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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Escort
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Here is how Darcy came to visit Marso.
Knowing Ryan wouldn't leave Marso alone, Darcy had been keeping track of her schedule for her safety.
He hadn't assigned people to follow her like Ryan did, but he was aware of all her public schedules.
Going to the theater troupe Pitol belonged to was one of those schedules.
Pitol, deeply impressed by Marso's help, had been telling everyone he'd invited her to his latest play, and word naturally reached Darcy's ears.
Although he had blocked the nasty rumors Ryan tried to spread from the start, many people still gossiped about why she had become a recluse.
Marso's position in high society was peculiar. She was an object of envy, yet also of jealousy and contempt.
The reason she hadn't been completely ostracized from society, despite the Prince's displeasure, was due to her wealth and a newfound charm that was beginning to emerge.
Her gentle demeanor toward others, so different from before, and her elegant way of speaking while maintaining clear boundaries also played a part.
Of course, not many accepted the changed Marso. It was all too easy to feel inferior to the woman who had everything, and this sentiment resonated well with people.
The reason her image didn't easily improve was that people's envy was mixed in.
Had Marso acted more forcefully, people wouldn't have dared to treat her so, but she didn't.
Because she was trying to show them a better side of herself.
The theater would be a similar setting.
He remembered how she seemed weary of human relationships. But Marso couldn't find happiness by staying cooped up at home. This was the testimony of someone with similar memories.
From the moment he heard from Pitol, Darcy waited for Marso to ask him to go with her. He even felt relieved that there were no other men around her.
But Marso said nothing to him. Why? Darcy felt a pang of impatience.
It was the first time he'd felt this kind of emotion since he'd shoved a gun to the Emperor's temple, believing everything would go his way.
He quickly changed his mind.
‘Then I'll just go to her.’
Marso wouldn't dislike him for visiting. ...Probably.
Pushing aside the faint doubt, Darcy headed for her mansion.
They were supposed to meet the very next day, but he figured he could visit a day early. Besides, this was for Marso's sake in the first place.
The occasion of Marso standing before people again had to be perfect.
He was confident he could make it so.
***
The carriage door opened, and standing before me was someone I never expected to see here.
Why is Darcy here?
My bewilderment was brief. Seeing Darcy dressed to the nines, I recalled how he looked when we met at the palace.
His neatly styled hair and the suit he wore were a departure from his usual appearance.
He could captivate people just by standing there. The man, who showed not a single flaw, lifted his head and gazed at me.
In that moment, a faint smile spread across his lips. He looked at ease.
As he strode toward me, his flowing hair resembled a weeping willow. The face visible through its strands seemed too unreal to be human.
Darcy stopped in front of me and held out his hand.
“One needs a partner when seeing a play.”
“...I was planning to go alone.”
I know how tiring it is to be the center of attention.
Darcy offered me his hand, but I couldn't bring myself to take it easily.
The face of the person reaching for me seemed strangely unfamiliar.
I could feel a heat rising to my face.
I shook my head. *Calm down. Darcy and I are just friends.*
I didn't want to ruin our good relationship over uncertain feelings. He was one of the few people I had befriended on my own.
Finally shaking off my hesitation, I placed my hand in his.
Had we ever held hands before?
The sudden difference seemed to make my heart beat a little faster.
“Let's go.”
His words brought me back to my senses, and I boarded the carriage with him.
Only after the carriage started toward the theater was I able to voice the question I'd been wanting to ask.
“How did you know I was going to the play today?”
“The playwright has been boasting about it all over town. The rumor has already spread.”
Pitol, who wrote with a strong, unique style, had a tendency to charge straight ahead, regardless of what others said. He lived his life the same way.
Perhaps because he'd taken a liking to me for providing him with dramatic material and giving his actors a chance, Pitol had been trying to defend me to others.
…But even Pitol couldn't have known if I would actually come. I was debating whether to go or not right up until this morning.
So how did he show up here as if he knew? As I was lost in thought, a voice pierced the silence.
“Marso.”
Darcy's expression looked quite serious as he suddenly called my name. I grew serious in turn.
“Yes?”
As I answered readily, Darcy narrowed his eyes and asked.
“But why didn't you invite me? There was no need to go alone.”
…Huh? It was an unexpected question. The face that had looked so serious a moment ago now seemed to be pouting.
Was he upset that I didn't invite him?
“I didn't think you'd like the main theme of this play.”
“Isn't it the one we saw before?”
He was talking about the draft of the play we saw together. I immediately nodded.
“That's right. Your reaction back then didn't seem very positive.”
“...You observed me more closely than I thought.”
I agreed with his words, which he uttered with a slightly softened expression.
*I guess so. It seems I was more interested in Darcy than I realized.*
There was another question I wanted to ask.
“But I never told anyone I was coming out today.”
“Right. I didn't know either.”
I was dumbfounded by his ready admission. He came to escort me, all dressed up and with a carriage?
Did my expression give away my question? Darcy grinned.
“It wouldn't have mattered if you decided not to go. As long as I came here, I would have been able to see your face.”
*...Am I the only one embarrassed by that comment?*
I subtly averted my gaze and fanned myself with my hand. It was getting strangely warm.
“We were going to see each other tomorrow anyway.”
His face, as if stating a simple fact, showed not a hint of embarrassment.
“Then it's fine to see you a day earlier. And the content doesn't matter.”
“Oh, really?”
*If I'd known, I would have invited you first.*
As my face brightened, Darcy said as if it were obvious.
“Because you'll be next to me.”
I stared blankly at Darcy. His words felt like a hammer blow to my head. No, to my heart as well.
Since deciding to stay here, Darcy had become more honest in expressing his feelings.
His words didn't carry any romantic connotation. In fact, that's what made me more conscious of them.
*...Since we're friends, I can say something like this, can't I?*
I said in a quiet voice.
“Darcy, I think you should be more careful with your words.”
*They're very bad for my heart.* I swallowed the rest of my sentence.
Darcy looked as if he didn't understand.
“There's no one else I would say this to.”
“But you might meet someone in the future.”
“I won't.”
Seeing Darcy's face as he shut down the possibility completely, I was at a loss for words. What could I possibly say when he was being so definitive?
As I was sweating, unsure of how to respond, the carriage came to a timely stop.
“Oh, time to get out! It looks like we've arrived.”
I paused as I was about to stand up in a hurry.
Today, Darcy had arrived in a carriage bearing the imperial crest. Which meant...
“...Has the fact that you're a prince already spread?”
“Through the grapevine. The official investiture ceremony will probably be next week.”
“You talk about it like it's someone else's story.”
“I suppose it does seem that way.”
Darcy rested his chin on his hand and chuckled.
“Because I have something more important right now.”
“More important?”
Darcy tilted his head and stared intently at me.
“I'm going to the play with you. In a place where everyone can see.”
“...”
“Do you know how much I dressed up since this is my first time going to a place like this? I even considered using my powers.”
Darcy, who grinned, looked genuinely happy today. It wasn't just a hollow, false smile, but an expression filled with sincerity.
He was more beautiful than I thought when he smiled.
So much so that I felt I'd be bewitched if I kept looking at him.
“We'll be late. Let's get out.”
I took a deep breath internally and stood up. Darcy nodded and got out first.
Standing in front of the carriage, he offered me his hand again.
His eyes curved into a gentle crescent.
“Besides, I wanted to escort you like this, out in the open.”
...The phrase 'out in the open' struck a particular chord with me. He, who had to live as if he were dead, had to keep even our meetings a secret.
What must a life hidden from everyone have been like? I couldn't dare to imagine.
Instead, all I could do was hold his hand tightly.
Hoping the warmth of my hand would offer him some small comfort.
I took Darcy's hand and lifted my head.
…Only then did I notice the stares fixed on us.
Among them were some familiar faces, as well as strangers.
The gazes that were initially on me all shifted to Darcy. It was only natural, considering his striking appearance.
As if unfazed by the sharp stares, Darcy's gaze was fixed solely on me. His almost single-minded look gave me a strange sense of satisfaction.
Darcy's low voice, still tinged with a smile, resonated in my ear.
“Let's go, Marso.”
The moment I heard those words, I had a feeling that everything would turn out all right.
I nodded.
It was time for my world, which had come to a stop, to start moving forward again.
