Devotion, pt. 3
seulrene | smut; angst; concubine Seulgi x feudal lady Irene; abuse; rape/non-con; burning; waxplay word count | 4950 parts 1, 2 | AO3
🕯
Joohyun's laugh was not a sound heard often. Like rare jewels, Seulgi treasured each time she heard it, a precious little collection forming in her memories.
These weeks, strangely, it seemed like she would hear it every day. One of the few nights she’d slept by herself in her quarters, she’d wondered, amid dozing thoughts, if hearing it so often would bring down its value.
With laughter, Her Lady’s smooth voice, naturally deeper in tone, would twist into whimsical little squeals, funny falsettos intruding into the otherwise worldly tone. Seulgi couldn’t help but smile along.
The notes resonated in the dark pine frame of the bed chamber, ringing well into the night, no more tired than when the sun had just set and they’d first lain down.
“No, I’m telling you, that guy was wanted by international police for tax fraud years ago,” Joohyun giggled through some gossip from the capital, far too convoluted for Seulgi to fully understand, “and he really was serious about that ‘Kwangya’ nonsense.”
“No way,” Seulgi shook her head, “is that why they kicked him out?”
“Oh no, that was some other drama, I don’t even know what happened there,” Joohyun burst into giggles again.
Shadows danced on the roof to the sweet sound. The dim waltz of the flames was hypnotizing.
Three of the four lamps lighting the room had gone out, but neither had it in herself to get up from under the blankets and light them.
“I barely know what happens outside these walls,” Seulgi wondered, distracted, “the other girls try to keep up to date, they get newspapers, they gossip with the kitchen staff, journal…” they fuck behind your back, she just barely refrained from saying. “But this work is my whole world.”
Joohyun’s breath hitched ever so slightly.
“Well, it should be,” her voice flickered.
Their gazes met. Anxiety sparked briefly behind Joohyun’s eyes.
“I have to make sure you’re always occupied with work.”
She took Seulgi’s hand from the bed, to busy herself with her fingers.
“Keeping you all isolated is fundamental to foster obedience. It’s one of the tricks my councilors have me perform. To prevent resistance…”
Her fingers weaved between Seulgi’s playfully, leading them in circles in a slow and steady rhythm, a cat’s cradle in her mind.
She often forgot Joohyun had councilors, that she had worries, that even she had to answer to someone. She forgot there was a whole world out there where Joohyun wasn’t in charge.
Seulgi felt Her Lady’s breath hasten, rushing past her fingers. Her playful digits trembled a little, her heart beat stronger across the mattress.
Clearly Joohyun didn’t like to remember these things either.
Seulgi seized her hand in her own and planted a deep kiss on her knuckles.
“For what it’s worth,” she tried to sound as reassuring as possible, “you don’t have to perform when you’re with me.” She kissed Joohyun’s hand again, “the other girls might need tricks or mind games to remain loyal. I don’t.” Another kiss, “I love you, Joohyun.”
For a moment, Joohyun looked transfixed at their intertwined hands, laying delicate on the pillow, peaceful, a ship unmoved by the storm that suddenly blew in her.
Then she blinked. And then her eyes met Seulgi’s. Eyes that brought the world to a stop. Seulgi couldn't meet them for long.
The flame across the room stood still.
“Seulgi, they scare me,” Joohyun bore a hole through her. “They get lost in intrigue and double speak, but beneath it all, they hate me. You’ve seen it, Yeri wanted me dead.”
The flame coughed, clinging to life.
“They all want me dead, Seulgi.”
Her tone was alarming.
A sense of responsibility gave Seulgi the strength to meet her gaze again.
She shook the delicate hand resting between her own, like a knight rattling his sword, “well, for what it’s worth, they’ll have to get through me first!”
Joohyun smiled. She smiled and relished in her own smile, like she felt joy for the first time.
“I’m so lucky to have you.”
A chill crawled fast through Seulgi’s back.
Giggling like a school girl, Joohyun dove for a kiss.
The last flame sputtered out. Her warm giggles merged into Seulgi’s as darkness enveloped them.
Seulgi really had been hearing Her Lady’s laugh often.
Were the sounds any less sweet, she might’ve grown somewhat unsettled.
🕯
They didn’t meet often these days. The last time she’d seen Yeri had been earlier that week, one was fetching water from the lake, the other had just finished with the laundry. The last time they spoke was before that still, mindless talk about their schedules.
The last time they had a real conversation… Seulgi would rather not dwell on it.
Leaving Her Lady’s chambers in the morning, at a distance, she spotted small shadows cross the servants’ path, behind the garden. Hidden though they were by the foliage, out of sight as servants were meant to be, Seulgi could recognize their gait.
Yeri had become closer to Seungwan and Sooyoung. It was to be expected.
The three had been going exactly the direction Seulgi was headed. She stepped onto the garden – something she’d recently been given permission to do – and sat on a rock.
The first warm day of the year had just passed and a storm had washed away some of the snow. Colors poked through, expectant buds longing for spring.
Seulgi had chores to attend to that day, but overall, Her Lady had reduced her schedules, so that they could spend more time together. This meant she had the time to sit here and enjoy the change of seasons.
And tell herself she merely wanted to enjoy nature she did. She sat peacefully in the garden, thinking of the leaves, the clouds, of ladybugs. Thinking of anything but the three girls who’d just walked past. And when she saw them cross the servants’ path again, going back to their quarters, she promptly stopped day dreaming and got up to do her duties.
She still hadn’t allowed herself to think of the look Yeri had given her that night.
🕯
Her Lady was busy with some papers that morning, so Seulgi couldn’t stay long. It was already a little late and she half hoped to find the servants’ quarters empty, but the snoring alerted her to the contrary as soon as she opened the doors.
At first she didn’t see them, they weren’t in their usual sleeping spots.
Across the room, in a corner, Seungwan lay covering her eyes with one arm, robes open and strewn carelessly over her body. With her head on Seungwan’s shoulder and their legs locked was Sooyoung, completely disrobed. Holding Sooyoung from behind, Yeri slept the anxious sleep of someone who had to huddle for warmth despite the room not being cold.
Next to them on the hard wood, two upturned and empty bottles, the stench of cheap wine hanging loosely on the air.
It was the most peaceful she’d ever seen them.
The floor creaked under Seulgi.
Sooyoung was on her feet in a second. For the brief moment they could see her expression, it held a puzzled fear, like she’d been caught without a plan and had to scramble for an exit. She picked up her robe from the floor and rushed into a side room. Yeri had crawled back and shrunk against the wall. Seungwan had barely moved.
“P… please don’t tell,” Yeri pleaded from the corner.
“She’s not going to tell,” Seungwan lifted her arm from her eyes to see who’d come in, before resting it again, “for whatever reason. Hasn’t she known about me and Sooyoung for weeks?”
Yeri looked at her, eyes stretched wide.
“I won’t tell,” Seulgi whispered shyly.
The girl lowered her gaze, before tying her robes tighter and rushing to leave.
Seungwan sat up, slow, resting one arm on her knee.
“I don’t understand you, Seulgi. I really don’t. Do you not see what she does to us? Do you not care?” She gestured at the door through which Yeri had just left, “Yeri can’t sleep anymore, did you know that? She’s startled by every small noise. Do you want that?”
Seulgi looked down. She didn’t know what to say,
“I love her, Seungwan… I want her to be happy… and you should too.”
“Well, she’s happy when we suffer. So fuck you.”
Maybe overhearing her tone, Sooyoung exited the side room, hurriedly but with the sense of careful control once again gracing her face.
“Seulgi… could I, maybe, interest you in a truce?”
Though faint, she could see Sooyoung adjust her posture and mask the fear of escalation.
“Our Lady would hate to hear that her girls are fooling around behind her back. But she also wouldn’t like to know that her favorite girl hid such important information from her.” She smiled a smile that barely hid its venom, “it’s no secret that I miss being her favorite. But in all honesty, what I miss most are the benefits. The better pay, the shorter hours, she even let you sit in the garden, I saw that!”
Heat rushed to Seulgi’s cheeks.
“I think, out of all of us, you’re the best suited to be her favorite. She barely calls us anymore at night!” Sooyoung continued, “I think the current arrangement is in everyone’s best interest. You stay her favorite, entertain her unbothered, and she doesn’t have to trouble herself with what her servants do in private.”
Seulgi wanted to scream. She wanted to shake Sooyoung by the shoulders and tell her she wanted nothing with her games, that she never did. That all she wanted was for the four of them to love Joohyun as was their duty.
She said no such thing. Instead, her words surprised even herself. They were filled with empathy.
“I won’t tell, Sooyoung. I don’t want any harm to come to you girls.”
Sooyoung smiled, a little more genuine this time.
Seulgi would later feel better about herself for that empathy. There was, of course, a voice in her she didn’t want to acknowledge.
The voice that said she was winning.
🕯
Though Seulgi had, of recent, been showered with pretty gifts, she chose to go into town that day, carrying her monthly pay. One such gift, a long bow of a bright red color with subtle embroidered flowers, the dye a hue she’d scarcely seen the likes of, graced her hair as the horse-drawn cart rumbled back up the road to the front gates.
She’d spent the afternoon wandering between stores, pacing distracted through the market place. Visiting town was a privilege extended to the first two concubines and the other heads of staff, but Sooyoung elected to stay inside with the other girls, and Jimin had her own errands to run, so she’d been by herself for most of the day.
The cart stopped at the gates as the Sun began to set. Jimin payed the driver a silver coin, while Seulgi reached into her bag – light purple and silk, also a gift from Joohyun – to dig for the gate key.
Her bag didn’t contain much: the gate key, the remainder of her pay, and the things she’d bought Yeri.
Briskly, she covered the path around the grounds to the servants’ quarters. A little left over snow from the other night lay between the steps, and she almost slipped.
She’d hoped to find Yeri alone, but from the end of the path two figures could be seen. Yeri, sitting casually on the tall wooden balcony, Sooyoung standing close between her legs, swaying her hips and smiling, holding out a hand which the girl held dearly between her own.
It seemed their conversation had already ended, Sooyoung ran a hand through Yeri’s hair and turned to leave. The girl caught her movement, and pulled her closer into a kiss, before letting her go.
Had the others become more blatant or had Seulgi always been too clueless to notice?
Sooyoung turned to see Seulgi.
She hesitated, glanced back at Yeri.
“Hey, uh… can I talk to Yeri?” Seulgi asked.
There was tension in the air, Seulgi felt it too, of course.
It seemed, at some point or another, they had agreed to avoid each other entirely, she felt she was doing something wrong just by seeing them.
It was yesterday she’d stopped to question this. Unspoken things have a way of sounding stupid when you speak them. She still thought well of Yeri, there was no reason they shouldn’t talk.
Sooyoung fidgeted a little, glanced at the girl again. Seulgi prepared to hear a sarcastic remark, some attempt to take advantage of the situation, make her pay for Yeri’s time, but no.
She looked a little scared. Like Seulgi was someone that shouldn’t be left alone with the girl.
Yeri nodded, almost imperceptibly, clearly understanding Sooyoung’s reticence, but assuring her it was fine. Sooyoung shrugged,
“Whatever,” she feigned nonchalance, “I was leaving anyway.”
As she marched out of their view, down a path around the building, Seulgi thought it fitting to approach Yeri. She hesitated, half way through the pale, humid grass, when she noticed the girl was trembling, but approached all the same.
“Hey, I, uh…” she fished into her bag, “I got you some things from town…”
She pulled out a book, and the little bamboo box.
“I know it’s easy to get bored here, so I got you this,” she held up the book, a favorite among the peasants. It was written in easy language that the commoners could read, and told of fanciful princesses battling mystical creatures.
She held up the box, showing the cute, round little sweets inside,
“And these are sticky rice cakes. I don’t know exactly how they’re made, but they’re nice! Not too sweet…”
Yeri looked at her blankly.
Seulgi felt a little silly, allowing herself to imagine the scene: Yeri reading the book she’d bought her, eating the sweets she’d bought her, seeing she still cared for her, and thinking maybe they didn’t need to avoid each other all that much.
Yeri stared.
Behind her eyes flashed every expression. Her face seemed to ask horrible things, was this some kind of joke? Was Seulgi giving these to show off her better pay? Were these sweets poisoned, Laced with something to help Joohyun torture her later?
Seulgi felt she was standing in front of a judge,
“I… really hope you’re doing well,” she had to force herself to keep eye contact, “I won’t ask you to forgive me, but please know that I care about you still, and I genuinely wish you can find a way to be happy here.”
Yeri pursed her lips into a smile, briefly. She glanced at Seulgi’s bright red bow, a burning reminder of her place next to Her Lady.
“Thank you…” Yeri’s words said. Her eyes, meanwhile, spoke of hurt, of a discomfort with no relief. Of pity, that Seulgi thought they could still be friends.
🕯
She couldn’t quite put a finger on what changed.
Joohyun still pulled Seulgi aside, entertained herself with her, consumed her to sate her hunger. But her touch was different, somehow.
Smoke flowed from the window that night, climbing easy into the spring air, on their way to join the dark gray clouds above. Inside, candle light swirled amid the fumes, pushed in scented spirals by Joohyun’s breath.
She had, of recent, taken up a habit; one Seulgi had seen some of the staff partake in, behind the bushes during their off time. Most often, they’d outfit hollow sticks of bamboo with a mouthpiece and a small bowl, where they’d pack and burn tobacco leaf to inhale the smoke.
Seulgi couldn’t help but notice that Her Lady’s pipe was a lot longer than those of the staff, and made of metal, small floral reliefs snaking around its length. It served the same purpose, nonetheless.
Delicate as ever, Joohyun held it in one hand, carefree, against her lips. Seulgi, laying on her side, one arm over Joohyun’s legs, held a fire over the bowl. The embers were threatening to go out, and she’d been tasked with keeping them lit.
“Well, I don’t like it,” Joohyun thumbed, dismissive, through the pages of a book, tossed on a corner of the bed beside them, “I don’t see why they couldn’t have stayed together.”
They had just finished a short story, an old classic Joohyun had read in her youth, and didn’t mind revisiting with Seulgi, who never had a literate childhood. Two star-crossed lovers of different classes were separated after the wife’s death, until she was allowed to return as a spirit and keep the husband company for a little longer. Eventually, she had to return to the after life, an ending Joohyun neither remembered, nor cared for.
“She was dead, the Heavens were calling her back,” Seulgi blew out the fire, a wisp of smoke lost itself in the thick air, a drop of wax fell on the sheets to dry, “it was unnatural.”
“The whole thing was unnatural, she wasn’t even supposed to love someone below her class,” Joohyun’s tone had grown different too, these days. At times she almost came off timid, curious for Seulgi’s reactions, “if it were me I’d challenge the Heavens before letting them part me from someone.”
Seulgi felt herself blush, let her head fall on Joohyun’s lap. One of Joohyun’s legs had been bouncing. Though she’d never before been one to mince her words when it came to Seulgi, these days they seemed to flow only by means of books and allegory. Like the words had become too strong to speak plainly.
And they had been reading a lot. These weren’t books from the house library either, not those drab old tomes about trade Seulgi dusted every few months. It seemed like Joohyun had been buying new books. Ones understood to be popular with the commoners.
Some smoke didn’t sit well with Joohyun, she masked a cough. Seulgi masked a giggle. This was different. Just a few weeks ago she wouldn’t have even dared giggle. But here the smoke made her head light, the candle lights shone lazy, her love’s lap welcomed her head soft.
Seulgi felt Joohyun’s fingers travel her hair, push some behind her ear. She fell deeper into her thighs, bundled herself in sheets and robes, let her heavy eyes close.
“Don’t sleep yet, my love…” Joohyun cupped her cheek, thumb grazing her lips, “We’re not done for the day.”
Seulgi whined, curled closer to sleep,
“I’m tired…” she whined. A few weeks ago she wouldn’t have dared say this either. Joohyun smiled.
Her thumb crept inside Seulgi’s mouth, finger tips gently tugged her jaw up so their eyes met. She leaned closer, a puff of smoke breaking through her smile,
“I’m not,” she kissed Seulgi’s forehead, a kiss to kindle her, encouraging. They both knew she didn’t need encouragement, that orders would suffice, but Seulgi lit up anyway. She blushed redder catching her lips wrapping around Joohyun’s thumb.
Joohyun’s hand moved to the back of Seulgi’s head, pulled her in. She turned in the sheets, reached out around Joohyun’s shoulders. They sat up, kissed amid sheets and smoke. Joohyun tasted drier, sweeter.
Breaking the kiss, looking deep into Seulgi before swiping her hair to one side, Joohyun leaned back to bring the pipe to her mouth. Something different shimmered again through the air. Seulgi couldn’t put it into words, but she noticed.
She noticed the way Joohyun turned her head in profile, the way she let her robe fall lazy off one shoulder, the way the pipe and the vapors complimented her figure. Joohyun was trying to cause an impression.
Her Lady, who she worshiped so dearly, who, by divine providence, should see her as a toy, now made an effort to impress her.
Seulgi’s face burned hotter than all candles in the room. Her cheeks rose, elated, into a giggle.
“God, I love that smile…” Joohyun’s breath, smoky, drifted through her. She giggled more, Joohyun giggled back.
Joohyun looked down, seeming shy for once in her life. Long hair flowed over one eye. She lifted the pipe to her mouth again, reached for Seulgi’s waist, Seulgi leaned into her.
Their heads touched. The old hunger was back to Joohyun’s gaze. She blew, smoke enveloped Seulgi sweet, she inhaled.
Joohyun pushed her. Head light, lights flew by as she fell back onto the mattress.
Through hair and sheets and smoke, she saw Joohyun kneel over her, head cocked to the side, reaching towards her with the pipe. Hot metal touched her, she couldn’t keep down a whimper.
It traveled across her chest, opened her robes as she twitched. It wasn’t searing pain, just enough to drive her shoulders into the bed, make her grab for the sheets, shut tight her eyes and breathe heavy. Slow, Joohyun moved Seulgi’s robes aside, revealing the record of worse pains etched across her skin.
Joohyun looked her over and, again, just for a moment, something different shimmered in the air. As her eyes crossed the torn and scarred work she’d made of Seulgi’s skin, they seemed to glow with regret. Guilt.
And then, as quickly as it came, it went. Seulgi wasn’t her victim, she was her little project, her painting.
Leaving the pipe by the night stand, she reached out in pride, touched a patch of rough skin around the ribs, leaned down closer. Her hair fell upon Seulgi, it tickled in announcement of Joohyun’s lips.
She kissed a scar, where it began below Seulgi’s breasts, following it down her stomach, to where it ended on her side. Warm kisses, fresh with the memory of pain.
“You’re so beautiful.”
Another giggle shook Seulgi’s breath. Never would she get used to this, this kind of attention. She reached down, played with Joohyun’s hair, pushed some behind her ear. Her breaths swelled, Joohyun’s head rose and fell to the rhythm.
As Joohyun kissed her hips, her legs made way, invisible strings pulling them apart. Seulgi noticed the heat building in her, and it seemed Joohyun did too.
“Calm down, my love,” she smiled, kissed the inside of Seulgi’s thigh, “the night is young,” she bit down. Seulgi just held herself from grabbing Her Lady’s hair in surprise, she moved to claw at her other thigh. A whimper left her throat as she felt skin break.
Joohyun rose, a satisfied smirk. Something was different tonight, it wasn’t the right night to do much work on her masterpiece, but she could paint some light details.
She picked up a candle, one of the dozens – maybe hundreds – they’d burned over these past weeks, late at night lazing in bed. The ones whose flames she had, of late, stared lovingly into, lost herself with Seulgi lost in her arms.
Red, a little spent and fixed to the night stand by wax, it came off with a light crack. Joohyun held it over Seulgi’s stomach, fire flickering in the heavy air. For a long moment nothing came, old wax hardened onto the side of the candle.
A drip sparkled in the air, reflected the bright orange glow. A small spot on Seulgi’s ribcage burned. A moan escaped her. Another spot. She let her head fall back.
A thin stream of burning wax began dancing on her, falling faster as the flame settled above. Her back arched, she whimpered, less from pain than from the feeling of Joohyun’s brush strokes on her, red wax turning pink as it hardened and mixed with the browns and blues of her scars.
Joohyun’s gaze grew ever sharper, followed the red as it drip-drip-dripped onto Seulgi. It swirled in a fast, steady pace around her slender stomach, her side, some drops landing on the sheets around her before finding her arms, her collar bones.
Reaching over to burn her shoulders, Joohyun, lost in her work, palmed Seulgi’s hips for support. Moved by a different heat, she bucked slightly against Joohyun’s hand. She smiled, took Seulgi’s wordless request, moved her fingers between Seulgi’s legs.
The candle was held lower, the burns grew more painful. Seulgi wondered if it became hotter the longer it burned, if she would actually leave here with fresh new scars. She wished she would. Joohyun loomed above her, toying with her with more love in her smile than she ever recalled seeing. She wouldn’t mind a scar, to remind her of that smile.
The warm, scented smoke filling the room seemed to flow through her, Seulgi’s found her thoughts vanishing into the ghostly haze, the burns covering her, the pleasure spreading through her as Joohyun’s fingers moved faster.
And Joohyun was growing fervent. A second finger joined the first, then a third. The sounds coming from her only grew wetter, more obscene. She couldn’t help it, she clawed at Joohyun’s arms, clawed at the sheets. Seulgi ground her hips against Joohyun’s hand, fucked herself against it.
Wax trailed across her chest, a drop burned one of her nipples, pushing her over the edge. She squeezed Her Lady’s arm hard, relief washing over her, as though the two could fade together into the sweet smoke.
Her legs fell limp over Joohyun’s. Smiling, the small flickering flame reflected in her eyes, Joohyun slowed her pace,
“And you said you were too tired.”
Clarity slowly creeping back in, Seulgi felt a twinge of the most pleasant embarrassment. How easily did she fall apart for Joohyun, how easily did she exceed her duties to serve, and fall uncontrollably into boundless love.
Seulgi didn’t have much time to bask in the glow. Joohyun’s expression showed she was pleased with herself, but not so much that she was satisfied. Swift, she untangled herself from Seulgi’s legs, flipped her onto her stomach, grabbed her hair and pulled it back.
Rising awkward to her knees, before she could even catch her balance, Seulgi felt arms around her from behind, heavy breathing on her neck, heat approaching her chest.
She looked down. Joohyun held the candle inches from her skin, flickering menacing as they moved.
Seulgi whimpered as the fire seared her rib cage. She squirmed against Joohyun, who only squeezed her more aggressively, sucked harder on her neck. Reaching blindly behind her, Seulgi grabbed nervous at Joohyun’s robes, feeling her grind against her.
Her legs twitched, Joohyun’s hands climbed to her face, mashed her cheeks before shoving two fingers in her mouth. They pushed her tongue down, Seulgi had to remind herself to breathe normally. Her head was pulled back, hair parting around one shoulder for Joohyun to bite.
Then, suddenly, Seulgi was thrown back onto the mattress, all her dizzy head could do was land on all fours. A hand gripped her waist, held her tight in place, the palm mark burning her skin.
Joohyun wrapped around her, ground on her back. She brought the candle under Seulgi. Feeling her skin warm, Seulgi straightened her back, stretched upwards as far as Joohyun’s hand allowed.
She felt the hand crawl over her back, reach inside Joohyun’s robes. Seulgi was no longer held down but she knew not to move. She was posed how Her Lady wanted. She barely had the mind to move.
Fragments of thoughts buzzed, began and died and never fully formed. She didn’t know if it was the smoke, or if her vision was blurry. Joohyun held the candle right under her stomach, it burned, consumed her mind.
Joohyun pushed against her as she pleasured herself to a quickening rhythm. Seulgi tried to stay in place, she was supposed to stay still, Joohyun wanted her there, she wanted her stomach to burn, the skin to grow red and twisted, maybe scarred…? She needed to stay, even though her head was light and Joohyun was grinding on her and she felt herself falling forwards.
The flame embraced her skin.
It went out as she fell on the mattress. She curled in pain, patted her stomach, her hands twitched until Joohyun held her wrist.
“Are you hurt?”
And right then, she caught it again. The feeling of something different. Something wrong shimmering the air. Of all things Joohyun had ever inflicted on her, all the pain and all the love, that gentle touch might have felt the most improper.
🕯
Joohyun came, herself, from the pantry, to bring Seulgi water.
As she sipped the water, felt it fresh and cold all the way down her throat, Joohyun leaned next to her in bed. She moved her hair from her eyes, pulled Seulgi’s blankets and her robe, revealing bright red skin.
“Does it hurt?”
Seulgi ran her fingers through Joohyun’s hair, pushed some behind her ear. She thought it over,
“It’s nothing,” she shrunk a little into her glass, “sorry I fell.”
Joohyun scoffed, smiled as she thumbed over the burned skin.
In truth, she wanted to say that, compared to other things Joohyun had put her through, this burn was nothing.
Then Joohyun placed the lightest, sweetest kiss on her tummy. And, like a balm, she felt the change in the air again.
Joohyun no longer hammered through Seulgi’s limits, no longer dismissed them. She now pulled them along in her strange, perverted dance.
She knew Seulgi’s love was boundless, she knew she would endure any pain with a smile, and now she’d been using this to Seulgi’s pleasure.
Her job was to serve and love Joohyun, and in a way Joohyun had always loved her back. Like a favorite toy, maybe.
This was different. Seulgi felt seen, a person. She was a toy given life.
It felt unnatural. Wrong, like a crime they hadn’t yet payed for.
Seulgi wanted the night to last forever.
