TVDR 08

Chapter – 08

Why on earth did I say such nonsense?

The next morning, for the first time in a long while, I woke up with my eyes swollen and sore under the blankets.

Morning, though in truth, the sun was already high in the sky.

If I threw off the covers, the sunlight would sting my eyes, so I stayed under and整理ed my thoughts.

‘If that’s the reason, then I’ll think about it.’

The count had hesitated for a long time before saying that to me while I was crying so miserably.

He had wanted to break off the engagement anyway, yet he made me cry like that first.

Unbelievable. And humiliating.

To think I cried in front of that man, who started nagging me for coming home late, then triggered my victim mentality by bringing up the breakup… and of all things, I cried thinking about “that woman.”

Anyway, we agreed to discuss the breakup again after the play was over.

It was a decision full of the intent to wait and see how public opinion shifted once the play was released.

As I thought, how very Arno Dience of him.

Arno clicked his tongue, took out a handkerchief, and handed it to me.

“Wipe your face. There are maids outside.”
“…”

He really does care a lot about how others see him.

I guess he didn’t want people thinking he made me cry.

While I wiped my tears quickly with the handkerchief, Arno returned to his seat.

He adjusted his glasses, looked at his documents, and said,

“And I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I’ve never thought I didn’t want to be engaged to you.”
“…?”
“I used to believe marriage should be with a beautiful woman.”

…What was that supposed to mean?

“Well, not anymore.”

So—am I not beautiful now?
Or has his view on marriage changed?

He left me with a statement impossible to decipher and buried himself again in his mountain of paperwork.

“In any case, thanks to you, I now have several reasons to make sure this play succeeds.”

If the play succeeds, I can repay my debt to Arno, reduce my terrible reputation, help the future emperor, and save my neck.
Now even the breakup depended on the play’s success.

To do that, even if I have to rub ice on my eyes, I need to show up to rehearsal…

Just as I crawled out of bed with that thought—

“…?”

The room was dark.

Was it still night?

It felt far too refreshing for it to still be night.

I got out of bed and headed to the curtains.

Warm sunlight was peeking under them.

I pulled the curtains open.

Sunlight flooded across my face.

My hand closed on a thick curtain fabric.

Then a voice spoke behind me.

“The Count ordered the old luxurious curtains to be removed and replaced with thicker ones. If they inconvenience you, shall I change them again?”

I didn’t answer the maid.

“…”

I just stood there for a moment, feeling the coarse curtain cloth between my fingers.

Then I turned my head slightly and responded,

“No.”

I let out a small laugh, got dressed, and went downstairs.

I decided to skip breakfast. I had slept so well I wasn’t even hungry.

When I reached the carriage prepared for me, Alfredo handed me a pouch of silver coins.

“The Count left this this morning. He said it was the money for the materials you requested.”

Last night, I had asked the count to lend me a little more money.

‘I need a bit more. For stage props.’

He’d nodded so readily that I expected the money, but—

“This is way more than I expected.”

I stared at Alfredo in disbelief.

At this amount, I could build an entire stage, not just buy props.

“Did you bring the wrong—”

“No, my lady. The Count does not make mistakes. Nor do I.”

“…”

“Shall I accompany you today?”

Alfredo purposely narrowed his eyes at Leo, who was standing beside me.

At this point, Alfredo jealously watching every man near me was more funny than irritating.

“Fine. We’ll go together.”

But even without Alfredo glaring at Leo, I had somewhere I needed to go today with that money.

Leo spoke beside me, displeased.

“What about rehearsal?”

“Wow, is rehearsal fun for you now?”

“That’s not it.”

Leo reddened slightly, then returned to his usual slouched posture.

“It’s just that I like being with my mistress. Rehearsal’s a good excuse for us to do all sorts of dirty things.”

He grinned and leaned in as if to kiss me.

What the—

Startled, I turned away. Leo simply brushed my hair aside gently and chuckled.

At the same time, a strangled groan erupted behind us.

From Alfredo.

“How dare you! On the Count’s property!”

“So scary, like a nagging mother-in-law.”

Leo smirked and stepped back.

That arrogant brat.

How dare he use me just to tease Alfredo?

“Then I’ll go sleep a little more. I overdid it last night and I’m tired.”

“Overdid what?!”

Ignoring Alfredo’s shout, Leo strode back to the annex where his room now was.

I had ordered that his room be moved there.

Because last night, when I left the Count’s office, Leo had looked at my swollen eyes and whispered with that annoyingly bright smile—

‘So, you finally got dumped thanks to your filthy behavior?’

Then, seeing how swollen my eyes were, he frowned deeply.

‘What the hell.’
‘What?’
‘You cried? Over a man?’

He reached a hand toward my face, but my lightning-fast reflexes slapped it away.

‘Just break up. I’ll make sure you don’t starve to death on the streets.’
‘How exactly?’

Leo thought for a moment, then said with a straight, not-at-all-joking voice:

‘Because I grew up pretty.’
‘Are you insane?’
‘No.’
‘…’
‘My beauty alone is valuable enough.’

With that, he left after telling me to think about it.

Well, he wasn’t wrong—he was valuable for having “grown up pretty.”

His golden eyes made that clear.

He carried the blood of the imperial family.

But that was the problem.

That lunatic would kill me in a few years.

That’s why I ordered the maids to move him to the annex.

I couldn’t sleep with death living right next door.

Cutting off my thoughts, I urged Alfredo,

“Let’s go.”

“Where to, my lady?”

“Where else? To my ex-boyfriend’s tavern.”

“…What?! Again? With the Count’s money again?!”

Alfredo practically jumped.

He truly had the most enjoyable personality to tease. But there was no time today.

“Alfredo, if you don’t get in the carriage now, I’m leaving you behind.”

“You mustn’t go alone!”

Today, there was so much to buy.

Mercutio.

Tybalt.

And—

Stage lighting.

There was too much to prepare, and time was slipping through my fingers.

Only half a month left until opening night.

* * *

Half a month later.

Elise, having just turned nineteen, stood in front of the theater entrance with her father.

It was a rare outing with her father, who had long served as a servant for a prestigious knight family.

Elise herself also worked as a maid for that household.

A theater…!

For the first time in her life, Elise was entering a theater.

Theater performances were considered noble entertainment, and commoners could hardly afford the admission.

Public theaters existed where one could enter almost free, but they were swarmed with drunkards, and her father refused to take her.

“So this is the White Friars.”

Elise whispered in awe as they stepped inside.

The White Friars theater.

Once considered the cultural heart of the Mesena Duchy—where high nobles enjoyed refined plays—it was a private theater.

Admission was expensive, and someone like Elise would never have been allowed inside.

But Elise and her father were now able to be here because after the fall of the Mesena Duchy, the duchess who reopened the theater drastically lowered ticket prices and turned it into a public theater.

“The young lady must not be as bad as the rumors say. She’s letting people like us watch a show.”

Elise whispered as they found seats on a long wooden bench.

Evening was nearing, and ushers were lighting candles to guide the audience to seats.

Her father, however, was skeptical.

“Who knows. She may just want to profit even if it means letting ruffians swarm this historic theater. The duchess—no, she’s not a duchess anymore. That woman only cares about money and men.”

It was strange. He was a commoner himself, yet he seemed displeased about a theater being open for commoners.

But aside from that, Elise was very aware of the rumors about Luiza Mesena—that she cared about nothing but money and men.

Most of the audience here had only come to gawk at the luxurious decorations, the handsome male actors allegedly chosen by Luiza, and her notoriously terrible acting.

Even now, from the seats beside her, she could hear:

“It’s not as fancy as I expected.”

“So what? The actors won’t be plain. Luiza picked the men herself.”

“What else can she do on stage besides grope the actors?”

To be honest, Elise was curious about the attractive actors…

But she maintained her innocent-daughter act.

“Still, I’m excited. It’s my first play, Father.”

Her father smiled fondly, thinking of how long it had been since they last went out together.

“Yes. And we have Marquis Burbidge to thank for the time off.”

Marquis Burbidge.

He was the noble who employed Elise and her father.

His family had produced imperial knights for generations, but under the current emperor, not a single knight had been appointed.

Rumors spread that because the previous emperor favored the Burbidge family, they were now being ostracized.

And that the marquis still refused to swear loyalty to the current emperor.

It wasn’t just a rumor.

The marquis truly disapproved of the current emperor.

At that moment—

Once the seats were full, ushers announced loudly:

“The play is about to begin. Please take your seats and remain quiet!”

Then they extinguished the candles.

Fwooo.

Darkness swallowed the theater.

“…?”

Whispers of confusion spread.

Why was it so dark?

Since dusk was nearly over, within thirty minutes the stage would be too dark to see the actors at all.

“Father… aren’t plays usually performed during the day?”

Just as Elise whispered that—

Something appeared on stage.

A round circle of light.

In the center of it stood a man—the actor playing the Narrator.

Gasps echoed through the audience.

“Wow…”

The light was bright as day—from above.

Everyone looked up instinctively.

A long, rounded tube on the ceiling was emitting the light.

Such bright illumination!

Just as the audience was marveling, the actor began to speak.

“Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene. From ancient grudge break to new mutiny. A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life; whose misadventured piteous overthrows doth with their death bury their parents’ strife.”

His deep, beautiful voice resonated through the theater, drawing everyone in and momentarily making them forget the lighting itself.

He had a voice that commanded attention the moment he spoke.

Then—

“Well then…”

The actor spread his arm.

And the bright light illuminating him widened, flooding the entire stage.

The stage shone as bright as noon.

Another wave of awed gasps burst forth.

“First, let us introduce the youths of Verona.”

With a knowing grin—aware of just how stunned everyone was—the Narrator stepped offstage.

And young men rushed onto the stage with playful banter:

“Mercutio, give me back my hat!”

“Father…!”

Elise grabbed her father’s arm, stopping herself before she blurted out the rest:

Father, those men are… so handsome!