A Book Drawn at Night — Chapter 9

INSOLENT BASTARD...

JUST BECAUSE THINGS DIDN'T GO HIS WAY,

HOW DARE HE LOCK ME UP?

THEN,

SHOULD I TELL HIM WE SLEPT TOGETHER?

I ONLY PLAYED THE VILLAIN FOR HIS OWN SAKE...

HOW COULD HE SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT?

NO.

IT'S MY FAULT.

ANXIOUS THAT HE WOULDN'T LISTEN NO MATTER WHAT I SAID,

IT WAS MY FAULT FOR SPEAKING TO HIM LIKE THAT FIRST.

EVEN IF I WAS ONLY TRYING TO PROTECT HIM FROM SEOK MUNGYEOM...

I SHOULD'VE JUST TOLD HIM HE WAS SWEET...

TO REJECT A KID WHO JUST WANTED TO HELP LIKE THAT...

WHENEVER I'M AROUND NAMGIL,

I KEEP ACTING LIKE A CHILD THROWING A TANTRUM.

WHEN NAMGIL COMES BACK,

I SHOULD TELL HIM I'M SORRY.

...?

NAM...!

HM?

YOU'RE STILL AWAKE?

YOU...!

DO YOU REMEMBER ME?

HE'S DEFINITELY THAT MAN FROM BACK THEN...

A TOTAL *RAKE.

*someone Who Indulges In All Kinds Of Debauchery.

A RAKE, YOU SAY?

UNLIKE HOW YOU LOOK, YOU SEEM TO KNOW HOW TO JUDGE A MAN,

AND YOU CERTAINLY KNOW HOW TO BE WARY OF ONE.

WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?

JUST,

I'M MAKING IDLE SMALL TALK BECAUSE IT'S AWKWARD,

SO DON'T BE SO ON GUARD.

THOUGH IT IS STRANGE...

I HAVE A KEEN EYE FOR WOMEN,

SO I NEVER EASILY FORGET A FACE I'VE SEEN ONCE...

IT REALLY FEELS LIKE SOMEWHERE IN THE CAPITAL...

...I'VE SEEN YOUR FACE BEFORE.

YOUR SPEECH AND CONDUCT, TOO...

...YOU DON'T SEEM LIKE JUST SOME COMMONER.

ENOUGH IDLE TALK,

AND STATE YOUR BUSINESS.

I HAVE NO DESIRE TO CONVERSE WITH YOU FOR LONG.

COME OUT.

COME OUT? WHERE...?

Is it just my imagination?

NAMGIL IS CALLING FOR YOU.

FIRST HE LOCKS ME IN THIS ROOM, AND NOW HE SUMMONS ME AGAIN?

EVEN GOING SO FAR AS TO SEND YOU, WHO ISN'T EVEN A SERVANT.

TELL ME ABOUT IT!

IT'S DEGRADING ENOUGH THAT I'M DOING A LOWBORN'S WORK,

DO I REALLY HAVE TO EXPLAIN EVERY DETAIL TO YOU, LADY?

ANYWAY,

I SAW YOU TWO ARGUING EARLIER...

GIVEN THAT HE ASKED YOU TO COME TO THE HOUSE WHERE YOU LIVE INSTEAD OF THE MAGISTRATE'S OFFICE...

MAYBE HE WANTS TO APO- LOGIZE FOR ACTING SO SELFISHLY WITH YOU?

APOLOGIZE? AS IF...

DO YOU REALLY THINK A HALF-WITTED FOOL LIKE YOU...

...COULD EVER BE A MATCH FOR HIM?!

THOSE WERE THE WORDS I SHOULD'VE SAID...!

WHY ARE YOU THE ONE SAYING THEM...?!

WELL, HAVE A GOOD MEETING WITH HIM.

AH... I SHOULDN'T BE SMILING YET.

ANYWAY, NOW I UNDERSTAND.

OHO!!

YOUR SKILL WITH YOUR HANDS IS TRULY MARVELLOUS.

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW...

...MEN AND WOMEN ALIKE WOULD GO WILD TO BUY THIS IF I BROUGHT IT TO A COURTESAN HOUSE?

FOOLISH PEOPLE...

IN A PLACE AS SHAMELESS AS A COURTESAN HOUSE...

...THEY'D GET ALL BLOODSHOT-EYED OVER AN EROTIC BOOK.

YOU...

...AREN'T YOU WASTING THAT HANDSOME FACE OF YOURS?

Here he goes again...

AH, COME ON!!

JUST THIIIIIS ONCE!

LET'S GO TO THE COURTESAN HOUSE TOGETHER JUST ONCE!!

I SAID NO!! YOU'RE RELENTLESS!

NOW I GET WHY HE NEVER SET FOOT IN A COURTESAN HOUSE...

...NOR PAID ANY MIND TO THE WOMEN WHO FANCIED HIM.

HIS PRIZED TREASURE...

...WAS ON THIS ISLAND ALL ALONG.

KEEPING SUCH A FINE THING ALL TO HIMSELF...

SHALL I START UNWRAPPING IT NOW?

LOOK HERE, NAMGIL.

HAVE YOU EVER MANAGED TO PIN MASTER DOWN IN AN ARM-WRESTLING MATCH?

...NO. WHY DO YOU KEEP BRINGING THAT UP?

SEE? YOU WERE A CHILD WITH LITTLE STRENGTH, SO IT WAS HARD TO PIN ME DOWN, WASN'T IT?

THAT IS WHY I USE A CHARACTER THAT MEANS 'CHILD'.

GETTING WORKED UP OVER HER FOR NO REASON...

...LIKE A LITTLE BRAT.

THEN...

...SHALL WE SAY WE SLEPT TOGETHER?

YOU FOOLISH IDIOT!

THAT, OF ALL THINGS...

...I OUGHT TO APOLOGIZE FOR.

YOU WERE ALREADY HERE.

I THOUGHT THIS HOUSE...

...WOULD NEVER HOLD YOUR WARMTH AGAIN, NAMGIL...

SEEING LIGHT SEEP FROM THE ROOM THAT HAD ALWAYS BEEN DARK,

MY DRIED-UP HEART DRANK IN THAT FLAME,

AND FELT AS THOUGH IT WERE BEATING ONCE MORE.

MASTER!!

JUST WHY...

...DO YOU REFUSE TO STAY IN MY ARMS?