Chapter 136: The Owner of Warabihime
Over the next two weeks, the gates of the Asakusa mansion remained tightly shut, keeping the estate sealed off from the world.
Not only did no one come or go, but even the Trio (Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke) were turned away when they came by for a visit.
Only the occasional faint cry of agony reminded anyone passing nearby that there were still people alive inside the mansion.
Until today, half a month later, when a middle-aged couple arrived by invitation.
They advanced with hesitant steps, glancing over their shoulders again and again, clearly terrified of this "haunted house" that, as the rumors went, often had screams pouring out of it.
When they reached the gates, they hesitated for a good while, until at last a trembling hand reached out and pressed the doorbell.
Ding, Dong.
The sound rang out with a peculiar clarity in the quiet of the afternoon.
A few moments later, someone came out to greet them.
It was a young woman in a white kimono. Her hair, a silvery white, cascaded down to her waist, and her crystalline skin had a rosy tint that radiated health under the sunlight.
The couple stood there stunned at the sight of her.
And, out of professional habit, the two of them immediately set about mentally appraising her features.
But despite having dealt with countless beautiful women throughout their lives, the young woman before them left them speechless. With such bearing and such beauty, she would have earned the title of Oiran with ease, whether in the Yoshiwara Red-Light District or in Kyoto itself.
"Are you Lady Omitsu and Master Nagabe?"
Omitsu, Nagabe... Indeed, they were the owner and the manager of the Kyogoku House, a renowned brothel in the Red-Light District. In other words, the very establishment where Daki—or rather, the Oiran Warabihime—resided.
And today it had been Marcus who invited them to his home.
At the question, the two bowed in unison, their manner exceedingly humble.
"That’s us."
"The master is expecting you." Pearl returned a slight bow. "Please, come in."
The couple exchanged glances and stepped inside, their bodies trembling with fear.
As they crossed the front courtyard and made their way through the hallways, everything they saw only deepened their astonishment. A three-story Western-style building, a matching fountain, an immaculate garden, and an enormous, majestic carriage made up the scene.
Such luxury stood in complete contrast to the tales of spine-chilling screams. As expected, those rumors had to be nothing more than slander born of envy toward such a wealthy man.
"Master, the guests have arrived."
Pearl pushed open the door to the sitting room and stepped aside to let them through.
The couple took a deep breath, straightened their clothes, and entered.
And the instant they crossed the threshold, astonishment struck them all over again.
In the room, a young man occupied the seat of honor with a cup in his hands, watching them with a broad smile.
That man at the center had to be... Master Marcus.
Even so, both of their attention drifted helplessly toward the women surrounding him.
The one on the left wore a purple kimono and gave off a gentle, elegant aura. Her beauty was simply dazzling: an almost divine loveliness, heightened by a calm and serene bearing, exuding a charm forged by experience and far beyond her apparent youth.
The one on the right was a little girl curled up in Marcus’s arms. She wore a pink kimono and held a tub of ice cream, the little spoon still in her mouth, as she tilted her head to look at them with curiosity. Her skin was flawless, and her big eyes made her downright adorable.
In time, that little one would grow into a great beauty as well.
Even the silver-haired woman who remained kneeling off to the side, serving the tea, possessed a stunning beauty and an exceptional figure.
All at once, everything felt unreal to the couple.
This household overflowed with beautiful women on all sides. Any one of them had more than enough to become the main attraction of the Kyogoku House. They had run a brothel for nearly their whole lives, and their finest courtesans looked like plain peasant girls next to these women.
Well, except for "her"...
"Lady Omitsu, please, have a seat."
Marcus’s voice cut through their thoughts.
He deliberately passed over the husband, because he knew full well that the true owner of the Kyogoku House was Omitsu. Her husband was nothing more than a man who had married into the family.
Coming back to herself, Omitsu quickly tugged her husband over to take a seat and put on a slight smile.
"Master Marcus, please just call me Omitsu. I wonder to what we owe the honor of your invitation."
No matter how much their Kyogoku House passed for a top-tier establishment throughout all of Yoshiwara... before truly wealthy people, they were nothing but a madam and a pimp. They were in no position to put on airs.
Marcus set the cup down on the table, with a most harmless smile.
"Very well, Omitsu. I called you here today because there’s a matter I’d like to discuss with you."
"It would be an honor." Omitsu hurried to answer, never letting go of her fawning smile. "You need only give the order, sir."
Marcus gestured to Ivy at his side. "Pour them some tea, please."
With a couple of quick movements of her fingers, Ivy filled two cups for the couple. The grace of her gestures and the composure of her posture betrayed top-tier training.
Omitsu watched her, then let her gaze drift over the other two women beside Marcus, and suddenly an idea crossed her mind.
’Could it be that... Marcus-sama has taken a fancy to one of the girls from my house?’
’Although, compared to these women, mine... Could it be that he’s looking for "her"?’
"I understand a new Oiran recently arrived at your Kyogoku House," said Marcus. "And from what people say, business is going wonderfully."
Omitsu’s mouth fell open. ’I was right!’
’Marcus-sama has set his sights on Warabihime!’
But the moment she thought of Warabihime, her face darkened with worry.
"Sir, to be honest with you, that new Oiran... is very picky with her clients. Since she wasn’t raised in our establishment, the hold of our contract over her is rather loose. If you wish to claim her... I’ll have to go back and negotiate it with her first."
Marcus smiled. "Picky with her clients, and yet she makes business thrive so much?"
Nagabe, the husband, hurried to explain. "Sir, you may not be aware, but once a woman reaches the rank of Oiran, turning down clients brings in even more profit. The fees for introductions, for gifts, and for serving drinks are what bring in the bulk of the income."
"Heh, scarcity raises the value of things... People are willing to pay anything for what they desperately crave and can’t manage to obtain."
"What wise words, sir."
Omitsu let the compliment fly first and then quickly added: "Then, sir, we’ll go back right away to speak with Warabihime, and we’ll do everything in our power to see that she returns your affection."
"No rush." Marcus waved his hand. "The reason I summoned you today goes well beyond a simple introduction to an Oiran."
"...Is that so?"
Omitsu was puzzled for a moment, then asked, now with urgency: "I’m a bit slow on the uptake, sir; I beg you to tell me plainly, without beating around the bush."
Seeing them so bewildered, Marcus smiled mysteriously. "I intend to become the owner of Warabihime. I want to buy your Kyogoku House."
!!
Omitsu froze.
Her husband reacted with the very same shock.
"S-Sir, you... you’re serious, right?"
"I’m always dead serious."
"But..."
"Speak your concerns freely." Marcus took up the conversation again. "We can talk it over calmly, don’t you think?"
Omitsu regained her composure and hurried to respond. "Master Marcus, the Kyogoku House is our family’s legacy, passed down from generation to generation—three of them now..."
"One hundred thousand."
"This... is something that goes beyond money..."
"One hundred twenty thousand."
"Master Marcus, please, hear me out..."
"One hundred fifty thousand."
Omitsu’s mouth twitched.
Setting aside the fact that she had not the slightest intention of selling the Kyogoku House, even if she had wanted to, one hundred fifty thousand fell far short of the figure she had in mind.
"Sir, at this moment it is my wish to keep the Kyogoku House in my own hands." And then she gritted her teeth and worked up the nerve to push further. "And besides... should it come to selling it, you ought to know that the Kyogoku House is one of the finest establishments in all of Yoshiwara. The price would comfortably exceed five hundred thousand..."
At such a figure, Marcus let out a low chuckle. He picked up his cup and started sipping his tea without any hurry.
"Lady Omitsu." The one who spoke then was Pearl, now positioned beside him. "Those words only serve to fool the unwary."
Omitsu’s expression shifted slightly.
"I reviewed the deeds to the Kyogoku House," Pearl went on. "It’s true the land is spacious. But... have land prices in Yoshiwara shot up? No. And what kind of place is Yoshiwara? A gathering spot for all sorts of people, crawling with women of the night. What respectable family would buy land there?"
"The only thing you can do in that area is open a brothel. And yet, that market is already saturated, with fierce competition all around. So the land of the Kyogoku House is worth, at most, eighty thousand."
Omitsu opened her mouth. But not a single word came out.
That... was the plain truth. Indeed, land in Yoshiwara wasn’t worth much.
"Adding in the building, the renovations, and the furnishings, the whole thing comes to no more than one hundred thousand. My master is offering you one hundred fifty thousand. A more than generous amount."
Omitsu lost her breath for a second, then quickly rushed to defend herself. "S-Sir, the thing is, that calculation starts from flawed logic. If we’re talking about only the land and the building, what you say is entirely true. But the most prized assets of a business like ours are something else altogether."
"The most valuable thing in our house lies in the indenture contracts of the girls in our charge, and in the agreements we hold with the Oiran."
Marcus nodded. "I understand. In that case, I’ll add another fifty thousand. Two hundred thousand, and we close the deal!"
Omitsu fell silent.
Her husband, on the other hand, felt a spark of rage flare in his eyes.
Did this guy take them for a pair of beggars?
Not even counting the others, the contract with Warabihime alone was worth far more than that pittance.
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