“I told you, didn’t I? I’ll take responsibility for you...”
“That, that’s not what I meant...!”
“Why not? And if I’m going to take responsibility for you, shouldn’t you become my possession in return?”
Cheongwol roughly shoved the collar into my arms.
“P-Possession?! Why should I become your possession...!”
The Emei Sect blended strong Buddhist and Daoist temperaments.
And among the things most taboo in Daoism was coercion.
These were people who pursued a freedom as fluid as flowing water.
That was why the word “possession” must have struck her as the ultimate humiliation.
Anyone would feel repulsed by that.
Come to think of it, this is SM play.
While I was mulling that over, Cheongwol pressed on.
“And y-you, what gives you the right...! A mere Leather Room owner like you... daring to...!”
That was perfectly reasonable.
And even putting that aside, she had a point.
As she said, the gap in our levels was immense.
No need to bring up the Seven Heavens of the Demonic Cult.
Right here and now, it didn’t make sense.
Emei Sect’s second-generation disciple Cheongwol, who drew crowds just by appearing... and me, a nobody fiddling with leather on the outskirts of Mount Emei.
...But I came looking for her, didn’t I?
Plus, I had no choice...!
What SM gear could you even buy in this city besides a collar?
Do you know how much I had to squeeze my pockets just to get this?
An inn? As if I have money for that...!
Even renting an inn would be a problem.
All sorts of noises would echo through these thin walls.
What kind of quiet SM play is even possible?
Conversation is essential to set the mood, but in an environment where even voices can’t be hidden... better out in the open.
To hide a tree, hide it in the forest—better in the bustling city streets teeming with crowds.
Plus, without other tools, the intensity is bound to ramp up.
Binding with ropes, whipping, blindfolding, gagging, and so on...
With tools, you can play in fun ways without needing high intensity.
But with no tools at all, the intensity spikes to compensate for the lack of stimulation.
Take holidays back home: with phones, game consoles, or TVs, you pass time innocently... but with nothing, you end up drinking, playing cards, and gambling.
So, no inn.
I was in a position to satisfy Cheongwol right now.
I knew she’d been intensely angry at me lately, just as she’d said.
Last session, I couldn’t control the intensity.
Then she caught me trying to run.
And she even saw me sneaking peeks at the brothel.
I was one step away from total disaster.
That might be why my mind was sharper and calmer today.
Today, I had to serve her properly.
I needed to soothe her anger somehow.
Too low intensity wouldn’t do, nor too high.
A mountain of carrots was ready right in front of my throat.
Throw those carrots right, and I could pull off this collar play nicely.
“F-First... l-like I said, let’s move somewhere else and... think about it.”
Cheongwol finally whispered in embarrassment.
I shook my head.
“Move where? Today’s play starts right here.”
“W-What?”
“Why worry so much? You’re wearing a face veil. No one will know it’s you. It’ll be safe.”
“Starting right here...! W-What does that even mean...! And how is it safe...!”
Cheongwol leaned back further.
Her back hit the wall.
I pressed in closer.
“...Don’t you trust me? That it’ll be safe?”
“...H-How can I trust you, Shop Owner? Have you forgotten everything from before? A-And what exactly are you planning to do... o-outside where people can see...”
At that, I took a step back.
“This is all I prepared. If you don’t like it, forget it. If you can’t trust me, then don’t.”
“Eungh...! Y-You always...!”
“I’m not forcing anything. It’s your choice.”
Cheongwol froze for a long moment.
Her shoulders slumped in confusion, head bowed.
The only thing with any strength left was the collar shoved into my arms.
Then, the tension drained from Cheongwol’s trembling arm.
...But in her hand, she still clutched the collar tightly.
A shiver ran up my spine.
I knew that was her choice—not letting go.
“You made the right choice.”
I whispered without missing the beat.
Then gently took the collar from her hand.
Strike while the iron’s hot.
“Lift your neck.”
Cheongwol glanced up at me briefly... then turned her head aside.
“N-No... I won’t.”
I lifted her face veil and hooked it over her bamboo hat.
Her face needed to be visible first.
“...Eungh.”
As her face came into view, Cheongwol hid it even more.
Even so, I could see her flushed cheeks.
That mix of panic and shame looked somehow defenseless—above all, human.
There was no trace of the murderer’s cruelty in her eyes or expression.
Instead, it was the fragile, confused face of a woman just two years younger than me.
“Show me your neck, Wol.”
I said carefully. Cheongwol gave no reply. Her hesitation came through clear.
I added,
“Should we stop?”
Realizing she’d gotten angry knowing I’d only seen Dang Soran, I...
“...I don’t need to do this just with you, anyway.”
...threw in some provocation.
That’s why I could provoke her like this—provocation gives masochists an excuse.
The sadist said it, so I had no choice.
“Eungh...!”
Cheongwol clenched her fists, grinding her teeth.
Mentioning Dang Soran had hit the mark.
There was definitely some rivalry between them.
Just bringing up Dang Soran sharpened her expression in an instant.
I tensed, thinking she might punch me with that fist, but thankfully, she didn’t.
Cheongwol squeezed her eyes shut.
Then, like stripping away her last shield, she slowly raised her head amid trembling breaths.
Her pale, slender neck—perfectly sized to fit in my hand—was exposed.
The neck, a human’s weakness.
Cheongwol had bared it to me herself.
Please put the collar on me, it seemed to say.
The moment I saw that vulnerable neck, I froze despite myself.
...She’d really come around after all that persuasion.
I hadn’t been sure it would work, but it did.
Blood rushed to my head, making it ring.
One slip, and I’d get a nosebleed.
This is insane, for real.
Is this the thrill for Cheongwol too?
In this stuffy Central Plains, moments like this hit too hard.
I steadied my pounding heart.
Then, as gently as possible—like an old lover fastening a necklace—I clasped the collar around her neck.
Cheongwol flinched at the feel of it but kept exposing that white neck to me.
I fastened the simple collar and attached the leash.
Right after, I stepped back to take in Cheongwol’s appearance.
Her hands were hidden behind her back like she was concealing them.
Her legs were crossed in shame.
Her head was turned aside in humiliation... but around her neck was a clear collar.
My hand and her neck were connected by the leash.
Cheongwol bit her lip hard, still trembling.
Shame had her rooted in place.
“...Open your eyes.”
She needed to see this too.
It meant nothing if she didn’t.
At my whisper, Cheongwol’s eyelids slowly rose.
“...Ah!”
Seeing the collar around her own neck—whether from the despair of losing some part of her dignity,
Or shock at becoming a dog instead of a human...
She suddenly crumpled to the ground.
Burying her face in her knees, she whispered,
“No... no... this isn’t... this isn’t me... I... if the Sect Leader saw me like this...”
I couldn’t let her degrade herself.
For the first time, I gave the collar a light tug.
It wasn’t hard.
But it was enough.
The fragile feel of Cheongwol’s body transmitted through my fingertips.
...Never dreamed the partner would be Cheongwol, but what a sensation I’d fantasized about in dreams.
“Ah!”
Cheongwol looked up at me along the leash.
Her eyes held clear panic, but also something else.
Was it because she’s a masochist? Or do I just want to believe that?
There seemed to be faint excitement in her gaze.
A dark pleasure in being dominated.
As if this kind of violence was new to her.
As if permitting it felt wrong.
To the confused girl, I said,
“You’re beautiful.”
From now on, only carrots.
“So beautiful, Wol.”
Turmoil stirred in Cheongwol’s eyes.
Her breathing quickened, her gaze unable to leave me.
We locked eyes for a long moment.
I swallowed carefully, then wrapped up the first step.
Now it begins.
“Wol. Remember this. Not as Emei Sect’s Thousand-Year Flower, nor the Central Plains’ promising later-generation talent, nor the lofty pure woman...”
“...Ha... eungh...”
“From now on, you are... the possession of a mere Leather Room owner, Han Seojin.”