The Price of a First Night
"Sister, are you okay?"
Charle looked anxiously at her older sister, Charsuilla, who was lying in bed. Her sister kept pushing the blanket away, complaining that she was hot, but her body felt freezing cold. The fever had gripped her head, leaving her unable to tell the difference between hot and cold.
Charle pulled the blanket back over her. It was a rough blanket stuffed with straw, but it was better than nothing. Still, Charsuilla let out a groan thick with fever.
"It's hot... so hot..."
Charle felt like she was going to burst into tears. The Red Death, which had been spreading through the Demon Realm, had finally claimed Charsuilla as well.
The Red Death. It was characterized by red spots spreading across the body and was accompanied by a high fever. The primary symptoms were dehydration, severe diarrhea, and an electrolyte imbalance. Dehydration was the most fatal symptom; if not treated quickly, it would lead to cramps, seizures, and eventually death. The mortality rate reached as high as 50%.
Charle took care of her sister with utmost devotion. She wasn't afraid of catching the disease herself, but she was terrified of losing her sister. This disease didn't spread through direct physical contact. Even within the same household, some would catch it while others remained completely fine. Because of this, the residents of the Demon Realm believed it to be a divine punishment.
Had a modern person seen this, they would have recognized it as a waterborne disease and taken appropriate measures, but this was the Demon Realm. Not knowing the cause, Charle could only flail in desperation.
What do I do... She says she's cold. That means it's really dangerous.
Judging by the fact that her sister was now saying she felt cold, the disease seemed to have progressed past the middle stage. If left like this, she would die within three days. Fortunately, a treatment did exist: continuously replenishing water, sugar, and salt. It was vital to restore the energy drained from the body and rebalance the electrolytes.
However, the only thing they had in the house right now was water.
What she needed was honey and salt...
She might somehow be able to scrounge up some honey, but in Charle’s village, which was incredibly far from the sea, salt was a luxury item. There were no rock salt mines nearby, and their only option was to buy it from occasional passing peddlers. But because of the Red Death, all trade had ground to a halt. Her only choice left was to buy it from the village landlord at an exorbitant price. Yet, she had no money left, nor did she have any magical energy.
Charle buried her face in her hands. She had to make a decision.
"Charle... has the sun set yet...? I have to... go to work..."
Charsuilla spoke blankly, her mind completely delirious from the fever. In this physical condition, she would be lucky to even stand up, let alone work. Sweat poured down in streams from beneath the horn on her forehead. Charle wrung out a wet towel to wipe away the sweat, biting her lower lip hard.
Char. My precious sister. I can't let you die.
Charle stood up and kissed her sister's forehead.
"Sister, I’m going out for a bit, so don't move and just rest."
Steeling her resolve, Charle stepped out the door. She walked down the street toward the brothel where she usually worked. It was a brothel she commuted to every single day, but today felt different. She was trembling and terrified. But she had to do it.
Charle took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
"So, today you want to sell your first night, not just a dream?"
A flabby, fat demon looked Charle's body up and down. Succubi were a race born with natural beauty meant to seduce men. However, because their numbers were so vast, they didn't command a high price. In fact, due to the influx of succubi flocking to the trade just to avoid starving to death, their prices were plummeting by the day. Lately, you could genuinely embrace a succubus for just half of a standard daily wage.
But a first night was a bit of a different story.
"Hmm... I’ll give you 15 denarii. You get to keep your magical energy."
"Fifteen silver coins? That barely covers a week's living expenses for me and my sister...!"
"What real value does a succubus's first night even have?"
The demon intentionally tried to damage Charle's worth. The reason demons made money was simple: they squeezed the very marrow out of the weak.
If her sister Char had been healthy, she would have slapped the pimp across the face. You bastard, instead of lending a helping hand to someone in dire straits, you're trying to haggle? Then she would have held Charle tight and gently advised her: Charle. You don't have to work in a place like this. Save your first night for someone you truly like. For a young child like you, just giving people dreams is more than enough...
But now, her sister was barely clinging to life. Knowing this all too well, Charle gritted her teeth.
"Twenty-five silver coins. I won't take a single coin less."
The demon exhaled a puff of tobacco smoke. She possessed a mature bust and a body that had stayed healthy without engaging in actual intercourse. Charsuilla had shielded her fiercely. For someone of that caliber, he could probably sell her first night for a hefty sum.
"Fine. Go upstairs and wait in Room 8. When I send a guest up, make sure you treat him well."
As Charle walked up the stairs, the demon stood up and headed out toward the street. He raised his voice and began soliciting customers.
"Step right up, everyone! Charle, who until now has only given you dreams in our shop, is taking her very first guest today!"
The eyes of the men wandering the streets flashed with sudden interest. A succubus virgin. It wasn't entirely rare, but it certainly wasn't cheap. On top of that, it was Charle, who had absolutely never allowed anyone to touch her body. Soon, a bidding war erupted among the men.
"Twenty-five silver coins!" "Thirty silver coins!" "Fifty silver coins!"
Even when people were strapped for cash, sexual desire didn't just vanish. If anything, these back alleys became even more crowded. Since demons struggling to make a living were selling their bodies, prices were down, and men took advantage of the timing to satisfy their lust. Still, for the pimp, this was shaping up to be a pretty good deal.
"Fifty silver coins is the bid. Anyone willing to pay more?"
Just as he was about to settle on that customer, thinking there were no other takers, someone in the back raised a hand.
"Hey, I'll give you 3 modeus."
Three gold coins. That was equivalent to seventy-five silver coins. At the offer of a price 1.5 times higher, the demon looked toward the source.
It was an orc notorious for his sheer brutality. He was a guy banned from entering most establishments. Given that it was her first time, would Charle be okay?
The demon weighed his options for a brief moment before he stopped caring. Her sister was down with the Red Death anyway and practically had one foot in the grave. A succubus with no one left to protect her didn't matter. All that mattered was making more money.
Dropping the orc off in front of Room 8, the pimp tossed out a casual word.
"Don't be too rough on her. Even if she's a succubus, it's her first time."
"Yeah, whatever. I got it."
However, the moment the orc watched the demon pimp head back downstairs, a vicious sneer spread across his face. The amount of money he had handed over was a whopping 3 modeus. It was a sum that required nearly two and a half months of hard labor to earn—though, of course, he had won it at a gambling table.
The orc licked his teeth with his tongue. Charle, you better make sure you're worth every coin I paid. I've been pent up since I'm banned from most brothels anyway.
There is no need to describe the cruel acts the first guest inflicted upon Charle. Even catching just a snippet of the dialogue from the room is enough to convey the sheer horror of it.
"Hey, you said it's your first time today, right?" "What, do you have some kind of disease? A virgin succubus at this age is pretty rare." "Strip and spread your legs." "Hey, why are you crying?" "Ha... your service is terrible. No kissing, no foreplay—you're not gonna last long in this industry." "Why is your face looking so fucking miserable? Hey, do you think I'm a joke to you? Huh?"
"Kyaaaak!! Save me! Please help me!!!!"
At Charle's piercing scream, the demon pimp kicked the door wide open. The orc, his face flushed bright red, was throttling Charle by the throat. The demon immediately grabbed an ashtray and slammed it against the side of the orc's head.
"Get off her, you son of a bitch!"
The guy was famous for acting violent, and he had ultimately caused a scene here too. Don't you dare think about setting foot in here ever again. As the orc thrashed around while being dragged out, the demon struck his face a few more times. Hit by the heavy fists, the orc's body went limp.
Trembling violently, Charle watched the orc being dragged out of the room. Please, just let him disappear like that and never show his face to me again—
However, regaining consciousness on the stair landing, the orc grabbed the demon's knee and began screaming like a madman.
"Hey, you fucking piece of shit! I need to get my three gold coins' worth! Huh? Fuck! I gave you three modeus! And it ends with me just watching her fucking cry?"
The pimp caught flustered.
Trying to compose her aching body, Charle bit her lip hard. The amount the pimp had promised to give her was twenty-five silver coins. Did he skim off two-thirds of the money? And he had claimed that was the fair market rate?
"Hey, come on, you know half of it is originally our cut."
The pimp knew Char would never be able to come out because she was sick. He had made the deal with the sole intention of ripping Charle off since her sister was likely dying of the Red Death, but he hadn't anticipated this kind of disaster. In the first place, it was the etiquette of this industry to hand over the entirety of the earnings to a woman who had just given up her first night.
"...Three gold coins. Give me all of it."
Charle felt tears welling up, but she held them back with everything she had. This was business. Her choked throat throbbed and she was terrified, but showing tears would only reveal weakness. She had to act as if it were nothing.
"Should I start spreading rumors that you rip off the succubi here? No matter how many succubi there are, things will get difficult for you if rumors get out. And do you really want to see my sister come down here and flip this place upside down?"
The demon snorted heavily. This deal was his blunder. He thought she was wounded prey and tried to devour her, but he had pricked his finger on a thorn. If he pushed the matter any further, his reputation would be completely ruined.
He kicked the orc, sending him rolling down the stairs, then pulled the gold coins from his pouch and slammed them onto the nightstand beside the bed. Walking out tightly with displeasure, he tossed a warning over his shoulder at the doorway.
"I’m giving you the money. So keep showing up for work, and don't go spreading rumors for no reason. Keep this a secret from your sister, too."
Only after the demon left did Charle finally let out her breath.
Three gold coins. With this, she could buy absolutely anything her sister needed.
It's okay. This is just work. It's just something every other succubus goes through.
There was no choice. Repeating those words to herself, Charle left the brothel and hurried back to her sister who was waiting for her.