Chapter 3.7

Natalie placed the crown on Edgar’s head. Despite her cautious movements, the crown ended up tilted due to her unsteady hands, still affected by the alcohol.

“Mr. Wharton, you need a crown too.”

Natalie stared at Edgar, who was now wearing the crown. Her smiling face was so full of pride and joy that Edgar couldn’t help but smile back.

Natalie gazed at Edgar for a long time, like an artist admiring their finished masterpiece. She fiddled with the crown, trying to straighten it. Eventually, Edgar adjusted it himself.

“Thanks to you, Natalie, I’ve found my lost crown.”

Edgar’s words ignited a fire in the treasure hunter’s heart. Natalie began rummaging through the box again, plunging her hands even deeper and searching with great enthusiasm. A short while later, she pulled out several rings adorned with large jewels.

Edgar, seeing the look in her eyes as she held the rings, already knew what she wanted without her saying a word. He obediently extended his hand to her.

Natalie held Edgar’s hand firmly and carefully slid the rings onto his fingers, one by one. Although the rings were loose and didn’t fit well, they managed to stay on. Before long, all five of Edgar’s fingers were adorned with colorful rings. Edgar watched Natalie as she gazed intently at his hand, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

Natalie then looked up at Edgar.

“Do you like them?”

She seemed to think his laughter was due to satisfaction with the rings. Edgar, however, wasn’t looking at the rings but at Natalie as he replied.

“I like them.”

Natalie, pleased with his answer, smiled shyly. The treasure hunt continued, and soon she found earrings as well.

Edgar, who even offered his ears, patiently waited as Natalie fumbled to find the right spot, as if she couldn’t locate where his ears were. When she began to frown in frustration, Edgar gently took the earrings from her and put them on himself.

“Do you like them?”

At his question, Natalie smiled and nodded.

“Then shall we go home now?”  

“……”

Natalie didn’t answer but only blinked. It seemed the treasure hunter wasn’t yet satisfied. Edgar knew how to convince a child reluctant to go home. It was a trick Joseph, the stagehand, had used on him when he was young and playing backstage late into the night.

“There’s something I haven’t told you. There’s actually a ghost living here.”

Edgar leaned closer to Natalie to capture her attention. Natalie, with her big eyes blinking, stared at him intently. It was the reaction he had hoped for.

“A ghost that watches performances from Box 5. A terrifying ghost that takes away… treasure thieves.”

Edgar slightly altered the story for the treasure hunter. Natalie’s expression grew serious. She tightly pressed her lips together and swallowed nervously. The faint sound of her gulping spread through the tense silence.

Edgar bit his lip slightly to suppress a laugh and continued.

“When all the lights go out…”

Natalie waited for him to finish. That was when the lights were timed to go out—at the height of suspense. Edgar quickly blew out the lamp beside the box.

In an instant, darkness enveloped them.

Startled by the sudden darkness, Natalie urgently grabbed Edgar’s sleeve. She buried her head in his chest as if hiding from the ghost. Edgar could faintly see Natalie, who had leapt into his arms, in the dim light. He gently cupped her cheek as she lowered her head. Natalie flinched as if she had touched the ghost.

“A ghost that lives in the shadows will come.”

Edgar whispered softly in the shadows. Natalie slowly opened her eyes, as if trying to confirm whether the ghost was real.

“…Don’t lie.”

She murmured softly. Even in the darkness, Edgar could tell that Natalie’s green eyes were fixed on him.

“I always lie.”

Edgar spoke the truth, like an actor who could only stop performing once the lights were out.

“I’m not getting married. We broke up. Natalie, the letter you wrote worked, but… I ruined everything.”

Edgar removed the crown that had been precariously perched on his head. In the darkness, the crown no longer sparkled as he placed it on the ground. One by one, he removed the earrings and rings as well, just as actors do when stepping off the stage.

No matter how long it takes to put them on, taking them off is always quick. Soon, all the rings were gone, leaving only one. As he was about to remove the last ring, Natalie grabbed his hand.

“It’s not your fault, Mr. Wharton.”

Even in the darkness, her eyes shone as they looked at him.

“Love depends on luck.”

Her voice whispered the forbidden word—love—and Edgar’s gaze followed her voice to her lips.

Darkness extinguished reason and left only emotions. Judgment became dull, and impulses grew stronger. It was the impulse to cross the line drawn by the name of friendship.

Even knowing that the person whispering kind words to him had no feelings for him, knowing she liked someone else, and knowing she would cry bitterly if he kissed her—Edgar tilted his head foolishly. His lips came close enough to brush hers.

But the innocent young lady, unaware of his intentions, smiled brightly. That smile stopped Edgar.

Before his unwanted kiss could steal Natalie’s smile, Edgar stopped. He closed his eyes as he looked at her. He waited for the deep darkness to extinguish his impulse.

***

Natalie was looking into Mr. Wharton’s eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes came closer. She imagined how she would describe them if she were a poet.  

A sky where the sun never sets, an ocean that never dries… the last blue star remaining in the night sky.

She liked the last one best. Natalie smiled bashfully, like a poet pleased with her own writing. That smile stopped Mr. Wharton. The distance that had been closing grew wider. Those beautiful blue eyes disappeared behind closed eyelids.

Silence followed. No smile remained on Mr. Wharton’s face, now veiled in darkness. Natalie, her thoughts dulled by intoxication, thought to herself:  

Mr. Wharton must be sad.  

Parting ways with someone you love would surely be sad. Natalie wanted to comfort him, just as he had kindly comforted her. But the alcohol had stolen all her words, leaving her mind foggy. Natalie barely managed to string together the faint words that surfaced.

“Mr. Wharton, you’re a wonderful person. Your smile is charming, and you’re so eloquent, and you have lots of friends. So…”

She tilted her head slightly and met Mr. Wharton’s gaze. She found the blue star she had lost.

“You’ll meet someone better. Someone who won’t misunderstand you and will love you for who you are. When that happens, Miss Windsor will regret it. She’ll regret letting go of someone who would have loved her sincerely.”

Natalie chattered away as if performing tricks to make Mr. Wharton smile.

“Miss Windsor has no eye for people.”

Those words finally brought a smile to Mr. Wharton’s face. He looked at Natalie and gave a faint smile. Natalie felt glad to see his smile. If she had managed to ease even a little of Mr. Wharton’s sadness, it was a good thing.

“The people we like all have no eye for people. Miss Windsor, and Mr. Salinger too.”

Natalie said with a laugh. But Mr. Wharton didn’t laugh. This time, Natalie didn’t know what had stolen his smile.

“Even if you like someone else, do you still like Leonard?”

Mr. Wharton asked in a rather serious tone. To Natalie, whose thoughts had slowed, the sight of Mr. Wharton’s lips curving into a faint smile appeared in slow motion. After a faint chuckle, Mr. Wharton asked again.

“Do you want Leonard to regret it?”  

“……”  

“Do you think there’s someone who won’t misunderstand me and will love me?”

There were too many questions. The flood of questions made Natalie’s already dizzy head spin even more. She furrowed her brow, trying to think through the questions slowly. But Mr. Wharton didn’t wait for her.

“That will never happen.”

Mr. Wharton uttered a pessimistic remark. It was a sad resignation. Natalie didn’t want him to be sad.

“No!”

Her urgent exclamation stopped Mr. Wharton’s sadness. Natalie cupped his cheeks, wanting to wipe away the tears she thought might be pooling in his blue eyes. But Mr. Wharton wasn’t crying. Not everyone, it seemed, shed tears as easily as she did.

With her fingertips resting on his dry eyes, Natalie struggled to find the words to comfort him.

“Mr. Wharton, you’ll have a wonderful… a wonderful…”

Her mind must have short-circuited. She frowned, trying to squeeze out the right word.

Not a friend…

“A lover! You’ll have a wonderful lover.”

Finally, the word came to her. She leaned closer to Mr. Wharton with a smile. Then, Mr. Wharton met her gaze.

“Then will you be my lover, Natalie?”