Chapter 54: The Road to Anhui-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 54: The Road to Anhui-1
Namgung So-yeon looked down at In-ho with an ecstatic expression.
Slumped on the floor, In-ho looked up at her with bewildered eyes.
"Young Lady... Namgung?"
Why was she here?
And what was that just now? More importantly... what happened to the other cultists?
Questions erupted sporadically, clawing through his mind. In-ho felt the blood drain from his face.
"Young Lady Namgung?"
At his formal address, Namgung So-yeon tilted her head.
Pouting as if something displeased her, she waved her hand dismissively.
"Oh, Young Master Kang. Why are you being so distant? You should call me So-yeon, just like you always do."
"What... what do you mean?"
Ignoring his confusion, Namgung So-yeon stepped closer to him.
"You spoke to me so tenderly just yesterday. Come on, call me 'So-yeon.' Your good little So-yeon came all this way to save you, didn't she?"
In-ho tried to pull his hand from her firm grip, but it was useless.
"Hurry now~"
The more she urged him, the tighter her grip became.
As his hand began to go numb, In-ho awkwardly forced the name out.
"So... So-yeon?"
"Yes~ I'm your good little So-yeon."
She rubbed his hand against her face again.
In-ho felt a wave of revulsion as she began to moan softly, seemingly intoxicated by his scent. A chill ran down his spine.
As her one-sided display of affection continued, the chaos in In-ho’s mind began to settle, like sediment slowly sinking to the bottom of a lake.
"I love you."
That was, until Namgung So-yeon threw a boulder into that settling lake.
"What? Pardon?"
In-ho’s eyes widened at the sudden confession.
"I said I love you. We promised to say it to each other every single day."
"What are you talking about...?"
"Why won't you say you love me? You whispered such sweet things to me yesterday, and the day before that."
When her murky gold eyes locked onto his, In-ho’s body began to tremble involuntarily.
"Say it. Tell me you love me."
"Young Lady Namgung. I don't know what's going on, but why are you at the Black Sky Cult... Gack!"
The hand that had been holding his suddenly clamped around his throat.
Thud!
Pinned by her monstrous strength, In-ho was slammed onto the ground, and Namgung So-yeon mounted him.
Straddling his stomach, she slowly began to squeeze his neck with both hands.
"Say it. Tell me you love me."
"Cough...! Young Lady Namgung!"
"I SAID SO-YEON!!!!"
Her rage-filled scream echoed through the stone chamber.
Squeeze.
The pressure on his throat intensified.
As breathing became increasingly difficult, In-ho thrashed his legs beneath her.
"Say it! I said say it! Tell me you love me!"
The gentle demeanor from moments ago had vanished. With bloodshot eyes, Namgung So-yeon drove him to the brink.
"Kh-khhh..."
As In-ho struggled, wheezing out the last of the air in his lungs, her face contorted.
Finally, she released her grip.
"Haa... gasp... haa..."
The moment the crushing sensation left his throat, In-ho instinctively gasped for air.
Just as his breathing began to steady, her hands clamped shut around his neck once more.
"Gack!"
"Say it."
She demanded it like an order.
Namgung So-yeon repeated the cycle—strangling him, then letting go.
And each time, she shortened the intervals he was allowed to breathe.
His consciousness began to fade; pain and terror consumed him. Driven by a primal instinct for survival, In-ho kicked and flailed, trying to escape the unbreakable restraint.
His blood pressure spiked, turning his eyes a vivid crimson, and blood began to leak from his nose.
"I... l-love... you."
Losing his grip on reality as his consciousness slipped away, he managed to groan the words.
"Hehe..."
Only after hearing his faint, mosquito-like voice did Namgung So-yeon finally let go of his neck.
In-ho had lost consciousness from the brutal torture. She leaned down, pressing her face against his chest, before slowly sliding her body up his.
"I knew it... the Black Sky Cult must have done something to your mind. Don't worry, I'll re-educate you until you're back to normal."
Looking at his blood-smeared face with a benevolent smile, Namgung So-yeon flicked her tongue out and brought her face close to his nose.
Lick, slurp.
As she licked the blood from his nose, her hand moved down to massage herself.
"Ah... I'm so happy."
Licking her lips and whispering to herself, Namgung So-yeon looked truly, blissfully happy.