City of Witches

1.

The Levana Grand Bath was famous for its luxuriousness. In fact, there was even a saying, ‘You’ve only experienced half of Gehenna’s riches if you haven’t been to the Grand Bath’.

This was proven true even to Siwoo. Even though this wasn’t the first time he had been here, it still felt like he had stepped into a legendary-class resort.

The morning after Countess Yesod offered him the tutoring job.

He, who visited the countess early in the morning, found himself being taken aback.

Not only were the facilities next to the Grand Bath looked so extraordinary that they’d make one’s eyes pop, the place also had a completely different vibe compared to the twins’ mansion.

When it came to the Gemini Mansion’s elegance, it came from the contrast between light and dark in its design.

First, the mansion’s interiors were made dim by the dark crimson carpets and the dimly colored wallpapers.

To offset this darkness, they decorated it with the opulent glow of chandeliers and candlelights, creating a dazzling and magnificent atmosphere inside.

In contrast, the Yesod Mansion just had a much brighter atmosphere overall.

With arches, domes, rounded columns, and ornate but tasteful murals lined the walls being part of its architecture.

Since Gehenna’s architecture was unique, it was hard to describe it precisely, but…

If Countess Gemini drew inspiration from the French and British architectures, Countess Yesod perhaps drew hers from Romans or Italians.

While the place still had a grand atmosphere, it felt more open and free, making Siwoo feel like he was a prince visiting a palace in a neighboring country when he walked down the hallway.

Even though he was actually just a contract tutor.

“So, Diana, make sure you listen to your teacher, okay?”

“…Yes.”

“For today, you can just enjoy yourself as much as you like.”

“…Yes.”

“And Teacher, please take good care of my Diana.”

“I will do my best.”

“Then I’ll see you tonight~”

After saying that, Countess Yesod walked off into the distance.

Though he barely managed to talk her out of forcing him to wear some ridiculous-looking round glasses, he was still stuck in this formal butler’s uniform and slicked-back hair since the countess refused to back down on this in particular.

Who am I even supposed to impress by dressing like this?

When he looked to the side, he saw Diana standing there, looking extremely confused.

Judging by her reaction, it seemed like the countess hadn’t told her about this arrangement.

And that made him feel like he had been handed a ticking time bomb.

“Nice to see you again.”

Nevertheless, he had a goal.

According to the countess, his job was to get Diana, whose lethargy was comparable to a hibernating rabbit, to be more active and play with her.

From the unlimited fund that the countess provided, her message was clear: ‘Accomplish this mission at any costs!’.

In return, the countess promised that she’d personally give him magic lessons and act as his research assistance. That was why he’d need to show some decent results this week to secure his contract for next week.

“I don’t even feel the slightest bit of happiness to see you. Also, use formal language, please.”

He tried to act cheerful in front of her, but his greeting was met with such a blunt response.

She pouted her soft-looking lips slightly, as she puffed her healthy cheeks with displeasure.

He had already expected this, but she really didn’t seem to be thrilled with this arrangement.

“I thought Countess Yesod already made it clear? From now on, I’ll act as your tutor.”

Diana was a naturally stubborn woman.

Not only that, she had been coddled her entire life as the precious jewel of the countess, not to mention that she had a promising future as a witch.

To gain even a little control over her, he’d need to establish their relationship first, with him as the teacher and her as the student. The first step in doing that was through how they addressed each other.

Of course, this wasn’t just about titles. The countess had given him permission to scold her lightly ‘if necessary’.

While it seemed like the countess had gone out of her way to set things straight…

“Mom’s gone already, it’s just the two of us here, so it doesn’t matter. Can you stop pretending that we’re close?”

Judging from Diana’s reaction, even the countess’ gesture hadn’t helped much.

With an even sharper tone than before, she spouted out those words before slowly walking off somewhere.

“Where are you going?”

“Nap. Don’t follow me.”

“Sorry, but I don’t think I can do that.”

From the looks of it, Siwoo realized that if he were to keep talking back to her, he wouldn’t get anywhere with her, even if he were to use the countess’ words as his shield.

And so, to avoid upsetting her, he switched to formal language and followed her around.

“I need to show some results from this job, so I need to do something…”

“No matter how much you follow me, it won’t stop me from taking a nap.”

“I’m still going to follow you regardless.”

“Suit yourself.”

He knew that this was pathetic, but there wasn’t much else he could do.

After all, he needed Countess Yesid’s help to keep the Red Branch in check.

And for that, he needed this young lady’s cooperation; the young lady who was even more unpredictable than the twins.

A sigh escaped his lips.

He lamented that everything would be easier for him if their activities were as structured as a math tutoring session.

His duty to ‘make her do something’ while she seemed extremely unwilling to do anything at all brought him a headache.

-Tap, tap, tap, tap

-Thump, thump, thump

The situation that followed was almost comical.

Diana wandered back and forth in the hallway, as if trying to lose Siwoo.

Meanwhile, Siwoo just trailed closely behind her.

“The weather’s nice today. How about we go fishing?”

“…”

“Or maybe you prefer to go shopping at the Malkuth Gallery instead?”

“…”

“What about some magical target practice? I’ve never tried it, but it sounds fun.”

“…”

For the first time ever, Siwoo did extensive research for this troublesome tutoring session.

He had carefully done his research on various attractions and things that one can do in Gehenna. In fact, he even prepared a whole course for it, as if he was a concierge.

But, even if he prepared such a luxurious course, if the person in question refused to even listen, it was all for nothing.

If things were to keep going on like this, the countess would likely fire him without a second thought by the end of the week.

And that was one thing he was trying to avoid the most.

“What about going to the theater?”

“…”

Siwoo kept on following Diana, who was trying to look for a place to take a nap while talking to her.

Meanwhile, Diana didn’t even bother to turn around, completely ignoring him.

But, he could see the imaginary steam rising for her, as if her frustration was boiling over.

Honestly, what he was doing was a bit of a gamble.

It was like forcing a spoon into the mouth of someone who didn’t want to eat.

But, he had already figured out her personality to some extent.

According to Countess Yesod, this girl suffered from chronic lack of motivation and her lazy nature.

These two traits were the reason why she was so lethargically lazy.

But, he found out something about her personality, something that wasn’t so obviously seen.

When he thought about it, this was the same Diana who came to play Witch Board with him, every single morning, without fail, as if her own laziness was just a lie.

Every time she lost, she’d throw a huge fit and raged.

While every time she won, she’d smugly tell him off.

And what Siwoo had found out was…

While she might have been extremely lazy…

Beneath that lazy exterior, she possessed a fierce competitive spirit and a fiery temper that would flare up whenever she was challenged.

Besides, in general, people who hated being bothered usually wouldn’t ignore someone who kept bothering them while following them around.

“Ugh, seriously—!”

Thirty minutes after this went on, Diana finally turned to look at Siwoo.

Her usually droopy eyes were now narrowed in irritation as she twisted her lips, seemingly screaming ‘Leave me alone!’ in her head.

She had the hair color, eye color, and even height that were similar to the countess’, but the difference in their personality was quite significant.

That little revelation caught him off-guard a little, but he just kept his cool while throwing out a joke at her.

“So, you finally decided to talk to me.”

“Are you really that dense?! I have zero interest in playing along with you! Not even a little!”

Despite Diana trying her best to turtle-up and ignoring his persistent teasing, in the end, she reached her breaking point.

She clenched her fists and huffed in frustration.

“I don’t want to have anything to do with you! Seriously, you’re so annoying! I’m gonna tell Mom to fire you tonight!”

“…”

After her outburst, Diana was left panting heavily.

As someone with naturally low energy levels, add the fact that she had been having difficulty sleeping for the past few nights, even yelling tired her so much already.

“Well, there’s nothing I can do about that then. I’ll just have to do my best today.”

“Do your best at what? Annoying me…? …Whatever, just do your thing, I’ll just ignore you.”

The truth was, Diana was unhappy with the whole situation.

She hadn’t liked him much in the first place.

And lately, her mind had been overwhelmed with a million thoughts at once.

Her head was already too full to deal with this ‘surprise tutor’ situation.

Not to mention that this guy, Shin Siwoo, was a ‘man’.

She remembered the brutish and filthy man from the novel that she read, giving her a sense of aversion and disgust towards such an unfamiliar presence.

And she projected all those negative feelings onto Siwoo.

She couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Is he directing the same dirty eyes towards me, like the delivery man in the novel?’.

Someone who gave her such an uncomfortable vibe was following her around, assuming the role of her tutor under her mother’s orders. In that kind of situation, it didn’t take long for her patience to run thin.

Eventually, they ended up going back to her room.

Earlier, she thought she could just relax in the warm sunlight or just float around the pool, but now…

All her plans had been ruined by this man.

But, at the very least, he won’t follow me inside—

“?! What do you think you’re doing?!”

“…Hm?”

“This is my room, you know?!”

Disregarding Diana’s expectations entirely, Siwoo walked straight into her living room.

As if it wasn’t a big deal.

“Oh, I see.”

As if he owned the place.

“Have you not learned any manners?! You can’t just walk into a lady’s room uninvited—”

“Forgive me, but I have to prioritize Countess Yesod’s orders.”

His audacity and shamelessness was beyond anything Diana could have imagined, leaving her speechless.

Irritation and anger surged within her.

“Do you think I’m a joke, huh?!”

“That isn’t my intention, so please accept my apology, but I have a job to do.”

“Fine, do whatever you want. You’ll be out of a job by tomorrow anyway. Just stay out of my bedroom, or I swear, I’m not gonna hold back!”

Too exhausted to argue with him any further, Diana grasped the doorknob.

But, just as she was about to turn it, Siwoo’s voice stopped her.

“If you find me annoying, why don’t we do something that you can do while sitting down. Sure, I might be fired from this job tonight, but I’d feel ashamed if I were to report to the countess that I had done nothing.”

“That’s your problem.”

“What a shame. And here I thought this might spark your interest, Ms. Diana.”

“What?”

When she turned her gaze around slightly, she saw a familiar-looking sphere.

She had forgotten about all of this after the intense shock she recently experienced, but she recognized this thing. The crystal ball from the WItch Board that had once kept her focused on her studies because she encountered that novel.

“If I remember correctly, I’m ahead with 4 to 2, correct?”

“And?”

Siwoo tried to provoke her, but Diana remained indifferent.

Bigger emotions would overwhelm the smaller ones, that was how it normally went.

In Diana’s case, she was already occupied with the Devil’s Delivery Service and her other worries, that was why she wasn’t snapped right there and then.

Normally, she would definitely have fallen for that kind of provocation.

“Did you really think I’d fall for something that obvious? I won’t play with you, just do it on your own.”

“You sure?”

“…Hmph.”

Witch board is just a game.

Getting all worked up over losing a game to some weakling I could easily beat with magic is just childish.

As she thought that while scoffing, Diana grabbed the doorknob.

“With all due respect, could it be that you are…”

She was about to enter her bedroom, if she hadn’t heard what he said next.

“…Scared…?”

“Fine, let’s do this.”