Chapter 256 – Bao (4)

– Jjolttagu A: Brother, are you done?
—

The nickname was peculiar.

He tilted his head in confusion, then responded.

-Me: Why is your name like that?
-Jjolttagu A: It just happened.
-Jjolttagu B: Yes, Your Majesty, it just happened.

It wasn’t a private message but a group chat. Looking at the profile pictures, Tae-yang looked quite dashing against a café backdrop. Aori’s picture was a tree, suggestive of carnal desires.

Soon, a call came from Tae-yang.

Since he was in the next room anyway, instead of answering the call, he left his room and knocked on the door. It didn’t take long for the door to open.

Aori was sitting on the couch, tearing into a piece of bread, and Tae-yang was standing at the entrance. A container filled with food indicated they had been having a late-night snack.

“Are you still eating?” Tae-yang asked.

“Unlike the rest, my stamina isn’t as good. Care for some?” Aori replied, nonchalantly settling on the couch, her hand reaching for the late-night snack.

Moving so intensely had left her famished, her stomach almost clinging to her back.

“Beer?”

“Hand it over.”

Together, they savored the refined dishes, complemented by the humble canned beer. Wine was available, but the simplicity of beer suited their circumstances better. Even the slightest warming made the food from the restaurant taste far superior to their usual fare.

“So, why did you call me?” Tae-yang asked.

Aori cut a piece of meat, skewered it with a mushroom, and popped it into her mouth, followed by a sip of beer. The fizzling carbonation gave way to the lingering savory taste of beef juice on her tongue.

There was no greater luxury than to satiate a famished stomach.

“I wanted to ask how it went,” she replied.

“Mm-hmm,” Tae-yang murmured.

Aori nodded vigorously at his words.

“So, why are you guys so interested in my affairs?”

Bored, Tae-yang shoved another piece of meat into his mouth. Aori swallowed her mouthful, cleared her throat with wine, and opened her mouth to speak.

“In the old Middle Ages, servants watched the king’s sexual encounters. It was a way to check whether the king was proficient at it or not.”

“So, you guys think you have the right to watch too?”

“Yes.”

“Is that so?” Tae-yang asked incredulously.

In those times, nothing seemed unusual. Even a sister showing her own sexual relations to her sex-averse brother on her wedding night occurred. And then there was the primal wedding night tradition.

In Tae-yang’s world, these were mere rumors, but here, they were reality. Reading through historical texts, he’d come to realize the depths of depravity that power could sink to.

“Let’s live by our own era’s rules,” Tae-yang suggested.

“I figured you’d say that. But I had another matter to discuss.”

Resigned, Tae-yang shrugged, shifting the topic. As his hunger persisted, he continued to eat.

“Brother,” Aori called out.

“Mm?”

“How is Lee Hyang?”

Why was she suddenly mentioning Lee Hyang? Aside from their chance encounter and brief time together, they had no significant connection. Random encounters or occasional meals together was the extent of their relationship. It was actually convenient for Tae-yang this way.

“Why Lee Hyang?”

“Why not? She’s just a little flirt.”

Tae-yang paused mid-sip, the liquid in his beer can sloshing. What did she just say?

“Is the dog cherry tree common? It’s a rare tree, and it needs to be secured.”

“Cough, hey. Isn’t she your friend?”

“She is. But one-night stands don’t kill you. Isn’t it all about mutual consent?”

“What type of consent?”

“If you gently get her drunk and flirt-“

-Whack!

Tae-yang was smacked on the forehead, reeling back and rubbing the spot where Aori had hit him, feigning tears.

“What kind of agreement is that?” he retorted.

“Your Majesty.”
“Why must you…”
“There’s no harm in a man wooing a woman over drinks.”

What kind of paradoxical logic is she attempting to articulate?
Let her speak. Aori, with a serious expression, made a gesture to continue.

“Women are aware of it, and they willingly participate.”
“And how am I to know that?”
“Even as they sip their drinks, they know it may not lead anywhere. But they drink till the moment they believe, ‘It might work with this man.’ They drink with a subtle anticipation.”
“That is an offence.”
“No offence if the man is attractive. Women are human too. Have you, Your Majesty, never been to many a drinking party?”

Well…

I find myself at a loss for words.
It’s true that I don’t fully understand the workings of a woman’s heart.
Whether it is Star, Se-Young, Azalea, or Cornus, I can’t be certain. These women aren’t ordinary. It’d be one thing to handle women with loose screws, but comprehending the thoughts of an average country woman, like this one, is beyond my ability.

“Also, unless a man has feelings for a woman from the get-go, he won’t engage in one-on-one drinking sessions. Women are aware of this. They understand a man’s intentions.”
“……”

Before I know it, I find myself nodding in agreement.
Aori and Tae-yang were looking at me, smiling as if they found my realization endearing.
It’s like being a newbie at a bar, being disciplined yet subtly adored by the more experienced patrons.

“In simpler terms, wouldn’t you enjoy it if your ideal type, while making her interest in you clear, encouraged you to drink?”

I found myself covering my philtrum with my hand.

If I were to imagine Cornus approaching me that way…
No, Cornus isn’t like that. She’s too pure for such machinations.

Star, on the other hand, might play such games. The thought brings a smile to my face.

“You would enjoy that, wouldn’t you?”
“Though men and women may perceive things differently, they aren’t entirely dissimilar.”

I understand.

“But wouldn’t you say that she’s more innocent than ordinary?”

My question seemed to catch Tae-yang and Aori off guard, as they clicked their tongues.

Look at these two.

Tae-yang gently steered the conversation in a different direction.

“Regardless… it’s something you’ll have to do at some point. Even if it’s impossible to seduce every woman you encounter. You must, at least, maintain a certain level of relationships.”
“I understand.”

Desperately. I must do it.
One never knows when trouble might arise.

My heart was growing heavier with every passing moment.
After shaking the can of beer for a while, I finally made up my mind.

“I’ll do it.”

Blaming my decision on the alcohol that wasn’t even affecting me, I made my declaration.

It was the day before the second trial.