Chapter 3: The Villainess Ends Up at a Brothel
Misfortune struck Claudia while she was being transported by carriage to the convent.
Bandits appeared.
She was singled out as their target and was sold to a brothel frequented even by nobles.
Perhaps the only silver lining in her misfortune was that the senior courtesans doted on her.
Because she was sold untouched, the “first time” of the former duke’s daughter, Claudia, was bought for a record-breaking price.
Even so, the humiliation and sense of loss did not fade, and it was the senior courtesans who comforted her as she wept.
When she had lived in the ducal house, no one had ever shown her kindness, and she had always cried alone.
At first, she rejected them, thinking what could women of the trade possibly understand.
But once she came to know the depth of their generosity, it did not take long for her to open her heart.
Among them, she grew especially attached to Helen, who skillfully manipulated men’s hearts by drawing on her experience as a former count’s daughter.
“You foolish child.
To be so easily set up and sent off to a brothel.”
“Helen, do you believe what I’ve told you?”
“Of course.
Dee is just a small child in a grown body.
You could never outmaneuver someone like that.”
Having her simple nature laid bare made her cheeks burn hot.
But because it was true, she could not argue back despite instinctively opening her mouth.
Helen gently stroked Claudia’s head.
“Your sister, was it?
She must have skillfully rolled you around in the palm of her hand so that you would pile up one sin after another.
You were shaped into the villainess of the story.”
Every method Claudia had taken to ruin her sister had been a disastrous move.
Helen said those actions had all been part of her sister’s scheme.
Thinking back, she had never made a plan alone.
Even the idea of having ruffians attack Fermina—the decisive blow that led to her condemnation—had been proposed by a female classmate from her entourage.
Yet in the end, only Claudia had been held accountable.
“Playing the frail woman is a trick we use too.
You and everyone around you were thoroughly deceived.
She’s quite the villainess.”
“A villainess…”
“And to replace you and settle into the position of His Highness’s fiancée, no less.”
The brothel where Claudia now lived was a treasure trove of information, given its noble clientele.
Recently, rumors were rampant that her former sister Fermina becoming Crown Princess was only a matter of time.
The thought had only just crossed her mind that perhaps Fermina’s hand had even been behind her being sent to the brothel, and she let out a deep sigh.
“I can’t believe that wicked woman will become Crown Princess.”
“Girls like that are often more suited for it than you’d think.”
“You can’t make someone who’s so easily deceived into a queen, after all,” Helen laughed lightly.
Indeed, Claudia had been ignorant and foolish.
Every time she recalled her days at the academy, she wanted to strike her past self.
After this, under the guidance of the senior courtesans, Claudia rose swiftly to join the ranks of high-class courtesans and eventually became the number one at the brothel.
Yet before falling asleep each night, the vicious face of her sister, sneering at her, would always come to mind.
Even now, high-ranking nobles from neighboring countries were offering to buy out her contract.
Though she lived the most luxurious life possible for a courtesan, the depths of her heart remained clouded with resentment.
Helen was the one who pointed that out.
“It’s the Festival of Descent today, and yet you’re wearing such a gloomy expression.”
“I don’t want to hear that from someone who’s ill.”
Given the nature of their profession, illness was inseparable from their lives.
Claudia hid the ache in her chest at the sight of Helen, now terribly thin, behind a barbed remark.
The dim room only deepened the sense of sorrow.
“You came to visit me, and that’s how you speak to your senior sister?”
Peering down from the bed, Helen left Claudia with no choice but to offer a wry smile.
In contrast to her inner turmoil, the city had been bustling since morning.
Looking down at the street from the single window, she could see stalls and colorful banners, and hear the music of performing bands.
Helen turned her gaze there as well and spoke.
“Regardless of faith, festivals are one of the few entertainments commoners have.
Some people live just for this day.”
“I doubt I’ll be able to enjoy it.”
Festivals served as a respite for the people and as a means of releasing tension for the rulers.
Since coming to the brothel, Claudia had learned many things.
Not only the art of captivating men’s hearts, but she could now even engage customers in lively discussions about politics.
The Festival of Descent was held to pray for prosperity brought about by the descent of the capricious god.
Because the god was fickle, the teachings of this country insisted that devotion must be constant, and during the festival, the entire nation united in prayer.
“You can’t enjoy it because the Crown Prince and Princess will present their first child, right?”
“If you already know, don’t ask.”
Fermina had become Crown Princess and had given birth to a son last year.
At this year’s festival, a parade would be held to present the child to the public.
‘How much more miserable does she intend to make me?’
She understood in her head that her connection to Fermina belonged to the past.
No matter how celebrated she was at the brothel, she was still nothing more than a courtesan, and her former family now belonged to a distant world.
“Then I suppose I’ll pray to the capricious god on your behalf.”
“And what will you pray for?”
“For Dee to smile.”
Helen winked playfully.
Though her cheeks had grown hollow, she had not lost her beauty as a woman.
Looking at her again, Claudia noticed how the sunlight streaming through the window bathed Helen warmly, as if the festival itself were blessing her.
Captivated, Claudia laughed softly, thinking she could never outshine this woman.
“If you are here, there’s no need to pray.”
“You’ve really become good at making people happy.”
“Don’t underestimate the top earner.”
If the capricious god truly existed, it was Claudia who wished to pray.
‘Please, do not take this wonderful senior away.’
‘I will bring joy in her place, so please grant her a peaceful remainder of her life.’
Three days after the kingdom erupted in celebration, Helen quietly passed away, with Claudia watching over her.