Ep.4 - Clash (1)
Ep.4 - Clash (1)
Ppudeong-
Delin, who had been dragged around mindlessly after getting caught up in the women's fight, was suddenly sent somewhere.
If there was a silver lining among the misfortune,
it was that, even though he fell from about head height, there happened to be water below so he wasn't hurt,
and that the water was quite warm and fragrant... at least that much?
"Ppuhat!"
Thrown into the water at an unexpected moment, he floundered and lifted his head out of the water in a hurry.
Warm, humid air traveled up his nose and reached deep into his lungs. The sensation of the extremely fragrant and clean water wasn't so bad.
"Ahuu... What now..."
Delin, now quite accustomed to these incidents happening in quick succession, turned his head this way and that to look around.
The first thing that caught his eye was the fragrant water in which his own body was soaking.
The water had a lovely ruby hue, and flowers matching that color floated on the surface.
'What is this...? Is it like a bath?'
As he lifted his head and looked around, luxurious white walls and ceiling stretched out softly,
and when he looked closely around the bath, several candles were lined up in a row, and it seemed a sweet, cozy scent was coming from them.
But putting all that aside...
"..."
Delin gulped nervously at the presence he felt behind him.
He could tell it was a luxurious bath, but if the water was heated so warm and scented candles were lit...
there must be someone using it.
Delin slowly turned his head to face the bath's owner.
"..."
The bath's owner was gazing quietly at Delin, holding a flower in her hand.
'Fu-fuck...'
What should he say?
No, should he just run first?
...fuck. He couldn't even run because of his ankle.
Gulp-
Delin swallowed again and immediately opened his mouth to grovel pathetically, saying, 'I absolutely didn't come in on purpose...! Could you please just spare my life?'
However, before he could even open his mouth,
the woman sitting across from him, who had a mysterious air, gently extended her index finger and placed it over her own lips.
Shhh-
At that gesture, Delin's body stiffened again. The woman's indescribable atmosphere prevented him from daring to act against the gesture.
It wasn't magic.
It wasn't magic, but the unique atmosphere and pressure that only she possessed.
"Hmm..."
The woman soon slowly lifted her body out of the water and settled onto the steps provided inside the bath.
The ruby bathwater flowed down the curves of her body,
her brilliant golden hair trailing softly over her collarbone and chest.
Noble.
The very word itself seemed to have been created just for her.
Delin, already bending his knees inside the water, waited for her reaction, trembling.
Though Delin had come from another world, his mind had already painfully realized the gap in gyeok. Even though he came from a world without any gyeok system, the aura the woman exuded was of a different gyeok.
A woman who gave the feeling that every single aspect of her upbringing and experiences was qualitatively different, [all without exception]...
In front of this golden-haired woman where even daring to lift his head felt presumptuous, Delin lowered his eyes...
No, lowering his eyes would be like blatantly staring at her submerged genitals, so he turned his head to the side to avoid [a rude act] and prayed she would show a generous response.
'Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease...'
He had no idea why he was suddenly sent to a place like this,
but first, not committing any more discourtesy toward that noble-like woman was the priority.
Because, a noble was originally someone who never stayed alone but was always attended by all sorts of servants...
Knock knock-
Because the moment she just opened her mouth, he could be dragged out and his neck placed on the guillotine immediately...!
"Ee, eek..."
At the sound of a polite knock from beyond the door, Delin's fear got the better of him.
The only method he could choose was to grovel frantically before the woman in front of him so he wouldn't be dragged out and beaten by those servants!
"S-sorry..."
However, the woman lifted her index finger once more, and with her gaze she dared Delin not to open his mouth, sealing it shut. Her elegant, impeccable gesture was not something he could dare defy.
"Today the water is especially nice, so I shall soak a bit longer before leaving."
The woman said, and as if in answer, a voice came from outside the door.
"Understood. As you wish."
She crossed her legs in the water and gazed intently at Delin. Her emerald-like green eyes lingered on Delin for quite a long time.
'Di-did she help me...?'
Delin felt relieved at the thought that he had caught a break. He must have avoided immediate hardship. The woman seemed to have shown consideration by preventing the servants from entering.
But also, quite perplexingly, the woman neither spoke nor moved; she simply sat still and watched Delin. Thanks to that, Delin also couldn't lift himself out of the bath or move, so he ended up just enduring her gaze in his naked state, unable to do either.
'Wh-why is she just staring so intently like that?'
She wasn't blushing at the sight of his alluring body, nor was she angry at the one who interrupted her own bath...
She was just sitting still and watching Delin. That act was making Delin squirm like a mutt that needed to pee, but she didn't care one bit. No, perhaps she was enjoying it.
The woman's gaze lingered for a long time on Delin's face, which was flushing as red as the water's color from the heat of the bath and his anxiety. For a long while.
Then she finally opened her mouth, letting the flower she held float back onto the water.
"Today seems to be a day when many unexpected things happen. With so many piled-up tasks, I shall need a massage once I finish my work."
Her words were not directed at Delin. Therefore, Delin kept his mouth shut, and instead, a woman behind the door answered.
"As Your Majesty wishes..."
'Queen? She called her Queen?'
Delin repeatedly mulled over the word 'Queen', staring at the woman with wide eyes.
A queen!
Could it be the queen whom Neva served?
No, maybe I was sent to a different country...
"Yes. Yes... There was no day that made me think as much as today..."
The queen slowly stood up. Once more, bathwater flowed down the beautiful curves of her body.
She took step after step, slowly walking toward Delin, and with her movement, circular ripples spread across the water.
"..."
The ripples touched Delin's chin and neck. And by the time the ripples drew close enough to wet the corners of his mouth, the woman called the Queen had already gently placed her hand on his head.
"Have you subdued them for certain?"
"Yes, certainly. However, there seems to be a dispute over the ball, so I dare to report that it would be right for you to hear their stories and decide."
"I see. Very well..."
The queen's pubic area was placed right in front of Delin's face. Delin tried desperately not to react, but a man's eyes inevitably turn toward a woman.
"Huhu. Cute. Cute..."
"Pardon?"
The voice from beyond the door sounded flustered.
But before that voice could question the queen again, the queen completely left the water, walked lightly to the door, and spoke there.
"Wash the child in the tub and bring him to the bedroom."
As the queen's voice sounded, the door opened. Outside, numerous women were waiting to apply oils and various nourishing creams to the queen's body after her bath.
"A child? What are you saying..."
Among them, one elderly woman who looked the most advanced in age didn't understand the queen's words and peered into the bath.
"Oh, oh my goodness!"
The elderly woman who made eye contact with Delin there was instantly startled and fell right on her bottom.
"What in the! Guards, what in the world were the guards...!"
"It's fine. Enough talk. Just wash that child and have him seated in the bedroom."
"Pardon!? Y-your Majesty! Queen Your Majesty!"
The women wearing maid outfits also buzzed in great surprise.
It was not only shocking that a man had dared to enter the bathroom, which only [the Queen] could access, with no other passageway,
but now Her Majesty the Queen was summoning that man to her bedroom?
"What do you mean by that? We don't even know who that person is, how could..."
The elderly woman who seemed to be the head maid shook her head vehemently as she spoke to the queen. The other maids, and even the guards who had rushed over, agreed with her extremely normal reaction, but...
"Daphne. You're quite talkative today, aren't you?"
At the queen's single remark, the air instantly froze. The elderly woman called Daphne hurriedly knelt and bowed her head, the other maids applied their prepared things to the queen's body with trembling hands, and the guards gulped and stepped aside.
"I will hear the story directly, so don't make a fuss and wash him right now. My head already aches a lot... Don't make it ache more, will you?"