VIP Reception (1)
Gently swirling the crystal glass where the finest red wine sloshed, Lilith curved her red lips into a seductive arc. "Hmm~." A pleased hum echoed through the antique office. Piled high on her vast obsidian desk were blueprints for the second and third branches of Illusion's Banquet in Heruen, along with meticulously crafted expansion plans to dominate other major cities in the Demon Capital. Her fingers flipping through the papers reeked of thick greed and ambition.
But even this seemingly flawless scheme had fatal flaws. The biggest headache for her was the lack of martial power and influence. The Demon Capital was teeming with brothels run by powerful Counts like Lilith. Of course, the dingy, low-end joints operated by low-tier nobles or commoners in back alleys didn't even register as specks of dust in her eyes. Her real rivals were the ultra-luxury brothels stocked exclusively with handpicked, rigorously trained top-grade male prostitutes. The shadow wars and cutthroat competition among them were blood-draining battles in their own right.
Above all, the greatest barrier was the supply of goods. A-grade men—stunningly beautiful with flawless night skills to perfectly satisfy the picky, ruthless noblewomen—were exceedingly rare across the entire Demon Capital. Naturally, to outpace rivals and monopolize a stable supply of such premium males required not just vast capital, but overwhelming force and authority. Her Count title alone was woefully insufficient to crush competitors and sweep up every A-grade man.
Carriages loaded with A-grade slaves were routinely robbed or seized. That's why today was a pivotal crossroads for Lilith's entire business empire—a make-or-break moment of her life. Tonight's VIP guest at Illusion's Banquet was none other than a Duke. In the vast, brutal Demon Capital, there were only seven such pillars of immense power. And among them, the second-in-command right below the Demon King herself—Rozena, the Duke who reigned with absolute might and mercilessness—was gracing this place in person.
If she nailed this reception, fully satisfying the Duke's tastes and securing her as a solid backer, the meddling of those idiot Counts would become nothing more than the buzzing of insignificant flies. "Hoo..." Lilith let out a long sigh, pressing her temples firmly. Of course, this golden opportunity came with life-threatening risks lurking beneath.
The biggest issue was that Rozena had already conquered every renowned high-end brothel in the Demon Capital before even reaching Illusion's Banquet. And not one had satisfied her. Rumors even swirled that she'd torn the male prostitutes apart on the spot, displeased with their service. Frankly, even Lilith felt a twinge of fear and anxiety. One misstep, and her painstakingly built brothel could drown in blood.
But a leisurely smile soon spread across her lips. She had a secret ace up her sleeve to turn the tables: Demian. From the moment she'd laid eyes on that cheeky outsider, Lilith had been intensely intrigued. His drop-dead gorgeous looks that could make anyone drool, complete with a thick, hefty cock dangling heavily between his legs. He was premium merchandise, perfect to roll out immediately as Illusion's Banquet's ace male prostitute.
But Demian's real weapon wasn't in that pretty shell. It was the subtle otherworldliness that set him apart from other men—a lack of the blind obedience and slavish submission bone-deep in every man of the Demon Capital. Even before Lilith's overwhelming presence, Demian could voice his clear opinions and boldly draw lines where needed. Sure, he'd flinch and cower if she exuded killing intent, but unlike the dumb livestock trembling on the floor, he was different.
In short, she loved that he wasn't a brainless doll but a man who thought and reacted for himself. Lilith was betting her gamble on that unpredictability. If mere flashy looks or vulgar hip-swaying coquetry could win the Duke, she would've been conquered by some other brothel's ace long ago. The fact that Rozena had come all the way to Heruen meant no cookie-cutter ass-shaking would bend her pride.
Perhaps only Demian's peculiar, defiant edge could stimulate and reach the depths of the Duke, who shed neither blood nor tears. "Heehee... It just keeps getting more exciting." Lilith downed the remaining red wine in one gulp, greedily licking her seductive lips.
......
"Haa... This is fucking nerve-wracking."
I rubbed my dry face and muttered a quiet curse. Me—a total newbie with zero experience properly entertaining clients as a male prostitute—having to face the Demon Capital's number two, Rozena the Duke? Just thinking about it had my guts twisting in terror.
Glancing around the waiting room, I saw quite a few ace male prostitutes besides me. Either the Duke wasn't coming alone, or they were lining us up en masse for her to pick her fancy. Among them was that silver-haired elf prick, Reni. He was blatantly radiating displeasure at me, the random newcomer, snagging the prime VIP gig—his face twisted in resentment since earlier.
Looking around, I could only think they were all insane. Every male prostitute was decked out in trashy, flashy outfits that bared their chests, thighs, and even ass cracks. But not me. I was sharply dressed head to toe in a sleek black suit.
"Demian, sir, you cannot satisfy a VIP in such stuffy attire. Please change into this immediately." The Maid Chief held out what was basically a diaper scrap held together by a few strings.
I shook my head firmly. "No way in hell I'm wearing that trashy crap. I'll go in my style, so respect that."
"What did you say?" In this twisted gender-reversed world, that would've normally earned a fiery slap with a shout of, "How dare a lowly man talk back!" But whether the Count had warned her beforehand, the Maid Chief just furrowed her brow and sighed deeply.
"...Very well. But you must satisfy the VIP completely."
Watching the scene, Reni and his cronies couldn't hold back their snickers, mocking me openly. "Hey, janitor. How the hell you gonna seduce a VIP in that skin-hiding, uptight getup? No wonder a floor-scrubber like you doesn't know how to sell his body."
Instead of wasting breath on their face-to-face taunts, I quietly—and oh so elegantly—flipped them the bird.
Reni's face flushed purple with rage just as—creeeak—the heavy waiting room door swung open. In strode Count Lilith, more gorgeously dolled up than usual, wearing a leisurely smile.
The room's atmosphere shifted instantly at her entrance. The male prostitutes who'd been mocking me moments ago dropped to their knees like they'd beheld a descending goddess, gazing up at her in rapture.
Lilith opened her mouth with a leisurely smile. "My darling boys, all ready?"
"Yes~!"
"Yep, Count! All set!"
"Just leave it to us...!!"
"Haaah... Count... please..."
The male prostitutes answered energetically, wagging their tails like eager puppies. Some even blatantly begged for the gig just for themselves.
"Good, very good." Lilith nodded in satisfaction, then turned her gaze to me in the corner. "Is our Demian ready too?"
"Yeah, sure..." I replied curtly, and she eyed my suit up and down with keen interest.
"Oh my, Demian looks so sharp in that. But I prepared cuter, more adorable outfits just for you—sure this is okay?"
"Yes, perfect. It's actually my strategy." I answered firmly. I did have a meticulously planned scheme in my head. Though, yeah, the main reason was I wouldn't be caught dead in that humiliating diaper rag.
Lilith grinned, clearly pleased, then raised her voice to everyone. "You all know how crucial today is, right? Not just Duke Rozena, but plenty of other high nobles are visiting. You'll be entertaining them."
At her words, Reni and the others' eyes gleamed with desire.
"Just do what you always do. Show them why Illusion's Banquet is Heruen's top brothel—prove our worth!"
"We'll keep it in mind, Count!"
"I'll make sure the other nobles are fully satisfied...!!"
"Trust only me!"
The male prostitutes' resolute replies boomed through the waiting room. The moment of truth had arrived. We followed Lilith's confident strides out the heavy door, heading toward the VIP room aglow with dazzling lights.