"Master…"
Yuki held Ivan's hand tightly as they stepped out into the Moscow air. The city was alive with movement, a blur of unfamiliar faces, unfamiliar sounds, a language she could not comprehend. Every step without Ivan seemed impossible for her. There, Yuki finally understood what it meant to feel alone in the middle of a crowd.
Luckily for her, at least Ivan had spared her the humiliation of traveling in her oversized shirt. Somehow, she had slept through most of the flight, wrapped in a fog of exhaustion and Ivan's constant presence. When she woke up again, he had given her clothes—a black dress that clung softly to her form without being flashy, without attracting unwanted attention. Yuki looked at the beautiful dress she was wearing, then couldn't help but admire it.
Even though Yuki was the best prostitute in the brothel, she would usually only wear expensive kimonos. It was the first time she had ever worn a dress like that. And to be honest, she quite liked wearing it.
Ivan noticed her glance and chuckled softly, a sound that could either soothe or unsettle, depending on the mood. He drew her closer, pulling her shoulder to his side.
"We'll go straight to the car. Your new home awaits, Yuki."
The gentleness in his tone was a thin veil over the control he always exerted, but Yuki clung to it. In the midst of the unknown, it was a lifeline for her.
"Okay."
Thanks to Ivan, the trip out of the airport no longer felt intimidating for Yuki. Along the way, her attention drifted to the architecture, the people—everything that felt unfamiliar and alive in a way Japan never had been. Her curiosity burned quietly alongside the lingering unease, a strange mixture of fear and awe.
When they finally reached the waiting car, a man bowed politely to Ivan. Yuki found herself staring longer than she should have, absorbing the newness of it all—the way people moved, the sounds of the city, the cold bite in the Moscow air.
"Boss—"
"You guys, good work. Now give me the car key. I'll take Boss, while you guys can join the others."
Initially, Yuki parted from Igor and Alisa, who had duties to tend to following their arrival. But as soon as they had to go inside the car, the two of them reappeared—seemingly from nowhere—snatching the keys and asserting control over the ride.
The driver paled and handed over the keys without protest, the tension visible in every hurried gesture. Yuki looked toward Ivan for reassurance and found his gaze fixed on her. He was calm, assessing, even lightly amused.
"Is something on your mind?"
Yuki shook her head quickly. There was no danger—only the disquiet that always followed Ivan's tests.
"Nothing," she said.
A small, satisfied smile curved Ivan's lips. Yuki tried not to focus on it, knowing that any curiosity on her part was part of the game. Once again, they climbed into the car in the same arrangement as Japan—Yuki and Ivan in the back, Alisa in the front, and Igor driving.
"Igor, drop me at the office. You can return with Yuki and Alisa afterwards."
The brief challenge in Ivan's tone silenced any hesitation in Igor. No questions asked.
"Yes, Boss."
As the car moved, Yuki finally broke her silence. "Aren't you coming back with me?"
Her voice carried the nervous weight of being alone in a foreign land, yet Ivan regarded her as if the question itself were a simple joke.
"Oh? You can't bear to be apart from me, hm?"
Frustration pinched her lips, but she didn't pull away. Ivan knew her uncertainty, and he played with it deliberately, leaving her to navigate the fear that thrummed like a heartbeat in her chest.
"I… I just thought… we'd always be together. At least on the first day I'm here."
Yuki's words gradually trailed off. She knew Ivan was busy, but she didn't think he would be that busy when he returned. Inevitably, Yuki's thoughts turned to the possibility that Ivan was still trying to test her. Ivan was very impatient, but Yuki could also become stubborn if Ivan provoked her.
"It's okay. I'll be fine, Master."
Yuki forced a smile, steadying her own resolve. Ivan nodded, leaning in to press a brief kiss to her lips, lingering just long enough before resting his forehead against hers.
"Good girl," he murmured with pride.
***
Hours later, the jet lag crept in. The cityscape outside the window no longer fascinated Yuki. She sank into the seat, exhausted, signaling to Ivan that she had reached the limit of her endurance.
"Sleep," he said softly.
The words were like a spell, a command that slipped past fatigue and resistance. Yuki's eyes fluttered, surrendering to sleep as she finally closed her eyes. Ivan adjusted her posture gently, draping his coat over her like a blanket. At that moment, even Igor felt a twinge of discomfort when he witnessed Ivan's meticulous care, so contradictory with the man's infamous reputation.
"Igor, summon the children to come to my house," Ivan ordered quietly.
Alisa's expression tightened with concern, though her mouth remained closed. She, like Igor, understood instinctively that some questions were not to be asked.
"Boss… may I know why you're doing this to her?"
Igor couldn't disobey Ivan's orders, but he could still ask what Ivan meant by his orders.
Even though Igor was only acting on Ivan's orders when he scared Yuki, his words about their "family" weren't just empty talk. Many people opposed Ivan bringing back a prostitute from his business trip to Japan. If Ivan allowed Yuki to meet them without him, it would be like throwing Yuki into a cage full of lions.
Igor never cared about anyone but his sister. However, Igor saw his sister in Yuki, all because Yuki and Alisa happened to be the same age.
"I want to ensure she knows where she belongs. That's all."
Igor's grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly when he heard how casually Ivan responded to his remark. Ivan smiled a little when he saw a slight frown on Igor's forehead in the rearview mirror. Since Igor could be naive around anyone who reminded him of Alisa, Ivan kindly gave the man another hint.
"She is not Alisa," Ivan continued, eyes catching a glimmer of doubt in Igor's expression via the rearview mirror. "They are different. I couldn't possibly be this interested if she's a reflection of your sister."
Igor knew Ivan didn't mean to insult Alisa with his words. But even if Ivan did say that, Igor couldn't see anything strange about Yuki's pitiful figure. Igor tried to think hard. But when he couldn't find the answer he wanted, he finally gave up and decided to trust Ivan's plan.
After all, Ivan would never act without a clear reason.