Witch – Chapter 52- The Two Witches (32)

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‘Can I really do this?’

The moment Beryl thought of Estelle as Nicks, the emotions she had buried deep within her heart exploded uncontrollably. Now facing the real Nicks, she wasn’t sure she could handle it.

She had been content just seeing him as the shop owner and customer, but…

Thanks to Estelle, she had changed her appearance and come this far.

Every time she moved, her curvier body bumped into corners, and her chest swayed threateningly whenever she turned her head.

‘Will he think I’m weird? Will he dislike me because I seem like a pervert?’

When she was alone with Estelle, she hadn’t felt it, but…

Having lived in Venetia, always covering herself with a robe and hood, her current appearance felt almost like being naked to Beryl.

As she sensed Nicks getting closer, her breathing quickened and she began to sweat.

She hadn’t sweated this much in the last hundred years… The unfamiliar sensation of sweat pooling under her chest kept bothering her.

If Beryl had her eyes open, she might have brushed it off and walked around in minimal clothing, but even though she was fully dressed, her larger chest made her self-conscious.

‘I wanted my chest to grow, but not this much….’

Not that she disliked it…

For Beryl, who had always been self-conscious about her small chest, this was nothing short of a miracle. The days of being teased by other witches after being picked up by the Witch of the South were now behind her.

How could she repay Estelle?

But the bigger issue was Nicks.

‘Snap out of it, Beryl. What happened earlier can’t happen again.’

Gulp.

She swallowed hard and touched the silver coin she always carried in her pocket. It was the first coin Nicks had ever given her.

‘I want something more valuable than a silver coin.’

As Estelle had said, Beryl wanted to be happier.

She wanted to walk along the shore holding Nicks’ hand, to see the same things and think the same thoughts.

The love she could never have if she had her eyes open…

Now was the time to bring out the emotions she had buried deep within.

‘Did she say to act like usual? How did I usually act…? She said not to laugh too much, and not to stare… but I’m wearing a blindfold, what am I supposed to do…?’

Beryl recalled Estelle’s advice and steeled herself.

“Shop owner, I’m here…”

Nicks entered the shop alone, leaving behind the man he had introduced as his party member and Josie.

If there had been other party members, it would have been even more embarrassing, but showing herself only to Nicks made it less so, and she was happy it was just the two of them.

“Nicks, you’re a bit late today. Come on in. Good… morning?”

“…….”

Was a morning greeting in the middle of the day a bit much?

Nicks just stood there silently, and Beryl wished he would say something. The awkward silence was painful.

‘Is it because I’m ugly? Or is it my chest? Does Nicks prefer small chests?’

The longer the silence dragged on, the wilder Beryl’s delusions became.

“Um… excuse me, but has the shop owner stepped out for a moment? I don’t think I’ve mistaken the shop.”

Nicks looked around the shop and asked.

Since becoming an adventurer, whether he was setting out on a quest or returning, this was definitely the shop he had visited.

But instead of the shop owner, who always hid behind a robe and hood, there stood a stunningly beautiful woman.

Her black hair shimmered with green highlights under the sunlight, and the blindfold covering her eyes gave off a mysterious, antique vibe.

The volume of her chest, which seemed to draw you in if you stared too long… The smile of the woman looking at him made Nicks turn his head, unsure where to look.

Nicks wondered if the shop owner had hired an employee because business was bad.

He had boasted that once she reached Stella rank, he would make the shop popular, but since customers hadn’t increased… the shop owner must have finally given up.

The shop could go under at any moment. He worried if she even had the money to hire an employee.

At least she could have mentioned it.

For some reason, Nicks felt a bit hurt by the shop owner.

“It’s me. Me. Don’t you recognize me?”

“If you say it’s you…”

As the employee stood up from the counter and approached, Nicks instinctively stepped back, creating distance.

The closer she got, the stronger the sweet scent became, making Nicks’ head spin.

“You really don’t recognize me? This won’t do…”

“I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as you, miss. Excuse me, but have we met before?”

Beryl stopped in her tracks and trembled.

What… did he just say?

‘He called me beautiful. Nicks called me…!’

She replayed Nicks’ words in her mind over and over.

Estelle had told her not to touch him, but she was seized by the urge to grab him and not let him go.

If this was how it would be, she should have taken off the hood sooner.

For Beryl, Nicks’ single compliment brought more happiness than all of Estelle’s advice.

Taking a deep breath, Beryl barely managed to regain her composure and gently patted Nicks’ head.

A little pat should be fine.

Even his rough, unkempt hair from his adventuring life felt endearing to her.

“Are you… the shop owner?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

It was only natural he wouldn’t recognize her, as she had never shown her face without the hood.

Even his delayed realization felt like part of Nicks’ charm.

“You took off your hood… Are you finally ready? I was right, wasn’t I? I always said you couldn’t possibly be ugly.”

“How do I look now?”

“You’re incredibly beautiful. If you had taken off the hood sooner, the shop would have been busier. Was there a reason you decided to show your face now?”

“That’s… because of you…”

‘Because I want you.’

The rest of the words stayed trapped in her throat.

Thanks to Estelle who had made her presence known with a subtle noise, Beryl managed to regain her composure.

“Because of me?”

“Y-yes, well… I just remembered what you said. I’m ready to take off the hood now. Do you need potions? Wait a moment.”

Beryl quickly finished her sentence and ran to the storage room.

She almost tripped over the counter but managed to catch her balance.

“Haa… Calm down, Beryl. You’re doing great.”

Her heart was racing wildly.

She tried to lower the corners of her mouth, but they wouldn’t obey.

But… it felt so good.

She had just taken off her hood and grown her chest a bit.

Nothing could stop Beryl now, as the things she had felt lacking were now fulfilled.

But she tried hard not to forget Estelle’s advice.

Estelle had called herself the Witch of Love, so she must know a lot about these things.

When Beryl had her eyes open, she had experienced things similar to love, but they were closer to… lust.

If she liked someone, whether male or female, she would assault them to satisfy her burning desires.

Estelle had almost been one of her victims.

She realized during her practice with Estelle that her body moved faster than her heart, a habit ingrained from those days.

Such beastly acts were not love.

What she wanted with Nicks wasn’t lust, but love.

Of course… if their relationship deepened later, then those things could happen…

Beryl’s face flushed.

This wasn’t the time for such thoughts. She hurriedly grabbed the potions and left the storage room.

“Sorry for the wait.”

She worried Nicks might be bored since she took longer than usual, but she sighed in relief upon seeing him browsing the potions on display.

“It wasn’t a long wait. I was so engrossed in looking at the potions that I lost track of time.”

“That’s good. How’s the party? They’re not giving you a hard time like the last one, are they?”

“It’s a temporary party. I was asked by a passing mage. Besides, Leo and Josie are so skilled that I’m actually the one being helped, so don’t worry.”

“That’s good, but…”

She was worried Josie might try to flirt with Nicks, though she didn’t say it out loud, fearing Nicks might look down on her for it.

“What happened to your eyes?”

“This. Well…”

Nicks asked, looking at her blindfold.

This wasn’t part of the plan!

If she said it was a demon eye… would he despise her for being a witch?

But she didn’t want to lie to Nicks.

“I’m sorry. Everyone has a past they find hard to talk about. I was thoughtless. Does it bother you?”

“Huh? Oh, no. Even without eyes, I can live just fine.”

“If I had known, I would have visited more often. I’ll try to come by more from now on.”

“Mmm. That would be nice…”

While she was pondering how to respond, Nicks’ misunderstanding helped her relax.

How often would she see Nicks if he came more? Five times a day? Nicks had his own life and adventuring, so maybe three times?

She had only seen him once a day until now, so even twice would be nice.

“Well, I should get going.”

“Will you come… like today?”

As Nicks gathered his potions and headed for the door, Beryl mumbled softly.

An ordinary person might not have heard, but Nicks’ ears didn’t miss her words.

“Huh? What did you say, shop owner?”

“Um… could you come alone like today? Just you, without anyone else… I’d be really happy…”

“…….”

As the wind from the door fluttered her hair, she shyly tucked it behind her ear.

She didn’t want anyone else intruding on the time she spent with Nicks.

This time was meant to be just for Beryl and Nicks, free from any interruptions.

Beryl’s face was already bright red, and her heart was pounding so fast she worried it might burst.

She wanted to talk to him alone.

She wanted to monopolize him.

She hoped her unspoken feelings would reach Nicks.