If You're Going to Sell Yourself, Sell It to Me - Chapter 17

Willow yanked Georgiana’s hair so hard it felt like he was about to tear her scalp right off. His grip was merciless, and every time he shook her, bile rose in her throat.

“When we get home, I’m selling you to a brothel!” he shouted at her, his voice full of venom.

She couldn’t even muster the strength to scream, only pressing her lips together in silent defiance. All the fight had drained out of her, and her unfocused eyes stared blankly as she slumped to the ground.

“You think I’ll just leave you here?” Willow sneered, gripping her hair even tighter as he began dragging her along the street. She was so weak she could barely struggle, her body flopping around like a rag doll. At some point, her worn shoes slipped off, leaving her barefoot.

People passing by noticed, but the dangerous aura around Willow kept them from stepping in. Her suitcase, now burst open, lay discarded by the gate. Its contents, old clothes, and a pair of green velvet shoes she had hidden away, were scattered on the ground.

Not that it matters now.

What use are those clothes and shoes?

Resigning herself to her fate, Georgiana squeezed her eyes shut. Exhausted from lack of sleep, her body racked with pain, and the hopelessness of her situation pushed her into a desperate escape from reality.

She had thought her life was already hell, but it turned out there was an even deeper pit of suffering waiting for her. She didn’t need this reality anymore.

As she wished she could fall into an eternal sleep, she heard Willow’s voice suddenly break with fear.

“W-who are you?”

Willow’s grip on her hair loosened as a heavy, threatening voice responded.

“If you want to live, let go of her. Now.”

The pain in her scalp began to fade as his hand finally released her.

Curiosity overtook her, and she slowly opened her eyes. Through her blurry vision, she saw Lockwood standing there, a rifle in hand. The barrel was pointed directly at Willow’s heart, steady and unwavering.

“L-let’s talk this out. Please, let’s just talk,” Willow stammered, raising his hands above his head and dropping to his knees without being asked.

Georgiana found herself feeling both disgusted and pitiful toward her brother, who crumbled so easily before a stronger man. But she also felt a pang of self-loathing for always ending up in such humiliating situations because of him.

“Are you alright?”

Lockwood approached, extending a hand toward her as she struggled to get up. His gaze remained cold and fixed on Willow, making sure he didn’t try anything.

“Get lost. If you’re still here in five seconds, you’ll wake up in hell.”

Willow scrambled to his feet and ran, not even glancing back at his abandoned sister.

Georgiana let out a bitter laugh as she watched him flee. Then, she turned her gaze downward, staring at the hand that was still outstretched toward her.

She had thought she had given up on everything, but seeing that large, strong hand reaching out to her, a small flicker of hope whispered in her ear. Take that hand, it said. Play the role of his wife.

If she went to the office now and they turned her away, she’d be left with nothing but debt and a ruined life. Wouldn’t it be better to grab hold of this last opportunity?

Whether she could trust him or not didn’t seem to matter anymore. All that mattered was getting away from here, no matter the cost.

Her lips parted after several false starts.

“I’ll… I’ll become your wife, Mr. Limberton.”

“……!”

Lockwood’s blue eyes widened in surprise. For the first time, she noticed how the cobalt ring around his pupils shimmered with a mysterious silver light.

“I’ll… do my best.”

“You don’t need to.”

“No, I will. So please… take me away from this hell.”

Her hand slowly met his, and as their skin touched, thick tears began to fall from her eyes.

***

Her already shabby clothes had been torn to rags during her struggle with Willow. The clothes that had spilled out of her open suitcase were now covered in dirt and dust, completely ruined.

Back at his house, Lockwood handed her a dress from the hanger.

“I was planning to give this to whoever played the role of my wife anyway,” he said, as if it were nothing.

But the dress was anything but ordinary; the feel of the fabric alone was exceptional.

Georgiana chose the dress that offered the most coverage.

The dress, made of light blue satin with orange ribbons, matched his vest perfectly and looked luxurious at a glance. The wide pleats that fell over her hips accentuated her slender waist, giving her a delicate and graceful appearance.

She had never worn anything of such fine quality before, but she was determined to play her role as his wife properly. She changed into the dress without a word, ready to follow his lead.

Even if it was all a lie, he wouldn’t want his wife to look shabby.

The dress fit her like it had been tailored just for her. The lace-trimmed sleeves covered half her hands, making it seem as if the dress had been custom-made.

With her messy brown hair tucked under the matching hat, she no longer looked like the poor girl from Humblelum.

She felt as though she had truly become someone who belonged in this world.

Georgiana Limberton.

As she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she repeated her new name under her breath.

When she opened the door and stepped into the hallway, Henry’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You look stunning, Miss Courtney—I mean, madam. You were always beautiful, but now you look like a completely different person.”

Even the way he addressed her had changed.

“We don’t have much time, so you’ll need to pack quickly. There are plenty of new clothes already prepared, so you don’t need to bring your old ones.”

Georgiana took the dark green leather bag he offered, unable to close her own tattered suitcase.

Even though the bag looked new, she couldn’t quite let go of her thrifty habits. She carefully sorted through her belongings, picking out the ones she could still use and packing them with the new clothes. It took her longer than expected.

They needed to leave immediately to make it to the ship on time.

By the time she finished, the house looked even more barren than before.

It was as if everything had been left this way on purpose, with the intention of leaving. Even the garden, which had nothing growing in it, made sense now.

It was as if everything had existed only for the sake of departure.

When she reached the first-floor lobby, Lockwood was waiting for her, kneeling at her feet. He gently took hold of her foot, hidden beneath the hem of her skirt, and began to remove her old, worn shoes.

“What are you doing?” she asked, startled.

“I didn’t have time to prepare shoes, but fortunately, I found these.”

He held up the velvet shoes she had bought earlier. She hadn’t seen them when she was packing, and she assumed they had been lost when her suitcase burst open. She hadn’t expected him to have found and kept them.

The green shoes fit her feet perfectly. Being the most expensive shoes in the shop, they were soft and smooth, with no rough edges that would rub her skin.

The heels were higher than her old shoes, bringing her a bit closer to his height. Lockwood watched as she tapped the floor to test them out, then handed her a large box.

She began untying the ribbon with wide eyes, and when she saw what was inside, she gasped. She had suspected from the color, but she asked just to be sure.

“W-what is this?”

“Consider it a gift to commemorate our agreement. Or, if you prefer, think of it as your dowry.”

“H-how did you…?”

Her hands trembled as she lifted the golden wig from the box. She was sure it had been made from her own hair.

She had been curious about what would happen to it, but she never imagined it would come back to her like this.

“I saw you cut your hair at the art supply shop, so I kept an eye on it.”

“Thank you, but… it’s fine as is. If it was expensive, I’ll return it.”

She felt a pang of guilt, knowing it must have cost him a lot. He had downplayed it, but it must have taken effort to track it down.

“Your current hair looks good, but this is more to my taste.”

Though he spoke casually, his words sent a rush of warmth to her cheeks.

Before she could respond, he took the wig from her hands and gently removed her hat, placing the wig on her head.

The golden locks cascaded down to her waist.

She glanced at her reflection in the window.

It hadn’t been long since she had cut her hair, but seeing it short again felt strange.

He placed the hat back on her head and stood silently for a moment, watching her reflection in the glass. Though his face remained as impassive as ever, a hint of interest flickered in his eyes before it quickly disappeared.

“We should hurry.”

Henry’s voice startled her, and she quickly turned toward the door.

“Oh, one more thing—here’s your new ID. They’ll check it when you board the ship, so keep it with you. They won’t ask any other questions as long as you remember your name.”

As she took the ID from Henry, she finally learned her new name: Juliana Limberton.

Was that the name of the woman who was originally supposed to be his wife? Or was it just a fictional name?

The thought made her feel a bit uneasy.

Unlike her sudden decision, it was clear from the ID that Lockwood had been planning this for a long time. Determined not to be a burden, she vowed to be as helpful as possible.

“All set.”

Georgiana carefully placed the ID in her bag and followed them out of the house.

Even though it wasn’t her house, she found herself glancing back, as if she might have left something behind. Meanwhile, Lockwood and Henry seemed completely unfazed. They had left the paintings behind as well.

She turned her head back to face forward, only to bump into Lockwood’s back as he suddenly stopped.

There were police officers standing in front of them.