The World Is Mine For The Taking

Much later, I found myself in the city of Pleasure, adorned in my finest attire—a simple garment my mother had gifted me, purchased with her hard-earned coin when I first gained admission to the academy. Despite its modest cost, I couldn't shake the guilt of potentially tarnishing such a cherished gift by using it for less than honorable purposes.

But necessity drove me forward; I needed to earn a living, even if it meant selling my very soul.

Eventually, I arrived at a brothel where I sought employment. Entering the office, I presented the paper containing my information to the proprietor—a stern-looking old woman with heavily lined features, her lips painted with thick red lipstick.

"Zeruel, huh? Yeah, I don't like your name..." she remarked, squinting at the paper. "It's too boyish. Men won't be eager to fuck a woman with a name like that. Let's change it to something more appealing, like Catelyn," she declared.

Well, that's fine with me. Actually, it's even better. I wouldn't want to be sleeping with different men every night while they call me by my real name. That wouldn't sit right with me. Plus, I don't want anyone from the academy finding out either. If word got out that a prostitute named Zeruel was on the scene, they'd start digging, and if they discovered it was me, I'd be kicked out of the academy.

I can't have that.

"And you're a virgin, with no dating history... Hmm... Alright. Your manners could use some work to be a proper prostitute, but I'll list you anyway. Your virginity will go for 5 gold coins, with one coin going to us and the remaining four to you. But let me ask, are you absolutely sure about this?

None of the girls who've done this have had a bright future. Some even ended up in despair. You still look pretty young. There must be something driving you to this as a last resort, but I have to ask, are you sure you want to go through with it?"

Was I really sure about this? No, truth be told, I wasn't. Like any other woman out there, I yearned for a proper romance. Selling my body like this would only push that dream further away. But with my mother's life hanging in the balance, I had no choice but to grit my teeth and bear it.

After a moment of hesitation, I replied, "I'm sure. I'm absolutely going through with it."

Seeing the determination in my eyes, the old woman sighed. "Alright, if that's what you want. Let's get you started then. From today onward, you're a part of Midnight Passion's lineup. You'll be working here every night as one of our products. Just wait here for a moment," she instructed before rising from her chair and heading to the door.

"Karina!" she called out, and someone quickly responded.

"Yes?" came the prompt reply.

"Help Catelyn get dressed. She'll be starting work tonight," the old woman ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!" Karina replied enthusiastically. She then guided me to where the dresses were kept. When I laid eyes on them, my jaw dropped. The dresses were crafted from luxurious silk, and even though I wasn't affluent, I could tell they were pricey. But what truly shocked me was their revealing nature. They were designed to showcase a lot of skin.

"Choose whichever dress you like," Karina instructed. "But remember, you can't take them home. They belong to the brothel."

"Y-Yes..." I stammered. Approaching the rack of dresses, I tentatively reached for one. My hand settled on a maroon-colored dress, so thin and skimpy it might as well have been a negligee.

"Nice choice!" Karina exclaimed, clapping her hands with approval. "I made that dress myself!"

Sure, it was impressive that Karina had made the dress herself, but was it really necessary for it to be so revealing? Well, I supposed it was only natural. After all, these dresses were meant for prostitutes. After a brief internal debate, I resolved to put on the dress. Delaying now would be no different than hesitating to save my mother.

Karina stepped out of the dressing room to give me some privacy, and I slipped into the dress. As expected, it was incredibly thin, almost like wearing nothing but a negligee. It felt uncomfortable, barely covering my body and leaving little to the imagination. Clearly, it was designed to show off as much skin as possible.

After stepping out of the dressing room, Karina's face lit up with excitement as she beheld me in the dress she had crafted. After scrutinizing me from every angle, she exclaimed, "Okay! Let's get you dolled up with some makeup!" She eagerly brandished a makeup kit she had on hand.

As she applied the makeup, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was making a mistake. No, it was more than a feeling—it was a certainty. But what other choice did I have?

***

Leon's POV

At the Midnight Passion brothel, I was with Martha. We had visited multiple times hoping she might remember something, but she couldn't recall a thing, even though we were in the very place where she used to work as a manager.

Amon explained that Martha's health wasn't deteriorating physically; it was her memories that were missing. Fortunately, she hadn't turned into a shell of herself, devoid of memories and emotions. Martha still retained her emotions, even though she couldn't walk and relied on a wheelchair.

When the old lady who taught etiquette to the trainee prostitutes saw Martha in her wheelchair, completely devoid of memory, she broke down in tears.

I confided in her that Norman was responsible for Martha's condition. I assured her that Norman was no longer a threat and wouldn't be able to harm them anymore. When I mentioned that I had taken care of Norman, the old lady was momentarily at a loss for words, but she quickly expressed profuse gratitude for my actions. However, I could sense a tinge of sadness in her demeanor.

It wasn't hard to guess why. This old lady was likely Martha's and Norman's grandmother. Despite Norman's despicable nature, she still saw him as her grandson, which explained her mixed emotions.

I apologized to her for my actions, but she reassured me that it was fine. In fact, she expressed gratitude that Martha was safe and alive, despite her lost memories. It seemed that even without her memories, Martha still interacted with her grandmother as if nothing had changed. Perhaps it was the familial bond that allowed them to connect so effortlessly.

Whenever I had free time, we would visit the brothel together so they could spend time together. However, this time, I had another agenda in mind.

I discussed my plan with the old lady, whose name turned out to be Ville Amarathea. When I explained my intentions, she hesitated, expressing her reservations. "Honestly, I don't think I can bring myself to put that girl on the shelf. I understand why she wants to do it, but I don't believe it's a wise decision. My conscience wouldn't allow me to put her into prostitution.

I'm relieved that you're stepping in to help her," she admitted.

"Well, she's in the same year at the academy, and we have a bit of history together. I believe she'll regret this decision someday, so I've come to offer my assistance," I explained.

"Thank you, really. Well then, I'll let her know she's accompanying a man tonight who's paid in advance," she said before standing up and leaving the room.

After a while, a timid woman entered. She wore a thin fabric dress, her face heavily made up, and her hair tied in a ponytail with a flower-patterned hair tie. As she entered, she instinctively covered her body with her arms, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

However, as soon as she saw who was inside, her eyes widened, and the color drained from her face, leaving her pale.

"W-What are you doing here?!" she exclaimed, her voice a mix of confusion and shock.

The woman who entered was Zeruel.

As far as she was concerned, those in the academy weren't allowed to step foot in establishments like this or indulge in the services offered here. Doing so could lead to expulsion from the academy.

I responded matter-of-factly, as if her presence didn't faze me. "What do you mean, what am I doing here? I came to have some fun for the night. What else?"

"F-Fun? W-Wait, aren't you dating Princess Titania already? So why are..."

"Titania said I can do whatever I want," I interjected. "More importantly, are you the girl who'll be accompanying me? If so, what are you doing just standing there? Come here."

"You..." she growled at me. "And here I thought you were somewhat of a good guy. I can't believe I'm considering apologizing for what I said back then when you said those things to me."

She was referring to my confession back then. So she was considering that, huh? That's probably the reason why she was always looking my way.

While she stood there, not approaching me, I activated the skill I copied from Gabrielle, "Guardian."