#yoshiwara

⛩️ Cortège Oiran Dochu

Défilé à Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura 🇯🇵

Source: Routine of Japan

Versión Riddle Rosehearts

[Masterlist]

[Episode 4] warnings: violence, mention of mutilation and whippings But nothing serious.

|Design of :Riddle/Yuu and aclarations|

You walk through the bustling streets of the Red District, wiping away the remnants of blood from your nose, a consequence of the sharp blow from the redhead.

People stared at you as they whispered amongst themselves, perhaps you were involved in a fight? Were you ejected from a brothel for causing trouble? Were you a con artist who received a lesson?

Were you in fights? Undoubtedly.

Were you ejected for causing trouble? Sometimes, not always, generally you blamed someone else.

Con artist? Of course not, you caressed gently or threatened indirectly to get what you wanted. Which is quite different.

The neighborhood was illuminated, though it was difficult to walk among so many drunk and distracted people, amid the towering and striking silhouettes of the balconies, a place so striking and popular with so many secrets and terrifying stories. Your mind filled with the idea that the assailant might be walking around there or in a brothel plotting something, and that didn’t give you peace of mind.

Any of the young women who were greeting and flirting from the establishments might be potential victims, or perhaps they had already experienced something similar. But no one paid them much attention.

You had to catch the culprit; there might be more victims, and this time if they completed their task, it was not impossible for buyers to become obsessed with a courtesan. That was the reason he wanted to hurt Riddle.

Although he didn't have much sense, it was too risky to go and force the most important courtesan in the brothel? Whose purity was what made him so sought after and expensive?

Or was the person stupid or had a plan?

Could there be a hidden reason? Perhaps he had been watching Tayu for a long time,

perhaps he could be a past grudge before Riddle became a courtesan or before he became the Oiran, but it’s just speculation. But knowing more about Riddle wasn't a bad idea, it’s for the investigation.

In the victim’s file, there was nothing about Riddle, which was strange; it should have had data on family, close people, and people with whom he had a bad relationship, also possible suspects. But the file hardly contained anything, even the low-class courtesans, whose past was null and unimportant as they almost always shared the same past: debts, poverty, etc.

Even their files had data and details of how their lives were before the present, but the redhead didn't - it seemed erased and forcibly buried.

So that no one knew anything and wouldn’t look for anything.

Since you didn’t have data or information on Riddle, you had to go by the reliable one. Knowns, people who constantly surround him.

Although that is difficult because he has a face of few friends and it turns out that if he has few friends to not say none.

Why does he have to be someone so difficult? His temperament and hateful character only complicate your work.

You look to the sky with fatigue as if asking for help from the Divine clouds.

You sigh—Ahh~....now....he doesn't have close friends or acquaintances, all that remains is to investigate, his Kamuro? Co-workers? Any fans? Could they know something?—you think out loud.

Probably not, his coworkers didn't like him very much, Riddle was hostile even to his fans, his kamuro on the other hand who should have been with him at that time were not there...

A loud voice interrupts your internal debate, a young man with orange hair, green eyes, melting eyes and an outgoing personality was distributing some newspapers.

—New news from Cay-kun!! The Oiran case has no progress!! The Yakuza destroy an entire group of police officers and the disappearance cases! News, don't be left wondering!!—The orange-haired man exclaims out loud, mentioning the most recent cases, seeking to attract the attention of the people around him, while flirting with some people to get them to buy a newspaper.

Like a complete Don Juan.

—He knows how to get attention...—you say with a drop of sweat on your cheek.

The news spreads fast, how did you know about the little progress in the investigation? Surely he has contacts, or perhaps he just investigates like all journalists and like you did in your youth, People with free time or too much curiosity.

Although the information sometimes came to you suddenly, you didn't look for it, so it wasn't that you were nosy or gossipy, life wanted you to know.

But in the end people are always indifferent to cases like these, they talked about something serious as if it were an interesting story, a novel that they read and then forgot, morbidity was the only thing that made them stop to hear about the incident. They didn't care about the victim, they just wanted to know how much he suffered or what happened.

Listening to conversations of people who talked about that topic was always the same.

Humans in these cases act in three ways; They feel sorry for the victim, they do not act or give their opinion, downplaying them and the people who blame the victim.

Coincidentally, life was giving an example of this right in front of you.

—The police have not made any progress in the investigation, why don't they see the point in investigating this case— a man accused, making some people think.

—Poor thing, it must have been difficult, surely he must be scared—a woman said sadly.

—a prostitute being forced? sleeping with someone is his job after all, maybe it was just an act and someone misinterpreted it or gave reasons for the guy to try something—said a man being supported by other people.

You just stay calm about the comments, get angry or confront them, it won't change anything, people can be that despicable and insensitive unless it happens to them.

How far could human cruelty and indifference go?

From your experience, quite far.

Again you observe the green-eyed young man moving quickly to give people their newspapers, quickly approaching you offering you a newspaper.

—Take fresh news, high society scandals, murders, mysteries and fresh cases, all in one place,—he says, winking with a smile.

Did you like to read informative documents made by curious people? Of course.

   Curious people always discover details that the police overlook.

Maybe you'll find something there or learn something new. You were about to take it when the boy pushes it away, staring at you.

—Do I know you from somewhere?— the orange-haired man asks, raising an eyebrow as he examines you, searching the depths of his memories.

—Mmm, aren't you the prodigy detective?— he asks, still curious but almost certain.

do they recognize you? It's flattering but it didn't make you happy, being too well known only brings difficulties.

—Yes, it's you, isn't it?—he says with a big smile.

—How lucky I am to know a celebrity, although one who doesn't like to attract attention—he mentions with a mischievous smile, you only make a slight face, he wants to get information out of you.

—Did he come to the barrio to hang out or de-stress?... Maybe he was in a fight and they took him out of one of the houses?—he asked curiously while looking at the blow that the redhead had given you, another attempt to get information.

You sigh and deny, in reality a certain Oiran, instead of de-stressing you, only increased your stress and work.

—Excuse my lack of manners, my name is Cater Diamond, a pleasure Detective Yuu meitantei—removing his hat introducing himself.

—As I said, maybe no case has been solved so you came here to clear your mind?—he says, throwing out a stab, strategy; Prick pride and the other person will blurt out everything you want to know and more so as not to look like an idiot.

You raise your eyebrows with a smile and shake your head, from here you can see that he is someone with good lips, these people always know something about anything.

—Okay, if it's not for hanging out with a beauty, then it will be for work, mmmmmm, what could bring her here?—Cater thinks, trying to remember some case of all the newspapers she sells.

—The case of Riddle Rosehearts, the Espinoza rose, is that the one you are here for?—Ending after a few seconds of thinking with a snap of his fingers.

incredible.

—Tell me, haven't you found that man yet? How difficult~ as I understand the investigation is at a standstill, haven't you found anything?—

—Unfortunately I can't give details, spreading the progress or lack of progress of the investigation could reach the ears of the culprit and that can't happen, it would only make things more difficult—you say calmly, as if you practice it in the mirror every day when you get up.

—That makes sense, I heard they were sweets with aphrodisiacs, the guy is smart— the green-eyed guy says thoughtfully.

Okay, what's missing? May the blow you received from the redhead appear on the front page "The coveted Rosa Espinoza breaks the detective's nose, how could someone so small reach his face?"

Although it doesn't sound bad, it is something that even you would read and put in a picture on the wall to always remember.

The blows and insults are the pampering and affection that Riddle gives.

—The baker is probably worried about his friend—he says, perhaps too calmly.

Capturing your attention with that, you feel like he's purposely giving you these clues of knowledge and you take the bait.

—baker?—You ask curiously to Cater, who looks at you and says—He's a guy who works in a bakery, they seem to get along quite well, I've seen them talk—he confesses, arranging the other newspapers.

They get along well, huh?

Maybe you already have an acquaintance of the victim, you didn't know if Cater Diamond told you that on purpose or not, surely yes, whatever it was would work for you and the man in front knew better.

—Equivalent exchange—you say with a smile, drawing the orange-haired man's attention.

—Tell me everything you know about Rosehearts-Sama and the boy and I'll give you details of some striking cases, what do you say?—Cater takes a few seconds to smile victoriously, it was just what he wanted But it was fine, it was for the investigation, your superiors will understand.

They both shake hands before going out for a drink.

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—You haven't been able to advance the case much, for now you are looking for clues and data—Cater repeats, surprised.

—Let him not leave among us—you warned, pointing at him with the chopsticks you used to eat.

—But yeah, I'm looking for Riddle Rosehearts' past, since I'm short on clues, maybe you can tell me something, do you know anything about Rosehearts-Sama?

—I'm sorry, my knowledge about Oiran Rosehearts does not go beyond other people's comments or my own eyes and since I am only a journalist I cannot pay for their services or for the Tea, although I would like to—he expresses with disappointment, you take a sip of the Tea, staring at him in silence, your gaze is like two needles pricking Cater.

—Do you, my boy, feel some kind of interest in Rosehearts-Sama?—you ask with curiosity and a smile that the orange-haired man feels with a slight threat.

You were angry at the idea of someone having their eyes and attention on Riddle, it must be because he is a victim you seek justice for.

—Are you interested? I feel that this curiosity goes beyond your work—he returns the question with a slight nervousness.

—personal curiosity. They know me for that, plus it's my job to investigate people—you respond, making a sign with your chopsticks.

—As I said, my knowledge does not go to the extent of knowing about Rosehearts-Sama's family and their past, but I have been able to hear and see some things, like the candy store I mentioned before—Cater says.

—For example, the sweets offered in the house where Rosehearts-Sama is located come from a store called Clover, I have seen that the green-haired, burly young man with glasses brings the sweets personally and Rosehearts-Sama receives it almost always, they exchange words and everything, they seem to be close—Cater confesses.

Clover? It's a pretty well-known candy store, so that's where the brothel's candy comes from.

—The boy's name is Trey Clover, I have spoken with him and he shows a lot of concern and appreciation for El Oiran—you nod, with Trey Clover... surely he knows something, the culprit could have used the candy in that store to use the aphrodisiac, you will ask him if he has seen an old man with a disgusting aura.

—I appreciate your help, it has been very helpful to me, perhaps I will look for you for a future case—you smile kindly at him, a very different smile than before, you pay what was consumed by both of you.

—Don't worry meitantei-San, it's a pleasure to help a cutie, always at her command, I caught the old man and tell me the details eh—he answers with a wink.

By cute he meant Riddle, right?

You leave quickly and disappear among the people, Cater only drinks his tea when he remembers the deal between the two

—Hey wait!! You didn't give me details of cases!! We had a deal!!—Cater shouts to a distant detective, sighs regretfully that he didn't get any juicy information......

Cater remembers the conversation between the two and your threatening smile, he smiles pleased, in fact if he obtained information, it will be interesting news.

—detective falls in love with the victim Tayu of the case in his charge—a scoop that has front-page potential fufufu.

♧♦♧♦♧

    It was almost time to reach the bakery that Cater Diamond had mentioned to you, you could already smell the freshly baked bread and pastries, your mouth was watering, the heat reached you. You could bring something to Riddle, he'll surely be happy.

Right next to the bakery you accidentally collide with a man, of mature age, although the collision probably hurt you more than him, his hat falls off due to the collision, revealing his face.

—Excuse me, it wasn't- —You were about to apologize but the words couldn't come out.

You instantly notice the man's appearance, hat, older and a scar on his lip, with a scab that doesn't look like it was from long ago.

A shiver runs up your spine as you connect the dots......it was him, you were sure, you collided with the man you were looking for, the one who hurt Riddle.

How lucky did you have to be for something like that to happen? That didn't matter now.

Your body moved on its own, as if you had expected this opportunity from the beginning and you hit the man's face with all your strength, making him stagger, you pulled him tightly by the collar of his clothes, bringing him closer to your face.

The man, stunned by the strong blow, did not stop cursing and insulting, insults that quickly ceased when he saw your serious face, recognizing you.

Weren't you that detective who was investigating what happened to Tayu?

The one who is always close to Rosehearts despite having only known each other for a short time, knew it... he saw them in the brothel when Riddle was walking down the hallway and you whispered in his ear, the way they looked at each other during the negotiations in the Great Hall, remembering that he tenses his face, veins coming out with anger.

Why could you get closer? He had more money, better status. How dare you hit him?

—It's you, isn't it? I finally found you unfortunate, you don't know how I longed to find you—you confess with a smile that didn't reach your eyes, your gaze froze anyone.

—You were mistaken as a person, brat, how dare you hit someone older than you?—he says, feigning innocence while repressing his anger.

—Don't lie to me, I know a lot about lies and I'll make sure you don't speak again for the rest of your life—you threaten, a drop of sweat falls down the man's face as he glances askance around him, many people stopped to look at them and whisper. This will not make you look bad among people; it is not good for your position.

—Heaven gave me a sharp instinct, I know when someone is scum and my instinct tells me that you will rot in jail—the man tenses up a little more because of that other threat or rather that warning of his future. But what made him panic was seeing two patrolmen leave a store quickly.

He hits you with a headbutt as you start to run, you didn't have time to be stunned or complain about the blow when you run after him through the people, some being pushed by the man to take advantage, despite being someone older he ran very fast.

You take off one of your shoes and throw it at his head to try to slow him down, at times like these it doesn't matter being half barefoot.

You were already approaching him, you brushed against his clothes when someone got in the way, ending in a strong crash, both of you falling to the ground, unfortunately no one collided with the old man and no carriage ran over him and thus managing to escape.

—Damn it!—you insult out loud, you were almost there, you could have given Riddle some comfort and peace of mind, you think, wrinkling your eyes and then sighing in annoyance. At least you know what his face looks like......

—Yuu?—the mention of your name brings you out of your thoughts, you turn to look at the people you bumped into, finding two familiar faces.

Ace Trappola who was the person you collided with as he was lying on the ground with you and Deuce Spade who was standing looking at you in surprise, both rookie police officers and friends of yours.

♥♤♥♤♥

These two rays of sunshine had been working at the police station for one or two years, you understand that a little less than the time Riddle has been at the brothel.

Now the two of them were shaking the dust off their bodies, while Deuce just looked at the bump on your head. You were still frowning, your idiots were the ones who got in the way and didn't allow you to catch the bastard you'd been looking for for days. You wanted to hang them but you couldn't.

That would be animal abuse and that is not good.

—and what happened to them?—you ask, curious when you see the two of them with scratches, disheveled and with Ace noticeably upset when remembering what happened.

—What happened to you?—he asks while looking at the fact that she was also disheveled, sweaty, with a bump on her forehead, her nose hit by the redhead and full of dust from having fallen on the floor.

The three of them could only look at each other and sigh at the same time.

The duo tells you that they were in a place nearby eating and having a good time until in a moment of carelessness a Gray cat climbed onto their table to eat a large part of their food. Ace, the smarter of the two, wanted to take away what belonged to them and the cat did not want to give in, so they fought with a cat, making a fuss in a bakery until they were kicked out cat and all.

You judged them internally—by a cat?—you expressed out loud with a frown, you couldn't believe the degree of immaturity of those two.

—Don't judge us, that cat was the one that messed with us—the orange-haired man tries to defend himself by shaking his hair trying to remove the garbage that was there.

—Why were you running? ¿Who were you chasing?—asked the dark-haired one as he looked in the direction where the old man escaped.

—I'm in an investigation, the case of Riddle Rosehearts courtier who suffered an attempted rape and the unfortunate man who ran away was the culprit—you point in the direction in which he ran.

—Well, let's go for the idiot!! He couldn't go very far!—says Spade, rolling up his uniform sleeves, preparing to run after him.

—Don't worry, my boy, you couldn't reach him even if you wanted to, he's probably already very far away, he ran very fast, he must or should have been in the army—you sigh while keeping a hand on Deuce's chest to keep him where he is.

—Riddle? Sounds familiar to me, wasn't he the bad-faced, bitter redhead who always got angry about everything?—Ace says, catching your attention.

—I see that you know him well, where can you know?—You look at the orange-haired man, tilting your head slightly.

—In the army, we were soldiers before we joined the police—Deuce says proudly.

—Was Riddle in the army?—you ask with surprise, due to his extraordinary reflexes and the force of his elbow.

—No, he wasn't a soldier, he was a doctor, he treated the wounded—Ace clarifies, surprising you, which explains his knowledge.

—But how did he end up in the brothel? —you ask. But they both just shrug their arms.

—That crazy man was a pretty strict doctor, I think he even enjoyed it when something hurt us, he probably thought of it as a punishment for something stupid that we did, he also suffered from mastitis, one day he left and didn't come back, now I find out that he works in a brothel—he confesses, irritated by the past but with a certain pity for how Tayu ended.

—He was one of the doctors in that squad and well, it was in that group of doctors that the shogun's son lost his arm—says Deuce, whispering the last thing so that no one will hear.

—The shogun's son also harassed several people a lot, some doctors and nurses too— Ace mentions in a low voice, it even seemed like they were gossiping instead of talking.

Riddle was present when he lost his arm. You didn't expect it.

You feel something soft and warm on your leg, when you look down you see a fat Gray cat with big blue eyes and a mocking look and then listen to the Duo's complaints.

—aaaagh, the poor thing is back, shu shu, come back from the bridge where you came out, you furball—Ace tries to scare him away, earning a growl from the cat that left later.

—Well, it was fun gossiping with you, let's repeat it another time—Ace says with a mischievous smile.

—Yes, we're supposed to go out to lunch but we have to get back to work, hope your investigation goes well!—Deuce says to wave goodbye as he runs off, Ace follows him and says goodbye.

—wait! They can't leave me like this, what other information do they have?—you say out loud, sighing as you watch them leave, although now you know what the culprit looks like but the fact that he ran away only frustrates you.

Ace and Deuce's information is also very useful to you, Riddle was in the army and as a doctor, that explains his medical knowledge although you never thought that it had any relationship with what happened to the shogun's son.

     Ace also mentioned that the son of the shogun came to harass several people, people of power always believe that they can have it all, but in the end, money makes that belief very true, something tells you that Riddle definitely came to be harassed by him because of his appearance.

You bite your nail when you think that, that idea bothers you a lot.

Why did Riddle end up in the brothel?

Was Riddle present when the shogunate incident occurred?

The aggressor seems to be someone agile and strong due to his speed, it must be someone from the army. Did the aggressor meet Riddle during that period in the army?

It's not long before nightfall before you can see Riddle, so the last thing you can do is go see the boy Cater Diamond mentioned, Trey Clover.

You walk to the bakery again, it is closer and you can see the inside of the place, it was a mess, there were people cleaning, although you already knew what happened and who caused it, you cannot enter the store because of the noises behind it, you take a look and you find a burly young man with green hair with glasses, throwing away some things, he matched Diamond's description.

He seemed to be a baker because of his clothes full of flour, so you approach, he notices your presence quickly turning to see you, you wave and he responds instinctively.

—Good afternoon, my name is Yuu meitantei, I work as a detective, I must assume that you are Trey Clover, right? — Trey nods, you feel that he is wondering which bridge you came from and why you are like this.

—I would like to ask you some questions about someone I know—you smile, shaking your haori to look a little decent, you were the definition of destroyed and that didn't help.

—What acquaintance?—The green-haired man adjusts his glasses curiously. —Riddle Rosehearts—you answer, going straight to the point.

—Why are you asking about him!? Alright!? Something happened to him!?—he raises his voice suddenly, scaring you terribly.

—Wow yes, nothing has happened to him, well, apart from the attempted attack, nothing else has happened yet— you express with nerves and a hand on your heart calming the shock.

—aaahh~ I'm glad...what do you want to ask?—he sighs and then asks with insecurity.

—about his time in the army—Clover tenses when she hears that, it doesn't go unnoticed by you, did Riddle really do something or something happened to him during this period?

—I can see from your reaction that Riddle seems to be hiding something. But don't worry, I didn't come for that in that sense. I want to know about Riddle's past. Maybe there he will find the why, how and who of the culprit of the attack and you are the one who knows the most about him. If you want to help your friend, you will tell me everything I want to know— tall only looks down and nods after thinking briefly.

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—Riddle and I were in the armies, I was a soldier and Riddle was a nurse, he worked with his mother, who was the chief doctor of that squad—Trey explains leaning against the wall, you feel the tense atmosphere while he was telling.

» His mother was very strict even before she was head nurse and with Riddle she was even more so, she wanted Riddle to be her successor, she controlled every part of his life, as an only child and her firstborn a lot was expected of him.

» She wanted Riddle to stand out, to surpass her, so when the shogun's son was injured, she saw an opportunity.

»The son of the shogun was not at all good, spoiled, clumsy, he harassed Riddle and other doctors a lot, so they did not have a good relationship.

 »  Riddle.....thanks to his mother he was in charge of caring for the shogun's son, with the help of his mother and other nurses, I don't know what happened but the shogun's son...lost his arm.

—Because of the pressure of not wanting to disappoint his mother, he did it—You say and Trey nods, you think you know where this is going But you can't say anything yet.

» It was total chaos, all the doctors were whipped or castrated, including Riddle, I still think to this day that the shogun had a lot of mercy, he didn't cut off the head of Riddle or his family, I'm grateful that didn't happen But I don't know why he didn't do it, because what happened was the most appropriate thing in their eyes.—Trey confesses the last thing with uncertainty, he's happy that it won't happen But it doesn't make sense either, for the protection of the shogun's successor a scratch makes you deserve death.

   »  It was a hard blow for Riddle's mother, I'm sure she would have preferred death to ending that way, I remember that Riddle had a terrified and empty look on his face—Trey expresses, wrinkling his face at the memory.

»After that I didn't hear from him again, I was worried why I couldn't find him, until a while ago I found him in the brothel in the process of training, before being Tayu and I'm glad he was okay.

—And how did he end up in the Brothel?—Asking what intrigues you so much, was he sent there due to lack of money after the incident? Although that would be most likely. But they could have used their medical knowledge to make a living. After all, in these times, illnesses and injuries were rife.

The green-haired man denies—When I asked him how he ended up in that place, he didn't say anything, he just looked away, so I assumed it must have been because of his mother—he confesses with annoyance.

You look at the one with glasses, he showed annoyance and regret, you can assume that he blames himself for the way it ended, maybe he could have done something.

It makes no sense to feel guilty about that. Here the culprit was the mother.

Could Riddle have failed on purpose? By mistake or out of revenge for bullying him? No, he was smart enough to know that it would end badly either way if something happened to the rich kid.

It could just be a guess.

Clover watches you while you think and question internally, she observed your entire appearance and also your face, serious and firm, you were someone trustworthy and from your disastrous appearance she can deduce that you had problems due to the investigation.

—I appreciate it—you turn to look at him. —It calms me to know that he is in charge, I can see from his state that he is making an effort to resolve what happened and help Riddle— the green-haired man says with a calm smile, as if your effort calmed him down.

You appreciate that trust, but you felt a pang, it brought you frustration when you remembered that you couldn't catch the aggressor a while ago.

—You seem to be a good and dedicated person, so I'm calmer now—he says with the calm that I mentioned, he had a tired aura and look, but calmer than when they started talking.

    It seems that it helped him to vent and talk about what happened.

Many victims or relatives of these also did it, putting their trust in you and you strive not to break that trust and fulfill their wish, although unfortunately it was not always like that.

You smile back, you had to catch him to give him and Riddle peace.

The back door of the bakery opens, and a green-haired boy appears, telling his older brother that they needed him inside.

—It seems like they need me, sorry if I can't provide you with more information, please continue taking care of Riddle, don't let anything bad happen to him and catch this idiot, okay?—You shake your head

—You've helped me a lot, and I promise I'll catch him—.He smiles at you and you see him enter the bakery.

You sigh then it was Riddle who caused such an incident. Whether by mistake or out of resentment. You're not sure, Riddle ended up in the brothel probably due to lack of money.

Something assures you that he went through a lot before arriving at the brothel, however it was not because he wanted to and the mention of his mother only means that it was she who decided for him.

That woman and the other guardians of the courtesans of the red light district shared something; they really cared little about their children.

You shake yourself off again and leave the alley to return to the brothel where the Tayu must be waiting.

   You feel an emptiness in your chest, frustration weighs you down, you could have caught the man, you could have given Riddle a rest, but you were not fast or capable enough, if you had been aware of your surroundings you would have avoided the collision with Ace and caught him.

You would have finished the case right then and there.

You must improve, for the sake of others, for the rest of the victims. Trey's face and words come to your mind, his tired smile and the marks of worry that you noticed......you must improve, for the calm of family and loved ones.

Without realizing it you were already in front of the brothel where the one with gray eyes and rosy cheeks worked.

The idea of seeing him makes you happy, why would you feel that way? Was making him angry a de-stressor for you? You couldn't deny the fact that you liked Riddle.

It was fun to see how he looked at you with contempt or how he judged you with his eyes, also the words he said to you that stabbed your pride.

He would be better off with you than here, definitely better off with you than his mother.

Upon entering you quickly compose yourself, For the victim to see the person who is supposed to have come to help them down is not good, on the way to Tayu's room you run into several courtesans and young people welcoming you, some that you saw at the beginning of the investigation greeting you and others not so well known flirting to start their work day.

It wasn't long before you arrived face to face with the owner of the place, Mr. Crowley, who greeted you as brightly as ever.

—Detective-san! Welcome again, you came to continue with the investigation I imagine—you nod, that was obvious why else would you come? You don't have the money to pay for the redhead so you had to take advantage of the case to see him.

—I'm sorry about yesterday, but you must understand that Rosehearts-Sama is very important and you must rest—he says with regret—he already knows what he had to go through before—he mentions the incident with discomfort, he was not happy about what happened either, he had to implement measures so that it would not happen again.

—By the way, you have taken and eaten the candies that are offered to customers, right? What do you think? Are they of good quality?—the masked man quickly changes the subject with a smile.

—Of course..... a marvel without a doubt, because of the taste and appearance, they look expensive, I just came from the place where they were ordered—you say with a little uncertainty, you had a bad feeling.

—I see, they are quite expensive, so clients usually pay to have tea with a courtesan who catches their attention or directly for their other services—

»But from what I see you have had tea and eaten and although I understand that you are investigating the Riddle-sama incident, it is still an expense, so I was wondering when you could pay me for the tea and snacks that you ate.

you already knew it.—eh...well, I'm not charging much for the investigation, you know that and I thought that was on the house—a drop of sweat goes down for your hundred, you were short of money, you spent it on nonsense a long time ago But what irritates you the most is that he is going to charge you for the cheapest tea there was and the "poisoned" candies that weren't even from the local were a gift for Riddle that you asked for the investigation and why you had hunger.

You can't pay for that.

—I see if that's the case, you can pay in another way, don't take it personally, I like things well done and you know the motto of the establishments, product given money received—he says with an innocent smile and closed eyes.

Taking your arm, he drags you to the corridors, you try to get away without success, this man has a lot of strength, you do him the favor of investigating his case and you charge him relatively little and he will still charge you for a few cups of tea, how miserable did he have to be?

It ends up taking you to some somewhat dirty hallways due to the constant footsteps of clients and workers.

—You can pay your debt by cleaning, we will provide you with everything you need, this is the list you must make—place a somewhat long list in your face; change the water for the flowers, clean and wax the floor, put chalk on the shoji doors etc etc etc.

You look at the list with a tense and irritated smile, you've already been through so much today, what else do you have to put up with?

—Sir, I have to go see Riddle, to advance the investigation, I can pay the debt later—you try to escape, you were tired, you can't take it anymore.

—Well, if he wants to see Rosehearts-Sama so much, he better start now so that it ends quickly—he gives you a cloth and a bucket of water and shows you where you have to start.

Is this a joke? How could the redhead stand it? If he could barely stand you, This man no longer plows the earth because he lost his nails.

He doesn't even care about tea and sweets, he just wants someone to work for him for free!!

Reluctantly you grab a piece of tape, wrapping it around your arms to hold up your sleeves and clean better, you crouch down and start brushing the floor.

You barely started and you're already tired, what would your old man think? What face would Riddle make when he saw you? He would laugh inside that's for sure.

Several clients passed by and looked at you, young people, and courtesans laughed, you look like a lovebird working for the love of your life, what envy they said, you clean faster because of shame, complaining from within, asking to give explosive diarrhea for 5 days to the crow that watched what you did.

Do you want to see Riddle~!!

You're hungry~!!!

Do you want to rest~!!!!

━━━━━━✧❂✧━━━━━━

Hellooooo

I hope you are having a happy new year, why in my country they kidnapped the president, now we go from being "el coño de tu madre" to "the pussy of the mother" XD

I broke a tooth, I don't have internet, the country is in a difficult situation and I am at war with myself and the devil But God always wins.

I'm sorry for the delay, I really wanted to upload this chapter along with the rest of the Oiran version boys' designs, and make an attempt at the cover at the same time to publish it in December

But I don't know he could.

Although the design will continue until he finishes with Riddle, in the next Oiran the design will change.

Yes, both Majo and I fell short of the story, since she is the machine and is the one who details scenes that I request, so she found someone to help us, basically she gives us information on something about history that we can add, she gives us writing advice and is a more experienced second opinion, since she has written many stories.

Thanks for that Ojito!

God bless you and I hope we all arrive alive and with Jesus in our hearts by next December.

Yujo (Courtesan) - Ito Shinsui, 1912

The Art Of Refusing Patrons

Conversation, music, spiritualism, aesthetics, the Tayuu had a wealth of talents and gifts. They were considered supernatural beauties, bewitching castle-topplers, superstars across the land. But all these things are relative, are they not? Some Tayuu would cater to very niche interests, some others would be more universally prolific, and then we know of some who went down in history for their magic sex appeal or dainty feet. There is no barometer, there is no standard. All that ever mattered was her appeal to the men around her.

First and foremost to the owners of her contract, who would predict a shiny future from her babyface. Then from the aging patrons of her older sisters in the ageya, who would invest in the child's education, forming her path in a passive way. And when she started budding into adolescence, she would be deemed desirable after years of grooming. Legends and accounts have it, that the Tayuu would have acquired a catalog of talents and attributes unique to her or representative of her house, her name-line or current trends. She wore them like her expensive garments and over the top accessories. It set her apart from the noble wife, dutifully working towards her husbands financial success. From the obedient daughter, a pawn in bigger game. From the saintly mother, sacrificing her years to her sons, for the sake of the tribe. The Tayuu was not expected to sacrifice, work or go without, quite on the contrary, she was simply expected to be.

This made her the ideal woman. She was equal to the privileged man as he too was only expected to be and then to die in honor. And honor and pride are the main catalysts in the particular artform, which we will explore here.

A Long Tradition

In my posts about Tayuu, I tend to describe their existence as something like a cultural lighting in a bottle. A cumulation of societal circumstances that made this very small ripple in culture, big and yet tiny in historical context. But the phenomenon of Tayuu culture has been a long time in the making and gone through some incarnations over the centuries: From Asobi over the Shirabyoshi to the Tayuu, all were performers of the nobles in Kyoto. We will be only touching briefly on how there is a direct line to be drawn from the Shirabyoshi specifically to Tayuu traditions.

Shirabyoshi usually came of prestigious backgrounds, sometimes of noble or samurai lineages, persuaded into (or sometimes very willingly pursuing the trend of) training in dance, poetry and social games. They didn't operate from an okiya but led a transient life, called upon to entertain at events, which were usually spiritual or religious in nature. Their stay was dependent on how much entertainment value they provided for the lord and his large court. Even though Shirabyoshi were all the rage for a while, eagerly anticipated by ladies and lords alike, as their popularity grew, so did their numbers. Too many of these girls were trying to get into the palaces, some more talented than others. At one point the biggest houses had something akin to what we would call a "casting couch" today, where rigorous vetting excluded undereducated Shirabyoshi and sent them away.

But once inside the palaces, their ambition was to stay as long as possible, as they usually had no place to call home outside of the walls. So naturally two strategies emerged for the savvy Shirabyoshi: Cultivate her art and capture the attention of her audience that way, or become a Courtesan to a noble. Better yet, have his child and nestle in somehow, hoping that the prestige of the child's father would rub off on her. The most successful girls ticked all boxes. As history does, some rare Shirabyoshi managed to become highly demanded artists and they actually refused patrons. But let's face it, this was not the norm and as time passed, became even more rare.

One can see some parallels to Tayuu in that these artistic entertainers blurred the lines between business and pleasure as a way to bind themselves to men of influence. Also in that both Shirabyoshi and Tayuu travelled to the imperial palaces as specialists of their craft. But where they differ greatly is that the Tayuu's ability to refuse her patrons added to her prestige, while the Shirabyoshi would never have turned down a liaison when advantageous. She was her own boss and somewhat liberated, but also needed to fend for herself. During the romantic Heian era, this lifestyle had blossomed but in the following Muromachi era, the status of women particularly within the elite warrior class changed, due to emerging primogeniture and patriarchal, Confucian, and Buddhist influences that deemed women "impure". This would ingrain itself in Japanese culture for good.

Some centuries passed and with the advent of the pleasure quarters, the Tayuu got webbed into a finely tuned machine that upheld a whole industry. So the question is: How much say did a Tayuu really have to refuse?

Examples in Media And Real Life

Sano Jirozaemon Murdering A Courtesan - Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, 1886

Yatsuhashi

Yatsuhashi Oiran was a real person who was brutally murdered by a jealous patron in 1683 in the Yoshiwara. The Kabuki play “Kagotsurube Sato no Eizame” (The Bewitched Sword) is based on her life. But it is framed from the murderers perspective of course. Jirozaemon, a country merchant that had come to some wealth, falls in love at first sight with Yatsuhashi, during her parade in the Yoshiwara. His open mouthed, smallpox scarred face elicits a mocking smile from the majestic Oiran but later in the play, we see that Jirozaemon has managed to buy himself into her regular company at the Tachibanaya and was in talks of redeeming her contract for her to become his mistress. She rejects his offer, as her lover Einojo pressures her to do so, fearing her feelings for Jirozaemon were growing. Some months later, Jirozaemon returns to Edo, having left after the rejection, and he visits the Tachibanaya once more. An apologetic Yatsuhashi begs him for forgiveness once they are alone. He softly hands her a cup of sake to make amends. As she hesitates to accept, he states it will be her last drink and thrusts his sword into her, killing her in one blow.

The public ist meant to sympathize with Jirozaemon, as he was of their shared merchant class while the Oiran was known to not give them the time of day. And even though the murderer is framed as a wronged, well meaning country merchant, manipulated by gangsters of the seedy pleasure quarters, I find Yatsuhashi's story to be exceptionally tragic. One can see that the fate of an Oiran was to cultivate relationships with people she might have rejected at face value but then talked into entertaining by her boss. Then the man she loved, Einojo, who was certainly not going to buy her out of her contract, clearly put his needs before hers, as losing her to Jirozaemon would have granted her a secure life outside of debt to a brothel. And finally, as Yatsuhashi played her only card, openly rejecting someone without even giving any explanation or derogating him, she is punished with burning rage. She was let down by every man in this story and she had no escape.

Nishigiki

In 1810, one Nishigiki dared to refuse a customer so vehemently that it sealed her fate according to the book "Edo Culture: Daily Life and Diversions in Urban Japan, 1600-1868" where we get some insight into methods of torture of Yuujo. It's widely known, that some inhabitants of the Yoshiwara served their terms as convicted prostitutes so we do get a wide variety of women, from refined to rough and ready. Torture and murder were very much a part of village life and no one would bat an eye at the news of another girl getting her comeuppance in one way or another. Refusing a patron was certainly up there in the top reasons for punishment, along with stealing and fleeing through the gates.

I can't seem to find more on the martered Nishigiki, safe to say from the timeline, she was not a Tayuu but rather an Oiran. We can deduct that her case wasn't a big deal and simply got lost in the records. Just another girl that didn't make it.

I did manage to find a lineage of the myouseki in the Yoshiwara though. One very famous Nishigiki Oiran was immortalized by Isoda Koryuusai in 1776, which might or might not be the one we're looking for. It's not very likely though, as by the 1810s this Kishigiki would be in her 50ies and long past her prime to be able to refuse any Danna. Harunobu had not one but two Nishigiki as muses during the 1770ies. Then there is the 1830ies Nishigiki in full Oiran mode. So it's safe to say that the name was rather popular even after one of them faced a gruesome end. There is even a Nishigiki in kabuki and bunraku, whose contract is being negotiated over in the play. The protagonist is forced to come up with 200 ryo (something along 20–80 million modern Japanese yen), an unheard of amount, keeping in mind that a low-ranking samurai might earn only 3 ryo annually. It's so jarring to see one Nishigiki getting murdered for refusing a patron, while another Nishigiki is worth a lifetime's earnings.

From what we know of the rapid decline of Tayuu culture in the early 1800s, the battered Nishigiki was probably one of the very last women who dared to refuse a patron. The retribution was swift and brutal. Tayuu and certainly Oiran were not irreplaceable superstars any longer.

Takao II

When discussing superstars, we cannot go without mentioning the famous Takao II of the Yoshiwara. Date Tsunamune, the young daimyo of Mutsu, decided to buy her contract, which was immensely costly due to her unprecedented popularity as a Tayuu in the pleasure quarters. Her boss ludicrously asked for her weight in gold. As the patron obliged, Takao's sleeves were secretly weighted down with lead, causing her weight to increase to some 70kg. Nevertheless, the contract was bought and a devastated Takao was sent on her way to become the daimyo's mistress in his estates. Poor Takao tried to drown herself in her despair, leaping from the boat she was being shipped in, this being one story. Another version cites that when she refused her new master, her fingers were broken one by one, a day at a time. After the 10th day of rejection, Tsunamune murdered her with his blade.

So, exactly where was her right to refuse a patron? If not THE great Takao, who else might have had the pull to reject an undesirable suitor? Where does this idea come from that these girls, teenagers essentially groomed into sexual servitude, would have had the wherewithal to say: "no, i don't wanna".

Reading Between The Lines Of Tayuu Propaganda

These examples are obviously very extreme, hence all the legends and media around tragic heroines. Oftentimes kabuki and bunraku playwriters used the Courtesan to demonstrate that there is virtue to be found in the most rotten milieu, be it in the form of a stoic and devoted whore, or a lowly John saving up a year's wages to get a hug from a famous Oiran. Among all these tales of love suicides and murders, there were many, many rituals and steps that went beforehand. Lest we forget that the pleasure quarters was built upon rules and laws designed to control the money flow. The art of refusing patrons was very much a tool to get interests up and make or break a popular Courtesan. But we also try and view these rules and regulations in a different light.

In the early years of the pleasure quarters, visitors were of the samurai class, visiting with retainers and associates. Even feudal lords would grace the district and bring with them their retinue. As we know, the merchant class found unprecedented social mobility around this time, replacing the samurai as the purchasing powerhouse. The growing masses found that even though they had the funds, there were degrees of accessibility to more successful ranks of women. They got blocked from mixing with higher class women. Noble Patrons profited from a more luxurious experience that made them feel superior to the lower classes, the brothels gained reputation and prestige through association with the ruling classes. But we are still talking about a tiny pool of people affected in this, as even during its golden age, Tayuu were counted in double digits among the two thousand working girls in the Yoshiwara. So here and there, some admissions for very rich merchants were made to see Tayuu and Oiran. But the culture clash was inevitable.

Just as often as Oiran and Tayuu tradition gets blurred into one another, there is one main factor that separates them: Location.

About Mawashi And That Pesky Contract

There used to be Tayuu in the Yoshiwara, and those were the top rank of Oiran, or the top rank of any given ranking system. At some point, the last Tayuu of the Yoshiwara extinguished and there were only Oiran left. Tayuu in the Shimabara and the Yoshiwara were groomed and educated from childhood to fit the mold. BUT in the Yoshiwara, there were cases of Courtesans rising up to Tayuu rank out of the blue. In Kyoto though, they stuck to the tradition of growing a Tayuu. There is no chance in hell, that a merchant of any kind would have had access to a Tayuu in Kyoto in all earnestness. Just because she was already "promised" to some patron that had invested in her education via her Onesan. So the concept of "refusing a patron" would have been inevitable, as she was ideally already locked into a patronage from the very start of her career, the patron only chomping at the bit for the girl to come of age. Raising a Tayuu was a big deal, a big investment and a big part of high culture in Kyoto.

Now if a new Tayuu had one or two (or even more) interested Danna waiting for her to "open shop", she was essentially already refusing patrons by default. The okiya would see to it, that the girl got to officially meet her patron through the three-meeting rituals we keep reading about everywhere, the one the Oiran hijacked as a means to bleed the patron dry. This is where the myth of "refusing first timers" comes from. And it made sense in Kyoto, where even the most money minded okiya would protect their assets by introducing them to trusted clients before sending them off to far away estates.

Just like the Shirabyoshi before her, the Tayuu would make her way to her Danna's place but she had a whole circus of attendants in tow: Kamuro, Shinzo, her secretary, her lantern bearer, sitting in a palanquin or carriage etc. This was pricey and the costs needed to be negotiated in advance, naturally this was not an impulse buy for a first timer. Same with the Oiran Dochu later on. This was too high a risk to simply offer on credit and the bosses of ageya and okiya knew this very well. They wanted the big fish.

When a deal was negotiated for a Tayuu's exclusive or semi-exclusive patronage with a client, it was not to buy her out quite yet. The girl was kept in the okiya and worked by hosting her patrons, educating herself and educating the new generation of Kamuro, paying off her investment and debt. Her life was paid at least once or many times over if she had a few insanely rich patrons but it was never enough. So even a kept Tayuu might have had days where she might have refused her Danna right?

Again we need to look into the dynamics of noble culture in Kyoto and how different it was from Yoshiwara.

If an Oiran was booked many days or even weeks in advance, may it be by loyal patrons or persistent and rich first-timers, would that be considered a refusal if she simply had no time? When a popular girl was double or triple booked, she would simply not attend her meeting with one patron in favor of another and send a sick note. Or she would meet that one rich guy and slip out to write letters for the other dude waiting. One very common trick was to send the ugliest Shinzo in to keep him entertained. While the rules stated that the Shinzo was off limits, it usually was her initiation into entertaining a patron one on one. And it would have been considered bad manners to complain about the Oiran being AWOL just as much as not paying for that Shinzo's unrequested services. By the way, this trick with sending in the Shinzo was called Mawashi and the Shinzo was then the Mawashikata. The custom had been established among lower ranked whores, who needed to work many Johns simultaneously, jumping from futon to futon. Sure, this angered the clients, but it was just the game of booking a popular girl. Even if she just showed up for a short while, you had the bragging rights. This custom made its way up the ranks to the Oiran over time as efficiency grew more important for them too.

Let's imagine how Kyoto's fine elite would have dealt with rejection. The type of Tayuu you mingled with was representative of your own refinement. If you were important and wealthy enough, she would not let you jump through unnecessary hoops. But just as well, she would meet her patrons at eye level to some degree, as was expected. A good Tayuu would never be as rude as to leave her patron waiting and if she did, an elegant daimyo would never make a scene. He would never let any hint of unsophistication slip, as this grave faux-pas would lead to refusal of services. He would handle her with more care than most women would have dared to dream of experiencing at that time because she was not his belonging, like a wife or a daughter, but rather a service provided by an okiya.

Since we're discussing real people and real emotions though, it's not as black and white of course. Nonetheless, the Tayuu's experience was unlike anything any other woman in Japanese society would have known and made for a rather comfortable and desirable lifestyle.

Honor and Dignity Of The Samurai

So if everything was so cozy and comfy, how did we get all these stories of patrons harming the Courtesans after experiencing rejection? For this we touch on the subject of the importance of honor as a cornerstone of samurai life. Among the vital values imbedded into their identity were dignity and self-restraint just as much as saving face through honor. Just as much as a Courtesan hurling herself from a boat into the river seems a bit excessive, it was representative of her samurai ideal. Just as much would the samurai rather kill her by his own blade for insulting him. As she was a woman, there was no duel to preface this settling of scores. She was already considered beneath him by Confucian teachings, what difference would it had made if she was dead or alive. Certainly there was no coming back or reconciliation. It was simply not how things worked. A Courtesan mingling in these circles already knew what was in store for her, it was part of daily life.

Whose Right Is It Anyway?

Essentially, the art of refusing a patron was privy to the brothel owners only. It was never the right or the privilege of the Tayuu nor the Oiran. She was only an instrument, a toy, she was merchandise. The irony of attributing the "right to refuse customers" to a Tayuu that never got to choose her patrons in the first place is cruel. A girl working in a brothel or okiya would be either disciplined or tortured into meeting the man that brought the most profit for her house. If she was bought out, she was now her new husband's doll to destroy at will. Her death would not have caused a scandal big enough to warrant more than a slap on the wrist for her samurai murderer. And the story of Jirozaemon, who got so welcomed into the teahouse just to kill the girl he had fallen in lust with, is a great example of how money did the vetting.

For the girl's owners, refusing a client was about the coin, for the girls it was a matter of life and death. I often think about how we trust our guts when meeting new people, but the Courtesans didn't have that privilege. They had already grown up desensitized to the leering gaze, to the screams of pain in the walls, to the blood on the tatami. In this sense Tayuu would be considered the epitome of the perfect woman because she was majestic yet submissive. And the submission started with the owner of her contract, who did all the thinking for her. She might have had the forum to interject as opposed to the working girls next door that couldn't catch a break, running from one mattress to another while wiping on the way with their tucked in paper rolls. But what difference would her word have made?

One can see how it might have been a point of contention for the affected men in the story. Of course from their point of view, this was an alien concept, something to make a huge fuss about because it was a rejection of men. Through the lens of Confucian ideals, this was a hard pill to swallow. But it's also very interesting that the art of rejecting patrons was attributed to the girls and not their bosses ultimately. This game was for men to suppress other men while suppressing women

Third Month, Cherry Blossoms in the Yoshiwara (Edo period) by Keisai Eisen (Japanese, 1790–1848).

Woodblock print.

Ca.1892-95 image by T. ENAMI (1859-1929).

Title: Pillar of Flames (Hi-hashira)

Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi