Days went by in the usual routine, but Aika couldn’t help but notice the several stares at her whenever she walked by. Even her servants were scrutinizing her. Idiots, she wasn’t going to let anyone get to her. Aika dressed for the day and entered the corridor to serve her patrons, but someone rushed into her on the way. “Are you ok?” she asked politely, continuing her façade.

“Ah, sorry for disturbing you. I didn’t mean to…” a timid voice said hesitantly. With her head lowered, she strolled away. “Was that…Mei?” frowned Aika. Maybe she wasn’t seeing it correctly.   

Walking to a private room, she overheard servants whispering amongst themselves.

“Has she been looking a bit tired lately?”.

“I heard she’s been using something unusual to maintain her skin.”

“Aika’s beauty is still there but doesn’t glow like she used to.”

Those words were like poison to Aika. Her heart sank, but she put up a strong front, pretending she hadn’t heard their conversation. She was busy, unlike the others. She gritted her teeth and arrived at a private room, finding three men waiting for her on the bed. “This isn’t what we agreed on,” she scoffed.

“Well, I can add as many as I want. I’m your patron”, a man with a clumsy beard retorted. “I thought I informed your master. You listen to his orders, right? Now strip”, he said, grinning with lust.

Aika took her clothes off one by one and got to work. These men were easy to deal with, but why did Yoshio flash in her mind with his indifferent look? Two men took her in turns while the third watched from the corner, getting his fill just from watching. She had seen worse.

Minutes later, Aika left the room, leaving the satisfied men on the bed gasping for air. She walked back to her room to freshen up before she started serving drinks for the day. She sighed as she walked into her bathroom, undressing herself.

Laying in the bathtub filled with warm water, she wondered why she was being affected by that man Yoshio. He had been visiting the Pavilion every morning, but he was never arrogant in front of her, nor was he infatuated with her. Why does it matter? She scolded herself. He’s a man; they’re all the same. But even as she tried to dismiss the thought, her heart beat a little faster. There was something different about him.

Aika stood up, water dripping from her body, and grabbed a cloth to dry herself. Her servants arrived and immediately changed her clothing for the rest of the day. Aika headed towards the lobby for her duties, but she internally hoped Yoshio was still there and hadn’t disappeared. She sped up, hoping she wasn’t late.

Aika spotted Yoshio sighing in relief but immediately regained her composure. Was she in her right mind? But she was a bit taken aback seeing the previously empty table surrounded by courtesans. The other regulars glared at Yoshio, piercingly jealous of the attention he was getting.

Aika found this ridiculous. She approached the table and coughed, breaking some sense into the courtesans. “I think we should all go back to our duties,” she spoke firmly.

The courtesans instantly dispersed, and Aika could see how displeased they were. She sat down at the table. “You seem close with my courtesans,” she said in a serious tone.

Yoshio chuckled. “Don’t worry. Those ladies were enjoying our conversations and said they didn’t want to leave”, he replied, shrugging. “Not in my hands”.

Aika crossed her arms. “What was this conversation about?”.

“Oh, nothing interesting,” Yoshio said dismissively. “I was just informing them how I work in the auction house in this district. If they would like to visit, they could come”.

“An auction house, you say?” Aika repeated and was reminded of the words of the servants she overheard a few hours ago. That stung her deeply.

“Yes, quite successful, actually,” Yoshio replied with a shrug. “We deal in all sorts of rare items, luxury goods, beauty products—things that women like yourself find interesting.”

The mere mention of beauty products intrigued Aika. She felt a bit of paranoia, as if everyone had been whispering about her looks. Everyone just had to have their own opinions, she thought frustratingly.

Yoshio leaned in, noticing her change of expression. “You know, courtesan, I came across something the other day. A product I thought might interest you, given your…appreciation of beauty. It’s from an exclusive line, and it’s incredibly effective”, he whispered.

“I thought you had different views on beauty,” Aika asked.

“Yes, I do. But it doesn’t stop me from selling them. I am a salesman”, Yoshio replied.

Aika felt it was time for a restock of her products, but she couldn’t just trust the man even if he was becoming a regular at the Pavilion.

 Yoshio smiled, noticing her expression. “It seems you don’t trust me enough”.

“Ah,” Aika hesitated, avoiding eye contact.

Yoshio leaned in closer, whispering, “I work for the Kurokawa clan Auction house. Perhaps you’ve heard of it”.

Aika gasped. The Kurokawa clan? Their products were known for being…effective. She had heard of them but could never acquire their products since they would be easily sold out the moment they hit the market.

Yoshio smirked. He knew he had her.

Aika’s arms trembled hearing the news; she couldn’t control her greed in trying to make use of this man. She leaned in, trying to reveal more of her cleavage. “What is this product you speak of?” she asked.

Yoshio controlled himself from breaking out in laughter. “It’s a skincare serum from a very secretive and advanced source. They don’t just give it out to anyone. But I could get my hands on a bottle or two…if you’re interested”.

Aika smiled, just the thought of using a new product that is a smooth milky serum was too tempting. If it worked, maybe bringing back the glow to her face, she could silence the rumors that were starting. “I’d like to try it,” she said.

Yoshio smiled wider. “Of course. I’ll bring it to you tomorrow”.

The following weeks passed in a blur for Aika. She had been receiving the small, elegant bottles from Yoshio, and he emphasized how they were experimental. But she didn’t think more about it and used them immediately, getting addicted to the little bottles. She started relying on Yoshio’s approval for her appearance. His comments, for some reason, felt like they weren’t a lie and sounded genuine.

Aika excitedly, as usual, applied the products before starting her day. My skin has become more supple, and it’s working, she thought in glee. But as she saw her reflection, she almost screamed, horrified. Why? Why were there small red bumps on her temple?

She inspected her skin further underneath the light, and she could tell her skin looked dull to the point of being lifeless. What happened to the suppleness she had a day ago? Panic welled up inside her, and she applied all of her other products, hoping it would make her skin clear again.

However, no matter how much serum or makeup she covered her face with, people still talked behind her back, commenting on how her looks had changed. Even the makeup won’t fully cover up the red bumps on her temple. She decided it was time to talk to Yoshio; it was all his fault! Why did he sell her such a disgusting product?

Aika stormed to Yoshio. “What the hell did you give me! Look at my face! You ruined me!”.

Yoshio didn’t flinch. “I told you there’d be side effects since it's experimental from the start. It’ll go away in a few days. Have some patience”, he said calmly.

Aika sneered. “Patient? I look like a monster! You sold me trash!”.

Yoshio raised a brow. “Do you want to fix it or not? I brought something new. A powder to cover up the bumps on your face until it heals”.

Aika couldn’t resist biting her lip and nodded. It was just the powder she needed to cover the blemishes and bumps on her face.

“It’s just a phase. Everyone has a flare-up once in a while”, Yoshio said. “You’re still the most beautiful one here. Don’t let a few jealous courtesans get to you, number one”.

Aika nodded understanding and used the serum more regularly than ever, hoping the bumps would vanish. But a week had gone by, and her face had gotten worse. She trapped herself in her room, not an ounce of sunlight shining. She couldn’t see her face; she sobbed quietly alone.

Aika wanted to stop all these products, but she felt it was too late. How could she fix these oozing large holes in her face? If anyone saw her like this, she would be demoted from her number one position and maybe even kicked out. She had to skip today’s client’s appointments.

A day went by, and her servants began knocking on the door. “Aika-sama, the master says your clients are waiting. You mustn’t keep them waiting they’re important people”.

The master explicitly had told Aika not to make her clients ever wait as her role. Aika hurriedly walked to her mirror and applied layers of makeup, trying to hide her sores and pimples. But no texture can be covered. She felt devastated her beauty was power, but without it, she was nothing.

The servants entered the room and dressed Aika in her lavish attire. She arrived at her usual client appointment but hesitated to enter.

Suddenly, the door swung open, revealing her client, a tall man. “Look who is here!” the client exclaimed, opening the door and inviting Aika inside. “You look a bit different from the Aika I used to know,” the client said, his eyes lingering on the rough patches on her skin. “But It’ll work.”

Aika could feel the scrutinizing gaze on her. This is the reason she didn’t want to come. Everyone’s already noticing her acne. What can she do at this point? She was helpless, and after the appointment, she confided in no one other than Yoshio.

“You look different tonight?” Yoshio said.

Aika’s heart raced, even he could notice the layers of makeup she had stacked on. “I…I just had a bad day. That’s all”.

“Aika. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. I brought something special for you today, something to give you that glow back and stop the flare-ups. Just trust me”, Yoshio said, soothing her.

“Enough! I’m not using those products. They have a lot of side effects! I can’t use them, I have to stop", she exclaimed.

Yoshio, with a dangerous glint in his eyes, called over his servant. “She is someone who has worn the product. Doesn’t she have the smoothest skin?” he informed, showing a familiar girl.

“Mei? Since when did you know him?” Aika asked, surprised.

Mei forcefully smiled. “I loved the stories he told the courtesans, and for appreciation, he gave me a bottle. There’s no way I couldn’t take this tempting product, just look at how elegant it is, made of glass”.

Aika gasped. “Glass. It must cost a fortune”.

“I’ll give it to you for free,” Yoshio added.

Aika frowned. Should she give it a try once? It wouldn’t hurt. How worse could it get?

Handing the bottle over, Mei instantly vanished, saying she had to talk to Miyako.

“Good. Now, I have an after-celebration event for the auction. The most powerful people will be there. You’ll shine again, Aika. Be sure to look your best. Bring someone with you if you like”, Yoshio said, smiling.

“Sure! I’ll be there”, Aika exclaimed. Just the thought of regaining her title as the most beautiful courtesan was too tempting. This time, I’ll make sure I’m on the top, no matter what it takes.