Demon Slayer: Yσƙαι Wιϝҽ [魅美] |Tengen Uzui x Kejōrō!Reader|

5: A Hopeless Fairytale

After leaving the bakery, you'd found a peaceful and secluded area behind an abandoned building.

You continue to stared down at the plastic wrapped chocolate cake in your lap─the one the so-called mysterious stranger had graciously purchased for you.

Just who were they and how'd exactly did they know what you were thinking?

Well, people had always told you that you were like an opened book, but surely you weren't that easy to read...right?

Perhaps, the stranger took pity on you and had decided to help you? Maybe, they thought of you as hopeless vagabond or something?

I mean, who wouldn't because of your long hair that covered your face.

'It's seems you have a suitor,'─ the words of Mrs. Tachigawa repeated in your head as you can only think about that masculine hand with red and green painted nails.

You, a suitor?

Haha, that's rich...considering the men (and sometimes women) that would pass by you, found a young lady like yourself, unattractive and awkward. You were never cut out to have the beauty of a Geisha or the enthrallment of an Oiran. No, you were just you─dull and average you, and nothing more.

You never fit the mold of what Yoshiwara deemed as desirable or captivating. Your presence was often overlooked in a sea of more striking individuals. The thought of being pursued by someone seemed like a foreign concept to you, something that only happened in fairy tales or movies.

But deep down, a flicker of hope always remained, a tiny ember of longing for someone to see beyond the surface and appreciate the uniqueness that was you.

You want to be the girl passing through the chocolate forest and hopping in an orange pumpkin carriage that will for sure take you away to a milk-colored castle. You want to be the kind of girl who can make flowers blush─the kind of girl who can have someone to love.

Alas, it is but a hopeless fairytale. Oh well, at least you got a free chocolate cake as you peeled the plastic off before eating it like a pizza since you had no fork. You hummed in delight as the moist chocolate coated your tastebuds. It reminded you of the chocolate served back at the Guren as the rich, velvety texture of the cake melted in your mouth.

Only the most noble and wealthy of clients get to enjoy the rich goodness of the chocolate bowl filled with the finest chocolate made by the land's most gifted chocolatier and a side of freshly picked fruits. As you savored each bite of the cake, you couldn't help but imagine yourself indulging in a lavish feast, surrounded by opulence and luxury. The contrast between your current reality and the fantasy made the simple pleasure of the chocolate cake even more enjoyable.

Once finished, you tossed the wrapper away and took a moment to simply enjoy the scenery before you as you took a deep breath, enjoying the sweet smell of cherry blossoms. The gentle rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of birds added to the peaceful atmosphere, making you feel truly at ease in this moment of tranquility.

It felt really good to be away from the brothel. To be able to feel the sun on your skin and wind through your hair. Someday, you hope to get a place to call home─so that you can enjoy pleasant days like this.

However, here in Yoshiwara, work was difficult to find, and for you, work hours were long and difficult, and pay was so low that you couldn't afford nice things or a life of luxury. Despite the hardships, you persevered and continued to work hard as a maid, determined to make a better life for yourself in the future.