Serina Is Curious About Acting Cute
The pudding shop. In front of Sylvia’s store. Sylvia had just finished closing up and stepped outside.
“You’re early, aren’t you?”
“We just got here too!”
“Um… but I’m not sure how I should address your friend…!”
“Just call her Serina.”
“Ah! Lady Serina! Hello.”
“Yeah.”
The witch answered in her usual curt manner. Sylvia looked visibly flustered.
“Ah. She’s always like this.”
“She seems so cool! That aloof vibe is totally my style!”
Without hesitation, Sylvia linked arms with Serina. The witch shot her a sharp glare, but Sylvia paid it no mind and walked along with their arms linked. I was half-convinced Sylvia’s neck was about to get sliced off, but somehow nothing happened.
“Lady Serina! I’ve wanted to get close to you for so long! How can someone be this beautiful?”
“It’s inborn.”
“Your skin is so flawless… do you use anything special?”
“Nothing. Beauty is inborn.”
It seemed Serina didn’t entirely dislike the attention. The place Sylvia led us to was her house. It was a modest stone-built home, and not far from it stood a chapel. The house was a perfectly ordinary size—exactly the kind of dwelling you’d see anywhere among commoners. After only ever seeing Nimeli’s grand mansion, the witch looked genuinely bewildered by such a small place. It was even smaller than our own house.
“Tiny.”
“Serina. You can’t just say that.”
“Isn’t this when you say ‘cute’?”
“Hmm… you’re pretty sharp, aren’t you?”
“Sharp…”
Serina made the sound and rapped her fist against my skull. Ouch… I think I’m getting a lump. “I was being sharp.”
“…You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”
When I put on a wronged expression, Serina let out a small snort of laughter. Watching her, Sylvia burst into a bright smile and said,
“Our house is pretty small, right? But we have everything we need!”
Sylvia laughed warmly and opened the door. As soon as it swung open, another girl greeted us. She was small and adorable, clearly Sylvia’s sister.
“This is my little sister, Maria!”
“Hello! I heard from my sister earlier! A noble guest was coming!”
True to Sylvia’s sister, she was cheerful and bright.
“Hi! I’m Allen. This is Serina. Oh, right—what about Lucas?”
“Lord Lucas said he unfortunately has work and can’t make it!”
“Really? He must’ve been disappointed.”
“Yes… he was quite upset, but I promised I’d invite him separately next time!”
Clever bastard. He turned the situation into an even bigger win. It looked like Lucas and Sylvia had grown quite close. He’d even been invited to her house.
We stepped inside and I took a quick look around. It was a cozy home—neither too hot nor humid. The table was already set for dinner. From what I could see, there was rye bread, a hearty meat stew, and even Parmesan cheese.
“You must be hungry. Please, sit down.”
Sylvia guided us to the table. The witch stared at the dishes with open curiosity. These were probably all foods Serina had never tried before. Since I wasn’t much of a cook, I usually kept things simple—filling up on a single piece of meat or substituting meals with bread.
Besides the set menu, there was also a spice-rubbed roast duck and what looked like a carefully prepared venison dish served with onions and various vegetables.
“I also prepared sandwiches for dessert, so please take your time and enjoy.”
Sylvia waited for us to start eating first. The one who picked up her spoon earliest was Serina. Only after she took a sip of the stew did the rest of us begin. Unlike how she ate with me, the witch dined with refined, almost elegant movements. Anyone watching would’ve thought she was a noblewoman.
“Delicious…”
That awestruck expression. It was the same face she’d made when she first tasted wine. That was how good it was. After sipping the stew, Serina immediately moved on to the vegetables and venison. She chewed thoughtfully for a long time before finally speaking.
“I want to live here.”
“Hohoho! Lady Serina! Would you really?!”
“Yeah. I like you.”
Wait… didn’t that mean my cooking had been terrible all this time? I could do better if I really put my mind to it.
“You flatter me! Lady Serina, would you like to learn how to cook? It’s actually quite simple.”
“I can’t cook. Allen should learn.”
“Me…?”
“Hoho… I’m sure you’d be wonderful at it if you tried, Lady Serina! Anything you make would surely have a refined, elegant flavor!”
“Refined? I like refined. I can cook well too.”
Suddenly the witch had developed a passion for cooking. She really was like a chimpanzee. Simple-minded. Her personality never changed. It felt like watching a seven-year-old child. But in front of me, she instantly turned back into the terrifying witch.
“Oh! We also have ale. Would you like some?”
“Why are you only mentioning that now?! Bring it immediately!”
My favorite—ale. It had a high alcohol content but a rich floral aroma. Some people complained about the bitter aftertaste, but I loved that distinctive bitterness.
“Ale?”
The witch showed interest. No. Not for you.
“Serina, stop. This has a high alcohol content.”
“I can hold my liquor.”
She was even bragging about her drinking ability now.
“No. You can’t drink.”
“I can.”
“You can’t.”
“I can.”
“You can’t.”
“I’m telling you I can!”
“Stop. You’ll get drunk.”
“Do you want to see what happens if you try to stop me?”
There it was again—that threatening tone. In that case, what choice did I have? I had to let her drink.
“Then just a little.”
“I’m drinking two glasses.”
“Exactly two glasses.”
“Okay.”
She always had to get her way. It was exhausting.
Watching us bicker, Sylvia’s younger sister Maria asked,
“Allen… oppa? Are you two lovers?”
Oppa? Hmm… my heart was pounding. Oppa. That sounded nice.
“Uh… no. Oppa doesn’t have a girlfriend yet.”
“Really? But you’re so handsome…”
After saying that, Maria’s cheeks flushed pink. At the word “handsome,” Serina glanced sideways at my face.
“Thanks. So, do you want to marry oppa?”
“It would be an honor! A commoner like me marrying a noble?”
“Come on… that was ages ago.”
“Oppa, you’re a noble so you wouldn’t understand.”
“I’m not a noble anymore. These days, money is everything! Even merchants who used to be looked down on get called ‘Count’ this and ‘Count’ that if they’re rich enough…!”
“Still!”
“Unless you’re the king, it doesn’t mean anything. At the very least, you need to become a lord to live comfortably.”
The marriage talk had somehow veered off into a strange discussion about social status. Still, hearing “oppa, oppa” made me feel pretty good. As I wore a satisfied smile, Serina looked thoroughly displeased.
“I’m sorry! It seems Maria has taken a liking to Lord Allen! Please think of it kindly.”
“Ah, no, it’s fine! I actually felt good about it.”
“Oh! Lady Serina, are you not married?”
Sylvia asked while handing Serina a mug of ale. The witch answered calmly.
“I will be. Soon.”
“Oh my! With whom?!”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Ohohoho! Lady Serina, you really are amusing. Anyone would want to marry someone like you!”
“Really?”
“Of course! They say that if a woman is just full of charm and aegyo, she can open any man’s heart!”
“Aegyo?!”
“Yes. And with Lady Serina’s beauty added on top…! It would be perfection itself!”
“I don’t need something like aegyo.”
“Well… someone like you wouldn’t need it anyway. Men wouldn’t leave you alone even without it!”
“Lies.”
Serina suddenly chugged the ale in one go. After downing it, she slammed the empty mug down on the table with a loud thud.
“Another glass!”
“I-is something wrong?”
Sylvia and Maria asked in surprise.
“It’s nothing. Don’t worry. This friend of mine does this periodically. It’s like a habit?”
“Ah… I see. You startled me. I’ll bring more ale.”
Sylvia picked up the empty mug and went to fetch more. The witch sat there fuming, glaring at me. What? What did I do wrong?
“What is this ‘aegyo’ that men like?”
Serina suddenly asked Maria.
“Pardon? The aegyo that men like?”
“Yeah.”
“Hmm… what could it be… Oh! They say men are basically attracted to a woman acting weak!”
“Acting weak? Why is being weak good?”
“Not actually being weak! You have to pretend to be weak!”
“Pretending to be weak… that’s the one thing I’m worst at.”
“Well… if there’s something heavy, you could pretend your wrist hurts and ask him to carry it for you!”
“What if there’s no heavy thing?!”
“Ah! Even if it’s not heavy, the point is to act like it is!”
“Aegyo is difficult.”
Serina was learning aegyo all wrong. What the hell kind of aegyo was that?
“I have a go-to aegyo I usually use.”
“What is it?”
“When I like a guy, I do this—I press my chest together like this.”
“Press your chest together?”
“And then I shake my upper body.”
Yes. This was real aegyo! Despite her small frame and cute face, Maria boasted an impressively full chest. Same with Sylvia. Must run in the family. They were bouncing up and down… This place was heaven.
“I shook them.”
“And then you go ‘Aaaang~!’ like this, and the guys go crazy for it!”
“….Stop that.”
“Yes…”
And just like that, Serina gave up on learning aegyo. It was the first time I’d ever seen the witch make such a bitter face. A completely dejected expression. She looked like she had realized every bitter truth in the world…!