Chapter 185-5

Chapter 185-5

[Part 5/6]

In a garden filled with calm, fresh air, the sound of a "shishi-otoshi" (bamboo water bell) rings out. The sound echoes several times in the garden and even into the room, bouncing off the stones, scaring birds and animals.

"..."

In the center of a grand guest room, the woman waits anxiously. She waits for what feels like an eternity, forgetting the passing of time, as the sound of the "shishi-otoshi" continues.

Who is she? She looks to be in her mid-20s, maybe not yet 30. Her beauty is delicate, but she looks worn out. Her eyes are tired, drooping. Her pale skin looks like that of a sick person near death.

In fact, just a few months ago, she was very close to dying. She was supposed to waste away in a shabby hut due to illness.

In the center of the country, there are five large brothels approved by the government. One of them was the well-known "Sen'yakuya (Willow House by the Stream)," and its top courtesan was named Amatsuru Daifu.

She was born in a poor village in the eastern region, to a lower-class family. Her mother died right after giving birth, and her father, an alcoholic, died in an accident while drunk. There was no inheritance left for her, just a huge amount of debt.

No relatives wanted to take on her debt. Soon, she was sold as collateral and taken to the center of the country, where she was sold to Sen'yakuya.

Luckily, the owner of the store wasn't a bad man. At least, when she was first brought in, he wasn't. He saw the women as products, but he took good care of them and didn't try to cheat them. He didn't mind investing in women with talent. He was a hardworking man.

She was quiet, modest, and had a gentle nature, which made her popular. In just a few years, she became one of the top courtesans, not just in her brothel, but in the whole region. She was well-liked for being kind and not demanding.

To put it simply, she was a popular courtesan who was easy for middle-class men to approach. She wasn't too expensive.

The owner was serious about the quality of his women. He didn't let rough men buy them. Life in the brothel, although not perfect, wasn't too bad for her at the time.

Then the old owner died, and his son took over the business. That's when everything started to fall apart. The new owner was even worse than the rumors said. He treated the women poorly, and the brothel's reputation dropped. Soon, illegal drugs began circulating, and things got worse.

A few years ago, something happened in the capital, and the young owner was punished. The once-great brothel was quickly shut down. The business assets were sold off to pay huge fines, and the women were sold to other brothels. Among them, Amatsuru Daifu had the hardest time.

Her position as the top courtesan backfired. She was mistreated, forced to serve customers even more cruelly than before. She became a shield for the other girls, suffering greatly. She was not allowed to use protection, and when she became pregnant, the child was sold when it turned five. Her body was damaged and worn out.

She was sold to a low-end brothel, where she was treated horribly by her fellow courtesans. The customers treated her like an object. Eventually, she fell ill and was put in a run-down shack, close to death. This was the tragic end of many courtesans. It was the fall from glory.

But fate changes. Sometimes, when one person abandons you, another will pick you up.

'If you correct the book, your family will be in trouble. There's no other way. Let's pick you up from your misery.'

One day, a rich merchant's daughter visited the shack. Without saying much, she took Amatsuru Daifu away and gave her treatment.

After several months of rest and expensive medicine, Amatsuru Daifu started to recover and understand what had happened. She then met the merchant's daughter again and thanked her. A deal was made.

Now, she waits.

"The item you requested has arrived."

A servant with a slightly cold tone opens the shouji paper door. She bows, and a small figure enters.

Two children, twins, appear, both looking around nervously. They seem to recognize Amatsuru, and she makes eye contact with them.

"I picked them up from a high-class brothel. It cost 100 ryo per child."

In the dimly lit, humid basement, illuminated only by the flickering candlelight, the second princess spoke. Leaning back in her chair, she playfully questioned her comrade, friend, and Servant. She inquired about the intent behind such a roundabout act. Smiling, the addressed daughter replied.

"It's for publicity. You see, for a while, I had a hard time because of that unworthy relative. It's important to present a clean image to the common folk, don't you think? I couldn't bear it if they were to destroy my reputation."

Kayo scoffed. The world of merchants was thin on honor. Some would use tile block prints (newspapers in the Tokugawa period) and gossip to slander their business rivals and incite the poor. The once-renowned Susukiya, it was said, had been destroyed by rioters who had been swayed by false rumors.

There were countless others who envied her trading company.

Those who had lost in business and auctions, and yet still had daughters who spent extravagantly, while the trading company's books remained in the black, with sales continuing to rise.

There were those who had been expelled through internal purges, and those who had been relegated to menial tasks.

She was aware of the existence of those who spread rumors, true and false, for various reasons.

She could have responded to the slander with more slander, but that would only lead to a tiresome mudslinging match.

She decided to prioritize efficiency instead.

Saving the fallen courtesan with children... there would be no one among the decent and reasonable people who would not sympathize with this cause.

She even hired skilled painters and writers to beautify the story and spread it widely.

It had brought in a decent profit, and the costs had been recovered to a certain extent.

It was also a way to incorporate the courtesans into her information network.

The cunning of a merchant was on full display.

"So, what's the real reason?"

"A mother who would sacrifice everything for her child... isn't that wonderful?"

The princess's pointed remark, which cut through the pretense, prompted the young lady to immediately reveal the true reason.

Imagine a woman, who had known many men, wearing a collar and bowing naked before you, pledging her obedience.

The twin daughters offered as a sacrifice... for a man, it was an unparalleled spectacle to be presented with his most precious beings as an offering, to be enjoyed as a momentary pleasure.

Rather, the more beautiful the topic, the more the corruption would stand out.

"For their education? To be taken in as a skilled guide? No, it's the other way around. I will educate them thoroughly. I will bring them down. I will make them offer their daughters to me. I will make the mother train her daughters to become whores, and then I will make her declare them as offerings to me."

Kayo spoke of her plans with glee. It was a done deal, an absolute judgment. Oh, how exciting!

"It would be fun to do it with all three of them at once."

"Like three dango on a skewer? Ha, the sight of three big bellies lined up would be hilarious!"

Kayo laughed heartily, imagining the ridiculous scene. Three swollen bellies, their backsides sticking out, lying prone, abandoned as if he had grown tired of them, three withered toys huddled together, licking the residue that clung to their bodies with their tongues, and caressing each other's bellies...