Chapter 47: Unexpected Facts (1)

“Jillian, you’re bothering other customers. Can you please sit down?”

As Ethan calmly spoke, Jillian immediately sat down obediently.

Conveniently, sandwiches, cakes, and tea were brought to the table.

“For now, have some tea and relax.”

With a blush on her cheeks and a smile, Jillian obediently sipped tea and started eating the sandwich.

(Unfair. He’s handsome.)

Rosa glared at Ethan.

After a while, when Jillian seemed calm, Rosa broached the subject.

“Did you spread the ‘Rosa’ rumors in cafes and bars as instructed by the client?”

Deciding it would be troublesome if Jillian’s mood turned sour, Rosa deliberately avoided saying, ‘I.’

Jillian grinned in response to Rosa’s words.

“Well, my acting skills as an actress were appreciated for this job. I played various roles, from being a customer in designated cafes to acting as a waitress or a customer in taverns and upscale establishments. I changed my makeup, wore wigs, and even changed my hair color. Everything—speech, gestures—all of it. Pretty amazing, right?”

Jillian proudly declared.

“Quite impressive.”

“I love acting. Someday, I’ll become the leading actress in a grand theater. I don’t like smoldering away in a place like this in the downtown.”

It seems she has her own ambitions.

“If it’s a grand theater, you don’t necessarily have to be the leading actress, right?”

(You don’t have to dislike supporting roles that much.)

Rosa, the supporting actress, couldn’t help feeling poignant.

“Huh? What are you talking about? The treatment between supporting roles and lead roles is different, you know. Even in the dressing room, it’s different. Plus, you get a lot of tips and bouquets from the audience. Lucky actresses get noticed by wealthy people.”

“Is that your goal? Don’t you love acting?”

“I want both!”

Rosa nodded at her words.

“In other words, you want money and fame.”

She can’t say she doesn’t understand the feeling.

“B-but I need something to start with, so right now, I want money. That’s why I sometimes get jobs from Mr. Marpin. I never thought he’d sell me.”

Jillian’s voice hinted at anger.

And Rosa had been waiting for those words.

Raising her hand gracefully, Helena silently approached Rosa from a nearby chair.

Jillian looked at it in surprise.

“Huh? Wait, who is this person? Were they here before?”

Blending in with the surroundings is Helena’s specialty.

Taking a small bag with gold coins from Helena, Rosa placed it in front of Gillian with a thud.

“Who’s the client? If you tell me the truth, I’ll give you this gold coin.”

Gillian hesitated, then cautiously touched the small bag and checked the gold coins inside.

“Huh? Just for revealing the client, you’re giving me this much?”

She seemed willing to sell out the client for gold. Or maybe she’s in such dire straits.

Although not overweight, Jillian, with her good figure and clear skin, didn’t seem to be in desperate need of money.

“If you reveal the client to me, it might be a good idea for you to hide for a while until the heat dies down. Use it for the funds at that time.”

“Huh, just for telling you the client, I get this much?”

Jillian’s eyes gleamed.

It seems she was blinded by greed.

“I’m thinking of suing that client. If you become a witness, I’ll pay you more.”

“How much?”

“Double the amount.”

“Why would you pay so much?”

Jillian asked suspiciously.

“Becoming a witness may expose you to danger. But for me, it’s worth that much.”

Rosa looked at Jillian with a serious gaze.

Jillian, despite her worldly appearance, might be the type to be caught up in immediate desires and fail.

“Alright, I’ll take it. And by the way, introduce me to the grand theater too.”

“That’s impossible; I don’t have any connections.”

Rosa sighed and firmly refused.

“But, isn’t he an actor? A man with such a handsome face is rare around here.”

Jillian happily pointed at Ethan.

(It’s scary not to know. Pointing at a duke with royal blood and calling him an actor.)

Even Rosa, who is usually composed, was startled.

As for Ethan, he showed no emotions and had a faint smile.

“No, don’t point at that person.”

When Rosa quietly lowered Jillian’s finger, she looked puzzled.

“Huh?”

She hadn’t considered that a genuine, high-ranking noble would come here.

“So, what’s the name of the client?”

“It’s Oliver Trading Company. The client’s secretary came to me. I remember his face because he was kind of rude.”

“Eh? Oliver Trading Company…”

Surprised by the unexpected answer, Rosa exchanged glances with Ethan, who was also equally astonished.

Oliver Trading Company was a recently emerging company in the capital, known for conducting a wide range of businesses.

However, there should be no connection between Rosa and them.

(If that’s the case, Father? Could I be targeted because of some trouble in Father’s business, and I, being the most vulnerable, have been singled out?)

That was the first thought that crossed Rosa’s mind.