If You're Going to Sell Yourself, Sell It to Me - Chapter 3

“You’ll find out tomorrow. Stop asking useless questions and just make dinner,” Marianne snapped, ending the conversation abruptly and turning to chat and laugh with Willow about the amount of money in the purse.

Feeling uneasy about their behavior, Georgiana tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep.

The next day, Georgiana’s fears were realized. Before sunset, Willow dragged her to Fever Street, a place that seemed dead during the day despite the bright sun. The street, adorned with suggestive murals and signs shaped like liquor bottles, was eerily quiet with no one around, as it only came alive at night.

“Don’t get distracted, just follow me closely!” Willow barked at her as he turned through narrow alleys, her eyes nervously scanning their surroundings.

“Damn it, what’s the point if they all look the same?”

After wandering in circles several times, Willow finally found the entrance and banged on a red-painted door. A huge man peeked out through a small window.

“Who is it? We’re not open yet… Oh!”

The man’s annoyed expression changed when he saw Georgiana, and he shrugged, motioning them inside. The narrow hallway they entered was lined with paintings of ballerinas in various poses.

As they descended a staircase leading to the basement, Georgiana asked in a terrified voice, “W-where are we?”

“What good would it do you to know? Move before I kick your ass,” Willow replied harshly.

Feeling more uneasy in the gloomy space, Georgiana thought of the one person Willow feared and tried to speak through her trembling lips.

“F-father will be furious if he finds out. We should leave.”

“Who cares? We haven’t heard from that old man in a year; he might be dead for all we know. We have to survive,” Willow sneered.

“But he could come back any time,” she insisted.

“We’ll deal with that if it happens. It’s not like we’re selling you right now,” he mocked, pushing her through the door.

Georgiana stumbled into a spacious room with red carpeted floors. Small round tables and seating areas surrounded a small stage with a podium, resembling a performance venue. She wondered in terror what kind of place this was.

As she nervously surveyed the room, a small man with a cigarette approached her, scrutinizing her from head to toe. His gaze was filled with interest as he looked her over from her head to her shoes.

“She’s a beauty, as you said, but where’s the blonde hair you boasted about?”

He exhaled a cloud of cheap tobacco smoke in her face. With a narrow forehead and pointed chin, he looked irritable.

Georgiana stifled a cough, trying to gauge his reaction.

“It’s the same blonde. The crazy girl came back looking like this yesterday. The dye will fade soon, so don’t worry about it. Just give me the money we agreed on,” Willow grumbled, glancing nervously at the man. He was clearly anxious that the deal might fall through because of her brown hair.

“Well, her body is not bad, and light green eyes are rare, so she’ll make a decent performer. We can focus on basic training until her hair color returns, then put her in shows. But really, she doesn’t resemble you at all. It’s curious.”

“Right? I told you she’s different. Now, hurry up and give me the money.”

“Hold on. I can’t give you the full referral fee. I agreed to that price because she was supposed to have blonde hair and green eyes.”

Willow jumped up in outrage. “What? The dyed hair will come back!”

“How am I supposed to trust you? For all I know, this could be her natural hair color. If you don’t like it, you can leave. Or come back when she’s blonde again. You know our place is the best in town for paying performers.”

“W-wait,” Willow stammered, grabbing the man’s arm as he turned to leave.

“Well, what about the performance rate? It’s the same, right?”

“Of course. Fifty percent per gig. No other place would give a beginner who’s never even danced ballet half the cut.”

The man stroked his thin mustache as if doing Willow a great favor.

“I know, I know. But at least throw in something extra for drinks tonight.”

“Fine, but make sure your sister doesn’t cause any trouble.”

“Of course.”

The man looked at Willow disdainfully as he pulled out a wallet from his pocket. Georgiana watched in horror as more gold coins than she had ever seen exchanged hands, far more than she ever earned from her work with noble families.

Willow pocketed the money and started to leave, leaving her behind.

Georgiana grabbed his arm in desperation. “Take me with you.”

“Where would I take you?” he snapped, shaking off her grip. Her frail body fell to the floor.

Looking down at her with narrowed eyes, he rasped, “Behave yourself, or I’ll sell you to a brothel. I’ll be back for you tonight.”

With that, Willow left, jingling his purse of coins. Unable to plead any further, Georgiana retreated to the corner, her face pale.

“Get up. I won’t bite. We need to measure you,” Eric said, approaching her with a measuring tape. She flinched as his shadow loomed over her.

“W-what is this place?”

It looked like a theater she had only seen in books and paintings, but she couldn’t fathom what they expected her to do here, given her complete lack of artistic talent.

“Didn’t Willow tell you anything?” he asked, crossing his arms and looking down at her pathetically

“No…”

“It’s a ballet theater. You’ve heard of ballet, right? Don’t tell me you don’t know what that is…”

“I know what ballet is, but I’ve never learned how to dance.”

“It doesn’t matter. No one comes here expecting a proper ballet performance. You just need to do what you’re told.”

He let out a small laugh and motioned for her to stand up. Georgiana, seeing the look in his eyes, cautiously obeyed. She knew that even if he seemed to be smiling now, he could hurt her at any moment, just like Willow.

She understood all too well that appearances could be deceiving. She had seen firsthand how the supposedly elegant nobles could be petty and dirty.

Holding the tape measure in his mouth, he expertly took her measurements. When his hand brushed across her chest, she flinched, but he just smirked without making any further comments.

“Pay attention. You’ll be coming here often.”

Eric then gave her a brief tour of the building and explained the performances. Despite his rough exterior, he seemed to have a genuine appreciation for ballet.

As night fell, women around her age started arriving, changing into ballet costumes from the cabinets. Groups of people began filling the tables around the stage, where they could drink and watch the performances. Each table was set with simple snacks and drinks.

“It’s your first day, so just watch. Stay out of sight,” Eric advised.

Georgiana hid behind a pillar with a view of the stage and watched the performance. Contrary to her fears, the show was neither depraved nor obscene.

The elaborate dances of the women were beautiful, even to her untrained eye. Having never seen ballet before, she was mesmerized by the graceful movements.

Maybe this place isn’t so bad after all.

She let herself relax a bit and waited for the second act. As she watched, she noticed through the slightly open curtain a performer kissing a man who seemed to be an audience member. The man, who had come with a female companion, had no hesitation in burying his face in the dancer’s deeply cut costume.

The immoral display vanished from sight just before the second act began, leaving Georgiana’s heart pounding. She felt as if she had done something wrong, and the air in the theater suddenly felt suffocating.

Needing fresh air, she started up the stairs to head outside, only to be blocked by the man who had guarded the door when she first arrived.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m not feeling well. I just need a moment outside.”

Despite her pale face, he didn’t move to let her pass.

“Your brother told me not to let you out until he comes to get you. Go back inside.”

Even when she pleaded to just go to the entrance, the man stood firm. Resigned, she turned back around.

As she walked through the narrow hallway, she caught a familiar scent drifting toward her. The source of the fragrance was a tall man wearing a black hat pulled down to his nose.

The man stood in the spot where Georgiana had been, watching the stage. With his long black coat and face mostly hidden by the hat, she couldn’t identify him, but the sense of familiarity nagged at her.

Despite not being naturally curious, she felt a strong urge to discover who the owner of the scent was.

One step, then another.

She moved closer, holding her breath and swallowing the saliva pooling in her mouth. Even though there was nothing inherently wrong with wanting to see his face, her heart pounded harder.

The theater was dim, but this corner was particularly dark, making it difficult to see his face clearly. She could just make out a sharp yet smooth jawline under the hat.

I think I can see it if I get closer…

However, before she could get any closer, she decided she was pushing her luck and stopped a few steps away. Just as she was about to turn back, she was suddenly yanked off her feet.

“Mmph!”

A large hand clamped over her mouth, stifling her scream. Another arm wrapped around her, holding her tightly.

“What are you doing, sneaking around like a stray cat?”

The voice that rumbled in her ear made Georgiana’s eyes widen in shock.