People care less about others than you might think.
It's a fact I'd heard so many times it made my ears bleed, but I never really felt it until now.
Especially when you have something to feel guilty about.
...It felt like the whole world was staring right at me.
"Waiter! Another bottle of liquor here!"
"No way, Jang! Come on, just this once!" "I already cut you slack earlier! Now cough up the bet money!"
"So! What's next?" "Heh heh, my throat's a bit dry." "We'll buy the drinks, so spill it already!"
Noise exploding from all directions. Shouting, laughter, the stench of booze, greasy food smells.
I rolled my eyes. My ears were already saturated, and my brain felt like it was overheating and sizzling away.
What if they noticed our weird behavior?
I was the one who dragged Cheongwol out into the street, so naturally, the responsibility fell on me too.
I took deep breaths, making sure Cheongwol wouldn't catch on.
Even as I did, I kept glancing back over my shoulder.
Every time, Cheongwol would shyly bow her head in a way that didn't fit the vibe at all.
Hey, fix that bamboo hat properly!
If that face cloth slips off, we're both dead!
Cheongwol's reputation would be ruined.
And I'd be stuck with her for life.
Rumors would spread starting with, 'Do you know the man who put a leash on the Thousand-Year Flower?'
Or maybe, 'Do you know the idiot who leashed the Thousand-Year Flower and earned her eternal grudge?'
I shook my head.
Enough with the ominous thoughts.
Today was all about serving Cheongwol.
...Not that I haven't been doing that, but today I'd serve her even more fervently.
She was a masochist.
Her pleasure came straight from danger.
So, all I had to do was gift her some thrills and reward her endlessly with carrots, right?
Continuing this heart demon exorcism she insisted on.
'Haa... haa...'
Shallow breaths leaked from Cheongwol.
I could tell just how much excitement—or tension—this situation was stirring in her.
My hand was being crushed in her grip, aching like it might shatter.
Even as she walked, she kept stumbling, losing her balance.
...She'll be fine, right?
We can't end up like last session...
Sweat was starting to seep between our clasped hands.
Who would've thought the day would come when I'd be sweating hand-in-hand with Cheongwol? The world really is unpredictable.
I leaned toward her.
Amid the clamor of countless voices, our conversation easily drowned out.
"Walk tall. If you look that drained, we can't keep up the heart demon exorcism."
"Haa... haa... C-can we... take a break...?"
"...How far have we even gone? Straighten your back."
I couldn't let myself get swept up either.
Seeing Cheongwol—who bragged about leashing her—struggling so much after just a short walk was making something squirm inside me.
That damn sadist streak again.
Please, just hold back this time. Last time I got carried away by the mood, let emotions take over, and it all went to hell...
Cheongwol glanced around at my refusal, then subtly tried steering toward a less crowded spot.
"Ah!"
That's when I yanked the leash.
"I'll decide the direction, Wol-ah."
"O-okay, so... don't just yank the leash like that..."
In this situation, Cheongwol was surprisingly obedient.
Probably because she knew arguing with me might get her exposed.
With all those eyes on her, Cheongwol was much easier to handle.
And watching her like that—so fragile—it stoked a vengeful fire I'd almost forgotten.
You bitch. Kicking me out of the brothel? I was actually looking forward to it!
Then showing up pretending to be a courtesan to scare me?
Do I have to run into you even here in the capital?
Dang Soran got dragged into this mess because of you! Nothing goes right because of you!
Human instinct, I guess. Can't help it.
Like a beast chasing anything that flees.
Humans get bold when someone grovels.
"Hoo..."
But snap out of it.
This is role-play. Role-play.
I'm the cop, she's the thief.
I'm the sadist, she's the masochist.
Just because I had the upper hand now didn't mean I actually had power over her.
...Still!
Not full revenge or anything... but since it's role-play, might as well play it out as planned.
Can't end it with just leashing her neck and wandering around.
Time to give Cheongwol some shame.
After about a hundred steps?
I deliberately loosened my grip on her hand little by little.
"Hand-holding's getting hot. Better grab the leash instead. Heave-ho—"
"...Kgh."
I barely swallowed a groan.
"Haa... haa...!"
Cheongwol had clamped down on my loosening hand.
Through the face cloth, her eyes gleamed dangerously.
"Don't... let go."
She said.
"Never... never, Shopkeeper..."
How desperate was she? She hesitated... then, with trembling hands, changed how we held on.
Until now, it was just a loose handshake, but now Cheongwol wove her fingers between mine.
It sent shivers down my spine, yet surprisingly, less repulsion.
Probably because it was the first time grabbing a woman's hand since falling into the Central Plains—I felt it without thinking.
Pretending composure, I mocked her.
"...Is this how an Emei Sect nun should act?"
"Eut...!"
I sneered.
"Stop clinging. You're annoying."
"I'm not... clinging...!"
"A nun begging to hold a man's hand? Emei Sect must be done for."
"That's not—"
"—Then let go? I'm hot."
"Ueut...!!"
Cheongwol didn't budge an inch from the humiliation.
If anything, her fingers tightened between mine.
I shrugged and kept walking.
Cheongwol followed.
"What can I do when my possession clings like this? Guess I'll yield, huh."
"...You... really mad...?"
...Then we should stop.
I ignored her, staying unresponsive, but didn't push the line further.
Then I lightly bumped shoulders with someone.
Too many people—unavoidable. I hadn't expected it.
"Ah, sorry about that, brother."
"My fault too."
We exchanged quick apologies.
The problem was Cheongwol.
The man who'd stopped between us.
He glanced down at our intertwined hands.
He said nothing, but his look screamed, 'Mind letting go for a sec?'
"Hnng..."
Catching on, Cheongwol's grip tensed hard.
I watched the moment, then jumped in smoothly.
"My girlfriend can't let go of my hand, haha."
"...Heh heh, shows of affection are fine, but doing it where everyone can see is a bit unseemly."
"Eut..."
Cheongwol ducked her head sharply.
Hearing such words for the first time as a nun left her indignant yet dizzy.
Even so, without a single retort, she scurried behind me and hid.
Like a criminal, cautiously stepping aside.
The man shook his head and walked off.
"Hoo."
Caught off guard, I let out a sigh of relief.
"Ow!"
Followed by a sharp sting that made me groan.
Cheongwol had secretly pinched my back.
Felt like flesh was tearing off.
Rather than enforcing discipline now, I made excuses to soothe her.
"Couldn't let go there, right?"
"..."
"But you stayed quiet and obedient— that was cute. Good girl, my Wol-i."
"..."
At that, her anger seemed to melt; she whispered cautiously.
"...J-just... keep walking."
Our hands stayed interlocked.
****
Cheongwol stuck close behind Han Seojin as they moved.
Their oddly tangled arms made walking awkward, but this way felt safer at least.
It avoided shoulder bumps or catching stares like before.
But that only drew more eyes to them.
Drunken louts from nearby inns chimed in one after another.
"Hey, you there! Aren't you babying your girl too much!"
"Hah! A man that timid? Give her a good scolding at home! Real women stick right to their husband's back—no hand-holding needed!"
"Y-you, young buck! Spoil your wife like that, and she'll get spoiled rotten! Next thing you know, she'll have you by the balls!"
"Ugh!"
Cheongwol ground her teeth but couldn't retort.
Crude talk she'd never heard as the Thousand-Year Flower.
Sure, vague harassment was common, but this unfiltered level was new.
Part of her wanted to charge over and punish them.
But in the process, that rope trailing from her sleeve would surely catch eyes.
So Cheongwol could only swallow the humiliation.
To be more honest... she feared they'd harass her more.
Torment in this helpless situation felt awful.
Scared a confrontation might expose this indecent state.
But someone was holding her up.
"I'll handle it! Keep drowning in your booze!"
"So where'd that 'stick-to-his-back' wife of yours go?"
"With a mouth like that, bet your husband spoils you plenty too."
Han Seojin, still gripping the leash, seemed utterly at ease.
His comebacks had the inn drunks roaring with laughter instead.
He was owning the banter with those ragged beggars.
Fearless, Han Seojin traded jabs with them, while Cheongwol quietly huddled closer behind him.
She had no idea what this looked like.
The strong warrior she'd prided herself on was hiding behind this weakling for protection.
"..."
...But for some reason, it didn't feel bad.
The longer this walk went on, the more natural it felt leaning on Han Seojin.
Cheongwol didn't need to do a thing.
Just stay put, and he'd handle the protection.
A sensation the heroine—who aimed to solve everything herself—had forgotten.
How long had it been since she felt this comfort?
His shoulders suddenly looked broader, his back sturdier.
Looking closer, even his arms seemed surprisingly solid.
...For some reason, she wanted to be carried on that back...
"Ugh!"
Cheongwol shook her head.
A nun craving a piggyback from a man?
From this pathetic guy, no less.
Time to steel her resolve again.
Walking the streets brought endless chatter.
Mostly about late-generation talents, as expected.
And among that... especially about Cheongwol.
She'd stirred up plenty of trouble, after all.
"Mukryong must've picked the fight! No way an Emei nun started it!"
"Was that why she skipped the Hidden Dragon Society?"
"Mukryong's the guilty one! I saw Cheongwol from afar once— so pure and noble, like nothing else. Like a once-in-a-thousand-years bloom."
"How could heaven birth such beauty only to make her a nun? Shame no man claims her."
"What's to pity? It ain't you. I'm glad, myself—no one gets her, so my heart stays safe."
"...Hear that?"
Han Seojin whispered mockingly.
Meanwhile, Cheongwol felt pangs of conscience at those words, yet that dark thrill crept over her too.
The world saw her this way, yet here she was, parading through them in this perverse act.
"Eut!"
Han Seojin tugged the leash again.
Each pull made her heart drop.
Reminded constantly she was doing something forbidden, twisting her gut with taboo guilt.
"You're too quiet—it's no fun."
Han Seojin chided.
Cheongwol had no comeback.
"..."
"Won't do. Wol-ah, see that grandma coming from the other way?"
"...Huh?"
"When she gets close, greet her."
"What? W-wait!"
Before she could stop him, the old woman approached.
"N-no, I won't!"
Cheongwol protested—the loudest she'd been.
Han Seojin didn't even glance back.
"Then it's punishment."
"Eut!"
Her heart sank again.
Punishment—no.
In this situation, it'd be more dangerous than anything.
Cheongwol tried backing away, but the leash prevented it.
She couldn't even distance herself from Han Seojin without making it obvious.
Then, the old woman arrived.
Just three steps away.
As Cheongwol hesitated, Han Seojin spoke.
"Good evening. Fine night, isn't it?"
The old woman smiled warmly.
"What a polite young man."
Now it was Cheongwol's turn.
Leash around her neck... she whispered to the innocent-looking grandma.
"...G-good... evening..."
A chilling sensation pierced her.
Nearly a moan escaped.
Like lightning striking—intense.
She gripped Han Seojin's hand tighter.
The old woman smiled again, asking Han Seojin.
"Your girlfriend shy, is she?"
People always addressed Han Seojin when they saw the pair walking.
Her veiled face meant they knew she wouldn't reply.
...And in that casual dismissal, Cheongwol felt utterly like a possession.
"Yes, very shy. That's why the face cloth. Anyway, take care."
"You too, lad."
After ten more steps, Cheongwol collapsed to a squat.
She didn't dare let go of his hand.
"Haa... haa..."
Felt like surviving a life-or-death gamble.
That fierce relief was driving her mad.
"You okay?"
Han Seojin looked down at her, still squatting.
Cheongwol lifted her head with effort.
They held hands... but really, it was just the leash gripped tight.
The rope brushing her arm kept reminding her.
Han Seojin loomed over her commandingly, leash in hand; Cheongwol crouched below, leashed, gazing up.
She, who would be worshipped unveiled, was submitting before the Leather Room shopkeeper in public.
Heartbeat pounding. This taboo guilt. This relief. The sensation of domination.
All these feelings...
"Haa... aa..."
...Felt good.
Embarrassing, filthy, humiliating—yet that intense pleasure wrapped her body.
"Ah... ah..."
Not the Emei Sect's Thousand-Year Flower—just a possession.
No burdens or responsibilities on her shoulders.
"Ah..."
Walking among commoners, even forgetting she was a martial artist.
Her ugliest self, yet somehow feeling ordinary too.
Han Seojin's image burned intensely into her eyes.
Could she forget this moment until death?
Cheongwol, who sought to be a lone heroine... had finally met her dominator.
Just this moment.
Cheongwol thought.
Surrendering just this once. For the heart demon.
Han Seojin pulled the leash again.
Her breath constricted briefly.
Even breathing under his control.
Cheongwol forced strength into her trembling legs.
"Just a bit more. Almost there."
"...Huh?"
Almost there?
Cheongwol had been so focused on each step she'd not realized they were heading somewhere.
Only now did she grasp there was a destination.
"Wh-where?"
But they'd arrived before she knew it.
Han Seojin flashed a light smile.
Then pointed with a finger at a building.
A three-story structure, its open walls packed with people enjoying drinks and revelry.
"Drunken Cloud Pavilion? Cloud醉 Tower? Whatever, that place."
"...?"
"Doesn't ring a bell?"
Cheongwol eyed the massive tavern Han Seojin gestured to.
...On the third floor, a familiar group...
Han Seojin said.
"The spot where all those late-generation talents you ditched to do this perverted shit are gathered."