City of Witches

༺ Entanglement (1) ༻

1.

‘Why do moments of happiness always seem to pass by so quickly?’

Time slipped through their fingers like grains of sand, leaving them no opportunity to cling on it.

Every morning, they’d wake up and have their breakfast together.

Amelia’s cooking skills were nothing extraordinary and she was aware of it.

That was why she only focused on creating dishes that highlighted the natural flavors of the ingredients rather than showcasing her culinary skills.

Their usual breakfast consisted of fried eggs with bacon, sausages and bread.

After eating their breakfast, they’d prepare their lunch and go somewhere until lunch time came.

They had decided to do something different each day.

On one day, they’d bring an easel, canvas and pencils, sitting on a crooked hillside to sketch together.

On another day, Amelia would play the violin and hold a private concert for Siwoo.

Occasionally, they’d go fishing or swimming in a nearby lake.

Sometimes, they’d climb the rooftop and lie side by side, gazing at the stars.

On some days, they’d enthusiastically wash their bed sheets with their feet by stomping on them in a bathtub filled with bubbles.

And from time to time, they’d buy some ingredients and bake some apple pies together.

Amelia shared all the warm and precious experiences she had with her master with Siwoo.

Each day, they lived in pure bliss.

“Ms. Amelia.”

“Yes?”

“You seem absentminded.”

“I was just lost in thought for a moment.”

Amelia shook her head and turned her gaze towards Siwoo.

She was sitting at the table, sorting out magic formulas that had become much more complex than before.

These days, she couldn’t understand the formula he wrote without him providing some explanations first.

It would have been easier if she only had to analyze another witch’s self-essence magic, but the magic he was researching had a distinct and powerful essence.

Furthermore, after the incident where he had lost his emotions, that essence seemed to become even deeper than before.

“You can handle things on your own now, it’s fine if I don’t watch your research anymore.”

“No, there are still moments when I get stuck.”

Siwoo’s voice had become deeper than before.

More than half of the potion bottle that the Duchess gave Amelia had been emptied. His appearance had changed to that of a young man who had already passed adolescence.

There was still a hint of youthfulness in him, but with each passing day, he became more similar to the Siwoo that she was familiar with.

“If you’re tired, you can go to sleep first.”

“No, I’m a witch. I don’t get tired easily.”

“But these days, you’ve been falling asleep regularly…”

“I guess it somehow became a habit. In any case, it doesn’t make a difference whether I go to sleep or not.”

Even Amelia, who used to go without sleep for a week or even months, had somehow developed a regular sleeping pattern.

“Do you feel lonely without me?”

It had been quite some time since both of them stopped sharing a bed.

As Siwoo grew rapidly each day, he felt a sense of awkwardness to sleep in the same bed as her and opted to sleep separately.

He tried to appear nonchalant, but his words vaguely revealed his embarrassment.

It seemed he regretted bringing up the topic.

“Do you really think so?”

“Ah.”

Amelia’s remark only fueled his embarrassment even further.

Words spilled out of their mouths, unimpeded by their thoughts.

Siwoo sat there, his mouth slightly agape, while Amelia fixed her gaze upon his face.

Describing his appearance as ‘childlike’ felt awkward to her now.

The young boy had undergone a sudden transformation as he grew up rapidly.

Despite only being together for a month, it felt as if they had spent a significant amount of time together. Maybe it was because she had witnessed his growth from his childhood to the present.

In the midst of such blissful moments, it would have been unsurprising for each passing year to feel as fleeting as a single day.

“I’m sorry, that was a joke.”

“Did you feel that way? I was joking too.”

Amelia leaned her head on the desk, smiling sheepishly while Siwoo absentmindedly touched his chin with his hand before averting his gaze.

He let out a dry cough.

Perhaps due to the intense reconstruction of his memories, every day seemed as lengthy as a year to him.

In just a blink of an eye, whenever he woke up, every aspect of him, from body, mind and memory, had changed.

To him, the sense of intimacy and affection he held towards Amelia hadn’t only been going for a month.

She assumed various roles for him, from a caregiver who nurtured his younger self, a motherly figure, an older sister, a teacher and at times…

“Siwoo.”

Suddenly, Amelia interrupted his line of thoughts as she raised her head.

Her figure, now shorter than him, was holding the half-emptied potion bottle in her hands.

Every night, she’d give him this potion.

She hoped that their daily life would continue forever.

Naturally, she felt the urge to run away and stop doing this.

However, she understood that this was her duty, her responsibility.

As she witnessed Siwoo’s gradual recovery, conflicting emotions would wash over her, a mixture of relief and lingering sadness.

Stuck in her melancholy, she didn’t notice Siwoo nonchalantly took a hold of the spoon filled with the potion.

“I can do this by myself.”

“I’m only doing this because I want to.”

Siwoo obediently brought the spoon she offered him to his lips and swallowed the potion.

For some reason, Amelia watched with sorrowful eyes.

“Don’t push yourself too hard and stay up late. I’m going back to my room.”

“Yes, Ms. Amelia.”

Amelia, who was about to leave, stopped in her tracks. She felt that she’d burst into tears if she looked at his face any longer.

Seeing him growing up healthy revived the lingering affection that she thought she had given up on.

She knew it deep inside.

That she should never express her feelings out loud.

Because that would be cowardly, despicable and vile.

Yet, the restlessness and desperation she accumulated as she spent her days in pure bliss betrayed her, compelling her to bite her lip before calling out to him.

“Siwoo, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Yes?”

She stood by the desk where Siwoo was studying, leaning her body slightly.

‘Did he notice that my tone was different than usual?’

Siwoo looked at her with a nervous look.

Her sorrowful gaze felt like it pierced through his heart.

That was how deep her sadness looked to him.

As he observed her somber face, his own heart stirred in response.

He believed that such an expression didn’t suit her as a smiling face suited her better.

“I’m listening.”

His words sounded gentle and considerate for Amelia, who remained silent for a long time.

Meanwhile, Amelia’s beautiful eyes were already filled with tears.

“Later…”

She held back her tears and spoke to him.

The words she had vowed never to speak,

Selfish words seeking temporary solace.

“When you regain your memories later… W-Will you forgive me…?”

“…”

Siwoo reached out his arm, gently wiping her tears with his sleeve. She looked pitiful and weak, unlike her usual self.

“Ms. Amelia…”

Amelia felt the urge to run into his open arms and let him embrace her.

She wanted to confess all her wrongdoings and expressed her deep remorse.

To plead to him.

Conveying how sorry she was, how she would never abandon him, crying out those words with all her might.

She wanted to plead, beg and seek for his forgiveness.

However, she managed to suppress that impulsive urge.

At that moment, she could sense Siwoo’s thick hands gently patting her back.

“I don’t know what did you to to ask for my forgiveness, Ms. Amelia, so I don’t think I can make any promises.”

When his gentle voice resonated in her ears, tears began to burst forth.

“Ahh…hic…”

Her shoulders trembled as she rested her head on Siwoo’s shoulders. In response to this, Siwoo gently stroked her hair.

“But, I’m sure I’ll forgive you, even if I don’t do it immediately, I’ll try to forgive you. Because to me, you’re more precious than anyone else, Ms. Amelia.”

He patiently waited until Amelia calmed down.

When she did, he held her shoulders, gently pulling his own body back so he could see her face.

Her previously composed face had turned disheveled, covered in tears.

Though they had grown up in different environments, had different ways of thinking and held different positions, both of them shared the same desire in this moment.

The desire to kiss each other.

Both of them didn’t say anything as their lips intertwined.

Siwoo embraced Amelia’s waist and nape, drawing her closer.

The latter’s hand, still trembling in uncertainty, reached out and grasped his shirt with a desperate grip.

As if she was unwilling to let him go, yearning for him to embrace her for eternity.

When his tongue slipped between her lips, a jolt coursed through her body, causing it to tremble.

Sensing her intention to escape, Siwoo firmly held onto her slender waist, preventing her from doing so.

The kiss made Amelia enter a dream-like state, as if she was walking through a haze.

His lips’ movements felt rough, yet soft at the same time. It felt tender, yet also sticky.

Her master once told her…

That a kiss served as a signal between two people.

A signal that conveyed ‘trust.’

And at the same time, it conveyed their ‘yearning.’

Shin Siwoo trusted Amelia.

And Amelia yearned for him.

She couldn’t comprehend much aside from these, but she clearly understood that much.

Amelia pressed herself against Siwoo, their lips locked together as they exchanged their breath and saliva.

Their heavy breathing soon filled the small room.

There was a sense of bittersweet yearning in Amelia’s hand, which she used to cling to Siwoo’s collar.

Meanwhile, Siwoo’s own hand, which was holding onto her waist previously, had moved onto her buttocks.

His other hand, previously settling at the nape of her neck, moved to lift up her nightgown and grabbed her soft chest.

Siwoo lacked knowledge on how to properly treat a woman.

His actions toward her were driven solely by instinct.

Amelia herself didn’t offer any resistance to Siwoo’s movements.

She eagerly sucked on his tongue, letting out her hot breath passionately, as if she was surrendering her own body to him.

The two naturally walked towards the bed without interrupting their passionate kiss.

Amelia’s stumbling legs eventually met the edge of the bed causing her to fall onto it with a gentle thud.

“Haah…haah…”

“Haah…”

At that moment, their lips parted. Siwoo looked down at her, his hand moved to soothe her quivering chest.

Her hair messily fell down on the bed, shimmering like strands of golden silk. Meanwhile, her cheeks reddened.

The nightgown that was pushed up by Siwoo’s hand revealed her smooth, white belly and one of her breasts.

Despite this, she made no attempt to cover herself.

She didn’t even bother fixing her dress.

Instead, she eagerly anticipated his advances through their kisses while gasping for breath.

Seeing this, Siwoo gulped.

From his perspective, the woman in front of him was a benefactor, someone who had cared for him and showered him with affection for nearly ten years.

He was aware that it was a morally questionable act, but if he said that he had never viewed her in a romantic way, he’d be lying.

The truth was, he had been contemplating, trying to get a closer relationship with her, and yearning for a deeper bond beyond their current ambiguous one.

He had been thinking about this a lot.

And due to his inexperience, he thought that this kind of progression was a natural course.

This was the flow that would bring them together, the one that would deepen their bonds.

“…”

“…”

As for Amelia, she had always believed even if they formally started dating, their relationship would remain as it was for another three years.

Because that was the demeanor that fit a refined and cultured lady.

However, when his tongue ventured between her parted lips…

When his firm hands squeezed her chest and supported her buttocks…

As she lay exposed on his bed, being enveloped by his intense gaze…

She began to yearn for him to open the door to a world she had never experienced before.

Siwoo gulped and lowered his upper body to cover hers.

Amelia tightly closed her eyes and turned her head away.

Then, seemingly determined, she gently pushed his cheek with the palm of her hand as he tried to bite her neck.

“No… Siwoo… We can’t do this…”

“Ah…”

Caught up in the atmosphere, Siwoo, who was about to lose control, snapped back to reality as if waking up from a dream.

Amelia quickly got to her feet and smoothed out her disheveled dress. The atmosphere cooled rapidly as if it was doused with cold water.

Then, in a hushed voice, she said.

“I also yearn for what you desire…”

She hurriedly passed by him, grasping the doorknob as if escaping.

Her retreating figure made her appear incredibly small and fragile.

“But… I don’t deserve it… I’m not worthy of it…”

“What are you—”

“I’m sorry.”

With those words of apology, as if trying to treat everything like it had never happened, she returned to her own room.