Margaux

Whoosh!

Barb exhaled, creating a magnificent stream of fire.

She had been learning fire breathing for months and in the past week; she had become confident enough to show it in front of the girls.

I really wished she didn’t; it is dangerous, but she is an adult and could make her own choices. I still hope, she would take safety into consideration and use safe oils instead of alcohol, which I heard is a dangerous choice.

This show of hers had also increased my headache; I had six applications from the girls who wanted to learn it.

All teens.

So, of course, I rejected it.

They need to be eighteen years old before I give them permission. Thankfully, no older girl had asked for permission; they knew better than doing something this dangerous.

Barb is old, as old as me, but sometimes she behaves like a teen.

Clap Clap Chap

A few minutes passed, and the girls clapped for the last time as Barb finished, before walking toward me.

She talked to girls as she did, enjoying the attention and adorations which she came to love.

“Don’t be so disapproving,” said Barb as finally stopped beside me. “I didn’t disapprove; I just hope, you take proper precautions while doing this,” I said with a sigh.

“My skills are excellent and even if an accident does happen; I have a healing potion ready,” she said, and even took out the potion bottle from her pocket.

I shook my head, seeing that, and decided to get on the business.

“Have you informed the girls?” I asked her, to which she nodded. “Yes, they will be ready for the final assessment interviews,” she replied.

We have chosen the girls for the Owlspring, and the Master Solver has reviewed them and approved the list.

Everyone who is going is experienced. We are not sending any new girls.

The interviews are for the new girls, the ones who will make the debut the next month. Even with the opening of a new brothel, Master Silver still cares more about the establishment, wanting to be part of every process.

I sometimes pity him, seeing how hard he is working, with responsibilities from the city and business.

Though he seemed to revel in it, and girls say, many patrons have become more careful since the new promotion.

He was already one of the most influential persons in the city and now his influence had increased even further.

I wish he hadn’t taken the promotion. Carla had told me about mass assassination attempts that have been in the papers recently and the deeper reason behind it.

The girl is worried.

“How many girls do Master Silver plan to choose this time around?” she asked as we stepped into the elevator, and she pressed the key.

“All those who are ready. He wants to have more girls ready for two brothels,” I replied. She nodded and there was a silence, till we reached the top floor and got out of it.

“And what about that girl, Rayna? Is he going to assess her too?” she asked with some hesitation, and I smiled.

“She is a girl of establishment, isn’t she?” I asked back and the hesitation on her face disappeared.

“She is,” said Barb with a smile.

…

Rayna

“Don’t stress, it will be fine,” said Breve as she folded her clothes with me.

I opened my mouth to say; I was not worried, but closed it a moment later. It would be a biggest lie, to say I am not worried; even a child would be able to see how worried I am despite my attempts to mask it.

Since I came here, I have attended classes like every girl and even practiced with actors.

They have treated me no differently from any other girl, but will they let me work like other girls?

This question has been plaguing me since the day I came here and soon, I will have an answer.

“Thank you,” I said to my roommate, who will not be my roommate anymore.

“Do you want me to come with you?” she asked. “No, but thank you for offering and besides, I don’t want to you keep you away from all this,” I replied, looking at mess in our room.

Especially on her side of room.

Today, she had leveled up. Become a Lv. 20 and that came with the privilege of personal room, that every girl desires.

I am going to miss her a lot.

It is not like she is leaving the circle, and I can go meet her whenever I want, but it will be different. I am also worried about my new roommate; I don’t know who that will be yet.

A few minutes passed, and it was time to leave for the final assessment interview.

“Best of luck,” wished Breve and hugged me. “Thank you,” I said with my voice being more emotional than I like to be.

I let go of the hug after few seconds and walked out of the room.

I was feeling so nervous, so much, that I wanted to go back to my room and hide in the sheets.

I didn’t have to do an interview, Madam Margaux had hinted, that if I didn’t have an interest in working in the establishment.

This offer isn’t special to me. It is an open offer for everyone.

I got out of my suit and walked toward the elevator; some girls on my floor joined me. Nodding nervously; they too are going for the interview.

Soon, I stepped into the elevator and a few seconds later, the elevator stopped at the top floor. The interviews are being held here and there are already girls there; not many, seven.

The interviews are being conducted in batches; twelve people in each batch.

As I moved toward them, the girls looked at me. Some waved, while others whispered among themselves. I listened to those whispers, even though I shouldn’t.

Not because it is bad to listen to the private conversation of other people, but because most of the whispers are about me.

It would sour my mood.

It is too late; I am listening, and it is not making me feel, but I don’t care.

I was in a sour mood when I saw a blond girl coming toward me. She is smiling as always, but since she came here, the smile on her face has been extra bright, like everything else about her, but now, I am also seeing a lot of nervousness on her face.

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“Rayna, how are you doing? I am feeling really nervous; I want to be selected. I really hope Master Silver would select me; there are so many things I want to buy,” she babbled nervously.

A few months ago, such a scene would have been hard to believe. People come to this profession in desperation, nobody want to be in it with their free will.

Here they are and it is not that hard to believe, seeing the money.

It is not just about the money.

Here, the girls wore dresses stitched with magical threads, jewellery that they could never afford past and education they have only dreamed about, not to mention magic.

These things have instilled the confidence in them, they never had. Making them feel like, they are more than whores.

At exactly four, the door opened, and a teen girl walked out holding a clipboard and turned to us with serious expressions. She had become much better at them in the past few months.

Now it is very hard to tell that she is acting.

It also helps that that she is gaining the air of authority that came with responsibilities, becoming a proper madam, every day.

“Hope all of you are ready? If anyone is nervous, I can put you into the next batch?” asked Madam Gloria, but nobody said a word.

“Since everybody is ready, I will call the first name,” she said and looked at her clipboard.

“Arna Mads,”

She called out Arna’s name, and the blond girl shook, before taking a deep breath. “Pray for me,” she said with a nervous smile, before walking toward the door.

Click!

The door closed behind her, and it remained closed for ten and a half minutes before it opened, and Arna walked out.

“Verni Husk,”

Immediately, Madam Gloria called out the second name, while the girls asked Arna about what had gone there.

Ours isn’t the first badge that is going for the interviews. Eight had gone before us and I have a complete list of questions in my diary. 80% of the questions were the same for every girl and I have already prepared answers to them.

“How was it?” I asked as Arna reached me. “I think I had messed up,” she replied in a small voice. “I had stumbled a lot when I tried to give those memorized answers,” she replied.

“Did the Master Silver say you have failed?” I asked her, to which she shook her head. “Then maybe you have a chance,” I said, which seemed to lift the mood of the girl.

I talked to her for a few minutes before she left.

Verni came out a little over ten minutes later and the name of another was called out and then another.

“Rayna Sable,”

I was so engrossed in snooping that for a moment I wasn’t able to react when my name was called out.

‘Good start, Rayna,’ I scolded myself as I moved toward the door before walking inside.

Inside was a beautiful room, painted with a soothing green color. I only glanced at it, before focusing on three people sitting behind a long white table.

There are two women and one man; the woman on the left, Madam Carla, the woman on the right, Madam Mena, while in the center is Master Silver.

I stopped my wheelchair middle of the table; there were no chairs behind, they seemed to have intentionally removed them for my convenience.

For which I couldn’t help but feel grateful; it also eased my nerves.

“Master Silver, Madam Carla, Asst. Madam Mena,” I greeted in a polite, but not subservient, tone, as that scary old woman taught me.

Madam Barb had said that the interview starts the moment one steps into the room and our answers won’t be the only deciding factor here.

“Miss Rayna, how are you?” asked Master Silver, who looked so young. I had seen him before, but from a distance. It’s the first time I had seen him face to face.

His accomplishments didn’t match his age; they made him seem much older.

“I am good, Master Silver,” I replied and felt relieved that my voice came out even. I wanted to use my skill but decided against it.

However, I heard many girls use it and Madams had said it would be our choice, if we wanted to use them or not, in the final interview.

“It seemed like you have varied interests. Reading, sewing, knitting, and even painting. Your teachers had praises for you and also Madam Carla,” he said, looking at the papers in front of me.

“Thank you, Master Silver,” I replied.

He smiled before his eyes turned serious as he looked directly into my eyes. It is not a fake serious face like Madam Gloria, no, it is real.

He is series.

“Tell me why you want to work in the establishment when you have the choice to serve your contract the other way?” he asked.

This question could easily be assumed, that he is referencing my condition and implying I should choose to serve the contract another way.

It is not. He had asked this question to others, word by word.

I opened my mouth and read the answer I had prepared for Mind Diary, but stopped and closed my eyes. Seeing those dark eyes, I felt like they could see through everything; if I read the answer, he would know.

I didn’t speak for several seconds, and they didn’t seem they were in a hurry; they looked at me, without even a hint of impatience.

“I have worked in a brothel, where we were treated worse than the animals. So much so that it is responsible for my current physical state. I want to experience the place where I am treated like a human.”

“I also want to work because I want to find my worth. My physical condition had imprinted me with a feeling of worthlessness. I hope to get rid of that,”

“I also want to earn money; I heard it is pretty good,”

I answered, bringing a smile to their faces with a last sentence.

“You have heard many things and seen they with your eyes, but they can be deceptive, Miss Rayna. The establishment is not sunshine and roses,”

“Here too, you might experience things that you wish to forget,” said Master Silver, stating the reality of business in a few works.

“I understand the reality, Master Silver, but I still wish to work,” I replied.