Chapter 983: Side Story – No. 2 (2)

-Dugun, dugundugun.

“…….”

Weekday afternoon. A summons from the sibling… no, the ‘Master’ who called her so suddenly.

Geum Dallae, responding to Eunbyul’s call, hurried towards the Hope City Guild, desperately trying to suppress her own emotions and clutching her pounding heart.

‘What could possibly be the matter?’

She had followed every single command the Master had given her without fail. Even when she received ‘training’ that felt like years in an unidentifiable white room, or when she used her twin status with her Unnie to impersonate Geum Jangmi in various places to secure Geumhyang’s shares. She had forced the merger of Geumhyang Chemical despite shareholder opposition to secure the Master’s majority share, and was still gradually transferring shares of other major subsidiaries to the Master. Even confining the still unforgiven Geum Jangmi to the annex building and deceiving their grandmother, Geum Taehyang, into stepping down from management-she had carried out every single order from the Master without fail.

Hearing the Master’s voice on the receiver, calling her urgently in a cold tone, the deeply tense Geum Dallae clutched her troubled heart and entered the Hope City Guild. The moment she saw the face of the first person she encountered there, she felt as if her heart had stopped dead.

“Miss Geum Dallae, I presume? I’ve been expecting you.”

“Huuuh, hikk…!”

The sight of the ‘Master’ wearing a maid uniform, looking at her and speaking in a cold voice, was enough to evoke the terror ingrained in her body over several years.

“M-Master… P-please speak casually….”

“…Don’t do anything conspicuous and just follow me quietly. I’m not your Master here; I’m merely Secretary Sung Taekyung’s assistant.”

“……Yes.”

Sung Taekyung.

Hearing that name for the first time in years made her feel as if all her senses were momentarily loosening. Although the period of ‘training’ she received was much shorter than Eunbyul’s, it was precisely that person who had corrected her foolish mentality from zero.

Due to instinctive fear, Dallae felt her urethral sphincter loosen without her realizing it, but fortunately, the unfortunate incident of her urinating at the guild entrance did not occur. Dallae’s body had already been perfectly controlled by Eunbyul for what felt like years, to the point where she couldn’t even relieve herself at will.

「The door is opening.」

“…….”

“…….”

「The door is closing.」

Dallae quietly boarded the elevator with her ‘Master’, enduring the unbearable silence. She was even breathless at the thought that she was heading to meet the Master’s Master, someone who could be considered the Great Master. She harbored all sorts of illicit speculations as to why he, who hadn’t even paid her any attention for a while, would want to see her.

‘The Geumhyang Group is practically the Master’s now, so perhaps they’re thinking of discarding me since my usefulness is waning…’

If that were the case, what should she do? She could only prove her usefulness to the utmost. However, without her partner, Geum Jangmi, her awakened ability was only half-complete. It was a power that made it difficult to do anything alone, making it considerably hard to prove her worth. The only possibility might be as a torture doll for stress relief. No matter how excruciating the torture, she could endure it without going mad by using her ability to erase her own memories.

‘Whatever it is, when I finally meet them, I’ll offer my apologies first. I’ll grovel and beg, and if I just show my willingness not to resist, they’ll find some way to use me.’

Although she had become a mere minion following her sister’s words, in return, she had gained the position of Chairman of the Geumhyang Group and the owners of numerous companies that followed her. Even if she was just a figurehead chairman, Dallae liked this position. She had always liked siding with the ‘victors’ in competitions against others. Even if she was being used, she didn’t care if nothing remained in her hands when she looked back. As long as she could be aware that she was on the winning side.

“Geum Dallae.”

“Y-yes!”

“I’m telling you this because you might have forgotten since it’s been so long since you last saw them: if you attempt anything foolish towards my Master, I won’t let you off. If you do anything even slightly suspicious, I’ll lock you in the same room as your former Unnie for a week.”

“Ah, I know!”

“Good. That’s all I need to know.”

「The door is opening.」

Passing through the waiting room for A-Class Hunters, which seemed quite busy, Dallae and Eunbyul walked towards the CEO’s office. The moment the black-haired maid opened the door to the CEO’s office and stepped inside, Dallae’s entire body went cold, covered in a cold sweat, at the sight of the man before her.

“I’ve brought Geum Dallae… no, No. 2, Master.”

“Yes. Good work, Eunbyul.”

“Huuuh, hikk…. Huuuh, hikk….”

It was Sung Taekyung’s face, whom she hadn’t seen in nearly three years, but the instinctive fear and devotion that bloomed the moment she saw him again. His position was also immeasurably higher than hers-the Master’s Master-so it wasn’t strange that her body naturally assumed a posture of obedience.

-Swoosh.

“I-It truly has been a long time since I greeted you, G-Great Master….”

-Swoosh, swoosh.

The ‘sign of devotion’ signifying absolute obedience and trust towards the other party. Dallae, thinking she had no choice but to perform the act the moment she faced Sung Taekyung, began removing the expensive suit she was wearing, piece by piece, arranging them neatly before her.

“…….”

“…….”

Feeling the gazes of the two people silently watching her actions, Dallae became increasingly naked. No matter how high the title of Geumhyang Group’s Chairman she held, or how many people followed her outside, in front of these two, she was nothing more than an insignificant, lowly creature. For that creature to survive, she had to express her loyalty to the Master and the Great Master somehow; this was the instinct ingrained in Dallae’s body after three years of ‘training’ under Eunbyul in Belle’s dungeon.

-Swoosh, swoosh.

“…….”

The suit jacket, tie and accessories, shirt, shoes and socks, and finally underwear-she removed them one by one. It wasn’t that she didn’t feel shame at the act of undressing in front of a man, but the emotions filling her heart were fear and devotion, far outweighing any shame. Within ten minutes of entering the Hope City Guild, Geum Dallae, the Chairman of the Geumhyang Group, had become nothing more than a slave begging for mercy, completely naked.

-Swish.

“I greet you once again with the proper attire and posture, Master and Great Master.”

“…….”

“…….”

“I-I promise here, in this posture, that I will never betray the Master and the Great Master again. I believe this is atonement for the faults I committed against the Master, and an expression of allegiance to the Great Master who cherishes the Master.”

“…….”

“…….”

“P-Please, if there is any proof of loyalty you desire from me, tell me anytime. S-So please, just once, don’t discard me simply because I’ve become useless… P-Please, just once, show me mercy….”

Even though she was lying naked on the cold floor, she could faintly feel the gazes of the two people fixed upon her. Since she hadn’t received permission to lift her head, she simply kept her forehead pressed to the floor, breathing quietly. Soon, she heard the voices of her Master and Great Master conversing about her.

“I didn’t expect her to actually prostrate herself naked on the floor the moment she saw you, Eunbyul. Just like you said.”

“The training for No. 2 regarding loyalty to the Master has been completely finished in the Master’s punishment room. I’ve prioritized her loyalty to the Master even higher than mine, so you don’t need to worry.”

“Right, she certainly seems fine enough that we can ease up a bit. She doesn’t seem like she’s trying to betray us or showing any trace of resistance.”

Dallae, lying naked on the floor, listened to her Master and Great Master engaging in a conversation that made no sense to her. She cautiously guessed that they had likely already discussed what actions she would take the moment she entered the CEO’s office. Despite her actions being predicted without her knowledge, she felt fortunate that it seemed to prove her loyalty.