She was lying like a broken doll on the floor of the room, even though the bed was only a few steps away. But she couldn't move. She didn't want to move. The client had already left, but she still felt his hands like claws around her neck, being unnecessarily violent with her, even though she was never rude or put up any resistance.

There were all kinds of clients, but the violent ones were the worst. They were... not scary, they were the next best thing. If he hadn't killed her, that was something. That client was definitely a coward. Maybe he stopped because he feared the retaliation that killing a brothel worker would bring. Maybe, if she had been a streetwalker, he would have done it and would be dead right now. Maybe many things.

Whatever the case, sometimes he was surprised that he still felt something, even if it was just fear…

There she was, broken, with a constant pressure on her whole bastard's chest; and in her throat, a lump of anguish that clung to her voice, suddenly beginning to cry. But it was not a soft or sweet cry; it was a cry full of anger, a cry that tore at her throat with each sob that burned in its descent, leaving behind a burning scar. Her hands, trembling, covered her face as if she were trying to wipe away the tears or stifle the scream, without success.

She wanted to die of sadness at that moment like she had never experienced before, ceasing to exist and nothing more.

And at some point, she stopped crying.

She was still breathing, though with difficulty. Her trachea was half closed and swollen, but she forced herself to open her mouth and breathe hoarsely. Alone in her work room, she lay on the floor like a wounded animal, simply breathing...

She raised her hands to look at them in silence. Ghostly, her thin, pale fingers slowly descended to his wrists, in an almost ethereal caress. Perhaps no one would see anything, but in her eyes there were two shackles surrounding her skin.

Huge, heavy shackles. Impossible to remove.

Shackles that did not exist, but that felt more real than the ground beneath his feet. Sharper than the edge of any knife.

Shackles that kept her trapped in that contract that cursed her life.

She smiled without courage, with the same tragic theatricality as her life as a whore.

That's what happened to him for having the audacity to have been born.

"Bring Ericka to my private room."

Still lying on the ground, Ericka's eyes snapped open. All the fear she had felt before froze in her chest as she heard that hoarse, unmistakable voice. Her pimp. The boss and leader of the largest and most powerful brothel in Zuzu City.

He was not a client. He was her master.

It was the demon who had bought her years ago, when she was still a child.

It wasn't unusual for him to want to have fun with her from time to time. Although that was true for any worker in that brothel. But if she had to be honest, that creature inspired a different fear in her. She didn't know which was worse; the violent clients or the cruelty of her master.

She forced herself to gather up the broken pieces of herself and stand up. She was picking up and trying to locate the remains of the shredded clothing that had been left across the room when she heard footsteps approaching and, shortly after, the door opening.

"Ericka, Mr. Valentin wants to see you. Clean up quickly and go with him."

"Yes", she nodded obediently.

Hygiene was everything.

Before and after each encounter, it was the best letter of introduction. The body was her merchandise, and like all luxury merchandise, it had to be impeccable. Smooth skin, clean hair, well-groomed nails. Never perfumes, never. A man who came home smelling of another scent aroused suspicion in his wife, and that was bad for business. But neutral soaps were allies. Faithful, as well as discreet makeup and body oils, which left a subtle trace on the skin without giving anyone away.

Ericka's favorite was apple oil. Sweet, light, almost innocent. Each worker had their own signature oil, from citrus to totally exotic scents. She, on the other hand, simply used apple oil. The only one in the brothel who used apple oil, to be honest.

Standing in front of her boss's office door, she smoothed her new skirt with trembling hands. Neat, well-dressed, smelling of apples and resignation...

She closed his eyes and sighed.

Counted to three…

And she entered.

"Good evening, Mr. Valentine~ ️ How may I please you?"

But the demon didn't respond. There was no feedback at all. He seemed to have not heard her, or else he was ignoring her completely. He was busy reading a thick bundle of papers, that being the only thing that held his attention. Nothing else existed at that moment.

Ericka didn't move. She stayed where she was, waiting for instructions. Her smile remained fixed, wide, unchanging. Because, according to Valentin himself, there was nothing uglier than a sad prostitute.

Whatever his boss was reading, he was completely engrossed. At one point he picked up a pen from the desk as if he intended to write something down, but instead, he left the tip of the pen resting on his lips, still lost in the words of the document…

Ericka knew that look.

Valentin was a demon, after all. Not metaphorically. Literally. And demons love contracts.

As a human, she did not understand this fascination. All she felt for them was an almost unnatural disgust. After all, one of them had her trapped.

No matter how much she resisted. No matter if she ran away. No matter if she tried to abandon everything, if she took a train to another country or a boat to the most remote island in the world. With the contract, Valentin would always find her. With the contract, Valentin could force her to do whatever he wanted. With the contract, he owned everything… even what she didn't have.

The reprisals she suffered when she tried to flee years ago had educated her well. More than well. They taught her, with brutal clarity, that there were things worse than death.

"Wow, wow… This is interesting… When Morris said it was an opportunity, he didn't exaggerated~"

The demon was pleased looking at that document over and over again, as if it was pure gold that was in his hands. And it was only then that he finished reading until the last page that he turned towards her.

"And what are you doing there? Are you going to wait for me to ask you?", just making a sign with his fingers for her to come closer.

"Excuse me, Mr. Valentin", she bowed apologetically as she stood in front of him, surrounding the desk, getting on her knees ready to work.

"That's it, dear~", the man smiled complacently, relaxing his body as she were fiddling with his belt. But instead of looking at her, he put the pages in front of him and kept reading, over and over again. But now you were turning the pages in a disorganized way. Jumping to the middle one, to the last one, to the first one.

Ericka felt her boss excited as she sank with Valentin's body inside her mouth. Again, it was as if she didn't exist in that room, but that didn't matter. She diligently dragged him deep into her throat, her eyes open and fixed on her boss, ready and waiting for any indication or sign.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that it was indeed some kind of contract. The sheets were literally on top of his face. He didn't know what it was, nor did he care, but between the nods he could make out some plans drawn on the sheets. Some land, something like that. He concentrated on his work. There was nothing worse than bad service.

"Do you know what this is, Ericka?", Valentin began to say out loud, looking inquisitively at those leaves.

Of course, it was impossible for her to reply. But she really did not expect any reply from Mr. Valentin's tone, for he seemed to be simply thinking out loud.

"This here is the rights to a plot of land in a town called Pelican. That town is apparently located on the southern coast in the region, a region called Stardew Valley. Oh, I don't think you've ever been there, right?"

The man asked, looking up with a thoughtful expression.

"Almost no one knows about it. It's a region where there's nothing. That Pelican or whatever it's called is a town lost in the middle of nowhere between the mountains, about three or four hours by bus... or something like that", he shrugged his shoulders. "But it turns out that my dear partner, Mr. Morris... Oh, wait! You knew him, don't ya? Morris came here many times when he was still a kid. Do you remember him?... No...? Well, it's just that I've had so many partners around here, one more or one less... But I think I remember that he was with you... Hmmm..."

He narrowed his eyes, remembering…

"Yes, yes… He was with you several times when you were much younger... Well, whatever. Morris~ He found that small town in the middle of nowhere, a place that nobody cares about, but with a very smart vision: he saw an opportunity for growth. That bastard is really ambitious, huh?~ So much so that he decided to establish himself in a place with no competition. In this letter he is telling me that he made a bet. If he manages to capitalize and monopolize the entire market in that shitty town and in all the other towns around it, the company will negotiate to open a new manufacturing branch and he will be the new executive manager of the regional offices for the entire area of the Valley. That's a win-win. I love it when my partners do well in business. That's more indirect money for me~"

Ericka was listening to everything. She was sucking heavily, letting her saliva do half the work as her tongue ravaged his skin... But Morris? Morris? Not a clue. She didn't remember any client named Morris. Like he said, there were so many... One more or one less didn't matter. Maybe looking at his face...

Maybe she remembered something…

Maybe…

… Maybe…

"Morris investigated these lands. According to him, they are hundreds of hectares of free land, completely abandoned and neglected by a gentleman years ago. There are many who have set their sights on them your vast lands it seems. According to your letter, the mayor of Pelican Town has made attempts, as has a Countess located in... Ridgeside?", he said, reading the name with a raised eyebrow. "Someone. People. Humans being humans. And Morris has his eye on that land because he thinks it's perfect for opening the new offices of the factory of the future manufacturing branch of his company! So he hired... Pfff...!"

Valentin suddenly started laughing as he looked at the second page of the letters.

"It says here that he hired a private investigator to tell him the legal status of these lands and Guess what… That old man passed them on to his grandson! Ahem~"

He cleared his throat, now reading the letter.

"And I quote: "My private investigator informed me that that grandson had with him a letter addressed to him by his grandfather shortly before he died, which was written by a notary as his last will and testament. I went crazy. I became obsessed with that letter, I wanted to have it. I had my investigator go to the grandson's house. I went into his apartment myself to look through his drawers and nothing! Then I thought... If there's nothing in his house, is it in his office, where he literally slaves all day? You can't know my surprise when I found out that the grandson of that old man who died also works at JOJA! At the headquarters here in Zuzu! The same offices where I started years ago! In the same cubicles! So I went to see him with my own eyes, and he's a person who's soul has been sucked out of his body like the lifeless worker who are the lowest ranks in JOJA. It made me nostalgic. So when I had the slightest chance when this grandson was falsely called out of his position, I rummaged through everything. And I found it. That idiot had the letter in his drawer! And that letter said that if you're reading this, it's because you desperately need a change, the same thing happened to me a long time ago. I had lost sight of what mattered most in life... and BLABLABLABLA! "WHEN I READ WHAT THAT LETTER SAID I WAS DYING OF LAUGHTER! THAT IDIOT HAD THE INHERITANCE LETTER IN HIS DRAWER! I don't know if the grandson already knows what it said inside, I don't know. The letter wasn't sealed but it didn't look open either and my investigator was doubtful about that, but with this letter in our possession, we presented it to the mayor AND THE LANDS ARE MINE!?""

Valentin let out another laugh, grinning like a demon with his shark-like fangs as he emulated Morris's shrill, nasal voice.

"However," he continued, still pretending to speak like other dude, now reading the third page, "everyone here in The Pelican people know me and they hate me. And if I go out with this letter, they will never believe me in their lives. And it's not that I can't have the land, but that they could even directly communicate and locate the real grandson, which would complicate everything absolutely and I'm not going to take that risk. That's why I'm coming to you, Mr. Valentin. You financed me for a long time as long as I paid you profits. That's why I'm coming back to you, to make you a new offer. Help me take over this land, claim it as if it were an inheritance, and if you give it to me to build the new JOJA offices there and I become the next CEO of its offices, I'll give you an annual percentage! Net of my earnings! And on top of that, I'll have a second brothel built in town, near the beach! Just imagine! Dark Club, the biggest brothel in the entire Stardew Valley region! A second branch, the biggest after Zuzu's! Look at this as a business. Help me with the farce of stealing the land and I will pay you back with interest. You know I always keep my word. I am enclosing the letter of inheritance that I stole from that stupid grandson, along with the plans I drew of that abandoned farm so you can see the vastness of the land and all its potential. Get the land, and I will buy it so that it will be legally in my name. By the time that idiot grandson realizes it, if he ever does, he'll have to fight my army of lawyers when I'm probably already the CEO of the region. Of course I don't expect you to give me the land for free... I know you. I've got a price for everything with you. Three years. Give me three years while I squeeze every penny out of these nobodies in Pelican Town and with that money I'll pay you for the land. I'll make the sum worth it for you."

And that was the last page, where the demon was still laughing. He put his elbow on the desk and rested his face against his hand as he leaned back even more comfortably. And for the first time he lowered his eyes, to observe closely how the woman worked with him.

"This is the most stupid, absurd, senseless, and far-fetched idea I have heard in a long time. It is ridiculous. From any angle, the idea is weak, flawed. High risk… And I love it! It asks for my help with the minimum risk, but the maximum gain. Yes, it sounds like the deals I make…"

Ericka just still listened.

Valentin, after all, was a histrionic man by nature. He needed stimulation, addiction, excitement… or at least an audience to listen to him. And because of that, I knew that all he wanted was to talk, talk, and keep talking. He didn't expect answers. He didn't need them.

Much less from someone like her.

Comments were worthless. So, instead of being distracted by her words, he focused even more on his task, increasing the intensity of his lips, giving himself completely to her…

Valentin stared at her for a few moments…

"Decided!", he exclaimed with a smile. "You will pretend to be that old man's granddaughter, and you will wait there for three years while Morris gets the money to buy the land."

That was the first time, after many years, that she choked in the middle of the act. Ericka's face turned completely red, choked to the core, and she abruptly pulled out of the oral sex, starting to cough, completely disoriented.

She looked at Valentin with a confused and unfocused face as if he suddenly had three noses.

"Of course, you won't be there for free", the demon continued, convinced that this was the reason for the woman's confusion, when in fact he couldn't have been more wrong. "I expect you to work the land, because the money you don't make here, you'll make there as the whore you are. I won't forgive you even once if you don't pay me your monthly fee… How will you make a profit? I don't know, and I don't care. You'll send me the money by mail. And if you don't make your payments, I'll replace you without hesitation with another of the brothel's many of my whores, any of my boys or girls, don't matter. And you… I'll punish you. I'll assign you to the dirtiest clients for a couple of seasons. Just so you learn not to let me down."

Valentin definitely lived in a reality that was quite distorted from hers.

"… B-But… I don't…"

She was going to be what?!

Farm?

What?

"Ah…", Valentin looked at him coldly, his smile disappearing. "You already refused? So quickly? So you want to start with the punishment and I'll throw you out to the banned clients right away, for failing?"

That was so fast, that Ericka only felt her body tingle, thinking the worst.

"I-I'll do the farm thing, Mr. Valentin! Whatever you command!"

"Very well, that is the initiative I wanted!"

Said the man as he grabbed Ericka by the arm and lifted her off the ground, while he himself stood up as well.

"The truth is that you were chosen because you were here on service, but well, life is so casual sometimes~ This letter was really productive. Think that this way I kill three birds with one stone. I will earn a lot of money with the land. You will continue to give me profits, find a way to achieve that, that is your problem. And I'm going to open a new Dark Club branch in the Valley region... Holy crap! Fuck! I'm feeling motivated by all this! Now I see this as a good plan!"

He threw the woman roughly against the desk and put his hand against her back, causing her to lean back abruptly.

"And you know how I am when I feel motivated. Get your ass up, darling. Let me enjoy you. One last time before you go~"