Chapter 140: Standing Alone (2)

"I understand, but couldn't you have restrained yourself or expressed your opinion more moderately? Anger blocks blessings from entering and attracts misfortune, so one should always be careful with their mouth and tongue."

Jinseong spoke to the Grand Witch, who was gradually avoiding his gaze, as if reproaching her. However, contrary to his words, his tone didn't carry much anger, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Originally, blessings and guests have similarities. They willingly come to those who are abundant in generosity and have good personalities, but they don't easily come to those who are full of anger and cause trouble to others. This is because of such nature. Therefore, even when doing the right thing, you should control its intensity well and make it appear in the form of persuasion rather than anger. Do you understand?"

"Uh, yes? Yes..."

The Grand Witch could only stare blankly at Jinseong.

She thought she would be severely scolded for causing trouble to the family, but instead, she only received light advice. Moreover, listening to what he said, it seemed he deeply empathized with what the Grand Witch had said, and not only that, there was even subtle praise mixed in.

Thinking carefully, even what he just said seemed more like a formality of "You did well, but I can't just let it slide, so I'll say one thing" rather than scolding.

So she couldn't help but wear a dazed expression.

"However, seeing how you handled the aftermath, I know well that you're taking my words as golden rules. This is truly a joyous thing, how could I just stand by? Grand Witch, extend your hand to me."

Jinseong said this and held out his palm. The Grand Witch hesitated, unsure how to react, but after a moment's hesitation, she gently placed her right hand on his palm. It looked like a large dog placing its front paw on a person's palm.

Jinseong gently grasped the Grand Witch's hand on his and extended his left hand, beginning to conjure something.

Slosh.

Molten gold flowed like liquid from Jinseong's sleeve, gathering in his palm. Like streams gathering from various tributaries to form a lake, it formed a single mass, and the gold mass grew like dust accumulating to form a mountain, taking on a mountain-like shape.

And when the gold reached an appropriate size, it twisted itself in a spiral shape and became a long stick shape, with the end of the stick becoming a wide disc. Eventually, the disc was cut into several pieces, overlapping and gathering to form the shape of a flower.

It was a rose made of gold.

The Grand Witch, who had witnessed a flower blooming from gold in real-time, seemed enchanted by its light. She couldn't take her eyes off the golden rose in Jinseong's hand, and Jinseong lightly picked up the golden rose with his fingers and brought it to the Grand Witch's right hand that he was holding.

Wriggle.

Then the end of the golden rose moved like a snake and wrapped around the Grand Witch's wrist, and the stem that had been a long stick twisted like a vine, becoming a bracelet encircling the witch's wrist. And the golden rose in the form of a blooming bud changed its body to be thin and small, becoming an appropriately sized bracelet ornament.

As a result, a beautiful bracelet that looked as if it was woven from tiny golden roses settled on the Grand Witch's right wrist.

"I've created this simple cursed object as a gift with the meaning of continuing to bestow virtue on those around you and do good deeds, so you should keep my words close to your heart and live practicing them well. Do you understand?"

Jinseong said this while gently stroking the back of the Grand Witch's hand. Then he smiled brightly at her as she tickled. His smile looked so pure that the Grand Witch felt for a moment that Jinseong's smile was emitting a radiance similar to the golden bracelet on her arm.

"You should keep a good hold on it. Will you do that?"

"Ah, yes..."

"It has the power of simple warding against evil and the power to repel malicious things. It has a warm nature, so if it benefits, it will benefit, not harm. However, gold has a bewitching quality, and flowers too can attract those drawn by their beautiful appearance and fragrance. But this is not a great harm, and rather, like flowers giving nectar to bees and butterflies that come attracted by them and getting pollen spread, if you treat them kindly and give them blessings, it will return as an even greater blessing. Remember this well."

Jinseong briefly explained the bracelet's abilities and then walked back to his room.

Whether the Grand Witch had done something, all the unnecessary decorations had disappeared, giving off an empty atmosphere, but rather, this emptiness gave Jinseong more comfort.

A familiar sight.

As he was walking like this, he suddenly discovered graffiti written in a corner of the wall.

The graffiti, which seemed to have been written where artwork had been hanging, was a vivid black as if it hadn't been there for long.

The graffiti was quite a geometric pattern.

Rather than graffiti drawn by hand, it looked like something created by someone with artistic talent who had received inspiration. If asked whether it had artistic value, most would likely answer yes; it was quite a well-drawn picture.

And below it, a square was drawn like a seal, with tiny writing inside it.

『 Came and went – Spring & Winter 』

Spring.

Winter.

Just seeing these two words, Jinseong could tell who had done this graffiti.

It was clearly the work of the Ella and Anastasiya sisters.

Come to think of it, that's right. Dambi too enjoyed leaving traces of her visits everywhere like marking her territory until I pointedly corrected her.

Jinseong recalled his comrade who had roamed the battlefield with him before the regression. And as he was about to unconsciously stroke the graffiti with his hand, lost in nostalgia, a voice came from behind him.

"Benefactor, you shouldn't erase that~"

When Jinseong turned his head, Anastasiya was peeking out from a slightly open door, looking at him. When he looked at her, she smiled broadly and said with an extremely cute expression:

"It's all memories, can't we just leave it alone?"

And before Jinseong could react to those words, the sound of hurried footsteps was heard from inside the room. With a patter of footsteps, Ella rushed over and firmly covered Anastasiya's mouth, and in the process, the slightly open door swung wide open.

Ella, dressed in comfortable clothes, held Anastasiya's mouth shut and said to Jinseong with an apologetic expression:

"I'm sorry for the graffiti. You can erase it! No, I'll erase it, so please don't worry about it!"

At Ella's words, Anastasiya widened her eyes and struggled to break free from her. Then she shouted loudly:

"No! Please don't erase it!"

"No, sister..."

"Sister! It's your older sister's order! Cancel what you just said and quickly agree with my opinion!"

Poke poke.

"Eek! What is this!"

Anastasiya, with the overflowing strength and quick movements typical of a child, grabbed Ella's body and moved quickly in various directions. She took position behind her when she was off guard and attacked her with poking actions. Ella twisted her body in various ways trying to catch Anastasiya, but she couldn't catch Anastasiya who was acting as if she knew all of Ella's patterns.

"Oh really! What on earth are you doing!"

Poke poke poke.

"Kyaa!"

This behavior continued even when Ella burst out in anger.

"Cancel! Cancel!"

"Okay~ Well done~"

Anastasiya finally stopped her attacking behavior when Ella declared surrender, and she smiled as if saying well done while stroking the head of Ella who had slumped to the floor. But Ella glared at Anastasiya stroking her head as if she found her annoying, and slowly watching for an opportunity, when Anastasiya was slightly distracted, she picked her up and threw her inside the room.

Then she slammed the door shut and leaned her body against it to prevent her from coming out.

Bang bang!

"Sister! What is this behavior!"

"Just stay there like that!"

"Sister-! We have to protect our artwork! This is art! Art must be protected!"

Ella looked at Jinseong while blocking the door with her whole body.

But as if she found this situation embarrassing, there was quite a bit of embarrassment on Ella's face as she looked at him.

"Um... Herr Park. My sister insisted on drawing a picture here... I'll take responsibility and erase it."

"A picture, you say."

Jinseong looked at the graffiti once more.

The geometric shape.

A pattern that seemed to have been drawn in one breath by someone inspired with their own worldview.

Jinseong looked at the pattern, then at the empty corridor.

And he thought carefully.

Does the pattern suit the corridor well?

Yes.

Will it still suit when artworks are placed?

Yes.

Does the pattern itself have any special power?

Unknown.

Yes.

Unknown.

Jinseong looked at the pattern.

No energy could be felt from the pattern. Not a speck of energy like qi, mana, magic power, or natural force could be felt, and the pattern existed only as a picture and part of the wall. And the pattern didn't seem to be related to any sorcery he knew, so it seemed safe.

But one must not let their guard down.

Thinking of Dambi before the regression, who went around poking here and there causing trouble…

If this pattern had any power, it would clearly be much more beneficial to remove it.

Jinseong grasped the air to open the door of a nearby empty room, and brought a sheet of white paper from there.

He placed the white paper over the pattern as if covering it, and rubbed the top of the paper in various ways with his hand.

As if trying to make it soak in well.

And after placing his hand quietly on the paper and pausing for a moment, he peeled off the paper.

"Oh my."

Ella, who had been watching Jinseong's actions with interest, couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

The pattern drawn on the wall had disappeared.

Instead, the picture had settled on the white paper that had been attached to the pattern, as if it had moved.

Jinseong held out that paper to Ella.

"Frau Winter. How could I make a guest do the menial task of erasing graffiti? And no matter if it's graffiti, it's something that clearly contains memories, so it can't be treated carelessly."

He smiled brightly.

It looked similar to the pure-looking smile he had given the Grand Witch earlier.

But if that was a boy's smile, this was a young man's smile.

"Here, I've captured the memories of Frau Winter and Frau Lentz. Will you accept it?"

He said this and placed the paper on Ella's hand.