In the Unknown Room
"Help! Someone! Help me!"
She was exhausted from shouting. She had pulled on the chain all night, only to find herself utterly drained by morning, her ankle red, the muscles in her arms sore from pounding on the bed frame to try to free herself.
At noon, the maid had come. A young woman with long brown hair pulled into a perfect bun, with two delicate strands framing her lovely face. She wore a red Chinese tunic adorned with golden floral designs.
She set a tray of fresh fruits and vegetables on the table and raised her blue eyes to Akito.
"You need to eat."
Her voice was hard, her face unreadable. She turned and left the room with silent steps.
As soon as she left, Akito resumed calling for help, shouting for hours, punctuating her words with the sound of the chain clanging against the bed frame. The sun disappeared, and night crept into the room.
Just as she felt she'd been yelling forever, she collapsed onto the mattress, spent. The door to the room opened. The maid appeared, tall and stiff as always. Without paying her any attention, she turned on the lights in all the adjoining rooms. She moved with such grace and silence, like a dancer gliding over the floor.
Her task done, she was about to leave when her gaze landed on the tray of untouched food. She hesitated, then approached Akito.
"Calling for help is pointless," she said sharply. "The entire hotel belongs to him, and everyone here works for him. They're either loyal or so terrified that they wouldn't lift a finger if he beat you to death before their eyes." She pointed at the tray. "You need to eat."
Akito shot her a look of disdain and lay back down, resting her head on the pillow.
In a flash, the maid was on the mattress, grabbing her by the hair. Akito cried out in pain, trying to escape the woman's iron grip. The maid dragged her to the edge of the bed, forcing her to look at the full plate, fingers still entwined in her hair.
"You need to eat! Where they'll send you, the weak don't survive for long. If you want to fight, you have to eat."
"Nijima, my beauty! Don't mistreat our guest."
Tadashi had entered the room, followed by Hinomura. Both were dressed impeccably in three-piece suits, polished shoes, silk ties, and slicked-back hair.
The maid released Akito and knelt on the floor, back straight, head bowed, hands resting respectfully on her thighs.
"Good evening, Goddess," he said, bowing slightly to her in a mockery of politeness. "I hope you've taken the time to rest and think. But from what I've heard, that doesn't seem to be the case."
He looked around for the contract on the table, but it was no longer there. Akito had torn it into pieces and scattered them across the room like confetti on the carpet.
"Hinomura, could you print another copy of the contract, please?" he asked his advisor in a syrupy, amused tone.
Hinomura gave a small bow and left. Tadashi kept his gaze fixed on the defiant expression Akito gave him, clearly enjoying her anger.
"Shower time!" he declared. He approached her, holding the chain firmly in one hand and extending a key with the other. "Nijima, unfasten her."
The maid obeyed, and for a moment, Akito felt a surge of adrenaline urging her to escape. But Tadashi gripped the chain tightly, and the maid held the ring she had detached from the bed. With a nod, Asami gestured to the maid, who led Akito to a door on the right.
They entered a large marble bathroom with gold accents. A walk-in shower, with no separating glass, took up most of the room.
Nijima attached the chain to a gold bar that served no apparent purpose in the bathroom, and Akito realized it was meant solely for securing chains like the one around her ankle—a thought that made her feel sick.
Nijima knelt in her usual submissive pose, waiting. Knowing the maid wouldn't leave her alone, Akito reached for the belt of her yukata when Tadashi entered the bathroom. He took off his jacket, placed it on the back of a wicker chair, and leaned against the white marble wall, watching her.
"Undress."
Akito exhaled sharply, outraged. "In front of you? Are you insane? Get out!"
Asami Tadashi smirked, his eyes darkened. "Do you think you're in any position to give orders?" he asked softly, his voice low. "Nijima, go help her."
The maid stood and approached Akito, hands extended.
"Don't touch me!" Akito yelled, backing away from her long, pale fingers.
"Let her help you, or I'll do it myself!" Tadashi snapped, arms crossed over his chest.
The maid brushed aside Akito's trembling hands, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "If you don't undress when he tells you, he'll make you live naked."
"He can't do that," Akito replied, more in defiance than conviction.
"Beware," Nijima whispered, almost pleadingly. "Despite their desire for us, these men don't love women."
Akito couldn't understand what she meant. She had no time to ponder it, as the maid untied her yukata, exposing her skin to Tadashi's gaze. She tried desperately to cover herself with her arms. Naked and vulnerable, she felt his eyes roam over her body with no restraint. Ignoring him, she quickly stepped into the shower as Nijima turned on the water, though the cascade barely concealed her.
She washed herself quickly and left the shower, eager to get dressed. But as she turned, Tadashi was close, towering over her with a towel in his hand that he made no move to offer. His gaze lingered on her chest with admiration. He pointed to a bluish mark on her hip, another on the inside of her thigh.
Shigure's marks.
"Not a virgin. What a shame! I would've loved to be the first between God's thighs," Tadashi sneered, running his finger over a bruise just above her left breast.
Without thinking, Akito grabbed his hand and bit his finger. He pulled his hand back with a growl, pushing her so that she fell, wet and naked, onto the marble floor.
"You little bitch," he spat, examining his injury.
He began to laugh and called out toward the sitting area, "Hinomura, look at this—she bit me!"
The advisor entered, expressionless, and inspected the wound his superior showed him.
"Perhaps you should show her one of our 'houses,'" he said smoothly, casting a malicious smile at Akito.
"Perhaps so; she needs to learn," Tadashi replied. "Nijima! Tomorrow, take Akito to our house in Shinza. Let her see how lucky she is. But let her know that can change if she refuses to obey."
When Akito saw Nijima's face pale, she felt fear wash over her.
End of Chapter 10
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