Chapter 8 You Got The Job

"Aaah! She's coming! The beautiful auntie is finally here!"

Luke was inside the office, sitting comfortably on the reclining chair with his legs crossed.

He sported a floral shirt, which was embroidered with red peony and green leaves.

Pairing his summer shirt was a knee-length khaki short and a pair of flip flops. He looked as if he had just come back from a vacation at the seaside.

Not a lot of people could pull off this look, but for Luke, he made it seem so natural and effortless.

"Precious, do you really like that aunt that much?"

"Yes, I do!"

Hearing what his niece said, Luke sat straight and moved his chair next to her. When he saw her staring at the computer screen, he felt jealous and said sourly, "You bad girl! I love you so much, but you have never been so happy to see me!"

"It's different!"

Furrowing his brows, Luke queried, "What's the difference? Is it just a whim for this aunt, but you really love me?"

Precious continued staring at the screen with her hands cupped in front of her chest. The little girl didn't even mind giving him a glance. "Well... Uncle Luke, let me put it this way. If one eats chicken bones every day and suddenly gets chicken drumsticks one day for a change, do you think she will still like chicken bones?"

Luke, who was hinted to be the chicken bones, was rendered speechless.

'How could she say that?!'

Luke thought as tears welled up on the corners of his eyes.

He turned his head, trying to look for an alliance. "Brother," he called.

Much to his dismay, Ryan merely glanced at him with cold eyes.

Luke trembled. It was him who told his brother about Wendy's audition, and Precious accidentally heard it.

And when his niece learned that Wendy was coming, she immediately proposed to be at the audition too! Of course, Ryan, cold-hearted as he was, did not agree, causing the little girl to break into tears.

Although everyone knew she just wanted to get her way, Ryan still took her with him.

"Precious..."

"Sssh! The beautiful auntie is about to speak. Stop talking, Uncle Luke," Precious warned, pressing her tiny index finger against her lips.

Instantly, Luke was rendered speechless, his mouth hanging agape in disbelief.

He looked at Precious and bore an obsessed expression as she gazed at Wendy. Then, Luke shifted his gaze at Ryan, whose eyes were glued on the screen.

The next moment, Wendy entered the audition room.

The entire space was massive, filled with cameras and other filming apparatus while electric wires carpeted the floor.

Staff were also present, carrying some of the equipment.

At the center was where Wendy was meant to stand. All cameras and eyes of the staff and crew were focused on her. At that moment, she was undeniably the center of all the attention.

Taking a deep breath, Wendy slowly rose her head.

A row of tables was paraded in front.

Four people were sitting behind the tables. Among them were three familiar faces.

Carter, the director, sat upright in the middle, with a pen and a notebook in front of him. He had his eyes focused on the notebook, writing something.

Next to him was Mason Thomas, who would be playing the hero in the series.

He had maintained his fame over the years, often playing roles in several historical dramas. He was even dubbed the prince of period dramas by his followers of over forty million people. But it did not come easy for him. He had been in the industry for a decade when he finally managed to get a break. Yet, even after becoming famous, Mason Thomas stayed down to earth, keeping a low profile and not letting the hype get to him. With successful works one after another, he managed to establish his position through his talent and persistence.

Mason Thomas was managed by Glory Media.

Next to him seated Kane Evans, the president of Glory Media.

Wendy met him once four years ago. She was invited as a bridesmaid in his wedding with her cousin Rosie Finch.

She could still clearly remember her first impression of Kane––cold and aloof! It hadn't been long since that day, and yet he seemed to be even colder now. There was no emotion in his eyes, and his face was utterly stern.

The middle-aged man among the group must be the president of the Starlight Media.

"Miss Finch, you only have five minutes to prepare. Please make do with that time in reading the script."

"Okay, thank you!"

The audition piece was the first night when Lady Faye was bedded by the emperor.

Faye was not the woman's real name. She actually came from a highly-reputed family with her father as an army general. Her brother, who basically grew up in the military camp, took over their father's position when the latter retired. Her father only married once, so she and her brother were the only Miller family children.

As the only girl in the family, she was loved by her parents and brother very much.

Later, the emperor appointed her as one of his concubines, but both her father and her brother were worried that she would not be able to cope with the women from the imperial harem. So, they declined the emperor's proposal. This was also one of the reasons why the Miller family was exterminated.

The emperor didn't allow her brother to gain power anymore, even asking Concubine Ivanka's father to fabricate evidence in a conspiracy against the Miller family. As a result, their entire household was charged with treason and eventually killed. Fortunately, she happened to avoid the death penalty.

To conceal the truth, the emperor sent troops to chase after her. She ran and ran until she fell off the cliff. Lucky for her, she survived the fall, after which she came to a nearby town. By chance, she met a young couple eloping. The woman was also on the list of concubines being hunted by the emperor.

Like her, the woman refused her entrance to the Imperial Palace, as her heart already belonged to someone else. So, to escape from her doomed royal destiny, the woman decided to elope with her lover, her childhood sweetheart.

Unexpectedly, the woman asked her to replace her into the Imperial Palace.

Since she had always wanted to avenge her family, she immediately agreed with the woman's proposal to assume the latter's identity, starting by taking her name Faye Miller.

Upon her entrance, she performed a pavane dance. So, she was immediately conferred the title of Lady Faye, which was unprecedented in the Imperial Palace. While it took other concubines years to achieve such a high position, Lady Faye managed to grab her title overnight.

Heaven must be really in her favor!

On the day she entered the Imperial Palace, she was immediately summoned to spend the night with the emperor. And this scene was what Wendy wanted to audition for mainly because it was challenging.

From the moment Lady Faye entered the Imperial Palace, she was no longer the daughter of a general nor a willful and unrestrained girl. At that moment, she had thoroughly transformed into a poisonous Mandragora who only had one agenda––to seek revenge for her ruined family.

The most difficult part of the audition was how to convey the change in Faye's character through the actress' eyes and physical movements.

"Five minutes is over!"

"Okay."

Wendy took a deep breath and slowly walked up the stage.

The setting had already been arranged by the staff, and it was perfect for Wendy to get into character.

Standing in the center of the room, she bowed and introduced herself, "Hello, everyone. I'm Wendy Finch, number thirty."

Carter, who wore a pair of old-fashioned eyeglasses, raised his eyebrows slightly when he saw her plain, bare face.

Since they were aiming for an evilly beautiful concubine role, most of the girls who came to audition today wore heavy makeup. Wendy was the first one to set foot inside without any makeup.

"Are you ready?" Carter asked with his deep, baritone voice.

"Yes, I am!"

Wendy answered enthusiastically.

And just like that, in a blink of an eye, she completely transformed into Lady Faye.

She leaned sideways on the big carved bed, stroking a red sachet embroidered with mandarin ducks, which symbolized a couple. Under the shadow of the bed, her face bore sheer loneliness.

Suddenly, several footsteps resounded.

"His Majesty has arrived!"

As that voice rang, Lady Faye's eyes seemed to be infused with darkness, instantly turning cold and piercing! She put away the sachet, and the door creaked open. Slowly, she raised her eyes, and her aura instantly changed.

With her eyebrows raised and her lips pursed, she seemed so full of amorous feelings.

She leaned her head against the edge of the bed, revealing her slender neck. Under the candlelight, her flesh was covered with a layer of mist-like luster, seductively inviting!

It was beyond all doubt!

At that moment, Wendy was Concubine Faye––an enchantress about to seduce the head of the entire empire.

Crack!

Something clapped, signaling that the audition was over.

Immediately, everyone fell into a deafening silence.

Wendy fixed herself up without saying anything. Little to her knowledge, all the men present blushed and even drooled for her!

Even Carter, who was extremely distant, was so excited that his face turned red!

This was the woman he was looking for!

That was exactly what he wanted! No need for peacocking skills, but just pure talent that could silence everyone in the room. Wendy didn't show any part of her skin except for her neck, but her eyes and movements were enough to turn on any man!

Without wasting any more time, Carter made his decision.

Clearing his throat, he fixed his eyeglass and announce, "You! You got the job!"