Chapter 2 (Part 1)

Indeed, the Masterpiece was a powerful magic. Most of the methods she thought of to stop the writing ended in failure. Still, she discovered a few facts. For example, this:

Directly stating things like ‘Don’t write a sad ending’ was impossible, and conveying such messages through writing, such as letters, was also not feasible. Nevertheless, it was a significant achievement to realize that what couldn’t be said verbally also couldn’t be written. Thanks to this, she could experiment with what could and couldn’t be said without meeting William.

It was impossible to directly say not to write a bad ending or to stop writing the story. However, indirect expressions like disliking sad endings or feeling hurt when reading about someone dying were entirely possible.

“Nanny, please tidy my hair.”

Having changed clothes, she called the nanny. The nanny skillfully styled her hair as requested. She adorned her hair, rolled up to reveal her neck, with a butterfly-shaped ornament. It was the hairstyle that had received the best reviews in social circles.

William already seemed to like her. However, she didn’t intend to just wait foolishly for William to give up writing because of his feelings for her. She had to make him fall for her so deeply that he couldn’t even imagine killing her in his writing.

She didn’t have a hobby of playing with people’s feelings. But this was a matter of life and death. She could do anything to survive.

The efforts she could do alone were mostly finished. Today was the day to meet William once again.

“You’ve come again.”

William said with a delighted face. She looked him in the eye and returned his smile.

“Yes. I couldn’t stand the curiosity about what happens next.”

“Ah, then I’ll take you to the study right away.”

William promptly led her to the study. He was more confident than ever before. She finally understood his confidence after reading the script he handed her.

‘Romeo! Why must you be Romeo? Abandon your name. If you can’t, at least swear you love me! Then I’ll abandon the Capulet name.’

A long monologue by Juliet in the script continued. It was the most famous scene between Romeo and Juliet. William looked at her with expectant eyes. She could only remain still, feeling as if the earth had collapsed beneath her.

The fact that William had written this scene meant she would soon have to say that line. She already felt a chill.

“It’s romantic.”

She forced herself to say. William looked at her with a joyful face, as if he would wag his tail. He looked like a big puppy, and she almost patted his head.

“William, you’re truly amazing.”

“Thank you.”

The tips of William’s ears turned red as he answered. His innocent reaction made her conscience ache.

If it weren’t for “Romeo and Juliet,” she might have genuinely liked him. There was no reason not to. Besides his looks, he was talented enough to make a name for himself as a playwright overseas at a young age. Moreover, he was someone who clearly liked her. He was an ideal man, like someone out of a children’s fairy tale book.

But he was ‘William Shakespeare.’ If his ‘Romeo and Juliet’ weren’t a Masterpiece, she would never have met him.

She intended to live a life avoiding anything that reminded her of the original. That was probably why she didn’t notice his feelings, which were as clear as day, from the beginning. How should she put it? He didn’t seem like someone from the same world.

She decided to put aside unnecessary thoughts. It was time to proceed with her plan. She looked at William and spoke.

“I like romance. That’s why I really like the play you wrote, William. But I hate tragedies. The joy I felt while reading turns entirely into sadness.”

So please don’t kill me. 

She muttered the words that wouldn’t come out of her mouth inwardly.

She couldn’t say not to write a tragedy, but she could say she disliked tragedies. William seemed somewhat deflated compared to before. 

Was he indeed planning to end it tragically?

“I also like cheerful and happy stories. Because you can finish with pleasant imaginations after reading them.”

William said. The anxiety that had been growing subsided again. Unlike the William Shakespeare who wrote the original, this William might be thinking of writing a happy ending.

“But I don’t dislike tragedies either. I want to write stories that leave a strong impression on people’s hearts in any way. That impression could be in the form of happiness or like a scar. I hope there’s an emotion that deeply stimulates the heart when thinking of my writing.”

Shakespeare answered seriously. She felt as if she was facing his professional conscience. A vague sense of guilt pricked her heart.

“With someone as impressive as you as the model, Juliet, it might already be half a success.”

William said with a shy smile. But her heart didn’t feel at ease.

The ‘Romeo and Juliet’ he was writing was a Masterpiece to the extent of becoming a Masterpiece. She was trying to interfere with such a work of his.

Becoming a Masterpiece wasn’t easy. If there were a hundred scripts, about ten would gain some fame. Of those, only one or two would be good enough to become a Masterpiece.

This might be William’s last chance to write a Masterpiece in his life.

‘I want to write stories that leave a strong impression on people’s hearts in any way.’ 

William’s face as he said that strangely etched itself into her heart.

Of course, she wouldn’t give up. It was a matter of life, after all. But the strangely rising guilt was something she couldn’t do anything about.

Even on her way home from the Shakespeare residence, the gloomy feeling didn’t disappear. She felt like a bad person ruining someone else’s life.

“Juliet!”

As she was about to enter the Capulet mansion, someone called her. It was Romeo. His friend Mercutio was with him. It seemed Mercutio was trying to stop Romeo from lingering in front of her house. She turned towards the mansion, ignoring Romeo. Seeing her body move according to her will, it seemed it wasn’t a scene from the play.

“Juliet, don’t go.”

“Romeo, let’s go back.”

Romeo called her again. Mercutio tried to stop him.

Since the day she met Romeo at the ballroom, her heart raced whenever she saw him. It was the power of the Masterpiece. Romeo coming to her even without compulsion was probably because of that.

If she had met him knowing nothing, she too might have been swept away by the magic and fallen in love with him. So she could understand him coming to her. The emotion he felt would be thrilling and exciting enough to make him risk death. Because that’s how William wrote it.

But she already knew where this emotion came from. And how it would end. Risking her life for fabricated emotions, not genuine love, was foolish.

“Why don’t you go to Rosaline?”

Her words came out sharper than she intended. She hoped it didn’t sound like jealousy.

“I’ve already broken up with Rosaline.”

“What?”

It was a surprising answer. She thought they would get married. If she had been jealous of Rosaline, it was all because of the fabricated emotions. She had never sincerely wished for them to break up. They were real. Romeo and Rosaline were having their love.

Everything was becoming a mess. Because of William’s Masterpiece.

She composed herself. She had to momentarily forget the guilt. She thought interfering with William’s writing might be ruining his life. It might be the right thought.

But the Masterpiece was trying to ruin everyone’s life. What did Rosaline, who suddenly lost her lover, do wrong?

She felt sorry for William, but that Masterpiece had to disappear. She resolved once more.

She entered the mansion, ignoring Romeo. She felt a persistent gaze on her back.

“Don’t be too sad. It’ll all be forgotten.”

She heard Mercutio comforting Romeo. He was right. Once the magic was broken, all the emotions would disappear. She closed the door.

That night, Romeo came to the Capulet mansion. She had to recite the most famous lines from ‘Romeo and Juliet’ without missing a single one. It was a dreadful time.

Persuasion about disliking tragedies was useless. She needed a new plan. Fortunately, something came to mind. It was all thanks to Mercutio, who appeared yesterday.

The story William was writing was fiction, but the characters were modeled after real people. Their personalities and relationships were not unrelated to the real people either.

Although they weren’t enemies, it was true that the Capulets and Montagues didn’t get along well, and Tybalt was genuinely hot-tempered. In other words, even if there were exaggerations, it wasn’t a completely random story.

So what if she showed him characters with relationships entirely different from the content of ‘Romeo and Juliet’?

It would be best to show Romeo and her getting along like enemies, but that was impossible. Romeo was already completely under the influence of the Masterpiece.

Even if she picked a fight, he would cling to her, asking for forgiveness. Then William would easily create a story about Juliet trying to abandon Romeo because of the family and Romeo clinging to her. That wasn’t what she wanted.

But what if it was a character that hadn’t appeared yet?