Juliet’s Survival - CHAPTER 1 - Part 3
CHAPTER 1 (Part 3)
“It’s truly a beautiful ball. The Capulet’s taste is indeed remarkable.”
“You flatter us.”
Rosaline glanced around with sparkling eyes. I hung my head shyly, hiding the look of utter boredom on my face.
My mother’s passion was truly impressive. It was as if she had put all of her collected masterpieces on display in the hall. The hall was filled with all kinds of magic. It was undoubtedly a beautiful sight, but I found myself a bit weary of the extravagance.
“Speaking of masterpieces, have you heard the news that Mr. William Shakespeare has returned to Berneque?”
At the unwelcome name, my face stiffened without my conscious awareness. I quickly composed myself and put on an elegant smile.
“Yes. We invited him to this ball as well, but it seems he’s busy. It’s truly regrettable. Still, even his rejection was beautifully articulated, making me think once again that indeed, being a writer is different.”
Although I had known Shakespeare for less than a week, I responded as if I had long been acquainted with his fame. In the social circle, wearing a bit of a mask was essential.
“Oh my, I really want to see him someday.”
“But what does Mr. Shakespeare have to do with the masterpiece?”
I hadn’t heard of Shakespeare completing a Masterpiece. If he were a writer capable of completing a masterpiece, I couldn’t have remained unaware, no matter which country he was in.
“Rumor has it that if it’s Mr. Shakespeare, completing a masterpiece in the next work is not just a dream.”
“Wow, that’s impressive.”
I didn’t mean for my answer to sound like I was reading from a book. However, if there was a play where rain poured or lightning struck in a play based on me. I sincerely wanted to decline. That would be a true 4D theater experience.
“Uh, I have a dance appointment for the next song, so I’d better get going.”
Rosaline gave a small bow and left. It was also time for me to meet my dance partner. However, the idea of a dance appointment struck me as odd. Romeo wouldn’t be able to come here today, would he? I raised my head with a puzzled expression.
Rosaline was Romeo’s lover, and she was one of the characters from the original story that I hadn’t managed to detach myself from. The original story begins with Romeo meeting Juliet after being rejected by Rosaline.
I used to get a peculiar sense of emotional stability whenever I saw Romeo and Rosaline together. As long as they kept seeing each other, my life would be safe. The couple had been dating regularly for three years, serving as my steady emotional stabilizer. Despite their occasional small arguments, seeing them not breaking up made me vaguely think they would even get married.
“Juliet, there you are.”
I heard a familiar voice behind me. A second character from the original story that I couldn’t detach myself from.
“Tybalt.”
Tybalt was a crucial character leading Romeo and Juliet to a tragic end in the original story. However, I couldn’t ignore him for a simple reason.
“Aunt said you’d be here.”
It was blood. Just as I couldn’t drop the surname Capulet, I couldn’t cut out Tybalt Capulet.
Ah, a relative. Finally, the mystery of Rosaline’s dance partner was solved. It was quite common for a woman without a lover or fiancé to dance with a family member. Rosaline had a lover, but he couldn’t be here with her.
The music changed and a waltz filled the hall. Tybalt held out his hand to me. I placed my hand lightly over his. He led me skillfully with the dance.
There was nothing of his usual vigor in his dancing demeanor. But his enthusiastic gestures, as if he couldn’t get a single move wrong, gave away his personality.
I followed him, moving my feet briskly.
My vision swirled as I spun in circles. As the dazzling magical ornaments filled my sight, I felt a slight dizziness. Something fixed my gaze amidst the rapidly turning scenery. A figure was moving stealthily near the terrace.
“Romeo?”
He wasn’t supposed to be here. My mother was pretty adamant about not letting anyone into the mansion if they didn’t have an invitation. I stared at him in bewilderment.
“What?”
Tybalt, who had been immersed in the dance, suddenly shot me a fierce look. I realized my mistake only then, but it was already too late. Tybalt, with his eyes narrowing, turned his head towards where Romeo was.
“How rude of you to sneak into a party you weren’t invited to.”
He began to move toward Romeo. His momentum was ferocious as if he were about to punch him. No matter how you look at it, it was an overreaction.
Originally, not inviting the Montagues was due to Mother’s sudden insistence, rather than any particular tradition or grudge. But this? Tybalt’s reaction seemed overly exaggerated. This excessive reaction overlapped with the original Tybalt’s behavior.
Caught in my thoughts, Tybalt was getting closer to Romeo. I shook the thought out of my head. For now, I had to intervene. Causing a scene with a guest in the middle of the ball would only bring disgrace.
“Tybalt, wait a moment!”
“What, Juliet? Unless it’s urgent, let’s get that unwelcome visitor out of here before we talk.”
“Are you considering using violence? Don’t forget there are guests here.”
Only then did Tybalt’s steps come to a halt.
“Father is over there talking to the guests. Go help him. I’ll go over to Romeo’s side.”
“Juliet, I can’t leave you to deal with him alone.”
“If both of us go, it will only attract attention. Hurry, go.”
Tybalt began to walk in the opposite direction, despite his displeasure. As I watched his back as he walked toward my father, I turned on my heel.
There was only one reason why Romeo would come here—Rosaline. If it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t have bothered to come to a place where he wasn’t invited. What’s the big deal about spending one night at a ball apart? Truly, the love of the century.
I walked up to him, muttering all sorts of complaints under my breath. Seven years of avoiding him were about to be shattered.
Romeo, who had just turned his head, spotted me. I pointed toward the balcony, indicating for him to follow, and without looking back, I walked away.
It didn’t take long for him to join me on the balcony. His reaction was more composed than I expected. It was surprisingly restrained for a childhood friend who had been ignored for seven years, obediently following my gesture to come in. Well, he was currently an intruder. He had no position to ignore the homeowner’s call.
I raised my head, preparing for whatever confrontation awaited. I truly did not want to be entangled with him in this way. The last thing I needed was for him to invade my living space like this.
“Romeo.”
But as I looked up, his expression caught my eye. He had a peculiar look on his face as if he were enchanted by something.
“Juliet.”
He called my name in a low voice, sending shivers down my spine.
“Would you dance with me?”
He spoke. And I realized: Something, definitely something, was going wrong.