Chapter 24: Chapter 4 - Ayane, The Spirit Fox (5)
Gabrielle handled all the explanations for me. In a nutshell, my company, Leonamon – which wasn't really mine, as Amon was the mastermind behind it – was on the hunt for more workers to ramp up our production. That explained my interest in purchasing all the prostitutes in training. Martha eyed me like I was her mortal enemy, especially when I initially only wanted to buy Ayane, the spirit fox. However, Gabrielle countered by highlighting Ayane's unique appearance, pitching her as the perfect model for our product. Gabrielle proved herself to be a master negotiator, and Martha eventually calmed down, taking in all the details.
Now, it was already 10 A.M., and I stood before the prostitutes in training, asking them to decide whether they wanted to join or not. I assured them they wouldn't be forced into the life of a prostitute and certainly wouldn't become my slaves. They exchanged unsure glances, grappling with the weight of their decision. This was their chance to escape the fate of becoming prostitutes. I was confident they'd seize this opportunity, but it appeared they still harbored suspicions about me. I urged them to think it over for an hour before I returned to hear their decisions, hoping that by then, they'd have made up their minds.
Afterward, I returned to Martha's office, where Martha, Gabrielle, and the old women were gathered. Martha shot me a displeased look when she saw me entering the room. It seemed like trust wasn't on the menu.
"I assure you, I won't do anything to them," I stated. "They'll be working for someone under me, a woman, and I won't go near them—I'm always busy."
"That's right," chimed in Gabrielle. "You don't have to worry about a thing. Despite his playboy appearance, Mr. Leon here is... very trustworthy."
Gabrielle seemed to enjoy tagging me with these labels. She'd called me a troublemaker once, and I'd punished her with a bit of neglect play. When she couldn't take it anymore, she had prostrated herself in a dogeza posture, begging for me to fuck her. She'd also labeled me an idiotic master once, and my response had been to fuck her without letting her cum. Honestly, Gabrielle might just be a masochist because despite the embarrassing kinks I'd used for punishment, she still persisted in tagging me with these labels. I wondered what kind of punishment I should dish out for her calling me a playboy?
"I don't know. I don't trust either of you. I just can't... sell them. It would make me no better than those despicable slavers I despise. The thought of handing them over to strangers without any clue about their fate sickens me. Do you honestly believe I'd entrust those women to you based on the mere words you both are spouting?"
It was tough trying to convince her to sell them. Her reasoning made sense, though. I only wanted to buy one of them, not the whole bunch. I wanted to dominate that one. I only said I'd buy them all in the heat of the moment, partly to flex my wealth and ensure she didn't underestimate it. But Gabrielle's idea of boosting smartphone production made sense, and I was leaning more toward buying them all now. Still, how do we make this happen?
As I pondered how to convince Martha to sell the trainee prostitutes, the old woman chimed in.
"I think you should sell them to him, Martha."
"Granny?!" Martha looked shocked, then her eyes turned angry. "You want me to treat them like some sort of pets?! You, of all people, shouldn't be endorsing such ideas!"
"I know this might not be the ideal suggestion, but... I believe these two aren't harboring any ill intentions toward them."
"Still, I can't trust these two! I have no idea what twisted plans they might have for those women! What if they're just feeding us a load of bullshit? Sure, maybe this guy isn't planning anything bizarre, but seriously, expecting me to buy into the idea that they just want the women as workers for their company? No way in hell I'm falling for that. What if their real aim is to experiment on them? How the hell am I supposed to live with that hanging over my head?!"
"Martha, are you really okay with this, though? If they stay in this godforsaken brothel, they're headed straight for a life of degradation. It's just a week away before your brother tarnishes them."
"I know that!" Martha thrust herself up from her seat, her hands slamming onto the table for support. "But what the fuck am I supposed to do? I've wracked my brain for ideas to change their fate, but I'm clueless on how to stop my brother. He's a force, cunning. I doubt I can do anything to keep the girls from becoming tools for pleasure. So, I figured I'd buy some time by telling my brother they need training on how to conduct themselves, giving me a chance to plan. But in the end, I've got jack shit, and the damn deadline for their deflowering is staring us down! I failed to save them!"
"That's why I'm telling you to sell them to him. If you do that, they'll be liberated from the clutches of becoming playthings, right?" The old woman spoke with a smile on her face, presenting a glimmer of hope in an otherwise grim situation.
"I..." Martha's voice wavered, and she lowered herself back into her chair. Her eyes shifted, locking onto mine. "C-Can... Can I really trust you?"
I responded with a confident smile, leaning in slightly. "You don't have to trust me. But you can expect I won't pull any weird shit. I swear it from the depths of my heart."
As those words left my lips, I witnessed tears forming in the corners of her eyes, tracing a delicate path down her cheeks. It appeared that I had finally broken through the fortress guarding her emotions. A nod of gratitude towards the old woman who had played a pivotal role in this moment. She approached Martha with a gentle smile, her hand moving to pat the back of Martha's head, prompting more tears. "It's okay. You can finally take a breather from this relentless battle against your brother. Entrust the girls to these folks," she said, casting a glance at us, a smile of assurance lighting up her face.
***
We finally managed to convince Martha to buy them. I handed her the ancient coin and insisted she keep the rest. I told her to use it however she pleased, even though she seemed conflicted about taking it. After a brief internal struggle, she accepted. Returning to the underground floor, I found the women still engrossed in discussion. I decided to head back up to the first floor and engage in some further conversation with Gabrielle.
After what felt like an eternity, it was time for the prostitutes in training to share their decision. Returning downstairs, I discovered they were still uncertain. It appeared they hadn't fully placed their trust in me yet. Just as I was about to suggest they take a day to think it over, and I'd return tomorrow for their answer, a hand shot up.
It was the woman exuding that captivating scent, Ayane. "I... I want to go with you," she said, her voice carrying a hint of nervousness.
A wave of murmurs swept through the group as all eyes focused on Ayane.
"I... I'm afraid I'll be stuck in this hellhole forever if I don't make a move now, so I've made up my mind to choose him. If our fate is to become someone's playthings no matter what, then I'd rather go with this man," she confessed.
"I assure you, I won't be treating you like mere playthings."
"I'm sorry, but that's hard to believe," Ayane skeptically responded.
Was it really that hard to believe? Did I really give off some playboy vibe?
"I can smell the scent of arousal around you. And that arousal is potent that it rivalled all the men who step into this establishment."
What? She could actually smell arousal? Well, she is a beastkin, after all. It shouldn't have been that surprising.
"I have an outlet to channel all this lust, so rest assured," I calmly assured her.
I had Amon and Gabrielle to satisfy my desires, after all.
Ayane seemed to be assessing me with hesitation, her eyes delving into mine. After a momentary standoff, someone else in the group raised their hand.
"I'd like to go with you," declared the elf who had identified the genuine ancient coin. "Ayane is right. If I stay here, I'll end up being a plaything for countless men. If that's my fate, I'd rather have just one man enjoying my body. Besides, I don't know about the rest of you, but I still harbor dreams of returning to my homeland, my family. If I remain here, I fear I'll spend my life without ever setting eyes on them again. So, I'm seizing this chance," she announced to the other women. Then, her eyes locked onto mine again. "I'll become your personal plaything, as long as you grant me freedom and don't strip away my right to venture outside. Does that work for you?"
I was taken aback by her resolute decision. Well, she did mention having lived long enough to recognize an authentic ancient coin. It wasn't far-fetched that, unlike the other women, she was more mature and could rationalize the situation, thinking about the long run instead of just the immediate consequences of accepting my offer.
Ayane and the other prostitutes looked at the elf in shock.
As our eyes remained locked, I replied, "Okay. I'll accept you as my plaything. Devote your body and soul to me and only me."
With that, the elf woman responded, "Yes, master."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone