She was quickly pulled off of him and dragged off to, most likely, the dungeons. Jongin stood up and brushed himself off, glaring at the girl who still managed to retain a calm composure.

Her attitude caught his attention. Unlike other girls who served him, she did not cower in fear, ogle at him when he came out of the bath, try to make her way into his bed, or make an attempt to flirt with him.

*~*

A day after, after physically recovering from the bruises he'd gained from the girl's assault, he made his way to the dungeons.

Jongin approached the cell the girl stayed in and knelt to her level, since she was lying down in pain. The girl looked at him with tired but stubbornly defiant eyes and croaked, "What do you want?"

Jongin examined her and saw that she had gotten quite the beating for daring to lay her hands on him; her formerly white robes were stained with blood - most likely from her beaten legs - and her hands were tied; her formerly healthily pink lips were now cracked, bloody, and pale. Jongin sighed, "Look at you. Was it worth it?"

"Why do you care?"

Jongin admitted, "You've earned my respect. You're not like other girls."

The girl scoffed but then coughed from the action, "Your respect is the last thing I'll ever need."

He didn't respond and she narrowed her eyes, "But how?"

"Because you don't try to flirt with me or gain my favor so that you can have a more luxurious life or a grea