Hwani was closely reading the notes, lost in these thoughts, when Ezio put down his pen as if he had reached a stopping point and belatedly noticed her.

　　“Oh, hey.”

　　Hwani forced a smile and set the sheet music down.

　　“Are you finished? I didn’t want to disturb you.”

　　“I was working on the main motif. I’d found a thread, but I was wrestling with it because it felt a bit unpolished.”

　　Ezio managed to find his teacup in a corner of the desk and took a sip. It had likely been brought in a long time ago and left to go completely cold.

　　“Have you eaten dinner?”

　　He set the teacup aside and asked out of the blue. Hwani started and shook her head.

　　“No. I was planning to go home and eat with my family…”

　　“Then wouldn’t it be far too late? Regardless, considering the nature of our work, I won’t make you work on an empty stomach. I’ll have a meal brought in immediately.”

　　He stepped over to the wall and pulled the bell rope. Soon the door opened, and his young apprentice stuck his head in.

　　“What is it, Master?”

　　“Fetch something light to eat from the kitchen. Have you finished practicing the etude I assigned?”

　　“I finished that long ago. I just need to bring enough for Miss Hwani too, right?”

　　Taking the hint, the boy closed the door and withdrew. Hwani couldn’t help marveling aloud at how sharp he was.

　　“Camillo is a remarkably capable apprentice. Even the theater errand boy, who is older than him, can’t handle things that well. Is he a relative of yours?”

　　Given Ezio’s fame, he could have taken on as many prominent pupils as he pleased. If he kept only a single boy like that around, she wondered if there was some special connection. Ezio replied while picking up sheet music from the floor.

　　“He is a complete stranger. I took him in after seeing him play the organ alone in an old cathedral on the outskirts. When other people ask to be my students, it’s just a nuisance, but I simply can’t stand seeing a talented kid unable to pursue music because of money.”

　　His tone was offhand and blunt. But his words resonated deeply with Hwani, who was poor herself. Realizing that this eccentric man who cared about nothing but music had such a side to him, she spoke with a touch of admiration.

　　“You’re doing a good thing.”

　　“Not really. I was just annoyed by fellows with a bit of family wealth who graduate from music school and show their faces when they can’t even vary a single chord progression properly. If I tell them I’m training only one star pupil, they back off on their own.”

　　Just then, the boy returned carrying a tray of food. Ezio snatched the tray away and pointed a finger at him.

　　“Therefore, the adults have something important to discuss now, so don’t you dare linger. Go master Florenzi’s etude book. Right now!”

　　“Okay, alright. I get it.”

　　The boy withdrew readily, as if he had zero interest in what the two of them were doing in the first place.

　　The door closed. Ezio carelessly rested the tray on the edge of the desk, then tossed a sandwich wrapped in wax paper toward Hwani. He seemed to have little interest in food, merely pouring himself some tea.

　　“Eat. I’ll talk while you eat.”

　　Hwani carefully unwrapped the paper and took a bite off the edge of the sandwich. The rich flavor of the generous fillings spread through her mouth, nothing like the thin sandwiches from her impoverished neighborhood.

　　“I mentioned it last time—that we ought to prepare more thoroughly this time.”

　　“Ah… yes.”

　　Hwani swallowed her food and nodded. She didn’t know what extra preparation could possibly be needed to have her bottom spanked, though. Had he brought a cream that worked even better than her salve?

　　Meanwhile, Ezio drained his cup in one gulp and walked over to a bookshelf. She saw him open a lower cabinet and carefully pull something out.

　　“So, while it was hardly an elegant thing to do… I discreetly questioned some people I know.”

　　The items in his hands rattled as he dumped them onto the desk. The tray resting on the edge wobbled precariously.

　　“It turned out that among them, though I find it utterly incomprehensible, there were those with an inclination toward this sort of thing. Thanks to that, I managed to get all sorts of advice.”

　　Just hearing that left Hwani flabbergasted. She hurriedly swallowed her sandwich and asked,

　　“What on earth did you say about our business?”

　　“There’s no need to tremble. I didn’t say a single thing that would damage your reputation. Merely… well. They had kept advising me that if I didn’t understand love, I should visit an establishment where one buys women. I simply asked what happens if one visits that sort of establishment.”

　　Hearing that reassured Hwani a little. As she let out a quiet sigh, Ezio picked up one of the objects he had dumped on the desk.

　　“As it turns out, even that world has all kinds of rules. Though it seems there are brutes who beat the defenseless indiscriminately, for the most part, meticulous precautions are taken so that it doesn’t degenerate into senseless violence.”

　　Hwani stared at the wooden stick in his hand. About three spans long, slender and sleek, it looked like something she had often seen during her school days. In other words, a cane.

　　“It may not look like it, but I am told it is quite flexible. Because it bends easily, it merely makes a loud noise and causes very little pain.”

　　Ezio, too, seemed to be holding something like this for the first time, awkwardly bending both ends. The curved switch suddenly snapped back with a crack and vibrated.

　　“And there was this, too. At first, I thought it was a shoehorn.”

　　This time it was a paddle with a broad, oar-like blade attached to a handle. Ezio brought the paddle down against his palm as a test. It produced a loud thud.

　　“Likewise, they say this only makes a provocative sound without causing much pain. They set out props like these and enjoy pretending to hit each other. Though I find it somewhat difficult to comprehend that people use fine wood for such things.”

　　Hwani could only nod, utterly appalled. Though she was not entirely naive, she had lived her whole life virtuously, and to her, this felt like another world entirely. Just digesting the information flooding into her head was overwhelming.

　　Ezio crossed his arms, looking somewhat perplexed himself. He sighed in frustration and said,

　　“Anyway, they say people do all sorts of bizarre things. Tying bodies up with ropes singed smooth, dripping candle wax that isn’t hot onto skin… Far be it from me to judge their strange pleasures, but I will not be doing any of that. I have no desire to end up in the newspaper for assault.”

　　“I-I don’t want to do things like that either. I am a stage performer, after all.”

　　Hwani raised her voice in desperation. It would be a disaster if rope marks or burns were left on her body.

　　Yet in the back of her mind, she felt a slight suspicion. Wasn’t this man, who called such hobbies strange, just as bizarre himself? Wouldn’t he try to use her screams in his music if she were burned?

　　Fortunately, this music-obsessed man seemed to possess at least a sliver of conscience. Furrowing his brow slightly, he shook his head as if thoroughly sickened by such bizarre talk.

　　“Anyway. I prepared these in my own way, but it doesn’t seem necessary to go all out. As stated in the contract, let’s make sure we don’t cross the line.”

　　“Yes…”

　　“Ah, right. I heard there is something called a ‘safeword.’ A signal to give when you want to stop partway through. Shall we set one?”

　　Hwani blinked at a word she had never heard before. Taking the dessert plate Ezio had just offered, she asked,

　　“If I want to stop, wouldn’t it be enough to just say I want to stop?”

　　“Well, I find it hard to believe myself, but apparently, if you get immersed in the play… no, in the work, there are times when you can’t stop.”

　　Ezio wore a troubled look as well.

　　“I don’t really know either. I’m just taking their word for it. In any case, they said we must choose a word that completely ruins the mood as our signal.”

　　“The mood. The mood…”

　　Still, even though she had been told to pick such a word out of nowhere, she couldn’t think of anything right away.

　　Hwani paused to think for a moment. A word that would ruin the mood. What would work?

　　Just then, a pie sat neatly on the dessert plate in front of her. Since it felt like a shame to waste food, Hwani quickly picked it up, popped it into her mouth, and chewed. After swallowing even the whipped cream bursting from inside, she spoke.

　　“Then how about ‘cream pie’?”

　　Thinking for too long was a hassle, and she figured the name of a dessert right in front of her would be fine. Ezio also nodded in agreement.

　　“Well, that should do. Then the safeword is ‘cream pie.’”

　　“Yes.”

　　“Now that we’ve had something to eat, let us begin our work. There are no issues with your throat, I presume?”

　　He emphasized the word ‘throat.’ Hwani felt her stomach clench as she nodded slowly.

　　“Yes.”

　　As if there were nothing more to discuss, Ezio approached her. He plopped down onto the sofa.

　　“Since the desk is cluttered, let us do it here today.”

　　Hwani flinched as the man suddenly moved closer. Right then, his hand seized her, and she lost her balance, pitching forward. Before she knew it, she ended up sprawled across Ezio’s lap.

　　“Ah!”

　　“This position seems better. If you permit it, just like last time…”

　　Even before he finished speaking, Hwani knew what was about to happen. Resigned, she squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists tightly.

　　“Yes, it’s alright. It’s awkward to get back up, so please take it off yourself, Mr. Ezio.”

　　“By all means, then.”

　　She had already anticipated the work ahead and picked out a skirt that would be easy to pull up.

　　The man’s large hand reached beneath Hwani’s skirt. He rolled the hem of the long skirt up, bunching it around her waist. And as he pulled down her underwear, her porcelain-white bottom was exposed to the air once more.