Chapter 3.4

As he gazed at her quietly, Mr. Salinger’s expression faltered, and he let out an awkward laugh.

It was the first time Natalie had seen him lose his composure. It was as if a steadfast wall had cracked, as if reason had faltered in the face of love.

“Did it seem that way?”  

They say sneezes and love cannot be hidden.  

“Yes, I like her.”  

Every word he spoke carried feelings he could not conceal.  

“I’ve liked her since the day I received her letter.”  

Though it was Natalie who had written that letter and was by his side, the face he envisioned was someone else’s.  

A smile, tinged with the dreamy expression unique to those in love, spread across Mr. Salinger’s lips. Quickly regaining his composure, he returned to his polite demeanor.  

“I’m sorry. You’ve taken the time to come here for me….”  

His apology sounded like, ‘I’m sorry I can’t like you.’ It was also a declaration that he never would.  

Natalie clenched her hands tightly and forced her lips into a smile.  

“It’s fine. I’m okay. Thank you for coming with me.”  

She felt as if she were reciting lines from a script. Like an actor always smiling on stage. And now, she wanted to step off the stage. Her smile no longer came naturally.  

But Mr. Salinger continued speaking.  

“I’ve never told anyone this. But strangely, I find myself telling you, Miss Maron. I feel at ease when I’m with you.”  

For the first time in her life, Natalie felt sadness at receiving a compliment. Despite her will, her lips kept drooping, and she struggled to lift them back up.  

“I’m glad you think so.”  

The audience began leaving their seats one by one. Watching them absentmindedly, Natalie’s gaze, as it had been in the tea room, turned toward Mr. Wharton.  

Miss Windsor stood by Mr. Wharton’s side. Standing close together, they looked like a sweet couple.  

Miss Windsor left the box seat first. Though Natalie didn’t see it, she knew Mr. Wharton would follow his lover. For some reason, that made her even sadder.  

She thought it terrible not to share in her friend’s happiness, but her sinking heart was not easily lifted.  

Mr. Salinger stood and extended his hand to Natalie. She took it. The warmth of his hand no longer brought excitement, only a sharp pain that pierced her heart.  

As they stepped out of the box seat, the hallway was crowded. Everyone leaving the theater was smiling. Natalie felt like the only one stranded on a lonely island.  

Amid the noisy laughter, the sadness she had suppressed became more vivid, rising uncontrollably.  

Her eyes grew hot. She feared she would cry. She didn’t want to. At the very least, she wanted to finish this date without incident. But her vision quickly blurred.  

Unable to hide her expression, Natalie stopped abruptly in front of the chandelier-lit staircase.  

“Wait, just a moment.”  

She let go of Mr. Salinger’s hand and stepped back. Mr. Salinger, who had already descended one step, turned to her with a puzzled look.  

Natalie forced her eyes open and tried to smile.  

“Go ahead. I… forgot something.”  

Before the tears could fall, she turned away hurriedly. As she turned, a tear rolled down her cheek.  

Natalie ran against the flow of departing audience members. When she returned to her seat, the now-empty auditorium stretched out before her. The opposite box seat was empty too.  

Her legs gave out, and she collapsed into her seat. She buried her face in her arms. Curling up as if to hide herself, she let her pent-up sorrow finally spill out.  

The awkward performance was over.  

The play had ended, and in the silence that remained, she cried soundlessly.  

She returned to being plain Natalie Maron—not a courageous protagonist overcoming adventures, but someone who belonged in a quiet, solitary world.  

A tear fell to the floor. Footsteps approached the tear-stained ground. Through her blurry vision, she saw a lingering audience member.  

He knelt down, lowering himself to her level. His blue eyes met hers.  

Mr. Wharton took a handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped away her tears.  

The tenderness of his touch, brushing against her cheek, made her cry even more. The tears she had tried so hard to suppress flowed endlessly, as if they had been waiting for his comforting hand.  

Mr. Wharton did not ask why she was crying. Nor did he ask if she was done crying. He simply stayed by her side.  

In the quiet not of solitude but of companionship, Natalie let all her tears flow.  

Only after the storm of tears had passed did her mind, momentarily paused, fill with confused curiosity.  

“Why….”  

There were so many questions she wanted to ask Mr. Wharton.  

Why didn’t you go to Miss Windsor?  

Why are you staying by my side?  

Why are you being so kind to me?  

Why aren’t you asking me why I’m foolishly crying alone?  

The questions swirled in her mind, until finally, just one escaped her lips.  

“…Why aren’t you asking?”  

Natalie asked in a tear-soaked voice. Mr. Wharton smiled faintly as he watched her.  

“What should I ask first?”  

His gentle question made Natalie feel as though she might cry again, so she bit her lip tightly.  

Mr. Wharton quietly observed her tear-filled eyes. He brushed away the tears that had spilled, gently wiping her reddened cheeks.  

“Who made you cry so sorrowfully?”  

“……”  

“Did Leonard insult ‘The Mysteries of Udolpho’?”  

“No.”  

“Then did he hurt your feelings with his blunt and boring demeanor?”  

Mr. Wharton seemed intent on identifying the cause of her tears, but what had made Natalie cry most was herself—how pitiful she felt.  

So she answered him.  

“It’s not Mr. Salinger’s fault.”  

“Alright. Then I’ll go scold him.”  

Mr. Wharton stood up. He seemed to interpret her words as, ‘It’s because of Mr. Salinger, but I can’t say it.’  

Natalie hastily grabbed his arm.  

“Don’t scold him.”  

She didn’t understand what or how he intended to scold, but she didn’t want Mr. Wharton to argue with her friend.  

“It’s not his fault that he doesn’t like me. Just as it’s not his fault that I like him.”  

Natalie feared Mr. Wharton might rush out of the box seat to confront Mr. Salinger. So she pulled him closer to her.  

“Stay with me.”  

Mr. Wharton looked at Natalie, who clung to his arm, then quietly sat back down beside her.  

Natalie exhaled the breath she had been holding.  

“…Mr. Salinger said he likes someone else.”  

“He has no taste.”  

“He likes my sister.”  

“……”  

At a loss for words, Mr. Wharton pressed his lips together.  

“I misspoke. Of course, your sister is a fine lady.”  

Natalie quietly watched as Mr. Wharton tried to recover from his remark. It was fascinating to see someone so composed become flustered. A smile spread across her tear-streaked face.  

Mr. Wharton’s blue eyes, which had been wandering, settled on Natalie. When he saw her smiling face, he smiled softly in return.  

“I’m glad to see you’re feeling better.”  

Meeting his gaze, Natalie felt embarrassed by how foolish she must have seemed—crying, then laughing. She rubbed her tear-streaked cheeks with the back of her hand.  

Mr. Wharton reached out to wipe away the tears she had missed.  

“Romance requires luck. Even if everything is done perfectly, the timing of liking each other at the same moment is the issue. So, it’s just that your luck was bad.”  

Mr. Wharton tilted his head to align his gaze with Natalie’s.  

“Natalie, it means it’s not your fault. You did everything well today. I saw it all with my own eyes, so I’ll be your witness.”  

Natalie, touched by his kind words, found herself puzzled at his last remark.  

“You saw everything?”  

She had thought she was the only one watching Mr. Wharton from the opposite seat…. 

Had Mr. Wharton been watching metoo? 

Natalie was curious.  

“…….”  

Mr. Wharton remained silent.  

However, Natalie felt that if he had recognized her and been glad to see her, even for a moment, she would have been happy enough. So, as if their hearts were connected, she spoke brightly.  

“Actually, I kept seeing you, Mr. Wharton. Strangely enough, you were in the opposite seat. How could it be that you were right across from me at just the right moment? I thought it was so romantic. Like fate.”  

Fate. Edgar looked at Natalie, who seemed thrilled as she uttered that word. She looked as excited as when she spoke about love.  

In front of her, he couldn’t say, ‘It wasn’t fate; I deliberately gave you that seat.’  

To a young lady who believed in fate and love as earnestly as a child believes in Santa Claus, Edgar decided to keep the truth a secret. He simply smiled, feigning ignorance.  

“Yes, it does seem like fate.”  

Natalie’s innocent eyes sparkled at Edgar’s agreement. She truly looked like a child happily believing in Santa.  

“I’m glad you’ve improved your relationship with Miss Windsor. Now you’ve regained your lover, and you won’t be kicked out of your home either. I wanted to congratulate you, but instead, I ended up being comforted.”  

Natalie spoke, her face growing embarrassed as she recalled the tears she had shown earlier.  

Fortunately, this time, the word “glad” prevented him from revealing the truth. To someone who believed everything had been resolved, he couldn’t say, ‘Actually, the engagement is completely broken, and I’ll be kicked out of my home.’

Edgar hid the truths that might erase the smile from Natalie’s face.  

“Friends should share not only joy but also sorrow.”  

At Edgar’s words, Natalie gave him an innocent smile. Edgar, neither innocent nor pure, smiled back.