The Nature of Possession

426 – EP.15 Asking the obvious.

***

“I buy broken computers, TVs, and air conditioners~”

A familiar sound, one never heard here, was heard from outside.

A cold sweat ran down the man’s back as he tried to guess where the sound was coming from.

Her sweaty thighs brushed the blanket. Sweat beads ran down her neck and into her sternum.

The room was certainly hot. The hot sighs of the earth, which had absorbed the heat of the sun, filled the space.

It was not the warmth of a balmy spring or the air filled with the love between a man and a woman.

“As you know, my lord, it is not spring now. The beginning of summer just passed. Isn’t it hot now?”

When Chunhyang snapped her fingers, a sweltering heat rushed over her. It felt like air twice as hot as the temperature she had sensed was filling her lungs.

Kang In-ho touched his dry lips with his fingers.

“Although it is called complete hypnosis, it has many limitations. It can only completely fool those of a much lower level, but those of the same level can quickly sense the discomfort.”

Chunhyang explained quietly.

“And if you put a lot of content into the hypnosis, the hypnosis can also be easily broken.”

As the ice melted, the room melted away.

“You may think you’ve manipulated a lot… but in reality, not much has changed.”

Chunhyang smiled faintly like the spring breeze.

“If you look at me like that… I feel a little hurt.”

Chunhyang lowered her eyes, perhaps concerned about Inho’s gaze directed at her.

“A wound? You lied to me?”

“I did not deceive you, my lord. I simply inserted the figure of ‘Chunhyang’ into this place.”

Kang In-ho laughed in disbelief at Chunhyang’s words.

“That wasn’t a lie?”

At his words, Chunhyang carefully raised her head.

Chunhyang began to straighten out the crumpled bedding with her bare hands.

“In reality, Lee Do-won was planning to go up to Hanyang, and Byeon Hak-do was a man who had committed corruption.”

Chunhyang, who had bought some time, carefully opened her mouth.

“Bangjado was also a servant living in Idowon’s house. Nothing has changed. It’s just that I was added to this Namwon.”

She studied Kang In-ho’s face. After confirming that he had no intention of responding, Chun-hyang continued speaking.

“Nothing has changed.”

“No, you meddled in my life.”

“Are you talking about your life, Master?”

Chunhyang tilted her head.

She asked Kang In-ho with an innocent face.

“What kind of life are you talking about? Is this life in Joseon, which has not even lasted a year, what you call life?”

Chunhyang approached Kang Inho, her arms resting on the floor.

Chunhyang whispered at a distance where they could feel each other’s breath.

“Or are you talking about your life before you began wandering around the worlds?”

Chunhyang’s eyes smiled wickedly.

***

“You… What do you mean? How….”

Kang In-ho couldn’t continue speaking and just opened his mouth like a goldfish.

“I’m sorry, but I’ve been peeking into your memories. Every night, by your side.”

“It’s my talent, it’s not worth showing off,” Chunhyang laughed.

“How far… How far did you see!”

When Kang In-ho shouted, Chun-hyang covered her ears.

“Master. Please don’t raise your voice. Even if you don’t shout, I will take your words to heart.”

Chunhyang sat down close to Kang Inho, breathing heavily and snorting.

Chunhyang’s hand covered Kang Inho’s hand. It was a warm feeling, but Kang Inho felt goosebumps on his skin.

“I understand your concerns, but unfortunately I have not been able to glimpse all of your memories.

Just the scenery of the world the master stayed in, and the ‘original world’ the master wanted to return to.

And as I traveled through many worlds, I caught glimpses of the faces of the people I had met.

The world of the master was truly beautiful. The carriages made of iron moved, the people were equal, and the buildings and streets were as if they were measured with a ruler. I was impressed by that.”

Chunhyang closed her eyes and recited what she had seen.

“How far have you seen?”

“As I said, I couldn’t see all of your memories. Your intense memories… that is, your precious memories, I couldn’t see them.”

“Why?”

Chunhyang’s eyebrows furrowed for the first time at the question.

“You’ve been hanging out with some interesting women.”

She put into her mouth things she didn’t want to remember, and her voice naturally became quiet.

Chunhyang folded her long fingers one by one and looked straight into his eyes.

“The woman made of iron was a strange thing. She was alive and moving, yet not alive… It was a being that I had difficulty understanding.

There were also girls wearing flashy clothes and accessories. It was truly comical to see them clinging to the master with their immature bodies.

The woman with the quiet face felt similar to me… but the sight of her pursuing something didn’t look very good.

The woman from the Central Plains in her military attire was confident. However, her high-handed behavior toward the young master was truly rude.

The woman dressed in black always looked gloomy. The Lord’s behavior of keeping such a woman near… was difficult for me, a lowly person, to understand.”

Kang In-ho seemed to know who Chunhyang was referring to.

“Anyway, whenever I tried to peek into your memories, these women would get in my way. Even though I was just an illusion created by your subconscious, they were so wary of me…”

Chunhyang shook her head as if she was embarrassed.

“I wanted to be your only woman, but there were too many obstacles.”

Pressure was applied to the covered hand. Kang In-ho felt suffocated by the atmosphere that was tightening around him like a snake squeezing its prey.

“Why… why are you doing this… why are you doing this?”

It was a stupid question that I gulped down for a long time and spat out.

He already knew how the answer to this question would come back.

“You ask the obvious.”

Just like on their first night, Chunhyang blushed and smiled bashfully.

“That’s because I adore you, my lord.”

Chunhyang raised her hand and stroked Kang Inho’s face.

“I long for a noble spirit, a young master who is like me, of equal standing with me.”