Celebrity Lady

“… Rubette?”

“Y-yeah, it’s me, Rubette. What are you doing there? It’s dangerous, so why don’t you come down before we talk?”

“…”

After a moment of surprise from seeing me, Evelyn lost the light in her eyes again.

“E-Evelyn?”

She just stood there blankly, not answering. She then turned her head away from me.

‘I’m going crazy. My heart feels like it’s going to drop.’

Trying to calm down, I slowly moved my feet toward Evelyn.

“Rubette.”

“M-mm.”

“I’m sorry. I put you in the closet not because I wanted to.”

“I know. I’m sorry too. I said too much earlier. I misunderstood you.”

“It’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with what you said…”

“No, everything is wrong! You’re not following Nora Pelkan around because you like her!”

“…”

“I’ll listen. Take my hand, come down, then tell me what’s happening.”

“Don’t come here,” Evelyn said coldly. How had she known that I was secretly closing the distance?

“I’m very sorry about you.”

“It’s okay.”

“And…I’m ashamed to ask you this, but if you don’t mind…can you p-please tell my dad and mom that…Evelyn loved them so much?”

The moment I heard the crying child’s confession, my heart sank.

“Why should I? You can go and tell them yourself.”

“I’m going to die now.”

“Do you want to die?”

Evelyn, who showed her back, was startled.

“You’re scared right now. You don’t want to die.”

“No, I…”

“It’s not that you want to die, you just don’t want to live like this.”

At my words, again, Evelyn slowly turned her head.

Who wants to die? I know better than anyone the feelings of someone who has decided to commit suicide.

“I thought of dying too.”

“…!”

Molga and the twins who had tormented me all my life. And the reality that I couldn’t escape from them even if I turned back time.

Everything was so bleak that I decided to commit suicide.

“But it was unfair. Why should I die when I did nothing wrong? I got emotional the moment I was about to do it.”

“…”

“What if I die? Will those bad fellows shed tears as they later regret it? Do you think they will come to your grave and apologize?”

Evelyn’s eyes twitched.

“You know they won’t.”

“…”

“If you die, only you will feel unfair. Either don’t die and get revenge, or live a cool life.”

I reached out my hand toward Evelyn as if to grab her.

“I will help you.”

“Y-you…?”

Blink, blink.

We looked at each other and blinked blankly. I was definitely serious a while ago, but Evelyn’s eyes were full of distrust in a flash.

‘Hmm. Well, the me she’s seen so far…’

I was only a foolish princess who couldn’t say anything after being bullied. She must’ve thought it was just smooth talk.

She had no way of knowing that the soul of Juliet Karenina had entered this body.

“I understand that you don’t believe it, but it’s dangerous, so come down…”

Evelyn’s head turned back, losing hope.

‘Ah, dang.’

As I worked my mind, I felt a presence following me, so I looked back.

“Right! Maybe I can’t, but he can!”

Lark, who was approaching, hesitated. Evelyn’s eyes widened as she turned to him.

“His Highness the Crown Prince will help you!”

“…”

“Actually, His Highness knew all about my circumstances and decided to punish the children. What do you think? Can you trust me now?”

“… Wh-what?”

“Your Highness?”

Lark, who had been staring blankly at Evelyn’s face and me, carefully matched the rhythm. “Of course.” He grinned and came to my side, placing a large hand on my head. “I will scold the bad kids who bully my friends.”

“Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.” I nodded.

Looking at Evelyn’s eyes filled with faith, I reached out with relief.

“I’m hungry because I’ve been locked in the closet all day. Shall we go home now?”

Evelyn, who was hesitant, slowly reached out and took my hand.

I smiled. “Let’s go and have some warm soup.”

***

We ate a hearty meal of hot soup, meat dishes, and cakes at the villa.

In the bedroom with a warm fire in the fireplace.

I covered Evelyn, who had eaten her fill and fallen asleep, with the blanket before leaving the room.

Lark, who had been waiting with his back against the wall, stood up, and we headed straight to the office as if we had made an appointment beforehand.

I said as soon as I came in and sat down, “It must have been difficult. She’s still young.”

“I know.”

We learned all about Evelyn’s dark story.

Evelyn’s father, Baron Torso, was a patriotic knight.

He had been a member of the Order of the Imperial Knights under the direct command of the current emperor and retired ten years ago after losing his leg while fighting.

Having lived as a knight all his life, what could he do after losing his legs?

“Are you blaming yourself?”

“Very much.”

What awaited Baron Torso, who retired with honor after fighting for his country, was the miserable reality of struggling in poverty. As the crown prince of the Empire, Lark was blaming himself for not being able to treat him with respect.

“I guess there’s no welfare bill for retired knights?” I asked cautiously. Lark was silent with gloomy eyes, then nodded. “They have a share of bonus when they retire, but I realized very well from this incident that it was just a shameless farewell.”

“…”

“I’m a soldier too, so…”

Looking at Lark, who was self-deprecating, I smiled to comfort him. “We should be grateful that we found out now. Now, you can do something.”

“That’s right.” Lark nodded and smiled. “But what about the other side? What should we do?”

“Aha. Please leave that to me.”

By ‘the other side’… It was about Count Pelkan, who had hired Baron Torso as farm manager.

“I thought I shouldn’t whine because my dad had a harder time than me. Daddy smiled even when the count spat in his face.”

“That way, my family can make ends meet. My dad is having a hard time, so I thought playing Nora’s maid was nothing.”

“Still, I could tolerate swearing and hitting, but I was really sad when I locked you in a closet. I wondered if I had to do this. I’m really, really sorry.”

Leaving Nora Pelkan aside, her father, Count Pelkan, was also quite a villain.

As if it wasn’t enough that he took Evelyn, saying he needed a playmate for her daughter, I couldn’t continue eating out of disgust after listening to dozens of episodes where he treated Baron Torso like a dog.

The father and the daughter were very similar in treating people as toys. Just as beans grow when beans are planted, red beans grow when red beans are planted.

“Is there anything you can do, Princess?” Lark asked anxiously.

Lark and I couldn’t do anything legally. There is no law to put a CEO who insults his subordinates and abuses power into prison.

“But what’s interesting is…” Flipping through the papers on the desk in the office, I said, “I guess God exists?”

“Mm?”

I smiled at Lark, who tilted his head, “I’ll show you what ‘good power trip’ means.”

***

Count Pelkan was a man who made money through trade. He worked closely with Marquis Frank, the central axis of the capital’s leather trade.

“Huh, Marquis? Wh-wh-what are you talking about?”

“Have you gone deaf, Count? How many times do I have to tell you?”

Marquis Frank, who had come to Count Pelkan’s family in person since morning, gave a notice like thunder from the blue sky. “I won’t work with you anymore!”

“I-I heard you the first time, but why…” Count Pelkan’s face, which had gained as much weight as greed, trembled.

The marquis, glaring at the count disapprovingly and clicking his tongue, took a letter from his bosom and threw it at him.

The count frantically examined it.

Dear Marquis Frank.

As of today, we will completely destroy the cooperation contract we have worked on with you.

There are rumors that many workers who worked at your business family, Pelkan, resigned due to inhumane treatment and poor working conditions.

We cannot help but feel moral responsibility for working together in commerce.

We do not do business with those who do not have basic common sense. It is our rule of thumb.

Once you reply, we will send you a penalty for contract termination.

If you don’t want to break the contract, we’ll see you again after you clear the partnership with the rogue who doesn’t even guarantee the basic human rights of workers.

Representative of <Blanc de Ruby>, under Madame Ruby.

“Wh-wh-what is this…”

“People have to do anything in moderation. How did the rumors come about?”

“M-Marquis!”

“Do you know what kind of contract I made with this place?”

“Ah…”

“Hundreds of aristocrats are waiting here eagerly for the upcoming leather goods. I’ve made an exclusive contract with a place like that, you punk!”

“B-but this isn’t right! I don’t know why the boss there is doing this to me, I mean, w-we’ve been working together for years!”

“What’s the use of it all in the world of cold businessmen?”

Tsk tsk, the marquis clenched his tongue and added, standing up without regret, “Don’t pretend to know me from now on!”

“H-hey! Marquis!”

“You little- tsk! Let go of me!” The marquis calmly shook off his arm.

“Lord Marquis!”

Looking at the open door behind the marquis, who had finally left, Count Pelkan stumbled with a pale face.

‘Why is the shop owner doing this to me…?’

According to the letter’s contents, the problem was rumors spread by those who left dissatisfied with the working environment…

“Shit! What kind of a person spread such rumors!?”

There were so many employees he had abused. He couldn’t even guess who it was.

“I-I’m screwed…”

The ‘money line’ that allowed Count Pelkan to claim they were a wealthy family was cut off overnight. If he trades again with a magnate like Marquis Frank, he might be able to recover at least, but how could he? The business world is sensitive to rumors. Who would want to partner with Pelkan, who was disgraced in this way…

‘Is this a dream?’

No, it was a genuinely hopeless reality.

“What? Why is the door open?”

Not knowing the house was in ruins, his daughter, Nora, entered, chewing gum with a rash stride.

“…”

“Daaaad~ I need some money~ I’m going shopping with the kids.”

“Sigh…”

“Hurry up! Hurry up!”

The count gritted his teeth and shouted at Nora, who frowned and thrust her palm out, “Get out right noooow!!!”