Prologue~
The corpulent moneylender chuckled to himself as he patted his rotund stomach in pleasure. He had just forcibly received his interest from the impoverished Hong family and he could not wait to jump out of his palanquin and count the golden coins.
The night air was chilly and the silk-papered walls of his palanquin did little to keep him warm. He pounded impatiently on the roof to warn his men to move faster. Instead of listening to him, he felt his palanquin drop to the ground and heard the shuffles and grunts of his men.
"What is going on!" he pushed the door covering aside and fell back into his palanquin in horror.
"You should be more careful. It's dangerous about at these hours, Mr. Long," a cold voice replied.
"You…you aren't supposed to exist. You're not supposed to be real!" he squealed as he cowered at the tip of sword.
"You shouldn't believe everything you're told," a red smile was mocking him, "We shall take your things for they were never really yours to begin with. I hope that you've learned your lesson."
"What do you…" he protested but she smothered him and left.
The moneylender woke the next morning to the winking sunlight and found everything he owned gone. He was left in the bare minimums and horrified to see that she had left him but one thing.
Others shook their heads as they pointed fingers at the moneylender and his brand. The mark of a kiss…