27. Beer

"I will keep that in mind, Master-nim.

However, the gratitude I feel right now

is not a lie."

"That's proof that you're broken.

Just take off your collar."

"Master-nim. To be honest,

even if I'm freed later,

I think I'd want to see you again."

"You're broken too.

We've only spent two days together.

You lost your virginity to me, not even your boyfriend,

and you were beaten like a dog just a moment ago.

Conditioning isn't called conditioning for nothing."

Shin A-yeong's expression stiffens.

"Master-nim. I'm more scared right now

than when you were punishing me earlier."

"Of course. During the punishment, I was just playing a role,

but this is sincere.

You two need to distinguish between sincerity and roles, too.

From now on, I'm going to demand a role like a lover.

Dress up prettily for me and entertain me.

You're allowed to enjoy those demands, too.

I'm going to prepare various things for you.

Accept them ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and enjoy them.

Like a girlfriend receiving a gift from her boyfriend.

You're both worn out, so you'll probably be happy.

But you mustn't forget.

That it's a role, not your true feelings."

I drew a line with them.

"You don't have to give us gifts,

so can't we just stay as your slaves, Master-nim?

What you're saying right now

sounds like no matter how happily we spend our time,

you could throw us away at any moment."

For the first time, Shin A-yeong's voice turned cold.

"I can promise you one thing.

As long as it's within my power,

I won't hand you over to the Organization or

anyone else."

"Thank you, Master-nim.

Since you tell us to distinguish between roles and sincerity,

what is it that you wish for us to be?"

"Someday, when your slave period ends,

I want you to stand on your own as human beings.

Even if your slave period ends while your hearts are still slaves,

you won't be able to be free."

The two women fall silent at my words.

Meanwhile, Shin A-yeong suddenly runs up to me

and hugs me ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tightly.

"Punishment time is over, so I'm allowed to hug you, right?"

"Ask before you hug me."

Shin A-yeong hugs me so tightly

it feels like she's going to pop me.

"Master-nim is the scariest person.

You're really tormenting me the most.

Please go easy on me.

Until now, I thought being abandoned by you

was the scariest thing, more than any conditioning or

bullying.

But right now, it's even more painful than that."

I pat Shin A-yeong's back.

"We know, too.

That we're not normal.

You see, when I get slapped, I get wet down there.

I'm already broken, that's true.

So just pretend to be a good Master-nim.

Don't bring me back to reality.

Don't give me hope."

Shin A-yeong sobs.

Things that shouldn't be said as a slave come pouring out.

"Just pretend to be a good Master-nim,

and you can throw me away later,

just don't give me hope.

If you bring me back to reality now,

I won't be able to endure life from here on out."

They knew it, too. They knew, but they looked away.

But it was a conversation that had to be had.

"I know this is much harder.

But, this has to be done."

"I don't want to,

I'd rather just live as a slave until I die!

If you don't want to kill me,

let me live here even after my slave period ends!!!"

"A-yeong-ah. Your mom is waiting for you."

At my words, Shin A-yeong wails.

She cries like crazy.

She's crying as if she's trying to let out

all the tears she's held back at once.

I have no talent for comforting crying women.

All I can do is pat the back of

Shin A-yeong, who is clinging to me.

"A-yeong-ah. Master-nim is right.

Do as Master-nim says."

Kim Hyeon-ah says to Shin A-yeong while taking off her collar.

"Hyeon-ah-ya. You're the same.

No, you're even more severely broken than A-yeong."

"It's fine, Master-nim.

Even if I return to society,

there is no one who remembers me.

My place is here."

"Don't give up.

It's strange for me, someone much younger than you,

to say this, but your life isn't over yet.

Someday, I want to see you standing proudly on your own outside.

I don't know if you'll meet me,

but when that time comes,

I'll call you Hyeon-ah noona,"

She says with a bitter smile.

"That's impossible, Master-nim.

And I won't be happy even if you call me noona."

"I know. That's why I'm going to call you that."

"It's already too late for me. I'm completely broken.

Both body and mind.

It's not too late for A-yeong yet.

Please, I beg you to take care of A-yeong.

In return, even after my slave period ends,

I will serve you for the rest of my life."

"No, I'm going through all this trouble to make you independent,

so why does everyone want to stay put?"

"For now, there is still an incredibly long time left.

Let's talk about it again when that time comes."

"No, if we keep going like this and wait until then,

it'll be too late!"

"We need time, too.

Until then, please let us rely on you and follow you,"

I thought that if I talked about their independence,

they would be happy and I might even get some happiness points.

But they are incredibly stubborn.

"Alright. Let's think about it slowly."

Only then does Shin A-yeong let me go.

Behind the annex, in the shower room, they wash each other.

Every time the water touches their wounds, they flinch.

I dry off roughly,

and put on the clothes I had left in the annex.

I tell them not to wear the kimonos but to carry them and follow me,

then head to the incinerator.

"Just asking in case,

do you have any memories or attachment to those clothes?"

"They say these are expensive clothes."

"I know, but I really want to burn them.

Do you like those clothes?"

"No. They are clothes that only have unpleasant memories."

"They're hard to wash, hard to wear,

and uncomfortable to move in."

"Let's burn them."

At my words, they put the clothes into the incinerator.

I flip the switch, and flames rise up.

It must be a fairly expensive piece of equipment,

as it's said to turn off automatically once everything is incinerated.

"It feels like playing with fire."

"Let's try having a barbecue or

a campfire or something later."

"Are we going to live naked for a while now?"

"Follow me."

We go around to the main building's dressing room.

Two sets of tracksuits I had thrown in the room.

"I bought pink and black.

Who wants to wear the pink one?"

"Me!"

Naturally, Shin A-yeong takes the pink.

As I hand them over, they put the clothes on with excited faces.

"Hey, wait. What about underwear?"

"Are you not buying us underwear?"

"How am I supposed to buy that?

Where did those diaper-like things you were wearing go?"

"We burned them. They were a set with the kimonos."

Good grief.

"Fine. Just go no-panties and no-bra for today."

"Should we just stay naked for today?

I'm worried the new clothes might get dirty...."

"Do whatever you want.

Dinner time has passed, let's eat some snacks."

"Yes!"

Shin A-yeong, who was bursting with emotions earlier,

has returned to her original self.

Changing so quickly, Shin A-yeong must be acting out her role as well.

I put down some simple snacks and beer on the floor.

"Do you know how to drink beer?"

"I can't, because I have bad drinking ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠habits."

"Drinking habits?"

"Last time, I got drunk and tried to run away over the wall,

but I got caught. I was beaten like a dog."

Shin A-yeong's words are somewhat funny yet strange.

"Have you ever drunk alcohol since coming to this house?"

"That human stuck a funnel in A-yeong's anus

and poured whiskey in."

"You get drunk from that?"

"I heard that the rectal mucosa absorbs faster than the oral cavity."

"That's A-yeong for you.

Even drinking alcohol through your asshole.

Beer is carbonated, will you be okay?"

"You said you wouldn't talk about that area earlier,

and then you spanked my butt!"

"Oh, did I?

When I think of Shin A-yeong,

the first impression of that area is just too strong...."

I joke around, open a beer can, and hand it to her.

"Drink. I welcome you to run away, so don't worry."

"Ugh. I'm going to drink this all and

then throw up while sucking Master-nim's cock."

"Then I'll sleep with Hyeon-ah today."

I open a beer can and hand it to Kim Hyeon-ah as well.

"Thank you, Master-nim.

Please forgive me if I get a little messy."

"I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠do want to see you a bit broken.

Just not that aegyo."

Like the eldest in this group,

she laughs it off.

"Probably, unless something special happens,

I'll do the punishment about once a month."

"That seems too little."

"The number of punishments isn't what's important.

It's what you think of me.

How is it? Do I look the same as I did this morning?"

"Honestly, I was a bit surprised.

Even though you said that,

I thought you'd just hit us and be done with it.

It was really painful having you hit Hyeon-ah omma instead of me."

"I also learned today that the Master-nim I serve

is a scary person.

I never even imagined there could be someone scarier than that human."

They must be talking about after the punishment ended.

They must have found my sincerity much scarier than the punishment.

"Anyway, on punishment days, no dinner.

That night, rest without service.

Sleep until lunch the next day."

"Yes?"

Shin A-yeong is surprised.

"Why?"

I don't understand Shin A-yeong's reaction.

"No, you know our bodies well.

You get us all worked up and then tell us to just sleep?"

"Recover first. I'm not running away."

"I think sleeping with Master-nim would be faster for recovery?"

"No way. Sleep quietly today.

Don't think useless thoughts."

"Is morning service also forbidden?"

"Yeah. Wake up at lunch.

I'll make food, so if you want to eat, get up and eat."

"Yes. Understood."

"Wow.... That's unfair.

You two had sex earlier, and now you're telling only me to just sleep."

"That was impulsive for me too."

"Then let's do it impulsively right now.

I'll go easy on you."

"I'm hurt by that, so no. You brat."

We drink beer while having small talk.

"We talked about it briefly earlier,

but let's talk about the future.

First, the basics: morning is housework.

Afternoon is cultural life."

"What should we do for cultural life?"

"Exercise, watch movies. Or study.

First, you guys exercise. I will too.

I like pretty women."

"I don't really know how to exercise?"

"Just watch YouTube and do it."

"Yes. Understood."

"And let's go out together the day after tomorrow."

Their expressions change at my words.

"What kind of outing?"

"Just shopping.

Maybe eat out while we're at it."

"Yes. Understood. We will prepare."

"Prepare, my foot.

You only have one set of clothes...."

The drinking session is slowly coming to an end.

Since I ordered Shin A-yeong, who has bad drinking habits,

to sleep alone today,

I wrap up the drinking session so she doesn't overdrink and attack me.

Tomorrow morning, furniture will arrive at the main building,

and once the materials are delivered, the renovation will begin.

They will sleep in the annex today.

It was the end of a day I had been most worried about

and looking forward to since before moving into the mansion.