"Howâs your condition?"
Namgung Bi-ah didnât respond to the question.
She simply stared at the young man in silence, observing him.
"In case it bothers you, let me clarify."
The young man gestured to Namgung Bi-ahâs waist with his hand.
"The treatment wasnât done by me. I had another woman take care of it, so thereâs no need toâ¦"
"I donât care."
"â¦I see."
Her curt reply made the young man chuckle awkwardly.
"Let me ask again: how are you feeling?"
Again, Namgung Bi-ah gave no verbal response.
Instead, she lifted her bound hands, showing him the shackles.
Clank.
The chains binding her wrists rattled.
As the young man looked at them, Namgung Bi-ah spoke.
"Release me."
"Ha-ha."
Her demand made him laugh incredulously.
That she could say it so boldly left him at a loss for words.
"If I could release you, I would have done it already."
"Then release me now."
"Sword Dancer, Iâm telling you, I canât."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
"Why?"
"â¦"
Why?
For a moment, he was at a loss.
How was he supposed to answer that?
Looking at her genuinely puzzled expression, the young man gave a bitter smile.
"Because this is the only way to keep you alive."
The words he finally uttered only served to tear at his heart.
It was a miserable excuse, one he despised having to say aloud.
"Donât even think about escaping. Those shackles arenât something you can easily break."
"â¦"
Namgung Bi-ahâs expression subtly shifted upon hearing that.
She had, after all, been discreetly testing the strength of the chains.
And now she understood.
âItâs suppressing me.â