Chapter 548
Chapter 548
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 548
Chapter Title: Love and War
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1.
The moment the issue with Siwoo shifted from a mere emotional tangle between man and woman into a contest of wills, Luriye steeled her resolve.
A true sovereign never retreats from any struggle—and never loses.
She had no choice but to seduce him with everything she had and draw out his fervent pursuit.
But there were rules to this game.
Siwoo had proposed the duel so casually that it naturally imposed upon Luriye an unspoken code of conduct.
The first rule: never let on first.
If Luriye suddenly threw herself at him naked or purred seductively in a sultry voice, it would be tantamount to declaring, "The girl surrenders. Gobble up this lowly concubine at your leisure."
She had to tease him with subtle temptations—the so-called fox's wiles—until he was the one lunging at her.
Last time, her inexperience had left her defenseless, but this was round two. She wouldn't go down easily.
And she'd make that insolent interior minister pay—roasting her until she was sobbing and begging for just one embrace, guilty of her brazen schemes.
What's the best way to utterly captivate a man?
To reveal skin whiter than milk and smoother than pearl.
Siwoo's reaction had been dramatic when she'd bared her breasts before him.
"But isn't that just cheap flirtation?" someone might object.
Yet that's the ignorant question of one who knows half the story and misses the rest.
The same bare skin feels entirely different depending on the setting and circumstance.
For instance, what if the place to bare it all was a sauna?
"A sauna?"
"Indeed. Forgotten already? I showed you that Akula's bath comes equipped with a splendid dry sauna."
"Uh, um..."
Luriye hid a smug smile at his predictably flustered expression.
He had to be thrown off balance.
Shin Siwoo—smitten with Luriye's charms yet angling for control.
With ironclad patience, he'd been holding out, waiting for her to beg first.
But casually suggesting a mixed sauna like she was clueless?
It left him no room to refuse while hammering his fraying restraint.
As expected, he flashed a wry smile and asked,
"I don't mind... but is Your Majesty alright with it?"
"What do you mean? In Philand, the birthplace of dry saunas, close men and women sharing one is nothing out of the ordinary."
"Really?"
"Are you saying you're shy about baring it all again?"
"...Well, yeah, it's a bit embarrassing as a guy."
In truth, his eyes had probably lit up brighter than anyone's, but Shin Siwoo delivered a pitch-perfect act of bumbling innocence—one that could fool anyone unaware.
His actions suggested reluctance, like he was just humoring her.
"Well, you're Eastern, and Easterners hold to Confucian traditions, right? No sitting together past age seven or whatever."
"You know about Confucianism?"
"I read the Book of Rites back in my apprentice witch days. But when in Rome, do as the Romans do. You've come to Akula—follow Nukelabi Kingdom customs."
Siwoo still looked dubious.
"Even so... no swimwear or anything? It'd be more comfortable for both of us."
Even trying to backpedal now.
So it's that hard to hold back seeing this body bare?
Luriye chuckled and graciously allowed it, confident a mere bikini scrap couldn't conceal her full allure.
"Very well. Mine's inside the sauna, so fetch a men's suit from the deck chief."
"Now?"
"Yes, now."
Luriye watched the back of his head, sighing in relief like he'd dodged a bullet.
The instant Siwoo stepped out, she began ransacking the cabin.
Granting his transparent plea for swimwear was part of the ploy.
Intelligence gathering was a cornerstone of any war.
She'd ditched him like a cool-headed 007 agent diverting enemy eyes.
Luriye dove straight into his scant belongings.
Cigarettes and lighter she'd given him, ashtray, fountain pen, ink, paper, a handful of magic tomes from the library, spare clothes and undergarments.
He'd arrived in Akula practically empty-handed, so nothing surprising—but Luriye thrilled in the rush of playing the film protagonist on a covert op.
"Ba ba bam, ba ba bum ba ra ba bum..."
Humming the James Bond theme, Luriye plucked a single hair from his pillow.
"Hmm, suspicious strand indeed. Huh...?"
Rummaging shelves and built-in wardrobe next, she spotted something wildly out of place.
A bag protruding like a toolbox from the closet.
"I don't recall giving him this..."
Siwoo always sought permission for necessities.
Even as warehouse keeper—where pilfering would've been easy—his formal requests were one trait Luriye admired.
"This is...! Proof of embezzlement and malfeasance!"
Like a kitten laser-locked to the horizon, Luriye's eyes sparkled at the surprise diversion.
Deep curiosity bloomed: what had he hidden without clearance?
-Click
Easily popping the lock, Luriye peered inside.
"Huh?"
Seasoned by civilization's finest porn, a minute's contemplation revealed the truth: a 13-piece adult toy set.
Undeniably porn-prop kin.
She hadn't clocked it instantly because—to her eye—the shapes and varieties screamed torture implements.
-Thud!
"......"
Luriye slammed the bag shut, eyes quivering, steadying her racing heart.
"Y-Yes... my hunch was spot on..."
Never seen such before, so fresh contraband from recent spoils.
The reason he'd stash these monstrosities? Obvious.
Shin Siwoo—slick and seemingly scatterbrained on the surface, but harboring a beast's primal ferocity.
Had Luriye come begging tonight with wistful pleas, he'd have unleashed these horrors on her without hesitation.
A chill ran through her at his masterful diplomacy: wielding the "first to bow concedes" tactic freely, all to slake his lust.
2.
Luriye had introduced him to the bath once before, but this was his second time actually visiting the sauna.
Akula's sauna was a classic dry one.
Aspen firewood stoked the room to a blistering 80 degrees.
To avert burns in that inferno, floor and benches were low-heat wood.
Submarine confines kept it cozy—room for four at most.
Center stage: glowing stones piled brazier-high, spritzed with water to tweak humidity.
"Anyway, what's this about..."
Siwoo was mildly rattled by Luriye's bolt-from-the-blue pitch.
For a split second, ulterior motives flashed: maybe high-exposure outfit for subtle seduction? Such fancies.
"Get a grip, seriously."
He brushed it off.
Recent hot streak must've sparked delusions of grandeur.
Luriye hadn't breathed a word about last night—or shown a hint of care.
As expected.
Her brutal first time left sour memories; sex was no joyride for her. Siwoo felt a twinge of guilt.
Besides, Luriye's whims didn't flip-flop.
If she craved it now—even hypothetically—she'd command attendance outright, not dance around with hints.
"The Queen's procession!"
Regardless, after changing and scouting the sauna, in swept Luriye, similarly attired.
Slim waist, unexpectedly lush curves.
All on display in deep-green bikini glory.
Objectively? A dated number.
Old as dirt at a glance.
But looks and physique perfect fashion; Luriye owned it alluringly.
"What's that?"
Siwoo eyed the wooden bucket cradled in her arms, brimming with fresh leaf bundles—like a potted plant.
"This is vasta. Birch branches—for thrashing your body like so in the sauna."
Luriye demonstrated, smack-smack, on herself.
Extra intel: heat-softened leaves ooze beneficial scents and compounds for instant refreshment.
"Come on in. We can chat inside."
Siwoo grabbed basket and water pail, following her into the sauna.
Thus began their mixed steamy session.