The Red Flame Bird's Gambit
Kang Ha-yeon's office. Normally, it was a sterile, boring place of silence, punctuated only by occasional reports and the quiet sipping of tea. She had never held a conversation in this office that lasted longer than a quarter of an hour. The sycophants she kept around as subordinates were either utterly incompetent, spies, or fence-sitting bats ready to flutter to whichever side offered a better deal. How could she ever feel any warmth toward such creatures, let alone offer them a seat in her private sanctuary?
In terms of lineage and wealth, she was outmatched by the First Young Master. In terms of raw talent and comprehension, she was eclipsed by the Second Young Mistress. She was merely a counterweight, added to the succession race by the Family Head's desire to ensure the struggle didn't devolve into a mindless brawl of brute force. In the beginning, her entire retinue consisted of the direct unit bestowed upon her by the Family Head, and Yugo, whom she had followed and treated like an uncle alongside her mother. The few who approached her offering their service were only interested in raiding her treasury. She was simply too hopeless to revere as a lord, especially when two far better alternatives existed.
Thus, her first five years as a successor candidate were spent in seclusion, training and laying the groundwork for a bare-minimum network of contacts. She weeded out the rotten sprouts and nurtured the promising ones. As time trickled by, she managed to gather something resembling a faction. Yet, the emptiness of her office remained. She was still the third-in-line—a title that sounded grand but was merely a polite way of saying she was dead last in a three-way race. Kang Ha-yeon was still at the bottom. Though the quality of her subordinates had improved, their loyalty remained a murky, untrustworthy thing.
And so, time marched on. Despite the alliance between the second and third ranks, the First Young Master began systematically securing his victory. It was a suffocating time, a period when her limbs were being severed one by one. One day, suffocated by the pressure, she had gone for a walk with her bodyguard, Yugo. Back then, her chest had been tight with anxiety, terrified of the fate that awaited her once she was utterly defeated and cast aside. The First Young Master was not a sadist who killed for pleasure, but he was ruthlessly pragmatic; the blood on his hands never had time to dry. Though she was weak, she had still been his rival and an obstacle. She needed something to overturn the board. She had thought it a childish delusion, but then, he actually appeared.
"That investment thing. I'd like to try it too."
Their meeting had been impulsive, accidental, a brief amusement arranged on a whim. But the talent he displayed was the real deal. With talent like that, she felt she could secure a completely loyal ally if she just nurtured him for ten years. A prospect who could reach the Ungi (Qi Circulation) realm within a decade. As if possessed, she decided to invest in him, securing his loyalty and trust. It was a bond forged from their very first meeting, more precious than anything else. That trust alone put her mind at ease, and his rapid, unhindered growth brought her immense joy.
More time passed. It was far from a long period; in fact, it was incredibly brief. Yet, before she knew it, vitality had returned to the office where sipping tea had once been her sole solace. Her adoptive brother's voice, far more vibrant than the rustle of bamboo scrolls, excited her more than the aroma of any tea she drank alone. Perhaps wishing to grow closer to her, he had constantly visited her office to pay his respects, share light conversation, and enjoy refreshments. The tales of his explosive, daily growth were not mere idle chatter; they were incredibly productive. He was entirely on her side, and his growth was the growth of her own faction. How could she not be overjoyed? For the first time in her life, she realized that work could actually bring happiness.
Beneath the surface of how her brother looked at her, there was an underlying gaze—one that viewed her as a female rather than just a sister. But did that even matter? That was simply the way of the Dokkaebi. They were family in name only; not a single drop of blood connected them. Though there was an age gap, it wasn't as if she were old enough to be his mother. And while it felt like self-praise, she knew she was exceptionally beautiful. If anything, shouldn't she welcome it? Lust and passion were merely other forms of affection and favor. Ha-yeon had never drawn a hard line between the two. She had understood politics long before she understood love, and she had learned to read the hidden motives of others long before she learned about the opposite sex. She simply knew her beauty was extraordinary and had used it to her advantage.
And now, it seemed the time had come to put that beauty to use. Specifically, the femininity she had never consciously dwelled upon.
"Haaah..."
Silence hung heavy in the office. Ending her brief trip down memory lane, Ha-yeon rested her elbows on the desk and let out a deep sigh. It was a heavy mass of negative emotions—resignation, anxiety, anger, and irritation all tangled together. It was only natural, of course. The brother she had cherished and trusted so deeply had suddenly risen as her direct rival. She couldn't simply brush it off as another inevitable betrayal; the time she had spent with her brother, Hayun, weighed too heavily on her. Time might flow equally for everyone, but its density varied wildly. To simply accept it, to casually tear out the massive space her brother occupied in her heart, was far too painful.
If it were merely a matter of a broken heart, she could have steeled her resolve and harbored malice. But the consequences went far beyond that. She had granted him a monopoly over the mines, and his reputation as Kang Ha-yeon's right hand had spread far and wide. Now, rumors were everywhere that her strongest martial asset was leaving her side. What was she supposed to do? The matters tying her to her brother Hayun, both psychological and material, had grown far too massive for her to handle alone.
"Stupid fool. Truly, a wicked man."
It was undeniable that she could never have achieved her current glory without her brother. Paradoxically, that only made his absence loom larger. Her hands anxiously gripped the edge of the desk, and her legs began to tremble slightly. The absence of her brother, who would usually drop by around this time to crack some silly joke, tasted exceptionally bitter.
"After shamelessly taking the right to hold me whenever he pleased..."
Despite how she acted, that had been the very first time she had ever allowed a man to embrace her...! To reiterate, she didn't place some sacred value on her femininity, but she was objectively well aware of its worth. Even if he didn't view it as a grand honor, shouldn't he at least drop by to hug her out of boredom—no, because he wanted to hug her—in a situation like this? A sudden fire of irritation flared in her chest. Going to find him first felt too pathetic, and she wouldn't even know what to say if they met. Still, they weren't outright enemies yet, so surely they could form an alliance, right? She was sipping her tea alone in the office, which felt as cold and empty as it had in the old days, when she was interrupted.
"Um, Young Mistress."
"What is it, Yugo?"
She had explicitly told him not to let anyone in today because she was in a foul mood. But then, a voice she found both incredibly welcome and deeply frustrating drifted through the thin door.
"It's me, Sister."
"Ah, ah. Yes. Is that you?"
"Yes."
Ha-yeon quickly checked her appearance. She smoothed out a few minor creases in her robes. As a warrior of the Ungi realm, her physical condition was always peak.
"Hmm."
Her reflection in the bronze mirror didn't quite satisfy her today, so she hastily put on some accessories she had received as gifts in the past.
"Ahem."
This is absolutely not because I want to look good for him. It's just... since he's now an equal successor candidate, this is the proper respect and etiquette I should show.
Unaware of how utterly unconvincing her own excuse was, Kang Ha-yeon welcomed her brother, whom she felt she hadn't seen in ages.
"Here is some tea. Drink up."
"Ah, thanks."
"Is it to your liking?"
"Yes. You brew a great cup of tea."
"Ever since I was poisoned once, I've been doing this constantly. My cultivation hasn't improved at all, but my tea-brewing skills certainly have."
Hmm. The atmosphere is a bit tense, isn't it? Of course, I knew it would be awkward to laugh and joke around like we usually did. But to me, none of this was actually a problem. I had never wanted to be a successor candidate in the first place. The family elders had even hinted that I didn't actually have to go through with it. My plan from the start was to take what I could and make a run for it. Even if the City Lord hadn't been on his deathbed, would I have really coveted the position? I probably would have just let her become the Family Head and looked for a chance to slide into her bed. Even if I were aiming for her rear, my ultimate target was her pussy, not her throne. There was absolutely no need for us to be at each other's throats like this.
But as we sat there, I noticed something strange.
"Are you alright, Sister?"
"Huh? Oh, yes. I'm fine. Just... lost in thought."
She was fidgeting restlessly, her fingers tapping a nervous rhythm against the innocent wooden desk. It didn't seem like she was terrified of me or trembling with a sense of betrayal. After all, this ridiculous fourth candidate position was forced upon me by the elders, and she surely understood that. In fact, I was on my way back from stripping Kang Baek-jin clean of the Yacha Unit, the Dharma treasures customarily given to successor candidates, and all the resources promised to help me reach the Samgeuk realm. I hadn't thought there was any rush. It wasn't like we were suddenly going to be thrown into a deathmatch. I expected a bit of awkwardness, but I trusted the affection points I had diligently built up by visiting her office every day. This, however, was unexpected.
Then, something happened that felt like a physical blow to my head.
"Sigh..."
"Sister?"
"Yes. I've steeled myself. If I'm going to be cast aside in this succession race and sold off as a political tool anyway, doing it with my brother, whom I actually share some affection with, is far better..."
My sister. The sister who was usually so chic, haughty, and aloof.
Rustle—
"Haaah... Ah."
"Sister?!"
Suddenly, she let her robes slide down seductively, exposing her pale, smooth shoulders right in front of me. If this had been a situation I initiated, I would have pounced on her without a second thought. But this sudden, extreme escalation caught even a self-proclaimed normal guy like me completely off guard.
"Why do you look so surprised? Didn't you always stare at me so intensely, so hungrily? You even whined for this sister of yours to hold you."
"Well... I mean, I'm not complaining."
"The moment I fall behind in the succession race, I will be sold off in marriage for political purposes. If that is my fate, I figured it would be far better to give my first time to you, the one I actually share a bond with."
Yugo was around, but he felt more like an uncle than a man. His heavily bearded face wasn't her type either. Besides, doing this would allow her to throw a massive middle finger at whoever bought her as a broodmare in the worst-case scenario. The woman you were gifted isn't actually a virgin; she's already been tasted by someone else. Imagining such a pathetic fate made her stomach churn, but Ha-yeon hid her distress and pressed her body against her brother's. She let one shoulder strap slip completely off, wrapping her arms around his neck and exposing her smooth, pale underarm in a highly suggestive manner.
"You like this too, don't you? By sharing our bodies today, you secure both your greatest ally and a woman in one fell swoop. And when I become the Family Head, you will receive my absolute support."
"Hmm."
"If our relationship deepens and we both reach the Samgeuk realm... marriage. I could... I could consider marriage."
Ha-yeon couldn't bring herself to beg him to marry her. Pleading and acting cute for marriage would drag what little pride she had left through the dirt. Yet, the contrast between the cold air hitting her exposed skin and her brother's burning heat was incredibly stimulating. Pressing herself even closer to him, she suddenly felt the firm, defined muscles pressing against her soft flesh and gasped, her hands tracing them.
"Your muscles... now that I look closely, they are incredibly firm and well-defined. They are nothing like the saggy, flabby belly of some old man I might have to serve as a husband if I am sold off."
Was he provoked by her words? Wrapping his arm around her waist and locking her in his embrace, her brother growled softly, whispering directly into her ear.
"I don't think I could ever let that happen."
"Then why not take me right here, right now? Taking me as your wife is practically no different from becoming joint Family Heads."
"Haaah..."
His hot breath washed over the crown of her head. It was the same lust-filled breath he had occasionally let slip when embracing her in the past. But while those past breaths had been mere leaks of a desire he was desperately trying to suppress, this was different.
"You started this, Sister. You seduced me first."
"I... I suppose you could look at it that way."
It was overflowing. His raw, unfiltered lust was on the verge of bursting. Ha-yeon instinctively realized what her brother, who held her so tightly, was about to do to her.
Ah.
I am going to become a woman here today.
The realization suddenly snapped her back to reality. Wait, isn't this way too sudden? Shouldn't we take things slower, get to know each other first? And bringing up marriage out of nowhere—isn't that incredibly rude to him? She had to admit, this was an absurdly rushed, illogical, and bizarre turn of events. Pushed to her absolute limit, her cold, rational mind suddenly kicked in, forcing her to re-evaluate her actions. She had clearly lost her mind for a moment. They needed to take their time with this romance thing...
"Um, brother? Could you stop pulling down my shoulder strap and listen to me for a second?"
"..."
"D-Don't just silently slide off my undergarments. Let's start by dating first... It's not that I dislike you, but everything has an order. Yes, an order!"
At that moment, the smirk her brother gave her was unforgettable. He roughly cupped her breast in his hand, leaving her with only one final remark.
"You're the one who seduced me first, Sister."