Tamed
"...Hold me."
"What?"
What on earth was going on? I had finally hoped to get some rest after that massive ordeal, only for an entirely unexpected guest to show up at my doorstep.
"Did something happen?"
"Shut up."
A woman I thought would never set foot here unless I dragged her by the hair. When she, whom I believed to be entirely fueled by hatred for me, knocked on my door, I knew instantly that something was terribly wrong. Jeongha had always seemed like a woman of immense pride. I fully expected her to never forgive me for violating both her dignity and her womanhood.
"Just... hold me. It's what you're best at, isn't it? Just for one night. I'm staying. Let me... sleep here."
That was why I couldn't simply welcome her with open arms when she stood before me, looking as hollow and decayed as a dead fish. No matter that I had taken her once before, for a woman of her pride to willingly come to spread her legs meant she had been pushed to the absolute brink.
"First, come inside."
"..."
Of course, I couldn't just turn her away. How could I kick out a girl who looked ready to collapse and die at any second? That's what lovers are for, after all. No matter how generously one spun it, our relationship could never be packaged in a romantic word like 'lovers,' but if I decided we were, then we were. If she had a problem with that, she could take it up with me after she reached the Qi Circulation realm.
"Sit down for a moment."
"...Okay."
I guided her down as she creaked like a lifeless wooden doll, then headed to the kitchen to rummage through the cupboards. Calling it a kitchen was a stretch since it lacked even a basic stove, let alone a refrigerator, but I kept it regularly stocked with various delicacies and ingredients. Rummaging through the musty cupboard, I massaged my throbbing temples. If this were a fight, I could have just beaten some sense into her. But if I laid a hand on her now, she looked ready to say, "Fine, I'll just die then," and plunge a dagger into her own throat.
"What am I going to do with her?"
"...Do you not need me either?"
"Huh? What? No, absolutely not. I brought you into my home because you're gorgeous, remember? Even if you try to leave, I'm not letting you go."
"Do whatever you want."
Wow. I never knew a beautiful woman saying "do whatever you want" could sound so chilling. I knew instinctively. The moment I turned off my brain and just followed my dick, the outcome would not be pretty.
"Heh..."
Fortunately or unfortunately, Jeongha merely fell silent after letting out a faint, deflating chuckle. I could only hope that smirk carried some positive meaning. *Clack, clack.* My hands moved with a touch of urgency, brushing past various ingredients. Grabbing some sticky powder and wheat pastries, I quickly rushed back to where Jeongha was sitting.
"Why?"
"Huh?"
"Why are you sitting across from me? You like my body, don't you?"
"If you insist."
I quietly shifted my position, pressing myself close to her side. *Snap, crackle.* I used a spark of magic to boil water while sliding a honey cookie—similar to the *yakgwa* Sowol had hidden away—into her mouth.
"Eat."
"..."
She nodded. As she bit into the cookie, her chewing grew slightly faster, but steadily more deliberate. *Clack.*
"Drink this too. I mixed boiling water with honey and some sweet starch. I don't know if it's to your liking, though."
"*Sip.*"
It had to be scalding hot, yet she poured it straight down her throat. Drinking it raw without circulating her demonic energy would surely sting, even if it didn't leave a burn.
"Finished already?"
"..."
"That was pretty sweet and thick, so you'll probably want something refreshing now. Hold on."
A flame flickering from my fingertip rapidly heated a fresh teacup filled with water.
"You..."
"Just eat."
"Mmph."
You aren't ready to speak yet, rookie. You'll only open your mouth once you've quietly stuffed your belly full of warm, sweet food. When people are starving and exhausted, their thoughts and words are extremely limited. Only after warming up their bodies and filling their stomachs do they start looking like decent human beings again.
"Ah, it's ready. There are plenty of things like tropical fruits around here. Boiling them down in small portions gives it a nice, tart flavor."
"...*Slurp.*"
They say a person's true nature shows when they are pushed to their absolute limits, but is that really true? Don't people just get incredibly cranky when pushed to the edge? If someone in a completely fucked-up situation starts spouting nonsense like, *"Haha, let's not lose hope and do our best, everyone!"* they're just plain insane. *Gulp, gulp.* Jeongha drank the fruit tea even more eagerly than before.
"Hmm, that won't fill you up. Do we have any rice cakes? Ah, here we go."
Using a bit of handy magic, I pulled a plate of chewy rice cakes from across the room. I coated them generously in a powder similar to roasted bean flour and brought them to her lips.
"Open wide. Ah."
"Ah—"
"Good girl. Bite it off with your front teeth. Snap."
"...Don't treat me, *nom*, like a child."
"Sure, sure. Our Jeongha is a mature lady."
What the hell was I even doing? I wasn't babysitting a toddler. Why was I doing this in the middle of the night when I should be fast asleep?
"Is it good?"
"..."
"Do you prefer meat or a proper meal? It'll take a bit of time to prepare a full meal, though."
"It's... fine."
For the record, Sowol was currently cultivating. Thanks to Ryeo-ah, her restriction had been lifted, making her a proud cultivator in her own right. After some thought, I had recommended the Black Shadow Soul-Locking Great Art—the very technique I was practicing—to her. Whatever her status, she was still technically a slave. I couldn't hand her the highly conspicuous Great Mountain Demonic Wisdom Art, and the only technique comparable in power was the Black Shadow Soul-Locking Great Art. Besides, since I was practicing it too, I could always ask Sowol for advice later if her progress surpassed mine.
"Where is your maid?"
"Her restriction was lifted. I gave her a cultivation technique, and she seems to have taken a liking to it. She's been training until dawn."
"Isn't it inconvenient without her around?"
"What can I do? If she wants to do it, I should let her. Forcing someone to stop doing what they want only breeds resentment."
Besides, I was bound to get into more fights down the road, and it would be a hassle to rescue her every single time. Sowol would soon be mine, so her growth was my growth.
"How strange."
"Is it?"
"Usually, when a slave gets stronger, their master starts worrying about getting stabbed in their sleep."
"Ah."
Come to think of it, what if she actually plunged a knife into my throat while I slept? Could I block it? Maybe, maybe not. Well, whatever.
"I'll worry about that when the time comes. Here, eat some more."
"Ah—"
I offered her a slice of apple I had carved into the shape of a rabbit. Seeing her open her mouth like a spoiled noblewoman after barely any time had passed was slightly exasperating. *Crunch, crunch.* For a while, the only sound filling the room was the white noise of her chewing apples and rice cakes.
"..."
Meanwhile, she casually leaned her white-haired head against my shoulder. I couldn't tell if she had simply run out of energy to sit up straight or if she had finally let her guard down, but she was doing better than before, right?
*Bubble, bubble.*
"It's a herbal tea of sorts. Drink up. There are plenty of tasty herbs around here, so my palate never gets bored. The only downside is the lack of coffee."
"...What are you, an old man? Why do you have so much of this stuff? And what even are 'herbs' and 'coffee'?"
"They're just things. If you don't want it, I'll drink it."
Eating is just as important as sex. In that regard, while my culinary skills might not match a world-class chef, I took pride in being at the absolute peak among ordinary folks. And since Jeongha didn't seem to mind it either, it didn't take long for her cup to empty. Her binge finally came to an end only after she had crunched through the very last sweet pastry Sowol had hidden away.
"..."
"..."
An awkward silence descended upon us. All that remained were empty teacups, dessert plates, and the remnants of roasted bean powder and crumbs scattered all over my clothes from her frantic eating.
My clothes. Will this honey and powder even wash out? This is one of my favorite outfits. Ah, I wanted to go home. Right, I was already home. As I silently brushed the crumbs off my shoulder, I felt Jeongha nuzzling her head against it.
"Mmh."
What? Why? Why on earth was she acting like this? She had to say something for me to react. Honestly, it was cute, but more than that, I had absolutely no idea what was going on. My heart, which had remained steady even in front of the darkly mutated Jeon Gu-seok and Ryeo-ah's clone (presumably), felt like it was shrinking. I really didn't know how to handle people in situations like this. Ignoring her would be the easiest answer, but I was terrified I'd find her body under a bridge the next day if I did, so that was out of the question. In the end, all I could do was gently stroke her white hair as she nudged against me like a spoiled pet. *Rustle, rustle.* It sounded like a slightly coarse brush sweeping across canvas. Her hair, minimally maintained as if she rarely cared for her appearance, left quite an impression.
Someone once told me I was completely incapable of empathy. They were wrong. My empathy and kindness were just manually operated. When the situation called for it, I could squeeze my brain to put on a perfectly convincing act of tenderness.
"Mmh..."
"Yeah. Good girl. Relax your body and close your eyes gently. Just lean on me and drift off to sleep. That's it, you're doing great."
*Whoosh.*
A sudden breeze blew in from somewhere, extinguishing the candle that illuminated the night. In the pitch-black darkness, devoid of any light source, the only things we could perceive were each other's warmth and scent.
"Mmh."
"That's it, well done. You've had a long day. I want to keep seeing you around, so let's get some happy sleep, okay?"
And surprisingly, as time passed, Jeongha's trembling began to subside. To be precise, her head nuzzled and shivered slightly every time I gave her a deep stroke, but let's count that as a good sign.
"Hey..."
"Yeah?"
"What even is... this?"
"Hmm... who knows?"
Mental care? Perhaps it was because she had stuffed herself with warm food and tea, combined with the darkness, but I could feel her body and consciousness gradually slipping away as she leaned against me. I could feel her body and mind slowly dissolving into sleep. *Inhale... exhale...* The slow, rhythmic breathing and physical relaxation that only someone on the verge of a peaceful, secure sleep would show. Her ruby eyes, which had glowed faintly even in the dark, were now almost entirely closed, leaving only thin slits. Yet, the pupils behind them remained locked onto me. As if she were staring at something that might vanish the moment she closed her eyes completely. Panting with utter exhaustion, Jeongha clung to my arm and slurred softly.
"Is this... a dream?"
"Does it really matter? Just sleep. People never make sense when they're in this state anyway. It's like sending a drunk text confession... Never mind, forget I said that."
"There's no way... you'd be... like this."
I was about to feel a bit hurt by that, but then I remembered I really *was* that kind of guy from start to finish, so I silently agreed. *Yeah, I can't think of a logical counterargument.* If you engage with such disadvantageous remarks, you'll only end up backed into a corner. Instead of a pathetic excuse, I simply covered her eyes with my palm.
"I don't like this..."
"Sleeping is always the best remedy for these things."
She squirmed, trying to pry my palm away from her eyes with hands so small that both of them combined could barely cover one of mine. ...Ah, her rubbing against me like this was making it hard to hold back. For a split second, I seriously considered riding the mood and having a quick roll in the hay. But the inner voice of my mental Ryeo-ah threatened to murder me if I ruined a perfectly good moment with my horniness, so I abandoned the idea. Instead, as a small reward for playing along this far, I gently caressed Jeongha's hips. Her curves were still an absolute masterpiece.
"Mmh... Do you like me that much?"
"Of course."
How could anyone dislike a woman this beautiful and hot? Especially after I'd taken her several times, it was only natural to develop some affection.
"Aren't you curious why I'm acting like this?"
"Not really."
Actually, I was curious. But there was no need to pry right now. What Jeongha needed right now wasn't a heart-to-heart conversation, but a deep, peaceful sleep.
"Shall we sleep now?"
"...Don't you want to talk to me?"
"Should we just stay up all night then?"
*Pfft.*
With that silly remark, I ended up listening to her ramble about everything under the sun all through the night.
"How I felt when you first violated me...!"
"Uh... sorry?"
I really heard it all. Do women usually share their thoughts on being taken right in front of the guy who did it? Well, I've never been on the receiving end, so I wouldn't know. Before I knew it, Jeongha had crawled completely onto my lap. I stared at the ceiling, feeling the hard sensation of her horn—not her crown—pressing against my chin.
"Master, I'm back... Master?"
"You're back?"
"Did you do it in the living room again? How many times have I told you to lay down an easy-to-wash blanket before you take her so it doesn't get dirty?!"
"Sowol."
"I'm not finished yet! If either of you pissed on the floor again, there will be no meals for a while!"
The only one among us who ever pissed during sex is you, though. Knowing that pointing this out would lead to a very bad outcome, I decided to ask her a serious question instead of defending myself.
"Sowol."
"Yes, Master. What is it?"
"It seems Jeongha is itching to commit patricide. Should I help her or not?"
"...?"
For a moment, a whole universe of thoughts flashed through Sowol's mind. *Wait, Lady Jeongha's father is Kang Baek-jin... so that means... treason?* With cold, dead eyes, she drew the dagger strapped to her thigh.
"Master."
"Yeah?"
"I do not wish to see your head impaled on a pike as a rebel. I shall kill Lady Jeongha right now."
"That's not what I meant."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Ah, you're here? Welcome, Jeongha, Hayun. Did you rest well?"
"Of course."
"Were the items I gave you useful? It's about time I put you to work."
Without a word, I responded by manifesting the demonic stone of the Great Mountain over my body. Sharp, bizarre obsidian-like rocks grew and gleamed darkly. My progress in the Great Mountain Demonic Wisdom Art was far too advanced for such a short period. Naturally, achieving this level of mastery so quickly required pay-to-win resources, not just hard work. Kang Ha-yeon nodded, her smile filled with satisfaction.
"The Obsidian Sprout has successfully integrated into your body. What I gave you was a treasure even I cherished, so I hope you put it to good use."
"Of course. I'm always grateful."
Those weren't empty words. It was a treasure with highly specific utility, only useful to someone practicing earth-attribute martial arts like me, yet it was something anyone would drool over the moment it appeared. There were probably only one or two more of its kind in the entire family. It was a reward I never would have received if I hadn't helped her take down her major rival. As expected, if you're going to pick a side, you shouldn't hesitate—you have to commit fully. My choice was correct.
"By the way."
"Yes?"
"You two seem to have gotten... quite close, haven't you?"
My sister's eyes filled with suspicion. She glanced at Jeongha, who was subtly lingering by my side, and made absolutely no effort to hide her doubtful gaze. She looked exactly like a high school girl eyeing a woman suspiciously as she followed some mind-control-bastard.
"Ah."
Jeongha silently took a few steps away from me. *Glance.* She stole a side-glance at me, as if trying to bridge the distance with her eyes alone. When she woke up this morning, she had thrown a fit in my arms, screaming at me to die, and it took a lot of effort to calm her down. Yet, when I finally gave her the chance to leave, she refused to go. So, what else could I do? Actual sex seemed like a bit much for her current state, so I settled for a light blowjob. Ah, let me correct that. I had her and Sowol do a double titty-fuck, followed by a cleanup blowjob. She was surprisingly passionate about it, which felt amazing. Once I monitored her condition and she seemed fully recovered, I planned to have her ride me in cowgirl. I hadn't even gotten to double-team them on a bed yet, so she couldn't go collapsing like a dead tuna. Jeongha had to keep offering her tight, raw pussy to me. Every time I thrust into her, she needed to squirm and whine, showing me that annoyed, disgusted face of hers when I filled her with my cum.
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