Chapter 38 – ??? – That Man’S Bloodline, That Blood’S Fate
* ??? – That Man’s Bloodline, That Blood’s Fate (2)
Inside the grand traditional Korean house, amidst the ongoing banquet, a bald man slipped out. He loosened his tie, stretched his neck comfortably, put on sunglasses, and headed towards the village.
*Ssssh, hooo.*
Once he was a good distance away, he stuck a cigarette in his mouth, exhaled smoke, and looked around. The unidentified man, somehow accepting the bizarre rural landscape with several large, ornate buildings besides the traditional house he had just left, entered one of the buildings.
It wasn’t as grand as the traditional house he had just left, but it was a large, clean-looking tile-roofed house. This place, too, had a stone wall around it, as if showing off its land, but unlike ordinary rural areas, it was impeccably maintained. Inside, burly men were sweeping the yard, and many women were busily moving about, making it a place that didn’t fit the times.
“Big Brother, you’ve arrived.”
As soon as he stepped into the place, men gathered around him. Some were dressed in simple clothes befitting the era, while others, like the bald man, wore sunglasses and suits. Following behind them, women in modest attire quietly lowered their heads and moved away from the men.
“Is it already over? I heard there was going to be an important discussion about the young master. I’m surprised you’re back so quickly.”
“There was no reason for the elders to fight this time. It was like the previous squabble was a lie; they quickly agreed and finished the discussion.”
“Unanimously?”
“Yeah.”
The bald man’s sunglasses flashed in the sunlight as he tilted his chin. Young girls, dressed so thinly that their nipples were visible through their clothes, slowly approached him and bowed twice at his gesture.
“What is it you require, Elder?”
“Where are the remaining seed bearers?”
“The seed bearers do not have training today and are not here. They have all returned to the elders’ homes and are working on their bodies in the back quarters, I believe.”
“So, besides Serim, no one is in the training room?”
“That seed bearer was moved from the training room to solitary confinement in the punishment room. She seems upset about not being sold this time and has been reflecting there all day.”
“That dimwit, I told her it wasn’t her fault she wasn’t sold. But it works out well. I’ll have a word with her, so make sure no one enters until I come out of the punishment room.”
“Elder, it is forbidden to touch the seed bearers, who are merchandise.”
“At my age, I’m not going to get my rocks off with a young girl like that. I’m really just going to talk about work, so if I’m late, report it to the Madam.”
“Understood.”
The women retreated, seemingly convinced, and the bald man walked with heavy steps into a large warehouse behind the tile-roofed house. Although it was called a warehouse, the inside was clean and spacious, and it was a peculiar place filled with SM-related tools that looked like they came from an adult video.
Apart from being clean, the place was filled with a damp, lingering scent of women. The smell of females in heat, which never faded no matter how much it was ventilated. As he said, this punishment room was a place to torment merchandise (slaves). That’s why the smells deeply embedded in the building never faded, but he, as if used to it, took off his shoes and entered the dimly lit warehouse, locking the door behind him, and headed to a corner of the room.
‘Is it here today?’
In the corner of the room where he stopped, there were three cabinets. Made of thick iron, these cabinets were long and narrow, unlike ordinary ones, as if they were deliberately made to hold people. The word “solitary confinement” that the woman outside had mentioned to the bald man. The cabinets were so blatant that there was no need to explain what it meant.
“Are you there?”
“Yes…”
As expected, a woman’s voice came from the thickest and narrowest of the elongated cabinets. Unable to bend her knees or arms, she was trapped in a space that fit her height and build. In the iron cage where no light entered, she was breathing shallowly, and other than that, she answered immediately.
“What brings you here?”
‘I want to ask you what you’re doing in there.’
The bald man took off his sunglasses, wiped the lenses with a handkerchief from his pocket, and cut to the chase, skipping unnecessary small talk.
“Do you know about the elders’ meeting today?”
“Yes. I heard they gathered to discuss the young master. It’s still the middle of their discussion time, so are you the only one who left, sir?”
“That discussion is already over. Everyone is enjoying the banquet now, so I slipped out. The reason I came to find you is related to that discussion. No matter how much I think about it, you’re the right person for this.”
“I don’t know what you mean. What could the young master and I have to do with each other? Please leave this useless woman who couldn’t even be sold alone and use someone else.”
“Are you still sulking? Is that why you’re locked in solitary confinement?”
“Why wouldn’t I be sulking? For decades, I’ve worked hard, shedding blood and sweat, to become someone’s possession. I was overjoyed thinking about my upcoming shipment. However, I tried so hard to become a good seed bearer to not betray the expectations of the village elders, and then it was canceled the day before. I’m so ashamed and embarrassed that I would have bitten my tongue and died if I wasn’t in solitary confinement.”
“I’ve told you repeatedly that it’s not your fault you couldn’t become that man’s seed bearer. It’s just that the regime changed, and you naturally fell out of favor. It was just bad luck.”
“But doesn’t that mean I no longer have an owner? I worked so hard to fix my flaws, my appearance, and my body, but now it’s all useless. In the end, I’m destined to either stay in the village or become a street woman who spreads her legs.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve brought good news for you.”
“Good news… for a useless woman like me…”
The woman trapped inside the cabinet took a deep breath and made a sound as if she was suffering from the sweat and fumes inside, tormenting herself. “There’s no way there’s good news for someone like me,” she said, banging her head against the walls of the place where she was trapped, even shedding tears.
“It’s probably just leftover stock… I already know…”
“I’m telling you not to be so negative. It’s not leftover stock; I’ve brought you a groundbreaking offer.”
“Do you think we don’t know anything? We know what happened to the women who weren’t sold last time. We know what will happen, so please don’t give us false hope.”
As if he didn’t care whether she was tormenting herself or not, the bald man put his sunglasses back on and continued. As if he was used to this situation, he leaned against the wall where the cabinet was and started fiddling with his phone.
“It’s about Madam Sunok’s grandson, Young Master Junseo.”
“The young master?!”
*Thump! Thump! Thud!*
“O-oh, oh…”
The cabinet shook violently as soon as Junseo’s name was mentioned, even though she had been so negative just moments before. The bald man’s dark eyes behind his sunglasses blinked, a little surprised by the sudden change in atmosphere, but it was only for a moment. He quickly regained his composure and continued what he had to say.
“Anyway, answer my question. How much do you know about Young Master Junseo?”
“Well, I know most of the details. All the other women were educated about him as well. In case we were sold into the outside world, we might meet him somewhere, so we’ve heard everything from his appearance to his current situation. But I thought we would never meet because the young master doesn’t even know about the existence of this village.”
“Is the Madam or the young master like gods to you?”
“Yes, of course. This village is a place that even high-ranking government officials can’t touch. Madam Sunok is a true celestial being who can silence even the most powerful people in the outside world. It goes without saying that the young master, her bloodline, is the same. We, the merchandise, as well as the teachers who work here, are the same, aren’t we? We’ve been treated with familiarity because we’re all people who were picked up by the Madam or the elders, but it’s not just us, is it?”
“Rest assured, it’s exactly as you think. She’s the one who takes in ruffians like us. It’s thanks to her grace that the bloodline of violent men like us continues to exist in this era, and we can even hold respectable positions… Ah, ahem! Wait, it seems like I’m getting off track. Let me get to the point.”
“Is it really about the young master?”
“Didn’t you just say you wouldn’t meet the young master?”
“Yes.”
“That was also the story when that man was alive. You know, don’t you? That man is dead. I don’t know if one of the elders killed him on purpose or if it was a real accident. But you can be happy. The conclusion of today’s meeting was that since that scoundrel is dead and there’s no pillar to carry on the Madam’s house, they’ve decided to bring the young master here.”
“Is that true? I’m happy that the young master is coming to the village. I can even shed tears, and I’m not just saying that. Anyone would be happy that the young master, not that scoundrel, is going to take over the house. The Madam’s family will be at peace for the next hundred years. But to be honest, I don’t know what that has to do with me. I’m happy, but I don’t understand.”
“You still don’t get it after I’ve said this much?”
“It’s not like you’re going to give the young master to a mere piece of merchandise like me. I wasn’t raised to be such a presumptuous woman. It’s a terrifying thought.”
“So you understand your place. You poor thing.”
The bald man chuckled quietly as he swiped through his phone. He thought she would understand after he said this much, but she was someone who knew her place too well, so it was surprisingly difficult to get through to her. But whether he liked that or not, he didn’t show any displeasure, and instead, with a relieved voice, he revealed the real point.
“If you know about the young master, then it’ll be faster. Currently, the young master doesn’t know about this village and is very happy with the family relationships he’s building. But we have to bring him here someday, so the discussion was to start moving, and the method that was suggested was a honey trap.”
“A honey trap for the young master? Really?! Ha, you’re joking, right?! I’m not falling for it!”
“What, you don’t like it?”
“To be honest, it’s nothing short of blasphemous… Just hearing about it makes me tremble… The other merchandise who hear this will have the same reaction as me…”
“That’s true…”
At the word “blasphemous,” the bald man closed and opened his eyelids a few times behind his sunglasses, deeply agreeing with her. It was a sentiment and tone that seemed like it came from a historical drama, but he realized that he was also being drawn to that sentiment. The Madam he followed was a true celestial being, and he was her follower. He even felt a sense of duty in bringing the young master to the village, so he couldn’t shake off the awkward feeling.
“I also want to appeal this, but there’s no other way. It’s something the elders agreed on, and the Madam herself approved it.”
“The young master isn’t an object! What do you think people’s hearts are?!”
“It’s funny to hear that from you, who is merchandise. Do you have such consideration even though you’re an object?”
“To have that merchandise manipulate the young master! You’re saying something that even I, who is less than human, know!”
“Hahahaha!”
The bald man laughed, his sunglasses flashing, at the woman’s outburst inside the cabinet. “That’s why I chose you, because you’re so loyal,” he said quietly, and she immediately stopped her outburst and became quiet.
“Listen carefully. We’re going to pick out the better ones among the leftover women and scatter them around the young master. It’s about the survival of the village, so all the elders will strongly support it, and the woman who successfully completes her mission will become the young master’s legal wife.”
“What? The young master’s legal wife? Did I hear that wrong?!”
“That’s it.”
“Are you crazy?!”
“Idiot, of course, it’s a lie. It’s an easy condition to deceive the other women. The actual legal wife will be a lady that the Madam chooses from the outside world, and you will become concubines. Of course, if those concubines don’t know their place… they’ll be sold overseas… or become dog food…”
“Even as a concubine, it’s more than enough!”
“That’s right. That’s why the Madam is not happy about it. She’s smiling at the banquet, but she’s rotting inside. It’s ridiculous that a mere piece of merchandise will become the young master’s concubine. But it might be a surprisingly good chance. If you know your place, you can become a concubine.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Our family will support you. We’re just trash who can only beat and kill people, but we haven’t forgotten our loyalty to the Madam. You have sense, so you wouldn’t think about putting your blood into the young master’s family, right? Then you’re the right person. If the other women presumptuously demand the concubine position and try to put their blood in, you can push them aside and bring the young master here.”
“Hearing you say that, it sounds like the other merchandise will actively try to get the young master’s blood. How dare they try to control the young master as they please. Aren’t those kinds of disrespectful merchandise already discarded?”
“That family’s bloodline is special, so this kind of thing happens.”
“Special?”
“It’s obvious. The elders will each choose a piece of merchandise they raised from their families and send them near the young master, telling them to get pregnant. If they’re lucky, they’ll get pregnant with a boy and get their hands on what only the men of the Madam’s family produce. I don’t think they’ll aim for the village chief position, but even that is unpleasant to me.”
“You’re talking about the magic wand that was attached to the young master and that scoundrel’s crotch, right?”
“Yes. It’s enough to have one of those in the Madam’s family. I can’t hand it over to the elders who would trample on the young master’s kindness and only think about taking his child and bloodline.”
The woman inside the cabinet seemed to agree with his genuinely unpleasant tone. She was even trembling, giving off an atmosphere as if she was raising her fighting spirit.
“What will happen to me after it’s over? After I’ve rejected all the conditions the Madam has presented?”
“I’ll sell you to the place you were supposed to be sold to in the first place. Isn’t that what you wanted? If that’s not enough, then become a nanny for the young master’s child. The Madam likes women who know their place like you, so she’ll gladly allow it.”
“…………”
“You especially have received a lot of grace from the Madam and the village.”
“Yes.”
“If you want to repay the grace of Madam Sunok’s family, now is the only chance. If you really want to repay her, then don’t let any rats into the Madam’s family.”
She held her breath for a moment at the bald man’s words. But it wasn’t because of surprise, but because of something else that made her breathless.
“Are you happy?”
“Of course.”
The bald man slightly opened the entrance of the cabinet. It was locked from the inside so that it couldn’t be opened, but it was easy to open from the outside. As soon as he opened it, he heard a slight sobbing sound from inside, but he pretended not to hear it and finished the conversation.
“Take this. What I’ve opened is a site where the young master is half-jokingly posting pictures. If you’re going to contact the young master, do it through there. You don’t have to return the phone, but don’t forget to contact me at the number saved there. Later, if someone else comes and brings up this story, pretend you don’t know anything about what I proposed and cooperate.”
“Understood.”
“But, just between us. I like Cinderella stories, but… what about you…?”
“Stop it. I have no intention of doing anything presumptuous.”
“Is that so?”
Then that’s good, he said, turning his back. He had tried to gauge her true feelings one last time, but she didn’t seem interested at all. Even though he had never spoken to her before, she was a follower of Junseo to the bone.
‘She’s good merchandise. My eyes weren’t wrong after all.’
He was going to bury her if she said anything foolish…
The bald man left the place with a regretful remark.
