A Pearl Necklace on a Pig's Neck
Baek Man-hwan's grand parlor. He had staked his very life on this trade deal with the Central Plains. If this rare opportunity panned out smoothly, his merchant guild could double in size—no, it might even lay the groundwork for expanding into the Central Plains itself.
But the Central Plains was a behemoth several times the size of Joseon. The sheer volume they demanded was staggering, and fulfilling it was no easy feat. Only because the Baek Man Merchant Group had roots spread across the capital and throughout Joseon could they even dare such a massive venture.
In this razor-thin gamble where both funds and mobilization teetered on the brink of collapse, the sudden proposal from the Han family estate was enough to make Baek Man-hwan's mouth water.
The Han family, Joseon's premier noble house, commanded vast lands, immense wealth, and a spiderweb of connections stretching across the entire kingdom. In terms of raw power from riches and influence, even the Baek Man Merchant Group—one of Joseon's top guilds—had to yield a step.
Yet Baek Man-hwan knew their weakness all too well, beyond such brute strength.
'This family's heir is a real wastrel...'
Han Taeyang, the young master who bullied others under the family's prestige—a utter scoundrel who knew only how to throw his weight around.
His father, Lord Han Sook-beon, had served as Grand Councilor, solidifying the family's name. But his only son couldn't even pass the civil exams, let alone act like a proper human—rumors painted him as worse than a dog.
The gossip was all the same: tantrums, squandering fortunes at the gambling dens, or scandals from whoring around.
Even as the designated heir to the Han estate, one might hesitate to judge solely on rumors. But Baek Man-hwan had already formed his verdict from a past encounter.
'That guy's appearance at the tavern back then... pure trash. Handsome enough, but he hadn't inherited a speck of his father's character or talent.'
A perfect fit for "a tiger father begets a dog son." That was the common verdict on Han Taeyang—and Baek Man-hwan's own final assessment.
Yet with Lord Han Sook-beon now bedridden from a grave illness, the Han family had no choice but to follow the will of their legitimate heir by blood: Han Taeyang.
Many eyed the situation with concern, but in Joseon—where bloodline trumped talent—Han Taeyang seizing real power was as natural as water flowing downhill.
And now, the letter in Baek Man-hwan's hand contained a request from that fool himself.
The Han family wanted in on the Central Plains trade. They'd provide ample funding for shortages and leverage their connections to source goods. In return, they demanded full ownership of a portion of the traded items.
At first glance, it seemed halfway reasonable... but when Baek Man-hwan saw the list of desired goods, he couldn't help snorting in derision.
'Amber, red jade, glassware, and gold ornaments... All shiny, expensive crap. Typical yangban—obsessed with the flashy stuff.'
Han Taeyang had demanded only the priciest luxuries. He probably thought buying high-end goods would yield massive profits. But Baek Man-hwan knew better.
These luxuries had demand, sure, but in large-scale trade, they were prime loss-makers. Essentials like herbs and foodstuffs had steady demand and stable prices. Smuggled goods like sulfur, hidden among the cargo, brought fat margins.
Luxuries, though? Sporadic demand, and as artworks, their prices fluctuated wildly with annual production. Gems like jade or amber varied by yield and artisan skill. Glassware from distant Western regions might not even arrive. Gold ornaments were steadier but offered slim profits—Joseon produced plenty of gold, with skilled smiths aplenty. The "Central Plains import" premium helped, but it paled against truly rare exclusives.
'Han Taeyang... Thinks he's clever. But ideas from a worthless mind are just that—worthless.'
They offered huge help with preparations in exchange for these troublesome items. For a profit-chasing merchant like Baek Man-hwan, there was no reason to refuse.
Had they asked for a cut of the real profits, he'd have pondered or respected them more. But this half-baked scheme—practically a gamble—only confirmed Han Taeyang's inadequacy as Baek Man-hwan gleefully accepted.
'A pearl necklace on a pig's neck. No matter the power, if you can't wield it, it's useless. Looks like the Han family's glory won't last long.'
Sneering at the young fool, Baek Man-hwan gripped his seal to stamp the acceptance letter.
At that very moment, as Baek Man-hwan stamped with mockery—the man in question, Han Taeyang, wore a thick sneer of his own.
As he stamped a thick, deep seal into the womb of the woman gasping before him.
"Kuhhh! Th-that... place... p-please... please... no more...!"
"Seventeen times now. See you next time, you slutty whore."
"Huuuuh... Huuuuh... Hnngh... Hnngh..."
With a final mocking grin, Han Taeyang left the room.
Left behind was Aero, the gisaeng, sprawled on the sheets, drenched in semen, eyes rolled back, struggling for breath.
Her state was pitiably wrecked. Even amid the heaving aftershocks of pain and pleasure, her dazed mind endlessly replayed Han Taeyang's parting words.
'...Ah... y-you... I... I'm not... that lowly... body anymore...'
Back in her three-rank gisaeng days, she'd embraced countless men. That was a gisaeng's lot—selling her body to survive.
But rising to two-rank, then top-rank, she'd convinced herself she'd transcended that past. No longer swayed by men, she'd guard her chastity, devoted to one alone.
Yet this was the second time—two encounters—and she felt it keenly: all a delusion.
Her essence remained that of a gisaeng who sold her body.
Sensations ingrained from pleasuring hordes of men. As their tool for desire, Aero's body had been trained to accept and revel in ecstasy.
She'd sealed that truth away upon vowing fidelity to her husband. But Han Taeyang's two meetings had shattered the seal... and forced her to confront it.
Even after time passed... her body remembered vividly.
How to satisfy a man. How to feel pleasure herself. And how utterly filthy she truly was...
'I'm... Aero... Wife of Lord Baek Man-hwan... Top gisaeng of Joseon... Never... never some pleasure-chasing whore...'
She refused to admit it. But no matter how she denied it in her mind, her body had already yielded.
It had no choice. She was gradually falling for that man…. to the ecstasy he gave.
Desperately denying reality, tears streaming, Aero whispered in a breaking voice to the absent man.
"Husband... I... I'm... yours..."