The morning air in the training yard bit sharply, mingling with the scent of sweat from those already hard at work. Deep voices echoed across the field. Harsh laughter, shouted orders, the thud of boots striking the ground—all combined into a raw, chaotic symphony.
Amid them, Yuki stood in her sportswear, still too clean, too pristine for a place like that. Alisa had tied her hair back before training began, but strands had already escaped, sticking to her temples as sweat streamed down her face.
"Push-ups! Twenty times!" Igor's command rang out, booming across the yard.
Yuki stared at the ground, then slowly lowered herself. Her hands shook violently before she could even finish the tenth repetition. Her lungs burned, and her shoulders screamed in protest. She was unaccustomed to using her muscles in that way. Even before the brothel, she had never engaged in physical training of any kind.
"Faster! You think this is a place to relax?!"
Despite his usual restraint, Igor had no choice but to act firmly in front of the others. He snapped at Yuki, forcing her to move. He didn't ask for much—just ten push-ups, then they could move on to the next exercise.
But Igor had forgotten one crucial fact. Yuki had rarely, if ever, broken a sweat for exercise.
"What are you doing?!"
When she failed again to complete a single set, Igor's voice roared, harsh and commanding. Laughter erupted from the men nearby. There, Yuki was nothing more than an amusing spectacle, a toy for their entertainment.
"Look at that! You think those big boobs are too heavy for her to lift?"
"I bet she has no skills except in bed."
"Wohoo!"
Their cruel laughter pierced Yuki's ears deeper than the pain in her muscles. She lowered her head, biting her lip, forcing herself to continue, even as her body screamed for reprieve.
Igor watched silently, his face unreadable as he observed her struggle. He knew this exercise was more a test of her mental strength than her physical endurance. Ivan wanted to see how long Yuki could endure humiliation without breaking, just for his amusement.
"Sit-ups! Twenty times!"
After giving all she had to push out twenty push-ups, Igor's next command cut through the air like a whip. Yuki panted. She already looked pitiful, but Igor's orders knew no mercy.
"You'll never finish if you just stand there!"
Ignoring the jeers that followed Igor's words, Yuki gritted her teeth. One… two… she forced her body through the motions. Sit-ups should have been easier than push-ups, but her untrained muscles made even that a torment.
"Hosh… hosh…"
Her breath came in ragged bursts. She was close to collapse, yet the men only mocked her. One even whistled lowly, his tone dripping with disgust as he stared at her struggling form.
"Well damn, I think I finally understand why the Boss brought this toy here."
Yuki lowered her gaze, trying to shield her reddened face. But she was at the center of the yard. No matter where she looked, eyes remained on her.
"Be patient. When the Boss gets bored, he'll hand her over to us."
Laughter erupted again, harsher, crueler than before. Alisa stood at the edge of the field, watching Yuki with concern, but she dared not intervene.
Yuki closed her eyes, trembling. But when she opened them again, something had shifted. Amid the shame and pain, a stubborn glint burned in her gaze.
She drew a deep breath, forcing herself to finish the set despite her body's protests. One… two… three. Though still slower than the weakest women around her, she no longer fell or stopped midway.
Mockery still echoed from all directions, but Yuki ignored it. She focused solely on her own task.
Igor observed quietly. The laughter around them began to fade, replaced by hesitant curiosity. Eventually, the men stopped laughing. Some left, deeming Yuki no longer entertaining. Others seemed unsettled by her perseverance, silently acknowledging her resolve.
The sun had begun to dip westward when the last footsteps on the yard finally ceased. Yuki's breath came in ragged gasps, while her body shook violently. Her clothes were soaked with sweat, yet her eyes remained open, staring blankly ahead.
Since morning, Yuki had barely rested. Running, push-ups, sit-ups, planks, even simple balance drills—all felt like torture to a body that had never trained before. Yet each time Igor gave a command, she obeyed without complaint.
Finally, Igor raised his hand, signaling the end just as Yuki nearly collapsed.
"That's enough."
His voice brought a collective sigh of relief from Ivan's men, some of whom were beginning to feel pity for her endurance. Igor noticed that and felt conflicted. Now, he couldn't tell whether Ivan had set this up to humiliate Yuki or to let her earn quiet respect from the others.
Igor stepped closer. He studied Yuki's exhausted form and gave her the permission she had been waiting for.
"Training's done for today."
He said it calmly, but beneath the composure, he felt relief that she had pushed through on her own.
"Alisa," he added while glancing at his sister. "Take her to the bathroom. Make sure she doesn't collapse on the way."
Alisa nodded swiftly, helping Yuki steady herself. But before they could move far, heavy, rough voices came from another direction.
Boris, flanked by several men and Lana, strode in casually. Boris's gaze was cold when he looked at Yuki. It seemed that he still hadn't gotten over how Yuki had left him on the first day of her arrival.
"So the rumors are true," Boris said, half-laughing. "Did Boss really order you to train this whore?" He gestured to Yuki beside Alisa.
Igor squared his shoulders. He had been slightly relieved that Boris had a task from Ivan today. But he had underestimated the grudge Boris held for Yuki. Even though the mission was supposed to last until evening, Boris and Lana had rushed to the training yard just to see how badly she might be hurt.
Both had assumed Yuki would be a pitiful spectacle. Yet their eyes betrayed disbelief. She had completed everything and quietly earned recognition from those training alongside her.
"Yes. Directly from the Boss," Igor replied.
Boris chuckled, then turned to his men.
"Unbelievable. The world's gone mad. We fight tooth and nail for honor, and a whore doing some ridiculous drills gains respect in no time."
Lana's cruel, thin smile joined in.
"That's not strange. A whore will always be a whore. Who knows—maybe she used her body to charm them all."
Igor's expression hardened.
"That's enough. You've heard Mr.Mikhail's orders. I won't repeat myself."
Boris met his gaze. The smile was still there, but the way he looked at him changed slightly.
"Relax, Igor. We're just joking."
But the tone carried no humor.
They finally turned and left, whispering among themselves, leaving a chill and uneasy tension in the air.
Igor closed his eyes briefly and exhaled heavily. His gaze then fell on Yuki, still standing beside Alisa. She wouldn't last long like this, he thought. I have to make sure she can protect herself… before everyone here decides to finish her off.
Without another word, Igor turned and left the field, now shrouded in the shadows of evening. He left Yuki, who was walking slowly, with Alisa helping her on her side.