Chapter 31: The Heart of Camila Noceda

Stan's POV

Knock, knock.

I finally made it to Camila's house after dropping Arlecchino off at the Mystery Shack.

She'd expressed her desire to come with me, but I politely declined.

As much as I trust that AI, she's shown herself to be unpredictable on numerous occasions, which, from my perspective, isn't always ideal.

So, I prefer to keep her away from the ordinary people I interact with, except when absolutely necessary.

Now, it's time to face a worried mother and explain to her that her daughter doesn't want to attend a normal high school but would rather play Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

Honestly, maybe I should've just played dumb about Luz's location and comforted Camila while her less-than-dutiful daughter studied magic.

Sometimes, I wonder if I should really introduce the Collector to Dipper and Mabel at Hexside Academy.

I have to admit, I'm a little worried that mischievous brat might end up influenced by Luz—or some random witch.

"Oh, hi, Stan." Lost in thought, I hadn't noticed the door open until Camila's voice pulled me back.

(Image)

She looked downcast, but her face brightened slightly when she saw me.

"Hi, Camila. Mind if I come in?" She stepped aside, letting me enter her home.

After making myself comfortable, I waited for her to return with the glass of water she'd offered me upon my arrival.

I took a sip before turning my attention to the woman sitting across from me. She was observing me calmly, wearing a soft smile, though worry still lingered on her face despite her efforts to hide it.

"I'm going to be honest with you, Camila… I found Luz, but…" I paused, searching for the right way to tell an ordinary person that her daughter had become a witch-in-training.

"Please, Stan, if you know something, tell me." Camila's gentle yet worried voice forced me to decide.

"Luz is fine. She's currently with… a close friend of mine," I finally said.

Camila let out a sigh of relief but quickly furrowed her brows as she looked at me.

"A close friend of yours?" She raised an eyebrow, her expression practically screaming, Really?

"A good friend, but that's not all." I quickly diverted Camila's attention. After all, a woman's intuition is terrifying, and a worried mother's thought process is unpredictable.

I created a sphere of light in my hand. At first, Camila looked at me quizzically until I remembered I'd introduced myself as a master of sleight of hand.

Maybe I should've framed crafting as my hobby instead.

"Camila, this is real magic… I'm a magician, or more precisely, a Titan." To convince her further, I shifted into my Titan form.

She was shocked, but there wasn't even a hint of fear in her eyes. Truly, the women of the Noceda family are… special.

"You're not afraid?" I asked, curious, even though I already knew Camila wasn't the type to discriminate. She's an open-minded woman.

"No, no, it's just that… I'm surprised," she said, stepping closer to touch my fur.

"Your 'good friend'… is she also like you?" Finally, the fateful question arrived.

"Not exactly. She's a witch, and she's taken Luz on as her apprentice for the holidays."

A silence settled before Camila stood up without a word. I have to admit, I felt a bit nervous—a feeling I'd almost forgotten since transferring into this body. Luckily, she returned quickly, holding something in her arms.

"Is that a volume of 'The Good Witch Azura'?" I said, grabbing the book from Camila's surprised hands.

"You know this?" She seemed astonished. Of course, I knew the whole story behind that series.

I wanted to get closer to the Noceda family, so having common ground with them is essential.

"Yes, but I find it inferior to 'Cosmic Frontier'," I said honestly.

The surprised expression on Camila's face turned delighted, and before I even realized it, we'd started chatting about her stories.

"Oh… I'm silly, I forgot why I brought this book in the first place," Camila said with a laugh, her face peaceful. She no longer seemed as worried as before; instead, she looked calm.

"It's fine, we've got all the time in the world," I said. Camila then began explaining her daughter's quirks and how obsessed Luz was with fantasy worlds.

The more she talked about her daughter, the happier and more fulfilled Camila seemed. But her expression darkened slightly as she explained her decision to send Luz to summer camp.

"I… I just didn't want my daughter to be an outcast, and in the end…*sniff*…" Finally, the strong woman who had raised her daughter alone broke down.

I got up from my chair, sat next to her, and gently pulled her into an embrace. Of course, I used a plant glyph to grow flowers with calming properties.

I admit I was tempted to use aphrodisiacs, but… I don't really feel like doing that to this woman. She doesn't deserve it.

I won't deny that when I first got close to Camila, it was to seduce her—maybe have a little fun with this "MILF" I'd seen on TV. But after our sincere exchanges and heartfelt conversations… I don't want to hurt her.

Unfortunately… I've almost crossed the point of no return with her.

I could hear the pounding of her heartbeat. My body is superhuman, and when I transform, my senses become even sharper.

"I… we shouldn't… *kiss*…" I don't know if it was the emotions or the flowers making the atmosphere strangely cozy, but our comforting embrace turned into a kiss.

It wasn't as wild as the one I shared with Eda earlier in the day, nor as casual as in my past life. This kiss… was innocent.

"Mr. Stan… shush…" I placed a finger on her lips.

"Just call me Stanley…" I wanted to devour her, to ruin her, and above all, to lose myself. She seemed so vulnerable in this moment, but it wasn't the right time.

My lower half cursed me and my entire lineage, but I couldn't go further with her.

Not until I cleared things up with her, with Eda, and also with GIFfany.

Despite all these thoughts running through my head, only a few seconds had actually passed.

I stood up with a clear intent to leave. I didn't want it to seem abrupt, but it was necessary… or so I thought.

As I moved toward the door, I felt a slight tug on my shirt.

"It's late… would you stay for dinner? I hate eating alone."

After hearing that, there was no way I could refuse without hurting her pride—or mine.

Sorry, Luz… looks like you might have a little brother or sister by the end of this vacation.

…

Narrator's POV

"You should've seen it, Luz… it was awful!" King declared dramatically.

"Wow, I never would've thought Mr. Pines could reconnect with Eda after their complicated past. And they even kissed, hmm~" Luz teased with a sly tone.

Eda just rolled her eyes at the kids' comments in her home. Usually, this sort of joke wouldn't faze her, but this time… she felt a bit embarrassed.

'Unfortunately, I couldn't explain why our relationship couldn't work back then…' But Stan had interrupted her.

Eda wanted to clarify things, but it seemed their passion had outpaced their words.

'I wonder what he's doing right now?' Unintentionally, Eda smiled—a smile Luz and King had never seen before.

The two exchanged a knowing look before launching a new round of teasing. It was the perfect opportunity to get back at the witch who never missed a chance to mock them.