Chapter 868
Chapter 868
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 868
Chapter Title: A Common Drama (6)
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1.
After the three-way confrontation with his two mothers-in-law, Siu received a tip from Albreo about where the twins had run off to.
He pulled himself together amid his swirling emotions and headed to the Yesode Countess's estate to meet Odil and Odet.
It wouldn't be easy to assign clear blame for who was at fault, but for now, he planned to go and at least kowtow his head in apology.
He couldn't forget the twins' expressions as they shed tears and fled upon witnessing the kiss between Deneb and himself.
"...Haah..."
What hurt his heart even more was the fountain pen the twins had dropped, along with the note inside the box.
It was a letter the twins had carefully written by hand.
Starting with congratulations on Siu's newfound fame and ending with "I love you, Assistant."
They had prepared such a thoughtful gift, only to witness the scene of him kissing their little mother-in-law figure.
How could he sit idly by with a sense of responsibility like that?
Of course, he didn't think he bore direct fault for this incident.
Who could have anticipated that the little mother-in-law harbored such feelings?
But the regret gnawing at him now was that he should have properly explained their relationship to the twins at least.
He shouldn't have blindly followed the big mother-in-law's plea to keep it secret from her.
This was a matter of timing.
The twins' runaway stemmed from seeing Deneb and Siu kiss.
And from suspecting that the two were in a secret adulterous affair.
But if he revealed now, belatedly, that they'd had relations from behind for "verification," or periodically for mana recharge to escape the fish tank—would the twins even understand?
"Still, I have to apologize."
Siu was confused in his own way, but his turmoil couldn't compare to the twins'.
Even if it meant kneeling and begging on broken knees, he resolved to apologize first and seek forgiveness.
"Mr. Siu, I'm sorry. Odil and Odet both say they don't want to see anyone right now..."
Yesode Countess, who had come out to the drawing room ahead of time upon hearing of his arrival, apologized on their behalf with a troubled look.
"Is that so?"
"Yes. I've heard the gist of it. I'm sorry, Mr. Siu. If I hadn't meddled out of curiosity for research data..."
"No, it's my fault for not conducting myself properly."
He suspected the Yesode Countess's involvement had been minimal.
And it felt wrong to blame her for kindly helping the distressed little mother-in-law.
"Forcing a meeting now would just backfire, right?"
"I understand how you feel, Mr. Siu, but..."
"It would backfire, Assistant."
A sharp voice rang through the drawing room.
Startled, he looked up to see Odil standing there, arms crossed and expression blank.
Her long, jet-black hair shimmered with a subtle purple hue under the bright sunlight.
Amethyst-like, lovely eyes.
It was Odil as always.
"Isn't that a bit too shameless?"
But the Odil sneering with twisted lips was different from her usual self.
Her icy glare at Siu dripped with cold detachment.
"If you had even a shred of conscience, shouldn't you know not to come looking?"
Odil strode over with firm steps and planted herself in front of Siu.
Though a head shorter than Siu, her presence loomed like a mountain.
It reminded him of the Odil from back when he was a mere novice assistant.
"Lady Odil..."
"I still can't believe what I saw was real. How could you do such a thing?"
"Even if I had a hundred mouths, I'd have no excuse..."
"You shouldn't. Of course you shouldn't have one. No matter how many other girlfriends you make, I've always understood."
-Smack!
After taking a deep breath, Odil hopped up and struck Siu's chin with her forehead.
He took it knowingly, but the clash of hard bone still sent throbbing pain echoing through his skull.
"But this? This is too much, isn't it?!"
Odil shouted, seething with rage.
"I'm sorry."
"You're awful, Assistant. Completely awful."
"......"
Rather than quibbling about misunderstandings, he bowed his head and sought forgiveness.
Even if Odil knocked him down and slapped him back and forth with full force, he had no ground to stand on.
"But I could never hate you, Assistant."
Odil sniffled once, then spoke as if pressing the words down firmly.
"Lady Odil..."
"You're my hero, Assistant."
Tears streaming down like a chick's, she clutched Siu's sleeve tightly.
"But right now, I don't want to talk to you."
"It's all my fault. When you return, I'll beg for forgiveness until my knees wear out."
"Yeah, I know. But I need more time right now. Me and Odet both."
Her boundless generosity and forgiveness moved him beyond words, filling him with even deeper shame.
"Go now. We'll be fine. You just reflect plenty on your own."
Odil's wish to quietly turn away didn't come true.
Yesode Countess approached with a troubled expression, bearing urgent news.
"Lady Odil, urgent word from the Jemernai estate."
2.
The moment they heard Galina had collapsed, Odil and Odet abandoned their runaway plans and returned to the estate.
Everything has its context.
The shocking relationship between Assistant and little Master was no small matter, of course—but nothing compared to Galina falling ill with pneumonia.
Galina always preached etiquette and ladylike virtues, showing a stern face without blood or tears, but they knew she harbored warm affection deep down.
She had been like a great aunt, serving as their nursemaid since they were infants.
"Galina!"
"Head Maid!"
Odil and Odet rushed in breathless but approached the recuperating Galina with utmost care, grasping her hands gently lest they strain her.
Coarse, thick palms bearing the marks of time.
"Lady Odil, Lady Odet."
The Galina lying in bed lacked her usual rigid sternness.
She looked years older in an instant, utterly exhausted.
"It's late. You should be in bed."
"How could we sleep stretched out with you collapsed?"
"Exactly! How did it come to this..."
"Get up quick. We promised you'd see us become witches."
"Right, we absolutely won't allow you staying sick like this. That's an order."
Galina smiled kindly at the teary-eyed twins.
"You've grown into proper ladies. Both Lady Odil and Lady Odet."
"Of course. Do you know who we are?"
"We're Odil and Odet, heirs to the great Jemernai Countess line."
"If it's an order, no choice then. I'll recover soon, so you ladies rest well."
"My little darlings."
Albreo, watching, shooed the twins away.
Otherwise, they'd cling day and night, obviously.
"Don't make more fuss—let her rest now. Go on."
"Yes, Master."
"Head Maid, we'll visit tomorrow too."
After their final farewell, the twins left the room with lips pressed tight.
3.
Odil and Odet attempted another runaway.
Not that it amounted to much—just returning to the Yesode Countess's estate.
Lying in the guest bed, they stared blankly at the ceiling.
Too many tangled thoughts kept sleep at bay.
"Sis."
"Yeah."
"So Assistant really knew nothing after all."
"Yeah."
"We should've told him anyway. Keeping it secret just from us is mean."
"True."
Before the first runaway, unable to withstand the twins' prodding, Albreo had cautiously revealed the truth.
The reality they learned far exceeded their expectations.
First shock: their relationship wasn't adultery, but little Master's one-sided crush.
They also learned the shocking truths—not just progressing to a kiss, but relations from behind for "verification," periodic relations to escape the fish tank via mana recharge, and more for cooperating with Yesode Countess's experiments.
'Girls, I know it's hard to understand. But can't you forgive Deneb?'
'No way! How do you even understand this?'
'Deneb's a mature witch with age, but clueless about romance. It must've happened from her clumsiness.'
'Didn't expect big Master to say that. Think that's an excuse?'
'...Sorry, shouldn't have said. Deneb's suffering so much... I wanted you to know she's truly sorry and reflecting.'
Back then, the twins had fumed indignantly, but now lying in bed gazing at the ceiling, their hearts softened bit by bit.
The betrayal and despair from the initial runaway had diluted somewhat.
Even knowing Assistant and little Master had been intimate, the sense of betrayal actually eased.
Not a sordid clash of mutual adulterous desires, but a poignant forbidden crush.
That might have been the biggest factor.
"Sis."
"What."
"If little Master feels a bit pitiful... does that make me too soft?"
"You call that a question? Squishy Odet. You're softie Odet."
"But... little Master is pitiful."
"...Silly Odet. Just sleep."
As the root of betrayal faded, fuzzy miscellaneous thoughts bubbled up.
Among them, Head Maid Galina's collapse held subtle connections.
"Galina looked so much older."
"Yeah, didn't realize she was that aged."
"...Will she live until we become witches?"
"Of course. I ordered her to."
The twins had never experienced farewell.
There was that heart-wrenching near-breakup with Assistant, but weren't they happily together now?
"Why do humans have to die? Wouldn't it be great to live happily forever?"
"Right? No need to pass on magic. Just keep living."
But Galina's bedside figure freshly taught the twins what parting meant.
Not the vague notion they'd imagined, but a chilling premonition seeping into their skin.
What is farewell, parting?
No more hearing her daily routine poured out with hands on hips every morning.
No more person to watch out for during secret nighttime escapes.
No more lectures on ladylike conduct while critiquing outfits.
No more teary-eyed fuss over praiseworthy deeds.
That is parting.
No need to dress up and greet every morning.
No need to chatter about praises from meals or lessons to draw a pleased smile.
No longer called "little darlings" now that they're proper ladies.
Fully inheriting the great witch's mantle.
This too is farewell.
It strides in, stealing everyday happiness.
Galina's image overlapping with their two masters'—witches or humans, all equal before the moment of parting.
"Sis."
"Yeah."
"Tomorrow morning, wanna go see little Master?"
"...No. Have you no pride?"
"Sis... just listen to me once."
In such matters, Odil had slightly stronger pride.
Knowing her sister's resemblance to big Master here, Odet clung with aegyo.
"Just sneak a peek."
Odil wiped tears, feigning reluctance.