Celebrity Lady - Chapter 3

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Celebrity Lady
Episode 3
While I stared blankly at them, Rebecca leaned in close and whispered softly in my ear.
“These are the children of the late Duke Diolus VII and the Duchess—Lady Lilia Diolus and Lord Ricky Diolus. Though they were raised like siblings, they are your aunt and uncle. Do you remember them?”
What nonsense. I caught only the final question in Rebecca’s murmur—whether I remembered—and shook my head firmly.
From the atmosphere alone, it seemed they and I had something like a sibling relationship, but……
Without a doubt, things between us were at their worst. If we’d been close, they would never have come to speak to someone barely clinging to life like this.
“Ugh, she ran away and came back.”
The boy, Ricky, sat with his legs crossed arrogantly, grabbed a pastry from the table, popped it in his mouth, then made a retching gesture.
“No wonder you got fat, eating nothing but sweets even before you threw yourself in the Pond. That’s your fault.”
“Ricky, surely you don’t mean that Cedric told you yesterday that your face made him sick, so you jumped in the Pond to disappear from his sight?”
Lilia went further, laughing with amusement as she asked.
I couldn’t understand why they showed such hostility, but one thing was certain.
‘This lady must have been tormented and mocked her whole life.’
Judging by the viciousness of their mockery, it was far beyond light teasing. If it had been bearable, she wouldn’t have thrown herself into the Pond with death in her heart.
Just as pity for this body’s owner began to bloom in me——
Ricky came closer, giggling.
“Aah!”
He sat down beside me and reached out, grabbing and pinching my belly hard.
‘This crazy bastard. What the hell is he doing?’
His forceful pinch hurt enough to bring tears to my eyes, and the feeling was far more disgusting than the pain itself.
I, Juliet Karerina, could swear I’d never been treated this way before in my life.
There had always been envy and jealousy directed at the famous me, but I never felt hurt by it—thinking it was simply a problem for someone as perfect as me to handle.
But what is this? Now I couldn’t even comfort myself with “I’m so exceptional” in the face of such treatment.
“Ugh, gross. I think I got oil on my hand. Is this the feeling Cedric meant?”
“Hahaha……. Ah, you idiot. Stop making me laugh.”
The young demons mocked the person right in front of them and laughed freely.
Rebecca simply bit her lip with a pitying expression as I took the abuse. Apparently, being a maid meant she wasn’t in a position to step in and help.
“Hey, where exactly is your neck? Let me look for our poor Ricky’s lost neck, shall we?”
Ricky, giggling all the while, reached toward my chin.
Smack!
But before he could touch me, I immediately struck his hand away. Ricky’s eyes went wide.
“What, you?”
Too soon to be surprised.
Crack!
I swung my hand and slapped Ricky’s cheek squarely; his head snapped back beautifully.
“Hup!”
“Y-you crazy bitch…….”
Rebecca gasped and covered her mouth in shock, while Lilia froze in astonishment.
If I’d delivered that slap with my original delicate hands, it might have felt like nothing, but his cheek, struck by these thick hands, would ache quite a bit. Even so, I felt a grim satisfaction.
“Y-y-you…….”
Trembling, Ricky slowly cupped his cheek and turned his head to look at me, his neck craned awkwardly.
“That’s thoroughly unpleasant. If you try anything like that one more time, I’m reporting you for Indecent Assault.”
“What—what did you say?”
“Laying hands on a lady without permission? Where exactly did you learn your manners? You don’t look young enough not to know that unwanted contact is a crime.”
My response seemed to unsettle Ricky; his eyes wavered. Then he shot to his feet, trembling with rage, and pointed at me accusingly.
“Y-you insane little thing! You dare lay hands on my face? You—you—do you really think my mother would let this slide?”
“Sigh…….”
Young-looking he was, but a child remains a child. His grand threat amounted to nothing more than “I’m telling Mom!”
The fighting spirit that had surged to my scalp deflated like ice water poured over me, and the wind went out of my sails.
What on earth was I doing with these little brats?
“Fine, go ahead and tattle. But whether you and I are siblings or whatever else, if you pull that stunt again, I won’t go easy. I’ll give you a real lesson in how brutal life can be. Prepare yourself.”
“Y-you—pig, what are you saying!”
“R-Ricky. Don’t engage with her. Let’s just leave. The physician said so, remember? That she’s mentally unstable. As soon as Mother returns, we’ll report it immediately.”
“D-damn it……. You’re dead! Just wait!”
Lilia hushed the agitated Ricky, and they left my room.
A quiet stillness settled over the room after their outburst subsided.
Through it all, Rebecca stared at me, her mouth still agape.
“I—I—Miss…….”
From her reaction, it was clear that slapping Ricky’s cheek and causing all that commotion were not the sort of things this body’s original owner would have done.
Suddenly exhausted, I collapsed onto my back and spoke to Rebecca.
“Could you leave? This nightmare is too much of a dog’s life. I need to wake up soon. I’m going to take another nap.”
Rebecca hesitated, then nodded and left. I forced my eyes shut and tried to sleep.
This situation feels all too real right now……. But I desperately hoped it was just a dream.
* * *
I’d slept for six hours.
Glancing back and forth between the darkening window and the mirror, I despaired. Even after waking, my strange appearance remained.
“I’m losing my mind, for real…….”
The reflection staring back at me was nothing but an ugly, dull young girl. The glamorous celebrity Juliet Karerina was nowhere to be found.
Just as bewilderment and melancholy made my eyes sting——
Something black and viscous suddenly burst
out of my head.
“Ahhh!”
Startled, I froze and shrieked.
Whatever that black, sludgy mass was, it soon peeled away from my head entirely and gradually took on shape.
“Oh, God. Please…….”
Backing away in horror, I felt like I might faint.
As it finally took full form…….
‘What the hell is that!’
A person? No—it had a person’s shape, but it wasn’t a person.
Black, sticky-looking skin and a muscular body. Where eyes should have been were empty voids, the nose was just two holes, and from a mouth split grotesquely wide emerged a brilliant white tongue that writhed.
It looked exactly like some terrifying alien from a horror film.
“G-get away! Don’t come near me!”
“Wait. Calm down. Don’t be alarmed, Juliet Karerina.”
The alien spoke as it pursued me effortlessly, matching my panicked flight.
“How can I calm down! Look at what you look like!”
“Ah.”
The alien stopped abruptly and flicked what might have been a finger. In an instant, something magical happened.
‘It changed?’
The alien transformed into an unfamiliar young man before my eyes.
Brown hair, blue eyes—a man who looked about my age.
“Is this better? It’s Cedric Raizer’s face, the one Ricky likes best.”
“…….”
Now, take a deep breath and stay calm.
Perhaps because the alien now looked more human, my pounding heart gradually settled.
After experiencing such absurd circumstances, I felt as if another alien appearing wouldn’t even surprise me.
“Phew…….”
I finished composing myself and spoke.
“I don’t know if it’s this body’s owner’s taste, but it’s not mine.”
“What?”
“I prefer someone more mature, you know? A bigger, more solid build. That sort of thing.”
“Ah.”
Satisfied that I’d stated my preferences firmly, the alien flicked its finger again.
This time, it took on the appearance of a young man.
Silver hair, gold eyes that gleamed beautifully—a handsome man with a mature air, far from boyish.
“Oh!”
Hot guy! Startled by how handsome the alien had become, I forgot the gravity of the situation entirely and scrutinized his face, entranced.
The alien seemed pleased by my reaction and chuckled softly.
“He’s famous as the most handsome man in this empire. Crown Prince Lark Van Rashmah Decarde.”
“Yes. This face is definitely my taste.”
“Much obliged.”
I had to give credit where it was due.
I laughed along with the smiling alien——
“You.”
Then immediately stepped forward and grabbed him by the collar.
“You clearly called me by my real name just now—’Juliet Karerina.’ You know why I’m trapped in this dream-like reality, don’t you?”
The alien, still gazing down at me with that handsome face, answered with a mysterious light in his eyes.
“……Yes, that’s right.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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