To His Hell and Back
Chapter 104: Sister’s Love Runs Deep

Chapter 104: Sister’s Love Runs Deep

Courtez smiled as Ursula had gotten quiet from her intriguing words. It was difficult for someone like her who had controlled this brothel for long to let go of such a perfect chance of someone who could bring an even bigger success to the business and being a woman with great desire, Courtez knew that Ursula wouldn’t let this chance gone.

She then crossed her arms, "Besides I was going to tell you that I have someone who wants to see Ariel."

Ursula’s eyes sparkled but she managed to hide the hints of her interest, not wanting to sound too dependent on Courtez when she is still one of the prostitue and a merchandise for sale. To have Courtez think that she has the upper hand was the last thing Ursula wanted to happen, specially when Courtez never held anyone with respect all except for Ariel it seemed.

She trained her eyes to remain calm though curiosity brimmed to her eyes, "And who is that person?"

"A wealthy man," Courtez answered, "A human but extremely wealthy. He hails from a neighboring kingdom who had heard about Ariel’s beauty. So much so that he had came here by the ship just for a glimpse. He didn’t even pay to get her purity, he only wanted to meet her once with a hefty sum of gold. What do you say?"

Ursula was immediately bought but she pretended to not be on board for a moment, asking, "But what if that said human instead try to take her purity? As you said, she is worth it because of her worth and the fact that she is unattainable."

"Don’t you worry," Courtez answered, "I shall be there to help Ariel. No one would be foolish enough to send a newbie like her immediately to serve such a wealthy patron, we will be the one on the losing end."

Ursula furrowed her eyebrows. Everything sounds good. Almost too good. But Courtez always show herself as a pretty lucky woman who always found the best patron and Ursula knew that she could trust Courtez’s keen instinct and eyes even if she couldn’t fully trust the woman for fear that her business would be stolen by Courtez.

She thought about it and thought about the payment, considering that turning away this chance was nothing but foolish.

"Alright, but first let me see the man and confirm the payment," Ursula said, giving an air as if she didn’t care then turned to her men and ordered them, "You lots. Make sure you clean this before four. And. Courtez, take care of that girl of yours, make sure to feed her even if you have to force food down her throat. If she gets any skinnier, she will only become skin and bone."

Courtez chuckled and walked away from the place, feeling Ursula’s eyes that had narrowed on her but she remained unfazed as so many people had given her such hateful look before she walked to the brothel. She had grown too accustomed to it for her to ever care someone’s hatred directed toward her. Caring was simply too much of a trouble and a waste of emotion.

She then went to the kitchen, taking a wooden bowl of onion soup and a rather tough bread then went to the lowest floor of the building which is the storage room. Unlike the room above that was draped in silk and seductive smelling incense, the storage room was located underneath the entire building, mostly covered with molds and items unused, even at times bodies of the prostitue who had gotten ill and passed away. Ursula wasn’t someone who took care of her girls. She prioritize her own wealth and the brothel’s success to be busy caring about the girls and their safety. But at the least in this most filthy place Ariel wouldn’t have to sell herself like she did, a rather disgusting cage made to protect her.

Courtez walked in until she stopped at a wooden door. Pushing it open she saw a girl curled into a hugging position with her back leaned on the wall beside the oval window. Her blonde hair had turned dusty and her skin was rather dry from the lack of food or drink she had refused to take but when she lifted her face from her knees, her striking and beautiful face disregarded any imperfections, making her even more beautiful like a damsel in distress.

Courtez shut the door as she entered, "I have told you that if you refuse to eat and drink you will die before you could ever see your sister."

Ariel pursed her lips. She held her dress tight and finally spoke in response, "I should have been the one to go to the castle. Arabella... Bella... my little Bella has always tried to protect me and even then I saw how fearful she was but I was just so useless that I couldn’t even protected her."

Courtez sat down and placed the tray of food, she leaned closer, "Yes, yes, you kept crying and weeping about your sister but is that going to change the fact that she had sacrificed herself for your safety? Instead of wailing like a ghost nursing heartbreak you should use your charm to please-"

"I refuse," Ariel’s green eyes narrowed, though the girl was always meek and kinder, always refusing to be in trouble she also shared a blood of stubbornness as Arabella. She closed her eyes, hugging her knees. "Bella..."

’Tsk," Courtez pulled the bread and ripped it apart, dipping it to the soup. "You are so desperate to keep your purity? Do you have a man you’re going to marry or whatnot? If that’s the case let me warn you: Men aren’t trustworthy."

"Women too," Ariel answered back to her. She sighed as she looked at Courtez who seems to make the brothel her own home so easily. "I know that my purity doesn’t matter and it’s not that I don’t want to work with my body. The thought is frightening and the fact that I couldn’t find a husband is also worrying but..."

"But? There’s a but?"

Lala’s eyes turned wet as she whispered, her voice breaking like a choke, "If Bella ever found out I sold my body she would be devastated. If she’s devastated... no, I don’t want to see that happening ever again. I don’t want to burden her any longer."

"Burden her," Courtez chuckled, "You speak as if you have caused trouble for your younger sister instead of her causing trouble for you, the older one."

"You’re not wrong," Ariel muttered. When she looked back to the past there were only memories of her younger sister protecting her, shielding her from their father’s anger and so many instances where Bella would even starve and pretend she was full just so she could eat more. It was part of the reason why Bella had always been on the skinnier side, also why she was always so ready to give up everything for Ariel’s sake. "I’m a failure of an older sister," the girl slowly cried while Courtez watched this in silence. "And the castle worries me. Specially when I hadn’t told her..."

"Told her?" Courtez echoed as Ariel pursed her lips.

"No... nothing," she spoke after thoughtfully thinking her own words, stopping it as if afraid her secret would be found out. "Bella doesn’t remember our childhood."

"Well younger kids have a hard time recalling the past."

"No," Ariel shook her head, gripping tight to her dress as if she was recalling a wretched past. "Bella shouldn’t remember it... ever. But being inside a castle again, I’m afraid she would remember..." she had spoken into a whisper which Courtez couldn’t hear well.

The older woman leaned forward, "She shouldn’t remember what?"

Ariel shook her head, "Either way I am not in the mood to eat thank you Miss Courtez but it would be better if you had eaten this instead; I am worried my Bella wouldn’t have a peace of mind thinking about me and I know she must have a hard time eating while worrying about me- hamph."

Courtez had pushed a large bread to her mouth, cutting her words in an instance; and when their eyes met, Courtez’s eyes that almost looked purple under the night sky slowly turned into a smile, "Then exactly the reason why you should eat. Eat twice for your sister’s sake. I know you are worried and though I hate helping someone I had promised to your sister to take care of you which I would do with my upmost power but that doesn’t mean you should waste yourself away and die out of hunger. That wouldn’t help me, you, or your sister, do you understand?"

Ariel’s tears welled up as she knew that Courtez was the one who had told her to remain in this dungeon, she was also the one who took care of her when she was distressed by the situation. Courtez also promised she would find a way for her to escape and though she couldn’t repay anything, Courtez never once asked for a repayment, simply a kind soul that had seem to pity the two sisters.

Ariel slowly bite it down, tears strolling down her cheeks, "But my Bella... what if she doesn’t have anything to eat there? What if the vampires- sobs."

"Come on haven’t you seen how gallant your sister is?" Courtez sighed as she leaned to the wall. She didn’t know why she even want to help the sisters but seeing these two had moved her heart, "She will be fine in the castle so don’t worry. Meanwhile I have a request for you. Keeping you in the dungeon all the time is getting on Ursula’s nerves. I had no choice but to create an appointment for you and one of my patron. He’s a human and after I told him about you, he seems interested but don’t worry you won’t sleep with him, just a simple tea. He seems very curious of you and is a gentleman if things goes well, you can leave and you might be able to find your sister before the human hunt day roll around."

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