Oroshi didn’t need to spend much time in front of the mirror, but his preparations had been far more extensive than Kaori’s. Courting her father and letting him “come up” with the idea of an arranged marriage had taken a considerable amount of effort and planning, as well as calling in a substantial number of favors.

  He made sure journalists would learn of his arrangements with the Meiji Jingu shrine, thus leaking news of a wedding. A few hints here and there had done the trick, carefully orchestrating the situation without ever leaving the slightest trace of his actions. Outwardly, it appeared as though the stars aligned just right on their own, but they certainly took a lot of prodding, he thought with a wolfish smile.

  And yet, everything could still fail if things didn’t go smoothly with Kaori. Social pressure could only take him so far, now he had to capture her heart. To most men, this would be an impossible challenge. He wasn’t most men however, and he understood Kaori’s position well. Better than she did herself.

  As he inspected the superyacht, he allowed his mind to wander. He enjoyed reflecting upon his craft.

  Actresses, like idols, and other ladies of high standing in general were incredibly easy if you knew how to handle them and met the basic requirements of wealth and appearance. You had to be wealthy and you had to look good, of course, but assuming those hurdles were cleared, seducing them was almost trivial. Enslaved to the rules of polite society, bound by the obligations of their positions, with unique needs and much less freedom than women far below their stations, they were frustrated, had few options, and being the object of lust for millions of men did little to assuage their own desires.

  Better yet, fear of scandals and the need to protect their public image meant that as long as things happened in private, no one would ever hear a word of it.

  He came up to the wheelhouse and signaled for the Captain. It was a simple nod, but the man immediately sprung to attention and handed over his duties to the first mate.

  Oroshi was the true master on this ship.

  “I take it everything is ready”?

  “Of course, sir. The Chef arrived last night and the menu is arranged as per your instructions. The cripple is good and ready. The first aid kit and the buoy are in place, and the sea should be perfect this afternoon.”

  “And the girls?”

  “All secure since yesterday, we just kept the standard waiting staff. Everybody is in fresh uniforms and they all know their parts.”

  Satisfied, he decided to pay a visit down below and make sure nothing was amiss. Kaori was—well, she was different. A completely different level from the typical idol. She wasn’t bound by contract, for one thing, and it complicated the situation considerably. Take for instance the latest addition to his collection, a popular singer by the name of Chiyoko. A deliciously pure young woman tied up by an exacting idol contract as if by chains of steel. She would spend the rest of her life obeying his every whim—as she well should.

  He glanced at his watch and smiled; he still had plenty of time. He headed down to the engine room. The place was spotless and fully up-to-date with the latest regulations, but for now his mind was on something else entirely. In the far corner of the room was a small control cabin lodged against the bulkhead, with various instruments. These were nothing more than window dressing. The only thing of importance was a frame with a picture of a majestic cat.

  He moved his face square in front of the cat and winked. An opening appeared in the bulkhead, revealing a ladder going below. He closed the door behind him and slid down along the railings, arriving in a small room equipped with a closet and a shower. He undressed and slipped into leather pants. He didn’t bother with a shirt. His torso was that of a God, he thought, admiring his chiseled features. No point covering myself, she needs to learn to worship me.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  He exited into a metal dungeon, with chains, steel cages and a variety of medieval-looking implements. Several beautiful women were held captive inside the cages. One after the other, they bowed deeply, welcoming him with bright smiles. He nodded in response but did not stop, heading directly for the last cage on the right. Inside sat a naked beauty wearing a gag. Chiyoko. She looked dirty and miserable. The low growl of the engine surrounded them like that of a large predator, powerful and menacing. It was muffled of course, but you couldn't completely suppress that much power.

  He smiled as he caught the busty idol staring at him with a mix of fear and resignation. She wasn’t quite broken yet, not truly, but well on her way. Then again, it had only been a few days and things were progressing as they should. Another week in the cage, two at the most, and she would look at him with the adoration and unquestioning loyalty he expected of all his girls.

  He stepped into the cage as a lion tamer would and gestured to the girl. She had goose bumps all over her skin. The room was kept slightly below a comfortable temperature precisely to that effect. Chiyoko got on all fours and made her way to him. He removed her gag and she let out a sigh of relief, finally able to swallow her saliva. He allowed it and petted her head:

  “It’s over now. I told you you shouldn’t scream. No one can hear you here anyway. But you will never do that again, will you?”

  She looked up at him and he could see the fear in her eyes. She had yet to learn how to hide it behind a smile.

  “No, of course not. Thank you for teaching me the error of my ways, sensei.”

  This pleased him. She learned that answer from the girls in the nearby cages. After the first few days, he rarely had to use threats or violence. Once they understood they were totally at his mercy, their own imagination subdued them more effectively than any specific threat he could conjure up. Peer-pressure did the rest, normalizing her new life as a sex slave.

  It is remarkable what people will accept, as long as those around them act as if it is normal, he thought. Social contagion can turn “sane” people into just about anything.

  The system worked perfectly:

  First, the seduction. He was a rich and friendly gentleman with profound influence in the company who owned their contracts. The company was his, of course, but they didn’t need to know that. To them, he was a handsome and benevolent patron of the arts. They wanted to please him and he knew how to make them feel special.

  Next, he created an emergency of some kind. In Chiyoko’s case, her mother had a “car accident”. She had no insurance and Chiyoko badly needed money. Combined with her ambition to make it big as an idol, she had not choice but to appeal to him, her kindly benefactor. Far from having to seduce her, she sought him out, desperate, while he remained aloof, ever so slightly out of her reach. It didn’t take long before she offered herself. A star worshiped by thousands of fans was that easy. He had it on video too, a direct violation of her contract. What would her boss say? Not to mention her fans! Her career could be over just like that and she was so deep in debt, she could never fight back. And now that her shooting schedule was cleared, she was here, in the cage, ready for training.

  He allowed her to pleasure him. She was getting better, but his mind wasn’t fully in it. How should he handle Kaori? This was a very different challenge and the stakes were so much higher. He had to move slow, or at least slower, but she too would eventually need to spend some time in the cage. After the wedding of course, but he was in no rush. He had plenty of others to slake his prodigious lust, and if anything, they were more to his taste. The younger the training started, the better the results. Every trainer knew that.

  He caressed Chiyoko’s head as he lavished praise on her and did not put the gag back on. She needs to learn that life is good when she pleases her master, he thought. She gave him a slight smile, timid, unconvincing, but a smile nonetheless.

  “Well done, Chiyo-chan! I will see you again tonight.”

  She bowed, “Thank you master.” and crawled back to her corner as he watched her hips sway with a hint of seduction, inviting him. I don't need another week, Chiyoko's almost ready. Should I--?

  No. He suppressed his growing desire.

  It was Kaori's turn now, he would not be late.