【Book Chapter 6 】
From that day on, Nokhee frequently had intercourse with the servant.
The original plan was to cautiously go to the pavilion, taking into account the watchful eyes of the Yoon family. However, for some unknown reason, the servant would inevitably sneak into her room whenever something came up and she couldn't go.
As the frequency became almost daily, Nokhee, unable to bear it, scolded him, asking why he kept coming to his master’s room so shamelessly. However, she was only rebuked with the argument that she needed to quickly return the reverse scales in order to become the Crown Princess.
Having known the servant for nearly ten years, she was astonished to discover such a brazen side in him, leaving her speechless as she repeatedly let out a frustrated sigh of “Haa, really.” However, when night fell, she ultimately couldn't push away the urgent hands that lifted her skirt every night.
The day after the first reverse scale had disappeared, as Yoon Jucheol had mentioned, a procession of court ladies and eunuchs bearing talismans arrived at Hwangju Castle.
In Nokhee's quarters, a court lady was stationed under the pretext of providing education, but since she was not a future Crown Princess but rather a concubine, the court lady didn't seem to care much.
From what she overheard during the greetings, it seemed common to send an unmarried sister as a concubine to keep the lonely Crown Princess company in her married life.
Perhaps because of this, the so-called education involved only memorising a few lines from a book on royal etiquette. However, since the court lady had settled in the same building, Nokhee couldn't help but be concerned.
So, Nokhee suggested to Kijoon that they set a specific day each week to meet, but that guy completely ignored her and kept coming to her room every night, tormenting her.
At first, she got angry and tried to dissuade him, worrying that the sounds of their intimacy might be heard, but he assured her there was no need to worry since he had cast a barrier.
When Nokhee complained that during the day, the court lady, under the guise of education, would attempt to undress her to check if her body was untouched, he immediately used his magic after their sexual encounters to make all the bite marks and traces on her body vanish as if they had been washed away.
In this situation, she couldn't reason with him at all. Moreover, if he was going to use his damn magic, he should have done it perfectly. Instead, he would leave all the semen deep inside her womb and then slip away while she was asleep.
In the morning, Nokhee had to squat over the chamber pot for a long time. She had to push with her lower abdomen to expel the semen inside her belly like urine so that it wouldn't stain her underwear.
Sometimes, when the semen was lodged deep inside and wouldn't come out, she found herself curling her fingers like a rake and gently probing within herself. She couldn't help but let out a sigh, reflecting on what she was doing.
Fortunately, everyone's attention and concern were focused on Bohee’s wedding preparations, giving her a chance to breathe and escape the scrutiny of the Yoon family. Otherwise, her scandalous affair with the servant might have been discovered early.
Perhaps sensing this, the servant now not only visited at night but also began to come during the day to tease her unexpectedly. With her legs constantly spread day and night, Nokhee was losing weight despite eating well and always feeling exhausted.
However, all that effort was not in vain. Four out of the seven reverse scales on Nokhee's body disappeared. Although she felt it was a steep price to pay for having her energy drained for several days, she still felt a sense of relief.
One day, she suddenly felt worried. She only had seven reverse scales, so even if she gave them all, what if the remaining ones in the Yoon family held him back?
So, she chose a day to confront the servant, who always lunged at her to suck her breasts as soon as he saw her. Pushing him away, she asked whether he needed all the reverse scales to escape from this place. Kijoon replied:
—For now, the seven on the lady's body will suffice.
—Why is that?
—If I have more than half, it won’t matter even if that weasel bitch destroys the rest all at once.
Excluding the one on Kijoon's body, there would be a total of eleven reverse scales. According to his explanation, if she just gave him all the scales on her body, it would exceed half.
Although Nokhee did not show it, she felt a great sense of relief inside. However, one question continued to trouble her.
Despite their frequent encounters, what would happen if the reverse scales did not all transfer to Kijoon by the time of Bohee’s wedding?
—What if… just what if, it doesn't reach more than half? What happens then?
—Either I die, or I have to return the reverse scales I received from the lady to the weasel and beg for my life.
Upon hearing this, the colour drained from Nokhee's face. Until now, she had only thought about giving him the reverse scales on her body before leaving for the imperial palace with Bohee, but she had never considered what would happen if that was not possible.
The thought of failing to transfer all the reverse scales to Kijoon made her head spin. Seeing the royal wedding being rushed, it was clear that the imperial family must have a keen interest in the dragon the Yoon family was rumoured to possess.
The thought that not only the shaman and the Yoon family, but even the imperial family might tighten the noose around Kijoon's neck made her feel as if her world were collapsing.
Kijoon had to get out of this hell. He had to.
Bohee's wedding day had not yet been set, so there was still some time. There were only three reverse scales left. Just three.
After a long period of contemplation, with a serious expression fixed on the man in front of her — his lower body visibly tense with anticipation — Nokhee finally opened her mouth to speak, albeit with some difficulty.
—…Kijoon, take off your clothes quickly.
—What? You mean... my clothes?
—Yes. Wouldn’t it be better if you take the remaining ones as soon as possible? That way, I can go to the imperial palace with peace of mind... So, from now on, we should have sex more frequently than before.
—...
—What are you doing? Hurry up and take them off…
Nokhee was about to urge Kijoon, who was not moving despite his erection bulging through his pants when she suddenly stopped.
Kijoon was smiling, his eyes crescent-shaped. However, the way he looked at her was unsettlingly sweet.
—Everything you say is correct, my lady.
—…What?
—From now on, we shall have sex more frequently and for longer.
Then he lunged at her and kissed her, leaving her no time to discern whether what she saw was a dream or reality.
Anyway, during those chaotic days, news arrived that the date for the Crown Prince's royal wedding had been set. Unprecedentedly, it was only a month away.
However, there were many preparations and necessities for the royal wedding, so Bohee had to leave for the capital in a palanquin half a month earlier.
No one told her explicitly, but Nokhee knew she, too, had to go with her.
Half a month. She had to transfer the reverse scales to Kijoon within that time.
Upon hearing this news from the imperial messenger, Yoon Jucheol was overjoyed and treated Bohee to a grand feast.
By a twist of fate, Nokhee and Seonghyeon, who had recently been registered as an adopted son, also found themselves at the feast. However, since the servant had kept her up until dawn, Nokhee dozed off in the middle of the meal.
Yoon Jucheol, who had been somewhat lenient lately, immediately became displeased and scolded her for falling asleep on such an auspicious day.
—I was worried about causing trouble in the imperial palace, so I stayed up day and night studying the teachings I received from the court lady.
—Right. Nokhee, you’re not completely without sense after all.
With no excuse for her lazy attitude, she simply prostrated herself, apologised, and made excuses. Fortunately, Yoon Jucheol quickly calmed down and was satisfied.
He had been concerned when she caused a scene before Myunghoon's funeral, but he thought, what could she really do anyway?
Yoon Jucheol felt a rare sense of pride seeing Nokhee’s younger brother Seonghyeon also present for the first time in a while and decided to send Nokhee some proper books instead of scriptures to her quarters.
After the feast, Nokhee returned to her quarters and carefully examined the books, which she hadn’t laid eyes on in ages. Suddenly, a past conversation with Kijoon in the library came to mind.
—I plan to open a book rental shop when I leave home one day.
—I'm just saying that selling the books would be easier than painstakingly copying them with your terrible handwriting.
—That's why you have to copy them for me.
—Me... you say?
—Of course. Why should I do such a difficult task when I have a skilled servant like you? Huh?"
“Come to think of it...”
She had once dreamed of such a thing. In the distant future, if there came a day when she was ever kicked out of Hwangju Castle, she would take all the books Yoon Jucheol had given her and open a bookstore near the capital.
Naturally, she would leave the task of copying to Kijoon, intending to spend her own days idly enjoying the money she earned. She planned to stroll around the capital, visit taverns, and wander through the marketplace, perhaps even buying a belt adorned with gold and jade as she thought of Kijoon, who was likely sulking…
She had dreamed of such a future.
It hadn't been that long ago, but it felt like a distant memory, filling her with nostalgia.
Back then, it was so difficult to even exchange a few words with that rascal, Kijoon. A simple conversation would have been enough, yet she couldn’t help but wish that if only she could touch his handsome face just once, she would have no regrets...
Now, she had not only fulfilled that wish but exceeded it, yet she didn't feel particularly happy.
'I've had my fill.'
Even as she mocked herself, she wondered why she felt this way. Perhaps it was because, despite their daily intimacy, they still felt distant from each other. Once she gave him all the reverse scales, Kijoon would be able to leave this miserable place, even if he couldn't get them all back. And then she...
She...
The thought that she could never return to the innocent days when she dreamed of opening a bookstore with Kijoon made Nokhee feel somewhat sad.
'Enough.'
If she stayed like this, she would end up trapped in her room again when Kijoon sneaked in. Nokhee hurriedly gathered the books and left her room.
“My lady, where are you going?"
Eokbun, surprised to see her lady, who had been staying indoors lately as if glued to the floor, suddenly leaving her quarters, asked in concern.
"I'm just going out to get some fresh air.”
“Where are you going, my lady?"
“You don't need to know."
After snapping at Eokbun, Nokhee hesitated for a moment before adding:
“...If anyone asks, say I'm not feeling well and have fallen asleep,”
“Ah, my lady! My lady!"
With that, she quickly stepped over the threshold. Although she was truly going out for a walk, she felt strangely embarrassed, as if she were running away from the servant.
Wandering aimlessly with a troubled heart, she found herself in front of the abandoned library. No matter where she went, a servant like her could only end up in such a desolate place.
As she entered the library, she slowed her steps, feeling a bit tense as she approached the corner. But when she cautiously peeked inside, she saw only rows of empty bookshelves.
It felt as if she were putting on an entire show all by herself — playing the drum, the janggu, and even the gongs. Feeling a bit sheepish, she sat down quietly at the desk, opened the book she’d brought, and prepared to do some copying for the first time in a while.
However, since she had stayed up all night, the words wouldn't register in her mind. After writing only a few lines, drowsiness overcame her. Nokhee thought, 'Oh, forget it,' and flopped down on the desk. She planned to take a short nap, then finish copying and return in time for dinner.
She had only closed her eyes for a moment when she heard the rustling of paper turning over near her head.
“Uhmm...”
Nokhee lifted her body from the desk, half-asleep. Suddenly, she saw someone sitting upright across from her, holding a brush.
“...Kijoon?"
Swish.
She wondered where the faint rustling of paper was coming from, only to realise it was the brush in his hand, gliding over the paper, forming each character.
The red glow of the sunset streamed through the broken window bars, casting light on Kijoon's handsome face.
Was she still half-asleep? Rubbing her eyes, Nokhee wondered if she was seeing a ghost and glanced hazily across from her once more. Just then, the figure, who had been absorbed in his writing, glanced up briefly and spoke.
"Are you awake?"
Hearing the ‘ghost’ speak, her sleepiness vanished instantly. Nokhee asked in surprise.
“Are you really Kijoon?"
"Then do I look like the Crown Prince to you?"
“That's not what I meant..."
She was questioning whether he was real or fake, so why would he mention the Crown Prince all of a sudden?
Comparing the Crown Prince's pig-like, chubby face to Kijoon's handsome features soured her mood instantly. Nokhee furrowed her brows and glared at Kijoon.
“But how did you get here?"
“You weren’t in your room, so I asked your attendant and found you.”
"You asked Eokbun? That can't be..."
She was sure she had snapped at Eokbun when asked where she was going and left.
As she tilted her head, trying to clear her foggy mind, Kijoon suddenly shoved the paper he had been writing on in front of her. Glancing down, she saw neat letters filling the page below her messy handwriting. And it wasn't just one or two pages; all the sheets she had brought were filled like that.
“Did you do all this?"
“How can my handwriting be this bad every time I write?"
As Nokhee flipped through them, her eyes widening in surprise, the servant pointed at what she had written, speaking without changing his expression.
“I wasn’t talented, so I practised to get better.”
Annoyed, she glared at him, but if he were the type to be affected by that, he wouldn’t have said such insolent things in the first place. Nokhee scoffed, "Hmph," and pushed Kijoon away.
“Using magic to pretend you write well."
“Ha. Who says I’m using magic?"
He laughed as if he had never heard such a thing before.
“It's obvious., right? You're a mythical creature, so how could a mythical creature write human letters better than a human?"
With her arms crossed, she said whatever came to mind. Suddenly, Kijoon pushed the brush holder towards her.
"Take out a brush and hold it."
"Why?"
“I will teach you how to write properly, my lady."
“Are you even my teacher now? No thanks."
Stubbornly, Nokhee pushed the brush holder back towards Kijoon. At that, he started to deliberately get on her nerves.
“You keep placing the dots in the wrong spot — that’s why your writing ends up crooked.”
"Wrong spot?"
She had done her best to observe and transcribe it exactly, so it felt quite unfair.
"It was marked on the right side, so I copied it exactly as it was."
“Does it not matter to you whether you place the dot above or below, my lady? This character has a dot at the bottom."
However, Kijoon held up a sheet of paper with a few lines of her writing and compared it to the same character he had written. Unlike her crooked handwriting, his was so neat and straight that it looked as if he had written it with a template.
Nokhee glanced back and forth between them, her face flushed with anger as she shot a glare at Kijoon.
“...You insolent servant, just because you can write well, you think you can treat people like fools? You might be the one who wrote it wrong. If you look closely, you might find it matches mine?!”
“Then let's make a bet."
“What kind of bet?"
“We each take turns calling out a character from the book and see if we write it correctly. The loser has to...”
Kijoon trailed off as his gaze scanned across the library for a moment before finally landing on the lady’s pouting face.
Whenever she made that sly expression, he wondered what she would do if he lifted her skirt and sucked her down there. Nokhee didn't notice the small smile that Kijoon let slip. He continued his halted words.
"Take off one piece of clothing and give it to the other person.”
“...Why take off clothes if we're just betting?"
“It's called a bet, so there should be a penalty. Haven't you ever made such a bet with your friends, my lady?"
"Of course, I have. I have..."
She had never done anything like that. How could a servant girl masquerading as a cherished noble's daughter possibly have a close friend? Uncertain whether close friends actually made such bets, she hesitated, and then Kijoon chimed in.
“And I’m feeling cold. I’m going to borrow some of your clothes to wear.”
"Cold?"
Surprised, she turned to look at Kijoon and saw that he was wearing only a thin single-layered jeogori (jacket). The mornings and evenings were still chilly, so she wanted to quickly offer him the durumagi (overcoat) she was wearing. However, it felt inappropriate to give her clothes to a servant without any reason...
“Ah, fine."
⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡ ⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆
If you notice any errors or broken links, please let me know and I will get that fixed~ Additionally, if you would like to support me, I have a Ko-fi ~ Thank you! 💖