Chapter 160 – The Witch and the Black Knight (37)

Ṛҽα​ԁ οη ΚаｔȒ​ｅаⅾ​іɴǵＣағｅ

Finding Edel underwater wasn’t particularly difficult.

No matter how far I had thrown him, he hadn’t sunk deep enough to be dragged into the abyss or swallowed by violent currents.

But the sight of Edel lying unconscious on the seabed sent a chill down my spine.

“Edel?! Snap out of it!”

After teleporting him out, I floundered uncharacteristically, unsure what to do next.

What spell should I even use in this situation?

My mind went blank—no magic came to mind.

Then, what about other methods?

Things people do for drowning victims who’ve lost consciousness…

Like CPR.

Or mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

CPR was one thing, but mouth-to-mouth meant… pressing my lips to his and breathing air into him.

Which was, undeniably, a kiss.

Holding hands or linking arms was one thing, but this was on a whole different level. I shuddered and instinctively covered my mouth with both hands.

Ugh… Why did I have to throw him into the sea and cause this mess?!

If I hadn’t hurled him into the water, the anger and embarrassment bubbling inside me would’ve exploded. He was the one who’d shamelessly declared he’d sexually harass me anytime—

This is all Edel’s fault.

Just think simply.

It’s just lips touching, right?

Who even counts mouth-to-mouth as a real kiss?

Right. This is a rescue—not some… first kiss or anything.

I don’t even have to do mouth-to-mouth.

I can focus on chest compressions.

Besides, if Edel’s cause of death ends up being drowning instead of falling in battle against Kyle… How could I live with that?

Having steeled my resolve, I climbed on top of him.

Despite deciding to prioritize CPR, my hands moved toward his face instead of his chest—as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

No part of me—not reason, not instinct, not even the angel or devil on my shoulder—objected. It just felt right.

“…….”

Gulp.

I swallowed dryly without realizing it.

His lips, slightly blue from the cold, lay defenseless. Parting them revealed sharp, shark-like teeth and a long tongue, bthings I’d seen countless times while eating together.

Lips. Teeth. Tongue.

Familiar sights.

And yet…

Despite knowing most of the world’s hidden secrets from Aria Chronicle, this felt like uncharted territory.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

Now’s not the time to be spacing out.

“Huuuuuh…!”

I took a deep breath.

The air filling my lungs would soon breathe life back into Edel.

Before ridiculous thoughts about first kisses could take over, I hurriedly lowered my head—

Or at least, I meant to do it quickly.

But time seemed to slow.

The scene unfolded like slow motion.

I tilted my head to avoid bumping noses.

I opened my mouth wide, ensuring no air would escape.

Without realizing it, I closed my eyes slightly.

How much farther…?

A finger’s width? A nail’s breadth?

Edel’s breath—warm and reassuring—brushed against me, letting me gauge the distance.

Ah, right. I should pinch his nose so the air doesn’t escape.

…Wait.

Breath?

Not just breath, our chests were pressed so close I couldn’t tell whose heartbeat I was feeling.

“Edel…?”

I cautiously opened my eyes, only to meet Edel’s usual impassive gaze staring back at me.

I hadn’t even started mouth-to-mouth yet—so why…?

For a moment, I considered brushing it off. If he’s awake, that’s what matters, right?

Who cares about resuscitation?

He woke up without it… that’s a good thing!

“Edel, you’re awake! Do you have any idea how worried I was?! What if you’d actually died?! Are you okay?!”

“I was never unconscious to begin with…”

Unable to contain my emotions, I grabbed his shoulders and shook him.

Edel, utterly shameless, let himself be rocked back and forth.

Playing dead like a corpse, then acting tough?

As if he’s some macho man.

“Don’t lie. You were clearly—”

I was about to refute him when it hit me.

I only saw his eyes closed.

I didn’t check his pulse, didn’t hold a finger under his nose—nothing.

Well… It was an emergency!

All I could think of was CPR and mouth-to-mouth.

“Estelle, though I may be weaker than you, I am still a Heavenly King. I can go three days without breathing underwater. Swimming isn’t an issue either. I’m not so feeble that I’d drown from a little dip in the sea.”

His blunt words confirmed it—I’d made a massive mistake.

Which meant… I was the shameless witch who’d tried to give mouth-to-mouth to a perfectly fine Edel.

If I’d gone through with it… that would’ve been a straight-up kiss, not rescue efforts.

“Then why were you just lying there?! If I called you, you should’ve answered!!”

Unable to bear the embarrassment, I yelled at him.

My entire body burned.

The heat radiating off me was so intense it could’ve evaporated every drop of seawater clinging to my skin.

“Apologies for worrying you. I merely recalled a story I once read—about a siren saving a drowning noble. Since I was already in the water, I thought I’d play along and see if a siren would appear.”

Sirens.

Marine monsters with the upper bodies of beautiful women and the lower halves of fish.

Their eyes were said to be like priceless jewels, and their voices—so enchanting they could lure men to their deaths.

They were the reason the southern continent remained isolated.

In Aria Chronicle’s second arc, they appeared as mid-bosses, sometimes fought, sometimes aided.

One subplot involved a noble falling overboard, only to be saved and instantly loved by a siren.

Edel, it seemed, had taken quite a liking to that tale.

So while I was on a beach date with him, he was scheming to meet another woman?!

Here I was, ready to swallow my shame and give him mouth-to-mouth—

And he was playing dead, hoping a siren would show up?!

After I explicitly told him not to pull this kind of stunt?!

The heat inside me vanished.

In its place, a frost so cold it could’ve iced over the beach seeped into my voice.

“Oh? Is that so? Then why don’t you go find a siren to suck, lick, taste, and date? Did I get in your way? Should I throw you back in?”

I glared at him, tone dripping with venom.

Go on. Keep talking.

One wrong word, and I’ll send you so deep even the kraken would pity you.

“No need. However I ended up in the water, you were the one who saved me. That makes you my siren.”

“Are you mocking me? You think I’d fall for—”

“Your jewel-like eyes.”

His fingertip traced toward my gaze.

“Your beautiful voice.”

Then down my nose—hovering just above my lips.

He didn’t touch me, but warmth seemed to radiate from his fingers.

That warmth, paired with his words, melted the icy anger inside me.

“To me, there’s no difference between a siren and you. No—you’re far better.”

“…Better?”

“You’re strong. You cook well. When you’re near, I catch a sweet scent. And you’re teaching me pure love. A siren could never compare.”

Well… yeah.

How strong could a siren even be?

They live underwater—do they even know fire magic?

Cooking? They’d be lucky if their food didn’t reek of fish.

And the scent thing… That’s basically harassment, but…

Since we’d had this conversation before meeting the Saintess, the embarrassment was slightly dulled.

“Good. As long as you know… I guess.”

A few obvious compliments shouldn’t have been enough to calm me down, yet somehow, my scowl softened into an involuntary smile.

“That said… Why were you on top of me? You seemed quite desperate. Why not continue?”

Just as I considered letting it slide, he had to open his mouth again.

This bastard… He knows exactly what I was about to do.

Playing innocent while secretly scheming—I saw right through him.

Think I’d give you mouth-to-mouth now? Dream on.

I’ve grown since then.

I won’t fall for your tricks or panic like before.

“You think I don’t know what you’re up to? If you’re just going to lie there, our date’s over. Get up… or don’t! Like I would care.”

I pushed off him and strode down the beach.

The best way to handle this is to ignore him.

“Wait. Estelle, hold on.”

See?

The one who’s left wanting always chases in the end.

Sure enough, Edel’s footsteps followed close behind.

 

 

Translator Note

And that’s all folks. We’ve finally caught up to the raws… The author doesn’t really have a clear schedule so I’ll go and check every week or two for any new chapters. In the meanwhile, I have a few new projects in the working. Look forward to it… or don’t. The choice is yours~