If You're Going to Sell Yourself, Sell It to Me - Chapter 1

On a warm spring afternoon, the arching lobby of the Count’s mansion, famed for its white marble, welcomed guests with its usual elegance. However, for one person standing before the closed door, Georgiana, the air was thick with the gloom of a harsh winter.

Why had she been called at such an odd hour?

The fact that she had been left standing outside was already a bad sign. She could guess it wasn’t for anything good. Since her last encounter with the Count in the lobby, she had noticed the Countess’s disapproving looks. She had hoped her assumptions were wrong, but…

As her sigh deepened, so did the shadows on the ground. Just then, the heavy door opened slowly. As she adjusted her clothes, it wasn’t the Countess who appeared but the head maid, with her chin held high.

“There’s no need for you to come anymore, Miss Courtney. Here is your pay for last week and yesterday. Madam has a busy schedule and won’t be able to see you. She also asked me to inform you that she won’t be able to write you a letter of recommendation.”

The head maid’s face was full of ridicule and disdain as she handed Georgiana a small purse of coins. Though she had fallen from grace, she was once the daughter of a Baron, yet the maid addressed her simply as Miss Courtney, deriving obvious pleasure from belittling her.

It was only natural for a poor noblewoman to be considered beneath a maid, so there was no point in getting angry, but the maid’s attitude still stung. Before Georgiana could reach out, the maid deliberately let the purse drop to the ground.

Clink.

The coins spilled from the open purse and rolled across the marble floor. A few even tumbled over the edge of the steps into the grass below, which Georgiana watched in dismay. Without a hint of remorse, the maid gestured towards the grass.

“Oh dear, it looks like it will be quite difficult to find them among the overgrown grass.”

“It’s alright. Thank you for everything,” Georgiana said, swallowing the words she wanted to say. Arguing here would only lead to bad rumors.

There was no point in confronting such petty provocations.

Knowing how difficult it would be to find another job, she endured the humiliation. Carefully, she lifted her worn skirt to her ankles to avoid creasing it.

Below her pale, protruding ankles were her shoes, even more worn and ragged than her skirt. Under the bright sunlight, the scuffed heels and worn-out soles were clearly visible.

“Tsk, look at those shoes,” the maid sneered with disdain before turning and walking back into the mansion.

Feeling as if her poverty had been laid bare, Georgiana’s face burned with shame. Biting her lip, she walked towards the grassy area to pick up the fallen coins. As she bent down to retrieve them, some servants passing by whistled mockingly.

“They say she got caught trying to seduce Master, so Madam kicked her out.”

“She looks so prim and proper, but I guess she’s different inside.”

“I wonder how a fallen noble performs in bed.”

There were always people who made lewd comments loud enough to be heard. Getting angry wouldn’t change anything, so it was best to ignore them. However, their conversation confirmed the reason for her dismissal.

Despite the surge of humiliation and anger turning her ears red, she kept a calm demeanor, collecting the coins and walking out with her head held high.

As she passed through the long garden and approached the entrance, her heels began to sting. She had hastily mended the fraying heel of her shoes the previous night, and the cheap thread had finally rubbed against her skin.

Looking at her now damaged heels, she debated calling a carriage with the wages she had just received but quickly shook her head. She didn’t know when she would be able to find another job, so she had to save every penny.

As she limped along the long path home, her steps grew slower the closer she got. The weight in her steps wasn’t due to the pain in her feet but the certainty that her family would be furious.

“What am I going to tell them today? If they find out I got fired again, they might sell me off to a pimp immediately…”

She had heard that Emily, who lived next door in similar circumstances, had been sold to a brothel not long ago. Her mother, Marianne, and her brother, Willow, had eyed her greedily upon hearing that the madam had paid quite a bit for Emily.

If I don’t bring home money, they might drag me off tomorrow. They would definitely do it…

Despite the shiver of fear running through her, there was no other place for her to go. Wandering the streets at night alone would only lead to something worse than the humiliation she faced at home.

If only I could die or disappear somewhere.

With a gloomy expression, she continued walking until she passed a shop selling art supplies and caught her reflection in the window.

Rich blonde hair and light green eyes.

Her fair and delicate face didn’t match the poverty she was living in, and at this moment, she hated it more than anything.

If only I had a plain face that didn’t attract attention, I wouldn’t be in this mess. I could have continued working as a governess.

Her father had often said that she inherited her looks from her grandmother, who had been a destitute actress. Although she had never seen her grandmother, who had died before she was born, she had to believe it since both her parents looked nothing like her.

Her father, who had gambled away their fortune and even sold their noble title, hadn’t sold her off yet, only because he believed her looks would eventually fetch a higher price.

He thought that she could at least be sold as a second wife to a high-ranking noble. Despite their declining fortunes, he had hired tutors for her, forcing her to receive the education befitting a lady of a noble house.

However, rigorous education came with high expectations. Whenever she failed to keep up with her lessons, severe beatings followed. Her back and thighs, areas hidden from view, were never free from bruises and welts.

Fortunately, just before presenting her to the nobles as an adult, her father accumulated an unmanageable gambling debt and fled to the New World, leaving behind a note saying he would return with a fortune. He didn’t mention Georgiana at all, postponing her fate.

Since then, it had fallen on Georgiana to repay his debts, finding jobs as a governess and scraping by, though she never lasted long in any position.

She quickly learned that many men in noble families desired a young, attractive woman from a poor background, which often led to her receiving dismissal notices within a week or two.

At least, the fact that no one had yet dared to touch her directly was a small blessing amidst her misfortunes.

This time, she had caught the eye of the Count, a man with whom she had never spoken, only seen briefly in the lobby.

After witnessing the twisted expression on the Countess’s face, which had once worn a gentle smile, Georgiana had sensed that such a day was coming.

It’s all because of this hair.

With a somber gaze, she stared at her reflection in the glass, focusing on her golden locks. Her eyes then shifted to the shelves beyond the glass. On the waist-high shelf, a set of utility knives and scissors were neatly arranged. The sharp blades glinted under the light, casting a bluish hue.

Overcome by impulse, she gripped her money purse tightly and entered the shop. The shopkeeper, who was tidying up, looked up in surprise as the bell tinkled and she rushed in urgently.

“May I buy a pair of scissors?”

“Of course, miss. Which pair would you like?”

Despite her worn clothing, her refined accent led the shopkeeper to guess her as a noble, and he responded politely.

“Any pair will do. Do you also sell hair dye?”

Initially intending only to buy scissors, Georgiana’s eyes lit up at the sight of the colorful dyes on the shelf.

“Yes, indeed. We just received a new shipment of dyes from the Eastern Continent yesterday. They are so effective that the coloring completes within minutes. What color would you need?”

“Brown. Please give me a pair of scissors and the dye.”

“Understood.”

The shopkeeper rummaged through the shelves and soon returned with a small, sharp pair of scissors and a round glass bottle.

“How much is it?”

“Two pounds.”

As she handed him the money purse, the shopkeeper became even more courteous and took two coins, bowing slightly.

“Thank you. I’ll wrap these up for you, please wait a moment.”

“No need for wrapping. Instead, could I use a place to wash my hands?”

“Certainly, miss. There’s a washbasin through that door, though it might not be very clean…”

Seeing him scratch his head, she handed him another coin from her purse.

“That’s fine. May I also trouble you for a towel?”

“There should be spare towels on the shelf above the washbasin. Feel free to use them.”

With a bright smile, the shopkeeper led her to the washbasin before she entered.

“It might take a while,” she asked for his understanding.

“That’s perfectly fine.”

With his prompt approval, Georgiana took the scissors and dye and headed towards the washbasin. The face staring back at her in the dirty mirror attached to the makeshift restroom was resolute.

Taking a deep breath, she gathered her long, waist-length blonde hair with one hand and, with the other hand holding the scissors, cut it off without hesitation.