ALL NOVEL Chapter 153
‘…Are you going to throw someone into this dungeon and then fall asleep yourself?’
She silently rose from the bed and moved toward the side.
The man’s regular breathing faintly echoed in the guest room.
Sensing this, Jin Yeseo pouted her lips.
‘Looks like you’re used to this kind of atmosphere. Does that mean you have a lot of experience? Just how many women have you touched until now…?’
It was a reasonably logical guess.
Even a noble lady like herself had fallen into his grasp in the blink of an eye.
Jin Yeseo stared at him blankly.
Left alone in the dark of night, memories naturally resurfaced to the surface.
A man whose ugly personality matched an equally gruesome appearance. A nuisance who had ruined her plans since the beginning of the semester, constantly blocking her path.
When she returned to her cradle, she’d likely have to fight for rankings again.
And regardless of who her opponent was, she now had only one chance left.
If she lost there, it would mean an eternal fate of being sold off for her family.
The expression in Jin Yeseo’s eyes grew sharper as she recalled him.
If she thought about it, that crisis had similarly stemmed from this man.
After all, he was the one who had mercilessly crushed her multiple times, bringing her to rock bottom.
The one who ensured she could never rise again, breaking her not just physically, but mentally too.
“…”
With that thought, she glared at the man with wide eyes.
Fueled with hatred, she poured all her resentment into that gaze.
But soon enough, Jin Yeseo let out a silent sigh.
“Hah…”
She hated him. He was so disgusting she wanted to kill him. But now…
She couldn’t bring up any negative feelings other than a bit of annoyance.
Jin Yeseo’s gaze softened considerably as she looked at the man again.
She understood. In fact, the man had been quite considerate of her situation; perhaps he wasn’t as malevolent as she thought.
It was a realization that had naturally formed through their close, daily interactions.
She had simply been too proud to admit it.
Even amidst the hellish academic schedule at the cradle, he took the time to engage in sparring with her and agreed to accompany her on her commissions.
Given their situations, it was an excessively kind consideration.
The man could have treated her much harsher if he desired.
He could have demanded absolute submission and inflicted even more severe humiliation.
And yesterday had been a perfect opportunity that would never come again.
They were staying in the same guest room, and the very subject of it all, she had somewhat resigned herself to the situation.
But the man showed no interest in Jin Yeseo whatsoever.
‘…Now that I think about it, that’s kind of annoying.’
Lost in thought, Jin Yeseo frowned.
‘Does he not even see me as someone worth his attention? Of all people, me?’
She didn’t want the man, but she was quite aware of her own allure.
Her outstanding beauty, enhanced by her foreign bloodline, combined with exceptional magical talent.
A warm and sociable personality to boot.
She was a gem among gems, one where you couldn’t find a single flaw.
From the start of her admission, she’d been compared to Baek Seoyeon and Yeon Minha, catching people’s conversations.
A little cocky, but she somewhat agreed with that assessment.
Yet this man treated her like an ordinary stone lying on the street.
“What does he think he is… with that ugly face… ah…”
With her frustration peaking, Jin Yeseo slumped her shoulders.
‘What am I even saying… Shouldn’t I find it a good thing that he doesn’t care?’
She turned back toward the window chair.
Taking advantage of the lack of his vulgar moans, she thought perhaps she might catch a little sleep.
“Ugh, uuh…”
In the meantime.
A man’s moan pierced her ears more distinctly than before.
“…Hyah.”
Startled, Jin Yeseo’s back straightened, shivering. She thought the animalistic mating might have started next door.
“Uuh…”
However, Jin Yeseo soon felt something was off.
The moans were coming from her own guest room.
Moreover, unlike before, which was soaked in pleasure, this voice clearly expressed pain and distress.
Jin Yeseo hurriedly turned her body toward the bed.
“Ugh… uuh…”
The man, who had been peacefully sleeping moments ago, was now twisting and turning his body.
*
“Hey, hey… what’s going on all of a sudden…”
Jin Yeseo called out, flustered by the unexpected situation.
Yet there was no response. The man was trembling as if undergoing torture, pouring cold sweat.
Jin Yeseo rushed to him, shaking him urgently.
“Don’t…”
He was mumbling something in a faint voice, repeatedly.
“What, what are you saying…?”
“I’m… holding onto a monster…”
“Hey, hey…!”
“Quickly… run away…”
“Hey… wake up…! Huh?”
Jin Yeseo was desperately trying to rouse him.
“Uuh…”
“Hey, hey… are you awake?”
At some point, the convulsions stopped, and the man, with half-closed eyes, focused directly on her face.
“Geez… what kind of nightmare could you have… kaaah!”
Just as Jin Yeseo was about to relax and take a breath…
Suddenly, the man reached out and pulled her onto the bed.
“Ah… aaah… ah…”
She was so flustered she had no chance to respond properly. Jin Yeseo found herself trapped in his embrace.
Her mouth opened, but she couldn’t form any proper words. With trembling hands, she lightly patted his chest.
“Hah, ah…”
But the more she resisted, the tighter his arms gripped her.
‘What’s going on, what’s going on, what’s going on…’
This was her first time having such a prolonged physical contact. During sparring, they had just exchanged brief moments.
Jin Yeseo thought.
What she had said earlier was a cancellation.
The man wasn’t uninterested in her. He had simply been waiting like a lion stalking its prey.
‘Did he get all hot and bothered…? Because of the sounds from next door…?’
It was just like a raving monkey, diving in as soon as it saw an opportunity.
Rock-hard chest, the unfamiliar body scent, warm body temperature enveloping her, the pressure of his firm embrace.
Each of those stimulating sensations was clouding her rational thoughts.
‘Is this how it ends…’
Jin Yeseo tightly shut her eyes.
Before she knew it, small tears had begun to gather in the corners of her eyes.
And in the next moment…
She felt a large hand resting atop her head.
“…Hyah.”
That sound escaped Jin Yeseo’s lips.
She thought he was about to pull her head back and force a kiss on her.
“…”
Jin Yeseo, curling her toes, trembled.
Soon came the forthcoming loss. Her body instinctively flinched. She prayed the pain would pass quickly, wishing he would be a little gentler for the feelings they shared.
“Uh…?”
However, Jin Yeseo opened her eyes again.
No matter how much time passed, nothing she had imagined was happening.
“Ah, you’ve come back…”
“Uh, uh…?”
Soon, she heard the man’s quiet voice.
At first, she thought he was talking to her, but soon realized he was still deep in a dream.
“I’m sorry… it’s all my fault… I’m too weak…”
A voice as smooth as silk, sounding as though he was comforting the most delicate thing in the world.
“It’s because of me…because of me that you…”
He didn’t act violently toward Jin Yeseo.
Instead, he gently stroked her hair.
Mistaking her for someone else.
“It’s okay… now I will protect you… never again… will such a thing happen…”
“…”
His voice was profoundly bittersweet, filled with affection for someone, yet marked by a deep sense of guilt.
She had never imagined he could be this gentle.
Without needing to ask, she could sense there was a story hidden within.
Once she regained her senses, she even felt a sort of pity.
Meanwhile, she pondered how to escape her current situation.
A man, holding her, mistaking her for someone else, pleading with tears.
So…
“…”
After a brief hesitation, Jin Yeseo lifted her arms and placed them around the man’s head.
“Are you… okay…?”
And she gently stroked him, her voice shaking slightly as she spoke.
“I’m… here…”
“…”
“Don’t worry… I won’t go anywhere… I’ll only stay by your side…”
Even after a while, no response came.
Instead, only the sound of gentle breathing gradually filled the space.
Meanwhile, the grip of the man’s arms, which had been tight around her, loosened.
Yet for some reason, Jin Yeseo remained lying in that position.
Thump, thump, the sound of someone’s heart pounding filled her ears.
It took Jin Yeseo a long time to realize that it was her own heart.
*
-Startled
Jin Yeseo’s tightly closed eyes opened. Lee Hyun sat up suddenly in bed.
He raised his trembling hands, inspecting them one after the other. Then he turned his head back and forth, checking his surroundings.
“Hah…”
After staring blankly for a while, Lee Hyun let out a deep breath.
City No. 1. In a shabby motel room in a back alley.
It served as a temporary residence for him and Jin Yeseo.
“Ah, what a shock…!”
A suddenly high-pitched scream followed.
Lee Hyun turned his head.
Coming out of the bathroom, Jin Yeseo looked at him with a horrified expression.
“If you’re awake, you should say so…!”
“…What time is it?”
“Exactly 9:17 AM.”
Jin Yeseo shot back sharply and sat at the vanity.
“You really are lazy, huh? How did you manage to train at dawn in the cradle like this…”
“9 o’clock… really…?”
Lee Hyun repeated it as if he could hardly believe he had slept in.
He turned to Jin Yeseo, who was combing her hair in the mirror.
His reflection showed a face that looked particularly haggard today.
“You look really unwell.”
“Why do you care…? Mind your own business…”
For a moment, Jin Yeseo’s hand holding the comb twitched.
“Did you not sleep well? I told you so you wouldn’t have to sleep in a chair.”
“Geez… just say something if you can’t.”
Just then, Jin Yeseo shot him a scornful glare through the mirror.
Fresh from the bathroom, her pale skin was flushed with a deep blush.
“About what happened last night. You don’t remember?”
“What happened last night?”
“Ugh… never mind…”
Jin Yeseo sighed. Somehow her tone had a hint of relief.
She soon calmed down and asked Lee Hyun.
“…You were tossing and turning a lot.”
“…Huh?”
“I’ve never seen anyone have such a violent sleep talk before…”
“…So you’re saying I kept you up all night?”
“…”
Jin Yeseo answered with silence. It wasn’t an incorrect statement, after all.
Taking advantage of Lee Hyun’s flustered state, she decided to satisfy her curiosity.
“…Were you having some kind of dream?”
After hesitating for a moment, Lee Hyun finally spoke.
“Just… a nightmare.”
*
I finished preparing and immediately stepped outside.
As I headed to Area B, distracting thoughts swirled in my mind.
Why on earth did I dream about that today?
In fact, it was strange to even call it a dream.
Unlike the bitter reality of the past, in the dream, that girl had come back to me.
“…”
I looked down at my outstretched palm. The familiar softness was still vivid, as if I had actually held her in my arms.
But could I call that a happy dream? Last night’s memories had already crumbled like a mirage.
Now, all that remained was emptiness.
It was a happiness so profound I never wanted to wake from it… but that made it all the more disgusting and horrific.
To seduce someone with a fantasy that would never awaken nor could awaken.
“Hey! That monster from yesterday…”
“Hey! Didn’t I tell you not to speak to people like that…?!”
Suddenly, familiar voices caught my attention, and I turned to see the children from yesterday cheerfully greeting me.
I followed the giggling children as they walked together.
Beyond the open gate stood a woman, fully covered, waiting for me.
“…”
She told me I would have sweet dreams. At first, I thought it was a simple greeting or a disguised solicitation, but after experiencing it, I couldn’t help but reconsider.
With words laced with honey, she bewitched people, using ominous tricks to enhance her persuasiveness…
While I didn’t have any concrete evidence yet, the circumstances so far seemed enough to raise my suspicion.
To be honest… she perfectly matched the appearance of a cult leader.
“…Thank you for coming.”
The moment she saw me, she spoke in a warm voice.
Could she be using some forbidden interference magic? But to merely grasp hands…?
I didn’t sense any magical patterns or traits at all.
Not yesterday, nor today.
“Did you have a good dream?”
“…Yes.”
I affirmed her question for now.
She showed no signs of suspecting that I’d be wary of her.
That confident demeanor still played on my mind.
It felt like something, something more was hidden beneath.
“It was an incredibly happy dream. I wouldn’t want to wake up ever again.”
“That’s great to hear. Sometimes, there are people who can’t stand it. I always feel so sorry for them when I meet individuals like that. But…”
Upon hearing my words, the woman nodded sincerely as if genuinely relieved. Then she glanced up to inspect my expression.
“You seem to be filled with sorrow. Perhaps you’re afraid the sweet happiness will melt away overnight.”
“…”
“Don’t worry. That won’t happen. You’ll be able to enjoy that happiness forever.”
She spoke in a comforting, warm tone. Then, she rummaged through her clothing and pulled something out to hand to me.
“Here, take this…”
I lifted my hand to receive it.
There was a slight weight to its metallic feel.
“…”
I lowered my head to inspect it.
And I was left speechless.
An ornament shaped like a cross was engraved within.
Guessing the direction of the ring, it was distinctly longer on top.
It was an item given to me by the widow, the emblem of the cult Jin Yeseo referred to as ‘The Door to Heaven.’
“…We welcome you to become one with us.”
At that moment, my suspicion was fully confirmed.