Emily Chan
In response, Julie joined the convent herself. Once she was in, she took the body of a recently deceased nun, placed it in her lover’s room, and set the entire convent on fire.
Julie and her lover used the chaos as a cover to make their escape. For three months, the couple remained on the run. The affair ended when the girl was returned to her family.
Julie was tried for kidnapping, arson, and body snatching. She was sentenced to death by fire for her crimes, but she was not in the custody of authorities and was able to get away. She fled to Paris and ran into a man named Comte d’Albert.
He challenged her to a duel, not realizing she was a woman. She stabbed him in the shoulder and won the duel.
The next day, she checked on him while his wounds were being treated and ended up seducing him. The encounter led to them becoming lifelong friends.
Then, she found a new lover named Gabriel-Vincent Thévenard, who was also a singer. They both managed to join the Paris Opera, one of the most prestigious operas in all of France.
With her amazing singing skills and Thévenard’s help, the company agreed to hire Julie despite her criminal record. The king was also convinced to pardon Julie for her previous crimes.
Julie became one of opera’s biggest stars at just 17-years-old. She performed for audiences such as the royal court and the king himself.
Still, she couldn’t keep herself out of trouble. She got into various brawls and threatened to harm people.
Eventually, tales of her exploits reached Versailles. She was invited to attend a royal ball and arrived dressed as a man.
At the ball, she kissed a noblewoman in front of the entire court, causing three of the noblewoman’s suitors to challenge her to a three-way duel. She defeated all three and went back to the party.
