Chapter 3. Dress-up, Part II

Contrary to their concerns, Julietta was well aware of her situation, ’A plain-faced commoner girl with no guardian or family will easily fall as a playful target for a night and end her life as a prostitute.’ Even if she would be lucky enough to serve as a lover of noblemen like her mother, she would be abandoned when she got older.

Only a few people knew that sixteen-year-old Natasha, who had joined the theater company as an apprentice and now played a minor role, was raped in the private lounge of old Michelle’s a few months ago.

When she saw Natasha, who came to the prop room with her torn clothes and bleeding between her legs, Julietta realized the situation of the theater’s members which she had only heard of before.

’They look down on her like this, but when she becomes a popular actress, they go sweethearting, send gifts, and are unsparing of their praise.’

Julietta realized how miserable it was for anyone who didn’t have money, fame, power, or fame to live in the world after seeing Natasha, who couldn’t protest even after she had been treated so.

Since then, Julietta had been hiding herself more thoroughly in a deserted place. Amelia scolded her for running around and being scatterbrained and reckless, but she was just trying to avoid people as much as possible.

’I am never going to be like Natasha or my mother, Stella.’ A life held in the hands of others was enough when she was five years old.

Julietta got the pants mended and tried to get them to Jacob, but changed her mind. She called in one of the orphan children who had been left at the theater since he was a child, and handed out a cookie she had hidden and sent him for the errand instead.

Julietta was increasingly disturbed by the amorous glances of the male theater members and the eyes of the nobles who came and went, realized that it was time to effect a settlement out of court with Maribel for her future.

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It was one day thirteen years ago...

A few days ago, Julietta, who turned five years old after her birthday, mumbled her tiny pink lips, as she could not believe the ordeal she was facing.

Marquise Anais, who she had only heard about, came to them in the morning, and, with an elegant manner, directed people to drive Stella and Julietta out with nothing. The first meeting between the two women, who had never met before, ended in a perfect victory for the Marquise.

Stella, who was crying and screaming, had collapsed and lay in the shade of the street. The gatekeeper, who felt sorry for the mother and daughter that were driven out in indoor outfits without coats to cover themselves, approached Julietta and talked to her.

"Your Young Ladyship, Madam is just unconscious, so don’t worry. Isn’t it cold by the way? It’s still early spring, so it’s very chilly."

Julietta smiled brightly as she looked at the gatekeeper who was concerned about whether he should take off his clothes and give them to her.

"It’s all right, Zimmer. But why is the Marquise suddenly kicking us out?"

The gatekeeper wiped under his nose as if it was difficult to answer, looking at the vivid green eyes reminiscent of fresh shoots.

"I heard that the Marquise finally gave birth to a successor this time; I think that’s why Your Highness and Madam were kicked out."

Without more explanation, the two words "successor" and "birth" alone were enough to make her guess.

"Aha, the main wife who gave birth to a son kicked out the concubine who she has hated in the meanwhile?"

To the extent he could not believe that she was called Your Young Ladyship, the gatekeeper was embarrassed and he gave out a cough in a flurry at the clever words of the five-year-old.

"That’s why I haven’t seen the Marquis in months." As she nodded her head so seriously with her hands on her chin, she could hear a rustling sound, as Stella had come to her senses.

"Julie? Baby?"

Stella, who barely managed to raise her upper body, burst into tears at the same time as she felt relieved when she found her daughter crouching a little away from her.

"Oh, Julie. Baby, what do we do now?"

When she saw her tearful mother, Julietta, who became frustrated, stood up. "Mom, we can’t stay here for now, so we should think of a place to go. It’s going to get dark in a little while."

At the words, Stella could not say anything, shedding tears. While Julita felt a little nervous watching her mother and struggled to figure out what to do, Stella, who barely managed to pull herself up, hugged Julietta.

"Yes, let’s move for now. It’s not like there’s anything we can do to stay here. Why could I not guess that this would happen?"

Stella, who mumbled impatiently, took Julietta’s hand and moved on, and Zimmer, who was looking at them, spoke, "Madam, it’s time for me to go home soon. If you wait a little inside the guard post, I’ll take you to a place where you can go."

A weak-hearted Zimmer did the favor to the mother and daughter’s lonely backs.

"Thank you. It’s a long way to walk to the main street, but thank you very much." Stella thanked the gatekeeper for his kindness and lamented her situation, in which she had lost her home in a moment.

Julietta’s mansion was on Harrods Street, where lovely concubines of high-ranking aristocrats lived. Harrods Street was a luxury residential area that took about thirty minutes south by carriage from Eloz Street, the busiest street in the Austern Empire. Stella, who had suddenly lost her place after being kicked out, named her destination a theater on Eloz Street, where she had made her name as an actor.

Meanwhile, Jenna, a young Korean woman who now possessed Julietta’s body, had been dumbfounded by the situation in a completely different way from what she thought, since she was the bastard of the Marquis and there would be no shortage of problems in the future.

She was being kicked out to the street a month after she had put into the body of a child! With the body of the little girl, who had not exercised before, she struggled in the old carriage of the gatekeeper and finally got motion sickness.

The woman, called the mother, who was just in tears and lost her mind, was just looking at her little daughter, who was distressed, as if she had no desire to take care of herself. It was a relief to see her telling the gatekeeper where to go, but she had no choice but to be depressed at the thought that her future life was like a candle in the wind.

’You fucking dog! If you intended to give a gift to me, you have to give a proper gift, not a useless one. That way, I am going to use it in this situation.’

Jenna, who could not give up her hatred of the dog that made her like this even when she was exhausted, cursed heavily inside. In the meantime, she could feel the carriage stopping; it had finally arrived at its destination.

"Madam, Your Young Ladyship, we’re here."

She stumbled with her tottering body and managed to get down from the carriage.

The darkened street was filled with loud noises and flashy lights. As she looked up at the five-story building in front of her, Stella grabbed Julietta by the hand.

"Let’s go. It’s where your mother used to work. I’ll ask to let us stay for a while until we find a place to go."

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"Will you say that again?" A woman of colorful features with pale brown hair high frowned as she put down the long pipe she was holding.

"I asked you how much ransom money you will be paid, the amount of money that you are supposed to get from Duke Miguel."

At the look of Julietta who spat out the words with her head raised pertly, Maribel smiled and picked up the pipe she had laid down.

"Why? Can you get the money if I tell you?"

"I’ll try as far as I can. You will not lose anything. Isn’t it the same money if you get it from Duke Miguel, or you get it from me?"