*** Yuki, m of the party***

  I felt her mana go off again. Hell it was going off all st night. How does a sve mao get that much I'll never know. Csses don't give a base level of mana or abilities for each person. Some hidden talent levels and how you use the css determine what it provides and how much. Her talent must be immeo have earned so much mana in just four csses. I hope she doesn't get her css till after she is free. Mistress has likely ruihe best healer of this geion; no need for it to get any worse. I bet her tits will grow a lot to match the mana she has if she gets an actual css. They'll probably be the size of the queen's.

  Walking up the stairs, Mistress let me know about the party she is going to. It's probably to warhat Alzi will need help tonight. I 't believe she takes a pregnant woman to those depraved things. Some of Alzi's worst nights are from those.

  I'll give her a massage instead, I think. Hopefully, she doesn't e back hurt. She's had some scary nights after them. I think she blocks out the worst ones, just remembering the normal parties. I've had too many nights where I had to force her mana to circute to keep her alive. It'll be a problem for ter; right now, I o foy performance.

  Today, I'm in gold. Standard robe style. Silver accessories io trast. Bck flowers decorate the robe. I'll need a lot more makeup today. I guess it is good I 't see Alzi today. The orphans would have a heart attack trying to get it all on if I went to lunch. They have just got the base coat on now. Some cream color. White faces aren't in anymore, so they pick a more natural tone if a full face cover is needed. is my eyeliner, a deep purple, almost bck color. Then, the eye shadow, which is gold. They add some specks that are silver into it. Standard red lipstick.

  They pull my hair into three buns behind my head. Each bus a silver hairpin. I wear small, simple earrings. I don't get any jewelry for my fingers or wrist. It gets in the way of my pying. A gold neckce with a ruby jewel finishes my jewelry.

  Finally done, I check myself in the mirror. My white tails csh with all the gold, but I didn't choose this color. The girls bring my shoes, which should be called stilts. Six-inch heels. They do have a two-inch ptform, so my foot only ges four inches, but it's still hard to walk in. I've had Alzi walk in them before. Her csses are genuinely bullshit to let her walk in them like they are ented warrior boots.

  I 't wait to teach her how to correctly use mana. She'll have every girl pying in the palm of her hand with her aura and touch correctly activated. Who knows what her new css will give her. At ten, she'll get an upgrade, and the fifteen levels hide an unknown number of skills and upgrades. The nobles would be addicted to her even if she chopped their arms off. Soon, I just o wait a year more. I've been waiting fhty years already; one more won't kill me. Unfortunately, Mai will likely just be a e, but Alzi and I will make sure she is loved. Mai being uo read will keep her from being a proper wife in any high noble marriage. She could be suitable as a helper to Alzi or me. Hate to push her into that role, but nobles are cutthroat with their harems.

  Shoes tied up, I begin the dangerous walk downstairs. Nobody help me due to the stupid rules. 'Must be pure,' what a joke. I know most of the top girls are getting themselves rammed at the parties before they go on stage, but people will fall for any trick if you set it up well enough or just shout it loud enough.

  Today, I'm perf for a private party. I'm not sure who the party is for. It isn't the ohe brothel owners are holding. Mine is just outside the border of the red light distri the ertai district. I think it has a tuo sneak in brothel girls, I never have to gh them, but Alzi has described a building very simir to it before with a strah to get there. This time, I'm just pying, no dang or poetry. I have three songs to py.

  "Good, you're here, Yuki. e on, are you sure you've got everything?" Ariawyn asks when I reach the first floor. She leads all the nonsexual or dang eai and primarily helps me with my appois.

  "Yes, are we starting to walk?"

  "Yes, the parade band is here."

  "They sent one of those? This is going to take like an hour loo get there."

  "Stop pining. You go st, so we've got plenty of time."

  "Fine, lead the way." Parade walking is the worst. I have to saunter dowreet, small slow steps. It is beautiful to see it done correctly. Only firls here do it correctly. The rest only make it a block before they have to cheat. Alzi could probably do it after an hour of training. The only part of the body that moves is the legs. They make a slow semi-circle for each step. Toes point out until the foot is ready to accept your body weight. Your upper body should look like it is floating across the street. The road the four leading brothels are on has a perfee for us to walk. The rest of the way there is twice as hard, the streets are uneven and heavily cracked. However, the noble district should have det roads to walk on.

  I get in position and wait for the band to start. It is just two drums. One marks each step, and the other pys songs to the beat.

  Soon, the drum pys out the pace. I'm okay with it, so I step out with my left foot first and begin my long, tiring journey.

  A small crowd is oreet to watch. I ighem, keeping my head straight. After two hours, I make it to the edge of the red light district. On each street I went down, a new crowd formed to watch my walk. I'm now on my st road through the noble's distract. Just ten more minutes, and I'll be doh this shit.

  I take my st step, and the drums stop. I turn to my left and walk normally ihe building.

  "You made good time. You even did the erfectly down this quiet street. The princess chose well. e, I'll show you to the staging area. Do you o fix your makeup?" the building manager says to me.

  Ariawyn answers for me, "No, her hair and makeup are still perfect. Going to the room is good."

  Ariawy ask about the princess being here. She kept me in the dark about that. I'll have to have a stern talk with Ariawyn about not telling me important information. Now I wonder if the princess is here for a fun night out or business. If it is business and I was chosen by the princess directly, I may have a problem. She may just wao perform at a more official party, which would be fine, but it'll be annoying if she asks me to be her showgirl. I've turned down a Queen before; I'm not about to settle for a Princess. Mistress will pressure me to leave if she finds out, though. The money she'll get from that trade deal would be annoying. If this is just a fun night, then all will be right in the world. I'll have to py and see if I get any proposals after.

  The room is rge enough for several dance groups to practice at once. A few small groups are scattered throughout the room. I find a er and start tuning my instruments. I'm pying five instruments tonight through the three pieces. My tails are more thaiful. They py drums and strings just as well as my hands.

  It takes an hour for me to finish tuning all the instruments. Both the dang groups leave during this time, leaving just me and the other band in the rge room.

  "Yuki, the act is pying a dau has no dancers. Would you be able to fill in?" The building manager asks after telling the roup to move to the stage.

  "Yes, she would be happy to do more for the princess." Ariawyn once again answers for me.

  "My shoes?" I ask. I'm not Alzi. I 't walk, dance, or run any shoe I put on.

  "You've do before."

  Those were a full inch shorter, and I still nearly fell. But I 't say no here; it'll make it worse if I have to say no to the prier. "Fine." Well, this sucks. Deep breath, and I follow the band out onto the stage. I set up in the middle and realized they never gave me the song. I'll have to wait a few bars. The musis are still getti, so I look into the crowd. It seems like a business meeting. Not many people fill the floor. I spot the tiara marking the princess. A woman actually sits above her. A duchess is here. Someone is aiming for the throhat expins why I 't hear what they are saying. I won't be dragged into this one, so I rex and enjoy my time.

  The first note es. From a drum, slowly a few more, finding a leisurely pace to go. I start with some simple steps, not sure what the song is still. Finally, a tone is given from a string, and I figure it out. It's a sad song. Strange song for a business meeting. But I'm just here for the dance. I'll be doing a lot of slower turns. Keeping my body low and curved. It is a long song about a failed war general. It has a sed part with 4 more movements about redemption, but the first part is more popur as a warning to not get overfident. The Duchess may have requested it for the princess in her jouro the throne.

  I bow with the musis and leave the stage. I have one more act before I have to go on.

  "Good job on the dance, but you could have waited a sed for me to tell you the song," The building manager says. A girl holding some paper walks on stage behihis is the stra eai for a business meeting I've ever seen. Poetry would require them to all stop and fully listen to her performance.

  "I could have. But it worked out fine. You talk about the princess but not the Duchess here."

  "There isn't a Duchess here.."

  "Then the Queen is here. Only a Duchess has the ce to sit above the princess, so don't py the stupid game with me."

  "I wasn't told about a Dutchess being here, just the princess." She answers. Anger about the inplete guest list is visible. She walks off, likely too cool off before I go on.

  Poetry doesn't take long, so in a few minutes, I walk out onto the stage and start setting up in the middle. I only wo of them for the first song, but I get them all set up so I don't have to do it between songs.

  The first song is a silly little dance song. I like how it gets people more engaged with my performance.

  The sed song is about the same length, five minutes. It's fast-paced and fun. It's about a beautiful valley in the northern part of this try. The st one is a multi-movement piece. It has three movements about the life of a maid. The maid loves her dy and tries to sleep with her. The three movements are what you expect with a happy-ever-after story. The maid and her dy wele a child into the world and show everyoheir love.

  Onplete, I put my instruments away, give a deep bow, and walk off stage.

  "Well dohe princess has asked you to join us for a quick versation," the manager says, Ariawyn behind her, nodding her head, so I accept the request.

  "As Her Highness wishes." Hopefully, she is just impressed with the performance.