Witch – Chapter 51- The Two Witches (31)

Ｒ​ｅａｄ ｏｎ ＫａｔＲｅａ​ｄｉｎｇＣａｆｅ

“At least you’ll stay by my side, right? You won’t leave me alone and hide, will you?”

“Huh? Hiding under the counter yesterday made me feel suffocated. I thought I’d rest in the room today.”

After finishing the preparations to open the shop, I sat at the counter and watched Beryl, who was trembling nervously, as we waited for Nicks to arrive.

Just yesterday, she treated me like hazardous waste, saying Nicks shouldn’t see me, and now she’s asking me to stay by her side.

Like I’d do that?

“Nicks has a party right?! Th-that’s right! Let’s have a party too!”

“Hey. Even if you become lovers with Nicks later, are you going to meet as a trio?”

“……I don’t want that.”

Then you need to start practicing now.

I can’t interfere when Beryl faces Nicks as herself, not as the shopkeeper.

If I’m by Beryl’s side, I’ll inevitably meddle in everything.

I can give advice, but if I take over, it won’t be Beryl’s own feelings.

“Will I… be able to do this?”

“Don’t overthink it. Just act like you usually do.”

“Like usual?”

Beryl’s debut isn’t about seducing Nicks today or anything grand like that. It’s about revealing her hidden self.

If she acts too forward or does something out of character, Nicks will feel awkward.

If that happens, the relationship they’ve built so far could be in danger.

All she needs to do is show the composure of a mature adult.

Throw the bait and wait patiently for the fish to bite.

The shopkeeper is actually a stunning S-class beauty?

And she’s obsessed with me?!

That’s not something a 15-year-old boy just discovering romance can handle.

“Yeah. Like usual. Start with a greeting, and it’s okay to be a little obsessed with Nicks. But no physical contact. Not too hard, right?”

“Y-yes…! I totally get it!”

Yeah. You definitely don’t get it.

When she was embarrassed and looking for her robe, she looked like a beast going berserk over when she could use her now deadly weapon of a chest.

“Keep your expression calm. Beryl, your emotions show too much on your face. Even though your eyes are covered, the rest of your face gives you away.”

“R-really? Is it that obvious?”

“Yeah. Very. I can tell what you’re thinking just by looking at your expression.”

Her flushed face and hot breath alone made it clear she was lost in some lewd thoughts.

Her legs wouldn’t stay still, rubbing against each other, and though her arms were neatly folded… she was subtly touching her chest with her forearm.

Maybe I should air out the shop.

If the shop fills with Beryl’s scent, I’m worried Nicks might run away the moment he opens the door.

To snap her out of it, I lightly flicked her forehead, and Beryl clutched her head complaining about the pain.

“You and Nicks aren’t anything yet. Calm down.”

“Huh…? How did you know?”

“Do you even know what kind of face you were making just now? You were practically a walking pervert in front of me! That look on your face…!”

I don’t know if the love potion has some other effect I’m unaware of… or if Beryl’s dormant nature has awakened, but it seemed like she needed to cool down a bit.

“Ah, a pervert!? I-I’m making that kind of face right now?”

“Your face says, ‘I’m ready to get pregnant.’”

“Stop joking….”

It’s not just a joke….

Her slightly parted, defenseless mouth is a problem.

Her nose, breathing out hot air, is also a problem.

And what about her reddened cheeks and ears?

There’s no part of her that isn’t a problem.

I might have to reconsider watching Nicks from beside Beryl.

“Should we practice?”

“Practice?”

“Nothing relieves tension like a rehearsal. Pretend I’m Nicks.”

“Okay. Let’s try it.”

I stepped out of the shop, took a deep breath, and prepared myself.

She wouldn’t pounce on me, would she?

She’s a woman who knows better, right?

“Shopkeeper, I’m he—!”

“Niiiiicks…!”

Beryl was not a woman who knew better.

As I opened the door and delivered a line Nicks might say, a heavy yet soft mass suddenly pounced on me.

Not only was I pinned under Beryl’s body, but she also tightly grabbed my hands, leaving me unable to resist.

I tried to strengthen my muscles with mana, but for some reason, she countered with even stronger mana, leaving me completely immobilized.

“Beryl? Calm down!”

“Not Beryl, you should call me ‘Shopkeeper’!”

It seemed she had hypnotized herself into thinking I was Nicks, as she wasn’t listening at all.

“You came earlier than usual today? Did you miss me?”

“Let me go!”

“Good boy~ A good boy deserves a reward, right?”

“Eeeek!?”

Her face was close.

She’s definitely trying to kiss me!?!?

As Beryl opened her mouth, her long tongue came into view.

Sticky saliva formed thin threads from the tip of her tongue, dripping around my mouth.

“Niiicks…♥”

It’s coming. It’s coming. It’s coming. It’s coming. It’s coming…!

I turned my head to avoid being forcibly kissed, but my cheek, now inside Beryl’s mouth, was being violated by her tongue.

“Pfft…. Nicks, you’re such a shy one, huh?”

Having had her fill, she licked her lips, satisfied with the mark she left on my cheek.

Though her eyes were covered by the blindfold and sewn shut, it was clear they had gone mad.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t do something so crazy… Eeeek!

Another surprise attack left my other cheek defiled.

“Stop it. Snap out of it, Beryl. This isn’t like you…!”

“What’s ‘like me’?”

“You’re timid, shy, and prone to delusions, but you’re not some perverted witch who toys with others!”

If she were to open her eyes, maybe.

But this wasn’t like Beryl.

“Nicks, you don’t know? This is my true self.”

“…….”

“I’ve always wanted you. Do you know how much it hurt every time you talked about other girls?”

Beryl brought my hand to her chest.

I could feel her heartbeat through my hand, telling me just how excited she was.

“Can you feel it? This is my true feelings. Is Emily prettier than me? Does she have a bigger chest? Nicks♥ I’d give you everything. Emily can’t do this, can she?”

She slipped my hand between her breasts and began licking my fingers like a madwoman.

This wasn’t what I intended with the love potion.

It’s too late to regret it now.

I never imagined the rehearsal to ease her tension would lead to this.

“I won’t hold back anymore. Let’s feel good together, okay?”

“I may not have a fox-like husband, but I have a butterfly for a child.”

Josie flashed through my mind like a passing scene.

No. Not Josie!

It was almost time for Nicks and his group to arrive, and I couldn’t let Josie see this.

Beryl, now free to use both hands after pinning my knees, grabbed my face.

“Let’s… kiss? Chuuu…♥”

My mana was being interfered with, making it hard to resist.

As Beryl’s face drew closer, I steeled my resolve.

I wanted to resolve this with words, but since she wasn’t listening, I had no choice but to use my last resort.

I closed my eyes and waited for Beryl’s face, dripping with saliva, to come close.

I only had one chance.

“Stop it… Snap out of it!”

“Eeeek!?”

When her face was just a hand’s breadth away, I headbutted her with all my strength.

“Haa. Haa. I managed to protect myself….”

I crawled out of Beryl’s unconscious arms, gasping for air.

I didn’t want to lose my purity like this.

Especially not to Beryl, who kept calling out Nicks’ name.

“How am I going to clean this up….”

I sighed, looking at the mess on the floor where Beryl had collapsed.

I could only hope Nicks and his group would be a little late.

 

---

 

“Ugh. Estelle, I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?”

“…….”

I sat in a chair with my arms crossed, glaring coldly at Beryl.

It had been 10 minutes since Beryl regained consciousness.

She had been kneeling in the corner of the shop with her hands raised the entire time.

Even as her arms trembled and she sniffled, I had no intention of letting her off.

“My arms… hurt so much.”

“…….”

“I’ll keep holding them up….”

Where did all that strength come from now that she can’t even hold her arms up properly…?

It’s said that witches consumed by curses exhibit extraordinary strength, but I didn’t sense any curse in Beryl’s energy.

She must have some secret I don’t know about.

Or maybe there’s something even she doesn’t know.

“Beryl, have you reflected?”

“Yes…! I’ve reflected!!”

“I didn’t say you could lower your arms.”

“Sniff….”

What’s with the sniffing?

Where did the carnivorous Beryl from earlier go? All that’s left is the herbivorous Beryl.

“Understand? Affectionate acts backfire if both sides don’t consent to the act.”

“I must’ve lost myself for a moment….”

There it is. The kind of excuse you’d hear on the news in my past life.

To hear it from Beryl’s mouth…

“We have plenty of time. Isn’t it better to savor the best for last?”

“Okay. I’ll try to hold back.”

“You can lower your arms.”

Beryl, trembling, lowered her arms and rubbed her sore forearms as she stood up.

I sensed someone approaching from outside, so I couldn’t punish her any further.

It was time for Beryl’s first attack.

I had planned to rest in the room, but I had no idea what kind of trouble she might cause, so I had no choice but to secretly watch over her.

“You’ll do fine. Just act like usual. Keep casual expressions. Don’t stare too hard.”

I flicked my finger to activate a magic circle, and soon my body turned transparent.