Speak of The Devil

The expression looking at me was so subtle that I couldn’t understand why. Was it satisfaction, or perhaps guilt? Only the gaze on the expressionless face was slightly trembling.“Give me back my phone.”I was the first to break the silence. Jung Yiyeon furrowed his brows as if he had heard something absurd. He didn’t even have a shred of guilt after stealing my belongings.“Don’t you think I should at least let my brother know I’m okay?”My brother probably didn’t know I was meeting Jung Yiyeon. And it’s been several days since then, so maybe he tried to reach out to me through messages or calls. But it’s natural for him to worry if I don’t respond.At least I had to let him know I was safe. Even at this age, my brother sometimes tends to be overprotective of me. If I continue to be out of reach, I couldn’t predict where his worries would lead.“I already texted your brother, so there’s no need to worry.”“…You did it yourself?”Jung Yiyeon nodded. But why couldn’t I fully trust him?But if Jung Yiyeon wasn’t going to give me back my phone, there was no point in saying anything more. I had been thinking about it while voluntarily starving myself. There’s a point where I clearly have to compromise.I decided to just focus on the nature and turned my head away from Jung Yiyeon, closing my eyes under the sunlight. He asked what I thought about being like that.“…Would you like to go for a drive if you’re feeling frustrated?”Is this the time to talk about going for a drive, when I’m someone who drinks late and doesn’t even go to work? Is he saying that out of guilt for confining me, knowing that I feel stifled?Even if we went for a drive, I wouldn’t feel comfortable being trapped in a confined space with Jung Yiyeon. It would only make me more uncomfortable.Looking out at the lawn covered in green grass again after opening my eyes, instead of answering, I muttered something irrelevant. It was a beautifully decorated yard in a beautiful villa, but there was one thing missing that made it even more empty.“I wish there was a dog.”“If you have a favorite breed, I’ll get one for you.”“Never mind.”How long would I stay here anyway? A dog’s lifespan is at least around 15 years. I couldn’t stay here for that long. But I couldn’t leave with a beloved dog if Jung Yiyeon let me go. Yet, I didn’t even want to take the dog Jung Yiyeon gave me.“Aren’t you hot? Let’s go inside.”I was starting to want to sit down. Plus, it felt like mosquitoes were sticking to me because of the grass. I nodded and headed inside. Jung Yiyeon followed me.“I’ll open the front door… just tell me.”Suddenly I had that thought. Eating what he gives and sleeping where he sends. Going out only when he lets me. Isn’t this just like raising a dog?But ironically, Jung Yiyeon was the one begging like a dog. Of course, I’ve cursed at him calling him a bastard, but he hovered around me like a dog following its owner. While I was lying on the sofa again, flipping through the remote, Jung Yiyeon also sat down on the sofa.Is he here to work? He had a tablet PC and a stack of documents in his hands.Was this what Jung Yiyeon wanted? Doing his work while I spent my daily life wherever his gaze landed. Did he arrogantly say that he wanted to take away people’s freedom to do this and in return give them wealth?As I stared silently at him sitting on the sofa, Jung Yiyeon spoke up.“I’ll call a lawyer later.”Why out of nowhere a lawyer…? What’s so righteous about a guy who committed a crime of imprisoning someone? When I smirked, Jung Yiyeon explained.“It may take some time to sort out the real estate, maybe tomorrow or the day after.”Ah, now I finally understood the significance of the lawyer he mentioned.Why. Did you think I’d sit here just because you told me to? So, before I lost my temper, I brought up the topic of the house and the store again as if making a preemptive move.“…Jung Yiyeon.”I couldn’t stop myself from drawing a smirk.“Isn’t it easy?”This time, Jung Yiyeon had a face that didn’t understand.“Since you’re calmly bringing up the house and the store, wouldn’t it have been better to just buy them with money from the beginning? Aren’t you regretting it?”“……”“Why. Did you not know I would resort to money?”I wasn’t getting angry or accusing. It wasn’t sarcasm either, just a straightforward question. Of course, I couldn’t completely hide my derision.“In the end, even if you become a jobless bum, wouldn’t it be more comfortable to just think of it as getting a job?”Could Jung Yiyeon endure my poking around like this?He said I should stay trapped until he’s satisfied. Of course, aside from not being able to go out at my own will, there would be no discomfort in my daily life.But even if I were to own the house and the rented store, I couldn’t live in that house, nor could I use the received rent. What’s the use? I needed to get out of this house as soon as possible in order to enjoy the things that were truly mine.For that to happen, I had to satisfy Jung Yiyeon as soon as possible.Or make him snap as soon as possible.“…You could have easily been bought with just that. If you were by my side.”I briefly closed my mouth at Jung Yiyeon’s response. I didn’t expect him to respond so calmly to the words that were meant to hurt.He really seemed unaffected, shifting his gaze away from me and starting to flip through some papers.I was dumbfounded once again. He would give away all his assets just to have me live with him?I’d rather he threatened me and raped me at his own will. Then, at least, I wouldn’t feel this uncomfortable sensation, like a fishbone stuck in my throat, arising from his dignified demeanor.Although he talked about overturning his life, I knew that in reality, Jung Yiyeon was in a position of power in every aspect. He was someone who could confine me as long as he pleased. Even if I were to die in this house from being raped, I wouldn’t be able to cross its walls even as a corpse. I didn’t even have the hope that my brother would save me. I rather hoped that my brother wouldn’t even dare to attempt such risky actions.For someone with such wealth and power… what’s the point? What great emotion drove him to come out like this with such an attitude?Again.After briefly going outside and coming back, my chest felt a bit cooler, but I started to feel stifled again. Feeling like my breath was being constricted, I clenched my teeth and turned my gaze towards the TV.I didn’t demand sex, nor did I want affectionate gestures. But the sight of a man coming out with such an attitude, saying he just wants to watch over me, made me feel awkward, and my heart began to throb uncomfortably. I forced myself to suppress and swallow those rising emotions.“Are you not going to work today?”I asked after a while. Jung Yiyeon hesitated for a moment before answering quietly.“I plan to work from home unless there’s an important meeting.”You’re quite the self-assured one. Grumbling inwardly, I looked at Jung Yiyeon again.“I want sushi for dinner tonight. Otoro sushi.”“I’ll buy it.”“Last time, the sushi that Jaeoh bought was really delicious. Buy that one.”“Alright. I’ll check and buy it.”Even though I brought up Jaeoh, Jung Yiyeon didn’t even blink. He seemed to understand my intentions.But we’re still far off, Jung Yiyeon. We’re still quite far off.“Do you really plan to fulfill everything I want?”“…Just tell me, I’ll buy clothes from the brand you want.”His words surely didn’t sound like a plea for me to please wear some clothes. Since a while ago, Jung Yiyeon hadn’t even properly looked at my exposed flesh between the gaps of my gown.“That’s what I mean, Jung Yiyeon.”With a slightly disheveled appearance, I stood up obliquely. Jung Yiyeon’s eyebrows twitched as he looked at me. Seeing the alertness quickly registering in his eyes, I smirked inwardly.“When I want to have sex, what do I do?”I whispered in a secretive tone, but Jung Yiyeon’s face stiffened abruptly.Where did the awkwardness from earlier go? I couldn’t prevent the subtle sense of victory from spreading. Knowing that I enjoy sex enough to feel pleasure even when doing it with someone I can’t stand to look at, couldn’t I have anticipated receiving such a question?“Jung Yiyeon doesn’t sleep with me. But now that I’ve eaten, I feel restless.”“….”The person who repeatedly blocked my words with absurd sounds suddenly shut his mouth, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.“Even if it’s a woman, would you call one for me?”Jung Yiyeon still couldn’t answer.“It doesn’t matter if it’s a man, as long as it suits your taste. Shall I tell you my preference in men?”Thud! At that moment, Jung Yiyeon suddenly stood up. He hit something, whether it was the table or the armrest of the sofa, so hard that I was startled by the loud cracking sound. Unintentionally, my eyes widened and my mouth shut.Jung Yiyeon was glaring at the empty space as if he could vent his anger there. The muscles on his jawline were tense. But that wasn’t all.Suddenly, he lifted the tablet PC on the table and threw it towards the wall. Crash! With a loud noise, the tablet hit the wall and then fell to the ground. It seemed irreparably damaged just by a glance.The tension filled the living room, with only the sound of the TV echoing freely. As a human being, it was natural for my heartbeat to accelerate in such a situation. He wasn’t afraid, but I couldn’t help but be captivated by the tension as well.Thump. Thump. Thump. Listening to the sound of my own heart, I looked at Jung Yiyeon. Jung Yiyeon was wiping his face with his hand, as if he were washing his face.Perhaps this was Jung Yiyeon’s limit now. Despite numerous provocations from me, his composure that had never faltered before now seemed precarious.I hoped his violence wouldn’t end at throwing the tablet. I goaded him, pushing for the end.I hoped Jung Yiyeon, cornered like this, would go further. I was even okay with being beaten. I wished he would just drag me away, overpower me, and rape me. No, honestly, that’s what I hoped for.He promised to let me go after satisfying him ten times. He repeatedly vowed to keep that promise. If he broke that promise and continued to bother me afterward, I was determined to slit my wrists. Jung Yiyeon’s promise to keep that promise was my last resort.Jung Yiyeon. Did you think you could confine me with such a trivial thing as a house or a shop?“… Haah….”As Jung Yiyeon, who had been wiping his face several times, let out a deep sigh, as if he were trying to suppress his anger, or maybe not.“…Lee Nan.”Even when Jung Yiyeon called me in a low voice, I had no intention of stopping the offense here. I was just momentarily lost in thought, choosing another word that could provoke him.“I’ll think about it and let you know.”But before I could even finish speaking, Jung Yiyeon’s unexpected response came out of his mouth.“I’m sorry for surprising you.”The apology, which I had never imagined, blocked the sharp words I was about to spill.As I froze, Jung Yiyeon picked up the stack of documents on the table and turned away. He didn’t even look back as he went upstairs. Thud! But even though he couldn’t hide that one movement, I could faintly hear the sound of the door closing roughly on the second floor.“Uh… Mr. Lee.”It was the voice of the housekeeper auntie that brought me back to my senses, which had been blank.Looking at the face peering cautiously from the kitchen, startled and curious, I quickly loosened the loosely tied gown. It wasn’t surprising that she was surprised, given that there were two men here and then suddenly a loud noise.“I’m sorry. Did I startle you?”As she rushed over, the housekeeper auntie, instead of me, quickly picked up the broken pieces instead of me.“Please, let me clean it up.”“No, it’s my job…”Saying that, she glanced at me. It wasn’t so much curiosity as concern about whether I was hurt. Although she didn’t scream, her eyes showed concern about the situation where things were breaking, so I tried to smile awkwardly.It wasn’t me who was shaken, but Jung Yiyeon. As someone who was prepared for violence against me, I only felt a slight disappointment.“I’m fine. The boss… will be okay too.”“Yes…” The middle-aged woman who had been affectionate towards me looked embarrassed and frightened, which made me feel uncomfortably uneasy.However, fortunately, her anxious demeanor didn’t last long. After exhaling a sigh, she closed her eyes tightly and then opened them again. The pale complexion soon returned to her usual professional demeanor.“Mr. Lee. The baeksuk is almost ready. I’ll prepare it right away.”Hmm. I hesitated for a moment.Just this morning, I was so hungry. Even after being confined by Jung Yiyeon, hunger didn’t bother me much. Although I had porridge and fruit for breakfast, it was time when my stomach would normally growl.But maybe it was because of the tension with Jung Yiyeon and emotional exhaustion. I didn’t have much of an appetite.Why did my appetite disappear to this extent just because I had a little argument with Jung Yiyeon? Especially when I hadn’t even been hurt, and I had been the one provoking Jung Yiyeon unilaterally.“Please come to the dining table. It’s all ready and delicious.”…But I couldn’t refuse the kindness of the auntie just because I had a little lack of appetite. Especially when she, who always had a kind face, was taking care of my meal, even though she looked pale with fear.I awkwardly smiled again and nodded.“Yes, I’ll be right there.”Yeah, let’s eat. Filtering out what I did wrong and what upset me. I’ve been unfairly hungry for days anyway.With determination, I followed the housekeeper auntie to the dining room. It was completely separated from the living room, so there was no smell of food in the living room. But as we entered the dining room, the wonderful aroma of the food emanating from the connected kitchen filled the air.As I sat down at the table, the auntie quickly set the table. In addition to baeksuk, there were various side dishes accompanying freshly cooked white rice.“I’ll enjoy it.”It’s torturous when the visuals are perfect, the aroma is great, but the appetite doesn’t kick in. However, I forced myself to pick up the chopsticks. I dipped the meat from the white soup into my mouth and took a sip of the broth. Needless to say, it was delicious, but I focused solely on eating without even pausing to savor it.To replenish depleted stamina, I needed to eat well. That way, I could proceed with my plans and find a way to leave this house, no matter what.“I’ll think about it and let you know.”The voice that sometimes suppressed anger and the apology I never expected from Jung Yiyeon came to mind, making it difficult to swallow even the delicious food.I chewed and swallowed the food diligently. I tried really hard to do that.But I couldn’t help but keep thinking about it. The image of him suddenly standing up from his seat in anger, and the image of him pacing back and forth while trying to suppress his anger by washing his face kept coming to mind.At such times, I unknowingly stopped eating, and it wasn’t easy to eat those delicious dishes.When the housekeeper auntie called me to have dinner and we entered the dining room, I froze for a moment. I just stared blankly at the table. It was because there was a plate full of tuna sushi on it.The beautiful sushi, with a variety of colors from deep red to light pink, covered a small bed of rice. The shape of the packaging was familiar to me. I had seen the printed logo on the paper wrapper that wrapped around the wooden chopsticks. It was indeed the tuna sushi that Jae-oh had bought for me a long time ago.As I sat down and put a piece in my mouth, the texture melting away and the savory yet smooth taste in my mouth were no different from before. The harmony of the soft and tender sushi rice and the tuna sashimi with a perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess was fantastic.But the deliciousness didn’t go down well. The auntie worried when she saw that I wasn’t eating well, but after reassuring her with the excuse that I had eaten too well for lunch and couldn’t digest it, I only ate a few pieces before putting down the chopsticks.It was true that I had overeaten the chicken baeksuk for lunch and didn’t digest it well, but it wasn’t the reason I couldn’t eat.It was really soft and delicious. There was no doubt that it was my favorite premium sushi. But it felt like something was stuck in my throat, so it didn’t go down properly. Although it melted smoothly in my mouth without much chewing, the act of chewing felt extremely uncomfortable, making eating a struggle.I didn’t ask him to buy expensive sushi for this. I wanted to eat a few more pieces in disappointment, but in the end, I couldn’t even eat half. The green tea the housekeeper auntie gave me cleaned my mouth and stomach, making me feel a little better.…Even though I was angry, he bought the sushi I wanted. How did he know which restaurant I wanted even when I myself didn’t know the name? Did he perhaps send a staff member to gather information from Jae-oh?Even now, over two hours after the meal, the sushi I had for dinner kept coming to mind.Even as I soaked my body in the bathtub filled with hot water, the recurring thoughts made my chest feel oddly suffocated.“……Ha……”Unknowingly, I let out a sigh.No, it was impossible not to sigh. I was soaking in the jacuzzi that Jung Yiyeon and I had entered twice before. The tub, filled with bubbles from the spa function, made my body feel sluggish.It would have been refreshing to drink chilled white wine poured into an ice bucket at times like this. The refreshing sensation when drinking cooled down the heat momentarily, and the rapid spread of alcohol in my body submerged in hot water felt good too.…But back then, I couldn’t enjoy it properly because Jung Yiyeon was too clingy. Rather than enjoying the spa function and cool wine, it would be more accurate to say that I enjoyed Jung Yiyeon’s affection.So today was a great opportunity for me to enjoy this spacious bathtub alone.“……Ugh……”However, even this good opportunity didn’t seem entirely enjoyable to me. From the beginning, the idea of indulging in something luxurious from this position, where I was confined with an unwanted partner, seemed absurd.“……Haah……”I breathed out heavily, moving my hand between my legs. It was a scary sight that I didn’t even want to see myself. It was fortunate that it was a spa with bubbling functions, making it a relief to be constantly filled with bubbles. I couldn’t even see what was happening underwater.“Ugh……”Suppressing the groans that kept coming out, I bravely moved my hand more boldly between my legs.It was time for some preparation to leave this house as soon as possible.It was a sultry night. It was the time when the moon had risen to a pale blue. The house, where all outside sounds were completely blocked, was immersed in silence. Except for the sound of my own breathing, there was no other sound in this space.With the silence filling the hallway, my footsteps echoed. Was the reason my heart was pounding incessantly because of the fear of darkness? Or was it because of some tension? The only certainty was that my mouth was slightly dry, and my hand holding the doorknob was trembling.As I pressed hard, the door opened with a click sound. The sound of my heart pounding grew louder. It was difficult to move my feet, but I forced myself to take a step forward. Even though it was difficult to move, as I took a step, it became a little easier to move, and I cautiously closed the door behind me as I completely entered the room.Although there was a little noise, fortunately, on the bed, various even breaths continued. Amidst the moonlight pouring in through the thin curtains, dividing my vision, I chuckled as I looked at the items on the table.For some reason, as soon as I entered the room, I could smell alcohol. There were bottles of liquor and glasses on the table.Seeing that, I also felt like having a drink, but I suppressed the urge to drink. It was better to do this sober.Silently killing my footsteps, I cautiously approached the bed. The closer I got, the stronger the smell of alcohol became.Was I so disappointed that I couldn’t endure this night without drinking? Or was Jung Yiyeon also struggling with agony?On the bed bathed in the faint moonlight, Jung Yiyeon’s sleeping face looked rigid even in his sleep. Wrinkles creased his handsome forehead as if in agony.What was disappointing about this handsome face? Just looking at the high nose and the long eyelashes along the narrow eyes on the white face made a corner of my heart feel unexpectedly heavy. It was a face that perfectly matched my taste to the point of falling in love at first sight.No, wouldn’t it suit anyone’s taste? He was a man who not only had an exceptional face but also had a beautiful body wrapped in the sheet.Just good at putting up a facade… I grumbled inwardly and slid my hand under the sheet he was covering. And slowly, I crawled under the sheet.Jung Yiyeon was annoyingly sleeping in his pants. Fortunately, it was easy to take off the comfortable training pants. I untied the knot in the middle and slowly pulled down the pants. Since I was already doing this, I carefully lowered his underwear as well.“Ugh……”