Celebrity Lady

Chapter 10

For a long time after Rubette left, Leonard Diollus was silent with a blank expression on his face.

“Just like you did until now, live your life without paying attention to the point where you don’t even know if I’m alive or dead.”

He felt a bit of guilt at the words of his daughter, which were firmly embedded in his bones.

This man has been living so hard since 11 years ago when his wife died. Of course, he couldn’t afford to care about his children.

Virgo, the 18-year-old eldest son who is already leading the duchy well as a deputy manager.

Victor, the second child, whom he only saw a couple of times a year because he had joined the Imperial Knights three years ago because he had a knack for swords.

And, the youngest daughter, Rubetria, who resembles his dead wife in her quiet and timid appearance.

All three of them never said anything weak to their father, and their faces that he sometimes saw were calm, so he thought there was no problem…

“…I am tired.”

Leonard, who gently pressed his sizzling head under the influence of alcohol, paused as he tried to tilt the heavy bottle of liquor.

“Can’t you drink a little less?”

It was because he remembered his daughter’s voice.

In the end, Leonard put down the bottle and staggered towards the bed.

He closed his eyes, lying on his back with a slump and helplessness.

It had been years since he had seen his daughter’s face.

The daughter’s face, who was telling her father that she was disappointed… As always, looked just like his wife.

“…Illusion.”

Leonard quietly summoned his spirit.

Soon, a spirit with a pure white, transparent female body appeared and hovered in the air.

“Did you call, contractor?”

The spirit of fantasy, Illusion.

It was a spirit belonging to Leonard, who had the ability to spread hallucinations in front of him or make him dream of what he wanted.

“The dream I always dreamed of.”

At the familiar command, Illusion kissed the contractor’s forehead. Eventually, Leonard fell asleep like magic.

Except for the brief waking hours, he lived almost all of his day in fantasy.

The dream he wanted was always the same. His wife is still alive. Smiling face, sullen expression, fluttering gesture, happy voice…

When he was in the arms of his wife, who was the same as before, Leonard did not suffer.

It’s already been 11 years. It’s been an unbreakable fantasy like drugs.

***

On the way back to my room after meeting Dad.

“Why didn’t you talk about Molga Diollus?”

Wishit, who was watching all the situations so far next to me, asked.

“Hey, Rubetria.”

“…”

“Are you ignoring me now?”

Wishit, who couldn’t bear it, stood in front of me, and I shuddered to a halt.

“If you said it face-to-face, the duke would have felt something too. All you have to do is tell the truth that you’ve been beaten by Molga Diollus up until now, and kick her out like that old butler.”

“…”

I looked around without answering. I saw some maids passing by.

The spirit is visible only to the eyes of each contractor. In other words, there is no need to deal with Wishit, who suddenly appeared in the hallway of the mansion with the face of the crown prince.

When the spirit masters talk to their spirits, there are cases where it seems like they are talking to themselves.

‘But I have a different situation…’

After ignoring Wishit a little more, I walked diligently to get to the room, locked the door, and said.

“Wishit, please.”

“What?”

“Don’t talk to me in the presence of people. What if I answer by mistake? What if they realize that I’ve made a contract with a spirit? And what if it’s known that it’s a spirit that grants wishes?”

“…”

“It’s a life that Rubette saved at the best, do you want it to be blown away in vain?”

Wishit realized his mistake and kept his mouth shut.

There are complicated circumstances here, but let’s get to the point…

I’m known as the only person in the Diollus Duchy who hasn’t signed a contract with a spirit, and I want to keep it that way.

This is because Wishit is a spirit classified as a ‘risk group’.

‘If she’s known to be a dangerous spirit contractor, she will die soon. That’s why Rubette hid Wishit all her life.’

After thinking for a while, I said.

“If you want to talk to me when there’s someone next to me, you can talk via telepathy.”

Even if the contractor and the spirit are separated, it is possible to communicate through telepathy.

Rubette would always communicate with telepathy unless she was alone because she had to hide the existence of Wishit.

I patted Wishit’s shoulder, who had lost his momentum.

“Do you want to know why I didn’t talk about Molga?”

“Mm.”

I slowly approached the table, sat down, and began to speak.

“Molga is a powerful, angelic woman in this family. After my mother passed away, she took care of us three children like a mother instead of our crazy father. Rubette was abused, but she took good care of Brother Viego and Brother Victor. Am I right?”

“Yes.”

“My brother, Viego, is on Molga’s side right now. And all the duchy’s employees are bought by Molga.”

“…”

“What if I suddenly go to my father and cry and ask him to kick Molga out out because she is harassing me? Look, will they kick her out because I’m having a hard time? Or will they scold me for being immature?”

“…”

“Will my dad believe me, his daughter, with whom he didn’t have any relationship at all, and expel an elder of the family? No way. It’s a little different from the old raccoon butler who’s just an employee.”

“Still, if you said something, wouldn’t he be suspicious of that devilis woman?”

“That’s right. So I didn’t express it openly, but I appealed enough to my dad about this unusual circumstance I was going through. Dad will slowly get to know this crazy family situation.”

“…”

Wishit didn’t seem to understand my rather passive behavior, but he kept his mouth shut as if he didn’t want to argue further.

As I knew why he was so sensitive, I felt grateful and sorry.

“Are you worried that I will be treated like Rubette once Molga returns?”

“It will be a different experience once you meet that woman in person. I don’t know if you can handle it.”

“You’re the one who prepared to handle me. Even if you find out later that this new contractor turns out to be a mad dog, you can’t run away.”

Wishit, who was staring at me as I answered with a grin, asked with a sigh.

“Why did you suddenly borrow money from the Duke?”

“Ah, that? I need some business money.”

“All of a sudden?”

“I’m going to make money and live alone in the corner of this crappy house because I promised that I would make Rubette’s life happy, and the life of a jobless man is not happy.”

“Who calls an aristocratic lady a jobless man?”

“Well, at least by my standards, ‘Daughter of Duke Diollus’ is not a profession.”

I beckoned to the clothing magazines piled up on the table. I had asked Rebecca to bring it to me to keep up with the fashion trends here.

“Do you know what my job was in that world?”

“Actor?”

“Not that one.”

If he had been watching me side by side with Rubette, Wishit would have known what I had done.

He said quietly, blinking his eyes as he thought.

“…A clothing store owner?”

“…”

We looked at each other and were silent for a moment.

That’s correct, but…

“Doesn’t it seem too trivial when you say it like that? Can’t you say that I’m the CEO of a luxury brand? The clothing store you are talking about had annual sales of 1.2 trillion won last year, alright?”

“Um, alright. I don’t understand everything, but…”

Wishit, whose ears were picking up, asked.

“So in conclusion, do you want to open a clothing store here?”

“That’s right. The brand name has already been decided. It’s <Blanc De Ruby>. It has my nickname.”

I sat down at the table, clasping my chin with both hands, and began to think seriously.

“But there is a problem.”

“What’s wrong?”

“You can’t launch a brand just because you put your mind to it. I need some supplies.”

“What do you need?”

“Money. initial investment.”

“You borrowed money from the Duke.”

“That’s right. And a sensible designer.”

I immediately added, snapping my fingers before Wishit’s eyes.

“I’ll take care of that, so don’t worry.”

“And what else?”

“The tailor who will make the clothes.”

“Are you going to ask the tailor who’s coming to see you tonight?”

“Right! You’re quick-witted. That’s why I asked the tailor to make the sportswear for me.”

“Then it’s done. What else is left?”

Yes. The most important thing is…”

I covered my face and sighed.

“A model.”

“A model?”

“Isn’t this capital already full of well-known tailors’ shops? I need a very famous hanger if I want to close the gap at once, as I belatedly jumped into a flood of stagnant water.”

Do you know why celebrities sponsor clothes? Of course, this is to promote clothes.

‘I was the living witness.’

As a celebrity, ‘fashion’ soon started from all the clothes I wore, all the cosmetics I wore, and all the accessories I wore, and after I showed my face in public, the products hanging from my head to toe were all sold out the next day.

In other words, I’m thinking of implementing a promotion strategy using the popularity of the model.

“Recruiting people wouldn’t be a job for you, would it?”

“Of course, people who are pretty, cool, and have a good body can be hired, but that’s not in my consideration order. All I need is the model’s fame.”

“Their fame?”

“We need popular people whom people envy. People who are commonly referred to as celebrities in the other world. At least one female model and one male model would be the best way to start a business…”

As I said it, it got complicated again.

“Fortunately, I have someone who can be the female model in mind. But the problem is…”

“The male?”

“Yes.”

I nodded and looked at Wishit.

‘The Crown Prince…’

When I saw his face turned into the handsome prince, my mouth watered.

‘The Crown Prince is the most popular man in the Empire at the moment. He’s perfect for a model.’

As if reading my eyes, Wishit burst out laughing.

“…The Crown Prince?”

“I know right?”

“Like he’d want to be your model.”

“No. I’m confident in persuading him, but it’s hard to meet him. I have no connection…”

It was an unrealistic wish for me, as an ordinary person who was not popular, had no connections, was shy, and had only a family to see, to be alone with a popular person who was busy 24 hours a day.

If I had to compare it, would it be similar to the probability of a successful one-on-one fan meeting with a top celebrity?

‘It’s a very different feeling now that I’m in the opposite situation.’

Who would have guessed? ‘That’ Juliet Karenina, from the position of a top celebrity, will become a regular fan overnight?

I sighed in bitterness, Wishit shrugged.

“It’s not like you have no connection. The Crown Prince won’t grant you a request to use him as a model, but, well, it wouldn’t be difficult to meet him.”

“Really? By what means?”

“Your second brother. I know that he stays with the Crown Prince 24 hours a day.”

“Oh!”

That’s right. Come to think of it…

Victor Diollus. I have a second brother, right?

***

The Imperial City of the Descarde Empire.

The outdoor trining hall for the Imperial Knights.

Chaeng! Chaeng! Chaeng!

Two well-edged swords clashed several times in the air.

In the training hall, as usual, there were two men who were engaged in a splendid match while receiving the admiring glances of other knights.

“Wah, no matter how you look at it, even the way our crown prince is fighting is a piece of art. Is the face the completion of swordplay?”

The Crown Prince, Lark van Rashmach Descarde.

“But these days, the deputy commander is terrifying. I heard from Young Lady Valet that in the popularity poll for <Knight of the Month>, the vice-president took second place by only two votes. His Highness has always been overwhelming.”

It was Victor Diollus, the deputy commander of the Imperial Household.

Chaeng! Chaeng! Chaeng!

Since they were two men who boasted incredible looks, the swordsmanship battle seemed like a beautiful sword dance at first glance.

Shortly after a few more rounds, Lark’s sword, which had dug into the gap, pointed sharply at Victor’s neck. A few strands of Victor’s red hair were cut violently and fluttered in the air.

“…”

A cleanly decided match.

Tang-!

Victor threw the sword he was holding in his hand to the floor without any regrets.

The result.

“Victory.”

The one who has been at the top of the list for 42 months in the informal regular voting of the aristocrats in the capital <Knight of the Month>…

Crown Prince Lark van Rashmach Descarde, the most popular man in the Empire at the moment, said with a smile.

“With this, “26 wins out of 53 games, 2 draws, 25 losses.”