Chapter: 295
The City of Luxurious Nights is famous for its slogan: “We’ll sell anything except things that could harm a mermaid.”
In this bustling city, stories began circulating among the people one day.
“While you can buy anything in the City of Luxurious Nights, it’s said that the lilies blooming in the shop selling spring cannot be bought even for a million gold.”
Those who first heard this story were filled with questions.
If it’s a shop selling spring, isn’t it just a brothel?
If that’s the case, the protagonist of the story must be just a common prostitute; why is everyone making such a fuss over her?
However, among the curious crowd, there were those who couldn’t resist the urge to visit the brothel where the protagonist was said to be.
“Welcome! Is there a particular lady you are looking for?”
“Uh… uh…”
And those who found the brothel were left speechless by the sight before them.
There stood a beautiful flower, more stunning than anything they had ever encountered.
Those who were immediately entranced by her beauty all asked her the same question.
“Y-you… I want to buy you. How much would you cost?”
“Hehe, I’m sorry. Even if you offered a million gold, I’m afraid you couldn’t purchase me.”
Only after being rejected did they realize that the exquisite figure before them was the very protagonist of that famous story.
And it became clear why people were so passionate about her tale.
As the rumors circulated in the city, one more line was added.
“That untouchable lily is said to be the most beautiful flower in the world.”
The story of the most beautiful woman in the world spread like wildfire.
*
“Wow, how…”
“This isn’t just human beauty…”
The front of one brothel in the City of Luxurious Nights was bustling with people today as well.
The reason they gathered there was simple.
Since the brothel owner announced a boycott, they came in droves just to get a glimpse of Lily, who played the role of the receptionist from afar.
Though technically just a pretty face, Lily loved her role wholeheartedly.
After all, sitting there made her acutely aware of her own special existence.
For example, just a slight wink at the group of men staring at her from afar would trigger the same reaction.
“Did she just smile at me?!”
“Huh? Nonsense! She smiled at me, obviously!”
“Ah… so beautiful…”
The men were filled with intense, longing gazes and exclamations.
“…Tch, she’s got the whole world in her hands. Being pretty must be such a privilege.”
“…How nice. I’m swamped with customers today, and she’s an absolute breeze.”
And alongside their praises, Lily could vividly sense the jealousy in the voices of the women trailing them. How could she not feel pleased by all of this?
Lily didn’t find joy simply in men desiring her or women being jealous of her.
It was the regret and resignation that emanated from men who desired her but couldn’t possess her, mixed with the self-aware acknowledgment from women that it was understandable to feel such jealousy.
Because Lily was so beautiful, the emotions that flowed from people surrounded her with a sense of specialness and delight.
Lily felt that the words of the woman who raised her were entirely correct.
Beauty meant being special.
Though Lily had always been beautiful, her allure only deepened over time.
Rumors spread about how a wealthy merchant fell for her at first sight and even offered a million gold to buy her, only to be rejected.
It was also said that the most beautiful dancer among mermaids, envious of Lily’s beauty, jumped from the sea to the land out of jealousy.
With such tales, whether true or not, people believed it wholeheartedly, and Lily had become a beauty who could proudly wear the title of the most beautiful woman in the world.
And no one knew this better than Lily herself.
I am beautiful.
And yet no one can touch me.
I am special.
The confidence that sprouted from these thoughts only made Lily more radiant.
Lilies bloom in summer.
And having safely ushered in summer without selling spring, the lily bloomed fully, proudly displaying her beauty atop a cliff no one could reach.
“Lily, Lily! Are you there?”
“Oh, sister! Is there something good happening?”
“There is something good! Let me tell you!”
But the flower that had thought it would bloom beautifully forever on that cliff suddenly found itself plucked by the hand of someone she trusted the most.
“A prince from a foreign land has purchased you! You could become a queen! If this isn’t good news, what is?”
“…What?”
The most trusted person’s words struck her like a betrayal.
*
The owner of the brothel who raised Lily.
The one she called sister, was her only family.
Lily trusted this woman completely.
“I won’t sell you.”
She was the one who had ensured that Lily never had to sell her body.
“Of course! Our Lily is special.”
She had made Lily feel special and had told her so.
Thus, Lily trusted her words without a hint of doubt.
“…I was sold? What are you saying?”
“Oh, I see you’re curious about the buyer, right? You see, I recently—”
That’s surely why.
When Lily heard that she had been sold, she felt such betrayal.
Didn’t you say that?
That I was special, and you would never sell me for even a million gold?
But how could you say I’ve been sold with such a bright smile?
Filled with anger and betrayal, Lily shouted.
“Not that! You said there’s no price for me! Why—!”
“I said I wouldn’t sell you for a million gold, so I offered a hundred million. Hmm, I think it’s worth that much.”
In response to her outburst, a man appeared from somewhere.
His gaze appraised her from head to toe, and with a look of satisfaction, the woman said,
“Ah, there you are! Lily, this man is the prince who bought you! He paid an unbelievable sum for you! You’ll need to get along with him from now on!”
Although she spoke those words, Lily hardly heard them.
The man’s previous statement had been too shocking.
Not a million, but a hundred million?
So he bought her simply because he had the money?
With a tearful expression, she looked at the woman, who merely smiled brightly as if unaware of Lily’s feelings.
“Why the long face? Don’t worry! For that kind of money, he’ll treat you well. It’s way better to go live with a rich man than to be sold to those worthless losers!”
‘Do you think I’d sell our beautiful Lily to those losers? Even if they offered a million gold, I wouldn’t sell her!’
Remembering what the woman had once said, Lily wondered if perhaps she did this for her sake.
Maybe she thought this was what would make me happy.
That must be it.
Lily resolved to at least think that way.
*
Just because she was sold didn’t mean she would immediately leave this city.
The man who supposedly bought her, the prince from another country, was also in town for sightseeing, and she could simply go to him when called.
That night, Lily was summoned to the man’s room.
She knew she would be embracing him from now on, but Lily didn’t feel despair.
The fact that he had paid such a handsome price meant he likely had feelings for her.
A prince falling in love with a commoner at first sight—how romantic, right?
If he genuinely cared for her and treated her well, it wouldn’t be all that bad.
She could maintain her dignity too.
With these hopeful thoughts in mind, Lily went to the man’s room.
“Are you here? If so, strip quickly.”
What awaited her was the man’s hands, filled with desire.
Any notion of love was nowhere to be found in his oppressive grip as Lily had to surrender herself to his gleaming eyes.
“What are you doing? Hurry up and serve me! After paying such a huge sum, you have to show your worth!”
Lily quickly realized.
That the man saw her as nothing more than a plaything.
Feeling her self-worth plummet, she began to serve the man.
However, the gestures executed with her crumbling self-worth were merely mechanical, and perhaps due to his dissatisfaction, the man crushed Lily beneath him.
“Tch, you’re not even moving adequately. Fine, I’ll do it myself.”
“Ugh… it…hurts…”
His movements were rough.
Driven only by the desire to satisfy himself without considering her.
It hurts, I don’t like it, it hurts.
Having just lost her innocence, Lily felt overwhelming pain from his movements and shoved him away, crying in anguish.
“Resistance, huh? That’s fine. I came prepared for that.”
As Lily struggled, the man inserted something into her arm.
She felt something flowing into her body through that means.
Something strange slipped under her skin as if a bug were crawling inside.
That sensation was intensely disgusting and unsettling.
“Ah… h-huh…?”
A moan laden with pleasure escaped her lips.
“Ha-ha! Finally, you’re making a decent face. This is a strong, expensive medicine I specially got for you. Don’t worry about the side effects; just enjoy yourself to the fullest!”
It felt wrong, hurtful, but why, why—
It was strange.
His hands caressing her, being crushed beneath him, the drug invading her—all of it was wretchedly unpleasant and painful, yet everything suddenly transformed into an overwhelming sense of bliss.
The horrible sensations were forcibly swapped for pleasure, and her body found itself rejoicing involuntarily.
As she gasped for breath in disgustingly pleasurable agony, she noticed the man mocking her.
“Gaha! You pretend to be so proud, and yet look at you now! It’s hilarious to see the pretty ones show off like that and then end up like this.”
The man laughed as he ravaged Lily throughout the night.
Choking her, pawing at her body.
Though it was maddeningly repugnant, it also felt unbelievably good.
Lily cried and laughed until she lost consciousness.
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