The Fallen Goddess's Embrace, The Conqueror's Raging Desire
The next day, Baek Jang-mi lay in bed, still unable to shake off the shock, refusing to eat as illness took hold of her. Rather than grief over the news of her husband Hwang Min-ho's assassination by the Revolutionary Army, her mind was consumed entirely by the outrageous truth: the shameless bastard had gambled away this entire historic estate.
How dare that shameless wretch! To deceive me and gamble it all away! And to use this mansion as collateral! Her beautiful face contorted with a mixture of fury and despair.
It was at that very moment that a loud commotion erupted outside the mansion. The sounds of a violent struggle, muffled screams, and angry shouts echoed through the halls.
Despite her throbbing headache, Jang-mi managed to drag herself out of bed. Stumbling, she threw open her bedroom door and stepped out into the corridor.
"What is all this racket?!" she shrieked in irritation, but the sight greeting her outside froze the breath in her throat.
Her butler, pale as a ghost, was desperately trying to block the entryway. Unfamiliar men were barging past him without a shred of hesitation, slapping papers stamped with vivid red seals onto every surface. The crimson ink burned into Jang-mi's eyes like fresh blood.
The butler cried out, struggling in vain to hold them back. "You cannot do this! Leave at once! How dare you trespass on the Duchess's private property!"
But the men posting the red seals paid no heed to his pleas and resistance. Instead, one of them snapped back in a cold, merciless voice, "We are the Imperial Bailiffs. Are you attempting to obstruct the official business of the Imperial Court? No one who challenges the authority of the Empire will be spared!"
At the mention of the Imperial Court, the butler flinched, his spirit instantly broken. He could no longer bring himself to block them, a look of hopeless resignation washing over his face.
The moment a paper bearing the red seal was slapped ruthlessly onto the grand marble pillar right before her eyes, the sheer shock overcame Jang-mi. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the floor.
"Duchess!" her maids shrieked, rushing forward to cradle her pale face and support her limp limbs, desperately carrying her back into the bedroom.
Hot tears—a volatile mix of rage, despair, and humiliation—streamed endlessly down Jang-mi's cheeks. Her once-magnificent mansion was now defaced with red seals, casting a grim, deathly shadow over the entire estate.
A short while later, Baek Kang-ho's luxury sedan glided to a halt in front of the mansion's main gates. Alex, who had been at the wheel, stepped out first to open the rear door. Kang-ho emerged from the vehicle, his posture impeccable.
Adjusting the collar of his pristine formal suit, a subtle, sinister smile playing on his lips, he prepared to walk toward the entrance. But at that moment... his sharp eyes caught sight of a group of men pouring out of the mansion's front doors.
Kang-ho's brow twitched slightly as he recognized their uniforms. Those are... the Imperial Bailiffs? Don't tell me... already?
Eager to confirm his suspicions, Kang-ho strode inside. As he walked down the grand marble corridor, his eyes fell upon the hideous red-sealed papers slapped across every corner of the house like splatters of fresh blood.
Plastered ruthlessly over the exquisite wallpaper and antique furniture, the crimson seals laid bare the tragic fate of the estate.
The moment Kang-ho took in the scene, he realized the situation was far more dire than he had anticipated. With Hwang Min-ho dead and his estate on the verge of being seized by loan sharks, Baek Jang-mi had lost everything. She had plummeted straight into the abyss.
Yet, remarkably, there was no trace of shock or pity on Kang-ho's face. Instead, a wave of profound satisfaction and sadistic anticipation washed over him. Scanning the red seals with his coldly glittering eyes, he mused to himself:
My, my... Baek Jang-mi is ruined far sooner than I expected. But this is actually for the best. She is now a fragile creature with absolutely nothing to her name. I read the desire in her eyes that night. Now, she will have no choice but to cling to me. The 'Goddess of the Continent,' Baek Jang-mi... It will be so much easier to bring her to her knees now.
A chilling, twisted smile spread across his face. A thrill ran through his entire body at the thought of having Baek Jang-mi—now nothing more than a hollow shell—completely under his thumb.
Just then, Jang-mi's despairing butler spotted Kang-ho entering the foyer. A flicker of desperate hope ignited within him. Scrambling toward Kang-ho as if greeting a savior, he bowed deeply.
"Your Grace... you have arrived?" His voice trembled with a fragile thread of hope and sheer desperation.
Kang-ho met the butler's anxious gaze with cool indifference, asking in a calm, authoritative tone, "Where is the Duchess?" Though his expression remained stoic, a dark, secretive anticipation gleamed in his eyes.
The butler's shoulders slumped even further. "The Duchess is... she collapsed from the shock and is currently in her bedchamber..." His voice trailed off, thick with sorrow and helpless confusion.
Kang-ho fell silent for a moment. Then, a peculiar, distorted smile touched his lips. Like a grandmaster who had just seen every piece on the board fall perfectly into place, he commanded in a low, resolute voice, "Lead the way." There was not a shred of hesitation in his tone.
The butler bowed and led the way. Kang-ho followed him down the corridor defaced by the hideous red seals. His stride was leisurely, but his heart thrummed with a quiet, thrilling vibration.
Baek Jang-mi, the Goddess of the Continent... I wonder what kind of face she will make before me now that she is broken and powerless. He could clearly picture the scene: appearing before her at her absolute lowest, asserting his absolute dominance over her.
The blueprint was already perfectly drawn in his mind, and he was taking his time to bring it to life. As they drew closer to the bedchamber, a deeper, more secretive darkness pooled in his eyes, and his smile grew impossible to suppress.
Arriving at the door of Jang-mi's bedchamber, Kang-ho turned to the butler and said softly, "I will take it from here. You may leave." At his word, the butler bowed and quietly withdrew.
Once the butler's retreating figure vanished from sight, Kang-ho stared at the firmly shut door with a heavy, loaded gaze. Behind his cold eyes lay a dark anticipation, coupled with a ruthless calculation of what was about to unfold.
Inside, Jang-mi lay sprawled across the bed in a state of beautiful disarray, tormented by agonizing pain and despair. Her face was deathly pale, and tears pooled endlessly in the corners of her eyes. Just then... Knock, knock, knock. A sharp rap sounded at the door.
Jang-mi shrieked in sharp irritation, "I want to be alone! Do not disturb me!"
Yet, despite her sharp command, the door swung open with a heavy, unceremonious creak. Seething at the unexpected insolence, Jang-mi bolted upright in bed, ready to unleash her fury. "How dare you enter without my permission—"
But the moment her eyes locked onto the figure in the doorway, the words died on her lips. Standing there was none other than Baek Kang-ho. His imposing, majestic presence seemed to instantly illuminate the dark, gloomy bedchamber.
Jang-mi stared at him, her eyes wide with disbelief. Shock rapidly gave way to overwhelming joy, and fresh tears welled in her glistening eyes. A sorrowful, longing expression washed over her face, as if she had just beheld her savior in the depths of hell.
A faint, breathless whisper escaped her lips, sounding like a dream. "Y-Your Grace..."
In this moment of absolute ruin, his unexpected appearance felt like a single ray of light piercing through the dark. Her voice carried a profound sense of relief and a desperate, aching desire to throw herself entirely upon his mercy. The moment she laid eyes on Kang-ho, a faint glimmer of hope sparked in her chest—hope that she might finally escape this horrific nightmare.
Kang-ho approached the bedside, looking down at the beautifully disheveled, despairing woman. While his eyes wore a mask of deep sympathy, beneath it lay a cold, calculating desire for conquest. He spoke to her in a soothing, gentle tone.
"You look terribly pale, Duchess. I have already heard the news. My heart aches for your immense grief." His voice washed over her like a sweet, intoxicating whisper.
At his warm words, the heavy iron gates around Jang-mi's heart melted away. She burst into a fit of unrestrained, sorrowful weeping.
"Your Grace... I am in such agony... I despise the Revolutionary Army for murdering my husband, and I despise my husband even more for abandoning me with such a colossal mountain of debt..." Her voice shook violently with a mixture of despair, rage, and profound grief.
Without a moment's hesitation, Kang-ho drew closer and gently pulled her into his embrace. His strong, solid arms wrapped around her fragile shoulders as he whispered softly into her ear.
"I understand your pain completely, Duchess. Cry. Let it all out. I will comfort you and carry all your sorrows." His chest was warm, and his voice offered a soothing balm that seemed capable of washing away all her torment.
Held tightly in Kang-ho's arms, Jang-mi felt her heart hammering wildly against her ribs. In his solid, unyielding embrace, she felt a profound sense of relief, as if she had been rescued from the depths of hell and delivered straight to heaven.
If only I could have this man... I would give him everything. Even my very soul... An uncontrollable yearning and possessiveness for Kang-ho bloomed deep within her heart. The tears pooling in her eyes were no longer shed for grief, but transformed into the tears of a brand-new desire and hope.