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Chapter – 08
“Ah, the ticket sales… haha.”
“?”
Radius felt something strange. The theater owner’s attitude was suspicious.
“No one could possibly surpass Lord Lorvaker’s financial reach when it comes to ticket sales. That’s not what worries me. It’s just that Miss Martínez can be a bit stiff—she’s the type who wants to accomplish things on her own.”
“A fine spirit. But surely, ticket sales have their limits when done alone.”
“Ah, of course. The patron’s support greatly helps with the theater’s publicity. I was just… well, sometimes Miss Martínez has trouble even offering a personal word of thanks to a generous patron like yourself.”
“A greeting? No. I’ve no wish to reveal my identity or my face.”
“Pardon?”
“I was only told that if I made clear to the theater owner my intent to provide strong financial support, it would help Miss Martínez secure a leading role.”
The theater owner stared at Radius in surprise.
“So you don’t want to meet the actress in person?”
“That’s right. Watching her on stage is enough for me. But when Wilhelmina Martínez stars in a performance, I’d like to permanently reserve one front-row center seat and one box seat. I’ll also buy around fifty additional regular seats.”
“Ah, well. Yes, that’s… excellent. Wonderful.”
The theater owner’s face brightened.
“What were you thinking?”
“It’s just that many patrons wish to converse with the actresses or meet them directly.”
“Wouldn’t it only embarrass the actress if someone suddenly demanded a meeting?”
Then, a thought suddenly struck Radius.
Could they be exploiting the actresses? Using sponsorship as an excuse?
It wasn’t impossible.
The awkward look on the theater owner’s face seemed to suggest that Mina hadn’t been fond of such sponsorships.
Anima had said that Mina didn’t have any patrons—but perhaps it wasn’t that no one offered to be one.
“Seems there were plenty of sponsors who wanted private meetings with the actresses.”
The theater owner flinched at Radius’s firm tone.
“Yes, but… well, actresses naturally get curious about who their sponsors are, so a simple greeting is usually…”
“Miss Martínez probably didn’t appreciate that kind of attention.”
“Ah…”
“There’s no need for the actress to even know I exist. I just wish to support a talented individual. Just remember, when Miss Martínez takes the lead role, that she’ll have a reliable patron who guarantees a base level of ticket sales.”
Radius rose from his seat. All that was left was to wait and see Wilhelmina Martínez rise to her starring role.
Not long after, Wilhelmina Martínez indeed became the lead actress in a new play.
It was called The Duke of Kusakov.
What the hell? I’ve never even heard of this story before. Who stages something so obscure? Does the theater owner have no sense?
Radius cursed inwardly.
But there it was—Wilhelmina Martínez listed as the lead actress.
He bought many tickets. He gave them out to friends he was close with, and to his mother Thalassa, as well as to senior officers and their spouses.
Fifty seats isn’t much, really. You hand them out to a few people you want to impress and they’re gone in no time.
Of course, he had purchased fifty seats for ten days of performances, but still.
Perhaps that’s why—
Radius could never forget the opening night of The Duke of Kusakov.
The play, though unfamiliar, was shockingly powerful—even by his own standards.
It told the story of a fallen noblewoman with special abilities and the love between her and the charming Duke Kusakov.
Mina’s acting and singing were on full display.
In her previous role as an empress, she’d worn heavy makeup to play an older woman—but now she appeared as a slender, beautiful, golden-haired girl. The part suited her perfectly.
The character herself was peculiar…
The highlight was the line she delivered as she climbed onto the male lead’s lap:
“…Your Highness looks truly stunning when embarrassed.”
As Mina caressed the male actor’s cheek, Radius found himself at a loss for words.
“I think there’s something wrong with me. When Your Highness looks flustered, when you blush—I just love it. I want to make you cry, completely undone.”
After that line, the next scene implied a kiss—though it was obscured by her long hair, so it wasn’t clear if they actually kissed.
Still, the emotional impact of the scene was tremendous.
“She’s insane.”
Radius couldn’t even breathe properly as he watched.
Mina’s strong, confident strides, the way she simply stood there—it was impossible to look away.
There was a scene where she brushed her mid-length hair over one shoulder, tilting her neck slightly—the movement of her fingers, the angle of her throat—everything was irresistibly alluring.
How can a person be this captivating?
Mina hadn’t removed a single article of clothing, hadn’t flirted overtly—and yet, she was intoxicatingly sensual.
Radius was so stunned that he watched other performances of the same play, led by different actresses, to compare.
He wanted to know—was the play itself erotic, or was it just Mina?
“Hey, can they even stage something like that publicly?” Radius asked in disbelief.
Anima snorted.
“What, are there that many perverts out there? It’s just a fleeting moment! The heroine isn’t even particularly aggressive overall, but people can’t stop obsessing over that scene.”
“Who else is obsessing over it?”
“I’ve seen her fan letters. They’re insane. Ibex got one saying, ‘I want to be whipped by your hand.’”
“What?”
Ibex Bernardi had co-starred with Anima and Mina in The Duke of Kusakov.
She was tall and well-built, popular among male audiences.
“What, do you want to get hit by Mina too?”
“What are you talking about! I’m just worried that her first lead role being something so provocative might cause trouble.”
“Oh, please. Mina’s popularity skyrocketed after this show. She’s getting tons of fan mail. Being the lead suits her. And that role—pure but sultry at the same time—she nailed it.”
“Yeah… she did. Too well, maybe. Some of the people I gave tickets to want better seats now, asking if I can get them more.”
“Oh? So you’re spreading the musical craze yourself, huh?”
“Well… I just want people to see that my actress is the best in the world. That I discovered her…”
“Good work, then.”
“But, I don’t know… when too many people start liking her, and it gets harder for me to see her face, I feel kind of… empty.”
“You’re buying fifty tickets every time she performs. It’s not like you’ll run out of seats. You’re not even meeting her privately. How could it be hard to see her?”
“Well, true.”
Still, something about it left a bitter taste.
“…Hey, what’s even so ‘sexy’ about it, anyway? She didn’t strip or anything.”
Anima seemed genuinely baffled by the male audience’s reactions.
“Maybe it’s because assertive female characters aren’t that common,” Radius muttered.
“She’s not even that assertive! Did the other actresses make it seem that risqué to you? My father saw my performance and didn’t say a word.”
“Well, you’re… I mean, it’s just weird to watch my little sister kissing someone on stage. I close my eyes during your romance scenes. I don’t see beauty or seduction there—if I got fluttery over that, I’d be the crazy one.”
“You bastard…”
