Chapter 10
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Hand Over the Seed!
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"You're the new guard who just showed up, right?"
"Y-Yes... um..."
I had no idea how to respond.
Should I affirm it? Deny it?
I couldn't tell which one would give me a shot at survival.
A smile that clashed completely with her icy voice.
Staring at that smile only made my fear grow worse.
"Ha... So, are you or aren't you? Whatever. The aura you had in the prison matches, so you must be the one."
She approached me slowly.
Then she placed one hand on my shoulder.
A touch as cold as her voice, like an ice block.
It sent chills racing across my skin in an instant.
"Sleep for a bit."
-Thwack
"Ugh... ack..."
She struck the back of my neck with lightning speed.
Too fast for my eyes to follow.
The impact to my neck knocked me out cold right away.
The last thing I saw was her smiling face.
"Ugh... huh... where... am I..."
A warm sensation enveloped me.
The gentle heat rising from a soft bed.
It was so cozy, it couldn't help but lift my spirits.
"You're awake?"
A familiar voice. Yoo Seol's.
On the same bed as me.
She sat demurely in front of me.
"Wh-where... is this...?"
A totally unfamiliar sight.
It had a vibe like something out of a history book.
What is this place...? The buildings don't look like anywhere common I've seen...
"Why are you looking around so much?"
She grabbed my face with both hands.
And stared intently.
"Hmm... This'll do nicely... I was worried, but I like it."
I couldn't make sense of this situation.
"I'm really sorry, but... could you explain what's going on... If that's not okay, I apologize."
I wasn't usually this servile in my speech, but for some reason...
Looking into her red eyes made me feel utterly deflated.
"Hee hee."
She kept grinning ear to ear at my face, like she found the whole thing hilarious.
"Eh, nothing big. I just wanted some of your seed. Marriage would make it even better."
"Y-yes...? Wha... Huh?"
Her completely unexpected words left my head spinning even more.
"What? You don't like it?"
She shot me a fierce glare.
In a voice dripping with chill.
Once again, I bowed my head.
"N-no, that's not it... I was just hoping for a bit more explanation."
"It's exactly what it sounds like. I brought you here because I want your seed and to marry you."
This was bad.
No getting through to her at all.
Did she have zero awareness of what she'd done?
"Then, if you'll forgive me, could I ask a few questions?"
I was a little anxious, but I felt like I had to steer this conversation.
"Sure, why not... between us."
"So, you broke out to marry me? And how did you even know I worked there...?"
"Ah, I get what you're curious about. Hmm... How should I put this?..."
She crossed her legs in a lotus position, closed her eyes, and made a thoughtful face.
"See, I wasn't planning to break out originally, but then you showed up! Isn't that enough?"
This was bad.
Not even close to enough.
Her first impression had been cool ice queen, but now she just looked like a total airhead.
Has her brain swapped with a rolling pill bug or something?
Frustrated, I scratched my head and rubbed my face repeatedly.
"Ahem."
"Wha... uh... whoa..."
Startled by the cough, I whipped around to see an elderly woman standing there.
Silver hair in a bun, wearing glasses.
She had an incredibly dignified air about her.
"I'll take it from here, miss."
"Sounds good. Great."
A commanding voice.
One that drew attention despite her age.
"You're Yoo Seo-hyun, right? From here on, I'll explain things properly as the family tactician."
Her way with words was leagues beyond Yoo Seol's.
Every sentence stuck perfectly, easy to grasp.
You could really feel that not just anyone becomes a tactician.
Anyway, here's what she said.
The reason she ended up in prison was an attempted rape on a man.
"It wasn't rape! He didn't say no, even if he was crying."
"Miss, be quiet for a moment. We're in the middle of a conversation."
"Ugh..."
Anyway, it stopped at attempted rape, but trying to rape a man was still a crime.
It wasn't enough for the underground 4th floor, but her rampage in court and her own strength got her assigned there anyway.
"We were originally planning to use the family's influence to get her out... but she couldn't wait..."
"So she broke out."
"Yes... and even then..."
"Kidnapped a man like me..."
"Yes..."
"But that doesn't explain why you'd kidnap me."
"Ah, I'll go into more detail on that."
The old woman's explanation went like this.
Yoo Seol's family had women inheriting for generations.
With so few men, options for pregnancy were limited.
That's why Yoo Seol sensed a man's aura in the prison and broke out immediately to grab me.
"But I've only been working there a few days. Why break out now?"
"Ah, our miss might seem like a fool on the outside, but she's actually quite clever when it comes to strategy."
The truth was this.
Yoo Seol used telepathy—voice transmission—to recruit people from underground 3rd floor for the breakout.
She spent the days I was on duty planning with them, so nothing happened then.
Then she used the 3rd floor group as bait and escaped perfectly herself.
"So that's why only the underground 3rd floor guys got caught..."
"No choice. I didn't think I could beat that Prison Warden in a straight fight."
"So what's the plan going forward?"
"I'll explain that."
The old woman continued.
"We'll get a seed from you, Seo-hyun, and impregnate Miss Seol."
"Pardon...?"
"Then the family head will pull strings for her. No need to go back to prison."
I was speechless.
In the end, I had to impregnate this woman.
"I get that part... but... my thoughts are a mess right now... Could you give me a little time?..."
"We can't give much. She's a fugitive now. The most we can offer is a week."
"Yes... even that's fine, please just let me think it over. This is all too sudden."
My reaction was totally natural.
I wake up in an unknown place.
Not even modern—tiled-roof houses everywhere, some incomprehensible space.
Words like 'family' that made no sense in the 22nd century.
And the biggest issue: suddenly telling me to impregnate a woman.
All at once, no wonder my head hurt.
"Then we'll give you a week starting today."
"Yes... thank you."
"Note that this isn't time to think. Your opinion doesn't matter. We're giving you 'rest' time to ensure healthy seed."
With those final words, the old woman left.
"Man, she still speaks so bluntly. Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Just give good seed, and you'll go home safe and sound!"
"Ah... yes..."
Yoo Seol left the room after her parting words.
Left alone on the bed, I had to find a way out of this mess.
"Alright, let's think this through. Honestly, there's an easy, quick way out."
Straight up.
The simplest, easiest, safest way to escape this.
"Just have sex!... But..."
I worried I might get pinned as an accomplice with Yoo Seol.
Not to mention, even if I creampied her, would they really let me go home unharmed?
"Yeah... let's use the full week first. If nothing else works, then sex it is..."
After long deliberation, my final decision was one.
Watch and wait.
I didn't know much about them yet.
Didn't know what this 'family' was or if they kept promises.
To make the best choice, I needed to learn about them.
With my mind made up, I felt a bit more at ease.
And the Prison Warden's a Sword Master... In a week, she'll do something. Plus, there are special protections for male prisoners or whatever... It'll work out within a week.
Forcing positive thoughts, I went to the window.
"Whoa..."
The view was stunning.
Like stepping into a historical drama or book illustration.
Most people wore clothes like hanbok, and the architecture didn't look 22nd-century at all.
This world gets more fascinating the more I learn. Like a mix of different eras.
A contextless dream.
That summed up my mood perfectly.