Chapter 59: The Disciple Need Not Be Inferior to the Master
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 59: The Disciple Need Not Be Inferior to the Master
Early morning.
A faint mist blanketed the small lakeside village. It seemed as though the hamlet had yet to wake, remaining submerged in a deep, slumbering silence.
Occasionally, a bird would streak across the horizon, hurrying away to find the warmth of the south before the chill of autumn arrived.
Everything was as usual, tranquil and still.
A dignified young girl dressed in a black-and-white maid outfit stepped through the morning dew and into the village.
"I'm not mistaken."
An stood at the village entrance, her narrowed eyes scanning the small fishing village of barely dozens of households. Her delicate nose twitched as if she were discerning a specific scent.
Finally, she said with certainty:
"Young Master has been here, and within the last few hours!"
"I’ve finally found you."
A captivating smile graced the corners of An’s lips. Carrying the anticipation of finding her beloved, she stepped further into the village.
"Hmm?"
An suddenly turned her head, looking toward an utterly unremarkable house.
In the depths of those tightly shut windows, where not even a sliver of light could reach, something seemed to... wriggle.
But when she cast her gaze over, there was nothing behind the dilapidated wooden shutters but an empty room.
"An illusion?"
An glanced at it once more and then ignored it.
She was here to find her beloved Young Master; nothing else mattered.
...
I love you.
...
Knock, knock.
Following her intuition, An arrived at the courtyard of the house where the Young Master’s scent was strongest and knocked on the door.
"Who is it?"
A familiar voice came from inside the courtyard, thick with the grogginess of sleep.
An paused for a moment before identifying the owner of the voice. Could it really be such a coincidence? she wondered.
Before she could think further, the door creaked open. A newlywed young woman who hadn't quite woken up yet poked her head out while rubbing her eyes.
"It’s so early. Is something the matter?"
"Eluka?"
"Huh?"
Hearing the familiar voice, Eluka forced her eyes open. Once she clearly saw the person standing before her, most of her sleepiness vanished instantly.
"Master!"
Eluka lunged forward in pleasant surprise, grabbing An’s arm.
"What are you doing here?"
"I..."
"Did you come to see me?"
Before An could answer, Eluka spoke with even greater excitement.
"Wait, that’s strange. I don’t think I ever told Master my specific address. I only mentioned the general location of the village. How did Master find this place?"
I followed the Young Master’s scent.
An wanted to say that, but Eluka was chirping away with such excitement that she didn't give An a chance to speak.
"Forget it, I won't worry about that. Master, come inside quickly, it’s cold out."
"No need, I’m just—"
"Aww, Master finally makes a trip here, and you won't even come in for a seat?"
Eluka put on a tragic expression, squeezing out two fake tears. "I’m so heartbroken..."
"..."
An sighed, feeling a bit helpless.
Fine, it won't take much time.
"Alright then, I’ll sit for a bit. But only for a moment..."
"A moment is enough!"
Eluka was overjoyed. She pulled An into the house, chirping like a sparrow in springtime the entire way.
"Master, are you wearing a maid outfit? So cute!"
"Master, you look thinner. Have you not been eating well lately?"
"Master, why are you here so early? Did you travel through the night?"
"Master, you..."
...
After entering the house and being forced into a seat by Eluka, An instinctively scanned the room.
Sure enough, the Young Master’s scent was incredibly thick here. He had definitely stayed in this house!
And very recently!
"Eluka."
"Yes, Master? Is something wrong?"
Eluka poked her head out from the kitchen, where she was busy brewing tea.
"This place..." An chose her words carefully. "Have you had any guests recently?"
"Guests? Isn't that you, Master?"
"No, I mean before me."
"Before Master... Oh, you mean Mr. Muen."
"So he really was here?"
A flash of joy erupted in An’s eyes. Her two days of hard searching hadn't been in vain; it seemed she was finally about to see results.
Young Master, this time, I absolutely will not let you go.
An silently clenched her fist.
"Yes, he was here last night, but he’s already left."
"Left?"
"Yeah. He might have been scared off by me."
At this point, Eluka blushed like a teenage girl and said coquettishly, "It’s Mr. Muen’s own fault. Who told him to peek into my bedroom in the middle of the night?"
"Peek into your bedroom?"
An’s breath hitched.
Unconsciously, her clenched fist tightened even further.
Young Master, I never even lock my door when I sleep at night, yet I’ve never seen you come to peek.
Why would you peek into another woman’s bedroom?
Is it true that wild flowers are more fragrant than the ones at home?
"Ah, it’s not what you think, Master!"
As if sensing An’s thoughts, Eluka waved her hands frantically. "Mr. Muen didn't see anything... inappropriate. He just saw a scene of me and my husband playing a little game to promote our feelings."
"Husband?"
Hearing this title, An was slightly stunned for a moment before quickly realizing what it meant.
"You succeeded?"
"Mhm, I succeeded!"
Eluka gave a blissful smile. She put her hands behind her back and lightly traced the floor with her toe, saying shyly, "After Master gave me that advice two days ago, I confessed to Ade that very night!"
"Is that so?"
An couldn't help but offer a small smile.
"That’s good."
An didn't ask about the result of the confession or the process.
To her, those things weren't important.
What mattered was being able to completely possess everything about the person one loved, and for that, any means were justified.
And from the look of it, the girl had succeeded.
However, the fact that her disciple had achieved her goal before her, the Master, made An feel a slight twinge of irritation.
It seemed that the next time she found the Young Master, her methods would need to be a bit more... intense.
"Oh, right! Master, do you want to see?"
Eluka’s eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands excitedly.
"See the results of my hard work."
"This..."
An originally wanted to refuse, as she was still busy searching for the Young Master.
But she suddenly thought that one shouldn't work behind closed doors in these matters.
Even though she was the Master in name, there was no harm in absorbing more experience from others.
"Alright then. Let me see, Eluka."
...
"Ta-da! Master, look. This is my dearest, dearest husband."
Inside the room, Eluka introduced her lover as if she were unveiling a grand ceremony. He had been meticulously "trained" by her and remained prostrate on the ground like a pet dog.
"Oh? So this is how you play? Interesting."
An was learning something new.
Looking at the man wearing a collar, crawling on the ground in nothing but simple underwear, An didn't show any surprise. Instead, she rubbed her chin thoughtfully and praised, "You’ve done well, Eluka."
"Hehe, I’m probably still far behind Master."
Receiving the praise, Eluka scratched her head bashfully.
"I imagine if it were Master, you would have already made your lover surrender completely—both in body and in soul."