episode_0045

It’s a nice room.

Every piece of furniture, from the dressing table to the bookshelf, seemed to be made of the finest rosewood.

The bedding and pillows were also made of silk brocade.

It seemed as if the room was cleaned meticulously every day, as not a speck of dust could be seen.

A pleasant fragrance emanated from the wooden vase on the bookshelf.

Truly a room befitting the position of the Red Flower Pavilion.

A place where no one could enter casually.

Above all, there was no trace of the typical male scent.

Not a single man had ever set foot in this room.

That fact pleased Bansoun very much.

The first time.

It was always a word that brought a peculiar excitement to men.

It wasn’t a word that only applied when deflowering a maiden.

It was the first night ritual of the most esteemed maiden in the Red Flower Pavilion, a ritual that no man had dared to partake in until now.

And Bansoun was the one to receive it.

In her room, where no man had ever entered.

And by tomorrow, the news would spread throughout the entire Pavilion.

A thrilling excitement ran down Bansoun’s spine.

“From now on, you will attend to my night ritual.”

“Yes, Master! With all my might, I will serve you with utmost sincerity, Master!”

Eunhwayoung replied with a resolute voice and expression.

Even when she was a lowly servant girl, she had never uttered such words.

Words that could only be spoken when looking up to a man as if he were a god.

Tap. Tap.

Bansoun released Eunhwayoung from her kneeling position.

“T-Thank you, Master!”

She bowed deeply to express her gratitude.

A strange and peculiar situation where the victim of forced bloodletting and severe violence, after enduring all the blows the perpetrator could deliver, could only bow in shameful gratitude as the bloodletting was finally released.

In this shared moment, Bansoun smiled contentedly.

And he took a step forward.

Thud!

Bansoun pressed down on Eunhwayoung’s head with his foot.

A triumphant sensation of completely conquering a human being.

Eunhwayoung’s neatly arranged hair, adorned with a crimson hairpin, was disheveled.

“T-Thank you, Master!”

Eunhwayoung once again expressed her gratitude in a humiliating manner.

There was no other answer her brain could produce.

Fortunately, that seemed to be the right answer.

Because Master Bansoun was smiling.

“Good. That’s the way to answer. You’re indeed a clever little fox.”

“It is an honor, Master!”

“Yes, I like that.”

An ordinary hypnotized slave could never match the lively spirit of a slave like Eunhwayoung.

Her desperate attempts to find the right answer while looking at him with fearful eyes were utterly adorable.

Although not all the implied signals had been triggered, it was practically a finished product.

He was pleased with the results of his guidance in his own way.

“By the way, are you in pain?”

“Ah… No, Master!”

“It seems like the impact didn’t hurt you.”

Bansoun muttered.

Indeed, the subtle signals from the clever lad were remarkable down to the smallest details.

But such things were not important.

What mattered now was enjoying the night ritual of the most esteemed maiden in the Pavilion.

“Bring me some wine.”

Bansoun commanded.

It was a basic command to serve wine during a night ritual.

However, for Eunhwayoung, it was not an easy command.

Normally, she would call for the servants to do it.

But her keen mind was warning her.

That the Master did not expect such things from her.

In a brief moment of contemplation and further contemplation, she finally found her answer.

“Yes, Master! I will bring the wine right away!”

Although she held the status of a Red Flower Pavilion maiden, at this moment, she was just a humble maiden serving the night ritual of the Master who had personally tamed a girl who knew nothing but violence.

It was only right that she took action herself.

She was certain that this was the correct answer.

But.

There was one problem.

Her outfit right now was beyond the level of disarray, making it impossible for her to go outside.

While the top was intact, the lower part of her palace skirt was torn long enough to reveal the bare emptiness inside.

Even though she was her, she hesitated, unable to resolve this issue, looking at the master’s expression.

“Mas, master. Wha, what should I do about the celestial maiden’s clothes…?”

“Hmm, I see.”

Bongsoun, who was pondering for a moment, smiled as if he had come up with something amusing.

“Don’t wear anything underneath. Just wear the shortest skirt you have over your naked body.”

Wear a skirt over nothing?

And the shortest skirt at that?

An absurd command.

However, Eunhwayoung had no choice but to obey that command.

“Yes… Yes, master! I will follow your instructions!”

Eunhwayoung took off the torn palace skirt and found a skirt in the wardrobe.

A very short red skirt.

It was so short that it barely covered half of her thighs, not her knees.

Practically a skirt worn for seduction.

She put on that skirt over her naked body.

The curves of her smooth white legs, extending from her thighs, were prominently displayed, tempting any man to gulp down his excitement.

The problem was that if she made a wrong move, her bare emptiness could be revealed through the skirt.

Eunhwayoung cautiously grabbed the edge of the skirt with one hand.

Only then did she feel a bit more stable in the precarious situation.

“I, I will be back!”

Eunhwayoung walked cautiously.

But because of holding the skirt’s edge, her steps felt awkward.

No, awkwardness was fine.

It felt quite embarrassing to walk like that, holding the edge of a provocative skirt with her hand.

But she had no choice.

She had to go down to the kitchen on the first floor like this.

Eunhwayoung left.

“This is disappointing.”

Bongsoun, who was left alone, lost his appetite.

He had given an amusing command, but he was not the one enjoying the situation.

Well, it was okay.

The important thing was for others to notice that something was off with Eunhwayoung.

And to realize that it was because of Bongsoun himself.

“Hmph.”

Bongsoun chuckled to himself as if foreseeing the future.

***

Careful, careful.

Has she ever descended the stairs of Jeokhwaru so cautiously?

She couldn’t remember.

But now she had no choice.

If her bare emptiness was revealed below, she could be stamped as a perverted girl obsessed with exposure, and everything she had built up until now would collapse.

Please, let no one see.

Please.

Eunhwayoung descended the stairs earnestly, hoping that no one would see her.

Her earnest wish seemed to have been granted as she safely reached the third floor.

Everyone seemed preoccupied with the noblewomen and didn’t notice her.

Yes, just like this…

Finally, Eunhwayoung safely set foot on the ground.

But at that moment.

“L, Lady Roo?”

A startled noblewoman looked at her with wide eyes.

It was a first-class noblewoman, Pung, following the style of Cheongpungmyeongwol.

“…Ah, yes.”

Eunhwayoung casually replied.

Indeed, it was an unexpected encounter.

However.

…Her nonchalance was not very effective as the situation was too embarrassing.

Unbelieving gazes fell on Eunhwayoung’s short skirt and exposed thighs multiple times.

Realizing her own situation, she asked in surprise, her face turning red.

“L, Lady Roo, how did you end up here…?”

Eunhwayoung was about to mumble something vague, but realizing that lying would only lead to more trouble if her destination was revealed, she just told the truth.

“Just to the kitchen.”

“T, the kitchen?”

Pung’s eyes widened even more in surprise.

The kitchen.

It’s not a place where a precious existence like Lujoo should be going.

That place belongs to the cooks and the kitchen staff.

But what in the world is going on here?

“If you have errands to run, just tell the kitchen staff.”

“It’s something I have to do myself.”

“Oh, um, I see. If you need any help…”

“No, it’s okay. Just go.”

“Ah… Yes, yes!”

Bowing politely, Pung changed his steps.

Eun Hwayoung also cautiously made her way back to the kitchen.

“…”

Stopping in his tracks, Pung sneakily watched Eun Hwayoung’s retreating figure.

And then he was surprised once again.

Because he noticed that Eun Hwayoung’s hair was disheveled.

Lujoo always finished her hair perfectly after tying it up.

There was no way she would make such a mistake.

Which meant someone else had touched it.

Pung quickly thought of the guest on the sixth floor.

The Golden Dragon Lord!

He allowed her to touch his head?

Oh my, oh my.

Then that provocative skirt… was it worn to impress the Golden Dragon Lord?

“Could it be that the rumor was true?”

The rumor that Lujoo had recently met a man.

Pung had dismissed it as a baseless rumor.

…But it turned out to be true.

“Wait! The Golden Dragon Lord is a married man!”

Oh… Poor Lujoo.

To fall for a married man, of all people, when she is so beautiful and elegant.

The heavens are truly indifferent.

Pung shed a tear.

***

“Goodness gracious!”

The kitchen staff were so startled that they almost dropped the knife they were holding.

The reactions of the other working women and the kitchen staff were no different.

Eun Hwayoung felt embarrassed by their strong reactions.

Despite trying to control her expression, her cheeks turned slightly red.

“L-Lujoo, what brings you here?”

“I need a table setting.”

“A table setting? If that’s the case, shouldn’t we ask the kitchen staff…”

“It’s a special table setting for an important guest, so I came myself.”

“I see… I’ll prepare it quickly.”

The kitchen staff and the women quickly prepared the table setting.

And in the short time they waited.

The atmosphere was incredibly awkward.

The women in the kitchen didn’t know where to look.

Eun Hwayoung’s fingers trembled as she held the edge of the tablecloth.

No one dared to speak.

The tense atmosphere made the kitchen staff and the women work frantically.

The table setting was prepared in half the usual time.

“Here, it’s all done! Lujoo!”

“Thank you.”

Eun Hwayoung carefully walked out of the kitchen, carrying the table setting.

Finally.

“Phew…”

“Ha… I thought I was going to suffocate.”

The women caught their breath, feeling relieved.

“Lujoo setting the table herself…? Lujoo setting the table herself…? Lujoo setting the table herself…?”

One of the kitchen staff kept muttering to herself, still unable to believe it.

“I can’t believe it. And Lujoo’s skirt…”

One of the women blushed.

“It’s not just inappropriate… what should I call it…”

One of the women was about to say it was inappropriate, but then realized that the subject was none other than Lujoo and stumbled over her words.

It was a very difficult atmosphere.

Everyone wanted to gossip, but since the subject was Lujoo, they couldn’t bring themselves to say anything properly.

They say you can talk about the king behind his back when there’s no one around, but in a place with so many eyes and ears, talking behind Lujoo’s back would surely reach her ears.

“It had a slightly provocative feel, but… it looked beautiful on Lujoo, didn’t it?”

“Y-yes. I thought it was the fairy lady who visited without fail.”

“Your legs are so beautiful….”

Women trying to smooth things over with compliments on appearance.

But someone else stole the spotlight in that atmosphere.

“But if it’s an important guest… Of course, it must be the guest on the seventh floor, right?”

“Of course it is.”

“The current guest on the seventh floor is probably….”

“Lord Geumryong.”

“Oh, right. Lord Geumryong…. huh?”

“……”

“……”

The atmosphere suddenly turned tense.

A guest who wore revealing clothes and even brought up the table themselves.

Ruju was convinced that the other party was completely infatuated to the point where they couldn’t think straight.

Perhaps they were the subject of those rumors.

But Geumryong?

Geumryong was already married.

It meant he was a married man.

“Oh my.”

Chanmo let out a gasp.

To everyone at Jeokhwaru, Ruju held a special meaning.

She was the pride and dignity of Jeokhwaru.

Especially to the female attendants, she was nothing short of an idol.

Because she went from the bottom as an attendant to the top.

Jeokhwaru received this much attention in the world because of Ruju, and she was considered one of the top attendants.

But for such a Ruju to be infatuated with a married man…?

It was a feeling of shattered pride and dignity.

Ruju, who as the top attendant had stolen the hearts of many men with her stunning beauty and graceful demeanor.

She had received countless proposals of marriage along with persistent courtship.

But…?

That Ruju had fallen for a married man…?

And not just any married man, but the famous Lord Geumryong…?

“S-sometimes that happens, you know. Suddenly you feel like it’s true love because it burns so intensely, but then it fades away suddenly, and you wonder why you felt that way….”

“Y-yes. When love blinds you, that can happen.”

“Yes, yes. It won’t last long. You’re just caught up in the moment.”

The women in the kitchen hoping for this relationship to end soon.

Meanwhile, chaos was unfolding outside.

***

“Huh? Look over there! Look at that!”

“Oh, what’s going on… Oh my goodness?!”

“Silver hair and red eyes….”

“Ah, the Red-Eyed Fox!”

“D-damn… I’ll kill you! How can someone be so beautiful? Is she really human? This is insane, insane.”

“Wow, what’s with that skirt? Oh… I’m going crazy, I’m going crazy. Look at those legs and thighs. It’s art, it’s art.”

The men who spotted Eun Hwayoung carrying the table.

They were the same men who had been grumbling about Bang Sooun’s identity earlier.

They were staring at Eun Hwayoung with eyes wide in astonishment.

She was a beauty of a level that could never be found in the waters they usually frequented.

Not just in one region, but a beauty that could be considered outstanding in the entire Central Plains.

How could men like them dare to look at such a beauty.

It was almost a miraculous sight.

But their good mood didn’t last long.

“Wait a minute. Didn’t they say Jeokhwaru’s attendants don’t serve at night?”

“…That’s right.”

“But that skirt… It’s not something an attendant would wear for casual conversation….?”

Everyone already knew the answer.

It was a very special guest.

If it wasn’t a guest who attended at night…?

“Come to think of it, bringing up the table themselves….”

Just those two things alone made the situation clear.

“Wow, that lucky son of a gun, Lord Geumryong! Sleeping with such a stunning beauty? Really? This damn world!”

“Ugh… those, those milky white thighs… legs… you could just touch and caress them with your hands….”

“Is that all? You could even suck and bite on her breasts and… everything else. Ugh, unimaginable. How would the taste of such a refined beauty be.”

“Gangnam’s number one beauty, Hanju, is the top girl… Does he really have to take everything for himself to feel at ease? This shameless, rotten… Envious bastard…”

“Sigh, just… just for one day, I want to be the Golden Dragon Lord…”

Men going crazy and losing their minds out of envy.

The scene that Bang So-un had anticipated unfolded just as he had imagined.

And there was one more thing.

A situation even he hadn’t expected.

“I-I have to go.”

The man stood up with a serious expression.

“W-Why?”

“…After seeing Jeokanyoho, all the women around me felt like blocks of tofu, so I just died inside.”

“Damn, are you feeling the same way too?”

Another man chimed in.

“…I feel like I’ve hit rock bottom. My eyes have gone weird, and my heart just won’t settle.”

“Goodness, what on earth is happening. It can’t be helped. It’s a shame, but you better treat your wife well now.”

“Ugh.”

“Why again?”

“I pictured my wife’s face, and a pig popped up.”

“….”

“Ugh.”

“No, why again?”

“…I envy the Golden Dragon Lord.”

“…That’s how it is.”

In the end, it all concluded in the same way.

While the eyes feasted, the atmosphere had already turned sour.

Only one man.

For Bang So-un, it was a night of pure delight.