90. What's going on?
90. What's going on?
Sa Ma-yeon sharpened his senses.
'One gak eastward after moving, then half a sichin north...'
Sa Ma-yeon was estimating his destination purely by sensation.
Sa Ma-yeon, dangling limply from someone's shoulder.
He could feel it... the approximate distance they'd traveled so far.
-Tak! Hwi-ooo!!
'The distance between buildings is short!'
He could feel the wind and the sunlight tapping against his back...
'This is the Eastern District... Hoo, I think I know which household hired them... Heh heh heh...'
Above all, it was a familiar scent.
Even with a sack over his head, some smells no one could forget.
'The smell of the Eastern District. Heh heh...'
Sa Ma-yeon's chest warmed with nostalgia.
There was no way he could forget this place where he'd been born and raised.
That floral drying scent from the dye shop over there.
The savory aroma permeating the market—yakgwa! That's right, they're frying yakgwa...
Heh heh, yakgwa is Sa Ma-yeon's favorite food since childhood, this very body of mine...
-Cheolsseok!
Sa Ma-yeon reminiscing on that happy moment.
She snapped back to reality from the stinging sensation on her cheek.
"Churreureup! Wh-what?"
It was confusing. The sensation of his body moving vanished in an instant, and even the smells that convinced him it was the Eastern District were all gone.
More than that, he couldn't even remember what he'd just been thinking.
Suddenly sensing where he was being taken?
If that were possible, Sa Ma-yeon wouldn't have been captured so helplessly.
'Uh, th-then... where am I? Ever since that Demi-human hit me...'
Forcibly sorting through his muddled thoughts, someone pulled the sack off Sa Ma-yeon's head, blocking his view.
-Hwik!
"Puha! Uh... uh uh..."
The moment his vision cleared, what he saw were pink eyes glowing brightly in the darkness.
He looked down. The Demi-human who had kidnapped him was firing off light damage from her hand.
-Weeeng weeeng weeeng
Pink energy rippled, warming his body once more.
It seemed the power that plunged him into delusion was that very thing.
"W-wait! Hey, you piece of shit, what's going on here..."
The pink-eyed Dark Elf furrowed her brow as if annoyed.
"...You're noisy."
"Hup... S-sor, sorry..."
Sa Ma-yeon, having quickly assessed the situation, clamped his mouth shut.
From her tone, she didn't seem like the type to answer anyway.
If she wanted to kill him, she'd have done it already—why bother showing him hallucinations and keeping him around?
Sa Ma-yeon simply stared blankly at the Dark Elf, feeling that fuzzy, drowsy sensation.
-Weeeng weeeng weeeng
"...?"
"......?"
The two tilted their heads at each other.
Instead of the silenced Sa Ma-yeon, the elf spoke up.
"Why aren't you sleeping?"
"M-my cheek stings..."
"...I just saved you from becoming a wreck..."
Watching the somewhat timidly excusing Dark Elf, Sa Ma-yeon thought.
'...She looks ripe for the plucking.'
She hits me and then acts sorry? When she's in the absolute dominant position?
And if she wanted me asleep, just knock me out. What's with this warm, ticklish feeling...?
Sa Ma-yeon cracked a slight smile.
'She's a pushover.'
The conditions for a pushover are ridiculously simple.
Someone who throws money around like water? Someone who squeezes out cash from nothing? Someone who keeps getting screwed over and over?
All good, but the ideal pushover is...
'A nice girl...'
A nice person being a pushover—what a humanity-shattering irony.
But society has always been like that. Nice people always end up a step or two behind the assholes.
Sa Ma-yeon was an expert at sweet-talking such nice people.
Right now, the tongue that had planted an Inner Demon in the Heavenly Demon's mind began to move.
-Weeeng weeeng weeeng
"A nostalgic... power, isn't it..."
At the suspicious remark, the Dark Elf's movements halted abruptly.
"Wh-what..."
'She's hooked.'
In that instant, dominant and submissive flipped.
From kidnapper and victim to a sympathetic Demi-human and someone who seemed to know her story.
Most Demi-humans had sob stories, so he'd just glossed over it...
"D-do you know this power?"
Perfect.
Sa Ma-yeon had zero intention of giving up what he wanted easily. Abso~lutely not.
"Oh, it's nothing. Just..."
There are two ways to annoy someone.
The first is to trail off mid-sentence...
Sa Ma-yeon gave a wistful smile.
"Never mind."
The properly hooked Dark Elf pounded her chest.
-Puk! Puk!
"Explain it in detail. Or else..."
"Heh heh..."
"...? Why are you laughing?"
"No, you just... remind me of someone."
"??!????!"
Staring at the Dark Elf gaping at him...
"Ugh, forget it. What am I even..."
The Dark Elf finally lost her patience, her eyes blazing with fury.
"You bitch! Talk now or..."
At that moment, footsteps cut off the Dark Elf's words.
-Ttakak ttakak ttakak ttakak
"...Kuh! For now, just do as you're told, bitch."
"Huh? What do you...?"
"Shut up. They're coming."
Sa Ma-yeon thought.
There's no way I'd die here.
If anything... this could be an opportunity?
And so the door opened...
'That person...? Tsk... Huh?'
-Chiiik!!
"Huaaaang!!♥♥ Haa... haa... hoo..."
Arin let it all out in a refreshing burst.
Arin stared at her swollen, burst fingers, sinking into a brutal post-nut clarity.
"...... Haha."
How did things end up like this...
Before meeting Ryu-o, she'd only masturbated once or twice during heat.
Now, just thinking of Ryu-o made her womb shoot up~ and clench.
Then plunge down~ like falling into an abyss, driving her insane.
Just eye contact with Ryu-o and it throbs erect; it felt like her body had warped to match his.
Always ready for her husband anytime.
Her body reacting only to this man's seed, no exceptions.
"Haha..."
As a woman, it was an embarrassing sight.
Her womb dropping anytime, anywhere, turning her into a slut in heat.
Exactly the type of woman men hate.
"How did I end up like this... hee hee..."
Even if men hate it, so what.
Her husband already loves her.
She'd only lent him to a glory hole for a little bit... just a tiny bit.
But she was the one he truly loved, so it was fine.
"This is bad..."
Arin felt a crisis about herself, constantly thinking of Ryu-o awake or asleep.
Her life felt like it wasn't hers anymore, but Ryu-o's.
That feeling...
"Wasn't bad."
It wasn't unpleasant—that was the problem.
Ryu-o was clearly weaker than her, yet he felt so reliable...
Thinking of Ryu-o who would return soon, Arin got up.
"Ugh... at least clean the room..."
-Arin-nim~! Arin-nim!!!
"Hm?"
Arin's sharp Ki Sense picked up voices calling her.
Focusing her Ki Sense, she sensed people gathered where Ryu-o was calling a carriage.
Wondering what was up, Arin quickly changed clothes and headed out.
-Shik! Hwoong!
She arrived without taking many steps.
Duchy knights were stationed around, calling her name.
"Arin-nim! Where are yo..."
"What's going on."
"Huurp!"
The knights freaked out at Arin's silent appearance.
The knight calmed his startled heart in an instant and shouted.
"Arin-nim! Ryu-o-nim is currently suffering Mana Backflow..."
"Location!"
Arin cut off the knight and growled.
"Tell me the location now..."
"Duchy manor medical roo..."
-Hwoong!
"m..."
Arin raced to Ryu-o at unprecedented speed.
His pitch-black insides laid bare—that was the color of the Wonhongju.
Cheon Hwa-ryeong smirked at the glass of Wonhongju.
"Ha... hee hee hee..."
Just looking at this booze made her think of that guy.
Sniffing this aroma felt like being in his arms.
Drinking this booze made her imagine sucking and licking with him...
-Tak!
Cheon Hwa-ryeong slammed the glass down roughly and started venting her frustration.
"Kuhuk! To think this seat would become so pathetic..."
The glass hit the floor without spilling a drop.
Cheon Hwa-ryeong's gaze was stolen by the glass again.
"When will he come..."
She too thought of Ryu-o constantly, awake or asleep.
The memories that had shredded her heart—Ryu-o had cleared them all.
"...Gulp!"
After fiddling with it forever, the drink she finally downed was warm from her own body heat.
It felt like this warm sip was seeping into the gaping wound.
"Huu... Feels good."
Of course, she meant Ryu-o felt good.
Good. So good it drove her mad. She hated the bastard for awakening these feelings, but loved him to death.
Thanks to Ryu-o, even Woo Ho-beop's voice gnawing at her mind started sounding different.
[My lord... why not visit a brothel and have some fun. Watching you, it seems you'll fall ill before this old man does.]
"Ha..."
Right, memories with Woo Ho-beop weren't all painful.
Realizing how to love desperately made her finally understand she'd been loved.
A child who'd never given anything now finally got it.
"Was I too late, Woo Ho-beop?"
Sorry, Woo Ho-beop. Now I finally understand you.
Why you wailed about the grand cause on your deathbed, something I didn't even care about.
Why you looked at me so straight.
That wasn't a face of fear.
It was worry... yeah...
You loaded a heavy lead weight on me so I wouldn't float up to heaven.
So I'd keep my feet on the ground a little longer...
Cheon Hwa-ryeong squinted and pulled up the corners of her mouth.
"Woo Ho-beop. Don't worry. There's a lead lump in my chest now... Pfft! Keh heh heh heh! I'll be a bit late."
As Cheon Hwa-ryeong poured another glass and went to drink...
-...Ma... yeon!
-Heavenly Demon... yeon!
-Please, respond!
"......??? Huh?"
No, who the hell had the guts to seek me out like this.
Grudge?
If it was a grudge, they'd smash the gate or assassinate me stealthily.
The only one with ties now was that guy...
Cheon Hwa-ryeong, about to down the glass, froze.
No matter how she thought...
"Jang Ryu-o...?"
Her blood, dyed warm, turned ice-cold in an instant.
Cheon Hwa-ryeong headed outside in a flash...
"Heavenly Demon-nim! Please respo..."
"Jang Ryu-o."
"Hup... Heavenly Demon eternal..."
"Is it Jang Ryu-o?"
"Yes... Allow me to explain."
"Location."
"Western Duchy villa..."
-Hwiing...
"..."
If even Ryu-o gets ripped from Cheon Hwa-ryeong's life, nothing would be left. Nothing.