When Jin-Woo left the blonde hunter alone in the bathroom, she remained locked there for a while, motionless, not fully understanding what had just happened. Hae-In was beginning to understand the power he held over her, and that she might never have the chance to escape.
Whenever she was around him, she felt in an inebriated state, as if a drug had entered her system and was making her body act and react in ways she had never imagined.
Hae-In, despite being a beautiful and successful young woman, had never had the opportunity to act like a "girl." She had always been pressured by her family to be the best athlete, and after awakening as an S-rank, she was under pressure to live up to her role as one of the best hunters and Vice-Guild Master.
Everything in her life was about appearances: being a perfect woman, presenting an impeccable, sober, elegant image, without any emotion to betray her.
Since she was little, she'd had a strict upbringing, controlled by her parents. Every gesture, every thought, and every grade in class were meticulously controlled by her parents. Being an only child in an upper-class family limited you, and therefore Hae-In had never had a normal childhood, much less a normal adolescence.
She'd never had the chance to fall in love or have a summer romance. Her group of friends consisted of the children of her parents' friends, or those from the athletics club where she trained.
However, in less than 24 hours, she'd felt and done things she'd never felt, let alone done, in front of a man in her 23 years.
What was happening to her?
Hae-In finally came out of the bathroom, feeling a little more relaxed but with a feeling in her body that couldn't be shaken off. She put on the clothes she'd set aside and left on that bed, which was now going to be hers, and got dressed. At least now she was wearing more comfortable clothes.
She left her uniform on a chair, unsure what to do with it, as it was stained with blood and sweat.
Exhausted by everything that had happened that day, she lay down on the bed, staring thoughtfully at the ceiling, wondering what would happen to her.
She didn't really know where she was either. She imagined that she was in the universe of the monsters that appear in the dungeons; where they lived and all the portals led there, so somehow, if she managed to escape from that castle and wander around, there was a chance she'd encounter a raid.
That gave her an idea. Perhaps a bit hasty, but if she was going to do it, she should do it as quickly as possible.
.
.
.
As the days passed, her plan to escape remained on her mind. She had to wait for the right moment, always when no one was around.
Having made it clear that she was going to be part of his army, she hoped that at some point she would have to start getting to know her future companions and train alongside the soldiers she would be fighting with.
But for now, none of that had happened. It seemed as if he had her locked away like a treasure no one could touch or look at.
Every day, Jin-Woo visited her, bringing her food and telling her about the cause they were fighting for—for him. Igris, who finally knew the name of that tall, elegant knight, also visited her often, bringing her food and new clothes, noticing that she preferred more comfortable clothes and fewer dresses.
They took her uniform but let her sword with her. So, in a way, she felt safe knowing she had a weapon with her; her sword.
Hae-In realized that the days there passed differently. She couldn't know why some days were longer and others shorter, just like the nights. It was a strange place she had to get used to.
Everything in the castle was very quiet. Sometimes, if it weren't for Jin-Woo and Igris's visits, she felt completely alone. She often spent the afternoons looking out the window, hoping to see if anyone else was visiting or if she could meet new members of his army, but nothing happened, and nothing could be heard. It was absolutely peaceful. Coming, perhaps, to understand why they called him the King of the Dead.
That day was particularly peaceful. In fact, Jin-Woo had told her she'd be alone for several hours without him or Igris visiting her, so he expected her to be calm and unconcerned that anything important had happened. Sometimes, his involvement surprised her, but other times, she found him distant, and remembered that day in her bath. Which made her uncomfortable and reminded her that man couldn't be trusted, no matter how hard he tried.
As the hours passed, she could see from her bedroom window that it had begun to get dark, so she had to start putting her plan into action.
The windows in that large window were heavy, but she was still able to open them. She sat for a few seconds on the windowsill, watching for guards or anyone who could see her below. But there was no sign of anything or anyone.
She climbed down the wall of that castle, thanks to the unevenness of the wall, making it easier for her to grip and support her feet.
The descent was easier than she expected. Finally feeling the grass at her feet, she took a deep breath and quickly looked around, calculating which direction to take. Perhaps it was too predictable, but she wanted to take the same route she had taken to get there, hoping the portal would still be open.
It wasn't even nighttime yet, the sky remained dark blue, and she knew the sun was setting somewhere remote in that unknown world. The animal sounds she heard were different from those back home; everything was strange, but it was normal; she was in another universe.
Accustomed to going to places like this, it didn't surprise her much; she had been trapped in raids for weeks so she could fight the dungeon's boss. But these times, she wasn't alone, and that thought made her shudder.
She was completely alone in that place.
When she arrived, to her little surprise, there was no portal. There was a high possibility that no one would be found, based on Jin-Woo's words. He had assured her companions that the portal would close once they left it, and apparently, it did.
Hae-In let out an exasperated sigh; she couldn't believe she was in that situation.Now, how could she get out of that place?
The short-haired hunter set out aimlessly through that unknown place, knowing her life could be in danger. She didn't know what kind of creatures she might encounter there, but she still thought any place was better than next to that man who made her feel things she'd never thought she could.
Hae-In calculated that several hours had passed, as she gazed at the starry sky with several moons shining in the sky, forming a beautiful celestial image. That image took her breath away for a few seconds; it was something magical. Unable to take her eyes off the sky, she was absorbed in the endless dark sky decorated with bright stars and a nebula full of vivid colors near that planet.
At that precise moment, Hae-In realized that not a sound could be heard around her. It was a strange sensation, standing there alone surrounded by trees and nature, under that magical canopy of colors and figures only imagined in a dream, when she suddenly felt a powerful force approaching her at a thunderous speed.
Her first instinct was to draw her sword and go on the defensive, looking around, waiting for that creature to appear or strike at her from any direction.
But all she saw was a winged creature over two meters tall, abruptly standing in front of her. Her first reaction was to attack.
When the winged creature moved several meters away from her, she realized it was the same creature that had been in the Monarch's throne room next to the King of the Dead.
Shit.
"Young Hunter, my Liege wants you back," it said in a voice that made every hair on her skin stand on end.
"And why didn't he come himself?"If he wanted me there so much, why couldn't he have bothered to come himself, if he was so powerful?Hae-In thought.
"My Liege has better things to do than come after you," the creature, whose name Hae-In still didn't quite know, responded matter-of-factly.
"Tsk," she clicked her tongue irritated, "What if I refuse?" she probed that question.
"I'll force you, then," the creature replied naturally. "My job is to obey my Liege's orders, so I'll have to bring you before my Liege by fair means or foul."
After watching that creature fight her companions, she knew she had no chance of winning, so she simply lowered her sword, bowed her head, and looked down at her feet, which were treading on several blue flowers.
"All right," she said, accepting defeat.
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When they arrived at the castle, Beru, the creature that had trapped the hunter, took her sword, leaving her defenseless. This time, to her surprise, he didn't take her to the throne room, but instead escorted her back to her room.
Hae-In was disconcerted by this, expecting him to take her before the Monarch, or to a cell to punish her for trying to desert. She hadn't kept her word; she had lied to the King, and the most logical thing to her was that there would be some kind of punishment for her actions.
When she reached her room and that creature let her alone, she could hear the door closed from the outside, and she realized that the window had been welded shut so that it was impossible to open.
"Great," she sighed, irked, looking around the room where she would remain, who knows how long.
She lay back down on the bed, exhausted, but she was so tired that she couldn't sleep. She had noticed that certain things in her room had changed, like, for example, her uniform was again on the chair where she had left it the day she arrived.
She thought that, even though they had locked her in that place, she knew, and was well aware, that some kind of punishment was waiting for her. She didn't believe those people would be merciful. To Hae-In, the King of the Dead didn't seem like a very flexible or benevolent person.
After a while, after tossing and turning in bed and thinking of a thousand ways she could be punished, she heard someone trying to open the door. This startled her and made her sit up in bed, keeping her gaze fixed on the door, waiting fearfully for who it might be. Her heart was beating so hard she could feel it in her temples, her hands sweating with anticipation of what might happen. Finally, the door opened, and she saw the figure of a man entering her room.
Part of her felt relieved to see that it was Jin-Woo entering her room, as he was probably the best worst option of all. And she wondered how she could feel relieved to see the person who was manipulating her in ways she didn't yet know how.
Her body tensed, and she straightened her spine, sitting more upright and firmer. Her gaze followed the movements of the man who had now invaded her room, and with her heart in her throat, she anxiously awaited what he was going to do or say.
"You know why I came, right?" he said as he closed the door behind him. He spoke the words in a calm manner that made her even more nervous. Hae-In gulped, waiting for his next move. "Answer me, dammit, Hae-In," he said maliciously, his eyes glowing faintly with a bluish, almost violet color.
Hae-In felt a powerful force in her body that made her speak, even though she didn't want to. The man's power was immeasurable, and Hae-In was beginning to understand and experience it.
"Y-yes," she replied in a small voice.
"Very well," he replied, nodding as he moved toward her. His movements were slow and measured. He was like a predator stealthily stalking toward its prey. Hae-In's whole body was trembling, and she felt the need to cry, but she knew it would all be in vain. "Then now I'll have to think about what kind of punishment to give you," he spoke again with a wicked grin, but it hid a yearning and hunger that Hae-In could sense.
Her fingers nervously intertwined, her breathing became irregular, and her heart pounded frantically in her ribcage. She began to notice how the atmosphere in the room was beginning to fill with that sweet scent that made her almost lose her mind. Her lips parted, her gaze fixed on Jin-Woo's imposing figure, as he drew ever closer to her.
She felt his warm fingers brush her cheek. At the touch of his calloused fingers, Hae-In's body stiffened a little more, keeping her entire body on alert. Her breath slowly escaped her mouth, and she felt his thumb caress her skin. The sensation was warm and soft, but she was so scared that all she could think about wasrunning away.
He had her trapped for his benefit. Hae-In knew exactly what his intentions might be, having watched his greedily gaze calculating every gesture and thinking what he was going to do to her.
The scent was enveloping her in a warm and pleasant way throughout her body, noticing how every muscle in her body was no longer tense, but rather letting herself be carried away by his touch. Her mind remained clouded, without any other thoughts; consciousness null, and her body surrendered to whatever he might be planning.
Hae-In felt the weight of his knee on the bed, watching how his body now hovered over her, his entire body invading hers, claiming her as his. She felt his other hand grip her waist, his fingers searching for the hem of her shirt to touch her fine skin.
At the touch of his fingers on her ribs, Hae-In let out an involuntary sigh. And Jin-Woo smiled satisfied at the effect he had on her.
"Now, Hae-In," he whispered against her skin, feeling his lips sensually brush against the hollow of her neck. "You'remine," he finally said, gently licking her skin. "And until you don't accept the certainty that you belong tome," he whispered against her ear feeling his warm breath, "things might get ugly," At that touch and his words, Hae-In's eyes widened in astonishment. She knew there was no escape, and that she was simply pure entertainment for him. She closed her eyes and relaxed into his touch, letting herself be carried away by the intoxicating sensation of his touch and his voice.
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