From the shiny wooden floor to the sturdy rooftop of the pavilion, laughter and chatter leaked out from every walled corner, as if the building itself were too full to contain the noise. Accompanying it were gentle notes of music, clinking cups, and the rustle of silk garments brushing past lacquered pillars.
The place was well illuminated from the outside like a beacon wrapped in gold, allowing people travelling along the dark, crooked streets to find it easily. But inside was an entirely different story: one spun from candlelight and lust, where shadows danced like whispers across velvet drapes.
Beautiful courtesans filled every booked room, serving drinks to the guests while entertaining them with enchanting smiles and flirtatious laughter.
In fact, they did their job so flawlessly well that the Silk Pavilion quickly became the number one spot for high-ranking officials to come and unwind after only a year of being established.
It was such an impressive feat to achieve in the money-driven kingdom of Tsubiron, where competition was cutthroat and reputations were built overnight only to collapse by morning–which was why the Silk Pavilion had remained at the top of their game even to that very day.
However, the place came with its own set of problems.
In the more peaceful stretch of hallway in the bustling pavilion, a booming slap suddenly rang out from within a partitioned room, followed by a string of insults loud enough for everyone within earshot to hear.
But despite the commotion, no one seemed to bat an eye and merely continued with what they were doing, as it was merely a scene they had grown accustomed to.
"You wench! Are your eyes just for decoration?" a heavily drunk man shouted, flailing his arms in anger and nearly knocking over the tray beside him. "Didn't I say to pour me the Joru wine? Why did you pour me bean liquor?"
"I-I apologize, Chief."
Slumped on the ground was a fairly young maiden, holding her reddened cheek with tears welling up in her bright eyes, glistening under the lamplight.
"This useless hag! At least do your duties right! Look what you made me do!"
"P-please forgive me."
"Tsk." Chief Yan clicked his tongue in bitter annoyance. Being the head of Sufencounty, he had come to rest in the pavilion, along with his trusted men, after a long day of serving the lordship. Even so, these measly courtesans did not seem to show him the respect he believed was due for his sacrifices to the kingdom.
Unfair. Truly unfair.
His face, which was already red with alcohol, grew brighter with his increasing anger, marked by veins pulsing along his temple and his breath hot with fermented fumes.
But before he could go on with his tirade any longer, another courtesan seamlessly took over the situation by gliding over to his side, her movements deliberate and elegant.
"Here, Chief. Let me pour your drink nicely," she spoke in her enchanting voice like a dreamy lullaby, which successfully drew the attention of the drunken man and lulled some of the tension from his shoulders.
"That girl is fairly new here, and she still lacks manners. I hope you don't carry any bad memories of this place simply because of her impudent behaviour, kind sir," she quipped, her cadence light yet coaxing, as both her hands gracefully held the jar of Joru wine with a subtle tilt.
The coloured liquid seeped out of the narrow opening, supplely flowing down like a miniature stream over the porcelain cup and stopping just as it kissed the rim, without a single drop spilled.
Satisfied with the compliance, the arrogant man chuckled into a hearty laugh, chest rising and falling with drunken pride.
"That's right! You sure are beautiful as you are smart. But be sure to teach your newcomers well in the future. What if they end up upsetting other esteemed guests?"
"I will be sure to punish her accordingly, kind sir. Thank you for your wise concerns," she replied with a respectful bow of her head, her long lashes fanning low as she pleased the man with her sweetened words and perfectly timed grace.
Yet behind the veil of her performance, she cast a secretive glance toward the pitiful young maiden still lying motionless on the floor, and subtly gestured for her to leave at once.
Taking advantage of the rising mood and drunken cheers that filled the room like a growing tide, the girl swiftly got up and crawled out through the half-open sliding door, her limbs trembling but desperate to escape, much to the dismay of the arrogant chief who had turned just in time to miss her.
"What?! Where did she go without my permission?!" he roared.
The rest of the courtesans quickly intervened, surrounding him like petals closing around a flame, trying to soothe his irritation before it flared again.
"I believe she felt too ashamed to show her face any longer, Chief," one offered softly. "It is true that seeing her again would only dampen the mood."
"He-he, that's true." Chief Yan chuckled with slurred words, his shoulders shaking with drunken amazement.
The rest of his men followed suit in the laughter to please him even more, their forced mirth rising in volume until it blended into a discordant chorus.
Soon, the uproar and jeers resounded through the room just like before, weaving themselves into the lively symphony of conversation and clinking cups. This was still accompanied by the gentle tune of the xulin, which never stopped playing its melody despite the whole ordeal that took place.
"Don't make me see her again unless she acts proper. Hmph." He finished with a huff.
"Of course, chief. Fret not."
Chief Yan finally gulped down the drink that had been poured for him, throwing his head back in one swift motion. A satisfying grunt escaped him as the warm liquid slid down his throat, igniting his belly with heat.
His bleary eyes then began to wander lazily around the circle of courtesans, scanning the painted faces and dazzling hair ornaments, wondering which of them he should grace by spending the night with.
He contemplated his choices seriously, as if the decision were some royal decree. They were all enchantingly beautiful, dressed in fine silks, their smiles crafted to flatter and beguile.
Yet his gaze soon drifted to a lonesome figure sitting at the far corner of the room–a quiet presence amidst the noise, whose silky-smooth fingers played the xulin with deep concentration.
Even through his blurred vision, Chief Yan could still make out the elegance in the way the musician sat with a perfectly upright posture, his lean fingers gliding over the strings in languid strokes, coaxing out hauntingly delicate harmonies that seemed to hush even the air around them.
Unluckily, that person's eyes were covered with a white cloth, masking half his pale features in a veil of mystery. But Chief Yan could very well guarantee that they were beautiful underneath, as suggested by the pinkish, plump lips and the aristocratic nose peeking through the fabric.
Fully enamoured now, the greedy man refused to tear his eyes away from Haon. And just like that, the hammer to his decision fell.
'That is the one who will be warming my bed tonight,' he thought, licking his lips lustfully.