38. What Happened at the Opera House (1)

After he left, Larael’s long-held tears burst forth. She collapsed onto the floor of the parlor and began to cry. She was filled with resentment and frustration at her own helplessness.

She raised her hand, clutching her chest, and began to pound on her heart. She kept striking, hoping the lump in her chest would dissolve, but the frustration wouldn’t go away. Still, she felt she couldn’t survive unless she did something, so she kept hitting herself until Sasha and Joanna came into the parlor, grabbed her hands, and stopped her.

***

When news reached Edward that Larael was bedridden and unable to move, he postponed his schedule and came straight to the Empress Consort’s palace.

He had heard this news after Herwen’s visit to the Empress Consort’s palace, so he immediately suspected Herwen was the cause, but that didn’t stop him from worrying about Larael.

When Edward entered the bedroom, Larael tried to sit up, but Edward quickly stopped her and sat down by her bedside.

“Where does it hurt?”

“It’s just a mild fever.”

Larael gave a weak smile. Seeing this, Edward frowned slightly.

“I suggested we take a walk every day—are you pretending to be sick because you don’t want to?”

“No, not at all.”

Larael replied, flustered.

Edward gave a small smile at her hasty denial and gently laid Larael back in bed. He brushed back the hair that had fallen over her face.

Edward must have heard that Herwen had visited, but he didn’t ask about it at all. Larael couldn’t meet Edward’s gentle gaze, so she turned her head away. Edward lightly took her face and turned it back toward him.

“Look at me.”

Larael’s eyes trembled. Edward’s face drew closer and closer. As she felt his breath near, Larael closed her eyes. She felt Edward’s warm, soft lips brush hers.

“I could only come for a short while now, but I’ll be back after I finish my schedule.”

“It’s all right. I’m fine, so please don’t worry.”

Despite saying that, Larael wished Edward would stay by her side. Her eyes showed how much she needed him. Edward kissed her forehead lightly and returned to the main palace.

Darkness cast deep shadows.

Even though she had said otherwise, Larael waited for Edward. Every time she heard the door to the bedroom open, she checked to see if it was him.

The moment Edward arrived, the fact that she was bedridden because of Herwen seemed like nothing. Just moments before, Larael had been tormented and wracked with self-loathing because of Herwen’s threats.

Herwen had always been a complete bastard, and Edward was by Larael’s side. With him there, there was no room in her mind for someone like Herwen. All her attention was focused on when Edward would come.

Edward finished work late and finally came to Larael’s side after she had already fallen asleep.

He lay down quietly beside her without waking her and wrapped her in his arms. Larael, startled by the presence, woke for a moment, but realizing it was Edward, she closed her eyes again.

Edward hugged her tightly, as if holding a doll, and quickly fell asleep. But Larael, once awakened, couldn’t fall back asleep so easily.

Listening to Edward’s steady breathing, Larael buried her face in his chest. The pleasant scent of Edward lingered at the tip of her nose. She nuzzled her nose against him, sniffing to take in more of his scent. She liked the feeling of rubbing her cheeks against Edward’s firm chest. Larael even licked his chest and blew softly on it.

“Larael, go to sleep now.”

Edward spoke in a low, sleepy voice and hugged her tightly. Larael’s face turned red in an instant—she had thought he was sound asleep and had been doing all sorts of things.

‘He wasn’t asleep??’

Larael wished she could crawl into a hole.

“Weren’t you supposed to be sick?”

He added pointedly.

She ‘had’ been sick.

‘I really was sick… but when Edward came and held me, my mind started wandering.’

Larael blamed Edward for it and wriggled away from him like a caterpillar. Edward, eyes still closed, grinned and pulled Larael back into his arms. Helplessly drawn in again, Larael let out a deep sigh.

—To His Grace, Grand Duke Vellaus.
There will be an opera performance at the opera house on Friday evening.

I have arranged to attend with an acquaintance.

It is a special box for VIPs, number B02. I am also sending you a ticket.

I sincerely hope Your Grace will join me.

Herwen, recalling the contents of the secret letter he received from Larael, headed to the opera house.

Opera—he absolutely hated it, but there was no better place for a private, secluded meeting than the opera house. Especially at the Cantata Opera House, there were special VIP passages, so he didn’t have to worry about being seen. Herwen found himself unconsciously humming the tune of a famous opera.

What had Larael decided to summon him for? Herwen smiled, imagining her kneeling before him in desperation.

“See, this is why you shouldn’t have…”

Remembering Larael standing beside the Emperor at the banquet, he ground his teeth. He hated to admit it, but the two of them looked good together, which made him even angrier.

Herwen scowled and forced himself to imagine Larael clinging to him instead. He mimed grabbing the chin of a weeping Larael and lifting it. In his imagination, Larael’s eyes were brimming with tears as she looked up at him pitifully.

The carriage gradually slowed and the door opened. Before running into anyone else, Herwen hurried into the secret passage. Sometimes you could run into other VIPs even in the secret passage, but tonight it was empty. Herwen’s steps slowed.

“B02, was it?”

Herwen followed the numbers on the doors. As he reached the one marked B02 and reached to open it, the door swung open and Ariella stepped out.

“Your Grace?”

Ariella looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“Ariella, what’s going on?”

Herwen was just as confused.

“I came to see the opera at the Empress Consort’s invitation. What about you, Your Grace?”

“The acquaintance I was supposed to see the opera with—was that you?”

He hadn’t realized the “acquaintance” mentioned in Larael’s invitation was an actual acquaintance. He’d assumed it was just a precaution in case the invitation was discovered. Herwen’s brow furrowed.

“Why haven’t you contacted me at all lately?”

“What are you talking about? You know how busy I’ve been.”

“So you’re busy, but you have time to accept the Empress Consort’s invitation?”

Suddenly, there was a sound from the hallway. Ariella flinched and grabbed Herwen’s arm, lowering her voice.

“Let’s… go inside and talk.”

Herwen and Ariella hurried into the box seats.

Herwen frowned. He hadn’t expected to meet Ariella. Larael hadn’t arrived yet; the box was empty.

“Larael isn’t here yet. I came out because she was late.”

“I came because Larael said she had something to tell me.”

“What is it?”

Ariella widened her eyes.

These days, Ariella and Herwen hardly saw each other. Herwen claimed to be busy and seemed to be avoiding Ariella for some reason, and Ariella had decided to leave things as they were until he contacted her first.

“I threatened Larael, telling her I knew she gave the Emperor sleeping pills and an aphrodisiac.”

“Your Grace! You didn’t consult with me about that. If you’d left it to me, I could have become friends with Larael and slowly persuaded her, but how could you just act on your own like that?”

“Ariella! Are you raising your voice at me?”

“Please, Your Grace, calm down. Didn’t I tell you? If I really wanted to become Empress, it would be easier to just become the Emperor’s Empress right now. But who do you think I’m doing all this for?”