“Is she missing? Or was there an accident…?”

At Lumiere’s question, the woman fixing her makeup scoffed.

“Accident? No way! There are still many sightings of Elina everywhere! And shortly after she disappeared, Mr. Henderson announced that Elina wouldn’t be performing for a while. Isn’t that unfair? Despite breaching her contract and having an unprofessional attitude, they didn’t fire her!”

Anastasia, who had taken on the role of the old man’s daughter in this performance of <La Centina>, complained in a shrill voice.

“Those with strong backers… She deserved it. She had been hogging the spotlight for too long. It’s about time she fell. That old hag should have retired long ago.”

“Don’t you think you’re being too harsh?”

Suddenly, the dressing room fell silent.

Footsteps, unusually loud, approached, and a middle-aged woman stood beside Lumiere.

“There’s another woman here with strong backers who’s still hogging the spotlight… It’s rather unpleasant to hear.”

Underneath a flashy headband, short blonde hair was visible.

Even in these changing times, such a boldly exposed short haircut was striking.

It was Madame Rosa, a woman known to everyone in the opera world.

“Ma-Madame Rosa! How come you’re here? I didn’t know you were in the dressing room; you always have a separate room.”

Until then, Anastasia, who had been loudly gossiping, suddenly shrank.

Madame Rosa.

Her official stage name was Rosa Lenario.

Like Elina Buick, she was one of the oldest remaining actresses in the opera world.

But unlike Elina, hardly anyone dared to speak ill of her.

This was because she was under the patronage of Marquis Evoque, a close associate of Duke Tartien.

Although not as powerful as Duke Tartien, Marquis Evoque was still one of the most influential nobles in Karien.

Whether Madame Rosa was his mistress or not, no one knew.

But all her performances were sponsored by Marquis Evoque, and she was always present wherever he wanted her to be.

It was almost a given that if one incurred Madame Rosa’s displeasure, it would be difficult to work with her in any performance.

Except for one person, Elina Buick.

“I heard someone was looking for Elina, but all I heard was unpleasant gossip. What should I do…? Should I find a replacement an hour before the performance?”

At her words, Anastasia’s face turned pale.

Today’s performance was her first major role in half a year.

Though she was not the lead, it was a significant part with beautiful costumes that showcased her beauty.

In other words, it was the perfect role to attract a patron.

“Madame! I’m sorry! It’s my fault. I always say the wrong things when I open my mouth! I’ll be careful, please. I’ve put so much effort into this role.”

Anastasia quickly changed her expression and clung to Madame Rosa.

She was ready to kneel and beg. The tears welling up in her eyes showed her acting skills.

Madame Rosa, looking at Anastasia with a piercing gaze, lifted her chin with a well-manicured finger and whispered.

“Gossiping is fine. But you should be careful of your surroundings. How unpleasant it would be if the person you were talking about heard you. Right?”

“Yes, yes. Absolutely. I won’t let this happen again. I got too excited thinking about performing after such a long time.”

Everyone in the dressing room knew how insincere her smiling face was.

Madame Rosa knew it too. But that’s how this world always was.

Gossip was rampant, and rivalry and power struggles were inseparable companions. Today’s winner could be tomorrow’s loser, and vice versa.

Like the social circles of the nobility, the world of those in the spotlight was filled with endless schemes and betrayals.

If necessary, they would ruthlessly crush their opponents, but if not, they wouldn’t risk making unnecessary enemies.

“Be careful. I was genuinely annoyed just now.”

Madame Rosa, smiling as if she had never shown hostility, released Anastasia’s chin.

A heavy silence settled in the dressing room. Cutting through the quiet air, Madame Rosa’s gaze fell on Lumiere.

“Miss Painter, can we talk for a moment?”

* * *

Sizzle—

The sound of dry tobacco leaves burning was heard. Madame Rosa slowly inhaled through the elegant black cigarette holder in her mouth.

The pungent smell of the cigarette swirled around the terrace like mist before dissipating into the air.

“Why are you looking for Elina after three months, Miss?”

Madame Rosa, who had been watching the smoke with dreamy eyes, glanced at Lumiere and spoke. Seeing Lumiere silently watching her to gauge the situation, Madame Rosa chuckled.

“Being cautious, I see.”

Madame Rosa’s appearance, with her short platinum blonde hair under a jeweled headband, was vibrant and youthful, making it hard to believe she was just over forty.

“Since you weren’t around, I thought you had run away. Or maybe you got into an accident.”

She leaned against the terrace railing, murmuring to Lumiere, who had yet to respond.

“But you’ve become even more beautiful since I last saw you. It’s such a waste that you’re not an actress with that face. Of course, for opera singers, it’s more about the voice than the face.”

The conversation had been jumping all over the place, making it hard to keep up.

How should I respond, she wondered, but found it difficult to answer any of it.

Fortunately, it seemed the person asking the questions wasn’t expecting answers.

Lumiere finally opened her mouth after some thought.

“Did something happen to Elina? Madame Rosa, you know, don’t you?”

Rosa and Elina.

The oldest colleagues and rivals.

Though their personalities and directions were vastly different, the long history they shared walking the same path gave them a subtle sense of kinship. They disliked each other but didn’t hate each other, weren’t particularly fond of each other but sometimes admired each other.

‘…That’s what Elina said.’

Lumiere recalled Elina talking about Rosa from a faint memory.

She couldn’t remember exactly when it was, but it seemed relatively recent. So she thought maybe, if something had happened to Elina, Madame Rosa might know.

“Something did happen… something very big. But it’s a very personal matter that hasn’t been made public, so I can’t speak about it lightly.”

Lumiere easily understood Madame Rosa’s words.

If it was a private matter, she couldn’t press further. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t worried about Elina.

She also needed to deliver the finished portrait.

“Then I won’t ask more. But can you tell me one thing? Do you know where she is now?”

“Why? Why are you curious about where she is?”

“I want to give her the portrait I made of her.”

“Oh… Elina commissioned a portrait from you? I’m curious. What kind of painting is it? But I can’t look at it before the owner, can I?”

Madame Rosa sighed with genuine regret. She seemed to ponder for a moment and took a deep drag from her cigarette holder.

The cigarette at the end of the holder quickly burned out.

“Well, fine. Elina liked you, so she wouldn’t mind if I told you where she is. But answer one of my questions in return.”

What could she possibly want to ask with that meaningful expression?

Even though Lumiere was curious about Elina’s situation, she hesitated to agree to this deal. Seeing her hesitation, Madame Rosa added reassuringly,

“It’s just something simple, so you don’t have to be so nervous. Or do you have some big secret you’re hiding?”

For some reason, Rosa’s words made Lumiere’s heart sink. She tried hard not to show her discomfort and nodded.

“What do you want to know?”

Madame Rosa smiled and asked in a secretive voice,

“Miss, have you broken up with our owner?”