Chapter 153. Another Story: The Opera Singer and Her Lover

It was on a summer day five years ago when I first met Warren Norbert.

“Ugh, I feel like I’m dying……”

“……”

The man was drunk and unconscious. Having apparently lost his way, he was sitting in a miserable state in front of the actors’ dressing room. Mercedes glanced at the man’s disheveled curly hair and his high-end tailored suit, then walked past him. She intended to ignore such a drunkard. She detested those who drank so much they couldn’t even control their bodies.

“Hey, beautiful lady….. Wow, you really are beautiful.”

When Mercedes turned around reflexively at his call, the man opened his eyes wide and muttered stupidly. His grinning face reminded her of the dog they kept at her family home. Just as she was about to turn her back on that simple impression, the man’s drunken voice inevitably stopped her in her tracks.

“You know, my friend is that famous Grand Duke of Bayern. But that crazy bas― I mean, that terrible prankster, not only did he fleece all my money at the gambling den, he even took my fare to get home! Damn, that cold-blooded bastard….. If I had known this would happen, I should have brought a coachman or a servant……”

“……”

It was the typical lament of a drunkard. He seemed to be from a noble family, but Mercedes felt no pity for him sitting in the corridor of the opera house without even enough money for a hired carriage. These nobles. Seeing him collapsed drunk after gambling all night, she could tell what kind of person he was. Mercedes looked down at the man with prejudiced and contemptuous eyes, then took out two silver coins from her reticule and handed them to him.

That insignificant small change must have been quite desperate for him, as the man eagerly accepted it and looked up at Mercedes with his brown eyes sparkling brightly. It was as if he had met a savior. Mercedes skillfully hid her deep-rooted aversion and contempt for the nobility and smiled kindly. It’s not bad to put a small debt on a noble gentleman.

“Thank you, beautiful lady, my name is Warren Norbert. Have you heard of Marquis Norbert?”

Marquis Norbert?

Mercedes barely maintained her smile, almost showing her surprise. She thought he was just some immature young master because he looked so young. To think he was a high-ranking nobleman with the title of Marquis. Mercedes looked at the man again with renewed interest.

“What’s the name of the angel-like lady who descended from heaven?”

Seeing him utter such words without any shame, it seemed he was quite experienced in flirting. Mercedes decided to humor this nobleman who might become a useful connection, and answered with a charming smile.

“Mercedes. Mercedes Keynes. You can comfortably call me ‘Merci’, Marquis Norbert.”

After that day, Warren Norbert persistently visited the opera house. More precisely, he tirelessly lingered in front of Mercedes’ dressing room. Some days he would appear with a large bouquet of flowers, other days with a gift box as tall as a person, and on days when he was too busy to come, he would send flowers and gifts separately.

Given the situation, all sorts of rumors circulated in the capital’s social circles: that Marquis Norbert had fallen head over heels for the newly selected prima donna, that they were already dating, that they had even gone all the way.

For an actress who had to live under the spotlight, such scandals were rather beneficial. Even those who didn’t know Mercedes came to see her performances after hearing the rumors, and there were even those who tried to court her, saying they wanted to date her instead of Marquis Norbert.

With her beautiful appearance, heavenly voice, and the added scandal of a high-ranking nobleman falling for her at first sight and courting her, Mercedes’ reputation soared day by day. It was an excessively large fortune she gained from just two silver coins, but Mercedes decided to enjoy this moment. After all, popularity is something that can cool down at any time.

“Merci, will you officially date me?”

The problem was this overly serious man, Warren Norbert.

In fact, when he first came looking for her, Mercedes thought his interest would cool down quickly. No matter how stunningly beautiful Mercedes Keynes was, there are many beautiful women in the world, and people easily tire of old things. They always want something new and replace the old. An actress was nothing more than a disposable item.

But this man, Warren Norbert, was truly persistent. It had already been three months. One would think he’d be tired of it by now. He persistently came to see Mercedes, offering flowers and gifts, and courting her.

At first, Mercedes refused, saying ‘I don’t intend to date anyone yet’, but at some point, she started considering Warren Norbert’s usefulness. He was young, a Marquis, and good-looking, so having him as a lover seemed to have many advantages in various ways. She particularly liked the fact that she could ward off the perverts and dirty old men who had been especially clingy to her lately.

After contemplating his tenth dating proposal, Mercedes finally nodded in agreement.

“Alright, I’ll date you, Marquis.”

“Huh? Really? Really? Wow!”

No sooner had she accepted than Warren Norbert shouted in joy and suddenly lifted her up. Though he looked slim, he was surprisingly strong, perhaps due to his good build. Mercedes couldn’t help but burst into laughter as Warren spun her around.

Thinking that it would probably be just a midsummer night’s dream anyway, but this wasn’t bad either.

“You could write that story as a novel, you know?”

Returning from her reminiscence, Mercedes glared at the president of the publishing company sitting across from her. She was astounded by his insensitivity in immediately suggesting to use her love story with Warren as material.

“I’m not going to write this story as a novel. Just in case, don’t even think about using it as material without my consent.”

“Hahaha, how could I do that to our dear author, hahaha.”

The cunning president rubbed his palms together and laughed like a sycophant. He absolutely couldn’t let go of the bestselling author ‘Autumn Grace’, who was being eyed by five competing companies, and if necessary, he had to swallow his pride and grovel to keep her. After all, it was all thanks to this experienced female author that his small, failing publishing company was able to recover.

“Anyway, author, the response to ‘Spring Covered in Ashes’ is very good. Perhaps thanks to Her Highness the Grand Duchess’s cooperation, it’s also very popular at the reading clubs of noble ladies these days. There are many people waiting for our author’s next work… So, about signing another contract with us for your next work……”

Blah blah blah….. It was all as expected. Mercedes nodded halfheartedly and carefully examined the contract the president handed her. She had no intention of changing publishing companies anyway. Not yet. Though who knows what might happen in the future.

After leaving the coffee house and parting ways with the publishing company president, Mercedes walked along the Reden River bank where the evening glow had set in. The water scales holding the golden light were gently sparkling. It was beautiful, as if sprinkled with stardust.

It had been over 2 years since she broke up with Warren.

While those 2 years weren’t without loneliness, in a way, the breakup with him was also liberating.

An opera singer from the countryside who had gained undeserved fame and the young head of a noble family. It was a relationship that could never work out from the start. She knew from the beginning that it was a connection destined to end someday.

Perhaps she should have accepted his proposal. She should have believed in his words asking her to trust him and marry him. After all, Warren Norbert was an honest and persistent person.

But Mercedes didn’t do that. Not because she didn’t trust him, but because she knew she wouldn’t be happy with the future she would have with him. The Marchioness of Norbert. It sounded good on the surface. It would be considered a great success for a commoner opera singer to become a noblewoman. But Mercedes was not unaware of the dark side that would lurk beneath that glorious success.

Living as ‘Marchioness Norbert’ would be different from living as ‘Mercedes Keynes’.

If she became ‘Marchioness Norbert’, she would have to give up the freedom, career, and many things she had gained living as ‘Mercedes Keynes’. She would have to make painstaking efforts to fit into noble society, and confine herself within rigid norms. Mercedes didn’t want to live like that.

Anyway, she had no problem living as she was without marrying anyone. She had earned enough money to last a lifetime and even bought a small house of her own. Sometimes life felt boring, but she wouldn’t stop taking steps forward as long as she could.

So, if he was an uninvited guest, he was an uninvited guest.

“……”

Mercedes slightly frowned as she saw Warren Norbert standing in front of her house with a large bouquet of flowers.

After not showing his face for 2 years, it was unclear what wind had blown him here. Instead of marrying a noble lady and living well as expected.

“Merci!”

Warren, who had just spotted her, turned and called out her nickname. Just like when they were dating.

Mercedes approached him with a suppressed sigh. It was awkward to ignore him and pass by, so she decided to hear him out. Warren’s eyes sparkled as he held out the bouquet to her.

“……I missed you, Merci.”

“……”

The flowers were red camellias, her favorite. They must have been hard to find these days, how much trouble did he go through again? Seeing the lush red blossoms, Mercedes suddenly felt like crying.

“Let’s start over, Mercedes.”

“……”

“Marry me. If marriage is too much pressure, just date me. I promise I won’t make things difficult for you.”

Warren’s eyes hadn’t changed from two years ago when he asked her to trust him. They were still straightforward, loyal, and full of undoubted affection. That’s why it saddened Mercedes.

“……You know I can’t accept that. Please go back.”

“Then I’ll come again tomorrow.”

At this absurd reply, Mercedes looked at him with an incredulous expression. Warren continued without hesitation.

“I’ll come tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that, I’ll keep coming. Until you look at me.”

“……It will all be in vain.”

“I’ll do it even if it’s in vain. Because you’re the only romance in my life.”

Romance.

It was the concept Mercedes considered most important when writing novels. She had only mentioned it in passing to Warren, but she didn’t expect him to remember it.

“You said it yourself. That romance will be eternal even as times change. I believe in those words. I sincerely respect your view on writing. I love every single aspect of you. You don’t have to forcibly fit yourself into my mold, into the role of my wife, just because you marry me. I’ll protect you so that you can live as yourself.”

“……”

“My elderly relatives and family won’t bother you either. I’ve fought and won over the past 2 years. So, won’t you trust me?”

Warren’s grin looked more confident than ever. He hadn’t changed, but Mercedes could tell that something was different about him. Like the ground hardens after rain, the man who had returned as solid soil where she, like a tree, could finally take root, confidently held out a ring.

“Will you date me again starting today?”

“……”

“Or, from tomorrow?”

Mercedes looked at Warren with an indescribable feeling. She was at a loss for what answer to give him.

She thought it was completely over. For the past 2 years, they had been complete strangers.

But it seems Warren never intended to end it in the first place. For 2 years, he had endured and fought. For the moment when he could propose to her again someday.

Mercedes snapped at him with a voice that was inexplicably choked up.

“After being so mercilessly rejected by me…… Don’t you have any pride?”

“No, I don’t have anything like pride. I’ll get on my knees and beg as much as you want in front of you.”

Mercedes’ resolve not to live as ‘Marchioness Norbert’ was firm. However, she couldn’t coldly turn away the man who had been looking at her unchangingly for 2 years, so she grabbed his shoulders and said as if soothing him.

“……Just go back for today. It’s getting late……”

“Mercedes.”

Warren looked up at her with a pitiful expression. At that moment, Mercedes sensed an inevitable fate.

“I don’t have any travel money. I met the Grand Duke of Bayern just before coming here, and that devilish bastard fleeced me again. ……Beautiful lady, what should I do now?”

“……”

Mercedes, who was moving her lips in astonishment, unconsciously fumbled with her reticule and found herself bursting into laughter. Street lamps lit up one by one in the darkening street, and their soft light illuminated the two people facing each other. Like the lighting on the stage of life.

Mercedes surrendered to the power of fate that had invariably brought him into her life. With a resigned sigh, she opened the door to her small, modest house and said.

“Come in, Marquis Norbert. For old times’ sake, I’ll let you stay for one night.”

At that, his face immediately lit up with a broad smile and he scurried over, looking just like a dog. As Warren even boldly kissed her cheek, Mercedes let out an incredulous, childlike laugh.

Was this the start of another story she thought had ended, or just an epilogue?

She couldn’t yet know where fate would take her.

― End of ‘Another Story: The Opera Singer and Her Lover’.