The Bad Ending of an Otome

Hush Mittens

This year marked Jack’s twenty second year.

In the city’s periphery slums, his home was in a rather livable place. His father worked for a powerful group and he followed in his footsteps. In a family of five, Jack was the third child. He came from a poor family and always felt the need to provide for his family.

He had been jobless from a young age and was often cruising the streets. Of all, there were many other kids in Jack’s position, so he didn’t exactly rake in the dough. He finally acquired a few positions as he matured, but he was immediately let go since he lacked the necessary expertise.

He had gotten a job as a newspaper reporter despite his lack of literacy skills, but that opportunity vanished when the firm that owned the newspaper went bankrupt after offending a powerful nobleman. The same could be said of his prior jobs.

Because of his skill and charisma, he was hired by a prestigious theater to attract new audiences. Even though he wasn’t a pimp, he still pimps on the unsuspecting with his smooth language and flattery. This was because most of the people Jack brought in were teenage girls entering their prime sexual years. The theater didn’t need Jack for other jobs because there were enough cleaners and odd-job employees available in advance of the show.

The girls were sick and weary of praying for a nice spouse as their only path out of poverty and a life of neglect at home. Girls who were bound and determined to achieve their goals. Sometimes females like that would go from the country to the city, bringing nothing except their bodies. Very few become extremely successful despite being exposed to all kinds of filth: those with stunning good looks, musical or dance skill, and the fortitude and good fortune to keep going.

If they were really lucky, their sponsor would be a youthful, passionate, and competent man rather than a bald, middle-aged man with a pot belly. It’s unusual for a noble to go against the grain and make the first move in a marriage proposal, but Prima Donna Violetta and Count Germont are exceptions. Jack often included this story in his attempts to charm the young women he met. They would be able to reign like a queen, gain the respect of nobles, and command many sponsors if they played their cards well.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of these artists fall prey to predator sponsors who exploit them before they ever have their chance to play on a real stage. The few triumphs are overshadowed by the countless flops. Knowing that a commoner girl without connections has almost little chance of getting anywhere without this strategy, some females adopt it anyhow. However, there just aren’t that many of them. Opera’s rising profile has made it difficult for the theatrical industry to fill its ranks.

The majority of poor people are not dimwits. Smart people realize soon that they need to get out of this position since it is not ideal. So, Jack stuffed his crooked pockets with money, wandered the streets, and gently enticed homeless children by offering them food and other necessities.

When Jack looked at the walls of the dressing room and saw young women covered in cosmetics and smoking cigarettes, he occasionally felt bad. The harsh truth is that you have to tread on others to make it. Considering this, Emily, the waitress at the coffee shop, was an odd duck indeed. He couldn’t outright reject her. Jack recalled the icy stare of a girl who shot back, “Stop that lovely talk. Did you really believe I’d let myself be taken that easily?”

‘I despise the frustrating truth, yet I must admit that it has my attention to a little degree.’ Their shaky eyes were telling that.

When Jack is actively trying to convince someone of anything, mystery is almost guaranteed to ensue. If Jack really and frantically puts forth his thoughts, even the females who profess to know their value are generally at least a bit tempted.

Yet Emily was not like the rest. Most of the girls who worked in coffee shops and back alley boutiques were exhausted by the daily grind of dealing with difficult clients and making a modest wage. Even if you woke them up from a dream in which they were performing on a glitzy stage only once, most people would bite.

Perhaps it was due to the fact that she worked as a waitress at a store that at first had low traffic. Girls at that age tend to like dressing up, so it’s not uncommon to see them sporting a few bracelets created from inexpensive materials like tin or little crystals. At the very least, they flaunted their status by wearing a ribbon made of expensive fabric—the kind often reserved for the heads of state—in their hair.

Jack would use lace pieces, the kind you could present to a ballerina or opera singer, as bait to attract these women. When he first met Emily, she didn’t bother to dress up, and she hasn’t tried to show off her accomplishments since. She wore the same simple dress and apron year-round, and her long, black hair was always left down and unadorned.

She would just giggle and brush off the hairpin, bracelet, or lace that Jack gently displayed on the prima donna’s frock. Compared to the other ladies he had met, he got a very different vibe from her. It made a subtle impact rather than a striking one. She appeared to be quite uninterested. Her demeanor was quite prim and proper, like that of an elderly woman. Sometimes Jack wonders what would happen if that expression were twisted by some other feeling.

Jack saw that her daily life was quite routine. She was responsible for tending the vegetable garden, making food on occasion, keeping the small shop tidy, and making the coffee. She would listen without seeming interested, and then shake her head slowly and firmly when Jack described a gorgeous and thrilling stage. She’s young, doesn’t have a horrible look, and occasionally gives Jack a discount on his coffee, all of which suggest that she isn’t mean. As though the tales of fantastic lands had nothing to do with her. Like dashing and dapper princes, the stage equivalent of the prima donna, have no appeal. Her placid grin, which appeared completely emotionless, was peculiar.

So, Jack went to the cafe on purpose. Knowing that she wasn’t paying attention, he ended up rambling on and on. He was anticipating her nod of approval. He was aware that he was being treated rather familiarly because of his frequent visits to the cafe, which had few other customers. It was quite unusual. Jack was fully aware that his work is not very impressive. He concluded that there was no use in needlessly flirting with a female. Despite this, he kept hanging out in that cafe’s secluded corner. The day after he was rejected, everything was the same.

Emily, who always shut down the coffee shop early owing to the lack of public safety, had, for once, left the business open until rather late. Emily brought Jack coffee and toast when he walked in, even though he hadn’t requested anything. Emily served something a little different from her typical breakfast fare, but both the bread and the fried eggs and somewhat sweet coffee (to which sugar had apparently been added) were great. Jack blinked and focused on what Emily was saying.

She had a grandma out in the country to whom she had been sending money from her independent urban income. Her grandma, though, reportedly hasn’t been feeling well as of late. She intends to spend a few months in her country property with her loved ones. The proprietor of the coffee shop gave his blessing.

That’s when Jack found out the details of Emily’s private life that she had been kept in the dark about until then. She was raised by her grandma in the city after moving from the country. The girls he’d known thus far have had similar upbringings. Jack moaned under his breath, thinking she was overpriced.

On the surface, however, he only told her not to worry about the store’s shabby condition and to return in a few months. Jack still felt foolish the next day when he had unplanned business in the alley and stopped in front of the coffee place, despite his previous boast.

The café’s closed door was unobstructed. He clicked his tongue and prepared to go; he had unconsciously started walking towards the café. If he hadn’t noticed the immovable figure in front of the locked door.

Then ‘someone’ in question was an enormous human being. It appeared to be at least as tall as Jack. Jack was mesmerized by the way the moonlight sculpted the side of the face, making him imagine that not even Fernando, the primo uomo (lead male) at the theater where he worked and the man widely considered to be the best singer in the company, could compete with that face. The guy looked up at him as though sensing his presence. His amethyst eyes were intense and penetrating. Jack, overcome with emotion, opened his lips to speak.

“Who are you?”

“Are you connected in any way to this cafe?”

“Ah, I’m not in a relationship, but… well, I’m a regular if that counts…”

It’s likely that he represents what blue blood looks like if it exists. His black hair, which hung about his ears like an ornament despite the night’s darkness, stood out starkly. The man had intense vitality in his deep amethyst eyes. It was disapproving and worried at the same time. By default, Jack recoiled and paid attention.

“This place won’t be open for a long time, so I don’t know why you came. Did you… need to do something?”

“I have some business…”

The guy seemed to pause for thought. He had a calm temperament and looked unfazed by everything that came his way.

“…Yes. I was wondering if you knew anything about the previous employee here.”

“Is Emily the person you have in mind?”

“…”

As quickly as Jack had mentioned Emily, the man had gone quiet. Is there another option? Jack reached up and rubbed his cheek. Since the cafe’s inception, no one else except Emily had ever advocated for that view; thus, it must be the right one. The man nodded in agreement, but he gave off an air of reluctance.

“Right. Please tell me as much as you can if you have any information about this.”

“Oh, that girl, she said she’s going to her country house for a few months because her grandmother is sick.”

The man’s pupils contracted. He seemed perplexed. This is the first time anyone has seen this dashing and respectable gentleman hanging out in front of a coffee shop. It appears that the astute young woman did not provide any personal details to this unknown person. For some reason, Jack started to speak in a cocky manner.

“Oh, she has a grandma out in the country that she’s been sending her hard-earned paychecks to take care of. But then she announced unexpectedly that her grandmother is unwell and that she has to spend a few months in the country with her relatives. She’s going to be leaving for a while, I guess.”

“…Country? Family?”

The man appeared to be a little lost.

“That’s nonsense… she left?”

“Actually, no. Strictly speaking, she didn’t depart; she merely stated she needed to relax for a while and would be back. Where else might she go if the store is still open? She must have been making good money because she was working so hard. You look to be a nobleman, therefore I had to ask: what brings you to this peaceful little shop? What’s your relationship to Emily?”

‘Could she be keeping a hidden love affair with you?’ Jack gave it serious thought. Emily’s extraordinarily conservative exterior makes it plausible that she is secretly involved with an attractive man who is out of reach for most people. After all, she surely wouldn’t let Jack’s meager sweets and presents influence her decision to be with such a man.

The man was strikingly attractive at first sight thanks to his black brows, bright eyes, square jaw, and broad shoulders. But if he were her boyfriend, he would know that she had temporarily shut down her business and departed the city. Or not? Had she been acting so prim and proper because she honestly believed that no great lord would ever accept a commoner?

Jack’s mind was racing with a million different ideas. The guy was really biting his lip. His eyes flickered as though he were experiencing an inner conflict.

“…I’ll reward you if you happen to meet… Emily before I do.”

“Ah, certainly! Yes. And of course. As for my next move…”

“You can go to the headquarters of the Glamis Knights and say that a favor will be paid. Look for Sir Alston.”

“Yes, yes! Got it. Isn’t he Sir Alston, Lord Raretis’s lieutenant? Please tell me your name if you don’t mind, honorable gentleman.”

“Follow my directions exactly.”

The man clenched his teeth and walked away after giving his speech. Jack, embarrassed, stared after the man as he disappeared.