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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Confession
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‘Why the sudden confession?’
I had never met him alone, nor had I ever said anything suggestive to him.
‘Is he acting?’
But that ardent gaze was hard to see as an act. The way his lips trembled as he looked at me, his tense expression—it was all genuine.
But where? When? I barely managed to suppress the questions—the who, what, when, where, why, and how—that rose in my throat and took a deep breath.
The time Lidro and I had spent together was far too short. He didn’t truly know what kind of person I was.
His feelings were likely still nascent, more of a fantasy about me than actual love.
Of course, I knew one couldn’t control the heart’s desires.
All I could do was cut him off cleanly so that he wouldn’t hold on to any lingering feelings.
“I don’t take lovers, Lidro.”
I deliberately omitted an apology, worried that it might give him false hope.
“All I want from you is good acting, not this kind of relationship. If this is what you want, leave the mansion at once. It’s unpleasant.”
After speaking to him coldly, I closed the door in his face. Then, turning my back, I walked deeper into the garden, sat on a sofa, and finally let out the breath I had been holding.
…A lover. I was genuinely shocked.
‘What Darcy told me was actually helpful.’
Because he had once mentioned the rumors about Lidro, I was able to handle the situation more calmly than I’d expected.
‘This will be our last meeting, so I should thank him and give him some extra magic stones.’
…It was a shame we wouldn’t see each other again, but for both our sakes, it was better to end things here.
I didn’t have the luxury of getting into a deep relationship with anyone right now.
***
Fortunately, Lidro seemed to understand my words and sent his apologies the next day for his behavior. He promised to focus on his acting again.
Seeing him genuinely repentant and careful not to cross the line again, I decided to let it go this one time.
Soon, the day to meet Darcy arrived.
It was past ten in the evening. Since this would be our last meeting, I prepared three times the usual amount of magic stones.
It was the only thing I could do for someone who had listened to my stories and made magic tools for me all this time.
Considering how he had perfected my life as a shut-in, it wasn’t a waste at all.
I now waited for Darcy in the drawing room, a familiar routine. The dark night visible through the curtains felt strange. I stared blankly at the night sky, lost in thought.
The stars were beautiful tonight. I had grown so used to drawing the curtains in the evening that I’d forgotten the stars even existed. Even though they were always there.
“Have you been waiting long?”
I turned my head at the now-familiar voice.
Darcy, who had landed gracefully on the sofa, was holding a magic tool in each hand.
“Not at all.”
As I answered, my gaze fell to his hands.
In one hand was a recording device equipped with a screen-magnifying lens, and in the other was a camera that could capture and store a single moment.
“Wow…”
Darcy grinned at my gasp of admiration and placed the magic tools in my hands.
His smile seemed unusually carefree today. He was particularly captivating.
My eyes were drawn to his liberated air, as if he had let something go.
I finally managed to turn my attention back to the magic tools.
The camera, fitted with a round lens similar to the screen magnifier, had two separate compartments on top: one for a magic stone that served as a battery, and another for paper.
He continued with a detailed explanation.
“It prints on paper. The image will be drawn exactly as the human eye sees it. I do wonder what painters will do for a living once this gets out.”
Even his joking manner was a stark contrast to the on-edge person I had met last time. His benevolent, saint-like appearance and gentle voice felt ticklish, as if someone were lightly tapping my skin with a feather.
“You seem to be in a good mood today.”
Disliking the ticklish feeling, I managed to offer the greeting, and Darcy, uncharacteristically, drew out his words.
“…Perhaps?”
“What’s with the vague answer?”
“Sometimes, even I don’t know how I feel.”
For Darcy, whose mood swings were the most obvious of anyone I knew, to say such a thing was baffling. Had the sun risen in the west today?
That was enough small talk.
“Here, this is for you.”
I held out a bundle of magic stones to him.
“I packed a lot to thank you for all your help.”
“I may be skilled, but isn’t this a bit much?”
Darcy asked, raising an eyebrow as he examined the bundle I offered.
I shook my head.
“No, and I have something else to thank you for, too.”
“What for?”
I pictured Lidro’s face. Thinking back, Darcy’s warning had been a godsend.
“Lidro asked me to take him as my lover.”
“What did you say?”
*Crack!* The sound of something breaking rang out. I jumped to my feet in surprise.
Darcy, who had been pushing himself up with a hand on the drawing room table, looked at the table, now split in two, and replied nonchalantly.
“This thing is defective.”
“…It was expensive.”
“Then I won’t charge you for the magic tools today.”
“No, it’s fine. Just take this.”
If it could be broken by a human hand, it must have been quite fragile. It’s not like Darcy was a monster or was jealous or anything, so there was no reason for the table to suddenly break.
I continued resolutely.
“Thanks to you, I wasn’t flustered when I first heard him say that. Thank you.”
Darcy shook his head at my words. Instead of taking the pouch full of magic stones, he continued the conversation.
“So, what about his offer?”
I blinked, then answered with a look of disbelief.
“I rejected it, of course. I told you I would.”
“Right, you did. But he doesn’t seem like the type to be convinced in one go.”
Darcy’s curiosity was endless. He persistently questioned me about Lidro and myself, so much so that I started to sweat.
“Hmm?”
But his soft, coaxing voice eventually made me answer.
“I told him firmly that I don’t take lovers. How he takes it is none of my business. But why are you so curious about this?”
Darcy, who had been smiling with satisfaction at my words, flinched. He retorted brazenly, as if to say, *what are you talking about?*
“…Me?”
This was strange.
“No way.”
The way he averted his gaze and fiddled with the back of his neck, as if this situation was unfamiliar to him, made me think that might have actually been the case.
I said playfully.
“You can’t really deny it.”
“…I don’t know why I did that.”
Unable to completely deny my words, Darcy averted his gaze again and changed the subject entirely.
“Then let’s go check the performance of the recorder. We need to see if this new one works properly. I made it so that the footage inside transfers when you put the two recorders together.”
‘…Unbelievable.’
How absurd. Recalling his sharp demeanor when we first met, I let out a small laugh. Fine, if he didn’t want to talk about it, so be it.
“I’ll go get the recorder from the theater. Wait in my room.”
“I’ll go with you.”
I blinked at his unexpected words.
Darcy seemed surprised by his own words and pressed his lips together firmly.
“I’ve sent everyone in the immediate vicinity away, but there are still many eyes in the mansion. Your existence will be revealed to others… Are you okay with that?”
“Ah, I wouldn’t like that.”
Darcy ruffled his hair. It seemed he really disliked being seen by people. Finally, he answered with a sigh.
“Come back quickly. I don’t like being alone.”
Darcy said, the corners of his eyes drooping. His voice was pitiful, but his half-lidded eyes seemed more languid than pathetic.
Contrary to the puppy-like image he was trying to project, he was closer to a leopard. A sleek, menacing leopard.
I looked at Darcy, who was fluttering his eyelashes, and offered some sincere advice.
“Darcy, I don’t think acting is your calling.”
The corners of his eyes shot up fiercely. His expression turned sharp in an instant.
Seeing me flinch in surprise, Darcy glared at me. As he crossed his arms, I realized he had been joking.
“If you don’t come back quickly, I’m confiscating the magic tools.”
“Alright, I’ll take you there and then go.”
“That would be nice.”
His haughty tone made me laugh.
‘It really feels like I’m raising a pet.’
After letting Darcy into my room, I hurried to the theater and brought back the recorder that was there.
I placed the two recorders together, just as Darcy had instructed. I could see the magic stones inside them begin to sparkle.
A moment later, I turned on the new recorder and confirmed that all the videos from the other one had been transferred safely.
Glancing over, my eyes met Darcy’s. He was lying comfortably on my bed, ruffling his hair as if he owned the place.
His silver hair, cascading over his face as he lay on his side, looked like a skein of thread.
Looking at his flawless face, I began to worry if the movie I had planned to watch today would suit his taste. It was probably best to check first.
“The play we’re watching this time might be a bit unfamiliar to you. Is that okay?”
“Is it a new piece?”
“Yes, it was conceived based on the ideas I gave Pitol. If you don’t like it, we can watch something else.”
“No, play that one. I’m curious to know what you said.”
At Darcy’s words, I solemnly selected a melodrama and began to play it.
Soon, the play began.
“Is that guy the lead?”
Darcy asked in a sour tone, looking at Lidro’s face filling the screen.
I answered that he was.
“He apologized to me that day and promised not to cross the line again.”
“Still, there are plenty of other people…”
“It’s hard to find someone as passionate about acting as he is. Besides, people can make mistakes.”
Darcy sighed at my words and shook his head.
“You’re too generous.”
“If I kick Lidro out, the entire troupe will have to readjust their chemistry. I don’t want that.”
“So what? Let them.”
“I like the people I have now.”
The warmth I felt from the handkerchief they gave me was a sign of the troupe’s genuine feelings.
Knowing how hard they were all working on Pitol’s new play, I could overlook Lidro’s rash actions as a minor incident.
“You’re too soft. No, beyond soft—you’re about to turn to mush, I swear.”
Darcy grumbled. Was I? Trapped in the frame of a villainess for so long, there had never been anyone who tried to see me for who I really was.
He truly had no preconceived notions about me.
“But you’re the first person to call me soft.”
I muttered as if to myself and focused on the screen with a faint smile. For a moment, I thought I felt Darcy’s gaze on me.
