It would be no small feat to find enough craftsmen just to inscribe magical circles on so many items like these.

“So that’s why there are so many exceptionally skilled craftsmen here who understand magical formulas so well.”

She remembered the face of the craftsman who had satisfied her so much earlier that day. 

If the jewelers here could easily inscribe circles onto even tiny accessories, creating things like these wouldn’t be difficult at all. 

Now she finally understood, in this absurd way, why there were so many talented craftsmen at this jewelry shop.

“Even for those who can’t handle magical power themselves, the magic stones already store the power needed, so anyone can use them. Here, let me show you.”

The clerk, sounding proud, activated the magical circle on the item Serena was holding. 

The pillar, which had been moving sluggishly, started to swell slightly, then began twisting itself more vigorously. It moved up and down on its own, sometimes spinning erratically in all directions.

“It might look a bit intense on the outside, but when you actually use it, you won’t find it overwhelming.”

“…”

“If you use this gel, it’ll feel even smoother.”

He sprayed a sticky, transparent liquid onto the device, which became even more striking under the lights as it dripped and soaked the item. 

The thick liquid slowly dripped down and wet Serena’s hand. The slippery sensation tickled the back of her hand, and a strange discomfort pounded in her chest.

“How do you… use this?”

As a decoration?

The object certainly looked splendid, sparkling under the lights with every movement, but its motions seemed rather vulgar. 

Serena, a little disgusted, quietly pushed the buzzing device away from her palm. The sticky liquid still clung to her hand.

“Most people feel quite nervous the first time. That’s why we offer expert instruction and practice courses if you’d like to learn how to use it.”

Why would anyone need an expert for this? Serena felt as though she had fallen into a completely different world. Having grown up praised as a genius her whole life, she had never experienced anything like this.

“As long as you learn how to insert it properly, you’ll have no trouble using it on your own.”

“Insert…? Where?”

Serena clearly had no idea, and the clerk now seemed to realize something was odd. He stared at her, puzzled.

“Well, obviously…”

His gaze slid slowly down from Serena’s neck, past her chest and waist, to her neatly folded knees, and then to the even more secret place between them.

“You… You insolent man!”

Serena’s face turned pale as she shot to her feet. 

The table in front of her wobbled from her sudden movement, and the device that had been spinning on the table fell over, wriggling and making a loud noise. As she realized what the device truly was, the crude sound made her head throb.

“Miss?”

So, all these items were artificial g*nitals?

She had only heard vague rumors of such things, but had never imagined she would see such shameless objects herself. She had always thought it was just crude gossip.

Especially since their appearance was nothing like the animal organs she had seen in medical books. They were so cute and fancy that, even now, it was hard to believe these were artificial g*nitals.

When she had suspected illegal drugs, she had felt a faint sense of fear. Now, she only felt appalled that such vulgar items were openly sold in the market. 

What made it worse was that, judging by the price, the main customers were obviously members of the upper class, not naïve or ignorant people.

To Serena, s*xual desire was an impure urge that she had always kept at arm’s length. In fact, she only knew about it from books and had never felt it herself. She took pride in her own innocence.

At the Academy, and at home, she had always been taught that promiscuity deserved condemnation. If one was human, one had to maintain chastity. That was the clear distinction between animals and people.

‘I must always conduct myself with dignity and never lose my poise or grace, no matter where I am.’

Serena had grown up with these teachings ingrained in her bones, so now, she looked as pale as someone facing the start of a terrible plague. And to think they used precious magic stones to make such disgraceful devices!

Words she wanted to shout rose to her throat. But since she had come this far, she decided that if she acted suspicious and got thrown out, she wouldn’t be able to expose this strange shop. Serena clenched her fist and tried her best to keep a calm expression.

She would report not only the shop owner, but also the craftsmen wasting their talents on such crude devices, and the nobles who shamelessly bought them.

“Your gaze is a bit too direct. It’s uncomfortable, honestly.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just that I was surprised by your question, since I’ve never heard it before… I apologize again.”

The clerk, who had briefly doubted whether Serena was really a customer, tilted his head as she calmly sat down and examined the item. However, he soon decided that she was simply embarrassed, since first-timers sometimes acted this way.

“This is my first time here, so I have to ask. Is there any risk that information about what I purchase here could be leaked?”

Ah. The clerk let out a small sigh, showing understanding. He figured this naïve customer must have grown up in a strict household and was simply cautious about these matters. 

He nodded sympathetically.

“Of course. All transactions here are protected by anonymous contracts.”

The clerk sounded proud, but Serena found this news disappointing. The use of masks at the entrance, and the fact that transactions were anonymous, meant it would be difficult to find out buyers’ identities. 

Even if she managed to get the guest list, it would take days to decipher.

‘Would it be best to buy something as evidence and report them?’

But if the people here sensed something was wrong and ran away, having just the product as evidence would mean nothing. 

The fastest way would be to tell the Duke and have him investigate, but he was currently away somewhere unknown.

Even if she reported it to the Imperial family, the process would take at least several days. If word leaked before the authorities arrived, these people would escape, and she might end up being misunderstood for possessing such an item.

‘I can’t let myself be disgraced like that.’

While she pondered how to capture everyone involved, Serena fiddled with the device, pretending to be unsure about buying it.

The clerk, thinking she was just embarrassed, gently recommended a service popular among “young ladies from strict families.”

“If you have trouble using it at home, we can provide a room here, like the one you saw earlier.”

“Really? It’s just like a hotel, then?”

“That’s right. We prepare rooms as luxurious as any high-class hotel, so just let us know if you need one. And if you become a regular member, you can have a permanent room reserved for you.”

Not just renting by the hour, but having a room of one’s own? Serena’s idea of the shop’s scale grew even larger. How many crazy nobles would actually buy a room just to use these devices?

Her years of research for the Empire flashed through her mind, and her discomfort grew at the thought of magic stones and magical formulas being used this way.

“These rooms… I assume they’re expensive?”

She asked, trying to estimate the scale of the business. The clerk, excited, brought out a brochure and began explaining enthusiastically.

“It depends on the room’s theme. The more unique the world you want to create, the higher the price.”

“Is that so?”

“As an extra service, if you want to allow others to watch, we can make the walls out of glass. We can even set up a secret room outside the basement if you’d prefer.”

“I can’t really picture it just from your explanation.”

Outside? Serena’s fingers turned cold at the increasingly serious details. This wasn’t some scattered rebel group.

“We also offer tours of other rooms before you sign up for a service, but you’ll need to become a regular member first. Would you like me to prepare the paperwork?”

“I’m not sure I want to register just yet. Honestly, I’m a bit uneasy…”

“You really don’t need to worry about your identity. With our special contract, as soon as you fill it out, it’s instantly encrypted. Only you and the owner can read it.”

Serena had no intention of handing over her information to the owner of this mysterious organization. 

But if she kept asking questions while hiding her identity, they might get suspicious. 

As she hesitated, she remembered that there was another way to inspire trust—one as effective as revealing her identity.

“How about I make a deposit instead? I’ll pay a certain amount right now as a deposit. Let me check out the service first, and I’ll register afterward. I’m just uneasy about joining before I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”

“Normally, that’s not allowed, but—oh!”

The clerk, looking troubled, checked the amount Serena wrote on a slip of paper and gasped. He counted the zeros several times, then checked again to make sure it was in gold coins.

‘I’m glad I brought extra, just in case the necklace commission was expensive.’

Gold coins were hard to trace, so she could leave fewer tracks. The clerk, realizing he had to keep a big spender like her, quickly agreed to her request.

“This way, please.”

When Serena stepped onto the drawn circle the clerk indicated, the platform began to descend with a faint vibration.

Another basement below the basement. Serena barely held back a laugh. This was beyond elaborate. It was practically an underground hotel.

Her footsteps on the red carpeted path vanished quietly into the darkness.