Chapter 71: Not Enough
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 71: Not Enough
Kim Min-su lay sprawled out pathetically, while Seong Chun-hyang remained silent as her hair was gripped tightly.
To any outside observer, it looked as though the woman had given up on everything.
However, as the saying goes, you have to look closely to see the truth.
Min-su, who was busy squealing like a stuck pig on the ground, probably didn't notice, but Chun-hyang was wearing a very faint smile.
Even as her body shook from her hair being pulled, Seong Chun-hyang kept her legs pressed tightly together.
Others might have perceived it as her being paralyzed with fear, but not me.
‘She’s forcing herself to hold back her moans.’
The fact that she was smiling enough for it to be visible from up close said it all.
She even had the acting skills to bite her lower lip hard, making it look like she was enduring agonizing pain.
I had my suspicions, but she really did have masochistic tendencies.
‘A masochistic Chun-hyang...’
What on earth was Chubby Ahn trying to teach Kim Min-su?
I couldn't understand what kind of adult videos he watched to come up with a Gate like this.
Did he really think a guy like that could suddenly become a cool alpha male just because he was in front of a masochistic woman?
‘He always makes the worst possible choices.’
Chubby Ahn’s idiocies were so numerous I couldn't even begin to list them.
But if I had to pick the absolute worst among them, it was this:
‘He overestimates Kim Min-su way too much.’
Kim Min-su was a character created in Chubby Ahn’s own image.
A character who isn't particularly handsome and has a strange personality, yet is loved by the women around him for no reason.
It was a clear reflection of the kind of life he’d lived, the manga he’d read, and the desires he harbored.
The problem is that for such a character to achieve everything they want, the author must be able to control every aspect of the situation.
The moment I intervened, all of Chubby Ahn’s plans were effectively ruined.
Yet, Chubby Ahn continued to create environments that Kim Min-su was incapable of handling.
‘I’m finally starting to get a feel for this.’
That misplaced belief that Kim Min-su would handle everything brilliantly—I hadn't accurately grasped just how negatively that was working until now.
Before I faced him, Chubby Ahn seemed like a formidable figure.
Perhaps I had overestimated him because I didn't gain anything from our first encounter.
Because of that, I had repeatedly reacted to situations passively.
"You bitch, consider yourself lucky if you only get beaten like a dog today."
"I was wrong, My Lord. Please, I beg of you, please don't do this, My Lord."
But now I realized there was no need for that.
I felt a surge of confidence that I could lead the story myself without having to dance to the tune of that stupid duo.
Chubby Ahn, who couldn't control the situation, and Kim Min-su, who couldn't even lift a spoon to the feast laid out for him.
‘I’ll show you from now on.’
If I thoroughly wrecked Kim Min-su’s romance, Chubby Ahn would surely show himself again.
And right now, the first piece of that plan was in my hands.
"My Lord, please only flog me. Please, do not harm the Young Master any further. I beg of you."
"You still haven't learned your lesson, have you?"
Slap!
"Ugh...!"
Even when I slapped her cheek hard enough to split her lip, Chun-hyang didn't turn her head away.
If her eyes had held a gaze of loyalty or chastity, I might have stopped.
‘She’s absolutely loving this.’
Deep, murky desire was coiled within Chun-hyang’s eyes.
The hunger for more, the plea for this not to end, was clearly reflected in her gaze.
Having experience with SM play myself, I could read her expression perfectly.
"Young Master, since you're pretending to be unconscious, I'll be taking a horse as well."
If it were a horse that had been properly cared for, it would have caused a ruckus when Kim Min-su collapsed.
But seeing it standing still under the shade of a tree with its eyes closed, it clearly wasn't that kind of horse.
That’s just how horses managed by servants usually were.
The moment Chun-hyang heard the words "pretending to be unconscious," she looked toward Lee Mong-ryong, but it was useless.
The moment she looked back, whether he was actually unconscious or not no longer mattered.
‘What matters is that I planted the seed of doubt.’
Thinking of Chun-hyang, who was following the same steps as Yu-min, I tightened my grip.
"Kyaak!"
As my hand tightened on her hair, she let out a scream as if on cue.
It was far too obvious that she was using the scream to suppress a moan.
"Consider yourself lucky you didn't get beaten more because of this wench."
I hoisted her onto the horse and headed toward the Gibang.
Was it because she knew the time for her punishment was approaching?
The smile on Chun-hyang’s lips was growing deeper and deeper.
‘Look at this girl.’
I could finally guess why the difficulty of this Gate was S-Class.
*
Flower Butterfly Gibang.
The gates of the Gibang, which usually stood wide open to welcome guests, were tightly locked.
Occasionally, servants would emerge with letters and run off in various directions.
"Tell the guests beforehand that we cannot open for business today. Make sure they aren't offended by a wasted trip. And be sure to tell them we’ll show them an even better time when they return."
"Yes, understood."
An uncharacteristic silence hung over the Gibang, where only the most beautiful gisaengs were gathered.
Normally, it would be bustling with people practicing songs and dances or decorating the surroundings for entertainment.
But today, as if by prior agreement, everyone was kneeling in the courtyard with their heads bowed.
As the servants left, the gisaengs who had been giving them orders also lowered themselves.
Only one person sat upright in a chair, looking almost like a king.
‘My Lord is truly determined today.’
Normally, no matter what Chun-hyang did, he would remain indifferent, saying, "She’s just a girl who’s going to have her hair put up anyway, so why bother?"
But today, he had stopped business and gathered everyone to punish Chun-hyang. It was nothing short of a celebration.
The stones on the dirt floor must have been painful as they dug into their knees, but the gisaengs' expressions didn't change.
They wanted everyone to be dragged down to the bottom if no better improvement could be made.
Improve the treatment of the Flower Butterfly gisaengs because of Chun-hyang? They knew such a thing would never happen.
"You all know why I called you, right? I called you because discipline has become far too lax lately because of this wench."
The Pimp grabbed Chun-hyang by the neck, hoisted her up, and slammed her onto the ground.
"Ack... cough!"
The force, which looked enough to break bones, and the dust rising from the floor signaled the severity of the situation.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say the gisaengs had been waiting for this moment.
They couldn't just stand by and watch her try to escape this hell alone by snagging the son of a Magistrate.
That was something they could never allow.
‘Wol-hyang finally did it!’
Su-ryeon cheered inwardly.
Who was Wol-hyang?
A gisaeng whose beauty would have been unrivaled if not for Chun-hyang.
Dance, music, calligraphy—she excelled in everything.
She was the top gisaeng of Flower Butterfly.
—I’ll try to seduce My Lord and talk to him.
—Are you crazy? What if he beats you to death?
—He wouldn't lay a hand on me of all people. And what if we just sit back and that bitch Chun-hyang leaves the Gibang? It’ll be too late then.
Su-ryeon clenched her fists as she recalled that conversation.
She never thought Wol-hyang could actually seduce him.
The Pimp, who hadn't blinked an eye no matter how many gisaengs tried to charm him, finally knew the touch of a woman.
‘He’s just another man in the end.’
Then again, what man could refuse Wol-hyang’s breasts?
Moreover, since she wasn't a gisaeng who sold her body, the effect must have been even more immense.
The amount of money men had spent just to get a taste of Wol-hyang’s breasts was enough to buy a tiled-roof house.
"Hey, you wench! Get up and apologize first, huh? Do you have any idea how much we've suffered because of you?"
The most terrifying thing about the Pimp was that he showed no mercy, no matter how talented the gisaeng was.
In other Gibangs, the Pimp would often walk on eggshells around the women who brought in the most revenue.
But this man was different.
Whether they earned a lot of money or not, the Pimp of Flower Butterfly would slap them across the face without hesitation.
The only reason Chun-hyang had survived his foul mouth and violent nature was because of Lee Mong-ryong.
I didn't know exactly how things had unfolded, but it seemed that shield had finally vanished.
Chun-hyang’s head was being forced up by the Pimp’s rough hand.
Her cheeks were swollen, and blood trickled from her burst lips.
"Get up, you bitch. Now."
The kneeling gisaengs felt a sense of triumph at first, but slowly, fear began to creep in.
The joy of seeing Chun-hyang punished was short-lived as they began to imagine a future where they might end up the same way.
"It was... my fault..."
"Fault? Don't give me that bullshit. You knew exactly what you were doing. Huh? Because that bastard protected you, you went wandering around like a blind fool, didn't you?"
Slap!
What strength could a woman who had been slammed onto the ground have?
She had only just managed to stand up, her legs trembling.
He told her to apologize, and when she opened her mouth as ordered, he used violence again because he didn't like what she said.
He made even the most successful gisaengs fear him.
He was a man born with the temperament of a tyrant.
"Listen well. Someday, a bastard like Lee Mong-ryong might appear by your side. You might be blinded by love. But."
"Do your job before you get blinded by love. Aren't you gisaengs? You haven't even had your hair put up yet, so what the hell is this?"
After that, a scene so violent followed that they could no longer bear to watch.
Chun-hyang was struck every time she chose the wrong word.
The gisaengs could no longer watch with triumphant faces.
Even the servants who were usually close to the Pimp were trembling like aspen leaves in fear.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Is anyone there?! Why are you not open today?! I sent word last week that I would be meeting Wol-hyang today! I demand a detailed explanation!"
The public punishment, which seemed like it would never end, was abruptly cut short by an unintended intrusion.
"Who is it?"
"It’s likely that scholar who recently returned home in glory. It must be him."
"It’s not some trick you played, is it?"
"...How could I do such a thing?"
"True. You wouldn't dare, knowing you'd end up like this."
Wol-hyang answered calmly, deflecting the Pimp’s suspicion.
The Pimp kicked Chun-hyang into a corner and waved his hand dismissively.
At that signal to wrap things up, the servants and gisaengs moved in perfect unison.
"Prepare a table. Make it a five-course meal and use the ceramic cups I bought recently."
"The ones from the Qing Dynasty?"
"Yeah."
The servants moved Chun-hyang into a room, and Wol-hyang straightened her appearance.
"Wol-hyang, go out and soothe him, then bring him straight to my room."
"Yes, My Lord."
Since he was a big spender, it was better for Wol-hyang to be the one to greet him.
The storm-like atmosphere vanished without a trace, as if it had never happened.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Wol-hyang! If that Pimp does anything to harm you, you must tell me! I shall have his head!"
"Pfft..."
A scoff, unheard by the scholar outside, escaped as the situation came to a close.
*
‘It’s not enough...’
Chun-hyang, laid out neatly on the bedding by a servant, felt a profound thirst.
Though her delicate fingers were devoid of strength, she could not be satisfied.
‘Should I make him hate me more?’
Her hollow eyes moved toward the direction of the Pimp’s room.
"It’s not enough."
In the pitch-black room, a hideous desire simmered quietly.
A sound escaped her unsatisfied body involuntarily.
It was far, far from enough.
If not for that damn scholar, the Pimp’s rough hands would have caressed her even more.
"Ah... haa... ngh... haa..."
Her hand moved down of its own accord, lifting her skirt and probing her private parts.
She moved busily inside her wet heat, drawing out her juices.
"My Lord..."
More. She wanted to be loved by him even more.
She wanted to stay by the side of the man who made her feel so vulgar.
She had to find a way.