HDCLSSRS Ch 74

Chapter 74 Ilgwang’s Plot (4)

“Hey, open this! I said open it!”

Baek Ryeoil shouted a string of curses. He stared into the depths of the cave behind him. Poison Freak’s presence was fading into the distance. But up ahead, the path stretched straight and unbroken—if he went now, he could easily catch the man.

‘To avenge Master…’

On Seong Muyeon’s end, nothing had happened yet. There was a high chance Black Demon Matron, knowing nothing, would let him go peacefully.

But what if she found out…?

Even with a brief look, Baek Ryeoil could tell that her martial arts skill was formidable. Ilgwang would be no match for her. Let alone Seong Muyeon.

“Damn it!”

Baek Ryeoil finally drew his sword. The blade hummed and began to pulse with a red aura.

“Goddamn it!”

With a roar, Baek Ryeoil cut through the iron bars in one stroke, then shot off like a flash of light in pursuit of Ilgwang.

“This way, please.”

Black Demon Matron led Seong Muyeon behind a curtain. A spacious reception hall awaited them—it seemed to be the private residence of the branch leader.

Several attendants hurried to serve tea and refreshments.

“How do you find the aroma of the tea? Do you like it?”

“Mm. It’s nice.”

Seong Muyeon maintained a consistently upright posture. Black Demon Matron smiled, her eyes crinkling seductively.

“But, will the Prince not be returning to the cult?”

“Why do you ask?”

At Seong Muyeon’s sharp retort, Black Demon Matron widened her eyes in surprise.

“I didn’t mean anything by it. Please don’t misunderstand. I was just curious, but if I’ve offended you, I apologize.”

She put on an innocent expression as if desperately trying to prove her sincerity. Though Seong Muyeon knew she meant no harm, he had deliberately overreacted to assert dominance.

“It’s fine. Everyone probably already knows—I have no interest in becoming cult leader. I gave up on that a long time ago.”

“Of course. Now that the Fourth Prince met his fate, perhaps it would be wiser for the Seventh Prince not to return for a while. The First Prince stands firm in his position, after all.”

What an obvious thing to say.

“The uproar is no small matter. With all this chaos… well, isn’t it obvious that the First Prince will become the next leader anyway?”

She spoke as if fishing for agreement. Seong Muyeon nodded with apparent sincerity, as if he couldn’t even imagine anyone else taking the throne.

But in truth, Seong Muyeon knew exactly how this struggle would end.

‘The next cult leader will be the Third Prince.’

He was a fervent radical. As soon as he rose to power, he bared his fangs, ready to swallow the Central Plains whole. His ambition ultimately proved too great for the other brothers to overcome.

“To be honest… when I didn’t know what kind of person you were, I thought about quietly killing you without a trace.”

Seong Muyeon was chilled to the bone by those words. He almost nodded reflexively. Black Demon Matron had a way of saying terrifying things sweetly.

“What did you say?”

“Now that I’ve met you in person, it seems unnecessary. You clearly have no interest in becoming cult leader anyway.”

She smiled slyly, her eyes narrowing with seductive charm.

“And… you’re so handsome, too.”

“Th-thank you.”

“Oh, don’t mention it.”

Seong Muyeon sensed danger. Having lived his whole life as the underdog, his instincts always warned him when a threat approached.

“I’m not just flattering you. All seven princes are known for their striking looks, but you, Seventh Prince… there’s something about you that shines even more.”

She kept getting closer. As Seong Muyeon avoided her gaze, unsure where to look, she moved in as if finding it even more amusing.

“They say a good-looking rice cake is also good to eat. I wonder how you taste?”

“I-I’m not a rice cake.”

“That’s what makes you better. No matter how much I eat, you won’t run out.”

As he tried to avoid her increasingly forward advances, Seong Muyeon ended up leaning so far back that he ended up lying down.

With nowhere left to escape, he squeezed his eyes shut tightly.

“How about it? Want a taste—?”

“No! I’m not interested! C-could you please move aside?”

“Me? Hmm… Seventh Prince, you really are something. You grew up as a noble, so you don’t know how to ask properly. If you want me to move, why don’t you move me yourself?”

She whispered seductively, then blew a breath into his ear.

“Waaah!”

“What’s wrong, Seventh Prince? You could use your hands.”

He writhed beneath her, unable to do anything.

“I’ve been feeling awfully empty lately… There was this cute boy, but he died. Since then, I haven’t found anyone new, so I’ve been starving.”

“W-where do you think you’re touching!”

A soft hand brushed near his thigh. Black Demon Matron had subtly slipped her hand beneath his trousers, reaching boldly toward his center.

“All men are the same. They say no with their mouths, but there isn’t a man alive who can resist me. I know. You’re just shy. But your body is being so honest—huh?”

While groping Seong Muyeon, she suddenly froze. Tilting her head in confusion, she withdrew.

Seong Muyeon scrambled to escape, shocked as she had pulled down his pants. He hastily backed away.

“Wh-what are you doing! This is sexual harassment!”

She stared at him, dazed.

“You said you were hurt… so that’s what it was? It doesn’t… work?”

Seong Muyeon’s face flushed red.

“W-w-what nonsense are you saying?! You attacked me out of nowhere—of course it wouldn’t!”

“No, that can’t be right. Not one man, even men a hundred years old, has ever failed to respond to me.”

“Let’s not talk! Just stop talking!”

Seong Muyeon hurriedly straightened his disheveled clothes. But it was pointless.

“This… is a new flavor.”

Black Demon Matron grinned and grabbed the hem of his robe.

“Now I’m curious how long you can resist me without reacting.”

Though she looked delicate, her grip was surprisingly strong. With a light pull, his top tore open with a loud rip.

She licked her lips and smiled with depraved delight.

“Hehehe… let’s see how long you can last! Hehehehehahahaha!”

“Uwaaahhh!”

Exposing his bare upper body, Seong Muyeon fled in a desperate panic. Black Demon Matron maintained a teasing distance, enjoying his futile escape.

“Don’t come near me! Stay away!”

“Why not? Do you know how much more tempting it is when you panic like that? Come here! Hahahaha!”

Seong Muyeon ran for his life.

Furniture toppled over, and shattered vases rolled across the floor.

Eventually, Black Demon Matron grabbed him by the waist.

With a swift motion, she pinned him down again.

“I said no!”

“Mmm. Even your resistance is kind of cute…”

With astonishing strength, she flipped him over in a flash. As she leaned forward, an alluring aura seemed to pour from her.

“You’re not… deformed, are you? No way. You’re still of the cult leader’s bloodline—huh?”

While frantically climbing on top of him, she caught sight of his chest and froze.

“…What is this?”

The sudden silence made Seong Muyeon cautiously lift his head. A part of him feared she was trying to trick him by letting his guard down, but her expression was no joke.

She lightly traced her fingers beneath his collarbone. Her touch barely grazed his skin, featherlight.

“This scar… where did you get it?”

“What… oh.”

Seong Muyeon hurriedly covered his chest with his hands. It was a scar he’d received during the fight with Wirim in Shanxi. Though the mark left by the enemy’s weapon had faded, its shape remained.

“No doubt. That’s Wirim’s… isn’t it?”

“…”

“You. You’re the one who killed my Wirim.”

Her face twisted with savage rage.

“How dare you… my Wirim… my precious… you killed him!”

“Eek!”

Seong Muyeon kicked her away and rolled across the floor. As he got up, he saw demonic energy flaring from her sharp, blackened nails.

“Wait, calm down. I might not be the one who killed him.”

“Then who did? You saw, didn’t you?”

“I fought him, yes, but how could I kill him? You know as well as anyone—I couldn’t even kill an ant in this body.”

At those words, Black Demon Matron paused in thought, then slowly lowered her claws.

“That’s true. The Seventh Prince is just a useless burden, after all.”

Seong Muyeon nodded vigorously.

“Y-yeah… it wasn’t me.”

He desperately emphasized his harmlessness.

“B-but… Wirim must have meant a lot to you.”

Suddenly, Black Demon Matron began to cry.

“My treasure… Wirim… he was my most beloved toy… How could I ever find someone like that again? Maybe I should just die too.”

“That’s not a bad idea.”

“What did you say?”

“N-nothing. It’d just be lonely in the afterlife alone.”

“Huuuh… Wirim! Rimrim! Come back!”