Price To Pay

All the girls were seated on their respective bed when Madame Cerise approached them with the same curt smile on her red lips. With all the dirt and blood washed away from their bodies, they looked more appealing to the eyes, neatly dressed with their hairs packed in lovely ponytails, some in a bun.

The only errors left to take care of was to treat their wounds and make sure they weren't infected by any bacterias. Getting rid of the scars on them was also another thing since their skin care is the most crucial for their job.

"Have you girls been treated well?" She asked in a sultry voice, and there was a little moment of silence shared between the six girls before they nodded their heads truthfully in response.

"Do you enjoy being treated like this? And do you like how pleasant you smell?"

They nodded again to her question, and this time, her smile faded a little, her tone sounding firm. "In order to continue enjoying this heavenly privilege, you girls will have to behave and stick obediently to my orders. So you know, this is a brothel, a business establishment where you girls will be trained to become the best courtesans in the history of EmptyHollow."

"Courtesan?"

"What's a courtesan?" The girls whispered amongst themselves, barely finding the name familiar, and a coaxing smile reached Madame Cerise's lips.

"How many of you here know how to read and write? If you aren't familiar with this type of educational service, please make it known to me today." She stated as a reminder to the six girls who immediately returned their perplexed attention back to her. "As you know, being brought up in a Village like yours and in this harsh predicament of EmptyHollow, affording a child's education has become... tight."

Her mockery was hidden by the flattering tone of her voice. "This is important to know, because you will receive free education while staying here."

"Free?!"

"Free education?" Once again, the girls exchanged whispers with undenying amazement, and that made Madame Cerise's smile broaden slightly, knowing her plan to lure these innocent girls in was working.

"You." She pointed to Samantha who sat at the end of her bed, staring and barely contributing to the excitement.

"Come here." She beckoned the girl forward with her index finger.

Samantha's weary gaze shifted to the girls who were staring at her, then back at Madame Cerise. Her trembling fingers grabbed onto the hem of her dress to stop her palms from sweating again, but regardless of her hesitation, she rose to her feet and walked towards Madame Cerise until she was standing in front of her.

"What was your name again?" With squinted eyes, Madame Cerise demanded from the girl who lowered her head.

"S... Samantha." She responded meekly, her tone soft but noticeably dry at its pitch.

"Are you familiar with reading and writing?"

With her hold tightening against the hem of her dress, Samantha shook her head slightly, and Madame Cerise acknowledged it with a plaintive smile.

"Don't you have any wish to improve your educational etiquette?"

"I want to go home." Samantha said instead, except the volume of her voice was so low, Madame Cerise had to take her time into putting the words in her head together, and for a moment, she wanted to glare at the young girl for even bringing that suggestion up, but at the same time, she wouldn't want to frighten the girl just yet.

"Listen, Samantha dear." Bending a little, she tilted Samantha's chin up so she could look into her unique emerald green eyes, and it shimmered almost unrealistically, enough to leave one in a trance.

"Do you know how special you are?" She asked Samantha, releasing her chin. "You're a very unique girl, and believe me when I say you can earn lots from working for me. If you don't believe me, you can ask the older courtesans who work here and know the merits. They'll be the ones to tutor you and train you so you can grow up to be just like them."

"But… my brother…."

"I said no!" Madame Cerise didn't let her complete her statement before objecting to her proposal, and the harshness in her tone forced Samantha to flinch back in bewilderment.

Standing straight with her shoulders squared, Madame Cerise looked at the young girls with her gaze stern, a contrast to her calm tone.

"From now on, you girls are going to be the new ladies of the Brothel. You will receive daily training and be taught accordingly. This is your new home until I say otherwise, and once you've come of age and received all the rightful training, then I shall earn my profits."

She let out a breath and then half-smiled at the girls. "Behave well, and you shall be gifted with more than what your wretched parents who abandoned you can afford. Disobey or go against my orders, there will be punishment!"

At her last statement, her gaze was fixed on Samantha, as though the punishment part served as a warning specifically to her.

When she was done speaking to the young girls, Madame Cerise exited the room, and the rest of the girls who had been silent all the while started whispering even louder.

"What are courtesans?"

"I don't know, she didn't give us enough details, but I'm sure we'll figure it out when our trainings start."

"Courtesans are prostitute." Samantha's voice silenced the rest of the girls who were about to whisper, and she turned to look at them.

"Prostitute?" One of the girls eyes widened in exclamation, shock written all over face.

"My Father always came home with a prostitute each time he went out drinking." One of the girls immediately cringed, "I don't want to be like that."

"Me neither." Another girl added, feeling a bit frightened.

"Well it's either this, or we go back being slaves." One of the girls who eyed Samantha stood up from her bed to address the rest of the girls who were in denial, and she looked seventeen.

"We get a bed to sleep on, we get nice clothes to wear, good foods to eat, and many others."

"Why stay here when we can escape?" Samantha stepped forward, unable to believe the girl. "How are you okay with this?"

"I'm not." The girl corrected, looking at Samantha with half disdain. "Unlike you who has a family to go to, we don't. Even if we escape, what's the possibility that we won't get kidnapped again? I don't want to go back to being a dirty slave in that tower."

Hearing this, the rest of the girls exchanged sad glances, finding valid points in her words. "As long as she treats us the way she promised, then I don't mind staying here and being a courtesan. Besides, they're different from ordinary prostitutes."

She folded her arms and looked at the rest of the girls. "If you want to leave then leave, but don't regret your decision when you get abducted again. We don't always get what we want in life, it took me a long time to realize that, and if we want something, we have to pay the price for it, so I'm giving up my body for this."

When the girl was done speaking, she returned to her bed to lay down, leaving the rest in a dilemma. Her words regarding price struck Samantha deeply to her heart, and her shoulders dropped.

This can't be the only price, right?