Chapter 14: 14. Permission at Last
In truth, Arin was not particularly fond of alcohol.
She was not someone who got drunk easily, nor did she have much of a taste for it.
When she drank, it was merely to swallow down lonely memories with bitter liquor.
To drown memories accompanied by fragrance beneath the smell of alcohol. It meant nothing more than that.
Until just now.
Before a table laid with simple drinking snacks, Ryu-o smiled as he poured her a drink.
"Your disciple offers you a drink, Master!"
"Hehe, all right."
Beaming, Arin accepted the cup, then took the bottle and poured Ryu-o a drink in return.
Dark-colored liquor flowed through the narrow mouth of the bottle with a clear sound, filling the white cup to the brim.
Glug, glug, glug.
"Oh..."
For some reason, Ryu-o could not take his eyes off the cup.
"Hehe, what has you so fascinated?"
"It’s my first time seeing black liquor. And the aroma is really complex..."
Ryu-o looked so innocent that Arin let out a laugh and raised her cup.
"Hehe. Keep that up and you’ll get it all over your nose. You have to drink it to properly appreciate its aroma. Come, let’s drink."
"Yes!"
Ryu-o lowered his head, touched the bottoms of their cups together, and drained his in one go.
Gulp.
Perhaps because it was expensive liquor, Ryu-o made sure to drain every last drop. Then he stuck out his tongue slightly and blinked.
"Oh... ah... the aroma is really strong."
"Hehehe..."
When Arin laughed, Ryu-o, embarrassed, shot her a look as if asking what was so funny.
But how could she help it? It had been a long time since she had seen such an innocent reaction.
Instead of explaining herself, Arin took a long drink of the liquor, whose fragrance seemed especially fine today.
The liquor she had expected to be nothing but bitter tasted sweet today.
"You’ll get used to it as you drink. Have another cup."
"Yes!"
After they exchanged a few more cups, Ryu-o spoke with the expression of someone who had just remembered something.
"Ah! Master, I received something while I was out buying this liquor."
"Hm?"
Ryu-o took a blue coin out of his coin pouch.
‘This is...’
The coin was a kind of pass engraved with the emblem of the Blue Tower Lord.
When she asked where he had gotten it, Ryu-o began explaining.
"I stopped by Maehyanggak to buy the liquor..."
After hearing his explanation, Arin nodded.
"It is indeed someone I had ties with in the past. To think she says she is waiting... My, my. You’ve come across a fortunate opportunity, my disciple."
She felt sorry for the Blue Tower Lord, but this was the time to protect something even more precious.
Yet then something unpleasant came from the lips of that precious disciple.
"I knew it! She suddenly told me to marry her granddaughter, so I thought she was some matchmaking old lady..."
"What...?"
"I had no intention of getting married, though."
"I-is that so?"
"What marriage, when I’m still relying on you like this, Master? First, I need to stand proudly on my own two feet!"
Ryu-o’s bold declaration filled Arin with relief.
Then came a sudden feeling of déjà vu.
‘Why do I feel relieved...? He is a child I will have to let go someday... Once he can stand on his own two feet, he will marry someone...’
"It’s all thanks to you, Master. Thank you, always!"
"Hm?"
When Arin raised her head, she saw Ryu-o holding out his cup with a bright smile.
Feeling a little ashamed of herself, Arin smiled back and clinked her cup against his.
"No, I’m the one who is grateful. For becoming my disciple."
Clink!
The two happily drank, enjoying each other’s company like the finest accompaniment to their liquor.
**
"Mmm... Master..."
"Yes..."
"Master..."
"What is it?"
"Snooore..."
After calling her name, he ought to have said what he wanted, but Ryu-o merely lay face-down on the table, breathing evenly.
Arin picked up her disciple, who had become completely limp with drunkenness, and left the kitchen.
"I suppose I’ll have to teach you how to handle your liquor as well."
Being pure was all well and good, but he was far too innocent like this...
It worried her no end that a fully grown man was being carried in a woman’s arms with his clothes so carelessly disheveled.
Someday, as a man, he would have to marry a woman...
Marriage...
The thought of her disciple getting married made Arin feel as though she had been thrown into a mire.
Her disciple leaving her embrace, passionately loving someone else, whispering words of love to her, having children, and growing old together with her.
Her disciple would be happy somewhere without Arin.
His children would take after him and be incredibly beautiful.
That woman would get to see him every single day—eat with him, sleep with him, bathe with him—and be so happy, wouldn’t she?
Someone else would do what she had done...
In the picture of those two together, there would be no place for her to stand...
What shattered Arin’s dark thoughts was an enormous shaft lifting beneath her breasts.
Press.
"M-my goodness! Baby... what are you trying to do to me...? Hm?"
Arin’s worries for her disciple only deepened.
How could every little thing he did stir a woman’s lust like this? What if some woman misunderstood on her own and tried to take advantage of him...
With flushed cheeks, Arin gently laid Ryu-o down on the bedding.
The shaft that had been pressed beneath her breasts pulled down the hem of Ryu-o’s martial robe, making its imposing presence known outside it.
Slip!
"?!?!?!??!!?"
Its shape, size, color, and scent imprinted themselves vividly in Arin’s mind.
The masculine scent that overwhelmed even the strong fragrance of liquor lingering in her mouth and nose ravaged Arin’s mind.
Unable to say a word, Arin could only part and close her lips.
"W-what is this..."
As her reason grew hazy and her lower belly clenched tight, wicked thoughts began bubbling up in Arin’s head.
Wasn’t it only right for him to repay her kindness after she had fed him, raised him, and given him a place to sleep?
After tempting her like this every day, didn’t her disciple want this too?
If she did it while he was asleep, perhaps he could live without ever knowing...
Smack!
Arin slapped her own cheek and began breathing hard.
"Haa... haa... What am I thinking...? Ngh!"
She had not expected that, amid her ragged breaths, her disciple’s scent would flood into her even more intensely.
"Hah... I should at least... pull that back up..."
Contrary to her words, Arin’s hand moved toward her own lower body.
"I’ll never... touch you... ah!"
Arin let out a heated breath.
"Still... this much... this much is all right, isn’t it...? Isn’t it, baby?"
The room filled with a question that did not seek an answer, and the sound of wetness.
**
In the courtyard, where the crisp morning air brushed past them, the lively sound of wooden swords striking each other rang out.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
"That’s it... well done."
For some reason, Master looked listless today.
As though she had not slept well the previous night, dark circles filled the area beneath her eyes, and there was no strength in her voice.
Worried, I asked her as I thrust out my wooden sword.
Tap!
"Master, did something happen last night—"
In that instant, Master’s attack came flying at me with vicious speed. I responded by twisting my wrist and putting strength into my grip.
Whoosh! Whirl! Crack!
Our swords tangled together. Mine broke, but the impact was dispersed.
Momentarily flustered, Master blushed and apologized to me.
"O-oh dear! I didn’t control my strength properly. I’m sorry, baby."
It was such an unusual mistake for Master that I became even more concerned.
"Master, could the liquor we drank yesterday have caused a problem?"
"Not at all! There’s no way! The liquor has nothing to do with it—I was simply thinking about something else!"
Her vehement reaction made me a little more worried, but for now, I nodded.
"All right, Master. Still, if something is troubling you, please tell me anytime. Maybe I can help."
Master smiled faintly and nodded.
"Yes... that’s just the kind of child you are..."
"Master?"
"Wait here."
Master went inside the house, then came back out carrying a bracelet.
"A bracelet?"
Master approached and slipped the bracelet onto my wrist.
She gazed at it on my wrist with a satisfied smile, then spoke.
"Try imagining that you are putting the handle of the wooden sword in your hand inside this bracelet."
Inside the bracelet... Don’t tell me?
"Master!"
"Hehe, go on and try it."
As Master instructed, the wooden sword, of which only the handle remained, vanished into the bracelet in an instant.
"Wow!"
"This time, imagine taking it out."
"Yes!"
This time, the handle returned to my hand as though it had snapped snugly into my grip.
As my eyes sparkled, Master rose onto her tiptoes and stroked my head.
"It’s a gift."
I was overwhelmed. Unable to hold myself back, I threw my arms around Master.
"Master! Thank you!"
"Ah! How can a grown man just grab and hug me like this?"
"We’re master and disciple, so what does it matter? Ah, I don’t care!"
"Y-you brat?"
With Master’s strength, pushing me away would have been easy. Yet she merely chuckled and patted my back.
"You may go to the labyrinth now."
"!!!"
Permission at last. It seemed she believed I would not die easily anymore.
After letting go of Master, I immediately tried to perform a bow of respect right there—
"Don’t! I said that isn’t necessary!"
—but I could not.
Smiling at Master, who was holding my shoulders, I said,
"Thank you for believing in me, Master! And this bracelet too... I’ll definitely repay you for it!"
Master squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, then spoke in a quiet voice.
"I’m the one... who should thank you for trusting me..."
This was what a proper master-disciple relationship looked like!
Now that I had received permission, all that remained was preparation and wrapping up my current work.
"Then I’ll go to Chwihyangru just for today. I should tell them in person that I’m quitting."
"Hehe, go ahead."
**
"So, with that, I would like today to be my last day of work..."
"Nooooooooooooooo!!!!!"
Sima Yeon’s scream rang through Chwihyangru.
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register