99th Actress Chapter 7

Chapter 7. Er*ctile Dysfunction

Without thinking twice, she rushed over to them. “Hey, you guys!” she called out.

The children turned, their eyes lighting up when they saw her approach. She reached into her arms and pulled out a few pieces of bread, torn meat, and some nuts—items she had saved for her own lunch. She quickly threw a few silver coins on the ground and handed them to the children.

“This is all I have. Buy something nice with it,” she said with a soft smile.

The children stared at her in awe, their eyes filled with gratitude. “Thank you… pretty sister,” they said, their voices filled with wonder.

Lian stroked their heads, feeling a wave of nostalgia hit her. The sight of these children, struggling with hunger, reminded her so much of her own childhood. It was a feeling she couldn’t ignore, one that made her heart ache in sympathy. She could never pretend not to see the suffering of others, especially when it mirrored her own experiences.

The children carefully placed the food and coins into their pockets, clearly treating the gifts as treasures. After a few heartfelt goodbyes, they disappeared, their small figures vanishing into the distance.

Lian stood there for a moment, feeling a pang of regret. If she had known this would happen, she would have brought more food or money to help. But the moment is gone now.

Meanwhile, Lepierre, who had been watching from afar, saw everything unfold. He observed Lian, who had suddenly disappeared from the group during their tedious schedule. He saw her running toward the beggar children, handing them food and a few pennies. He couldn’t understand why she would do something like that, especially since she wasn’t wealthy herself.

Lepierre watched her with a significant expression, his mind turning over what he had just seen. The small, seemingly insignificant act of kindness stirred something in him, something he hadn’t expected.

***

Lian finally made her way back to the dorm after a long, exhausting day. She was starving, so she quickly prepared a simple bibimbap, savoring each bite like it was a rare luxury. 

“Hoo… I almost died of hunger…” she muttered, feeling the weight of her day lift with each mouthful. Just as she finished her meal, the familiar bright light of the bracelet flashed, signaling a call from Lepierre.

Breathing heavily from both hunger and the rapid pace of her day, Lian answered the call. However, she could hardly believe what she was hearing. Lepierre’s calm, almost indifferent voice cut through the air. 

“Follow me in.” 

Lian froze for a moment, wondering if her ears were playing tricks on her. His composed expression only fueled her disbelief. Could she really have heard that correctly?

Before she could process, Lepierre had already entered the bathroom, and the maids, who had quietly stood by, handed her neatly folded towels and clothes. Realizing this wasn’t some mistake or hallucination, Lian exhaled deeply, resigned to follow him.

As she entered the bathroom, her gaze immediately landed on Lepierre, who sat in a bubble-filled bathtub with his eyes closed, seemingly lost in thought. His posture was relaxed, his side profile striking, and Lian couldn’t help but feel the heat rise to her cheeks. Her thoughts briefly wandered to the idea that, despite his striking beauty, something important had been taken from him—something that left him incomplete.

But then, her focus shifted back to the task at hand. ‘I have to stop thinking about that,’ she chided herself, forcing her mind to focus on the moment. Despite her discomfort, her eyes were drawn instinctively to his appearance. His wet hair was tousled, revealing a side of him she hadn’t seen before. His forehead, usually hidden by his hair, now stood out, adding another layer to his already sculptural features.

“What do you think..…?” Lepierre’s voice broke through her thoughts, making her jump slightly.

“Uh… You’re very cool,” Lian blurted out without thinking. It was the truth; he was undeniably handsome. Every single one of his features was perfect, and his piercing eyes and natural charisma were enough to captivate anyone.

“I know that. It’s not that. It’s about working beside someone you admire,” Lepierre replied, his tone somewhat cryptic.

Lian, still processing her surprise, answered casually, “What? Oh, yes… it is indeed the honor of the family.”

Lian’s words, though casual, were deeply ingrained in her from a lifetime of adapting to her circumstances. Born in the outskirts of a shanty town with no family background, she had learned to accept her place and adapt to the roles she was given. The idea of serving someone like Lepierre felt surreal, but it was part of her reality now, and she had long since accepted it.

Lepierre seemed satisfied with her response, nodding slightly before making a gesture for her to wash his hair. Lian, now focused on the task at hand, filled a basin with water and carefully moved to the side of the tub, her heart pounding in her chest. As she poured the water over his hair, she tried her best to stay composed, though the closeness made her feel strangely self-conscious.

The shampoo lathered into his hair with ease, and as she massaged his scalp, Lian couldn’t help but notice just how perfect his features were up close. The smoothness of his skin was impossible to ignore, and her fingers brushed over his scalp with a practiced gentleness. Her mind raced as she focused on giving him a proper scalp massage, just as she had learned at a Korean hair salon. She applied just the right amount of pressure, making sure to avoid his eyes and ears.

Lepierre let out a soft exhale, clearly enjoying the massage, and Lian felt a sense of relief that she was doing her job well. After rinsing his hair thoroughly, Lepierre stood up from the tub, and for a brief moment, Lian found herself at a loss for where to look. Thankfully, a towel had been wrapped around his lower body, sparing her from further discomfort.

Once he was done, Lepierre gave a brief order for her to leave, and Lian quickly exited the bathroom. As she waited outside, she couldn’t shake the feeling of nervousness that lingered. 

“I was nervous for no reason,” she muttered to herself, realizing she had been unnecessarily anxious. Still, the experience left a lingering impression on her, one she couldn’t easily shake off. 

It was a moment when she felt ashamed of herself for making a fuss inside. Soon came Lepierre, dressed in a gown, and Lian began to dry his hair. Watching Lepierre’s face with his eyes closed, she was drying it carefully with a towel. With his eyes closed, Lepierre questioned.

“You were pretty good earlier. Have you ever tried it?”

It seemed to be talking about the acupressure of the scalp. It must have been more relieving than she thought.

“Yes. I remember doing it to my parents when I was a child and sometimes after work. I’m honored that the Duke was satisfied.”

It was true. In her memory, there was a memory of what Lian had done to her parents in the past. Although it was a cold reception back then, it was the best thing a young child who was not loved by her biological parents could do. 

Furthermore, she did work at a Korean hair salon so she did it without realization. 

“Where are your parents?”

Lepierre had already completed the investigation, but he asked again with good grace.

“That’s… I can’t reach them right now. I ran away. When I was an adult, they sold me to an old man in his 70s.”

Lian began to talk calmly, laughing as if talking about nothing.

“When I think about it now, I feel like my parents never loved me. If I just got scolded for eating soggy food, it would be considered a lucky day for me. Since I was young, there was nothing I didn’t do. But I’m really good at sewing. It’s only been a while since I worked here, but it was all up to me to repair the clothes of the employees.”

Come to think of it, Lian and Eunyul had a lot in common. Parents who are no better than trash, and children who are abandoned by their parents. They did nothing wrong. From a young age, she knew the coldness of the world and tried to survive.

Lian began begging, sewing, and business from childhood, and was abused. While Eunyul always had a nosebleed in parallel with her studies, and there was no part-time job that she had never done from early morning milk delivery, newspaper delivery, to convenience store or serving part-time.

In addition, because she was an orphan, she was often ostracized by her peers, so her life was miserable. No, to experience this life as an avid reader, she guessed she didn’t completely fail.

Without realizing it, Lian fell into thoughts of the past and was chattering and continuing to talk. Meanwhile, Lepierre, who was listening, became silent at some point, Lian coughed because she thought she had been too sentimental.

Before she knew it, the duke, who opened his eyes, was looking at Lian.

Her heart suddenly began to fluctuate again at the moment she looked at him. Lian, conscious of his eyes, slowly dropped her hand, which was drying his hair, without realizing it.

Lepierre, who had been staring at her for a long time, suddenly grabbed Lian’s hand, turned her palm over, and opened it.

Lian’s hands were callused in various places, as if showing signs of a rough life. She had a hard time guessing what he was thinking just by his facial expression. Lepierre, who was staring at her palm like that, soon opened his mouth.

“You’ve grown up well, though.”

The words that seemed to be nothing much comforted Lian more than any other words. It wasn’t important if it was directed to Lian and Eunyul. The feeling of hearing it for the first time was overwhelming enough to be unable to describe.

Starting from that day, she was becoming increasingly immune to his handsome face as she was caring for him every day. The uncomfortable and anxious heart that she first heard was gradually fading. And another thing.

‘Maybe he’s a better person than I thought….’

She even looked forward to the time she had with him.