The Freak Show Foreman

Not only was it right next to the stage, but it was also on the second floor, providing an excellent view overall.

The only drawback was that you couldn’t watch the performance head-on; you had to view it from the rear or sides. This place was never intended for watching performances in the first place, so it couldn’t be helped.

These step seats were right in the center of the theatre.

Half of the seats around the step seats led to Hall 1, while the other half divided into Hall 2 and Hall 3.

In other words, from here, you could not only overlook all three halls but also move between them.

The food prepared in the kitchen and the drinks fetched from the warehouse all passed through this area on their way to the audience.

The sight of well-dressed guests at neatly arranged tables could be seen through the windows beyond.

In contrast, the inside of the step seats was chaotic.

Waiters carrying snacks and drinks for the guests, seamstresses hurrying to the warehouse to fetch costumes for the short-handed dancers, and apprentice chefs carrying requested ingredients from the kitchen, among others.

As with any backstage area, this place was in complete chaos as a big performance approached.

Fortunately, this scene of the staff rushing about was not visible from the audience seats.

The glass windows surrounding the step seats had all been specially treated. You could see outside from inside, but from the outside, the interior was not visible. All you could see was a pitch-black wall.

The location Paris had led her to was at the very end of the step seats.

It had the widest field of vision, allowing her to see a bit of the front of Hall 1.

Naturally, just anyone couldn’t occupy such a place.

It was meant for those who orchestrated the entire performance.

Director Yug Maroine, the mastermind behind Le Luz’s nights, was waiting for them there.

"Ella, have you arrived?"

Director Yug Maroine.

With his stocky and diminutive stature, he wore round sunglasses that resembled an owl’s eyes.

He was an elderly man with a demeanor that evoked an image of an old hawk.

"I haven’t had the chance to see you for a few days."

"We’ve had a lot to do leading up to the opening ceremony."

He greeted her with a smile, and Ella returned the greeting with a delighted expression.

"It seems that having Ella here has even made our manager smile again after a long time."

By his side was a woman in her mid-40s.

She was Mare, the choreographer who directed and managed the theatre’s dancers.

She looked at Maroine and Ella, who were smiling at each other, with a complex expression.

Director Yug Maroine, who usually always appeared irritable and cynical, now had a warm smile on his face when Ella was around, almost like the grandfather next door.

He liked talented young people, paying no attention to their experience. Just by making Paris, the youngest actor, the star of this upcoming performance, it was clear.

"He liked performances."

In his youth, he was a man who had abandoned his wife and daughter and roamed the world.

Perhaps that’s why.

Ella, who was not like any other woman, with a lot of talents even, didn’t seem to feel like a stranger to him.

Maybe he… is trying to find the image of the daughter he abandoned in his youth in her.

The two of them exchanged greetings with others, sitting and discussing today’s performance as if they were in a hurry.

In any case, both of them were humans who couldn’t spare any details when it came to performances.

Maya simply mentioned her name and sat in a corner, scanning the audience.

"Who are you looking for?"

"Our ringmaster."

"If it’s Wonderstein Circus… wait a moment. The program schedule is here… Oh! There are two participants, the ringmaster of Wonderstein and the sponsor Miss Vergsong, hmm!"

Mare scanned Maya’s face with a hint of hesitation, as she knew the rumors circulating in the world. But she couldn’t read anything from her expression because she had been expressionless since she entered this place.

"They two are… over there. On the fourth-floor balcony…"

Mare stopped talking and closed her mouth.

The curtain was drawn on the balcony.

Having worked in cabarets for a long time, Mare knew the significance of the curtain on the balcony seats. Inside the balcony, there was a bedroom. It was a place where the women, who had agreed with the customers, had additional sleeping arrangements.

Beds, lights, tools. As Mare recalled the items there, her face contorted slightly.

Surely not. On opening day, in there?

No, it can’t be.

"The curtain is drawn there."

"Oh… uh, yeah."

Maya looked at the balcony seats with a puzzled expression.

Ella might have been able to read that emotion from her face, but right now she was busy talking to Maroine about something and didn’t have time to pay attention to her friend.

"If one knows Bouvalle, sponsorship products will keep appearing on the stage. During Kankang, a person-only bear doll suddenly appears and dances, and the lyrics suddenly include the name of a shipping company."

Ella grinned at the old man’s grumbling.

"That’s the trend these days. In Vegas, there are even performances designed to sell products from the planning stage."

"Humph. It’s all about money, money, money. Can there be a proper performance when it’s being controlled by sponsors?"

"The times have changed, Director."

Ella, who had to perform on the streets every day due to her poor school situation, loved every performance, but she couldn’t afford to think about the practical issue of money.

"Still, be careful not to lean too far in one direction during the competition. If it’s too obvious, there might be biased accusations."

"Are you saying I should favour the deputy ringmaster of a circus troupe like this?"

Maroine’s mischievous tone made Ella smile awkwardly.

"Is that what you’re suggesting? Are you going to report it to the organizers?"

"Hehe, we’ll both end up fired then."

The two of them laughed again, facing each other.

The choreographer Mare, who had been silently watching them, seemed to be waiting for the right moment and suddenly intervened.

"Miss Ella, the topic of sponsorship came up, so I’d like to ask. Who is Mrs. Vergsong? Does she prioritize profits, or does she prioritize the completion of the work?"

Her question was quite sudden. Ella and Maya didn’t understand her intent, but Maroine and Paris looked at her with a bewildered glance.

"Hey, do you think you should be asking about that here?"

"I was curious too, but I was holding back."

Ella said as the atmosphere around them began to feel strange.

"Mrs. Vergsong? She always quietly supports us. She fulfils our requests right away."

"Wow, she’s really a great supporter. Our sponsor, Lord Mustang, values avoiding scandals above all else. He hates anything that tarnishes his honor. Mr. Bouvalle, the manager, is profit oriented. Is it because Director Wonderstein is good at business?"

Ella was quick to catch on.

As her words ended, she felt something in the gazes of the three people focused on her.

Should she try to evade the topic vaguely, or should she confront it head-on?

The decision didn’t take long.

Risk avoidance was the choice of a strong person who had many things to protect.

Circus troupes like theirs, unknown and nameless, had to take in whatever came their way, whether it was poison or medicine.

"It’s all thanks to the ringmaster. Miss Anais Vergsong has a deep affection for the ringmaster."

"Indeed!"

"Was that so…"

People in the theatre nodded their heads.

Ella intentionally pretended to be puzzled and asked, "What’s going on? Do you all know something?"

Mare whispered to her, "Ella, don’t you read magazines?"

"I read them a lot."

"What genres?"

"Um, romance, and…?"

"All related to performances, huh? Just like our manager. I’m talking about the magazines that girls your age read…"

"You can find all the circus news there."

"Circus news, but not really gossip news."

Mare told Ella about the rumors circulating about Lady Vergsong and the wandering circus troupe leader, rumors of their love affair.

As Ella listened to the story, she exclaimed, "Huh?"

"What is that all about?"

"Everyone is saying that. Why would someone like Miss Anais Vergsong support such an unknown circus troupe unless she had a crush on the ringmaster? They say she’s following him around because she’s attracted to him. Luckily, there was a recent statement denying the rumors. They’ll officially announce the reason for her support soon, I guess. People naturally think they’ll deny any love affair.

If they’re in their right minds, they won’t admit to it."

Hearing this, Ella remembered the magazines Yurakne-unnie used to read.

Mainly women’s magazines filled with gossip and rumors.

She probably read all the articles.

And she probably laughed when she read about love affairs and such.

But the ringmaster had no such feelings for the other side.

Of course, he would deny the love affair.

Ella silently clicked her tongue.

Yurakne, was this why you didn’t participate in the opening ceremony?

"But when I hear what Ella said, some of it seems to be true. That Lady Anais did pursue the ringmaster."

"Oh, well…"

Ella realized that she had said something she shouldn’t have.

Because of her slip of the tongue, some of the rumors had turned into facts.

And that was the worst possible outcome.

People might as well believe in a love affair rather than the idea that she had unrequited love and got rejected, which would tarnish Anais Vergsong’s reputation.

"But I mentioned that, I…"

"Of course, I’ll keep it a secret."

Mare told the most unbelievable lie in the world.

Ella was confident that soon everyone in the cabaret would be exchanging rumors about "certified by the deputy ringmaster of the circus."

This wouldn’t cause a butterfly effect, would it?

"Curtain."

At that moment, Maya, who had been quietly scanning the audience, spoke up.

She had also heard the contents of the rumor.

And that made her curious about what might be behind the curtain.

"The curtain is still closed."

What could be happening behind it?

Secretive pranks.

Playful acts of love.

And hot lips and tongues…

Maya clenched her fist.

No, it couldn’t be.

The ringmaster…

In a place with so many people…

Doing such a thing…

Maya struggled to control her emotions, but then Ella’s words left her momentarily stunned.

"Uh, wasn’t there a bedroom back there?"

A bedroom?

A bedroom…

A bedroom!

It wasn’t just Maya who remembered something.

Old Maroine, Paris, Mare, Ella…

They all recalled it.

"Ah, no way."

"No matter how you look at it, not in a place like this."

"Ahem, that’s why minors aren’t allowed in here."

Then, to their surprise, the curtain on the fourth-floor balcony opened.

Wonderstein and Vergsong appeared.

What had happened between them?

No one could know.

It was something that had occurred behind closed doors.

Then, a chilling voice flowed from Maya’s lips.

"She has redone her makeup."

"What did you say?"

Maya’s eyes gleamed coldly.

She could remember the shape of her target clearly.

"Her hair is a bit wet too. She must have showered."

"What…?"

"Even after washing, there are still traces of tears."

Ella thought she should have covered Maya’s mouth, but it was too late.

The theatregoers began to murmur and exchange glances.

To the two girls, the contents might have sounded strange, but Ella was not thankful for such consideration.

She felt like she could hear the circus’s reputation plummeting in her ears.