* * *

“Are you concerned about Lady Satin?”

A slender arm wrapped softly around his waist from behind.

Gjorn, who had been watching Satin, snapped back to reality and turned around. It was Delilah.

“No.”

He denied it hastily, but Delilah shook her head coyly.

“Really? You couldn’t take your eyes off her.”

“I’m sorry if it seemed that way. But it wasn’t like that at all. I was just curious about how they became so close… from what I remember, Satin, ah, she didn’t like Rublier.”

He could still recall Satin’s narrowed eyes and pouting lips. The Satin who had received kisses on her hand from Rublier today and was busy whispering closely together.

“Madam Satin was like that?”

Delilah asked, seemingly surprised.

“Rublier had a bit of a mischievous side as a child. She was sensitive, so it was understandable she didn’t like him. They were distant. But then, all of a sudden, everything changed that day, and they’re like this now… Well, there’s not much to say about someone who’s already out of my life. By the way, aren’t you tired? As expected, my situation isn’t very good.”

Gjorn laughed bitterly.

Kirion greeted Rublier warmly and left a respectful kiss on Satin’s hand. But he only acknowledged Gjorn from a distance.

Though Kirion was known to be very close to Rublier, making any expectations futile, most nobles behaved similarly. Just difficult, awkward, and cautious smiles.

People are cunning. Most of those keeping their distance from Gjorn now were the same ones who used to smile kindly and act friendly at similar official events.

These people changed their attitudes completely after his marriage to Satin fell through. They weighed their options and chose Satin and Rublier.

It wasn’t easy to appropriately handle people who were distancing themselves safely. Gjorn realized this anew.

Previously, he hadn’t faced such difficulties because Satin was there. But today, he couldn’t rely on anyone’s protection. Instead, he had to protect Delilah, who came relying on him, and endure this event.

He didn’t want to show weakness in front of his lover. Gjorn forced himself to muster courage.

“It’s okay. You’re here, Gjorn. As long as I’m with you, I’m fine. And where else would I be but with you?”

Delilah calmly cupped Gjorn’s cheek. Gjorn visibly relaxed. As she lightly embraced and comforted him, Delilah looked around the banquet hall with slightly cold eyes.

There were quite a few familiar faces. Some of them had come to see Delilah’s performances multiple times. Men who wanted to keep a famous actress as a mistress stayed under the guise of being patrons.

Delilah’s former patron was one such man. He kept several actresses he had discovered and introduced them to new patrons, making a lot of money in the process.

Delilah carefully inserted her fingers into Gjorn’s hair, making sure her gaze didn’t stand out. Her former patron had raised her price exorbitantly. He claimed she was worth it, but it was really because he didn’t want to let go of the top prima donna.

Well, there’s no need to think about that man anymore. After all, she had escaped.

Delilah had won the underground battle with her patron.

Of course, many men had expressed their desire to support her before they knew the ridiculous amount her patron demanded.

There were even two or three of them here today. Though their efforts hadn’t worked out for various reasons, the men kept visiting the grand theater, trying to build a relationship with Delilah.

But on this day, they changed their stance. As if they had agreed with each other, they pretended not to know Delilah. They all awkwardly smiled and made perfunctory greetings before fleeing.

They weren’t as wealthy or honorable as Gjorn, but they clearly intended to avoid getting entangled in the guardian family conflicts.

The hall was full of clumsy actors.

But that Paladin didn’t seem to be acting.

Instead of flaunting his status, he appeared holding his wife and never left her side.

Their unexpected closeness and simplicity had caught Gjorn’s attention from the beginning.

Delilah remembered Rublier visiting Gjorn during his recovery. Men dedicated to academics and those dedicated to martial arts had distinctly different temperaments.

Compared to Rublier, the slender and pale Gjorn seemed like an underdeveloped adolescent. The man who had entered confidently, filling the space with his stride alone.

His movements were large and concise. Despite his large build, he didn’t seem clumsy but rather agile. Having met many actors who played knights or princes, Delilah knew that real knights were vastly different from actors mimicking them. Even if she brought an actor trained for the role, next to Rublier, they’d look like a puppy before a wolf.

The head of the Holy Knights, Rublier Ka Dillon, had a wild image about him. Coming from a noble family, he must have received excellent education, yet he felt different from Gjorn and Satin, who had similar backgrounds, which intrigued Delilah.

No.

Delilah corrected her thoughts.

He was the kind of man who would catch her interest even if they just passed by on the street.

It wasn’t just because he was incredibly handsome. Although he was indeed very handsome, the members of the guardian family she had seen all day were generally good-looking.

Gjorn was quite handsome, and Satin, who had briefly visited, was the kind of woman who made Delilah think, ‘This is what a princess would look like if she were real.’

Above all, one of the standards for being on stage was appearance. There were plenty of handsome men in the theater. But simply being handsome or pretty might work in the short term, but it wouldn’t last long.

Being in the symbolic position of the prima donna, Delilah had learned from experience what kind of people left a lasting impression.

First, those who had more than just looks.

Second, those who had no deficiencies compared to their excesses.

Third, those who made you imagine.

Rublier perfectly fit these criteria.

Her heart fluttered for a moment. She wondered what a night with this man would be like. He was the kind of man who made you imagine all sorts of things. A man with large hands and a low, languid voice.

Compared to the innocent young master type like Gjorn, this was definitely more her type.

However, the man barely acknowledged Delilah. He dismissed her greeting with a haughty nod. It had been a long time since she had faced such disregard.

At least since she had come to the capital, established herself as a prima donna, and made a name for herself, it was the first time. Even nobles who held their heads high in public would sneak into her dressing room after seeing her performance, professing their love at first sight.

Yet, the man only talked about the eldest daughter of Del Mare, who had briefly appeared and disappeared. Even Gjorn, who was usually oblivious to the ways of the world, cautiously glanced at his fiancée. Delilah had purposely smiled more after her face stiffened for a moment.

And not long after, Satin lost her fiancé.

“Gjorn, not only lovers like us kiss and make love.”

So, she suspects something is off with those two.

Her profession was acting, and acting was her instinct. After hearing Gjorn’s suspicion and looking again, Satin did seem somewhat unnatural. Moreover, it was suspicious how the Paladin was particularly keen on shielding his wife’s face from the crowd both outside and inside. A woman’s expressions are among the most dramatic and rich forms of expression.

Soon, a group of people entered en masse. Gjorn, observing the guests, looked at Delilah with a troubled expression.

“My parents have arrived. I should go greet them. Will you be alright alone for a while?”

“Of course. Go ahead.”

Gjorn’s parents still refused to acknowledge Delilah. Gjorn, judging it better for both sides not to meet, tried to protect Delilah by keeping them as separated as possible.

Delilah watched Gjorn’s heavy steps as he trudged away and then turned her back.

‘No matter how well a singer sings or how outstanding their appearance is, can they ever hope to become the lady of Sel Wio?’

That was the reality.

No matter how much a prima donna of common birth tried to catch the eyes of others, the highest position she could attain was that of a mistress. Her starting line was different from a woman born into nobility.

The disparity felt even greater after leaving the grand theater. While people lined up to greet Satin, they paid no attention to Delilah.

It meant they didn’t want to upset Satin. When Gjorn was around, they approached out of respect for him, but once she was alone, the isolation became stark.

Well, she hadn’t come here completely unaware of this.

Delilah leisurely surveyed the banquet hall and made eye contact with a man in the distance. Though it was their first meeting, she knew him very well.

Archbishop Kirion.

The eye contact lasted only a moment. The man was surrounded by nobles, including those from the guardian family. As people continued to gather, her view was soon completely blocked.

Delilah speculated.

He must be overseeing the banquet hall as the host.

Gradually, she felt thirsty. Shifting her attention, Delilah looked around. A servant carrying a tray full of various drinks was passing by nearby.

“Here,”

Delilah’s attempt to call out for a drink was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a man.

A man with messy blond hair mixed with various shades of brown. He was short and stocky, with his clothes awkwardly wrinkled due to his bulk. He had a blunt and coarse appearance. Moreover, he was a completely unfamiliar face, not someone she had seen at the theater.

The man, standing awkwardly, hesitantly spoke.

“Um, I-I noticed you were alone… May I, uh, introduce myself to you?”

It took a moment to properly interpret his oddly tangled words. Delilah almost took a step back without realizing it.

“To me?”

“Yes.”

The man’s eyes glanced over Delilah’s hand. Imagining his thick hand gently holding hers and his bluish lips kissing the back of her hand, Delilah’s smile vanished.

She instinctively hid her hand. It would be better if no one approached at all than having someone like this show interest.