Meanwhile, Kanuen was handed over to a servant girl just as Hou Dong had said. Since there wasn’t anything for him to do to help Hou Dong’s plan along he just followed her.
The girl brought him to a bath at the back of the inn. The walls and the outer area of the floor were paneled in dark wood while the inner part of the room consisted of an in-ground basin that was several steps wide in all directions. The walls of the basin and the floor around it were covered in stone slabs, making sure that the water wouldn’t drench the wooden paneling.
Kanuen couldn’t help but stare at the room in a daze. He had never before seen this kind of bath. In the kingdom of Sou, they would normally either go and use the natural springs that were close to their town or they would use wooden basins that could be carried around for everyday use. Only the ones that were part of ceremonies would have established places where they stood all year round. Anyway, all of them would be above-ground to distinguish them from the natural water resources and thus pay respect to nature.
He understood that other places were different but when he saw this, he couldn’t help but feel lost. He wished Hou Dong would still be with him, helping him through these hours. Maybe the worst part about this wasn’t that he’d be sold off, maybe it was worse to be alone while being confronted with all these new things and having to wait until the moment when he would finally see Hou Dong again.
When he fled from those bandits, he had thought that it wouldn’t be too bad to be alone in another place. He had thought he’d be able to handle himself well. But then he had been unable to hold on before he reached anywhere and would have died without Hou Dong’s help. Now, after he had been subjected to that man’s care for the last weeks, having to rely on himself made him feel ill at ease. He couldn’t help the urge to glance behind him to ask Hou Dong just what this place was about and what would happen next. Unfortunately, the steady presence from before wasn’t there. Right now, he was alone and he’d have to persevere for the next few hours.
He took a deep breath and turned his attention back to the girl that had brought him here. She hadn’t said a single word to him and even now, she just waved at another two servant girls that had been waiting in the room. The two of them nodded and went to prepare the basin. Meanwhile, the first girl stepped in front of Kanuen, reaching for the small belt around his waist. She pulled at the cloth, trying to open it.
Kanuen reached up and held the robe together. How could he expose himself in front of a stranger in this kind of place? What was she even thinking?
The girl looked up with furrowed brows and slapped his hand away. She pulled at the belt, ripping it off his body and throwing it to the side. She grabbed his robe next but Kanuen once again held onto the fabric and made sure that it stayed in place. Once again, his hands were slapped away and this time, the other two girls already hurried over. They also grabbed the robe and pulled it off his shoulders. Kanuen gave a light yelp but before he could try and pick it off the ground, the girls were pulling down his pants.
Kanuen shook his head and pushed them off, pulling it back up and rushing to pick up his robe. He didn’t have time to put it back on before those girls rushed back at him. He could only wrap it around his shoulders to cover up his naked skin.
The girls furrowed their brows and two of them tried to hold him in place while the third one tried to rip off the robe again.
"No!" Kanuen pushed them off again. He might not be as strong as Hou Dong but he was still a man. Even if there were three women, he was still able to at least push them off his body one by one.
"You dirty slave! If you understand, then stop struggling already. We’re going to take off your clothes and wash you, however much you try to resist. So you better give up now or I’m going to call the guards."
"Please, don’t do this!" Kanuen backed off, trying to put the robe back into place.
The girl huffed and waved at one of the others. "You go and get the guards. We don’t have time to waste with him."
The other girl nodded and then hurried out of the room. Kanuen watched her leave and trembled in fright. If she really brought the guards, then there was no way for him to resist any longer. He had seen on the market square what type of guards there were in the kingdom of Kai. Resisting them would be as futile as trying to resist Hou Dong. No, even more so. Hou Dong would stop when he asked him to while these guards … they would regard him as a slave just like these girls.
He turned to the girl again and looked at the basin that had already been filled with water. "You don’t have to do this!"
The girl harrumphed. "It’s your own fault. Whatever they do to you, I wouldn’t care."
Kanuen shivered again. Whatever they did to him? Don’t tell him … Outside, steps sounded. He looked to the door and instinctively backed up.
The girl only gave a snort. "See now? You should have listened to me when I told you to. Now you’ll get it."
Kanuen looked back over to the basin and shook his head. "No! I … I’ll do it alone! Just … just let me do it alone. I’ll do it alone!" Wasn’t it just taking off his robe and stepping into the basin? He could do that alone. Why would they need to be there?
The girl laughed. "Leave you alone? Do you think I’m dumb? How many slaves do you think have tried this? You won’t be able to get away."
Kanuen closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Alright. It seemed he wouldn’t get around this. Even though he felt ashamed, he let go of the robe, letting the fabric slide to the ground and pulled down his pants by himself, undressing in front of the two girls and going over to the basin. He stepped in and submerged himself in the water.
The girl smiled with satisfaction. It was good to see a slave act obediently. It seemed they wouldn’t have any more trouble with this one. She called the other one over and the two started to work, pouring scented oil into the water and throwing in a handful of colorful petals that gave off a sickeningly sweet fragrance.
Kanuen lowered his head, trying to sink into the water as far as he could. He really couldn’t believe that he was in this situation. If he had known that things would be like this …
He shook his head at himself. What use was there in thinking like this? Even if he had known, there was nothing he could have done. When he ran away and went to the desert without preparation, he had already sealed his fate. If not because the person that had picked him up was Hou Dong, then there wouldn’t be any way out of this at all. He was already very lucky. Expecting Hou Dong to abandon the plan he had made just to get him out of this really would have been too much.
Although … He couldn’t help but wonder if Hou Dong would’ve done that for him. If he told him … If he told him what this meant to him, maybe he would’ve understood? Maybe he would’ve made sure that this wouldn’t happen?
Ah, just why hadn’t he insisted to know more? He should’ve asked Hou Dong again what would happen to him after they came to the city! He should have insisted on finding out everything up until the very last minute. Then maybe he could have asked. Now, it was already too late.
Outside, in the courtyard of the inn, the boy that Hou Dong had paid to keep an eye on the situation cursed. One of the servant girls had just come out and started talking to the guards stationed at the door. He couldn’t hear too much of what they were saying but he knew those two and seeing them abandon the game they had been playing and following her into the building, he knew that things weren’t looking good.
He rushed out of the courtyard, ducking through the hole in the wall where he had come in and ran to the inn that Hou Dong had pointed out to him. Even though he had only agreed to find out where that beautiful stranger would be brought, he was clear that this opportunity would be lost if something happened to that person. After all, who wanted broken goods? And since that stranger was the compassionate idiot among the two of them, he had to make sure they stayed together!
He slid into the inn and rushed up to Sun Jin. "I have to report something!"
Sun Jin lowered his chopsticks and stared at the boy. Ah? Shouldn’t this child only come over in the evening? "Why —"
"Bring me to your boss!" The boy kicked Sun Jin’s shin, not looking apologetic at all.
Sun Jin cursed but still stood up and brought him to the room where their Master was preparing. Just in case this was important, he definitely wouldn’t risk anything! "This better be worth it! Otherwise, don’t think I wouldn’t take half that money off you later on!"
The boy snorted and rushed into Hou Dong’s room. He didn’t have any time to listen to the drivel of that fool or it would be too late.
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