Chapter 24: At the Theater
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 24: At the Theater
Unlike when they had met at the guild, he was dressed in a suit that looked remarkably expensive at a glance. He also wasn't wearing the round glasses he’d had on before.
Perhaps the glasses had lent him a gentler air; without them, his features seemed sharper, a stark contrast to her soft first impression of him.
"I hope you had no trouble getting here."
"It was fine, thanks to you."
It had been a struggle to convince the knights, as she'd insisted on going out quietly without drawing attention. Once she arrived at the theater, however, there was no difficulty. She entered through a back door to avoid prying eyes and was guided by the manager.
Although she planned to spark a scandal eventually, it was still too early. For now, she had no choice but to endure the inconvenience.
Mikhail offered his hand to Blair. Having lived her life as an Imperial Princess, she naturally accepted his escort and took her seat. He then offered her a glass of wine, his posture showing a practiced hospitality.
"Thank you." Blair accepted the glass he handed her and asked, "So, is the purchase of the mansion in the kingdom complete?"
Mikhail, who had been about to introduce the wine, let out a soft chuckle at her directness.
"My, not even a moment to breathe? I'm a little hurt."
Blair blinked, looking utterly bewildered. Their reason for meeting was the commission, after all. What else was there to discuss?
A faint smile still on his face, Mikhail pulled a small coin from his inner pocket and presented it to her.
"To get straight to the point, the purchase of the mansion was successful. Take this to Argenta and go to the address inscribed on the coin. They will hand over the deed to the mansion."
Blair took the coin and examined it. The front was inscribed with Clanian script. Having learned foreign languages as an Imperial Princess, Blair had no trouble reading the words: ‘The Last Cup of Clania.’ It was likely a metaphorical expression.
Mikhail then handed her a wooden plaque. "And this is the identification you requested."
"Excellent work. I will have my maid send your fee to the guild tomorrow."
"I am glad to be of service," Mikhail replied with a bright smile. Seeing it, she could catch a glimpse of the gentle impression he’d had while wearing his glasses.
Just as Blair was about to ask him about them, a black curtain fell over the stage.
"It seems the play is about to begin."
After a brief wait, the curtain rose, and actors appeared on stage. A narrator standing to one side began to read, and the play commenced.
<Long, long ago, divine creatures protected this world. People called them Divine Beasts. Hailing from another world, they possessed power far superior to both humans and the demon race. Yet, without coveting greater power or dominating the weak, they strove for the balance and peace of this world.>
The play was about the Divine Beasts, a story Blair had encountered often since childhood in plays and books. It was a tale anyone born and raised on the Western Continent would have heard. It was also a story she had encountered once more after her marriage, while studying the history of the House of Delmark as its lady.
For Helios, the protagonist of this play, was the Divine Beast who had lent his power to the First Duke of Delmark.
Seeing the story performed on stage stirred a flood of emotions within her. Noticing Blair's focus, Mikhail leaned in to explain.
"It's the story of the last Divine Beast, Helios, and his lover, the human knight Arwen. It's quite an entertaining play."
The early part of the play depicted Helios, who, unlike other Divine Beasts, was hostile toward humans. It showed him gradually opening his heart and growing closer to Arwen. The two youths bonded through Arwen's sociable nature, building a friendship before embarking on an adventure together. As their journey began, grand, booming music echoed through the theater.
Just then, a faint noise mingled with the music—what sounded like a woman weeping.
Puzzled, Blair turned toward the sound. It was coming from the adjacent room.
She blinked, staring at the wall in surprise, before realizing what the sound truly was.
That sound… could it be…
From behind her, Mikhail's voice drifted over. "This theater is… that kind of place."
As if accustomed to such things, he calmly sipped his wine and elaborated. "A place where secret lovers meet. Perfectly suited to the nature of your request, my lady. It’s also why the play features so many battle scenes."
The stage had to be noisy to drown out the various sounds leaking from the private boxes.
Hearing his explanation, Blair's face flushed bright red. She turned her head away, too embarrassed to meet his eyes, but her flustered expression spoke volumes.
Heavens, how could they do something so scandalous…
The thought that someone so easily shocked was planning to create multiple scandals as grounds for divorce was, to him, somehow endearing. Yet, as if to tease her further, the sounds from the next room grew more intense.
Unable to focus on the play at all, Blair could only dart her eyes around nervously. Mikhail chuckled softly at the sight before changing the subject.
"Do you have any plans for after your divorce?"
"For now, I'm thinking of starting a business. I'm still deciding what kind it will be."
Mikhail had only brought up the topic to distract her from the sounds next door, so he was inwardly surprised by her answer. He found it intriguing that a woman who had likely wanted for nothing her entire life was planning to start her own business.
"Have you secured the capital?"
"I plan to soon. And I will need your help to secure it."
The jewels and valuables Blair possessed as an Imperial Princess were already mostly depleted from paying Mikhail's commission. Thus, she had devised another plan to raise capital—by utilizing her memories of the future.
However, she had no intention of stealing someone else's business ideas. Though she had returned to the past by some miraculous chance, she felt she shouldn't use it solely for personal gain.
Instead, she was targeting something else…
If my memory is correct, my brother's chief chamberlain will soon buy a few paintings at an auction.
She recalled attending a family dinner where Ivan had cursed that his chief chamberlain had wasted money on some cheap paintings. Two years later, however, the artist who painted them would catch the eye of the House of Piache—famous for its generations of artistic patronage—and rise to fame, causing the prices of his paintings to skyrocket. Only then did Ivan drag the paintings out of storage to boast of his keen artistic eye.
Blair planned to snatch a little of what would have become Ivan's share. Considering how much he had taken from her throughout her life, she could surely claim this much as her due. That was her rationalization.
It will take two years for the value of the paintings to rise, but I was planning to rest until I gave birth to Asiel anyway.
Even after their business talk concluded, Mikhail skillfully steered the conversation, ensuring Blair wouldn't focus on the noises from the next room. Having traveled to various countries as a guild master, he spun tales that she couldn't help but find fascinating, and he quietly watched as her eyes sparkled brighter than usual.
A moment later, when the adjacent room fell quiet, Mikhail naturally wound down the conversation. Thanks to him, Blair was able to enjoy the rest of the play she remembered from her childhood.
Before long, it came to an end.
"Allow me."
Mikhail offered his hand, and Blair took it to rise from her seat. But after only a few steps, he stopped in front of the door.
"Regrettably, my escort ends here. It is not yet time."
Staring at him, Blair suddenly asked, "Are you a noble?"
Even in the future she knew, Mikhail's identity had never been revealed. She had naturally assumed he was a commoner, but meeting him in person, she saw he was perfectly versed in noble etiquette.
At her sudden question, Mikhail smiled warmly. "If I appear so, then I am glad."
He replied smoothly, neatly evading the question. Sensing this, Blair did not pry further.
Mikhail lightly kissed the back of her hand before releasing it.
"Then, I shall see you again soon, my lady."
* * *
"Welcome back, Madam."
Upon her arrival at the ducal mansion, Mason and the lined-up servants greeted her.
Blair stepped inside and asked, "And the Duke?"
"His afternoon schedule ended early, so he returned a short while ago."
At the news that Herdin was in the mansion, Blair's heart sank. Nothing had happened with Mikhail at the theater, and her marriage to Herdin was strictly a contractual show, but she still felt anxious—like someone returning home after actually committing adultery. All of this was merely part of a plan to grant him the safe divorce he desired.
Blair climbed the stairs, hoping, as she often did lately, that she wouldn't run into Herdin.
But God was not on her side.
Standing beside her bedroom door was Herdin, waiting for her. Her husband, who hadn't shown his face for the past fortnight, stood there with cold, piercing eyes.