Interlude - The Swamp (3)
Soyoung suddenly made a phone call and spoke briefly.
What could that call have been about?
Before Nayun could even wonder, Soyoung cut off her train of thought.
“Any allergies to black tea or desserts?”
“N… no…?”
“Then we’re good. Get dressed and follow me.”
Soyoung called a taxi and headed straight into the bustling city center.
The sudden shift in scenery and atmosphere left Nayun reeling, unsure if this was a dream or reality.
(What the hell… is this situation…?)
“There’s someone who wants to meet you.”
“Pardon…?”
(Shit… this is so fucking unsettling.)
Even Nayun could immediately tell that nothing good was about to happen.
Soyoung opened the door to an upscale tea salon.
Welcome. This is the Lady Grey Tea Salon.
“We have a reservation.”
“May I have the name and reservation number of your party?”
“It’s under Jihye. Here’s the number.”
“…Yes, confirmed. I’ll escort you to the private room. Please follow me this way.”
The waiter gestured with a white-gloved hand.
The three of them walked down a hallway, took the elevator, and moved to the very end of the fourth floor.
Overwhelmed by the grand, luxurious atmosphere, Nayun quietly trailed behind Soyoung like a lost puppy.
We have arrived.
Knock knock. The waiter gave a light rap on the door.
Lady Jihye, your guests have arrived.
“Come in.”
When the answer came from inside, the waiter turned the handle.
“Excuse me.”
She looked to be in her mid-thirties.
A woman so composed that even staring at a book while people entered didn’t seem rude.
Looking at her, Nayun thought, She must be in the middle of something important or reviewing work-related material.
Soyoung and Nayun took their seats while the waiter finished the formalities.
The afternoon tea will be served shortly. If you need anything, please ring the bell. The menu is prepared on that table over there.
Once the door closed quietly, Nayun took a long, careful look at the woman named Jihye.
Her first impression was stuck-up.
A shirt buttoned all the way to the neck in this weather, all-white outfit, glasses instead of contacts, neatly tied hair, and an English-language hardcover. Just looking at her felt suffocating and distant.
The sapphire earrings and necklace complemented her blue eyes beautifully, but that alone couldn’t make up for everything else.
A woman who seemed completely incompatible with Nayun, whose personalities would never mesh.
Soyoung immediately recognized the book Jihye was reading and spoke up.
“That’s quite the classic, isn’t it?”
“Yes. It is.”
“Ah… so that’s the part you were focused on. Still the same as ever. Is reading it in the original English just part of your personality?”
“Since the original is in English, the nuance feels different from the Korean translation.”
The moment she heard Jihye’s words and voice, Nayun became even more convinced.
(If she’s a teacher, she’s definitely one of those ultra-Confucian old farts. She probably lectured students a thousand times that not wearing makeup is the prettiest look. The type who’d suffocate her own daughter so she couldn’t even think about dating boys. No doubt about it.)
“Well… let’s go with that.”
“Then… this person here is…?”
The woman called Jihye glanced at Nayun and asked Soyoung.
“Yes. That’s right.”
“I see.”
As the two women exchanged words Nayun couldn’t understand, her anxiety began to grow.
“Um… I don’t understand what’s going on at all. Could you… please explain…?”
“Hmm… shall we start with introductions? Jihye, as you already know, this is Seo Nayun. She’s twenty-three and a third-year business major at XX University.”
“I’m Jihye. Last name Ji, single-syllable first name Hye. The blue eyes are because I’m mixed. I’m thirty-seven and serve as both deputy director and team leader at XX Corporation.”
“Ah… I see……”
The introduction only made her more confused. The woman clearly sounded like a successful career professional. Why on earth would someone like her want to meet Nayun?
Soyoung didn’t explain right away. Instead, she unraveled the truth slowly.
“Nayun, as you go through life, there are times when you compare yourself to others, right? The technical term for that is ‘social comparison theory.’”
Soyoung took out Nayun’s phone, unlocked it, and opened her account.
“Finding comfort by looking at people worse off than you is called downward comparison. So how do you think people see you right now? They’d probably be doing downward comparisons with you, wouldn’t they?”
Nayun flinched and glanced nervously at Jihye, but Jihye was also listening to Soyoung with tense eyes.
(What the… why are you nervous too?)
“But… the world isn’t only full of ordinary people.”
“Haa… ha……”
Jihye let out a tiny sigh and touched her collar. Nayun grew even more confused.
Soyoung picked up the book Jihye had been reading.
(What… what is this? What’s going on?)
“In the American psychiatric manual DSM-5, there’s an interesting disorder mentioned. It’s called ‘Sexual Masochism Disorder.’”
Soyoung flipped through the pages as she continued.
“It’s a pathological condition that appears when an ordinary person becomes deeply immersed in masochistic fantasies or experiences for six months or more.
The term ‘pathological’ means the condition is severe enough to go beyond what we commonly call the SM realm.
It’s finding pleasure in destroying oneself. A kind of self-destructive paraphilia, you could say.”
She opened the book to the page Jihye had been reading and showed it.
Even though it was clearly well-loved, the paperback pages were quite worn.
“This book is set in the old Western world during the era of slavery. It’s about a woman born into slavery who works as a maidservant for a married couple.
And this page depicts the scene where the wife, furious that her husband is having an affair with another woman, impulsively rapes the maidservant.”
“Haa… haa……”
The woman named Jihye’s breathing grew noticeably heavier.
Her shoulders trembled. Her ears flushed red.
Her hands kept fidgeting with the buttons of her shirt.
Soyoung closed the book and draped an arm around Nayun’s shoulder as she went on.
“Going back to masochism disorder… one might say it’s just masochism, but it’s a little different.
While regular masochism is considered innate, there’s a strong argument that masochism disorder is acquired.
I believe it’s not purely acquired, but rather a slight innate tendency that has been twisted and intensified in a very warped direction.
How warped can it get…? Jihye, would you show her?”
“…Yes.”
Tap. Tap……
As Jihye slowly unbuttoned her shirt and pulled down her pants, the sight that appeared left Nayun stunned.
“So what I’m saying is… the world isn’t only full of people who feel comforted by seeing you at rock bottom. There are also monkeys who, upon learning you’ve hit rock bottom, willingly choose to sink even lower than you. Like this one right here.”
Inside the pristine white suit were a bra and panties so filthy it was hard to believe they had ever been washed.
And from her chest all the way down to her calves, neat, easy-to-read writing in black ballpoint pen covered every inch of skin.
[I am Jihye, who from today will become Nayun-nim’s slave by order of Her Majesty the Queen.]
[From the moment I first saw this girl today, the thought of exposing these writings outside and submitting to her made me soak my pussy with juices since this morning.]
[I want to live being spoken to politely by someone fourteen years younger and being looked down on.]
[Iron wall against men, free pass for younger women.]
[At the company, the boss feared by all her subordinates.]
[I am grateful to Her Majesty the Queen for helping ruin my life.]
[I may be a pathetic masochistic spinster even more worthless than a bottom-dwelling bitch, but please take good care of me.]
[A woman who only has value at the company.]
[I am sorry for being such a worthless, brain-dead bitch who has no value as a woman.]
“When did you last wash your panties and bra?”
“It’s been… almost two months.”
“Hmm? How did that happen? Is that sanitary?”
“At that time, you told me not to wash them and to wear them… so I’ve only occasionally hand-washed them with water……”
“Did I say that? I vaguely remember saying something like that… but we haven’t been in contact even once since then. Don’t people usually take that as a joke if there’s no follow-up?”
“Even so… they were Your Majesty’s words……”
“That title is honestly terrible. I’m not a queen, and you’re in your late thirties. Aren’t you embarrassed using that kind of language?”
“I-I’m… sorry. Still, I couldn’t dare presume to call you by name or ‘unnie’……”
A woman who looked far stricter and more uptight than Soyoung was now completely flustered in front of her.
The curt tone and voice from earlier had vanished, replaced by a timid, fumbling woman.
Nayun’s mind went blank at the reality she couldn’t accept.
“Why sapphire for the earrings and necklace?”
“Because… lesbians often wear amethyst or sapphire……”
“What is that even supposed to mean? How pathetic.”
When Soyoung let out a small laugh, Jihye’s face flushed in direct contrast to the look in her eyes.
“Nayun, do you have any questions for Jihye?”
“Huh? Ah, yes?”
The moment Nayun fumbled in confusion, another knock sounded.
Knock knock.
Jihye asked for their understanding without any sign of panic.
“Just a moment.”
Soyoung gave a light nod.
Jihye gracefully buttoned her shirt, adjusted her pants, then answered the waiter in a calm voice.
“Excuse me. I’ve brought the tea.”
The door opened and the waiter pushed in a cart.
With practiced hands, she set the table and explained the menu.
The sandwiches are cucumber and cream cheese, smoked salmon, egg mayonnaise, and goat cheese with vegetables.
We have prepared plain and orange raisin scones, and the desserts are macarons and éclairs.
Sugar, milk, clotted cream, and jam have all been provided. Would you like me to explain how to enjoy them or the proper order?
“No, that won’t be necessary. I’ve had it many times before.”
Jihye answered in a businesslike yet polite tone.
Seeing how familiar she was with such formalities, the waiter smiled and bowed her head.
Understood. The tea can be refilled, so please ring the bell if you need more. Please enjoy your time.
After the waiter left, Soyoung took a bite of a finger sandwich. Nayun absentmindedly followed suit and took a bite as well.
“Aren’t you eating, Jihye… unnie?”
“I ordered it for the two of you, so I’m fine. And you don’t need to call me unnie.”
“Ah… um… yes… So how did you end up knowing this unnie?”
“You can speak casually to me. Miss. I first met Her Majesty the Queen… two months ago in the dungeon.”
“Dungeon……?”
“So you don’t even know about that……”
When Nayun showed confusion, Jihye’s expression grew even more excited. Soyoung explained.
“It’s a place where owners and slaves gather to play. It can also simply refer to a space equipped with SM gear.
A while back, unnie was supposed to meet someone and wanted to take me along, but she ended up unable to go.
She told me to go alone if I wanted, so I did. That’s when we met and played a little.”
“T-that kind of thing is what you call ‘a little’?”
When Jihye interjected in apparent panic, Soyoung rested a hand on her chin for a moment and tilted her head.
“Hmm? Jihye? I’m talking to Nayun right now. This isn’t your company, so how about you stop butting in where you don’t belong and shut your mouth? If you understand, don’t answer. Just quietly take off your clothes, bow to your owner, and stay like that. I guess being spoken to politely made you forget your place.”
“……”
Jihye remained silent for a moment, then removed her clothes, knelt on the floor, and bowed deeply toward Nayun, holding the position.
To Nayun, it was an utterly bizarre sight.
A private room in a clearly expensive, high-class tea salon.
The place was literally called “Lady” Grey, an elegant space, yet the oldest person who had paid money and reserved the room couldn’t even receive a single word of thanks. Instead, she was being humiliated.
A woman whose appearance, attire, and initial tone suggested she would never be looked down on anywhere in her life was now groveling at Soyoung’s words.
Nayun became even more afraid of Soyoung.
“Much better. Shall we continue? Nayun, do you have any more questions?”
“Kek, kehek! Yes, heh, kek! Yes?!”
Nayun couldn’t tell if the sandwich in her mouth was going down her throat or up her nose. She choked, hastily gulped down some tea to clear her throat.
“So… you… speak politely to Jihye… ssi?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“No, it’s just… unexpected. I thought you’d speak casually even to older people……”
“Ah… it’s nothing special… Jihye happens to be the exact same name as my mother. Different last name, though. It just feels wrong to speak casually to someone with my mom’s name. Otherwise, why would I ever speak politely to someone like her?”
Jihye trembled as she listened.
The reason she was spoken to politely had nothing to do with age. It was solely because of someone else’s mother’s name. The reason felt so utterly insignificant.
To Nayun, it was a strange, almost-understandable-yet-not reason that hung on a razor’s edge.
“And why… did you make me meet this person… this woman……?”
“Right. That must’ve been the biggest question. While you’re in the middle of being punished by me, why would I suddenly introduce a woman who says she wants to serve you? Oh, right. Jihye, since your true nature has already been exposed, you should greet Nayun properly again, shouldn’t you?”
“Hngh… Yes… My name is Jihye, and from now on I will serve Nayun-nim as my lady. Please… take good care of me……”
The moment Nayun heard Jihye’s greeting and saw Soyoung’s meaningful smile, she felt as if her senses were being torn apart.
The lighting was brighter than at home, soft music played, and the spaciousness vibrated around her.
Yet somehow, it felt narrow and dimly lit.
“Strictly speaking, Jihye doesn’t want to serve you as her owner. She wants to feel like she’s even lower than you. It may look similar, but it’s completely different, understand?
In other words… it means she needs constant confirmation that you are beneath her.”
Soyoung whispered into Nayun’s ear.
“So even if Jihye serves you as her owner, you’ll hardly ever have to directly torment her. Because I’ve set you up as the young lady who gets tormented in front of her own slave. I won’t be giving you the freedom to do that to her.
Your breasts, your pussy, your screams, your drool, your pussy juices, your tears… this woman will observe every single one in detail, listen carefully, assist you, and get aroused by it all.
What are you now? A heterosexual with a boyfriend? A findom?
No. You are now an existence that will be consumed with sexual desire even by a woman lower than you.
This is the future you chose today.
Isn’t it wise?”
The moment Soyoung finished speaking, Nayun finally understood what it meant for one’s mind to go completely white.
“Afternoon tea is over. Shall we go solidify your bond with your new slave?”