Translator Note

Umm, hello there. So yesterday was a lie, turns out there were 2 chapters left since the last time I took the raws. The author also coincidentally added another 3 chapters today. 5 chappies today, yay…

&R;ｅａd ̂&o;n KαtRеa‌ⅾíｎ​ｇCâ&f;ｅ

Chapter 161 – The Witch and the Black Knight (38)

“Estelle, how long are we going to just walk? Weren’t we supposed to have a beach date?”

A dissatisfied voice trailed behind me as I walked along the shore, holding Edel’s hand. It seemed he wasn’t too pleased that all we were doing was strolling when he’d been promised a proper beach date.

“You really don’t understand romance, do you? The first rule of a beach date is holding hands and walking along the shore—it’s practically law.”

To emphasize my point, I swung our clasped hands playfully, causing Edel’s forearm, easily three times thicker than mine, to creak in protest.

“Romance? Law? Don’t use such difficult words. And I don’t recall reading about beach walks in any books.”

Ugh, this is why people who only know theory and have no real experience are so…

I stopped walking to address Edel’s passive and frustratingly rigid mindset.

“Tsk. If you think everything about dating is written in books, you’re sorely mistaken. Walking hand in hand with your lover along the shore, feeling nature—that’s the essence of it. The way the wind blows, the sensation of sand beneath your feet, the salty tang of the sea breeze you share together.”

The wind sweeping in from the ocean carried with it the beautiful, siren-like song of nature.

Neither too cold nor too humid, the warm breeze sent my hair fluttering in a way that lifted my spirits.

And it wasn’t just the wind—the waves, rhythmic as a metronome, lapped at our ankles, tickling them and coaxing a smile onto my lips.

“But you can do all that without it being a date, can’t you? I want to understand what a date really is.”

“What’s so complicated about it? Just doing something together is the date. Even walking like this makes my heart race. Things that aren’t beautiful suddenly seem so, and in those beautiful moments, I see the reflection of my lover. That’s what a date is.”

Back in Venetia, I’d been flustered by his sudden request for a date, but not this time.

I’d planned everything out to avoid repeating last time’s blunders.

I’d initially intended to follow the book like Edel wanted, but with him looking so dissatisfied, I had no choice but to switch to Plan B.

“So, how do you feel?”

“Huh? About what?”

Just as I was revising my entire date plan in my head, Edel, back to his usual indifferent expression, asked me a question.

“What do you feel right now? The wind, the waves, the sand. Who do you see reflected in nature?”

How do I feel?

Whenever the southern wind brushed through my hair, the first thing that came to mind was…

“Josie… maybe?”

Crossing the sea by boat would be impossible, but with her magic, Josie would probably be flying over the southern continent by now.

The blue hue of the ocean reminded me of her hair swaying gently in the breeze.

Is she traveling well?

She’d better be eating properly.

If Leo tried holding her hand while sleeping, she’d definitely refuse, right?

And I’d rather not be called grandma just yet.

Come to think of it, it was hard to believe it had already been over a month since I last saw Josie.

When she first left on her journey, I’d been so heartsick it felt like I might waste away, yet now, the days passed so quickly I sometimes forgot to think about her at all.

My gaze naturally drifted to Edel.

If he hadn’t asked me to teach him about pure love, time wouldn’t have flown by like this.

The thought of waiting another hundred years for the original story to begin, even after Josie was gone, had once felt suffocating. But with Edel by my side… a hundred years seemed like nothing.

That said, Edel didn’t seem too pleased with my answer, his indifferent expression quickly shifting into one of displeasure.

“What’s with that look?”

“Didn’t you say it yourself? During a date, you should focus on your partner. Not think about other women.”

Well, I had said that.

But that was advice for men on dates—not me!

“Mmm… did I?”

His expression was stern and intimidating, yet somehow not entirely unpleasant, making me hesitate.

Wait… is he sulking because I didn’t say his name?

It seemed Edel was deeply dissatisfied that Josie’s name had left my lips instead of his.

“Let me ask again. Who comes to mind?”

As if giving me one last chance, Edel gripped my shoulders with both hands, preventing escape, and leaned in close to demand an answer.

Just as I’d preached, the person who should come to mind wasn’t Josie, it was the name of the one standing beside me on this date. And Edel clearly wanted to hear it.

Hehehe.

Did he really think I’d give in that easily?

“Hehehe. Who could it be? Leo, maybe? Nicks? Or Sion?”

“I’m not in the mood for games. Aren’t we on a date right now?”

Something about being a witch always brought out my mischievous side, before I knew it, I was grinning like one and poking Edel’s chest teasingly.

“Just kidding. Edel. It’s you.”

I considered dragging it out longer, but worried he might actually learn to tease back, so I gave him the answer he wanted.

“Hmph. I see. Of course it is. A beach walk isn’t so bad after all. For the record, I also thought of you, Estelle.”

“Ah… yeah. Thanks…?”

Like the middle child of three siblings desperate for their parents’ undivided love, Edel’s expression softened only after hearing what he wanted.

He was trying to keep a straight face, but the corner of his mouth twitched, betraying his satisfaction.

After that, we enjoyed various beach activities—swimming, building sandcastles—before moving on to the main event of our date.

A date didn’t have to involve running along the shore shouting “Catch me if you can!”.

Or awkwardly applying sunscreen for each other.

Or forcing ourselves to interlock fingers or link arms in some embarrassingly lovey-dovey manner.

Back in Venetia, I’d been caught off guard, unprepared, and dragged around helplessly, but this time, I was different!

With that in mind, we arrived at a deserted island where only the two of us existed.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The deafening hammering sounds coming from Edel’s fingertips were hard to believe were just from setting up a tent.

“Estelle, is building a camp also part of the date?”

Having driven the stakes deep into the ground to secure our travel tent, Edel glanced at me for confirmation.

“After having fun at the beach, you need to rest, right? And when you impressively finish setting up the tent—bam!—your partner will be thrilled! That’s also part of romance.”

This date wasn’t just about having fun—it was also preparation for Edel’s future marriage.

If he came to the beach and only knew how to play around without any practical skills… well, nothing would be more pitiful in my eyes.

Could I really accept the idea of Edel being a useless husband?

“I see. I understand perfectly.”

“Really? Perfectly?”

“The key point is that rest is also important during a date, correct? It’s similar to battle in that regard.”

I stared at him through half-lidded eyes as he gave an answer that was technically correct.

He’d said it with absolute confidence, but his understanding was still half-baked… Still, since he got part of it right, I decided to let it slide.

“If you understand, then get to work. Once we’re done, we’re eating! Fresh seafood, so you’ve got something to look forward to.”

“Seafood…? You can cook and eat fish?”

“Of course! And it’s not just fish. I’ll stuff you full, so get excited. Oh, and I’ll teach you everything—from cleaning the fish to cooking it.”

Edel’s eyes lit up at the mention of food, and he quickly got to work.

From setting up the tent to hanging the hammock, assembling the grill and stove I’d made, and stacking firewood for the campfire later—once everything was in place, a satisfied smile spread across my face.

The scene looked like something straight out of a camping site from my past life.

It would’ve been nice if Josie and Leo were here too.

Not that I wasn’t enjoying my time with Edel, but I’d originally wanted to bring Josie and Leo for a summer getaway.

A strange sense of longing lingered, but there was nothing I could do about it.

Once Josie finishes her travels, I’ll drag her and Leo along no matter what.

“Estelle, what’s that? A weapon?”

Pushing aside my wistful thoughts, I pulled out a fishing rod from my makeshift inventory, sparking Edel’s curiosity. The long, slender shape, reminiscent of a spear or bow, must have triggered the Black Knight’s instincts.

“You don’t know? This is called a fishing rod. Just as you wield a sword in battle, you use this at sea.”

Even if this was 200 years before the original story, fishing rods should exist in the demon realm too… But for Edel, who only knew battle, it seemed entirely foreign.

Then again, nothing outside of weapons and armor would be familiar to him.

“A fishing rod? It doesn’t look like an ordinary stick.”

“Hehehe. You’ve got a good eye. This fishing rod is special, its line is woven from Arachne’s silk, layered with magic circles to make it unbreakable—”

“Do you really need something like that to catch fish? A single swing of a demonic sword could net you hundreds at once.”

“Excuse me? Do you have any idea how many people you just offended?”

As someone who’d enjoyed fishing in my past life, I couldn’t let that slide.

He’d just dismissed my efforts, no, the efforts of hundreds of dedicated anglers!

“Fishing is about the thrill of the catch! The battle of patience! The struggle against nature! Do you even understand the heart of an old man who’s had his fish stolen by a shark!? How dare you compare it to just swinging a sword around!?”

“I don’t understand a word you’re saying… But is fishing also related to pure love?”

“Of course… it is! Pure love and romance are also a battle of patience! That’s it—today, I’ll teach you the true joy of fishing. Follow me.”

I couldn’t let this disrespect stand.

Grabbing Edel’s hand, I dragged him toward the shore with determined steps.

Sorry to your future wife, Edel, but I have no choice—I must show you the wonders of fishing…!

Lucent