| Sword of a General, Touch of a Gentleman (Part 4)

He held under a tight lip the indulgences some partake in experiencing the extreme sensations bordering pleasure and pain. He could not call himself a stranger to those either. But there was no need to bring those practices into the discussion now.

"Those are just the old teachings of a fool. You talk about pleasure but I never heard any women say the same things as you. I do not believe you." Wary, she eyed him, but a spark of curiosity could clearly be observed.

Alas, this was a delicate topic of discussion for someone in no familial relationship with each other, Sung-Ho thought. But at the moment, there was something more, besides curiosity. Some particular interest slowly turned his blood into molten lava. Something was awakening inside of him that had been lying dormant for a long time.

"I see this is definitely a lesson General Min-Jun never taught you. I guess he left the hard lessons for the rest of us," said Sung-Ho with a heavy sigh to dodge his uneasiness on the matter. "One of the reasons two people come together to..." and he paused for a second looking for the correct word, "...join their energies through sex, is because they seek pleasure and benefits out of it. And children."

Sung-Ho displayed a wide grin hiding behind it, embarrassment, apprehension and excitement, but Soo-Ah looked as dumbfounded as ever so he was forced to carry on. "Do you understand? People do this because they need to do it and because they want to do it. To enjoy it." Without realising it, he began to scratch his brow scar, as he did whenever he was dealing with a dilemma.

"I understand the need. But how can anyone enjoy such a foul act?" As a fly trapped in the corner but lured by the honey, he had pulled Soo-Ah deeper into this topic.

"Well," Sung-Ho took a deep breath, "to answer this I need to ask you some personal questions. Do you really want to know?" What was he getting himself into and why? This was ridiculous. These were the kind of talks girls should have with their mothers or sisters. He who had commanded armies, who had faced death in battles, had never felt more uneasy than in this moment. Maybe he should let the women at his house deal with it. But whenever he thought about steering away from the subject he felt an instinctual pull to remain engaged.

"What you say, General Sung-Ho makes little sense to me. I do not know how..."

Sung-Ho never had to talk so much about sex nor try to squeeze his brain for words to express what he knew to be the reality. When he dealt with girls with little or no experience, they were not so adamant. They knew they had a duty to perform. Doing was a lot easier than talking. Talking proved to be excruciatingly embarrassing.

He had to put an end to this topic, one way or another. "Fine," Sung-Ho said brusquely, going straight to the point. "Have you ever felt a slight discomfort? An itch in your lower body? With some degree of excitement that you could not explain to yourself? Perhaps around the time of your periodic bloodshed?"

Soo-Ah first pinned him down with her big round eyes, and then a hint of blush slowly appeared under them. She slowly moved her attention away from him and kept silent. Not even a scuff of disapproval was heard from her direction. She found something on the table to fiddle with as if it was the most important item in the world.

Seeing her fretting and unwillingness to divulge anything Sung-Ho decided to encourage her by sharing something first. He did falter before speaking but knew too well how to dissimulate. "I also experience the same kind of arousal, as all men do. That urge in the lower parts, and that nauseated feeling." He looked at her, expecting a reaction. None came. His words might be inappropriate. He was aware. But even if he had committed not to walk this path, he could not abstain.

He straightened his back as he usually did when he wanted to sound confident. "When people feel that way it is only natural to release that tension by having sex, or some similar exchange. It is a very pleasurable experience. It can be so pleasurable that sometimes people find it hard to keep it to themselves and they start shouting." In a tutor-like manner, he concluded this coming-of-age lesson he had never prepared for. "So those screams you heard back then and what you told me, she was not hurting. I fear you have misjudged your big brother all this time."

If Soo-Ah had something to say she certainly did not hint at it. She kept her reactions hidden by staring at her plate with its contents getting cold under the lid, leaving Sung-Ho with his words hanging in the air, reaching no one. Here he was, performing this awkward life lesson for her and she was ignoring him. Was he losing his touch to keep a woman engaged?

"You find it hard to believe, I take it," he chuckled, beginning to strain to get her attention. He was pinning by now for a response. Even the fiery kind. Anything but her ignoring him. He was putting himself on display after all. "I guess the best way to understand would be to experience it yourself."

At last, this idea was enough for Soo-Ah to spring her face upwards and stare. "What do..." yet she was so surprised by his words that she could not find hers.

There she was, winding her way back into his net. In the end, he decided to go straight to the point, hoping his challenge would be of help to her. Besides, the conversation prolonged itself and with it his discomfort and her overbearing silence.

"I mean I am offering you a challenge, Lady Soo-Ah. Our bodies can surprise us. Try to touch yourself when you feel that way, aroused. It will open your eyes. Though it might not be the best to waste your Yin energy while getting no Yang in return, it might prove a useful exercise. As for our initial discussion and whether you should trust me or not, for one, General Min-Jun offered for you to be my concubine."

Soo-Ah tried to say something but all she managed to do was mumble a couple of unintelligible words.

"Second, my dear lady, there is no place safer for you than being in my care. Now, shall we eat?" And just like that, he was again in control, just the way he liked it.

Soo-Ah was gasping so hard that her throat must have been parched by now. She reached for the teapot and her fingers inadvertently touched his, as he was trying to do the same. Her hand recoiled back as if touching something too hot to handle.

"You are an honoured guest at my table, Lady Soo-Ah. Allow me to serve you if you want some tea." Sung-Ho gently offered, pouring tea into her cup and noticing her suddenly blushing. His secret inward smile could not be hidden for long as he half-smirked, hoping Soo-Ah would not notice.

"So, shall we say it is settled for you to go to the capital? My commander is due back in a couple of days. I think he is the right man to escort you there."

Soo-Ah raised her shoulders in defeat, relenting to further debate on any issue. She began eating begrudgingly, taking big mouthfuls and not daring to glance in his direction. Until she did.

He must have had that puzzled expression on his face again, as he never moved his gaze from her.

She swallowed her food with difficulty and adjusted her position in the seat. "You are again staring at me like… that."

"I have never seen…" but he stopped himself from blurting something that could have been considered an insult. "Forgive me," he readjusted his voice. "Looking at you one would not guess you have such a ferocious appetite," Sung-Ho added, employing the manners of a gentleman.

Soo-Ah huffed. "You mean to say I eat like a man? Well, that's what I did. For ten winters." And with that cutting remark, she turned her attention to the food, chunking down another mouthful and staring at him as a dare to comment again.