Chapter 23. I-seo's Fox-like Antics (1)
I-seo's Fox-like Antics (1)
I-seo had recently noticed a subtle pattern in Count Lucian's behavior.
When he summoned the maids, he didn't immediately take them—instead, he would torment himself, prolonging the foreplay, observing certain parts of their bodies with obsessive focus. It was as if he was deliberately testing and training his own limits to control the outbursts of his Mana Overload Syndrome.
'He's struggling all by himself. I should help him out. No, actually... I kinda want to mess with him a little.'
I-seo decided to test just how far the Count's patience could stretch—and whether he could maintain his composed mask even outside the castle walls.
"Master, I heard a rumor that the first edition of The Secret Records of Archmage Kaine has arrived at the bookstore in the territory."
"Oh? That rare book?"
"Yes. I tried to borrow it myself, but they turned me away because of my maid status. They said they wouldn't show it to anyone but the Count himself."
Lucian suggested sending a servant, but I-seo shook her head.
"They even said the book's spirit would get angry if someone of lower status touched it."
In this territory, the Count's word was law, so the lie was obvious—but Lucian decided to play along.
Truthfully, he also wanted an excuse to step outside and get some fresh air.
At the castle gates.
As Lucian waited for the carriage, he froze momentarily when he saw I-seo walking out.
She wasn't wearing her usual maid uniform.
Instead, she had on a sky-blue skirt, a white blouse, and a thin cardigan draped over her shoulders. Though devoid of extravagant decorations, the combination of Eastern elegance and youthful freshness made her look like a butterfly carried on a spring breeze.
Her hair, usually braided, was now half-tied, swaying gently with each step. Her skin, bathed in sunlight, was so translucent it almost hurt to look at.
"Let's go, Master!"
I-seo beamed brightly as she took the lead.
Watching her from behind, Lucian felt a sharp pang in his chest.
'I've been calling this pure, innocent girl into my room every night, making her open her mouth, spread her legs...'
Though the number of times he had taken I-seo could still be counted on one hand, the emotion he felt in that moment wasn't directed at her alone.
It was a pang of guilt—for all the maids in the castle who silently endured his desires.
'I... I've corrupted this flower-like girl...'
The weekend market was bustling with energy.
Lucian had pulled up his hood to conceal his identity, but the natural grace of nobility was impossible to hide.
I-seo, however, paid no mind and dragged him along by the wrist.
"Look at this! These spices are amazing!"
"Oh, isn't this hairpin pretty?"
She flitted around like an excited child, pointing at everything.
At first, Lucian felt awkward, but soon, he found himself drawn into the lively rhythm of commoner life, guided by her hand.
"I'm hungry. Let's eat first."
"What about the book? Shouldn't we go find it first?"
"Pfft, even Geumgangsan mountain is best seen after a meal! That's a saying from my hometown."
With unshakable confidence, I-seo pulled Lucian into a shabby inn that doubled as a tavern tucked deep in the alley.
The place was rowdy, reeking of grease and smoke.
Lucian frowned.
"There are plenty of proper restaurants. Why here of all places—"
"The grilled goat skewers here are divine. Best drinking snack ever."
I-seo plopped down confidently.
"If the Count says they're bad, I'll bet a month's wages. But if you admit they're delicious... you have to grant me one wish."
"Hah, you know how picky I am. You'll regret this."
A short while later.
Perfectly charred goat skewers and a cold ale arrived.
Lucian took one bite—and his eyes widened. The meat was tender, rich, and free of any gamey taste. A sip of the crisp beer sealed the deal.
"...Hmph. Not bad."
"Hahaha! So you admit defeat?"
I-seo burst into laughter—a bright, unrestrained sound Lucian had never heard from her before.
He stared at her blankly.
'Is this... a date?'
He had slept with countless maids, but never once had he sat across from one like this—eating, laughing, talking.
It was awkward, but not in a bad way.
I-seo could hold her liquor.
Lucian was no lightweight himself, but I-seo downed mug after mug without so much as a flush. Was this how all Eastern women were?
By the time they stood up, the empty mugs formed a small tower.
Outside, the sun had begun to set, painting the sky in red hues.
Perhaps it was the alcohol, but their steps were lighter than usual.
As they walked down a quiet alley where only the chirping of insects could be heard, I-seo suddenly stopped.
She turned slowly, tilting her head up to look at Lucian. The flickering torchlight made her eyes gleam brighter than usual.
"Count..."
"What is it? The bookstore's that way."
"I... feel strange. My body's burning up."
Staggering slightly, she leaned against Lucian's chest.
The sweet scent of her skin, mixed with alcohol, filled his nose.
"You're drunk. I'll carry you."
"No... It's not the alcohol."
She took his hand and guided it to her chest.
Through the thin blouse, he could feel her pounding heartbeat and feverish warmth.
"Touch me... please."
"...!!"
Lucian's eyes widened.
They were in the middle of the street. The sun hadn't fully set—someone could see them.
But I-seo's provocation was bold. She pulled his hand lower, letting it brush against the inside of her thigh.
"Here... It's already wet. I've been missing you, Master..."
'Is she pretending to be drunk... or is this real?'
Lucian's Mana Overload flared in response, boiling under his skin. The urge to hike up her skirt and take her right there surged through him.
But he clenched his teeth and resisted. No matter how much of a degenerate he was, that was strictly a castle activity.
Doing something so brazen in public would tarnish the dignity of the Eckhart family.
And people were still passing by occasionally.
"No. Not here."
Lucian wrapped an arm around her shoulders to steady her.
"We'll get the book later... Let's just go back to the castle first. I'll touch you all you want there."
"No. The book can only be borrowed today. Mmm... Master... You're so warm..."
The entire walk back, I-seo nuzzled into Lucian's embrace.
Normally, her expression was unreadable—sometimes even a little vacant. But now, with alcohol in her system, she was nothing short of a vixen.
When Lucian tried to push her away by the shoulders, she boldly grabbed his ass instead.
"Ghk! What the hell are you doing?"
"Why not? You touch me like this every day. It's unfair—I want to feel you too."
Giggling, she kneaded his firm buttocks with her slender fingers.
The mighty Count, getting groped by a maid in broad daylight.
Her hands didn't stop there—they slithered forward like snakes.
Thud.
I-seo's palm landed squarely on the growing bulge in Lucian's pants.
"Hah... Master, you coward. I'm touching you like this, and you're still soft?"
"Tch... You're really drunk. Lost all fear, huh?"
Lucian was stunned, but I-seo's teasing didn't stop. She narrowed her eyes and whispered:
"If you're so confident... want to make another bet? I'll wager a month's wages that 'the Count won't be able to resist pinning me down.'"
"You think that's enough? Throw in your secretary's salary too."
"Hoho, fine. But if I win, you pay me double."
The drunken I-seo was fired up. This was no longer about helping the Count with his research or enjoying a sweet date.
It was a gamble with a laborer's hard-earned wages—her very livelihood—on the line.
Even as they walked, I-seo clung to Lucian, stroking his hardening length through his pants.
Swish. Slip.
"Mmm..."
Their pace slowed. Passersby glanced their way but quickly averted their eyes, intimidated by Lucian's towering frame and menacing aura.
"Oh my, now you're acting like a proper Count."
With every stroke of I-seo's fingers, Lucian's cock swelled further, straining against the fabric of his pants as if ready to burst free.
"You little minx... I thought you were a docile kitten. Didn't know you had this side to you."
"I learned from you, Master."
I-seo grew even bolder.
She undid his belt buckle with a flick and slipped her slender, cold fingers beneath his underwear.
The chill of her skin against his bare flesh made him shudder.
One hand pinched the cleft of his ass while the other wrapped firmly around his thickening shaft.
The first thing she noticed was how unexpectedly soft it felt—heavy and thick, yet not fully hardened.
But the sheer weight of it was beyond what she had imagined. Even half-limp, it filled her palm completely, radiating heat through her fingers.
It was like gripping the scruff of a slumbering beast—tense with dormant power.
'Something this big... has been inside me?'
She rubbed the tip gently with her thumb.
Twitch.
When her fingers brushed the slit, the sleeping dragon awoke.
It happened in an instant.
A surge of blood pumped violently into the shaft, swelling rapidly in her grasp.
Throb. Throb.
"Ah...!"
I-seo gasped involuntarily.
The once-pliant flesh turned steel-hard, expanding until it threatened to push her fingers apart.
Like forcing water into an overfilled balloon, his cock thickened and lengthened, straining against her grip.
"It's... getting bigger... more..."
What had once fit in her hand now stretched past her wrist, nudging against her forearm.
As if the confines of his pants were too cramped, the engorged veins bulged like worms, scraping against her palm with each pulse.
The raw heat and throbbing life of it sent shivers down her arm.
Now, Lucian's cock was nothing short of a weapon.
The swollen, crimson head was the size of a fist, and the shaft had thickened beyond what her hand could fully grasp.
Hard as stone, yet alive with a primal energy—both grotesque and mesmerizing.
"Tch...!"
Lucian's brow furrowed.
Outdoors, in the middle of a public street—being teased like this by a maid stoked the flames of his arousal even higher.
I-seo was just as affected.
'Is this what it feels like to force someone? Is this the thrill Master feels every time?'
The intoxicating sense of dominance with each stroke.
The sight of Lucian barely holding back only excited her further.
[Images not translated]