[AFYC] Chapter 31

“Who said you could do that?”

Oscar tightened his grip on the woman, who was desperately trying to twist away from him. Her fragile neck was easily restrained by his hand, forcing her to face him. Tears welled up again in her eyes, filled with a mixture of burning heat and utter despair. 

“Hnnng...” 

Her face, almost pleading, seemed to beg him to just leave her alone. A bitter smile played on Oscar’s lips. 

Give up. 

He pressed down on her tongue with his fingers, watching as she bit into them with her white teeth. Her hot breath flowed over the veins on the back of his hand, rising from deep within her narrow throat, brushing against his skin like a fleeting caress. 

“...” 

Oscar’s eyes narrowed. He thought he caught a faint, strange scent, but his thoughts were abruptly interrupted as the pressure from her bite on his fingers weakened. At the same time, her hands, which had been gripping his wrist, slowly fell away, and her pleading brown eyes gradually closed. 

“…” 

As her movements ceased, the room fell into a deep silence, broken only by the faint sound of their breathing. Time seemed to stop as the quiet enveloped the moonlit room. 

Oscar’s cold blue eyes slid from the woman’s lips to where his fingers had been bitten. The soft, wet sensation of her mouth lingered on his skin as if her small lips were still clinging to him. It was an almost imperceptible sound that only his sharp senses could detect—a faint, moist noise from within her mouth, where the wetness of her tongue had brushed against his fingers. 

When he finally withdrew his hand from her mouth, the small lips seemed to lap his fingers as they slid free. His keen hearing picked up the sound of her soft, moist breath as it passed over the damp surface of his skin. There were no bite marks and no sign of injury on his fingers. 

A small, dismissive laugh escaped him as he rose, but his expression quickly darkened. 

Oscar’s already calm eyes turned icy cold as he glanced down at his body. A sardonic smile played on his lips as he shook his head in disbelief. He reached for a towel on the bedside table and wiped the saliva from his hand, letting out a dry chuckle. 

Well, she certainly lives up to the brothel owner’s desperate attempts to keep her. 

His laughter vanished as quickly as it had come, leaving a desolate, fiery intensity behind. Oscar tossed the towel aside and stood motionless for a moment, staring down at the unconscious woman. Then, he turned away and summoned Simon. 

“You called for me, Your Excellency?” 

Oscar had washed his hands and was now leaning back on the sofa, his head resting against the backrest as he stared at the gleaming key. 

“What do you think? How do you suppose this key ended up in that woman’s possession?” 

“...The woman appears to be around twenty years old. I received a message from the Felphe Bank, and they confirmed that she is from Dankook.” 

“Dankook?” 

“Yes, an Eastern Continent monarchy bordering the Ryoha Empire.” 

Oscar paused, lost in thought, before he spoke again. 

“She looks like a mixed race.” 

“I would agree, but... my apologies, I don’t have any concrete answers yet, just speculation.” 

“And what about Peter?” 

“...” 

“Is that bastard still at the bottom of the sea? Or did only this key somehow float back up?” 

Oscar leaned back against the sofa as he pondered for a moment. 

“Report 2021.” 

Report 2021. 

About three years ago, a report was submitted suggesting that Peter had likely been buried along with the key at sea. The report had been written by one of the late marquess’s top intelligence operatives, renowned for his unparalleled expertise in espionage. 

“Is there still no word from Theresia Wittgenstein?” 

“No, she only mentioned needing more time to investigate.” 

“Summon her.” 

The key, thought to be lost forever, had returned. This was not a matter to be resolved with a simple reprimand. If the key had returned, it was also time for those responsible to be recalled. 

A cruel smile that made Simon shudder briefly appeared on Oscar’s face before disappearing. An old grudge once believed to be buried beneath the waves, had resurfaced tonight and wore a very pretty face. 

♔♔♔ 

Yongcheon was the largest port city in Dankook. 

Every day, merchant ships sailed in and out of the clear blue waters of Yongcheon. Most of the ships belonged to neighbouring countries that had trade agreements with Dankook, but occasionally, vessels that had crossed the great seas would arrive. These foreign merchants were tall, with high noses and pale skin. Though they came from various nations, the people of Yongcheon simply referred to them as “Yangin” (foreigners). 

Yongcheon, a city made prosperous by its bustling trade, was home to a landowning family that had earned the respect of the people for generations. This family opened their granaries to aid the people during times of famine and sent their ships to recover the bodies of fishermen who had gone missing at sea. There wasn’t a single person in Yongcheon who the Han family hadn’t helped, and as a result, everyone loved them. 

The eyes of the people of Yongcheon were always on Ho Yeonjae, the Han family’s ancestral home.