City of Witches

Chapter 453: Trip (2)

1.

When Siwoo accepted her invitation, Amelia didn’t jump up and down in excitement.

She also didn’t smile knowingly, as if she had expected it, nor did she blush or squirm awkwardly.

Instead, she turned away expressionlessly, just like when she first insisted he accompany her to Border Town.

Her side profile as she walked beside him was as expressionless as ever, so he had no idea what was going on her mind.

Amelia’s self-essence magic, her signature ‘poker face,’ was fully in play, it was something Siwoo had grown all too familiar with.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.”

Amelia met Siwoo’s persistent gaze briefly.

It feels...

Different from what I was expecting.

Yesterday, they had a deep, honest talk and finally resolved the misunderstandings and grudges they had carried for so long.

The old love-hate tension between them had softened into affection, while the rigid gap between them had finally closed.

Just like a pair of estranged lovers who, after realizing their mistakes and regretting their choices, learned that the other had been silently enduring hardship, going to the ends of the earth to catch crabs in Russia just to pay for surgery. There was on way they could stay indifferent after hearing that.

The atmosphere between them had been so tender that, if Countess Kohav and Albireo hadn’t interrupted, they might’ve shared a long, heartfelt kiss back then.

That’s how it should’ve been, but...

What’s with this distance between us?

Though unsure of their destination, he still walked beside Amelia.

To make things worse, Amelia hadn’t even glanced at him and kept her eyes fixed forward, maintaining an awkward silence for over five minutes.

“Ah...”

Could it be?

The timing is probably a little off?

Let’s think about it for a bit.

Amelia and Siwoo’s relationship had never been that smooth.

Back when he was still a public slave and when she was an assistant professor...

They were practically involved in a cold war where neither liked the other.

Then came the period when he became her private slave, and she was his professor in charge.

It was a transitional period when they almost grew closer, but things had fallen apart in the worst possible way.

Next came her time as his guardian during his age regression.

After going through a period of depression where their relationship had grown to be the closest but ultimately fell apart again, they were separated for a long time.

During that time, rather than stagnating, their relationship deteriorated instead.

Had their kiss the other day gone uninterrupted, things would’ve probably been different, but after the hearing and their dramatic reunion, they were now stuck, unsure which stage of their tangled relationship to focus on.

“...”

If not that...

Could it be?

For five years in his life, he had listened to Takasho’s endless romantic theories.

Every time that guy got bored, he’d start babbling, forcing a database of dating advice into Siwoo’s subconscious.

And now, his imaginary monologue began to play in Siwoo’s head.

‘Shin Siwoo, how could you still think like a clueless virgin?!’

Takasho, stroking an imaginary beard, spoke up in his mind.

‘Shin Siwoo! The assistant professor clearly misses you! When she finally gets to meet and talk to you, her reaction is surprisingly warm—especially for someone as intimidating and strict as her! Just look at her expression! She’s quite literally begging you to kiss her!’

I...see your point, yeah.

‘Shin Siwoo! Do you know about the Romeo and Juliet Effect?’

The Romeo and Juliet Effect? Did you just make that up?

Takasho folded his arms, looking all serious.

‘Humans are creatures who seek for freedom! Their instinct to reclaim their repressed free will is so strong that it overrides everything else! What I’m trying to say here is that, since she had been unable to see you all this time, she wanted your embrace even more as a rebellious response to her environment!

‘And yesterday, her long-held desire was fulfilled!

‘Or so she thought! With her dramatic reunion interrupted, her mind, previously clouded by dopamine rushing through her brain, finally had the chance to think more calmly and came to a realization!

‘Huh? I’m not as thrilled as I thought I’d be. Also... How many girlfriends has he got now?’

‘It’s like she’s finally getting that pair of shoes she’s been dreaming of, only to realize they’re not as amazing once she put them on!

‘Anyone claiming love lasts forever is just an idealist!

‘Love is like a candle, flaring up at the smallest spark and snuffing out just as easily!

‘Even Romeo and Juliet might’ve gotten divorced in two weeks if their families had set them up!’

Eventually, Takasho, who had been passionately delivering his unconventional theory, faded out.

Of course, this wasn’t something that Siwoo’d say out loud to anyone, but as ridiculous as it sounded, the logic was sound.

At least, in this situation, it felt oddly believable.

But, that doesn’t explain why she suggested we go on a trip...

As Siwoo wrestled with his confusion like that...

Amelia’s mind was running wild.

A trip with Siwoo... A trip with Siwoo... A trip with Siwoo alone... A trip with Siwoo alone...

Her travel plan, something she had nervously written down and barely managed to say, was easily accepted by Siwoo.

The excitement and tension from that moment made her body turn stiff like a robot.

2.

Perhaps, it was sheer arrogance for Siwoo to think that he fully understood Amelia Marigold.

It felt like a heavy stone was pressing down on his chest.

He had already mentioned their supposed relationship to Sharon and the twins, speaking like it was a given, yet now it felt like everything had been reset.

In truth, the time they had shared ‘love’ as lovers only spanned the period when memory-lost Siwoo had reached adulthood and before he regained his memories...

Was just a handful of days at best.

Now, he was afraid that he had jumped to conclusions, like drinking the kimchi soup before the rice, and then some.

But while Siwoo’s mind was tangled in doubts, Amelia, fully prepared, arrived, carrying the luggage she had packed beforehand.

Her suitcase was enormous, big enough to fit a grown man curled up inside.

“Let me carry that for you.”

It seemed the inertia of his actions, combined with the atmosphere of the place influenced him somehow.

Despite his mind that was swirling in chaos, Siwoo instinctively reached out to take Amelia’s luggage.

But before he could, Amelia abruptly turned her body.

“Ah...”

From her gesture, it seemed almost like she was guarding the bag from him.

Clutching the bag tightly in both hands, Amelia spoke warily.

“I’ll carry it myself.”

“It’s fine, I can help—”

“No, I’ll carry it myself.”

With a determined look in her eyes, Amelia flatly refused Siwoo’s offer.

She turned around completely and moved the bag to a place where Siwoo couldn’t reach it even if he stretched out his hand.

That was her way of making a point.

As they walked through spaces filled with memories of their shared past, it wasn’t just Siwoo who felt a flood of emotions.

Amelia too, found herself reflecting on her own foolish actions from before.

The times when she couldn’t admit her feelings, when she made his life difficult, casually flaunted her social status, and treated him like a slave.

Thankfully, he had forgiven her childish tantrums and cruelty.

But, Amelia wasn’t so shameless that she’d let things go just like that.

Even the smallest stone tossed into still water left ripples.

The tangled threads of human relationships wouldn’t unravel so easily.

Hence why, there was no way she’d ever treat him like a slave again.

So, she resolved  to handle everything herself and not rely on him anymore.

If anything, she was ready to become his servant to atone for the five years of suffering she had put him through.

Hiding that firm resolve, Amelia glanced at Siwoo while holding her bag behind her.

“Huh?”

As anyone could expect, Siwoo looked completely stunned.

A wave of satisfaction surged through her, sweet and overwhelming like a giant slice of cake.

Though, if she were honest, it was a cake topped with the bittersweet regret of thinking, ‘I should’ve done this sooner.’

Siwoo, unaware of her inner thoughts, gathered his composure and asked hesitantly.

No, it’s too soon to make assumptions like that...

“By the way, about the trip... Where are we going?”

Even as he asked, he felt he already knew the answer.

The cabin in the wing nut tree forest, where he shared the warmest memories with her, that was the obvious choice.

“The Modern World.”

But Amelia surprised him with her answer.

“I want to see your hometown, Siwoo.”

Her shy smile melted away any misunderstanding he might have had.

3.

Could Amelia, practically on probation, even leave for the Modern World?

That worry turned out to be completely unnecessary.

Because apparently, the witches’ society held an enormous amount of trust in their ‘nobles’.

Well, in Amelia’s case, a ‘former’ noble.

At any rate, aside from a brief hiccup when Amelia had to personally face the immigration officer, the two of them passed through the gate in less than an hour.

After feeling a brief distortion and a sway in his vision...

The marble interior of the immigration lobby disappeared, and they found themselves standing by the Han River bank.

“Ugh...”

The night breeze was refreshing, but as always, the warp left Siwoo feeling nauseous.

One would think that the whole process would feel comfortable considering how expensive it was, but it wasn’t the case at all.

Meanwhile, Amelia was too captivated by her surroundings to notice Siwoo’s discomfort.

“Ah...”

While yes, she had traveled to the Modern World before to clean up her Kill List.

Her trips had been limited to harsh terrains like the Arctic, Antarctic, and deserts.

She had briefly passed through a city before meeting Siwoo, but it was still nothing when compared to the grandeur of Yeouido, with its sky-high land prices.

All this time, she hadn’t seen buildings towering like walls that she had to lift her neck to see.

Of course, her being much more relaxed and having the leisure to take in her surroundings helped.

To her, this level of advanced science seemed no different from magic from the perspective of an ordinary person.

That thought struck her as she gazed at the skyscrapers with their seamless walls of reinforced glass.

The artificial lights glimmering on the dark Han River’s surface...

The honking of car horns and the noise of the bustling city left her dazed, and her trance was broken when Siwoo spoke.

“Uh... I’ll book us a hotel first...”

Hotel. Reservation. Siwoo.

Deciding where to stay was a natural part of the trip.

But Amelia had just made her resolution not too long ago.

To not make Siwoo do any work.

That was the least she could do as a way of atoning for her sins.

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Huh?”

Amelia couldn’t possibly break her resolve after only 3 hours, so she quickly snatched the smartphone from Siwoo’s hand with a determined motion.

Grasping the phone, which Countess Gemini had set up for Siwoo under a different name, Amelia’s eyes widened in shock.

This was the first time she had ever seen a smartphone.

She had only grabbed it on impulse after seeing Siwoo was about to use it to book their accommodations.

It was small enough to fit in the palm of her hand, and the screen sparkled brightly and vividly.

When she swiped her fingers across the screen, it responded immediately, just like the magical touchscreens in advanced magic labs she’d seen before.

Looking closer, she saw detailed images of nearby lodgings displayed, as if someone had taken photographs of the rooms.

Feeling overwhelmed by this unfamiliar device that resembled an artifact, Amelia’s eyes darted around in confusion.

Meanwhile, Siwoo awkwardly reached out, trying to retrieve the phone from Amelia.

From her memories, Amelia had no experience with modern technology, so naturally she wouldn’t know how to use a smartphone.

“I’ll do it, I know the area well.”

But Amelia clutched the phone tightly against her chest like a squirrel protecting its acorn, shaking her head.

“I can do it. I’ll manage.”

Amelia took a deep breath, focusing on the screen, and began reading through the text slowly and carefully.

Since Siwoo had been using it to find a place to stay, she figured it must be some kind of catalog.

Noting how the screen responded to her touch, she decided to treat it like the magical equipment she was accustomed to.

She clicked through options one by one, and she started to understand how it worked and eventually selected the most elegant-looking hotel among the choices.

When she pressed the ‘Book Now’ button, a payment screen and a password prompt appeared, and...

“...”

Amelia loading...

As she turned her back to the screen, shielding it from view, Siwoo, who had been peeking over her shoulder, noticed her standing motionless and eventually spoke up.

“I think I’ll have to take over from here. I’m the one who knows the password.”

But then, she replied in a firm voice.

There was even a subtle hint of triumph in her voice that puzzled him.

“Just tell me the password, and I’ll do it.”

“Alright, it’s 3821.”

“Three... eight... two... one....”

Amelia pressed each number cautiously, as if she was defusing a bomb.

A slight vibration followed, and a confirmation message popped up: ‘Reservation confirmed!’.

And that was it, she did it.

She helped Siwoo entirely on her own for the first time.

“Here you go.”

Siwoo took the phone from Amelia.

Although she seemed to be looking at him expressionlessly, Siwoo had a skill called ‘Amelia Reading’ that allowed him to read her emotions through her subtle facial expressions: a skill he had maxed out during his time as her slave.

He hadn’t relied on it much lately, now that Amelia had shown obvious reactions, the skill became incredibly useful.

Her breathing became slightly faster.

Her lower lip was tucked inward.

Her eyes were wide, and her left eyebrow was raised by about fifteen degrees.

From those hints, he assessed Amelia’s emotional state:

[Joy: 25%]

[Self-satisfaction: 10%]

[Pride: 25%]

[Mild fatigue: 40%]

Something felt a little off.

Siwoo checked the reservation Amelia had made.

“Oh, you picked a great place.”

“Of course. I can do something like this just fine.”

And just as he expected.

She had booked a hotel in Jeju Island.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Amelia and her master