The Gisaeng’s Repayment (3)
"If Your Majesty were to take a consort..."
Jusang stared intently at Han Sujin’s face as he answered.
"Even though I am but a lowly creature, how could I, as Your Majesty’s humble servant, not rejoice at the birth of a foundation for the nation?"
[FALSE]
"You are lying to me right now, here in the royal court."
[DESIRE: I wish Han Sujin would be jealous of me.]
[DESIRE: I wish Han Sujin would cling to me, begging me to look only at him.]
"Your Majesty, are you not aware that I can see your heart?"
"And you, are you not aware that I can see your lies?"
Breath. The scents of the two of them mingled heavily in the air of the room.
"What is it that you wish to do with me, Your Majesty?"
"I wish for you to vanish from my sight forever."
[DESIRE: I want to keep Han Sujin by my side forever.]
"If that is what Your Majesty commands, then I, too, desire that."
[FALSE]
"How could I ever love a man like you, who speaks only with a silver tongue and lives by lies?"
[DESIRE: I want to kiss Han Sujin.]
"Hearing you say that, this lowly one is so filled with fear and awe that I know not where to put my body."
[FALSE]
"Are you not afraid of me?"
[DESIRE: I want Han Sujin to fear me.]
[DESIRE: I want Han Sujin not to fear me.]
"I am afraid. But I am also not afraid."
"..."
No [FALSE] tag appeared. Then, which one was the truth? 'Both, perhaps.'
The woman brought her face close to the man's.
"Why are you afraid, and why are you not?"
"If you only had the heart to do so, Your Majesty could tear this lowly one apart while I still breathe. How could I not be afraid?"
"Then why are you not afraid?"
"The answer to that..."
Han Sujin took Jusang’s hand. He pulled it and pressed it against his own cheek.
"Your Majesty, why do you think that is?"
"...I asked you. Not the other way around."
"As a noble ruler, how could Your Majesty kill a person so recklessly?"
It was a roundabout way of saying, 'You love me too much to kill me. Therefore, there is nothing to fear.' Jusang clicked her tongue.
"Han Sujin. You truly are a treacherous, wicked, and cunning creature."
"Since the character for 'wicked' (邪) has appeared three times, shall I call myself 'Triple-Wicked' (Sam-sa)?"
"That wickedness is within your heart, so call yourself 'Heart-Wicked' (Sim-sa)."
"If so, the sound is the same, so how about using the character for 'thought' (思) instead? 'Heart-Thought' (Sim-sa)?"
The character for 'thought' (思) also carries the meaning of love between a man and a woman. As one can tell from its use in the word 'longing' (사모).
"Then, Heart-Thought, who is the object you long for with all your heart?"
And before he could answer, she hurriedly continued.
[DESIRE: I want Han Sujin to tell me he loves me.]
[DESIRE: I am afraid that Han Sujin’s true feelings might be different.]
"Do you wish to become my Queen?"
Han Sujin leaned his cheek further into her hand. He could feel the smooth skin of her cheek against his entire palm.
"Your Majesty, do you wish to make me your Queen?"
"...No."
[DESIRE: I want to make Han Sujin my Queen.]
"Then, this lowly one does not wish to become Your Majesty’s Queen either."
[FALSE]
"..."
"..."
The man who saw all desires and the woman who could see all lies stared at each other, and then—
"Heh-heh."
"Hah-hah."
As if they had planned it, they burst into laughter at the same time.
"So, do you want to be Queen?"
"Your Majesty, do you truly wish to make this lowly one the greatest man in Joseon?"
"You are wicked. Didn't you seduce me first? You are my Mo-xi, you are my Daji."
"Has my plan to turn Your Majesty into King Jie of Xia or King Zhou of Shang been discovered? You should hurry and build a grand, magnificent palace, tear down the Seonggyungwan, and recreate the 'Forest of Meat and Pool of Wine' in its place. I also recommend establishing an office called the 'Heungcheong' to recruit beautiful young men and handsome men from all over the land of Joseon as gisaeng."
"Your creativity is truly something. Tear down the Seonggyungwan? Establish an office to recruit gisaeng?"
Jusang suppressed her laughter, shaking.
"Where did you come up with such wicked thoughts? Are you truly a beast that rose from the earth to bewitch me?"
Han Sujin smiled faintly without a word.
"You."
Jusang pinched Han Sujin’s cheek.
"Do you wish to draw closer to me, or do you wish to move further away?"
"Do you wish to keep me by your side, Your Majesty, or do you wish to cast me out?"
"Both."
"The same goes for this lowly one."
"If I choose one side, will you also choose only one?"
"Yes."
"...That is not like you. A man who usually replies with two, no, five words for every one I speak, and now you say just a single 'Yes'?"
"..."
"...You detestable creature."
Jusang grabbed my chin.
"I shall grant you a punishment drink. Open your mouth."
As I followed her command, between her lips—
"Mmm..."
Clear saliva flowed from her mouth into mine. It tasted as if it had condensed Jusang’s scent, mixed with a hint of alcohol. It was faintly sweet.
"What are you doing? Did I not say it was a punishment drink granted by your King?"
Gulp.
"Well, how does the taste of 'Dragon’s Saliva' (Yong-yeon) suit you?"
"It is fragrant."
Thwack.
"You filthy, lowly, lecherous thing. Why is that not a lie right now?"
Thwack.
"You lecherous thing. You are a man truly mad for women. I must keep you by my side to correct you myself. I shall keep you close until that disgusting lust of yours disappears."
After hitting me herself, she began to stroke the very arm her fist had struck.
"...Does it hurt?"
"...Heh-heh."
"What is so funny?"
"As expected, Your Majesty possesses the qualities of a tyrant."
"You are truly dying to die, aren't you?"
"Did I not already tell you how I wish to die?"
"You filthy, lecherous thing. Why did I ever pick up such a creature, only to end up in this state?"
Jusang embraced me. The soft body of a woman pressed against me.
"Like a grain of rice stuck to the sole of a foot, you have no intention of falling away from me. You lecherous, wicked thing..."
"Your Majesty."
"..."
"You know it well. To keep me by your side, you must make me your Queen."
The only move I could make right now was to have her take another man as her primary spouse and bring me in as a concubine. But that would mean her heart had been mine from the start. The Queen, left like a discarded sack of barley, would find the concubine highly displeasing. To the point of wanting to find a fault and kill me. Of course, I had no intention of dying so easily, but it was a fact that I would be in danger. However, making me Queen was...
"...A difficult task."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
I knew it. She knew it. It would be difficult even if I were just a commoner. But I was already a man who had worked as a gisaeng. Moreover, the name of the gisaeng Seon-wol was already far too famous.
"If you were to force it through right now, countless memorials would surely rain down."
Especially from the two clans that had originally been candidates for the Queen, and those who had formed political alliances with them. It would be almost the entire court, and almost all the local Confucian scholars.
"Therefore."
This time, I cupped her cheek with my hand.
"You need only clear the grounds for such a thing beforehand, and then take this lowly one as your consort."
Political opposition could be cleared away in advance through agreements with those politicians. And there was a way to handle my lowly status as well.
"Your Majesty."
I proposed it from a distance where I could whisper of love.
"Please continue to use this commoner as you have. Please drive me into dangerous tasks."
"...!"
As expected, her mind was brilliant. Even with those words, Jusang understood.
"Are you asking me to give you a chance to earn merit?"
"You guessed correctly, Your Majesty."
The representative way for a commoner to become a free citizen, or for a commoner who could not pass the civil service exam to become a nobleman. It was to earn military merit (Jeon-gong). There was no method of social advancement more certain, or one that others could not find fault with.
A commoner could not become a Queen. If so, one simply had to earn merit first and be freed from commoner status.
"...Han Sujin."
Jusang closed her eyes.
"You are truly an interesting man."
"Hearing you say that, Your Majesty, why am I so afraid?"
"Are you asking me to drive you into the jaws of death to save you?"
This time, Jusang pressed her cheek against my palm.
"Very well. I shall drive you into the jaws of death. Crush the demons that torment the people, and let their corpses be the path before you."
"Yes—"
"I have not finished speaking."
Jusang grabbed my hand, brought it to her mouth, and bit it.
"Ugh."
It didn't draw blood, but it was enough to leave a bruise. Even then, she loosened her strength and gnawed, spreading a sweet stimulation.
"And, you must return without fail."
She glared at me.
"If you cannot return, I shall personally whip your corpse. I will strike it not three hundred, but five hundred times, and even then, my grudge will not be appeased. I will shatter both your soul and your spirit into pieces so that you may never find rest even after death. Therefore."
Jusang’s face came even closer. Her teeth bit into my collarbone this time.
"You must never, ever die."
"...I shall obey that command."
"..."
Jusang’s teeth bit into my neck this time.
"Ugh..."
The ticklish sensation of her front teeth. Goosebumps rose along my spine. Because of the position, Jusang’s soft breasts were pressed against my body.
"But Han Sujin. I heard something strange."
"What might that be?"
"They say that to the two warriors I sent with you, you personally played an instrument and sang for them?"
Her red eyes flashed.
"Is this true?"