/
Chapter 101. A Mysterious Trend
A light tension descended on the scene.
The actors raised their heads behind the translucent curtain.
With the sound of a small bell, the lips of the actor with the most beautiful voice opened.
“Is this the punishment you speak of?”
Luella lifted her chin arrogantly as the man asked back in an amused tone.
“At least you are the only one who will be punished.”
Because you are so arrogant that you can’t release your anger unless you do everything your way.
Luella swallowed the words and smiled slightly.
She then walked behind the man and tied the man’s thick wrists in a secure knot with a leather strap she had brought with her.
“You’re good at tying your hair. Is it the first time?”
The man, Camon asked, not hiding his slight displeasure.
Luella laughed, as if to tease him, and whispered seductively in his ear.
“No. – That’s right. What number would you be?”
Camon’s brows furrowed at her words.
His red eyes filled with obsession, jealousy, and possessiveness.
Ironically, he didn’t mind the way Luella looked at him like that. Transparent, naked lust and greed bound her everywhere.
Even though his hands were tied, his eyes wanted to swallow her up right away.
“As promised, if you can’t stand this, you lose.”
Camon’s eyes narrowed.
He took a step away, for Luella had begun to undress.
“If you lose, you give me my freedom; if I lose…………”
One by one, the clothes came off, and finally they all fell to the ground, and the pure white moonlight crashed down on her dazzling naked body.
Already at that moment, Camon intuited that he had placed a gamble that was too risky.
“I give you all of me.”
“…..”
“I will not rebel.”
“D*mn it.”
A dazzlingly beautiful white body approached him as if dancing.
Just the mere sight of it made him lose his breath. His angry lower body swelled in size of its own accord.
Her hands, always on the run, were on his shoulders.
That alone made him feel defeated. How could a mere touch be so completely uplifting?
He was almost mocking himself with his initial helplessness.
Her soft thighs rested on Camon’s thighs.
Luella brushed his ear and whispered.
“Start.”
It was the perfect temptation to swear by.
.
.
.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
The salon’s owner Marshall appeared, ringing a small bell. Wearing her symbolic purple flower mask, she raised her voice.
“Do you want to stop here for a while?”
“No! This is the highlight of the day!”
“Calm down, Anemo. There are people who will be in trouble if we don’t stop here.”
“You mean me? Oh no. You’ve forgotten how to breathe, haven’t you?”
“Me too!”
Each of the ladies in flower masks fanned their hands and drank a cool drink.
The women gathered around were having a heated discussion in whispers, unable to hide their excitement.
In the Garden, the secret salon of the upper class women, they acquired a racy book that had appeared on the market a few days ago.
[Red Passion in the Desert]
It was a book that caused a sellout the day after the first 300 copies were sold. Because of that, the ladies who couldn’t get their hands on the book gathered to share it at a reading session.
There was even a line of people eagerly waiting for the Rodelg auction to open, where they could get various items early.
A few lucky people even got their books for four or five times the first edition price.
There were many stories about how the price skyrocketed every day, and now they couldn’t get it even if they would give ten times more.
First of all, the cover of the book was so luxurious that it evoked a desire to own it, and the contents inside were unbelievable and intriguing. Amor people were generally passionate about love.
They were also very frank in their expressions. That was why the book, which was so racy and yet somehow secretive, captivated the Amor people at once.
“Phew. It’s really hot, and the actors are doing a great job!”
“I’m having a great time. I haven’t had any interesting books lately, but it’s been a long time since I’ve had this much fun again.”
“That’s right. It’s a pity that it’s a new author who appeared like a comet. If they have more books, I’ll get more.”
The salon was in full bloom with the story of [Red Passion in the Desert.]
In the garden, actors were invited specially for the reading session to make the book more realistic.
The response was so great that people wanted to come to the readings at the Garden.
However, the owner limited the readings to twice a week and raised the price of admission.
He also went one step ahead and exclusively hired talented voice actors to ensure a much higher quality than the other salons.
In fact, this act of creating profits from other people’s creations was illegal because they did not have permission or license from the original creator.
“I would be more than happy to see the original author appear. I’ll give compensation and give a personal contract to exclusive novels.”
The owner of the garden, Marshall, hid a smile behind a fan made of peacock feathers and counted the bill.
It was for this reason that she really hoped the author would show up in person soon.
She could give as much money as she wanted as long as she showed up.
She was proud to say that she had a good eye for business.
She was a commoner, the fifth of six brothers and sisters, the hardest of them all, who had never slept, never eaten.
She was.
But look at her. Isn’t she the wealthiest of all her siblings now?
Because she has a lot of money, she has also attained noble status.
She met an educated, polite, somewhat indecisive, but kind man.
He was a poor and fallen nobleman, but that was not an important condition for Marshall.
She had a lot of money, and he didn’t have a lot of money, so they could fill in each other’s gaps rather well.
They were natural born spouses.
Marriage was satisfying.
With aristocratic status came easy accumulation of wealth.
She had already figured out how lightly the purses of high-ranking noblewomen opened.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that she was making a lot of money now with it.
If she got the “next exclusive” and only gave readings in her salon, the ladies would be lining up to get in.
Marshall thought and licked her lips.
Tasha and Louie, the author of Red Passion in the Desert, were tremendous newcomers.
The writing wasn’t perfect or polished, but there was something about the narrative that made people’s hearts clench.
He was a friend who, if polished well, could have been a perfect gem.
The problem was that the Bookman that printed the book would never let her know the author.
No matter how much money she gave him, he never accepted it. He said he would pass on the word to the author, but it wasn’t enough.
By the time Marshall swept the surface of the beautiful book several times out of regret, the women resting by the window chatted.
“I’ve heard that this scene was revised later.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes, my maid has a very close friend who works in the printing office, and she happened to hear about it. Originally, there was no scene to bind the hands.”
“No way, it was one of the gods! It’s one of my favorite scenes.”
Lady Red Rose, who was attending the reading for the third time, clenched her fists and said excitedly,
“I like this scene best, too. This is a rumor…The leather store said the soft leather strap is already sold out of stock. Especially the one that ties hands and feet………”
“Oh my! I hadn’t thought of that! I’ll make a few reservations too…….!”
“That’s not all. I went to a dinner party yesterday, where Lady Russell dyed her hair silver. It wasn’t as silver as the moonlight reflecting off the surface of the water as described in the book, but I keep looking at it without even knowing it.”
“Oh, I actually ordered one of those wigs once. When I asked the wig maker about it, he said that it was already gone, just like the silver hair leather straps. Anyway, everyone is fast.”
In social circles, there was an annual trend.
One year, the dress of an imperial Princess who came on a delegation was popular, and another year, the “princess makeup” that announced her marriage to the Crown Prince of the Empire was popular.
This year, maybe silver hair and leather straps would be in style.
Marshall, who was eavesdropping on the conversation, recalled in her mind some leather workers she knew.
If she brings in some leather straps that match the cover of the book as a privilege, the price of the salon tickets will go up even more.
“…Oh my god.  Does that person dye her hair, too? The color is so beautiful.”
Lady Red Rose, standing by the window, looked down at the square and murmured.
Lady Neuvirth, who had been chatting passionately with her, also glanced out and said admiringly.
“That’s exactly the silvery color of the moon reflected in the water, isn’t it? Where did she get such a beautiful color?”
“I want to go out and ask right away, but I shouldn’t, should I? Hahaha.”
“Of course, you can’t leave the room with the mask on. Hahaha.”
The two women erupted in laughter, and when they glanced under the window again, the beautiful silver-haired woman was long gone.
****
Roselyn, who had purchased two high-end fountain pens and two fountain pen holders with nice gold-rimmed ornaments side by side, turned back, sighing gloomily at the huge shadow towering in front of her.
“Can’t I just look around by myself?”
She had already pushed Tamon away several times, but he was still wandering around like glue. Roselyn was annoyed.
Tamon responded as if he was disappointed by her cold-hearted remarks.
“I’m just following you. It’s not annoying.”
“It’s a pain.”
“How can you say such a cold thing casually? And those are the same lips that were kissing me a moment ago…”
“Tamon!”
Startled, Roselyn quickly covered his lips.
Her flushed face was as red as an apple.
“Please close your mouth. It’s too much!”
“So are you taking me with you?”
Roselyn’s voice was filled with anger.
“Never! I will never take you with me. Never!”
Even at the moment of intimidation, the upraised purple eyes were shining like jewels.
How sensual the glowing eyes, the lips, and the faintly twisted brows were, Tamon wanted to stay like this and lick the palm of her hand that was covering his mouth.
‘If I do that, she’ll really strangle me.’
How could she strangle him with those small, white hands?
When he thought about it, it didn’t seem too bad either.
For Asha, Tamon seemed to be able to give himself up with joy without resistance and doubt.
‘I think I’m going crazy today.’