Even the most enjoyable festival has an end. The beautiful zither performance seemed to gradually fade away, and Chun-wol got up from her seat, put down the zither, and approached Ak Mujin. Her gestures and steps were as elegant and soft as a butterfly’s wings, and a fragrant sweetbrier scent wafted whenever she moved her sleeves.
Chun-wol gently took the bottle from Ak Mujin’s hand and filled his glass.
“Wouldn’t this Chun-wol be upset if you poured your own drink when I’m here?”
“Ah, I’m comfortable pouring my own drink.”
Chun-wol smiled at Ak Mujin and even placed some snacks on his plate. As she did so, she subtly leaned in, making contact with Ak Mujin.
Her warm chest brushed against Ak Mujin’s arm. In that instant, Ak Mujin, who was usually adept at feigning indifference, didn’t blush, but he felt like running away immediately.
However, she didn’t seem to notice and continued to act affectionately, releasing her fragrance even more intensely.
“Forget what Madam Lou said earlier. I’m sorry if it sounded like I was appraising you.”
Ak Mujin, who had been bothered by it all along, spoke up. When Chun-wol tried to place another piece of food on his plate, he reached out and stopped her. Chun-wol seemed a little flustered, realizing that her seduction wasn’t working on Ak Mujin, but she couldn’t help but be startled by his following words.
“Are you worried about such things?”
“Of course, I’m worried. Aren’t you a person too?”
“Ah…”
Chun-wol was stunned, as if she had been struck on the head. She stared at Mujin for a moment, speechless, before finally smiling.
Ak Mujin instinctively felt that she was finally showing her true smile.
“I hate people who say things like that even more.”
“Why?”
“Just because.”
Chun-wol chuckled and, noticing that Ak Mujin’s cup was empty, poured him another drink.
‘Why isn’t he reacting at all, even though I’m releasing my scent like this? This won’t do…’
Chun-wol grew increasingly anxious, but Mujin, oblivious, took a sip of the drink she poured. Moreover, Ak Mujin had quite a tolerance for alcohol, so he showed no signs of getting drunk from this amount.
The courtesan grew more and more impatient, eventually biting her lip tightly and fidgeting with the liquor bottle. Even Ak Mujin found her appearance somewhat uncomfortable.
“Madam Lou gave us the best liquor in the Fragrant Flower Pavilion.”
Chun-wol hesitated for a moment, then suddenly drew a dagger from her bosom and lunged at Ak Mujin. Because Chun-wol had been so attentive and kind all along, Mujin hadn’t expected this situation. However, he easily struck Chun-wol’s wrist and dropped the dagger.
Clang!
Ak Mujin was flustered and found himself pinned beneath her, holding both of her wrists. Chun-wol struggled to free her hands, but she couldn’t escape Mujin’s grasp and only thrashed about.
Then, she suddenly stopped moving, buried her face in Ak Mujin’s neck, and began to sob. Ak Mujin was flustered and didn’t know what to do.
At that moment, Seo-mok, who had heard a noise and rushed over, shouted from outside the door.
“Is everything alright, Vice Cult Leader!”
“No, nothing’s wrong.”
Chun-wol didn’t raise her head. Ak Mujin, still lying down, also spoke in a nonchalant tone. Seo-mok hesitated for a moment, then left, saying she understood.
Ak Mujin regained some composure thanks to Seo-mok.
“Calm down and get up.”
Chun-wol’s back twitched once.
“Kill me, kill me!”
Huh?
Suddenly?
Ak Mujin was instantly dumbfounded by her shout. She suddenly attacked him, and now she was desperate to make him a murderer?
“I can’t do that.”
“Why?! I, I tried to kill you…”
That attempt was so insignificant that Ak Mujin didn’t even feel like it was a big deal. However, Chun-wol’s restrained hands were trembling violently, so he could guess that she had made a truly enormous decision.
Ak Mujin had a rough idea of what had happened, but he didn’t rashly say it out loud.
“Tell me why you’re doing this.”
But Chun-wol didn’t answer and struggled to escape his grasp, staring at the dagger that had fallen far away.
Ak Mujin felt a little uncomfortable continuing to hold the woman’s hands, so he kicked the dagger further away and, instead of releasing Chun-wol’s wrists, he used a Pressure Point Strike to immobilize her.
“Ugh…! H-How…!”
“I won’t do anything, so calm down and talk.”
Chun-wol’s eyes were filled with fear. She rolled her eyes at Ak Mujin’s words and finally opened her mouth slightly.
“I want to die. I’d rather die than live like this.”
Ak Mujin inwardly exclaimed, “Ah.”
If a courtesan suddenly caused a commotion, there could only be one reason.
Like all the brothels backed by the Demonic Cult, they must have been involved in human trafficking or kidnapping people to make them courtesans. Chun-wol’s face was now stained with tears, but she was still beautiful.
“So, if you threatened me with a knife, I would kill you in return, so you wanted me to kill you?”
“…….”
“If you want to die that much, why don’t you kill yourself with the dagger?”
Ak Mujin asked the courtesan a rather cruel question. Chun-wol’s face turned bright red at those words. Her chest began to rise and fall sharply, as if she was angry.
“How can I kill myself when your Demonic Cult is holding my parents hostage, preventing me from running away or dying?”
Chun-wol’s voice trembled as she spoke those words. It was impossible to imagine that she was the same woman who had been speaking so kindly just a moment ago.
Ak Mujin had nothing more to say. It wasn’t Ak Mujin himself who had done such a thing, but he was also affiliated with the Demonic Cult, so he had played a part in confining and tormenting Chun-wol in the brothel.
It was heartbreaking that Chun-wol was trying to die at Ak Mujin’s hands, unable to even use poison for fear that this conversation would leak out.
Ak Mujin let out a long sigh.
“I know what your reasons are, but choosing me as an excuse for suicide was a mistake.”
Certainly, a foolish Demonic Cult member might have killed Chun-wol in a fit of anger. But Ak Mujin’s core was a modern person with common sense, so he didn’t even think about it, let alone imagine it.
Chun-wol was staring at the floor, as if she had given up. Ak Mujin wanted to get her out of this brothel if he could. But if he did that, he would have to take the same measures for all the courtesans in Chun-wol’s position. It wouldn’t be difficult to do so. He even wanted to do so.
However, this brothel was Ak Mujin’s final destination.
The Ak Mujin of the original story, who had obtained the brothel somehow, albeit in a different way from the current Ak Mujin, continued to do business through human trafficking and kidnapping, only to be killed by Jin Geum-ryeon, who had appeared to help a pitiful courtesan. It was an extra’s exit.
So, until then, he had to continue this dirty business to provide Jin Geum-ryeon with an excuse.
Ak Mujin looked at the courtesan with a queasy feeling.
“…But I can promise you one thing.”
Chun-wol didn’t say anything, but Ak Mujin continued to speak.
“I will protect your family so that you don’t have to worry. And I will only allow you to work as a 예기.”
“……!”
Chun-wol’s eyes looked up at Ak Mujin’s face. Ak Mujin continued in a calm tone.
“In return, you will become my informant.”
“……”
Honestly, Ak Mujin wanted to help her without any conditions, but if he didn’t impose any conditions, it would hurt her pride. Ak Mujin didn’t want to hurt Chun-wol’s feelings any further.
“I know that the Fragrant Flower Pavilion is already being used as an information source?”
“So you’ll be my direct informant.”
Chun-wol seemed a little hesitant. But she knew that what Ak Mujin was offering was the best he could offer. It wasn’t bad for Chun-wol either, so she eventually nodded and accepted.
“…Thank you.”
“Then, you won’t be running around trying to die anymore, right?”
Chun-wol’s face, which had finally calmed down, flushed red again. But it was beautiful in a way that was distinctly different from when it had been red with anger, and she soon nodded obediently, so Ak Mujin smiled inwardly.
Ak Mujin now carefully sheathed the dagger and threw open the door. He had no more business here.
Then, Madam Lou, who was standing in front of the door, was startled and looked away. Ak Mujin looked at him and began to walk away. Seo-mok, who had been standing far away and looking at the brothel, quickly approached and stood by his side.
“S-Sir Vice Cult Leader! Did anything happen?”
“Does something have to happen?”
“Uh…”
Madam Lou hesitated.
He looked like a Yang Person at first glance, so he brought Chun-wol, but was he not a Yang Person? Madam Lou glanced sideways and scanned Ak Mujin up and down. Was there nothing between the man and woman…?
“Don’t look like that, just look openly.”
“Ah, no, no. It looked like something was on your clothes…”
Madam Lou made a poor excuse and began to dust off his clothes.
“How long does it take to get to Juqing from here?”
“Ah, are you leaving already?”
“It seems like I’ve seen everything here, so I should go.”
Madam Lou was a little disappointed, so he hurriedly grabbed him.
“Shall I play you the music of another courtesan? There are also dancers. The best dancer in our brothel…”
Ak Mujin felt sick to his stomach listening to Madam Lou’s words.
He had to go to three more places like this. And he had to manage them continuously!
The Demonic Cult was really not his thing.
Ak Mujin didn’t answer and walked out of the brothel.