Chapter 837
Chapter 837
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 837
Chapter Title: Deneb's Circumstances
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1.
Ever since her son-in-law had brought back that ominous prophecy, Deneb had been drowning her troubled heart in wine.
It was impossible to calm her mind otherwise.
The magnitude of her worry went far beyond the mere fear that her son-in-law might die.
It was the dread that the first man she'd ever truly opened her heart to in her entire life might perish.
Yet with both Odil and Odet right there beside her, she couldn't exactly burst into tears and wail. That would only draw suspicious glances.
She couldn't even embrace him— all she could do was suppress her aching heart and give his shoulder a few awkward pats.
Her sister, who would normally share a drink and lend an ear to her sighs, had been acting distant lately, so Deneb ended up drinking alone before heading out for a walk.
And that's when she encountered the scene beyond the thin glass window.
"Assistant... I love you... Haah, mm... Mmph..."
Frosted over from the temperature difference inside and out, the glass framed the sight of her two daughters and her son-in-law lost in passion.
Half-buried in the bed, Odil had her legs wrapped around Siu's waist.
Their clasped hands intertwined tenderly, and with each subtle rock of the bed, wistful moans spilled forth.
Beside them lay Odet, half-asleep and clutching the covers.
In the past, Deneb would have hurried away in embarrassment.
Spying on her daughters' intimate moments with their husband wasn't exactly normal, was it?
Even more so back then— her blood would have boiled in rage at the sight. Some mangy wolf devouring her precious little darlings, whom she'd raised with such care.
But to the Deneb of now, that place just beyond a single pane of glass seemed like an unattainable dream.
Their gazes, their voices, every touch brimmed with affection.
To Deneb, the scene on the bed wasn't some lurid AV plastered with voyeuristic thrills.
It was pointillism woven from envy, longing, and a touch of jealousy.
"..."
Looking back, her feelings for him hadn't always weighed so heavily on her from the start.
They'd begun as nothing more than an embarrassing mishap she'd rather not revisit.
Deneb had prodded him to test the stability of intercourse, only to witness something she shouldn't have.
Though the unprecedented pleasure had shaken her heart briefly, she had years of composure to fall back on.
Had it ended there, Deneb could have soon sorted her feelings and returned to her routine of teasing her son-in-law mercilessly.
But then they'd been captured together in that 'fishbowl,'
survived several brushes with death side by side,
and she'd glimpsed not her loathsome son-in-law, but the man 'Shin Siu' himself.
Seeing him without preconceptions for the first time, he was truly a good man.
Even when his life hung in the balance, even trembling in terror, he never pressured her for intimacy.
He'd stepped to the front lines multiple times in place of the Deneb who'd tormented him relentlessly.
And during those times they'd coupled under the guise of mana replenishment...
Deneb discovered herself falling for him, seeping in like ink into paper.
Of course, other circumstances must have played a role too.
The bonds forged in crisis, the swaying bridge effect, the unusually deep attachment to her first intimate connection...
None of it mattered.
Even if there were other reasons, to Deneb, it was her first love.
A one-sided crush, unless she planned to draw up a family register and wage concubine wars with her daughters— something she couldn't demand repayment for.
Moreover, he was an upright man.
If Deneb approached rashly, he'd surely retreat even further.
After a moment's deliberation, Deneb turned her steps toward her own room.
2.
"Hoo..."
After the service sex concluded, Siu meticulously wiped down the twins' bodies with a lukewarm damp cloth.
Today's goal had been purely 'service,' so there'd been no ejaculation.
By the time he'd thought about finishing, both Odil and Odet had drifted off into such deep sleep that he could have carried them away without stirring them.
He tucked the covers up to their chins to ward off colds, and the twins responded with soft snores, each pulling sister or sibling close.
A contented smile tugged at his lips unbidden.
"They get along so well."
He'd have loved to slip into bed beside them and sleep too, but alas, duties awaited.
For the time being, he'd cut back on sleep to power-level through magic research.
He'd worked up a sweat, after all.
After a quick shower in the small bathroom adjoining the bedroom, Siu grabbed a glass of ice-cold water and headed to the lounge— only to choke.
"Cough! Cough! D-Deneb?"
His petite mother-in-law sat on the lounge sofa.
How long had she been there?
"Siu."
The twins' room was spacious, but between the bedroom and lounge stood only a single wooden door.
In other words, all those lewd sounds might have leaked out.
But why was his mother-in-law here at this hour? Didn't she know Albreo had given permission?
As chaotic thoughts swirled, Deneb spoke first to calm him.
"Siu, I'm not here to scold you. I just dropped by."
"I-Is that so."
"Care for a drink?"
"Of course."
Frankly, facing her in this situation was mortifyingly awkward, but he had no excuse to refuse.
In the end, he fetched a bottle of cognac from the cabinet and sat across from her.
Today's ensemble for his mother-in-law was an elegant noblewoman's nightgown.
A semi-sheer sleeveless dress topped with a fluffy shawl— loungewear, so quite revealing.
Especially on Deneb's curvaceous figure, the deep plunge of her soft cleavage was starkly visible.
Her cheeks flushed rosy, suggesting she'd already had a bit to drink beforehand.
"How long were you here?"
"I arrived just a bit ago. Are my darlings sleeping well?"
"Sound asleep."
Following Deneb's lead on pouring, Siu sipped the cognac and cautiously probed.
She'd been warmer toward him lately, but tension was the guilty son-in-law's fate.
Yet the drinking session unfolded in a surprisingly gentle atmosphere, dispelling his earlier fears.
"Preparations for the harvest festival are busier than ever."
"Still, with such a lovely estate, decorating should be a joy."
"We're scaling up this time— even planning a ball."
"A ball?"
"Inviting witches and townsfolk. Last year was hectic, so we kept it small among ourselves, but every five years or so, we host guests like this."
Deneb didn't question why Siu had emerged from the twins' bedroom at this hour, nor did she pry despite suspecting— she simply let it slide with knowing grace.
For Siu, relief that this wasn't an execution washed over him.
For Deneb, the simple joy of chatting idly with him immersed her.
Just facing him and tilting glasses made her heart race and cheeks heat.
His attire wasn't helping.
He wore a robe, but loosely tied, revealing firm pectorals.
Fresh from a shower, his damp hair gleamed like a healthy stallion's mane.
Had this been her bedroom instead of the twins', she might have caused quite the accident.
"Ah, Siu. I have a gift for you."
"A gift? The festival hasn't even started yet."
Siu tossed in light banter, a shift from his initial tension.
Deneb handed him the box she'd brought from her room.
"Oho, feels hefty."
"Open it."
"May I?"
"Of course— it's for you, Siu."
"Then excuse me."
This was the main point.
As Deneb nervously rehearsed her prepared lines from packaging the gift, Siu opened the box and tilted his head.
Inside the box suited for premium whiskey lay a pink silicone toy neatly wrapped in silk.
"This is..."
"A men's self-pleasure device."
Not just any— the 'Wireless Linked Onahole' Albreo had confiscated from the twins.
Word was, it was an artifact infused with the Witch of the Citadel's 'absolute power,' with virtually no precursor to its magic activation.
Deneb had snuck it out and tested the linkage herself— its performance was impeccable.
"Hm."
While Deneb maintained a poker face to hide her ulterior motives, Siu's expression upon seeing the gift was one of utter bewilderment.
"It's a bit indecent, but... I want to research your fluids."
"Semen?"
"Yes. Countess Yesod says it's fine, but with the twins' safety at stake, I think examining it from all angles is important."
It was a卑鄙 ploy.
But invoking the twins' safety would prevent Siu from refusing.
"Just use it once a day. Oh, and only this lube— any other fluids or liquids mixed in would ruin it."
Deneb rattled off her words calmly, ensuring no suspicion arose.
Even if she'd seemed scatterbrained lately, she was the founder of a massive corporation, its hidden overlord— the renowned Jemernai Countess.
No trace of personal desire marred her demeanor.
"Sorry for the embarrassing request— I appreciate it."
With this, Deneb could temporarily sate her urge to unite with him.
Siu wouldn't feel guilty, and she wouldn't risk exposing her true feelings.
She firmly believed this moderate outlet lay in the onahole.
"Deneb."
Then came Siu's cautious call.
Deneb, eyes closed as if savoring the cognac to mask her embarrassment, met his gaze.
Her heart plummeted at his subtly shifted expression.
His meaningful eyes flicked between her and the pink silicone.
Those eyes mirrored how Deneb looked at Odil and Odet— the indulgent gaze she gave when they caused trouble and fumbled excuses.
"If I may be so bold... Did you get this from Dorothy?"
Indeed.
Why hadn't she considered it?
An outsider might not notice the onahole's effects.
But he was the Witch of the Citadel's lover.
He might have recognized it the instant he saw it.
And Deneb had prattled on before him about collecting semen, using it daily...
Heat surged through her body.
Shame at her scheme being exposed to the man himself crawled over her skin like centipedes.
-Clatter!
"Oh, Siu! I just remembered an urgent errand! Gotta go! Sorry!"
"Huh? What?"
Deneb bolted from her seat in panicked flight.
"Uwaaaaaah! Uwaaa! Uwaaaaaah!"
Back in her room, Deneb collapsed, unleashing wails of regret and floods of shameful tears.