Yajima Marchant House…
After Misaki quietly slipped from sight, a different atmosphere seemed to settle over one of the grand cabins of the Yajima Merchant House. The room glowed with the different coloured glass lamps that painted the room in different shades, shifting colours that danced across the walls adding more contrast to the room. It was once painted and furnished with care by Yamato and Izumi for their only daughter, Misaki.
But after Izumi passed away, Yamato remarried Aimi, and Mizuki was born. With Yamato often away on business for weeks, sometimes even months, Aimi and Mizuki unleashed their cruelty on Misaki, wearing her down piece by piece, until the bright girl she had once been faded into the background.
As part of that torment, Mizuki eventually claimed Misaki's bedroom as her own private playground. She tore out most of the expensive decor and replaced it with whatever suited her twisted tastes. Many of the new items were bartered for mortal lives. The room became a nightly stage for Mizuki's indulgences. No one in the house found it shocking anymore. Everyone except Yamato and Misaki had learned to stay silent. Even Mrs. Yajima had never dared to speak up.
As usual, soft moans, both male and female, leaked through the walls. Among Mizuki's so-called special servants - Kenji and Sora, both of whom she had purchased for a high price from the village of Shizen No Ai in Koakuma Land. That night, the two men moved quietly through the corridors, torsos bare, arms full of liquor pots, folded opium envelopes, and a lit hookah base. They whispered to each other as they approached the entertainment room.
On their way, they passed a small storeroom near the kitchen, a space the servants had divided using plywood and a simple wooden door. It had been furnished modestly but with care, giving Misaki a space of her own, separate from the crowded servants' quarters.
When Kenji and Sora reached Misaki's old bedroom, they saw the door was slightly ajar. Kenji stopped. Misaki always kept her door shut, like it was the only barrier she had left. Sora leaned closer, clearly curious, but just before they could peek inside, a voice rang out from down the hall. It was Mizuki's call from the entertainment room.
They exchanged a nervous glance, then turned away.
Inside Mizuki's room, the scent of orange jasmine hit them like a wave. To an outsider, it might have smelled exotic, even beautiful, but to Kenji and Sora, it was the smell of suffocation. Still, they entered, closing the door behind them, trying to brace themselves for the night ahead.
Almost immediately, Mizuki's voice rang out, sharp and annoyed.
"What took you so long to bring such simple things?!"
Sora lowered his head, his voice trembling. "Forgive us, Your Highness. We hurried, but..."
"But what?" Mizuki interrupted, her tone turning dangerous. "Speak clearly."
Kenji gave Sora a small look, sensing trouble. Then he stepped forward with a soft tone and a practiced smile.
"Your Highness, please don't be upset. We would have arrived sooner, but Her Highness Misaki's door was open tonight. It's never stays open. We were just checking to make sure everything was alright. That's all."
Mizuki narrowed her eyes. Then she tilted her head and spoke slowly.
"Is that so? Well then, Kenji, go and find out the truth. I want a full report. And don't be late. You know that without you, my night feels incomplete. Now go."
Kenji bowed, set the items down, and glanced once more across the room. His eyes landed on a sight that never stopped hurting him.
Kaori.
She was another of Mizuki's slaves, but in the short time she had been here, she had found a place in Kenji's heart. Not through grand gestures, but through small kindnesses and quiet resilience. Now she was caught between three men. One was beneath her eating her Vagina like a hungry wolf, another gripped her hair- pounding from behind, and the third held her head between his shin and used her mouth as he pleases, pushing his length in and out.
Her eyes were distant. But Kenji saw it, the pain she couldn't hide. Maybe Mizuki saw it too. Maybe she even enjoyed kaori's misery. No one else would speak up.
The sight hollowed him out again. But he put on his mask and left the room, his face calm and unreadable.
In his heart, he spoke the words he wished he could say aloud.
Just a few more days. I will get you out of this. Somewhere far away. Just you and me.
Even with grief burning in his chest, his face flushed. Because it wasn't just Kaori. Every girl here was giving away her body, her mind, and every scrap of dignity just to survive. Kenji wanted to free them all.
Back at Misaki's room, the door was still open. He stepped inside, only to find it empty. Panic flared in his chest. He ran to the servants' quarters and checked every corner, but she wasn't there either.
He woke the elderly caretaker and told her everything.
She placed a wrinkled hand on his head and spoke gently.
"Kenji, calm yourself. Go back and act like everything is normal. Her Highness Mizuki must not suspect anything. Don't worry, we'll take care of it."
Kenji let out a shaky breath and nodded. Then he turned back toward Mizuki's chamber, though his mind was racing.
Before he even arrived, the sounds of moaning reached him again.
Inside, the same scenes played out. Girls and boys, men and women, tangled together, shifted around by Mizuki's demands. She didn't care who loved who. No one had a choice.
In the centre of it all, Mizuki lounged across her king-sized bed, wearing a sheer silk robe that revealed more than it concealed. Modesty had no place here. She exhaled pipe smoke with a lazy smile and ordered the servants to change partners every few minutes.
Her rules were cruel. No emotional ties. No intimacy outside the room. Any secret relationship was punished harshly. Women could bear children, but no more than two. After that, they were made to raise them alone, forbidden from marrying. And once a child turned ten, they were taken away and added to Mizuki's collection of slaves for the same twisted fate.
Even with alcohol and opium thick in the air, Mizuki's voice remained steady, hungry.
"Kenji. My slave."
Mizuki raised her right toe at Kenji, silently demanding something which Kenji already knows.
Kenji remembered something he once overheard, that life is just a story written by someone unseen, and we are all characters with our own parts to play. It felt true. Like he was stuck in a play inside another play, forced to repeat the same act over and over.
He didn't ask why, anymore. He only knew that he had to survive it. For Kaori, for everyone still trapped in that room, including his highness Misaki who also suffers every day in this house hold.
I will keep playing my part, he thought. No matter how dirty the stage. No matter how cruel the script.
With a smile that never reached his eyes, Kenji knelt before Mizuki,
"As you command, Your Highness."
He took her foot in his hands, kissed it, then began pressing his tongue through every curve of Mizuki's foot slowly up her leg, gliding it through all curves and shapes, Mizuki's back arched in satisfaction, she exhaled shakily and asked, pleasure dripping from her voice, what he had seen, he hesitated, then answered carefully.
"Everything is fine, Your Highness."
Mizuki gave a sly smile.
"Fine, is it? Then I suppose I'll check on her myself after this party ends."
Fear clutched Kenji's heart, but he didn't show it. He could only hope that the old caretaker and the others would bring Misaki back before it was too late.
Mizuki called for Sayaka, Shuuka, and Sora. The two girls pressed their lips to her body. Sora kissed her, tongue swirling in Mizuki's mouth. Kenji remained between her legs, continuing what he was told.
Kaori, not part of the scene for once, had to watch from a distance as the man she cared for served the woman who hurt them all. The silence between them hurt more than anything Mizuki could do.
Eventually, as Mizuki began to feel the heat of the pleasure, she ordered the three girls to stand back, Mizuki flip over and climb on top of Kenji like a pleasure hungry serpent. Her robe slipped off as she ordered Sayaka and Shuuka to help in the process, revealing a glowing vermilion rose tattoo above her heart. She kissed Sayaka, let Shuuka caress her bosoms, and positioned her entrance on top of Kenji's member, then slowly pushed it inside herself, swirling her hips while biting Kenji's collarbone leaving marks.
Mizuki ordered Kaori to come front of the bed and met her vagina with another girl. Kaori was forced to scissor with that girl while Sora joined them, her lips hovering on both girls' breasts, Sora start sucking each bud carefully.
Meanwhile Mizuki jounced on Kenji repeatedly until she had finished, and even then, the smell of arousal, sweat, opium and perfume lingered like a stain.
After the pleasureful episode, she dismissed everyone except Kenji, Sayaka, and Shuuka. Once the girls helped her dress in her Hanfu, Mizuki waved them away and turned to Kenji.
"Come," she said, leading him to Misaki's room.
When they reached the door, they saw it was closed. Mizuki gave it a gentle push.
It creaked open.
Kenji's face turned pale.
Mizuki gave him a sharp look, then stepped inside.
Mizuki entered Misaki's cabin without knocking, pushing the door open with the entitlement of someone who expected no resistance. The room was suffocating in darkness, the air thick and unmoving.
Irritated, she snapped, "Kenji! Bring me a lamp. Now!"
Without hesitation, Kenji bowed. "Yes, Madam," he replied softly, vanishing down the corridor.
Left alone, Mizuki stood still in the heavy blackness. Her senses, dulled by drink, began to betray her. Shadows bent and shifted in the corners of the room, forming into three silent figures, motionless but watchful, their presence oppressive.
A chill crept up her spine.
"Who… who's there?" she demanded, her voice breaking slightly.
Then, the figures lunged.
She gasped and staggered backward in alarm, nearly falling, only to collide into someone behind her.
Kenji.
He had returned, holding the oil lamp.
"Your Highness! Are you alright? You nearly fell," he said, steadying her gently. The soft glow from the lamp bathed her face in golden light. She looked so pale... so haunted.
Kenji leaned closer. "Shall I check the room?"
But Mizuki had already begun to compose herself. Her pride, quick to recover, flashed in her narrowed eyes. "No," she said coldly. "Give me the lamp. I'll see for myself who dares to hide in my house without my permission."
She snatched it from his hands and stormed back inside.
Kenji followed quietly.
The light revealed nothing unusual, just the cramped, still cabin. At the back, a small figure lay on the bed, completely wrapped in a sheet. Mizuki moved toward it, hand rising to rip the cover away but the figure stirred. An arm slipped free from beneath the blanket.
Eight burns.
Red. Raw. Deliberate.
Mizuki's eyes gleamed. A crooked smile curved across her lips as she recognized the markings. Mizuki handed Kenji the lamp as she raised her hand to strike when suddenly Kenji's voice cut through the tension.
"Your Highness, please… not like this."
She turned sharply. "You dare interrupt me? You filthy slave."
Kenji Knelt fast Infront of Mizuki. "Forgive me. But you've already ordered she go without food or water tonight. If you harm her while she sleeps and her condition worsens… even you may face questions. She's not going anywhere. I only ask that you wait."
For a moment, Mizuki made Kenji look up at her by his chin, his face looked more breathtaking to Mizuki in that dim light, she stared at him with those half-lidded pleasure-seeking eyes, then chuckled seductively.
"Kenji, my clever little slave. You're not just good in bed—you've learned the art of persuasion too."
She drew closer, dragging her fingers up his neck to his jaw, slow and possessive.
"If I ever leave this house after I marry, you'll come with me. As my personal escort. Understand?"
Kenji nodded, expression unreadable.
Mizuki's smile deepened. "Good. Now come."
She turned to leave, then paused at the doorway. Glancing back over her shoulder, she added,
"Because you spoke so sweetly today… you'll be rewarded. You'll sleep in my bed tonight. On silk sheets. Be happy."
Without waiting for a reply, she disappeared into the hallway.
Kenji stood up and stayed like that a moment longer, unmoving, eyes fixed on the girl beneath the sheet.
Slowly, she uncovered her face.
It wasn't Misaki.
It was Hina, one of the maids who had once adored Misaki in secret. Kenji had overheard the truth while fetching the lamp: Hina had volunteered to take Misaki's place. The burns on her arms were no punishment but self-inflicted injuries, offered willingly for Misaki's protection.
Kenji's gaze softened. He gave her a faint nod and blowed out the oil lamp as the room was swallowed by darkness again as if a vail of secrets fell.
Then, expressionless once more, Kenji turned and followed Mizuki into the dark, just another silent puppet dancing to her will.
Misaki devoured the bun with quiet joy and emptied the water bowl with a deep, satisfied sigh. She set the bowl down carefully and smiled.
"Sensei, thank you for feeding me today."
Mitsuo patted her head, smiling warmly.
"There's no need to thank me, Misaki-chan."
Beaming, Misaki asked,
"Sensei, may I ask something else?"
"Of course."
"Was my mother really your disciple?"
Mitsuo gave a thoughtful smile.
"Well, yesterday you didn't tell me her name, so I couldn't say for sure. But if you do…"
Misaki pouted slightly.
"I'm sorry for yesterday."
Then, embarrassed and unable to see his face, she kept bowing deeply.
"Please forgive me!"
Watching her, Mitsuo chuckled inwardly. Such a sweet girl—so sincere in her guilt.
He reached forward and gently took her hands.
"It's alright, Misaki-chan. You didn't do anything wrong."
Relieved, she whispered,
"Her name was Yajima Izumi. She's the one I love the most in this world. She visited me in my dream… and asked me to reach you again."
Misaki paused, breathing in slowly.
"And… Sensei, I saw her.... in full colours, I saw light for the first time!! She said your name, as soon as I woke up, I didn't wait—I left right away. But on the way, I was captured by bandits…"
Mitsuo's expression sobered. He glanced at her bandaged hand.
"These burns—how did you got them?"
Misaki lowered her head, hesitating.
Understanding Mitsuo asked again, gently this time.
"If it's not too much… can you at least tell me—who applied the ointment?"
"The bandit chief," she whispered.
Her hand hovered over the wound—but the pain was gone. Surprised, she touched her chest which was burned to earlier, that too had vanished.
"What… how did they heal so fast?" she said in confusion.
"That ointment couldn't have been that powerful!"
Mitsuo smiled gently to himself, he couldn't let her know the full truth. Instead, he asked softly,
"Did you pray for help?"
"Yes! Yes, I did! I prayed to Lord Akimitsu. Then… I felt something warm, soft, and gentle. It touched me like a beam of light… and after that, I remember nothing. I think I fell asleep."
Mitsuo placed a calm hand on her head.
"Then think, Misaki-chan… would the one you trusted with your prayers truly abandoned you? Would he not heal you and bring you to safety?"
Misaki whispered,
"Sensei, may I hold your hands?"
He offered them to her, and she gently took hold.
"Well," she said,
"since Lord Akimitsu is everywhere, and I can't physically hold him… I'll hold your hands instead, Sensei. I vow to devote myself to him."
In that moment, Mitsuo's arms wrapped around her. The gesture came unbidden, instinctual. He didn't want to let go—not just yet. A rare warmth flooded his heart, soft and unfamiliar. If only this night could last a little longer…
He whispered,
"If I know him well, Misaki-chan… then he accepts your vow."
They held each other in silence—until both simultaneously felt the weight of the moment. Pulling apart, Misaki stumbled in the wrong direction and began bowing towards a wall—where a huge portrait of Lord Akimitsu was drawn perfectly.
Mitsuo couldn't help but laugh at the scene.
"Misaki-chan...."
Misaki panicked slightly at Mitsuo Sensei's voice which she realized came from behind her and again with one fluid motion she turned instantly towards the other direction where Mitsuo sensei was and again with that apologetic voice she said "I am such an idiot to face opposite to you all this time" resuming her nonstop bowing action.
Mitsuo chuckled and began again
"And didn't I tell you to stop apologizing so much?"
Misaki pouted, her lips trembling slightly.
"B-but Sensei… it was my fault…"
He smiled gently and began patting her head with a comforting hand.
"No, it's not, Misaki-chan. It's okay. Just calm down."
Mitsuo gently retreated his hand from Misaki'
"So… are you feeling better now?"
Misaki nodded softly to his question.
Seeing the gentle nod Mitsuo asked again in a calm tone.
"Can you tell me why you risked so much to find me? What is it that couldn't wait the morning light but needed the urgency of night?"
Misaki sighed.
"Actually... Right after that dream, there was something I felt like I should tell you, but on the way I was abducted by a group of bandits"
Misaki paused after saying this as if remembering every second of it when Mitsuo asked
"Strange.... Those bandits, 'The Reaper's Flute'... They are quite famous for being heartless, they simply don't ever let go of their prey alive, specially there chief so why you?"
(It is said wherever they go they bring death)
Misaki composed herself and said "It's a long tale, and after a long and understanding moment of talking between us.... he let me go as if a knot that was tied around his heart got lifted"
Mitsuo sighed softly realizing he should let Misaki speak every last bit of it right now, so Misaki continued
"After letting go he assigned few of his own bandits to escort me through the forest but, the bandits betrayed me. They tried to kill me. As I said I was captured earlier, but the chief let me go. Sensei, the reason they attacked me is connected to something from the past."
Mitsuo's eyes narrowed.
"What reason?"
"My mother's death," Misaki answered softly.
"Seventeen years ago, not only did I lose my mother—but the chief bandit lost his entire family as well."
He leaned closer.
"So, if both of you were the victims in this case then what's the need for such aggression, unless… there's a third person involved. Someone who was involved to destroy both the sides."
Misaki nodded slightly, as she gently caressed her bandaged hands.
"That day, they attacked us to loot us, and because of my helpless cry… their family died."
Mitsuo's voice lowered as his gaze fell towards Misaki's bandaged hands.
"Misaki-chan, can you tell me everything? It's important..."
Misaki lifted her face slightly and began.
"I've never spoken of it until now. But I came here for this reason—to tell you the whole story."
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To be continued...