Witch – Chapter 109 – The Witch and the Black Knight (20)

Ｒ​ｅａ​ｄ ｏｎ Ｋ​ａｔＲｅａｄｉｎ​ｇＣａｆｅ

If someone asked me what pure love was, I’d say it’s the journey of two people coming to know, understand, and embrace each other.

And the driving force behind it? The moments when they confirm how much they cherish one another. Just like Josie and Leo, or Beryl and Nicks.

With Edel having mastered literacy and now floating around with too much free time, we sat facing each other on the sofa.

Conversation is the most basic step in getting to know someone. I planned to listen to Edel’s stories and fill in the gaps where needed.

“Edel. How have you lived your life?”

“That’s sudden… Aside from getting stronger, nothing else really stands out.”

“No memories from your time in the demon realm? Or maybe a reason why you became so obsessed with strength?”

It was a bit abrupt, but I’d been curious. Even if the demon realm was a harsh, survival-of-the-fittest world, there had to be some reason Edel fixated on power like this.

He’d once said that strength didn’t need a reason, but something seemed to come to mind as he closed his eyes briefly.

“It’s not a pleasant story. Nor is it interesting. It’s not some grand adventure like Josie and Leo’s. I’m not even sure how to explain it…”

“That’s fine. Storytelling is a skill that improves with practice. It doesn’t have to be entertaining. I’m just asking because I’m curious about you.”

If what I’d taught him so far were general pure love training exercises, now it was time for personalized training tailored to Edel.

“Why are you curious?”

Edel asked defensively, like a child refusing to show his secret notebook.

“Because… getting to know each other is where love begins?”

Who knew if he’d fumble his words when talking to his ideal partner? I’d heard somewhere that women rarely see men who hesitate or lack confidence as romantic prospects.

Well… given Edel’s looks, that might not matter much. But since his ideal was perfection itself, he had to also be flawless.

“While peeling onions for the first time, I remembered… the first time I ever cried.”

The story of Edel’s powerless childhood, wandering the demon realm with a certain girl.

I’d guessed his past wasn’t simple.

Most who obsess over strength have tragic backstories, so I’d assumed his would be sad too…

But the memory of the last girl he’d seen left a bitter, aching weight in my chest.

“Why did that girl endure beatings from the strong just to bring back food? Is this also related to pure love? And Estelle—why are you crying?”

Edel had shed tears over the girl’s suffering, but he didn’t seem to understand why.

Just like when peeling onions, he wasn’t crying—but the reflection of me in his eyes was a tear-streaked mess.

“Because… anyone would cry hearing something this sad.”

“I see. So it was sad.”

“That girl must have loved you, don’t you think? Sniff. She didn’t want to see you hungry, so she humiliated herself to get food.”

I blew my nose into a handkerchief as I explained.

Just like in his dream, just like now—

Edel had been deeply loved.

He’d been too focused on strength to notice, too oblivious to realize.

“Love sometimes means sacrificing yourself for someone else. That person matters more than you do. That girl loved you, so she was willing to suffer if it meant filling your stomach.”

Her tragic end was heartbreaking, but it showed just how much she’d loved him.

If Edel had truly cared only about fighting and known nothing of love, he wouldn’t be here now—cooking meals and craving praise.

“That girl… loved me?”

Edel seemed unable to believe my explanation.

“Yeah. Doesn’t it seem that way? Who else would get beaten just to bring you food? Even if it wasn’t romantic, maybe she cared for you like a little brother. You were loved, whether you realized it or not.”

“I didn’t love her. Yet she still loved me? I thought love required both sides.”

“Mutual love is ideal, but one-sided love exists too. It’s still love—just the sad kind.”

Edel fell silent, his expression complicated.

He couldn’t wrap his head around the idea that the girl had loved him.

And for someone just learning about love, her feelings must’ve been even harder to grasp.

One reason people avoid love is the pain of separation—when the suffering outweighs the joy.

The look on Edel’s face suggested he might’ve been feeling something like that.

“Don’t worry. We’re practicing pure love, remember? As long as I’m here, I won’t let you have a tragic love like that girl’s. I’ll make sure yours is happy.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about. It’s just… I can never repay her love now. I think I understand why I cried back then.”

Contrary to my concerns, Edel was lost in deeper thought.

Just a month ago, he’d only cared about fighting the strong to grow stronger.

Now, he was agonizing over how he could never repay someone’s love.

Huh? He already understands love this well?

Seeing Edel’s eyes redden—without any onions in sight—I smiled without realizing it.

“Alright then. Shall we study to get even closer to true love?”

If I left him like this, he might actually cry. I quickly changed the mood.

Not that I disliked seeing him emotional, nor did I think it was unsightly…

But something inside me ached at the thought.

That girl’s life had been tragic, and tears were fitting for her memory—but I didn’t want to see him cry.

Normally, I’d have cheered this as progress in true love… so why? Why did I not want to see it?

“This time, we’re moving to advanced lessons! The Witch of Love will personally teach you the art of conversation between men and women!”

Lesson One: Empathy.

Empathy was essential.

Women are naturally drawn to men who listen and understand!

“Men need to empathize well.”

“Empathize?”

“Yeah. Empathy. Women love empathy—basically, it means understanding the other person.”

In the Aria Chronicle world, strength, wealth, and stamina might make the ideal husband… but given Edel’s standards, his ideal partner wouldn’t care about something as mundane as basic needs.

In short, the plan was to mold him into a stoic, cold-to-others-but-warm-only-to-his-woman type of husband, one who could cook and empathize.

What woman wouldn’t fall for a man kind only to her?

“Edel, imagine your ideal woman sitting next to you. It might be hard, but try to picture her vaguely…”

“Easy.”

Edel snorted lightly.

Easy? I hadn’t expected much from his imagination, but…

“R-Really? Then… let’s say you’re talking to her. You love meat, but she hates it and prefers vegetables. How would you empathize?”

For someone as socially inept as Edel, empathy should’ve been near impossible. He’d never cared about others, and given how he treated the other Heavenly Kings, he clearly looked down on the weak.

I wasn’t expecting perfect empathy, but I needed to gauge just how bad he was at it.

“Hmm. I can’t understand hating meat. But vegetables are surprisingly filling. The texture’s nice, and cooked right, they can taste better than meat. So her preference makes sense. That said, meat is vital for combat—muscle, stamina, all of it. Maybe she could try it once? I’d cook it for her if she wanted.”

“……”

What? Since when was he this good?

I’d expected something disastrous like “Then starve, I guess?”

But here he was—expressing himself, empathizing, even gently suggesting she try meat. I almost felt tempted to give meat another chance.

“Is there a reason she hates meat? Texture? Smell?”

“Not really… Just doesn’t suit my palate. There are plenty of other ways to get nutrients.”

It wasn’t like I’d never tried meat.

Back in Aria Chronicle, I’d been curious about the meat dishes I’d only seen in fiction. The moment I found a thick, juicy cut still on the bone—just like in the stories—I’d pounced on it eagerly.

Only to spit it out immediately. The taste, the texture—horrible. And the smell. Just the scent of cooking meat made me nauseous for weeks.

Since most meat was like that, I’d resigned myself to forced vegetarianism.

Now, I preferred it, but back then? Seeing meat I couldn’t eat had put me on edge for months.

“Well, can’t be helped then. I wouldn’t force her to eat meat. Any vegetables she does like?”

“Not really… I just like vegetarian food in general. It suits my palate.”

As I answered, an odd discomfort settled over me.

We were supposed to be discussing empathy, but somehow, I’d been swept up in Edel’s pace. No—it wasn’t just a feeling. He’d effortlessly steered the conversation, probing my preferences like it was nothing.

And most of all—I’d told him to imagine his ideal woman, but he was staring straight at me.

I averted my gaze, flustered.

“W-Well then! What if your ideal woman said she loves butterflies? Fluttering blue ones?”

Food was one thing, Edel had been studying cooking lately, but this?

How would he empathize with something as random as butterflies?

“Northeast.”

I’d expected hesitation, a clumsy answer—but instead, I got something completely unrelated.

Northeast? As in… direction?

Edel’s expression was dead serious. This wasn’t a joke—not that he made jokes.

I glanced northeast, but there was nothing butterfly-related there.

“Northeast? That’s way too random.”

“One of  The Four Heavenly Kings has appeared in the northeast.”

One month.

Today marked exactly one month since Edel had arrived.

I’d been so busy teaching him true love that I’d forgotten.

Lucent