Chapter 55: As for the matter of giving birth to an heir...

Chapter 55 - As for the matter of giving birth to an heir... Jin-Yeok definitely didn't expect me to ask for such a thing. If he promised to be honest, then he would probably have to come clean with me and that included exposing his facade. He'd also realize that I could tell he was hiding things from me and that was why I was asking for complete honesty. But it wasn't like we were that close to be promising complete honesty to each other. I wasn't even his partner. He might've promised complete honesty to her because he loved her and was afraid to lose her but he had no reason to do so to me. I just wanted to scare him a bit. I didn't expect him to make that promise so I decided to retract my question. "I'm sorry, master," I said, shaking myself out of his arms. "I got ahead of myself for a minute because you've been treating me so well. I'm but a slave, after all. So, how dare I ask for your complete honesty?" I laughed and bowed my head. "Please forget I asked that question and let's leave it at that. If you're mad, I'll make up for it." I planned to walk away and hoped he wouldn't follow me but then he grabbed me by the wrist and said, "You can't just leave like that. How could I pretend not to have heard your question?" He asked. "Then?" "Hwang Jo-Pil, you were bought by the money of four masters but that doesn't mean you're a slave." He said and my eyes widened. What now? "You were bought, but can you look at it as that money being bought to set you free?" He asked but I was still confused. What was he saying? It was as if he was speaking gibberish all of a sudden. "Though you're in this mansion, you're not locked up. You're not restricted either, and you're being treated nicely. Have you ever seen a slave receive the same treatment as you do?" He's right, but it doesn't mean I'm not a slave. I hate myself for bringing this up but I need clarity. "But, I was bought for the needs of the masters, wasn't I?" I asked. "I am to give birth to the heirs of my masters, am I not?" "Yes, but do you see anyone bringing it up?" He asked, reaching his hand towards me to stroke my hair gently. "Do you see anyone forcing themselves on you? You are... Your own person. You're human, so you have the right to say yes or no. As for the matter of giving birth to an heir... We're all still young. There's no rush." Oh my, that's the most beautiful and reassuring thing I've heard in a while. So, even Jin-Yeok, whose only business with me was to 'Dine and Dash', was saying such a thing. How strong was my protagonist magnet that I was turning them around so easily? No, it wasn't easy. I worked hard for this, and it definitely wasn't easy. "Master," I called, still a bit unsure. "Are you... Sure?" "You seem to underestimate the care and affection the other two show towards you." He said had I lowered my head. It's not like I underestimated it; I'm just being careful. "No one will force you because we see you as a fellow human being and not a slave whose rights and value have been stripped away. You're someone precious to them and I... I have started growing fond of you." How can I believe this man blindly? He was said to have such a glib tongue that he could lie and never get detected, and if what he was saying right now was a lie, then I would be the only one to suffer later. Sure, he wasn't threatening me with silly jokes like a punishment anymore, and his smile didn't seem completely fake anymore, but even then... I pursed my lips. "You seem to still be in doubt," he said and I clenched my pants in my palm. "I'm sorry, master. I don't want to doubt you. I don't mean to but I've suffered." I said. "For five years, there have been different people who approached me with such glib tongues and told me things that I wanted to hear. It made me fall over and over again, and I suffered because of it, so..." I looked like I was about to cry, but I clenched my fists, gripping my pants tight. I tried not to cry. "I'm sorry that I cannot be a hundred percent assured." "It hurts to know you're comparing me with a few street thugs that met you on your way but it's okay, I understand." He hugged me again and patted my back. "Being vigilant is a good thing, so don't ever put your guard down completely." He broke the hug and patted my head, smiling at me. "I won't say anymore, okay? Time will tell." I looked at him. Time will definitely tell. "And as for your question, I will give you an answer the next time we meet." He said and led me down the stairs to prevent me from falling once more. "And till then, I hope to see you smiling as you always do, okay?" He brushed beneath my eyelids and swiped away the tears that were hanging there. "Well then, I'll be off." I watched him leave and brushed my eyes with the bottom of my palm. I was almost about to burst out crying. That's quite new. No one knows the kind of conversations you'd end up holding with an unexpected visitor late at night. This one seemed to be a rather reassuring one. The words Jin-Yeok said, whether they were completely true or just mere bluffs to get me to put down my guard, were very nice to hear. Extra*** Jin-Yeok walked out of the mansion and the guards outside bowed. His car was parked right in front of the front yard and his chauffeur was waiting to open the door. As soon as he got near, the chauffeur opened the door and Jin-Yeok got into the car. As soon as he sat down, he relaxed his back on the chair with his arm across his eyes. 'What was that?' he wondered and then dropped his hand to look at the hand he had used to swipe Jo-Pil's tears. He took off the glove and stared at his bare hands. 'I don't know why but I'm being drawn to Hwang Jo-Pil faster than I can understand. It's like I'm being pulled to him. And his tears...' his eyebrows furrowed. 'Why did I wish to kiss his tears away? I'm confused.' Jin-Yeok was confused. Though he meant every word he said to Jo-Pil, he still did not know how to explain his attraction toward him, but he knew for a fact that his heart already belonged to someone else, so it wasn't love. And because it wasn't love, he did not want to stress himself about it. But what if? What if? 'I should keep a little distance from him and clear my thoughts.' Hwang Jo-Pil... He was another weakness that had surfaced out of nowhere. It would be dangerous if he had too many weaknesses so he had to try and snip things in the bud before they grew.