Chapter 55
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Yun Seri (2)
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“Agh... my head...”
Was she reacting too sensitively to the unfamiliar bed? Yun Seri clutched her throbbing head and rose from her spot.
“Tch, she looks like she has plenty of money, so why not spring for something better...”
Even as she cursed her worthless disciple who always gave her nothing but worry, undeniable affection shone in her eyes.
She had followed her longtime comrade into this godforsaken country after so many years, all for that disciple's sake.
'At least she seems to be doing well.'
She appeared to have decent friends, and despite her attitude, her abilities were solid enough to keep a cute boy around.
Her master, on the other hand, hadn't so much as laid eyes on a man in all those years.
'...Thinking about it like that kinda pisses me off?'
To put it crudely, her lofty master was spinning cobwebs down there, while her disciple was sucking and biting at some guy every single night.
'If she finds out, it'll ruin my image...'
She had acted like a worldly woman full of experience around her disciple. If the truth came out—that she was still a virgin—the look on that brat's face was all too easy to imagine.
-Eh? Master, you're still a virgin?
She'd definitely say it with that ridiculous smirk. That was exactly her personality.
...No way. She couldn't let it slip. Swallowing her mounting impatience, Yun Seri eyed the faint presence approaching from beyond the door.
“...Ah.”
“...What's the matter?”
Yun Seri wasn't so warped that she'd snap at a boy she'd just met for the first time. She put on a smile and faced him.
“Um... the big sisters told me to come see you...”
“...Big sisters? Ah.”
It had to be her disciple and her friends. But why?
'...Did I come off too harsh to a stranger, so now they're pushing this kid out as a shield?'
Fair enough—she had been a bit short-tempered. After dragging herself all this way, her disciple had lunged at her over a little prank, and the one she'd raised had rebelled after all these years apart.
Looking back now, it wasn't even worth getting annoyed over. Yun Seri let out a quiet inward sigh.
“Well? Got a message for me?”
“Huh? No, um...”
Meanwhile, Sado Yun stepped cautiously into the room and swallowed hard, recalling what Han Yu-rim had told him.
'Sh-She definitely said she loves being praised... right?'
Han Yu-rim had said Yun Seri enjoyed bragging about her exploits and skills, so a bit of flattery while listening would be more than enough.
“Um... Lady Yun Seri, I've heard so much about you...!”
“...Really?”
Sure enough, Yun Seri's eyes began to sparkle faintly.
“What, what did you hear?”
“Um... that you're an incredibly amazing person... basically the key player in the North-South War.”
“...Hmph, hmph!”
So there was some payoff to raising that disciple after all. Her disciple must have boasted about her to this boy.
Of course, the truth was it was just superficial knowledge crammed into him in the few hours she'd been asleep, but Yun Seri had no way of knowing that. She patted the bed where she'd been lying and beckoned him over.
“Come on, have a seat? Don't you want to hear about that time?”
“Uh... yes!”
As Sado Yun scurried over and sat on the bed, Yun Seri scooped him up like a puppy and pulled him under the covers.
“...Ah.”
“More comfy this way?”
“...Yes.”
It was only natural she'd be thrilled to have someone to gush to after so long. There was a cup nearby—left by Han Yu-rim, no doubt—which she used to wet her throat before launching in.
“Where should I start? The push into Pyongyang? Or reclaiming Baekdu Mountain?”
“Uh... all of it!”
“Hehe, you got it?”
Sado Yun secretly swallowed, newly impressed by his own improved acting skills.
'...You know what that person said back then?'
“Uh... what'd they say?”
“Sacrifice for the country.”
“......Pardon?”
Had he misheard? As Sado Yun tilted his head, Yun Seri giggled as if to confirm he'd heard right.
“Ridiculous, right? It wasn't some outpost reclamation or diversion op. Even in that mess, they couldn't part with their pet and threw it into the meat grinder.”
“Uh... sounds like a bad person.”
“Yeah, total bad guy.”
Yun Seri recalled that moment—the absurd order from above.
-Pardon? Save a dog?
-Not even a person, a dog of all things...
“And get this—it was a general who gave the order.”
Too embarrassing to just say 'save it,' so they'd claimed the dog held state secrets.
“Wow...”
She stifled a laugh at the boy's wide-eyed disbelief.
“So... did you actually save it?”
“Nah. Na Hye-eun and I just picked it up and bolted.”
“Uh... huh?”
Wasn't that treason? Especially in wartime. Sado Yun tilted his head.
“Straight-up refusal of orders. Waste ten percent of our forces on one dog? We were winning, sure, but that crossed the line.”
“Aha...”
It was still mutiny, of course. Even now, it made her blood boil. If she'd meekly followed orders back then, she'd regret it forever. Better to get arrested than throw her comrades into hell for something so stupid.
“It's ancient history now... but man, it was fun back then.”
“...The war?”
“Huh? No, not that.”
Ahem. She forcibly swallowed a cough.
“Not to get all sappy, but those days were full of life. Lots of danger... but it kept you motivated.”
“Ah...”
He didn't seem to get it at all. Fair enough—for a little boy, it was probably hard to relate. A woman might understand.
'Hmm... he's no good at other stories.'
Awakeners revered the strong, so war tales usually held their attention rapt.
Of course, Yun Seri didn't know it was really fear of a beating that kept them listening.
“Got any other stories you wanna hear?”
“Huh? Uh... what about that special forces unit from back then...”
“Uh, yeah?”
Flustered, surprise flickered across Yun Seri's face.
“W-Well, see...”
Back then, she'd held a fairly high rank—one that let her witness how those men were dragged in and what was done to them.
“...It was an unavoidable call. Na Hye-eun and I never took their 'help'... but we won the war thanks to them.”
Unavoidable. Sado Yun let out an inward sigh.
'Oops, shouldn't have said that...?'
This kid might get disappointed and leave. Desperate not to ruin her rare fun, Yun Seri floundered for words.
“B-But I opposed it, okay? Like I said, we didn't take any help from those men, so...”
“...Yeah, I'm fine.”
Truth was, Sado Yun couldn't care less what she'd done to them—or any men conscripted in that war.
'As long as it's not me.'
He'd been dumped in this world out of nowhere; feeling any loyalty would be weird to begin with.
“R-Really...?”
But Sado Yun's reaction didn't sit well with Yun Seri. His face and eyes seemed a touch more distant than before—blatantly disappointed—and his softer voice came off like disgust toward her.
'If I'd actually done it, at least I wouldn't feel so wronged...'
For the umpteenth time: she was a virgin her whole life. Getting misunderstood for something she hadn't done—what could be more unfair?
'Hang on, this kid...'
Not on purpose, but in her fluster, she'd flung her senses wide open. Details she'd ignored moments ago flooded in vividly.
'...He does it with those women every day.'
Seductively charged gaze, flawlessly smooth and soft skin without a hint of fuzz. Glossy pale-pink lips and a fragile frame that seemed like it'd shatter under rough handling.
And...
'I-Is that really...?'
A massive thing dangling between his legs, utterly mismatched with his small frame. It was more than enough to rattle a woman with zero male experience.
“...Gulp.”
“......?”
Yun Seri swallowed without thinking, and Sado Yun gave her a knowing look.
'G-Get it together. No matter how desperate, I can't touch my disciple's man...'
Unaware her old comrade had wrestled the same urge before finally giving in for relief, she summoned her last scraps of willpower and held firm.
“...Aren't you gonna tell more?”
“Huh? Oh, uh... yeah. What story next...”
And then that voice—thin, laced with coquettish allure.
'...Can't waver.'
Get a grip. Taboo feelings aside, the stares from her disciple, her friends, her comrade afterward—that was the real issue.
Among Awakeners ruled by instinct, Yun Seri prided herself on her strong reason.
“Uh... Lady Yun Seri?”
As she comforted herself and fought it down, that slender, seductive voice tickled her ear again.
“...Ah.”
She should've sealed her senses ages ago. Why had she left them open until things got this bad? Instinct supplied the answer.
“...This is your fault.”
“......Huh? Eek?!”
She seized the questioning boy's wrist and shoved him flat on the bed.
“W-What the...?”
Pretending to be pure when her body was already filthy beyond saving?
“You're the one strutting around with such a lewd body and vibe...”
“That's—ngh, wait just a sec... Ah...”
Pouncing outright wouldn't be hard, but botch it and she might get counterattacked in the confusion.
Viscous mana spread in an instant, blanketing the room.
'This should hide it.'
Na Hye-eun might suspect, but she'd dialed it back as much as possible—should buy some time before she noticed.
“Your fault. I was holding back fine...”
“Th-This is...”
And above all, the real culprit wasn't her—it was this cheeky boy. If he hadn't tempted her, none of this would've happened.
“Haa... haa...”
Her ragged breaths brushed Sado Yun's ear as Yun Seri finally extended her clutches toward the small, fragile boy.