Ren stepped in—and froze.
Filled with a soft humming—low, smooth… beautiful.
Ren's eyes narrowed slightly.
…That voice…
His gaze shifted forward.
And then—
He saw her, a woman.
No—
A damn beauty.
Sitting calmly on the bed like she owned the entire place.
Her body… perfectly shaped, wrapped in an elegant dress—deep navy silk hugging her waist, flowing down smoothly, golden patterns running along the fabric like they were stitched by some royal hand.
Not flashy and cheap the others he had seen—
Just… refined.
A thin black cloth covered her face, hiding her eyes, only her lips faintly visible.
Her long crimson hair fell over her shoulder in a neat braid, tied with a jade ornament, swaying slightly.
Her finger rested near her lips, like she had just stopped singing.
Ren stared.
…Yeah.
This one's different.
She wasn't like the others he had seen so far, a beauty incomparable to them with elegant looks. Just a perfect picture of a courtesan he could think of.
The woman tilted her head slightly as calm as it could.
Then—
She spoke softly and smoothly.
Almost like she was whispering directly into his ear.
"…Who are you?"
The old lady cleared her throat.
"Ahem—this is a VIP customer, Miss Ming."
Ren raised a brow
…Miss?…Is she some big shot or something?
Ming…Hm. What a beautiful name.
The woman—Ming—tilted her head slightly.
"Oh? Is that so…" her voice flowed soft and smooth. "Then may I ask… what business do you have here, dear guest?"
Ren said without a hesitation in his voice,
"I've decided."
"I want her to serve me today." He said with a smile in his face as he found what he wanted all along.
The old hag stiffened.
Her face twisted with hesitation. "S-Sir… I think that's… um…" she struggled for words, "…not possible."
Ren's eyes narrowed.
"Why?"
A step forward.
"It's her. Or no one."
The old lady swallowed as she said.
"S-Sir… I'm sorry, but she cannot provide that kind of service… you understand what I mean…"
Ren's expression instantly darkened carrying irritation and anger.
"…I never asked for that kind of service."
A courtesan isn't some cheap whore.
The old lady panicked slightly. "S-Sir, but still, she—"
"Enough."
Ming's voice cut in. It was calm and effortless.
"No need to worry," she said, glancing at the old woman. "If that is what the guest wants… I don't mind."
She slowly stood up.
Silk rustled—
Step.
Step.
She walked closer. Even her way of walking was elegant and soft.
Then she stopped right in front of Ren.
"…However," she added softly.
Ming looked at him quietly. "…Are you sure? Because if not, you will regret your decision."
Ren didn't even hesitate, a carefree smile on his face. "Of course. When I decide something… it's already decided."
A brief silence passed before Ming turned slightly. "…Then as you wish."
The old hag hesitated. "M-Miss, are you—"
"If that is what the guest wants, I don't mind," Ming said calmly as she stepped forward.
Then her hand slowly rose to her face—
Slide—
The veil fell.
And beneath it… the truth revealed itself. A long, uneven burn mark stretched across her face, running from her cheek toward her jaw, rough and impossible to ignore, breaking the harmony of her otherwise flawless features.
Ren's gaze paused for a moment. …That—
Ming turned slightly away, her expression unreadable. "…Now you've seen it."
She began lifting the veil again, her thoughts quiet but cold.
Men are all the same… in the end, they only care about what they see.
She turned to leave—
Step—
But before she could—
Grab—
Ren caught her wrist, stopping her in place. "…Where do you think you're going?" he said lightly, almost amused, though even he looked slightly confused at his own action for a split second.
Ming didn't turn back. "…Didn't you see? My face is ruined."
Ren blinked once, then stepped closer, closing the distance without hesitation.
"…Huh? What are you even talking about…" he muttered, lifting his hand as he gently pulled the veil down again, his other hand resting against her cheek, warm and steady.
"Who the hell cares about a burn mark or two?" he said calmly, eyes fixed on her. A small smile formed—bright, genuine. "…You look beautiful to me."
Ming's eyes trembled slightly. …This man…
Ren glanced toward the side. "You can leave."
The old lady flinched. "Y-Yes, sir!"
Hurry—shuffle—
Thud—
The door closed, leaving only the two of them inside.
[Skill - Pleasure Sensitivity Detection Activated]
Ren's thoughts snapped the moment the damn skill activated.
Tch… this damn skill… this system… its timing never fails to piss me off.
His irritation spiked.
And why the fuck didn't this ever activate before?
Ding—
[ It only activates when an exceptionally beautiful target is within range. ]
Ren's brow twitched.
"…That I can agree with…"
A pause.
Then his face darkened.
…BUT WHY THE FUCK didn't it activate when I was with Lucia?
Ding—
[ SYSTEM — UPDATING… ]
[ CURRENTLY UPDATING… ]
Ren stared at it for a second… then clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Tch… this damn system… always messing with me.
He exhaled and dropped the thought for now.
No point.
Not like it'll answer properly anyway.
Without another word, he walked over and took a seat beside Ming.
A faint calm settled in.
…Let's just enjoy this for now.
His gaze shifted slightly toward her.
A courtesan… serving him like this…
A strange, pleasant feeling ran through his body.
…Damn.
One of my dreams actually came true.
Ming moved gracefully, sleeves swaying lightly as she reached for the tea set.
Clink—
The porcelain cups touched softly as she placed them down.
Her movements were refined… practiced… every motion calm and elegant.
Pour—
Warm tea flowed into the cup, a faint aroma spreading in the air.
She placed one in front of Ren, then sat across from him, her posture straight… but her fingers slightly tense.
A small pause.
Then—
"…Are you really telling the truth?" she asked softly, a hint of shyness slipping through her calm tone. "…When you said I look beautiful…"
Ren blinked once.
…Damn.
So cute…
A faint grin appeared.
He leaned forward slightly, reaching out—
His fingers gently wrapped around her hand.
"How could I lie…" he said smoothly, eyes locking onto hers, "…to such a cutie?"
Ming froze.
Cutie…?
Her face flushed instantly.
Her mind went blank.
I—I might explode…
She looked away slightly, unable to hold his gaze any longer.
Ren tilted his head, watching her reaction carefully.
…What's this?
His eyes narrowed just a little.
There was something—
A faint glow, soft pink surrounding her like a aura.
"…Huh."
A slow grin spread across his face.
That skill…
So it's working like this, huh…
He leaned back slightly, clearly amused.
…This is looking fun, should i try to tease her and see how this will turn out.
Ming tried her best to stay composed, sitting properly, hands folded… but the faint redness on her face refused to go away.
Ren watched her quietly for a moment… then leaned slightly forward, resting his chin on his hand, a slow grin forming.
"You know…" he said lazily, eyes fixed on her, "you're actually even more cute when you get shy like this."
Ming's shoulders stiffened instantly.
"…I'm not shy."
"Mm," Ren nodded like he totally believed her. "Of course you're not."
Her fingers tightened slightly. "…I'm not."
"Yeah," he continued calmly, not even arguing, "you're just suddenly quiet, avoiding eye contact, and turning red for no reason at all."
"…That's not—"
She stopped again.
Ren's grin widened.
…So easy.
The faint presence around her flickered again—just a little stronger this time.
Ren picked up a small sweet from the side tray, looking at it for a second… then at her.
"Say ah," he said casually. "I'll show you a magic trick."
Ming blinked.
"…Magic?"
"Yeah," he nodded seriously. "A very rare one."
Her eyes lit up slightly despite herself. "…Really?"
Ren held back a laugh.
"Of course. Now come on… say ah."
She hesitated for a second… then slowly leaned forward.
"…Ah…"
Ren immediately moved his hand—
Plop—
He placed the sweet into her mouth.
Ming froze.
"…!"
Ren leaned back, completely satisfied.
"There," he said casually. "Magic."
Ming chewed slowly, still processing what just happened.
"…That's not magic."
Ren shrugged. "It worked, didn't it?"
She tried to argue—
But stopped.
Because—
"…Hmph."
Ren watched her, eyes softening slightly.
"…See?" he said with a small grin. "You even look cute when I feed you like that."
Ming choked slightly on the sweet.
"…W-What are you even saying…"
Her face turned even redder.
Ren just smiled, clearly enjoying it.
The faint warmth around her pulsed again… stronger… softer… wrapping around her presence.
He leaned a little closer, resting his elbow on the table.
"You really don't realize it, do you?" he continued, voice calm but teasing. "Every little reaction you make just keeps getting cuter."
"…You're exaggerating."
"I'm not," he said simply. "If anything, I'm holding back."
Ming didn't know what to say to that.
So she just turned her face away again.
A small pout forming.
Ren blinked.
Then—
He reached out.
Pat—
His hand landed gently on her head, fingers lightly ruffling her hair.
"Don't be angry like that," he said casually.
Ming immediately reacted. "I'm not angry…"
Her voice was softer than before.
Ren watched her for a second.
…Yeah.
How cute.
His hand lingered there for a moment longer before pulling back.
Ming stayed still, clearly flustered, but not pulling away this time.
A small silence settled between them, warm and comfortable.
The faint presence around her flickered again… noticeably stronger now.
Ren's eyes narrowed slightly, a grin forming at the corner of his lips.
…This is getting interesting.
He leaned back in his seat, tapping the table lightly with his fingers, gaze still fixed on her.
How many times can she get cuter like this…
His eyes glinted, an amused smile spreading across his face. …Time to try my main card out. he thought
Slowly—
He lowered his voice, almost like a whisper meant only for himself—
"…Use Cliché Card."