"Love and hate" pretty much describes the relationship between Nae and her adoptive mother, Asami.

Asami took Nae under her wings when Nae was just a nymph, to train her to become a geisha and also to try to recover what she lost in the past. At the same time Asami abuses the defenseless little Nae, for she harbours much pain from said past. Pain which she's wrongfully projecting or transferring onto Nae, because she can, because she needs an outlet. But this is not healthy, nor is it right and it's certainly terrible for Nae.

The life of a geisha or maiko is very difficult and extremely demanding. They live and work in a world of complex etiquette and rules, kimonos and a social maze of customers, dana (patrons), kabuki actors and pretenders.

Most girls are taken to a geisha house still as little children, mostly as a form of paying owed money to someone else. When a geisha contracts with a house, a payment is usually made to a broker. It is up to the geisha to repay this debt, which quickly grows as the need for expensive lessons, instruments and kimono meant ever growing expenses. They were very much like indentured servants vulnerable to exploitation by both their houses and their clients.

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On a note: As much as I take inspiration from and base my work on real Japanese culture and geisha world, this story is not meant to be 100% accurate. Some details are changed to fit the story, world and my tastes better. Do not take this a source of information, as it is only entertainment. If you need to research or want to learn more about Japanese culture or geisha world, please look for real informative sources such as books! If you have any question, feel free to ask me, I'll answer if I can!

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Art, Nae ( https://www.weasyl.com/character/2945 )

Asami (c) me, from Blade Under Mask