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Finally, he opened his mouth. “My Indulgence is up to here.”
The Black Heavenly Demon Sword pointed at my neck. “You have been acting freely in the last three years. You can’t do that again.”
-Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, Chapter 310
The thump of heavy boots heralded Yoo Joonghyuk’s arrival moments before he opened the door to the room. Dark eyes swept the area in a glance, observing Kim Dokja sulking on the bed.
It was a pointless check. After all, Kim Dokja couldn’t go anywhere.
He turned over, wrapped around a plush, oversized pillow as he continued to scroll through Ways of Survival, more out of habit than any true expectation he’d find what he needed. At least, he amended quietly to himself, none which wouldn’t lead to a different dead end.
"I can tell you're thinking something foolish." Yoo Joonghyuk walked inside the room like he owned it.
He probably did-- and everything in it, including Kim Dokja.
Kim Dokja huffed, barely moving the hand that held his phone. "Shut up, I'll kill you."
"..."
"Isn't that what you promised her before?" Kim Dokja asked, sitting up, now, one leg folded on top of the other. The window was open but the room still felt stifled and small.
"Let's see... what else? I seem to remember... that's right she locked you up like a dog and you tried to tear her throat out with your teeth. Should I try it? The results were pretty bad, though," he hummed whimsically.
"Kim Dokja--!" Yoo Joonghyuk was before him in an instant, as though he’d used Red Phoenix Shunpo, his hand twisted in Kim Dokja’s shirt and his pupils shrunk into pits, like a rampaging bull.
"--rk! ...Then you should’ve killed me."
Yoo Joonghyuk loosened his grip instantly, dropping him back on the bed like hot coal.
It was cruel to pick at Yoo Joonghyuk’s scars like this. Perhaps not even Anna Croft would insist on twisting the knife. After all, she had always been far more sensible about preserving her own life. But Kim Dokja hadn’t come this far cowering under threats.
Besides, with the rest of the party in training, there were no kids piling on top of him and interrupting the monotony of his imprisonment.
Certainly, it was very comfortable confinement, for what it was. He had everything he needed and some he didn't. There was always someone dropping by at all times, with food or an extra pillow, or an interesting puzzle to solve, their shoulders relaxing faintly every time they saw he was still there. Despite gaining the Traitor story, the Company seemed almost grateful for Yoo Joonghyuk’s intervention. Kim Dokja was kept in the Complex, unable to take a step out of this room for fear that he would somehow trip and kill himself. It was ridiculous .
He’d barely forgiven them for sedating him in the name of recuperating his Incarnation Body.
Unlike the drugs, however, Yoo Joonghyuk’s power over him was far more permanent. And he had no idea why the man had agreed for something so small as the ability to confine Kim Dokja in his room.
"If you think about it," Kim Dokja said casually, rubbing the reddened skin around his throat. "I'm less than a pet. More like furniture.”
He sighed and lifted his eyes to meet Yoo Joonghyuk’s. “So, really, why keep me?"
For a moment, Yoo Joonghyuk simply glowered. Then, with seeming great effort, he retrieved something from inside his coat pocket, dumping it in front of him.
It was a flat rectangular box, unremarkable, but the front was stamped with [MASS PRODUCTION MAKER CERTIFIED REPLICA] in big, glittering gold letters.
A gift from the Protagonist was never ordinary. He wasn’t in the habit of picking up useless things. Curious, Kim Dokja opened the box, pulling out something silky and black, almost spilling like liquid smoke over his fingers.
It took a moment for him to realize what it was.
"...Is this...?"
Yoo Joonghyuk scowled.
"....I can't decide if I'm embarrassed for you or not."
The twitch in Yoo Joonghyuk’s cheek suggested that Kim Dokja return to inspecting the items. He took each article out, unhurriedly examining the descriptions in the system window’s familiar blue interface.
[Loyal Maid’s Uniform Set (Replica)]
An armor set from a distant world line, lovingly reproduced with authorization from the licensing body. Wearing all 6 pieces will introduce a special hidden set bonus effect.
[Loyal Maid’s Dress (Replica)]
A black dress made of nightsilk, easy to clean and guaranteed to highlight your best assets. The material has been adjusted to be stain-proof and water-resistant. Enhances all physical stats by 15 while equipped to enable you to be a maid who can do anything!
[Loyal Maid’s Apron (Replica)]
A white apron trimmed with several layers of Ariadne’s Lace. Stain-proof and fitted with an interspatial pocket. This version incorporates the popular auto-corset feature and provides a wide area of effect buff that resists all known diseases and poisons up to 25 yards while equipped.
[Loyal Maid’s Undergarments (Replica)]
Sleek and high quality tear-proof* stockings with slip-proof garter belt and lingerie. Leg-shaping and highly recommended! Increases Stamina by 5 and Charisma by 10 while equipped.
*Battle damage version sold separately
[Loyal Maid’s Shoes (Replica)]
Patent leather shoes that fit every size. A collaboration with Hermes Heels for guaranteed comfort! Movement speed and Agility will be increased by 5 while equipped.
[Loyal Maid’s Cap (Replica)]
Handcrafted Ariadne’s Lace cap, with nightsilk ribbons. Boost your personal appeal with a guaranteed +4 boost to Charisma!
It seemed like the Mass Production Maker was doing well…
“...Where’s the sixth one?” Kim Dokja muttered. The form of it aside, he was honestly impressed. The novel had only ever mentioned a Japanese incarnation obtaining a part of this set, but he hadn’t imagined the attributes would be this impressive for what was, essentially, a maid outfit. The dress alone was a comprehensive physical stat booster that could tip the scales for a shameless and enterprising Incarnation in the early to mid scenarios.
“So you plan to challenge that sub scenario, next?” Kim Dokja wondered. “Is there star fluid, there?” They’d just barely managed to stabilize Yoo Sangah after Yoo Joonghyuk came back from a mysterious trip, but she needed more than a stopgap.
“There is a hidden piece.”
Kim Dokja thought for a bit. “Ah, perhaps…?” This early on, that star fluid might still be around.
Yoo Joonghyuk nodded briefly. "Just put it on."
"It doesn’t have to be me ,” Kim Dokja protested. “This would suit Jihye better."
"Put it on," Yoo Joonghyuk repeated, voice clipped, and there was weight behind it, this time, pressing on Kim Dokja’s head like an anvil.
"...You're going to stand there and watch?"
"...Yes."
Did he think Kim Dokja would find a way to escape with a maid outfit?
"...You better be sharing whatever you're getting from this."
"That's none of your business."
Kim Dokja stripped carelessly. He wasn’t wearing much, just a shirt and pants he’d found in the closet, rolled up into loose-fitting pajamas. He hadn’t been allowed outside in days and hadn’t bothered to wear any shoes.
He kept his underwear on and, unwilling to take any commentary, he swiftly scooped the dress up from the floor and slid it over his head.
That was where the problems began.
"..."
"...This is harder than it looks."
"...Come here."
"Don't tell me you've worn something like this before?"
"Come. Here."
The pressure from the order hit like a hammer to his chest, caving in his ribs. Kim Dokja took in a breath, relishing the extra 3 seconds it bought him to resist the order. Then, he walked up towards Yoo Joonghyuk.
The satiny dress with the sewn-on petticoats was straightforward enough, but the laced apron could only be sloppily tied on, the ribbons trailing unevenly behind him. Yoo Joonghyuk fixed that, first, tightening the strings and knotting the ribbon into a neat bow.
Deft fingers neatly undid the line of buttons that marched from the nape to his waist, just above the apron’s waist. Yoo Joonghyuk lined the edges up and redid the buttons properly, carefully slotting each cloth nub into its proper place. It couldn’t have taken more than a minute, but each second seemed excruciatingly long when he was standing with his back to Yoo Joonghyuk, the calluses on his fingertips brushing against the smooth skin at his back.
“Do you have to button them all?” Kim Dokja complained. If anything, that seemed to only make Yoo Joonghyuk slow down, tugging and smoothing the fabric around his neck and sending shivers down his spine. Maybe the frequency with which Yoo Joonghyuk made a grab for his throat was making him paranoid.
Once he was done, Kim Dokja stepped away, glancing at the stockings and shoes left on the floor. There was… the underwear, too, with a clipped garter belt, a black lace thing he had initially thought was part of the headpiece.
“Put the rest of it on.”
“The stat bonuses on the rest are negligible. In the first place, only the apron is necessary to clear the Scenario.”
“Kim Dokja.” Yoo Joonghyuk’s fingers twitched, like he wanted to reach for his sword.
“This is a gross misuse of power,” Kim Dokja fired back one more time. He picked up the hat, turning it over in his hands for a moment, before securing the stiff cap to his short hair with the clips. Putting on stockings, however, was a very different process from socks. His feet caught and the fabric had to be pinched, bunched, and smoothed up all the way to his thighs. By the end of it, he was starting to wonder if he’d missed some kind of instruction manual- it had taken nearly ten minutes to get them properly hiked up, sheer dark material disappearing into the layered ruffles of his skirt.
Finally, he slipped on the polished white leather shoes and swung his arm to check the overall effect. The stockings didn’t seem to be providing the anticipated boost, likely as it wasn’t fully equipped. The rest of the bonuses seemed to have applied normally. He could feel a subtle tingle, like a very faint potential thrumming just under his skin.
He glanced down at the shoes, taking a few steps gingerly to check his stability.
There was a huff, almost like laughter, and Kim Dokja froze, but by the time he looked up, Yoo Joonghyuk’s face was schooled to its normal neutral scowl.
As a 29 year old man-- possibly thirty one-- he had no illusions about how he looked in this getup and Yoo Joonghyuk only had himself to blame. He sat back down on the bed, refusing to wobble around for his entertainment.
“...The underwear.”
“...No way,” Kim Dokja refused flatly. “That won’t fit at all.”
“Would you rather I put them on for you as well?”
“What--”
The bed creaked suddenly and Kim Dokja’s back slammed up against the wall behind it, jarring the breath from his throat. He looked up into Yoo Joonghyuk’s sharp, gorgeous face, the light a dramatic halo on his dark hair. His eyes were shadowed ravines, a trap for the unwary, and his shoulders loomed over him, one arm braced against the wall.
“...This is a little much.”
“You’re wasting time.”
Kim Dokja considered acquiescing. There were worse things than putting on ladies underwear.
Things like having Yoo Joonghyuk cage him against the wall, one hand sliding up under his skirt with a whisper of stocking silk. Long, rough fingers tucked into the waistband of his boxers and deliberately slipped down, touching warm, bare skin.
Yoo Joonghyuk’s hand was a scant inch from his dick and in Kim Dokja’s head, the Fourth Wall was roaring.
“Yoo Joonghyuk,” Kim Dokja said with a paper-dry mouth, the name unexpectedly stark and lonely in the quiet space between their breaths. Yoo Joonghyuk’s mouth wasn’t scowling and this close, all he could see was his face, like a terrible god.
Yoo Joonghyuk slowly pulled his boxers down to his thighs, the cool material of the skirt settling over his lap. His gaze hadn’t left Kim Dokja once and the slow smirk that curled his mouth barely registered before Kim Dokja found both of his legs lifted up onto his shoulders as Yoo Joonghyuk’s other hand finally left the wall to scoop up his hips, allowing him to continue dragging his boxers up to his knees.
[The Exclusive Skill, The Fourth Wall, has offset some of your mental shock!]
“Hey!” Kim Dokja came to his senses just as his bare bottom came into contact with Yoo Joonghyuk’s leather pants. He struggled with the instinctive response to cover himself with the skirt, but that would only make him look like a dog with a tail curled between his legs.
Yoo Joonghyuk’s movements turned almost leisurely, his gaze meandering down a direction that had Kim Dokja cave and immediately press the skirt down between his thighs, leaving only most of his bare white bottom visible. “Hey, you bastard, isn’t this sexual harassment? You really threw everything away now that you’re a traitor??”
Yoo Joonghyuk glanced back at him from beneath his thick lashes. “Aren’t you furniture?”
Kim Dokja opened his mouth wordlessly.
Yoo Joonghyuk used the time to pull Kim Dokja’s boxers over his ankles, His broad palms scratched against the stockings, hot through the thin nylon. Tossing the cloth away, he pulled Kim Dokja further onto his lap, making the skirt flip back open, secured only by the apron belt.
“Ah, you--!!” Kim Dokja grit his teeth. But it wasn’t like the whole Star Stream hadn’t seen him naked- he was aware that his previous streams had been widely circulated by now. The Protagonist himself had never been shy about nudity. Yoo Joonghyuk’s gaze felt hot as it dropped between Kim Dokja’s spread legs, one thumb reaching out to follow the crease of his thigh down to where the stocking met skin.
“Didn’t it come with a garter belt?”
“I didn’t see one,” Kim Dokja said resolutely, glaring balefully back with as much dignity as he could while curled up on the protagonist’s lap like an exotic cooked shrimp.
Kim Dokja calmly thought through his options. There was no way for him to overpower Yoo Joonghyuk right now, that was certain. There wasn’t any threat to his life that he could tell. Something was making Yoo Joonghyuk act strangely. but hadn’t it been like that since the 46th Scenario? Finally, he decided that if resistance was futile, then he could only play along and wrest what autonomy he could.
He brought one stockinged knee down onto Yoo Joonghyuk’s shoulder, digging the modest heel into his back with vicious intent. “Hey, you done now, bastard? Give me the goddamn panties.”
Yoo Joonghyuk paused, then he leaned into the crook of Kim Dokja’s knee, nuzzling slightly into it. “You want to be obedient now?”
Kim Dokja shuddered and was dismayed to find it traveling down, his currently unprotected dick giving a weak twitch. Yoo Joonghyuk’s smirk widened into a grin.
He scooped up the lace underwear with his scabbard, offering it on a palm.
“...Let me up.”
“No.”
“Fuck you,” Kim Dokja hissed under his breath, but he brought his knees back to put his foot through one of the legs, cursing at the amusement in the bastard’s eyes as he struggled to pull them on, not even caring if it had a front or back. The delicate lace was made of stronger stuff than he thought, or it would’ve ripped from the force of his tugs. The bastard still held onto his legs, further complicating the process.
Eventually, he managed to pull the underwear on, but the next thing Yoo Joonghyuk said made his blood run cold.
“It’s not settled properly.”
“Settled how?” He blurted out in indignation.
“Here,” Yoo Joonghyuk tugged the garter belt down, clipping it smoothly to the top of Kim Dokja’s stockings. The tiny strip of ribbon stretched taut over the man’s snow-white thigh, the sharp angle contrasting with the soft lace top of the stockings.
He lifted Kim Dokja’s hips with a casual nudge of his knee, catching the other ribbon at the back and smoothing it slowly over the curve of his bottom. A broad palm curved over his hip when he was finished, steadying Kim Dokja’s waist as Yoo Joonghyuk clipped the other leg.
A part of Kim Dokja blankly wondered if this had been some kind of divine punishment, a personal scenario sent by Persephone to ensure his further humiliation. He couldn’t look down at where Yoo Joonghyuk’s hands were meticulously dressing him nor could he look up to meet the man’s focused stare. His stomach twisted, his thoughts coming slowly, like he was wading through tumbled bookshelves.
But then Yoo Joonghyuk reached between his legs and every last scrap of a theory in Kim Dokja’s head dissolved into blood and heat.
Large fingers deftly tucked and smoothed out the seams of the lace panties, as though Kim Dokja were nothing more than a stubborn crease on a folded shirt.
“Bastard!” Kim Dokja jerked and pushed him away, activating both Way to the Wind and Electrification and sparking light. Yoo Joonghyuk stumbled back, dodging instinctively.
The Fourth Wall cooled his head quickly, but it couldn’t do anything about his pulse hammering in his throat or the heat that coiled in his belly, tenting the front of his skirt.
“What are you doing?” Kim Dokja asked, his voice carefully neutral now. Yoo Joonghyuk was often callous but never stupid. He’d never do any of the things he’d just done to him if he were Jung Heewon or Han Sooyong. He didn’t think he’d do it even if it had been Lee Hyunsung, for all the big man still shrank slightly when Yoo Joonghyuk walked by.
Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t like touching things without meaning. Yoo Joonghyuk wasn’t interested in men. And he’d never touch a Companion this recklessly, even if, or perhaps even more so because he’d enslaved him.
For a second, the man before him seemed like a stranger, a Yoo Joonghyuk that couldn’t be found in any of the pages of Ways of Survival.
Kim Dokja drew Unbreakable Faith from the foot of the bed, pointing it at Yoo Joonghyuk.
“Hey, bastard, answer me.”
“...I overstepped. I’m sorry.”
Kim Dokja stared at him. Yoo Joonghyuk was never sorry. “You’d apologize for this but not the 46th Scenario?”
“This wasn’t necessary.”
Kim Dokja didn’t know what to say. If it wasn’t necessary, then why would he do it? Yoo Joonghyuk, who sought the most efficient and direct path always did everything with purpose.
Kim Dokja slid one leg out, the patent leather heel digging into Yoo Joonghyuk’s thigh. Now that he was looking closely, there was a sizable swell in Yoo Joonghyuk’s pants, the zip straining tremulously.
“Hey, you, are you actually turned on by this?”
He doubted himself even as he said it. Was it the maid outfit? Did Yoo Joonghyuk’s past as a gamer come out in such an unexpected way? No, even if he got hard, there were any number of meditation techniques a Transcendent could use to control himself. His abstinence had always been implacable, as a glacier.
Kim Dokja drove Unbreakable Faith into the bed between them, using it as a lever to lean in towards Yoo Joonghyuk. He could see Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyes follow the movement, the rucked-up skirt sliding up his raised thigh, dipping down to the exposed lingerie, the obvious curve of Kim Dokja’s own cock.
“Wow, how much of this outfit is your special interest, Joonghyuk-ah?”
“It’s a coincidence.”
That ticked him off, a bit. “You really wanna play it cool while you’re packing that in your pants?” He stepped ruthlessly on Yoo Joonghyuk’s zip, the jagged seam opening slightly with the movement. Yoo Joonghyuk inhaled sharply, but he’d have gotten worse in battle.
Thinking about it, this guy, what had he been planning to do if he hadn’t gotten pushed away?
He dug the heel in a little harder.
Yoo Joonghyuk did nothing, but Kim Dokja knew that what freedom he had now was borrowed on the man’s guilt, what little of it he had. The question was how to use it. It was a pity, but getting Yoo Joonghyuk to dissolve the existential bond was impossible, right now. Should he try to get some answers instead?
“Hey, why is everyone so scared of me going out?”
Yoo Joonghyuk looked at him like he was an idiot. “You leave.”
Kim Dokja opened his mouth to say that wasn’t an explanation at all, but Yoo Joonghyuk, to his surprise, continued.
“Three days, three months, three years, or maybe never. Even you cannot stay lucky forever.”
“I come back as soon as I can…”
“Shin Yoosong turns 14, this year.”
“...It’s unfortunate, but I didn’t intend to be away this long.”
Yoo Joonghyuk looked at him calmly. “Are intentions enough for a child?”
Kim Dokja flinched like he’d been slapped. “That’s--”
“As I thought.” Yoo Joonghyuk’s brow furrowed, then he put a hand into his coat pocket.
Alert, Kim Dokja pulled Unbreakable Faith out of the mattress, but Yoo Joonghyuk was faster. “Don’t move.”
The order came with a squeeze, like he was being compressed, his Stories groaning.
[The Exclusive Skill, The Fourth Wall, is strongly activated!]
“Drop the sword.”
Kim Dokja’s hands trembled and he slowly let go. Unbreakable Faith clattered to the floor and Yoo Joonghyuk kicked it away.
“Raise your head- here.” Yoo Joonghyuk lifted his chin, baring Kim Dokja’s slender throat.
For a dizzying second, Kim Dokja wondered if Yoo Joonghyuk was planning to choke him again. His breath came in great lungfuls, now, the pressure not easing the slightest bit. His limbs felt locked, as though fettered by invisible chains, hands on the sheets between splayed knees, slowly sinking onto the bed.
Yoo Joonghyuk was a straightforward person. He liked what he liked and hated what he hated. Right now, Kim Dokja couldn’t tell which it was.
There was something in his hand- a black silk and lace collar in a familiar design. The last piece of the set. He tied the wide collar around Kim Dokja’s throat, draping the excess off behind him in a perfect bow. The material was deceptively soft, the silk cold against his skin.
He couldn’t see the system window, like this, but if Yoo Joonghyuk thought he would fight it, then there were only a few options. Instinctively, Kim Dokja tried to open his Status, horns growing past his disheveled hair, his wings struggling to rip through the dress.
But Yoo Joonghyuk bore his will down and Kim Dokja’s wings shattered in a scatter of feathers and probability. His Stories screamed and the Fourth Wall shook.
Yoo Joonghyuk stared down at him, eyes glowing faintly blue with the aura of a Transcendent. Then, his left eyebrow twitched and he nicked his thumb on a sharp canine, a drop of blood beading on top of the broken skin. He pushed the thick digit into Kim Dokja’s mouth, wiping the blood firmly onto his tongue. It tasted like a knife.
Yoo Joonghyuk lifted one of Kim Dokja’s limp hands, sucking one of his fingers into his own mouth and biting down just hard enough to break the skin. He wondered what he tasted like to Yoo Joonghyuk-- ink and starlight? Or just iron and mud, human and frail.
But Yoo Joonghyuk lapped at the blood without expression, lashes fanned on his cheeks and tongue curling around Kim Dokja’s finger for a moment, as though checking to see if any spilled, before pulling away, spit-slick.
He looked down at Kim Dokja. “Swallow.”
Kim Dokja shuddered and realized Yoo Joonghyuk’s thumb was still in his slack mouth. His throat moved without him quite thinking about it and Yoo Joonghyuk pulled it out, wiping the excess spit on Kim Dokja’s chin.
“Contract.” The word felt heavy, like a boulder dropped into a still pond.
Kim Dokja’s gut twisted and he realized, suddenly, that he could feel Yoo Joonghyuk’s presence, standing before him, like he’d become the sun. Like if he stepped outside, the darkness would come.
The grip on his existence loosened and Kim Dokja collapsed. He touched the collar at his throat, the system window popping up.
[Loyal Maid’s Collar]
A rare relic imbued with the undying loyalty of a nameless Constellation from a distant world line.
[The hidden set effect has been activated!]
[The hidden set effect [Faithful Fate] imbues you with the undying loyalty of a nameless Constellation from a distant world line. Your unparalleled devotion allows you to sense your Master’s presence and will, compelling you to remain at their side. The presence of the Master will provide a random bonus...]
Kim Dokja stopped reading. It was a leash. He raised his head to look at Yoo Joonghyuk, his mind reeling like the moment he’d seen the star shining in the cup of Yoo Joonghyuk’s hand. The messages of the Fourth Wall faded in and out of focus.
Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyes trembled faintly, standing barely two feet away. Then, he straightened his clothes and turned away.
“We’re going.”
The moment he stepped away, Kim Dokja felt cold, like a winter breeze had bitten through his thin clothes.The second step plunged him underwater, ice in his bones. By the fifth, Kim Dokja had gotten to his feet, stumbling blindly after him, like an ungainly puppet pulled on a string.
“You--” Kim Dokja collided with Yoo Joonghyuk’s solid back.
“It is necessary,” Yoo Joonghyuk said quietly, without turning around.
Kim Dokja stared at him and thought about Unbreakable Faith, lying on the floor. “There is always a third option.”
Yoo Joonghyuk looked back at him, this time. The faint light from the room’s fluorescent bulb caught the scars on his face, their torn silver edges a patchwork of years he had missed.
“I am not you.”
-And this is the only way I know.