1440 - Chapter 8

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 8
Had the man’s eyes made young Yeonsu appear so small as well? Back then, he had treated him with such tenderness, as if cradling something fragile and precious. And yet he had not left his side until Yeonsu had fully recovered.
Had his pain simply vanished then, or had the man taken it upon himself?
The man did not answer Yeonsu’s question, only gazed at him steadily. Then, slowly, he began to untie his collar. Startled, Yeonsu dared to reach out and seized the man’s slender wrist.
“That’s not why I came here today!”
At that, the man lowered his head in embarrassment. His black hair fell across his face, obscuring his expression entirely.
Was it shame? Despair? Though he seemed to feel such things, he did not hesitate to offer his body—as though he would gladly receive Yeonsu’s essence without reservation.
Large eyes framed by long lashes like those of a doll blinked once. His pupils were as black as ink, holding no glimmer of light, yet they gleamed like jewels. Thinking this, Yeonsu carefully tied the man’s collar securely once more.
“I simply wished to pay my respects. To someone I shall be seeing often from now on.”
The moment Yeonsu spoke these words, the man’s body, held in his grasp, stiffened.
As if suddenly understanding something, the man’s lips parted slightly. Confused yet cautious, Yeonsu released his grip. Then, as though to prove his intentions were pure, he rose with a bright laugh.
“I shall also see to your bedding personally. From now on, I will be the one attending to you.”
With that, Yeonsu began tidying the room.
He carried out the man’s empty meal tray first, then removed the Cardigan he had been wearing and draped it over the man’s shoulders. The garment, which fit Yeonsu perfectly, hung loosely on the man’s frame, sliding downward.
The man quickly grasped the collar to keep it from falling to the floor. He watched as Yeonsu moved about the room.
Yeonsu found the man’s thin, glossy Bedding utterly displeasing—it gave off nothing but a cheap impression. He swept it out of the room with rough hands. His lips remained curved in a smile, but his brows were drawn down in clear displeasure.
Next came the pungent incense that made his head ache. He could not fathom why such strong fragrance was being burned here—this was neither a Shrine nor a priest’s quarters. It was as though the man was being treated as something to be subjugated.
They used him for various purposes when needed, calling him sacred, a Misfortune Barrier, whatever suited their convenience. It was utterly insolent treatment.
Yeonsu extinguished all the incense and carried the Incense Burner outside. Now that he examined the shelf where it had sat, it was cluttered with expensive items that only seemed more vulgar for their cost.
There was a Golden Toad meant to attract fortune, a painting of a tiger, a Dharma Painting, and various other items arranged haphazardly.
8
These objects needed to be placed with proper intention to manifest their intended power. Gathered indiscriminately, their Qi would collide with one another and cause disturbance. Just as the unnecessary incense had been burned in the man’s room, the intent here was clearly to gather stagnant, harmful energy in this space.
“A tiger and a Dharma Painting in the same room? Have they lost their minds?”
Muttering to himself, he swept them all away without hesitation. Cost mattered nothing. He focused only on purifying the Qi within this room.
As he swept and wiped, extracting rubbish piece by piece, he found something that made his blood boil.
“Lubricant…….”
Damn. Had he truly lost all reason?
Yeonsu barely suppressed the curse threatening to spill from his lips. The description boasting of increased sensation made him see blue sparks flash before his eyes.
This was absolutely not an object for the man’s sake. It had been used solely for Yeonhyeong’s own pleasure.
Had he truly cared for the man, he would never have left his body scarred in such a manner. And he would never have used him as an essence receptacle in the first place——
“Hah.”
Yeonsu hurled every last base object from the room. Afterward, the space stood nearly empty.
Only then did the man’s breathing ease visibly. His chest rose and fell with newfound comfort. With his eyes closed, he drew in a long, deep breath and exhaled it slowly.
Confirming this from the corner of his eye, Yeonsu too released a quiet sigh of relief.
So it was true—these things had been suffocating the man. Yeonsu himself had felt his energy grow turbulent the moment he entered, so how much distress must the man have endured, confined here all day?
Yeonsu swept and cleaned the floor again, flooding every corner with clean Qi. Then he retrieved the premium bedding he had specially ordered and laid it out.
The mattress, custom-made with extra-thick padding, was nearly like a topper. He ran his palm over the soft, silken surface to confirm it was smooth and free of any friction.
After placing it against the wall, he layered a Single Quilt beneath it. Then he brought in a thick Cotton Comforter and a slightly thinner Layered Comforter, arranging them carefully over the bedding as he spoke.
“The weather will grow cold soon. You may use whichever of these you prefer—this one is warmer, and this one is lighter. And instead of that Neck Pillow you’ve been using, I’ve prepared a soft Pillow for you. How does that seem?”
With that, he offered the man a plump, soft Pillow.
The man gazed at it for a moment, then slowly reached out and brushed his hand across its surface. It seemed so soft and yielding that sleeping upon it would be wonderfully comfortable.
Seeing that the man was pleased, Yeonsu smiled with relief. After placing the Pillow on the bedding, he told him to wait a moment and left the room.
Even the cats, finished with their meal, eventually left the man’s petting hands and returned to their own nests.
In the sudden quiet around him, the man felt the stirring of loneliness. It was such an unfamiliar emotion that he was surprised at himself for even thinking such a thing.
But that loneliness did not last long. Yeonsu returned, carrying armfuls of something, and entered the room.
He set his burden on the floor and apologized with a contrite expression.
“Please excuse me. Just a moment…….”
Then he reached for the man’s collar, which he had prevented from being untied before. He looked into the man’s eyes as if asking permission, then gently unwrapped the knot.
With a soft rustle, the tied cord fell away, and the single layer of his robe fell open, exposing his skin beneath.
Yeonsu caught his breath. Not because the sight was beautiful or stirring to him.
The man’s body was covered—so thoroughly that his true skin tone was barely visible—with rashes, pustules, and bruises layered upon one another.
Some were recent, others from weeks past, a patchwork of healing and renewed injury. Seeing this, Yeonsu felt heat rise to his eyes once more. The wounds had not even fully healed before fresh essence was drawn again, and again. This cycle had been repeated.
And there were handprints—dark and deep. These were not manifestations of essence depletion but scars deliberately left by Yeonhyeong’s own hands. In truth, all the other pustules and rashes were the result of the man bearing Yeonhyeong’s essence in his stead, so every mark was ultimately his doing.
“……Come here.”
Yeonsu did not know what words to offer. He simply called the man closer. He could not pull him by the arms—no matter where he grasped, he might touch a wound.
The man looked at Yeonsu’s face, finding no trace of sexual intent in it.
He was astonished at himself for attempting to undress so casually in front of Yeonsu earlier. He had worried how degraded and wanton he must appear, yet Yeonsu did not seem to harbor such thoughts upon seeing his body.
For reasons he could not explain, he felt reassured. Moving on his knees, he drew closer to Yeonsu. As he did, his loosened robe slipped downward and fell around his feet.
No matter the pretext of treatment, nakedness could not be without shame. The man knelt down, his long hair falling forward to veil his body.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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