Chapter 57

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 57

Chapter Title: System Algorithm #1: Client L

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Yoo Seon-woo had fallen into a deep sleep that night.

A light flickered before his eyes.

A translucent system window began shaking violently beyond the vision of the sleeping Yoo Seon-woo.

- Crunch crunch.

The Luna before his eyes picked up a butter cookie topped with whipped cream.

The texture filling her mouth, the rich buttery flavor.

And the tangy strawberry perched atop the melting soft whipped cream.

He could feel the tension slowly draining from her stiffened shoulders.

This was Yoo Seon-woo's most preferred method.

There was nothing as reliable for ice-breaking as a well-made dessert.

Now, it was time to begin the real counseling.

He nodded at her stance.

And checked the system for the next question.

But.

'...?'

'What is this?'

Yoo Seon-woo waited for more options to appear after that.

But only this insane choice floated alone before him.

'Are you broken?'

He shook his head.

No, he wanted to shake it. But he held back because Luna was right in front of him.

Even if that was true, it didn't make sense.

It directly contradicted the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠professional ethics Yoo Seon-woo held dear.

Ignoring the system's suggestion and proceeding with counseling in his own way seemed right.

But.

The system was practically wailing.

It had never pushed this hard before, so he couldn't help but feel perplexed by this bizarre situation.

The system had always given Yoo Seon-woo the rightest choices and the best outcomes.

Without a single exception.

He fell into deep contemplation.

His reason and professional ethics said that choice was wrong...

But the advisor who had guided his hand until now was screaming that it was right.

"......"

In the end, after a deep sigh, Yoo Seon-woo nodded and made up his mind.

Yeah, there must be a reason.

He thought there had to be some reason he didn't know why the system insisted on it.

In the end, he decided to trust it.

But how?

Yoo Seon-woo fundamentally didn't like giving harsh words or hurting people.

So this kind of coercive talk was likely to come off awkward.

At that moment.

As if reading his thoughts, the system displayed a message.

...Yeah.

Let's give it a shot.

He rested a finger on his chin and opened his mouth.

"By the way..."

Luna's shoulders twitched. Was she startled by his sudden change in atmosphere?

But Yoo Seon-woo didn't stop.

"Could you show me those ears from before? Just once more?"

He stared intently at the spot above her head where ears should be.

But now, it was empty.

"They looked... really pretty last time."

He spoke in a low, overbearing voice with narrowed eyes.

If he was doing it, he might as well do it right.

At his words, Luna snapped her head up.

"Pardon? P-Pardon?!"

Her red eyes shook wildly, like an earthquake.

Her face flushed red all the way to her neck.

"W-What do you... mean..."

From Luna's perspective, it was utterly bewildering.

The shame she had never shown to anyone in this world since arriving.

And now he was suddenly demanding to see it.

It was too abrupt and confusing.

She desperately tried to avoid his gaze.

But Yoo Seon-woo's eyes waited for her wherever she fled, at the end of her escape.

He watched her confusion.

"In my opinion, the reason Luna came to see me ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠is simple."

Yoo Seon-woo continued slowly.

Actually, this was his guess.

However.

A highly likely guess.

"You lack conviction."

Yoo Seon-woo never once averted his eyes from Luna's.

"Conviction that a beastkin—you—in this new world can be loved."

"That's why you came to me. Right?"

This wasn't the path Yoo Seon-woo had originally prepared.

Normally, by now he would have shown her videos of countless civilians expressing gratitude prepared just for her.

He would have gently comforted her, saying she was already loved, so it was okay.

But it said not to.

Fine, got it.

Luna stood with her mouth agape, unable to speak.

It was true.

She lacked conviction.

To Luna, her ears were like a stigma she wanted to rip off immediately.

Struck right in the core, she desperately shook her head, trying to escape the situation.

Yoo Seon-woo took one more step toward her.

And brought his lips close to her ear.

"I'll tell you everything, from start to finish."

"How much you can be loved, Luna."

"D-Don't... do this..."

Luna bowed her head deeply and could only fidget with her fingers, saying nothing more.

From the very start of the counseling to the end.

Luna couldn't resist Yoo Seon-woo.

The reason... she didn't know.

Yoo Seon-woo stood behind her back and looked at the system window.

Probably, doing that would make it irreversible now.

But...

Maybe it was already too late?

Hadn't he decided to trust it?

He pressed his thumb and index finger together on his right hand.

- Snap!

A crisp finger snap.

At the same time.

A system window appeared before Luna's eyes as well.

"Wh...? Nng...? Ah... Nooo!!!"

Luna screamed.

- Pop!

With a popping sound, a pair of long, snow-white rabbit ears sprang up perkily above Luna's head.

Regardless of her will, her defense mechanism was forcibly disabled.

Yoo Seon-woo stepped in front of her and slightly bent his knees.

Matching her eye level.

"Pretty."

He said, looking at her quivering white ears.

"Ah... Ah..."

Luna kept her eyes shut, letting out intermittent dazed voices.

In the end, it was revealed.

All of her.

From her detestable ears.

To the small, round tail quivering above her hips.

She could do nothing but cover her eyes and pant heavily.

She couldn't even properly hear what he was saying now.

Soon, the criticism toward her ears would come.

Luna began steeling herself mentally.

But.

What reached her ears was a low, soft voice, different from what she expected.

"Something this pretty... why hide it?"

Yoo Seon-woo carefully reached out and gently grasped Luna's quivering chin.

Luna's small face was caught in his hand.

'Pretty?'

It was absolutely not what she expected.

Luna felt confusion.

Words she'd never heard in her lifetime.

And at the same time, a satisfaction she felt like she'd never known before.

A strange feeling, like something deep in her chest was being filled.

"Open your eyes."

At that moment.

The counselor before her commanded in a low voice.

She hesitated.

But led by his touch, she lifted her head without doing anything.

"I won't say it twice."

- ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Twitch.

At that chilling statement, Luna's body reacted instinctively.

All resistance was meaningless.

She felt she had to obey him.

In the end, her tightly shut eyelids opened.

And through that gap, a single hot tear trailed down her cheek.

Absolutely not tears of sadness. But even Luna didn't recognize what kind they were.

Yoo Seon-woo liked that sight.

He spoke in a gentle voice, like praising a child.

"Good girl."

Praise.

"......Yes..."

At that one phrase, an inexplicable satisfaction bloomed in her chest once more.

Luna nodded slightly and replied.

Yoo Seon-woo stroked her white hair contentedly.

Something else appeared before his eyes.

It was ridiculous—after letting him do whatever until now, now it asks permission.

Yoo Seon-woo nodded.

He asked Luna, who looked up at him with empty eyes.

"Um... if it's not rude, may I touch your ears?"

His gaze went to her quivering white ears.

- Twitch!

Luna's body stiffened once more.

"But I don't know where to touch."

He wasn't really asking for permission in the first place.

"Where should I touch? Tell me."

Yoo Seon-woo smiled faintly at Luna.

At that smile, she could do nothing.

Luna thought.

Or tried to think.

For beastkin, having their ears touched held two meanings.

First.

From the partner's perspective, offering the right ear... was a sexual compliment allowed only to lovers.

A bit intense, but the kind of play lovers confirmed in feelings would share in the bedroom.

And... second.

The left ear.

Offering the left ear from the partner's perspective...

The meaning was vastly different.

Beastkin had long lived with the concept of a 'master.'

The way of that world, where they were possessions of nobles.

In other words, for Luna the beastkin to let someone touch her left ear...

Was to acknowledge them as her master and pledge absolute submission, offering everything.

Luna hesitated. She didn't know what to do.

But.

This strange satisfaction welling up from deep in her chest since earlier.

The instinctive reaction engraved deep in her race.

Her DNA.

A forgotten instinct.

She could never be lovers with the man before her.

She sensed instantly she could never defy him even in death, nor speak on equal terms.

So the answer was one.

In the end, Luna lowered her head.

And.

"Here... please touch..."

Luna offered her left ear, pointing with a small trembling hand.

"If you... grip it tight... that should be fine..."

That was the best answer she could give.

Yoo Seon-woo smiled in satisfaction.

He slowly reached out.

The soft fur of her white rabbit ear touched his fingertips.

- Flinch!

Luna thought.

Once it's gripped, it's over.

She had to escape right now...

Or else... Luna would... be done for...

- Grip.

The last shred of reason screaming in Luna's mind.

Was utterly crushed in Yoo Seon-woo's grasp.

He gripped her ear firmly.

"Hnnng...! Ah, ah...!"

A moan escaped between Luna's lips.

A dizzying submissive pleasure spreading from the root of her ear down her spine... throughout her body.

All the worries and shame that had plagued her lifetime melted away like snow.

And she realized.

The true reason beastkin were born.

'To be controlled under their master's touch.'

That was all.

The fear that had dominated her slowly turned into a dizzying pleasure melting her brain.

She... resisted no longer.

Luna clutched his clothes with trembling hands, then let go.

"Touch me... more..."

And with reddened eyes, she looked up at him and begged.

"Master..."

Luna had a new master.

- Zzt... Zzzzt...!

With that, the system window before Yoo Seon-woo faded away.