooch. It'll pull you back to reality."
"Got it."
"Beginning now."
With those words, his consciousness sank heavily.
Like an hourglass, pulled downward into the sands.
When he opened his eyes, a lavender field rippling with purple waves greeted Siu.
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