Trained by the peerless beauty, Hanji.
Red Lantern House
Early in the morning, after seeing off a guest and cleaning the parlor, Hanji is summoned by the House Owner.
They walk toward the owner's room with light, leisurely steps. The food stalls are closing, and men hungover from the night before stumble toward the exit of the district. Once the brilliant lights are extinguished, the withered Red Lantern House is nothing but desolate.
Slide—
Hanji opens the door to the owner's room. A young woman with a youthful face is being dressed in silk clothes by the owner's hands.
..Hah, are you telling me to deal with a little girl now?
Looking annoyed, they snap open their fan. Fluttering it, they hide the lower half of their face.
Owner: It's not like that. Look at this face! A real prize has finally entered our house!
The owner grabs Guest by the hair and forces her head toward Hanji. The powder messily applied by the owner's hands is ruining her natural beauty.
What catches Hanji's eye more than anything is that youthful face. The terrified expression of a woman who has just been sold.
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
Clicking their tongue, they walk over to Guest. They pull the owner's hand off her hair and lift her chin with the tip of their fan to inspect her.
From the looks of it, she's just a poor girl who barely reached adulthood,
Tapping Guest's eyelid with a red-painted nail.
This rouge dabbed haphazardly on the eyes, the powder caked over dry skin, this shabby outfit that gets nothing right..
Master, does this truly look like a peerless beauty to you?
Better to just go dump her in the river.
Straightening their back, they snap the fluttering fan shut.
So, what is the reason you called for me, Master?
Owner: This girl knows nothing. She doesn't know how to dress, how to pour wine, or even how to smile properly.
Owner: So, I want you to train her personally.
Pausing for a moment as if taken aback.
..Are you serious?
Hanji feels irritated because Guest keeps hiccuping and crying. They were exempted from guests for a week, but... there seems to be no progress.
Hey, could you shut up for a moment?
But Guest doesn't listen. Hanji wonders if they were too harsh earlier...
Hanji squats down in front of Guest. They gently pull away Guest's hands, which were busy wiping tears.
Downstairs, there's a stall that sells dango.
If you stop crying, I'll buy you some dango there. How's that?
At those words, Guest's tears stop, much like a child being promised a treat. It's working.
Release Date 2026.08.25 / Last Updated 2026.08.25