Chapter 015
“You say that I am constantly trying to seduce you, but don’t you think, my lady, that you should review your own actions first?”
While we were at the clothing shop taking measurements, Leo asked while carelessly fiddling with the shop’s items, his voice carrying a tone of resentment.
I tilted my head in wonder. “I wasn’t trying to seduce you.”
“Then?”
“This is fan service.”
The shop employee disappeared after taking the measurements; he moved quickly after I told him we needed the clothes for tonight’s performance.
‘I paid enough for that.’
I said while examining the corner of pins and hair clips while the employee was away:
“The art of performance needs things like this, things that enchant people.”
Does he think idols do live broadcasts for no reason?
In a sense, stage and musical actors are closer to idols than film and drama actors; communication with the audience is vital because we breathe and act in the same space.
“…. Is this beautiful?”
Leo asked cautiously, pointing to a hair clip I had picked up.
“Yes.”
“Then, shall I buy it for you?”
My face crumpled upon hearing his response. “You?”
I laughed lightly, and Leo’s eyebrows furrowed. “That’s hurtful.”
“……..”
Goodness, what mistake have I committed against the future Emperor?
“I’ve received my pay for acting; I can buy this much, my lady.”
“You volunteer to be a slave and then try to offer money to your mistress? What a pathetic slave you are.”
If a European revolutionary heard me, they would rise from their grave.
I called the nearby employee. “I want this.”
I picked up a very luxurious-looking hair clip, decorated with simple flowers—a style that didn’t suit me at all.
But it’s fine, as it wasn’t for me.
I handed the clip to Leo after it was wrapped, and gestured toward him with my chin, saying to the employee, “Put it on his tab.”
Leo looked stunned as I bought the clip after just rejecting his offer, but he paid the money obediently.
‘Since he was carrying money with him, it seems he really intended to buy something.’
Well, it doesn’t matter.
“Take it.”
“You’re telling me to wear it? This? My lady, truly, what do you think of me…”
“No. Give it to any woman you like in the future.”
Like Elena Burbage, for example.
The Burbage family will become Leo’s patrons in a year and a half, and the Marquis Burbage will play a major role in making Leo a knight and infiltrating the palace.
In that process, Elena’s crush on Leo will be very useful.
The problem is that our hero is a complete failure at love; he always denies his love for the heroine and refuses to help her until he falls into crises.
“You will meet a woman who catches your eye one day. Try to win her over as much as possible, and please… do what that woman asks of you.”
I narrowed my eyes; I had to teach this boy a lesson. He excels at seducing me with every breath, yet he doesn’t know how to do it with the woman he will truly love.
At my words, the expression vanished from Leo’s face as he looked at the clip, and his voice became mysterious:
“So, you’re giving me this for that reason?”
I thought he would take it seriously, but he raised his head, smiling brightly:
“Alright. Then take this, my lady.”
And he held the clip out to me as if it were a given.
This boy doesn’t understand words; I am giving him precious advice as a life expert and someone who has read the original novel!
I walked toward the exit, deciding to stop arguing with him.
In that moment, I saw a stern-looking lady behind the glass door.
As soon as she saw me, her face contorted.
She was a woman with thick black hair swept upward, wearing a black dress.
‘Her face is familiar somehow?’
Suddenly, the door swung open violently.
“Louisa Maecenas. It seems you no longer even greet your own aunt.”
Thank you for identifying yourself.
Ah, my aunt Catherine Herotia.
I remember her from the auction; she was weeping with joy after buying the original Maecenas castle:
“Father! You looked down on me because I was from a side branch! Now I have bought the castle!”
Catherine contributed significantly to the destruction of Maecenas by letting my father and grandfather drown in her son-in-law’s debts.
And now Count Herotia has become close to the Emperor and regained his influence.
‘Despite that, she is the only one who will survive and flee abroad when the Emperor’s entourage is executed, while I am killed… I mean, Louisa.’
She is a loathsome character, but she might be useful.
“Hello, Aunt. It’s been a long time.”
I greeted her politely after a quick assessment of the situation.
I had learned some noble etiquette during my studies in Europe in my previous life.
“Of course it has been a long time. You’ve been so busy tarnishing the Maecenas name that you’ve forgotten me and all your relatives.”
“Do you mean the auction? You were quite busy buying up the heritage with great joy that day. I saw you scolding the servants, saying ‘Buy while the price is cheap’.”
Catherine’s face twisted at my innocent question, so she quickly changed the subject to attack:
“Not just the auction! I’m talking about the scandals you’re stirring up with actors in the theater my father loved! Aren’t you ashamed to be living in your fiancé’s house while unmarried?”
“Ah.. you mean that. If that’s the case…”
I nodded boredly and signaled for Leo, who was sitting behind me, to approach.
Leo was looking at Catherine with a strange gaze in his golden eyes.
It seems he recognized my aunt too; as a confidant of Calion, the murdered Emperor, he has every right to be angry at the usurper’s entourage.
I pulled Leo toward me firmly and smiled boastfully:
“Handsome, isn’t he? I bought him.”
“Wh-.. what?!”
Astonishment appeared on Catherine’s face, but I glimpsed a spark of ecstasy in it too.
Catherine lived her life with an inferiority complex because my grandfather chose me as his successor instead of her.
Her ecstasy now came from seeing me, the sole heir, being this foolish and self-indulgent.
“Truly, my father was not good at choosing an heir. He trusted a fool like you until the end..”
‘A fool?’
If this were before the destruction of Maecenas, a woman from a side branch wouldn’t have dared to say this to the legitimate heir.
Now, there is no justification to stop her, and if I were the real Louisa, I would have lost my temper and caused a scene, but I am not her.
“But Aunt, handsome men bring in money. I’ve earned a lot from ticket sales and might become wealthy again soon!”
I laughed brightly. I felt Leo’s gaze on me but didn’t respond.
Catherine scoffed, saying: “You’ve changed; you weren’t this bright before. Your head is truly filled with flowers; the Duchy was destroyed because of you and you think of nothing but hanging around with these men.”
Catherine reached out and stroked my cheek with naive acting.
I take back my previous thought; touch is still disgusting.
“Since I pity my little niece, I’ll tell you something useful. I’ll be holding a lavish party soon at Maecenas Castle.”
As I expected.
In the novel, she was constantly holding parties to find a groom for her daughter and to satisfy her vanity.
“Wow, really? Will many handsome men come?”
“Of course. So, I’ll give you an invitation.”
Catherine said it with a look that meant ‘you’ve fallen into the trap,’ while I thought: ‘No, you’re the one who fell.’
For at her party, there is a candidate to be the star actor I am looking for.
“You can come with your fiancé.. or with this favorite actor of yours. It would be wonderful if you performed a play there. Count Arno is quite wonderful, as you know.”
It was an insolent request to bring an actor instead of my fiancé to embarrass me, but for me.. this was better.
I’ll be able to show the kind of acting I want in front of that candidate actor.
I pretended to hesitate: “Then.. I need to buy another dress. But I haven’t received my profits yet and my money isn’t enough. Without a dress, it will be hard to perform…”
“Huh?”
“Ah, it seems I won’t be able to come—”
“I.. I’ll pay for it!” Catherine said quickly.
She seemed very eager to embarrass me.
I played the role of the pitiful one brilliantly: “What about the price of Romeo’s clothes here?”
“Even that, I will pay…!”
As Catherine was about to respond with annoyance, Leo wrapped his arm around my waist delicately and said:
“We shouldn’t burden the Lady with such a request. It seems her budget isn’t very wide.”
Then Leo looked directly at Catherine: “Isn’t that right?”
It was a blatant provocation.
He realized I was trying to blackmail her and started acting with me, using the tricks I had taught him.
Catherine answered with resentment: “I will settle for everything. For the Herotia family, unlike Maecenas, is holding onto a strong rope.”
‘A strong rope?’
I laughed inwardly; that rope will snap in a few years.
Anyway, it’s good that we saved on the cost of the clothes.
* * *
When we arrived at the theater, most of the actors were late as I expected, except for one person.
“Benvolio?”
I said as I looked at the actor who was murmuring the script alone.
A gentle face and pink hair.
He jumped from his seat until he almost fell:
“M-.. My lady! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to come early to practice alone! That wasn’t my intention!”
“I think I’m the one who’s late?”
I looked in astonishment at Benvolio, whose face had turned red.
He seemed to want to say something. I sat down and told him to speak.
What he said was completely surprising:
“Please…. treat me harshly!”
Silence prevailed for a moment, then I heard a sigh behind me.
“How insolent. Should I kill him?”
The owner of the cold voice was Leo.
I suddenly remembered that this boy would become a sword master later.
“Don’t kill him. We don’t have a replacement and the show will be affected.”
“Aaaaagh, that’s not what I meant! I.. I..! want to become an actor!”
‘Who asks for a request like that in your manner?’ I furrowed my eyebrows in shock.
