“……I thought you might find it creepy.”

“What?”

Henkel, no, Luka scratched his head with a reddened face and explained.

“I couldn’t tell you because I was afraid you’d think I was disgusting and creepy……”

“What are you talking about?”

“I was scared you’d say I even followed you into opera because I was so obsessed.”

Though Luka loved Elina passionately, he hadn’t passionately pursued her.

He just always remained in his place, and no matter what happened to Elina or what people said, he always accepted her.

That kind of man being creepy?

That kind of man who became a playwright for her sake and even learned composition to write more perfect works, being creepy?

That couldn’t be.

“……You’ve followed me all this time and still don’t know me?”

“You’re a difficult woman, Elina. Even after knowing you for a lifetime, I can’t fully understand you.”

Hearing his words, Elina stared blankly at him for a moment before breaking into a broad smile.

“That’s the most perfect praise I’ve ever received. If I knew you could use that mouth so well, you should have talked more.”

“……Elina.”

Whatever the case, Elina had discovered the truth, and that truth hadn’t brought the terrible consequences Luka had imagined.

Thank goodness.

Luka Raus quietly swallowed a sigh of relief.

All that remained were Chris Gunther and Karl Winger staring at him like debt collectors come to settle accounts.

“……Well, um.”

“So, has that important matter that prevented you from writing been resolved now, Master Henkel?”

When Karl asked with a bright smile, Henkel nodded awkwardly while scratching his head.

“Y-yes, I suppose you could say that……”

Hearing their conversation, Elina’s eyes widened and she grabbed Henkel’s sleeve.

“Don’t tell me you stopped working because of me, Diella, and Michael?”

“Well…… You were having such a hard time you couldn’t even leave the house. And I was worried about Michael……”

Since he had never seen Elina like that before, Luka had no choice but to put all his daily life on hold and come to her side.

And he didn’t regret that decision one bit.

There was also another story he hadn’t mentioned on the surface.

“But that’s not the only reason I stopped writing the script, Count Cissus.”

Everyone’s eyes focused on Luka wondering what he meant.

“Actually, while the story you told me was quite shocking and had enough impact to make into a play……”

“But……?”

“The story ending like that won’t win the audience’s favor.”

“Favor?”

Karl’s brows furrowed slightly at the unexpected word.

But Luka nodded heavily indicating this was an issue that must be addressed.

“The ending you described will ultimately make people uncomfortable. A tragic ending can be powerful, but it’s weak in making people want to watch it again.”

For a moment, Karl stood frozen with an expression like he had gained a belated realization.

Henkel’s words made perfect sense.

He nodded and asked Henkel.

“Do you perhaps have another suggestion?”

Henkel nodded indicating he had already thought about it.

“We need to change the protagonist. To one who can give an ending of hope, not misfortune.”

Changing the protagonist meant Henkel would have to rewrite his story from the beginning as well.

To improve the play’s quality, Henkel was willing to accept that.

Lost in thought, Karl suddenly turned toward Lumiere sitting beside him.

She was listening intently to the conversation with a face that understood nothing.

After staring at her with a strange expression, Karl seemed to make a decision and called out to her.

“Lumiere.”

“Why do you have that expression?”

“I think it would be good if you could help.”

“……Me?”

To her wide-eyed look wondering what he meant, Karl held out Henkel’s incomplete script.

“We seem to need a fresh perspective. I think it would be good if you read it and gave your opinion.”

Lumiere stared at Henkel’s script he offered with trembling eyes.

〈Burning Spring〉

For some strange reason, the title stuck in her eyes and wouldn’t leave.

Her heart pounded frighteningly.

“Give me one too.”

After Lumiere and Karl’s group left, Elina went to find Luka who had returned to his room and held out her hand.

Luka Raus must have been pondering something, having half-emptied a glass of whiskey with a serious expression, when he looked up at her with a startled face.

“……What? Whiskey?”

At his dumbfounded question, Elina frowned and glared at him.

“Are you joking?”

People who didn’t know Elina well thought she lived on alcohol, but in truth, Elina had low alcohol tolerance.

And Elina couldn’t understand why people drank so much alcohol that felt like it would burn their esophagus with just one sip.

Why enjoy getting drunk?

The world was dizzy enough with a clear mind.

“Then?”

“Why are you asking? The copy. What you’re writing now. You said it’s 80 percent complete?”

“That……”

At Elina’s words, Luka Raus just stared blankly at her with a hesitant look.

Surprised by his unexpected attitude, Elina’s voice rose.

“……What? You don’t want to give it to me? Because it’s incomplete?”

“No, that’s not it.”

Even if incomplete, the framework was already finished.

And above all, it was such a famous incident that everyone knew the ‘plot’ to some extent even without seeing the script.

Of course, this script had a twist that completely overturned that ‘plot’ known to be true.

That’s why Luka Raus feared.

“This script is dangerous.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“……I don’t want you to be in danger.”

Hearing Luka’s words, Elina let out a disbelieving laugh and walked toward him, her shoes clicking.

Then standing before him with arms crossed, she looked down at him with arrogant eyes and spoke.

“I’m Elina Buick.”

What did she want to say?

After Diella returned, she had secluded herself in deep distress.

She stopped everything—her beloved fancy dress-up, going to the opera house daily despite people’s criticism, and the practice she never skipped saying she couldn’t lose her touch.

She did nothing but care for Michael, completely transformed.

But now that look in her eyes overflowed with the spirit and strength of her former self.

“For my final stage, I should naturally be at the center of burning attention. Even if it’s dangerous, I’ll take my final curtain call at the center of controversy.”

Because that would be a fitting end for Elina Buick, who sang her heart out for thirty years.

“……Elina.”

Luka called her name like a groan.

He already knew.

No matter how hard he tried, he could never stop Elina.

In any decision, at any moment.

“It’s alright, Luka.”

But despite that, the reason it was alright, the reason he couldn’t let her go was…….

“With Henkel Raus’s script, we can captivate everyone.”

Because she was already the queen of opera who had bet her life.

“In the end, you’ll end up protecting me.”

Because every story she walked into was already beautiful in itself.

* * *

“Come with me.”

Karl quickly caught Lumiere’s waist when she tried to get into Jeffrey’s carriage and put her in his own.

The moment she climbed in bewilderedly, the carriage smoothly started moving, determined not to let her off.

“No, wait? You’re not taking me to my mansion again, are you?”

“Hmm, unfortunately I have somewhere to go today so I can’t meet your expectations. But I won’t feel at ease unless I see my lady safely return home.”

The relationship between them had become too ambiguous to retort ‘Who’s your lady?’

Lumiere looked at him with complicated eyes.

Is this right? Should I be doing this?

A corner of her heart still held unease about this man.

She didn’t know why she felt uneasy, but strangely she couldn’t relax.

“Why those eyes again?”

“What about my eyes?”

Though her words were sulky, Karl smiled gently instead.

The more sullen she became, the more affectionate and kind Karl acted.

Like someone determined to melt even that side of her.

“I don’t think you’re doing it on purpose, but sometimes I wonder if you are.”

He muttered incomprehensibly while filling his deep golden eyes with the sight of her.

“Or perhaps you’re deliberately trying to make me anxious?”

“……Who’s anxious? You?”

Karl quietly laughed and tucked Lumiere’s hair behind her ear while speaking.

“I’ve always been anxious because of you, and still am.”

His touch brushing past her earlobe burned like it had been heated in fire.

“What if you run away the moment I look away? What if you abandon me like that? If you run away saying you’re tired of a man like me, can I chase after you? Will you really……”

His voice was low and deep, filling the narrow carriage despite being quiet.

“Let yourself be caught by me?”