Chapter 5.3

The commotion at the theater concluded without further incident. The young lady in the red dress seemed to have other matters to attend to after rescuing Mr. Wharton from his predicament and moved on.

Maurice approached Mr. Wharton, who was now standing alone.

“What on earth just happened?”

Maurice asked in a low voice. Mr. Wharton glanced at Maurice briefly but didn’t linger. His gaze remained fixed on the young lady in the red dress as she walked away.

“You’ve done well. Thank you.”

Mr. Wharton’s response was kind but didn’t answer the question. Maurice noticed that Mr. Wharton’s cravat was disheveled.

Had he been in a fight somewhere?

Maurice, puzzled by the loosened cravat as if someone had grabbed him by the collar, remarked.

“By tomorrow, there’ll be a huge fuss about the Flavium Theater.”

“They’ll be saying a ghost appeared.”

“And that you hid a corpse, Mr. Wharton.”

“Isn’t it amusing?”

“Pardon?”

Maurice stared at Mr. Wharton, bewildered. Mr. Wharton, smiling as always, looked as beautiful as ever, but there was a childlike glee in his expression that was unusual.

“Well, isn’t it funny? The Flavium Theater is about to become known as a haunted theater. People will be talking about it all night.”

“Indeed. There’ll be endless stories about the Flavium Theater. People will want to know what a haunted theater looks like. They’ll want to sit in the audience, even just once.”

Hearing Mr. Wharton’s words, Maurice felt a suspicion creeping in.

Could this entire situation have been orchestrated by Mr. Wharton? Had he deliberately stirred up interest and encouraged rumors about the ghost?

“Did you… do this on purpose?”

“Let’s wait and see what happens tomorrow morning. If things go well, I’ll take credit for it. If not, we’ll call it an accident.”

“Well….”

Maurice was at a loss for words as Mr. Wharton pointed toward the crowd.

“Look over there. Something interesting seems to be happening.”

Following Mr. Wharton’s outstretched finger, Maurice saw a familiar face.

It was the man who had been causing a commotion and calling for the constable earlier. John Smith was now bowing his head deeply before someone, his shoulders hunched. He even seemed on the verge of kneeling.

It was clear he had done something terribly wrong. The “interesting thing” Mr. Wharton referred to was this sight.

The young lady in the red dress was also watching the same scene. Suddenly, she glanced in Mr. Wharton’s direction, her face breaking into a satisfied smile.

Mr. Wharton, hiding how much he had been waiting for that look and smile, responded with a leisurely grin.

***

Sally received an apology from her unkind lover. Natalie recalled how John Smith had reacted to her words.

“Don’t even think about running. The ghost is watching. It’s everywhere in the dark.”

John Smith, his face filled with despair, watched the constable’s retreating figure. The man who could have saved him from the terrifying ghost and the dangerous theater owner had left.

Thus, John Smith chose to apologize to the one he had wronged. Better that than having his neck tied in a noose or being hidden silently in the old costume room.

Sally, seeing the man kneeling, helped him to his feet and turned toward Natalie. She quickly approached her.

Natalie, stepping back hesitantly, was caught by Sally, who grabbed her shoulders.

“Was it you?”

Natalie, facing Sally’s piercing gaze, reverted to being a clumsy liar.

“…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

But Sally was sharp and perceptive.

“You told him to apologize to me, didn’t you?”

“No, how could I….”

Natalie awkwardly scratched the back of her neck, unaware that the gesture made her lie even more obvious.

Sally suddenly wrapped her arms around Natalie’s waist in a tight hug.

“Thank you.”

Sally whispered softly and rubbed her head against Natalie’s shoulder, laughing like a child. Natalie, despite her sister now being of a similar build, still felt she was small and hugged her tightly as much as she could.

The night at Flavium Theater continued. The bright lights of the theater paid no heed to the deepening darkness outside. The music never stopped, nor did the laughter of the people.

The climax of the night, where everyone was the protagonist, was a surprise play prepared by the actors.

“Romeo! Where on earth have you gone? It seems you’ve vanished into the darkness. Blinded by love, darkness suits you best!”

As the first actor emerged from among the crowd and shouted the opening lines boldly, everyone was startled. It was only then that they realized he wasn’t one of the guests but an actor.

The actors jumped out from the stairs, the railings, and the middle of the hall, like dolls springing out of boxes to surprise people.

Mr. Wharton whispered to Natalie where the next actor would appear. Thanks to him, Natalie looked around expectantly, earlier than others.

The one who surprised the audience the most was undoubtedly Rosalyn, playing Juliet. At the appearance of the lead actress, the audience’s initial shock gave way to delight.

Rosalyn was searching for her Romeo among the crowd. Natalie, standing beside Mr. Wharton, saw Rosalyn approach her.

Drawing the attention of the crowd, Rosalyn stopped in front of Natalie.

“There you are, my Romeo.”

She must mean Mr. Wharton.

Natalie acknowledged it. Mr. Wharton always seemed like the protagonist, so if he were Romeo, no one could argue against it.

But strangely, Rosalyn took Natalie’s hand. Smiling beautifully, she kissed the back of Natalie’s hand.

A delighted smile spread across Natalie’s face. She was thrilled to be part of such a wonderful play.

The audience applauded Juliet for finding her Romeo. Amid the roaring applause, Natalie looked up at Mr. Wharton.

“Thank you for inviting me to such a splendid ball.”

“I should be thanking you, Miss Maron, for accepting the invitation.”

Mr. Wharton slightly bowed his head in a polite gesture. Natalie smiled shyly.

“Making people happy is truly an amazing thing. You must be the protagonist, Mr. Wharton. Protagonists always make people happy.”

“Well, I think differently.”

Natalie looked at Mr. Wharton with a puzzled expression. Mr. Wharton then met her gaze.

“Who made people happy today? Who punished the bad and comforted the wounded lady? And who saved someone from being taken away by the constable?”

While Natalie stared at Mr. Wharton blankly, he leaned toward her.

Natalie flinched, thinking he was about to kiss her in front of everyone. However, instead of their lips meeting, the tips of their noses lightly brushed.

“The protagonist is right here in front of me.”

Mr. Wharton smiled as he locked eyes with Natalie.

Facing his blue eyes up close, Natalie’s heart raced. Trying to calm herself, she fiddled with the tip of her nose and eventually smiled gently.

It was like a dream. As if standing in the brightest spotlight, all the worries and concerns that surrounded her daily life had disappeared.

Everyone who came to the theater laughed and chatted, enjoying the special night.

Everyone, except one.

Watching the young lady beside Edgar Wharton receive applause, Olivia Windsor clenched her teeth.

The position that should have been hers, the cheers that should rightfully belong to her. Olivia felt humiliated, like an actress pushed out of the lead role.

She always exacted revenge on those who upset her.

Olivia etched this principle into her heart as she stormed off angrily, waiting only for the next stage to reclaim her place.

The stage was soon set, accompanied by an invitation.

***

Everything went according to Mr. Wharton’s plan.

The performance tickets sold out one after another, and fights even broke out over the last remaining tickets. Even after the lights went out, Flavium Theater was bustling with visitors as if it were a tourist attraction.

Rumors about the ghost became more vivid as they spread from mouth to mouth. In high society, where knowing what others knew was essential to avoid falling behind, everyone eagerly joined in embellishing the eerie tales, claiming to have heard it from someone or even witnessed it themselves.

Guests of the masquerade ball gained attention for being witnesses to the revelation of Flavium Theater’s secrets. Thus, simply having attended the masquerade became a point of pride.

In conclusion, the ghost of Flavium, faceless, became a celebrity, and Flavium Theater became the center of attention.

Maurice reported the theater’s situation to Mr. Wharton, who was adjusting his attire in front of a mirror.

“It turned out well. I’ll have to inform Lady Wharton that it wasn’t an accident but your plan.”

Mr. Wharton smiled as he met Maurice’s gaze through the mirror.

Maurice examined a bundle of invitations that had arrived for Mr. Wharton.

The sheer number of invitations was astonishing, a testament to how many social gatherings were happening in the city. Dinners, concerts, balls… the variety was endless.

What was equally remarkable was that all these invitations were sent in fierce competition to invite just one person.

“You’d need two bodies to attend all these invitations.”

Since the number of guests a ball could accommodate was limited, important attendees had to be prioritized. Similarly, since one could only attend so many events, the most significant hosts had to be chosen.