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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: A Night at the Theater
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The theater was smaller than I expected. Or maybe the one in my mansion is just too big.
I guess people really are creatures of habit.
As I stepped inside, I saw Pitol greeting the guests.
He was busy bowing and greeting people, but when he saw me, his teary-looking eyes lit up, and he rushed over.
“Marso! You’ve come!”
“…Thank you for the invitation.”
“Not at all, not at all. It’s an honor just to have you here. Is the gentleman next to you your fiancé?”
Pitol asked with a wide grin. *How could he make that mistake? I’m not publicly dating anyone.*
I shook my head, appalled.
“No, this is a dear friend of mine.”
“A friend… Wait, a face like that isn’t common…”
For Pitol, who works in a theater troupe overflowing with handsome men, to be this surprised, Darcy’s looks must truly be exceptional.
Then, as Pitol muttered something to himself, his face turned ashen.
“D-don’t tell me you’re the one who’s to become the Prince…”
Finally seeming to realize Darcy’s identity, Pitol bowed low. The people murmuring nearby did the same.
But Darcy, the man himself, didn’t seem to mind at all. In fact, he looked rather pleased. Though, since there was no reason for him to be, it was probably just my imagination.
“Rise.”
He then had Pitol rise.
“I look forward to the play.”
He smiled coolly. Gasps of admiration naturally rippled through the crowd. Even for those accustomed to Ryan, Darcy’s appearance was a whole new world.
It was the same for me.
He wore the same kind of smile and spoke in a similar tone as when we first met, yet there was a dignity about him that one wouldn’t dare treat lightly.
For a moment, he felt like a distant stranger, and an unidentifiable sense of anxiety washed over me.
What managed to quell my anxiety was the warmth in my hand. The touch, a reminder that he was still by my side, put an end to the unpleasant feeling.
Darcy stopped in his tracks.
Following his lead, I stopped as well and noticed someone bowing to Darcy. It was Lidro.
It had been a while since I’d seen him, too. Come to think of it, it had been strangely difficult to see him lately, even though he was a main actor in the play.
Just as I was about to give Lidro a simple nod, Darcy stepped in front of me.
Lidro and Darcy stood facing each other.
…*What is this combination?*
Peeking from behind Darcy’s back, I saw that Lidro’s expression was one of terror.
My eyes met Lidro’s. He gave me an awkward smile before quickly hurrying past me.
*Had Lidro and Darcy met before?*
Puzzled by the unexpected pairing, I quickly stepped in front of Darcy.
There was something between them that I didn’t know about.
“What happened with Lidro?”
“We talked.”
But Darcy didn't elaborate. From the way he shrugged, he seemed to genuinely consider it a trivial matter.
“I just gave him some advice.”
Perhaps pricked by my unconvinced expression, Darcy belatedly added.
His words weren’t very credible either, but… with no proof, I decided to let it go for now.
We took our seats in a private box on the second floor of the theater. In front of us were opera glasses.
I was grateful that Pitol had given us these seats. It was already noisy up here; sitting right in front of the stage would have been a disaster.
I might not have been able to focus on the play at all.
I turned my head and froze. It was because I realized who was sitting in the box right next to ours.
“…Reshuan.”
Sitting there, her face paler than the last time I saw her, was undoubtedly Reshuan.
Reshuan, who had been staring blankly into space, flinched at my voice and stood up. Her perpetually teary eyes reminded me of our last encounter.
It wasn’t a pleasant memory, so I narrowed my eyes, but Reshuan bowed her head first.
“I didn’t realize we would be seated so close, Marso. I’m sorry. It wasn’t intentional.”
Her apology to me was simple. There were no flowery words, nor any talk of wanting to get along like last time.
Reshuan quietly sat back down. Behind her, I saw Kaysen enter.
…It was unexpected, actually. I’d thought if she came to a place like this, it would be with Ryan.
Had the change in my behavior affected Reshuan’s state of mind, causing this to change as well? Now that I’d cut ties with her, there was no way to know.
Kaysen looked surprised to see me, then his gaze shifted to Darcy standing beside me.
Darcy gave him a slight nod. Kaysen responded with a respectful bow.
It seemed the two of them knew each other.
“How do you two know each other?”
Kaysen is the Captain of the Knights, and Darcy is the hidden prince. *Could this also be part of the story’s setting that I don’t know about?*
“We fought on the battlefield together.”
“…The battlefield?”
“Marso, do you really think all of Kies’s achievements are his own?”
“If his achievements aren’t his own… My goodness.”
Kaysen was born a slave and had to achieve great merits to become the Captain of the Knights. It was an unavoidable consequence that he would be sent into numerous battles.
Emperor Kies was famous for participating in nearly every battle.
He never lost.
No, that’s what everyone believed. That Emperor ‘Kies’ had never lost a single battle.
But that premise was flawed from the start.
Because he wasn’t the one fighting in the first place.
“…”
My mouth fell open at this unexpected revelation.
Even though he was a magician himself, he had to dispose of other magicians.
*Perhaps the guilt from that was one of the reasons he wanted to leave,* I mused.
Though his eyes were crinkled in a smile, they somehow looked as if they were crying.
Sitting down next to Darcy, I placed my hand firmly over his where it rested beside me. Just as his warmth had calmed my heart earlier, I hoped mine could do the same for him.
“Darcy, let’s not think about anything else while we watch the play.”
I said, fidgeting with my hand on top of his.
I heard him let out a soft chuckle at my words.
I reflexively turned my head to see Darcy nodding, his chin resting on his hand.
“How could I think of anything else when you’re right beside me?”
As his smooth voice wrapped around my ears, all the lights in the theater went out.
The play began.
***
Just as I thought, Pitol was a genius.
The play, which masterfully blended over-the-top dramatic elements like birth secrets, conflicts with in-laws, and half-siblings, was a comedy for the ages.
The themes were dark, but he presented them in a way that wasn't too heavy, keeping the audience completely engrossed.
There was even a slapping scene in the middle, and using flour dough, as I’d subtly suggested, was a stroke of genius. After all, they don’t have kimchi here.
The humor was the kind that even the nobles couldn’t resist laughing at.
To keep the nobles from feeling uncomfortable, most of the characters were commoners and magicians.
The atmosphere remained warm and cheerful.
The moment the play ended, all the nobles burst into applause. Quite a few people were even shouting for an encore.
And as for me.
*‘This is going to be a hit.’*
I had a premonition that Pitol had a huge success on his hands.
I could tell that people would be flocking to this play for days to come.
At the end, Pitol came up on stage and began his closing remarks.
The way he spoke about the people who had led him to this point reminded me of an awards ceremony. If there were something like an Oxcar for Best Screenplay here, he might have won it.
And among the people he named, I was included.
“And I would like to express my infinite gratitude to Lady Marso Etoile, who made this play possible.”
Pitol looked directly at me and began to clap. The theater once again filled with applause.
A moment later, as the applause died down, Pitol spoke one last time.
“And I hope that one day… the grace of Lady Marso, which has enabled the infinite development of our troupe, can be revealed to the world.”
It was a perfect ending.
It felt a bit sudden, but Pitol’s words didn’t surprise me.
The process of monitoring their acting through my magic tools, adding detailed expressions.
Because I knew there were those who felt it was a shame that others couldn’t use such convenient magic tools.
Being able to share the same experience creates a bond. It’s why an actor’s friends are often other actors.
There must have been some who were anxiously stamping their feet, unable to tell other troupes about it because of their contract with me.
Today, Pitol and the troupe showed their consideration by giving me all the glory while also looking out for other actors. They had done everything they could.
It was proof that they weren’t just selfish people.
I was overcome with the feeling that my faith in humanity, which had vanished while living among nobles, was returning.
If I had truly intended to stay cooped up in my room forever, this situation might have been rather unpleasant.
But I had decided to move forward again, and that’s why I was standing here.
People’s gazes were fixed on me. It was uncertain how many of them were truly pleased with the current situation.
But even that didn’t matter to me.
The time I’d spent holed up in my room, sick of people and wanting to be alone, had returned to me as experience. I had become a more resolute person than before.
Of course, I couldn’t leave out the one who was still holding my hand beside me as one of those reasons.
“This isn’t bad, but I think the room you made is much better.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at him comparing the theater to my viewing room. No matter how good my viewing room was, it couldn’t be the same as seeing a performance live.
“I guess I’m still not used to being around people.”
Darcy murmured softly, lowering his gaze. Playing weak really didn’t suit him. He looked less like a rabbit and more like a leopard hiding its killing intent.
Did he realize his act wasn’t working on me at all? Darcy subtly continued.
“I’d like to listen to music in your room…”
Darcy instantly leaned in close to my ear and whispered.
“Will you grant me the honor of an invitation to your room?”
