Chapter 205

In the Soul World, Lee Yeon-joo’s character is solid.

A noble tirelessly working for the independence of her homeland. She’s a person whose patriotism is unwavering.

She usually pretends to be weak and incompetent, but in reality, she’s a powerful assassin with immense capabilities.

Not only is she unofficially affiliated with the independence army, but she also possesses remarkable intelligence. She’s what you’d call a serious character.

Sometimes, when players act foolishly or engage in bizarre behavior, she just gets flustered. Or she might look at them with pity.

Outside of acting, she only discusses serious topics, making it hard to get close. If she jokes around with you, that means you’re very close.

“Why wouldn’t anyone like a handsome and strong guy like you?”

“…”

“And what you showed me was honestly… reassuring.”

That confusing statement left me even more puzzled. It was truly strange to hear such words from her serious face.

Thinking about Lee Yeon-joo made it feel like she was being sincere, but it absolutely wasn’t the case.

It was just a blatant lie to escape somehow. If boldness was what she was displaying, then she was really bold.

“I really wanted to show my affection even during class, but… you know? Who’s around you?”

“…”

“I was a bit timid to approach. If it weren’t for this, I couldn’t see you.”

Lee Yeon-joo effortlessly spun a lie without even moistening her lips. I was at a loss for words, flabbergasted.

She was throwing out such ridiculous lines, but amusingly, they felt genuine.

That meant she skillfully lies, using her feelings to persuade others.

“She’s skillfully prying into relationships.”

Lee Yeon-joo didn’t think of me as a fool. Instead, she targeted my weaknesses.

To her, I must seem like someone lacking common sense and awkward in dealing with people.

The truth is, there was enough right in her words to make me think she was impressive.

“Really? You like me?”

“Yeah.”

“How much?”

“More than anyone.”

Lee Yeon-joo declared her ‘confession’ seriously without changing her expression.

The atmosphere felt stiff rather than sweet. But seriousness often yields a greater effect.

Sadly, it had no effect on me. For one, there was a huge flaw in her statement.

“Then why did you hit me?”

“I retaliated automatically. It was unavoidable.”

“And the groin?”

“That’s…”

The retaliation part I could understand, but hitting the groin was beyond absurd.

Before Lee Yeon-joo could finish her sentence, I erected a wall of interruption.

“I learned from Rod not to target the groin. They said hitting it makes you trash.”

Rod had advised me. It didn’t matter if I punched them in the face or broke their limbs.

But deliberately hitting a man’s pride? That’s a no-go. Of course, sexual offenders were exempt.

When I asked why, it was deemed a kind of unwritten rule. The moment you target it, you’ll be branded a coward.

“Y-yeah. But I’m a girl…”

“Even if you’re a girl, it’s the same. For men, their pride is precious. You hit something precious. Therefore, you’re a bad girl.”

“…”

With a miraculous form of reasoning, I just made Lee Yeon-joo a bad girl in an instant.

In reality, since she’s an assassin and not a warrior, she wouldn’t care about the means used.

However, the situation she faced created a contradiction. That earlier confession would all be for naught.

‘Now, what excuse will she make?’

Typically, it would be normal to simply explain her situation.

Afterward, she could slowly negotiate with Danyerin. The priority would be to get the two of them alone together, which would indeed make things easier.

“…Sivar.”

“Yup.”

“Can you trust what I say?”

Looks like she finally intended to speak. I nodded affirmatively.

Lee Yeon-joo took a deep breath, looking straight at me as she spoke.

“It’s about culture.”

“…Culture?”

What kind of bizarre nonsense was this?

As I gazed at her with that expression, she continued with her explanation.

“There’s a region called Johan, not the Hwan Empire. It was a country once, but… that’s not important now.”

“…”

“Anyway, hitting the groin is a culture of Johan. It’s a behavior a girl exhibits when she meets a guy she likes.”

It sounded like she was just throwing out nonsensical claims, yet oddly it felt like the truth.

“You don’t know well about cultures from other countries, right? If you really don’t understand, think about the animals in the forest. They flirt to find partners, right? It’s like that.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah. Really. You can believe me.”

Who does she think I am, a real fool? I was at a loss for words, utterly amazed.

She seemed to be rambling anything just to avoid linking with me.

Yet from her perspective, what she said had some merit. After all, I was a wildling from the forest.

Lacking even basic common sense, who knows how little I might understand about other cultures? It was impressive how she crafted such a believable excuse in such a short time.

‘That’s quite impressive.’

But still, that’s sexual harassment. No, that’s bordering on sexual assault.

Desperately trying to push me away, she wouldn’t send me off until she heard what she wanted to hear.

Moreover, having treated me like a fool, I should return the favor.

I barely managed to suppress a laugh and asked Lee Yeon-joo.

“Then what’s the opposite?”

“Huh? The opposite?”

“Yeah. A guy to a girl.”

“Uh…”

Lee Yeon-joo’s eyes rapidly spun around.

Although everything around was dark, her expression was quite clear.

After a moment, as if a reasonable excuse had come to mind, she looked at me and opened her mouth.

“Just touch the cheek. In Johan, unless you’re a couple, physical contact is strictly prohibited.”

“In this way?”

I immediately acted. Before Lee Yeon-joo could react, I touched her cheek.

At first, she looked stunned, then her eyes widened.

It was dark, so I couldn’t see too well, but it seemed like her face reddened a bit.

“Right?”

“Uh, yeah! Y-yeah! But…!”

“Then let’s do it now.”

“Wh-what?!”

While Lee Yeon-joo was flustered, I grabbed her wrists with each hand.

Bang-

Then, I pushed my torso forward, forcing her to fall over. Currently, her arms were bound by my grip.

In other words, it created the appearance of me being on top of her. Lee Yeon-joo, realizing this late, showed me her shocked expression.

“W-what are you doing?! Why?!”

“Pairing.”

“P-pairing?”

At my words about pairing, Lee Yeon-joo showed a confused expression.

Clearly, she didn’t understand. Therefore, I should explain it to her.

“You expressed your interest in me, and I reciprocated. What remains is pairing. Am I right?”

“N-no! Wait a minute! That’s not it!”

“Not it? Why?”

“That, that’s…!”

I could feel her trying hard to escape by any means necessary.

But escaping would be tough. I was holding her strong.

Her style was to make up for her lacking strength with skills. As you could tell from her slender figure, she lacked physical power.

“Ah, anyway, this isn’t right! Have you done this to anyone else?!”

“No.”

“Then why me?!”

“Because you expressed interest. Directly.”

“…”

Lee Yeon-joo’s expression could be summed up in a word.

A dead end or self-destruction. She completely fell into the trap of her own words.

Since she thought of me as a wildling, she said such things, and I acted directly as her words indicated.

She must be feeling the imminent threat to her chastity right now. The bigger issue was that she couldn’t escape.

‘Who asked her to treat me like a fool?’

Naturally, I had no intention of assaulting Lee Yeon-joo.

It was simply teasing her, and this place was too uncomfortable for anything serious.

Moreover, it was clear that it would only leave bad memories for both of us. Thus, I would just pretend to act.

“…”

“…”

But why was she silent? I stared at Lee Yeon-joo.

She too met my gaze before averting her eyes, her lips tightly sealed.

‘…Huh?’

Now it was my turn to feel flustered. I thought I was playing around to draw out her true feelings, so what went wrong?

Could it be that she was considering sacrificing her chastity to keep a secret? If that were true, I’d be in a dead-end.

I was merely joking, and I hadn’t intended to go that far at all.

But that didn’t mean I could stop. It felt better to continue until she opened her mouth.

Swish-

I lightly restrained the wrist I held with one hand.

Having large hands made it possible to do so, as her slim wrists were easily engulfed by my grip.

I then used my free hand to gently stroke her cheek.

I felt her shiver slightly, but it wasn’t a reaction of shame.

Perhaps it was an expression of endurance. I decided to press on further.

Swish-

I brushed down her neck, and then followed the curve of her waist.

Thanks to her attire, her slim waistline was even more pronounced.

“Uh…!”

As my hand wandered near her waist, I heard a breathy groan escape her lips.

She bit her lips to stay silent, but she couldn’t take back the breath that had already left her.

Moreover, seeing her legs tremble confirmed she was undeniably excited.

‘Let’s see how far she can hold out.’

Quickly spill your guts. Otherwise, I’d have to take the bitter road myself.

I continued to touch Lee Yeon-joo’s body as casually as possible.

Primarily I focused on her upper body, avoiding areas like her chest or lower abdomen as much as possible.

“Hah… Uh…”

She couldn’t be enjoying it, could she? Lee Yeon-joo, who was stiff at first, seemed to be loosening up.

Seeing her stifled breaths hinted she was slowly being consumed by desire.

Could she really think of sacrificing her chastity to conceal this secret? That would be truly problematic.

‘She needs a reality check.’

For that, the best thing to do was touch the most secretive areas.

I let my hand glide along her waistline down to her hips.

Her hips were surprisingly wide considering her small size.

So just when I moved toward her sacred area…

“Ah, no!”

As if regaining her senses, Lee Yeon-joo cried out desperately. Naturally, my touch stopped.

I looked at her, puzzled. Her face had a mix of feelings jumbled together.

“I’m so sorry! Everything I said was a lie!”

“Lies?”

“Yeah! Lies! All those things I said about courting were lies! Even about liking you, that was a lie!”

Oh, well. That’s enough.

As Lee Yeon-joo confessed her true feelings, I pulled my hands back from her body.

Now freed from the grasp, she can finally lift herself up, covering her chest with her arms. But I hadn’t even touched her there.

“…”

“…”

An awkward silence fell between us.

Lee Yeon-joo was busy glancing at me, while I quietly waited for her to speak.

After a moment, she glanced at me bashfully and finally spoke up again, still covering her chest.

“…I’ll tell you everything. First, I came to see not you but Princess Danyerin of the Hwan Empire. I’m serving my nation.”

“My country?”

“It’s Johan, a nation that was forcefully merged after being betrayed by the Hwan Empire. I’m striving for independence.”

Yes, that’s the answer I wanted to hear. Not some strange cultural references.

From then on, Lee Yeon-joo spoke of what she’d heard in the Soul World.

She stressed that I should keep it a secret, saying she would do whatever it takes if I didn’t.

“You don’t understand the world well, so… just keep it a secret. Got it?”

“Is it important?”

“Yeah. It’s important to me.”

“Okay.”

Of course, aside from our promise, I’d work things out between Lee Yeon-joo and Danyerin.

There would be some suitable opportunities, and I’d just have to wait for them. Until then, I had to maintain a decent relationship.

“And… let’s treat today’s incident as if it didn’t happen. We would just embarrass each other. Got it?”

“Yeah.”

“Thanks. Tomorrow, let’s go back to how things usually are? I’ll take my leave now.”

Lee Yeon-joo quickly left without saying anything else.

I sensed her presence fading into the darkness as I turned my back.

It had been a rather strange affair, but everything seemed to be resolved well.

‘I hope she doesn’t act awkwardly.’

Lee Yeon-joo excelled at acting, so I believed that. I returned to the dormitory.

Even after some time had passed, Grace was still sleeping peacefully.

‘First, I should shower.’

With a mix of smells, including alcohol and dirt, a shower was necessary. Just as I finished washing up and stepped out…

[Faith is increasing!]

A message appeared before me, the reason for which I couldn’t quite comprehend.

******

“Ugh.”

Meanwhile, avoiding the gaze of the guard, Lee Yeon-joo returned to the dormitory.

As soon as she got back, she flopped onto her bed. At the same time, she exhaled sharply, as if she’d just dodged death.

What had just happened was the most dangerous event of her life. In more ways than one.

‘Fortunately, Sivar tends to keep his promises.’

There was no way the secret could leak. Even if it did, Sivar wouldn’t blabber about it carelessly.

Just as her heavy heart was lightening, Lee Yeon-joo went over the recent events in her mind.

First, Sivar’s overwhelming strength. No matter what technique she employed, she was subdued by a powerbomb in an instant.

He was so strong that no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t escape. It was especially shocking when he restrained her wrist with one hand.

‘He was extremely strong.’

She then recalled how his large hand had stroked her cheek and moved down her body’s curves.

The sensation back then was something she could never forget. No, even if she wanted to, it would be hard to erase from her memory.

It was just a simple caress, but her whole body had trembled from it.

Had she not loosened her body, she would have lost control of her legs.

“…”

Wait a second. Why was she remembering this?

Lee Yeon-joo blinked rapidly, and soon, her face began to flush.

The sensitivity of that touch was far too vivid. Not to mention Sivar’s handsome face was right in front of her.

This was her chastity, something to be guarded for her life unless it was her husband. And yet it was threatened without any humiliation.

‘Ah, no. It was to keep the secret. Right. That’s it.’

For the sake of her homeland’s independence, she could sacrifice that level of chastity. Her life solely belonged to Johan.

Yet while making those rationalizations, she kept recalling those sensations.

What if Sivar’s hand hadn’t stopped at that moment and had reached further…? What would have happened then?

Would they have gone through with it in that very state? Not on a bed, but on the hard floor?

‘Speaking of which, when I hit Sivar in the groin…’

She could remember the considerable weight behind that hit. It was vague since she hit with her hand, but she could gauge it somewhat.

Lee Yeon-joo felt her face heat up more and more. Meanwhile, she started rubbing her thighs together.

Like a girl encountering sexuality for the first time during puberty, it was hard to break free from.

“Damn it, really.”

Clearly frustrated, Lee Yeon-joo sat up. It seemed stress had been piling up lately.

She felt she needed a shower to clear her mind. Accordingly, she quickly tossed away her cumbersome clothes.

Just when she was about to remove her underwear…

Lee Yeon-joo suddenly hesitated.

Because she felt a dampness in her underwear. Not from above, but from below.

She hadn’t realized it until now, but now it was clearly apparent. While her mind denied it, her body was far too honest.

“…”

She didn’t head straight to the shower. Instead, she made a quick judgement.

‘It’ll just get dirty again anyway, so I can wait until after…?’

That was truly a reasonable conclusion, but.

‘Plus, it’s about time to wash the bedding too, right? It’d be nice to do it all at once with my underwear.’

It was verging on self-rationalization.

‘It’s the stress, not Sivar.’

Lee Yeon-joo convinced herself like that. It didn’t make sense otherwise.

How could a mere touch make someone waver in their desires? No matter how handsome he was, that shouldn’t be possible.

But that belief didn’t last long. Because suddenly, Sivar’s actions resurfaced in her mind.

‘But why did Sivar touch my cheek? Wh-why?’

Lee Yeon-joo’s mind was awash with chaos.

While she harbored a moment of happiness, her mind was filled with Sivar’s touch.

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