Painter Of The Night- Kisaeng Boy

Offering

"You're shameful! You bring shame to this kisaeng and to your father!"

You crouch with your hands over your head and knees to your chest as your mother canes you. You try to protect your body from each lash. Your back and arms are covered with red welts.  She takes a break to tell one of the maids to throw another bucket of water on you.  The cold splash jolts you back to reality.

"It was the lord!" you yelp out with a croaked voice. "It is his fault. I swear."

Your mother gives you hard swat across your shoulders."You expect me to believe that a man of power like Lord Seungho would willingly touch a peasant like you. How stupid do you think I am?!"

You don't respond and take the beating. Hoping that the cane will break. Today, you received two extremes you've never experienced: pleasure and pain. With every strike, you curse the day you walked out on that stage.

You forget how long you're crouching and shaking against the wall until Young-Soo helps you up.

"Let's take care of your wounds, MN," he says quietly. You cling to him, the smell of sweet canola oil from his long braid calming you. He takes you to the dormitories and into the room you both share. Chae-Won is there already waiting, sitting by your futon, with a tray full of herbs and salves.  Young-Soo lays you face down gently as she quickly starts to clean you up with a warm wet towel.

"That lord is nothing but trouble," Chae-won mumbles as she places salve on the engorged welts all over your body. You mumble something as the slave starts to cool off the heat of pain.

"You must be careful, MN," Young-Soo says worriedly. "I heard a rumor just yesterday that the last lover he took couldn't walk for months. What happened in there?"

You would be shivering at just the thought now, but you're not. You sit up from the futon and take a long swig of rice wine right from the vase before plopping back down. Everyone in this kisaeng owes your mother money, which is why they work here, so you keep quiet about what really happened with Lord Suengho. You trust Young-Soo, but you're not sure about Chae-Won. You're breathing heavily because of the pain but your mind drifts back to that moment you shared with Lord Seungho. You can still taste that unbearable pleasure that blinded you in the end and made you come all over his hand. Maybe you're depraved, too.

The next day you go to the market hoping you can forget what happened the night before. You hope that now that Lord Seungho was able to touch you, he would leave you alone. He knows now you have no experience. The thought of him makes you clumsy and embarrassed. Somehow, you're scared that even this fruit vendor knows of your indecency. You take a peach and look at it before placing it in the hay bag you carry with you.

"Strange seeing you in normal clothing, MN."  A deep voice interrupts beside you.

You look with shock into the eyes of Lord Seungho that stares at you curiously. His hands behind his back. He is tall and authoritative in his black and maroon hanbok.

You pay the vendor quickly for the peach and start walking away from him. Lord Seungho catches up to you and walks beside you.

"What are you doing here? A little bit early to be looking for company, don't you think?" You walk by different vendors. The market humming with life. Many stop and stare at the lord of the province. You glance around searching for your mother, but you don't see her. That makes you sigh in relief.

"I am here on business this time," he says quietly. "You look much better without rouge. Don't wear it the next time we meet."

You stop midway and look up at him, you can feel the desire emanating from those amber eyes.  "There won't be a next time. You got me in trouble, my lord."