"Customer, what service do you need?"
A server approached with practiced grace, leaning close to Lucien as her soft voice brushed against his ear.
"What services do you offer here?" Lucien asked. His tone stayed completely calm, even with her body pressed lightly against him. He was the kind of man who kept his composure in any situation.
"Oh my, the customer's hand is quite bold today."
She laughed sweetly, her fingers gliding over his arm like a teasing serpent, tracing the shape of his bicep, then wandering across her own curves.
A tingling sensation ran through her hand, enough to make her shiver. Lucien's touch carried faint flickers of electricity, sparks dancing across his large palm.
He paid no attention to her surprise. "Who is your top courtesan?"
He wrapped an arm around her waist, taking advantage of the moment. She looked good, after all, and he saw no reason to deny himself a pleasant moment before the real purpose of his visit.
"I am very sorry. Lady Daki is not seeing guests today."
The server answered with the weary familiarity of someone who had repeated the same excuse countless times. Men came here asking for Daki every single night, drawn by beauty and reputation.
"You can still go and ask. Money is not a problem."
Lucien casually pulled out a gold bar, heavy and gleaming.
Her eyes lit up immediately. She bowed deeply, then swayed away with a seductive rhythm in her steps.
A short while later, Lucien was guided into a private room.
The decor was refined, with warm lantern light reflecting off polished wood and patterned walls. A selection of fresh dishes sat neatly arranged on the table, their aroma drifting through the still air.
"Please wait for a moment," the server said.
Ten minutes later, the wooden door slid open behind him.
A woman entered the room. Her long hair fell in glossy waves down her back, and her exquisite features carried a blend of innocence and seductive maturity. Dressed in a kimono with a daringly open chest and long pale legs exposed, she knelt gracefully before him. Her posture was elegant, her eyes half-lidded, like a noble lady trained in both charm and poise.
No matter her appearance, aura, or figure, she was exceptional.
"Customer, why are you wearing a mask?"
Her voice was soft and sweet, brushing against the heart like a gentle cat's paw. Daki covered her mouth with delicate fingers, her large eyes sparkling as she spoke.
Warabihime was merely the courtesan identity she used here; the truth beneath was darker.
Lucien did not answer. He stood, walking toward her with quiet steps, and raised a hand to her cheek. His fingers touched her skin lightly, and his amethyst eyes shimmered with a hypnotic glow.
"The customer's eyes are beautiful," Daki murmured. She leaned in without thinking, licking her bright red lips with her soft pink tongue, as if instinctively drawn to those strange, alluring eyes. A hunger stirred in her, one that had nothing to do with desire and everything to do with her nature as a demon.
"You are even more breathtaking," Lucien said. His hand slid slowly from her cheek to her jaw. "Truly worthy of being known as the number one courtesan of the entire Flower Street. Someone as beautiful as you makes it difficult not to want to love you."
"Customer, please do not be so impatient…"
Her words stopped abruptly.
Her entire body trembled. A sharp pain bloomed in her abdomen. She looked down to find crimson already soaking through the fabric of her kimono, hot blood dripping steadily onto the tatami mats.
Confusion washed over her face as she raised her head.
The masked man before her looked at her with eyes full of tender affection, warm enough to seem almost loving.
"Pfft…"
Lucien pulled out his kukri and stabbed her again.
Blood gushed from Daki's mouth as she stared at him with pale, widening eyes. "Didn't you say you wanted to love me? So why are you stabbing me with a knife?"
"Yes, I am loving you."
Lucien withdrew the blade, and blood sprayed like a fountain before he swiftly stabbed again.
"You… love me like this?"
Daki's expression twisted with disbelief. This lunatic was still stabbing her, completely serious, completely calm.
And he was doing it with a knife, not a golden needle mushroom.
What sort of twisted logic was this?
Was her understanding of the world wrong, or was this man completely insane?
"If I do not love you like this," Lucien asked sincerely, "then how am I supposed to love you?"
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