Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Hushed Silence (3)
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Outside Gehenna—in the mortal world—psychopathic witches who prey on young witches were a dime a dozen.
Ye-bin, who had no talent for combat to begin with, chose to vanish into a place where no one would find her the moment she inherited the stigma. She cast aside all the benefits of modern civilization and the comfortable life she'd enjoyed up to that point.
How unbearably dull those ten years had been, absorbing her master's teachings.
It happened while she was fiddling with her smartphone—which couldn't even pick up a signal—in her workshop atop the frozen tundra, as monotonous as ever.
Suddenly, a bird appeared out of nowhere and made an enticing offer to Ye-bin in human speech.
There was a patient in Gehenna who needed an examination and treatment.
They'd issue her a temporary pass into Gehenna, and depending on the results, she'd receive a massive reward and have her citizenship restored.
Music to her ears.
In Gehenna, she wouldn't have to live in constant terror, trembling at the thought of some wicked witch showing up to threaten her life. Plus, it was a hub of vast research materials and resources.
Above all, it meant escaping this boring hellhole and heading to the capital!
Buoyed by excitement, she made her way to Gehenna.
But the first person she met was an astonishingly beautiful blonde woman.
This was Baroness Amelia Merrygold.
She had that innate noble air about her, didn't she? Like a haughty princess. It made Ye-bin shrink back instinctively.
Amelia's silent leading from the front felt awkward, so Ye-bin tried striking up a conversation.
"My outfit's a bit off, huh? Back in Korea, it was fine... but where I live, there aren't really any proper clothes... haha..."
"It's fine."
"Seeing how elegantly you're dressed, Baroness, I should've stopped by the city at least... This is me at my best, though."
"No, really, it's fine."
But Amelia's mind was a whirlwind of complications; she had no energy to entertain Ye-bin's chatter.
Amelia brushed off questions curtly, offering Ye-bin little else. Ye-bin soon gave up on the talk and instead gawked wide-eyed at Gehenna's sights.
It took about thirty minutes to return from Border Town to the lodging via portal.
Ye-bin's eyes went saucer-wide at the sight of the place.
It was a gorgeous mansion, the kind you wouldn't see even in Greenland's stark national parks, let alone back in Korea.
The refined, antique interior that greeted her upon opening the door was like a work of art itself; she couldn't hold back her admiration.
"Whoa, is this really a house?"
"It's the lodging."
"I've only seen places like this on NetXlix. Incredible..."
"Net... Xlix?"
"Yeah, don't you watch it, Baroness? Oh, no signal here? Makes sense. I have to go to a city gas station to download stuff too."
"Signal? Gas station? Download...?"
Amelia blinked in confusion at the barrage of incomprehensible words before asking what she'd suspected since their first meeting.
Ye-bin Smirna had never been to Gehenna before.
An exile was a witch stripped of citizenship and banished from Gehenna; the punishment extended to her descendants as well.
Which meant...
"How long ago did you inherit the stigma?"
She must be the successor to the original Smirna, who had been exiled.
Ye-bin, distracted by an ornate vase, answered Amelia's question.
"About ten years."
Oh no.
In their haste to save Siwoo, the witches hadn't checked thoroughly and had issued the invitation rashly.
They hadn't planned for such a young witch, barely ten years into inheriting the stigma.
It usually took an average of ten years to fully assimilate the stigma's knowledge—like calling in a doctor whose license ink was still drying.
"Before inheriting the stigma from my master, I was attending medical school in Korea. After that, I hid in a workshop in the national park to avoid other witches' eyes."
Assuming Amelia's vague reaction meant her explanation fell short, Ye-bin added more.
"I see..."
"I've heard so much about Gehenna from my master; I always wanted to visit. Thanks to you, Baroness, I finally made it. Anyway, I'd like to check on the patient now... which way?"
To sum up: She'd been an apprentice witch attending medical school(?) in Korea until nasty exiles forced her to flee to a remote spot.
Exiles killing each other wasn't uncommon, after all.
Frankly, it was disappointing.
Even if an exile, the previous Smirna with years of experience would have been more trustworthy.
A bad personality in a doctor was less scary than incompetence.
"Follow me."
"Sure."
Even if the elder had come, Amelia planned to start with a trial examination anyway. No loss if it flopped.
Swallowing her disappointment, Amelia led Ye-bin to the room where Siwoo slept.
Ye-bin entered quietly after Amelia opened the door.
Amelia tensed every sense.
Unlikely as it was, if Ye-bin tried even minor harm on Siwoo, she'd intervene immediately.
That was how deep Amelia's distrust of exiles ran.
"This is him?"
"Yes. As you see, he's human."
"Don't worry about that."
A man with gauze over his eyes lay on the bed.
Pale and gaunt, but with a decent face—and an East Asian man, no less!
"Is he Korean by any chance?"
"Yes."
Ye-bin was stunned.
Packing in a day and rushing to Gehenna, she'd assumed the patient was a witch.
The temporary citizenship pass listed guarantors from the Countess Gemernai household, the Merrygold barony, and the Avenuga barony, after all.
Issuing temporary citizenship to an exile was unprecedented, and for three noble witches to go to such lengths, she figured it had to be a young apprentice witch.
But no—a Korean man?
Seeing a fellow countryman after ten years stirred nostalgia, coma or not.
Still, this wasn't the time for sentiment.
To escape Greenland and gain entry to Gehenna, she had to heal this patient perfectly.
"You've heard the gist, but he suffered severe brain damage through his left eye. Mana claw marks prevent regenerating the eye, and we've only slowed his biological clock to the limit to halt deterioration."
"Can you examine him yourself?"
"Yes."
Amelia nodded reluctantly at Ye-bin's request.
Ye-bin shed her floral sweater to lighten her attire, leaving a thin cotton tee, then chanted to eradicate all nearby bacteria and contaminants.
"Alright, let's see."
"Be careful."
Amelia clasped her hands tightly, tense.
Even from Ye-bin's drama-learned romance knowledge, she could tell—this man was something like Amelia's beloved paramour.
The circumstantial evidence was clear.
Removing the gauze revealed a brutally gouged eye socket.
Any clotted blood or pus had been cleared, exposing the damaged gray brain matter pierced through the skull.
Even a glance showed it was dire.
No wonder they'd called in an exile from mighty Gehenna.
Ye-bin trusted her skills.
Without flinching at the gruesome wound, she formed a tactile sense at her fingertips.
A wriggling mana tendril extended from her fingers into Siwoo's socket.
Her tactile magic let her probe the wound with minimal impact on the body, more precise than any modern device.
"........."
Her eyes, filled with solemn focus devoid of youthful frivolity, surprised Amelia a little.
Unlike her untrustworthy first impression, she switched to peak concentration the moment diagnosis began.
The examination itself didn't take long.
After about thirty minutes scanning from the frontal lobe across his body, Ye-bin carefully withdrew her tendril.
"How is it?"
Amelia burned to ask but held back, fearing interruption. Ye-bin's grim expression was the real worry.
"Could you step out for a bit? It's my first time examining someone with others around..."
Step out?
Leave a stranger witch alone with Siwoo?
Impatience and anxiety shattered even Amelia's composure.
She pressed Ye-bin urgently.
"What's his condition?"
"Mapping isn't complete, so I can't say fully, but it's serious... The frontal lobe is utterly wrecked—not something 'healing' can fix. Mana circuits are shorted throughout his body. Neural structure's damaged too..."
"I know that. Anything more specific?"
No tears welled, but Amelia looked fragile, ready to crumble into sobs at a touch.
Ye-bin awkwardly averted her gaze.
"My master's regeneration brew might work... but I need a closer look. A bigger picture..."
Seeing Ye-bin's distress, Amelia finally composed herself.
She'd only just arrived, after all.
She'd waited three months; what was a little longer?
For now, trust Smirna.
Her tactile control was masterful, rivaling seasoned witches.
Amelia stepped back.
"Sorry for rushing you. Outside the room?"
"Yes, that'd be great. Thank you."
"........."
But leaving Siwoo alone with an exile felt wrong.
Wasn't Siwoo like this because she'd fled and left him?
Unrelated as it was, recalling that night rooted Amelia's feet.
"Please... take good care of him."
Amelia clasped her hands politely and bowed to Ye-bin.
This was all she could do for Siwoo now.
"Please... save him..."
"N-no, Baroness, don't..."
Ye-bin startled at Amelia's deep bow and replied.
Her master had ranted endlessly about noble witches' haughtiness.
Even knowing some was jealousy, Ye-bin's image of nobles wasn't great.
Especially from classless Korea, where hierarchies felt outdated and unfair.
Yet here was a baroness bowing to a mere slave.
Suddenly, the responsibility doubled.
Leaving heavy-hearted Ye-bin behind, Amelia stepped out and leaned against the door.
Her legs buckled, sliding down as tears flowed like a burst dam.
She'd thought she'd accepted it as time passed.
Was it because a sliver of hope pierced the endless dark?
Or had she read ominous signs in Ye-bin's stern face?
Her heart pounded like the day she'd nearly lost him for the first time.
If this thread of hope vanished.
If Siwoo slipped away forever, like her master had that day.
Could she endure that loss again?
Especially if it stemmed from sins of her own hands?
Stuffing sobs to avoid disturbance, Amelia shook her head.
No need to despair yet.
Think positive—happy, joyful thoughts.
Things to do if he woke.
Explain her painful actions toward him, apologize.
He'd be angry, surely.
Might yell like in her dreams.
But that was fine.
Even eternal unforgiveness was okay.
Everything else was secondary.
And if he forgave her?
Then go to the mortal world together.
Hand in hand to his longed-for homeland, travel as one.
Then she'd say it clearly.
"Stay with me... forever..."
Like that.
Ye-bin's examination lasted over five hours, and Amelia waited like a statue.
It was an eternity.