Lèse-majesté

Part 43

Chapter 42

"Esss! Ess! Wake up already!" Was yelled from outside the room while the wooden door was being banged on. "We got work to do,"

A groggy and much younger-looking Esmeralda opened the door. She wore a very simple and rustic gray dress while red hair that was still twisted in a bun stuck out awkwardly making her look somewhat unkempt.

"Claire the sun isn't even out yet," Esmeralda uttered. The woman, Claire that had been banging on her door, just huffed and put her hands on her hips. "Listen here Es. I don't know how things went in your old household but here we wake up at the crack of dawn for chores." Claire looked the young lady up and down for a bit before telling her to follow.

"I'm sorry," Esmeralda uttered as she was led to the back of the pub where the other pretty women were already doing the washing and hanging.

"I guess I can cut you some slack," Claire uttered. "The Pub owner just bought you three days ago. You aren't used to this yet. But I expect you to contribute," the woman then stated.

"Wow another pretty face," Someone said as Esmeralda gathered up some sheets to wash. "Say Claire, you sure you aren't training your replacement?"

"Why don't ya shut it Hilda," Claire shot back. Meanwhile, Esmeralda had frozen when she heard that question. She took a peek at Claire who was helping with the hanging.

"Don't worry," The lady across from Esmeralda's washing station whispered. "Hilda's just jealous that Claire managed to hook that cute Baronet. Claire's finally getting out of here,"

"Huh?" Esmeralda was somewhat flummoxed.

"You don't know? Didn't tha owner explain when ya got here?" The lady to the right of Esmeralda asked.

"I was uhm..." She started to say as her cheeks flamed.

"Cut it out Linda," Esmeralda's washing neighbour uttered. "Ya were bawling yer eyes out when you were sold too. Don't blame her for not remembering," She then turned back to Esmeralda "Tha pub owner here has a rule for us working girls," She stated. "If a client really likes us they can basically buy us to be their wives. Claire got really lucky. She serviced a newly appointed Baronet a few months ago. Tha man took a real shine to her and kept coming back. He offered to pay the fee so Claire gets to leave Hymir soon. Hildy's just being a jealous witch,"

"Soooo... how did ya wind up here?" Linda asked. Esmeralda frowned as she looked at Linda and the other prostitutes were discreetly listening in.

"My parents had a boy," She sighed and bit her lower lip in anger. "To them I was just an extra mouth to feed so they got rid of me,"

"You'll find a lot of women in the same boat here in the Hymir district." Linda uttered as she tried not to pity Esmeralda. "My own brother sold me for a paltry sum after I refused tha get married to the man he chose,"

"Best thing we ladies can hope for is to bag a Noble," Hilda spoke up while huffing. "You get one of them and you're set for life."

"Wh-What if that man cheats?" Esmeralda asked with a frown but the women around her just laughed.

"Honey, we said bag 'em not Love 'em." Claire stated. "Who cares if they cheat. We're ladies of the night. There ain't no love in this kind of business. Ya better get that through your pretty head. Love just leads to ruin. All you need tha do is butter their biscuit once and a while. Who cares if he wants to sow his oats elsewhere. They can't divorce ya once they marry ya,"

"Best thing to please a Noble is to give 'em an heir," Another laughed. "They become real sweet talkers once they have a son."

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