Chapter 212
Chapter 212
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Oblivious
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"Mm..."
How long had it been since I'd slept so deeply and woken up feeling this refreshed?
Ever since Master arrived, I'd been dealing with those nighttime escapades and hadn't gotten a proper night's sleep. At least three days, for sure.
I finally got some solid rest, my mind snapping back to reality as I started the day...
"Awake now?"
"?"
Why was I hearing Master's voice again?
Didn't I sleep alone last night?
The moment her voice came from the bed, my senses sharpened in an instant, and I reflexively clutched the blanket around me.
"Oh, not today!"
"...What are you suddenly going on about?"
"D-Dream-talking is one thing, but between master and disciple, this kind of...!"
...Huh?
Come to think of it, her voice wasn't right next to me—it was coming from a bit farther away.
I cautiously opened my eyes and looked toward the sound. There I was, alone on the bed...
"Did you have some weird dream or something? What do you mean, 'our relationship'?"
"...Uh."
Master herself was standing perfectly fine by the bedside, looking down at me—not sleeping beside me at all.
"...Why are you over there?"
"While you were passed out drunk, didn't you ask me to stay by your side?"
"Did I...?"
At that moment, last night's events flashed through my mind like a montage.
Just one more drink, I'd said—and then I'd gotten so wasted my tongue was twisting.
-Drip, drip
"Y-You must have misunderstood. I don't remember anything like that."
"If you're going to say that, at least stop breaking out in cold sweat and averting your eyes."
"Agh, just forget it!"
Who wouldn't be embarrassed by drunken antics like that? I'd thought my tolerance was ironclad and kept pouring it down without a second thought.
No matter how strong you are, chugging like that will get anyone smashed.
"Whatever dream you had, now that you're up, come out and wash up. You reek of booze."
"...Couldn't you say it a little nicer...?"
"If you want to wash together, I won't stop you."
"I'm going to wash up!"
I bolted upright with speed that belied just having woken up and dashed to the bathroom.
In case Master followed, I scrubbed as fast as possible and emerged to find the living room empty, save for a short note—Master and Dang Ayoung must have gone out again.
Well, not entirely alone; there was one person here...
"...Aren't you bored being tied up like that all the time?"
"I-It's my fault I'm tied up... If I think of it as training..."
"Sigh..."
I was still conflicted about what to do with the Sword Empress's disciple.
She definitely had ties to my past self, but I'd lost those memories before hearing the full story, turning me into a 14-year-old kid in my head.
The Sword Empress hadn't elaborated on her disciple, and considering she'd died over ten years ago, she probably wasn't a model student. Still, a disciple was a disciple.
I couldn't just handle her roughly. Assuming she was telling the truth, mistreating an innocent 14-year-old felt wrong.
"...Can't untie you. But if there's anything you want, say it. Like food or something."
"R-Really?"
"We'll talk details when the Sword Empress returns... but for now, since you say you're her disciple. And I'm not promising everything—just stuff that's not too hard."
"Th-Then... there's something I'd like to ask..."
I figured it'd be snacks or something simple, but her request veered way off course.
"...Scratch my back, please."
"Eh."
.
.
.
"A bit to the right from there... Yeah. Right there."
"..."
"Ahh..."
Her name was Han Soyeon, right?
She looked so pleased she even half-closed her eyes, letting out contented sighs.
'What kind of favor did I think this was gonna be?'
It was off my expectations, but not a tough ask.
Even if she was a girl from outside, inside she was just a 14-year-old kid.
Tied up like that, she couldn't reach herself, and with the hot weather, she was probably sweaty. So I agreed to scratch her back.
It's not a dangerous spot or anything.
"...Doesn't it hurt?"
"No pain, don't worry..."
'She really looks blissful.'
How itchy must it have been for a simple scratch to get this reaction?
Come to think of it, she probably needs a bath too.
I'd heard high-realm experts purify their own impurities, but from what she'd said before, she was just first-rate. Too early for that.
...Obviously, I wasn't bathing her; I'd leave it to Dang Ayoung.
No matter the inside, she wasn't a toddler—14 was way past the age for a guy to wash her.
And even if her mind was fully childish, her body was fully adult, making it awkward for me all around.
...A figure that could slap most grown women three times over.
'The opposite of Yeo Sochen.'
If this woman had a kid's mind in an adult body, Yeo Sochen had an adult mind in a kid's body. That's how I'd see it.
...Though with Yeo Sochen, it only held up looking at her face and height.
First glance, you'd think girl—but drop your eyes, and confusion hits.
Adult who looks like a kid? Or kid who's matured fast?
I leaned toward the former.
The latter wouldn't fit; she was too developed for that.
And this woman in front of me now? Her figure was no joke either.
'Are sizes like this that common in this world?'
Something felt off, mixing me up.
By my knowledge, most were average East Asian builds, yet freakishly busty women kept popping up around me.
After over ten years with Master, even I saw "normal" women as less womanly—but to average folks, roadside stares and double-takes were guaranteed.
'...Not that it's a bad thing.'
This woman—Sword Empress's disciple or not—I swore to the heavens I had zero interest in pursuing anything romantic. Still, just looking was a feast for the eyes as a man.
What.
A little peeking's fine.
Honestly, any man who could look away here has issues downstairs.
Can't ogle openly if it'd creep her out, though.
"Think I've scratched enough now. Any other itchy spots?"
Anyway, time to wrap this up.
"Ah... Then the front side a bit..."
"Front...? Hold on..."
I took her words as a request to move and shifted to face her directly.
The instant I raised my hand without thinking, something felt wrong.
"Waitwaitwaitwaitwait."
"Wh-Why?"
"The front of your back means the chest and stomach side, right?"
"Right...?"
"This girl's lost it."
Trying to pull that off so casually.
"I let my guard down thinking her mind was childish, and she slips this in so naturally. Impressive."
"Sl-Slip what?"
"Asking to scratch the front means chest or stomach."
"Y-Yeah?"
"Even so, asking a guy for that..."
...I stopped mid-reprimand.
"????"
That innocent face screaming "What's the problem?"—with literal question marks practically floating—it hit me something was off.
So I decided to confirm.
"L-Let's think about it. Scratching means touching, right?"
"Yeah...?"
"So me scratching your chest means touching your chest?"
"Yeah...?"
"..."
What the hell?
Even at 14, shouldn't there be basic sexual knowledge?
Living life, you'd pick up stuff around you—this should obviously be embarrassing...
'Oh.'
Forgot.
She was taken in by the Sword Empress and raised at Mount Hua.
That explained it.
She'd mentioned barely seeing peers lately, so her only teacher for this(?) stuff was the Sword Empress.
...Who didn't strike me as the sex-ed type.
"D-Do you not want to touch my chest?"
"...No, it's not that... I mean, that's not the point..."
"T-Truly, my body grew so suddenly... It wasn't this big before... It's awkward, and sweaty, and I can't wipe or scratch it... Since you're already scratching my back, I thought you'd do the front too..."
"No, quiet down first. This is dangerous."
"Why's touching my chest...?"
"I said quiet!"
What's this kid-minded girl spouting!
Is she trying to end the world or something!
If it's ending, it should've ended because of me ages ago, but anyway!
"...Sigh. Listen up. That's a precious spot you don't let just anyone—especially the opposite sex—touch casually."
I resolved to give her a quick lesson to prevent repeats.
"Why...?"
"You'll need it later if you have kids... And men are sensitive about that stuff."
"Sensitive how...?"
"Uh... Gets you horny... Like, wanting to touch more..."
"So Yuseong wants to touch my chest?"
"..."
Why does it connect like that?
"If you want to touch, go ahead! S-Since I'm tied up for my crime and can't wash myself, do whatever to my body..."
"..."
No, of course I want to touch.
No matter my situation, male instincts aren't that easily tamed—or I wouldn't be in this mess.
But this was a hard no.
Problems galore: kid mentality, Sword Empress's disciple, my own romantic overload barely contained from exploding...
"...Just tell Dang Ayoung when she gets back. Might as well wash then."
"Th-Then at least wipe the sweat..."
"Nope. No means no."
"Hing."
After successfully schooling the clueless girl, I breathed a sigh of relief and thought about cleaning the house today—
-Bang!
"We're back! Ran almost half the day without rest, starving—so food first..."
"Gonna... come in..."
-Halt.
Two familiar voices rang out.
I turned my head like a rusty gear creaking...
"...Master?"
"...Soyeon?"
Before I could react, the two had already locked eyes.