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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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Just a moment ago.
Johan was walking along the beach with Evangeline, moving to a new spot.
He couldn’t help but feel a lingering concern for Adelheid, whom he had just rejected.
“Why do you keep looking back?”
“It’s nothing… By the way, where’s Hecaterina?”
“I don’t know, she’s around here somewhere.”
Johan looked at his master with a bewildered expression. She had insisted on bringing Hecaterina along, only to abandon her somewhere. He spotted a woman in the distance, surrounded by soldiers.
She was two heads shorter than the men around her, with a bust that seemed to have stolen those two heads for itself.
Her impressive volume was a magnet for male attention, and Johan immediately recognized her as Hecaterina. He could understand why the testosterone-fueled soldiers were so captivated.
“I said, get lost.”
“Come on, miss. You knew what you were getting into when you came here. The staff are here to entertain us. Let’s have some fun.”
“I told you, I’m not staff. Are you deaf? Or do I need to drill another hole in your head to make you understand?”
Hecaterina was arguing with the soldiers. Normally, she would have already broken their limbs or, as she threatened, created a new orifice in their skulls—but she was restraining herself with surprising patience.
Johan, impressed by her growth, approached the group and casually slung his arm around a soldier’s shoulder.
“Alright, that’s enough.”
“Huh? Who are you…?”
“Wait a minute—this guy…”
The soldiers, who hadn’t recognized Hecaterina in her swimsuit, recognized Johan’s face. Their expressions hardened.
They recognized him because he had been a frequent visitor to the northern border, checking up on the witches.
The soldiers looked back and forth between Johan, Evangeline, and Hecaterina, and finally realized that Hecaterina was one of the witches who had been protecting them.
And a witch was, at the very least, equivalent in rank to a major.
“S-sir!”
“Sir—!”
“It’s alright. I saved you guys.”
“Yes, sir!! Thank you, sir!”
“Our apologies, sir!”
The soldiers quickly dispersed. Johan looked at Hecaterina.
“Why were you just standing there?”
He looked down at her. She glared back, a hint of annoyance in her eyes.
Her impressive bust, on full display, was the obvious reason for the soldiers’ attention.
“…What are you looking at?”
“Well, I can see why the soldiers were hitting on you.”
“What, you think I’ll be happy if you compliment me now?”
Hecaterina replied, her voice gruff. But if she had truly been angry, she would have kicked him, as she had done when they first met.
This was proof that she had softened, influenced by Evangeline and Johan. Johan felt a strange sense of satisfaction, knowing he had changed her so drastically.
“Alright, let’s go over there and… ah.”
“What? What is it now?”
“I left the parasol. Master, I’ll go get our stuff.”
Johan said this and headed back to their previous spot. He felt a bit awkward, having to retrieve their things from the spot where he had just rejected Adelheid, but he couldn’t ask his master to do it…
When he arrived, he noticed Adelheid was gone. He looked around, wondering where she had gone, and saw a patch of the sea frozen solid.
The water was crystal clear, and he could see Adelheid submerged beneath the ice.
“She’s crazy!”
Johan, seeing this, immediately dove into the sea. A crazy woman, trying to kill herself over a rejection?
He knew witches were eccentric, but this was on another level. He swam towards the ice, towards Adelheid, who had encased herself in an icy barrier.
His fingertips glowed, and his unique magic activated. The solid ice shattered, and he pulled Adelheid to the surface.
“Phew—!”
He dragged her out of the water and began to scold her. Are you insane, are you crazy, trying to kill yourself over a rejection—
But her reply silenced him.
“…I was just swimming.”
“…What?”
It had looked like a suicide attempt, but then he remembered she was a witch. He didn’t know for sure, but he doubted any witch had ever drowned.
Especially not the Witch of Ice. The thought of her drowning in the sea was, in retrospect, absurd.
Johan, realizing his mistake, blushed. He hadn’t been fazed by having the hotel manager walk in on him, but this kind of embarrassment… he wasn’t used to it.
“Well… sorry, then?”
“…You ruined my fun. What are you going to do about it?”
“Huh? What do you mean—”
“You’ll take responsibility, won’t you?”
Adelheid said this and approached him. Johan, seeing her up close, noticed that the front of her bodysuit was torn.
As if someone had ripped it open. She wouldn’t have done it herself, not when she was so careful about her curse.
The one who had ripped it…
“…Did I… do that?”
“Huh? Oh—this. …Yes, I think so.”
“You said… anything you touch freezes.”
“Yes, ah, but it’s fine. If we’re careful—”
But Johan, ignoring her protests, pulled her into a tight embrace. Her full breasts pressed against his chest.
Adelheid, startled, could only stare at him, speechless. Johan, as if resigned to his fate, lifted her into his arms.
“Do you have a spare bodysuit? Let’s go.”
“Wait, what—”
“My curse immunity will protect me, and it’s better than you accidentally freezing someone else.”
That wasn’t true. The air’s high mana density prevented her curse from spreading easily.
He had either forgotten her explanation or simply didn’t care—Johan carried her through the resort.
He could feel the stares of her subordinates. They probably didn’t even recognize their commander, just saw a man shamelessly flaunting his conquest.
‘This is embarrassing…’
Her face flushed. Adelheid had never felt so warm.
She looked up at the man who had caused all this. He was walking with a calm, composed expression, as if this were a normal occurrence, or as if he felt nothing for her.
His calm demeanor, his nonchalant expression, it fanned the flames of her desire.
‘I love you.’
A warmth spread through her icy heart.
The spark she had thought extinguished now roared to life, consuming her.
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Adelheid, held in Johan’s arms, was carried back to her room.
She was aware of the stares, but she didn’t care.
In her room, she changed into a new bodysuit, then presented herself to Johan.
“I’m changed.”
“That was fast.”
“…Thank you for bringing me here.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Adelheid, seeing Johan’s satisfied smile, knew this was her chance.
The other witch, who had interrupted them earlier, was gone. Alone with him, she could be brave.
“Um…”
“Yes?”
“What are you… doing later?”
“Going for a swim.”
“And after that?”
“I don’t know.”
Johan stroked his chin, thinking. He had no plans. Adelheid, thinking this was perfect, remembered the hotel bar.
She remembered her subordinates talking about it as a good place to meet people.
“Then later… at the hotel bar…”
“—Johan, what are you doing?”
And then, another voice interrupted.
A familiar voice. Adelheid turned.
A beautiful witch with white hair was approaching.
Evangeline, inserting herself between them, looked at Adelheid with a blank expression.
“So you were talking to this stray cat.”
“…I don’t understand why you act as if he’s yours.”
“A disciple belongs to his master, and a master belongs to her disciple. It’s common sense.”
Adelheid, who would have backed down before, stood her ground.
This was her prince, who had come to her rescue after her heartbreak. It was fate. She couldn’t give up on him.
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”
Fortunately, they were on a beach.
A vast, open space.
A place where witches could fight without worrying about collateral damage.
“Follow me.”
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