Chapter 26
Chapter 26
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Wanna Eat?
The Witch of Seduction, who had managed to secure a private audience with the Witch of Sorrow, let out a deep sigh of relief.
I thought I was dead meat.
If that man hadn't stepped in to mediate midway, she'd have burned me to a crisp, leaving nothing but ashes by now.
"Not sure if it'll be to your taste."
Seduser, clad in a glamorous dress, brought out the tea.
She could have easily left such menial chores to the mansion's servants, but given the guest and the gravity of the situation, she personally brewed and served it to show her sincerity.
"It has a nice aroma."
"It's tea leaves grown only on Baekhyang Mountain."
She was indirectly letting her know that she'd used expensive, rare leaves out of respect.
"So, what is it?"
Freya elegantly set down her teacup and clasped her hands on her lap.
"Let me apologize once more."
Seduser bowed her head politely.
Bending her pride and lowering her head to someone was deeply dishonorable for her, but preserving her life took precedence over honor.
Pride is something you have to pick your battles for.
"I'm truly sorry for laying a hand on Lady Astellin's disciple. But please understand that I wouldn't have done it if I'd known he was your disciple."
Seduser flashed a charming smile, crinkling the corners of her eyes.
"Enough. Get to the point."
I want to hurry back to the mansion.
Back at the mansion, I want to spend some intimate time alone with Zeke.
And if the mood turns steamy and our eyes meet, we could finish what we started.
No, honestly... I want to go all the way.
She was too embarrassed to say it first, but...
Having already crossed that line once, the master now craved to take her disciple's manhood into her mouth.
On top of that, the earlier caress on her lower abdomen had her womb throbbing.
For a witch, the womb was a useless organ.
Yet witches were still women at heart, harboring the instinct to receive a man's seed there.
"Ugh, you're so cold. Fine, straight to the point it is."
Seduser rested her chin on her hands, forming a flower bud shape.
"You like your disciple, don't you?"
"Pardon?"
"No, my mistake. You love your disciple, right?"
Freya's pink eyes wavered violently with agitation.
"...What nonsense is this?"
Freya replied, struggling to maintain her composure.
"Oh, come on, no need to pretend."
"If you're trying to mock me with such drivel, I'll take my leave."
"You seem like you want to hide it, but you weren't hiding it at all."
Freya, who had started to rise, froze in place.
Not bound by blood, but connected by a bond as deep as family—master and disciple.
They were family.
Families love each other.
But the kinds of love differed.
The love between family was selfless devotion rooted in protection, while the love she held for Zeke was desire-fueled passion.
To put it simply, she felt sexual desire.
Normally, one doesn't feel lust for family, but Freya lusted after Zeke, who was family in all but blood.
That's why she saw it as incestuous.
That's why she deemed it immoral.
She had boldly sorted out her own thoughts on the matter.
By her own values, it was still immoral, an emotion she shouldn't harbor, but she decided to embrace it fully and surrender to the thrill of taboo.
But being found out by others was a different story.
Sexual relations between master and disciple were taboo in society.
And taboos naturally drew negative gazes.
So this relationship had to remain a secret.
Yet it had been exposed.
"The way you made that aroused face the moment he hugged you from behind?"
"Wh-who...!"
Freya let out an involuntary squeak.
She swallowed the sound midway, cleared her throat with a cough, and straightened up.
"I made a face like that?"
"It was obvious at a glance. It's my expertise, hehe."
From Freya's reaction just now, Seduser gleaned an amusing fact.
The Witch of Sorrow was a virgin.
Being a virgin wasn't bad.
From a whore's perspective, virgins were cute newbies.
And the flustered Witch of Sorrow right now was utterly adorable.
It was hard to believe she was the same person who had exuded a chilling, murderous aura moments ago.
"No. Really, no."
"Why deny it?"
Freya clamped her mouth shut, refusing to answer.
"Loving someone isn't a bad thing."
"Loving someone isn't bad. But who you love can make it bad."
"Hehe, so rigid."
Seduser understood the words but couldn't relate from her standpoint.
"It's because of society's gaze, right?"
"......"
Silence was affirmation.
"What a waste. Living while killing your love because of society's eyes. Such a shame."
Of course, Seduser was extremely extreme.
She loved almost every man.
Her concept of love skewed heavily toward lust, but she ignored society's judgment and enjoyed love freely.
To her, Freya just seemed frustratingly repressed.
How much of a loss was it for a woman to have a great guy by her side and not fuck him?
She was too busy having sex every day and milking semen to even think about it.
"Even a witch who reached the highest rank cares about society's gaze?"
"Of course."
As one who had attained the highest rank, she had to care even more to uphold her authority.
If she were a lesser witch, she might not have bothered.
She wouldn't have agonized this much.
"As one of the witches representing witch society, I must set an example."
"Sure, sure."
Seduser nodded as if in agreement.
"The other witches respect Lady Astellin for leading by example. I respect you for the same reason."
But, Seduser continued,
"Can you really give up love for that?"
"......"
Here, she should nod as if giving the model answer.
"............No."
Freya shook her head stiffly from side to side.
"......I can't give it up."
"Exactly. Of course you can't."
Seduser nodded enthusiastically, as if she understood.
"They say love between master and disciple is forbidden love. But isn't that what makes it more thrilling and tender?"
After all, her disciple was an adult by human standards.
If he were a minor, it would be forbidden.
But as an adult, it wasn't quite that taboo.
There were even cases of masters and disciples marrying.
Humans even called it romantic.
So the Witch of Sorrow was overthinking it.
She could just love freely.
"If I may presume to teach Lady Astellin one thing, love must be consummated to endure; if not, it fades away in the end."
She added a little lie.
Love cools once familiarity sets in, whether consummated or not.
Though some couples bucked the trend.
At least Seduser heated up fast and cooled off just as quick.
"Pardon...?"
But to the love-ignorant Freya, the experienced Seduser's words rang true.
"Do you want to see the man you love fall for another woman?"
Freya's eyes widened in shock.
Just imagining it was horrifying.
...I fell for him first.
She pictured herself moping alone in gloom.
"So you have to hold on while you can."
Seduser tapped the table with both hands.
"And as atonement for this incident, let me give you a gift."
"A gift?"
Seduser chuckled slyly.
She might not only be forgiven but thanked for this.
2.
"Sorry to keep you waiting so long."
Finishing her private talk, Freya emerged from the mansion.
Outside, Zeke waited, smoking a cigarette.
"Did the talk go well?"
"Yes."
"Peacefully?"
"Yes."
Freya nodded stiffly, woodenly, like someone with body aches.
"What happened in there?"
"Nothing."
Freya shook her head.
"Nothing at..."
Trailing off, Freya looked up sharply.
Her wavering pink eyes gazed steadfastly up at Zeke.
"Zeke...!"
"Yes."
"Ah, it's nothing..."
She averted her eyes.
Her lips twitched as if to speak, then stopped.
...How could I even say that!
The line she'd learned from the Witch of Seduction moments ago.
A magical line guaranteed to seduce any man.
'Wanna eat? Or take a bath? Or me?'
No way could she say it.
Absolutely not.
"Master?"
"Business is done. Let's head back."
Freya walked ahead.
Even as they traversed the streets, she kept mulling it over.
She ran mental simulations countless times.
She'd been told to purr it coquettishly, but it was utterly impossible.
Men like women acting cute, but for her personality, coquetry was harder than magical research.
Then one of the Witch of Seduction's words flashed through her mind.
'Do you want to see the man you love fall for another woman?'
Hold onto love while you can.
She absolutely couldn't stand Zeke loving and embracing another woman.
Right. Time to be brave.
How long would she keep running from embarrassment?
With a firm inner resolve, Freya stopped.
"Zeke...!"
She turned to face him.
And, putting force into her voice, she boldly uttered the line she'd rehearsed in her head.
"Wanna eat me?"
The words got jumbled into something weird.
She was supposed to ask if he wanted to eat.
But swapping one word turned it into something utterly vulgar.
"Ah, no...! Or do you wanna do it with me? No, that's not it!"
One slip led to a cascade of mistakes, flushing Freya's face bright red.
To an onlooker, she'd look like a woman desperate for sex.
"Master."
"Eep..."
Zeke's low, husky voice.
"Can I really... eat you?"
Thump thump! Thump thump!
Her heart pounded wildly.
Freya clasped her hands in front of her chest and gave a small nod.
"......Yes."