Troll

‌⁠♡⁩ TL: Khadija SK

 

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❗Disclaimer: The following chapter contains content that may be uncomfortable, disturbing, or unsettling for some readers. Please be advised that the themes explored within this text may evoke strong reactions. This material is not intended for everyone, and I, too, find certain parts of it difficult to engage with. Reader discretion is strongly advised.

 

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No one stood there, but the latch moved, slowly turning until it was fully unlocked. Then, the other lock clicked and rotated as well.

 

The door opened slowly, and someone stepped inside with unhesitating steps, as if it were their own room. Once inside, the figure paused to glance at their reflection in the window.

 

“Ian Aylesford.”

 

He spoke his name aloud, as if addressing another person, then tilted his head slightly. It was as though he was confirming if this reflection was truly his own.

 

Then, his gaze shifted toward the bed.

 

On the bed lay Jin-ah, deeply asleep, with the blanket pulled up over her head as if to hide herself.

 

Even upon seeing her, he neither hesitated nor showed any surprise. Calmly, he raised his hand toward the open door.

 

The door closed slowly. With a soft click, the room was sealed off from the inside once more.

 

He took a deep breath, his senses attuned to the myriad scents in the room.

 

The dusty smell of the plush carpet, the faint trace of animal fur in the luxurious bedding, the dampness lingering in the bathroom, an ambiguous floral scent artificially created, the lingering whiskey from the glass bottles in the trash can. And then…

 

“Ha…”

 

As if unable to resist any longer, he moved toward the bed like a man possessed. Without hesitation, he climbed onto it and pulled the blanket off her.

 

“Uh…”

 

As the blanket was tugged away, Jin-ah’s curled-up figure was revealed, her eyelids fluttering slightly. Just as she seemed about to open her eyes, his hand descended, covering them.

 

“——–.”

 

A sound escaped his lips—an ancient, inhuman language. It was raw and primal, like the growl of a beast, resonating eerily in the air.

 

Jin-ah’s body, lying beneath him, began to tremble and then stiffened.

 

Her breathing turned shallow and ragged, and her arms flailed weakly against the bed as though in distress. But soon, all strength left her, and her body went limp.

 

As Jin-ah’s breath became shallow, he withdrew his hand.

 

Then, he swept his fingers through Jin-ah’s disheveled hair. Looking at her face, still red from the bruises Jeremy had given her, he spoke.

 

“Jin-ah Troll.”

 

If there is a color in his voice, the color when he uttered Jin-ah’s name just now would be the darkest, purest black. A perfect darkness with no trace of light.

 

“When should I kill you?”

 

He muttered, shuddering. It was a gesture of intense excitement and pleasure.

 

Troll.

 

The name given to those who inherit that house.

 

All of them must be torn apart and killed. Just as they had buried him deep underground, he, too, intended to tear apart every Troll and shove them into the darkness.

 

How should he kill her?

 

How?

 

How?

 

How…

 

Should he grab her neck and tear it? Then blood would spurt out like a fountain. How delightful would that be? The thought of licking the blood pouring out made his body tremble with joy. But soon, he shook his head.

 

“No.”

 

Though it was a satisfying method, the pleasure would be too short-lived. He thought of other methods he knew.

 

Should he tear off her fingers one by one? She would scream and thrash each time. Once the fingers were done, there were still the toes.

 

Humans were so good for having many parts to tear and eat. Once he had eaten all of those, he could move on to the arms, the legs, and finally, the neck.

 

A bright smile spread across his face. Yes, that would be best. That method seemed perfect.

 

Then, he sensed a sweet scent. He lowered his body and followed the scent, pressing his nose against it. His sharp, chiseled nose brushed against Jin-ah’s nape. At first glance, it seemed like a movement of affection, as if he were savoring the sweet scent.

 

Like a beast checking the state of its prey, he pressed his nose all over Jin-ah’s neck and sniffed.

 

He soon realized where the scent was coming from and turned Jin-ah’s body, which had been lying down.

 

There was the knot of a bandage the hotel staff had tied firmly.

 

With thick, long fingers, he hastily untied the bandage.

 

The smell of food, sweat, faint antiseptic, and the odor of blood beginning to congeal filled the air.

 

It was hard to call it a pleasant smell, even in a polite way, yet he wore an ecstatic expression as he buried his face in Jin-ah’s hair.

 

“Ha, ah…”

 

Letting out a satisfied groan, he inhaled the intoxicating scent.

 

Ah, that’s it. The smell of blood that captured him, far beyond any trivial steak.

 

Like a madman, he embraced Jin-ah’s head and extended his tongue, licking the wound. The scabbed-over wound was scraped again, causing a fresh trickle of red blood to seep out.

 

His red tongue, as crimson as the blood itself, thoroughly licked the wound.

 

“Ah, ugh, ugh…”

 

Each time he licked, Jin-ah, limp and motionless, shuddered and let out a groan.

 

It was a pitiful moan, but he didn’t care and, if anything, it seemed to whet his appetite as he greedily licked and licked the wound.

 

After a long while with his face buried, he lifted his head, and his lips were faintly stained with the red liquid he hadn’t fully licked off.

 

In contrast, Jin-ah’s face, which had been limp, was now deathly pale. Without caring, he began to lick another area.

 

The tongue that had been licking her nape moved downward.

 

“Ugh…”

 

Perhaps she didn’t like the sensation, as Jin-ah’s arm moved to push him away. But it was such a weak attempt that instead of pushing him away, her hand merely slid down, grazing over his perfectly neat clothes.

 

“How dare you.”

 

He made an utterly displeased expression.

 

It was an ancient, pure force. The kind that made everything bow before him. But how dare a mere human, weakened as she was, defy his will and show movements that resisted him.

 

Grrr.

 

A threatening growl, not human in nature, came from beyond his throat.

 

His previously calm blue eyes narrowed, filled with savagery. The sound, primal and terrifying, made Jin-ah’s hand, which had been flailing in the air, drop again.

 

Still, the ferocity in Ian’s eyes did not easily subside.

 

“You dare to be a ‘Troll’.”

 

He had learned everything about Jin-ah Troll. Before he could even issue an order, the human called Grandfather had sent his subordinates to gather information about this woman.

 

Thanks to that, he didn’t even need to bother eating someone’s head; he learned most of what he needed to know about Jin-ah Troll.

 

Troll. Those cursed beings who had imprisoned him in the deep.

 

He remembered the scent of their blood distinctly. The last blood he had tasted before being trapped was that of a Troll.

 

They had used a member of their clan as a sacrificial pawn, luring him to a deep place. While he mindlessly devoured the sweetness of it, he was trapped there.

 

For a long time, he had lingered in the darkness, reminiscing about the last human blood he had tasted.

 

So, when he smelled even the faintest hint of blood on the plate, he nearly devoured everything nearby in sheer joy.

 

But if he did that, the delicious scent would notice and run away.

 

Now, the world was filled with far too many humans compared to when he was trapped.

 

With a single finger, one could accomplish everything, in a world that was now so full of knowledge. Therefore, he had to wait until he fully understood everything before moving recklessly. If not, he might find himself trapped in the darkness again.

 

The long, deep darkness had taught him patience. Because of that, he had refrained from devouring Jin-ah Troll in front of him during the party.

 

The documents brought by the man known as Chairman stated that Jin-ah Troll was of mixed blood with humans from a far-off land.

 

Her mother had been a clan member who he had never tasted the blood of. Perhaps that was why the unfamiliar taste of the mixed blood intrigued him.

 

“Ha…”

 

He licked the wounded arm. Pressing down and licking several times, the disgusting scent of antiseptic quickly disappeared, and blood began to drip from the wound once more.

 

The sound of him eagerly sucking came from between his lips as he licked the arm.

 

How many humans had he seen after escaping the darkness? How many had he eaten?

 

Though he wasn’t sure due to the lack of strength, one thing was certain: there had never been blood this delicious.

 

“It’s delicious.”

 

He couldn’t hide his satisfaction, acting like a child who had tasted something sweet for the first time.

 

His body, pressing down on Jin-ah’s, trembled. He licked and licked, as though trying to insert his tongue into the wound.

 

As if that wasn’t enough, he raised Jin-ah’s hand and swallowed her thumb. Then, like a child sucking his finger, he wrapped his tongue around her finger and licked it.

 

Since she had washed, all that remained on her body was the scent of water, soap, and a faint trace of whiskey. He didn’t like that.

 

It reminded him of when he had struggled under other human males. When she was drenched in sweat and tears, terrified, how good the scent had been. The ones that could smell their own death always had the most delicious scent.

 

He immediately laid Jin-ah down.

 

As he clung to her, the bathrobe she was wearing fell open, revealing her body under the soft lighting.

 

He reached his hand toward her as he swallowed.

 

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Just a quick note: The male lead is definitely the real red flag here (⁠ ⁠･ั⁠﹏⁠･ั⁠) I’m really hoping the female lead finds safety and peace in the end. Honestly, if things get too uncomfortable for me, I might even drop this novel—so we’ll see how it goes (⁠๑⁠´⁠•⁠.̫⁠ ⁠•⁠ ⁠`⁠๑⁠)

And tbh, I’m also really curious to see how the female lead will handle him, given everything that’s happened so far. I’d love to know what you all think of the story up to this point! Feel free to share your opinions and thoughts ꒰⁠⑅⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠꒱⁠˖⁠♡And if this story makes you uncomfortable at any point, don’t hesitate to let me know. Your feedback is always appreciated!