Sadist and Masochist
Overwhelmed by worry and bewilderment at Su-ryeon's incomprehensible decision, Abel cried out in an agitated voice.
"No! Why on earth would you do that?! You've only just escaped that demon's clutches. Why would you go back to that living hell?"
Abel protested vehemently, utterly unable to accept it. Risa, too, gazed at Su-ryeon with eyes full of deep concern and sorrow, trying desperately to persuade her.
Su-ryeon opened her mouth, her voice trembling as she addressed Abel and Risa, who were looking at her with such pity.
She bit her lower lip, trying desperately to hold back her tears, but the profound sorrow and pain in her eyes could not be hidden.
"If I... don't go back... the people I care about... will suffer terrible agony in my stead..."
At Su-ryeon's deep compassion and self-sacrificing spirit—worrying about the safety of others before her own suffering—Abel and Risa were struck with awe and profound emotion.
They thought she was indeed a true lady, inheriting the noble bloodline of the prestigious Duke Cheon Tae-hyeon, and felt a deep reverence for her sublime character.
Nevertheless, Abel pleaded earnestly to persuade her.
"My Lady! Please, think about this once more! If you willingly return to that demon's den now, there is no way the ruthlessly cruel Baek Kang-ho will let you off easily! Horrific torture and humiliation surely await you!"
At Abel's words, goosebumps broke out all over Su-ryeon's body as horrific memories of the past—the dark, damp Punishment Room and the painful afterimages of the lash—flashed through her mind.
Yet, she forced down her terror and spoke firmly, her gaze resolute.
"Even so, I must return. I will go back there and protect my precious people in my own way. Please, put aside your worries for me for a moment, and ensure that the horrific caste of the Sex Slave is abolished from this kingdom forever. I beg of you."
At words so strong and full of resolve—unbelievable coming from the mouth of the fragile, delicate Su-ryeon—Abel and Risa froze, barely able to breathe.
Su-ryeon stood up unsteadily, speaking with absolute finality as if she would brook no further opposition.
"I am returning to Duke Baek's Mansion immediately. The more time is wasted, the more danger those I left behind will face."
Faced with Su-ryeon's unyielding determination and desperate plea, Abel and Risa realized they could no longer hold her back. A profound sense of sorrow and helplessness washed over them.
"If that is your choice, then I will escort you as close to safety as possible," Risa offered.
Su-ryeon forced a faint smile and thanked her. However, her trembling fingertips and pale, bloodless face betrayed an undeniable terror and sorrow. Unable to bear the sight of Su-ryeon looking so precariously fragile, Risa turned her head away.
"Then... please follow me..."
Risa's steps as she led the way were incredibly heavy.
Inside the dark, silent car, Risa gripped the steering wheel with her mouth tightly shut, staring straight ahead, while Su-ryeon sat quietly, gazing out into the darkness beyond the window.
In the quiet space where only the faint hum of the engine echoed, a heavy silence hung tautly between them.
Utterly unable to comprehend Su-ryeon's choice, Risa finally spoke, her voice cautious as if releasing the emotions bottled up by her frustration and sorrow.
"Even now... wouldn't it be better to turn back?"
Su-ryeon shook her head, her response firm and unwavering.
"I cannot..."
Unable to hold back any longer, Risa raised her voice slightly.
"No, I simply cannot understand! It has barely been a month since you were dragged to Duke Baek's Mansion! Does it make any sense to throw away your entire life and walk back into that horrific hell for people you've only known for a single month? Please... think about this again!"
Despite Risa's agitated tone, Su-ryeon remained unshaken. She looked at her with a complex gaze mixed with sorrow and affection, murmuring softly.
"Whether it was a month or a single day... they are precious people who leaned on each other to survive in that place. I... can never abandon them..."
The faces of Eun-hye and Hajin flickered in Su-ryeon's mind. Their despairing eyes and earnest voices echoed in her ears.
Faced with Su-ryeon's unyielding resolve, Risa could say nothing more. Overwhelmed by sorrow, anger, and helplessness, she bit her lip, her grip tightening on the steering wheel.
And so, like an unstoppable destiny, the car carrying Su-ryeon sped through the pitch-black darkness, heading back toward that horrific hell: Duke Baek's Mansion.
Beneath a magnificent chandelier, Baek Kang-ho and Baek Jang-mi were enjoying an elegant dinner at a table laden with rare delicacies.
Yet, behind the smiles playing on their lips lay a hidden, intense craving for the passionate tryst that would soon consume them.
Baek Kang-ho seemed to have temporarily forgotten his anger and sense of loss over losing his favorite 'doll', Su-ryeon; his gaze was fixed entirely on the 'Goddess of the Continent', Baek Jang-mi.
Even as he sliced into his premium porcini steak, he appeared restless, utterly captivated by her voluptuous figure.
Even the sound of his knife scraping against the plate seemed to echo his impatience and fierce desire.
Baek Jang-mi, too, was helplessly enthralled by Baek Kang-ho, whose solid muscles and beast-like wildness radiated across the wide table.
Sipping fine red wine with delicate movements, she slowly traced his taut, tense muscles and burning gaze.
Her eyes indulged him as if a soft feather were tickling his powerful physique, and a secretive, provocative smile deepened at the corners of her mouth.
The vast dining table only served to emphasize the distance between them, heightening the tension, while her red lips gleamed seductively, heralding the wild night to come.
Finishing his meal while struggling to suppress his mounting excitement, Baek Kang-ho endeavored to maintain a gentlemanly demeanor until the very end, offering Baek Jang-mi some dessert tea.
"What kind of tea do you prefer for dessert, my lady?"
But Baek Jang-mi, burning just as hot as Baek Kang-ho, responded to his polite offer with a provocative smile, tempting him with a sultry gaze that seemed to pierce his very depths.
"No tea for me. Instead... I would love to see your bedroom."
At Baek Jang-mi's bold seduction, Baek Kang-ho swallowed hard, sensing that there was no longer any need to wear a mask. He whispered in a low voice thick with dark desire and uncontrollable anticipation.
"Then... there is no reason to delay. Let us head straight to my room, my lady."
A moment later, as they walked toward his room with Baek Kang-ho leading the way, their footsteps synchronized with the thumping of their racing hearts.
Finally arriving before the firmly shut door, they faced each other, searching each other's eyes amidst a suffocating tension and a strange sense of anticipation.
Opening the door with a sly look full of dark lust, Baek Kang-ho stepped inside and whispered to Baek Jang-mi.
"This is my room. Do you find it to your liking, my lady?"
Baek Jang-mi stepped inside slowly, scanning the room. The luxurious yet restrained arrangement of the furniture and the immaculate tidiness were quite different from what she had expected.
With a sultry gaze and a meaningful smile, Baek Jang-mi spoke in a peculiar tone.
"Contrary to your reputation, Duke Baek, your room is remarkably... orderly."
Tilting his head at her cryptic remark, Baek Kang-ho asked,
"And what exactly is my reputation...?"
For a brief second, Baek Jang-mi's face flushed as if she were shy, but she quickly pressed on with bold confidence.
"You are... famously rough, even among the nobility."
At Baek Jang-mi's candid and provocative words, Baek Kang-ho let out an awkward, slightly flustered laugh. However, his eyes were already burning with uncontrollable desire.
Not missing his reaction, Baek Jang-mi struck right at the heart of the matter with an even bolder, more suggestive tone.
"Tell me honestly, Duke Baek. You are... a sadist, aren't you?"
At her blunt question, Baek Kang-ho felt his blood boil, his entire body heating up intensely. Yet, he fought to maintain his composure, clearing his throat while feigning a gentlemanly smile.
"Ahem..."
Without averting his eyes from her provocative gaze, he replied in a low, firm voice.
"Well... perhaps one could say that. But it always depends on who my partner is."
Baek Kang-ho added in a gentle tone,
"Do not worry. For you, my lady... I shall be as gentle as possible."
At his cautious words, Baek Jang-mi shook her head languidly, gazing at him with dizzy, dreamlike eyes, as if intoxicated by a crimson poison.
"No, Duke Baek... gentleness no longer stimulates me at all. Because of my late husband, Hwang Min-ho, who forced the same bland, predictable nights on me under the guise of cherishing and protecting me, my senses have long since gone completely numb..."
Baek Kang-ho could not hide his astonishment at her shocking confession. Yet, at the same time, hearing such candid, bold words spill from her red lips unleashed a beastly, violently surging greed within him. His heart pounded furiously, and the veins across his body throbbed as if they might burst.
With flushed cheeks, Baek Jang-mi flashed a provocative smile and whispered, her breath hot against his ear.
"The truth is... I am a masochist. You are the perfect man for me. Tonight, unleash the savage instincts sleeping inside you to your heart's content. You can strike me, scratch me... I do not even mind if you ravish me like a beast."
At her explicit temptation, Baek Kang-ho reached the peak of arousal, nearly losing his mind, but his last shred of reason worried for her safety.
"But... if you were to get hurt, my lady..."
Sensing his hesitation, Baek Jang-mi reached out with a slender finger, gently pressing it against his hot lips, and smiled seductively once more.
"I have a Potion that can instantly heal any wound. So do not worry, and unleash your most savage desires upon my body to your heart's content."
Her voice wormed into his ears like a forbidden crimson fruit, threatening to shatter his remaining sanity.
Baek Kang-ho's eyes grew as sharp as those of a starving predator, and he whispered in her ear in a low, husky voice.
"In that case, we will need an even more special place for our special night."
He walked slowly toward a stone statue standing in a corner of the room, his hands moving with practiced, eerie precision as he secretly manipulated a specific part of it.
Then, as if a door to a hidden world were opening, an unbelievable sight unfolded before them. The solid wall slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a secret, hidden chamber shrouded in pitch-black darkness.
An obscene atmosphere hung heavy in the air, as if suppressed desires and dangerous pleasures were swirling within.
[Illustration generated by AI]