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“This brother, this, this is a fun brother indeed. No, so, you ate all of that?”

“Of course. Why would I refuse? I have the world’s largest stomach, that’s what.”

The tipsy blue mask exclaimed while pounding his stomach. I was listening to their uninteresting stories with my chin rested on my hand, looking indifferent. Having plied them with alcohol while making trivial conversation until they were somewhat drunk, I was taking a break.

Amidst the commotion, I nudged Tom’s side while watching carefully, and he cleared his throat with a “hmm,” then pretended to take something out of his pocket but dropped it. It was a silver cigarette case decorated with coral. The blue mask who picked up the case that had fallen in front of him and handed it over snickered.

“A gift from your lover? Pretty.”

“What can I do but accept what’s given?”

“Mükeln coral is the best. The color is completely different!”

As the long-bearded man who had introduced himself as Rumon interjected, Tom responded nonchalantly:

“My lover isn’t a wealthy noble. A cigarette case made with that coral would cost at least 300 pedir.”

“Haha, it’s worth it. We risk our lives to get those things.”

Got it.

I looked at Rumon, calmly rolling my eyes while resting my chin on my hand. Tom made an impressed sound and asked with an admiring expression:

“So you’ve been to Mükeln Island? I heard there’s a sea demon there, so people rarely make it back alive?”

“Yes, if you’re not careful, the whole ship gets sucked in. But we have a way to avoid that demon. A path only we know.”

Tom’s and my eyes met in mid-air. The blue mask muttered, exhaling breath heavy with alcohol:

“After barely cutting through the fierce currents to enter the island and wandering the deep sea, when you discover that blood-colored grave, it sends chills down your spine. It’s like seeing a strange sea monster. But it’s bewitchingly beautiful. So beautiful.”

Tom, who had been reading the atmosphere, refilled the empty cups with alcohol and asked:

“The fact that you brothers have returned means you successfully brought back coral this time too, right?”

“Of course. This time we have many pieces of the highest quality that can be sold as premium……”

“Tom, Tom! Where are you!”

Suddenly, a sharp voice flew in from somewhere, causing everyone to turn their heads. A woman with flowing, glossy red hair was looking around wearing a purple mask. With her br*asts, about to burst, half-exposed above her dress, she was Tom’s lover, Letitia.

I had heard that she was extremely jealous. When Letitia had previously seen Tom with another woman, she had clawed that woman’s face. Though she had quite a bit of her luxuriant hair pulled out by that woman, she had protected her face at all costs. She was no ordinary woman.

“Tom!”

“I need to go for a moment.”

I nodded lightly at Tom’s words as he looked back. Since the topic of coral had already come up, it wouldn’t be difficult to steer the conversation toward trading with the Nix merchant group.

Tom, who had hurriedly squeezed through the crowd to reach Letitia, was grabbed by the nape of his neck by her arm before he could even speak. Letitia clung to him, pressing her lips against his first and wrapping one leg around his waist while lifting her skirt. Seeing this, I shook my head. It seemed unlikely he would return soon.

“I heard that the Nix merchant group is looking for Mükeln coral. Have you decided where to sell it?”

At my words, Rumon, who had been looking around, slowly emptied his cup and wiped his lips, speaking with unclear pronunciation:

“We prefer whoever offers the highest price. But there’s already someone who wants to buy the goods.”

“Folluk would have a hard time paying the right price. I heard a big deal fell through recently, so money isn’t flowing.”

Making a humming sound, the rabbit mask adjusted his slipping mask. Following his gaze, I turned my head and was startled. The atmosphere around us had changed.

The men and women who had been rubbing against each other in a sensual dance on the stage were already connected as one, panting. Around them, half the people were drinking alcohol, and half were entangled with each other.

A woman straddling a man lying on a table arched her back flexibly. Another man who had stepped onto that table was pushing his *rect c*ck into her mouth.

On the sofa, three men and women merged into one were vigorously shaking their bodies. A woman’s shrill cries of cl*max broke through the singing that floated in the air.

I hadn’t noticed the changing atmosphere because I had been drinking alcohol and talking in a secluded corner. The thick air overflowing with lewdness suddenly made it hard to breathe. It was already difficult to take deep breaths because of my tightly bound chest.

Where is Jenne? I think I should go outside for a moment.

When I turned my head after looking around for the woman with curly hair and a white velvet mask, I firmly closed my mouth. The three people surrounding me were all staring at me as if they wanted to devour me.

Their gazes had changed. They weren’t simply hazy from alcohol but had eyes possessed by thirst. I clenched my fist, feeling goosebumps from their stares that seemed to burn with n*ked desire. I had to force strength into my voice to keep it from trembling.

“I should get some fresh air……”

“Shh. Where are you going, little young master?”

The rabbit mask blocked my way. The blue mask narrowed the gap with his bulging stomach. When his hand suddenly grabbed mine, I nearly screamed.

“With skin this clean, I’d like to taste it once. So soft. Like very soft velvet.”

He took my hand straight to his mouth and sucked on my fingers with loud slurping sounds. His moist, thick tongue felt like a living creature, sending chills down my spine as I hastily pulled my hand away and stepped back. My stomach churned.

“You, you’re too drunk. There are plenty of women back there, so pull yourself together.”

“What does it matter if you’re not a woman? Your skin looks smoother than most women’s.”

The blue mask licked his lips. Rumon took another step forward and panted.

“Aren’t you and Tom that kind of relationship? I saw you poking at his side and waist earlier. Did you want to be alone with him? But too bad, Tom is over there stuck to Letitia.”

“Don’t worry, we’re the real deal. We’re on a different level from those guys who just cut up lifeless meat that doesn’t even twitch. We can teach you what real pleasure is until dawn without letting you sleep a wink. Once you taste this, you won’t be satisfied with ordinary stuff.”

The blue mask pulled my arm while obscenely rubbing his already swollen lower body. My mind went blank at the sound of their snickering laughter. I tried to use force to escape from his grasp and aimed for their vital points, but somehow both my hands were caught, and I couldn’t move at all.

Only then did I realize I had never faced men using their full physical strength. It felt like being surrounded by massive stone walls. Not a single opening was visible. The absolute difference in power was weighing down on my entire body.

If escaping was my goal, I could have pretended to go along with them and then brandished the dagger in my possession or revealed my identity. But that would have made things worse.

The young lady of the Bickman family attending Fatura’s serpent banquet? Count Balshwin would become the least of my problems. The Bickman family would become the subject of all vulgar jokes.

“Let go! Tom! Jenne!”

“Who’s Jenne? Another lover you’re hanging out with? If they’re as pretty as you, let’s call them over. Hey, Jenne! Where are you!”

Rumon grinned and stretched his neck, calling for Jenne. It was the action of someone who knew well that with all the instruments, singing, and heavy breathing of men and women, no one would hear.

I could feel the blue mask’s lower body, which had become hard and *rect, against my spine as he embraced me from behind. Nausea rose from disgust. He sniffed at my neck and moaned lowly.

“Your waist is barely a handful. But you really smell good, young master. I don’t even think about women anymore. Are you really not a woman?”

“We can find out by touching what’s down there.”

As the rabbit mask giggled and reached out his hand, the blue mask knocked it away and began to slowly move his hand that had been gripping my waist downward.

It was truly a crisis. I was calculating when to take out my dagger while twisting my body with all my might when suddenly the blue mask fell backward with an “ugh” sound.

At the loud crash, people drunk on drugs, alcohol, and pleasure raised their drowsy eyes to look in our direction. However, this level of commotion seemed to be a common occurrence and didn’t attract much attention.

I almost fell with him as he pulled me, but I staggered and managed to grab the table to balance myself. As I was about to turn around, something flew over and covered my head.

Surprised by the weighty cloak, I instinctively crouched down, and immediately a man’s howl swept over my head as if he had been kicked hard. My heart was pounding as if it would jump out of my mouth.

Thinking Tom had returned, I finally felt the tension leave my shoulders. Cold sweat had already begun to seep down my spine. I could hear sporadic screams and groans. I lifted the cloak and shouted:

“Don’t hurt them too much, Tom! Think about the coral!”

At that moment, I saw the back of a man who was delivering a powerful kick to the rabbit mask’s chest.

Dressed in a black shirt and black pants, he was as dark as the night, and if not for his exposed nape and hands, I might not have recognized him even standing right next to him.

It wasn’t Tom.

He was much taller than Tom and had broader shoulders.