Aika had gone crazy trying different products on her face every day, hoping to be prepared for the after-party. Much hate had been directed towards Aika, who wasn’t completing her responsibilities as the number one courtesan. Still, she kept telling herself that everything would be alright after her comeback at the party. She wasn’t going to give up her beauty so easily.

However, she didn’t realize the products made her skin worse, with peeling skin and dark patches that even the thickest makeup couldn’t hide. Aika clicked her tongue, frustrated, staring in her mirror, why did her face feel tight?  

Just then, her servant entered the room. “Um, Reiko-sama is waiting for you.”

“I’ll be there in a minute,” Aika replied dismissively.

The servant rolled her eyes as she left the room. She couldn’t be bothered to deal with such a freak. Everyone was sick of her antics.

But Aika didn’t care. “I’ll show them all,” she muttered desperately. “After the party, they’ll all be begging to get my attention.” She was nervous because she knew this was her last chance to prove herself.

The after-party had begun as the grand ballroom opened. It was filled with the most influential individuals. Parties were an occasion to show off your wealth, and the crowd was excited to hear the Pavilion’s number one courtesan was attending this event. Courtesans rarely were allowed outside unless they were fulfilling the wishes of their patron. Outside, many carriages were dropping off guests draped in silk and jewels. The ladies opened their fans, and their partner guided them inside.

Yoshio, with his usual smile, approached a carriage. “Nice to see you here, ladies. I’m glad you were able to attend”, he spoke slightly, bowing to Reiko and Aika. Aika wore a dazzling dress, and Reiko beside her radiated elegance.

Aika and Reiko smiled in reply.

“Aika’s friends are always welcome, but since I’ve prepared the stage all for you. We will have to directly go backstage”, Yoshio informed.

Hearing the news, Aika was immediately elated. “Perfect. Lead the way”, she said, not looking at Reiko busking in her glory.  

Aika nodded and followed Yoshio to the backstage. Reiko, with a dangerous glint in her eyes, followed the two inside. She couldn’t believe with such a disgusting face, Aika could still get the spotlight. Just what did she have except her face?

Once backstage, Yoshio guided her to the makeup section to prepare for the stage. “You’ll be announcing the products we sold at the Auction. The guests here are the ones who bought the items in the auction, and be sure to announce them, giving the buyer some recognition”. He gestured for Aika to sit.

Aika nodded and sat down but glanced around, confused. “Is no one attending to me?” she asked.

“Unfortunately, we’re too busy and need all hands on deck for today. But I can gift you this for the inconvenience”, Yoshio said, taking out two small glass bottles from his side pocket.

“What is it for?” Aika asked.

“It’s for the flare-up you had. As a friend, I was worried about your condition and barely got my hands on this product”, Yoshio explained, handing the two bottles over.

Aika snickered, he had all kinds of products on hand. She instantly drank the first bottle without a second thought.

“Slow down”, said Yoshio.

“I’ll savor the other one then,” Aika replied awkwardly. She would take anything to fix this skin.

Mei was shocked at how easily Aika consumed such a precious elixir.

“You are looking stunning tonight,” Yoshio said. “The guests here are eager to meet you. They’ve heard tales of your beauty and grace. Tonight, you have to impress them”, he said before leaving to attend to the guests.

Aika sighed deeply, staring at herself. She could feel the layers of makeup and the texture of her skin. She smiled stiffly as her heart pounded nervously, but she couldn’t back down now.

Reiko couldn’t help but be jealous and wasn't able to take her eyes off the bottle Yoshio handed her so easily. What was their relationship? Who is this Yoshio? He looks a bit familiar, She wondered.

Aika powdered, trying to hide her face. She had to remind herself that all the others, especially Reiko, would never come close to her beauty. They never could.

Just then, the sound of footsteps was heard, catching the attention of the two. A woman with a bow in her hair and red lipstick appeared, her eyes locking onto the girls. “Who’s Aika?” she asked.

“Me?” Aika stood up hesitantly.

The woman scanned her up and down, scoffing. It seemed like she was worried for nothing. “The stage is set. You can follow me now”, she said, narrowing her eyes.

Aika swallowed hard and nodded, following her to the stage. Meanwhile, Reiko, who had been silently watching, grabbed the bottle Aika had left behind and drank it. She wiped her mouth, clenching her hands in frustration. Will I also be able to get glowy skin now? she thought ecstatically.

The lights dimmed in the ballroom, creating a comfortable vibe inside. As Aika stood behind the curtains, she was nervous, but hope stirred in her chest that maybe she would be alright. She had so many people supporting her.

Yoshio smirked in the crowd as the curtains opened, revealing Aika standing. Yoshio immediately signaled a servant who adjusted the lighting to focus on Aika’s face, shining on it. Her acne and blemishes were not noticeable, but with the light adjustment, it was all people could see.

Aika almost stumbled, feeling the stares of the crowd. Quiet gasps were heard across the crowd. The people felt awkward and disappointed at the number one courtesan. They felt she wasn’t worth the title. Some were embarrassed by what they were seeing. Aika froze in her place, clenching her hands. She could feel it—something was wrong, it wasn’t supposed to go like this. All her confidence vanished as she readied herself to speak.

One by one, people murmured amongst themselves.

“Is that…Aika?” someone whispered.

“I visited the Pavilion a few weeks ago. She doesn’t look the same, is it someone else?” another murmured.

Aika's eyes darted across the crowd, noticing their look of horror rather than admiration for her beauty. She looked at her hand filled with makeup smudges. It hit her that she was a monster, and nothing could fix the ugliness on her face.

“No…no…no…no!” Aika murmured frantically. She stumbled backward, tears glistening in her eyes. Everything she had worked for, all the countless nights she pulled for promotion, were all crumbling away.

Then Yoshio appeared beside her on the stage, smiling slightly as he addressed the crowd. “Sorry for the disturbance, ladies and gentlemen. There seems to have been a mistake. This isn’t the number one courtesan”, he announced.

Before Yoshio could continue, the same woman with the bow in her hair brought an individual pushing her onto the stage. “Welcome, the true star of the night. The number one courtesan, Reiko”, Yoshio announced, his smile widening.

The crowd’s expression changed to admiration for the courtesan’s beauty.

“The courtesan’s beauty is indeed immaculate,” a staff member murmured, clapping his hands.

“Thank god, the hideous monster is gone. She was probably the servant wanting to snatch her master’s light”, another sighed in relief.

“How typical,” another said with disdain.

"She still lost some of her beauty, though," a customer of the Pavillion commented.

The people discussed amongst the crowd. The woman brought Aika backstage while Reiko shone on the stage, announcing perfectly as instructed.

Aika collapsed to the ground, speechless, tears fell from her eyes. Yoshio walked beside her calmly as if nothing was wrong. “Aika”, he said calmly. “What’s the matter? You’ve always been so beautiful. It’s a shame…perhaps the products weren’t as effective as you hoped?”.

Aika’s eyes widened in realization. He knew. He had always known what was happening to me. She sobbed uncontrollably. She had been played, but why? What did he have against her?

Yoshio knelt before her, leaning in closely. “You were so blinded by greed and easy to manipulate, Aika, as always. But don’t worry, this is only the starting”, he whispered, grinning.

Aika lunged, grabbing his collars, wishing she could kill him, but all she could do was cry. She was powerless. Yoshio sighed, prying her hands off. “Girls are so dramatic,” he said, brushing off his clothes. “I’ll leave you to your thoughts, but do try to recover quickly, Aika. The world doesn’t wait for those who fall behind”.

With that, he left, shutting the door behind him. “Time to end things,” Yoshio whispered, chuckling.

Days passed by, and Aika shut herself in her room again. She is not eating or meeting with her usual patrons anymore. She couldn’t forget the humiliation she had faced that day. She was spiraling into madness, remembering the words Yoshio had spoken to her. The incident that transpired at the ballroom spread to the Pavilion, and her ranking had dropped to #19.

She stumbled across the room when she heard the news tearing all her dresses, ripping out all the fabric as if it were suffocating her. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, her breath coming out in sharp, desperate gasps.

She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and threw an object at it, horrified, shattering the mirror. I’m a monster. They see it too. They all see it now.

“I can’t live like this. I can’t…” Aika whispered to herself. She was nothing now similar to a pebble on the road. She was slowly drowning in her thoughts. The men who adored her now saw her as nothing more than a joke.

Just then, she heard a knock on the door, her heart skipping a beat. A cold chill ran down her spine.

Approaching the door, she found a letter on the ground slid through the space underneath the door. Her hands trembled to open the letter, not recognizing the seal.

“Dear Aika

I hear you’ve been struggling. Your once flawless skin and beauty have taken a turn, hasn’t it? How unfortunate. It would be such a shame if people were to find out how you’ve managed to maintain your beauty all these years with the illegal makeup bought at the auction houses. Yes, I know everything you can imagine. Secrets can be deadly, can’t they?

But worry not. I have an offer that you will like. Come to the empty guest room by the river tomorrow night. Alone. If you don’t…well, let’s just say the Pavilion would love to drop you further in the ranks to know more of your secrets. And believe me, they will listen.

Don’t try anything foolish. I would hate for your fall to be even greater than it already is

Sincerely,

A Friend”.

Aika’s face drained reading the letter. Who could’ve sent such a letter? The letter had a black crow drawn on the back of the paper.