My body collapsed from the pain, I felt cold and pain, but still in a state of deep sleep, it was almost as if my own body was protecting me from waking up to not feeling all that pain again.

When I woke up, I expected a cold, dirty cell, being slowly eaten by rats, but looking around, it looked like the brothel where I worked. One of the rooms where sick courtesans were isolated and left to die alone without care.

I was alone, with incense burning, the kind I used to help clients relax. There were clean towels on the nightstand next to the bed and a glass of water. I felt thirsty as soon as I saw it, but I couldn't move.

“Sister, you're finally awake.”
Through the door, a girl with long dark hair and a simple dress ran past when she saw me awake, her eyes filled with tears betraying the emotion she felt when she saw me.

My tears fell without hesitation. Seeing Hina was such a relief that my heart couldn't contain the emotion. The memory of the first time I saw her malnourished and injured on the street begging for food came to mind. At that time, I acted on impulse, recruiting her as my apprentice so I could help her. The poor girl, without many options, readily accepted to become a courtesan's apprentice, and now there was no turning back.

“Hina, I'm thirsty.”
I could hardly recognize my own voice, it was so hoarse. She carefully gave me some water, but in my euphoria at finally getting something to drink, I ended up choking, coughing, and feeling a sharp pain throughout my body.
“When did I get here?”

“About ten days ago.”
She placed the glass of water on the small piece of furniture next to the bed.
“The old lady wanted to throw you out on the street, but I begged her and said I would pay your expenses.”

“Hina, you shouldn't have done that.”
Paying my expenses would mean tripling the debt she owed to the brothel. Becoming a courtesan, especially in a prestigious house, was expensive for those of us who worked there. They charged us for our food, our lodging, our clothes, the water we bathed in and everything else, and there was still 20% interest on top of those debts.

“I couldn't let you die.”
Hina said matter-of-factly.
“You're my sister, I could never abandon you.”
Her tears fell like a waterfall; the poor girl was desperate, and it was obvious.

“I'm sorry, little Hina.”
With difficulty, I sat up and tried to comfort her.
“As soon as possible, I'll go back to work and we'll resolve this situation. We're still able to pay your debt.”

“But what about you?”

“Right now, we need to think about you.”
I was hesitant to ask the question. It was too cruel for a girl to go through the blossoming process, which was what they called a courtesan's first night.
“Has your blossoming already happened?”

“No.”
I sighed with relief.
“The old lady said that for now I will only serve as company, and when the new courtesans are ready for their blossoming, she will offer us to clients. I believe I still have a few months.”

When you are born poor and woman, you realize that you have no rights, not even to your own life. The man who was supposed to protect me, sold me like some object that could easily be discarded.

It didn't take me long to understand what I would be doing in that place, and if it weren't for my blue eyes and hair of the same shade, making me a unique beauty, since my appearance was very different from everyone else in the kingdom, I would never have become an elite courtesan. My body also developed in ways that men desired. According to the brothel owner, I was born to be a courtesan.

On my first night, men bid to enjoy my company, and in the end, a general who had returned victorious from war made the highest bid. He paid the equivalent of half a year's salary, an amount so high that it angered some of the other courtesans.

He had bought my company, but not my body; the values for both things were different. For five years, night after night, I met with mens who wanted my attention, my touch, and my body.

Most men summed up being in my company as being graced by being in the presence of a goddess, and that was how I decided that my courtesan name would be Goddess of the Moon.

A little over a few months later

“Sister, how are you feeling today?”
Hina was now dressing differently. The straps squeezed her small breasts, trying to create volume. She didn't look like the same girl who helped me every day.

“Better.”
That was basically what I answered every day. I didn't have much to say. I wasn't well, and I don't think I would ever be well again.
“It's been two months, it's finally healing.”
I removed the bandage and let her see. The Emperor's symbol was stamped on my face. I could never walk in public again. My body could now only be sold in the alleys, and even then, probably no one would want to pay for it.

“Some marks on your body are gone, that's a great sign.” She smiled tenderly, but something was wrong.

“What happened?” I asked bluntly.

“I had a client yesterday, for the first time.” Hina seemed nervous, so I stood up and went over to her.

“Hina, what happened? You know you can tell me anything.”
She remained silent.
“Has it happened yet?”
She shook her head. I knew that when it happened, it would be one of the worst experiences of her life.
“Do you remember what I taught you about incense and drink?”
She nodded.
“Use them whenever necessary. You need to delay it as long as you can. I'm going back to work and...”

“But sister...”
She tried to interrupt me.

“I can't waste any more time. Every day that passes brings you closer to a future with no turning back.”
I was once the most desired courtesan in the Kingdom. They paid fortunes just to have a few hours of my attention. I was personally chosen to entertain the peculiar Crown Prince, and now I would have to stay in the same alleys as sick men and criminals.

“Hina!”
My bedroom door opened and another courtesan of Hina's age appeared.
“The lady is calling you. The strange master is back and wants your company.”

“I have to go, sister.”
Hina placed the basin of water on the table, and in the quick glance we exchanged, I could see that she was afraid.

“Is it the same man from the previous nights?”
I grabbed her arm, preventing her from leaving without giving me an answer.

“Yes.”
Hina sighed heavily.
“He's a little strange, but he's kind, you don't need to worry.”

“Did he say he would buy your blossom?”

“I'm not sure, but he said he would spend the whole night with me...”
I didn't need any more words to understand.
“It's okay;” she tried to reassure me. “He likes to play Go, and sometimes he gets so tired that he falls asleep sitting up.”

“I doubt he'll fall asleep sitting up tonight.”
I paced back and forth, thinking about how we could reverse this situation.
“I'll switch places with you. Even though our bodies aren't alike, we can use that liquid I showed you.”

“I don't think there's any need, he's blind,” she said.

“Blind?” I gripped the hem of my clothes. “You also said he likes to play Go. What other characteristics did you notice about him?”

“He also has a scar on his hand, it looks like it was something serious.” Hina seemed to be searching her memory for the man's characteristics. “He also has a seal hanging from his belt, with the word ‘Mind’ written on the front and ‘Body’ on the back. On the back, there seems to be a white tiger carved into it.” I felt my breath falter, but I couldn't let Hina face this alone.

“I need your help to prepare myself,” she agreed. I put on perfume, even though I washed every day, the smell of burnt flesh wouldn't leave me. “I want to see this client.”

“But what about the lady? She won't allow you to be there,” Hina said worriedly.

“She'll thank me for it.” I tried to calm her down, but inside I was feeling very nervous.

As soon as I arrived at the salon, our presence was quickly noticed, probably because of the bandages covering part of my face.

It was still early, and few men were present, but their looks of disgust and repudiation did not go unnoticed. The truth is that they did not reject me for what they said I had done, but rather for not meeting their standards of desire.

My attention was drawn when I felt a strong grip on my arm. Even after all this time, my body was still weak, and the pain made me let out a small groan. “What are you doing here?” The woman holding my arm had white hair and wrinkled skin. She had once been one of the most beautiful women, even the Emperor's favorite courtesan at the time, which had earned her enough money to buy the brothel. “Do you want to ruin my business by showing up looking like a bandaged corpse?” She was always like that, but when I started making a lot of money for the brothel, she started treating me well, so I knew that if I wanted to be treated well in that place, I had to bring in money, otherwise I would be beaten like the others.

“Ma'am, my sister is not yet recovered, please release her.” Hina tried to intervene on my behalf. In general, my little sister was not that polite, but I believe that in recent months she must have realized that being rude would only bring more problems.

“Go back to the back room right now, or I'll throw you out on the street without a second thought.” She let go of my arm a little too forcefully. For a sixty-year-old woman, she was quite strong, or maybe I was just exhausted.

“Excuse me...” A melodious voice stood out above the old woman's hoarse voice. “I would like to choose an escort.” "The man who stopped in front of us had his face covered by a slightly transparent black veil that allowed us to see parts of his features, and he was wearing sunglasses. His clothes were simpler, but they still didn't hide his status and the haute couture behind them. The hat with a thin ribbon tied around it and the colored stones showed that he was part of the army in a position higher than a general, someone who moves the pieces on the battlefield, a strategist. “Which one?” The calm, melodious voice, the tender smile, and the completely harmless pose did not show who he really was. The emblem Hina mentioned was hanging on his sash. Someone like him is too proud of his position to completely hide all the details. Ordinary people would never know what that seal meant; they don't care about seals or jewelry, they care about money and how much a person appears to have, so he could safely display his seal.

“The one on the left, sir.” The tall, broad-shouldered man replied promptly. As threatening as he looked, he didn't seem much older than me. Anyone present with the slightest bit of perception could tell that he was a very well-trained soldier.

“I would like to choose the one on the left.” He put his hands behind his back.

For people who didn't know what was going on, the situation was so shocking that it generated some audible murmurs. In general, everyone was wondering if it was possible and if the man wasn't being deceived by me and his personal guard.

“There are higher-level courtesans available, master. This one is sick,” replied the old woman. She would not miss the chance to extract everything he could offer monetarily to this brothel.

“I believe so, but I'm interested in this one.” He gestured with his hand and his guard took out a small bag, which from the sound of it seemed to contain some Jin, the currency used in the Kingdom. Whatever amount was inside would be much more than anyone else would pay, so I knew she would no longer make a fuss if he tried another courtesan.

“If you...” The old woman stopped talking, as if her voice had gotten stuck in her throat. Curious, I reached in to see what was inside the bag and saw four bronze jins and one silver jin. It was four times more than she was likely charging for Hina and a hundred times more than I was worth at the moment.

“I assume this covers the entire night for both ladies.” The man's voice this time came out in an amused tone, perhaps he knew this would be the old woman's reaction upon seeing the amount.

“Yes, yes, that's enough.” Her voice even took on a higher pitch, monetary happiness was the name of the feeling she was probably experiencing. “You can use the violet room.”

“If it's not too much trouble, can we use the moonlight room? I think that might cover the extra cost of the room.” He again gestured to his employee, who handed another bronze Jin to the old woman.

“Of course, master, I'll have everything cleaned and prepared for you.” The woman hurried away. That was my old room, and she must have simply left it uncleaned until she chose another courtesan to replace me, since cleaning the room and bedding was also our job. Since I earned a good amount of money, I ended up paying someone to do these jobs.

“Finally, we can play another game.” He let out a sigh, looking relieved. “I'm so excited.” I could hear the excitement in his voice.

“Do you know him, sister?” Hina whispered in my ear.