Instead of taking his hand, I threw myself and jumped towards the empty ground. Since the carriage was quite high, it felt almost like leaping off a wall.
Thud. As I landed, I heard Khan making a mocking laugh from the side. However, instead of commenting further, he instructed the steward to bring out the knight who had collapsed inside the carriage.
“Call a doctor. He hit his head, and on top of that, he has hypothermia.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
The stern-faced steward, looking like a thug, bowed his waist and, with the knight on his side, entered the castle. I tried to straighten my neck against the reduced cold and wind, more prominent than before.
“Hey, Del Narcissus. Follow me.”
Khan called me with a delinquent-like tone. The top of his tower-like head, broad shoulders and back, and the black fur coat fluttering above all felt unreal. I lowered my gaze and walked, looking only at his footprints. The imprints left by the furry boots had a different size.
Walking along the marks left by the boots, I recalled everything I knew about the colossal man in front of me.
Khan Alexis was an eighteen-year-old youth who had just become an adult. With dark gray hair, he was strikingly handsome to the point where anyone, regardless of gender, would involuntarily acknowledge it. The dense and even eyebrows and deeply-set eyes exuded a youthful atmosphere, and the golden eyes that shone brightly even in the darkness reminded one of a wolf. However, the constantly smiling mouth that was round and round seemed to emphasize his boyish charm, and despite his enormous stature, there was no intimidating aura that would terrify people.
He became the lord of the North after losing both parents at a young age, even before reaching adulthood. Although he had a playful and emotional personality, his overwhelming strength prevented anyone from touching him. Even the emperor was afraid of Khan.
His distinctive feature was tears. Of course, if we’re talking about the game’s feature, it refers to the R-rated feature. In the game, Del Narcissus, being a haughty and self-indulgent “Daffodil,” refused Khan from the beginning to the end. So, Khan forcibly took Del, experiencing both resentment and guilt, shedding tears continuously.
I concluded that Khan seemed to be interested in those who rejected him. From now on, I needed to actively tease and confront him. Although jumping off the carriage and running away was a bit off the plan, if I did well from now on, it should be fine.
Alright, good. If only I had organized my thoughts like this earlier, I could have detached from Khan sooner. But I couldn’t afford to regret the current situation.
I took a deep breath and rushed towards Khan who was leading the way. Then, I grabbed one of his arms, lifted my head, and made the most disgusting expression I could muster. It was meant to be cute.
“Dae-Kong Ga-Ka!” (Note: This seems like Khan in playful gibberish Korean.)
“…What are you saying?”
“Woong. Dae-Kong Ga-Ka! Where’s Del’s room?” (Khan in cute baby-like words)
Unexpectedly, Khan’s expression rapidly deteriorated.
[Khan Alexis’s favorability decreases by -1!]
“Suddenly… why are you doing this?”
Khan forcefully pulled his arm out from my grip, looking displeased. I internally called for a quick recovery and pressed my body against him.
“Del’s tired! Ppuppu! wants to lie down in his room!”
How about that? Even if I’m a bit of a delicate and innocent flower-like young man right now, no adult man can endure making short sounds while acting cute, right?
However, whether it was too much or not, Khan soon looked at me with a worried expression.
“Did a ghost possess you?”
Instead of asking if anything hurt, he went straight to whether a ghost had possessed me. Do I just move on as if I’ve been possessed by a ghost?
I shot a fierce look at Khan for a moment. He laughed heartily. The echoing sound of his cheerful and large laughter felt like the corridor was resonating. I quickly lowered my eyes and put on an innocent expression again.
“Del Narcissus, if you really have been possessed by a ghost, let me know. I’ll hang you at the top of the castle and exorcise you with the northern cold.”
“…No, it’s not like that.”
Still, I had to avoid hanging at the top of the castle, so I decided to strategically retreat.
“When I get a bit tired, my tongue gets shorter. So, where’s the bedroom?”
Khan looked mischievous at my nonchalant question, but he didn’t add more to the banter. He called a passing maid and entrusted me to her. While in the game, he used to personally escort me to the room, but it was clear that his favorability had dropped.
The maid Khan called was a girl with brown hair tied in two braids, covered in freckles. She seemed to quickly realize that I was a noble expelled to the Ice Prison, and with a blunt and cold face, she guided me.
The room she brought me to was a small corner on the third floor. It had a single-sized bed and a small desk that barely fit, but it wasn’t dirty or shabby.
“Thank you.”
As I greeted while taking off my fur coat, she stared at me as if surprised.
“You’ll be staying here for a week. If you need anything, pull the bell. However, the castle’s staff is prioritized for the Duke, so don’t expect a quick response.”
After delivering her lines like an old machine, she turned and left. Perhaps she had repeated the same explanation dozens of times. I called her back as she was leaving.
“Wait a moment!”
“Yes, Mr. Narcissus.”
“Where is the Duke’s room?”
In response to my question, the maid stared at me for a moment, looking somewhat surprised.
“Thank you for using polite language and greeting me. Del Narcissus is the first nobleman to treat me with respect with a thank you. So, although it may be presumptuous, I’ll say one thing.”
She spoke with a very calm tone, but at a rapid pace, almost like a machine gun.
“The Duke’s room is the largest one at the eastern end of the second floor. However, it’s advisable not to step too close to that area. The Duke detests cheap seduction. It would be wise to refrain from such thoughts and actions.”
After a brief bow, she left the room.
‘Is she… concerned about me?’
I resolved to express my gratitude to the young maid who seemed caring at some point. But regardless, I was going to be a regular customer in that room for the next week.
Lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, I mumbled to myself.
“He detests cheap seduction…”
That meant my task was clear from now on.
Cheap seduction.
***
I had only dated once in high school. Even then, it wasn’t me who liked the other person first; she confessed to me, and we awkwardly dated for a month.
We were overly focused on the judgmental eyes around us and broke up after a month of not being able to hold hands properly. So, calling it a relationship was just to boost the male ego.
Now, I had to seduce first. And a man at that!
The only fortunate thing was that I wasn’t actually trying to capture Khan’s heart. For that, I would have to deal with a male lead I wanted to conquer later. For now, as long as I avoided explicit scenes with Khan, it would be fine.
I stealthily descended to the second floor and headed towards Khan’s room at the far end. I didn’t know exactly where the east was, but I vaguely assumed it was to the right. There was indeed a door that seemed to lead to a large room on the right.
I took a deep breath and gently raised my hand to the doorknob.
At that moment, a blue window appeared before my eyes.
[Sudden Quest: ‘Secret Door’
Reward: Khan Alexis’s Affection +10
Penalty: Death
Would you like to accept the quest? Yes/No]
P-Penalty is death…?! The hand holding the doorknob trembled. Was there such a quest in the original game? The reward seemed insignificant, but the penalty was too severe. More importantly, what happens if I die in this game?
“N-no-no-no-no.”
I quickly shouted NO and let go of the doorknob. However, as soon as I released it, the doorknob unexpectedly went down, and the door seemed to open.
[‘Secret Door’ quest automatically begins.]
I felt like my eyes were about to pop out. Cold sweat ran down my spine. I stumbled backward, making a throaty sound like a moan. However, the opened door didn’t close; if I didn’t enter that room, the quest would automatically fail. Swallowing my fear, I cautiously pushed the door open and entered.
Contrary to my expectation of Khan’s room, all the furniture inside was covered with white cloth. Although the room was spacious, the visual of white fabric strewn around made it look like a haunted house.
‘What am I supposed to do here?’
Trembling with fear, I carefully surveyed the room. While doing so, I noticed a large frame on the wall covered with cloth, half-way hanging down.
‘What’s that… seems suspicious.’
If this were a real game, I would have clicked on that frame first. With fear but determination, I approached the frame and cautiously pulled down the cloth.
Instead of taking his hand, I threw myself and jumped towards the empty ground. Since the carriage was quite high, it felt almost like leaping off a wall.
Thud. As I landed, I heard Khan making a mocking laugh from the side. However, instead of commenting further, he instructed the steward to bring out the knight who had collapsed inside the carriage.
“Call a doctor. He hit his head, and on top of that, he has hypothermia.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
The stern-faced steward, looking like a thug, bowed his waist and, with the knight on his side, entered the castle. I tried to straighten my neck against the reduced cold and wind, more prominent than before.
“Hey, Del Narcissus. Follow me.”
Khan called me with a delinquent-like tone. The top of his tower-like head, broad shoulders and back, and the black fur coat fluttering above all felt unreal. I lowered my gaze and walked, looking only at his footprints. The imprints left by the furry boots had a different size.
Walking along the marks left by the boots, I recalled everything I knew about the colossal man in front of me.
Khan Alexis was an eighteen-year-old youth who had just become an adult. With dark gray hair, he was strikingly handsome to the point where anyone, regardless of gender, would involuntarily acknowledge it. The dense and even eyebrows and deeply-set eyes exuded a youthful atmosphere, and the golden eyes that shone brightly even in the darkness reminded one of a wolf. However, the constantly smiling mouth that was round and round seemed to emphasize his boyish charm, and despite his enormous stature, there was no intimidating aura that would terrify people.
He became the lord of the North after losing both parents at a young age, even before reaching adulthood. Although he had a playful and emotional personality, his overwhelming strength prevented anyone from touching him. Even the emperor was afraid of Khan.
His distinctive feature was tears. Of course, if we’re talking about the game’s feature, it refers to the R-rated feature. In the game, Del Narcissus, being a haughty and self-indulgent “Daffodil,” refused Khan from the beginning to the end. So, Khan forcibly took Del, experiencing both resentment and guilt, shedding tears continuously.
I concluded that Khan seemed to be interested in those who rejected him. From now on, I needed to actively tease and confront him. Although jumping off the carriage and running away was a bit off the plan, if I did well from now on, it should be fine.
Alright, good. If only I had organized my thoughts like this earlier, I could have detached from Khan sooner. But I couldn’t afford to regret the current situation.
I took a deep breath and rushed towards Khan who was leading the way. Then, I grabbed one of his arms, lifted my head, and made the most disgusting expression I could muster. It was meant to be cute.
“Dae-Kong Ga-Ka!” (Note: This seems like Khan in playful gibberish Korean.)
“…What are you saying?”
“Woong. Dae-Kong Ga-Ka! Where’s Del’s room?” (Khan in cute baby-like words)
Unexpectedly, Khan’s expression rapidly deteriorated.
[Khan Alexis’s favorability decreases by -1!]
“Suddenly… why are you doing this?”
Khan forcefully pulled his arm out from my grip, looking displeased. I internally called for a quick recovery and pressed my body against him.
“Del’s tired! Ppuppu! wants to lie down in his room!”
How about that? Even if I’m a bit of a delicate and innocent flower-like young man right now, no adult man can endure making short sounds while acting cute, right?
However, whether it was too much or not, Khan soon looked at me with a worried expression.
“Did a ghost possess you?”
Instead of asking if anything hurt, he went straight to whether a ghost had possessed me. Do I just move on as if I’ve been possessed by a ghost?
I shot a fierce look at Khan for a moment. He laughed heartily. The echoing sound of his cheerful and large laughter felt like the corridor was resonating. I quickly lowered my eyes and put on an innocent expression again.
“Del Narcissus, if you really have been possessed by a ghost, let me know. I’ll hang you at the top of the castle and exorcise you with the northern cold.”
“…No, it’s not like that.”
Still, I had to avoid hanging at the top of the castle, so I decided to strategically retreat.
“When I get a bit tired, my tongue gets shorter. So, where’s the bedroom?”
Khan looked mischievous at my nonchalant question, but he didn’t add more to the banter. He called a passing maid and entrusted me to her. While in the game, he used to personally escort me to the room, but it was clear that his favorability had dropped.
The maid Khan called was a girl with brown hair tied in two braids, covered in freckles. She seemed to quickly realize that I was a noble expelled to the Ice Prison, and with a blunt and cold face, she guided me.
The room she brought me to was a small corner on the third floor. It had a single-sized bed and a small desk that barely fit, but it wasn’t dirty or shabby.
“Thank you.”
As I greeted while taking off my fur coat, she stared at me as if surprised.
“You’ll be staying here for a week. If you need anything, pull the bell. However, the castle’s staff is prioritized for the Duke, so don’t expect a quick response.”
After delivering her lines like an old machine, she turned and left. Perhaps she had repeated the same explanation dozens of times. I called her back as she was leaving.
“Wait a moment!”
“Yes, Mr. Narcissus.”
“Where is the Duke’s room?”
In response to my question, the maid stared at me for a moment, looking somewhat surprised.
“Thank you for using polite language and greeting me. Del Narcissus is the first nobleman to treat me with respect with a thank you. So, although it may be presumptuous, I’ll say one thing.”
She spoke with a very calm tone, but at a rapid pace, almost like a machine gun.
“The Duke’s room is the largest one at the eastern end of the second floor. However, it’s advisable not to step too close to that area. The Duke detests cheap seduction. It would be wise to refrain from such thoughts and actions.”
After a brief bow, she left the room.
‘Is she… concerned about me?’
I resolved to express my gratitude to the young maid who seemed caring at some point. But regardless, I was going to be a regular customer in that room for the next week.
Lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, I mumbled to myself.
“He detests cheap seduction…”
That meant my task was clear from now on.
Cheap seduction.
***
I had only dated once in high school. Even then, it wasn’t me who liked the other person first; she confessed to me, and we awkwardly dated for a month.
We were overly focused on the judgmental eyes around us and broke up after a month of not being able to hold hands properly. So, calling it a relationship was just to boost the male ego.
Now, I had to seduce first. And a man at that!
The only fortunate thing was that I wasn’t actually trying to capture Khan’s heart. For that, I would have to deal with a male lead I wanted to conquer later. For now, as long as I avoided explicit scenes with Khan, it would be fine.
I stealthily descended to the second floor and headed towards Khan’s room at the far end. I didn’t know exactly where the east was, but I vaguely assumed it was to the right. There was indeed a door that seemed to lead to a large room on the right.
I took a deep breath and gently raised my hand to the doorknob.
At that moment, a blue window appeared before my eyes.
[Sudden Quest: ‘Secret Door’
Reward: Khan Alexis’s Affection +10
Penalty: Death
Would you like to accept the quest? Yes/No]
P-Penalty is death…?! The hand holding the doorknob trembled. Was there such a quest in the original game? The reward seemed insignificant, but the penalty was too severe. More importantly, what happens if I die in this game?
“N-no-no-no-no.”
I quickly shouted NO and let go of the doorknob. However, as soon as I released it, the doorknob unexpectedly went down, and the door seemed to open.
[‘Secret Door’ quest automatically begins.]
I felt like my eyes were about to pop out. Cold sweat ran down my spine. I stumbled backward, making a throaty sound like a moan. However, the opened door didn’t close; if I didn’t enter that room, the quest would automatically fail. Swallowing my fear, I cautiously pushed the door open and entered.
Contrary to my expectation of Khan’s room, all the furniture inside was covered with white cloth. Although the room was spacious, the visual of white fabric strewn around made it look like a haunted house.
‘What am I supposed to do here?’
Trembling with fear, I carefully surveyed the room. While doing so, I noticed a large frame on the wall covered with cloth, half-way hanging down.
‘What’s that… seems suspicious.’
If this were a real game, I would have clicked on that frame first. With fear but determination, I approached the frame and cautiously pulled down the cloth.
