Chapter 173: The Substitute
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 173: The Substitute
Loik held me tight, leaving no room for escape, as his hips moved with powerful, driving force.
It was a motion both infinitely scorching and overflowing with affection.
As he kissed me tenderly, his pace quickening, soft moans broke from my lips again and again. The cool, pleasant scent of his skin made my mind go hazy.
Loik was right.
As my body grew more exhausted, emotions like fear vanished without a trace.
"Think of nothing else," Loik whispered into my ear, his breath ragged. "For now, you only need to hold me in your heart."
My vision blurred, eclipsed by the heat of his burning gaze. Overwhelmed by the waves of pleasure erupting from deep within, I threw my arms around Loik’s neck.
*
The next day, we returned to the castle.
Loik kept the events in the Evern Forest a strict secret. If the Imperial Family found out, they would undoubtedly take an interest in why a dragon had kidnapped the Grand Duchess.
Thanks to his discretion, the atmosphere in Blenheim remained as peaceful as ever.
"The shaman is dead."
After a thorough search, Loik and the knights discovered the shaman’s body in another hideout. Though he had successfully escaped using a final teleportation spell, it seemed the wound from the arrow had been too deep.
Loik explained that the dragon would have returned to its original body the moment the shaman died.
"The dragon will likely need time to recover as well."
Enolius speculated that while it was the shaman who took the arrow, the dragon inhabiting him would have suffered a significant blow as well.
"What happened to Lady Meisel?"
Loik and Enolius, who had been explaining everything so diligently, suddenly fell silent at my question.
"…We are still discussing her punishment. Please do not trouble yourself with a criminal; it will only ruin your mood. More importantly, didn't you say you were meeting the actors today?"
"I should head out now. I’m supposed to watch the staged reading today. …Oh, did I mention? Cecilia wrote the opera script much better than I expected."
I realized a bit late that Loik was likely changing the subject, but I soon left the Grand Duke's Castle with a light heart.
However, as soon as I arrived at the theater, I heard something absurd from Samuel, the representative of the Cariso Troupe.
"Cochibiel isn't here?"
"He suddenly notified us of his absence today."
"What’s the reason?"
"Well… he says he cannot participate in the opera unless his demands are met."
"There’s a limit to how much one can demand!"
Alcent, who looked like he had already been arguing with Samuel, was red in the face.
According to them, Cochibiel had three main demands.
First, he was to be invited to the Grand Duke's Castle.
Second, he was to be given a room in the castle for the duration of the performance.
Third, a banquet was to be held at the castle while he stayed there.
After hearing this, I asked a genuine question.
"Is Cochibiel perhaps insane?"
Samuel, looking pale, replied, "Well, since Cochibiel is so popular among the noblewomen…"
"I suppose they usually granted these kinds of requests as if it were natural?"
Samuel answered with a troubled silence.
"He thinks he can say whatever he wants!"
Cecilia, who had been listening from behind, poured out the criticism I was thinking toward Samuel.
"Are you comparing an invitation to a noblewoman’s manor to the Grand Duke's Castle? Do you even know who you’re talking to right now?"
Samuel looked aggrieved. "How could I not know? That’s why I offered to triple his performance fee, but he simply won't listen!"
I had heard from Alcent before that being invited to perform at noble estates was often more lucrative for actors than their actual fees. For a famous troupe like Cariso, they didn't even need to book lodgings because invitations from noblewomen flooded in during their performance runs.
And ninety percent of them are Cochibiel’s fans.
Today was the day we were supposed to do a reading of the script Cecilia had written. The entire Cariso Troupe, minus Cochibiel, was gathered at the theater.
To dare skip a performance invested in by the Grand Duchess without notice?
Even so, is it really possible for a mere actor to act this insolently?
Just as my anger was turning into genuine bewilderment at his audacity, Lucion arrived at the theater and solved the mystery for me.
"The Princess is behind this?"
After hesitating for a long time, Lucion let out a small sigh.
"To be honest, my sister gave me certain instructions."
"I cannot disclose the details," Lucion said, hesitating in a way that was rare for him. "Regardless, it seems she is angry because I did not carry out those instructions properly."
He said he was kicked out by the Princess, yet she was still giving him orders?
I asked, somewhat dumbfounded, "So the Princess wants me to invite Cochibiel to the castle? Why?"
Lucion fell silent, looking troubled.
Suddenly, a very unpleasant and ridiculous thought crossed my mind. Could she be trying to use Cochibiel as a 'honey trap'?
It’s not… entirely ridiculous.
If the Princess still hadn't given up on the idea of a marriage, it was exactly the kind of thing she would do. Just the fact that Cochibiel was invited to the castle could be used to manufacture a scandal.
But why Cochibiel specifically?
When Lucion was already staying at the castle.
At that moment, my eyes met Lucion’s. Finally, all the puzzle pieces clicked into place.
The Princess already failed once.
The fact that Lucion, the Princess’s confidant, had forced his way into the castle under the pretext of being exiled from Rondoris. The way he had been overly friendly to me despite only meeting a couple of times. Even his strange behavior in the garden last time.
It all made sense if I assumed he had been trying to seduce me on the Princess’s orders.
My blood boiled at the thought that I had been played by Lucion.
"Your sister is truly a remarkable person, Prince."
At my sharp tone, Lucion wore a somewhat sorrowful expression.
I can't let him off just because he looks pitiful.
If I had slipped up even once, I would have been branded as a cheating Grand Duchess immediately.
But perhaps it was because Loik was everything to me. While I was frustrated that I hadn't noticed sooner, Lucion’s actions—acting as if he liked me—didn't actually hurt me that much.
And in the end, it seemed he had no intention of following the Princess’s orders anyway.
From now on, I just need to keep my guard up and treat him as a business partner.
"It is all my fault, so I will resolve this somehow," Lucion said, his cat-like eyes drooping.
"How?"
"I will have to find a way that Cochibiel has no choice but to accept."
"It’s fine. We can just change the male lead."
Lucion looked slightly flustered. "Are you sure you don't want to try negotiating again?"
"I didn't like Cochibiel much from the start."
"But this is the first opera Blenheim has put on in years. Having a star actor would be helpful."
"Stars can be made."
Feeling a surge of competitive spirit for the first time in a while, I called the actors together.
"Your Highness, will it really be alright?"
Cecilia looked anxious as she watched Antonel trembling on stage. He was the rookie actor who had done the preview performance when I watched the opera last time. He was still wearing that tacky green suit.
"It’s fine. We have to do the reading today anyway. If it doesn't work out, we'll just find another actor."
And so, the staged reading began in front of me and the rest of the troupe.
"My lady, falling in love is not a crime!"
"That’s the next line!"
"I-I’m sorry!"
Antonel made mistake after mistake from the very beginning.
Is it because he’s never had a lead role before?
The actors standing around him all looked at Antonel with faces full of anxiety and dissatisfaction. Cecilia clicked her tongue several times.
Is he still too much of a diamond in the rough?
I watched with a pounding heart, and just then, it was time for Antonel’s aria.
A clear yet smooth baritone filled the theater.
"Oh my."
From that moment, the atmosphere began to shift.
As if gaining confidence, Antonel’s acting became increasingly natural. Furthermore, thanks to his understated performance, the charm of the female lead stood out even more.
"I will live my life freely!"
The performance ended with the cry of the female lead, Lady Violetta.
I gave a satisfied, thunderous round of applause. The atmosphere in the theater had completely transformed from when we started. Not just the actors, but the troupe staff as well, looked exhilarated.
"…What an incredible ending," Lucion muttered, looking shocked.
In the new ending, after Lady Violetta takes her revenge on the cheating couple, she doesn't enter a convent. Instead, she publishes her story as a book and becomes incredibly wealthy. She then lives a life of free romance, surrounded by numerous men who admire her.
This was the new ending Cecilia had revised.
"So this is what noblewomen like…"
Leaving Lucion to mutter to himself, I patted Cecilia on the shoulder.
"Cecilia, this is going to be a groundbreaking opera like no other in history."
"It’ll go well, right?"
Seeing Cecilia’s eyes sparkle, I nodded vigorously.
"I think we just need to fix one more thing."
"Fix something? Where?"
"Our male lead over there."
I pointed toward Antonel, who was drenched in sweat.
"If we just shave those sideburns, this opera will be a massive success."