A change of plans

If you don't come up with a solution by then, there's no telling what will happen to your mother," she went on in a threatening tone. "Am I understood?"

I didn't respond, just looked at her in disbelief. How can she suddenly change her mind like this and make impossible demands? A part of me wanted to yell and retaliate about how unfair this was.

Suddenly the large scary bodyguard that stood close behind her came forward and intimidatingly stared at me. A shiver went my spine, and I swallowed hard. 

"Am I understood?" she repeated herself.

My mouth quivering, I responded, "Yes, Madam Kona."

She was basically telling me I was going to become a courtesan one way or another, whether I liked it or not.

"Good girl," she said with an evil smile. "Now I don't want to see you in this office to receive any more payments from you unless it's the 500 I asked for or unless you want to tell me you've decide to become a courtesan."

She then leaned forward at her table. "For example, you can tell me even now that you've decided to become a courtesan."

Her cruel smile widened as she looked at me expectantly, awaiting my reaction. Trembling, I remained silent. To which Madam Kona began to laugh.

"I'll come to you when I've made a decision," I told her.

As I walked away, I felt tired, scared, and frustrated. Even more than the work I'd done all day. Where had this come from? Why had she suddenly changed her mind on how she wanted the debt to be paid? Because I had turned 21?

This had not been at all how I expected the night to go. I had been so excited before about it being the end of the month and receiving my salary so I could make my usual debt payment. Only for the madam to completely blindside me.

There were four months left until the end of the year. I had until then to decide. What was I going to do? How was I going to get out of this? There was no way out of this. It was either I comply or who knows what would happen to my mother.

As I got further away from the office and closer to the entrance hall of the brothel, sounds of the courtesans and customers grew louder. I didn't know whether I should cry or laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation.

"Mera, how are you?" someone said to me. I was brought out of my thoughts and looked at the person.

It was Yula, one of the brothel courtesans, who had greeted me. "I wanted to let you know I had dinner with your mother as usual and she should be either sleeping or knitting something.

I squinted not in the mood to talk to anyone after the harrowing news Madam Kona had given me.

"Thank you, Yula," I manage to say to her.

 She was a beautiful woman in her early thirties with long red-dyed hair, soft facial features and olive skin. She was one of the most popular courtesans in the brothel and a close friend to me and my mother.

"Hey, you look a little pale is everything alright?" she asked me, noticing something was wrong.

My lips pressed into a thin line. She had caught me at a bad time.

"Is it Madam Kona? she asked taking note of the direction I had come from.

I remained silent and debated whether I should tell her or not. 

"She wants me to become a courtesan," I decided to share.

It took a moment for as she processed what I said before she reacted. "What?! That's crazy Mera, but why?" she asked me.

"She says I'm taking too long to pay off my debt and is tired of waiting. She says I either increase the amount I pay her or become a courtesan."

"She's trying to trap you," she reiterated to me.

I nodded in agreement. I was already aware of this as I looked at her.

"I'm so sorry. What are you going to do?" she asked me.

"I don't know," I told her.

"And your mum, are you going to tell your mum?" she asked.

"I don't know," I told her. There was no way I could tell her just yet. Not while I was still processing the information myself.

"Yula please keep this between us for now until I figure things out," I begged her.

She nodded her head. "Of course," she responded.

It was then that our conversation was interrupted by loud screams from a short distance away.

"What's going on over there?" I asked about the courtesans huddled in a group by the end of the hallway.

"There's an odd guest that's here," Yula responded.

"Odd?" I repeated wondering what that meant.

"It's a noble that started coming last week. He's mysterious and no one knows who he is. However, he is apparently extremely handsome and pays a lot," Yula went on.

"It's my first time hearing of this," I told Yula.

"Probably because you don't stay for long in this area when you come back from work. You enter and go straight to your quarters, usually," she told me.

That's true I didn't care or know too much about the customers here.

"I suppose, but why are they huddled together like that?" I asked.

"They're huddled because they're hoping to get chosen by him for the night. He's only been choosing high-end courtesans though,"

I hadn't seen the courtesans this excited for a customer in a while, whoever he is, he must be quite handsome.

 "Oh, so have you been chosen?" I asked.

"No, not yet," she replied. "But I certainly wont run to fight for him like that, if he wants me he'll call for me," she said pridefully.

I laughed at that.

More excited shrieks came from the group of courtesans.

I scoffed, I felt like I was back at the Mozaki estate where all the servants would be crushing on Young Master Kaizen.

"Alright then, I'll see you tomorrow, Yula," I said goodbye to her feeling tired. I just wanted to rest for the night now.