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Chapter 43
Ian truly cursed himself for making such an absurd verbal blunder.
At the same time, worried that Betty might see him strangely, he quickly began coming up with excuses in his head.
Contrary to Ian’s concern, Betty, with her heavily burdened expression, didn’t seem intent on pointing out his awkward remark.
Seeing Betty’s face up close, looking far more exhausted and worn than from a distance, it became clear that there was no time or energy for doubts.
“Maybe… you’ve been having a hard time lately. I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need to apologize for your feelings.”
With those words, Ian pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her.
Betty blinked for a moment, hesitated, and didn’t take it immediately.
“It’s clean, so there’s no need to worry.”
“Sorry, no… thank you. Ah, I mean…”
He patiently waited as she fumbled through her words, scrutinizing her face clouded with melancholy.
Betty finally took the handkerchief and clutched it in her hand, forcing a tentative smile.
“I wasn’t worried about that. It’s just… it reminded me of someone who once gave me a handkerchief.”
Immediately, Ian’s curiosity sparked. If she mentioned it in comparison like this, it had to be a man.
So, someone else had seen Betty cry like that before.
No matter the reason, the thought that someone else had witnessed her infinitely fragile side didn’t sit well with him.
Before he could feign disinterest and ask about this “man,” Betty spoke first.
“By the way… what brings Your Highness here?”
“I came to see the play. It just happened to be the right time.”
He had come for one sole purpose, but standing in front of Betty, he hesitated to admit that he had come to see her.
What she had likely wanted was simply their next meeting at the Marquess of Prowell’s residence.
If she knew he had gone to such lengths, she might feel pressured and unable to say everything she wanted.
“Oh, so you’ve taken an interest in Roxelon.”
“…After reading what you wrote last time, I became interested. The part you said was the most famous scene of Roxelon.”
Even as he subtly gave away the clue that allowed her to guess the letter’s author, Betty just nodded absentmindedly.
“Ah… I see. Hearing the lines directly today made it even more touching.”
Then silence followed. Betty fiddled with the handkerchief without using it, hesitating as if searching for words.
Ian patiently waited for her next words. She had said she had something to tell him, hadn’t she?
Now that the opportunity was right in front of her, she would surely reveal the reason she wanted to see him.
“Your Highness… I have a favor to ask.”
“What kind of favor?”
But what Betty said next made it hard for Ian to suppress his disappointment.
“You may already know, but the Duke of Sharte has chosen a completely unsuitable match for the lady’s new marriage. There’s no way to avoid it. Your Highness, I know how you feel about the Sharte family, but as I told you before, the lady herself…”
“I know.”
Separate from his disappointment, he could immediately guess what she was trying to say.
“Everyone knows. They know the lady’s position in Sharte, her situation, and who she is being forced to marry.”
“Then, even if only in pretense, could you help the lady by intervening in the engagement, so she might have a chance to find another match? She is a good person. She’s already going through a difficult time, and I don’t want it to get any worse.”
“Even if only in pretense” meant that it didn’t have to become reality, right?
Ian felt a heaviness settle in his chest.
He couldn’t turn away from Betty, who, in front of him, gave a desperate look and pleaded with concern for someone else’s well-being.
Yet at the same time, he didn’t want to believe that she had wanted to see him for this reason alone.
“Let me think about it. Even if that isn’t possible, I’ll find another way to resolve the situation.”
He didn’t want to see hope on Betty’s face fade into sorrow. If he could remove her sadness, he would do it willingly.
“And the lady asked if Your Highness could visit the Duke’s household yourself. Would that be possible? You could also see what kind of person she truly is.”
“Very well. I’ll do it.”
His answer came without hesitation. There was no doubt, no deliberation.
Simply because Betty had asked him directly.
“Thank you so much.”
The smile that immediately spread across her face was far more comforting to Ian than seeing her tears before.
Just for that reason alone.
Betty exhaled a relieved sigh as if her greatest worry had been resolved, and her gaze returned to the empty stage ahead.
Ian couldn’t believe this conversation had ended like this. Disappointment surged within him again.
She had only talked about Lady Vivian Sharte, as if her business with him was complete. It felt like she was drawing a line.
The bitter taste in his mouth seemed to say: Betty, her personal interest in Ian Deivan, was merely her innate kindness—nothing more.
“Your Highness.”
At that moment, a soft voice called him again.
This time, unlike the firm resolve she had when asking about the lady, hesitation lingered in her voice.
“I heard you’re also interested in this play, and I have a concern I’d like to discuss, if that’s alright. If I am being rude…”
“It’s fine.”
Ian seized her words, which gave him an opportunity to extend their conversation.
Even if she shared a hundred concerns, he would listen willingly.
He sat down beside her, leaving a small space, making sure not to miss a chance to see her face up close.
Betty’s voice drifted to him, as she stared ahead blankly, speaking in bits and pieces.
“I think the playwright who first created this play, the one known as ‘Anonymous,’ might actually be my mother. Or at least, my mother may have been involved in writing it.”
Ian carefully observed Betty’s serious expression, which made his reply slow to form.
“……Is that so.”
“It’s a ridiculous notion, I know. But otherwise, how could I know parts of Roxelon even before watching it or knowing it existed? Doesn’t that seem strange?”
Seeing Betty, unusually tired and fragile, Ian felt an urge to do something for her and spoke up.
“I could look into it for you.”
“Excuse me?”
“I have ways to gather information. It might take some time, but I may be able to find out something about your mother’s past that you’re curious about.”
As he spoke, he also resolved mentally to order his men to gather this information as quickly as possible.
He thought to inform Cain about it as soon as they left.
“That… I’d be very grateful. May I really ask you to do that?”
“Of course. If that’s what you want.”
“Thank you. I thought I might find the answer in the play, but instead, I felt even more lost in a maze.”
Betty’s innocent, trusting eyes, full of faith rather than doubt, made Ian feel completely captivated.
The reviews praising Roxelon for captivating every audience member weren’t wrong.
Here, he too found his heart stolen by just one person.
