He bit my earlobe.

Wait—don’t tell me he actually means to do it here?

My blood ran cold.

“But Seunghyuk, this is a restaurant.”

“Were you seriously thinking we’d do it here? Lee Yeonsu, you’re dirty.”

“......”

He was teasing me. I pressed my lips together and glared at him, but Joo Seunghyuk just laughed and picked up a piece of grilled sirloin.

“Say ‘ahh.’”

He scared the hell out of me and now he’s trying to make it up to me with a single piece of meat, without even an apology?!

“...Ah.”

I opened my mouth quietly. If the mad dog says to do it, I have to. Besides, I think my gaze earlier might have been too defiant. I lowered my eyes obediently.

It’s not pathetic. Come to think of it, I gave him braised short ribs too. This is just mutual sharing.

Joo Seunghyuk put the sirloin in my mouth.

“How is it?”

“It’s good. I think it tastes better because you fed it to me.”

“That’s a relief.”

His expression softened noticeably. It seemed like his anger had finally subsided.

Feeling reassured, I tried to get off his lap, but the arm around my waist didn’t budge.

“Seunghyuk?”

“Now that I’ve heard what you said, I think doing it here doesn’t sound so bad.”

“What?”

Joo Seunghyuk kissed the nape of my neck.

No way. This psycho—he’s actually thinking of doing it in the restaurant?!

“W-Wait a second!”

“Why?”

“It’s time for the auction!”

“Didn’t you say you didn’t want to go?”

“I—I do want to! I’ve never been before. I was secretly looking forward to it!”

When I’m with Joo Seunghyuk, I always end up choosing whatever prevents the absolute worst.

I thought the auction would be the worst case scenario—but compared to doing it here, it was a hundred times better.

“Really?”

“Yeah.” 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

“I hate liars.”

“I’m serious.”

Seunghyuk stared into my eyes without replying.

Knock knock.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. I quickly sat up. Thankfully, Seunghyuk didn’t try to stop me.

By the time I returned to my original seat, the staff had entered.

“Would you like us to serve dessert now, if you’ve finished eating?”

“Hyung, are you done?”

“Yeah.”

I nodded in a flash.

Soon, dessert was served. I let out a quiet sigh of relief as I ate the persimmon sherbet.

It looked like the mad dog’s rage had subsided. All I had to do now was survive the special auction.

***

We headed up to the 10th floor, where the special auction was held.

Only high-ranking ability users ranked A or higher, large guild representatives, or individuals with special clearance could enter. On top of that, you had to be a citizen of the Republic of Korea to gain access.

The special auction dealt in S-rank items and rare treasures.

Treasures could be obtained by defeating a gate boss or discovering hidden chests.

Note: the grade of the gate didn’t always correspond to the grade of the treasure. Sometimes an A-rank treasure would drop from a C-rank boss, and vice versa—a B-rank item could come from an A-rank boss.

Most treasures had effects similar to ordinary items, but rarely, some possessed truly special abilities.

These rare treasures were classified under security level restrictions and were prohibited from being taken abroad. Other countries had the same policy.

Because of this, foreigners were barred from participating in the special auction. Dual citizens weren’t allowed either. In the original novel, Aaron tried to enter the special auction but was rejected for being a foreigner.

And no matter how much money you had, if you didn’t have the ability to properly handle a treasure, you couldn’t buy or own one.

That’s also why priority entrance was granted to high-ranking ability users and major guild officials.

The staff checked our identities and handed us paddles with numbers. Joo Seunghyuk got number 15. I got 16.

Once we stepped inside the auction room, I immediately spotted familiar faces.

All big shots... It looked like a summit of S-rankers and guild leaders.

There were far fewer people than seats. Must’ve been due to the strict entry requirements. Everyone was seated with plenty of space between them. We sat away from the others as well.

To be honest, I was a little excited.

I’d always wanted to attend the special auction at least once. I was qualified as an S-rank Guide, but I’d never dared come because I heard the deals involved astronomical sums.

There was also the aura of mystery—it was a place for special people.

“Why do you look so tense?”

“It’s my first time, so I’m a little nervous.”

I whispered softly into Joo Seunghyuk’s ear. It’d be embarrassing if anyone else heard.

He gave a quiet laugh and rubbed my cheek.

“If you see something you want, just raise your paddle. Don’t worry about anything else.”

“Okay.”

I nodded, though I had no intention of raising that paddle.

Soon the auctioneer entered, and the auction officially began.

What kind of stuff do they even sell here? Please don’t let it just be rings...

With a mix of nerves and anticipation, I stared at the podium.

“The first item today is Armak’s Whip.”

...A whip?

I couldn’t believe my ears. But sure enough, under the harsh spotlight, the object on the stage was undeniably a whip.

“Armak’s Whip was discovered on March 18th in the A-rank Gyeongcheon Gate. Initially evaluated as B-rank, a second appraisal recognized its special properties and classified it under security grade.”

I focused in on the auctioneer’s words. What kind of whip gets a security classification?

“Armak’s Whip can adjust in length from a minimum of 30cm to a maximum of 5 meters. Its tensile strength can be finely tuned, and despite striking a target, it leaves no scars or lasting aftereffects.”

That’s it? Isn’t that kind of underwhelming for a special auction item for ability users? What do you even use that for?

From what I knew, whips weren’t exactly a popular weapon. Sure, it had range, but it wasn’t enchanted or anything. What’s the point?

And who cares if it doesn’t leave scars...? Unless you’re into some weird kind of play, it’s useless.

...Ah. Wait a second.

A cold chill ran down my spine. In the original novel, Joo Seunghyuk often used a whip.

Not on monsters—on Kim Jun.

Even after being whipped all night, Kim Jun would recover immediately... I’d thought it was just because he had insane stamina. Or maybe he was an M-type and didn’t feel the pain...

But what if that wasn’t it? What if Joo Seunghyuk bought that exact whip?

No, that’s crazy. He’s unhinged, sure, but even he wouldn’t spend billions of won just for play.

I shook my head hard.

Lost in thought, I almost missed the next bid.

“Yes. Number 15, 900 million.”

Number 15—that’s Seunghyuk!

Startled, I turned to look at him. He was holding up his paddle with confidence.

“Seunghyuk...!”

“Yes?”

“You’re buying it?”

“Yes.”

A chill ran down my spine. What the hell is this mad dog trying to buy?!

“...Why?”

I asked as gently as possible. But Joo Seunghyuk only smiled in reply.

What’s that smile supposed to mean? Why the whip? Your weapon is a longsword! Don’t tell me you’re planning to use it on me—You insane bastard!

I wanted to argue. But saying anything would only provoke him. So instead of confronting the mad dog, I silently rooted for the other bidders.

Surprisingly, the bidding turned fierce. Maybe everyone had weird tastes—or maybe they genuinely intended to use the whip in combat.

But in the end, the whip went to Joo Seunghyuk. Number 21 tried hard, but couldn’t beat him.

Damn it. A whip that leaves no scars. Now I can’t even call the cops if I get hit with it...

Is this the beginning of the “cozy trash bin life”?

While I was sinking into despair, the next item came up.

“The second treasure is the Shackles and Manacles of Alcantara.”

I flinched at the sight of the thick chains—each cuff looked at least 10 centimeters wide.

Why are they auctioning off nothing but stuff like this? Is this normal? Or is today just weird? Or is this world the problem?

“The treasure of Alcantara contains the power of submission. Whoever wears Alcantara’s treasure can be completely controlled in posture and movement by the owner. The chain length can also be freely adjusted. Excellent for training familiars.”

Submission, seriously? The power’s as nasty as the appearance. I shook my head.

Joo Seunghyuk whispered in my ear.

“Hyung, do you want it?”

“N-No!”

What the hell kind of question is that?

“You’re lying. Your eyes widened the moment you saw it.”

“No, it’s not that I want it—it’s just such a strange item, I was surprised.”

“You always say that. But you really want it, right? I can tell.”

You don’t know anything!!

But I couldn’t get mad at the mad dog. I was still trying to figure out how to clarify things without provoking him when he raised his paddle.

You damn bastard, I said NO!

I screamed internally.

“Seunghyuk, it’s a misunderstanding. I really don’t need it.”

“No, I think it suits you well. I’m going to buy it.”

“......”

Suits me?! Suits me how?! What are you planning to do with it?!

That “you want it” thing was just an excuse—he just wanted it for himself. He wanted to put it on me. In the original, Kim Jun was always tied up somewhere...

After Sub-Uke #2 appeared, Joo Seunghyuk destroyed an entire building. Maybe this was the signal flare for the start of the cozy trash bin life.

Even if I begged him not to buy the shackles, the mad dog wouldn’t listen.

So once again, I cheered for the other bidders. The competition was fiercer than the first auction, and the price shot up fast. But in a game of money, no one could beat Joo Seunghyuk.

One after another, items that would perfectly decorate a cozy trash bin came out—and Joo Seunghyuk bought them all.

It hit me again—mad dog + billionaire is the worst combo. There’s no one to stop him when he goes insane. How is it okay for the guy who smashed a building earlier today to be stockpiling all these dangerous tools?

I’m doomed.

Cozy? What cozy? It’s not a trash bin—it’s a biohazard dumpster I can’t recycle my way out of.

I am never going into Joo Seunghyuk’s house. I was already avoiding it with all my strength, but I need to be even more careful now.

Eventually, proper items started to appear, and Seunghyuk’s shopping spree quieted down—but I was no longer in my right mind.

He’ll use the whip like that. The shackles like this. And the rest of it...

Every time a scene from the original flashed through my mind, the blood in my body turned ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) to ice.