A Dangerous Temptation, A Promise Dyed in Crimson

Baek Kang-ho sharply observed Cheon Su-ryeon's face, pale with despair and terror, confirming his suspicions were correct. He pressed his interrogation even more brutally and relentlessly.

"Cheon Su-ryeon, where is the hideout of those disgusting rats? You must have been to their nest, haven't you? You had better spill it willingly. If you persist in this useless stubbornness, I will subject Hajin and Eun-hye to agonizing torture."

Yet, even amidst the extreme agony, Su-ryeon desperately clung to her consciousness. Unlike her previous hesitation, she answered without a moment's delay.

"I-I truly do not know that... I was dragged away with a hood over my head... I have no idea where it was..."

Reading the truth in Su-ryeon's unhesitating response, Baek Kang-ho curled his lips into a cruel smile, like a predator that had successfully cornered its prey.

"Well, yes, that does seem to be the truth... But it doesn't matter. Those foolish rats will have no choice but to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠desperately hover around this mansion to rescue you anyway. As they repeat their foolish attempts, it is only a matter of time before they leave a trail and fall into my trap. Hehehe..."

At Baek Kang-ho's cold declaration, Su-ryeon—whose beautiful body was stretched out upon the pillory—let out a desperate groan and pleaded under her breath.

"P-please... no..."

Her trembling voice was filled with a desperate yearning, worrying more about the danger facing the Revolutionary Army than her own current agony.

Meanwhile, Baek Jang-mi, who had overheard everything, was seized by shock and confusion.

'The Revolutionary Army...? You're telling me those rebels are still alive...?'

An inexplicable anxiety washed over her. It was a chilling sensation, as if an unseen darkness were quietly creeping in from afar.

But she did not know. She did not know that this very anxiety would soon tear down everything she had built, opening the gates to an irreversible catastrophe...

Deciding there was no ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠more information to extract from Su-ryeon, Baek Kang-ho slowly stepped toward her.

"Well then, shall we bring today's torture to an end?"

Despite the agonizing pain wracking her entire body, Su-ryeon let out a sigh of relief at his words.

'Ah... is it finally over... It hurts so much... It's so agonizing...'

Yet, Baek Kang-ho's cruelty knew no bounds until the very end. He ruthlessly grabbed the clamps attached to Su-ryeon's breasts and ripped them off without a shred of hesitation.

"Ahack!"

Su-ryeon screamed in tearing agony. From her nipples, where the clamps had been torn away, crimson blood sprayed like scattered red petals, flowing down without pause.

Paying no heed to her state, Baek Kang-ho next ruthlessly yanked out the devices stuffed inside her vagina and anus. In an instant, her body convulsed violently, and her suppressed screams finally burst forth.

"Aaaah! Ahack!!"

As if tearing away her very flesh, the dildo and anal plug were brutally ripped from her vagina and anus. Su-ryeon writhed in response to the horrific sensation, instinctively thrashing as if hugging the torture frame.

"Kyaaaak!! It hurts, it hurts!!"

Finally, as Baek Kang-ho unlocked the pillory, Su-ryeon let go of the final thread of consciousness she had been desperately clinging to and collapsed limply.

Her beautiful, naked body, left in ruins by the horrific torture, slumped to the floor like a red rose brutally snapped in half.

Su-ryeon's pale skin was smeared with crimson blood and sticky bodily fluids. Her neck and wrists, which had been bound to the frame, trembled faintly as they hung limp.

Hot tears streamed continuously from beneath her tightly closed eyelids, and only feeble groans escaped her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠torn lips.

Looking down at Su-ryeon, who lay miserably splayed on the cold floor of the Torture Chamber, gasping for breath amidst pools of red blood, Baek Kang-ho felt his suppressed desires boil over once more.

'Cheon Su-ryeon... To think she could look this beautiful even when so utterly broken... I can barely suppress the urge to pounce on her right now and ravage her to her very depths...'

The thick muscles of Baek Kang-ho's forearms twitched violently, and his bloodshot eyes gleamed like those of a starved beast.

Just then, Baek Jang-mi, who had been sitting in her chair, slowly stood up.

Her flushed face was filled with uncontrollable excitement and greedy lust. Swaying with a snake-like, seductive allure, she approached Su-ryeon.

She then carefully drew something from her small handbag as if retrieving a precious treasure, holding it out toward Su-ryeon. It was a red liquid contained within a transparent glass bottle.

Thick and viscous like the blood of a demon, the liquid boasted a bizarre beauty that seemed capable of consuming the very soul of anyone who looked upon it.

Barely clinging to her senses, Su-ryeon forced her broken body up, looking up at Baek Jang-mi with hazy, trembling eyes as she asked pitifully:

"M-Madam... what... what is that...?"

At Su-ryeon's weak question, Baek Jang-mi flashed a captivating smile. She then whispered in a soft, sweet voice.

"I simply cannot bear to watch Duke Baek Kang-ho's precious plaything lie there so miserably broken. Here, take it. This is a potion. A mystical elixir of healing. With just a single sip, your torn flesh will mend, your broken bones will knit back together, and all your pain will vanish as if it were a lie."

At Baek Jang-mi's words, Su-ryeon's eyes widened in disbelief.

"What...?"

Su-ryeon cautiously glanced at Baek Kang-ho, wondering if she was truly allowed to accept this elixir.

Though she had forced herself upright, her entire body still trembled with pain, and her pitiful gaze silently begged Baek Kang-ho for permission.

Looking down coldly at the trembling woman, Baek Kang-ho commanded ruthlessly.

"Take it, Cheon Su-ryeon. Do you intend to ignore the grace bestowed upon you by the Duchess?"

Having secured Baek Kang-ho's permission, Su-ryeon carefully took the red elixir with trembling hands.

For a brief moment, she stared blankly at the mysterious red liquid, as if it were a single ray of light discovered in the pitch-black darkness.

After a moment's hesitation, she slowly uncorked the bottle and brought the elixir to her lips.

Gulp!

As the thick, sweet liquid moistened her parched lips and slid down her throat, an incredible miracle occurred.

As if time itself were winding backward, her torn flesh began to knit together, and the ceaseless bleeding ground to a halt.

The horrific agony vanished as if it had all been a lie, and her body was completely restored, looking as pristine as if she had never been harmed in the first place.

Su-ryeon stared blankly at her own naked body, her eyes wide with sheer disbelief.

Her skin, once stained with crimson blood and sticky ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fluids, was now smooth and clean. Not a single trace remained of the wounds torn and punctured by the torture devices.

A faint flush returned to her pale cheeks, and a subtle smile played upon her tightly closed lips.

Overcome with emotion, Su-ryeon spoke to Baek Jang-mi.

"Madam... to give me such a precious medicine... Thank you so very much..."

In contrast to her sinister smile, Baek Jang-mi replied with mock humility.

"Oh, think nothing of it... Let's just call it a reward for putting on such a stimulating show for me."

Yet, despite her miraculous physical recovery, a deep shadow of sorrow still hung over Su-ryeon's face.

For her heart was heavy with worry over the fate of the Revolutionary Army, now that Baek Kang-ho had caught wind of them.

Though the horrific and brutal nightmare of the Torture Chamber had drawn to a close, Su-ryeon was sinking into yet another abyss of deep despair.

Baek Kang-ho personally walked to the mansion's main entrance to see Baek Jang-mi off.

Meanwhile, as Baek Jang-mi made her way back to her own estate, the intense memories of being forcibly ravished by him the previous night tangled with the horrific torture she had witnessed today, slowly coaxing her suppressed desires to the surface.

She was now deeply fascinated by the man named Baek Kang-ho, seized by a dangerous craving to make him entirely her own. With a face flushed red like a young girl in love, Baek Jang-mi bid him farewell.

"Your Grace, thank you for gifting me such unforgettable, overwhelming thrills—from the ecstatic memories of last night to the exhilarating spectacle of today."

Meeting her sultry gaze, Baek Kang-ho smiled with deep satisfaction.

"I, too, found my time with you to be immensely pleasurable, Madam. Our bodies and minds are in perfect harmony. It is truly a pity that such a captivating woman happens to be the widow of Hwang Min-ho..."

At his words, Baek Jang-mi's heart fluttered even more violently.

She was overwhelmed by the urge to surrender her entire body to his rough touch once more, and by a deep reluctance to part ways like this.

Approaching him with a gaze that was both bashful and provocative, Baek Jang-mi breathed her hot breath into his ear, whispering secretly.

"Um... if it is alright with you, may I come visit Your Grace again...?"

Baek Kang-ho felt a surge of intense excitement at her bold question. He replied in her ear with a low, seductive voice.

"You are welcome anytime, Madam..."

Feeling a thrill run through her entire body at his sweet whisper, Baek Jang-mi did her best to hide her reluctance as she bid him goodbye.

"Then, Your Grace, though it pains me, I shall take my leave..."

As he saw her off, Baek Kang-ho gestured to Butler Alex, who stood beside him.

"Alex, see to it that the Duchess is escorted safely back to her estate."

At Baek Kang-ho's command, Alex bowed, replying with an expressionless face.

"Understood, Your Grace. Madam, please step into the vehicle. I shall escort you home."

Alex then opened the rear door of the luxurious black sedan and politely gestured for Baek Jang-mi to enter. Before stepping inside, she cast one last lingering, longing look toward Baek Kang-ho.

"Then... farewell..."

Her voice was thick with regret and fluttering anticipation.

Once Baek Jang-mi was inside, Alex took the driver's seat and smoothly started the sedan.

Watching the sedan recede into the distance, Baek Kang-ho wore a sinister, peculiar smile, like a predator that had successfully snared a dangerous prey.

His bloodshot eyes were filled with anticipation for the horrific yet sweet plans that would soon unfold.

<Illustration generated by AI>