NOVEL NEXT Chapter 69
69 Chapter: Gaga (Elder Brother)
In the special room of Gonhwa Pavilion.
In this place I’ve become too familiar with from visiting too often, I was now facing Jeoksawol.
To be precise, it was Jeoksawol, appearing as Neungwolhyang.
A strange fragrance danced at the tip of my nose.
Looking around, I spotted incense burning.
Surely it isn’t some aphrodisiac, right?
Anyway, with Hyun-gyeong’s mental fortitude, that shouldn’t work… But it’s possible that Jeoksawol, instead of using an aphrodisiac, set this up as a way to relax the mind through aroma therapy, akin to modern techniques.
This is a no-win situation.
“Ah, please sit down…”
Click.
As the door closed, Jeoksawol spoke to me in a trembling voice.
I couldn’t see her face because she was wearing a veil.
On the table, there wasn’t just a simple spread; it looked like a feast fit for breaking the table’s legs.
It was mealtime, yet… Although there is a culture in this era of guests always being fed, I didn’t expect such a grand display.
Moreover, the seat she invited me to wasn’t across the table as usual but right next to her.
Intentional seating arrangement, huh?
My head cooled. This was definitely her trying to seduce me, just like last time.
‘…I can’t believe it.’
Years spent navigating the court have honed my instincts.
I must be cautious of Jeoksawol.
She showed me fondness when Hwa Myeon-ho-gyeom was around, but fondness isn’t love.
True love lies in mutual trust and reliance.
But Jeoksawol wasn’t trusting me.
If she was sincere towards me, she would have discarded that ridiculous mask and revealed her true identity and face to me.
Love requires trust. Yet, she hasn’t shown me her real identity.
To me, it seemed Jeoksawol was more obsessed due to possessiveness than genuine love.
Possessiveness over a man she couldn’t tempt.
She wanted a trophy to decorate the Hao Mun Secret Safehouse.
But I had no intention of becoming Jeoksawol’s trophy.
‘Being held captive in the Hao Mun Secret Safehouse and turned into a bio-doll is not going to happen.’
I was destined to become a master of the color spectrum.
I wouldn’t become Jeoksawol’s slave.
Yet, as she kept trying to tempt me, I couldn’t help but be suspicious. I stared intently at Jeoksawol.
“…W-what are you doing, Gaga? Please sit down. It’s a seat prepared for you.”
When I didn’t take a seat, Jeoksawol doubled down.
What? Gaga?
Did I just mishear something?
Gaga.
It’s a term used in medieval martial arts to address beloved ones or elder brothers. It can be likened to the Korean word for older brother.
But what?
Jeoksawol, who is 60 this year, was calling me, who looks 14, Gaga.
How bold!
Of course, if we go by the standards before my regression, she’d be right, but not now.
To go this far to seduce me? I absolutely can’t fall for it.
Thinking this, I firmly steeled my mental fortifications and took a seat beside her, pulling out a plaque from my robe to hand to her.
“I came to collect my dividends.”
“First, you must be hungry. Let’s eat first…”
Jeoksawol smiled at my words.
Though her face was covered, as she moved, a sweet scent wafted out, revealing a hint of her curvaceous form.
Every time it seemed like a perfect creation by the gods, her chest and waist were something that would easily outshine even the beauties of the modern world.
That’s why I had to be all the more wary.
“First, the money.”
I handed her the plaque.
At my words, Jeoksawol nodded.
“Got it. Gaga.”
At that moment, as she gently took the plaque from my hands, our hands brushed.
“Uh…”
Jeoksawol’s hand trembled slightly.
After taking the plaque, she handed over a voucher.
I opened the envelope to check its contents.
It was a voucher for 200 nyang of silver from the Manggeum market.
“I prepared a voucher since cash might be heavy for you. If you want, I can convert it back into cash for you.”
“No, that’s fine.”
There’s a branch of the Manggeum market in Hwajeong County, so I can either cash it in there or open an account.
Seeing the money made me naturally smile.
As I finished tying up the envelope and tucked it into my robe—
Swish.
Jeoksawol removed her veil.
The beautiful face of the number one courtesan from Sichuan, Neungwolhyang, was revealed. She wasn’t as gorgeous as her original face but easily surpassed Geumhu’s beauty.
With her flushed face, she smiled at me.
“Ah~ please. Gaga.”
She held a piece of pig trotters up to my lips.
Pork, huh.
Now that I think about it, the table was filled with pork dishes. From the famous Dongpayu to spiced braised pork and lean pork, etc.
…Well, if it’s pork, what can I say?
I quickly accepted the piece of trotters she offered and took a bite.
Nom nom.
The trotters were delicious.
“How is it, Gaga?”
“It’s tasty. But why do you keep calling me Gaga?”
I mean, I’m younger than you.
Upon hearing my words, Jeoksawol flinched. Her cheeks quivered. Her face turned bright red.
“T-that’s…”
“Don’t tell me you call all your guests Gaga?”
Though it’s possible, after all, Jeoksawol is from a courtesan background.
While modern idols or entertainers perform only songs and dances, sometimes they refer to guests as Gaga for fan service.
“That’s not it!”
Jeoksawol responded sharply to my words.
“L-little girl doesn’t call just anyone Gaga. Only the gentleman she acknowledges…”
Flustered, she sat back down, flipping her hair and laughing.
Her cheeks were crimson.
She wasn’t quite on my level, but definitely under the influence.
“Really? Then you don’t have to call me that…”
“Gaga.”
Clutch.
She cut off my words as she held my hand.
I tried to pull my hand away, but that was impossible.
“I’ve decided to call this gentleman Gaga. No matter what anyone says…”
Whoosh.
Jeoksawol leaned in closer. Her ample chest squished against my arm. The sensation felt quite pleasant. The body of a 14-year-old naturally reacted.
“I only have one Gaga among the Nine Provinces and Eight Monarchs. So, you are welcome to visit the special room of Gonhwa Pavilion anytime. If it’s for Gaga, I’ll do whatever I can…”
Jeoksawol whispered to me with a sweet, sticky voice.
She naturally loosened her front, revealing a divine pair that the gods must have crafted. A perfect set of voluptuous breasts appeared before me. Below were her slender waist and shapely hips.
Jeoksawol displayed an alluring, seductive smile.
“Anything at all?”
I responded back to her.
Indeed, I didn’t just come today to collect Toto dividends.
I had other business too.
Only the kind that Hao Mun could handle. Originally, I had planned to request a price for information.
But with her offering to do anything…
“Without any compensation?”
“Yes. If I can receive Gaga’s heart, that’s enough for me.”
She naturally embraced me closely.
Jeoksawol whispered in my ear. The incense’s scent mingled with her body’s fragrance, brushing against my nose.
Through the thin cloth of her attire, I felt the soft, plush sensation of her body.
A sweet scent that made me feel at ease.
Without using the Beauty Temptation Technique, she could enthrall a man this much just by creating the right atmosphere.
What a formidable opponent.
Had I truly been the colorful horse, known as the Double-bladed Lethal Sword, I would have lost my mind and pounced on Jeoksawol right here.
“Whatever Gaga wishes for… I will prove to you that I am not a flower without fragrance.”
Jeoksawol winked playfully, trailing off at the end of her words.
But I remained unmoved.
Cold rationality governed my brain, not desire. Hyun-gyeong’s skills supported my mental fortitude.
A true alpha male should not be swayed by women or lust. Instead, he should draw women to him.
Moreover, Jeoksawol was yet to reveal her true identity.
Of course, me demanding that she reveal her true identity here would be a foolish move.
If I force her to reveal it, it loses all significance. She must reveal it herself for it to matter.
Only then can we truly be ready to share genuine feelings.
But not yet.
What we have now is just a hollow physical interaction that contradicts the color spectrum.
As I tried to escape her embrace, Jeoksawol deftly ensnared me like a sticky spiderweb, trapping me in her hold.
I was reminded of female spiders that consume their mates after copulation.
“Then, please grant me just one favor.”
“What kind of favor? If it’s Gaga’s request, I’ll do anything…”
“I’d like you to spread a rumor throughout the martial world.”
At my words, a question mark appeared on Jeoksawol’s face.
“What kind of…”
“Have it said that Seomun Seka’s Geombong Seomun Cheong-ha and Gongdong Sect’s Lee Cheol-soo have agreed to duel, betting each other’s servants as stakes.”
At my words, Jeoksawol’s face stiffened.
Not that it mattered, I took another bite of Dongpayu while still nestled in her arms.
Operation: Seo Dong-yo.
This operation, conceived by borrowing wisdom from our ancestors of the Three Kingdoms, aims to draw Seomun Seka, which will surely avoid a duel, out into the open for a public duel.
If rumors about the duel spread throughout Gansu, or rather, the entire martial world, Seomun Seka would have no choice but to participate for the sake of their reputation.
Unlike before, the Gongdong Sect’s status has risen thanks to their victory in the Orthodox Faction Competition. They can no longer be dismissed casually, as happened when they went to find a witness.
This duel would naturally be framed as a championship match between the challenger Gongdong Sect and the defending champion Seomun Seka in Gansu.
If so, Jincheongyeomwang would be drawn out as well.
Just like how a rumor was spread in Silla about marrying Princess Seonhwa every night, unlike the fact, I will be competing in facts rather than rumors.
Upon hearing my words, Jeoksawol’s eyes fluttered. Her hands trembled.
“T-that…”
“Will you do it for me?”
I naturally placed my hand on Jeoksawol’s head and patted it.
Flinch.
Jeoksawol’s body trembled as she felt my touch. Her face flushed bright red.
“Y-yes… If it’s Gaga’s request…”
“Thank you, Hyangmae.”
Not asking for any rewards meant I also needed to balance things out; just shutting her out would be problematic.
If it were to lead to Jeoksawol, turning completely obsessive and dark, truly kidnapping me to become a bio-toy in the Hao Mun Secret Safehouse, it would lead to a bad ending.
So I had to play it right.
Until she shows her genuine heart and fully trusts me, letting go of her obsession.
I pretended to be a bit swayed by her temptations. The nickname Hyangmae was also part of that act.
Hearing my words, Jeoksawol’s expression momentarily dulled. Her face reddened.
“D-don’t worry! Gaga’s request will definitely be fulfilled!”
Hearing Jeoksawol’s response, I smirked slightly.
One issue resolved, which put my mind at ease.
Now, first, I need to finish all this pork.
This is all an aphrodisiac, after all.
Hehe.
Seomun Seka’s time is drawing near.