The Freak Show Foreman

However, his pupils seemed to be clouded, as if recalling a distant past, rather than looking at her directly.

He had been a wanderer without knowing his parents or a hometown from the day he was born.

He must have had an incredibly tough and difficult life as Anais.

Wherever he went, he had to scrounge for food, find decent work was hard, and once people found out who he was, they probably treated him as a pickpocket, a fraudster, or a potential robber.

That was the perception of gypsies and wanderers in society.

The path he had walked was probably a life filled with tears.

But even after experiencing all of that, how…

How…

…could he smile so brightly?

There was not a trace of darkness in his kindness.

His actions were not meant to protect himself or gain something for himself.

When someone seemed to be in danger, he didn’t hesitate to step in, even if it meant risking his own body.

In dangerous and painful situations, he always thought of others first and acted.

And he never lost his smile in the process.

Sometimes, it was both heart breaking and dazzling at the same time.

She was so blinded by that brilliance that she couldn’t see the wounds hidden behind him.

She couldn’t perceive the darkness locked in the depths of his heart.

What did he think when he saw her avoiding eye contact so calmly just now?

The noblewoman who rushed towards him, claiming to love him based on his appearance, but cast him aside as something dirty when she learned his true identity.

In his life, there must have been more than a few people like that.

People who he thought were friends and trusted, only to turn and leave when they learned the truth.

Anais had a sudden thought.

The reason he had consistently rejected her persistent advances.

Could it have something to do with his scars?

A noblewoman who was the head of a major trading company and a wandering mage from the streets.

He might have been afraid.

She might leave him when she found out the truth.

Perhaps that fear was why he couldn’t open the door to his heart.

If so, her recent action of coldly rejecting his gaze seemed to confirm his anxiety.

Anais clenched her fist so tightly that blood oozed from her fingernails. Discover hidden content at m,v l’e|m-p| y r

She couldn’t forgive herself.

"Please, no matter what happens, do not intervene."

He had been worried about her from the moment he heard about the trial.

If the owner of a territory and the head of a trading company, who was also a member of the Grand Assembly, stepped forward to defend a murder suspect, what would happen?

The rumors would spread uncontrollably.

And it would deal a huge blow to her reputation.

She might even be dismissed from her position as the head of the assembly, as someone had mentioned earlier from the audience.

He worried about her even in the situation where he himself was cornered.

For each other.

Still, he tried not to make it seem like he was sacrificing himself.

They surrounded each other with the idea that it was for each other.

’Will I not lose sponsorship if you step down from the chairwomen position? So stay back.’

Huh.

She couldn’t help but laugh unintentionally.

Did he think his kindness was hidden by such a lie?

Does he know?

There’s no man who can play the role of a villain as well as he does.

Who would believe those words with that face and that smile?

Even though I’ve seen how much you’ve sacrificed yourself all along…

You really are a foolish man.

He was a person with a strong and firm heart.

But even for someone like him, it must have been difficult to endure having his shortcomings pointed out in front of hundreds of people. Especially in front of the girl who had confessed to liking him.

Even though he told her not to step forward, human psychology doesn’t work that way.

It’s natural to hope.

Hoping that she might still support him emotionally, even if she were to discover his true identity.

But those expectations of his…

She ruthlessly trampled on them.

She pushed him away.

As if claiming there had been no confession commotion earlier.

She wanted to cry.

But that wasn’t the case.

The disappointment and despair that flickered in his eyes hurt her chest too much.

Anais unknowingly took a step forward.

She wanted to run to him.

She wanted to embrace him.

And she wanted to ask him.

Was he rejecting her all this time because of their difference in status?

And she wanted to answer.

Still, I love you, no matter who you really are.

No matter what your true identity is.

She wanted to say that.

Another step forward.

When Porsche tried to stop her from behind.

Wonderstein looked at her, faintly smiling, then shook his head.

That was a sign of rejection.

Don’t come closer.

Even after he was hurt by her cold attitude, he was still worrying about her to the end.

A foolishly good person.

As Anais tried to take one step back, his lips moved slightly.

Only she from the defendant’s side could understand what he was saying.

We have no relationship, right?

Anais stood still on the spot.

She glared at him with a bitter smile directed at her.

His intentions were clear.

He was trying to protect her.

Furthermore, he even kindly threw in an insult, telling her not to feel guilty.

Step aside, okay?

Because, you and I have no relationship at all.

But do you know that?

You are really… the worst actor.

With such terrible acting…

Causing so much pain in the hearts of the viewers.

"Then let’s begin the trial."

As he stood up in the defendant’s seat, he seemed like someone climbing the scaffold.

Watching his back, Anais swallowed her tears silently.

***

I was thankful for the smiling man.

Otherwise, my expression would have crumpled when I saw the message that just appeared in the status window.

"The Circus Troupe’s Reputation has decreased by 8 points."

[Current Reputation of the Circus Troupe: 7]

The exchange with the judge and the Viscount Dosville’s spiteful comments.

I couldn’t immediately grasp what it meant.

A wanderer? Aren’t travelers and itinerant performers all wanderers?

What’s the problem?

Listening to the mockery pouring from the audience, I finally understood a bit too late.

The wanderer they were talking about, the invincible, didn’t just refer to itinerant people.

It meant people who were born wanderers, not listed on any country’s registry, without a name in any local resident register.

It seemed to be quite insulting here.

Maybe because it’s a class-based society.

They were quite sensitive to such things.

Seeing the expressions of our audience change, it seemed that the words thrown by the other party had many offensive expressions.

But I didn’t feel that bad.

This level of insult couldn’t compare to the humiliation I felt when crawling on the streets doing odd jobs during my orphanage days.

And compared to the profanity people used in online broadcasts, what they were saying here was relatively mild.

What bothered me more was the message that appeared in the status window.

My reputation dropped by a whopping 8 points in one go.

Does that mean the position of the leader is that important to the reputation of the circus troupe?

Staring at the status window with a disappointed look, I could feel the gazes of those around me.

My actions of reading the status window seemed to appear as if I was deep in thought, as if contemplating something to those around me.

I quickly lowered the status window.

Then, I met eyes with Anais, who was on the other side of the status window.

She was looking at me with eyes that seemed like she might burst into tears at any moment.

It seemed like she was quite emotional about the Viscount Dosville’s earlier statement.

It was unexpected.

With a nickname like "Iron Mask," I thought she would remain calm and composed in a crisis.

She wouldn’t do something risky like advocating for me, right?

She wasn’t a foolish woman who would take such risks for a man.

When the rumor about being the Puppeteer first spread, he was just a "wandering magician," but now he was a "suspected serial killer and a magician of unknown lineage." If she stepped forward, the rumors would become fact, and her reputation would fall.

She absolutely shouldn’t step forward… This is a disaster!

The woman who had been staring at me took a step forward.

I shook my head.

Don’t come any closer.

But she took one step closer instead.

I could feel the gazes of the people around us converging on her.

This isn’t good.

If I fall any further behind here, it’s over.

I had to remind her that we weren’t involved with each other.

"We’re not involved in any way."

It was a bit harsh, but I had no choice but to say it to stop her from coming any closer.

She stopped in her tracks and stared at me silently.

I was nervous that she might make another sudden move, but she pretended to relax for a moment, then stepped back.

The attention of the crowd shifted away from her.

Thank goodness.

"Well then, let the trial begin. Defendant, please take your place."

I stood in the defendant’s seat, located in the middle of the stage.

"Plaintiff, please step forward."

Viscount Dosville ascended to the stage. He was followed by thunderous cheers and applause.

The judge furrowed his brow for a moment but didn’t intervene.

He then moved on to the next order of business.

"Defense attorney, please step forward."

The courtroom fell eerily silent.

No one moved.

***

The trial began, and Anais tried to regain her composure.

Although it took the form of a trial, it was no different from the cutthroat battles that took place in the world of business.

It was a game of pushing and pulling.

Right now, the opposition was throwing bait and trying to draw them in.

They couldn’t take the bait. Playing along would be a suicide.

Anais recalled the advice she had received from her uncle about dealing with such situations.

For now, the best course of action was to stay on the sidelines.

"The Lawyer approaches."

Silence fell upon the courtroom.

The plaintiff’s side looked at the defendant’s side, waiting to see who would make the first move.

The defendant’s side also looked around to see who among them would step forward.

"Hello there!"

A man in his thirties with horn-rimmed glasses stood up.

He was Romeo, a playwright for the Rose Windmill Cabaret.

In his younger days, he had studied law at university. Among those associated with Lord Mustang’s, he was the least conspicuous and the most honorable, free from any blemishes on his reputation. He was the ideal candidate to nullify weak evidence and testimonies.

Making him their lawyer was a considerate move by Lord Mustang’s.

However, Anais thought differently.

The Viscount Dosville was not just someone who had dabbled in law. He was cunning and shrewd, adept at improvisation. To challenge him, they needed someone even more exceptional.

Among the nobles and dignitaries in this place, there were a few who fit the bill, but they had no reason to step into this situation. They didn’t want to support someone like Mustang, a trader.

She returned to her merchant instincts.

The best course of action was to remain silent and build a defense team for the formal trial. In the process, there might be some damage to her honor, but she had drawn the line, stating that this was not a personal matter with Wonderstein. The damage would be minimal.

The worst option was to support Wonderstein here and face defeat. That would result in irreversible losses. The council would suspend her authority, and she might be ousted at the shareholders’ meeting.

The only small satisfaction would be helping Wonderstein.

As a merchant, it was a choice she must not make.

But there were more options than just the best and worst.

The best option was…

***

Playwright Romeo stood before the lawyer’s podium.

The crowd’s murmurs could be heard, and Anais felt her mind go blank.

He had always been behind the scenes, writing plays, and now he was standing on the stage himself.

Her heart was pounding, and she could feel cold sweat on her skin.

Nevertheless, when Ivonne, the flower of Luz, left her seat, she held Romeo’s hand firmly and cheered him on.

He looked around the audience, catching the lingering scent of her fragrant cosmetics.

However, he soon noticed something strange.

The commotion and the glances weren’t all directed at him.

The converging point of all those eyes was moving closer to him from the direction of the audience.

Romeo turned to look behind him.

There, a 20-year-old woman with green hair and golden eyes, dressed in a bright green dress, stood confidently.

She turned her gaze to the Wonderstein, who was still staring at her, and smiled sweetly.

"Anais Vergsong, the Baroness of the Vergsong Estate."

She raised her head defiantly as the attention of the crowd focused on her.

"I am the defendant’s lawyer."

The courtroom erupted into chaos.

Even the Viscount Dosville looked shocked at her choice.

Wonderstein was equally stunned.

[The circus’s reputation has fallen by 6.]

[Current reputation of the circus: 1.]

This is insane.