Chapter 128: The Conditions for Great Success
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 128: The Conditions for Great Success
“Lucion Tarkal of Rondoris greets the Grand Duchess of Blenheim.”
For a brief moment, I found myself unable to speak.
Even when he was dressed as a mere staff member, his beauty had been difficult to hide, but seeing the prince in his proper finery was truly dazzling.
He has such a flamboyant face.
Vivid blonde hair, green eyes that resembled jewels, a straight bridge of a nose, and lips that were remarkably red for a man. From his cuffs to his collar, his glittering, ornate attire harmonized perfectly with his even more ornate features.
“I am Annette Blenheim. It is a pleasure to meet a Prince of Rondoris.”
Recalling the Rondoris-style greeting I had discussed with Count Pacio, I reached out to shake his hand.
However, as Lucion stepped closer, he gently turned my captured hand over, lifting the back of it toward him. Then, he pressed his glossy red lips against it.
A soft, suggestive smack echoed in the air.
The Prince glanced up, the corners of his eyes tilted upward like a cat’s. As he pulled the corners of his mouth into a smirk, his dignified face transformed into something utterly bewitching.
“I believe I committed an act of rudeness earlier.”
I spoke while recalling the fact that I had unintentionally used informal speech with him in the Royal Room.
“Rudeness? Not at all.”
Lucion’s eyes curved into a gentle arc.
“I actually quite liked being treated without such formality.”
The moment I heard that relaxed reply, I knew for certain: this man was of a completely different breed than the rugged, naive knights I had encountered in Blenheim.
I had seen countless handsome models who knew exactly how to trade on their looks. And I knew that men like him were well aware of how to weaponize their charms.
I’m sorry, but I’m not exactly a typical noblewoman.
Standing before the Prince and his smooth smile, I straightened my back.
“Now that I think about it, Your Highness was the one being rude to me.”
“Me?”
A look of confusion crossed his beautiful face. His eyes seemed to ask how the word 'rude' could possibly be applied to a face like his.
“What if I had treated you poorly because I was unaware of your noble status? You intentionally deceived me, which could have led to a very awkward situation.”
“I suppose I didn’t think that far ahead.”
Instead of apologizing for his mistake, Lucion simply shrugged.
“To be honest, I had no intention of revealing my identity at all.”
“Does that mean you had no intention of being caught?”
After a momentary, mysterious smile, he nonchalantly guided me to a seat.
“I simply wanted to see if Her Highness the Consort was enjoying the performance, but…”
Once he saw that I was seated, Lucion sat down gracefully and continued.
“You watched the show with such a bored expression that it actually hurt my feelings.”
He placed a hand over his heart, feigning sorrow.
Was it that obvious?
It was true that I had watched the performance with a scowl, so I kept my mouth shut.
“Furthermore, you called the play ‘a mess’…”
Lucion put particular emphasis on the word mess.
“And then you told me to have the troupe leader come and ask why himself.”
He trailed off, his lips curling into a smile as he suppressed the rest of his sentence.
“That is why I revealed the identity I’ve kept hidden for three years to attend to you. I simply had to know the reason.”
I guess I really bruised his ego.
“It wasn’t that much of a mess,” I said, clearing my throat slightly.
“I was just on edge, so my choice of words was a bit aggressive. I hope you won’t take it to heart.”
“Mmm, no.”
Lucion shook his head, his polite smile fixed in place.
“It certainly looked like you had a lot to say about the performance.”
He tilted his head, arrogantly brushing back his soft blonde hair.
“It’s embarrassing to say it myself, but in Rondoris, the three syllables of ‘Cariso’ are enough to sell out a show… so this reaction is quite refreshing.”
His tone was smooth, but his green eyes stared at me with dogged intensity.
“Exactly what part of it failed to satisfy Her Highness?”
It seemed my reaction had truly gotten under his skin. Since he was asking so persistently…
If you want to hear it that badly, then fine.
I took a deep breath and spoke.
“Your Highness, who is the primary audience for opera performances?”
“Noblewomen, of course.”
“And do you truly believe noblewomen want to see a play like this?”
At that, Lucion arched an eyebrow as if he had no idea what I was talking about.
“Noblewomen love stories like this.”
“I don’t think they do.”
“Is this not a story of a perfect man dedicating his pure heart and even his life? What woman would dislike that?”
I thought of Cochibiel, who had collapsed with a face full of self-intoxication, and replied, “While the male lead falls in love alone, despairs alone, jumps off a cliff, and even gets shot, does the female lead do a single thing of her own volition?”
“Well, that’s because a man’s—”
“She only receives love.”
I intentionally put on an even more unimpressed expression.
“We don’t even get to see if the female lead truly loves the male lead.”
“Why? Are you trying to say that if such a wonderful man loves her, it’s only natural for a woman to fall for him?”
Lucion seemed to have been hit where it hurt, as he fell silent.
“In my opinion, this play lacks a fundamental understanding of women.”
“It’s obvious that scenes were thrown in without any context, based on the delusion that ‘ladies will probably like this sort of thing.’”
“For your information, this play is always sold out.”
“That’s only because there are no other options.”
“Regardless, isn’t the fact that it sells well what matters?”
Lucion pouted slightly.
“Since I bought this troupe three years ago, I have never once taken a loss.”
He added primly that even that was a very modest way of putting it.
“Do you really think that’s enough?” I asked, shifting my posture toward him. “To just spend a reasonable amount of money to create a show that noblewomen can use to kill time?”
“Your Highness has a sharper tongue than you look.”
Lucion made a face as if he were hurt, but he soon revealed his true thoughts.
“Is something else necessary?”
“People spend their precious time and money to come see a performance.”
I put strength into my voice to ring a warning bell against Lucion’s complacent thinking.
“At the very least, they should be able to carry a small spark of emotion home with them.”
“You must not know! You have no idea how deeply moved the ladies are when they see Cochibiel’s chest.”
I felt a surge of irritation at the Prince’s arrogance as he brushed off my words with a joke. I looked him straight in the eye.
“Of course, a play like this might sell well now. Because there is no alternative.”
A crease formed between his handsome brows.
“But the moment a performance comes out that truly moves the hearts of noblewomen, a play like this will be forgotten in an instant.”
If one is an entrepreneur planning large-scale performances, they must focus on winning people’s hearts above all else. If you make money your goal from the start, you naturally start looking for ways to cut corners.
‘This much should be enough to look the part, this much spending should be noticeable, I should only do this much to keep a profit…’
If compromise becomes the goal, you might earn a decent amount of money, but you will never achieve a great success. To truly succeed, you must work that much harder to win people’s hearts. Because once hearts are moved, the money will follow on its own.
“Above all, Your Highness, you are a member of the Rondoris Royalty before you are a businessman, are you not?”
I offered him a piece of advice straight from the heart.
“Rather than just making money, wouldn’t it be more meaningful for you to create a performance that brings inspiration and joy to the people of Rondoris?”
Lucion stared at me with a slightly dazed expression.
My meddling nature again. Did I overstep my bounds with someone I just met?
“After all, when the heart opens, the wallet tends to open with it. Haha.”
I added an awkward laugh, but Lucion remained silent. Just as I was shifting my gaze, wondering if I had been too presumptuous, he suddenly smiled.
“I have received some very valuable advice.”
“It wasn’t really advice…”
As I trailed off, Lucion pulled the corners of his mouth into a charming grin.
“I’m glad I met Her Highness after all.”
This time, it wasn’t a smile meant to seduce; it felt quite sincere.
I finished the conversation and stepped outside. The front of the theater, where many people had already departed, had grown quiet. Down the stairs, I saw the Blenheim carriage.
Wait, is that the one I took earlier?
I thought the carriage looked a bit different, but as I walked toward it, the door opened and a tall silhouette stepped out. A sharp, handsome face broke into a warm smile upon spotting me.
It’s Loik!
Just as I was about to hurry down the stairs in delight, a voice called out to me urgently from behind. I turned my head.
Lucion was walking toward me with long strides. His gown-like attire fluttered brilliantly under the lights.
“Your Highness?”
Lucion, who had marched right up to me, caught his breath slightly.
“I’ll do it.”
I tilted my head at his sudden affirmation.
“I heard from Samuel. That you are looking for a troupe to perform in Blenheim.”
Alcent was currently investing in several troupes using funds that included my 150,000 Danir. And I was hoping that at least one of those troupes would perform in Blenheim. So far, there had been no results.
“But I understood that the Cariso Troupe had declined early on?”
“Create a new performance, premiere it in Blenheim instead of Rondoris, and set the performance period in Blenheim for at least one month. Are those the three requirements?”
“That’s right.”
Alcent had contacted several troupes, but they had all made excuses and declined after hearing the conditions.
“The Cariso Troupe will do it.”
Lucion gave a charming eye-smile.
“Please, let me do it.”
“Are you serious?”
It was an offer I couldn't refuse, even if it was a bit sudden. I asked with a bright face, “Really? You can’t change your mind later, okay?”
Lucion burst into a hearty laugh at my words.
“It is Her Highness who must not regret this later.”
He naturally lifted the back of my hand. An exotic sleeve draped long below Lucion’s wrist.
“I’m actually quite a persistent fellow.”
Just as he was bringing the back of my hand toward his lips, a large hand smoothly snatched my wrist away.
“Get away from my Consort.”
A voice as cold as frost settled heavily over us.