“Sorry, but later.”

She climbed up another floor. The top floor, the fourth, was Jacqueline’s sanctuary.

Jacqueline grabbed the doorknob, turned it, and flung the door open.

“Muriel Dolly Peyton!”

“You’re back?”

“What is this?”

Jacqueline deliberately slapped her palm on the table with a loud thud, placing down an advertisement she had torn from a wall.

“Explain this.”

“What is it? Just an advertisement.”

“It’s a cabaret ad. Did you switch from serious acting to being a cabaret girl?”

“I only lent them my face.”

“Don’t lie to me. Don’t I know you? Mr. Kleiner said you’ve been skipping practice often. Where have you been going during those times?”

“Hey, are you my lover? Even a lover asking questions this way would be rude!”

“We’re family! Because we’re family, because I worry about you, I have the right to ask!”

“I’m handling things well, so don’t worry. Now, you must be tired today. Let’s take off your coat. I made something delicious.”

Jacqueline found herself led by Muriel’s hand and seated in a chair. Having starved all day, she rubbed her eyes at the sight of white bread and cream stew filled with generous chunks. 

She wanted to know about the cabaret advertisement photo, but struggled to maintain her focus with the unfamiliar food aroma making her dizzy.

“What’s this? Where did it come from?”

“I bought it from Mr. Almaty’s store. Buying fresh ingredients makes cooking turn out well. We’ve been eating soft vegetables past their expiration date for so long. After cutting away the spoiled parts, there’s barely anything left to eat…”

“Where did you get the money?”

“I told you earlier. I lent my face. I bought this with modeling fees. Mmm, the bread is so soft and fluffy. Jackie, try some of this bread.”

Muriel bit into the white bread and showered it with praise, her face ecstatic. Jacqueline unconsciously gulped.

“It’s nutty and sweet. The flavor is rich. I bet rich people eat this every day.”

Hearing those words, Jacqueline snapped back to reality. White bread made with butter, milk, and eggs was something only wealthy people could afford. It wasn’t permitted for poor people like them. 

Even though her shrunken stomach rumbled in protest, demanding food quickly, she hesitated to reach for it because of the suspicious source of this consumption beyond their means.

“Did you get paid a lot for modeling?”

“Yes! I’ll cover our food expenses for a while.”

“No wonder Melinda disapproves of you. You should pay the rent first.”

“I don’t understand why that strict old woman dislikes me.”

“That’s because you behave so inconsiderately.”

“Even so, people still like me.”

When Jacqueline didn’t agree, Muriel sulked and puffed her cheeks.

‘How can she be so pretty?’

Her light brown hair and hazel eyes were as radiant as a flower fairy. Mr. Kleiner had shed tears of blood over that lovely and innocent appearance. If only her acting skills could support her a little, she could become the queen of the dramatic stage, but her lack of talent was too severe.

But her pretty face alone was enough to become poetry and song, so Mr. Kleiner and the playwright often put Muriel on stage. 

Though her acting was awkward, the audience overlooked it, understanding it as minor mistakes of a rookie actress.

Rarely, once or twice a year, cold-hearted audience members like Melinda would complain about paying to see such performances. But there were also a few fans who found Muriel’s clumsy acting endearing.

Muriel asked Jacqueline with an innocent smile.

“I wanted to ask earlier, where did you get your hair done?”

When Muriel barely reacted to her shortened hair, Jacqueline felt relieved but also slightly hurt.

Selling her hair due to financial difficulties wasn’t something to brag about. But Muriel had money coming in from modeling fees and hadn’t mentioned it, and now she was spending it freely. Jacqueline answered grumpily with a sullen face.

“In the neighborhood.”

“Where in the neighborhood?”

“At the salon by the intersection entrance.”

“Hmm… so that’s where. Well, we should eat now. The food’s getting cold. Let’s eat quickly. I was waiting to eat with you. I’ve been holding back my hunger.”

Just like always, Jacqueline’s heart softened at Muriel’s charm. Who else would take care of this friend if not her? 

Putting aside the cabaret photo that had Muriel’s face composited onto a n*de female body, they ate dinner chatting merrily like any other day.

“Jackie, let’s earn lots of money and eat like this every day.”

“Sure.”

But they never sat at the same table again. Only after a very long time did Jacqueline realize that this dinner was her final meal with Muriel.

* * *

A year had already passed since Muriel declared their friendship over and left home. During that time, Jacqueline had transferred from the Night Vocational School to the Education College. 

This was because government policy had changed, and graduates of night schools would no longer receive teaching certificates.

Jacqueline nearly gave up her studies when Muriel’s situation coincided with the sudden policy announcement, but with Michael’s help, she quickly recovered and took the transfer exam.

Fortunately, she passed the exam on her first attempt and was now attending school regularly. 

After studying for another year and a half and graduating, she would receive a Level 2 teaching certificate, and her dream would come true. The dream that once seemed distant as a star was now close enough to touch.

Michael had already brought up the subject of a graduation gift.

“You’ll graduate next year. Let me know if there’s anything you’d like as a graduation gift.”

“Haha… I’ll think about it.”

“Before Linda, okay?”

“Come to think of it, Uncle Michael, you have strange tastes too. You know perfectly well that Melinda dislikes it.”

“If I didn’t act this way, I don’t think she would ever notice me.”

This confession came from the mouth of a criminal defense attorney.

“Even seven-year-old Tommy doesn’t express interest in girls that way.”

If Melinda had heard those words, she would have been disgusted. Having observed their relationship for a long time, Jacqueline could naturally picture Melinda struggling to listen whenever Michael said something embarrassing. 

Michael secretly enjoyed Melinda’s reactions. That’s why Jacqueline felt anxious whenever Michael played his mischievous pranks.

‘Melinda seems to prefer serious men.’

Michael behaved lightly in front of Melinda, like a butterfly fluttering around. Though it was Michael’s way of trying to get Melinda’s attention.

“How about using maternal instinct?”

“Just use your face.”

“I’ve already tried that. Linda doesn’t particularly like handsome men.”

“No, Melinda does like handsome people. So shave your beard right away. It doesn’t suit you. Why try to hide your handsome face?”

“It makes me look older. When pursuing an older woman, isn’t this level of consideration natural?”

“It still doesn’t suit you.”

“Really? Then I’ll get rid of it.”

He was a man who completely lost his principles when it came to Melinda.

“By the way, have you still not heard from that friend?”

“No. No letters or telegrams.”

“My investigation confirmed what you said. Muriel Peyton was indeed connected to ‘La Fleur Vivante.’ She worked at the cabaret club for about two months, then disappeared. It’s an interesting case. Ah! I was just careless. I’m sorry.”

“I should be the one apologizing. You must be busy, yet you looked into this for me.”

Jacqueline twisted her stiff body around and fixed her disheveled hair. Her hair, grown for over a year, now well past her shoulders. 

Today she had it half-tied with a silk ribbon gifted by Mrs. Hennessy. It gave her a more mature look than when she tied it in a single ponytail or in two braids.

Looking at Jacqueline’s red hair, Michael recalled Melinda’s request.

‘Lloyd Whitaker. That handsome pervert is definitely connected to this somehow. And Jackie seems to know something too.’

Michael didn’t judge people based on the sensational rumors that surrounded famous individuals.

‘But I can’t help being curious, can I?’

The strange phenomenon that began last year, with women in District 6 all dyeing their hair red, had now spread to all districts in the capital. It became famous simply because it was famous, like a society queen’s famous saying. 

The trend had caught on so well that even expensive red wigs were being traded among fashion-conscious upper-class ladies, so it was natural for political circles to be concerned.

“Actually, I wish you wouldn’t look for your friend. It’s something I shouldn’t say as someone who makes a living in this profession, but I hope you’ll stop here. Cases involving missing persons rarely end well. If you just want to confirm whether she’s alive or dead, I can connect you with an investigation agency. What would you like to do?”

“I…”

“Yes?”

“I’m still angry with her. Always acting on her own, being irresponsible, making me hope and then disappointing me. I hate being the only one who cares, but I hate being apart from her even more. I know that if I just let her go, it would all be over.”

Jacqueline poured out her resentment toward Muriel in a disorganized manner.

“You asked why I’m looking for her? When I find her, I want to pour out everything that’s built up inside me. The same goes for ending our friendship. I should be the one to do it, not her. She’s truly shameless!”

“Oh my! Our girl is very angry.”

Michael chuckled. Her angry expression resembled Melinda’s, which was amusing, and he was touched that she had completely opened her heart to him.

“So, you’re upset that your friend ended the friendship first. And when you find her, you want to be the one to end it first. Is that right?”

“When you put it that way, it sounds quite childish.”

“It can be like that when you care about someone. Look at me. I remain steadfast even when Linda rejects me, don’t I? But that doesn’t mean I don’t get hurt or tired.”

“How can you consistently pursue Melinda?”

“Pursue… ahem, Linda is my dream. Dreams are naturally difficult to achieve. If the process of pursuing my dream was painful, I would have given up on Linda long ago. Just like you chase your dream of becoming a teacher, I chase Linda.”